1* Reds/Pirates under 8.5 -110
Snell is not red-hot, he's just good. Couple that with the Reds offense not being anywhere close to what it is at home, and I dont see the Reds scoring much. Milton sucks, but the Pirates have a hard time plating bunches of runs without much power in their lineup, and Pittsburgh is a haven for unders.
2* Boston Red Sox +122
Huh? I don't care how the Yankees are hitting, you have an over-the-hill Andy Pettite vs. a younger Dice-K in his prime, who has shown he handles pressure very well, I don't see how you pass on this value. Pettitte is actually pitching well, but so is Dice-K who has been a tough luck loser. His two losses were 2-1, and 3-0 games. If he loses, he has to get outpitched, and that is not the best word to associate with the Yankees. This Yankees/Redsox series goes in streaks, and dating back to last season Boston has won 5 straight. Yankees are in a bad funk losing 6 in a row overall, while Boston has found ways to win baseball games right now. And don't even get me started on bullpen. Boston coming from behind to win all 3 in Boston was no fluke. The Yankees bullpen is terrible, they are overworked already in this young season, and if you back the Yankees and they give up a 5-run 8th inning, don't be surprised. With the Redsox having a strong starter up front in this game with Dice-K, if they get the lead, they may keep it all game. Yankees were shut down yesterday by AJ Burnett, and if they thought he had nasty stuff, Dice-K will be even nastier. Yankees have a cold lineup, a cold pitching staff, cold bullpen, they are just not playing good baseball overall, and I certainly cannot lay juice with them in this game vs. a team they have lost 5 straight against. Yankees are leaning way too heavily on one guy right now, and if A-Rod wasn't seeing the ball like a beachball right now, this Yankees team could literally be 5-15 overall, while Boston is 15-7. Yankee Captain Derek Jeter is questionable, I just can't pass up on Boston here on a Yankee team that is so overvalued just because one guy is hitting homeruns.
2* Texas Rangers +120
Robinson Tejeda is still a pitcher I am high on. He's got a good ceiling, and projects to be successful in the bigs. Here he faces off against one of the coldest pitchers and worst pitchers in the big leagues, and I'm going to stick with the fireballer with electric stuff at a + price over the soft tossing righty that has been struggling greatly over his last 12 starts. Toronto is off a shutout of NY last game, here comes a let down.
1* San Francisco Giants -121
I'm sticking with the hot team here. Barry Bonds is swinging it well and this team goes as he goes. And Barry Zito has gotten the feel for that curveball and his last few outings have been stellar. I will continue to ride the treaky Zito until he loses feel for that curve again, until then he should put together another strong performance at a reasonable price.
2* Los Angeles Dodgers +105
I don't really like the Dodgers, but I have no problem betting on them here. Mark Hendrickson is one of the more underrated pitchers in baseball. He was solid with the D-Rays and he has been solid with the Dodgers. Hendrickson is a big lefty that causes problems for opposing lineups. Dodgers are playing good baseball right now, and face Clay Hensley who is struggling right now to get a feel on things. He's been getting hit around a little bit and his ERA is obviously reflecting that in the 9.00's. Dodgers at + money look good to me here.
2* Tampa Bay Devil Rays +130
This Devil Rays team is loaded with young talent. This lineup is scrappy, and relentless and they hit and hit and hit, and teams like this cause problems for Oakland, because Oakland can have dry spells and have a hard time scoring runs. Tampa has been out in Cali for a few days now since they had a series with the Angels, so I'm hoping any jetlag is gone, and they come out tonight and swing it well. Chad Gaudin is a surpirse so far this year for Oakland, but I think this is a dangerous spot for him vs. a vry underrated lineup. Teams dont take this Devil Ray lineup seriously yet, and they are making people pay. James Shields is looking to put together another solid outing for the DRays, as he has also been a pleasant surprise for Tampa. Tampa has a top 10 offense vs. RHP, while Oakland is bottom 3 in baseball.
