Gonna give you a double dose of game lines and advice this week. Baseball’s heating up and it’s got me all excited. Here’s Take 1, let’s start with Thursday’s games.

Cubs at Braves: If you are looking to do some baseball betting, then this is the game for you. We got Zambrano, fresh off a six-game suspension for being himself (which is worse than Manny being Manny, believe it or not) facing off against Jair Jurrjens, a name you might not know, but would be wise to familiarize yourself with. The kid has started 11 games this season, and is cruising along with a 5-2 record and 2.6 ERA. The Cubs’ “ace” – that’s a laugh – meanwhile, kicks around a 3-2, 4.2 ERA. Plus, he’s only struck out 46 this whole year. Not exactly numbers to justify the attitude, but more importantly to the gambler, not exactly numbers to bet on, either. The Cubs haven’t impressed on either side of the ball all year, either below or at the league average in most major categories. They seem to have no spark, no desire to live up to their “on paper” potential, and give the betting community little to believe they’re worth a chance. Then you look at the Braves and see a similar story as far as W/L record, and wonder what you’re supposed to do with a game like this. My opinion is always trust the pitcher with all else equal. And in this case, the Braves get the clear edge. Braves will also get the line, probably -125 to +110 for the Cubs.

Over in the AL, my pick for the day is Rangers at Yankees. Two teams flying high right now in their respective divisions. Rangers have ex-White Sox Brandon McCarthy facing off against none other than Mr. Free Agent last year C.C. Sabathia. Was he worth the money? Eh, kinda. 3.5 ERA in the AL is certainly respectable, if not worthy of a staff ace. But he’s only 5-3 with 56K. I would’ve expected more. Still, the guy can win a game for you and fan the side at the drop of a hat. McCarthy, who has always struggled with a spiked ERA, has his down to about 4.3 right now, which is great for him. He also has 5 wins, but only 41K so far. Texas has a commanding lead in their division, behind solid pitching and a .270 team average. They also play the Yankees well. Check out BaseballSportsbook for some great baseball betting tips and player profiles. Yanks will be favorite with the big-name pitcher and home field, but not by as much as you’d think. Maybe -130 to +115. I’d take a chance on the Rangers. They’re too hot to just discount because they’re on the road against a first-place team right now. They can hit themselves out of any jam while the pitching keeps the opponents from running up the score too much.