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Top MLB Weekend Power Trends 8/27-8/29
2010-08-27
The final full weekend of August baseball is upon us, and for bettors, that is a fairly important benchmark, since typically, prices for favorites start to rise significantly at this point in the year. We saw it already a few times this past week in some mismatched series’. Savvy handicappers have to recognize these spots where the “chalk” may or may not be worth your betting dollar anymore. While they are typically the team in the must-win scenario, no one ever gets ahead by paying too much for something. With that in mind, let’s take a look at this weekend’s action to see where the value may actually be, and also reveal our list of Top StatFox Power Trends for you to consider in your wagering.
Four of baseball’s six divisions go into the weekend with a four-game or less separation for the top spot. The only teams with more comfortable leads to play with over the final month are Texas, who is 8.5-games up on Oakland in the A.L. West, and San Diego, who leads San Francisco by 6-games in the N.l. West. Otherwise, you’d have to conclude that we’re all in for some exciting September races. That can be viewed two ways by a bettor of course. For one, you have the chance to bet on some high stakes games the rest of the way, a month of playoff tune-ups if you will. For two, the games involving contenders and non-contenders can often show over-inflated lines. Let’s see what we have to choose from this weekend.
In the National League, only one of the eight series’ matches two postseason contenders against one another, and it is a great series. Philadelphia, who is 3-games under .500 on the road and trails the Braves in the East by that same amount, heads to San Diego to take on the red-hot Padres, who have been nearly unbeatable at home. This series figures to show some stellar pitching matchups, starting with the opener featuring Roy Oswalt and Mat Latos. The Phils are also looking up in the wildcard standings right now but trail the Giants by just a half-game.
The rest of the N.L. slate featuring playoff contenders are series’ that are candidates for potential over-pricing. The Cardinals will be in Washington and expected to be sizeable favorites in all three games. However, note that St. Louis is just 3-8 in its L11 games and already lost the series opener on Thursday. The Reds are hosting the Cubs, and returning home for the first time after a successful 6-3 West coast trip. The Cubs played well this week in Washington but are still 20-games under .500 and have begun rebuilding. The Braves, off a sweep at the hands of Colorado, play host to the pesky Marlins, whom they’ve had a competitive rivalry with over the last few years. Florida is hot, 7-2 in its L9 games. Finally, the Giants will be at home hosting the Diamondbacks, who are an ugly 20-42 on the road, including 0-3 in San Francisco this season.
The American League features one huge high profile series, and it could be do or die for the Red Sox in that matchup, as they take to the road in Tampa. Boston is 5.5-games back of both the A.L. East and wildcard leads heading into the weekend, but needs to improve its 4-8 record versus the Rays. Boston could reduce those deficits over the next 13 days. After this series ends Sunday, the Red Sox and Rays will meet for the final time in the regular season from Sept. 6-8 at Fenway Park.
While that series is going on, the Rays will have their eye on the scoreboard and what is happening in Chicago, where the White Sox will be hosting the Yankees. New York is deadlocked with Tampa atop the East and for the league’s best overall mark, however, the series is just as important, or perhaps even more important to the Sox, who trail the Twins by 3.5-games in the Central. Minnesota is in Seattle, so it clearly has the edge on paper this weekend. Finally, in the A.L. West, Texas puts its 8.5-game lead on the line when it hosts the A’s, its closest competitor. This could be the last gasp for Oakland in 2010.
It figures to be a great weekend of playoff-like baseball. Here’s a look at the Top StatFox Power Trends that will impact the action.
ST LOUIS at WASHINGTON
ST LOUIS is 2-11 (-11.9 Units) against the money line in road games vs. a good bullpen whose WHIP is 1.350 or better this season. The average score was ST LOUIS 4.1, OPPONENT 5.2 - (Rating = 3*)
CHICAGO CUBS at CINCINNATI
CINCINNATI is 21-6 (+14.9 Units) against the money line vs. teams whose hitters strike out 7 or more times/game in the second half of this season. The average score was CINCINNATI 6.1, OPPONENT 3.4 - (Rating = 3*)
HOUSTON at NY METS
NY METS are 20-5 UNDER (+14.5 Units) vs. an NL team with a team batting average of .250 or worse this season. The average score was NY METS 3.2, OPPONENT 3.4 - (Rating = 3*)
FLORIDA at ATLANTA
FLORIDA is 17-8 (+10.3 Units) against the money line vs. poor power teams - averaging 0.9 or less HR's/game in the second half of this season. The average score was FLORIDA 4.4, OPPONENT 3.5 - (Rating = 1*)
PITTSBURGH at MILWAUKEE
MILWAUKEE is 21-10 OVER (+10.5 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons. The average score was MILWAUKEE 5.9, OPPONENT 5.0 - (Rating = 1*)
LA DODGERS at COLORADO
COLORADO is 15-4 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in home games vs. NL teams allowing 4.3 or less runs/game this season. The average score was COLORADO 6.5, OPPONENT 5.3 - (Rating = 1*)
PHILADELPHIA at SAN DIEGO
SAN DIEGO is 22-12 (+11.6 Units) against the money line vs. a decent bullpen whose WHIP is 1.350 to 1.450 this season. The average score was SAN DIEGO 4.6, OPPONENT 3.4 - (Rating = 1*)
ARIZONA at SAN FRANCISCO
ARIZONA is 17-8 OVER (+8.4 Units) vs. NL teams allowing 4.3 or less runs/game in the second half of this season. The average score was ARIZONA 4.5, OPPONENT 5.9 - (Rating = 1*)
DETROIT at TORONTO
DETROIT is 20-30 (-16.9 Units) against the money line vs. an AL team with a batting average of .260 or worse in the second half of the last 2 seasons. The average score was DETROIT 3.9, OPPONENT 4.7 - (Rating = 1*)
KANSAS CITY at CLEVELAND
CLEVELAND is 83-128 (-37.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons. The average score was CLEVELAND 4.3, OPPONENT 5.1 - (Rating = 1*)
BOSTON at TAMPA BAY
BOSTON is 7-24 (-18.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 54% to 62%) in the second half of the last 2 seasons. The average score was BOSTON 3.6, OPPONENT 5.2 - (Rating = 2*)
OAKLAND at TEXAS
OAKLAND is 14-5 UNDER (+8.6 Units) vs. a very good bullpen whose ERA is 3.33 or better this season. The average score was OAKLAND 3.1, OPPONENT 3.8 - (Rating = 1*)
NY YANKEES at CHI WHITE SOX
CHI WHITE SOX are 34-23 (+13.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 54% to 62%) over the last 2 seasons. The average score was CHI WHITE SOX 5.1, OPPONENT 4.1 - (Rating = 1*)
BALTIMORE at LA ANGELS
BALTIMORE is 10-30 (-16.9 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. The average score was BALTIMORE 4.1, OPPONENT 5.9 - (Rating = 1*)
MINNESOTA at SEATTLE
MINNESOTA is 44-25 (+9.4 Units) against the money line vs. AL teams scoring 4.7 or less runs/game this season. The average score was MINNESOTA 5.2, OPPONENT 4.0 - (Rating = 1*)
MLB: Line flips a sign of MLB things to come Tuesday?
2010-08-25
According to our friends over at Sportsbook.com, three of the games on Tuesday night’s Major League Betting board have seen their lines flip today, meaning one team opened as the favorite but is now the underdog. In each case, the road club was favored but has since ceded that role to the host. Let’s take a look at those three games and their corresponding line moves to see if we can’t benefit from our fellow bettors’ wisdom.
(911) ATLANTA (LOWE) at (912) COLORADO (DE LA ROSA) 8:40 PM
Sportsbook opening line: Atlanta -110, Currently: Colorado -109
Colorado’s 5-4 victory in the series opener on Monday gave the Rockies their first consecutive wins since a four-game streak July 29-Aug. 1.
Colorado pulled within six games of the Phillies in the wild-card race, but it wasn't the only team happy to see Philadelphia fall. The Braves (73-52) remained 2 1/2 games ahead in the NL East race thanks to the Phillies' defeat.
The Rockies had scored five runs in their previous four games.
Derek Lowe (11-11, 4.32 ERA) goes for the Braves. He is 4-1 with a 2.14 ERA in his last five starts against the Rockies, but 1-3 in his five most recent starts, and the Braves are 2-8 in his 10 second-half starts.
Lowe will be opposed by Jorge De La Rosa (4-4, 4.74), who was a hard-luck loser Thursday despite one of his best performances of the season. The left-hander held the Dodgers to two runs and five hits over seven innings, but Colorado mustered only two hits in a 2-0 defeat.
Bettors may be backing the Rockies based upon the following system:
StatFox Super Situation favoring COLORADO against the money line
• Play On - Home teams when the money line is +125 to -125 (COLORADO) - after scoring and allowing 5 runs or less last 4 games. (102-72 over the last 5 seasons.) (58.6%, +30.1 units. Rating = 2*)
(915) CINCINNATI (WOOD) at (916) SAN FRANCISCO (SANCHEZ) 10:15 PM
Sportsbook opening line: Cincinnati -110, Currently: San Francisco -110
Reds rookie Travis Wood hopes to quiet San Francisco's bats and win his fifth consecutive start as Cincinnati continues its road trip on Tuesday night. However, he’ll have his hands full against a Giants lineup that scored 11 runs on 17 hits in the series opener.
The Reds (72-53) remain atop the NL in batting average (.271) and runs (617), and they averaged 5.9 runs while winning eight of nine before Monday's game.
The Giants (70-56), meanwhile, had totaled one run in their previous two games, but they scored five runs in the first inning of the 11-2 win. The victory opened a nine-game and pulled the Giants within one game of Philadelphia in the wild-card race.
San Francisco's hitters are in for a challenge as they face Wood (4-1, 2.51 ERA) for the first time. Opponents are hitting just .176 against the left-hander, but over the last couple of seasons, San Francisco has produced well for bettors against solid pitching:
• SAN FRANCISCO is 19-11 (+12.9 Units) against the money line vs. an NL starting pitcher whose WHIP is 1.150 or better over the last 2 seasons. The average score was SAN FRANCISCO 3.8, OPPONENT 3.8 - (Rating = 1*)
Cincinnati is 14-5 on the road since the All-Star break, with slugger Joey Votto batting .406 with 16 RBIs in that stretch. That has helped the Reds take a 2 1/2-game division lead over St. Louis.
Cincinnati may have to operate with a depleted lineup Tuesday against San Francisco's Jonathan Sanchez (9-8, 3.47). Outfielder Jim Edmonds (strained oblique) and Laynce Nix (sprained ankle) both left Monday's game.
A Giants win would also end the Reds' streak of six consecutive series victories on the road - and San Francisco's string of three straight series losses overall. They have fared well vs. the Reds and their divisional counterparts this season:
SAN FRANCISCO is 24-10 (+13.0 Units) against the money line against NL Central opponents this season.
The average score was SAN FRANCISCO 5.3, OPPONENT 3.5 - (Rating = 1*)
(929) TAMPA BAY (DAVIS) at (930) LA ANGELS (SANTANA) 10:05 PM
Sportsbook opening line: Tampa Bay -110, Currently: LA Angels -107
Tampa Bay has played well on the road against the Los Angeles Angels this year. The Rays, though, did not have to face Ervin Santana until now. The right-hander looks to remain perfect against the Rays in Anaheim while trying to help the Angels avoid a fourth consecutive home loss to the AL East co-leaders Tuesday night.
Tampa Bay (77-48) moved into a first-place tie with New York by winning its third straight, 4-3 over Los Angeles on Monday. It was the Rays' fifth one-run game in a row. That win streak however, leads bettors into a potentially profitable fade system for Tuesday:
• Play Against - All teams with a money line of -100 to -150 (TAMPA BAY) - after 3 or more consecutive wins, a good team (54% to 62%) playing a marginal losing team (46% to 49%). (41-23 over the last 5 seasons.) (64.1%, +23.3 units. Rating = 2*)
Since losing six straight on the road to the Angels, the Rays have won three in a row in Anaheim this season. Three of the teams' four 2010 meetings have been determined by one run.
Santana has posted a 1.21 ERA in winning all three of his home starts against the Rays and has been outstanding of late, posting a 2.66 ERA in winning his last three starts. He has also done very good work against the league’s best:
• SANTANA is 10-2 (+9.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 54% to 62%) over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record) The average score was SANTANA 5.5, OPPONENT 2.8 - (Rating = 1*)
Making his debut against Los Angeles, Tampa Bay's Wade Davis (9-9, 4.45) will come off the disabled list for his first start since Aug. 5.
MLB: Boston guns for season sweep of Angels
2010-08-19
The Angels are nearly a .500 team heading into Thursday’s game versus the Red Sox, but if not for the woeful season series versus Boston, they would be much better, perhaps even still in the playoff hunt. Los Angeles has lost all nine games to Boston in 2010, and a win by the Red Sox tonight would complete an unusual season sweep. Oddsmakers at Sportsbook.com believe it will happen, with the Red Sox playing as -145 favorites behind Josh Beckett.
There may be enough reasons to suspect the season sweep won’t happen though. First off, Boston (69-52) hasn't won more than three straight games since June. Secondly, Beckett has been hit hard in both of his last two starts, yielding 13 runs in 9-2/3 innings against Texas and the Yankees. Thirdly, there are several strong StatFox Systems and/or Trends favoring the Angels in tonight’s matchup.
The system reads as follows and focuses on Beckett’s struggles:
• Play On - Road underdogs with a money line of +100 or higher (LA ANGELS) - with a bullpen that averages less than 2.75 innings per game against opponent with a starting pitcher whose ERA is 6.20 or worse on the season (AL). (35-15 since 1997.) (70%, +31.5 units. Rating = 4*)
The Angels will turn to Ervin Santana (12-8, 3.99 ERA) to cool off the Boston bats. The right-hander pitched well at Fenway on May 4, limiting the Red Sox to one run over seven innings, but wound up without a decision in a 5-1 loss. He is 1-2 with a 4.61 ERA in seven starts versus Boston. Santana has won four of his last five starts overall, including a 7-2 home victory Saturday over Toronto in which he allowed one run, three hits and four walks in seven innings. He also boasts a strong performance record against the league’s best recently:
• SANTANA is 15-5 (+10.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 54% to 62%) over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record) The average score was SANTANA 5.0, OPPONENT 3.0 - (Rating = 1*)
Besides the current opponent, the other good news for the Red Sox is that they got 2008 AL MVP Dustin Pedroia back from a broken left foot Tuesday. They have been dealing with injury problems all season long and found out on Wednesday that Mike Cameron will have season-ending surgery to repair a torn abdominal muscle. Fellow outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury also may not play again this year after re-aggravating a broken rib in his back last week.
The Red Sox won 7-5 on Wednesday night, improving to 9-0 in the season series with Los Angeles. Boston has averaged 7.3 runs while batting .327 in those games.
The Angels, meanwhile, will now try to avoid their fifth losing streak this season of at least four games. Two of the previous four skids concluded with sweeps at the hands of Boston.
The total for Thursday’s game is set at 9.5, and that wagering option also shows a unique trend relating to Boston’s dominance in the series:
• SCIOSCIA is 14-4 OVER (+9.5 Units) in road games revenging 6 or more straight losses vs opponent in last 2 years as the manager of LA ANGELS. The average score was LA ANGELS 5.5, OPPONENT 6.2 - (Rating = 1*)
Look for the first pitch from Boston at 7:10 PM ET.
AL Playoff Races
2010-08-19
Now that the All-Star game has passed and the trade deadline is approaching, all eyes in baseball are focused on the pennant races. As “the dog days of August” approach, here’s a look at what baseball fans can expect to see in the American League divisional and wild card races.
AL West: Texas has continued to separate from the rest of the pack, now holding a seven game lead over Los Angeles. Seattle has fallen 19 games back and is out of the race after a dismal offensive showing this season. For a while, it appeared to be a two-team race between Texas and Los Angeles, who has had a stranglehold on the division in recent years. However, Oakland has shown signs of life, winning 8 of their last 10 games to claw within 7 ½ games of Texas.
As of now, it appears to be the Rangers’ division to lose. Led by Josh Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrero, they have one of the best offenses in baseball. Their starting pitching has been decent but it got a huge boost with the addition of Cliff Lee, who will give them an undisputed ace with experience pitching in big games. The Angels figure to have a better shot than Oakland but they will need to start hitting and improve on their .257 team batting average. The bold acquisition of pitcher Dan Haren shows they haven’t given up. Despite this persistence, they can be expected to eventually fall short of Texas. The line at www.sportsbook.com on the Angles winning the AL West is +1500, and for a team who has won the division so many times as a baseball bettor you know they know how to win it.
AL Central: With three teams bunched within two games of the division lead, this may be the tightest division in all of baseball. The Chicago White Sox hold a very tenuous one game lead over Minnesota, with Detroit two back.
This one figures to be competitive all the way to the end as none of the three teams have a distinct advantage. The White Sox seem to be the most well rounded of any team, led by three very powerful bats and a well-balanced starting rotation. However, it’s been a few years since they’ve been in contention so there’s no telling how the inexperienced players will respond to the added pressure. Led by two of the best players in the American League, Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer, Minnesota knows what that feeling is like, too, having missed the playoffs every year since 2006. The Tigers have an MVP and Triple Crown candidate in Miguel Cabrera and will be desperately trying to atone for last year’s late-season collapse; the biggest question mark for them is inexperienced starting pitching. This division is so hard to call and it may even come down to the last day but in the end, I give a slight edge to Minnesota.
AL East: Few people would argue with the opinion that this is the best division in baseball, especially with three teams who can call themselves championship contenders. Unfortunately, only a maximum of two can make it to the playoffs so either New York, Boston, or Tampa Bay will be left out. The Yankees are currently in control of the division and it would be hard to envision them missing the playoffs altogether. They currently have the best record in baseball to go along with a potent lineup, a good corps of starting pitchers, and the best closer in baseball. Tampa Bay is three games behind them and holds baseball’s second best record. The Rays starting pitching has been outstanding and if their offensive production increases just a little, they could challenge the Yankees. The real unlucky team in this division is the Red Sox, who are eight games back but would be leading the AL Central with their 55-44 record.
The Red Sox could make a run at the division but in the end, their best chance will be to win the wild card. Their line at www.sportsbook.com is +3000 to win the AL East this year, which is a very intriguing baseball bet. If they do end up as the wild card that leaves the Yankees and Rays for the division and I smell an upset here. The Rays have been one of the top two teams in baseball thus far with an offense that has largely underachieved. If players like Carlos Pena, B.J. Upton, and Jason Bartlett can get things going, the Rays will win at a greater pace than before. The Yankees just lost Andy Pettitte to the DL and it’s unclear how long he’ll be out; he has been the Yankees best pitcher and his absence could really hurt. Also, the Yankees are an older team and in the past, they’ve begun to rest players once it’s clear they’ll make the playoffs. If they clinch a playoff spot early and the past holds, they may ultimately not care if they’re the AL East champion or Wild Card winners.
Wild Card: That effectively leaves the Red Sox and Yankees for the wild card.
Although other teams are within range of the Red Sox, it’s unlikely that they’ll sustain the same pace for an entire year. The Red Sox have tremendous team power and a good group of starting pitchers but they’ve simply had too many injuries this year. Daisuke Matsuzaka and Josh Beckett were supposed to be big contributors on the mound but have missed significant time, as have Jacoby Ellsbury and former MVP Dustin Pedroia. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Red Sox make a run but the injuries have caused a deficit to the Yankees that will ultimately be too much to overcome.
