MLB Betting - Super powers meet when Yanks, Red Sox clash
betonline.com has all the MLB betting lines you need to make your sports book picks. If you bet sports and want a head start on next week's games, the Bettor's Edge provides a weekly review of intriguing match-ups that are on the horizon. Highlights from next week include the fading D-Backs hosting the Brew Crew, while two AL super powers clash in the AL East.
Milwaukee Brewers at Arizona Diamondbacks (June 30, July 1-2)
The Diamondbacks are fading fast. After a hot start that earned them a seemingly solid lead, they've completely collapsed in June, going 11-16. They were knocked around in interleague play last week, losing five of six to to Minnesota and Boston (and even dropping three straight to the awful Royals two weeks ago).
The hitting deserves most of the blame. Arizona ranked near the cellar in NL runs scored in June, averaging just over three runs a game. Of everyday players, Conor Jackson and Orlando Hudson are hitting around the .300 mark. After that, the next leading players are Stephen Drew and Mark Reynolds, hovering around a .250 batting average. Odds are they'll snap out of it, but when? They're expected to send Doug Davis, Randy Johnson, Micah Owings and Brandon Webb to the hill against Milwaukee.
The Brewers are headed in the other direction. A great month (16-9) has them back above .500 and thinking playoffs. Milwaukee likely won't catch the Cubs for the NL Central, but they should be considered a favorite to win the Wild Card considering the talent they have. Normally the hitting gets the attention in Milwaukee, with young stars like Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun and J.J. Hardy swinging the bat, but the pitching was great in June.
That doesn't mean the lineup wasn't providing any juice, though. The Brew Crew was one of the highest scoring teams this month. That should be a comforting thought for Dave Bush, Jeff Suppan, Seth McClung and Manny Parra, who should pitch against Arizona.
Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees (July 3-6)
A few weeks ago it didn't look like there would be much “oomph” behind this bitter rivalry, but thanks to New York's resurgence, things could get interesting yet. Though still considered big underdogs to come back and overtake the AL East, the Yanks have clawed their way back into contention. A mid-June run was key, when they won seven straight. By now, sports bettors should know better than to bet against the Yankees until they're officially eliminated.
Surprisingly, the pitching got its act together in June. It's hard to say whether or not that will hold up—especially with Chein Ming-Wang injured—but at least New York can rely on its big bats in the meantime. Andy Pettite, Darrell Rasner, Mike Mussina and Joba Chamberlain should throw for the Yanks.
The Red Sox have been solid if unspectacular all season. They have a very balanced roster and have managed to maintain a .600 winning percentage despite injuries to Daisuke Matsuzaka and David Ortiz. If anything, the champs are more worried about Tampa Bay, who they face this week before New York. The Rays had the best record in baseball after 81 games, the halfway point of the season.
Boston, who should send Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, Justin Masterson and Tim Wakefield out against New York, could afford to rely a little less on its pitching. The Sox have been middle-of-the-pack in run scoring this month, but the pitching staff was very sharp.
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T.J. Kendrick is the biggest baseball nut and a brilliant MLB handicapper. His love of the game borders on obsession, and he takes every chance he gets to make excellent predictions, frequently contributing to industry handicapping sites as well as betonline.com. Thoughts or questions?
