Are you betting on mlb baseball tonight? Hire a Touthouse.com Baseball Handicapper for all of your winning mlb picks.
Need updated baseball betting odds? Click Here for MLB Betting Lines
Alex Smart Free MLB Picks: Detroit Tigers (-150)
Fri May 23 ’08 7:05p
The Detroit Tigers just finished sweeping the Seattle Mariners behind a red hot offense that pounded out 30 runs in 3 games on 44 hits.HC Jim Leylands Tigers team have finally awoken from and early season slumber, which makes them good bets , against ,just about anybody, right now, especially when playing at home in Motown, where they have averaged 5.6 RPG on the season. I also expect Tigers thrower Armondo Galarraga(3-1, 3.06 ERA) , to continue his consistent efforts, as is evident by his team winning 5 of his 6 starts. Final notes & Key Trends: The Tigers have won 4 straight at home in this series, and 11 of the L/15 overall meetings. The Twins are 4-11 in their L/15 road games, and have lost their starting pitchers (Sloweys) L/5 starts as an underdog. Play on Detroit
LT Profits Free MLB Picks: Philadelphia Phillies (-105)
Fri May 23 ’08 8:05p
The two starting pitchers for the Philadelphia Phillies and the Houston Astros tonight will never be confused with Cy Young, but the Phils have the much better bullpen and they must be the more confident team as well after beating Houston ace Roy Oswalt Thursday.
Besides, as bas as Philadelphia’s Adam Eaton has been, he did have one of his better starts this year vs. these Astros when he recorded a Quality Start, allowing three runs in six innings of a 4-3 Phillies win on April 15. Eaton has allowed exactly two runs in two of his last four starts, so it is not as if he is incapable of turning in a solid performance. Still, the key for the Phillies tonight will probably be the bullpen, which currently leads the Major Leagues with a collective 2.86 ERA.
Now Brandon Backe of the Astros has actually been decent lately, but he was terrible in his first start vs. Philadelphia, allowing six runs on 10 hits and two walks while lasting only three innings. Backe has a high 1.58 WHIP overall, and he is catching the Phillies at a bad time as they are just starting to break out of their offensive slump, scoring 19 runs the last two games.
Finally, fragile Phils closer Brad Lidge got a save in his first appearance in Houston as a visiting player last night, so he should be more relaxed if he is called on again tonight.
MLB Free Pick: Phillies -105
LT Profits Free MLB Picks: Los Angeles Dodgers (-120)
Fri May 23 ’08 10:40p
This may look like a starting pitching mismatch between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight, but Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright has been way off lately and the Dodgers’ Derek Lowe is simply not as bad as he has looked.
Wainwright allowed 12 hits in just 5.2 innings of a 9-8 Cardinal victory over the Tampa Bay Rays last week, and that came on the heels of another poor outing in Milwaukee where he was lit up for eight runs in six innings. As if that was not bad enough, one of the worst stars or Wainwright’s career came here in Los Angeles, when he was torched for eight earned runs in only 2.2 innings last season.
Now granted, Lowe has been a gas can in his last four starts, but it is hard to believe he can lose his form as quickly as he did after allowing three earned runs or less in each of his first six starts. The good news is that he still has a nice 3.70 ERA and 1.11 ERA when pitching at home this season, so maybe he can finally regain his form tonight. At the very least, if he struggles again, at least he has the support of a Dodger bullpen that ranks second in the National League with a 3.10 ERA.
That makes the Dodgers a Bullpen System play here, and that angle is +4.55 units this year after averaging +97 units the last three years.
MLB Free Pick: Dodgers -120
Mike Rose Free MLB Picks: Pittsburgh Pirates (155)
Fri May 23 ’08 7:05p
Carlos Zambrano will make his 11th start of the season amidst rumors of him having problems with his throwing shoulder. He’s vehemently denied the rumors all week long, but his last outing leaves cause for concern after getting yanked after just four innings of work against these same Pirates who tagged him for seven hits and five runs (four earned). He enters this start with a solid 6-1 record and 2.45 ERA, but the Cubs have managed to win just six of his 10 overall starts. He had won his previous two starts against Pittsburgh before last weeks no decision, and is 9-5 with a 3.59 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in 19 career starts against the Pirates.
Opposing him will be left-hander Zach Duke who will be facing the Cubs for the second consecutive start and will take the same approach into this outing as he did into the last. Duke mixed up his pitches and limited the number of first-pitch fastballs he threw in order to keep the free-swinging Cubs off balance. He didn’t pick up a decision in the start even though he settled down after allowing three early runs to allow just one more tally in his final five innings of work. Overall, Duke’s 2-2 with a 4.23 ERA, but he’s 2-1 at home and his ERA drops almost a full point to 3.42. Duke’s 4-3 against Chicago with a 2.84 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 11 career starts.
Chicago’s 11-1 the L/12 overall meetings with their division rivals, and they’re a solid 10-5 against left-handed starters this season. However, Chicago’s only managed to beat the Pirates in two of Zambrano’s L/8 starts against them. Chicago’s dominated at home this year, but their fortune on the road has been a different story. The return on Pittsburgh at home is worthy of a $$$-Line wager in this spot when taking Chicago’s road woes into consideration.