MLB: BASEBALL WEEKEND TOP TRENDS

The month of June in Major League Baseball is synonymous with Interleague play and some great series’ between American and National League powers highlight the weekend’s schedule. Seeing as how its Friday


2008-06-20

The month of June in Major League Baseball is synonymous with Interleague play and some great series’ between American and National League powers highlight the weekend’s schedule. Seeing as how its Friday, we’re back with our new weekly feature showcasing a top StatFox Power Trend from each series on the docket. First, though, a quick look at the top action on tap.

In one of the highlight interleague matchups, the team with the best record in the A.L., Boston, takes on the team that currently occupies the wild card playoff spot in the Senior Circuit, St Louis, in a three-game series at Fenway Park. The Red Sox have been nearly an automatic win at home this season, going 28-7 while converting over 19 units of profit for their backers. In their first home interleague series of the season, they swept Milwaukee. The Cardinals, meanwhile, continue to surprise despite having lost slugger Albert Pujols to a calf injury. However, they come off a 3-game series in which they were swept by in-state rival Kansas City and need to turn it around in t a hurry if they hope to avoid losing ground on their wild card lead.

Amazingly, that stellar series is trumped by one even bigger in the Windy City, as the division leading White Sox and Cubs collide at Wrigley Field with city bragging rights on the line. The north siders of the National League have been baseball’s dominant team in 2008, and they have been just as good as Boston at home, going 29-8 in their first 37 games. Their secret has been offense, as they led the N.L. in runs scored at 5.5 per game. Of course, the Sox have done their damage with pitching, giving up a league low 3.7 runs per contest. It should be a great battle of strength versus strength. The teams come in on opposite ends of the momentum spectrum, with the Sox off a 3-game sweep over Pittsburgh and the Cubs having lost three straight to the Devil Rays.

Get all of the key stats you need to handicap these games by visiting the Game Matchup pages. For now though, here is a top trend that should be in play for most of the games this weekend from each series:

NY METS at COLORADO
NY METS are 8-15 (-12.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a bad team (Win Pct. 38% to 46%) this season.
The average score was NY METS 4.0, OPPONENT 4.9 - (Rating = 2*)

CHI WHITE SOX at CHICAGO CUBS
CHICAGO CUBS are 10-0 (+10.0 Units) against the money line in home games vs. a very good bullpen whose WHIP is 1.250 or better this season.
The average score was CHICAGO CUBS 6.0, OPPONENT 2.0 - (Rating = 3*)

TORONTO at PITTSBURGH
PITTSBURGH is 12-39 (-24.4 Units) against the money line vs. an AL starting pitcher whose ERA is 4.00 or better since 1997.
The average score was PITTSBURGH 3.9, OPPONENT 5.8 - (Rating = 1*)

ST LOUIS at BOSTON
BOSTON is 34-11 (+20.2 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was BOSTON 6.7, OPPONENT 4.1 - (Rating = 2*)

LA ANGELS at PHILADELPHIA
LA ANGELS are 26-11 UNDER (+13.4 Units) vs. a good bullpen whose WHIP is 1.350 or better this season.
The average score was LA ANGELS 3.8, OPPONENT 4.2 - (Rating = 2*)

CINCINNATI at NY YANKEES
CINCINNATI is 12-24 (-12.2 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
The average score was CINCINNATI 4.4, OPPONENT 5.4 - (Rating = 1*)

HOUSTON at TAMPA BAY
HOUSTON is 3-15 (-11.5 Units) against the money line vs. AL teams allowing 4.7 or less runs/game on the season over the last three seasons
The average score was HOUSTON 3.6, OPPONENT 5.4 - (Rating = 1*)

TEXAS at WASHINGTON
TEXAS is 22-11 OVER (+10.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
The average score was TEXAS 6.0, OPPONENT 6.4 - (Rating = 2*)

SEATTLE at ATLANTA
ATLANTA is 13-2 (+10.0 Units) against the money line in home games vs. poor power teams - averaging 0.9 or less HR's/game this season.
The average score was ATLANTA 5.1, OPPONENT 2.6 - (Rating = 2*)

BALTIMORE at MILWAUKEE
MILWAUKEE is 52-29 (+18.3 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was MILWAUKEE 4.6, OPPONENT 4.2 - (Rating = 1*)

ARIZONA at MINNESOTA
ARIZONA is 26-13 OVER (+12.3 Units) vs. poor power teams - averaging 0.9 or less HR's/game this season.
The average score was ARIZONA 5.2, OPPONENT 4.6 - (Rating = 2*)

SAN FRANCISCO at KANSAS CITY
SAN FRANCISCO is 8-1 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in road games vs. terrible power teams - averaging 0.75 or less HR's/game this season.
The average score was SAN FRANCISCO 4.6, OPPONENT 2.1 - (Rating = 2*)

DETROIT at SAN DIEGO
DETROIT is 14-1 (+13.0 Units) against the money line vs. NL teams scoring 4.3 or less runs/game on the season over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was DETROIT 8.4, OPPONENT 3.9 - (Rating = 2*)

FLORIDA at OAKLAND
FLORIDA is 22-5 OVER (+17.1 Units) vs. poor power teams - averaging 0.9 or less HR's/game this season.
The average score was FLORIDA 5.7, OPPONENT 5.0 - (Rating = 4*)

CLEVELAND at LA DODGERS
CLEVELAND is 40-16 UNDER (+21.4 Units) vs. terrible power teams - averaging 0.75 or less HR's/game over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was CLEVELAND 4.5, OPPONENT 3.1 - (Rating = 2*)

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