The Sports Bros.

Get your Over/Unders on: The best & worst bets in baseball, from Red Sox powerto diminished Rangers

Roy Halladay of the Phillies
Texas' Josh Hamilton won’t have nearly the same MVP numbers.
Photo by Keith Allison
The Oakland As' Trevor Cahill could be one of the more underrated pitchers inthe league.
Photo by Kevin David Wyrsch
Josh Johnson of Florida is going to be great.
Cliff Lee of the Phillies

As fans of both baseball and gambling, the Sports Bros. have a difficult time during the 162-game grind that is baseball. There are simply too many games and too much unpredictability to bet on much of anything (read: any one game) throughout the season. Each individual game is a crap shoot.

The solution to this simple problem is easy, so take advantage of it: Season win totals. Every team has a win total set by Vegas and, we the gambler, bet they will win more or less than that number. Truly simple.

Here, each of us offer up our five favorite bets (plus some bonuses).

Barry's Picks:

Texas Rangers: Under 87.5
The Rangers had quite the season last year, and I think the number is a bit inflated due to that World Series run. Josh Hamilton won’t have nearly the same MVP numbers and there’s dissension with Michael Young switching over to DH. The real question mark is the pitching staff. C.J, Wilson, Colby Lewis, Brandon Webb, Derek Holland, Scott Feldman and Tommy Hunter? Some good young arms, but it’ll be feast or famine with most of these guys. Too inconsistent.
Tampa Bay Rays: Over 83.5
This has a lot to do with their pitching staff, but also a lot to do with the Yankees being a touch overrated. I absolutely love Tampa’s pitching staff. Anchored by David Price, it still includes great arms like James Shields, Jeff Niemann, Jeremy Hellickson and Wade Davis? Yes please! They also added Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon in the offseason. Despite their age, they both can still hit. There is concern at the closer spot, but Jake McGee is a fabulous young left-handed flamethrower.
Philadelphia Phillies: Under 95.5
Once Cliff Lee resigned with the Phillies every one decided to just hand them the championship. Yes, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee are probably the best one-two punch in the league, but the offense is suspect, especially with the injury to Chase Utley. There just simply isn’t a lot of pop outside of Ryan Howard. Jimmy Rollins is an ex-MVP who hasn't been playing at near the same level. You can’t expect Raul Ibanez, Placido Polanco and Ben Francisco to take up the slack. Pitch around Howard and you can avoid a good portion of the lineup. Plus, as someone who has seen Roy Oswalt pitch for a very long time, he can be dominating, but can also be inconsistent. He throws a lot of strike and can get hit around.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Under 72.5
I happen to think that Arizona will have the worst record in baseball. Most bad teams have made strides to improve or at least have some exciting young players. Arizona? Not so much. If Joe Saunders is your ace, JJ Putz your closer and you’re fielding a lineup that has position battles involving Geoff Blum and Melvin Mora look for a long season filled with many losses. Also to note, the Giants, Rockies and Padres all have very good if not great teams.
Houston Astros: Over 71.5
Listen. Houston won 76 games last season, playing half that year with Kaz Matsui. I don’t think the Astros will be great by any means, but I think they have a good set of veterans and a strong group of young players like Brett Wallace, Chris Johnson and Bud Norris who should thrive in their cemented starting roles. The rotation doesn’t wow anybody, but it has five competitive arms throwing pitches. I also look for Jordan Lyles to get a major league call up sometime this year and he’ll bring a lot of talent with him. The key to the Astros going over is the health of the starters and the bat of Johnson. It was his offensive flurry last season that made the Astros competitive, and I look for that continue.

Other totals I like: Cincinnati Over 86.5, St. Louis Under 83.5, Washington Over 72.5, New York Mets Under 76.5, Boston Red Sox over 94.5

David's Picks:

Houston Astros: Over 71.5
I can't start with anything other than the home team, and I think the 'Stros getting a lot of undeserved crap. We've written about this before, and it's hard to believe the Astros will somehow lose five more games than they did last year (a team that had abysmal stats like a -118 run differential). Yes, we do have to expect Brett Myers to have a year something close to like he had last year, and yes, position players like Brett Wallace have to come into their own — but there's no way the Astros don't hit 72 wins.
Boston Red Sox: Over 94.5
If you're predicting a Philles-Red Sox World Series, you're right. And there's a reason both are sitting at roughly 95 win totals. After adding superstars Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez, the Red Sox are THE force to be reckoned with. While the Phillies are running through some injury issues (closer Brad Lidge starts the season on the disabled list), I think the Red Sox not only get to 95 wins, but could possibly hit 100 (and may finish as the best team in baseball).
Florida Marlins: Under 82.5
The Marlins have the pitching. That's never been the problem. It's the fact that they can't get the runs in to cover for the stellar work on the mound. Young pitcher Josh Johnson is going to be great (finished second in the league in ERA in 2010 and could win the Cy Young in 2011) and fellow hurler Ricky Nolasco is a true budding star even if his ERA doesn't show it (his three-year extension show the Marlins believe in him). But generating enough hitting from a lineup where Gaby Sanchez and Hanley Ramirez are your go-to guys and you kind of hope the others fill in isn't going to cut it.
San Francisco Giants: Over 88
Pitching wins in The Show. We learned that explicitly last year as 2010 The Year of the Pitcher yielded an un-fashionable champion, but a champion with a rotation like none other. Fast forward to 2011 where ace Tim Lincecum is followed up by Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and Madison Bumgarner. The Giants will hit 88 and win their division. Expect them to give the Phillies a run for the pennant.
Oakland As: Over 84.5
I wanted to put the A's on here because I think for once they have a rotation that can give the Rangers a run for their money in the AL West. Trevor Cahill could be one of the more underrated pitchers in the league, and we all saw Dallas Braden deal punches last year. The wild cards are if newbies Josh Willingham and Hideki Matsui can get the As' run support over the hump and get them ahead of the Rangers. I don't know if Oakland will win the West, but I do think it will get to 85 wins.

Other totals I like: Detroit Over 84.5, Los Angeles Dodgers Under 83.5, New York Mets Under 76.5, Seattle Mariners Under 70, Kansas City Royals Over 68.5

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A-list treatment

Luxe plastic surgery center injects River Oaks with cutting-edge techniques, posh recovery suites, secret access, and more

Photo courtesy of Nuveau PlasticSurgery + Medical Aesthetics

Nuveau's sleek River Oaks center boasts designs from CASA.

With the holiday season in full swing and many prepping for a new look for the new year, image-conscious Houstonians have a new option for cutting-edge cosmetic treatments and plastic surgery in one of Houston’s most elite neighborhoods.

Nuveau Plastic Surgery + Medical Aesthetics, a local leader in cosmetic medical procedures, has quietly opened a sleek new facility in River Oaks (3720 Westheimer Rd.). Owned and operated by renowned (and board-certified) plastic surgeon Dr. Edward Lee, the facility offers myriad reconstructive surgeries for men, women, and children, as well as beauty treatments, touch-ups, and more.

Aside from top-of-the-line technology, instrumentation, and treatments, the boutique center has personalized service and features to the tony RO crowd. A secret entrance ensures privacy for discreet clients, much like similar operations in Los Angeles and New York.

Another top-drawer feature: Tastefully appointed pre-op and post-op suites keep patients in-house, rather than having to leave posh treatment centers and head to crowded hospital rooms for recovery.

In keeping with Lee’s insistence on a medicine-first approach, anesthesia for patients is provided by Medical Anesthesia Associates, an MD-only group.

A cut above

Notably, the center places a primary focus on plastic surgery, which, for the uninitiated, has a clear distinction from cosmetic surgery. Randy Rakes, managing partner, tells CultureMap that it’s important for clients to understand the difference.

“You have to understand, you have to go through hundreds of hours of training and cases — face and the entire body — to get that board certification, and go through rigorous testing in order to meet that specification,” he says.

Why is that important? The industry, Rakes notes, is rife with practitioners such as “OBGYNs or dermatologists or people who have not really been trained in the art of plastic surgery, who take a class somewhere and learn how to do liposuction or a fat transfer — and then they're ‘experts’ in aesthetic surgery.”

That’s especially key when selecting a provider for highly invasive — and potentially serious — procedures such as facelifts, eyelid surgeries, tummy tucks, liposuction, rhinoplasty, breast lifts and augmentations, breast reconstruction, and more, Rakes adds.

In an era of Instagram beauty demands, more choosy clients are opting for streamlining facial features. To that end, Lee is one of a select few surgeons in the U.S. who regularly performs “V-Line '' surgery. The set of procedures, popularized in South Korea where Lee honed many of his skills, aim to narrow the width of the jawline and the face.

Aesthetics with an expert eye

Lee’s elegant, 5,500-square-foot center is adorned with CASA Houston designs, Italian-influenced finishes, and soothing elements evocative of a modern art museum or luxury spa. The facility houses a Visia Skin Analysis Studio and seven treatment suites aesthetic work such as Botox, microneedling, VI peels, Halo Laser Resurfacing, Moxi Non-Ablative Laser, Broad Band Light Photofacials, Coolsculpting, Emsculpt, and more.

Rakes says that his registered nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and estheticians are elite, by design, as he and Lee insist on credentials. “All of our injectors are licensed in the State of Texas,” he says. “Most places don't have that, the reason being is that they are much more highly skilled than a traditional, regular nurse injector. So they have a much higher skill set. The people who do our lasers and things of that nature have 10 to 15 years of experience, so clients know that they're getting the best possible treatment with the best possible devices — we own every medical device that's considered cutting edge in the industry.”

Facing forward

Rakes, a longtime medical industry processional with a keen eye for trends and technology, says that his clients aren’t just looking for traditional services, but new technologies and treatment, such as PRP and other regenerative therapies. “I think patients are kind of moving a little bit away from the traditional Hyaluronic fillers like Restylane and really looking for something with a more natural approach.”

His treatment teams stimulate collagen with fillers such as Radiesse, “and then we combine that with energy-based devices to even further lift the tissue and work as a synergy between using the injectable and the device, because the combination of both of those things give the patient the best possible results,” Rakes notes. Lee and Rakes also focus facial care on medical-grade skincare brands Alastin, Revision, and Elta MD.

A global scope

Aside from his board certification in plastic surgery, Lee has also trained in craniofacial and pediatric surgery. His medical mission work has taken him to Thailand, Haiti, and Cambodia, where he has performed surgeries for nonprofits such as Operation Smile and Smile Train for those in need.

Those in need of non-traditional treatments can also trust Lee, says Rakes, who points to Lee’s work in the cosmetic and plastic surgery-obsessed Korea. “Some of the Korean techniques are much more advanced than the techniques that are available here in the United States,” says Rakes. “Dr. Lee does a lot of things that other physicians here just don't do.”

Those interested should book early, Rakes advises, as the holiday and new year rush is in full swing. The center offers “pre-buying” slots where clients can reserve space and time. “We’ve been very busy,” says Rakes, noting the local celebs who’ve shared the work they’ve received there on social media. “I think people come here because they know they’re getting the very best treatment and results available.”

Nuveau Plastic Surgery + Medical Aesthetics River Oaks Houston