PREDICTION MACHINE
No Normal play today AGAIN
a weak play on Orlando
Against the Spread Picks (based on game played 50,000 times):
Conference ATS Pick Opponent Line Margin Win% ATS
East Orlando Magic Boston Celtics 3.5 0.4 54.1% Calc -->
Straight-Up Picks (based on game played 50,000 times):
Conference Favorite Underdog Points For Points Against Win% SU
East Orlando Magic Boston Celtics 94.1 93.7 50.5%
Over/Under Picks (based on game played 50,000 times):
Conference Better Seed Worse Seed Line Total Points Pick Pick%
East Orlando Magic Boston Celtics 189.5 187.8 UNDER 53.2% Calc -->
Key
65%+ 3X Normal Play
62% - 65% 2X Normal Play
57% - 62% Normal Play
53% - 57% Weak Play (but playable)
< 53% No Pick
No Normal play today AGAIN
a weak play on Orlando
Against the Spread Picks (based on game played 50,000 times):
Conference ATS Pick Opponent Line Margin Win% ATS
East Orlando Magic Boston Celtics 3.5 0.4 54.1% Calc -->
Straight-Up Picks (based on game played 50,000 times):
Conference Favorite Underdog Points For Points Against Win% SU
East Orlando Magic Boston Celtics 94.1 93.7 50.5%
Over/Under Picks (based on game played 50,000 times):
Conference Better Seed Worse Seed Line Total Points Pick Pick%
East Orlando Magic Boston Celtics 189.5 187.8 UNDER 53.2% Calc -->
Key
65%+ 3X Normal Play
62% - 65% 2X Normal Play
57% - 62% Normal Play
53% - 57% Weak Play (but playable)
< 53% No Pick
STEPHEN NOVER
Thursday's winners
50-Dime Winner is on the Pittsburgh Pirates plus the money against the Brewers. As I release this play at 9 a.m. eastern, I notice the price is +110 at most places. As always, the prices vary from shop to shop so be sure to get the best line possible after reading my analysis on this game.
Pirates - The Milwaukee Brewers are a train wreck right now having lost nine in a row. They have been outscored by 37 runs during this streak.
Manager Ken Macha is on the hot seat and the bullpen has blown up with a 6.25 ERA, second-worst only to Arizona's 7.98.
Laugh at Pittsburgh if you want, but the Pirates are three games better than the Brewers.
The Pirates are home, enter this matchup with far more confidence and motivation than the Brewers and have a pitching edge.
Chris Narveson is making his fifth start for Milwaukee. He's become the Brewers' No. 5 starter replacing an ineffective Jeff Suppan. Narveson has an unimpressive 5.29 ERA.
Narveson is going on regular rest despite throwing a career-high 130 pitches in
his last outing. His previous high was 102 pitches, the only time he had reached triple-digits in pitches before his last start.
Narveson has never reached the seventh inning. He's a converted reliever. Only once has he even reached the sixth inning, so expect another unhealthy dose of Milwaukee relief pitching.
The Pirates are starting Paul Maholm, their most consistent pitcher. Maholm is
one of those good-at-home, bad-on-the-road type of pitchers.
Maholm is 25-16 lifetime at home, remarkable for a Pirates pitcher, with a 3.62 ERA. He's 16-31 with a 5.16 ERA away from PNC Park.
The Pirates were humiliated by the Brewers when Milwaukee last visited. The Brewers swept a three-game series from the Pirates last month, outscoring them, 36-1. This included a 20-0 loss, the worst in Pittsburgh history.
The Pirates haven't forgotten. They beat the Brewers and Randy Wolf on Wednesday after upsetting Roy Halladay and the Phillies on Tuesday. So their confidence is up. Wolf is a better southpaw than Narveson.
Macha is a low-key manager who doesn't like to run. The Brewers have power, but
they also have speed that they aren't using. Macha probably is making a mistake
having Narveson pitch right after Wolf, giving the Pirates another shot at a lefty for the second straight day. It's becoming more obvious that Macha isn't the right fit for the Brewers.
The Brewers also are down two outfielders with Carlos Gomez and Jim Edmonds both hurt.
Thursday's winners
50-Dime Winner is on the Pittsburgh Pirates plus the money against the Brewers. As I release this play at 9 a.m. eastern, I notice the price is +110 at most places. As always, the prices vary from shop to shop so be sure to get the best line possible after reading my analysis on this game.
Pirates - The Milwaukee Brewers are a train wreck right now having lost nine in a row. They have been outscored by 37 runs during this streak.
Manager Ken Macha is on the hot seat and the bullpen has blown up with a 6.25 ERA, second-worst only to Arizona's 7.98.
Laugh at Pittsburgh if you want, but the Pirates are three games better than the Brewers.
The Pirates are home, enter this matchup with far more confidence and motivation than the Brewers and have a pitching edge.
Chris Narveson is making his fifth start for Milwaukee. He's become the Brewers' No. 5 starter replacing an ineffective Jeff Suppan. Narveson has an unimpressive 5.29 ERA.
Narveson is going on regular rest despite throwing a career-high 130 pitches in
his last outing. His previous high was 102 pitches, the only time he had reached triple-digits in pitches before his last start.
Narveson has never reached the seventh inning. He's a converted reliever. Only once has he even reached the sixth inning, so expect another unhealthy dose of Milwaukee relief pitching.
The Pirates are starting Paul Maholm, their most consistent pitcher. Maholm is
one of those good-at-home, bad-on-the-road type of pitchers.
Maholm is 25-16 lifetime at home, remarkable for a Pirates pitcher, with a 3.62 ERA. He's 16-31 with a 5.16 ERA away from PNC Park.
The Pirates were humiliated by the Brewers when Milwaukee last visited. The Brewers swept a three-game series from the Pirates last month, outscoring them, 36-1. This included a 20-0 loss, the worst in Pittsburgh history.
The Pirates haven't forgotten. They beat the Brewers and Randy Wolf on Wednesday after upsetting Roy Halladay and the Phillies on Tuesday. So their confidence is up. Wolf is a better southpaw than Narveson.
Macha is a low-key manager who doesn't like to run. The Brewers have power, but
they also have speed that they aren't using. Macha probably is making a mistake
having Narveson pitch right after Wolf, giving the Pirates another shot at a lefty for the second straight day. It's becoming more obvious that Macha isn't the right fit for the Brewers.
The Brewers also are down two outfielders with Carlos Gomez and Jim Edmonds both hurt.
