Series to Watch
May 10, 2012
New York Mets could face trouble against Miami Marlins
The New York Mets' fast start may be fool's gold and bettors may be able to take advantage when the team faces off with the Miami Marlins on Saturday, May 12th, 2012 at 1:05 p.m. ET.
The Mets have raced out to an 18-13 record through Wednesday's games, which is just a half-game behind the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves. However, New York has been outscored by 18 runs this season, which stands to reason that the Mets are playing above their expected record and could be coming back down to normal soon.
The Mets will likely be the underdogs in this game, and while it's only one game, the odds may be favorable to bet against them. New York lost leadoff hitter and star shortstop Jose Reyes to Miami in the offseason. The offense was expected to be a weakness but the Mets' 128 runs scored is actually second in the American League East behind the Braves.
David Wright is hitting .376 and leads the team with 18 RBIs and 20 runs scored, while the team has also gotten good production from Ruben Tejada and Daniel Murphy. Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey is scheduled to take the mound in this contest. He is 4-1 with a 3.76 ERA and gets the advantage of pitching in the cavernous Miami ballpark.
The Marlins were a fashionable pick to make the playoffs after the offseason acquisitions of Reyes, starter Mark Buerhle and closer Heath Bell. The team started slowly but is now a game over .500.
The offense has struggled, but the team's pitching has been a strength. Miami is third in the majors with a cumulative earned run average of 3.20 and leads the majors with 23 quality starts. Ricky Nolasco is expected to start on Saturday, and he has been very good this season with a 4-0 record and a 2.72 ERA. The Marlins have not reached their potential offensively yet and have room to grow. The Mets, meanwhile, are a limited offensive club and may have some trouble against Nolasco.
Betting against New York and under the run total are both decent options in order to capitalize on MLB baseball odds.
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Los Angeles Angels prep to face potent Texas Rangers, Yu Darvish
Before the Major League Baseball season began, conventional wisdom expected the American League West to be a battle between the Texas Rangers and the Los Angeles Angels.
Although the season is only a little more than a month old, the Angels have yet to live up to those lofty expectations while the Rangers have been everything and more expected of them.
A slow start has left the Angels in last place in the A.L. West looking up at the Rangers, but the team has played better lately and will look to make up a game when the teams face off on Saturday, May 12th, 2012 at the Ballpark in Arlington.
The Los Angeles Angels signed slugger Albert Pujols in the offseason, but he has struggled early on with only one home run and a batting average around .200. He has shown some signs of life lately and is expected to turn it on at some point. The Texas ballpark is a haven for hitters, and Pujols could have a big series. He is an essential part of the team and if he starts to hit like he is capable, the Angels' lineup becomes much more dangerous. Los Angeles is expected to start right-hander Jerome Williams, who has been solid this season with a 3-1 record and a 3.38 ERA. However, he will have to face the best lineup in the league in an extreme hitter's park, so it's a tough task.
The Texas Rangers had the best record in the American League after Wednesday's games because of the MLB's best offense. The Rangers are first in batting average, first in slugging percentage and first in runs in the league.
Josh Hamilton recently hit four home runs in one game and is looking like the best player in the league at this point. He is batting .406 with 14 home runs ad 36 RBIs on the season. He is surrounded by elite hitters like Ian Kinsler, Adrian Beltre, Mike Napoli, Michael Young, Nelson Cruz and others.
The Texas starting pitcher is slated to be Yu Darvish, the high-priced offseason acquisition. Darvish struggled in his debut but has been very good since, and has a record of 4-1 with a 2.54 ERA on the season.
The Rangers have been the best team in the American League thus far, but Los Angeles has won seven of its past 10 games and is starting to get hot.
The Angels can't afford to fall too far behind in the standings, but will be the underdogs in this contest because of the pitching matchups and since they are on the road in MLB baseball gambling.
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