Thursday
Light schedule today in MLB. 2-2 yesterday which was close to the expected outcome with three one-run games and a bullpen blowup by the Padres turning a close game into a rout. Not much available today. Cubs/Phillies over 9 is close and I have it in the picks contest but not as a play. Rockies/Mets Over 7.5 is another close one but the lineups for both sides are too poor despite every other variable showing as an over. The only actual play if it happens today will be the Cardinals hosting the Dodgers. Carlos Martinez is called up to make the start today against Ryu after Shelby Miller had to leave in the first inning and Jake Westbrook was shelled in a long relief outing yesterday.
6-5 +1.04 for August, 57-47-1 +14.69 season
Wednesday
2-1 last night as the White Sox and Baltimore were low scoring winners, but Houston lost 15-10 after scoring seven through four. With the Astros pitching, no lead is ever safe. The Yankees-White Sox series is turning out to be a perfect storm of gambling as not only is the public line heavy on the Yankees, Chicago currently has four lefties in their rotation and the Yankees are somewhere in the bottom 4-5 teams against left handed pitching. Taking Chicago again today along with three other games. No totals today but there should be enough action with this group:
Yankees (Sabathia) @ White Sox (Santiago) -110
Baltimore (Gonzalez) @ San Diego (Stults) +110
Detroit (Fister) @ Cleveland (Salazar) EVEN
Tampa (Archer) @ Arizona (Delgado) +111
Tuesday
Back on track yesterday with a couple of easy wins. Cleveland took a 2-0 lead into the 9th and promptly set the game on fire, losing 4-2. Any small chance the Indians have of competing for the division into September will be gone completely if they can’t win tonight and probably tomorrow as well. The White Sox smushed the Yankees with Andy Pettitte looking very much finito. One play so far today and it’s on the west coast where we have Under 7.5 -110, Orioles (Norris) @ Padres (Volquez). Several options on sides so there should be an update here in a few hours.
UPDATE:
Boston (Wright) @ Houston (Lyles) +157
Yankees (Kuroda) @ White Sox (Sale) -119
Monday
Still 0-fer August as the Cubs were unlucky losers at home to the Dodgers going down 1-0. We’ll take two more efforts at getting some winners today. The White Sox have lost 10 in a row, so of course we’ll bet them today, as well as the Under on a game involving two of the better offenses in baseball.
Yankees (Pettitte) @ White Sox (Quintana) -110
Tigers (Sanchez) @ Indians (Kluber) Under 7.5 -101
Only 9 games today and nothing else is close to a play.
Saturday
No plays yesterday, though the two that were close were both winners (SD and MIA). Finally have a play today which is:
Kansas City (Chen) @ Mets (Hefner) Over 7.5 -105
That’s going to be it for baseball today. Two MLS plays today as well:
Salt Lake @ Colorado +122
Montreal @ DC Under 2.5 -114
EPL is back in two weeks.
Friday
Had a server error today while I was posting so I’m re-writing now. No plays yesterday and it’s certainly looking like none again today. Will update with any plays on a slow start to August.
Thursday
2-0 on official plays yesterday with a pair of one-run wins and a mini lesson on why not to bet large favorites in baseball as Wade Miley held Tampa to three hits last night as Arizona smushed the Rays 7-0. Dodgers over was a loss and so I finished one win short of winning Bookmaker’s monthly contest. July ended 19-12 +7.61 which is excellent. For the season, we are 53-42-1 +13.65.
Already missed the batch of Thursday day games and there’s only one side and zero totals that look remotely appealing for the night session. Will update if anything turns into a play per usual.
Wednesday
One winner yesterday as Mark Buehrle was vintage in Toronto’s 5-0 win at Oakland. Unfortunately, the Baltimore over was a loser and I’ll need some good fortune to win the month as I was passed by two of the three players I was tied with. I need a win tonight and losses or ties by two leaders. My play is Yankees @ Dodgers Over 5.5.
I’m traveling again tonight and there are a lot of plays in the potential column, but nothing clear-cut and will require another look closer to gametime. I’ll post back later this evening if possible; if not, July will end 17-12 +5.61.
UPDATE: Screwed by Bookmaker again as they moved the Pittsburgh/St. Louis line as I was betting it down from U7 -120 to 6.5. That’s a pass. The Cardinals need to get sorted as they’ve hit a wall of late. I don’t think the Pirates completed a trade of any kind so they’ll be riding their shit offense the rest of the way. An Alex Rios or someone of the sort would have helped their offense immensely. Also, while it’s well out of scope of what we normally bet here, and successful baseball betting in general, Tampa should be considered for a play tonight at -180 at home to Arizona based on the lineups. I’ll likely throw a microbet on it and flag it for some backtesting in the offseason. Alas…
Cardinals (Wainwright) @ Pirates (Locke) EVEN
Mets (Mejia) @ Marlins (Alvarez) -120
No totals today because of the line move. :(
Tuesday
1-1 last night for a miniscule profit after adding the more marginal Red Sox-Rays over. I waffled between the over and taking the side on the Red Sox but went with the higher rated system play. As mentioned before I’ve gotten slightly less nitty on totals which should bring more volume but a few more losers as well.
There would definitely be a play on Miami tonight, but Bookmaker is showing a whopping 15 point difference from the Pinnacle line so that’s a pass. The close to first place Pirates are also close as they get going with game 1 of 2 in Pittsburgh, but the public is a bit too happy with the Pirates for my liking.
For totals we have one play in Oakland, Toronto (Buehrle) @ Oakland (Straily) Under 8 -120. I would have taken this in the picks contest as well, but was not given the option. Instead it’s Baltimore/Houston Over 8.5 there.
