Thursday Night Pick - Cubs vs. Dodgers

MLB Betting - Game Match-up 8/20

Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers 10:10 ET
 
A pair of struggling teams hook up Thursday night in the first of four sports betting matchups when the Chicago Cubs (61-57, -$795) and Los Angeles Dodgers (71-50, +$1171) battle in Tinseltown. Chicago managed to finally beat the San Diego Padres at Petco Park last night behind a stellar pitching performance from starter Rich Harden. They rediscovered their hitting stroke in the process by pounding the Padres pitching staff for 10 hits and seven runs; it was just the second time in their L/10 games that they produced more than five runs in a game and it looked like they were having fun doing it. Unfortunately for Manager Lou Piniella’s club, everyone ahead of them in both races won, so they still sit six-games in back of the NL Central leading St. Louis Cardinals and five-games in back of the Wild Card leading Colorado Rockies. The lead for Manager Joe Torre’s Dodgers now stands at just 3.5-games after his squad lost its sixth series in its L/8 tries since July 22nd. They were beaten at their own game last night after the Cardinals scored a run in the top of the 9th, and then Ryan Franklin took care of business in the bottom of the inning to secure the 3-2 victory and notch his 31st save of the season. The defeat dropped the Dodgers to 37-24 at Chavez Ravine (+$182) where they’ve managed victories in just three of their L/10 games. These teams split a four-game baseball betting ... [More]

MLB Picks - Tampa Bay Rays vs. Los Angeles Angels

Game-day:  8/11/2009
 
First-pitch:  10:10 pm EST
 
The Tampa Bay Rays travel to L.A. to take on the streaking Angels who have been about as good as any team in MLB since the all-star break.  The Angels are coming off of a split against the rival Texas Rangers and will look to win two in a row when they send pitcher Ervin Santana to the mound.  Santana has had a terrible 2009 by his standards with a 4 and 6 record, a 7.20 ERA and a 1.70 WHIP.
 
The Rays counter Santana with pitcher David Price.  Price has been better than Santana but not by much.  His ERA of 4.91 and WHIP of 1.58 has led to a 5 and 4 record.
 
Here is the BetUS online sportsbook betting line for this game.
 
Tampa Bay Rays
David Price – L                      -1 ½ +130        -125                 O 10 -115
 
Los Angeles Angels
Ervin Santana – R                  +1 ½ -150        +105               ... [More]

Braves and Dodgers from Los Angeles

MLB:  Atlanta Braves vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
 
Game-day:  8/6/2009
 
First-pitch:  10:10 pm EST
 
The Los Angeles Dodgers survived the Prince Fielder “scare” last night, but didn’t win the game.  All of the talk on L.A. sports radio yesterday was about how the Dodgers, ranked 2nd in the MLB Power Rankings (link to power rankings article), were going to get into a brawl with the Brewers because of the events of Tuesday night.  Nothing happened except for a Dodger loss, but L.A. is always a city that moves on quickly.
 
They will do again on Thursday night when they send pitcher Randy Wolf to the mound.  Wolf has become the ace in the Dodgers’ rotation even though Wolf is 5 and 6 with a 3.47 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP.
 
The Braves counter with L.A.’s number one guy last year, Derek Lowe.  Lowe is 11 and 7 with a 4.21 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP in 2009.
 
Here is the BetUS online sportsbook betting line for this game.
 
Atlanta Braves
Derek Lowe – R                    +1 ½ -170        +120    O 8½ Ev

Los Angeles Dodgers
Randy Wolf – L&n... [More]