MLB Picks: April 11th 2011
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Pick: Boston Red Sox -143
The Boston Red Sox are back on track after taking 2 of 3 from the rival New York Yankees from Friday through Sunday. Boston’s bats really got going as they registered double-digit hits in all three games while hitting .321 and scoring 5.7 runs/game. Tampa Bay hasn’t been hitting at all this season, and as a result they own the worst record in the majors. Tampa is 1-8 this season, sporting a .163 average and 2.2 runs/game. They have been terrible against right-handed pitching, hitting .151 and putting up a mere 1.4 runs/game. Tampa is 0-7 against right-handed starters this year. Evan Longoria remains on the DL, and Manny Ramirez recently retired which leaves this batting order even more shaky than it already was after several key personnel losses in the offseason. We’ll gladly lay the juice on the home team here. Take the Red Sox on the Money Line. -Black Widow

Pick: Cincinnati Reds +100
The Cincinnati Reds blew a late lead yesterday to the Arizona Diamondbacks, and should come back highly motivated in Game 1 of this series with the San Diego Padres because of it. Cincinnati clearly has the better team, and it’s basically a wash when it comes to the starting pitchers going at it tonight. Edinson Volquez and Mat Latos are two of the up-and-coming young starters in the game today. Volquez has allowed just 3 earned runs in 11 2/3 innings while striking out 14 batters for a 2.31 ERA and 0.943 WHIP in two career starts against San Diego. The Reds are scoring 6.8 RPG and hitting .312 this season, while San Diego is scoring just 4.0 RPG and hitting .223. Volquez is 20-5 against the money line in his last 25 starts following a loss. Volquez is 14-2 in his last 16 starts against the money line in road games vs. an NL team with an on base percentage .325 or worse. Bet the Reds Monday. -Jack Jones (Handicapperspicks.com)

Our Monday night MLB betting predictions take us to Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio where the Chicago White Sox will look to embark on that final push of the regular season against the putrid Cleveland Indians.
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The weekend was one filled with excitement and frustration for Palehose fans, as they dropped two of three to the hated New York Yankees, but picked up Manny Ramirez from the Dodgers in the hopes that he’ll fill the void left at the DH position.

Manager Ozzie Guillen’s squad now sits 4.5-games off the pace set by the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central.

For them to even get back into the playoff discussion, the Twins are going to have to slump while the Sox are going to have to go on another winning streak similar to the one they rattled off around the All Star Break.

Though Cleveland has been putrid overall, it’s been a nemesis to divisional opponents scratching out wins in 24 of the 50 meetings this season ($410). Most of those victories have come against the White Sox, as they’ve won eight of the 12 MLB predictions meetings this season; that mark includes a 4-1 tally at home.

Chicago White Sox (70-60, $627) vs. Cleveland Indians (53-77, -$642)
Game Date/Time: Monday, August 30th, 7:05 ET
Game Location: Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH
TV/Radio Broadcast: WGN, SportsTime Ohio, XM

MLB Odds: Chicago White Sox -1.5 +120 -140 (Mark Buehrle – L) vs. Cleveland Indians +1.5 -140 +120 (Mitch Talbot – R): Total 9 O -105 9 U -115

The last time Mark Buehrle toed the Progressive Field bump, he was given the heave-ho after arguing a pair of balk calls against him. He had his two game winning streak snapped his last time out at home against Baltimore.

What bothered him most about the defeat was walking a pair of leadoff hitters; both came around to score and Chicago ended up losing by two.

He’s been pretty solid throughout the month of August allowing just 33 hits and 12 ER’s with a K/BB ratio of 12/9. He’s 3-2 during that stretch with a 3.09 ERA. Though his record doesn’t reflect it, he’s been at his best away from US. Cellular Field where his ERA is a run+ lower than his home ERA (3.33).

He has had problems with the Tribe in the past however, but Chicago’s won three of his four outings against them this season.

Mitch Talbot has had a rough go of it since returning from the DL. The righty has allowed 22 hits and 15 runs (12 ER) over his L/3 starts. He was just plastered by the Oakland A’s his last time out allowing five ER’s in the first inning.

In 13 overall home starts, Talbot has allowed 86 hits and 47 ER’s in just under 73 total innings pitched.

Cleveland has secured MLB predictions victories in only three of his L/10 overall starts and just five of his 13 Progressive Field outings. He has however experienced great success against Chicago throughout his career going 3-0 with a 1.57 ERA & 0.91 WHIP.

MLB Insider Tip: If the White Sox are truly serious about making a run at the Twins, they have to start winning every series played from this point forward. Times a ticking, but lucky for them, they get to start off with the Tribe before heading to Boston and Detroit to close out this 10-game road trip.

I expect Chicago to come out 110% motivated to take it to the Tribe in this series. They’ve won each of the L/4 times Buehrle toed the bump in a series opener, and have treated MLB wagering fans kindly in the first game of a series winning 17 of the L/22 times.

The Tribe has come out on the short end of the scoreboard each of the L/5 times they opposed a lefty, and my MLB predictions have them keeping that trend intact in this spot.

Talbot is tossing batting practice right now, and if the Palehose can’t make him pay with the game being served up on a silver platter, their 2010 future looks bleak at best.

My MLB Prediction: Chicago White Sox (Buehrle)

Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Washington Nationals
Free Pick: Under 10 Runs
Courtesy of Mike Rose (Handicapperspicks.com)
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The Los Angeles Dodgers look to even up their record when they head east to the nation’s capitol for the second stop of their nine-game east coast road trip to face the Washington Nationals.

Though the Dodgers outscored the Cincinnati Reds 28-25 in the set, the lost the series 2-1. Mostly to blame for the series loss was the LA’s starting pitching staff that failed to get a real quality start in any of the three games. After posting a league leading staff ERA of 3.41 a year ago, the Dodgers starting unit has posted a whopping 5.52 ERA to date (#27/30).

Since dropping five of its first eight games to start the season, The Nationals have tallied victories in five of their next eight games played. They do however come off a loss on Thursday after they were shut down by Colorado starter Ubaldo Jimenez; the defeat earned them a split in the four-game series.

Knuckleballer Charlie Haeger gets the starting nod from manager Joe Torre for the third time this season tonight; the start will be his first career look at the Nats.

With Jason Marquis relegated to the DL after proving to be largely ineffective to start the year, Washington will call upon its farm and bring up Luis Altilano to make his MLB debut.

The 24-year old is considered to be one of the organization’s top minor-league pitchers.

The Dodgers and Nationals have been two of the best over MLB betting teams in the league throughout the first three weeks of the season. LA sports a 13-2 ATS mark towards the over, while Washington stands 10-6 ATS on the year.

That said; both line-ups will be without some of its major firepower as both LF Manny Ramirez and 3B Ryan Zimmerman won’t give it a go as they deal with nagging injuries.

Haeger can be a tough nut to crack for teams that have never seen his stuff before, and Atilano is an unknown commodity coming in.

Look for both of these hurlers to have both offenses guessing through the first two turns of the order and for both bullpens to actually have some success in the later innings.

Expecting this to be a high scorer is giving me the “Fools Gold vibe” with every freaking trend screaming to back the over. Buck the trend and look for a low scorer.