I'm playing on ARIZONA. While they were on the wrong side of a "slug-fest" yesterday, I look for the Diamondbacks to be on the right side of a potential pitcher's duel tonight. Greinke started out his first season here poorly, perhaps at least partically due to having the flu. He's since gotten back on track though, looking absolutely like the pitcher who has been among the league's best for years now, the one that Arizona thought it was getting. Admittedly, Garcia is no slouch. The Dbax know that all too well, as he's always pitched well against them. That said, he's not usually as good on the road as he is at home - and the Dbax never had an "ace" to go up against him in the past. This season, Garcia has a 6.00 ERA from his lone road start. Last season, he had a (solid) 3.25 ERA on the road compared to a superb 1.70 ERA at home. Note that Garcia walked four in just five innings last time out. Needless to say, Greinke will be anxious for a big start in front of the home fans and his first win here. The Dbax are 32-19 (+10.4) the past couple of seasons as home favorites of -125 or less. I look for them to bounce back and start the series with a victory. 10* N.L. Personal Fav

I'm playing on TAMPA. Given the starting pitching matchup, I believe the line could also be easily higher. Enough is enough. Archer hasn't had a win in ages and I believe he's finally going to get one tonight. While his road numbers have admittedly been pretty bad, Archer still has a respectable 3.48 ERA in two home starts. Also, with 29 K's through just 19 2/3 innings pitched, he's clearly still capable of dominating hitters. Note that Archer's early struggles have helped us by keeping this line lower than it could have been. He's up against Gausman, who hasn't started all season and who is 14-19 with a 4.19 ERA on his career. Last season, Gausman was a different pitcher at home than he was on the road. Indeed, he was 3-1 with a 2.19 ERA at home but 1-6 with a 6.10 ERA. He's also 1-3 with an ugly 5.97 ERA and 1.789 WHIP against Tampa for his career. Archer's last home start against the O's resulted in a 3-1 victory, Archer striking out nine through six innings. I look for him to outpitch and outlast Gausman this evening, en route to a big win for the home team. 10* A.L. Personal Fav

I'm playing on KANSAS. The Royals are a profitable 89-61 (+18.1) the last 150 times that they were off a loss. After dropping yesterday's game, I look for them to bounce back with a big win this afternoon. To his credit, Wright managed to deliver a "quality start" last time out, allowing three runs through six innings. However, I watched the game and he wasn't fooling anyone. (Through two starts, he's got a 5.74 ERA. He got rocked in his lone road start.) On the other hand, the Royals are 3-0 when Ventura has taken the mound and he's got a solid 2.81 ERA in those games. The Royals roughed up Wright when they saw him last September, taking him deep twice in four innings. Conversely, Ventura is 3-1 with a 2.84 ERA against the O's. In his last home start against them, he allowed only two hits through six shutout innings, striking out 11. I look for Ventura to get the better of Wright here, en route to a win for the home team. 10*

I'm playing on MILWAUKEE. While the Phillies took yesterday's opener, I like the Brewers to even things up today. Anderson wasn't very good last time out. That was fine by me, as I successfully played against the Brewers in that game.) However, lets not forget that he didn't allow a single earned run in either of his first two starts and still has a 0.00 ERA at home. I actually won with the Phillies in Morton's last start, a 3-2 win over Gio Gonzalez and the Nationals. So, I'm well aware that he's coming off a strong game. That said, he's still got a 14.71 ERA and 1.907 WHIP on the road, the result of a 10-6 loss at Cincinnati. Morton has been around a long time now and with a 46-71 career record (4.53 ERA, 1.44 WHIP) he's generally been "less than mediocre." The Brewers haven't hit well but they have hit better than the Phillies. Likewise, their bullpen hasn't been very good - but it has been better than Philadelphia's bullpen. The Brewers are still 10-5 against the Phillies the past few seasons and I look for them to bounce back here. 10* Personal Favorite

I'm playing on SAN FRANCISCO. The return of Barry Bonds to the Bay Area will be what everyone is talking about before the game but all the Giants care about is a win. With an edge on the mound, I look for them to get one. Samardzija is averaging better than six innings and he's allowed three or fewer earned runs in all three of starts. After three straight on the road, he should be happy to pitch in his new home, at San Francisco.  He last pitched here as a member of the Cubs, back in 2014. Samardzija would record 10 K's, without walking a single batter, giving up three runs in seven complete innings while leading Chicago to an 8-4 win. Just as a 10/0 K/W ratio is impressive, its alarming when a pitcher has more walks than he does strikeouts. Sure, its a small sample size. However, its not a good sign that Cosart, who has a 6.09 ERA and 1.644 WHIP through two starts, has nine walks against just seven K's. While Cosart claims that this "is one of his favorite parks," he didn't fare well when he pitched here previously. In that game, he also had more walks (3) than K's (2) while giving up four runs and lasting only four innings. (That translates to a 9.00 ERA and 2.25 WHIP.) SF won 6-0. Samardizija didn't face Miami last season. He did oppose the Marlins twice in 2014 though, delivering quality starts each time. In one, he allowed two earned runs through six innings. In the other, he allowed two earned runs through seven innings. Through those 13 innings, he recorded an impressive 18 K's agains just three walks. Note that he's held Stanton, the Marlins' most dangerous hitter, to three hits in 18 career at bats, striking him out six times. Samardzija's solid once again and SF bounces back. 10* Personal Favorite

I'm playing on the CHICAGO WHITE SOX. The Rangers beat a tough lefty last night. However, I expect the Sox to have the advantage in this evening's all southpaw affair. While he's only 1-1, with a little run support, Quintana could easily be 3-0. The Sox won his first game 5-4, Quintana allowing two runs. He didn't factor in the decision though as the runs came later. He did get the win in his second start, a 4-1 victory at Minnesota. Last time out, he took a loss, despite allowing only two earned runs through six complete innings; Chicago lost 3-2. For the season, Quintana checks in with a stellar 2.55 ERA and 1.188 WHIP, striking out 18 against only three walks. Perez may have a respectable 3.44 ERA but thats a little deceiving. He's walked more batters (11) than he's struck out (9) which is never a good sign. In his lone road start, he walked five while striking out none. It should also be noted that the Sox bullpen has been MUCH stronger than the Texas bullpen. Quintana was sharp in his lone start against the Rangers last season. He allowed two runs, on just five hits, through seven innings. He didn't factor in the decision but Chicago won 3-2. I expect another quality start from Quintana, the Sox providing him with some more run support this time. 10* A.L. Personal Favorite

I'm playing on NEW YORK. While the Yankees have been struggling, I expect them to bounce back with a big effort against Rich Hill this evening. Hill struggled last time out, giving up nine hits, while walking three, in just 4 1/3 innings. He was fortunate to give up only three runs. He hasn't been so fortunate in games against the Yankees as he's 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA in two starts against them. Admittedly, Severino has struggled thus far. He did some extra work with Larry Rothschild (the pitching coach) on Tuesday though and they believe they've got the issue (releasing the ball too soon) figured out. Remember, he's only 22 and he's still got electric stuff. Severino ultimately had this to say: "I have to be better." I believe that he will be and I look for that to lead to an important Yankee win. 10* 

I'm playing on TEXAS. The Ranger bats have come to life of late. After scoring seven runs in yesterday's series opening victory, the Rangers have now scored six or more runs in five of their last seven games, five or more runs in six of those seven. With Fister on the mound for Houston, the offense could have another big day. After getting rocked last time out, Fister now has a 7.59 ERA through two starts. His last start at Texas didn't go much better as he allowed nine hits and five runs in just 4 2/3 innings. In fact, he's 0-2 with an awful 11.85 ERA in three career starts here. As if that wasn't bad enough for the Astros, they'll have to go up against Cole Hamels; the Rangers' ace is 6-0 here at Arlington. After years of hard luck and terrible run support, Hamels is getting wins in bunches. Dating back to last season, Hamels is 9-0 in his last 13 regular season starts, the Rangers winning every one of those. At this price, give me Hamels over Fister all day long. 10* 

I'm playing on CHICAGO. I won with the White Sox yesterday and I'm coming right back with them again this afternoon. When he's on his game, which he usually is, Sale is as nasty as they come. It was "vintage Sale" last time out, a complete game 2-hit shutout. The Sox ace would record nine K's without walking a single batter. For the season, Sale is already 3-0 with a superb 2.35 ERA and 0.783 WHIP, an early front-runner for the Cy Young. He's averaging 7 2/3 innings per start, recording 23 K's in 23 innings, walking only three. The Angels know all about how dominant Sale can be. He's 4-0 with a 1.73 ERA and 0.771 WHIP in five starts against them. Sale only faced the Angels once last season and the Sox won that one by a score of 8-2. Richards has been respectable, but he's simply not in the same class as Sale. Not that he usually needs any help, but Sale is supported by a Chicago bullpen which got the job done again last night after entering the series with a sparkling 1.23 ERA (0.682 WHIP) here at home. Sale brings his "A Game" and the Sox win again. 10* 

I'm playing SAN DiEGO on the RUN-LINE. (+1.5 Runs) While I like the Padres' chances of winning "outright," I also really like the thought of getting an extra +1.5 runs, at a very reasonable price, in a game where only seven runs are expected (O/U line is 7) to score. Rea bounced back with an excellent effort last time out. He allowed just one earned runs through seven complete innings, needing only 94 pitches to do so. He'll have the advantage of starting against the Pirates for the first time. While its true that Liriano has enjoyed success here, he also missed his last start with tightness in his arm. Prior to that, he went only five innings in his previous start - his lone road start - giving up three earned runs, translating to a 5.40 road ERA. Note that the Pirates ended up winning by a single run, 6-5. Speaking of 1-run games, four of Liriano's six starts vs. San Diego, including three of the last four, have been decided by a single run. The Padres would be 4-0 the last four meetings against him, if getting +1.5 in each. I'll gladly take the extra +1.5 runs here. 10* Annihilator

I'm playing on CHICAGO. Off yesterday's shutout loss, I expect the Sox to bounce back with a big win today. The Sox haven't had much luck against southpaws the past couple of days but they're a solid 7-3 (+4.2) against right-handers. While they fared well in yesterday's all southpaw opener, the Angels are only 2-4 against right-handers. While Latos has a sparkling 0.75 ERA through two starts, Shoemaker has a poor 6.00 ERA through his first two. Latos has a 2.84 ERA and 1.026 WHIP against the Angels, his teams going 2-0. On the other hand, Shoemaker got rocked here last August and he has an ugly 8.43 ERA and 1.687 WHIP in two starts against the Sox. While the Angels bullpen has been respectable with a 3.74 combined ERA, the Sox bullpen has an awesome 1.72 ERA on the season, a dominating 1.23 ERA (0.682 WHIP!) here at home. All things considered, this price could easily be higher. I look for the Sox to bounce back and improve to 12-8 the last 20 times they were off a shutout loss. 10* Personal Favorite

I'm playing on MINNESOTA. While its obviously been a tough start to the season, the Twins come in with some positive momentum; I expect them to carry it into tonight's series opener. Hughes is 0-2 but that is hardly his fault. Both his starts have been of the "quality" variety and he's recorded 11K's without walking a batter. Facing the Brewers should help. Milwaukee has scored three or fewer runs in four of its six road games. For the season, the Brewers are hitting .188 on the road, while averaging only three runs. Admittedly, Anderson has pitched really well. Lets not forget that he had a 4.30 ERA last season though and that he's still got a career ERA above four. Note that the Brewer bullpen has an awful 1.897 WHIP on the road while the Twins bullpen has a stingy 0.889 WHIP at home. The Brewers are 74-81 (-21.5) the past 2+ seasons against losing teams while the Twins are 73-60 (+22.2) against fellow losing teams. I look for them to keep on "rolling" for another night. 10* Personal Favorite

I'm playing on the OVER in the Giants/Dodgers Snday night game. Over the years, this rivalry has seen a little bit of everything. Tonight, it'll get its first look at Kenta Maeda, a 28-year old from Japan that's got everyone talking. Indeed, Maeda has been impressive. Through two starts, in fact, he has yet to allow a run. Those starts were against the Padres and Dbax though. Tonight, he's suddenly going to be thrust into the spotlight, a nationally televised game against a hated rival. As just the third Dodger, second from Japan, to start his career with back-to-back shutouts, he'll be getting a ton of attenion. That brings a lot of pressure; I won't be surprised to see him come back down to earth. Samardzija is off a strong start. Lets not forget that he's still allowed four or more earned runs in nine of his last 14 starts, dating back to last season. Also, note that he's 0-2 with a 6.35 ERA and 1.765 WHIP against the Dodgers. The Over is 25-16-2 the past 2+ seasons when the Dodgers were home favorites in the -125 to -150 range. During the same stretch, the Over was also 27-12-2 when the Giants were road underdogs in the 125 to 150 range. I expect those stats to improve tonight, as the bats come alive and send this one over the low number. 10* blue chip

I'm playing on Washington/Philadelphia UNDER the total. While this number is low, I believe I won't prove to be low enough. Scherzer is 4-1 with a dominant 1.58 ERA and 0.80 WHIP in six starts vs the Phillies. In his last three against them he has 22 K's vs. 1 walk. Nola tossed five shutout innings the last time that he saw the Nats, a 2-1 game against Strasburg last September. He has 13 K's and only 1 walk in his two starts against Washington. Speaking of impressive K/W records, so far this season Nola has 17 K's against 0 walks! Games here are averaging only 5.2 runs on the season, the Phillies hitting .176 and their guests hitting .210. I expect a well-pitched, low-scoring affair. 10* blue chip

I'm playing on PITTSBURGH. Losing streaks have been fairly rare for the Pirates the past couple of seasons. On a 4-game skid, I expect them to bounce back in a big way here. Keep in mind that the Brewers are still only 76-90 on the road the past couple of seasons while the Pirates remain a healthy 107-63 (+24.4) here at Pittsburgh. That includes a 17-7 mark when playing at home with an O/U line of eight or 8.5 (this one 7.5 at some shops, 8 at ohers) and a 28-14 (+5.5) mark as home favorites in the -150 to -175 range. Niese with 12 K's vs. just two walks in 11 innings so far. Jungmann with 3 K's and 3 walks in only seven innings, to go along with a horrific 11.57 ERA. Pirates bounce back. 10* Personal Favorite

I'm playing on BOSTON. I won with the Jays when they blanked the Sox with Estrada on the mound last week. Needless to say, I was thrilled with his performance. He tossed seven shutout innings en route to a 3-0 Toronto victory. The Sox are getting a look at him for the second time in less than a week now though and he's up against a far different opponent. Price was a long-time Blue Jay killer before he became the ace of the Toronto staff. Now, he's a former Jay going up against his old team for the first time. Unlike, Estrada, he didn't pitch in last week's series at Toronto. So, the hitters won't be seeing him for the second time in a week. Price is 16-2 with a 2.41 ERA against the Jays. The Sox lost the Fenway home opener with him on the mound and he'll be determined to bounce back. I expect him to do just that. 10* Annihilator

I'm playing on Milwaukee and Pittsburgh to finish UNDER the total. While the Pirates are off a high-scoring series against the Tigers, I expect a different result from today's series opener against the light-hitting Brewers. Milwaukee is averaging only 2.3 runs per game on the road, while hitting .167. Both starters have pitched well thus far. Nelson has a 2.70 ERA and 0.975 WHIP through two starts. He allowed two runs in 7 1/3 innings in one start and two runs through six innings in the other. Through the 13 1/3 innings, he allowed just eight hits in total, while striking out 12. Locke has made just one start but he also pitched well, allowing just one run through six innings. Note that Locke also allowed just a single run the last time that he faced the Brewers, giving up only three hits through 6 1/3 innings. Nelson has a 2.73 ERA and 1.018 in six starts vs the Pirates. The Brewers failed to score a single run last time out and I look for the UNDER to improve to 17-10-1 the past few seasons when they were off a shutout loss. 10* best bet

I'm playing on TEXAS. While I successfully played against both these teams yesterday, I feel the Rangers will be the team which bounces back this evening. Hamels has been a really good 'hard-luck' pitcher for years, consistently pitching well but consistently getting little run support. That's all ancient history now though. Dating back to last season, he's now won nine straight, a 9-0 record (3.04 ERA) over his past 12 starts, the longest winning streak of his career. In two starts this season, he's 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA. Granted, Tillman has also been sharp (1.29 ERA) in his first two starts. However, while Hamels was going six and seven innings, Tillman was only going two (not his fault, rain delays forced him out) and five innings. Keep in mind that Tillman has been mediocre (4.17 ERA) for his career and that he was 11-11 with an ugly 4.99 ERA last season. Hamels has only seen the O's once in recent years (did face them in 2006 and 2009) and that was last August. He went eight complete innings in that 4-1 victory, striking out 10 while allowing just two hits and one run. Tillman gave up five runs in only one inning the last time he started here, allowing six hits while walking three. The Rangers have thrived as home favorites of this size the past couple of seasons and I look for them to have a solid edge here. 10* Personal Favorite

I'm playing on LA. I successfully played against the Dodgers in Wood's last start. Admittedly, he wasn't great in that game. He was, however, a lot better than De La Rosa, who allowed seven runs (six earned) in 3 1/3 innings, good for a 16.22 ERA and 2.703 WHIP. Wood has been really good in three of four starts (and really bad in the other) against Arizona, allowing two earned runs in 6 1/3 innings, one earned run in eight innings and two earned runs in seven innings. On the other hand, De La Rosa has been really bad in three of four starts against the Dodgers, allowing 20 runs in 12 innings in those games. Overall, he's 0-3 (team is 0-4) with a horrific 11.21 ERA and 1.868 WHIP in those four starts. The Dodgers are a profitable 88-55 (+15) off a loss the past couple of seasons and I like them to bounce back again there. 10* Personal Favorite

I'm playing on SEATTLE. The Rangers took yesterday's series opener. Still in search of their first win at SafeCo, I expect the M's to bounce back big tonight. Miley wasn't great in his opener but he did do some positive things (7 K's vs 0 walks in 6 innings) and the M's won by a score of 9-5. That's arguably better than Holland fared. He lasted five innings, giving up three runs on four hits and two walks, the Rangers losing to the Angels. Holland cant be too happy about the prospect of facing the Mariners. In his most recent start against them, he allowed seven runs in just 4 1/3 innings, giving up seven hits and five walks. In his previous start against them, and most recent at Seattle, he gave up nine hits and five runs. Holland was 0-2 in those games, the Mariners winning by a combined score of 14-2. Payback time. 10*

I'm playing on DETROIT. This 4-game series features the first two games at Detroit and the next two at Pittsburgh. Having already lost yesterday's series opener and now having dropped two straight overall, the Tigers (obviously) don't want to get "swept" in the home portion of the series. I expect them to bounce back with a big effort. Sanchez was sharp in his season opener, tossing five shutout innings before running into a little trouble in the sixth. Though he was eventually done in by the longball, note that Sanchez had 9 K's vs. 0 walks in last season's lone start vs. Pittsburgh. In fact, he's got 26Ks against just a single walk in his last three vs. the Pirates. Nice debut for Nicasio but lets not be so hasty to forget about his career 4.83 ERA and 1.46 WHIP or last season's 0-2 record and 6.39 ERA (2.29 WHIP!) in afternoon games. Tigers bounce back. 10* 

I'm playing on SEATTLE. 10* We have yet to reach the midway point of April but the Mariners have to already be getting kind of "desperate" to earn their first home win of the season. This should be an excellent matchup for them to get it. While he didn't get the decision, Iwakuma was already solid against these same Rangers (at Texas) in his first start. He allowed two runs through five innings, keeping the ball in the park with the M's winning by a 10-2 score. Lewis wasn't so fortunate, as he served up two longballs the previous day, Seattle winning by a 9-5 score. Including last week's results, the M's are 10-2 the past 12 times that Iwakuma has started against Texas while the Rangers are 2-6 the last eight times that Lewis started against Seattle, 0-3 the last three. Look for the M's to bounce back, the fans at SafeCo finally going home happy. 10* 

I'm playing on Seattle and Texas to finish OVER the total. Both lineups will have the advantage of seeing these pitches for the second time in less than a week. The Mariners saw Lewis on 4/5, hitting two home runs against him and winning 9-5. The next day, Texas faced Iwakuma, a game which finished with a score of 10-2. While Seattle may get some rain tomorrow, this evening looks to be decent. With the number having fallen from 7.5 to 7, I feel we're getting excellent value. Look for the Seattle bats to come alive, sending this one over the low number. 10*

I'm playing on CHICAGO. Anderson got the better of Sale when these two starters faced each other at Cleveland last September. (Sale was done in by a number of unearned runs.) Don't expect it to happen again. Sale is already 1-0 on the season, recording 8 K's against 1 walk, while allowing three runs through seven innings. He's been among the best in the game in recent years and that figures to be the case again this season. In four starts against Cleveland last season, Sale recorded 31 K's against six walks, compiling an outstanding 2.17 ERA. Anderson, who will be making his first start of the season, served up six home runs in 24 2/3 spring innings. While the Indians spoiled their home opener yesteday, Sale and the Sox have their revenge this afternoon. 10* 

I'm playing CINCINNATI on the Run-Line (+1.5 RUNS) With Cole on the mound, the Pirates are favored by enough here that we can get an extra +1.5 runs with the Reds, at a very reasonable price. I believe that's providing us with excellent value. Sure, Cole is off a great season. That was against just about everyone else though and not Cincy. Indeed, he was 0-3 with a 5.95 ERA in four starts vs. the Reds. For his career, he's 0-4 (team is 0-6!) with a poor 5.23 ERA and 1.592 WHIP against them. One of Cole's losses came in a game where he was matched up against Iglesias. Cole gave up seven hits while lasting just five innings. Iglesias would go 6 2/3 innings, giving up just four hits and two earned runs. The Reds won by a single run, 4-3. While Cole will be making his first start this season, Iglesias already has a game (and win) under his belt. In the Reds' opener, he allowed two runs through six innings, striking out seven without walking a batter. Note that Cole was only able to get 6 2/3 innings of work in the spring, as he was recovering from inflammation in his ribs. (He had a 5.40 ERA in those spring innings, opposing hitters batting .375 against him.) While I like the Reds' chances of winning 'outright,' that extra 1.5 runs were important yesterday, as Cincy lost 6-5. I'll happily take those extra runs again here. 10* 

I'm playing on the LA ANGELS. Holland had a 1.56 WHIP in the spring, as batters hit for a high .297 average against him. He surrendered five home runs in 25 innings, striking out 17 against nine walks. Santiago was arguably much better, as he was 2-0 with a 2.89 ERA and 1.21 WHIP, opposing batters hitting .267 against him. He had a dominant 30Ks (vs. just 6 walks) in 28 innings. Remember, that he was outstanding in the first half last season, compiling a 2.33 ERA en route to making it to the All Star Game. Note that Santiago also had a 2.10 ERA in six starts against Texas last season. His most recent home start against the Rangers resulted in a 7-0 win. Holland also pitched well against the Angels last year. However, he still has an ugly 5.32 ERA against them for his career. After getting pounded by the Cubs, the Angels will be happy to see the Rangers and they'll be hungry to bounce back with a big win. Kole Calhoun had this to say: "We just need to get it going as a team. Obviously we're not off on the right foot, but there's a lot of baseball still to play. Once we start clicking as a team, putting some hits together, we'll be all right." Look for them to start that process tonight. 10* Personal Favorite

I'm playing on SF. The Dodgers are certainly off to an impressive start. Not only did they sweep the Padres but they also outscored them by a 25-0 margin. Things don't figure to be nearly as easy this afternoon though. Not only does Wood have a 7.27 ERA in three appearances (1 start) vs. the Giants but he was also 0-3 with an ugly 7.13 ERA in five spring starts. In a span of only 17 1/3 innings, he gave up five home runs. Opposing batters hit .342 against him. While he was 2-0, Peavy admittedly didn't have a great spring either. That said, he has a stellar 2.86 ERA his last five starts against the Dodgers and he was 3-0 with a 1.45 ERA in his final five starts last season. Gonzalez is only 2 for his last 16 against Peavy while Puig is 0 for 7 in his career against him. Overall, Peavy is 14-3 with a 2.38 ERA and 0.953 WHIP in 29 starts vs. LA. I look for him to get the better of Wood this afternoon, en route to a win for the home team. 10* 

I'm playing on CLEVELAND. The Red Sox won yesterday but I expect the Indians to return the favor today. Carrasco is poised to have a potentially really big year. He had 14 wins last season, while recording a solid 3.63 ERA. His 10.58 K's per nine innings was fifth best in the majors. Only Kershaw, Sale, Scherzer and Archer were better. Carrasco closed the season with a 2.48 ERA in his final 10 starts and he's looking to carry that momentum into the start of this year's campaign. With 23 K's (against just 3 walks) in 24 spring innings, I expect him to do just that. Buchholz, on the other hand, had more walks (9) than K's (8) this spring. He's coming off a major injury and is still building up his arm strength. I expect Carrasco to outpitch and outlast Buchholz today, leading to a big win for the home team. 10* 

I'm playing on Toronto and Tampa to finish UNDER the total. Archer and Stroman are close friends. They exchanged texts, with some friendly trash-talk, when they found out that they'd be opposing each other on opening day. I'm expecting a well-pitched affair.

After a lengthy stint on the DL, Stroman was 4-0 with a 1.67 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP in 27 regular season innings last year. The Jays' ace was sharp in spring training, too. He'd finish with a 1.98 ERA and 0.73 WHIP.

On making his first Opening Day start, Stroman had this to say: "I'm excited. I haven't experienced my first Opening Day, so I'm excited for all of the hoopla and everything that comes along with it. I'm just looking to soak every single minute of this Opening Day in."I feel like I've done a great job of controlling my emotions, channeling them the right way, so I love it. I'm hoping there's a ton of Blue Jays fans down here, I'm hoping the place is rocking, loud, and I'm just looking to soak it in and enjoy it all."

Archer, who started Opening Day last year and had a 2.18 ERA through his first 18 starts, was 0-2 in spring training. However, he didn't pitch poorly, as he had a 3.00 ERA and 1.22 WHIP, opposing batters hitting only .194 against him.

In his last three home starts vs. the Jays, Archer has allowed only two earned runs through 20 total innings. In his lone start at Tampa, Stroman allowed two earned runs through six innings. Go Under. 10* best bet

I am playing on the NEW YORK METS (vs Kansas City) as my *10 Main Event on Sunday @ 8:05 ET - The New York Mets are now fighting for their playoff lives and I firmly believe that Matt Harvey will prove to be the guy that makes sure their championship hopes stay alive. The Mets righty will be toeing the rubber tonight in New York with a 10-3 record and 2.36 ERA under his belt in home starts this season. Harvey pitched well enough at Kansas City in a no-decision earlier this in series but he's certainly capable of pitching even better back east at home. The Royals will have Edinson Volquez toeing the rubber in this one and he pitched well in his first start in the series but that was at home. Volquez is an unimpressive 5-7 in road starts this season and he did struggle and take the loss in his lone road start in the ALCS against the Blue Jays. The Mets are 18-2 as a home favorite of -125 to -150 this season. The Royals are 20-30 the last 3 seasons as a road dog of +125 to +150. Look for the Mets, behind another strong home outing from Harvey, to send this series back to Kansas City.

I am playing on the NY METS (vs Kansas City) as my MLB *10 Game of the Month on Friday @ 8:05 ET - Look for the home team dominance to continue. In Kansas City's last dozen games the home team has gone 10-2 (83%). The New York Mets are an insane 17-1 (94%) this season as a home favorite of -125 to -150. Noah Syndergaard is 8-2 with a 2.41 ERA in his home starts this season. The Royals have gone just 8-7 in Yordano Ventura's road starts this season and Ventura has a 4.36 ERA in his starts away from home. Remember the Mets were just two outs away from a win in Game One of this series. They certainly feel like they are absolutely still it and they've got the pitching edge to work their way back into this series. Look for the travel day to do wonders for the Mets to refocus while also taking a little momentum away from the Royals in this one. Kansas City is 20-29 as a road dog of +125 to +150 and I see the Mets (with the key edge of Syndergaard toeing the rubber) getting back into this series by adding to that incredible 17-1 mark in this situation.

I am playing on the UNDER in Kansas City (vs New York Mets) as my *10 MLB Main Event on Wednesday @ 8:05 ET - Yesterday's game snuck over the total and, the fact that it went 14 innings also used up a lot of bullpen for each team. The key tonight is that each of these starters can/should be expected to work deep into this game and to work successfully as well. This will minimize the need for much bullpen work and with an off-day scheduled tomorrow, there is no need to preserve any relievers either. Jacob Degrom toes the rubber for the Mets tonight and he's averaged nearly 7 innings per start in his last 3 starts and all of those were on the road. He's only allowed a total of four innings during this solid stretch while also striking out 27 batters. Degrom has never faced Kansas City and I expect this to be another edge for him tonight as the Royals hitters struggle against an unfamiliar pitcher. Degrom, overall, has a 1.50 ERA in his last 5 starts. Johnny Cueto toes the rubber for the Royals tonight and also should enjoy success. He has averaged 7 innings per start in his last 3 home starts so he is completely capable of working deep into this game. Off a tough road start in his last outing, Cueto should bounce back at home where the Royals have won each of his last 3 starts. This game tonight absolutely could/should turn into a pitchers' duel.

I am playing on TORONTO (@ Kansas City) as my *10 Main Event on Friday @ 8:05 ET - The Blue Jays have been simply amazing in elimination games in this post-season. They were down 2 games to 0 to Houston and then rallied back to win the series 3 games to 2. The Jays then fell behind 3 games to 1 in this series but got a huge Game 5 win and now have their ace lefty toeing the rubber with a chance to extend this series to a huge Game 7 if he can help lead them to victory Friday night. So far in this post-season, in games where the Blue Jays were facing elimination they have won all four games by a combined score of 26 to 9. Now with David Price on the mound in this critical Game 6 I look for another huge game from the Jays. Toronto has gone an incredible 13-4 in Price's road starts this season. The lefty has a 2.47 ERA in road starts this season. The Royals will have Yordano Ventura toeing the rubber tonight. The righty has given up 6 earned runs on 12 hits in his last 8 innings at home. I expect Ventura to again get hit hard at home tonight. *10 Main Event TORONTO Friday

I am playing on TORONTO (vs. Kansas City) as my *10 Main Event on Wednesday @ 4:05 ET - The Blue Jays are down 3-1 in this series and certainly were embarrassed by yesterday's 14-2 loss in front of the home fans. After an ugly game like that I look for them to respond just as they did all season long after crazy results. When allowing 10 runs or more in their prior game, the Blue Jays went 7-3 this season. Marco Estrada should help to make sure that season-long trend grows to 8-3 and extends the Blue Jays season for at least one more game. Estrada has been strong at home all season long but this has been particularly true with a solid run that began all the way back in June. He toes the rubber this afternoon at Rogers Centre on a string of 9 straight home starts with two earned runs or less allowed in each outing. Edinson Volquez will be toeing the rubber for the Royals this afternoon and his success in his first start against the Jays in this series can be attributed to facing them at home. Now he faces them on the road and Volquez has not been as strong on the road as he's been at home this season. He lost his last outing at Rogers Centre and that was in August and I look for another road defeat to be sent his way this afternoon. The Royals have lost 3 of the last 4 road starts Volquez has made. The Jays live to see another day by getting a huge home win here and this is a bargain price to grab them at in this spot Wednesday.

I am playing on the UNDER in Toronto (vs Kansas City) as a 10* Best Bet Tuesday @ 4:05 ET - The Blue Jays will have R.A. Dickey toeing the rubber this afternoon and he has been solid all season long, particularly at the Rogers Centre. In his starts in Toronto this season, Dickey has gone 9-3 with a 3.11 ERA. He also comes into this outing in great current form as he has compiled a 1.62 ERA in his last 3 starts. He shut down Kansas City in August and certainly is capable of doing so again this afternoon in Toronto. The Royals will have Chris Young toeing the rubber this afternoon. The big righty has looked great in his two starts since coming back. Young has allowed just 1 earned run on 4 hits in his two starts since returning to the rotation. The under is 16-7 in Blue Jays home games this season when they are favorite in a range of -125 to -150. Kansas City is 8-2 to the under this season (and 19-4 to the under the last 3 seasons) when they are off of a game where they allowed 10 earned runs or more. The under is 41-20 in this season in KC games against teams with a winning record. 

I am playing on the UNDER in Toronto vs Kansas City as a *10 BLUE CHIP Super Total - The under is 41-19 in Royals games against teams with a winning record this season. The under is 46-33-5 in Blue Jays home games this season. The Royals will have Johnny Cueto toeing the rubber tonight and he's settled back in, after a rare tough stretch, to allow just 3 earned runs or less in 5 of his last 6 starts. The Blue Jays will have Marcus Stroman toeing the rubber tonight. His season got a late start (mid-September) but he's been huge for Toronto with 2 earned runs or less allowed in 4 of his last 5 starts. The Royals have been scoring some decent runs in recent games but it's been a bit of a fluke as they certainly have not been pounding the ball. In fact, Kansas City only has 39 hits in their last 5 games. Kudos to the Royals for getting some timely hits but that will be tough to do against Stroman who has had some electric stuff on display on the mound in recent outings. Also Kansas City has not seen him in nearly a year and a half so that is not going to help them enjoy any success at the plate tonight. *10 BLUE CHIP on UNDER in Toronto Monday.

I am playing on TORONTO (vs Kansas City) as my *10 MAIN EVENT Monday @ 8:05 ET - The Royals will have Johnny Cueto toeing the rubber tonight and though he's settled back in, after a rare tough stretch, he still has some overall ugly numbers over the past two months. I do look for the Royals to scrape and claw some runs against him and it helps that they did face him back in July. The Blue Jays will have Marcus Stroman toeing the rubber tonight. His season got a late start (mid-September) but he's been huge for Toronto with 2 earned runs or less allowed in 4 of his last 5 starts. The Royals have been scoring some decent runs in recent games but it's been a bit of a fluke as they certainly have not been pounding the ball. In fact, Kansas City only has 39 hits in their last 5 games. Kudos to the Royals for getting some timely hits but that will be tough to do against Stroman who has had some electric stuff on display on the mound in recent outings. Also Kansas City has not seen him in nearly a year and a half so that is not going to help them enjoy any success at the plate tonight. The Royals are 5-1 in Stroman's 6 starts this season and I look for them to garner another big victory with him on the mound tonight. Also, the Blue Jays are 33-14 the last three seasons when they are home fave between -150 and -175. They are in that range tonight and should prove once again to be well worth the price. *10 MAIN EVENT on TORONTO Monday.

I am playing on the UNDER in NY Mets (vs Cubs) as a *10 Main Event @ 8:05 ET Saturday - For the season, Jon Lester's ERA on the road was just 2.99 and he's certainly in strong current form too. The Cubs lefty will be toeing the rubber tonight in New York and he's coming in with just 13 hits allowed and 24 strikeouts in his last 22 innings on the mound. 4 of the 6 meetings between these teams have stayed under the total this season and 6 of the last 9 meetings in New York between the Mets and Cubs have stayed under the total as well. Not only should Lester have a good start here, look for the Mets Matt Harvey to dominate as well. He's 9-3 with a 2.36 ERA in his home starts this season. In his last 18 innings toeing the rubber Harvey has struck out 24. The Under is 20-11-2 in Lester's starts this season. The under is 46-21 in Mets games in the month of October. The under is 33-24 in Cubs games with a total set by odds makers are 7 or less. *10 Main Event Mets UNDER Saturday.

I am playing on the UNDER in Kansas City (vs Toronto) as a *10 Blue Chip Super Total on Friday @ 8:05 ET - In 17 of Marco Estrada's last 21 starts he's allowed 2 earned runs or less. The Blue Jays righty has been in phenomenal form for months now and I look for him to continue his dominance tonight. The under is 13-6-1 in Estrada's last 20 starts. Toeing the rubber for the Royals tonight is Edinson Volquez and Kansas City is 4-2 to the under in his last 6 home starts. Volquez has allowed 3 earned runs or less in 14 of his last 18 starts. The under is 40-18 in Royals games against teams with a winning record this season. Also, KC is a home dog in this spot and when they have been a small home dog (of up to +125) the under is 9-5 this season. The Royals last two games against the Astros in that ALDS got a little crazy and went over the total but Kansas City previously was on an 8-3 run to the under. Based on the pitching match-up tonight, it stands to reason that we will see a tight, low-scoring pitchers' duel in this one. *10 Blue Chip Super Total on Kansas City UNDER.

I am playing on the UNDER in LA Dodgers (vs NY Mets) as my *10 Div. Series O/U Game of the Year Thursday @ 8:05 ET - The UNDER is on a longterm 45-21 run in Mets games in the month of October and I certainly expect that trend to continue tonight as they face Dodgers righty ace Zach Greinke on Thursday. After struggling with the offerings of the lefty ace Clayton Kershaw now it's righty ace Greinke toeing the rubber Thursday and leading to more frustration for Mets hitters in this series. Other than the one 13 run outburst the Mets had in Game 3 of this series, New York has been held to a total of just 6 runs in 3 games. In fact, looking at New York's October games, they have played 8 this month and totaled only 8 runs in the 7 games other than the 13 run explosion in Game 3 of this series. It is no fluke either because the Mets simply just are not hitting. New York has been held to 6 hits or less in 7 of their 8 games this month! The under is 41-27 in the Dodgers last 68 games against teams with a winning record. Also, 14 of Greinke's last 20 starts have resulted in unders. *10 Div. Series O/U Game of the Year Thursday UNDER in LA Dodgers.

I am playing on KANSAS CITY (vs Houston) as my *10 Main Event on Wednesday @ 8:05 ET - The Royals are 16-6 in the month of October the last 3 years and I see great line value with them as a small favorite in this huge Game 5 set for Wednesday evening. The Astros have Collin McHugh toeing the rubber tonight and he allowed two homers to the Royals in Game One of this series. He was fortunate they were each solo bombs and I look for Kansas City to do more damage against him in tonight's Game Five. I like having Johnny Cueto on my side as he toes the rubber for KC tonight. The righty has settled into a nice pattern after some rough patches in the late summer. Since mid-September Cueto has allowed only 13 earned runs in his last 31 innings on the mound. The Astros are 5-9 this season as a road dog of +125 to +150. Also, including post-season games, they are just 35-49 on the road this season while the Royals are 52-31 at home this season. *10 Main Event KANSAS CITY

I am playing on TORONTO (@ Texas) as my *10 Division Series Game of the Year on Sunday @ 8:05 ET - The Blue Jays backs are certainly against the wall and I look for them to respond in a big way on Sunday. After the questionable call at second base in the 14th inning of Game Two went against Toronto, I look for a little payback in Game 3. The Blue Jays certainly have the pitching edge to get the job done. The Jays have Marco Estrada toeing the rubber this evening and he has been on top of his game for months now. The Jays righty has given up just 49 hits in in his last 82 innings of work. Those are insane numbers and show just how tough this hurler has consistently been for the past 2+ months. Included in this big run of dominating starts was a strong effort for Estrada in late August at Texas and he is certainly capable of replicating that effort here. Unlike the Blue Jays, the Rangers (in my opinion) have a question mark toeing the rubber today in Game 3. Lefty Martin Perez gets the start for Texas and he went just 3-6 with a 4.46 ERA in the regular season. The Rangers have lost each of his last two starts and, in his start prior to those two, Perez was roughed up for 5 runs (4 earned) in just 4 innings of work against Oakland. Look for redemption for the Blue Jays today. *10 DS Game of the Year on TORONTO Sunday.

I am playing on the UNDER in Toronto vs Texas as my *10 Blue Chip Super Total on Thursday @ 4:05 ET - The Rangers Yovani Gallardo has dominated the Blue Jays this season. The Rangers righty shut out the Jays in each of his two outings against Toronto while allowing a total of just 6 hits in 13+ innings. The Blue Jays David Price got the win and held the Rangers to just 2 earned runs in 6 innings with 8 strikeouts in his lone start against Texas this season. He also comes into this outing with a 3-0 record and a 2.37 ERA in his last three starts. The under was 10-5 in Price's 15 home starts this season prior to a rare over at home in his final start of the season. The under is 22-9 in Gallardo's starts this season. Overall, the Blue Jays went over the total just 31 times in their 81 home games this season. The under is 81-49 in Rangers day games the last three seasons combined.

I am playing on CLEVELAND (vs Boston) as my *10 Game of the Week on Sunday @ 3:10 ET - The Indians won via a 2-0 shutout Saturday and I look for them to close out the season by sending the Red Sox to a 4th straight loss to end their year. Rick Porcello will be toeing the rubber for Boston and he defeated the Yankees in his most recent start. However, the righty lost each of his two prior starts and allowed 19 hits in 13 innings in those two outings. Overall, Porcello has a 4.71 ERA in his last three starts and he has a 5.82 ERA on the road this season. Look for him to be no match for the Indians Danny Salazar this afternoon. The Cleveland righty is 6-2 with a 3.06 ERA in his home starts this season. Salazar also dominated the Red Sox last month in his first career start against Boston and I look for him to duplicate that effort on Sunday. As a home favorite of -150 to -175 the Indians are on a 37-21 run. The Red Sox are a poor 5-10 this season as a road underdog of +125 to +150.

I am playing on CLEVELAND (vs Boston) as my *10 AL Personal Favorite @ 7:10 ET Friday - The Indians Josh Tomlin is finally coming off of a rough outing. This should not take away from what he has done ever since his season got underway a month and a half ago. Tomlin had gone at least 5.2 innings in every start and the Indians righty had allowed 2 earned runs or less in 6 of those 8 starts. Boston has yet to see him this season and that is an edge for the hurler toeing the rubber for Cleveland tonight. The Red Sox will have Henry Owens toeing the rubber this evening. Though the lefty has pitched well overall this seasons, he will be facing an Indians team that has a ..343 on base percentage in home games this season which ranks Cleveland among the tops in the majors in that category. They are toward the top of the majors in walks at home and rank near the bottom for strikeouts at home...nice combo for the Indians. Boston is 11-21 as a road dog of +100 to 125 this season. Cleveland is 130-83 in their last 213 against teams with a losing record.

I am playing on the OVER in Chicago White Sox (vs Kansas City) as my *10 Blue Chip Super Total on Thursday @ 8:10 ET - The Royals Kris Medlen allowed 6 earned runs on 9 hits in his last start and the righty didn't even complete 4 innings in that game. Medlen will be toeing the rubber tonight against a White Sox club that absolutely crushed him less than four weeks ago. Medlen gave up 7 earned runs on 11 hits in under 6 innings of work in that start. The White Sox will have John Danks toeing the rubber this evening. The lefty gave up 3 home runs in his most recent start at home. The Royals are 8-3 to the over this season as a road favorite in a price range of -125 to -150. The over is 5-2 in Medlen's starts this year. With yesterday's over, five of the last seven meetings between these clubs have gone over the total. Look for another one tonight.

I am playing on WASHINGTON (@ Atlanta) as my *10 Personal Favorite @ 7:10 ET Wednesday - Huge pitching advantage for the Nationals here makes them well worth the price. Jordan Zimmerman is 13-9 with a 3.68 ERA on the year. The Nats righty has dominated the Braves throughout his career with a 7-2 record and a 2.52 ERA in his career against Atlanta. In his last 3 starts totaling 22 innings against the Braves Zimmerman has given up a total of only one earned run. The Braves Williams Perez is outclassed here. Perez has made nine starts at home this season and has a 5.70 ERA in those 9 starts. The Braves have lost 27 of their last 36 games against teams with a winning record. As a road favorite in the -150 to -175 range the Nationals are 18-7 the last three years. *10 Personal Favorite on WASHINGTON Wednesday

I am playing on the UNDER in Cincinnati (vs Chicago Cubs) as my *10 Blue Chip Super Total on Wednesday @ 7:10 ET - Anthony Deslcafani has had a pair of tough outings recently but there is reason to believe he will bounceback here against the Cubs. The Reds righty has a sparkling 2.67 ERA in his five career starts against the Cubs. Desclafani, prior to his two most recent starts, had given up just 6 earned runs in 26 innings in his last 4 starts. He's completely capable of resuming that type of dominance against a Cubs team that has scored an average of just TWO runs per game in their last 6 games. The Reds have also been struggling to score runs. Cincinnati has scored an average of just TWO runs per game in their last 9 games. Facing Jon Lester is not going to help matters for the struggling Reds lineup. Lester has a 2.65 ERA in his five September starts and continues to dominate here. *10 Blue Chip Super Total on UNDER in Cincinnati

I am playing on SAN DIEGO (vs Milwaukee) as my MLB *10 Game of the Month @ 10:10 ET Tuesday - This is Game One of a three game set after both clubs were off yesterday. The Brewers won on Sunday but previously had lost 14 of their prior 18 games. Milwaukee been in one of the biggest slumps of any team in the league recently. The Padres lost on Sunday but San Diego had previously won 5 of their last 8 home games. The Padres have a big pitching edge in this match-up with Tyson Ross over Jorge Lopez. Ross has a 2.84 ERA in his last three starts and he has struck out 26 in his last 19 innings toeing the rubber. Milwaukee starter Lopez will be making his major league debut. The righty was the Brewers Minor League pitcher of the year with a 12-5 record and a 2.26 ERA. However, those numbers were compiled at the AA level and it's big jump up when going from the AA level to the majors. Also, in his prior years in the minors, his numbers were not so impressive with annual ERAs in the 4.58 to 5.23 range the three prior years. The Padres are 14-6 (70%) the last 3 years as a home favorite in a the -150 to -175 range. The Brewers are 47-70 against right-handed starters this season. On the road this season, in a game with a posted total of 7 runs or less, Milwaukee has gone 6-12. Game of the Month *10 Padres Tuesday.

I am playing on the YANKEES (vs Boston) as my *10 Personal Favorite @ 7:05 ET Monday - Rodriguez is now getting the start tonight for the Red Sox. The lefty being in the box tonight makes this situation even stronger for the Yankees. The Red Sox are 3-5 in the 8 road starts Rodriguez has made this season and he has a 4.00 ERA on the road. The Yankees Nova have his numbers skewed by two bad starts this season. Overall, he's been quite solid on the mound. Nova has been solid in 13 of his 15 starts on the year. In those 13 starts he went at least five innings in each one and he only allowed a total of 31 earned runs in those 13 outings. When he takes the mound, the Yankees have a great chance of getting a good start out of him. That, as well as the fact Rodriguez should get roughed up, has me backing the Yankees with my Top Play rating on Monday. The Yankees have won 10 of the 15 meetings with the Red Sox this year. Bosotn has won three straight games but they are 3-9 this season when they are on a winning streak of three games or more. As an underdog of +100 to +125 this season, the Red Sox have gone 10-21. *10 Personal Favorite on the YANKEES Monday

I am playing on KANSAS CITY (vs Cleveland) as my 10* Personal Favorite on Saturday @ 7:10 ET - After getting shutout in a 6-0 loss to the Indians yesterday, look for the Royals to bounce back this evening. Kris Medlen will be toeing the rubber for Kansas CIty tonight. The righty has been on fire with a 2-0 in his last three starts and a sparkling 1.04 ERA in those outings. The Indians will have Josh Tomlin toeing the rubber this evening. Though he has pitched well overall this season, Tomlin did allow 3 homers in less than 6 innings of work in his most recent road start. The righty also had been hit hard and had given up a lot of homers in recent outings against the Royals before he finally had a strong outing against Kansas City less than two weeks ago. Look for KC to resume the long-term success tonight. They have owned Tomlin and their lineup will prove that ownership again tonight. The Royals are 18-8 this season as a home favorite between -125 and -150. Kansas City also is 61-36 against right-handed starters this season and 50-28 at home. 10* Personal Favorite on Kansas City

I am playing on OAKLAND (vs. San Francisco) as my 10* Personal Favorite on Friday @ 10:05 PM ET - Significant scheduling edge here as, although both teams were on the west coast yesterday, the A's certainly have the better situation. Oakland was at home and had an afternoon game yesterday while the Giants were on the road and had a night game last night. Look for the Athletics to take advantage as Sonny Gray toes the rubber in Oakland tonight. The righty has a 2.72 ERA on the season and he had a dominating start (and victory) over the Giants and Madison Bumgarner in his only career outing against San Francisco. He is perfectly capable of another big effort against San Fran and, this time, it is certainly not Bumgarner on the mound for the Giants. San Francisco will have Mike Leake toeing the rubber tonight and the Giants are just 5-9 in his road starts this season. In his last three starts Leake has struggled and has a 7.36 ERA in these three outings combined. San Francisco is 10-18 this season as a road dog of +100 to +125 and the Giants are 13-21 in road games this season that have a total of 7 runs or less. San Fran opened as a small dog here and the total opened up at a 7. Look for these strong trends to continue in this fantastic situational scheduling advantage for the home team. 10* Personal Favorite on OAKLAND on Friday.

I am playing on the UNDER in Oakland (vs. Texas) @ 3:35 ET Thursday as my *10* Blue Chip Super Total - Cole Hamels will be toeing the rubber for the visitors this afternoon and the lefty has been getting more and more comfortable in each start in his new uniform. It took a little time early on but Hamels, since coming over from the Phillies, has definitely found his comfort zone. Hamels is off of a dominating start against Seattle and Texas is 3-0 in his last 3 starts with the lefty producing a sparkling 3.43 ERA during this stretch. He struck out 12 Mariners in 7 innings in his most recent start. The A's Chris Bassitt will look to match Hamels in what is likely to end up a pitchers' duel on Thursday afternoon. The righty has a sparkling 1.89 ERA in his 6 home starts this season. Five of those six starts resulted in an under. The under is 80-45 in Rangers day games the last 3 seasons and the under is 172-116 in games against right-handed starters the last 3 seasons. 10* Blue Chip UNDER in Oakland on Thursday afternoon.

I am playing on the OVER in Washington (vs Baltimore) as my 10* Blue Chip Super Total on Wednesday @ 7:05 PM ET - The Orioles 4-1 win at Washington last night easily stayed under the total but the O's came into yesterday's game with a 7-3 mark to the over in their 10 prior games. The Nats had a 5-2 mark to the over in their 7 games prior to yesterday's 4-1 loss. Look for the Nationals offense to bounceback today against the Orioles Chris Tillman. The righty will be toeing the rubber tonight for the Orioles and is coming in with an 8.36 ERA in his last three starts. Tillman has given up 4 homers in his last two road starts and is the perfect match-up for the Washington offense to "get healthy" against. The Nats will have Max Scherzer toeing the rubber tonight. He was winless in August with a 6.43 ERA in his five starts. Though things have improved slightly for Scherzer this month, he's still struggled in his home starts in September. The righty has allowed 7 earned runs in 13 innings in his home starts for the Nats this month. 10* Blue Chip Super Total on Washington OVER Wednesday.

I am playing on SAN DIEGO (vs San Francisco) as my 10* NL Personal Favorite @ 10:10 ET Tuesday - Both of these teams were off yesterday. Even though the Giants are off of a 5-1 win Sunday, they had been shutout in each of their prior two games. San Francisco has only produced 5 hits per game in their last 3 games. Things won't get any easier against Tyson Ross tonight. The Padres righty toes the rubber tonight for San Diego and he comes into this start with a sparkling 2.37 ERA in his last three starts. The Giants are winless in Chris Heston's last three starts and he has a 4.18 ERA in road starts this season. Walks have troubled Heston lately as he walked six in his last two starts even though he has pitched a total of less than 10 innings on those two outings. San Francisco has gone 5-16 in their last 21 road games. Big edges here with the home field and the stronger starting pitcher. Combining those factors with the low price on the Padres here and this one elevates to top play rating. 10* NL Personal Favorite on SAN DIEGO Tuesday.

I am playing on BOSTON (vs. Tampa Bay) as my 10* AL Personal Favorite Tuesday - The Red Sox, with their 8-7 win yesterday, have now won 7 of their last 11 games and their lineup has been firing on all cylinders with an average of 7.3 runs per game in those 7 victories. Boston will have lefty Henry Owens toeing the rubber tonight. The Sox hurler has allowed just 1 earned run on only 9 hits in his last 13 innings on the mound. Look for Owens and the Red Sox to take advantage of a Tampa Bay hurler who has struggled on the road this season. The Rays will have lefty Matt Moore on the mound tonight and he has gone winless in his four road starts this season with an 8.64 ERA. Overall, Tampa Bay is just 2-7 in Moore's starts this season. While the Rays come into this game having lost 7 of their last 10 games, the Red Sox are going for their fourth straight win tonight. This is a classic case of two teams heading in opposite directions at the present time. 10* AL Personal Favorite on Boston Tuesday.

I am playing on the UNDER in Toronto (vs. Yankees) as my 10* Total of the Month @ 7:05 ET Tuesday - Yesterday's 4-2 Blue Jays win was another easy under and the under is now 6-2 in the Jays last 8 games. The under is also 6-2 in the Yankees last 8 games. The Yanks will have Luis Severino toeing the rubber tonight. The righty is looking to make amends for a poor home start against the Blue Jays on the 11th. He has posted a stellar 2.28 ERA on the road in his four outings away from home this season. Look for Severino to have a much better time against the Jays in the rematch. Toronto will have Marco Estrada toeing the rubber on his home field tonight. Estrada has a sparkling 3.14 ERA with a 13-8 record on the season. Estrada, like Severino, struggled recently against the opponent he now faces tonight and that means it payback for each of these hurlers tonight. Look for the result to be a good old fashioned pitchers duel as the end result here. The under is 8-4 in Estrada's home starts this season and 3-1 in Severino's road starts this season. The under is 16-6 in Blue Jays games where they are a home favorite of -125 to -150 this season. The under is 22-10 in Yankees games where they are a road underdog of +100 to +125 this season. 10* Total of the Month on UNDER in Toronto. 

I am playing on the NEW YORK METS (vs Yankees) as my 10* Main Event @ 8:05 ET Sunday.

Look for the Mets to bounce back after they were embarrassed on their home field yesterday afternoon in the 5-0 shutout loss to the Yankees. The Yanks, prior to yesterday, had been slumping badly with losses in 7 of their last 10 games. Unlike the Yankees, the Mets had been playing great baseball with wins in 9 of their last 11 games. One game doesn't change all that and these recent trends are likely to quickly resume tonight. The Mets will have righty Matt Harvey toeing the rubber for this special Sunday night match-up and he has been stellar at home this season. Harvey is 8-2 with a sparkling 2.56 ERA in his home starts this season. He is matched up with lefty CC Sabathia of the Yankees tonight. The veteran hurler is just 2-6 on the road this season with a 4.36 ERA.  Sabathia has given up 18 hits - including 3 homers - in his last two starts against the Mets and he lasted less than 6 innings in each outing. Harvey has a sizzling 1.62 ERA in his two career starts against the Yankees and has registered 17 strikeouts in the 17 innings of work versus the Yanks. This is a pitching mismatch and the Mets, yesterday notwithstanding, have been playing much better ball than the Yanks. That make the home team well worth the price here. 10* Main Event NEW YORK METS

I am playing on MILWAUKEE (vs Cincinnati) as a 10* Personal Favorite @ 7:10 ET Saturday - The Brewers fell short 5-3 yesterday but should bounce right back Saturday as they have more than just home field on their side here. The Brewers also have a decided pitching advantage in Saturday's match-up with the Reds. Milwaukee will have Taylor Jungmann toeing the rubber tonight and he's dominated Cincinnati both times he has faced them this season. He held the Reds to one earned run on just four hits in eight innings of work in July. Jungmann then had a rematch with Cincinnati in late August and he again dominated the Reds with only 3 hits given up in 6 shutout innings. Jungmann has Cincinnati's number so far in his young career. The Reds will have Josh Smith toeing the rubber tonight. He's just now returning from the minors and earlier this season he struggled at the MLB level with too many walks given up. Overall Smith just had major isssues with his command and that is what leads to mistake pitches which is also what leads to big hits. The Brewers should pound him. 10* Personal Favorite MILWAUKEE on Saturday.

Ben Burns' 10* Blue Chip - UNDER in Arizona (vs. San Diego) @ 9:40 ET Tuesday - Yesterday's series opener went over the total as the Padres exploded on offense with a huge night at the plate. This was unusual for San Diego as they previously had been held to 3 runs or less in 7 of their last 9 games. The Diamondbacks came into this series having seen 4 of their last 6 games stay under the total. Arizona will have Jhoulys Chacin toeing the rubber tonight and he's pitched very well in his two starts this season with only 2 earned runs allowed in each start. The Padres will have Tyson Ross toeing the rubber tonight and he has a 1.80 ERA in his last three starts with only 12 hits allowed in his last 20 innings of work. Both of these pitchers also have been registering a lot of strikeouts and that helps this one to have all the makings of a pitchers' duel Tuesday night. Play UNDER in Arizona as a 10* Blue Chip Tuesday.

At 10 ET Wednesday, I’m playing on the LA ANGELS (vs Dodgers) as my 10* Personal Favorite.

The Angels were on the wrong end of a 6-4 final yesterday but they faced one of the Dodgers top pitchers, Clayton Kershaw, last night. Tonight the Angels can get back on track in a role in which they have excelled. The Angels are 18-6 this season as home favorite with a money line ranging from -125 to -150. The Dodgers are a poor 1-4 this season as a road dog with a money line ranging from +100 to +125. The Angels will have Garrett Richards toeing the rubber tonight and he's 9-4 in his home starts this season. The righty had a complete game shutout win over the Dodgers in his most recent start against them which came last August. Richards will be opposed by Mat Latos Wednesday. The Dodgers righty is struggling as he is winless in his last three starts and he's compiled an ugly 6.75 ERA in those outings. This season, when he starts on the road, Latos' team is 2-8. That trend continues tonight.

I’m playing on LA ANGELS as my 10* Personal Favorite Wednesday.

At 7 ET Wednesday, I’m playing on the OVER in NY Yankees (vs Baltimore) as my 10* Total of the Week.

Surprising pitchers' duel yesterday in the Bronx. Look for the bats to make some noise tonight after yesterday's 2-1 Orioles win. The over was 6-1 in the Orioles 7 games prior to Tuesday. The Yankees are expected to have CC Sabathia toeing the rubber tonight. The lefty is coming off of the disabled list following problems with right knee inflammation and he's expected to be wearing a brace tonight. Sabathia is unlikely to be 100% in this start and he's been rocked in both of his starts against the Orioles this season. The lefty was also getting hit quite hard in his last 3 starts prior to going on the DL as Sabathia produced a 4.69 ERA and a 1.76 WHIP in those outings. The Yankees, like the Orioles, should enjoy a big day at the plate tonight. Ubaldo Jimenez gets the start for Baltimore and he has produced a 6.35 ERA and a 1.88 WHIP in his 3 most recent starts. Jimenez also has a 6.60 ERA and a 1.89 WHIP in his career starts against the Yankees. This one should be all about the offense in the Bronx tonight.

I’m playing on the OVER in NY Yankees as my 10* Total of the Week Wednesday.

At 10:05 ET Tuesday, I’m playing on the UNDER in the Oakland/Houston game as my 10* Blue Chip.

The under is 13-4 in Scott Kazmir's last 17 starts. He has allowed 2 earned runs or less in 13 of those 17 outings. The lefty has a sparkling 2.50 ERA on the season and Oakland hasn't seen him in more than two years. That's a big edge for a pitcher. The A's will have Sonny Gray toeing the rubber Tuesday night. The righty has a sparkling 2.36 ERA on the season. Although Gray has struggled a bit in recent outings he completely shut down the Astros in early August and a repeat performance can be expected tonight. The A's hurler held Houston to 5 hits in a complete game effort where the only run in 9 innings came on a solo shot. Perfect spot for a pitchers' duel here.

I’m playing on the UNDER in the Oakland/Houston game as my 10* Blue Chip Tuesday.

At 8:15 ET Tuesday, I’m playing on ST LOUIS (vs. Chicago Cubs) as my 10* NL Personal Favorite.

The Cardinals' Michael Wacha is 15-4 this season including 6-2 in his home starts. The St Louis righty has a microscopic 0.95 ERA in his last 3 starts. In his last two home starts versus the Cubs, Wacha has held Chicago to just 3 earned runs in 13 innings on the bump. Jason Hammel of the Cubs will prove to be no match for Wacha in this one. Hammel has a 6.31 ERA in his career starts versus the Cardinals. The Cubs righty has a 4.96 ERA in his last 3 starts. The Cubs embarrassed the Cardinals with a 9-0 shutout win in the series opener here yesterday but Chicago had lost 4 of their last 5 road games heading into yesterday's match-up. The Cardinals have now lost two straight games by a combined score of 16 to 1. This is noteworthy not only because of the beating they took but also because the Cards have not suffered a losing streak of more than two games since the first half of the season. Look for their ace, Wacha, to prove to be the streak stopper on Tuesday.

I’m playing on ST LOUIS as my 10* NL Personal Favorite Tuesday.

At 8:10 ET Tuesday, I’m playing on KANSAS CITY (vs. Minnesota) as my 10* AL Personal Favorite.

The Royals lost to the Twins 6-2 last night and it's payback time tonight. Kansas City is 11-3 in the 14 home starts Edinson Volquez has made this season. In those outings, Volquez has a 7-3 record and a 3.48 ERA. The Royals righty is 2-1 in his 4 career starts against the Twins and Volquez has compiled a 1.95 ERA against Minnesota in those outings. With yesterday's loss, Kansas City has lost four straight games. The Royals have not lost more than four games in a row this entire season. Minnesota's Kyle Gibson will be toeing the rubber tonight and he's had plenty of tough times on the road this season with a 3-5 record and a 5.02 ERA in road starts this season. Gibson defeated the Royals in July but previously was hit hard and lost each of his two prior outings against KC this season. That is the result expected here.

I’m playing on KANSAS CITY as my 10* AL Personal Favorite Tuesday.

At 1:10 ET Monday, I’m playing on MIAMI (vs. Milwaukee) as my 10* Personal Favorite. 

Miami's season record certainly does not impress but this team is offering nice value at home and, with yesterday's victory, has now won 5 of their last 6 games. The Marlins are hosting Milwaukee Monday and the Brewers lost on Sunday which put an end to their six game winning streak. Oftentimes when a team is on a long winning streak like that, all it takes is one loss and the team suddenly reverts to true form. The Brewers, similarly to the Marlins, have had a tough season and Zach Davies doesn't give much hope for a strong performance today. The Milwaukee hurler struggled against Pittsburgh on Wednesday and had to be relieved before completing five innings. Davies is no match for the Marlins Justin Nicolino. The Marlins southpaw has produced three straight quality starts and has proven to be tough to hit in recent outings. Nicolino baffled the Brewers hitters in his only start against them (on the 17th of August) and I look for another dominating performance from the lefty Monday as well.  

I’m playing on MIAMI as my 10* Personal Favorite Monday.

At 8:05 ET Sunday, I’m playing on the UNDER in the St. Louis/Pittsburgh game as my 10* Main Event.

The Cardinals wrap up their home set with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. This game has huge playoff race implications and I am looking for a pitchers duel in this one. Right hander John Lackey is toeing the rubber for the Cardinals Sunday. He’s a veteran pitcher who seems to thrive on big game situations. This Sunday nighter is indeed a big game and Lackey will step up to the challenge once again. He's allowed just one run in each of his two starts against the Pirates this season. Lackey also has been a workhorse for St. Louis as he's allowed more than 3 runs in an outing just once in his last 15 outings and he pitched at least 6 innings in all 15 of those outings. On Sunday the Pirates counter with right hander Gerrit Cole and he has been anxiously awaiting this start after a rare "off day" in his most recent outing. His velocity is still there but he just didn't have his normal movement on his pitches in that start. Cole will have that problem corrected for this start and he has a knack for bouncing back after a tough start. Look for that to prove to be true again on Sunday evening and two stellar outings from these two starters should keep this to a 2-1 or 3-2 type of game.

I’m playing on the UNDER in the St Louis/Pittsburgh game as my 10* Main Event Sunday.

At 3:35 ET Sunday, I’m playing on the LA ANGELS (vs. Texas) as my 10* Personal Favorite.

The Angels wrap up their home set with the Texas Rangers on Sunday. The Angels are being offered with fantastic line value as a small home favorite in this spot. LAA, heading into Saturday, was on a solid hot streak. The Angels, in Game One of this three game set, picked up their third straight win. The red hot sticks of the Angels have produced a combined 25 runs in the last four games. The Halos, by winning three straight heading into Saturday's action, have continued to do their best to mount a postseason push. The Rangers, heading into Saturday, have also been on a hot streak but it's tough to win on the road against a divisional foe you are battling in a playoff race. Left hander Hector Santiago is toeing the rubber for the Angels Sunday. He’s struggled in recent outings heading into this start but there is an important key reason in backing him today. Santiago has been strong at home all season long with a 2.71 ERA in Anaheim starts. On Sunday the Rangers counter with Colby Lewis and his ERA is 8.65 with a 2-6 record in his career starts against the Angels. Look for similar results Sunday afternoon as Lewis again gets roughed up by a team that has been a nemesis for him in his career.

I’m playing on the LA ANGELS as my 10* Personal Favorite Sunday.

TAMPA BAY at NEW YORK YANKEES 
I am playing on the UNDER. Seven of the last 10 meetings between these two teams all fell under the number and I think we'll see another under Friday night. 
Two pitchers in solid form take the mound and their combined ERA is lower than 6.00 runs, which would put this game easily under the number. The Rays' Jake Odorizzi has an ERA of 3.18 on the season while rookie Luis Severino has been an incredible surprise for the Yankees with a 2.17 ERA since coming up to the bigs. 
I think this total is inflated given the pitchers on the mound and I feel these two teams will play in a tightly contested, lower scoring affair to start off this series. 10* Blue Chip

I am playing on the UNDER. I successfully took the UNDER last night in the Giants-Dodgers game in my most recent 10* Blue Chip total play, which cashed by a landslide in a 2-1 Dodgers win. Today I am taking the UNDER in this Interleague matchup where I think oddsmakers have set the total too high for two pitchers in stellar form. 
The Rangers' Cole Hamels and the Padres' Ian Kennedy combine for an ERA of fewer than 4.00 runs over their last three starts each, so don't be concerned that today's total opened at a low number by baseball standards. I think both of these guys will stay true to recent form and the UNDER will cash in. 
The UNDER is 4-1-1 in Texas' last six games overall and Hamels' last three games have all fallen below the total during a stretch where he's tossed 20 strikeouts while giving up no home runs over 21 innings. Hamels also loves shutting down the Padres and the Phillies won his last eight starts against San Diego while he was in Philadelphia during games in which the under went 6-2.  
Kennedy is in solid form also for San Diego with four straight quality starts and in this pitcher friendly ball park, I think we'll see this one go low again today. 10* Blue Chip

I am playing on BALTIMORE. I don't see the O's getting swept against a divisional opponent at home and I like them to close out this series with a win in the final game tonight. 
Tampa Bay won the first two games with some impressive hitting but two of their best players could be hampered or out, thanks to some injuries. Logan Forsythe, the Rays' best hitter with a .286 average, left Tuesday's game with a groin injury and Kevin Kiermaier sat out with a mild ankle sprain. 
Rays pitcher Erasmo Ramirez isn't as strong on the road as he is at home and he sports a 4.71 ERA in his road jersey. I think the O's will be able to get to him and will escape from this series by grabbing the final game to avoid a sweep. 10* Personal Favorite

I am playing on the UNDER. Two strong veteran pitchers in top form take the mound today and I think this will be a very low scoring, tightly contested affair. 
Major league ERA leader Zack Greinke will start for the Dodgers and he brings a 1.61 ERA to the hill and it likely won't come as a shocker to you that his last four games have slipped under the total. 
The Giants' Madison Bumgarner has watched his last four starts against the Dodgers go under and he is pitching his best ball of the season. He has tossed five straight amazing outings where he allowed more than one earned run just once over that stretch while averaging over 10 K's per game. 
The number may seem a little low for this contest but I love the under with these two impressive arms and this should be a one worth watching if you like an old fashioned pitcher's duel. 10* Blue Chip 

I am playing on CHICAGO. I feel the White Sox should be priced much higher with Chris Sale on the mound but I'll happily take them as long as oddsmakers are offering him at this value. 
Sale might be the hottest pitcher in baseball right now with four straight awesome starts where he went at least seven innings and 100 pitches each game while averaging almost 11 strikeouts during that stretch. 
If you have been watching Sale pitch also, then you know his stuff has just been nasty and the numbers aren't some fluke. I think the Twins are in for a rough game and they are going to see a different pitcher than the one they beat the last three meetings this season, which were all before July began. 10* AL Personal Favorite 

I am playing on ATLANTA. If there is one bright spot for the Braves during a 1-9 losing stretch, it's that the Braves are hitting .267 against lefties. That's good news for today as they face young southpaw Justin Nicolino. 
Nicolino started his MLB career in June and I think teams may be getting a better scouting report on him. He gave up a home run in each of his last two games and a season high four walks last game and I think the Braves will get to him today. 
Atlanta could desperately use a win and there might be no better team to do that against than the team with the third-worst road record in the majors. 10* NL Personal Favorite

TEXAS at SAN DIEGO  I am playing on SAN DIEGO. I'm looking for the Padres to win this matchup as they return home following a bit of a rocky 2-4 road trip.  San Diego broke out of a dry spell just in time before returning home with a 9-4 win over the Phillies last night and I think that will spill over into today's game. The Padres took two of three from Texas in July and I think they'll get the win again here with Tyson Ross on the mound.  The Padres have won seven of the righty's last nine outings and he pitched a great the last meeting with Rangers, a 2-1 San Diego win. Colby Lewis is coming off a rough performance against the Blue Jays, a 12-4 Texas loss where he gave up two home runs and four walks. I don't see him coming into this game in his most confident form.  10* Personal Favorite

 MIAMI at ATLANTA I am playing on ATLANTA. The Braves are getting far too generous a price here today in my opinion thanks to a weekend butt-kicking at the hands of the Yankees.  New York piled up 38 runs over three games in the drubbing and oddsmakers seem to think that leaves Atlanta licking its wounds. But the Braves now face the awful Marlins and I expect them to bounce back at home today.  Miami has lost eight of its last 10 games and the Marlins also hate Mondays as much as the general public with a 2-12 record on Mondays in their last 14 tries. Miami also puts Chris Narveson on the mound, who gets his second major league start since 2012. He got rocked in his first outing back in the bigs last week when Pittsburgh lit him up for seven earned runs in 3 2/3 innings. 10* NL Personal Favorite

LATE PITCHING CHANGE: This is STILL a play with the change on Miller. Play STILL valid.

I’m playing on the Chicago White Sox as my 10* American League Personal Favorite.

Chicago looks to even this series with the Mariners after winning Game 1 Thursday but dropping the next two Friday and Saturday. Seattle edged the White Sox 7-6 Saturday despite a late push from the Southsiders. The White Sox send out starter Jose Quintana, who has been one of the more undervalued pitchers in baseball this season. The left hander is 3-1 in his last seven trips to the mound, giving up two or fewer runs in four of those appearances. He’s also been pinpoint with his command, walking just eight batters in his last 10 starts. The Mariners counter with Edgar Olmos, who is making his first major league start Sunday. He’s been good in a relief role since coming up from Triple-A Tacoma but this is a different beast and we are wary of a new starter making his debut on the road. Chicago has had the number of American League West opponents this season, winning 18 of its last 28 clashes with the AL West.

I’m playing on the White Sox as my 10* American League Personal Favorite Sunday.

I’m playing on the San Diego Padres as my 10* National League Personal Favorite.

The Padres are desperate for a win before heading back home, losing their last three games and putting together a 1-4 record on their current East Coast road trip. San Diego puts that on ace James Shields, who has been inconsistent in recent outings. Shields has struggled with his command, issuing 10 walks in his last three efforts. However, those struggles have trimmed the price on the Padres especially against a bottom team like the Phillies. Philadelphia goes with Alec Asher on the hill, who is making his big league debut. He was one of the talents that came over from Texas in the Cole Hamels deal and the franchise wants to kick the tires on this prospect before the season ends. While Shields isn’t performing up to his high standards, we’ll take the guy who was pitching in the World Series last October over the rookie making his first MLB start any day, even more so when the price is right.

I’m playing on San Diego as my 10* NL Personal Favorite Sunday.

I’m playing on the Under in Colorado Rockies at Pittsburgh Pirates as my 10* Blue Chip.

These two teams at separate ends of the National League standings battle in Steel Town for Game 2 of this series Saturday. The Rockies and Pirates just went Over the 7-run total with a 5-3 Pittsburgh win Friday but we see solid value in the Under for the middle contest of this weekend set. Colorado obviously doesn’t possess the same power at the plate away from the thin air of Coors Field, hitting just .234 BA with an on-base percentage of .284 on the road – compared to a .299 BA and .351 OBP at home. The Rockies and Pirates, despite Friday’s result, have lean toward the Under in recent meetings, going 2-5-1 Over/Under in their last eight overall. The Bucs go with pitcher J.A. Happ for Saturday. He’s given up only one earned run in his last 17 1-3 innings of work and boasts a career 1.93 ERA versus Colorado.

I’m playing on the Under in Colorado at Pittsburgh as my 10* Blue Chip Saturday.

I’m playing on the Tampa Bay Rays as my 10* Personal Favorite.

The Rays were squeezed out of a 3-2 win by the Kansas City Royals in Game 1 of this series Friday and look to right the ship Saturday, having won just once in their last five games. That skid has pumped up the moneyline value on Tampa Bay for Game 2 Saturday, especially with right hander Jake Odorizzi taking the bump. He’s posting a slim 2.20 ERA at home this season but has seen many solid efforts spoiled by a lack of run support. He’s winless this month but has gone at least six innings in each of those five starts and has limited opponents to three or fewer runs in four of those outings. The Royals continue to give Kris Medlen a spot in the rotation. Since returning from Tommy John surgery, he’s mainly pitched out the bullpen. However, he’s making his second start of the season Saturday and will still be under a strict pitch count. Any sign of trouble for Medlen could throw his plans to the wind. We’re always cautious of pitchers on a count and love the Rays’ undervalued hurler in this matchup.

I’m playing on Tampa Bay as my 10* Personal Favorite Saturday.

I’m playing on the Cleveland Indians as my 10* Personal Favorite. The Tribe march into this weekend set with the Los Angeles Angels after taking back-to-back wins over the Milwaukee Brewers and winning five of their last seven contests. Cleveland smashed the ball in those two wins against Milwaukee, scoring a total of 17 runs. The Indians hit the road for a long jump to Anaheim, however, they have performed better on the road this season, with a 34-32 record compared to 26-34 at home. Cleveland has the second lowest road ERA in the majors, at 3.37, and look to Bauer (instead of Salazar) to keep that trend going in Game 1 Friday. While Bauer's overall numbers aren't that impressive, unlike his opponent, he's off a quality start last time out. Bauer, who beat the Halos the only time he previously faced them, goes up against Andrew Heaney, who was crushed for eight runs on seven hits through 3 1-3 innings against Toronto in his last start. I’m playing on Cleveland as my 10* Personal Favorite Friday.

MINNESOTA at TAMPA BAY 
I am playing on the RAYS I just don't see the Twins rolling into Tampa Bay and earning a sweep over the Rays and I think Tampa Bay gets the win today. 
Rays lefty Drew Smyly has been pretty steady in his limited action this season and I think he's found his rhythm after returning this month from a torn labrum. Smyly had a bumpy ride in his first start back - a 5-3 loss to the Rangers - but he was strong in his last game when he allowed just six hits and no earned runs over 5 2/3 innings. 
His first two starts back were also on the road and I think he'll be happy to be pitching in front of the home crowd tonight. 
I also like that the Rays hit much better against lefties than they do against righties (.258 vs. .239) and they face left-hander Tommy Milone tonight. 10* AL Personal Favorite

SAN DIEGO at WASHINGTON 
I am playing on WASHINGTON. The Nationals are now 6.5 games behind the Mets in the NL East and they need every win they can muster right now. I think they'll get one today and claim the series at home against San Diego. 
The Nats have won five of their last eight games and rookie starter Joe Ross has been solid with seven quality outings over his first 10 starts. He's coming off one of his best performances yet, where he gave up just one earned run over seven innings in a win over Milwaukee. 
San Diego is just 31-34 on the road this season and it will help Washington that Bryce Harper is on fire, going 11-for-27 over a seven-game hitting streak. 10* NL Personal Favorite

SAN DIEGO at WASHINGTON 
I am playing on the UNDER. This total may appear to be a little low to the average bettor but I think the over trends coming into this game have inflated the number and I feel this game will stumble below the total. 
Nationals pitcher Joe Ross has been a good friend to under bettors after the under went 4-1-1 in his last six starts. Even in the two games where he had his worst performances over that stretch, the Nats didn't help him out with any run support and those games managed to fall under. 
I feel the man calling the balls and strikes will have an influence here today also. Hunter Wendelstedt's last four games behind home plate with San Diego all went under the total and the under went 5-1-1 the last seven times he called the pitches in Nationals games. The O/U is 9-11 in his games this season and I think we'll see another lower scoring game today. 10* Blue Chip Under

BOSTON at CHICAGO WHITE SOX
I am playing on the UNDER. At first the obvious choice for bettors here might be to take the over in this game. The Red Sox have played over in three of their last four. The White Sox have played over in five straight. And the last five meetings have all played over between these clubs. 
However, I believe that has just inflated the total for today's game and I believe that factor - along with two others - are the reasons why this game will fall under tonight. The other two are that under pitcher,Jose Quintana, takes the mound for the Red Sox and umpire Mark Ripperger is calling the balls and strikes.  
The under is 11-3 in Quintana's last 14 home starts vs. a team with a losing record and is 25-10-1 in Quintana's last 36 home starts. The under is also 12-7 in Ripperger's games behind the plate this season and he has a high strike percentage of 65.6. 
For those reasons, I see this contest falling below the total today. 10* Blue Chip

MILWAUKEE at CLEVELAND 
I am playing on CLEVELAND. I like the Indians in this spot as they return home following an 11-game road trip and face a weaker NL opponent. 
The Indians are 10-8 in interleague games this year and I think this is just the kind of matchup they need after losing a 2-1 heartbreaker to the Cubs yesterday afternoon on a walk-off homer. 
Cleveland played some great baseball at the tail end of its road trip, winning three of four over the Yankees in a tough weekend series. The Indians beat New York with their bats and their arms when they needed to and I think it should be a confidence booster heading into this short series with the Brewers. 
Josh Tomlin takes the mound for Cleveland and he's been strong since his return from shoulder surgery. He's allowed just three runs in 13 1/3 innings with a dazzling 0.68 WHIP. I feel he's worth the chalk today and I see the Indians getting the win. 10* Personal Favorite

MINNESOTA at TAMPA BAY 
I am playing on TAMPA BAY. The Rays enter this contest against the Twins on a four-game home winning streak and I like that trend to continue tonight. 
Minnesota has won four in a row itself but I feel Tampa Bay has the big edge on the mound with Ervin Santana taking the hill for the Twins. Santana has a massive 9.56 ERA over his last three starts the the Twins haven't won any of his last five starts.
Rays rookie Nathan Karns is coming off a great start where he went six strong innings and struck out eight batters while giving up just one earned run against Houston, but the Rays couldn't get the win for him. 
Every trend seems to be pointing to Tampa Bay here also, including the fact the TWins are 9-23 in the last 32 meetings and they are 8-20 in their last 28 as an underdog. 10* AL Personal Favorite

CHICAGO WHITE SOX at SEATTLE 
I am playing on SEATTLE. The White Sox may be on a three-game winning streak but they've been doing it with their bats and I don't see that happening today. 
Chicago scored 25 runs over the three wins but I think the Mariners' Taijuan Walker will put an end to that. Walker has had five straight quality starts where he's gone at least six innings every game and allowed no more than three runs each time. 
That's a little different than Chicago's John Danks, who can be spotty, and is coming off a 5-3 loss to the Angels where he gave up two home runs and all five runs over seven innings. 
I just don't see the M's getting swept at home by a mediocre White Sox club and I am taking Seattle to get the win today. 10* AL Personal Favorite

ST. LOUIS at SAN DIEGO 
I am playing on ST. LOUIS. The Padres enter today's game on a five-game winning streak but there might not be a better pitcher to end that than the Cards' Michael Wacha. 
Wacha is looking to tie the major league lead in wins today and he's been especially lights out on the road. The Cards are 10-2 in games he's started as the visitor this season and he also loves day starts, during which he has a 2.08 ERA. 
The righty also happens to be showing his best stuff of the season lately. The Cards have won his last four starts and he's given up a combined three earned runs in those games over a total of 27 innings. 
Wacha isn't the pitcher you want to be seeing right now if you're trying to keep a winning streak going - or trying to sweep the team with the best record in the majors - and I think the Cards get the win today. 10* NL Personal Favorite

LOS ANGELES DODGERS at HOUSTON  I am playing on the DODGERS. When the major league ERA leader is seeing a price this low, I'll happily back him and I like Zack Greinke to get the victory tonight.  The Dodgers enter this game on a three-game losing streak and a great pitching performance is just what they need to snap them out of it.  L.A. has won eight of Greinke's last nine starts and there have been some impressive performances in there including six games out of his last 10 where he didn't allow an earned run.  On the other side, Houston has lost Scott Kazmir's last three starts and oddly the Astros are 1-10 in their last 11 Saturday games. 10* SUPER PLAY

MILWAUKEE at WASHINGTON 
I am playing on WASHINGTON. The Nationals began a crucial 9-game home stand last night that is the beginning of a vital stretch that will likely help determine if they make the playoffs. 
Washington didn't start off quite the way it hoped with a 10-3 loss but I expect the Nats to bounce back today against a mediocre team with home field advantage over the Brewers. 
I think the Nats will come up big for starter Joe Ross, whom they've left out to dry in their last two games with a combined zero runs of support for him in those efforts. The Nationals beat the Brewers 7-2 in Ross's only start against Milwaukee back in June, when Ross when eight strong innings and picked up the win. 
I believe we'll see another similar result here tonight and I'm backing the Nats. 10* NL Personal Favorite

CLEVELAND at NEW YORK YANKEES 
I am playing on the YANKEES. New York opened this home series with a loss to the Indians Thursday night and I don't see them losing two in a row here. 
The Yankees are cruising and have won seven of their last nine games, not to mention seven of the last nine starts for tonight's hurler, Masahiro Tanaka. Tanaka is seeing a decent price here tonight because the Indians start Carlos Corrasco, who is in solid form. However, the Yankees have dominated Cleveland at home to the tune of a 15-37 record in recent years and I expect them to even up this series tonight. 
Tanaka is coming off a complete-game win over the power-hitting Blue Jays and he's only given up more than three runs in one of his last eight starts. That's bad news for a Cleveland team that has supported Carrasco with an average of just 2.67 runs over his last three starts. 10* Personal Favorite

I’m playing on the Baltimore Orioles as my 10* American League Personal Favorite.

The Orioles are throwing their hat in the ring for the AL playoff push, winning five of their last six games heading into Thursday’s series opener with the Minnesota Twins. Baltimore is coming off a 5-4 win versus the Mets and crushing the ball during this winning run, averaging seven runs per contest in that span. The Orioles look to ride this momentum into the weekend, handing the ball to starter Miguel Gonzalez to the bump for Game 1. The righty was solid in his last effort, lasting seven innings and allowing three runs on six hits. Minnesota counters with Triple-A callup Tyler Duffey. He’s making just his third career major league start and has struggled with his command, issuing seven walks in his eight innings of action. The Orioles’ hot bats will make Duffey pay for those additional base runners Thursday.

I’m playing on Baltimore as my 10* AL Personal Favorite Thursday.

I’m playing on the Miami Marlins as my 10* National League Personal Favorite.

 The Miami Marlins welcome the Philadelphia Phillies to South Beach for a four-game set starting Thursday. The Phillies are ripe for a letdown after stunning the Toronto Blue Jays Wednesday night and watching the club trade away longtime second baseman Chase Utley to the Dodgers. Philadelphia goes with right hander Jerome Williams on the hill for Game 1. He’s looked sharper in recent games but owns a 6.47 ERA on the road and the Phillies have won just two of their last 11 road games with Williams on the mound. Miami had a three-game winning streak snapped last time out but has won three of its last four, including a series victory over Milwaukee. The Marlins go with Brad Hand for Thursday’s game. He’s been up and down, pitching well to open August but coming off a rough outing in his last appearances. Hand has a 2.45 ERA in Miami compared to a 7.28 ERA away from home, so we expect a return to form for him Thursday.

I’m playing on Miami as my 10* NL Personal Favorite Thursday.

I’m playing on the Cleveland Indians as my 10* Personal Favorite.

Cleveland takes on the Boston Red Sox in a rubber match Wednesday after the two clubs traded one-sided wins in the first two games of the series. The Indians opened with an 8-2 victory Monday and fell 9-1 Tuesday night. The Tribe look to secure the series with ace Corey Kluber toeing the rubber in Game 3, coming off back-to-back complete game efforts. The Cy Young winner has allowed just two earned runs on four total hits through that 18-inning span, striking out 17 batters and walking just two. Cleveland has gone 4-1 in its last five contests as a favorite with Kluber on the hill. Boston looks to right hander Joe Kelly for Wednesday’s game. He’s looked sharper in recent efforts but boasts a hefty 5.74 ERA inside Fenway Park.

I’m playing on Cleveland as my 10* Personal Favorite Wednesday.

I’m playing on the Seattle Mariners as my 10* American League Personal Favorite.

Seattle was mowed over by the Rangers’ red-hot winning streak Monday, losing 4-3 in Arlington. The Mariners gave up the winning run in the bottom of the ninth on a bases-loaded walk, so there’s a bad taste in their mouths entering Game 2. The M’s go with Hisashi Iwakuma on the hill for Tuesday’s contest. The right hander is coming off a no-hitter against the Orioles and is 4-1 with a 2.47 ERA over his last seven games. He’s done well against the Rangers for his career, boasting an all-time 7-3 record and 3.50 ERA in 13 starts against Texas. The Rangers hand the ball to Chi Chi Gonzalez, who was roughed up for five runs on five hits through just 5 2-3 innings versus the Twins last Thursday. The right hander makes just his second start since early July and has a 6.03 ERA and 0-4 record in his last six big-league starts.

I’m playing on Seattle as my 10* AL Personal Favorite Tuesday.

I’m playing on the Under in Seattle Mariners at Texas Rangers as my 10* Blue Chip.

Seattle has gone Over the total in three straight games, with 66 total runs scored in that stretch – an average of 22 runs per game. This flood of scoring isn’t normal for the M’s, who have leaned toward the Under all season. We like the value with the Under Monday as the Mariners come to Arlington to face the Rangers and new ace Cole Hamels. The former Phillies pitcher is still looking for his first win with Texas and is coming off extra rest due to a sore groin muscle. This is his second straight start against Seattle, after getting roughed up for four runs on eight hits – three solo home runs – on August 7. We expect a much better performance in this second go-around versus Seattle at home. The Mariners counter with Taijuan Walker in Game 1 of this series. The right hander has overcome a poor start to 2015 and owns an impressive 7-2 record and 3.33 ERA in his last 14 appearances. These clubs have stayed below to the total in five straight meetings in Arlington.

I’m playing on the Under in Seattle at Texas as my 10* Blue Chip Monday.

I’m playing on the Cleveland Indians as my 10* American League Personal Favorite.

Cleveland is licking its wounds after losing the finale two games of a weekend set to the rival Minnesota Twins, with a pair of 4-1 loss Saturday and Sunday. The Indians continue their current road trip, heading to Fenway Park to face the Boston Red Sox – a homecoming for former Boston skip and current Cleveland manager Terry Francona. The Tribe have won five of their last seven head-to-head meetings with the Red Sox and look to keep that dominance rolling with Danny Salazar on the hill. The right hander has been superb in recent efforts, with a slim 1.48 ERA and limiting opponents to a .144 BA over his last 42 2-3 innings of work. Boston goes with Triple-A callup Matt Barnes for Monday’s contest. He’s replacing Steven Wright in the rotation and boasted a hefty 5.64 ERA as a reliever with the big club this season.

I’m playing on Cleveland as my 10* AL Personal Favorite Monday.

I’m playing on the Chicago White Sox as my 10* Game of the Month.

The Southsiders host the crosstown Cubs in this Windy City War Sunday. The Chicago White Sox were edged 6-5 in Game 1 of this series Friday and fell 6-3 on Saturday. The White Sox try to save face in front of the home faithful, and send left hander Chris Sale to the bump for the finale. Sale looked sharp in his recent effort, going toe-to-toe with the Angels’ All-Stars, allowing just two runs on five hits through 7 1-3 innings, including seven strikeouts and just two walks. Sale has dominated National League foes, with Chicago winning seven straight interleague contests with the southpaw on the mound. The Cubs counter with righty Dan Haren, who has had trouble going deep into his starts. He’s failed to go past the sixth inning in nine straight starts and has had problems on the road all season. Haren owns a 4.05 ERA in eight career starts against the ChiSox.

I’m playing on the Chicago White Sox as my 10* Game of the Month Sunday.

DETROIT at HOUSTON 
I am playing on HOUSTON. With the Tigers' playoff hopes abandoned and Houston fighting for top spot in the AL West, this game is a mismatch of wills right off the get-go. 
The Tigers are stumbling and listless and have now lost five of their last seven games and their bats went to sleep in all five losses with two runs or fewer in each one. Houston, on the other hand has snapped out of a four-game losing funk with two straight wins and I think the Astros will get their fourth straight win over Detroit this year. 
Justin Verlander isn't the arm we've seen in the past and he'll take the hill for Detroit. The Tigers have won just one of his 10 starts this seaso and I don't anticipate him getting his second win of the year today with cold bats and lifeless team supporting him. 10* Personal Favorite