Chicago White Sox (-115) MLB Odds Wed July 23 ‘08 2:05p
Now we are not in the habit of playing on first time starters are favorites, but Clayton Richard of the Chicago White Sox has the tools to be something special, and he gets the call at a reasonable price over the Texas Rangers this afternoon. Richard was one of the starting pitchers in the All-Star Futures Game at Yankee Stadium during the All-Star break, and for very good reason. He was a perfect 6-0 in six starts after getting promoted to AAA, and most impressive was his 29/4 strikeout to walk ratio. It certainly helps that Richard has a first place team behind him and that he has the support of an excellent White Sox bullpen that owns a collective 3.25 ERA. Texas starter Kevin Millwood may be approaching the end of the line. He is 6-6, but with a high 5.23 ERA and 1.72 WHIP this season, and he has gone five consecutive outings without recording a Quality Start. Perhaps worst of all is that he has allowed 30 hits in 16.2 innings over his last three starts. In this battle between a pitcher with a great future and a veteran that has seen better days, we look for youth to prevail. MLB Free Pick: White Sox -115
 
Los Angeles Dodgers (-115) MLB Odds Wed July 23 ‘08 3:05p
This matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Colorado Rockies in Denver seems like a pitching mismatch favoring the road club at a very reasonable price. Hiroki Kuroda may have just a 5-6 record, but he has a 3.79 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 107 innings, and he has looked downright unhittable at times. Sure he is coming off of one of his worst starts of the year vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks, but Kuroda had allowed a grand total of three runs in 22.2 innings in his previous three starts, including two scoreless outings. He is looking to atone for a poor outing vs. the Rockies in LA, and we think that he gets his revenge here. Glendon Rusch is a veteran journeyman that has survived in the majors for this long solely because he is left-handed. The fact of the matter is that he is not nearly as serviceable as he once was, as he has a 5.79 ERA and a poor 1.58 WHIP in 37.1 innings this season. He is facing a Dodgers lineup that is hitting a very respectable .282 vs. left-handed pitching on the road this season. The Rockies have scored 10 runs in each of the first two games if this series, but they managed to lose the series opener and we do not expect another offensive explosion vs. Kuroda, so look for the Dodgers to prevail. MLB Free Picks: Dodgers -115

Seattle Mariners (-123) MLB Odds Wed July 23 ‘08 4:40p
The Boston Red Sox have taken the first two games of this series against their hosts tonight the Seattle Mariners. I am predicting a third straight victory will not occur in this spot. The BoSox previous to their mini win streak, had lost 10 of their L/12 road games, and have a strong possibility of adding to those negative numbers , as they send the struggling Clay Buchholz (2-5, 5.88 ERA) to the hill. The young right hander has been every inconsistent this season, failing to make it past the 6th inning in his L/5 starts and has been battered in recent outings, giving up 21 ERs in his L/17 innings of work . It must be noted that the BoSox have lost 7 straight road games when Buchholz starts. Meanwhile, the Mariners will return fire with up and coming pitching star Felix Hernandez(7-6, 2.95 ERA). After a slow beginning to his campaign the right hander ,has allowed more than 3 ERs only once in his L/10 starts and is 5-1 along with a minuscule 1.84 ERA in his L/7 starts. The Mariners are also 4-1 in his last 5 starts against the Red Sox , including a gem at Fenway Park, where he allowed just one hit in a shutout win. Considering the BoSox are 4-17 on the road against a pitcher with a 4.00 ERA or better this season, it will be an easy decision to back Hernandez to bring us home some dough on the moneyline. Play on the Seattle Mariners

Click Here to Buy Expert MLB Baseball Betting Picks

2008 Miami Dolphins Betting Picks
Bill Parcells head the organization now and has brought in Tony Sparano as the Dolphins head coach for the ‘08 season. The Dolphins will look to their first draft pick, Jake Long to take the helm at quarterback this year. Parcells drafted six linemen this year to begin to lay a foundation for future success for this Team. Without a doubt there will be large betting lines against this team during the season, which may prove to probitable in certain spots. We’ll wait and see. If you plan on betting on the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, be sure to visit Touthouse.com for all of your expert NFL Football Picks and NFL Betting Odds

2008 Miami Dolphins Betting Odds
Odds to win the AFC East 50/1
Odds to win the AFC championship 100/1
Odds to win Super Bowl XLIII 200/1

2008 Miami Dolphins Schedule
Week Date Matchup Time
1 Sept. 7 N.Y. Jets 1 p.m.
2 Sept. 14 at Arizona Cardinals 4:15 p.m.
3 Sept. 21 at New England Patriots 1 p.m.
4 Sept. 28 Bye  
5 Oct. 5 San Diego Chargers 1 p.m.
6 Oct. 12 at Houston Texans 1 p.m.
7 Oct. 19 Baltimore Ravens 1 p.m.
8 Oct. 26 Buffalo Bills 1 p.m.
9 Nov. 2 at Denver Broncos 4:05 p.m.
10 Nov. 9 Seattle Seahawks 1 p.m.
11 Nov. 16 Oakland Raiders 1 p.m.
12 Nov. 23 New England Patriots 1 p.m.
13 Nov. 30 at St. Louis Rams 1 p.m.
14 Dec. 7 at Buffalo Bills (Toronto) 4:05 p.m.
15 Dec. 14 San Francisco 49ers 1 p.m.
16 Dec. 21 at Kansas City Chiefs 1 p.m.
17 Dec. 28 at New York Jets 1 p.m.

2008 New York Jets Betting Picks
Due to very unimpressive decisions by their starting quarterback, the New York Jets have replaced Chad Pennington’s starting job with Kellen Clemens. Eric Mangini is an excellent head coach, but that does not guarantee a payday for New York Jets bettors this season. The organization has still has solid players such as Faneca (newly acquired) and Woody to help provide New York a better chance at single game situational bets throughout the 2008 NFL football season. If you plan on wagering on the New York Jets this year be sure to visit Touthouse.com for all of your NFL Predictions and Football Odds.

2008 New York Jets Betting Odds
Odds to win the AFC East 8/1
Odds to win the AFC championship 40/1
Odds to win Super Bowl XLIII 75/1

2008 New York Jets Schedule
Week Date Matchup Time
1 Sept. 7 at Miami Dolphins 1 p.m.
2 Sept. 14 New England Patriots 4:15 p.m.
3 Sept. 22 (Mon.) at San Diego Chargers 8:30 p.m.
4 Sept. 28 Arizona Cardinals 1 p.m.
5 Oct. 5 Bye  
6 Oct. 12 Cincinnati Bengals 1 p.m.
7 Oct. 19 at Oakland Raiders 4:15 p.m.
8 Oct. 26 Kansas City Chiefs 1 p.m.
9 Nov. 2 at Buffalo Bills 1 p.m.
10 Nov. 9 St. Louis Rams 1 p.m.
11 Nov. 13 (Thurs.) at New England Patriots 1 p.m.
12 Nov. 23 at Tennessee Titans 1 p.m.
13 Nov. 30 Denver Broncos 1 p.m.
14 Dec. 7 at San Francisco 49ers 4:05 p.m.
15 Dec. 14 Buffalo Bills 1 p.m.
16 Dec. 21 at Seattle Seahawks 4:05 p.m.
17 Dec. 28 Miami Dolphins 1 p.m.

2008 Buffalo Bills Betting Picks
Change has occured at the top of this organization with the retirement of Marv Levy and the promotion of Schonert to the offensive coordinator position. Dick Jauron (Sleepy) still makes the decisions as the head coach of Buffalo and recent change has come at the Quarterback position as he has chosen Trend Edwards to take the starting role over J.P. Losman. The Bills has an ‘07 year filled with injuries and should make improvement this season, most notably to the offensive line due to a solid draft. If you plan on betting on the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, be sure to visit Touthouse.com for Expert Football Picks and NFL Odds.

2008 Buffalo Bills Betting Odds
Odds to win the AFC East 6/1
Odds to win the AFC championship 30/1
Odds to win Super Bowl XLIII 60/1

2008 Buffalo Bills Schedule
Week Date Matchup Time
1 Sept. 7 Seattle Seahawks 1 p.m.
2 Sept. 14 at Jacksonville Jaguars 1 p.m.
3 Sept. 21 Oakland Raiders 1 p.m.
4 Sept. 28 at St. Louis Rams 4:05 p.m.
5 Oct. 5 at Arizona Cardinals 4:15 p.m.
6 Oct. 12 Bye  
7 Oct. 19 San Diego Chargers 1 p.m.
8 Oct. 19 at Miami Dolphins 1 p.m.
9 Nov. 2 New York Jets 1 p.m.
10 Nov. 9 at New England Patriots 1 p.m.
11 Nov. 17 (Mon.) Cleveland Browns 8:30 p.m.
12 Nov. 23 at Kansas City Chiefs 1 p.m.
13 Nov. 30 San Francisco 49ers 1 p.m.
14 Dec. 7 Miami Dolphins (at Toronto) 4:05 p.m.
15 Dec. 14 at New York Jets 1 p.m.
16 Dec. 21 at Denver Broncos 4:05 p.m.
17 Dec. 28 New England Patriots 1 p.m.

2008 New England Patriots Betting Picks
Nothing has changed this year for the Patriots as they are once again set as the early favorites to win the Super Bowl. New England still has a fantastic array of offensive firepower let by Tom Brady and his experienced linebacker corps. In a weak division, they should coast into the playoffs as the AFC East champions for the sixth year in a row. If you plan on betting on the New England Patriots this year, be sure to visit Touthouse.com for all of your NFL Picks and Football Betting Odds

2008 New England Patriots Betting Odds
Odds to win the AFC East 1/8
Odds to win the AFC championship 3/2
Odds to win Super Bowl XLIII 5/2

2008 New England Patriots Schedule
Week Date Matchup Time
1 Sept. 7 Kansas City Chiefs 1 p.m.
2 Sep. 14 at New York Jets 4:15 p.m.
3 Sep. 21 Miami Dolphins 1 p.m.
4 Sep. 28 Bye  
5 Oct. 5 at San Francisco 49ers 4:15 p.m.
6 Oct. 12 at San Diego Chargers 8:15 p.m.
7 Oct. 20 (Mon.) Denver Broncos 8:30 p.m.
8 Oct. 26 St. Louis Rams 1 p.m.
9 Nov. 2 at Indianapolis Colts 8:15 p.m.
10 Nov. 9 Buffalo Bills 1 p.m.
11 Nov. 13 (Thurs.) New York Jets 8:15 p.m.
12 Nov. 23 at Miami Dolphins 1 p.m.
13 Nov. 30 Pittsburgh Steelers 4:15 p.m.
14 Dec. 7 at Seattle Seahawks* 8:15 p.m.
15 Dec. 14 at Oakland Raiders 4:15 p.m.
16 Dec. 21 Arizona Cardinals 1 p.m.
17 Dec. 28 at Buffalo Bills 1 p.m.

Baltimore Orioles (100) MLB Odds - Tue July 22 ‘08 7:05p
Shaun Marcum is making his first start in over a month for the Toronto Blue Jays tonight, and the layoff should affect him vs. the Baltimore Orioles. Yes, Marcum had an outstanding 2.65 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in 98.2 innings at the time that he was shelved, but he is a precision pitcher that is not overpowering, so he becomes more hittable when his location becomes slightly off. That may be exactly the case with the long layoff here. Now there is no denying that Garrett Olson has underachieved lately. In fact, he has been downright dreadful while going seven consecutive starts without recording a Quality Start. However, the Toronto offense made Radhames Liz look like Cy Young last night after he had allowed 14 earned runs he previous two starts, and at least Olson has demonstrated he has some ability the last two seasons. The Blue Jays are batting just .245 vs. left-handed pitching this season, and they are averaging only 3.92 runs per game on the road. Look for them to come up short here just as they did in an 8-3 loss last night. MLB Free Pick: Orioles +100
 
Cincinnati Reds (100) MLB Odds - Tue July 22 ‘08 7:10p
Jake Peavy of the San Diego Padres still has some of the best stuff in baseball, but the Pads are a risky play as a road favorite when they visit the Cincinnati Reds tonight. Peavy has a 2.66 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 100 strikeouts in 101.2 innings, but the fact that he is just 7-6 and that the Padres as a team are 7-9 in all of his starts should give you an idea of just how bad the San Diego offense is. The Padres are averaging a pathetic 3.76 runs per game overall with a very mediocre .249 team batting average, and they are just 15-32 on the road, which is reason enough to avoid them as road chalk. Now the Reds may have a virtually identical .248 team batting average, but they are averaging 4.41 runs because unlike San Diego, they have the ability to hit home runs. Their starter Johnny Cueto has pitched better than his 4.92 ERA, and he has been at his best vs. weak offenses. San Diego certainly falls into that category, and the fact that this is his first career start against them should make him extra tough. The Padres won 6-4 here last night, but they have had difficulty piecing together wins, going just 1-7 the last eight times they were coming off of a victory. Look for them to fail to get back-to-back wins yet again. MLB Free Pick: Reds +100

Betting on Baseball Tonight? Visit Touthouse.com for all you Winning Baseball Betting Picks

Los Angeles Dodgers (110) MLB Odds - Mon July 21 ‘08 9:05p
We have never been high on Kip Wells of the Colorado Rockies, so we will gladly fade him as a favorite with the Los Angeles Dodgers in this spot. Wells is being activated off the Disabled List to take his first start since opening day. He had a blood clot in his right hand, and will undoubtedly be n a pitch count tonight. That may be just as well, given that he has allowed a whopping 14 earned runs in 15 innings over his last three starts against the Dodgers, going exactly five innings on each occasion. Meanwhile Eric Stults has been quite serviceable for Los Angeles, allowing three runs or less in four of his five starts since joining the rotation, He also pitched very well in his only career start vs. Colorado last season, allowing two runs on only two hits in seven innings. Should he be in need of relief, the Dodgers are now second in the majors with a 2.98 bullpen ERA, trailing only the Philadelphia Phillies. The Rockies just swept a four-game home series from the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates, but they should have a much more difficult task here vs. a Dodgers team that is 7-2 in the last nine road games, and is riding the momentum of a ninth-inning comeback in Arizona yesterday. MLB Free Pick: Dodgers +110
 
Cleveland Indians @ Los Angeles Angels u8.5 (-110) MLB Odds - Mon July 21 ‘08 10:05p
Ervin Santana of the Los Angeles Angels has been great at home, and although Paul Byrd of the Cleveland Indians has struggled, the weak Angels offense is quite capable of keeping this game Under the total. Santana may be just 3-2 at home, but again, that is primarily due to a lack of run support. He has a nice 3.17 ERA and an excellent 1.01 WHIP in 48.1 home innings, including a nice starts vs. these Indians when he allowed two runs and six hits in six innings. That marked his third consecutive start vs. Cleveland that he allowed three runs or less. Now Byrd is a woeful 3-10, although his 1.35 WHIP is surprisingly decent for someone with such a poor record. He may actually have some success here vs. a lineup that is batting a modest .255 vs. right-handed pitching this season, and that ranks in the bottom 10 in the majors with 4.38 runs per game. It is no coincidence that the Under is 56-35-7 in all Angels games this year, so look for that pattern to continue tonight. MLB Free Pick: Indians, Angels Under 8.5 (-110)

Betting on Baseball Tonight? Visit Touthouse.com for Free MLB Baseball Picks

ACC Conference college football predictions courtesy of The Prez, A professional college football handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are betting on college football this season, be sure to check out The Prez, Expert Football Betting Picks.

The Atlantic Coast Conference was supposed to be the next super-conference when Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College joined the league, but the ACC has taken a beating in the BCS bowls.

The ACC has lost eight straight BCS bowl games since Florida State won the 1999 national title by beating then-Big East member Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl. Since the BCS was formed in 1998, the ACC is 1-9 in BCS bowls, the worst record among the six power conferences.

The ACC expanded in 2004 to improve its football image, and in terms of NFL draft picks that has worked. And Virginia Tech has upheld its part of the bargain, reaching two BCS games in the past four seasons. However, Miami made the BCS four times as a Big East member but only once in the ACC, with the Hurricanes beating conference foe Florida State in the 2004 Orange Bowl.

Will that change this year? That largely depends on the Hurricanes and Seminoles finding the magic that has departed each program.

Bobby Bowden’s ’Noles finished 7-6 last season and only fourth in the Atlantic Division, which has been a trend in Tallahassee. Yet that was still better than their rivals in Coral Gables, who missed a bowl in Randy Shannon’s first year as head coach, finishing 5-7 and second-to-last in the Coastal Division.

But FSU once again landed an excellent recruiting class, and Miami got its top recruiting class in years, ranked No. 1 by some experts. The two schools seem a bit on divergent paths, however, with Shannon injecting enthusiasm into the Hurricanes and the Seminoles seemingly swimming in place under Bowden. In fact, 2008 could be Bowden’s last on the sideline, with coach-in-waiting Jimbo Fisher standing right next to him.

ACC Conference favorites
A Bowden could be in the national title race this season, but it won’t be Bobby. It’s Tommy Bowden’s Clemson Tigers who appear to be the class of the ACC. The Tigers should be a preseason top 10 in the nation with arguably the best pair of running backs in the country in James Davis (who decided not to go pro after all) and C.J. Spiller.

Davis has led the Tigers in rushing for three straight years and needs 837 yards to break Raymond Priester’s career school rushing record of 3,966 yards. He also is tied for the second most touchdowns — 36 rushing and two receiving — in school history and needs 13 this season to break Travis Zachary’s school record of 50. Spiller is no slouch, leading Clemson with 1,723 all-purpose yards and averaging 5.3 yards per carry last year.

If defenses try to load up and stop the run, QB Cullen Harper (2,991 yards passing, 27 TDs last year) and WR Aaron Kelly (88 catches, 11 TDs) can beat them through the air.

This is Bowden’s 10th season at Clemson, and it’s time for this often-underachieving team to put up or shut up.

While Clemson should win the Atlantic Division, Virginia Tech is the favorite to again win the Coastal. Under Frank Beamer, the Hokies have four straight seasons of at least 10 wins, and they have won two of the past four ACC Championships.

The new isn’t all good for the Hokies, as a defense that was the strength of the team last year lost seven starters. And projected starting running back Branden Ore, the fifth-leading rusher in school history, was booted off the team. Oh, and the top four receivers from last year are gone.

The two leading candidates to replace Ore are coming off severe injuries. Jahre Cheeseman, who broke his left fibula in mid-April, and Kenny Lewis Jr., who was No. 1 on the depth chart until he tore the labrum in his left shoulder, will both be back in time for preseason practice, however. Lewis ran for 205 yards on 57 carries last year behind Ore.

The QB situation remains in flux between Tyrod Taylor and Sean Glennon, who both had their moments (good and bad) last year. Beamer originally was contemplating redshirting Taylor, a Michael Vick-type multiple-threat quarterback. Glennon is the pocket passer type and had a 137.6 efficiency rating last year, hitting 143-of-235 passes for 1,796 yards, 12 scores and five interceptions. Taylor was 72-of-134 for 927 yards, five touchdowns and three picks, but he was second on the team with 429 yards rushing.

During the spring it didn’t appear much was resolved, as the duo shared snaps. Taylor was injured and missed several practices, but it appears Beamer will go with the platoon again this year.

Despite so many questions, the Hokies appear to be the class of their division – which either speaks to Beamer’s coaching or the quality of the competition.

Darkhorses
Florida State only has to leave the Sunshine State three times all season. And the Seminoles essentially return their entire starting backfield and their top two receivers. Yet senior QB Drew Weatherford has been very uneven in his 33 starts and is still fighting for his job, including against top freshman E.J. Manuel.

The ’Noles do have two good receivers in Greg Carr and all-purpose threat Preston Parker (their best player), who will be suspended for the first two games of the season (both against cupcakes). In fact, FSU will be dealing with several suspensions as fallout from last year’s academic scandal in the first few games, but they are all winnable.

Fifteen starters return, and the defense should be very good. If Weatherford, or whoever is the quarterback, can be just good, this team should improve.

FSU’s rival, Miami, definitely appears on the upswing, but the Hurricanes are very young. Whether they can challenge in the Coastal Division likely will depend on how fast redshirt freshman QB Robert Marve, the expected winner of the QB competition, will grow up.

But the ’Canes have a good two good running backs in Javarris James and Graig Cooper, a very solid offensive line and arguably the best young group of defensive players in the country. Could Miami surprise this season? Yes. But watch out in 2009.

Wake Forest has been the surprise team of the conference in the past few years, so it’s hard to believe the Demon Deacons will do so this year. But they do have QB Riley Skinner, who has been the starter in 18 of the 20 games Wake Forest has won over the last two seasons. He led the country in completion percentage last year.

Wake also has a star running back in the making in ACC Rookie of the Year Josh Adams, who rushed for 953 yards (third best in the ACC) and 11 touchdowns, while catching 34 passes for 123 more yards and another score.

Add in nine returning starters on defense, and it’s easy to see Jim Grobe working another minor miracle in Winston-Salem.

There’s a chance
Boston College overachieved last year, but that was mainly due to Matt Ryan, the most celebrated Eagles’ QB since Doug Flutie. Expect a step back this year as Chris Crane takes over under center. BC still will be competitive, however.

Butch Davis’ recruiting magic should finally start to show dividends at North Carolina. The Heels return 19 starters from a team that had six losses by a touchdown or less in 2007.

ACC Conference predictions (with odds to win ACC title)

Atlantic Division
1. Clemson (+250): Easily the most talented team in the conference.
2. Florida State (+450): Young, inexperienced offensive line could be FSU’s downfall.
3. Wake Forest (+600): Losing star WR Kenny Moore will hurt. And how much longer before a bigger school lures coach Jim Grobe?
4. Boston College (+2500): Paging Matt Ryan. Paging Matt Ryan. Only 10 starters return.
5. Maryland (+1400): Ralph Friedgen was a magician early on at Maryland, but now there are doubters.
6. North Carolina State (+5000): Maybe Tom O’Brien should have stayed at Boston College.

Coastal Division
1. Virginia Tech (+250): This team is young — and will be awesome in 2009. If the Hokies can learn during an early weak schedule, they could loom large in the National Championship picture.
2. Miami (+350): Another team that looks to make a giant leap in 2009. Many freshmen will play this year.
3. North Carolina (+800): T.J. Yates is one of the better QBs in the ACC. Ever heard of him?
4. Georgia Tech (+1200): Paul Johnson has some work to do cleaning up after Chan Gailey.
5. Duke (+10000): Thaddeus Lewis might be the best QB in the whole conference. Ever heard of him?
6. Virginia (+5000): Cavs were a bit of a fluke last season – they were only 19 points from being 3-10, and they lost a lot from that team.

San Diego Padres (135) MLB Odds - Sat July 19 ‘08 3:55p
Randy Wolf of the San Diego Padres and Todd Wellemeyer of the St. Louis Cardinals have been equally bad as of late, but that automatically gives value to the underdog Padres at this generous price. After all, Wellemeyer has a 7.16 ERA and a brutal 1.71 WHIP in his last three starts, which does not exactly inspire confidence in a rather big favorite like this. In fact, Wellemeyer has now gone five consecutive starts without recording a Quality Start, so it appears he is revering to his normal level after he has an abnormally hot start to this season. Now granted, Wolf has not been much better as of late, but at this price, it may be worth the risk that Wolf could turn in one of his occasional sparkling efforts. After all, he has allowed two earned runs or less in eight of his last 11 starts, but that gets lost in the fact that he has allowed six earned runs or more in two of his last three outings. The good Wolf would be good enough to pull the upset here. Finally, the Cardinals are batting a modest .256 at home vs. left-handed pitching this season as opposed to .281 vs. right-handers, which should also give the southpaw Wolf a leg up. MLB Free Pick: Padres +135
 
Chicago Cubs @ Houston Astros u8.5 MLB Odds (-120) - Sat July 19 ‘08 7:05p
Carlos Zambrano certainly earned his All-Star berth for the Chicago Cubs this season, while Wandy Rodriguez is a completely different pitcher at home for the Houston Astros, so runs should be hard to come by in Houston tonight. Zambrano is 10-3 with a 2.84 ERA in 120.1 innings, and he has maintained his raging form, allowing two runs or less in three of his last four starts. He has also allowed one run or less in three of his last four starts in Houston, including two scoreless outings. Now the reason why Rodriquez is so much better at home than on the road is a great mystery, as he has now had the most severe home/away splits in baseball for two years. The fact remains though that he has a 2.72 ERA and an excellent 1.07 WHIP in this ballpark this season, and the last time he faced the Cubs here, he allowed just one run on four hits in eight innings of a 2-1 Astros victory. Finally, the Under is 57-36-3 in all Houston games this year, and we expect nothing different tonight with this pitching matchup. MLB Free Pick: Cubs, Astros Under 8.5 (-120)

Betting on Baseball Today? Visit Touthouse.com for Winning MLB Baseball Betting Picks

Toronto Blue Jays @ Tampa Bay Rays u8.0 (-115) MLB Odds - Fri July 18 ‘08 7:10p
A.J. Burnett of the Toronto Blue Jays is pitching on normal rest after allowing just one run and six hits in 8.1 innings vs. the New York Yankees on Sunday, while James Shields has been at his best this year with extra rest like he has here. Thus, runs should be hard to come by tonight. Sure, Burnett has been frustratingly erratic throughout his career, as he has some of the best stuff in the majors when he is on yet he cannot seem to be able to get out of his own way. However, he is very capable of going through some unhittable streaks, and that start on Sunday is certainly a step in the right direction. Remember also that Burnett tossed a gem the last time he pitched in Tampa Bay, allowing one run and three hits with eight strikeouts in eight innings. As improved as the Rays are this season, they still have many young free-swingers in their lineup that Burnett can again take advantage of. Now Shields has had a full week of rest since getting bombed for five earned runs and 10 hits in six innings by the Cleveland Indians last Friday. However, Shields has posted Quality Starts each of the last three times he has had at least five days of rest, posing a 2.66 ERA and a remarkable 0.89 WHIP over those starts with 22 strikeouts in 20.1 innings. Finally, the Under is 16-5 in the last 21 head-to-head meetings between these clubs including 8-1 in the last nine meetings in Tampa, and we look for those streaks to get extended tonight. MLB Free Pick: Blue Jays, Rays Under 8 (-115)
 
Washington Nationals @ Atlanta Braves u8.5 (-110) Baseball Odds - Fri July 18 ‘08 7:35p
Tim Hudson has been his usual self for the Atlanta Braves while Tim Redding could be considered the ace of the Washington Nationals staff right now, and with both offenses erratic as of late, the Under should be the way to go here. Hudson may be just 9-7, but he has pitched better than that with a 3.13 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 129.1 innings, and he has been at his best pitching at home. Hudson is 7-1 with a 2.13 ERA in nine home starts, and he has been an absolute beast against the Nationals, allowing two earned runs or less in each of his last 10 starts against them, including allowing three earned runs in three starts covering 21.2 innings vs. Washington this year. Redding has incredibly managed to go 7-3 while pitching for a team that is 24 games under .500 (36-60), and the Nationals as a team are an amazing 15-5 in all games that he has started. He has a decent 3.85 ERA for the season and an excellent 2.65 ERA in his last three starts, and he has allowed three runs or less in each of his last three starts vs. Atlanta. The Braves have played the most Unders in baseball this year at 61-31-3, and that should continue here. MLB Free Pick: Nationals, Braves Under 8.5 (-110)

San Diego Padres @ St. Louis Cardinals u8.5 Baseball Picks - Fri July 18 ‘08 8:15p
This is a repeat of last nights successful under selection. Two different pitchers and a different day, but Im predicting we get the same positive results. The light hitting San Diego Padres visit the St.Louis Cardinals in pitcher friendly Busch Stadium this Friday night in game two of this series. Last night both teams took part in a low scoring 4-3 tilt. The San Diego Padres will send capable veteran Greg Maddux (3-8, 3.90 ERA) to the hill . The 42 year former Cy Young award winner, and other than a few blips on his chart, has consistently pitched well this year, and has allowed 2 ERs or less in 8 of his L/12 starts. His team, however, has given the hurler very little support in most of his starts, as is evident by backing him with an average of just 3.23 RPG this season, which is the fourth-worst mark in major league baseball. Meanwhile , his pitching opponent Braden Looper (9-7, 4.25) has also seen his fair of hard luck , despite of pitching well this season. In his last two starts before the all star break, the right hander, allowed just six runs in 13 innings, but was backed with just one total run during that frustrating span. With two capable pitchers on the hill, and two less than explosive offenses facing them tonight, another slow scoring contest looks to be on the agenda. Final notes & Key Trends: Under is 11-1-1 in Padres last 13 games vs. a right-handed starter. Under is 10-2 in Padres last 11 games with the total set at 7-8.5 . Under is 11-4-1 in the last 15 meetings in this series, including four straight here in St.Louis. Under is 6-0 in Padres last 6 road games.