Sports bettors can expect to see several fresh faces looking for fresh starts in Kansas City this year. After ending last season a disappointing (gross understatement) 2-14, it was time for the front office to perform a major overhaul, and that is exactly what they did when they fired coach Romeo Crennel and GM Scott Pioli, replacing them with head coach Andy Reid and GM John Dorsey. Dorsey wasted no time shutting the revolving door of quarterbacks in K.C. by luring QB Alex Smith away from San Francisco. Dorsey was also lucky to start his job having the number 1 overall pick in the 2013 draft, as well as a healthy amount of money to fill other roster holes through free agency.
Here is a list of some of Dorsey’s key acquisitions:

• QB Alex Smith, former San Francisco 49ers starter
• OT Eric Fisher, 2013 #1 overall draft pick out of Central Michigan
• WR Donnie Avery, played for the Indianapolis Colts during the 2012 season
• DE Mike DeVito, proven performer for the New York Jets

The Chiefs can be a threat in 2013 if:

Andy Reid can bring his winning ways to the AFC. Reid is admittedly excited to tackle the challenges of working with a new organization, implanting his style on a new group of players, and learning the systems of new opponents. Reid had a tumultuous end to his otherwise successful tenure as Eagles’ head coach (1999-2012), failing to make the playoffs in 2012 with a Philadelphia team that was a pre-season Super Bowl favorite according to many sports books. Eagles’ management did not bless him with the easiest of QBs to work with (ie. Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick); however, Chiefs GM Dorsey has provided Reid with a more team-first, coach-friendly starter in Alex Smith.
The Chiefs will also need RB Jamaal Charles to, well, continue being Jamaal Charles. The pro-bowl running back somehow managed to rush for over 1,500 yards last season despite having no real passing game to support him.

The Chiefs will fall short of the playoffs in 2013 if:

Alex Smith fails to deliver. Despite his solid play over the last two years, including an impressive, gritty playoff run in 2012, Smith has had his ups and downs as a starter. Bolstered by a league-leading defense in San Francisco, Smith found success more as a game-managing QB than a game-changing QB. Being coupled now with the juggernaut ground attack of Jamaal Charles it may end up being more of the same for Smith; however, in this pass-happy NFL, Smith’s ability to perform in the clutch will ultimately win or lose games for the Chiefs.

Outlook and Prediction:

Having finished a dismal 2-14 last season, and considering the upgrades to their offense, there really is nowhere for the Chiefs to go but upwards in the standings this year. Betting lines will reflect this.

Odds of winning the Super Bowl: 50/1

Although the MLB regular season is only a little under halfway completed, the significance of every division series has begun to increase dramatically. Teams are looking to either gain ground, or widen the gap on their rivals in each division’s respective pennant race, as well as in each League’s wildcard hunt. These following two games should make for entertaining viewing and interesting sports betting:

Pittsburgh Pirates @ Cincinnati Reds
Money Line: CIN -170

Thursday afternoon’s matchup is the last in a four-game series between these rival clubs.
Despite having records well over .500, both the Reds (43-28) and Pirates (41-29) find themselves chasing the St. Louis Cardinals (45-25) for the NL Central lead. The Central has become the most competitive division in the NL, with St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh all currently holding playoff spots (the Reds hold the first NL wildcard spot, the Pirates hold the second).

Cincinnati will be sending RHP Homer Bailey to the mound. Despite his 4-5 record, Bailey has begun to regain his control as of late, and this allowed him to go at least seven innings in each of his last three starts, giving up a combined nine earned runs over that stretch.

Pittsburgh will be countering with 24-year old call-up RHP Brandon Cumpton, who will be making only his second Major League start. Cumpton’s first career start was on June 15th against the Dodgers, during which he allowed seven hits and three earned runs over five innings of work.

Prediction:

The unpredictability of young pitching makes the betting lines easier to trust than the previous three tilts in this series; the pressure of this division game will help the Reds get to Cumpton early and put this game out of the Pirates’ reach.

Tampa Bay Rays @ New York Yankees
Money Line: NYY -170

This is another battle between playoff-caliber teams in a stacked AL East. With every team in the East within eight games of division-leading Boston and within five games of a wildcard spot, it seems safe to say that every series each of these teams will play from here on out will involve hefty playoff implications.

New York will be relying on the ageless LHP Andy Petite to shut down Tampa Bay’s offense. Petite has shown flashes of his normal brilliance this season, but he has not been able to show any real consistency. In his last start, Petite threw into the eighth inning but gave up 11 hits to the Angels.

The Rays will be sending RHP Matt Moore to the mound. Moore started the season on a tear, going 8-0; however, since being forced to leave a game in Cleveland on May 31st after only one inning of work he has lost his three starts.

Prediction:

As with any game between these two clubs, this one is close to call. Sports books seem to be favouring the Yankee’s home-diamond advantage and counting on Matt Moore’s struggles continuing.

The San Diego Chargers will be looking to rebound from a dismal 2012 season, a season that eventually cost long-time head coach Norv Turner his job. The Bolts went 7-9 last year, good (or bad) enough for 2nd place in the AFC West. The team ended up three games out of the final wildcard spot, stretching its playoff drought to three seasons. A once-feared Chargers offense failed to regain its stellar form of recent seasons, causing betting lines to fluctuate dramatically over the course of their year. Here are some not-so-encouraging offensive numbers from 2012:

-31st in total yards (297.2 yds/gm),
-24th in passing yards (205.9 yds/gm)
-27th in rushing yards (91.3 yds/gm)
-20th 21.9 pts/gm
-3 plays of 40+ yds

The Chargers can be a threat in 2013 if:

Their defense continues its encouraging development, as witnessed by sports bettors during the 2012 season. Despite fielding a corps quite young at several key positions, the Bolts D ended the year a respectable 9th in total yards allowed (326.4 yds/gm), 6th in rushing yards allowed (96.3 yds/gm), and 6th in points allowed (21.9 pts/gm). If standout defensive ends Corey Liuget and Kendall Reyes can build on their success from last season, and if 2nd round draft pick linebacker (Notre Dame) Manti Te`o can live up to the hype that continues to build around him at training camp, then the Chargers defense could be well-positioned to steal some games; a role previously filled only by the offense.

The Charges will fall short of the playoffs in 2013 if:

They fail to get their offense rolling again. In order to make this happen the offensive line needs to provide more consistent protection; the Bolts finished 29th in sacks allowed last season (49 sacks in 16 games). Week after week, perennial stud QB Philip Rivers found his passer numbers dwindling along with the size of pocket he was throwing from. Rivers finished with a QB rating of 88.6 and threw for 3,606 yards; by far the lowest totals for him since 2007.

The Chargers did look to remedy their O-line dilemma by selecting D.J. Fluker 11th overall in the 2013 NFL draft. Fluker, coming out of a strong Alabama program, is projected to start at right tackle. The team also signed free agents King Dunlap and Max Starks to compete for the left tackle position.

Outlook and Prediction:

There seem to be two serious question marks surrounding the 2013 San Diego Chargers:

Entering the post-Norv Turner era, can new head coach Mike McCoy (and his staff) find QB Philip Rivers protection in order to salvage a once great offense?  Chances are good.

And perhaps most importantly, in a stacked AFC wherein wildcard spots are at a serious premium, can these Chargers actually compete against the Manning-led Broncos for the division crown?  The unfortunate answer in most sports books is: probably not this year.

Odds of winning the Super Bowl: 40-1

Mid-June is a great time for sports betting. Basketball and hockey playoffs are both coming to their dramatic conclusions, and division battles in MLB baseball are getting heated. You may want to keep your eyes on the betting lines for these two games today:

Miami Heat @ San Antonio Spurs
Money Line: MIA -330

This year’s NBA final is turning out to be quite entertaining, not to mention unpredictable. Analysts had this series being a highly contested affair and going long, but it is the manner in which each of the last four games have unfolded that has many online sports bettors scratching their heads. Since the riveting Spurs victory in game 1, both teams have traded wins which were all close at half-time, and all ended as blowouts.

Who’s Hot:

For San Antonio, no one is hotter than Danny Green. The former D-leaguer is shooting the lights out from three-point range, often time’s right in the face of Miami’s Ray Allen. Green went six-of-10 from deep in game 5, giving him 25 for the series, breaking Ray Allen’s record for the most 3-pointers made in an NBA finals.

For the Heat, LeBron James continues to be the biggest member of the ‘Big 3’. Wade and Bosh had strong outings in game 5, but LeBron has been consistent all series long, averaging near triple-double numbers.

Prediction: Miami will continue the strange trend of these finals and win game 6 in South Beach. Why?  The Heat have not lost back-to-back games since January, and because LeBron is the MVP. That’s why.

Colorado Rockies @ Toronto Blue Jays
Money Line: TOR -170

The Toronto Blue Jays (33-36) are rolling. Thanks to a more consistent lineup and an unusual string of quality starts the Jays find themselves riding a 6-game win streak following last night’s 2-0 shutout of Colorado. The team will look to continue that streak tonight sending young RHP Esmil Rogers to the mound. Rogers last pitched June 13th  against the Rangers, going seven solid innings, allowing only five hits and one earned run on his way to earning the victory.

The Colorado Rockies (37-34) will be countering with Canadian LHP Jeff Francis, who is hoping to win his 2nd career start in Toronto. Francis, a former Cy Young Candidate, has struggled this season with a 2-4 record, and a 5.87 ERA, although he did look strong in his last start, striking out 8 over six innings.

Who’s Hot:

For Toronto, Adam Lind has been smoking the ball lately, raising his average to .344.
For Colorado, Carlos Gonzalez earned NL Player of the Week honours last week. He went 10-for-21, with three HRs, a pair of doubles, a triple, and 8 RBIs.

Prediction: Few teams in baseball are hotter than the Toronto Blue Jays, who are 8-2 during their last 10 games. The Rockies find themselves in a tight race with Arizona for the NL West division lead, but they have slipped a bit lately, going only 5-5 over their last 10.

1) Boston Bruins vs Chicago Blackhawks

NHL online sports betting experts will be focusing on the knowledge that the Bruins are a very resilient team that will not let one loss affect their next game. This is correct but nor will the Blackhawks start relaxing because they won a game. The Blackhawks were able to eliminate a two goal deficit and they did so because of the pressure they put on the Bruins defense. The Blackhawks attack in waves and that can mentally wear a team down.

The Bruins are a tough, talented team but unless they are able to find a way to slow down the smaller Chicago Blackhawks team they will not be able to win in Chicago.

The Blackhawks are 5-0 in their last five games against Northeast Division Teams. The under is 8-2-2 in Chicago’s last 12 games playing on two days rest.

Prediction: Chicago Blackhawks win game two. Bet the over.

2) Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs

Most NBA sports betting analysts are still picking the Spurs to win game five against the Miami Heat. I don’t see this happening. In fact, I don’t think the Spurs will win another game in this series. The Spurs difficulty is the fact that Manu Ginoboli has disappeared in this series. Its not entirely his fault as his legs have said “no mas.” The mind is willing but the legs are not. Without Manu being a legitimate scoring threat the Heat are able to focus on Tim Duncan and Tony Parker and it becomes a situation of two stars against three stars.

Kawhi Leonard has played well against LeBron James but when they are matched up in the post its a nightmare for the Spurs because one on one James is too much for him and LeBron is finding his shooters and they are scoring. Ray Allen’s fourteen points were huge because it made the Spurs have to extend their defense.

When the Big Three play like they did in game four it is a tough day at the office for any team. Dwayne Wade has two days to get ready for the Sunday game. This will give him time to get extended treatment on his knee. Chris Bosh’s willingness to play in the post and the energy he provided, especially his heightened compete level inspired his team and resulted in a hard fought victory.

The Spurs will fight hard but they don’t have the players to match up with the Heat.

Prediction: Heat win game five. Take the over.

The Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees will be coming to Texas and Los Angeles in bad moods and this is a great thing for a bettor. Angry talented teams usually results in wins. The Seattle Mariners will be the upset pick for today because King Felix steps to the mound and takes on the surging Oakland Athletics. The King will bring his best stuff and shut down the Athletics.

1) Toronto Blue Jays @ Texas Rangers
(R.A. Dickey: 5-8, 5.11 ERA) vs. (Josh Lindblom: 0-1, 5.91 ERA)

MLB online sports betting experts should be taking note of the Toronto Blue Jays. They have won two of their last three games. Their pitching staff led by R.A. Dickey is battling through some serious injuries. This is a very tough team that has not given up. Dickey, who is battling through a severe back injury had a bad game against Chicago White Sox. When competing against an injured athlete they are sometimes the most dangerous. The Blue Jay batters are playing better and they don’t like the Rangers.

The Blue Jays are 4-1 in their last five against a team with a winning record. The under is 4-1 in Dickey’s last five road starts against a team with a winning record.

Prediction: Toronto Blue Jays. Take the over.

2) New York Yankees @ Los Angeles Angels
(David Phelps: 4-3, 3.90 ERA) vs. (Tommy Hanson: 3-2, 4.12 ERA)

MLB sports betting analysts should be focusing on the pitching matchup because neither team has been batting particularly well over its last four games. The Yankees were recently swept by the Oakland Athletics in a three game series and the Los Angeles Angels have won one game in their last five.

The Yankees are putting pitcher David Hughes on the mound. He has pitched very well in his last two games as he limited the Seattle Mariners to 1 run over six innings and the Cleveland Indians to zero runs over six innings. In contrast, Tommy Hanson of the Angels has pitched well in only one game in his last four, a five inning outing against the Boston Red Sox in which he allowed two runs.

The Yankees will be coming into Los Angeles in an ornery mood after being spanked by Oakland.

The Yankee bats will return to life and send Hanson to the showers early. The Yankees are 6-1 in Phelps’ last seven starts against a team with a losing record. The under is 4-1 in Phelps’ last five road starts.

Prediction: New York Yankees. Take the under.

3) Seattle Mariners @ Oakland Athletics
(Felix Hernandez: 7-4, 2.49 ERA) vs. (A.J. Griffin: 5-5, 3.78 ERA)

The average MLB online betting analysts should be recommending the Seattle Mariners because King Felix is coming to the mound for them. He pitched very well against the Yankees but took a 2-1 loss despite allowing only 1 ER over seven innings. The Athletics are hitting well and are on a roll having swept the Yankees in a three game series. A.J. Grffin has been giving up multiple homers despite throwing 78% of his pitches for strikes.

The Mariners are 5-2 in Hernandez’s last seven starts following a Quality Start in his last game. The under is 4-1-1 in Hernandez’s last six starts following a Quality Start in his last game.

Prediction: Oakland Athletics – Take the under.

NHL online betting experts witnessed a classic NHL playoff game in game one of the Stanley Cup series. The Chicago Blackhawks and the Boston Bruins put on a show for the ages. Now how does this relate to betting? Well, history has shown that the winner of overtime games such as that of game one usually go on to win the series. These are two evenly matched teams but the one small thing that was discussed in my earlier prediction is starting to come to true. The better scoring team are the Chicago Blackhawks and that skill set allows them to capitalize on scoring opportunities better than the Boston Bruins.

1) Boston Bruins vs. Chicago Blackhawks

NHL online sports betting experts will argue that the Boston Bruins should have won this game in regulation and that even in the first overtime period they were the better team. I agree. The Boston Bruins used their physicality to dominate during this game and one of their best players was Milan Lucic. He was a dominant force as was defenseman Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins.

However, what sets this Blackhawk team apart from almost every other team in the NHL is its incredible depth. The normal third and fourth line forward for other teams in the NHL is usually a little slower skater than those on the first and second lines and is usually a grinder, someone who tries to make life difficult for the opposing teams top forwards. Teams don’t expect much offensive production from these players and whatever they receive they consider to be a bonus.

The Blackhawks are the exception to this rule. This Chicago team has a complement of forwards that is a nightmare to play against. They skate like they have a turbo charge pack attached to their backs and they remind observers of the Everyready Bunny: always moving, never seems to get tired.

NHL sports betting analysts are used to watching the size and physical style of play of the Boston Bruins wear down teams and take away their will to play. The Bruins are talented but they have won most of their games through a combination of intimidation and skill in that order. They beat up teams. The problem in this series for them is that the Blackhawks are tough to catch and they showed in the first game that they will not be intimidated by the Bruins.

The Bruins need to find a way to get Corey Crawford rattled but if they take a foolish penalty the Blackhawks power play will make them pay. If a team gives Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharpe too many odd man advantages they will pay dearly and the Bruins know this.

The Bruins can only count on their top two lines to provide scoring and that does not bode well for them in the second game of this series.

Series Prediction: Chicago Blackhawks win game two. Bet the over.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Detroit Tigers all win this weekend. The Dodgers and Blue Jays will be playing with a little bit of a chip on their shoulder and that anger will result in some good baseball from both teams. The Tigers have the luxury of taking on the Minnesota Twins who will be sending a struggling pitcher literally into the fire having to take on the batters of this Detroit team. The Detroit Tigers should be the number one pick for all bettors.

1) Los Angeles Dodgers @ Pittsburgh Pirates
(Stephen Fife: 1-1, 3.78 ERA) vs. (A.J. Burnett 4-6, 3.12 ERA)

The more experienced MLB online sports betting experts will not be too focused on the statistics for this game. The Dodgers start this three game series against the Pirates following a contentious brawl filled game against the Diamondbacks. The will be angry and focused when they arrive at the ballpark to take on A.J. Burnett and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Stephen Fife has pitched well in his last game against the Atlanta Braves. He allowed only two earned runs in six innings against the Braves, a good hitting team which is not a term used to describe the Pittsburgh Pirates batters.

The Dodgers are 4-1 in their last five games during game one of a series.

Prediction: Dodgers. Take the over.

2) Detroit Tigers @ Minnesota Twins
(Rick Porcello: 3-3, 4.86 ERA) vs. (Scott Diamond: 4-5, 5.19 ERA)

MLB sports betting analysts only have to look at the way pitcher Scott Diamond of the Minnesota Twins threw performed on the mound against the Washington Nationals in his last game to know which way they should be betting. He threw four innings and gave up seven runs. This was against the Nationals without Bryce Harper. Now, he has the distinct pleasure of throwing against the Detroit Tigers, a team that has been one of the top hitting teams all season.

In addition, the Twins, a below average hitting team will have the pleasure of taking on pitcher Rick Porcello of the Detroit Tigers. He has thrown six quality starts in his last eight appearances and is coming off a strong performance against the Cleveland Indians in which he gave up only two runs in six innings.

The Tigers are 4-1 in their last five games with one day off. The over is 4-1 in Porcello’s last five starts against the Twins.

The Tigers will drive in many runs against Diamond.

Prediction: Detroit Tigers. Take the over.

3) Toronto Blue Jays @ Texas Rangers
(Mark Buehrle: 2-4, 5.06 ERA) vs. (Justin Grimm: 5-4, 5.25 ERA)

The average MLB online betting analyst will look at the standings and immediately take the Texas Rangers. I disagree with this selection. The Blue Jays are 5-5 in their last ten games and they have started to act like they care about winning. There is also some anger between these teams as Jose Bautista, the Jays’s star hitter struck out with the winning runs at the plate in the last game because of what many consider a changing strike zone.

Blue Jays pitcher Mark Buehrle pitched well against the Rangers in his last start throwing seven innings and only allowing one earned run.

The Blue Jays are 5-1 in Buehrle’s last six starts against a team with a winning record. The under is 4-1 in Buehrle’s last five starts against a team with a wining record.

Prediction: Blue Jays – Take the under.

NHL online betting experts should be recommending the Blackhawks to win the Stanley Cup series. The NHL will call penalties in their showcase series and that favors the Blackhawks speed and skill advantage over the Boston Bruins. The Miami Heat were embarrassed in game three and they are going to introduce themselves to the San Antonio Spurs in a very physical manner in game four. LeBron will likely get at least one charge in this game and he might even pick up a technical for a hard foul but in doing so will change the tone of the series. Bettors should expect Miami to win game four.

1) Boston Bruins vs. Chicago Blackhawks

NHL online sports betting experts will be predicting that this Stanley Cup series will likely be a seven game affair and I agree. The margin of difference between these two teams is very small.

Goaltending: Even

The Bruins have received outstanding goaltending from Tuukka Rask. The Blackhawks goaltending over the course of three rounds has become outstanding as Corey Crawford has improved mightily over each round.

Defense: Boston Bruins

The Chicago Blackhawks have the more mobile group of defensemen. They are attack minded but they do possess some physicality and nastiness with Duncan Keith leading the way. However, the Boston Bruins are led by perennial Norris Trophy candidate Zdeno Chara and he is a nightmare to play against. He is physical, fast and takes away almost all the open ice around him. It will be tough sledding for Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews when they try to drive the net with him on the ice.

This is the one category where the Bruins have a significant advantage because Chara leads a very physical and nasty group.

Forwards: Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks are a team built on speed, speed and skill. They will play four lines and they can all score. The one thing that is underrated about the forwards of the Blackhawks is their toughness. Their experience against the Detroit Red Wings and the Los Angeles Kings has prepared them for the Bruins. The physical style of play by the Bruins will not have as much an effect as it would have if they had not had to play the Kings and Red Wings.

Look for Patrick Sharpe to be the X-Factor in this series. Coach Claude Julien of the Boston Bruins will have to decide whether he wants to put Chara against Toews and Kane or against the underrated but very productive Sharpe.

Chara cannot play every minute of the game and that will be the downfall for the Bruins. Their second and third line forwards will not be able to match those of the Blackhawks.

Coaching: Even

Two good coaches in Claude Julien and Joel Quenneville of the Chicago Blackhawks. Both are good tacticians. No edge on either side.

Series Prediction: Chicago Blackhawks in seven. Speed beats brawn in this series.

2) Miami Heat @ San Antonio Spurs

NBA sports betting analysts are smiling at the thought of this game four matchup because the Heat are renowned for bouncing back after playing poorly in the playoffs in 2013. LeBron James and the Heat played arguably their worst game of the season as no one wanted to play defense against the Spurs.

This team will be incredibly angry at themselves when they look at the game tape. Danny Green of the Spurs was allowed to take practice jump shots as rarely did anyone challenge or defend any of his three point attempts. The result was a career high 27 point explosion for him. Gary Neal of the Spurs scored 24 points and he too was the beneficiary of no defense.

LeBron played passive. He will lead the Heat into game four and do not be surprised to see him commit a hard foul to send a message to his team that they are playing to win and not be nice until the series is over.

The Hear are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following an ATS loss. The over is 4-1 in the Heat’s last five games when an opponent scores 100 or more points in the previous game.

The Heat will be angry, embarrassed and very focused. The Heat will win game four.

Prediction: Miami Heat. Take the over.

 MLB online betting experts will likely be taking the teams with the best records in these Thursday games. While that would usually be a good route to take I recommend that bettors take the teams with the hot pitchers and those are the Philadelphia Phillies, the New York Mets and surprisingly, the Chicago Cubs.

1) Philadelphia Phillies @ Minnesota Twins
(Cliff Lee: 7-2, 2.55 ERA) vs. (Kevin Correia 5-4, 4.11 ERA)

MLB online sports betting experts will be looking at two middle of the pack teams who are fighting to keep their diminishing playoff hopes alive and wonder who to pick in this matchup.

The smart bettors will look at the stud who is on the mound for the Phillies and know that this is not a difficult decision. Cliff Lee is without question one of the best pitchers in Major League baseball and he has been performing as such this season. He is 6-1 in his last seven games and the struggling Philadelphia batters always seem to hit better with him on the mound because they know that only a few runs will be needed to win.

The Twins have been playing average baseball as indicated by their 5-5 record in their last ten games. Kevin Correia has won two of his last three starts but he lasted only six innings against the Washington Nationals in his last game. The Twins have two star hitters in Joe Mauer, .330 batting average and Justin Morneau who has driven in 36 runs so far this season. Unfortunately, for them, these two players will not be enough against the Twins.

The Phillies are 6-1 in Cliff Lee’s last seven starts. The under is 10-2 in Lee’s last 12 road starts.

Prediction: Philadelphia Phillies. Take the under.

2) St. Louis Cardinals @ New York Mets
(Adam Wainwright: 9-3, 2.34 ERA) vs. (Matt Harvey: 5-0, 2.10 ERA)

MLB sports betting analysts will be picking the under in this game as two good pitchers take the mound. Pitcher Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals is in the midst of a four game win streak in which he has thrown a quality start in each game. He is supported by the second best hitting team in the major leagues as they are second in runs batted in with 326 and in batting average at .277.

Yet, they are likely going to lose this game against the New York Mets. Pitcher Matt Harvey will be on the mound for the Mets. He is 5-0 this season and threw seven good innings in his last game against the Miami Marlins in which he gave up six hits and one run in earning a no decision. Throughout the season the Mets batters have been more relaxed with him on the mound and are more willing to be disciplined at the plate with the knowledge that they will not need an offensive explosion to win.

The under is 4-1 in the Mets last five meetings. The Cardinals are 0-4 in Wainwright’s last four starts against the Mets.

Prediction: Mets Upset Cardinals. Take the under.

3) Cincinnati Reds @ Chicago Cubs
(Matt Latos: 6-0, 2.87 ERA) vs. (Jeff Samardzija: 3-7, 3.18 ERA)

Many will pick the Reds because of the record of pitcher Matt Latos and the fact that he is supported by the better hitters. In most situations I would agree but Jeff Samardzija of the Cubs has pitched better than his record indicates. He has not received good run support from the Cubs batters but earlier in this series the Cubs were pummeled 12-2 by the Reds.

The Cubs batters will want to make amends for their embarrassing performance in that game.

The Cubs are 1-4 in Samardzija’s last five home starts against a team with a winning record. The over is 3-0-1 in his last four starts with four days rest.

Cubs in upset.

Prediction: Chicago Cubs – Take the over.