The 83rd MLB All-Star Game gets underway Tuesday night from Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. This event is the best of its kind among all the professional sports, especially now that it really counts for something more than just the usual exhibition.
FOX will have the coverage at 8:00 p.m. (ET) and the bettors are coming in on the ‘under’ after opening at nine runs and moving to 8½ (shaded to the ‘under’).
The American League is now mostly a $1.25 favorite on the Don Best odds screen after starting at $1.40. This is a great follow-up event to Monday’s Home Run Derby which is also being previewed at Don Best Sports.
The starting pitching matchup is Detroit’s Justin Verlander (9-5, 2.59 ERA) against San Francisco’s Matt Cain (9-3, 2.62 ERA). The latter was a controversial decision as the Mets’ R.A. Dickey likely deserved it, but there were concerns about the catchers handling his knuckleball.
Don Best MLB Analyst Kenny White thinks Dickey will make an appearance late in the game in the sixth, seventh or eighth inning. Cain will be caught by his own guy in the Giants’ Buster Posey, another factor in the decision by Tony La Russa who is coming out of retirement to manage the National League team.
The ‘under’ has been the play in this game recently, cashing each of the last four after a 5-1-1 run by the 'over' during a big part of the Steroids Era. White believes the 'under; is the way to lean Tuesday with great starters in Verlander and Cain who should each last two innings.
La Russa's managerial counterpart is Texas' Ron Washington for the AL, and both know the importance of home-field advantage in the World Series after last year's epic Cardinals-Rangers matchup. he last two All-Star Games have been won by the NL and they went on to win the World Series each time. Last year was La Russa winning with St. Louis before subsequently retiring. The Cards were certainly happy to have Game 7 at home in beating Texas 6-2 behind ace Chris Carpenter.
The American League ripped off seven straight All-Star wins once home field advantage was up for grabs and then won four of the seven World Series. White thinks a lean to the underdog National League is in order here with how streaky All-Star winners have been.
Tuesday's contest is highlighted by a ton of first-timers in the game, including Washington Nationals slugger Bryce Harper who is already generating a buzz on both sides of the spectrum as a 19-year-old who was selected as a replacement for Miami's Giancarlo Stanton who himself would have been making his first All-Star appearance. Harper might be one to watch on Tuesday night as he is either loved or hated by the masses. White thinks it’s great to see the still 19-year-old in this event, with most of the hate simply jealously related.
Other rookies in Kansas City for the game include Mike Trout, who is putting up MVP numbers for the Angels, plus pitcher Wade Miley of Arizona and Yu Darvish of Texas.
Make sure you keep checking with Don Best for the updated odds on the Midsummer Classic. This has all the makings of another close contest.