Minnesota Vikings vs. San Francisco 49ers
NFL Preseason Prediction: San Francisco -2.5 -110 odds
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The Minnesota Vikings offered the most dominate performance of the first week of the NFL preseason, stepping on St. Louis 28-7. There were more impressive score differentials than what Minnesota accomplished, even without grandpa Favre, but the yardage difference was important. The Vikings gained 414 yards compared to the Rams meager total of 150.

In exhibition, whoops, sorry, preseason football, play against any team that out-gained previous opponent by more than 210 yards. This yardage system is tight 27-13 ATS the last 11 seasons. Take San Francisco Sunday Night on NBC.

Off to usually strong 2-1 start in the NFL Preseason, I have one game that stands above the rest and is my GUARANTEED Week 2 blitzkrieg. My top-notch 3* (high number for me in NFLX) selection is in 90+ percent spot and also covers over 77 percent of the time in this precise situation. I don’t make a ton of plays this time of year in football, but I’m documented at over 62 percent since 2003. Take this Winner home Now!

New York Jets vs. Carolina Panthers
NFL Preseason Pick: Carolina Panthers +1.5 -110 odds
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Both these teams lost their opening preseason game. The Ravens beat the Panthers by five points. The Jets lost by double-digits vs. the Giants. Most expected the Panthers to get beaten. After all, they were on the road against a tough Baltimore team. However, the majority of bettors backed the Jets to take care of the rival Giants.

With the Jets being an early fan favorite this season and a popular pick to win the AFC East or even contend for the Super Bowl, many will assume that they can’t possibly get off to an 0-2 start in the preseason. In my opinion, that perception has provided us with solid value on the home team.

In addition to playing on their homefield, the Panthers have a significant scheduling advantage in this one. Their game against the Ravens occurred on Thursday. On the other hand, the Jets and Giants played on Monday night. New York coach Rex Ryan played his starters more than normal (for a Week 1 game) in the Giants game. That will have most expecting him to do the same for Week 2. However, he initially indicated that, as a result of playing on the short week, his starters would see less than normal playing time (for a Week 2 game) vs. in this one.

Note: we already saw a strong Dallas team lose outright to the Raiders this season, when the Cowboys were playing on a short week.

True, the Panthers will be without star receiver Steve Smith. They’ve got four players competing for the #2 spot though, all of whom should be motivated for a big performance. Matt Moore is a capable starter. He should see a lot more time than he did last week and will be anxious to win over the hometown fans. Jimmy Clausen should also see plenty of playing time. He’s viewed as the “future” for the Panthers and I feel that he’ll also prove capable.

Overall, I expect a fairly motivated effort from Carolina. The Panthers were 0-4 in the preseason last year. That wouldn’t have been considered a problem if they had played well when the regular season began. That wasn’t the case though, as they were 0-3 in their September regular season games. Looking to avoid a similar fate and having already dropped their opener, the Panthers should treat this year’s remaining games somewhat more seriously, particularly today’s “home opener.” Note that the Panthers may also be looking for some payback from a loss in last year’s regular season. Get more football betting picks from Ben Burns at Touthouse.com

In my opinion, the wrong team is favored here. Consider CAROLINA

Below are MLB baseball picks for August 21st 2010 from Touthouse.com handicappers. If you are looking for free MLB baseball picks on a daily basis or premium picks from our MLB baseball betting experts visit Touthouse.com each day.

Pick: St. Louis Cardinals -153 (Jeff Alexander)
Lincecum is really struggling. He’s 0-3 with an ERA of 9.00 and a WHIP of 2.071 over his last 3 starts. Lincecum has had success against the Cards in the past, but he clearly doesn’t have it going right now. Meanwhile, the Cards have won 6 of Carpenter’s last 7 starts, and he hasn’t allowed more than 3 runs in any of those 7 outings. Plus, Carpenter has had plenty of rest prior to this start, and the Cardinals are a perfect 5-0 in his last 5 starts when pitching on 6 days’ rest. After 5 straight defeats, look for the Carpenter to lead the Cards to victory tonight.

Pick: Florida Marlins -116 (Jim Feist)
Houston is just awful on the road, and part of the reason is offense, ranked second to last in the NL in runs scored. Their last road trip the Astros ended it with 4 straight losses, allowing 30 runs. Florida has home field and a winning record the last five starts made by Chris Volstad. He is far better at home than on the road, with a 3.61 ERA in this stadium. Play the Marlins.

Pick: Colorado Rockies -159 (Jimmy Boyd)
With Jimenez on the hill, I’ll back the Rockies tonight. Colorado’s sensational righty is 17-3 with an ERA of 2.59 on the season. The Rockies have won each of his last 5 starts against Arizona, and 3 of those wins have come this season. The Rockies are 5-1 in their last 6 during game 2 of a series and 7-1 in Jimenez’s last 8 starts during game 2 of a series. In addition, Arizona is just 9-34 vs. an NL starting pitcher whose ERA is 3.50 or better this season, losing to these clubs by an average score of 3.7 to 6.5. Take the Rockies.

Pick: Tampa Bay Rays -125 (Tom Freese)
Tampa Bay starter David Price is 16-7 in his team starts this year. Price has allowed 5 runs total in his last 3 starts. The Rays are 5-1 their last 6 games as favorites and they are 24-9 their last 33 games vs. lefty starters. Tampa Bay is 11-3 in the last 14 starts made by Price vs. a team with a winning record. Oakland starter Brett Anderson has lost 3 of his last 4 starts. The Athletics are 2-6 their last 8 games vs. lefty starters and they are 1-7 their last 8 games as underdogs. Brett Anderson is 1-5 his last 6 starts as an underdog and he is 2-5 with four days of rest. PLAY ON TAMPA BAY (Price vs. Anderson)

Pick: Boston Red Sox -130 (Dave Price)
System Play – plays on home teams with a money line of -100 to -150 (BOSTON), average offensive team (4.7 to 5.2 runs/game) against a good AL starter (ERA <=4.20), with a starting pitcher who gives up 5.5 or less hits per start, are 47-11 the last 5 seasons, including 10-3 this season. In addition, the Red Sox have won 9 straight games against Toronto when Matsuzaka get the start. Take the Sox as they bounce back strong from yesterday’s embarrassing defeat.

Seattle Mariners vs. New York Yankees
MLB Prediction: New York Yankees -1.5 -110 odds
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On Saturday the free play is on the New York Yankees on the run line. Game 968 at 1:05 eastern. The Yankees have won 38 of their 41 home games by 2 or more runs. They are 9-1 as a home favorite in this range while Seattle is 0-7 as a road dog in this range. Seattle scores 2.9 rpg game in day games while the Yanks average over 6 runs in day games. Yankee starter J. Vazquez pitched 7 shutout inings in his last start vs Seattle. Mariners starter Vargas is just 3-7 on th eroad. Yankkes should win this one by more than a run. On Saturday I have 3 big night time Plays The 17-1 NFLX Preseason total, the 21-2 NFL Side system and a 12-1 MLB Power system. Jump on this solid card. For the free play take the Yankees on the run line. RV

Chicago Bears vs. Oakland Raiders
Preseason Pick: Oakland Raiders +1 -110 odds
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Chicago should be out to prove something tonight as it was pretty embarrassed in its preseason opener in San Diego last week. The first string on both sides saw very limited action and we will see that increase on Saturday. This is especially true with the offense which is installing a new scheme under offensive coordinator Mike Martz. Jay Cutler is the centerpiece and last week he gave everyone a little preview of what he could do in the Bears offense. He was only on the field for one series while throwing two passes, both resulting in completions for 47 yards.

The problem is that there is no one after Cutler at quarterback as Caleb Hanie went down last week after playing very well. After Cutler is rookie Dan LeFevour who looked like a rookie and a bad one at that and newly signed Matt Gutierrez. Oakland played very well defensively against the Cowboys and facing a team that is putting in a new system is difficult, but early in the preseason it favors the defensive side of the ball.

Raiders head coach Tom Cable stated that after Jason Campbell reaches his quota of snaps, Kyle Boller would come in and Brennan will have mop up duty. This gives the Raiders a big edge in the quarterback rotation as Campbell and Boller are both veteran quarterbacks. “It’s a great opportunity,” Boller said. “Each day, each week, I feel more and more comfortable, getting to know the guys, getting to know the offense. It’s gone really well.”

Cable is hoping for more out of his first-team offense than the 29 yards it gained in 12 plays in the first quarter at Dallas. “I want to see us throw some completions and get some continuity in it,” he said. “See if we can put some drives together. Three or four more completions from last week I think I’d feel pretty good about it. I’d like to see some of the guys make some of those catches that we’re seeing in practice. And of course continue to protect the quarterback for sure.”

While the value seems to be on the home team here because the number is under the normal line of a field goal, I feel the value is the other way. The public is all over the Bears in this one yet the line has moved in the other direction and that is always a trigger to look at this line movement and go with the movement. 3* Oakland Raiders

Cleveland Indians vs. Detroit Tigers
MLB Pick: Under 8.5 Runs -110 odds
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Detroit’s Max Scherzer has enjoyed his August so far. The righty is 1-1 with a 1.35 ERA this month while giving up just four runs and 14 hits in 20 innings pitched. He managed to shut down the Rays, Yankees, and White Sox. Yes, the righty has lost twice to Cleveland this season, but he has improved since then and Cleveland’s offense just isn’t consistently good. Asdrubal Cabrera (0-3), Jayson Nix (0-3), Michael Brantley (0-3), and Matt LaPorta (0-2) all are looking for their first hits against Scherzer. The Indians were shutout by Armando Galarraga last night, and with that result, these two teams have played 8 Unders in 13 games this season. Detroit’s bullpen has an ERA under 4.00 at home this season while blowing only one save there.

Josh Tomlin has been great for the Indians this season. He’s 1-2 with a 2.96 ERA in four starts which have all gone Under the total. He’s been road tested this season after facing both the Jays and Red Sox away from home. The righty has yet to face the Tigers in his brief career, but that will give him advantage over Detroit’s hitters tonight. Detroit has gone Under the total in 33 of their 63 home games this season, and since we expect another low-scoring game tonight, we’ll recommend a play on the Under between the Indians and Tigers in this game.

Chicago White Sox vs. Kansas City Royals
Pick: Chicago White Sox -140 odds
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Off last night’s offensive explosion in the Twin Cities, I’m going ride Chicago’s hot bats on Friday night at Kansas City.

On the bump for the Pale Hose will be right-hander Edwin Jackson. There’s nothing wrong with the way this kid has pitched lately. Facing Detroit (twice) and Baltimore in his last three starts, Jackson has been touched for only three earned runs and 20 hits in 20.0 innings. That’s good enough for a 1-0 record and a powerful 1.35 ERA!

Getting the call for the Royals will be righty Sean O’Sullivan and that will be a problem for the home team. Unlike Chicago’s Jackson, O’Sullivan was blasted in his last three performances by the Yankees, Angels and A’s. With 17.0 innings in the bank, Sean got smashed for 13 earned runs and 24 hits. That’s bad enough for a woeful 0-3 mark and a nasty 6.88 ERA! To make matters worse, with O’Sullivan on the hill, Kansas City has dropped seven of its last eight in the first game of a series.

There are a bundle of team trends that support this investment too. The Royals have slipped in 18 of their last 24 as an underdog and 14 of their last 20 battling a greater than .500 foe. On the flip side, the White Sox have posted wins in 26 of their last 35 as chalk and 15 of their last 19 in a series lid-lifter.

The ChiSox made a statement last night when they pounded the first-place Twins. Manager Ozzie Guillen won’t let his troops quit and they will fight to the end. Take Chicago with listed pitcher Jackson. Thank you and best of luck, Tom Stryker. Get more MLB betting picks from Tom Stryker at Touthouse.com

Houston Astros vs. Florida Marlins
Pick: Florida Marlins -150 odds
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The Marlins come in on a roll. Yesterday’s victory was their third straight. That brought them to 60-60 for the season. With Sanchez on the mound and the Astros coming to town, the Marlins have a great shot at climbing above the .500 mark here.

In 11 home starts, Sanchez has a stellar 2.97 ERA for the Marlins. In two road starts for the Astros, Happ has a dreadful 10.50 ERA and 2.833 WHIP. Note that Happ is supported by a Houston bullpen which has a terrible 5.38 ERA and 1.673 WHIP on the road.

The Marlins are 6-1 the last seven times that they hosted the Astros. Meanwhile, Sanchez is 2-0 with a 0.96 ERA in three career starts vs. Houston. That includes a 5-1 victory this season.

With yesterday’s victory, the Marlins are now 7-1 the last eight times that they faced a southpaw starter, including a perfect 5-0 their last five. Looking back further and we find them at a profitable 23-12 their last 35 vs. left-handed starters and an excellent 75-55 (+25.5) their last 130. Consider FLORIDA. Visit Touthouse.com for more expert baseball betting info from Ben Burns

Below are MLB baseball picks for August 20th 2010 from Touthouse.com handicappers. If you are looking for free MLB baseball predictions on a daily basis or premium picks from our MLB baseball betting experts visit Touthouse.com each day.

Pick: Toronto Blue Jays vs. Boston Red Sox Over 8 Runs (Jim Feist)
The Red Sox offense keeps chugging along, getting Dustin Pedroia back this week. Fenway is a hitter’s park and the top home run team in baseball comes to town in the Blue Jays. Boston has teed off Toronto starter Brett Cecil, who is 0-3 with a 7.80 ERA against Boston. That’s 28 base runners in 15 innings against them! Toronto has been a good team over the total the last 10 days as their young pitching has been coming back to earth, wearing down a bit over the long season. This is a low total for an AL game in a place like Fenway, Play the Blue Jays/Red Sox over the total.

Pick: Colorado Rockies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Over 9.5 Runs (Kyle Hunter)
*3 Star Light up the Scoreboard Play* If you haven’t followed the Arizona Diamondbacks, they have one of the worst bullpens EVER in MLB history. In fact, they have a chance to break the record for worst ERA ever, at well over 6. Ian Kennedy started the season strong for Arizona, but he has faltered of late. The over is 5-0-1 in his last 6 starts. Esmil Rogers has a 6.86 ERA on the road this year. Arizona isn’t known for their pitching, but they do have a very solid lineup that can make you pay if you make mistakes. I think the oddsmakers are giving us a nice value play on the over here. Take over 9.5 in this one!

Pick: Minnesota Twins -142 (Rocky Atkinson)
LA Angels are 60-61 this year while Minnesota comes in with a 70-50 overall record and leading the AL Central division. LA Angels are only 5-15 this year when playing against a team with a winning record in the 2nd half of the season. Minnesota is 51-20 last 3 years and 20-3 this year as a home favorite of -125 to -150. LA Angels have lost 4 of their last 5 games overall. Minnesota has won 9 of their last 10 games overall. Minnesota bullpen has a 3.14 ERA overall this year and a 3.19 ERA at home this season. Brian Duensing is 6-1 with a 2.00 ERA overall this year, 3-0 with a 2.43 ERA in all starts, 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA at home and 2-0 with a 2.42 ERA his last 3 starts. We’ll recommend a small play on Minnesota tonight! Thanks and good luck, Rocky

San Diego Padres vs. Milwaukee Brewers
MLB Pick: Under 8 Runs -110 odds
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On Friday the Free MLB play is under the 8 run total in the SD at Milwaukee game. Rotation numbers 909/910 at 8:10 eastern. This game fits a nice totals system that has gone under 13 of 16 times. What we want to do is play the under when we have a home team with a total of 8 or less, off a road win, if they are taking on an opponent off a road favored win and scored 5 or more runs. These games have averaged just a shade over 6 runs per game over the years. The Pitching matchup suggests an over as well. The Brewers have Y. Gallardo on the mound tonight and he has compiled a fine 2.97 era this year. SD counters with W. Leblanc tonight. Leblanc pitched real well in his only start here going 6+ innings without allowing a run. Leblanc is one of the more underrated starters in the league as well. The Padres also have a solid 3.13 road bullpen era. Look for this one to go under the total tonight. On Friday I have the AL Game of the Month. This big Beauty is backed with a 100% 15-0 system that wins by nearly 4 runs per game. I also have a 17-3 NL Dominator system and a 90% NFLX play on the card. On Thursday we nailed the Big one on Houston and hit another NFL totals play. Jump on now and start your weekend off right. For the free play take the Under in the SD at Milwaukee game. RV