MLB Baseball Betting for August 18, 2016
Short card in Thursday’s baseball action with 11 games on the board:
MLB BASEBALL BETTING FOR AUGUST 18, 2016:
MILWAUKEE BREWERS AT CHICAGO CUBS:
The Chicago Cubs are back in great form and are now 13-2 in the month of August. In their current four game series against the Milwaukee Brewers they are flat out dominating. They’ve won the first three games in the series by a combined score of 14-2. On Wednesday, it was Jon Lester who shut down the Brewers pitching 6 1/3 innings allowing 3 hits, 1 ER, striking out 7 and walking 2. There were plenty of baseball pundits anxious to bury the Cubs during their pre-All Star Break downturn. Now not so much. Chicago has won 3 straight, 8 of 10, 17 of their last 20 and are now 76-43 on the season. Their closest rivals in the National League Central are playing well but are actually losing ground to Chicago. The St. Louis Cardinals have won 4 straight and 6 of 10, the third place Pittsburgh Pirates have also won 4 straight and 7 of 10. The Cards are still 12.5 games back of the Cubs and the Pirates 13.5 games back.
Chicago has been beating up on the Brewers for the past few seasons and 2016 is no different. Over the last three years the Cubs are 33-16 +14.3 units against the Brewers and 8-3 +2.9 units this year. At home, the Cubs are 18-6 +10.1 units over the last three seasons and 5-0 +5 units this season. This is the final game of the series and there’s no reason to think that the Cubs will let up. As if things could get any worse for the Brewers they have to face Jake Arrieta on Thursday. Arrieta has been absolutely ridiculous in the month of August last year and so far this year. Try these stats on for size:
Arrieta has made 8 starts total in the last two Augusts. He has won each and has a 0.48 ERA including today’s outing where he got the victory with a 5.2 inning performance where he allowed 1 earned run. It was not his best start, but plenty to get the win and keep some incredible numbers in the month of August. Arrieta is back in form and then some. He’s almost unhittable now which is exactly where you want your ace down the stretch heading into the playoffs.
Milwaukee will be without LF Ryan Braun who missed the game on Wednesday after crashing hard into the wall on Tuesday. Chase Anderson also left Tuesday game with an injury and missed Wednesday’s game. No work on his status either. As if things weren’t bad enough already the Brewers have been horrible against right handed pitching this year with a .244 batting average putting up 3.6 runs per game. They’re a brutal 29-53 -22 units against right handed pitching this year and now they’re facing arguably the best in baseball in absolutely insane form.
The price on this game is the problem. The Cubs are never a bargain basement team (and never have been) and their prices have been inflated all season long–even during their downturn. But do you want Milwaukee at any price? Not against this wrecking crew.
BET CHICAGO CUBS -300 OVER MILWAUKEE BREWERS
LOS ANGELES DODGERS AT PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES:
The Los Angeles Dodgers have caught the slumping San Francisco Giants and are now looking to open up a margin. Los Angeles keeps winning (2 straight and 7 of 10) while San Francisco keeps losing (4 straight and 7 of 10). Colorado has also lost 7 of 10 and are 10 games out of first. They may be done for the year. The Giants are just 1.5 games out of first which means that the Dodgers can’t let up anytime soon.
The Philadelphia Phillies are ‘treading water’ and might not be going anywhere. They could be happy staying where they are 11.5 games ahead of last place Atlanta and 4.5 games back of the third place New York Mets and 6.5 games back of the second place Miami Marlins. They’re 8.5 games out of the final wildcard spot and while they’re not dead yet they’ve got to start winning and get past five teams ahead of them.
The most amazing thing about the Dodgers’ first place run is that they’ve done it with a record number of injuries. They’ve had more players go on the DL this year than any National League team in history. 15 players are still on the DL including 12 pitchers. The team has had to cobble together a rotation but somehow its worked. Today’s starer will be righthander Ross Stripling–the Dodgers are 5-5 in his 10 starts this season including 2-2 on the road. They’re 1-2 in his last 3 starts with only two of them coming since May 19. He’s got a 4.61 ERA overall and a 3.74 ERA on the road. He’ll be opposed by right hander Jered Eickhoff whom the Phillies are expecting great things from going forward. This year he’s been erratic but has had his moments. Philadelphia is 11-13 in his 24 starts this year including 7-5 at home and 2-1 in his last three starts. Eickhoff has a 3.82 ERA at home, a 3.05 ERA at home and a 3.78 ERA in his last three games. The Dodgers have won 4 of 5 against Philadelphia this year and have won 6 of the last 8 at Citizens Bank Park. Los Angeles will host the San Francisco Giants in a three game series next week and they’ve got a good chance to extend their lead beforehand with four games against the Reds in Cincinnati. Not really interested in a ‘avoiding the sweep’ position on Philadelphia. Los Angeles needs to keep winning.
BET LOS ANGELES DODGERS -145 OVER PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES