MLB Betting Free Picks And Previews For August 27, 2013

Yankees at Blue Jays (+105, O/U 9)

Andy Pettitte has owned the Blue Jays in recent meetings.
Andy Pettitte has owned the Blue Jays in recent meetings.

Relegated to the spoiler’s role once again, Toronto hopes to hurt the Yankees’ playoff chances once again at Rogers Centre.
The Blue Jays dumped New York 5-2 Monday, the Jays’ second straight win after a seven-game losing streak.
The Yankees got Derek Jeter back in the lineup Monday but still went down to their ninth defeat in their last 13 away from home. It was just Toronto’s second win in 14 meetings between the clubs this season.
Andy Pettitte (9-9, 4.26) takes the mound for New York, and he loves facing the Blue Jays. The lefty is 6-1 with a 3.04 ERA in his last eight starts against Toronto, 5-1 with a 2.91 ERA in his last seven at Rogers Centre, and 2-0 against the Jays this season.
J.A. Happ (3-3, 5.10) looks to bounce back from last week’s start at Yankee Stadium, when he allowed four runs and five walks in 5 1/3 innings.
New York is 35-17 in the last 52 meetings between the clubs. Toronto is 2-7 in Happ’s last nine starts.
Our pick: Yankees

Orioles at Red Sox (-130, O/U 9)

Boston returns home from a six-game West Coast trip to take on the Orioles in a matchup with plenty of playoff implications in the AL East. The Red Sox, coming off a series win against the red-hot Dodgers, lead third-place Baltimore by 5.5 games in the East but still have the Rays on their heels. The Orioles are two games behind Oakland for the second wild-card spot.
Wei-Yin Chen (7-6, 3.19) gets the ball for Baltimore, shooting for his 10th quality start in his last 11 outings. Felix Doubront (9-6, 3.79) counters for the Red Sox and has enjoyed success against Orioles sluggers Adam Jones and Matt Wieters, limiting them to a combined 3-for-27 with 14 strikeouts.
Baltimore has won 11 of its last 14 games at Fenway and 23 of the last 33 meetings between the clubs. The under has cashed in six of the last eight meetings in Boston and is 6-1-1 in the last eight in the overall series.
Our pick: Red Sox

Athletics at Tigers (-175, O/U 8.5)

Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander looks to continue his domination of Oakland as Detroit hosts the Athletics at Comerica Park.
Verlander (12-9, 3.68) has won his last six starts against Oakland, posting a 0.63 ERA during a stretch that includes two victories in last year’s playoffs.
The A’s defeated Detroit 8-6 Monday to remain on the heels of first-place Texas in the AL West and maintain a two-game lead on Cleveland for the second wild card spot.
Tommy Milone (9-9, 4.30) was recently called up from Triple-A and likely needs a good start Tuesday in order to avoid being demoted to the bullpen. He is 1-0 with a 2.55 ERA in three career starts against Detroit.
The over is 7-1 in the clubs’ last eight meetings in Detroit, and 15-6 in Verlander’s last 21 starts overall. The A’s have won six of Milone’s last eight starts and seven of his last nine as an underdog. Detroit is 60-21 in Verlander’s last 81 starts at home.
Our pick: Over

Reds at Cardinals (+120, O/U 7.5)

St. Louis tries to maintain its lead atop the NL Central when it hosts the Reds for the second game of an important three-game series.
The Cards grabbed the opener Monday, rallying from an early 4-0 deficit to defeat Cincinnati 8-6 on the strength of Allen Craig’s first career grand slam.
Cincinnati sends ace Mat Latos (13-4, 2.93) to the hill looking for his fourth win in his last five starts against St. Louis. In his last outing against the Cardinals, Latos allowed two runs in seven innings en route to a 4-2 victory.
The Cardinals reply with Joe Kelly (5-3, 3.01), who is making his first career start against Cincinnati. Kelly is 5-0 with a 2.33 ERA since joining the rotation July 6.
St. Louis has dominated the division rival Reds at Busch Stadium of late, winning 36 of the last 52 meetings in St. Louis. The Cards also thrive as a home underdog, winning eight of their last 11 when listed between +110 and +150. Cincy, however, is 37-15 in Latos’ last 52 starts and 7-2 in its last nine games coming off a loss. The over has cashed in the last five meetings but the under is 7-3 in the last 10 at St. Louis.
Our pick: Cardinals