Baltimore Orioles @ Toronto Blue Jays u8.5 (-115) MLB Odds - Tue July 8 ‘08 7:05p
Daniel Cabrera of the Baltimore Orioles seems to have recaptured his fine early-season form, while Dustin McGowan of the Toronto Blue Jays has pitched much better at home, so runs should be hard to come by tonight. Cabrera tailed off after a great start for the Orioles this season, but he rounded with a Complete Game 5-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals in his last start, allowing seven hits while tossing a very reasonable 105 pitches over the nine innings. Cabrera has also posted Quality Starts in each of his last three starts in Toronto, including allowing two runs on just three hits in eight innings in his last appearance here last season. Now McGowan may be a shaky 6-7 with a 4.36 ERA overall, but he has been a different pitcher in his own stadium, going 3-0 with a 2.20 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in seven home starts, with the Under going a virtually perfect 6-0-1 in those starts. He has posted Quality Starts in each of his last two outings against Baltimore. In fact, the Under is 13-4 in all McGowan starts this season, as well as 11-5 whenever Cabrera has taken the mound, and we see no reason why this contest should be any different. MLB Free Pick: Orioles, Blue Jays Under 8.5 (-115)
 
Atlanta Braves @ Los Angeles Dodgers u7.5 (-120) MLB Odds - Tue July 8 ‘08 10:10p
The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 3-0 here last night, as the Braves were held hitless for seven innings by Hiroki Kuroda, and we expect another light-hitting affair tonight. Both of these clubs are struggling offensively lately, particularly against right-handed pitching. The Braves are hitting just .211 overall and a pathetic .202 vs. right-handers over their last 10 games, while the Dodgers are batting .226 overall and .219 vs. righties over this same period. This is not to say that the starting right-handers tonight need any help! Atlanta starter Jair Jurrjens is 8-4 with a 3.09 ERA for the season, and he has allowed three earned runs or less in 14 of his 17 starts. Jurrjens is a pronounce ground ball pitcher, with a GB/FB ratio of 1.54, and he has allowed a total of four earned runs in his last four starts. Dodger starter Chad Billingsley should be a lot better than 8-7 given his 3.12 ERA in 17 starts, but like most LA pitchers, he has suffered from a lack of run support. Billingsley is more of a power pitcher, as he has an impressive 107 strikeouts in 104 innings. The bottom line here is that we have two very good starters and two offenses that are sorely lacking lately, and both bullpens are in the top 10 in the majors to boot. This sounds like a nice recipe for an Under. MLB Free Pick: Braves, Dodgers Under 7.5 (-120)

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Colorado Rockies @ Milwaukee Brewers u9.0 (-120) MLB Odds - Mon July 7 ‘08 8:05p
The Colorado Rockies just got through scoring 41 runs in a four-game home series with the Florida Marlins, but they should find runs harder to come by when they visit the Milwaukee Brewers Monday. The Rockies are averaging just 3.63 runs per game on the road this season, where they are batting a modest .246 as a team overall. Not surprisingly, the Under is 7-3-1 in their last 11 road games, and they have the added benefit of a total inflated here because of their recent offensive eruptions in the altitude of home. Now Milwaukee starter Seth McClung may have a 4.18 ERA in eight starts, but the truth of the matter is that he has actually pitched surprisingly well, allowing two runs or less in six of his starts. His WHIP of 1.36 also looks better when you factor out his two bad outings. He should ne tough on a Colorado lineup that has never faced him before. This is not to say that the Rockies cannot win this game, because their starter Ubaldo Jimenez has also pitched very well after just an awful start. Jimenez has allowed two earned runs or less in four of his last five starts, including allowing one run or less in three of those outings. He is facing a Milwaukee lineup that is hitting only .247 vs. right-handers the last 10 games, as opposed to .319 vs. southpaws. Thus, we prefer the Under at this number to either side here. MLB Free Pick: Rockies, Brewers Under 9 (-120)

Atlanta Braves @ Los Angeles Dodgers o7.5 (-120) MLB Odds - Mon Jul 7 ‘08 10:10p
This seems like a low posted total for the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers considering this pitching matchup. Jorge Campillo got off to a great start for the Braves this season, but he has crashed back to earth lately. He allowed five earned runs and 10 baserunners in just five innings vs. the Phillies in his last start, and has a 5.40 ERA in his last three outings. He is also facing a rejuvenated Dodgers offense that is averaging 5.60 runs over the last six games. Now granted, Hiroki Kuroda has a 3.73 ERA for the season for Los Angeles, but he is not dominant enough to merit a low total like this, especially vs. a mediocre mound opponent. Although he only allowed two runs in six innings and received credit for a Quality Start in his first outing vs. the Braves in Atlanta this season, he did allow 11 baserunners and was just fortunate that the Braves could not get a key hit. Do not expect Kuroda to get that lucky again however, so look for a safe Over here.  MLB Free Pick: Braves, Dodgers Over 7.5 (-120)

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Minnesota Twins (110) - Sun July 7 6 ‘08 2:10p - MLB Picks
The Minnesota Twins could seemingly do no wrong right now, and they are almost an automatic play as a home underdog vs. the Cleveland Indians today, even going up against Cliff Lee. The Twins rallied from a early deficit to beat the Indians 9-6 here last night, making them 18-4 in their last 22 games overall and 13-3 in their last 16 at home. Remarkably, they are now third in the American League in runs scored despite the fact that they do not hot home runs like the top two scoring teams, the Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox. Minnesota starter Glen Perkins may have a high 4.31 ERA overall, but he has pitched very well lately, allowing three runs or less in five straight starts and in eight of his last 10 outings. He should be able to take advantage of a Cleveland lineup that is hitting a terrible .212 vs. left-handed pitching on the road for the entire season and has never faced him before. Now Lee is pitching as good as his 11-1 record, as he has a 2.26 ERA and 1.03 WHIP for the season and a 1.16 ERA and 0.81 WHIP in his last three starts. The problem here though is that he does not figure to get much run support and he is facing a scorching Minnesota lineup that is averaging 6.40 runs per game the last 10 games. Finally, the Twins clearly have the superior bullpen here, as they rank ninth in the majors with a 3.54 pen ERA while the Indians rank dead last at 5.16! MLB Free Pick: Twins +110
 
Toronto Blue Jays (120) - Sun July 6 ‘08 3:35p - Baseball Odds
The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Angels as underdogs here last night with ace Roy Halladay on the hill, and we look for the Jays to post their second straight upset at an even better price today. Jesse Litsch has done a fine job in 12 starts for Toronto this season, going 8-4 with a very nice 3.69 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 102.1 innings. Litsch has allowed exactly one earned run in each of his last two starts, and he has seven Quality Starts in his last 10 outings. He also posted a Quality Start in his only career start vs. the Angels last season, allowing two earned runs on six hits in 6.1 innings, and the Angels offense was much stronger then than it is right now. Now John Garland is also have a fine year for the Halos, but his decent 3.99 ERA and bad 1.44 WHIP actually pale when compared to Litsch this season. Oddly, Garland actually has worse numbers here at home, where he is 2-4 with a generous 4.70 ERA and 1.57 WHIP. In fact, that performance by Garland actually mirrors the Angels as a team, as they are a mediocre 25-20 here at home compared to an outstanding 27-15 on the road. MLB Free Pick: Blue Jays +120

Cleveland Indians @ Minnesota Twins u8.0 - Sun July 6 ‘08 2:10p - Baseball Picks
The Cleveland Indians will try to halt a 7 game losing streak, as they send stopper Cliff Lee (11-1,2,22 ERA) to hill against the Minnesota Twins. Lee has been in out standing from this season, and the last time he faced this same Twins squad, back in April, he dominated them allowing just two hits in eight innings of work for a easy 4-0 victory at the Metrodome. The all star southpaw is 6-2 with a 3.77 ERA in 13 career starts against Minnesota. Im expecting , another out standing effort again today.
Meanwhile, his pitching opponent from the Twins , Glen Perkins (4-2,4.31 ERA) is also in impressive form, and has not lost since late May. The Twinkie hurler , rarely makes mistakes, and should once again be tough on a Cleveland batting order that has hits lefties like himself, for a lowly .230 BA this season. If for some reason he falters he is backed by a bullpen that owns a minuscule 2.01 ERA in home tilts.
I know the Twins bats have been lighting up just about everybody they have faced, of late, but Cliff Lee is in a league by himself right now, and is a dangerous opponent for the best of hitters. I am also aware of how inconsistent, the Tribes bats have been this season,and their lack of run support they have supplied their pitching staff. Considering these factors, backing the under makes for a viable wagering opportunity.
Final notes & Key Trends: Under is 5-1 in Indians last 6 games vs. a left-handed starter. Under is 5-0 in Twins last 5 games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15 .
Play under

Minnesota Twins (-118) MLB Odds - Sat July 5 ‘08 7:10p
The Minnesota Twins enter into todays mlb action on fire, having won 14 of their 16 overall, and 11 of their L13 at home in the Metrodome. Their opponents the Cleveland Indians are operating at the proverbial opposite end of the performance spectrum , after losing their 7th straight game yesterday to the Twins by a lopsided 12-3 count. Kevin Slowey the Minnesota Twins starting right hander today against the visiting Cleveland Indians, enters this tilt, mimicking his teams successes, and is off his first career shutout on Sunday against the Brewers, allowing just three hits. It was the 24 year olds fourth consecutive quality start, which extended a 16-inning scoreless streak, that has also seen him, over power and strike out 24 batters over a 29 inning stretch. Slowey has garnered a nifty 3-0 record along with a minuscule 0.93 ERA during that stellar span. Meanwhile, his pitching opponent from the Tribe, rookie, Aaron Laffey (4-5,3.24 ERA)is currently not in good form, as is evident by a 0-2 record and slightly bloated 4.58 ERA in his last 3 starts. He has shown the ability to pitch out of jams, but I keep getting this feeling, his luck is soon to run out , and hes going to end up on the wrong side of a beat down. Final notes & Key Trends:Cleveland ha lost 21 of their 28 road games and are 8-23 in their 31 as underdogs. Twins are 8-0 in their last 8 games as a home favorite of -110 to -150.
With both pitchers and both teams obviously moving in different directions, Im suggesting we go with the flow, and back the upward momentum of the red hot Twins in this spot. Play on the Minnesota Twins - Click For Baseball Picks

Houston Astros @ Atlanta Braves u9.0 (105) MLB Odds - Sat July 5 ‘08 7:10p
Jo-Jo Reyes has been a very pleasant surprise for the Atlanta Braves, but has received no run support, and we look for an instant replay and another low scoring affair tonight when the Braves host the Houston Astros. Reyes has allowed two earned runs or less in three of his last four starts including allowing just one earned run on two of those occasions. He has also allowed three earned runs or less in eight of his 12 starts this season, and yet he is just 3-6, as the Braves have given him just 3.67 runs per game of support. Now Astros starter Chris Sampson was demoted to the bullpen after posting a 6.04 ERA in 10 starts this season, but he has been very effective with an excellent 2.16 ERA in 13 relief appearances, so he seems poised to regain his good form as a starter. He did have some nice moments in this role each of the last two seasons, and he is facing an Atlanta lineup that has an abysmal .225 team batting average the last 10 games. Thus, look for a fifth straight Under in the head-to-head series between these teams. MLB Free Pick: Astros, Braves Under 9 (+105) - More Baseball Betting
 
Toronto Blue Jays @ Los Angeles Angels u6.5 (105) MLB Odds - Sat July 5 ‘08 9:05p
It is not too often that we would recommend an Under at 6.5, but we are making an exception in this marquee matchup between Roy Halladay of the Toronto Blue Jays and John Lackey of the Los Angeles Angels. In fact, because of the positive odds attached to this total, we find it preferable to Under 7 -130, which is also available. Lackey has made only nine starts this season after beginning the year on the Disabled List, but to say he has been in peak form over those nine starts would be a severe understatement. He is 6-1 with an incredible 1.44 ERA and 0.89 WHIP in 68.2 innings for the year, and he has allowed two runs or less in eight of his nine starts and three runs in the other. Not surprisingly, the Under is 8-0-1 in all Lackey starts. Now Halladay may have slipped just a smidgeon from his Cy Young Award days, but 99 percent of the pitchers in the league would be ecstatic to have a 2.90 ERA and 1.04 WHIP after 17 starts. He is certainly in great form after hurling a Complete Game four-hit shutout at Seattle on Monday. Remarkably, in this age of relief specialists, that marked his sixth Complete Game of the season, easily the most in the majors. Finally, all Lackey starts this season are averaging a combined 4.89 runs while all Halladay starts are averaging 6.71 runs, and we feel that these clubs will have a tough time topping five runs given the current form of the starters. MLB Free Pick: Blue Jays, Angels Under 6.5 (+105) - Baseball Odds

Cincinnati Reds (-150) - Fri July 4 ‘08 1:15p
The Cincinnati Reds will send Bronson Arroyo (5-7,6.19 ERA) to the hill to stop the light hitting Washington Nationals, this afternoon in Ohios Great American Ball Park. The Reds right hander ,has not been all that efficient of late, but is off notching a win in his last trip to the hill, allowing just 2 runs in 6 innings of capable work. Meanwhile, the visiting Nationals, will return fire with hard luck hurler ,Jason Bergmann (1-5, 4.26). The righty thrower is 0-4 along with a 2.98 ERA in eight starts since beating the New York Mets back in mid May. His losing run can mostly be attributed to his teams inability to get runners home, as is evident by 2.5 RPG in support. It must be noted that Washington is hitting below the Mendoza line on the season, and a lowly .226 against righties like Arroyo. Bottom line: Despite of the perceived starting pitching advantage that Washington has, it is their lack of offensive punch, that in my humble opinion, makes them fade material in this spot. Final notes & Key Trends: The Reds are 8-2 in Arroyos L10 starts as a home favorite. Play on the Reds

New York Yankees (110) - Fri July 4 ‘08 1:05p
There is a lot of negativity surrounding the New York Yankees these days, and deservedly so, but you may never see them cast as home underdogs the rest of this season, so we feel compelled to go for the value today vs. the Boston Red Sox. Besides, while Josh Beckett is regaining his great form, Yankee Stadium has never been one of his favorite stopping grounds since he wrapped up the World Series for the Florida Marlins here way back when. Becket has a robust 6.55 ERA and 1.77 WHIP in his last four starts in the Bronx, covering 22 innings. Granted, Darrell Rasner has been brutal lately, but all of his bad starts have come on the road. Believe it or nit, he had a 2.08 ERA and an excellent 1.08 WHIP in four home starts. For comparative purposes, Beckett has a 3.19 ERA and 1.16 WHIP on the road. It may also help that Rasner has never faced Boston before. Finally, the Red Sox won the series opener here last night, and it is getting to the point in the season now where the Yankees could ill afford to fall much further behind their bitter division rivals. MLB Free Pick: Yankees +110

Los Angeles Dodgers (-105) - Fri July 4 ‘08 4:05p
The Los Angeles Dodgers have suddenly won three straight games on the road, and we look for them to continue that streak with the hot Derek Lowe on the hill today when they visit the San Francisco Giants. Lowe has reeled off seven Quality Starts in his last eight outings, and he is coming off of a very unlucky 1-0 loss to John Lackey and the Angels where he allowed just five hits in seven innings. Lowe also has an impressive streak if six consecutive Quality Starts vs. San Francisco, including one start this season where he allowed two runs in six innings. He is supported by a Dodgers bullpen that is second in the National League with a 3.04 pen ERA. Now Jonathan Sanchez has also pitched well in his last three starts, but he seems to bet getting too much respect that this price for a pitched with a limited track record of success and one that is still just 5-8 this season. Plus the Giants bullpen has been unreliable with a collective 4.17 ERA. All things considered, this seems like a cheap price for the better team with a proven starter and the better bullpen. MLB Free Pick: Dodgers -105

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Washington Nationals (140) - Thu July 3 ‘08 7:10p
We cashed a nice ticket playing against John Lannan of the Washington Nationals in his last start, feeling that he had been pitching over his head, but we actually think this is a nice spot for Lannan to succeed at a nice price vs. the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds have struggled vs. left-handers in recent years, and after showing some improvement this season, they have reverted to their old ways lately, batting just .212 vs. southpaws over the last 10 games. Lannan did face the Reds once last season, and he pitched well allowing two runs in 5.2 innings of a 7-2 Nationals victory. Now we have no doubt that Johnny Cueto will be a stud in this league for years to come, and he is certainly in raging current form, allowing only three earned runs in 18.1 innings over his last three starts. But still, he is just 6-8 with a 4.68 ERA for the season, so we are not sure he is quite worthy yet of this much favoritism. We will go for the value play here, as we look for Lannan to regain his good for vs. a lefty-laden Reds lineup. MLB Free Pick: Nationals +140 Baseball Odds

Los Angeles Dodgers (-125) - Thu July 3 ‘08 2:05p
The Los Angeles Dodgers have taken the last two games of this four-game series with the Houston Astros, and we look for LA to win the road series this afternoon, given this pitching matchup. Chad Billingsley deserves much better than his 7-7 record, considering that he has a nice 3.38 ERA in 96 innings, and he is averaging better than one strikeout per innings with 102 punch-outs. He has held his fine form with a sparkling 1.96 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in his last three starts, and he has done his best pitching in the daytime this year, with a 2.83 ERA in six starts under the sun. Meanwhile, Brandon Backe is 5-8 with a 5.12 ERA and a terrible 1.61 WHIP for the year, and the worst part is that he is not really improving. He has just one Quality Start in his last six outings after getting beat up for six earned runs on nine hits in 5.1 innings last Saturday night. Finally, the Dodgers also rank third in the major leagues with a 3.05 bullpen ERA, while the Astros are at number 22 with a 4.19 pen ERA. MLB Free Pick: Dodgers -125 Baseball Betting

New York Yankees (-130) - Thu July 3 ‘08 7:05p
The Boston Red Sox just got swept by the Tampa Bay Rays in a 3 game set down in Florida, and now they have to come into the unfriendly confines, of the Bronx Zoo to play their long time rivals the NY Yankees. Needless to say, getting knocked down in 3 straight to TB was a blow to their pride and confidence. Thats not a good omen for their chances tonight, against a Yankees team that smashed out 16 hits and 18 runs in double digit win last night against Texas. Bottom line: With the Yankees sending one of their most consistent starting pitchers, Andy Pettitte to the hill tonight,I expect the Zoo crew have the edge! Final notes & Key Trends: Pettitte is 4-0 in his last four starts along with stingy 1.00 ERA. Play on the Yankees . Red Sox are 1-7 in their last 8 during game 1 of a series. Yankees are 5-0 in Pettittes last 5 starts and 4-0 in his 4 starts vs the Red Sox. Play on the NY Yankees MLB Picks

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2008 Arena Football Weekend Playoff Previews
Article Courtesy of Ted Sevransky, A Professional AFL Football Handicapper, Featured on Touthouse.com
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Underdogs have ruled the roost in the Arena Football League playoffs in recent years, and the Wild Card weekend of the playoffs in 2008 confirmed the prevailing current trend. In 2006, the Chicago Rush were road underdogs in four straight playoff games on their way to winning the Arena Bowl. Last year, another regular season also-ran got hot in the playoffs, as 7-9 Columbus pulled off three consecutive road upsets before finally falling short in the Arena Bowl against San Jose. 
 
This past week, we saw road underdogs go 4-0 ATS, 3-1 SU in the opening round of the playoffs. Will we see more of the same this week? The betting marketplace doesn’t seem to think so. All four home teams are favored by more than a touchdown following their bye week here in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, with the four road underdogs still searching for respect from bettors. Let’s break down the games one by one, focusing on the key pointspread and totals issues for each squad. Just like last weekend, all four games will be nationally televised on ESPN or ESPN2.
 
Colorado Crush @ San Jose Sabercats (SJ -11, O/U 111.5)
Saturday, July 5th - Arena Football Odds
Colorado has some real momentum right now, winning and covering three straight, including two strong performances on the road. The Crush have a solid recent history of postseason success. John Elway’s squad won the Arena Bowl with John Dutton at QB and Mike Dailey as head coach as recently as 2005. Last year, the Crush went 1-1 SU, 2-0 ATS on the road in the playoffs, winning outright at Kansas City and losing in spread covering fashion at the eventual champs San Jose. And despite a rash of injuries at wide receiver, the Crush defense appears to be good enough to give them a chance in this game as well.
 
San Jose dominated the lone regular season meeting between these two teams, winning 59-42 while averaging 8.9 yards per pass attempt in sharp contrast to the Crush’s 5.9 yards per attempt.  And the Sabercats defense remains an elite level unit, returning every starter from last year’s Arena Bowl championship team. Few home fields in the AFL really matter, but San Jose enjoys a tremendous advantage at the HP Pavilion, 16-2 SU (12-6 ATS) over the past two seasons. Future Hall of Fame quarterback Mark Grieb led the league with 100 touchdown passes this season while ranking third in the AFL in completion percentage. 
 
New York Dragons @ Philadelphia Soul (Philly -9.5, O/U 110) - Saturday, July 5th
New York has been a pointspread machine since March, covering the pointspread at a 9-3-1 clip in their last thirteen games. The Dragons scored touchdowns on eleven consecutive drives against an elite level defense in their upset win at Dallas last week, with quarterback Aaron Garcia showing no ill effects from the hard hit that he took against Philly in his regular season finale. Garcia has Hall of Fame credentials, but he’s never guided his team to the Arena Bowl. The Dragons enjoyed tremendous special teams play in their win over the Desperados as well. Kicker Steve Azar had a pair of onside kicks recovered by New York, while going a perfect 11-11 on extra point tries and booting three touchbacks.
 
On paper, Philadelphia looks like the team to beat in this year’s playoffs. The Soul cruised through the regular season with an AFL best 13-3 record, thanks to the play of the league’s top rated quarterback, Matt D’Orazio, who has filled in admirably for the injured Tony Graziani for most of the season. D’Orazio guided Chicago to an Arena Bowl title two years ago. It’s surely worth noting that the Soul’s three losses can all be easily explained away. Their loss to Cleveland came in a major flat spot on a short week following their biggest game of the year against Dallas. Their loss to Georgia was an aberration – the Soul led by three scores in the fourth quarter but collapsed in the final few minutes. And their loss to KC as a 17 point favorite was a matter of a disinterested team suffering through some mid-season injuries. The Soul are healthy now, and they beat New York 59-30 and 63-42 in their two regular season meetings.
 
Grand Rapids Rampage @ Chicago Rush (Chicago -9.5, O/U 113) - Sunday, July 6th
Grand Rapids has the ‘feel’ of a team like Columbus from last year, who came out of nowhere to reach the Arena Bowl. The Rampage were not good for most of the regular season, losing eight out of nine during one particularly ugly mid-season stretch. But the Rampage played their best football when it counted the most, reeling off three consecutive wins to close out the regular season, then winning outright as a road underdog at Arizona last week in a rare stellar defensive effort (a huge goal line stand essentially winning the game) from a stop unit that allowed 59+ on eleven different occasions in the 16 game regular season. First year head coach Steve Thonn and first year starting quarterback James MacPherson seem to be clicking together right now as Grand Rapids has averaged more than 70 points per game during their current four game winning streak.
 
Chicago looked like the class of the American Conference for much of the season, but the Rush really tailed off late.  First year starter Russ Michna finished fourth in the league in quarterback efficiency, but the offense was sluggish down the stretch as the Rush were held to 52 points or less four times in their final five games. To make matters even worse for Chicago, they lost All-Arena linebacker DeJuan Alfonzo to a season ending injury prior to Week 16.  Chicago went 7-1 SU (5-3 ATS) at home this year, but they didn’t have an easy time in their most recent home meeting with the Rampage, needing a huge fourth quarter rally to beat Grand Rapids by a single field goal.
 
Cleveland Gladiators @ Georgia Force (Georgia -7.5, O/U 114) - Monday, July 7th
The Gladiators didn’t look like a team that hadn’t made the playoffs since 2003 in their opening round win over Orlando, showing great poise following a rough start to pull out the three point victory. The Gladiators have not been the most consistent team in the AFL this year (to put it mildly) – they haven’t won back-2-back games since mid-May. This offense is loaded. Quarterback Raymond Philyaw finished the regular season as the #2 rated quarterback in the AFL. Wide receiver Otis Amey made the All-AFL squad with 50 touchdown receptions while Robert Redd led the team in receiving yards and fullback Marlon Jackson also earned All-AFL honors. But the Gladiators defense has been a problem area all season, and could be a problem again here.
 
Georgia has not been a ‘blowout’ team this year, with half of their ten wins coming by a touchdown or less.  In six of those ten wins, Georgia found themselves tied or trailing in the fourth quarter, a testament to the coaching acumen of Doug Plank (my choice for AFL Coach of the Year honors) and the fortitude of quarterback Chris Griesen, who ranked among the league’s elite signal callers for the second consecutive season.  Georgia went 14-2 during the regular season last year, then blew out Philadelphia in their first playoff game, but were knocked off at home by the upstart Destroyers in the National Conference Championship Game right here at Phillips Arena. A solid win here should wipe some of the bad taste from that defeat away, and put the Force in position to return to the Arena Bowl for the first time since 2005.

Boston Red Sox @ Tampa Bay Rays u8.0 MLB Odds - Wed July 2 ‘08 7:10p
The Boston Red Sox starting pitcher tonight against the TBRays, Daisuke Matsuzaka (9-1,3.21 ERA) will go after his 10th victory in the final tilt of a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays. Matsuzaka’s in just his second start after coming off the disabled list threw five shutout innings in a victory against the Astros, last time out , and will primed to continue his upward momentum in this spot. The BoSox righty has been tough on opposing offenses in 2008 , allowing enemy batting orders a lowly .206 BA average. He has been especially tough in his starts away from Fenway, recording a 4-0 mark along with a 2.20 ERA in six road starts this season. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Rays will return fire with the ace of their staff Scott Kazmir (7-3, 2.28 ERA). The hard throwing southpaw has not allowed more than 3 ERs in any of his 10 starts this season, and will be primed for a repeat performance in this spot. Kazmir is 6-6 with a 2.82 ERA in his career vs the BoSox. Bottom line: With two of the most capable pitchers in the AL on the hill , and two of the more capable bullpens in baseball supporting them ,it will be an easy decision to back this tilt to stay on the low side of the number.Final notes & Key Trends: Under is 5-1 in Matsuzakas last 6 road starts with the total set at 7-8.5 . Under is 5-0 in Kazmirs last 5 home starts with the total set at 7-8.5 . Play under - Click Here for More Baseball Picks

Baltimore Orioles (-125) MLB Odds - Wed July 2 ‘08 7:05p
Daniel Cabrera of the Baltimore Orioles and Gil Meche of the Kansas City Royals have similar number this season, although Meche has been much better over the last three starts, but the head-to-head performances this year vs. their opponents tonight give Cabrera the edge. Cabrera is 5-4 with a 4.53 this season, and he has just one Quality Start in his last five outings. However, he has allowed three earned runs or less in all seven of his career starts vs. the Royals, so this looks like a great spot for him to get on track. Cabrera tossed a masterpiece in his only start vs. Kansas City this year, hurling a Complete Game three-hitter and allowing just one run with seven strikeouts. Even if he does continue some of his recent struggles, at least he has the support of a Baltimore bullpen that ranks fourth in the American League and sixth in the majors with a 3.28 ERA. Now Meche has undoubtedly been great lately, allowing three runs or less in four straight starts, but he did not pitch well in his only other start vs. Baltimore this year. He was roughed up for five earned runs and eight baserunners in five innings that day, and unlike Cabrera, his bullpen is not as reliable if he needs some bailing out, as the Royals rank 19 in the bigs with a 4.05 pen ERA. Finally, the Orioles have had uncanny success vs. Kansas City going 43-14 in the last 57 meetings, so look for that to continue. MLB Free Pick: Orioles -125

Chicago White Sox (-105) MLB Odds - Wed July 2 ‘08 8:10p
The Chicago White Sox could seemingly do no wrong right now, and even though they are facing the hot C.C. Sabathia of the Cleveland Indians, the Sox are virtually an automatic play at this cheap price at home right now. The White Sox simply have great karma right now, as they have won six games in a row after rallying from an extra-inning deficit last night, tying the game on a home run with two outs and nobody on in the tenth inning and then stringing together a couple of more hits for the win. Their starter tonight, Jose Contreras, has had two awful outings in his last four starts, but those are the only outings in his last 10 efforts where he allowed more than three earned runs in a game. However, he has been brilliant in his last three starts vs. Cleveland, allowed one measly earned run in 17.2 innings. Now this will obviously be a tough assignment vs. Sabathia, who has reeled off four straight Quality Starts. However, if Contreras pitched as well tonight as he did in his first start vs. Cleveland this year when he allowed one run and four hits in six innings, this game will probably be decided by the bullpens late. That would make the White Sox an easy call, as they lead the American League with a 2.72 bullpen ERA. MLB Free Pick: White Sox -105

Free MLB Pick: Cleveland Indians @ Chicago White Sox u7.5 (105) - Tue July 1 ‘08 8:10p
The Chicago White Sox defeated the Cleveland Indians 9-7 in a wild series opener here last night, but look for a completely different type of game this time around. Cliff Lee is an amazing 11-1 with a 2.34 ERA and 1.04 WHIP for the Indians, and he is showing absolutely no signs of slowing down. Lee has allowed two runs or less in four consecutive starts, he has a 1.66 ERA and a fantastic 0.92 WHIP in his last three outings and he posted a season high 11 strikeouts vs. the Giants in his last start. Not to be outdone, White Sox starter John Danks has allowed only one run in 18 innings (0.50 ERA) over his last three starts, and he too has an excellent 2.62 ERA for the entire season in 16 starts. He has already tossed one gem at the Indians this year, allowing just one run and two hits in 6.2 innings way back on April 3. The southpaw is now facing a Cleveland lineup that is batting a pathetic .184 vs. left-handed pitching over the last 10 games. Finally, the Under is 12-4 in all games started by Danks this season, as well as 8-6 in all Lee starts. MLB Free Pick: Indians, White Sox Under 7.5 (+105)

Free MLB Pick: Texas Rangers @ New York Yankees u9.0 (100) - Tue July 1 ‘08 7:05p
Joba Chamberlain of the New York Yankees was stretched out to a career high 114 pitches in his last start, and he is capable of almost single-handedly keeping this game vs. the Texas Rangers Under this total. Chamberlain pitched 6.2 scoreless innings while allowing just six hits and recording seven strikeouts in that last start at Pittsburgh, and he has now allowed a grand total of two runs in 18.1 innings over his last three starts. In fact, he has allowed one earned run or less in four of his five starts, and two earned runs in the other! As if that is not enough to keep the Rangers in check, consider that most of the Texas batters have never faced him before. Sure, there is some risk taking an Under with Kevin Millwood starting for the Rangers, but he did have back-to-back Quality Starts before getting shellacked by Houston last Thursday, so it is not as if he is not capable of turning in a solid outing. The best part is that if Joba pitches true the form and the Rangers end up scoring three runs or less, Millwood does not even need to be dominating for this contest to stay Under. Finally, somewhat surprisingly, the Under is 50-30-2 in all Yankees games this season, so while this may not be a replay of the 2-1 Texas win last night, we so expect another low scoring affair. MLB Free Pick: Rangers, Yankees Under 9 (+100)

Free MLB Pick: Colorado Rockies (-155) - Tue Jul 1 ‘08 9:05p
I do not know where came from, but an inept San Diego Padres offense that has scored the second-fewest runs in the majors this season with 317, exploded yesterday smacking out 22 hits in a 15-8 win vs their hosts Colorado. With that said, I can see them entering into this the 2nd game of the series, in a let down situation, making the Padres good fade material against a motivated hurler Aaron Cook (10-5, 3.64 ERA)that is is primed to bounce back ,off two consecutive lackluster efforts. The Rockies southpaw hurler has a very good chance of doing just that against a team that he has dominated in the past,as is evident, by going 7-1 in 10 starts along with a 1.72 ERA, since 2004, allowing them two runs or less in every start. He is also a perfect 5-0 along with a 2.01 ERA in seven starts in Coors vs the Fathers. Play on Colorado

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