Ten Major League teams have surpassed the 50-win mark heading into the final weekend before the All-Star break. Here’s some of the better match ups to watch July 10-13.
New York Yankees versus Cleveland Indians
The Yankees look to keep pace with the Red Sox in the American League East, while the Indians are in control in the American League Central. New York holds a +27 to +21 edge on the Power Ranking Indicator and “burning hot” status versus “average” on the Team Strength Oscillator. Third most stable team in the league, favorite/underdog status is something to pay attention to with the Yankees. Five of the six scheduled starters this weekend are in the green on the Pitcher Profit Oscillator. The biggest advantage is in Sunday’s match up, with Masahiro Tanaka at +2027 compared to +150 for Trevor Bauer. Mike Clevinger, slated to start for the Indians on Saturday, is the only scheduled starter negative in terms of pitcher profit. Cleveland is very solid at home, but the Yankees have the better team and will take two of three this weekend.
Arizona Diamondbacks versus Atlanta Braves
Arizona battles three others in the tight NL West, while the Braves and Phillies currently hold the top spots in the NL East. The Diamondbacks have a slight +20 to +17 advantage on the Power Ranking Indicator, however Arizona is just 3-7 over their last ten. Examining the favorite/underdog status in this series will likely not be very helpful, as both teams are among the ten most unstable, according to the Team Volatility Oscillator. In terms of the Pitcher Profit Oscillator, the Braves has a large advantage on Friday with Mike Foltynewicz versus Robbie Ray. In perhaps the most lopsided match up in terms of pitcher profit will be seen Saturday. Zack Greinke is at +2714 versus Anibal Sanchez for the Braves, a very poor bet at -2092. The Braves’ Patrick Corbin has nearly a +900 edge over Sean Newcomb in terms of pitcher profit. Look for the Braves to edge the Diamondbacks in a close series.
Washington Nationals versus New York Mets
Both the Nationals and the Mets are looking up at the Phillies and Braves in the NL East. Washington is just 3-7 over their last ten and are “average down” on the Team Strength Oscillator. New York is 4-6 over their last ten and also “average down”. The Nationals have been inconsistent all season, as indicated by ranking as the third most unstable team on the Team Volatility Oscillator. Clearly still the overall better team, Washington holds a +12 to +4 advantage on the Power Ranking Indicator. Tanner Roark, Jefry Rodriguez and Jeremy Hellickson are scheduled to start for the Nationals. The Mets are undecided for Friday’s opener, while Zack Wheeler and Corey Oswalt are scheduled for the weekend. Hellickson is the worst bet at -792, while Oswalt is the best at +160 on the Pitcher Profit Oscillator. The Mets could surprise and win two out of three, but I would place the bet on the Nationals to edge the Mets.
Seattle Mariners versus Colorado Rockies
Colorado has won eight of their last ten to get into the thick of the NL West race. Seattle is 7-3 over their last ten and are trying to keep pace with the Astros in the AL West. The Rockies are “burning hot” on the Team Strength Oscillator and hold a narrow +22 to +21 edge on the Power Ranking Indicator. James Paxton, Wade LeBlanc and Mike Leake are scheduled to take the ball for the Mariners. The Rockies are undecided for Saturday, while Antonio Senzatela and Tyler Anderson are schedule for the bookends in the series. Mike Leake has been the worst bet at -834 on the Pitcher Profit Oscillator, while Wade LeBlanc has been the best at +294. Be wary when looking at the favorite/underdog status for the Rockies, as their rank as the first most unstable team in the league. Seattle will head into Colorado and walk away with a 2-1 series win.
Milwaukee Brewers Pittsburgh Pirates
In this NL Central showdown, the Brewers try to hold off the Cubs for first and the Pirates look to inch towards .500. Milwaukee has a +26 to +9 advantage on the Power Ranking Indicator and “burning hot” versus “dead up” on the Team Strength Oscillator. The ninth most unstable team in the league, the Brewers favorite/underdog status should be considered with caution. Junior Guerra goes for the Brewers on Friday versus Nick Kingham gets the ball for the Pirates. Guerra (+852) is the only pitcher in this series with a positive profit according to the Pitcher Profit Oscillator. Clay Homes has the edge for the Pirates on Saturday, while the finale should go for Jhoulys Chacin and the Brewers over Joe Musgrove. Milwaukee should leave Pittsburgh with a 2-1 series victory to keep hold of first in the NL Central.
Detroit Tigers versus Houston Astros
Detroit is muddled in the middle of the pack in the AL Central, while the Astros are tops in the AL West. Not a surprise, the Astros hold huge advantages on both the Power Ranking Indicator (+28 to +5) and the Team Strength Oscillator (“burning hot” versus “ice cold down”). The most stable team in the league according to the Team Volatility Oscillator, the Astros are a great bet this weekend. Dallas Keuchel and Gerrit Cole are both excellent bets. Although Justin Verlander has been a bad bet in the long term at -1485, the All-Star is having a great season. The Tigers only real hope for a win in this series is on Friday with Mike Fiers (+903 pitcher profit) against Keuchel. The Astros will win the series, taking at least two. A sweep is a distinct possibility.
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