Scott “The Bulldog” Rickenbach MLB Friday Free Pick OVER 7 in Tampa Bay Rays vs Chicago White Sox @ 7:10 ET – We are getting line value here because the Rays have McClanahan on the mound for this one. Yes he is a solid pitcher but still this is keeping this total too low as he should be reached for at least a couple runs here and Velasquez likely to get rocked. The Chicago starter has a 7.20 ERA last 3 starts and a 6.75 ERA on the road this season. McClanahan gave up 7 hits in 5 innings when he faced the White Sox last season. Velasquez has been hit hard in each of last two starts versus Rays. The over is 4-0 in Chicago’s 4 games entering this one. TB not known for scoring a lot of runs but this is good match-up for them and there have been only 3 unders in last 9 meetings between these teams. Free Pick OVER 7 in Tampa Bay Rays.
*Action on Pitchers* Scott “The Bulldog” Rickenbach MLB Friday Free Pick OVER 9.5 runs in Boston Red Sox vs Baltimore Orioles @ 7:10 ET – Red Sox off a 16-7 win yesterday and have won 7 of 8 games and scored an average of 10 runs per game in those 7 wins. The Orioles were off yesterday and are off a shutout loss Wednesday. Prior to that 2-0 loss, Baltimore had scored 6 or more runs in 5 of 6 games. Bradish 0-2 last 2 starts and allowed 9 earned runs in less than 10 innings in those 2 outings. Whitlock has an 8.18 ERA last 3 starts and none of his 3 home starts this season has resulted in an under. This one will not either. Regardless of pitchers, both lineups hot, both bullpens slumping, and this game should fly over the total. Free Pick OVER 9.5 in Boston.
Scott “The Bulldog” Rickenbach MLB Monday Free Pick Milwaukee Brewers Money Line -162 @ Cincinnati Reds @ 6:40 ET – The Reds got just their 5th win of the season yesterday. Cincinnati is 0-4 this season when off a win! Castillo is starting and is a solid pitcher but it is his first start of the season coming back from injury. Woodruff has been piling up the strikeouts for Milwaukee and he should dominate in this outing. Brewers are off B2B losses but had won 9 of 10 before that. Milwaukee has yet to lose 3 straight games this season and I don’t see that changing here either. Free Pick MILWAUKEE.
Scott “The Bulldog” Rickenbach NHL Friday Free Pick Montreal Canadiens Money Line +135 vs New York Islanders @ 7:05 – RIP Mike Bossy. Before the news broke this morning that career-long Islander and Montreal-native Mike Bossy had passed away, I was considering using this play as a top play premium pick. Instead you are reading about it here as Bossy who was one of the top NHL scorers of all-time and played in the late 70s and 80s succumbed to lung cancer this morning. Both the Islanders and Canadiens will most certainly each be playing with extra emotion tonight. As noted above, Bossy was born and raised in Montreal and it is actually a bit of an irony that he passed away right before this particular match-up. What had me looking at a play here before this news broke is the fact the goalie Carey Price is finally expected back between the pipes tonight for the Habs and you know that the Montreal skaters are going to bring their A game in front of him after his long-time hiatus from the crease. Couple that with the fact that the Islanders are in a B2B spot and off a loss and losing what little hope they had left of making the playoffs and you have the ideal home dog spot in my opinion. Free Pick MONTREAL +135
Rickenbach NHL Free Pick Philadelphia +115 @ Columbus @ 7:05 ET – Flyers Martin Jones has allowed 3 or less goal in 6 of his last 8 starts. He is coming off a strong effort against the Rangers. In those 6 solid efforts he has allowed only 2.3 goals per start! Philadelphia has revenge from a home loss to the Blue Jackets Tuesday and I look for them to return the favor here by knocking off the Jackets in Columbus. To me this line looks a little funny with the home team a small favorite. Don’t let the number fool you. Priced this way because the road dog gets revenge against a Blue Jackets team that had lost 7 in a row before beating the Flyers Tuesday. Payback! Free Pick PHILADELPHIA +115