This is an 8* play on the Toronto Blue Jays +1.5

The Jays have split the first two games of this series at Fenway, and the rubber match will go Sunday afternoon. I like Toronto with what appears to be a favorable matchup on the mound.

Marco Estrada will toe the slab for the visitors, and he's coming off a brilliant performance. Estrada (3-2, 2.43 ERA) tossed eight scoreless innings, surrendering just three hits and striking out six in a win over the Yankees his last time out. He shutout the Red Sox, striking out eight in seven innings in his first start of the season.

Boston will hand the ball to Eduardo Rodriguez, who posted rather dramatic splits as a rookie last year. He was 8-2 with a 1.87 ERA in 13 starts at night, but 2-4 with a 7.88 ERA in eight starts during the day. He faced the Jays twice last season, surrendering 10 runs on 12 hits over 10 innings.

A matinee against a hot Toronto lineup seems like a tough spot for this young Red Sox starter.

Take TOR.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the San Diego Padres. 

The Padres will take on the Giants in a matinee at AT&T Park on Wednesday, and I like San Diego as an underdog with it's ace on the mound. 

James Shields will toe the slab for San Diego, and he's pitched far better than his record would indicate. Shields (2-6, 3.07 ERA) allowed three runs on nine hits, striking out seven over 6 2/3 innings in a loss to the Giants his last time out. He's 2-1 with a 2.88 ERA in four starts against San Francisco over the last three seasons. 

The Giants hand the ball to Jake Peavy, who couldn't even get out of the second inning in his last start. Peavy (1-5, 8.21 ERA) allowed five runs on seven hits and a pair of walks in just 1 2/3 innings in a loss to the Cubs. He's been torched for 11 runs on 18 hits over 11 innings in two day games this season.

The Padres are just 2-6 in their last eight games, but during that span they've lost by more than one run just twice. 

Take SD. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a Free #MLB play on the Colorado #Rockies +1.5.

The Giants are sitting in first place in the NL West, which doesn't surprise anyone. Few would have expected the Rockies to be just a game back though, and I like Colorado as an underdog in Game 1 of this series at AT&T Park. 

Matt Cain will toe the slab for San Fran, and he's really struggled so far in 2016. Cain (0-3, 7.00 ERA) surrendered six runs on seven hits, including a pair of home runs over six innings in a loss to the Mets his last time out. He's already faced Colorado once this year, and the Rockies torched him for six runs in just 4 2/3 innings, winning 11-6 at Coors. 

The Rockies hand the ball to Chris Rusin, who has been untouchable in five appearances so far. Rusin (1-0, 1.69 ERA) surrendered one hit and struck out six over five innings, winning his first start of the season at Arizona. He has solid numbers in four previous meetings with the Giants, going 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA. 

Angel Pagan is swinging a hot bat in 2016, batting .315 with a pair of home runs and 13 RBIs, but he's battling a hamstring injury that could prevent him from playing tonight. 

Take COL. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a Free #MLB play on the Detroit #Tigers +1.5.

The Indians swept the Tigers in Detroit last week, and they took Game 1 of this home series versus Detroit by a score of 7-3 last night. Cleveland will be a big favorite with ace Corey Kluber on the mound tonight, and Kluber only has one win in five starts this year. 

Kluber (1-3, 4.24 ERA) allowed three runs on four hits over seven innings in a loss to Philly his last time out. He limited the Tigers to one run on two hits and 10 strikeouts over eight innings prior to that. His success against the Tigers has been limited though, with a record of 1-5 with a 4.26 ERA in his previous 10 starts versus Detroit. The power in the Tigers lineup has clobbered Kluber, with Cabrera batting .500 with five homers and 10 RBIs in 38 at bats, Victor Martinez batting .321 with three homers, and J.D. hitting .333 with a home run. 

The Tigers hand the ball to Anibal Sanchez, who was rocked by the Indians in Detroit. Sanchez (3-2, 6.08 ERA) allowed two runs on three hits, striking out nine in a home win over Oakland his last time out. Prior to that he was torched for seven runs on nine hits in just 2 1/3 innings in a home loss to Cleveland. He's pitched well against the Indians at Progressive Field though, going 1-0 with a 2.13 ERA in his last two starts there. 

The Tigers are batting an American League best .286 on the season so far. 

Take DET. 

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Washington Nationals -1.5. 

The Phillies upset the Nats in Game 1 of this series, beating Max Scherzer last night. I like Washington to bounce back with a blowout win in Game 2. 

Gio Gonzalez will toe the slab for the home team, and he's coming off another solid start. Gonzalez (1-0, 1.42 ERA) allowed three runs on six hits, striking out eight in six innings in a win over Minnesota his last time out. He was 2-1 with a 2.92 ERA in four starts against the Phillies last year. 

The Phillies hand the ball to Jeremy Hellickson, who has been brutal. Hellickson (1-1, 5.21 ERA) allowed four runs on 10 hits over just 4 1/3 innings in a no-decision versus the Mets his last time out. He's 0-1 with a 6.97 ERA in two starts versus the Nationals the last three seasons. 

Bryce Harper leads the major leagues in home runs with nine, and RBIs with 24. He's 3-for-5 lifetime versus Hellickson. 

Take WAS. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 5* play on the Kansas City Royals. 

The LA Angels are off to a slow start, sitting in fourth place in the AL West with a record of 8-11. They lost two of three in a home series versus the Mariners, and they play Game 1 of a new series at home versus Kansas City tonight. 

Garrett Richards will toe the slab for the home team, and he's still winless in 2016. Richards (0-3, 3.00 ERA) struggled with his command, allowing a pair of runs on four hits while walking four in 6 1/3 innings in his last start. 

The Royals hand the ball to Ian Kennedy, who has been the epitome of consistency so far. Kennedy (2-1, 1.35 ERA) allowed a pair of runs on six hits while striking out seven over 6 1/3 innings in a 3-2 loss to the Tigers his last time out. He's had very little trouble in past meetings with LA, limiting the Halos lineup to a .239 batting average with 11 strikeouts and just 11 hits in 46 a bats. 

Take KC. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Detroit Tigers +1.5. 

The Tigers host Cleveland in Game 2 of this series in the Motor City today, and the Indians took Game 1 by a score of 2-1. The bookmakers have Cleveland as a road favorite with their ace on the mound in this one, but Corey Kluber's performance so far this season doesn't justify this line. 

Kluber (0-3, 6.16 ERA) was torched for six runs on nine hits over six innings in a home loss to the Mets his last time out. He hasn't had much success against the Tigers in his career, going 1-5 with a 4.26 ERA in his last 10 starts against them. He's 1-2 with a 5.89 ERA in his last three starts in Detroit. He also has a history of struggling in the early months of the season, going 4-6 with a 3.90 ERA in April over the last three years. 

The Tigers hand the ball to Anibal Sanchez, who is coming off a rough outing on the road. Sanchez (2-1, 4.60 ERA) allowed five runs on eight hits over five innings in a loss to Houston his last time out. Prior to that he gave up just two runs on four hits in five innings in a home win over the Pirates. 

He's had plenty of success against this Cleveland lineup, as the Indians are batting just .244 against him in a combined 119 at bats. One player who has hit him well is Michael Brantley, who is batting .318 in 22 at bats. Brantley remains on the DL with a shoulder injury though, so he won't be a factor here today. 

Take DET. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Cincinnati Reds +1.5. 

The Cubs are off to an impressive 6-1 start, but the Cincinnati Reds aren't far behind, surprisingly winning five of their first seven games. The Reds are a huge underdog at Wrigley today, and I think this is a great spot to take the underdog on the runline. 

Alfredo Simon will toe the slab for the Reds, and he's coming off a solid season debut. The veteran right-hander struck out seven while allowing a pair of runs on five hits in five innings in a no decision versus Pittsburgh. He has owned the Cubs in recent years, going 4-0 with a 1.41 ERA in five starts since 2013. He's 1-0 with a 0.79 ERA in his last three starts at Wrigley. 

The Cubs hand the ball to John Lackey, who did not look very sharp in his season debut. He was torched for six runs on eight hits, including a pair of home runs in six innings at Arizona. 

Both Joey Votto and Jay Bruce have homered twice off Lackey in past meetings. 

Take CIN. GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Pittsburgh Pirates +1.5. 

The Pirates bats punished Justin Verlander in Game 1 of this series in Detroit, and I like Pittsburgh as a dog here in Game 2. 

Juan Nicasio will toe the slab for Pittsburgh, and he was pretty impressive in his season debut. The 29 year old right-hander went six innings, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out seven. He looked fantastic this Spring, and he's got a real chance to have a breakout year here for the Pirates. 

The Tigers hand the ball to Anibal Sanchez, who also picked up a win in his first start of 2016. He allowed a pair of runs on four hits, walking three in just five innings in a win at Miami. He was hit hard in just one start against Pittsburgh last year, giving up five runs on eight hits, including three home runs in 6 1/3 innings. 

Detroit doesn't have what you would call a very dependable bullpen, but Pittsburgh's relievers rank near the top of the majors with a 1.82 ERA through seven games. While that's a small sample size, the Pirates did have one of the best bullpens in the majors last year, ranking first in ERA by reliever (2.67). 

Take PIT +1.5
 
GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Washington Nationals -1.5. 

The Atlanta Braves were swept at home by the Nats in a two game series to start the season, and they followed that up by losing three more games in a home series versus St. Louis. Four of Atlanta's five losses this year have come in games decided by more than one run, and given the mismatch here in tonight's game, we should see another lopsided loss. 

Max Scherzer will toe the slab for the Nats, and he went seven innings, surrendering a pair of runs on just three hits in Atlanta on Opening Day. He didn't factor in the decision in that game, but he should pick up a win here tonight. He has owned the Braves lineup, as they are hitting a combined .214 with 66 strikeouts in 224 at bats against him. 

The Braves hand the ball to Bud Norris, who allowed three runs on six hits over six innings in a loss to Washington in his debut. He was 2-8 with a 6.70 ERA on the road last year, and he's 0-1 with an 11.12 ERA against the Nats since 2013. 

Ryan Zimmerman is 6-for-17 with three home runs and nine RBIs lifetime versus Norris. 

Take WAS. GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on Milwaukee +1.5. 

The Cardinals crushed Atlanta in a three game sweep at Turner Field, but it might be a bit premature to get too excited about this St. Louis offense. They really struggled at the plate in Pittsburgh, and they could cool off today against a hot young Brewers pitcher. 

Taylor Jungmann will toe the slab for the visitors, and he was sharp in his debut. The 26 year old gave up two runs (one unearned), on three hits over five innings in a 4-3 win over the Giants. He was more successful at home than he was on the road in his rookie season, but his day/night splits give reason for optimism here. He was 3-2 with a 2.45 ERA in seven starts in day games last season. 

The Cardinals hand the ball to Michael Wacha, who seemed to fall apart at the end of last year. He got hammered by the Pirates in his first start of 2016, giving up five runs on 10 hits over just 4 1/3 innings. He's 2-0 against the Brewers since 2013, but his ERA of 5.75 in four appearances looks a little concerning. 

Take MIL. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on Baltimore +1.5. 

The Red Sox are a huge favorite at home to the undefeated Orioles today, and I just don't think the "Price" is realistic. The Orioles send a capable pitcher to the mound opposite David Price, and they have a heavy hitting lineup that is in the zone right now. 

Price was not exceptional in his Opening Day start in Cleveland, and he has a history of starting slow. He's just 5-5 with a 4.74 ERA in the month of April since 2013. He hasn't had a lot of success silencing the Orioles in his career, as Baltimore's lineup is batting a solid .280 over a combined 236 at bats against him. 

The Orioles hand the ball to Yovani Gallardo, who was sharp in his season debut. Gallardo gave up just one run on a pair of hits over five innings in a 4-2 win over the Twins. The veteran is 2-1 with a 2.55 ERA in three starts against the Red Sox over the last three seasons. 

The Orioles are 10-1 in their last 11 overall, and I just can't pass up on a hot team getting such a big price. 

Take BAL. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Oakland A's +1.5. 

The Seattle Mariners will host the A's in the opening game of a three game set at Safeco on Friday, and the Mariners are a pretty big favorite with Taijuan Walker on the mound. The 23 year old is highly touted, but has yet to develop into a dependable starter. 

He won 11 games in 2015, and seven of those wins came on the road. He certainly didn't fool Oakland, going 0-1 with a 12.96 ERA in two starts. He allowed 16 runs on 31 hits over just 22 innings this Spring, and doesn't appear comfortable with his pitches heading into the season. 

The A's hand the ball to 28 year old southpaw Eric Surkamp, who has just seven career starts under his belt. He looked really sharp this Spring, going 2-1 with a 3.60 ERA, striking out 19 batters in 20 innings pitched. 

Oakland's lineup is batting .364 over a combined 55 at bats versus Walker, and Mark Canha is 3-for-3 with a home run against him. 

Take OAK. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the NYY +1.5. 

The Bronx Bombers have lived up to their moniker so far this season, scoring a whopping 27 runs while taking two of three in a home series versus Houston. They are an underdog on the road at Detroit in a matinee here on Friday, and I just don't think the Tigers can be trusted as a favorite. The Detroit bullpen was one of the worst in the majors last year, and so far it's more of the same in 2016. 

Luis Severino will toe the slab for the visitors, and he was impressive at the end of last season. The 22 year old right-hander was particularly sharp in day games, going 2-1 with a 2.00 ERA in three starts. He had a very solid Spring, going 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA, striking out 25 batters in just 21 innings. 

The Tigers hand the ball to newly acquired Jordan Zimmerman who had an off year with the Nationals last season. The 29 year old pitched 9 1/3 innings this Spring, and allowed five runs on eight hits, including a pair of home runs. 

Detroit swept the Marlins in Miami, but the bullpen surrendered a total of four runs in the ninth inning (three in Game 1, another in Game 2). 

Take NYY. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the NYM -1.5. 

The Mets are coming off a split of their two game series at Kansas City, and they return home for what should prove to be a very favorable matchup in their home opener. They host the lowly Philadlphia Phillies, who are already 0-3 after being swept in Cincinnati. I won't get any easier for Philly, as they face Jacob deGrom in a Matinee at Citi Field. 

deGrom was 6-4 with a 1.99 ERA in 15 starts in New York last season, and he's 2-0 with a 3.34 ERA in five starts against Philly lifetime. He's coming off a fantastic Spring Training, going 1-0 with a 1.62 ERA, striking out 15 batters in 16 innings. 

The Phillies counter with Jerad Eikoff, who had his worst numbers in day games last year. He surrendered a pair of home runs, losing his only start at New York last season. He got rocked this Spring, giving up eight runs on 15 hits, including four home runs in just nine innings. 

The 25 year old only reach 100 pitches once last year, and never went past the 7th inning in any of his nine starts. Even if he has himself a good day, the Mets should get a good look at one of baseball's worst bullpens. 

Take NYM. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a Free #MLB play on the Milwaukee #Brewers RL.

We saw a pitcher's duel at Miller Park last night, as Jeff Nelson came out on the wrong end of a 2-1 loss opposite Johnny Cueto. We could see another close, low scoring game here in the series finale, with Taylor Jungmann making his season debut opposit Jeff Samardzija.

Samardzija will be making his first start for the Giants since coming over from Chicago, and he didn't have a great showing this Spring. The right-hander was 2-3 with a 6.00 ERA in seven appearances. He did manage 21 strikeouts over 30 innings, which was encouraging, but he also gave up 20 hits and six home runs.

Jungmann wasn't much better this Spring, but he was fantastic at Miller Park in his rookie season. He went 5-2 with a 2.21 ERA in nine starts in Milwaukee last year. He also has favorable day/night splits, going 3-2 with a 2.45 ERA in seven starts in the afternoon.

Samardzija hasn't fooled the Brewers lineup, as Milwaukee has hit .342 over a combined 79 at bats. Ryan Braun has comletely owned him, going 10-for-20 lifetime with three home runs.

Take MIL.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 10* play on the Milwaukee Brewers +1.5. 

The Brewers got worked over on Opening Day, losing by a score of 12-3 to San Francisco. Game 2 of this series features a more favorable pitching matchup for Milwaukee, and I like their chances of evening the series. 

Johnny Cueto will make his debut for the Giants, and this looks like a tough situational spot for 30 year old. Cueto is a pitcher who has more dramatic splits than most, and his comfort zone is at home during the day. He was just 5-9 with a 3.80 ERA on the road last year, and 7-9 with a 3.42 ERA at night. He didn't look overly sharp in the Spring, surrendering 11 runs on 17 hits in just 10 innings. 

The Brewers hand the ball to 26 year old Jimmy Nelson, who showed some signs of greatness last year. He was better at home, going 5-4 with a 3.49 ERA in 14 starts at Miller Park. That's not bad when you consider how bad the Brewers were last year. The right-hander looked very sharp this Spring, going 2-1 with a 1.17 ERA in four appearances. 

The Giants are just 9-19 in their last 28 road games. 

Take MIL. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the LAA. 

The Chicago Cubs come in to the 2016 season as the favorite to win the NL Central. They will be a favorite on the road at Los Angeles on Opening Day, and I think the bookmakers are showing this young Chicago team way too much respect. 

Jake Arietta will get the start for Chicago, and he was the NL Cy Young Award winner in 2015. There is no guarantee that he can replicate the amazing season he had a year ago, and he certainly didn't inspire much confidence this Spring. He posted an ERA of 5.56 over 11.1 innings in four appearances. 

The Angels hand the ball to Garrett Rickards, who was 10-4 with a 2.92 ERA in 17 starts at home last year. The 27 year old also has favorable day/night splits for this spot, as he's 29-16 with a 3.49 ERA at night over the last three seasons. The Angels have won 13 of his last 18 home starts. 

The Angels have won five of their last six at home, and they are 9-1 in Richards last 10 starts against NL teams. 

Take LAA. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a Free #MLB play on the Arizona #Dbacks -1.5.

The Arizona Diamondbacks will host Colorado on Opening Day, and they are a big favorite against a Rockies team that finished last in the NL West last season. Arizona looks like a contender after making a few key acquisitions this off-season, and the biggest move they made was bringing in Zack Greinke over from LA. 

Greinke won 19 games with the Dodgers last year, and only poor run support prevented him from an even better showing. He's likely to have a little more runs to work with here in Arizona, but we'll see how he adjusts to a more pitcher friendly park. He certainly didn't mind pitching here in 2015, tossing 15 scoreless innings in a pair of wins. 

The Rockies will counter with left-hander Jorge De La Rosa, who didn't look sharp at all this spring. The 32 year old posted a 6.10 ERA, surrendering 26 hits and a staggering nine walks over 20 innings of work. His numbers in previous starts at Chase Field are nothing to write home about, going 1-4 with a 4.60 ERA in five starts since 2013. 

Paul Goldschmidt looked great this spring, batting .333 with three home runs and 11 RBIs. He's crushed left-handed pitching over the last three seasons, hitting .344.

 Take ARI -1.5. 

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Kansas City Royals. 

The World Series champs will open the season at home against the Mets, who they defeated in the World Series. The Mets are a favorite with their ace on the mound, but I'm not sure Matt Harvey is worth the price as a road favorite. 

Harvey was a rather pedestrian 5-5 with a 3.42 ERA in 12 starts on the road last year. He didn't look all that sharp in Spring Training, posting an ERA of 7.40 over 12 innings in four appearances. 

The Royals will counter with Edinson Volquez, who was 8-4 with a 3.48 ERA at home last season. The right-hander had a pretty solid Spring Training, going 2-1 with a 3.98 ERA, striking out 14 batters in 13 innings of work. 

The Royals have won nine of their last 11 when Volquez starts at home, while the Mets have lost four straight when Harvey starts versus American League teams. 

Take KC. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the TB Rays +1.5

The Toronto Blue Jays will play in Tampa on Opening Day, and the defending AL East champs are coming off an impressive Spring Training in the Grapefruit League. Toronto is a slight road favorite in this matchup, but history favors Chris Archer and the Rays. 

Archer has had no shortage of success against the Blue Jays, even more so than his record of 5-3 with a 3.26 ERA over the last three seasons would indicate. What's most impressive of Archer's numbers in previous starts against Toronto, is how he's silenced the Blue Jay's big bats. Jose Bautista is batting a minuscule .152 with only one home run and four strikeouts in 33 career at bats, while Edwin Encarnacion is even worse, hitting .139 in 36 career at bats. Archer looked sharp in nine innings this spring, striking out seven while holding opposing batters to a .194 average. 

The Jays will send 24 year old Marcus Stroman to the mound on Opening Day, and that's a lot of pressure to put on a young pitcher. Stroman has looked very sharp in Spring Training, but he's been far better at home than he has been on the road in his brief career. He has just 30 starts under his belt in two seasons, and his ERA of 4.97 on the road is more than double what it is at Rogers Center. He's surrendered eight runs on 17 hits going 1-1 with a 5.73 ERA in two career starts versus Tampa. Evan Longoria was 3-for-5 with a home run in those two games. 

Take TB. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Kansas City Royals +1.5. 

Despite the fact that the Kansas City Royals have already beaten Matt Harvey in Game 1, and lead this series 3-1, for some very odd reason they are an underdog in Game 5. Last night's loss looks like the straw the broke the Camels back for the Mets, and I think it's going to be quite tough for them to come back from that. 

Edinson Volquez will toe the slab for Kansas City, and he's been pretty reliable so far in these playoffs. Volquez (13-9, 3.55 ERA) allowed three runs on six hits over six innings, not factoring in the decision in a 5-4 win in Game 1. 

The Mets hand the ball to Matt Harvey, who allowed three runs on five hits and a pair of walks, also not factoring in the decision in Game 1. This is a tough spot for the "Dark Knight", with his team facing elimination. 

Mental miscues cost the Mets last night, and that's bound to hurt the team's confidence here tonight. Their bullpen looks shaky as well, with both Clippard and Familia getting roughed up last night. 

Take KC +1.5. GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Kansas City Royals +1.5.

The Mets battled back last night to stay alive in the World Series, now trailing 2-1. They have a chance to take the series back to Kansas City tied at 2-2, but it's not going to be easy.

Chris Young will toe the slab for the visitors, and he was brilliant in three innings in relief in Game 1. Young (11-6, 3.06 ERA) has been sharp in all three of his post-season appearances, giving up just three runs on six hits over 11 2/3 innings. He's had success against the Mets lineup, with New York hitting just .160 over a combined 50 at bats versus Young.

The Mets hand the ball to 24 year old rookie Stephen Matz, who hasn't pitched since Game 4 of the NLCS in Chicago. He didn't pitch all that well in that game, allowing a run on four hits and a pair of walks in just 4 2/3 innings. He was roughed up for three runs on six hits and a pair of walks in five innings in a home loss to the Dodgers in the ALDS.

This is a Royals lineup that simply doesn't miss. Jacob deGrom threw 94 pitches in Game 2, and the Royals on swung and missed at three of them. There are no easy outs in the this Kansas City lineup, and this kid is facing the weight of the world on his shoulders in a game that the Mets need to win to stay alive in this series.

Take KC +1.5.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Kansas City Royals +1.5. 

After seeing the Royals lineup have it's way with Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom, I really don't know how anybody can justify the Mets being favored in Game 3 of this series. 

Noah Syndergaard will toe the slab for New York, and he's been great at home all year long. He needed 101 pitches to get through 5 2/3 innings, allowing a run on three hits in a 4-1 win over the Cubs in Game 2 of the NLCS, but unfortunately for him, he's not facing the Cubs here tonight. The 23 year old rookie will be facing a Royals lineup that simply doesn't miss. Jacob deGrom threw 94 pitches in Game 2, and the Royals on swung and missed at three of them. There are no easy outs in the this Kansas City lineup, and this kid is facing the weight of the world on his shoulders in a game that the Mets need to win to stay alive in this series. 

The Royals hand the ball to Yordano Ventura, who is no slouch either. The hard throwing right-hander allowed one run on four hits, striking out five over 5 1/3 innings in a Game 6 victory over the Blue Jays his last time out. 

Take KC +1.5. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Kansas City Royals +1.5. 

The Royals showed plenty of character battling back to tie Game 1 in the bottom of the 9th inning, and winning 5-4 in extra-innings late last night. The Mets are favored to even the series here in Game 2 with their young stud pitcher on the mound, but I am not convinced that the visitors truly have the advantage on the mound, and even if they do, it may not be enough to beat this versatile Royals team. 

Jacob deGrom will toe the slab for New York, and he's been brilliant so far this post-season. deGrom (14-8, 2.54 ERA) actually won more games on the road than he did at home during the season, but posted an ERA of 3.09, much higher than his 1.99 ERA at home. He's coming off impressive performances against the Dodgers and the Cubs, but neither of those lineups compare to Kansas City, and he won't be facing any pitchers at the plate in tonight's game. 

The Royals hand the ball to Johnny Cueto, who has been hit and miss in the playoffs so far. The Royals won both his starts at home in Kansas City, and he was dominant in Game 5 against the Astros. He allowed a pair of runs on a couple of hits while striking out eight over eight innings in that do or die game. While he has struggled at times against American League lineups, he's facing a familiar foe here tonight. The Mets are hitting just 230, with more strikeouts than hits in a combined 135 at bats versus Cueto. 

Daniel Murphy, Lucas Duda, Yoenis Cespedes and Curtis Granderson are all batting below .200 in previous meetings. 

Take KC. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Kansas City Royals +1.5. 

The Kansas City Royals are back in the World Series for a second consecutive year and they believe they are better prepared to handle the pressure this time around. The New York Mets will make their first World Series appearance since 2000 when they lost to the Yankees, and I like the more experienced Royals here in Game 1. 

Edinson Volquez (1-2, 4.32) will toe the slab for the Royals and he was terrific in his last start at Kauffman Stadium when he shut out the Blue Jays over six innings of two-hit ball on Oct. 16. He'll be pitching on regular rest here which will be a huge advantage to the Mets Matt Harvey (2-0, 2.84 ERA) who's been idle for nine full days now. Harvey has made two solid appearances here in the post-season, both at home, but he was only 5-5 over 12 road-starts in the regular season with an ERA more than a full run above his mark at home at Citi Field. 

The Mets have struggled somewhat with American League teams this season and are 2-6 in their last eight interleague road games. The Royals meanwhile are 8-3 in their last 11 interleague games and have won each of Volquez's last five starts versus NL teams. 

There's a decent chance of rain in Kansas City tonight which could lead to various rain delays. That should favor the home-team who has a much deeper bullpen than their counterpart. 

Take KC. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Texas Rangers. 

After taking a 2-0 lead in this American League Division Series, the Rangers have lost back to back games at home, and now the Jays have all the momentum heading home for Game 5. 

Marcus Stroman will toe the slab for Toronto, and he was on the wrong end of a 6-4 extra-innings loss in Game 2. The 24 year old was 4-0 with a 1.67 ERA in four starts after coming back from a knee injury, but he was tagged for four runs on five hits and a pair of walks in the Game 2 loss.  

The Rangers hand the ball to Cole Hamels, who has not lost since August 7th. He failed to get a win in his first two starts with Texas, but the Rangers have now won 11 in a row with Hamels on the mound. He was the better of the two pitchers in the same matchup last week, and once again he's a huge underdog here in Toronto. 

The Blue Jays are 2-6 in their last eight at home when facing a left-handed starter. 

Take TEX.  

GL,  

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the New York Mets +1.5. 

The Mets have the Dodgers on the ropes here in Game 4, but the bookmakers have LA heavily favored on the road in this elimination game. I like the Mets as a home dog on the runline here. The Dodgers have the worst road record of any team that qualified for the playoffs this season, and their ace has a history of struggling in these situations. 

Clayton Kershaw (16-7, 2.13 ERA) allowed three runs on four hits and three walks over 6 2/3 innings in a 3-1 loss in Game 1. He's now 0-5 with a 6.44 ERA in his last five post-season starts. 

The Mets counter with Steven Matz, and the rookie is undefeated in six starts. He was 2-0 with a minuscule 1.98 ERA in his two starts at home. He's facing a Dodgers lineup that ranked 28th in the majors in runs scored during the second half of the regular season. 

The Dodgers are 4-16 in their last 20 playoff road games.

Take NYM.

GL, 

Jesse Schule 

This is a 6* play on the St. Louis Cardinals +1.5. 

The Cardinals finished with the best record in the majors this season, but they face elimination here in Game 4 at Wrigley. I think St. Louis will find a way for force a Game 5 back at home at Busch Stadium. 

John Lackey will toe the slab for the visitors, and he's owned the Cubs this year. Lackey (13-10, 2.77 ERA) tossed seven scoreless innings, giving up just a pair of hits while striking out five in a 4-0 win in Game 1. He was 2-0 with a 1.25 ERA in three starts versus the Cubs during the regular season, and one of those wins came at Wrigley. The veteran is also 2-0 with a 2.49 ERA in previous post-season starts on three days rest. 

The Cubs hand the ball to Jason Hammel, who has not had much success against St. Louis. Hammel (10-7, 3.74 ERA) tossed five scoreless innings in a win at Cincinnati in his final start of the regular season. He was better on the road than he was at Wrigley, with only three of his 10 wins coming at home. He was 1-1 with a 5.73 ERA in three starts versus the Cardinals this year. 

The St. Louis lineup is hitting a combined .323 over 127 at bats versus Hammel. 

Take STL. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 5* play on the KC Royals. 

The Astros have Kansas City on the ropes after a win in Game 3 last night, and they are a favorite here in Game 4 this afternoon. I like the more experienced Royals here in a must win game. Yordano Ventura will toe the slab for the visitors, and he was roughed up in Game 1 of this series. The right-hander gave up three runs on four hits in just two innings following a rain day. He was sharp down the stretch, going 9-2 with a 3.56 ERA in his final 15 starts of the regular season. He allowed one run on six hits over seven innings, winning his only regular season start versus Houston.The Astros hand the ball to rookie Lance McCullers, who wasn't as sharp down the stretch. The Astros are a young team with a rookie on the mound in an elimination game against a team with World Series experience.

Take KC +1.5.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the New York Mets +1.5. 

Both the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers won their respective division in a dominant way and we should see a close game between two quality teams Friday. I think the Dodgers are a bit overrated in this match-up and I'm happy to take the run and a half on the Mets. 

Clayton Kershaw (16-7, 2.13 ERA) will toe the rubber for the Dodgers and while he's been dominant in regular-season match-ups throughout his career it's worth noting that he has just two post-season wins to his name. He is 0-4 with a 7.15 ERA in his last four playoff starts and you can't really say you trust him in the big games.

The Mets hand the ball to Jacob deGrom (14-8, 2.54) who's had a great season recording a total of 205 strikeouts over 191 innings of work. He shut out the Dodgers in 7 2/3 innings of two-hit ball in the lone season-meeting back in July and had seven strikeouts over four scoreless innings of a 1-0 win against Washington his last time out. 

The Mets covered the run-line in 50 of their 81 road-games during the regular season while the Dodgers were just 42-39 against the run-line home at Dodger Stadium. 

Take NYM. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Texas Rangers +1.5. 

The Texas Rangers upset the Toronto Blue Jays in yesterday's ALDS opener and they're looking good to at least cover the runline Friday as well. 

Cole Hamels (13-8, 3.65 ERA) will toe the slab for the Rangers making his first start against the Blue Jays for the season. It's a good spot for Hamels though who posted a 3.17 ERA in day-games during the regular season and went the distance while conceding only two runs on three hits in a 9-2 win against the Halos his last time out. 

The Blue Jays hand the ball to Marcus Stroman (4-0, 1.67 ERA) who's impressed since coming back from an ACL tear in his left knee, posting a 1.67 ERA over four September starts. Yesterday's loss puts a lot of pressure on the inexperienced 24 year old who's in his mere second year in the big leagues though, and Texas has the firepower to hurt the best in the business, so why not young Stroman. 

The Rangers have won 10 of Hamels' last 11 starts while the Blue Jays are 2-5 in their last seven at home when facing a left-handed starter. 

Take TEX. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Atlanta Braves. 

The Braves will wrap up the season at home against St. Louis, and despite a challenging season Atlanta can still finish with a winning record at home. They hand the ball to Shelby Miller in Game 2. If it wasn't for bad luck, Shelby Miller wouldn't have any luck at all. He might go down as the most unlucky pitcher of all time. He makes his final start of the season at home against the Cardinals, looking for his first win since he tossed a complete game two-hit shutout against Miami on May 17. He's 2-9 at home this season despite a 2.63 ERA in 16 starts. You have to think he's due for a win here at home versus the Cardinals backups in a meaningless game. 

John Lackey will toe the slab for St. Louis, and the Cardinals are 3-8 in Lackey's last 11 road starts vs. a team with a losing record. These teams have played four straight unders, and the Braves have failed to reach the total in eight straight at home. I expect another low scoring game here today, and with St. Louis likely to rest players we might see another win for the home team. 

Take ATL +1.5. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5.  

The Los Angeles Dodgers have won three of their last four allowing just four runs in the wins and nine overall. They picked up a comfortable 6-2 win against the Padres last night and another easy win is in the cards tonight with Zack Greinke (18-3, 1.68) on the hill.  

Greinke has been rewarded with the W in 13 of his last 16 starts. He was 4-0 with a 2.04 ERA over five September starts and has held the Padres to four runs with 23 strikeouts over 28 2/3 innings of work this season. Greinke is 7-0 with a 1.04 ERA in his last 11 home starts.  

The Padres hand the ball to Robbie Erlin (1-1, 6.30 ERA) who'll make his third start of the season. He held Arizona to two hits over seven innings home at Petco Park his last start but surrendered seven runs on nine hits over just three innings of a 10-2 loss at Coors Field his only start prior.  

Los Angeles moved one half-game ahead of the New York Mets for home-field advantage in the playoffs with last night's win, but the Mets have a double-header today versus a Nats team that has already packed it in. The Dodgers can not afford to not take this game serious if they want that home-field advantage.  

Take LAD.  

GL,  

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Atlanta Braves +1.5. 

The Braves will wrap up the season at home against St. Louis, and despite a challenging season Atlanta can still finish with a winning record at home. They hand the ball to ace Julio Teheran in Game 1, and the right-hander has allowed two runs or less in six straight starts. He's 7-2 with a 3.06 ERA in 16 starts at home in 2015. St. Louis will likely be resting players, as they've already clinched home field advantage throughout the playoffs. 

The Cardinals hand the ball to Jaime Garcia, who has had a fantastic season. Garcia (10-5, 2.36 ERA) has surrendered just two runs on 12 hits over 15 innings while winning his last two starts. Both of those wins came at home though, and he gave up 10 runs on 14 hits over 11 innings while going 1-1 in his last two starts on the road. 

The Braves have won five of Teheran's last six home starts, and seven of his last 10 at Turner Field have failed to reach the total. 

Take ATL +1.5. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule 

This is an 8* play on the Milwaukee Brewers +1.5.  The Milwaukee Brewers have won three consecutive games and have just two losses over their last seven contests. They shut out the San Diego Padres in a 5-0 victory last night and are looking good to complete the sweep of this three-game series here.  Ian Kennedy (8-15, 4.38) will toe the rubber for the Friars and he's been extremely poor of late. The right-hander is 0-4 with a 5.77 ERA in his last six outings and conceded four runs on a season-high 11 hits over five innings at home against the Giants his last time out. This will be his second start against the Brew Crew this season after surrendering four runs in seven innings of an 8-5 loss at Milwaukee on Aug. 5.  Milwaukee hand the ball to Taylor Jungmann (9-7, 3.64 ERA) and the 25 year old rookie has much like Kennedy struggled of late. He's 0-2 with a 9.61 ERA in his last four starts but held the Padres to two runs with eight strikeouts over seven innings when tossing opposite Kennedy back in August.  The Brewers Khris Davis is 3 for 6 with two doubles lifetime against Kennedy and has batted .345 with seven homers in his last 16 games. Milwaukee has won five straight head-to-head meetings with San Diego.  Take MIL.  GL,  Jesse Schule

This is a 5* play on the LAA. 

The Halos are on a mission, and after winning seven straight they've taken over the final Wild Card spot in the American League, sitting half a game ahead of Houston. They wrap up this series versus Oakland tonight, before playing their final series on the road in Texas. This is still very much a must win game for the Angels, and I think they'll have little troubles against the bottom feeders of the AL West. 

Garrett Richards will toe the slab for the home team, and he's coming off consecutive wins. Richards (15-11, 3.73 ERA) allowed three runs on five hits, striking out eight in seven innings in a home win over Seattle his last time out. He's 10-4 with a 3.08 ERA at home this year, and he's posted an impressive 2.37 ERA in his last three starts versus Oakland. 

The A's hand the ball to Barry Zito, who has spent the last several seasons in the minor leagues. The 37 year old has been rocked for six runs on 10 hit in three innings in just two appearances this season for the A's. 

Oakland has lost nine of it's last ten, and four straight on the road. Zito isn't likely to log a lot of innings, which should mean that Oakland's American League worst bullpen could come into play early. 

Take LAA. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Seattle Mariners +1.5. 

The Mariners have lost four straight, but I like their chances here in the series finale in LA. 

Hisashi Iwakuma will toe the slab for Seattle, and he's on a roll. Iwakuma (9-4, 3.67 ERA) struck out 10 through seven scoreless innings in a win at Kansas City his last time out. He's 5-0 with a 2.41 ERA in eight starts on the road, and 3-0 with a 1.47 ERA in five starts in the afternoon this season. He's also won 2-of-3 versus the Angels. 

Los Angeles will hand the ball to Jered Weaver, who has been hit hard in recent starts. He's 0-2 with a 5.91 ERA in two previous meetings with Seattle. 

The Mariners are 9-3 in their last 12 when Iwakuma starts versus the Angels. 

Take SEA. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Houston Astros -1.5. 

The Astros handed Texas a 9-7 loss last night, and they now sit 3.5 games back in the AL West. I like Houston in the series finale with ace Dallas Keuchel on the mound. 

"IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN PERFECT" - And Keuchel is still perfect at home. He's 14-0 with a 1.47 ERA in 17 starts at Minute Maid Park this year. 

The Rangers hand the ball to Martin Perez, who has been far from perfect lately. He's 1-2 with a 5.32 ERA in his last four starts, and he's still winless on the road. 

The Astros have had their way with Perez, hitting .311 against him over a combined 103 at bats. Chris Carter hit a home run last night, and he's 7-for-16 with a pair of home runs lifetime versus Perez. 

Take HOU. 

GL, Jesse Schule 

This is a 10* play on the Tampa Bay Rays +1.5. 

We should see a pitcher's duel when the Jays host the Rays this afternoon, as Chris Archer will face off against his mentor David Price. 

Archer (12-12, 2.92 ERA) allowed one run on three hits over five innings in a no decision versus Boston at Fenway his last time out. He's owned the Jays, going 3-1 with a 0.93 ERA in four starts versus Toronto this year. His dominance over this lineup is nothing new, as Toronto's hitters have just a .163 avg over a combined 184 at bats versus Archer. 

Price (17-5, 2.34 ERA) tossed seven scoreless innings in a home win over the Yankees his last time out. He struggled against his former team, allowing five runs on seven hits over six innings, losing his only start versus Tampa. 

The Jays will hope Price goes deep into this game, as their bullpen has blown a few games already this week. This looks like a pretty tough spot for the Jays after they clinched a playoff birth last night. 

Take TB. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the St. Louis Cardinals -1.5. 

The Cardinals have won five straight, holding a five game lead on the Pirates in the NL Central. They host the Brewers on Friday, and Milwaukee has lost 11 of it's last 13 overall. Game 1 of this series was a blowout, and I expect the same story in Game 2. 

Carlos Martinez will toe the slab for St. Louis, and he's coming off three straight victories. Martinez (14-7, 3.01 ERA) allowed a pair of runs on four hits over 6 2/3 innings in a win over the Cubs at Wrigley his last time out. He's owned the Brewers, going 1-0 with a 0.60 ERA in two previous meetings. 

The Brewers hand the ball to rookie right-hander Ariel Pena, who has yet to go deeper than five innings. Pena (2-0, 3.50 ERA) allowed a pair of runs on four hits and three walks over five innings in a home win over Cincinnati his last time out. 

The Cardinals bats have exploded to score 17 runs over their last two home games, and I expect to see another offensive outburst in St. Louis tonight. 

Take STL. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Colorado Rockies +1.5. 

The Pirates have crushed the Rockies in each of the first three games of this series, but I like Colorado's chances of getting one back in the finale at home this afternoon. 

Chad Bettis will toe the rubber for the Rockies, and he's coming off back to back wins. Bettis (8-5, 4.46 ERA) allowed one run on four hits, fanning six in five innings in a 7-4 home win over San Diego his last time out. He's 3-1 with a 3.51 ERA in his last six starts, and he's pitched better in day games than he has at night. 

The Pirates hand the ball to Jeff Locke, and the southpaw has really struggled on the road. Locke (8-11, 4.48 ERA) allowed five runs on eight hits over 6 1/3 innings in a 6-2 loss to the Dodgers in LA his last time out. He's 4-7 with a 5.69 ERA in 14 starts away from PNC Park, and he's 1-3 with a 3.52 ERA in eight starts in the afternoon. 

The Rockies lineup is hitting .321 over a combined 53 at bats versus Locke, and Nolan Arenado is 4-for-9 with a home run. 

Take COL. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Arizona Diamondbacks +1.5. 

The D'Backs have won four of six on this road trip so far, and two of three in LA. The Dodgers got one back last night, but I wouldn't be surprised to see another close game in the series finale this afternoon. 

Clayton Kershaw will toe the slab for the Dodgers, and he's coming off a loss to Pittsburgh in his last start. Kerhsaw (14-7, 2.18 ERA) allowed three runs on seven hits over seven innings losing 3-2. He was torched for six runs on 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings in a loss to Arizona early this season, and he's 4-5 with a 2.70 ERA in 11 starts versus Arizona over the last three seasons. 

The D'Backs will hand the ball to Patrick Corbin, who has been pitching well since returning from Tommy John surgery. Corbin (6-4, 2.99 ERA) tossed seven scoreless innings in a 5-0 win over San Francisco his last time out. Prior to that he allowed two runs on eight hits over six innings in a 4-3 loss to the Dodgers. 

Arizona has won 6 of Corbin's last eight starts, while the Dodgers have lost 8-of-11 when Kerhsaw faces the Diamondbacks. 

Take ARI +1.5. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 6* play on the St. Louis Cardinals. 

The Cardinals are trying to hold off the Pirates in the NL Central, currently clinging to a four game lead. They host the reds on Tuesday night, and this looks like a mismatch against an inferior opponent. Cincinnati will be without center-fielder Billy Hamilton, who will have season ending surgery on his shoulder. 

John Lackey will toe the slab for St. Louis, and he's been sharp at home. Lackey (12-9, 2.79 ERA) tossed seven scoreless innings, striking out eight in a 5-0 win over the Brewers his last time out. He's 8-4 with a 2.01 ERA in 15 starts at home in 2015. 

The Reds counter with Keyvius Sampson, who has lost three in a row. Sampson (2-5, 7.09 ERA) has allowed 11 runs on 15 hits over 11 1/3 innings in losses to San Francisco, Pittsburgh and Milwaukee. He's 2-5 with a 7.09 ERA in his last nine starts. 

Matt Holliday is expected to return to the lineup, after being uses as a pinch hitter over the last four games. 

Take St. Louis. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Chicago Cubs. 

The Brewers won five straight at the beginning of September, but they've since lost 12 of 15. They are in Chicago this week, and they've lost eight in a row to the Cubs. Chicago on the other hand has been red hot, winning 21 of it's last 27 at Wrigley. 

Jake Arrieta failed to record his 20th win of the season despite tossing a gem at Pittsburgh his last time out. Arrieta went eight innings, allowing one earned run and striking out five, but the Cubs needed extra-innings to get by the Pirates and Jake got the no-decision. He'll get another chance on Tuesday against the Brewers. 

Milwaukee will hand the ball to Tyler Cravy, who is still in search of his first major league win. The rookie allowed four runs on four hits, including a pair of home runs over just 4 1/3 innings in a loss at Wrigley earlier this season. 

Anthony Rizzo was 3-for-3 last night, and he's batting .429 with a home run and seven RBIs over the last seven days. 

Take CHC. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Toronto Blue Jays -1.5. 

The Yankees are still very much alive in the AL East Pennant Race, trailing Toronto by just 2.5 games. They are at Rogers Center for a three game series starting Monday, and this series could decide the division. The Jays have won seven of the last 10 in the season series, and they are a heavy favorite with David Price on the mound in Game 1. 

Price (16-5, 2.42 ERA) has owned the Yankees, going 2-0 with a 2.33 ERA in three starts versus New York since coming over from Detroit. He's 7-1 with a 2.17 ER in nine starts as a Blue Jay. 

The Yankees hand the ball to Adam Warren, who has spent most of the season working out of the bullpen. Warren (6-6, 3.33 ERA) allowed two runs on six hits over four innings in a 6-3 loss at Tampa Bay his last time out. He's 3-4 with a 4.29 ERA in 20 appearances on the road this season. 

The Yankees have lost five of their last six when Warren starts on the road. 

Take TOR. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Houston Astros -1.5. 

The Astros are now 2.5 games out of first place after losing four straight to the Rangers in Texas. The good news is that they are still 1.5 games ahead of the Twins for the final Wild Card spot, and they play their next nine games at home at Minute Maid Park. Houston will host the last place A's in a three games series over the weekend, and the odds are in their favor. The Astros have been a good bet at home, going 40-15 in their last 55 games in Houston.

Collin McHugh will toe the slab for Houston on Sunday, and he's 10-3 with a 3.84 ERA at home, and 6-3 with a 4.04 ERA in day games. He's 2-1 against Oakland this season, but he has eight runs on 17 hits over 17 innings in that game. The A's hand the ball to Aaron Brooks, who has been punished in all seven of his starts so far. Brooks (2-3, 7.68 ERA) allowed six runs on 10 hits over six innings, but still picked up the win over the White Sox his last time out. He owns an 11.20 ERA in four appearances on the road in 2015. 

The Astros won 10-6 last night, and I think they'll take it in another slugfest here tonight. 

Take HOU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Arizona Diamondbacks +1.5. 

The D'Backs took two of three in a home series versus San Francisco last week, and they upset the Giants in the series opener at AT&T Park last night. It was a rare loss for Madison Bumgarner, and I think Arizona's bats will stay hot today against a struggling Mike Leake. 

Patrick Corbin will toe the slab for the visitors, and he's been pretty solid in his return from Tommy John surgery. Corbin (5-4, 3.29 ERA) allowed a pair of runs on eight hits in six innings, not factoring in the decision in a 4-2 loss to the Dodgers his last time out. Prior to that he tossed six scoreless innings in a 6-1 home win over the Giants. He's pitched very well against the Giants this year, allowing just two runs on 10 hits over 11 innings. 

Leake (10-8, 3.72 ERA) allowed three runs on four hits over six innings in a home win over the Padres his last time out. Prior to that he was hammered in Arizona, giving up six runs on 11 hits opposite Corbin in a 6-1 loss. He's posted an ERA of 5.11 in his two starts at AT&T Park so far, and he's struggled in day games as well. 

The Giants have lost eight of their last nine versus left-handed starters. 

Take ARI. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Toronto Blue Jays -1.5. 

The Blue Jays hammered the Braves by a score of 9-1 last night, and there's every reason to expect another blowout here on Thursday. 

Marco Estrada will toe the slab for the visitors, and he's won three straight. Estrada (12-8, 3.31 ERA) allowed four runs on six hits over five innings in a 9-5 win over the Yankees in the Bronx his last time out. He's 6-3 with a 3.03 ERA in his last 11 starts. 

The Braves hand the ball to rookie right-hander Matt Wisler, who is 0-6 in his last nine starts. Wisler (5-7, 5.60 ERA) allowed a pair of runs on seven hits and three walks over six innings in a home loss to the Mets his last time out. He's facing a Blue Jays lineup that ranks first in the majors in runs scored, by a wide margin. 

The Braves rank dead last in the majors in runs scored, and they own the worst bullpen in baseball. 

Take TOR. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 5* play on the Chicago Cubs. 

The Cubs have taken two of three in Pittsburgh, and they are an underdog here in the series finale Thursday afternoon. I like Chicago on the runline. 

Kyle Hendricks will toe the slab for the visitors, and he's having a strong rookie season. Hendricks (7-6, 4.08 ERA) allowed three runs on four hits over 6 2/3 innings in a win at Philly his last time out. He's 3-1 with a 4.33 ERA in 13 starts in the afternoon this season, and he's won more games on the road than he has at home. 

The Pirates hand the ball to Charlie Morton, who has lost three of his last four starts. Morton (9-7, 4.02 ERA) allowed a pair of runs on three hits over six innings in a 6-3 win over the Twins his last time out. He's really struggled in day games, with a record of 2-3 with a 5.96 ERA in five starts in the afternoon. 

The Cubs lineup has clobbered Morton, batting .329 over a combined 79 at bats. Starlin Castro has seen the most of him, and he's hitting .444 with three home runs and nine RBIs lifetime. 

Take CHI +1.5. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 8* play on the Colorado Rockies +1.5. 

The Rockies have split the first two games of this series in LA, and they appear to have a favorable pitching matchup in the rubber match tonight. 

Jorge De La Rosa will toe the rubber for the Rockies, and he's having another solid season. De La Rosa (9-6, 4.38 ERA) allowed three runs on six hits over five innings in a 4-3 win over the Padres his last time out. He's 2-0 with a 4.15 ERA in three starts versus the Dodgers this year. 

The Dodgers hand the ball to Alex Wood, who hasn't impressed since coming over from Atlanta. Wood (10-10, 3.81 ERA) failed to get out of the second innings, getting torched for eight runs on eight hits in a loss at Arizona his last time out. The Rockies hammered his for seven runs on 10 hits over 5 1/3 innings in his only start versus Colorado this year. 

Nolan Arenado was 3-for-7 with a home run last night, and he's 2-for-4 with a home run lifetime versus Wood. 

Take Colorado. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Toronto Blue Jays -1.5. 

The Blue Jays lost Game 1 in Atlanta, but I expect them to get back on track here against the unlucky Shelby Miller tonight. 

Miller (5-14, 2.86 ERA) allowed three runs on seven hits over six innings in a 7-2 loss to the Mets his last time out. He's 0-9 with a 3.67 ERA in his last 11 starts. 

The Blue Jays hand the ball to David Price, who is coming off consecutive wins. Price (15-5, 2.46 ERA) allowed a pair of runs on six hits, fanning seven in five innings in a win over the Yankees in the Bronx his last time out. He's 10-2 with a 2.10 ERA in 15 starts on the road this season, and he's facing an Atlanta lineup that ranks dead last in the majors in runs scored. 

Atlanta's bullpen has been brutal, with a major league worst 4.78 ERA. 

Take TOR. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Detroit Tigers +1.5. 

This series in Cleveland has been postponed by weather the last two days, and the Tigers will play the Tribe in a double-header Sunday. I like the Tigers as an underdog with their ace on the mound. 

Justin Verlander will toe the slab for Detroit, and he's looking like he's turned back the clock the last several weeks. Verlander (3-7, 3.43 ERA) allowed three runs on seven hits over seven innings in a home loss to Cleveland his last timeout. Prior to that he had won back to back starts, including a complete game one-hit shutout win at home over the Angels.

The Indians will hand the ball to Trevor Bauer, who has been getting clobbered lately. Bauer (11-11, 4.47 ERA) allowed two runs on two hits and five walks over seven innings in a win over the White Sox in Chicago his last time out. He's really struggled at home, going 5-6 with a 5.69 ERA in 14 starts. He was torched for seven runs on nine hits over just three innings in his only start versus Detroit this season. 

The Tigers have won 20 of their last 27 visits to Progressive Field. 

Take DET. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Milwaukee Brewers +1.5. 

The Brewers upset the Pirates in Game 1 of this four game series in Pittsburgh on Thursday night. They won by a score of 6-4 in extra-innings, defeating the Pirates for the ninth time in the last 10 meetings between the two teams. The series wraps up on Sunday, and Taylor Jungmann will get the start for Milwaukee in the finale. He's 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA against the Pirates this season. Jungmann has also been better in day games than he has been at night, with a record of 3-1 with a 1.15 ERA in five starts in the afternoon.
The Pirates hand the ball to Francisco Liriano, who has only lost once in his last 10 starts. That was two weeks ago in Milwaukee, and he's 0-2 with a 4.85 ERA against the Brewers this season. 

This game could be a pitcher's duel, and I'll take the dog getting runs on the road. 

Take MIL +1,5

GL, 

Jesse Schule 

This is an 8* play on the Arizona Diamondbacks +1.5. 

The Dodgers were hammered in Arizona by a score of 12-4 last night, and I like the D'Backs as a home dog here tonight. 

Rubby De La Rosa will toe the slab for the home team, and he's been great in Arizona. De La Rosa (12-7, 4.49 ERA) allowed three runs on five hits over five innings in a loss to the Cubs at Wrigley his last time out. He's been better at home, where he is 7-2 with a 4.44 ERA in 13 starts. He's on fire since the All Star break, going 6-2 with a 3.38 ERA in his last 10 starts. 

The Dodgers hand the ball to Mike Bolsinger, who makes just his second start after being sidelined for more than a month with an injury. Bolsinger (6-3, 2.97 ERA) allowed three runs on a pair of hits and a couple walks in five innings in a win over the Padres his last time out. He's facing a hot Arizona lineup in a hitter friendly park tonight, and this looks like a tough spot for the 27 year old. 

Paul Goldschmidt was 2-for-3 with a home run and a pair of RBIs last night, and he's killed the Dodgers this season, batting .400 with five homers and 15 RBIs in the season series. 

Take ARI. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Cincinnati Reds +1.5. 

The Reds host the Cardinals in a matinee at Great American Ballpark Saturday, and the home team is an underdog in this game. I like the Reds getting a bit of a cushion on the runline in what could be a close game. 

Lance Lynn will toe the slab for St. Louis, and he's coming off a rough performance. Lynn (11-9, 3.12 ERA) was rocked for six runs on seven hits over just 2 1/3 innings in a home loss to the Cubs his last time out. He hasn't been that sharp in previous trips to Cincinnati, with a record of 2-2 and a 4.76 ERA in his last six starts. He's also much better under the lights than he is in day games. 

The Reds hand the ball to Anthony DeSclafani, who tossed a gem against Pittsburgh his last time out. DeSclafani (8-10, 3.75 ERA) allowed one run on seven hits over 7 1/3 innings in a 3-1 home victory. He's 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA in two starts versus St. Louis this season. 

Jay Bruce absolutely owns Lance Lynn, he's 14-for-28 (.500) with three home runs lifetime versus right-hander. 

Take CIN. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Toronto Blue Jays. 

The Toronto Blue Jays may not have the best record in baseball, but they are without a doubt the team that nobody wants to play in the playoffs. The Jays have won 26 of their last 33 overall, and they lead the majors in runs scored by a country mile. While it was their offense that carried them in the first half of the season, in recent weeks their defense and pitching staff have been equal to the task. 

David Price will toe the slab for the Jays on Saturday, looking to bounce back after a tough loss in his last start. Price (13-5, 2.47 ERA) allowed three runs on six hits, striking out nine over seven innings in a home loss to Cleveland. Price is 4-0 with a 1.79 ERA in day games this year, and he's 5-1 at Rogers Center since 2012. 

The Orioles hand the ball to rookie right-hander Mike Wright, who was lit up in Toronto in his last start. Wright (2-3, 4.99 ERA) allowed four runs on three hits and four walks over just 1 1/3 innings in a 5-4 loss back in June. 

The Orioles came into Toronto as losers of 12 of their previous 14, and while they won big yesterday, I think they'll be hard pressed to repeat that against David Price this afternoon. 

Take TOR. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Milwaukee Brewers +1.5. 

The Brewers have won 4-of-5 on this current home stand, and they look to complete the sweep against the Pirates tonight. 

Taylor Jungmann will toe the slab for the home team, and he's having a phenomenal rookie season. Jungmann (8-5, 2.48 ERA) tossed six scoreless innings in a home win over the Reds his last time out. He's 4-2 with a 1.50 ERA in seven starts at Miller Park, and 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA against the Pirates so far 

The Bucs hand the ball to Francisco Liriano, who hasn't lost since June 20. Liriano (9-6, 3.28 ERA) allowed three runs on five hits over eight innings, losing his only previous start this season versus the Brewers. He's 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in four appearances at Miller Park over the last three seasons. 

Ryan Braun was 3-for-5 in the win over the Pirates last night, and he's 6-for-21 with a home runs and five RBIs lifetime versus Liriano. 

Take MIL. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Cincinnati Reds. 

The Reds bats came alive in Chicago last night, and I like their chances of carrying that momentum over into tonight's game. 

Dan Haren will toe the slab for the Cubs, and the veteran has failed to impress since coming over from Miami. Haren (8-9, 3.90 ERA) allowed five runs on six hits and three walks over 6 1/3 innings in a loss to the Giants his last time out. He's allowed seven runs on 11 hits over 9 2/3 innings in two appearances at Wrigley so far. 

The Reds hand the ball to Anthony DeSclafani who pitched a real gem in his last start. DeSclafani (7-10, 3.84 ERA) allowed one run on six hits while fanning six over seven innings in a 1-0 loss to the Dodgers. This will be his fourth start against the Cubs this season, and he's 1-1 with a 0.98 ERA in the previous meetings. 

Tucker Barnhart was 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs last night, and he's batting 3.53 over the last seven days. Barnhart is 6-for-16 with three RBIs in the season series with the Cubs. 

Take CIN. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a Free #MLB play on the Toronto #BlueJays.

The Jays are clearly in a league of their own right now, coming off another blowout win, beating Detroit by a score of 15-1 on Saturday. Edwin Encarnacion drove in nine ... yes that's right .. NINE RBIs! Josh Donaldson extended his major league lead with his 104th RBI of the season. The Jays and the Tigers wrap things up Sunday, and it would be no surprise to see another one-sided game. 

Mark Buehrle will toe the slab for the home team, and he's been dominant at Rogers Center. Buehrle (13-6, 3.60 ERA) allowed a pair of runs on seven hits over seven innings in a win over the A's in his last start in Toronto. He's now 7-1 with a 3.11 ERA in 11 starts at home, and he's 4-0 with a 2.87 ERA in his last four. 

The Tigers hand the ball to Alfredo Simon, who has been getting roughed up on the road. Simon (11-8. 4.89 ERA) allowed eight runs on nine hits over just 4 1/3 innings in a home loss to the Angels his last time out. He's 6-5 with a 5.77 ERA in a dozen starts on the road, and he's struggled with his command walking 10 batters in his last three outings. 

Detroit has lost eight of it's last nine overall, batting .237 and scoring an average of just 2.9 runs in that stretch. 

Take TOR. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule 

This is a 10* play on the NYM -1.5. 

The Mets crushed the Phillies by a score of 16-7 last night, and they come into Game 2 as winners of four straight. The Phillies aren't likely to see a better result tonight, sending a struggling pitcher to the mound to face a Mets lineup that has scored 49 runs in four games. 

Jerome Williams will toe the slab for Philly, and he failed to get out of the second inning in his last start. Williams (4-9, 6.10 ERA) allowed eight runs on eight hits, walking four and surrendering a pair of home runs in 1 2/3 innings in a loss to Miami. He's 0-1 with a 5.73 ERA in two previous starts versus the Mets this season. 

The Mets hand the ball to Noah Syndergaard, who is still looking for his first career win on the road. Syndergaard (7-6, 3.17 ERA) allowed three runs on eight hits, striking out six in five innings in a 5-4 loss at Baltimore his last time out. He shutout the Phillies through 7 1/3 innings earlier this season, and even if he's not at his best, it will still likely be good enough tonight. 

Yoenis Cespedes is batting .394 with five home runs over the last seven days. 

Take NYM. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a Free #MLB play on the San Diego #Padres.

Over the last few years, we've come to think of San Diego's PETCO Park as one of the most pitcher friendly in the majors. That's quickly becoming a myth here in 2015. . According to ESPN Park Factors, PETCO ranks 8th in total home runs right behind the legendary Coors Field. The Padres hit three home runs in a 9-3 win over the Cardinals last night. 

Carlos Martinez will toe the slab for St. Louis, and he's coming off a poor performance. Martinez (12-5, 2.78 ERA) allowed five runs on seven hits over just five innings in a home loss to Miami his last time out. The Padres have really hammered him, batting a combined .432 over 37 at bats. 

The Padres hand the ball to Ian Kennedy, who is coming off a loss at Colorado. Kennedy (7-11, 4.20 ERA) allowed four runs on four hits over 6 2/3 innings in a 5-0 loss to the Rockies at Coors Field. He's 3-0 with a 1.78 ERA in his last three starts at PETCO.

Take SD +1.5.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Milwaukee Brewers +1.5. 

The Brewers have crushed the Nationals in Washington through the first two games of this series, and they have a favorable matchup here in Game 3 on Saturday. 

Taylor Jungmann will toe the slab for the visitors, and he's having himself an impressive rookie campaign. Jungmann (7-4, 2.23 ERA) is coming off the best start of his career, striking out nine in 6 1/3 scoreless innings in a home win over the Phillies. He pitched well in a loss to Washington earlier this year, allowing just two runs on seven hits over five innings. 

The Nats hand the ball to Joe Ross, who is coming off back to back poor performances. Ross (3-5, 3.86 ERA) has given up nine runs on a dozen hits over just 8 1/3 innings in consecutive losses. 

Washington is batting a major league worst .226 since the All Star break. We could see a low scoring series here in the nation's Capital. 

Take MIL+1.5. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a Free ‪#‎MLB‬ play on the ‪#‎CHC‬ -1.5.

The Cubs have now lost three straight, but they appear to be in a good spot to get right back on track in Game 1 of a home series versus Atlanta tonight. The Braves have really been brutal on the road, and they come in as losers of five straight away from Turner Field.

Mike Foltynewicz will toe the slab for the visitors, and he's coming off a pretty terrible outing. Foltynewicz (4-4, 5.61 ERA) was torched for six runs on nine hits over 4 2/3 innings, in an 8-4 home loss to Arizona. He's 0-2 with a 4.78 ERA in eight appearances on the road, and he's surrendered seven home runs in those games.

The Cubs hand the ball to Jake Arrieta, who is coming off four straight wins. Arrieta (14-6, 2.39 ERA) allowed three runs on five hits over 6 2/3 innings in a win over the White Sox his last time out. This will be his second start versus Atlanta, and he shut them out through seven innings earlier this season.

We've seen a couple of slugfests with the wind blowing out the last few nights at Wrigley, and we should see more of the same tonight. The Cubs just couldn't match the Tigers bats, but that won't be an issue against an Atlanta team that ranks dead last in the majors with just 74 home runs, and they are 29th in runs scored.

Take CHC.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Atlanta Braves +1.5. 

Once again the Braves will be an underdog at home, despite their record of 31-24 at Turner Field. The D'Backs took Game 2 by a score of 8-4 last night, evening the series at 1-1. I think we're likely to see more of a pitcher's duel in the series finale here on Sunday. 

Shelby Miller will toe the slab for the home team, and he's really been unlucky of late. Miller (5-9, 2.48 ERA) allowed a pair of runs on five hits over five innings in a 4-1 home loss to the Marlins his last time out. His ERA is among the best in the Majors, but the Braves haven't been able to provide him much in the way of run support. He might not need much today, as he's 2-0 with a 187 ERA in day games this year, and 9-3 with a 2.60 ERA in day games the last three years. 

Arizona will hand the ball to Rubby De La Rosa, who has won four straight. De La Rosa (10-5, 4.55 ERA) allowed three runs on eight hits over six innings in a home win over Philly his last time out. He's 4-0 with a 2.81 ERA in five starts since the All Star break, but three of those four wins came at home. He's been far less effective on the road, with a record of 3-4 with a 5.02 ERA. 

The D'Backs are tied with Colorado for the most runs scored in the National League, but they rank 23 in the majors in runs scored during the day. 

Take ATL +1.5. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Atlanta Braves +1.5. 

The Braves aren't getting any respect at all from bookmakers these days, and it seems just mind boggling that they are a big underdog at home to the Diamondbacks tonight. Arizona is not a team known for it's consistency, and it comes in with a losing record on the road (26-28). The Braves actually have quite a respectable home record of 30-23, and to put that in perspective, a win tonight would give them an identical home record to the Washington Nationals. It's already sounding good for the Braves, and then you consider tonight's scheduled pitchers, and it looks like a complete mismatch. 

Julio Teheran will get the call for Atlanta, and he's coming off back to back wins. Teheran (7-6, 4.57 ERA) allowed three runs on six hits over 6 2/3 innings in a 6-3 home win over Miami his last time out. He's 5-1 with a 2.52 ERA in 11 starts at Turner Field this season, and he's 2-1 with a 1.89 ERA in three career starts versus Arizona. 

The D'Backs hand the ball to Robbie Ray, who has dropped off significantly after a good start to his rookie season. Ray (3-7, 3.13 ERA) allowed three runs on five hits, including a pair of home runs in a 4-1 loss to Cincinnati his last time out. He's 0-3 with a 4.88 ERA in five starts since the All Star break. 

The D'Backs are 5-16 in the last 21 meetings in Atlanta.

Take ATL. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule 

This is a Free #MLB play on the Washington #Nationals -1.5.

The Nats are a game and a half back of the surging Mets in the NL East, and they wrap up a home series versus the Rockies here in Game three on Sunday. They can't afford to slip up in games like this if they want to catch New York, and I think they'll cruise here with Mad Max on the mound. 

Scherzer (11-8, 2.31 ERA) allowed three runs on four hits, striking out nine batters in six innings in a home win over Arizona his last time out. He's been at his best in early games, going 5-3 with a miniscule 1.47 ERA in nine starts in the afternoon. 

Colorado will hand the ball to Yohan Flande, who makes just his third start of the season. Flande (2-1, 3.54 ERA) allowed a pair of runs on four hits, including a home run in five innings of work in a loss to St. Louis in his most recent start. He's appeared in three day games so far this season, and the results have not been good, posting a 6.75 ERA. 

Flande will not be expected to go deep into this ballgame, and that means the Rockies will need to count on their bullpen, that ranks dead last in the National League with an ERA of 4.50. 

Take WAS RL. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Toronto Blue Jays. 

The Phillies upset the Blue Jays in Toronto last night, but I think the highest scoring team in the majors will bounce back in a big way here at Rogers Center tonight. 

R.A. Dickey will toe the slab for the Jays, and he's been far better at home than he has been on the road. Dickey (4-10, 4.53 ERA) allowed a pair of runs on five hits over 8 1/3 innings in a win over Oakland his last time out. He's pitched quite well in three straight starts, and he's facing a light hitting opponent tonight. 

The Phillies hand the ball to Jerome Williams, who has been getting hid hard all year long. Williams (3-6, 6.28 ERA) allowed three runs on six hits over six innings in a no decision versus the Cubs his last time out. He hasn't won since May, and he's surrendered eight home runs in his last five starts. That doesn't bode well for the veteran up against the highest scoring team in the majors. 

Williams allowed six runs on 10 hits over 6 1/3 innings in his last visit to Toronto. Take TOR -1.5

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on Atlanta +1.5

The Cubs will star the second half of the season on the road in Atlanta, and Chicago will be a favorite in Game 1 of this series. I think the bookmakers aren't giving Atlanta enough credit with their ace on the mound. 

Julio Teheran will toe the slab for the home team, and he's still perfect in Atlanta in 2015. Teheran (6-4, 4.56 ERA) allowed three runs on two hits, striking out eight over seven innings in a no decision at Milwaukee his last time out. He's 5-0 with a 2.04 ERA in eight starts at home so far this year, and he's 14-8 with a 2.66 ERA at Turner Field over the last three seasons. 

The Cubs will hand the ball to Kyle Hendricks, who is coming off a real gem his last time out. Hendricks (4-4, 3.55 ERA) has not allowed a run over 20 1/3 innings in his last three starts. Atlanta has won seven straight home games versus Chicago, and the last four failed to reach the total. 

Take ATL. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a Free #MLB play on the Texas #Rangers RL.

The Rangers have taken two of three in this series versus the Orioles, and they wrap things up tonight at Camden Yards. Texas has won 6 of Yovani Gallardo's last nine starts, and all three losses during that span came by just one run. 

Gallardo (7-6, 2.72 ERA) was flawless through 8 1/3 innings in a shutout win at Toronto his last time out. He's 4-2 with a 2.23 ERA in seven starts on the road overall this season. He's only faced the Orioles once since 2012, and he allowed three runs on four hits over 6 2/3 innings in a victory in that game. 

The Orioles hand the ball to Kevin Gausman, who is also coming off an outstanding performance in Toronto. Gausman (1-0, 4.24 ERA) allowed a pair of runs on four hits over five innings in a 5-3 win at Rogers Center. The 24 year old was 7-7 with a 3.57 ERA in 20 starts last year, but has spent the majority of his season working out of the bullpen. 

Texas welcomed Josh Hamilton back to the lineup on Tuesday, and he was 2-for-4 in an 8-6 victory in Game 2, and then sat out last night. He could return here for the series finale. 

Take TEX. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the NYY -1.5. 

The Bronx Bombers host the cellar dwellers of the NL East tonight, and Philly comes to town as a massive underdog. I'll take the Yanks on the runline here, as this is a mismatch of epic proportions. 

Micheal Pineda will toe the slab for the home team, and he's been stellar in the Bronx this year. Pineda (8-3, 3.54 ERA) allowed one run on one hit while striking out nine over 6 2/3 innings in a win over the Marlins in his last start. He's 4-1 with a 2.36 ERA in seven starts at Yankee Stadium so far, and he's facing a Phillies lineup that ranks dead last in the major leagues in runs scored. 

The Phillies hand the ball to Kevin Correia, who makes just his third start of the season. Correia (0-1, 1.69 ERA) allowed six runs on seven hits over five innings in a home loss to Baltimore his last time out. After a terrible year with the Twins in 2014, he couldn't secure a spot with a major league club at the beginning of the season. The Phillies pitching staff has been so bad, they decided to pick him up and give him a shot. 

The Yankees lost 12-4 to the Tigers yesterday, but they had scored 30 runs in their previous three games, and they are 11-2 in their last 13 home games. 

Take NYY -1.5. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the LAD -1.5. 

The Dodgers host Texas tonight in the final game of this four game series, and the Rangers will be gunning for a sweep. The Dodgers are one of the best home teams in the majors, and they should be able to take advantage of a favorable matchup on the mound tonight. 

Zack Greinke will toe the slab for LA, and he's looking for his first win since May 5. Greinke (5-2, 1.95 ERA) allowed two runs on eight hits over eight innings in a loss at San Diego his last time out. He's 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA at home, but has been the victim of a lack of run support on numerous occasions. 

The Rangers hand the ball to Anthony Ranaudo, who was sent to the minors after getting rocked for six runs on six hits in 1 2/3 innings in his only previous appearance. He gets the call up to make a spot start tonight, and should have his hands full with a Dodgers team eager to end this losing skid. 

Yasiel Puig has only played 24 games this season, but he's hitting .410 with a pair of home runs and seven RBIs at home. 

Take LAD. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule 

This is an 8* play on the San Francisco Giants +1.5. 

The Seattle Mariners have been brutal in 2015, falling well short of expectations. The lone bright spot has been the pitching of Felix Hernandez, but now he's coming off a couple rough outings. 

Hernandez (9-3, 3.38 ERA) was rocked for eight runs on five hits, failing to get out of the first inning in a 10-0 loss at Houston his last time out. This was not an isolated incident, as he was torched for seven runs on six hits over just 4 2/3 innings in a home loss to the Yankees just 12 days earlier. He did beat the Rays at home in between those two starts, and he put up nice looking stats in that game. I watched him pitch though, and I said to myself: "something just doesn't look right". Even though he only surrendered one run on two hits, he did walk three and he was getting a generous strike zone from the umpire. 

The Giants hand the ball to Madison Bumgarner, who has been dealing lately. Bumgarner (7-3, 3.16 ERA) allowed one run on nine hits over eight innings, striking out seven in a 1-0 loss to Arizona his last time out. He's won five of his six starts on the road this season, and he won his last start at Safeco, allowing one run on three hits over eight innings. 

The Mariners offense isn't scaring anybody, ranking near last in the majors in scoring. 

Take SF. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Toronto Blue Jays -1.5. 

The Jays 11 game win streak ended in New York, and after losing back to back games by just one run, they return home looking to return the favor against the Mets. Toronto doesn't rely on winning games by one run, and I am expecting a blowout here in those one. 

Jonathon Niese will toe the slab for the Mets, and his recent performances don't inspire a lot of confidence. Niese (3-6, 4.24 ERA) allowed four runs on five hits over seven innings in a no decision at home versus San Francisco his last time out. He's been much worse on the road, going 1-1 with a 4.24 ERA in six starts so far. 

The Blue Jays hand the ball to Drew Hutchison, who has been very sharp in Toronto. Hutchison (5-1, 5.75 ERA) was rocked in a loss at Boston his last time out, but he's 4-1 with a 2.72 ERA in six starts at Rogers Center. 

The Mets have lost seven of their last 11 on the road, while the Jays have won six straight at home. 

Take TOR. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Texas Rangers. 

The Dodgers come into Texas tonight as a road favorite, but they are just 12-17 on the road this season. The Rangers home record isn't much to write home about, but they have won eight of their last 11 at The Ballpark in Arlington. Texas is also the highest scoring team in the country, second to only the Toronto Blue Jays in runs scored.

Chi Chi Gonzalez will toe the rubber for the Rangers, and the rookie has been brilliant so far. Gonzalez (2-1, 0.42 ERA) allowed one run on eight hits over seven innings in a loss to Oakland his last time out. He had tossed 14 2/3 scoreless innings winning his first two starts. 

The Dodgers hand the ball to Brett Anderson, who is coming off a terrible performance in his last start. Anderson (2-4, 3.57 ERA) allowed four runs on eight hits over five innings in a no decision versus Arizona. 

Prince Fielder is one of the hottest hitters in baseball this season, and he's 2-for-3 lifetime versus Anderson. 

Take TEX. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Toronto Blue Jays. 

The Blue Jays had won 11 in a row before falling 4-3 in extra-innings last night at Citi Field. The Mets are a heavy favorite here tonight, and I think the price is a little too high. 

Matt Harvey will toe the slab for the Mets, and he's really struggled in recent starts. Harvery (6-4, 3.62 ERA) was torched for seven runs on nine hits over six innings in a home loss to San Francisco his last time out. He allowed three home runs to the Giants, and he's been taken deep eight time in his last four starts. This is a scary sign for a guy not far removed from Tommy John surgery. 

The Jay will hand the ball to Scott Copeland, who makes just second career start. The right-hander allowed one run on six hits over seven innings in a win over Miami in his debut. 

The Mets have scored 251 runs this season, that's 108 fewer than Toronto. 

Take TOR +1.5. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Texas Rangers. 

The Dodgers come into Texas tonight as a road favorite, but they are just 12-16 on the road this season. The Rangers home record isn't much to write home about, but they have won seven of their last 10 at The Ballpark in Arlington. 

Yovani Gallardo will toe the rubber for the Rangers, and he's been dealing lately. Gallardo (5-6, 3.45 ERA) allowed a pair of runs on five hits, striking out 10 in a no decision versus Oakland. He's 3-2 with a 2.65 ERA in six starts at home so far, and he's 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA in his last four starts versus the Dodgers. 

The Dodgers hand the ball to Carlos Frias, who has been wildly inconsistent. Frias (4-3, 3.86 ERA) allowed one run on eight hits over 6 2/3 innings in a home win over Arizona his last time out. He hasn't missed a lot of bats, as evidenced by a WHIP of 1.51. 

Prince Fielder is hitting an American League best .343, and he's really feasted on right-handed pitching, hitting .377 off right-handers. 

Take TEX +1.5. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule 

This is an 8* play on the CWS. 

The Pirates have seen two of their last three games go into extra-innings tied 0-0, and they won both those games by a score of 1-0. They host the White Sox tonight, and I like the visitors on the runline here. 

Carlos Rodon will toe the slab for the Sox, and the rookie has been impressive so far. Rodon (2-0, 2.66 ERA) tossed six scoreless innings in a home win over Houston his last time out. He's held the opposition to one run or less in four straight starts. 

The Pirates will hand the ball to Francisco Liriano, who was rouged up by the Brewers his last time out. Liriano (3-5, 3.25 ERA) allowed three runs on five hits over eight innings in a 4-1 loss to Milwaukee. He's really struggled at home, going 1-4 with a 5.40 ERA in six starts at PNC Park. 

Melky Cabrera comes in swinging a hot bat, going 5-for-12 over his last three games. He's 6-for-18 lifetime versus Liriano. 

Take CWS. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule 

This is an 8* play on the Seattle Mariners +1.5. 

The Mariners are 3-2 on this road trip so far, and they've split the first two games here in Houston. The Astros have really fallen apart, and they've watched their lead in the AL West shrink to just 1.5 games ahead of the surging Rangers. I like Seattle as a dog on the runline here in Houston. 

Roenis Elias will toe the slab for Seattle, and he's won three straight starts on the road. Elias (3-3, 2.79 ERA) allowed one run on five hits over six innings in a win at Cleveland his last time out. He's 3-1 with a 2.48 ERA in five starts on the road is season. 

The Astros hand the ball to rookie right-hander Lance McCullers. who is coming off a loss in his last start. McCullers (2-1, 2.32 ERA) allowed three runs on four hits over seven innings in a 3-1 loss to the White Sox. 

The Astros are really struggling at the plate, with the American League's worst team batting average. 

Take SEA. 

GL, Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Detroit Tigers. 

The Tigers will host the Indians in the rubber match of a three game series at Comerica Park this afternoon, and this one is shaping up to be a pitcher's duel. 

Corey Kluber will toe the slab for Cleveland, and he's having a poor season just a year after taking AL Cy Young honors. Kluber (3-7, 3.53 ERA) didn't have his best stuff, allowing a pair of runs on seven hits and three walks in a 3-2 home loss to the Mariners his last time out. He surrendered four runs on nine hits over eight innings in a 4-2 loss to the Royals prior to that. 

The Tigers hand the ball to Alfredo Simon, who has been very sharp all season long. Simon (6-3, 2.76 ERA) allowed four runs on five hits, striking out seven in eight innings in a 5-4 win on the road in Chicago his last time out. He's 3-1 with a 1.80 ERA in five starts in Detroit. 

The Detroit lineup has had it's way with Kluber, hitting a combined .342. Miguel Cabrera has done plenty of damage, going 18-for-33 (.545) with four home run and nine RBIs. 

Take DET. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Atlanta Braves +1.5. 

The Mets and the Braves will play a matinee at Citi Field Saturday, and this game looks like it has the potential to be a classic pitcher's duel. Neither of these two teams scores a lot of runs, and I like the visitors here on the runline in what I expect to be a close, low scoring game. 

Shelby Miller will toe the slab for Atlanta, and he's pitched as well as anyone this season. Miller (5-2, 1.84 ERA) allowed one run on five hits over seven innings in a no decision versus the Padres his last time out. He's held the opposition to two runs or less in all but one of his starts so far this season. 

The Mets hand the ball to Jacob deGrom, who has been having a stellar season after taking Rookie of the Year honors last year. deGrom (7-4, 2.42 ERA) allowed three runs on five hits over seven innings in a win over the D'Backs his last time out. 

The Braves have won four of their last five when Miller starts on the road as an underdog, and I think they'll at the very least keep it close here today. 

Take ATL. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Seattle Mariners. 

The Mariners were one of the favorites to win the AL West before the season started, but Seattle hasn't lived up to expectations. The Astros on the other hand have been one of the season's biggest surprises, currently sitting in first place, Houston has cooled off though, coming into tonight's game as losers of seven of it's last eight. 

Mike Montgomery will toe the slab for Seattle, and the rookie has been solid so far. The 27 year old southpaw has only surrendered three runs on nine hits over 13 innings in his first two major league starts. He's facing a Houston lineup that ranks dead last in the American League batting just .235. 

The Astros hand the ball to Colin McHugh, who was roughed up in his last start. McHugh (6-2, 4.34 ERA) surrendered three runs on seven hits in six innings in a loss at Toronto. He's 4-1 at home this season, but his ERA in those games is a rather unsightly 5.17. 

Nelson Cruz is 3-for-9 lifetime versus McHugh, and two of those three hits left the ballpark. 

Take SEA +1.5. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Milwaukee Brewers RL. 

The Brewers return home from a successful road trip, taking two of three in Pittsburgh and Minnesota. I like their chances as a dog at home to Washington tonight. 

Matt Garza will toe the slab for the Brewers, and he's coming off a win in his last start. Garza (4-7, 5.09 ERA) gave up just one run on six hits over seven innings in a win at Minnesota. Prior to that he tossed five scoreless inning in relief in a win over Arizona. 

The Nats hand the ball to Tanner Roark, who makes his fourth start since coming out of the bullpen. Roark (2-2, 3.16 ERA) allowed four runs on six hits over 5 2/3 innings in a home win over the Cubs his last time out. 

The Nats have lost nine of their last 12 overall, and the bats have been pretty quiet. 

Take MIL, 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Texas Rangers.

Texas is still sizzlin' hot, coming into Oakland tonight as winners of eight of their last 11. They will be a big underdog here, despite the fact that the A's are the last place team in the American League.

Chi Chi Gonzalez will toe the rubber for the Rangers, and the rookie has been impressive so far. Gonzalez (2-0, 000 ERA) was flawless in his major league debut, and he followed that up with a complete game shutout win at Kansas City.

The A's hand the ball to Scott Kazmir, who won his first two starts of the season, and hasn't recorded a win since. Kazmir (2-4, 3.14 ERA) allowed four runs on nine hits over 4 2/3 innings in a loss at Boston his last time out. This came after he was pulled from a previous start with a sore shoulder, so his health is a concern.

The A's own the American League's worst bullpen, so if Kazmir can't go deep, it could be a disaster.

Take TEX +1.5.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Texas Rangers.

Texas is still sizzlin' hot, coming into Oakland tonight as winners of eight of their last 10. They will be a big underdog here, despite the fact that the A's are the last place team in the American League.

Yovani Gallardo will toe the rubber for the Rangers, and he's been hot lately. Gallardo (5-6, 3.54 ERA) allowed one unearned run over six innings in a 2-1 win over the White Sox his last time out. He's coming off three consecutive impressive performances, and this looks like a good spot for him against a struggling Oakland offense.

 The A's hand the ball to Jesse Hahn, who has failed to impress. Hahn (3-5, 3.51 ERA) allowed four runs on seven hits over six innings in a loss to the Yankees in his last start at home. He's facing Texas for the second time this season, and he lost the previous meeting, allowing three runs on seven hits in six innings. 

Prince Fielder is swinging one of the hottest bats in the majors this season, and he was 2-for-2 with a pair of RBIs against Hahn in the last meeting. 

Take Tex +1.5. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Minnesota Twins.

After losing four of five on this current home stand, the Twins have now fallen out of first place in the AL Central. They host Kansas City in Game 3 of this series at Target Field tonight, and they can move into a tie with the 1st place Royals if they manage to avoid the sweep in the series finale.

Edinson Volquez will toe the rubber for the Royals, and he wasn't sharp in his latest start. Volquez (4-4, 3.26 ERA) allowed four runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings in a home loss to Texas his last time out. He's 0-2 with a 4.13 ERA on the road, and he's already lost once in Minnesota this season.

The Twins hand the ball to Kyle Gibson, who is having a pretty solid season so far. Gibson (4-3, 3.00 ERA) didn't have his best stuff in a home loss to the Brewers his last time out, but he did record a season-high nine strikeouts in the loss. He's 3-1 with a 2.35 ERA at home, and one of those wins came against these Royals. 

Take MIN +1.5

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Atlanta Braves RL.

The Braves have split the first two games in this series with the Padres, and both games went right down to the wire. The Padres rallied to come from being in Game 1, and then the Braves came back from a five run deficit in last night's game. I like the home team in the rubber match.

Williams Perez will toe the slab for the Braves, looking to bounce back from a loss. Perez (1-0, 3.55 ERA) was roughed up by the Pirates in his last start, but prior to that he tossed seven scoreless innings in a win at San Francisco.

The Padres hand the ball to Tyson Ross, who hasn't really impressed so far. Ross (3-5, 3.75 ERA) allowed a pair of runs on five hits and three walks over just five innings in a win over the Reds his last time out. He had lost three straight previously.

The Braves welcome back Kelly Johnson after he missed 24 games on the DL, and he should give them a little more "pop" in the lineup.

Take ATL.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Texas Rangers. 

Texas is still sizzlin' hot, coming into Oakland tonight as winners of seven of their last nine. They will be a big underdog here, despite the fact that the A's are the last place team in the American League. 

Nick Martinez will toe the rubber for the Rangers, and he's having a fantastic season so far. Martinez (4-2, 2.89 ERA) was torched for seven runs on nine hits over 3 1/3 innings in a home loss to the White Sox his last time out. It was his only poor performance of the season, and I like his chance of bouncing back on the road tonight. He's 2-0 with a 1.76 ERA in five starts on the road so far. 

The A's hand the ball to Sonny Gray, who owns the best ERA in the majors. Gray (7-2, 1.65 ERA) tossed eight scoreless innings, surrendering just two hits in a win over the Tigers his last time out. 

Unfortunately for Gray, he's backed by the worst bullpen in the major leagues. 

Take TEX +1.5. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Chicago White Sox +1.5.

The Tigers are really stinking it up lately, coming into tonight's game in Chicago as losers of eight straight. They will be a big favorite regardless, with a big name pitcher on the mound. It's not easy to bet against David Price, but it's perhaps even harder to bet on the slumping Tigers at this point. 

Price (4-2, 2.91 ERA) surrendered four runs on seven hits over 7 2/3 innings in a loss at Anaheim his last time out. He's been fantastic, but the team behind him appears to be falling apart. 

The White Sox hand the ball to John Danks, who certainly is no David Price. Danks (3-4, 4.81 ERA) did his best David Price impression though, tossing a complete game shutout his last time out. He's capable of pitching a good game, even though he often gets in trouble. Detroit hasn't been giving anyone trouble lately though. 

I'll take Chicago as the home dog. 

Take CWS. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Texas Rangers +1.5. 

Texas has really turned things around, winning six of it's last seven to move just 4.5 games out of first in the AL West. They beat the slumping Royals in Kansas City last night, and I like them as a dog here in Game 2. 

Wandy Rodriguez will toe the rubber for the Rangers, and he's been pretty consistent for Texas. Rodriguez (2-2, 3.55 ERA) allowed three runs on nine hits over 5 2/3 innings in a home win over Boston his last time out. While he didn't get credit for the victory, the Rangers have won five of his last six starts. 

The Royals hand the ball to Yordano Ventura, who pitched well in his last start. Ventura (3-4, 4.26 ERA) allowed just one run on four hits over seven innings, but the Royals couldn't get him any runs in a 2-1 loss to the Cubs. His worst start of the season came at Texas, getting torched for five runs on 10 hits over seven innings in a 5-2 loss. 

Prince Fielder is leading the American League with a .352 batting average, and he's 3-for-4 with a home run lifetime versus Ventura. 

Take TEX. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule 

This is an 8* play on the Atlanta Braves.

The Braves are just three games out of first in the NL East, and they own a winning record at home. Still they are an underdog in Game 1 of this home series versus the Pirates, and I think the value lies with a play on the Braves plus the runs. 

Williams Perez will toe the slab for Atlanta, and he's had an impressive start to his rookie season. Perez (1-0, 2.66 ERA) tossed seven scoreless innings in a win at San Francisco his last time out. This will be just his second start at home in Atlanta, and he surrendered just one run on six hits, striking out seven over five innings in win over the Rays in his home debut. 

The Pirates will hand the ball to Charlie Morton, who is off to a good start to the season. Morton (2-0, 1.93 ERA) allowed a pair of runs on three hits over seven innings in a win at San Diego his last time out. He's struggled on the road though, going 7-12 with a 4.60 ERA in 28 starts away from home since 2012. 

The Atlanta lineup is batting .313 versus Morton in previous meetings. 

Take ATL +1.5. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule 

This is an 8* play on the Philadelphia Phillies +1.5. 

The Phillies won two of three at home against the Reds this week, and they begin a new series tonight, hosting the San Francisco Giants. I like the home team as an underdog against a Giants team coming off five straight losses. 

Jerome Williams will toe the slab for the Phillies, and he's been better at home than he has been on the road. Williams (3-5, 5.49 ERA) allowed four runs on eight hits over five innings in a loss to the Rockies his last time out. He's 3-2 with a 4.01 ERA in six starts at home though, and he's been better at night than in the day. 

The Giants hand the ball to Tim Lincecum, who is coming off a poor performance. Lincecum (5-3, 3.00 ERA) allowed four runs on eight hits and a pair of walks in just 4 1/3 innings in a loss to Atlanta. He hasn't been very good on the road, going 1-1 with a 4.79 ERA in four starts away from AT&T Park, and the Giants lost three of those games. 

The Phillies have seen nine of their last 23 games decided by a single run. 

Take PHI. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Arizona Diamondbacks +1.5.

The ‪‎Mets‬ will play Game 1 of a four game set at ‪Arizona‬ on Thursday, and we've seen plenty of runs scored at Chase Field lately. The D'Backs have seen the total go over in six straight, and they won two of three at home versus Atlanta, despite being out-scored 22-17. The Mets send their ace to the mound here in the series opener, but I still think we'll see a slugfest in the desert.

Matt ‪Harvey‬ will toe the slab for the Mets, and he's been roughed up in back to back losses. Harvey (5-3, 3.11 ERA) allowed four runs on six hits over eight innings in a home loss to Miami his last time out. Prior to that he was lit up for seven runs on six hits and two walks in just four innings in a loss at Pittsburgh.

The D'Backs hand the ball to Jeremy Hellickson, who has won consecutive starts. Hellickson (3-3, 5.08 ERA) allowed two runs on five hits over six innings in a win over the Brewers his last time out.

Paul Goldschmidt is on fire of late, going 11-for-22 with four doubles, three homers and six RBIs over his last six games.

Take Arizona.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Kansas City Royals. 

The Royals lost last night's game by a score of 2-1, and it won't get any easier tonight with the Indians sending their ace to the mound. I still like the Royals as a home dog, and wouldn't be surprised if they are able to get to Corely Kluber here at Kauffman Stadium. 

Kluber (3-5, 3.52 ERA) allowed three runs on seven hits over seven innings in a win over the Mariners in Seattle his last time out. He's already been hammered by the Royals twice this season, surrendering 11 runs on 17 hits over 12 innings in a pair of losses. He came into this season with a record of 1-1 with a 4.58 ERA in six starts at Kaufman Stadium. 

The Royals hand the ball to Jason Vargas, who has been pretty consistent, especially at home. Vargas (3-2, 5.16 ERA) allowed a pair of runs on four hits over four innings in a loss to the Yankees in New York his last time out. He's 2-1 with a 4.11 ERA in five starts versus Cleveland since 2012. 

If Vargas can hang with Kluber in the early going, the best bullpen in the majors should be able to back him up in the later innings. 

Take KC +1.5. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Texas Rangers. 

The Rangers took Game 1 of this home series versus the White Sox, and I like their chances here in Game 2. 

Nick Martinez will toe the rubber for the Rangers, and he's been nothing short of brilliant this season. Martinez (4-1, 2.03 ERA) allowed a pair of runs on nine hits over seven innings in a tough luck loss to Boston his last time out. He's pitched well in almost all of his starts, and Texas has won eight of 10 with the right-hander on the mound. 

The White Sox hand the ball to Chris Sale, who is coming off an impressive performance. Sale (4-2, 3.66 ERA) tossed seven scoreless innings in a win over the Orioles in Baltmore. He's in a tougher spot here tonight though, facing a hot team in their hitter's park. He might not be able to count on a lot of support from the offense, as Chicago has really struggled to score runs. 

The White Sox have scored the fewest runs of any team in the American League. 

Take TEX +1.5.

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Seattle Mariners +1.5. 

The Mariners have lost four straight, with two of those losses coming in extra innings. I like their chances at home this afternoon, as they look to avoid a sweep against the visiting Yankees. 

Taijuan Walker will toe the slab for Seattle, and he's coming off a his best start of the season. Walker (2-5, 6.18 ERA) tossed eight scoreless innings, surrendering just two hits in a home win over Cleveland his last time out. He's 1-1 with a 2.22 ERA in four starts at Safeco this season. 

The Yankees hand the ball to Masahiro Tanaka, who is set to come off the DL after sitting out with an elbow injury. Tanaka (2-1, 3.22 ERA) did not look sharp in his last rehab start at Triple-A, allowing three runs on four hits over three innings. He surrendered a home run in that game, and his velocity topped off in the 80s. He will be working on a strict pitch count here tonight, and the Yankees will be lucky to get five innings out of him. 

The Yankees have lost 10 of their last 14 road games. 

Take SEA. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Minnesota Twins +1.5. 

The Twins had won seven of eight prior to dropping Game 1 of this series by a score of 1-0 in a pitcher's duel at Fenway last night. They are a big underdog here again today, and I like their chances facing a rookie making just his second career start. 

Eduardo Rodriguez will toe the slab for the Sox, and he spun a gem in his major league debut at Texas. The 22 year old left-hander tossed 7 2/3 scoreless innings, surrendering just three hits in a 5-1 win over the Rangers. I think it would be foolish to expect this youngster to match that performance here against one of the hottest teams in baseball in this hitter's park. 

The Twins hand the ball to Phil Hughes, who has been at his best when pitching in day games. Hughes (4-4, 4.59 ERA) allowed four runs on six hits over 6 2/3 innings in a home win over Boston his last time out. He's got decent numbers at Fenway, posting a stellar 2.18 ERA in his last three starts in Boston, however losing two of those three games. He was dominant in day games last season, going 11-2 with a 3.26 ERA in 16 starts. 

The Twins have scored 97 runs versus left-handed pitching this season, only Cleveland has scored more. 

Take MIN. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the LAA +1.5. 

The Angels are hot, and they come into tonight's game versus Tampa as winners of five straight. The Rays have lost seven of nine, and I don't like their chances here in tonight's game. 

C.J. Wilson will toe the slab for the Halos, and he's been very good at home this season. Wilson (3-3, 3.18 ERA) allowed one run on two hits over six innings in a 12-2 win over the Tigers his last time out. The Angels have won four straight with Wilson starting in Anaheim, and he's 20-12 with a 3.36 ERA in 44 starts at home over the last three seasons. 

The Rays hand the ball to Chris Archer, who was brilliant in his last start. Archer (5-4, 2.12 ERA) tossed eight scoreless innings, allowing two hits in a 3-0 loss to the Mariners. 

Albert Pujols is on fire of late, and he was 3-for-5 with a pair of home runs last night. He's 3-for-6 lifetime versus Archer. 

Take LAA. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule 

This is an 8* play on the Kansas City Royals +1.5

After losing four of five on the road, the Royals have fallen out of first in the AL Central, sitting half a game back of the Twins. They are back home tonight hosting Cleveland, and my money is on the Royals at home. 

Jeremy Guthrie will toe the rubber for the Royals, and he's coming off perhaps the worst start of his career. Guthrie (4-3, 6.70 ERA) was torched for 11 runs on nine hits and three walks in just one inning in the Bronx. He had been on a roll prior to that though, winning three straight and giving up just four runs in those victories. Guthrie will more than likely get back on track here at home, but even if he doesn't, the Royals can turn to the best bullpen in the majors to bail them out. 

The Indians hand the ball to Carlos Carrasco, who has been far better in Cleveland. Carrasco (6-4, 4.24 RA) allowed five runs on seven hits over eight innings in a loss at Texas in his last start on the road. He was 0-2 with a 2.38 ERA in four starts versus Cleveland last year. 

The Indians have lost seven of Carrasco's last eight starts versus Kansas City. 

Take KC +1.5. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Philadelphia Phillies +1.5. 

Philadelphia was swept at home by the Rockies, but I think they'll get back on track here as they begin a new series versus the Reds. Game 1 goes tonight at Citizen's Bank Park, where Philadelphia is 12-13 so far this season. The Reds however are even worse on the road, with a record of 9-16. 

Johnny Cueto will toe the rubber for the Reds, and he's coming back from an elbow injury. Cueto (3-4, 3.03 ERA) allowed three runs on nine hits over seven innings in a loss at Kansas City his last time out. He's 2-3 with a 4.21 ERA in five starts on the road, and that's a trend that holds true over the last three seasons. 

The Phillies hand the ball to Sean O'Sullivan, who has been very solid at home in Philly. Sullivan (1-4, 4.81 ERA) tossed six scoreless innings in a 6-0 shutout over Arizona in his last home start. He's 1-1 with a 2.65 ERA in three starts at Citizen's Bank Park. 

The Reds own one of the major league's worst bullpens, and their relievers have a 4.42 ERA so far this year. 

Take PHI. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule