Nothing better than beating the baseball odds makers at their own game, and today we look to do just that by adding a dog or two to our MLB picks. Find out which matchup we have decided to coin as our 'Underdog Pick of the Day'.
I've been a roll with my underdog picks, going 10-6 to date, as my bankroll continues to grow. We have decided to highlight some of these value plays for all of those who follow SBR's MLB betting picks. So keep your eyes open, as we will add these plays only when the opportunity arises. Let's get started!
Picking underdogs isn't an easy prospect, otherwise all of us baseball bettors would be cashing in. That being said, bear with me and look at it from a long-term perspective.
Baltimore Orioles at Cleveland Indians:
Current Odds: Indians -153, Total 9
I have gone over Monday's baseball matchups, and this one stands out as Baltimore (51-44) is by far the better team in this matchup, as the Indians are hovering around the .500 mark at 47-48. The Orioles are also riding a 5 game winning streak while the Indians are on a 4 game slide.
Pitching matchup 
Tommy Hunter (4-4, 5.71) facing off against Justin Masterson (6-8, 4.29) leaves a lot to be desired. In his last 3 starts, Masterson has had only 1 quality outing. He's pitched 15 2/3 innings and has given up 12 runs and 21 hits with a shutout included. Masterson is coming off a demoralizing effort against the Rays in where he gave up 7 walks in just 4 1/3 innings.
From the Orioles perspective, right-hander Tommy Hunter has been the definition of inconsistent. While this is true, he has pitched 2 quality outings in his last 3 starts and is coming off of a 2-1 win over the Twins where he gave up just 1 run on 6 hits in 7 1/3 innings.
The major thing that the Indians have going for them, and a partial reason why
MLB odds makers listed them as a moderate favorite, is that they have home field advantage. Personally, I don't think that this is enough to warrant the Indians as a -153 favorite. If anything, Baltimore is more of a likely favorite and this is a tossup. If Tommy Hunter continues to pitch well, the Orioles can cover as a live dog with the offense and momentum that they have going on at the moment.
The Orioles have outscored Cleveland 17-6 in the first three games in this series, and they are looking to go for the 4 game series sweep.
J.J. HardyThe Orioles shortstop had a spectacular 2011 season and is known for his power. Thus far, Hardy has been adequate in the power department, but hasn't been able to hit for average. On the season, Hardy is hitting just .220 with 14 HR and 37 RBI.
Hardy is coming off of a strong 2 of 5 performance where he was the difference in the game with a 2 run homer in the 1st inning against Cleveland. He had 3 RBI's for the game and is currently riding a 6 game hitting streak. If Hardy can stay consistent, Masterson will have a tough time as Baltimore is laced with capable hitters such as Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, Chris Davis, and even 41 year old Jim Thome.
Baltimore has the momentum coming into this game and Hunter has shown that he can keep an opposing offense in check. Take the O's in this spot.
Dog of the day: Baltimore +143