This is a great opportunity for the Dodgers to distance themselves from Colorado and/or San Francisco, as those two will beating one another up in Frisco. Cincinnati can be spunky, but it’s a team the Dodgers should destroy this weekend, and it begins with a blowout behind the power of stocky power pitcher Chad Billingsley, who has ….
Billingsley, who features two- and four-seam fastballs with good life throughout the zone, has won 12 of his 19 decisions while the Dodgers have won 16 of his 26 starts. And even though he continues to pitch with a tightly wrapped tender left hamstring, he is in off a quality start against the Cubs that he lost. He allowed his first home run in six starts and found himself pitching out of four jams while striking out five in six innings. Tonight he’ll right the ship against a team he 3-1 lifetime against, to go along with a 1.40 ERA.
The Dodgers have won nine straight meetings, not to mention 17 of the last 20; the three wins they have this season have come by a collective total of 25-10, thus, we lay the run line.
5-Dime Cardinals -1' Runs (WITH Smoltz)
Back in the National League, John Smoltz appears ready to get back to his winning ways. He donned a Cardinals uniform last week, made a mechanical adjustment and tossed five scoreless innings against the Padres while limiting them to three hits and striking out nine.
Smoltz claimed he put his heel closer to the pitching rubber, while the Cardinals said he stopped tipping his pitches as well. Throwing against the Padres at pitcher-friendly PETCO Park didn’t hurt either. Regardless of the reason, he looked great and appeared to come across confident ll over again.
The Nationals, who have lost eight of the last 10 meetings, will play their 11th game in as many days, not to mention their fourth straight on the highway. Since an eight-game win streak, Washington has been mired in a 6-10 slump since Aug. 11. Lay the Run Line, and Smoltz dominates and the Cardinals’ bats come alive to score the run line win.
5-Dime Over Packers/Cardinals
I know exactly what the Packers are thinking: of the Cardinals' top three receivers, only all-pro Larry Fitzgerald will be active. I know Anquan Boldin won’t be playing in this one, but Jerheme Urban has had one of the best camps of any receiver and will see the majority of time opposite Fitzgerald. You don’t think he’s going to make the most of this chance tonight? At home?
Trust me, the Cardinals are taking this game seriously on offense. After all, the team has scored one touchdown in its first two games – and nothing has come from the No. 1 offense. Quarterback Kurt Warner has completed a mere 52.2 percent of his passes for 133 yards while throwing one interception. Fitzgerald has only one catch for 8 yards. And with this one being at home, there is a great emphasis on getting in the end zone this week.
As for Green Bay, well, the Packers are talking up their depth this season. Perhaps that’s why they’re 2-0 and the offense has been productive (12th in yards, third in points, second in rushing). And with the NFL’s two mandatory roster reduction dates - Tuesday’s cut down to 75 players, and the Sept. 5 cut down to the regular-season 53-man limit – just around the corner, I think we’re going to see some offensive dynamics tonight by certain individuals. Love this one to go high.
Scott Delaney 8/28
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