Every week, we update you on who's hot, who's not and situational betting spots in Major League Baseball (All records and statistics through Saturday):
HOT TEAM: Los Angeles Angels
THIS SEASON: 23-25
LAST WEEK: 5-2
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE: At the Mets for three, home to the Marlins for three.
THE SKINNY: The Halos are starting to play the heavenly ball we all expected from them following a spending spree that would have made Nicolas Cage blush.
Albert Pujols was riding a six-game hit streak with home runs in three straight games until going hitless Sunday. The big arms in the pitching staff continue to deliver but now that the bats are coming alive the wins are coming.
A six-game win streak is a nice start, but don’t forget the success has come at the expense of the Seattle Mariners and Oakland A’s. Not exactly world beaters.
COLD TEAM: Chicago Cubs
THIS SEASON: 15-31
LAST WEEK: 0-6
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE: Home to the Padres for three, at the Giants for four.
THE SKINNY: We try to take the variety route here in Rounding the Bases, but when you’ve lost 11 in a row headed into Sunday’s action, we have no choice but to turn to a repeat offender.
The Cubs have been dreadful in May, and entered the series finale against Pittsburgh with a 7-16 record. And in the four losses leading into Sunday’s game, Chicago scored two runs or less.
Perhaps a three-game set against San Diego at Wrigley Field will jumpstart the offense. But then again, the Cubs are just 9-15 at home this season, so maybe the confines aren’t so friendly there, after all.
They were 27th in the league in home runs (32), and 25th in slugging percentage (.373). That’s not going to get it done. Now, clearly, as this goes on, surely you’re going to have to pay more to fade them. But with losses piling up at that clip, you probably can’t ignore them much longer.
OVER TEAM: Minnesota Twins
O/U THIS SEASON: 23-20-3
O/U LAST WEEK: 5-1
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE: Home to the Athletics for three, at the Indians for three.
THE SKINNY: The Twins have been another good fade team so far, but the bats have come alive recently. While that hasn’t been enough to pull out more victories, if nothing else, it has led to some overs, and totals players should now be on alert.
The Twins were 7-2-1 over in their previous 10 games leading into Sunday’s series finale against Detroit, and also had posted three in a row. In those three, they scored 17 runs, and when you have a bad pitching staff, that kind of run total is going to get you over the total, folks.
In three games last week alone, Minnesota’s arms allowed 10 or more runs, and through Saturday’s action, the Twins were dead last in the majors in ERA (5.50).
UNDER TEAM: Pittsburgh Pirates
O/U THIS SEASON: 12-31-3
O/U LAST WEEK: 1-5
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE: Home to the Reds for three, at the Brewers for three.
THE SKINNY: Like the Cubs, we simply cannot pass on a good thing here. And with just a dozen overs through May 26, the Pirates are more than just a good thing in under-land. With a .216 team batting average, Pittsburgh ended Saturday’s action dead last in the National League and second worst in the majors next to Oakland.
But wait, there’s more. A .610 team OPS was 30th overall, and in the four games headed into Sunday’s series finale against the Cubs, Pittsburgh scored three runs or less in all of them.
Listen, outfielder Andrew McCutchen -- .338 average, seven homers, 24 RBIs, 25 runs and eight steals -- is a ball player, and appears worthy of the contract he received in the offseason. But he's alone in that lineup. And when you combine that with a pitching staff that was third in the majors in ERA (3.23) and eighth in WHIP (1.25), those unders will likely continue to pile up.
HOT TEAM: Los Angeles Angels
THIS SEASON: 23-25
LAST WEEK: 5-2
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE: At the Mets for three, home to the Marlins for three.
THE SKINNY: The Halos are starting to play the heavenly ball we all expected from them following a spending spree that would have made Nicolas Cage blush.
Albert Pujols was riding a six-game hit streak with home runs in three straight games until going hitless Sunday. The big arms in the pitching staff continue to deliver but now that the bats are coming alive the wins are coming.
A six-game win streak is a nice start, but don’t forget the success has come at the expense of the Seattle Mariners and Oakland A’s. Not exactly world beaters.
COLD TEAM: Chicago Cubs
THIS SEASON: 15-31
LAST WEEK: 0-6
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE: Home to the Padres for three, at the Giants for four.
THE SKINNY: We try to take the variety route here in Rounding the Bases, but when you’ve lost 11 in a row headed into Sunday’s action, we have no choice but to turn to a repeat offender.
The Cubs have been dreadful in May, and entered the series finale against Pittsburgh with a 7-16 record. And in the four losses leading into Sunday’s game, Chicago scored two runs or less.
Perhaps a three-game set against San Diego at Wrigley Field will jumpstart the offense. But then again, the Cubs are just 9-15 at home this season, so maybe the confines aren’t so friendly there, after all.
They were 27th in the league in home runs (32), and 25th in slugging percentage (.373). That’s not going to get it done. Now, clearly, as this goes on, surely you’re going to have to pay more to fade them. But with losses piling up at that clip, you probably can’t ignore them much longer.
OVER TEAM: Minnesota Twins
O/U THIS SEASON: 23-20-3
O/U LAST WEEK: 5-1
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE: Home to the Athletics for three, at the Indians for three.
THE SKINNY: The Twins have been another good fade team so far, but the bats have come alive recently. While that hasn’t been enough to pull out more victories, if nothing else, it has led to some overs, and totals players should now be on alert.
The Twins were 7-2-1 over in their previous 10 games leading into Sunday’s series finale against Detroit, and also had posted three in a row. In those three, they scored 17 runs, and when you have a bad pitching staff, that kind of run total is going to get you over the total, folks.
In three games last week alone, Minnesota’s arms allowed 10 or more runs, and through Saturday’s action, the Twins were dead last in the majors in ERA (5.50).
UNDER TEAM: Pittsburgh Pirates
O/U THIS SEASON: 12-31-3
O/U LAST WEEK: 1-5
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE: Home to the Reds for three, at the Brewers for three.
THE SKINNY: Like the Cubs, we simply cannot pass on a good thing here. And with just a dozen overs through May 26, the Pirates are more than just a good thing in under-land. With a .216 team batting average, Pittsburgh ended Saturday’s action dead last in the National League and second worst in the majors next to Oakland.
But wait, there’s more. A .610 team OPS was 30th overall, and in the four games headed into Sunday’s series finale against the Cubs, Pittsburgh scored three runs or less in all of them.
Listen, outfielder Andrew McCutchen -- .338 average, seven homers, 24 RBIs, 25 runs and eight steals -- is a ball player, and appears worthy of the contract he received in the offseason. But he's alone in that lineup. And when you combine that with a pitching staff that was third in the majors in ERA (3.23) and eighth in WHIP (1.25), those unders will likely continue to pile up.
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