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

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Sunday, May 4


Gibbons: Blue Jays 'shell-shocked'

Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons admitted that his team was "a little shell-shocked" following another late-inning collapse in Saturday's 8-6 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Aaron Loup gave up three runs in the seventh inning and Todd Redmond served up the game-winning hit in the eighth Saturday, one day after Toronto squandered a two-run ninth inning lead in a 6-5 loss.

The Blue Jays led 5-0 in the fourth inning Saturday and 6-2 in the seventh.

Blue Jays relievers entered play Sunday with a combined 5.35 ERA -- the second-worst in the majors -- and five blown saves in 17 opportunities this season.


Cubs’ closer situation unsettled despite Hector Rondon’s success

Before the Cubs’ 3-0 victory Saturday over the Cardinals, manager Rick Renteria described his closer situation as fluid.

But then Renteria called on right-hander Hector Rondon to close for the second consecutive day. That seems more consistent than fluid.

Rondon finished the Cubs’ 6-5 victory Friday with a 1-2-3 ninth inning. On Saturday, he allowed hits to the first two batters before getting Jon Jay to ground into a double play. Rondon struck out Mark Ellis to earn his third save.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB Record as of Friday Night :

6- 6 .......................+ 1.63

3- 3 ....................... + .83

1 - 1 ........................- 0.72


Sunday, May 4

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Chi. White Sox - 1:05 PM ET Chi. White Sox +133 500 TRIPLE PLAY
Cleveland - Over 8.5 500

Tampa Bay - 1:05 PM ET NY Yankees -148 500
NY Yankees - Over 9 500

LA Dodgers - 1:10 PM ET Miami -170 500
Miami - Over 7 500

Oakland - 1:35 PM ET Oakland -101 500 TRIPLE PLAY
Boston - Under 8.5 500

San Francisco - 1:35 PM ET San Francisco +123 500 TRIPLE PLAY
Atlanta - Under 7 500

Toronto - 1:35 PM ET Toronto +111 500 TRIPLE PLAY
Pittsburgh - Under 8 500

Baltimore - 2:10 PM ET Minnesota -106 500
Minnesota - Under 8.5 500

Detroit - 2:10 PM ET Kansas City +111 500 TRIPLE PLAY
Kansas City - Over 8 500

Seattle - 2:10 PM ET Houston -108 500
Houston - Over 8.5 500

Washington - 3:05 PM ET Washington -137 500
Philadelphia - Under 7.5 500

Texas - 3:35 PM ET Texas -108 500
LA Angels - Over 7.5 500

Arizona - 4:10 PM ET Arizona +115 500 DOUBLE PLAY
San Diego - Under 7 500

Milwaukee - 4:10 PM ET Milwaukee +106 500
Cincinnati - Under 7.5 500

NY Mets - 4:10 PM ET NY Mets +120 500 DOUBLE PLAY
Colorado - Under 11 500

St. Louis - 8:05 PM ET St. Louis -137 500 TRIPLE PLAY
Chi. Cubs - Over 7 500

[StarDust Bum]

MLB Record as of Sunday Night :

6- 6 .......................+ 1.63

4- 4 ....................... + 1.40

6 - 2 ........................+ 13.29

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

-- Not sure why, but baseball unders are now 43-29-2 on Sunday.

-- Colts have only two of the top 165 picks in this weekend's NFL Draft.

-- All five teams in the NL East are over .500; last place teams are 1.5 games out of first place. Miami is 14-5 at home, 2-10 on the road.

-- Wade Miley is only one of four starting pitchers from LA-Arizona's Australia series that still has his spot in the rotation; two got hurt, one got demoted.

-- Cole Huff scored 12.4 ppg for Nevada this past year; he transfers to Creighton, which will need a lot of new players in 2015-16.

-- Nets went 4-0 against Miami this season, with three wins by one point.

*****

Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend.......

13) Higher-seeded team wins 74.4% of NBA playoff series, 64.9% in NHL, 56% in baseball. NBA would benefit from shorter playoff series.

12) Tommy John is selling a collage of MRI's from his now-famous left elbow; for only $1,295, you can have one of the 99 copies he is selling. Proceeds go to his chaitable foundation. Do collectors buy stuff like this?

11) Soldier in a blue uniform (not sure what branch of service) played God Bless America on a trumpet during the 7th inning stretch at Coors Field Sunday; just a tremendous job, very stirring. Reminded me that the Cowboys used to have a guy named Tommy Loy who played the national anthem on his trumpet before Dallas home games all during the 70's.

10) NFL Draft is much closer (eight weeks) to the start of training camp than it is from the end of last regular season; this doesn't seem right, doesn't seem fair to the kids getting drafted, who need time to learn the pro game.

My suggestion would be the weekend after The Masters, to maximize exposure.

9) Shouldn't every major league manager know how to speak Spanish? How do you go through a season without being able to talk to all of your players?

8) Speaking of managers, Bruce Bochy is most underrated manager in baseball; Giants are 20-11 with a team no one thought would contend with the big-money Dodgers- they're 2.5 games ahead of them right now. Don't forget, Bochy took the Padres to the World Series too- that might have been his best managing job..

7) San Diego should go back to the brown/gold caps they used to wear- they were lot nicer, as were the white jerseys with brown/gold trim that Dave Winfield, Randy Jones wore back in the day. Just my opinion, but I'm right.......lol

6) CC Sabathia is 3-4, 5.98 this season, 0-3, 7.74 at home. Uh-oh.

5) Bronx Bombers have a weird roster; they've got 10 guys who make $12M+, and 12 guys who make $3M or less, a pittance in the big leagues. Hard to have real good team chemistry when you almost have two different teams on your roster.

4) Southern Mississippi hired former Nebraska coach Doc Sadler,who used to coach in Conference USA at UTEP. Sadler was an assistant at Iowa State this past year. Golden Eagles won 56 games last two years without making NCAAs either year.

3) Oakland A's are 17-2 when Gray/Kazmir/Chavez pitch, 2-10 when someone else does; the other starters are replacements for Parker/Griffin, who already had Tommy John surgery this spring. Same issue the Rays are having-- not a big margin for error with the small market teams-- have to stay healthy.

2) Not sure why the Rockies gave Troy Tulowitzki Sunday off; Colorado is off to a good start and they had a big crowd Sunday. People pay to see the team's stars play-- you want to script his days off, give him days off on the road.

1) 22 of the 30 major league teams are within five games of .500.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, May 5

Hot pitchers
-- Greinke is 5-0, 2.31 in six starts this season. Zimmerman is 2-1, 3.08 in his last four starts.
-- Petit threw six shutout innings in his first '14 start.
-- Miller is 3-0, 1.57 in his last four starts. Harang is 1-1, 1.50 in three home starts.
-- Eovaldi is 1-0, 2.37 in his last three starts. Niese is 2-1, 1.37 in his last three starts.

-- Scherzer is 3-0, 1.42 in his last three starts. Cosart is 0-0, 2.84 in his last two starts.
-- Oakland is 6-0 when Kazmir starts (4-0, 2.33).
-- Weaver is 2-0, 2.08 in his last three starts.

-- Lyles is 1-0, 1.80 in his last three starts. Perez is 2-0, 2.35 in two road tilts.
-- Ventura is 1-0, 0.00 in his last two starts (13 IP).

Cold pitchers
-- This is Locke's first '14 start; he was 1-3, 8.00 in his last four '13 starts.
-- Garza is 1-2, 6.75 in five starts this season. Bolsinger is 1-1, 6.89 in three starts this season.

-- Gibson is 0-2, 11.17 in his last two starts. McAllister is 0-2, 8.68 in his last couple starts.
-- Young has a 5.17 RA in his last three starts.
-- Phelps is making first '14 start; he was 6-5, 4.98 in 22 games LY (12 starts); he allowed seven runs in 11.2 IP in nine relief appearances this year.

-- Kendrick is 0-2, 5.32 in his last four starts. Happ is making first '14 start; he was 1-1, 2.33 in his last three starts LY.
-- Quintana is Samardzija is 0-2, 3.60 in his last three starts.
-- Stults is 1-3, 5.97 in six starts this season.

Pitchers allowing runs in first inning:
-- Greinke 0-6; Zimmerman 1-6
-- Petit 0-1; Locke 0-0
-- Miller 0-6; Harang 0-6
-- Niese 2-5; Eovaldi 1-6
-- Bolsinger 1-3; Garza 2-6

-- Gibson 2-5; McAllister 2-6
-- Cosart 4-6; Scherzer 2-6
-- Young 1-4; Kazmir 1-6
-- Phelps 0-0; Weaver 1-6

-- Happ 0-0; Kendrick 1-5
-- Quintana 1-6; Samardzija 2-6
-- Perez 1-4; Lyles 2-6
-- Ventura 2-5; Stults 2-6

Totals
-- Five of last six Dodger games went over the total.
-- Under is 7-1-1 in Giants' last nine road games. Last four Pittsburgh games went over the total.
-- Eight of last nine Atlanta road games stayed under.
-- Ten of last twelve Miami home games went over.
-- Under is 14-1 this season in games at Miller Park.

-- Three of last four Cleveland home games stayed under.
-- Seven of last ten Detroit games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Oakland games stayed under.
-- Over is 10-3-1 in Angels' home games.

-- Six of last seven Toronto road games went over.
-- Over is 9-4 in last thirteen games at Wrigley Field.
-- Over is 8-3 in last eleven Colorado games.
-- Six of Royals' last seven games went over total.

Hot teams
-- Dodgers won five of their last seven road games.
-- Giants won nine of their last ten games.
-- Marlins won eight of their last nine home games.
-- Arizona won four of its last five road games.

-- Minnesota won three of its last four road games.
-- Detroit won seven of its last eight games.
-- Mariners won seven of their last nine games.
-- Angels won five of their last seven home games.

-- Phillies won eight of their last twelve games.
-- Cubs won three of their last four games.
-- Rockies won eight of last 11 games, are 5-0 in home series openers.

Cold teams
-- Nationals are 5-6 in their last eleven home games.
-- Braves lost their last six games. St Louis lost six of last eight on road.
-- Pirates lost 13 of their last 18 games.
-- Mets lost three of their last four games.
-- Shorthanded Brewers lost four of their last five games.

-- Indians lost seven of last nine games, but won six of last eight at home.
-- Astros lost four of their last five games.
-- Oakland lost its last three home games.
-- Bronx lost four of its last five games.

-- Blue Jays lost five of their last seven road games.
-- White Sox lost four of their last five games.
-- Rangers lost five of their last seven games.
-- Kansas City lost its last four games. Padres lost four of last five games.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Monday, May 5

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

7:05 PM
TORONTO vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 7 games when playing Toronto
Philadelphia is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Toronto

7:05 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Francisco's last 5 games
San Francisco is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games when playing at home against San Francisco

7:05 PM
LA DODGERS vs. WASHINGTON
LA Dodgers are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Dodgers's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing LA Dodgers
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games

7:05 PM
MINNESOTA vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 7 games when playing Cleveland
Cleveland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Cleveland's last 12 games at home

7:08 PM
HOUSTON vs. DETROIT
Houston is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Houston's last 9 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Detroit is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Houston
Detroit is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:10 PM
NY METS vs. MIAMI
NY Mets are 14-7 SU in its last 21 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of NY Mets's last 10 games when playing Miami
Miami is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
Miami is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against NY Mets

7:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone OVER in 10 of St. Louis's last 14 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of St. Louis's last 7 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Atlanta's last 7 games when playing St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Atlanta's last 17 games

8:05 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. CHI CUBS
Chi White Sox are 8-17 SU in their last 25 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Chi Cubs's last 14 games at home
Chi Cubs are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing Chi White Sox

8:10 PM
ARIZONA vs. MILWAUKEE
Arizona is 7-15 SU in its last 22 games
Arizona is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Milwaukee is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 6 games when playing at home against Arizona

8:40 PM
TEXAS vs. COLORADO
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Texas's last 5 games when playing on the road against Colorado
Texas is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games at home
Colorado is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games at home

10:05 PM
SEATTLE vs. OAKLAND
Seattle is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Seattle's last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Oakland's last 16 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oakland's last 6 games when playing Seattle

10:05 PM
NY YANKEES vs. LA ANGELS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 6 games when playing LA Angels
NY Yankees are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games when playing LA Angels
LA Angels are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Angels's last 6 games when playing NY Yankees

10:10 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. SAN DIEGO
Kansas City is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Diego
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Kansas City's last 9 games when playing San Diego
The total has gone OVER in 7 of San Diego's last 9 games when playing Kansas City
The total has gone UNDER in 19 of San Diego's last 25 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Monday, May 5

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What to take and leave from the first month of MLB betting
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first month – often the most challenging month for betting - of the MLB season is in the books. But what happened in April doesn’t necessarily carry over to May or to the rest of the baseball schedule.

We asked some of Covers Experts’ sharpest MLB handicappers to play a game of “Take It or Leave It”, telling you which early-season trends and outcomes you should take into May and which ones you should leave behind.

Steve Merril

Take it: “Pitchers will continue to dominate the hitters. Scoring has decreased significantly the past few seasons, especially since managers are quick to pull starting pitchers early and use spot middle relievers.”

Leave it: “Yankees' C.C. Sabathia has a history of starting slowly and did so this year, allowing six runs in his debut on April. He has settled down since and should pitch better in May than his overall 5.11 ERA would seem to indicate.”


Will Rogers

Take it: “Chicago White Sox 27-year-old rookie Jose Abreu leads the majors in home runs and RBIs, and watching him play I see no reason why he won't continue to be successful this season.”

Leave it: “The Brewers have the best record in baseball so far, and this is a trend I don't see continuing. They have been getting great pitching from their starters, but Wily Peralta and Marco Estrada are overachieving.”


Bryan Power

Take it: “Billy Beane continues to be smarter than the rest of his contemporaries and the Oakland GM has put together a team capable of continuing to stay atop the American League all season. Their run differential is the best in baseball, their starting rotation is good and their patience at the plate has once again led to them drawing more walks than any other team.”

Leave it: “The Atlanta Braves starting rotation was close to posting a sub 2.00 ERA in April. The list of teams in MLB history that have posted a sub 2.00 ERA in a calendar month is very small. While Atlanta's rotation is going to get healthier, the likelihood that they continue to post these kinds of incredible numbers is small.”


Sean Murphy

Take it: “I expect the Milwaukee Brewers to remain a profitable bet moving forward. We've seen it time and time again in the NL Central, with teams like the Reds and Pirates stepping to the forefront in recent years. And now it looks like it's the Brewers turn. With the Cardinals proving inconsistent and the Reds and Pirates struggling, Milwaukee should continue to thrive.”

Leave it: “I don't see the AL East staying down for long. The Yankees are currently the front runners but let's face it, all five teams have had their issues in the early going. I do expect one or two teams to separate themselves from the pack moving forward, and I think we can count on the defending world champion Red Sox to pick up their game as the season progresses.”

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

LA Dodgers at Washington
The Dodgers look to bounce back from yesterday's 5-4 loss in Miami and come into tonight's contest with a 7-0 record in Zack Greinke's last 7 starts after giving up 5 or more runs in the previous game. LA is the pick (-120) according to Dunkel, which has the Dodgers favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-120). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, MAY 5

Game 951-952: LA Dodgers at Washington (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Greinke) 15.627; Washington (Zimmermann) 14.287
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-120); 7
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-120); Over

Game 953-954: San Francisco at Pittsburgh (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Petit) 15.347; Pittsburgh (Locke) 14.428
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-110); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-110); Under

Game 955-956: St. Louis at Atlanta (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Miller) 15.333; Atlanta (Harang) 14.815
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-120); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (+100); Under

Game 957-958: NY Mets at Miami (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Niese) 16.168; Miami (Eovaldi) 17.666
Dunkel Line: Miami by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: Miami (-145); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Miami (-145); Under

Game 959-960: Arizona at Milwaukee (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Bolsinger) 13.708; Milwaukee (Garza) 15.387
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-165); 8
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-165); Under

Game 961-962: Minnesota at Cleveland (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Gibson) 14.844; Cleveland (McAllister) 14.304
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-160); 8
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+140); Over

Game 963-964: Houston at Detroit (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Cosart) 15.910; Detroit (Scherzer) 15.361
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Detroit (-300); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+250); Under

Game 965-966: Seattle at Oakland (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Young) 14.897; Oakland (Kazmir) 16.438
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Oakland (-200); 7
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-200); Over

Game 967-968: NY Yankees at LA Angels (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Phelps) 14.813; LA Angels (Weaver) 16.387
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-170); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-170); Under

Game 969-970: Toronto at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Happ) 16.448; Philadelphia (Kendrick) 15.550
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-115); 9
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-105); Over

Game 971-972: Chicago White Sox at Chicago Cubs (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Quintana) 15.195; Cubs (Samardzija) 14.235
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-125); No Run Total
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (+105); N/A

Game 973-974: Texas at Colorado (8:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Perez) 15.629; Colorado (Lyles) 16.720
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1; 12
Vegas Line: Colorado (-130); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-130); Over

Game 975-976: Kansas City at San Diego (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Ventura) 13.895; San Diego (Stults) 14.552
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-125); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+105); Over

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Monday, May 5

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

LA DODGERS (18 - 14) at WASHINGTON (17 - 14) - 7:05 PM
ZACK GREINKE (R) vs. JORDAN ZIMMERMANN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ZIMMERMANN is 21-6 (+12.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LA DODGERS are 45-29 (+16.8 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
GREINKE is 28-9 (+16.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 19-5 (+12.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 28-9 (+16.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 21-6 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 14-1 (+13.1 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

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

ZACK GREINKE vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
GREINKE is 3-0 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 1.78 and a WHIP of 0.947.
His team's record is 4-0 (+4.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.2 units)

JORDAN ZIMMERMANN vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
ZIMMERMANN is 2-1 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 6.65 and a WHIP of 1.661.
His team's record is 3-1 (+2.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-1. (+2.2 units)

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

SAN FRANCISCO (20 - 11) at PITTSBURGH (12 - 19) - 7:05 PM
YUSMEIRO PETIT (R) vs. JEFF LOCKE (L)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

YUSMEIRO PETIT vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
PETIT is 1-1 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 4.38 and a WHIP of 1.135.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)

JEFF LOCKE vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
LOCKE is 0-0 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 6.75 and a WHIP of 2.250.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.2 units)

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

ST LOUIS (16 - 16) at ATLANTA (17 - 13) - 7:10 PM
SHELBY MILLER (R) vs. AARON HARANG (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 4-11 (-10.1 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
ATLANTA is 66-32 (+16.9 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 66-32 (+16.9 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 98-57 (+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.

SHELBY MILLER vs. ATLANTA since 1997
MILLER is 1-1 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 2.13 and a WHIP of 0.868.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.1 units)

AARON HARANG vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
HARANG is 7-13 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 4.43 and a WHIP of 1.270.
His team's record is 9-16 (-4.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 16-8. (+7.1 units)

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

NY METS (16 - 14) at MIAMI (16 - 15) - 7:10 PM
JON NIESE (L) vs. NATHAN EOVALDI (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 14-5 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
MIAMI is 14-5 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
MIAMI is 19-12 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in home games against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 49-46 (+21.2 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 49-46 (+21.2 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 33-32 (+12.7 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
NIESE is 31-25 (+16.2 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
NIESE is 16-10 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
NIESE is 23-15 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in road games in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
NY METS is 2-1 (+0.7 Units) against MIAMI this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

JON NIESE vs. MIAMI since 1997
NIESE is 3-5 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 4.17 and a WHIP of 1.287.
His team's record is 6-7 (-2.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-8. (-4.2 units)

NATHAN EOVALDI vs. NY METS since 1997
EOVALDI is 1-2 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 3.58 and a WHIP of 1.446.
His team's record is 2-3 (-0.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-2. (+0.8 units)

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

ARIZONA (11 - 23) at MILWAUKEE (21 - 11) - 8:10 PM
MIKE BOLSINGER (R) vs. MATT GARZA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 11-23 (-12.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 50-65 (-25.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
ARIZONA is 16-29 (-18.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 3 seasons.
ARIZONA is 11-23 (-12.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ARIZONA is 6-16 (-11.4 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
MILWAUKEE is 21-11 (+11.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 21-11 (+11.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 70-60 (+18.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 74-70 (+11.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 7-25 (-19.8 Units) against the money line in May games over the last 2 seasons.

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

MIKE BOLSINGER vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
No recent starts.

MATT GARZA vs. ARIZONA since 1997
GARZA is 3-1 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 2.48 and a WHIP of 0.897.
His team's record is 3-1 (+2.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-4. (-4.3 units)

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

MINNESOTA (14 - 15) at CLEVELAND (13 - 18) - 7:05 PM
KYLE GIBSON (R) vs. ZACH MCALLISTER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 105-89 (+16.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 27-13 (+13.4 Units) against the money line in home games in May games over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 63-30 (+27.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
MCALLISTER is 20-8 (+13.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
MCALLISTER is 15-4 (+11.6 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
MCALLISTER is 19-10 (+10.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MINNESOTA is 71-87 (+21.5 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 40-31 (+16.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 2-1 (+2.2 Units) against CLEVELAND this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.0 Units)

KYLE GIBSON vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
GIBSON is 1-0 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 3.48 and a WHIP of 1.452.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

ZACH MCALLISTER vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
MCALLISTER is 2-3 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 3.71 and a WHIP of 1.575.
His team's record is 3-3 (-0.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-4. (-2.2 units)

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

HOUSTON (10 - 21) at DETROIT (17 - 9) - 7:05 PM
JARRED COSART (R) vs. MAX SCHERZER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 61-132 (-31.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 94-150 (-44.0 Units) against the money line in road games in May games since 1997.
HOUSTON is 58-125 (-31.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 38-92 (-28.7 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 20-75 (-35.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 63-52 (-19.1 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.

JARRED COSART vs. DETROIT since 1997
No recent starts.

MAX SCHERZER vs. HOUSTON since 1997
SCHERZER is 2-1 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 5.19 and a WHIP of 1.115.
His team's record is 2-2 (-2.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-1. (+1.9 units)

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

SEATTLE (14 - 15) at OAKLAND (19 - 12) - 10:05 PM
CHRIS YOUNG (R) vs. SCOTT KAZMIR (L)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 117-81 (+22.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 110-68 (+27.4 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 18-7 (+11.8 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 91-64 (+24.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 114-77 (+23.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 134-90 (+43.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 140-97 (+43.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 129-83 (+42.9 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 102-62 (+27.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
KAZMIR is 66-43 (+25.6 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
OAKLAND is 4-2 (+2.0 Units) against SEATTLE this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.5 Units)

CHRIS YOUNG vs. OAKLAND since 1997
YOUNG is 2-1 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 2.60 and a WHIP of 1.373.
His team's record is 2-3 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.4 units)

SCOTT KAZMIR vs. SEATTLE since 1997
KAZMIR is 4-3 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 3.12 and a WHIP of 1.053.
His team's record is 7-5 (+2.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-6. (-0.4 units)

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

NY YANKEES (16 - 14) at LA ANGELS (15 - 15) - 10:05 PM
DAVID PHELPS (R) vs. JERED WEAVER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 12-3 (+8.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
WEAVER is 82-34 (+27.1 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997. (Team's Record)
WEAVER is 82-34 (+27.1 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
LA ANGELS are 93-99 (-23.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 137-128 (-69.1 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 46-50 (-21.9 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 7-16 (-12.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 88-98 (-28.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 65-74 (-24.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 42-55 (-22.7 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 2-1 (+0.8 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.8 Units)

DAVID PHELPS vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
PHELPS is 0-1 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 6.00 and a WHIP of 1.833.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-0. (+0.0 units)

JERED WEAVER vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
WEAVER is 6-4 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 5.90 and a WHIP of 1.450.
His team's record is 9-5 (+4.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-9. (-6.5 units)

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

TORONTO (14 - 17) at PHILADELPHIA (15 - 14) - 7:05 PM
J.A. HAPP (L) vs. KYLE KENDRICK (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 51-70 (-17.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
KENDRICK is 68-50 (+20.5 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
PHILADELPHIA is 40-47 (-15.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

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

J.A. HAPP vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
HAPP is 2-0 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 2.19 and a WHIP of 1.217.
His team's record is 2-0 (+4.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.4 units)

KYLE KENDRICK vs. TORONTO since 1997
KENDRICK is 0-1 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 6.91 and a WHIP of 1.326.
His team's record is 1-2 (-0.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.3 units)

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

CHI WHITE SOX (15 - 17) at CHICAGO CUBS (11 - 18) - 8:05 PM
JOSE QUINTANA (L) vs. JEFF SAMARDZIJA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 78-116 (-30.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 32-65 (-23.3 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 76-111 (-27.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 48-77 (-22.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 32-48 (-18.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 501-523 (+36.7 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
CHI WHITE SOX are 349-346 (+32.2 Units) against the money line in road games after a win since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 138-216 (-46.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 38-60 (-22.2 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 38-60 (-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 198-213 (-73.8 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 658-659 (-157.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
SAMARDZIJA is 0-7 (-8.0 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAMARDZIJA is 6-15 (-10.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAMARDZIJA is 6-15 (-10.0 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

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

JOSE QUINTANA vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
QUINTANA is 0-1 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 6.00 and a WHIP of 1.167.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-0. (+0.0 units)

JEFF SAMARDZIJA vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
SAMARDZIJA is 1-1 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 1.65 and a WHIP of 0.735.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

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

TEXAS (17 - 14) at COLORADO (19 - 14) - 8:40 PM
MARTIN PEREZ (L) vs. JORDAN LYLES (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 106-94 (-24.8 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 11-2 (+10.0 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
TEXAS is 40-27 (+14.3 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
PEREZ is 11-3 (+9.5 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
COLORADO is 8-16 (-10.6 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 9-29 (-22.7 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 39-73 (-30.7 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
LYLES is 5-25 (-16.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997. (Team's Record)

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

MARTIN PEREZ vs. COLORADO since 1997
No recent starts.

JORDAN LYLES vs. TEXAS since 1997
LYLES is 0-5 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 9.82 and a WHIP of 2.284.
His team's record is 0-6 (-6.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-3. (-1.6 units)

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

KANSAS CITY (14 - 16) at SAN DIEGO (14 - 18) - 10:10 PM
YORDANO VENTURA (R) vs. ERIC STULTS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 8-22 (-14.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 8-24 (-19.1 Units) against the money line in May games over the last 2 seasons.
STULTS is 44-34 (+19.0 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
STULTS is 16-8 (+12.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
STULTS is 17-7 (+11.3 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
STULTS is 30-23 (+13.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
STULTS is 22-13 (+14.2 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
KANSAS CITY is 28-21 (+10.9 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.

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

YORDANO VENTURA vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
No recent starts.

ERIC STULTS vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
No recent starts.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Short Sheet

Monday, May 5

LA Dodgers at Washington, 7:05 ET
Greinke: 19-5 TSR when the total is 7 or less
Zimmermann: WASHINGTON 3-10 in home games after scoring 1 run or less

San Francisco at Pittsburgh, 7:05 ET
Petit: n/a
Locke: n/a

St Louis at Atlanta, 7:10 ET
Miller: ST LOUIS 9-19 in road games after a one run win
Harang: ATLANTA 15-4 in home games against NL Central opponents

NY Mets at Miami, 7:10 ET
Niese: 18-12 TSR as a road underdog of +125 to +175
Eovaldi: MIAMI 6-22 after 6 or more consecutive home games

Arizona at Milwaukee, 8:10 ET
Bolsinger: ARIZONA 15-6 OVER after a loss
Garza: 21-8 OVER in night games

Minnesota at Cleveland, 7:05 ET
Gibson: MINNESOTA 8-2 in road games after 3 or more consecutive unders
McAllister: CLEVELAND 29-10 as a home favorite of -125 to -175

Houston at Detroit, 7:05 ET
Cosart: HOUSTON 52-147 as an underdog of +150 or more
Scherzer: 23-4 TSR as a favorite of -150 or more

Seattle at Oakland, 10:05 ET
Young: SEATTLE 11-23 after 2 or more consecutive wins
Kazmir: 29-6 TSR as a favorite of -150 or more

NY Yankees at LA Angels, 10:05 ET
Phelps: NY YANKEES 12-4 in road games after scoring 1 run or less
Weaver: LA ANGELS 42-55 after a loss

Toronto at Philadelphia, 7:05 ET
Happ: TORONTO 8-1 OVER after a win by 4 runs or more
Kendrick: PHILADELPHIA 41-23 OVER after shutting out a division rival

Chicago White Sox at Chicago Cubs, 8:05 ET
Quintana: CHI WHITE SOX 32-65 in road games
Samardzija: 0-7 TSR at home with a money line of -100 to -125

Texas at Colorado, 8:40 ET
Perez: TEXAS 6-12 after a game with a combined score of 15 runs or more
Lyles: COLORADO 11-2 after a loss

Kansas City at San Diego, 10:10 ET
Ventura: KANSAS CITY 56-36 UNDER in road games
Stults: SAN DIEGO 14-2 UNDER as an underdog of +100 to +150

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Monday, May 5


Yasiel Puig, LA Dodgers - Prob Mon

Puig collided with the outfield wall on Sunday but did not sustain a concussion. He is expected to play Monday against the Nationals.


Brewers waiting for consistent quality from Garza

Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Matt Garza, who left his last start after bruising his left thumb while batting, returns to the mound Monday against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Miller Park.

Manager Ron Roenicke doesn't expect the thumb to be an issue, but he is still waiting for Garza to get back to being the pitcher he is accustomed to seeing.

In his first start, Garza allowed just one run and two hits in eight innings against the Atlanta Braves. He walked one and struck out seven. Garza now leads the Brewers' pitching staff with 12 walks and 20 earned runs allowed in 36 innings. He is 1-3 with a 5.00 ERA in six starts.


Windy conditions at Oakland Coliseum Monday

Wind will be blowing out toward right-center field at the Oakland Coliseum as the A's host the Seattle Mariners Monday evening.

According to DailyBaseballData.com, the weather forecast is calling for wind blowing out at 20 mph.

The A's are currently -190 home faves with a total of 7.


Reds' Jay Bruce needs surgery

Jay Bruce, a late scratch from Sunday's game with a left knee injury, was examined Sunday night. Two baseball sources say that examination revealed a torn meniscus that will require surgery. Bruce will likely miss three weeks to a month. Bruce could not be reached for comment.


Indians' Bourn may be headed for DL with hamstring problem

For the last eight months, the Indians have had to deal, on and off, with center fielder Michael Bourn's hamstring issues. The injury has now surfaced again, and it could result in Bourn being placed on the disabled list. Bourn was removed from a game against the White Sox on Sunday due to tightness in his hamstring.

This is the latest in a series of problems Bourn has had with his hamstring. He first injured it in the last regular-season game of last year. He did play in the Indians' loss to Tampa Bay in the wild-card playoff game, but shortly after the season, Bourn had surgery on the hamstring.

Halfway through spring training of this year, however, the hamstring flared up again and Bourn began the season on the disabled list. He was activated off the DL on April 15, but is now in danger of going back on the DL with the same injury.

A hamstring injury is particularly troubling for Bourn, who as a center fielder, leadoff hitter, and three-time stolen base champion in the National League, relies a great deal on his speed. Having a less-than-healthy Bourn in the lineup prevents the Indians from getting the full benefit of Bourn's skills.

On Sunday, the Indians recalled outfielder Nyjer Morgan from Triple-A Columbus to play center field and hit leadoff in place of Bourn. Indians officials seem willing to wait a few days to get a better feel on the seriousness of Bourn's latest hamstring injury. If the injury lingers for longer than that, it's likely Bourn would be placed on the disabled list.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Monday, May 5

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday's MLB betting cheat sheet
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bedard Baffles the Bronx Bombers

Those who bet the trends were flummoxed by Tampa Bay lefty Erik Bedard, who threw six sensational innings in a 5-1 triumph over the New York Yankees. The journeyman entered the game 3-18 against the moneyline in his last 21 appearances, while going 7-3 O/U in his previous 10 outings.

Dog Day Afternoon

The underdogs enjoyed a strong Sunday, going 7-7 in afternoon action. It could have been an even more profitable day for the 'dogs, but favorites Oakland, Miami, Cincinnati and San Diego all scored single runs in the ninth inning to pull out victories.

Houston May Have a Problem

The Detroit Tigers welcome the Houston Astros to Comerica Park on Monday as a whopping -270 favorite - their biggest line of the young season. Detroit is 7-1 in its last eight games as a favorite of -200 or better.

Pitching Notes

* Rejuvenated Oakland Athletics left-hander Scott Kazmir has been automatic on the moneyline, going 6-0 this season and 8-0 since last September - all as a favorite. Kazmir's Athletics are a -190 fave for Monday's encounter with the visiting Seattle Mariners.

* Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Matt Garza has been as predictable as they come so far in 2014, going 3-0 O/U in three road starts and 0-3 O/U in three home outings. Garza and the Brewers (-160, 8) entertain the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Hitting Notes

* Detroit Tigers outfielder Rajai Davis has four multi-hit efforts in his past seven games; the Tigers have won all four while going 4-0 O/U in that stretch.

* The Cleveland Indians are 1-5 O/U in the last six games in which slugger Carlos Santana doesn't record a hit. Santana went 0-for-8 in back-to-back games against the Chicago White Sox over the weekend and is hitting .152 for the season.

Total Streaks

Toronto Blue Jays (5-1 O/U): Injuries in the pitching staff and the gradual return to form of the potent lineup has the Blue Jays one of the hottest "over" tickets in the American League to date (19-11-1). Toronto (+104, 9) visits Philadelphia on Monday night.

Prop of the Day

The Under for combined hits for the Seattle Mariners and Oakland A's is being offered at -120 at Bet365. The two American League West clubs have played six games thus far and have finished Under 15 combined hits four times.

Injury Watch

* The San Francisco Giants have placed pitcher Matt Cain on the 15-day disabled list with a lacerated finger. Cain has been the Giants' least valuable starter since the middle of last season, going 4-16 against the moneyline in his previous 20 starts.

* Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jay Bruce will undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee and could miss up to four weeks. Bruce has just three home runs on the season, and his early-season struggles are a factor in the Reds sitting at -250 units through their first 31 games.

Weather Watch

* Offense at Wrigley Field could be curtailed for Monday's game between the Chicago Cubs and the cross-town White Sox. Wind will blow in from center field at 10 mph; teams combined to bat just .246 in 10 games under those situations last season.

[StarDust Bum]

Diamond Trends - Monday

May 5, 2014


SU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Blue Jays are 0-10 since September 10, 2013 after a win in which they allowed 6 or fewer hits for a net profit of $1090 when playing against.

PITCHER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- When Max Scherzer starts the Tigers are 19-0 since June 15, 2010 as a home 140+ favorite after more strike outs than hits allowed on the road last start for a net profit of $1900.

MLB BIBLE ACTIVE TREND:

-- The Nationals are 0-14 OU since August 24, 2011 when they were shutout last game with 3-6 hits while allowing less than nine runs.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Dodgers are 11-0 since September 23, 2012 as a road favorite after a loss in which they had 6 or fewer hits for a net profit of $1100.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- When Zack Greinke starts the Dodgers are 10-0 since June 22, 2013 on the road after throwing more than 100 pitches for a net profit of $1065.

[StarDust Bum]

Cards head to Atlanta

May 5, 2014


St. Louis (16-16) at Atlanta (17-13)

First pitch: Monday, 7:10 p.m. ET

Sportsbook.ag Line: Atlanta -125, St. Louis +115, Total: 7

Two struggling divisional winners from 2013, the Cardinals and Braves, clash at Turner Field on Monday night when they open a three-game series.

St. Louis is certainly not playing baseball like it has been for the past decade and narrowly avoided a three-game sweep by the Cubs with a 5-4 win at Wrigley Field on Sunday night. That was the club's second victory in the past six games, and only fourth win in the past 11 contests. The Cardinals were tied with the Cubs going into the ninth on Sunday before C Yadier Molina (.336 BA) hit a two-run single. Matt Adams (.339 BA) has been doing his best to keep his team winning and went 5-for-9 in the series in Chicago. On the other hand, Atlanta is currently leading the NL East by 0.5 games, but is in danger of losing that lead soon, as it is scuffling through a six-game losing skid. In their weekend series against the Giants, the Braves scored just three total runs, to waste a strong showing by their pitching that allowed just nine runs in the three contests.

1B Freddie Freeman (.293 BA) and OF Justin Upton (.299 BA) are the only two players on the team hitting better than .260 while Justin and brother B.J. Upton have already combined to strike out 74 times in 215 at-bats (34.4%). Trying to get St. Louis back on track in this game will be RHP Shelby Miller (3-2, 3.15 ERA), while RHP Aaron Harang (3-2, 2.97 ERA) will look to halt Atlanta's six-game skid. The Cardinals would love to be playing these games at home since they are just 9-11 when playing on the road, while the Braves are 9-6 so far this year at home. The matchup between these clubs has been dominated by Atlanta over the past three seasons, as the team is 9-5 overall in that timeframe while going 5-2 at home. One thing going for St. Louis in Monday's matchup is its 27-19 record (.587) as an underdog of +100 to +150 since the start of last year. Meanwhile, the host Braves are 15-4 in home games against NL Central opponents in the same timeframe.

Shelby Miller burst on to the scene last season and has continued his success this year. Although he has a low 3.15 ERA, he is walking way too many batters (5.5 per nine innings) and has already allowed seven homers in just 34.1 innings on the mound. One thing going in his favor for the time being is that batters are hitting a low .237 BABIP while he is stranding 94.7% of runners on base; with both numbers most likely unsustainable. He earned a win in his last outing on Wednesday, going six innings against the Brewers, while allowing three runs on six hits (2 HR) and three walks while striking out just one. Miller has been stellar against Atlanta in two career starts, going 1-1 with a 2.13 ERA and 0.87 WHIP. When he faced the Braves last August, Miller went seven strong frames while giving up just one run on three hits and no walks while striking out six batters.

Both 1B Freddie Freeman (2-for-6) and OF Jason Heyward (1-for-2, 1 walk) have hit a solo homer off of Miller, while C Evan Gattis, 2B Dan Uggla and OF B.J. Upton have gone a combined 0-for-9 with six strikeouts against him. The relievers for St. Louis are 1-5 with a 3.70 ERA and stellar 1.09 WHIP this year, and have been successful in 8-of-10 save chances. Closer Trevor Rosenthal (5.02 ERA, 8 saves) has not blown a save yet while striking out 19 batters with eight walks in 14.1 innings.

Aaron Harang was one of the best stories to start the season, allowing just three runs in his first five starts of the year (31.2 IP), but it all came crumbling down in his last start on Wednesday. When facing the Marlins that day, he gave up nine runs on 10 hits (2 HR) and one walk, while striking out four batters over 4.2 frames. Just like Miller, Harang has benefited from a low BABIP (.247), which is way below his career mark of .303. He’s had plenty of experience facing the Cardinals, starting against them 25 times and compiling a record of 7-13 (9-16 team record) with a 4.43 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. Neither Harang or his team has earned a win in this series since May of 2009, as he has a no-decision in each of his past two starts, combining to go 14.1 innings while allowing four runs on 10 hits and five walks with an impressive 15 strikeouts.

Two of the Cardinals’ offseason acquisitions, OF Peter Bourjos (4-for-10, 1 double, 1 triple, 1 HR, 3 RBI) and SS Jhonny Peralta (8-for-25, 2 doubles, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 7 K’s), have had success against the veteran righty, while OF Matt Holliday is just 2-for-23 (.087) with 7 K’s versus Harang. The Braves bullpen has done well this year with a 6-3 record, 3.26 ERA and 1.31 WHIP while going 10-for-13 (77%) in save opportunities. Closer Craig Kimbrel (2.38 ERA, 8 saves) has gone 8-for-9 in his save chances and has struck out an incredible 24 batters in just 11.1 innings on the mound (19.1 K/9 rate)

[StarDust Bum]

Monday, May 5

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Minnesota - 7:05 PM ET Minnesota +145 500 DOUBLE PLAY
Cleveland - Over 8 500

LA Dodgers - 7:05 PM ET Washington -101 500 *****
Washington - Under 7 500

Toronto - 7:05 PM ET Toronto -109 500
Philadelphia - Over 8.5 500

San Francisco - 7:05 PM ET San Francisco -106 500 TRIPLE PLAY
Pittsburgh - Under 7 500

Houston - 7:08 PM ET Houston +241 500 *****
Detroit - Under 7.5 500

St. Louis - 7:10 PM ET St. Louis +106 500 *****
Atlanta - Over 7.5 500

NY Mets - 7:10 PM ET NY Mets +118 500
Miami - Over 7 500

Chi. White Sox - 8:05 PM ET Chi. Cubs -120 500
Chi. Cubs - Under 6.5 500

Arizona - 8:10 PM ET Milwaukee -140 500
Milwaukee - Under 8 500

Texas - 8:40 PM ET Colorado -113 500 DOUBLE PLAY
Colorado - Over 10.5 500

NY Yankees - 10:05 PM ET LA Angels -148 500
LA Angels - Under 8.5 500

Seattle - 10:05 PM ET Seattle +178 500 *****
Oakland - Under 7.5 500

Kansas City - 10:10 PM ET San Diego +107 500
San Diego - Over 6.5 500