Bleacher Report - Articles by touthouse handicappers

2009 New York Giants Predictions

touthouse handicappers — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:58:41 -0400

2009 New York Giants Predictions
Preview courtesy of Ted Sevransky, An award-winning professional football handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are interested in football betting this season, be sure to buy Ted Sevransky’s football picks at Touthouse.com

Overview:
In Week 16 of the 2007 season, the Giants entered the fourth quarter trailing at Buffalo, with their playoff hopes on the line. Eli Manning led a big fourth quarter comeback and the rest is history. The G-men got hot at the right time, culminating in a shocking upset of the previously undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.

Last year, the Giants picked up right where they left off, with an 11-1 record heading into December. But the wheels fell off the offense down the stretch, after the Plaxico Burress suspension/distraction put a major dent into the Giants downfield passing game.

New York closed out the 2008 season with losses in four of their last five games. Only a come-from-behind win against Carolina kept the Giants from ending the campaign on an 0-5 slide. With an untested receiving corps and a new defensive coordinator, questions persist about the G-men.

Is this team capable of putting together another magical run in 2009, or are the Giants an overvalued commodity based on last year’s late season meltdown? There are valid rationales for both sides of this argument.

Offense:
Eli Manning signed the richest contract in NFL history earlier this month, despite the fact that his passer rating tumbled by 30 points in that disastrous December. Manning has been remarkably durable, starting every game since earning the job back in 2004.

And his interceptions were cut in half last year from the Super Bowl campaign of 2008, from 20 to 10, leading to the highest QB rating of his career. At age 28, with 71 career starts under his belt, the pressure on Manning will be enormous this season as he enters the prime of his career.

Manning has a strong offensive line to work behind and a powerful, multi-faceted running game to ease the pressure. Running backs Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward each gained more than 1,000 yards last year, but Ward left in free agency, leaving speedster Ahmad Bradshaw to fill in as the change of pace back behind the lumbering Jacobs.

Pro Bowlers Shaun O'Hara and Chris Snee are the leaders on a top notch offensive line, but depth is a major concern if any of the starters go down with injuries.

The receiving corps is loaded with question marks. Last year, the Giants didn't have a single receiver with 60 catches or 600 receiving yards, and nobody on the team averaged more than 13 yards per reception. Steve Smith led the team with 57 catches last year while Domenick Hixon led the team with 596 receiving yards.

Without Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer on the roster, unproven youngsters like Mario Manningham, Sinorice Moss and rookie Hakeem Nicks (North Carolina) will have to produce immediately or this offense will be rather one dimensional towards the run.

Defense:
The Giants won the Super Bowl two years ago in large part due to the dominance of their defensive line; a unit that simply blew past opposing linemen to consistently make plays in the backfield. While coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is now the head coach of the St Louis Rams, the Giants promoted former linebackers coach Bill Sheridan to take over for Spagnuolo.

Expect Sheridan to be every bit as aggressive as his blitz-happy mentor. The G-men led the league in sacks in 2007 and finished sixth last year with 42 quarterback takedowns.

There are no depth concerns for the defensive line this year; a unit that paved the way for the No. 5 defense in the league in '08. Pass rushing force Osi Umenyiora returns from his ACL tear last August.

Free agent signees Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard should fit right in with returning talent like Justin Tuck, Fred Robbins, Barry Cofield, and Mathias Kiwanuka, making this a particularly deep and talented unit.

There are some legitimate questions in the back seven for the Giants defense. The secondary is rather green, with three of the four projected starters entering the season with three years of experience or less.

Defensive leader, linebacker Antonio Pierce, has lost a step or two, and was clearly distracted by his role in the Plaxico Burress incident last fall. Free agent addition Michael Boley has yet to hit the practice field following preseason hip surgery. If the defensive line can't dominate up front for whatever reason, the Giants look rather vulnerable.

Schedule:
The Giants faced a "middle of the pack" schedule last year and face another "medium" type slate in 2009, despite playing in one of the toughest divisions in the NFL. It's worth noting that the Giants hot start in 2008 was at least partially schedule related, with early season contests against the likes of the Rams, Bengals, Seahawks, 49ers, and Browns.

When the schedule toughened up against five winning teams over the last five weeks of the season, the Giants went 1-4. New York doesn't have a single west coast trip lined up for 2009, and get home games with the likes of Oakland, Arizona and Dan Diego travelling east.

New York's current 15-3 SU run on the highway makes three consecutive early season road games in Weeks Two, Three, and Four much easier to handle.

MLB Baseball Picks: Oakland Athletics vs. Seattle Mariners: August 24th 2009

touthouse handicappers — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:36:27 -0400

Oakland Athletics vs. Seattle Mariners u8.5 (100)
Mon Aug 24 ‘09 10:10p
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A pitching matchup between Vin Mazzaro of the Oakland Athletics and Ian Snell of the Seattle Mariners may need seem like an obvious Over at first glance, but a close look reveals that Under is the play here.

Mazzaro had a terrible start, but he has appeared to turn a corner lately, as he has allowed three runs or less in each of his last three starts. Yes his stamina is a question mark, but he has the support of an excellent Oakland bullpen that has posted a 2.91 ERA over the last 10 games. It also helps that the Mariners offense is hitting just .251 as a team while averaging 4.00 runs over the last 10 games.

The Oakland offense has been even worse, averaging 3.80 runs over this same span. This should make life easier for Seattle starter Ian Snell, who is coming off of his best start in a Mariners' uniform as he allowed one run and four hits in 5.2 innings vs. the Detroit Tigers last Wednesday. This is also his first career start vs. the Athletics, which should work to his advantage.

In fact, this will also be the first time that Mazzaro has faced the Mariners, so we expect both offenses to struggle against these unfamiliar pitchers tonight.

MLB Free Pick: Athletics, Mariners Under 8.5 (+100)

MLB Baseball Betting Odds & Lines Report: August 24th 2009

touthouse handicappers — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:30:24 -0400

Here is a rundown of today’s baseball betting odds and MLB lines from ATS Consultants for August 24th 2009. If you are looking for free MLB baseball betting picks on a daily basis be sure to sign-up for the ATS newsletter, featuring unmatched sports wagering information, free picks and expert analysis.

Not a full schedule today in the majors, but still a few “headline” types. Red hot Cliff Lee goes to the mound for the Phils in an afternoon tilt at Citi Field. The NL Wild Card leading Rockies host the second place Giants in the finale of their four game set, it’ll be Barry Zito vs. Jason Marquis. Good luck!

MLB Baseball Betting Odds: August 24th 2009
Click Here for Current MLB Baseball Odds

Date # Team Money Spread Total
08/24/09 351 Phillies(Philadelphia)Lee -270 -1.5 (-160) Over 8 (-115)
13:10 ET 352 Mets(NY)Parnell +225 +1.5 (+140) Under 8 (-105)

08/24/09 353 Brewers(Milwaukee)Gallardo -169 -1.5 Over 9
16:35 ET 354 Nationals(Washington)Balester +159 +1.5 Under 9

08/24/09 355 Giants(SanFrancisco)Zito +158 +1.5 (-140) Over 9.5 (-105)
20:40 ET 356 Rockies(Colorado)Marquis -168 -1.5 (+120) Under 9.5 (-115)

08/24/09 357 Rays(TampaBay)Niemann +122 +1.5 (-175) Over 7.5 (-105)
19:05 ET 358 BlueJays(Toronto)Halladay -132 -1.5 (+155) Under 7.5 (-115)

08/24/09 359 WhiteSox(Chicago)Contreras +185 +1.5 (-115) Over 10 (-105)
19:10 ET 360 RedSox(Boston)Buchholz -200 -1.5 (-105) Under 10 (-115)

08/24/09 361 Indians(Cleveland)Sowers -105 +1.5 (-220) Over 9 (-120)
20:10 ET 362 Royals(KansasCity)Meche -105 -1.5 (+180) Under 9 (even)

08/24/09 363 Orioles(Baltimore)Tillman +190 +1.5 (-130) Over 9 (-105)
20:10 ET 364 Twins(Minnesota)Baker -210 -1.5 (+110) Under 9 (-115)

08/24/09 365 Tigers(Detroit)Verlander +112 +1.5 (-180) Over 8.5 (-105)
22:05 ET 366 Angels(LAA)JerWeaver -122 -1.5 (+160) Under 8.5 (-115)

08/24/09 367 Athletics(Oakland)Mazzaro +103 +1.5 (-200) Over 8.5 (-115)
22:10 ET 368 Mariners(Seattle)Snell -113 -1.5 (+170) Under 8.5 (-105)

ATS Consultants is a featured sports handicapping firm on Touthouse.com. If you are looking for free baseball picks or updated MLB baseball betting lines be sure to visit Touthouse.com on a daily basis

Baseball Betting: Phillies vs. Mets Odds & Pick: August 23rd 2009

touthouse handicappers — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 10:28:00 -0400

Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Mets u9.5 (-125 odds)
Sun August 23rd 2009 1:10p
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Pedro Martinez has pitched decently since being recalled by the Philadelphia Phillies, and he will have added incentive here facing a New York Mets team that allowed him to get away. Meanwhile, Oliver Perez has turned his season around nicely, so look for an under this afternoon.

Pedro is 1-0 while allowing a total of four runs in eight innings in two starts in a Phillies uniform. He had his last start shortened by a long rain delay, but Martinez has had good velocity since being recalled by the Phillies, and we expect him to have his best start yet today, given the emotions of facing the Mets. It is also nice to know that when Pedro does need relief, the Philadelphia bullpen has been spectacular over the last 10 games posting a 0.63 ERA!

Perez has always been a head case, but he has looked like a different pitcher since being called back up from the minors. He has allowed three runs or less in six of his eight starts since the recall, and he allowed only four runs in each of the other two starts. Also, do not forget that the Phillies have never hit Perez well, as he has allowed one run or less in four of his last five career starts against them with three scoreless outings.

The under is 7-2 in the last nine Phillies games overall and we look for more of the same today.

MLB Free Pick: Phillies, Mets Under 9.5 (-125)

Free MLB Pick: Seattle Mariners vs. Cleveland Indians: Aug. 22 2009

touthouse handicappers — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 10:26:20 -0400

Seattle Mariners vs. Cleveland Indians
Free MLB Pick: Cleveland Indians -125 (August 22nd 2009)
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At 7:05 p.m. our complimentary selection is on the Cleveland Indians over the Seattle Mariners.

Cleveland lefthander Aaron Laffey has been one of the few bright spots for this team in 2009, going 7-3 with a 3.38 ERA.

And Laffey seems to be doing it with smoke and mirrors so far as the third year southpaw does not throw hard and has a strikeouts to walks ratio of just slightly over 1:1.

But you can’t argue with success and Laffey has won his last three starts and four out of his last five, having beaten the Twins twice, the Rangers, and tonight’s opposition, the Mariners back on July 24.

Seattle rookie righthander Doug Fister has been impressive in his first three Major League appearances (two starts) but this is a guy who has never pitched above the AA level in the Minors and last season at AA West Tennessee, Fister was anything but impressive, going 6-14 with a 5.43 ERA, so there is no reason to believe that the 25-year-old will continue his winning ways in the Major Leagues much longer.

Supposedly, Fister has a fastball that rarely reaches the 90 mph mark, and that could be trouble tonight in a ballpark that’s not very kind to batting practice-type pitchers.

Laffey is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA against the Mariners in two starts this year and he has struck out 10 in 13 innings against Seattle. Take the Indians. As always, good luck…Al McMordie.

Al McMordie split-out on Friday, cashing his Roadkill Baseball play on the Dodgers (Al’s Roadkills are 71 percent this year!), but dropping a tough Preseason NFL play on the Chiefs. Tonight, Big Al’s STEPPING OUT with a HUGE NFL Winner backed by a 100% System that’s NEVER LOST in 20 years! Get on it.

Free NFL Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Washington Redskins: August 2d 2009

touthouse handicappers — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:13:31 -0400

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Washington Redskins
Free NFL Pick: Washington Redskins -3 (August 22 2009)
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Washington was embarrassed in its preseason opener at Baltimore as it was shut out while tallying just 196 total yards of offense. Facing Pittsburgh may not seem like the way to bounce back, but playing their first home game with some extra motivation is a big benefit.

Washington head coach Jim Zorn’s noted that a lot of the Redskins played “soft” and you know that the effort will be better this week. The intensity level was noticeably higher at the first two practices after that game and carrying that over into Saturday is the goal.

The Ravens didn’t allow Washington inside the 30-yard line and they stopped the Redskins on 10 of 11 third down attempts. However, Washington players admitted it wasn’t the Ravens who held the Redskins scoreless as much as it was the Redskins committing too many mistakes.

The big concern heading into the preseason was the offensive line, as that was considered the main cause for the second-half meltdown last season. Against Baltimore, the coaching staff was pleased about the line’s performance in pass protection. The first-team unit struggled throughout camp but fared well in its two series against the Ravens.

The play of veteran quarterback Todd Collins was especially positive as he completed 8 of 11 passes for 70 yards. He looked very smooth running the offense which was much better than at this point last season when he was frustrated playing behind bad protection and with subpar receivers.

The Steelers won their preseason opener against the Cardinals in a Super Bowl rematch, but the 20-10 score was a little deceiving. The Cardinals ended up outgaining Pittsburgh 329-259 and that should be favorable this weekend. Pittsburgh had trouble running the ball, gaining just 90 yards on 32 carries (2.8 ypc) and it allowed Cardinals quarterbacks to complete over 53 percent of their passes.

Those are two areas that Washington will work on. We catch a solid number here as well as last week’s results have pushed Pittsburgh into the role of road favorite and at this point of the preseason that should not be the case. 3* Washington Redskins.

Baseball Betting: Tigers vs. Athletics Odds & Picks: August 21st 2009

touthouse handicappers — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:00:13 -0400

Detroit Tigers vs. Oakland Athletics u8.0 (-105 odds)
Fri August 21st 2009 10:05p
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Edwin Jackson is having a breakthrough season for the Detroit Tigers, and with Gio Gonzalez pitching better lately for the Oakland Athletics, we are looking for an Under in Oakland tonight.

Jackson is 9-5, but the real story has been his 2.85 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 157.2 innings, which helped him earn his first All-Star appearance this year. He is finally fulfilling the enormous potential that the Tampa Bay Rays saw in him while sticking with him through some terrible seasons. Jackson already has one good start vs. the Athletics this year, allowing one run on six hits in seven innings at Comerica Park.

Now Gonzalez did have a bad outing vs. the Chicago White Sox in his last start last Saturday, but he had allowed three runs or less in his previous four starts including two scoreless outings. Furthermore, he pitched reasonably well the last time he faced the Tigers, allowing three runs in five innings back in June, and he has the support of what has been an excellent Oakland bullpen that has posted a 2.48 ERA over the last 10 games.

Moreover, the Detroit bullpen has been just as good with a 2.84 ERA over that same span, so the probable lack of late tack-on runs should also benefit the Under.

MLB Free Pick: Tigers, Athletics Under 8 (-105)

Free MLB Pick: Atlanta Braves vs. New York Mets: August 20th 2009

touthouse handicappers — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:04:13 -0400

Atlanta Braves vs. New York Mets
Free MLB Pick: New York Mets -127 (August 20th 2009)
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On Thursday the free play is on the New York Mets. Game 958 at 7:10 eastern.The Mets qualify in a big system which has not been active all that much. However it has cashed at an extremely high rate. What we want to do is play on certain home favorites off a home loss as a dog of +140 or higher if they scored two or less runs and tonight's opponent scored 10 or more runs on 10+ hits.These home favs hit the ground running after getting blown out the night before.

The Mets were done in on Wednesday early when Bobby Parnell allowed eight runs in the second inning.The Mets were able to get by in this one without blowing out any of their better relievers as the long men finished up.Tonight the Mets have their ace going in Johan Santana. He is the best pitcher statistically in the second half over the last seven years.The Mets have a solid chance in any game he pitches regardless of who is on the field behind him. Santana has a solid 2.32 home era this year and has allowed 2 earned runs in over 20+ innings vs the Braves,good for a 1.96 era.

The Braves send Kenshin Kawakami to the mound tonight and he has a 4.92 road era which is over 2 full runs higher than Santana's home era. The Mets have performed well at home off a loss with Santana on the hill since acquiring him. Look for the Mets to bounce back and get the win here. On Thursday's card I have a 5 unit totals play going from a 24-3 totals system. One of the strongest I have. The Thursday card is the deepest I've seen all week. Jump on and cash out with some high end plays. For the free play take the Mets.Bol RV-

Free MLB Pick: Chicago Cubs vs. San Diego Padres: August 19th 2009

touthouse handicappers — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:40:04 -0400

Chicago Cubs vs. San Diego Padres
Free MLB Pick: Under 7 Runs (August 19th 2009)
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We played the Under in the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres matchup last night, and lost on an inside-the-park home run in the bottom of the eighth inning. We are coming right back with the Under again tonight, hopefully without such bad luck.

Rich Harden of the Cubbies has some of the best stuff in the National League when he is healthy, and he certainly looks healthy now. Harden has allowed two earned runs or fewer in each of his last six starts, and those outings came against stronger offenses than this weak San Diego unit. The Padres are hitting an ugly .219 as a team at home this year, and not surprisingly, Harden held them to two runs and four hits the only other time he faced them in 2009.

Now the Pads are high on rookie Matt Latos, and he has managed a winning 4-2 record while pitching for a bad team. Latos has appreciated the dimensions of this ballpark, as he has a 2.65 ERA and 1.12 WHP in his three home starts. He is facing a Cubs offense that is averaging just 3.92 runs per game on the road, and which figures to struggle again facing Latos for the first time ever.

Finally, Petco Park is the most pitcher-friendly stadium in baseball, with games here averaging a combined 7.76 runs, and you can probably shave a couple of runs off of that given this pitching matchup.

MLB Free Pick: Cubs, Padres Under 7 (-125)

Free MLB Pick: San Francisco Giants vs. Cincinnati Reds Odds: August 18th 2009

touthouse handicappers — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:43:37 -0400

San Francisco Giants vs. Cincinnati Reds
Free MLB Pick: 1 Unit on San Francisco Giants -1.5 -134 odds
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Homer Bailey and Tim Lincecum faced off on August 7 with the Reds getting the win in San Fran. The Giants let that game slip away, blowing three different two-run leads.

I really believe the Giants will have their revenge behind their ace and against one of the worst starters in baseball here. Bailey is 3-15 against the money line in all games over the last two seasons, losing by an average score of 3.4 to 5.9.

Bailey is also 1-9 against the money line in home games over the last two seasons, losing by an average score of 3.4 to 6.6. The Reds are 2-11 in their last 13 home games and 0-6 in Bailey’s last six home starts vs. a team with a winning record.

Lincecum is 6-1 with a 1.53 ERA in his last 10 starts and I expect him to shut down the Reds while the Giants give him enough run support against Bailey and his 7.48 ERA. Take the Giants on the run line.

2009 San Francisco 49ers Predictions

touthouse handicappers — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 11:58:13 -0400

49ers.gif" border="0" alt="NFL Football Predictions" title="NFL Football Predictions" width="150" height="100" align="right" style="width: 150px; height: 100px;" />2009 San Francisco 49ers Predictions
Preview courtesy of Ted Sevransky, An award-winning professional football handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are interested in football betting this season, be sure to buy Ted Sevransky’s football picks at Touthouse.com

Overview:

It’s easy to make a least of the NFL’s worst organizations; squads that underachieve from the team president on down. The Detroit Lions have suffered from organizational meltdown over the last decade. Cincinnati should be at or near the top of the list. Obviously, Al Davis’s Oakland Raiders merit attention in this debate. I personally would include the Arizona Cardinals in my top five, even after their longtime loser status was interrupted by the team’s first ever trip to the Super Bowl last February.

Last, but not least, we’ve got the San Francisco 49ers, an organization that has fallen on very hard times since the glory days of Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Bill Walsh’s original West Coast offense.

The 49ers last winning season and playoff appearance came with Steve Mariucci on the sidelines in 2002. Last year’s 7-9 record matched the high water mark for the Niners in the last six seasons. There’s more hope and confidence in San Francisco heading into the 2009 campaign then we’ve seen in years, as the Niners closed out the 2008 campaign winning five of their last seven under interim head coach Mike Singletary.

Singletary’s no-nonsense approach made headlines during the latter stages of the campaign, and the team’s turnaround under his tutelage earned him the full time head coaching gig in the offseason.

Offense:
To put it bluntly, this team has no quarterback. Former #1 overall pick Alex Smith has a career 54% completion percentage and a 19-31 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He didn’t play a down last year and has not been the least bit impressive during training camp. Smith is battling with Shaun Hill for the starting job.

San Fran has gone 7-5 with Hill as the starter over the last two years, and his 90.5 career QB rating dwarfs Smith’s career 63.5 rating. That being said there’s a reason that Hill went undrafted coming out of college—he’s not the type of quarterback that will stretch opposing defenses with his arm strength. Whoever wins the job coming out of camp will not necessarily be the starter by midseason. We can expect subpar QB play in San Francisco once again this year.

The rest of the offense has plenty of holes as well in Jimmy Raye’s first year as San Francisco’s offensive coordinator; the 49ers seventh different offensive coordinator in the last seven years. The Niners ranked 27th in the NFL in rushing yardage last year, and feature back Frank Gore has a history of injury problems dating back to college.

The offensive line allowed a league high 55 sacks in ‘08, and prized free agent pickup, tackle Marvel Smith, has missed 15 games over the last two years with back problems. #1 draft pick WR Michael Crabtree is embroiled in a nasty contract dispute, severely limiting his potential for success in his rookie season. Without Crabtree, a receiving trio of the aging Isaac Bruce, the youngster Josh Morgan and the free agent pickup Brandon Jones will not scare opposing secondaries.

Defense:
Mike Singletary and coordinator Greg Manusky simplified the 49ers defensive schemes after the mid-season coaching change last year, and the Niners adapted well to those changes. After allowing 29 or more points in seven of their first nine games, the 49ers allowed more than 16 points only twice in their last seven contests. At season’s end the defensive improvement was easily discernable in the stats, as San Francisco closed out the campaign with the league’s 13th ranked defense.

San Francisco still lacks a single dominant defensive lineman. Justin Smith led the line in sacks and tackles last year, the team’s defensive MVP, but his enormous contract is problematic for a team with significant salary cap issues. Around Smith, the Niners have a solid blue collar group of linemen. If last year’s second rounder Kentwan Balmer can live up to his hype, it’ll help this defense tremendously.

Linebacker Patrick Willis has emerged into an elite defender, teaming with Takeo Spikes and the oft-injured Manny Lawson to form a strong trio. Veteran cornerbacks Nate Clements and Walt Harris will benefit tremendously if the pass rush improves. This defense has the potential to be the strength of the team, but it’s no sure thing.

Schedule:
The 49ers finished with a losing record last year even after facing one of the easiest opposing slates of any team in the league. All seven of their 2008 victories came against teams that failed to make the playoffs, and their -17 turnover ratio (dead last in the NFL) was a weekly problem. This year, San Francisco adds four games against the ultra-competitive AFC South. That being said, the overall weakness of their own division leaves the Niners with an average schedule in terms of both travel and toughness for the upcoming campaign.

Chicago White Sox vs. Seattle Mariners Betting Odds & Pick: August 12, 2009

touthouse handicappers — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:55:43 -0400

Chicago White Sox vs. Seattle Mariners u7.5 (-120 odds)
Wed August 12th 2009 10:10p
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Buehrle hasn’t looked like an 11-game winner ever since he tossed MLB’s 18th perfect game back on July 23. He’s 0-3 since with an 8.35 ERA his L/3 outings and has gotten rocked allowing 28 hits and 17 ER’s with a poor K/BB ratio of 5/4 through 18.1 innings of work. Chicago is 6-3 in his nine starts as a visitor where he’s 4-3 with a 4.81 ERA & 1.21 WHIP with a K/BB ratio of 32/8. They’ve lost each of his L/2 starts on the road, but they were at Minnesota and the Palehose never win there. Lifetime against the Mariners, Buehrle is 7-4 with a 4.02 ERA in 14 games.

Seattle’s ace, Felix Hernandez, has fallen upon hard times recently as well. He was on the hook for the loss against the Tampa Bay Rays until some late game heroics by his teammates earned him the no decision. In his L/3 outings, Felix is 1-1 with a 5.79 ERA and has allowed 22 hits, 12 ER’s, and 11 walks through just 18.2 total innings of work. He has been at his best however under the bright lights at night where he’s 11-3 with a miniscule 2.71 ERA with a K/BB ratio of 140/43.

He dominated the White Sox limiting them to four hits and no runs through eight innings in his April 28 start against them this season; in his career vs. Chicago he’s 2-2 with a 4.46 ERA & 1.43 WHIP in six starts.

Red flags go up and alarms sound when I see a total posted this low with each starter going through some rough times. It only means one thing…Safeco’s in for a pitcher’s duel between a pair of staff aces.

Handicapping the St. Louis Rams in 2009

touthouse handicappers — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 22:09:45 -0400

2009 St. Louis Rams Predictions

Preview courtesy of Ted Sevransky, An award-winning professional football handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are interested in football betting this season, be sure to buy Ted Sevransky’s football picks at Touthouse.com

Overview

There’s nowhere to go but up for the St Louis Rams. From a power rating perspective, this team was every bit as bad as the 0-16 Lions last year, and their five combined wins in ’07 and ’08 ranks dead last among the 32 NFL teams. The Rams' last winning season and last playoff berth both came back in 2003.

We saw a complete overhaul of the roster, the coaching staff and the front office in the offseason. Longtime co-presidents John Shaw and Jay Zygmunt stepped down. Billy Devaney was promoted to general manager and Kevin Demoff was hired as the new executive VP of football operations. Devaney hired the offseason’s most hyped coaching prospect, bringing in former Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to call the shots for St Louis in 2009. Spagnuolo and Devaney oversaw a major veteran purge in the offseason—of the 20 players aged 30 or higher that finished the season on the Rams' roster (or on injured reserve) last December, only six return.

The Rams coaching staff is arguably the most inexperienced staff in the league. Spagnuolo is in his first head coaching gig. Former Eagles quarterbacks coach Pat Shurmur gets his first gig as an offensive coordinator this year. Former Panthers linebackers coach Ken Flajole gets his first opportunity to call the plays as the defensive coordinator. Even special teams coach Tom McMahon is running those units for the first time in his career. Of the Rams 18 coaches, only two faces remain from last year—offensive line coach Steve Loney and his assistant line coach Art Valero.

Offense

Since signing a six-year, $65 million contract prior to the 2007 season, quarterback Marc Bulger has ranked among the worst signal callers in the NFL. Bulger’s 71.4 QB rating last year ranked dead last among NFL QBs with at least 250 pass attempts. In ’07, Bulger’s 70.3 QB rating ranked dead last among NFL QBs with at least 200 pass attempts. To say that the Rams haven’t gotten much value from their investment in Bulger is something of an understatement.

Bulger’s woes aren’t all of his own making. The Rams offensive line has been truly abysmal in recent years. St. Louis upgraded the unit in the offseason, acquiring coveted free agent center Jason Brown from the Ravens while drafting Jason Smith out of Baylor with the No. 2 overall draft pick. Bulger’s receivers haven’t been very good either. The recent training camp injury to speedster Donnie Avery puts even more pressure on unproven youngsters like Keenan Burton, Derek Stanley and Laurent Robinson to produce. If Stephen Jackson can stay healthy and provide a steady running attack behind new blocking fullback Mike Karney, Bulger’s numbers should improve. If Jackson can’t stay healthy again, Bulger’s fifth offensive coordinator (Shurmer) is likely to go shopping for a new quarterback next offseason.

Defense

The Rams finished 28th in total defense last year, 29th against the run and 31st in the NFL in points allowed. The defense gave up 30 or more points on nine separate occasions, and the Rams' two wins came in two of the four games all year that the defense allowed less than 20 points. This team has invested heavily on the defensive side of the football in recent drafts, with young linemen Adam Carriker, Clifton Ryan and Chris Long anchoring the line and cornerbacks Ron Bartell and Tye Hill anchoring the secondary. This year’s D will rely heavily on rookies like LB James Laurinaitis, (Ohio State), CB Bradley Fletcher (Iowa) and DT Dorell Scott (Clemson) on a stop unit that looks completely devoid of quality depth.

Schedule

Here’s an excerpt from what I wrote last year, supporting a play on the Rams Under 6.5 wins:

"The number that stands out to me for St Louis is 0-10. That’s head coach Scott Linehan’s SU record against opponents with winning records during his two years with the Rams since upsetting the Broncos in his very first game on the job. Then we look at the Rams schedule to start the season. @ Philadelphia, New York Giants, @ Seattle, Buffalo, @ Washington, Dallas, @ New England, Arizona, @ New York Jets. Every one of those teams could (and perhaps should) have a winning record this year. Every one of those teams is lined at 7.5 wins or higher—there isn’t a patsy in the bunch. The Rams realistically could be underdogs in every single one of their first nine games."

The Rams were underdogs in every one of those nine games to open the season last year. In eight of those games, St. Louis was an underdog of more than a touchdown, and they were dogs of less than a touchdown only three times all year. My power rating numbers show that St Louis faced one of the five toughest schedules in the league in 2008. This year, it’s not quite as bad, as the Rams enter the season facing a "middle of the pack" slate. Four of their first five road games fall into the "potentially winnable" category and the NFC West is unquestionably the weakest division in all of football. The Rams season win total of 5.5 looks achievable against this downgraded schedule, but don’t expect any sort of "worst to first" turnaround or, even a .500 record.

Free MLB Picks: Cincinnati Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals: August 10, 2009

touthouse handicappers — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:24:42 -0400

Free MLB Picks: Cincinnati Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals u8.5 (100)
Mon August 10 2009 8:15 p.m. ET
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Kyle Lohse of the St. Louis Cardinals and Johnny Cueto of the Cincinnati Reds may have just mediocre overall numbers, but their home/away splits suggest a rather low scoring game here at Busch Stadium tonight.

Lohse is just 4-7 with a 4.56 ERA overall, but while he is winless on the road, he had a winning 4-3 record with an excellent 2.98 ERA and an outstanding 1.06 WHIP in this ballpark. In fact, he has allowed a grand total of two earned runs and just 13 hits in his last three starts here, and prior to getting hit hard by the New York Mets on the road in his last start, Lohse had allowed three runs or less in three straight starts.

Now Cueto is 8-9 with a 4.23 ERA overall, but he has been a much better pitcher on the road, where he is 6-5 with a 3.95 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. Furthermore, he has been absolutely dominant in two starts against the Cardinals this season, first allowing one run on just five hits in seven innings back in Cincinnati and then allowing one run on seven hits in 6.1 innings here in this stadium.

Finally, the under is 11-3-2. The last 16 times St. Louis has been favored and 8-2 the last 10 times Cincinnati has been an underdog, and we look for both of those trends to continue.

MLB Free Pick: Reds, Cardinals Under 8.5 (+100)

MLB Baseball Betting Odds & Lines Report: August 7, 2009

touthouse handicappers — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 10:58:31 -0400

Here is a rundown of today’s baseball betting odds and MLB lines from ATS Consultants for August 7, 2009. If you are looking for free MLB baseball betting picks on a daily basis be sure to sign-up for the ATS newsletter, featuring unmatched sports wagering information, free picks and expert analysis.

Huge Friday of action today as most weekend series get underway. The biggest series of the weekend started last night as the Yankees finally figured out a way to beat the Red Sox in 2009. Again tonight that will be the feature matchup as Josh Beckett takes the hill against AJ Burnett. The top NL matchup is in Colorado with Carlos Zambrano and the Cubs facing Ubaldo Jimenez and the Rockies.

MLB Baseball Betting Odds: August 7th 2009
Click Here for Current MLB Baseball Odds

Date # Team Money Spread Total
08/07/09 301 Marlins(Florida)Nolasco +130 +1.5 (-175) Over 9 (-105)
19:35 ET 302 Phillies(Philadelphia)Blanton -140 -1.5 (+155) Under 9 (-115)

08/07/09 303 Cardinals(StLouis)Carpenter -230 -1.5 (-140) Over 7 (-125)
19:05 ET 304 Pirates(Pittsburgh)Maholm +205 +1.5 (+120) Under 7 (+105)

08/07/09 305 Diamondbacks(Arizona)Garland -108 +1.5 (-220) Over 9 (-120)
19:05 ET 306 Nationals(Washington)Balester -102 -1.5 (+180) Under 9 (even)

08/07/09 307 Brewers(Milwaukee)Villanueva +118 +1.5 (-175) Over 9 (-105)
20:05 ET 308 Astros(Houston)Norris -128 -1.5 (+155) Under 9 (-115)

08/07/09 309 Cubs(Chicago)Zambrano +128 +1.5 (-170) Over 9 (-105)
21:10 ET 310 Rockies(Colorado)Jimenez -138 -1.5 (+150) Under 9 (-115)

08/07/09 311 Mets(NY)Perez +134 +1.5 (-170) Over 7.5 (-105)
22:05 ET 312 Padres(SanDiego)Correia -144 -1.5 (+150) Under 7.5 (-115)

08/07/09 313 Braves(Atlanta)Jurrjens +118 +1.5 (-200) Over 7.5
22:10 ET 314 Dodgers(LA)Billingsley -128 -1.5 (+170) Under 7.5

08/07/09 315 Reds(Cincinnati)Bailey +240 +1.5 (+120) Over 7
22:15 ET 316 Giants(SanFrancisco)Lincecum -300 -1.5 (-140) Under 7

08/07/09 317 RedSox(Boston)Beckett +108 +1.5 (-220) Over 9 (+105)
19:05 ET 318 Yankees(NewYork)Burnett -118 -1.5 (+180) Under 9 (-125)

08/07/09 319 Orioles(Baltimore)Berken +185 +1.5 (-125) Over 9 (-120)
19:05 ET 320 BlueJays(Toronto)Romero -200 -1.5 (+105) Under 9 (even)

08/07/09 321 Twins(Minnesota)Swarzak +101 +1.5 (-210) Over 9.5
19:05 ET 322 Tigers(Detroit)Galarraga -111 -1.5 (+175) Under 9.5

08/07/09 323 Indians(Cleveland)Sowers +185 +1.5 (-120) Over 9 (-120)
20:10 ET 324 WhiteSox(Chicago)Buehrle -200 -1.5 (even) Under 9 (even)

08/07/09 325 Athletics(Oakland)Mazzaro +116 +1.5 (-175) Over 9 (-115)
20:10 ET 326 Royals(KansasCity)Bannister -126 -1.5 (+155) Under 9 (-105)

08/07/09 327 Rangers(Texas)Feldman +119 +1.5 (-170) Over 9.5 (-115)
22:05 ET 328 Angels(LAA)Saunders -129 -1.5 (+150) Under 9.5 (-105)

08/07/09 329 Rays(TampaBay)Niemann +117 +1.5 (-200) Over 7.5
22:10 ET 330 Mariners(Seattle)Hernandez -127 -1.5 (+170) Under 7.5

Baseball Betting: Cubs vs. Reds Odds & Predictions: August 3 2009

touthouse handicappers — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:53:21 -0400

Chicago Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds
Free MLB Pick: Chicago Cubs (-130 betting odds)
Monday August 3, 2009 7:10 p.m.
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The Chicago Cubs are 55-48 overall this year while Cincinnati is now 45-59 overall this season. The Cubs are 7-1 this year when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season. Cincinnati is 2-13 this year when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season.

The Cubs have won eight of their last 11 games overall. Cincinnati has lost 12 of their last 13 games overall. Cincinnati is scoring only four runs per game overall, four runs per game at home and 4.1 runs per game against right-handed starters this year.

Randy Wells is 7-4 with a 2.84 ERA overall this year, 3-1 with a 2.62 ERA on the road and 3-0 with a 3.32 ERA his last three starts. Aaron Harang is 5-12 overall this year and 0-3 with a 6.30 ERA his last three starts.

We’ll recommend a small play on the Chicago Cubs tonight! Thanks and good luck, Rocky

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Betting Odds & Picks: August 3, 2009

touthouse handicappers — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:01:39 -0400

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Los Angeles Dodgers u8.5 (-115 betting odds)
Mon August 3 2009 10:10p
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Young Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers continues to be one of the hottest pitchers in all of baseball, and although the money line is too pricey for our tastes here, we do expect him to key an under at Dodger Stadium.

Kershaw has now remarkably allowed three earned runs or less in 14 straight starts and in 16 of his last 17 outings, and he allowed only four runs in the other effort. He dominated the Brewers the first time he faced them this year, allowing only one run and two hits in six innings, marking the second time in two career starts vs. Milwaukee that Kershaw has allowed exactly one run. He is catching a Brewers' lineup that is batting just .197 vs. lefties the last 10 games.

If you factor in a Dodger bullpen that has a collective 3.31 ERA this season including 2.71 at home, the Brewers should be hard-pressed to exceed three runs tonight. That means that Milwaukee starter Manny Parra only needs to pitch decently for this game to stay under. Parra has been erratic, but he has shown signs of coming around recently, such as consecutive starts vs. the Cardinals and Reds where he allowed one and zero runs, respectively.

Also, pitching in this stadium should help, as games in Dodger Stadium have produced a combined average of just 8.06 runs. Add in the fact that Kershaw has a microscopic 1.75 ERA at home, and you can shave a run or two off of that stadium average here, resulting in a safe under.

MLB Free Pick: Brewers, Dodgers Under 8.5 (-115)

MLB Predictions: Rockies vs. Reds Betting Odds: July 31, 2009

touthouse handicappers — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:53:42 -0400

Colorado Rockies @ Cincinnati Reds u9.0 (-110 betting odds)
Fri July 31st 2009 7:10p
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Aaron Cook is having another fine season for the Colorado Rockies as his fine sinker keeps balls out of the thin air when he pitches at home. He has been even better on the road, although the same cannot be said about the Colorado offense, which sets up this Under play when the Rockies visit the Cincinnati Reds.

Cook is 10-3 with a 3.87 ERA overall, and if you are looking for a reason why someone that pitches half of his games at Coors Field can be so successful, look no further than his impressive 2.24 groundball/flyball ratio. His numbers are slightly better on the road, as you might expect, where he is 6-2 with a 3.41 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. He has also allowed three earned runs or less in four of his last five starts against the Reds.

Now Cincinnati counters with Justin Lehr, who is making his Major League starting debut tonight. However, it appears Lehr has a good chance to be successful right out of the gate. He was very impressive in the minors this season, going 13-3 with a 3.31 ERA and he is facing a Colorado offense that is not nearly as formidable on the road. The Rockies are only batting .241 as team away from home, and the fact that they are unfamiliar with Lehr should help his cause.

Thus, look for both offenses to struggle tonight, resulting in a rather safe Under.

MLB Free Pick: Rockies, Reds Under 9 (-110)

MLB Predictions: Cardinals vs. Dodgers Betting Odds: July 28th 2009

touthouse handicappers — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 10:58:54 -0400

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Free Prediction: St. Louis Cardinals (-125 betting odds)
Tue July 28th 2009 8:15p
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The Cardinals have been making moves to try to stay atop the NL Central with the additions of Matt Holliday, Mark DeRosa and Julio Lugo to make a playoff push. This is probably the biggest test in how they are going to do against the best team in the NL in the Dodgers. The pitching matchup today is Wainwright (11-6 2.95 ERA) vs. Billingsley (10-5 3.72 ERA). I don’t know if it just me, but Billingsley has not been impressive at all in his last few starts. He did pitch well against Cincy at home giving up two runs in that game, but looking at his six games prior, there has to be some concern for the Dodgers. In those games, he gave up six, five, three, three, five and four runs in those contests, respectively, and the worst one came against Houston, when he gave up six runs in 1.2 innings pitched. Wainwright has been the best pitcher for the Cardinals in my opinion this year and he has had six quality starts in a row giving up 2 ER or less in that span averaging over seven innings pitched. The Dodgers have really struggled in St. Louis in the past, going 8-25 in their last 33 meetings there, a win percentage of only 25%. I believe we are getting the better pitching in this game with Wainwright and Cardinals to win today.

MLB Baseball Betting: Coldest Teams to Bet on

touthouse handicappers — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:34:14 -0400

Article courtesy of Mike Rose, a professional baseball handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are interested in baseball betting and need winning MLB baseball picks, be sure to buy Mike Rose’ expert MLB betting analysis on a daily basis.

Whereas the picture is getting rosier for the hot squads in the bigs, there are plenty of teams in baseball that are singing the blues. Check out BetUS Sportsbook’s list of teams down in the dumps that you should stay away from at all costs if recent form is any indicator.

Click here to bet on baseball at BetUS online sportsbook.

1: Kansas City Royals (37-56, -$1,896) (0-5, -$524 in L/5) These are the Royals that baseball bettors have come to know and love. KC hasn’t won a game since July 9, and in that stretch, no one can seem to figure out how to pitch. Royals pitchers have given up a whopping 55 runs in their last seven games.

SP Zach Greinke, who was a legitimate Cy Young Award candidate once upon a time, is just 10-5 now. Though his 2.05 ERA is still very, very impressive, the fact that his Royals are just 2-7 in his last nine starts isn’t going to help his case any.

This offense still can’t hit its way out of a paper bag, only batting .252 as a team this year (25th), and it has the second worst run production of any team in baseball (3.92 runs per game).

2: Boston Red Sox (55-38, +$605) (1-4, -$379 in L/5) If the Yankees and Rays are both "hot," and the Red Sox are "not," there’s bound to be problems in Beantown. The Sox have opened the second half of the season on a miserable stretch of games, and now they find themselves a game behind the Yankees and only 3.5 up on the Rays for the Wild Card spot.

It’s starting to feel like this may be the odd team out of the playoffs, as Boston blew its chance to build a huge lead in the division with an easy schedule. The fun and games are about to be over. Starting in August, the Sox have to play the Rays, Yankees, Tigers, Rangers, Blue Jays, Yankees, White Sox, Blue Jays, Rays, White Sox, Rays, and Angels without any breaks in the middle.

Oh, to be manager Terry Francona during that stretch.

3: Washington Nationals (27-66, -$3,395) (1-4, -$326 in L/5) The Nats are back, and they’re taking their weekly place on the "Who’s Not" list once again. After firing manager Manny Acta, the brass in Washington was hoping to see at least some sort of spark from their club. If by "spark," you mean committing six errors and getting outscored 26-9 in a four-game home set against the Cubs, that’s exactly what Washington management got!

The Nationals have committed an MLB-worst 89 errors to add to the hilarious comedy known as baseball in our nation’s capitol. 1B Nick Johnson and OF Adam Dunn can only hope that they’re going to be traded out of DC before the July 31 trade deadline. The rest of the team only has No. 1 overall draft pick, SP Steven Strasbourg, to look forward to soon, and there’s a serious question as to whether or not the team will ever be able to come to contract terms with him.

And the rest…

4: San Diego Padres (37-57, -$1,415) (1-4, -$300 in L/5)
5: San Francisco Giants (50-43, +$729) (1-4, -$339 L/5)

Rockies vs. Padres Betting Odds & Picks: July 17th 2009

touthouse handicappers — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:24:49 -0400

Colorado Rockies vs. San Diego Padres o7.5 (-115) - Fri Jul 17 ‘09 10:05p
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As we have stated a couple times, posted totals this low are usually reserved for when two star pitchers face other, and while Ubaldo Jimenez of the Colorado Rockies may barely fit the bill, Josh Geer of the San Diego Padres simply does not.

Geer is 1-4 with a 5.79 ERA in 15 starts in his first full season as a Major League starter. Furthermore, after showing some improvement for a while, he regressed again in his last start when he was roughed up for six earned runs in just 4.2 innings by the normally light-hitting San Francisco Giants. Geer was also hit hard the last time he faced the Rockies, as they reached him for six runs (five earned) in 6.2 innings.

Now Jimenez does have a nice 3.81 ERA despite his 6-9 record, but he has been rather inconsistent lately, alternating quality starts and non-quality outings in his last seven starts, putting him in line for a shaky outing tonight. More importantly, the Padres got to Jimenez for six earned runs in only 3.2 innings the last time he faced them here in Petco Park.

There are simply to many question marks for both of these starters for us not to go over this very low total tonight.

MLB Free Pick: Rockies, Padres Over 7.5 (-115)

2009 FBS Independents Conference College Football Predictions: Odds to Win

touthouse handicappers — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 22:57:55 -0400

2009 FBS Independents Conference College Football Predictions

Notre Dame: The schedule is tough, but not as difficult as in recent years. It looks a lot more favorable with winnable home games against Navy, Uconn, Nevada, Washington (bad team), Boston College (down year), and Stanford on the road. Washington State in San Antonio should be a win, while they take on their toughest opponent—USC—at home. This should be Weis’ best team yet as the Irish have the opportunity to win at least nine games, and anything less would be a disappointment. 2009 Notre Dame College Football Predictions

Navy: Navy mixes up their schedule with top teams as well as winnable games so they can win enough to make a bowl game. They open with Ohio State on the road and also have brutal road games at Pittsburgh and Notre Dame. Aside from facing rivals Army in Philadelphia and Air Force at home, they have winnable games against Delaware, Western Kentucky, Temple, and Louisiana Tech at home, with Rice and SMU on the road. 2009 Navy College Football Predictions

Army: Army is moving in the right direction with Ellerson, who ran the spread option and will utilize more passing. He just needs more talent to run his offense. They face Eastern Michigan on the road and Duke at home to start the season. It’s certainly a very tame schedule, but they have face Air Force on the road, which means a Commander-in-Chief Trophy is not likely. 2009 Army College Football Predictions

2009 Odds to Win BCS Championship for Independents
(Odds Subject to Change - Estimated Payout for $100 Wager)
Click Here for Current College Football Odds

Notre Dame +3000

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2009 North Texas Mean Green College Football Predictions

touthouse handicappers — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:11:42 -0400

2009 North Texas Mean Green Predictions
2008 Record: (1-11, 0-7)
Coach: Todd Dodge, 3rd year (3-21 overall)
Off. Coordinator: Todd Ford (3rd year)
Def. Coordinator: Gary DeLoach (2nd year)
Returning Starters: 16 (7 offense, 8 defense, kicker)
Ret. Starting Quarterback: No

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Offense: The Mean Green returns seven starters from a unit that averaged 20ppg. Not a great mark, but they could have averaged 30ppg and still probably finished 1-11 considering how poor the defense was. This season, Todd Dodge will have all sorts of pressure on him, not just because he finished 3-21 in his first three seasons, but now he is inserting his freshman son Riley (6-0, 182) at quarterback. Dodge replaces Giovanni Vizza, who transferred to Texas A&M. Dodge will miss the services of graduated receiver Casey Fitzgerald (113 catches for 1,119 yards). They do have a strong running game led by Cam Montgomery (6-1, 210), who ran for 928 yards. They have just one returning starter (Sam Robertson) at receiver and will look at three transfers including Jamaal Jackson and Michael Outlaw. The offensive line should be solid with five starters returning including sophomore J.J. Johnson (6-2, 280). They also return junior center/guard Kelvin Drake (6-2, 302), who missed last season with an ankle injury.

Defense: The defense returns eight starters from a unit that ranked last in the nation in points allowed (47.6ppg) and last in yards allowed (482.6 yards per game), so they can only go up from here. The Mean Green decided to go the juco ranks to find some help, especially on the defensive line, where they return just one starter (senior Eddrick Gilmore). At linebacker, senior Tobe Nwigwe (6-1, 251) returns as the leading tackler with 111 and also tallied three picks. They also bring back junior Craig Robertson (6-0, 226), who made 94 tackles. In the secondary, senior Antoine Bush will be challenged at Adryan Adams at one spot. Sophomore safety Darien Williams (5-10, 185) had a strong first campaign with 62 tackles.

Outlook: North Texas takes on Ball State on the road to start the season and then hosts Ohio. They also face Alabama on the road and Army at home near the end of the season. They also face Troy and Arkansas State on the road. Not that they are a threat to the SBC title, but if they don’t beat Western Kentucky at home, this could be a very long year.

This Sun Belt conference prediction is courtesy of the ATS Sports Blog. If you are looking for winning college football betting picks be sure to choose ATS Consultants this year, A featured sports handicapping service on Touthouse.com

Free MLB Picks: Seattle Mariners vs. Texas Rangers: July 9th 2009

touthouse handicappers — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:56:03 -0400

Seattle Mariners vs. Texas Rangers
Free MLB Picks: Texas Rangers (165) - Thu July 9th 2009 10:10p
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Tommy Hunter had a birthday he won’t soon forget in his last time out against Tampa Bay. The righty picked up his first career victory in the “Bigs” by limiting the Rays to just three hits and one earned run while throwing 90 pitches through his 5.1 innings of work. He struck out a career-high five batters, and 55 of his 90 pitches went for strikes. Since giving up a combined 20 earned runs in his first three starts at this level last season, Hunter has surrendered a total of just six earned runs in his three 2009 starts.

Felix Hernandez put together a phenomenal month of June that saw him earn Pitcher of the Month honors by going 3-0 with a miniscule 0.94 ERA and a K/BB ratio of 35/12. He remained undefeated at Fenway Park his last time out where he earned a no decision by going seven innings and allowing seven hits and three earned runs in the Mariner’s extra inning road win.

Strangely, he’s been more hittable in the pitcher friendly Safeco Field where he’s 3-2 with a 3.64 ERA and 1.36 WHIP in seven starts. He’s also had a rough go of it solving the Rangers potent line-up going 4-9 with a 4.35 ERA & 1.33 WHIP in 18 career starts.

Even though this will be Tommy Hunter’s first road start of the season, this line is laughable. The Rangers are on a roll right now and playing with extreme confidence, while the M’s come into this one just having their hearts ripped out. Their bullpens been bad throughout the last week, and that’s not a good sign for manager Wakamatsu’s club knowing that Texas’ line-up isn’t intimidated by Hernandez’ stuff in the least. Too much value here.

Back the nice-sized division leading road pups in Game 1!

2009 Akron Zips College Football Predictions

touthouse handicappers — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:19:10 -0400

2009 Akron Zips Predictions
2008 Record: (5-7, 3-5)
Coach: J.D. Brookhart, 6th year (27-33 overall)
Off. Coordinator: Shane Montgomery (1st year)
Def. Coordinator: Jim Fleming (6th year)
Returning Starters: 17 (9 offense, 6 defense, kicker, punter)
Ret. Starting Quarterback: Yes (Chris Jacquermain)

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Offense: The offense was impressive last season, averaging 30ppg with nine starters returning including quarterback Chris Jacquermain (2,748 yards passing last year). The senior threw for 20 TDs, but also 14 picks and has never quite lived up to his potential. Adding Walter Harris as qb coach and bringing in former Miami (Ohio) coach to lead the offense should help. He also has his top targets returning from last year in senior Deryn Bowser (64 catches for 785 yards) and senior Andre Jones (47 for 678). The major concern is at running back where they have to replace all-league back Dennis Kennedy (1,321 yards, 17 TDs). Senior RB Alex Allen (6-0, 205) gets a chance to see if he can do the job. Up front, they return four of five starters, but lose All-MAC lineman Chris Kemme.

Defense: The defense returns six starters from a unit that allowed a whopping 31.3ppg (95th in the nation) and 397.6 yards per game (90th). Junior DT Almondo Sewell (6-1, 280) is back after recording 62 tackles last year. He’s the only returning starter from the three-man line. At linebacker, they return Mike Thomas (5-10, 215), who recorded 81 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 8.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. Sophomore Aaron Williams (6-0, 205) is a potential star, who played in all 10 games last year as a freshman. They return 3 of the 4 members of the secondary, including senior Miguel Graham, who picked off three passes and recorded 70 stops in 2007.

Outlook: The Zips will open their new stadium on Sept. 12 against Michigan State. They also play a brutal road game at Penn State and a home game against Indiana. They also face Syracuse on the road, along with tough MAC games against Buffalo and Bowling Green. This is a key year for J.D. Brookhart, who needs to find a running back and a defense to ensure he’s back the following year.

This MAC conference prediction is courtesy of the ATS Sports Blog. If you are looking for winning college football betting picks be sure to choose ATS Consultants this year, A featured sports handicapping service on Touthouse.com

New York Mets vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Odds & Picks: July 8th 2009

touthouse handicappers — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:16:48 -0400

New York Mets vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Free MLB Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers (-144) - Wed July 8th 2009 7:10p
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This series has sweep written all over it. The Dodgers took care of business in Game 1 shutting out the Mets 8-0. Tonight Hiroki Kuroda goes to the mound as LA looks to take advantage again of a beat up New York squad.

The Mets have lost four straight and nine of 11 and have gone scoreless in 22 consecutive innings. Over that span they’ve gotten just 10 hits all singles and they’ve been outscored 21-3. The New York offense has for the most part been MIA since Carlos Beltran went out. They’ve gone 5-10 with a .229 average and scored one run or fewer seven times, including four shutouts. With no Beltran or Jose Reyes in the line-up David Wright is the only real threat remaining and he’s struggling big time. Wright is 0-16 after drawing the collar Tuesday night against the Dodgers.

Tonight the Mets pin their hopes on lefty Oliver Perez who was just called up from Triple A. Perez has been a disaster going 1-2 with a 9.97 ERA. He’s given up 24 runs in 21 innings and has walked 21.

The Dodgers, who lead the majors with a 53-30 record, will counter with the steady Hiroki Kuroda who is 3-4 with a 3.98 ERA. Kuroda has won two of his last three starts striking out 16 while walking two.

Hopefully the umpires will let Manny play a little bit longer tonight. But even if he makes another early exit the Dodgers still have too much for a Mets team that can’t wait for the All-Star Break to get here.

2009 PAC 10 College Football Predictions—2009 Odds to Win PAC 10

touthouse handicappers — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 12:41:40 -0400

2009 PAC 10 College Football Predictions

USC

The schedule features Ohio State on the road, an easy home opener with San Jose State and a contest at Notre Dame. They’ll go as far as their inexperienced defense takes them.

Of course, finding a quarterback will be the difference between being a top-10 team and a National Championship.

2009 USC College Football Predictions

California

The Bears face Maryland and Eastern Washington at home to start the season, and also take on Minnesota on the road. There’s no reason why they shouldn't go undefeated in non-conference play before facing USC, though a road game at Oregon will be very tough right before they face the Trojans.

If Riley can step up this year at quarterback, the Bears have a chance to go along way based on a terrific defense and a strong running game.

2009 California College Football Predictions

Oregon

The Ducks open the season playing a tough road game at Boise State, followed by two very tough home games against Purdue and Utah. They host USC and Cal, so the Pac-10 schedule benefits them.

The problem is that they don’t quite have the talent level of USC and California, but they are certainly a bowl team. Kelly, the former offensive coordinator at Oregon, takes over for Mike Bellotti, who led the program for 14 years.

2009 Oregon College Football Predictions

Oregon State

Their non-conference schedule features Portland State and Cincinnati at home and UNLV on the road. They also have to face USC and California on the road, which is extremely tough, especially when you have to replace your entire secondary.

The offense will have to carry the team as the defense will likely have its issues, especially early in the season.

2009 Oregon State College Football Predictions

Arizona

The Wildcats’ non-conference schedule features Central Michigan and Northern Arizona at home before they take on Iowa on the road. They take on USC and Cal on the road, along with rival Arizona State. Mike Stoops appears to have a good thing going, but has to keep up the momentum.

2009 Arizona College Football Predictions

UCLA

The non-conference schedule features San Diego State and Kansas State at home, and then they face a rematch against Tennessee on the road their second game of the season.

They also host Calafornia and Oregon, while playing USC on the road. This is a program that is still rebuilding, with some good players on both sides of the ball. However, they need more impact players who can change the game.

2009 UCLA College Football Predictions

Stanford

The Cardinals open with a road conference game against Washington State, before taking on Wake Forest on the road. That’s a fairly tough start, but afterwards, they face San Jose State at home and end the season with Notre Dame at home.

They also take on conference stalwarts California and Oregon at home, along with USC on the road. This is a team that is not close to a being a threat to win the Pac-10, but they have a bright young quarterback that could take them to a bowl game.

2009 Stanford College Football Predictions

Arizona State

The Sun Devils open up with two soft opponents in Idaho State and Louisiana-Monroe, and then face Georgia on the road. They also host USC and California, along with rival Arizona at the end of the year. That won’t mean much unless they can find a consistent quarterback to replace Carpenter.

2009 Arizona State College Football Predictions

Washington

The Huskies face LSU, Idaho and USC to start their season at home. They also take on Notre Dame on the road and California at home to end the season.

This will be a rebuilding season for Washington, but they could be a lot more competitive if Locker lives up to his potential and they start putting points on the board.

2009 Washington College Football Predictions

Washington State

The Cougars open with Stanford at home, then face Hawaii (in Seattle), followed by SMU at home. After that, the schedule is brutal as they have to face USC, Oregon and California on the road in three of their next four games.

They also face Notre Dame in San Antonio of all places. This will be an extremely tough season for Paul Wulff in his second season at the helm. He has to get some consistency at the quarterback spot and find some impact players on defense.

2009 Washington State College Football Predictions

2009 Odds to Win PAC 10

(Odds Subject to Change - Estimated Payout for $100 Wager)

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Southern Cal -225 (Risk $225 to Win $100)
California +375
Oregon +425
Oregon State +1600
UCLA +3000
Arizona +5500
Stanford +6500
Arizona State +7500
Washington +10000
Washington State +11000

2009 Washington Huskies College Football Predictions

touthouse handicappers — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 12:17:35 -0400

2009 Washington Huskies Predictions
2008 Record: (0-12, 0-9)
Coach: Steve Sarkisian, 1st year (0-0 overall)
Off. Coordinator: Doug Nussmeier (1st year)
Def. Coordinator: Nick Holt (1st year)
Returning Starters: 16 (7 offense, 9 defense)
Ret. Starting Quarterback: Yes (Jake Locker, Ronnie French)

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Offense: The Huskies return two capable quarterbacks in junior Jake Locker (6-3, 222) and sophomore Ronnie Fouch (6-1, 203), who threw for 1,339 yards last season. Locker returns after missing the final eight games last year due to a broken thumb. Steve Sarkisian’s task as a first-year coach will be to get the best out of Locker, who has great potential. Last season, the Huskies’ offense produced just 13.3ppg, 263.2 yards per game and were near the worst in the nation. At running back, freshman Chris Polk could have a slight edge over sophomore Willie Griffin. He started the first two games last season before suffering a shoulder injury. At wide receiver, junior D’Andre Goodwin (5-11, 175) led the tam with 60 catches last season for 692 yards and is one of the team’s fastest players. The line has three returning starters, including junior C Ryan Tolar (6-5, 321), who can play guard or center.

Defense: The defense returns nine starters from a unit that allowed a whopping 38.6ppg (116th in the nation) and 451.8 yards per game (110th in the nation). The offense was dreadful and the defense wasn’t much better. Sarkisian’s best move was adding Nick Holt from USC, to become defensive coordinator. He was DC in name at USC, but Pete Carroll called the defensive plays. They do return nine starters including DE Daniel Te’o-Nesheim (6-4, 263), who led the team with eight sacks last year. They also return junior MLB Mason Foster (6-1, 229), who led the team in tackles with 105. All three return at linebacker, including senior E.J. Savannah (6-1, 230), who was the team’s leading tackler in 2007, but was not on the team last season. The secondary returns two of four starters led by junior SS Nate Williams (6-0, 207).

Outlook: The Huskies face LSU, Idaho and USC to starter their season at home. They also take on Notre Dame on the road and California at home to end the season. This will be a rebuilding season for Washington, but they could be a lot more competitive if Locker lives up to his potential and they start putting points on the board.

This PAC 10 conference prediction is courtesy of the ATS Sports Blog. If you are looking for winning college football betting picks be sure to choose ATS Consultants this year, A featured sports handicapping service on Touthouse.com

2009 Arizona Wildcats College Football Predictions

touthouse handicappers — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 12:13:10 -0400

2009 Arizona Wildcats Predictions
2008 Record: (8-5, 5-4)
Coach: Mike Stoops, sixth year (25-36 overall)
Off. Coordinator: Sonny Dykes (third year)
Def. Coordinator: Mark Stoops (sixth year)
Returning Starters: 15 (seven offense, seven defense, punter)
Ret. Starting Quarterback: No

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Offense

Arizona returns seven starters from a unit that averaged a whopping 36.6ppg (16th in the nation) and 402.4 yards per game (33rd). The problem for the Cats is that they have to replace Willie Tuitama, the school’s all-time leader in most passing categories.

Sophomore Mark Scott (6'3", 190) and Nick Foles (6'5", 235) will attempt to replace Tuitama, as neither stepped up during the spring. They do return junior RB Nic Grigsby, who rushed for 1,153 yards last season.

They also return one of the most talented tight end/H-backs in the nation, junior Rob Gronkowski (6'6", 265), who caught 16 TD passes in two seasons.

Senior WR Terrell Turner (6'2", 190) and junior Delashaun Dean (6'4", 202) are both lanky receivers who return as starters, but neither was effective as Mike Thomas, one of the most prolific receivers in the school’s history. The offensive line returns two starters, but lose top tackle Eben Britton.

Defense

The defense returns seven starters from a unit that allowed 21.3ppg (33rd in the nation) and 313 yards per game (24th). While the offense should be down, this unit has a chance to be very strong.

They return the entire front four, including junior DE Brooks Reed (6'3", 255), who recorded eight sacks last year after switching from H-back. They have great size on the interior and tremendous depth overall up front.

At linebacker, they return just one starter, senior Xavier Kelly (5'11", 215). The secondary returns senior CB Devin Ross and senior FS Cam Nelson, who recorded 67 tackles last year. Sophomore CB Trevin Wade picked off four passes last year in limited action and now get the job full-time.

Outlook

The Wildcats’ non-conference schedule features Central Michigan and Northern Arizona at home, before they take on Iowa on the road. They take on USC and Cal on the road, along with rival Arizona State. Mike Stoops appears to have a good thing going, but has to keep up the momentum.

2009 Oregon State Beavers College Football Predictions

touthouse handicappers — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 12:12:13 -0400

2009 Oregon State Beavers Predictions
2008 Record: (9-4, 7-2)
Coach: Mike Riley, 8th year (56-42 overall)
Off. Coordinator: Danny Langsdorf (5th year)
Def. Coordinator: Mark Banker (7th year)
Returning Starters: 11 (6 offense, 3 defense, punter, kicker)
Ret. Starting Quarterback: Yes (Lyle Moevao)

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Offense:

The Beavers return two potential starting quarterbacks in seniors Sean Canfield (6-4, 220) and Lyle Moevao (5-11, 220). Canfield started in 2007, but missed the end of his sophomore year and beginning of his junior season recovering from surgery on his throwing shoulder. Moevao passed for 2,534 yards and 19 TDs last season and is a playmaker, but lacks the height and is also coming off a shoulder injury thus hampering his ability to win the job. They do return a great running back in sophomore Jacquizz Rodgers (5-7, 193), who ran for 1,253 yards despite missing the last two games of the season with a fractured bone in his shoulder. Older brother James Rodgers is the team’s top receiver, who gained 1,833 total yards and scored 10 TDs between his duties as a back, kick returner and receiver. The offensive line returns two of the five starters and this is a huge key. They have to replace all-leaguers Andy Levitre and Adam Speer.

Defense:

The defense returns just three starters from a unit that allowed 23.1ppg and 312.2 yards per game (23rd in the nation). Junior DT Stephen Paea (6-1, 293) anchors the defensive line and is the lone returning starter. He recorded five sacks last year, but they have to find a way to replace ends Victor Butler and Slade Norris, who combined for 22 sacks last year. At linebacker, they are set on the outside with junior Keith Pankey (6-0, 211) and senior Keaton Kristick (6-3, 226). Kristick finished with 82 tackles last year. They have to replace the entire secondary, including two outstanding corners in Keenan Lewis and Brandon Hughes.

Outlook:

Their non-conference schedule features Portland State and Cincinnati at home and UNLV on the road. They also have to face USC and California on the road. This will be extremely tough, especially when you have to replace your entire secondary. The offense will have to carry the team as the defense will likely have its issues, especially early in the season.

This PAC 10 conference prediction is courtesy of the ATS Sports Blog. If you are looking for winning college football betting picks be sure to choose ATS Consultants this year. A featured sports handicapping service on Touthouse.com