Thursday’s MLB Tip Sheet
Published on June 6 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
By Brian Edwards
Stats do not include results from Wednesday’s games.
Gamblers have 12 MLB games on the menu for Thursday, including a half-dozen afternoon affairs. Let’s take a look at a pair of night games between rivals in the National League East and AL East.
**Braves at Marlins**
–BetOnline.com opened Miami (31-24, +184) as a minus-135 favorite for the rubber match of this three-game set in South Florida. The total was 8 ½ ‘over’ (minus-115) on the send-out. Bettors can bring home a plus-150 return by backing the Marlins on the run line (minus 1 ½ runs, risk $100 to win $150).
–Atlanta (30-25, +245) won Tuesday’s series opener by an 11-0 count behind Tim Hudson’s five-hit shutout. The veteran righty, who improved to 4-2 on the season and continued his dominance of the Marlins, had plenty of help from the bats. Dan Uggla blasted a pair of homers against his former team en route to a 4-for-5 effort that included three runs scored and five RBIs. Jason Heyward went 3-for-4 and drew a walk.
–Mark Buehrle (5-5, 3.53 ERA) will take the mound for Ozzie Guillen’s squad. Buehrle owns a 3-1 record and 3.38 ERA in five home starts. The ‘over’ is 7-4 in the veteran left-handers 11 assignments, cashing in each of his last five outings.
–Fredi Gonzalez will give the starting nod to Mike Minor, who is 2-4 with a bloated 6.98 ERA. The lefty out of Vanderbilt is 1-2 with a 7.27 ERA in six road starts, but we should note that the Braves have prevailed in four of those six games. The ‘over’ is 4-2 in Minor’s six road starts.
–These clubs met in a brief two-game set at Turner Field on May 16 and 17. Miami won the series lid-lifter 8-4 before Atlanta responded with a 7-0 triumph behind Brandon Beachy.
–Atlanta is 10-10 versus southpaws, 18-14 on the road and 23-15 at night.
–Miami is 16-11 at home, 11-6 against lefties and 20-15 under the lights.
–The ‘over’ is 29-23-3 overall for the Braves, 7-2 in their last nine games.
–The ‘over’ is 29-24-2 overall for the Marlins, 11-3-1 in their last 15 contests.
–The first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. Eastern.
**Rays at Yankees**
–Most spots have installed New York (30-24, -223) as a minus-150 ‘chalk’ with a total of 7 ½ ‘over’ (minus-115). The Yankees are plus-145 on the run line.
–Joe Girardi’s club captured a 7-0 win in Tuesday’s series opener as a minus-127 home favorite. Russell Martin cranked a grand slam for the Yankees and Andy Pettitte dominated again in the Bronx. Pettitte struck out 10, five in a row at one point, and gave up only two hits over 7 1/3 innings of work.
–Tampa Bay (31-24, +427) swept a three-game series from New York at The Trop in April, but it has lost three of its four games on the road against the Yankees going into Wednesday night’s matchup.
–Girardi will send LHP C.C. Sabathia (7-2, 3.68) to the bump. Sabathia is 3-1 with a 2.37 ERA in four home starts. The ‘over’ is 7-4 overall in Sabathia’s 11 outings.
–Joe Maddon will counter with another stellar southpaw of his own, David Price, who is 7-3 with a 2.44 ERA. Price is 3-2 with a 4.00 ERA in six road assignments. The ‘under’ is 6-5 overall in Price’s starts, cashing in his last four times out.
–The Yankees are 15-11 at home, 10-6 against southpaws and 21-17 at night.
–The Rays are 12-13 on the road, 8-12 versus lefties and 19-14 at night.
–The ‘under’ is 30-21 overall for the Rays, 7-2 in their last nine games.
–The ‘under’ is 31-22 overall for the Yankees, cashing in their last three games.
**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**
–The ‘under’ is an MLB-best 34-17-3 overall for the Pirates, who pulled to within two games of the NL-Central-leading Reds with Tuesday’s win behind A.J. Burnett. Pittsburgh has the fourth-best money tally in the majors (+760).
–Texas slugger Josh Hamilton is producing huge numbers with an MLB-best 21 homers and 58 RBIs. He and the Rangers will take aim at Oakland on Thursday afternoon at 3:35 p.m. Eastern.
–The best ‘over’ team in baseball is the Mets, who have seen it go 34-20 overall, 19-6 in their road games.
–Best fade (go-against) teams in the majors going into Wednesday’s action?
1-Tigers (-1587)
2-Padres (-1527)
3-Cubs (-1409)
4-Brewers (-1316)
5-Phillies (-945)
