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June 26, 2021 Stakes Race Preview (Churchill Downs)

G2 Fleur de Lis Stakes

  • Race: #5
  • Post Time: 2:45 PM
  • Length: 1 1/8 M
  • Purse: $300,000
  • Type: Fillies & Mares | 4 Year Olds And Up

 

Field:

  1. Point of Honor (J. Castellano), 6-1
  2. Antoinette (F. Geroux), 20-1
  3. Vault (T. Gaffalione), 10-1
  4. Envoutante (B. Hernadez Jr.), 2-1
  5. Spice is Nice (J. Velasquez), 8-1
  6. Letruska (J. Ortiz), 4-5

Preview:

Letruska comes into this race as the heavy favorite after capturing both the Apple Blossom and Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) at Belmont. Vault won the Ruffian Stakes on May 2 at Belmont for her first Grade 2 victory. The main competitor for Letruska is Envoutante who recently won the local Shawnee Stakes. Two starts ago, Envoutante lost to Shedaresthedevil by one length in the Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes. Letruska is the best horse in this race by far but Envoutante is the only horse that compares to her here. The favorites should win this race so I advice you to key 4,6 in a Pick 4-6 and go from there.

Picks:

Key 4,6 in a multi race exotic wager. If not a 4,6 exacta would also work but, it wont return much. If you’re looking for a single bet in this race look at the #4 in Envoutante to win. 

 

G3 Bashford Manor

  • Race: #9
  • Post Time: 4:55 PM
  • Length: 6F
  • Purse: $150,000
  • Type: Open | 2 Year Olds

 

Field:

  1. Vodka n Water (J. Ortiz), 6-1
  2. Lansdowne (J. Court), 7-2
  3. Tapped Off (D. Van Dyke), 12-1
  4. Glacial (J. Talamo), 3-1
  5. Whatstheconnection (M. Pedroza), 20-1
  6. Knocker Down (C. Murphy), 20-1
  7. Whistlewhileyoumow (G. Saez), 30-1
  8. Double Thunder (J. Velasquez), 4-1
  9. Red Run (R. Santana Jr.), 7-2
  10. Rising Outlaw (R. Bejarano), 30-1
  11. Shesgotattitude (J. Graham), 20-1

Preview:

Glacial won in his career debut in front-running fashion at Churchill over Vodka n Water. Lansdowne also won his debut at Churchill on May 22. Red Run became the first winner for his highly regarded freshman sire with a three-wide rally on debut in the Churchill slop May 9.  Double Thunder also won his maiden at Monmouth and posted a field-best 60 Beyer Speed Figure. Shesgotattitude takes the 11 post and will try for a win against the boys following a fourth-place finish in the Kentucky Juvenile S. in the slop on April 28.

Picks:

W/P/S: #3

 

G2 Wise Dan

  • Race: #10
  • Post Time: 5:26 PM
  • Length: 1 1/16 M
  • Purse: $300,000
  • Type: Open | 4 Year Olds And Up

 

Field:

  1. Set Piece (F. Geroux), 8-5
  2. Mutakatif (M. Murrill), 50-1
  3. Somelikeithotbrown (J. Ortiz), 2-1
  4. Super Sol (G. Saez), 20-1
  5. Hierarchy (A. Beschizza), 15-1
  6. Kentucky Ghost (R. Bejarano), 20-1
  7. Ride a Comet (T. Gaffalione), 5-1
  8. Field Pass (R. Santana Jr.), 5-1
  9. Spooky Channel (J. Velasquez), 15-1
  10. In Love (J. Talamo), 20-1

Preview:

Somelikeithotbrown comes into the race as the favorite after securing a graded stakes win in the past three seasons. Set Piece will also be looking for his third straight stakes win. The 5-year-old gelded son of Dansili is entering this race off a dominating victory in the prep race for the Wise Dan, the Douglas Park Overnight Stakes. Another horse to look at in this race is Field Pass who is a three time Grade 3 winner.

Picks:

Exacta: 3,8/ 1

 

G2 Stephen Foster

  • Race: #11
  • Post Time: 5:59 PM
  • Length: 1 1/8 M
  • Purse: $600,000
  • Type: Open | 4 Year Olds And Up

 

Field:

  1. Chess Chief (J. Velasquez), 12-1
  2. Empty Tomb (R. Santana Jr.), 30-1
  3. Necker Island (M. Murrill), 15-1
  4. Sprawl (B. Hernandez Jr.), 10-1
  5. Silver Dust (A. Beschizza), 6-1
  6. Warrior’s Charge (F. Geroux), 6-1
  7. South Bend (T. Gaffalione), 12-1
  8. Maxfield (J. Ortiz), 4-5
  9. Visitant (J. Graham), 6-1

Preview:

The 4/5 Maxfield is the standout in this field as he’s the only Grade 1 winner. He’s won 6 out of his 7 races and finished 3rd in the only race he hasn’t won. Maxfield is also fresh off a dominant win in the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes. Another contender is Chess Chief who won a similar race in the Grade 2 New Orleans Classic Stakes before finishing third in the Alysheba Stakes behind Maxfield and Visitant. Silver Dust is also fresh off a stakes win in the Grade 3 Ben Ali Stakes.

Picks:

Exacta: 1,7/ 8

 

 

MLB Picks and Predictions – June 25, 2021

White Sox ace Carlos Rodon on the mound.

 

Man oh man, days like yesterday really make you pause and tread carefully before wagering on the majors again. The Dodgers, with arguably their best pitcher in Walker Buehler on the mound, had a hitless game against Zach Davies and the Cubs. The Orioles were in a great spot and yet again couldn’t muster any offense. Okay, maybe that second one isn’t that big of a surprise but still, MLB can be a really daunting sport to wager on and it’s days like yesterday that set all of us back. Still, we have to trust our best betting techniques and look for value, even if it’s scary. Onto Friday!

Blue Jays win (-160), 1.6 units: I can’t wait until the O’s win this game 12-0 and full-on positive regression takes place the day I bet against them BUT, here goes nothin’. To say Baltimore is slumping would be an understatement; they’re getting their ass kicked on a regular basis. A no-hitter from John Means and the return of Trey Mancini had Charm City excited at the start of the season. Now the Orioles are starting to resemble the same old franchise we all know after Cal left– subpar pitching, inconsistent bats, and a huge talent-gap between them and most of their competition. That should all be on full display today. Toronto’s 6’6″ first year starter Alek Manoah (4.18 ERA, 1.14 WHIP over 23.2 innings) is starting to show why Blue Jay fans were so excited about his potential. Ironically, only the Orioles have given him trouble recently. In four previous games over 20.1 innings, Manoah only allowed 14 hits and 7 runs. Against Baltimore on June 19, Manoah permitted 5 runs in just 3.1 innings. The away team O’s will start Matt Harvey (7.80 ERA, 1.78 WHIP over 62.1 innings) Friday. The 32 year old righty continues to decline in the tail half of his career but his 4.69 FIP indicates lady luck hasn’t exactly been on his side. Still, I can’t count on him today against the confident bats of Toronto. Winners of 5 straight and after a 9-0 beatdown of Baltimore yesterday, the Blue Jays feel lightyears ahead of the Orioles right now, even though they’re both bottom feeders of the AL East. I expect redemption for Manoah “at home” in Buffalo and a win for the Jays.

Marlins win (-150), 1.5 units: I’m not going to overthink or overanalyze this one. I trust Pablo Lopez (2.86 ERA, 1.07 WHIP over 85 innings) WAY more than Jon Lester (3.96 ERA, 1.44 WHIP over 50 innings), who I always love to fade, and the Marlins are long overdue for a win. The Nationals have won 5 straight and 10 out of their last 11 games, which naturally scares me a little, but this matchup and spot just favors Miami too much to not bet. It’s the Marlins or nothin’ for me– I choose the Marlins.

White Sox -1.5 (-110), 1 unit: If you keep doing the same thing over and over again even though you don’t get the desired result, you’re a little crazy, right? Well, maybe I’m a little fuckin’ crazy (great quote from Wedding Crashers) but I’m going to put my hard-earned money down on the White Sox by margin, again. Twice I’ve done that this week when they opposed the Pirates– they lost one game and won the other by only 1 run. Today, Chicago’s ace Carlos Rodon (1.83 ERA, 0.84 WHIP over 73.2 innings) faces off against Seattle’s Yusei Kikuchi (3.46 ERA, 1.04 WHIP over 80.2 innings). Despite some of Kikuchi’s initial struggles at the start of the season, he’s built a really solid profile over the past few months, generating a 3.38 ERA in May and a 2.00 ERA so far in June. I’m a believer in Kikuchi but I’m a bigger believer in Rodon and the White Sox bats. That fact that there’s chatter about trading Kikuchi can’t sit well with him, either. Losers of 5 of their last 6 contests, the Sox are too deep and talented to not explode eventually and this feels like as good a spot as any against one of the worst offenses in baseball.

MLB 6/25/21 Friday Freebies – Sports investing

Colorado Vs Milwaukee -270 O/U 7.5

The Rockies are road warriors….  Well in drinking maybe.  This team is a horrible 6-28 on the road and they finally inked a win last game vs Seattle on Wednesday.  I don’t think it is really necessary to go over their piss-poor stats but what I will say for the Brew Crew is that they have their Ace Corbin Burns who is a Cy Young favorite pitching against these poor bastards.   Burns has a 1.88 FIP over 88 innings with a .93 WHIP.   Jon Gray will be trying to fend off some runs vs Milwaukee but he is just below average at this point with a 4.88 Road FIP.   The Brewers are regression candidates when it comes to batting average with runners in scoring position and I think that they will put up enough runs to win by margin.  This low total is the reason you are getting the run line price at such a nice difference at -122 but what a read is that Colorado might not put up much more than a run or 2.  Gotta grab that price.

Brewers -1.5 (-122) – 1.5 stars

LA Angels vs Tampa Bay Rays -166 O/U 8.5

This will be an interesting game.  LA is traveling cross country to play a Rays team that is trying to stay in first place after stealing it from Boston is a 1-0 game just yesterday.  The Angels are still in injury hell with Mike Trout sidelined after all this time and Justin Upton with some back issues.  The Angels have Griffen Canning at the mound who is sporting a 5.24 FIP and a horrible 1.96 HR per 9 innings pitched.  Andrew Kittredge will be pitching for the Rays who is yet to play a full season but you have to like that 1.27 ERA and 3.12 WHIP over 35 innings.  Tampa Bay’s Bullpen is also much better ranking 2nd in FIP compared to the Angels ranking 26th.  Even tho the Rays did not have that day off, they are still at home fighting to remain up top.  I will grab the better team here that is less injured.

Rays -166 – 2 star 

 

Nick Hub’s MLB Free Pick Video for Friday June 25th

 

 

 

 

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Hawks vs. Bucks Game 2 Pick and Prediction – June 25, 2021

Trae Young and Giannis squaring off on the hardwood in game 1 of the East Finals.

 

Another day another dollar– our lone pick hit last night (Clippers ML) and we’re now 7-1 this week betting the NBA playoffs! Can we keep the winning streak alive? Here are my picks and predictions for the Hawks/Bucks game two!

Trae Young over 30.5 points (-120), 1.5 units and
Khris Middleton over 23.5 points (-119), 2 units and
John Collins over 26.5 P/A/R (-115), 1.15 units:

I’m going to avoid picking a side tonight because I think it’s just too unpredictable. If you’re compelled to always bet a side or a total, even if you don’t have a strong angle, you might be what this industry calls an “action junkie.” That’s not what we do here. We’re sharp at TheOddsBreakers, right? Right. While I lean the Hawks at +8 (and how could I not after what we all witnessed?), I can’t pull the trigger today. While I think the Hawks will make this a long and interesting series, the Bucks were 26-10 at home this season and their offense typically thrives in front of their crowd. Giannis should come out with a fiery aggression in an attempt to push his way into the front court and other Milwaukee players are due for some positive regression tonight. Just like we can’t underestimate the Hawks, it’s equally unwise to underestimate the former MVP and his Bucks. But first, let’s talk about an emerging superstar (it’s not arguable anymore) in Trae Young:

Taken from an ESPN article posted today, “As McMillan addressed his team with 5:49 left on the game clock and the score knotted at 84, Trae Young stood, hands on hips, eyes fixated on his coach, a trip to the Eastern Conference finals just minutes away. His father, Rayford, watching from the stands, was riveted by the unwavering focus of his son. ‘The way Trae stands at attention when Coach McMillan speaks, the way he looks him in the eye for the duration of those timeouts, it’s night and day compared to previous coaches,” Rayford says. “Trae believes in Nate — and Nate believes in Trae.'”

I think it’s fair to say that the basketball world has been put on notice– Trae Young is the real deal. Even better for us sports bettors who believe in Trae– his coach believes in him, too. The midseason firing of Atlanta’s former head coach Lloyd Pierce and the transition to Nate McMillan has made all the difference for this team. They instantly played harder, more disciplined, more spirited, and the shackles were taken off Trae. At 22, Trae has been given the keys to lead his team into the playoffs and we’ve seen the results. People keep doubting the 6’1″ guard out of Oklahoma and all it does it give him more fuel. Averaging nearly 33 ppg on the road this postseason and becoming one of only three players in the history of the NBA to score 350+ points and obtain 100+ assists in their first 13 playoff games, the Bucks will certainly try to limit the sharpshooter in game two; I just don’t think they’ll have much success. The great thing about playing on this prop is it’s very unlikely that the Hawks will ever be winning by significant margin in this series. That means there’s little chance that Trae will be taken off the court and an even smaller chance that he won’t have ample opportunities to score over 30 points in every game. Whether Atlanta wins or loses tonight, I’m betting that Trae still gets his.

While Trae was taking over game one, Khris Middleton was doing Khris Middleton things. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before– every few games Middleton suddenly has a really abysmal performance. He looked shaky and timid in game one and the stats show it: he was only 0-9 from beyond the arc and 6-23 from the field for 15 points. While Giannis will still shoulder the load for Milwaukee, he shouldn’t have to do it alone. Jrue Holiday put on a fantastic performance Wednesday (14-25 from the field, 33 points) but I wouldn’t expect that to continue. Jrue is better as a contributor while Middleton and Giannis typically score about half of Milwaukee’s points. If this was fresh off a big game from Middleton I’d be hesitant to take his prop bet Friday, but game two is still in the comfortable surroundings of Fiserv Forum and he should be primed for a redemption game tonight.

Second only to Trae Young, John Collins really stood out Wednesday. The stats won’t show the full story but Collins was extremely aggressive in the first contest. Nagging Giannis and PJ Tucker and at times Brook Lopez all game, (the latter two only combined for 11 points), Collins set an aggressive tone from the opening tipoff. He and Capela gathered an astounding 34 rebounds (15 for Collins, 19 for Capela) and Collins added 23 points, too. Like his enigmatic point guard, John Collins has a fearlessness and confidence that’s hard to measure. While I can see Milwaukee putting the clamps down on Capela and throwing extra bodies on the big man under the rim, I don’t think any of their bigs can completely limit Collins. The 6’9″ power forward out of Wake Forest is sneaky strong and wildly athletic and whether it’s by points or rebounds or both, a P/R/A prop of only 26.5 feels particularly low considering his style of basketball. I like the way he matches up against the Bucks and I expect another solid performance tonight.

I emphasized this in my podcast yesterday and I’ll say it again: I’m really enjoying this burgeoning Atlanta Hawks team. While we all expect them to lose tonight, would it be shocking at all to see them go up 2-0? Definitely not. This is a compelling, confident, energetic team that plays exceptionally well as a unit. Either way, I’m betting that their stars will shine again in what should be another heavyweight back-n-forth battle for 48 minutes. Good luck in your bets and happy Friday!

Podcast 42 – 21 – AFC East & AFC West Season Win Totals – UFC Fight Night 190 – Sports Betting

We have a great show for you today!  Kiev O’Neil is back from vacation ready to jump right back into some NFL and UFC!  Today we discuss some AFC East and AFC West previews with some season win total leans and plays!   First, Kiev talks about his vacation and how crazy it is in Key West.  Next, Kiev talks about the AFC North & AFC South divisions with win totals, power ratings and previews.  Which players are coming and going?  Who was drafted?   Which teams might have some value?  Finally, we get into UFC fight night 190 with a few plays for your Saturday pleasure.

#Sportsbetting #Gamblingtwitter #NCAA #NBA #NHL #NFL #UFC #Horseracing

For only 24.99 a month become an ODDSBREAKER’S MEMBER and gain access to all premium picks BEFORE the line moves please visit theoddsbreakers.com and click shop!

Should you need a sportsbook please visit mybookie.ag and use the promo code, “Theoddsbreakers” to get a 50% sign up bonus!!!!  Terms, conditions and location apply.

NHL Preview & Picks – June 25, 2021

The Montreal Canadians are headed to the Stanley Cup Finals!!! The Habs were able to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights in 6 games behind Carey Price’s unbelievable performance. I think in every article I’ve wrote about this series, Price has been mentioned but honestly words won’t do his performance justice. He continues to shine and is finally getting the respect he deserves. Lets keep in mind, Price was hurt towards the end of the regular season and put on an absolute showcase this post season. He finished Game 6 with a +1.21 GSAx and made a save that eventually led to Lehkonen’s OT winner. We now move onto Game 7 where either the Tampa Bay Lightning or New York Islanders will join the Montreal Canadians in the Stanley Cup Final.

New York Islanders (+155) @ Tampa Bay Lightning (-175)

Sticking with the theme of goalies, lets talk about Andrei Vasilevskiy. Vasilevskiy has also been outstanding these playoffs and leads the league in GSAx. If the Lightning do advance, it will be one of the greatest goaltending showdowns will see since the Brodeur/ Roy 2001 Stanley Cup Finals. A major storyline in this game is whether or not Tampa’s top guy in Nikita Kucherov will be able to play. He took a nasty slash towards the end of Game 6 and didn’t return to the ice. Kucherov was held out of the Lightning’s lineup in the regular season only to be brought back just in time for the playoffs. There’s been a lot of discrepancy around this move, since the Bolts were able to avoid salary cap issues. Speaking of injuries, the Islanders captain Anders Lee may return for Game 7 which could provide a spark for them. He’s been hurt all playoffs but has been skating with the team these past few days. In a series where the Long Island Islanders weren’t given a chance, they’ve held up to the test and analytics can prove it. They have more high danger scoring chances than the Lightning this series, along with a better conversion rate of those chances. This issue has been (I know its getting repetitive, but it’s true) their goaltending. Varlamov played a great Game 6 and will likely be the starter in Game 7 as well.

Game 7’s are always tough to handicap because as we know, anything can happen. The Bolts are heavy home favorites in this matchup and rightfully so. On paper, they have the best team remaining in the playoffs. However, as we saw in the Vegas/Montreal series, that doesn’t mean much. I know the old saying that one player doesn’t make a team but stats don’t back that up. With Kucherov in the lineup Tampa Bay has a higher expected goals, high danger chances, and Power Play %. Tampa Bay’s Power Play has been an absolute juggernaut this post season and it’s because of him. It’s something they rely on heavily to score goals. Tampa Bay comes into this game at one of the lowest prices they’ve been offered at on home ice. It’s hard to back the Lightning here even at -175 due to the unforeseen circumstances. Instead, we look at the total which has been something I’ve done these past few games. You always here back the under in Game 7 but, I don’t think that’s the case here. I believe Kucherov will play and aid Tampa’s offense, specifically their powerplay. Both teams have some incredible offensive firepower that can put the puck in the net. Beauvillier and Barzal have been great for the Islander’s with both of them having some of the highest expected goal % these playoffs.  For the final game in this series, I’m taking the over.

Pick: NYI/ TB Over 5.0 , -130 (Risk 1.3 Units)

NHL Preview & Picks – June 24, 2021

The New York Islanders fight off elimination and force a Game 7. Anthony Beauvillier was the hero for the Isles continuing to his great post season. We have another elimination game tonight where the Vegas Golden Knights look to even up the series at 3-3.

Vegas Golden Knights (-140) @ Montreal Canadians (+120)

Montreal went into Vegas last game and defeated the Golden Knights by a score of 4-1 to take a 3-2 series lead. The Canadians got out to an early lead and never looked back. Vegas tried to make it a game in the third but, Price took over and made some incredible saves. Carey Price played an outstanding game and finished with a +1.79 GSAx. Marc Andre Fleury started Game 5 for Vegas and struggled again in net finishing with a  -0.50 GSAx.

One of the story lines that’s being overshadowed by the goaltending debate for Vegas, is their inability to score. One positive for Vegas’ offensive woes was the return of Chandler Stephenson. He played well providing a spark for Max Pacioretty who scored Vegas’ lone goal. In addition to Pacioretty’s struggles, Golden Knights captain Mark Stone has 0 points in this series so far. Pacioretty’s xGF% is 46.0% while Stone’s is even worse at 38.8%. The Habs have continued to find ways to shut teams down, while receiving offensive support from their young guns in Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki. Montreal will be sticking with Price in net as expected while the Knights have not confirmed their starter for tonight. From the initial reports, it looks as though Lehner will start in net for them. Lehner is coming off a great performance in Game 5 and will need to have a similar performance tonight to keep the Knight’s Stanley Cup dream alive.

The Habs are home dogs tonight which has been a constant theme for them all playoffs long. However, they have been highly profitable throughout the playoffs. The Golden Knights opened up at -135 but the line has shifted to -140 to even -150 on some books. For Game 6, I think this ends up being a low scoring game. Vegas knows they’ll need to slow down the pace and play defensive hockey if they want to have a chance to win this game. Price and Lehner have been great in their recent performances and I believe that trend will continue here. At + money, I think this line has some value given that no game has gone over 5 goals in this series.

Pick: Under 5.0, +110 (Risk 1.0 Unit)

MLB Free 3% Premium Pick and Analysis for Thursday June 24th

Houston Astros vs Detroit Tigers

The Houston Astros (46-28) start a four-game set with the Detroit Tigers (32-42) tonight at Comerica Park.  RHP Luis Garcia will get the nod for the Astros. He is 5-4 with a 2.82 ERA and 1.07 WHIP across 70 1/3 IP over 12 starts and 2 relief appearances.  RHP Jose Urena will be the starting pitcher for the Tigers. He is 2-7 with a 5.79 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP in 65 1/3 IP over 13 starts. Urena has really struggled lately, losing his last three starts and allowing 17 ER in his last 11 IP. He’s struck out just 6 batters and walked 8 in that span.  To make matters even worse for Tigers backers, if there are any, Urena has an even worse stat line at home where he owns a 7.40 ERA and 1.85 WHIP across 24.1 innings pitched.

Not only have the Astros won 10 games in a row, but they covered the spread in each of those games. They lead the league in hits, wOBA, batting average, slugging percentage, OPS, wRC and own the lowest strikeout rate in the league. Houston, also, leads the MLB in runs per game with 5.74 runs and is even better on the road scoring 6.03 runs per contest.  On the other hand, Detroit owns the worst strikeout rate in MLB, the 3rd worst bullpen WHIP (1.50), and owns the 6th worst scoring offense in the league only averaging 3.86 runs at home this season.

Take the surging Astros -1.5.

MLB Picks and Predictions – June 24, 2021

Marlins players on their field.

 

We went 1-2 yesterday, big time let down from the White Sox not winning by margin, but we’re still 6-3 this week and primed for another winning day. Onto my picks!

Orioles win (+170), 1 unit: This is a good spot for the Orioles. After getting banged up and embarrassed at home by Houston, Baltimore is probably more than happy to be away from Camden Yards tonight. It’ll be 81 degrees and humid in Buffalo NY when the O’s come to town to face a Blue Jays team who just won 4 straight games. Good for Toronto but today they’re sending the vulnerable Anthony Kay to the mound, a lefty who’s received multiple chances in the majors before but couldn’t sustain any command. In 21 innings this year, he’s allowed 2.14 HR/9 innings and owns a FIP of 5.92. Dean Kramer is no ace but I think the Orioles take advantage of this opportunity and get off the schneid.

Marlins win (-102), 1.5 units: This is less about the Marlins and more about the Nationals. Washington eked out a 13-12 win last night in a wild offensive contest with the Phillies. The Nats remain on the road tonight where the sun and bikinis and beautiful weather awaits in Southern Florida. Their bullpen has to be exhausted after last night’s defensive woes and the Marlins need a win after dropping 3 straight. The jury is still out on Cody Poteet (3.90 ERA, 1.12 WHIP over 27.2 innings) and while I don’t love his profile, I don’t love Joe Ross’ (4.54 ERA, 1.25 WHIP over 67.1 innings) either. This is a significantly better spot for Miami at a great price. Roll out the cabbage!

Astros -1.5 (-155), 2 units: The Astros breezed right by the Orioles and they ride a 10-game winning streak into Detroit tonight. While the Tigers can’t be enthused by that fact alone, their prospect looks even more grim tonight since Houston’s rolling out one of their best pitchers in Luis Garcia (2.82 ERA, 1.07 WHIP over 70.1 innings). Detroit’s Jose Urena (5.79 ERA, 1.59 WHIP over 65.1 innings) isn’t in the same class and he seems to be getting worse (check out his FanGraphs profile). Meanwhile, the visiting Astros’ bats are WHITE HOT. That’s especially true against bad pitching (which Baltimore has plenty of). There’s a lot of different ways you could bet this — first 5 by margin, full game by significant margin, etc. — and I would explore those options. Detroit has found ways to steal wins, mostly because of their consistent offense, but they should be completely outmatched tonight. I lean to the over (10) for obvious reasons, too.