This Week's Picks Are Killing Me

After two weeks of looking up at a dog's ass, things are going to change for ol' FTT -- we can just feel it!

Monday - Marlins over BRAVES. The moneyline is too much, and Tim Hudson is not infallible. Sergio Mitre's got some nice numbers, too. 2,500 to win 5,050.

Twins over ANGELS. Bonser and Weaver, and the latter got rocked last turn in Seattle. 2,500 to win 3,425.

Tuesday -- We're up on the Fish win, and in third. Are more of Dave Stewart's smooth white balls in our future? Only time will tell.

WHITE SOX over Yankees. Vegas doesn't want to admit this Yankee team just isn't very good. Mark Buehrle against Tyler Clippard at home, only a slight favorite? Yum. 4,000 to win 3,448.

A'S over Red Sox. I'll be the first in America to say it -- Dice-K is the second coming of Hideo Nomo. A 4.8 ERA when the league hasn't seen you before? Could get... dicey. (I made a funny!)

Lenny DiNardo is the big underdog at home in a game that goes to the A's on defense and bullpen work. (Lenny is also an ex-Sox, so he's got the revenge thing going for him.) Plus, the A's have won 4 out of 5, while the Sox have lost the same. Time to start chewing your fingernails, chowderheads. Oh, wait, don't. The Yankees stink. 2,500 to win 3,750.

Wednesday - Another 1-1 night gets us to... first place? Some folks took some baths.

Cubs over BREWERS. Hunch bet that Zambrano has a bounce-back start, and the Cubs are a near .500 road team. Also, Jeff Suppan went eight scoreless against the Cubs the last time out, and I think he regresses to the mean today. 2,500 to win 2,650.

Devil Rays over JAYS. Last night's 12-11 loss leaves Scott Kazmir going deep. Tomo Ohka starts for the Jays, and has a 5.5 ERA. 2,500 to win 2,525.

Thursday

We're in the lead! Smokey balls for everyone! But by only a few hundred bucks, so back at it...

BRAVES over Cubs. Rich Hill has been great, but Chuck James isn't bad, and the Cubs' recent run of competence will end. 2,500 to win 2,294.

WHITE SOX over Yankees. Jose Contreras usually does well against his old team, and Moose Mussina's 6+ ERA is a big reason why the Bombers have struggled. Nice to grab a home favorite, too. 2,500 to win 2,850.

CARDINALS over Reds. Kyle Lohse has turned back into Kyle Lohse, and Adam Wainwright has never started against this team. By the end of the month, the Cards will be neck and neck with the Brew Crew. 4,000 to win 2,667.

Friday - Bah. 0-3 and back to the pack. Shoot me.

Pirates over YANKEES - Tom Gorzelanny is hard to spell and harder to hit, and Andy Pettite's been pitching in hard luck this year. 2,000 to win 3,840 on a big dog.

ORIOLES over Rockies. Steve Trachsel will bore the Rockies to death. Jeff Francis just isn't good. 2.000 to win 2,020.

MARLINS over Devil Rays. Are you on the BK Kim train? Me neither, but he'll win tonight against JP Howell. 2,000 to win 1,639.

A's over GIANTS. No one gives Chad Gaudain any respect, but he's been Oakland's best. Tim Linecum gets the bounce-back game against the Oakland bats. 2,000 to win 2,480.

Saturday

A 3-1 day for a $4K boost leaves us 7,500 off the lead -- and a one-run Yankee win away from being a heck of a lot closer. Time for some I'm feeling over-under action today. And by the way, interleague sucks.

Mets at TIGERS, UNDER. Ollie Perez and Jeremy Bonderman looks like less than 8.5 runs to me. 2,500 to win 2,600.

A's at GIANTS, OVER. Zito and Haren are good, but 7.0 runs looks too fine, especially after Barry got hamemred last time in Oakland. 2,500 to win 2,273.

Rays at MARLINS, OVER. Willis v. Shields for 8.0, the night after the team's combined for 22. I think the bullpens get involved eventually, and make it ugly. 2,500 to win 2,336.

Indians at REDS, Indians and OVER. Jeremy Sowers probably isn't long for the rotation for Cleveland, but he's better than a 6.63 ERA, and Matt Belisle will get pureed by the Tribe hitters. The Reds bid for three in a row fails. 2,500 to win 2,049, and another 2,500 to win 2,294 on the 11 run OVER.

Sunday -- A 3-2 day, with the winners coming late, gives me a puncher's chance at $6K back. We're going all-in for Ball Number Three on...

Red Sox to beat DIAMONDACKS, with the OVER. This is Dice-K's first start against Arizona, and he strikes me as the kind of guy who does better with unfamiliarity. The Snakes start Randy Johnson, who usually gets cuffed around by the Bostonians. 10,000 to win 9,434 on the Sox, and 9,293 to win 8,081 on the 8-run OVER.

Wrap up... Sox lose and flail, killing me both ways. Bastards!