MLB Friday - Albert Picks Cubs v Reds, Phillies v Marlins, Rockies v Dodgers, Diamondbacks v Giants; Hamels, Gray, Ryu, Greinke

Favorite Pick of the Day:
Cubs (-125) over Reds

A New Tide Pick of the Day:
Phillies (-145) over Marlins

Are You Sure? Pick of the Day:
Rockies (+175) over Dodgers

Pick ’em of the Day:
Diamondbacks (-110) over Giants

The Skinny:
Any time you can get Cole Hamels for -125, with the way he has been pitching the baseball, is a pretty solid bet. Sonny Gray is no slouch, but the Cubs are 8-1 in Hamels' last nine starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance and 6-1 in Hamels' last seven starts with four days of rest. . . . The Phillies might be back after a sweep of the Mets. But let's not forget, they were just swept by the lowly Marlins. I don’t think they forgot, either. The Marlins are 2-8 in their last 10 home games vs. a right-handed starter and Phillies are 4-1 in their last five after scoring five runs or more in their previous game. This goes against the Miami theory, but I think revenge is a large factor this evening. . . . Yup, I’m doing it again even after a loss Thursday night. There’s one stat that is alarming to me and speaks volumes. The Dodgers are 3-14 in Huyn-Jin Ryu’s last 17 road starts vs. a team with a winning record. That’s too large of a sample size to ignore the value in. . . . It feels like these two teams play every other week, and it’s always a pick ’em unless Zack Greinke is on the bump. That’s not the case here, but I’m still taking Arizona. The Diamondbacks are 7-1 in their last eight after allowing two runs or less in their previous game and 4-0 in Merrill Kelly’s last four starts with four days of rest.