Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Game #919 Thursday 8* OVER the total in Pittsburgh Pirates vs Detroit Tigers @ 12:35 ET - These teams combined for 34 runs in yesterday's double-header and plenty of bullpen got used as a result. Should either Michael Fulmer or Ivan Nova run into some trouble here (and there is reason to believe they both will) then a tapped out bullpen will have to be called upon. The Tigers Fulmer has allowed 22 hits in the 15 and 1/3 innings spanning his last 3 starts. He has a 6.48 ERA in his two road starts this season. The Pirates Nova gave up 5 earned runs in just 5 and 1/3 innings in his lone home start this season. The over is 6-1 in Pittsburgh's inter-league games this season. The over is 27-11 in Detroit's Thursday games (including 3-0 this season) and Thursday's are often a "getaway day" in MLB with the next trip (a weekend series on tap) and so there is some validity to that "day of the week" trend as this has been a multi-season pattern for the Tigers. I also like the fact that the weather will be warming into the low 60s in this one. 8* OVER the total in Pittsburgh

No Doubt Blowout Rout - Rickenbach MLB Game #957 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Phillies Money Line (-) vs Arizona Diamondbacks @ 7:05 ET - The fact that Zack Greinke is on the mound for the Diamondbacks is helping to keep this line in check. The Phillies are off of a loss but have been playing extremely well and Jake Arrieta is looking like the "Cy Young version" of Arrieta recently. These factors should lead to a solid win for the Phils at home in this one. There is a chance of light rain in the Philly area this evening but it is not expected to last long and is expected to be light. Ultimately it should prove to not be an impact to this game. Greinke has a 7.15 ERA in his two road starts this season. He has allowed 7 hits and 3 walks in the 7 innings spanning his last two starts versus Philadelphia. As for Arrieta, he has allowed just 2 earned runs on only 6 hits in the 13 innings spanning his last two starts versus Arizona. The right-hander also has a streak of 10 straight scoreless innings at home for the Phillies. He had a rough first inning in his debut for the Phillies but, since then, Arrieta has given up NO runs on just 2 hits in his last 10 innings on the mound at Citizens Bank Park. Overall he has allowed just 2 earned runs in his last 16 and 2/3 earnings for the Phillies. Philadelphia is 4-0 the L4 times they entered a game off of a loss. Also, the Phils are still 9-2 at home even with yesterday's loss included. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Game #963 Wednesday 8* OVER the total in Chicago White Sox vs Seattle Mariners @ 2:10 ET - Yesterday's game was a 1-0 win. I like grabbing overs the day after a pitchers duel. The White Sox James Shields is struggling badly and very hittable. I also like grabbing overs in a game where I am projecting the home team pitcher to get hit hard. The reason being is that the home team usually is more comfortable (and hits better) at home so I am always looking for good spots for a road team to get their fair share of runs as well and this one certainly fits the bill. The White Sox are 3-0 to the over this season when off of a shutout loss. Also, the ChiSox are an overall 9-4 to the over off of a loss this year. They should bounce back against Felix Hernandez. The Mariners right-hander has a 7.80 ERA in his 3 road starts this season. Also, he has given up 24 hits in the 19 innings spanning his last 3 starts versus the White Sox. As for Chicago's Shields, he has been absolutely crushed for 14 earned runs in less than 9 innings of work in his last 2 starts versus the Mariners. Also, Shields comes into this start with a 5.96 ERA on the season and he has walked 9 in less than 12 innings of work spanning his last two starts. The over is 3-1 in his 4 starts this season. Also, the over is 8-3 when Seattle is off of a win this season. Additionally, the Mariners are 11-4 to the over against right-handed starters this year. More of the same here. 8* OVER the total in the Chicago White Sox game

Rickenbach MLB Game #919 Tuesday 8* OVER the total in Toronto Blue Jays vs Boston Red Sox @ 7:05 ET - Each of these teams are off of a pair of low-scoring games that wrapped up their respective weekend series. However, prior to that, the Red Sox had averaged scoring 8.1 runs per game in their 10 prior games and the Blue Jays had averaged scoring 8.3 runs per game in their 6 prior games. Both teams have fully capable lineups and Rick Porcello, though pitching well this season, has allowed 11 earned runs in the 10 innings spanning his last two starts versus the Blue Jays. As for J.A. Happ, though he has pitched well in recent starts versus Boston, he has allowed 4 earned runs in each of his two home starts this season. Also, the Jays southpaw has allowed 5 homers in his 22 innings this season while Boston's Porcello has allowed 5 homers in his last 11 innings versus Toronto. Also, entering this outing, none of Happ's last 3 starts and none of Porcello's last 3 starts have resulted in an under. The over is 4-1 in Blue Jays games versus teams with a winning record this season and the over is 3-0 in Boston's games versus teams with a winning record this season. 8* OVER the total in Toronto

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach MLB Game #963 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Texas Rangers vs Oakland A's @ 8:05 ET - The Rangers Matt Moore is 0-3 with an 8.76 ERA in his 3 career starts made at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Facing the A's is unlikely to help him as the Texas southpaw has only 1 win in his 5 career starts versus Oakland and he has compiled an ugly 7.07 ERA in those outings. The Athletics will have Trevor Cahill on the mound for this one. Over the past 3 seasons he is 2-8 with a 5.21 ERA in road games. Also, Cahill compiled a 4.89 ERA in night games the past 3 seasons. He has been a better pitcher at home and in day games. That said, a road outing at night at hitter-friendly Globe Life Park is not going to do him any favors. The line opened up at a 10 but dropped to a 9.5 in some spots already as some saw the 10 as being "too much" in this one. I certainly don't see it that way and am going contrarian and going with the over in this match-up. The over is 7-3 in the A's last 10 games as they've averaged scoring 7 runs per game during this solid long-term stretch. I won't be surprised to see this total stay at 10 in a lot of shops and then possibly even move up to a 10.5 later in the day. Note that the Rangers are 3-0 to the over this season in home games with a posted total of 10 or 10.5 runs. Look for that record to stay perfect on the year but I am happy to grab the 9.5 while we can. 10* OVER the total in Texas

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Game #961 Monday 8* Cleveland Indians Run Line -1.5 runs -115 @ Baltimore Orioles @ 7:05 ET - The Indians opened up as a -230 favorite on the money line and the Orioles have attracted quite a bit of attention. Why? Because Kevin Gausman is coming off of a quality start. However, just how "quality" was it. Yes he went 6 innings and allowed 3 earned runs or less so it earns the definition in that regard. However, Gausman allowed 9 hits including 2 homers in just 6 innings so he was fortunate the 2 bombs were solo shots! Now he faces an Indians team that gave him so trouble in his lone start against them last season. Also, the Tribe come into this game having averaged 11.3 hits per game in their last 8 games. Keep in mind the Orioles have been held to 7 hits or less in 6 of their last 7 games. Also, Baltimore has been held to 3 runs or less in 7 of its last 9 games. The Indians will have Carlos Carrasco on the mound and he is 3-0 on the season and also 2-0 in his last 3 starts while compiling a superb 1.23 ERA in those outings. Carrasco shut out the Orioles over 6 innings last season while piling up 10 strikeouts. More of the same here. Of course I am not going to lay a huge price on the money line but that is why I see so much value with the run line available at a low price here. 13 of the Orioles 16 losses this season have come by 2 or more runs. 7 of the Indians last 8 wins have come by 2 or more runs. 8* CLEVELAND

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach MLB Game #909 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Colorado Rockies vs Chicago Cubs @ 3:10 ET - Temperatures will warm into the mid-60s this afternoon in Denver and the air will be in drier than it was last night plus the warmer temperatures certainly will be nice for the hitters. I know that Jose Quintana blamed his struggles versus Atlanta on pitching in cold temperatures but remember he also struggled at Miami (no cold air there!) earlier this season. He has now had 1 good outing but been awful in the other two starts and I don't think an afternoon start at Coors Field is going to do him any favors. As for German Marquez, he is off of a fantastic starts in his most recent outing but that was on the road. At home this season he has an 8.21 ERA. Keep in mind, he finished up last season with a 5.25 ERA over his final 4 home starts and Coors Field is simply not an easy place to pitch. After the Cubs lineup produced only 2 runs yesterday look for them to have a breakout game today. Marquez walked 6 in less than 5 innings of work in his first home start this season. He then benefited from facing light-hitting San Diego in his next start but he is not so fortunate here. Chicago had averaged scoring 10.3 runs per game in their last 4 games prior to last night's dismal effort. Look for the Cubs to bounce back big and the over was 4-0 in Chicago's 4 games prior to yesterday and 4-1-1 in the Rockies last 6 prior to yesterday's 5-2 win. 10* OVER the total in Colorado

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Game #901 Sunday 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia Phillies vs Pittsburgh Pirates @ 1:35 ET - Nick Pivetta has pitched very well for the Phillies so far this season but I believe his most recent start could be a sign of something. It took Pivetta 98 pitches to get through 5 innings and he only recorded 2 strikeouts while giving up 5 hits in those 5 innings. Keep in mind his numbers have been helped by 2 starts against miserable Reds and Marlins. In his other two outings he has allowed 4 earned runs on 10 hits and 2 walks with just 5 strikeouts in 9 innings of work. I look for a solid hitting team like the Pirates to get to him early and often. As for the Pittsburgh starter, Trevor Williams, he does have a low ERA on the season but has allowed 18 hits in his last 17 and 1/3 innings plus has walked 6 in 12 innings in his two road start this season. He faces a Phillies team that is averaging 5 runs per game in its last dozen games and is 12-3 in their last 15 games. Philadelphia is playing with a lot of confidence right now and should again have a solid day at the plate. Temperatures are expected to warm into the mid-60s this afternoon in Philly and it should be a great day for the hitters. 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia

Game of the Month - Rickenbach MLB Game #959 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Colorado Rockies vs Chicago Cubs @ 8:10 ET - After combining for 21 runs yesterday's game, don't be surprised if we see another wild one tonight. Temperatures in the upper 40s not bad for this time of year in Denver and the winds, though light, are also expected to be shifting around to the south or southeast which will be pushing balls to left field. Ton of extra base hits in yesterday's game and more of the same expected here. Yu Darvish will be making his first ever start at Colorado. In his most recent start he got frustrated by a balk call and then unraveled from there. Wait until he gets frustrated by pitching in conditions where his pitches just don't have the same movement they normally would. Look for Darvish to get frustrated here and struggle like many hurlers do in their first starts at Coors Field. The Rockies did see him (and hit him hard) in September and now they get a shot at him at home. Darvish has struggled in 2 of his 3 starts this season. Tyler Anderson gets the start for the Rockies here and the southpaw was hit hard in his lone start versus the Cubs in his career. Also, he is coming off of a start in which he walked 6 batters in 6 innings. Prior to that he benefited from facing the light-hitting Padres twice this season. Now he faces a powerful Chicago lineup coming off of a 16-run outburst yesterday and this gets ugly quick in my opinion. The Cubs have gone over in 4 straight games and the Rockies have just 1 under in their last 6 games. Look for Chicago's over to improve to 6-2 in night games this season. 10* OVER the total in Colorado

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach MLB Game #969 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Baltimore Orioles vs Cleveland Indians @ 4:05 ET - Cleveland's Mike Clevinger biggest problem last season was command and he could be unraveling again. He certainly looked "off" in his start versus the Blue Jays and allowed 4 earned runs in just 4 innings. In his prior start, Clevinger allowed just 1 earned run but 10 hits in 7 and 1/3 innings. He threw 110 pitches in that start which was a career high and likely should have been pulled sooner. The rough outing versus the Jays could be as sign of things to come. As for Orioles starter Chris Tillman everything has been rough as he is 0-3 with an 11.92 ERA this season. Now he faces an Indians team that, prior to yesterday's 3-1 loss, had averaged 12.2 hits per game in their last 5 games. As they've been able to play in warmer weather the Cleveland bats are also starting to warm up. One could argue that Tillman could be better here today because he is pitching at home. However, last season he was 1-4 with a 6.58 ERA at home while allowing 17 homers in 14 innings and issuing more walks than strikeouts! Also, the last two times he faced the Indians, Tillman has allowed a total of 9 earned runs in 10 innings and Cleveland has hit 4 homers against him! 8* OVER the total in Baltimore

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Game #965 Saturday 8* OVER the total in New York Yankees vs Toronto Blue Jays @ 1:05 ET - The Yankees are now 12-2-1 to the over this month after yesterday's 8-5 loss to the Blue Jays flew over the total. Toronto's Marcus Stroman has struggled with his command this season. The Jays right-hander has allowed at least 4 earned runs in all 3 of his starts (including one against the Yankees) even though he hasn't lasted more than 5 innings in any of the outings. Jordan Montgomery was rocked for 4 earned runs on 10 hits in just 4 and 1/3 innings in his most recent home start. Now he faces a Blue Jays team that is #1 in the AL in slugging percentage in day games this season with a .482 mark. Who is #2 in the AL in slugging percentage this season? The Yankees with a .461 mark. Look for the over to improve to 5-2 in Toronto's day games this season as both teams continue to pound the ball in afternoon action! 8* OVER the total in New York Yankees

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Game #915 Friday 8* OVER the total in New York Yankees vs Toronto Blue Jays @ 7:05 ET - There was no question I wanted to come right back with this play after getting burned in last night's game. My ballpark action yesterday included two easy wins in afternoon action and then a tight loss in the night game due to too many wasted opportunities in the Blue Jays / Yankees match-up. They should make up for that here. The Blue Jays have been a surprise early this season and, even with so many missed opportunities in last night's loss, Toronto has averaged scoring 8.4 runs per game their last 5 games. The Yankees, with last night's 4-3 win, are now 5-4 their last 9 games and have averaged scoring 6 runs per game during this stretch. I like the fact that Toronto's Marco Estrada was dealing with back spasms in his last start. He's been cleared to go in this game but don't be surprised if they flare up again or at least impact him mentally in this game as he is concerned about another flare up. As for the Yanks Sonny Gray, he has a 6.92 ERA and 1.92 WHIP so far this season. He is trying to work on some mechanical adjustments to get back on track. Again, another good time (just like when dealing with a back injury) to fade a pitcher. In other words, look for both these hurlers to get rocked. Also helping our cause is the fact these lineups already faced these starters about 3 weeks ago. Cool in the Bronx tonight but not too bad with temperatures topping out near 50 today. Also, wind blowing out toward right field corner. Last night's under was the 1st for Toronto in their last 5 games. The Yankees are 11-2 to the over this month. 8* OVER the total in the New York Yankees game

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach MLB Game #901 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia Phillies vs Pittsburgh Pirates @ 7:05 ET - The Phillies and Pirates have hit very well this season with runners in scoring position and this is why they've fared as well as they have so far on the young season. That type of clutch hitting is also key to cashing overs and I love going contrarian in this match-up. The total has gone from an 8.5 to an 8 as of early Friday and the fact is that this should fly over. I know the Phillies shut out the Pirates yesterday but tonight they have Ben Lively going. Even though his last two starts were against two of the weakest hitting teams in MLB (Reds and Rays near dead last in slugging %), Lively has been hit at a .372 clip in his last two outings. Now he faces a Pirates team that hit him well when they faced him last season. As for Pittsburgh starter Ivan Nova, I know he has been throwing fairly well and has piled up some strikeouts in his last two starts but he also has allowed 4 homers while compiling a 5.21 ERA in his last 3 starts. Plus the Phillies got to him for 7 earned runs on 16 hits in just 13 and 1/3 innings last season. Look for Nova to struggle here as the Phils confidence is sky high thanks to a 10-3 run their last 13 games. The Phillies have averaged scoring 6.2 runs per game during this stretch. Just 3 unders in Pittsburgh's 10 road games this season and the Phillies have had just 7 unders the last 19 times they've been off of a shutout win. 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Game #931 Friday 8* Kansas City Royals (+) @ Detroit Tigers @ 1:10 ET (Game 1 of DH) – UPDATE: It appears that Jason Hammel may get the start in Game 1 for Kansas City. I still like this play as it mostly a play against Fullmer. I would prefer to have Junis here, but if Hammel goes it is still a play. So make your wager with action here. Hammel has allowed just 2 earned runs in his last 2 starts and those have spanned 11 and 1/3 innings. He is throwing with confidence and will look to get payback as his only rougher start this season was a tough one versus the Tigers. He did face Detroit twice in September last season and the Royals got the win over the Tigers in both of those Hammel starts. ORIGINAL WRITE-UP: I know it may seem tough to back a team, Royals, with one of the worst records in baseball but the Tigers truly aren't much better. That said, what I like about this situation is the plus money value with, in my opinion, the much better starter on the mound. The Royals Jakob Junis finished up last season throwing quite well over his last 10 or so starts. He has carried that momentum right into this season and was only knocked down a little by 3 homers to a powerful Angels lineup that had been red hot. Junis still has great numbers so far this season and he'll be opposed by Michael Fulmer. The Tigers right-hander hasn't been getting near the strikeout numbers that Junis has and he also has been getting hit much harder. Look for the Royals to get the opener of this day-night twin-bill for Friday. 8* KANSAS CITY (Game 1 of DH)

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Game #963 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Yankees vs Toronto Blue Jays @ 6:35 ET - It will be a chilly evening in the Bronx. Certainly the weather is not necessarily conducive to an over but the wind will be blowing out toward the right field corner and the earlier rains will have moved out of the area. What sets this one up so well is that the Blue Jays already faced CC Sabathia this season and the Yankees also already faced Aaron Sanchez as well. Though Toronto's Sanchez has some decent numbers on the season, he has been issuing too many walks and actually has issued more free passes than "punch-outs" via the strikeout in 2 of his 3 starts this year. Also, he gave up 4 earned runs in less than 6 innings of work versus the Yankees early this season. Additionally, in the last start Sanchez made at Yankee Stadium he allowed a pair of homers. As for Sabathia, he left his last start (nearly two weeks ago) due to hip soreness. He has given up 15 hits (including two homers) in less than 14 innings of work spanning his last 3 starts versus the Blue Jays. In his only home start this season the southpaw allowed 3 homers in just 4 innings of work. The over is a perfect 8-0 (one push) in the Yankees last 9 games. Also, the Blue Jays head to the Bronx with plenty of confidence at the plate after scoring 39 runs in their last 4 games. The over is a perfect 3-0 (one push) in Toronto's last 4 games. The Bronx Bombers are a perfect 7-0 to the over off of a loss this season and also 3-0 in home games with a posted total of 9 or 9.5 runs. That's a combined 21-0 mark to the over! I'll take it! 10* OVER the total in New York Yankees

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach MLB Game #961 Thursday 8* Houston Astros Run Line -1.5 runs @ Seattle Mariners @ 3:40 ET - Of course the Astros are a big favorite on the money line in this one but we can get line value by grabbing them on the run line. The price on Houston at -1.5 runs is in the pick'em range and this is a bargain considering Charlie Morton has been dominant for the Astros while Marco Gonzales has struggled badly for the Mariners. Morton has nasty stuff and he has struck out 25 in his 18 innings of work this season while compiling a 1.00 ERA. As for Gonzales, he has an 8.26 ERA this season and has particularly struggled in his last two starts. The Mariners have scored just 5 runs in their last 4 games so, although Gonzales has received favorable run support this season, that is unlikely to continue here. The Astros have averaged scoring 5 runs per game in their last 4 road games. Seattle has averaged only 4 hits per game in their last 4 games while Houston has pounded out 21 hits in their last two games. The Astros are 5-2 in day games and 5-2 versus left-handed starters this season. 5 of the Mariners last 6 losses have come by 2 runs or more and I look for another multi-run defeat here. 8* HOUSTON Run Line -1.5 runs

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Game #959 Thursday 8* OVER the total in Detroit Tigers vs Baltimore Orioles @ 1:10 ET - The Orioles Alex Cobb got crushed in his first start of the season Saturday at Boston. The Tigers Jordan Zimmerman got crushed in a different way in his most recent start as he took a line drive off of his jaw at Cleveland on the 11th. This will be his first start since then. Not only could that experience effect the mental aspect of his game, Zimmerman also has an ugly 8.18 ERA so far this season. With yesterday's game going over the total, the Orioles are now 6-2 to the over in their last 8 road games and the Tigers are on an overall 3-1 run to the over. When the total is a 9 or 9.5, Detroit is 4-1 to the over this season. Also, the Tigers are on a long-term 26-11 run to the over in Thursday games. It will be chilly at Comerica Park today but the sun will be out and the wind will be blowing out toward center at a good clip. 8* OVER the total in Detroit

Game of the Week - Rickenbach MLB Game #909 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Atlanta Braves vs Philadelphia Phillies @ 7:35 ET - I had this same play yesterday and it was unbelievable as the teams had stuff going on all night long but combined to ground into FIVE double plays plus left 21 men on base! Needless to say it was a game filled with wasted opportunities. Now on another great night for hitters at SunTrust Park, I expect these teams to make up for it with a slugfest. The air will be quite dry in Atlanta tonight and the wind will be blowing toward the left-field corner with warm temperatures too. Vincent Velasquez gets the start for the Phillies and he got crushed by the Braves in his first start this season as he gave up 7 runs (4 earned) in less than 3 innings of work. Brandon McCarthy gets the start for Atlanta and he has allowed 6 earned runs on 14 hits in just 10 and 1/3 innings spanning his last two starts versus the Phillies. Also, he faced Philadelphia in that same game that Velasquez pitched in and he was able to work out of some jams but he likely won't be so fortunate this time around. The over is 2-1 in each of these hurlers 3 starts this season. Also, yesterday was just the 2nd under the Braves have had in 8 home games this season. Look for tonight's game to resume the normal higher-scoring trend at SunTrust Park. 10* OVER the total in Atlanta

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Game #901 Wednesday 8* OVER the total in Pittsburgh Pirates vs Colorado Rockies @ 12:35 ET - After last night pitchers duel I look for this one to play out in much different fashion. Each of these lineups is loaded with plenty of pop and the two pitchers today have been struggling. The Rockies Kyle Freeland couldn't even make it out of the 5th inning in his most recent start as he had thrown 101 pitches so they pulled him. Prior to that outing Freeland allowed a pair of homers in each of his last two starts. Pittsburgh's Chad Kuhl has been getting hit hard and has a 5.74 ERA and 1.79 WHIP on the season. There was only one of his three starts that he didn't get hit hard and that is when faced the downtrodden Reds. The Rockies over is 4-1 this season when they are off of a game where they were held to 2 runs or less. The Pirates over is 3-0 this season in Kuhl's starts. The Pirates over is also 2-0 on Wednesdays, 2-0 in home games where their money line is between +125 and -125, and also 3-0 when they face a left-handed starter. Add it all up and you have a perfect 10-0 situation supporting the over in this one. Couple that with the line drop from a total of 8.5 to 8 as of this morning and this is a great situation. 8* OVER the total in Pittsburgh

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Game #955 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Atlanta Braves vs Philadelphia Phillies @ 7:35 ET - This total opened up at a 9 and has now dropped to low as an 8 as of game day morning. Temperatures will be mild in Atlanta this evening with the wind blowing toward the left field corner. The wind not necessarily a big help but the temperatures certainly good with rather dry air too which helps the hitters. The biggest key here is that the Phillies Nick Pivetta looks great with his last two starts being dominant but both of those were at home and against very bad teams. In his first start this season he was on the road and faced this very same Braves team and I expect them to get to him even more in the rematch. Last season Pivetta was 4-7 with a 6.65 ERA on the road where he got hit at a .298 clip. Also, in night games last season the Phillies right-hander went 2-6 with a 7.78 ERA and got hit at a .309 clip. As for the Braves Mike Foltneywicz, he has given up 8 runs (7 earned) on 12 hits (including 3 homers) in his last 9 innings versus Philadelphia. None of Foltneywicz last 3 starts versus Phils have stayed under the total. As for Pivetta, only 1 of his 4 starts versus the Braves have resulted in an under. This season the Braves have had just 1 under in 7 home games and, keep in mind, the Phillies faced Foltynewicz already in that same start Pivetta pitched in. These lineups are very familiar with the starter their facing today! 10* OVER the total in Atlanta

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Game #982 Tuesday 8* UNDER the total in Toronto Blue Jays vs Kansas City Royals @ 3:05 ET - The Royals haven't played since Saturday due to weather issues. The Blue Jays haven't played since Friday due to weather issues. This type of layoff is tough for lineups when it comes to maintaining your swing at the plate. The toughness of the situation will be exasperated here because these lineups are facing a pair of crafty left-handers in this one. Jaime Garcia goes for the Blue Jays in Game 1 of the double-header and he already has 12 K's in his first two starts spanning 11 and 2/3 innings. By the way, the Royals are the only team in the majors yet to hit a homer off of a southpaw this season. As for the Blue Jays, they have 4 homers versus southpaws but only 10 teams have 3 or less so that's not saying much. The fact is, with the Jays being off since Friday, their lineup is likely to struggle here. Yes, I know Erik Skoglund had some ugly numbers in his first start but he actually gave up only 6 hits in about 5 innings of work and the action on his pitches was pretty good. The key being that he was pitching after a long layoff due to off-days and postponements keeping him from making his first MLB start of the season. He'll be much better on his 2nd start with more normal rest between outings. 6 of the 7 Royals day games have stayed under the total and the under is a perfect 5-0 in Kansas City's road games this season! The under is a long-term 56-28 in Toronto's games versus left-handed starters. Also, the under is 5-2 this season when off of a win and 5-2 this season in their home games. Look for a low-scoring pitchers duel in Game 1. 8* UNDER the total in Toronto (Game 1 of DH)

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Game #905 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Phillies Money Line (-) @ Atlanta Braves @ 7:35 ET - This is a rematch of the opening day match-up in which Aaron Nola and Julio Teheran squared off, also in Atlanta. The Phillies took a 5-0 lead to the bottom of the 5th inning. They lost the game 8-5. Much has changed since then and the Phillies are playing with a ton of confidence thanks to a 6-game winning streak. Also, Nola did outpitch Teheran that night and he certainly has been the much better pitcher than the Braves righty so far this season. Teheran has a 7.07 ERA and a 1.79 WHIP so far this season. Nola has a 1.96 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP on the season! Teheran has allowed 4 homers in the 8 innings spanning his two home starts this season. It will by chilly in Atlanta tonight but the wind will be blowing out and this certainly could be a factor here. As for Nola, he has allowed just 1 homer in his 18 and 1/3 innings of work this season. After a disheartening loss for Atlanta (blew a late huge lead and lost improbably to the Cubs Saturday) this is a tough start for the Braves. Also, prior to that game Atlanta had average scoring just 2.7 runs per game in their 6 previous contests. The Phillies are averaging 7.5 runs per game in their last 8 games. The Phillies are 7-2 in night games this season and the Braves are 2-5 in night games on the year. 10* PHILADELPHIA 

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Game #923 Monday 8* OVER the total in New York Yankees vs Miami Marlins @ 6:35 ET - The only concern here is that the Yankees haven't played since Friday due to bad weather over the weekend. Alleviating that concern is that Caleb Smith walked 6 batters in just 3 innings in his lone road start this season and I expect him to struggle with the pressure of facing the Bronx Bombers at Yankee Stadium this evening. This is Smith's former team and last season here he walked 5 and gave up 3 homers in just 9 innings of work at Yankee Stadium. Sure he'd love to beat the team that drafted him but the Yankees also know plenty about him and I expect them to get to him here on an evening with the wind blowing out at Yankee Stadium. As for Yanks starter Luis Severino, he got roughed up for 5 earned runs in 5 innings in his most recent start. Last season he did allow 15 homers in his 16 home starts and his ERA was about a run and a half higher at home in comparison with on the road. Look for the over to improve to 8-4 this season in Miami's games with a posted total of 8 or 8.5 runs. As for the Yankees, the over is 9-1 in their games this month. They are 5-1 to the over at home this season and 7-1 to the over in their games against teams with a losing record. More of the same here. 8* OVER the total in the New York Yankees

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach MLB Game #964 Sunday 10* Top Play San Diego Padres Money Line (-) vs San Francisco Giants @ 4:10 ET - The Padres got a big win yesterday by picking up a pair of runs in the bottom of the 7th and hanging on for the victory. San Diego has now won 4 of its last 6 games and has scored 4 or more runs in 5 of its last 6 games. Of course, in general terms, this is a match-up of two of the weaker teams in the league but that is why I love the value being offered here with home field edge plus the pitching edge. The Giants won only 26 road games last season while the Padres won 43 home games. Yesterday's loss was the 4th in San Francisco's last 5 road games. The Giants are starting Tyler Beede and he couldn't find the strike zone in his MLB debut Tuesday. He walked 5 in a start that lasted just 4 innings and that was at home. As for the Padres Joey Lucchesi, he is also a rookie and I have been very impressed by this southpaw's demeanor. He carries himself very well on the mound and has put great numbers with 16 strikeouts in less than 16 innings of work and holding the opposition to a .214 batting average. The Giants went just 18-30 versus left-handers last season and also only 22-35 in day games. Before scoring 4 runs yesterday, San Francisco had been held to 3 runs or less in 4 of their 6 prior games. After Lucchesi struggled in his first start this season (his MLB debut) he has truly dominated his last two outings with 0 earned runs in 11 innings while striking out 15. I expect more of the same here. 10* SAN DIEGO PADRES

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Game #979 Sunday 8* OVER the total in Tampa Bay Rays vs Philadelphia Phillies @ 1:10 ET - The Phillies Ben Lively was hit quite hard in his starts versus the Reds on Monday and ended up allowing 5 earned runs in less than 6 innings of work. The Rays Ryan Yarbrough will be making his first ever MLB start. So far this season has pitched 8 innings in relief and he has walked 7 batters in those 8 innings. Also, the southpaw has been tough on lefties but righties have hit him at a .304 clip. Yarbrough will be facing a steady parade of righties with this Philly lineup. Philadelphia is now 7-1 their last 8 games and they've averaged scoring 7 runs per game. The Rays have averaged 4 runs per game in their last 6 games. That said, I look for this one to go over the low posted total. The over is 7-3 in the Rays last 10 games and also 7-3 in TB's day games this season. 8* OVER the total in Tampa Bay

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach MLB Game #929 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Phillies Money Line (+) @ Tampa Bay Rays @ 6:10 ET - The Phillies have won 4 straight games while the Rays haven't even won 4 games yet this season. Last night's 9th inning win on a 2-out single was the type of win that keeps a team full of confidence and, after sweeping the Reds prior to this series, the Phils are loaded with confidence right now. We get a good line on this game because Tampa Bay is at home and Chris Archer is on the mound. The fact is that he has a 5.94 ERA so far this season and has given up a homer in each start. Neither the Rays nor Phillies have hit particularly well this season but Philadelphia at least is in the middle of the pack with a .386 slugging percentage while the Rays are dead last with a .306 slugging percentage. They're likely to struggle against Jake Arrieta. Though his numbers from his first start don't look good, he actually retired 10 of the last 11 batters he faced after a rough first inning. In the first inning, Arrieta was still working off the rust in his return from injury. Look for him to be much sharper here while the Rays Archer's good fortune runs out here. The Rays have won 2 of his 3 starts even though he has allowed 4 runs in each start (only 1 unearned) while not pitching more than 6 innings in any of the outings.  Tampa Bays is 1-8 this season when off of a loss while the Phillies are 6-1 against teams with a losing record. That means we have a 14-2 (88%) spot favoring the road dog in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Game #901 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Washington Nationals vs Colorado Rockies @ 1:05 ET - Warm afternoon in DC as the cold air moving in again hasn't yet reached that far south. High temperatures up near 80 degrees and the wind blowing out. Couple that with the fact that the Rockies have some hitters in their lineup whom have had success against Max Scherzer and likewise for some Nats hitters versus Jon Gray and you have the perfect recipe for an over. This is especially true with the low total on this game which is currently a 7.5 as of early Saturday morning. Gray has a 5.73 ERA in his two career starts versus the Nationals. Scherzer has a 1-4 record and a 4.77 ERA in his 8 career starters versus the Rockies. After yesterday's pitchers duel don't be surprised when this one features some early and often fireworks from each of these lineups. 8* OVER the total in Washington

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach MLB Game #955 Friday 10* Top Play Colorado Rockies Money Line (+) @ Washington Nationals @ 7:05 ET - The Rockies are 5-1 in their last 6 road games after yesterday's 5-1 win at Washington. That defeat for the Nationals dropped them to 2-5 in their home games this season. The Nats are likely to struggle again today. Washington will be facing Rockies southpaw Kyle Freeland and the Nationals numbers against lefties rank them dead last in the majors this season. The Nats are hitting just .171 with only a .243 slugging percentage versus lefties! The Nationals have only 1 homer and 2 doubles in those 70 at bats versus left-handers. The Rockies, on the other hand, have 12 homers in their 8 road games this season. Their .418 slugging percentage away from home ranks them in the top 3rd of the league. They'll take advantage of facing Tanner Roark whom allowed 2 big homers to the Mets in the Sunday night game. Though he struck out 9 in that start he also walked 4 and he also has walked 8 in 10 career innings versus the Rockies. Though not a huge gap between the bullpens, Colorado also has the edge there so far this season with a 4-2 mark and 4.15 ERA while the Nationals relievers are 0-3 with a 5.19 ERA. The Nats sticks are averaging just 2.5 runs per game their last 8 games! The Rockies have averaged 5 runs per game in their last 7 road games. I know it may seem "risky" taking a dog in this range but Washington is actually 0-4 this season as a home fave in a range of -125 to -175. Plus, the Rockies are 26-27 (+$11,500) as a road dog in a range of +125 to +175. Rockies 4-2 versus right-handed starters this season and Nationals 1-5 when off of a loss this year. 10* COLORADO ROCKIES

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Game #953 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cincinnati Reds vs St Louis Cardinals @ 6:40 ET - The Cardinals rolled 13-4 over the Reds yesterday. Cincinnati is 6-3 to the over this season when off of a loss including 2-0 to the over when they gave up 10 or more runs. The Reds are also a long-term 30-18 to the over as a home dog in a money line range of +125 to +175. The Cards Luke Weaver is off of back to back solid starts to open the season but both of those games were pitched in cold weather which certainly wasn't good for the hitters. Tonight's game at Cincinnati will feature temperatures up near 80 degrees at first pitch and the wind will be blowing toward the left field corner. The Reds sends Tyler Mahle to the mound. The right-hander got rocked for 5 earned runs on 9 hits (including 2 homers) in less than 5 innings of work in his most recent start. St Louis hitters are "feeling it" right now and that continues today while the Reds sticks had notched 11 hits or more in 4 of their 6 games prior to yesterday's beatdown. They should respond today and I am expecting a slugfest tonight at Great American Ballpark. 10* OVER the total in Cincinnati

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach MLB Game #909 Thursday 10* OVER the total in Cleveland Indians vs Detroit Tigers @ 6:10 ET - These two teams are the bottom two teams in the majors for batting average so far this season. However, much of that has to do with the cold weather they've played in for so many games. This evening in Cleveland the temperature will likely be in the mid-60s at first pitch with the wind blowing out to right field. That's part of the reason you've seen this total climb from a 7.5 to an 8 even though both teams have trended under this season. The other key reason is that the lineups have plenty of familiarity with the pitchers they are facing today. I know that Michael Fullmer has good numbers on the season but he was constantly working out of jams in his most recent start. That is hidden by his low ERA and I expect a breakthrough game for the Indians against him. Fullmer has a 6.04 ERA and 1.82 WHIP versus Cleveland. As for the Indians Trevor Bauer, he has an ugly 7.97 ERA and 1.92 WHIP in his career versus the Tigers. Also, though both of these teams are at the bottom in terms of batting average, their strikeout rate is not bad (each averaging 8 Ks a game) compared to others in the league. They've been putting the ball in play and, finally, on a mild evening at Progressive Field, I look for that to pay off big on Thursday with both lineups enjoying a breakout game. Lets take advantage of the low total in this one. 10* OVER the total in Cleveland

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Game #901 Thursday 8* OVER the total in Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates @ 2:20 ET - There are always a number of key factors in an MLB totals handicap. However, especially at Wrigley Field, the weather is always a big key. In this case, temperatures are expected to warm up to almost 70 degrees today in advance of a cold front. We should have a strong west wind blowing out to right field in advance of the front. Now, the timing is never a sure thing and I am wrapping up this write-up 3.5 hours before first pitch. But it does look like we're going to have good weather here with dry air and good warmth at least for the first "half" of this game. As the game goes on, even as the wind shifts and possibly starts blowing in, note that the Pirates have been one of the hottest hitting teams in the league this season but also have the worst bullpen in all of the majors based on ERA so far this year. The Cubs are averaging 6.3 runs per game their last 6 games and they've scored at least 4 in 5 of those 6 games. The Pirates are averaging 6.5 runs on the season and they have scored at least 4 runs in 9 of those 11 games. Keep in mind, a 4-4 game guarantees us of at least a 5-4 final. This total is only an 8.5 and I see no reason to believe both teams won't get to at least 4 here. Pittsburgh's Trevor Williams allowed 10 hits in 5 and 1/3 innings in his most recent start. Kyle Hendricks allowed 2 homers to the Brewers in his most recent start and the Pirates have hit 8 homers in their 5 road games this season. Look for the over to improve to 8-2 in Pittsburgh's last 10 games. 8* OVER the total in Chicago Cubs

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach MLB Game #955 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Colorado Rockies vs San Diego Padres @ 3:10 ET - I am coming right back with the same play I lost with yesterday. Yes, neither team looked overly impressive last night at the plate but both southpaw starters did pitch much better than I expected. However, now we have a day game with temperatures into the upper 70s, the wind blowing out to right, and a match-up of right-handed starters whom both should struggle. The Padres Luis Perdomo had good success with his slider in his last start at Houston but he won't get the same break on that pitch in the thin air of Colorado. Also, he has now walked 7 in his 9 innings on the mound so far this season. You don't want to give free passes at Coors Field where the ball carries so well. As for the Rockies German Marquez, has had 10 walks in less than 10 innings on the mound so far this season. Again, this leads to issues and he allowed 7 earned runs in less than 5 innings of work versus the Braves in his most recent start. Marquez has a 5.94 ERA in 3 starts versus San Diego. Perdomo is winless with a 7.40 ERA in his 5 starts versus Colorado. The Rockies had just 2 unders in their 8 divisional games prior to yesterday's poor effort at the plate. Things return to "normal" this afternoon at Coors Field and this one flies over the total. 10* OVER the total in Colorado

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Game #953 Wednesday 8* OVER the total in St Louis Cardinals vs Milwaukee Brewers @ 1:15 ET - The Cardinals bullpen is getting has a 1.58 WHIP which is one of the worst in the majors. That could be an issue here because Adam Wainwright is coming back from a hamstring issue and he just doesn't appear right. He had issues with both command and velocity in his first start. Wainwright allowed 4 earned runs in 5 innings when he hosted the Brewers at Busch Stadium last season and the damage could have been much worse. He allowed 10 hits and walked 3 in those 5 innings of work. Yesterday's game between these teams did go 11 innings but still the fact that each team left 13 men on base certainly shows they could have scored much more than just 8 runs. Now, with Wainwright matched up with Junior Guerra today, look for an easy over. Guerra had a decent ERA in spring training but he did get hit at a .321 clip and, keep in mind, he is coming off of a poor 2017. He went 1-4 with a 5.12 ERA last season. Of particular concern for him here is that he had a 6.68 ERA in road games and 9.00 ERA in day games last season. With the wind blowing out on a mild afternoon in St Louis (temperatures reaching the 70 degree mark) this one should fly over the total. The Brewers have reached double digits in hits in all 5 road games this season and the over is perfect 4-0 in Milwaukee's last 4 games away from home. Look for the over to improve to 5-2 in Cardinals day games this season. 8* OVER the total in St Louis

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Game #909 Tuesday 10* OVER the total in Colorado Rockies vs San Diego Padres @ 8:40 ET - Perfect set up here. These teams are getting their sticks going now that they're facing each other at hitter-friendly Coors Field instead of pitcher-friendly Petco Park. In addition to the bats combining for 13 runs yesterday, temperatures are expected to rise to about 70 this afternoon in Denver. It will likely be close to 70 for first pitch in this game. Warmer temperatures and this pitching match-up are going to lead to a lot of runs. These guys, Rockies Tyler Anderson and Padres Joey Lucchesi just squared off in San Diego and that was a low-scoring pitchers duel. Neither starter was charged with a run in the eventual 3-1 Rockies win. Now that they match up in Colorado and with these lineups having just faced these pitchers, the hitters are going to rule the day in this one. This will be Lucchesi's first career road start and it couldn't come at a worse venue. Pitchers are known for struggling in their first ever visits to Coors Field. As for Anderson, he has struggled versus right-handed batters throughout his career. The Padres will load up from that side of the plate tonight with their lineup. The over is 5-2 in San Diego's night games this season and the over has gone 7-4 the past two seasons in Padres road games with a posted total of 10 or 10.5 runs. Only 2 of the Rockies 8 divisional games this season have stayed under the total. More fireworks again at Coors tonight. 10* OVER the total in Colorado

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Game #913 Tuesday 8* OVER the total in the Chicago White Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays @ 2:10 ET - The Rays are starting to get their bats going as they've pounded out 25 hits which has led to 12 runs their past 2 games. The White Sox finally got back on track with 4 runs yesterday and they've now scored 4 or more runs in 6 of their 9 games. They should have no trouble with the offerings of Tampa Bay's Blake Snell. The Rays southpaw is off of a tough road outing that followed a strong home outing. The fact is that this is nothing new for Snell. He is known for getting hit hard and struggling on the road while pitching very well at home. That has been the case for him each of the last two seasons and it looks like that trend will continue. As for the White Sox Carson Fulmer, he had a solid start at Toronto (not great but solid). However, I am not sold on him. The young hurler is coming off of a rough spring and this is still a guy whom has a 5.40 ERA in his young career at the MLB level. The way the Rays are swinging the bats now, I expect him to struggle this afternoon. The over is 6-2 in Tampa Bay's day games this season and the over is 5-1 in the Rays road games. More of the same here. 8* OVER the total in Chicago White Sox

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach MLB Game #957 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in St Louis Cardinals vs Milwaukee Brewers @ 7:05 ET - The Cardinals Miles Mikolas hit a homer in his first start after spending the past 3 years in Japan but he also allowed 3 homers and it was against the same Brewers team he's facing today. That doesn't bode well for the rematch as Milwaukee gets a quick "second look" at Mikolas. As for the Brewers starter, Jhoulys Chacin, he also made his most recent start versus the same team he is facing today. Giving the Cardinals a quick "second look" at him is unlikely to help as they hit him hard last week. Also, Chacin got hit hard in his first start this season too. Having allowed 10 runs (7 earned) in 9 innings in his first two starts this season, the Milwaukee righty is likely in trouble here. Couple that with the fact that this total has dropped from an 8.5 to an 8 and great value is being offered here. Yes  I know it will be chilly at Busch Stadium this evening but it will not be brutal. Temperatures should be in the mid-40s and neither one of these starters is going to find it easy facing the same hitters that just gave them trouble last week. 10* OVER the total in St Louis

Game of the Week - Rickenbach MLB Game #913 Sunday 10* Top Play New York Mets Money Line (+) @ Washington Nationals @ 8:05 ET - You know how it is guys. Everyone will look at this match-up and take the Nationals because there is "no way" the Nats could get swept at home, right? Of course that is the common thinking and that is what drives the value in situations like this. Every game is a standalone event and while it may seem improbable for Washington to lose 3 straight at home to the division rival Mets, there is absolutely no reason that it can't happen. One of the keys is that the Mets bullpen ranks near the top of the majors early this season for ERA and the Nationals rank near the bottom for bullpen ERA. That said, even if the starters Matt Harvey and Tanner Roark pitch equally well, the Mets should hold the late season edge. Additionally, New York definitely holds the edge at the plate right now. The Mets have averaged 5 runs per game their last 3 games while the Nats have scored a TOTAL of just 5 runs their last 3 games. Harvey pitched 5 scoreless innings (just 1 hit and 1 walk while striking out 5) in his first start this season. Roark also pitched well in his 1st start this season but he has allowed 6 earned RUNS in his last two starts versus the Mets while Harvey has allowed just 8 HITS in his last two starts versus Washington. As a home fave in a range of -125 to -175 the Nationals are only 42-39 their last 81 which has cost their backers $18,000 at $1,000 a game. NY has won 30 of 55 (+$6,800) road games with a posted total of 8 or 8.5 runs. All things considered, great underdog value offered here. 10* NEW YORK METS

Total Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Game #909 Sunday 8* OVER the total in Colorado Rockies vs Atlanta Braves @ 3:10 ET - Prior to yesterday's low-scoring match-up, the Braves had averaged 8 runs per game in going 5-2 in their first 7 games of the season. Colorado has not hit well early this season but Sean Newcomb should bring out the best in them. The Braves southpaw has allowed 4 homers in his 2 starts versus the Rockies in his career and both outings were recent as they were in August of last season. Newcomb struggled with his command and allowed 5 earned runs in less than 5 innings of work versus the Nationals in his first start this season. The Rockies also have a southpaw on the bump in this one as Kyle Freeland takes to the mound. Freeland was matched up with Newcomb in both of those starts last August and he gave up 10 hits in 6 innings in the rematch versus the Braves. The way the Braves have been hitting this season and the fact that Freeland allowed 4 earned runs in 5 and 1/3 innings in his first start this season means we should expect plenty of offense from the Atlanta lineup in this one. Yesterday's under was the 1st this season for the Braves and just the 3rd for the Rockies in their 9 games this season. Look for the early season high-scoring ways to resume here. Temperatures will be a little milder than they were for yesterday's game and the ball carries well in the thin air at Coors Field. 8* OVER the total in Colorado

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Game #905 Sunday 8* Chicago Cubs Money Line (-) @ Milwaukee Brewers @ 2:10 ET - The Brewers were very sloppy late in yesterday's loss to the Cubs. Fundamental baseball was completely absent for Milwaukee while Chicago played some beautiful old-school baseball for the win. It shows just how far apart these two teams still are. Couple that with the pitching edge and the low money line on the Cubs here and I am happy to be back the small road fave in this one. Jose Quintana has a 1.20 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 15 innings in his last two starts at Miller Park. As for Chase Anderson, he gave up 3 homers in his first start this season and was fortunate the damage wasn't worse than the 4 earned runs he allowed in just 4 innings of work. Anderson allowed 4 homers in less than 16 innings of work in spring training so there are some concerns about where he is at right now even though he pitched so well last season. Lay the small price here as the Brewers drop to 2-5 in divisional games (all at home too) early this season. 8* CHICAGO CUBS 

Philly Special - Rickenbach MLB Game #959 Saturday 8* Miami Marlins Money Line (+) @ Philadelphia Phillies @ 6:05 ET - Even though the Phillies won 5-0 Thursday, they still did not hit the ball well. That said, I am not expecting any miracles from Philadelphia versus Dillon Peters either. The southpaw has handcuffed them to the tune of a 1.38 ERA in his two appearances versus them last September after he was called up. The way Peters threw in his season opener this year (6 shutout innings versus the Cubs) I am expecting more success for him today versus the Phils. As for Philadelphia starter Vincent Velasquez, he simply can not be trusted right now. He got crushed by the Braves in his first start this season and couldn't even make it past the 3rd inning. Last season he went 2-7 with a 5.13 ERA. He just isn't right at the present time and is likely soon headed for a demotion to the bullpen. That said, the Phillies are very over-priced. Yes they won the series opener 5-0 Thursday but that victory was truly less impressive than it looks on the surface. Also, Philadelphia has lost 12 of 18 when off of a shutout win. The Marlins are 10-10 when off of a shutout loss. 50% odds may not sound that impressive but it's not bad when you're playing a +145 dog and, keep in mind, the Phillies that 67% loss factor when off of a shutout win. Also, Velazsquez went 1-5 with a 6.10 ERA and got hit at a .305 clip in home games last season. 8* MIAMI

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Game #967 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays @ 1:05 ET - It will be chilly in Boston but the wind will be blowing out to right. I also like the fact that these two lineups just faced these two starting pitchers. The Rays saw Rick Porcello on the 31st and the Red Sox saw Jake Faria on the 1st. Though they each gave up only 1 earned run, Faria did allow 7 baserunners in just 4 innings of work and Porcello did allow 6 hits in just 5.3 innings of work. This series took a day off yesterday and the over is 20-12 when the Red Sox are playing after an off day. Porcello went only 7-11 at home last season with the opposition hitting .306 against him as he compiled a 5.43 ERA at Fenway Park. Faria had a 4.88 ERA in day games last season and allowed 4 homers in his 24 innings of work in afternoon action. 8* OVER the total in Boston

Run Line Rout - Rickenbach MLB Game #918 Friday 8* Houston Astros Run Line -1.5 runs -130 vs San Diego Padres @ 8:10 ET - Of course the line could climb higher but, as of early Friday morning we're looking at a -130 on the Astros run line at -1.5 runs. That said, this is great value considering this should be an absolute rout. The Padres lost 3 to 1 to the Rockies yesterday and, other than one big day at the plate this season, San Diego has been held to an average of 6.7 hits per game in their other 6 games. The Padres are 1-6 on the season and each of their last 5 losses have come by 2 runs or more. The Astros enter this game 6-1 on the season and, though their most recent win was a tight one, each of their first 5 victories this season came by a multiple run margin. Combining these factors with a complete mound mismatch and you have the recipe for a blowout here. Luis Perdomo struggled badly in his first start this season and that continued a disturbing carryover trend from last season. Overall, this is a guy who has a 5.24 ERA and has been hit at a .298 clip at the big league level. Now he faces the World Champs in their house. This is unlikely to go well. On the flip side, you will see a struggling Padres lineup trying to connect against Lance McCullers whom has great stuff! He struck out 10 in 5 and 1/3 innings in his first start this season and he is a phenomenal 13-4 with a 2.39 ERA in home starts the past 3 seasons combined! Look for a blowout here. 8* HOUSTON ASTROS Run Line -1.5 runs -130

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Game #909 Friday 8* OVER the total in Cleveland Indians vs Kansas City Royals @ 4:10 ET - It will be cold at Progressive Field for this one with the wind blowing in too. However, this total has dropped from an 8 (that was already too low in my opinion) to a 7.5 in most spot as of early gameday morning. I understand the general opinion about colder weather leading to unders but, keep in mind, sometimes the pitchers struggle with colder weather too. It effects their grip on the baseball and especially guys who rely more on breaking stuff and getting action on their pitches. With the Royals Danny Duffy and the Indians Carlos Carrasco both coming off of tough starts in their first outing this season, I look for another tough one for each here. Duffy very tough on lefties but the Indians will got with a righty-heavy lineup here and righties hit 111 points higher than lefties last season. The Royals lineup should enjoy success against Carrasco. The right-hander has shown an interesting long-term trend over the past 3 seasons. His ERA at home is nearly 2 full runs higher than on the road. Carrasco has held opponents to .199 on the road but has been hit at a .272 clip in home games. Neither team has hit very well yet this season but two struggling starters and a struggling Royals bullpen (ERA ranks them last in MLB right now) will combine to send this one over the total. 8* OVER the total in Cleveland

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach MLB Game #955 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in San Diego Padres vs Colorado Rockies @ 3:40 ET - There is reason to believe that both of these hurlers will struggle on Thursday afternoon. The Rockies Tyler Anderson struggled with command in his first start this season and got absolutely crushed at Arizona. Last season the Colorado southpaw went 3-5 with a 6.11 ERA before the All Star break and that included a very rough April. Also, he is now 3-7 with a 5.72 ERA in road games in his career after another rough road outing versus the Diamondbacks to begin this season. He did lose his only start at Petco Park last season and that was actually during a time when he was pitching better. In other words, he's likely in trouble here. As for San Diego's Joey Lucchesi, he did settle down after a rough first inning in his MLB debut. However, it is still concerning that a guy known as a strikeout specialist throughout his minor league career did record only one strikeout in nearly 6 innings of work. That said, he could find the going rough with the Rockies making plenty of contact. Colorado and San Diego entered their Wednesday late night match-up each with a mark of 4-1 to the over on the season. The Padres had averaged 5.3 runs per game their last 4 games and the Rockies had averaged the same over their past 4 as well. The ball does carry better in day games at Petco Park and we're getting a low total here because it is known as a pitcher-friendly park. I'll take advantage as this pitching match-up is very conducive to a high-scoring game here! 10* OVER the total in San Diego

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Game #951 Thursday 8* New York Mets Money Line (+) @ Washington Nationals @ 1:05 ET - The Mets are 4-1 on the young season while the Nationals enter this game off back to back losses. That said, we're getting excellent underdog line value here with red hot New York. They have Jacob deGrom on the mound and after a fantastic first start this season (also an afternoon game) he is now 18-8 with a 1.98 ERA in his career in day games. Those kinds of numbers are virtually unheard of over multiple season. Of course the Nationals Stephen Strasburg is a great pitcher but, interestingly, for most of his career he has not fared as well in day games as he has at night. Also, he was much more "touched up" than deGrom was in his season debut. The right-hander got hit hard at times by the Reds and now he faces a very confident Mets lineup that has some hitters with good experience against him. This is a super underdog value spot I won't pass up! 8* NEW YORK METS

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Game #905 Wednesday 8* Los Angeles Dodgers Money Line (-) @ Arizona Diamondbacks @ 3:40 ET - The Dodgers and Diamondbacks had a crazy 15-inning game Monday. This write-up is being done before Tuesday's game has even thrown the first pitch but the key to this Wednesday selection is a huge pitching edge for the Dodgers. Alex Wood has been throwing extremely well and, heading into Tuesday, the LA bats had finally woken up with an average of 7 runs per game in their 3 prior games. The Diamondbacks have also been hitting well early this season but Wood has given them trouble in the past. The southpaw's last two starts have seen him hold Arizona to just 2 earned runs on only 9 hits in 13 innings of work. Wood struck out 14 in those 13 innings of work. He's coming off of a gem in his first start this season and the same can not be said for the Dbacks Patrick Corbin. The Arizona southpaw gave up 7 hits in less than 6 innings of work. Yes it wasn't a bad start but the damage could have been worse than a couple of solo dingers. The issue for him now is that the Dodgers have crushed him throughout his career. In his last 3 starts versus Los Angeles, Corbin has given up 24 hits in 15 innings of work. The Diamondbacks have a losing record in day games the past two seasons combined while LA has a record of 60-32 in afternoon action. That said, and with a very low price to lay, the small road fave with the pitching edge is the play here. 8* LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Game #916 Wednesday 8* UNDER the total in Houston Astros vs Baltimore Orioles @ 2:10 ET - Entering Tuesday night's match-up, the under was a perfect 4-0 this season in Baltimore's games. The Orioles just can't hit as, entering Tuesday, they've averaged only 1.5 runs and 4.25 hits per game this season! Now, for the first time this season, Baltimore will be facing a southpaw starter and a good one at that. Dallas Keuchel gets the start and he is known for dominating at home. That said, after Keuchel struggled some in his first start this season at Texas, he should bounce at home in Houston. The Orioles starting pitcher should also enjoy success here as Dylan Bundy had a fantastic first start this season and is now looking to avenge a poor outings versus the Astros last season. Keep in mind, he's still a young hurler so he has had his growing pains but look for him to be successful here in his rematch with Houston. That was Bundy's first ever opening day start last week and he showed how much he has grown and matured as he passed that test with flying colors. As for Keuchel, the under is 5-1 in his 6 career starts versus the Orioles and this should be another one here. The under is 61-37 in O's games with a posted total of 8 or 8.5 runs. The under is 26-15 in Astros games where they are a home fave of -175 to -250. 8* UNDER the total in Houston

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach MLB Game #975 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Miami Marlins vs Boston Red Sox @ 6:10 ET - This is definitely a contrarian play because Chris Sale pitched fantastic in the season opener for Boston. However, the Red Sox southpaw did get roughed up in his lone start at Miami (a loss in 2016) and I expect him to have some struggles against at Marlins Park. One of the issues will be that Miami's lineup will be facing a southpaw starter for a 3rd straight game. They faced Brian Johnson in the opener of this series and remember they closed out the series with the Cubs by facing Jose Quintana. In that series with Chicago, the Marlins bounce back for 6 runs in each of the last two games and though this team has pitching issues (among other things) they are showing the ability to put up some runs. About those struggles on the mound, Jose Urena gets the ball here and he was shaky in the season opener versus the Cubs and now faces a potent and confident Red Sox lineup. I know Boston didn't score many runs in the series with the Rays but they did leave 20 men on base in the final two games so they did have some solid scoring opportunities they simply failed to convert on. We're getting a low total on this game because Sale is on the mound for the Red Sox and, keep in mind, Boston's bullpen had a 5.73 ERA heading into last night's game. The Marlins entered yesterday's series opener with a record of 23-15 to the over in interleague action the past two seasons. Look for this one to surprise many and climb over the low total. 10* OVER the total in Miami

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Game #973 Tuesday 8* Seattle Mariners Money Line (+) @ San Francisco Giants @ 4:35 ET - The fact that the Giants are 2-2 this season is truly a miracle as they've only scored 2 runs this season! San Francisco started off the season with a pair of 1-0 wins but they've now been outscored 14-0 in their last two games. The Giants simply have not been able to hit and now they faced a rejuvenated Marco Gonzales coming off of a strong spring. As for Mariners lineup, they have been producing as they've scored 5 runs in each of their last two games and they are 2-1 on the season. Seattle should enjoy success against Ty Blach considering the southpaw got hit at a .295 clip by right-handed batters last season and the Mariners are loaded with some dangerous right-handed bats! I know he pitched surprisingly well in the season opener and I don't expect a repeat here. Besides, run support is highly like to again be an issue for any San Francisco pitcher right now. Grab the road dog that certainly is swinging the bats much better than their opponent in this one. 8* SEATTLE

ESPN Game of the Week - Rickenbach MLB Game #920 Monday 10* Top Play Houston Astros Run Line -1.5 runs vs Baltimore Orioles @ 7:10 ET - The Orioles are known as a team that loves fastballs and they struggle badly against off-speed stuff. That makes a match-up with Charlie Morton quite possibly a nightmare. He has developed a devastating curveball and uses it plenty as everyone saw in full display in the World Series versus the Yankees. Now, in Houston's home opener, the Astros home opener will celebrate the World Series victory and will have Morton on full display again with his arsenal of off-speed stuff. He should dominate the Orioles who will have hardly anyone in their lineup whom has any experience against them. This will make it even tougher on the O's to try and get good wood on Morton's stuff. As for the Baltimore starting pitcher in this one, Chris Tillman gets the call and he was 1-7 with a 7.84 ERA last season. He has struggled the last couple times he has faced the Astros. Also, looking at Tillman's numbers from last season's awful campaign, the bad news was that he was even worse on the road and worse in night games. Welcome to Houston Chris. Road game at night! This looks like a home blowout. Of course I don't lay big money lines. That's why my play here is the run line which is available at about a -120 price. Astros in a rout. 10* HOUSTON Run Line -1.5 runs 

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Game #901 Monday 8* OVER the total in Milwaukee Brewers vs St Louis Cardinals @ 2:10 ET - The Cardinals are starting Miles Mikolas whom hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2014. Why? He has spent the last 3 years pitching in Japan. I don't care what his numbers were there. MLB is light years ahead of the competition he faced there. Its now wonder he got hit hard in spring training and I expect him to get pounded here too! The Brewers have started off the season red hot with 3 straight wins. They've reached double digits in hits in all 3 games. They've scored 15 runs the past two games. All of that was at pitcher-friendly Petco Park. Now they are at home at Miller Park where there is still plenty of chill in the air (typical early April in Wisconsin) which means the roof will be closed. Look for the Brewers to do some damage to Mikolas early and often. As for the Milwaukee starter, Zach Davies, he'd be better off NOT starting the home opener. He had a 5.82 ERA at home last season. Now he faces a Cardinals team that will have some extra confidence at the plate today after nothing that all important first win yesterday in New York as they got to the Mets for 5 runs. The over is 2-1 in St  Louis' 3 games this season and also 2-0 in the Brewers last 2 games. Look for that streak to reach 3 in a row here as BOTH of these starters are likely to get lit up early and often. 8* OVER the total in Milwaukee

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Game #967 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros @ 3:05 ET - Gerrit Cole makes his debut for the Astros and in a very hitter friendly ballpark. That doesn't bode well for a guy that gave up nearly 3 times as many homers as he had in any other season last year. Though the Rangers did not hit well yesterday, remember that they did get to Dallas Keuchel on Friday and if Cole leaves some up in the zone (as I suspect he will) don't be surprised if Texas puts up some crooked numbers on the scoreboard in this one. Of course they'll need all the runs they can get because they're handing the ball to Mike Minor whom hasn't started at the MLB level since 2014! That spells trouble against an Astros lineup that was certainly "feeling it" yesterday as they piled up 9 runs. Houston now gets the luxury of facing a left-handed starter in back to back games. That always tends to help the lineup, especially when off of a big day. Even if Minor enjoys some early success here, I expect him to quickly fade and the Astros will continue pounding on the Rangers bullpen. Nice weather here in Arlington with an interesting dynamic that could help us as well (not that we necessarily need it) but a wind shift is on the way that could happen during the game depending on the timing of a weather front. Either way, the ball carries well here at this park and look for another high-scoring match-up just like yesterday but this time with a little more balanced scoring between the teams as Cole gives up some big extra base hits including dingers. The odds makers tried to hang a 10 on this game and the markets quickly got it down to a 9.5 and I'll gladly take advantage! 10* OVER the total in Texas

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Game #961 Sunday MLB 8* OVER the total in Toronto Blue Jays vs New York Yankees @ 1:05 ET - Each of the first three games in this series have all stayed under the total. It is very rare for a full 4-game set to record 4 straight unders and I don't expect that to happen here. Of course you can't just blindly play an over in a situation like this and I am certainly not doing that. What I like about this situation is that the Yankees certainly have plenty of pop in their lineup and Marcus Stroman is not 100% yet and will likely be on a pitch count for the Blue Jays here as he comes back from his shoulder injury. He only made two starts in spring training. Also, the Yankees saw plenty of him last season and are very familiar with him. What I also like about this match-up is the Blue Jays scored 5 runs yesterday and finally got their sticks going a bit. They match up well with Sonny Gray as they've seen plenty of him and, though he's solid, he certainly is not overly dominant and was not all that impressive after coming to the Yankees last season. Also, at this point in the series there aren't a lot of secrets in the bullpen. All things considered, no reason each team can't get to 4 here and with this total opening at 8.5 that puts in the winners circle. 8* OVER the total in Toronto

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach MLB Game #917 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Oakland A's vs Los Angeles Angels @ 4:05 ET - Matt Shoemaker gave up a lot of bombs in spring training. He also was homer-prone in his day starts last season. The prior season, 2016, the right-hander was also roughed up in day games. As for Daniel Mengden, he got hit hard in spring training this year and both of these pitchers are trying to come back from some injury troubles and neither has looked overly sharp. Mengden also got absolutely clobbered in his lone career start versus the Angels. Shoemaker has a 1.60 WHIP in his last two starts versus the A's and has given up 4 homers in his last 3 starts versus the Athletics including 2 in his last visit to Oakland. I prefer afternoon games when looking at overs in West Coast match-ups. No matter the outcome of the Friday night game, keep in mind, the Thursday afternoon game flew over the total. Based on this pitching match-up and the fact both these teams showed some pop (10 extra base hits including 5 homers) Thursday afternoon, I look for some more daytime slugfest action in this one. The over went 9-4-1 in Shoemaker's starts last season and Mengden's struggles (hit quite hard in spring) continue here against a team that hammered him when they faced him before. 8* OVER the total in Oakland

Hidden Gem - Rickenbach MLB Game #953 Friday 8* Philadelphia Phillies Money Line (+) @ Atlanta Braves @ 7:35 ET - The Phillies blew a huge lead yesterday and lost. That sets this one up well for a bounce back effort because the pitching match-up is ideal for it. Nick Pivetta gets the call for the Phils while the Braves counter with Mike Foltynewicz. This is another match-up of right-handers just like we saw yesterday and the key about that is that means a parade of left-handed batters to the plate from both teams. The importance in that is that Foltynewicz was much worse versus lefties than righties last season while Pivetta actually was much better against lefties than righties. Even though that goes against conventional wisdom the fact is that it has a lot to do with the mechanics of these two pitchers and, in this spot, we can step in and take advantage. Pivetta's overall numbers last season look poor but that had a lot to do with a handful of poor starts. Many of his outings, particularly later in the season, were quite solid. In fact, Pivetta allowed 2 earned runs or less in 5 of his last 7 starts. Another key to like about Pivetta here is that he was much tougher against the Braves the 2nd time they saw him compared to the first. When a pitcher wins that battle in the rematch it says a lot. The Phillies are projected to be the better team coming into this season and, after some late innings magic panned out for the Braves yesterday, don't look for a repeat of that today! Foltynewicz went 3-8 with a 6.34 ERA after the All Star break last season and the Phillies crushed him when they most recently saw him. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach MLB Game #905 Friday 8* OVER the total in Cincinnati Reds vs Washington Nationals @ 4:10 ET - Following Thursday's rain out, skies are expected to clear out for this one and though the weather certainly won't be great it truly won't be too bad for a late March afternoon in Cincinnati. Of course the ball is known for carrying well here and I expect Homer Bailey to again live up to his name of serving up homers. The past 3 seasons he is a combined 8-13 with a 6.39 ERA. On top of that the Reds have major bullpen issues right now. With the Nationals on the road we're guaranteed of getting 9 innings of their powerful bats and I expect them to do plenty of damage here. As for the Reds, they do have some pop in their lineup and Max Scherzer has allowed 19 homers in the 18 daytime starts he has made spanning the last two seasons. The Nats right-hander did allow at least 2 runs in 7 of his first 9 starts last season and these types of games (Reds as big home dog) tend to get crazy at Great American Ballpack. The over is 10-1-1 the 12 times that Cincy has been a home underdog of +175 or more the last 2 seasons. 8* OVER the total in Cincinnati

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach MLB Game #909 Thursday 8* OVER the total in San Diego Padres vs Milwaukee Brewers @ 4:10 ET - The Padres Clayton Richard allowed more hits and had more losses than any other pitcher in the National League last year. The San Diego southpaw got rocked in his only start versus the Brewers last season and it was at home. As for Milwaukee's Chase Anderson, I know he is coming off of a strong season but he did get a little roughed up at times in spring training. Also, he has allowed 4 earned runs in each of his last two starts at San Diego. One of those was last season. Additionally, when Anderson faced the Padres in Milwaukee last year, he did allow 2 homers there and he has allowed 3 homers in his last 2 starts at San Diego. Mild afternoon in southern California is a positive for the hitters. Wind blowing in from left but not a strong wind. I look for the over to improve to 8-1 in Anderson's 9 career starts versus the Padres. Also, the over is 48-32 in Brewers games versus left-handed starters the past two seasons and the over is 46-34 in San Diego's games with a money line range of +125 to -125 the past two seasons. 8* OVER the total in San Diego

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Game #915 Thursday 8* Minnesota Twins Money Line (+) @ Baltimore Orioles @ 3:05 ET - The Twins could challenge the Indians at the top of the Central Division this season. The Orioles are likely to finish dead last in the East. The fact is that the Orioles are a free swinging team and that plays right into the hands of Minnesota's Jake Odorizzi. He has enjoyed recent success against Baltimore and also has been successful in day games. The same can't be said for Dylan Bundy. He struggled badly when the Twins got a second look at him in July after facing him for the first time in May. Also, Bundy's daytime numbers show that he has struggled in daytime action so far in his career. That said, the value here is with the small road dog. Look for Bundy to drop to 0-3 in his 3 career starts versus the Twins while Odorizzi improves to 3-0 in his last 4 starts versus Baltimore. 8* MINNESOTA

FOX Smash Pass - Rickenbach Wednesday MLB 8* OVER the total in Los Angeles Dodgers vs Houston Astros @ 8:15 ET - The Dodgers won the first game of the World Series 3-1 and then won last night's game six by an identical score of 3-1. In between, every single game totaled at least 8 runs and there was plenty of craziness including extra inning affairs! I expect that craziness to resume one last time tonight. I know this game is at Dodger Stadium which is a very pitcher-friendly venue but we've seen an offensive explosion once already in this series and I feel another one looms tonight. Both teams have seen their bullpens slip up big a few times in this series and I feel both starters could struggle tonight. Lance McCullers has had great success in his last two starts by throwing a curveball about 70% of the time. Of course once hitters know what is coming you know what happens then...expect some big adjustments from the Dodgers hitters in this one. As for the Astros, they should again give Yu Darvish trouble. They hammered him earlier in this series and, as a result, will have plenty of confidence in the batters box tonight. Both of these lineups are loaded with solid hitters and they have not been held in check in back to back games in this series yet. So, after a pitchers duel last night, look for the fireworks to resume in Game 7. The over is 50-31 in Astros road games in 2017. Prior to last night's under, the Dodgers were 6-2-1 to the over in their last 9 home games. Look for that trend to resume here. 8* OVER the total in Game 7 of the World Series

Game of the Year - Rickenbach Tuesday MLB 10* Top Play Los Angeles Dodgers Money Line (-) vs Houston Astros @ 8:15 ET - Give credit to the Astros for what they've done in this series. But, after a day off and with the ability to "hit the reset button", the Dodgers know what is in front of them here. Los Angeles has an opportunity to win the World Series at home and, sure, this is an elimination game for them but all they've got to do is win one and that is a "winner takes all" Game 7 tomorrow night at Dodger Stadium. The fact is that, prior to the Astros winning Game 2 here in LA, the Dodgers had won 9 straight home games! They are tough to beat here and, no matter the outcome of a couple crazy games that have taken place in this series, anyone who knows anything about baseball would tell you they would take the Dodgers bullpen over the Astros bullpen any day of the week! With that said, I am glad to back Rich Hill and the Dodgers in this one. The LA left-hander has a 2.14 ERA over his last 8 starts. Also, when Los Angeles lost in this same Hill vs Justin Verlander match-up in game 2, it snapped a string of 5 straight Dodgers wins with Hill on the mound. Keep in mind he allowed only 1 earned run in that start while Verlander gave up 3 earned runs. Also, the Dodgers pounded Dallas Keuchel the 2nd time they saw him in this series. Could Verlander suffer the same fate? I fully believe so and, keep in mind, the fact Hill only went 4 innings versus the Astros in Game 2 (struck out 7 in that short start) will actually help him here. It means the Houston hitters haven't seen as much of him and also means his arm is very fresh for this one. The Astros are 26-27 (-$11,400) against southpaw starters on the year. The Dodgers are 62-25 in home games this year! 10* LOS ANGELES

Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach Sunday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Houston Astros vs Los Angeles Dodgers @ 8:15 - As a handicapper or bettor if you always think you're the smartest guy in the room you're setting yourself up for trouble. The point I am making is there are a lot of very smart people with very sharp minds connected to this industry. The reason I am mentioning that as it pertains to Game 5 of the World Series is because I find it surprising this total has actually held at a 7 today. It is now after Noon ET as I prepare this write-up and we're still staring at 7 across the board on this one. Keep in mind that, were it not for extra innings in Game 2, none of the first 4 games of this series would have gone over the total. Now you have a rematch of Game 1 pitting southpaw ace versus southpaw ace (a game with very few hits and that ended 3-1) and yet this total has been held at a 7. Yes, I know this one is in an AL park and the DH certainly is a factor but, still, the way these guys have pitched makes it surprising to see this total at a 7. It tells me that some very sharp people are expecting this one gets to at least 7. Keep mind we have 3 ways to win this. The lineups are getting a 2nd look at these starting pitchers so perhaps 1) Kershaw gets hit hard or 2) Keuchel gets hit hard or 3) Either bullpen caves - the Astros bullpen is a weakness and the Dodgers bullpen was proven not invincible in Game 2. I like the OVER here for a contrarian play. Los Angeles is 5-2 to the over in road games with a posted total of 7 runs this season. The Astros are 19-6 to the over in Sunday games this season. 10* OVER the total in Houston 

Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach Saturday MLB 10* Los Angeles Dodgers Money Line (+) @ Houston Astros @ 8:15 ET - The Astros have a losing record this season against southpaws and have cost their backers $11,600 in those 51 games (25-26, -11.6 net units). The Dodgers lost Alex Wood's most recent start but they had been 18-4 in his 22 prior starts! The lefty struck out 7 in less than 5 innings against the Cubs but was victimized by the long ball. Wood will bounce back Saturday against an Astros team that is not familiar with him. As for Houston's Charlie Morton, he is off of a solid 5 innings versus the Yankees but was roughed up in each of his two prior post-season starts this month. Morton gave up 9 earned runs on 13 hits in just 8 innings of work. He has not been working deep into starts and, keep in mind, the Astros bullpen is their biggest weakness in this series with the Dodgers. 10* LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach Friday MLB 10* OVER the total in Houston Astros vs Los Angeles Dodgers @ 8:05 ET - Both teams have plenty of confidence at the plate after the slugfest that saw a record 8 homers hit in Game 2 of this series Wednesday. Their confidence here is also boosted by the fact that the Dodgers hitters who have experience against Lance McCullers have hit a combined .500 against him in their meetings with him the past 5 seasons. Also, the Astros are very familiar with Yu Darvish because of his time spent with the Rangers - Texas a division rival of Houston. The Astros did lose to Darvish in his most recent visit to Houston. However, in his two prior starts versus the Astros (both within the past 14 months) Darvish was rocked for 8 earned runs on 14 hits in just 9 innings of work! Look for more of the same here with the Astros very happy that the roof will be closed for Game 3 (temps in the 50s outside) and this creates a raucous atmosphere that tends to bring out the best in this Astros lineup. The over is 15-8 this season when Houston is playing after a day off. Both lineups off powerful performances at the plate in Game 2 and now get the added benefit of a DH since the series has shifted to an AL park for games 3 through 5. Additional value too in this one thanks to the drop from an 8.5 to an 8 on this total. I'll take it! 10* OVER the total in Houston

Total of the Year - Rickenbach Wednesday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Los Angeles Dodgers vs Houston Astros @ 8:05 ET - The Astros Justin Verlander is 0-3 with a 7.20 ERA in the 3 World Series starts he has made in his career. He has averaged just 5 innings per start in those 3 appearances. Should Verlander have another short outing here, that exposes what is perhaps the Astros biggest weakness (bullpen) in comparing how these two teams match up. Even though the Dodgers do have a solid bullpen, starter Rich Hill is likely to get roughed up here. The Dodgers southpaw has allowed 4 homers and 12 walks plus has hit 3 batters in the 6 post-season starts he has made in his career. With this being his first-ever World Series start it would not surprise to see him a little shaky in this one. It will be another "hot one" in LA with high temperatures again around the century mark today. That means the homers should again be flying but the reason yesterday's game did not get over the total is the fact that there was little else in the way of offense other than 3 homers that accounted for all 4 runs. That changes with these two hurlers today. These are two very potent lineups and the Astros now facing a southpaw for a 2nd straight game and Hill is definitely a big step down from Kershaw. The Astros have been held to 1 run or less twice this month. Each time their next game went over the total. This season, Houston is 27-20 to the over against southpaw starters and 49-30 to the over in road games. The over is 3-1 in Verlander's last 4 starts and 5-3 in Hill's last 8 starts. 10* OVER the total in Los Angeles Dodgers

Game 1 Dominator - Rickenbach Tuesday MLB 8* Houston Astros Money Line (+) @ Los Angeles Dodgers @ 8:05 ET - Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers is certainly a fantastic pitcher but he has had his share of post-season struggles through the years. Even though he enters this start off of a fantastic outing last week in Chicago to propel the Dodgers to the World Series, the LA southpaw has allowed 5 homers in just 11 and 1/3 innings spanning his two home starts in this post-season. The Astros were the highest scoring team in the majors in the regular season and also were ranked #1 for slugging percentage (by nearly 30 points over the #2 team) as Houston recorded a .478 slugging percentage. The Astros Dallas Keuchel is known for being tougher at home than on the road but Houston has gone 10-3 in his road starts this season. We're getting fantastic line value to have the top hitting team in the league with their ace on the mound and going against a hurler who has had struggles again at home in this post-season. 8* HOUSTON ASTROS

Game 7 Dominator - Rickenbach Saturday MLB 8* New York Yankees Money Line (+) @ Houston Astros @ 8 ET - I am well aware that the home team has won all 6 games of the ALCS. However, just as I did in Game 3 (an 8-1 Yankees win), I am going with the Yankees and Sabathia over the Astros and Morton in Game 7. Here is what I wrote about that match-up on Monday --- The Yankees CC Sabathia enters the series with Houston with a 2.35 ERA in his last 3 starts and has struck out 20 in 15 and 1/3 innings. Sabathia allowed just 4 hits in 6 and 2/3 innings in his lone start versus the Astros in the regular season. The southpaw will be opposed by Astros right-hander Charlie Morton in this one. Morton enters this series with a 5.68 ERA in his 2 career starts versus the Yankees. --- Morton got rocked in that start and Sabathia was fantastic for the Yankees. That Game 3 loss for Houston means the Astros are now 23-25 (-$12,600) in games against left-handed starters this season. My gut tells me this October is set up to be a classic old-time Dodgers Yankees battle and for that to happen. the veteran southpaw Sabathia outduels Morton again. I really don't see any reason to doubt that either. Yes the Astros won big last night but they only outhit the Yanks 8-7. Also, the Yankees, dating back to late August, are on a PERFECT 10-0 RUN when they are off of a game where they allowed 5 runs or more! 8* NEW YORK YANKEES

Game of the Week Friday - Rickenbach MLB 10* Top Play New York Yankees Money Line (+) @ Houston Astros @ 8 ET - Even though Justin Verlander dominated the Yankees in Game 2, Dallas Keuchel dominated the Yanks in Game 1 and then look at what happened in Game 5 on Wednesday! The big key here is not just that hitters are getting a second look at pitchers but also how well they're swinging the bats! Keep in mind, the Astros have scored a total of just 9 runs in the 5 games of this series. That's an average of just 1.8 runs per game. Conversely, the Yankees bats have come to life and they've scored 19 runs in the last 3 games! That's an average of 6.3 runs per game. Just like the Yanks got to Keuchel the second time they saw him, look for the same to hold true here as they get another look at Verlander. As for Luis Severino, he was pulled early in his start at Houston in Game 2 even though he had allowed just 1 earned run. It was precautionary that he was lifted after just 4 innings and Severino insists he is healthy. Remember that in the series versus Cleveland he allowed just 4 hits in 7 innings while striking out 9 in a game that was an elimination game for the Yanks. They were down 2-1 and a loss would have knocked them out of the playoffs. That was a huge stepping stone for the young right-hander and now I am predicting that he steps up and sends the Yankees to the World Series by notching a huge road win here. The Yanks are 15-3 in his last 18 starts! I know it may seem tough to fade Verlander here but remember that New York has the much hotter sticks and remember what they did to southpaw ace Keuchel when they faced him a 2nd time in this series! 10* YANKEES

TBS Smash Pass Thursday - Rickenbach MLB 8* Chicago Cubs Money Line (+) vs Los Angeles Dodgers @ 8 ET - With yesterday's win, the Cubs have new life. Sometimes all it takes is one win to change the momentum and turn things around (just look at what the Yankees have been doing throughout this post-season). Speaking of what is going in these play-offs, the home team dominance has been impressive. In the ALCS and NLCS the home teams are now 8-1 so far in these series. The Dodgers win over the Cubs in Game 3 of this series is the only road win thus far. I really thought Los Angeles would then close out Chicago last night but they fell just short. Now, with the Cubs having "turned the tide", still at home, and with a unique pitching edge tonight, the underdog value here is immense. The Dodgers Clayton Kershaw is a fantastic pitcher but his playoff struggles are too much to ignore. The southpaw is 5-7 with a 4.57 ERA in his post-season career. The LA lefty has given up as many homers (5) as the number of hits (5) that the Cubs Jose Quintana has allowed in this post-season and both pitchers have thrown the same amount of innings (11 and 1/3). I'll say that again...Quintana 5 HITS in this post-season...Kershaw 5 HOMERS in this post-season. This is Kershaw's first road start of these play-offs. His most recent? At Wrigley Field last October where he allowed 5 runs (4 earned) on 7 hits (including 2 homers) in just 5 innings of work. Jose Quintana has deserved better than he's gotten so far in this post-season as he has held the opposition to just a .132 batting average. Grab the tremendous under-valued underdog in this one. 8* CHICAGO CUBS 

Game of the Month - Rickenbach Wednesday MLB 10* Top Play Los Angeles Dodgers Money Line (+) @ Chicago Cubs @ 9 ET - The Cubs Jake Arrieta went 0-2 with a 6.10 ERA in September. In October, in his only post-season appearance, he only lasted 4 innings as a lack of command with his pitches led to 5 walks. In his last two starts against the Dodgers Arrieta has allowed 4 earned runs each time even though he averaged just 5.5 innings per outing. The biggest issue for Arrieta here is likely to be run support as the Cubs just can not get going at the plate. They had one game, Thursday, where they scored 9 runs but in their other games in this post-season Chicago has averaged just 1.7 runs and 4.7 hits per game! The Cubs are certainly at the other end of the spectrum right now compared to the Dodgers. Los Angeles has won all 7 of their October games and they're a perfect 6-0 in the post-season averaging 5.8 runs and 8.9 hits per game! Alex Wood gets the start for the Dodgers here and the southpaw went 15-3 this season including 7-1 his road starts! Wood has given up only 1 earned run on just 5 hits while striking out 12 in his 8 and 2/3 innings versus the Cubs this season. This is a case of two teams at completely opposition directions on the "momentum scale" and I look for the Dodgers to close this one out tonight. We're getting great line value here since LA is on the road. 10* LOS ANGELES DODGERS money line

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Wednesday MLB 8* OVER the total in New York Yankees vs Houston Astros @ 5 ET - The weather is changing again in the Northeast. Temperatures will be in the low 70s for this one and the wind (though light) will be blowing out toward left field. I am well aware of the fact that Dallas Keuchel and Masahiro Tanaka both pitched well in their starts earlier in this series. However, when a team gets a quick second look at a starter that can be very beneficial for the hitters. They just faced these hurlers on Friday. Note that Tanaka's two starts against the Astros, prior to Friday, saw him allow 12 earned runs in less than 7 innings of work! Also, although this isn't a true "day game" it is an early start and that is noteworthy because Tanaka went 3-6 with a 6.99 ERA in day game starts this season. This is still not a normal evening start (which would be 8 ET) and I would not be surprised to see Tanaka struggle here. As for Keuchel, he is known for being stronger at home than on the road. This season, away from home, opponents hit 58 points higher against Keuchel than they did in Houston. Also, the Astros southpaw compiled an ERA that was 1.27 runs higher on the road compared to at home. The Yankees have a lot of confidence after rallying back in this series and, though they haven't been getting a lot of hits, they have been getting big hits! The Yanks have plenty of power. I know the Astros bats have been quiet in this series but getting a second shot at Tanaka should help. He is 0-4 with a 7.62 ERA in his 6 career starts gainst Houston. 8* OVER the total in New York Yankees

TBS Smash Pass - Rickenbach Tuesday MLB 10* Top Play Los Angeles Dodgers Money Line (+) @ Chicago Cubs @ 9 ET - The Dodgers have won 7 straight games dating back to September 30th as they won their final two games of the regular season and are already a perfect 5-0 in the post-season. The Dodgers are 11-1 their last 12 games and all 11 wins have come by 2 runs or more with an average margin of 4.1 runs per victory in those 11 games! The key for the Dodgers has been that they're still hitting the ball fairly well. LA has averaged 5.8 runs and 8.8 hits per game in the post-season. As for the Cubs, they're averaging only 2.9 runs and 5.9 hits per game so far in the play-offs. Chicago is only 3-5 in the month of October and they're in a tough spot here with facing Yu Darvish. The Dodgers right-hander has a 0.74 ERA with only 11 hits against 28 strikeouts in the 24 and 1/3 innings spanning his last 4 starts! It's unlikely that the Cubs hitters suddenly "turn it on" here considering how well Darvish has been pitching. As for Chicago's Kyle Hendricks, he allowed 4 earned runs on 9 hits in just 4 innings of work in his most recent start. That doesn't bode well for him as he now faces a red hot Dodgers team. The Cubs are under .500 when facing teams with a winning record this season while the Dodgers are 13 games above .500 this season when facing teams with a winning record. Look for LA to remain red hot here. 10* LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Golden Ticket - Rickenbach MLB 8* New York Yankees Money Line (-) vs Houston Astros @ 8:05 ET - The home team is a perfect 4-0 so far in League Championship Series action. The Dodgers have a 2-0 lead on the Cubs as they won both home games in Los Angeles in the NLCS and, here in the ALCS, the Astros are up 2-0 on the Yankees after winning both games in Houston. Look for the "home dominance" trend to continue here as the Yankees went 10-3 in CC Sabathia's home starts this season as the veteran left-hander compiled a 7-2 record at Yankee Stadium. He has a 2.35 ERA in his last 3 starts and has struck out 20 in 15 and 1/3 innings. Sabathia allowed just 4 hits in 6 and 2/3 innings in his lone start versus the Astros this season. The southpaw will be opposed by Astros right-hander Charlie Morton in this one. He went just 4-4 in his road starts this season. Morton also has a 5.68 ERA in his 2 career starts versus the Yankees. The Astros are just 23-24 (-$11,600) in games against left-handed starters this season. Also, the Yankees are 24-8 (75%) in home games with a posted total of 8 or 8.5 runs! Additionally, the Yanks are 28-15 (66%) as a home fave in a price range of -125 to -175. They're in the lowest part of that range for this one and I love the value here as I look for home teams to improve to 5-0 so far in the race toward the World Series. 8* NEW YORK YANKEES

Total of the Week - Rickenbach Sunday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Los Angeles Dodgers vs Chicago Cubs @ 7:35 ET - With high temperatures reaching into the 90s today and a start time of 4:35 local time, this game will have the feel of a mid-summer day game! That is likely to be bad news for Jon Lester of the Cubs as the southpaw had a 5.42 ERA in day games this season and was hit at a .281 clip. As for Rich Hill of the Dodgers, his ERA was nearly a run and a half higher (and BAA nearly 45 points higher) in day games than night games this season. Lester pitched at Dodger Stadium in May this season and gave up 6 earned runs in just 3 and 1/3 innings. The over is 9-1-1 in Lester's last 11 starts. The over is 4-1 in Hill's last 5 home starts. I am certainly cognizant of the fact that there have been a lot of unders in recent post-season games after a hot start for the hitters early on. However, this pitching match-up coupled with the weather make this one a prime situation for the bats to come back to life in a HUGE way Sunday. 10* OVER the total in LA Dodgers

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach Saturday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Houston Astros vs New York Yankees @ 4:05 ET - The Yankees Luis Severino faced the Astros twice this season and he got crushed in both games and compiled a 10.57 ERA in the two outings. He enters this start having allowed 5 homers in his last 13 and 1/3 innings. The Astros counter with Justin Verlander who has allowed 5 homers in his last 3 starts versus the Yankees. Though he was successful in his start versus Boston in this post-season, he did only strike out 3 in that outing. That is significant because if the powerful Yankees sticks are making contact they can be ultra dangerous. Dealing with an ultra low total here means I have no hesitation in stepping in and taking advantage. These are two of the most potent lineups in baseball and, just because they were held "in check" in yesterday's pitchers' duel it does not mean they won't come right back to life here. Only 19 of the Astros 51 day games this season have stayed under the total. The over is 12-2 in Severino's last 14 starts. 10* OVER the total in Houston

ALCS Game 1 Crusher - Rickenbach MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Houston Astros vs New York Yankees @ 8:05 ET - Even though Masahiro Tanaka is coming off of a great start in the Yankees series with the Indians, he was at home for that one. That is noteworthy because Tanaka was an entirely different pitcher away from Yankee Stadium this season. The Yankees right-hander went 4-7 with a 6.48 ERA in his 15 road starts and the over went 11-4 in those games! The Astros should pound him here and note that he is 0-3 with an 8.86 ERA in his 5 starts versus Houston in his career. However, the reason the play here is the over rather than the Astros is two-fold. First off, Houston's price is quite big here and, as long time followers know, I don't like to lay big juice! Secondly, the Yankees have a ton of momentum considering they are coming off of a huge comeback against the Indians. That said, New York will have a lot of confidence at the plate. Keep in mind, the Yanks have now scored 21 runs in their last 4 games and they've scored 7 runs or more in 3 of their last 6 games. Though Dallas Keuchel is certainly a top pitcher, the Astros southpaw will be making just his 2nd start in a span of nearly 2 and 1/2 weeks! Too much rest can lead to "rust" for a pitcher and the Yankees have a ton of pop in their lineup! Also, the over is 6-2 in Keuchel's last 8 starts. The over is a perfect 5-0 in Tanaka's last 5 road starts! Factoring in all of the above with the fact that this line has dropped from an 8.5 to an 8, we have great line value here! 10* OVER the total in Houston

TBS Network Rout - Rickenbach Thursday MLB 10* Top Play Chicago Cubs Money Line (-) @ Washington Nationals @ 8:05 ET - The Cubs Kyle Henricks has a 0.70 ERA in his last 4 starts and that includes shutting down the Nationals earlier in this series. The Nats are likely to start Gio Gonzalez here but, if not, it would Tanner Roark. With how long it has been since Roark has pitched that would not be a good option for Washington. Either way, I am taking "action" in this game, as usual, meaning I don't care who pitches I am going with the side I have chosen here and that is the Cubs. Note that Washington's Gonzalez has a 7.54 ERA in his last 3 starts. Also, in his 4 previous starts he got roughed up for 5 earned runs twice in this four outings! Gonzalez has given up 3 homers in his last 11 innings versus the Cubs and that includes the southpaw given up 2 round-trippers when he faced Chicago earlier in this series. The Nationals, before yesterday's win thanks to a valiant effort by Stephen Strasburg, had lost 4 of their last 5. The Cubs, prior to yesterday's loss, had won 17 of their last 22. Road team has a big pitching edge here and they also have a huge managerial edge with Joe Maddon over the Nationals Dusty Baker. 10* CHICAGO CUBS money line

NOTE: Still going with this 10* Top Play. Stephen Strasburg has been ill but he over-ruled manager Dusty Baker and is now making the start. We shouldn't be surprised at this as Baker made multiple managerial errors in the loss to the Cubs Monday that NEVER should have happened. In summary, this is STILL a 10* Top Play for me as Strasburg is not 100% and I believe we'll see that firsthand as this game goes on. Baker got over-ruled and ends up making another poor choice here in my opinion. So Strasburg gets hit hard and, as noted below, Arrieta struggles again.

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Wednesday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Cubs vs Washington Nationals @ 4:05 ET - The weather will be overcast and chilly with the wind blowing in. From that standpoint, this is not a good situation for an over. However, the pitching match-up is plus those weather conditions have served to give us great line value here. Even though Jake Arrieta has great numbers on the season, he has not been the same since he got hurt on September 4th. His hamstring is still bothering him and Arrieta went 0-2 in September with a 6.10 ERA and a .333 BAA in his 3 starts. He'll be opposed by Tanner Roark. With yesterday's rainout, if it wasn't for Stephen Strasburg being under the weather, Roark would likely not be getting this start. The Nationals truly are only using him because they don't really have a better option. The fact is that Roark has allowed 9 earned runs in 11 and 2/3 innings of work spanning his last two road starts. Also, the Nats right-hander has allowed 4 homers in his last 3 starts versus the Cubs. By the way, Arrieta faced Washington just once this season and the Nationals got to him for 6 runs (5 earned) in only 4 innings of work. Arrieta also gave up 5 homers in his 3 September starts and those outings spanned only 10 and 1/3 innings. Only 4 of Arrieta's last 12 starts have stayed under the total. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in the Chicago Cubs game Wednesday afternoon.

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach Monday MLB 10* Top Play Washington Nationals Money Line (-) @ Chicago Cubs @ 4:05 ET - The Nationals Max Scherzer only tweaked his right hamstring and I expect him to be just as strong as ever in this start versus the Cubs. The Nats right-hander has dominated all year and this has been especially true on the road where Scherzer went 10-2 and compiled a 1.82 ERA while holding opponents to a minuscule .156 batting average! That is simply insane domination and Scherzer also held hitters to a .140 batting average plus racked up 74 strikeouts in his 52 innings of work in day game starts this season. In my opinion, the Nationals have a huge pitching edge here over the Cubs. Jose Quintana gets the start for Chicago and the southpaw went 5-0 in his home starts since coming to the Cubs but he compiled a 4.76 ERA in those outings! Also, he was previously with the White Sox this season and his home starts with the ChiSox saw him go 1-4 with a 5.11 ERA. Simply put, Quintana has not pitched well in the city of Chicago this season and I expect that trend to continue Monday afternoon! Fantastic line value with the low price on Scherzer and the Nationals on the road for this one. 10* WASHINGTON money line

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Monday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Red Sox vs Houston Astros @ 1:05 ET - Boston got their sticks going in their 10-3 win over the Astros yesterday. Coincidentally, the Red Sox also scored 10 runs and got a win the last time Rick Porcello started. The fact that this was nearly two weeks ago means Porcello may be a little "off" in this start and, keep in mind, he allowed 7 earned runs in 6 innings in his lone start versus the Astros this season. Also, Porcello gave up 9 earned runs in less than 10 innings of work in his last two starts of the regular season. The Astros Charlie Morton finished up the regular season strong and had a good start versus the Red Sox in his final start of the campaign. However, his overall road ERA this season was a 4.17 ERA and I expect Boston's success at the plate yesterday to carry right into today. It will be another hitter-friendly afternoon with warm temperatures and winds blowing out to left field. We just need to see the rain stay away from Fenway Park and hopefully that will be the case although any showers are expected to be rather light. The over is 3-0 in this series and the over is now 47-27 in Houston's road games this season. Look for another slugfest here. 10* OVER the total in Boston

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach Sunday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Red Sox vs Houston Astros @ 2:35 ET - Very mild air in Boston with a strong southwest wind expected for this afternoon's game. That means the wind will be blowing out to left field at Fenway Park and the ball should be carrying very well. With Doug Fister and Brad Peacock having just faced these opponents in last week's season-ending series, the hitters have a huge edge in getting another second look at them. Also, certainly neither was dominant in those meetings. Also, the over trend simply continues to be the theme here in the post-season. With both of yesterday's games going over the total, the over is now 8-2 in this post-season! By the way, the over is 8-4 in Peacock's road starts this season and also 4-0 in all his starts made against Boston in his career. As for Fister, he wrapped up the regular season by allowing 17 earned runs in 16 and 2/3 innings! The over is 49-28 when the Astros are a road favorite in a range of -125 to -175. Also, the over is 18-6 in Houston's Sunday games this season. In road games with a posted total of 9 or 9.5 runs, the over is 43-19 in Astros games. The Red Sox trended as an "under team" this season but they did go to 11-4 when playing after a day off. That is the case here and with the weather helping the cause I am looking for another slug-fest here. 10* OVER the total in Boston

Total Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Nationals vs Chicago Cubs @ 5:35 ET - The calendar says it is October but it will feel like anything but that for this game in DC Saturday. Temperatures in the 80s at first pitch with a south wind blowing out makes this the perfect recipe for a slugfest Saturday. The Nationals Gio Gonzalez has struggled recently with 9 earned runs given up in 9 and 1/3 innings in his final two starts of the season. The southpaw also walked 8 in those two starts. Though the Washington lefty had a solid start versus the Cubs this season, his two prior starts saw Gonzalez allow 8 earned runs in 12 innings versus Chicago. The Cubs send Jon Lester to the mound for this one and the lefty compiled a 4.41 ERA on the road this season. Also, each of his last 7 starts have gone over the total and, overall, the over is on a 9-1 run in Lester's last 10 starts! The over is also 5-2 in the last 7 starts Gonzalez has made. Look for Lester's over streak to reach 8-0 here in ideal conditions for an over in Washington as the Nationals respond after yesterday's shutout loss! 10* OVER the total in Washington

Total Dominator - Rickenbach Friday MLB 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Washington Nationals vs Chicago Cubs @ 7:30 ET - Even though this total is low (making the over very enticing of course) the fact is that this is shaping up to be a pitchers duel. Stephen Strasburg gets the start for the Nationals and he has a 0.86 ERA in his 10 starts since the All Star break. Kyle Hendricks gets the start for the Cubs and he returned (from a hand injury) in July. From late July through the end of the season, Hendricks compiled a 2.19 ERA. Also, Hendricks has a 2.67 ERA in his career versus Washington and Strasburg has a 2.08 ERA in his career versus the Cubs. The under went 17-9 in Strasburg's starts this season and Hendricks road starts produced a 9-2 mark in favor of the under this season! Overall, the under is 8-1-1 in Strasburg's last 10 starts and the under is 10-3 in Hendricks last 13 starts including a current streak of 5 straight unders. More of the same here. 10* UNDER the total in Washington

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Friday MLB 10* Top Play Boston Red Sox Money Line (+) @ Houston Astros @ 2:05 ET - After getting thoroughly embarrassed in yesterday's 8-2 loss, the Red Sox respond today. Dallas Keuchel is the ace of the Astros staff so we're able to get huge underdog line value with Boston here. The Houston southpaw has an ugly 9.88 ERA in his 3 appearances (2 starts) versus the Red Sox. Keuchel got rocked for 8 earned runs in 6 innings in his most recent start versus Boston which was last season. The Red Sox will have Drew Pomeranz on the mound and he has held the Astros to just 1 earned run in each of his last 3 starts against them. Those 3 starts have spanned 16 and 2/3 innings and the Boston southpaw has allowed a total of only 9 hits during this span! Look for his impressive run versus Astros hitters to continue here as 2 of those starts came this season and that includes one in Houston and the Astros hitters did not fare well in either outing. More of the same here. Give me the big dog in bounce back mode here. 10* BOSTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Thursday MLB 8* UNDER the total in Houston Astros vs Boston Red Sox @ 4:05 ET - Of course this total is ultra low (making it enticing to play the over) but don't be fooled. This game has all the makings of 1-0, 2-1, or 3-2 (at most) type of game. The Astros Justin Verlander has simply been phenomenal with only allowing 8 earned runs in his last 8 starts! Not surprisingly totals have gone 7-1 to the under in those 8 games. Verlander has been piling up the strikeouts as has Boston's Chris Sale. Even though the Red Sox southpaw has been a little "touched up" in recent outings, he had not allowed many hits (at least until his final start of the regular season) and is still piling up a ton of strikeouts. That is why there is value here even at a low number with this total. Sale is fully capable of turning things up a notch now that playoff time is here. Also, the Red Sox bullpen is one of the best in baseball and, while the Astros rank merely in the middle of the pack, the fact is that Houston will hardly need a pen in the first game of this series with the way Verlander has been pitching. The under is 29-15 in Red Sox day games this season. Also, Boston is on an 8-2 run to the under in October games. The Astros are a solid 7-1 to the under in home games with a posted total of 7 runs or less. That is why, as noted above, don't let the small total scare you in this one. Look for the under to go to 13-6 in Astros Thursday games this year. 8* UNDER the total in Houston

Wild Card Wednesday Top - Rickenbach MLB 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Arizona Diamondbacks vs Colorado Rockies @ 8:05 ET - The Rockies season finale on Wednesday stayed under the total and the under finished up the regular season on a 13-3 (81%) Run in Colorado's games. Though Arizona's regular season finale on Sunday went over the total their 3 prior games all resulted in unders and this Wednesday Wild Card match-up has the makings of a pitchers duel. Jon Gray gets the start for the Rockies and, though he has no playoff experience, he is in fine current form and is also his 3rd year in the majors. Gray has gone 13 straight games without allowing more than 3 earned runs in a start. Also, the two times he faced the Diamondbacks in Arizona this season he allowed just 2 earned runs each time plus he recorded a total of 20 strikeouts in the 13 innings spanning those two sparkling outings. Gray is on a 7-2 run and recorded a 2.57 ERA in September and a 2.30 ERA in August. Of course he'll be opposed by Zack Greinke here whom is the staff ace for Arizona. He is a post-season veteran who only struggled in his first year in the post-season. In subsequent seasons Greinke has been "lights out" in play-off action. Also, the Dbacks veteran right-hander enters this start with a 13-1 record and 2.87 ERA in his home starts this season. He has a 3.15 ERA in his 3 starts hosting the Rockies this season and he allowed only 15 hits in the 20 innings spanning those 3 starts. Only 4 of Greinke's last 18 starts have resulted in an over. This should be quite the pitchers duel here. 10* UNDER the total in Arizona

Wild Card Tuesday Top - Rickenbach MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Yankees vs Minnesota Twins @ 8:05 ET - The Twins are going with veteran Ervin Santana. Though I certainly respect the veteran hurler he did allow 7 hits in less than 6 innings versus the Yankees in his most recent appearance versus them and that was only 2 weeks ago. In other words the Yanks just saw him and, keep in mind, they now have 13 hits in their last 10 and 2/3 innings facing Santana. The Twins right-hander has allowed 4 homers in his last 4 starts versus the Yankees. As for the New York starter Tuesday it is Luis Severino. Not only is he only 23 years old but this will be his first ever post-season appearance at any level. This wild card match-up is a lot of pressure for him and he allowed 3 earned runs on 5 hits in 3 innings of work in his first ever start versus the Twins and that was less than 2 weeks ago. That means this Minnesota lineup is getting a quick second look at him. Certainly the Yankees have a solid bullpen but this is a low total considering that both of these starters are likely to "get touched up" in this one. I know it's playoff baseball but two potent lineups here facing two "questionable" starters. This is not likely to be a pitchers duel. Also, a light breeze likely to be blowing out to left field with fairly moderate temperatures too. 10* OVER the total in New York Yankees Tuesday

Rickenbach MLB 8* OVER the total in Chicago Cubs vs Cincinnati Reds @ 3:20 ET - Mild afternoon in Chicago with the wind blowing out toward the left field corner. Final day regular season MLB match-ups can be tricky but wouldn't matter who is pitching, who is in the lineup, this day game situation at Wrigley Field is the perfect situation for an over. Michael Montgomery gets the start for the Cubs and he has a 5.81 ERA at home this season and has allowed 7 earned runs in 7 innings in his last two starts at Wrigley Field. Deck McGuire gets the start for the Reds here and he got completely crushed at Milwaukee earlier this week. The over is 26-11 when the Cubs are a home fave in the -175 to -250 range this season. 8* OVER the total in the Chicago Cubs game

Rickenbach MLB 10* Top Play Sunday OVER the total in Miami Marlins vs Atlanta Braves @ 3:10 ET - Of course the big story here is Stanton going for his 60th home run and he will actually bat leadoff for the Marlins in this one to get as many plate appearances as possible. He and Miami have a good chance of success against Max Fried. The right-hander got roughed up by the Marlins two weeks ago and he has allowed 13 hits in the 9 innings spanning his last two starts. Miami counters with Jose Urena here and I know he has had a good season and been tough at home. However, this will be the 4th time in about 3 and 1/2 months that the Braves are facing him. Also, Urena did allow 6 earned runs in his most recent start and Atlanta has averaged 9.1 hits per game in their last 9 games against right-handed starters. The Marlins have been on a red hot run at the plate that continued with yesterday's 10-2 win as they've averaged 7.4 runs per game in their last 12 games. The Marlins have won 3 straight and the over is 10-5 when Miami is on a winning streak of 3 games or more this season. The Braves have now lost 6 straight and they're 19-11 to the over this season when on a losing streak of 3 games or more. Look for one more wild one involving the Marlins this afternoon as they help Stanton chase his 60th homer! 10* OVER the total in Miami

Rickenbach Sunday MLB 8* OVER the total in Los Angeles Angels vs Seattle Mariners @ 3:05 ET - The ball carries better in day games compared to night games in Anaheim. The Mariners James Paxton is winless with a 6.97 ERA in his last 3 starts. He allowed a pair of homers in his most recent start. The Angels Parker Bridwell has allowed a pair of homers in each of his last two starts. The over is 4-1 in the Angels last 5 games and 4-0 in the Mariners last 4 games. Bridwell has allowed 7 earned runs in the 12 innings spanning his last two starts and I look for more of the same here as both these starters get lit up. 8* OVER the total in LA Angels

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Saturday 10* Top Play Boston Red Sox Money Line (-) vs Houston Astros @ 1:05 ET - The Red Sox Drew Pomeranz had been rolling along prior to his last start. Even with that RARE ugly home outing for the Boston southpaw, the Red Sox are still 12-4 in his home starts this season and Pomeranz has compiled a solid 3.58 ERA in those outings. He has allowed just 1 earned run in each of his last two outings against the Astros and that includes a start earlier this season. Houston will have Lance McCullers on the mound for this one and he is still trying to find his rhythm after missing time with injury. Not only does have a 6.59 ERA in his last 3 starts overall, he also has not been able to pitch deep into games. McCullers gave up 5 earned runs in his most recent start at Boston. In his last two starts at Fenway Park he has allowed 14 hits in less than 10 innings of work. I look for more struggles from this afternoon. While the Astros still have some incentive (trying to catch the Indians for best record in baseball), the Red Sox are still trying to lock down the AL East and are highly motivated here. The Astros are only 21-23 plus DOWN $12,400 in their games against left-handed starters this season while the Red Sox are 43-25 and UP $12,000 when off of a loss this season. 10* BOSTON

Money Line Game of the Month - Rickenbach Friday MLB 10* Top Play Colorado Rockies Money Line (+) vs Los Angeles Dodgers @ 8:10 ET - The Rockies are still trying to clinch the 2nd wild card spot in the National League. The Dodgers are still hoping to clinch the home field edge over the Indians should they make the world series. That said, Los Angeles certainly isn't going to lay down here but I really like the pitching edge and the hunger factor for Colorado in this one. The Rockies have gotten back on track and won 4 of their last 6 and have averaged 8 runs per game in those 4 victories. The Dodgers have started to heat up again but this is still an LA team that has been on cruise control as they head toward the post-season and Los Angeles has lost 21 of their last 32 games overall. Hyun-Jin Ryu of the Dodgers took a line drive off of his throwing arm in his most recent start and may not be 100% here. The southpaw also is 0-3 versus the Rockies this season and each start has gotten progressively worse for him. Not only that, the lefty walked 6 batters and gave up 8 hits - all of this in just 4 innings - in his most recent start at Coors Field. Chad Bettis gets the call for Colorado here and he was solid in his most recent start versus the Dodgers three weeks ago. He did not walk any while allowed 6 hits but striking out 5 in his 5 innings of work. He's facing a Dodgers team that has struggled on the road with a money line in a pick'em range (-125 to +125) the last 3 seasons combined as LA is 32-50 (-$21,700). The Rockies are a solid 45-33 at home this season and +$13,900 versus left-handed starters on the year. Bettis, unlike most Rockies starters, actually has pitched better at home than on the road. Bettis has a 4.07 ERA in his 4 home starts this year. Also, last year he was 8-2 with a 4.44 ERA at home for the Rockies. The Rox are 12-2 in the last 14 home starts Bettis has made. 10* COLORADO

Earliest Cash Friday - Rickenbach MLB 8* Cincinnati Reds Money Line (+) @ Chicago Cubs @ 2:20 ET - While it may seem tough to take a chance on a big dog this is certainly the time to do it. The Cubs are likely to rest quite a few guys today so it will be a bit of a "makeshift" lineup for Chicago. At the same time, the Reds counter with a pitcher who has been throwing very well. That said, I don't expect the Cubs to produce many runs here and that makes Cincinnati a very dangerous dog in this spot. Robert Stephenson has allowed 2 earned runs or less in 7 of his last 8 starts. Cincy lost his most recent start but the Reds had won 6 of his prior 7 outings. Also, on the season, the Cubs Jose Quintana has a losing record in day game starts (ChiSox and Cubs combined) and has compiled a 4.69 ERA in those outings. The Reds lineup just saw Quintana last month whereas the Cubs lineup (which will likely be missing a lot of starters too) hasn't faced Stephenson since last season. Chicago is 11-14 (-$8,200) in Friday games this season! Quintana beat the Reds in a the 1st game of a 4-game series at Wrigley last month. The Reds then took 2 of the next 3 at Chicago and they are a dangerous, revenging road dog in this one. 8* CINCINNATI

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Thursday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Kansas City Royals vs Detroit Tigers @ 8:15 ET - With "playoff pressure" now gone for the recently eliminated Royals, their bats have come to life. They scored 7 runs yesterday in a 7-4 win and I look for more of the same today. Of course the Tigers are on a long losing streak right now but that has not prevented them from being an "over machine" of late. With yesterday's game totaling 11 runs, the over is now 8-2-1 in Detroit's last 11 games. With Daniel Norris on the mound for the Tigers tonight, I expect those numbers to add another "over" by the time this one is in the books. Norris has a 10.94 ERA in his last 3 starts. Also, the Detroit southpaw has given up 10 earned runs in the 14 and 1/3 innings spanning his last 3 starts versus the Royals. Kansas City will have southpaw Danny Duffy on the mound in this one. The lefty has given up 11 earned runs in the 15 innings spanning his last 3 starts versus the Tigers. Although his overall numbers are good this season, he is not 100% healthy. This is just his 3rd start since returning from the DL and he allowed 8 hits in 6 innings versus the White Sox in his most recent start. The over is 6-1-1 in the 8 road starts Norris has made this season and the over is 12-6 this season in games between these teams. Also, the Tigers are on a 48-27 run to the over in September games and Detroit is 15-3 to the over in Thursday games this season. I'll take advantage of the downward move on this total too as that has opened up even more line value in this one. 10* OVER the total in Kansas City

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Thursday MLB 8* OVER the total in Milwaukee Brewers vs Cincinnati Reds @ 4:10 ET - The Brewers are still alive in the wild card hunt but I don't foresee Brent Suter slowing down the Reds sticks. Cincinnati won 6-0 yesterday and that was actually the first under this season in 8 meetings between these teams in Milwaukee. Look for the "over trend" to resume here as Suter gave up 3 homers in 5 innings in his lone start against the Reds and that was just last month. Sal Romano gets the start for Cincinnati here and he has allowed 3 homers in 8 innings in his 2 starts versus Milwaukee this season. Also, he comes into this start having been hit hard in 2 of his last 3 starts. The Reds would love to play the role of spoiler just like they did yesterday against a divisional rival and I look for them to again put up some big runs versus Milwaukee. However, the Brewers will enjoy a lot more success at the plate today because of facing Romano. That said, the value here is with the over and I look for the over to improve to 8-1 in the 9 meetings between these teams in Wisconsin this season. 8* OVER the total in Milwaukee

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Wednesday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Red Sox vs Toronto Blue Jays @ 7:10 ET - Though Boston's Rick Porcello has pitched better since the All-Star break he still certainly hasn't been great. He was hit at a .270 clip in August and a .279 clip in September. Also, on the season, Porcello has gone 7-12 with a 5.37 ERA night games while opponents have hit him at a .293 clip under the lights. The Blue Jays pounded him for 7 earned runs in 5 and 1/3 innings the last time they faced him and that was only 3 weeks ago. The Blue Jays Marco Estrada has been pitching well of late but he has allowed a career-high 30 homers this season. It will be a warm evening at Fenway Park with a light breeze blowing out as well. He has a 4.96 ERA on the road this season and a 4.89 ERA in night games this season. Estrada had a great start against the Red Sox earlier this month but he has been "up and down" in starts versus Boston in his career. Also, the Red Sox have averaged 5.7 runs per game in their last 14 games. The Blue Jays are 7-4 in their last 11 games and they've averaged 5.6 runs per game during this stretch! The Red Sox are 3-1 to the over the last 4 times they've been off of a loss. Look for the over to improve to 7-3 in the Blue Jays last 10 games as this one flies over the total. Both bullpens got a little "touched up" last night and that's a good sign for what to expect tonight after each of these starters get a little roughed up too! 10* OVER the total in Boston Wednesday evening

Earliest Cash Total - Rickenbach Wednesday MLB 8* OVER the total in Oakland A's vs Seattle Mariners @ 3:35 ET - Even though Erasmo Ramirez is off of a strong start, his best of the season, I look for him to struggle here. In his most recent road start he allowed 6 earned runs in just 4 innings. Also, in his most recent start versus the A's, Ramirez was rocked for 10 hits in just 5 and 1/3 innings of work. On the season he is 1-5 with a 7.50 ERA in his road starts. Oakland will have Kendall Graveman on the mound and, though he is having a solid September, he got rocked for 4 runs (3 earned) in just 5 and 1/3 innings in his lone start versus the Mariners this season. Even though he has a low ERA in day games this season, Graveman has been hit at a .289 clip in afternoon action so he's been fortunate to say the least. Last year he had a 4.58 ERA in day games and the prior season it was a 5.08 ERA in afternoon action. With yesterday's 6-3 win, the Mariners are 5-3 in road games this month and have averaged 6.3 runs per game so they step to the plate with plenty of confidence in this one. Though the A's have lost the first two games of this series, they had previously won 7 straight and averaged 5.6 runs per game in those victories. Look for the Athletics sticks to bounce right back against a hurler who has struggled on the road this season while the M's sticks also continue her their red hot road success this month. The result should be an easy over. The over is 6-3 in the 9 road starts that Ramirez has made this season. The A's are 36-24 to the over in day games this season. 8* OVER the total in Oakland Wednesday afternoon

Earliest Cash Run Line - Rickenbach Wednesday MLB 8* Colorado Rockies -1.5 runs vs Miami Marlins @ 3:10 ET - Miami's Adam Conley has a 10.49 ERA in his last 3 starts. In his only career start at Colorado he was rocked for 6 earned runs in 5 innings. Colorado's Jon Gray has a 1.50 ERA in his last 3 starts. Also, at home this season he has gone 4-1 with a 2.92 ERA. It will be a chilly, rather raw afternoon in Denver with the wind blowing in so I expect Gray to have continued success on his home mound. Rockies have averaged 6.4 runs per game in their last 8 home games. Overall, Colorado is on a 13-9 run their last 22 games after last night's shutout win. The Marlins are 8-20 their last 28 games. All signs point to a rout here and 6 of the Marlins last 7 losses have come by 2 runs or more. As for the Rockies, each of their last 6 wins have come by 2 runs or more. 8* COLORADO Run Line Wednesday afternoon

Earliest Cash Triple Play - Rickenbach Tuesday MLB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Indians vs Minnesota Twins @ 7:10 ET - Not sure how much longer Bartolo Colon will be pitching at the MLB level but, while he still is, I want to continue to take advantage. Colon has a 13.09 ERA in his last 3 starts. Even when it "looked" like he was pitching better (August stats), he did get hit at a .292 clip for the month so he was basically a "fortunate" pitcher. That good fortune ran out this month as he is 0-4 with a 9.17 ERA in September. The Indians are still trying to lock up home field for the AL playoffs while the Twins are still trying to lock down a wild card spot so there is plenty to play for here. That said, the offenses are likely to rule in this one as Cleveland's Josh Tomlin has a 5.35 ERA at home this season. Even though he's allowed just 2 earned runs in each of his last 3 starts, he has allowed 13 hits in the 11 innings spanning his 2 most recent starts. The Twins are seeing Tomlin for the 4th time already this season and the repetition has paid off for Minnesota hitters as they really pounded him when they most recently faced him. The Twins have won 8 of their 13 games and they've averaged 6.5 runs during this hot stretch. Of course the Indians recently wrapped up an epic winning streak and they're at it again. They've won 7 of their last 8 and averaged 6 runs per game in the 7 victories. The over is 9-3 in Colon's last 12 road starts. I expect another crazy slugfest here. He gave up 3 homers in his last start versus the Tribe and he comes into this outing having given up a pair of homers in each of his last two starts. 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland 

Earliest Cash Triple Play - Rickenbach Tuesday MLB 8* Pittsburgh Pirates Money Line (+) vs Baltimore Orioles @ 7:05 ET - The Orioles late season collapse eliminated them from the wild card race. While the Pirates are also eliminated their collapse is over with. Pittsburgh has won 3 of their last 4 games. The Orioles having just been eliminated over the weekend are more likely to be the flatter team here and they certainly haven't been playing well at all. Baltimore is off of a rare win but they previously had lost 14 of their last 17. Kevin Gausman gets the start here and the Orioles right-hander gave up 4 earned runs in his prior start versus the Pirates this season. Though Gausman has been pitching quite well in his last two starts, he previously allowed 4 earned runs or more in 3 of his 6 prior starts. Trevor Williams gets the start here for the Pirates and he has an edge in that the Orioles have never faced him in any of his starts. Also, Williams has allowed 2 earned runs or less in 4 of his last 5 starts. The right-hander has been rock solid at home this season. He had one hiccup in his last 5 home starts but the in the other 4 home starts he has made the past 7 weeks, Williams allowed a TOTAL of only ONE earned runs in 27 innings! Look for another strong start here and the Pirates are offering great line value as a home dog. 8* PITTSBURGH

Earliest Cash Triple Play - Rickenbach Tuesday MLB 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia Phillies vs Washington Nationals @ 7:05 ET - Admittedly this is certainly a contrarian play but, from experience, this is the kind of stuff that cashes long-term. When you look at this game it is a national league match-up and involves pitchers with low ERA numbers and yet the total is a 9. Something is "up" here is my point and the reality is you're like to see the Gio Gonzalez whom gave up 5 earned runs in 5 innings versus the Braves two weeks ago. Also, you're likely to see the Jake Thompson whom gave up 5 earned runs in 5 innings versus the Nationals earlier this month. Thompson has had command issues and has walked 7 in his last 10 and 1/3 innings at home. The over is a perfect 4-0 in Thompson's home starts and the over is a perfect 3-0 in the last 3 road starts Gonzalez has made. Entering Monday, the scrappy Phillies were 7-3 in their last 10 home games and they averaged 5.6 runs per game during this hot stretch. The Nationals were 5-2 in their last 7 games overall and averaging about 5 runs per game. I am looking for at least a 6-5 type game here as the double perfect "over streaks" involving these pitchers remain intact. 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia