Matty's Birthday Double Play (16-4 +26.5 UNITS LAST 13 DAYS)

Well guys, we did it again on Sunday with a 2-0 sweep, bringing our current run to 10-1 over the last 8 days for a total profit of 21 units.

Here's my NL Underdog Play O' the Day for Monday - hopefully they can get this one in...

907 PIT   (+160) BetUS vs 908 STL

Analysis: I think the Cardinals are very overvalued in this spot, especially considering the pitching matchup.  Pittsburgh's Paul Maholm was 2-1 vs. St. Louis last season with a 3.05 ERA while Cardinals starter Adam Wainright surrendered 11 runs in 12 innings against the Pirates in two starts a year ago.  The cold weather could also be a factor, so let's take a shot on Pittsburgh as my NL Underdog Play O' the Day.

I've also got my biggest bet of the NCAA tournament going in the national championship game at Pregame Pros 

Best of luck everybody - enjoy the Opening Day of baseball 

Nice run Matty...............Good luck .....Thanks for the play.....

You're welcome buddy - I just added my top premium MLB play to my NCAA Championship Total Play O' the Year as an added bonus 

ST. LOUIS - St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa acknowledged that there is a certain "honor" to being in the Opening Day lineup, which is why he was sure to talk with second baseman Skip Schumaker this morning to explain to him why he won't be in tomorrow's starting nine.

"I know that Skip is going to play a lot," La Russa said. "This is a lineup that gives you a better chance to win (the one game)."

Immediately showing off the defensive flexibility of his bench, La Russa will opt to start two of the utility infielders the Cardinals brought north from spring training. Both of whom, actually, were once viewed as competitors for the same roster spot: Brendan Ryan and Brian Barden. That nugget of lineup nuance almost trumps the fact that Opening Day starter Adam Wainwright is batting ninth.

As he finished writing it onto the official lineup cards, La Russa revealed the Opening Day lineup to a few of us today after the workout at Busch Stadium. Swayed clearly by the splits against Pittsburgh starter and lefty Paul Maholm, the lineup is:

1. Brendan Ryan, 2B
2. Rick Ankiel, CF
3. Albert Pujols, 1B
4. Khalil Greene, SS
5. Ryan Ludwick, RF
6. Yadier Molina, C
7. Chris Duncan, LF
8. Brian Barden, 3B
9. Adam Wainwright, P

ST. LOUIS -- For several weeks, Paul Maholm has downplayed the significance of starting the Pirates' opener, although it had been abundantly clear all that time the team would give him the ball first.

Now that the opener, his career first, is nearly upon him, that has changed somewhat.

"I'm sure there are going to be butterflies, some nervousness," Maholm said. "One, you want to get off to a good start. Another, it's opening day. It's the first game that means something. That's where the honor comes in of John Russell and everybody sending me out there first. I hope to set the tone. I hope to go out there and do what I did last year, or do better."

Maholm is coming off a fine 2008 and a superb spring in which he posted a 1.48 ERA and breezed through most innings, but this challenge figures to be more formidable.

For one, there is the challenge of St. Louis' tough lineup that includes the game's best hitter, Albert Pujols. He is 8 for 16 with one home run for his career vs. Maholm.

For another, there is some history to fight: Only twice in the past 10 years has a Pirates starter earned the victory in an opener, those being Kris Benson and Kip Wells in 2003-04.

"I'll try to treat it like a normal game, but it's not," Maholm said. "I know that."

It will not be a normal game for another reason: Temperatures here today are expected to remain in the 30s, with a 60 percent chance of snow flurries.

The Cardinals are "expecting we'll play," manager Tony La Russa told reporters yesterday. They had considered postponing the game to Tuesday, when there would be a day-night doubleheader, but team officials strongly suggested yesterday that -- in large part because St. Louis must play 21 consecutive days before a day off -- playing today is imperative to their pitching.

The Pirates worked out for more than an hour at Busch Stadium yesterday, but temperatures were in the high 50s at the time.

Good luck today Matty, stay on fire my friend. Nice play on the Pirates as well....definitely good value with them today. Gotta love baseball being back bro.

Matty O'Shea

Well guys, we did it again on Sunday with a 2-0 sweep, bringing our current run to 10-1 over the last 8 days for a total profit of 21 units.

Here's my NL Underdog Play O' the Day for Monday - hopefully they can get this one in...

907 PIT   (+160) BetUS vs 908 STL

Analysis: I think the Cardinals are very overvalued in this spot, especially considering the pitching matchup.  Pittsburgh's Paul Maholm was 2-1 vs. St. Louis last season with a 3.05 ERA while Cardinals starter Adam Wainright surrendered 11 runs in 12 innings against the Pirates in two starts a year ago.  The cold weather could also be a factor, so let's take a shot on Pittsburgh as my NL Underdog Play O' the Day.

I've also got my biggest bet of the NCAA tournament going in the national championship game at Pregame Pros 

Best of luck everybody - enjoy the Opening Day of baseball