DAVE COKIN
Matchup: L.A. Angels at St Louis
Time: 2:15 PM EDT (Sat)
Listed pitchers must go: (L) KAZMIR, S vs. (R) LOHSE, K
Play: L.A. Angels (ML +132)
The Angels dropped the opener of their set with the Cardinals, but I like their chances of rebounding with the win on Saturday. Scott Kazmir is getting closer to his old form. In his most recent start, Kazmir was back to throwing over the top, which is his old arm alot, and that's a good indicator that he may finally be right physically. Kyle Lohse is not bad at all when pitching at home, and the Cardinals can do damage against lefties. But it's also worth noting that the Redbirds are a woeful 8-18 when Lohse starts, so he's obviously a bit dicey as chalk with that ledger. I'm going to bank on a good effort from Kazmir, and I'll therefore go for the underdog odds and back the Angels.
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Matchup: Milwaukee at Minnesota
Time: 4:10 PM EDT (Sat)
Listed pitchers must go: (R) GALLARDO, Y vs. (R) SLOWEY, K
Play: Minnesota (ML -120)
Anyone who handicaps exclusively on starting pitchers will probably be looking at the Brewers today. After all, they're sending their ace to the mound as Yovanni Gallardo goes against the Twins. On the flip side, Kevin Slowey really hasn't been very effective for the hosts. But I believe this game is a great example of a classic over-adjustment for the starting pitchers that creates good value on the small home favorite. The Twins are a powerhouse at home, and with the Friday night blowout against the Brewers, Minnesota is now a phenomenal 55-19 in Interleague play. Pair that with the awful stretch of ball that Milwaukee is playing right now, losing 10 of 11, and there's simply no way the Brewers should be this short in this contest. It's all about getting value, and there's a load of it here on the home team. Spot the short pric with Milwaukee.
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Dave Cokin
Matchup: Orlando at Boston
Time: 8:30 PM EDT (Sat)
Play: Boston (-3.5 -110)
The Celtics are up 2-0 in their series with Orlando, and they can pretty much relegate the Magic to having almost no shot in this series with a third straight victory tonight. I'm sure the Magic are going to fire whatever is left in their collective cylinders in this game, but I also think the Celtics are simply in their heads at this point. Boston is a veteran team, so they're less likely to get complacent and there's no question in my mind that they will be completely ready for this contest. I don't expect this to be a blowout by any means, but the number is short and the Celtics are on a big time roll right now. I'll spot the short number and back Boston to win again.
