http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/ Sports Betting with Free Sports Picks, Free Contests in the Sports Handicapping Forum en Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:44:23 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/ http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/can-minor-major-difference-atlanta-222/ Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:46:39 GMT This year, Atlanta have been a team in a hurry.... This year, Atlanta have been a team in a hurry. At the moment, they sit on top of the National League East with a three game advantage over Philadelphia. They may well have been in a hurry but even that approach can't compare to the fast track taken by their starter tonight, Mike Minor, whose debut came exactly 14 months after the Braves made him the seventh overall pick in last year's draft.

The starts he has made to date show clearly why this guy didn't need too much time in the minors, with his third start proving a definite highlight. In his latest start, he managed to equal a franchise record with 12 strikeouts and he'll be hungry to improve his record to 3-0 later today as the Braves continue a four-game set against the visiting Mets. Those 12 strikeouts shouldn't have come as too much of a shock as Minor (2-0, 4.00 ERA) led the Double-A Southern League in strikeouts before making just five starts in Triple-A, and made a real impact once Atlanta (76-55) called on him to start as recently as August 9th.

The first team to suffer at the hands of the talented Minor was Washington, with the left-hander earning his first MLB win against them. However, that victory proved simply to be a precursor to an even better outing against Chicago, when Minor majorly spoiled Lou Piniella's final game as Cubs manager by striking out 12 Cubs on the way to a 16-5 thrashing. You have to look back to the early 1960s to see numbers like that from an Atlanta rookie.

It goes without saying that Minor is always going to need run support. However, with 624 runs scored to date this year (tied second in the National League), the Braves are likely to provide that consistently. In Chicago, Jason Heyward had two homers among his career-high four hits and four RBIs to support Minor, and he had a similar effort in the series opener last night. The rookie All-Star went 4 for 5 with four RBIs, including a three-run homer, in a 9-3 victory that was the NL East leaders' third consecutive win. Over his last nine games, Heyward is hitting .528 (19 for 36).

The NY Mets (65-66) have a left-hander of their own to oppose Minor. Jonathon Niese (8-6, 3.63) badly needs to react well to one of his worst performances of the season. On Thursday, he surrendered seven runs, five in the sixth, and was removed after 5 2/3 innings of an 11-4 loss to Florida. Niese will be making his Turner Field debut. He's 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in three home starts against the Braves. His form away from home lately has been excellent, going 2-1 with a 1.89 ERA in six road outings since the start of July.

Whilst Atlanta have scored runs aplenty this year and provided decent and sustained run support to all their pitchers, on a few occasions Niese has managed to tie up Omar Infante, one of the Braves' leading hitters. He leads the NL with a .343 average and, against the Mets, is hitting .442. The second baseman, who needs to average 4.4 plate appearances the rest of the way to qualify for the batting title, is 1 for 10 against Niese. Tonight, that should be a vital head-to-head that needs close attention and, if Niese can repeat his performances against Infante, that would hamper the batting firepower of the Braves.

In the last couple of games, Atlanta seem to have figured the Mets out pretty well, handing them 8-3 and 9-3 defeats. If Minor can continue to make his way along the fast track, I'd expect the Braves at 1.73 (-137) to continue to hurry their way towards a NL East title. ]]> Betfair http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/can-minor-major-difference-atlanta-222/ http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/why-you-should-back-everton-top-six-finish-221/ Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:08:36 GMT Over in the English Premier League... Over in the English Premier League, Everton have endured a fairly slow start to the season. Everton fans may well be thinking that their team could win the league if they started their domestic campaigns as well as they ended them!

It's difficult to explain why August rarely seems a good month for them. Last year, David Moyes was deprived of a number of first team players during the opening games of the season as they nursed injuries but that certainly isn't the case now; he's had pretty much every player in the squad at his disposal so far.

Everton were sloppy against Blackburn and, in all honesty, unlucky against Wolves. However, Everton fans should take comfort in the fact that this is a decent squad and Moyes will oversee improved results in the near future.

You can pick faults in any squad in the EPL and pinpoint specific areas for improvement. However, when last season came to a close, I could only identify one area in which they needed reinforcements and that was in attack. When they won the race to sign former Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford, it looked like this problem was solved. Although it's too early to know right now if he has the pace or movement to succeed at the highest level, it's a certainty that he has what it takes instinctively to do well in the EPL. He certainly found it easy scoring bagfuls of goals whilst at Leeds, so it'll be interesting to see how he gets on at his new club.

With big-spending Manchester City looking to break into the top four sooner rather than later, and Tottenham Hotspur looking very strong once more this season, it may be beyond Everton to bring an end to the domination of the Big Four. However, it would take a brave individual to bet against Everton securing a top six finish at a tempting price of 2.6 (+160) in the EPL betting markets. ]]> Betfair http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/why-you-should-back-everton-top-six-finish-221/ http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/great-soccer-bet-today-220/ Fri, 27 Aug 2010 12:24:22 GMT In our quest to end this week on a high with our... In our quest to end this week on a high with our soccer bets, we're going to back Inter Milan to beat Atletico Madrid in normal time in the UEFA Super Cup match in Monaco later today.

The price for last season's Champions League winners Inter to claim the Cup today with a victory in normal time against Europa League winners Atletico Madrid has come in a little to 1.92 but those soccer odds for new boss Rafael Benitez to lift his second trophy in just his second match in charge of the Italian team still look generous.

As well as the wealth of historic evidence that points towards further success for the champions of Europe, evidence from the form book also points to a win for them today.

Last season's treble winners have won 13 of their last 15 competitive games, with the sole defeat coming in the irrelevant 1-0 reverse at the Nou Camp in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final, with typically outspoken ex-manager Jose Mourinho describing that result as "the most beautiful defeat" of his life.

On the other hand, Atletico haven't outscored an opponent in 90 minutes in any of their last 11 games away from the Vicente Calderon, ending with defeats in over half of those clashes. ]]> Betfair http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/great-soccer-bet-today-220/ http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/blue-jays-secure-consecutive-wins-219/ Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:14:58 GMT Toronto, in their last series at home, handed the... Toronto, in their last series at home, handed the Yankees' title hopes a blow and, by winning that series 2-1, really showed their potential this season. The Tigers had been showing everyone what they are capable of when they enjoyed a five game winning run that was built largely on some awesome displays from their starting pitchers. In fact, their streak only ended when their bullpen failed them en route to a 4-3 loss in 12 innings against the Kansas City Royals. On Wednesday, the Tigers (63-64) led Kansas City 3-0 after six innings but Jose Valverde gave up the tying run, bringing an end to a streak of 24 consecutive converted save opportunities.

They're in need of another strong start from tonight's starter if they are to get the better of Toronto at the Rogers Centre but sending Max Scherzer to the mound will help them massively. Tonight, Scherzer will attempt to help Detroit bounce back from the end of their five-game win streak at the Royals and earn his third victory in a row in the opener of a four-game series at the Blue Jays. Since his troubles earlier this season, Scherzer (9-9, 3.73 ERA) has been the very definition of consistency; he has a 1.72 ERA in 12 starts since June 20th. In five consecutive outings, the right-hander has allowed two runs or fewer, including the 5-2 win over Cleveland last weekend.

Those last 12 starts paint a very different picture to the start of the season, when Scherzer was sent to Triple-A Toledo after going 1-4 with a 7.29 ERA in his first eight starts with Detroit. Since he was recalled at the back end of May, he's 8-5 with a 2.28 ERA. Tonight will present him with a real test, with a Blue Jays side that lead the league in home runs, with 192 homers so far, and they are capable of succeeding against pitchers with more talent than Scherzer, who hasn't faced Toronto before and needs to win his "debut" to reach 10 wins for the first time in his career.

Toronto have shown themselves to be good enough to defeat the best sides this year but, in splitting their last 10 games (5-5) the problem of consistency really is highlighted. This week, the Blue Jays took two of three games from New York, including a 6-3 victory last night, and they now need to get past the obstacle of winning back to back games, which hasn't been simple for them recently.

Ricky Romero (10-7, 3.50), the starter for the Blue Jays tonight, will be trying to help solve that problem. He'll be desperate to earn a career high-tying fourth straight win while he continues his recovery from strep throat. The left-hander, who spent a couple of days away from the team, has given up at least four runs in two of his last three outings, including Saturday's 5-4, 11-inning defeat against Boston. In three starts against the Tigers, Romero is 1-2 with a 4.26 ERA. In July, he allowed three runs over seven innings of a 5-2 defeat.

The games between the Tigers and the Blue Jays so far this season have been tight affairs, with the season series tied at 2-2 and both sides well off the lead in their respective divisions. However, a few MLB stats do hand the advantage to the Blue Jays. Firstly, the Tigers struggle badly when they leave Comerica Park. Secondly, their defensive figures need to be taken into account. The runs against column shows 589 right now, some 23 more than they have scored this year and, against a side such as Toronto, who can score quickly with home runs, that could be lethal.

Max Scherzer will be the man in the limelight here and the Tigers will be hoping that he keeps his recent form going but this is a tough test and I'm going to back the Blue Jays at baseball odds of 1.70 (-143) to take consecutive victories for the first time in recent history. ]]> Betfair http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/blue-jays-secure-consecutive-wins-219/ http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/hughes-gives-yankees-edge-against-blue-jays-218/ Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:58:03 GMT For any pitcher, one commodity that is simply... For any pitcher, one commodity that is simply crucial is run support. Phil Hughes, the starter for New York tonight, has received plenty of that over his past six starts, which have all ended in wins. The Yankees evened their series against the Blue Jays on the back of the run support that Phil Hughes received yesterday.

Over the past week or so, New York (78-48) have turned in a number of solid offensive efforts and that record deserves even more praise when you take into account the absence of Alex Rodriguez. Over their last five wins, the Yankees have scored 50 runs, despite their superstar third baseman currently sidelined and on the disabled list with a calf strain.

It's been the Blue Jays who have stolen the headlines with the number of homers they've hit this year but they were handed a dose of their own medicine yesterday when a total of five Yankees homered in a game which ended in an 11-5 victory. Mark Teixeira and Jorge Posada were included in that group, with each going 4 for 5 with two RBIs as part of a 17-hit attack that was one shy of the Yankees' season high.

That effort typified the power that the Yankees are able to boast throughout their batting order and the strength in depth that gives them plenty of production throughout the team. Derek Jeter, Marcus Thames, and Curtis Granderson also connected as New York won for the sixth time in eight games and, although it's obviously great that they're in such productive form, they were solely concerned with securing the win they needed to stick with the Rays in the intriguing AL East battle.

Although you can't argue that Hughes (15-5, 3.90 ERA) is having a decent season, he's reaped the benefits of the kind of offense that the Yankees produced last night and have managed to produce on a regular basis when he hits the mound. In fact, he gets a major league-best 7.93 runs of support per start, which is more than a whole run better than anyone else. In seven career starts versus the Blue Jays (65-60), the right-hander has gone 2-1 with a 3.98 ERA. Toronto sluggers Vernon Wells (.211), Aaron Hill (.133), and Adam Lind (.143) have found it tough facing him and there are no pitchers which that trio have struggled against this year as the Blue Jays have extended their home run tally to 190.

This will be Hughes's first start in Toronto in two years since he went 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA in his first two. In nine road starts this year, he's 6-2 with a 2.81 ERA. He took advantage of another big effort at the plate on Thursday against Detroit, allowing two runs over six innings of an 11-5 victory. Given his normal run support, Hughes hands the Yankees a massive edge in this contest.

Brett Cecil (10-6, 3.90), his opponent tonight, was shelled a couple of starts ago against the Angels, letting up seven runs in 5 2/3 innings, but he recovered from that last Friday by allowing two runs over 6 2/3 innings against the Red Sox. Cecil moved to 6-1 with a 2.13 ERA in eight starts against AL East opponents with that win, limiting Boston to two runs over 6 2/3 innings of a 16-2 road victory.

In his last start against the Yankees, Cecil took a no-decision. He let up four hits and one run in a 6-1 Jays win. Cecil's record, 10-6, isn't as impressive as Hughes's 15-5 mark, but they have the same ERA of 3.90. Again mirroring each other, Hughes let up one run on four hits in his last outing against Toronto, a 5-1 win in early August.

No doubt about it, the Blue Jays, although realistically out of the pennant race, can still pose the Yankees big problems. However, with Hughes starting tonight, it's the Yankees who have the edge. New York's average of 7.93 runs when Hughes starts will make it tough for the Blue Jays and makes the Yankees at 1.8 (-125) a great MLB bet. ]]> Betfair http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/hughes-gives-yankees-edge-against-blue-jays-218/ http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/cubs-put-little-gloss-awful-season-217/ Tue, 24 Aug 2010 11:32:52 GMT This season has been one of change for the Cubs... This season has been one of change for the Cubs but at least the biggest such change has resulted in a win. Manager Lou Piniella's sudden resignation was followed a day after by Chicago (52-74) beating Washington 9-1 in a game that marked the managerial debut of former third base coach Mike Quade. Quade, a former manager of the Cubs' Triple-A affiliate, is now a major contender to replace Piniella full-time next season.

Clearly the Chicago players reacted well to their new boss, something which will need to continue if they want to rescue anything from a poor MLB season. Any positives that can be gleaned from the closing weeks of the regular season will be welcome for the fans. Many of the players in the current Cubs line-up have had dealings before with Quade in the minor leagues and it looks like he won't be making any drastic, sudden changes to the Cubs' style of play. If they continue to put on performances like the one we saw on Monday night, he won't have to do much tweaking at all; Blake DeWitt and Xavier Nady each had three hits, while Alfonso Soriano had two RBIs as the Cubs won for the sixth time in 26 games. A former Nationals player, in his last eight games at Washington Soriano is 12 for 33 with eight RBIs.

On their travels so far this year, it's safe to say that the Cubs haven't been at their best, laboring to a road record of 24-36. Recently, though, they've started to enjoy themselves away from Wrigley Field, winning their last three consecutive games. They've especially enjoyed playing at Nationals Park, where they are on a winning run of five games. In that period, they have outscored Washington by an aggregate score of 35-12.

Tonight, it will be Carlos Zambrano hoping to continue that momentum at the same time as attempting to extend his own good run of form against the Washington Nationals. After rookie Casey Coleman earned his first career victory in the opener, the Cubs will look towards Zambrano (4-6, 4.97 ERA) to secure victory in a fourth straight start at Washington. In recent starts against them, he has an impressive record and, if that continues, the early days of the post-Piniella era will look pretty positive. In his last three starts at Washington, the right-handed Zambrano has allowed one earned run and struck out 19 over 18 2/3 innings to earn wins. He's 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA in three starts since returning to the rotation after another stint as a reliever followed his activation from the restricted list. On Thursday, he allowed one run and four hits but walked six in a 5-3 loss at the hands of San Diego.

Meanwhile, John Lannan (5-5, 5.13) will open up for the Nationals, defeated in their last two starts. Lannan will attempt to win his fourth consecutive start when he takes the ball tonight. He doesn't have a bad record against the Cubs, going 2-1 with a 3.46 ERA in four starts; back in late April he allowed three runs and five walks in six innings of a 4-3, 10-inning loss at Chicago. That was the first game between the two sides this year and the Cubs' win last night leveled the season series at 2-2. Lannan has also recently pieced together some solid form; the left-hander allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings of a 6-2 win at Atlanta on Thursday to improve to 3-0 with a 3.09 ERA in four starts since being recalled from a six-week stint at Double-A Harrisburg.

A case could be made for either team here, with the Cubs finding some form at last on the road and the Nationals sending the relatively in-form Lannan to the mound. It is, however, worth bearing in mind that overall these are two poor teams and in cases such as this I always prefer to take a chance and support the side at the longer price, which tonight is the Cubs at MLB odds of 2.20 (+120).

With Zambrano looking for his fourth consecutive win over the Nationals and confidence high for Chicago in the post-Piniella era, I'm backing them to edge ahead in the season series and gain momentum as they try their best to put a little gloss on a poor season. ]]> Betfair http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/cubs-put-little-gloss-awful-season-217/ http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/yankees-continue-surge-forward-today-216/ Mon, 23 Aug 2010 12:58:13 GMT The Yankees are still very much involved in the... The Yankees are still very much involved in the American League East battle with the Rays, although securing results similar to the 10-0 thrashing they inflicted upon Seattle will no doubt aid their quest to maintain their narrow advantage. While New York were holding the Mariners scoreless, Toronto, their opponents today, were being blanked by Boston in a game that ended in a 5-0 loss and stretched their losing streak to a couple of games in the process.

Toronto have now fallen back too far to be involved in the post season but, even though their form has been anything but consistent recently, they are still a significant danger to other teams and New York for one have found it tough playing them this year. Toronto have won two of their three series this season and lead the season series overall 5-4. They will now provide a stern test for New York and one of their star players. That star is Robinson Cano. He has had his issues before against the Blue Jays but the way he's been swinging the bat recently suggests that he could be ready to put all those problems firmly in the past. Fresh from a solid home stand, New York's All-Star second baseman will now bid to lead the AL East-leading Yankees to a third consecutive victory in the opener of a three-game set tonight with the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

Among the major league leaders with a .325 average, Cano was 9 for 24 with four home runs and 13 RBIs in the last six games of New York's 5-2 home stand against Detroit and Seattle.

Cano, a potential MVP candidate, managed to match his career high of 25 homers with a grand slam and six RBIs in the Yankees' 10-0 victory on Sunday against the Mariners. In five games in the cleanup spot on the home stand, Cano went 9 for 21 as he stood in for Alex Rodriguez, out with a calf strain. Even with Rodriguez missing, the Yankees have continued their surge this year and they're actually 12-0 without him, making what would appear to be a massive loss for the Yankees on paper a relative positive in reality.

Even though Cano is enjoying another decent year, against the Blue Jays this season he's 5 for 36. He is also 4 for 15 against Brandon Morrow (9-6, 4.45 ERA), Toronto's scheduled starter, who has not been defeated since back in late June. So, not only will Cano need to keep his momentum going, he will also have to overcome the problems he's recently experienced against Toronto. Morrow has shown himself to be a young guy with plenty of talent and his record in his career against New York is pretty decent, standing at 2-0 with a 4.72 ERA. He'll also be at the Rogers Centre, where he sports an awesome 7-1 record to go with a 2.83 ERA this season.

The Yankees, averaging 7.5 runs in their previous six games, will be bidding to keep their offensive surge going today in support of 23-year-old Ivan Nova, another youngster with plenty of talent who isn't able to boast the experience of his opposite number Morrow. Obviously New York have put faith in Nova, who has been playing for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre franchise. He was handed this opportunity after going 12-3 with a 2.86 ERA in Triple-A. He made a brief appearance earlier in the season for the big club but worked out of the 'pen. Now, as he starts, his main task will be shutting down the homer-happy Blue Jays, who lead the Majors in homers. They now have 188 home runs, with 103 of them coming at home, but they will start this game fresh off the back of a 5-0 defeat at Boston yesterday to conclude a 4-5 trip.

Whichever way you look at it, that defeat is a real cause for concern and, although the Blue Jays boast a winning record at home (31-24) and you can't find fault with the form of Morrow, New York are embroiled in a situation that means they need to contest every game, which makes me believe they're going to sneak this one. OK, so Nova doesn't have a great deal of experience and Toronto hit a lot of homers, but there's a reason why the Yankees are top of the AL East and they have plenty stars of their own, no doubt about that. The 10-0 thrashing of Seattle will give them a massive amount of confidence coming into this game and they aren't exactly lacking firepower, having hit 150 homers of their own.

We don't often get handed the chance to support the Yankees at a price of better than evens but tonight we've been handed that opportunity. If you're looking to make an MLB bet today, I reckon they're well worth taking a risk on, despite their earlier record against Toronto and their current price of 2.14 (+114) looks very tempting as they attempt to edge their way clear of the Rays. ]]> Betfair http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/yankees-continue-surge-forward-today-216/ http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/blue-jays-tough-night-215/ Fri, 20 Aug 2010 10:55:39 GMT The American League East... The American League East is rapidly developing to become an intriguing battle between two teams, with a couple of others narrowly managing to stay relevant. This latter pair will meet tonight at Fenway Park in the first of a three game set. This season, Boston and Toronto have both secured winning records but have found themselves outpaced by the rampant Tampa Bay and New York Yankees, the twin leaders in both the East and the Wild Card standings.

This weekend will hand the Red Sox and Blue Jays the chance to forget the bigger picture as they fight it out for dominance in the race for third place. After the MLB action yesterday, Boston trail New York by 6 1/2 games in the division and lead Toronto, in fourth-place, by five. Don't get me wrong, neither side has given up in the playoff chase and the Red Sox in particular realize that if they can create a winning streak, they'll have the chance to join New York and Tampa Bay in a three way battle for the division.

Boston (69-53) won't be too concerned about the visit of the Blue Jays and they will be happy to have their pitching ace Jon Lester starting the game. Against Toronto so far this year, the Red Sox have certainly had the upper hand, taking nine of 12 from them and outscoring the Blue Jays 76-49. However, there have been some tight contests, with Boston coming out ahead. The Red Sox have taken four of six one-run games from Toronto, and the teams have split a pair of games decided by two runs, so we should be expecting a close contest tonight. Boston were and have dominated another season series against Los Angeles but their lone loss to LA in 10 games came in a 7-2 defeat on Thursday night, so they have to be careful in series they dominate as they are liable to the odd slip.

Dustin Pedroia, their star second baseman, was missing for that loss. The 2008 AL MVP was activated from the disabled list earlier this week following a broken foot and Boston found it tough without him offensively. However, the club has averaged 6.3 runs while going 9-3 against the Blue Jays this year. Perhaps the best thing about the dominant Lester (13-7, 2.80 ERA) hitting the mound is that they may not need much offense. The left-hander lost his first four starts after the All-Star break, but in his last two outings has responded with outstanding performances. Lester pitched 14 1/3 shutout innings in road victories over New York and Texas, both among the highest-scoring teams in the major leagues. On Saturday, he held the Rangers to five hits without a walk in eight innings of a 3-1 win and is clearly in awesome form.

Despite leading the home run charts with 183 this year, Toronto (63-57) haven't found it easy to cope with Lester in recent games; since the start of last year, he's 5-1 with a 1.79 ERA against Toronto. He has posted a 1.38 ERA while winning both starts versus the Blue Jays in 2010.

As much as Toronto's game is based on power, you can say the same of Boston's; they lie second in the home run charts to the Blue Jays with 166, having hit a homer in 14 of their last 16 contests. Boston are countering the Toronto sluggers with Lester, while the Blue Jays are going with Brett Cecil (9-6, 3.96) to quell the Red Sox. His record against Boston lacks the strength of Lester's over the Blue Jays; he's posted a 7.80 ERA in losing all three starts against Boston, but kept the Blue Jays in the game against Lester in a 2-0 home loss in April. Cecil will be attempting to bounce back from his first defeat in seven starts. After getting a week off, he gave up seven runs and 10 hits, three homers, in 5 2/3 innings of a 7-2 loss on Saturday against the Angels and isn't having the best of times right now.

However, the bottom line is that Cecil has only won a couple of his previous 12 games and his form simply can't compare with that of Lester. Add to that the Red Sox's hold over the Blue Jays this year and the argument to support Boston at 1.60 (-167) with your MLB bet today to continue their dominance over the Blue Jays is quite a compelling one. ]]> Betfair http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/blue-jays-tough-night-215/ http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/twins-increase-lead-214/ Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:12:38 GMT In the American League Central division, the... In the American League Central division, the Minnesota Twins have extended their lead to five games. The Twins look hot at just the right time, winning nine of their past ten games, and now appear like a decent MLB pick to make the playoffs in the American League.

To create this lead, the Twins have taken full advantage of recent games against the second placed White Sox, taking two out of three in Chicago last week. They've now taken the first two in a three game series in Minnesota.

On Tuesday, the Twins used a dramatic walk off homerun by Jim Thome in the bottom of the tenth. After the White Sox scored one in the top of the inning, Thome hit a two-run shot to secure a 7-6 victory. On Wednesday, the Twins relied upon solid work from their bullpen to pick up the win in the second game of the series by the same count.

Minnesota will send Carl Pavano to the hill tonight as they bid to sweep the series. In 24 starts this season, Pavano is 15-7 with a 3.27 ERA. In recent games, the right hander has been throwing well, finishing with wins in six of his past seven starts. In his previous outing against the White Sox, Pavano went the distance, allowing just a couple of runs while racking up six strikeouts.

Mark Buehrle will be getting the call for the White Sox. He's 11-9 with a 4.05 ERA through 24 starts but hasn't found it easy on the road so far this season.

If you're thinking about making your MLB bet, I reckon the value lies with the Twins in this game. They are the hotter club and are very strong at home. Go with Minnesota at 1.67 (-150). ]]> Betfair http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/twins-increase-lead-214/ http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/yankees-aim-turn-screw-tampa-bay-213/ Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:25:54 GMT New York have finally reached one of the easier... New York have finally reached one of the easier stretches of their schedule and will be happy about that after the development of one of the most intriguing pennant races of the past few years, with Tampa Bay currently boasting an identical MLB record to the Yankees. New York may receive a boost in their bid to regain the lead in that race by playing a section of the season that presents them with 11 consecutive games against teams holding losing records.

That would seem to have eased, at least momentarily, the immense pressure placed on the Yankees right now, but it's not exactly straightforward for New York against these "minor" teams and they'll be keeping at least one eye on the fortunes of Tampa Bay during this stretch. You have to look way back to July 27th to see these two teams separated by more than two games and they enter the action later today locked in a dead heat at the pinnacle of the division. In September, the Yankees and Rays will play each other a total of seven times and that should be a scintillating series.

Even though this appears to be an easy section for the Yankees, they haven't had it all their own way so far. They started their 11 game run with a 2-2 series draw against the Kansas City Royals and will attempt to guarantee at least a series split tonight against Detroit. The Yankees, currently tied with Cincinnati for the most winning series (24) this season in the Majors, will conclude their stretch against sub-.500 teams against Seattle at the weekend after the finale against the Tigers tomorrow.

One piece of positive news for the Yankees is their record against the Tigers and Jeremy Bonderman, their starter tonight. Bonderman may have breathed a sigh of relief when he found out his main tormentor, Alex Rodriguez, will probably miss out on the game tonight with a calf injury. He had an MRI last night, which showed a low grade strain. It is currently unclear how long the slugger will be out for. Having said this, New York have a truly star-studded offensive core, a unit characterized by the solid work of star names such as Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, and Robinson Cano. Even though the absence of Rodriguez is a factor in this game, that talented trio have what it takes to make life tough for Bonderman.

The three-time AL MVP's absence is, however, good news for Bonderman (6-8, 5.16 ERA), who is 3-8 with a 5.42 ERA in 12 career regular-season starts against New York (73-46). Rodriguez has enjoyed the most success of anyone for New York, with more than five at-bats against the right-hander with a .310 average and two homers. In comparison to this, Derek Jeter (.229), Robinson Cano (.200), Jorge Posada (.227), and Mark Teixeira (1 for 15) have all fared poorly. However, Bonderman comes into this contest in disappointing form; he'll be looking to recover from two consecutive defeats and also fell to 2-4 with a 6.45 ERA in nine road starts after giving up six runs over six innings on Friday in an 8-4 defeat at the hands of the White Sox.

The Tigers must also be concerned about the Yankees' home record, which reads 37-21 and is the second best in the American League so far this season. Dustin Moseley (2-2, 4.41) will take the ball for New York and will be making his fifth start for them after going 2-2 with a 4.50 ERA in the first four. He has alternated wins and losses, yielding four runs over 4 1/3 innings in Friday's 4-3 loss at Kansas City. In two career starts against Detroit, the right-hander is 0-0 with a 6.52 ERA.

Surprisingly, Detroit currently lead the season series 4-2 but, when the Yankees win, they do so in style, those two wins coming by margins of eight and four runs. A total of six of New York's previous nine games have been decided by the single run but I can't see that happening in this game as they've more than enough in their favor to pull off a decisive win.

If you're thinking about your MLB bets, the conservative way to support them would be at 1.55 (-182). Whilst I wouldn't dissuade you from doing that, the more profitable move could be to back them to give up 1.5 runs at around 2.10 (+110) as they turn the screw on the Rays and take full advantage of this soft part of their schedule. ]]> Betfair http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/yankees-aim-turn-screw-tampa-bay-213/ http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/crucial-game-brings-big-guns-mound-212/ Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:26:03 GMT With both sides holding records over .500, the... With both sides holding records over .500, the Angels and Red Sox are still looking upwards at some of the most in-form sides in the American League at the moment as they prepare for today's game at Fenway Park, with the aim being to make up ground in their respective divisions.

The big guns will be rolled out to help the sides towards achieving this aim as this three game set gets underway. The starter for Anaheim will be American League strikeout leader Jered Weaver, while Boston will send AL ERA leader Clay Buchholz to the mound.

Buchholz, who leads the AL with a 2.49 ERA, has found Fenway a good place to be this season, boasting a 5-3 record with a 2.81 ERA. Right-hander Buchholz (13-5, 2.49 ERA) has definitely played his part in keeping Boston in the playoff race recently; in his last four outings, he's 3-0 with a 1.48 ERA and managed to keep his momentum and that of Boston running in his previous outing in Toronto, giving up five hits on one run in eight innings. That allowed the Red Sox to run out entirely convincing 10-1 victors. It also kept him up among the league leaders in ERA and tied with fellow All-Star Jon Lester for the team high in victories.

Buchholz has enjoyed his outings against the Angels as much as his Red Sox team mates this year, with Boston leading the season series 7-0. In two starts against the Angels this year, Buchholz is 2-0 with a 3.55 ERA. On July 26th in Anaheim, the lefty gave up five hits on run in seven innings of work for the win. Buchholz has won three of his five games since his stint on the disabled list. Clearly in top form, in August, the lefty has allowed just four runs in 23 1/3 innings pitched.

Boston will receive another boost with Dustin Pedroia's return and they are breathing a big sigh of relief that the former MVP is ready for the season's stretch run. With the second baseman kept out of action since June 25th with a fracture to a bone in his left foot, Boston (67-52) went 23-21 without the 2008 AL MVP and lost ground to the Yankees and the Rays in the AL East race. With the club having to deal with injuries to important players throughout the year, including Kevin Youkilis being out for the season, the Red Sox could use a bit of good news as they chase a fourth straight appearance in the postseason. However, they'll need to be careful they don't put too much emphasis on the return of Pedroia, who will have gone almost eight weeks without facing a major league pitch.

The pitches that Pedroia and the Red Sox will be facing will come from Jered Weaver (11-7, 2.87). In his last start against the Kansas City Royals, Weaver showed everyone why he's the strikeout leader, fanning 11 while pitching eight innings of one-run ball for the no-decision. Those decisions against the Royals took his strikeout total to 182. Weaver last came up against the Red Sox on July 27th in Anaheim, taking the loss even after pitching seven innings and giving up two runs. Since that defeat, though, Weaver has won two of his last three starts and has struck out a combined 27 batters.

Having said that, Fenway Park has never been a good place for the right handed Weaver, going 1-1 with a 7.06 ERA in the four outings that he has had at the home of the Red Sox.

It's getting to that stage of the season now for both sides when they really need to win every single game. It is for that reason that the bug guns are out and about tonight. It's vital that both sides enjoy a decent start and of course the Angels are staring at a 0-7 record against the Red Sox this season, the first seven-game losing streak in one season against the Sox since the final seven meetings in 1995.

Boston (1.75 (-133)) have never won eight in a row against the Angels but with Buchholz and Pedroia back on the scene today, their chances of doing just that have received a massive boost, so bear that in mind when placing your MLB bet today. ]]> Betfair http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/crucial-game-brings-big-guns-mound-212/ http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/rangers-rays-prepare-close-battle-211/ Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:44:40 GMT This three game set in Florida might not be the... This three game set in Florida might not be the final time these teams face off against each other this year; with the way the MLB postseason race is currently looking, they could face each other in an October showdown. Both teams have the biggest leads in the MLB playoff race, with the Rangers (67-49) holding an 8 1/2 game advantage in the AL West over the Angels and Tampa Bay boasting a five-game edge over Boston for the wild card spot. The Rays also pulled within one game of the Yankees for the East lead following a 3-2 victory at the weekend against Baltimore.

If the season came to a close right now, the standings would see the Rangers come up against the Rays (71-46) in an AL division series. If that scenario does end up becoming a reality, not only would we see Texas play the Rays, but we would also observe two of the best left-handers in the game face each other in Game One. Cliff Lee and David Price will oppose one another tonight as the Rangers and Rays play out what could turn out to be a playoff preview. Since his arrival in early July, Lee (10-5, 2.57 ERA) has given Texas the ace they've been lacking, while Price (15-5, 2.84) could become the first AL starter to record 16 victories. Price has never faced Lee, but the former No. 1 overall draft pick knows he's not in for an easy ride.

Both these guys will start this game not exactly in top form. Price's last outing came a week back against Detroit. Despite not playing like we know he can, he was still strong enough to beat the Tigers. In the 6-3 victory, he gave up two runs, five hits, and walked four while striking out nine over five innings, becoming the first pitcher in the history of the club to win 15 games in a season. His next task of surpassing Minnesota's Carl Pavano and New York's CC Sabathia for the AL wins lead will be tough, especially when you take into account his record against the Rangers.

In three starts against Texas, Price is 0-2 with a 9.45 ERA and there are a few guys who'll be included in the Rangers line-up who have given him a bit of a headache in the past. Nelson Cruz, Michael Young, and Taylor Teagarden are a combined 6 for 11 with a homer and three doubles versus Price. The latter two may cause him more worries since Cruz may have to miss out with an injury to his hamstring. The right fielder, hitting .320 with 64 RBIs, left the game on Saturday with a tight hamstring and, although a scan showed no tear, the Rangers announced that he would be evaluated again before today's game.

Young, though, is in good form and proved that during Sunday's 7-3 win against Boston, gaining three RBIs.

Like his counterpart, Cliff Lee will start this contest safe in the knowledge that he'll have to improve on his recent efforts and will be looking to put on an improved performance after Wednesday's display against the Yankees. He struck out 11, but gave up four runs over 6 1/3 innings and left without a decision in a 7-6 loss. Lee already has two decisions against him this year from the Rays, from his time with Seattle, but has a winning record overall against Tampa Bay, going 6-4 with a 2.51 ERA in 12 lifetime starts against the Rays.

Only six meetings between the two sides have been slated for this year and the Rangers lead the series 2-1 but the Rays have won their last four home series against Texas and although it's hard to see them sweeping the series playing at Tropicana Field, it does give them an edge. You shouldn't be shocked to see the season series end in a tie after this three game series. Tonight could go either way, although I'm slightly favoring the Rays given their home record.

However, with two of the MLB's best pitchers on display, the runs line is set very low at 6.5. The last few contests between these clubs have contained 15, 7, and 14 runs and, despite Lee and Price taking part, that marker can be topped again at 1.89 (-112) in a series that might not be the last time that these two meet this year. ]]> Betfair http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/rangers-rays-prepare-close-battle-211/ http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/can-angels-feed-off-momentum-today-210/ Fri, 13 Aug 2010 12:59:08 GMT With the Angels, winners of the American League... With the Angels, winners of the American League West in four of the last five seasons, hoping to save their season, their recent form has suggested that their quest may just be possible. Los Angeles will now begin the season's home stretch attempting to deal with the biggest deficit of any second-place club in the entire league. The Halos also find themselves on the fringe of the Wild Card chase, but realize they will need to maintain their recent form if they want to experience any kind of success this year.

They've won five of their last six and now have another chance to hand their MLB postseason hopes a boost with the visit of the Blue Jays tonight in a game that will kick off a three-game series. Los Angeles (59-57) are 7 1/2 games behind division-leading Texas but believe they're in which a chance after going 5-1 in six games after a three-game sweep by league-worst Baltimore.

Bobby Abreu's recent surge at the plate has inspired much of their renewed impetus and the right fielder needs to keep the Angels hot once more tonight. The club have been sparked by Abreu's move to the leadoff spot following the Orioles series. Renowned for his patience at the plate, he's hitting .375 with three doubles, two homers and six RBIs since the switch. On Wednesday, Abreu hit a walkoff homer in a 2-1, 10-inning victory over Kansas City as the team swept that three-game series to leave them in good shape to take on the Blue Jays.

Although Abreu has been the catalyst for the Angels' improved form, it isn't fair to expect him to win games on his own all the time; he really needs his team mates to support him. Angels starter tonight, Scott Kazmir (8-9, 6.57 ERA), could provide that kind of assistance as he attempts to return to the form that made him a two-time All-Star with Tampa Bay. This year, Kazmir started off slowly and, after getting hit for a career-high 13 earned runs against Oakland on July 10th, the Angels sat him down for a month-long stint on the disabled list with shoulder fatigue. However, he's currently just wanting to get on a roll and prove he's better than his statistics seem to suggest.

A strong performance followed the left-hander's return from his latest injury on Saturday, as he allowed one unearned run and three hits in five innings of a 10-1 win at Detroit. It's also a good sign that he's undefeated against the Blue Jays, going 2-0 with a 4.94 ERA in four starts against them (60-54).

Toronto are also fresh off the back of a victory, although their streak isn't as long as that of the Angels, but their 6-5 win over Boston yesterday meant that they avoided a sweep in that series and will allow them to approach this game with a bit more self-belief. However, for this contest, they've had to play around with their rotation, skipping Brandon Morrow and turning instead to Marc Rzepczynski (0-1, 7.15), who will be recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas. On Sunday, Morrow had career highs of 17 strikeouts and 137 pitches, when he came within one out of a no-hitter in a 1-0 win over Tampa Bay. However, as a result of that massive effort, he does need that little bit more rest.

Rzepczynski hasn't made an appearance for Toronto since he struggled technically in a 5-2 loss at the hands of Kansas City on July 21st. He allowed five runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings. Oddly enough, the left hander's last victory came against the Angels nearly a year ago but his overall record isn't exactly amazing; in 13 starts over two seasons, he's 2-5 with a 4.27 ERA and may find it difficult coming back to the major leagues here against an Angels side with real confidence and momentum. The southpaw has also gotten hit hard for Triple-A Las Vegas, notching a 6.04 ERA in 12 starts in the Pacific Coast League.

The Angels have won five of six season meetings with Toronto, taking two of three at home back in May and I wouldn't be shocked to see them do something similar in August. Los Angeles should certainly be able to dent Rzepczynski's numbers later today and these encounters tend to be fairly high scoring; two-thirds of the meetings this season have gone over tonight's total runs line of 8.5.

Overall, the Angels (currently available at baseball odds of 1.84 (-119)) are on a good run right now and it looks worth supporting them to continue that momentum and their pursuit of another AL West title. ]]> Betfair http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/can-angels-feed-off-momentum-today-210/ http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/cowboys-will-down-raiders-pre-season-209/ Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:17:52 GMT The NFL pre-season is slowly getting underway and... The NFL pre-season is slowly getting underway and tonight a new-look Oakland Raiders side will get their first run out.

There have been a number of changes to the Raiders lately, with Jason Campbell likely to become their starting quarterback in place of Jamarcus Russell and it has to be said the move is an improvement. It should certainly boost their chances in the NFL betting.

Darren McFadden and Michael Bush look set to fight it out for the running back spot and the former seems the most likely to see a lot of action. However, both players should get more time on the field after Justin Fargas left the franchise.

One thing that should be worrying the Raiders is the shortage of receivers. Chaz Schilens will be their main man in that position, as he's the most reliable they have. They will also have to utilize Darrius Heyward-Bey, a first round pick last year. He dropped six balls last season and only managed to catch nine.

The Dallas Cowboys have already got their pre-season underway with a 16-7 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the Hall of Fame game and the football odds make them favourites here.

Given the fact it's their second run out, the Cowboys' starters are likely to get a little more exposure in their second warm-up, while the Raiders will be protecting theirs, so the home side should get the victory here. ]]> Betfair http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/cowboys-will-down-raiders-pre-season-209/ http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/rays-will-tame-tigers-again-208/ Wed, 11 Aug 2010 15:00:50 GMT The Detroit Tigers are in the middle of an out... The Detroit Tigers are in the middle of an out and out slump, having scored just one victory in their last ten games. Even more upsetting for the side than is is the fact they've been defeated in seven of their last eight home matches. Not so long ago, the Tigers were playing 21 games above .500 at home, but that was before they hit the skids.

Their slump in form has helped spark the Tampa Bay Rays into life. The Florida outfit had lost five games in a row before they headed out to Motor City, but now they're back to winning ways. On Monday, the Rays won 6-3, thanks largely to David Price. The next night Jeremy Hellickson helped Tampa score an 8-0 victory, with the pitcher going seven shutout innings. With that kind of form, it would be a brave man who placed a Detroit Tigers baseball bet.

This time around it's Matt Garza's turn to try and heap some misery on the Rays. As it stands, he's 11-6 with an ERA of 3.88 this season. He's been in pretty decent form in his last three starts, so he could threaten again.
Justin Verlander will be the man on the mound for the Tigers as they look to get back to winning ways, but they don't look up to the task.

As it is, Tampa Bay look like the value in the baseball betting in this one. ]]> Betfair http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/blogs/betfair-23645/rays-will-tame-tigers-again-208/