GAME OF THE WEEK (NFL): MIKE'S TOP RATED RAMS @ BROWNS ATS BET

*This pick was made ahead of Cleveland's Monday night matchup with the New York Jets.

The LA Rams have opened the season with a perfect 2-0 record after first beating the Panthers at Carolina before putting a 27-9 beating on New Orleans. Sure, they didn't run away with the game against the Saints until the second half and were fortunate that NO quarterback Drew Brees had to exit the game with an injury, but still a solid effort on both sides of the ball. 

The Cleveland Browns entered the season as a possible Super Bowl contender, but they looked nothing like it in their 43-13 home loss to Tennessee in Week 1. Note that the Browns gave up 182 penalty yards in the setback, something that could become a recurring theme with this talented but also young and inexperienced roster. 

The Rams are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall while the Browns are 7-18-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record and 9-21 ATS in their last 30 home games. 

I'm not saying the Browns won't have their fair share of good games this year, but I doubt they'll keep it close against last season's Super Bowl finalist. 

10* play on LA Rams. 

TOP RATED MLB RUNLINE PLAY OF THE DAY

This will be the Atlanta Braves' final home game of the regular season, and I think they'll be amped up and ready put on a show for the home town crowd. 

San Francisco starter Logan Webb (1-2, 6.51 ERA) has made just six career starts, and the 22-year-old rookie is 0-2 with a 10.22 ERA over his last three. As for Atlanta starter Dallas Keuchel (8-6, 3.63 ERA), the veteran southpaw had allowed just four runs during a 5-0 six-game stretch before being tagged with five runs in a 5-4 loss against Philadelphia last time out. 

Braves are 13-3 in their last 16 home games vs. a right-handed starter and Keuchel owns a solid 2.72 ERA in nine home starts on the season. 

10* play on Atlanta Braves. 

FALCONS @ COLTS SUNDAY AFTERNOON BOOKIE BA$HER

Both the Atlanta Falcons and the Indianapolis Colts picked up a win last week and will enter Week 3 with a 1-1 record. I like the Colts as a small home favorite in this matchup. 

Atlanta managed to beat Philadelphia 24-20 Sunday night, but it was not good offensive performance. Matt Ryan completed just 27-of-43 passes and was picked off three times. To be fair, the Colts passing game didn't look much better in their 19-17 win at Tennessee, but what else would you expect following the sudden retirement of Andrew Luck. Jacoby Brissett is at the very least serviceable under center (three touchdown passes last time out), and they're a run-heavy team anyway. 

On the defensive side of the ball, Indianapolis' elite pass defense held Marcus Mariota to just 154 yards passing and if it contains Matt Ryan, they'll win this one as Atlanta does not pose much of a threat on the ground. 

Falcons are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 road games and 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games on fieldturf. Colts are 5-2-1 ATS in their last 8 games on fieldturf.

8* play on Indianapolis Colts. 

RAIDERS @ VIKINGS SUNDAY AFTERNOON ATS ANNIHILATOR

The Minnesota Vikings took a loss at Green Bay last Sunday, but I think they'll bounce back with a double-digit win against the Oakland Raiders here in Week 3. 

Raiders QB Derek Carr had trouble to move the ball and finished with just 198 passing yards and two interceptions when Oakland dropped a 28-10 decision at home against the Chiefs last week. That does not bode well for the Raiders as they'll face a Minnesota secondary that just held Aaron Rodgers to 209 yards at Lambeau Field! 

Admittedly, Minnesota has an underwhelming signal caller of its own in Kirk Cousins who has just two touchdowns against two interceptions on the season. Cousins should however have decent success against a weak Oakland secondary that ranks dead last against the pass and just allowed KC QB Patrick Mahomes to tally 433 yards through the air with four touchdowns. The Vikes also boast an excellent running game led by Dalvin Cook who accumulated a career-high 154 yards against the Packers. 

I expect the Vikings to go full throttle all the way and rout the visitors in a dominant win. 

8* play on Minnesota Vikings. 

JETS @ PATRIOTS AFC EAST BOOKIE BLASTER TOTAL

We cashed with the under in New England Patriots' games in both Week 1 and Week 2, and I'm going back to the well for a third straight time here when they host division-rival NY Jets Sunday afternoon. 

The Pats D blanked Miami last week, and here it'll face an already suspect Jets offense down to its third-stringer QB (Luke Falk) with Sam Darnold (mono) and Siemian (IR, ankle) out. The visitors will have to rely on running back Le'Veon Bell to move the chains, but that will be easier said than done with New England leading the league in total defense while allowing just 2.6 yards/rush attempt.  

Under is 5-1 in Jets last 6 games when playing on Sunday following a Monday night game. Under is 11-3 in Patriots last 14 games overall. Under is 6-0 in the last 6 meetings.

8* play on UNDER. 

GAME OF THE MONTH (SOCCER): MIKE'S TOP RATED PREMIER LEAGUE PUNISHER

Liverpool are the only team remaining with a perfect record in the Premier League this season, and I think that will still be the case after this matchup with Chelsea. 

Both sides will be looking to bounce back from losses in the UEFA Champions League midweek, and Liverpool should have the better squad depth and handle the short turnaround better.

The Reds are on a club league record run of 14 straight wins and should be well up for this after watching their main title contenter Manchester City putting an 8-0 beating on Watford on Saturday. 

Chelsea have defensive woes and yet to keep a clean sheet in six games in league and cup this campaign, which will spell trouble against this talented Liverpool offense. 

10* play on Liverpool. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (SOCCER): MIKE'S TOP RATED PREMIER LEAGUE TOTAL

Manchester United have not scored more than one goal in any contest since opening their season with a 4-0 rout of Chelsea. They'll be without World Cup-winning star midfielder Paul Pogba for this one, leaving the Red Devils short of creativity from the midfield. As for West Ham, they're coming off a 0-0 draw against Aston Villa and have scored just six goals in five Premier League games on the season. They've also looked good on the defensive end though, having kept three successive clean sheets in league and cup play.

10* play on UNDER. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (CFB): MIKE'S TOP RATED SATURDAY NIGHT TOTAL

The Illinois Fighting Illini are coming off their first loss after taking a 34-31 loss to Eastern Michigan last Saturday. 

That game flew over the total, but they had opened the season with two straight unders and just 26 points allowed. I think we'll see a relatively low-scoring affair when they host the Nebraska Cornhuskers Saturday night. 

Nebraska's offense has been inconsistent, and I would not make too much of its 44-8 rout of Northern Illinois last week. Both teams are strong against run holding opponents to 2.2 yards/rush attempt. If the passing game is not clicking, moving the chains will become a struggle no matter who has the ball. 

Under is 12-4 in Fighting Illini last 16 games in September and 7-1 in their last 8 home games vs. a team with a winning road record. 

10* play on UNDER. 

TOP RATED GIANTS @ BRAVES SATURDAY NIGHT TOTAL

Saturday's matchup between the San Francisco Giants and the Atlanta Braves have all the signs of a low-scoring affair.  

Giants right-hander Johnny Cueto (1-0, 0.00 ERA) has been excellent since coming back from Tommy John surgery with two scoreless outings covering a total of 10 frames. Braves' southpaw Max Fried (16-6, 4.25 ERA) has been knocked around for five runs in both of his last two outings, but both were on the road. Fried owns a 3.42 ERA in 14 starts at SunTrust Park this year and under is 5-1-1 in his last 7 home starts.

Under is 6-2 in Giants last 8 road games vs. a left-handed starter. Under is 8-2 in Braves last 10 home games vs. a right-handed starter.

10* play on UNDER. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (MLB): MIKE'S TOP RATED SAT NIGHT RUNLINE

The Milwaukee Brewers have won 13 of their last 15 after putting a 10-1 beating on the Pittsburgh Pirates Friday night. Still, every remaining game is a must-win game for the Brewers down the stretch as they look to hang on to one of the wild cards in the National League, and I expect a focused Brew Crew side to get the W here. 

The Buccs are losers of six straight games and have not covered the runline in any of those contests. Here they'll start 26-year-old rookie right-hander James Marvel (0-2, 9.00 ERA) who has just two career starts under his belt, and his hideous ERA should tell you how they went. As for Milwaukee starter Zach Davies (10-7, 3.70 ERA), the Brewers have won and covered the runline in each of his last four starts with the right-hander allowing only five earned runs through 19 innings of work.

10* play on Milwaukee Brewers. 

SATURDAY AFTERNOON WASHINGTON @ BYU BOOKIE BLASTER

The Washington Huskies won last year's meeting with BYU 35-7 at home. I think they'll win by at least a touchdown here in Provo, Utah Saturday afternoon. 

BYU is overrated by the bookmakers following back-to-back upset overtime wins over Tennessee and USC. We can note that it won those contests despite getting outgained in both games, and particularly its defense has struggled giving up 412.7 yards per contest.

The Huskies, on the other hand, have been solid on both sides of the ball, averaging 39.3 points and 456 yards per game on offense while giving up just 18 points and 324 yards per game on defense. 

Washington is coming off a 52-20 rout of Hawaii after losing to Cal outright as a 13.5-point favorite the previous week. Even in the loss, they held the Golden Bears to only 300 yards of total offense and outgained them by 45 yards. Lesson learned, and they're unlikely to allow their next couple opponents to keep it close.

8* play on Washington Huskies. 

AUBURN TEXAS A&M BOOKIE BLASTER

The No. 15 Texas A&M Aggies are 2-1 on the season, but they covered the spread in their line loss, a 24-10 setback at the top-ranked Clemson Tigers. The No. 9 Auburn Tigers are a perfect 3-0, but they've played an easy schedule and all home games, and I think they'll come up short here as a road underdog Saturday afternoon. 

There will no doubt be an extremely hostile environment for the visitors at Kyle Field, and this will be Auburn QB Bo Nix's first road game. Nix has completed just 52.4 percent of his passes with four TDs and two INTs, so the team has had to rely on its running game to move the chains. That will be easier said than done to repeat here though, facing a Texas A&M run defense that has allowed only 83.7 yards per game. Even Clemson was held to a modest 120-something rushing yard against it. 

The Aggies meanwhile are well-rounded on offense, entering this contest 29th in the nation through the air and tied for 61st in rushing offense. Additionally, we can note that the Aggies are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 home games while Tigers are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.

Texas A&M will win and cover, but it won't be pretty so I'll like the home team to win and cover in a low-scoring affair. 

8* play on Texas A&M. 

SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

The No. 15 Texas A&M Aggies are 2-1 on the season, but they covered the spread in their line loss, a 24-10 setback at the top-ranked Clemson Tigers. The No. 9 Auburn Tigers are a perfect 3-0, but they've played an easy schedule and all home games, and I think they'll come up short here as a road underdog Saturday afternoon. 

There will no doubt be an extremely hostile environment for the visitors at Kyle Field, and this will be Auburn QB Bo Nix's first road game. Nix has completed just 52.4 percent of his passes with four TDs and two INTs, so the team has had to rely on its running game to move the chains. That will be easier said than done to repeat here though, facing a Texas A&M run defense that has allowed only 83.7 yards per game. Even Clemson was held to a modest 120-something rushing yard against it. 

The Aggies meanwhile are well-rounded on offense, entering this contest 29th in the nation through the air and tied for 61st in rushing offense. Additionally, we can note that the Aggies are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 home games while Tigers are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.

Texas A&M will win and cover, but it won't be pretty so I'll like the home team to win and cover in a low-scoring affair. 

8* play on UNDER. 

GAME OF THE MONTH (NCAAF): MIKE'S TOP RATED BIG 10 BOOKIE BREAKER

Both the Wisconsin Badgers and the Michigan Wolverines enter this contest with 2-0 record and off a bye week, but I think the Badgers home field advantage and defense will be too much for the visitors to overcome.

Wisconsin has made easy work of its first two opponents, outscoring South Florida and Central Michigan by a combined score of 110-0. Here it'll face a Michigan team needed overtime to get past Army as a 22-point favorite last time out, and the Wolverines have struggled to move the ball efficiently under their new offensive coordinator despite an easy schedule. 

The Badgers offense on the other hand has hit the ground running and poses a threat both in the air and on the ground. Jonathan Taylor is arguably the best running back in the FBS and has accumulated 237 yards through the first two games. 

Wolverines are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games, and this is a revenge game for the Badgers after getting routed in the Big House last year. Additionally we can note that the Badgers are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games following a bye week.

10* play on Wisconsin Badgers. 

BOSTON COLLEGE @ RUTGERS BANKROLL BUILDER

I like the Boston College Eagles to bounce back from an upset loss as an 18.5-point favorite against Kansas. This is now a must-win non-conference game, and they'll face a Rutgers team that managed just 125 total yards of total offense when it was shut out in a 30-0 loss at Iowa last time out. 

While BC is young and inexperienced on the defensive side of the ball, note that it has six interceptions on the season, second-most in the nation. The Scarlet Knights have quarterback issues and they've thrown a combined five picks on the season ... 

Eagles are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 road games and not given enough credit here following last week's debacle. 

8* play on Boston College Eagles. 

TGIF MLB 3-PACK

The Miami Marlins are averaging 3.76 runs per game on the season, and here they'll face a hot pitcher in Anibal Sanchez (9-8, 3.86 ERA) who is coming off seven scoreless innings against Atlanta. Under is 5-2 in Sanchez's last 7 road starts and he owns a solid 3.31 ERA in three starts against the Marlins this season.

As for Miami starter Robert Dugger (0-2, 3.95 ERA), the 24-year-old righty owns a 1.80 ERA in two starts home at Marlins Park on the season and he has three quality starts in five tries overall this season. 

Miami's season ended a long time ago while the Nats are trying to hold on to one of the wild cards in the National League. While I don't think we'll see a ton of runs scored between the two teams, the Nats will put up enough to win this contest by at least two runs. 

8* play on Washington Nationals. 

TGIF MLB 3-PACK

The Miami Marlins are averaging 3.76 runs per game on the season, and here they'll face a hot pitcher in Anibal Sanchez (9-8, 3.86 ERA) who is coming off seven scoreless innings against Atlanta. Under is 5-2 in Sanchez's last 7 road starts and he owns a solid 3.31 ERA in three starts against the Marlins this season.

As for Miami starter Robert Dugger (0-2, 3.95 ERA), the 24-year-old righty owns a 1.80 ERA in two starts home at Marlins Park on the season and he has three quality starts in five tries overall this season. 

Miami's season ended a long time ago while the Nats are trying to hold on to one of the wild cards in the National League. While I don't think we'll see a ton of runs scored between the two teams, the Nats will put up enough to win this contest by at least two runs. 

8* play on UNDER. 

TGIF MLB 3-PACK

There will be plenty at stake for both teams in this interleague series with both the Philadelphia Phillies and the Cleveland Indians still hoping to make the postseason. With no lack of motivation, I expect to see two focused teams play out a low-scoring game. 

Phillies left-hander Drew Smyly (4-6, 6.22 ERA) blanked the New York Mets for seven innings his last time out on the road and under is 4-1 in Smyly's last 5 road starts.

Cleveland right-hander Shane Bieber (14-7, 3.26 ERA) should be primed to bounce back from his worst outing of the season. Bieber had held the Los Angeles Angels and Chicago White Sox to a combined three runs over 14 frames in his last two starts prior to that. 

Under is 10-2 in Indians last 12 overall and 4-1 in Phillies last 5 overall.

8* play on UNDER. 

THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL TITANS @ JAGS BOOKIE BREAKER *TOP PLAY*

The Tennesse Titans dominated Cleveland Browns in Week 1 but failed to make it a 2-0 start to the season when they came up short in a 19-17 loss to Indianapolis last time out. 

I think they'll bounce back here in Jacksonville Thursday night, facing an 0-2 Jaguars team that had big trouble to generate any kind of offense in its 17-16 loss to Houston on Sunday. 

With Nick Foles (and several other offensive pieces) out, the Jags have to rely on rookie QB Gardner Minshew under center. The 6th round pick has not embarrassed himself, quite far from it, but moving the ball against this solid Titans defense won't be easy.

As for the Jacksonville defense, it gave up 126 yards on 30 rush attempts to the Texans, and Tennessee can do plenty of damage on the ground with dual-threat QB Marcus Mariota and RB Derrick Henry who ranks 6th in the NFL with 165 yards on the season. 

We can also note that the Jaguars are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games after scoring less than 15 points in their previous game and 3-9-2 ATS in their last 14 games overall. 

The Titans are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 meetings and won both last season's contests straight up, including a 9-6 triumph here in Florida. 

10* play on Tennessee Titans. 

THURSDAY NIGHT MLB RUNLINE RIPPER

The Minnesota Twins' bats took the night off and generated just one run on three hits in a loss to the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday. I expect them to come back in full force here and put a beating on the Kansas City Royals. 

The Twins are 6-2 in their last 8 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of less than .400, and here they'll face a Royals team that is just 27-50 on the road. The visitors hand the ball to left-hander Mike Montgomery (3-9, 4.70 ERA) who has an ugly 7.85 ERA through 36-plus innings of work on the road this season. He has served up 12 homers over those frames, and Minnesota leads the majors with a single-season record 289 home runs ... 

Minnesota counters with Kyle Gibson (13-7, 4.76 ERA) who will make his second start and third appearance since returning from a 12-day stint on the injured list. Gibson has not been sharp in recent starts, but a matchup with KC could be just what the doctor ordered as he is 2-0 with a 3.26 ERA in three starts against the Royals this season.

8* play on Minnesota Twins. 

TIGERS @ INDIANS TOTAL

I think runs will come at a premium for both sides when the Detroit Tigers visit the Cleveland Indians Thursday evening. Cleveland righty Mike Clevinger (11-3, 2.68 ERA) has not given up more than two earned runs in his past six outings and he has held the Tigers to one run in 14 innings while striking out 22 this season. As for Detroit starter Daniel Norris (3-12, 4.62 ERA), the left-hander has had his struggles with Cleveland, but he held Baltimore scoreless on one hit on Saturday. 

Under is 4-0 in Tigers last 4 overall and  9-2-1 in their last 12 games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15. Under is 10-2 in Indians last 12 overall and 7-2 in their last 9 games vs. a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30.

8* play on UNDER. 

PHILLIES @ BRAVES TOTAL

I think runs will come at a premium for both sides when the Atlanta Braves visit the Philadelphia Phillies Thursday afternoon. 

Philadelphia righty Aaron Nola (12-5, 3.62 ERA) struck out nine while allowing just one run in seven innings of a 2-1 Phillies loss to the Red Sox last time out. Under is 7-1 in Braves last 8 home games vs. a right-handed starter. As for Atlanta starter Mike Soroka (12-4, 2.57 ERA), the right-hander is having a tremendous year and fired six shutout innings of one-hit ball against Washington last time out. Under is 7-3-1 in Phillies last 11 games vs. a right-handed starter.

Under is 4-0 in Phillies last 4 overall. Under is 20-8-1 in Braves last 29 overall.

8* play on UNDER. 

GAME OF THE YEAR (MLB): MIKE'S BEST REGULAR SEASON TOTAL 2019

The Minnesota Twins came from behind not only once, but twice in Tuesday's 9-8 win over the Chicago White Sox. I am extremely confident that this matchup will be another wild high-scoring affair. 

Here they'll get a look at White Sox righty Ivan Nova (10-12, 4.86 ERA) for an inning or two as Dylan Covey, who originally was scheduled to start Wednesday, has been scratched due to a sore shoulder. Nova gave up five runs on 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings in Chicago's 11-10 loss at Seattle on Sunday. As for Twins righty Jake Odorizzi (14-6, 3.60 ERA), he has been solid lately but has not made it past the sixth inning in any of his last 10 starts. We can note that both teams were forced to dig deep into the bullpen in last night's marathon ...

Over is 6-2 in White Sox last 8 overall. 

10* play on OVER. 

TOP RATED MLB RUNLINE PLAY OF THE DAY (EARLY START)

The Oakland Athletics have plenty on the line down the stretch as they're in a tight race with Cleveland and Tampa Bay for the two wild cards in the American League. I like them to come away with a comfortable win here, facing a KC team with left-hander Danny Duffy on the mound. 

Duffy (6-6, 4.55 ERA) is coming off a pair of solid outings, but he's still struggled with his command and issued six walks across those two games. Duffy has also had trouble with the long ball, serving up seven homers over his last five starts, and that could spell big trouble here against the A's who are one of the home run happiest team in baseball. 

As for Oakland starter Homer Bailey (13-8, 4.76 ERA), the 33-year-old righty has been sharp in recent months and held opponents to two or fewer runs in five of his last six starts. Bailey is 3-0 with a 2.93 ERA in five starts at Oakland Coliseum on the season, with Oakland winning four of those contests.  

10* play on Oakland Athletics. 

TOP RATED TUESDAY NIGHT MLB RUNLINE MAJOR WAGER

The Colorado Rockies defeated the NY Mets 9-4 in Monday night's opener of this three-game set. The Mets will now enter Tuesday five games behind the Chicago Cubs for the second wild card in the National League with just 12 games remaining. I do not think they're ready to give up on the season just yet though, particularly not with Marcus Stroman on the mound Tuesday night. 

Stroman (8-13, 3.35 ERA) is coming off six-plus innings of one-run ball against Arizona and the team has won five of his eight starts since coming over from Toronto. The losses came against Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia x 2, two teams far stronger than the 66-85 Rockies. 

As for Colorado starter Tim Melville (2-2, 5.16 ERA), the 29-year-old right-hander has just nine major league starts under his belt, and he has allowed 10 runs on 12 hits (five homers over his last five innings here at Coors Field. 

Mets are 15-5 in their last 20 road games vs. a right-handed starter and 15-6 in their last 21 Tuesday games. Rockies are 1-10 in their last 11 Tuesday games.

10* play on New York Mets. 

MLB 3-PACK

Huge edge for the Minnesota Twins here as they continue their quest on locking up the American League Central crown.

White Sox left-hander Ross Detwiler (2-5, 6.79 ERA) has an ugly 6.43 ERA in four games (two starts) against the Twins this year while Twins left-hander Martin Perez (10-7, 4.89 ERA) held the White Sox to three runs in six innings in his lone meeting with the team. 

White Sox are 2-9 in their last 11 vs. a team with a winning record and 1-5 in their last 6 games vs. a left-handed starter. Twins are 52-20 in their last 72 vs. a team with a losing record and they've won nine of the last 11 encounters with the White Sox here at Target Field. 

8* play on Minnesota Twins. 

MARINERS @ PIRATES TUESDAY NIGHT $20 SPECIAL

Neither the Pittsburgh Pirates nor the Seattle Mariners are heading to the postseason, and I think we're getting value on the underdog here considering questionable motivation for both sides. 

Mariners' left-hander Marco Gonzales (15-11, 4.30 ERA) is having a great year (by his standards) and held Cincinnati to two runs through seven innings last time out. This will make his first career start against the Pirates who turn to the struggling rookie right-hander Mitch Keller (1-4, 8.29 ERA) who was tagged with five runs and nine hits in five innings in a 5-4 loss to San Francisco last time out. 

Pirates are 5-14 in their last 19 games vs. a left-handed starter. Seattle has won four of its past six games and it is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings with the Pirates in Pittsburgh.

8* play on Seattle Mariners. 

TOP RATED MLB RUNLINE PLAY OF THE DAY

The Minnesota Twins look like a good favorite here in the opener of a three-game series with the Chicago White Sox in Minneapolis. 

Twins righty Jose Berrios (12-8, 3.63 ERA) is coming off seven scoreless innings of two-hit ball in a 5-0 win against Washington. Berrios is 10-2 with a 2.40 ERA in 13 career starts against the White Sox, and he has limited them to 16 runs over 27 innings of work (3.00 ERA) this season. As for White Sox starter Reynaldo Lopez (9-13, 5.35), the right-hander is 1-3 with a 5.30 ERA in six career starts against the Twins. 

The White Sox have dropped four of their last five games and should not stand much of a chance here against an amped up Twins team who will be looking to take one step closer to the division title. 

10* play on Minnesota Twins. 

SUPER EARLY MLB PLAY OF THE DAY *TOP RATED MAJOR WAGER*

The Detroit Tigers earned Saturday's matchup 8-4 with a John Hicks walk-off grand slam in the 12th inning, and I thinke they look primed to play out another high-scoring contest here in the third game of this four-game series on Sunday. 

Detroit right-hander Edwin Jackson (3-9, 9.76 ERA) allowed six runs in just two innings against the Yankees last time out (game Detroit still won 12-11) has been tagged with four earned runs in five consecutive starts. Over is 6-2-1 in Jackson's last 9 home starts. 

As for Baltimore starter Asher Wojciechowski (2-8, 5.51 ERA), the right-hander was tagged with four runs in just two innings of a 10-4 home loss to Texas last time out. He has a 7.05 ERA over his last eight starts and over is 7-2 in Wojciechowski's last 9 starts. 

Over is 6-1-1 in Tigers last 8 after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game and runs should come fast and easy for both teams here.

10* play on OVER. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (NFL): MIKE'S TOP RATED SUNDAY SIDE

The Dallas Cowboys had little trouble to take advantage of one of the worst defenses in the league when they opened the season with a decisive 35-17 victory against the New York Giants. 

Here they'll face a Washington side that gave up 32 points on the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1, and I like Dallas in to win and cover the spread. 

The Redskins kept it relatively close against Philly, losing by only five points as a 10-point dog, thanks to QB Case Keenum. He was one of the big surprises in Week 1 as he lit up Philly's defense for a career-high 380 passing yards and three touchdown passes, but Keenum likely to come crashing back to earth here against one of the league’s top defenses. 

Dallas has the advantage of both sides of the ball, and I don't think Washington's home field advantage will make up for that. We can also note that Dallas has won four of the last five meetings by five points or more. 

10* play on Dallas Cowboys. 

BILLS @ GIANTS BOOKIE BLASTER

The Buffalo Bills have already made themselves at home in the Big Apple after rallying from a 16-point deficit to open the season with a 17-16 road win over the NY Jets. I think they'll get the better over the NY Giants as well here in Week 2. The score may not reflect it, but Buffalo dominated the Jets on both sides of the ball as it outgained its opponent 358 to 203 in yards. 

The Bills combined for four sacks in the victory and Giants QB Eli Manning could be in big trouble here against the Bills' elite pass rush. Manning completed only 30-of-44 passes and finished with a 22.4 QBR as the Giants took a 35-17 beating by Dallas last week. 

The Giants are 1-6-1 ATS in their last eight home games and 2-8 ATS in their last 10 September games. The road team has covered the spread in five straight meetings, and Buffalo's superior defense should get the visitors the W in this matchup. 

8* play on Buffalo Bills. 

GAME OF THE MONTH (NFL): MIKE'S TOP RATED SUNDAY TOTAL

The New England Patriots limited Big Ben and the Steelers and to three points and 308 yards of offense last week. We won with the under in that Sunday night matchup, and I'm going back to the well as I don't see this turning into a shootout. 

Miami looked awful on both sides of the ball in its 59-10 loss to the Ravens in Week 1 so there's not really a surprise to see the reigning champions favored by almost three touchdowns here. We can, however, note that Miami usually plays them tough, particularly here at Hard Rock Stadium where they won outright as a 9.5-point underdog last year. 

The bookmakers obviously expect a very different result in this contest, and I also expect the Pats to take a comfortable lead and then control the clock and possibly remove their starters to minimizing the risk of injuries. Also, I don't think Bill Belichick wants to embarrass Dolphins coach Brian Flores who was defensive play-caller for the team that won the Super Bowl last year.

Under is 7-0 in Patriots last 7 road games vs. a team with a losing home record. Under is 8-2 in Dolphins last 10 games after scoring less than 15 points in their previous game.

10* play on UNDER. 

VIKINGS @ PACKERS NFC NORTH BOOKIE BLASTER

The Green Bay Packers limited Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky to 228 yards on 26-for-45 passing in their 10-3 win at Chicago in Week 1.

Here they'll face another underwhelming signal-caller in Minnesota's Kirk Cousins, and with an extra three days of rest to prepare than their opponent, I think the Green Bay defense will be able to suffocate its NFC North foe.

Admittedly, the Packers didn't look all that great on offense either, but we can expect QB Aaron Rodgers to step up his game here in front of the home town crowd at Lambeau Field and facing a Minnesota team he has a good career record against.

This might very well be a one-score game decided in the last couple of minutes, and who would you rather have in that spot; Cousins on the road or Rodgers at home ...?

The home team is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings and the Vikings are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning record.

8* play on Green Bay Packers. 

TEXAS TECH @ ARIZONA SATURDAY NIGHT ATS MASSACRE

The Texas Tech Red Raiders are a perfect 2-0 (SU and ATS) on the season and mopped the floor with UTEP in their 38-3 victory in Week 2. 

Texas Tech has a new head coach in Matt Wells, and he has managed to improve the defense without sacrificing the offense, although the Red Raiders have admittedly not faced much competition on either side of the ball yet. Still, sophomore QB Alan Bowman has completed 70-of-97 passes for 696 yards with five touchdowns against just one interception. They also have a competent backfield that has added five touchdowns. 

The Arizona Wildcats, on the other hand, may have scored a total of 103 points and coming off a 65-41 win over Northern Arizona, but they can not feel all that comfortable with how they've looked on the defensive side of the ball. 

Arizona has surrendered 40+ points in both its games this season. All in all, I think Texas Tech has too many weapons offensively for Arizona to contain.

8* play on Texas Tech Red Raiders. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (MLB): MIKE'S TOP RATED SATURDAY NIGHT TOTAL

The Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers combined for 13 runs through the first three frames alone in Friday night's matchup. Neither starting pitcher made it to the fourth inning, and with depleted bullpens I think we'll see another high-scoring affair on Saturday. 

Additionally, we can note that Oakland starter Mike Fiers (14-4, 3.97 ERA) was tagged with nine runs on as many hits with five homers while recording just three outs in a 15-0 loss to Houston last time out. In his last start prior to that, he gave up four runs in five innings while serving up two homers against the Halos. 

As for Texas starter Mike Minor (13-3, 3.08 ERA), the 31-year-old southpaw is coming off eight innings of two-run ball at Baltimore, but his ERA at home is higher than on the road and over is 4-1 in Minor's last five home starts.

Over is 9-3-1 in the last 13 meetings in Texas and 12-5 in the last 17 meetings overall.

10* play on OVER. 

SATURDAY NIGHT COLLEGE FOOTBALL NO BRAINER

The San Diego State Aztecs have only allowed 14 points this season (5th in the nation) and are a perfect 2-0 SU following an 11 point win as a 7.5-point underdog at UCLA last week. 

Here they'll visit a New Mexico State Aggies team that has opened the season with a pair of road losses and just barely covered the spread despite being spotted 54 points at Alabama in Week 2. They're back at home here, but playing on the road at ranked opponents two weeks in a row, first No. 23 Washington State and then No. 2 Bama, must have taken its toll, both mentally and physically ... 

We can also note that home field advantage has not done much for New Mexico State in recent games as it is just 1-7 ATS in its last 8 home games. The Aztecs meanwhile are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a losing home record.

8* play on San Diego State. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (CFB): MIKE'S TOP RATED SATURDAY SIDE

The NC State Wolfpack will be looking to start the season with a perfect 3-0 record, and I like them to not only win but also cover the spread here as a road favorite over West Virginia. 

The Mountaineers have lost star quarterback Will Grier and head coach Dana Holgorsen since last season, and they've found it hard to adjust averaging just 13.5 points while splitting their first two games. WVU mustered only 171 total yards of offense when it took a 38-7 beating at Missouri last week, and here the Mountaineers will face a Wolfpack defense that has allowed just six points on the season.

WVU looks lost on offense while NC State looks sharp on both sides of the ball. I'm well happy to take the red hot visitors with all the momentum here.

10* play on NC State Wolfpack. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (CFB): MIKE' TOP RATED TOTAL (SUPER EARLY)

The Penn State Nittany Lions explosive offense has had no trouble to run up the score in blowout victories against weak opponents in the first two weeks of the season. Both those games went over the total, and they're a rather sizable favorite again here when they take on rival Pittsburgh Panthers Saturday afternoon.

Pittsburgh is coming off a pair of low-scoring games, but the offense looked better in its 20-10 win over Ohio last time out. Junior QB Kenny Pickett threw for a career-high 321 yards and a TD against as the team racked up 481 yards of total offense, 160 of those yards on the ground. Penn State put a 45-13 come-from-behind beating on Buffalo last week, but it did give up 184 rushing yards and I expect to see Pitt put some points on the board in this contest.  

We can also note that the over is 7-1 in the Lions last 8 games after scoring more than 40 points and 8-2 in their last 10 games after allowing less than 20 points in their previous game.

10* play on OVER. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (SOCCER): MIKE'S TOP RATED PREMIER LEAGUE TOTAL 

Manchester United have gone three games without a win since opening the season with a 4-0 romp of Chelsea, and they've scored just three goals in those three games.

Here the players will return back from the international break, which obviously is not much of a break at all for a team stacked with national team players. Not only does the games take their toll, but also the traveling ... We can and Man U will have to do without six injured players, including star midfielder Paul Pogba. 

As for visiting Leicester, they've had a positive start to the season entering Saturday in third place in the EPL table. They've allowed just three goals in four games, and will most likely be happy to sit back and let a toothless Man U team bang their heads against the blue wall. 

10* play on UNDER. 

LATE NIGHT MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE *TOP PLAY*

The Tampa Bay Rays are coming off back-to-back losses at Texas, but I like them to bounce back here in the opener of a three-game series against the Halos. 

Angels' left-hander Andrew Heaney (4-4, 4.30 ERA) has been roughed up in his two most recent starts, and here he'll face a motivated Rays team that is 11-3 in their last 14 overall and trying to cling on to one of the wild cards in the American League. 

As for Tampa Bay starter Charlie Morton (14-6, 3.11 ERA), the right-hander has recorded eight strikeouts or more in six of his last nine starts. The Rays are 8-0 in Morton's last eight road starts vs. a team with a losing record and Morton is 3-1 with a 4.31 ERA in eight career starts against the Angels.

LAA has scored a total of just six runs during an 0-4 slide, and I think we're getting a great price on the better team with arguably the better pitcher. 

10* play on Tampa Bay Rays. 

ATHLETICS @ RANGERS FRIDAY NIGHT TOTAL

The Texas Rangers have averaged more than seven runs scored over their last six games. Here they'll face Oakland righty Chris Bassitt (10-5, 3.64 ERA) who gave up three runs in 5 2/3 innings his last visit here at Globe Life Park back in June. Bassitt is 1-2 with a 5.09 ERA in five career appearances (three starts) against Texas.

As for Texas starter Brock Burke (0-1, 3.52 ERA), the 23-year-old rookie southpaw has made just three major league starts, and he was smacked around for six runs through five innings against the Orioles last time out. 

Over is 4-0 in Bassitt's last 4 starts overall. Over is 8-3 in Rangers last 11 home games vs. a right-handed starter. Over is 8-3-1 in the last 12 meetings at Globe Life Park.

8* play on OVER. 

BUCCANEERS @ PANTHERS THURSDAY NIGHT BOOKIE BLASTER

We cashed in easy when fading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1 as they took a 31-17 beating by San Francisco, but I'm taking the points on the Bucs here against Carolina Thursday night. 

No, Tampa Bay is not good and I am well aware Jameis Winston threw three interceptions in Week 1, but the team is 7-1-1 ATS in its last 9 games following a double-digit loss at home and the underdog 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings between these two teams. 

Note that the Panthers took a loss in their Week 1 contest as well, and it was not as close as the 30-27 scoreline would suggest. Cam Newton completed only 25-of-38 passes for 239 yards and an INT and was sacked three times. I'm just not convinced this Panthers team should give a touchdown to anyone in the league right now, and I recommend taking the points on the visitors in this matchup. 

8* play on Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

MLB RUNLINE RIPPER

The Los Angeles Dodgers have the division wrapped up, but they still can't be happy with yesterday's 7-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. I like the Dodgers to bounce back with a big win here on Thursday. 

Baltimore righty Dylan Bundy (6-13, 5.06 ERA) has been tagged with nine runs (eight earned) on 14 hits through 12 innings of work in his last two starts. He has served up three homers during that stretch and 28 homers in 144 innings on the season, which could spell trouble against the homer happy Dodgers. 

As for LA starter Rich Hill (4-1, 2.55 ERA), the left-hander will make his first start since June 19, having recovered from a flexor tendon injury. He was 3-0 in his last four starts (all Dodgers wins) with only five runs allowed over 20 innings of work before going on the IL, and the team cover the runline in all those games. 

In addition to the Dodgers to cover the runline, I also think this contest score will fly over the posted total.

8* play on LA Dodgers. 

DODGERS @ ORIOLES TOTAL

The Los Angeles Dodgers have the division wrapped up, but they still can't be happy with yesterday's 7-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. I like the Dodgers to bounce back with a big win here on Thursday.

Baltimore righty Dylan Bundy (6-13, 5.06 ERA) has been tagged with nine runs (eight earned) on 14 hits through 12 innings of work in his last two starts. He has served up three homers during that stretch and 28 homers in 144 innings on the season, which could spell trouble against the home run happy Dodgers.

As for LA starter Rich Hill (4-1, 2.55 ERA), the left-hander will make his first start since June 19, having recovered from a flexor tendon injury. He was 3-0 in his last four starts (all Dodgers wins) with only five runs allowed over 20 innings of work before going on the IL, and the team covered the runline in all those games.

In addition to the Dodgers to cover the runline, I also think this contest score will fly over the posted total.

8* play on OVER. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB PLAY OF THE DAY (RUNLINE)

The Colorado Rockies have won the first two games of this series by identical 2-1 scores, but I think the St. Louis Cardinals look like a solid road favorite here in the finale of a three-game series. 

The Rockies hand the ball to 29-year old right-hander Tim Melville (2-1, 3.66 ERA) who has made just four starts on the season. He gave up five runs on seven hits in just two innings of an 11-4 loss to Pittsburgh his last time out here at Coors Field. As for Cardinals' starter Miles Mikolas (8-13, 4.25 ERA), the righty has pitched very well lately allowing a total of only five runs on 11 hits while covering 17 innings over his last three starts. 

10* play on St. Louis Cardinals. 

WEDNESDAY TOP RATED 10* MLB PLAY OF THE DAY

The Detroit Tigers claimed Tuesday night's matchup 12-11, but I like the Bronx Bombers to bounce back with a big win here on Wednesday. 

CC Sabathia (5-8, 4.93 ERA) will come off the injured list and take the ball for the Yankees. He got through a bullpen session on Monday without any issues. "This is way better than I thought," Sabathia told reporters. "I didn't think I was going to get to this point, not with this knee. I think we knew coming into this season, it was going to be a battle. To still be able to have a chance to make starts is all I wanted." Sabathia may not go all that many innings, but we can note that the solid Yankee right-hander Domingo German (17-4, 4.21 ERA) is expected to be the first reliever out of the bullpen.

As for Detroit starter Matthew Boyd (8-10, 4.57 ERA), the left-hander has struggled since the All Star break and he has surrendered eight runs on 16 hits (four homers) over 12 1/3 innings of work in his last two starts alone. 

The Yankees are 8-2 SU (7-3 against the runline) as a favorite of -190 or more and coming off a loss. 

10* play on New York Yankees. 

LATE TOP RATED 10* MLB MIDNIGHT MASSACRE TOTAL

The Seattle Mariners earned a 4-3 win in Tuesday night's matchup thanks to a two-run homer from Kyle Seager in the eighth inning. Under is 9-2 in the last 11 meetings, and I think we have a solid case for another low-scoring affair here on Wednesday. 

Seattle southpaw Marco Gonzales (14-11, 4.37 ERA) has been lit up in back-to-back starts, but both were on the road. Gonzalez limited the Blue Jays to one run on three hits over seven innings of a 3-1 win his last time out at T-Mobile Park, and he has held opponents to two or fewer runs in each of his last four home starts. 

The Reds counter with right-hander Sonny Gray (10-6, 2.75 ERA) has had a great second half of the season, and he has held opponents to one or fewer runs in six of his last seven starts, with four of those outings being of the scoreless variety. 

Under is 4-1 in Reds last 5 games vs. a left-handed starter. Under is 6-1 in Mariners last 7 games vs. a right-handed starter.

10* play on UNDER. 

MLB 3-PACK

The Seattle Mariners earned a 4-3 win in Tuesday night's matchup thanks to a two-run homer from Kyle Seager in the eighth inning. Under is 9-2 in the last 11 meetings, and I think we have a solid case for another low-scoring affair here on Wednesday. 

Seattle southpaw Marco Gonzales (14-11, 4.37 ERA) has been lit up in back-to-back starts, but both were on the road. Gonzalez limited the Blue Jays to one run on three hits over seven innings of a 3-1 win his last time out at T-Mobile Park, and he has held opponents to two or fewer runs in each of his last four home starts. 

The Reds counter with right-hander Sonny Gray (10-6, 2.75 ERA) has had a great second half of the season, and he has held opponents to one or fewer runs in six of his last seven starts, with four of those outings being of the scoreless variety. 

Under is 4-1 in Reds last 5 games vs. a left-handed starter. Under is 6-1 in Mariners last 7 games vs. a right-handed starter.

I also think we're getting a good enough price to back the Reds as a road favorite. 

8* play on Cincinnati Reds. 

PIRATES @ GIANTS TUESDAY NIGHT *TOP PLAY*

The Pittsburgh Pirates rallied for four runs in the ninth inning to earn a 6-4 win. I expect the home team to bounce back here at Oracle Park Tuesday night. 

The Giants hand the ball to Johnny Cueto for his first start of the season after recovering from Tommy John surgery. Cueto was 3-2 with a 3.23 ERA in 2018 and he has dominated Pittsburgh over his career with an outstanding 2.19 ERA in 30 starts. He might be rusty, but considering his career numbers against Pittsburgh I still like the Giants. 

As for Pirates starter Mitch Keller (1-3, 8.18 ERA), the 23-year old rookie has been lit up for six or more runs in four of seven starts before getting knocked out early when catching a line drive off the bat in the second inning his last time out. 

Pirates are 2-6 in Kellers last 8 starts. Giants are 12-4 in Cuetos last 16 home starts vs. a team with a losing record.

10* play on San Francisco Giants. 

DIAMONDBACKS @ METS TUESDAY NIGHT TOTAL

The New York Mets opened this series with a 3-1 win, and I think Game Tuesday night will be another low-scoring affair. 

Arizona right-hander Zac Gallen (3-4, 2.50 ERA) is coming off the best start of his rookie season as he allowed just one hit over seven shutout innings in a 4-1 victory over the Padres last time out. He has posted a 2.25 ERA in six starts since coming over from Miami with five games going under the total and one push during that stretch. 

As for Mets' starter Zack Wheeler (10-7, 4.33 ERA), the 29-year-old right-hander has posted a 3.42 ERA in eight starts since coming off the injured list and he held the Nats to one run over five innings last time out. Wheeler is 3-1 with a 2.82 ERA in six career starts against the Diamondbacks. 

Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings at Citi Field. Under is 4-1-1 in the last 6 meetings overall.

8* play on UNDER. 

TUESDAY NIGHT MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Boston Red Sox will be looking to get back on track following three straight home losses to the Yankees and getting shut outin the finale of the four-game series Monday. 

The Red Sox are 6-1 in right-hander Nathan Eovaldi's last 7 road starts. Eovaldi (1-0, 5.77 ERA) is 1-1 with a 3.90 ERA in five career games (four starts) versus Toronto who counters with righty T.J. Zeuch (0-0, 4.50) who will make his first major league start. He could certainly have asked for an easier opponent as facing a Boston team off a loss (never mind three!) often spells disaster for the opposing pitcher. I seriously doubt the Jays bats will be able to give 24-year old Zeuch the help he needs. 

The Blue Jays have lost seven straight and the Red Sox are 20-6 in the last 26 meetings in Toronto. 

8* play on Boston Red Sox. 

CUBS @ PADRES TOTAL MIDNIGHT MASSACRE

The under is 7-2-1 in the Chicago Cubs last 10 overall while the San Diego Padres have played five straight unders. I think we have good reasons to believe that runs will be hard to come by for both teams Monday night as well. 

San Diego's rookie Cal Quantrill (6-6, 4.57 ERA) has been lit up for 16 runs on 18 hits and four walks in just 9 1/3 innings over his last two starts (against Arizona and LA Dodgers). I think the 24-year-old right-hander will bounce back with a solid outing here against a Cubs team that has scored just seven runs over its last three games. 

The Cubs counter with Kyle Hendricks (9-9, 3.39 ERA) who has held eight of his last 10 opponents to two or fewer runs, with three scoreless outings. Hendricks has a 5-2 career record in nine starts against the Padres, with a 2.98 ERA. 

Under is 21-7 in Hendricks' last 28 starts vs. a team with a losing record. Under is 5-0 in Padres last 5 games vs. a right-handed starter. Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.

8* play on UNDER. 

PIRATES @ GIANTS TOTAL

The under is 5-0 in the last five meetings, and I think we'll see another low-scoring affair when the San Francisco Giants host the Pittsburgh Pirates Monday night.

Pittsburgh righty Trevor Williams (7-6, 5.16 ERA) owns a 1.42 ERA in three career starts against San Francisco, and he has its current roster limited to a .195 batting average over 41 at bats. As for Giants' starter Madison Bumgarner (9-8, 3.81 ERA), the left-hander owns a 3.22 ERA in eight career matchups with the Pirates.

We can also note that Pittsburgh was shut out in a 2-0 loss to the Cardinals on Sunday, and under is 10-4-1 in Bumgarner's last 15 starts when the opponent scored two or fewer runs in its previous game.

8* play on UNDER. 

TEXANS @ SAINTS MONDAY NIGHT *TOP PLAY*

The New Orleans Saints have dropped five straight season openers, and while they should win this one straight up I still think the visiting Houston Texans will keep it close until the very end. 

Houston's Deshaun Watson is coming off a big season, and the third-year quarterback should be even better and more mature this year. He has a reliable target in DeAndre Hopkins and talented running backs to hand over the ball to. 

As for New Orleans, Drew Brees is back under center for his 19th season, and while he's surrounded by talent season openers are always a bit iffy. Brees won't have to worry about 2014 top overall pick Jadeveon Clowney who was traded to Seattle on Saturday, but Houston still has a tough defense. "We have a lot of guys out there," J.J. Watt said. "Obviously it's tough to lose a player like that, but we have a lot of guys out there than can step up can make plays."

The Saints meanwhile will open the season without two of their top interior defensive linemen as Sheldon Rankins (injury) and David Onyemata (suspended) will sit this one out. 

10* play on Houston Texans. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (NFL): MIKE'S STEELERS @ PATRIOTS BEST TOTAL BET

The defending Super Bowl champions New England Patriots host the Pittsburgh Steelers for one of the best inter-divisional rivalries in the NFL Sunday night. If you expect late-night fireworks I think you'll be disappointed as this looks like a low-scoring contest. 

Note that five of New England's last seven season openers have gone under the total and, four of its last five meetings with the Steelers failed to surpass the closing number. They clashed once last year, a game the Steelers won 17-10. 

Pittsburgh has since lost/got rid of star wide receiver and troublemaker Antonio Brown, and while it's almost certainly the right call in the long run, it'll be hard to replace him in the short term. Instead, we now find Brown with the Pats, which certainly puts an extra interesting spin to this matchup ... 

We'll see two aging quarterbacks in Tom Brady (42) and Ben Roethlisberger (37) under center, and while I'm certainly not saying either is done yet, they might need a couple of games to get the old legs going following the off-season. 

Under is 36-16 in Steelers last 52 road games and 11-3 in their last 14 games on fieldturf. Under is 5-1 in Patriots last 6 games on fieldturf.

10* play on UNDER. 

49ERS @ BUCS BOOKIE BLASTER

The San Francisco 49ers finished last season 4-12, but the season was pretty much a write-off after losing quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to a torn ACL in Week 3. Jimmy G will be back in full force here, looking to take advantage of a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense that gave up 383.4 yards per game overall (259.4 ypg through the air) last season. 

The Niners D ranked in the top half for yards allowed and while Tampa Bay QB Jameis Winston has shown glimpses of talent, he is still wildly inconsistent. 

Niners coach Kyle Shanahan went the entire 2018 season without winning a road game and they're on the other side of the country here, but with ample time to prepare I still like the visitors to come out ahead. 

8* play on San Francisco 49ers. 

LIONS @ CARDINALS NFL NO BRAINER

The Detroit Lions look like a solid road favorite at Arizona Sunday afternoon.

The Cardinals 3-13 record was the worst in NFL last year, and this should be another tough season unless they can pull a rabbit out of their hat and surprise everyone. This contest will be the NFL debut for coach Kliff Kingsbury AND for No. 1 overall pick quarterback Kyler Murray as they're both coming straight from college football. 

They'll face a Detroit side off a 6-10 season, but its defense ranked 10th overall and eighth against the pass and one must like its chances of stopping a rookie quarterback. 

The Lions will have a new-look offense with first-year coordinator Darrell Bevell. "He likes to run the ball. I play running back ... That should mean good things." Kerryon Johnson said. A more balanced offense should indeed be a good thing, taking the pressure off quarterback Matthew Stafford who'll be ready to go off again after coming off the worst statistical year of his career in a season. 

8* play on Detroit Lions. 

MLB RUNLINE PLAY OF THE DAY *BIG BET ALERT*

The Los Angeles Dodgers have the division more or less wrapped up, but they should be triggered and motivated for this one after getting blanked on Saturday to make it back-to-back losses to the Giants.

Dodgers left-hander Julio Urias (4-3, 2.55 ERA) owns a 1.47 ERA over 30 2/3 innings of work versus San Francisco who counters with Dereck Rodriguez. 

Rodriguez (5-8, 5.15 ERA) has been rocked in previous meetings with the Dodgers and don't let his seven innings of one-run ball (a solo homer) at St. Louis last time out fool you; the 27-year-old righty had allowed 11 runs on 14 hits (four home runs) over just nine innings in his last two starts prior to that. 

10* play on Los Angeles Dodgers. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (MLB): MIKE'S TOP RATED TOTAL *MAJOR WAGER ALERT*

The Tampa Bay Rays and the Toronto Blue Jays combined for 10 runs in the opener of this series, but the next two games have both been low-scoring affairs staying under the total. I think runs will come at a premium in the finale of this four-game series Sunday afternoon. 

The under is 6-1-1 in Toronto's rookie right-hander Jacob Waguespack (4-3, 3.97 ERA) last eight starts, and he has limited Tampa Bay to five earned runs over 15 innings of work this season. 

As for Rays' starter Tyler Glasnow (6-1, 1.86 ERA), this will be his first appearance since May 10 after being sidelined with a strained right forearm, but we can note that the under is 12-3-3 in Glasnow's last 18 starts and that he'll face a Blue Jays team that scored just 12 runs during a six-game slide. 

Under is 5-1-1 in Blue Jays last 7 overall. Under is 4-1 in Rays last 5 overall.

10* play on UNDER. 

PHILLIES @ METS TOTAL

I think Sunday's matchup between the Philadelphia Phillies and the NY Mets will be of the low-scoring variety, particularly with it being a "Getaway Day" for the home team. 

Phillies righty Vince Velasquez (6-7, 4.80 ERA) has allowed only three runs over his last two starts while Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard (10-7, 3.97 ERA) is coming off seven scoreless innings against the Nats. 

Under is 5-1 in Phillies last 6 road games vs. a right-handed starter and 7-3-1 in Syndergaard's last 11 Sunday starts.

8* play on UNDER. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (NFL): MIKE'S BILLS @ JETS BEST BET ATS

The New York Jets host the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 of the NFL season this Sunday. The home team will surely close as a favorite, but I'm happy to take the points on the visiting Bills in this matchup. 

Keep in mind that Buffalo boasts one of the best defensive units in pro football and gave up just 294.1 yards per game last year. Sure, the Bills were more effective stopping the pass than the run and the Jets have an outstanding running back with a point to prove in Le’veon Bell, but can new head coach Adam Gase get the best out of his team in Week 1? 

The Bills have two very capable running backs of their own in 36-year-old veteran Frank Gore, third-round draft pick Devin Singletary and T.J. Yeldon, who was acquired as a free agent in the offseason, and second-year QB Josh Allen must feel the pressure to step up his game this season. 

The Bills are a solid 10-4 ATS in their last 14 season openers while the Jets are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games in September. I think Buffalo will start better and its defense will keep the team in this game until the very end.

10* play on Buffalo Bills. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (CFB): MIKE'S TOP RATED SATURDAY NIGHT SIDE

I like the UNLV Rebels as a small home favorite against Arkansas State Red Wolves here on Saturday. 

UNLV opened the season with a comfortable 56-23 triumph as a 24.5-point favorite over Southern Utah. The team did most of its damage on the ground, and while QB Armani Rogers threw for just 144 yards (one touchdown), note that he added 114 yards and two TDs on the ground. 

The Rebels racked up a total of 533 offensive yards and should have no trouble to move the ball here against an Arkansas State team that gave up 508 total yards in its 37-30 to SMU last week. 

10* play on UNLV Rebels. 

SATURDAY NIGHT MLB RUNLINE *TOP PLAY*

The San Francisco stunned the LA Dodgers with a 5-4 win on Friday. I expect the home team to bounce back with a multiple-run triumph on Saturday. 

Dodgers rookie right-hander Tony Gonsolin (2-1, 2.89 ERA) has made just six major league appearances (five starts), but apart from his debut, they've all been solid. He has allowed just one run on four hits over 11 innings of work over two starts at Dodger Stadium, beating the Cards and the Yankees. 

As for San Francisco starter Tyler Beede (3-9, 5.61 ERA), the team has lost each of the 26-year-old right-hander's last eight starts and has not covered the runline once during that stretch. Beede himself has surrendered at least three runs in all those starts while not making it through the fifth inning once.  

10* play on LA Dodgers. 

TEXAS A&M @ CLEMSON BOOKIE BREAKER

The No. 11 Texas A&M Aggies opened the season with a laugher over  Texas State at home, but here they'll be in an extremely hostile environment, something coach Jimbo Fisher is well aware of. "It will be a much harder challenge going on the road this week, playing in a hostile environment where the noise is a lot different ... It's one of the best places to play college football. It's Death Valley. It'll be loud. A lot of orange. If you like orange, there'll be a lot of that." 

Clemson had no trouble to run up the score in its season opener against Georgia Tech (without even playing that well) and it has now won 11 consecutive games by at least 20 points (average margin of victory of 36.3 points per game).

The Tigers racked up 632 yards of total offense in the triumph, and 2018 ACC player of the year Travis Etienne rushed for 205 yards and three touchdowns on only 12 carries. Clemson's elite defense held the Yellow Jackets to 294 total yards while forcing four turnovers.

This looks like a lot of points to cover against another ranked team, but note that Clemson is 12-2-1 ATS in its last 15 giving fewer than three touchdowns. Trust the reigning national champions to get the job done. 

8* play on Clemson Tigers. 

BEARCATS @ BUCKEYES BOOKIE BLASTER

The Ohio State Buckeyes host the Cincinnati Bearcats Saturday afternoon, and I think the home team will roll over the visitors with ease. 

Both teams won their season opener, but while Cincinnati had to spend a lot of energy to take down UCLA, Ohio State could go into cruise control early against Florida Atlantic University after building a 28-0 lead in the first quarter. 

An impressive display considering they not only have a new head coach in Ryan Day, but also a new face under center. OSU QB Justin Fields was brilliant with four touchdown passes and a scoring run while two-time 1,000-yard rusher J.K. Dobbins had a relatively quiet game with 91 yards and a TD. 

Cincinnati stifled UCLA's offense last week, but this will be a completely different game.

8* play on Ohio State Buckeyes. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (CFB): MIKE'S TOP RATED SATURDAY TOTAL

Both teams opened the season with a shutout win, but I expect points to come fast an easy on both ends of the field in this clash. 

The No. 22 Syracuse Orange are coming off a 24-0 shutout of Liberty, but here they'll face a Maryland offense that amassed 623 yards and hung 79 points in their rout of Howard. Terps QB Josh Jackson threw four touchdowns and the team scrambled for 317 yards on the ground with five scores. 

As for Cuse quarterback Tommy DeVito, he struggled against the Flames completing just 17-of-35 passes for 176 yards with two picks, but he simply has to come up with a better outing here. 

Neither defense was put to the test last week, but that will definitely not be the case here. The contrast for how this game is likely to play out might come as a shock for the defenses, and they might find themselves ill-prepared. 

10* play on OVER. 

TOP RATED GIANTS @ DODGERS FRIDAY NIGHT TOTAL

The LA Dodgers host the San Francisco Giants for the opener of a three-game series Friday night. I really like the pitching matchup here and expect to see a low-scoring affair. 

Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw's (13-4, 2.96 ERA) 23 career wins against San Francisco is more than against any other opponent and he has a sparkling 1.68 ERA to go with them. As for Giants starter Jeff Samardzija (9-11, 3.61 ERA), the right-hander has posted a 2.61 ERA versus Los Angeles this season and he had a terrific month of August when he posted a 1.84 ERA over five starts. 

Both Kershaw and Samardzija are both coming off their worst outing of the season, but we can note that under is 5-0 in Giants last 5 road games vs. a left-handed starter and 10-4 in Dodgers last 14 home games vs. a right-handed starter.

10* play on UNDER. 

FRIDAY NIGHT MLB RUNLINE RIPPER

The Oakland Athletics are in a dogfight with Tampa Bay and Cleveland for the two wild cards in the American League, so they must look forward to pick up an easy victory against the lowly Detroit Tigers Friday night.  

Detroit righty Spencer Turnbull (3-14, 4.45 ERA) has lost 10 straight decisions and he has been rocked for 15 runs over 12 2/3 innings in his last two starts alone. He made his first career start against the A's back in May, a game the Tigers lost 17-3 ... As for Oakland starter Homer Bailey (12-8, 4.96 ERA), the right-hander is 2-1 with a 2.36 ERA in four career starts against Detroit and he has held it to just two runs and nine hits in 12 innings on the season. 

8* play on Oakland Athletics. 

ANGELS @ WHITE SOX FRIDAY NIGHT TOTAL

I think we'll see runs come fast and easy for both teams in this matchup. 

For as dominant as White Sox righty Lucas Giolito (14-8, 3.30 ERA) has been in day games this year, he has a rather mediocre 4.28 ERA in 17 starts under the lights.

As for Angels starter Dillon Peters (3-2, 4.13 ERA), the left-hander has a 4.56 ERA in his 11 appearances (six starts) in evening games.

Peters has been tagged with eight runs over his last two starts while Giolito has allowed six runs over his last two outings while serving up four home runs. 

We can also note that the White Sox are back home from a long road swing, and the over is 11-3-1 in their last 15 home games following a road trip of seven or more days.

8* play on OVER. 

THURSDAY NIGHT MLB BALLPARK BLOWOUT

The Tampa Bay Rays look like a solid home favorite over Toronto Blue Jays Thursday night, and I expect the home team to win by at least a couple of runs. 

Blue Jays righty Trent Thornton (4-9, 5.34 ERA) was tagged with four runs (three earned) over five innings of a 7-4 loss to Houston last time out. Thornton is 0-1 with an 11.12 ERA in three starts against the Rays who counter with Austin Pruitt. 

While Pruitt (2-0, 4.78 ERA) has made just one start this season, he has also made 10 relief appearances. Pruitt tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings in a 4-0 win over the Cleveland Indians last Friday, and he is 2-0 with a 4.29 ERA in eight career appearances (one start) against the Blue Jays. 

Every game matters for the Rays who enters Thursday as the owner of the top wild card in the American League while Toronto is just playing out the season. Let's go with the motivated home side. 

8* play on Tampa Bay Rays. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (MLB): MIKE'S TOP RATED RUNLINE RIPPER *MAX PLAY*

The Cleveland Indians have won two of the first three games of this series following an 8-6 triumph Wednesday night. They've covered the runline in each of their last nine wins, and I expect an easy win for the Tribe here Thursday afternoon. 

Cleveland righty Zach Plesac (7-5, 3.61 ERA) is a dominant 5-1 behind a 3.09 ERA home at Progressive Field on the season, and the Indians have won each of his last seven home starts. 

As for Chicago starter Reynaldo Lopez (8-12, 5.41 ERA), the 25-year-old right-hander was tagged with six runs on as many hits in two-thirds of an inning at Atlanta last time out to fall to 3-7 with an ugly 6.18 ERA in 14 road starts this year. The Indians are 8-1 in their last 9 home games vs. a right-handed starter, and we can also note Lopez's 5.40 ERA in five career starts against Cleveland. 

10* play on Cleveland Indians. 

LATE NIGHT MLB MIDNIGHT MASSACRE (TOTAL)

The Oakland Athletics and the visiting LA Angels combined for 12 runs in the opener of this series Tuesday night. I think this will be another high-scoring affair. 

Halos' rookie left-hander Patrick Sandoval (0-1, 5.24 ERA) is coming off five scoreless innings against Texas, but he took a 6.75 ERA into that start. He has yet to pitch more than five innings and Tuesday night's starters combined for just nine innings, so both teams will have tired arms in the bullpen for this one. 

As for Oakland right-hander Tanner Roark (8-8, 4.04 ERA), he was tagged with four runs in six innings of a 6-4 loss at Kansas City last time out. 

Over is 4-0-1 in Athletics last 5 home games vs. a left-handed starter and 8-2 in Angels last 10 games vs. a right-handed starter.

8* play on OVER. 

TWINS @ RED SOX MLB TOTAL

Twins right-hander Jose Berrios is coming off an absolutely dreadful month after posting a 7.57 ERA in his five August starts. Boston left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (16-5, 3.97 ERA) had a better month (3.41 ERA over six starts), but he did not look comfortable last time out when he gave up three runs on nine hits and three walks in five innings at Colorado. We or also note that he was tagged with four runs on eight hits over seven innings when he took on the Twins back in June and the over is 7-2 in Twins last 9 games vs. a left-handed starter.

Over is 11-4 in Rodriguez's last 15 starts vs. a team with a winning record. Over is 6-0-1 in Berrios' last 7 starts overall. This game flies over the total. 

8* play on OVER. 

WEDNESDAY NIGHT MLB RUNLINE RIPPER

The Chicago White Sox have won eight of 14 meetings this season, but I like the Cleveland Indians to bounce back from a 6-5 loss and not only win but also cover the runline Monday night.

Cleveland right-hander Shane Bieber (12-7, 3.27 ERA) was 2-3 in August despite a solid 2.83 ERA, and I think his teammates will make sure to give him more support tonight. We can also note his 2.84 ERA in four career starts against the White Sox. 

Chicago right-handed starter Ivan Nova (9-11, 4.48 ERA) owns a 3-2 mark with a 3.29 ERA in six career encounters with Cleveland, but he has struggled on the road lately and was tagged with five runs (four earned) on eight hits in four innings of a 10-7 loss at Atlanta last time out. 

Cleveland is in a tough battle in the AL wild-card race and enters this contest just outside of the playoff picture, currently losing the tiebreaker with Oakland. The Indians NEED a win here, and they'll get it.

8* play on Cleveland Indians. 

LATE NIGHT MLB BOOKIE BLASTER

The LA Angels have dropped eight of their last 10 games. Here they'll face an Oakland team battling to stay in the American League wild card race, and the A's must be desperate for a win after closing out last week with back-to-back losses to the Yankees. 

Oakland righty Mike Fiers (13-3, 3.40 ERA) has been on fire for quite some time now, boasting an undefeated 11-0 record with 2.41 ERA through his last 20 starts. Fiers has had plenty of success against the Halos this season (3-0, 1.93 ERA in three starts) and we can note that the Halos are 2-6 in their last 8 road games vs. a right-handed starter.

As for LAA starter Jaime Barria (4-7, 6.10 ERA), the 23-year-old right-hander is 0-4 with a 5.25 ERA in his last five appearances and note that the A's are 22-8 in their last 30 home games vs. a right-handed starter.

Both teams had Monday off, and while the Athletics are 8-2 in their last 10 games following an off day the Angels are just 1-4 in their last 5 games in the same situation.

8* play on Oakland Athletics. 

TUESDAY NIGHT RUNLINE RIPPER

The Chicago Cubs are a sizable home favorite over the Seattle Mariners Tuesday night, but I don't think they'll prove well worth the money as they shouldn't have any trouble to run up the score. 

Mariners right-hander Felix Hernandez (1-4, 6.02 ERA) was tagged with four runs on eight hits in six innings here at Wrigley Field back in April, and he is still without a win against the club throughout his career. As for Cubs starter Jon Lester (11-9, 4.36 ERA), the left-hander struck out eight through seven scoreless frames in an 11-0 win at Seattle back in May. 

The Mariners are dead last in the American League West standings while the Cubs are trying to hunt down the Cardinals who sit top of the NL Central standings, or at the very least hold on to a wild card. The motivation factor certainly favors the home team. Let's roll with the Cubbies. 

8* play on Chicago Cubs. 

TUESDAY NIGHT MLB BIG HITTER *TOP PLAY*

The Atlanta Braves made it five wins in a row (straight up and against the runline) with a 6-3 triumph over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday. They've scored 41 runs during that stretch and look good to pick up another easy win here in the finale of this two-game series. 

Braves righty Mike Foltynewicz (4-5, 5.59 ERA) is not having a great year, but the Braves have won each of his last eight starts and Foltynewicz went 2-0 with a 3.90 ERA in five starts in August. He closed out the month with 4-plus innings of two-run ball in a 9-4 win at Toronto. 

As for Toronto's pitching situation, Wilmer Font (3-3, 4.22 ERA) will most likely serve as the opener, but who will follow is still unclear. T.J. Zeuch will follow Font as the bulk reliever, and I don't think the red hot Braves will have any trouble producing runs against anyone from the Jays' pitching staff. 

10* play on Atlanta Braves. 

TUESDAY NIGHT MLB TOTAL

The New York Mets won the opener of this series 7-3 on Monday, but I think we'll see a low-scoring pitchers duel here in Game 2. Mets' righty Jacob deGrom (8-8, 2.66 ERA) has limited the Nats to four runs over 17 innings for a 0.53 ERA this year while Scherzer owns a 2.70 ERA in three starts versus the Mets on the season. Under is 6-2 in deGrom's last 8 starts overall and 7-3-1 in Scherzer's last 11 starts overall.

This is indeed a low number, but keep in mind that the under has hit at a solid 56.4% clip for totals closing at under 8 runs in 2019. 

8* play on UNDER. 

MONDAY NIGHT MLB MASSACRE

The Cleveland Indians sit just one-half game ahead of Oakland for the second wild card in the American League, so they're no doubt in desperate need of stringing a couple of wins together after getting swept in three games at Tampa Bay over the weekend. 

Here the Tribe will host a Chicago White Sox team coming off six straight losses, and the visitors' starter Ross Detwiler (2-4, 6.45 ERA) has struggled all season long. Detwiler has been particularly poor on the road (0-2, 11.05 ERA) and Cleveland is a solid 41-27 home at Progressive Field. 

As for Cleveland starter Aaron Civale (2-3, 1.96 ERA), he may have made just six big league starts, but the 24-year-old rookie's earned run average speaks for itself. We can also note his 30/6 K/BB ratio over 36-plus innings of work. 

Cleveland took an 8-2 beating at Tampa Bay on Sunday, but the team is 25-10 SU (22-13 against the runline) following a loss where it scored two or fewer runs in 2019. 

8* play on Cleveland Indians. 

SUPER EARLY DAYTIME DESTROYER (RUNLINE)

The Atlanta Braves look good to pick up an easy win as they host the Toronto Blue Jays Monday afternoon. 

The Jays were no-hit by the Houston Astros' Justin Verlander on Sunday, and here they'll come up against Braves' righty Mike Soroka (10-3, 2.44) who has one of the lowest ERAs in baseball this year. Soroka held Toronto to two runs in six innings last Tuesday, a game the Braves still somehow managed to lose 3-1. I expect his teammates to make up for it and then some today against Jacob Waguespack (4-2, 3.93 ERA) who was tagged with five runs (three earned) on six hits over three innings against the Braves last Wednesday. 

Atlanta is a red hot 12-2 in its past 14 contests and has covered the runline in three of its last four as a home favorite of -200 or larger.

8* play on Atlanta Braves. 

EARLY MLB PLAY OF THE DAY *MAX BET*

The Minnesota Twins put an 8-3 beating on the Detroit Tigers on Sunday, and I think they'll come through with another blowout win here in the finale of this four-game series Monday afternoon. 

Twins righty Jake Odorizzi (14-6, 3.55 ERA) is 3-0 with an outstanding 1.93 ERA in four career outings at Comerica Park and the Twins are 6-0 in his last six starts versus the Tigers.

Detroit right-hander Jordan Zimmermann (1-9, 6.24 ERA) meanwhile is 0-6 with a 7.38 ERA in eight home starts on the season and 4-5 with a 6.89 ERA in 10 career starts against the Twins. They smacked him around for five runs on eight hits in just three innings back in April ... 

The Twins are 9-3 against the runline as a road favorite of -170 or larger this season.

10* play on Minnesota Twins. 

SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

The Minnesota Twins put an 8-3 beating on the Detroit Tigers on Sunday, and I think they'll come through with another blowout win here in the finale of this four-game series Monday afternoon. 

Twins righty Jake Odorizzi (14-6, 3.55 ERA) is 3-0 with an outstanding 1.93 ERA in four career outings at Comerica Park and the Twins are 6-0 in his last six starts versus the Tigers.

Detroit right-hander Jordan Zimmermann (1-9, 6.24 ERA) meanwhile is 0-6 with a 7.38 ERA in eight home starts on the season and 4-5 with a 6.89 ERA in 10 career starts against the Twins. They smacked him around for five runs on eight hits in just three innings back in April ... 

The Twins are 9-3 against the runline as a road favorite of -170 or larger this season. Additionally, we can note that the over is 9-1-1 in the last 11 meetings.

8* play on OVER. 

SUNDAY 3-PACK OF MLB WINNERS (ALL TOTALS)

Good spot for a "Getaway Day" under in this early game between Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals Sunday afternoon. 

Washington left-hander Patrick Corbin (10-6, 3.15 ERA) owns a 2.25 ERA in seven day starts on the season and he has a 1.83 ERA in 13 home starts. Miami southpaw Caleb Smith (8-8, 4.05 ERA) has nowhere near as impressive splits, but under is 3-1-2 in Smiths last 6 road starts and 5-1 in Nationals last 6 home games vs. a left-handed starter.

Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Washington.

8* play on UNDER. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (MLB): MIKE'S SUNDAY AFTERNOON RUNLINE *TOP PLAY*

The Minnesota Twins saw their six-game winning streak come to an end with a 10-7 loss here at Detroit Tigers on Saturday. They're 7-1 SU (6-2 against the runline) as a -200 favorite or more off a loss this season, and I have no doubt they'll bounce back with an easy win here. 

The Twins have won five of right-hander Michael Pineda's last six starts, covering the runline in each of the last four wins. Pineda (10-5, 4.16 ERA) is coming off five innings of one-run ball at Chicago White Sox and has allowed three or fewer runs in eight of his last nine appearances. As for Tigers starter Spencer Turnbull (3-13, 4.18 ERA), the team has lost his last 12 starts, 11 of the losses by at least two runs.

10* play on Minnesota Twins. 

SUNDAY 3-PACK OF MLB WINNERS (ALL TOTALS)

Good spot for a "Getaway Day" under in this early game between Cleveland Indians and Tampa Bay Rays Sunday afternoon. 

Rays' righty Charlie Morton (13-6, 3.11 ERA) owns a 2.69 ERA in 12 matinee starts on the season while Cleveland righy Adam Plutko (6-3, 4.34 ERA) has a 2.25 ERA in his two day starts. 

Under is 10-1 in the last 11 meetings in Tampa Bay.

8* play on UNDER. 

SUNDAY 3-PACK OF MLB WINNERS (ALL TOTALS)

Good spot for a "Getaway Day" under in the first game of a double-header between Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals Sunday afternoon. 

Cards' righty Miles Mikolas (8-13, 4.32 ERA) owns a 2.80 ERA in 13 home starts on the season and under is 6-2-1 in Mikolas' last 9 starts overall. As for Cincinnati starter Tyler Mahle (2-10, 4.93 ERA), he has been lit up lately but note that under is 24-8 in Cardinals last 32 home games vs. a right-handed starter and 10-3-2 in their last 15 Sunday games.

8* play on UNDER. 

SATURDAY NIGHT MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Arizona Diamondbacks have won five on the bounce, including back-to-back wins over the LA Dodgers. 

I highly doubt the Dodgers will lose another one here though as they hand the ball to Clayton Kershaw (13-3, 2.76 ERA). The Dodgers' ace had won five straight starts before losing to the Yankees last time out. It was far from a terrible start with three solo homers allowed over seven innings of work, and Kershaw has this Arizona roster limited to a .229 AVG over 118 at-bats.

Arizona starter Robbie Ray (11-7, 3.86 ERA) is a familiar face for the Dodgers. He is 0-2 with a 4.07 ERA in four starts against the team on the season and I think they'll give him plenty to work with tonight. 

The Dodgers are 38-18 in their last 56 games after losing the first two games of a series and 8-3 in Kershaw's last 11 starts versus the Diamondbacks.

8* play on Los Angeles Dodgers. 

SATURDAY NIGHT COLLEGE FOOTBALL NO BRAINER

The bookmakers are spotting Louisiana Tech Bulldogs nearly three touchdowns for their clash with the Texas Longhorns on Saturday, and I'm well happy to take the points on the underdog. 

Note that the Bulldogs are on a solid 15-6 ATS run as an underdog under coach Skip Holtz while Texas is on a 3-9 ATS run as a favorite under coach Tom Herman. 

Texas is coming off a solid double-digit victory campaign and returns Heisman Trophy hopeful Sam Ehlinger under center. Ehlinger has however lost his most reliable target, top wideout Lil’Jordan Humphrey, to the NFL and could be in for a tough one against a Bulldogs D that allowed just 191.6 passing yards per game last season.

8* play on Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. 

MLB RUNLINE RIPPER *TOP PLAY*

The Atlanta Braves came through with a 10-7 triumph over the Chicago White Sox Friday night. I expect this to be another easy win for the red hot Braves who are 9-2 in their last 11 games. 

For this one Atlanta hands the ball to Dallas Keuchel (5-5, 3.78 ERA). He has allowed just one run in 19 innings of work over his last three starts overall and the 31-year-old left-hander is 2-1 with a 2.29 ERA in six home starts on the season. As for Chicago starter Reynaldo Lopez (8-11, 5.08 ERA), he is 3-6 with a 5.48 ERA in 13 road starts on the season. 

10* play on Atlanta Braves. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (CFB): MIKE'S TOP RATED WEEK 1 ATS ANNIHILATOR

The Syracuse Orange finished last season 10-3 with an appearance in the Camping World Bowl. They ranked 11th in the nation for points scored but has since had to replace starting QB Eric Dungey who has graduated. 

I still have no doubt that four-star prospect Tommy DeVito will keep the Orange offense an explosive one, and they should have plenty of success against a Liberty Flames team that ranked 119th in the nation for points allowed (36.8 ppg) last year. 

The Flames will return their QB Stephen Calvert who was very effective with 3068 passing yards and 21 TDs, but they have a new coach in Hugh Freeze who might need a couple of games to get things right. 

10* play on Syracuse Orange. 

GAME OF THE MONTH (SOCCER): MIKE'S PREMIER LEAGUE TOP PLAY

Liverpool are the only team in the Premier League with a 100% winning record entering Week 4, and I think they will still be perfect after Saturday's encounter with Burnley. 

Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League games played in August, winning the last eight in a row. They're not just winning either, but outscoring their opponents comfortably more often than not.

For this one, Reds' manager Jurgen Klopp has a near 100% healthy squad to work with while Burnley will have to do without Robbie Brady, Steven Defour and Johann Berg Gudmundsson. We can also note that Burnley played Sunderland in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday while Liverpool have had seven days' rest since their win over Arsenal last weekend. 

Liverpool have won four of their five away trips to Turf Moor in the Premier League era, and I expect the visitors to run away with this one once again.

10* play on Liverpool -1.5

SUPER EARLY COLLEGE FOOTBALL BOOKIE BLASTER

The Indiana Hoosiers won last season's meeting with Ball State Cardinals 30-10, and I expect another easy win for Indiana here in the season opener. 

They return nine starters on both sides of the ball and it will be interesting to see how new coordinator Kalen DeBoer set ups the offense. Ball State returns nine starters on defense (and eight on offense), but note that's from a team that ranked among the worst in the nation for points allowed.

Indiana should no trouble to move the ball against this Ball State D and this smells like a blowout in favor of the Hoosiers. 

8* play on Indiana Hoosiers. 

OLE MISS @ MEMPHIS BANKROLL BUILDER

I like the Memphis Tigers as a home favorite over Ole Miss Rebels Saturday afternoon. They are the more experienced side, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, as new offensive coordinator Kevin Johns can keep building the around QB Brady White (3,296 yards, 26 TDs) and RB Patrick Taylor Jr. (1,122 yards, 16 TDs). 

Ole Miss meanwhile will have redshirt freshman Matt Corral (239 yards, 2 TDs) under center, and while he has some decent targets I still don't think he can keep up with Memphis' offense.  

Rebels are 1-8 ATS in their last 9 games on fieldturf. Tigers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games on fieldturf. Rebels are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 road games. Tigers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 home games.

The line has dropped two points from the opener, and now is the time to take Memphis. 

8* play on Memphis Tigers. 

GAME OF THE MONTH (MLB): MIKE'S FRIDAY NIGHT TOTAL MAX BET

The Minnesota Twins hit three home runs in their 10-5 triumph over Chicago White Sox on Thursday. I expect they to keep hitting the ball well here against Detroit righty Edwin Jackson (3-7, 8.70 ERA) who has served up five homers over 21-plus innings of work since coming over from Toronto. He owns a 6.33 ERA in 11 career appearances against the Twins (including seven starts) and they smacked him around for six runs over five frames on August 24. 

As for Minnesota starter  Kyle Gibson (12-6, 4.49 ERA), the right-hander has allowed 19 runs through 21 1/3 innings over his last four starts and the over is 6-0-1 in Gibson's last 7 starts overall. We can also note his 5.37 ERA in 21 career starts against Detroit.  

Over is 5-0-1 in the last 6 meetings.

10* play on OVER. 

FRIDAY NIGHT MLB RUNLINE RIPPER

The Houston Astros are coming off an 8-2 homestand, and should be well up for this trip to Toronto looking to better their recent road record (1-5 last six).

The Astros hand the ball to left-hander Wade Miley (13-4, 3.13 ERA) who is having a great year and an undefeated 7-0 over his last 12 starts. Miley owns a pedestrian 4.47 ERA in 10 career starts against the Blue Jays, but this will be the first matchup of the season. 

As for Toronto right-hander Trent Thornton (4-8, 5.34 ERA), Toronto has lost his last four starts and he was tagged with four runs (three earned) on nine hits over four innings of a 7-4 loss at Seattle last time out. Thornton tossed 6 2/3 shutout innings against Houston on June 16, but note his ugly 6.90 ERA in seven starts since the All Star break.

8* play on Houston Astros -1.5. 

GEORGIA TECH @ CLEMSON BOOKIE BLASTER

I think the defending national champions Clemson Tigers are asked to cover too many points as they are in a letdown/look-ahead spot here in their first game of the season. 

To be honest, there's not much to like about the rebuilding Yellow Jackets with their new head coach, a completely new system (no more triple-option offense) and just nine returning starters, so let me clarify; Clemson is not running the risk of losing to Georgia Tech straight up, but giving more than five touchdowns is a lot, particularly in Week 1. 

The Tigers will most likely only play their starters until they've built a sizeable lead, then let their second and third units finish the job as they have a much bigger fish to fry next week when No. 12 Texas A&M comes to Clemson Memorial Stadium. 

8* play on Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. 

THURSDAY NIGHT FIU @ TULANE TOP PLAY

Both the Tulane Green Wave and the FIU Panthers must come into the season feeling pretty good about themselves looking to build on bowl-winning seasons. 

The Green Wave opened last season with a weak 2-7 record before clicking into gear. I don't think head coach Willie Fritz will allow his team to start as slow two years in a row. 

Tulane boasted a dangerous running game averaging 218.2 rushing yards per game in 2018 (23rd in the nation), and that should be the case once again as Darius Bradwell (1,134 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns) and Corey Dauphine (785 rushing yards, 7 touchdowns) are back for their senior year. Florida International did well containing the pass last year, but it ranked 99th in the nation with 198.4 rushing yards allowed per game (5.0 yards per attempt).

As for FUI's offense, James Morgan is back at quarterback for the Panthers, but he might not get much protection from FIU's rebuilt offensive line. It's also worth noting that the Green Wave returns eight starters from a very tough defense that posted 46 sacks in 2018.

Tulane is better on both sides of the ball, and that combined with the home edge makes this an easy play on the home team. 

10* play on Tulane Green Wave. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB RUNLINE *PLAY OF THE DAY*

The Kansas City Royals earned a come-from-behind 6-4 win Wednesday, a big blow for the Oakland Athletics who are trying to hold on the second wild card in the American League. I think the motivated Athletics look primed to bounce back and win the series finale Thursday afternoon. 

The pitching matchup is in massive favor of the visitors. Note that Oakland righty Chris Bassitt (9-5, 3.59 ERA) is 2-0 with a 2.05 ERA in his past five starts while KC righty  Glenn Sparkman (3-9, 5.52 ERA) has gone 0-4 with a 7.50 ERA in his past seven starts.

Royals are 3-13 in Sparkman's last 16 starts and 2-9 in their last 11 home games. The A's are 21-5 in their last 26 games following a loss and 10-3 in the last 13 meetings with the Royals in Kansas City.

10* play on Oakland Athletics. 

SUPER EARLY MLB *DAYTIME DESTROYER*

The Cleveland Indians look to continue their domination of the Detroit Tigers as they go for the sweep of this three-game series Thursday afternoon. 

Cleveland righty Mike Clevinger has held opponents to two or fewer runs in eight of his last 10 starts. The Tribe won eight of those, covering the runline in all wins. Clevinger struck out 12 while limiting Detroit to one run in six innings of a 7-2 Cleveland win on July 17. 

As for Tigers' starter Daniel Norris (3-10, 4.70 ERA), the 26-year-old southpaw is coming off a pair of solid outings, but he's 1-6 with a 5.29 ERA home at Comerica Park on the season. We can also note that Cleveland has smacked him around for 11 runs on 16 hits over 12 2/3 frames in 2019. 

8* play on Cleveland Indians. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB TOTAL PLAY OF THE DAY

The Washington Nationals are massive favorites here against the Baltimore Orioles Wednesday night, and for a good reason as they're still in the top wild-card spot in the National League despite taking a 2-0 loss in the opener of the series Tuesday night. I do not see value on either side, but I expect the score to stay under the posted number. 

Washington right-hander Max Scherzer (9-5, 2.41 ERA) is 6-2 with a 2.85 ERA in 12 career starts versus the Orioles while Baltimore righty Asher Wojciechowski (2-6, 4.67 ERA) has a 2.92 ERA in three games (one start) against the Nationals. 

The under is 7-1 in Orioles last 8 overall, 18-5 in Nationals last 23 interleague home games vs. a right-handed starter and 14-2-1 in Scherzer's last 17 interleague starts.

10* play on UNDER.