The set-up: The Mariners entered Friday's game against the A's on a five-game slide, one which caused them to fall 4 1/2 games back on the Twins for the second wild card in the American League (along with facing the fact that there were four more teams between them and Minnesota!). Seattle has to be relieved it edged Oakland in Friday's opener of a three-game series, 3-2. Mike Leake picked up the win in his debut for the team after being acquired from St. Louis earlier in the week. As for the A's, they are 58-76, tied with Detroit for the AL's second-worst record (White Sox are dead-last at 52-81).

The pitching matchup: Jharel Cotton (7-10 & 5.40 ERA) starts for Oakland and Yovani Gallardo (5-10 & 5.78 ERA) for Seattle. Cotton allowed two runs over 6 2/3 innings in a 3-2 win at Houston back on Aug. 20 and then limited Texas to two runs (one earned) while matching a career high with nine strikeouts en route to an 8-3 victory seven days later. Cotton now looks to win three straight starts for the first time in his major-league. This rookie has faced the Mariners at home twice this season, giving up two runs in a 4-3 win on April 22 before getting tagged for six runs and eight hits, including three HRs, in a 6-3 loss on Aug. 9. The Mariners had hoped that Gallardo would find some of his past 'magic' (he won 72 games for Milwaukee from 2009-13) here in Seattle but that has not been the case. Gallardo's 'ugly' August (0-3 with a 7.46 ERA in five starts / team was 1-4), leaves him with just FIVE win in starts, as21 well as a 1.50 WHIP and .270 BAA to go along with a 5.78 ERA on the season (25 appearances).

The pick: OK, one can say that Gallardo can't be trusted. However, while he entered the 2017 season with an 0-5 career record against Oakland, he is 2-0 with a 2.95 ERA in four starts (Seattle is 3-1) against them this year. Seattle's wild-card chances are on the verge of vanishing and the Mariners know that a sweep here against Oakland is a priority. The A's have lost each of the first four contests on their current six-game road trip to fall to 21-45 away from home on the season, while getting outscored 5.27-to-3.86 RPG. Make Seattle a 10* play.

Florida State: The Seminoles will not have RB Dalvin Cook, who was taken in the 2nd round of the NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. However, QB Deondre Francois is back, after throwing for 3,350 yards and 20 TDs as a red-shirt freshman. Replacing Cook (FSU's all-time leading rusher) will not be easy but junior Jacques Patrick and freshman Cam Akers are talented. However, the OL needs to improve over last year’s bunch is FSU wants to be in the national title discussion. FSU's defense allowed 25.0 PPG last season, just the second time in the last seven years that an FSU defense had allowed more than 20 points. The good news is that nine regulars return on defense plus will have star safety Derwin James back at full strength after he played just two games in 2016 because of a knee injury.

The set-up: The Louisville Cardinals, ranked 16th in the AP's preseason poll, will open the 2017 season against the Purdue Boilermakers, led by new head coach Jeff Brohm. The game will be played at at Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis), the home of the Colts. It's only fitting that Brohm's first game as Purdue's head coach comes against his alma mater, where he was Louisville's starting QB for two seasons in the early 1990s.

Louisville: Bobby Petrino can coach (forget about the off-field stuff) and his Cardinals were 9-1 through 10 games last season (lone loss at Clemson by six points) and ranked No. 3, before imploding. However, a 36-10 loss at Houston was followed by an embarrassing 41-38 loss at home to Kentucky (as a nearly four-TD favorite) to end the regular season. Louisville was then man-handled by LSU, 29-9 in the Citrus Bowl. However, the team's late-season collapse didn't prevent QB Lamar Jackson from winning the Heisman (it shouldn't have). Jackson passed for 3,543 yards and 30 TDs last year while rushing for 1,571 yards and another 21 scores! Jackson lost a few key contributors but he's so talented, don't expect too much of a drop-off in 2017. That said, don't expect a second straight Heisman, either.

Purdue. Brohm come to Purdue from Western Ky, where he turned the the Hilltoppers into the nation's highest-scoring team at 45.5 PPG in 2016. David Blough is Purdue's returning starter at QB but Brohm says he likes three of his QBs and would not be afraid to use all of them with Blough struggling with a sore shoulder (he suffered a strained right shoulder during an August 12 scrimmage). To be competitive, Purdue needs to score, as its defense ranked 117th in the nation last year, allowing 38.3 PPG.

The pick: Brohm was an asistant at Western Ky when Petrino was hired as the Hilltoppers head coach. Petrino has said he is thrilled that Brohm landed a Power-5 conference coaching position. He expects his former assistant will turn around a Purdue program that has gone just 9-39 the past four seasons with only three victories in Big Ten conference play. However, that may be wishful thinking right now. Louisville has the best QB on the field (in the country?) but did lose a lot of key players, including most of the offensive line. It may take Louisville a few games to jell. The Boilermakers have lost nine of their last 10 non-home games and are a near-4 TD underdog here, so expect a loss. However, don't expect Petrino to run up the score and thisov er/under number is too high. Make Louisville/Purdue a 10* Under play.

The set-up: Two CFB superpowers open Saturday in this game at "Jerry's House" in Arlington, Texas, with No. 11 Michigan taking on No. 17 Florida. This marks the first time these two legendary programs have met in regular season, although Michigan has won all three bowl meetings, including a 41-7 beat-down of an injury-riddled Florida offense in the Citrus Bowl following the 2015 season.

Michigan: Jim Harbaugh took over Michigan in 2015, inheriting a team which was just 5-7 the previous year. His first team went 10-3, including that previously-mentioned bowl win over Florida and then last year's team again went 10-3. However, that doesn't tell the entire story. Michigan opened 9-0 and was ranked No. 2 in the nation when it lost 14-13 at Iowa. An unimpressive 20-10 win over Indiana followed and then Michigan lost a controversial double-OT at Columbus to Ohio State, 30-27. The Wolverines capped its season with a 33-32 loss to FSU in the Orange Bowl. Harbaugh's an intense coach and will be looking to quickly establish his team after last year's poor finish (three losses in its last four games). Harbaugh can easily rub people the wrong way. He refused to release his team's playing roster until Wednesday, declined to formally announce his quarterback and then went overboard by insinuating Florida coach Jim McElwain was the one playing games by initially not revealing his team's signal-caller. Harbaugh can play all the "head games" he wants but he needs to replace 10 starters off last year unit, which was one of the nation's best (allowed 14.1 PPG on just over 262 yards per). I'm still not quite sure who will be Michigan's starting QB for most of this year.

Florida: Jim McElwain begins his third season with the Gators, after going 10-4 and 9-4 in 2015 and 2016. He is dealing with two key issues in this contest. The big story is the suspension of seven players, including 2016 leading receiver and special teams stud Antonio Callaway (54 catches and 721 receiving yards with four TDs in 2016) and defensive lineman Keivonnis Davis, for misuse of school funds. The other question mark is who will start under center. RS freshman Feleipe Franks started the spring game for the Gators and played well enough to be considered for the starting job, while Luke Del Rio is recovering from off-season shoulder surgery and then there’s the wild card in Notre Dame transfer Malik Zaire. In the end, McElwain named Franks as the starter on Wednesday. Franks threw for 2,766 yards and 35 TDs during his senior season at Wakulla High School in Crawfordville, Fla. The defense took a big on hit, with only five starters returning from last season and don't expect the Gators to match last year's numbers of 16.8 PPG on about 293 YPG.

The pick: I'm no fan of either of Michigan's two QBs, Wilton Speight or John O’Korn and I believe Michigan's preseason ranking of No. 11 is based more on Harbuagh's notoriety. After all, Michigan had a school-record 11 players selected in the 2017 NFL Draft, meaning there are many new faces in new roles all over the field. Let me add that Florida has won 27 consecutive season openers, the best streak in the nation. The Gators will likely remember that recent Citrus Bowl loss to the Wolverines but after careful consideration I prefer to make the Over an 8* play.

The set-up: Clayton Kershaw returned just in time for the Dodgers, as MLB's best pitcher allowed just two hits over six scoreless innings to lead LA to a 1-0 win in his first appearance since July 23 (due to a back injury). Kershaw upped his record to 16-2 and lowered his ERA to 1.95, while the Dodgers are now 20-2 and plus-$1560 in his 2017 starts. LA pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts in halting the team's five-game losing streak. The Padres lost for the fifth time in seven games and enter Saturday's doubleheader with LA at 59-75 on the season, 33 1/2 games back in the NL West.

The pitching matchup; Brock Stewart (0-0 & 3.38 ERA) will take the mound for LA in Game 1 of the doubleheader, opposed by San Diego's Clayton Richard (6-13 & 4.96 ERA). Stewart will be making his fourth start of the season (ninth of his career). He didn't fare well in his last outing and was fortunate to walk away with a no-decision as Pittsburgh reached him for five runs on four hits in just two-plus innings (LA won 8-5). Stewart worked two hit-less innings of relief against the Padres on July 1 and has given up one hit in three career innings versus San Diego (no starts). Richard lost to Miami in his last outing, as he allowed five runs on eight hits over seven innings. Richard owns just one win over his last 13 starts (he's 1-6 and San Diego is 4-9). The 33-year-old lefty is 7-6 with a 4.15 ERA in 23 career appearances (21 starts / teams are 13-8) against the Dodgers.

The pick: LA was able to win last night despite scoring just one run. The Dodgers will surely need more runs to win here but with Richard owning a 5.79 ERA in four outings vs. LA in 2017, why shouldn't they score? The Dodgers have not had much trouble against the Padres in 2017, as they are 10-3 against San Diego this season, including a 5-1 record at Petco Park. Make LA an 8* play.

The set-up: The Ball State Cardinals will visit Memorial Stadium in Champaign-Urbana to take on the Fighting Illini of Illinois in Saturday college football action. The Illini are coming off a 3-9 season and last finished with a winning year back in 2011 (7-6). Ball State is off a 4-8 season and has won just 12 combined games the last three seasons, after going to back-to-back bowl games in 2012 (10-3) and 2013 (9-4). The two schools have met just once before, back in 2007 with Illinois winning 28-17 at home.

Ball State: The Cardinals return eight starters, although Jack Milas is replacing Riley Neal as the starting QB. Milas has 314 career pass attempts but the bulk of those reps came during the 2014 season, as he attempted only 38 passes in 2016 ((Neal attempted 394 in 2016 but had just 13 TDs and 12 INTs). While Milas gets back in the swing of things, he can rely on RB James Gilbert, who had 1,220 yards last season (5.3 YPC) and 12 TDs. The defense has just four returning starters but maybe that's a good thing, after allowing 35.8 and 30.1 PPG the last two seasons.

Illinois: Lovie's Smith first season at Illinois hardly went well, as the Illini were 3-9 (5-7 ATS) and just 2-7 in Big Ten play. There was a QB 'battle' in the spring and Smith has named inexperienced junior Chayce Crouch the starting QB. This year's offense can't be as bad as last year's, which averaged a woeful 19.7 PPG, getting held to 10 or less points four times last year. Crouch is more of a dual-threat and RB Kendrick Foster returns after rushing for 720 yards (5.7 YPC) and seven TDs. More will be expected from WRs Malik Turner and Sam Mays (especially Turner, who caught 46 balls with six TDs). Lovie must improve his defense, as the team allowed 31.9 PPG in Smith's first season, more than a TD higher than the 2015 unit did (23.9).

The pick: This line opened has high as minus-11 in some places but it's down to about a TD as of Friday afternoon. Not sure what the attraction of Ball State is, as the Cardinals are on a 3-18 SU run in true road openers. What's more, Ball State is 3-26-1 SU vs. current Big Ten teams with all three of those wins coming against Indiana (how the little school from Muncie, Indian has loved upsetting the boys from Bloomington!). Meanwhile, Lovie needs a win here, as high-scoring and dangerous Western Ky is up next, before a road game at ranked USF. Note that Indiana has won 19 straight home openers and the average margin of victory has been almost four TDs (26 points)! Ball State is a team the Illini can handle. Make Illinois an 8* play.

The set-up: The St. Louis Cardinals came to the Bay Area for a four-game series with the sad-sack Giants, hoping to revive their playoff hopes. So far, so good. Thursday’s 5-2 victory keeps the Cards six games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central and they gained a half-game on the idle Colorado Rockies (now five back) for the second wild-card spot. The NL West cellar-dwelling Giants have now lost nine of their last 12 games (are 53-83) and along with being 40 games back of the Dodgers in the division, own MLB's worst moneyline mark (minus-$3549), as well.

The pitching matchup: Jack Flaherty will make his MLB debut for the Cards and will square off against Johnny Cueto (6-7 & 4.59 ERA), who will make his first start since mid-July after battling blister issues and a strained flexor tendon. The Cardinals are calling up Flaherty to take the place of Mike Leake, who was traded to Seattle on Wednesday. He has split time between Double- and Triple-A this season, posting a 2.18 ERA with 147 strikeouts and 35 walks in 25 starts covering 148 2/3 innings. Cueto struggled in a minor-league rehab outing for Class-A San Jose last Sunday, allowing eight runs (five earned) and nine hits over 3 2/3 innings. He' seen plenty of St. Louis in his career, going 7-8 with a 3.75 ERA in 22 career starts against the Cards.

The pick: This is no easy spot for the 21-year-old Flaherty. He not only makes his major league debut in the heat of a playoff race but he will also be the youngest Cardinals pitcher to start in his first game since Rick Ankiel debuted as a 20-year-old in 1999. He doesn't turn 22 until Oct. 15 and will be the 14th-youngest Cardinal ever to appear in a major league game. His opponent is Cueto, a 10-year veteran who landed in the majors back in 2008 as a 22-year-old. Like all San Francisco pitchers, it's been a disappointing 2017 for Cueto as well but here's a guy who has made 227 career starts and owns 120 wins. This is first start against the Cards in 2017 but he was 2-0 with a 1.20 ERA in two outings against them last season. Make San Francisco a 10* play.

The set-up: The Washington Huskies will make the long cross-country trip to the East Coast on Friday night, where they will take on Rutgers in New Brunswick. Chris Peterson 'hit gold' in his third season at Seattle, leading the Huskies into the CFP, before they lost 24-7 to Alabama. Washington would finish 12-2 and has opened the 2017 season ranked No. 8 in the AP's preseason poll. Chris Ash, a key assistant under Urban Meyer at Ohio State, knew taking the Rutgers job wouldn’t be a 'walk in the park' but it's doubtful he anticipated the bottom falling out to the extent it did last season. Rutgers 2016 season opened with a 48-13 loss at Washington (Huskies led 48-3 into the fourth quarter) and after two home wins over Howard and New Mexico, Rutgers would go on to lose all nine games in Big Ten play to finish 2-10. I'm not sure Ash and Rutgers are all too happy to see Washington again, in the team's 2017 opener, even if it is in New Brunswick.

Washington: The Huskies' defense allowed just 17.7 PPG in 2016 (on 316.1 YPG) but lost five starters to the NFL. CBs Kevin King (Packers) and Sidney Jones (Eagles) plus S Budda Baker (Cardinals) all went in the top-43. Clearly, the Husky secondary needs some rebuilding. Washington also lost speedy WR John Ross (81 catches and 17 TDs), as he was chosen ninth overall by the Bengals. However, the Huskies are still deep in proven play-makers. That starts will QB Jake Browning, who threw for 3430 yards with 43 TDs and just nine INTs in 2016, helping the Huskies roll up a school-record 585 points (41.8 PPG on 456.9 YPG). RB Gaskin is off back-to-back 1300-yard rushing seasons. Ross is gone at WR but Dante Pettis and Chico McClatcher will keep Rutgers' secondary busy. Pettis is also an outstanding kick-returner, who has five career punt return TDs, one off the Pac-12 record held by California's DeSean Jackson.

Rutgers: Former Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill is the new OC at Rutgers and he gets a new QB in Louisville graduate Kyle Bolin and word is, he's fitting in well. Dangerous WR/KR Janarion Grant is back after missing the last eight games of last season with an ankle injury (when he went down, the Rutgers offense went 'south!'). Rutgers also owns a deep stable of RBs, the best of whom is Robert Martin. The defense was often over-matched last season (allowed 37.5 PPG and just over 450 YPG) but eight starters do return. With Kill on board to take over the offense, Ash (a DC under Meyer), will devote most of his energy on that defense.

The pick: It should be noted that Rutgers' defense suffered as a result of the team's offensive ineptitude last season, being forced to stay on the field far too long and in terrible field position. With a much better QB situation and the return of play-maker Grant, that should change in 2017. Can it change enough to compete with a team like Washington? If the question is, will there be an upset, the answer is no. However, while Rutgers has virtually no chance of winning, staying within this HUGE number is more than realistic. Make Rutgers a 10* play.

The set-up: The Cleveland Indians swept a doubleheader at the New York Yankees on Wednesday and the AL Central leaders (Indians are up 6 1/2 games on the Twins) will try to pull the same trick on Friday, when they open a four-game series at the Detroit Tigers with a split doubleheader. Cleveland did not negatively impacting its pitching rotation on Wednesday and the Indians own the AL's lowest team ERA (3.57), as well as its lowest bullpen ERA (3.01). The big news out of Detroit on Thursday was that the Tigers traded 13-year vet Justin Verlander (former AL MVP and Cy Young winner) to the Houston Astros. Detroit opens this series 58-74 (the AL's third-worst record), a whopping 18 games back of the Indians, who by the way, have crept to within 3 1/2 games of the Houston Astros for the AL's best record (Astros could use Verlander to hold off the Indians).

The pitching matchup: It looks like Mike Clevinger (7-5 & 3.72 ERA) and Buck Farmer (3-1 & 6.17 ERA) for Detroit in Friday's nightcap. Clevinger is coming off a strong outing against Kansas City on Saturday, in which he scattered four hits over six scoreless innings and matched a season high with nine strikeouts in a 4-0 win. Clevinger has pitched well for Cleveland in 2017, and enters having allowed one or no earned runs in SIX of his last 11 appearances. Two of those outings came in back-to-back starts against Detroit on July 2 and 8, during which Clevinger yielded a total of one run on five hits in 12 innings (0.75 ERA), picking up victories in each. He's 2-1 with a 3.86 in three career starts vs. Detroit. Farmer is in his second stint with the Tigers this season and earned a win at the Chicago White Sox after being recalled on Saturday, allowing three runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings of a 6-3 Detroit victory. He's in his fourth season of bouncing back and forth between Detroit and Triple-A. He is 6-4 with a 3.93 ERA in 21 starts for the Triple-A Toledo in 2017 but he owns a 6.17 ERA in five big league starts this season.

The pick: It won't inspire confidence in Farmer considering he's seeing Cleveland for the first time this season and is 0-2 with a 7.20 ERA in four career appearances - two starts (both losses) - against this division rival. The Indians are 40-27 on the road in 2017 and if Carrasco "takes care of business" in Game 1, I expect the Indians to earn a second straight doubleheader sweep. Make Cleveland an 8* play.

The set-up: The Chicago Cubs entered the All Star break at 43-45, 5 1/2 games back of the Brewers in the NL Central race. However, they exploded out of the gate when returning to play, going 14-3 to catch and pass the Brewers. The Cubs did have a 3-7 mini-slump after that fast start but now, after winning four in a row, have won 13 of 18. The Cubs welcomed the struggling Braves to Wrigley for a four-game series last night (Cubs won 6-2) and it continues Friday afternoon. The Braves have lost four of six but that's just a drop in the bucket for a team which has gone 14-28 since it sat at .500 (45-45) on the morning of July 17.

The pitching matchup: Mike Foltynewicz (10-10 & 4.84 ERA) gets the nod for Atlanta up against the veteran John Lackey (10-10 & 4.98 ERA). Foltynewicz has been a nice surprise for the Braves in 2017 (more later), although he does limp in on a four-start losing streak. Foltynewicz has faced the Cubs just once, back in August of 2015, and it wasn't pretty. He was pounded for seven runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings at Chicago. Lackey returned from the break to go 5-0 in his first six starts (Cubs were 6-0) but he has struggled badly in his last two outings, allowing 10 ERs on 15 hits in just 10 innings (that's a 9.00 ERA). Lackey improved to 2-1 in five career starts (his teams are3-2) against the Braves on July 18, when he gave up one run on five hits in five innings at Atlanta.

The pick: Lackey's last two outings have both been on the road, so he's hoping a return to Wrigley (he's allowed three runs or less in his last four home starts) will help him turn things around. He may, but I "have a feeling" with Foltynewicz. As noted above, he's on a four-start win-less streak but after allowing 20 runs on 25 hits and nine walks over 11 2/3 innings of three consecutive starts, he showed signs of breaking out of his funk Sunday, when he allowed one run on four hits over five innings in a 3-0 setback against Colorado. Foltynewicz has been "under the radar" all season, with Atlanta going 13-12 in his starts, giving him a plus-$495 moneyline mark which ranks 23rd among all starters. Take Atlanta and the 1 1/2 runs for an 8* play

The set-up: This Week 4 game at the O.co Coliseum in Oakland features a game between the Seahawks and Raiders. Both were playoff teams in 2016, with Seattle going 10-5-1 in winning the NFC West. Seattle beat Detroit in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs but then lost to the Atlanta Falcons in the Divisional Round. The Raiders finished 12-4, giving them a second-place finish in the AFC West (ending a 13-year playoff drought) but with QB Derek Carr sidelined, they lost in the Wild Card Game to the Texans. However, as both teams wrap up their respective preseasons, the Seahawks are 3-0 SU & ATS, while the Raiders are 0-3 & 0-3 ATS.

Seattle: The Seahawks have beaten the Chargers 48-17, the Vikings 20-13 and the Chiefs 26-13. QB Russell Wilson was sharp the last two weeks and went 13-of-19 for 200 yards and a TD against KC. Seattle has looked impressive in the preseason due in no small part to its deep group of players. The Seahawks escaped Week 3 with no new injuries.

Oakland: It's been a lost preseason for the Raiders, as they've lost 20-10 to the Cardinals, 24-21 to the Rams and 24-20 the Cowboys 24-20. Against Dallas, QB Derek Carr got a nice workout, going 13-of-17 for 144 yards with two TDs.

The pick: As the teams' respective record reveal, Oakland doesn’t care much about winning preseason games, while Pete Carroll tends to treat every game like a playoff game. Most of the starters will be sitting out Game 4 but I expect many of the backups going all out, in extended action. The over/under is way too low here, with Seattle averaging 31.3 PPG this preseason. Make the Over an 8* play.

The set-up: The Baltimore Ravens are one of four NFL teams looking to complete a perfect 4-0 preseason, as they head to New Orleans off a 13-9 home win over Buffalo in Week 3 win that gave them a 3-0 SU & ATS record. The Saints are 2-1 SU & ATS, after a 13-0 home win over Houston last Saturday. Both teams are hoping to return to the playoffs in 2017, after going 8-8 (Baltimore) and 7-9 (New Orleans) in 2016.

Baltimore: The Ravens are 3-0 despite the fact that Joe Flacco has not taken a snap in the preseason. Ryan Mallett led the team with 58 yards on 8 of 10 passing while Josh Woodrum completed 8 of his 13 pass attempts for 55 yards and a TD in last week's win. Flacco is dealing with a back injury and he and the rest of the starters will sit this one out. Backup QB Ryan Mallett and third-stringer Josh Woodrum will continue to handle duties under center on Thursday.

New Orleans: Chase Daniel led the Saints with 108 yards on 9 of 12 passing while Drew Brees completed 11 of 15 for 76 yards in last week's win. It should be noted that with Drew Brees at the helm, New Orleans managed to score only three points while gaining 124 yards against Texans.

The pick: In a rare twist, the Saints may actually play some starters in their fourth and final preseason contest. After all, RBs Mark Ingram and Adrian Peterson have not taken the field yet and the offense looked flat in last Saturday’s date with Houston. With that in mind, I'm making the Saints a 10* play.

The set-up: The Steelers are 2-1 SU & ATS this preseason and play their final game Thursday night at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte against the Carolina Panthers (also 2-1 SU & ATS). The Steelers advanced to last year's AFC championship game before losing to the Pats, while Carolina followed a 15-1 regular season and Super Bowl appearance in 2015, by laying an egg in 2016 with a 6-10 record.

Pittsburgh: Most of Pittsburgh's starters will be rested in an effort to be ready for the team's regular season Week 1 visit to Cleveland (note: Browns are a surprising 3-0 this preseason) but that's not much of a change, considering the Steelers haven’t played their starters much anyway this preseason. Big Ben's backup, Landry Jones, is coming off a game in which he completed 21 of 31 passes and he’ll get majority of the snaps again, with rookie Joshua Dobbs (Tenn.) playing in the fourth quarter

Carolina: Cam Newton didn't play all that much last week but the team seems convinced that he is ready to go. However, seeing some good production from backups Derek Anderson and Joe Webb would be a nice 'safety blanket.' Rookie RB Christian McCaffrey has had his moments this preseason and expect him to be a significant contributor to Carolina's offense in 2017. A bigger key could be the fact that Carolina’s patched up offensive line looks to be coming together.

The pick: Carolina may go off as the biggest favorite here in Week 4 and I ask why? Pittsburgh has allowed just 14.7 PPG this preseason and Landry and Dobbs are a better QB duo in this contest than Anderson and Webb. Pittsburgh is the deeper team and that makes them an 8* play plus the points in this game.

The set-up: The Buffalo Bulls kick off their 2017 season with a road trip to face the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Head coach HC Lance Leipold led the Bulls to a 5-7 season in his first year at the school but the Bulls clearly regressed in 2016, falling to 2-10, which included a season-opening home loss to Albany (as a three-TD favorite!). It would seem that there is no way to go but up in 2017. Minnesota has been to five consecutive bowl games, after back-to-back 3-9 seasons in 2010 and 2011. P.J. Fleck, who worked a minor miracle at Western Michigan, represents a 180-degree turn from previous “old school” coaches Tracy Claeys and Jerry Kill in Minneapolis. Fleck now moves to a bigger stage with his “row the boat” attitude.

Buffalo: Buffalo was terrible on both sides of the ball last season, ranking 126th in averaging 16.5 PPG, while allowing and 32.0 PPG. The good news is, 14 starters return (plus both kickers) but the Bulls do have a long way to go. QB Tyree Jackson returns and at 6-7, 245-lbs, he can be an imposing presence. It sure will help that four OL starters are also back. Eight starters return from LY's pourus defense. Is it a "glass half full" outlook or, “same-old, same-old?”

Minnesota: Fleck used his ingenuity on the field and his youthful enthusiasm on the recruiting trail to raise the Broncos to new heights. As noted, Minnesota's been to five straight bowl games and last year's nine wins marks the second-most wins in a season since the school entered the Big 10 back in 1953 (the 2003 team went 10-3). This is NOT a "re-build." The first hurdle for Fleck will be finding an answer at QB. Will it be RS senior Conor Rhoda for one season, 6-5 RS soph QB Demry Croft, or juco Neil McLaurin for a few seasons, or one of five freshmen QBs for down the road? RBs Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks combined for 1808 rushing yards and 21 TDs last season, the top two TEs are back and the left side of the OL is a wall with T Donnell Greene and G Garrison Wright. The Gophers ranked 22nd in points allowed (22.1 per) in 2016 but just five starers return. The key returnees are LBs Jonathan Celestin (2nd with 80 tackles LY) and Blake Cashman (led the team with 7½ sacks), plus safeties Duke McGhee and Antoine Winfield Jr.

The pick: I'll note that Buffalo is on a 2-17 SU run in road openers, with seven straight losses by an average margin of 19 PPG. However, please note that the line is this contest opened with Buffalo about a four-TD favorite. Sure, Minnesota was 6-1 SU last season at home but note that the Gophers were 0-5 ATS as a home favorite against FBS opponents in 2016. Take those 'monster' points and make Buffalo a 10* play.

The set-up: The Minnesota Twins lost more games (103) than any team in MLB in 2016 but spent most of the first half of the 2017 season battling for first place in the AL Central. However, when Minnesota lost 4-1 on August 4 to the Texas Rangers, the Twins owned a 51-55 on the season and found themselves looking up in the American League standings at Texas and nine other teams! No one was surprised that Minnesota traded left-handed starter Jaime Garcia and All-Star closer Brandon Kintzler, as the playoffs appeared to be a long shot. As the saying goes, "That was then and this is now!" Minnesota is on a current 18-8 run and owns the second wild-card spot in the American League. In fact, the Twins are just one game behind the NY Yankees for the first wild card after beating Chicago 11-1 on Wednesday and head into Thursday afternoon's game with a chance to sweep the Chicago White Sox, who by the way, own the AL's worst record at 52-79

The pitching matchup: Miguel Gonzalez (7-10 & 4.30 ERA) goes for the White Sox and Bartolo Colon (6-10 & 6.35 ERA) for the Twins. Gonzalez has suddenly pitched much better since coming off the disabled list with AC joint inflammation in his right shoulder. He owns a 2.93 ERA in his eight starts since, including going 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA over his last four starts (team is 3-1). Gonzalez is 2-2 with a 4.25 ERA in five career starts vs. the Twins. Colon was a 'nightmare' for Atlanta (2-8 with an 8.18 ERA) but has been much better with Minnesota (4-2 with a 4.04 ERA). In fact, he's won four of his last five starts, posting a 3.21 ERA in his last five starts. He is 11-8 with a 3.81 ERA in 23 career starts against the White Sox (teams are 12-11).

The pick: "My speed is not there anymore, so it makes sense that I don't strike out as many hitters as I used to. I'd much rather get an easy out than throw three strikes," Colon told the Minneapolis Star Tribune after his zero-strikeout game. "If they come, they come. But if they don't, that's fine too." The truth is, Colon is now pitching the way the Braves expected him to pitch when they signed him in the off-season. The Twins took a chance on him after atlanta released him (for good reason) and the twins have to be pleasantly surprised. The White Sox are a dreadful 22-45 away from home, so make the Twins an 8* play.

The set-up: The Angels will wrap up a 10-game homestand looking for a three-game sweep of the A's. LA was 2-5 after the Rangers and Astros visited Anaheim but can now
finish 5-5 with a win tonight, after 3-1 and 8-2 victories Monday and Tuesday (both wins coming without Mike Trout). Trout (stiff neck) hopes to be in the lineup on Wednesday, although he is mired in an 0-for-17 slump. The Angels remain one game behind the Twins for the second wild-card spot in the American League, while Oakland is just playing out the string, as its 58-74 record is better than only the Tigers and White Sox in the junior circuit.

The pitching matchup: Kendall Graveman (4-4 & 4.24 ERA) goes for Oakland and Parker Bridwell (7-2 & 2.89 ERA) for LA. Graveman was on the DL for two-plus months and his return on Aug. 2 was a disatser. He allowed seven ERs in juts two innings of an 11-2 loss at San Francisco. A no-decision followed but he's won two of his last three, allowing just five ERs over 20 innings (2.25 ERA). Graveman is 2-2 with a 3.19 ERA in nine career starts against the Angels (team is 5-4). Bridwell just continues to impress. He did suffer his first loss in nine starts this past Friday but allowed only two runs on six hits in seven innings against Houston in a 2-1 loss. He has yielded fewer than three ERs in four consecutive starts and in 10 of his last 12 while issuing more than one walk only once in his last eight outings. The Angels are 11-2 in Bridwell's 13 starts, giving him MLB's second-best moneyline mark (plus-$1232). He will be facing Oakland for the first time.

The pick: Graveman has pitched well his last three and Bridwell has been just terrific, since joining the rotation back on May 30. The Under is an 8* play.

The set-up: The Texas Rangers were outscored 19-7 in a three-game sweep in Oakland by the A's but bounced back with a 12-2 win on Tuesday, scoring 11 runs in a span of three innings over the displaced Houston Astros. This three-game series was moved to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. due to the effects of Hurricane Harvey. The Rangers
remained three games behind Minnesota for the second wild card in the American League but they are tied with two other teams and two teams are between Texas and Minnesota (crowded field, to say the least). Houston has lost five of its last eight but still owns a comfortable 12-game lead in the AL West.

The pitching matchup: Andrew Cashner (7-9 & 3.44 ERA) will take the mound for Texas and Dallas Keuchel (11-2 & 2.58 ERA) for Houston. Cashner is win-less in his last three starts (he's 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA / team is 1-2) but had won four of five prior to his current drought. Cashner has 'laid an egg' against Houston this season, losing all four of his starts. He's 0-5 lifeftime (4.21 ERA) in six starts (teams are 1-5). Keuchel has bounced back nicely from a road loss to the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 8 in which he was battered for eight runs on 10 hits and three walks over four innings. He's now 2-0 (team is 2-1) while allowing just three ERs over 20 2/3 innings (1.31 ERA) in three outings since. Keuchel is just 7-7 with a 3.90 ERA in 20 career starts versus the Texas (team is 10-10).

The pick: Keuchel bested Cashner and the Rangers back on Aug. 13, when he gave up one run and six hits in 6 2/3 frames of a 2-1 vctory. Keuchel also scattered three hits over six scoreless innings of a 7-1 win at Texas on June 2. As for Cashner, while he pitched well in losing to Houston on Aug. 13, he's also lost his other three starts against the Astros in 2017, allowing 12 ERs over a modest 16 innings (6.75 ERA). Make Houston a 6* play.

The set-up: The Red Sox got swept at home over the weekend by the Orioles but have rebounded to take the first two of a four-game series in Toronto, Monday and Tuesday. 6-5 and 3-0 wins have ended a four-game slide and allowed Boston to open a four-game lead over the NY Yankees atop the AL East. Toronto's playoff hopes are all but gone now, as the Blue Jays have lost three in a row and nine of 11 to fall 10 games under .500 at 61-71, leaving them 7 1/2 games out of the final wild card spot, as well as having to climb over seven teams.

The pitching matchup: A pair of 20-game winners from 2016 square off in this one, although the phrase "what a difference a year makes," is surely applicable. Rick Porcello (8-15 & 4.57 ERA) starts for Boston and J.A. Happ (6-10 & 4.10 ERA) for Toronto. Porcello led the major leagues in victories with 22 in 2016, while winning the AL's Cy Young award. Boston was 25-8 in all of his starts, giving him MLB's third-best moneyline mark at plus-$1470. However, he takes the mound tonight looking to avoid his major league-worst 16th loss. He owns just eight wins and Boston is 12-15 in his starts, giving him MLB's sixth-worst moneyline mark (minus-$816). Porcello is 7-7 with a 4.70 ERA in 17 career starts against Toronto (teams are 8-9). Happ opened with a three-start winning streak (permitting one run in each) but he has been pounded in his last two outings. In losses to Minnesota and the Chicago Cubs, he's allowed 10 ERs on 17 hits in just 11 innings (8.18 ERA). Happ is 5-3 with a 3.69 ERA in 13 career starts vs. Boston (teams are 8-5).

The pick: Porcello was ripped in his last outing (10 runs on 11 hits, although only four runs were earned) and I just don't trust him. Happ was unbeaten in three starts against Boston last year (he was 2-0 and Toronto 3-0 with a 2.79 ERA) and in one start against them in 2017, allowed two ERs over five innings of a no-decision. Make Toronto a 10* play.

The set-up: The Angels were without Mike Trout (stiff neck) but came away with a 3-1 victory over the A's on Monday, which allowed them to climb within one game of Minnesota for the second wild card in the American League. Trout is expected back in the lineup Tuesday and although he's stuck in an 0-for-17 slump, his 24 HRs against Oakland is his highest total against any opponent. The A's had only four hits in the loss, while falling to 21-42 away from home on the season. Oakland's 58-73 record leaves them better than only the 57-73 Tigers and 52-77 White Sox in the American League.

The pitching matchup: Chris Smith (0-3 & 5.56 ERA) steps to the mound for Oakland and Troy Scribner (2-1 & 4.00 ERA) for LA. Smith has made eight appearances (seven starts) in 2017 and remains in search of his first win of the season. He lost 7-3 in Baltimore on Aug. 21, allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits over 4 1/3 innings in his shortest start of the year. Smith has made two career relief appearances against the Angels, allowing two hits with four walks and five strikeouts in 3 1/3 scoreless innings. Scribner will be making his fourth consecutive start of 2017, after beginning his major-league career with a pair of relief outings. He suffered his first loss on Thursday (3-0), when he gave up three runs on three hits in five innings against Texas. Scribner escaped with a no-decision in his first career turn versus Oakland on Aug. 4 after yielding five runs but just two earned on two hits and four walks over four innings (Angels won 8-6).

The pick: The A's are (as noted above) a poor road team and Smith finds himself starting in 2017, after entering this season having come out of the bullpen in all of his previous 63 major-league-appearances. Scribner has been solid in his last two starts (3.60 ERA) and another similar effort should be more than enough for the Angels to pick up a much-needed win. If LA is to stay in the wild card race, the Angels will have to beat teams like Oakland on their home field. Make the Angels a 10* play.

The set-up: The Arizona D'backs host the LA Dodgers in a three-game series beginning tonight and although Arizona boasts the NL's third-best overall record at 73-58 (including an excellent 42-23 home mark), the Dodgers are so far ahead of them in the NL West (91-39, giving them a 19-game lead!), that this is not much of a "showdown series." However, while the Dodgers have pretty much 'lapped' all MLB teams in 2017, the D'backs could sure use a series win, as they are fighting to hold on to their playoff position. Arizona currently owns the NL's No. 1 wild card spot, two games clear of the Rockies. The D'backs should also be aware that the Brewers are three games back of the Rockies, meaning that the D'backs are five games inside the NL playoff 'cut line.' That's a nice lead with 31 games left to play but surely not one which is completely 'safe.'

The pitching matchup: Rich Hill (9-5 & 3.32 ERA) takes the mound for LA and Zack Godley (5-7 & 3.15 ERA) for Arizona. Hill entered his last start 5-0 over his previous eight (Dodgers were 7-1) and took a perfect game into the ninth inning at Pittsburgh this past Wednesday. An error ruined his perfect game in the 9th and then a walk-off HR ended the no-hitter in the 10th! Hill is just 1-4 with a 4.46 ERA against the D'backs in eight career starts (teams are 2-6) but he did toss seven innings of one-run ball against them on July 6 (he got a no-decision in a 5-4 LA win). Godley lost his third straight start by giving up three runs over five innings at the New York Mets on Wednesday (D'backs lost 4-2), an outing which followed a 10-strikeout performance in a 10-3 loss at Minnesota

The pick: Note that Godley has allowed three ERs or less in five of his last six starts, with the under going 4-0-1 in those five sold efforts. Also, he owns a pair of solid starts against the Dodgers this season, giving up one run in 5 2/3 innings on July 5 and tossing 6 2/3 innings of three-run ball on Aug. 8. As for Hill, his recent numbers speak loud and clear. He's made nine starts since July 1, allowing 14 ERs on 37 hits over 56 innings, giving him a 2.25 ERA plus a 72-11 KW ratio. Make the Under an 8* play.

The Mets have lost 11 of their last 15 and with a 57-73 record on the season, are just "playing out the string." However, as they take the field tonight in the opener of a three-game series with the Reds, they may just find some solace (and hope) in the fact that they have won 19 of their last 21 games against Cincinnati, including 14 straight going back to September 2014. Like the Mets, the NL Central cellar-dwelling Reds (55-76) are also just counting the days until October 1, MLB's final regular season day.

The pitching matchup: A pair of rookies square off tonight, Chris Flexen (3-2 & 5.79 ERA) for New York and Sal Romano (3-5 & 4.96 ERA). Flexen was promoted from Double-A to replace the injured  Zack Wheeler back in late-July and will be making his seventh start of 2017 for the Mets. He posted his third win in four outings this past Wednesday after allowing two runs on six hits in a season-high six innings of a 4-2 triumph versus Arizona. This will be his first time seeing the Reds. Romano will take the mound for the 11th time in 2017 (team is 4-6 his first 10) and while he certainly hasn't been a "show-stopper," he is coming off two of his better starts this season. He settled for a no-decision despite working a career high-tying seven innings in his second straight start Thursday. He allowed just one run in a 4-3 win at Atlanta on Aug. 18 and then gave up just two runs on six hits against the Chicago Cubs in a 4-2 Cincy win the last time out. Like Flexen, Romano will be facing this opponent for the first time.

The pick: I've already noted New York's recent dominnation of the Reds but the Mets are a mess right now. Furthermore, how does one back Flexen on the road where in three starts, he's allowed 10 ERs on 11 hits in just 11 innings for an 8.18 ERA and 2.55 WHIP? As for Romano, he said after his last outing, "You have to be consistent, that's what they're looking for. If I can have a three-pitch mix, I can be successful." That's been the case his last two starts, as he's allowed three ERs on 11 hits with 10Ks over 14 innings (1.93 ERA). Make the Reds an 8* play.

The set-up: The Philadelphia Philles may own MLB's worst record (48-81) but Rhys Hoskins has gotten the attention of the baseball world in the opening month of his major league career. Hoskins became the fastest player to reach 10 HRs in baseball’s modern era on Saturday, when he reached double digits in the 17th game of his career. He followed with his 11th career HR in Sunday’s 6-3 victory over the Cubs, giving him five consecutive games with a round-tripper. The Phillies come off taking two of three against the Cubs and now continue their homestand with a three-game series against the Braves. Atlanta has lost 12 of 18 contests, after the Rockies completed a three-game sweep of the Braves with Sunday's 3-0 shutout in Atlanta. The Braves returned from the All Star break to sweep the Arizona D'backs in a three-game home series to reach 45-45 but have since fallen 14-games under .500 (57-71) by dropping 26 of their last 38 games.

The pitching matchup: Rookie Lucas Sims (2-3 & 4.13 ERA) goes for Atlanta to open the series tonight, opposed by Philly's Aaron Nola (9-9 & 3.58 ERA). Sims lost his first three major-league starts (5.71 ERA) but has given up only two runs on eight hits across 11 innings (1.64 ERA) to defeat Colorado and Seattle. This marks his first start against the Phillies. Nola is hoping to rebound from two consecutive poor starts, allowing 12 ERs on 16 hits and five walks over 11 1/3 innings (9.53 ERA) while losing to San Francisco and Miami. However, let's not forget that even after those two brutal outings, his ERA is a respectable 3.58 on the season. That's because prior to his back-to-back defeats, he produced a 10-start stretch (from June 22 through August 12) in which he posted a 1.71 ERA while going 6-2 (Phils were 7-3). Nola beat the Braves in his only appearance against them this season (3-1 back on June 6), and is 4-1 with a 2.08 ERA in six career starts against Atlanta (team is 4-2).

The pick: Sure, the Phillies own MLB's worst record but as noted above, the Braves 'limp into' this series playing very poorly the last month-and-a-half. What's more, the Phillies have dominated their NL East rival in 2017, beating the Braves 11 times in 13 games and in all seven meetings at Philadelphia. Make the Phillies an 8* play.

The set-up: The Seattle Mariners open a three-game series on the road against the Baltimore Orioles on Monday. The Mariners are 66-65 and the Orioles 65-65 plus each team owns an identical minus-23 run differential. The duo is among a very crowded race that sees seven teams within three-games of the AL's final wild card spot (Seattle is 1 1/2 games back and Baltimore two back of the Twins, who currently own that No. 2 spot). Baltimore welcomes Seattle to town after completing a three-game sweep in Boston over the weekend, outscoring the AL East-leading Red Sox 25-4 in the process. Meanwhile, Seattle committed five errors in one inning during Sunday's 10-1 loss to the NY Yankees, while losing the rubber match of that three-game series. Baltimore owns a four-game winning streak overall but has fared poorly against Seattle in recent meeting, losing eight of the last 10.

The pitching matchup :Marco Gonzales (0-1 & 7.40 ERA) will get the nod for Seattle and Chris Tillman (1-7 & 7.75 ERA) for Baltimore. Gonzales was acquired from the Cardinals on July 21 and failed to make it through five innings for the fifth time in as many starts this past Tuesday at Atlanta. He took the 4-0 loss, allowing two runs on six hits and three walks while throwing 99 pitches over 4 2/3 innings. He's made five starts in 2017 (four with Seattle and one with St. Louis / teams are 2-3) in which opponents are batting .352 against him. Gonzales settled for a no-decision versus the Orioles on August 16, when he permitted four runs over 4 1/3 innings, although Seattle won 7-6. Tillman did not factor in the decision in his return to the rotation on August 20 versus the LA Angels. He allowed four runs and issued a career high-tying six walks across 5 1/3 innings in a game the Angels won 5-4. Tillman won 56 games for Baltimore the previous four seasons, winning 16 times in both 2013 and 2016. However, it's been a 'lost season' for the 2013 All Star, who owns a 1.99 WHIP and .342 opponents BA to go along with his 7.75 ERA.

The pick: Looking at these two starting pitchers, an "over" would be the knee-jerk response. However, note that Tillman is an impressive 7-1 with a 3.30 ERA in 11 career games (10 starts / team is 8-2) versus Seattle. Let's take a "leap of faith" and make the Under a 10* play.

The pitching matchup: Seth Lugo (5-3 & 4.85 ERA) will start tonight's second game for New York, opposed by Washington's Tanner Roark (10-8 & 4.64 ERA). Lugo will be making his first appearance since August 11 and will attempt trying to snap a run of three consecutive poor starts. He failed to complete six innings in any of those three outings (he's 0-1 and the Mets 1-2), allowing 13 ERs over just 16 innings (7.31 ERA). He last saw Washington back on July 4 and that did not go well, as Lugo gave up six runs on 10 hits over five innings in a loss. That leaves him 1-2 with a 4.82 ERA in three career starts vs. Washington. Roark comes in pitching fairly well, having allowed more than three ERs in just one of his last eight starts (he's 4-3 and Washington 4-4). Roark is making his second start of the season against the Mets and allowed three runs on seven hits and three walks in 6 2/3 innings against the division rivals without factoring in the decision back on April 21. He's 6-2 with a 2.35 ERA in 10 career starts vs. the Mets (team is 7-3).

The pick: There is no reason to expect Lugo to be able to handle the Washington lineup and while Roark has been solid, I still see the Over as being the way to go. Make it an 8* play.

The set-up: The final game of NFL preseason action goes Sunday night at US Bank Stadium, as the 1-1 San Francisco 49ers meet the 1-1 Minnesota Vikings. The Niners surprised the Chiefs 27-17 in KC in Week 1 but then lost badly at home in Week 2, 33-14 to the Broncos. Minnesota beat the Bills 17-10 in their opener but then fell to the Seahawks last Friday by a score of 20-13. That defeat was just Minnesota's second in 15 preseason game sunder head coach Mike Zimmer.

San Francisco: The 49ers finished 2-14 last season and Chip Kelly was fired after just one season,replaced by Kyle Shanahan. Some notable signings in the off-season by the Niners concentrated on an offense which averaged only 19.3 PPG in 2016 (27th). Those signings included WR DeAndre Carter, WR Pierre Garcon, QB Brian Hoyer, FB Kyle Juszczyk, WR Aldrich Robinson and RB Tim Hightower. Brian Hoyer is taking over as the new starter with C.J. Beathard and Matt Barkley fighting for the backup role. RB Carlos Hyde had a solid 2016 season, rushing for 988 rushing yards while averaging 4.6 YPC. Not sure what to make of the team's defense though, as the 49ers allowed 30.0 PPG in 2016, to rank dead-last in the NFL.

Minnesota: The Vikings were an early season surprise in 2016, opening 5-0 but in the end the team finished 8-8 and out of the playoffs. It was quite a collapse and it will be interesting to see how the team responds in 2017.Sam Bradford is the starting QB and Case Keenum was signed to backup Bradford until Teddy Bridgewater returns. A.P. is no longer around but it looks like FSU's Dalvin Cook (rushed for 1765 yards with Florida State in 2016), will be the starter. The offense must improve, after averaging 20.4 PPG (23rd). The Minnesota defense was very good in 2016, giving up an average of just 19.2 PPG (6th).

The pick; I noted Minnesota's preseason record under Zimmer at the top but I'm not so sure we can expect more of teh same from the Vikings. Expect to see a heavy dose of first-team starters in this one on both sides and I want all the points I can get in this one. Make San Francisco a 10* play.

The set-up: The Blue Jays led the Twins 8-2 in Saturday's game but needed to hold on for a 10-9 win. Toronto is 61-68 on the season and while the Blue Jays are five games back of the final wild card spot in the AL, with SIX teams to 'climb over,' the team's playoff hopes are not exactly realistic. Holding on to that No. 2 wild card spot is the Minnesota Twins, who after losing for the seventh time in their last 21 games, sit at 66-63, a half-game up on the Angels and Mariners.

The pitching matchup: Kyle Gibson (7-10 & 5.76 ERA) gets the nod for Minnesota and Joe Biagini (3-8 & 5.11 ERA). Gibson had a season-high eight Ks in his last outing, a 4-1 victory over the White Sox in Chicago on Tuesday. However, he had gone 0-2 with a 5.79 ERA in his previous three starts (Twins were 1-2). Gibson is 1-1 with a 4.94 ERA in four career starts against Toronto (teams are 1-2). Biagini is being recalled from Triple-A to make his first start since July 2. He pitched strictly out of the bullpen after that ugly July 2 start and then was sent to the minors in early August. However, he returns after making four starts with Buffalo, going 1-1 with a 3.12 ERA in 17 1/3 innings. Biagini has not performed well for Toronto in 2017, going 2-7 with a 5.60 ERA in 11 starts with the Blue Jays this season (jays are 4-7) and in his last ML start, allowed seven runs on 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings of a 15-1 loss to Boston on July 2. Biagini has not made a career start against teh Twins but allowed one run and three hits over two innings in a pair of relief appearances versus Minnesota last season.

The pick: It's hard to make a strong case for Toronto but the same can be said about Minnesota's Gibson. The 'kicker' is that when the Twins won 6-1 Friday night in Toronto, it ended a seven-game losing streak at Rogers Centre for Minnesota. The rubber match of the series goes this afternoon but looking at the record book we find the Twins have won just one series at Rogers Centre over the past 10 years (back in 2014 when they rook two out of three from the Blue Jays on June 9-11). Make Toronto a 10* play.

The set-up: The Milwaukee Brewers are in LA for a three-game series with the Dodgers and were held to one hit in Friday’s 3-1 loss. However, they remained three games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central, as the Cubs lost 7-1 in Philadelphia to the ML-worst Phillies (47-70). Kenta Maeda tossed six strong innings and Yasiel Puig hit his 23rd homer Friday as the Dodgers improved to 56-11 since June 7 and 91-36, overall.

The pitching matchup: Milwaukee ace Zach Davies (14-7 & 4.09 ERA) squares off against LA's Ross Stripling (3-4 & 3.41 ERA), who will be making his first start of 2017, after 35 relief appearances. Davies recorded his sixth quality start in his past seven outings last Monday, allowing two runs over six innings in a 2-0 loss to San Francisco. He owns a 7-3 record and 2.65 ERA in his last 11 outings and his plus-$755 moneyline mark (16-10 in team starts) ranks 8th-best among all starters. Davies is 1-1 with a 3.63 ERA in three career starts against Los Angeles (team is ), including six scoreless innings in a 3-0 victory back on June 4. Stripling will move into the rotation to start in place of Alex Wood, who landed on the 10-day disabled list last Tuesday with a left shoulder injury. Stripling is making his first start for the Dodgers this season after going back and forth between the rotation and bullpen in 2016, finishing 5-9 with a 3.96 ERA in 22 games (14 starts). He owns a 6-5 record and 3.80 ERA in 28 career games (eight starts) at Dodger Stadium.

The pick: Davies has started 13 games at home and 13 on the road here in 2017. His home ERA is 5.97 and road WHIP is 1.63, which is in stark contrast to his 2.33 road ERA and 1.16 road WHIP! Stripling is expected to pitch three or four innings and throw about 40-50 pitches, with the Dodgers planning to have a "bullpen game." Josh Ravin, Edward Paredes and Tony Cingrani are all expected to back up Stripling. Let's not forget that the Dodgers own MLB's best bullpen ERA at 2.97 or that Milwaukee has scored a total of just seven runs over its last four contests. Make the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: Here in LA circa 2017, it's "Back to the Future." When the AFL was formed back in 1960, the Chargers were located in LA, before moving to San Diego in 1961 and remained there when the leagues merged in 1970. The Rams began in Cleveland but moved to LA in 1946. The Rams left the West Coast to relocate in St. Louis in 1995 and just returned to LA for the 2016 season. Lo and behold, the Chargers moved north to LA after last season and now the Rams and Chargers are both LA-based teams once again. The Chargers have opened 0-2 SU & ATS (lost 48-17 to Seattle in Week 1 and then 13-7 loss to the Saints in Week 2. Meanwhile, the Rams who are coming off a 4-12 season in the team's first year back in LA, have begun their preseason 2-0 SU & ATS, edging the Cowboys 13-10 in Week 1 and the Raiders 24-21 in Week 2.

LA Chargers: Philip Rivers sat out last week, with Kellen Clemens seeing a good amount of action. However, he completed 10 of 17 passes for only 99 yards without a TD or INT. Cardale Jones went 7 for 15 with 61 yards and an interception in the loss. RB Melvin Gordon only had three carries for eight yards last week. The Chargers could get nothing going on the ground last week, rushing for a team total of only 66 yards (29 carries) and finished the game with only 158 total yards and 13 FDs. The offense wasn't much better in Week 1 (14 FDs on 322 yards), although the defense rebound by allowing just 13 points after giving up 48 points in Week 1.

LA Rams: Jared Goff was sharp in last week's three-point win over the Raiders, completing 16 of 20 for 160 yards and a TD. Sean Mannion was also very good, throwing for 132 yards and a touchdown on 15 of 22 passing. Mannion got most of the work in LA's 13-10 Week 1 win over Dallas, completing 18 of 25 for 144 yards (no TDs or INTs). The Rams' D allowed 21 points but just 261 yards against Oakland, which followed them holding Dallas to just 10 points on 248 yards (just 9 FDs) in Week 1.

The pick: That Rams' D is the key to this play, as I've been very impressed. Yes, the Rams will see more of Rivers (he was 5 of 6 for 56 yards and one TD in Week 10) and also RB Gordon but the Chargers are averaging only 12.0 PPG through their first two. Goff and Mannion have looked good so far for the Rams but here, that duo will see much more defensive regulars than they have in the first two weeks. Remember, the Rams averaged an NFL low 14.0 PPG in 2016. Make the Under an 8* play.

The set-up: The Indianapolis Colts 0-2 (0-2 ATS) visit Heinz Field for a Week 3 preseason contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers 2-0 (2-0 ATS). Indianapolis is coming off a disappointing 8-8 season in 2016 which saw them finish third in the AFC South and the Colts, still playing without QB Andrew Luck, have scored a modest 29 points in their two losses. The Steelers won the AFC North with an 11-5 record in 2016 and advanced to the AFC championship game where they lost 36-17 to the Patriots. Pittsburgh opened the preseason with a 20-12 win at the NY Giants and followed with a 17-13 home win over the Falcons, the defending NFC champs.

Indianapolis: Andrew Luck had shoulder surgery over eight months ago and while reports having him back to throwing the football, Jim Irsay told the Indianapolis Star that there is no guarantee that he will be back in time for the regular season. The Colts have scaled back the playbook for backup Scott Tolzien, who got the start and completed 10 of 14 passes for 70 yards and led his team to a FG in one of his five drives at the helm in last week's loss to the Cowboys. The Colts' lone TD came on a pass from Stephen Morris, who finished 11-for-15 for 111 yards and the score. The Indy D was terrible though, allowing 489 total yards (328 through the air)!

Pittsburgh: The Steelers found themselves trailing the Atlanta Falcons 13-3 at halftime last week but rallied in the second half with two TDs to pull out the four-point comeback victory. Rookie QB Josh Dobbs (Tennessee ) got the start for the Steelers, completing 10 of his 19 passes for 70 yards and an interception. However, it was un-drafted free agent QB Bart Houston who would provide the winning touchdown pass. However, Pittsburgh's offense was able to generate just 189 total yards.

The pick: Bell has still not reported but Big Ben should see extended playing time, after sitting out last week. Yes, the Steelers are a deep and well-coached unit (nothing new there) but I expect a good effort here from the Colts. Tomlin's an intense coach but after a 2-0 start, what's the big deal about beating the Luck-less 0-2 Colts? Surprise! Make the Colts a 10* play.

The set-up: The Oregon State Beavers, coming off a 4-8 season, will play the Colorado State Rams (7-6 in 2016) at Fort Collins, in the Ram's new on-campus stadium (yet to be named). It's rare that a Pac-12 team visits a MWC school and this marks Oregon State's first-ever visit to Fort Collins, as the two schools meet for just the third time ever (last meeting was in Corvallis back in 1975!).

Oregon State: The Beavers are off a 4-8 season but that was an improvement from the 2-10 record the school posted in head coach Gary Anderson's first year at Corvallis (2015). However, the former Utah State and Wisconsin head coach is feeling quite optimistic heading going into 2017. The Beavers finished their season with impressive wins against Arizona and Oregon. The season-ending win over the University of Oregon, which allowed OSU to finish ahead of the Ducks in the Pac-12 North, provided a singular, long-lasting pleasure in Corvallis, which has helped fuel this year's optimism. Utah State transfer QB Darell Garretson started the first six games of 2016 for the Beavers, going 2-4 SU in a mixed performance (50.0% with three TDs and four INTs), before suffering a fractured ankle. That forced Marcus Maryion into action, with the then-sophomore also going 2-4 SU, but with a much stronger arm. He completed 59.4% with 10 TDs and five INTs. He threw five TD passes in the win over Arizona and had one TD pass plus 81 yards rushing in the win over Oregon). That said, Jake Luton, a JUCO transfer, has been named the starter for opening day. Oregon State will rely heavily on RB Ryan Nall, who finished last season with 13 TDs and 951 rushing yards. To compete in the Pac-12, OSU will have to improve offensively, after averaging 26.2 PPG (105th in the nation). The defense has allowed more than 30.5 PPG (last year's average) in four consecutive seasons, as well as an average of about 440.0 YPG in that span, as well.

Colorado State: The Rams have gone 7-6 in each of Mike Bobo's first two years at CSU, with both years ending in a bowl loss. The Rams finished the season strong winning four of their last five regular season games. The offense averaged 35.5 PPG on 462.5 (217.8 rushing and 244.7 passing). Dual threat QB Nick Stevens (64.2% with 19 TD passes) completed 75% in four straight games last year and accounted for five scores in 61-50 loss to Idaho in the Potato Bowl. WR Michael Gallup (76 catches for 1,272 receiving yards and 14 TDs) is Stevens' top weapon plus RBs Dalyn Dawkins (919 rush yards) and Izzy Matthews (734 yards & 13 TDs) are both back. The defense returns eight starters from a unit that allowed 30.4 PPG (81st) on 419.2 YPG (69th).

The pick: The Rams have won their last four home openers, as part of a current 20-3 run in home openers plus Oregon State visits Fort Collins looking to end a steak of 13 consecutive road losses. However, the modest pointspread alerts us to that fact that Oregon State is no longer a pushover. I'm a big fan of Gary Andersen and it was in his third year at Utah State that he got that program turned around. 2017 is his third year in Corvallis and I expect Oregon Sate to spring the minor upset, jump-staring what could be a 3-0 start for the Beavers in 2017 (home games with Portland St. and Minnesota are up next). Make OSU a 10* play.

The set-up: The Minnesota Twins opened their eight-game week (played a doubleheader Monday in Chicago) by losing three of five to the AL-worst White Sox but began their three-game weekend series in Toronto with a 6-1 win over the Blue Jays. Minnesota's 14 wins since August 6 are the most in the majors over that span and the 66-62 Twins maintained their one-half game lead in the AL wild-card chase over the 66-63 Mariners with last night's victory. The Blue Jays' loss ended a seven-game home winning streak over the Twins (dated back to June 11, 2014,) to fall to 60-68. It was Toronto's sixth loss in its last seven outings and while the Blue Jays are only six games back of Minnesota, there are a whopping SIX teams between Toronto and Minnesota!

The pitching matchup: Dillon Gee (1-0 & 2.84 ERA) will take the mound for Minnesota and Marco Estrada (5-8 & 5.07 ERA) for Toronto. Gee seemed to have solidified a place in Minnesota's starting rotation in his fifth appearance and first start since signing with Minnesota in June when he held the White Sox to one run on two hits over six innings to get the 10-2 win in the second-half of Monday's twin bill. He's 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA since making his Twins debut on Aug. 3, allowing only 13 hits and two walks in 18 2/3 innings frames. Gee is 1-0 with a 4.26 ERA in two career starts against the Blue Jays (teams are 1-1). Estrada, who combined for 22 wins the last two seasons, has just five wins in 26 starts here in 2017 (Jays are 11-15, minus-$414 in all of his 2017 starts). However, he turned in his fourth quality start in the last five outings in Sunday's no-decision in Chicago, permitting three runs on five hits over six innings against the Cubs (Toronto lost 6-5). Estrada struck out nine over eight strong innings in a no-decision in his only start versus the Twins last season and is 1-2 with a 4.23 ERA in eight appearances (six starts / team is 3-3) against Minnesota in his career.

The pick: Toronto left 11 runners on base Friday and has scored only one run over its last two contests after hitting six HRs in Wednesday's 7-6 win over Tampa Bay. That's typical of Toronto's up-and-down season. Yes, the Blue Jays are on a 1-6 run but they have won 12 of their last 18 home games and as noted, Estrada is pitching much better of late. He did allow six ERs vs. Tampa Bay on Aug. 15 but in his other five starts over a six-start stretch (going back to July 26), he's allowed nine ERs over 32 innings for a 2.53 ERA. I'm not much on Gee, who has been around since 2010, going 49-46 in 156 appearances (126 starts) with a 4.08 ERA. Make Toronto an 8* play.

The set-up: This weekend's lone IL series features a pair of playoff contenders, the 63-66 Tampa Bay Rays visiting the 64-63 St. Louis Cardinals for a three-game series beginning Friday night. This marks the first contest of a nine-game road trip for the Rays, who are three games back of the AL's second wild card spot but it's a very crowded field. Meanwhile, the Cards are five games out in the NL wild card race but also just 4 1/2 games back of the first-place Cubs in the NL Central. By comparison, the Rays are 11 games back of the Red Sox in the AL East.

The pitching matchup: Jake Odorizzi (6-7 & 4.74 ERA) takes the mound for the Rays and Michael Wacha (9-6 & 4.08 ERA) for the Cardinals. Odorizzi looks to rebound after getting pounded for seven runs on eight hits and five walks over 3 2/3 innings against Seattle on Saturday in a 7-6 loss. That marked the third time in his last four starts that he hasn't completed five innings, going 0-3 with a 6.63 ERA in that stretch (Rays are 0-4). Odorizzi, who is 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA in two starts against St. Louis and has gone 6-3 with a 3.17 mark in interleague play. Wacha has also completed more than five innings just once in his last four starts (Cards are 1-3) and allowed five runs over four innings last Saturday in a 6-4 loss at Pittsburgh. Wacha had been pitching pretty well prior to his last four starts, as the Cards had gone 6-2 in his previous eight outings. Wacha permitted four runs in five innings of his only start against Tampa Bay(back in in 2014 / 0-1 & 7.20 ERA) and is 5-5 with a 3.49 ERA in 14 interleague games.

The pick: The Rays could very well fall out of wild card contention with a poor road trip and I don't much like their chances in this one. Wacha has struggled on the road with a 5.57 ERA but here in St. Louis, it's 2.99. Make St. Louis an 8* play.

he set-up: The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off an impressive 30-12 win last week in Cincinnati, evening their record at 1-1 (lost 27-17 at home in Week 1 to the 49ers). The Chiefs travel to CenturyLink Field in Seattle Friday for an ESPN televised game with the 2-0 Seahawks, who crushed the LA Chargers 48-17 in Week 1 and then handed the Vikings a rare preseason loss last Friday night at home, 20-13. These teams used to be division rivals (AFC West) but since 2002 have played in opposite conferences.

Kansas City: Alex Smith completed eight of nine passes for 83 yards and one TD in last week's win plus rookie Patrick Mahomes II threw for 88 yards and two TDs. KC's offense was hitting on all cylinders against the Bengals, as Charcandrick West topped 100 rushing yards (113 yards on just seven carries), a feat not often accomplished in the preseason. The Chiefs out-gained the Bengals 410-257 in total yards in the contest, won the FD battle 22-13 and controlled the time of possession battle by a 34:17 to 25:43 margin.

Seattle: The Seahawks have had little trouble moving the football and scoring in this preseason. Seattle exploded for 48 points (458 yards) in Week 1, as Russell Wilson played just one series (3 of 4 for 41 yards). However, Seattle's starting QB looked to be in regular season form after completing 13 of 18 passes for 206 yards and two TDs in last Friday's win. Seattle only scored 20 points against the Vikings but did roll up 406 yards. The Seattle D has also looked good (backups and all), allowing 15.0 PPG in its two wins.

The pick: It’s a Week 3 preseason matchup, so expect the starters to play "serious minutes" for both team, as they try to find a groove. Smith is looking over his shoulder for KC, as Mahomes has shined in back-to-back games. Both QBs will be looking to impress, testing Seattle's D. As noted, Seattle's offense is clicking on all cylinders making this a 10* play on the Over.

The set-up: The Miami Marlins fell seven games below .500 (53-60) after dropping three of four at Washington from Aug. 7-10. However, a surprising sweep of Colorado jump-started a 10-3 run over their last three contests. Miami followed up its three-game sweep of the Rockies by taking seven of 10 from a trio of the NL's worst teams, the Giants, Mets and Phillies. Thursday's wild 9-8 victory over the Phillies (Miami hit three of its four HRs after falling behind 8-3 in the fourth inning) kept them 5 1/2 games behind the Rockies for the NL's second wild card spot). The Marlins now face another sub-.500 team in the 57-70 Padres, who took the rubber match of their three-game series with St. Louis on Thursday, allowing Miami to move within one-half game of one of the two teams (the Cardinals) it has to leapfrog in order to make a run at Colorado.

The pitching matchup: Friday's game features two left-handers, San Diego's Travis Wood (3-4 & 5.81 ERA) and Miami's Adam Conley (6-5 & 4.93 ERA). Wood turned in his best start in five tries as a Padre in a win over Washington on Saturday, allowing only an unearned run on three hits and two walks in seven innings. The 2013 All-Star has taken a liking to Petco Park this season (3-0, 1.96 ERA in four outings - including three starts) but is 0-4 with a 7.19 ERA away from San Diego. Wood is 1-3 with a 7.92 ERA in 10 career appearances (four starts / teams are 1-3) versus the Marlins. Conley struck out a career-high 11 on Sunday, allowing only a solo HR among the three hits he allowed over seven innings in a win against the Mets. He has worked at least six innings in five of his seven trips to the mound since his mid-July promotion, lasting at least seven innings three times. Conley settled for a no-decision at San Diego on April 21 despite permitting one run in six innings in his lone career start against the Marlins.

The pick: Wood's road woes are real (in his two most recent road games, he allowed 10 runs, nine earned, over 10 innings) and facing Giancarlo Stanton can't be something he's looking forward to. San Diego's 24-40 road record (allowing 5.56 RPG) is also something that has to give the suddenly surging Marlins some extra confidence. However, Trusting Conley at home, where he owns a 7.52 ERA and 1,58 WHIP, seems foolish. Make the Over a 10* play. ,

The set-up: The Los Angeles Angels will host the Texas Rangers Thursday night in the finale of a four-game series between the two AL wild card contenders. The Rangers won 7-5 (10-innings) on Wednesday, giving them wins in two of the first three in this series, as well as seven wins over their last 10, overall. At 63-63, Texas sits two games out of the final AL wild card spot, held by the Twins. Meanwhile, the 65-62 Angels sit one-half game back of the Twins, in a virtual tie with the 64-61 Royals. This AL wild card chase will likely go down to the final weekend of the season.

The pitching matchup: Martin Perez (8-10 & 5.26 ERA) starts for Texas and Troy Scribner (2-0 & 3.46) for LA. Perez received ample support Saturday against the Chicago White Sox (Rangers won 17-7) and won his third straight start despite allowing six runs over six innings. He owns a 6.86 ERA in his last seven starts (since July 19) but is somehow 3-4. Perez is 2-4 with a 3.53 ERA in 10 career games (nine starts / Rangers are 4-5) against Los Angeles, including 1-3 with a 5.47 ERA in four outings at Angel Stadium. Scribner will be recalled from Triple-A to start in place of JC Ramirez, who is out indefinitely with a right elbow strain. The 26-year-old rookie made his second career start on Aug. 9 against Baltimore, allowing one run with no walks over five innings of a 5-1 victory. Scribner owns an 11-4 record and 4.35 ERA in 20 games (19 starts) for Salt Lake this season.

The pick: Perez may own three straight wins but in a team-leading 24 starts, he owns a 1.57 WHIP and .306 BAA to go along with his bloated 5.26 ERA in 2017. Mike Trout and Co. should have few problems with this lefty. Make LA an 8* play.

The set-up: The Minnesota Twins blew a 3-1 lead last night at Chicago and the White Sox won 4-3 with a walk-off single in the ninth inning. The 65-61 Twins still own a half-game lead for the American League's second wild card spot, as they go for a series win Thursday night (teams have split the first four). The White Sox are 49-76, owners of the AL's worst record (only the 46-79 Phillies are worse in all of MLB!).

The pitching matchup: Jose Berrios (11-5 & 3.99 ERA) heads to the mound for the Twins and Derek Holland (6-13 & 6.28 ERA) for the White Sox. Berrios went 7-1 with a 2.67 ERA to start the season but then slipped to 3-4 with a 6.20 ERA in nine starts, including back-to-back ugly efforts on Aug. 6 (Texas) and Aug. 12 (Detroit) in which he allowed 11 ERs over just 8 1/3 innings. However, he regained his form against the Diamondbacks on Aug. 19, with seven scoreless innings in a 5-0 win over Arizona. He defeated the White Sox with eight strong innings back on June 21 at home and is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA through two career meetings with the division rivals. Holland was used in relief earlier in the series and was charged with three runs while retiring one batter, which left him with a 9.64 ERA against the Twins this year. He gave up seven runs and failed to complete three innings in each of his last two starts versus Minnesota (he's 2-6 with a 5.24 ERA against the Twins in 11 career starts / teams are 4-7). Holland owns just one quality start since the beginning of July, going 1-6 over nine starts (White Sox are 2-7).

The pick: Holland has hit rock bottom but the White Sox keep him in the rotation. Isn't he overdue? I'd say yes and I like Berrios' chances of easily keeping the White Sox in check. Make the Under an 8* play.

The set-up: The Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars are both 1-1 as the two teams get set to square off in this Week 3 meeting Thursday night at EverBank Field. As most know, Week 3 games are typically called "dress rehearsal" contests. However, Cam Newton has yet to dress for the first two games, as the Panthers are being extra cautious with his shoulder. As for the Jags, they couldn't generate any offense in their 12-8 loss to the Buccaneers last week, and after the game head coach Doug Marrone voiced his displeasure with Blake Bortles. It appears the Jags now have a battle brewing for the starting QB role in the last two weeks of the preseason.

Carolina: Head coach Ron Rivera confirmed Tuesday that his star QB will take first snaps against the Jacksonville Jaguars, barring a setback with Newton's surgically repaired shoulder. That said, Newton is only expected to play about eight to 10 snaps against the Jaguars. So far, Derek Anderson (11 of 17 for 164 yards with one TD and one INT) and Joe Webb (12 of 20 for 195 yards with three TDs and one INT) have seen the most work. After a brief appearance by Newton, those two should be competing for the backup role. The Panthers have shown great promise on the offensive side, combining for 54 points in two games, despite no Newton.

Jacksonville: Clearly, the Jags are becoming frustrated with Blake Bortles but do they have a Plan B? Chad Henne has had very little success in the NFL, posting 58:63 TD to INT ratio and 75.5 QB rating in his career to-date. As for Brandon Allen, he's in his second season (from Arkansas) and has yet to attempt an NFL regular season pass.

The pick: The 'talk' is that moving on from Bortles would breathe life into the entire Jacksonville team from a confidence standpoint. However, I just don't see that considering the options Jacksonville currently has. After scoring 31 points in an upset of the Pats, the Jags 'laid an egg' with an eight-point effort vs. Tampa Bay. This hardly 'feels' like a team ready for a dress rehearsal. I'm making the Panthers a 10* play.

The set-up: It will be tough to top last night's game. Rich Hill lost a perfect game on an error in the ninth inning before losing his no-hit bid and the game on Josh Harrison's walk-off homer to lead off the 10th. Los Angeles lost for only the fifth time in 28 games, while Pittsburgh won for only the third time in 11 games, keeping them eight games back of NL Central-leading Chicago and 7 1/2 out of the second wild card. The two teams cap their four-game series with this late afternoon game Thursday at PNC Park.

The pitching matchup: Hyun-Jin Ryu (4-6 & 3.45 ERA) takes the mound for LA and Chad Kuhl (6-8 & 4.52 ERA) for Pittsburgh. Ryu's 4-6 record hardly tells the story of his 2017 season. Ryu opened the season by losing his first four starts but he has gone more than 2 1/2 months without tasting defeat, since. He will carry a nine-start unbeaten streak into Thursday afternoon's finale. Yes, victories continue to elude Ryu but while he's just 2-0 in his nine-game unbeaten streak, the Dodgers have won EIGHT of those nine starts (2.77 ERA). Kuhl won his 2017 debut but then went 12 starts without a victory (he was 0-6 and Pittsburgh 2-10). However, he's turned things around by posting a 5-2 record over the past two months, although teh Pirates are 7-5 in that 12-start stretch. Kuhl took the 5-2 loss at Dodger Stadium on May 10 by giving up four runs on six hits over five innings. That leaves him 2-1 with a 5.06 ERA against LA in three career starts

The pick: Ryu also owns three career starts against tonight's opponent but is a perfect 3-0 with a 2.79 ERA. Throw in LA winning eight of his last nine outings and the Dodgers' overall dominating play and a bounce back from last night's 1-0 loss comes as no surprise. Make LA a 10* play.

The pick: Worley spent his first three major league seasons (2010-12) with the Phillies. He was traded to the Twins in late 2012, spending 2013 with Minnesota, 2014-15 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, 2016 with the Baltimore Orioles and now returning to the NL East when he was signed last off-season by the Marlins to a minor league deal. He got called up in May, first as a starter before moving to the bullpen. He made 10 appearances as a reliever between May 30 and July 25 but got another chance in the rotation after Tom Koehler's late-July demotion to Triple-A. He has made the most of that chance by going 2-1 with a 3.08 ERA in five starts since then (Marlins are 4-1). Thompson owns a 5.37 career ERA, a 1.57 career WHIP and opponents have batted .281 against him in his 15 career appearances, including .333 in 2017. Make the Marlins an 8* play..

The set-up: The Minnesota Twins were caught from behind and passed by the defending AL Champs (Cleveland Indians) in the AL Central but they have righted the ship with a 13-4 run which has not enabled them to catch the Indians (Cleveland leads the division by 4 1/2 games) but has allowed them to keep their playoff hopes alive. The 65-60 Twins  currently own the No. 2 wild card spot, led by a power surge which has seen them hit 17 HRs in their last six games, while averaging more than two per contest during their 13-4 run. Minnesota hit three HRs in Tuesday's 4-1 victory in Chicago against the White Sox and the five-game series (teams played a doubleheader on Monday) continues tonight at Guaranteed Rate Field. The 48-76 White Sox own the AL's worst record and have been "playing out the string" for quire awhile now.

The pitching matchup: Ervin Santana (13-7 & 3.33 ERA) steps to the hill for the Twins and James Shields (2-4 & 5.72 ERA) for the White Sox. Santana has a chance to match his best win total since 2010 - when he won a career-high 17 - after defeating Arizona his last time out. The Twins are 15-10 (plus-$549) in Santana's 25 starts in 2017, in what has been quite a nice turnaround for the 34-year-old veteran. Santana pitched 15 scoreless innings over two starts versus Chicago in April but was roughed up for six runs and a season-high 10 hits in five innings in a rematch June 20, which left him 11-8 with a 3.68 ERA lifetime against the White Sox in 25 starts (teams are 14-11). Shields entered August with a 6.19 ERA but he's been a bit better this month, tossing back-to-back quality starts (three ERs allowed in both games) before yielding two runs in 5 1/3 innings at Texas on Friday. He held the Twins to one run through six innings in a solid outing earlier this year (Chicago won 3-1) and is 8-8 with a 4.20 ERA in 22 career starts versus Minnesota (teams are 11-11).

The pick: The Twins bats are hot and Shields does own a poor 6.14 ERA in seven home starts this year but I'm going with my "gut" in this one, expecting solid efforts from the two veteran pitchers. Make the Under a 10* play.

The-set-up: The Tampa Bay Rays opened August with three straight wins but until last night's 6-3 win over the Blue Jays, the Rays hadn't won back-to-back games (TB beat Sea 3-0 on Sunday) since that three-game run to open the month. Tampa Bay is 62-65 on the season and is currently four games back in the race for the American League’s second wild card spot but the bigger problem may be that the Rays are one of five teams vying for that spot, not to mention the Orioles, who are just a half-game behind Tampa Bay. The Blue Jays are two games back of the Rays (six back of the No. 2 wild card spot) but are fading out of the AL wild card race with four straight losses to start their road trip, as they continue this three-game series at Tropicana Field.

The pitching matchup: Marcus Stroman (11-6 & 2.99 ERA) has been pitching well and takes the mound tonight for Toronto, squaring off against Tampa Bay rookie Austin Pruitt (6-4 & 5.37 ERA). Stroman comes in off three straight quality starts and six in his last eight games overall (Jays are 5-3), after limiting Tampa Bay to two runs on six hits over 6 1/3 innings last Wednesday in a 3-2 Toronto victory. Stroman is 5-4 with a 4.04 ERA in 10 career starts against the Rays (team is 5-5). Pruitt registered a career-high seven innings last time out against Seattle, but allowed six runs on 11 hits and two walks in his second straight loss. The rookie had strung together three consecutive quality starts before his last game while permitting a modest four runs on 16 hits over 18 1/3 innings combined in that span (1.96 ERA). This will be his first career start vs. Toronto but he is 1-0 with a 4.26 ERA in three previous relief appearances against the Blue Jays

The pick: The Tampa Bay offense has come alive lately (15 runs in its last three games), while the Toronto lineup will face a rookie with a 1.50 WHIP and .302 BAA to go along with his 5.37 ERA. Make the Over an 8* play.

The set-up: The Brewers wasted an excellent pitching effort Monday by Zach Davies (two unearned runs allowed over six innings) in a 2-0 Loss, as Milwaukee's lineup managed just four singles. The loss meant that the Brewers had dropped 10 of their last 11 at AT&T Park but Milwaukee to erased a 3-2 deficit with a two-run seventh inning and won, 4-3 last night.  The Brewers remained 2 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central (Chicago won 13-9 at Cincy) and climbed within three of Colorado for the second wild-card spot (Rockies lost 3-2 at KC). The teams play the rubber match of the series this afternoon, with the Giants 'limping along' with the MLB's second-worst record (51-77) and its worst moneyline mark at minus-$3149 ($640 worse than than the Phillies).

The pitching matchup: Matt Garza (6-7 & 4.81 ERA) will take the mound for Milwaukee and Matt Moore (4-12 & 5.54 ERA) for San Francisco. Garza was rocked for the second time in three outings on Friday, when he surrendered eight runs on nine hits (including three HRs) over 4 1/3 innings in an 8-4 loss at Colorado. Garza has made four career starts against San Francisco, going 1-2 with a 4.15 ERA (teams are 1-3). Moore finally ended his nine-start win-less streak (he was 0-5 and the Giants 2-7) this past Friday, limiting Philadelphia to two runs on two hits over 7 1/3 innings in a 10-2 Giants win, his first victory since June 20 at Atlanta. This marks his first career start vs. Milwaukee.

The pick: Garza has just never lived up to expectations after leaving Tampa Bay after going 15-10 in 2010. Garza won 10 games for the Cubs in 2011 but has yet to each double digits in wins in any season since. He's pitched well at home in 2017 (5-2 with a 3.68 ERA with the Brewers going 7-4) but he's been a 'nightmare' on the road, going 1-5 with a 6.38 ERA in eight starts (Brewers are 2-6). There is no avoiding the fact that the Giants are 7-18 in Moore's 2017 starts, giving him MLB's worst moneyline mark at minus-$1259. However, three of his four wins in 2017 have come at home, where his 4.61 ERA at AT&T Park is more than two runs less than his 6.71 road ERA. Let's also remember that the Brewers have lost 36 of their last 57 contests at San Francisco, including 10 of their last 12 Make the Giants an 8* play.

The set-up: The Brewers coughed up a 5 1/2 game lead over the Cubs at the All Star break in the NL Central. However, after losing six straight from Aug. 6-11, Milwaukee had won six of seven to climb back to within two games of the Cubs, as they began a three-game road series against the San Francisco Giants on Monday. The good news was that the Giants owned MLB's third-worst record plus MLB's worst moneyline mark but the kicker was that the Brewers had dropped 35 of their last 55 games in San Francisco, including nine of their last 10. "Lightning didn't strike," as the Giants shut out the Brewers 2-0 last night, as Milwaukee managed only four singles in the defeat (ruined a solid effort by Davies, who allowed two uneraned runs in six innings). The setback was Milwaukee's 10th in its last 11 meetings at AT&T Park, dropping them 2 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central and 3 1/2 back of Arizona for the second wild-card spot. San Francisco improved to 3-2 on its seven-game homestand as rookie Chris Stratton and three relievers combined on the four-hit shutout.

The pitching matchup: Jimmy Nelson (9-6 & 3.74 ERA) will look to help Milwaukee get back on the winning track and will be opposed by the seemingly always underachieving Jeff Samardzija (8-12 & 4.79 ERA). However, Nelson is coming off back-to-back poor outings, surrendering 15 runs (12 earned) on 19 hits over 10 innings in his last two starts (10.80 ERA). It doesn't bode well for Milwaukee that Nelson's road ERA in 2017  (4.22) is just about a full run higher than it is at home (3.39). Nelson evened his career record against San Francisco at 2-2 on June 7, when he gave up three runs on seven hits in six innings of a 6-3 victory. Samardzija has won four of his last five starts but he still ranks in the bottom-25 of over 300 different starters in 2017 with the Giants going 11-14, minus-$524 in his 25 starts this season. Samardzija gave up only two runs (one earned) on six hits while recording 10 strikeouts over 7 2/3 innings at Milwaukee. back on June 5 but took the loss to fall to 3-6 lifetime against the Brewers (in starts and relief appearances)

The pick: Samardzija has beaten the Brewers just once in 11 career starts against them, going 1-5 with a 4.43 ERA (teams are 2-9). Nelson's season has imploded with his last two outings and I'm not about to predict a turnaround here. Make the Over an 8* play.

The set-up: The Seattle Mariners opened a four-city, 13-day, 12-game road trip this past weekend and took two of three from the Rays in Tampa. The Mariners arrived in Atlanta for a three-game series on Monday and were able win  win 6-5. At 64-62, they are one game back of the Twins for the AL's final wild card spot, with the Angels just a half-game ahead of them. The Mariners have their work cut out for themselves, as in order to stay in the wild card chase, they will have to navigate a stretch that has them playing 21 away games in 28 contests. The good news is, that after opening 8-20 on the road, the Mariners have gone 22-10 on the road since that awful start. Atlanta fell to 55-68 on the season with the defeat, losing for the 23rd time in 33 games since July 17, the most losses by any team during that stretch.

The pitching matchup: Marco Gonzales (0-0 & 8.44 ERA) will get another try in Seattle's rotation and will face Lucas Sims (1-3 & 5.24 ERA) of Atlanta. Gonzales has failed to pitch more than 4 1/3 innings in three starts since joining Seattle’s rotation on Aug. 6, giving up 10 ERs in 12 2/3 innings (7.11 ERA). He had made one start for St. Louis prior to being acquired in July, surrendering five runs in 3 1/3 innings. Sims is a rookie and is coming off his first major-league victory in his fourth start of 2017 this past Thursday at Colorado. He allowed two runs on five hits in five innings of a 10-4 victory. However, he had lost his first three starts, giving up a total of 12 ERs over 17 1/3 innings (5.09 ERA)..

The pick: Gonzales was a first-round draft choice of St. Louis back in 2013 and Sims was Atlanta’s first-round pick in the 2012 draft. Gonzales made his major league debut for the Cardinals in 2014, then sat out the 2016 season with left elbow surgery. However, he returned to go 6-4 with a 2.90 ERA over 11 starts in 2017 for Triple-A Memphis, before being acquired by the Mariners. Gonzales was 2-0 with a 4.50 ERA in Triple-A before being called up to make his first start for Seattle on Aug. 6. Sims worked his way through the Atlanta's minor league system and was the organization's pitcher of the year in 2013. He began 2017 at Triple-A Gwinnett and went 7-4 with a 3.75 ERA in 20 appearances, 19 of them starts. He had 132 strikeouts and only 36 walks in 115 1/3 innings for the G-Braves. Two promising rookies will both be making their fifth big-league start of the season in this one but Gonzales will be backed by the 'hotter' and much-better team. Make Seattle an 8* play.

The Chicago Cubs sprinted out of the gate right after the All Sta break, catching and passing the Brewers in the NL Central. However, a 3-7 run (from Aug. 2-9) brought them back to the pack, but they are hopeful that they have righted the ship by winning eight of the their last 11, including a three-game IL series sweep over the Blue Jays this past weekend. Coming off a day of rest on Monday, the Cubs were helped by the Giants who beat the Brewers 2-0 and Chicago currently sits 2 1/2 games up on the Brewers and 3 1/2 up on the Cards in the division. The Cubs have a golden opportunity to pad their lead with a six-game road trip to Cincinnati and Philadelphia, which are both last-place teams. “It’s that time of year, sink or swim now,” Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo told reporters. “We’ve got to just keep going and play clean baseball. I think we are.” The Reds have played better of late, winning four of their last six and splitting a four-game series in Chicago last week. However, the Reds are 53-72, a record better than only the 51-win Giants and 45-win Phils in the National League.

The pitching matchup: John Lackey (10-9 & 4.67 ERA) takes the mound for Chicago and Homer Bailey (4-6 & 8.44 ERA) for Cincinnati. Lackey has been a different pitcher (much better) since the All Star break, going 5-0 with a 3.06 ERA in six starts (Cubs are 6-0). He pitched well enough to win against the Reds last week in Chicago, allowing one run on four hits over six innings, but didn’t get a decision (Cubs would win, 7-6). Lackey is 6-5 with a 3.75 ERA in 16 starts against Cincinnati (teams are 9-7). Bailey has had a wild ride the past six weeks, allowing six or more runs and two or fewer runs in an alternating pattern over his last eight outings. He was ripped for six runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings at Chicago on Wednesday (opposite Lackey), so recent history says he's due for a bounce-back performance. Bailey is 8-3 with a 4.66 ERA in 17 starts against the Cubs (Reds are 12-5).

The pick: I'm not buying Bailey's supposed "bounce-back" theory, as while this guy does own a pair of no-hitters in his career, he's nothing more than a journeyman pitcher (64-60 with a 4.45 ERA all-time). His numbers in 2017 are deplorable (heard that phrase lately?), with a 2.04 WHIP and .353 BAA to go along with his unsightly 8.44 ERA. Chicago has won 26 of its past 35 games against Cincinnati, including eight of the past 11 series. Cubs Win! Cubs Win! Make Chicago a 10* play.

The set-up: The Brewers coughed up a 5 1/2 game lead over the Cubs at the All Star break in the NL Central. However, after losing six straight from Aug. 6-11, Milwaukee has managed to win six of seven and climb back to within two games of the Cubs, as they begin a three-game road series against the San Francisco Giants on Monday. Now the Giants own MLB's third-worst record at 50-76 plus MLB's owrst moneyline mark (minus-$3157) but the kicker is, the Brewers have dropped 35 of their last 55 games in San Francisco, including nine of their last 10.

The pitching matchup: Milwaukee gives the ball to staff ace Zach Davies (14-6 & 4.26 ERA), while the Giants send Chris Stratton (1-2 & 4.91 ERA) to the mound, making just the fourth start of this season (seventh of his career). Davies is coming off a strong outing on Tuesday in which he allowed one run and six hits over 6 2/3 innings in a 3-1 home victory over Pittsburgh. The Brewers are 16-9 in all of Davies' 2017 starts, giving him MLB's seventh-best moneyline mark (plus-$-872). Davies been superb on the road this season, posting a 7-0 record and 2.52 ERA in 12 outings (Brewers are 9-3). He will be facing San Francisco for the first time. Stratton takes the mound after posting his first win of 2017 on Aug. 13. He registered 10 strikeouts while scattering five hits over 6 2/3 scoreless innings at Washington for his first major-league triumph as a starter (Giants won 4-2). Stratton made a relief appearance against Milwaukee last season, giving up one hit and one walk over two scoreless frames.

The pick: The Brewers just may have "righted the ship" and winning this series here in San Francisco against the struggling Giants seems like a must, as three games at Dodger Stadium are up this coming weekend! In Davies I will trust. Make Milwaukee an 8* play.

The set-up: It's Monday Night Football on ESPN at FirstEnergy Stadium, as the 0-1 New York Giants and the 1-0 Cleveland Browns wrap up NFL Week 2 preseason action. The Giants ended a four-year playoff drought in 2016 by finishing 11-5 and earning wild card berth. However, the team's postseason hopes were dashed in a 38-13 loss at Green Bay. The postseason has eluded the Browns for 14 straight years, after they finished 1-15 in 2016. Cleveland has had 13 losing season in that span and hit rock bottom with last year's franchise-worst record.

NY Giants: Eli Manning was held out of New York's first game and the offense consistently stalled against the Steelers, getting held to four FGs. Geno Smith has come over from the Jets but threw for a modest 114 yards against Pittsburgh with one INT. He has thrown 28 TDs but also 36 INTs so far in his checkered NFL career. 3rd round pick Davis Webb is in the mix (8 of 16 for 67 yards) and Josh Johnson (5 of 10 for 31 yards) also played against the Steelers. However, Manning will be back under center for the Giants on Monday and second-year head coach Ben McAdoo said the plan is to have Manning play into the second quarter in the team’s second preseason game.

Cleveland: I watched ESPN's E:60 on Sunday morning and one of the segments was on Cleveland's All-Pro tackle, Joe Thomas. He's protected 18 different starting QBs in his 10-year career and it's possible that Brock Osweiler and DeShone Kizer could raise that total to 20 by the end of 2017. Osweiler was just 6 of 14 for 42 yards in getting the start last week but it was Kizer who delivered the much better showing  (11 of 18 for 184 yards, along with the game-winning 45-yard TD pass). The offense HAS to improve, after finishing 30th in the league in total yards (311.0 per) and 31st in the league in scoring (16.5 PPG) last year. The same can be said of the defense which ranked 31st in yards allowed (392.4 per) and 30th in points allowed (28.2 per).

The pick: Eli playing into the second quarter is good news for New York fans (bettors) but not that the Giants were 25th in the league in total offense (330.7 YPG) and 26th in scoring, putting up just 19.4 PPG. The team has NO running game. The Browns own a real QB 'battle,' with Kessler (eight starts in 2016), Osweiler and the current front-runner, Kizer, which I believe will be the difference-maker. Make the Browns a 10*

The set-up: The Seattle Mariners opened a four-city, 13-day, 12-game road trip this past weekend and took two of three from the Rays in Tampa. The 63-62 Mariners arrive in Atlanta for the first contest of a three-game series on Monday, 1 1/2 games out of the second AL wild-card spot. Designated hitter Nelson Cruz singled Sunday to extend his hitting streak to 12 games and is batting .422 during that stretch with seven HRs and 16 RBI. The Mariners have their work cut out for themselves, as in order to stay in the wild card chase, they will have to navigate a stretch that has them playing 21 away games in 28 contests. The good news is, that after opening 8-20 on the road, the Mariners arrive in Atlanta having gone 21-10 on the road since that awful start. Atlanta salvaged the finale of a three-game home series with Cincinnati on Sunday, winning 8-1 but sit 55-67 on the season with no playoff hopes, having lost 19 of their last 27 games.

The pitching matchup: Andrew Albers (1-0 & 1.80 ERA), who was just purchased from the Braves on Aug. 11 for cash considerations, will face his ex-teammates here for Seattle and match up against Mike Foltynewicz (10-8 & 4.75 ERA). Albers made the most of his first major-league appearance of the season while holding Baltimore to one run over five innings to earn his first big-league victory since his rookie season in 2013. Albers had made 17 appearances in the majors from 2013-2016 with Minnesota and Toronto (2-5 & 4.41 ERA), posted a 2.61 ERA in 26 games for Atlanta’s Triple-A affiliate while going 12-3! Foltynewicz has gotten pounded in his last two starts, allowing 14 runs on 16 hits with seven walks in six innings during losses at St. Louis and Colorado (7.88 ERA). However, those two outings followed a 12-start stretch during which he had posted a 3.58 ERA and went 7-1 (Atlanta won 10 of those starts). Foltynewicz enters this contest with the Braves 13-10 in his 2017 starts, giving him an impressive plus-$695 moneyline mark (10th-best). He is 5-2 with a 3.48 ERA and 47 strikeouts against 19 walks in nine home starts this season (Braves are 7-2).

The pick: Albers pitched well in Triple-A this year (see above) and was sharp in his first start for Seattle. He faces his ex-team here and the lefty faces an Atlanta team which has played just 20 games against a left-handed starter in 2017 (10-10). Foltynewicz is off two 'ugly' starts but both came on the road. He's been very good in SunTrust Park in 2017 (again, see above) and I'll make the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: The Dodgers saw their six-game winning streak ended by Justin Verlander, as they lost 6-1 Sunday afternoon in Detroit. The defeat also ended LA's streak of 13 consecutive interleague wins (it's been quite a season, so far, for LA, which owns a 20-game lead in the NL West). The Dodgers look to begin a new winning streak and further damage the playoff hopes of the Pirates, when they begin a four-game series in Pittsburgh on Monday. Pittsburgh earned a split of its four-game series against St. Louis by winning the final two contests (won 6-3 last night in Williamsport) but that came on the heels of a six-game losing streak. Sunday's win kept Pittsburgh 6 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central (Pirates are seven games back of the second wild-card spot). .

The pitching matchup: Alex Wood (14-1 & 2.30 ERA) continues his "career year" by taking the mound for LA and will be opposed by Pittsburgh's Gerrit Cole (10-8 & 4.04 ERA). Wood settled for a no-decision against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday despite allowing just one run and six hits over seven innings (Dodgers would win 6-1). Wood suffered his first (only) loss of 2017 on July 28, allowing seven ERs over 4 2/3 innings of a 12-3 loss to teh Braves. However, he's 3-0 (team is 4-0) over his last four starts, with Wood posting a 1.89 ERA over his last three. Wood evened his career record against Pittsburgh at 2-2 with a 12-1 home victory on May 8, when he registered a season-high 11 strikeouts while giving up only two hits in five scoreless innings. His ERA is 2.50 in six career starts against the Pirates (teams are just 2-4). Cole has been streaky in 2017 and escaped with a no-decision at Milwaukee on Wednesday after surrendering four runs on five hits (including three HRs) in six innings of a 7-6 Milwaukee win. He has served up six HRs over his last four outings and 26 on the season, which is more than double his previous career high (11). Cole has posted a 5.22 ERA in five career starts against Los Angeles but owns a 3-1 record (Pirtaes are 4-1).

The pick: Cole's 5.22 career ERA against the Dodgers hardly bodes well against MLB's best team, one averaging 5.09 RPG while owning a .793 OPS (3rd-best). The Dodgers are 15-4 in Wood's 19 starts in 2017, giving him MLB's sixth-best moneyline mark (plus-$893). Factoring in that the Dodgers are 8-1 in their past nine meetings against the Pirates, I'll make them an 8* play.

The set-up: It's a special game between the Cards and Pirates on Sunday night, as the teams meet at Historic Bowman Field in Williamsport, Pa. as part of the Little League Classic. The Pirates will be the host team and yesterday afternoon snapped a six-game slide with a 6-4 victory, The Cardinals took the first two of this four-game series by scoring 11 runs each on Thursday and Friday but were held in check yesterday and with the loss, fell 2 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central (are also a half-game back of the second-place Brewers).

The pitching matchup: Mike Leake (7-11 & 3.88 ERA) goes for St. Louis and Ivan Nova (10-10 & 3.77 ERA). Not much has gone right for Leake lately, as he's win-less in his last four outings, allowing 19 runs (18 earned) over 20 1/3 innings (7.97 ERA) after getting pounded for eight runs at Boston on Tuesday in a 10-4 loss. He enters this contest having completed more than five innings just twice in his last eight starts, in stark contrast to the pitcher who accomplishing that feat in 15 of his first 16 outings of 2017. Leake is 10-5 with a 3.33 ERA in 31 career starts against Pittsburgh but his teams are just 14-17. Nova lost for the fourth time during a five-game win-less streak (he's 0-4 and the team 1-4) this past Tuesday at Milwaukee (Brewers won 3-1). However, he pitched well, permitting two runs (just one earned) over six innings. He's faced the Cards just once in his career, throwing a 78-pitch complete game but still took the loss in the Cardinals' 2-1 win April 17 at Busch Stadium.

The pick: Leake's 3.33 career ERA in 31 starts) is pretty good plus Nova has been a mainstay of the Pittsburgh rotation in 2017. Make the Under an 8* play.

The set-up: The Atlanta Falcons lost 23-20 at Miami in Week 1 and travel for the second straight weekend, visiting Pittsburgh on Sunday. The Steelers welcome the defending NFC champions to Heinz Field on Sunday, coming off a 20-12 Week 1 at the NY Giants.

Atlanta: Matt Ryan saw limited action last week but made the most of it, going 3 for 3 with 32 yards and a TD. RB Devonta Freeman caught that 15-yard TD pass from Ryan but had just one rushing attempt, as did the backfield partner, Tevin Colemn (the two combined for four rushing yards). Simms, who owns just 39 regular season pass attempts in his NFL career (none since 2014), saw the most action at QB (10 of 20 for 104 yards). The Atlanta D had two 'picks' but also allowed two TD passes in the fourth quarter of the three-point loss.

Pittsburgh: The Steelers won 20-12 last week but made just 10 FDs and gained a pathetic 226 yards. Fourth-round pick Joshua Dobbs saw the bulk of the game action at QB, going 8 for 15 with 100 yards, a touchdown but also two INTs. Pittsburgh's D led the way to victory, coming up with seven sacks, two takeaways (1 INT & 1 fumble) but consistently were able to stall New York possessions, holding the Giants to four FGs.

The pick: Neither team showed much on offense in their respective Week 1 games and it's expected that both teams' starters will not see significant action until the third game of the preseason. That leaves me with the better defensive team which is the Steelers. Make Pittsburgh

The set-up: The New York Mets came into Saturday's game with the Marlins on a 1-8 run at home in Citi Field, a span in which they had averaged a paltry 2.3 RPG. It was more of the same through five innings on Saturday for New York but then, a seven-run outburst in the sixth led to an 8-1 win. It was the most runs New York has scored at home since July 15 and it snapped the club's five-game overall losing streak overall. The Mets now set their sights on a series win when they host the Miami Marlins in the rubber match of this three-game series Sunday afternoon. Miami lost for just the second time in eight games, as Giancarlo Stanton was walked three times while being kept in the ballpark for the third straight game, which follows his string of six straight contests with a HR.

The pitching matchup: Adam Conley (5-5 & 5.32 ERA) will start for Miami and Jacob deGrom (13-6 & 3.35 ERA) for New York. Conley has pitched much better since returning from the minors, going 3-2 with a 3.62 ERA in six starts (Marlins are 3-3). Conley had a 7,53 ERA in seven appearances in early May was he was sent to the minors. Conley actually opened the season with three straight games against the Mets (two starts and a relief appearance), posting a 3.00 ERA as the Marlins won both oh his starts (Conley took the loss in that relief stint). He does own an impressive 1.98 ERA in eight career matchups (six starts / team is 4-2) with New York. DeGrom gave up five runs over 7 1/3 innings of a 5-4 loss in his 100th career start this past Tuesday at Yankee Stadium (Mets lost 5-4). DeGrom was 12-3 (3.30 ERA) heading into late July but has lost three of his last four starts. He's 4-3 with a 3.46 ERA in 11 career starts vs. the Marlins (Mets are 5-6).

The pick: Not much on the Mets, who have traded six players since July 27, but deGrom owns an excellent 2.49 ERA at home and I'll back him here, in his 50th career home start. Make the Mets a 10* play.

full analysis

The set-up: The Texas Rangers took a four-game winning streak, one in which they had scored 37 runs (9.25 per), into Friday night's second contest of a four-game series with the Chicago White Sox, owners of the American League's worst record. However, Texas was held to just three runs on six hits in the one-run loss. It was just the Rangers' second loss in their last nine games, as the club sits 1 1/2 games behind Minnesota and the LA Angels in the battle for the American League's second wild card. Chicago ended a five-game losing streak but the White Sox have been in a free-fall since July 4, going 9-32 to leave them with a 46-73 record (only the Phillies, at 43-77, are worse in all of MLB!).

The pitching matchup: Derek Holland (6-12, & 5.68 ERA) will take the mound for Chicago against his ex-teammates and the Rangers will counter with Martin Perez (7-10 & 5.08 ERA). Holland was 'lit up' by the Royals on Sunday, allowing seven runs on seven hits in a season-low two innings of a 14-6 KC victory. Holland was off to a decent start in the season's first two months (4-4 with a 2.37 ERA through the end of May) but he's 2-8 with a horrific 9.05 ERA in 14 appearances (13 starts / team is 2-11!) over the past 2 1/2 months. Perez comes into this contest having posted back-to-back victories after losing his previous four starts. He allowed three runs on nine hits over 14 innings in the two victories (1.93), which came off him getting rocked for 23 runs on 32 hits in 22 innings during his slump (9.41 ERA).

The pick: Holland has faced his ex-team just once (July 1 on this season), and allowed five ERs over 5 1/3 innings of a 10-4 loss. However, now that the first start against Texas is out of the way, he's approaching Saturday like it's a normal outing. I expect him to be much better this time around and Perez is not only off solid back-to-back starts but he's 2-1 with a 3.74 ERA in three career starts against the White Sox. Make the Under a 10* play.

The pick: The good news for Minnesota fans is that Berrios sports a 2.89 ERA in five career interleague starts but I don't believe that's a good enough reason to go against Greinke. Greinke is 6-1 with a 2.78 ERA in his last nine starts (D'backs are 7-2), giving him MLB's fifth-best moneyline mark of plus-$912 (17-7 in all starts). Make Arizona an 8* play.

The set-up: The Carolina Panthers opened with a 27-17 home win over the Texans last week and will be in Nashville Saturday afternoon to take on the Tennessee Titans at LP Field. The Titans opened their 2017 preseason by scoring just three points and a modest 223 gaining yards in a 7-3 loss against the NY Jets. The Panthers entered 2016 as the defending NFC champions (15-1 regular season) but stumbled to a 1-5 start that eventually doomed them to a 6-10 finish and last place in the NFC South. It was Carolina’s first missed postseason since 2012. The Titans are off a 9-7 season last year, when they lost the AFC Central title to Houston in a tie-breaker.

Carolina: Cam Newton did not suit up last week and is not expected to play in this contest either, as the Panthers want to ensure he is fully recovered from his off season shoulder surgery.  Backup QB Derek Anderson went 4 for 5 for 76 yards and a TD in limited action, while third-stringer Joe Webb tossed two TD passes. Rookie RB Christian McCaffrey had 33 rushing yards on seven carries (4.7 YPC) but didn't catch a pass (something he's expected to do a lot of in 2017). The former Stanford Cardinal was taken eighth overall in this year’s NFL draft and is expected to see plenty of playing time this season along with veteran RB Jonathan Stewart.

Tennessee: The Titans' offense was horrible against the Jets but QB Marcus Mariota did see his first action since breaking his right leg last year. Mariota was a modest 2-of-3 for 15 yards. Backup QB Alex Tanney did most of the passing, going 11-of-27 for 132 yards and an INT. Expect a little more from Mariota this week but not too much. Backup QB Matt Cassel did not suit up last week but should see some action in this contest. RB DeMarco Murray (coming off an excellent 2016) is dealing with a hamstring injury and it is unclear if he will play here.

The pick: Yes, we’ll get to see the starters for a little longer this time around on both sides but don’t expect to see much more than a handful of series from the first-teamers. Tennessee's backups couldn’t do much of anything against a re-building Jets defense, so I wouldn't expect them to do much here vs. Carolina's. As for Carolina's Newton-less offense, it won't get much against a Tennessee D which allowed only seven points on 251 yards in Week 1. Make the Under a 10* play.

The 5-1-1 Calgary Stampeders travel Friday night to take on the 5-3 BC Lions at BC Place. Calgary opened the season with a 31-31 tie at Ottawa but then beat the RedBlacks the next week 43-39 at home. That win in Week 2 began a 5-1 stretch for the Stampeders with the team's lone loss coming 30-23 at Montreal. QB Bo Levi Mitchell is completing 65.5 percent of his passes for 2,081 yards with 13 TD passes and only three interceptions in 232 attempts. He leads the CFL's highest scoring offense, which averages 36.3 PPG. Calgary also allows just 20.7 PPG defensively, which also ranks first among all CFL teams (pretty sweet 'daily double!'). The BC Lions entered last week's game at Saskatchewan 5-2, having lost both games against Edmonton (7-0 pending Thursday's game), but were routed 41-8 by the Roughriders. Starting QB Jonathon Jennings replaced backup Travis Lulay but would throw four INTs. Lulay had replaced an injured Jennings (shoulder) back in Week 4 and promptly threw for 436 yards and 404 yards in back-to-back wins. However, Lulay's level of play has fallen off as of late and we can expect Jennings to get the start here, after throwing for 5,226 yards with 27 TDs (15 INTs) last season. BC averages 28.5 PPG and allows 27.8 PPG (5th) to rank fourth and fifth, respectively in this nine-team league

The pick: Bo Kevi Mitchell led Calgray to the Grey Cup Final last season (lost 39-33 in OT to Ottawa), when he threw for 5,392 yards with 32 TDs and just eight INTs. He and his team is starting resemble last year's club (we'll know more when the Stampeders finally face off against the Eskimos) but at the moment, I won't buck Calgary. The Stampeders have won eight of their last nine meetings against the Lions and may make it nine of 10 but I see both offenses having HUGE games and prefer the Over. Make it

Minnesota: Staring QB Sam Bradford saw very little action in Week 1 (5 for 7 for 35 yards) as Case Keenum saw the bulk of the workload and completed 11 of 16 passes for 121 yards. Taylor Heinicke completed three passes and a touchdown but also threw an interception. A.P. is now in New Orleans and second round pick Dalvin Cook (FSU) had five carries for 13 yards but also caught 4 balls out of the backfield for 30 yards. The Minnesota defense was solid, allowing 309 yards of total offense and just 10 points.

Seattle: The Seahawks delivered Week 1's most impressive performance, riding a 24-point second quarter to 48 total points in a 31-point win over the Chargers. QB Russell Wilson’s saw limited action, completing 3 of 4 for 41 yards. Trevone Boykin led the team with 189 yards passing on 12 of 15 through the air with a TD and an interception. Austin Davis made the most of his time as well, going 7 of 9 for 108 yards. Seattle did a great job spreading the ball around, as the Seahawks had 12 different receivers record a catch.

Minnesota's preseason record under Zimmer is mind-boggling but I'm backing Seattle in this one, after the team's outstanding Week 1 effort. I don't believe Minnesota can match Seattle's 'firepower.' Make the Seahawks a 10* play.

analysis coming

The set-up: The 7-0 Edmonton Eskimos look to keep their perfect record intact when they visit the 5-2 Winnipeg Blue Bombers Thursday at Investors Group Field. QB Mike Reilly is completing 72.7 percent of his passes for 2,329 yards with 13 TDs and four INTs. He leads an offense which ranks first in YPG (429.3 per) and first in passing yards(332.7 YPG). The Eskimos average 29.1 PPG (3rd-best) but just one of the team's seven wins have come by more than seven points (an 11-point win), hence the team's mediocre 3-3-1 ATS mark. The defense allows 333.9 YPG to also rank third-best. Winnipeg is 5-2 SU & ATS and enters off three straight wins, scoring 41, 33 and 39 points, respectively. QB Matt Nichols completes 68.9 percent of his passes for 2,024 yards with 13 TDs and four INTs. Winnipeg scored just 10 points in losing its second game of the season but has scored 33 points or more in its other six games. Defensively, the Blue Bombers allow 31.6 PPG (8th) on 402.1 YPG (7th).

The pick: All Edmonton has done is won in 2017 plus the Eskimos have won eight of their last nine meetings against the Blue Bombers. However, Winnipeg has playing very well lately, which has gone mostly unnoticed with the way Edmonton has performed. However, the Eskimos and the rest of the CFL will take notice here, as the Blue Bombers hand Edmonton its first loss of the season. Make Winnipeg a 10* play

The set-up: The Texas Rangers remain in the AL wild card hunt, although they are hardly alone. Texas rolled up 28 runs in a three-game home sweep of the Detroit Tigers to pull within two games of the LA Angels for the second wild card but they are one of SEVEN teams withing 3 1/2 games of that final playoff spot.The Rangers now welcome the Chicago White Sox to Arlington having won six of their last seven games and with hope of continuing their momentum against the White Sox. Chicago has lost four straight and seven of 35 since July 4, leaving them with the AL's worst record at 45-72. Chicago's latest loss was painful, as the White Sox allowed three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning Wednesday to suffer a 5-4 loss to the LA Dodgers, giving them a 20-41 road record..

The pitching matchup: Reynaldo Lopez (0-0, 3.00 ERA) will make his second start for Chicago since recently being recalled from Triple-A and he'll face Tyson Ross (3-2 & 7.11 ERA) of the Rangers. He received a no-decision in his White Sox debut, despite allowing two runs on four hits over six innings against the Kansas City Royals on Aug. 11 (White Son won 6-3). Lopez went 5-3 with a 4.91 ERA in 11 appearances (six starts / he was 2-2 & the Nats were 2-4) for the Washington Nationals last season before being traded as part of the package for outfielder Adam Eaton. This will be his first start against the Rangers. Ross returned from a stint on the disabled list because of blister issues to defeat the Houston Astros 8-3 on Saturday. Ross received a no-decision against the White Sox on July 2 when he allowed four runs on four hits over five innings and is 3-0 with a 2.95 ERA in four appearances (three starts / teams are 2-1) against Chicago.

The pick: The White Sox will look to play the role of spoiler the rest of the season but it's tough to back a team which is 20-41 on the road, allowing 5.10 RPG. I realize that Ross owns a 7.11 ERA and 1.55 WHIP in eight starts here in 2017 but the Rangers just scored 28 runs in a three-game sweep of the Tigers and have scored four or more runs in 15 of their last 16 games! Make Texas a 10* play.

The set-up: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost 23-12 at Cincinnati last Friday and tonight will travel to play in Jacksonville against the Jaguars (on ESPN), who won 31-24 last Thursday in New England. The Buccaneers lost to the Bengals in their preseason opener after being outscored 17-3 in the second half. However, QB Jameis Winston looked sharp with nine completions on 13 attempts and WR Mike Evans had four receptions for 58 yards. Jacksonville QB Blake Bortles had just five pass attempts in the upset of the Pats but backups Chad Henne and Brandon Allen combined for 224 passing yards and two TDs. RB Corey Grant stole the show with 120 rushing yards and one TD on just eight carries, while Leonard Fournette didn’t exactly impress with nine rushes for 31 yards and a one-yard TD run.

Tampa Bay: The team's offensive starters are fine and will be even better once RB Doug Martin gets back on the field after his suspension. A worry here is that backup QB Ryan Fitzpatrick played poorly, completing 6 of 13 for just 45 yards and one INT. Don't expect to see much of Winston in this one (he'll get more time in Week 3), meaning inexperienced QBs like Griffin and Liufau may get extra reps, as it's possible Tampa Bay is questioning whether Fitzpatrick is the team's No. 2 QB.

Jacksonville: The Jaguars have to be pleased with what they showed in their first preseason game. Yes, it's just an "exhibition game" but there could be a feeling of "building off beating the champs." The Jags did rack up 447 total yards in the game and that was with little or no contributions from the team's expected top-two offensive players, QB Bortles and first-round draft pick RB Leonard Fournette (LSU).

The pick: I'm expecting Winston to see very little action and after the former Heisman Trophy-winner, Tampa Bay's QB rotation is troublesome. The Jags have a losing culture which needs to be turned a round and following an upset of the Pats in Foxboro, a win in front of the home fans (against an in-state rival like the Bucs), would be good 'medicine.' Make the Jags an 8* play.

accidentally entered. Not a play.

The set-up: Giancarlo Stanton has homered in six consecutive games (two short of the major league record) and has homered in 23 of his last 35, giving 44 on the season. However, his solo shot in last night's game didn't much help, as the Marlins lost 9-4 at home to the Giants. Miami is 57-61 on the season, 14 1/2 games back of the Nats in the NL East and the Giants are 48-73, an incredible 37 1/2 games back of the Dodgers in the NL West. The teams play the rubber match of this three-game series early this afternoon at Marlins Park.

The pitching matchup: Matt Cain (3-9 & 5.22 ERA) takes the mound for the Giants and Jose Urena (10-5 & 3.76 ERA) for the Marlins. Cain's season has gone much like the Giants', as he takes the mound having gone win-less in his last 14 appearances, including 12 starts. He last win came way back on May 15 and Cain owns an 0-8 mark during that stretch with the Giants going 3-9 in his 12 starts (Cain's ERA is 6.92 in those starts). Cain owns a 3.63 ERA in his career versus the Marlins, going 6-5 in 16 starts (Giants are 9-7). Urena permitted three runs in 5 1/3 innings of a no-decision versus Colorado on Friday but the Marlins won 6-3. That continues his surprising success in 2017, as the Marlins are 13-6 in his 19 starts this season, giving him MLB's fourth-best moneyline mark among starters at plus-$921.

The pick: Let's ride the 'hot' Urena here against a San Francisco team which owns MLB's worst moneyline mark in 2017 (minus-$2885), a 21-41 road record on the year and will start Cain, who last won three months ago. Make Miami a 10* play.

The pick: Minnesota swept a three game series at Cleveland in late June but is 0-7 at home against the Indians this season while getting outscored 48-15. That's in line with how these two teams have performed all season, as the Indians own a better road record than home record and the Twins own a better road record than home mark. What changes here? Make Cleveland a 10* play.

The set-up: The Boston Red Sox visited the Bronx for a three-game weekend series with the hated Yankees, beginning on Friday. Boston came to Yankees Stadium on an eight-game winning streak and with a 4 1/2 games lead in the AL East. However, the team's bullpen, which is having an outstanding season, imploded Friday night, allowing a five-run Yankee eighth-inning, as Boston's winning streak was snapped 5-4. The Red Sox recovered nicely though, winning 10-5 on Saturday afternoon and then last night on ESPN, Andrew Benintendi, who hit a pair of three-run HRs on Saturday, drove in the winning run in Sunday's 3-2 win. Boston has now won 10 of its last 11, while opening a 5 1/2-game lead over New York. Benintendi has played a big part in Boston’s surge, going 13-for-27 with four HRs and 11 RBI during a seven-game hitting streak. The Indians make a one-day visit to Fenway Park on Monday, for the makeup of a rained-out game back on August 2. Cleveland took the final three contests of its four-game set in Tampa Bay over the weekend to increase its lead in the AL Central to 4 1.2 games, as new acquisition Jay Bruce (from the Mets) made an immediate impact by going 5-for-12 with three RBI.

The pitching matchup: Trevor Bauer (10-8 & 4.79 ERA) will get the nod for Cleveland and Doug Fister (2-5 & 5.03 ERA) for Boston. Bauer is starting to find a groove in what up until now has been a mediocre season (I'm bing kind). He's 3-0 over his last four starts (team is 3-1), allowing just six ERs while registering 28 strikeouts over 27 innings for a 2.00 ERA. He settled for a no-decision against Colorado on Wednesday, even though he permitted just one run on seven hits across seven innings. Bauer has only faced Boston three times but it hasn't been pretty, going 0-2 with a 9.52 ERA (team is 1-2). Fister has posted wins in each of his last two starts, the first of which came against the Indians on July 31, when he allowed two runs on  five hits over 7 2/3 innings of a 6-2 win. He then limited the White Sox to three runs on eight hits with a season-high seven strikeouts to win last time out, 6-3. Fister, has seen plenty of Cleveland in his career, going 6-4 with a 3.07 ERA in 17 career starts versus the Indians (teams are 8-9).

The Red Sox began their current 10-1 run by scoring 18 times in beating Cleveland twice (July 31 and August 1), before getting rained out on August 2. Cleveland returns to Boston to make that game up here and will face a Boston lineup averaging 6.09 RPG in its recent surge. Yes, both starters (Bauer and Fister) come in pitching better than they have for most of the season but looking at their respective numbers on the season, I 'smell' an over. Bauer owns a 4.79 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and opponents have batted .271 against him. As for Fister, he's got a 5.03 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and opponents have hit .282 against him. Make the Over a 10* play.

The set-up: The Yankees ended Boston's eight-game winning streak with a five-run 8th inning leading to a comeback 5-4 Friday night victory. However, rookie Andrew Benintendi hit a pair of three-run HRs in Saturday's 10-5 Boston win, giving the Red Sox nine wins in their last 10 and regaining the 4 1/2 game lead in the AL East the team had when this series began Friday night. The rubber match of a three-game series goes Sunday night on ESPN, as Boston looks to increase its lead in the East to 5 1/2 games while New York, which leads the AL wild card race by 2 1/2 games, looks to avoid a fourth straight non-winning series (Yankees are 5-7 in that stretch).

The pitching matchup: Chris Sale (14-4 & 2.57 ERA) goes for Boston and the Yanks send rookie Jordan Montgomery (7-6 & 4.05 ERA) to the mound. Sale is coming off a dominating outing in which he struck out 13 while limiting the Tampa Bay Rays to two hits in eight scoreless innings of a 2-0 win this past Tuesday. The AL Cy Young favorite has not allowed an earned run in four of his five starts since the All-Star break and has not suffered a loss since July 6. Sale had no trouble with the New York lineup back on July 15, when he scattered three hits and struck out 13 over 7 2/3 scoreless innings (note: the Yanks won 4-1 in 16 innings). That follows a theme, as although Sale owns a 1.36 ERA in nine career starts vs. the Yanks, his teams are just 4-5! Montgomery made a brief trip to the minors this week but came back when CC Sabathia went on the disabled list and is trying to pick up where he left off after holding the Cleveland Indians to one run and three hits over five innings on Aug. 5. He was hit in the head with a line drive during batting practice on Saturday but went through tests and is expected to make the start. Montgomery was not at his best at Boston on July 14, when he allowed three runs on six hits and three walks in four innings (Boston won 5-4).

The pick: I realize Sale comes in on a roll but the Yankees have averaged 5.69 RPG at home. As for Boston, the Red Sox have averaged 6.40 RPG during a 9-1 stretch and I'll make the over a 10* play.

The set-up: The Seattle Seahawks will be in Los Angeles Sunday night, as the now-LA Chargers begin a new era in "The City of Angels (AFL fans may remember that the Chargers began in LA back in 1960, before moving to San Diego the in their second season of 1961). The Seahawks won the AFC West at 10-5-1 and reached the divisional round before falling to the eventual NFC Champion Atlanta Falcons. The Chargers hope to turn things around in their new home, after finishing dead last in the AFC West with a 5-11 record in 2016. While the Chargers have been to the playoffs just once in the last seven season, the Seahawks enter the 2017 season having played in the postseason six times over that same seven-year span (two SB appearances, including one win).

Seattle: It was a fairly quiet off-season for the Seahawks, although the team is hoping that Eddie Lacy (signed as FA from Green Bay) can stay healthy and along with Thomas Rawls, can return the Seattle running game to the heights of the Marshawn Lynch era. Russell Wilson showed a great deal character by battling through a few early season injuries early last year and is a quality, playoff-tested QB. The Seahawks will again feature one of the NFL’s strongest defensive units, which despite numerous injuries in 2016,  allowed an average of only 18.2 PPG, good for third in the NFL.

LA Chargers: The Chargers started their transition by landing one of the prized free agents in the off-season, signing OL Russell Okung to a 4-year, $53 million deal. He'll help protect QB Rivers and open holes for RB Gordon. Rivers could have a big year with a healthy Keenan Allen joining Travis Benjamin and 2017 first-round draft pick, Mike Williams from Clemson. Gordon had a hugely disappointing rookie season but the former Wisconsin RB had 997 yards rushing in 2016 with 12 TDs (10 rushing). The Chargers scored an average of 25.6 PPG last year (9th) but struggled defensively, allowing 26.4 PPG (29th).

The pick: No real reason to expect much from Seattle in this one and while this is the Chargers' first game before their new "home crowd," I expect a boring game. Make teh Under an 8* play.

The set-up: The 5-2 BC Lions visit Mosaic Stadium on Sunday to take on the 2-4 Saskatchewan Roughriders. The BC Lions are unbeaten against all CFL teams not named Edmonton, which by the way is a perfect 7-0. Jonathon Jennings began the season as BC's No. 1 QB but was injured in Week 4. Veteran Travis Lulay took over and threw for 436 yards in that Week 4 contest. He's completing 73.7% of his passes and averaging 359.3 YPG while lead the Lions to 35.3 PPG. Defensively, BC is allowing 27.7 points and 397.3 yards per game. The Roughriders have split their last four games, including 30-15 at BC last week. Saskatchewan enters this contest 2-4. QB Kevin Glenn is completing 70.7 percent of his passes for 1,784 yards with 11 TDs and six INTs.

The pick: Yes, it's tough to beat the same team in back-to-back weeks but the BC Lions dominated last week and as long as Saskatchewan doesn't come out dressed in Edmonton uniforms, the Lions should be just fine. The Lions are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings in Saskatchewan and Sunday, makes it 5-0-1! BC is a 10* play.

The set-up: No team will be able to catch the Houston Astros in the AL West but the Angels, Mariners and Rangers are all still alive in the wild card hunt. The Rangers followed Friday's 6-4 win over the Astros with an 8-3 win Saturday night and have now moved within 2 1/2 games of the AL's second wild card by posting three straight wins. Texas goes for its fourth win in a row, as well as a three-game sweep of the first-place Astros Sunday afternoon in Arlington. Houston has lost the first five of its eight-game road trip and while the Astros still own a 12-game margin tin the division, they have lost 11 of their last 14 games.

The pitching matchup: Dallas Keuchel (9-2 & 2.87 ERA) will make his fourth start since a neck injury sidelined him for close to two months and will square off against the Rangers' Andrew Cashner (7-8 & 3.36 ERA). Keuchel has not looked like the same pitcher who went on the DL with a 9-0 record and 1.67 ERA. He has not pitched more than five innings in any of his last three starts (12 innings total), allowing 14 ERs on 33 hits for an ERA of 10.50 (he's 0-2 and the team 1-2). His ERA for the season has risen more than a full run (1.67 to 2.87) during his time back. Keuchel improved to 6-7 with a 4.04 ERA in 19 career starts against the Rangers (team is 9-10) in his last outing before the injury on June 2, when he scattered three hits over six scoreless innings. Cashner comes in off three consecutive  wins, defeating Seattle 5-1 after allowing one run on six hits in six innings on August 2. He has also won three straight at home, with his last setback at Globe Life Park coming on June 3 (it was against Houston, though).

The pick: Cashner's woes against Houston have been real in 2017. He entered this season with a  2-2 lifetime record versus the Astros but has lost his first three meetings this year against Houston, allowing 11 ERs on 24 hits over 16 innings (6.19 ERA). I expect a huge bounce-back here from Keuchel and for Cashner to once again have trouble with Houston. Make the Astros an 8* play.

The set-up: The Orioles have fought their way back into the wild card discussion in recent weeks but squandered a late lead last night and fell 5-4 in Oakland. and dropped a 5-4 decision. Baltimore missed an opportunity to reach the .500 mark for the season on Friday and now (at 57-59), must win the remaining two of this four-games series with the A's to achieve that mark. The setback was the third in four contests for the Orioles, who are now two games back of the Minnesota Twins in the race for the second wild-card spot in the American League. Oakland staged an eighth-inning rally to halt its three-game slide, earning their first win on their current nine-game homestand (1-3 so far). The A's are going nowhere in 2017, as the team's 51-65 record is better than only the White Sox's 45-68 mark in the American League.

The pitching matchup: Dylan Bundy (11-8 & 4.15 ERA) starts for Baltimore and Sean Manaea (8-6 & 4.15 ERA) for Oakland. Bundy recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts over seven innings in Monday's 6-2 win in LA over the Angels. He's allowed just two ERs over his last two starts (15 innings for a 1.20 ERA) but that comes after allowing 19 runs in 20 1/3 innings (8.55 ERA) over his previous four outings. This is Bundy's first-ever start against Oakland. Manaea hasn't won in any of his last four starts (he's 0-1 with a 6.63 ERA and the A's are 1-3). Like Bundy, Manaea will be facing Baltimore for the first time in his brief career.

The pick: I played last night's Bal/Oak game under and despite some late bullpen woes, cashed that ticket by a half-run. Tonight's win will come easier. Make the Under an 8* play.

The set-up: Week 1 of the 2-017 NFL preseason continues with three games on Saturday, including the Titans visiting the Jets at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Tennessee is coming off a 9-7 season and while the Titans missed the playoffs for the eight consecutive year, it was Tennessee’s first winning season since 2011. Meanwhile, the Jets stumbled to a 5-11 record in 2016 (last-place in the AFC East) and missed the postseason for the sixth consecutive year.

Tennessee: The Titans lost a few notable players in TE Anthony Fasano, G Chance Warmack and WR Kendall Wright but was also busy, signing SS Johnathan Cyprien, G Tim Belito and CB Logan Ryan, while retaining QB Matt Cassel and TE Phillip Supernaw. Tennessee went 3-1 in the preseason last year but stumbled out of the gate in the regular season, losing three of their first four games. However, the Titans recovered to win four of their final five to end up 9-7, tied with the Texans atop the AFC South (Houston won the tie-breaker). If QB Marcus Mariota (3426 yards, 26 TD, 9 INT plus 349 rushing yards and two TDs) been healthy in the final two games, things may have been different. If he can play all 16 games this season, the Titans are in good shape. The running game is in good hands with the tandem of DeMarco Murray (293 carries, 1287 yards, 4 TD, 53 catches, 377 yards, 3 TD) and Derrick Henry (110 carries, 490 yards, TD, 13 cathches, 137 yards). The Titans bolstered their receiving corps via the draft and free agency. In the draft, Tennessee picked WRs Corey Davis in the first round and Taywan Taylor in the third round plus added TE Jonnu Smith with a third round selection. Eric Decker was signed as a FA after the Jets cut him.

NY Jets: Head coach Todd Bowles is back for his third year. The Jets were 3-5 at the midway point before losing six of their seven, before a meaningless Week 17 win over to finish 5-11. Gone are QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, WR Brandon Marshall and WR Eric Decker, as well as longtime center Nick Mangold. Darrelle Revis, David Harris, Marcus Gilchrist and Calvin Pryor are gone from the defense. Bowles will oversee a rebuilding process this season but will he be around to see it completed? The QB position will be a three-way battle between grizzled veteran Josh McCown, former second-round pick Christian Hackenberg and former fourth-round pick Bryce Petty. The 'winner' joins aging Matt Forte (218 carries, 813 yards, 7 TD) and Bilal Powell (131 carries, 722 yards, 3 TD, 58 catches, 388 yards, 2 TD) in the backfield. When it comes to the receiving corps, the Jets feature a host of unproven ones.

The pick: The Titans have a shot at the 2017 playoffs while the Jets are going nowhere. However, for this meaningless contest, I prefer the Jets who have a real QB 'battle,' while the Titans look forward to the opening of the regular season, as they can't afford to open by losing three of their first four, again. Make the Jets a 10* play.

The set-up: The Royals were within 1 1/2 games of the AL Central lead as recently as July 26 but they've dropping five straight and 10 of their last 12 after a 6-3 loss in Friday’s series opener at Chicago. Kansas City is now five games back of Cleveland in the AL Central and while te Royals are just 1 1/2 games out of the final AL wild card spot, four teams are ahead of them, plus Baltimore is one back of KC and Texas two games back. The White Sox still own the AL's worst record at 45-68, but Friday's victory gives them four straight wins.

The pitching matchup: Ian Kennedy (4-8 & 4.83 ERA) starts for KC and James Shields (2-4 & 6.03 ERA) for Chicago. For the most part, 2017 has been a struggle for Kennedy. However, he put together a string of six quality starts in nine outings from June 10 through July 26 (Royals were 8-1), before once again running into trouble. Kennedy was tagged for seven runs (six earned) in six innings in an 11-3 loss to St. Louis on Monday, after giving up four runs in four-plus innings of a 7-2 loss at Baltimore six days earlier. Kennedy is 2-2 with a 4.70 ERA in seven career starts against the White Sox (teams are 4-3). Shields is win-less in six starts since June 29, posting an 8.13 ERA over that stretch. However, Shields is 7-2 with a 4.02 ERA in 12 starts against the Royals (a team he helped reach the World Series in 2014), with his teams going 8-4.

The pick: Yes, Kennedy has had his ups and downs in 2017 but Shields is all but done. In his one start against KC earlier this year, he was smacked around for six runs on 10 hits in just 4 1/3 innings of a 7-6 Chicago loss. After the Padres and White Sox combined to go 9-24 in his 2016 starts (minus-$1403 against the moneyline), the White Sox are just 2-7 in Shields' starts since returning from the DL in mid-June (4-8 in all his 2017 starts, minus-$237 against the moneyline). Make KC a 10* play.

The set-up: The Boston Red Sox had opened a 4 1/2 game lead over the Yankees entering this weekend's three-game series, on teh strength of an eight-game winning streak (Yanks entered having lost six of nine). Boston held a 3-0 lead going into the eighth inning in Friday's series opener and the Red Sox looked safe, considering they owned the best bullpen (according to ERA) in all of MLB. However, Addison Reed, the latest addition to the relief corps, was charged with four runs without recording an out as the Red Sox bullpen had a 19-inning scoreless streak come to an end,as the team went on to suffer a 5-4 loss. Boston's lead over the Yankees in the American League East was trimmed to 3 1/2 games and the etam's eight-game winning streak was snapped. Maybe the Yanks are pulling out of a funk, as they now own four wins over their last six games, afdter a four-game slide. The series continues this afternoon in the Bronx, as the Yankees still get plenty of head-to-head chances to make up ground in the East with nine more games against the Red Sox.

The pitching matchup: A pair of "surprise pitchers" square off today, as Drew Pomeranz (11-4 & 3.36 ERA) will take the mound for Boston and Luis Severino (9-4 & 2.91 ERA)for New York. Pomeranz has allowed one or no ERs in six of his last 10 starts and breezed past the Chicago White Sox last Saturday while yielding one run and striking out eight in 6 1/3 innings of a 4-1 win. He's completed seven innings just once this season but has gone at least six innings in six of his last seven starts. The Red Sox are 14-8 in all of his 2017 starts, although they are 10-4 in Pomeranz's last 14 starts and his ERA is 2.71 since June 1. Pomeranz is 1-1 with a 3.18 ERA in six career starts vs. the Yanks (teams are 4-2). Severino was a first-time All Star in 2017 and has been on a roll since the break, surrendering one or no ERs in each of his last five starts 67 Ks and an 0.83 ERA since the break). He's 4-0 in that stretch, with the Yankees winning all five games. Severino is 1-3 with a 3.30 ERA in five career starts vs. Boston (team is 2-3).

The pick: I had the Yanks as a free play on Friday and will back them again here, with more enthusiasm. Severino's lone no-decision in the last five outings came at Boston back on July 15, when he scattered one run on four hits over seven innings in what turned out to be a 4-1 New York win. but could not get any early support in a game the Yankees went on to win 4-1. New York has won Severino's last six starts, while he's posted a 1.36 ERA. Severino was 0-8 as a starting pitcher last season but has put taht behind him, nicely. Yes, Pomeranz has been a huge boost to Boston's rotation but note that his worst outing since mid-June came at home against New York on July 14, when he was reached for four runs on six hits in six innings without factoring in the decision of a 5-4 Boston win. Make the Yankees an 8* play.

The set-up: The Baltimore Orioles opened the 2017 season 22-10 but by the All Star break, were just 42-46. Baltimore returned from the break and lost all three games at home to the Cubs (falling to 42-49) but have since gone 15-9 to climb back in the wild card race. Currently, the Orioles sit just 1 1/2 games out of the final AL wild card spot, although it's a log-jam with six teams within 1 1/2 games of each other vying for ONE spot! The Orioles will attempt to move closer to a wild-card spot tonight in Oakland for the second contest of their four-game series. Baltimore began the series on Thursday with a 7-2 win and the fact that the A's are 50-65 on the season (owners of the AL's second-worst record), has to give Baltimore confidence.

The pitching matchup: Ubaldo Jimenez (5-7 & 6.31 ERA) gets the start for the Orioles and Paul Blackburn (3-1 & 2.60 ERA) for the A's. Jimenez continues to disappoint for Baltimore, although he did end his four-start win-less streak on Sunday, when he limited Detroit to one run on nine hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings.Jimenez owns a 4-1 record and 4.66 ERA in seven career starts against Oakland. Blackburn is a rookie and he notched a victory over San Francisco on July 31 despite being roughed up (5 ERs in 6 1/3 innings) but then pitched much better on Saturday, scattering five hits over 6 2/3 innings of a 5-0 win over the Angels in Los Angeles. It was the rookie's second scoreless outing of the year and the third in which he did not allow an earned run (he's made seven starts in 2017). Blackburn will be facing Baltimore for the first time.

The pick: Jimenez may own a 6.31 ERA and 1.55 WHIP on the season but he has pitched well as of late, allowing a total of four runs in 18 2/3 innings over his last three outings (1.93 ERA). As for Blackburn, the rookie has shown promise pitching for a poor team. Make the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: The Cincinnati Bengals host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1 preseason action Friday night from Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati. The Buccaneers are viewed as a team on the rise by many with QB Jameis Winston entering his third season. The Bucs were 6-10 in Winston's rookie season but went 9-7 last year, ending a run of five consecutive losing seasons Cincinnati is led by QB Andy Dalton, coming off a season in which he threw for 4206 yards with 18 TDs and just eight INTs, although the Bengals missed the playoffs for the first tim e since 2010, going just 6-9-1. Tampa Bay was 2-2 in last year’s preseason, while Cincy posted a 1-3 record.

Tampa Bay: Winston threw 28 TD passes in 2016 (up from 22) but his interception total also rose from 15 to 18 (The Bucs need to see that number fall not rise, in 2017). WR Mike Evans is blossoming into an elite pass-catcher, with receptions for 1,321 receiving yards and 12 TDs. DeSean Jackson joins as a FA plus the Bucs also added a few promising receivers in the draft. Tampa Bay’s featured RB Doug Martin will be suspended the first three weeks of the season meaning Jacquizz Rodgers could see a bulk of the carries to start the regular season (Rodgers is an able replacement). The Buccaneers averaged 22.1 PPG (19th) and allowed 23.1 PPG (15th). Both figures need to improve.

Cincinnati: When healthy, A.J. Green is one of the NFL's top WRs. The Bengals have depth at RB in Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill plus bolstered their running game by drafting the controversial Joe Mixon with their second round pick. Cincinnati's defense showed great improvement as the 2016 season progressed (finished eight overall in scoring D at 19.7 PPG). Has the Bengals' 'playoff window' closed? The offense must average more than the 20.3 PPG of last season (ranked 23rd).

The pick: Like most preseason Week 1 games, we will see little from the respective No. 1 QBs for each team, Winston and Dalton. Tampa Bay's backup is veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick, who is good at winning meaningless games. Meanwhile, A.J. McCarron has not played in a regular season game since 2015 plus third stringer Jeff Driskel wasn't much of a college QB. Make Tampa Bay a 10* play.

The set-up: The Pittsburgh Pirates have so far had little trouble in this week of interleague contests. The Pirates took three of four in a home-and-home set with the Tigers and now move on to Toronto to wrap up a week of seven IL games with the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. The Pirates pounded out 13 hits in a 7-5 win over the Tigers on Thursday
to draw within one game of .500 (57-58) and to within three games of the first-place Cubs in the tightly-packed NL Central. The 54-60 Blue Jays are still at the bottom of the AL East standings (11 games back of Boston) but they are doing their best to knock others out of contention and took two of three from the NY Yankees this week, after Thursday's 4-0 shutout win. Toronto is just four games out of the final wild card spot but the problem is that there are seven teams ahead of them.

The pitching matchup: Jameson Taillon (6-5 & 4.60 ERA) will take the mound for Pittsburgh and Marcus Stroman (10-5 & 3.17 ERA) for Toronto. After not making it through four innings in either of his previous two starts in which he allowed 17 ERs on 20 hits in 6 2/3 innings (woeful 22.95 ERA), Taillon struck out eight in 6 1/3 innings while allowing two runs on five hits in a win in his last start against San Diego (Pittsburgh would win 5-4 in 12 innings last Sunday). Taillon will be facing Toronto for the first time in his career but note he is 2-1 with a 1.93 ERA in five career interleague starts. Stroman surrendered 11 hits at Houston on Sunday but limited the damage to two earned runs in 6 2/3 innings without factoring in the decision (Jays lost 7-6). In fact, he has not been part of the decision in four of his last five starts despite surrendering three runs or less in each of those no decisions. Stroman appeared once in relief previously against Pittsburgh (no starts) but is 8-1 with a 2.38 ERA in 14 career interleague games, including 11 starts.

The pick: Pittsburgh has won six of its last eight games but will face a tough test here against Stroman. He may have just two wins over his last six starts but he deserves much better, posting a 2.50 ERA. His 8-1 record and 2.38 ERA in IL games speaks volumes and here in 2017, he's 3-1 with a 2.73 ERA in four interleague starts. Make Toronto an 8* play.

The set-up: The Dodgers lost 6-3 at Chase Field on Tuesday but rebounded last night with a 3-2 victory, becoming the first team to record 80 wins this season. The accolades just keep piling up for this LA team. Los Angeles has won five of its last six contests to improve to 6-2 on its nine-game road trip and became the first team since 1913 to reach the 80-win mark in its first 113 contests. The Dodgers have won 14 of 16 games and 45 of 53. They have won 14 of their past 17 series, splitting the three others. The rubber match of this three-game series goes tonight and LA has not dropped a series since losing two of three to Washington from June 5-7. Arizona has lost three of its last four contests to fall one-half game behind the Rockies for the first NL wild card spot but the D'backs own a 6 1/2-game lead for the second wild card.

The pitching matchup: Yu Darvish (7-9 & 3.81 ERA overall in 2017) will start for LA and Anthony Banda (1-1 & 3.86 ERA) gets the nod for Arizona. Darvish had a brilliant debut with Los Angeles this past Friday, scattering three hits and striking out 10 over seven scoreless innings in a 6-0 victory over the Mets at Citi Field. It was an enormous turnaround, as he had been battered for 10 runs over 3 2/3 innings of a 22-10 loss to Miami on July 26 in his final outing with Texas before being traded five days later. Darvish has made two career starts against Arizona, going 1-0 while allowing four runs (2.45 ERA) and recording 28 strikeouts over just 14 2/3 innings (Rangers were 1-1). Banda is coming off a 2-1 triumph at San Francisco on Friday in which he gave up one run and three hits over six innings in his second major-league start. Banda will be facing Los Angeles for the first time and has posted a 7-6 record and 5.13 ERA in 19 starts for Triple-A this season.

The pick: The contrast on the mound could not be much greater, as Banda makes his third career start and one can hardly be impressed by his 5.13 ERA in Triple-A in 2017. Meanwhile, Darvish is a No. 1 starter on most teams (he'll be No. 2 for LA when Kershaw returns) and rose to the occasion in his first start for LA. Expect another quality outing here and that LA lineup will teach Banda a thing or two. Make the Dodgers a 10* play.

The set-up: The New Orleans Saints face off against the Cleveland Browns on Thursday night at Cleveland in Week 1 NFL preseason action. Led by Drew Brees, the Saints have owned one of the NFL's best passing offenses for more than a decade. However, the Saints have added RB Adrian Peterson and for the first time, A.P. will dress in gold and black. As for the Browns, they will enter the 2017 season off a 1-15 season last year, the team's ninth consecutive losing one. The Browns have averaged a modest 4.2 wins per season in that nine-year run and also take a 14-season playoff drought into 2017.

New Orleans: The Saints continue to rely on the ageless Drew Brees, who completed 70.0 percent of his passes for 5,208 yards with 37 TDs and just 15 interceptions in 673 throws at age 37 last season. Brandin Cooks was traded to the New England Patriots but the Saints still have Michael Thomas (92 catches for 1,137 yards and nine TDs as a rookie last season) and Willie Snead (72 catches, 895 yards, 4 TDs) plus free agent acquisition Ted Ginn Jr. (he'll love Brees!). New Orleans finished 7-9 last season, as while they were the NFL's second-highest scoring team (29.3 PPG), the Sainst also allowed 28.4 PPG (31 of 32 teams). New Orleans gave up at least 34 points in six games last season.

Cleveland: The Browns bumbled their way to a 1-15 mark last season, giving them the top pick in the NFL Draft. They selected DE Myles Garrett from Texas A&M. The Browns also went out and picked up the versatile Jabrill Peppers from Michigan along with TE David Njoku from Miami (FL) in the first round. However, the Browns still have plenty of question marks to address, as they finished next to last in the league in scoring offense (16.5 PPG) and third-worst in scoring defense (28.3 PPG) in 2016. Cleveland didn’t score more than 28 points in a game last season while allowing at least 30 points on seven occasions.

The pick: No position has been seen greater turmoil in Cleveland than at QB. Cody Kessler (128 of 195, 1380 yards, six TD, two INT, 0-8 as a starter) is  the de facto #1 on the depth chart but Cleveland also picked up Brock Osweiler (301 of 510, 2957 yards, 15 TDs, 16 INTs for Houston) in a salary dump deal that netted the Browns a pair of picks and drafted DeShone Kizer from Notre Dame in the second round. Osweiler will get the start in this one but expect to see all three. Plenty of players will see action tonight but it's hard to see how either team will have much trouble putting points on the board. Make the Over a 10* play.

The set-up: The St. Louis Cardinals elected to 'stay pat' at the non-waiver trade deadline and all of a sudden, have surged into contention in the NL Central. The Cardinals go for a four-game sweep of their I-70 Series with the Royals Thursday night, while looking to make it six wins in a row, overall. The Cardinals outscored the Royals 21-6 in two wins at Kansas City to open the series, then won 8-5 last night back in St. Louis. The Cards are now 58-56 (in a virtual tie with the 59-57 Brewers) and have inched within 1 1/2 games of the first-place Cubs. Meanwhile, the Royals have dropped five of their last six to fall four games behind first-place Cleveland in the AL Central and one back of Seattle for the second wild-card spot

The pitching matchup: Jason Hammel (5-9 & 4.73 ERA) takes the mound for KC and Lance Lynn (10-6 & 3.12 ERA) for StL. Hammel has recorded quality starts in each of his last two outings and four of his last six but it's been a looong year for him, as the Royals are 7-15 in his 2017 starts (minus-$658). Hammel is 4-6 with a 5.69 ERA in 13 career starts against the Cardinals (teams are 5-8). Lynn enters on a roll, having gone 4-0 with a 1.21 ERA over his last six starts and has allowed more than one run only once during that stretch (Cards are 5-1). Lynn has made just three career starts against the Royals, without much success (6.38 ERA).

The pick: The Cards are looking for a season-high sixth straight win and come in swinging the bats very well, averaging 9.2 RPG in their five consecutive wins. No reason to expect Hammel to slow them down here and while Lynn is "on a roll," his 6.38 career ERA against the Royals make me say Over in this one (8* play).

The set-up: The Minnesota Vikings had 'tongues wagging' by opening teh 2016 season 5-0 SU & ATS. However, after a Week 6 bye, the Vikings lost their mojo, losing four in a row SU & ATS. The team never recovered, losing eight of its final 11 games to finish teh season 8-8 (9-7 ATS). Minnesota is out to prove its hot start wasn’t a fluke and that the Vikings can challenge the Packers for the division title (we'll see). The Bills gave up on Rex Ryan and would finish 7-9, extending to 17 seasons, the NFL's longest playoff drought. The Bills have employed nine different head coaches during their playoff drought and I wish Sean McDermott "the best of luck," as he's been named the 20th head coach in team history.

Minnesota: It’s a new era in Minnesota, as Adrian Peterson is no longer roaming the backfield. The Vikings will feature Jerick McKinnon, rookie Dalvin Cook, Bishop Sankey and Terrell Newby running behind fullback C.J. Ham. QB Sam Bradford completed 71.6 percent of his passes last season with 20 TDs and just five INTs but rarely threw downfield. That has to change.

Buffalo: Tyrod Taylor is entering his third season as Buffalo’s starting QB and he has passed for more than 3,000 yards in each of the past two years and has 37 TD passes against just 12 interceptions during that span, yet most feel he isn't truly Buffalo's answer at the position. Buffalo was a force on the ground last season as LeSean McCoy had a bounce back season (1,267 yards / 5.4 YPC / 13 TDs) behind an excellent OL. However, the he oft-injured Sammy Watkins remains a big question mark at WR.

The pick: Word is that he Vikings are doing the best they can to avoid preseason injuries but one can't ignore that they have played to win these relatively meaningless contests. Minnesota went undefeated in the preseason in 2016 and is 12-1 SU in its last 13 preseason outings dating back to 2013. Make the Vikings an 8* play.

The set-up: The Tigers managed just three runs in two losses at Pittsburgh (Monday and Tuesday) against the Pirates but pounded out 14 hits in Wednesday 10-0 win at Comerica Park last night. Justin Verlander rolled back the clock (8 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs) and now Detroit will look to earn a sweep of the home portion of its four-game, home-and-home interleague set with Pittsburgh on Thursday afternoon. The 52-61 Tigers aren't much of a threat to play this postseason, as they sit six games out of the final wild card spot in the AL, with EIGHT teams ahead of them. As for the 56-58 Pirates, they still remain in striking distance in the NL Central, a mere 3 1/2 games back of the Cubs.

The pitching matchup: Gerrit Cole (9-8 & 4.00 ERA) will take the hill for Pittsburgh and Drew VerHagen (0-1 & 5.00 ERA) for Detroit. Cole turned in his sixth straight quality start this past Saturday against San Diego but suffered his first loss in that span while allowing three runs on eight hits and two walks in six innings of a 5-2 Padres win. The former No. 1 overall pick had surrendered a total of eight ER in 32 innings over his previous five starts (2.25 ERA with Cole going 3-0 and Pittsburgh 5-0). Cole is 8-5 with a 3.34 ERA in 16 career interleague starts, including 1-1 with a 2.41 mark in three starts against Detroit (Pirates are 2-1). VerHagen, who made 40 relief appearances from 2014-2016, is getting a second chance to start after allowing two runs on four hits in five innings without factoring in the decision at Baltimore on Saturday (Orioles won 5-2). He made two appearances out of the bullpen after being recalled in July and surrendered a total of three runs in four innings in that role. VerHagen went 7-7 with a 4.90 ERA in 19 starts for Triple-A Toledo before being recalled.

The pick: Cole will be making his 24th start this season, three more than he had during his injury-marred 2016 campaign."It's been nice to be healthy and contribute," Cole said. "That's our goal here, so it's been fortunate to be given this opportunity. I've just got to keep plugging away at it." One could easily argue that he's become Pittsburgh's ace, as he's 6-2 with a 2.98 ERA over his last 10 starts (Pirates are 8-2). Cole and Pittsburgh are the bet (8*).

The set-up: The Dodgers are wrapping up a nine-game road trip with a three-game series in Arizona against the D'backs. Arizona posted a 6-3 triumph in Tuesday's opener, snapping LaAs string of four straight victories and dropping the Dodgers to 5-2 on their nine-game trip. The 64-48 Diamondbacks won't be catching the Dodgers this season (are 15 games back) but for a team which went 69-93 in 2016, Arizona has to be pretty satisfied with its performance in 2017. Arizona currently holds down the No. 1 wild card spot in the NL (just a half-game up on Colorado) and is 6 1/2 games clear of the NL playoff 'cut line.'

The pitching matchup: Alex Wood (13-1 & 2.33 ERA) continues his "career year" for LA when he takes the mound tonight against Zack Greinke (13-4 & 3.10 ERA), who spurned the Dodgers by signing a FA deal with the D'backs after the 2015 season. Wood suffered his only loss of the season on July 21 vs. the Braves but has rebounded with back-to-back wins, including a 7-4 triumph in Atlanta last Thursday in which he allowed one run over six innings. Wood is 3-3 with a 3.46 ERA in seven career starts against Arizona (teams are 3-4). Greinke managed to extend his unbeaten streak to seven starts on Thursday, as he escaped Chicago with a no-decision after being ripped by the Cubs for six runs on nine hits over six innings. He has gone 5-0 since suffering his last loss on June 20, with the D'backs going 6-1. Greinke recorded 51 wins with Los Angeles from 2013-15 but fell to 3-3 lifetime against the Dodgers in eight starts (teams are 5-3), after giving up five runs on 10 hits and three walks over five innings of a road loss on April 14 of this season.

The pick: Greinke is 10-0 with a 2.39 ERA in 12 starts at home this season (D'backs are 11-1) but note that he owns a 5.60 ERA in three starts against the Dodgers since leaving them to sign with the D'backs. Wood owns a 1.55 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in eight road starts this year and in case you haven't heard, he pitches for MLB's best team. Make the Dodgers an 8* play.

The set-up: The Astros still own the AL's best record at 71-41, as well as owning MLB's best overall road record at 38-16. However, last night's 8-5 loss in Chicago to the White Sox leaves Houston just 11-12 since the All Star break. Chicago snapped a six-game slide with the win but it was just the team's fourth win in 23 games since the break, as the White Sox own the AL's worst record here in 2017 at 42-68. Chicago goes for back-to-back wins for the first time this month tonight, in the second of this three-game series. Meanwhile, the the Astros look to regain their mojo after losing seven of their past 10 games.

The pitching matchup: Collin McHugh (0-0 & 3.24 ERA) missed 3 1/2 months with an elbow impingement and takes the mound for just the fourth time in 2017 tonight for Houston. He will be opposed by Miguel Gonzalez (5-10 & 5.15 ERA) of the White Sox. McHugh surrendered one earned run for the second straight outing in last Thursday's game versus Tampa Bay but is still looking for his first decision of the season (he's 0-0 and the team 1-2). McHugh surrendered just five hits and struck out six in six innings against the Rays to walk away with a smile. "It feels good to throw a full 100 pitches, to get a full game in," he said. "It's been a long time for me. So, I think it's a step in the right direction for sure." McHugh is 0-3 with a 4.00 ERA in three career starts vs. the White Sox. Gonzalez saw his streak of three solid starts end (2.33 ERA in that span) with a thud on Thursday after allowing seven runs on seven hits in just 1 2/3 innings of a 9-5 loss at Boston. Gonzalez is 1-4 with a 3.95 ERA in six career starts vs. the Astros (teams are 2-4).

The pick: McHugh has looked good in his last two outings and should have little trouble vs. a White Sox lineup that ranks 24th in scoring in all of MLB at 4.30 RPG. As for Gonzalez, I expect him to bounce back from his last awful outing (remember he owned a 2.33 ERA in his previous three starts), against a Houston team "off its game." Make the Under an 8* play.

The set-up: Week 1 of the 2017 NFL preseason begins early, as the Houston Texans visit the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte tonight. The Texans finished 9-7 and won the AFC South division in 2016. They then won the franchise's first-ever playoff game, beating the Raiders 27-14 in the wild card round (Houston had lost its first playoff game in three previous postseason appearances). However, the Texans lost 34-16 at New England the Divisional Round to the eventual champion Patriots. The Panthers went 15-1 in 2015 and made it to the Super Bowl, before getting shut down by Denver's dominating defense. Then in 2016, Carolina stumbled to a 6-10 record, becoming the first team in NFL history to go 15-1 and miss the playoffs the next year.

Houston: The Texans are beginning the franchise’s 16th season and fourth under head coach Bill O’Brien, but will see a few new faces. Offensive coordinator George Godsey is gone, following a 29th overall finish in total yards last year. The one year Brock Osweiler 'experiment' is over, as Tom Savage opens the preseason as the team's No. 1 QB, although Clemson's Deshaun Watson has made quite an early impression on O'Brien, early on. Veteran WR Andre Johnson officially retired in April, leaving a hole in the receiving corps. DeAndre Hopkins (a budding star) and Will Fuller were to be the team’s top receivers but Fuller suffered a broken collarbone during training camp and will be out 2-3 months. Houston added WRs Dres Anderson and Devin Street but are they enough? Lamar Miller is the team's No. 1 RB, backed by Alfred Blue. Houston is one of the NFL's best defensive teams when J.J. Watt is 100%. He missed 13 games last season with a back injury and has been eased into action during training camp. Watt likely won’t play in this contest.

Carolina: The Panthers averaged 31.3 PPG in 2015 but the Cam Newton-led offense fell off to just 23.1 PPG in 2016. Newton owns reliable receiving threats in Kelvin Benjamin, Devin Funchess and TE Greg Olsen plus Stanford rookie RB Christian McCaffrey is considered a pass-catcher of the first order. RB Johnathan Stewart continues as a solid backfield presence. The Carolina defense struggled last year, allowing an average of 25.1 PPG (26th) and after forcing a league-high 39 turnover in 2015 (plus-20 TO differential), , had just 27 in 2016 (minus-2 differential).

The pick: Watson is turning heads at training camp, fresh off a National Championship with Clemson. However, don't expect much here. Don't expect to see much of Newton either and this game has 'under' written all over it. Make it an 8* play.

The set-up: The Padres and  Reds own two of  MLB's worst records and opened a four-game series Monday in Cincinnati. The two teams have taken took turns pounding each other in the first two of this four-game set, as the Reds hit four HRs in an 11-3 win on Monday but then watched San Diego jump on top quickly (led 7-0) in a 7-3 Padres win last night. Recently, the Reds are enduring a stretch in which they've been held to four or fewer runs in five of the last six games, while the Padres are last in the National League in runs scored (430 / 3.84 per). San Diego checks in at 50-62 and Cincinnati at 46-67.

The pitching matchup: Travis Wood (2-3, 6.49 ERA) starts for San Diego and Asher Wojciechowski (2-1 & 4.15 ERA) for Cincy. Wood is still getting acclimated to his new surroundings in San Diego since being acquired from the Kansas City Royals in July. Wood will be making his third start for San Diego since the trade, having earned a win at home over Pittsburgh with six strong innings on July 28 but then was not quite as sharp at the Pirates last Friday, when he was reached for four runs on six hits in five innings. Wood spent the first seven years of his career in the NL Central, including the first two with Cincinnati and is 4-5 with a 2.91 ERA in 27 career games (11 starts / teams are 4-7) against the Reds. Wojciechowski spent all of July in the bullpen but got a chance to get back into the rotation last  Friday against St. Louis and earned a win while allowing one run and three hits in five innings. However, his 7.79 ERA in four starts bridging May and June caused him to lose his spot. Wojciechowski is making his first career appearance against the Padres.

The pick: The Padres are a poor road team, entering this game 21-35, while allowing 5.54 RPG away from home in 2017. It also sure doesn't inspire confidence that starter Travis Wood has a career 4.77 ERA at Great American Ball Park, either. Rookie Asher Wojciechowski makes his 14th appearance and sixth start of the season tonight but does own a respectable 3.12 ERA at home in 2017. Make the Reds an 8* play.

The set-up: The Colorado Rockies were one strike from a 1-0 victory in Tuesday's game before Cleveland's Austin Jackson delivered a tying RBI single and Yan Gomes followed with a walk-off, three-run HR, giving the Indians a 4-1 victory in the first of a two-game IL series between the two playoff contenders.The Indians moved four games ahead of the Royals atop the AL Central, while the Rockies maintained a comfortable six-game lead over the Brewers for the NL's final wild card spot (Colorado is just a half-game back of the D'backs for the No. 1 wild card spot).

The pitching matchup: Rookie Antonio Senzatela (10-4 & 4.78 ERA) goes for the Rockies and Trevor Bauer (10-8 & 5.00 ERA) for the Indians. The Rockies have been trying to manage the innings of the 22-year-old, who has pitched out of the bullpen in five of his last seven appearances. He lasted only four innings in his last start, giving up six runs in a 7-2 loss at St. Louis on July 24 after winning his previous start with five innings of three-run ball in a 9-7 win on July 18. The Rockies are 11-6 (plus-$536) in Senzatela's 17 starts in 2017, including him beating the Indians 11-3 back on June 6 in Colorado, giving up three runs in 6 1/3 innings. Bauer is coming off an outstanding effort, limiting the New York Yankees to one run on seven hits over seven innings in a 7-2 win August 4. That gives him three consecutive wins, getting to 10-8 on the season. However, Bauer lasted only 3 1/3 innings in an 8-1 loss at Colorado on June 7, getting tagged for four runs while tying a season high with five walks. He's 0-1 with a 5.79 ERA in two career starts vs. Colorado.

The pick: The Rockies still look like a solid playoff team (see above) and also rank second in MLB's moneyline standings, at plus-$1645. However, the team's road woes are very real, as last night's loss makes them 5-18 on the road since June 11. Also, Colorado rookie Senzatela may have 'hit a wall.' This marks just his first start since July 24, as the team tries to manage his innings. However, it's not working. He owns an 8.05 ERA over his last five starts with Colorado going 2-3, after the Rockies had won nine of his first 12 starts in 2017. Bauer's 2017 numbers are far from pretty but he does own a 2.25 ERA in winning three consecutive starts. Make Cleveland an 8* play.

analysis coming

analysis coming

The set-up: The NY Yankees will visit Toronto to take on the Blue Jays in a three-game series. Toronto has played in each of the last two ALCS matchups but here in 2017, it's the Yankees who are the playoff contender, not the Blue Jays. The Yankees opened the season having made the playoffs in just one of the last four seasons (lost the wild card game in 2015 to the Astros) but enter this series 59-51, good enough for second in the AL East (three games behind the first-place Boston Red Sox) but also 2 1/2 games up in the race for the first AL wild card spot. In contrast, the 52-59 Blue Jays are last in the AL East (10 1/2 games removed from first), as well as sitting five games out of the second wild-card spot but with SEVEN teams ahead of them!

The pitching matchup: It's a battle of lefties, as C.C. Sabathia (9-4 & 3.81 ERA) of the Yanks will be facing the Blue Jays' J.A. Happ (4-8 & 3.92 ERA). The 2017 season has seen a rebirth for Sabathia, who entered the season having won a total of just 18 games the previous three years (2014-16). He's got nine wins in 18 starts here in 2017 but more importantly, the Yankees are 13-5 in his starts, giving him MLB's 8th-best moneyline mark among starters at plus-$807. The veteran lefty is 16-10 (3.61 ERA) in 29 career starts vs. Toronto (teams are 17-12), including an impressive 8-2 record with a 2.80 ERA in 13 career starts at the Rogers Centre. J. A. Happ has faced the Yankees once this season, allowing one run on four hits while striking out six over six innings in a 4-1 win on July 4 (over Sabathia). He is 7-2 with a 3.63 ERA in 15 career starts against the Yankees (teams are 9-6). Happ had a "career year" in 2016 going 20-4 but he was injured early in 2017 and owns only four wins with about two months left in the season. However, he has pitched better lately, going 4-4 with a 3.32 ERA over his past 10 starts.

The pick: C.C. has not looked good in his last two outings (eight ERs allowed on 11 hits over just 10 1/3 innings for a 6.97 ERA) and he also owns a 7.62 ERA against the Blue Jays this season in three starts. Happ isn't exactly 'on fire' but he has allowed three ERs or less in nine of his last 10 starts (he's allowed two ERs or less, seven times). Make Toronto an 8* play.

The set-up: This year’s I-70 Series comes with plenty on the line, as both the Royals and Cardinals enter the four-game home-and-home series Monday at Kansas City with hopes of making a playoff push.The 57-53 Royals are just 2 1/2 games behind first-place Cleveland in the AL Central plus currently own the AL's second wild card spot (two games back of the NYY and a half-game up on TB). The 55-56 Cardinals sit eight games out in the NL Wild card race but in the tight NL Central, trail the first-place Cubs by just 3 1/2 games, so the Cards are far from "out of it!"

The pitching matchup: Carlos Martinez (7-9 & 3.59 ERA) starts for St. Louis and Ian Kennedy (4-7 & 4.60 ERA) for Kansas City. Martinez surprised many winning 14 and 16 games the last two seasons, moving form the bullpen to the starting rotation. However, his 2017 season has begun to unravel lately, with just two quality starts over his last six outings, while posting a 5.82 ERA (he's 1-2 and StL 2-4). Kennedy has just four wins in 20 starts here in 2017 (team is 10-10) but is off a solid month of July, when the Royals won four of his five starts (3.68 ERA). However, his first start in August was a rough one, allowing four runs on eight hits over four-plus innings in a 7-2 loss at Baltimore last Tuesday.

The pick: Kennedy is 3-5 with a 7.20 ERA in eight starts against the Cardinals (teams are 3-5), but hasn't seen them since 2015. As for Martinez, has made one start and one relief appearance against the Royals in his career and has not allowed a run in eight combined innings. This series doesn't have the importance of the 1985 World Series, when the Royals rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Cardinals in seven games (Game 6 is the stuff of controversial legends!) but the stakes are high, with both teams flirting with the 2017 postseason. Both offenses are mediocre, with St. Louis averaging 4.47 RPG (21st) and KC averaging 4.37 RPG (22nd). Make the Under an 8* play.

The set-up: The Tigers caught some attention by taking two of three from both AL-leading Houston and the New York Yankees before opening a four-game series at Camden Yards by beating the Orioles on Thursday and Friday. Detroit entered the weekend having won six of eight and on a season-high-tying four-game wining streak but it came to a crashing halt as Baltimore hit three HRs in a 5-2 Saturday win and five more in Sunday's 12-3 victory. The Tigers are now 8 1/2 games back of Cleveland in the AL Central and six games behind Kansas City for the second wild-card spot. Over in the NL Central, Pittsburgh was able to creep within 4 1/2 games of the first-place Cubs with Sunday's 5-4 victory over San Diego, as newcomer Sean Rodriguez belted a walk-off solo HR in the 12th inning a day after being acquired from Atlanta. The Pirates recorded their 15th consecutive win when scoring at least four runs. The two teams play two at PNC Park in Pittsburgh before shifting to Detroit's Comerica Park for two games in a home-and-home setup.

The pitching matchup: Jordan Zimmermann (7-8 & 5.35 ERA) takes the mound for Detroit and rookie Trevor Williams (4-4 & 4.47 ERA) will get the nod for Pittsburgh. Zimmermann missed out on an opportunity to record his first shutout of the season on Wednesday due to a rain delay of more than three hours in New York but settled for the victory after allowing six hits across seven scoreless innings. He has turned in three quality starts in four tries since the All Star break and has not walked a batter in any of those three efforts. Zimmermann notched his only win in three career starts versus the Pirates last season, tossing six scoreless innings in Pittsburgh on April 14 (he's 1-2 with a 4.00 ERA). Williams settled for another no-decision his last time out, allowing two runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings (Pirates lost 5-2 to the Reds this past Wednesday). It marked his 10th no-decision in 16 starts this season (Pirates are 7-9). Williams is 1-0 with a 3.42 ERA in four starts since the All-Star break (Pirates are 2-2) and makes his first-ever career start against the Tigers..

The pick: Yes, Detroit has won nine of its past 15 road games, after starting the season with a 15-28 (.349) record away from Comerica Park. However, trusting Zimmermann away from home is a dangerous proposition. He was a solid part of Washington's rotation for years but injuries limited him to just 18 starts last year with the Tigers, when he went 9-7 with a 4.87 ERA. He's been healthier in 2017 but his ERA is a career-worst 5.35 and he's allowed 142 hits in 119.1 innings. On the road, his ERA is 5.95 and his WHIP is 1.65, while the Tigers have lost nine of his 12 starts. Make Pittsburgh a 10* play.

The pitching matchup: Hyun-Jin Ryu (3-6 & 3.83 ERA) starts for Los Angeles and Steven Matz (2-4 & 5.50 ERA) takes the mound for the Mets. Ryu needed only 85 pitches to toss seven scoreless innings last time out against San Francisco, as the Dodgers wold go on to win 3-2 in 11 innings. That start was typical for Ryu as of late, as the lefty hasn't recorded a decision in his last four starts, despite recording a 2.38 ERA in that span. It's also worth noting that he owns a 2.16 ERA in four career starts vs. the Mets (he's 2-0 and the Dodgers 4-0!). In contrast, Matz has lost three straight decisions and is 0-2 with a 12.21 ERA in four starts since the All-Star break (Mets are 1-3).

The pick: I love the way Ryu has pitched lately and note that Matz is 2-0 with a 2.50 ERA in three regular-season outings against Los Angeles. Make the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: San Diego rookie Dinelson Lamet surrendered two runs on two hits in San Diego last weekend in beating the Pirates 4-2. He was sharp again on the other side of the country last night in Pittsburgh, striking out five against three walks and allowing just one hit over 5 2/3 innings in a 5-2 victory over the Pirates.The 49-60 Padres are just playing to get better from now until the end of the season while the Pirates have grander designs, as they are still within striking distance in the NL Central, lurking 5 1/2 games out in the division. However, Pittsburgh's penchant for struggling against losing teams, is hurting its chances. The Pirates are now 3-7 in their last 10 games, all against teams at least 10 games under .500! The rubber match of this three-game series goes Sunday.

The pitching matchup: Clayton Richard (5-12 & 5.40 ERA) will start for San Diego and  Jameson Taillon (6-5 & 4.74 ERA) for Pittsburgh. Richard is a 33-year-old veteran lefty who comes in off four consecutive losses, having allowed 23 ERs over 23 1/3 innings of his last four starts (8.87 ERA). His last win came back on June 13 and the Padres have gone 1-7 over his last eight starts. However, Richard owns a 2.86 ERA in nine career starts against the Pirates. Taillon has been rocked in his last two starts, allowing 17 ERs in 6 2/3 innings, as his ERA has swelled from 3.04 to 4.74! In his only career start against the Padres, Taillon pitched eight scoreless innings in a 4-0 victory back in 2016.

The pick: The Pirtaes clearly need to stop losing against bad teams and winning here to take the series from the Padres is a must if the team has any hope of staying close in the NL Central. Taillon's a tough kid and overcoming a pair of tough outings is nothing for a guy who lost two complete minor league seasons to injury and underwent testicular cancer surgery early in May. Make the Pirates an 8* play.

The set-up: Arizona eked out a 2-1 win in the series opener of its three-game series with the Giants last night. Paul Goldschmidt went 3-for-4 with both RBI, one day after hitting a career-best three HRs and driving in six in a 10-8 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Goldschmidt is 17-for-34 with four HRs and 13 RBI over his last 10 games, with seven multi-hit contests in that span. Arizona remains a half-game up on Colorado in the race for the top wild card spot plus is six full games inside of the NL's playoff 'cut line.' As for the Giants, their 42-69 record is better than only the Phillies in all of MLB , while their minus-$3110 moneyline mark is a MLB-worst!

The pitching matchup: Taijuan Walker (6-5 & 3.55 ERA) vs.gets the start for the D'backs and rookie Chris Stratton (0-2 & 7.71 ERA) makes his second start and fifth appearance of the season for the Giants. Walker last won back on June 21 (16-5 against Colorado) but is win-less in six starts since then (he's 0-2 and the Rockies 2-4). However, he did strike out 10 in just 5 2/3 innings against St. Louis in his last outing while giving up three runs on four hits en route to the 3-2 loss. Walker is 2-1 with a 3.50 ERA in three career starts against the Giants, with the loss occurring on April 10 of this season. Stratton lost his only previous start, 6-2 to Detroit on July 6, when he gave up five runs on six hits over 6 2/3 innings as a late fill-in for the injured Johnny Cueto. Stratton also walked five in that loss to the Tigers and has 13 walks in 24 major-league innings over the last two seasons.

The pick: What's to like about the Giants with an very inexperienced pitcher on the mound? It's a rhetorical question. Make the D'backs an 8* play.

The set-up: The 70-39 Houston Astros still own the AL's best record (9 1/2 games better than Boston) but yesterdays' 16-7 win over Toronto makes them a modest 10-10 since the All Star break. The team's offense has been of the boom-or-bust variety of late, and surely Friday qualifies as a boom! Houston rode a nine-run fourth inning (which featured three HRs) to a 16-run, 18-hit effort. The loss keeps the Blue Jays in last place in the American League East at 51-58 and reportedly the Jays may be reassessing their future.  Toronto by pushing their veteran players through revocable waivers, as playoff hopes are at a season-low.

The pitching matchup: Marco Estrada (4-7 & 5.19 ERA) is one veteran reportedly going through waivers for Toronto and will take the mound against Houston’s Charlie Morton (9-4 & 3.77 ERA). Estrada has allowed a total of three runs on seven hits in 12 innings over his last two outings but settled for two no-decisions (Toronto was 1-1). The fact is, Estrada  is win-less over his last 11 starts (last win came back on May 27), going 0-5 in that span, with the Jays going 3-8. He's 2-0 with a 2.61 ERA in five career starts against the Astros (team is 3-2). Morton is working on a "career season," going 4-1 in his last five starts (2.93 ERA).  He is enjoying the best strikeout rate of his career with 97 in 88 1/3 innings. Morton struck out just three in six innings at Toronto on July 7 but also surrendered only one run and earned the victory in his lone career starts vs. Toronto.

The pick: Morton's a career journeyman, going 55-75 in 177 appearances, with a 4.47 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and a .271 BAA. I'm not buying his "career numbers" so far! In 13 road starts here in 2017, Estrada owns a 5.37 ERA. Expect another high-scoring game. Make the Over a 10* play.

The 2-3 Saskatchewan Roughriders and the 4-2 BC Lions meet for the first time in 2017 Saturday at BC Place. The Roughriders are led by QB Kevin Glenn, who is completing 70.8 percent of his passes for 1,598 yards with 11 TD passes and just four interceptions. Saskatchewan ranks fifth of nine teams in scoring (28.2 PPG) and its defense has been solid, ranking second in yards allowed (359.6 per) and fourth in points allowed (26.8 per). The BC Lions opened the season with a 30-27 home loss to Edmonton but then won four in a row, the first three all coming on the road. However, in a return match with Eskimos in Edmonton last week, the Lions fell again, this time by the score of 37-26. Starting QB Jennings was hurt a few weeks ago and veteran Lulya took over and passed for 436 and 404 yards in B2B wins. However, despite completing 22 of 26 passes at Edmonton, he was held to just 259 passing yards in the 11-point loss. BC's offense has been consistent, ranking third in scoring (31.7 PPG) and yards (414.8 per). The defense has been below average, allowing 27.7 PPG on 397.3 YPG (both numbers rank sixth).

The pick: The BC Lions have had no problems so far this season, except for going 0-2 vs.the Edmonton Eskimos. Then again, Edmonton stands at 6-0 on the season. BC played and beat Saskatchewan in each of the last two weeks of the 2016 season, outscoring the Roughriders by a combined score of 65-24! Saskatchewan has moved the ball and scored points at home here in 2017 (38.2 PPG in three contests) but has scored a total of just 26 points (13.0 per) in two road losses. Expect more road woes for the Roughriders in this one. Make BC a 10* play

The set-up: Yu Darvish was pretty good (a huge understatement) in his LA Dodgers debut on Friday, striking out 10 over seven scoreless innings of LA's 6-0 victory. It was LA's 11th win in 12 outing and as the Dodgers continue this three-game series in New Yrok against the Mets, they are in the midst of one of the best two-month stretches in major-league history. The Dodgers eye a 43rd victory in their last 50 contests in Saturday afternoon's game at Citi Field when they continue their three-game series Saturday in New York. Los Angeles has won eight of its last nine on the road and owns a 14-game lead in the NL West, plus is 12 games better that the NL's second-best team, the Washington Nats. Meanwhile, New York has dropped five of its last six to fall 12 1/2 games back of Colorado for the second and final NL wild-card spot (can you say good night?).

The pitching matchup: Rich Hill (8-4 & 3.35 ERA) will get the start for LA and Seth Lugo (5-3 & 4.53 ERA) for New York. Hill comes in on a roll, with five consecutive starts in which he has allowed two runs or less. He finished July 4-0 with a 1.45 ERA in five starts (Dodgers are 5-0), while striking out 40 and walking only five. Hill fanned eight and permitted one run on four hits in a win versus the Mets on June 21, improving to 1-2 with a 9.00 ERA in five appearances (three starts / team is 1-2) against them. Lugo is coming off one of his worst efforts of the season in last Sunday's 9-1 loss at Seattle in which he surrendered five runs on eight hits (including two HRs) in five innings. Lugo went 2-2 with a 5.29 ERA in July but overall, is 10-4 with a 3.72 ERA as a starter entering his 18th career start here, as he faces the Dodgers for the first time.

The pick: The Mets own the second-worst ERA in the NL (4.92) but own an 8.78 ERA in getting outscored 42-11 by the Dodgers in five games (all LA wins). The Dodgers have hit 18 HRs in those five games, extending to seven, their winning streak over the Mets dating back to last season. Why should anything change here? Make the Dodgers an 8* play.

The set-up: The Angels come off a three-game sweep of the Phillies, giving them five wins in their last six to come within a game of .500 (54-55). The Angels welcome the Oakland A's to Angel Stadium, where they own a five-game winning streak. Los Angeles has closed to three games of the AL's final wild card spot (currently held by KC) and need to take advantage of the A's, who are just 48-61 overall, including 17-36 on the road (only the Phillies own a worse record away from home).

The pitching matchup: Jharel Cotton (5-8 & 5.49 ERA) goes for the A's and Troy Scribner (1-0 & 4.50 ERA) will be make his third major-league appearance and first career start in this one for the Angels. Cotton was roughed up by Minnesota on Sunday in his first start since spending nearly a month on the disabled list due to blisters. He was lucky to escape with a no-decision, after allowing five runs on five hits (including two HRs) and five walks in 3 2/3 innings. Cotton defeated the Angels in his major-league debut back on Sept. 7 but is 0-2 against them this year after surrendering 12 runs over 9 1/3 frames in two outings for an 11.57 ERA (ouch!). Scribner worked a scoreless inning against Philadelphia on Tuesday, which followed him allowing two runs over three innings at Toronto in his debut three days earlier.

The pick: Cotton has been awful at home in 2017 (7.56 ERA and 1.68 WHIP in eight starts) but in seven road starts, owns a 3.26 ERA and 1.24 WHIP. The Astros gave up on Scribner in 2015 but he has matured quickly in the Angels' organization, going 12-5 with a 3.41 ERA in Double-A and Triple-A last year, before going 10-3 with a 4.16 ERA in Triple A in 2017. The Angels called him up last week and he got the win in his first major league appearance, then pitched an inning of relief Tuesday. I'm optimistic for his first start. Make the Under an 8* play.

The set-up: The 0-5 Hamilton Tiger-Cats will look for their first win of 2017 Friday night when they travel to Commonwealth Stadium to meet the Edmonton Eskimos, who are the CFL's lone unbeaten team at 5-0. Hamilton QB Zach Collaros leads the CFL's weakest offense, completing 62.4 percent for a modest 1,143 yards with only three TDs and five interceptions. Hamilton averages 18.0 PPG on 307.2 YPG with both figures ranking dead-last among the CFL's nine teams. On the other side of the ball, the Tiger-Cats allow 40.2 PPG and 489.8 YPG, with both of those numbers ranking ninth of nine teams. Talk about an unwanted 'daily-double!' Edmonton is led by QB Mike Reilly, who is completing 72.3 percent of his passes for 1,628 yards, with nine TDs and just two interceptions. The Eskimos are scoring 28.4 PPG on 469.2 YPG with both figures ranking fourth in the CFL. Defense has paved the way to Edmonton's 5-0 start, as the Eskimos allow 24.2 PPG (2nd-best) on a league-low 337.4 YPG.

The pick: Surely, Hamilton has nowhere to go but up off the team's humiliating 60-1 loss last week at Calgary and no team is ever as bad as it looks in its worst game. Yes, Edmonton is a perfect 5-0 but the team's largest margin of victory has come by 11 points with the team's other four wins coming by a combined 12 points. That includes a 31-28 July 20 victory in Hamilton over the Tiger-Cats. That 28-point effort represents Hamilton's highest scoring game of the 2017 season. Hamilton can't stop anyone, so if it plans on being competitive at all, the team will need to score. The Tiger-Cats are an impressive 4-0 ATS in their last 4 meetings in Edmonton and four of the last five meetings between the Tiger-Cats and Eskimos in Edmonton have gone over. Make the Over a 10* play.