MLB 3-Pack

The Pittsburgh Pirates host the Baltimore Orioles Tuesday night, and I think we'll see this contest stay under the posted total.

The Pirates' rookie right-hander Trevor Williams (6-9, 4.18 ERA) has compiled a 2.12 ERA through his last five starts while the Orioles' right-hander Kevin Gausman (11-10, 4.61 ERA) has pitched to a 1.71 ERA in his last five starts. Under is 9-2 in Gausmans last 11 road starts vs. a team with a losing record. Under is 14-2 in Williams' last 16 starts overall.

Neither team has anything to play for, and odds are we'll see young and inexperienced lineups for both teams.

My selection is an 8* play on Under. 

Champions League Total

Borussia Dortmund host Real Madrid in the second game of the group stage on Tuesday. Dortmund lost their first game 3-1 at Tottenham, but they've done extremely well in Bundesliga with 16 points and a 19-1 goal differential through six games. 

Real Madrid meanwhile are struggling domestically but defeated APOEL 3-0 in their first game of the Champions League.

Dortmund really need to win this game, and that will give the visitors plenty of opportunities to hit them on the counter, something they do better than any other team in the world. 

These two teams face each other in the group stage last season as well, with both games finishing 2-2. Look for goals.

My selection is an 8* play on Over. 

TOP RATED 10* NFL GAME OF THE WEEK

The 1-1 Washington Redskins will host the 2-0 Oakland Raiders at FedEx Field Sunday night. These are two teams relying on their explosive offense to win games, and I think we'll see plenty of scores for both sides in this contest. 

The Raiders have averaged a league-best 35.5 points per game in defeating the Titans and the Jets. Derek Carr has yet to throw and interception and has connected on 45-of-60 passes for a total of 492 yards with five touchdown passes. Carr has plenty of go-to playmakers and offseason RB signing Marshawn Lynch has done a lot of damage on the ground. This is without a doubt one of the most balanced offenses in the NFL, and Washington does not have the defense to stop it. 

The Raiders have some defensive woes of their own though. They may have held the Jets' Josh McCown to 166 yards passing in last week's 42-20 victory but here they'll face a much more competent QB in Kirk Cousins. who has completed 41-of-67 passes for a total of 419 yards with two touchdowns on the season. The Skins pounded the ball on the ground in last week's 27-20 victory against the Rams and ran the ball 39 times for a total of 229 yards. Note that the Raiders gave up 126 yards on the ground last week, so there are definitely holes to exploit. 

Over is 7-2 in Raiders last nine games in September. Over is 5-1 in Redskins last six games in September.

My NFL Game of the Week is a 10* play on OAK/WAS Over. 

LATE NIGHT MLB TOTAL

The Cleveland Indians are winners of 24 of their last 25 games, and a big reason has been amazing performances on the mound as Cleveland has conceded four or fewer runs in 24 games during that span. 

I expect another solid outing from a Tribe pitcher as they hand the ball to Mike Clevinger (10-5, 3.21 ERA) tonight. He has allowed just one earned run through his last four starts and under is 19-6-1 in Clevinger's last 26 starts overall.

The Halos turn to left-hander Tyler Skaggs (2-5, 4.37 ERA) who tossed  seven scoreless innings against Houston his last time out. He has not had much success in previous meetings with Cleveland but this looks like a good spot for the 26 year old. Under is 7-3-1 in Skaggs' last 11 home starts and under is 21-10-2 in Indians' last 33 road games against a left-handed starter.

My selection is an 8* play on Under. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB BIG HITTER TOTAL

The Marlins return home to Miami for the first time since Hurricane Irma when they host the New York Mets at Marlins Park Monday night. Neither team will make it to the postseason, but I think they'll entertain us with a high-scoring contest here. 

Dan Straily (9-9, 4.24 ERA) will take the ball for the Marlins. He's been lit up all month long and posted a 8.44 ERA in three September starts. The worst of them all was his last time out when he was tagged with eight runs on 13 hits in six innings at Philadelphia. 

The Mets turn to Matt Harvey (5-5, 6.14 ERA) who was charged with five runs on seven hits through 3 1/3 frames of a 17-5 loss to the Cubs on Wednesday. Harvey held the ball in the park in that contest but has served up 17 homers in 16 starts on the season. 

Over is 8-2-2 in Straily's last 12 starts overall. Over is 3-0-1 in Harvey's last 4 starts overall. Over is 45-25-5 in the Mets 75 road games on the season. 

My selection is a 10* play on Over. 

MLB 3-Pack

The New York Yankees have outscored the Baltimore Orioles 30-10 through the first three games of this series. I think they'll complete the four-game sweep with another blowout win in a high-scoring game Sunday afternoon.

Sonny Gray (9-10, 3.17 ERA) will take the ball for the Bronx Bombers. He's 2-3 with a 4.39 ERA in five career starts against Baltimore. Gray is 3-5 despite a very respectable 2.66 ERA in eight starts since coming over from Oakland as he has struggled to get run support.

Run support should not be an issue here as the Orioles send Ubaldo Jimenez (5-10, 6.75 ERA) to the mound. Jimenez is 0-3 with a 9.27 ERA over his last five starts and he has posted a 7.15 ERA in 23 starts on the season. The Yankees have torched him for 12 runs (11 earned) through 8 2/3 innings this season alone and he is 4-6 with a 6.75 ERA in 14 career starts (13 starts) against the Yankees.

It’s always a bit risky backing the home team on the runline, but note that the Yankees are 18-6 against the runline as a home favorite of at least -175 this season. Over is 6-2 in the Yankees last eight when their opponent allows five runs or more in their previous game and I like the Yankees -1.5 and Over in this contest.

My selection is an 8* play on Over

SUNDAY AFTERNOON NFL TOTAL

The Cleveland Browns put up a brave fight in their 21-18 loss against Pittsburgh in Week 1. This Browns defense is much improved from previous seasons, and I think we'll see a low-scoring contest when they visit the Baltimore Ravens Sunday afternoon. 

Baltimore shut out the Bengals in a 20-0 victory last week, and there's no doubt that the Ravens are loaded up on the defensive side of the ball. I don't think they'll have any trouble to shut down the Browns' rookie QB DeShone Kizer, and Baltimore's own QB Joe Flacco missed most of the preseason due to injury and threw for just 121 yards last week. 

Under is 9-2 in Browns last 11 vs. a team with a winning record and 3-1-1 in Ravens last five vs. a team with a losing record.

My selection is an 8* play on Under. 

VIKINGS/STEELERS TOTAL

Two teams looking to build on wins in the opening week of the season will clash at Heinz Field Sunday afternoon. 

The Vikings are coming off a 29-19 win against the Saints as QB Sam Bradford was 27-of-32 passing for 346 yards and three touchdowns. There's just no way he can come up with a similar performance here against a solid Pittsburgh D. 

Pittsburgh did not do much offensively in its 21-18 win against Cleveland and had just 16 first downs compared to the Browns' 20. Steelers' RB Le'Veon Bell sat out the preseason and accumulated just 32 yards on 10 carries in Week 1. The Steelers defense impressed though, and it should have little trouble to shut down this very mediocre Minnesota team. 

Under is 11-1 in Steelers last 12 games in Week 2 and under is 15-3 in Vikings last 18 vs. a team with a winning record for a superb 26-4 angle. 

My selection is an 8* play on Under. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB BIG HITTER

The Philadelphia Phillies bats have come alive as they enter this three-game series with the Oakland Athletics on the back of a three-game sweep of the Marlins, scoring 27 runs in the process. 

Here they'll come up against Daniel Mengden (0-1, 7.07 ERA) who has made just three starts on the season. He missed several months due to a rib injury and allowed three runs (two earned) in six innings against the Astros in his comeback last week. Over is 8-3-2 in Phillies last 13 home games vs. a right-handed starter and I think Mengden will be in for a tough outing here. 

Mark Leiter Jr. (3-5, 4.84 ERA) will toe the slab for the Phillies. The 26 year old rookie is 1-2 with an 8.44 ERA in his last three starts and he has served up a total of four homers through the last two outings alone. The A's have averaged a healthy amount of runs over the last couple of weeks, and I don't see Leiter Jr. lasting long in this contest. We can also note that both bullpens rank in the bottom third in baseball for ERA. 

Over is 9-3 in Athletics last 12 overall. Over is 5-2-2 in Phillies last nine overall.

My selection is a 10* play on Over. 

EUROPA LEAGUE TOTAL

Ostersund are arguably the biggest success story in the Europa League this season. They played their first season ever in the Swedish top flight last year and qualified for the Europa League by winning the domestic cup. They've knocked out some really strong sides on their way to the group stage, and they've done so playing positive and attacking football.

I think we'll see a wide open high-scoring contest when they travel to Ukraine to take on FC Zorya Lugansk on Thursday.

Zorya have plenty of Europa League experience, and they know they can't afford to drop points at home. I think they'll come out all guns blazing and we should see plenty of goal-scoring opportunities with both teams' strength on the ball.

Ostersund have scored in seven of their last eight games and Zorya in each of their last five (all five seeing at least three goals total). 

My selection is an 8* play on Over. 

PADRES/TWINS TOTAL

The San Diego Padres took a 16-0 beating in the opener of this three-game series with the Minnesota Twins Tuesday night. I think we'll see way fewer runs scored at Target Field tonight. 

The Twins hand the ball to Ervin Santana (15-7, 3.45 ERA). He's 3-0 with a 1.77 ERA through five career starts against the Padres. Under is 12-3-1 in Santana's last 16 starts when the opponent scored two runs or fewer in their previous game.

The Padres turn to Dinelson Lamet (7-7, 4.32 ERA) who will be facing Minnesota for the first time in his career. The 25 year old rookie has four quality starts in his last five appearances and he has allowed just a total of four runs in 18 innings in his last three starts combined. 

My selection is an 8* play on Under.

TOP RATED 10* MLB BIG HITTER

The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Miami Marlins 9-8 in 15 innings yesterday. I think we'll see another slug-fest here in Game 2 of the series Wednesday night. 

The Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola (10-10, 3.71 ERA) is a terrific prospect, but he is 0-3 with a 10.67 ERA in three starts this season against the Marlins. Over is 4-1 in Nola's last five starts against Miami.

The Marlins Dan Straily (9-8, 3.95 ERA) is 3-1 despite a somewhat swollen 4.76 ERA in four starts against the Phillies on the season. Over is 4-0 in Straily's last four starts against the Phillies. 

The Marlins are averaging a healthy 5.01 runs per game on the road this season but they're still just 32-41 away from home as most of their pitchers are struggling outside of Miami. Straily is no exception, and we should see an entertaining back and forth at Citizens Bank Park Wednesday night. 

My selection is a 10* play on Over. 

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TOTAL

Both Napoli and Shaktar Donetsk are coming off six consecutive victories, and they've both scored at least two goals in each game during the winning streak. I think we'll see a wide open high-scoring encounter. Shaktar will won't back down in front of the home fans, and Napoli should get plenty of opportunities to hit the home team on the counter. No injuries to key players on either side, and I'm backing the over. 

My selection is an 8* play on Over. 

JUVENTUS/BARCELONA ECL ENFORCER

Two teams with an amazing array of talent, but keep in mind that's true on both ends of the field. While names like Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Paulo Dybala get the headlines, these sides rarely give up goals. Barcelona have started the domestic season with three straight clean sheets while Juventus have allowed two goals in three games in Serie A. 

Barca and Juventus played a 0-0 draw in the last meeting here at Camp Noi last year, and I predict another low-scoring contest as neither team want to start the Champions League campaign with a defeat. 

My selection is an 8* play on Under. 

NFL TOTAL

The San Francisco 49ers will kick off the season with a matchup against the Carolina Panthers at Levi's Stadium on Sunday. I think both teams will come out sluggish, and I see value on the under. 

Carolina quarterback Cam Newton had shoulder surgery in the spring and played only one series during the entire preseason. The Panthers have added running back Christian McCaffrey to their offense, but the 21 year old rookie might need a couple of games with the big boys to find his feet. 

The 49ers are coming off a 2-14 season, and and this should be another tough year. They have an excellent running back in Carlos Hyde, but former Atlanta offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan does not have much other offensive talent to work with here in his head coaching debut. Quarterback Brian Hoyer, a ninth-year pro, played just six games for a Bears team that finished with a 3-13 record last season.  

My selection is an 8* play on Under. 

CFB SATURDAY NIGHT TOTAL

The Missouri Tigers mauled Missouri State 72-43 in their season opener, but I think they're in much lower scoring contest when they host the South Carolina Gamecocks Saturday night. 

South Carolina opened the season with a 35-28 win at NC State. It was however out-gained 504-246 despite the victory and scored 14 of its points off turnovers. 

I don't think the Gamecocks offense will be much of a threat to the total and Missouri could be in for a let down game offensively after last week's explosion. They accumulated a total of 815 yards in the game but note that under is 13-4 in the Tigers last 17 games after accumulating more than 450 total yards in their previous game and 6-1 in their last seven games following a straight up win of more than 20 points.

Under is 9-1 in Gamecocks last 10 conference games and 4-1 in Tigers last five conference games.

My selection is an 8* play on Under. 

FRIDAY NIGHT MLB BANKROLL BUILDER TOTAL

The Chicago White Sox have scored just a total of 10 runs during a four-game losing streak. The under is 10-3 in White Sox last 13 home games and 12-3-1 in their last 16 games vs. a left-handed starter.

They will indeed face a southpaw tonight, and the Giants' Matt Moore (4-13, 5.42 ERA) has had great success in previous meetings with the White Sox going 4-1 with 1.45 ERA in five career meetings, including an 0.79 ERA in two starts here at Guaranteed Rate Field.

The White Sox hand the ball to 23 year old Lucas Giolito (2-1, 2.25 ERA). He has won back-to-back starts and held the Rays to just a run and three hits over seven innings in his last outing. Under is 10-4 in Giants last 14 games vs. a right-handed starter.

My selection is an 8* play on Under. 

MLB 3-PACK

The reeling LA Dodgers lost their fourth straight game and ninth of their last 10 when the Arizona Diamondbacks outscored them 13-0 on Monday. It would be quite foolish to go against the D'Backs at the moment as they're riding an 11-game winning streak, but the Dodgers' can't keep losing forever and their bats must be ready to explode soon. I still think there's value on both Arizona and the over in this contest. 

The over is 4-0 in the Dodgers' last four overall and Arizona's Zack Greinke (16-6, 3.08 ERA) is 4-4 with a 4.03 ERA against the Dodgers in 10 career starts. He's 1-2 with a 4.58 ERA in three meetings on the season but limited the Dodgers to one run on four hits with six Ks in six innings his last time out. 

The Dodgers' right-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu (5-7, 3.71 ERA) is 3-3 with a 4.02 ERA in nine career starts against the D'Backs. They torched him for six runs on eight hits and three walks with three homers in just four innings at Chase Field on August 30.

Arizona's J.D. Martinez hit four home runs in the series opener yesterday and Paul Goldschmidt is 9-for-21 with a pair of homers against Ryu. 

Each of the last five head-to-head meetings have gone over the total. The Diamondbacks are 4-0 in the last four meetings. 

My selection is an 8* play on Over.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL TOTAL OF THE DAY

The Marshall Thundering Herd will get the season underway with a matchup against Miami (Ohio) Redhawks on Saturday. The posted total for this game is about as low as you'll see for a college football game, and I think this game will fly over the total. 

The Redhawks are not a very good offensive side, but they have the benefit of returning most starters on the offensive side of the ball. We can also note that they improved vastly with Gus Ragland under center in the second half of last season, winning each of their last six games. Here they'll face a Marshall defense that gave up more than 35 points per game on average.   

Marshall scored just 26.4 points per game on average last season but will return QB Chase Litton, 231-of-371 for 2612 yards and 24 TDs / 9 INTs. He's is gearing up for his third season as the starter and his experience should prove valuable with few returning receivers on the team. 

My selection is an 8* play on Over. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB GAME OF THE WEEK

The Colorado Rockies host the Arizona Diamondbacks in the opener of a three-game series between the divisional foes and current Wild Card owners in the National League. Under is 37-27-2 in the Rcokies home games and 38-26-2 in the D'Backs road games on the season, and I think the posted number for this contest is set way too high. 

The D'Backs hand the ball to Taijuan Walker (7-7, 3.55 ERA). He's allowed just one run through 11 2/3 innings of work in his last two starts combined. The right-hander has posted a 2.41 ERA in three meetings (18 2/3 innings) against Colorado on the season. 

The Rockies turn to Kyle Freeland (11-8, 3.81 ERA) who allowed just one run in six innings when he faced the D'Backs back in April. Under is 12-1 in Freeland's last 13 home starts on the season.

Under is 7-2-1 in the last 10 head-to-head meetings.

My MLB Game of the Week is a 10* play on ARI/COL Under. 

WEDNESDAY NIGHT MLB BASEBALL BONANZA TOTAL

The New York Mets and the Cincinnati Reds combined for 18 runs in the opener of this three-game series yesterday. Over is now 38-21-5 in the Mets' road games this season, and I predict another slug-fest tonight. 

Homer Bailey (4-6, 7.99 ERA) will take the ball for Cincinnati. He's 0-4 with an enormous 12.10 ERA in five starts home at Great American Ballpark this season. Bailey is 1-2 record with a bloated 7.15 ERA in four career starts against the Mets and we can note that over is 5-1 in the Mets last six games vs. a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30 (Bailey's is 1.97 on the season).

Rafael Montero (2-9, 5.64 ERA) will take the ball for the visitors. He was charged with three earned runs on three hits in 4 1/3 innings during a 5-3 New York victory agains the Reds last season. Montero tossed 5 1/3 innings while allowing three runs on seven hits against Arizona his last start and made a relief appearance Sunday at Washington, surrendering two runs through one-third of an inning.

Over is 8-3-1 in the last 12 meetings overall and 6-2-1 in the last nine meetings in Cincinnati.

My selection is an 8* play on Over. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB DAYTIME DESTROYER TOTAL

Coors Field is widely recognized as THE hitters park in the Major Leagues, but fact is that under is 36-27-2 in the Colorado Rockies' home games this season, much due to inflated totals. I think the posted number for Wednesday's contest with the Detroit Tigers looks way too high considering the matchup on the mound.

Colorado hands the ball to Chad Bettis (0-1, 3.79 ERA) who will make his fourth start since his return from cancer treatment. Bettis was knocked around at Atlanta his last time out but has allowed just three runs through 14 innings of work home at Coors Field on the season. Under is 4-0 in the Tigers' last four road games vs. a right-handed starter and they'll likely to be without Miguel Cabrera for a second straight game

Justin Verlander (9-8, 3.90 ERA) will toe the slab for the visitors. He's been outstanding lately, coming off seven innings of two-run ball with 8 Ks at Chicago White Sox, and he's posted seven quality starts through his last eight outings. Verlander is 2-0 with a 1.99 ERA in three career starts against Colorado and under is 6-1 in the Rockies' last seven interleague games vs. a right-handed starter.

Under is 6-1 in the last seven meetings overall and 5-2-1 in the last eight meetings in at Coors Field.

My selection is a 10* play on Under. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB BOOKIE BREAKER

The Tampa Bay Rays put a real beating on the Kansas City Royals in the opener of this three-game series Monday night. I think we'll see a relatively low-scoring contest Tuesday night, at least low-scoring enough to go under the total.

Tampa Bay hands the ball to Alex Cobb (9-8, 3.69 ERA) who is coming off 4 1/3 scoreless innings of four-hit ball against Toronto. He's held three of his last four opponents to one or fewer runs and under is 7-1-1 in Cobb's last nine starts overall.

The Royals turn to Jake Junis (5-2, 4.68 ERA) who struck out seven while holding the Rockies to one run in 5 1/3 frames his last time out. Under is 30-12-1 in the Rays' last 43 games vs. a right-handed starter.

The Royals have been shut out in four straight games, and I don't see them breaking out of the slump anytime soon. 

My selection is a 10* play on Under. 

MLB 3-Pack

The Washington Nationals are coming off three consecutive overs, and I think this opener of a three-game series with the Miami Marlins have the potential to go over the posted number. 

The Nats hand the ball to Max Scherzer (12-5, 2.25 ERA). He has posted a 3.38 ERA in 13 career starts against the Marlins and has has not pitched since Aug. 13 as he's been bothered by a sore neck. Note that over is 6-1-1 in Scherzer's last eight starts overall and over is 5-2 in the Marlins last seven games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15.

Jose Urena (12-5, 3.68 ERA) will toe the slab for the Fish. He has posted a 3.93 ERA in the seven appearances against the Nats and he has posted a 4.05 ERA in 13 appearances (10 starts) on the road this season. He's still 8-0 in those games and Miami is averaging a healthy 5.05 runs per game away from home on the season (4.77 rpg overall). 

My selection is an 8* play on Over. 

REDSKINS/BENGALS TOTAL

The Washington Redskins host the Cincinnati Bengals at FedExField in Week 3 of preseason action Sunday afternoon.

The Bengals are coming off a 30-12 loss against Kansas City and didn't score even a single touchdown in the defeat. We can expect to see starting QB Andy Dalton get more time on the field after completing 7-of-13 throws for 98 yards in the loss to KC, but note that the Redskins held the Packers to just 156 passing yards in a 21-17 loss last week. 

Cincinnati has struggled to stop the run and gave up 228 rushing yards against the Chiefs last week, but I don't see Washington pose much of a threat on the ground after accumulating just 101 rushing yards over its first two games. 

This total is too bloated to not take a stab at the under. 

My selection is an 8* play on Under. 

Late Night Rangers/Angels Total

Both the Texas Rangers and the LA Angels have been swinging their bats well in the last two games of this series, combining for a total of 23 runs. Looking at the pitching matchup for Thursday I can't see anything but another high-scoring contest. 

The Rangers hand the ball to Martin Perez (8-10, 5.26 ERA). Perez is 1-3 with a 5.47 ERA in four career outings at Anaheim and the current Angels are batting a combined .293 over 133 at bats against the left-hander. Perez was tagged with sux runs on seven hits and three walks his last time out. It's worth noting that the Rangers still won the game 17-7. 

The home team turn to Troy Scribner (2-0, 3.46 ERA) who will replace JC Ramirez in the rotation. The 26 year old was called up for the first time late last month and made four appearances (two starts) and pitched fairly well, but he's posted a very mediocre 4.35 ERA with Salt Lake in the minors. 

I like the umpire angle as well with Over 12-4-1 in Adrian Johnson's last 17 games behind home plate vs. Los Angeles and 8-3-1 in Johnson's last 12 games behind home plate vs. Texas.

My selection is an 8* play on Over 9.5 runs. 

NFLX *BANKROLL BUILDER*

The Cleveland Browns will host the New York Giants here in Week 2 of the NFL preseason. The Giants fell 20-12 to the Steelers last week while the Browns defeated the Saints 20-14. I'm not quite sure who will win this game, but I'm pretty confident we'll see a tight and low-scoring contest. 

Both teams are short on talent on the offensive side of the ball, and note that the Giants had the second best D in the league last season, allowing an average of just 17.8 points per game. 

The Browns ranked 31st in the league in yards allowed and 30th in points conceded last season, but they've upgraded their defense during the summer. They limited the Saints to 238 yards passing and 82 yards rushing last week, and they should be able to contain the Giants subpar offense (26th in scoring, putting up just 19.4 ppg last season). 

My selection is an 8* play on Under 39.5 points.

MLB Coors Field *CA$H COW*

The Colorado Rockies and the Milwaukee Brewers have split the first two matchups of this three-game series with a total of nine and 12 runs scored in the two contests. Neither game would have gone over the total set for Sunday's series-finale, and I think there's plenty of value on the under here. 

Left-hander Kyle Freeland (11-7, 3.74 ERA) takes the ball for Colorado. The rookie is boasting a 3.31 ERA in 12 starts at Coors Field, with 11 of those games going under the total. Freeland held the Braves to three runs on four hits in six frames his last time out. 

The Brewers turn to Chase Anderson (6-2, 2.89 ERA) who will make his first start since June 28 when he suffered a left oblique strain. Anderson has had an excellent season and limited the Rockies to one run on three hits through six frames in his season-debut on April 6. Under is 5-2 in Anderson's last seven starts overall.

Under is 8-0 in Brewers last 8 vs. a team with a winning record and 9-2 in their last 11 during Game 3 of a series. Under is 19-6-1 in Rockies last 26 vs. a team with a winning record and 4-1 in their last five during Game 3 of a series.

My selection is an 8* play on Under 12.5 runs. 

Top Rated 10* MLB Total *BOOKIE BREAKER*

The New York Yankees defeated American League East rivals Boston 4-3 on Saturday. Under is now 4-1 in the last five meetings at Fenway Park, and I think the number for the total in Sunday's contest is set way to high considering the pitching matchup. 

Rick Porcello (7-14, 4.59 ERA) takes the ball for the home team. He has compiled a 3.79 ERA in three meetings with the Yankees this season, and the reigning Cy Young Award winner is coming off a pair of solid outings. Under is 9-2 in Porcello's last 11 home starts vs. a team with a winning record, and note Porcello's 2.64 ERA in seven day starts on the season. 

The Yankees reply with Sonny Gray (7-7, 3.37 ERA) who has conceded two or fewer earned runs in each of his last nine starts. Gray is 4-0 with a 2.45 ERA in seven day starts on the season and I expect a solid performance in his first start in this classic rivalry. 

Under is 9-2-1 in the Yankees last 12 road games vs. a team with a winning record.

My selection is a 10* play on Under 9.5 runs. 

MLB 3-Pack

The St. Louis Cardinals are looking the set themselves up for a sweep of this four-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates after back-to-back wins at PNC Park, despite a late Pittsburgh rally Friday night. 

I like the Cards in Saturday's matchup as well with Michael Wacha (9-5, 3.85 ERA) on the mound. Wacha held the Pirates to one run through 6 2/3 innings back in April, and the Cardinals are 24-9 in Wacha's last 33 starts vs. a team with a losing record.

The Pirates turn to Chad Kuhl (5-8, 4.64 ERA) who is 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA through two starts against St. Louis on the season and the Pirates are now 0-4 in Kuhl's last four starts against the Cards. We can also note that the Pirates are 3-12 in Kuhl's last 15 starts vs. a team with a winning record.

The team with the better pitcher and the better bats is a must-play at this price. The over is 10-1 in the Cardinals last 11 overall, and this should be another high-scoring contest considering how the teams swung their bats in yesterday's 11-10 Cards win. 

My selection is an 8* play on Over 8.5 runs. 

Top Rated 10* MLB *AFTERNOON ASSASSIN* 

We cashed with the under in Tampa Bay Rays vs. Toronto Blue Jays last night, and I think we'll see another low-scoring contest here in the finale of a four-game series Thursday afternoon. 

Chris Rowley (1-0, 1.69 ERA) takes the ball for Toronto. The 27 year old rookie will make just his second appearance in the major leagues, but he held the Pirates to one run through 5 1/3 frames in his debut, and looking at the Rays' recent scores must instill him with a lot of confidence. Note that Tampa Bay has averaged just two runs per game through their last 12. 

The Rays hand the ball to Chris Archer (8-7, 3.84 ERA) who is without a decision despite posting a solid 2.57 ERA in three outings against the Blue Jays in 2017, again highlighting the Rays' offensive woes. 

Under is 14-6-2 in the Rays' last 22 road games vs. a right-handed starter and 5-0 in the Blue Jays' last five games vs. a right-handed starter.

My selection is a 10* play on Under 9.5 runs. 

MLB 3-Pack

The Tampa Bay Rays snapped a four-game skid with a 6-4 win against the Blue Jays last night. They've really struggled at the plate lately though, and runs surely won't come easy here against Marcus Stroman. 

Stroman (10-6, 3.00 ERA) is 3-2 with a 1.94 ERA over his past nine starts overall, and 1-0 with a 1.98 ERA in two starts against the Rays this season. The Blue Jays are 7-2 in Stromans last nine home starts and the under is 4-1-1 in Stroman's last six home starts. 

Tampa Bay turns to Jacob Faria (5-3, 3.19 ERA). The 24 year old rookie was tagged with five runs on six hits in six innings against Cleveland his last time out, but under is 6-2 in Faria's last eight starts overall. I don't think Tampa Bay will be able to provide Faria with enough run support here. 

Under is 7-0-2 in umpire Lance Barksdale's last nine games behind home plate vs. Toronto and 21-5-2 in his last 28 games behind home plate vs. Tampa Bay. We can also note that the home team is 13-3 in Barksdale's last 16 games. 

My selection is an 8* play on Under 8.5 Runs. 

Top Rated 10* AL *GAME OF THE MONTH* Total
Play: Under
Rating: 10/10*

The Tampa Bay Rays have lost seven of their last nine games, and been shut out five times over that span. I think the total looks a bit high when they visit the Toronto Blue Jays for the opener of a four-game series Monday night. 

The Blue Jays hand the ball to Nick Tepesch (0-2, 9.00 ERA). The 28 year old right-hander has not had much success through his previous two starts this season, but looking at the Rays' numbers in recent games should instill some confidence. We can also note that he's 1-0 with a 1.88 ERA in two career games against the Rays and has their current lineup limited to a 1.74 AVG, albeit through just 23 at bats. 

Jake Odorizzi (6-5, 4.38 ERA) will toe the rubber for Tampa Bay. He limited Boston to one earned run through four frames before he was hit on the foot by a line drive and had to leave the game his last outing, and has allowed just five earned runs in 15 innings in his last three starts combined. Odorizzi is is 5-2 with a 3.23 ERA in 14 meetings with Toronto and the current Jays are batting a combined .189 over 222 at bats against the right-hander. 

Under is 19-7-2 in the Rays' last 28 overall and 8-2 in their last 10 during Game 1 of a series.

My AL Total of the Month Selection is on TB/Tor Under. 

MLB *TOTAL OF THE DAY*
Play: Under
Rating: 8/10*

The Chicago Cubs and the Arizona Diamondbacks will close out a three-game series Sunday afternoon I think this looks like a good spot to back the under.

Zack Godley (5-4, 2.94 ERA) will take the ball for Arizona. He's coming off three straight quality starts, allowing just three runs through 19 2/3 frames during that span. That includes six scoreless innings of a 3-0 win at Wrigley Field on August 2. Under is 6-1 in Godley's last seven starts overall. 

The Cubs turn to Jake Arrieta (11-8, 3.83 ERA) who is 3-1 with a 2.20 ERA in five starts since the All-Star break. The right-hander is 2-3 with a 2.95 ERA in six career starts against Arizona and held the D'Backs to two runs (one earned) in seven innings when he pitched opposite Godley earlier this month.

Under is 6-1-1 in Diamondbacks last eight Sunday games, under is 5-2-1 in Cubs last eight Sunday games, under is 14-5-2 in Arrieta's last 21 Sunday starts. One should always be careful when using day of the week trends in handicapping, but I think those numbers are solid enough to suggest that something is up with these teams and low-scoring games at the end of the week. 

My selection is an 8* play on Under. 

Saturday MLB Total of the Day
Play: Under
Rating: 8/10*

The Cleveland Indians shut on the Tampa Bay Rays in a 5-0 victory on Friday, and both teams' bats have been rather quiet of late. Under is 6-1-1 in the Indians' last eight overall and 8-1 in the Rays' last nine overall.

On Saturday the Tribe hand the ball to Mike Clevinger (5-4, 4.00 ERA) who will make his first start since July 31. Clevinger has been solid in his eight starts on the road this season, going 4-2 behind a 3.10 ERA. Of the current Rays roster, only Evan Longoria and Trevor Plouffe has faced Clevinger in the past, going a combined 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. 

The Rays turn to their ace Chris Archer (8-6, 3.80 ERA) who has the current members of the Tribe limited to a .239 batting average through 142 at bats. Archer has punched out a total of 58 batters through 43 1/3 innings of work in July and August combined this season, and he has posted a 3.32 ERA home at the Trop in 12 starts on the year. 

Each of the last five head-to-head meetings at Tropicana Field have gone under the total. 

My selection is an 8* play on Under. 

Super Early MLB *MONEYMAKER*
Play: Under
Rating: 8/10*

The first two games of this series have seen a total of just 10 runs scored, and I predict another low-scoring encounter in the series-finale Sunday afternoon. 

Home Bailey (3-5, 7.32 ERA) will take the ball for Cincinnati. He's been very inconsistent lately, holding four of his last six opponents to two runs or fewer and getting lit up for a total of 15 runs in the other two. The Cards' bats are ice cold at the moment, so I think Bailey can hold his own today. 

The Cardinals will send Adam Wainwright (11-5, 4.89 ERA) to the mound. The veteran is  ready to go after missing two weeks with mid-back tightness, and posted a 3.95 ERA in four starts during July. The ERA was much bloated by a sub-par outing against Miami to start the month, and I like Wainwright on extra rest here. 

My selection is an 8* play on Under 9.5 runs.

Top Rated 10* Community Shield *CA$H COW*
Play: Over
Rating: 10/10*

Reigning Premier League champions Chelsea will take on last season's FA Cup winner Arsenal in the annual Community Shield matchup. I think we'll see at least three goals in this one.

Arsenal have always had plenty of offensive talent, and they've now have added striker Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon. He had plenty of success in the French Ligue 1, scoring 100 goals in 203 appearances. We can also note that it looks like Alexis Sanchez will stay with the team despite interest from some of the best teams in the world. Arsene Wenger still refuses to do anything about the Gunners' defensive woes though, and they've conceded plenty of goals during the preseason.

Chelsea have had their struggles as well in the preseason. They're coming off a pair of losses to Bayern Munich (3-2) and Inter (2-1), but defeated Arsenal 3-0 on July 22. Striker Diego Costa looks like he's played his last game for the Blues, but they've acquired Alvaro Morata who is a very competent striker. He scored 15 goals in just 26 appearances at Real Madrid last season, and he'll be looking forward to be the #1 striker here at Chelsea.

Each of the last four head-to-head meetings have gone over 2.5 goals.

My pick is on Over 2.5 goals

Friday Championship Premiere
Play: Under
Rating: 8/10*

The under is pretty juiced up, but for a good reason. This is the first game of the English Championship season, and odds are we'll see both teams struggle at the offensive end of the pitch.

Sunderland have lost several players since being relegated from the Premier League, so they'll certainly need some time to fit all the new pieces together. Interestingly enough though, they look pretty solid defensively but have lost most of their offensive stars like Jermaine Defoe.

Derby finished 9th in the Championship last season and does not pose much of an offensive threat. Let's go with the under. 

My pick is Under 2.5 goals.

MLB *MONEYMAKER* Total
Play: Under
Rating: 8/10*

The Cleveland Indians will host the New York Yankees for the opener of a four-game series Thursday night. The over is 4-0-1 in the last five head-to-head meetings at Progressive Field, but I don't think we'll see many runs in tonight's matchup. 

Corey Kluber (8-3, 2.90 ERA) will take the ball for Cleveland. He has posted a 1.91 ERA in five career starts against the Yankees. Kluber has been outstanding in recent months, compiling a 1.26 ERA in June (six starts) and a 2.62 ERA in July (five starts). 

The Yankees hand the ball to Sonny Gray (6-5, 3.43 ERA) for the first time. He tossed six scoreless frames in a 5-0 win over Cleveland on July 14, and I expect him to come out very motivated in his debut for the Pinstripes. Note that he posted a 1.37 ERA through his last six games with the Oakland Athletics. 

Under is 8-1-1 in the Yankees last 10 against a team with a winning record. Under is 7-2 in the Indians last nine against a team with a winning record.

Wednesday Champions League Qualifier
Play: Under
Rating: 8/10*

Vardar Skopje won the first leg of the tie 1-0 home at Macedonia. They will now travel to Denmark and park the bus. FC Copenhagen are struggling to score and are coming off a 0-0 draw against Hobro in the domestic league. Let's go with under 2.5 goals. 

Champions League Qualifier
Play: Over
Rating: 8/10*

Interesting spot here after a 0-0 draw at Azerbaijan in the first leg. Visiting Karabakh is the favorite and will go for goals. They had plenty of chances but struggled with the finishing touch. If they score one goal, Sheriff need to score two in order to advance (due to the away goals rule). I think the game will open up if we can only get one goal for either side. Let's go with the over. 

MLB 3-Pack
Play: Under
Rating: 8/10*

The Los Angeles Angels opened this series with a 7-2 victory Friday night, and I think the Halos can bark as an underdog in a low-scoring game here in Game 2. 

Yusmeiro Petit (2-0, 2.70 ERA) will take the ball for LAA. He's been excellent working out of the bullpen this season (36 appearances) and I think he'll make the most out of this start. 

The Blue Jays turn to Francisco Liriano (6-5, 5.99 ERA) who has posted a 9.35 ERA in his last three start. He is 2-7 with a 5.95 ERA in 12 career games (11 starts) against the Angels. 

The Angels are 12-4 in the last 16 meetings at Toronto, and I think their success continues Saturday afternoon, or at the very least will keep this a one-run game. 

The Halos are not a high-scoring team though and will have to rely on good pitching from Petit to stay in the game. I think he will come through with a big performance, and I'm also backing the under, making the +1.5 runs extra valuable. 

Saturday Soccer Total
Play: Over
Rating: 8/10*

This will mark both teams' second game of the season in the domestic league. Rapid Vienna are coming off a 2-2 draw against Mattersburg in their season premiere while St. Polten fell 3-2 at Sturm Graz. Both teams played several high-scoring contests during the preseason, and I think this will go over 2.5 goals easily. 

MLB 3-Pack
Play: Over
Rating: 8/10*

Over is 9-3 in the last 12 meetings in the Bronx, and I think we'll see another high-scoring contest Friday night. 

Austin Pruitt (5-1, 6.25 ERA) will take the ball for the Rays as the 27-year-old rookie will make a spot start for injured Jake Odorizzi. Pruitt has worked out of the bullpen on and off this season for a total of 18 appearances and one start, without much success. Pruitt faced the Yankees three times in relief in April, allowing a total of five runs (three earned) and eight hits over just 1 2/3 innings of work.

The Yankees turn to Masahiro Tanaka (7-9, 5.37 ERA) who is 0-2 with a 20.65 ERA against the Rays in 2017, and he has struggled throughhis last three outings overall, yielding 12 runs and 18 hits through 18 frames while serving up a total of five homers.

Europa League Qualifier
Play: Under
Rating: 8/10*

This will be Everton's first game in the European League qualification phase and also their first competitive game of the season. I don't expect them to come out playing great football, and visiting Ruzomberok from Slovenia will surely just sit back to try and concede as few goals as possible. 

I don't think we'll see many goals here, and I'm backing the under. 

MLB 3-Pack
Play: Under
Rating: 8/10*

Only the Padres have scored fewer runs than the Philadelphia Phillies this season. The Milwaukee Brewers have scored just a total of 12 during a six-game skid. 

Milwaukee left-hander Brent Suter (1-1, 3.09 ERA) is  1-0 with a 2.12 ERA in three starts since replacing injured Chase Anderson in the rotation. Philadelphia right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (6-5, 4.44 ERA) is 1-0 with a 3.26 ERA in his last five starts and 3-1 with a 2.89 ERA in five career starts against the Brewers. 

Under is 7-0 in Brewers last seven road games. Under is 15-5-4 in Phillies last 24 home games.

Super Early Cubs/Braves Total
Play: Under
Rating: 8/10*

The Chicago Cubs remain undefeated since the All Star break following a 5-1 win against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday. I think we'll see some quality pitching from both sides here in the finale of this three-game series. 

The Braves hand the ball to R.A. Dickey (6-5, 4.08) who has allowed just four earned runs through 33 innings of work in his past five outings. Only three current Cubs hitters have any experience against him (Heyward, Jay, Zobrist), batting a combined .209 over 67 at bats. 

The Cubs turn to left-hander Mike Montgomery (1-6, 4.01 ERA) who has struggled in recent starts, but I think he should be able to handle a Braves team that has scored just four runs so far in this series. Under is 4-1 in Braves last five games vs. a left-handed starter. 

Under is 12-3 in the Cubs' last 15 games following a win and 7-2 in the Braves' last nine games following a loss.

MLB 3-Pack
Play: Under
Rating: 8/10*

The red hot Pittsburgh Pirates are 8-2 through their last 10 games and look set to climb the standings in the NL Central. They opened the week with a 4-2 win against the Milwaukee Brewers and I predict another Pirates win tonight. 

Ivan Nova (9-6, 3.21 ERA) will toe the slab for Pittsburgh. He's 6-2 with a 2.63 ERA home at PNC Park on the season and 1-1 with a 3.32 ERA in three career starts against Milwaukee.

The Brewers turn to Junior Guerra (1-3, 4.78 ERA) who has struggled with his command all season and issued three free passes or more in each of his last nine starts. He's failed to pitch more than four innings in each of his last three starts while posting a 10.32 ERA. He is 1-0 with a 2.16 ERA in five games (four starts) against the Pirates, but I think they'll get the better of him tonight. 

The Pirates win their games with good pitching, and 10 of their last 11 games home at PNC Park have gone under the total. 

Top Rated 10* HIGH ROLLER *BOOKIE BREAKER*
Play: Under
Rating: 10/10*

Both the Atlanta Braves and the Chicago Cubs have come out of the All Star break swinging hot bats. The under is however 7-2-1 in the last 10 meetings at Atlanta, and I think we'll see another low-scoring contest Monday night.

Atlanta's Julio Teheran (7-6, 4.79 ERA) has allowed just two runs on seven hits in 13 1/3 innings of work in two starts here in July. He is 2-0 with a 3.11 ERA in six career starts against Chicago and the current Cubs are batting just a combined .178 through 45 at bats against him. 

The Cubs hand the ball to Jon Lester (5-6, 4.25 ERA) who was 1-0 with a 0.64 ERA in two outings against the Braves last season and 4-1 with a 1.95 ERA in five career meetings. The All Star break came at a perfect time for the 33 year old who had been knocked around in back-to-back home starts against Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh (nine earned runs in 5 2/3 innings). I expect him to be fully focused on the task at hand tonight.  

Under is 11-3-1 in the Braves' last 15 home games vs. a team with a losing road record and 10-3 in the Cubs' last 13 road games.

Top Rated 10* MLB *GAME OF THE WEEK*
Play: Under 8.5 Runs
Rating: 10/10*

Each of the last eight and 10 of the last 11 head-to-head meetings between the Texas Rangers and the Kansas City Royals have gone under the total. We should see another low-scoring encounter Sunday afternoon.

Ian Kennedy (3-6, 4.45 ERA) will take the ball for KC. He's posted a 3.22 ERA through his last six starts and held the Rangers to one run and four hits over seven innings at Texas on April 22.

The Rangers hand the ball to Yu Darvish (6-8, 3.49 ERA) who limited the Halos to a pair of runs on three hits through 7 1/3 frames his last turn. Darvish has done his best work on the road this season compiling a 2.32 ERA in eight starts. Under is 14-4-3 in Darvish's last 21 road starts.

Neither the Rangers or the Royals have effective at the plate coming out of the All Star break with just a total of nine runs scored through the first two games of the series.

BIG play on the under. 

MLB Total
Play: Under
Rating: 8/10*

The Milwaukee Brewers' Matt Garza (4-4, 3.98 ERA) tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings of a 4-0 win against Baltimore his last time out. He owns an impressive 2.32 ERA over eight career starts against Philadelphia which hands the ball to Jeremy Hellickson (5-5, 4.49 ERA) who is 2-1 with a 2.74 ERA in four career starts against Milwaukee.

Under is 4-0 in Garza's last four starts overall and 4-1-1 in Hellickson's last six road starts.

Under is 12-4 in umpire Todd Tichenor's last 16 games behind home plate overall and 14-2 in his last 16 games behind home plate in games featuring Milwaukee.

Allsvenskan Sunday Total
Play: Under
Rating: 8/10*

Norrkoping are second in the league with AIK tied for third only two points back. Both teams played Europa League qualifiers midweek so I don't expect high tempo here. Note that AIK have a 14-9 goal differential through 14 league games this season and under 2.5 goals 9-5 in those games.  

MLB 3-Pack
Play: Under
Rating: 8/10*

This has all the signs of a low-scoring contest despite yesterday's high-scoring 9-6 Milwaukee win in the series opener. Philadelphia's Aaron Nola (6-6, 3.59 ERA) has posted a 1.64 ERA with 26 strikeouts over 22 innings in his last three start and he's 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA in two career starts against Milwaukee. 

The Brewers hand the ball to Jimmy Nelson (8-4, 3.30 ERA) who may not have good career numbers against Philly, but he's been excellent all season (a shaky April excluded) and owns a 2.35 ERA in 10 home starts on the season. Also note that Philadelphia is averaging just 3.82 runs per game. 

Top Rated 10* Europa League Qualifier *GAME OF THE YEAR*
Play: Under
Rating: 10/10*

This is the first meeting of two in this qualification round. Malmö FF enter the game as a strong favorite, but Vardar Skopje will surely not give up without a fight. Note that the home team will have to do without their star striker Marcus Rosenberg.

Under 2.5 goals is my Europa League Qualifier *GAME OF THE YEAR*.

Top Rated 10* Allsvenskan *ANNIHILATOR*
Play: Under
Rating: 10/10*

Sundsvall are the lowest scoring team in the league with just nine goals in 13 games and they've scored only three through seven games away from home. Djurgarden have allowed just 15 in 13 games. 

Tippeligan
Play: Under
Rating: 8/10*

Brann won the reverse fixture 5-0 at home, but they're not quite as strong on the road. Their seven away games this season have averaged just 2.1 goals and I think Stabaek will be determined to put up a much better defensive performance in front of the home fans today, especially as they've conceded four goals in each of their last two home games. 

MLB 3-Pack
Play: Over
Rating: 8/10*

The Kansas City Royals are coming off a 6-2 win against the Twins on Sunday. Over is 9-1-1 in Royals last 11 after allowing two runs or fewer in their previous game. Ian Kennedy (2-6, 4.72 ERA) is 1-2 with a 4.30 ERA in three career starts against the Mariners who hand the ball to Andrew Moore (1-0, 3.86). He'll make his mere second career start in the big leagues. In his debut June 22 against the Tigers, Moore pitched seven innings, allowing three runs on six hits. Over is 8-2-1 in Royals' last 11 road games vs. a right-handed starter. Over is 8-1-1 in Kennedy's last 10 starts overall.

MLB 3-Pack
Play: Over
Rating: 8/10*

The Los Angeles Angels' Alex Meyer (3-4, 3.74 ERA) held the Dodgers to one hit and five walks through six scoreless innings home at Anaheim his last time out. He was however tagged with five runs in just 3 1/3 frames by Boston his last start on the road to fall to 1-4 with a 6.75 ERA in five road starts on the season. Over is 5-1 in Meyers last six road starts. The Minnesota Twins' Adalberto Mejia (3-3, 4.38 ERA) has tossed 10 2/3 scoreless innings through his last two starts, both on the road. He's 1-2 with a 6.11 ERA in six starts at Target Field this season. 

MLB 3-Pack
Play: Over
Rating: 8/10*

The under is 5-1 in the Baltimore Orioles' last six games, but I think we'll see a high-scoring game here as they open the week with a visit to Miller Park. Left-hander Wade Miley (3-6, 4.54 ERA) has a 5.17 ERA in five career starts against the Brewers, and he's really struggled at Miller Park compiling an 8.38 mark in two appearances. The Brewers hand the ball to another left-hander in Brent Suter (0-1, 4.20 ERA) who will be making his fourth career start and second of the season.

Over is 12-4 in Orioles last 16 interleague road games vs. a left-handed starter. Over is 5-2 in Brewers last seven interleague games vs. a left-handed starter.

Sunday Night Baseball
Play: Under
Rating: 8/10*

The St. Louis Cardinals are going for a fifth consecutive win when they host the Washington Nationals Sunday evening. The Nats won't give up easy though as they look to end a three-game slide. Carlos Martinez (6-6, 2.88 ERA) is 4-1 with a minuscule 1.85 ERA in eight starts home at Busch Stadium on the season. The Nats' Max Scherzer (9-5, 2.06 ERA) is 6-2 with a 1.62 ERA in nine road starts on the season. 

Under is 6-2 in Martinezs last eight starts overall. Under is 7-1 in Scherzers last eight starts overall. Under is 5-1-1 in Nationals last seven overall. 

Subscribers Only
Play: Under
Rating: 8/10*

Soccer Total
Play: Over
Rating: 8/10*

Top Rated 10* MLB HIGH ROLLER *BOOKIE BREAKER*
Play: Over
Rating: 10/10*

Each of the first three games in this series have gone over the total, and I think we'll see another slugfest in the series finale Sunday afternoon. 

We'll see a duel between two southpaws on the mound. Hector Santiago (4-7, 5.37 ERA) takes the ball for Minnesota. He has a 9.51 ERA in his last six starts. The current Royals roster is batting a combined .278 against him.

The Royals hand the ball to Travis Wood (1-2, 6.28 ERA) who will make his first start for the Royals and his first start overall since 2015. Wood has allowed five runs on nine hits and eight walks through seven frames in five career appearances (one start) vs. Minnesota. I don't think Wood will be able to go many innings here, putting a lot of pressure on KC's already taxed bullpen.

Over is 18-6-3 in the last 27 meetings. Over is 7-1 in Royals last eight Sunday games. Over is 8-3 in Twins last 11 Sunday games.

Top Rated 10* MLB *BIG HITTER*
Play: Over
Rating: 10/10*

The Arizona Diamondbacks hand the ball to Zack Greinke (9-4, 3.08 ERA) who is 1-1 with a 3.98 ERA in three starts against the Rockies this season. He gave up four runs on nine hits in 7 1/3 innings at Coors Field on June 20. Tyler Chatwood (6-8, 4.32 ERA) will toe the slab for Colorado. He is 5-2 with a 3.94 ERA in nine career appearances (eight starts) against Arizona. He was tagged with four runs on three hits and eight(!) walks in a 4-0 loss at Dodger Stadium his last time out. 

There's a favorable wind prediction for the over and we can note that the over is 6-1-2 in umpire Mike Estabrook's last nine games behind home plate vs. Colorado and 5-2 in his last seven games behind home plate vs. Arizona.

Top Rated 10* NL *TOTAL OF THE WEEK*
Play: Over
Rating: 10/10*

The San Francisco Giants' otherwise pretty quiet bats came alive in Monday's 9-2 victory against the Colorado Rockies. We cashed over 7.5 runs in that game, and I'm backing the over between the Rockies and the Giants again Tuesday night. 

Jeff Hoffman (4-1, 4.29 ERA) takes the ball for Colorado. The 24 year old rookie had allowed more than one run in just one of his first five starts of the season prior to getting lit up for nine runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings against Arizona on June 21 his last turn. He was a bit lucky when he held the Giants to one run through five frames despite giving up seven hits and three walks on June 15, and I think the San Francisco hitters will get to him early tonight. 

The Giants hand the ball to veteran right-hander Matt Cain (3-7, 5.54 ERA) who has been knocked around plenty this season. Cain was battered for seven runs and 10 hits in four innings at Atlanta his last time out, and he has gone 0-4 with a 4.47 ERA against Colorado in nine starts over the last four years. 

Over is 5-1 in Cain's last six home starts vs. Rockies. Over is 8-3 in Hoffman's last 11 starts overall. Over is 6-1 in Giants' last seven home games.

Soccer Total
Play: Over
Rating: 8/10*

Top Rated 10* MLB *NIGHTCRAWLER* Total
Play: Over
Rating: 10/10*

I think the total for Monday's matchup between the Colorado Rockies and the San Francisco Giants is set way too low. 

Jeff Samardzija (2-9, 4.74 ERA) is 0-3 with a 9.33 ERA against the Rockies this season and 3-5 with a 3.91 ERA in 14 career appearances (10 starts). German Marquez (5-3, 3.92 ERA) was roughed up for six runs and 12 hits over 4 1/3 frames at San Francisco on Sept. 27 in his only career start against the Giants. We can also note some notable splits for Marquez who has posted a 1.30 ERA in five day starts this season but a 6.19 ERA in six night starts. I think he might get lit up under the lights at AT&T Park tonight. 

Top Rated 10* Phillies/D'Backs Total
Play: Under
Rating: 10/10*

I think we'll see a low-scoring game here between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Arizona Diamondbacks Monday afternoon. 

Philadelphia's Nick Pivetta (1-3, 4.46 ERA) has allowed just three runs on eight hits in 13 innings through his last two starts. Even more impressive, he's recorded 19 Ks with only three walks during that span. Pivetta will be facing Arizona for the first time.

The D'Backs hand the ball to Zack Greinke (8-4, 3.14 ERA) who is 2-1 with a 2.88 ERA in his last four starts, covering a total of 25 innings. Greinke is 7-1 with a 2.54 ERA in 10 career games (nine starts) against the Phillies.

Under is 6-2-1 in Greinke's last nine starts overall. Under is 10-4-3 in Phillies' last 17 overall.

MLB 3-Pack
Play: Over
Rating: 8/10*

The Washington Nationals and the Cincinnati Reds combined for a total of 21 runs on Saturday, and I predict plenty of action over the plate again on Sunday. The Nats' Tanner Roark (6-4, 4.88 ERA) has been tagged with 18 runs (15 earned) on 25 hits through just 13 2/3 innings in his last three starts combined. The Reds' Scott Feldman (5-5, 4.20 ERA) has allowed six runs on 14 hits in 11 innings in his last two starts. 

Over is 11-1-2 in Reds last 14 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. Over is 10-2 in Nationals last 12 overall. Over is 4-0 in the last four head-to-head meetings.

Soccer Total
Play: Over
Rating: 8/10*

Top Rated 10* MLB *TOTAL OF THE DAY*
Play: Under
Rating: 10/10*

The Kansas City Royals are heating up and enter Saturday as winners of 10 of their last 12 games. Left-hander Jason Vargas (10-3, 2.27 ERA) has been fantastic all season and posted a 2.20 ERA in his past five starts overall. Vargas has compiled a 1.81 ERA home at Kauffman Stadium. The Blue Jays hand the ball to Marco Estrada (4-5, 4.98 ERA) who has had a terrible June, going 0-3 with a 12.67 ERA in four starts. We can however note that Estrada is 1-1 with a 2.92 ERA in two career starts against the Royals, and I like him to come up with a big performance today. 

Under is 9-2 in Vargas' last 11 home starts. Under is 10-1 in Estradas last 11 starts vs. American League Central teams. Under is 5-0 in the last five head-to-head meetings.

MLB *MONEYMAKER*
Play: Over
Rating: 8/10*

The Miami Marlins will host the Chicago Cubs for the opener of a four-game series on Thursday. I think we'll see plenty of runs. 

Jake Arrieta (6-5, 4.64 ERA) takes the ball for the Cubs. He's had a season to forget and has surrendered seven runs (six earned) through his past nine innings of work. Arrieta has good career numbers against Miami but I don't think that will do him any good tonight. Over is 9-4 in Arrieta's last 13 starts overall.

The Marlins turn to left-hander Jeff Locke (0-2, 4.58 ERA) who is 0-2 with a 4.58 ERA in four starts since coming off the disabled list. Locke is 1-5 with a 5.98 ERA in 13 career games (11 starts) against the Cubs. 

Miami defeated Washington 2-1 yesterday. Over is 19-6-2 in the Marlins last 27 after scoring two runs or fewer in their previous game.

Super Early MLB *TOTAL OF THE MONTH*
Play: Under
Rating: 10/10*

Under is 13-3 in the Pittsburgh Pirates' last 16 Thursday games and today they'll hand the ball to Ivan Nova (7-4, 2.91 ERA) who has been solid all season. Nova was 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in two starts against Milwaukee last season. The Brewers turn to Chase Anderson (5-2, 2.92 ERA) who was 3-1 behind a 2.16 ERA in five outings against Pittsburgh last season. Anderson has posted a 1.78 ERA with 18 strikeouts over his last three starts.

Under is 10-2-1 in the last 13 meetings at Miller Park and 8-1-3 in umpire Dan Bellino's last 12 games behind home plate.

Subscribers Only
Play: Over
Rating: 8/10*

MLB 3-Pack
Play: Under
Rating: 8/10*

This total is way too bloated to pass up on. The Blue Jays' Marco Estrada (4-5, 4.54 ERA) has been lit up lately, but he held Texas to one run and struck out eight over six innings on May 27. Under is 6-2 in Rangers last eight games vs. a right-handed starter and 5-2 in Estrada's last seven Monday starts. The Rangers' Austin Bibens-Dirkx (2-0, 3.28 ERA) will make his third start of the season and limited the Nats to one run on three hits in seven innings his last time out. He pitched four innings in relief against the Jays on May 26, allowing three runs and striking out five, but I think he's settled in better now. 

Let's go with the under. 

Top Rated 10* MLB *TOTAL OF THE DAY*
Play: Under
Rating: 10/10*

Under is 7-0 in the last seven meetings at Camden Yards, and this total looks pretty high considering the pitchers on the mound. Cleveland's Corey Kluber (5-2, 4.15 ERA) missed most of May due to a lower-back injury, but he's 2-0 with a 2.37 ERA through three starts here in June. The Orioles hand the ball to Dylan Bundy (7-5, 3.29 ERA) who had been solid through four starts before allowing five runs (four earned) in five innings at Chicago White Sox his last time out. Bundy is reliable at home though where he's 4-2 with a 2.38 ERA in seven starts on the season. Under is 7-1 in Bundy's last eight home starts vs. a team with a winning record.

Super Early Top Rated 10* *TOTAL OF THE DAY*
Play: Over
Rating: 10/10*

Over is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings in Atlanta and Marlins' right-hander Jose Urena (5-2, 3.70 ERA) has much better splits at home than on the road. Urena has also struggled with his command for most of the season and he is 0-3 with a 10.29 ERA against Atlanta in six career games (three starts).

Atlanta hands the ball to Mike Foltynewicz (4-5, 4.37 ERA) who is 2-0 despite a bloated 5.31 ERA in five career outings (four starts) against the Marlins. Foltynewicz was tagged with eight runs on 11 hits and three homers in just 3 1/3 innings at Washington his last turn. Atlanta still won the game 11-10. 

Euro U21
Play: Over
Rating: 8/10*

Subscribers Only
Play: Over
Rating: 5/10*

Subscribers Only
Play: Over
Rating: 5/10*

Top Rated 10* Late Night MLB *BIG HITTER*
Play: Over
Rating: 10/10*

The Kansas City Royals have been swinging hot bats during a five-game winning streak, scoring a total of 42 runs in the process. Here they'll face Jesse Chavez (5-6, 5.06 ERA) lasted only 3 2/3 innings, with four hits, four walks and six runs allowed his last time out. The Royals turn to Ian Kennedy (0-6, 5.40 ERA) who is 0-4 with a 4.80 ERA in six career games against the Angels and he's allowed four runs or more in six consecutive starts. 

Over is 6-0 in Royals last six overall. Over is 5-1 in Angels last six home games vs. a team with a losing road record. Over is 4-1-1 in the last six meetings at Anaheim.

MLB 3-Pack
Play: Over
Rating: 8/10*

Atlanta's Sean Newcomb (0-1, 0.00 ERA) will make his second career start, filling in for Bartolo Colon who is disabled list with a strained oblique. Newcomb allowed just one unearned run through 6 1/3 frames against the Mets in his debut but this will be a tougher test and over is 5-0 in Marlins last 5 games vs. a left-handed starter. Miami's Dan Straily (4-4, 3.89 ERA) has pitched OK this season but he was tagged with four runs on nine hits in four innings at Pittsburgh his last time out. Both teams are in the top 10 for batting average on the season. 

Over is 8-1 in the last nine meetings in Atlanta.

Super Late Top Rated 10* MLB Total
Play: Over
Rating: 10/10*

Over is 9-1-2 in the Oakland Athletics last 12 overall and 5-2 in the New York Yankees last seven.

The Yankees' Jordan Montgomery (4-4, 3.55 ERA) has pitched pretty well lately but note that over is 9-3-1 in Athletics last 13 games vs. a left-handed starter. Oaklands' Sonny Gray (2-2, 4.37 ERA) has lost three straight start allowing a total of 15 runs (12 earned) through 17 2/3 innings. Over is 10-3 in Gray's last 13 home starts and he's 1-2 with a 4.44 ERA in four career starts against New York.

Subscribers Only
Play: Over
Rating: 8/10

MLB Total
Play: Over
Rating: 8/10*

The Detroit Tigers host the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday night. Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings and this should be another high-scoring encounter. 

Jordan Zimmermann (4-2, 5.72 ERA) takes the ball for Detroit. He's 5-1 in six starts home at Comerica Park on the season despite a bloated 5.08 ERA. Over is 12-3-1 in Zimmermann's last 16 home starts. The Tigers will most likely need to provide him with plenty of run support here as well, facing an Arizona side that ranks 5th in the MLB for runs scored this season. 

The D'Backs turn to Taijuan Walker (4-3, 3.46 ERA) who has not pitched since May 19 because of a blister on his right hand. He is 0-0 with an 8.71 ERA through 10 1/3 innings in three career starts against the Tigers. 

Over is 7-1 in Diamondbacks last eight overall. Over is 4-1 in Tigers last five overall.

MLB Total
Play: Over
Rating: 8/10*

Both pitchers are running the risk of getting lit up early here, in which case they would have to hand over the ball to a pair of taxed bullpens prone to give up runs. 

Atlanta's R.A. Dickey (4-4, 4.73 ERA) allowed just one run on three hits in seven innings of a 3-1 home win against the Phillies his last time out, but he's regularly been knocked around on the road this season. Over is 3-1-1 in Dickeys last five road starts. The current Nationals roster own a combined .289 batting average against the veteran knuckleballer. 

Washington turns to Joe Ross (3-2, 6.16 ERA) who held Baltimore to one run on four hits through 7 1/3 frames his last turn. Ross has still had a rough season though and he's posted 5.02 ERA in three career starts against Atlanta. Over is 7-1-1 in Ross' last nine starts overall.

Over is 12-2 in Braves last 14 Tuesday games. Over is 6-1 in Nationals last seven Tuesday games. Over is 8-0 in the last eight meetings at Nationals Park.

Late Night MLB Total
Play: Over
Rating: 8/10*

Over is 6-0 in the San Diego Padres' last six overall and 5-1 in the Cincinnati Reds last six overall.

Bronson Arroyo (3-4, 6.25 ERA) takes the ball for Cincy. He was charged with four runs on eight hits and two walks in only 5 2/3 innings against St. Louis on Wednesday, and the veteran has averaged only 84.8 pitches per start and the Reds' bullpen is taxed after a busy weekend. We can also note that Arroyo is 0-2 with a 7.50 in five starts away from home on the season. 

The Padres turn to Luis Perdomo (0-3, 5.30 ERA) who was knocked around for five runs on as many hits in four innings of a 7-4 loss at Arizona his last time out. He has averaged just 87.6 pitches per game and the Padres' bullpen is taxed as well. 

Both starting pitchers have a WHIP of 1.40+. We should see plenty of baserunners and as a result runs scored. 

Late Night MLB Total
Play: Under
Rating: 8/10*

The Toronto Blue Jays have struggled against southpaws all season and they're among the worst in baseball with a .225 batting average against left-handers. Under is 18-7-4 in Blue Jays last 29 road games vs. a left-handed starter. Here they'll come up against lefty Ariel Miranda (6-2, 3.74) who has allowed two runs or fewer in each of his last five starts, and he limited the Jays to one run and three hits with eight strikeouts in five innings on May 14. Toronto hands the ball to Marcus Stroman (6-2, 3.25 ERA) who has been excellent all season. He struck out nine while holding the Mariners to two runs over six innings on May 13. 

MLB Total
Play: Over
Rating: 8/10*

Over is 6-0-1 in the Miami Marlins' last seven Friday games and 13-6-2 in their last 21 road games. Tonight Miami hands the ball to Vance Worley (0-2, 6.59 ERA) who was rocked for five runs on six hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings by the Diamondbacks his last time out. Worley is facing his former team for the first time since leaving in the 2015-2016 offseason, and I think the Pirates have a good grasp on how to reach him. 

The Pirates hand the ball to Tyler Glasnow (2-5, 6.97) who will make his first career start against the Marlins. He has surrendered a total of nine runs and 13 hits over 10 innings in his last two turns (both against the Mets). Over is 7-1-2 in Glasnow's last 10 starts overall.

MLB Total 
Play: Under
Rating: 8/10*

The Colorado Rockies' bats are much more dangerous home at Coors than on the road. The under is 7-1 in the Rockies last eight road games vs. a left-handed starter and here they'll face Jon Lester (3-3, 3.91 ERA) who is 1-2 with a 1.69 ERA in three career starts against Colorado. Right-hander Tyler Chatwood (5-7, 4.60 ERA) takes the ball for the Rockies and he's 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA in two career starts against the Cubs. Under is 9-2 in the Cubs last 11 games vs. a right-handed starter.

MLB *BOOKIE BREAKER*
Play: Under
Rating: 8/10*

Over is 6-2 in the last eight meetings between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Diego Padres, but chances are we'll see a low-scoring game with a pair of left-handers on the mound Thursday afternoon. 

Clayton Richard (4-6, 4.36 ERA) takes the ball for the Padres. He held the D'Backs to one run on five hits in a complete game on May 21 to improve to 10-4 with a 3.92 ERA in 16 career starts against them. Under is 5-1-1 in Diamondbacks last seven games vs. a left-handed starter and 5-1 in Richards last six road starts.

Arizona turns to Patrick Corbin (4-6, 5.43 ERA). The southpaw owns a 4-5 record and 3.38 ERA in 13 career appearances (eight starts) versus the Padres and San Diego has the worst batting average in baseball against left-handers this season.

MLB 3-Pack
Play: Over
Rating: 8/10*

Over is 4-0 in the Detroit Tigers' last four overall and they've scored a total of 38 runs during a four-game winning streak. Tonight they'll face Jesse Chavez (4-6, 4.68 ERA) who is 0-4 with a 6.25 ERA in 13 appearances (three starts) against the Tigers. Detroit will send Daniel Norris (2-3, 4.47 ERA) to the mound. Norris has a bloated 1.60 WHIP on the season and over is 4-1 in Angels' last five games vs. a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30. 

NBA Finals Game 2 *BOOKIE BREAKER*
Play: Under
Rating: 8/10*

The Golden State Warriors took the lead in the NBA finals with a dominant 113-91 victory in Game 1. I think we'll see another low-scoring affair here in Game 2. Under is 10-4 in Cavaliers last 14 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600 and 81-39-3 in their last 123 Sunday games. Under is 33-16-2 in Warriors last 51 home games vs. a team with a winning road record. The Warriors offense is stealing all the headlines, but this is a team that can play D as well. 

Under is 9-1-2 in the last 12 meetings at Oracle Arena and the total looks way too high. 

Top Rated 10* MLB *BIG HITTER*
Play: Over
Rating: 10/10*

We'll see Ricky Nolasco (2-5, 5.07 ERA) on the mound for the Angels on Sunday. He has surrendered a total of 11 runs on 14 hits and four walks with three homers through just 8 2/3 innings in his last two starts. Jason Castro is 3-for-4 off Nolasco and expected to be in the lineup Sunday after being rested for two games.

The Twins turn to Jose Berrios (3-1, 2.70 ERA) who started the season with a pair of solid starts allowing only one run through 15 1/3 innings of work. He's however been tagged with seven runs on nine hits and six walks in 11 1/3 innings in his last two starts combined. Over is 5-0 in Angels last five home games vs. a right-handed starter.

The over is 5-1 in the last six meetings at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

Top Rated 10* MLB *BIG HITTER*
Play: Over
Rating: 10/10*

The Los Angeles Angels host the Minnesota Twins for the opener of a four-game series Thursday night.

The Twins are coming off four straight defeats giving up a total of 48(!) runs, and their MLB-worst bullpen has been under heavy fire. That should be the case once again here with Adalberto Mejia (1-1, 4.64 ERA) on the mound. Mejia will make his mere sixth start of the season, and gave up a pair of runs on six hits in five innings against Tampa Bay his last time out. He has worked more than five innings just once this season.

The Halos turn to Alex Meyer (2-2, 5.79 ERA) who will make his first start since May 20 after a short stint on the disabled list due to back spasms. The 27 year old will also make his sixth start of the season and was charged with four runs (three earned) on three hits and four walks in four innings at Citi Field his last time out. Meyer has walked 18 batters through 23 1/3 innings of work this season. 

Over is 4-1 in Angels last five home games and 6-1 in Meyer's last seven starts overall. Over is 3-0-1 in Twins' last four overall and 5-2-2 in the last nine visits to Anaheim.

Top Rated 10* IL *GAME OF THE MONTH*
Play: Over
Rating: 10/10*

Toronto's bats have come alive lately helping the Blue Jays to win seven of their last eight overall. Over is 6-0-1 in the last seven meetings with the Cincinnati Reds at Rogers Centre and I think we'll see plenty of action over the plate in Wednesday's finale of this three-game series. 

Mike Bolsinger (0-2, 5.75 ERA) takes the ball for Toronto. He's yet to make it out of the fifth inning this season, and I think the Reds will score plenty of runs off both Bolsinger and when they get to the bullpen.

Today's Reds starter Tim Adleman (3-2, 4.95 ERA) is coming off eight scoreless innings of one-hit ball at Philadelphia, but I find it unlikely he'll be able to fight off Toronto in the same fashion. We can also note that Adleman has a 6.89 ERA in four day appearances (three starts) on the season. Cincinnati's relievers rank second worst in the major leagues with a 5.09 ERA and they've been extremely active in recent games.

Over is 10-4-1 in Reds last 15 during Game 3 of a series and 9-1 in Blue Jays last 10 interleague games.

Top Rated 10* Sunday Night Baseball - Mets/Pirates
Play: Over
Rating: 10/10*

The Pittsburgh Pirates will host the New York Mets for the rubbermatch of a three-game series Sunday night. The first two meetings have both seen nine runs scored, and I think we'll see even more runs scored tonight. 

Right-hander Matt Harvey (3-3, 5.36 ERA) takes the ball for the Mets. He is 0-1 with a 5.29 ERA in three career starts versus Pittsburgh, and Harvey has really struggled to log innings lately, failing to pitch beyond 5 1/3 innings in five consecutive starts. Issues with his control is a big reason why as he's walked 13 batters in 15 1/3 innings in his last three outings. 

Right-hander Tyler Glasnow (2-3, 6.69 ERA) will toe the slab for the Pirates. He gave up two runs on nine hits and two walks in six innings at Atlanta his last time out. He's 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA at home on the season and has struggled with the long ball lately. 

Over is 7-0-1 in Glasnows last eight starts overall. Over is 4-1-1 in Harveys last six starts overall. Both pens are taxed and both starting pitchers are running the risk of getting into trouble early. 

Super Early MLB *MONEYMAKER*
Play: Under
Rating: 8/10*

The Kansas City Royals are eyeing a three-game sweep of the Cleveland Indians Sunday afternoon, but I have my eyes on the total as I think we'll see a low-scoring contest. 

Danny Duffy (4-3, 2.92 ERA) takes the ball for KC. He's 2-1 with a 1.63 ERA through his last four starts and under is 8-2 in Duffy's last 10 Sunday starts and 8-2 in the Indians' last 10 home games vs. a left-handed starter. The Tribe turn to Josh Tomlin (2-6, 6.70 ERA) who is 0-3 with a 5.94 ERA in his last three starts, but he pitched seven innings, giving up one run and three hits with three strikeouts and no walks against the Royals on May 6. 

Under is 6-1 in Duffy's last seven starts vs. the Indians. Under is 5-1-1 in the last seven meetings in Cleveland.

Super Early MLB *BANKROLL BUILDER*
Play: Under
Rating: 8/10*

Two excellent pitchers here in Yu Darvish and Marco Estrada, and I think this game will go under the total. 

Darvish (5-2, 2.83 ERA) is 3-2 with a 2.45 ERA in seven regular-season starts against the Blue Jays. He is 4-0 with a 2.53 ERA over his last six outings and under is 8-0 in Darvish's last eight starts vs. a team with a losing record. Under is 5-0-1 in Darvish's last six starts vs. Blue Jays.  

Estrada (3-2, 3.30 ERA) held the Orioles to one run on five hits while matching a career high with 12 strikeouts over 7 2/3 innings his last time out. He held the Rangers to a .159 batting average in two starts last season.

Top Rated 10* MLB *BIG HITTER*
Play: Over
Rating: 10/10*

The Baltimore Orioles and the Houston Astros will open a three-game series at Minute Maid Park Friday night. 

Kevin Gausman (2-3, 6.65 ERA) takes the ball for Baltimore. He's allowed a total of nine runs through 16 1/3 innings of work in his last three starts, and it could have been even worse with 24 hits allowed during that span. Gausman has surrendered nine runs in 11 2/3 frames in two career starts against Houston. 

The Astros turn to Joe Musgrove (3-4, 5.63 ERA). Musgrove lost his only career start against the Orioles when he surrendered eight runs and 11 hits in 5 1/3 frames at Baltimore last year. The right-hander was charged with seven runs on eight hits and three walks in just three innings of an 8-6 home loss to Cleveland his last time out, and he has posted a 6.44 ERA through six home starts on the season.