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All Sports Archive
Date	Match Up	Rating	Score	Result	Profit	Lead Time	Analysis
09-27-17	Braves -101 v. Mets	Top	1-7	Loss	-101	16 h 10 m	Show
Given all the Mets injuries, the Braves are the better team. Atlanta also has the better pitcher going and superior closer. Lefty Sean Newcomb is pitching much better than when he came up, having cut down his walk ratio. Atlanta is 5-2 in his last seven starts. Newcomb has given up three runs or fewer during his last four starts. Newcomb just beat the Mets at home, 3-2, 11 days ago as a $1.20 favorite. He went 5 1/3 innings and had eight strikeouts with only one walk. The price is cheaper here. New York is 3-13 the past 16 times facing a southpaw starter. The Mets also are 3-7 in Robert Gsellman's last 10 starts. Gsellman has regressed horribly this season after a promising 2016. He has a a 5.38 ERA and has pitched only marginally better since returning from a hamstring injury suffered in June. The Mets could be without their two late-inning pitchers. A.J. Ramos is hurt and Jeurys Familia has pitched four of the last five days, including the past two going an inning on Monday and an inning on Tuesday. Braves closer Arodys Vizcaino, who is better than Familia, is well rested.
09-27-17	Mariners v. A's -115		5-6	Win	100	13 h 1 m	Show
The A's and Kendall Graveman are below the radar. Oakland has won 14 of its last 19 games. The A's are getting strong offensive support and their bullpen has come around. Graveman has been doing his part. Graveman is 2-0 with a 1.20 ERA in his last three starts. He's been very strong at home with a 5-0 mark and 2.79 ERA. He's also been good in day games with a 2-0 record and 3.20 ERA. Let's contrast this with Seattle starter Erasmo Ramirez, who is 1-6 with a 6.09 ERA on the road. His record during the day is 2-4 with a 5.08 ERA. The Mariners have lost 17 of 21 times that Ramirez has pitched against a division foe. The Mariners are out of playoff contention, playing the string out. They are 3-8 in their last 11 games, scoring three runs or less in six of those games.
09-26-17	Twins v. Indians OVER 9.5	Top	8-6	Win	100	11 h 27 m	Show
Both the Twins and Indians average slightly better than five runs scored per game, each ranking in the top-six in this most important category. The pitching matchup is Bartolo Colon versus Josh Tomlin in a battle of fifth-starter types. I see no reason why these two teams shouldn't match at least their season figure in runs scored especially given this starting pitching matchup. Colon is 44 - and showing his age. He's completely worn down posting a 9.17 ERA in his four September starts. He was pounded for six runs in 3 1/3 innings against the Yankees in his last start this past Wednesday. Colon really shouldn't be in the majors anymore. He was 2-8 with a hideous 8.14 ERA in 13 starts with the Braves before going to the Twins. He's posted a losing record with the Twins with a 5.33 ERA. The Indians are sacrificing some defense to get Jason Kipnis' bat in the lineup. The second baseman is now playing center field. Tomlin has a 4.98 ERA. He doesn't pitch deep into games. The Twins have a good history against him. Tomlin has a losing record versus Minnesota with a 5.21 ERA in 17 appearances. The Twins are swinging very hot bats scoring 39 runs in their last four games.
09-25-17	Mariners v. A's +107	Top	7-1	Loss	-100	15 h 35 m	Show
The A's youth movement has been paying off. Playing without any pressure, Oakland has won seven in a row and 14 of its last 17 games. Only twice in their last nine games, have the A's surrendered more than three runs. While morale is up with the A's the opposite is the case with Seattle. The Mariners were eliminated from playoff contention on Sunday after losing to the Indians at home. Seattle is 1-8 in its last nine games and could be resting regulars with its season finished. The Mariners aren't likely to have injured shortstop Jean Segura. Speedy outfielder Jarrod Dyson already is out for the season. Without thow two, the Mariners have no running game. The pitching matchup pits Felix Hernandez against Daniel Gossett. King Felix is on a downward slope. Bothered by shoulder problems, he's only 5-5 with a 4.57 ERA this year. Clearly, he's not the same pitcher. The rookie Gossett has made 16 big league starts this season. He has a 5.38 ERA, but has been pitching better giving up three runs or fewer in each of his last four starts.
09-25-17	Angels v. White Sox +140		2-4	Win	140	13 h 41 m	Show
It's the Angels who are chasing playoff hopes. But it's the White Sox who are playing better winning nine of their last 15 games. The Angels just ended a six-game losing streak by beating the Astros. That victory came in the Sunday night game in Houston. So the Angels are traveling after playing at night, a bad situational spot. The White Sox are playing loose but playing hard. They have youngsters in their lineup, but these youthful players are highly talented. Chicago just took two of three from the Royals, who also held playoff aspirations. The Angels are in must-win mode, which can lead to tightness. The pitching matchup is Ricky Nolasco versus James Shields. That's bad versus bad so why not take a plus price in a battle of journeymen? Nolasco hasn't won in his last six starts. He is 1-4 with a 6.00 ERA in eight lifetime starts against the White Sox. Shields was one of the worst pitchers in baseball earlier in the season. But he's made some adjustments that have brought his ERA down. He does have a solid history versus the Angels with a 6-4 lifetime mark and 3.13 ERA in 14 startts.
09-25-17	Nationals +122 v. Phillies		3-1	Win	122	11 h 28 m	Show
Even though the Nationals have nothing to play for, I still like them in an underdog role against the Phillies. Washington has won seven of its last nine road games. The Nationals have had great success in Philadelphia winning 17 of the past 22 times there. The Nationals have excellent depth. The Phillies have been playing a lot of youth. So I'm fine if the Nationals choose to sit out a couple of regulars. There's a strong possibility Bryce Harper returns to Washington's lineup today. Harper was batting .326 with 29 homers and 87 RBI's when he was injured on Aug. 12. He hasn't played since. There will be a buzz, if not outright spark for Washington, if Harper does play. Nationals starter A.J. Cole has been pitching better with a 2.70 ERA in his last three starts. The right-hander beat the Phillies at Citizens Band Park back in May holding the Phillies to one run in six innings. The Phillies have lost 69 percent of their last 96 games against righy starters. Aaron Nola gets the call for the Phillies. He's had more difficulty against the Nationals than any other team with a 1-3 career record and 4.69 ERA.
09-24-17	Chiefs v. Chargers OVER 45.5		24-10	Loss	-110	122 h 58 m	Show
The Chiefs are explosive with Kareem Hunt and Tyreek Hill. Alex Smith is much more aggressive with his downfield passing this year. Travis Kelce is a top-three tight end. It is plain wrong thinking to believe the Chiefs are a conservative team nowadays. The Chiefs are going to get their share of points against a Chargers defense that is likely to still be without stud cornerback Jason Verrett. The Chargers are almost always good for their share of points with Philip Rivers under center. Rivers has his full complement of receiving targets plus a top-10 running back in Melvin Gordon. Rivers' job is made easier with star safety Eric Berry out for the Chiefs. That's a huge plus for Chargers tight ends Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry.
09-24-17	Bengals +8 v. Packers		24-27	Win	100	32 h 52 m	Show
Aside from Aaron Rodgers, the Packers' two most important players are defensive lineman Mike Daniels and offensive left tackle David Bakhtiari. Neither is expected to play against the Bengals. The Packers may have offensive right tackle Byran Bulaga and wide receiver Jordy Nelson - stressing the maybe - but the Packers are going to be without star pass rusher Nick Perry, probably linebacker Jake Ryan and wide receiver Randall Cobb. The Packers also have several injuries in their secondary. So Green Bay is far from 100 percent. The Bengals are a desperate 0-2 team. The Bengals have been a major disappointment offensively, but their defense is solid. Cincinnati had made the playoffs five straight seasons until last year. Only one of their last six defeats have been by more than five points. Cincinnati has too much skill position talent for its offense to stay this bad. The Bengals' work-in-progress offensive line catches a huge break with Daniels not likely to play. A change in offensive coordinators from Ken Zampese to Bill Lazor could spur immediate improvement while boosting sagging team morale. A.J. Green is the best receiver on the field. Lazor will make sure Green and promising rookie running back Joe Mixon are big parts of the offense. The Bengals have had extra time to rest and prepare having last played in the Thursday game last week. The Bengals have been a jinx team to Mike McCarthy and Rodgers as they've never beaten them.
09-24-17	Seahawks +3 v. Titans		27-33	Loss	-110	133 h 57 m	Show
The Seahawks are struggling to put up touchdowns through two games. The Titans very well could be the best team in the AFC South Division. They have a lot of young talent. But the Titans lack the pedigree and experience to beat an elite team. I see the Seahawks, with their defense dominant as ever, hanging around to get the victory. The Seahawks know how to win. Tennessee isn't at that stage yet. The Seahawks should have had two additional touchdowns against the 49ers last week, but C.J. Prossie and Tanner McEvoy each couldn't hold on to touchdown passes that were on the money. Russell Wilson is better than ever and the Seahawks may have found their most effective running back with Chris Carson rushing for 93 yards on 20 carries against the 49ers. Thomas Rawls should also be more effective in his second game since returning from a high ankle sprain. The Titans could be without their lead running back, DeMarco Murray, and good-looking rookie wide receiver, Corey Davis. Both are dealing with hamstring injuries.
09-24-17	Browns v. Colts +1		28-31	Win	100	130 h 54 m	Show
The Colts are home, have the better skill position players and I like their quarterback better. The Browns have lost their last 14 road games. Rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer has been sacked 10 times and picked off four times in six quarters. He'll be without his top receiver, injured Corey Coleman. The Colts acquired second-year quarterback Jacoby Brissett from the Patriots on Sept. 2. Brissett had only seven practices before starting this past Sunday against the Cardinals. He nearly led the Colts to an upset win against the Cardinals with Indy losing in overtime. Brissett has excellent mobility and a big arm. He helped lead the Patriots to an easy win against the Texans, a much stronger defensive team than the Browns, last season. The Colts have more skill position weapons for Brissett than the Browns do for Kizer, including elite wideout T.Y. Hilton. The Browns will be without Myles Garrett and possibly star linebacker Jamie Collins, who is in the league's concussiohn protocol.
09-24-17	Giants +6.5 v. Eagles		24-27	Win	100	28 h 26 m	Show
It's a mistake to underestimate the Giants even though they are 0-2 and coming off a dreadful Monday night home loss to the Eagles. Clearly, the Giants have problems offensively. Eli Manning is past his prime and is behind a terrible offensive line without a good running back. But the Giants have an upper tier defense. The Giants didn't win 11 games by fluke last season. They are in desperation mode at 0-2 and are a nice value play here as previous to Monday night they were in the plus 3 1/2 range in early-look ahead lines. Odell Beckham Jr. is the healthiest he's been all season. The Giants' pass-first offense is going against a weak Eagles secondary made weaker by an injury to their best cornerback, Ronald Darby. Beckham should have a big game against Eagles cornerbacks Jalen Mills and Rasul Douglas. This is a perfect example of an inflated line due to an overreaction of the Monday night game.
09-24-17	Ravens v. Jaguars +4	Top	7-44	Win	100	127 h 44 m	Show
Forget perception. These two teams aren't that far apart. Baltimore hasn't made the playoffs the past two seasons. The Ravens have a below average offense made worse by several key injuries. The Jaguars are better coached now and an ascending team with plenty of defensive talent. There's also another major factor here: This game is at Wembley Stadium in London. Jacksonville is trying to establish London as a second home base. The Jaguars have played the last five years in London, winning the past two times. Baltimore has never played an overseas game. Anyone who has flown overseas can tell you how much a physical toll the time difference makes. There's also a mental focus. The Ravens are riding high at 2-0 and have arch-rival Pittsburgh on deck next week. This is a flat spot for them. The Jaguars, on the other hand, are in a foul mood after laying an egg at home against the Titans this past Sunday. The Jaguars know they can play well against this opponent having defeated the Ravens on the road in 2015. They nearly beat the Ravens in Baltimore last season losing 19-17 on a 54-yard field goal with 1:04 left. Blake Bortles is more game manager these days with heavy duty rookie Leonard Fournette to keep defenses honest. Joe Flacco isn't 100 percent after missing August recovering from a herniated disc in his back. He's alerady lost his most reliable running back, Danny Woodhead, and top offensive lineman, Pro Bowl guard Marshal Yanda, to injuries.
09-23-17	Washington v. Colorado OVER 50		37-10	Loss	-110	59 h 25 m	Show
Given how well these teams have been throwing and scoring, this total is short. Washington's Jake Browning is one of the top quarterbacks in college football. The Huskies rank 25th in passing offense and 11th in scoring averaging 47 points. The Huskies' ground attack is better than it has shown so far, too. Washingotn has a dangerous return game, also. Colorado is averaging 31.7 points a game and rates 27th in the country in passing offense. The Buffaloes' running attack is better than it has shown, too. The total is low because both defenses have been strong in the ealry going. I attribute this more to the competition they've played. Colorado's defense is stepping way up after opening against Colorado State, Texas State and Northern Colorado.
09-23-17	Auburn v. Missouri UNDER 60.5		51-14	Loss	-110	31 h 48 m	Show
It's become obvious that Missouri is way down. The Tigers have faced two Division I teams and been clobbered 31-13 by South Carolina and 35-3 by Purdue. Both of those were home losses. Now the Tigers host Auburn. Auburn is the only team in the country ranking in the top 12 in total defense, scoring defense and passing defense. Auburn gives up the fewest yards per play of any team in the nation. If Missouri can only score three points and gain 203 yards against Purdue, how are the Tigers going to fare versus maybe the top defense in the country? Missouri has been playing at a slower pace this season. The Tigers definitely won't try to speed up the game versus Auburn. Missouri QB Drew Lock has a 1-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio in his last two games. Auburn has been playing at a slower tempo, too. The Tigers also are more ground-oriented so they're likely to stay on the ground sitting on a big lead thus keeping the clock moving.
09-23-17	Nationals -180 v. Mets		4-3	Win	100	9 h 34 m	Show
If these were normal circumstanes, I would never lay anywhere close to this price in a pitching matchup of Stephen Strasburg versus Noah Syndergaard. But they are not. Syndergaard is making his first appearance since April 30. He's only going to pitch one inning. Then Matt Harvey will take over. Harvey is trying to overcome his own injury woes. Since returning from the DL, Harvey has a 13.19 ERA in four starts. The Mets are letting Harvey pitch through his trouble. This sets up the Nationals offense, which ranks No. 3 in runs and batting average. Strasburg has been dominant giving up only three runs in his last six starts spanning 41 innings. He has a 2.33 ERA in three starts versus the Mets this season. The Nationals are 21-5 in Strasburg's last 26 road starts. Washington should have incentive, too, after blowing a five-run lead in a 7-6 loss Friday in the series opener.
09-23-17	Royals -175 v. White Sox		8-2	Win	100	9 h 33 m	Show
The Royals are in must-win mode trailing the Twins by 4 1/2 games for the final wild-card slot in the AL. Kansas City catches a nice break here drawing White Sox pitcher Dylan Covey. There may not be a worst starting pitcher in the majors than Covey. Bad starters usually get yanked out of the rotation very soon. Not Covey. He's part of the White Sox rebuild, youth movement. So he keeps taking his turn in the rotation and the White Sox keep losing whenever he pitches. Covey has yet to win in 10 big league starts and 17 appearances. His ERA on the season is 8.18. Covery has surrendered 18 homers and 31 walks in 58 1/3 innings. Covey is 0-2 versus the Royals with a 6.61 ERA. Danny Duffy gets the call for the Royals. Duffy was pitching well until going on the DL with a knee injury. He returned this past Sunday and held the red-hot Indians to one earned run on one hit with eight strikeouts in five innings. Duffy was limited to 65 pitches in that start. He'll go longer here.
09-23-17	Florida Atlantic v. Buffalo UNDER 63		31-34	Loss	-110	54 h 43 m	Show
The oddsmaker hasn't fully caught up to the fact that Buffalo's defense is much improved now in Lance Leipold's third season. That was evident in the Bulls' opener, a 17-7 road loss to Minnesota and it has stayed that way. The Bulls have yielded just 48 points in three games playing the Gophers, Army and Colgate. They own the fourth-stingiest pass defense in the country. Buffalo, though, is averaging only 19 points a game. Florida Atlantic could mange just a combined 33 points versus Wisconsin and Navy. The Owls did blow out Bethune Cookman, 45-0, in their last game. Both teams are better defensively than offensively and are stepping up after facing easier competition last week.
09-23-17	Rutgers v. Nebraska -13.5	Top	17-27	Loss	-110	97 h 51 m	Show
Before Mike Riley perhaps slinks back off to Oregon State, his Cornhusker should stop-the-pain given their home field advantage and lowly opponent, Rutgers. Nebraska is coming off back-to-back non-league losses to Oregon and a double-digit home upset loss to Northern Illinois. The last time the Cornhuskers lost two in a row non-conference games was 1957. Riley and Nebraska are under extreme pressure to perform better. Fortunately the Cornhuskers draw Big Ten patsy Rutgers. The last time the Scarlet Knights won a Big Ten game was 2015. Rutgers has lost 14 consecutive Big Ten contests. The Cornhuskers have underachieved all season. But they certainly have the talent to bury Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights are in a different frame of mind after snapping a nation-long 11-game loss streak with a victory against Morgan State.
09-23-17	Central Florida v. Maryland OVER 60.5		38-10	Loss	-110	27 h 4 m	Show
I'm going against early marketplace activity that has bet this total too low. Maryland scored 51 points against Texas and averages 57 points. Central Floirida buried Florida International, 61-17 in its opener and hasn't played since because of Hurricane Irma. Maryland was idle last week. So both of these teams enter this matchup extremely fresh and with ample time to game plan. This favors their offenses. Central Florida plays at a fast-pace. Knights quarterback McKenzie Milton threw for 360 yards and four touchowns against Florida International connecting with 13 different receivers. Maryland has one of the weakest pass defenses in the country surrendering more than 292 yards per game through the air. The Terrapins also have allowed their foes to convert on 50 percent of their third-down conversions. The Terrapins have outstanding running back depth, though. They rank eighth in the country averaging 315 yards on the ground. QB Kasim Hill has a high upside and has been efficient operating Maryland's offense. Hill should be in line for a big performance Central Florida's has a huge question mark at middle linebacker and a vulnerable secondary that has yet to be tested.
09-23-17	Old Dominion v. Virginia Tech OVER 52.5		0-38	Loss	-110	50 h 54 m	Show
Virginia Tech can cover this total alone. The Hokies are averaging 40.7 points per game. Freshman quarterback Josh Jackson has emerged as a star as he's 55-for-85 passing for 829 yards with a TD-to-Interception ratio of 8-to-0. Senior wide receiver Cam Phillips is having a monster season with five touchdown receptions while averaging 15.4 yards on 27 catches. Old Dominion, which is giving up nearly 26 points per game and who just surrendered 53 points to North Carolina, isn't going to be able to keep Jackson and Phillips in check. The Monarchs did get a spark in their 53-23 loss to North Carolina from freshman quarterback Steven Williams. He'll get the start here and catches a break with Virginia Tech star cornerback Adonis Alexander suspended. The over is 14-5-1 in the Monarch's last 20 road games while the over is 11-3-1 in the Hokies' past 15 non-conference matchups.
09-22-17	Marlins v. Diamondbacks -1.5	Top	11-13	Win	100	10 h 14 m	Show
The Marlins face a double whammy here going against a dominant Zack Greinke on the road and pitching Adam Conley. The Diamondbacks have been absolutely dominant when Greinke takes on sub .500 teams winning 22 of the last 26 times. Arizona is 13-1 the past 14 times Greinke has pitched against opponents with a losing record at Chase Field. Greinke has a 1.56 ERA in his last five stats. Lifetime versus the Marlins, Greinke is 5-0 with a 2.75 ERA. Greinke has a 1.23 ERA this month and has held opposing hitters to a below .200 average at home this season. Conley has stuggled most of the season and is in bad form with a 5.96 ERA in his last five starts. He's allowed seven homers in his past four starts. That bodes bad for him at hitter-friendly Chase Field against a powerful Diamondbacks lineup featuring Paul Goldschmidt, A.J. Pollock and J.D. Martinez.
09-21-17	Rockies -125 v. Padres		0-3	Loss	-125	13 h 44 m	Show
I see Tyler Anderson getting the job done for the Rockies against the weak hitting Padres. Anderson was dominant against San Diego this past Saturday giving up only two hits and two walks in six innings during a 16-0 romp. Since returning from the DL 11 days ago, Anderson is 2-0 and hasn't allowed a run in 10 innings. He carries a 0.73 lifetime ERA versus the Padres, too, in two starts. The Padres are going with Clayton Richard, who has a 9.98 ERA in three starts versus Colorado this season. Lifetime, Richard has a 5.60 ERA against the Rockies in 18 appearances, including 17 starts. The Rockies are the much stronger team and have playoff motivation. Given their pitching edge here, this is a short price to lay.
09-21-17	Rams v. 49ers OVER 39.5	Top	41-39	Win	100	29 h 12 m	Show
Guru quarterback coach Sean McVay is making an early difference as head coach of the Rams. The Rams joke offense of the Jeff Fisher era is gone. LA is much improved offensively ranking fourth in points and 10th in yards. Jared Goff has a 103.2 pass rating while averaging 9.8 yards per attempt. Last year's figures were a 63.6 QB rating and 5.3 yards per attempt. Goff's huge improvement has made Todd Gurley relavent again. Gurley is back to being the elite runner he was two years ago during his rookie season. The 49ers were a disaster both offensively and defensively last year. Their defense has improved, but it's still bad made worse by injuries to key defenders safety Eric Reid and linebacker Reuben Foster. San Francisco has looked dreadful offensively. Two major reasons for this is an adjustment period learning new coach Kyle Shanahan's offense and the schedule. The 49ers opened up against Carolina and Seattle. Now they drop down to the Rams defense. The 49ers aren't going to remind anyone of the Patriots, but their skill position level isn't as bad as it has showed so far. The 49ers offense should be better, especially here at home having had a couple of games to work the kinks out and dropping down in class. Brian Hoyer has had success before operating Shanhan's offense and he has a respectable runner in Carlos Hyde and wide receiver in Pierre Garcon.
09-20-17	Cardinals -157 v. Reds	Top	9-2	Win	100	12 h 57 m	Show
He's far from a household name, but Luke Weaver may be the hottest pitcher in baseball. The Cardinals right-hander is 5-0 with a 1.15 ERA during his last five starts. The Cardinals have won these five games by a combined margin of 22 runs. The Cardinals are in must-win mode trailing Colorado by 3 1/2 games for the second NL wild-card spot. The Cardinals have gotten healthy, too, with power-hitting middle infielder Jedd Gyorko back on the field. Matt Carpenter should be in the lineup, too, after getting a day off on Tuesday. The Reds are in rebuild mode pitching different rookies nearly every game. Today the Reds are going with one of their lesser arms, Rookie Davis. And, yes, Rookie is rookie. He's 1-2 with a 7.58 ERA in five big league starts.
09-19-17	Red Sox v. Orioles UNDER 8.5	Top	1-0	Win	100	10 h 8 m	Show
Forget last night's 10-8 slugfest. There aren't going to be a combined nine runs scored in this one with a pitching matchup of Drew Pomeranz versus Kevin Gausman and the wind blowing in. Pomeranz has been one of the hottest pitchers during the second half of the season going 7-1 with a 2.86 ERA in his past 12 starts. Pomeranz has been tough on Baltimore, too, this year going 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA in three starts. Gausman is in excellent form, too. He's held seven of his last 11 opponents to one or no earned runs. The Red Sox have faced Gausman three times this year and are batting .226 against him. Boston is likely to be minus injured Dustin Pedroia and Hanley Ramirez.
09-18-17	Lions v. Giants OVER 42	Top	24-10	Loss	-110	17 h 7 m	Show
The Giants offense looked terrible in their opening week 19-3 loss to the Cowboys. But this total is too low even if Odell Beckham Jr. misses a second straight game. It's an overreaction to how bad the Giants offense played against Dallas. Before the rules heavily favoring offense, particularly passing, were instituted this total would be the equivalent of an over/under in the 30's. It's too low. Both the Lions and Giants are passing teams. The Lions defense is well below average. Detroit's defense set a modern-day record for highest completion percentage allowed last year along with finishing last in in opponent's average drive time. Eli Manning is at his best in a short passing offense, which is made to take advantage of Detroit's type of defense. The Giants' defense is strong, but may be without top cornerback Janoris Jenkins and leading tackler linebacker B.J. Goodson. The LIons should put up their share of points regardless if those two Giants play. Matthew Stafford has full command of Jim Bob Cooter's offense. The Lions went with a no-huddle on nearly half their plays last Sunday, the highest percentage of any team in Week 1. So the pace figures to be fast, which is a huge plus for the Over.
09-17-17	Packers v. Falcons -2.5	Top	23-34	Win	100	128 h 14 m	Show
Maybe the Packers will finish as the best team in the NFC, but right now the Packers defense isn't ready for Atlanta. Green Bay's defense showed improvement in Week 1. That was at home, though, against Seattle, which has one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. Now the Packers go on turf to take on the Falcons playing their first regular-season game in their new $1.5 billion dollar stadium. The last time these two teams got together was in the NFC championship game, also in Atlanta. The final was Atlanta 44, Green Bay 21. The score wasn't even that close. The Falcons bolted to a 31-0 lead and coasted. The Falcons also beat the Packers during the regular season in Atlanta last year. Matt Ryan threw for a combined 680 yards in those two contests versus the Packers, while accounting for eight touchdowns. Ryan has his main weapons back. The Packers' young and inexperienced secondary isn't nearly ready for this kind of early road test. Look for Julio Jones to have a monster game. Defensive guru Dan Quinn has Atlanta's defense on the upswing. Aaron Rodgers isn't going to be able to keep up with Ryan. The Packers' offensive line isn't as good as it was last season. They are going to have a great degree of difficult playing in this setting especially if star right tackle Bryan Bulaga remains out with an ankle injury.
09-17-17	49ers v. Seahawks -13.5		9-12	Loss	-110	123 h 8 m	Show
The Seahawks have dominated the 49ers at home winning the past six times. They've beaten San Francisco by 19 and 16 points, respectively, the past two years. Seattle has the top defense in the NFL. All of the Seahawks' defensive studs are back and run-stuffer Sheldon Richardson has been added. The 49ers' work-in-progress offense isn't ready for this caliber of defense, especially in the toughest outdoor road venue. San Francisco could only manage three points and 217 yards of offense at home against Carolina this past Sunday. Russell Wilson has the best set of receivers he's ever had. Wilson is primed for a huge year. The 49ers defense took a huge loss when promising rookie linebacker Reuben Foster suffered a high ankle sprain this past Sunday. The Seahawks are in a foul mood after losing to the Packers opening week. They'll take their frustrations out on the hapless 49ers here.
09-17-17	Dolphins v. Chargers OVER 45.5		19-17	Loss	-110	24 h 18 m	Show
he Dolphins are much more dangerous offensively with gunslinger Jay Cutler replacing game-manager Ryan Tannehill at quarterback especially with Adam Gase, who coached Cutler to his best season in Chicago, as head coach. Cutler has an elite running back in Jay Ajayi and solid receivers with Jarvis Landry, DeVante Parker, Kenny Stills and Julius Thomas. The Dolphins catch a break, too, in that the Chargers will be without their top cornerback, injured Jason Verrett. Ajayi should be in line for a big game, too, as the Chargers' new 3-4 defense was torched for 140 yards on the ground by the Broncos' mediocre rush attack last week. The teams met last season in Southern California and the Dolphins won, 31-24. Philip Rivers didn't have his best wide receiver, Keenan Allen, for that game. Allen is healthy now. Both teams are better offensively now than they were then, but the total is much lower than the 55 points they combined for last year.
09-17-17	Pirates -108 v. Reds		2-5	Loss	-108	6 h 30 m	Show
This low price gets me involved with the Pirates here in a pitching matchup of Gerrit Cole versus Robert Stephenson. Cole isn't back to the ace status of two years ago, but he's been very solid. Cole has been especially strong on the road where his ERA is 2.90 during his past nine away starts. This includes a 1-0 win against the Reds on Aug. 26. Cole won't have to deal with the most feared basestealer in baseball as Billy Hamilton is on the DL with a broken thumb. The Reds seem to be pitching rookies every day. Today they are going with Robert Stephenson, who has a 5.45 ERA and remains a work-in-progress with control problems.
09-17-17	Titans -125 v. Jaguars		37-16	Win	100	117 h 35 m	Show
Tennessee is the superior team with a much better quarterback in a matchup of Marcus Mariota versus Blake Bortles. The line is low because the Titans lost to the Raiders at home while the Jaguars dominated the Texans opening week. The well-coached Titans defensive brain trust, headed by Dick LeBeau, is going to stack the run against the Jaguars knowing Jacksonville's simple game plan is pound it on the ground with Leonard Fournette and have Bortles be a game manager instead of a gunslinger. The Titans have a much more balanced offense with two good runners and underrated receivers. Bortles is a turnover machine and doesn't have his No. 1 wide receiver as Allen Robinson was lost for the season with a knee injury. Only twice in the last three years have the Jaguars managed to string together consecutive victories.
09-17-17	Eagles v. Chiefs OVER 47		20-27	Push	0	21 h 14 m	Show
I was impressed with the poise and escapability Carson Wentz showed last week against the Redskins. Wentz was good as a rookie last season. He should be even better this year especially with an upgrade in wide receivers. Tight end Zach Ertz is Wentz's go-to target. Those two could have another big game with safety Eric Berry lost for the season. The over has cashed in 11 of Philadelphia's last 13 road games. The Chiefs aren't going to be the conservative outfit they've been before under Alex Smith. They showed that opening week stunning the Patriots in Foxboro. The Chiefs put up 42 points and 537 yards. Those are the highest figures ever allowed by the Patriots during the 18-year Bill Belichick era. Rookie Kareem Hunt and Tyreek Hill can make big plays for the Chiefs. That was evident against the Patriots. The Eagles' weakness on defense is their secondary. This weakness has been made worse by Ronald Darby, their top cornerback, suffering an ankle injury that likely will keep him out until late October.
09-16-17	Rangers +120 v. Angels		0-2	Loss	-100	10 h 39 m	Show
Cole Hamels has a strong history against the Angels with a 4-1 record and 2.87 ERA in nine career starts. He's 2-0 with a 2.36 ERA this season against them this season. Hamels is superior to Parker Bridwell, who has fallen back to Earth where he belongs. Birdwell last won on Aug. 13. He has an 11.25 ERA in his past three starts.
09-16-17	Louisiana Tech v. Western Kentucky OVER 61		23-22	Loss	-115	81 h 21 m	Show
A little more than 10 months ago, these two teams were playing in the Conference USA title game. The total was lined at 78 1/2 and it flew Over with Western Kentucky winning, 58-44. That's a combined 102 points. Now, just into Week 3 of this season, oddsmakers are projecting these teams to barely reach more 60 points. It's a wrong calculation. Yes, Western Kentucky's offensive numbers are way down from last year. But much of that is skewed from last week's 30-7 road loss to Illinois. The Hilltoppers aren't playing a Big Ten opponent this week. They are much more in their element taking on fellow Conference USA rival, Louisiana Tech. Western Kentucky's Mike White is one of the top QB's in the conference. Look for a strong bounce back from the Hilltoppers offense facing a Bulldogs defense that ranks 120th in scoring defense allowing 40 1/2 points per game. Louisiana Tech has been strong offensively the past three years under Skip Holtz and that's the case again this season. The Bulldogs just reload on offense. They are a top-50 team in scoring averaging 35 1/2 points and should keep improving. These tems have met three times the last two years. The average point total from those three games is 96 points.
09-16-17	Idaho v. Western Michigan OVER 53.5		28-37	Win	100	36 h 12 m	Show
I have to question Idaho's defense after the Vandals surrendered 44 points and 550 yards to UNLV at home last week. Idaho has forced just one turnover this season. Western Michigan is stepping way down in class after opening with road games against USC and Michigan State. P.J. Fleck didn't leave the cupboard bare for Tim Lester as the Broncos have great running back depth and all-MAC tight end Donnie Ernsberger. Idaho should be able to trade points with its star quarterback, Matt Linehan.
09-16-17	Tulane +36 v. Oklahoma		14-56	Loss	-110	35 h 8 m	Show
Oklahoma certainly can be forgiven if it takes Tulane lightly. The Sooner, after all, are coming off a monster road win against Ohio State. Baker Mayfield is in serious Heisman Trophy contention after that game. But Tulane can cause some problems for the Sooners, enough to hang in and get this spread cover. The Green Wave should be improved after their young players took their lumps with a 4-8 record last year. The Green Wave have a decent pass rush and secondary. They also can chew up clock with their triple option running attack. This isn't an offense the Sooners are used to facing being in the wide-open, pass-crazy Big 12.
09-16-17	Pirates +109 v. Reds		1-2	Loss	-100	5 h 46 m	Show
I know the Pirates have been fade material this month, but I see this as a nice bounceback spot for them and Ivan Nova against Reds rookie Sal Romano. Nova has had a tough second half, but is a quality pitcher. The Pirates still have a number of quality hitters in their lineup, especially with Greogory Polanco back healthy. Romano has a higher ERA than Nova and has suffered two losses to the Pirates already this season. He's allowed six runs in 11 2/3 innings against Pittsburgh.
09-16-17	Purdue v. Missouri UNDER 77		35-3	Win	100	33 h 54 m	Show
Purdue is coming on offensively under Jeff Brohm and Missouri's defense remains a work-in-progress trying to get back to its form of two years when it finished 15th in the nation in total defense. But this total is too high. The Boilermakers aren't going against Lamar Jackson here. The Tigers should be fired-up defensively after getting rid if defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross. Missouri has a very good punter and a questionalbe field-goal kicker. So that's another plus for the under.
09-16-17	Virginia Tech v. East Carolina OVER 59	Top	64-17	Win	100	79 h 42 m	Show
East Carolina ranks 128th out of of 129 FBS teams in defense giving up an average of 616.5 yards in its two games. The Pirates just fired their defensive coordinator, Kenwick Thompson, after losing 56-20 to West Virginia last week. East Carolina surrendered 49 points in the first half so West Virginia called off the dogs in the second half. Virginia Tech smashed East Carolina, 54-17, at home last year. The 16th-ranked Hokies play at a fast tempo and freshman quarterback Josh Jackson is proving to be an excellent fit for their offense. Here's the thing about East Carolina. The Pirates also have a quick tempo offense. I expect the Pirates to contribute to going Over this total regardless if quarterback Thomas Sirk, who made his first start for the Pirates last week, plays or not due to a concussion he suffered last week. The Pirates figure to be throwing a lot here, which puts the pick-six for Virginia Tech very much in play. These teams shouldn't have a problem at least matching the combined 71 points scored in last year's game.
09-16-17	Air Force v. Michigan OVER 48.5		13-29	Loss	-110	43 h 32 m	Show
The marketplace reacted way too violently betting this game down too low. This sets up a value play on the Over. Yes, Air Force is a running team and Michigan didn't play that well versus Cincinnati last week. But the Wolverines have a balanced offense and are capable of putting up plenty of points here especially if they cut back - as they will - on turnovers. The Falcons have just one starter back on defense from last season. Air Force piled up 457 yards on the ground in a 62-0 blanking of VMI two weeks ago. The Falcons were idle last week so they should be fresh. Michigan, like Air Force, only returns one defensive starter from last season.
09-16-17	UL-Lafayette v. Texas A&M OVER 59.5		21-45	Win	100	42 h 23 m	Show
Texas A&M isn't taking its foot off the gas after blowing a 44-17 lead against UCLA and only beating Nicholls State, 24-14, last week. Make no mistake about it either, the Aggies have the firepower and are facing a horrendous defense that they have the capabiity of putting up 50 points themselves here. Louisiana-Lafayette is averaging 46.5 points in its two games, while surrendering an average of 57 points a game. The Ragin' Cajuns have a balanced attack, a bombs away quarterback in Jordan Davis and a dangerous kick return game.
09-15-17	Blue Jays -107 v. Twins		4-3	Win	100	10 h 25 m	Show
It's a testament on how washed-up Bartolo Colon is that he's being celebrated as coming through for the Twins when his ERA is 4.69 in 11 outings since joining Minnesota. The 44-year-old Colon could be hitting the wall as the long season winds down. He couldn't get out of the second inning in his last start this past Sunday at Kansas City giving up six runs on six hits. Blue Jays starter J.A. Happ, on the other hand, is in excellent form going 2-0 with a 1.53 ERA during his past three starts. The Twins are only one game above .500 when playing at home. Toronto has been very disappointing this season. But the Happ versus Colon mismatch is worth the small lay price on the visiting Blue Jays.
09-15-17	A's v. Phillies -118	Top	4-0	Loss	-118	9 h 21 m	Show
The Phillies are supposed to be bad. But don't tell that to Rhys Hoskins, Jorge Alfaro and Nick Williams. Sparked by these three youngsster - all of whom are batting .300 or above - the Phillies have won eight of their last 14 games. They are averaging 7.3 runs during their last six games. The good times should roll on for at least another game as the Phillies match up against Daniel Mengden and an A's team that has the worst road mark in the majors at 22-49. Mengden will be making his fourth big league start. He has a 7.07 ERA. Philadelphia starter Mark Leiter Jr. pitches much better at home where his ERA is 1.87.
09-13-17	Mariners v. Rangers +101	Top	8-1	Loss	-100	18 h 2 m	Show
Even though they lost to Seattle Tuesday night, the Rangers have dominated the Mariners in Arlington winning eight of the past 10. Look for the Rangers to get back on track today in a pitching matchup of Mike Leake versus Martin Perez. Leake had hit a wall in St. Louis. Leake has temporarily found new life in Seattle winning both of his starts for the Mariners. I don't see things going smooth for him in this his third start as AL opponents are now up on him. The Rangers have scored four or more runs in nine of their last 11 games and Arlington is a tough place to pitch at especially this time of year. Perez doesn't get much respect. All he does, though, is win going 7-0 in his past seven outings. Only once during this span has Perez given up more than three runs.
09-12-17	Astros -118 v. Angels		1-0	Win	100	11 h 4 m	Show
On paper, this is a marquee pitching matchup: Justin Verlander versus Garrett Richards. Verlander can still bring it. He's 6-2 with a 2.33 ERA since the All-Star break. Only twice in his last 11 starts as he permitted more than two earned runs. Verlander was brilliant in his Astros debut last Tuesday against the Mariners. He'll be highly motivated here for new team. The Astros should be fully focused, too, after an embarrassing four-game sweep by the As. Richards is pitching for just the third time, including minors, since being out five months with a biceps strain. He's going to be on a pitch count of around 65-70 pitches. So the Astros, the No. 1 offensive team in baseball, get Richards trying to find his way back and a vulnerable Angels bullpen. Houston has had good success playing the Angels on the road winning 10 of the last 14.
09-12-17	Marlins v. Phillies OVER 9	Top	8-9	Win	100	9 h 44 m	Show
I can see these two teams combining for double-digit runs at homer-friend Citzens Band Park with a rookie pitching matchup and a slight wind blowing out to right. Marlins southpaw Dillon Peters has pitched two outstanding games. He makes his third big league start here with opponents now having a book on him. This should especially be the case with the Phillies, who faced him only 12 days ago. The Phillies offense is better than perceived with Odubel Herrera and Aaron Altherr healthy, rookie power-hitter Rhys Hoskins making an impact and perennial disappointing Maikel Franco on a rare hot tear. They've helped the Phillies average 5.5 runs in their last seven games. The Marlins and home run king Gincarlo Stanton should do plenty of damage against Nick Pivetta, who has a 6.49 ERA. That ERA balloons up to 7.11 ERA when facing the Marlins. This is his fourth start versus Miami. Pivetta has had four terrible starts in his last seven outings and one below average one. The Phillies are letting Pivetta endure his growing pains in the majors since they are in rebuild mode.
09-11-17	Chargers +3.5 v. Broncos	Top	21-24	Win	100	71 h 20 m	Show
San Diego is in bounce-back mode after putting a league-high 21 players on the injured reserve last season. Philip Rivers is a stud quarterback and the Chargers have the pass rushers with Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram and a good secondary to keep the Broncos' offense in check. Trevor Siemian can't compare to Rivers. He's coming off a 3-5 record during the past eight games where he had a 10-to-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Siemian is lucky he doesn't have any real competition in Denver because he's one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the league. Denver averaged a mediocre 22.2 points in 2015. That average sank to 20.8 last season when the Broncos also finished 27th in total offense. Their offense doesn't look any better this season unless Jamaal Charles can somehow recapture his magic. The Chargers have more firepower with Melvin Gordon, a healthy Keenan Allen and emerging tight end Hunter Henry not to mention the still reliable Antonio Gates. Denver's defense remains top tier, but it did lose T.J. Ward.
09-10-17	Giants +4.5 v. Cowboys	Top	3-19	Loss	-110	1090 h 53 m	Show
The Cowboys couldn't solve the Giants' defense last year averaging just 13 points versus New York in two games. The Giants won both of those games. They've now covered five in a row against Dallas winning three and losing the other two by just one and three points, respectively. The Giants have many of their same starters back on defense, including a strong secondary that is able to negate Dez Bryant and take advantage of Dak Prescott's inexperience. On the flip side, the Cowboys have a vulnerable secondary that Eli Manning can exploit with his improved receiving group that now includes Brandon Marshall to go with Odell Beckham Jr. and emerging Sterling Shepard. A lot went Dallas' way last year. You could make a strong argument the Giants are the better team. They were a hot 9-2 down the stretch last season before being eliminated in the playoffs by the Packers. Dallas' home field advantage is not worth this many points as the Giants very well could win this game straight-up.
09-10-17	Astros -1.5 v. A's		2-10	Loss	-115	5 h 4 m	Show
Dallas Keuchel is back to ace status with a 12-3 record and 2.88 ERA. He's coming off a strong performance against the Mariners holding Seattle to two runs on seven hits in 7 2/3 innings during a 6-2 win. Keuchel is 3-0 with a 0.83 ERA in three starts versus Oakland this season. Don't expect the powerful Astros, with the No. 1 offense in the majors, to be overconfident, though. The Astros' pride is at stake having dropped the first three games of this series, including a doubleheader on Saturday. I rate Keuchel as an "A" pitcher right. Oakland starter Kendall Graveman is a "C minus." He's not in good form either with a 5.29 ERA in his last three starts. The oddsmaker knows all of this. That's why Houston is such a high road favorite. But I'm confident the Astros win in a blowout here so I'll lay the 1 1/2 runs at greatly reduced juice.
09-10-17	Ravens v. Bengals -2.5		20-0	Loss	-115	460 h 55 m	Show
The Bengals are back to being a legitimate playoff contender, while the Ravens are likely to keep regressing due to a poor offense. Baltimore's defense isn't nearly the dominant force of years past. The Ravens don't have enough pieces to keep up with all of Cincinnati's skill position talent. A.J. Green always has been a Ravens-killer while being a consensus top-five wide receiver. Tight end Tyler Eifert is healthy, unlike last year. He's a premier tight end red zone threat. Added to this mix are good looking running back Joe Mixon and speedster rookie wide receiver John Ross. The best case scenario for the Ravens would be if Joe Flacco started instead of Ryan Mallet, who is one of the worst backup QB's in the league. Flacco is expected to start, but he'll be extremely rusty having not played during preseason recovering from knee surgery and a bad back. The Ravens' offensive line is in flux due to injuries and the unexpected retirement of center Urschel. Kenneth Dixon, probably the team's best runner, is out with injury as is tight end Dennis Pitta. There just isn't any way the Ravens can keep up with the Bengals' talent-laced skill position players. Then there is the road factor. This is the first time Cincinnati is opening at home since 2009. The Bengals have dominated this series winning seven of the last 10, including going 5-0 at home. The Ravens have lost at Cincinnati by an average of 12 1/2-points the past two seasons - and the gap seems wider this year. Baltimore is far less intimidating on the road. That's reflected in a 4-13 regular-season away mark. The Ravens have lost their past six road games. Their lone road victories last season occurred against the Browns and Jaguars.
09-10-17	Falcons v. Bears UNDER 50	Top	23-17	Win	100	115 h 57 m	Show
The Bears are going to struggle to move the ball with Mike Glennon under center and a very weak receiving group. Bears coach John Fox is conservative to begin with and he'll be more conservative here against an improved and aggressive Falcons defense. That means a lot of running with Jordan Howard, which keeps the clock moving and slows tempo. The Falcons rarely play on grass. That's not a plus for their high-speed offense. The Bears' defensive front seven is decent. Chicago is weak in the secondary. But this is a very high total especially given Chicago's limited firepower. The departure of guru offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan to the 49ers hurts Atlanta. The Falcons new offensive coordinator is Steve Sarkisian, who is new to the NFL. That sure doesn't seem like a fair tradeoff going from Shanahan to Sarkisian.
09-10-17	Cardinals -125 v. Lions		23-35	Loss	-125	92 h 39 m	Show
The Lions were a bogus playoff team last season. The Cardinals should be much better after experiencing their first losing season in four years under Bruce Arians. Getting difference-makers wide receiver John Browns, safety Tyrann Mathieu and offensive tackle Jared Veldheer back from injury are huge for Arizona. Detroit has a weak defense - opponents completed a record 72.7 percent of their throws against the Lions last year - and a lackluster ground game. That's a bad combination. Matthew Stafford doesn't have a stud wide receiver like Calvin Johnson anymore to make the Lions feared offensively. The Lions can't beat good teams. Arizona is back to being a good team now that its properly motivated and has key players back healthy. David Johnson is the best all-purpose back in football. Carson Palmer remains dangerous when he has a clean pocket. That should be the case here with the Lions minus Kerry Hyder and Ziggy Ansah having to prove he's fully healthy. All my checkmarks go to the Cardinals - offense, defense and coaching. The Lions have lost the past seven times they've faced the Cardinals, including getting blown out, 42-17, two years ago at home.
09-09-17	Minnesota +2.5 v. Oregon State	Top	48-14	Win	100	58 h 3 m	Show
Minnesota is the right side here. The Gophers aren't flashy. But they don't need to be here. They will control the trenches and dominate ball possession with a solid ground game featuring Rodney Smith running behind a strong offensive line. Oregon State has yet to show it can stop the run. The Beavers were pushed around by Colorado State and by Portland State, a FCS school. Oregon State's 58-27 opening week loss to Colorado State looks even worse with the Rams losing to Colorado, 17-3, last week. Oregon State was fortunate to beat Portland State winning, 35-32, as a 26 1/2-point home favorite. Portland State ran for nearly 300 yards against Oregon State. Minnesota's P.J. Fleck is an upper tier coach. He's sharp enough to play the cards he's dealt with - and that's to grind. That formula sets up well for this matchup. The Gophers don't have to do anything fancy here. Oregon State's home field advantage is reduced, too, for this game because school isn't in session yet and there is an air quality warning due to forest fires in the area that could lower attendance.
09-09-17	Twins v. Royals +106		2-5	Win	106	9 h 42 m	Show
The Twins have lost the past four times they've pitched Jose Berrios against the Royals. I expect that streak to continue here especially with this game in Kanas City. Berriors has a very high ceiling. He's pitched well at home going 8-1 with a 2.56 ERA. But he's been another pitcher on the road where he's 4-6 with a 5.43 ERA. Minnesota is 0-8 during Berriors last eight road starts. Berrios has an 8.20 career ERA versus Kansas City in four outings. The Twins aren't likely to have their closer, Matt Belisle, either. He has pitched the past three days. Royals starter Jake Junis isn't as highly regarded as Berrios. Junis, though, quietly has done a good job. He is 7-2, tied for the lead among American League rookies for victories. Junis is 2-0 with a 2.81 ERA in his last three starts spanning 16 innings. He's posted an 18-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio during this span.
09-09-17	UNLV +7 v. Idaho		44-16	Win	100	54 h 52 m	Show
UNLV got caught looking ahead to this revenge matchup and was shocked 43-40 by Howard, an FCS school, last week. The Rebels were a 45 1/2-point favorite in that game making them the largest favorite ever to lose. The Rebels shouldn't have been that big of a favorite in hindsight. But they also shouldn't be this much of an underdog. UNLV has a very good offense. Rebel coach Tony Sanchez has done a good job recruiting. The Rebels were tabbed by many to earn a bowl spot. Now they need to win this game. They have been sick of hearing all week about their shocking loss to Howard. Idaho wasn't as good as its 9-4 record of a year ago. The Vandals have a rebuilt offensive line and their special teams aren't as dangerous. Idaho usually starts the season slow, too, covering only two of its last 11 September games.
09-09-17	Nebraska v. Oregon OVER 69		35-42	Win	100	54 h 22 m	Show
I'm expecting each of these teams to hit the 40-point barrier. Both teams are all about offense and have weak defenses. Oregon gave up 21 points in the first half to Southern Utah in a 77-21 victory last week. Tre Bryant rushed for 192 yards in Nebraska's 43-36 victory against Arkansas State last week.
09-09-17	Indiana v. Virginia OVER 56		34-17	Loss	-110	103 h 26 m	Show
Indiana is Indiana. The Hooisers score a lot - and they give up a lot. That was the case again in their opener, a 49-21 loss to Ohio State. Three quick takeaways from that game. The first, of course, is that Ohio State is an absolute powerhouse. In the argument for best team in the country. But also the Hooisers played at an extremely fast tempo and Simmie Cobbs showed his superstar potential. Cobb was hurt in the second game last season and missed the rest of the year. The former 1,000-yard receiver showed his great talent against Ohio State catching 11 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown. Cobb has an experienced quarterback in Richard Lagow, who threw for 19 touchdowns last year. Now the Hoosiers drop down to Virginia whose defense can't compare to the Buckeyes. The Cavaliers have a solid quarterback, too, in Kurt Benkert. Look for Virginia's offense to be much improved in the second season under Bronco Mendenhall. The key here is tempo with both teams playing fast.
09-09-17	Middle Tennessee State v. Syracuse UNDER 76		30-23	Win	100	51 h 3 m	Show
A lot has to go right for this total to go above this high number. While I do think Middle Tennessee State quarterback Brent Stockstill and Syracuse QB Eric Dungey will put up good numbers, it won't add up enough to go Over. Syracuse displayed some good defense in its 50-7 victory against Central Connecticut last week. Granted that was inferior competition. But I do think the Orange has improved defensively. Middle Tennessee State had problems protected Stockstill in a 28-6 loss to Vanderbilt last week. The Orange also must prove it can protect Dungey now that they are stepping up in class.
09-08-17	Angels v. Mariners OVER 9.5		3-4	Loss	-110	12 h 42 m	Show
Ricky Nolasco is Ricky Nolasco. He's epitomizes a journeyman who eats innings. Nolasco is 6-12 with a 5.08 ERA this season. Mike Leake is set to make his second start for Seattle. His first came against the A's last week and was very good. I don't believe his second is going to go so well. Leake was being pounded during his last four starts with the Cardinals - 23 runs and 34 hits - before coming to the Mariners. Leake has said he has a tired arm.
09-08-17	Astros v. A's OVER 9		8-9	Win	100	12 h 36 m	Show
The combination of a total less than double-digits, wind blowing out and the top-ranked Astros offense facing Jharel Cotton puts me on the Over. I had high hopes before the season that Cotton was going to be a good pitcher. That hasn't happened. He has a 5.53 ERA and isn't improving. Cotton has yielded four or more runs in six of his last eight starts. He's surrendered 24 homers in 114 innings. Houston ranks first in runs, batting average and is No. 3 in homers. Collin McHugh takes the hill for Houston. McHugh has pitched well, but he's far from dominant. The A's are averaging more than six runs per game during their last three games.
09-08-17	Oklahoma State v. South Alabama OVER 66.5	Top	44-7	Loss	-110	45 h 30 m	Show
This may look like a big total to go over, but it's not given the strength of Oklahoma State's offense and how bad South Alabama is defensively. Mason Rudolph is one of the top QB's in the country and he has a balanced attack. That was evident in Oklahoma State's season-opening, 59-24, win against Tulsa. South Alabama lost its opener, 47-27, to Mississippi. The Jaguars surrendered 531 yards and were non-competitive in the second half when their defense wore down. The Jaguars are missing their top pass rusher from last year, Randy Allen. South Alabama made strides last year. But the Jaguars aren't ready for this caliber of offense. Oklahoma State is the highest ranked opponent to visit Mobile in the Jaguars' nine-year history. The over has cashed now in 10 of South Alabama's last 12 non-conference games.
09-07-17	Chiefs v. Patriots -8.5	Top	42-27	Loss	-110	51 h 51 m	Show
There's a double-digit class difference here especially with the Patriots playing at home where they have covered 75 percent of their past 26 games. The Chiefs overachieved to finish 12-4 last season. They ranked 13th in points scored and 20th in yards gained. They also gave up the eighth-most yards. The Chiefs achieved their sterling record by big plays from special teams and a league-best plus 16 turnover ratio. The Patriots aren't going to make mistakes, or get beat on special teams. No team is better coached than New England. New England won the Super Bowl and looks even better on paper this season. Even losing Julian Edelman, Tom Brady still has a wide assortment of weapons, including deep threat Brandin Cooks, a healthy Rob Gronkowski and four verstailte running backs. The Chiefs can't come close to matching that firepower. The Patriots upgraded their secondary, too, signing cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Alex Smith threw for more than 300 yards just once in 16 games last season. He's done that just four times in his last 65 games. So the Chiefs are not a good backdoor type team. Kansas City had a chaotic off-season, too. There were surprising upper management changes with general manager John Dorsey getting fired. Former stalwarts Jamaal Charles, Jeremy Maclin and nose tackle Dontari Poe all moved on. Derrick Johnson and Justin Houston have to prove they are completely healthy.
09-07-17	Marlins -113 v. Braves	Top	5-6	Loss	-113	10 h 10 m	Show
This is a stop-the-pain game for the Marlins and a favorable matchup for them. Miami has dropped four in a row. But the Marlins have the superior starter going in Dan Straily against Sean Newcomb and ripe circumstances. The Braves aren't playing that well either. They are 16 games under .500 and in full rebuild mode with three-fourths of their infield manned by rookies. Atlanta just played a wild doubleheader on Wednesday splitting against the Rangers with a combined 29 runs being scored. It's left the Braves bullpen carrying a high fatigue rating. Newcomb doesn't go deep into games and walks too many batters averaging six bases on balls per nine innings. Newcomb hasn't been able to record an out past the fifth inning during his last three starts. Atlanta is 2-9 in his last 11 starts. Home run leader Gincarlo Stanton loves Atlanta's Sun Trust Park having homered three times there in six games. Straily should do his part. He's 2-1 with a 2.12 ERA in three starts versus the Braves this season.
09-06-17	Nationals -121 v. Marlins	Top	8-1	Win	100	10 h 51 m	Show
Gio Gonzalez is having a huge season and he dominates the Marlins. Gonzalez is 3-0 with a 1.29 ERA in four starts versus the Marlins this season. The last time he pitched against the Marlins was Aug. 9 when he threw seven innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts. Gonzalez, who is from Miami, is 9-3 career-wise versus the Marlins with a 1.94 ERA in 15 starts. Dillon Peterts is set to make his second big league start for the Marlins. Peters was brilliant in his debut throwing seven scoreless innings against the Phillies this past Friday. Opponents now know about Peters, though, and the Nationals have a much more potent lineup especially with Trea Turner and Jayson Werth back from injury. The Marlins are at low ebb having lost eight of their past nine games to fall out of realistic playoff contention. Concentration could be a problem, too, for the Marlins as they are leaving town following this game. There is much concern about the expected effects of Hurricane Irma. The hurricane is due to strike the Miami area by Sunday morning. So it's understandable if the Marlins aren't completely focused.
09-05-17	Cardinals v. Padres UNDER 8.5		8-4	Loss	-110	11 h 44 m	Show
First off, this game is at Petco Park, the premier pitching park in the majors. Both starters, Michael Wacha and Travis Wood, have strong track records pitching at Petco. Wacha is 2-0 lifetime versus San Diego with a 1.89 ERA in three starts. Both of his victories against the Padres came at Petco. The key is if Wacha is back on track. He had been in a slump, but pitched well in his last start this past Thursday. He held the Giants to one run on four hits in six innings. Yes that came against the weak-hitting Giants. But the Padres are the one team with a worse offense than the Giants. San Diego is last in runs and batting average. The Padres also have hit the second-fewest homers. Wood is a journeyman. Normally I'd like to have a higher total to go under when he pitches. But these aren't normal circumstances because of the Cardinals' multiple injuries. Jedd Gyorko is on the DL. Matt Carpenter, Tommy Pham, Dexter Fowler and Kolton Wong all are nursing injuries. There's a chance none of them could be in the lineup leaving the Cardinals with a lot of youth and backup infielders filling up their lineup. Wood has done well when pitching at Petco posting a 1.61 ERA in four starts there. The under is 13-6-1 in the Padres' past 20 home contests.
09-05-17	Cubs -1.5 v. Pirates	Top	3-4	Loss	-105	10 h 3 m	Show
The Cubs are looking to redeem themselves after an embarrassing 12-0 loss to the Pirates Monday. They have the right pitching matchup to accomplish just that. Kyle Hendricks led the NL in ERA last season. He's become steady again posting a 2.31 ERA in eight starts since coming off the DL. He hasn't allowed more than three runs during any of those eight outings. Hendricks has a 2.45 ERA in two starts versus Pittsburgh this season. The Cubs have a deeper bullpen, too, than the Pirates and their top bullpen arms are rested. The Pirates are in rebuilt mode. So they've elected to skip Ivan Nova's turn in the rotation in order to look at youngster Steven Brault, who isn't ready to become a big league starter yet. Brault has a 5.93 ERA in 13 2/3 innings. This is his first start of the year. Brault made seven starts for the Pirates last season posting a 4.26 ERA. He holds a hideous 9.35 lifetime ERA versus the Cubs in four appearances.
09-04-17	Rangers +104 v. Braves		8-2	Win	104	10 h 37 m	Show
Texas has been strong during interleague going 12-5. The Rangers should be focused trailing by three games for the second AL wild-card spot. The Braves are going with a lot of youth with three-fourths of their infield being rookies. The only non-rookie in the infield is Freddie Freeman their best player. Freeman is having his wrist examined today so there's a chance he might not be in the lineup. That would be a huge plus for Rangers starter Andrew Cashner, who has been pitching his most consistent ball of his career. Cashner has held five of his last six opponents to two earned runs or less. He went 5-1 with a 2.58 ERA during July/August. The Braves are pitching 42-year-old knuckleballer R.A. Dickey. There's always a wild card factor when a knuckleballer takes the mound. But the Rangers have incentive, are going with a hot pitcher and the youthful Braves may not have their full concentration since this is their first game back from a seven-game road trip.
09-04-17	Twins v. Rays -118		4-11	Win	100	9 h 4 m	Show
The Rays rank eighth in the majors in homers. They have hit at least one homer in 14 straight games. The Twins can't match that power. The pitching matchup favors the Rays, too, with Jose Berrios versus Alex Cobb. Berrios has a very high ceiling. But he has not been good on the road going 4-5 with a 5.12 ERA. Cobb is underrated. He should have more wins that he does. He has a 2.20 ERA in his last three starts, none of which resulted in a win for him. Cobb also is 1-0 lifetime against Minnesota with a 2.53 ERA in two career starts.
09-04-17	Edmonton +10.5 v. Calgary	Top	18-39	Loss	-110	7 h 17 m	Show
The Eskimos are calling this their biggest game of the year. The line is inflated so the Eskimos with this many points are the right side. Edmonton has lost two in a row after opening 7-0. I don't see the Eskimos being flat a second straight week. The Eskimos are starting to get their injured players back, including wide receiver Brandon Zylstra. Wide receivers Adarius Bowman and Vidal Hazelton both are expected to play now, too, along with offensive lineman Simeon Rottier. The Stampeders are the best team in the CFL. But Calgary hasn't played an above .500 opponent during its last four games. I don't see the Stampeders winning by double-digits here.
09-04-17	Brewers -114 v. Reds	Top	4-5	Loss	-114	5 h 53 m	Show
The Brewers regained some needed confidence going 6-2 in their last eight games, including posting a combined five victories against the powerful Dodgers and Nationals. Milwaukee is going with maybe its best pitcher, Chase Anderson. He's been solid in his three starts since returning from the DL. The Brewers have a rested Corey Knebel giving them a strong bullpen edge, too. Anderson is 2-1 with a 2.27 ERA in six career starts versus the Reds. Reds starter Homer Bailey was once a promising pitcher. Injuries have messed him up. He really shouldn't be in a starting rotation with just five quality outings in 13 starts. Bailey is at his worst pitching at hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park and during the day. That's the situation for him today. Bailey is 0-5 with a 9.95 ERA at home this season. In day action this season, he's 1-4 with a 13.29 ERA.
09-03-17	Texas A&M v. UCLA OVER 58		44-45	Win	100	11 h 21 m	Show
Early betting has been on the Over - and that is the right way to go in this matchup. Texas A&M is a scoring machine under Kevin Sumlin averaging 35 or more points in all but one of his five seasons. The Aggies are deep at the skill positions again headed by stars at running back in Trayveon Williams and at wide receiver/returner in Christian Kirk, who caught 83 passes last year. Their offensive line is solid, too. UCLA is breaking in a lot of new defensive starers particularly at linebacker. Defense is where the Aggies took a major hit losing linemen Myles Garrett - the No. 1 overall draft pick - and Daeshon Hall. UCLA is loaded offensively, too, headed by pro prospect quarterback Josh Rosen. The Bruins are a passing team and the Aggies' pass rush should be way down. Rosen was under pressure by the Aggies in last year's game and didn't have one of his better performances. Yet the teams still combined for 55 points and more than 900 yards. The offenses are as strong, if not stronger this season, and the defenses are weaker. So this one goes Over the total.
09-03-17	Angels v. Rangers +121	Top	6-7	Win	121	13 h 46 m	Show
It's no wonder the Rangers have won all five of Martin Perez's last five starts. The southpaw has held four of his past five opponents to two earned runs or less. The Angels have lost the past four times going against a lefty starter. Perez goes for the Rangers here against Angels lefty Andrew Heaney, who is on the comeback trail after undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. This marks Heaney's fourth start of the season. He has been up and down, which often is the case for those pitchers in their first year back from serious elbow surgery. The Rangers just saw Heaney on Aug. 23. They smacked three homers off him in five innings in a 7-5 victory. Texas is 18-14 versus southpaw starters this season. Texas is short-handed in the bullpen with setup men Matt Bush and Keone Kela on the DL. But closer Alex Claudio didn't pitch Saturday and the Angels also have an unsettled bullpen without a definitive closer right now.
09-02-17	Diamondbacks v. Rockies -107		6-2	Loss	-107	13 h 23 m	Show
I like Jon Gray going for me with the Rockies at home and in circle-the-wagons mode. The Rockies have the more rested key relievers and Gray has started to pitch like a No. 1 pitcher, which the Rockies have always envisioned. Gray has a 2.58 ERA in his last six starts. Lefty Patrick Corbin always has been pitching very well lately. But the Rockies are 21-15 versus southpaws and own a good history against Corbin, who has a 5.23 career ERA against Colorado in 15 appearances, including 14 starts. Corbin has a 6.97 ERA in two starts against Colorado earlier this season.
09-02-17	Georgia Southern v. Auburn OVER 52.5		7-41	Loss	-110	293 h 34 m	Show
Auburn coach Gus Malzahn is an offensive whiz. The Tigers are going to be even more dangerous offensively this season with a balanced attack and Chip Lindsay as offensive coordinator to assist Malzahn. Look for the Tigers to do more passing with the emergence of quarterback Jarrett Stidham, a transfer from Baylor who is below the radar right now. He can run and has a strong arm. Auburn has two excellent runners in Kamryn Pettway and Kerryon Johnson. They combined to rush for more than 2,100 yards rushing last year. The Tigers also have one of the best kickers in the country, Daniel Carlson. Gerogia Southern allowed at least 30 points in four of its last five games. Auburn scored 51 points and piled up more than 700 yards against Arkansas State last year. That was the Tigers' lone game versus a Sun Belt team. Arkansas State is better defensively than Georgia Southern. The Eagles averaged 26.2 points during their last four games. Their option attack should be improved with Bryan Cook, a disciple of Paul Johnson, brought in as offensive coordinator.
09-02-17	Miami-OH v. Marshall OVER 46		26-31	Win	100	17 h 18 m	Show
The marketplace has knocked this total down enough where there is value going Over. Miami of Ohio's offense took off during the second half of last season once Gus Ragland became the starting quarterback. Ragland had a 17-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He's back and he has a full complement of good running backs and receivers at his disposal. Marshall was horrible defensively last year giving up 31 or more points seven times. The Thundering Herd's offense also was down. But I have confidence that Doc Holliday can fix Marshall's offense. Chase Litton is a decent quarterback and Marshall returns its top running backs. It's not too much to ask these two teams to go Over this total now that it's dipped below 47 especially given the quality quarterback play of both teams.
09-02-17	Troy v. Boise State OVER 62	Top	13-24	Loss	-110	53 h 6 m	Show
Plenty of up-tempo and speed here. More than enough to take this total over with all the offensive playmakers these teams possess. It's not a fluke each team averaged nearly 35 points per game. Troy is for real. The Trojans have more than enough offense to compete here with quarterback Brandon Silvers and nearly all of his receivers back along with running back Jordan Chunn, who also can catch. Boise State had only nine takeaways last season and lack the personnel to handle all of Troy's receiving weapons. The Trojans' drop is on defense against this caliber of opponent on the road. Spearheaded by Brett Rypien, the Broncos ranked 15th in passing offense. They have a balanced offense, too.
09-01-17	Dodgers v. Padres OVER 7		1-0	Loss	-105	14 h 50 m	Show
A pitching matchup of Clayton Kershaw versus unpredictable Dinelson Lamet could produce a 1-0 game. It also result in Kershaw only pitching five innings and Lamet getting absoultely shelled. Kershaw will be pitching in the majors for the first time in 5 1/2 weeks. The Dodgers are going to limit him to around 75 pitches. Kershaw is Kershaw, but you're not getting him for his normal amount of innings. Plus there very well could be a rust factor. As great as he is, Kershaw has allowed a career-worst 18 homers this year. Historically the Over has been a great play when Kershaw pitches at Petco Park because of a low total like this. The over has cashed seven of the last eight times Kershaw has faced the Padres on the road. Lamet has intriguing stuff. But he's a highly inconsistent rookie. He also hasn't been that good at Petco with a 3.98 ERA in seven home outings. The Dodgers have a lot of professional hitters who can take advantage of Lamet's youth by not helping him out with bad swings.
09-01-17	Rays v. White Sox +1.5		3-1	Loss	-110	12 h 49 m	Show
The White Sox are in the midst of a full blown youth movement and have a couple key hitters hurt. But they are a respectable 6-6 in their last 12 games and I don't believe Blake Snell should be this high of a road favorite. So that allows me to get involved on the run line. The Rays have a losing road record on the season. Snell has been pitching better. But he's more effective pitching at Tropicana Field, which is turf. His road ERA is 4.76. The Rays are 5-12 in Snell's last 17 away starts. Only once during their last 12 road contests have the Rays managed to string together consecutive victories. They are off a win against the Royals in their last game. Reynaldo Lopez is set to make his third start of the year. He had been on DL due to a back strain. He says he's 100 percent now and ready to pitch his best ball. I liked Lopez's potential whe he was with the Nationals last year. The Rays have never seen him.
09-01-17	Colorado State v. Colorado -6	Top	3-17	Win	100	133 h 6 m	Show
This is a tough spot for Colorado State having opened with a victory this past Saturday against Oregon State in impressive style at their new $220 million dollar stadium. The Rams have to travel to Denver for this neutral site game with one less day of normal practice time. That's going to hurt them against the up-tempo Buffaloes especially in high altitude. Colorado buried the Rams, 44-7, last year. While I don't see the score being that lopsided again, Colorado is a clear right side and should win by double-digits. Don't be fooled by the Rams returning nine starters on defense. Their defense still is inexperienced and not good. The Buffaloes have a high powered attack with excellent receiving depth, a stud running back in Phillip Lindsay and an upgrade at quarterback with Sefo Liufau. Colorado State isn't going to be able to trade points with the Bufaloes.
09-01-17	Phillies v. Marlins OVER 9	Top	2-1	Loss	-104	11 h 54 m	Show
There's a very real possibility Gincarlo Stanton adds to his major league-best 51 home run total here. That's because the Marlins are going against rookie Nick Pivetta. The Phillies have decided to keep Pivetta in the rotation letting him take his lumps as the youngster gains big league experience. That's a plus for those going Over. It's not a fluke the Over is 6-2-1 in Pivetta's last nine starts. Pivetta was more effective when the league hadn't learned about him. But he's a known commodity now with a 9.22 ERA during the second half of the season and a 7.62 road ERA. This will be the third time the Marlins have seen him. Right-handers are crushing the right-handed Pivetta batting .319 against him with a 1.026 OPS. He's surrendered 16 homers in 100 innings. Dillon Peters is going to make his big league debut. He's making the jump from Double A. Peters is a wild card. He's not a big strikeout pitcher, though, and hasn't ptiched in a week. It shouldn't be too much to ask of each team to produce at least four runs apiece in this pitching matchup. The hitters shouldn't be hinderd either by the home plate umpire, Dan Iassogna. The Over is 29-20 (59 percent) during the last two years when he's been the home plate umpire.
08-31-17	Buffalo +24 v. Minnesota	Top	7-17	Win	100	11 h 19 m	Show
There's some hype here this being P.J. Fleck's first game as head coach of Minnesota. I like Fleck. But his Gophers are far from a powerhouse. They can't cover a number this high against an improved Buffalo squad. Fleck inherits a very young team with only four players on offense and four on defense who have started double-digit games during their careers. Nearly half of Minnesota's players are either freshmen or redshirt freshmen. The Gophers have a solid ground attack, but are untested at quarterback. Denny Croft and Conor Rhoda both should play under center. They've combined for only 34 career throws and one start. Minnesota ranked 111th in passing offense last year. Buffalo should be much better than its 2-10 mark of last season. Tyree Jackson is a dual threat quarterback, who flashed last season. His new quarterback coach is Jim Zebrowski, who was fired at Minnesota following the 2015 season. So he'll know the Gophers. The Bulls took their lumps defensively last season being extremely young. They return eight defensive starters.
08-30-17	A's +130 v. Angels		8-10	Loss	-100	12 h 25 m	Show
The Angels are going for a three-game sweep of the A's at home today. I don't see them getting it. The A's have proven resilient going 10-4 the past 14 times when playing Game 3 of a series. Before their two losses to open this series, the A's had gone 4-1. Oakland starter Kendall Graveman is hitting his stride after being out more than two months. He has a 2.25 ERA in his last three starts spanning 20 innings. Graveman has a 3.19 career ERA against the Angels in nine starts. Mike Trout has missed the last two games due to a stiff neck and is questionable. Trout has failed to get a hit in his last 17 at bats. Angels starter rookie Parker Bridwell has pitched better than anyone expected with a 2.89 ERA in nine starts. Bridwell is due for some regression and hasn't pitched as well at home where his ERA is 3.56.
08-30-17	Red Sox v. Blue Jays -113	Top	7-1	Loss	-113	10 h 38 m	Show
After facing southpaw Drew Pomeranz, who has been hot, and Chris Sale, the premier lefty in the American League, the Blue Jays now get righty Rick Porcello. That's a big dropoff. Porcello has yielded a career-worst 31 homers already this season and is coming off a Friday start against the Orioles where he gave up 11 runs on nine hits in fewer than five innings, although it should be noted seven of those runs were unearned. Porcello has a 4.70 career ERA versus the Blue Jays in 18 outings, including 17 starts. The Blue Jays have hit the 13th most homers in the majors. Boston is a highly-impressive 60-42 against righties. The Red Sox, however, are only 15-15 versus lefty starters. They were under .500 against southpaws until beating Toronto and Brett Anderson, 3-0, last night. The much traveled and injured Anderson, though, pitched well against the Red Sox holding them to one run on six hits with no walks in 5 2/3 innings. Southpaw J.A. Happ is better than Anderson and he goes against the Red Sox today. Happ went 20-4 with a 3.18 ERA last year. Happ isn't having that kind of season this year, but he's been solid holding eight of his last 12 opponents to two earned runs or fewer. He has a 3.66 career ERA in 13 starts against Boston. The Red Sox remain without two key players, second baseman Dustin Pedroia and center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr.
08-29-17	A's v. Angels OVER 9.5	Top	2-8	Win	100	17 h 29 m	Show
Two bad starting pitchers and two bad bullpen with an opening total of less than double-digits puts me strongly on the Over here. The A's are going with Chris Smith. He's a 36-year-old career minor leaguer with a 5.56 ERA. Smith is prone to the long ball and doesn't miss many bats. That's a bad combination. Smith has made seven big league starts and has yet to win. In all but one of his past five starts, Smith has allowed four or more runs. Smith probably is going to have to deal with Mike Trout, too. Trout is expected back after missing Monday's game with a stiff neck. Angels starter Troy Scribner has a 4.00 ERA - and he's lucky to have that considering how many hard hit balls he's given up. Prior to last night, the Angels had scored at least five runs in seven of their past 10 games while the A's had scored six or more runs in four of their past five games. Look for both team's hitting to return in this batter-friendly matchup. Neither pitcher will be getting any help from the weather with the forecast calling for slight winds blowing out.
08-28-17	Red Sox +108 v. Blue Jays	Top	6-5	Win	108	15 h 10 m	Show
Getting out of Boston is the tonic for the Red Sox, who were just swept at home by the Orioles. Now the Red Sox head to Toronto. They are 7-3 against the Blue Jays this season, including 5-1 at Rogers Centre. The Red Sox are one of the best teams in baseball. They'll find themselves. The Blue Jays won't. Toronto is eight games below .500 and are 2-7 in its last nine games. The Blue Jays are 11-19 versus left-handed starters this year and facing hot southpaw Drew Pomeranz. Pomeranz has won his last seven decisions. He has a 1.59 ERA during his past five starts. Pomeranz always had talent he was just held back by injuries. Now he's dealing and has a strong history against the Blue Jays going 2-1 with a 2.11 ERA. He's 2-0 versus Toronto this season with a 0.71 ERA. Marcus Stroman is a good pitcher. But he's not in the form Pomeranz is and has a worse bullpen behind him. Stroman was hit hard in his last outing giving up five runs on eight hits - including three homers - in 5 1/3 innings against the Rays this past Wednesday. Stroman has a 4.47 career ERA in nine starts against Boston. He's 0-1 versus the Red Sox with a 4.76 ERA in two starts this year.
08-27-17	Astros -122 v. Angels	Top	7-5	Win	100	10 h 30 m	Show
The Astros have a lot going for them in this bounce back spot after blowing Saturday's game to the Angels, 7-6. Jose Altuve may be the best player in the American League and he's back in the lineup. So is catcher Brian McCann, who has nine homers in 73 career at bats against Ricky Nolasco. Nolasco, a career journeyman, opposes Charie Morton, who is having perhaps his finest season. The right-handed Nolasco's ERA is above 5.00. The Astros average just a shade under six runs per game versus righty starters. The Angels have lost seven of the past 10 times Nolasco has pitched at home. Houston has won 67 percent of its last 61 road contests. Morton is 2-0 lifetime versus the Angels with a 3.24 ERA in three starts. If Altuve isn't the best player in the American League than Mike Trout is Trout, however, is hitless in his last four games.
08-26-17	Rice v. Stanford OVER 50.5	Top	7-62	Win	100	104 h 6 m	Show
Stanford lost a lot of defensive talent from last year, but still has more than enough offense to put up big numbers against one of the worst defenses in the country. Rice surrendered more than 37 points per game last season and gave up the sixth-most yards in the country. Opponents averaged a whopping 7.4 yards per play versus the Owls. The Owls are underrated offensively, though, thanks to a strong offensive line. The Cardinal are breaking in new safeties and minus star pass rusher Solomon Thomas. Stanford doesn't have dynamic Christian McCaffrey any more, but are deep at running back and its offensive line is healthy.
08-26-17	Giants +112 v. Diamondbacks	Top	1-2	Loss	-100	17 h 18 m	Show
The Giants are not a team to back on the road - except in a case like this with Madison Bumgarner opening as a 'dog against a cold pitcher. Pride is at stake for Bumgarner, who has a winning record and 2.81 ERA in eight starts since returning from the DL. Bumgarner has held opponents to one earned run or fewer in four of his last six starts. Bumgarner also has a lifetime winning mark versus the Diamondbacks with a 2.58 ERA in 28 appearances, including 27 starts. Bumgarner certainly can be counted on to give San Francisco a quality performance here. The same can't be said for Arizona starter Taijuan Walker. The Diamondbacks have lost seven of the last eight times Walker has pitched. Walker is winless during his past 10 starts and has a 4.76 ERA in three starts against the Giants this year.
08-26-17	Oregon State v. Colorado State -3.5		27-58	Win	100	74 h 59 m	Show
The class difference is above the spread in this matchup. The Rams are a touchdown better than Oregon State especially playing at home. The Rams averaged 35.3 points a game last season. The Beavers don't have the defense to slow down Colorado State and their offense isn't balanced because of a weak passing attack. Jake Luton, a JC transfer, is untested and faced with a thin and inexperienced wide receiving group. Colorado State QB Nick Stevens can be highly effective against a vulnerable Oregon State secondary. The Rams played their best ball during the second half of last season averaging more than 46 points a game during their last six games. The Beavers have yet to win a road game in two years under Gary Anderson losing by an average of more than three touchdowns. Note, too, the Rams are 14-4-1 ATS during their last 19 non-conference games.
08-25-17	Astros -110 v. Angels	Top	2-1	Win	100	17 h 46 m	Show
The Astros aren't playing well losing 16 of their last 25. They aren't likely to have AL batting leader Jose Altuve either. But I like them, especially at this price, to take care of business against the Angels. Houston is 8-0 the past eight times Collin McHugh has started against the Angels. He gets the call here looking better and better since returning from an elbow injury that had sidelined him for much of the season. McHugh blanked the A's in his last start this past Saturday going six innings. McHugh has a 2.55 lifetime ERA versus the Angels. That ERA shrinks even more to 2.25 when he's pitched at Angel Stadium. Mike Trout is the key to the Angels and he's in a 3-for-23 slump. Parker Bridwell has been a major surprise for the Angels. The Angels are unbeaten in his last eight starts. I don't see that continuing. McHugh is the better pitcher and the Astros are the superior team even without Altuve.
08-25-17	Saskatchewan +6 v. Edmonton	Top	54-31	Win	100	33 h 33 m	Show
Saskatchewan is coming on and this spot sets up well for the Roughriders. The Roughriders have won three of their last five and off probably their most impressive performance of the season beating BC, 41-8, two weeks ago. Saskatchewan was idle last week. Both their offensive and defensive line played well for Saskatchewan in that win against BC. Kevin Glenn has thrown 14 TD passes in seven games. Edmonton lost for the first time this season falling on the road to Winnipeg last week. The Eskimos may be down following that defeat. They also have a huge look-ahead matchup for their next game when they meet Calgary with first place in the Western Division at stake. Given their lengthy injury list, it's not surprising the Eskimos finallly lost after opening with seven consecutive victories. They have close to 20 players hurt, including JC Sherritt, Adarius Bowman, John White, Brandon Zylstra, Almondo Sewell and Marcus Howard. The Roughriders have lost 15 straight road games versus division foes. Expect that to change with Chris Jones in charge. This is just Jones' second year as Roughriders coach. He's one of the top coaches in the league. Edmonton has failed to cover in 10 of its last 14 home games. The Eskimos also haven't covered during their past three games against the Roughriders with two of the past three going into overtime.
08-24-17	Rangers v. Angels OVER 9	Top	3-0	Loss	-110	15 h 55 m	Show
All signs are in place for these two teams to combine for double-digit scoring. The Rangers are averaging 7.2 runs during their last 10 games. The Angels are averaging 5.8 runs in their past six games. Rangers starter Martin Perez has a 5.26 ERA. Perez is a bottom-of-the-rotation type starter and not a very good one. His ERA is even higher when pitching at Angel Stadium where he's 1-3 with a 5.47 ERA in four lifetime starts. The Angels have dealt with numerous pitching injuries so up from the minors comes Troy Scribner to start here. He's replacing JC Ramirez. Scribner had a 4.35 ERA for Salt Lake in Triple A this season. Both bullpens are vulnerable and carry high fatigue ratings. Rangers closer Alex Claudio worked two innings throwing 32 pitches in last night's extra inning game. The Angels are still searching for their closer. The weather forecast is for a slight wind to be blowing out. Adrian Johnson is slated to be the home plate umpire. The Over has cashed 63 percent of the time during the 48 times he's been behind the plate the past two seasons.
08-24-17	Diamondbacks -139 v. Mets	Top	3-2	Win	100	11 h 49 m	Show
The Diamondbacks are the far superior team and have a strong pitching edge, too, in this matchup. All-Star Robbie Rays returns from a concussion. The Diamondbacks have been extra careful with him. Now he's ready. Ray is one of the top strikeout pitchers in baseball. He also has a 0.53 lifetime ERA in 17 innings versus the Mets. New York, losers of eight of its last 10, are starting Rafael Montero. He's only in the Mets' starting rotation due to a cluster injury problem that has sidelined all of the Mets' projected starters except Jacob deGrom. Montero is 1-7 at home with a 5.89 ERA. Arizona has a top-10 offense, while the Mets have failed to score more than four runs in eight of their last 10 games having traded many of their front line players in an effort to rebuild.
08-23-17	Diamondbacks -154 v. Mets	Top	2-4	Loss	-154	15 h 22 m	Show
Unless Jacob deGrom is pitching, the Mets are clear fade material. The Mets are 7-19 in their last 26 games putting them at a season-worst 16 games below .500. New York has dropped eight of its past nine games. The Mets also can't beat Arizona having lost 10 of their last 11 to the Diamondbacks. The Mets only have a few of their projected starters. They just lost All-Star outfielder Michael Conforto to a thumb injury. This leaves the Mets with an extremely weak lineup. The Diamondbacks have a top-10 offense, are in a playoff race and have the superior pitching matchup with Zack Godley opposing rookie Chris Flexen. Godley has pitched much better than his 5-6 record. He holds a 3.13 ERA and averages more than nine strikeouts per nine innings. Godley has a 1.80 career ERA in 15 innings against the Mets. Flexen has been pushed to the big league level due to the many Mets pitching injuries, which include all of their starters except deGrom. Flexen, who went directly to the majors from Class AA skipping Triple A, has a 6.55 ERA and control problems having given up four or more walks in three of his last five starts.He has issued more bases on balls than he has strikeouts.
08-22-17	Diamondbacks v. Mets OVER 9		7-4	Win	100	9 h 56 m	Show
Tommy Milone is getting a start here for the Mets and the weather forecast is for wind to be blowing out at 16 mph. The Diamondbacks have a top 10 offense. Enough said. Just in case you want more, here are the gory details about Milone: He's only pitching because the Mets lost another starting pitcher with Steven Matz going on the DL. Milone hasn't pitched in the big leagues since May because he's terrible and he also was out with a knee sprain. He had made three starts this season for the Mets compiling a 10.50 ERA. He has a 7.59 lifetime ERA against the Diamondbacks in two starts. Patrick Corbin is pitching well for Arizona. However, he has a 6.04 lifetime ERA versus the Mets in six appearances, including five starts. The Over has won 69 percent of the time during Corbin's last 54 road starts.
08-22-17	Diamondbacks -163 v. Mets		7-4	Win	100	9 h 55 m	Show
Do you recall journeyman Tommy Milone? Here's a refresher. He began the year with the Brewers before being cut. The Mets picked him up and actually gave him three early-season starts. Milone went 0-2 with a 10.50 ERA during those outings before suffering a knee injury. Now Milone has resurfaced due to yet another Mets starting pitcher injury with Steven Matz done for the year. The Mets are now down five starting pitchers. Hence, Milone being back in the bigs - at least for now. Milone has made two career starts against the Diamondbacks. Not surprisingly they didn't go well. He's 0-1 lifetime against them with a 7.59 ERA. The Mets are at low ebb. They have waved the white flag dealing a number of their veterans. New York has dropped seven of its last eight games and have lost 25 of the past 38 times when facing an above .500 foe. The Mets also have lost nine of their last 10 to the Diamondbacks. Arizona starter Patrick Corbin is pitching his best ball. He held the Cubs and Astros - two far better offensive teams than the Mets - scoreless during his last two starts spanning 15 1/3 innings. Corbin has a 15-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio in those last two games. Since All-Star break, Corbin has gone 4-2 with a 3.16 ERA in seven starts.
08-21-17	Rangers +137 v. Angels	Top	5-3	Win	137	19 h 15 m	Show
This is big game for the Rangers, who trail the Twins and Angels by 2 1/2 games for the last wild card spot. Cole Hamels is a big-game pitcher and has a strong history versus the Angels. He also has been very good since July. Hamels is 6-1 with a 2.93 ERA from July on. He is 3-1 with a 2.45 ERA in seven lfetime games against the Angels, including posting a 0.61 ERA in two starts this season. Tyler Skaggs has pitched decently since coming off the DL following being out for three months with a strained obligue. Skaggs doesn't have Hamels' big game experience, though, and has a 5.46 career mark against the Rangers in six starts, including two this season. The Rangers will be without slugger Joey Gallo and Carlos Gomez. These are two streaky players, though, who don't hit for a high average. The Rangers are averaging 7.4 runs during their last 10 games. Texas has less of a distance to travel for this game than the Angels, who are returning home from the East Coast. The Angels haven't been home since Aug. 9. So the spot isn't good for them mentally returning to Anaheim for the first time in such a long while.
08-20-17	Saints v. Chargers -3	Top	13-7	Loss	-105	55 h 3 m	Show
The Saints and Chargers conducted a joint 2 1/2-hour practice session on Thursday. The Chargers outplayed the Saints by a wide margin during seven-on-seven drills. Philip Rivers and Los Angeles' offense was much sharper than Drew Brees and New Orleans' offense. The Saints wide receivers had trouble separating themselves from the Chargers' talented cornerbacks and Brees didn't have enough time to find them. That's one indication how this preseason game might turn out. But of equal, if not stronger importance, is the motivation angle. This is the Chargers' first season playing in Los Angeles. They laid an egg at home in their first preseason game falling to the Seahawks, 48-17, last Sunday. The Chargers also have a first-year head coach, Anthony Lynn. The Chargers won't play at home again until Sept. 17. Their next three games are all on the road. So this becomes much more than just a preseason game for the Chargers. Lynn wants to get the new fans on his side and build interest. Lynn wants to win this game very bad. Saints coach Sean Payton doesn't. Payton is one of those coaches like Mike Tomlin who doesn't care about preseason. That's reflected in the Saints losing and failing to cover in their last eight August preseason games, including losing to the Browns, 20-14, last week. Payton isn't going to take any chances with Brees, nor even with second-stringer Chase Daniel. This means likely big minutes for Garrett Grayson and Ryan Nassib. These are very bad quarterbacks. I like Rivers and his backup quarterbacks - Kellen Clemens and Cardale Jones - better.
08-20-17	Nationals -103 v. Padres		4-1	Win	100	11 h 54 m	Show
Even without Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Daniel Murphy, if he's resting another game, Washington still is vastly superior to San Diego. The Nationals have won 13 of their last 19 road games and own a huge pitching matchup here with Gio Gonzalez facing rookie Dinelson Lamet. Gonzalez is pitching his best ball with a 3-0 mark and 0.43 ERA in his last three starts. The lefty has gone at least six innings during 13 of his past 14 starts. San Diego is 13-19 versus lefty starters and has lost 20 more games than the Nationals. Lamet has intiguing stuff. But he's very raw and inconsistent. His ERA at Petco Park is 3.75, which isn't impressive considering Petco is the premier pitching park in the majors.
08-19-17	Bears v. Cardinals -3	Top	24-23	Loss	-100	28 h 48 m	Show
Not only are the Cardinals the much better team, but they are home and have the advantage of having already played two preseason games while the Bears have only been in action once. Arizona is giving up an average of just 15 points in its two games. The Bears' defense isn't nearly as good. Cardinals quarterbacks Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton and Blaine Gabbert can take advantage of a vulnerable Chicago secondary. Gabbert played well in Arizona's first preseason game versus Dallas. Stanton looked the best he's ever looked with the Cardinals last week against the Raiders. By contrast, Mike Glennon looked horrible for the Bears. While Palmer and Stanton know their team's system, Glennon is rusty and has yet to get comfortable with the Bears. Backup rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky played great in the Bears' 24-17 home loss to the Broncos last week. Trubisky caught the Broncos by surprise since they had no film on him. The Cardinals have an idea about Trubisky now. So I'm not expecting Trubisky to perform nearly as well on the road against an aggressive Cardinals defense.