posted June 26, 2008 at 13:10 EST in MLB Free Picks

All was right with “Cub Nation” at Wrigley last night when they evened up the three-game sports betting series with Baltimore at a game apiece after exploding early and holding the lead in last night’s MLB online betting affair. They wasted no time getting to starting pitcher Matt Albers, who was a last second replacement for Brian Burres who got scratched due to a tummy ache. After the dust cleared in the initial frame of the game, MLB bettors that backed the home team were greeted with a four-run lead after Chicago batted around the order. Ted Lilly made a couple of mistakes that got crushed, but he managed to throw seven innings of four-run ball to secure his eighth win of the season. More importantly, the victory allowed the Cubs to reclaim the game they lost to St. Louis last night and now sit 4.5-games atop the NL Central Division. The baseball betting faithful that expected Chicago to bounce back from last night’s loss saw the cash cow pay off once again increasing the leagues best home mark to a stellar 33-9 overall and plus a whopping $1930.00. As for Baltimore, they currently sit two games over .500 at 39-37 and trail the Boston Red Sox by 7.5-games in the NL East. On the road, they now sit at 17-25, and have cost its betting backers $255.00 as a visitor. They’ll look to secure the road series win today before heading to Washington to take on the rival Nationals.

Getting the call in the third and final game of the series will be right-hander Radhames Liz for his fifth start of the season. He enters this afternoons start 1-0 on the year with a lofty 6.27 ERA and 1.34 WHIP allowing 16 hits and 13 runs with a K/BB ratio of 14/9 in 18+ total innings of work. Even though he sports a lofty ERA, the O’s have won three of his four starts this year, and they’re 2-1 when he’s toed the bump as a visitor. This fly ball pitcher got roughed up in his last outing at Milwaukee where he got rocked for five runs and four hits in just two innings of work. He’ll have his work cut out for him in this spot if the winds blowing out against a potent Cubbies offense.

Opposing the Dominican will be Cubs right-hander Jason Marquis who will be making his first back-to-back Wrigley starts since the beginning of May. He enters his turn in the rotation 6-3 overall with a 4.43 ERA and 1.48 WHIP. He’s allowed 89 hits and 43 runs (40 earned) while striking out 41 and issuing 31 free passes in 81+ innings of total work. Jason has really turned it around of late evidenced by his body of work over his last five starts. He’s 3-0 with a solid 2.66 ERA and 0.93 WHIP over his L/3 starts allowing a total of seven runs and 15 hits in just over 20 innings of work. The Cubs have won five of his seven home starts this year, and that number could increase with Baltimore hitting a paltry .238 on the road vs. righties this season.

Oddsmakers opened the Cubs lofty –170 home favorites in today’s baseball betting affair, with the ‘total’ yet to be determined. 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 afternoon’s first pitch.

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