Wednesday, June 19 – 11:00 p.m. ET

Winstar World Casino – Thackerville, OK

Muhammed Lawal (9-2) vs. Seth Petruzelli (14-7)

Light heavyweight bout

Line: Lawal -1420, Petruzelli +850

Coming off just his second career loss, Muhammed Lawal returns as a heavy favorite in a light heavyweight bout against Seth Petruzelli, headlining Bellator 96 on Wednesday.

A former Strikeforce light heavyweight champ, Lawal has beaten top-notch fighters such as Gegard Mousasi. But he has also been inconsistent lately, going 2-2 with a no-contest in his past five bouts. Petruzelli is also coming off a loss, falling via TKO, and the one thing that is sure with him is that it should be a quick fight. His past 11 bout—in which he is 7-4—have all come via knockout or submission. A solid kickboxer with a powerful punch as well, he has the potential to even beat somebody like Lawal, who lost via KO his last time out. As an overwhelming underdog, take PETRUZELLI in this one.

“King Mo” Lawal might be the biggest name signed with Bellator as a former international and collegiate wrestler who has an upside few can match. Seven of his nine career wins have been knockouts, mostly a result of his potent punches. He sets up those punches with his elite takedown tactics, consistently demonstrating a punishing attacking style that makes it difficult for opponents to find their groove. He couldn’t avoid that fate his last time out, however, losing via knockout just 2:35 into the Bellator Season 8 Light Heavyweight Tournament Semifinal to Emanual Newton. Lawal was a very heavy favorite there and lost, and bettors should be wary of suffering the same fate twice.

Despite being less of a name, Petruzelli has fought some big names in his career. In 2007, he lost via decision to Matt Hamill, and in 2008 he knocked out the legendary Kimbo Slice just 14 seconds in the first round. None of his past seven victories has left the first round. He had more than a year off before his last fight, a loss to Jacob Noe in January, so that was needed to shake off the rust. Both of these fighters stand at 6-feet-0, though Lawal’s reach is five inches longer. Still, Petruzelli should be geared up for a potential upset here.

Wednesday, June 19 – 10:40 p.m. ET

Winstar World Casino – Thackerville, OK

Renato Sobral (37-10) vs. Jacob Noe (11-2)

Light heavyweight bout

Line: Sobral -170, Noe +130

After having a nine-fight winning streak snapped his last time out, Jacob Noe will look to right himself as a slight underdog against veteran Renato Sobral as part of Wednesday’s Bellator 96 event.

With 47 career matches under his belt, Sobral’s experience is unquestionable, but his form has some issues. A former Strikeforce light heavyweight champ, he has now lost three of his past five fights. The first two of those were to top-notch fighters in Gegard Mousasi and Dan Henderson, but his most recent defeat was a Bellator Season 8 Light Heavyweight Quarterfinal loss to Mikhail Zayats. Noe lost to Zayats in the semifinals after beating Seth Petruzelli, who is headlining this card against Muhammed Lawal. Ultimately, Noe is the intriguing play here as a slight underdog with upside, while Sobral appears to be on the downside of his career. Play on NOE.

At 6-feet-0, Sobral is two inches shorter than Noe, though his 76-inch reach is one inch longer. He has a strong MMA track record with a 6-4 record for UFC, and his Jiu-Jitsu skills have taken him everywhere he’s gone. He is also an elite wrestler, so he likes to play on the mat. Nineteen of his 37 career wins have been submissions, but he also owns 13 decisions and five knockouts. Noe’s loss to Zayats was an armbar submission, which is how Sobral won his last fight, a 31-second victory against Tatsuya Mizuno.

Noe has five submissions, five knockouts and one decision to his name. Each of his past two victories—against Petruzelli and Brian Albin—were TKOs. Each of Sobral’s past three losses have been knockouts. Noe may not be a wrestler like Sobral, but he does have a decent Jiu-Jitsu grappling attack and mixes it up with some Judo. Coming off his loss, this could be a strong signature win to make a name for himself.

There’s nothing like having a great pitcher to back on a consistent basis on the MLB betting line. Here at Bang the Book, we’re monitoring the most profitable starting pitchers that money could buy thus far on the season.

We’re officially past the quarter pole of the season, and the All-Star Break will be here before you know it! This is an article you’re definitely going to want to read, as it will go over all of the worst money pitchers on the MLB odds this season.

Cole Hamels may want to go ahead and write his name on the top of his list in permanent marker, because it doesn’t look like the one time Phillies ace is going to be leaving any time soon. Hamels has been awful on the MLB betting lines near the halfway point of the 2013 MLB season, with a record of 2-13 -$1507. Surprisingly, Hamels has not been run early nearly the amount of times you might believe. Despite his abysmal record, Hamels has gone at least five innings in every start so far this season and has only given up more than four earned runs in an outing four times. It looks every bit that a black cat or two crossed his path and his record should be better, but until the hex is removed Hamels is a stay away pitcher.

If you want to talk about a pitcher that deserves his spot in this list, look no further than Joe Blanton. Blanton (2-11, -$1147) was seen as a reliable Mark Buehrle style innings eater when the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim signed him to a 2 year/$15 million dollar deal this offseason, but the Angels have experienced a serious case of buyer’s remorse with Blanton (and half the other players on their roster). The Angels gave Blanton a much needed day off last week to let him try to figure some things out, but is on the bump again this Tuesday.

Young Jeremy Hefner got some luck in upping his record to 2-11 -$905 this week thanks to a walk-off three-run home run from Kirk Nieuwenhuis. Hefner’s peripherals aren’t that bad this year and his main crime is pitching for a star crossed team like the Mets, but his walk rate is high compared to last year and extra base runners are not welcome additions to the basepaths.

The inexplicable season of Dan Haren continues, as the one-time Cy Young continues to post loss after loss against the MLB odds. Haren (4-10, -$731) has now lost on the baseball betting line in each of his last seven starts despite historically posting stats that sabermeticians long after in pitchers. With Haren, the simple fact is he is giving up way too many long balls. In his last 10 games, Haren has given up 13 dingers and it’s been even worse recently with six home runs allowed in his last three starts. Haren continues to be a control guru and is stingy with his walks, but his strikeout rate is not once it once was and neither is Dan Haren.

With a 1.84 ERA, Dodgers’ ace curveballer Clayton Kershaw isn’t on many worst of lists, but has not been a money maker at all this year. Due to his elite status, the betting odds usually have him as a strong favorite so despite his team’s 8-7 record on Kershaw starts this year, bettors are -$439 playing the boys in Dodger blue. Kershaw won his last start as a -163 favorite against Pittsburgh, but the Dodgers lost as -180 and -219 favorites at home against the Diamondbacks and Padres in his two starts before that although Kershaw pitched well. Losses as a huge favorite like those though are killers for your bankroll during baseball season and LA has now lost four games in which Kershaw was at least a -170 favorite.

Date: Tuesday, June 18, 9 p.m. (ET)

Television: b

NBA Betting Odds: VietBet

Pointspread: Miami -7

Total Line: 190.5

Game Overview

San Antonio opened this best-of-seven showdown with a 92-88 victory in Game 1 as a five-point underdog on the road. It took a 2-1 edge with a 113-77 beatdown of the Heat as two-point home favorites in Game 3 and has now regained a 3-2 advantage by virtue of this past Sunday’s 114-104 win as a one-point underdog at home. The total has gone OVER in the last three games of this series after staying UNDER in the first two.

To seal the deal with a victory on Tuesday night, the Spurs are going to need Tony Parker at full strength after he injured his hamstring earlier in the series. They will also need a big night from Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobilo, who broke out of his postseason slump in a big way on Sunday night with 24 points and 10 assists. It would also help tremendously if Danny Green can remain hot from three-point range. He has already set a new record for making the most three-point shots in a NBA Finals series.

The Heat will look to the Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to even things up again in this back-and-forth heavyweight bout for their second-straight NBA title. These three combined for 85 points in last Thursday’s 109-93 victory in Game 4 as one-point road favorites. They racked-up another 66 points in Sunday’s loss but got a solid effort from Ray Allen. He chipped-in another 21 points while going 7-for-10 from the field and a perfect 4-for-4 from three-point range.

When Miami shoots the ball better than its 46.9 percent average in the playoffs, it usually wins. On Sunday, the team hit just 43 percent from the field as compared to a blazing 60 percent shooting performance from the Spurs. The Heat have also prospered when they keep the battle under the boards close in terms of total rebounds as well as limiting their turnovers to less than or equal to its respectable 12.9 postseason average. When it excels in all three of these categories, Miami is almost next to impossible to beat

Free NBA Finals Game 6 Pick

Despite some lopsided wins and losses along the way, this series appeared destined to go the distance from the opening tip of Game 1. Do not expect things to change now as Miami comes away with a fairly easy win on Tuesday night for force a deciding Game 7 this Thursday night.

Miami 104       San Antonio 94

Date/Time: Tuesday, June 18, 7:05 p.m. (ET)

Television: KCAL, WWOR

MLB Betting Odds: TopBet

Money Line: Yankees -125, Dodgers +120

Total Line: 8

The floundering Dodgers are hoping a trip back to their birth state will bring them new life as the boys from Chavez Ravine have dropped six of their last eight to fall into dead last in the NL West, 7.5 games behind division-leading Arizona. As they attempt to right the ship, they’ll turn towards their rookie sensation Ryu, the young Korean lefthander who has dazzled the National League with a 6-2 record and a 2.85 ERA in his first 13 Major League starts.

In the first base dugout at the New Yankee Stadium, an injury-riddled lineup will support former first-rounder and 2010 All Star, Phil Hughes. A workhorse for the Bronx Bombers a year ago, Hughes has struggled to find consistency in 2013, failing to throw at least six innings in six of his 13 starts. Perhaps more alarming to the Yankee faithful has been Hughes’ inability to pitch effectively at home, where he has recorded just one win in six outings.

There will be numerous storylines throughout this series, such as the return of Yankee great Don Mattingly, current Dodger’s manager, or the old team from Brooklyn hoping to make a triumphant return. While the series will no doubt be historic, the focus in Tuesday’s contest should be on the pitchers, as neither lineup has faced the young hurlers. Despite Yankee Stadium’s reputation as a hitter’s park, this game will be controlled by the two arms. Look for Mattingly’s club to take advantage of Hughes’ struggle with his control and for Ryu to mystify the Bombers for an easy victory.

Los Angeles Dodgers at New York Yankees Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers -130

Our MLB power poll is back, as we analyze all of the best and worst money teams in the bigs that MLB betting action has to offer through 6/17/13.

1: Pittsburgh Pirates (41-28, +$1,610) (LW: 1): The most surprising story in baseball continues to stay atop our Power Poll after going 4-2 in action this week. Gerrit Cole has thus far lived up to the hype, going 2-0 in his first two major league starts and rewarding the club’s faith in him after other prospects from the talented 2011 draft class have started to make their mark.

2: Oakland Athletics (42-29, +$1,098) (LW: 4): The rejuvenated Bartolo Colon has been a big reason why the A’s have continued to surprise this year and his control has been the reason why. The big right hander simply has not let guys earn a free trip to first this year, allowing a scant 10 walks in 90.1 innings of action.

3: St. Louis Cardinals (44-25, +$1,116) (LW: 2): The best team in baseball slips down to #3 in this week’s poll, but has continued to line the pockets of MLB betting enthusiasts, particularly away from home. Outside the friendly confines of Busch Stadium, the Cardinals are 25-13 +$1,076, easily the best overall record and best money record in baseball thus far.

4: Baltimore Orioles (40-30, +$983) (LW: 7): After struggling last week, Chris Davis is back on track hitting three dingers this week and bringing his total to an MLB best 23. Somewhat lost in Chris Davis’ Brady Anderson type season has been the performance of uber-prospect SS Manny Machado. With a triple slash line of .358/.495/.854 it’s not anathema to consider him the best young prospect in the game, even ahead of Bryce Harper and Mike Trout.

5: Atlanta Braves (41-28, +$781) (LW: 3): Atlanta took a bit of a fall in this week’s ranking, but Braves fans can still smile about their club being 6.5 games clear of Washington in the NL East right now. Visitors must have the infamous Tomahawk Chop ringing through their ears when they play in Turner Field as the Braves are an MLB best 23-8 +$1,122 at home this season.

6: San Diego Padres (35-34, +$745) (LW: 14): A little home cooking turned out to be just what the Padres needed as they vaulted up our rankings this week thanks to sweeps of the Braves and the Diamondbacks. P Jason Marquis continues to be an amazing acquisition, with a 9-2 record for San Diego this year. Sabermeticians may cry out that his W/L is inflated because of his 1.39 WHIP but Marquis will get an All-Star nod out of his hot start.

7: Cincinnati Reds (42-28, +$680) (LW: 10): The Reds went 5-2 this week, but feasting on bottomfeeders like the Cubs and Brewers won’t get a big bump in the rankings. If the Reds can match that record against the Pirates and Diamondbacks this week though, they’ll be sure to vault up next week’s poll.

8: Boston Red Sox (42-29, +$678) (LW: 6): The more things change the more they stay the same. This was the year that a team like Toronto or Tampa Bay was supposed to win the AL East, but instead the Red Sox find themselves in first as they try to put more and more distance between this season and Bobby Valentine. Boston has gotten it done with offense this year, averaging over five runs a game en route to being the MLB’s most productive team thus far.

9: Arizona Diamondbacks (37-32, +$523) (LW: 8): Getting swept by the Padres may have left a bitter taste in the mouths of the Diamondbacks, but they should be able to wash that taste out with a home series against the lowly Marlins to start the week. Patrick Corbin continues to dominate in the majors, and with a potential Archie Bradley call-up looming late in the season the Diamondbacks may have the best 1-2 punch of arms in baseball.

10: Cleveland Indians (34-34, +$466) (LW: 13): The Indians may not get in front of Detroit again this season, but a 4-2 record on the week gets them back to .500 and stops the skid. Young guns Carlos Santana and Jason Kipnis have Cleveland fans harkening back to the mid-90s though and better days seem to be on the horizon for the Tribe.

11: New York Yankees (38-31, +$409) (LW: 5): Despite falling this week, the Yankees are still wildly overachieving per advanced stats. The Yankees +4 run differential belies a team that should be a game or two over. 500 at best, instead of the seven games over that the Yankees happen to be this season. If some of their high priced talent makes it back in time for a stretch run, we could be in for one treat of a pennant race.

12: Minnesota Twins (30-36, +$264) (LW: 12): Minnesota’s strategy of not completely bottoming out and rebuilding like the Astros may drive their fans crazy, but continues to make bettors money. Mid-level signings like P Kevin Correia were made with the intent of keeping the club respectable and out of the cellar and the production of old stand-by’s like Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer have put a Band-Aid over the Twins’ organizational woes.

13: Colorado Rockies (37-33, +$162) (LW: 11): MLB may say that they took the juice out of Coors Field, but don’t tell that to the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies are second in the league in runs (352), fourth in the league in OBP (.336), and first in the league in slugging (.453). The question now is whether or not they can keep up this torrid production with SS Troy Tulowitzki on the DL.

14: Houston Astros (26-44, -$66) (LW: 17): How can you be 18 games under .500 and one win away from being a profitable team to bet on the year? By being the Astros! Houston knew that their first season in the brutal AL West would be tough, but so far have shown a pulse where one wasn’t expected to be. The team looks to be coming around slowly and with their knack for adding minor league talent at the deadline, it’s only a matter of time before Houston completes the turnaround.

15: Kansas City Royals (33-34, -$123) (LW: 19): Kansas City has now won 10 of their last 12 and is showing the form that some expected with the immense amount of young talent on the roster. P James Shields has not had the record to show for it, but has quietly been just what Kansas City was hoping for this year. Shields is sitting at an impressive 1.11 WHIP and 2.79 ERA despite having a W/L of 2-6 and has proven to be just the ace this club has been looking for.

16: San Francisco Giants (35-33, -$137) (LW: 16): No team in baseball has a more pronounced home/road record per the betting odds than the Giants. At home, San Francisco is an impressive 21-11 +$666 for bettors, but on the road the Giants are a dreadful 14-22 -$803. Barring Larry Ellison bargaining to pay off the national debt in exchange for the Giants to play all their games at Pac Bell Park, this team has got to get better on the road.

17: Texas Rangers (38-31, -$236) (LW: 9): Cue the Tom Petty, because the Rangers are free falling. If you had the misfortune of playing the Rangers all week with a $100 unit, you lost almost $900. That’s what happens when you lose six straight home games to the Indians and Blue Jays. Texas needs to pull it together soon because their next four series are against the A’s, Cardinals, Yankees, and Reds.

18: Toronto Blue Jays (32-36, -$284) (LW: 24): Maybe the Blue Jays are showing signs of life, maybe RA Dickey was not a terrible signing, maybe Toronto shouldn’t have traded for half of a Marlins team that massively underachieved in 2012. The one thing that’s certain is that Toronto is playing good baseball right now, going 8-2 in their last 10.

19: Tampa Bay Rays (36-33, -$457) (LW: 15): In years past, it was always the offense that let the Rays down. Whenever oft-injured 3B Evan Longoria went to the DL, scoring runs were equivalent to pulling teeth for Tampa Bay, but 2013 has been different. Longoria has stayed healthy and the offense has produced, but the pitching has let them now with David Price still languishing on the DL and Matt Moore struggling recently. Super prospect OF Wil Myers is being called up today to help further bolster the offense.

20: Detroit Tigers (38-29, -$516) (LW: 18): Jim Leyland may want to consider selling timeshares. Not many people thought it was a good idea to move Miguel Cabrera over to third base permanently, but over the last year and a half Miggy’s defense has improved enough that he has garnered a little bit of Gold Glove buzz.

21: Washington Nationals (34-34, -$522) (LW: 20): To say Dan Haren has been a bust this season is putting it lightly. Haren has been just awful and the 4-8 record he posts surprisingly understates how ineffective he has been. Opponents are teeing off on him, averaging .301 off of Haren, one of the highest averages in the league.

22: Seattle Mariners (31-39, -$750) (LW: 25): Seattle has had no luck scoring runs over the last few years, even after acquiring some very talented prospects through free agency and trades. Jesus Montero, Justin Smoak, and Dustin Ackley were supposed to lead the Mariner resurgence but instead Seattle is a schooner idling in the middle of the water without an engine.

23: Chicago Cubs (28-39, -$792) (LW: 23): SS Starlin Castro has taken a step back this year after being heralded as the best young shortstop in the game before the season started. In 282 ABs, Castro’s triple slash is just .277/.337/.614, much worse than last year’s numbers. Castro has had a much lower than expected BABIP so there is hope for a turnaround, but he’ll still put up lower than expected numbers.

24: Philadelphia Phillies (33-37, -$810) (LW: 21): If you want to look up the definition of unlucky this year, just type in the name of Cole Hamels. Although Hamels is pitching well below his usual standards, his 1.27 WHIP and 4.40 ERA are not indicative of a 2-10 W/L record. With Hamels struggling and Roy Halladay on the DL, the onus has fallen to Cliff Lee. Lee has had a great season, going 8-2 with a 0.98 WHIP and a 2.55 ERA and should be one of the contenders for the Cy Young despite the fact that he is floundering on the Phillies.

25: Chicago White Sox (28-38, -$1073) (LW: 22): Thank God for Miami. Otherwise the White Sox would have the worst road record in the league, posting a 12-24 -$1149 so far in 2013. The boys from the South Side of Chicago have lost three straight one run games to the Astros and need a win on Monday night to prevent the ignominy of getting swept by the worst team in the AL.

26: Milwaukee Brewers (28-40, -$1,416) (LW: 26): This week the Brewers spent the week on the road against Miami and Cincinnati altering wins and losses to go 3-3. It’s been a weird year for the Brew Crew, they had a nine-game winning streak in April, followed by two four-game losing streaks, a five-game losing streak, and a six-game losing streak in May. At least you can say that the Brewers are consistent.

27: Miami Marlins (21-47, -$1,674) (LW: 29): A 3-3 week usually isn’t seen as progress, but Miami will run with it in this instance. The Marlins won their first series against a team not named the Mets after a 7-2 win on Sunday gave them a series win over the Cardinals of all teams. Miami is no longer the total laughing stock they were earlier in the year and have shown signs of life in June. They are no longer on pace to set the record for the most impotent offense of all-time and are actually starting to draw better attend- yeah, that last part isn’t true.

28: New York Mets (25-39, -$1,463) (LW: 27): Meet the new laughing stock, same as the old laughing stock. The Mets had a play that only the Mets could have on Sunday, a Little League type moment where on one play the Mets committed three errors and let two runs score. Oh, and all the errors were in the infield. Of course, the Mets won that game only because the Cubs are the Cubs.

29: Los Angeles Dodgers (29-39, -$1,885) (LW: 28): If you can’t be good, be interesting, and if there’s anything the Dodgers have been the last few weeks, it’s interesting. OF Yasiel Puig has dominated since is call-up and even shrugged off a baseball to the face as no big deal. It was the plunk that launched a thousand ships though, because after Ian Kennedy plunked another Dodger the next inning, we had a WWE style brawl that should have seen Jim Ross join Vin Scully in the booth.

30: Los Angeles Angels (30-39, -$2,041) (LW: 30): Welcome to the -$2,000 club Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim! There are snack cakes and juice boxes by the wall, and a portrait of the 2003 Detroit Tigers hanging in the far corner. The Angels problems have stemmed from one main area, pitching. Angels’ pitchers are averaging a 4.34 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP, two of the worst numbers in the majors, and Joe Blanton is leading the way admirably with a 1-10 record attached to a gag-inducing 1.63 WHIP.

Date/Time: June 17th, 8:00 p.m. ET

Television: NBCSN

NHL Betting Odds from Bookmaker Sportsbook

Moneyline: Boston -126

Total: 5

After splitting the series in the Windy City, the Boston Bruins head back home and look to take a commanding lead over Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Finals on Monday night. Game 3′s are traditionally huge and it’s no different for this series.

Chicago had the opportunity to take a dominating series lead Saturday night, but couldn’t pull out a second straight overtime win and lost control of home ice to the Bruins. The Blackhawks had one of the best offenses in the regular season and slotted in 14 goals in a 4-1 series win over the Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference Finals, but have struggled to match that offensive productivity against Boston. They needed a few seeing eye goals and fortunate deflections to secure a victory in Game 1, but couldn’t get the same luck to go their way last game. In situations like these, you need your captain to step up, and thus far C Jonathan Toews has failed to do so. Toews was second on the team with 48 points during the regular season, averaging a point a game in leading the Blackhawks to the best record in hockey. He has failed to show the same predilection for tickling the twine in the playoffs though, tallying just nine points so far in 19 games. Through two games of the Stanley Cup Finals, he has been held pointless, and this has to change if the Blackhawks have any hope of knocking off the Bruins.

The best thing to have in the playoffs is a hot goalie, and there has been no one hotter than G Tuukka Rask this postseason. Rask has been lights out after showing signs of vulnerability against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the playoffs, silently dispatching of the Rangers and Penguins like a well-trained assassin. Rask had some misfortune in Game 1, but showed why he has been the best goaltender this postseason in Game 2 stonewalling the Blackhawks and stopping 33 shots to get the Bruins out of Chicago with a big 2-1 OT win. C David Krejci has been a stud for the Bruins this postseason, with 23 points (9 G, 14 A) in 18 games but needs to get some help from his teammates. In particular, old veteran RW Jaromir Jagr has yet to tally a goal this postseason and has got to get it going for Boston.

It’s hard to go against a star goaltender when he’s locked in, and we’re not about to now. Rask has been too good this postseason and with the series back in Boston it’s hard to pass up the Bruins in this one at such a good price. Expect Rask to dominate and the Bruins to grind out a few goals to give Boston a 2-1 series lead.

Chicago Blackhawks @ Boston Bruins Game 3 Pick: Boston Bruins -126

Date/Time: Monday, June 17, 7:05 p.m. (ET)

Television: ESPN

MLB Betting Odds: VietBet

Money Line: Chicago (+185)   St. Louis (-200)

Total Line: 7.5

Game Overview

Chicago heads into Game 1 of this four-game set against its NL Central Division rivals fresh off a 4-3 loss to the New York Mets this past Sunday as a 101 road underdog. The Cubs won the first two games of that series and they are now 4-4 in their last eight games. Overall, they are 28-29 including a 13-18 record on the road. The total has gone OVER in four of their last seven games.

On paper, the Cubs do not look so bad with a team ERA of 3.90 that is ranked eighth in the National League to complement an offense that is producing an average of 4.05 runs per game. Anthony Rizzo leads the team with 39 RBI and 10 home runs. Chicago will go with Travis Wood as its starter on Monday night. The left-hander is 5-5 this season with a 2.65 ERA. He has posted 12 quality starts in his last 13 outings including one in early May against St. Louis. Wood is 3-2 lifetime against this team with an ERA of 4.71.

The Cardinals lost two of three to Miami this past weekend to fall to 4-4 in their last eight games. At 44-25 overall, they still have the best record in the NL and lead Cincinnati by 2.5 games in the division. St. Louis is 19-12 at home this season and the total has gone OVER in five of its last seven games.

This team has been the complete package through its first 69 games with a pitching staff that is ranked second in the NL with a team ERA of 3.29 and a collection of bats that are hammering out an average of 5.04 runs a game. The biggest bats belong to Allen Craig (51 RBI and six home runs) and Carlos Beltran (44 RBI and 16 home runs). Look for Shelby Miller to get the start for St. Louis in this series opener. The right-hander was tagged for four runs on five hits his last time out to fall to 7-4 on the year. He comes in to this matchup with an overall ERA of 2.21. Miller will be making his first ever start against Chicago on Monday night.

Free MLB Pick

The Cubs are just 3-8 in Woods last 11 starts in the first game of a new series while St. Louis is 6-1 in Game 1 of its last seven series. Look for these trends to continue as the Cardinals quickly get back to their winning ways with a victory on Monday night.

St. Louis 6      Chicago 3

Sunday, June 16, 8 p.m. (ET)

Television: ESPN

MLB Betting Odds: Bookmaker

Money Line: San Francisco (+146)   Atlanta (-156)

Total Line: 8

Game Overview

San Francisco took the first game of this weekend series 6-0 on Friday night as a 126 road underdog but found itself on the wrong end of a 6-5 decision in Game 2 as a 173 underdog on the road. The total went OVER the seven-run line on Saturday afternoon after staying UNDER the seven-run line in Game 1. The Giants are now 5-5 in their last 10 games and 35-32 overall. They are 14-21 on the road this season and the total has gone OVER in four of their last five games.

The big question for Sunday night’s rubber match is how well the Giants’ pitching will hold up after getting tagged for 26 runs in their last three losses. Tim Lincecum is scheduled to get the start and comes in with a 4-6 record on the year and a 4.70 ERA. The right-hander has allowed just three earned runs over his last 11 plus innings pitched after giving-up 15 earned runs in his three previous starts before this run. Lincecum is 7-5 lifetime against the Braves with a 2.99 ERA.

The Braves are just 4-6 in their last 10 starts but still holding a 5.5-game lead over Washington in the NL East. They have been especially good at home this season with a 22-8 record in 30 games at Turner Field. The total has gone OVER in four of their last six games.

Atlanta continues to be the most complete team in the National League. It boasts a pitching staff that is ranked second in the NL with a team ERA of 3.28 and its lineup is averaging 4.34 runs a game. Freddie Freeman has already knocked-in 45 runs and Justin Upton leads the team with 15 home runs. Dan Uggla and Evan Gratis have also been deadly with the long ball with a combined 27 homers. Julio Teheran will be on the mound for the Braves on Sunday night. The right-hander allowed five earned runs in six innings this past Monday against San Diego and is now 4-3 overall with a 3.62 ERA. He is 1-0 against San Francisco with a 3.86 ERA.

Free MLB Pick

Neither team has been playing true to form over the past few weeks, but the Braves remain tough to beat in their own park with a 6-1 record in their last seven home games. Stick with this winning trend to continue as Atlanta takes the three-game series with another victory on Sunday night.

Atlanta 5       San Francisco 3