TiltBet

AFTER a quiet Monday I have three competitions to look at on Tuesday – Champions League Europa League qualifiers and the Betfred Cup group stage.

There are five CL ties and five in the EL as well as 11 Betfred Cup ties and loads of friendlies including Barcelona v Chelsea so plenty to consider.

At first glance both to score is possivle at Plzen v Olympiakos and Saburtalo v Dinamo Zagreb. Plzen have won two out of two this season but conceded in both while Saburtalo lost 3-1 at home to Sheriff in the last round but went through 4-3.

Danish champions Copenhagen should be too good for Welsh side TNS but are no bigger than 2-7 on the road and the biggest tie sees PSV entertain Basel.

PSV finished second behind Ajax last season and will be desperate to qualify for the groups while Basel were a distant second behind Young Boys. The Dutch league is stronger and PSV should win but it's a tough match at this stage of the season.

In the Europa League Torshavn v Linfield could have goals while Ararat should beat Red Imps at home after being edged out 4-3 by AIK in the CL qualifiers. However, they are around 1-5.

Shkendija should have been playing Celtic in the Champions League but conceded a last-gasp goal to lose at home to Nomme Kalju and try to pick up the pieces at home to Dudelange. The Luxembourg side like to attack and went out on away goals to Valletta after a 3-3 draw on aggregate – should see goals here.

Astana and Suduva are short prices to win at minnows Santa Coloma and Tre Penne respectively.

In the Betfred Cup there are again some short odds-on sides such as Falkirk at Berwick, Motherwell at Dumbarton, Dundee United at home to East Fife and Inverness at home to Cove.

Finding value isn't easy and while Hibs haven't hammered anyone they look decent at 2-5 at home to Arbroath. St Mirren have been poor but really need something to get fans on side and 4-9 isn't bad for a Premiership side away to League Two Albion Rovers.

If there's to be a mild shock it could be Peterhead at 2-1 away to Raith while evens on Morton is pretty good at home to Annan.

I'll have a closer look at the games and put up tips before or after playing golf so that will be 9am or about 5pm.

I didn't have a bet on Monday but well done to those who profited on a quiet night.

Remember to check welovebetting for their video chat and latest tips.

Mr Fixit's July Super Singles Total: -1.7pts

Mr Fixit's July Accas Total: -11.2pts

What a great summer it is turning out to be for betting on baseball. We took Sunday off but managed to bink another money line underdog (+125) on Saturday night when the Oakland Athletics came from behind in the ninth to give us our eighth win in our last nine bets and ran our record to 15-6 in the month of July. That is over 71% winners this month! Even single unit bettors are up over nine full units during this summer hot streak. We will try and keep that momentum alive tonight as we head to Pittsburgh where the Pirates host their division rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals.

The St. Louis Cardinals are in Pittsburgh Monday to face a familiar foe, the Pirates. These two teams matched up last week in St. Louis for a three-game set that saw the Cards take two out of three games. The Cardinals have been all over the place this season, but they are playing good baseball right now as they have won seven out of their last nine games.

For the Pirates, they have really struggled since the All-Star break, and have lost seven out of their last nine contests. Many speculated whether or not the Pirates would be buying or selling at the trade deadline, but with this recent skid, those questions are now answered as they are clearly out of contention at this point and you can expect them to ship some key pieces away any day.

Starting for the Pirates is Trevor Williams (3-3 5.17 ERA) and for the Cardinals, it is Daniel Ponce de Leon (1-0 2.80 ERA). The game total over-under is set at nine and a half runs. The Cardinals are slight -110 road favorites. First pitch is scheduled for 4:05 PM PST from PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

Are the Cardinals in contention? Are the Cardinals out? It seems like the answer changes nearly daily at this point. St. Louis had the best record in the game after the season’s first forty or so games, then went on a brutal slump, and now seem to have the ship righted again post All-Star break. Luckily for St. Louis, the Cubs and Brewers are having similar struggles atop the NL Central standings, so they haven’t lost much ground. Entering play tonight, the Cards are just two and a half games back of the first-place Cubs in the central.

St. Louis managed to take two out of three from the Pirates last week, and that series loss dealt a devastating blow to the Pirate’s playoff chances. If St. Louis can win this four-game series in Pittsburg this week, just days before the trade deadline, it would all but end the Pirates season. The Cardinals will send out starter Daniel Ponce de Leon tonight in game one.

Ponce de Leon was enjoying a successful campaign two seasons ago in the minors before he took a line drive to the head that resulted in season-ending brain surgery. He missed thirteen months rehabbing the injury, and many thought he would never pitch again. He made it all the way back last season and posted some solid results for a rookie. He had an ERA of just 2.73 in eleven appearances.

He missed most of this season as was added back to the Cardinals rotation to replace the ever-struggling Michael Wacha in mid-June. Ponce de Leon has made eight appearances so far this season, with five of those coming as starts. In his last start, against these very same Pirates last week, Ponce de Leon struggled as he got blasted for four runs in just three and two-thirds of an inning worked. Before last week’s rough outing against Pittsburgh, Ponce de Leon had allowed just one run in his previous three appearances, spanning eleven and a third innings.

Trevor Williams seems to be a likely trade candidate for Pittsburgh this year. The market is starved of starting pitching, and a guy like Williams would net decent returns. The problem for Pittsburgh is that he can’t stop getting lit up right now. It is hard to trade a guy that has an ERA of nearly ten runs in his last four starts.

Williams missed time with an injury and since returning has been absolutely awful. He has pitched a total of twenty-two and two-thirds of an inning and has gotten hammered for twenty-four runs, including eight home runs. Williams is starting tonight as his last start was pushed back due to illness, so he will not be on his standard routine.

How can you not like a bet against Trevor Williams right now? The guy is in absolute freefall, and I see him getting roughed up tonight. I don’t have all that much more confidence in Ponce de Leon, but to be honest, this bet is much more about fading Williams than it is backing Ponce de Leon.

The Cardinals are clearly the better overall team. They struggled in the middle of the season but are playing well now that they have their best players back and healthy. I think that they take three out of four from Pittsburgh this week and knock the Pirates out of the playoff race for good. That starts tonight in game one.

The Cardinals have struggled on the road, so that gives me a little bit of pause, but getting the opportunity to back them at basically even money is too much value to pass up on. And it’s not like the Pirates have been some giant killers at home, they are just 23-23 at PNC Park this season. So, I will back the much hotter team, laying just a little bit of wood, and feel like I am the prohibitive favorite tonight. Give me the St. Louis Cardinals at -110 tonight in game one from Pittsburgh!

The Bet: St. Louis Cardinals -110

Posted: July 22, 2019

(Photo credit: AP:Associated Press)

The Open Championship finished without a ton of drama as a local boy won it. It wasn’t Rory McIlroy as so many had predicted coming into the tournament, his bad first day did him in, but instead it was Ireland’s Shane Lowry. It was only his second win on the PGA Tour and the first major victory for him. Lowry had a fantastic third round where he set a new course record with a 63. He beat Tommy Fleetwood by six strokes to secure the Claret jug.

As of this writing, we are nine days away from the MLB non-waiver trade deadline and I’m really wondering if we are going to see a lot of movement as the list of sellers is low. A look at the National League Wild Card race reveals that a lot of teams are still in it.

You have to feel bad for the Reds who are having a good season in the run differential category, but just aren’t there in the win column. This team has a lot of good pieces and would be a good seller, but after the last couple of years they have had that is something that they definitely aren’t going to do. The same can be said about the Padres and probably the Mets so that leaves Colorado, Pittsburgh, and Miami as the only potential sellers in the National League.

The American League doesn’t offer much as teams like Baltimore, Kansas City, and Detroit are already stripped down to the bare bones. The White Sox are in the midst of a youth movement so likely won’t be doing much which just leaves Toronto and Seattle as the teams looking to deal. Again, they have already stripped down quite a bit this season.

So it could be a quiet deadline unless something crazy happens. That said, it looks like we are going to get a great race down the stretch and with things being so tight – something crazy very well could happen.

MLB Betting Tips:

All betting tips are made using the Bet MLB System. The system has a 105-63 record on the season.

New York Yankees at Minnesota Twins: This is a big time proving series for the Twins. They have been atop the AL Central all season and now get a preview of the type of team they’ll be facing in the playoffs. This should be a good one.

I like the Twins tonight and a big reason for that is CC Sabathia’s road numbers. CC has a 5.84 ERA/6.76 FIP in his road starts this season with a huge 2.68 HR/9 rate. This Twins offense has been one of the best against lefties this season with a 125 wRC+.

The Twins send Martin Perez who is also a lefty and he has a 4.10 ERA/3.80 FIP on the season. This is an undoubtedly tough match-up for him, but on the season the Yankees have just a 91 wRC+ against lefties. That is below average and far from the huge numbers they put up against righties. This is a nice play for Minnesota.

Bet Twins +108

Texas Rangers at Seattle Mariners: I always have reservations when the system says the Mariners look good, but I have to agree with the system here. They do look good.

Marco Gonzales is really overdue for a good home start. He has a 5.46 ERA/3.77 FIP in his home starts this season and that ERA is bound to come down. The 54% left on base percentage is really hurting him. He gets a good opportunity tonight as the Rangers have just an 81 wRC+ on the season against left handed pitching which is far below average.

The Rangers send Adrian Sampson who has a 7.64 ERA/6.62 FIP on the road this season with an astronomical 2.8 HR/9 rate. This Mariners offense is still pretty dangerous and this is a nice match-up for the Mariners to put up some serious runs.

Bet Mariners -110

The UCL qualifiers, Europa League qualifiers and the Scottish League cup matches provided us with plenty of winners last week  and its more of the same again this week with all three competitions in full swing along side a barrel load of friendlies.

I've pulled together another preview of the week ahead of the matches and I'll be focusing on and where I feel the best bets of the week are.

Monday:

As with the last few weeks, Monday is a no bet day for me with not much standing out

Tuesday:

• 5 UCL qualifiers
• 5 Europa League qualifiers
• 11 Betfred cup matches in Scotland

Motherwell at Dumbarton and Falkirk at Berwick look like the matches to focus on although finding value is going to be hard. Hibs and Dundee United also at home to lower league opposition

Wednesday:

• 7 UCL qualifiers including Celtic at Home to Nomme Kalju
• 5 Betfred cup matches in Scotland

Really like the 5 matches from the Betfred cup – all like they'll have goals and 5 firm favourites

Heart are home to Stenhousemuir, St Johnstone should make amends against Brechin and I like the look of Airdrie and over 1.5 goals in their game against Queens Park

Thursday:

Another massive night in the Europa league with 40+ matches – some absolute crackers to get stuck into for goals with some real mismatches in terms of quality

• Rangers v Progress
• Wolves v Crusaders

Friday:

Hail the return of the Austrian Liga 2 🙂 One of my favourite Friday night leagues and a terrific league for goals

6 matches KO at 6.10pm

Hibs travel to play Elgin in the Betfred  cup – should be goals here

ALL roads lead to Iceland for me this evening and although my initial thoughts were to go for Briedablik goals, the more I look, the less I like it!

In fact, current form and more historic meetings point to underwhelming totals for both goals and corners and have led to me putting together a rare unders bet-builder for the NB.

Conversely, the NAP comes in the form of an overs bet- builder with old favourites FH doing OK of late but always at risk of conceding their obligatory goal!

FH's other notable standout is their propensity to drive up a fair old corner-count which sees them amongst the top ‘corner performers' in Europe.

Take both factors to play a part in a game whose actual outcome, I'd not like to call!

Recommended bets

HK VS. FH (8.15pm)

• Both teams to score + over 9.5 corners
  (1.77/1, ***) NAP

BREIDABLIK VS. GRINDAVÍK (8.15pm)

• Under 3.5 goals + under 10 corners
  (2.56/1, ***) NB

The MLB is set up with a total of eleven games up on the board for Monday night. One of those games will be a cross conference matchup between the Miami Marlins and the Chicago White Sox. These two teams are meeting for the first and only time this series, which could be an evenly matched series. This game is expected to start at around 8:10 PM Eastern time.

Miami has put up a record of 36-61 to this point in the season, which has them sitting in fifth place of the NL East. The Marlins have lost three games in a row but will look for their team to turn it around as they head up to Chicago. Miami has struggled throughout this season, but they will look to try and put up a solid finish to the season, starting with a win against the White Sox.

The White Sox have earned the third spot in the AL Central with a record of 44-52. Chicago has not quite had the season they were hoping for, but have been able to win two of their last three games. Before that though, the White Sox had lost seven games in a row. Chicago will look to keep their small hot streak going with some victories against the Marlins.

Miami and Chicago have both put up struggling seasons so far this season, but could both find some success against each other. The Marlins and the White Sox only meet this one time this season, so neither team has a real good feel for each other. They will look to find a way to get started early to earn a big win on Monday night.

Previous Matchups

The Marlins and the White Sox have not met up since the 2016 season. In that three-game series in Miami, the White Sox were able to pull off a win in the first two games but took a tough loss in the third matchup of the series. Both teams have changed quite a bit since the 2016 season, which will really mean that coaching will play a big role in Monday night’s matchup.

Miami has gone 3-5 since the All-Star break. The Marlins were able to go 1-2 against the New York Mets, 2-1 against the San Diego Padres and 0-3 against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first half of this road trip. The White Sox have put up a record of 2-8 since the All-Star break. Chicago got swept in series against the Oakland Athletics and the lowly Kansas City Royals but went 2-1 in their last series against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Marlins and the White Sox have not played since 2016, which should lead to an interesting series. The Marlins have been doing a bit better since the All-Star break, but the White Sox are coming off a solid series against the Rays, while the Marlins got swept in their most recent series against the Dodgers. Chicago will look for that momentum to help them take Monday night’s matchup.

Batting

Starlin Castro has put up some solid numbers this season. Castro has earned 96 hits and 41 RBI’s to this point in the season. Miguel Rojas has 94 hits this season. Brian Anderson has 84 hits and a team leading 13 home runs and 46 RBI’s. The Marlins have had Jorge Alfaro earn 70 hits and 10 home runs this season. Garrett Cooper has 67 hits and 11 home runs.

The White Sox have not been doing too terribly at hitting this season. Jose Abreu has 105 hits, 21 home runs and 69 RBI’s this season. Yoan Moncada has earned 104 hits, 17 home runs, 52 RBI’s and an OPS of .888 so far. Leury Garcia has 101 hits on the season with only 5 home runs. James McCann has put up 77 hits with 11 home runs.

Chicago holds a clear advantage on the offensive side of this matchup against the Marlins. Even with the White Sox missing Tim Anderson and Eloy Jimenez, they still have a better lineup then Miami. The Marlins will need some players to step up in a big way if they want to put up a stronger hitting performance then Chicago.

Pitchers

The Marlins will have Trevor Richards start on the mound for Monday night. Richards has earned a record of 3-11 this season through nineteen starts this season. He has an ERA of 4.24 and a WHIP of 1.385. In his last performance, Richards allowed eight hits and three runs through five innings in a tough 3-2 loss against the San Diego Padres.

Ivan Nova will start for the White Sox on Monday. Nova has an ERA of 5.86 and a WHIP of 1.572 through is starts this season. Through those twenty starts, he has a record of 4-9 this season. Nova’s last start came against the Kansas City Royals. He allowed six hits, six runs, and five walks through four and two-thirds innings pitched.

Both Richards and Nova have not put up memorable performances this season, but will both to earn a win on Monday night. Richards has the better ERA and WHIP and Nova has the better record. I believe that the Marlins have the slight edge on the mound for Monday night’s matchup. If these pitchers continue to struggle, we could see a high hitting game between these two teams.

Pick Overview

The Marlins and the White Sox have not met since 2016, which should lead to a tough matchup for both teams as they try to scout out the other team as quickly as possible. I believe that Chicago has a good chance to take the first game of this series on Monday night. The White Sox have the better hitting team, which should be able to put up a solid performance against Richards. Chicago will need a better start from Nova though.

BetOnline has the White Sox listed as a -115 against the money line on Monday night. I believe that Chicago deserves the slight edge for this first game of this series. I believe that Chicago still has some value as a favorite against Miami. The White Sox and the Marlins should be able to put up a good series, but with Chicago’s edge on the offensive side, I believe that they will be able to pull off a win on Monday.

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Rob Eddy's Racing Tips: Tuesday 23rd July - Best Tuesday Horse Racing Tips

[unable to retrieve full-text content]The New Saints v FC Copenhagen Betting Tips, Predictions & Odds

[unable to retrieve full-text content]UEFA Champions League 2019/20: The New Saints v FC Copenhagen Betting Tips, Predictions & Odds

The Chicago Cubs fly to the west coast for a three-game series against the hot San Francisco Giants. The Giants may be shopping Madison Bumgarner around, but they’re playing like a team determined to get into the postseason. With wins in 8 of their last 9 games, the Giants are playing their best baseball of the season of late. They are feeling it and this is all while trade rumors are swirling around their ace.

There were reports that suggested the Giants tried to trade him about a month ago, but apparently it fell through. Don’t expect the Giants to deal Bumgarner for next to nothing. They’re going to want top prospects in return for Bumgarner. Rightfully so, he still has a lot left in the tank and can easily put a team over the top. Especially considering the amount of success that he’s had in the postseason, Bumgarner is a hot commodity for a team out there who are destined for the postseason.

By the end of it all, he may still be a Giant at the end of the season. That may or may not include the postseason. The Giants certainly look like a postseason team lately, but they can’t afford to let up, because they are still on the outside by 2.5 games in what is an incredibly crowded field.

San Francisco have been winning thanks to some strong, timely pitching from their staff. Their last three wins have been by scores of 3-2, 1-0, and 3-2. There wasn’t any room for error in those games. Shaun Anderson, who has been struggling mightily, hopes to keep it going for the Giants tonight. The rookie was pitching reasonably well, but has hit a major pothole of late. He will be making the 13th start of his career against the Cubs. The Cubs are coming off a 5-1 loss, but are 7-1 in their previous eight games. Alec Mills will hit the hill for the third start of his career tonight. Head below for our free Cubs vs. Giants pick.

Chicago Cubs vs. S.F. Giants Pick:

Betting odds provided by bovada.lv

The Cubs were forced to go to Alec Mills from the minors as a result of Cole Hamels. Hamels is still working himself back from injury and only throwing bullpen sessions at the moment, so the onus falls on Mills to fill in the void. Mills is unlikely to be able to fill up the entire void with Hamels out.

There aren’t many pitchers in the majors who can, but Mills did a nice enough job in his 2019 debut to stick in the rotation for another outing. Mills helped the Cubs to a 4-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds a week ago. He allowed 3 runs in 5 innings, and chewed up innings pretty quickly with just 13.5 pitches per inning. Not bad at all for a guy filling in.

If Mills records a similar game, then the Cubs are probably going to be in fine shape against the Giants here. Shaun Anderson has been throwing BP sessions out there. He goes into Monday with an ERA of 8.78 and 2.10 WHIP in his last 13.1 innings of work. Anderson got torched against the Padres, Brewers, and Rockies.

He is going to feel more comfortable pitching in San Francisco than he did at Coors Field, but he doesn’t get the easiest opponent to return home to. The 24-year-old has never faced the Cubs in his career. He gets them coming off a cold afternoon against the Padres with only 1-run scored. In any event, they were still able to win two of three games in that series. Following a red-hot run by the Giants of eight wins in their last nine games, I’m sensing a letdown spot to open the week against the Cubs here. They likely don’t have the offense to get by the visitors in this one.

[unable to retrieve full-text content]UEFA Champions League 2019/20: PSV Eindhoven v FC Basel Betting Tips, Predictions & Odds

Milwaukee return home to Miller Park after a successful weekend in the desert against the Diamondbacks. The Brewers won three of four games to get a few big wins before returning home to play the Cincinnati Reds. They advanced to 5-1 in their previous six games. San Diego were able to grab a win at Wrigley yesterday to help the Brewers out.

It’s a three-team race in the NL Central, with the Cardinals, Brewers, and Cubs all within 2.5 games. A record of 54-45 is what it takes to be atop the division at the moment. The Cubs are in San Francisco for what could be a trap series out west. San Fran have been playing much better baseball lately and are giving themselves a chance to catch a wildcard and go to the play-in game.

The Reds are going to have to get going soon if they want to be the team playing in that game. Losing three of four games to the Cardinals is not how you go about playing catch up. It seems awfully doubtful that they have it in them to go on a run to get a postseason berth.

They’re 7 games behind in the wildcard race, which situates them behind eight teams who are on the outside looking in. With that in mind, Yasiel Puig may be an attractive piece of bait to set up a trade. There are a few teams out there who would likely overpay for his services despite his expensive contract. Puig has been heating up recently as well following a slow start to his career in Cincinnati, so the Reds could fetch a nice haul in return.

With the postseason getting further out of reach by the day, it’s a realistic scenario that the Reds are likely to entertain. The Reds will send out Sonny Gray, who has evolved into an ace alongside Luis Castillo in the rotation, will get the nod starting Monday. Those two alone should have the Reds in a better position than a record of 44-53. Chase Anderson will counter in the Brewers first game since a 5-4 win over the Braves on the 17th. Head below for our free Reds vs. Brewers pick.

Cincinnati Reds vs. Milwaukee Brewers Pick:

Betting odds provided by bovada.lv

Sonny Gray has looked like an entirely different pitcher in a Reds’ uniform than he did with the Yankees in the Bronx. Could it have been the pressure of playing in a big market that got to Gray? He looked different as a Yankee than with the Athletics as well. Gray went from ace to getting booed off the mound in New York. He’s back to being applauded with the Reds, as he carries an ERA of 3.40 and 1.13 WHIP into tonight. Gray has been at his best of late, with a 1.29 ERA and 0.71 WHIP in his last three outings.

The last time he gave up more than 2 runs was on June 21st against this Brewers squad, but he also has two stellar outings against Milwaukee this year. On May 21st Gray didn’t allow a run in 5 innings, and then July 3rd he went 8 innings against the Brewers without allowing a run. Milwaukee are hitting .224 with 2 long balls against Gray in 98 at-bats, so overall, he’s won the battle against this lineup in his seven-year career. He hasn’t been bothered by pitching on the road, as he’s posted an ERA of 3.35 and 1.16 WHIP.

Gray takes on Chase Anderson of the Brewers, who has been in a nice groove recently as well. He hasn’t been on Gray’s pace with a 1.29 ERA in his last three outings, but he’s been sharp nonetheless, with a 2.45 ERA and 0.89 WHIP in his previous three outings. Anderson has prevented more than 2 runs in five straight starts.

His best came in his most recent outing, as he held the Braves to just 1 hit in 5.2 innings. He’s also been better at home, with a 3.88 ERA and 0.97 WHIP at home as opposed to a 4.06 ERA and 1.58 WHIP on the road. Cincinnati are hitting just .233 against righties in 2019. There’s been an average of only 4.3 runs scored in the Reds and Brewers last three meetings. With Gray and Anderson both locked in at the moment, expect a score on the lower side in this matchup as well.

The Oakland Athletics head to Texas following a loss in the series finale against the Twins on Sunday. They were close to getting a sweep and 9th win in their previous 10 outings, but the Twins woke up in the afternoon. In any event, the A’s were still winners in two of three games to win the road series against a capable Minnesota club. That’s a good weekend for the A’s, who are in a close battle for a wildcard.

The Rays are right on their heels by just a game in the American League. Both teams have it tough over the next few days, as the Rays are playing the Red Sox and the A’s must deal with the Astros on the road. The Astros are top in the American League with a record of 64-37. However, the Yankees have the better winning percentage, as they’ve played three less games than the ‘Stros.

Houston completed a sweep of the struggling Rangers at home on Sunday afternoon. Along with defeating the Rangers in three games, they beat the Angels in two straight games prior to the weekend. The Astros will put a five-game winning streak on the line at Minute Maid with the Athletics in town tonight. They are a 7-2 ball club in their previous nine games played.

The Astros were getting sleepy about a month ago in mid-June, with seven straight losses. Since going 2-9, the Astros are 14-5 in their previous 19 matches. They are a way better team than the 2-9 record indicated, but it’s hard to go through a long schedule like this and not have any hiccups.

Houston seem to be over it and have their eyes set on earning top honors in the AL. Gerrit Cole will seek to get the Astros their sixth win in a row Monday night. Newcomer of the club, Homer Bailey, is scheduled to make his second start as an Athletic in Houston tonight. Head below for our free Athletics vs. Astros pick.

Oakland Athletics vs. Houston Astros Pick:

Betting odds provided by bovada.lv

The Royals were thrilled to be able to trade Homer Bailey to the Athletics recently. They brought him on board as a rotation filler, not really expecting to be able to work out a deal for him before the deadline. The Royals get a 23-year-old Double-A player in return, which is somewhat impressive of a return given where Bailey was the past four of five years. Bailey has been decent enough in 2019, though.

He holds an ERA of 4.69 with a 1.40 WHIP, which is serviceable to get a job in a rotation. Bailey hasn’t been too sharp on the road, though, and he faces an Astro team, who are hitting .330 with a .344 OBP against him in 30 at-bats. Not an adequate sample size, but it isn’t like Bailey has shown he can be a particularly strong pitcher over a long sample size the last five years. He heads into Houston with a 5.60 ERA and 1.53 WHIP on the road this season. Considering where he was, that’s not all that bad for him. However, it’s not going to win too many games for a club.

Bailey and the Athletics have a tall order to fulfill against Gerrit Cole this evening. The Athletics are hitting just .203 with a .265 OBP against Cole in 139 at-bats. Oakland are running into a hot Cole as well. He has allowed 2 or less runs in nine of his previous ten outings. In the one outing he did allow more than 2, that was on the road against the Rangers. He hasn’t allowed more than 2 runs in a start at Minute Maid since May 22nd.

Cole will go into Monday night with an ERA of 2.94 and 0.92 WHIP at home this year. The ‘Stros have gone 22-5 in his last 27 starts. This is a tricky spot for the A’s on the road, as they play their fourth game in a row as a visiting club. The Astros are one of the best in baseball at home, with a record of 36-14, while the A’s are just 26-23 on the road. Look at the Astros on the runline Monday night at Minute Maid Park.

The New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins begin a three-game series Monday night at Target Field. The Yankees are coming off an 8-4 loss against the Rockies on Sunday, but were winners in two of three games. They can afford to drop a game or two here and there given their lead in the AL East. The Rays are the next closest in the division, though that amounts to a 9-game hole.

Tampa are in the midst of a wildcard race. The Yankees go into Monday with a record of 64-34, so their greatest concern is finding a way to find the top seed in the American League. They are tied with the Astros with 64 wins going into this week. However, the Astros have played three less games than the Yanks.

The Twins lead their division as well, but what was around a double-digit lead, has evaporated and their lead is down to three games. Cleveland made easy work of the Royals this weekend. The Twins edged out the Athletics, 7-6, on Sunday but that was only their second win in seven games.

Their recent skid has allowed the Indians to get back into the divisional race, and it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if they overtake the Twins. Cleveland were the clear favorites of the AL Central going into this season. Recently, the odds have been shifting back towards them. Minnesota are still in control, but they have a tough series over the next few days at home.

Martin Perez will be tasked with setting the pace for the Twins on the bump Monday evening. The Yankees have been a tricky opponent for him in the past, so the offense may have to do their part against CC Sabathia. Sabathia has been in the majors since 2001 and continues to pitch effectively as a 39-year-old. He’s regressed from the previous few years, but is still a viable option. Head below for our free Twins vs. Yankees pick.

N.Y. Yankees vs. Minnesota Twins Pick:

Betting odds provided by bovada.lv

Sabathia has been holding up well for a guy who has these many miles on his arm. The most impressive thing about his longevity might be his ability to avoid injuries. That is mainly how Sabathia has been able to stay on the mound for this long and pitch at an optimal level. He concluded the last three seasons with ERA’s below 4.00, but is in danger of eclipsing that mark for the first time since 2015. A trade may be initiated soon by the Yankees to get an upgrade in their rotation.

Sabathia enters Monday with a respectable ERA of 4.06 and 1.30 WHIP in 2019. He has been shining bright at home, with a 2.60 ERA and 1.11 WHIP, though has struggled to put together the same on the road. Sabathia has an ERA of 5.84, .360 OBA, and 1.54 WHIP as a visiting pitcher this year.

He’s allowed at least 3 runs in each of his last outings on the road, with 4 and 5 runs allowed against the Indians and White Sox, while 3 runs against the Rays. Minnesota have throttled lefties with a .287 batting average this season. The Yankees’ offense has had plenty of success against Martin Perez, so CC may not have to be a perfect pitcher here, though.

The Yankees are hitting .315 with a .417 OBP in 92 at-bats. That includes a lot of runs in that time, 25 runs to be exact. After a below average day by their standards yesterday, expect the Yankees to look more like the team we saw on Friday and Saturday where they put up a total of 19 runs.

Perez hasn’t liked seeing this lineup in the past, so we’re likely to see the Yankees get the offense ratcheted up again on Monday. The Yankees are just 0.1 runs per game behind the Red Sox with respects to the best offense in the major leagues. Conversely, the Twins are 3rd with 5.59 runs notched per game. Expect a high-scoring contest in Minnesota between the Yankees and Twins in Game 1 of their three-game tilt.

SHANE LOWRY is the toast of the Irish after his convincing win in The Open but Malmo – they're the toast of no one.

Lowry defended his lead superbly on the final day at Royal Portrush and at no point did it look as if he'd be caught.

Well done to anyone who backed him pre-tournament at 66-1. Brooks Koepka could only manage fourth after starting with four bogeys and my each-way runners, Jon Rahm and Matt Kuchar, fell away on a tough final day that saw JB Holmes shoot an ugly 86.

On the football front Malmo let down a lot of people including shortee and Scott who had them on “banker” trebles and maybe they had one eye on Europe.

My only football bet was a Ross County draw no bet Super Single that won at evens but Graeme McDowell beat my twoball treble at The Open so it was a break-even day.

Well done to all the other winners including Greg and HullShaker.

Not much on my radar on Monday so it will be a no-bet day as I start to look at a busy midweek card.

Remember to check welovebetting for their video chat and latest tips.

Mr Fixit's July Super Singles Total: -1.7pts

Mr Fixit's July Accas Total: -11.2pts