MLB Betting Weekend Quick Picks: August 15th-16th 2009

The NFL Pre-Season is definitely in full swing but BetUS sportsbook fans shouldn’t turn a blind eye to what’s going on in the world of baseball. MLB has been very interesting for gamblers so far this season.  Interesting enough for this gambler to say that it’s too early to concentrate on individual football games? Absolutley!  Let’s look at four games this weekend that could potentially yield profits to gamblers.

Boston Red Sox vs. Texas Rangers
Boston – Brad Penny vs. Texas – Derek Holland
First-pitch:  8:05 pm EST – August 15th

Analysis:  Brad Penny has had a less than season so far with a 5.16 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP.  With his 7 and 6 record, though, Penny is a winner.  The problem is that he faces a team with a lot of firepower at the plate.Derek Holland is 5 and 7 with a 5.04 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP.  Both guys should give up a lot of runs.  The thinking is that Holland will for sure, but Holland gets the chance to pitch in front of the home crowd and the Rangers have done well lately.  I’m going with Texas straight-up in this. Pick:  Texas Rangers on the money-line

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
L.A. Dodgers – Hiroki Kuroda vs. Arizona – Doug Davis
First-pitch:  8:10 pm EST. – August 15th

Analysis:  This is a tough one with Davis and Kuroda both having okay, but not great, seasons.  Davis has a decent ERA of 3.62.  His record of 7 and 10 isn’t that great and his WHIP leaves something to be desired at 1.44. Kuroda was brilliant at times last season.  This season, he’s been sort of okay.  Wait…strike that.  He was just okay.  Now, he’s brilliant again with 6 straight victories.  This is a slam dunk almost.  Kuroda on the run line is the way to go. Pick:  Hideki Kuroda and the Los Angeles Dodgers on the run line

San Francisco Giants vs. New York Mets
San Francisco – Jonathan Sanchez vs. New York – Mike Pelfrey
First-pitch:  1:10 pm EST – August 16th

Analysis:  Mike Pelfrey, like all of the New York Mets in 2009, has been having a bad season.  With a record of 8 and 8, an ERA of 4.88 and a WHIP of 1.51, Pelfrey has to be considered one of the better pitchers to go against under most circumstances.Then again, he faces Jonathan Sanchez who is definitely the weak link in that stellar San Francisco rotation.  Sanchez has gone 5 and 10 with a 4.61 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP this year. So, who wins in this matchup?  I’m going to go with San Francisco straight-up as New York can be hot or cold and the Giants no doubt will be getting excellent odds.  The two pitchers are even.  I’m going with the better team. Pick:  San Francisco Giants on the money-li

San Diego Padres vs. St. Louis Cardinals
San Diego – Clayton Richard vs. St. Louis – Kyle Lohse
First-pitch:  2:15 pm EST – August 16th

Analysis:  Clayton Richard has an okay ERA at 4.57 and a less than good WHIP at 1.44 yet he’s got a record of 6 and 3.  That’s pretty amazing considering his ERA and WHIP.  Kyle Lohse is part of that fine St. Louis Cardinals rotation.  With a 5 and 7 record, and a 4.34 ERA, Lohse might be considered less of a pitcher than Richard, but his WHIP of 1.30 is slightly better than Richards’s, as is his ERA.  That puts him into the category of a very decent pitcher in this matchup.Usually, I would just take a team to win and it would probably be the San Diego Padres as they will be the underdogs, but I like the idea of swinging for the fences with Lohse and just putting some dollars on the run line. Pick:  Kyle Lohse and the St. Louis Cardinals on the run line