Streak for the Cash Picks, July 13

April 13, 2012;Washington, D.C., USA; Washington Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmerman (27) throws a pitch against the Cincinnati Reds at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-US PRESSWIRE

Whew! That was rough. The last couple days have been some of the most un-sporting in my recent memory with just peripheral games going on. It’ll be great to get some baseball going again today and it’s return gives Streakers a robust board with 16 match-ups as of midnight ET. There will be plenty to follow and watch today and thankfully I don’t just mean awards shows and USA exhibition games…

Yesterday my picks were 2-1 as Jonathan Byrd’s struggles caught me off guard early but I was able to bounce back with two WNBA picks. I’m loving the variety on the board today with plenty of MLB, some soccer, golf, cycling, and even some CFL to close things out. Here’s the picks I like the most:

Picks for July 13

July 6, 2012; New York, NY, USA; Chicago Cubs batter Anthony Rizzo (44) hits a three-run home run during the fifth inning of a game against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-US PRESSWIRE

8:40- Ryan Palmer: Palmer is one of my fantasy golf picks for the Deere based on his recent success detailed in that linked post. He finished the front nine -2 yesterday and will face Charles Howell III who shot a +1 over the first nine yesterday. Palmer is the better pick here. As always with a nine-hole prop, it’s no lock especially giving the tie, but Palmer looked solid day one while the thin man has some serious work if he wants to play the weekend. Confidence Level: 4

2:20- Chicago Cubs: The D-Backs visit the Cubs in the Friday afternoon game at Wrigley. Arizona swept the Cubs at the end of June, but the Cubs have played better since then. The D-Backs struggled after that sweep, but finished strong winning three in a row headed into the break. Ian Kennedy gets the ball for Arizona and will face off the Paul Maholm of the home-town team. The reason I’m picking the Cubs with under 10% of Streakers is Kennedy has been knocked around lately (1-2, 5.06 ERA in his last five starts) while Maholm has given up just one run in his last two starts over 14 1/3 innings. I’ll role with the Cubbies and Anthony Rizzo over the inconsistent Snakes. Confidence Level: 3 1/2

7:10- Washington Nationals: The Nats head to South Beach (or at least Miami) as they take on the Marlins to open the second half. The Nats are the NL East leaders while the Fish were a disappointment in the first half. They’ll open the second behind Josh Johnson but without Giancarlo Stanton. Johnson himself has been less than dominant (5-5, 4.06 ERA) but always has pitched well against Washington in the past (not that the Nats have been this good before.) The Nationals will send Jordan Zimmerman to the mound who was on a roll before the break going 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA in his last three starts and hasn’t allowed more than three runs in any start since May. Confidence Level: 6

10:30-Any Other Number: In CFL action, it’s Winnipeg at Edmonton in the late pick. It’s a simple prop 2 TD or any other number. Don’t put anything long on this prop, but any other number obviously has a better shot if you’re on a short green or find yourself in the red. Confidence Meter: 3

Results for July

Overall Picks: 34-21

Picks with Confidence over 5: 11-9

Current Personal Streak: w2