Friday best Bets

[Raji]

Detroit Tigers at Toronto Blue Jays: Pick Tigers +140

Rarely do baseball bettors get value on the Tigers' Jeremy Bonderman but books have dogged Detroit facing Toronto ace Roy Halladay today. While Bonderman was solid in his last start, giving up two runs and seven hits in six innings, it might be the Blue Jays defense that gives Detroit the upper hand.

Toronto’s fielding has been shaky with seven errors in its last three games. The careless defense has cost backers in two of those three, including Thursday’s game against the Tigers when pitcher Tomo Ohka made a costly throwing error on a routine double play. This error led to the eventual deciding run in the 5-4 ball game.

"You give up extra outs and that kills you, especially against good teams," Toronto manager John Gibbons told MLB.com.

Houston Astros at Philadelphia Phillies: Pick Astros +102

Houston Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt isn’t going to blow batters away with his strikeout ability but his control and pitch placement make him one of the best groundball pitchers in the majors.

The 29-year-old right-hander has started the season in top form, allowing only one run and five hits in each of his two starts this season. Oswalt went nine innings this past weekend against the St. Louis Cardinals for his first win of the season and the 99th of his career.

Oswalt hasn’t broken the 100-pitch mark yet, throwing only 94 and 95 pitches in his first two starts. Rejuvenated confidence in his changeup is making the difference, using it as his first pitch and forcing hitters to ground out on their first swing.

Milwaukee Brewers at St. Louis Cardinals: Pick Brewers -119

Brewers ace Ben Sheets has an opportunity to bounce back from an uncharacteristic start last weekend against the futile bats of the defending World Series champs.

Sheets pitched six innings and was smacked for five runs and nine hits in Milwaukee’s 6-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs as a -115 favorite last Saturday. In his first start of the season, the young righty went nine full innings against the Los Angeles Angels while allowing only one run.

The Cardinals lineup is putting up fewer than three runs per game behind a .240 team batting average. Power hitters Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen aren’t proving any offense in the middle of the order, hitting .176 and .192 to start the season.

San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Dodgers: Pick Padres +118

Four years ago this pitching matchup would have passed for one of the great rivalries in sports. Now it's a minor blip on the radar in MLB's weakest division.

Both David Wells and Derek Lowe were impressive in their last starts. Wells went a little over six innings and allowed two runs on six hits in a 3-2 win over the Colorado Rockies in his season debut.

Lowe pitched well against the Giants last weekend, allowing only one run on four hits in seven innings. But he did take a pounding to open the season, giving up six runs in only four innings versus the Milwaukee Brewers.

Wells also has a lights-out bullpen backing him up today. San Diego’s relievers haven’t allowed a run in their nine games this season and they've recorded a win or a save in each of the Padres' six wins.

Raji