Pittsburgh’s Kevin Correia (6-6, 4.25 ERA) is slated to oppose Miami’s Ricky Nolasco (8-7, 4.47 ERA) in a duel of right-handed hurlers. Where do we think that MLB bettors have the best edge when placing their picks on tonight's game?
Joe Freda’s 2012 MLB Record: 39-40-2 (-2.03 ROI)
The Pittsburgh Pirates have gone 9-2 in their last 11 home dates,
outscoring foes by a combined margin of 67-28. Clint Hurdle’s club returns to PNC Park after a six-game road trip for
Friday’s opener against the Miami Marlins, who have seen the UNDER cash at
5-1-1 in their last seven road affairs.
Top online baseball betting shops opened Correia as a 120
favorite, while first listing the ‘total’ at 8 ½.
Correia stingy in
Milwaukee
Correia notched a third straight win in Saturday’s 6-4 victory for
Pittsburgh, collecting as a 146 road dog against the Milwaukee Brewers. The nine-year veteran gave up all four of
Milwaukee’s runs, with two being earned, lasting six innings.
Pittsburgh’s Andrew McCutchen and Casey McGehee each cracked a
homer, uniting to bat 4-for-9. Pirates
leadoff man Drew Sutton was held to a 0-for-4 night, while mates Pedro Alvarez
and Michael McKenry combined to leave eight men on base.
The contest’s 10 runs leaped above the closing ‘total’ of nine,
lifting the OVER to 4-1 in Correia’s last five starts. Pirates closer Joel Hanrahan held Milwaukee
without a hit in the final frame, logging his 24th save, while Chris
Resop and Jason Grilli each recorded a hold.
Nolasco exits early in
defeat
Nolasco saw a two-win streak end with Sunday’s 4-0 setback for
Miami as a 130 MLB odds dog against the Washington Nationals. The 29-year-old allowed four runs on six
hits, departing after 5 1/3 innings.
Marlins outfielder Emilio Bonifacio poked a double as part of a
1-for-3 day, while Greg Dobbs went 2-for-4. Miami’s Omar Infante and Hanley Ramirez were held to a combined 0-for-8,
leaving 11 men on base.
The duel’s four runs dipped below the ‘total’ of 7 ½, moving the
UNDER to 3-0 in Nolasco’s last trio of outings. Both squads recorded no errors, while Marlins relievers Heath Bell and
Michael Dunn united to allow no hits over the final two innings.
Back the Marlins on the
road
Friday’s first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. (ET). The weather forecast in Pittsburgh calls for
an 85-percent chance of thunderstorms, with calm winds at 70 degrees.
I am adding the Marlins at a short price to my MLB picks for the
night’s action, looking for Infante and Co. to pick up where they left off
after last September’s sweep of the Pirates at PNC Park
Nolasco was on the hill for Miami’s 13-4 spanking as part of that
span’s matchups, with Infante and mate Logan Morrison uniting for eight RBI’s
of run support. Miami has a 4-0 mark in
Nolasco’s last four outings against the Pirates, with the seventh-year hurler
giving up just three runs over the stretch’s 27 IP.
Correia was shelled for six runs in 3 2/3 innings as part of May’s
6-2 defeat for the Pirates in Miami. Infante and Hanley Ramirez drove in two runs each, combining to finish
hitting 7-for-10.
Miami’s bats of John Buck and Austin Kearns have also had
Correia’s number, cracking three homers in a combined 17 lifetime
at-bat’s. Infante also come in hot from
a 5-for-12 series against the Chicago Cubs, while mate Jose Reyes enters the
set with a seven-game hitting streak.
Miami is 4-1 in
Nolasco’s last five starts against National League Central foes, while the
Marlins are 15-3 in their last 18 meetings with the Pirates. Look for Nolasco to bounce back from last
weekend’s defeat, opening the series with a cashed ticket for Marlins backers.
MLB Picks: Marlins