With two months left to go in the MLB betting regular season, two of the three National League division leaders currently hold a lead of at least four games. While the Philadelphia Phillies and defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants are in complete control in the East and West, the door is still wide open in the Central where the St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, and Pittsburgh Pirates continue to battle it out with less than two games between them at the top. Two of those teams will clash in a three-game set early next week, with a crucial series between the Cardinals and Brewers that begins on Monday.

St. Louis Cardinals @ Milwaukee Brewers

Monday, 8:10 PM ET

The series will open with a couple of underachieving pitchers that could ultimately decide the fate of their MLB betting bonus clubs this season. Zach Greinke was brought in to lead the Brewers’ rotation with the same type of flare that made him a star with the Kansas City Royals, but he has struggled with inconsistencies this season. The same can be said about veteran Chris Carpenter, who will open the series for the Cardinals. The 36-year old is just 6-7 with a 3.68 ERA, and has alternated games in which he has allowed at least four earned runs and less than two earned runs all season. The Brewers have been one of the best home teams in the majors this season, but St. Louis could get the early jump on the series if their talented offense can get to Greinke early.

MLB Betting Free Pick: St. Louis Cardinals

St. Louis Cardinals @ Milwaukee Brewers

Tuesrday, 7:10 PM ET

For as much as Greinke has been inconsistent for the Brewers this season, fellow offseason addition Shaun Marcum has been just the opposite. The fellow Toronto Blue Jays’ star is 10-3 with a 3.33 ERA despite battling a nagging hip injury early on the in season, and he has allowed just two earned runs in each of his past three starts. He’ll need his best stuff against Jaime Garcia for the Cardinals as he tries to bounce back after allowing four earned runs in a loss to the Houston Astros in his last start. It’s highly unlikely that Milwaukee will lose two in a row at home with so much on the line, especially with Marcum starting.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Milwaukee Brewers

St. Louis Cardinals @ Milwaukee Brewers

Wednesday, 2:10 PM ET

The Cardinals attacked their pitching depth with the sports betting trade for Edwin Jackson, and he will have to prove his merit right away in the rubber match with the division lead potentially up for grabs. Jackson was able to keep his ERA under four this season with the Chicago White Sox, but he was very inconsistent. Milwaukee will turn to Randy Wolf to close out the series, but it will be the Brewers’ offense that makes the difference at home.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Milwaukee Brewers

Despite their inconsistencies so far this MLB betting season, the Arizona Diamondbacks have managed to stay in contention in the National League West right behind the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants in the division race. With the crowd competing at the top of the NL Central and the Atlanta Braves battling hard to catch up to the Philadelphia Phillies it is obvious that the only way in to the playoffs for the Diamondbacks is through the NL West, where they will look to continue their strong play against another division rival.

Arizona Diamondbacks @ Los Angeles Dodgers

Friday, 10:10 PM ET

The Diamondbacks have had no trouble scoring runs so far this season, but they will need more consistency from the starting rotation and bullpen in order to be able to sit on some of the early leads that they will build the rest of the way. That will continue on Friday when they send young Josh Collmenter to the mound to take on veteran Ted Lilly for the Dodgers, a starting matchup that should favor Arizona. Collmenter is 6-5 with a 2.74 ERA, and has pitched some of his best baseball in the month of July with just three earned runs allowed through his past three starts. Lilly on the other hand has been a model of inconsistency so far this season with a bloated 5.08 ERA, and he has allowed 10 earned runs through his past two starts to fall to 6-10 on the year.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona Diamondbacks @ Los Angeles Dodgers

Saturday, 10:10 PM ET

Looking for more help in the rotation, Arizona will turn to Micah Owings from the bullpen to make his fourth MLB betting start on the year. Owings has done an excellent job by keeping his ERA down to 2.36, and if he can maintain that average then it won’t be a surprise to see the Diamondbacks turn to him more often as a starter. Los Angeles will send Chad Billingsley to the mound on Saturday, and although he hasn’t been that bad, he also hasn’t been as good as Owings, and that doesn’t bode well for a Dodgers’ team that hasn’t played well at home this season.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona Diamondbacks @ Los Angeles Dodgers

Sunday, 4:10 PM ET

The series will wrap up with an earlier start, as Joe Saunders gets the call on Sunday against Rubby De La Rosa for the Dodgers. De La Rosa has spent the majority of the season in the bullpen although he has started nine games, and he has actually been pretty good in allowing just three earned runs through his past three starts. There has been a ton of issues surrounding the Dodgers’ organization so far this season, but if De La Rosa can bring his best stuff they should have a sports betting bonus distraction for at least one afternoon.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers

With the division races so close in the MLB betting American League heading into this weekend, it will make for some interesting series’ among the top teams. No series will be more important to both teams than the one set for the Motor City this weekend, as the Los Angeles Angels look to keep pace with the Texas Rangers in the AL West, as they take on the Detroit Tigers in a three-game set. The Tigers are just holding on in the AL Central ahead of the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox, and will need to continue to play well at home to stay ahead.

Los Angeles Angels @ Detroit Tigers

Friday, 7:05 PM ET

The Angels have been decent on the road this season, and they should have a good shot in the series opener with Tyler Chatwood getting the call on the mound against Rick Porcello for the Tigers. Chatwood is 6-6 with a 3.64 ERA and has been pretty steady for Los Angeles, something that Porcello hasn’t been at all for Detroit this year. The 22-year old has struggled with his command at times, yet you would never guess by looking at his pedestrian 4.67 ERA that he would have 10 wins. A talented Tigers’ offense has gotten him a few wins that perhaps he might not have deserved based on his performance, and this could very well be another one as Detroit gets to Chatwood early on and carry Porcello to his 11th win of the MLB betting season.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Detroit Tigers

Los Angeles Angels @ Detroit Tigers

Saturday, 4:10 PM ET

The Tigers might not be so lucky in the second game of three, especially not with Duane Belows scheduled to make the start against Dan Haren for the Angels. Belows is still young and has a long way to go, and he can take a lesson from the veteran Haren, who has been absolutely lights out for Los Angeles this season. The former Arizona Diamondbacks’ starter is 10-6 with a 3.01 ERA, and played some of his best sports betting bonus ball earlier this month when he helped the Angeles to climb back into the NL West division race.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Los Angeles Angels

Los Angeles Angels @ Detroit Tigers

Sunday, 4:10 PM ET

The Tigers’ offense won’t get any relief with Jared Weaver in for the Angels the day after Haren, but this time they will have an ace of their own with Justin Verlander getting the call for the series finale on Sunday. At 14-5, Verlander is a leading candidate to bring home the AL Cy Young award this season, especially considering that his 2.34 ERA is among the best in the majors. Verlander allowed four earned runs in his last outing and will be looking to bounce back, while Weaver could be due for a loss after registering five straight wins without seeing his ERA spike over that span.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Detroit Tigers

Pittsburgh has been the sports betting surprise of the season so far, and they’re trying to keep pace in the tough National League Central, but it’s only going to get more difficult and this weekend, they head into Philadelphia where their state rivals will be aiming to take them down a peg. The Pirates have dropped eight of their last 10 in Philadelphia, with seven games falling under the total, and you can expect another low-scoring series this weekend. 

What: MLB Betting
When: Friday, July 29th-Sunday, July 31st
Where: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
Free Pick: Philadelphia Phillies

Friday, 7:05 PM ET – Charlie Morton (8-5, 3.69) vs. Roy Halladay (12-4, 2.55)

Morton seems to be back on track after a rough patch, and a win over Philadelphia last month was his first against the Phillies, taking his record to 1-2 in four starts with an ERA of 7.11. The 27-year-old also allowed six runs in four innings in his lone trip to the City of Brotherly Love, which was last year. Meanwhile, Halladay bounced back from a poor outing in Chicago (where he was suffering from heat exhaustion) to get his 12th win of the year, and after a win in Pittsburgh in the aforementioned series, the reigning Cy Young winner is 2-1 in four starts against the Pirates with an ERA of 1.45. The 34-year-old is also a blistering 7-1 in 12 home starts with a 2.44 ERA.

The Phillies will be favored in this one, and you can expect Halladay to step up as he usually does. A lot of people have said that Morton reminds them of Halladay in terms of delivery. Look for “Doc” to give Morton a lesson on Friday.

free sports picks: Philadelphia Phillies

Saturday, 7:05 PM ET – James MacDonald (7-4, 3.95) vs. Cliff Lee (9-7, 3.05)

MacDonald hasn’t allowed a run in his last two starts against very good teams like Atlanta and Cincinnati, but he’ll need to raise his game against the Phillies, against whom he has a 0-1 mark in three games (one start) with a 5.06 ERA, and that loss came last month at home. The 26-year-old has just two relief appearances in Philadelphia, but he hasn’t allowed a run in 1.1 innings, so that’s a start. Lee hasn‘t won in four starts, and he hasn’t faced the Pirates since 2007, when he was in Cleveland, giving up a pair of runs over seven innings to take a no-decision. He has been a beast at Citizens Bank Park, going 7-2 in 12 starts with a 2.05 ERA.

Lee gave up five runs in his last home start against San Diego, one of the lightest-hitting teams in all of baseball. Look for him to come out with extra focus on Saturday night to lead the Phillies to an MLB betting victory.

free sports picks: Philadelphia Phillies

Sunday, 1:35 PM ET – Jeff Karstens (8-5, 2.41) vs. Vance Worley (7-1, 2.02)

Much like his team, Karstens has been one of the biggest surprises of 2011, and he hasn’t allowed more than three runs in a start in his last 17 outings, dating way back to April 17th. A no-decision in June kept his record clean against the Phillies, as Karstens is 0-0 in four games (two starts) against them with a 3.32 ERA. Furthermore, he has a 1.50 ERA in two games in Philadelphia, although they were both relief appearances. Worley has emerged as the fourth starter for the Phillies in the absence of Roy Oswalt, but even if Oswalt was healthy, the 23-year-old would be pushing him, and he is coming off his first career complete game. This will be his first outing against the Pirates, but Worley is 4-0 in six home starts with a 1.62 ERA.

If you would have told someone before the season started that this could be the best pitching matchup of any given weekend, you would have gotten some strange looks, but consider the under here as both pitchers are on a roll. But the edge goes to the Pirates, who will be motivated to avoid a sweep, and remember, Worley is still a rookie. Take Pittsburgh on Sunday in your online betting picks.

free sports picks: Pittsburgh Pirates

Growing up it is one of the most intriguing MLB betting matchups for young baseball fans, the battle of the socks, a simplified clash of red against white. The Chicago White Sox will host the Boston Red Sox in a three-game set this weekend, and while the visitors have looked dominant at times this season leading the American League in wins, the White Sox are throwing whatever they can at opponents just to remain in the AL Central division race.

Boston Red Sox @ Chicago White Sox

Friday, 8:10 PM ET

It has been a season of highs and lows for both teams, but for Chicago there have been simply too many lows to be satisfied. With just two months to go in the regular season the White Sox are still in contention in the AL Central, and it will really help the team’s confidence if they can manage to secure a couple of wins against one of the best teams in baseball. Chicago has struggled at home in US Cellular Field, but will open the series with a favorable pitching matchup as they send Gavin Floyd to the mound to throw against Boston’s Tim Wakefield. Wakefield has allowed at least five runs in three of his last five starts and fewer than three in none of them, while Floyd has looked solid in his past couple of outings with just one earned run allowed combined in consecutive wins over the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians, the two teams that they are chasing in the AL Central.
MLB Betting Free Pick: Chicago White Sox

Boston Red Sox @ Chicago White Sox

Saturday, 7:10 PM ET

Any success that the White Sox have in this series will depend heavily on their offense coming alive to support a pitching staff that has been very good lately, including Saturday’s starter Edwin Jackson, who similar to Floyd allowed just two earned runs combined in consecutive wins over the Tigers and Indians. Even if Jackson performs at that elite level though, there is no guarantee that Chicago will come out with a win as they go up against All Star Jon Lester, who has allowed just three earned runs combined over his past four starts to bring his ERA down to 3.23. The Red Sox rarely lose MLB Betting series’ regardless of who and where they play, and Lester will make sure that they don’t concede this one in consecutive games with the offense doing just enough to back him up.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox @ Chicago White Sox

Sunday, 2:10 PM ET

Staying with the theme of quality pitching over the past couple of weeks, Chicago’s starters have been very good and that includes Mark Buehrle, who will look to give the team a rare home series win against Boston in the Sunday matinee. Buehrle has been the most consistent White sox pitcher over the past two months, and should have the edge over the young Andrew Miller as Chicago wraps up the series with a victory to keep the optimism alive that they can compete for a sports betting bonus division title this season.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Chicago White Sox

MLB betting fans were shocked at the fast start the Baltimore Orioles had to the 2011 season. When the first month of MLB betting was over, the Orioles looked unbeatable in the AL East. But as time went by, the Orioles started to fall deeper and deeper into the AL East basement. The Toronto Blue Jays have been moving up and down the best sportsbook promo MLB standings all season long, but they were never really a threat to win the AL East. It is not easy getting into the MLB news when you play in the same division as the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. The Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles will be spending the rest of this season evaluating talent to try and compete in 2012.

American League Series Betting Free Pick:

Baltimore Orioles @ Toronto Blue Jays – Tuesday, July 26 – 7:07 PM ET

Pitching  has been a huge problem for the Orioles this season, and one example of a starter that cannot seem to get his game around is the starter for this game – Jake Arrieta. Arrieta is 9-7 on the season, but his 5.02 ERA tells the full story of a pitcher that is not performing. He is 1-4 in his last six starts, and he has given up five earned runs in two of those games. In his last start, Arrieta was able to hold the Boston Red Sox to only three runs in seven innings, but he still lost the game.

The Blue Jays will send Brandon Morrow to the mound, and Morrow has been on a roll lately. He is 5-0 in his last seven starts, and that stretch includes wins over the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates. He is showing a lot of promise for the future, and Morrow should be more than the Orioles can handle in this game.

Orioles Blue Jays Betting Free Pick: Toronto Blue Jays

Baltimore Orioles @ Toronto Blue Jays – Wednesday, July 27 – 7:07 PM ET

This game is definitely not going to be a pitchers’ duel. The team with the best offense will win this one. Starting on the mound for the Orioles is one of those prospects for next season that they will look at named Alfredo Simon. Simon is 2-3 on the season with a 4.08 ERA. He has spent most of his four-year MLB career in the bullpen, but Baltimore is desperately looking for answers in their starting rotation. He is 1-1 in his last two starts, but he has looked good. He allowed two runs to the Indians in seven innings and two runs to the Angels in six and two-thirds.

The Jays send the struggling Ricky Romero to the mound. He 1-4 in his last six starts, and has given up 13 earned runs in his last three games. This is the worst season of Romero’s three-year career, but he still has time to turn it around. The Jays are the team with the offense in this series, and that is why they will take this game.

Orioles Blues Jays Betting Free Pick: Toronto Blue Jays

Baltimore Orioles @ Toronto Blue Jays – Thursday, July 28 – 7:07 PM ET

This will be another interesting pitching battle as the Orioles put Brad Bergesen on the mound only a couple of weeks after Bergesen regained his spot in the starting rotation that he lost earlier in the season. Bergesen is 2-6 on the season with a 5.54 ERA. He did show some promise in his most recent start which was a win over the Angels where he pitched six innings and only allowed two runs. But Bergesen was chased by the Red Sox in the start prior to that one after giving up four runs in five innings. He is still inconsistent and that will be a problem against a powerful offense like the Blue Jays.

Carlos Villanueva starts for the Blue Jays, and Villanueva has not been the picture of consistency lately either. But his track record shows that he is improving slowly. In his most recent start, he went five and two-thirds innings against the Rangers and gave up only three runs. For the season, Villanueva is 5-2 with a respectable 3.40 ERA. He will cap off the sweep for the Toronto Blue Jays in this series.

Orioles Blue Jays Betting Free Pick: Toronto Blue Jays

Some sports betting players may want to take a chance on Houston, who have won six of their last 10 in St. Louis with half of the games falling under the posted total, but the Astros could be in fire-sale mode with the deadline approaching, which will hurt player focus. Meanwhile, the Cardinals are in a three-way tie for first in the National League Central and they should take advantage of this opportunity.

What: MLB Betting
When: Monday, July 25th-Thursday, July 28th
Where: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
Free Pick: St. Louis Cardinals -240

Monday, 8:15 PM ET – J.A. Happ (4-11, 5.88) vs. Kyle McClellan (6-6, 4.34)

Happ has allowed five runs or more in six of his last seven starts, but he earned a win against Washington for his first victory since May 14th. He is 0-3 against the Cardinals this season, taking his career mark to 1-5 in seven starts with a 5.82 ERA, but strangely Happ’s best outing came in St. Louis, when he allowed three runs in six innings of work. The 28-year-old has lost both of his starts at Busch Stadium with a 12.86 ERA. McClellan is also slumping as he has 1-6 in his last 10 starts, and he has allowed four runs or more in half of those starts. Although he has made 19 appearances against the Astros, his lone two starts have come this year and McClellan has earned the win in both, although he was knocked for five runs in Houston once. The 27-year-old is 2-2 with two saves against the Astros, while posting a 3.62 ERA.

This could be a battle of the bullpens as neither starter has had their best stuff as of late, but the edge goes to McClellan to give his bullpen more of a cushion; Happ is 1-6 in eight road starts in 2011, while McClellan is 3-3 in nine home games.

Betting Edge: St. Louis Cardinals

Tuesday, 8:15 PM ET – Brett Myers (3-10, 4.74) vs. Jake Westbrook (8-4, 5.04)

Myers is 0-4 in his last six starts, but only once during that time have the Astros scored more than three runs. He has faced the Cardinals just once this year, allowing five runs in six innings, but Myers is a solid 6-4 in 18 games (16 starts) against St. Louis in his career with a 4.64 ERA. He is also 3-2 in nine games (seven starts) in the new Busch Stadium, but an ERA of 5.20 is worrying. Westbrook doesn’t have to worry about run support as he leads the National League in that category, and he earned his first win against the Astros earlier this season, taking his career mark to 1-2 in four starts with an ERA of 4.37.

The MLB free sports picks in this contest goes to Houston as Westbook is only 2-2 in nine starts at home with a 6.94 ERA, and Myers has been comfortable pitching in St. Louis from back in the days of the old Busch Stadium.

Betting Edge: Houston Astros

Wednesday, 8:15 PM ET – Bud Norris (5-7, 3.70) vs. Chris Carpenter (6-7, 3.73)

Norris has been solid this season when you consider the team that is behind him, but he’s been a little consistent as of late. He is 1-1 in three starts against the Cardinals in 2011, and for whatever reason, Norris seems to have their number as the 26-year-old is 6-2 in nine starts against St. Louis with a 2.45 ERA, along with a 4-1 mark in five starts at Busch Stadium with a 2.90 ERA. Carpenter is finally getting some run support after the offense left him out to dray plenty early in the season, and this will be his first start of the season against the Astros, against whom the 2005 Cy Young winner has a career record of 7-5 in 17 starts with a 2.81 ERA. The 36-year-old is also only 2-2 in 10 starts at home despite a 2.91 ERA.

It’s tough to explain why Norris has been so good against the Cardinals, especially in St. Louis, but Carpenter has been hot, going 5-0 in his last six starts, so you have to go with the pitcher who is on a roll right now.

Betting Edge: St. Louis Cardinals

Thursday, 8:15 PM ET – Wandy Rodriguez (6-7, 3.60) vs. Jaime Garcia (10-4, 3.01)

With the Boston Red Sox showing no MLB betting signs of letting up in the American League East, the New York Yankees will need to take advantage of a visit from the coldest team in baseball this week. The Seattle Mariners had lost 12 straight before making the trip to Fenway to face the Yankees’ division rivals, and now it is the pinstripes’ turn to get the job done.

Seattle Mariners @ New York Yankees
Monday, 7:05 PM ET

Justin Vargas hasn’t helped the Mariners’ cause during their recent sports betting bonus slide, allowing 10 earned runs through his last two starts combined on a team that simply doesn’t have the offensive firepower to bail him out. It’s scary to think what the Yankees’ explosive offense has the potential to do in this game, and they should be able to give starter Freddy Garcia a ton of run support. Garcia didn’t need much help in his last start, a 4-0 win over the division rival Tampa Rays in which he went 6.2 innings while striking out seven. This one could get out of hand early if the veteran starter has another quality start like his previous one.

MLB Betting Free Pick: New York Yankees

Seattle Mariners @ New York Yankees
Tuesday, 7:05 PM ET
It will only get tougher for Seattle on Tuesday when they match the 3-11 Doug Fister up against AL Cy Young award candidate CC Sabathia and his 2.62 ERA. Sabathia has once again been dominant for the Yankees with just three earned runs allowed through his past five starts combined, although he did give up two earned runs in his last MLB Betting bonus start against the Rays to snap a seven-game winning streak. That won’t matter much in this one as he shoots for his league-leading 15th win against a pitcher with just one win in his past nine starts.

MLB Betting Free Pick: New York Yankees

Seattle Mariners @ New York Yankees
Wednesday, 1:05 PM ET
The Mariners will look for their first win of the series with their best hope on the mound in reigning Cy Young award winner Felix Hernandez, although he did allow four earned runs in seven innings of work in his last start against New York. The 25-year old Hernandez hasn’t looked as dominant as he did last season, but should be able to keep the Yankees from running away with this one in the first couple of innings. New York will turn back to Phil Hughes, who looked strong in his second start back from injury when he struck out five and allowed just two earned runs in a 7-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Seattle is at a point where they are desperate for a win, but that won’t matter here as they are simply overwhelmed by a much more talented and confident team as the Yankees complete the sweep in front of their home fans to keep pace with the Red Sox.

MLB Betting Free Pick: New York Yankees

When checking the MLB Betting odds for this weekend’s matchup between San Diego and Philadelphia, be sure to watch for the total as six of the last 10 meetings between these two at Citizens Bank Park have gone under the posted total, with the teams splitting the games as well. This shouldn’t be a surprise as the two rank in the top five of the National League when it comes to allowing runs, but take the Phillies to get enough runs to take three of four.

What: MLB Betting
When: Friday, July 22nd – Sunday, July 24th
Where: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
Free Pick: Philadelphia Phillies

Friday, 7:05 PM ET – Cory Luebke (3-3, 2.57) vs. Cole Hamels (11-5, 2.71)

In his first full year in the majors, Luebke has been solid since moving into the rotation, and in his first four starts of the season, he has allowed four earned runs in 24 innings. Both of his career appearances against the Phillies have come in relief, and he hasn’t allowed a run in three innings over two outings (both of which came this season at home). He’ll be taking on Hamels, who was roughed up for seven runs in 4.1 innings in New York against the Mets, but he has great numbers against the Padres. The 27-year-old southpaw tossed eight scoreless innings in San Diego back in April, and now he is 5-2 in 10 starts against the Padres with a 2.42 ERA. He is also 6-3 in 11 starts at home this season with a 2.41 ERA.

The Padres have to come to Florida after playing on Thursday afternoon, while the Phillies were off on Thursday and only had to travel from Chicago to get back home. When Hamels has a poor start, he usually comes back stronger than before, while it’s tough to back a rookie pitcher who is making the move from the bullpen to the rotation.

free sports picks: Philadelphia Phillies

Saturday, 4:10 PM ET – Mat Latos (5-10, 4.02) vs. Kyle Kendrick (5-4, 3.34)

Latos is doing his best to keep the Padres in games, but he ranks 55th out of 59 National League pitchers in terms of run support. In his last three starts, Latos has given up seven runs, but the Padres have scored four. He lasted just 4.1 innings against the Phillies earlier this year, and a loss took his career mark to 0-2 in three starts against Philadelphia with a 3.86 ERA. The 23-year-old also has lost his lone start in Philadelphia, and he’s struggled on the road with a 4.50 ERA in eight starts, posting a 2-5 record. Kendrick has been bouncing around between the bullpen and the rotation, but he has allowed just two runs in his last two starts. Still, his splits against the Padres are only average: 2-1 in three games (two starts) with a 5.91 ERA, and the 26-year-old is 2-3 in 11 games (four starts) with a 2.89 ERA at home.

Kendrick likely needs a few runs, but Latos is due to get some support of his own. Get ready for a close MLB betting matchup: six of Latos’ last 10 starts have ended in a one-run game.

free sports picks: San Diego Padres

Sunday, 1:35 PM ET – Tim Stauffer (6-6, 2.83) vs. Roy Halladay (11-4, 2.57)

Stauffer has been on a roll, allowing two runs or less in nine of his last 10 starts, but like the majority of pitchers this series, he suffers from lack of support, ranking 48th on that 59-pitcher list. He hasn’t fared well against the Phillies, going 0-1 in three starts with an ERA of 11.15, and it’s even worse in Philadelphia as Stauffer is 0-1 in two starts at Citizens Bank Park with a 16.39 ERA.  It seems that only the heat can beat Halladay as he lasted just four innings in his last start in Chicago due to heat exhaustion, but don’t worry, the two-time Cy Young winner (and All-Star starter for the National League) will be back and ready to go. He has won both of his starts against the Padres while posting a 1.72 ERA, and Halladay is 6-1 in 11 starts in Philadelphia with a 2.45 ERA.

There are a handful of pitchers that you put your MLB betting faith behind, and Halladay is right at the top of the list. Even though he doesn’t get much more run support than Stauffer, Halladay will be eager to put his last start behind him.

free sports picks: Philadelphia Phillies

Monday, 1:05 PM ET – Aaron Harang (8-2, 3.29) vs. Cliff Lee (9-6, 2.83)

Harang has been one of the surprises of the season, and he has given up three runs in three starts since coming off the disabled list. In fact, he hasn’t lost since May 2nd, although he has taken a few no-decisions along the way. The big 33-year-old is 2-2 in 11 games (10 starts) against the Phillies with a 5.22 ERA, and he is 1-1 in five games (four starts) in Philadelphia with a 5.00 ERA. Lee has allowed three runs in two starts since getting lit up for six runs in Toronto, and now he is back home where he has been lights out: 7-1 in 11 starts with a 1.61 ERA at Citizens Bank Park. The 32-year-old southpaw is 1-1 in four starts against the Padres with a 4.05 ERA.

This should be the closest game of the series as Harang is in the midst of a renaissance, and we all know what Lee can do. The Phillies are the play on Sunday in your online betting book.

free sports picks: Philadelphia Phillies

The Boston Red Sox have avoided the same fate that they felt the wrath of to open the first half of the MLB betting season here in the second half with a much stronger start, and will look to flex their muscle on the heels of wins in eight of their last ten against a Seattle Mariners’ team that ranks among the worst in the AL since the break. The Mariners have lost 11 in a row heading into this three-game series, which represents the perfect chance for Boston to make some ground.

Seattle Mariners @ Boston Red Sox
Friday, 7:10 PM ET

The Mariners’ struggles have been about a variety of different things, as a struggling offense has been able to do little to help a starting rotation that hasn’t been very outstanding either. A talented Boston offense that is led by AL MVP candidate Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz will try to bury them with runs early before they turn the keys over to Friday’s starter Jon Lackey. Lackey has been the victim of a disastrous drop off this season as his ERA has ballooned to 6.70, but he is trying to focus on the positive after allowing just three earned runs combined through his past two starts. An appearance against the woeful Mariners’ offense should help, but the Red Sox bats will need to do their thing against reigning AL Cy Young award winner Felix Hernandez, who hasn’t shown his best stuff so far this season.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Boston Red Sox

Seattle Mariners @ Boston Red Sox
Saturday, 7:10 PM ET

The Red Sox should feel more comfortable about their starting matchup on Saturday as they turn to All Star Josh Beckett against Blake Beaven. The 22-year old Beaven has looked good in his first three career starts this season for Seattle, but he will be in tough against one of the best in baseball as Beckett looks to build on what has been an incredible bounce back season. The veteran hurler has thrown just four earned runs combined through his past three starts to bring his ERA down to 2.12, and there is no reason to think that sports betting trend won’t continue against the Mariners.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Boston Red Sox

Seattle Mariners @ Boston Red Sox
Sunday, 1:35 PM ET

Boston will turn to another veteran on Sunday as they look to wrap up the sweep and push Seattle’s losing streak to 14, as Tim Wakefield gets the call against Michael Pineda. Wakefield is another Red Sox starter that has struggled to keep his ERA down, but he should be able to do enough to allow Ortiz and company to get to work against Pineda and help him earn just his sixth win of the sports betting bonus season. The Mariners’ offense has completely disappeared, and this will mark their new low as they get swept at Fenway Park.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Boston Red Sox