6-20-14

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::clap::

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World Cup Game of the Day: Switzerland vs. France

Switzerland vs. France (+375, -118, Draw +260)

Switzerland and France face off Friday afternoon in a World Cup Group E match in Salvador, with the winner likely booking a spot in the second round. The Swiss earned a dramatic 2-1 victory over Ecuador in their tournament opener on Haris Seferovic's incredible header in the 93rd minute. They should expect a much stiffer challenge in their second match of the competition, facing a formidable French squad that rolled to a 3-0 triumph over Honduras.

It didn't take long for the French side to put its disastrous 2010 showing behind it, exhibiting an offensive flair against the overmatched Hondurans that was missing under Raymond Domenech's guidance four years ago. That should be a significant concern to the upstart Swiss, who looked strong in their opener against a game Ecuadorian side but showed cracks in the defense. France leads the all-time series 15-12, with the teams drawing nine times.

TV: 3 p.m. ET, ESPN

WORLD RANKINGS: Switzerland: No. 6; France: No. 17.

INJURY REPORT: Switzerland: None; France: None.

WHAT THE BOOKS SAY: "The top two teams in Group E, France and Switzerland, come into this match looking to lay claim to the top spot in the group. France is the favorite to win the group at (-300) and Switzerland sit at (+175). For this match, France is the favorite and is seeing 59 percent of the action and the over on the 2.5-goal total is seeing 96 percent of the action, with the trend of overs in this tournament so far." Michael Stewart, CarbonSports.ag.

ABOUT SWITZERLAND: Defensive struggles versus Ecuador has coach Ottmar Hitzfeld concerned, but not every member of the team is worried about the relentless French attack. Seferovic, in particular, believes that France's approach may actually serve as a hindrance, telling reporters: "There will surely be more space (than versus Ecuador) because the French like to play more. They are strong in attack, but it may be their weakness to want to attack too much." Seferovic may be moved into the starting XI after scoring as a substitute against Ecuador.

ABOUT FRANCE: Coach Didier Deschamps is reportedly leaning toward using the same starting lineup that humbled Honduras, led by Karim Benzema's two-goal performance. The French will be hoping for a less physical match Friday than the one they played in their opener, when seven yellow cards and one red card - to Honduras' Wilson Palacios - were handed out. France will also be looking to break out early and hold on late against a Swiss side that has traditionally been a dangerous second-half squad.

TRENDS:

* The teams have met just once at the World Cup, playing to a 0-0 draw in their 2006 opener.
* France has 99 goals in World Cup history, fifth all-time behind Brazil, Germany, Italy and Argentina.
* Switzerland hasn't defeated France since earning a 2-1 win in a friendly at Lausanne back on May 27, 1992.
* Eight of Switzerland's previous 10 World Cup goals have come in the second half.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Friday's WCup Tips
By Toby Maxtone-Smith

France vs. Switzerland (ESPN, 3:00 p.m. ET)

In a match between the two sides most heavily fancied to get out of Group E, Switzerland face France at the Arena Fonte Nova, in Salvador. Both teams won their first match, but while France had it easy in a 3-0 win against Honduras, Switzerland needed Admir Mehmedi’s last gasp winner to see off Ecuador. A win for either team would all but guarantee progress to the last 16.

France were one of the most impressive teams in the first round of matches as they weaved around some crunching, over-physical Honduran tackling to record a good 3-0 win. Karim Benzema looked very sharp, and was unlucky not to bag a hat-trick. The defence was untested, and the midfield trio of Yohan Cabaye, Blaise Matuidi and Paul Pogba worked well together, despite many similarities between the two players.

After years of being stereotyped as hard-working and organised, Switzerland’s squad in Brazil is rich in young, vibrant attacking talent. Their main man, Xherdan Shaqiri, is still only 22, but he now has lots of experience at the highest level of European football. Josip Drmic, Granit Xhaka and Ricardo Rodriguez are all highly promising for the future.

These two sides met in a turgid group stage encounter in 2006 that ended 0-0. Another draw is priced up at 29/10, with France leading the betting at 69/100. A Switzerland win, which would make them very likely to win the group with a match against Honduras to come, is at 7/2. The price on France looks a bit too short to me. While they are an excellent side, Switzerland are no mugs and France have a history of making things unnecessarily difficult in the group stages.

With both sides in good positions, there is a old chance of a nice, open game with plenty of goals. Switzerland’s strength is on the wings, and Mathieu Debuchy and Patrice Evra are not the best full-backs France have ever had. In Mathieu Valbuena, the French have a man capable of unlocking doors behind defences. France create lots of chances in lots of different ways. Over 2.5 goals looks a good shout at 91/100. For more ambitious punters, over 3.5 is quoted at 9/4

In the first goalscorer market, it is hard to ignore Real Madrid front-man Karim Benzema at 4/1. He scored 24 in 52 last season, and looks to have hit peak form for this World Cup. The finish for his second goal in the opening game was particularly impressive.

For Switzerland, Drmic will lead the line and is at 15/2. The 21-year old burst onto the scene with Nürnberg of the German Bundesliga this year, scoring 17. Shaqiri is slightly longer at 10/1, while attacking midfielder Xhaka is a 12/1 chance.

Top bet: Over 3.5 goals at 9/4


Costa Rica vs. Italy (ESPN, 12:00 p.m. ET)

Italy play Costa Rica in another match between two sides that won their opening fixtures. Italy edged past England 2-1, while Costa Rica caused a big shock by defeating Uruguay 3-1. A win for the Central American side against Italy would see them progress to the last 16. The game takes place at the Arena Pernambuco in Recife - a city near the equator. The humid conditions will suit Costa Rica more, and if they frustrate the Italians, they could find themselves within reach of another historic result.

Italy are the 51/100 favourites, with Costa Rica at 5/1 and a draw 15/4. Bookies are completely split on whether to expect goals or not, with both over 2.5 and under 2.5 at 87/100.

The bet I like here is Italy to win 2-0. The Azzurri have a history of grinding out unspectacular, but solid wins against lesser sides. They rarely thrash sides, but their defence is usually too strong to be exposed by weak sides. Italy know any win will be a huge result in their aim to win the group, and they will not feel under too much pressure to improve their goal-difference by a bigger win.

Top bet: Italy to win 2-0 at 5/1


Ecuador vs. Honduras (ESPN, 6:00 p.m. ET)

In the final game of the day Honduras meet Ecuador with both sides needing a win to keep hopes of qualifying for the last 16 in their own hands. Honduras seemed more intent on kicking lumps out of their opponents than actually trying to win the game as they went down 3-0 against France with 10 men. Ecuador, having taken the lead, went down 2-1 to Switzerland, with the Swiss winner coming with virtually the last kick (or head) of the game.

This is one match that would be tempting to write off as a 0-0, but I think Ecuador are value to get a win at 61/100. Honduras are dreadful going forward, and in wingers Antonio Valencia and Jefferson Montero, Ecuador have the tools to hurt the Honduran back line. Honduras are 9/2 to win, with a draw 63/20.

Ecuador’s defense is not the best, but Honduras have just looked so unimaginative going forward that it is impossible to ignore the 27/20 available on them not scoring. Their over-physical approach may well yield another red card, forcing them into their shell and curbing their attacking threat even more.

Top bet: Ecuador to keep a clean sheet at 27/20

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Italy expected to take care of Costa Rica Friday
By: Zach Cohen - StatFox

2014 WORLD CUP SOCCER

ITALY vs. COSTA RICA

Kickoff: Friday, 12:00 p.m. EDT
Arena Pernambuco – Recife, Brazil

Line:
Italy -232, Costa Rica +550, Tie +375
Over/Under: 2.5 Goals (Over -114, Under -114)

Two teams who picked up big wins in their opening games will meet Friday when Italy takes on Costa Rica.

Italy had a very tough challenge playing against a very talented England team, but they proved that they were up for the task and showed that they are capable of beating anybody when they are on their game.

The matchup between Italy and England was very even throughout the entire contest with Italy coming away with a slight edge in time of possession at 52%. They were, however, outshot on goal 8-5 by England. Italy struck first in the game with Claudio Marchisio finding the back of the net at the game’s 35-minute mark. England, however, would tie it up just two minutes later when Daniel Sturridge scored at the 37-minute mark. Luckily for Italy, big players come through in big games and that is just what Mario Balotelli did when he put home what would be the game-winning goal at the 50-minute mark. Italy didn’t get as many chances as England, but they made them count, and they can now really make their mark in the group with a win on Friday.

Costa Rica wasn’t given much of a chance to make it to the knockout round, but a win in their first game really put them in position to do so. A win over Italy would be monumental for this team.

Costa Rica faced a heavily favored Uruguay team in their opening match of group play and found themselves facing a 1-0 deficit after Edinson Cavani took advantage of a penalty at the game’s 24-minute mark. Uruguay won the battle in time of possession with 54% and shots on goal with five, compared to Costa Rica’s four, but capitalizing on those opportunities is all that matters. When the second half begun, Costa Rica flipped a switch and scored three unanswered goals. Joel Campbell tied the game up 54 minutes in, and then Oscar Duarte gave them a 2-1 lead just three minutes later. At the 84-minute mark, Marco Urena scored the put-away goal to make it 3-1. This team may not be capable of winning the tournament but they are surely threatening to scramble things up in Group D.

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World Cup Preview: Italy - Costa Rica
By Sam Lee in Brazil


After missing the opening win over England, the Juventus shot-stopper is set to return to help Cesare Prandelli's men pursue a spot in the last 16
Italy is hopeful of having Gianluigi Buffon back for its crunch Group D meeting with Costa Rica on Friday, with both sides looking for a victory which could ensure their passage to the last 16 of the World Cup.

Buffon picked up a slight ankle strain during training ahead of the Azzurri’s opener with England in Manaus and, despite Cesare Prandelli initially playing down the injury, the Juventus keeper was ruled out of the 2-1 victory.

Salvatore Sirigu deputized and did well, although there were uncertain moments at corners, and Prandelli is hoping to have his No. 1 available for selection despite not knowing the extent of the problem.

“We didn’t have enough time for him to recover, but I think in a few days he will be available again. He had a sprain so I don't know how long he will be out for," Prandelli said.

The coach also praised Matteo Darmian’s impact at right back, so the Torino man is expected to retain his place in a four-man defense, while Marco Verratti should also start after being taken off against England because of a virus.

Costa Rica also got off to an excellent start earlier on Saturday, roaring back from a goal down to beat Uruguay 3-1.

It was the first time Los Ticos had scored more than twice in a World Cup match in 11 attempts, and they came from just four shots on target, all of which were in the second half.

It was also the first time they had ever beaten Uruguay, at their ninth attempt, and they did it with five at the back and four midfielders.

It is unlikely they will be more adventurous against Italy, which recorded the highest pass completion rate (93.2 percent) of any team at a World Cup since 1966.

The midfield was key to that, with Andrea Pirlo racking up the most individual passes of the 2014 tournament to date against England – 108, with only five missing their target. Ninety-nine of Daniele De Rossi’s 105 passes found a teammate, too.

If England and Uruguay draw on Thursday, the victor in this match will seal passage to the second round.

Opta Facts

This is Italy and Costa Rica's first World Cup encounter.
Their only previous meeting was in a friendly on 11 June 1994 at New Haven in the United States before that year's World Cup. Italy won 1-0 thanks to a goal by Giuseppe Signori.
Costa Rica have scored in each of their six World Cup games against teams from the UEFA confederation.
Italy's pass completion of 93% vs England is the highest rate ever recorded in a World Cup game (1966-2014).
Italy have scored in their last 15 World Cup games, a record run for them and the best current run of any side.
Andrea Pirlo made 108 passes in Italy's first game but 59 of them were in his own half.
Other than Mexico and the USA, no CONCACAF team has ever won consecutive games at the World Cup.
Italy have not won their second game at a World Cup in any of the last three editions. (D2 L1).
If England and Uruguay draw then a win for either side will see them through to the Round of 16.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

World Cup Preview: Switzerland - France
By Mark Doyle

Karim Benzema netted twice for France in the opening game against Honduras, and Les Bleus will be hoping for more of the same versus Switzerland.
SALVADOR, Brazil — France boss Didier Deschamps is likely to name an unchanged starting lineup for Friday’s clash with Switzerland, but opposite number Ottmar Hitzfeld must decide whether to reward those who made such an impact in the country’s World Cup opener against Ecuador.

The Swiss looked set to suffer a shock defeat in Brasilia on Sunday, having fallen behind to Enner Valencia’s first-half header. However, Admir Mehmedi equalized three minutes after being introduced during the interval, while another substitute, Haris Seferovic, swept home the winner with seconds remaining.

Mehmedi came on for Valentin Stocker, who had a desperately ineffective opening 45 minutes, while Granit Xhaka also underwhelmed in behind striker Josip Drmic. However, the early indications are that Mehmedi will again be restricted to the role of impact substitute.

The Swiss could make one change, though. Johann Djourou was criticized for his performance against Ecuador, primarily for failing to pick up Valencia for the opening goal, and is expected to be replaced by Fabian Schar, who was Switzerland’s top scorer in qualifying (three).

As for France, Deschamps is not expected to tinker with the side that swept Honduras aside in Porto Alegre.

There has been talk in France of Olivier Giroud being drafted into the front three but it would be a major surprise if two-goal hero Karim Benzema is asked to move out to the left-hand side to make room for the Arsenal forward.

Such a tactical tweak would also be harsh on Antoine Griezmann, who did a fine job filling the void left by the injured Franck Ribery.

Opta Facts

Switzerland and France last met on 13 June 2006; it was in Stuttgart in their opening game of that year's World Cup. The game ended 0-0; it was their only previous encounter at the World Cup.
France are unbeaten in their last five games against Switzerland (W2 D3). The Nati's last win against their neighbours dates back to 27 May 1992 in a friendly played in Lausanne (2-1).
Switzerland are yet to beat France in a competitive game (qualifiers + major tournaments), drawing three and losing one (Euro 2004 group stages).
The last three games between Switzerland and France have all been drawn and have only produced two goals.
France have scored 99 goals in World Cup history. Only four teams (Brazil, Germany, Italy and Argentina) have netted more.
In their opening games, both teams enjoyed more possession than they had previously managed in a single World Cup game since 1966 - France (70.8%) and Switzerland (62.16%).
Thanks to his brace against Honduras, Karim Benzema became the first France player to score two goals in a single World Cup game since Zinedine Zidane scored a brace in the 1998 final.
The Real Madrid striker has scored eight goals in his last seven caps.
Three of France's last six goals in the World Cup have come from the penalty spot.
Eight of Switzerland's last 10 goals at the World Cup have come in the second half.
Ricardo Rodriguez delivered two assists in his first game at the World Cup.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

World Cup Preview: Honduras - Ecuador
By Pilar Suarez in Curitiba

With France and Switzerland firmly in control after opening victories, only three points can give either of these sides an outside chance of qualification.

Group E already seems clearly defined, with France and Switzerland well placed to qualify. It is up to Ecuador and Honduras to change that, but both are yet to taste victory at a World Cup.

Reinaldo Rueda's Ecuador side produced the more promising display in the first round of fixtures, with Enner Valencia putting the team ahead against the Swiss before goals from Admir Mehmedi and Haris Seferovic proved its undoing.

That Ecuador failed to get any points from that match despite being favored by the hot and humid conditions of Brasilia is a real worry, and anything less than a win here will see qualification hopes all but ended.

Honduras is in a worse situation, having been swept aside by France in an ill-tempered clash in Porto Alegre on Sunday which saw Wilson Palacios sent off.

Karim Benzema put Luis Suarez's men to the sword and only the controversy caused by FIFA's goal-line technology system could deflect from the fact that the Central Americans were thoroughly outclassed.

One more defeat would see Honduras eliminated. In truth, the CONCACAF nation never expected to qualify - after failing to win a match in its two previous World Cup appearances, even a solitary win here would constitute real progress.

Ecuador is a deserved favorite after its spirited performance against the Swiss but Honduras has built its reputation on being a tough, uncompromising team. This will be a battle.

Opta Facts

This will be the first World Cup meeting between Honduras and Ecuador.
Ecuador are unbeaten in their last three meetings with Honduras, all in friendlies (W1 D2). Honduras' last win came on the 12th September 2007 (2-1).
Ecuador forward Jaime Ayovi has scored three goals in his last two games against Honduras.
Current Ecuador head-coach Reinaldo Rueda was in charge of Honduras at the 2010 World Cup, a tournament during which the Central American side failed to score (D1 L2).
Current Honduras head-coach Luis Fernando Suarez was in charge of Ecuador at the 2006 World Cup, where he took La Tri to the last 16, the country's best ever performance in the tournament.
Honduras have failed to score in their last five World Cup games and they are still waiting for a win at the World Cup (D3 L4).
Honduras finished their opening game with just 29.2% possession; their worst return from a World Cup match.
Ecuador have gone six matches in all competitions without keeping a clean sheet.
Enner Valencia has scored in each of his last five appearances for Ecuador.
None of Ecuador's eight World Cup games have finished as a draw (W3 L5).

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Baseball Crusher
Oakland Athletics -152 over Boston Red Sox - pending
Kansas City Royals -119 over Seattle Mariners
(System Record: 44-0, won last game)
Overall Record: 44-35

Soccer Crusher
Costa Rica +1 over Italy
This match is happening in FIFA
(System Record: 592-21, won last 3 games)
Overall Record: 592-494-85

Here are the rest of his baseball plays for today...


Baseball
San Francisco Giants +100 over Arizona Dbacks
Minnesota Twins -117 over Chicago White Sox
Miami Marlins -131 over New York Mets

[Can'tPickAWinner]

PowerPlayWins

Power Play of The Day

Kansas City Royals(-122)
Pitcher: Shields

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Today's MLB Picks

NY Mets at Miami

The Mets look to follow up last night's 1-0 win over the Marlins and come into tonight's contest with a 7-1 record in Daisuke Matsuzaka's last 8 starts. New York is the pick (+125) according to Dunkel, which has the Mets favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+125). Here are all of today's picks.


FRIDAY, JUNE 20
Time Posted: 6:30 a.m. EST


Game 951-952: Pittsburgh at Chicago Cubs (4:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Morton) 14.597; Cubs (Jackson) 15.766
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-135); No Run Total
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (+115); N/A


Game 953-954: Atlanta at Washington (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Minor) 16.862; Washington (Strasburg) 15.995
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1; 6
Vegas Line: Washington (-175); 7
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+155); Under


Game 955-956: NY Mets at Miami (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Matsuzaka) 15.266; Miami (Alvarez) 13.998
Dunkel Line: MY Mets by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Miami (-145); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+125); Under


Game 957-958: Philadelphia at St. Louis (8:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Burnett) 15.920; St. Louis (Garcia) 17.121
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-160); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-160); Under


Game 959-960: Milwaukee at Colorado (8:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Estrada) 17.070; Colorado (Bergman) 14.445
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 2 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Colorado (-115); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-105); Under


Game 961-962: San Francisco at Arizona (9:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Lincecum) 16.470; Arizona (Collmenter) 14.732
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Arizona (-115); 9
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-105); Over


Game 963-964: LA Dodgers at San Diego (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Haren) 15.688; San Diego (Kennedy) 14.107
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1 1/2; 5
Vegas Line: San Diego (-110); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-110); Under


Game 965-966: Baltimore at NY Yankees (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Jimenez) 16.951; NY Yankees (Kuroda) 15.749
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1; 10
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-135); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+115); Over


Game 967-968: Detroit at Cleveland (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Porcello) 16.068; Cleveland (Kluber) 17.787
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-130); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-130); Under


Game 969-970: Houston at Tampa Bay (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Cosart) 12.737; Tampa Bay (Price) 17.715
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 5; 9
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-180); 7
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-180); Over


Game 971-972: Seattle at Kansas City (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Iwakuma) 15.803; Kansas City (Shields) 17.257
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-140); 7
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (-140); Under


Game 973-974: Chicago White Sox at Minnesota (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Noesi) 16.160; Minnesota (Nolasco) 14.577
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-120); 9
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (+100); Over


Game 975-976: Boston at Oakland (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Doubront) 16.951; Oakland (Mills) 15.587
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A


Game 977-978: Texas at LA Angels (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Saunders) 17.178; LA Angels (Richards) 16.246
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1; 10
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-200); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Texas (+170); Over


Game 979-980: Toronto at Cincinnati (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Hendriks) 16.737; Cincinnati (Latos) 15.285
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-140); 8
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+120); Over

[Can'tPickAWinner]

WNBA Basketball Picks

Washington at Minnesota

The Lynx look to bounce back from their 92-79 loss to Phoenix on Wednesday and come into tonight's contest with a 5-1 ATS record in their last 6 games following a SU defeat. Minnesota is the pick (-8 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Lynx favored by 11. Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-8 1/2). Here are all of today's WNBA picks.


FRIDAY, JUNE 20
Time Posted: 7:00 a.m. EST


Game 601-602: New York at Atlanta (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New York 105.143; Atlanta 118.157
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 13; 161
Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta by 8 1/2; 154 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-8 1/2); Over


Game 603-604: Washington at Minnesota (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 109.060; Minnesota 119.861
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 11; 151
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota by 8 1/2; 154 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-8 1/2); Under


Game 605-606: Indiana at Chicago (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 106.622; Chicago 112.297
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 5 1/2; 140
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago by 3 1/2; 148 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-3 1/2); Under


Game 607-608: Tulsa at Phoenix (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tulsa 107.771; Phoenix 120.388
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 12 1/2; 166
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix by 10; 162
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-10); Over

[Can'tPickAWinner]

STATSYSTEMS SPORTS MLB REPORT
INFORMATION WORTH BETTING ON EACH DAY

***** Friday, 6/20/14 MLB Information *****
(ALL RESULTS VS. ML) - Against The Money-Line - and most recent, unless noted otherwise. Each and every day during the 2014 Major League Baseball season we will analyze all of your daily baseball action, featuring on hot and cold pitchers, hot and cold teams, over/unders and home plate umpire trends. We will also highlight some of our Highly-Rated (Situational & Match-up) Power Trends, along with some of our Situational Analysis (Betting Systems) that pertain to some of that days match-ups.
__________________________________________________ ____

MLB Betting News and Notes - Week #12
•Rays' DeJesus On DL With Broken Hand: The Tampa Bay Rays have placed outfielder David DeJesus on the 15-day disabled list with a broken left hand. The Rays also activated outfielder Brandon Guyer, who had been sidelined by a broken left thumb, from the 15-day DL in moves made before Thursday night's game against Houston. DeJesus was hurt on a check-swing in Wednesday's game against Baltimore. One day earlier, he ran hard into the left-field wall chasing a grand slam hit by Orioles' slugger Chris Davis. DeJesus says "you can go run full steam into a wall and not be hurt, and then something I do every day you take for granted sometimes (you get hurt)." DeJesus expects to be in a cast for three weeks. He will undergo additional tests to determine how long he will be out.

•Arizona Brings Up Stites From Minors: The Arizona Diamondbacks have selected right-hander pitcher Matt Stites from Triple-A Reno, optioned outfielder Tony Campana and transferred right-hander Daniel Hudson to the 60-day disabled list. The 24-year-old Stites is making his majors debut after going 0-1 with 15 saves and a 2.89 ERA in 29 games between Double-A Mobile and Reno this season. He didn't allow an earned run in his first 11 appearances - a span of 10 2-3 innings - and converted all 12 of his save opportunities since being promoted to Reno on May 6. Campana hit .150 in 26 games with Arizona and had his first career walk-off hit with a single in Wednesday night's 4-3 win over Milwaukee. Hudson had Tommy John surgery for the second time in 2013.

•MLB, Players' Union Team In Puerto Rico: Major League Baseball and the players' union said Thursday they are teaming to launch a new summer league in Puerto Rico to give island teenagers more chances to stay on the field during the school break. The Puerto Rico Summer League is the latest move in efforts by the MLB and the players' union to support youth baseball on the U.S. Caribbean island that has produced a long line of greats including Roberto Clemente and Orlando Cepeda. But the numbers of local players making it to the big leagues has steadily diminished in recent years. There were 11 Puerto Rican players on opening day rosters this season. In 2005, there were 34.

That's why the summer league for youngsters aged 14-17 can make a big difference, according to MLB Chief Operating Officer Rob Manfred. "We all know that Puerto Rico has a great baseball tradition. We also know that great traditions need to be tended or else they deteriorate," he said at a press conference at a San Juan hotel. The league will have two four-team divisions and will run for eight weeks in June and July in the San Juan suburb of Guaynabo and the western city of Mayaguez. Players were selected through tryouts throughout the Caribbean island.

The MLB has stepped up its drive to stop a slide in Puerto Rico's production of major leaguers through a range of initiatives including player showcases and an intensive after-school training program. It has also been a long supporter of the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy, whose graduates include slugging shortstop Carlos Correa, the No. 1 draft pick in 2012. The MLB and union officials acknowledged that the summer league and other programs won't send the number of Puerto Rican in the big leagues surging overnight. "Development takes time. We believe we have laid a solid foundation," said Kim Ng, MLB's vice president of baseball operations.

--San Diego Padres pitcher Ian Kennedy has been an poor play this season, bad enough to rank him in the bottom 20 money pitchers in baseball at $-508. Kennedy and the Padres face off against Dan Haren and their interstate rival Los Angeles Dodgers Friday at PETCO Park. San Diego is currently -106 faves.

--If you've been backing the Kansas City Royals with James Shields on the hill this season, you already know just how good of a play he's been. As of Thursday, Shields is the ninth-best money pitcher in baseball at +$634. Shields and the red-hot Royals host the Seattle Mariners Friday. Kansas City is currently -117 faves for the matchup.

--The Baltimore Orioles are struggling mightily with Ubaldo Jimenez on the hill, going just 1-6 in his last seven starts. That's a trend worth paying attention to when Jimenez gets the ball Friday versus the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. New York is currently -123 faves for the American League East matchup.

--The Cleveland Indians have been dominant as of late with right-hander Corey Kluber on the mound, going 7-1 in his last eight assignments. Kluber will take the hill Friday evening against the Detroit Tigers. Right-hander Rick Porcello gets the start for the Tigers. The Tribe are currently -125 faves.
____________________________________________

Betting Notes - Friday

National League
•Pirates- Cubs - 4:05 PM
--Morton is 3-0, 2.37 in his last three starts.
--Jackson is 0-4, 9.00 in his last five starts.

--Pirates lost three of their last four games, but won six of last nine on road.
--Cubs won eight of their last ten home games.

--Four of last five Jackson starts went over the total.

•Braves-Nationals - 7:05 PM
--Minor is 0-2, 4.91 in his last five starts.
--Strasburg is 3-1, 3.51 in his last four starts.

--Braves lost six of their last nine games.
--Washington won five of its last six home games.

--Over is 5-2-1 in last eight Atlanta games.

•Mets-Marlins - 7:10 PM
--Matsuzaka is 2-0, 3.64 in four starts for the Mets.
--Miami won last five Alvarez starts (1-0, 1.08).

--Mets lost eight of their last ten road games, but won last two.
--Marlins lost nine of their last thirteen home games.

--Under is 6-2-1 in New York's last nine games.

•Phillies-Cardinals - 8:15 PM
--Burnett is 1-3, 6.11 in his last five starts.
--Garcia is 2-0, 0.64 in his last couple starts.

--Philly won eight of its last ten games.
--Cardinals won eight of their last eleven games, but lost last two.

--Under is 9-2-1 in last twelve Cardinal games.

•Brewers-Rockies - 8:40 PM
--Estrada is 0-2, 7.94 in his last three starts.
--Bergman is 0-1, 3.75 in two starts this season.

--Milwaukee won seven of its last nine road games.
--Rockies lost eight of their last eleven home games.

--Last five Estrada starts went over the total.

•Giants-Arizona - 9:40 PM
--Lincecum is 1-1, 7.16 in his last three starts.
--Collmenter is 0-2, 7.00 in his last three starts.

--Giants lost eight of their last nine games.
--Arizona lost seven of its last nine games.

--Under is 8-3 in Arizona's last eleven home games.

•Dodgers-Padres - 10:10 PM
--Haren is 2-3, 5.55 in his last six starts.
--Kennedy is 0-2, 5.84 in his last couple starts.

--Dodgers won five of their last six games.
--San Diego won three of its last four home games.

--Last six San Diego games stayed under the total.

American League
•Orioles-Yankees - 7:05 PM
--Jimenez is 0-4, 6.21 in his last six starts.
--Kuroda is 0-2, 3.44 in his last three starts.

--Orioles won six of their last eight road games.
--Yankees won its last four home games.

--Six of last seven Baltimore road games went over total.

•Tigers-Indians - 7:05 PM
--Porcello is 0-2, 5.68 in his last three starts.
--Kluber is 0-1, 6.48 in his last three starts.

--Tigers lost seven of their last eleven games.
--Cleveland won 11 of its last 12 home games.

--Six of last eight Kluber starts went over the total.

•Astros-Rays - 7:10 PM
--Cosart is 3-1, 4.01 in his last four starts.
--Price is 1-3, 4.84 in his last six starts.

--Astros lost five of their last six games.
--Tampa Bay lost eight of its last twelve home games.

--Three of last four Houston games went over total.

•Mariners-Royals - 8:10 PM
--Iwakuma is 2-1, 1.59 in his last three starts.
--Kansas City won Shields' last eight starts (2-0, 3.00 in last two).

--Mariners lost seven of their last ten games.
--Kansas City won ten of its eleven games.

--Eight of last ten Shields starts went over the total; 11 of Seattle's last 12 games stayed under the total.

•White Sox-Twins - 8:10 PM
--Noesi is 1-1, 8.68 in his last two starts.
--Nolasco is 2-2, 5.88 in his last six starts.

--White Sox lost six of their last eight road games.
--Minnesota lost five of its last six games.

--Nine of last twelve White Sox games went over total.

•Red Sox-Athletics - 10:05 PM
--Doubront was 1-2, 6.66 in his last five starts before going on DL.
--Mills is 3-3, 7.76 in 10 MLB starts, last of which was in 2012. He was 4-2 in 12 AAA starts this season, with a 1.56 ERA. A's acquired him on Tuesday to replaced the injured Pomeranz.

--Red Sox lost eight of their last ten road games.
--Oakland won eight of its last ten home games.

--Under is 10-1-1 in last twelve Boston games.

•Rangers-Angels - 10:05 PM
--Saunders is 0-1, 3.64 in his last three starts.
--Richards is 2-0, 0.43 in his last three starts.

--Texas lost three of its last four games.
--Angels lost five of last seven games, but are 11-3 in last 14 at home.

--Under is 8-2-1 in last eleven Richards starts.

Interleague
•Blue Jays-Reds - 7:10 PM
--Hendriks was 1-0, 2.31 in two spot starts last month.
--Latos threw six shutout innings in his first '14 start Sunday.

--Toronto lost four of its last five games.
--Reds won six of their last eight games.

--Under is 4-0-1 in last five Cincinnati home games.

Diamond Trends - Friday
•SEATTLE is 11-1 (+14.5 Units) against the money line in road games versus a starting pitcher with good control (less than 1.75 BB's/start) this season.
The average score was SEATTLE 5.5, OPPONENT 3.2.

•PITTSBURGH is 12-1 UNDER (+11.0 Units) in road games versus a good bullpen whose WHIP is 1.350 or better this season.
The average score was PITTSBURGH 3.1, OPPONENT 3.1.

•CLEVELAND is 5-20 (-22.9 Units) against the run line versus an American League starting pitcher whose WHIP is 1.300 or better this season.
The average score was CLEVELAND 3.2, OPPONENT 6.2.

•DAN HAREN is 5-15 (-15.0 Units) against the money line versus teams outscored by opponent by 0.5 or more runs/game on the season over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was HAREN 3.4, OPPONENT 5.2.

•HIROKI KURODA is 17-3 UNDER (+13.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was KURODA 2.6, OPPONENT 3.6.

•HISASHI IWAKUMA is 17-2 (+13.7 Units) against the run line as an underdog when the run line price is -190 to +165 over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was IWAKUMA 4.2, OPPONENT 2.7.

Situation Analysis of The Day
•Play Against - Road underdogs with a money line of +150 or more (TEXAS) - with a starting pitcher whose ERA is 3.50 or better on the season (American League) against opponent with a starting pitcher whose WHIP is 1.300 or better on the season-AL.
(79-16 over the last 5 seasons.) (83.2%, +49.6 units. Rating = 4*)

The average money line posted in these games was: Team favored with a money line of: -187.5
The average score in these games was: Team 5.3, Opponent 2.8 (Average run differential = +2.5)

The situation's record this season is: (10-5, +0.1 units).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (38-11, +16.8 units).
Since 1997 the situation's record is: (151-57, +44.6 units).

•Play On - All favorites against a 1.5 run line. (Money Line =+115 to +160) (WASHINGTON) - below average hitting team (AVG <=.255) against an average starting pitcher (ERA=4.20 to 5.20) - National League, starting a pitcher who walked <=1 hitters each of his last 2 outings.
(36-14 over the last 5 seasons.) (72.0%, +29.4 units. Rating = 4*)

The straight up record of the team this system pertains to is: (42-8 over the last 5 seasons.)
The average run line posted in these games was: Team favored by 1.5, money line price: +121
The average score in these games was: Team 5.5, Opponent 2.6 (Average run differential = +2.9)
The number of games in which this system covered the run line by 1 or more runs was 29 (58% of all games.)

The situation's record this season is: (3-4, -0.1 units).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (20-11, +12.8 units).
Since 1997 the situation's record is: (59-68, +3.2 units).

•Play Over - All teams where the total is 7 to 8.5 (BALTIMORE) - bad offensive team (<=4.5 runs/game) against a decent starting pitcher (ERA=4.20 to 4.70) - American League, with a starting pitcher with poor control (more than 2.75 BB's/start).
(31-9 since 1997.) (77.5%, +21.7 units. Rating = 3*)

The average total posted in these games was: 8.1, Money Line=-103.9
The average score in these games was: Team 5.1, Opponent 5.2 (Total runs scored = 10.3)
The number of games in which this system covered the total by 1 or more runs was 22 (55% of all games.)

The situation's record this season is: (1-1, +0.1 units).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (10-3, +6.9 units).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (15-4, +11 units).

[Can'tPickAWinner]

This pitcher has been a risky play this season
Stephen Campbell


San Diego Padres pitcher Ian Kennedy has been an poor play this season, bad enough to rank him in the bottom 20 money pitchers in baseball at $-508. Kennedy and the Padres face off against Dan Haren and their interstate rival Los Angeles Dodgers Friday at PETCO Park.

San Diego is currently -106 faves.


Indians putting W's on the board behind this pitcher
Stephen Campbell


The Cleveland Indians have been dominant as of late with Corey Kluber on the mound, going 7-1 in his last eight starts. Kluber will take the hill Friday against the Detroit Tigers.

Rick Porcello gets the start for the Tigers. The Tribe are currently -125 faves.


Jimenez, Orioles giving backers headaches as of late
Stephen Campbell


The Baltimore Orioles are struggling mightily with Ubaldo Jimenez on the hill, going just 1-6 in his last seven starts. That's a trend worth paying attention to when Jimenez gets the ball Friday versus the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

New York is currently -123 faves for the AL East matchup.


Top 10 money pitcher on mound Friday
Stephen Campbell


If you've been backing the Kansas City Royals with James Shields on the hill this season, you already know just how good of a play he's been. As of Thursday, Shields is the ninth-best money pitcher in baseball at +$634.

Shields and the red-hot Royals host the Seattle Mariners Friday. KC is currently -117 faves for the matchup.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Boston rotation gets reinforcements
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Boston Red Sox may be having trouble scoring runs, but their pitching looks dominant, and it could get even better soon.

Left-hander Felix Doubrant will be activated from the disabled list Friday night, when he will start against the A's. He missed the past month due to a strained left shoulder.

Right-hander Clay Buchholz, out with a hyperextended left knee, pitched six shutout innings for Triple-A Pawtucket in his second rehab start Thursday afternoon and flew to the Bay Area after the game to rejoin his teammates. Buchholz pitched six shutout innings, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out five.

Red Sox manager John Farrell said everything points to Buchholz making his next start in the major leagues, although a date is not yet scheduled.

"Today was very good," Farrell said of Buchholz's start before the Red Sox lost 4-2 to the Oakland A's. "He was able to get up to nearly 90 pitches in six shutout innings of work. His changeup feel and execution was much improved, and the shape to his overall pitches was consistent, particularly with the way he threw his changeup today. A lot of strikes. ...

"His start was one that we all felt was needed, but he went about it the right way and comes back to us with momentum."

Doubront will take right-hander Brandon Workman's spot in the rotation. Workman is serving a six-game suspension for throwing near the head of Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria on May 30.

"His last start was much improved in terms of overall stuff," Farrell said of Doubront. "There was increased intensity, increased velocity, increased action to his pitches that are going to be required here."

[Can'tPickAWinner]

StatFox Super Situations

MLB | TEXAS at LA ANGELS
Play Against - Road underdogs with a money line of +150 or more (TEXAS) below average hitting team (AVG <=.265) against a very good starting pitcher (ERA <=3.50) -AL, with a starting pitcher whose ERA is 3.50 or better on the season (AL)
60-14 over the last 5 seasons. ( 81.1% | 34.4 units )
7-5 this year. ( 58.3% | -2.9 units )

StatFox Situational Power Trends

MLB | BOSTON at OAKLAND
OAKLAND is 86-38 (+43.3 Units) against the money line in Home games vs. a good bullpen whose WHIP is 1.350 or better over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was: OAKLAND (4.7) , OPPONENT (3.5)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Arthur Ralph Sports

Free Play FRI

Cinci -140

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Hondo

Hondo, fresh off his thrilling no-hit victory with Kershaw Wednesday night, came right back and … posted a loss for Thursday as he split with the Pirates and Nats to raise the dirty digits slightly to 1,555 sheldons.

Friday night: Mr. Aitch’s pick of the litter is Kuroda — 10 units on the Yankees to subject Ubaldo to a hair-raising experience at the Stadium.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Gamblers Data

Free Play Friday

Seattle +110

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Mighty Quinn

Mighty hit with the Brewers on Thursday and likes the Pirates on Friday.

The deficit is 173 sirignanos.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Gaming Today
Andy Iskoe

Here’s a look at four series of interest this weekend.


Atlanta at Washington: This four game series between the leaders of the NL East begins Thursday. This is the first meeting between the rivals since they met for a pair of series a week apart in early April. Atlanta won 5 of those 6 games, including all three home games. Four of the six went OVER the Total with two staying UNDER as the teams averaged a combined 8.0 runs per game.The Braves continue to rely more on pitching than offense for their success, although they can hit the long ball. Still, Atlanta averages just 3.7 runs per game – both at home and on road – while the average runs per game across MLB is 4.2. Washington also has an outstanding pitching staff, especially with its starting rotation.The offense is better than Atlanta’s although still pretty much mediocre, averaging 4.3 rpg at home. De-spite the earlier results this season this series handicaps as low scoring, especially with Bryce Harper still sidelined for the Nationals.

Plays: Either team as +120 underdogs or more in any matchup; UNDER 7.5 or higher in any matchup except in a start by Atlanta’s Ervin Santana; UNDER 7 in matchups of Atlanta’s Julio Teheran or Gavin Floyd against the Nats’ Jordan Zimmermann or Tanner Roark.


Detroit at Cleveland: The Indians have won 4 of the 5 games this season against the Tigers. Four went OVER the Total with one staying UNDER as the teams averaged a combined 11.0 runs per game that included Cleveland’s 11-to-10 win in their most recent meeting on May 21.Depending upon what happens in midweek, this could be a series for first place in the AL Central with the Indians just 3.5 behind Detroit through Sunday and the Tigers facing second place Kansas City for four games while Cleveland hosts the Angels, also in a four game series. Part of the reason Detroit has not been able to compile a better record has been an atrocious bullpen, in addition to the struggles of former Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander. Through 14 starts Verlander’s ERA is 4.61 with an even more disturbing 1.50 WHIP.Only Max Scherzer and Anibal Sanchez are posting above average stats, putting even more pressure on that weak pen. For the Tribe only Josh Tomlin and Corey Kluber are pitching well as starters. Both offenses are slightly better than average and both teams have played more OVERs than UNDERs this season.

Plays: OVER 8.5 or lower in any matchup not involving Scher-zer or Kluber; Cleveland +140 or more against Verlander; Cleveland as underdogs of any price not facing Scherzer; Detroit -130 or less with Scherzer not opposing Kluber; Cleveland -125 or less with Kluber not facing Scherzer.


Baltimore at NY Yankees: This is only the second series this season between the Orioles and Yankees. Baltimore took two of three games, also at Yankee Stadium, when the teams met in early April. Two of the three games went OVER the Total with one staying UNDER as the teams averaged a combined 11.3 runs per game.Baltimore’s starting pitching is down from last season, no starter has an ERA below 3.70 and only Bud Norris is averaging greater than 6 innings per start (6.3). New York’s rotation has been led by “rookie” Masahiro Tanaka who has been out-standing through his first 13 starts, averaging 7.2 innings per start with a 2.02 ERA and 0.94 WHIP.The Yankees have won 11 of his 13 starts. The rest of the rotation has been average at best although true rookie Chase Whitley has shown promise. Surprisingly the Orioles are averaging just 3.2 runs per game at home but 5.1 rpg on the road. The Yanks have also been more productive on the road than at home where they are averaging just 3.7 rpg.

Plays: OVER 8 or lower in any matchup not involving Tanaka; Yankees -150 or less in a start by Tanaka against any Baltimore starter; Baltimore +120 or more not facing Tanaka or Whitley.

Toronto at Cincinnati: The lone Interleague series this weekend is most interesting as it pits a pair of teams expected to contend for the post season with opposite strengths and weaknesses. The Reds rely more on pitching than hitting for their success while the reverse is true for Toronto. The Blue Jays average 4.7 runs per game, almost evenly balanced at home vs. on the road. Cincy averages just 3.6 rpg at home (3.7 on the road).Toronto’s rotation has been led by veteran lefty Mark Buehrle, who leads the starters in ERA (2.28) and innings per start (6.8) with a 1.22 WHIP. He’s gone at least 6 innings while allowing 2 earned runs or less in 10 of his 14 starts and the Jays have won 11 of those starts. Cincinnati’s rotation has been led by Johnny Cueto whose stats of 7.3 innings per start, 1.85 ERA and 0.78 WHIP are among the best in baseball.Converted reliever Alfredo Simon has also been a revelation and 10 of his 13 starts have resulted in UNDERs. And after spending all of the season on the DL, Mat Latos’ 2014 debut went well as he tossed 6 shutout innings in Saturday’s 4-2 loss at Milwaukee, allowing just 2 hits and zero walks. The Reds bullpen has generally been a strength.

Plays: UNDER 7.5 or higher in a matchup of Toronto’s Buehrle or Drew Hutchison against Cueto, Latos or Simon; Toronto +150 or more against Cueto; Toronto +130 or more against Simon or Latos; Toronto as underdogs of any price against other Cincinnati starters; Toronto -120 or less in a start by Buehrle not opposing Cueto, Simon or Lato

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Baseball33

USA: MLB
Arizona Diamondbacks – San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants +1
Odd: 1,70

[Can'tPickAWinner]

WNBA's Best Bets
Jason Logan

Basketball bettors are still scooping their jaws off the hardwood following the San Antonio Spurs’ somewhat surprising domination of the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.

Now that the NBA season is over and March Madness is a distant memory, hoop heads have only one option – outside of wagering on those weirdo European leagues. The WNBA is in full stride but if you haven’t paid attention to the action in the “Dub”, we get you caught up on what you missed while you were sleeping:

Doggy Dog World

Underdogs owned the early betting of the WNBA season, going an unreal 15-6 ATS in the first 21 games of the season – a 71 percent ATS rate.

As always, trends like this tend to level out. Underdogs are 35-32 (52.24 percent) as of Wednesday, however, home underdogs continue to be a profitable play with a 13-8 ATS mark (62 percent).

The Tulsa Shock have been the liveliest underdogs in the league. Tulsa is just 4-5 SU but 6-2 ATS, covering the spread as pups in five of those six pointspread paydays.

Over rated

For those who poo-poo the lower-scoring action in the WNBA, the ladies have been exceeding the oddsmakers offensive expectations so far this season.

The league has produced a 38-29 Over/Under record as of Wednesday, paying out Over backers at a 56.72 percent clip. WNBA games are averaging 155.5 total points, with the Phoenix Mercury leading the league at 84.1 points per game. Phoenix, however, is just 5-5 Over/Under.

The top Overs teams include the Atlanta Dream (8-3 O/U), Minnesota Lynx (9-4 O/U), and Connecticut Sun (8-5 O/U).

On the other side of the total, the Washington Mystics (4-8 O/U), New York Liberty (5-7 O/U) and Seattle Storm (6-7 O/U) are the only three teams out of the 12 WNBA franchises staying below the number more often than not.

Best/Worst ATS

The Mercury boast a league-best 8-3 SU and ATS record so far this season. Phoenix is still paced by women’s basketball legend Diana Taurasi (18.6 ppg) but has a tremendous supporting cast, including fellow WNBA veteran Candace Dupree (15.2 ppg) and phenom Brittney Griner (16.5 ppg).

At the bottom of the barrel are the Los Angeles Sparks, who have stumbled to a 3-7 SU and ATS record. Los Angeles has plenty of fire power – ranked fourth in scoring – and featuring All-Star Candace Parker (20.2 ppg), but can’t stop opponents from scoring. The Sparks allow a league-worst 82.7 points per game, which is burning bettors with four straight ATS losses heading into Wednesday’s home game with Tulsa.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MLB

San Francisco at Arizona

The opening matchup of a three game series between San Francisco and Arizona is Friday's baseball betting focus. The NL West leading Giants hitting a rough patch dropping 8 of it's last 9 on the diamond look to Tim Lincecum in the opener. The right-hander is 5-4 with a 4.81 ERA but comes in a little shaky having gone 1-1 the past three with a whopping 7.16 ERA (3-0 O/U). Digging deeper to get a better take on past series performance our MLB Database tells us Giants have lost 7-of-10 vs Arizona w/Lincecum with 'Over' dominating in 7 of the 10 contests. Meanwhile, NL West basement dwelling D-Backs on a 2-7 slide counter with Josh Collmenter bringing a 4-4 record, 4.05 ERA to the mound. Like his counterpart, Collmenter has struggled the past three posting an 0-2 mark with a 6.50 ERA (2-1 O/U). Well to note, D-Backs have won 3-of-4 against Giants w/Collmenter (3-1 O/U) including 2-0 hooked up against Lincecum. Two hurler not in the greatest of form makes 'Over' a good play. 'Over' has hit in 6-of-7 encounters, Giants have played 'Over' in 10 of 11, D-Backs have played 'Over' in 6 of 8. Another positive for 'Over' gamblers has been when D-Backs hand the ball to Collmenter at home vs a winning team (4-1-1 O/U) and when Giants face a losing team on the road w/Lincecum (13-2-2 O/U).

[Can'tPickAWinner]

HALL OF FAME PICKS / William Holloway

Dodgers(-105)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Advanced sports investments

perry's selections
fifa world cup
1x- italy -190 costa rica (12pm)
2x- france -120 switzerland (3pm)
2x- ecuador/hondruas - over 1.5 -310 (6pm)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

GAMBLING GOD

Team A: Italy
Team B: Costa Rica
League: Soccer World Cup
Pick: Italy -1
Risk:$101 to win $100
Time: 9:00 PM PT

[Can'tPickAWinner]

StatFox Super Situations™ – FoxSheets

WNBA | TULSA at PHOENIX
Play Under – Home teams where the total is greater than or equal to 150 after scoring 45 points or more in the first half last game against opponent after a combined score of 155 points or more
59-26 over the last 5 seasons. ( 69.4% | 30.4 units )
1-5 this year. ( 16.7% | -4.5 units )

WNBA | INDIANA at CHICAGO
Play Against – Home teams vs. the money line (CHICAGO) poor defensive team – allowing 73+ points/game on the season, after allowing 90 points or more
62-44 over the last 5 seasons. ( 58.5% | 0.0 units )
3-2 this year. ( 60.0% | 0.0 units )

WNBA | INDIANA at CHICAGO
Play Under – Road teams where the first half total is between 65.5 and 70.5 points good foul drawing team – attempting >=20 free throws/game, up-tempo team averaging 62 or more shots/game on the season
256-157 since 1997. ( 62.0% | 83.3 units )
3-1 this year. ( 75.0% | 1.9 units )

[Can'tPickAWinner]

SPORTSWAGERS

FIFA World Cup

Costa Rica +1 -105 over Italy

(Risking 1.05 units - To Win: 1.00)

June 20 12:00 PM EST. With the first set of Group D games in the books, oddsmakers are still inclined to portray Costa Rica as a heavy underdog against Italy, despite a convincing win against Uruguay on Saturday. Italy enters this fixture with an impressive win against an England team, who simply did not appear to have much chemistry. However, Costa Rica did. In fact the Costa Rican team eliminated any notions that underdogs cannot win and win handily. Uruguay had all the ducks in a row after they marked first in the opening fixture. However, in the second half Costa Rica would launch a series of surprise attacks. Each goal was more brilliant than the next and was the result of creative artistry. Despite their 3-1 victory of the highest ranked club in the group in Uruguay, Costa Rica is better than a 6-1 underdog here. One win as a significant dog instills a ton of confidence and that’s what Costa Rica brings to the table for this one.

To proclaim that Costa Rica will win this match outright would be a tad ambitious. Though, it’s certainly not inconceivable. The key in this match-up is the strategy employed by Costa Rica to subdue the shark that is striker Mario Balotelli. Balotelli was responsible for probing and attacking the England defense in the opening game, resulting in his sixth international goal of Italy’s World Cup Campaign and the game winner as well. The Italians have a point to prove in Brazil after returning home in shame form South Africa. Buoyed by youth and manager Cesare Prandelii’s vision, Italy has been reborn but they don’t figure to take a lot of chances here and in that regard we like the Costa Ricans to keep it close and perhaps even play them to a tie.


FIFA World Cup

Switzerland +½ +118 over France

(Risking 1 units - To Win: 1.18)

June 20 3:00 PM EST. A folly in the odds making procedure is evident in the fixture between European contestants, France and Switzerland. France has been playing quality football entering the 2014 World Cup, but Switzerland has climbed the ladder to a top-six position. In astounding regard, France is heavily favored to win this fixture. In “the tale of the tape”, this is pitted to be a very even bout. France is a titan at the World Cup and has appeared in numerous finals and captured a couple of World Cup crowns in the process. Switzerland is the new kid on the block, but the Swiss pack a mighty punch. Seemingly despite their ranking, the Swiss have been sullied and regarded as a bit of a “paper tiger”. The Swiss will be determined to prove doubters wrong and this is the venue to showcase the potential and talent of La Nati.

Many forget that the Swiss announced their prominence with a 1-0 defeat of Spain in the 2010 World Cup. Spain would continue on to win the entire tournament, but the blemish of the Swiss loss was a mark of imperfection in the championship campaign. For the Swiss, this was a feather in the cap and a foundation to build for future success. The Swiss have done exactly that and in fact, in qualification they did not lose one contest. Conversely, the Blues have rested on their laurels and reputation. In recent results, the French has seemed to hit their stride, posting an 8-1-1 record in their last 10. Prior to this, the French struggled greatly losing by considerable margins to Uruguay, Spain, Netherlands, Germany and Brazil in both qualification and friendly play. Switzerland will be the greatest test for France since they squared off with Ukraine in 2013. Neither team will give or break so this has the feeling to be a fixture where one goal is scored by each party. This should be a very evenly matched contest and with that, we’ll lock up the Swiss to tie or win outright.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Friday's Tip Sheet
By Kevin Rogers

Braves at Nationals

Probable Pitchers:
ATL: Minor (2-4, 4.42 ERA)
WSH: Strasburg (6-5, 3.06 ERA)

Series recap: The Braves continued their domination of the Nationals this season with a 3-0 shutout on Thursday as +130 underdogs. Atlanta improved to 7-1 against Washington in 2014, including a 4-0 mark at Nationals Park. In the four victories in D.C., Braves’ pitching has limited the Nats to just five runs.

What to watch for: Atlanta has won consecutive games just once since June 1, posting a 1-5 record the last six games off a victory. The Nationals are 6-1 in Strasburg’s past seven home starts, but Washington has lost each of the right-hander’s last three home outings against Atlanta since 2013.

Orioles at Yankees

Probable Pitchers:
BAL: Jimenez (2-8, 4.86 ERA)
NYY: Kuroda (4-5, 4.32 ERA)

Previous series recap: The Orioles are coming off their third straight series against a division foe, taking two of three at Tampa Bay. Baltimore is currently 6-4 in this stretch within the AL East, which includes a 2-0 triumph at Tropicana Field on Wednesday as +130 underdogs. The Yankees are getting back on track after sweeping the Blue Jays at home, while scoring 13 runs in the final two victories.

What to watch for: New York has dropped each of Kuroda’s last three starts, while the offense has plated just five runs in those defeats. Since the start of the 2012 season, the Yankees have won four of Kuroda’s five home starts against the O’s, including a 4-2 triumph in April. Jimenez continues to struggle, as the Orioles own a 1-6 record in his past seven trips to the mound, while Baltimore is 9-2 to the ‘under’ in the past 11 games overall.

Tigers at Indians

Probable Pitchers:
DET: Porcello (8-4, 4.03 ERA)
CLE: Kluber (6-4, 3.35 ERA)

Previous series recap: The Tigers avoided a sweep by edging the red-hot Royals on Thursday, 2-1, as Detroit has fallen into second place in the AL Central. Detroit finished off a seven-game homestand at 3-4, while losing 2.75 units. The Indians grabbed two of three from the Angels, capped off by a walk-off grand slam on Thursday in the 10th inning, 5-3.

What to watch for: Cleveland is riding an 11-1 stretch at Progressive Field, which began with a three-game sweep of Detroit last month. The Tribe has won six of their past eight home series openers, while losing just one series since the end of May. The Tigers have put together a 5-1 record in Porcello’s last six road starts, including a 4-0 mark as an underdog. Since winning six straight on the road in May, Detroit has stumbled to a 4-9 record the past 13 games on the highway.

Blue Jays at Reds

Probable Pitchers:
TOR: Hendriks (1-0, 2.31 ERA)
CIN: Latos (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Previous series recap: The Jays continue to struggle after getting swept by the Yankees, while losing seven of their past nine games. Following five ‘unders’ to begin this road trip, Toronto has hit the ‘over’ in each of the last two games at New York. The Reds took care of their second straight road series, grabbing two of three at Pittsburgh, but fell short in 12 innings on Thursday, 4-3.

What to watch for: Cincinnati has won six of its past eight games to get within a game of the .500 mark, but is just 5-7 in the last 12 home contests. Following an 11-1 run on the road, the Jays have stumbled to a 2-5 mark the past seven away contests. After losing the first two interleague contests at Pittsburgh, the Jays have compiled a 6-2 record in the last eight interleague matchups.

Mariners at Royals

Probable Pitchers:
SEA: Iwakuma (5-3, 2.59 ERA)
KC: Shields (8-3, 3.50 ERA)

Previous series recap: The Mariners split a four-game interleague series with the light-hitting Padres, while scoring just two runs in the final two losses at San Diego. The Royals saw their 10-game winning streak snapped at Detroit on Thursday, but Kansas City still stole three of four at Comerica Park, which included a pair of wins in the first two games scoring 11 runs each.

What to watch for: Kansas City and Seattle split a four-game set at Safeco Field last month, as Iwakuma tossed a 1-0 shutout in the series opener. Since getting swept by the Astros in May, the Royals are 5-2 in their last seven home contests. In Shields’ last eight starts, the Royals own a perfect 8-0 record, while the ‘over’ has cashed six times.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Bookieshunter

World Cup Soccer

3* Italy

1* Over 2.5 Switzerland/Francesa

1* Ecuador -1

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Indian Cowboy

FIFA World Cup

3* Italy -186 (ML) over Costa Rica

[Can'tPickAWinner]

EZWINNERS

2 STAR SELECTION

Game: Atlanta Braves @ Washington Nationals

(954) Washington Nationals -$170

(Risking $340 to win $200) (Action)


2 STAR SELECTION

Game: Detroit Tigers @ Cleveland Indians

(967) Detroit Tigers +1.5 (-$185)

(Risking $370 to win $200) (Action)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

PAUL LEINER

500* Kansas City Royals -125

100* New York Yankees -130

50* Cleveland Indians -130

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Robert Ferringo

World Cup Soccer

7* Italy -1 +100
3* Italy -170
2* Italy/Costa Rica Draw +315
1* Italy/Costa Rica Under 2.5

3* France -105
2* France/Switzerland Draw +260
1* France/Switzerland Under 2.5

1* Ecuador/Honduras Under 2.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MLB Weekend betting cheat sheet: McCarthy burning bettors bad

Here’s a comprehensive look at betting notes for the weekend’s major league action:

Under Struck

Under bettors were handsomely rewarded Thursday with the most emphatic result of the season, as teams combined to go 1-11 O/U. Only one team scored more than five runs – the New York Yankees (-102, O 9), who fended off Toronto 6-4 in the lone over result of the day.

Minor Issue

Atlanta Braves lefthander Mike Minor enters Friday’s game against Stephen Strasburg and the Washington Nationals at +157 – his longest odds since June 18, 2012. Minor is 0-3 against the moneyline in three career starts as an underdog of +150 or greater.

McCarthy Era a Bad One

Arizona starter Brandon McCarthy will look to reverse a horrible trend Saturday as he and the Diamondbacks welcome the San Francisco Giants. McCarthy enters the weekend ranked last in the majors in value ($-1,252), with Arizona going a woeful 2-13 in his starts so far this season.

Tanaka Means Quality

New York Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka has an impressive streak going as he prepares to face the visiting Baltimore Orioles on Sunday. Tanaka has opened his career with 14 consecutive quality starts, racking up five double-digit strikeout efforts over that span.

Pitching Notes

* Kansas City ace James Shields hopes his teammates will continue providing plenty of run support Friday against visiting Seattle (+108, 7). Kansas City has scored six or more runs in eight of his last 11 starts, guiding him to a 10-1 mark against the moneyline and a 9-2 O/U record over that span.

* Chicago White Sox righty Andre Rienzo was once the highest-value starter in baseball, but will be looking to halt a personal four-game losing skid Saturday against host Minnesota. Rienzo has been an underdog in all 10 of his starts to date, and is 6-4 against the moneyline in those games.

* Detroit Tigers fireballer Max Scherzer will look to bounce back from his worst start of the season Sunday as he squares off against host Cleveland. Scherzer, who surrendered 10 runs over 4 1/3 innings last time out, is 8-4 with a 4.75 ERA in 16 career starts versus the Indians.

Hitting Notes

* Cleveland outfielder Nick Swisher hit a game-winning grand slam Thursday, halting a 2-for-24 slump during which he struck out 10 times. The Indians are 4-1 SU and 3-2 O/U in games in which Swisher goes deep entering Friday’s tilt with the Tigers (+115, 8.5).

* Don’t expect a home run barrage with St. Louis ace Adam Wainwright on the mound against Philadelphia Saturday. Members of the Phillies roster have combined for zero home runs in 131 career at-bats against Wainwright, striking out 32 times in the process.

* Sunday will feature a marquee pitcher-batter matchup as Texas ace Yu Darvish faces Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels. Trout has gotten the better of Darvish to date, batting .290 with four home runs in 31 career at-bats.

Totals Streak

San Diego Padres (0-5-1 O/U): Sound familiar? The Padres continue to confound oddsmakers, racking up six consecutive games in which they either scored or allowed one or fewer runs. San Diego is far and away the strongest Under bet in the league to date at 23-46-4 O/U.

Prop of the Day

Bettors may want to consider taking the Houston Astros to score first against Tampa Bay, a prop that pays -110. The Rays are the worst first-inning team in baseball, scoring just 22 times while batting a paltry .194.

Injury Notes

* Atlanta Braves hurler Gavin Floyd suffered a fractured elbow Thursday night and is out indefinitely. Floyd was solid in nine starts in his first season with the Braves, going 2-2 with a 2.65 ERA in nine starts; the Braves were 5-4 SU and 3-6 O/U in those contests.

* Boston Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz (knee) is expected to rejoin the major-league rotation sometime next week. Buchholz is 2-4 with a 7.03 ERA in 10 starts with the Red Sox, who are 4-6 SU and 6-3-1 O/U in those outings.

* Seattle Mariners DH Corey Hart (hamstring) will start a minor-league rehab assignment this weekend. Hart has been out since mid-May, with the Mariners going 16-14 SU, 8-20-2 O/U and earning 290 units in his absence.

Weather Watch

* Wind at Wrigley Field will blow in from center field at 8 mph for Friday afternoon’s tilt between the host Cubs (+115) and Pittsburgh Pirates. Teams combined to score 7.7 runs with two homers in 10 games under similar conditions in 2013, down slightly from the stadium averages.

* Fans at Kauffman Stadium on Saturday afternoon will be greeted by wind blowing out to left field at 8 mph. Only one Royals home game last season featured wind blowing out to left – and it resulted in a 1-0 Kansas City victory.

* Busch Stadium is expected to see wind blowing out to center field at 6 mph for Sunday’s game between host St. Louis and Philadelphia. The Cardinals went 7-2 SU while averaging 6.22 runs in nine games under similar conditions a season ago.

Umpire Note of the Day

Over is 16-5 in umpire Adrian Johnson’s last 21 games calling balls and strikes. Johnson will be behind home plate for Friday’s game between the Cardinals (-160, 7.5) and Phillies.

** Odds, stats, weather forecast and probable pitchers as of 8:55 a.m. ET Friday.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Ecks and Bacon

Ben lee lost both plays on Thursday in World Cup soccer England +$120/Uruguay for $100 and $50 on the Draw +$230.

"Mr Chalk" lost on Thursday in MLB in the National League with the Nationals -$145/Braves.

In World Cup soccer for Friday E&B like a $25 play on the Draw +$300 Costa Rica/Italy.

For Friday in MLB "Mr Chalk" likes two in the National League Nationals -$170/Braves and in the American League the Angels -$-$160/Rangers.

Ben lee is 3-12 -$251 for week thirty four 149-179-5 -$3544

"Mr Chalk" is 32-32 -$846 for the 2014 MLB season.

All E&B selections will be for $50 unless noted.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

William Holloway

Dodgers -105

[golden contender]

T.G.I.F Plays include the A.L. Total Of the Month from a 100% System that averages 13 runs. A 19-2 Late night power system and the World cup Game of the Week with 2 perfect Angles. Free MLB matinee totals play.




On Friday the free MLB Matinee Totals System play is on the over in the Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs game. Rotation numbers 951/952 at 4:05 eastern. This game fits a nice totals system that has gone over 18 of 23 times for road favorites like the pirates off a home win where they had 10 or more hits and are taking on an opponent, like the Cubs that are off a road dog win and scored 5 or more runs on 10 or more hits. The Pirates have played over all 4 times on the road off a home win and in 4 of their last 5 overall. The Pirates have been hot since calling up Prized prospect Gregory Polanco and are scoring over 5 runs per game on .322 hitting the past week. In the series here the last 3 have played over all with 9+ runs scored. C. Morton is on the mound for the Pirates and he has gone over in his last 3 starts and allowed 6 runs in 5 innings here earlier. E. Jackson goes for the Cubs and he has also gone over in his last 3 starts with a 6.32 era. He allowed 6 runs in 4+ innings here earlier in the season. Look for this one to go over the total here today. On Friday we have a Powerful card that has the 100% A.L. Total of the Month, a 19-2 Late night System play and the World Cup Game of the Week. Jump on now as we start the weekend big with the Finest data available. For the free MLB play take Pittsburgh and Chicago over the total. GC

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Jeff Clement

Philadelphia Phillies vs. St Louis Cardinals

7 Units St Louis Cardinals -165

Philadelphia(33-38) vs. St. Louis(39-34). A.J. Burnett(4-6) ERA 4.17 vs. J.Garcia(3-0) ERA 3.72. The Phillies are 1-4 last 5 games against left handers and 1-4 last 5 meetings in St.Louis. The Cardinals are 7-3 last 10 Garcia home starts against teams with losing records and have won 8 of last 11 games. St.Louis is a 7 Unit Play!

[Can'tPickAWinner]

No Limit Sports

Switzerland +.5 (+112)

Honduras +1 (+104)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Against the Number

6/20 Costa Rica Vs Italy - UNDER 2.5 -111

6/20 France Vs Switzerland - DRAW +265

6/20 Ecuador Vs Honduras - Ecuador -148

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Getmybet
League : WORLD World Cup
Switzerland – France
Tips : Under 2.5



Mysecretbets
League :WORLD World Cup
Switzerland – France
Tips : Under 2.5



WC2014tips
League : WORLD World Cup
Italy – Costa Rica
Tips : Italy Win

League : WORLD World Cup
Italy – Costa Rica
Tips : Over 2.0

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Grind Time Sports

Chicago Cubs ML +117

[Can'tPickAWinner]

BEN BURNS

10* Big Juice Personal Favorite
Tampa Bay Rays ML -180

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Vegas SI
FRIDAY'S PICKS(HIGH ROLLERS CLUB)
20* MLB Royals -135 and 10* MLB OVER 7
20* MLB Mets +125 and 10* MLB UNDER 7.5
20* MLB Yankees -135 and 10* MLB UNDER 8.5
20* MLB Twins -120 and 10* MLB OVER 9
20* MLB Angels -1.5 and 10* MLB UNDER 8.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

DOC SPORTS (MLB)

5* GOW - NY Yankees-145
3* Oakland A's-135

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MAGIC MIKE PICKS

LA Dodgers

Houston Astros

Miami Marlins

OVER – Fever vs Sky (wnba)

OVER – Ecuador vs Honduras (WC)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

GOODFELLA

Friday Night MLB Team Total

ARIZONA D’BACKS – OVER 4 RUNS (@BOL)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

SHAKER’S SHORTS

Miami Marlins – Team Total OVER 3.5 -125

Your Vig here will vary from -120 to as high as -130 and that’s pretty high. This play is still worthy due to a lot of factors including the Face that Dice K has been a very lucky pitcher this year and he cannot continue to put runners on Base Via the BB which he has been doing a lot of this year and lately. Miami averaging right a 5 RPG here at this park and after 2 subpar games a breakout is most likely in store tonight.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Kevin
MLBPredictions

Kevin's Pick(s):

Another edition of Free Pick Friday...

2 UNIT = Los Angeles Dodgers @ San Diego Padres - DODGERS TO WIN (-102)
Listed Pitchers: Haren vs Kennedy
(Note: I'm risking 2.00 units to win 1.96 units)

The Dodgers enter this series 40-34 on the season after winning 5 of their last 6 games overall. They enjoyed a day off after Kershaw's no-hitter on Wednesday night. The Padres won last night, their second in a row, but overall they are just 3-8 in their last 11 games and 31-42 on the season. These two teams met for a three game series at the start of the year with the Dodgers winning 2 of the 3 in San Diego. We've got two pitchers with similar numbers on the hill tonight, as Dan Haren is 7-4 with a 3.54 ERA, .274 OBA and 1.25 WHIP and Ian Kennedy is 5-8 with a 3.72 ERA, .244 OBA and 1.17 WHIP. The difference here is how each team has been hitting. The Padres have posted a brutal .162 team batting average through 17 games in June with a team .485 OPS. The next closest team OPS in June is .617 right now, and the Dodgers are at .731 (with a .260 team batting average in June). San Diego has scored 20 fewer runs then the next closest team in the Majors with just 33 runs over 17 games. The Dodgers have scored 71 runs over 17 games this month. Los Angeles is 9-2 in their last 11 meetings with the Padres, and I look for them to add to that tonight. I'll take Los Angeles as underdogs tonight.

2 UNIT = Toronto Blue Jays @ Cincinnati Reds - REDS TO WIN (-145)
Listed Pitchers: Hendriks vs Latos
(Note: I'm risking 2.00 units to win 1.38 units)

As big of a tear the Blue Jays went on in May and the first week of June, they've done quite the opposite as of late losing 9 of their last 12 games overall. They are ranking just 23rd in team OPS in June despite a good start to the month. They have scored more than 4 runs just twice over their last 12 games. On the other hand we've got the Reds who have won 6 of their last 8 games overall and have scored 5+ runs in 5 of those 8 games. Cincinnati will have Mat Latos making his second start of the season. Latos looked like himself in his first outing of the year going 6 innings allowing just 2 hits and no runs with 4 strikeouts and no walks. The Blue Jays have called up Liam Hendriks for a spot start tonight and he is 1-0 with a 2.31 ERA over his two starts. Although his numbers are good over his first two starts he was lucky to get away with a lot of very hard hit balls to the wall at the Rogers Centre in his latest start, which he was sent back to the Minors afterwards. Even if Hendriks can put up a quality start I don't like Toronto's chances with the way their bats are struggling right now facing one of the best pitchers in the game (in my opinion). The Reds are 40-19 in Latos' last 59 starts and 24-6 in his last 30 home starts. Lay a bit of chalk taking the Reds.

2 UNIT = Pittsburgh Pirates @ Chicago Cubs - PIRATES TO WIN (-127) *Afternoon start*
Listed Pitchers: Morton vs Jackson
(Note: I'm risking 2.00 units to win 1.57 units)

Pittsburgh walked off at home yesterday to snap a three game losing skid, but they are still winners of 5 of their last 8 games overall and they've scored 4+ runs in 7 of those 8 games. The Cubs picked up their second straight series win since losing 3 of 4 to the Pirates last week. In that series we saw this same pitching match up and the Pirates came out on top with a 6-2 victory. Charlie Morton is 4-7 on the year but has a solid 3.09 ERA, .240 OBA and 1.24 WHIP. over his last three starts he has posted a 2.37 ERA and .203 OBA, including holding the Cubs to just 1 run through 7 innings. Edwin Jackson is 4-7 with a 5.11 ERA, .279 OBA and 1.50 WHIP. In his last three starts he has posted a 6.32 ERA and .303 OBA, which includes giving up 4 earned runs over 6 innings of work in Pittsburgh. The Pirates are the hottest hitting team in baseball in June with a team OPS of .810 (compared to the Cubs at 20th with a team OPS of .689). They are also hitting a Majors best .292 through their 17 games this month. Take note that the Pirates are 5-2 in their last 7 road games, 4-1 in Morton's last 5 starts, and 5-1 in his last 6 starts as a road favorite. The Cubs are just 4-9 in their last 13 Friday games, 7-20 in Jackson's last 27 starts, and 2-5 in his last 7 starts vs the Pirates. The Pirates have won 4 straight when Morton has started vs Chicago and they are 4-1 in their last 5 meetings overall with the Cubs. I like this price for a hot Pirates team this afternoon.


Kyle's Pick(s)

2 UNIT = Baltimore Orioles @ New York Yankees - OVER 8.5 RUNS (-105)
Listed Pitchers: Jimenez vs. Kuroda
(Note: I'm risking 2.00 units to win 1.90 units)

The Yankees' offense is starting to take shape finally thanks to getting healthier. Other than Tanaka, though, the pitching stuff is leaving a lot to be desired. Hiroki Kuroda figured to be a fixture in the starting rotation, but has unfortunately had a down season for his standards. Jimenez has been a flat out wreck. So, this matchup features a couple of pitchers that were expecting to have much better campaigns. Kuroda comes into tonight with a 4.32 ERA and has really failed to find much consistency thus far in 2014. Pitching in the hitter friendly Yankee Stadium can always be a challenge, and I'd say he is finding some problems this season. Kuroda carries a home ERA of 4.93 with a 1.24 WHIP. The problem stems from the 8 homers he has allowed at home. Again, Yankee Stadium is very nice to deep ball hitters and that stat showcases it. If Kuroda has failed to find consistency, Jimenez has just been pitching drunk lately. In his last three starts his ERA was at 5.79. Additionally, he's been putting runners on at a whopping rate of .383 and 1.64 WHIP. Jimenez has struggled keeping the ball down at home as well, allowing 6 home runs. I mention home because Camden Yards likes to collect deep balls as well. Jimenez has struggled with control all season long as his WHIP of 1.51 indicates and .354 OBP. He's been better on the road, a 3.43 ERA compared to 6.38 at home. But take into consideration Jimenez lasted just 4 innings his last trip to New York on May 7th, giving up 4 runs and 8 hits. The Yanks' offensively are better than they were back then. The Yankees pasted two quality pitchers against the Jays, Buehrle and Hutchison for 13 runs, so it should be more of the same against Jimenez. I'll be on the OVER 8.5.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Wunderdog Sports

Complimentary MLB Pick for June 20th, 2014

Game: Boston Red Sox @ Oakland Athletics
Time: Friday 06/20 10:05 PM Eastern
Pick: Boston +122 (moneyline) at Bookmaker

The Boston Red Sox have skidded offensively over their last six games, where they have managed to plate a grand total of 11 runs, or less than 2 per contest. The good news is that scoring fewer than 2 runs per game would normally lead to an 0-6 record, but Boston is getting great pitching from the rotation and pen, and have actually been 3-3. That is likely to change tonight as they go against Brad Mills. Mills was claimed for $1 dollar from the Milwaukee Brewers, and has had absolutely no success at the big league level. Mills has made 15 appearances (10 starts), and has pitched to a 7.56 ERA. Doubront has pitched well on the road where Boston is 7-1 in his last eight road starts. The A's may have the best record in baseball, but Mills will give them a mulligan tonight. Take the road dog Red Sox.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Sports Cash System

extra pick:

Pittsburgh Pirates -120 over the Chicago Cubs (Money Line Bet) (MLB Baseball) - Game Starts at 4:05 PM EST

[Can'tPickAWinner]

BOB BALFE

SELECTION
KANSAS CITY ROYALS -130

(Shields/Iwakuma)
The Royals have been crushing the baseball while the Mariners can’t hit their way out of a paper bag as of late. We have two really good pitchers on the mound tonight, but when the going gets tough late in the game the Mariners do everything they can not to score runs. Take the Royals.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Sports Junkies

6/20/2014
Game: Dodgers vs Padres
Pick: Padres ML (Bovada) (-105)

Recommended

Unit Play (Risk)
5.25 Units

Key TRENDS for this game:
Dodgers are 2-5 in their last 7 road games with the total set at 6.5 or lower.
Dodgers are 1-4 in Harens last 5 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance.
Padres are 4-1 in their last 5 home games with the total set at 6.5 or lower.


Padres are 4-1 in Kennedys last 5 starts when their opponent scores 5 runs or more in their previous game.

Padres are 9-3 in Kennedys last 12 starts when their opponent allows 2 runs or less in their previous game.

Padres are 9-4 in Kennedys last 13 starts following a team loss in their previous game.
San Diego is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MLB Odds and Picks
By: Micah Roberts
Sportingnews

LAS VEGAS -- It’s a rare scene when baseball’s perennial heavyweights, the New York Yankees, find themselves flying under the radar, but that’s exactly what’s going on in the Bronx. At least that was the case before they completed a three-game sweep of the AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday – marking the Jays’ 16th straight loss at Yankee Stadium.

Since opening June with four-straight losses, the Yankees have won nine of 13 to slide past Baltimore into second-place in the division, and are now only 1.5 games behind Toronto. The Jays’ problems began before the Yankees series, and they have now lost nine of their past 12.

Baltimore has been up and down, and who knows when – or if – Boston will wake up from their World Series hangover. So the Yankees appear to have as good a chance as anyone to win the division, maybe better. They are currently listed at 20-to-1 odds by the LVH SuperBook to win their 28th World Series trophy.

Can you imagine what a story it would be to have Derek Jeter’s farewell tour extend into the playoffs? Or better yet, sending him off into the sunset with his sixth ring?

Jeter has been a major part of the Yanks’ recent surge, hitting .405 as they've gone 7-2 over their last nine games. Brett Gardner, right in front of Jeter in the lineup, has hit .361 during the nine-game stretch with a team-leading three home runs in June, and both have been setting the table for a Yankees lineup that is finally in tact.

Jacoby Ellsbury has been everything as advertised for the Yankees since they brought him over from Boston during the offseason; he hits for power, steals bases (20) and plays a great centerfield. Carlos Beltran and Mark Teixeira are back in the lineup, and this new version of the Yankees is looking very exciting.

The big question for the Yankees is whether their starting pitching can hold up for the next three months. If healthy, the offense looks like it will be there, but pitching is another story, or at least four of the five days in the rotation.

Every fifth day, it’s almost a guarantee that Masahiro Tanaka (11-1, 1.99 ERA) is going to win. He’s vaulted up the ratings chart, now considered one of the elite pitchers in baseball, right up there with Clayton Kershaw. Those insane numbers from the 2013 season in Japan (24-0, 1.27) were no joke, and he’s been almost as dominant on this side of the Pacific – the Yankees have won 12 of his 14 starts (+8.8 unit profit).

If the Yankees make the postseason and Tanaka continues his quality performances, he’s not only looking at Rookie of the Year honors and a Cy Young, he’s also looking at an MVP award.

The Yankees rotation was supposed to be one of their strengths coming into the season with C.C. Sabathia, Michael Pineda, Ivan Nova and Hiroki Kuroda, and Tanaka coming in as the third starter. But injuries changed that plan quickly, and they’ve struggled to find the right mix while getting some of the younger pitchers acclimated to the big leagues.

One of the young pitchers who has surprised has been 25-year-old rookie right-hander Chase Whitley (3-0, 2.56). He's given up two runs or less in six of his seven starts. The Yankees are 6-1 behind him, and he’s currently on a roll of winning his past three starts. For bettors, his +5.5 units of profit on the season is 12th best among all starters.

So now the Yankees appear to have a great shot of winning at least two out of every five days. An 18-3 record behind two starters is amazing stuff!

In order to really crash the AL East party at the top, though, the Yankees need Kuroda (4-5, 4.32) to take his game up a notch. They have lost his past three starts, but to be fair to him, the lineup scored only four runs combined in the three losses. He has actually pitched fairly well, allowing three earned runs or less in five of his last six starts. And with the way the top of the lineup is getting on base, he figures to get more support than he has recently.

Kuroda gets a chance to extend the Yankees’ three-game winning streak tonight against those pesky Orioles, who just seem to keep hovering around striking distance in the division. Kuroda is a -129 favorite over Ubaldo Jimenez (2-8, 4.86), who is 0-4 with a 5.00 ERA in his last seven starts. This isn’t what Baltimore had bargained for when they paid him $50 million before the season. Baltimore could be 3-11 behind any pitcher for the league minimum salary.

Jimenez has been draining bettors’ pockets all season (-7.6 units), and things don’t look to get any better tonight. Kuroda and Jimenez hooked up against each other in the Bronx on April 7, where Kuroda was posted at a higher price, -135, than he is tonight. The Yankees won, 4-2, with Jimenez giving up all four runs in 4 2/3 innings of work. In Jimenez’s last four starts against the Yankees, he’s 0-4 with an 8.10 ERA.

Look for the Yankees to win tonight and keep their roll going, and while at the bet window, you may want to inquire about the Yankees’ future odds, too. They could be a trade for a starter away from becoming a division-winning club. And once in the playoffs, with all the Jeter hype, the Yankees will have their battle cry and plenty of motivation to send the Captain out a champ. It might sound like a fairly tale, but Jeter’s career has been filled with magical moments, and an ending like that would be appropriate.

Friday selections:

Yankees (Kuroda) -129 vs. Orioles

Pirates (Morton) -123 at Cubs

Brewers/Rockies OVER 10.5 (-110)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Indian Cowboy
MLB
3* Arizona ML

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Indian Cowboy's Picks For WNBA 6/20


3-Unit Play. #601. Take Over 154.5 New York vs. Atlanta (Friday @ 7:35pm est)
(The line is at 154.5 across all major 7 books in America currently.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Vegas runner
#NFAC #MLB Move =
UNDER 10.5 (-105) MIL/COL

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Sports Cash System Play of The Day for Today: 6/20

MLB Baseball

New York Yankees -142 over the Baltimore Orioles
(Money Line Bet)
Overall Record: 274-246
(System Record: 274-13, Won last 2 games)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Jeff Clement

7* Seattle/Kansas City Under 7 (-105)
8* Pittsburgh -135
8* Miami -138
8* Boston +124

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Jack Jones

20* AL Friday No-Doubt Rout on Detroit Tigers +138

15* AL Friday Undervalued Underdog on Seattle Mariners +122

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Robert Ferringo

MLB

3* Pittsburgh -120
2* Cards -160
2* Brewers -105
1* Washington -1.5 +130
1* SF +100
1* Reds -145
1* Over 9 CHW / MIN
1* Over 7.5 PHI / STL

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Primetime Insiders

4* Play

Miami -142

Our system loves the Marlins tonight at home. They are coming to this game after being shutout by Wheeler last night. Matsuzaka takes the mound for the Mets tonight and our system grades him as one of the most overrated starting pitchers in baseball. He owns an ERA that is a lot lower than it should be... On the other side we have Alverez who is slightly underrated. The Mets bats have really struggled and tonight should be no different as Alverez throws a fastball on 61% of occurrences and the Mets sit in the bottom 5. Alverez also throws a slider on 15% of occasions which the Mets hit the worst in baseball. I honestly don't see this game being close as the Mets won't be able to keep up with the Marlins. I will be making a play on the money line as well! Final Score 5-2

3* Play

Atlanta and Washington Under 7

We have Minor vs Stratsburg tonight in Washington and a great spot for the under play! Both pitchers per our system are gravely underrated. When we have a top notch pitcher against one of the poorer hitting teams in baseball leads to a huge play. Minor should have some success against the Nats as they are just an average fasetball hitting team and are quite poor against both the slider, curveball, and change up which Minor throws 15%, 13%, and 10%, respectively. We see a final score of 3-2 which would result in an easy under play.

Seattle and Kansas City Under 7.5

Similar to the Braves and Nationals game we have two top tier pitchers against two teams who really don't hit the ball all that well. Both Iwakuma and Shields are slightly undervalued which should lead to an easy under game in this one. Iwakuma throws a lot of sliders and split fingers which the Royals really struggle against. Shields has struggled at home being a Royal but should have no problem against the poor hitting Mariners. We have a final score pegged at 3-2 as well.

2* Plays

San Fransisco +107

Miami -1.5 +160

1* Plays

LAD -106

Seattle +120

Milwaukee and Colorado Under 10.5

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River City Sharps

The Tigers have struggled as of late but put their best pitcher so far this season out tonight against the Indians. Porcello is 8-4 with an ERA just over 4.00. He opposes Kluber who has also pitched well and is 6-4 with a 3.35 ERA, but his last two starts he has not made it through the 6th inning. The Tigers are in an unfamiliar position, second place and look to right the ship coming off a win against Kansas City last night. We will gladly take Detroit at this number as we look for another good effort here. The Sharps say....

3 UNITS - DETROIT TIGERS (+140)

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Topshelfpicks.


CarsonK - 1* Yankees (ML), Yankees (RL), Phillies, Braves


Bruno Bets - 2* Diamondbacks

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Diamond Trends - Friday
By Vince Akins
VegasInsider

SU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Indians are 13-0 since May 08, 2013 as a favorite when they won by one run in their starter’s last start for a net profit of $1300.

PITCHER TREND OF THE DAY:

When Mat Latos starts the Reds are 13-0 since May 27, 2012 at home after going at least 6 innings and giving up 6 or fewer hits and 3 or fewer runs for a net profit of $1300.

MLB BIBLE ACTIVE TREND:

The Nationals are 0-16-1 OU since August 24, 2011 when they were shutout last game with 3-6 hits while allowing less than nine runs. 0-6-1 this season!

CHOICE TREND:

The Braves are 9-0 since September 24, 2008 as a dog after scoring 3 runs or less and winning as a dog and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $1205.

ACTIVE TREND:

When Tim Lincecum starts the Giants are 1-11 since June 29, 2011 on the road after he had a WHIP of less than one his last start for a net profit of $1011 when playing against.

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2Halves2Win free MLB Pick:

1* GAME - PHI @ STL: Cardinals ML (-165: Risking 1.65 units to win 1.00 units) - TBD (N/A)

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SPORTSWAGERS

MLB

N.Y. Mets @ MIAMI

N.Y. Mets/MIAMI over 7½ +100

(Risking 2 units - To Win: 2.00)

Take Daisuke Matsuzaka’s 3-0 record and 2.81 ERA and combine it with Henderson Alvarez’s overall 2.56 ERA and 1.62 ERA at home and you get a total that is very beatable. Matsuzaka’s impressive 2.81 ERA was compiled primarily in relief but a 4.38 xERA and awful skills show that he's been nothing but pure luck. He's also been much less impressive on the road, with a 5.06 ERA. Matsuzaka has faced the Marlins twice this season and has issued 4 walks and allowed 2 ER in only 1.3 IP. In 42 innings overall, Matsuzaka has walked 30 batters. Over his last 23 frames, he’s walked 14. He's walking batters at an unacceptable rate (6.1/9). Also his numbers have been helped by a low hit rate (22%) and a relatively high strand rate (79%). In summarizing, Matsuzaka’s velocity is now sub-90 mph 2+ years after TJS. His control is still woefully sub-par, he has a scary fly-ball% history. This guy is performing a high wire act and the wind is beginning to pick up. “Dice-K” may not last three innings and it sure doesn’t hurt that the Marlins have a .270 BA and .759 OPS at home, both second best in the NL.

Last weekend we played the Marlins/Pirates to go over 7½ when Henderson Alvarez went up against Vance Worley. The final score was 3-2 but the two teams combined for 18 hits and stranded a combined 19 base-runners. Once again, everything bounced Alvarez’s way. Alvarez comes into this start with a 2.56 ERA after 14 games started but we’re insisting it cannot last. He has just 56 K’s in 88 innings and his 1.28 WHIP is worse than the league average. Only half of his 14 starts have been of the pure quality variety but a remarkable and extremely lucky 91% strand rate since the beginning of May has kept his ERA in check. Alvarez’s surface stats may be the most misleading in the game. His skills say a serious ERA correction is forthcoming and we’ll attempt to cash in on that ERA correction once again. In the unlikely event that Alvarez throws another lucky gem, the Marlins may go over this number on their own.


Seattle @ KANSAS CITY

Seattle +122 over KANSAS CITY

(Risking 2 units - To Win: 2.44)

After a major winning streak finally comes to an end you often see consecutive losses and we’ll put that to the test here. The angle is that there is a major letdown after such a hot run, as the players’ extreme focus decreases significantly and it may take a game or two to get it back. After a 6-1 road trip through Chicago and Detroit, two Central Division rivals, the Royals are certainly in danger of suffering a letdown in this opener. The enticing, cheap price on the hottest team in baseball with their most recognizable starter going suggests the oddsmakers are expecting letdown also. The Royals have won James Shields’ last eight straight starts and it’s not because Shields has been dazzling, it’s because he’s getting major run support. The Royals have scored five runs or more in seven of those eight starts and Shields has improved from a 3-3 record to an 8-3 record over that stretch. The record is misleading and so is Shields’ 3.50 ERA. Shields’ has struggled for most of the year and especially so over the past month with a 5.34 ERA in his past five starts. Overall he has an oppBA of .271 and he’s been tagged for 12 jacks already in 98 innings. Over his last six starts, Shields’ has posted an ugly 1.68 WHIP and he has a 22% hr/f with runners on base, the highest mark of any pitcher in the AL. Shields’ swing and miss rate is showing a significant decrease also, as it has gone from 11% in April, to 10% in May and is down to 8% this month. We’re seeing the signs of a fatigued pitcher, much like we saw in the second half of last season when Shields suffered some real skills erosion, notably to his groundball and strikeout rates. This year, add HR’s allowed to that skills erosion. Incidentally, the Mariners have the 5th best road BA in the AL.

Hisashi Iwakuma’s groundball arm built on last year's second half gains to finish in AL's Top Three in ERA/WHIP. His first half featured airtight control and superb command that he couldn't quite sustain. Even so, take that second half and throw in equal success vL/vR and home/road and you get one of the most reliable pitchers in the game. Iwakuma has seven pure quality outings in nine starts. He has a 2.49 ERA on the road and in his one start against the Royals last season he allowed no earned runs in 8 IP. Iwakuma also has an elite groundball rate of 56% and a rock-solid BB/K split of 6/47 in 66 innings. At 33, it’s tough to dub him an ace but we’re not paying an ace price in this one either. The Mariners are in a better situational spot than the Royals, they have a better starter going and they’re getting a tag. That works.

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Sports Picks Portfolio

MLB

Under 8.5 -115 Detroit Tigers/Cleveland Indians
Miami Marlins -148
Minnesota Twins -148
Over 8.5 +100 Boston Red Sox/Oakland Athletics
Los Angeles Angels -183

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Bruce Marshall

Cleveland Indians -120

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Diamond Dog Sports

MLB

Sides

#953: Braves: +160 .5*
Listed Pitchers: Minor / Strasburg

#971: Mariners: +115 1*
Listed Pitchers: Iwakuma / Shields


Totals

#961/962: Over Diamondbacks: 9.0 (+100) 2.5*
Listed Pitchers: Lincecum / Collmenter

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Sports Betting Champ-MLB System Bets 6/20
Official system bets:

Washington Nationals {B} Bet (bet on Money Line)

Detroit Tigers {A} bet (bet on +1.5 Run Line)

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Brady Kannon | MLB Money Line

dime bet – 960 COL (-110) vs 959 MIL

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King Creole

Atlanta Over 8

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Bryan Leonard

Colorado

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70% computer play
braves

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Gordon24

$300 New York Yankees -145

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VEGAS RUNNER

NFAC MLB Move

ST LOUIS -165

Also fired on 1st 5 Innings

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OddSportsWizard

WNBA - Record 18-15

New York +8.5
New York/Atlanta Over 155
Washington +8
Indiana +4
Phoenix/Tulsa Over 163


Arena Football - Record 27-20

San Antonio +23


World Cup - Record 1-1

Ecuador -.5 (-165)

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HARRY BONDI

MLB FREE PLAY

TEXAS (+185) over LA Angels
10:05 p.m. ET

Texas has dominated the Angels of late winning 17 of their last 22 games. They also catch LA in a bit of a funk as the Angels have dropped 5 of their last seven games. Rangers just match up well against the halos and as a almost 2-1 underdog defiantly worth a shot tonight

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OC Dooley

Under 8.5 Texas Rangers/Los Angeles Angels

The intangible surrounds Texas starter Joe Saunders who began his career with the Angels from 2005-to-2010 before the franchise traded him to Arizona. Not only is the a “homecoming” for a pitcher who wants to prove the Angels letting him go was a mistake, Saunders has publicly chastised himself calling his last pair of mound appearances as only “decent” and wants to do better. He will be going against Garrett Richards who has put up excellent statistics for Los Angeles (2.87 ERA with 87 strikeouts) and his fastball has been clocked as one of the fastest in the junior circuit. Richards has allowed only TWO homers in near 88 overall innings pitched this campaign and faces a Texas lineup that has been torn apart by injury. The Rangers have already lost the services of two different firstbasemen (Prince Fielder and Mitch Moreland) for the remainder of the season along with top prospect and projected second-sacker Jurickson Profar

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Grind Time Sports

Night Plays

Baltimore Orioles +132
Toronto Blue Jays +139
Houston Astros +1 1/2 -135
Detroit Tigers +140

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Kelso 50 Twins