MLB Picks: May 21st 2011
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Pick: Chicago White Sox -142
I’m laying the price with the White Sox on Saturday afternoon. I had the Sox yesterday and unfortunately, they blew a 9th inning lead and then lost in extra innings. But I expect the Southsiders to get right back in the win column in this one. The Sox have been tremendous in IL play over the last three seasons, including a 15-3 mark in 2010. And now they’ll take on one of their former pitchers when Jon Garland takes the bump. Garland looked all but done just a few seasons ago. But he pitched pretty well for the Angels and threw well as a Padre last season. But then again, that was at PETCO. Now, as a Dodger, he pitches in yet another pitcher-friendly park. I do believe that Garland is going to have some problems away from home as the season progresses. And I also believe he’ll be out-pitched by Mark Buehrle on Saturday. The lefty has pitched well in his last four starts, and especially in his last three where he’s allowed just 5 earned runs in 21 innings. The Dodgers’ anemic lineup broke loose (for them) last night, but I expect Buehrle to shut them down today. Ozzie Guillen’s troops were starting to make some noise, winning three straght and nine of 12 before last night’s tough loss. I expect a return to the win column in this one. I’m laying the price with the White Sox. Thanks! GL! Scott Spreitzer

Pick: Philadelphia Phillies -155
On Saturday the free MLB System Play is on the Phillies. Game 970 at 7:10 eastern. The Phillies fit a solid system here tonight that plays on certain home favorites with a total of 8 or less that are off a 1 run home favorite win at -140 or higher vs an opponent off a road dog loss scoring 2 or less runs with 4 or less men left on base. The Philles have Cliff Lee making his first start since leaving his former mates in Texas. Lee has allowed just 2 runs in his last 2 starts, spanning 16 innings vs Texas. The Rangers are hitting just .235 on the road while averaging 3.6 runs per game. Look for Lee and the Philles to win this one. On Saturday its a Huge card backed with twp 19-1 System Plays in the NBA + 2 MLB Power system plays. The Dog of the week from a system that is 17 games over .500 for underdogs + a big Blowout side. I also have a top tier NHL Historical system and the Preakness analysis. Fridays big Totals Play Cashed big. Jump on for Saturday and Cash big. For the free Play take the Phillies. -Rob Vinciletti

Pick: Minnesota Twins +108
The Minnesota Twins are showing solid value Saturday as an underdog to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Twins have won three of their last four overall to get back on track and it’s only a matter of time before they make a run in the AL Central division. Scott Baker has been a bright spot on what has been a frustrating season for the Twins. Baker is 2-3 with a 3.99 ERA in eight starts this season, including 2-2 with a 2.90 ERA and 1.116 WHIP in six road starts. Micah Owings will be making his season debut for Arizona tonight. He has not gotten off to a very good start to his career. Owings is 24-31 with a 5.11 ERA and 1.423 WHIP in 64 starts and 35 relief appearances. The Twins are 62-30 in their last 92 interleague games. Minnesota is 21-8 in Baker’s last 29 starts with 4 days of rest. The Diamondbacks are 5-21 in their last 26 games vs. a team with a winning % below .400. Arizona is 0-5 in Owings’ last 5 starts. Roll with the Twins Saturday. -Jack Jones (Handicapperspicks.com)

Our Thursday night MLB predictions take us to Petco Park for a crucial series opener between the division rival San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres.
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After letting a golden opportunity slip through the cracks last night in Arizona, the Giants find themselves two-games in back of the Padres in the NL West and two-games off the pace set by the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL Wild Card race. That said; the Giants continue to be just above average on the road (36-35, $376) and could claim the top spot in the division if they were to sweep this four-game series in San Diego.

The Padres had been grossly overachieving all season and currently sit atop the money standings as the biggest moneymaker in all of baseball. Unfortunately, their good fortune came to a crashing halt when the calendar flipped to September. When the swoon ended, the Padres dropped 10 in a row and only found themselves holding a one-game lead after holding a comfortable one the majority of the season. They most recently bounced back to sweep the Dodgers to move to 41-29 on the year ($686) entering tonight’s series opener.

San Francisco Giants (78-62, $935) vs. San Diego Padres (79-59, $2191)
Game Date/Time: Thursday, September 2nd, 7:10 ET
Game Location: Coors Field, Denver, CO
TV/Radio Broadcast: PHL17, FOX – Rocky Mountain, XM

MLB Odds: San Francisco Giants +1.5 -210 -105 (Matt Cain – R) vs. San Diego Padres -1.5 +175 -115 (Jon Garland – R): Total 6.5 O +105 6.5 U -125

Matt Cain has been dealing some nasty cheddar of late! He’s 1-0 with a 3.80 ERA & 1.14 WHIP allowing 18 hits and just nine ER’s with a K/BB ratio of 20/3 his L/3 starts. The righty had tossed four quality starts in a row up until his most recent outing at LA where the dodgers got to him for seven hits and four ER’s through seven IP; SF still won 5-4.

He has had his most trouble away from AT&T Park this season where he stands 3-7 but still sports a decent ERA (3.69) and WHIP (1.29). He’s faced the San Diego Padres three times this season, and the Giants dropped each outing. SD has given him problems throughout his career as he’s 4-8 with a 3.12 ERA in 21 career starts.

Opposing him will be righty Jon Garland who loves nothing more than to pitch in the comfy confines of Petco Park. Overall this season, Garland owns a 13-10 record with a 3.31 ERA. However, when at home, he’s 7-4 with a 2.68 ERA and the Padres have won nine of his 15 overall outings giving him an average 4.27 runs of support to work with.

He’s dominated the Giants throughout his career going a perfect 3-0 with a 2.15 ERA & 1.13 WHIP in four career outings. He bested Cain in a Petco match-up earlier this season tossing seven innings of one-run ball in the Padres 5-2 victory.

MLB Insider Tip : The Padres have owned the San Fransisco Giants this season winning nine of the 11 overall meetings dropping only one of the five games in tonight’s venue. As good as Cain has been of late, he has problems with the Padres for some strange reason (3-13 L/16), and the Giants are just 2-6 in his L/8 starts as the visiting pitcher.

San Diego picked up some much needed self confidence by sweeping the Dodgers, and I look for them to carry it over into the final regular season series between these clubs at Petco Park. Back the NL West leading Padres in tonight’s series opener!

My MLB Prediction: San Diego Padres (Garland)

Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

Our Monday night MLB predictions take us to Petco Park where the NL West leading San Diego Padres will continue their Interleague MLB betting odds action looking to bounce back from yesterday’s rare home loss against the Toronto Blue Jays. Toronto was at one point one of the best bats in all of baseball on the road, but since it’s dropped 10 of its L/13 as a visitor, manager Cito Gaston’s club stands 17-16 (+$531) away from the Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays enter this series having just been swept by the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field over the weekend.
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Though it just fell to the Mariners who got a fabulous effort out of Felix Hernandez yesterday afternoon, the Padres reclaimed the top spot in the NL West after the Dodgers were swept at home by the red hot Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Manager Bud Black’s outfit is currently the best bet in all of baseball reeling in upwards of $1480 on the year; they’ve tallied victories in 20 of their 33 overall home games (+$653).

Toronto Blue Jays (34-30, +$853) vs. San Diego Padres (37-26, +$1487)
Game Date/Time: Monday, June 14th, 10:05 ET
Game Location: Petco Park, San Diego, CA
TV/Radio Broadcast: SNET, 4SD, XM

MLB Odds: Toronto Blue Jays +1.5 -230 -110 (Shaun Marcum – R) vs. San Diego Padres -1.5 +190 -110 (Jon Garland – R): Total 6.5 O -125 6.5 U +105

After posting a perfect 5-0 record with a 1.85 ERA in six May starts, RHP Shaun Marcum has dropped each of his first two June starts and has been rocked in the process. Though it was Tampa Bay he faced in both outings, the Rays pounded him for a combined 20 hits and 11 ER’s through his 12.1 total innings of work. The seven runs he allowed last Sunday was a season high; he had only allowed that amount three other times and hadn’t done so since late in the season back in 2007. As a visitor this season, Marcum stands 2-1 with a 4.42 ERA & 1.06 WHIP having allowed 34 hits and 18 ER’s with a K/BB ratio of 30/5 through 36.2 total IP. Opponents are batting .241 against him in the 2010 baseball betting season. This will be his first career look at the Padres.

Jon Garland gets the call for the home team for the 14th time this season. He’s 6-4 on the year and carries a 2.81 ERA & 1.32 WHIP with him into this start. He’s coming off a solid showing on the road after allowing the Mets to tally three runs through his six innings of work. The Padres are a $$$-making 5-1 in his six Petco start this season where he’s a perfect 3-0 and carries a sparkling 1.15 ERA & 1.23 WHIP. Opponents are batting .253 against him on the year overall, but that number plummets to .213 when in the comfy confines of Petco. Since he played for a pair of AL teams for a bulk of his career, Garland has seen the Blue Jays quite a bit and has more than lived to tell about it. In fact, he’s been very successful against Toronto going 11-2 with a 4.00 ERA & 1.33 WHIP in 16 career starts.

MLB Insider Tip: Interleague play has seen the worst from the Blue Jays over the years. They enter tonight’s battle with the Padres just 1-5 (-$400) this season and have gone a bankroll depleting 16-26 (-$1420) the L/3 seasons. Throw in the fact that the team is scuffling right now, and I really don’t like their chances of succeeding in this series.

The Padres have won each of their L/8 home games against opponents boasting +.500 road records, and they’re a solid 28-10 the L/38 times they took the field following a defeat. Garland has been flat out money in this ballpark all season long, so I see no reason to hop off the $$$-train just yet. Oddsmakers continue to give the NL West leading Padres no respect, and we’ve laughed our way to the bank for the bulk of the season because of it. That said; my MLB predictions for tonight are for Garland and the Padres to extend the Blue Jays Interleague woes another game.

My MLB Prediction: San Diego Padres (Garland)
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San Diego Padres vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
Free MLB Pick: San Diego Padres +175 (April 5th 2010 – Black Widow)
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San Diego has gone 6-1 in their last 7 games as an underdog, and 6-1 in their last 7 games as a dog of +151 to +200. The Padres enter the 2010 season under the radar once again. This team is loaded with more talent than most folks know about, especially offensively where several young guys now have a year of experience under their belt. Blanks, Venable, Cabrera, Hairston and Gwynn are guys that don’t get the credit they deserve, and then there’s Adrian Gonzalez who remains one of the best power hitters in the business. Remember, the Padres actually won 5 more games than Arizona did last season. This is a very generous line tonight as nearly a 2-to-1 underdog against the Diamondbacks. We’ll take the value, and take the Padres with veteran Jon Garland on the mound.