MLB Picks: August 23rd 2011
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Pick: Chicago Cubs +135
The Braves send Mike Minor to the hill tonight where he 0-1 with a 4.98 ERA on the road this season. Atlanta is hitting only .235 on the road this year. 78% of the public is currently on the Braves in this game and we all know fading the public will get you money more times than not. Braves are 2-6 in their last 8 road games with the total set at 11.0 or higher. Cubs are 10-4 in their last 14 games as an underdog. Cubs are 7-3 in their last 10 vs. a team with a winning record. Cubs are 9-4 in their last 13 home games. Cubs are 5-1 in Colemans last 6 starts as an underdog of +110 to +150. Cubs are 4-1 in Colemans last 5 starts vs. a team with a winning record. We’ll recommend a small play on Chicago Cubs tonight! Thanks and good luck, Rocky Atkinson

Pick: Brewers vs. Pirates Over 8.5
I’ll side with the OVER in this game Tuesday between the Milwaukee Brewers and Pittsburgh Pirates in NL Central action. These teams just played a double-header Monday, meaning that both bullpens are likely taxed. Two below-average starters are going at it tonight in Marco Estrada and Ross Ohlendorf, and neither is likely to go deep in this one. Estrada is 3-8 with a 4.28 ERA on the season, including 0-1 with a 6.35 ERA in two road starts. Ohlendorf is 0-0 with a 7.27 ERA adn 1.845 WHIP through two starts this year. Both teams are hot at the plate right now as well. The Brewers are putting up 6.6 runs/game over their last five contests, while the Pirates are scoring 5.4 runs/game over their last five. The OVER is 4-0 in Brewers last 4 games overall. The OVER is 6-1 in Pirates last 7 games overall. The OVER is 10-1 in Brewers last 11 games as a road favorite of -110 to -150. The OVER is 6-0 in Pirates last 6 games as a home underdog. Bet the OVER in this game Tuesday. -Jack Jones

Pick: Cincinnati Reds -139
Play on Cincinnati at 7:10 ET. Florida has fallen off the map, having lost 15 of 17, and things get no less difficult this evening at home vs. the Reds and Johnny Cueto. Cueto is MLB’s ERA leader at 1.89 in 19 starts. He’s allowed just one run his L15 IP, picking up two wins. The Marlins are 5-19 as a home dog this season. Starter Ricky Nolasco has a 4-10 TSR at home and a 7.00 ERA his last three starts overall. 10* on Cincinnati (w/ Cueto). -Tom Freese (Handicapperspicks.com)

MLB Baseball Picks: July 26th 2011
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Pick: Cincinnati Reds -142
I’ll back the Cincinnati RedS Tuesday behind Ace Johnny Cueto to beat the New York Mets in Game 2 of this series. Cincinnati has been an excellent home team all season, hitting .268 and scoring 5.0 RPG there. The Reds have also thrived against left-handed starters, batting .283 and putting up 5.5 RPG versus southpaws. They’ll be up against lefty Jon Niese, who sports a 3.63 ERA on the season and a 4.07 ERA on the road. Niese is no match for Cueto, who is 6-3 with a 1.98 ERA and 1.003 WHIP in 14 starts this year, including 2-1 with a 2.14 ERA and 0.921 WHIP in five home outings. Niese has never beaten Cincinnati, going 0-1 with a 4.61 ERA and 1.390 WHIP in two career starts against the Reds. While Cueto has never beaten the Mets either, his last start against them came on 5/5/2010 in a game the Reds won 5-4 after he gave up just 3 earned runs in 6 innings. Cueto is perhaps the most improved starter in the league this season as he’s finally learned how to pitch. The Mets are 1-5 in their last 6 games following a win. The Reds are 5-1 in their last 6 games following a loss. Cincinnati is 30-11 in their last 41 home games vs. a left-handed starter. The Reds are 4-0 in Cueto’s last 4 starts as a favorite. Take Cincinnati Tuesday.

Pick: Tampa Bay Rays -126
Play on Tampa Bay at 10:05 ET. Oakland got the suddenly slumping Rays last night, but tonight I like Tampa to bounce back with David Price on the mound. The big lefty has a 12-2 TSR in road night games and 14-3 as road chalk of -125 or greater. The team is 8-1 this season as a road fave of -125 to -150. I don’t see the A’s weak hitting lineup doing much against Price and Brandon McCarthy has a 2-8 TSR in night games this season. 10* on Tampa Bay. -Tom Freese (Handicapperspicks.com)

Our Friday night MLB predictions take us to the Great American Ball Park where the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds will lock horns in the opener of the division rivals final series of the 2010 season.
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A funny thing happened after Manager Lou Piniella decided to take an early retirement from the sinking ship otherwise known as the Chicago Cubs; they started winning. Maybe it was because they were matched up against another stiff of a ball club in the Washington Nationals, or maybe the team loosened up after the Hall of Fame Skipper vacated the premises. Either way, the Cubs took a solid step forward in attempting to close their 2010 campaign off on the right foot.

The Reds blasted their way to an impressive 5-1 showing throughout the first six legs of their nine game west coast road trip. However, they ended up 6-3 overall after dropping the first two of their series with the San Francisco Giants and needed to go to extras in their marathon 12-11 win in the series finale. Luckily for Manager Dusty Baker’s squad, it had the day off on Thursday to rest up after the long road trip. Now they get to embark on a six-game home stand against division rivals where they sit 10-games over .500 (36-26, $558) for those that made MLB predictions backing them as a host.

Chicago Cubs (54-74, -$2860) vs. Cincinnati Reds (73-54, $1773)
Game Date/Time: Friday, August 27th, 7:10 ET
Game Location: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, OH
TV/Radio Broadcast: WGN,FOX – Ohio, XM

MLB Odds: Chicago Cubs +1.5 -130 +155 (Tom Gorzelanny – L) vs. Cincinnati Reds – 1.5 +110 -175 (Johnny Cueto – R): Total 9 O Even 9 U -120

Tom Gorzelanny has thrown a ton of pitches entering his 20 th start of the season on Friday night. He tossed 120 pitches for the second consecutive outing in a 5-4 Cubs win his last time out to move Chicago to 7-12 with him leading their charge this season.

He’s been at his best away from Wrigley Field where he sports a 3-2 record with a solid 3.27 ERA, but Chicago Cubs stands just 3-5 in his eight road starts. The Cubs are 1-6 in his L/7 starts vs. NL Central opposition, and he owns a personal mark of 3-4 with a 4.74 ERA in nine lifetime appearances vs. the Reds.

Johnny Cueto’s first start since serving his seven-game suspension didn’t go all too well. The righty was pumped to say the least, and because of it, his control suffered. The righty walked three and served up four home runs through just three innings of an 8-5 MLB predictions defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Now he returns to the “GAB” where he owns a 5-2 record with a 4.12 ERA & 1.36 ERA on the year; the Cincinnati Reds won six of his 11 home outings. He was outdueled by Randy Wells in his lone 2010 start against the Cubs and stands just 2-5 with a 4.17 ERA & 1.43 WHIP in nine career starts vs. Chicago.

MLB Insider Tip : Cincinnati has gotten the better of the Cubs this season winning 10 of the 13 overall meetings ($750); that mark includes a 4-2 ($190) mark at the Great American Ball Park. However, there’s just something about this spot for the Redlegs that I just don’t like at all.

Chicago looked to be playing much looser in its most recent series with Washington. Having traded away a number of players over the last month and capping it off with the departure of “Sweet Lou” might have been the exact elixir this club needed to start eating into its outrageous MLB betting deficit.

Gorzelanny has been one of the Cubs most dependable starters since he returned to the starting rotation, and Chicago is currently in the midst of a five-game road winning streak. Cincy could come out a bit rusty in this spot returning from an extended road trip, and they’ve played to an even 6-6 record after an off day to date. Go ahead and take a stab with the barking dog in the series opener!

My MLB Prediction: Chicago Cubs (Gorzelanny)

Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com