A tough 1-2 day for me yesterday on the bases as that Atlanta/Houston total couldn’t sneak over the number after it was 5-1 after the fifth inning. It’s been a bad run for my Top plays of late but I had gone 9-0-1 prior to that so you know a bit of a regression was coming.

Secondly, it’s Canada Day long weekend up here in the great white north and that means some time for me out by the water relaxing with family and friends. Therefore I won’t be posting Saturday or Sunday as I’ll be out of town relaxing and recharging for the 2nd half of the baseball season. With July 4th just around the corner for those south of the border, there’s no better time than now to get away from behind the computer screen tracking odds/lines/scores and enjoying the sunshine. However, I’ve put in my work for today and am looking to give you a few winners tonight.

As a note, Tampa and Baltimore play a double header today and I would keep in mind this piece when you are looking at Game 2 of the twin bill. It’s a day/night double header so there is a lot of time inbetween games to find some quality info. Onto the plays:

All lines taken from Pinnacle Sports with bet amounts “to win” on favorites and flat on underdogs

Play of the Day in Bold

MLB YTD: 77-82-10 (+$546)

NYM/Pittsburgh Over 8 (+104) $300 to win $312

Very favorable home plate ump behind the dish with Laz Diaz calling balls and strikes tonight. Diaz has a 10-3 O/U record in came’s he’s called this year and going back to last year he’s on a 20-8-4 O/U run. 13 of the last 16 times he’s been behind the plate and the Pirates were involved have either pushed or gone over (12-3-1 O/U) and he’s on a 7-1 O/U run in Mets games as well. With two below average pitchers going tonight with ERA’s of 3.75 and 4.93 respectively on the season, this game should see plenty of runs.

Chicago White Sox ML (+146) $200 to win $292

I don’t trust Dickey most days, but especially when he’s a heavy favorite and early line movement goes against him. Chicago is a good hitting team that is 3-2 SU after getting shutout this season and will force Dickey to come to them in the strikezone with that slow knuckleball of his. Dickey’s only been a .500 pitcher for the Jays this year (Toronto is 8-8 SU in his starts) and given how many times he’s favored heavily like this, you’re down money backing him blindly every game. I’m going against him and taking the +146 price tag with Chicago.

St Louis ML (+130) $200 to win $260

The Cards wasted a gem of a pitching performance from Adam Wainwright last night but it was the Dodgers who were in a good spot since they were looking for revenge after last year’s playoff loss in the NL Championship. However, these two teams are so evenly matched that I doubt we see either team claim this four-game series with a 2-2 split the most likely result. For that to happen STL has to win two of three against Ryu, Grienke, and Kershaw which isn’t easy, but tonight’s starter Ryu is arguably the worst of the three. Ryu isn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination, but compared to the other two he is a notch below.

But what really puts this play over the top for me is the fact that St Louis is 35-16 SU after a loss, showing their championship resume and bouncing back more often than not. They are 5-2 SU in their last seven against a southpaw starter and I believe they claim a series split (up till now) with a win tonight.