posted July 8, 2008 at 13:39 in MLB Free Picks

MLB betting fanatics get to sink their teeth into a tasty NL Central battle when Dusty Baker’s (43-47) Cincinnati Reds invade Wrigley Field for an MLB online gambling affair with Lou Piniella’s (53-36) Chicago Cubs. Each team has managed to earn three victories in their six meetings this season with both clubs picking up a single win in its opponents ballpark. This will be their first clash in two plus months after the Reds managed to take two of three from the Cubs at the Great American Ballpark back in early May. Chicago won the season series a year ago by winning eight of their 14 overall confrontations. Cincinnati enters this three-game set pretty hot winning seven of their L/10 overall after just completing a four-game series sweep over the woeful Washington Nationals. They currently sit four-games under .500 at 43-47 and trail the NL Central leading Cubs by 10.5-games. The Reds have proven to be a losing proposition for baseball betting enthusiasts costing their backers just over $600 on the year. They’ve been even worse on the road where they’ve churned out a poor 17-28 overall mark to cost their supporters a shade under $900 on the season. The Cubs wrapped up a 10-game road trip over the 4th of July weekend that saw them go 4-6 overall to actually improve its road record to 20-26 on the season. They’ll be ecstatic to close out the first half of the year at Wrigley Field where they’ve won 77% of their games to date. “Sweet Lou’s” club is 33-10 overall reeling in close to $1800 of pure profit for the sports wagering public. They hold a 3.5-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals for the top spot in the NL Central.

Looking to keep the Reds winning streak intact will be righty Aaron Harang. He was pushed back for his next start due to forearm stiffness and comes into this outing on eight-days rest. He’s 3-10 overall with a 4.47 ERA and 1.35 WHIP. He tossed seven solid innings of three-run ball in a no decision effort his last start against Pittsburgh. He owns a poor 1-6 mark on the road where his ERA jumps to a lofty 5.20 and his WHIP to 1.49 allowing 67 hits and 33 runs in just under 54 total innings of work. The Reds have only won two of his eight road starts, but they did pick up a victory in his most recent one in Toronto at the end of June. In his career against the Cubs, Harang is 8-5 with a 4.57 ERA and 1.327 WHIP in 17 overall starts.

Ryan Dempster’s hard work this past off-season continues to pay off for the Cubbies as they’ve now won 13 of his 18 starts overall. He pitched well enough to grab his first road win his last time out, but Carlos Marmol’s poor effort erased the three-run lead he held against the Giants before getting yanked. He once again had to settle for the no decision and is still in search of his first road victory of the season. Dempster’s story at home is the main reason he was elected to represent the Cubs in the upcoming All Star Game. He’s a perfect 9-0 with a 2.71 ERA and 1.15 WHIP allowing just 50 hits and 21 runs with 30 more K’s than walks (56/26) in 66+ innings of work. Chicago has won all 10 of his Wrigley Field starts.

Oddsmakers opened the Cubs steep -170 home favorites in tonight’s baseball betting affair, with the ‘total’ set at 9 under -115. 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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