Service Plays Wednesday 6/16/10

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

The Rx.com Mod Team has created this Service Play sub-forum in order to supply an area for Rx Service Play Posters to expand upon their posting topics without creating a logjam in the main forum where the three principle threads are maintained..

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[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Streaking and Slumping Pitchers

Streaking

Tommy Hanson, Atlanta Braves (6-3, 3.69 ERA)

The Braves young righty hasn’t lost a start since the middle of May and carries an ERA of 2.63 in his last four outings. Hanson has given up just seven total runs in his last 24 innings of work and is coming off a two-run, four-hit outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks last Thursday. He struck out 10 batters in that start, giving him 80 Ks on the year.

Jason Vargas, Seattle Mariners (4-2, 3.05 ERA)

The Mariners’ south paw hasn’t tasted defeat since early May but only has two wins in his last seven trips to the hill. Seattle is 4-3 in that span but has spoiled Vargas solid outings the last two times the pitcher has taken the mound. Vargas has allowed three or fewer runs in each of his last 11 starts despite giving up a home run in six of those appearances.


Slumping

Zach Duke, Pittsburgh Pirates (3-7, 5.30 ERA)

The Bucs’ lefty hasn’t won since May 18, picking up three straight losses heading into Wednesday’s start against the Chicago White Sox. Duke settled down in his most recent start, giving up just two runs on eight hits versus the Washington Nationals. The two outings before that produced 13 earned runs on 22 total hits. Duke’s sinker, which has been his go-to pitch, just hasn’t been there for him in 2010.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Hot Lines: Today's best MLB bets

Tampa Bay Rays at Atlanta Braves (-135, 8.5)

The Rays' preseason goal of getting 1,000 innings from their starting rotation may be taking a toll earlier in the season than even they expected.

After a strong start toward that goal in April and May, the Rays' rotation has fallen on hard times in June. Only four times in their last 10 games has the starter been able to go for more than six innings, putting a strain on the bullpen.

Manager Joe Madden disagrees with critics who believe the 1,000 goal will hurt the team's chances down the stretch of the season, calling the recent slide more of a blip on the radar screen rather than a scary trend.

"They're all going to be fine," Madden said. "They're going to rebound and pitch like they did earlier in the season. I'm certain of that. It's just the ebb and flow of the season, and you have to expect it."

Today's starter, Wade Davis, has been one of the chief offenders. He threw seven solid innings in his last outing but two of his last four starts ended in the fourth inning, including eight earned runs in 3 1/3 innings against the Rangers on June 4.

The Braves are still swinging a hot bat, with Martin Prado leading the NL with 90 hits and Troy Glaus heating up with 40 since May 1. Not exactly a welcome sight for a tired rotation and bullpen.

Pick: Braves


Chicago White Sox at Pittsburgh Pirates (120, 8.5)

The White Sox's starting staff has the opposite situation as the Rays. And, fortunately for Chicago, the Pirates' offense is on the other end of the spectrum from the Braves.

Entering Tuesday's game, the Chi-Sox starters had contributed 35 2/3 innings and only six earned runs in the last run through the rotation for a tiny 1.55 ERA and a 4-1 record during that stretch, with the lone loss coming to the crosstown rival Cubs' Ted Lilly edging Gavin Floyd in a near double no-hitter.

Today's starter John Danks is coming off seven shutout innings against the Tigers and he faces an infinitely less imposing lineup in the Bucs, who have lost eight straight and have averaged fewer than three runs per game during that streak. The White Sox have scored eight runs or more three times during that same span.

When these two teams met last season the Pirates managed just four runs for the entire three game series. Hard to beat anybody with those kinds of numbers.

Pick: White Sox

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Baseball crusher
Play of the Day:

Chicago Cubs -135 over the Oakland A's

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Comppicks

MLB
Reds -105
Blue Jays -110
White Sox -130
Rangers +105

Platinum Padlock
Orioles/Giants UNDER 6.5

Comppick (free pick)
Astros -120

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

SOCCER NEWS AND NOTES
Breaking Down Group F

Group F: Italy, Paraguay, Slovakia, New Zealand...The conspiratorial sorts in Italy who always seem to believe someone is out to get the Azzurri certainly had nothing to talk about after last December's draw in Cape Town. Not even Sepp Blatter himself could have rigged such a soft landing for the Italians, gifted something of a "Group of Less" along with longshots Paraguay, Slovakia, and New Zealand. Which was probably a good thing for an Italian side that is being mentioned as one of the worst holders to ever enter a World Cup, with comparisons to the disappointing 1986 Azzurri who never hit stride in Mexico, just four years after surprising everyone and winning it all at Spain '82.

In truth, however, we're not sure an Italy (odds to win group 8/15) repeat would be any more unlikely than winning the title four years ago, when many believe the Azzurri were hardly the best entry in the field. Although walking off with another trophy in a similar manner would be quite a shock.

Whatever, manager Marcello Lippi has returned for an encore, recruited out of retirement to replicate that magic run of four years ago when he was effectively able to circle the wagons for his troops, who were written off as serious title threats by almost everyone, including the Italian press, prior to Germany. Which was understandable, given the scandals that were rocking Serie A at the time; mocking the Italians became something of a parlour game at this time four years ago, although Lippi & Co. had the last laugh. Lippi retired after that thrill ride in Germany, but successor Roberto Donadoni was unable to pull the same rabbit out of his hat two years later at Euro 2008, triggering Lippi's reappearance. Now, Lippi is hoping to resurrect that same sort of siege mentality within his squad, which again in being discounted...even by many of its own supporters.

Borrowing a theme from one of Frank Sinatra's hits, Lippi certainly doing it "my way" in South Africa, which means calling back most of the title-winning squad from four years ago, even if most of them are approaching their mid 30s. Indeed, familiarity seems to mean something for Lippi, who also spent a lot of time in the past year trying to convince veterans such as Alessandro Nesta and Francesco Totti to come out of their international retirements and rejoin the Azzurri. Neither decided to take the bait, but the squad still has the feel of an old pair of shoes, with as many as eight now-familiar starters already past 30 years of age. Also included on the 23-man squad are six regulars from an erratic Juventus side that Lippi once managed to Champions League glory in the mid '90s.

On the other hand, this also has the look and feel of a testimonial for Italy, as Lippi has announced he will again be stepping down after the Cup, with Fiorentina's Cesare Prandelli already signed up to replace him. The likes of Fabio Cannavaro, Gennaro Gattuso, Antonio Di Natale, Mauro Camoranesi, Andrea Pirlo, Gianluca Zambrotta, and maybe even GK deluxe Gigi Buffon are all participating in what might be their last World Cups as well. Recent history for this sort of throwback roster, however, is less than convincing; France failed miserably when trying to defend its crown in 2002 while trying too hard to replicate the conditions and lineup of 1998 (although Zinedine Zidane's injury didn't help them any). Likewise, will South Africa simply be one World Cup too far for a group of Italian veterans clearly on the downslope of their careers?

Leaning upon experience has its pluses, especially in a tournament setting such as a World Cup; indeed, the Azzurri will have more familiarity within their ranks than any team in the field. Lippi also believes in cohesion and unity, reasons why he didn't include the likes of Inter's exciting young Marco Balonelli or Sampdoria's striker Antonio Cassano, a noted diva nicknamed "Cassanata" by none other than Fabio Capello when managing the temperamental Cassano at Roma early in his career.

The Azzurri still practice the art of catenaccio, an Italian term meaning "door bolt" that emphasizes a defensive approach featuring a well-organized and airtight backline designed to muffle even the most creative opponents, although Lippi has a more liberal view of that style of "calcio" than Helenio Herrera, Enzo Bearzot, or others who have scaled the heights of Italian football. And Lippi may have to get creative once more if his aging backline, now paced by a 36-year-old Cannavaro, springs a few leaks in front of still-effective GK Buffon. Lippi's experiments with various formations other than his usual 4-2-3-1 were met with uninspiring results in last June's Confederations Cup, when usage of 4-3-3 and 3-5-2 looks backfired. What Lippi has done in recent friendlies, however, is give AC Milan midfielder Andrea Pirlo an advanced role just behind forwards Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juve) and Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), and encouraging results mean that it would be no surprise for Lippi to slightly alter his traditional formation into a 4-3-1-2 to account for Pirlo's new positioning.

But this time, the red flags being waved by the Italian press and other observers could be justified. There is little invention in a bull-like midfield that will still be featuring the likes of the limited Gattuso, who can't even secure first-team status these days in Milan, and Juve's aging Camoranesi, also clearly beyond his best days. Their ability to disrupt the opposition could still come in handy, but service to the frontline was inconsistent all through the qualifiers. Those shortcomings, however, are more likely to be exposed in the knockout phase than group play, from where the Azzurri should have little trouble advancing.

Since we're dismissing the minnows from New Zealand (odds 66/1 to win group), Group F's second slot in the knockout phase is likely going to come down to Slovakia (6/1 to win group) or Paraguay (13-5 to win group). And the group's fixture list provides an advantage of sorts for Slovakia, which gets to open against New Zealand. Meanwhile, Paraguay opens vs. the heavily-favored Italians, meaning the South Americans are probably going to be facing a win-or-else scenario as soon as their second group match vs. the Slovaks at Bloemfontein on June 20.

Which Paraguay shows up in South Africa will likely determine the second qualifier from Group F. Will it be the Albirroja that began its qualifying run in spectacular fashion, winning at Chile and home vs. Brazil in the early going, or the one that won just 3 of its last 8 in the CONMEBOL group as it staggered to the finish line? Paraguay also wasn't helped when one of its best players, hybrid striker Salvador Cabanas (who also possesses midfield instincts after playing center field earlier in his career), who led the team in scoring during the qualifiers, suffered gunshot wounds in January while in Mexico City. He's expected to fully recover, but won't be available in South Africa, leaving Borussia Dortmund's Nelson Haedo Valdez and the perpetual tease, Man City's well-traveled Roque Santa Cruz, as the main target men up front. Benfica's Oscar Cardozo is another option when Paraguay decides to go with three strikers, as it did when famously surprising the Brazilians 2-0 in that early, aforementioned qualifier.

The Paraguayans are also no strangers to Copa Mundial, having qualified for their fourth on the trot, but this version has a different look than the gritty, defense-minded outfits that featured uncompromising and intimidating sorts such as GK Jose Luis Chilavert and defenders Celso Ayala and Carlos Gamarra. Coach Gerardo Martino is now more apt to push the pedal to the floor and commit numbers to the attack, but the midfield still lacks creativity, and his recent use of a 4-3-3 was met with disastrous results when the midfield couldn't win enough balls to provide much service to the surplus of frontline options. Expect Martino to opt for a more conventional 4-4-2, especially in the opener vs. Italy. We have to wonder, however, if a departure from that old, nullifying style that recent Paraguay outfits have used to fluster some high-profile World Cup foes (including Spain and France in '98 and Germany in 2002) is really going to serve the Albirroja well in South Africa.

Which could open the door for a creative Slovakia to advance. Although this is the Slovaks' first appearance as an independent nation at the World Cup, it is not a country without a football pedigree; as part of the old Czechoslovakia, the Slovaks made up a good portion of memorable teams such as the 1962 World Cup finalists and 1976 Euro winners, fielding nine players for the latter squad that upset a heavily favored West Germany to win the crown. Although the Czechs have accomplished more on the pitch since the "Velvet Revolution" in 1994, the Slovaks now seem to have the better of it, qualifying ahead of their neighbors, plus Slovenia and Poland, at the top of their UEFA elimination group. Plenty of Slovakian stars are also going to be in the European shopping window during the next few weeks, with an opportunity to impress scouts from the bigger leagues in Europe, where a few Slovaks are already making a name for themselves.

In particular, electric, 22-year-old Napoli midfielder Marek Hamsik could burst upon the international scene much as Russia's Andrei Arshavin did at Euro 2008. The speedy and creative Hamsik is a top-notch playmaker and teams with speedy Bolton winger Vladimir Weiss (son of the coach who goes by the same name) in a pacey midfield that should be able to maintain possession (a quality not shared by several World Cup squads) and navigate the Slovaks into the attacking zone. Meanwhile, veteran Mainz holding midfielder Miroslav Karhan can make sure that possession is retained and mop up behind his advancing mates to give Hamsik and the younger Weiss the freedom to operate further upfield. Qualifiers also unveiled a very functional defensive rearguard, with Legia Warsaw GK Jan Mucha making several circus saves along the way, and enough to impress Everton, his next employer. Central defenders Jan Durica (Hannover) and Martin Skrtel (Liverpool) also developed a solid working partnership in the qualifiers, although Skrtel's match fitness could be a question as he returns from a broken foot suffered in February.

Having said that, the elder Weiss has a few significant concerns, not the least of which is uncovering a true target man up front. Perhaps Vfl Bochum's Stanislav Sestak, who led the team with six goals in the qualifiers, will be that man in South Africa, although most of the offense will come through the flashy midfield axis of Hamsik and the younger Weiss. Not all of Slovakia's charges were getting regular minutes at their clubs this past season, either. But with the confidence from surviving the qualifying phase, and the go-go Hamsik pulling the strings, Slovakia will not be an easy out.

We don't want to pile on New Zealand too heavily. This is just the second-ever World Cup for the All-Whites, whose nation is more enamored with rugby anyway. But it is still quite an accomplishment for the Pacific nation to reach the World Cup, given that there is just one professional club on the island. Although it is a fact that New Zealand's qualification was helped by Australia's switch to the Asian qualifiers, weakening the remaining Oceania field featuring only Fiji, New Caledonia, and Vanuatu in addition to the New Zealanders. After winning that group, New Zealand caught another break with this World Cup's playoff opponent hailing from Asia, rather than South America, which provided Uruguay as opposition for Australia at a similar stage leading up to the last two World Cups. All New Zealand then had to do was see off Bahrain, which it did by a 1-0 aggregate, to punch its first ticket to the big show since 1982.

Sports books around the globe certainly aren't expecting much of the All-Whites, whose "over/under" group point total is being listed at a mere 1/2 point at several betting shops, and whose "over/under" goal tally is being listed the same. But New Zealand might not be quite the pushover it was in 1982, when it didn't score a goal; a capable Serbia was recently put to the sword in a friendly, although Raddy Antic was experimenting heavily with his Balkan side in that contest. The All-Whites feature stout defensive determination, not the worst asset, and coach Ricki Herbert, on the job since 1995 (a national coach on the job 15 years?) will not hesitate to put seven men behind the ball in an attempt to strangle the life out of a game if that is the only way the All-Whites can secure a point. There are a few familiar faces from English football; Middlesboro striker Chris Killen will be the one most likely to net New Zealand's first-ever World Cup goal, and rugged Blackburn central defender Ryan Nelsen anchors the All-White backline. Plymouth Argyle's Rory Fallon is also Killen's likely strike partner up front. On the plus side, we expect many neutrals to adopt New Zealand, which could emerge as a popular alternative for the South African fans and others. After all, everybody loves an underdog.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

PICKS FOR KICKS

Wednesday's Best World Cup Bets

Spain (-555) vs. Switzerland (+950, 2.5)

The Swiss may be bringing a spoon to a gun fight when they face the powerful Spaniards in the opening of group play Wednesday.

Switzerland is without captain and star striker Alexander Frei as well as midfielder Valon Behrami, who are both out due to injury. Both players are expected to undergo more treatment this week, in hopes of being ready to play against Group H opponent Chile next Monday.

"The target is to have him fit for the second match against Chile. It is imperative that he trains intensively, and that he is 100 percent fit,” said manager Ottmar Hitzfeld.

"I didn't call on Valon Behrami so that he could carry on having treatment up to the Chile match."

Frei is responsible for 40 international goals – a Swiss record – and will leave a big hole in the team’s attack. Bettors can expect a passive Swiss squad, hoping not to lose anyone else before its final two group games.

Pick: Under 2.5


South Africa (+161) vs. Uruguay (+125, 2.5)

The tournament host has its sights set on the knockout round after a surprising 1-1 draw with Mexico in the opening game of the 2010 World Cup. That draw proved to South Africa and its players that the country can compete with the best in the world.

"The most important thing was to get confidence and I have a feeling that out of that result we got that confidence. The good thing is we can build on that performance,” Siphiwe Tshabalala told reporters.

Uruguay is without top midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro, who was carded twice in the team’s 0-0 draw with France and will be forced to sit out Wednesday’s match.

With Uruguay’s attack struggling to produce and the home side getting an edge when it comes to the officials, expect the South Africans to sneak out a tight 1-0 victory.

Pick: South Africa +161

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

US OPEN NEWS AND NOTES
U.S. Open Betting: Handicapper's Preview And Picks

We have hit the second major of the season as the 110th edition of the U.S. Open tees off this week from majestic Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California.

This is the first trip for the Open back to Pebble since 2000 when Tiger Woods was the runaway winner. This is the second stop there this year, however, as the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am was contested and won by Dustin Johnson back in February.

While you might think the players who played well then and in past AT&T National Pro-Am’s will play well this week, think again. The USGA will have this course tricked up to usual Open standards, so the course will be far from the same. There will definitely be some advantages to having had success at Pebble in the past but there are factors that need to be weighed heavier.

Unlike most tour events, the Open changes venue every year but past history still does play an important role. While the courses are different, the setups are similar so any patterns by players need to be taken into consideration. The typical Open track will have higher and thicker rough as well as faster and harder greens making scoring much more difficult than what was seen four months ago.

Since the last Open at Pebble Beach in 2000, the course has been lengthened from 6,846 yards to 7,014 yards. That added yardage along with the change to the tiered rough since then, should make the track much tougher 10 years later. Back in 2000, Woods was the only player to finish under par, posting a 12 under but that was when he was playing his best golf of his career.

There is one thing the players will not have to worry about and that is the weather. Pebble is known for those high winds that can cause havoc and bettors only have to go back as far as last year at Bethpage when the rain forced a Monday finish. There is no rain in the forecast and winds will be quite moderate. That doesn’t mean better scoring as the dry weather will harden up the greens even more.

Of the eight players who have odds of +2500 or better, three are European (Lee Westwood, Padraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy). A player from across the pond has not won our championship since 1970 when Tony Jacklin won at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska. There have been some close calls along the way but these U.S. Open courses just do not set up well for their type of play.

Tiger Woods (+600) is still the favorite despite showing signs of backing up to the field. In 2000, besides shooting 12 under par, he broke Open records for largest margin of victory (15 shots), largest 36-hole lead (six shots) and largest 54-hole lead (10 shots). He finished fourth in the Masters but he has not been in contention in his other three starts this year. We could see the Tiger of old as those 2000 memories are a big plus.

Always the bridesmaid and never the bride. That is the story for Phil Mickelson (+700), who has been painfully close to winning his most coveted major but has not been able to close the deal. Mickelson has been an Open runner-up five times and he can blame himself for over half of those. He has won three times in his career at Pebble and he finished T16 in 2000 the last time the open was here.

One of those aforementioned Europeans was Lee Westwood (+800), who is coming off his first PGA Tour win in 12 years at the St. Jude last week. He is arguably now the best player never to have won a major but besides the European drought, he also has history going against him. No player has ever won a PGA Tour event and then won the U.S. Open the following week.

Jim Furyk (+2500) does have a U.S. Open to his credit, back in 2003 at Olympia Fields and he has two wins in his pocket this year, so he is someone to look at. He last missed the cut in the Open in 2002 and besides that win the following year, he had consecutive T2 finishes in 2006 and 2007. One of his wins this year was in Harbour Town, where the greens are even smaller than Pebble’s greens, so his game fits.

Steve Stricker (+3000) seems to have the game for winning an Open but he has yet to show it. He does have three top six finishes in the Open and three more in the top 16 and he has recovered from his shoulder injury. Could this be his year? Probably not. He has not had much success in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, missing the cut three of the six times that he has teed it up.

An interesting player to watch is Dustin Johnson (+3000). He has won the last two AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am’s but this will definitely be different. Those events included rounds at Spyglass Hill and the Shore Course and he has yet to see the tricked up version of Pebble. Also, he has not cracked the Top 40 in the two U.S. Opens but his wins at the course has to boost his confidence this year.

The defending champion is Lucas Glover (+8000) but he is considered a long shot this week. He obviously knows what it takes to win an Open and his best finish this year was a T3 at The Players. However, there have not been back-to-back Open champions since 1988 and 1989 when Curtis Strange did it and prior to that, it was Ben Hogan in 1950 and 1951. History is not on his side.

He isn’t really a long shot but K.J. Choi (+4000) is getting very good odds. He has yet to miss a cut this year, going a perfect 13-13 and he is third on tour in scoring average. He is not long but he is solid at most everything else including 11th in ball striking and fifth in greens hit. Choi finished T21 at Pebble earlier this year and made the Open cut last year after three straight misses.

Nick Watney (+6000) is coming off a missed cut at the Memorial but when he makes a cut, he runs with it. He has four Top 10s this year in 11 made cuts with his best finish a solo fourth at the Transitions. He finished seventh at the Masters and he leads the tour in greens hit, which is essential at Pebble. His best ever Open finish is a T60 but he has played well at the AT&T National Pro Am the last two years.

Another player lost in the odds is Tim Clark (+6000). He broke his PGA Tour maiden three starts back at The Players, so he no longer has that hanging over his shoulders. He has made 10-of-13 cuts this year including four Top 10s and that victory should give him confidence. He has three Top 22 finishes in four starts at the AT&T National Pro Am and he has made the cut in three straight Opens.

Recommended Tournament Win Six Pack At The U.S. Open
Phil Mickelson (+700)
Jim Furyk (+2500)
Dustin Johnson (+3000)
K.J. Choi (+4000)
Nick Watney (+6000)
Tim Clark (+6000)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MMA NEWS AND NOTES
Strikeforce Live: MMA Betting Preview And Picks


Ironically, in what is perhaps the busiest week in the history of mixed martial arts, the main event attraction of the hefty schedule will come Wednesday.

Sheer volume of competition, unfortunately, doesn’t equate to particularly relevant matchups this week, with the exception of Robbie Lawler taking on Renato "Babalu" Sobral atop the Strikeforce Live at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles Wednesday.

Strikeforce has dealt with a slew of problems lately, and two of them materialized in ways that have drastically affected Wednesday’s offering.

Lawler was originally scheduled to face Jason “Mayhem” Miller, a recognizable name for reasons beyond his hosting duties at MTV. Miller was removed from the card after his involvement in the now-infamous post-fight brawl with Jake Shields’ camp.

To add to the promotional disappointment, part-time professional wrestler, part-time martial artist Bobby Lashley also pulled out with an injury.

“Having Jason Miller in the cage with Robbie Lawler would have made for a better main event, and (Bobby) Lashley was supposed to be the selling point of the card,” said Arda Ocal, MMA analyst for The Score.

In the end, the card will continue with the hopes that the quality of the main event specifically will make up for what isn’t exactly a palatable menu.

Jason Miller might have been the more marketable choice to face Lawler, but the former EliteXC middleweight champion will have a stiffer and more unusual test in a variety of ways. Sobral is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert who is particularly adept at takedowns. In addition, Sobral, a light heavyweight, is the naturally larger man in a bout that will be contested at an awkward catch weight of 195 pounds.

The weight may not seem to be an issue on paper, however, 10 pounds can make a great difference in combat sports. Lawler will be hoping that he can add power to his striking-centric arsenal with the weight gain, while Sobral is hoping he can maintain the speed he utilizes in his shifty grappling attack.

“Babalu is a guy who presses the action,” said Ocal, “and Robbie Lawler is a guy who will either lose spectacularly, or provide a spectacular highlight.”

Either would be a nice consolation prize for Strikeforce and its fans.

Picks:

Corey Erdman is 8-6 with his MMA picks.

Robbie Lawler (-160) vs. Renato "Babalu" Sobral (+120)

Of the 25 bouts Robbie Lawler has taken part in, only three of them have gone to a decision. The last time he faced a world class grappler in Jake Shields, he was dissected in the first round and trapped in a submission. Ultimately, Lawler is too much of a risk taker to lay juice with, especially at a catch weight. Sobral, a former world champion, gives you great value already, but considering Lawler’s iffy ground technique, add a prop bet on the submission as well.

Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos (+170) vs. Marius Zaromskis (-220)

With 13 losses in his career, Santos has now been relegated to a gatekeeper in MMA and should be happy to be on a weeknight television card. That being said, Zaromskis was recently blasted by Nick Diaz at Strikeforce: Miami in his attempt at the vacant welterweight title. As a singular bet, Zaromskis doesn’t offer much value, so unless it’s within a parlay, leave this box unchecked.

Tim Kennedy vs. Trevor Prangley

Prangley’s experience and veteran savvy won’t have much time to take shape in a three round fight. Kennedy is likely to storm out of the gate and will look to maintain momentum against the tough-as-whalebone South African. Prangley can certainly hang in there, but isn’t likely to pull off shocking upsets at this point in his career.

Conor Heun vs. K.J. Noons

Heun is absolutely helpless standing up and will be testing his non-existent skill against a former professional boxer. Guess the outcome.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Proffesional tipster 59-49-12 (0-2)

16.06.2010 International World Cup Honduras - Chile Under 2.5

16.06.2010 International World Cup Spain - Switzerland Spain -1

16.06.2010 International World Cup South Africa - Uruguay Uruguay 0,+0.5

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Sampicks 18-14-2 (1-2)

World Cup - 12:00 GMT
Honduras - Chile take Chile to win
Bet365 odds: 1.67
Best odds: 1.71 188Bet

World Cup - 19:30 GMT
SOUTH AFRICA - URUGUAY take URUGUAY 0,+0.5
Bet365 odds: 1.5
Best odds: 1.55 Canbet

World Cup - 15:00 GMT
SPAIN - SWITZERLAND take SPAIN -1
Bet365 odds: 1.35
Best odds: 1.54 @ Canbet

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

"Bulgarian Paid service" 95-87 (1-2)

Hammarby IF - Ljungskile SK:win bet Hammarby IF @2,10

Throttur Reykjavik - Vikingur Reykjavik:win bet Throttur @2,25

Deportivo Quito - Manta FC:win betDeportivo @1,75

KuPS - TPS Turku, over @2.05

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

RW Sports 48-49-13 (1-2)

chile - honduras, bet on chile, 1.67 @ bet365

spain - switzerland, bet on spain -1, 1.50 @ pinnacle

south africa - uruguay,bet on draw, 3.25 @ ladbrokes

south africa - uruguay, under 2, 1.87 @ 5dimes

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Mighty Quinn

Mighty hit with the Lakers (-6-1/2) Tuesday night.

Wednesday it's the Dodgers. The deficit is 965 sirignanos.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Hondo

The Rays brightened Hondo's financial outlook last night when they took care of biz in Atlanta to lower the deficit to 865 pignatanos.

Tonight, Mr. Aitch expects Niese to make nice by getting the Tribe to cry uncle -- 10 units on the Metamucils.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Cappers Access

Giants(RL)
Cubs

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Arthur Ralph Sports
465 - 338 run 58 %

Bonus Play WED Houston -120

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

JR ODonnell | MLB Money Line Wed, 06/16/10 - 3:45 PM

dime bet 903 BAL (+250) Sportbet vs 904 SFG
Analysis:
BALT O'S + 250 A NICE JR O DOG TODAY GOES EARLY @ 3:45 PM.



7-4 Run

Baltimore O's + 250 game goes at 3:45 pm
TODAY

Let's play on the on the + 250 dog today as no one bu~t JR O. will be backing a dog "yes that's right" a +250 live dog vs the Cy Young winner T. Lincecum. We will play on Baltimore O's Jeremy Guthrie 3-7, 3.83 who will look to avoid a 4 start loss streak here Wednesday afternoon. Let's look at the O's who have some talent and A Jones is hitting + 340 the last 10 games and the O's did scratch out a win last night. We note that J. Guthrie is 4-3 with a 2.48 ERA in the last 12 inter-league games. The O's are a sharp dog today and we will back them at + 250 today !!!

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

gill alexander | MLB Money Line Wed, 06/16/10 - 7:10 PM

double-dime bet 920 ATL (-130) Bookmaker.com vs 919 TAM

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Tony George | MLB Money Line Wed, 06/16/10 - 8:10 PM

dime bet 926 KAN (+105) BetUS vs 925 HOU
Analysis:


Kansas City +105

This line shocked me, I figured KC at least -115 to -125 in this one with Chen on the hill who is pitching well for KC and 3-0 on the year, while Oswalt, Houstons once almost hittable stud, sporting over a 6 ERA his last 3 starts. KC off a huge 15-7 win last night, a game I was at in person in KC. Houston has owned KC recently, but KC on a roll in this series after last night and are playing a team who has managed only 19 wins in their last 68 road games. Houstons bullpen is deplorable as well with almost a 10 ERA headed into last night in their last 3 and KCs bullpen has really stepped up as of late.

Play 1 Unit on KC. Thanks and good luck, TG