Monday Night MLB Betting Preview: August 3rd 2009

You can always count on the Boston Red Sox to shake up the MLB betting scene at the trade deadline. Bettors will remember Boston’s big move back in 2004, when the club dealt fan favorite Nomar Garciaparra in a four-team trade that saw Orlando Cabrera and Doug Mientkiewicz come to Beantown. The deal was questioned by sharps at the time, but the Red Sox went on to win the World Series. Theo Epstein was at it again on Friday, acquiring Victor Martinez from the Cleveland Indians along with the Atlanta Braves’ Casey Kotchman. Will the move pay off for futures bettors that backed the BoSox?

Boston at Tampa Bay
Offensive firepower aside, bettors will be looking at the under when the Rays (57-48, +1.67 units) host the Red Sox (62-42, +5.83 units) in a two-game set beginning on Tuesday night. Boston has played under the total in seven of its last nine road games, while Tampa Bay is 8-2-1 O/U in its last 11 contests as a favorite. The Rays should see chalk in both games, with Matt Garza (7-8, 3.69 ERA) and David Price (4-4, 5.10 ERA) taking the ball for Joe Madden. The Red Sox counter with Jon Lester (9-7, 3.90 ERA) and Brad Penny (7-5, 5.07 ERA), who remains in the rotation with both Tim Wakefield (back) and Daisuke Matsuzaka (shoulder) on the disabled list. Tampa Bay leads the season series 6-4, and took two of three games when the teams met at Tropicana Field back in May.

NY Yankees at Toronto
The Blue Jays (51-54, -7.31 units) decided to hang on to ace pitcher Roy Halladay before last week’s trade deadline despite offers from numerous suitors. With Halladay still on board, Toronto takes on the Yankees (63-42, -0.95 units) in a two-game series this week at Rogers Centre. Halladay (11-4, 2.68 ERA) toes the rubber in Tuesday night’s opener for the Jays, while the Yanks send veteran Andy Pettitte (8-6, 4.51 ERA) to the mound. A loser of three of its last five against the moneyline, Toronto is 3-10 in its last 13 contests as a fave. New York appeared to be pulling away from both Boston and Tampa Bay in the AL East, but losses in four of its last six games have grounded the Bronx Bombers. The Yankees have cashed five of the seven games between the clubs this season, including two of three in Toronto in May.

Milwaukee at LA Dodgers
Pitching wins championships, and the Brewers (52-53, -4.03 units) aren’t likely to play for one this season because of the performance of their arms lately. With Milwaukee struggling to stop the bleeding, it rolls into Los Angeles for a three-game set with the Dodgers (65-40, +19.21 units) starting on Monday night. The Brew Crew were in the thick of the race in the National League Central following the All-Star break, but atrocious pitching has them on the outside looking in. Milwaukee has a 7.34 team ERA over its last 11 games, during which it has gone 4-7 (8-3 O/U) against the moneyline. The good news for Brewers backers is the team gets to face the league-leading Dodgers at an opportune time. Los Angeles has dropped five of its last eight contests, representing its toughest stretch of the season on the MLB moneylist.

San Francisco at Houston
The Astros (52-53, +0.27 units) look to get back at the Giants (58-47, +12.28 units) when the clubs meet at Minute Maid Park for a three-game tilt starting on Monday night. San Francisco took two of three from Houston at AT&T Park last month, winning 13-0 and 9-0 before the Astros won the series finale 7-1. Houston comes into the set losers in seven of its last nine games, but at least it has the benefit of taking on San Fran at home, where it is 8-3 over its last 11 contests. The Giants have a league-best 37-16 (+18.73 units) home record, but are only 21-31 (-6.45 units) on the road. San Francisco has cashed six of seven and eight of its last 11 outings, during which it has played under on eight occasions. Under bettors have the Giants’ dominant pitching staff to thank for their recent good fortune, as San Fran has posted a 2.33 ERA over its last 10 games.