Paula Bilson's Rating System
Dimes, stars, diamonds... it's all the same. It's all a matter of semantics. The only thing that matters is whether you know how much I like a game in relation to my rating scale and your bankroll allocation.
With that being said, I'm good with going with the "dime" system the guys here at the site are using.
On most occasions I will be rating my plays in 25-dime increments. I like to keep it simple so you know how much I like a game. It's all proportional.
Who Is Paula Bilson?
To say this is a male-driven business is an understatement.
For years the stereotypical female in this industry was simply eye-candy; the attractive young woman who served as host between a bunch of guys. Yes, there were a few "handicappers," but I often found their knowledge limited to what they were clearly reading off teleprompters.
When gambling became more mainstream with the explosion of legal sports wagering in numerous states, you saw the big sports networks immediately start show with the format I mentioned above. Most were unwatchable.
Enough about them. Let me tell you about me.
I come from a big, athletic family: two sisters and four brothers. We all played sports, just like our parents. In high school I played softball, basketball, and swam. In college, I only played softball.
Football, basketball, baseball. I followed every sport growing up and still do. And with a father and four brothers you better believe I knew what it meant to cover the spread long before I got my first manicure.
I've got a business degree, but I knocked on a lot of doors after graduating in attempt to break into this business. I'm grateful for the opportunity to do so here.
I'm a "big picture" handicapper. The nuts and bolts and all the ATS stats and trends are nice, but I believe it's more important to examine how teams fare. I call it "situational analysis," and feel the overview is more important that the minutia.
My analysis might be long-winded, but I spend a lot of time researching and analyzing games. That doesn't guarantee a winner, but I want to provide you my thought process daily.
Today's Complimentary Selection
The price is a little on the higher side at -135 to -140, but I think it's worth backing San Francisco at home today against Chicago.
The San Francisco Giants took two out of three from the Cubs at Wrigley Field last week, but Chicago has returned the favor at Oracle Park, winning the first two games of this series by scores of 5-1 and 6-1. Today, the Giants look to avoid the sweep, and they have the right man on the mound to do it in ace right-hander Logan Webb.
Since returning from the injured list, Webb has been outstanding. In three starts, he has worked 19.1 innings, allowing just two runs on nine hits while striking out 16 and walking only four. He appears to be fully healthy, and historically, pitching at Oracle Park has been one of the safest propositions in baseball. In 95 career appearances in San Francisco, 92 of them starts, Webb has compiled a stellar 2.96 earned run average.
The Cubs are expected to open with right-hander Ryan Rolison before turning the game over to fellow righty Colin Rea as the bulk reliever. Rea enters in poor form after being shelled Tuesday at Colorado, allowing seven runs, including two home runs, in 4.2 innings.
His recent numbers are concerning. In two June outings, Rea owns an 8.10 ERA, and his season mark sits at 5.19. Away from home, the struggles have been even more pronounced. In eight road appearances, six of them starts, Rea has posted a 7.12 ERA.
Whether used as a starter or reliever, the results have not been much different. In 11 starts, his ERA is 5.37, while in three relief appearances, it sits at 4.38. And if Rea serves as the bulk pitcher today, another negative trend emerges: on four days' rest, he owns a 5.32 ERA this season.
The Cubs may also be shorthanded offensively. Outfielder Seiya Suzuki left Saturday's game with right knee discomfort, the same knee in which he suffered a PCL sprain during the World Baseball Classic in March. Suzuki has been one of Chicago's hottest hitters this month, batting .306 while slashing .306/.375/.611 with three home runs in June. Outside of Pete Crow-Armstrong, he has been the Cubs' most productive offensive player this month.
1♦ SAN FRANCISCO (on a 1♦ to 5♦ Scale)