posted July 18, 2008 at 15:44 in MLB Free Picks
MLB Baseball Wagering - Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks
The race for the NL Central Title heats back up when the (57-38) Chicago Cubs invade Minute Maid Park to tango with the (44-51) Houston Astros in Friday night’s MLB online gambling affair. The Cubs entered the break with the best record in the National League, and currently hold a four-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals for the top spot in the division. They were the best home bet throughout the first half of the season that saw them post a 37-12 overall mark to reel the MLB wagering public in close to $1900 on the year. The story was much different on the road though as they struggled to churn out a 20-26 overall mark costing their betting backers a shade over $600 on the year. They closed out the first half of their season by taking four of six from both the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants, and enter tonight’s game winners in six of their L/10 overall. Houston, by all accounts, put forth a very disappointing first half of their 2008 campaign. They enter tonight’s ballgame seven-games under .500, but only cost MLB betting $150 on the year. The talent is there, but they’re yet to harness it. Playing within Minute Maid used to give them an edge, but that hasn’t been the case in ’08. Their 22-21 overall mark saw them reel in a whopping $10 of profit for their supporters, and they’re a poor 7-12 overall the L/19 times they played in front of their own fans. It’s almost been two months since these teams last met having split their six 2008 meetings thus far.
Ted Lilly was mauled by the Cincinnati Reds his last time out. Manager Lou Piniella offered up the quick hook after he surrendered six hits and four earned runs in just 2 2/3rd innings of work. The poor outing snapped a string of back-to-back quality starts put forth by the lefty who now sits 9-6 overall with a 4.68 ERA and 1.34 WHIP.
Lilly’s 4-3 on the road and has allowed 60 hits and 27 runs with a K/BB ratio of 47/21 in 60 innings of work. Chicago has won two of his three starts as a Cub against Houston, and he won his lone Minute Maid start earlier this season when he threw five plus innings of two-run ball in the Cubs 7-2 victory.
He’ll be opposed by righty Brian Moehler who enters tonight’s start 5-4 with a 4.28 ERA and 1.37 WHIP. His last start before the break saw him throw six innings of four-run ball against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Astros 6-4 win at PNC Park. He’s been pretty darn good inside “The Juicebox” going 3-2 with a solid 3.98 ERA and 1.35 WHIP allowing just 40 hits and 18 earned runs with a K/BB ratio of 22/15 in a shade under 41 total innings of work. He faced the Cubs potent line-up back in May where he allowed seven hits and three earned runs in a losing effort.
Sportsbooks opened the Cubs –130 road favorites in tonight’s baseball betting affair, with the ‘total’ set at 9.5 under -120. BetUS.com offers all MLB betting odds be it side, total, or run-line, so be sure to login to your account and get your wagers down before this evening’s first pitch.
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