Hard to believe football odds aren’t leading the way in sportsbooks yet; you think they were based on all the action! But no—UFC 100 odds are getting tons of looks and, of course, so is baseball. Let’s squeeze in a few MLB picks before the All-Star break.
St. Louis Chicago
Friday, July 10, 2:20 p.m. ET
Brad Thompson (2-5, 4.92) vs Rich Harden (5-5, 5.35)
Brad Thompson isn’t particularly relevant to the Cards, to fantasy baseball players or to sports bettors at this stage of his career. All you need to know about him for your MLB predictions is that he’s better on the road than at home. The main guy to analyze here is Rich Harden. The Cubs’ (former?) ace is his normal self on the road (2-1, 2.87) but, for whatever reason, he’s been a nightmare at Wrigley Field this season (2-4, 7.65). He’s allowing boatloads of homers and walking too many guys. Against streaking Albert Pujols and rising star Colby Rasmus, it doesn’t seem like Harden and the Cubs have a chance on Friday.
Best betting management pick: Cardinals
New York
Friday, July 10, 10:05 p.m. ET
Joba Chamberlain (4-2, 4.04) vs Joe Saunders (8-5, 4.44)
If you missed the Fourth of July fireworks, don’t worry; Joe Saunders will serve up plenty for you on Friday night. He’s allowed an American League-worst 20 homers this season and has a 7.63 lifetime ERA. If that’s not a recipe for disaster against the powerhouse Yankees, nothing is. Make sure you bet over the total.
C.C. Sabathia is hit/miss in 2009 but he’s solid on the road, going 4-0 with a 2.74 ERA so far as a Yank. He’ll get more than enough run support to down the Angels.
Best betting management pick: Yankees