OffshoreInsiders.com Senior Sports Handicapper Matt Rivers has a free pick Thursday is on the Seattle Mariners (-117) to Tampa.
Reasoning: Felix Hernandez at home at around a pick in this spot is more than fine with me. Certainly James Shields can be very good and has been very good, if not great, for the bulk of this season but Shields is no Hernandez. The reigning AL Cy Young award winner is absolutely filthy when on and pretty much always at least very good. He was touched up recently against the Yankees and isn’t perfect but this guy is a star hurler and even though they’re not the most talented team ever the Mariners are playing some spunky ball as they currently are actually over .500.
In the end the M’s aren’t going to be in the hunt but right now Brandon League has been closing games out and guys like Justin Smoak, Brendan Ryan and a few others are overachieving and looking pretty good. Ichiro doesn’t seem to be the same superstar he has been for a number of years but he can always be a danger in the box and must be at the very least respected.
Tampa Bay has been a reflection of their really good manager in Joe Maddon and is a team that lost a ton in the offseason but continues to chug along. I have no issues with Evan Longoria and the visitors as they have the far better chance after 162 games to make some noise but the Rays are not a great team anymore after losing the Crawford’s, Pena’s and Soriano’s of the world and in the end here I’m all about the Cat at Safeco at around a pick!
Top expert pick on this game: I’ve now cashed that ticket in 14 of the last 23 days and 54 of the last 88 for a grand total profit of 6.1 million stars. A crappy last two days for sure as last night the Twins failed me again and the rare NHL play on the plus 180 Bruins came up short at the very, very end, 1-0. It happens, a mini skid will come and go in this racket but the truly great handicappers turn it into a small bump on the road and then very quickly some more bashing of the Crookie. That is exactly the deal here as I have a trio of plays including a side and extremely rare total on the hardwoods.
300,000* Hoops total and a 200,000* side along with a 200,000* winner on the diamond involving the Rangers and Indians. Don’t just watch me win. Win with me! Click now to purchase