Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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08-21-17 | Mariners v. Braves OVER 9.5 | Top | 6-5 | Win | 100 | 10 h 12 m | Show |
Rickenbach Monday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Atlanta Braves vs Seattle Mariners @ 7:35 ET - The Braves Mike Foltynewicz has been roughed up in 3 of his last 4 starts. The Atlanta right-hander has struggled to command his curveball and slider and the results have been rough. Foltynewicz has allowed 5 earned runs or more in 3 of his last 4 starts and none of those 3 poor outings saw him log more than 4 innings! Now he faces a fired up Seattle team off of a shutout loss. The Mariners have a solid lineup and they had scored 7 runs in each of their prior 3 games before being shutdown yesterday. The over is 6-0-1 in the last 7 starts that Foltynewicz has made and I expect another over here because the M's Andrew Albers is unlikely to enjoy success. The southpaw has pitched in the minors for much of his career and this will be just his 2nd start this season. Keep in mind he has been hit at a .286 clip at the major league level in 18 appearances (13 starts) in his career. The left-hander also has been hit at a .279 clip in his entire minor league career including getting hit at .305 or better in 2 of his last 3 years in the minors at the AAA level. The Braves have averaged 7.3 runs per game in their last 4 games and they'll stay hot at the plate tonight. Yesterday's 8-1 Atlanta win barely stayed under the total but the over was 6-3 in Braves games heading into that one. Seattle is 14-9 to the over after getting shutout and also 34-19 to the over in interleague games. The over is on a 19-9 run in Atlanta's games versus teams with a winning record this season and also the Braves are 9-5 to the over in inter-league action this season. 10* OVER the total in Atlanta early Monday evening. |
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08-20-17 | Cardinals v. Pirates OVER 9.5 | Top | 3-6 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 52 m | Show |
ESPN Game of the Year - Rickenbach Sunday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Pittsburgh Pirates vs St Louis Cardinals @ 7 ET - The Cardinals are on a 12-1 run to the over in their last 13 games after yesterday's 6-4 loss went over the total. Both of these teams continue to have bullpen issues and are swinging the bats quite well. The Cardinals have averaged scoring nearly 8 runs per game in their last 13 games! The Pirates have averaged scoring 7 runs per game in their last 4 games. Really the only question than for this one than comes down to the starting pitcher. The fact is that this is perhaps the strongest edge of all when it comes to this play! The Cardinals are starting Mike Leake and he has an 8.81 ERA in his last 3 starts and has given up 28 hits in the 15 and 1/3 innings spanning those 3 outings. He'll be opposed by Ivan Nova who is off of a solid outing at Milwaukee but had gone into that game having compiled a 6.67 ERA in his 5 starts since the All Star break. As you can see from these numbers, neither one of these pitchers has been getting the job done recently. Additionally, the Pirates lineup will be facing Leake for the 4th time already this season and they've had 20 hits in 17 and 1/3 innings against him thus far. Based on his current form, this could really be a breakout game for the Pittsburgh bats. As for the Cardinals, though they didn't fare well against Nova earlier this season at least that means they have seen him already and their lineup is truly one of the hottest in baseball right now. Couple that with Nova's recent struggles and St Louis should stay red hot at the plate in this one. Not only is the over 12-1 in the Cards last 13 games, STL is also 13-4 to the over in Sunday games this season. That means we're testing a combined 25-5 (83%) mark here! Count me in! 10* OVER the total in Pittsburgh |
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08-20-17 | Brewers v. Rockies OVER 12.5 | Top | 8-4 | Loss | -105 | 8 h 60 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach Sunday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Colorado Rockies vs Milwaukee Brewers @ 3:10 ET - Yesterday's 6-3 Brewers win stayed under the total but the teams did combine for 21 hits. Overall Milwaukee has now averaged 6.1 runs per game in their last 7 games. The Rockies, prior to the loss last night, had averaged 9.7 runs per game in their last 3 games. As you can see, both these teams have been swinging the bats quite well and that should result in plenty of runs on a warm and very dry afternoon in Denver. The ball will be carrying extremely well at Coors Field, even though the wind will not be blowing out, as a result of the weather conditions. Kyle Freeland gets the start for the Rockies and he has given up 4 homers in his last 17 and 1/3 innings on the mound. He has been hit quite hard in many of his starts since mid-June and I expect more of the same here. As for the Brewers, Chase Anderson is returning from the disabled list and he got rocked in his rehab start at the AAA level in the minors. Also, this will be the 3rd time in the past 12 months that the Rockies are seeing Anderson and it is the first time at Coors Field. Anderson had allowed 4 earned runs in 3 of his last 5 road starts before lasting just 1 inning at Cincinnati on June 28th and then landing on the DL. The over is 15-9 in Brewers games versus left-handed starters this season. Also, the over was 5-1 in Anderson's last 6 road starts before he lasted just 1 inning against the Reds and went on the shelf. His road struggles resume here but his teammates stay hot at the plate. The expected result is a slugfest! 10* OVER The total in Colorado Sunday afternoon |
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08-19-17 | A's v. Astros OVER 9.5 | Top | 0-3 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 27 m | Show |
Total Crusher - Rickenbach Saturday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Houston Astros vs Oakland A's @ 7:10 ET - After scoring 9 runs in back to back games, the Astros bats have been rather quiet the past two games. Facing the A's Kendall Graveman should help them wake up in a hurry. Oakland is 1-4 in Graveman's 5 road starts this season and he has compiled a 7.20 ERA in those outings. Being divisional foes, these lineups have familiarity with the pitchers they're facing today and Collin McHugh is also likely to struggle here. The Astros are only 1-4 in his 5 starts since he returned from an elbow injury that kept him out for the first half of this season. McHugh has allowed 9 earned runs in just 11 innings spanning his last two starts. He's facing an A's team that had averaged 6.2 runs per game in their last 6 games before being held to just 1 run yesterday. The A's had gone over in 4 of their last 5 games prior to yesterday's pitchers duel and they had reached double digits in hits in 4 of their last 6 games. Oakland's 38 doubles in the month of August is 2nd out of all 30 MLB teams and they've been one of the better hitting teams this month. Of course the Astros are one of the top teams in baseball and loaded with plenty of hitting prowess. The over is 31-19 in Athletics games against teams with a winning record this season. The over is 16-9 in the Astros last 25 games against teams with a losing record on the year. 10* OVER the total in Houston |
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08-19-17 | Mariners v. Rays OVER 9 | Top | 7-6 | Win | 100 | 10 h 29 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach Saturday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Tampa Bay Rays vs Seattle Mariners @ 6:10 ET - Certainly the Rays have been struggling at the plate overall and they had a rough time yesterday with just 1 run on 4 hits. However, Tampa Bay had started to show signs of turning the corner before yesterday's poor effort as they had tallied 31 hits in their last 3 games. The key to the value in today's play is that the Rays can resume the turnaround at the plate because they are facing a hurler that is struggling. Ariel Miranda gets the start for the Mariners here and the southpaw is winless with an 8.21 ERA in his last 3 starts. Also, he has given up 5 homers in his last two road starts. Seattle also should have no trouble at the plate today either. The Mariners have scored 7 runs in back to back games and Jake Odorizzi has struggled with location of his pitches in recent starts and this has resulted in shortened outings and some overall ineffectiveness. The way the M's are swinging the bats they could make him pay in a hurry here and they have gotten to Odorizzi for 13 runs (8 earned) in the 8 innings spanning his last two starts versus Seattle. The over is 6-0 in his last 6 home starts this season and odds are favoring another one here! 10* OVER the total in Tampa Bay early Saturday evening. |
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08-18-17 | Calgary -4 v. BC | Top | 21-17 | Push | 0 | 27 h 46 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach Friday CFL 10* Top Play Calgary Stampeders (-) @ BC Lions @ 10:30 ET - Many are likely to back BC here as they are at home and have revenge from getting blasted out of the postseason 42-15 by Calgary in November. However, the Lions are loaded with issues here. Not only did they just play on the road Saturday (making this a short rest situation), BC also has issues at QB. Jonathan Jennings returned last week but he was simply awful at Saskatchewan and he will be facing a much tougher D this week. Adding to the disadvantage for the Lions here is the fact that the Stampeders have extra rest since they are off of their by week. Also, Calgary has been firing on all cylinders with a perfect 3-0 SU and ATS run heading into this one while the Lions have lost 2 of 3 SU and 3 of 4 ATS as they prepare for the Stampeders here. Calgary has covered 4 of the last 6 meetings and also has dominated to the tune of an 8-1 SU record in the last 9 meetings. There is simply a lot for BC to overcome here and I don't see that happening. The fact the Stampeders opened up as a 5 point road favorite tells you a lot about this match-up. Look for the better team to comfortably pull away as this game goes on. The Stampeders are 4-0 SU and ATS when off of a bye week and also are on a 7-1 ATS run in road games with a posted total of 52 points or more. Look for them to roll here as the Lions, no matter how motivated, just aren't playing very good football right now and have QB concerns which is a huge factor in any football league but of particular concern in the pass-happy CFL. 10* CALGARY |
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08-18-17 | Cardinals v. Pirates OVER 8 | Top | 11-10 | Win | 100 | 13 h 56 m | Show |
Total Crusher - Rickenbach Friday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Pittsburgh Pirates vs St Louis Cardinals @ 7:05 ET - With two starting pitchers on good runs and that have strong overall numbers, this total is being held lower than it should be. The fact is that, with yesterday's 11-7 slug-fest win, the Cardinals are 10-1 to the over in their last 11 games. Also, none of the 11 games have totaled less than 9 runs so, with a posted total at 8 runs (like today's currently is), the Cards would be on an 11-0 run to the over! They should have no trouble with the offerings of the Pirates Trevor Williams. They just saw the right-hander last month and, although they managed only 2 runs against him, the Cardinals pounded Williams to the tune of 10 hits in 5 and 2/3 innings. As you can see from those numbers, there were simply some wasted opportunities. Even though the Cardinals Carlos Martinez was strong in his start versus the Pirates last month, the fact that Pittsburgh is getting another look at him just a month later should help them. Though Martinez has been pitching well he did allow 2 homers in his most recent road start. He has been more susceptible to the long ball away from home this season and the wind is expected to be blowing out for this one. Martinez is 6-3 at home this season but only 3-6 on the road and the Pirates are 5-2 in their last 7 home games and have averaged scoring 5.6 runs per game in those 7 games. With both teams having shaky bullpen work of late as well, this one should easily get over the low number. 10* OVER the total in Pittsburgh early Friday evening |
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08-17-17 | Edmonton v. Winnipeg OVER 58.5 | Top | 26-33 | Win | 100 | 12 h 19 m | Show |
Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach CFL 10* Top Play OVER the total in Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs Edmonton Eskimos @ 8:30 ET - Two of the highest scoring teams in the league matched up here. Last week saw all 4 games in CFL action stay under the total. Don't look for a repeat of that this week and, in fact, the under streak should end right away here with Thursday's game. 4 of the last 6 meetings between these teams in Winnipeg have gone over the total. Edmonton's Mike Reilly led the Eskimos to another win last week as they remain undefeated on the season but he did throw 2 picks and is ready to atone for that performance here. The Blue Bombers Matt Nichols is also having a huge season under center thus far and he has helped lead Winnipeg to a tally of 33 points or more in 5 consecutive games. With Edmonton undefeated and the Blue Bombers on a scoring spree, don't be surprised if EACH team gets to 33 in this game as only winless Hamilton has been worse defensively than Winnipeg. In other words, the Blue Bombers can put up big points but they also give them up big time. Last week was a rare exception as they held the struggling and still winless Tiger-Cats to just 12 points. They're not facing the Ti-Cats this week! Shootout expected between Reilly and Nichols in this one as they each continue to be gunslingers! The over is on a 15-8 run when the Eskimos are on a winning streak of 2 games or more. The over is on a 15-9 run in Blue Bombers divisional games. 10* OVER the total in Winnipeg |
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08-17-17 | Cardinals v. Pirates OVER 9 | Top | 11-7 | Win | 100 | 10 h 31 m | Show |
Total Crusher - Rickenbach Thursday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Pittsburgh Pirates vs St Louis Cardinals @ 7:05 ET - In 8 innings spanning his last two starts, the Cardinals Adam Wainwright has walked 8 while striking out just 1. That doesn't bode well for the Cards right-hander as he faces the Pirates Thursday evening. Pittsburgh scored 6 runs yesterday to get their offense back on track and they'll take advantage of facing a struggling right-hander whom they are very familiar with because St Louis is a division rival. The issue for the Pirates here will be their own pitching as James Taillon has endured some recent struggles. Taillon has a 9.95 ERA in his last 4 starts and he has allowed 45 hits in his last 29 and 1/3 innings. The righty is giving the Cardinals a 3rd look at him in a span of less than 2 months and he has a 4.91 ERA in the first two outings. The Cards hit him harder when they just faced him last month and St Louis comes into this game on a 9-1 run to the over! St Louis has averaged scoring 7.5 runs per game in these 10 games and I look for another big day at the plate from them in this one. Look for bullpen struggles to continue for each of these teams tonight as well as it was their downfall again in their respective games yesterday as well. 10* OVER the total in Pittsburgh |
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08-16-17 | Cardinals v. Red Sox OVER 9.5 | Top | 4-5 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 31 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach Wednesday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Red Sox vs St Louis Cardinals @ 7:10 ET - With yesterday's 10-4 win, Boston is now 10-2 in the month of August and they've averaged 6.2 runs per game during this hot stretch. The Cardinals have now lost 2 straight but that was after winning 8 in a row and yesterday's high-scoring loss was their 9th straight over! Thanks, in part, to an offense that has averaged 7.9 runs per game in their last nine games, St Louis is on a perfect 9-0 run to the over. In interleague games this season the Cards are an incredible 14-2 to the over. The Red Sox, the last 3 seasons combined, are now 31-21 to the over in interleague action. Lance Lynn gets the start for the Cardinals and he has allowed 16 homers in his 13 road starts this season and has an ERA that in nearly a full run higher on the road compared to at home. Eduardo Rodriguez gets the start for Boston and the Cardinals did see him in May which should help them tonight. Of course it also helps that they've been red hot at the plate and are seeing the ball very well right now. The Red Sox lefthander has a 5.57 ERA in his last 6 starts. That said, even though he's off of a strong start, Rodriguez still hasn't been the same pitcher overall since he came off of the disabled list. Also, his ERA in night games is more than a full run higher than in day games this season. Look for the over to improve to a 10-0 run in St Louis games. 10* OVER the total in Boston |
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08-15-17 | Cardinals v. Red Sox OVER 10 | Top | 4-10 | Win | 100 | 24 h 14 m | Show |
Rickenbach Tuesday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Red Sox vs St Louis Cardinals @ 7:10 ET - Wind will be blowing out to left field at Fenway Park on Tuesday evening. The Red Sox will have Rick Porcello on the mound. The veteran right-hander was giving up hits in bunches earlier this season but kept managing to escape with little damage done. You knew it had to eventually catch up with him and, sure enough, he has given up 9 earned runs in his last two home starts. In his last 3 starts overall, Porcello has allowed 5 homers and he has now given up 28 on the season. The weather will be favorable for the Cardinals to get some big hits in this game. The problem for St Louis is that Mike Leake takes the mound and he has a 5.62 ERA in his last 3 starts and he has been rocked for 19 hits in 11 innings in his last 2 starts. These pitchers matched up on May 17th in St Louis and the game went over the total with the hurlers combining to allow 16 hits in 13 innings. The Red Sox, entering Monday, are 9-1 so far in August and have averaged scoring 6.1 runs per game. The Cardinals are off of a loss but previously had won 8 straight games and the Cards scored an average of 8.5 runs per game in those 8 games. The over is 13-2 in Cardinals inter-league games this season. The over is 11-5 in Boston's Tuesday games this season. Both these teams have solid bullpens but these two lineups have been red hot and I look for more of the same on Tuesday evening. 10* OVER the total in Boston |
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08-14-17 | Reds v. Cubs OVER 9.5 | Top | 5-15 | Win | 100 | 10 h 18 m | Show |
Game of the Month Total - Rickenbach Monday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Cubs vs Cincinnati Reds @ 8:05 ET - Just a light wind expected at Wrigley Field this evening but it will be blowing out. It will aid the hitters in a hitter-friendly park on a mild summer evening in Chicago. The Cubs will have Jose Quintana on the mound here and he has given up 10 runs (9 earned) in 11 innings in his last two starts. The southpaw has given up 4 homers in those two outings and the Reds come into town swinging the bats well. Cincinnati lost 7-4 yesterday but that was their 8th straight over. The over is 8-0 in the Reds last 8 games thanks in part to the fact that Cincy has averaged scoring 7 runs per game during this hot streak. They won't be the only lineup putting up some big numbers tonight. The Cubs scored 7 runs or more in 2 of their 3 games at Arizona this weekend and they now return home where they have averaged scoring 6 runs per game in their last 6 games. They should have no trouble with the offerings of Asher Wojciechowski. Although the Reds right-hander is off of a respectable start he did allow 2 homers for the 2nd time in his last 3 starts and all those starts were at home. Now he's back on the road where he has an 8.00 ERA in his two starts and he has allowed 4 homers in those outings as well. In other words, look for more struggles here on a homer-friendly night in a homer-friendly venue! The over is 7-1 this season when the Reds are a road dog of +175 to +250 and the over is 17-6 this season when the Cubs are a home favorite of -175 to -250. Look for another slugfest here adding to Cincinnati's 8-0 run to the over. 10* OVER the total in the Chicago Cubs game |
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08-14-17 | Rays v. Blue Jays OVER 9.5 | Top | 1-2 | Loss | -115 | 11 h 53 m | Show |
Rickenbach Monday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Blue Jays vs Tampa Bay Rays @ 7:05 ET - The Rays have not been hitting the ball well at all but they finally get a chance to break out of their slump as they face a struggling Nick Tepesch in this one. The Blue Jays right-hander has made two starts this season and he lost them both plus compiled a 9.67 ERA in the process. Tepesch allowed 3 homers in less than 5 innings of work in his most recent start which was at home against the Yankees last week. The Rays are starting Jake Odorizzi in this one and the right-hander gave up 5 runs (3 earned) in just 4 and 1/3 innings in his lone start at Toronto this season. The Blue Jays won 7-1 yesterday and have averaged 5.4 runs per game in their last dozen games. Not only was Odorizzi struggling with a high pitch count in his most recent start but he took a line drive off his foot too. Look for him to labor again in this start as the Jays are heating up again with 7 wins in their last 11 games. Both of the starts Tepesch has made this season have resulted in overs and the over is also 9-1 in Odorizzi's last 10 starts! 10* OVER the total in Toronto |
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08-13-17 | BC v. Saskatchewan +2 | Top | 8-41 | Win | 100 | 25 h 4 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach Sunday CFL 10* Top Play Saskatchewan Roughriders (+) vs BC Lions @ 8 ET - The Roughriders were done in by turnovers in last week's match-up at BC and dug a 30-0 hole. Though the points came late in the game, look for the 15 points scored late in the 4th quarter to build some momentum and confidence for Saskatchewan coming into this game. Also, with the Lions on a long winning streak versus the Riders, it is rather easy for BC to look right past Saskatchewan to a huge game on deck with Calgary. The Stampeders are just ahead of the Lions in the standings while the Roughriders are dead last in the division. As a result, I smell an upset here. Adding to the value with Saskatchewan in this spot is some very powerful history in spots like this. As a home dog of 3 points or less, the Riders are an incredible 19-4 ATS (and SU) their last 23. This is a rare Sunday game (BC's first of the season) and they went 0-4 ATS the past two seasons in Sunday games. Also, the Roughriders have a bye on deck so this home game is HUGE for them and, unlike the Lions, the Riders are not distracted in the least. In fact, they're fully focused on this match-up. Upset alert! 10* SASKATCHEWAN |
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08-13-17 | Seahawks v. Chargers -133 | Top | 48-17 | Loss | -133 | 24 h 52 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach Sunday NFLX 10* Top Play Los Angeles Chargers (-) vs Seattle Seahawks @ 8 ET - The current line as of Saturday evening is -1.5 on LA but I would recommend playing the money line if you have access to it as that is currently as low as -125. There is a lot of value here because many will be looking to back Seattle due to the long-term preseason success of Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. However, even though the core of the Seahawks team is intact that certainly is not as critical in a Week 1 games and Seattle just doesn't have the same quality of depth that they use to. That opens up the door for the hungry Chargers here. Keep in mind this is their LA debut and they have a new head coach. This is a very hungry Chargers team that is highly motivated for this game. Motivation goes a long way in the preseason and this is particularly true in the Week 1 and Week 4 games because those are the games where the starters see such little time. That said, the highly motivated Chargers facing a Seahawks team that doesn't have the depth they used to sets this one up nicely. The line could easily be much higher but, as noted above, the Seahawks historical success under Carroll in the preseason is keeping this line in check. Los Angeles is off of back to back disappointing campaigns and they are hungry to instill a winning culture early on as they don't want to start things off on the wrong foot in their new home in LA. Yes, it's only preseason but this game means more to a new coach and hungry team in a new venue than it does to a veteran team that has made it to the Super Bowl twice in recent seasons. 10* LOS ANGELES CHARGERS |
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08-13-17 | Orioles v. A's OVER 9.5 | Top | 3-9 | Win | 100 | 8 h 46 m | Show |
10* Top Play OVER the total in Oakland A's vs Baltimore Orioles @ 4:05 ET - Baltimore won 12-5 yesterday and both of these teams are "feeling it" right now. The Orioles have averaged 5.8 runs per game in their last 14 games. The Athletics have averaged 5.3 runs per game in their last 13 games. Jeremy Hellickson has pitched surprisingly well so far for Oakland since coming over from the Phillies but he did start to get hit hard late in his 2nd start at LA against the Angels. That is a sign of things to come here the way the A's are swinging the bats right now. Also, the ball carries better in day games compared to night games on the west coast and the wind will be blowing out at a good clip in Oakland today. The A's send Kendall Graveman to the mound for this one and he has allowed 11 runs (10 earned) in just 7 and 1/3 innings since returning to the rotation for Oakland. Also, he is 1-2 with a 7.71 ERA in his 4 career starts versus Baltimore. The over is 13-4 in Orioles Sunday games and 11-6 in Athletics Sunday games this season. 10* OVER the total in Oakland |
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08-12-17 | Indians v. Rays OVER 8 | Top | 3-0 | Loss | -100 | 22 h 31 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Saturday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Tampa Bay Rays vs Cleveland Indians @ 6:10 ET - The Rays Chris Archer certainly has strong numbers on the season but he has allowed 4 homers in his last 3 starts and did allow 7 earned runs in 12 innings in his two starts prior to a strong effort versus the Brewers in his most recent start. The real key to this play is that the Indians have been a nemesis for Archer throughout his career. The Rays right-hander is 0-6 with a 6.00 ERA in his 6 career starts versus Cleveland. Mike Clevinger gets this start for the Indians and he had been pitching so poorly that he was relegated to bullpen duty. His lone appearance out of the bullpen didn't go well either and now here is making a start again. I won't hesitate to step in and take advantage because he had allowed 5 earned runs in each of his last two starts prior to having a rough outing coming out of the bullpen as well. Neither team has been hitting the ball particularly well of late (at least heading into Friday) and that is why this is a contrarian play as many will likely look to the under here. However, that just means additional value for us with a low total posted on this game even though Clevinger is struggling and Archer has had a history of struggles versus Cleveland. Look for the over to improve to 11-5 in Archer's night game starts this season. 10* OVER the total in Tampa Bay |
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08-11-17 | Twins v. Tigers OVER 10.5 | Top | 9-4 | Win | 100 | 9 h 26 m | Show |
Rickenbach Friday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Tigers vs Minnesota Twins @ 7:10 ET - The over is 3-0 in the Tigers last 3 games after yesterday's loss to Pittsburgh totaled a dozen runs. It should be another crazy game in Detroit today with Anibal Sanchez and Kyle Gibson squaring off in this one. The Tigers Sanchez has a 7.92 ERA in his five starts since the All Star Break and the big ERA is certainly no fluke. Sanchez has been roughed up for 40 hits in 25 innings. The Twins come into this game on a hot streak as they've won 5 straight games. However, their issue today won't be at the plate as their issue is on the mound. Gibson gets the start for Minnesota this evening and he has a 6.75 ERA in his last 4 starts. Even though he had a strong start versus the Tigers recently, he had previously given up 11 earned runs in just 6 and 2/3 innings spanning his two prior starts versus Detroit. That said, don't surprised if the Detroit lineup takes advantage of having just faced Gibson 3 weeks ago. Each of Gibson's two home starts versus the Tigers went over the total and he also got pounded in his lone visit to Detroit this season. Sanchez has given up 9 earned runs in less than 10 innings of work spanning his last two home starts and they both flew over the total. He also got roughed up badly in his most recent road start so Sanchez certainly is showing no signs of turning the corner yet. That said, take advantage here! 10* OVER the total in Detroit |
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08-10-17 | Mets v. Phillies +150 | Top | 10-0 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 36 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Thursday MLB 10* Top Play Philadelphia Phillies Money Line (+) vs New York Mets @ 7:05 ET - The Mets lost to the Rangers yesterday and have now lost 10 of their last 13 games. The Phillies beat the Braves yesterday and they've now won 3 straight games and 12 of their last 20. Philadelphia has been a streaky team and this is their 3rd straight streak of 3 or more consecutive wins since the All Star break while they've only lost more than 2 games in a row once since the break. Even though the Mets have Jacob deGrom on the mound in this one they don't have the huge pitching edge one might think. He was frustrated in his most recent start as he was pulled for a pinch-hitter after just 5 innings. The mental aspect of pitching is very important and I expect deGrom to "over-throw" against the Phillies at that will result in some "mistake pitches" for him. That will prove to be detrimental as Philadelphia is a dangerous home dog here particularly with Vincent Velasquez on the mound. Velasquez has allowed just 9 hits in his last 12 innings on the mound. Also, at home this season he has struck out 42 in 37 and 1/3 innings. In his last 3 starts versus the Mets he has given up only 15 hits in 16 innings. In his time in Philly he has come up with a number of "big game" starts for the Phillies and they view the Mets as a key divisional rival. Velasquez and the Phils will be sky high for this game as they look to make it 4 straight wins. That said, there is tremendous underdog value being offered here. The Mets aren't too far ahead of the Phillies in the standings this season, the Phils are actually 2nd in the NL since the All Star break with a .270 batting average while the Mets are near the bottom of the NL with a .244 mark since the break. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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08-09-17 | Red Sox v. Rays OVER 9 | Top | 8-2 | Win | 100 | 22 h 38 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Wednesday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox @ 7:10 ET - This is a "contrarian" play because Rick Porcello and Jake Odorizzi are both respected starting pitchers overall and because the Rays have been struggling at the plate recently. Of course long-time followers know I like to be a contrarian and, in this case, there is plenty of reason to expect both Porcello and Odorizzi to get rocked in this one. Even though Porcello has pitched better of late he still has a 5.31 ERA in his last 3 starts and he allowed 6 homers in those outings. Also, though he pitched well against the Rays at Tampa in his most recent start versus them, they've given him trouble overall this season. TB has gotten to Porcello for 13 runs (11 earned) in just 10 and 1/3 innings in his two prior starts versus them this season. As for Odorizzi, he's coming off of the disabled list (back injury) for this one but, like Porcello, he has had trouble with the longball too. The Rays right-hander has given up 5 homers in his last 3 starts and that included a very ugly outing versus the Red Sox. Odorizzi has now given up 9 earned runs in his last 8 and 1/3 innings versus Boston. Though last night's game between these clubs was a pitchers duel, the Red Sox had previously scored 6.5 runs per game in going 6-2 in their prior 8 games. Look for the over to improve to 12-6 on the season in Rays Wednesday games. Also, the over is 8-1 in Odorizzi's last 9 starts! More of the same early Wednesday evening. 10* OVER the total in Tampa Bay |
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08-08-17 | Rangers v. Mets OVER 9 | Top | 4-5 | Push | 0 | 2 h 29 m | Show |
NOTE: AJ Griffin now getting the start for the Rangers but this is still a play for me. Griffin has a 7.27 ERA in his night starts this season. Also, the past two seasons combined Griffin has been hit much harder by lefties than righties and the Mets are loaded with left-handed sticks and switch-hitters. That will prove to make them a tough match-up for Griffin in this one. 10* OVER in New York Mets; here is the original write-up: Rickenbach Tuesday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Mets vs Texas Rangers @ 7:10 ET - The Mets Chris Flexen is only in the starting rotation due to injuries for New York. Once Robert Gsellman is back then Flexen will not be starting any longer. He just turned 23 early last month and, prior to this year, he had never even pitched above the Single A level in the minors. Not surprisingly, Flexen is struggling at the MLB level. He has given up 9 runs (8 earned) on 13 hits and 5 walks in just 6 innings spanning his two MLB starts. Keep in mind that the Mets also have a weak bullpen. That said, Flexen is likely to be an early exit again and that will expose New York's bullpen weakness again. As fro the New York lineup, they are a solid hitting team but off of a shutout loss Sunday night. Look for the Mets to respond in a big way tonight and, in fact, the over is a perfect 4-0 in Mets games this season when they are off of a shutout loss. They'll be facing the Rangers Andrew Cashner whom has not been as strong on the road as he has been at home this season. He is 3-6 with a 4.34 ERA away from home this year. Also, he is winless in four career starts versus the Mets and has compiled a 7.29 ERA and 1.86 WHIP in those four outings. Look for the over to improve to 3-0 in Flexen's rookie season starts. Also, the over is 9-2 in Mets Tuesday games this season and 50-18 in their night games this year! The Rangers have averaged scoring 5.6 runs per game in their last 12 games and the Mets will respond off of a home shutout loss to improve that over record to 5-0 YTD. 10* OVER the total in New York Mets |
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08-07-17 | Brewers v. Twins OVER 9 | Top | 4-5 | Push | 0 | 12 h 1 m | Show |
Rickenbach Monday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Twins vs Milwaukee Brewers @ 8:10 ET - Both these clubs have been trending under of late but the odds makers hung an opener of 9.5 on this total with good reason. That said, the fact the early movement has knocked this total down to a 9 (with the over also available at plus money) means we're getting exceptional line value here. The Twins send Ervin Santana to the mound for this one and he is off of a complete game effort at San Diego in his most impressive start. As impressive as that is, the last two times Santana has thrown a complete game effort it seems to take something out of him over his next few starts. After his last two complete games, in his next game he has combined for allowing 14 hits and 6 walks in just 11 innings of work. That works out to a 1.81 WHIP. Overall, prior to his solid start versus the Padres, Santana had given up 4 earned runs or more in 5 of his last 8 starts. Keep in mind, the Twins right-hander had a 5.46 ERA in the months of June and July combined. His full season numbers look impressive enough and he is off of a strong start but you can see why this is giving bettors some "hidden value" in this one. Over the past 2+ months Santana has had trouble stringing together quality starts. As for the Brewers, Brent Suter gets the call in this one. The 2nd year pitcher is off of a tough start where he allowed 5 earned runs in 5 and 1/3 innings. Also, that start was at home and note that on the road Suter has allowed 12 hits in less than 11 innings spanning his last two starts away from home. The over is 6-3 this season (and 25-16 the last 3 seasons combined) in Milwaukee's Monday games. The over is 24-14 in Twins home games the last 3 seasons combined when they're a favorite in the -125 to -175 range. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota |
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08-06-17 | Phillies v. Rockies OVER 11 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -100 | 6 h 36 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach Sunday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Colorado Rockies vs Philadelphia Phillies @ 3:10 ET - Yesterday's game got over the total and the Phillies have been hitting better in their last 10 games. Philadelphia should have no trouble with the offerings of the Rockies Jeff Hoffman. The Colorado right-hander has a 10.38 ERA in his last 3 starts and also has a 7.05 ERA at hitter-friendly Coors Field this season. As for the Phils Aaron Nola, I am well aware of the fact that he has been pitching extremely well with a 2nd best franchise record 8 consecutive starts allowing 2 runs or less. In fact, you almost have to feel bad for the guy as he has to now put the streak on the line at the most hitter-friendly venue in the bigs. The problem for Nola is that this is his first ever start at Coors Field and the ball reacts differently here. He won't be able to get the movement he is use to getting on his pitches and the Rockies have been red hot at the plate in home games. Colorado not only scored 8 runs in yesterday's win, they've averaged 8 runs per game in their last 11 home games. Look for more of the same this afternoon and this one should fly over the total just like yesterday's match-up did. 10* OVER the total in Colorado |
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08-05-17 | Saskatchewan v. BC OVER 55.5 | Top | 15-30 | Loss | -105 | 25 h 12 m | Show |
Total of the Year - Rickenbach Saturday CFL 10* Top Play OVER the total in BC Lions vs Saskatchewan Roughriders @ 7 ET - Off of a loss last week BC is fired up. They will respond here and put up a ton of points at home. Saskatchewan's defense has struggled to stop both of the divisional opponents they have seen this season and it certainly won't get any easier against the potent offense of the Lions. BC has averaged 38 points per game in their last 4 games versus the Roughriders and they've scored 40 points or more in 3 of the 4 contests! The key to the over here is that Saskatchewan's Kevin Glenn has been quite impressive this season. He has thrown for 11 TDs against only 4 interceptions and he is averaging about 320 passing yards per game! I expect Glenn and Company to be dangerous in this one when it comes to the backdoor cover. That's why my play (and a big one at that!) is on the total as I see this game being a back and forth shootout! The Lions were held in check by the Eskimos last week but their defense has been solid this season. Whether it was Jonathan Jennings or Travis Lulay making this start the fact is that the Lions will be moving the ball at ease through the Saskatchewan defense. This is the only West vs West battle this week and that means points, points, and more points as that is what the division is known for. This one has "shootout" written all over it and the over is 4-2 in the last 6 meetings between these teams. The Roughriders gave up the most points in the West last season but their offense struggled badly. This season, with the way Glenn has been playing, the Saskatchewan offense has improved but they still can't stop the potent offenses in their own division. The over is also 4-2 in the Roughriders last 6 road games with a posted total between 52.5 and 56 points. This total has gone from as high as a 57.5 to a 55 as of Friday afternoon and this is offering great value here with the over. As for BC, the over is 8-4 when they are off of a loss in a divisional game and the Lions are also a solid 6-1 to the over in home games with a posted total between 52.5 and 56 points. 10* OVER the total in the BC Lions game Saturday |
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08-05-17 | Brewers v. Rays OVER 8.5 | Top | 3-0 | Loss | -120 | 22 h 50 m | Show |
Global Warning - Rickenbach Saturday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Tampa Bay Rays vs Milwaukee Brewers @ 6:10 ET - The Rays Alex Cobb got rocked in his most recent start. Though it may seem the norm to expect a bounce back after an outing like that, the issue for Cobb is that this could be a sing of things to come. There are some other issues recently that show he's not missing as many bats as he usually does and that was inevitably going to catch up with him. That is what happened at Houston on Monday and the result for Cobb was that he allowed 8 earned runs in only 3 innings of work! This season he has been hit 46 points higher in night starts than in day games and last season, in limited action, Cobb also got rocked with an 11.74 ERA in his 4 night starts. He has given up 5 homers in his last 3 starts and the Brewers are one of the top HR hitting teams in the majors (as are the Rays). Tampa Bay will be facing Zach Davies of the Brewers for the first time. He has put up some impressive numbers recently and has been solid on the road this year. However, Davies pattern last year showed a slow start, some improvement mid-summer and then a tough August. So far he has followed that type of patter this year and I am forecasting another tailing off for him His HR/9, BB/9, K/9 have all trended in the wrong direction from last year. Also, keep in mind, Davies had a 5.56 ERA and got hit at a .306 clip in August of last season. The Rays are 16-10 to the over this season in home games with a posted total of 8 or 8.5 runs and also entered Friday having gone 23-15 to the over in their games against teams with a winning record. 10* OVER the total in Tampa Bay Saturday |
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08-04-17 | Rangers v. Twins OVER 10.5 | Top | 4-8 | Win | 100 | 12 h 32 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Friday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Twins vs Texas Rangers @ 8:10 ET - Yesterday's game was played in damp and chilly air with a strong north wind and temps in the mid-50s. Today's game will be played in temperatures about 20 degrees higher as temps are expected to peak in the mid-70s today in Minneapolis. Couple that with the fact that you have two pitchers likely to get rocked here and you have the perfect set-up for an over. Bartolo Colon is viewed to be pitching better because he has allowed just 3 earned runs in each of his last two starts. However, Colon was in trouble in those outings and the damage clearly could have been worse. The aging right-hander gave up 16 hits (including 3 homers) in those two outings and they spanned just 11 and 1/3 innings. Overall, Colon has a 5.87 ERA in his last 3 starts and a 7.87 ERA on the year. He gave up 5 earned runs in his most recent start versus Texas and this one is likely to be uglier as Colon is so hittable this season! As for the Rangers Martin Perez, he is facing the Twins for the 2nd time this season and this time it is on the road where he has recorded just 1 win in 7 starts. Also, Perez has a 7.79 ERA in his last 3 starts and his strikeout numbers are down too since the All Star break. Colon doesn't register many strikeouts either and that means plenty of contact for the hitters on a milder evening with the wind blowing out toward center at Target Field. The over is 12-4 in Colon's 16 starts this season. The over is 11-4 the last 15 times the Rangers have been on the road in a game with a posted total of 10 or 10.5 runs. The over is a long-term 103-69 in Twins games against teams with a losing record and the over is 5-2 in the last 7 starts Perez has made in addition to that 75% mark on the season for overs in Colon's starts! In other words, a slugfest is to be expected here. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota |
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08-04-17 | Winnipeg v. Ottawa -3.5 | Top | 33-30 | Loss | -105 | 12 h 44 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Friday CFL 10* Top Play Ottawa Redblacks (-) vs Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ 7 ET - The defending Grey Cup Champion Redblacks have had a tough start to the season but this is the ideal spot for them to get back on track. Ottawa is coming off of a much needed bye week and they are 4-2 (both SU and ATS) when off of a bye week in recent seasons. Also, the Redblacks are playing with revenge here as the Blue Bombers handed them a home loss in their most recent meeting late last season. Ottawa is on a 13-7 ATS run in their games against teams with a winning record while Winnipeg is on a 4-10 ATS run in their games against teams with a losing record. The Blue Bombers are allowing 35.8 points per game this season and the Redblacks (after having to face ultra potent Calgary the first two weeks) has seen their defense settle in nicely with only 23.8 points allowed in their last 4 games. The combination of the defensive edge, the rest edge, home field edge, and the revenge angle set this one up perfectly for a big Ottawa win. The Redblacks had won 3 straight (by an average of 7.7 points per game) in this series before that loss late last season. Look for another win by at least 7 points in this one! 10* OTTAWA |
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08-03-17 | Calgary v. Toronto OVER 54 | Top | 41-24 | Win | 100 | 11 h 29 m | Show |
Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach CFL 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Argonauts vs Calgary Stampeders @ 7:30 ET - Toronto is 0-3 against teams from the West and they've allowed 33 points per game in those match-ups. Calgary is averaging 35.5 points per game and I look for the Stampeders offense to stay red hot here. However, Calgary does have a bye week on deck and they allowed just a single point versus Hamilton last week! As result, I expect a let-up from Stampeders defense in this one and that will open the door for the Argonauts to likely "trade scores" with Calgary throughout this game. The Argos Ricky Ray threw for 3 touchdowns and nearly 400 yards in a losing effort at Saskatchewan last week. Toronto is leading the CFL with 380.3 passing yards per game on the season. In other words, don't be surprised if this game turns into an "aerial assault" with both teams marching up and down the field through the air throughout this contest. The over is a perfect 4-0 in Calgary's games against teams from the East this season. Also, the Stampeders are on a long-term run of 21-9 to the over in games played on grass. Look for the over to improve to 8-4 in Argonauts games played in Weeks 5 through 9 the last 3 seasons combined. 10* OVER the total in Toronto Thursday |
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08-02-17 | Rays v. Astros OVER 9 | Top | 3-0 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 7 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach Wednesday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Houston Astros vs Tampa Bay Rays @ 8:10 ET - Perhaps Houston's Dallas Keuchel should worry more about his own pitching and how he gets back on track after coming off of the disabled list rather than dissing his own team for not making moves at the trade deadline. Memo to Keuchel: your team has the best record in the American League (by far) and why change what has been working? In any event look for Keuchel to again get hammered just like he did at Detroit last week in a start that lasted only 3 innings. The southpaw gave up 14 hits in 12 innings in his two starts versus Tampa Bay last season and the Rays come into this match-up heating up at the plate. TB has scored 4 runs or more in 8 of their last 10 games including scoring at least 5 runs 7 times. Of course the Astros have one of the best lineups in baseball even when they're a little banged up. Wednesday they'll take advantage of facing a Rays starter, Austin Pruitt, whom gave up 5 earned runs in 5 innings in his start last week. He may put too much pressure on himself here as he is from the Houston area and went to both high school and college here. This is just his 3rd start in this, his rookie, season as he has mostly worked out of the bullpen. The results have not been good overall. Pruitt has been hit at a .319 clip and compiled a 6.63 ERA this season. The over is 9-2 in the Astros last 11 games. The over is 23-13 in Tampa Bay's games against teams with a winning record this season. Also, the over is 34-18 in Rays games when they are off of a win. Look for the over to improve to 11-5 in Astros Wednesday games this season. 10* OVER the total in Houston |
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08-02-17 | Royals +110 v. Orioles | Top | 0-6 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 7 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Wednesday MLB 10* Top Play Kansas City Royals Money Line (+) @ Baltimore Orioles @ 7:05 ET - The Royals Jason Vargas is 13-4 with a 3.00 ERA on the season. Kansas City comes into this game having won 10 of its last 13 games despite a loss last night. They hold a big pitching edge tonight with Vargas over Jeremy Hellickson. The Orioles acquired the right-hander from the Phillies and this move is a bit of a "reach" in my opinion. Hellickson has a 6.04 ERA in his last 4 starts and now makes his Orioles debut. Facing tougher American League lineups isn't going to do Hellickson any favors and he faces a solid Royals team tonight. The Phillies lost 9 of the last 11 starts Hellickson made and while Baltimore is a better team than Philadelphia not all of those losses were attributable to the hitters. The fact is that Hellickson has been an "up and down" pitcher this season and he is another negative cycle right now. Also, the Orioles are only 26-35 this season in their games against teams with a winning record. Kansas City is on a 39-19 run in August games and the Royals are also 11-6 in their last 17 games against teams with a losing record on the season. KC is 7-2 in the 9 starts that Vargas has made this season and there is every reason to believe they get another W right here early Wednesday evening. 10* KANSAS CITY ROYALS money line |
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07-30-17 | Giants +140 v. Dodgers | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 33 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach Sunday MLB 10* Top Play San Francisco Giants Money Line (+) @ Los Angeles Dodgers @ 8:05 ET - The Giants Madison Bumgarner finally got into the win column Tuesday as he led San Francisco to an 11-3 win over the Pirates. The Giants are still winless in his road starts this season (0-4) but he has a solid 2.89 ERA away from home this season. Bumgarner has held opponents to a .232 batting average this season but he's still not getting his usual respect on the mound because of his poor record and the Giants poor record. However, San Francisco should have no problem scoring against Hyun-Jin Ryu and herein lies the value with his play. The Dodgers southpaw is getting hit at a .280 clip on the season and got hit at a .300 clip last month. In his lone July start after returning to the rotation he allowed 8 baserunners in just 5 innings. Ryu has given up 16 hits in his last 13 innings versus the Giants while Bumgarnger has given up just 9 hits in his last 14 and 1/3 innings versus the Dodgers. Certainly Los Angeles is the better team this season and they've been hot lately while the Giants have been up and down but the pitching edge here for the road dog is too strong to ignore. Bumgarner is the ultimate "gamer" and he wants this game badly on Sunday night with the ESPN cameras rolling. Look for him to give the Giants a fantastic effort here and dominate while Ryu's mediocrity on the mound continues. That will be the difference here and I love the underdog line value. 10* SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS money line |
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07-30-17 | Pirates v. Padres OVER 8.5 | Top | 7-1 | Loss | -105 | 7 h 25 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Sunday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in San Diego Padres vs Pittsburgh Pirates @ 4:40 ET - I am well aware of the fact that the Padres Clayton Richard does a good job of inducing ground balls and therefore he does get a lot of double plays. However, when you're getting hit as hard as he has been getting hit, damage will eventually be done and that certainly has been the case lately for the San Diego southpaw. Richard has gone 0-3 with a 9.86 ERA and ridiculous 2.42 WHIP in his last 3 starts. Look for his struggles to continue here as the Pirates take advantage of facing a struggling hurler and get their bats back on track. Before struggling at the plate in their 3 most recent games, the Pirates had recorded 11 hits or more in 6 of their 9 prior games! With the way Richard has been throwing, Pittsburgh's bats are likely going to resume that type of hitting and reach double digits in hits Sunday afternoon. The Pirates concern is the fact that Gerrit Cole has struggled on the road this season. He gave up only 2 runs Monday but did allow 10 baserunners in just 6 innings at San Francisco. Now Cole faces a red hot Padres team that has won 7 of its last 10 games and averaged scoring 5.4 runs per game during this hot stretch. The Padres are 12-3-1 to the over in their 16 games since the All Star Break. The over is 7-2-1 in Richard's last 10 starts. He has allowed 4 earned runs or more in 5 of his last 6 starts. Also, the Padres are 7-2 to the over this season (and 20-10 to the over the last 3 seasons combined) when they are on a winning streak of 3 games or more. 10* OVER the total in San Diego |
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07-29-17 | Hamilton +13 v. Calgary | Top | 1-60 | Loss | -102 | 13 h 44 m | Show |
CFL Game of the Month - Rickenbach Saturday CFL 10* Top Play Hamilton Tiger-Cats (+) @ Calgary Stampeders @ 9:30 ET - Though Calgary is on normal rest (played exactly one week ago), it certainly helps Hamilton that they've had a couple extra days to prepare for this game. The hungry winless Tiger-Cats haven't played since last Thursday. That was a tight 3-point home loss to the undefeated Edmonton Eskimos and I foresee the Ti-Cats given the equally challenging Stampeders all they can handle in this one as well. Not only does Hamilton have a rest edge here, Calgary has a quick turnaround to look ahead to as well as they have a Thursday match-up at Toronto. The Argonauts are the top team in the East Division standings while the Tiger-Cats are winless and in dead last in the standings. That said, the Stampeders could look right past the Ti-Cats here and who could blame the Stamps? They've won 10 straight meetings between the teams. Even though Calgary has dominated straight-up, Hamilton is 7-3 ATS when off of a 2 or more consecutive losses. Also, the Tiger-Cats have gone 8-2 ATS in weeks 5 through 9 the past 3 seasons combined. In road games with a total of 56 points or more, the Ti-Cats are on a 14-8 ATS run. Also, the Tiger-Cats are 14-7 ATS when they are a road dog in a range of +10.5 to +14 points. The Stampeders are 0-3 ATS against East Division foes this season. Also, in home games with a posted total of 56 points or more, Calgary is on a 14-21 ATS run. Look for this one to be much closer than many are expecting. 10* HAMILTON |
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07-29-17 | Royals +133 v. Red Sox | Top | 8-9 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 36 m | Show |
Money Line Game of the Month - Rickenbach Saturday MLB 10* Top Play Kansas City Royals Money Line (+) @ Boston Red Sox @ 7:10 ET - The Royals have now won 9 straight games after yesterday's 4-2 win. Kansas City has allowed an average of only 3 runs per game during this red hot stretch. That should continue here as Trevor Cahill makes his debut with the Royals after coming over from the Padres. The fact that he hasn't pitched in the American League since 2011 is a big edge for him here as the Red Sox aren't very familiar with Cahill. He hasn't faced Boston since the 2011 season. Cahill has a solid 3.69 ERA on the season as a starter and I am expecting a successful debut for him here. As for Boston starter Eduardo Rodriguez, struggles are likely. The Red Sox are 0-3 in the southpaw's last 3 starts and he has compiled a 7.72 ERA during this rough stretch. Also, Rodriguez allowed 5 earned runs in just 5 and 1/3 innings when he most recently faced the Royals last August. While KC has been red hot, the Red Sox have lost 5 of their last 6 games. Also, Boston has scored an average of only 3.3 runs per game in their 15 games since the All Star Break! The Royals have excelled in this price range all season long and they did it again yesterday. Look for KC to improve to 12-6 this season as a road dog of +125 to +175. As you would expect with those types of underdog prices, the Royals current 11-6 run in that price range has picked up nearly $10,000 in net profits at a dime per game. More of the same expected Saturday. 10* KANSAS CITY |
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07-28-17 | BC v. Edmonton -130 | Top | 26-37 | Win | 100 | 11 h 34 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass CFL Friday 10* Top Play Edmonton Eskimos (-) vs BC Lions @ 9:30 ET - Even though this is a revenge game for the Lions, the Eskimos should hold the upper hand here! BC has had to go with Travis Lulay at QB due to the Jonathan Jennings injury. Even though they have won back to back games with Lulay at the pivot, the Lions benefited from first facing a Hamilton team that is still winless and then BC had to rally in the 4th quarter to knock off Winnipeg at home. The Lions were down 15 points entering the 4th quarter last week. Lulay has thrown almost as any picks as TDs. Edmonton is the healthier team at the all-important QB position and they have won 4 of the last 5 meetings meetings between these bitter rivals. I am happy to test that 4-1 SU run with a money line play here on Edmonton. The line on the Eskimos is such a small spread that we can get even more value by taking them on the money line here and laying a small price. Keep in mind, BC is 0-2 ATS in divisional games this season. Also, the Lions went only 9-14 ATS the past two seasons combined when playing with revenge. Prior to the road win for the Eskimos at BC to open up this season, the home team had won 6 straight meetings between these teams. Couple that with the healthy QB edge factor here (Jennings hurting) and I like my chances with the Eskimos at a very affordable price here! 10* EDMONTON |
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07-28-17 | Royals +1.5 v. Red Sox | Top | 4-2 | Win | 100 | 7 h 50 m | Show |
***NOTE: Rick Porcello is now the starting pitcher instead of David Price for the Red Sox. This is just as strong of a play with Porcello now getting the nod to start this game. The right-hander is 4-13 this season and opponents are hitting .293 against him. Porcello was hit at a .329 clip in May and .323 clip in June. I know he has been better in July but he still gave up 9 hits in 6 innings in his only home start and he allowed 3 homers in his most recent road start! Fade the Red Sox here and go with the Royals on the Run Line. The original full write-up follows.*** Game of the Month Run Line: Rickenbach Friday MLB 10* Top Play Kansas City Royals Run Line (+1.5) @ Boston Red Sox @ 7:10 ET - The Royals have won 8 straight games and yet they're getting absolutely no respect here. Yes, I know that Jason Vargas has struggled recently on the mound but he bounced back in his most recent start for a win. That will help him get his confidence back up as he allowed just 2 earned runs to a White Sox team that hits lefties very well. Now Vargas faces a Red Sox team that has lost 3 of its last 4 against left-handed starters and the lone win came by just a single run for Boston. That is significant here because the Royals are available at a very low price on the run line at +1.5 runs and that is a huge value. The Red Sox are only 1-4 in their last 5 games and they've averaged just 2.8 runs per game during this stretch. Kansas City has averaged 7.9 runs per game during their current 8-game winning streak. David Price gets the start for Boston here and, though he had been pitching well, he gave up 5 earned runs in 5 innings in his most recent start. That was on the West Coast and, even though the Red Sox were off yesterday, the first game at home for an East Coast team after a trip out west always seems to be the toughest. Tremendous line value with the red hot Royals here especially when you are able to grab the extra insurance at such a fair price! 10* KANSAS CITY ROYALS Run Line +1.5 runs |
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07-27-17 | Montreal v. Winnipeg OVER 51 | Top | 40-41 | Win | 100 | 10 h 4 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach Thursday CFL 10* Top Play OVER the total in Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs Montreal Alouettes @ 8:30 ET - Montreal's Darian Durant threw for 452 yards last week but he and the Alouettes were done in by two early interceptions in the game. They Als were held to just 19 points in that game but that is despite all the passing yardage. The result is value this week because Winnipeg has been an "over machine" this season. The Blue Bombers are scoring an average of 32 points per game and are allowing 35 points per game on the year! They won't be able to stop the Montreal offense here but certainly one has to respect what Winnipeg has been doing on that side of the ball too. That's why the play here is the over as the Blue Bombers have averaged 37.5 points per game in their last two games and I expect more of the same in this East-West battle Thursday night. Look for the over to improve to 8-4 the last 12 times that Winnipeg has been a favorite. Also, the over is a fantastic 9-4 the last 13 times the Blue Bombers have faced a team with a losing record on the season. More of the same on Thursday! 10* OVER in Winnipeg |
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07-27-17 | Reds v. Marlins OVER 9 | Top | 1-4 | Loss | -109 | 10 h 51 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Thursday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Miami Marlins vs Cincinnati Reds @ 7:10 ET - These teams just met in Cincinnati on Saturday with this same pitching match-up and the total was a high as an 11.5 in some places. Now the rematch total has moved down to a 9 from a 9.5 even though neither pitcher was sharp in Saturday's game. The Reds Robert Stephenson allowed 5 earned runs in 5 and 1/3 innings while the Marlins Chris O'Grady walked 6 in a start that lasted less than 5 innings. Many will want to play the under here since Miami is off of a record-setting game yesterday where 32 runs were scored in a 22-10 win over the Rangers at Texas. However, there is no reason to expect Miami not to stay hot at the plate against a very hittable Stephenson. At the same time, the Reds scored 5 runs in yesterday's loss at New York versus the Yankees and they have now scored 4 runs or more in 6 of their last 12 games. Even though those aren't phenomenal stats for Cincy, the fact they now face a pitcher (O'Grady) who has struggled with command of his pitches has me expecting at least 4 or more from the Reds here. Certainly the Marlins will at least match the Reds run for run and I expect at least a 6-5 type game in this one. The over is on a 24-16 run in Cincinnati's Thursday games and the over is on a 21-14 run in Reds road games with a posted total of 9 or 9.5 runs. The over is 37-23 in Marlins night games this season and their .267 batting average versus right-handed pitching this season ranks them in the top 20% of the majors! 10* OVER the total in Miami |
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07-24-17 | Royals v. Tigers OVER 9 | Top | 5-3 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 27 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach Monday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Tigers vs Kansas City Royals @ 7:10 ET - These pitchers just squared off in Kansas City Wednesday and it was a 4-3 game that was a bit of a pitchers duel between these two starters. As a result, it comes as no surprise that this total has dropped down from a 9.5 to a 9 Monday morning. I am grabbing the value with the over here as the wind will be blowing out in Detroit this evening and, even though it will be cool by July standards, it will be a hitter-friendly evening at Comerica Park. The Royals will be seeing Verlander for the 4th time already this season and they did hit 3 homers against him in the last game they saw him in last season. Repetition tends to help the hitters and this will be Kansas City's fourth look at Verlander in less than two months time! Jason Hammel has a 7.25 ERA in his 8 career starts versus the Tigers and he has allowed 3 homers in a game in 2 of his last 4 starts versus Detroit. That under last week on Wednesday was just his 2nd under in 8 starts versus the Tigers in his career! I know both these pitchers have been trending under of late but the over is 7-2 overall in Detroit's last 9 games. Also, the Royals enter this game on a 5-game winning streak that has seen them score an average of 7.8 runs per game! The over is 26-14 in Tigers divisional games this season and I expect another one here. 10* OVER the total in Detroit |
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07-24-17 | Astros v. Phillies +130 | Top | 13-4 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 26 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Monday MLB 10* Top Play Philadelphia Phillies Money Line (+) vs Houston Astros @ 7:05 ET - Vincent Velasquez is a fiery competitor and this is his first ever shot at his former team since being traded away as part of the Ken Giles deal in December of 2015. Look for Velasquez to make the most of this opportunity! In his young career he has shown a penchant for coming up big in big games and right now the Phillies are also heating up too. That said, it is truly the perfect situation here for a big play on the underdog Phils as they've won 5 of their last 7 games and have scored an average of 6.4 runs per game during this stretch. The Astros are only 4-4 in their last 8 games and Brad Peacock has allowed 12 hits and walked 7 in the 12 innings spanning his last two road starts. Also, Peacock got crushed for 8 earned runs in only 5 innings of work in his most recent start at Philadelphia. I know it may seem tough to fade the team with the best record in the American League and go with the team with the worst record in the majors. However, this is the spot to do it and grab tremendous home dog value because I fully expect Velasquez to outduel Peacock in this one. Last year the Phillies right-hander had a 2.88 ERA at home and held batters to a .204 batting average when on his home mound. He's healthy again and he and the Phillies are up for the challenge here! 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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07-23-17 | Red Sox v. Angels OVER 9 | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -105 | 6 h 13 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach Sunday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Los Angeles Angels vs Boston Red Sox @ 3:35 ET - This total has dropped from a 9.5 to a 9 and there is some exceptional line value here with the over. Boston's Rick Porcello faced the Angels just last month while LA's Parker Bridwell faced the Red Sox in that same series. That said, these lineups just faced these starting pitchers not too long ago and that will be an edge for the hitters in the rematch. The fact is that Porcello has often been able to pitch his way out of jams but that doesn't change the fact that he is one of the most hittable starting pitchers in the majors. Porcello has been hit at a .300 clip on the season and Bridwell has a 4.91 ERA in his 3 home starts this season and 2 of the 3 did result in overs. Porcello allowed 9 hits in 6 innings in his most recent start while Bridwell has given up 17 hits in 12 and 1/3 innings in his two most recent home starts. With yesterday's 7-3 win the Angels have now scored 7 runs twice in their last three games while the Red Sox have averaged scoring 5 runs per game in their last 5 games. Look for the over to improve to 11-5 in Boston's Sunday games this season. 10* OVER the total in Los Angeles Angels |
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07-23-17 | Astros v. Orioles +148 | Top | 7-9 | Win | 148 | 5 h 17 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach Sunday MLB 10* Top Play Baltimore Orioles Money Line (+) vs Houston Astros @ 1:35 ET - Excellent home dog line value being offered here. Even though 2 of his last 3 starts have been at home, Lance McCullers has been struggling for the Astros. Houston has gone winless in the right-hander's last 3 starts and McCullers has compiled a 7.54 ERA and a 1.95 WHIP in these 3 outings! The Orioles Dylan Bundy is coming off of a strong start and, prior to that outing, he totaled 19 strikeouts in the 16 innings spanning his 3 prior starts. He seems to be turning the corner again and I also like the fact that this is his first ever start versus the Astros. The fact that Houston does not have familiarity with his offerings is a big edge for Baltimore right-hander. The Orioles have lost the first two games of this series but previously they had won 4 straight games. The Astros have a fantastic record on the season and today they will be going for their 3rd straight win. However, that hasn't been coming easy for Houston of late! Since June 6th, the Astros have had a winning streak of 3 games or more twice! Look for the Orioles to avoid the sweep here as McCullers struggles continue and Bundy enjoys success against a team that is not familiar with him. 10* BALTIMORE |
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07-22-17 | Saskatchewan v. Calgary OVER 55.5 | Top | 10-27 | Loss | -110 | 25 h 36 m | Show |
Saturday Slaughter - Rickenbach CFL 10* Top Play OVER the total in Calgary Stampeders vs Saskatchewan Roughriders @ 9 ET - This total has gone from as high as a 60 a few days ago all the way down to as low as a 55 as of the night before the game. This is offering fantastic line value for the over. The Roughriders are averaging 31 points per game so far this season and the Stampeders are averaging 31.5 points per game on the season thus far. Both of these teams have non-conference match-ups on deck so they'll be fully focused here and that should mean plenty of offense in this one. Saskatchewan is coming off of a bye week and they are 3-0 to the over the last 3 times they've been off of a bye. The Roughriders are also 2-0 to the over this season in Saturday games while Calgary is 2-0 to the over this season in their games against teams with a losing record. These records combine for a perfect 7-0 mark to the OVER! The Stampeders are hungry to respond as they are off of a loss last week and they'll be ready to bounce back after scoring just 23 points. That came against Montreal but the Alouettes have one of the top defenses in the league this season. Calgary should find a lot more to exploit in terms of match-ups this week against the Roughriders defense. The Stampeders have averaged 38.5 points per game in their last two home games versus Saskatchewan and they'll be "on the attack" again Saturday. 10* OVER the total in Calgary |
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07-22-17 | Pirates +121 v. Rockies | Top | 3-7 | Loss | -100 | 13 h 34 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Saturday MLB 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Pirates Money Line (+) @ Colorado Rockies @ 8:10 ET - No team in the majors has a current winning streak longer than 3 games except the Pirates! With their huge 13-5 win yesterday, Pittsburgh has now won 6 straight games and they've also recorded victories in 12 of their last 14 overall. As the hottest team in the majors right now they're certainly not getting much respect from the odds makers here! The Pirates have averaged 5.5 runs per game in their last 10 games and they should have no trouble with the offerings of German Marquez. Even though the Rockies right-hander has a respectable ERA in his last 3 starts, he has allowed a combined 14 earned runs on 29 hits in 23 and 1/3 innings over his last 4 starts. The point is that he has been getting hit hard but he has been fortunate to work out of some jams. Facing a Pirates team that is red hot means that those jams could be a lot tougher to work out of tonight! Also, Marquez got the better of Chad Kuhl in their match-up on June 14th but Kuhl really didn't pitch poorly in that game. Also, the Pirates right-hander comes into this revenge-seeking start having allowed 2 earned runs or less in 7 of his last 9 starts. Overall, in Kuhl's last 4 starts he has allowed just 6 earned runs on only 14 hits in 21 and 2/3 innings of work! Look for the Pirates to improve to 12-4 (75%) in Saturday games this season. As for Colorado, they are 116-160 in night games the last 3 seasons combined! Grab the underdog value in this one! 10* PITTSBURGH money line |
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07-22-17 | Astros v. Orioles OVER 11 | Top | 8-4 | Win | 100 | 12 h 26 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach Saturday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Baltimore Orioles vs Houston Astros @ 7:05 ET - The Astros Collin McHugh will make his first start of 2017 at the MLB level after missing time due to injury. He has been hit at a .309 clip in his rehab assignments in the minors as he has prepared for this start. If you think that is a fluke or that he is really "better than that" the fact is that he really didn't pitch all that great last year. Remember that McHugh had a great 2014 in terms of his ERA and then went 19-7 in 2015. This has him high on the radar of a lot of bettors. However, even with going 13-10 last season he actually was hit quite hard and that includes getting hit at a .295 clip in night games. Also, on the road last season McHugh compiled a 4.95 ERA and was hit at a .291 clip. He's facing a tough Orioles lineup that has averaged scoring 9.5 runs per game in their last 4 games. The over is 7-2 in Baltimore's last 9 games. As for the Astros sticks, they are averaging 7.3 runs per game in going 5-3 in their last 8 games. They should have no trouble with the offerings of Chris Tillman. The O's right-hander gave up 6 earned runs in just 2 innings when he last faced Houston. Also, Tillman has an ugly 7.20 ERA and 2.02 WHIP so far this season! The over is 27-12 in Astros road games this season and both these teams are loaded with confidence at the plate right now. 10* OVER the total in Baltimore |
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07-21-17 | Winnipeg v. BC -3.5 | Top | 42-45 | Loss | -110 | 14 h 22 m | Show |
Bulldog's Best - Rickenbach Friday CFL 10* Top Play BC Lions (-) vs Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ 10 PM ET - After opening up the season with a bye, Winnipeg barely got by Saskatchewan (in overtime) and then got absolutely crushed by Calgary before getting past Toronto. The Roughriders and Argonauts were the two worst teams in the CFL last season. That said, the Blue Bombers two victories this season are not necessarily that impressive. What does stand out is how they got hammered by the Stampeders and now they are again stepping up in class and facing another top divisional foe as they travel to BC to face the Lions. British Columbia is 3-1 on the season but their lone defeat came in their only home game and they have yet another road game on deck. In other words, the Lions are putting full emphasis on this game as they want to get into the win column at home after a tight loss to Edmonton all the way back in Week 1. BC had a successful road trip to the East - perfect 3-0 - and they don't want to lose that momentum here. The Lions have been the top team in the CFL for points allowed per game this season while the Blue Bombers have been the worst team in the West Division for points allowed per game. I realize Winnipeg has a rest edge here since they played 2 days earlier than BC last week. However, the Lions have performed well on short rest this season. Of course the Blue Bombers are seeking revenge for last season's playoff exit at the hands of the Lions but revenge will only take you so far in terms of how games play out on the field. In other words, I love the value of having BC after the big downward line move here as great line value is being offered on the Lions as a small home fave. Winnipeg has covered 5 straight in this series and has won 4 straight regular season meetings. The Lions, even though they won the playoff match-up in November, still have a little payback on their minds based on all the recent regular season outcomes. Couple that with the fact BC is hungry for that first home win of the season and you have a nice set-up here with the added line value after the downward move. 10* BC LIONS Friday |
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07-21-17 | White Sox v. Royals OVER 10.5 | Top | 6-7 | Win | 100 | 11 h 10 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach Friday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Kansas City Royals vs Chicago White Sox @ 8:15 ET - Very warm evening in Kansas City with the wind blowing out toward left-center at a good clip. The way both these starting pitchers give up the long ball, the set up is perfect for a slugfest in this one. The Royals Ian Kennedy has some decent numbers on the season but he has allowed 10 homers in his 43 innings at home this season and that includes 2 in his most recent start. Though he pitched well in that outing overall, Kennedy was facing a Rangers team that has the worst batting average on the road this season out of all 30 teams. Kennedy now faces a White Sox team against whom he allowed 4 earned runs in just 4 and 1/3 innings when he faced them earlier this season. He did allow 2 homers in that start as well. The good news for Royals fans tonight is that, even if Kennedy is "giving it up", there is a high probability that Kansas City's lineup will be matching the ChiSox run for run. That's because the White Sox are starting James Shields and he has allowed 10 earned runs in 10 and 2/3 innings spanning his last two starts. The right-hander gave up 3 homers in his most recent road start. Overall on the season Shields has given up 11 home runs in 42 and 1/3 innings. The Royals scored 16 runs yesterday while the White Sox had an off day which was much needed as they are still winless since the All Star break. Chicago is 7-4 to the over this season (and 28-17 to the over the past 3 seasons combined) when they are playing after a day off. The Royals have averaged 11 hits per game in their last 5 games and the over should improve to 4-1 in their last 5 with another wild one on a hitter-friendly night at Kauffman Stadium. 10* OVER the total in Kansas City |
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07-20-17 | Edmonton v. Hamilton OVER 52.5 | Top | 31-28 | Win | 100 | 10 h 23 m | Show |
Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach CFL 10* Top Play OVER the total in Hamilton Tiger-Cats vs Edmonton Eskimos @ 7:30 ET - Hamilton is on the only team without a win this season and I certainly look for them to "bring it" tonight in terms of an intense effort at home. However, the problem for the Tiger-Cats is they've allowed 37 points per game. The Ti-Cats won't be able to stop an Edmonton offense that is much more talented than their early season scoring average of 25 points per game would lead you to believe! The fact is that the Eskimos defense has been a pleasant surprise this season in terms of points allowed but this is a definite flat spot in terms of defensive intensity for Edmonton. Last week the Eskimos squeaked out a tight win over the Grey Cup champion Ottawa Redblacks. Also, on deck for Edmonton is a huge divisional game next week versus the BC Lions. The point is that the Eskimos will struggle to maintain their defensive intensity here and that should open things up for a Hamilton offense that is desperate to get enough done to get their first win of the season. I am well aware of the fact that Edmonton has not had an over yet this season but there is good reason that the odds makers opened up this total in the mid-fifties. The fact that it has since dropped into the low-fifties has given us great line value in this spot! The over is 3-1 the last 4 times the Eskimos have been a road favorite of 3 points or less. Look for the over to improve to 3-0 this season in Tiger-Cats non-conference action! 10* OVER the total in Hamilton |
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07-20-17 | Rangers +102 v. Orioles | Top | 7-9 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 1 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Thursday MLB 10* Top Play Texas Rangers Money Line (+) @ Baltimore Orioles @ 7:05 ET - This is a contrarian play as many will be looking Baltimore's way since the Orioles are 28-19 at home this season, have won the first 3 games of this series, and the Rangers have lost 4 straight overall. However, the pitching edge for Texas here simply can not be ignored! The Rangers Cole Hamels has allowed 0 earned runs in his last 21 innings on the mound. Also, versus Baltimore the left-hander has a 3.10 ERA in his last 3 starts. He'll be opposed by fellow southpaw Wade Miley in this one. The Orioles lefty has been struggling badly! Not only does Miley have a ridiculous 11.24 ERA in his last 3 starts, he has given up an insane 33 baserunners (24 hits and 9 walks) in the 12 innings spanning these 3 outings. Also, in Miley's last 3 starts versus the Rangers, he has allowed 13 earned runs in only 16 innings of work. Even though the Rangers have been slumping at the plate, Miley will be sure to bring out the best in them Thursday evening. Also, Hamels has the longest current scoreless innings streak in the AL with his run of putting up goose eggs having reached 21 straight! The Rangers are 5-1 in Hamels last 6 starts and the Orioles are 1-4 in Miley's last 5 starts! Texas is 6-2 in Thursday games this season and 25-16 on Thursdays the last 3 seasons combined. The Rangers are also 5-2 this season and 23-13 the past 3 seasons combined when they are off of a game where they allowed 10 runs or more. 10* TEXAS |
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07-20-17 | Blue Jays v. Red Sox OVER 10 | Top | 8-6 | Win | 100 | 6 h 43 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach Thursday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Red Sox vs Toronto Blue Jays @ 1:35 ET - Hot afternoon weather in Boston with the wind blowing out toward center field or at least right-center in this one. The point is that it will be a hitter-friendly afternoon. I am well aware of the fact that last night's 5-1 Boston win means that the under is now 6-0 in the Red Sox last 6 games. However, this one is all about the pitching match-up and the fact that is a day game should also help our cause. Francisco Liriano gets the start for the Blue Jays and he exited his last start very early due to a sore neck. Whether or not the neck bothers him much today is not that much of a factor but it certainly won't help him. The fact is that Liriano has been consistently struggling whether his neck is sore or not! The Toronto southpaw has an 8.36 ERA in his last 3 starts. Also, on the season, Liriano has particularly struggled on the road! He has an 8.33 ERA in starts away from home and the over has gone 5-2 in those 7 games. The Red Sox hand the ball to Doug Fister for his 4th start of the season. In his first three starts he has compiled a 6.13 ERA and he already has 9 walks in less than 15 innings of work. He just faced the Jays on June 30th and Liriano just faced the Sox on July 1st. The fact these lineups just saw these starting pitchers also should lead to plenty of offense in this one. Also, Toronto has played 13 games as a road dog in a range of +125 to +175 and only 3 of the 13 games resulted in an under! 10* OVER the total in Boston |
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07-19-17 | Montreal v. Ottawa -4.5 | Top | 19-24 | Win | 100 | 23 h 1 m | Show |
Wednesday Annihilation - Rickenbach CFL 10* Top Play Ottawa Redblacks (-) vs Montreal Alouettes @ 7:30 ET - The defending Grey Cup champions, Ottawa, still is in search of their first win of the season. Needless to say the Redblacks are fired up and ready to respond as their first four games have been decided by a total of just 7 points and yet they still haven't punched one into the win column. Ottawa is catching a division rival at the perfect time to right the ship. Montreal is off of a big upset win over previously undefeated Calgary last week. That makes the Alouettes ripe for the picking here. I know Montreal is solid defensively but Ottawa is not that far behind on that side of the ball and the Redblacks also certainly are the better team offensively. Ottawa has the worst turnover margin, by far, of any team in the CFL so far this season and this is why I feel there is line value in this spot. The Redblacks are certainly a better team than their record would indicate and there are also some strong trends that support them here. Both teams are on short rest here since they were each in action Friday. Montreal is 9-14 ATS when playing with rest of 6 days or less while Ottawa is a fantastic 16-6 ATS when playing with rest of 6 days or less between games! The Redblacks are also 13-5 ATS (and 12-6 SU) in divisional games while the Alouettes are on a 6-10 SU run in divisional games. Also, when the Redblacks enter a game on a losing streak of 2 games or more, they are on a 5-0 ATS run! More of the same expected here on Wednesday! 10* OTTAWA |
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07-19-17 | Cardinals v. Mets OVER 8 | Top | 3-7 | Win | 100 | 11 h 30 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach Wednesday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Mets vs St Louis Cardinals @ 7:10 ET - The Mets got shutout yesterday but they had previously scored 30 runs in their 4 games since the All Star break. New York should bounce back in a big way tonight against a struggling Mike Leake. Cardinals right-hander hasn't allowed a lot of earned runs lately but this is hiding the fact he truly hasn't pitched well at all. In Leake's last two starts he has given up 10 runs (5 earned) on 16 and 6 walks in less than 9 innings of work spanning these two outings. As you can see from these numbers, Leake has been struggling much worse than his ERA would lead you to believe. Also, the righty has given up 8 earned runs in less than 9 innings of work spanning his last two starts against the Mets. New York will have Jacob deGrom on the mound and, though he's got great overall numbers, the Cardinals have been a bit of a nemesis for him. The Mets right-hander has given up 9 earned runs on 20 hits (including 7 homers!) in the less than 12 innings spanning deGrom's last two starts versus St Louis. The Cardinals are 11-7 to the over this season in road games with a posted total of 8 or 8.5 runs. The Mets are 18-9 to the over in games with a posted total of 8 or 8.5 runs. Also, overall, New York is 28-14 to the over in home games this season, 9-4 to the over in Wednesday games, and 41-15 to the over in night games! More of the same expected tonight as the Mets look to bounce back from a shutout loss. 10* OVER the total in the New York Mets game |
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07-19-17 | Rays +113 v. A's | Top | 2-7 | Loss | -100 | 17 h 37 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach Wednesday MLB 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Rays Money Line (+) @ Oakland A's @ 3:35 ET - Even though the A's Sonny Gray has great overall numbers on the season, he certainly has not been pitching as well as Jacob Faria of the Rays. Additionally, another important key here is the fact that Gray has struggled against Tampa Bay in recent meetings while Oakland's lineup has never faced Faria. This should also prove to be huge edge for the road pitcher in this match-up. The Rays are 6-1 in all of Faria's starts this season and that includes a perfect 4-0 mark on the road. As for Gray, the last 3 times he has faced the Rays he has allowed a combined 18 runs (12 earned) on 24 hits (including 5 homers) in just 16 and 2/3 innings of work. All 3 of those starts have come within the past 14 months including one just last month! With the success that Tampa Bay has had against Gray and the fact that Oakland is not familiar with Faria (and he has been pitching lights out), this is a great spot to back the road dog. The Rays entered Tuesday's action having gone 38-26 and up $11,300 against right-handed pitchers this season. The A's are 67-91 and down $25,600 in day games the last 3 seasons combined. Also, Oakland entered Tuesday having gone just 7-9 in their last 16 games while TB entered Tuesday's action with a record of 9-5 in their last 14 road games! Look for the Rays to improve to 5-0 in Faria's road starts this season! 10* TAMPA BAY |
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07-18-17 | Mariners v. Astros OVER 9.5 | Top | 2-6 | Loss | -115 | 10 h 56 m | Show |
AL West Total of the Year - Rickenbach Tuesday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Houston Astros vs Seattle Mariners @ 8:10 ET - I am well aware of the fact that the Astros Carlos Correa jammed his thumb and left yesterday's game early. Even if he does not play tonight or ends up on the disabled list, lets not forget that he was 1 for 8 with 3 strikeouts so far since the All Star break. Certainly he is a big stick but Houston has a solid lineup even if Correa sits. The big key here is the Mariners Sam Gaviglio is likely to struggle in his match-up. He has a 6.35 ERA in his last 3 starts overall plus he has a 5.16 ERA in road outings this season. Also, the Astros lineup just faced him in late June so they're getting a quick second look at him. Brad Peacock gets the start for the Mariners here and he is 2-4 with a 5.90 ERA in his starts versus Seattle. He has struggled badly the last two times he has hosted Seattle as Peacock has been rocked for 11 runs (6 earned) on 12 hits in 8 and 2/3 innings. Overall, with 23 walks in his last 30 and 1/3 innings, command has certainly been an issue for Peacock over his last 6 starts. The over is an insane 11-2 this season (and incredible 46-15 the last 3 seasons combined) in Mariners Tuesday games. The over is on a red hot 12-3-1 run in Houston's last 16 games. The Astros have averaged scoring 8.7 runs per game in their 10 games dating back to July 4th! Seattle has averaged scoring 5.1 runs per game in their last 10 games since Independence Day. Hot sticks and two pitchers likely to struggle in this one has me backing the over in a big way here. 10* OVER the total in Houston Tuesday evening |
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07-18-17 | Cardinals -114 v. Mets | Top | 5-0 | Win | 100 | 10 h 43 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Tuesday MLB 10* Top Play St Louis Cardinals Money Line (-) @ New York Mets @ 7:10 ET - With the loss yesterday the slumping Mets have now lost 7 of their last 10 games. Conversely, the Cardinals have won 12 of their last 19 games. The Cards also rank a big starting pitching edge in this one. Michael Wacha is 3-0 with a 1.53 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in his last 3 starts and he has struck out 23 in the 17 and 2/3 innings spanning those 3 outings. The Mets have Rafael Montero on the mound for this one and he has a 6.27 ERA and 1.88 WHIP in his four starts this season. While St Louis has reached double digits in hits in 5 of its last 7 games, the Mets have been held to 8 hits or less in 5 of their last 6 games. The Cardinals are on a 120-79 run against teams with a losing record. New York is 6-12 this season in home games where their money line is in a range of -125 to +125. Overall, on the season, the Cards rank the bullpen edge over the Mets too. 10* ST LOUIS CARDINALS money line early Tuesday evening |
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07-17-17 | Tigers v. Royals OVER 10 | Top | 10-2 | Win | 100 | 10 h 46 m | Show |
Rickenbach Monday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Kansas City Royals vs Detroit Tigers @ 8:15 ET - I know this is a big total and it has climbed even higher since the opening number but the line move is absolutely justified. Justin Vargas has great full season numbers but he is coming off of his worst start of the season (at Seattle before the break) and they were some troubling signs for him in that game. The rough outing versus the Mariners absolutely could be a sign of things to come. Also, he now faces a Tigers team that is #1 in the majors (out of all 30 clubs) with a .477 slugging percentage against left-handed pitchers this season! In his last two starts versus Detroit, Vargas has given up 9 earned runs in less than 9 innings of work. The Tigers will certainly need all the runs they can get here as a struggling Jordan Zimmerman takes to the mound for Detroit. Zimmerman has an ugly 9.94 ERA in his last 3 starts. Also, he is 0-4 with a 6.99 ERA on the road this season. Only 1 of his last 5 road starts has resulted in an under. Also, the over is 25-15 in Tigers road games this season and 21-12 in their divisional games this year. Look for the over to improve to 5-2 in the Royals 7 games versus Detroit so far this season with another high-scoring match-up tonight. 10* OVER the total in Kansas City |
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07-17-17 | Rangers +106 v. Orioles | Top | 1-3 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 15 m | Show |
Rickenbach Monday MLB 10* Top Play Texas Rangers Money Line (+) @ Baltimore Orioles @ 7:05 ET - Chris Tillman is returning from paternity leave tonight. As if the Orioles right-hander wasn't already having enough problems on the mound now he has the added extra mental distraction of having just had an addition to the Tillman family. Note that Tillman had given up 23 hits in 13 and 1/3 innings in his last 3 starts before going on paternity leave after his June 30th start. Also, he has a 1-5 record and 7.90 ERA on the season. In his last 3 starts versus the Rangers Tillman has given up 15 runs (14 earned) in only 12 innings of work! Texas counters with Andrew Cashner this evening and the right-hander had a fantastic start at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in his only start versus Baltimore in his career. Also, he comes into his outing off of a strong start in his final outing before the All Star break. Overall, Cashner has a solid 3.54 ERA on the season and he is facing an Orioles team that is in a funk to say the least! Baltimore has lost 10 of its last 13 games! Conversely, the Rangers had won 5 of their last 6 games before a tight loss yesterday. Look for them to bounce right back here with a big pitching edge as Baltimore's struggles continue. 10* TEXAS RANGERS money line |
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07-16-17 | New York Yankees - Game #2 v. Boston Red Sox - Game #2 OVER 8.5 | Top | 0-3 | Loss | -110 | 14 h 56 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach Sunday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees (Game 2) @ 8:05 ET - Yesterday's game went 16 innings so the bullpens definitely got some extra work. Additionally, these teams are now playing a double header Sunday and that means Game 2 of this day-night double header will mean that at least 34 innings of Red Sox / Yankees baseball will be played within a span of 24 hours. Needless to say the bullpens will be stretched out and couple that with the fact that these starting pitchers are likely to struggle and you have the perfect situation of an over Sunday night. The Red Sox will have David Price on the mound and the Boston southpaw has found the Yankees to be a nemesis of his. Since Price has gone to the Red Sox he has faced the Yanks plenty. The bad news for the Boston lefty is that the constant repetition has helped the Yankees zone in on his offerings. Price is 1-4 with an ugly 8.31 ERA in his 6 starts versus the Yanks. In his last 4 starts versus the Yankees Price has allowed 20 earned runs on 40 hits in just 23 innings of work. He'll be opposed by Masahiro Tanaka. The Yanks right-hander outdueled Chris Sale at Boston earlier this season but then got rocked in the rematch for 5 earned runs in 5 innings and this was a start in which he allowed 3 homers. Tanaka has a 6.24 ERA on the road this season and he comes into this start off of a home outing in which he allowed 5 earned runs in 4 and 1/3 innings. He did give up 2 homers in that start. The over is 6-3 in Tanaka's road starts this season and the over is a perfect 3-0 in Price's last 3 starts versus the Yankees. The over is 15-6 in Yanks road games with a posted total of 8 or 8.5 this season. Also, the over is 26-13 in Yankees games against teams with a winning record and 25-12 in Yankees divisional games this season. The Red Sox enter Sunday's action with a 10-3 mark to the over in their Sunday games this season. Regardless of the outcome in Game 1 of this double-header, look for the high-scoring trends to continue in the nightcap! 10* OVER the total in Boston in Game 2 |
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07-16-17 | Giants v. Padres +108 | Top | 1-7 | Win | 108 | 10 h 24 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach Sunday MLB 10* Top Play San Diego Padres Money Line (+) vs San Francisco Giants @ 4:40 ET - With their 5-3 win yesterday the Padres have now won 6 of their last 9 games and they are playing .500 ball at home this season. As for the Giants, the loss yesterday dropped them to an ugly 18-33 on the road this season and it was also San Francisco's 6th loss in their last 8 games! Jeff Samardzija got hit hard in his last start before the break and the loss dropped him to 4-10 on the season. The Giants right-hander is 2-5 with a 4.81 ERA in his road starts this season. Trevor Cahill gets the starts for the Padres in this one and he is 3-0 with a minuscule 0.49 ERA in his 3 home starts this season! He should have a solid edge over a Giants team that he hasn't started against in 3 years. Conversely, this will be Samardzija's 5th start against the Padres in the past 12 months. San Diego did hit him hard in 2 of the 4 outings and, as you can see, they've got plenty of recent experience against him. Samardzija's strikeout numbers have been a little down in recent starts and that certainly could be a sign of things to come. Conversely, Cahill has fanned 12 in his 9 and 1/3 innings since returning from the DL and he continues to be a strikeout machine with 63 in his 50 and 2/3 innings this season. San Francisco is 11-23 in day games this season and only 12-26 in their games against teams with a losing record. Look for the Padres to improve to 4-0 in Cahill's home starts this season. 10* SAN DIEGO on the money line |
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07-15-17 | BC -3 v. Hamilton | Top | 41-26 | Win | 100 | 79 h 11 m | Show |
Saturday Slaughter - Rickenbach CFL 10* Top Play British Columbia Lions (-) @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ 7:30 ET Saturday - The Lions lost their home opener to Edmonton in a tight defeat. As a result, they viewed this road trip east as an early-season opportunity to 'right the ship". They've done just that with back to back wins at Toronto and Montreal. Both victories came by 7 points or more for British Columbia and I look for BC to get the job done again by at least that margin at Hamilton on Saturday. The Tiger-Cats are not only winless on the season, both losses came by a 17 point margin. The Ti-Cats had an opportunity last week, off of a bye week, to "right the ship" at Saskatchewan. Hamilton failed against a much weaker non-divisional foe than the one they are facing this week and that is bad news for Tiger-Cats fans as there is already significant concern with the Terrence Tolliver injury and a banged up secondary. With Hamilton's All-Star corners hurting, they will struggle to stop BC's aerial attack. That's because the Lions ground game is also a legitimate threat. British Columbia is averaging 95 yards per game on the ground and the Hamilton defense must respect the ground game and that makes BC's passing game even more dangerous! As for the Hamilton ground game, the Ti-Cats have averaged only 21.5 rushing yards per game and this gives a huge edge to a Lions defense that is at the top of the league with only 20.3 points allowed per game. The West has been stronger than the East in recent seasons and BC has exemplified that with a 12-6 mark (both SU and ATS) versus East Division teams. Also, the Lions are 10-6 ATS in Saturday games while Hamilton is 3-7 (both SU and ATS) in Saturday games. Look for these trends to continue this weekend. I know the Tiger-Cats are desperate as they are the only team in the league without a single point in the standings BUT the Lions are just too superior all over the field and the Ti-Cats injuries have exasperated their current situation. 10* BC Lions minus the short number Saturday evening. |
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07-15-17 | Twins +147 v. Astros | Top | 4-2 | Win | 147 | 19 h 12 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach MLB Saturday 10* Top Play Minnesota Twins Money Line (+) @ Houston Astros @ 7:10 ET - The Astros are one of the best teams in the majors and they just doubled up the Twins 10 to 5 yesterday. That said, it may seem tough to fade Houston here but the fact is that Minnesota has been a strong road team this season and they have a large pitching edge in this match-up. On the season the Twins are 25-16 on the road and that includes a fantastic 9-4 mark as a road dog of +125 to +175. Ervin Santana gets the start in this one for Minny and the veteran right-hander has given up 1 earned run or less in 6 of his 8 road starts this season. His most recent outing away from home was a rare poor one but he responded by pitching a complete game at home in his very next start. Santana also is 3-0 with a 2.02 ERA in his 5 career starts against the Astros. Houston will have a struggling Joe Musgrove on the mound. The Astros are only 2-7 in his 9 home starts this season and he comes into this outing having a helluva time of late. Musgrove's last 3 starts have seen him compile a 10.79 ERA as he's been hit very hard! As good as Houston has been this season Musgrove is a significant weakness in their current starting rotation and I am happy to grab the big dog value and go against him here. Look for Santana to maintain his perfect career record against the Astros and look for Houston to drop to 2-8 at home in Musgrove's starts on the year! Solid contrarian line value available here with the road dog. 10* MINNESOTA |
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07-14-17 | Ottawa v. Edmonton OVER 57.5 | Top | 21-23 | Loss | -110 | 57 h 29 m | Show |
Friday Total Annihilation - Rickenbach CFL 10* Top Play OVER the total in Edmonton Eskimos vs Ottawa Redblacks @ 10 ET Friday - The Eskimos are coming off of a bye week and they have a long-term mark of 9-5 to the over when they are playing with 2 or more weeks of rest. Edmonton's offense was one of the tops in the league last season. Though they've scored a little less this season one of their games was a tough road match-up. Although the Eskimos other game was a home match-up it was against a defensive-minded team as they hosted Montreal. Look for Edmonton to have a breakout game at home off of their bye week as they now host an Ottawa team that, just like them, is happy to air it out. The Redblacks are already 2-0 to the over this season (and 10-4 to the over the last 3 seasons combined) in games where they are a road dog in a range of 3.5 to 9.5 points. Ottawa is still winless on the season so they'll go hard here but their defense has been a concern with 33.3 points allowed per game so far this year. In other words, look for a shootout in this one. In fact, the last two meetings between these teams in Edmonton have totaled 63 and 82 points, respectively. Overall, only 2 of the last 8 meetings between these teams in Alberta have seen the game stay under the total! As a home fave of 3.5 to 6 points, the Eskimos are 6-2 to the over. I am expecting the over to improve to 11-3 in Ottawa's last 14 Friday games! Don't let the big number on this game scare you as indeed it does have "shootout" written all "over" it! 10* OVER the total in Edmonton in late night action Friday. |
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07-09-17 | Tigers v. Indians OVER 8 | Top | 5-3 | Push | 0 | 10 h 13 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach Sunday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Indians vs Detroit Tigers @ 8:05 ET - These teams combined to go 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position and the Indians left 10 men on base in their 4-0 win yesterday. While many will expect another low-scoring game today I am coming right back with the over in this one. After yesterday's futility at the plate in run scoring opportunities, look for the hitters to get it done today. Everyone will look at the recent starts of the Tigers Michael Fullmer and the Indians Corey Kluber and they'll expect a low-scoring game here but match-ups are extremely important when evaluating starting pitching. That said, Fullmer has allowed 9 earned runs on 13 hits and 6 walks in the 8 and 1/3 innings spanning his last two starts versus the Indians and those have both come within the past 10 months. As for the Indians Kluber, he has been crushed for 13 earned runs on 20 hits (including 3 homers) in the 13 and 1/3 innings spanning his last 3 starts against the Tigers. Not only have all 3 of those starts come within the past 10 months, 2 of them were outings this season! Look for both of these pitchers to continue to struggle against the same lineups that have been proven to give them trouble in the past. By the way, light winds at Progressive Field tonight but they will be blowing out toward center or right-center on a mild evening in Cleveland that will favor the hitters. Look for the over to improve to 5-0 in Fullmer's career starts against the Indians. Also, the Tigers are 9-3 to the over in Sunday games this season and Detroit is 49-25 to the over in road games with a posted total of 8 or 8.5 runs the last 3 seasons combined. 10* OVER the total in Cleveland |
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07-09-17 | White Sox v. Rockies OVER 11.5 | Top | 0-10 | Loss | -120 | 7 h 2 m | Show |
1st Half Game of the Year - Rickenbach Sunday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Colorado Rockies vs Chicago White Sox @ 3:10 ET - Yesterday's game stayed under the total but the White Sox entered that game on a 7-0 run to the over. Though the Rockies have been an "under team" this season, this pitching match-up is conducive to a high-scoring slugfest. Both these teams are among the top teams in the majors for batting average versus left-handed pitching. Also, both teams rank among the best in the majors for slugging percentage against southpaw hurlers. Carlos Rodon is making just his 3rd start of the season and this is his first-ever start at hitter-friendly Coors Field. Though Rodon had a strong start at Oakland, he did walk 6 in just 5 innings in his prior start and now he pitches at the most unfavorable park for pitchers in the majors. As for the Rockies, a struggling Kyle Freeland takes to the hill for this one. The Colorado southpaw has given up 42 hits in the 29 innings spanning his last 5 starts. Freeland is 0-3 with a 7.27 ERA and 1.79 WHIP in his last 3 starts. Though his home starts have had an incredible under trend this season, Freeland is in poor form and now facing the #1 offense in the majors when it comes to facing left-handers. As for the White Sox Rodon, the over is 3-0 in his last 3 starts dating back to September. This will not be a popular play but it will be a winner and I love fading the masses in situations like this. Big total but we get line value as it has already moved downward and both these pitchers get crushed here. 10* OVER the total in Colorado |
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07-08-17 | Hamilton +2.5 v. Saskatchewan | Top | 20-37 | Loss | -106 | 14 h 36 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach Saturday CFL 10* Top Play Hamilton Tiger-Cats (+) @ Saskatchewan Roughriders @ 10 ET - The Roughriders are off of back to back tough losses. They lost in Week 1 by a single point and then lost in overtime in Week 2. After the heartbreak last Saturday followed that tough loss the prior week, it will be tough for Saskatchewan to bounce back here. Making the task even tougher is the fact that they're hosting a Hamilton team that has had two weeks to prepare for this game. The Tiger-Cats lost in Week 1 by 17 points at Toronto so they will not be in a good mood here! Hamilton watched the Argonauts make some huge catches (even on a number of poorly thrown balls) and, basically, everything seemed to go the Argos way in that Week 1 match-up. That said, the Ti-Cats are fired up and they can't wait to get back on the field after the early season bye week! Hamilton, the past 2 seasons, went 5-2 SU and ATS when off of a loss against a division rival. Also, the Ti-Cats straight-up road record (4-5) was better than Saskatchewan's straight-up home record (3-6) last season. Additionally, the past three seasons combined, the Roughriders are 2-10 SU and ATS as a favorite! July has been a horrible month for Saskatchewan (1-9 SU) while the Tiger-Cats actually have a winning record (both SU and ATS) in July games the past two seasons combined. Two of the weaker teams in the CFL matched up here but the scheduling situation and emotional status of these two teams right now means the value is clearly with the dog in this one! 10* HAMILTON |
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07-08-17 | Angels v. Rangers OVER 11 | Top | 2-5 | Loss | -105 | 14 h 50 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach Saturday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Texas Rangers vs Los Angeles Angels @ 9:05 ET - The last time Tyson Ross faced the Angels he gave up 10 hits in 6 innings two years ago. Speaking of getting hit hard, Ross has compiled a 7.71 ERA in his last 3 starts. Coming off of an embarrassing 10-0 loss yesterday, the Angels sticks should respond here against a hurler who has struggled with command of his pitches. Ross walked 5 in 5 innings in his most recent start. The good news for Rangers fans is that the Texas lineup should enjoy another big day at the plate. Texas will take advantage of facing Jesse Chavez. The Angels right-hander has given up 5 earned runs or more in 4 of his last 6 road starts! Chavez is 2-5 on the road this season with an ugly 6.36 ERA. He has allowed 9 earned runs in 10 and 1/3 innings versus the Rangers so far this season and Texas already hit 3 homers off of Chavez in those two starts. The over is 4-1 in the 5 starts Chavez has made versus the Rangers in his career and the over is 3-1 this season in all the starts Ross has made. Rangers games have reached double digits in runs in 7 straight games and I look for another wild one today in Arlington after last night's game stalled out and ended up with 10 runs after a hot start by the Rangers in the early innings. This time both teams will be crushing the ball and scoring plenty. 10* OVER the total in Texas |
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07-08-17 | Red Sox v. Rays -106 | Top | 0-1 | Win | 100 | 11 h 34 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach Saturday MLB 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Rays Money Line (-) vs Boston Red Sox @ 4:10 ET - The Rays Alex Cobb is off of a tough start but that was on the road and he had been throwing very well. In fact, Cobb has a 3.15 ERA on the season in his home starts. He gives Tampa Bay a big pitching edge over Boston in this one as the Red Sox send Rick Porcello to the mound. The veteran right-hander is 4-10 with a 5.01 ERA on the season. Porcello is off of a win in his most recent start but lets not forget that opponents hit .329 against him in May and .323 against him in June! Consistently Porcello has been hit very hard and I look for more of the same Saturday afternoon. The Boston righty has given up 13 runs (11 earned) on 17 hits in 10 and 1/3 innings spanning his two starts versus the Rays this season. Cobb held the Red Sox to just 4 hits in 6 and 1/3 innings when he most recently faced them and that was in Boston. Look for Cobb to be even stronger versus the BoSox here at Tropicana Field. The Red Sox are 58-72 (-$17,000) in road games where their money line is in a range of +125 to -125 the past 3 seasons combined. The Rays are 34-25 (+$8,500) versus right-handed starters this season. 10* TAMPA BAY |
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07-07-17 | Red Sox v. Rays +133 | Top | 8-3 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 2 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach MLB Friday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Rays Money Line (+) vs Boston Red Sox @ 7:10 ET - Home/road dichotomy is a huge factor here. The Rays Jake Odorizzi entered this season having a 2.99 ERA and holding opponents to a .217 batting average in all of his home starts the past 3 seasons. This season, once again, he's been much tougher at home compared to on the road as Odorizzi has a solid 3.60 ERA at home and has held opponents to a .224 batting average. That said, I love the home dog value here with a Rays team that is 11-5 in its last 16 road games. Note that the Red Sox are a popular team and this tends to impact their money line pricing. Even though Drew Pomeranz has good overall numbers for Boston this season, the Red Sox southpaw has allowed 7 earned runs in the 7 and 1/3 innings spanning his two starts versus the Rays this season. Tampa Bay is 17-11 (+$8,700) against teams with a winning record this season and tonight I look for them to improve to 10-4 (71%) in Friday games this season as Odorizzi once again proves very tough to hit at home. 10* TAMPA BAY RAYS money line |
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07-07-17 | Brewers v. Yankees OVER 10.5 | Top | 9-4 | Win | 100 | 11 h 47 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach MLB Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Yankees vs Milwaukee Brewers @ 7:05 ET - The Brewers won 11-2 at Chicago versus the Cubs yesterday afternoon and that makes them 7-1 in their last 8 games and Milwaukee has averaged 6.8 runs per game those 8 contests. Also, tonight's match-up against Yankees southpaw Jordan Montgomery will be the 3rd straight game (and 4th in last 5) in which the Brewers have faced a left-handed starter. That is a big edge for them and their bats should stay hot here. However, the issue for the Brewers will be their own starting pitcher as a struggling Junior Guerra gets the call here. The right-hander is 0-2 in his last 3 starts with a horrible 9.64 ERA and an unheard of 2.43 WHIP! Guerra gave up 4 homers in his most recent road start and now faces a Yankees team that has scored 6 runs or more in 7 of their last 11 games. The Yanks have averaged 5.7 runs per game during this solid 11-game stretch at the plate. The over is 7-3-1 in those 11 games. Also, the over is on a perfect 5-0 run in Montgomery's last 5 starts for the Yankees. The over is 24-10 in Yanks games against teams with a winning record this season and, also, the over is 7-2 in Yankees games where there a home fave in a range of -175 to -250 this season. 10* OVER the total in New York Yankees |
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07-06-17 | BC -3.5 v. Montreal | Top | 23-16 | Win | 100 | 8 h 40 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFL Thursday 10* Top Play BC Lions (-) @ Montreal Alouettes @ 7:30 ET - As I wrote in Friday's Game of the Month write-up, the Lions would be hungry last week after BC lost a tight one at home to Edmonton in the opening week. The Lions are now a stellar 10-2 ATS the last 2+ seasons when they are off of a loss to a division rival. BC is a good team. Montreal is certainly still a question mark. The Alouettes barely got by Saskatchewan in Week 1 and then lost at Edmonton last week. The Als just don't have the offensive and, long-term, BC is known for their offensive production! Already this season BC has scored at least 27 points in each of their two games while Montreal has yet to crack the 20-point barrier. I am well aware of the fact that the dogs are 8-0 ATS this season in CFL but there is a reason that, despite that fact, this line has risen from -2.5 to -3.5 on BC in this game. The Lions are the much better team and their viewing this Eastern road trip (Toronto last week and Hamilton next week) as an opportunity to get back on track after that tough, disappointing loss in their home opener. The superior (and fully focused) team is the play here and the Lions have won 3 straight meetings with the Alouettes and all 3 wins came by a margin of at least 9 points. The Lions are on an 11-6 ATS run in non-conference games while Montreal is on a 6-13 ATS run in home games. More of the same here. 10* BC LIONS minus the points early Thursday evening |
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07-06-17 | Padres +180 v. Indians | Top | 2-11 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 33 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach MLB Thursday 10* Top Play San Diego Padres Money Line (+) @ Cleveland Indians @ 7:10 ET - The Padres have won 3 straight games including 2 straight over the Indians. That said, everyone is backing Cleveland here and figuring that there is no way that San Diego could possibly sweep the Tribe in Ohio. However, in typical contrarian fashion I will gladly fade the masses here but it is certainly not without good reason! The Padres are starting Dinelson Lamet and he has been solid in 5 of his 7 starts including 3 straight. In fact, his numbers over his last 3 starts are phenomenal with only 11 hits and 2 walks allowed in 19 innings while striking out 25 batters! Lamet is very likely to outduel the struggling Josh Tomlin here. The Indians right-hander has been awful over his last 5 starts. Tomlin has given up 21 runs (20 earned) on a ridiculous 41 hits in just 22 and 2/3 innings. Look for the "hit parade" versus Tomlin to continue here as Cleveland drops to 2-9 in his last 11 starts. The fact is that the Indians have been a money burner as a big favorite this season. Cleveland, as home fave of -175 to -250 has destroyed bankrolls this season with a 2-7 record costing their backers $12,800 at $1K per game. By the way, the Indians are an ugly 2-11 in interleague games this season! The Padres are 3-0 their last 3 with Lamet on the mound while Cleveland is 0-3 their last 3 with Tomlin on the mound. Combined 6-0 run tested here with tremendous line value on the underdog Padres. 10* SAN DIEGO on the money line Thursday evening |
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07-06-17 | Astros v. Blue Jays OVER 9 | Top | 4-7 | Win | 100 | 8 h 29 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach MLB Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Blue Jays vs Houston Astros @ 7:05 ET - The Astros have gone over the total in 5 straight games and, overall, the over is 9-2-1 in Houston's last 12 games. The Blue Jays certainly have not been hitting like the Astros have but, look for them to build off back to back wins over the Yankees including scoring 7 runs in yesterday's game. Lance McCullers gets the start for the Astros here and he has not been nearly as dominant since coming off of the disabled list. The right-hander gave up 3 earned runs on 6 hits and 2 walks in a start that only lasted 5 and 1/3 innings versus the Yankees in his most recent outing. He was hit hard in his only career start against Toronto and that was just last season. Speaking of getting hit hard, Francisco Liriano was rocked by the Astros when he most recently faced them and that was also last season. As for this season, the Blue Jays southpaw comes into this one struggling. Liriano has allowed 5 earned runs in 2 of his last 3 starts and ironically each of those two outings where he gave up 5 earned runs were the only two that stayed under the total. The over is 6-2 in Liriano's last 8 starts and I look for more of the same here as he faces a potent Astros lineup. Houston has averaged scoring nearly 8 runs per game in their last dozen games. In road games with a posted total of 9 or 9.5 runs the Astros are 29-13 to the over the past 3 seasons combined. 10* OVER the total in Toronto early Thursday evening. |
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07-05-17 | Red Sox -103 v. Rangers | Top | 2-8 | Loss | -103 | 11 h 13 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach MLB Wednesday 10* Top Play Boston Red Sox Money Line (-) @ Texas Rangers @ 8:05 ET - This is a classic case of "hot versus not" and we're getting line value too because the "play on" team is on the road for this one. With last night's 11-4 blowout win, the Red Sox have now won 6 straight games and 8 of their last 9. Boston has averaged 9 runs and 14 hits per game during their 6-0 run! The Rangers are at the other end of the spectrum right now as Texas has lost 6 of their last 7 games. Also, the Rangers have averaged only 7.6 hits per game in their last 8 games! The Red Sox also have the pitching edge in this match-up. Doug Fister has been solid since moving into the rotation for Boston as he has allowed only 11 hits in 11 innings while also striking out 11 in these two starts. Keep in mind, the veteran sinkerballer was having a fine season for Houston last year before he had a very ugly September. Certainly Fister appears to now "be back" in terms of his current form and most of his starts versus Texas last season were rock solid. Only one bad start skewed his overall numbers versus the Rangers last year. As for Texas starter Andrew Cashner, he certainly appears to be heading the wrong direction right now. The Rangers right-hander has allowed 4 earned runs or more in 4 of his last 6 starts. Also, one of those ugly outings came against these same Red Sox and, as noted above, Boston's sticks are on fire right now. Look for the Red Sox to make it 7 straight wins while dropping Texas to 4-10 in Wednesday games on the season. 10* BOSTON RED SOX money line |
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07-04-17 | Reds v. Rockies OVER 12.5 | Top | 8-1 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 29 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach MLB Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Colorado Rockies vs Cincinnati Reds @ 8:10 ET - This is a contrarian play as the total has already moved down from a 13 to a 12.5 as of early Tuesday morning. The fact is that bettors find it tough to play overs when they get up into this range but this big total is definitely warranted! The Reds send Homer Bailey to the mound and you have to really feel bad for the guy. So far in his return to the major league Bailey has been completely crushed for 14 earned runs in less than 5 innings of work spanning his two starts! Now the struggling (to put it mildly!) right-hander has to pitch at the most hitter-friendly venue in all of baseball! Like I said, you have to almost feel bad for the guy and this truly is unlikely to end well for him here considering the way he's getting knocked out around. The only hope for Bailey is to get plenty of run support here and I absolutely do expect that. The Rockies send southpaw Kyle Freeland to the mound for this one and he has a 6.75 ERA in his last two starts and those were on the road. Now he's back home at hitter-friendly Coors Field and though he has a surprisingly low ERA at home this season, he has given up 22 hits in the 18 and 1/3 innings spanning his last 3 home starts. It's going to catch up with him here and the Reds gave Freeland some trouble (including 2 homers) when they faced him in Cincinnati in late May. The over is 11-4 this season in Reds road games where they are a dog in a range of +125 to +175 on the money line. Also, the over is 8-1 in Cincinnati's Tuesday games this season. After a loss this season the Reds are 28-14 to the over and Cincy is 23-11 to the over in their games against teams with a winning record. Bailey's last 4 starts at the MLB level all flew over the total and this one will as well. Yes I am well aware of Freeland being an "under" pitcher this season but there are too many signs pointing to a slugfest here! The odds makers knew what they were doing when they set the big total on this one. Look for it to get there by the middle innings! 10* OVER the total in Colorado |
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07-04-17 | Pirates v. Phillies OVER 8.5 | Top | 3-0 | Loss | -120 | 8 h 33 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach MLB Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia Phillies vs Pittsburgh Pirates @ 4:05 ET - The Pirates got shutout yesterday and truly have not been hitting the ball all that well of late. However, the over is 3-0 this season (and 16-7 the last 3 seasons combined) when Pittsburgh is off of a shutout loss. Couple that with the fact that facing the Phillies Mark Leiter should do wonders for the Pirates lineup, and you have a nice set up for an over in this one. Philadelphia's Leiter gave up 9 hits in 5 innings at Seattle in just his 2nd MLB start earlier this week. He was fortunate he only allowed 4 earned runs as he did give up 3 homers among the 9 hits in just 5 innings. The Pirates will do some damage here. The Phillies are playing a little better of late and its building confidence for this lineup. Philadelphia has won 4 of its last 6 games and they've averaged 5.2 runs per game during this solid stretch. Also, the Phillies have averaged 5 runs per game in their last 3 home games. They'll face Jameson Taillon of the Pirates and they hit him well when they faced him last season and he has allowed 19 hits in the 17 and 1/3 innings spanning his last 3 starts. Though he has limited damage in those outings, the fact is that he's been far from unhittable and the Phillies are stringing together hits quite well over the past week. More of the same right here. By the way, only 7 of the last 21 times that Philly is off of a shutout win did their next game stay under the total! 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia |
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07-03-17 | Angels v. Twins OVER 10 | Top | 5-9 | Win | 100 | 11 h 53 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Monday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Twins vs Los Angeles @ 8:10 ET - The Twins send Adalberto Mejia to the mound for this one and his ERA is low over his last 3 starts but he's been in plenty of jams during this stretch. Mejia was simply fortunate to work out of a number of those jams but its going to catch up with him soon. In fact, Mejia has a 6.10 ERA and 1.75 WHIP in his 6 home starts this season. He is matched up tonight with an Angels hurler whom has been struggling away from home this year. Alex Meyer gets the start for Los Angeles and he is 1-4 with a 6.75 ERA and a 1.81 WHIP in his road starts this season. The Angels right-hander was matched up with Mejia in Anaheim early last month and that was an unexpected pitchers duel. It is unlikely to be repeated here as now both lineups get another look at these starters and plus Meyer is now on the road where he struggles and Mejia is back at home where he's been struggling all season. Look for the over to improve to 5-1 in Meyer's road starts this season. The over is 16-8 in Twins home games where their money line has been in a range of -125 to +125 this season. Look for another one here as both these lineups should be able to "tee off" in this one. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota |
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07-03-17 | Red Sox v. Rangers +107 | Top | 7-5 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 51 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach MLB Monday 10* Top Play Texas Rangers Money Line (+) vs Boston Red Sox @ 8:05 ET - The Red Sox are off of a huge win at Toronto yesterday while the Rangers lost a tight one to the White Sox at Chicago Sunday. However, the Rangers have a big pitching edge in this one Monday plus they're back home where they hit the ball much better and, overall, are a much stronger team. Texas will send southpaw Martin Perez to the mound as the southpaw returns from the disabled list. Though his overall numbers are not that impressive this season, Perez has compiled a 4.20 ERA in his night games on the year. Also, the Rangers southpaw has allowed 3 earned runs or less in 10 of his 15 starts this season. Perez also should benefit from plenty of run support here as Boston's Rick Porcello has been very hittable! Since mid-May, the Red Sox right-hander has given up 90 hits in 61 and 2/3 innings! Yes, you read that right, Porcello is allowing about 1.5 hits per inning over his last 10 starts. The righty is 2-9 with a 5.67 ERA in night games this season! Even with yesterday's win included, Boston is 56-71 and down $17,800 in road games with a money line in a range of +125 to -125 the past 3 seasons combined. The Rangers are 66-46 and up $21,000 in home games with a money line in a range of +125 to -125 the past 3 seasons combined. 10* TEXAS RANGERS money line |
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07-01-17 | Mariners v. Angels OVER 8.5 | Top | 0-4 | Loss | -100 | 14 h 21 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach MLB Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Los Angeles Angels vs Seattle Mariners @ 10:05 ET - The Angels won Ricky Nolasco's last start and he had a rare strong outing but LA had previously lost each of his 10 prior outings! Also, in Nolasco's 6 prior starts he had given up 26 runs (22 earned) on 45 hits in only 32 and 2/3 innings of work. Now he faces a Seattle team that's lineup is rolling as the 10-0 win last night brings their scoring average up to 6 runs per game over their last 11 games. Although the Angels lineup has slumped their last 4 games, they previously had scored at least 4 runs per game in 7 straight games. Keep in mind, each team getting to just 4 runs guarantees us of no worse than a 5-4 final here and that final score would put this one into the win column. The Angels should enjoy success against Sam Gaviglio. The Mariners right-hander has 7 walks compared to just 4 strikeouts in his last two starts and those outings were at home. Note that on the road this season Gaviglio has a 5.51 ERA in his 3 starts! The over is 6-1 this season in the 7 match-ups between these divisional rivals so far this season. Also, the Mariners have had just 1 under in their last 9 games. The Angels have had just 2 unders in their last 8 home games. Look for more of the same tonight. 10* OVER the total in the Los Angeles Angels game late Saturday night. |
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07-01-17 | Winnipeg +1.5 v. Saskatchewan | Top | 43-40 | Win | 100 | 12 h 18 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFL Saturday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Blue Bombers (+) @ Saskatchewan Roughriders @ 9 ET - Amazingly the underdogs are a perfect 7-0 ATS so far this CFL season after yesterday's results saw two more underdogs cash in. Looking at this Saturday night match-up I like the fact that the Blue Bombers opened up as a favorite but are now the underdog here. Winnipeg has revamped their offense coming into this season and they had a bye in week one action. While the Blue Bombers are excited about unveiling their new, more dangerous attack on offense, the Roughriders are already the team feeling pressure in this one. Keep in mind, Saskatchewan only won five games last season. Now they got this season off to a familiar start with a loss and it was a frustrating one coming by a single point at Montreal last week. The Roughriders offense did not look good and, as for their defensive production, yes they held the Alouettes to just 17 points but Montreal only scored 19 points last night. The point is that the Riders benefited from facing an Alouettes offense that is having some issues early this season. I really like what Winnipeg has done to bolster both their ground game and aerial attack coming into this season and we're getting great line value here as the Blue Bombers have all the positive energy having waited extra time for the season opener. Conversely, the Roughriders feel the added pressure of already being 0-1 and now playing in Saskatchewan with the pressure of trying not to suffer a home loss and drop to a quick 0-2 on the season. The Riders will be playing not to lose while Winnipeg will be playing to win and you know how these types of situations tend to play out! Also, the Blue Bombers have won 4 of the last 5 meetings between these teams. Look for another underdog W in this one as the dogs improve to 8-0 this CFL season! 10* WINNIPEG plus the points Saturday night |
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07-01-17 | Nationals +109 v. Cardinals | Top | 1-2 | Loss | -100 | 12 h 36 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach MLB Saturday 10* Top Play Washington Nationals Money Line (+) @ St Louis Cardinals @ 7:15 ET - The Nationals got embarrassed 8-1 last night but there is a nice set up here for them to bounce right back tonight. The Cardinals have right-hander Michael Wacha facing Washington southpaw Gio Gonzalez in this one. That is significant not only because of the fact that Gonzalez has been pitching much better than Wacha. A big key that some will overlook (and part of the reason this line is in the pick'em range) is the fact that the Cardinals are only hitting .228 against left-handed pitching this season. Note that the Nationals are hitting .278 this season against right-handed pitching - a full 50 points higher than St Louis against lefties. As you can see, Gonzalez should have a huge edge over Wacha in this one. Note that Gonzalez is 6-1 on the road this season and he has a 2.87 ERA overall in all of his starts this season. As for Wacha, he is off of a rare strong start versus Cincinnati but previously he gave up 27 runs (23 earned) on 39 hits in the 25 and 1/3 innings spanning his 6 prior starts! As you can see, Wacha has been getting crushed in most of his outings! Even with yesterday's win, the Cardinals are still only 13-18 in their games against teams with a winning record this season. The Nationals, even with yesterday's loss, are still a fantastic 33-13 this season in night games. Look for the Nats to bounce back large in this one. 10* WASHINGTON on the money line in early evening action Saturday |
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06-30-17 | Rockies +134 v. Diamondbacks | Top | 6-3 | Win | 134 | 24 h 39 m | Show |
Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Friday 10* Top Play Colorado Rockies Money Line (+) @ Arizona Diamondbacks @ 9:40 ET - Just a little over a week ago the Rockies were still rolling and had taken the first game of a 3-game set with these same Diamondbacks. However, Colorado proceeded to lose the next two games of that 3-game series by an ugly combined score of 26-8. This sent the Rockies plummeting into what is now an 8-game tailspin. What is the best way to get out of something like that? How about having your opening day starter back healthy (finally!) for a rematch with the same divisional fore that started your skid? That is the situation here for the Rockies as Jonathan Gray is back after missing 2 and a half months. Gray had a tough start in the bigs with Colorado in 2015 but he has now allowed hitters to hit just .243 against him in his 32 starts since the start of the 2016 campaign. I know Robbie Ray of the Dbacks has put up some surprisingly solid numbers but Colorado will be seeing him for the 4th time since early September and Ray has an ugly 6.75 ERA in his last 3 starts versus the Rockies. Conversely Arizona has only seen Gray once since the 2015 season ended. Colorado is 11-4 this season in games with a posted total of 9 or 9.5 runs. Also, the Rockies are 7-3 when playing after a day off. As for the Dbacks, they were in action yesterday and lost their 2nd straight. This will be Arizona's 11th straight game without a day off and they are 72-109 (-$20,800) the past 3 seasons combined in games against teams with a winning record. 10* COLORADO ROCKIES money line late Friday night |
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06-30-17 | Red Sox v. Blue Jays OVER 10 | Top | 7-4 | Win | 100 | 14 h 39 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach Friday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Blue Jays vs Boston Red Sox @ 7:05 ET - Marco Estrada is off of a strong start for the Blue Jays but he previously allowed 23 earned runs in the 16 and 2/3 innings spanning his last 4 starts. 2 of those 4 starts were at home and, in fact, he has allowed 5 earned runs or more in 3 of his last 4 starts. With that said, the over is offering great value here because Estrada is matched up with another hurler tonight who is also likely to struggle. Boston sends Doug Fister to the mound and though his first start as a member of the Red Sox fell into the category of a "quality start" he did give up 7 hits and walk 3 in his 6 innings of work. Keep in mind, post-All Star break last season with the Astros, Fister went 4-7 with a 6.20 ERA and a .322 batting average against! In the minors this season as he prepared for his first start with the BoSox, Fister did get hit at a .281 clip. He'll now be on the mound in Toronto tonight where, the last time he pitched here he got rocked for 6 earned runs in 6 innings of work. Look for the Blue Jays lineup to bounce back off of a rare, home shutout yesterday. As for the Red Sox, they've scored an average of 7 runs per game in their last 6 victories and are coming off of scoring 6 runs in last night's win versus Minnesota. The over is 8-4 in Toronto's Friday games this season and there has been just 1 under in Estrada's last 5 home starts! Look for these trends to continue here. 10* OVER the total in Toronto |
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06-30-17 | BC +3 v. Toronto | Top | 28-15 | Win | 100 | 22 h 42 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFL Friday 10* Top Play BC Lions (+) @ Toronto Argonauts @ 7 ET - The Argonauts had the biggest win in Week 1 as they demolished Hamilton by 17 points. In that game truly everything seemed to fall into place for Toronto. Now they face a fired up BC team that lost a tight one at home to Edmonton. The Lions have gone a stellar 9-2 ATS the last two seasons when they are off of a loss to a division rival. BC is a good team. Toronto is still a question mark. I know the Argos had a great week one performance but there has already been an over-reaction to that by the betting markets as this line went from a pick'em to a -3 on Toronto. We're getting tremendous line value on the Lions, off of a loss, and getting +3 in this one. Long-term, BC is known for their offensive production and the Argos caught the Tiger-Cats off-guard in Week 1. The Lions are well aware of how that game went and the Argonauts won't catch hungry BC asleep coming into this game. Toronto is 1-5 SU and ATS when off of a win against a division rival. Also, the Argos, even with last week's win included, are still just 4-13 ATS in home games the past 2+ seasons. Lastly, the Lions also have the rest edge here as they played on Saturday last week while the Argos played on Sunday. Now playing on Friday, it's an extra short week for Toronto here. The road team is also 4-0 SU and ATS in the last 4 meetings between these teams. More of the same here. 10* BC LIONS plus the points early Friday evening |
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06-29-17 | Rays -116 v. Pirates | Top | 0-4 | Loss | -116 | 9 h 10 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach MLB Thursday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Rays Money Line (-) @ Pittsburgh Pirates @ 7:05 ET - Even though the Pirates are attracting more of the early bets on this one the bigger money is going toward the Rays as this line has moved toward Tampa Bay. I like fading the masses and being right alongside the other sharp money and that is what I am suggesting with this selection on the road favorite Tampa in this one. The Rays lost 6-2 yesterday but outhit the Pirates 10 to 6. The problem for Tampa Bay was that they left 11 men on base in that game. However, on a positive note it did mark the 4th time in the last 6 games that the Rays have reached double digits in hits. This is in stark contrast to what the Pirates have been doing at the plate as Pittsburgh has not reached double digits in hits in any of their last six games. The Pirates are averaging only 5.3 HITS per game in their last 6 games. The Rays, prior to yesterday's loss, had averaged 6.8 RUNS per game in going 4-2 in their last 6 games. You can plainly see who the hotter team has been at the plate. As far as the pitching match-up tonight, I look for the Rays Chris Archer to bounce back after a rare subpar effort. He had a season low in strikeouts in his most recent start but previously had struck out 85 in the 59 innings spanning his last 9 starts! As for Jameson Taillon, he had a solid first start in his first outing after returning from testicular cancer. However, he then allowed 6 earned runs in 11 innings in his next two starts and the Pirates are only 1-3 in his home starts this season. The Rays are 5-1 in Archer's last 6 starts including 3-0 in his road outings! Even with yesterday's loss the Rays are 6-3 in inter-league action this season and 30-19 in inter-league action the last 3 seasons combined. The Pirates are still only 3-7 in inter-league games this season and they're 21-32 in night games while the Rays are 32-22 against right-handed starters this season. 10* TAMPA BAY money line |
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06-29-17 | Cardinals v. Diamondbacks OVER 10 | Top | 10-4 | Win | 100 | 7 h 6 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach MLB Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Arizona Diamondbacks vs St Louis Cardinals @ 3:40 ET - Yesterday's game (4-3 Cardinals win) stayed under the total but it continued the Cards recent surge as they've now won 3 of their last 4 games and average 6 runs per game in the process! As for Arizona, even with yesterday's loss, they've won 6 of their last 8 games and have averaged 6.6 runs per game during this hot stretch. Look for the over to improve to 8-3 in Cards Thursday games as a struggling Lance Lynn takes to the mound for St Louis. He has given up 7 earned runs in each of his last two starts. 6 of the 15 hits he has allowed in just 10 and 1/3 innings have been homers! Even though Lynn has a solid ERA versus the Diamondbacks in his career, he has allowed 18 hits in the 12 innings spanning his last two starts at Arizona. The Dbacks will have Patrick Corbin on the mound. The southpaw allowed 7 earned runs in less than 6 innings of work in his last home start versus the Cardinals. Corbin comes into this outing have been hit rather hard of late. Even though his ERA has been much better in June compared to his disastrous May, note that Corbin has been hit at a .300 clip this month. He was also hit at a .359 clip in May. That is why his ERA has climbed from a 2.29 in April to now a 4.99 ERA overall on the season. Corbin has been fortunate he has limited damage in June but, the way the Cards have been going, look for the southpaw to come unraveled in this one. Even with yesterday's under, the over is 12-5 St Louis' last 17 games. The over is 10-5 in Lynn's starts this season and 4-1 in Corbin's last 5 starts. 10* OVER the total in Arizona |
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06-28-17 | A's v. Astros OVER 9.5 | Top | 8-11 | Win | 100 | 10 h 1 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach MLB Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Houston Astros vs Oakland Athletics @ 8:10 ET - Jesse Hahn just got rocked by the Astros in Oakland on Thursday and now has to face them again. The results are unlikely to be good considering Houston had no problem with his offerings last week as Hahn gave up 10 runs (9 earned) in just 2 innings of work. The situation is similar for David Paulino as he opposed Hahn on that day and was roughed up for 3 earned runs on 7 hits and 2 walks in just 5 and 1/3 innings. Paulino was fortunate the damage wasn't worse in a rather unimpressive outing. In fact, Paulino has a 5.04 ERA in his 5 starts this season and the over is 4-1 in those 5 games. He's dealing with a very confident A's team here as they've won 4 straight games and have averaged 7 runs and 12 hits per game in their last 3 games. As for the Astros lineup, they've certainly had plenty of confidence at the plate of late as well. Houston has averaged 6.1 runs and 10.9 hits per game in going 7-3 in their last 10 games. The over is 24-12 in A's games against teams with a winning record this season. The over is 7-4 in Houston's Wednesday games this season. The over is 7-3 this season in Astros games versus the A's and that includes 3-1 when they are the host. Look for another slugfest in this match-up tonight! 10* OVER the total in Houston |
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06-28-17 | Twins +160 v. Red Sox | Top | 4-1 | Win | 160 | 9 h 6 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach MLB Wednesday 10* Top Play Minnesota Twins Money Line (+) @ Boston Red Sox @ 7:10 ET - Boston's Rick Porcello is extremely overpriced here. He just might be the most hittable starting pitcher in MLB right now. Though he won his most recent start, that was his first win in a month! Porcello got hit quite hard even though he got the win and now check out this ridiculous stat I was alluding to. Porcello has given up 84 hits in his last 55 and 2/3 innings spanning his last 9 starts. In other words, the Red Sox right-hander has been given up an average of 1.5 hits per inning in his last 9 starts! During this stretch his ERA has gone from a 3.95 to a 5.00 but Porcello has truly been fortunate his ERA has not ballooned even higher. The Twins hold a pitching edge here as the Red Sox hitters have zero experience against Adalberto Mejia. The Minnesota southpaw has a 3.06 ERA in his 4 road starts this season and he has held hitters to just a .175 batting average in those outings! The lefty has led the Twins to victory in 2 of his last 3 road outings. Though he doesn't pitch deep into game he has gone at least 5 innings in each of his last 3 road starts and he also had a 7-inning outing at home this season. Even with yesterday's loss the Twins are a solid 23-11 on the road this season and they are 7-3 (+6,700) as a road dog of +125 to +175. Also, the Red Sox are only 19-23 (-$10,400) when off of a win this season. Even though Boston has a good batting average at home this season their .414 slugging percentage at Fenway ranks them #12 out of the 15 American League teams. With the way Porcello has been getting hit, this match-up and has upset written all over it! 10* MINNESOTA |
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06-26-17 | Twins v. Red Sox OVER 8 | Top | 1-4 | Loss | -120 | 8 h 47 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach Monday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Red Sox vs Minnesota Twins @ 7:10 ET - This is a contrarian play as, on the surface, it looks like a pitchers duel. The fact is that Chris Sale has allowed at least 3 earned runs in 7 of his last 9 starts. Also, he allowed 9 hits in 7 innings in his most recent start. The Twins could enjoy some surprising success at the plate here as Minnesota has gotten to Sale for 9 earned runs in 11 innings the last two times they have faced him. Also, Minny comes into this game having won 5 of their last 6 games and averaging 5.2 runs per game in those 5 victories. Jose Berrios gets the start for the Twins here and he has great numbers on the season but he has been hit a little harder in recent starts away from home. After back to back strong starts at home, look for Berrios to get "touched up" here. Boston is off of back to back home losses but they're hitting .281 at Fenway Park this season (#1 in the American League) and they've provided some huge run support in recent Sale starts. Look for them to back the ace southpaw with another strong effort tonight. Berrios has made 8 starts so far this season and not a single one has gone over the total. Sale is one of the best pitchers in the game today. Yet oddsmakers hung an 8.5 on this one for the opening total. Of course the total has since dropped to an 8 and I am happy to fade the move here based on the reasoning above. Look for the over to improve to 18-10 this season in Red Sox games with a posted total of 8 or 8.5 runs. 10* OVER the total in Boston |
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06-25-17 | Rockies v. Dodgers OVER 8.5 | Top | 6-12 | Win | 100 | 8 h 47 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Sunday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Los Angeles Dodgers vs Colorado Rockies @ 4:10 ET - The very first numbers to come out on this game showed an opener of 9 on the total and then it dropped to as low as an 8 before now settling in at an 8.5 across the board. The fact is that 9 certainly may seem high for a game at Dodger Stadium but in typical contrarian fashion, that is part of the reason I am happily backing the over here. Don't be fooled by the big number on this one. the fact is that the Rockies Tyler Anderson got rocked by Seattle in his most recent start for 6 earned runs on 11 hits in 5 innings of work. Though his two prior outings were both solid road starts, he faced two of the worst teams in MLB - Cincinnati and Philadelphia. Now he faces a tough Dodgers lineup and, even with the strong starts versus the Reds and Phillies, Anderson has a 5.51 ERA on the road this season. The over is 4-2 in his 6 road starts this year. Although the Dodgers Brandon McCarthy has put up strong numbers this season, he has a 5.40 ERA in his last two starts versus the Rockies. Also, his strikeout numbers are down recently and he is facing a Colorado team that is averaging 5.5 runs per game in their games against right-handed starters this season. After struggling with southpaws Wood and Kershaw the past two games, the Rockies will be happy to face a right-hander today. Look for the over to improve to 5-2 in Anderson's road starts this season and 11-4 in Dodgers home games with a posted total of 8 or 8.5 runs on the year! 10* OVER the total in LA Dodgers Sunday afternoon |
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06-25-17 | Hamilton -3.5 v. Toronto | Top | 15-32 | Loss | -105 | 6 h 12 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach Sunday CFL 10* Top Play Hamilton Tiger-Cats (-) @ Toronto Argonauts @ 4 ET - The Tiger-Cats are the much better team and, after their long winning streak versus the Argonauts ended in Toronto in September last season, payback is in order here. The Argos have issues on both sides of the ball as their concern on offense is a question about the level of receiving talent on hand for the passing game. On the other side of the ball Toronto was the worst defense in the league last season so that unit has a long way to go to get to where it should be. Even though Toronto is at home for this one, they went just 2-7 at home last season. The Argos, like much the rest of the East Division last season, was better on the road than at home. That's why there is no questioning the fact that Hamilton is a sizable road favorite here. It is absolutely justified as they seek revenge for the September loss that ended their 6-0 run (both SU and ATS) in their rivalry series with the Argos. The Ti-Cats are a long-term 14-8 ATS in road games with a posted total of 56 or more. The Argonauts are on a 3-13 ATS run in home games and a 5-12 ATS run in divisional games. The Ti-Cats are the better team on both sides of the ball and the revenge factor is what 'sweetens the deal" on this one and has me going to my top play rating here. 10* HAMILTON TIGER-CATS minus the points Sunday afternoon |
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06-24-17 | Angels v. Red Sox OVER 10 | Top | 6-3 | Loss | -108 | 11 h 32 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach Saturday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Red Sox vs Los Angeles Angels @ 7:15 ET - With yesterday's 9-4 Red Sox win cruising over the total, Boston has now recorded 3 straight overs and the Angels have recorded 5 straight overs. On a mild evening at Fenway Park and with two struggling pitchers on the mound, I don't expect these trends to come to an end. JC Ramirez gets the start for the Angels and the right-hander has given up 18 earned runs on 28 hits in his last 18 innings of work. That equates to a 9.00 ERA in the last 4 starts Ramirez has made and he now faces a Boston team that is averaging 6.6 runs per game in its last 5 home games. The Red Sox will be starting David Price. The Boston southpaw got a late start to this season and he really has not been as impressive as we're use to seeing from Price. The bad news for the left-hander is that things appear to be getting worse, not better, as he has a 6.75 ERA and 1.94 WHIP in his last 3 starts. Price allowed 5 homers in the 16 innings spanning those 3 starts. He now faces an Angels team that has averaged 6.3 runs and 11 hits per game in it's last 6 games. In road games with a posted total of 10 or 10.5 runs, the over is 3-1 in Angels games this season. The Red Sox have gone 4-1 to the over in their last 5 games overall and they've had just 1 under in their last 5 home games. Look for another wild one at Fenway Park tonight. 10* OVER the total in Boston early Saturday evening. |
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06-24-17 | Cubs v. Marlins OVER 9 | Top | 5-3 | Loss | -115 | 9 h 46 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach Saturday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Miami Marlins vs Chicago Cubs @ 4:10 ET - After yesterday's pitchers duel, today's afternoon match-up has all the right ingredients to play out in completely opposite fashion. Look for a slugfest here! The Marlins Justin Nicolino returned from the disabled list and promptly got rocked at home versus Washington. The Miami southpaw gave up 6 runs (3 earned) on 7 hits (including 2 homers) in just 3 innings of work! Niccolino is facing a Cubs lineup that will be fired up after getting shutout yesterday and the Cubs have a .457 slugging percentage against southpaws this season. That ranks them 4th out of all 30 teams in the majors. As for the Marlins, they have an on base percentage of .342 against left-handed pitching this season and that ranks them 4th out of all 30 teams. Miami will be facing southpaw Jon Lester whom has not fared nearly as well on the road as he has at home. Away from home this season, Lester is 1-3 with a 5.84 ERA and a 1.76 WHIP. The over is 17-9 this season in Miami's games against teams with a winning record and the over is also a solid 9-4 this year in Marlins games against left-handed starters. The Cubs, as a road favorite of -175 or more, are 4-2 to the over this season and 22-11 to the over the past 3 seasons combined. Also, Chicago is 10-6 to the over this year in games against left-handed starters. 10* OVER the total in Miami Saturday afternoon |
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06-23-17 | Pirates v. Cardinals -117 | Top | 4-3 | Loss | -117 | 10 h 37 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Friday MLB 10* Top Play St Louis Cardinals Money Line (-) vs Pittsburgh Pirates @ 8:15 ET - Even though Adam Wainwright has poor numbers when you look at his last 3 starts combined, that included two awful road outings. At home this season, Wainwright is a fantastic 5-1 with a 2.88 ERA in his 7 starts. Look for him to come up big again here at home as the Pirates come into this game having lost 5 of their last 8 games. Pittsburgh has averaged only 7.4 hits in those 8 games. As for St Louis, the Cardinals are off of a 5-1 loss yesterday but previously averaged 6.6 runs per game in their 11 prior games! They'll be facing Jameson Taillon and the Pirates right-hander has allowed 4 earned runs or more in 3 of his last 5 starts. He was unable to go deeper than 5 and 1/3 innings in any of the 5 starts. That is significant because Pittsburgh's bullpen has had some shakiness in recent losses. Look for the Bucs to drop to 3-6 in Taillon's starts this season while Wainwright improves to 6-1 in his home outings! There is fantastic line value here with the Cards as a short home favorite. St Louis is already 3-0 this season versus the Pirates and Pittsburgh comes into this one having gone 8-14 this season in road games where their money line ranges from -125 to +125. That is the case again here and I look for the Pirates to again struggle on the road while the Cardinals improve to 15-8 in their last 23 home games versus Pittsburgh. 10* ST LOUIS CARDINALS money line Friday |
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06-23-17 | A's v. White Sox OVER 10 | Top | 3-0 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 29 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach Friday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago White Sox vs Oakland A's @ 8:10 ET - Mike Pelfrey has pitched surprisingly well this season but, prior to a strong start in his most recent outing, he has been showing signs of coming back to 'reality' recently. Pelfrey, previous to a solid outing versus Toronto, had given up 12 hits and 8 walks for a total of 20 baserunners in the 9 innings spanning his two prior starts! We could see more results like that today as he is 0-4 with a 7.96 ERA and a 1.92 WHIP in the 4 starts he has made against the A's in his career. As for Oakland, Jharel Cotton gets the start in this one. The right-hander has gone 4-7 with a 5.40 ERA on the season. Also, he is not really showing any signs of improvement as he has a 6.23 ERA in his last 3 starts and he allowed 2 homers in EACH of those three outings! Facing the hot hitters of the White Sox is unlikely to help matters for Cotton. The ChiSox are 6-4 in their last 10 games and they've scored an average of 6.4 runs per game during this hot streak. The White Sox have averaged 11 hits per game in their last 13 games! As for the Athletics, the over is 13-5-2 in their last 20 games. Oakland is also 26-14 to the over this season when off of a loss. The White Sox are 19-11 to the over this season in their games against teams with a winning record. 10* OVER the total in Chicago White Sox |
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06-23-17 | Calgary v. Ottawa OVER 55.5 | Top | 31-31 | Win | 100 | 23 h 2 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach Friday CFL 10* Top Play OVER the total in Ottawa Redblacks vs Calgary Stampeders @ 7:30 ET - This is the Grey Cup rematch. Of course last year's Grey Cup easily flew over the total and I look for a repeat here. The over is a perfect 5-0 in the last 5 meetings between these teams and I really like all the additions that Ottawa made in terms of talented receivers being added to the mix but their defense is still a major question mark. Keep in mind the Redblacks defense was their weakness last season and I expect the revenge-minded Stampeders to fully exploit that weakness here. Calgary has the best offense in the CFL and they're ready to air it out but so too is Harris for Ottawa as Trevor Harris looks to redeem himself after losing the starting job last season. Not only is Harris ready to "put his foot on the gas in this one", Calgary is more than happy to air it out and they put up insane numbers through the air against the Redblacks in last year's match-ups. I look for more of the same here as the PERFECT trend of overs continues in this series. The Redblacks D simply won't be able to stop a determined Stampeders team but Ottawa can also score big, especially with the plethora of receiving talent they have now. The over is 14-8 the past two seasons when the Redblacks are an underdog. Also, Ottawa has gone 11-6 to the over long-time when they are a home dog in a range of 3.5 to 7 points. Look for more of the same with the Redblacks on Friday night as offense takes center stage in the rematch. Two QBs involved here with plenty to probe. 10* OVER the total in Ottawa |
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06-22-17 | Cubs v. Marlins OVER 9 | Top | 11-1 | Win | 100 | 11 h 53 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Thursday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Miami Marlins vs Chicago Cubs @ 7:10 ET - The Cubs lost 3-2 yesterday and truly haven't been overly impressive at the plate of late. However, facing Jeff Locke should bring out the best in them. They just faced him at Wrigley Field earlier this month and they really forced him to labor in that outing. Overall, Locke has been unimpressive with a 5.79 ERA and 1.64 WHIP in his last 3 starts. Now the Cubs get a quick second look at him and they'll be ready to crush the ball today after a disappointing home loss to the Padres yesterday. As for the Marlins, they were no-hit late into yesterday's match-up against Max Scherzer of the Nationals but then they managed to rally late for the 2-1 win. There is reason to believe the Marlins will fare much better against the Cubs Jake Arrieta. The right-hander did enjoy success against Miami earlier this month but that outing was at Wrigley Field. On the road this season, the Cubs are 3-6 in Arrieta's starts and he has a 5.07 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in those outings. Arrieta has allowed 4 earned runs or more in 5 of his last 7 road outings. His most recent start stayed under the total but, prior to that, 9 of Arrieta's last 12 starts went over the total. The Marlins are 29-13 to the over in night games this season and I expect another one here as both lineups respond after poor performances at the plate yesterday. The pitching match-up today is very conducive to an over. The Cubs lead the National League in homers (28) versus left-handed pitchers. Miami is hitting .263 in night games which ranks 5th in the NL this season. Their high-scoring trending under the lights continues in this one Thursday. 10* OVER the total in Miami |
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06-22-17 | Diamondbacks v. Rockies -104 | Top | 10-3 | Loss | -104 | 7 h 46 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach Thursday MLB 10* Top Play Colorado Rockies Money Line (-) vs Arizona Diamondbacks @ 3:10 ET - The first line that came out on this game had the Rockies as a -145 favorite. As of early gameday morning, this line is all the way down to a pick'em price range! I will gladly grab the Rockies in this price range as they look to bounce back off of last night's ugly 16-5 loss where the Diamondbacks had a ridiculous 10-spot in the top of the 4th. Yes, Coors Field can be 'crazy good' for the hitters at times but that was an insane inning. Needless to say, the Rockies will be looking for payback this afternoon. Lets not forget that Colorado had won 6 straight games before yesterday's loss. The big edge they have here is that Antonio Senzatela is used to starting at Coors Field and is a stellar 7-1 this season with a 3.68 ERA in home games! As for the Diamondbacks Zack Godley, he will be making his first ever start at Coors Field. He has made relief appearances here and the Rockies gave him trouble each time. As for the Dbacks facing Senzatela, this will be the first time ever as a starter or out of the bullpen. That said, Arizona's lineup is likely to struggle with his offerings. The Diamondbacks are only 11-11 in day games this season while the Rockies are 22-8 in day games. Look for a big response form the home team this afternoon after last night's ugly debacle. In my opinion, for the reasons note above, the Rockies have a huge pitching edge in this one and I love the extra value afforded by the line move here. 10* COLORADO |
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06-21-17 | White Sox v. Twins OVER 9.5 | Top | 2-4 | Loss | -115 | 11 h 36 m | Show |
AL Central Total of the Year - Rickenbach Wednesday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Twins vs Chicago White Sox @ 8:10 ET - Jose Berrios has put up surprisingly strong numbers this season. However, he still has made only 7 starts this season and this is a guy who went 3-7 with an 8.02 ERA in twice as many starts as that last year. Also, although Berrios is off of a strong start, he had previously been showing signs of "coming back down to earth" after his "out of this world" start to the season. Berrios, in his 4 prior outings, allowed 11 earned runs on 21 hits and 11 walks in the 22 and 2/3 innings spanning those 4 starts. That works out to a 4.37 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. Certainly those are respectable numbers but it shows that a Berrios "correction" of his insanely strong numbers from earlier this season is quite likely. The White Sox did face Berrios last October so thiey are not without some experience against the young right-hander. As for the ChiSox starting David Holmberg here, the southpaw has produced decent numbers but has only last 17 innings in his 4 starts. That means another long day for a White Sox bullpen that again saw plenty of action yesterday is quite likely tonight! These teams combined for 16 runs on 28 hits and I am expecting another wild one tonight. The ChiSox have averaged 11 hits per game in their last 12 games! The Twins bullpen has a 5.25 ERA this season which ranks them dead last in the majors. The over is 18-10 this season in Twins games against teams with a losing record and the over is 95-60 the last 3 seasons combined when Minny is facing a team with a sub-.500 record. With the low ERA numbers these two starters have this season the O/U in the 10 range may look high but, as you can see above, there is plenty of justification for the odds makers setting this total where they did. I'll gladly take advantage of the line move that has it a 9.5 in many books this morning. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota |
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06-21-17 | Red Sox v. Royals +135 | Top | 4-6 | Win | 135 | 7 h 39 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach Wednesday MLB 10* Top Play Kansas City Royals Money Line (+) vs Boston Red Sox @ 2:15 ET - Boston rolled Kansas City yesterday 8-3 but the Red Sox had lost 3 of their prior 5 games and the BoSox were held to 2 runs or less in 4 of their 5 prior games. As for the Royals, they had won 8 of their last 9 games prior to yesterday's loss. Also, Kansas City had averaged 6.2 runs per game in their 9 prior games. Even though Drew Pomeranz has a much better record and lower ERA on the season in comparison with Ian Kennedy, the Red Sox southpaw has been hit at a .263 clip. Kennedy has only been hit at .205 clip this season and opponents only hit .236 against him last year. The point is that Kennedy has certainly been the victim of some bad breaks this season and, overall, has frequently proven tough to hit. There is significant home underdog value for the Royals in this spot. The Red Sox are only 5-9 this season in road games with a posted total of 9 or 9.5 runs. Prior to yesterday's win, Boston had averaged just 6.6 hits per game in their last 5 games. Prior to yesterday's loss, KC had averaged 11 hits per game in their last 9 games. Grab the big dog value here as the Royals won both Kennedy starts against the Red Sox last season and they make it 3 straight Wednesday afternoon. 10* KANSAS CITY money line |
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06-20-17 | Mets v. Dodgers OVER 8.5 | Top | 0-12 | Win | 100 | 25 h 4 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach Tuesday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Los Angeles Dodgers vs New York Mets @ 10:10 ET - Robert Gsellman gets the start for the Mets here and he has a 6.26 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP on the season. He was rocked for 7 earned runs on 11 hits in just 5 innings of work in his most recent start. That start was at home too! On the road this season Gsellman has a 7.96 ERA. The over is 9-3 in his 12 starts this season! As for the Dodgers, they'll have Brandon McCarthy on the mound for this one. Even though he has some strong numbers on the season he has as many walks as strikeouts in his last two starts. He's averaged less than 5 innings per start in his last 3 starts and the Mets, entering Monday's action, are averaging 5.9 runs per game on the road this season. As for the Dodgers they entered Monday night's action having averaged 6.2 runs per game while going 9-1 in their last 10 games. They should have no trouble with the offerings of a struggling Gsellman here while the Mets season-long trend of "overs" continues. New York entered Monday having gone 33-10 to the over in night games this season. Also, the over is a perfect 6-0 this season in Mets Tuesday games. The Dodgers entered Monday's action having gone 17-9 to the over this season in their games against teams with a winning record. Also, the Dodgers are 9-3 to the over this season in home games with a posted total of 9 or 9.5 runs. Entering Monday, LA was on an 8-1 run to the over in their last 9 games and the Mets were on a 5-1 run to the over. More of the same expected here on Tuesday. 10* OVER the total in LA Dodgers |