The Major League Baseball season is at the end of it’s second full month. With a third of the season in the books, the divisional races are heating up. Several key divisional match ups highlight the games for the weekend of May 31 – June 2.
Boston Red Sox versus New York Yankees
The Boston Red Sox head to New York third in the AL East, six and a half games behind the Yankees. Both teams are “burning hot” on the Team Strength Oscillator and the Yankees have a +23 to +17 advantage on the Power Ranking Indicator. If considering the “over/under” for games in this series, best to avoid. The teams are playing in games trending in opposite directions on the Totals Predictor. The Yankees are among the most stable teams in the league, at +23 on the Team Volatility Oscillator, so pay close attention to their favorite/underdog status. Of the scheduled starters, Eduardo Rodriguez for the Red Sox is the best bet for Friday, at +1014 on the Pitcher Profit Oscillator. Rick Porcello is the best bet on Saturday at +1530 and Masahiro Tanaka for the Yankees is at +1364 for Sunday. The Yankees will be the favorites and likely win the series, two games to one but don’t be surprised of the Red Sox upset.
Milwaukee Brewers versus Pittsburgh Pirates
This NL Central match up features the 2nd place Brewers against the 4th place Pirates. Milwaukee comes in “burning hot” having won their last two and the Pirates are “ice cold down”, losers of six of their last ten. Milwaukee has a +19 to +9 advantage on the Power Ranking Indicator. Neither team is particularly stable, so take their favorite/underdog status lightly when considering betting. Both teams are playing in high scoring games, so the “over” is a safe bet. Of the scheduled starters, only Brandon Woodruff, scheduled on Saturday for the Brewers, is in the green on the Pitcher Profit Oscillator. The worst bet is Chris Archer on Friday for the Pirates, at -2793. The Brewers talent is too great for the Pirates and even playing on the road should win two of three.
Chicago Cubs versus St. Louis Cardinals
In another NL Central battle, the first place Cubs head to St. Louis to battle the third place Cardinals. Neither team is playing well lately. The Cubs are 4-6 over their last ten and the Cardinals are 3-7 during the stretch. Both teams are “ice cold down” and the Cubs have a +22 to +14 advantage on the Power Ranking Indicator. The Cardinals are among the most unstable teams in the league, so don’t consider their favorite/underdog status when betting on games in this series. The over/under should also be avoided as teams are trending in opposite directions according to the Totals Predictor. Miles Mikolas and Adam Wainright are excellent bets for the Cardinals on Friday and Sunday, while Cole Hamels is also an excellent bet for the Cubs on Sunday. I think after splitting the first two games, the Hamels/Wainright duel is a toss-up. Either team could take this series two games to one.
Houston Astros versus Oakland A’s
Oakland enters the series “burning hot” having won their last ten games. They are in second place in the AL West, 6.5 games behind the Astros, who are “average” and 6-4 over their last ten. Oakland has a +28 to +24 edge on the Power Ranking Indicator. The teams have both been involved in games trending “under”, which is the best bet this weekend. Houston is one of the most stable teams in the league, so play close attention to their favorite/underdog status. Mike Fiers is a great bet for the A’s on Friday with a +1445 on the Pitcher Profit Oscillator, while Gerrit Cole is a solid bet for the Astros on Sunday at +776. Saturday’s game is a toss up. Look for the A’s to maintain their hot streak and while not sweeping, will win two against the top team in the AL West.
Philadelphia Phillies versus Los Angeles Dodgers
The NL East leading Phillies head to Los Angeles to take on the front-runners in the NL West, Los Angeles Dodgers. The Phillies are “average down” having lost their last game but are 7-3 over their last ten. The Dodgers are “burning hot”, having won four straight. They hold a +27 to +26 advantage over the Phillies on the Power Ranking Indicator. Both teams have been putting runs on the board, so betting the “over” is a wise choice. The Phillies best shot at a win comes Friday with Jake Arrieta against Kenta Maeda. The Dodgers have the edge with Clayton Kershaw on Saturday and Rich HIll on Sunday. Look for the Dodgers to take two-of-three in what could be an NL playoff preview.
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