MLB betting cheat sheet: O’s dominate Covers Consensus
Here’s a comprehensive look at betting notes for the weekend major-league games:
NL East Pushes Again
The Atlanta Braves and New York Mets preserved the NL East’s reputation as the league’s most push-centric division Thursday, with the Braves (-109, P 7) cruising to a 6-1 victory. Four of the six teams in the majors with double-digit pushes reside in the NL East, led by the Mets with 15.
Orioles the Covers Fave
The red-hot Baltimore Orioles (-185, 9) are a heavy favorite in Friday’s game against visiting Minnesota, and Covers readers believe in them. The Orioles have the most support of any team in Covers Consensus, with 76 percent of voters selecting them to win.
Dueling First-Timers
A pair of pitchers will make their major-league debuts Saturday when the Detroit Tigers visit the Chicago White Sox. The Tigers will send left-hander Kyle Ryan to the hill, while the White Sox counter with right-hander Chris Bassitt.
Pursuit of Happ-iness
Toronto lefty J.A. Happ looks to reverse an ugly trend Sunday as the Blue Jays finish up a weekend set with the New York Yankees. The Blue Jays have lost each of Happ’s last five starts, though they haven’t done him any favors – they’ve scored a total of nine runs in those games, resulting in a 1-4 O/U mark.
Pitching Notes
* Blue Jays southpaw Mark Buehrle has been a strong value for the majority of the season entering Friday’s tilt with the Yankees (-112, 9). Buehrle ranks fifth in the majors at $1,064, but may be in tough Friday – he’s just 1-12 with a 6.15 ERA in 19 career starts against New York.
* Athletics righty Jeff Samardzija has done a “total” reversal since joining Oakland near the trade deadline. Samardzija is 7-3 O/U in 10 starts with the A’s going into Saturday’s showdown with the host Angels; the 29-year-old was 7-10 O/U in 17 starts with the Cubs to open the season.
* Houston lefty Dallas Keuchel puts a five-game Under streak on the line Sunday as the Astros entertain the rival Texas Rangers. Keuchel has allowed three runs or fewer in seven of his last eight starts overall, contributing to a 1-7 O/U mark in that span.
Hitting Notes
* Few players have had a worse week than Astros third baseman Matt Dominguez, who is 1-for-15 with eight strikeouts over the last seven days. Dominguez will try to turn things around Friday night when Houston (-129, 8.5) faces Scott Baker and the Rangers.
* It could be a good day for Miami hitters as they face Aaron Harang and the Atlanta Braves on Saturday. Members of the Marlins roster are a combined .370 with a .409 OBP, a .591 slugging percentage and six homers in 154 at-bats versus Harang.
* Clay Buchholz vs. Evan Longoria will be a matchup to monitor Sunday afternoon when Buchholz’s Red Sox tangle with Longoria’s Rays. Longoria is just 7-for-34 lifetime against Buchholz, with one RBI and 13 strikeouts.
Totals Streak
Atlanta Braves (1-5-2 O/U): An offense that had scored three runs or fewer in six of its previous seven games finally broke out Thursday night versus the Mets, racking up 13 hits against a quartet of New York pitchers. Atlanta is 53-70-11 O/U for the season, the second-best Under mark in the NL.
Prop of the Day
It doesn’t pay well, but betting against the Astros and Rangers going to extra innings (-1,200) could work out nicely. The Rangers have played the fewest extra-inning games in all of baseball (seven), while the Astros are close behind with just 10 extra-inning contests.
Injury Notes
* The Mets have placed second baseman Daniel Murphy on the 15-day disabled list with a right calf strain. New York has struggled in Murphy’s absence so far in 2014, going 1-5 SU, 2-3-1 O/U and -359 units with him out of the lineup.
* The Cardinals are expected to activate catcher Yadier Molina from the disabled list in time for Friday’s game against the visiting Cubs (+133, 7.5). Molina has missed the last 40 games with a torn ligament in his right thumb; the Cardinals are 21-19 SU, 23-17 O/U and +20 units without him.
Weather Watch
* Wind at Citi Field will blow out to center field at 7 mph for Friday’s showdown between the host Mets (-148, 7) and the Philadelphia Phillies. Teams combined to hit a whopping 2.4 home runs in five games under similar conditions a season ago, well above stadium averages.
* Fans at Busch Stadium will be treated to a wind blowing out to center field at 7 mph Saturday when the Cardinals entertain the Cubs. The home side went 7-2 SU while averaging 6.22 runs in nine games with the wind blowing out to center in 2013.
Umpire Note of the Day
The home team is 10-1 in umpire Phil Cuzzi’s last 11 games behind home plate. Cuzzi will call the balls and strikes Friday night when the Angels (+100, 7) host the Athletics.
** Odds, stats, weather forecast and probable pitchers as of 10:10 a.m. ET Friday.
