6* MLB *CA$H COW* on Red Sox -123

The Key: I missed with the Red Sox yesterday, but I'm not hesitating to come right back with them here.  They are 38-18 in their last 56 games following a loss and 9-2 in their last 11 in the second game of a series.  The Blue Jays are just 2-6 in their last eight in the second game of a series.  Buchholz is yet to re-discover the form that allowed him to go 12-1 last season, but I like his chances of throwing a gem here.  He has an ERA of 2.52 in 18 starts versus Toronto.  The Red Sox are 5-0 in Buchholz's last five home starts versus a team with a winning record, 9-1 in his last 10 starts following a team loss in their previous game and 11-2 in his last 13 starts on five days' rest.  The Red Sox are 11-5 in his last 16 starts versus the Blue Jays.  Take Boston.

7* MLB *HEAVY HITTER* on Red Sox -141

The Key: After getting swept at home by the Tigers, Boston will be all business when it takes the field this evening.  The Red Sox have struggled at the plate lately.  However, first half of the season home favorites of -110 or higher that have a batting average of .175 or worse over their last three games are 74-31 the last five seasons.  I expect Boston's bats to come alive against Toronto lefty J.A. Happ.  Bean Town is 10-4 against lefty starters this season, batting .263 and averaging 5.3 runs against them.  The Blue Jays are 6-13 in Happ's last 19 starts and 0-4 in his last four starts as an underdog of +110 to +150.  Despite Boston's recent skid, it is still 38-17 in its last 55 games following a loss.  Felix Doubront has been dialed in lately.  He has a 2.55 ERA over his last three starts.  The Red Sox are 9-4 in his last 13 starts and 12-4 in his last 16 starts as a favorite.  Take the Red Sox.

6* Monday Night Baseball *CA$H COW* on Indians -109

The Key: Detroit has been rolling, but I expect a letdown following a huge series sweep on the road against the reigning champs.  The Indians are an impressive 41-18 in their last 59 games as a favorite, and they should be just fine with Kluber on the hill.  They are 10-3 in Kluber's last 13 home starts, 8-2 in his last 10 starts as a favorite and 6-1 in his last seven series-opening starts.  The Tigers, on the other hand, are 2-5 in Smyly's last seven starts and 0-5 in his last five starts versus a club with a losing record.  The Indians are 20-7 in their last 27 home games versus a left-handed starter.  Take Cleveland.

7* MLB *HEAVY HITTER* on Giants -141

The Key: Following back-to-back losses, the Giants will bounce back to earn a series split.  The Giants are 24-8 in their last 32 games following a loss, 6-0 in their last six Game 4s of a series and 11-1 in their last 12 Sunday games. The Marlins are 1-5 in their last six Game 4s of a series, 3-13 in Turner's last 16 starts and 0-6 in his last six starts versus a team with a winning record.  Turner doesn't help himself very often.  He has just 10 strikeouts on the season.  This is significant because the Giants are 15-1 the last three seasons versus teams starting a pitcher who strikes out an average of three batters per start or less.  The Giants have won these games by an average score of 6.4 to 2.8.  Vogelsong has been pitching well, allowing one run or none in three of his last four starts.  Turner, on the other hand, has given up five runs or more in four of his last five starts.  Take the Giants.

6* AL *CA$H COW* on Red Sox -125

The Key: Detroit's Porcello hasn't been as good on the road where he has a 4.44 ERA.  Plus, the Tigers are 1-4 in his starts versus Boston, during which he's compiled an ERA of 10.42.  Lackey has a 2.88 ERA at home, and the Red Sox are 10-4 in his last 14 home starts, 9-2 in his last 11 starts versus winning clubs and 6-1 in his last seven starts as a favorite.  He's 7-3 with an ERA of 3.57 in 13 career starts versus Detroit.  Boston is 11-2 the last two seasons when seeking revenge for a shutout loss.  It has won by an average score of 6.2 to 3.6 in this spot.  Lastly, the Tigers are 16-37 in the last 53 meetings in Boston.

7* NL *HEAVY HITTER* on Phillies -117

The Key: Hamels has owned the Reds.  The Phillies are 11-0 all-time in his starts against them, during which he's posted a 1.51 ERA.  The Reds took Game 1, but they are 0-4 in their last four following a win, 1-5 in their last six in the second game of a series, 1-5 in their last six as an underdog and 1-5 in their last six road games.  They are also 0-4 in Bailey's last four starts as an underdog and 1-10 in his last 11 road starts when the money line is +125 to -125.  The Reds are 1-5 in Bailey's 6 career road starts versus the Phillies.  Cincinnati is 17-35 in the last 52 meetings, including 7-20 in the last 27 in Philadelphia.  Take Philly.

6* MLB Bailout Blowout on Angels -137

The Key: I expect Mike Trout's game-winning blast to have a negative carry-over effect for Tampa Bay.  The Rays haven't been able to bounce back from tough losses, going 1-7 this season after a loss of two runs or less.  It doesn't hurt LAs chances that ace Jered Weaver is getting the ball.  The Angels are 3-0 in his last three starts, during which he's posted a 1.83 ERA.  You don't want to go against him at home when he's rolling.  Consider that LA is 15-2 all-time in home starts that occur after he's given up 1 earned run or none in his last two outings.  The Angels are 39-13 in his last 52 home starts overall and 26-6 in his last 32 home starts versus teams that have a losing record.  Tampa Bay's Chris Archer is struggling.  He has a 6.35 ERA on the road and a 7.36 ERA over his last three starts.  LA also holds advantages at the plate.  It averages 4.9 runs per game at home while the Rays are scoring just 3.3 runs on the road.  Take the Angels.

7* NL West Game of the Year on Rockies -148

The Key: This is a tough spot for San Diego, which played a double header in Cincinnati yesterday.  Fatigue will be an issue for the Padres.  So will Jorge De La Rosa.  Colorado's recent road trip didn't go well, but it had yesterday off to regroup and is sending the right horse to the hill.  The Rockies are an incredible 40-12 in De La Rosa's last 52 home starts.  And when he gets the ball following a team loss, they are on a perfect 16-0 run.  When he gets the ball off two consecutive team losses or more, they are on an 8-0 tear.  Clearly, this competitor is clutch.  He's dialed in right now too.  The southpaw is 4-0 in his last four starts with a 2.63 ERA.  They are a perfect 8-0 in his last eight home starts dating back to last season.  The Rockies are 11-1 in De La Rosa's last 12 starts versus the Padres, including 7-0 in his home starts during this span.  While Eric Stults has an unbeaten record versus the Rockies, he's fortunate that's the case since he's allowed 9 runs in his last 9 2-3 innings against them.  Stults is in poor form with a 6.62 road ERA on the season and a 6.75 ERA over his last three starts.  He hasn't had nearly the same success on the road where the Padres are 5-13 in his last 18 starts and 2-8 in his last 10 starts versus winning clubs.  The Rockies also have a huge advantage offensively.  They are batting .353 at home and averaging 7.7 runs per game.  San Diego is batting .196 on the road and averaging 2.4 runs per game.  The Padres are 3-9 in the last 12 meetings in Colorado.  Take the Rockies.

7* MLB *HEAVY HITTER* on Giants -133

The Key: I'll back the Giants, who are 10-3 in their last 13 at home, versus a Miami club that is 4-15 on the road.  Going back further, the Marlins are 30-79 in their last 109 road games.  The Giants have won 15 of their last 20 overall and are 14-3 in their last 17 home games versus a right-handed starter.  The Marlins are 0-3 in Eovaldi's road starts, and he's 1-2 with an ERA of 12.21 in three starts versus San Francisco.  Even though Cain is still looking for his first win of the season, he is the better starter in this matchup, and I believe he's due.  He's held the opposition to two earned runs or less in eight of his last 10 starts and 13 of his last 17.  When the money line is +100 to -150, you want to back home teams that are starting a pitcher who is winless after five starts or more if they have a hot bullpen with an ERA under 3.00 over the last 10 games.  Doing so has produced a 70-26 mark since 1997.  Take San Francisco.

6* ESPN Wednesday Night Baseball *CA$H COW* on Yankees -154

The Key: The Mets took the first two games of the series at Yankee Stadium, and now the series shifts to Citi Field, but I don't expect the Mets to keep rolling.  The Yankees are an impressive 43-19 in their last 62 games after losing the first two games of a series, and the Mets are an atrocious 19-53 in their last 72 games as a home underdog.  No club has been able to figure out Tanaka, and I believe this trend continues.  The Yanks are 5-0 in his last five starts and 3-0 this season in his road starts.  He's struck out 58 batters and walked only seven.  On the road he has 22 Ks and just one free pass.  The Yankees are 12-4 in their last 16 games as a favorite of -151 to -200.  The Mets are 0-5 in their last five interleague home games.  The Mets' Montero is a promising prospect, but he's not Tanaka.  I expect him to have trouble getting out a Yankees club that is batting .265 on the road in his big league debut.  The Mets are batting just .208 at home.  Take the Yankees.

6* MLB Interleague *CA$H COW* on Royals -144

The Key: The Rockies are off to good start in interleague play this season, but I'm not ready to trust it.  Five of their seven interleague games have come at home, and they haven't been the same team on the road.  Colorado is 12-30 in interleague play since 2012, including 1-14 during this span versus teams averaging less than 4.2 runs per game.  It has lost by an average of 3.4 runs in these 15 contests.  Going back further, the Rockies are 37-76 in their last 113 interleague road games and 36-76 in their last 112 games as a road underdog.  The Royals bring a lot of momentum home after finishing their road trip 4-2.  They are 6-0 in their last six home games following a road trip of 7 or more days, 30-11 in their last 41 games as a favorite of -110 to -150 and 4-3 in their last 17 games as a home favorite of -110 to -150.  Kansas City has the edge on the mound with Shields, who has a 2.70 ERA through eight starts.  Colorado's Morales has a 5.31 ERA through seven starts.  The Royals are 18-5 in Shields' last 23 starts as a favorite. Take Kansas City.

6* MLB *CA$H COW* on Dodgers -144

The Key: The Dodgers have been a disappointment thus far at home where they are 7-12, but they are still showing value at this price against a Miami club that is 3-13 away from home this season.  The Marlins are 15-40 in their last 55 road games, 29-73 in their last 102 games as a road underdog and 19-53 in their last 72 road games versus a right-handed starter.  The Fish are even on a 0-4 slide in road games versus teams with a home winning percentage of less than .400.  Koehler is having a strong season, but the Marlins are 0-3 in his road starts.  He has a 4.15 ERA in those games.  They are 1-7 in his last eight road starts versus a team with a winning record.  Haren has been at his best at home where he has a 1.86 ERA.  His clubs are 8-3 in his last 11 starts.  The Dodgers are batting only .248 at home,  but they are hitting right-handed starters at a .266 clip.  The Marlins are batting a dismal .212 on the road and just .247 versus righty starters.  Take LA.

6* MLB *MOUND MISMATCH* on Nationals +121

The Key: This is an excellent price to get behind Gio Gonzalez, who is the better starter in this matchup without a doubt regardless of what this season's numbers say.  It's starting to show too as Scott Kazmir is coming back down to earth with an ERA of 4.24 over his last three starts.  Gonzo has an ERA of 2.95 over his last three starts.  The Nats are an impressive 27-12 in Gonzo's road starts since the beginning of last season.  Washington has lost the first two games of the series, but it is still 9-3 in its last 12 games following a loss, 7-3 in its last 10 Game 3s of a series and 6-1 in its last 7 interleague road games versus a left-handed starter.  The Nationals are batting a phenomenal .289 versus lefty starters this season.  Take Washington.

6* MLB *MOUND MISMATCH* on Dodgers -145

The Key: The Dodgers have the edge on the mound with Greinke, who has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 22 consecutive starts.  His clubs are 40-14 all-time in his starts as a home favorite of -125 to -175.  The Dodgers are 15-3 in his last 18 home starts, 14-2 in his last 16 starts following a team loss in their previous game, 7-0 in his last 7 starts in the third game of a series and 4-0 in his last 4 home starts versus a team with a winning record.  San Francisco's Cain has a 5.25 ERA on the road this season.  The Giants are 1-9 in his last 10 starts, 1-5 in his last 6 road starts and 1-7 in his last 8 division starts.  The Giants are 0-4 in Cain's last 4 starts versus the Dodgers and 0-4 in his last 4 road starts versus the Dodgers.  Greinke's clubs are 3-0 all-time in his starts versus the Giants.  Take LA.

6* MLB Bailout Blowout on A's -114

The Key: The Athletics are 92-44 in their last 136 interleague home games and 70-34 in their last 104 games as a home favorite.  They are 17-3 since 1997 in home games versus NL clubs that allow 3.8 runs per game of less.  The Nationals are 18-37 in their last 55 interleague road games versus a team with a winning record and 4-21 in their last 25 games as a road underdog of +100 to +125.  Fister is making his first start of the season, and I expect him to show some rust.  His clubs are 5-14 in his last 19 road starts when the line is +125 to -125.  The A's saw him twice last season and hit him hard, touching him for 10 runs in 11 innings.  Milone is off to a rough start for Oakland, but only one of his starts have come at home.  Only three Nationals have seen him, so their lack of familiarity with his stuff plays greatly in our favor.  The Athletics are 6-1 in Milone's last seven interleague starts.  You want to back teams when the money line is +100 to -150 that are starting a pitcher who is winless after 5 or more starts as long as the bullpen has an ERA under 3.00 over the last 10 games.  Doing so has produced a 69-26 mark since 1997.  Take the A's.

6* MLB Bailout Blowout on Mariners -125

The Key: The Mariners have won 8 of 10 while the Royals have dropped 5 of 7.  The Mariners are also 6-1 in their last seven home games versus the Royals.  The Royals are 0-6 in their last 6 games as an underdog of +110 to +150 and 0-5 in their last five games as a road underdog of +110 to +150.  The Mariners are 6-0 in their last 6 games as a favorite of -110 to -150.  I'm a big believer in Iwakuma.  The Mariners are 3-0 in his last three starts and 17-7 in his last 24 home starts.  He figures to get plenty of run support tonight as the M's have won 9 of 13 against left-handed starters this season while batting .250 and averaging 4.6 runs.  The Royals have been doing some winning with Duffy on the mound, but he puts a lot of pressure on a bullpen that has an ERA above 4.00 because he often doesn't go very deep in games.  The Royals are 5-13 in his last 18 starts versus teams with a winning record.  Take Seattle.

7* MLB Interleague Total of the Month on Rockies/Rangers Under 9.5

The Key: Plays "under" on all teams when the total is 8.5 to 10 in Wednesday interleague games has produced a 98-46 mark the last five seasons.  Texas' Colby Lewis is 15-1 "under" all-time in Wednesday starts, and we have seen only 6.7 total runs scored on average in these outings.  Lewis has been really good lately with a 3.37 ERA over his last three starts.  Jorge De La Rosa has returned to form following a slow start and has an ERA of 2.50 over his last three starts.  With as good as these pitchers are going, I feel this line is too high.  The "under" is 5-0 in De La Rosa's last five road starts when the total is 9.0-10.5.  De La Rosa is also 17-3 "under" all-time in road games following two or more consecutive wins.  We have seen just 6.0 total runs scored on average in these outings.  The Rockies haven't had the same scoring punch on the road where they are averaging just 4.0 runs per game.  The Rangers are averaging only 4.1 runs per game at home.  Take the Under.

6* MLB *MOUND MISMATCH* on Rays -143

The Key: Baltimore's Chris Tillman is extremely fortunate to be 3-0 on the road considering the 5.21 ERA he's compiled away from home.  He's currently in poor form with an ERA of 7.63 over his last three starts.  He's struggled against the Rays, going 1-4 in his last five starts against them.  He has a 4.90 ERA in 11 career starts against them.  Tampa Bay's Archer is a different pitcher at home where he has a 2.13 ERA on the season.  The Rays are 7-0 in his last seven home starts, 6-0 in his last six home starts versus teams with a winning record, 5-0 in his last five starts as a home favorite of -110 to -150 and 5-0 in his last five starts overall versus teams with a winning record.  Archer was hit hard in a loss in Baltimore last month and will be very focused here as a result.  The Rays are 2-0 in his two home starts versus the Orioles.  The Orioles are 4-11 in the last 15 meetings, including 0-4 in the last four in Tampa Bay.  Take Tampa Bay.

6* MLB "Total" Annihilator on Royals/Padres Under 6.5

The Key: San Diego has been a terrific "Under" investment.  It is on a 41-15-4 "Under" run in its last 60 games.  The Padres are 15-4 "Under" this season when the total is 7.0 or less.  Both teams are really struggling at the plate, and that sets up an extraordinary "Under" system.  You want to play the "Under" on any team (KC) that has had 7 hits or less in 4 consecutive games when they are matched up against a team that has had less than 10 hits in 5 straight games.  Doing so has produced a 40-13 mark the last 5 seasons.  The Padres are 20-5-1 "Under" in their last 26 games versus starters with a WHIP of less than 1.150.  They'll have a tough time getting to Ventura, who has a 1.50 ERA and a WHIP of 1.067.  His ERA is just 0.60 on the road, and the Royals have finished "Under" the total in 4 of his 5 starts this season.  Stults has been good at home where he has a 3.27 ERA, and the Padres are 5-1 "Under" in his 6 interleague starts.  Take the Under.

6* MLB "Total" Annihilator on Brewers/Reds Under 7.5

The Key: Expect a low-scoring game in Cincinnati with a couple hot starters gripping the pill.  Lohse is 4-1 with a 2.70 ERA that is down to 2.33 over his last three starts.  Simon is 4-1 with a 1.60 ERA.  Simon is 7-0 "Under" in his last seven starts, and we haven't seen more than seven total runs scored in any of these games.  Lohse has a 2.89 ERA in 15 starts versus Cincinnati, and he has held the Reds to one earned run or none in eight of his last 11 starts against them.  The "Under" is 7-0 in his last seven starts versus the Reds, and we haven't seen more than seven total runs scored in these games. Take the Under.

6* MLB *MOUND MISMATCH* on Orioles -115

The Key: Minnesota can't be trusted with Correia on the mound.  He has a 7.33 ERA on the season that dips to 9.60 at home.  The Twins are 4-18 in his last 22 starts, 1-8 in his last nine home starts, 1-10 in his last 11 starts versus winning clubs, 0-5 in his last five home starts versus winning clubs, 0-6 in his last six starts in the second game of a series and 0-4 in his last four starts versus AL East foes.  Correia also has a 6.00 ERA in two career starts versus Baltimore.  Chen has settled in following a pair of sub-par outings to start the season.  He has an ERA of 2.95 over his last three starts, and the Orioles are 4-0 in his last four starts.  They are 4-0 in his last four starts in the second game of a series and 2-0 in his starts against the Twins.  He has a 2.25 ERA in both career starts versus the Twins and both were in Minnesota.  It is also worth noting that the Orioles are 5-0 in their last five games as a favorite and 4-0 in their last four games as a favorite of -110 to -150.  You want to fade AL home teams that are starting a pitcher with a WHIP of 1.600 to 1.700 and an ERA of 7.00 or higher over his last three starts.  Doing so has produced a 36-15 mark the last five seasons.  Take Baltimore.
 

6* MLB *MOUND MISMATCH* on Rockies -125

The Key: The Rockies have the edge on the mound with De La Rosa.  They are 39-12 in his last 51 home starts and 43-11 in his last 54 starts as a favorite.  Colorado is 8-0 the last two seasons in his home starts versus clubs with winning records, winning these games by an average of 3.4 runs.  It is also 7-0 the last two seasons in his home starts when the money line is +125 to -125, winning these contests by an average of 3.3 runs.  De La Rosa is nearly unbeatable at home as he's learned how to pitch at flighty Coors.  Plus, the Mets have really struggled against southpaw starters and are just 5-15 against them dating back to last season.  Wheeler has been good for New York overall, but he has a 4.77 ERA on the road and has never pitched inside hitter-friendly Coors Field.  The Mets are 1-4 in Wheeler's last five starts versus teams with a winning record and 1-5 in his last six starts as an underdog.  The Rockies are batting .346 and averaging 7.4 runs per game at home.  The Mets are hitting a decent .255 on the road and averaging 5.2 runs per game, but they are batting only .208 over their last 12 games and are batting just .216 against lefty starters.  Take Colorado.

7* NL Game of the Week on Braves -125

The Key: Atlanta has dropped the first two games of the series, but it hasn't been swept at Miami since 2006.  The Marlins are 18-45 in their last 63 Game 3s of a series.  The Braves are 40-17 in the last 57 meetings, including 22-8 in their last 30 in Miami.  Ervin Santana has been brilliant since moving to the NL.  The Braves are 4-0 in his starts, and he's compiled an ERA of only 1.95.  This number is down to 1.38 in a pair of road starts.  His clubs are 11-1 the last two season in his starts as a favorite of -125 to -175.  Henderson Alvarez has pitched well for the Marlins, but they've lost four of his five starts while he's posted an ERA (2.73) that's nearly a run higher than Santana's.  His clubs are 1-11 over the last three seasons in his home starts versus division opponents.  The Marlins are 0-5 in his last 5 starts versus the NL East and 1-8 in his last 9 starts versus winning clubs.  Take Atlanta.

6* MLB "Total" Annihilator on Astros/Nationals Under 8.5

The Key: Zimmermann has been really good in four of five starts this season and has a 2.70 ERA over his last three.  He's given up only one run on seven hits in his last two starts versus Houston spanning 13 innings while striking out 14 and walking none.  Oberholtzer will be focused following a rare bad outing.  Prior to his last start, he had posted an ERA of 2.87 over his previous eight starts.  He has received an average of only 1.78 runs of support over his last nine starts.  I expect Oberholtzer to have success against a Washington club that has never faced him.  The "Under" is 3-0-1 in the Nationals' last 4 games with the total set at 7.0-8.5, 3-0-2 in their last 5 games following a win, 3-0-1 in their last 4 games as a favorite of -110 to -150 and 6-0-1 in their last 7 interleague road games versus a team with a losing record.  The "Under" is 4-0 in Oberholtzer's last 4 starts on 5 days of rest and 3-0-1 in his last 4 starts as an underdog of +110 to +150.  The "Under" is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these clubs.  Take the Under.

6* MLB *MOUND MISMATCH* on Royals -137

The Key: The Royals will be happy to take the field at home, where they are 6-3, following a seven-game road trip.  They are 5-0 in their last five home games following a road trip of seven or more days.  They Royals are also 12-2 in their last 14 games as a home favorite of -110 to -150.  Vargas has been terrific (1.54 ERA through 5 starts), especially at home where he's 2-0 with a 0.60 ERA.  Toronto's McGowan has a 6.88 ERA through four starts.  The Blue Jays are 1-5 in McGowan's last six starts, 9-23 in his last 32 road starts and 5-14 in his last 19 starts as an underdog.  The Jays are 12-30 all-time in his night starts.  You want to fade road underdogs with a money line of +100 or higher with a bullpen ERA of 3.75 to 4.50 if they are batting .265 or worse as a team and are facing an AL starting pitcher with an ERA of 3.20 or lower.  Doing so has produced a 125-39 mark the last five seasons.  Take Kansas City.

6* MLB Situational Grand Slam on Giants -158

The Key: This is a tough situation for the Padres, who are playing their eighth straight on the road after making the long cross-country trip from Washington D.C.  The Giants will be the more energized team as they've been able to rest their heads on their own pillows since returning from Colorado April 23.  The Giants bring momentum into this series following a three-game sweep of Cleveland.  And, they'll be hungry after losing the season's first series with San Diego.  The Padres defeated Washington 4-2 yesterday, but they are 3-17 in road games following a win of 2 runs or less over the last two seasons.  San Diego's Tyson Ross hasn't been the same pitcher on the road where he's 0-2 with a 5.56 ERA in two starts this season.  His clubs are 0-2 in his two starts in San Francisco.  The Padres are 4-10 in Ross' last 14 starts, including 1-6 in his last seven on the road.  Madison Bumgarner is always tough against the division, as evidenced by the Giants' 37-18 record in his last 55 starts versus the NL West.  The Giants are 5-0 in his last five starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance and 16-4 in his last 20 starts as a home favorite of -151 to -200.  Most importantly, the Giants are 7-0 in Bumgarner's last seven home starts versus the Padres. With Ross never winning in San Francisco, and Bumgarner having not lost there versus the Padres since 2009, we have a 100% perfect 9-0 angle in our favor. Take San Francisco.

6* Sunday Night Baseball "Total" Annihilator on Angels/Yankees Under 8.0

The Key: I like the "Under" tonight in a matchup of pitchers in good form.  LAs Garrett Richards has a 2.52 ERA through four starts, and this number shrinks to 1.00 in a pair of road starts.  He held the Yankees to just two runs in his most recent start in Yankee Stadium last August.  The Yanks are averaging just 3.3 runs per game against right-handed starters this season and have hit only 10 home runs against righty starters.  They don't figure to take Richards deep as he hasn't given up a homer in his last five starts.  The "Under" is 8-2 in Richards' last 10 road starts and 7-0 in his last seven road starts with the total set at 7.0-8.5.  NYs Masahiro Tanaka has had his way with the opposition through his first four major-league starts.  He has a 2.15 ERA on the season and a 1.81 ERA in a pair of home starts.  He has 35 Ks and only two walks, and I expect to see another big strikeout number tonight against an Angels' club that averages over 8 Ks per game.  Tanaka has nasty stuff, and even good hitting teams will struggle against him until they become more familiar with him.  Take the Under.

6* MLB *MOUND MISMATCH* on Tigers -146

The Key: The Tigers have the edge on the mound with Sanchez, whose ERA (3.54) is nearly three runs lower than Hughes' ERA (6.43).  Plus, Sanchez's ERA versus the Twins (2.57) is over two runs lower than Hughes' ERA versus the Tigers (4.87).  The Tigers are 7-0 in Sanchez's last seven road starts with the total set at 7.0-8.5 and 4-0 in his last four starts as a road favorite of -110 to -150.  Hughes is 0-4 in his last four starts versus the Tigers.  In addition, the Twins are 16-36 in their last 52 home games and 16-51 in their last 67 home games versus a team with a winning record.  Minnesota is 19-47 the last three seasons in home games versus AL starting pitchers with an ERA of 4.00 or lower and 15-46 during this span versus starters who give up an average of 0.5 home runs or less per game.  You want to fade AL home teams that allow 5.2 runs per game or more after a game where they allowed 10 runs or more as doing so has produced a 33-9 mark the last five seasons.  Tigers are 21-8 in the last 29 meetings in Minnesota.  Take the Tigers.

6* MLB *CA$H COW* on Mets -105

The Key: The Mets are showing some nice value at this price against a Miami club that is 1-8 on the road.  Looking back, the Marlins are 27-72 in their last 99 road games.  The Mets bring a ton of momentum into this series after taking three of four from St. Louis.  They are 7-3 in their last 10, including 4-1 in their last five.  New York scheduled starter Zack Wheeler has looked strong in his last two starts (both NY wins), and I expect him to keep right on dealing versus a Miami club that has struggled offensively on the road (2.4 runs per game).  The Marlins are just 4-11 in Henderson Alvarez's last 15 starts, 0-4 in his last four division starts and 0-5 in his last five road starts versus a team with a winning record.  The Marlins are just 6-14 in their last 20 meetings in New York.  Take the Mets.

7* MLB *HEAVY HITTER* on Blue Jays -134

The Key: I like the Blue Jays at home with Drew Hutchison on the hill.  He's been lights out in three of four starts this season.  One of those came against Baltimore, and he has a 1.00 ERA in three starts versus the Orioles.  He has tossed 13 consecutive scoreless innings against the O's.  Baltimore defeated the Jays with Bud Norris on the mound Apr. 12, but I don't expect an encore performance on the road where he is 0-2 with a 7.15 ERA this season.  Norris is 0-4 with a 5.28 ERA over his last six outings, losing all three on the road behind a 6.59 ERA while giving up a .304 average to opposing batters.  The Orioles are 14-41 in the last 55 meetings in Toronto.  Take the Jays.

6* MLB *Afternoon Delight* on A's -156

The Key: I missed with the A’s yesterday as they blew the game with two outs in the ninth, but I won't hesitate to come right back with them this afternoon as they are still 37-16 in their last 53 games following a loss and 18-6 the last three seasons when seeking revenge for two straight home losses to an opponent.  Plus, they have the edge on the mound with Gray.  The Athletics are 8-2 in Gray's last 10 starts and 5-0 in his last 5 starts versus American League West foes.  He has a 1.80 ERA on the season and should have no trouble shutting down a Texas team that isn't familiar with him at all.  Perez has been great early for Texas, but he was rocked in his only road start of the season and has an ERA of 5.79 against Oakland.  He's lost three of his last four starts against the A's.  You want to fade Wednesday underdogs of +125 to +175 with a starting pitcher who gives up 0.5 or less home runs per start.  Doing so has produced a 120-44 mark the last five seasons.  Take the A's.

6* MLB *CA$H COW* on A's -157

The Key: The A's haven't lost consecutive games all season, going 5-0 in their last five following a defeat.  Looking back further, they are 37-15 in their last 52 games following a loss.  The A's are 218-96 in their last 314 games as a favorite of -151 to -200, 102-46 in their last 148 games as a favorite overall and 69-30 in their last 99 games as a home favorite.  Oakland is 6-1 in Milone's last seven starts as a favorite and 6-1 in his last seven starts as a favorite of -151 to -200.  The Rangers are without Adrian Beltre, Jurickson Profar and Geovany Soto, and Shin-Soo Choo could miss this game as well.  The banged-up Rangers are just 1-7 in their last eight games as an underdog.  Take the A's.

6* MLB *CA$H COW* on A's +1.5 (-150)

The Key: The A's are showing some nice value catching 1.5 runs at this price. Texas has lost four of six road games this season, and it is 4-12 in its last 16 series openers dating back to last season.  The Rangers haven't been on the road since April 9, and they are 0-4 in their last four games versus Oakland.  Darvish has been brilliant thus far.  The Rangers have won each of his three starts, but the last two wins came by a single run.  Darvish has had a rough go of it versus Oakland.  The Rangers are 0-6 in his last six starts versus the A's, including 0-2 in two career starts in Oakland.  He was rocked in both of those starts,  giving up 11 runs in 10 1-3 innings.  Straily has been good against Texas, going 2-0 in his last two starts against the Rangers.  In six career starts against them, the A's have won or lost by a single run in five of them.  Take the A's on the run line.

 

7* MLB *HEAVY HITTER* on Nationals -137

The Key: This is a good price to bet Strasburg at home.  He is coming off a bad outing in Miami, which means he'll be extremely focused here.  The guy rarely has back-to-back poor showings.  The Nationals are 9-3 in Strasburg's last 12 starts, 4-1 in his last 5 home starts, 12-2 in his last 14 Sunday starts and 4-0 in his last 4 game 4 of a series starts.  The Nationals are 5-0 in their last 5 game 4's of a series while the Cardinals are 1-6 in their last 7 game 4's.  The Nationals are 40-16 in their last 56 games as a favorite and 5-1 in their last 6 games as a home favorite of -110 to -150 while the Cardinals are 4-12 in their last 16 games as a road underdog of +110 to +150.  You want to back favorites with a money line of -110 or higher in the first half of the season if they are batting .175 or worse over their last 3 games.  Doing so has produced a 102-40 mark the last 5 seasons.  You also want to fade road teams with a starting pitcher who gives up an average of 1.0 home run or more per start if the bullpen has thrown 5 innings or less over the last 3 games.  That's because doing so has produced an 82-37 mark the last 5 seasons.  Take the Nats.

6* MLB Mound Mismatch on Giants -127

The Key: First off, this is a nice price to back the Giants on the road where they are 4-0 in their last four games as a favorite of -110 to -150.  The Padres won the opener 2-1, but they are 4-10 in their last 14 games following a win and 0-5 in their last five in the second game of a series.  San Francisco's Hudson has been defying his age.  He has a 2.35 ERA on the season, and his teams are 8-0 in his last eight starts.  Stults has stumbled out of the gate and has a 5.52 ERA.  The Padres are 2-9 in Stults' last 11 starts versus a team with a winning record.  Hudson is 6-1 with a 2.84 ERA in 12 starts versus the Padres.  Stults has a 6-4 record in 15 starts against the Giants, but it's deceiving as his ERA in these starts is 5.44.  We'll take the better offensive team with the better starter on the mound at a pretty nice price.

 

7* MLB Game of the Week on Royals -137

The Key: The Royals will be all business when they take the field tonight as they seek revenge for getting swept last weekend in Minneapolis.  Despite losing each of the season's first three meetings with the Twins, the Royals are still 18-8 in the last 26 meetings, including 8-2 in the last 10 at home.  The Twins have lost five of their last six series openers and are just 4-10 in their last 14 on the road.  The Royals are 4-0 in their last four home games following a road trip of 7 or more days, 7-2 in their last nine series openers, 15-6 in their last 21 home games and 6-1 in their last seven games as a home favorite of -110 to -150.  Nolasco shut down the Royals in his last starts, but things haven't gone as well for him on the road where he has given up five earned runs or more in each of his last four starts.  Vargas has been lights out (1.64 ERA), and he has allowed two earned runs or fewer in three of four home starts against the Twins.  You want to back teams following a stretch where they allowed four runs or less in four straight games if they are averaging 4.5 runs per game or less on the season and are up against an AL starter with an ERA of 4.70 to 5.70.  Doing so has produced a 42-14 mark the last 3 seasons.  Take the Royals.

6* MLB *AFTERNOON DELIGHT* on Giants -110

The Key: The Giants have won four of five against the Dodgers this season, and I expect them to earn the three-game series sweep this afternoon behind Bumgarner.  Going back to last season, the Giants are 6-0 in his last six starts.  He is 9-3 with an ERA of 2.63 and a WHIP of 0.991 in 12 starts against the Dodgers, including 3-0 in his last three overall and 3-0 in his last three at home.  He gave up just two runs while striking out 10 and walking one in a 7-2 victory over the Dodgers April 5.  LA's Ryu is 2-3 with an ERA of 3.89 in six starts against the Giants.  He gave up 8 runs while striking out only two and walking three in an 8-4 defeat to San Francisco April 4.  The Dodgers are now 0-4 in their last four meetings in San Francisco.  Take the Giants.

 

6* MLB *CA$H COW* on Rockies +139

The Key: The Rockies are showing value at this price with De La Rosa on the hill.  The southpaw has had San Diego's number.  The Rockies are 11-0 in his last 11 starts versus the Padres and 5-0 all-time in his road starts versus the Padres.  He's given up three earned runs or less in each of the five victories in San Diego.  Cashner has a 5.56 ERA in four starts against the Rockies.  The Padres are 0-2 in his last two starts against the Rockies, and he was outdueled by De La Rosa in both of these.  San Diego is also 0-2 all-time in his two home starts versus the Rockies as well.  In addition, Colorado has a significant edge at the plate where it is batting .305 and scoring 5.9 runs per game against right-handed starters.  San Diego is batting .185 and scoring 3.0 runs per game against left-handed starters.  Take Colorado.

6* MLB *Mound Mismatch* on Padres -118
The Key: I'll get behind San Diego at this price with the edge they have on the mound with Stults. His teams are 7-0 all-time in his starts against the Rockies, and he's held them to three earned runs or less in five of these starts. Lyles is 0-2 in two career starts at San Diego, given up nine earned runs in 10 innings. San Diego's on-base percentage is only .270, but that didn't stop it from an impressive series win over the Detroit Tigers. Besides, Lyles' teams are 0-14 lifetime in his road starts versus NL clubs with an on-base percentage of .315 or worse. It is also worth noting that the Rockies are 17-41 in their last 58 road games and 14-38 in their last 52 road games versus a left-handed starter. The Padres are 35-16 in their last 51 games as a home favorite. Take San Diego.

6* MLB *Afternoon Delight* on Royals -119
The Key: Look for Kansas City to pick up its first road win of the season this afternoon. The Royals have been struggling offensively in this series, but they catch a break here with Correia heading to the hill. His teams are 0-6 lifetime in his starts against the Royals, and he's posted a 5.29 ERA in these outings. In addition, the Twins are 0-6 in Correia's last 6 starts, 0-7 in his last 7 home starts, 0-6 in his last 6 starts on 5 days' rest, 0-5 in his last 5 starts divisional starts, 0-5 in his last 5 starts as a home underdog and 0-4 in his last 4 starts as an underdog of +110 to +150. Correia has a 6.17 ERA through 2 starts this season while Kansas City's Vargas has an ERA of only 1.20. Take Kansas City.

7* MLB *HEAVY HITTER* on Giants -135
The Key: San Francisco has had Colorado's number. The Giants have won 42 of the last 61 meetings overall and 35 of the last 51 at home. The Rockies are only 2-14 in San Francisco since Aug. 11, 2012, which comes as no surprise since they are 16-40 in their last 56 road games overall. Cain has been a thorn in Colorado's side. He's 6-0 with a 3.09 ERA in seven starts against the Rockies since June 3, 2011, and has held them to a .198 average during this span. The Giants are 7-0 in his last seven home starts versus the Rockies. Colorado's Anderson is 0-2 in two starts against the Giants, and both came at AT&T Park where he's compiled a 7.00 ERA and .351 opponents' batting average. Anderson's teams are 5-19 in his starts as an underdog of +150 or less. Take San Francisco.

7* MLB Game of the Week on Angels -160
The Key: This is a tough spot for the Mets, who had to make the long cross-country trip late last night after playing in Atlanta. While the Mets will be feeling jet lag, the Angels will be fresh after having yesterday off. The Halos will also be hungry as they look to capture their first home win of the season. The Angels are 21-6 in their last 27 games following an off day. Southpaw Tyler Skaggs spun a gem in his first start of the season, and I'm expecting another one as he faces a New York club that is 3-13 in its last 16 games versus a left-handed starter. The Mets are 1-5 in their last six interleague games as an underdog and 0-4 in their last four road games versus a team with a home winning percentage of less than .400. The Angels are 4-0 in their last four interleague games, 4-0 in their last four versus the National League East and 5-0 in their last five interleague games versus a right-handed starter (Gee). The Angels are also 5-1 in their last six games as a favorite of -151 to -200 and 13-4 in their last 17 versus a team with a losing record. Take the Angels.

6* MLB *MOUND MISMATCH* on Phillies -117
The Key: Milwaukee has won five straight (all on the road), but I believe its run comes to an end this evening. The Brewers have been swinging the sticks (.280 batting avg.), but Cliff Lee is still one of the best in the game. He gave up no runs in 7 innings of a 2-0 win at Chicago last time out while striking out 6 and walking no one. History is clear, you want to fade any NL team with a batting average of .275 or better when they are up against a starting pitcher who gave up no earned runs last outing. Doing so has produced a 31-12 mark the last five seasons. The Phillies are 4-1 in Lee's last 5 home starts, 4-1 in his last 5 starts as a favorite and 7-3 in his last 10 starts as a home favorite. The Phillies are 9-3 in their last 12 games as a home favorite, 6-1 in their last 7 games as a home favorite of -110 to -150 and 7-2 in their last 9 home games versus a team with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. Lee has given up 3 earned runs or less in 5 of his last 6 starts against Milwaukee with his teams winning 4 of these outings. Milwaukee's Marco Estrada, on the other hand, has an ERA of 9.00 in two starts against Philadelphia. It is also worth noting that the Brewers have done most of their damage at the plate against righties. They are batting just .224 and scoring only 3.0 runs per game off lefty starters this season. Take Philly.

6* MLB Bailout on Angels -108
The Key: The Angels have lost all four meetings with Seattle this season, and I expect them to dig down deep to make sure the skid comes to an end tonight. Richards looked good in his first start, earning an easy win over Houston. He's also looked good against Seattle, going 2-1 with an ERA of 2.53 in three starts. He gave up only 4 hits in 7 1-3 innings of a 2-0 victory Aug. 23 in his most recent start at Safeco. The Angels are 5-1 in their last 6 games as a road favorite and 4-1 in Richards' last 5 starts as a favorite. The Mariners are 3-8 in their last 11 games following a win, 6-13 in their last 19 home games and 6-15 in their last 21 games versus a right-handed starter. Take the Halos.

6* MLB *CA$H COW* on Indians -145
The Key: Cleveland is supported by a very lucrative system here. Teams in the first 12 games of the season that closed last season with 20 wins or more in their last 30 games are 65-25 the last 5 seasons. If the team we are playing is a favorite of -110 or more, had a winning record last season and is playing a club that had a losing season, this system tightens up to 37-7. The Tribe has been terrific at home with Kluber on the mound. It is 8-1 in his last 9 home starts, including 6-0 in his last 6 starts as a home favorite. The Padres are 2-8 in Ross' last 10 starts and 1-5 in his last 6 starts as an underdog. Take the Tribe.

6* MLB *CA$H COW* on Royals +106
The Key: The Royals are showing some nice value at this price given their success against Tampa Bay and Vargas' success against Tampa Bay. The Royals are 10-3 in the last 13 meetings, including 6-1 in the last 7. They are a perfect 6-0 in their last 6 at home in the series, winning these by an average of 5.3 runs. The Rays are 0-2 in Moore's starts against Kansas City, and he has an ERA of 6.40 in these games. Vergas has an ERA of 3.47 in 8 starts against the Rays. He's given up no earned runs in two of his last three starts against them and has held them to 3 earned runs or less in five of the eight starts. He's won two of his last three starts against them and three of his last five. This is also a bad scheduling spot for Tampa Bay, who takes the road for the first time this season and without a day of rest. This is Kansas City's fourth straight game at home, and it will be ready. Take the Royals.

6* ESPN2 Sunday Night Baseball *CA$H COW* on Dodgers -147
The Key: The Dodgers have lost the first two games of this series, but I look for them to bounce back strong behind a gem from Greinke. Greinke's clubs are 24-6 in his home starts since the start of the 2012 season. The Dodgers are 11-1 in Greinke's starts when he gets the ball following a team loss. The Dodgers are 5-0 in his last 5 starts after allowing 5 runs or more in their previous game, 12-1 in his last 13 starts after scoring 2 runs or less in their previous game, 5-0 in his last 5 starts in the third game of a series and 10-1 in his last 11 divisional starts. Greinke's teams are 38-13 all-time in his home starts as a favorite of -125 to -175. The Giants are 3-13 in Cain's last 16 starts, including 0-6 in his last 6. The Giants are 0-6 in Cain's last 6 starts when their opponent scores 2 runs or less in their previous game, 0-4 in his last 4 starts versus the National League West and 0-5 in his last 5 starts versus a team with a winning record. Lastly, the Giants are 1-6 in Cain's last 7 starts versus Dodgers, including 0-3 in his last 3 overall and 0-3 in his last 3 in LA. Greinke's teams are 2-0 in his starts against the Giants. Take the Dodgers.

7* MLB Game of the Week on Rockies -128
The Key: The Rockies are showing tremendous value at this price at home with De La Rosa on the hill. The Diamondbacks are 0-5 in their last 5 games vs. a left-handed starter, which comes as no surprise because they haven't been able to figure out De La Rosa. He has a 2.53 ERA in 16 starts against them, and the Rockies are 9-0 all-time in his home starts against them. He hasn't given up more than 2 earned runs in any of these 9 starts. Backing De La Rosa at home has paid off big time as the Rockies are 44-15 in his last 59 home starts. The Diamondbacks are 1-6 in McCarthy's last 7 starts as an underdog. Take Colorado.

6* MLB Mound Mismatch on Royals -148
The Key: Kansas City has the edge on the mound with Guthrie. The Royals are 18-5 in his last 23 home starts and 7-2 in his last 9 starts versus the White Sox. He gave up 2 earned runs or fewer in each of the seven wins. The Royals are 5-0 in their last 5 games as a home favorite of -110 to -150 and 21-5 in their last 26 games as a favorite of -110 to -150. Chicago's Erik Johnson isn't nearly as proven. Plus, his team is just 15-43 in its last 58 road games and 2-10 in its last 12 road games versus a right-handed starter. Take KC.

6* MLB Mound Mismatch on Rays -149
The Key: After winning the series opener 9-2, the Rays have dropped the last two while scoring just two total runs. That should change here with Toronto sending Morrow to the mound. The right-hander has really struggled against the Rays, giving up at least 5 earned runs in four of his last six starts against them. The Blue Jays are 0-5 in Morrow's last 5 starts as a road underdog and 0-4 in his last 4 starts when their opponent scores 2 runs or less in their previous game. Archer gives Tampa Bay the edge on the mound with a 1.65 ERA in three starts against the Blue Jays. The Rays are 5-0 in his last 5 home starts and 4-0 in his last 4 home starts versus a team with a winning record. The Blue Jays are 16-44 in their last 60 meetings in Tampa Bay. Take the Rays.

6* MLB *CA$H COW* on Angels -134
The Key: After losing the first two games of this series, I expect the Angels to dig down deep and gut out a win tonight. Seattle hasn't started 3-0 since 1995, and it is on a 9-20 slide after two or more consecutive wins. The Mariners are also on a 10-24 skid after allowing three runs or less in two straight games. The Angels, on the other hand, are 99-61 under Scioscia in home games after allowing eight runs or more. You want to fade American League teams with a starting pitcher who had a WHIP of 1.300 or better last season after two straight games where the bullpen gave up no earned runs. Doing so has produced a 23-7 mark the last three seasons. Seattle is on a 4-17 skid after two straight games where the bullpen gave up no runs. Lastly, the Mariners are 22-50 in their last 72 road games in the series. Take the Halos.

6* MLB Mound Mismatch on Dodgers -142
The Key: Zack Greinke has dominated the NL West since becoming a member of the Dodgers. In fact, the Dodgers are 9-1 in his last 10 starts versus the division. He's done plenty of damage against the Padres throughout his career. He's 3-0 (5-0 on the money line) with an ERA of 1.74 in five career starts versus San Diego. Three of these starts came in San Diego so he's clearly very comfortable pitching there. Ian Kennedy has struggled against the Dodgers. His clubs are 0-3 in his last three starts against them, and he's been tagged for 14 runs in 17 2/3 innings in these starts. The Dodgers do not like Kennedy, a feeling that stems from an incident last season when he drilled Yasiel Puig in the face and later Greinke in the back. Off a loss in the first game of the series and facing a starter they detest, the Dodgers will bring a great deal of focus and fire to the ballpark today.

6* MLB Opening Day Annihilator on A's -134
The Key: I don't trust Cleveland's Masterson here. The right-hander has an ERA of 8.10 in eight career starts against the A's and is 0-5 in five career starters in Oakland. The Indians are also 1-7 in Masterson's last eight starts as a road underdog. The Athletics have been a tremendous favorite at 90-44 in their last 134 games in the role. They are 63-28 in their last 91 games as a home favorite. They are also 5-1 in Gray's last six starts. Take Oakland.

6* MLB Opening Night Annihilator on Padres +100
The Key: The value lies with the Padres at this price with Cashner on the bump. He's 0-1 with a 0.82 ERA and 1.045 WHIP in three starts against the Dodgers. He struck out 16 in those starts and did not allow a home run in 22 innings. The Padres are 7-1 in their last eight series openers and 10-4 in their last 14 home games. Look for Cashner to outduel Ryu at home tonight.

6* World Series Game 6 *CA$H COW* on Cardinals +108
The Key: What have the Cardinals done with their back against the wall you ask? They have gone 7-0 when trailing in a playoff series over the last three seasons, winning these contests by an average score of 7.1 to 3.7. Wacha has shown no signs of coming back down to earth, going 5-0 in his last five starts while allowing only three total runs during this stretch. Lacky hasn't been nearly as sharp. He's given up 3 runs or more in seven of his last nine starts. Wacha outdueled Lackey at Fenway in Game 2, and I expect the same result tonight.

7* World Series Game 5 *HEAVY HITTER* on Cardinals -111
The Key: Boston's Jon Lester hasn't been the same pitcher on the road where he has a 4.18 ERA. The Red Sox are just 6-12 in his last 18 road starts. St. Louis hasn't been as strong against left-handed starters this season, but it is 4-0 in its last four home games versus a southpaw starters. Adam Wainwright has been at his best at home where he has a 2.36 ERA. The Cardinals are 6-0 in his last six home starts overall and 4-0 in his last four home starts versus a team with a winning record. Wainwright has a 1.07 ERA in eight career postseason games - four starts - in St. Louis. Look for the Cards to take care of business behind a gem from their ace.

6* World Series Game 4 *CA$H COW* on Red Sox +104
The Key: I expect a strong outing from Clay Buchholz, who has had extra time to rest his shoulder. He was 3-0 with a 0.53 ERA while pitching on at least six days' rest in the regular season. Buchholz has been brilliant on the road, going 6-0 with a 1.76 ERA in eight road starts this season. The Red Sox are 5-0 in Buchholz's last 5 starts versus NL clubs. Yesterday's 5-4 score is significant as the Red Sox are 4-0 in their last 4 games after allowing 5 runs or more in their previous game. They are also 4-0 in Buchholz's last 4 starts after allowing 5 runs or more in their previous game. The Cardinals are 1-4 in Lynn's last 5 starts versus a team with a winning record and 1-6 in his last 7 starts when their opponent allows 5 runs or more in their previous game. Take Boston.

6* World Series Game 3 *CA$H COW* on Cardinals -102
The Key: I expect St. Louis to ride the momentum of its Game 2 victory to a 2-1 series lead. The Cardinals have been nearly unbeatable at home when facing a right-handed starting pitcher. They are 43-12 in their last 55 home games versus a right-handed starter, including 4-0 in their last 4 home games versus AL right-handed starters. The Cards will have an excellent opportunity to extend these runs against Peavy, who has a 5.56 ERA on the road and a 7.98 ERA over his last three starts. Peavy has struggled against St. Louis, going 3-6 with a 4.28 ERA in 11 starts. Boston isn't nearly as familiar with Joe Kelly's stuff. The St. Louis right-hander has an ERA of 2.53 on the season. That's nearly two runs lower than Peavy's 4.40 mark. The Cardinals are 7-1 in Kelly's last 8 home starts, including 5-0 in his last 5 home starts versus a team with a winning record. The Cardinals are 11-1 in their last 12 home games versus a team with a winning road record and 6-1 in their last 7 World Series home games. Take St. Louis.

6* World Series Game 2 *CA$H COW* on Red Sox -118
The Key: Wacha has been sensational over his last four starts, but I have to go with the experience of Lackey here. Lackey has been terrific all season at home where he's 7-3 with a 2.71 ERA. The Red Sox are 6-1 in his last 7 home starts. In addition, he's pitched in the World Series before, earning a 4-1 victory in Game 7 against San Francisco as a rookie in 2002 while pitching for the Angels. That performance shows you the stuff Lackey is made of. We saw a dominant performance from him in the ALCS, outdueling Verlander, and I expect another one here. Wacha hasn't been scared of the moment thus far, but the stakes have been raised here. This is the biggest game of his life, in arguably the most legendary ballpark on the planet against the best hitting team he's seen. I believe he'll finally succumb to the pressure. The Red Sox are 5-0 in Lackey's last 5 starts versus a team with a winning record. They are 9-0 in their last 9 World Series games and 5-0 in their last 5 World Series home games. Take Boston.

7* World Series Game 1 *HEAVY HITTER* on Red Sox -118
The Key: Boston has the edge in Game 1 with southpaw Jon Lester on the bump. He is 8-2 with a 2.93 ERA in 15 home starts this season. He provides problems for a St. Louis lineup that is batting just .246 and scoring only 3.9 runs per game off left-handed starters this season. The Cardinals are 0-5 in their last 5 games versus AL southpaw starters. Adam Wainwright hasn't been quite as sharp on the road where he has a 3.31 ERA. Boston is batting .274 and scoring 5.3 runs per game off right-handed starters this season. The Cardinals are 0-4 in Wainwright's last 4 road starts versus a team with a winning record. The Red Sox are 8-0 in their last 8 World Series games and 4-0 in their last 4 World Series home games. The Cardinals are 2-6 in their last 8 playoff road games and 2-5 in their last 7 World Series road games. Take Boston.

6* ALCS Game 6 *CA$H COW* on Red Sox -116
The Key: Boston won Game 2 of this series despite a poor performance from Buchholz. That performance cannot be sitting well with the Red Sox ace, and I expect him to bounce back strong this evening. Scherzer dealt a gem in Game 2, but it wasn't enough as Boston was able to rally late. I don't expect Scherzer to be quite as good this time around. He's fresh in Boston's mind and has a 6.20 career ERA against the Red Sox. The Sox are 15-3 in Buchholz's starts this season. They are 24-5 since the beginning of last season in his starts as a favorite of -110 or higher. Boston is 6-1 in Buchholz's last 7 starts versus the Tigers, including 4-0 in his last 4 at Fenway. The Tigers are 0-3 in Scherzer's last 3 starts at Fenway. The Red Sox are 10-4 in their last 14 home games versus the Tigers. Bet Boston.

7* NLCS *HEAVY HITTER* on Cardinals +1.5 -150
The Key: The Cardinals are showing value catching runs at this price. They are 8-0 in their last 8 games as a home underdog and 12-0 this season in home games following a day off. The Dodgers are 0-7 in their last 7 League Championship road games. They are also 0-4 in Kershaw's last 4 starts versus the Cardinals. He was hit hard in two of these starts and got no run support in the other two. Wacha is 3-0 with an 0.42 ERA in his last three starts and outdueled Kershaw in Game 2. The Cardinals squandered a 3-1 series lead last fall against the Giants, and they do not want to see this thing reach a Game 7. I expect them to be very focused and hungry tonight.

6* ALCS Game 5 *CA$H COW* on Tigers -110
The Key: Boston's Lester hasn't been nearly as good on the road, where he has a 4.21 ERA. The Red Sox are 3-12 in his last 15 road starts versus AL opponents, including 0-4 in his last 4. Lester doesn't have very good numbers against Detroit (4.24 ERA), and he gave up 5 earned runs in 5 2-3 innings in his lone start at Detroit this season. Detroit has hit lefties well all season and is 7-0 in its last 7 games versus a left-handed starter and 5-0 in its last 5 home games versus a left-handed starter. Detroit's Sanchez has a 3.04 ERA at home, and he baffled the Red Sox in Game 1, throwing six no-hit innings. He's baffled the mighty AL East all together as the Tigers are now 6-0 in his last six starts versus AL East opponents. Sanchez has the kind of stuff that's really tough to hit when you're not familiar with it. The Red Sox have seen him once this while the Tigers have seen Lester three times this season and five times the last two seasons. Take Detroit.

6* NLCS Game 5 *CA$H COW* on Dodgers -166
The Key: It's win or go home for the Dodgers, and I like them to stay alive behind a strong performance from Greinke. The Dodgers are 12-2 this season in his home starts. They are 10-1 in his last 11 starts when working on regular rest (4 days). They are also 9-1 the last 10 times he's gotten the ball following a team loss and 5-0 in his last 5 starts as a favorite of -151 to -200. Greinke hasn't allowed more than 4 hits in any of his last four starts while not allowing a single home run during this stretch. Kelly has given up 5 hits or more in each of his last three starts. The Cards lost Kelly's only road start against the Dodgers while Greinke's clubs are 5-0 in his last 5 home starts versus St. Louis.

7* ALCS Game 3 *HEAVY HITTER* on Tigers -156
The Key: The Tigers are 7-1 in their last eight home games versus Boston, and I expect their home dominance over the Red Sox to continue with Verlander on the mound. The big right-hander has been unbelievable down the stretch. He hasn't given up a single run in his last four starts. The Tigers are 3-0 in his last three home starts against the Red Sox, and he didn't allow a run in two of those. Detroit is also 15-1 all-time in Verlander's home starts in the second half of the season versus teams that outscore their opponents by 0.5 runs or more per game. The Tigers have won by an average score of 6.6 to 2.4 in this situation. Boston's Lackey is struggling. He's given up at least four earned runs in four of his last five starts. He's struggled all season on the road where he is 4-10 with a 4.48 ERA in 16 starts. The Red Sox are 1-5 in his last six road starts. His clubs are also 0-4 in his last four starts against the Tigers. Take Detroit.

6* NLCS Game 3 *CA$H COW* on Dodgers +1.5 -155
The Key: Each of the Dodgers' last six defeats have come by a single run, and three of St. Louis' last four wins have come by a single run. With this in mind, I believe the Dodgers +1.5 is the strongest play for Game 3. Wainwright has been sensational down the stretch. The Cardinals have won his last seven starts, but keep in mind that only one of those came on the road. Wainwright hasn't been quite as good on the road (3.36 ERA) this season, and the Cardinals have lost four of his last seven road starts. The Cards are also 1-4 in Wainwright's last five starts as a favorite of -110 to -150, 6-15 in their last 21 road games versus a team with a winning record, 1-4 in their last five playoff road games, 6-13 in their last 19 League Championship road games and 3-7 in their last 10 road games versus a left-handed starter. LA Southpaw Ryu has been at his best at home where he has a 2.61 ERA. The Dodgers are 11-4 in his last 15 home starts, 6-1 in his last seven starts as an underdog, 5-0 in his last five starts versus the National League Central and 4-0 in his last four home starts with the total set at 6.5 or lower. The Dodgers are 5-1 in their last 6 playoff home games. Take LA on the run line.

7* ALCS *HEAVY HITTER* on Red Sox -110
The Key: Scherzer will likely end up with the AL Cy Young, but there's a good chance he wouldn't have had Buchholz not missed a chunk of the season. Both pitchers have spectacular numbers on the season, but Buchholz has the better track record in the team matchup. He has a 3.76 ERA in eight starts against the Tigers. The Red Sox are 5-1 in his last six starts against them, including 3-0 in his last three at home. He has held the Tigers to three earned runs or less in six of his last seven starts against them. Scherzer has a 7.02 ERA in eight starts versus the Red Sox. His clubs have lost five of those starts, and he's 0-2 in his last two at Fenway. He's given up five earned runs or more in half of his starts against Boston. The Red Sox fell in Game 1, but they are 5-0 the last five times Buchholz has received the ball following a team loss. They are also 4-0 in their last four when their opponent scores two runs or less in their previous game and 6-0 in Buchholz's last six starts when their opponent allows two runs or less in their previous game. Take Boston.

6* MLB Playoffs *CA$H COW* on Red Sox -138
The Key: Sanchez was the AL ERA leader, but I don't trust him as much as Lester here. The Tigers are 0-3 in his last three starts, a stretch where he has a 5.65 ERA. He gave up 6 runs in 4 1-3 innings in his ALDS start. Sanchez's clubs are just 2-11 in his starts in the second half of the season versus good teams with a win percentage of 54-62% over the last two seasons. Lester easily won his ALDS start, while giving up just 2 runs in 7 2-3 innings. He's held opponents to 3 runs or less in 10 of his last 11 starts. Lester has been lights out at home where he has a 3.03 ERA. The Red Sox are 12-2 in his home starts this season, including 4-0 in his last 4. The Sox are also 3-0 in his last three starts against the Tigers. He gave up just 1 run in 7 innings while striking out 9 and walking nine in his lone home start against the Tigers this season. The Red Sox are 9-3 in their last 12 and 36-15 in their last 51 home games versus Detroit. Bet Boston.

6* NLCS *CA$H COW* on Dodgers -122
The Key: I like the Dodgers in Game 1 with Greinke on the hill. The former AL Cy Young has been dialed in for months, and he has a strong track record against the Cardinals. He has allowed two earned runs or less in 13 consecutive starts. The Dodgers are 12-0 this season in Greinke's starts versus poor power teams that average 0.9 home runs or fewer per game. These teams have been held to 1.6 runs on average in these games. Greinke is 3-0 in his last three starts versus the Cardinals with the last two wins in St. Louis. He has given up a total of three runs in 19 1-3 innings in these starts. He is 8-2 in his last 10 starts versus the Cards, holding them to two earned runs or less in eight of these. The Cardinals are 0-4 in their last 4 games as an underdog of +110 to +150 and 0-4 in their last 4 playoff games as an underdog. Take the Dodgers.

6* ALDS *CA$H COW* on Tigers -106
The Key: I like the experience of Verlander in this winner-take-all Game 5. The big right-hander is on top of his game. He hasn't allowed a single run in his last three starts - all on the road - while striking out 33 and walking just five in 19 innings. Plus, he's had a ton of success against the A's. The Tigers are 6-2 in his last eight starts against them, and he's held them to one run or none in seven of these starts. The Tigers are 4-1 in his last five starts in Oakland, and he's given up just two runs in 37 innings in these starts. Verlander is riding a 22-inning postseason scoreless streak against the A's. Gray matched Verlander pitch-for-pitch in Game 2, but now the stakes are raised. Verlander has been there and done that on this stage and won't feel as much pressure as the rookie. Oakland is 1-11 in its last 12 tries when trying to close out a playoff series. It is also 0-5 in its last five Game 5s in the ALDS. The Tigers, on the hand, are 4-0 in their last four Game 5s. Take Detroit.

7* NLDS *HEAVY HITTER* on Cardinals -149
The Key: I love the experience of Adam Wainwright in this big spot. The Cardinals are 6-0 in his last six starts, twice beating the Pirates during this stretch with dominant performances. The Cards are 3-0 in Wainwright's home starts against Pittsburgh this season, and he's given up only one run on five hits in 14 innings while striking out 17 and walking two over his last two. Gerrit Cole has pitched well down the stretch and beat the Cardinals in Game 2, but that was his first start against them. Now he's fresh in their minds, and I expect things to go differently as he faces a lineup that is batting .274 and scoring 5.1 runs per game off right-handed starters a second time. The Cards are 24-9 in home games this season versus NL starting pitchers with an ERA of 3.50 or better. St. Louis is also 33-12 in home games in the second half of this season and 51-22 in home games the last three seasons after having lost two of their last three games. Besides Game 1, the St. Louis bats haven't made much noise. However, the numbers suggest a breakout offensive performance is coming. The Cardinals are 14-1 in home games the last two seasons following a five-game stretch with an on-base percentage of .285 or worse. They have won by an average score of 6.6 to 2.6 in this situation. Take St. Louis.

7* ALDS Game of the Year on Tigers -145
The Key: Oakland has an opportunity to close out the Tigers, but I don't like its chances. The A's are 1-10 in their last 11 playoff games with an opportunity to close out a series. Fister got lit up the last time he faced the A's, but he'll learn from that start and will be even more focused as a result. Prior to that start, he had held the A's to two earned runs or less in 11 of 12 starts, including five straight. He shut Oakland down in last year's ALDS and owns a 1.71 ERA over five career postseason starts. The Tigers are 10-4 in Fister's last 14 starts and 25-10 in his last 35 home starts. Oakland's Straily has struggled on the road where he has a 4.11 ERA. Take the Tigers.

6* NLDS *CA$H COW* on Cardinals -108
The Key: The Cardinals have had Morton's number. The Pirates are 0-7 in Morton's last 7 starts versus the Cardinals, a stretch where he has a 6.82 ERA. Morton has also struggled in day games where he has a 4.81 ERA compared to his 2.62 mark at night. Beltran is 6 for 15 off Morton, Jon Jay is 8 for 16, Yadier Molina is 8 for 19 and Matt Holliday is 8 for 25. Sounds like runs to me. It's also worth noting that Pittsburgh is 0-5 in Morton's last five home starts versus a team with a winning record. Wacha was brilliant his last time out, nearly tossing a no-no against Washington. He also shut the Pirates down in his lone start against them last month, holding them scoreless on two hits in seven innings of a 9-2 victory. Take St. Louis.

6* NLDS *CA$H COW* on Dodgers -143
The Key: The Braves have been inconsistent on the road where they have a losing record. They are also at a disadvantage on the mound as Teheran's road ERA (3.37) is over a run higher that Ryu's home ERA (2.32). The Braves are 2-7 in their last 9 road games versus a team with a winning record, 1-10 in their last 11 playoff games as an underdog of +110 to +150 and 0-4 in their last 4 games overall as an underdog of +110 to +150. The Dodgers are 7-1 in their last 8 Divisional Playoff games, 10-3 in their last 13 home games versus a team with a winning record and 10-4 in Ryu's last 14 home starts. Take LA.

7* MLB *HEAVY HITTER* on Rays -113
The Key: I expect the Rays to bounce back strong behind David Price, who has thrived at Fenway. Price is 10-6 with a 2.93 ERA in 20 career starts against the Red Sox, including a 6-1 mark with a 1.88 ERA in 10 games in Boston. The Rays are 7-3 in Price's last 10 road starts versus Red Sox. They are also 5-0 in his last 5 starts in Game 2 of a series and 21-6 in his last 27 starts as a road favorite of -110 to -150. John Lackey has posted a 5.33 ERA over his last four starts and is 3-5 with a 6.70 ERA in nine starts versus the Rays since joining the Red Sox in 2010. The Red Sox have been a terrible underdog investment. They are 27-57 in their last 84 games as an underdog, 9-25 in their last 34 games as a home underdog and 1-5 in Lackey's last 6 starts as an underdog. Take Tampa Bay.

6* NLDS *CA$H COW* on Braves -102
The Key: The Braves dropped Game 1, but I like their chances of evening the series. Atlanta is 5-0 in its last 5 games following a loss. In addition, it is 20-4 this season in home games following a defeat. The Braves are 66-28 in their last 94 home games overall so this team clearly doesn't lose many consecutive home contests. The Dodgers have had some problems with left-handed starters. They are averaging only 3.6 runs per game off them and are 3-9 in their last 12 games against them. Their struggles figure to continue against Minor. The Braves were 2-0 in his starts against the Dodgers this season. He posted a 2.25 ERA in those starts, limited the Dodgers to a .205 average and had 15 strikeouts over 12 innings. The Braves are 8-0 in Minor's last 8 starts versus National League West foes and 4-0 in his last 4 home starts versus a team with a winning record. Greinke's clubs are 0-2 in his two career starts in Atlanta. He gave up 9 runs in 11 innings in those contests. Take Atlanta.

6* NLDS *CA$H COW* on Cardinals -143
The Key: The Cardinals are 4-0 in their last four games versus Pittsburgh. They are also 4-0 in their last four home games versus the Pirates. They have way more postseason experience and a better starter going in Wainwright. The Cardinals are 5-0 in Wainwright's last five starts and 4-0 in his last four starts as a home favorite. The Cards are 2-0 in his home starts against the Pirates this season while Pittsburgh is 0-2 in Burnett's starts in St. Louis this season. Burnett was rocked in those two, giving up 10 earned runs in 7 1-3 innings. The Cards are 6-0 in their last six games overall, 6-0 in their last six games versus a team with a winning record, 6-0 in their last six home games versus a team with a winning road record and 5-0 in their last 5 games as a home favorite of -110 to -150. Take St. Louis.

6* MLB *CA$H COW* on Indians +103
The Key: The Indians are showing value in the underdog role at home where they are 49-24 in their last 73 games. They are 10-0 in their last 10 games overall, 9-0 in their last nine games when their opponent allows two runs or less in its previous game, 4-0 in their last four games when their opponent scores five runs or more in its previous game and 4-0 in their last four games versus a right-handed starter. The Indians have seen Cobb once this season and twice last season so they have some familiarity with his stuff. The Rays, on the other hand, have never seen Salazar. That will be to his advantage. Cobb typically hasn't been as sharp when breaking his four-day between starts routine. In fact, the Rays are 0-4 in his last four starts on five days' rest. The Rays are also 0-7 in their last seven playoff games as a favorite and 0-6 in their last six playoff games as a favorite of -110 to -150. Cleveland is 22-8 in its last 30 home games versus the Rays. Take the Tribe.

7* MLB *HEAVY HITTER* on Pirates -126
The Key: Pittsburgh has all the momentum on its side following a three-game sweep of the Reds. Cincy is 0-5 in its last five games with those losses coming at home, and now it ventures out on the road where it has been far less consistent. The Cincy offense is really struggling. It has been held to three runs or fewer in six straight games. The Pirates have scored four runs or more in seven of their last 10 games. I can't see the Reds getting much of anything of Liriano, who's 8-1 with a 1.47 ERA in 11 home starts. The Pirates are 7-1 in his last 8 home starts. Cueto has fared well in a pair of starts since returning from the DL, but those came against the lowly Mets and Astros. He has a 3.90 ERA on the road this season. We'll take the hotter team at home tonight.

6* MLB *CA$H COW* on Rays -116
The Key: Price doesn't have the best track record against Texas. Still, he has held the Rangers to three runs or less in five of his last six starts against them, and I like his experience in this spot. I think nerves will come into play a lot more for Texas rookie Martin Perez. The Rays are 7-0 in their last 7 games versus a team with a winning record while the Rangers are 0-6 in their last 6 home games versus a team with a winning record. The Rays are also 5-0 in their last 5 games after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game. The Rays are 33-14 in Price's last 47 starts as a road favorite and 20-6 in his last 26 starts as a road favorite of -110 to -150. The Rangers are 1-6 in Perez's last 7 starts versus a team with a winning record. Take Tampa Bay.

6* MLB *Mound Mismatch* on Rays -175
The Key: The Rays need this game and are in great hands with Matt Moore set to get the ball. The Rays are 22-6 in Moore's last 28 starts, 14-2 in his last 16 road starts, 9-1 in his last 10 starts as a road favorite, 6-0 in his last 6 starts versus a team with a losing record, 5-0 in his last 5 road starts versus a team with a losing record and 3-0 in his last 3 starts against the Blue Jays. Moore have averaged 3.5 walks per game in six career starts versus Toronto but hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in any of those games. In fact, pitchers that are a little bit wild have fared well against a Toronto club that isn't very disciplined at the plate. The Blue Jays are 0-8 this season versus starting pitchers who average 2.75 walks or more per start. They have lost these games by 2.4 runs on average. Take Tampa Bay.

6* MLB *CA$H COW* on Reds -121
The Key: I'll go against the Pirates with Burnett on the mound. The right-hander is 2-5 with a 5.36 ERA in eight career starts in Cincinnati, and he has a 6.68 ERA in his last six outings on the road. The Pirates are 2-7 in Burnett's last 9 road starts, 1-8 in his last 9 starts as an underdog of +110 to +150 and 0-5 in his last 5 starts in series openers. Bailey has been dialed in. The Reds are 8-2 in his last 10 starts, 4-0 in his last 4 starts as a favorite of -110 to -150 and 4-0 the last 4 times he's gotten the ball following a team loss. Bailey has a 2.69 ERA in 15 starts versus Pittsburgh with the Reds winning 10 of those. The Pirates are 3-7 in their last 10 meetings in Cincinnati. Take the Reds.

6* MLB *Mound Mismatch* on Mets -150
The Key: The Mets have the edge on the mound with Gee, who is 12-10 with a 3.54 ERA in 31 starts. He has a 2.53 ERA in 14 starts at home. The Mets are 4-0 in Gee's last 4 starts on regular rest (4 days), 4-0 in his last 4 starts versus a team with a losing record, 6-0 in his last 6 starts as a favorite and 4-0 in his last 4 starts as a home favorite. Milwaukee's Hellweg is 1-4 with a 7.36 ERA and 2.220 WHIP in 5 starts. His ERA is 9.39 in a pair of road starts. The Mets are 4-0 in their last 4 games versus a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30. The Brewers are 1-5 in Hellweg's last 6 starts, including 0-2 in his last 2. Take New York.

7* MLB Game of the Week on Padres -111
The Key: Ian Kennedy was shelled at Arizona in his first start against his former team, but I fully expect him to have his revenge here. Kennedy has been outstanding in 11 career starts at Petco Park, going 6-2 with a 2.39 ERA. He's 3-1 with a 2.54 ERA in five games there as a member of the Padres. San Diego is 3-0 in his last three home starts, during which he's allowed just two earned runs in 18 innings. September has been the month to back Kennedy as his clubs are 13-1 in his September starts since 2011. It is also worth noting that San Diego is 7-0 in home games this season versus starting pitchers like Randall Delgado who give up 1.0 home run or more per start. The Padres are 5-1 in their last six home games versus the Diamondbacks. Take San Diego.

6* MLB *CA$H COW* on Braves -138
The Key: With Atlanta's lead for home-field advantage throughout the NL Playoffs down to half a game, it will be all business when it takes the field tonight. The Braves have been a terrific investment at home where they are 62-25 in their last 87 home games. They are 8-1 in their last 9 home games against the Brewers. Thornburg has been good for Milwaukee, but I like the proven Garcia in this spot. He has allowed just 2 runs in 2 starts this month and has a 1.31 ERA in five games since being traded to the Braves. Take Atlanta.

6* MLB *Mound Mismatch* on Padres -107
The Key: The Padres are showing value at home at such an affordable price. They are 6-0 in their last 6 series openers, 4-0 in their last 4 games as a home favorite and 4-0 in their last 4 home games versus the Diamondbacks. San Diego's Stults has been outstanding at home where he has a 3.17 ERA. Arizona's McCarthy has struggled on the road where he has a 5.59 ERA. The Diamondbacks are 3-7 in McCarthy's last 10 starts and 1-4 in his last 5 road starts. The Padres are 6-2 in Stults' last 8 starts as a home favorite. Take San Diego.

6* MLB *Afternoon Delight* on Royals -128
The Key: The Rangers are 4-12 in their last 16 games. They won yesterday but are 0-6 in their last 6 games following a win. The Royals are 7-0 in their last 7 games following a loss and 4-0 in their last 4 games as a home favorite of -110 to -150. I expect a gem from James Shields, who is going for his 100th career win. Shields is 5-1 with a 1.36 ERA in his last seven regular-season outings against the Rangers. The Royals are 7-0 in Shields' last 7 starts as a favorite of -110 to -150. Take Kansas City.

6* MLB *Afternoon Delight* on Yankees -153
The Key: It hasn't been wise to bet against Ivan Nova in interleague play. The right-hander is 6-1 with a 2.67 ERA in 10 interleague starts - 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in two this year. The Yankees are 9-1 all-time in his interleague starts, including 5-0 in his last 5. They are also are 4-0 the last 4 times he's gotten the ball on 5 days' rest and 6-0 in their last 6 games as a favorite of -151 to -200. The Giants are 1-7 in their last 8 interleague road games. Take New York.

6* MLB *CA$H COW* on Nationals -1.5 -115
The Key: The Nationals are 7-0 at home this season against the Marlins, winning these by 3.1 runs on average. They are 3-0 in Zimmermann's last 3 starts, winning these by 4.3 runs on average. They are 4-0 in his last 4 starts against the Marlins, winning these by 4.8 runs on average. The Marlins are 0-5 in Turner's last 5 starts with 3 of these losses coming by 2 runs. Take Washington on the run line.

6* MLB *CA$H COW* on A's -1.5 +104
The Key: The A's are 7-0 in their last 7 games following a loss, winning these games by an average of 4.1 runs. Look for the A's to respond with a big win following last night's defeat. Straily has been dealing. The A's are 4-0 in his last 4 starts, winning these by an average of 3.5 runs. The Twins are 3-12 in Correia's last 15 starts. Each of their last 6 losses with him on the mound have come by at least 3 runs. Oakland recorded wins of 18-3 and 8-2 in its last two meetings with Minnesota, which took place last week. Take Oakland on the run line.

7* MLB *HEAVY HITTER* on Pirates -145
The Key: With losses in the first two games of this series, the Pirates are looking up at St. Louis in the NL Central. That's all the motivation they'll need tonight. Pittsburgh has been a terrific investment all season, especially at home. In fact, it is 12-0 in home games this season after playing 6 or more consecutive home games. In other words, when the Pittsburgh players have been able to sleep in their own beds for an extended period and spend plenty of time with their families, they have been one tough cookie. It is also worth noting that the Pirates are 5-0 in their last 5 games as a favorite of -110 to -150 and 7-1 in Morton's last 8 starts versus a team with a losing record. Morton is 2-0 with a 1.46 ERA in 2 starts versus San Diego. The Padres are 1-5 in Ross' last 6 starts and his clubs are 1-10 in his starts as an underdog of +100 to +150 since the beginning of last season. Take Pittsburgh.

7* MLB *HEAVY HITTER* on Tigers -1.5 -120
The Key: I'll take the Tigers on the run line against the struggling Mariners. Seattle is 1-7 in its last 8 games with 6 of these losses coming by 2 runs or more. In addition, the M's are 0-6 in Brandon Maurer's last 6 starts, losing these by an average of 4.2 runs. They are 0-4 all-time in his road starts, losing these by 5.0 runs on average. The Tigers are 3-0 in Anibal Sanchez's last 3 starts, winning these by an average of 6.7 runs. They are 9-1 in his last 10 starts with 8 of the wins coming by at least 2 runs. Take Detroit on the run line.

6* MLB *CA$H COW* on Rangers -113
The Key: The A's haven't swept the Rangers in Arlington in four years, and I don't see them doing it here. Texas is in desperate need of a win as it's not only batting Oakland for a division title but is battling several other AL clubs for wild card spots. The Rangers are 18-8 in their last 26 games after losing the first 2 games of a series. They are also 14-5 all-time after 5 or more consecutive losses under manager Washington. Parker has been great for the A's, but they have a losing record in his road starts. Plus, Oakland is hitting just .248 against southpaw starters. Look for it struggled to continue against lefties this afternoon. The Rangers are 7-0 this season in Perez's starts against division opponents, winning these games by an average score of 7.1 to 2.3 while he's posted a 1.88 ERA. Texas is also 8-0 in his starts this season versus AL clubs averaging 4.7 runs per game of less. Take Texas.

6* MLB *MOUND MISMATCH* on Dodgers -166
The Key: The Dodgers have the edge on the mound with Nolasco, who is 8-1 with a 2.07 ERA in 12 starts since being acquired from Miami on July 6. He is 4-0 with a 0.63 ERA in his last four outings and hasn't allowed an earned run in his last 3 home starts spanning 22 2-3 innings. The Dodgers are 4-0 in his last 4 home starts and 5-0 in his last 5 starts as a favorite. You better find a way to manufacture some runs if you're going to beat Nolasco with the way he's going, and I don't see San Francisco being able to. The Giants don't run well, and that doesn't bode well for them as LA is 7-0 in Nolasco's starts in the second half of this season versus teams that average 0.5 or less steals per game. It has won these by an average score of 6.6 to 2.1. Lincecum has good career numbers against the Dodgers but has lost 4 of his last 6 starts at Dodger Stadium. The Giants are 3-7 in his last 10 road starts, 2-9 in his last 11 starts versus a team with a winning record and 1-5 in his last 6 road starts versus a team with a winning record. Nolasco's clubs are 5-1 in his last 6 starts versus San Francisco. Take LA.

6* MLB *MOUND MISMATCH* on Tigers -170
The Key: The Royals have won all five matchups against Verlander this season, but it won't continue. He is 15-5 with a 2.80 ERA in 28 starts against Kansas City and probably should have added to this win total a few more times this season. He's limited the Royals to 2 earned runs or less in 3 of 5 starts this season. The Tigers are 60-23 in Verlander's last 83 home starts and 41-14 in his last 55 starts as a favorite of -151 to -200. I love his chances of outdueling Chen, who is 6-8 with a 5.24 ERA in 18 starts versus Detroit. The Royals are 0-5 in Chen's last 5 starts as an underdog of +151 to +200, 0-5 in his last 5 road starts versus a team with a winning record and 0-8 in his last 8 Friday starts. The Royals are just 3-11 in their last 14 meetings in Detroit. Take the Tigers.

6* MLB *MOUND MISMATCH* on Dodgers -170
The Key: The Dodgers have the edge on the mound with Greinke. His clubs are 13-0 in his home starts against losing teams dating back to the start of last season. Additionally, his clubs are 14-0 in his home starts in the second half of the season versus losing teams since the start of the 2011 season. San Francisco has had a ton of problems generating offense, as evidenced by its 3.8 runs per game average. Its inability to hit the long ball has been a big issue. The Giants average just 0.61 homers per game. This stat is extremely significant because the Dodgers are 9-0 this season in Greinke's starts versus teams that average 0.9 HRs or less per game. Also, the Dodgers are 4-0 in Greinke's last 4 starts as a favorite of -151 to -200 and 6-0 in his last 6 starts versus division opponents. The Giants have dropped 9 of Cain's last 12 starts. They've also lost 4 of his last 5 starts versus the Dodgers. Take LA.

7* MLB Afternoon Delight Game of the Year on Rangers -136
The Key: The Pirates have won the first two games of this series, but they are on a 0-9 slide in the third game of a series. Pittsburgh's Burnett has struggled on the road where he has a 4.30 ERA. The Pirates are 0-8 in his last 8 starts as an underdog of +110 to +150 and 0-4 in his last 4 road starts versus a team with a winning record. Burnett's clubs are also 0-3 in his last 3 starts versus the Rangers. Texas hasn't lost at home since acquiring Garza, going 5-0. Garza's clubs are also a perfect 5-0 in his interleague starts this season. Take Texas.

6* Interleague *CA$H COW* on Rangers -126
The Key: Texas has the edge as Liriano and Perez go toe-to-toe because it has the best record in the majors against left-handed starters. The Rangers are 28-17 against southpaw starters on the season, including 10-3 in their last 13 games against them. They are hitting .278 and scoring 5.0 runs per game off lefty starters while the Pirates are batting .262 and scoring 4.3 runs per game against them. Liriano has been hit hard in 2 of his last 3 starts and has a 6.60 ERA over his last 3 starts as a result. He's been up and down all season on the road where he has a 4.36 ERA. Texas' Perez has been lights out at home where he has a 2.20 ERA. The Rangers are 7-0 in his last 7 starts. Justin Morneau is the only Pittsburgh hitter that has faced Perez, which means Pittsburgh won't be familiar with his stuff at all. The Rangers are 4-0 in their last 4 games as a home favorite of -110 to -150 and 6-1 in their last 7 home games versus Pittsburgh. Take Texas.

7* MLB *HEAVY HITTER* on Blue Jays -135
The Key: The Blue Jays have the edge on the mound with Buehrle, who has a 2.72 home ERA this season. The Jays are 4-0 in his last 4 home starts, 5-0 in his last 5 starts as a favorite and 7-0 in his last 7 starts as a home favorite. Toronto is also 7-0 this season in Buehrle's starts versus AL West opponents, winning these by an average score of 4.9 to 1.9. LA's Williams has a 4.61 road ERA, and the Angels are 0-7 in his starts in the second half of the season the last 2 seasons versus AL clubs with an on-base percentage .320 or worse. They have lost these contests by an average score of 5.9 to 2.4. This trend really speaks to how much Williams has struggled. Take Toronto.

7* MLB *HEAVY HITTER* on Braves -160
The Key: The Braves should end their 4-game slide tonight against a Miami club they have owned. They have won 39 of the last 54 meetings overall and 20 of the last 26 in Miami. The Braves have the edge on the mound with Medlen, who has a 2.58 ERA in 7 career starts against the Marlins. Atlanta is an unbeaten 7-0 in those starts. It is also worth noting that Atlanta is 15-0 all-time in Medlen's starts in the second half of the season versus clubs that average 2.75 or less extra base hits per game. It has won these games by an average score of 6.4 to 2.5. The Marlins are 0-2 in Alvarez's last two starts versus the Braves. He's allowed 9 runs in 12 innings in these two starts. Take Atlanta.