Friday’s Betting on Baseball

Every week at this time we try to scout out in advance some of the better upcoming pitching matchups. For this week, in searching for some free MLB picks, this is what we came up with.

I’m a big parlay guy. That’s how I made the final payment on my wife’s engagement ring. I took two big underdogs that jumped out at me, and then I found that third team that was the sure winner. Ironically, it was her team; the Yankees who ended up winning the final game that night that paid me out the largest parlay bet I’ve ever won.

You have to find three or four games that talk to you. If you take a look at more than that it’s too much. Find three or four that stand out on the page from you. Here’s three or four picks I really like tonight. My picks are in bold.

Philadelphia Phillies +110 at Florida Marlins
How long do you think that Cliff Lee will remain without a win? Josh Johnson just hasn’t been good. Marlins are struggling mightily, and the Phils still think they can get something going and salvage this season. They can’t, but for the purpose of your bet you can rest assured that the Phils win in South Beach tonight.

N.Y. Mets at Los Angeles Dodgers +105
I love a home dog. Someone tell me that R.A. Dickey’s last start was nothing to worry about. Wrong. His knuckler spun the wrong way, he lacked control, and he’s about to run into the buzzsaw that is the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers are coming off three straight shutouts. Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier are missing from the lineup. To make things worse, they have to throw Aaron Harang. Yet something is very curious about this line. Take the first place home team with confidence.

Washington Nationals at Atlanta Braves -120
Not an overwhelming favorite for a home team, so you can still make some money on this one. Ross Detwiler just broke back into the rotation. The Nationals have scored 10 runs or more in three straight games. I’ve watched this team all year and they’re coming back down to earth. That Pythagorean has to even out somehow. I would look strongly at the UNDER 9 total in this one and take that home team again.