Weekly Total Talk

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

6 minute read

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Thursday, Aug. 15

The St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds tangle in the Queen City at Great American Ball Park on Thursday evening, kicking off a four-game set between these National League Central Division rivals. The Reds are limping home after having their lunch handed to them in D.C. by the red-hot Washington Nationals. The Nats capped off a three-game sweep with a 17-7 whitewashing on Wednesday which resembled more of a score we'd expect from the upcoming Cincinnati Bengals-Washington Redskins preseason football game this week.

The Reds were outscored 27-14 in the three-game sete, and the over has been the rule for Cincinnati of late. The over is an impressive 8-2-1 across the past 11 outings, while going 4-1-1 in the past six at GABP. The over is also 4-0 in RHP Sonny Gray's past four outings, and 5-2 in the team's past seven against right-handed starting pitchers, while going an impressive 6-2-1 in their past nine against winning sides

For the Cardinals, it's been the complete opposite. The under is a perfect 6-0 in their past six away from home, while going 5-0 in the past five on the road vs. RHP and 5-1-1 in the past seven inside the division. The under is also 22-8-1 in their past 31 games overall. With RHP Michael Wacha on the hill, he is good for under results, too. The under is 4-0 across his past four showings, 5-1 in his past six on the road and 4-0 in his past four in Game 1 of a new series. If you're looking for some support for the over, it is 4-1-1 in the past six starts by Wacha against division foes and 6-1-1 in his past eight starts when working on nine or more days of rest.

 Out west, the Houston Astros and Oakland Athletics square off in the Bay Area. Newcomer RHP Aaron Sanchez goes for the Astros, and he'll be opposed by RHP Mike Fiers, who had a no-hitter earlier this season.

Sanchez will be making his third start since being acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays at the Major League Baseball trade deadline. He has allowed just one earned run, three hits and five walks with 12 strikeouts over 11 innings in his two outings. The under hit in his first appearance for Houston, but the Astros piled up 23 runs in a massacre in Baltimore in his most recent outing. Overall the under is 8-2 in Houston's past 10 inside the AL West, and 10-3 in the past 13 against teams with a winning overall record.

For the A's, the under is 4-1-1 in the past six overall, 4-1 in the past five at home vs. RHP and 7-2 in the past nine against teams with a winning percentage over .600. As far as Fiers is concerned, the under is 9-2 across his past 11 showings, 5-2 in his past seven at home and 7-2 in his past nine against winning teams. The under is also 5-1 in his past six in Game 1 of a new series. The under has also cashed in five of the past seven meetings in this series, too.

Wind Report

Winds will be light and variable at most MLB venues, and not much of a factor as a result. The only venues which might be slightly affected will be Yankee Stadium, for the Indians-Yankees battle, and SunTrust Park for the Mets-Braves contest. In New York, the winds will be blowing in from right field to home plate at 7-10 mph clip, while in Atlanta the winds are blowing out from 6-9 mph to straightaway center field.

Friday, Aug. 16

The Orioles limp into Fenway Park to face the Red Sox, kicking off a three-game set. The over has been the rule for both of these teams lately. The over has connected in six straight on the road for the Orioles, while going 7-0-1 in their past eight inside the AL East. The over is also an impressive 9-1-1 in the past 11 vs. RHP, and 24-8-3 in the past 35 against teams with a winning overall record. For the BoSox, the over is 23-8-1 in their previous 32 games inside the division, while hitting in eight of their past 11 vs. RHP. With RHP Rick Porcello on the hill, the over has cashed in six straight at Fenway Park, and eight in a row on a grass surface. In this series, the over is 4-1-1 in the past six meetings, and 3-1-1 in Porcello's past five against the O's.

The Mets stroll into Kauffman Stadium kicking off a three-game interleague set against the lowly Royals. The Mets will be facing LHP Mike Montgomery, and the under is 5-0-1 in their past six against a left-handed starter, while going 3-0-1 in the past four on the road vs. LHP. The under is also 4-1 in their past five interleague road games, and 6-1 in the past seven interleague games overall. RHP Noah Syndergaard takes the ball, and the under is 4-1-1 in his past six away from home when facing a team with a losing overall mark, although the over is 8-2 in his past 10 when working on five days of rest. For the Royals, it's all under all the time lately. The under is 4-1 in their past five overall, 4-1 in the past five against winning teams and 5-0 in the past five vs. RHP. The under is also 25-7 in their past 32 against the Senior Circuit, while going 22-7-1 in the past 30 interleague battles at home.

In Oakland, the Astros use RHP Justin Verlander against new Athletics hurler RHP Tanner Roark, facing the Astros for the first time donning green and gold. The under is 11-3 in Verlander's past 14 starts against teams with a winning overall record, while going 3-1-1 in his past five inside the division. The under is also 4-1 in his past five overall, and 21-7-1 in his past 29 while working on four days of rest. As far as Roark is concerned, he has allowed four runs - three earned - and 10 hits across 11 2/3 innings while striking out 13 in his two starts with the A's. The under has connected in each of his outings with Oakland.

Wind Report

On Friday night, a hot wind will be howling at 11-14 mph from right field into the face of the batters at Globe Life Park for the Twins-Rangers battle. The Marlins-Rockies will experience 8-11 mph winds blowing in from right field, while the Mets and Royals will see winds from 6-9 mph blowing in from right field as they dodge raindrops. The rain chances are 30 percent for the interleague series opener.

VegasInsider Staff

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