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With the preseason starting tonight, NFL betting is going to slowly start taking precedence over baseball. The MLB has had the full attention of the sporting world throughout the summer but now the seasons are changing.
Even so, there will be a very enticing pitching matchup to bet on Friday night as the Houston Astros visit the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Astros are seven games back in the Wild Card race while the Brewers are 7.5 games back. Both teams have lost ground recently after struggling in their last 10 games. The Astros are just 25-30 on the road this year while the Brewers are below .500 at home this year, just 27-28.
Houston Astros @ Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers will be the favorite in the offshore sportsbook because they are at home, but as mentioned, they haven’t played well at Miller Park this year. Even so, the Astros don’t play well on the road so it should be a fairly even matchup.
Two pitchers with sub-3.50 ERA’s take the hill as the Brewers send out their ace, Yovani Gallardo, and the Astros send out Wandy Rodriguez. Interestingly enough, both pitchers are very underrated in the national league.
The home field advantage should make a difference to the Brewers as Rodriguez has pitched much better at home than on the road. Rodriguez is 6-2 with a 1.92 ERA at home but on the road he’s 5-4 with a 3.14 ERA.
The biggest issue for him away has been allowing more walks and more hits. At home this year, his WHIP is a sparkling 1.03 but on the road, it bumps up to 1.41.
For baseball sports betting purposes, the Brewers should have a slight pitching advantage in this contest.
Gallardo has also pitched better at home this year, posting a 6-5 record with 3.11 ERA (ERA is 4.00 on the road). He bounced back well in his last start after giving up nine earned runs in 5.1 innings pitched on August 4th.
Gallardo doesn’t get a ton of run support, which is part of the reason why he’s only 10-9. In his last eight starts, the Brewers have provided just 2.75 runs per game.
Even so, stick with the Brewers in this contest. They have the better pitcher on the mound and the home field advantage benefits their split stats.
Betting System Pick: Brewers |
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Like Denver’s NFL odds after the Jay Cutler trade, the Red Sox’s World Series hopes have taken a turn for the worse. OK – they’re not that bad. But the Red Sox were humiliated in New York last weekend and could slide out of a playoff spot if they don’t get hot. How will they fare in the last two games of their four-gamer at home to Detroit? Wednesday, August 12, 7:10 p.m. ET If you’re betting on the Tigers tomorrow, you may as well bet on Rich Beem’s PGA Championship odds, as you must think you have a large horseshoe you-know-where. There’s almost no chance Josh Beckett and the Red Sox lose Wednesday. In addition to shutting out opponents five times in his last 10 starts, Beckett blanked Detroit for seven innings on June 3 and has a 2.67 ERA against the Tigers in his career. He’s also 7-0 at Fenway Park this season. Need you any more reasons to pick Boston in your MLB predictions? Pick: Red Sox Thursday, August 13, 1:35 p.m. ET Here’s where the risk-takers can have some fun. Because of Justin Verlander’s road struggles, he and the Tigers should be slight underdogs on the road Thursday afternoon. While it’s true that Verlander hasn’t been at his best lately (that shouldn’t be a surprise, as his career second-half ERA is 4.79) he still has a shot on Thursday. Even when Verlander is mediocre, his stuff remains electric; that’s why he still manages to hang around .500 away from Comerica Park. He could contain a Red Sox offense that has struggled mightily of late and was held scoreless three times in four games against the Yankees last week. Clay Buchholz hasn’t shown yet that he belongs in the big leagues permanently. He’s walked 16 guys in 25.1 innings this season and, even though he held the Yankees to two runs in his last start, handicapping software would tell you he’s lucky, as he walked five. Go with the more proven Verlander and the Tigers to take one back from the Red Sox. Pick: Tigers |
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The NCAA football betting season will start before the NFL betting season, if you are just counting the regular seasons, but as most sports bettors know, the NFL preseason presents some betting opportunities.
The preseason kicks off with the annual Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, where the Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans will square off. The Titans are a three-point favorite and there is plenty of good reasons to bet them this weekend.
Buffalo Bills vs Tennessee Titans NFL preseason betting odds: Titans -3
When betting on the preseason, especially early in the preseason, one key factor is knowing the rotations. Since most teams won’t be playing their starters very long, the strategy is to uncover which team has more depth, particularly at the skill positions, and determine who has the better backups.
In the case of the Hall of Fame Game, the Titans clearly have the better backups.
Starting at quarterback, both starters – Trent Edwards and Kerry Collins – probably won’t see much time on the field at all. Beyond that, though, there is a big discrepancy in experience.
Behind Collins, the Titans will have quarterbacks Vince Young and Patrick Ramsey, both of whom have started several games in their NFL careers. Young has started 29 games in his career while Ramsey has been a starter at a few junctures in his road.
Also, I’m betting management really wants to see what Young has left in the tank and whether he’s even worth keeping on the roster long term.
Behind Edwards, Buffalo has Ryan Fitzpatrick, who spent a lot of time starting last year for the Cincinnati Bengals, Gibran Hamdan and Matt Baker. Clearly, the discrepancy in experience favors the Titans in this category.
In the backfield, the situation is similar. The Bills will likely keep Marshawn Lynch, Fred Jackson and Dominic Rhodes grounded but will run Xavier Omon, Bruce Hall and Justise Hairston a lot. Those three have a combined six NFL carries while the Titans backups, Chris Henry, Quinton Gaither, Rafael Little and Javon Ringer have combined for 41 carries. Both Henry and Gaither have spent a couple of games as the lead rushers for the Titans.
On the whole, the Titans have the better backups, which means they should be the play here. Bet on them to cover the field goal and get the first preseason win of the season.
Betting pick: Titans -3 |
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Like UFC betting warriors, the most heated rivals in baseball slug it out this week. What does the MLB schedule have in store in addition to the Yankees and Red Sox? Wednesday, August 5 Boston Red Sox @ Tampa Bay Rays – 7:08 p.m. ET Brad Penny (7-5, 5.07) vs David Price (4-4, 5.10) As we may see with the Patriots’ NFL odds this season, the Red Sox are surging back toward the top of the AL East and, while Brad Penny is a capable starter, they have a tall order against Tampa on Wednesday. As bad as David Price has been, all those struggles come on the road. At Tropicana Field, he’s dominant. Thursday, August 6 Colorado Rockies @ Philadelphia Phillies – 1:05 p.m. ET Aaron Cook (10-3, 3.88) vs Cliff Lee (1-0, 1.00) Can new Phillie Cliff Lee dazzle again? He tossed a complete game in his first start after coming over in a trade-deadline deal last week from Cleveland. He’ll have to keep Colorado’s offense to a minimum against Aaron Cook and his 6-2 road record. Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees – 7:05 p.m. ET John Smoltz (2-4, 7.12) vs Joba Chamberlain (7-2, 3.58) What’s the deal with John Smoltz? BoSox fans haven’t gotten the savior they hoped for so far this season. Maybe a clash with the Yankees will awaken the Smoltz we know and love. Meanwhile, Joba Chamberlain, whose filthy stuff reminds us of Smoltz’s heyday, takes the hill for the Bronx Bombers. Friday, August 7 Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees – 7:05 p.m. ET Josh Beckett (13-4, 3.27) vs A.J. Burnett (10-5, 3.89) The former Marlin teammates meet yet again. The last duel went to Beckett, but Burnett could battle back in the comfort of Yankee Stadium. Betting services may continue to recommend Beckett, who can beat anyone these days. Chicago Cubs @ Colorado Rockies – 9:10 p.m. ET Carlos Zambrano (7-4, 3.35) vs Ubaldo Jimenez (8-9, 3.76) What’s a more likely sports prediction – a win for big Carlos Zambrano or him hitting a home run at Coors? Whatever happens, it should be an exciting game, with Zambrano matching up against another electric hurler, Ubaldo Jimenez. Expect lots of strikeouts, walks, and homers in this one. |
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The Hall of Fame game odds in the NFL are still another week away, so baseball gets center stage for another weekend of online betting. What does Friday have in store in Major League Baseball? Los Angeles Dodgers @ Atlanta Braves Jason Schmidt, who was a Tommy Hanson clone a decade ago, tries to get his career back on track Friday in Atlanta. After not pitching at all in 2008, Schmidt has labored through a rocky return to the bigs this season, getting knocked around in each of his starts. There’s no point reviewing his splits or history against the Braves, as it’s better betting management to treat Schmidt as a different pitcher than he ever was in the past. Tommy Hanson’s ERA is higher at home than it is on the road, but he’s yet to lose at Turner Field. Power-pitching rookies usually perform well when facing teams for the first time, so even the mighty Dodgers may not have an answer for him. Go with the Braves. Pick: Braves Philadelphia Phillies @ San Francisco Giants Similar to what bettors will face when making picks for UFC 101 betting, anyone handicapping the Phillies and Giants on Friday has to choose between trusting early or recent history. Joe Blanton has an ugly track record against the Giants in his career but has been scintillating this month, going 3-0 with a 1.21 ERA. Meanwhile, rookie Ryan Sadowski dominated when he arrived but has been knocked around in recent starts, allowing 13 earned runs in his last 11.1 innings. I say trust recent history. Blanton’s on a roll and Sadowski faces arguably baseball’s deadliest lineup. Bet on the road team. Pick: Phillies |
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NBA and NHL finished, Lakers and Penguins won!!! We be back when new season starts. until then: |
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Cleveland Cavaliers/Orlando Magic (O 192.5) over 192,5 1.990 Statistic: w:107 L:111 Best Betting Websites visit: |
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Cleveland Cavaliers vs Orlando Magic (+1.5) Orlando Magic (+1.5) at 1.971 Statistic: w:106 L:111 Best Betting Websites visit: |
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Orlando Magic (+8.5) vs Cleveland Cavaliers Orlando Magic (+8.5) to win at 1.917 Statistic: w:105 L:111 Best Betting Websites visit: |
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Los Angeles Lakers (-9) vs Houston Rockets Los Angeles Lakers (-9) 1.935 Statistic: w:105 L:110 Best Betting Websites visit: |
Ala Hann Special sports betting picks just for you. 