MLB: Top MLB Weekend Power Trends 8/14-8/16

I’ve been talking about August being the month where the contenders separate themselves from the pretenders in baseball. Well, in 2009, that has certainly proved true, as only one of the divisions sees a second place team closer than 4-1/2 games to the le

2009-08-14

I’ve been talking about August being the month where the contenders separate themselves from the pretenders in baseball. Well, in 2009, that has certainly proved true, as only one of the divisions sees a second place team closer than 4-1/2 games to the lead, and the only real tight races right now are for the league wildcard spots. St. Louis and the Yankees in particular have really stepped it up and now enjoy nice cushions in their respective divisions. Of course, those teams, as well as the rest of the league will be in action this weekend as we reach the midway point of the month. Read on as we take a look at some of the key series’ and offer up our regular feature highlighting some of the Top StatFox Power Trends for you to consider in your wagering.

In the National League, the East Division takes center stage this weekend with the top three teams involved in influential matchups. The division-leading Phillies will go head-to-head with one of the teams trying to track them down, the Braves. Both clubs come in on winning streaks, the Phillies’ being three games, and the Braves having won five straight. In fact, Atlanta is playing some of its best baseball of the year right now and is fortunate to have this opportunity to cut into a 5-game deficit by taking on the defending champs head-to-head. Overall in 2009, the Braves own a 7-2 edge in the series, including a sweep at home at the end of June. Philly remains the best road team in baseball though, at 35-19 and comes in off a sweep in Chicago over the Cubs.

The other team still in the hunt in the N.L. East is Florida, who will have its sights set on both the division lead and wildcard lead over the next few days as it hosts current wildcard front runner Colorado. The Marlins trail by 3-games in that race and get their only chance to welcome the Rockies to Miami now. Florida took two of three in Colorado back in May. Both clubs are playing well in this series too, with the Rockies having won 10 of their last 14 games, and the Fish on a run of 6-1 in their last seven. During that seven-game stretch, Florida is scoring 7.6 runs per game while batting .330.

In the American League, there is really only one series of note, but it is a big one, as Boston travels to Texas. Those are the top two teams in the wildcard race and are separated by a mere ½ game. Unlike the teams focused on in the Senior Circuit, these clubs are scuffling a bit. The Red Sox are 3-7 in their last 10 games while Texas has only split its last 10. Making matters worse for the BoSox, they have gone 0-9 in the second half of this season on the road against teams with a winning record. At the same time, this is one of the bigger series’ for the Rangers all year, and they have a 7-1 record vs. good teams (54%-62% winning percentage) in the second half to fall back on.

Those series’ figure to have the most impact on the standings this weekend, but there are 12 other matchups available from a betting perspective, so be sure to visit the GAME MATCHUPS page each day for the latest key info. In the meantime, feast on these Top StatFox Power Trends that will be in play over the next few days.

PITTSBURGH at CHICAGO CUBS
PITTSBURGH is 9-26 (-16.6 Units) against the money line vs. an NL team with an on base percentage .325 or worse this season. The average score was PITTSBURGH 2.8, OPPONENT 4.9 - (Rating = 2*)

WASHINGTON at CINCINNATI
WASHINGTON is 3-16 (-12.3 Units) against the money line in road games vs. NL teams scoring 4.3 or less runs/game in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons. The average score was WASHINGTON 3.4, OPPONENT 4.9 - (Rating = 1*)

COLORADO at FLORIDA
FLORIDA is 20-37 (-17.6 Units) against the money line in home games vs. a good bullpen that converts on 75%+ of their save opportunities over the last 3 seasons. The average score was FLORIDA 3.8, OPPONENT 5.8 - (Rating = 1*)

SAN FRANCISCO at NY METS
SAN FRANCISCO is 49-33 (+18.9 Units) against the money line vs. teams averaging 2.75 or less extra base hits per game over the last 2 seasons. The average score was SAN FRANCISCO 4.2, OPPONENT 3.5 - (Rating = 1*)

PHILADELPHIA at ATLANTA
ATLANTA is 7-20 (-15.7 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 54% to 62%) in the second half of the last 3 seasons. The average score was ATLANTA 3.6, OPPONENT 6.0 - (Rating = 2*)

HOUSTON at MILWAUKEE
MILWAUKEE is 23-35 (-17.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season. The average score was MILWAUKEE 4.8, OPPONENT 5.5 - (Rating = 2*)

SAN DIEGO at ST LOUIS
ST LOUIS is 14-3 (+9.9 Units) against the money line vs. teams outscored by opp by 0.5 or more runs/game on the season this season. The average score was ST LOUIS 6.3, OPPONENT 3.4 - (Rating = 1*)

LA DODGERS at ARIZONA
LA DODGERS are 16-3 (+12.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a bad team (Win Pct. 38% to 46%) this season. The average score was LA DODGERS 6.0, OPPONENT 3.3 - (Rating = 2*)

LA ANGELS at BALTIMORE
LA ANGELS are 14-0 OVER (+14.1 Units) vs. good fielding teams - averaging <=0.6 errors/game in the second half of this season. The average score was LA ANGELS 8.3, OPPONENT 6.0 - (Rating = 6*)

KANSAS CITY at DETROIT
DETROIT is 33-42 (-18.5 Units) against the money line vs teams who strand 6.9 or less runners on base per game in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons. The average score was DETROIT 4.9, OPPONENT 5.4 - (Rating = 1*)

TORONTO at TAMPA BAY
TORONTO is 16-25 (-13.3 Units) against the money line vs. teams whose hitters strike out 7 or more times/game this season. The average score was TORONTO 4.8, OPPONENT 4.6 - (Rating = 1*)

BOSTON at TEXAS
BOSTON is 0-9 (-10.3 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of this season. The average score was BOSTON 2.2, OPPONENT 5.3 - (Rating = 2*)

CLEVELAND at MINNESOTA
CLEVELAND is 14-5 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the last 2 seasons. The average score was CLEVELAND 5.5, OPPONENT 4.7 - (Rating = 1*)

CHI WHITE SOX at OAKLAND
OAKLAND is 2-11 (-10.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a marginal winning team (Win Pct. 51% to 54%) this season. The average score was OAKLAND 4.2, OPPONENT 6.0 - (Rating = 1*)

NY YANKEES at SEATTLE
NY YANKEES are 20-6 (+12.2 Units) against the money line vs. AL teams allowing 4.7 or less runs/game in the second half of this season. The average score was NY YANKEES 5.9, OPPONENT 4.1 - (Rating = 1*)

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