Handicappers Picks

Change is finally here for the Washington Redskins. After years of wandering around looking for a starting quarterback and a head coach, owner Daniel Snyder landed both in the same offseason, trading for QB Donovan McNabb and luring HC Mike Shanahan out of a potential retirement to coach his team. The biggest question is whether or not the Skins are going to be more competitive this year than last. Here are our five questions for Washington for its NFL game odds in ’10.
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1: Is QB Donovan McNabb washed up? The Eagles must think so. Why else would they trade McNabb within the division to face him twice a year? Still, we must remember that the Syracuse product, though clearly at the tail end of his career, is still good for 3,000+ yards and probably at least 20 total TDs every single season. He has a degree of mobility under center that Washington hasn’t seen in years from the quarterback position and should still be a force; at least for the 2010 campaign.

2: What about HC Mike Shanahan? Even though the Broncos got tired of Shanahan and dismissed him two years ago, we know that the Skins are better off with the long time Denver man than they were with a man who was merely a glorified quarterbacks coach in Jim Zorn. If nothing else, Mike brought son, Kyle with him to direct the offense, and the Shanahan child has become a highly sought after commodity for a potential head coaching gig.

3: Are the Redskins capable of winning division games? The NFC East is clearly one of the toughest divisions in the game, and winning games against arch rivals is always difficult. Still, Washington went a winless 0-6 last season against its divisional foes, and that simply won’t cut it to get back to the playoffs. The tests start right away, as the Cowboys come to Landover Week 1 of the NFL betting season.

4: Will Washington be able to get consistent pressure off the end again this season? The Skins had better hope so. Their defense ranked No. 9 in the NFL last year, allowing just 207.2 passing yards per game. A lot of that was thanks to the combined efforts of LBs Andre Carter and Brian Orakpo, each of which had 11 sacks. Now in a 3-4 defense exclusively, both should be able to run free a lot more and cause a ton more havoc off both ends.

5: Bottom Line: How many games will the Washington Redskins win in 2010? The Skins should be an improved team this year, but 7.5 wins is a lot to ask them to exceed in the highly competitive NFC East? Yes, the lousy Lions, Bucs, and Rams are all on the schedule this year due to the fact that Washington had a nightmarish season a year ago, but playing the AFC South won’t be easy either. We tend to believe that 6-7 wins is a possibility, but asking Washington to go .500 is too tall a task for the first year of Shanahan calling the shots.

Source: BetUS Locker Room 2010 Washington Redskins Predictions Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

Apparently, winning a number of NFC East titles and taking the team to one Super Bowl in his tenure wasn’t good enough for QB Donovan McNabb to keep his job. Now that the Philadelphia Eagles are clearly under the direction of QB Kevin Kolb, we have five questions related to football odds for the City of Brotherly Love.
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1: Is QB Kevin Kolb the real deal? The few looks that we have gotten at Kolb in his brief career have been solid. He threw for 741 yards and four scores essentially in just two starts with the Eagles last season, and that brief look was good enough for the franchise to trade McNabb to the Washington Redskins this past offseason. The Houston product clearly has a big arm and has the pedigree to be a great QB in this league, but until we see it, we don’t necessarily believe it.

2: Is this the final go around for HC Andy Reid? If it is, the Eagles could be in for a season’s worth of change. Reid, McNabb, and RB Brian Westbrook were the rocks of this franchise for years, and now, he is the only link left. There has been a ton of speculation that the Eagles and Reid have been ready to cut ties for years, and dealing McNabb might just be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

3: Can DE Brandon Graham give DE Trent Cole the pass rushing mate he’s desperately been seeking? Probably – The Michigan product was a fantastic steal for the Eagles at pick No. 13 overall in the NFL Draft, as he has a high motor off the end and can really cause a lot of problems; especially if the attention shifts to Cole on a regular basis. Cole had a team high 12.5 sacks last season and clearly will be a concern to offensive tackles across the entire league.

4: Is LeSean McCoy ready to be an every down back in the NFL? McCoy only started four games last season for Philadelphia, and he looked suitable in doing so. He’ll probably have to improve upon a 4.1 YPC average from ’09 to make it in this league, but he will also have to prove that he is able to carry the rock 225+ times as well. A 1,000+ yard season is expected from the back out of U-Pitt, and anything less will be a brutal disappointment.

5: Bottom Line: How many games will the Philadelphia Eagles win in 2010? An over/under of 8.5 wins is what the Eagles have to beat this season. We don’t think so. A second place schedule, the NFC East (most notably two games against McNabb and the Redskins), and the AFC South is just too much for a brand new quarterback to be able to overcome. The Eagles will inevitably be quite exciting this year once again, especially with WRs DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin catching passes and returning kicks and punts, but there isn’t enough firepower to make the playoffs or finish better than .500.

Source: BetUS Locker Room 2010 Philadelphia Eagles Predictions Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

Our Thursday night MLB predictions take us to Target Field in the Twin Cities where the Minnesota Twins will look to get out of their funk against the division rival Chicago White Sox.
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Only time will tell if the All Star Break messed with manager Ozzie Guillen’s clubs mojo. Regardless, the Palehose are a scorching hot ball club that closed the first half of the season out on an insane 25-5 mark to snag a half-game lead in the AL Central. They enter tonight’s series opener winners of eight in a row and have won 22 of their 41 road games on the year ($710).

The Twins have not been able to hold their ground throughout the month of July having registered wins in just three of their 10 (-$656) overall ballgames. Manager Ron Gardenhire’s club went from leading the division by 1.5-games on July 1st to trailing tonight’s opponent by 3.5-games entering the break. Minnesota’s done a decent job protecting its house on the year by winning 26 of its 43 overall match-ups($63).

Chicago White Sox (49-38, $948) vs. Minnesota Twins (46-42, -$309)
Game Date/Time: Thursday, July 15th, 8:10 ET
Game Location: Target Field, Minneapolis, MN
TV/Radio Broadcast: Comcast (Chicago), FOX – North, XM

MLB Odds: Chicago White Sox -110 (John Danks – L) vs. Minnesota Twins -110 (Kevin Slowey – R): Total 8.5 O -115 8.5 U -105

John Danks snapped his personal two-game losing streak his last time out against the Angels by tossing a complete game two-hit shutout; he took a no-hitter into the 6th inning. He’s 8-7 on the year with a 3.29 ERA & 1.13 WHIP having allowed 90 hits and 41 ER’s with a K/BB ratio of 86/37. Chicago’s won four of his seven overall road starts where he carries a 4.29 ERA & 1.38 WHIP giving up just 37 hits through 42 total IP. He’s been real tough on the opposition of late serving up just 13 hits and eight ER’s over his L/20 total innings of work. He’s come up on the short end of both his 2010 MLB betting starts against the Twins this season giving up 15 hits but just three ER’s through 13 combined innings of work.

Opposing the crafty lefty will be Minnesota’s Kevin Slowey who’s been one of the many Twins starters to struggle recently. He’s 8-5 on the year with a 4.64 ERA but has tallied just one victory in his L/5 outings. The Twins carry a winning mark with him leading their charge this season (10-8, $214). He’s been at his best pitching in front of the home faithful going 5-3 with a 3.54 ERA & 1.20 WHIP; Minny’s 6-3 in his nine overall home starts. He was pounded in his lone appearance against the White Sox this season giving up eight hits and five ER’s through just 4.2 IP.

MLB Insider Tip: The Twins have dominated the White Sox winning 12 of the L/15 overall meetings and 20 of the L/26 times they hooked up in Minnesota; they hold a 3-2 season series advantage against them in 2010. Having said that, the Twins are battling way too many injuries right now, mainly to major contributors Mauer and Morneau, and I just don’t see them continuing their domination of the Palehose in this series and beyond. The Twinkie Dome used to terrorize the White Sox in their sleep. With it now a thing of the past, the Palehose will look to improve upon their wretched record against the Twins away from “The Cell”.

My MLB predictions for this series opener have the visitors improving upon their impressive 11-1 record against the L/12 +.500 opponents they faced; look for the White Sox to add to the Twins current frustration level!

My MLB Prediction: Chicago White Sox (Danks)
Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

The 2010 college football betting season will kick off in less than two months, and here at BetUS sportsbook, there’s no such thing as a bad time to start talking about the boys on the gridiron.
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Today, we will look at the 2010 NCAA Football betting futures and pick out a few longshots to win the BCS National Championship.

Pittsburgh Panthers (+5000) – Someone is going to have to win the Big East, and whoever successfully pulls it off is at least remotely going to have their names etched in the BCS title run, just as the Cincinnati Bearcats did last year. The Panthers are coming off a great regular season in which they only lost one game in the conference and two games overall. Though QB Bill Stull has departed, HC Dave Wannstedt has never heavily relied on his quarterback to win games. Instead, the “Stache” is going to be reliant upon the legs of RB Dion Lewis, who crushed every freshman rushing record in the U-Pitt books last year with 1,799 yards and 18 TDs. Beyond a visit to Utah, the rest of this schedule is very manageable. Trips to Connecticut and Cincinnati won’t be fun, but will be very doable for a team that should be fun to watch in ’10.

Florida State Seminoles (+5000) – It’d be a shame to see the ‘Noles do this well in the first year without HC Bobby Bowden, but there is a real possibility for it to happen. They are +125 favorites to win the ACC in the BetUS NCAA football divisions futures. QB Christian Ponder is considered one of the top quarterback prospects for the NFL Draft of 2011, and he is going to be leading an offense that should simply be amazing under new HC Jimbo Fisher. The ‘Noles averaged 30.1 points per game last year with Ponder throwing for just 2,716 yards. It looks as if a 3,000+ passing yards season is a foregone conclusion. Florida State could lose to Oklahoma in Week 2 and still be a title contender, particularly with wins at Miami and at home against Florida. If the FSU defense figures out how to avoid giving up 433.8 yards and 30.0 points per game again, look out for the garnet and gold.

Oregon State Beavers (+5000) – With the USC Trojans out of the picture in terms of the National Championship, any Bowl games or Pac-10 races, the door is going to swing open for a ton of teams. Though we don’t really believe that the Beavers can run the table with the atrocious schedule in front of them, they can clearly go to the BCS title game with one loss this year thanks to what should be very strong computer numbers. One win from games at TCU and Boise State would be great, while the Pac-10 seems reasonable, especially with USC and rival Oregon both coming to Reser Stadium. Throw into the mix the fact that RB Jacquizz Rodgers (1,440 yards, 22 TDs) is back for a Heisman Trophy run and OSU can drastically improve upon its 8-5 record from a season ago.

Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

Our Tuesday night All Star Game predictions take us to Angels Stadium where the American and National League will go at it once again in the Midsummer Classic for the rights of snagging home field advantage in the upcoming World Series.
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There have been 80 All Star Games played to date; the National League has won 40 overall and there have been two ties. The latest draw came back in 2002 when both leagues ran out of position players, so Commissioner Bud Selig pronounced the game a stalemate.

Since then, this former exhibition has turned into one of the most important games of the season with the victor holding home field advantage in the World Series. Since then, the AL has dominated winning six in a row; that mark includes last year’s 4-3 tally in St. Louis.

The American League will carry its 12-game winning streak heading into the 81st overall All Star Game; the National League last came out victorious in the Midsummer Classic back in 1996 when it extended its winning streak over the American League to three straight.

National League vs. American League
Game Date/Time: Tuesday, July 13th, 8:00 ET
Game Location: Angels Stadium, Anaheim, CA
TV/Radio Broadcast: FOX, XM

MLB Odds: National League Even (Ubaldo Jimenez – R) vs. American League -120 (David Price – L): Total Over/Under 8.5

Ubaldo Jimenez gets the starting nod from manager Charlie Manuel to be the NL’s starter this evening. The righty’s very much so deserving considering he stands a phenomenal 15-1 with a 2.20 ERA & 1.05 WHIP throughout his 18 overall first half starts. He became one of just 13 pitchers to earn 15 victories in his team’s first 85 games of a season, and threw a no-hitter against the Atlanta Braves back in April. The Colorado Rockies have won 16 of his 18 overall outings, and they went a phenomenal 9-1 the ten times he led their charge on the road.

Opposing the potential NL Cy Young Award winner will be Tampa Bay Rays southpaw David Price. The youngster exploded onto the MLB scene in the Rays memorable 2007 season that saw them fall short against the Philadelphia Phillies in the world Series. He leads the league in victories with 12 and ERA (2.42), he’s led the Rays to victories in 12 of his 17 overall MLB betting starts. When he throws out the first pitch Tuesday night, he will become the youngest pitcher (24) since Brett Saberhagen did in ’87 to get the starting nod for the American League in All Star Game betting. Other starting pitchers to be thrown into the mix will be Philadelphia’s Roy Halladay, Florida’s Josh Johnson, St. Louis’ Adam Wainwright, San Francisco’s Tim Lincecum, New York’s Philip Hughes, Boston’s Jon Lester, Texas’ Cliff lee, and Detroit’s Justin Verlander.

MLB Insider Tip: I’ve seen a limited return with my All Star bets each of the L/2 seasons by backing the NL larger on the run-line and playing smaller on the $$$-line. However, my 2010 All Star Game predictions finally have the National League putting an end to their 12 year drought! I simply can’t ignore the pitching the NL will be throwing at the AL with Jimenez leading off, followed by the trio of Halladay, Lincecum, and Johnson. The AL’s starting pitching staff is still rock solid, but it just doesn’t do it for me the way the NL’s does this season.

Having not won this exhibition since it turned into one of the most important games of the year has got to be driving the NL’ers crazy! I expect them to come out the hungrier team and finally get the best of the AL. With the Yanks running so well in defense of their World Series Title, why not make it a bit tougher for them to pull off the repeat? I expect manager Charlie Manuel’s side to do just that this evening!

My MLB Prediction: National League (Jimenez)
Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

The All-Star Break is here, and with just over half the season complete, BetUS Sportsbook looks at the hottest teams on the diamond. Check out who’s hot for your MLB picks on ‘over’ bets, including the scorching D’Backs!
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Season Standings
1: Arizona Diamondbacks (53-34-2) – Going into the break, Arizona’s leading hitter is only batting .276 (Kelly Johnson), but the team’s woeful 5.27 ERA still isn’t helping matters any. The surprising stat? The Diamondbacks closed out the first half of the year with three straight ‘under’ games against the Fish. Is the tide finally turning on all of these ‘overs’? We think not.

2: Milwaukee Brewers (46-37-6) – The Brew Crew finally woke up from their offensive slumber that started on the Fourth of July, but a lot of teams do great work against the Pirates. Milwaukee plated 15 runs in three days against the Buccos over the weekend, which is seven more runs than it scored in its previous five games. The great equalizer has been allowing 6.07 runs per game since June 28th.

3: Los Angeles Dodgers (48-39-1) – Los Angeles still has plenty of problems with its pitching staff right now. The unit allowed 14 runs over its L/3 games before the break against the Cubbies, but that was after a shutout on Sunday. A 4.09 team ERA is something that Dodgertown isn’t used to seeing. However, the offense continues to pick this team up, as RF Andre Ethier leads the charge with his .324 batting average over the first half of the season.

Who’s Hot?
1: Minnesota Twins (4-0-2) – The Twins are freefalling in the AL Central, and it’s not just a mistake that it’s happening. After losing out on the Cliff Lee sweepstakes, they still have plenty of work to do, particularly on a pitching staff that has conceded 6.5 runs per game in its L/8. In those eight games, Minnesota is 6-0-2 for ‘over’ bettors. Until the pitching staff gets its act together, the Twinkies are going to find it difficult to keep up with the surging Tigers and White Sox within the division.

2: San Diego Padres (5-1) – It’s not often that you see the Padres on the list of top ‘over’ teams this season, but that was the case after getting raked for 21 runs in three days in Colorado and 14 runs in three days in Washington. Still, there’s no shame in having a 3.27 team ERA going into the All-Star Break, and that’s why San Diego is still hanging on to the lead in the NL West at 51-37.

3: Washington Nationals (5-1) – We already discussed the three game set between the Nats and Padres early last week, but Washington played a heck of an offense series at home against San Fran as well over the weekend. The 10.7 combined runs per game in that series was nothing new for Washington. Sunday’s 6-2 defeat was the first time that this squad had played an ‘under’ affair since July 2nd. In that stretch, they combined to score an average of 11.1 runs per game.

The summer is just starting to heat up for the boys on the diamond. Today, BetUS looks at the best ‘under’ squads that are beating the MLB odds, including the ‘over’ killing Cardinals.
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Season Standings
1: St. Louis Cardinals (52-34-2) – A rare four game ‘over’ streak for the Redbirds was promptly stopped on Thursday, as they went 3-1 for ‘under’ bettors over the course of the weekend. The pitching staff was great, allowing just ten runs in those four games, but one must remember that the final three games in that set were in Houston. The Cards are getting closer towards having the best staff in baseball, as they have a 3.39 team ERA going into the All-Star Break.

2: Chicago Cubs (46-35-8) – Getting shutout on Sunday at the hands of the Dodgers was just a microcosm of the miserable offensive campaign that the Cubs have had all season long. In spite of the fact that guys like 1B Derrek Lee, OF Alfonso Soriano, OF Kosuke Fukudome, and 3B Aramis Ramirez all have huge contracts, the offense is only averaging 4.03 runs per game over the first half of the season. No wonder why manager Lou Piniella’s squad is 11 games under .500 and 9.5 games out in the NL Central race…

3: Washington Nationals (48-38-3) – The Nats just barely held on to their spot on the ‘under’ list for the season after playing seven straight ‘overs’ just before the All-Star Break. Things aren’t even going well for the chosen boy, RHP Stephen Strasburg, who has now watched his L/2 starts fly past the posted ‘total’ of 6.5.

Who’s Hot?
1: New York Mets (5-1) – A woeful offensive effort has left the Mets four games out of first place in the NL East race going into the All-Star Break. They picked an atrocious time to score just nine runs in five games at home against Cincinnati and Atlanta, and the end result was a wasted effort from their pitchers in that stretch as well. New York only conceded 11 runs over those five games to boot. Needless to say, all five stayed ‘under’ the number.

2: New York Yankees (5-2) – We stay in a New York state of mind, as the Bronx Bombers have now held seven straight foes to four runs or less and six of the seven to two runs or less. Imagine if LHP Cliff Lee was actually traded to the Yankees on Friday night before the Texas Rangers swooped in and snared him! A 3.81 team ERA would look a heck of a lot better without RHP Javier Vazquez in the fold.

3: Cincinnati Reds (5-2) – The Reds had a great chance to make a move in the NL Central right before the All-Star Break, but dropping four straight to the Phils really hurt that cause. Cincinnati was shutout twice in that series and was held to three runs or less six times in its ten game roadie to close out the first half of the season.

Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

MLB betting fans get the next three days off from games on the diamond, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things to boost your bankroll on! The Home Run Derby tees off on Monday night in Los Angeles, as eight sluggers shoot for the title of the home run champ. Here at BetUS, we are looking at the MLB betting lines and seeing whether an AL or NL slugger will win it all.
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2010 Home Run Derby Odds: American League -240 vs. National League +180

American League: David Ortiz, Miguel Cabrera, Nick Swisher, Vernon Wells
National League: Chris Young, Corey Hart, Hanley Ramirez, Matt Holliday

The only man with any experience in the Home Run Derby on the National League side of things is Matt Holliday. The St. Louis Cardinals slugger is in fine form at the moment, having hit home runs in four of his L/6 games, totaling five in that stretch. He has just 16 home runs on the season. However, three years ago, Holliday knocked 13 home runs in the Home Run Derby to finish third.

Corey Hart makes for a nice addition to this tournament from the Milwaukee Brewers. No, Hart doesn’t have the look of his teammates Ryan Braun or Prince Fielder, but he is a big man at 6’6″ and can blast balls a mile. Hart has 21 home runs on the season and could be a huge factor in the Home Run Derby.

However, we aren’t much for putting either Hanley Ramirez or Chris Young on this team for the National League. Both guys are leadoff type hitters that are better served hitting ground balls and line drives than big flies. That’s not to say both aren’t capable of hitting 30 homers in a year and hitting 20 in this tournament, but odds have it, it won’t happen tonight for either one.

That leaves the American League sluggers. Three of the four have Home Run Derby experience. David Ortiz is rightfully the favorite to capture his first Home Run Derby crown in his fourth entry into this event. With 17 homers, Big Papi will surpass Ken Griffey Jr. for the most homers in the Derby in his career.

Don’t discount Miguel Cabrera either. Cabrera has been swinging a hot bat, and he plays in a very similar ballpark at Comerica Park on a regular basis. The Tigers slugger has a big stick and will surely be a contender late on in this competition as he was in 2006 when he hit 15 big flies.

Vernon Wells and Nick Swisher both have solid slugging stats this season, but neither one is probably going to find himself as a major contender. Swisher might really be a fish out of water, as a lot of his home runs come courtesy of the short porches of Yankee Stadium.

In the end, don’t be shocked if this comes down to Ortiz and Cabrera. They are the sluggers that really have the best chances of winning this competition. You may want to take a flier on either Hart or Holliday by themselves, but as a whole, the American League is the way to go on this prop.

My Home Run Derby Predictions: American League -240
Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

The 2010 World Cup will come to a close on Sunday afternoon at Soccer City Stadium, as Holland and Spain battle it out for the right to be called champions of the world.

BetUS Sportsbook has all of the World Cup odds for this match that will be available to you right up until kickoff time in South Africa.

The Dutch reached this point in the tournament by dismissing Uruguay 3-2 in a match that was far more lopsided than the final score indicated. Spain made it to the finale with its third straight 1-0 win in the knockout rounds of this tournament.

Regardless of who wins this match, a first time winner will be crowned. Neither team has ever played in the World Cup finale.
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Holland vs. Spain
Game Date/Time: Sunday, July 11th, 2:30 PM ET
Game Location: Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
TV/Radio Broadcast: ABC, ESPN360, XM

World Cup Betting Odds: Holland +270 vs. Spain +110 Draw +250: Total: over/under 2 -110 odds
Click here for complete Holland vs. Spain World Cup Odds

Goodness knows where Holland would be in this tournament if not for the play of F Wesley Sneijder. The hero for the Dutch has scored five goals in this World Cup, tying him for the lead in the Golden Boot chase. He scored his third goal of the knockout rounds of this tournament in the 70th minute in the semifinal against Uruguay, the goal that proved to be the match winner. F Arjen Robben is a man to watch as well, as he scored for the second time in this tournament just three minutes after Sneijder struck. Robben started off this tournament with a hamstring concern that has since been remedied. La Oranje are clearly at full strength just in time to make a march on the title.

Spain will stand in their way, though. La Roja have a five-goal scorer of their own in this tournament, as F David Villa has lit up the scoreboard a handful of times as well. Villa was the lone goal scorer in both victories over Portugal and Paraguay in the first two knockout rounds. The hero on Wednesday in Durban though, was D Carles Pujol. Pujol scored from just inside the box with a lethal header off of a corner kick. He is now one of three men to score for Spain in this tournament, with the third being M Andres Iniesta.

World Cup Insider Tip: The Spaniards haven’t given up a goal in the World Cup since the final match of the group stage. That defense will ultimately make the difference. We aren’t so sure that the Spanish are going to figure out how to score in the first 90 minutes either, but at some point, they will strike and take down the tournament, making themselves heroes back in Madrid and all across the country. Bank on Spain to beat the World Cup odds on Sunday.

My World Cup Betting Prediction: Spain to Win the World Cup -175
Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

The AFL betting season enters its fifteenth week of play this week with a full slate of games. Check out how we’re ranking the clubs through the first 14 weeks of the season!

1: Spokane Shock (10-2 SU, 6-6 ATS) (LW: 1) – The Shock laid the smack down on Arizona last week, which effectively clinched up the #1 seed in the National Conference barring a major slip up. It was a shame to not cover the spread after holding the Rats to just 36 points, but the backdoor was wide open in the closing moments.
Up Next: Away @ Cleveland

2: Tampa Bay Storm (9-3 SU, 6-6 ATS) (LW: 4) – The Storm have hit their highest point in the AFL betting power poll all season long, and they are on the verge of locking down a playoff spot. The key game is going to be in two weeks in Jacksonville, so a letdown in Dallas is something that must be avoided, particularly after the huge ‘W’ over Chicago last week.
Up Next: Away @ Dallas

3: Chicago Rush (9-4 SU, 7-5-1 ATS) (LW: 3) – What a miserable week for the Rush! Spokane won, Milwaukee won, they lost, and their fullback, Robert Boss left the team to become an assistant coach for an FCS school. The initiative in the division can be lost this week if Chicago isn’t careful, which could send it on the road for the postseason.
Up Next: Home vs. Arizona

4: Arizona Rattlers (8-4 SU, 8-4 ATS) (LW: 2) – The Rattlers aren’t in any sort of playoff trouble at this point, but the loss at Spokane ended any hope of winning the West and earning a home playoff game. This should be a playoff preview this week, as we expect to see Arizona and Chicago duking it out in the Windy City again in a few weeks.
Up Next: Away @ Chicago

5: Jacksonville Sharks (8-4 SU, 6-6 ATS) (LW: 5) – The Sharks got back on the boat by crushing Alabama last week. A de facto bye week is ahead before the big one at home against Tampa Bay that will probably determine the winner of the South.
Up Next: Away @ Utah

6: Milwaukee Iron (8-5 SU, 7-6 ATS) (LW: 6) – Ho hum – 82 more points on the board this week for the Iron. Milwaukee knows that two more wins will lock down a playoff berth regardless of who they come against. It will enjoy its final bye this week.
Up Next: Bye

And the rest…
7: Tulsa Talons (7-5 SU, 8-4 ATS) (LW: 8 )
8: Iowa Barnstormers (6-6 SU, 6-6 ATS) (LW: 10)
9: Cleveland Gladiators (6-7 SU, 8-5 ATS) (LW: 11)
10: Alabama Vipers (6-6 SU, 5-7 ATS) (LW: 7)
11: Orlando Predators (5-7 SU, 6-6 ATS) (LW: 9)
12: Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (5-7 SU, 7-5 ATS) (LW: 12)
13: Bossier City Battle Wings (3-10 SU, 6-7 ATS) (LW: 13)
14: Dallas Vigilantes (1-11 SU, 3-9 ATS) (LW: 14)
15: Utah Blaze (1-11 SU, 2-10 ATS) (LW: 15)

Our Wednesday night MLB predictions take us to Tropicana Field where the Tampa Bay Rays will look to win their fifth game in a row by sweeping the division rival Boston Red Sox right out of the Sunshine State.
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The Rays took the first two games of this series after it disposed of the BoSox by a 3-2 final count in last night’s baseball betting battle. Though runs were very hard to come by, the Rays squeaked by the Red Sox on the heels of a four hit and one ER effort from starter Jeff Niemann who picked up his first win since June 8th to move to 7-2 on the year. The victory allowed the Rays to swell its lead in the AL Wild Card race to 1.5-games over the Red Sox; Tampa sits two-games in back of the AL East leading New York Yankees while Boston finds itself 3.5-games back heading into tonight’s series finale.

Boston Red Sox (49-35, $360) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (50-33, $168)
Game Date/Time: Wednesday, July 7th, 7:10 ET
Game Location: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL
TV/Radio Broadcast: NESN, Sun Sports, XM

MLB Betting Odds: Boston Red Sox +1.5 -130 +160 (Tim Wakefield – R) vs. Tampa Bay Rays -1.5 +110 -190 (David Price – R): Total 8.5 O Even 8.5 U -120

Knuckler Tim Wakefield takes to the bump for the 18th time this season in search of his fourth overall win. He did score his first win in just under a month his last time out at home against Baltimore by limiting the Orioles to a pair of ER’s through his eight innings of work. Boston has dropped five of Wakefield’s seven road starts this season where the veteran owns a 2-2 record with a 3.66 ERA & 1.22 WHIP over 39.1 total IP. He has however been rock solid of late allowing just 23 hits and eight ER’s with a K/BB ratio of 13/5 over his L/3 starts. He’s excelled mightily against the Rays throughout his career going 18-6 with a 3.79 ERA in 33 starts, but he’s gotten tagged to the tune of 19 hits and 16 ER’s through just 10 combined innings of work the L/3 times he’s faced them.

Opposing the Red Sox vet will be third year phenom David Price. He enters his 16th start of the season a dominating 11-4 with a 2.42 ERA & 1.20 WHIP having allowed just 87 hits and 29 ER’s through his 107.2 total innings of work. He’s been exceptional in “The Trop” going 5-1 with a 1.99 ERA, but he’s dropped two of his L/3 overall decisions beating the D’Backs while falling against both the Marlins and Twins; Tampa’s 5-2 in his seven overall home starts. He’s faced the BoSox twice and stands 1-1 with a 4.77 ERA & 1.24 WHIP lifetime.

MLB Insider Tip: After getting dominated by the Red Sox since the franchise was formed, it looks as if the Rays are finally able to hold their own in this division rivalry. They’ve taken seven of the 11 meetings this season, and enter tonight’s match-up winners of three in a row. While Wakefield has had tons of success against the Rays throughout his career, he’s been hit hard by them each of the L/3 times he’s opposed them; Boston’s dropped five of his L/6 starts vs. Tampa Bay. David Price is in the midst of an exceptional season, and I really don’t foresee this rag-tag line-up that Boston marches out there tonight doing much of anything against him this evening. My MLB predictions for tonight’s series finale have the Rays busting out the brooms and sweeping the Red Sox right out of “The Trop.” Lay the chalk!!!

My MLB Prediction: Tampa Bay Rays (Price)
Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

Our Tuesday night MLB predictions take us to US Cellular Field where the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will look to bounce back from the thrashing they absorbed in the series opener against the Chicago White Sox.
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The defeat saw manager Mike Scioscia’s club drop its fourth game in its L/6 tries after dropping two of three at Kansas City in its previous stop. Because of it, they now stand 22-19 on the road where they’ve put upwards of $650 in their baseball betting backer’s pockets. Since Texas shockingly lost its home opener in its series against the Cleveland Indians last night, the Halos deficit in the AL West standings remains at 3.5-games and they sit 4.5-games in back of the AL Wild Card leading Tampa Bay Rays.

After dropping its road series at Kansas City, manager Ozzie Guillen’s White Sox stormed the Ball Park in Arlington and took two of three from the 1st place Rangers. They then returned home and took it to another AL West opponent last night after the offense erupted for nine runs on nine hits to win for the sixth time in their L/10 tries ($275). The clubs recent run of success now finds them just one-game in back of the AL Central leading Detroit Tigers and 5.5-games out in the AL Wild Card chase.

Los Angeles Angels (46-39, $446) vs. Chicago White Sox (43-38, $347)
Game Date/Time: Tuesday, July 6th, 8:10 ET
Game Location: US Cellular Field, Chicago, IL
TV/Radio Broadcast: FOX-West, WCIU, XM

MLB Odds: Los Angeles Angels +1.5 -230 -115 (Jered Weaver – R) vs. Chicago White Sox -1.5 +190 -105 (Jake Peavy – R): Total 7.5 O -105 7.5 U -115

Jered Weaver has been nothing short of exceptional throughout his L/4 starts having gone 3-0 during that stretch and allowing only 14 hits and five ER’s while churning out an incredible K/BB ratio of 35/4; he’s tossed seven innings in each of his L/3 starts. He’s 5-2 with a 3.56 ERA & 1.13 WHIP in nine road starts this season; Anaheim is 5-4 with him leading its charge as a visitor. He’s been at his best under the lights (5-1, 3.09 ERA), and has flourished immensely against the White Sox going 4-0 with a 0.52 ERA & 0.72 WHIP in five career starts.

Though he ended up putting forth his fifth straight quality start, Palehose righty Jake Peavy saw his winning streak get snapped at three in a row his last time out at Kansas City. The Royals got to him for seven hits and three ER’s through his six innings of work to hand him his sixth loss of the 2010 baseball betting season. The defeat dropped him to 2-1 with a 1.23 ERA & 0.86 WHIP his L/3 outings, but now he returns home to “The Cell” where he’ll look to match the effort he exhibited against the Cubs his last time there. Chicago’s 3-4 in his seven 2010 home starts, and in two career outings against the Halos, Peavy stands 0-2 with a bloated 5.79 ERA & 1.14 WHIP.

MLB Insider Tip: Very interested to see how the Angels rebound from last night’s drubbing; in short, I don’t believe they will. Chicago is playing some outstanding ball right now in all facets of the game, and I just feel they’re way too hot to get in front of right now; especially at home. LA got back into the AL West race with an outstanding road trip at the beginning of June, but prior to that, they were pretty much left for dead. I believe the injuries are finally starting to catch up to them, and the adrenaline they’ve been running on is starting to taper off. Chicago got off to a tremendously slow start to the season, but they’ve been firing on all cylinders ever since Interleague play picked back up in the middle of June.

They’ve defeated each of the L/6 +.500 opponents that invaded US Cellular Field, and my MLB predictions for Game 2 of this series have them keeping that mark perfectly intact!

My MLB Prediction: Chicago White Sox (Peavy)
Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

BetUS Sportsbook always has its watchful eye over the top teams in baseball, and today, we’re taking a look at the hottest teams that have been spoiling the party as unwanted guests in opposing homes. The MLB betting list for the best road teams is still littered with the best squads in the bigs.
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Season Standings
1: San Diego Padres (22-14, +$1,429) – Every time the Padres face a tad bit of adversity, they find a way to win a few games, particularly on the road, and all of a sudden things get a lot better. San Diego has held onto a 3.5 game lead on the Dodgers and the rest of the pack in the NL West thanks to some solid play on the road. Going five for their L/6 in the Sunshine State helped a ton.

2: Tampa Bay Rays (28-14, +$1,287) – Thanks to some poor play in its own house, Tampa Bay fell out of first place in the AL East. Even though the Rays have slumped back to third, they remain a key player in the chase for the playoffs after winning four out of six on the road this past week to regulate themselves. It’s amazing to think that this is a team on pace to win 55 road games and still find themselves out of the postseason discussion!

3: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (22-18, +$752) – The Halos actually haven’t played a road game since the last time we published this article two weeks ago. They’ll be back at it after going 11-3 on that hellacious 14 game roadie this week. First up is manager Lou Piniella’s woeful outfit on the Northside of Chicago.

Who’s Hot?
1: San Diego Padres (4-1, +$465) – We already alluded to that road trip in Florida for the Padres, and now we get to reference it again. San Diego’s pitching staff came up huge in those six games down south, giving up just 13 runs over the six days. Against the Marlins, it was particularly strong, only letting three runs cross home plate.

2: Cincinnati Reds (4-1, +$363) – Speaking of teams that are consistently finding ways to fend off competitors… It feels like it has been awhile since the Reds were in second place in the NL Central, doesn’t it? Taking three out of four at Wrigley Field marked the fourth straight series they have won since getting swept in Seattle in Interleague play. The Reds have gone 6-1 in seven roadies since that point as well, earning a cool $609 for their MLB bettors.

3: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (4-1, +$354) – The Halos are still hot on the road thanks to that great 11-3 road stand that wrapped up two weeks ago. However, the more that we look back at it, is winning two out of three games in Wrigley Field worth writing home about? The Cubs are playing such miserable baseball that we are wondering what the oddsmakers were thinking making the Angels short dogs in all three games! Hopefully for the sake of manager Mike Scioscia, the good times keep on rolling on this upcoming trip.

For every home team that is red hot, there has to be a visiting team that just can’t figure out how to put it together quite yet. Some of the worst squads in baseball are on this MLB betting list to stay away from.
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Season Standings
1: Baltimore Orioles (9-31, -$1,591) – Baltimore’s 6-1 win at Fenway Park on the Fourth of July finally took the team out of the dregs of the MLB betting world, as it is no longer the worst money team in the majors. However, this is still by far, the worst road team in the land, as a 9-31 record through virtually half the schedule is just inexcusable. Trips to Texas and Detroit this week probably won’t help matters any.

2: Arizona Diamondbacks (13-30, -$1,255) – Say goodbye to manager AJ Hinch and GM Josh Byrnes. The D’Backs made a major change in their front office structure over the weekend, and time will tell whether it will help the squad win games away from the desert or not. It sure didn’t help this weekend at home, as Arizona was outscored 17-2 in two defeats.

3: Seattle Mariners (14-29, -$1,283) – The M’s got a couple gems of starts from their starting pitchers on the road last week, especially from LHP Cliff Lee. The brass in Seattle has to be smiling, as with every solid start that the southpaw makes, his trade value goes up. Unfortunately for Mariners’ bettors, the value on their team is going to be down in the basement once the move is made to send Lee to a contender.

Who’s Not?
1: Philadelphia Phillies (1-4, -$515) – Wouldn’t it be ironic if the Phillies were to try to trade for Lee once again at the trade deadline for the second straight season? Philadelphia has been woeful on the road all season long, and the end result is going to be entering the All-Star Break in third place in the NL East and flirting with the .500 mark. There’s never an excuse to lose three out of four in Pittsburgh as this team just did.

2: Minnesota Twins (1-4, -$316) – Minnesota’s recent lack of solid play on the road has allowed both the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox back in the AL Central race. Dropping two out of three at Citi Field to wrap up Interleague play was excusable, but we still have a hard time believing that halfway through the season, the Twinkies are playing sub .500 ball away from Target Field.

3: Toronto Blue Jays (1-4, -$270) – The fall from grace for the Blue Jays was predictable, and it looks as though it has finally arrived. Toronto probably won’t sniff the .500 mark again after inexplicably getting swept for four games at Progressive Field to start off the final week of June. Unsurprisingly, it went on to drop two out of three at Yankee Stadium after that, and with 14 more road games coming up in the future against the Yanks, Rays, and Red Sox, there is just no way back into the 2010 AL East race.

Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

Wager on the ‘Over’ with these MLB umpires
Any angle that MLB betting fans can take to get a leg up on the books is a good one, and today at BetUS Sportsbook, we’re taking a look at the umpires that have been straight money for ‘over’ bettors this year. Check out these umps that we are “all over” in MLB betting action!
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Tim Welke (12-3-2) – You have to go back to June 8th to find the last time that Welke umpped an ‘under’ game, and deep into last season for the last time that he called two straight ‘unders.’ In spite of the fact that Welke has a 1-0 game to his credit this year between the Florida Marlins and the Philadelphia Phillies, he is still averaging 11.5 runs every time he steps behind the dish. Over his L/3, Welke has seen at least 12 runs hit the board all three times, and each game flew past the number by at least four runs.

Angel Hernandez (11-4-2) – Hernandez made it almost two full months before he finally called an ‘under’ game, and it took a fantastic showing by Seattle Mariners RHP Felix Hernandez to accomplish that much. King Felix is probably tired of seeing Hernandez calling balls and strikes for him, as this has already happened three times this year, all of which have come on the road. If you throw out those three starts though, Hernandez is 10-2-2 for the ‘over.’

Mark Wegner (10-4-1) – Wegner has been posting ‘over’ games lately, but they have happened to be games that have just flown past the number. If you’re looking to bank on an ‘over’, this may not be the best option. Wegner has only averaged 7.0 runs per game in his L/6 overall and has had a relatively high strike ratio all season long (61.8%). He has topped 60 percent in six straight starts and has averaged almost five more strikeouts per game than walks.

Sam Holbrook (8-4-1) – Four of Holbrook’s L/6 games have reached double digits in runs, which is a great sign for ‘over’ bettors. Consider the fact that two of his ‘unders’ have been 1-0 games as well. All of a sudden, the average of 9.4 runs per game doesn’t seem like such a low number for an ump that has been a consistent ‘over’ machine all season long. It’s amazing that Holbrook called nearly 70 percent of his pitches for strikes in the Cleveland/Philly game two weeks ago, his most appearance behind the plate, yet there were 15 runs scored.

Mike Reilly (11-6-1) – Since starting off the season with five straight ‘over’ clashes, Reilly really has tapered off into obscurity for ‘total’ bettors, as he has been split right down the line with six ‘overs’, six ‘unders’, and a push. It seems like the better the pitching matchup, the more likely the game goes ‘over’ though with Reilly as the head man in blue. He has watched RHP Roy Oswalt, RHP Chris Carpenter, RHP Edwin Jackson, and several other excellent arms end up with ‘over’ clashes.

Wager on the ‘Under’ with these MLB umpires
BetUS Sportsbook continues its look at various angles that can help you cash in by analyzing the top ‘under’ umpires that you should be watching the next time that you have your eye on a pitcher’s duel. Our MLB betting angles check out the umps that are ‘under’ the gun.
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Jim Wolf (3-11) – Since we last addressed the ‘under’ umpires, Wolf has been a disaster for us! He called a pair of very high scoring games before taking a break, and we say good riddance if that’s the way that he is going to call games for the rest of the season! Still, with an average run production of 6.3 runs per game and averaging over three times the number of strikeouts per game (16.2) as walks per game (5.3), there’s no reason not to continue staying ‘under’ with Wolf behind the plate.

Bob Davidson (4-11-1) – Much like Wolf, the ‘overs’ have suddenly started coming in with Davidson calling balls and strikes, and it is starting to worry us just a tad. The 20 run game that he called between the Detroit Tigers RHP Justin Verlander and New York Mets RHP Jonathon Niese was a bit of an anomaly, we think. It isn’t every day that Davidson only calls 58.6 percent of his pitches as strikes and issues a dozen free passes. He has only called four games all year that have reached double digits in scoring, but two of those have come in his L/2 starts.

Mike Estabrook (4-11-1) – Estabrook’s strike zone has been wide open for pitchers all season long, especially lately. He has punched out 14 or more batters in six straight starts, and even though ‘total’ bettors have only yielded a 3-2-1 record in those six outings, the handwriting is certainly on the wall that more low scoring affairs could be in the cards. Estabrook has also called at least 60 percent strikes in six straight affairs and seven out of eight as well.

Mike Dimuro (4-10-2) – The ‘under’ train continues to roll with Dimuro behind the plate. He has now cashed in ‘under’ tickets in seven of his L/8 graded MLB wagering affairs (with two pushes thrown in the mix as well). Dimuro called the consummate ‘under’ game last week when Boston Red Sox LHP Jon Lester met San Francisco Giants RHP Tim Lincecum, as he called 24 men out on strikes and called 65.6 percent of his pitches as strikes. Only five free passes were issued. The over/under might have been just 6.5 in that game, but stats like that resulted in a comfortable ‘under’.

Greg Gibson (4-10-3) – Gibson makes his first appearance on the ‘under’ list for umpires all season long thanks to the fact that he has nailed down back-to-back low scorers in his L/2 times behind the dish. Issuing 7.6 runs per game doesn’t normally feel like the recipe for this fantastic of an ‘under’ record, but Gibson has only called one ‘over’ game since May 11th.

Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

On Friday night, BetUS Sportsbook makes its MLB picks in the tussle between the Detroit Tigers and the Seattle Mariners at Comerica
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The Mariners are playing respectable baseball on this road trip having taken two out of three games at Yankee Stadium. Still, there really is no hope for coming back to the rest of the AL East, as they are a hefty 14 games behind the Texas Rangers.

For the Tigers, their eyes have to be fixated both on what is in front of them and what is behind them. The Minnesota Twins are just a game in front of Detroit in the AL Central standings, but the Chicago White Sox are only a game in its rear view mirror.

Seattle Mariners (33-45, -$1,255) vs. Detroit Tigers (41-36, +$431)
Game Date/Time: Friday, July 2nd, 7:05 ET
Game Location: Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
TV/Radio Broadcast: Fox Sports Northwest, Fox Sports Detroit, XM

MLB Odds: Seattle Mariners +1.5 -145 +145 (Doug Fister – R) vs. Detroit Tigers -1.5 +125 -165 (Max Scherzer – R): Total 8.5 O -105 8.5 U -115

RHP Doug Fister didn’t pitch all that poorly against the Brewers in his first start back in the lineup after basically missing the entire month of June injured. He allowed four runs in as many innings, but only allowed five hits and a walk before getting pulled. The Mariners won that game 5-4. On the season, Fister is 3-3 with a 2.81 ERA. Opposing batters are still only hitting .226 against the young righty, and as a result, his WHIP is a miniscule 0.99. The righty is only allowing one walk per start this year, which has kept him out of potential trouble quite a bit.

Back in the middle of May, RHP Max Scherzer was left for dead in Detroit. He was optioned to Triple-A Toledo and had an ERA of 7.29. Since coming back to the bigs, he has a 2.95 ERA and has struck out a whopping 49 batters in 36.2 innings of work. Scherzer is only 3-2 in that stretch, but he is certainly proving why the Tigers traded CF Curtis Granderson and RHP Edwin Jackson to acquire him during the offseason. Earlier this season, Scherzer faced these Mariners and looked fantastic. He gave up just two runs in six innings of work in what amounted to be the only victory that he picked up before being sent down to the minors.

MLB Insider Tip : The Tigers are just 4-11 in their L/15 MLB betting encounters played on Fridays. Even though there is clearly a discrepancy between these two teams, this is a nice spot to back the visitors. Fister is bound to look better than he did in his first start back from his injury suffered at the end of May, and if he can do that, we’ll take our chances of backing the run line in this situation. Our MLB picks call for the M’s sticking within a run at worst tonight.

My MLB Prediction: Seattle Mariners +1.5 (Fister)
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