Friday's Card *** 8/15/2014 ***
Slow day today, so between last night and this morning I was able to put together write-ups. Most full game wagers were placed last night, and the F5 wagers when the lines came out this AM. Some of the lines have moved, of course. Looks like the Astros line is really starting move, which doesn't surprise me the least bit.
Sides
Baltimore Orioles FG (+143) --- 1.50% of Bankroll
Nobody in the right mind would bet against Cory Kluber right now, right? The Indians are 7-2 over his last 9 starts, as he has posted an absurdly low 1.19 ERA / 0.78 WHIP. Kluber also pitched 7 shutout innings at Baltimore in May en route to a 9-0 Indians win. Moreover, the Indians are 9-3 in his 12 home starts.
Why the Orioles? The Orioles are 9-5 on the road and 17-8 overall since the all-star break. They aren't just winning, they are beating up on playoff contending teams. Of their 14 road games: 3 @ Oakland; 3 @ Los Angeles (AL); 4 @ Seattle; 1 @ Washington; 3 @ Toronto. The bats are really heating up, as they are averaging over 5 runs per game in the month of August. Meanwhile, the Indians' offense - despite tagging Chen for 5 runs back in May - has failed to produce runs consistently and they have dropped 5 of their last 8 games. Plus, the Indians have struggled vs. lefties (4th worst OPS vs. lefties in MLB).
I feel Chen keeps this game close and the Orioles have a significant advantage when it comes to run production. This line should be closer to +125, even with Kluber on the mound.
Oakland A's FG (+105) --- 1.50% of Bankroll
The A's are coming off a tough series in Kansas City, losing 2 out of 3 games. However, we are talking about the hottest team in baseball (re: Royals).
Alex Wood is coming off a gem in his last outing, and has pitched very well at home this season. But, the Braves are struggling on offense recently, averaging only 2.7 runs per game over their last 15 games. Not to mention he threw a career high 124 pitches in that game. After 4 rough outings subsequent to being acquired by the A's, Hammel appears to have returned to form giving up only 1 run in his last two starts. He also held the Braves to 2 runs over 7 innings at Atlanta in May.
The Braves have dropped 12 of their last 15 games, and it's likely they will be without Justin Upton tonight. Give me the A's at plus money in what should be a low scoring affair.
Houston Astros F5 (+135) --- 1.00% of Bankroll
I lack faith in the Houston's bullpen, but I will take a shot on the Astros with Keuchel on the mound. He is the ace of the staff and would be a solid #2 for most contending teams (i.e., aside from Oakland and Detroit who are loaded with Cy Young candidates). He has been equally good on the road as he has been at home and continually puts the Astros in a position to win.He has gone 7-3 on the road this season, suggesting he has left the game with the Astros behind in only 25% of his road starts.
Yes, Buchholz dominated the Astros in his 4th start back from the DL, but it's clear that there is something wrong with him at this point. In his last 5 starts he has given up 25 earned runs over 30 innings of work, with the Red Sox going 1-4 in those games. Moreover, Buchholz has a 7.66 ERA in 9 starts at home on the season. Ouch.
The Red Sox shouldn't be favored F5, IMO. First Astros POD for me. Small wager though. Always tread lightly with the Astros!