TOP RATED SYRACUSE/WESTERN MICHIGAN BOOKIE BREAKER

The Western Michigan Broncos look like live dog here in their season opener against Syracuse Orange Friday night. 

The Broncos averaged 33.9 ppg last year and returns QB Jon Wassink who threw for 1411 yards with 14 TDs and four INTs last year, despite suffering a season ending injury after just eight games. He should be able to do some damage against an Orange defense that allowed a total of 162 points in their final three games alone last year.

We can also note that this is a huge game in many ways for new WMU head coach Tim Lester who is a former ‘Cuse offensive coordinator. 

10* play on Western Michigan Broncos. 

THURSDAY NIGHT MLB RUNLINE RIPPER *TOP PLAY*

The Houston Astros are 7-1 in their last 8 overall and look like a solid home favorite here when they host the Los Angeles Angels Thursday night. 

The Angels are 1-7 in their last eight overall and left-hander Andrew Heaney (7-8, 4.25 ERA) is 1-2 with a bloated 6.67 ERA through his last five starts. Astros are 5-0 in their last five games vs. a left-handed starter and counter with Justin Verlander (13-8, 2.72 ERA) who is 4-0 with a 1.61 ERA over four starts against the Halos this season.

Angels are 5-21 in their last 26 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. 

10* play on Houston Astros. 

NFLX GAME OF THE WEEK

The Minnesota Vikings are 2-1 in preseason this year following a 21-20 victory at home against the Seattle Seahawks in the dress rehearsal. They're now a solid 16-4 in preseason games under head coach Mike Zimmer, and I expect an easy Vikings win here at Tennessee Thursday night. 

The Tennessee Titans are 0-3 under new head coach Mike Vrabel who, while he no doubt will rest his starters here, will coach to win this game in order to avoid going into the regular season winless. Will it be enough to out-duel a seasoned coach like Zimmer though? I don't think so, especially with a banged up squad. 

"My thoughts right now are just try to evaluate who is healthy, who will be available and then we’ll make a decision later on in the week as to what we feel is best for the team,” Vrabel said, “and just trying to evaluate where guys are health-wise."

The Titans are struggling to score points, just over 12 points per game in the preseason,  and here they'll run into arguably the best defensive team in the league. Sure, Vikings won't play their starters in defense, but they still have a solid foundation. 

10* NFLX Game of the Week: Minnesota Vikings. 

NFL PRESEASON FINALE TOTAL

The Cleveland Browns are coming off a 5-0 triumph over Philadelphia and all of their three preseason games here in 2018 have gone under the total. The Lions backups orchestrated a comeback to beat Tampa Bay Buccaneers  33-30 on the road last week after trailing 20-6 at halftime. They're unlikely to light up the scoreboard like that two weeks in a row though. We won't see many starters for either team, and I think we'll see a sloppy, low-scoring contest. 

8* play on UNDER. 

3-PACK OF MLB SYSTEM PLAYS (ALL MONEYLINE)

System play where we back a team to avoid three straight losses in the same series against a team with a worse record. We can also note that Diamondbacks are 5-1 in their last 6 during game 3 of a series while Giants are 1-7 in their last 8 during game 3 of a series.

8* play on Arizona Diamondbacks. 

MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Los Angeles Dodgers recorded 15 hits in their 8-4 victory over Texas at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas Tuesday night, and I think their bats will carry them to another triumph tonight.

Texas left-hander Mike Minor (10-6, 4.40 ERA) is coming off six innings of one-run ball at Oakland, but he gave up four runs in 5 2/3 innings in the Bronx in his las t start prior to that. Dodgers are 8-2 in their last 10 road games vs. a left-handed starter.

LAD left-hander Alex Wood (7-6, 3.60 ERA) will be pitching on three days of extra rest as he last pitched Aug. 20 at home against the Cardinals. Rangers are 0-7 in their last 7 games vs. a left-handed starter.

The Rangers have nothing to play for. They've dropped five of their last seven and are dead last in the AL West while the Dodgers need to go on a run, still sitting third in the tight NL West (one game behind Arizona and Colorado) despite coming off four straight wins. 

No brainer play on the better and more motivated team. 

8* play on LA Dodgers. 

3-PACK OF MLB SYSTEM PLAYS (ALL MONEYLINE)

System play where we back a team to avoid three straight losses in the same series against a team with a worse record. We can also note that Blue Jays are 5-1 in right-hander Ryan Borucki's (3-3, 4.12) last 6 starts while Orioles are 0-9 in Alex Cobb's (4-15, 5.00) last 9 home starts. 

8* play on Toronto Blue Jays. 

3-PACK OF MLB SYSTEM PLAYS (ALL MONEYLINE)

System play where we back a team to avoid three straight losses in the same series against a team with a worse record. We can also note that Nationals are 0-8 in Gonzalez's last 8 road starts and Phillies are 15-3 in their last 18 games after losing the first 2 games of a series.

8* play on Philadelphia Phillies. 

MLB DOG OF THE DAY

I love the Detroit Tigers as a road dog against the team with the worst home record in baseball. 

KC right-hander Jacob Junis (6-12, 4.70 ERA) has gone winless in his last four starts and the Royals are 2-12 in Junis' last 14 starts. In his last start at Tampa Bay on Wednesday, Junis pitched 5 2/3 innings and gave up four runs off nine hits. 

The Tigers turn to left-hander Matthew Boyd (8-11, 4.09 ERA) who is 4-2 with a 2.63 ERA through his last six starts. Royals are 6-20 in their last 26 games vs. a left-handed starter.

8* play on Detroit Tigers. 

TUESDAY NIGHT BALLPARK BLOWOUT *TOP PLAY*

The slumping Philadelphia Phillies took a 5-3 loss in the opener of this three-game series with division-rival Washington Monday night. I think we'll see even fewer runs scored here with a solid matchup on the mound with Max Scherzer opposing Aaron Nola. 

Scherzer (16-6, 2.13 ERA) is 5-0 with a 2.06 ERA in six career starts at Citizens Bank Park while Nola (15-3, 2.13) is 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA in three starts aginst the Nationals on the season. Under is 6-0 in Nola's last 6 starts vs. Nationals.

Under is 19-6-2 in Nola's last 27 starts overall and he has posted an 1.59 ERA through his last 11 starts. 

10* play on UNDER. 

MONDAY NIGHT MLB TOTAL

The Houston Astros and the Oakland Athletics are battling for the top spot of the AL West with the Astros entering the week with a 1 1/2-game division lead. I expect to see a low-scoring game of playoff character here with Brett Anderson (3-3, 3.47 ERA) and  Gerrit Cole (11-5, 2.73) on the mound. Anderson has allowed just two runs over 26 2/3 innings in four starts this month while Cole has struck out 19 while allowing three runs through 11 innings in his last two starts combined. 

Under is 9-2-1 in Athletics last 12 vs. a team with a winning record and 7-1 in Anderson's last 8 road starts.

8* play on UNDER. 

TOP RATED MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Toronto Blue Jays are going for their 11th straight win over Baltimore here in the opener of a three-game set Monday night. Toronto right-hander Sam Gaviglio (3-6, 4.94 ERA) picked up the win after allowing two runs in seven innings in Toronto's 7-2 victory against Baltimore last Tuesday. Baltimore counters with right-hander David Hess (2-8, 5.50 ERA) who is is 0-1 and has a 1.38 ERA in two starts against the Blue Jays, but note that the Orioles are 1-11 in Hess' last 12 starts.

Baltimore owns the worst record in the major leagues (37-94) and come into the series having dropped eight straight games. Blue Jays are 20-6 in their last 26 games vs. a team with a winning % below .400.

10* play on Toronto Blue Jays. 

MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Colorado Rockies scored eight runs in the eighth inning to rout the Cardinals 9-1 Saturday night, and I expect another Rockies win here on Sunday with left-hander Tyler Anderson on the mound. 

Anderson (6-6, 4.45 ERA) is 2-4 despite a solid 3.65 ERA in 13 home starts on the season and his luck must turn around sooner or later. The Cards turn to another left-hander in Austin Gomber (3-0, 2.98 ERA) who will make his sixth start in the big leagues. The Cardinals have won each of his first five starts, but this will be his first outing at tricky Coors Field. 

Rockies are 13-3 in their last 16 games vs. a left-handed starter and 12-3 in their last 15 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.

8* play on Colorado Rockies. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB BIG HITTER

The Oakland Athletics dropped the opener of this four-game series but have roared back with back-to-back victories. They still have everything left to play for as they try to hunt down Houston Astros at the top of the American League West while the Twins are just playing out the season. 

Twins righty Jose Berrios (11-8, 3.69 ERA) is solid home at Target Field but has struggled in day games this season with a 4.91 ERA in 12 outings. Oakland left-hander Brett Anderson (3-3, 3.47 ERA) on the other hand has posted a 2.04 ERA through three day starts on the season. 

As a team, Oakland is a solid 31-18 in day games this season while Minnesota is 24-27. 

EDIT: There has been a change of starting pitcher for Oakland with Chris Bassitt (2-3, 3.38 ERA) getting recalled for a spot start to give the A's rotation an extra day off during a stretch of 20 straight games. I still like the A's to come through. 

10* play on Oakland Athletics. 

SUPER EARLY MLB DAYTIME DESTROYER

The Philadelphia Phillies need a victory to avoid getting swept by the Blue Jays. They let a 5-0 lead get away Saturday afternoon but I expect them to hold the distance here with right-hander Vince Velasquez (8-9, 4.06 ERA) on the mound. Velasquez is owns a 2.97 ERA in 11 road starts on the season and this will mark his first regular season start against Toronto which turns to right-hander Marco Estrada (7-9, 4.88). Estrada has posted a 5.45 ERA in 11 career games (five starts) against Philly and he's 3-5 with a 4.91 ERA in 11 starts at home on the year. 

Phillies are 14-3 in their last 17 games after losing the first 2 games of a series. Blue Jays are 2-9 in Estrada's last 11 starts vs. a team with a winning record.

8* play on Philadelphia Phillies. 

MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

Two of the hottest teams in baseball will continue a three-game series at Coors Field Saturday night. 

The Cards won the opener 7-5 Friday but I like the home team to bounce back behind German Marquez (11-9, 4.42 ERA). Marquez has allowed two or fewer runs in four of his last five starts, covering at least seven innings in each of those four games. 

This will be Marquez's first matchup with the St. Louis this season but he is 2-0 with a 2.53 ERA in his career against the Cards who turn to John Gant (5-5, 3.76 ERA) for his first career start against Colorado. Gant has been solid lately, but pitching at Coors Field for the first time could prove extremely challenging . 

Cardinals are 3-8 in Gants last 11 starts vs. a team with a winning record. Rockies are 13-3 in their last 16 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.

8* play on Colorado Rockies. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (MLB)

The Oakland Athletics have played great baseball lately to move just 1 1/2 games behind first-place Houston in the AL West. They posted a 7-1 victory over the Twins Friday night and I expect another easy Oakland win here with right-hander Mike Fiers on the mound. 

Fiers (9-6, 3.21 ERA) is 5-1 with a 3.06 ERA lifetime against Minnesota and the A's have won each of his three starts since coming over from Detroit, with Fiers allowing just two runs through 18 1/3 innings of work. He held Texas scoreless with eight Ks through seven frames his last time out. 

The Twins turn to left-hander Stephen Gonsalves (0-1, 27.00 ERA) who made his major-league debut last week. Gonsalves was charged with four runs on six hits and two walks in 1 /3 frames and I think he'll be pounded by the A's hot bats tonight. 

Athletics are 18-5 in their last 23 games vs. a left-handed starter.

10* play on Oakland Athletics. 

NFLX BOOKIE BREAKER

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh simply loves winning preseason games. He's 31-12 SU throughout his career and undefeated through the last three seasons. This is the Ravens fourth preseason matchup and we can expect to see the starters get plenty of time on the gridiron here in the dress rehearsal.  

The Miami Dolphins have struggled through their first two games, first losing 26-24 against Tampa Bay before taking a 27-20 loss at Carolina last week. Starting QB Ryan Tannehill and the first-team offense are expected to play into the third quarter, but backup quarterback Bryce Petty was held out of Thursday’s practice because of an oblique injury. 

Ravens are 8-0 ATS in their last 8 meetings and have better depth.  

8* play on Baltimore Ravens. 

SATURDAY AFTERNOON MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Chicago Bears are coming off a 24-23 win over Denver. QB Mitchell Trubisky connected on 9-of-14 passes for 90 yards with one TD while backup QB Chase Daniel contributed with 189 passing yards and two touchdowns. KC has a solid quarterback rotation as well but Chicago's D is far from easy to break down. We can also note that the Chiefs already weak D is somewhat banged up with star safety Eric Berry remains out with an ankle injury. The edge is with the home team in this matchup. 

8* play on Chicago Bears. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (SOCCER)

The defending Premier League champions Manchester City are off to a perfect start to the new campaign, winning both games and scoring eight goals in the process. 

Here they'll visit a Wolverhampton Wanderers team who won the Championship in impressive style last season to earn a promotion, but they've opened the season with a draw and a loss. The Wolves won the Championship playing an attacking style of football, and head coach Nuno Espirito Santo does not seem willing to change it up: "We don't know how to play another way. We will not change because we want to build something."

Admirable, but not optimal. Man City love playing against teams like this as they'll get plenty of space to operate in. This should be an easy victory for the visitors.  

10* Soccer Game of the Week: Manchester City -1.5. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB BIG HITTER

The Oakland Athletics took a 6-4 loss here at Target Field Thursday night. It was their second straight loss for only the second time in more than two months, and I expect them to bounce back here Friday night with left-hander Sean Manaea on the mound.

Manaea (11-9, 3.70 ERA) was charged with six runs on nine hits in four innings against the Astros last time out but has otherwise been solid this year. Athletics are 9-4 in Manaea's last 13 starts overall and 5-0 in his last 5 starts vs. a team with a losing record.

The Twins fit the bill as they're 61-66 despite last night's win, and right-hander Jake Odorizzi (5-7, 4.55 ERA) has better splits for day/away games than home/night games. 

10* play on Oakland Athletics. 

FRIDAY NIGHT NFLX MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The New York Jets have split their first two games of the preseason after shutting out the Falcons in a 17-0 triumph followed by a tough 15-13 loss on the road against the Washington Redskins in Week 2. I expect them to bounce against a banged up Giants team here Friday night.

The Giants recorded an impressive 30-17 victory over the Detroit Lions in Week 2, but Eli Manning, Saquon Barkley, and Odell Beckham Jr. all watched the game from the sidelines. They're expected to see some action here in Week 3, but will probably not be left in for too long. 

The Jets have good depth behind center with Josh McCown, Sam Darnold and Teddy Bridgewater who has completed 17-of-23 passes through for 212 yards and two touchdowns here in the preseason. 

8* play on NY Jets. 

GAME OF THE MONTH (NFLX)

The Carolina Panthers look like a solid home favorite when hosting the New England Patriots Friday night. 

Pats QB Tom Brady was great in last week's win against Philadelphia, completing 19-of-26 passes for 172 yards with two touchdowns and no picks. I don't think Bill Belichick will feel the need to give the 41 year old a lot of time on the field here, despite it being the "dress rehearsal" and all. 

Carolina star QB Cam Newton was 9-of-12 passing for 89 yards with one TD and one pick in a 27-20 win against Miami last week. Not a bad performance by any stretch, but I expect to see quite a lot of him tonight. "Ideally, we’d like to take our starters into the third quarter," said coach Ron Rivera. "Let them come out from halftime after we’ve gone through adjustments."

10* NFLX Game of the Month: Carolina Panthers. 

EAGLES @ BROWNS MONEYLINE MONEYMAKER

The Cleveland Browns look like a solid favorite when hosting Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3 of the NFL preseason Thursday night. 

Eagles starting QB Carson Wentz has yet to play a game since returning to practice from knee surgery and I don't think Philly will risk leaving backup QB Nick Foles in for long, particularly as he was knocked out of the last game with a shoulder injury early in the second quarter.

The Browns will look at this as their chance to beat the reigning Super Bowl champions and QBs Tyrod Taylor and Baker Mayfield will both be super motivated trying to make a case for the starting position. 

8* play on Cleveland Browns. 

TOP RATED RUNLINE RIPPER

The Colorado Rockies have won nine of their last 10 games. Today they'll hand the ball to left-hander Kyle Freeland (11-7, 2.96 ERA) who tossed seven scoreless innings in a home victory over San Diego April 24. Freeland has been outstanding home at Coors Field all season, entering this contest with a 7-2 record behind a 2.22 ERA. Padres are 15-36 in their last 51 road games vs. a left-handed starter. Rockies on the other hand are 8-1 in their last 9 games vs. a left-handed starter and should give Friars' Joey Lucchesi (6-7, 3.79 ERA) a tough afternoon. 

10* play on Colorado Rockies RL. 

SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

The Colorado Rockies have won nine of their last 10 games. Today they'll hand the ball to left-hander Kyle Freeland (11-7, 2.96 ERA) who tossed seven scoreless innings in a home victory over San Diego April 24. Freeland has been outstanding home at Coors Field all season, entering this contest with a 7-2 record behind a 2.22 ERA. Padres are 15-36 in their last 51 road games vs. a left-handed starter. Rockies on the other hand are 8-1 in their last 9 games vs. a left-handed starter and should give Friars' Joey Lucchesi (6-7, 3.79 ERA) a tough afternoon. 

Under is 23-4 in Freelands last 27 home starts.

8* Play on UNDER. 

SUPER EARLY MLB DAYTIME DESTROYER

The reeling San Francisco Giants have dropped six of their last seven while the NY Mets have won four of their last five, including back-to-back triumphs in this series. 

Mets righty Jacob deGrom (8-7, 1.71 ERA) leads the majors in ERA and held the Phillies to one run with nine Ks in a complete game his hast time out. The Cy Young Award candidate is 4-1 with a 3.12 ERA in six career starts against the Giants and Mets are 5-1 in deGroms last six starts against them.

Madison Bumgarner (4-5, 3.05 ERA) will take the ball for the visitors. The left-hander was knocked around for six runs (five earned) through six innings of a 7-1 loss at Cincinnati his last time out. He's 1-3 with a 4.70 ERA in seven road starts on the season opposed to 3-2 with a 1.71 ERA in as many starts at home. 

8* play on NY Mets. 

MLB 3-PACK

The Philadelphia Phillies look to end a four-game slide here Thursday afternoon, and I think they'll at the very least keep this a close game with Aaron Nola on the mound. Nola (14-3, 2.24 ERA) struck out 11 over seven innings of one-run ball in a 4-2 victory over the Mets his last time out and has won both his meetings with the Washington Nationals this season. Nats' righty Max Scherzer (16-5, 2.11 ERA) is an outstanding pitcher as well, but it's going to be tough to outduel Nola.

8* play on Philadelphia Phillies RL. 

LATE NIGHT MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The LA Dodgers took a 5-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday to fall to 8-14 since July 29 and are now 3 1/2 games behind the Diamondbacks for the division lead. They're however 20-6 in their last 26 during game 3 of a series and I think they'll step it up a notch to defeated the Cardinals tonight. 

LAD righty Walker Buehler (6-4, 3.19 ERA) has allowed a total of just four runs covering 25 1/3 innings through his last four starts. Dodgers are 4-1 in Buehler's last 5 home starts and he has compiled a 2.77 ERA in nine appearances (eight starts) at home this season. We can also note that he owns a 2.24 ERA in 11 night starts opposed to a 5.87 ERA during the day. 

The Cards turn to Jack Flaherty (7-6, 3.05 ERA) who's had a terrific August so far (0.95 ERA in three starts), but he has done his best work during the day and the 22 year old could be due for a letdown game here. 

8* play on LA Dodgers. 

LATE NIGHT MLB RUNLINE RIPPER

The Arizona Diamondbacks have won five of their last six while the Los Angeles Angels have dropped four of their last five. The Halos are 6-21 in their last 27 road games vs. a team with a winning home record and took a 5-4 loss here at Chase Field Tuesday night. 

LAA right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne (2-1, 6.29 ERA) is 0-3 with an 8.04 ERA in three career starts at Chase Field, having given up 14 earned runs in 15 2/3 innings. Arizona right-hander Clay Buchholz (6-2, 2.47 ERA) has won five of his last six starts and he is 2-0 with a 3.57 ERA in four home starts this season.

8* play on Arizona Diamondbacks RL. 

SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

The Cleveland Indians have won nine of their last 10 games, including back-to-back triumphs here at Boston. Cleveland righty Carlos Carrasco (15-6 3.33 ERA) has gone 7-1 in July and August and has thrown back-to-back seven-inning shutout efforts. Boston left-hander Brian Johnson (4-3, 4.00 ERA) has yielded 17 hits and 12 earned runs in 17 2/3 innings in three starts this month. Indians are 17-4 in their last 21 road games and 7-2 in their last 9 road games vs. a left-handed starter.

8* play on Cleveland Indians. 

MLB BANKROLL BUILDER

The Atlanta Braves have bounced back from a four-game home sweep by Colorado to win two straight here at Pittsburgh. I predict more success for the Braves here on Wednesday with right-hander Julio Teheran (8-7, 4.24 ERA) on the mound. Teheran is 3-1 with a 2.67 ERA in nine career outings (eight starts) against the Pirates who turn to Trevor Williams (10-9, 3.53 ERA). Williams held the Cubs to one run on four hits through seven strong innings his last time out but note that the Pirates are 5-16 in Williams' last 21 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance.

8* play on Atlanta Braves. 

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON BASES TOTAL

Minnesota Twins right-hander Kyle Gibson (7-9, 3.51 ERA) is 6-3 with a 2.77 ERA against Chicago while White Sox southpaw Carlos Rodon (4-3, 2.69 ERA) is 4-2 with a 3.50 ERA against the Twins. Under is 15-6-1 in Gibson's last 22 road starts. Under is 5-2 in Rodon's last 7 starts overall.

8* play on UNDER. 

TOP RATED MLB DAYTIME DESTROYER

The Toronto Blue Jays are a perfect 9-0 against the Orioles at Rogers Centre on the season, and I don't Baltimore will stand much of a chance here Wednesday afternoon. 

The Orioles will start right-hander David Hess (2-7, 5.95 ERA) who has not won since May 25, going 0-6 with a 6.61 ERA in 11 appearances (nine starts) since his last win. Hess is 1-2 with an 8.10 ERA through 16 2/3 innings of work in day games this season. 

Toronto hands the ball to left-hander Thomas Pannone (0-0, 4.15), who will be making his first major league start. He has posted a 53/13 K/BB ratio over 50 1/3 innings with Triple-A Buffalo on the season and should not have too much to fear from the woeful Orioles. 

10* play on Toronto Blue Jays -1.5. 

MLB RUNLINE RIPPER #2

The Chicago White Sox have come alive lately and recorded their fifth win in six games with an 8-5 triumph over Minnesota Monday night. 

I think they'll come through with a big effort again here on Tuesday to help right-hander Michael Kopech in his major leagues debut. Kopech has been dominant with Triple-A Charlotte in recent weeks and owns a 59-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio through his last seven games. This season, Kopech has posted 170 strikeouts in 126 1/3 innings. 

The Twins turn to Jose Berrios (11-8, 3.75 ERA) who has been excellent home at Target Field, but he's just 3-6 behind a 4.59 ERA on the road this year. Twins are 4-18 in Berrios' last 22 road starts.

8* play on Chicago White Sox RL.

MLB RUNLINE RIPPER

The Chicago Cubs have struggled at the plate lately and scored just four runs while splitting a four-game series with Pittsburgh over the weekend. I think this looks like a good spot to get the bats going though as they get to see struggling right-hander Jordan Zimmermann (5-5, 4.36 ERA) on the mound. Zimmerman was reached for six runs over five innings in a loss to the Chicago White Sox his last time out and Tigers are 1-5 in his last 6 starts. He has a 1-5 record and 4.58 ERA in nine career starts against the Cubs woh hand the ball to Kyle Hendricks (9-9, 4.11 ERA). Hendricks has three wins and a no-decision in his last four starts.

8* play on Chicago Cubs RL. 

MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Toronto Blue Jays will try to make it 11 wins in 12 games this season against the woeful Orioles following Monday's 5-3 victory. They've won eight straight meetings at Rogers Centre where right-hander Sam Gaviglio (2-6, 5.13) has posted a 2.80 ERA in 10 appearances (eight starts) on the year. 

Baltimore right-hander Dylan Bundy (7-11, 4.99 ERA) has been knocked around in each of his last two starts, giving up seven runs x 2 while never making it through the fifth inning. He's 1-10 with an atrocious 7.51 ERA in 14 starts under the lights on the season and has served up four homers in 12 innings against Toronto. 

8* play on Toronto Blue Jays. 

LATE NIGHT MLB MIDNIGHT MASSACRE *TOP PLAY*

The Houston Atros are still top of the AL West despite winning just two of their last nine games. They open an important three-game series with division-rivals Seattle Mariners (four games back) here on Monday, and I think we'll see a low-scoring affair considering the pitching matchup. 

Seattle's Felix Hernandez (8-11, 5.62 ERA) has had a rough season and was even moved to the bullpen earlier in the month. He's back in the rotation here filling in for injured James Paxton, and I expect to see a fired up King Felix looking to prove himself tonight. 

Houston turns to Gerrit Cole (11-5, 2.71 ERA) who owns the 5th best ERA in the American League on the season, and he boasts a 2.10 ERA in four career matchups with the Mariners. 

Under is 15-4-3 in Astros last 22 road games. Under is 9-1-2 in Astros last 12 road games vs. a right-handed starter. Under is 7-2 in Mariners last 9 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.

10* play on UNDER. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (NFLX)

Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh is 30-12 in preseason games throughout his career and went perfect 4-0 both 2016 and 2017. He's been staying true to his focus on preseason games so far here in 2018 with back-to-back triumphs over Chicago (17-16) and LA Rams (33-7), and I predict another Baltimore triumph here at Indianapolis Monday night. 

The Colts head coach Frank Reich beat Seattle 19-17 on the road in his first game in charge of the team, but Indianapolis figures to be up for a tougher test here against a Baltimore side that held the Rams’ offense to just 49 passing yards and recorded four sack its last time out. 

10* NFLX GAME OF THE WEEK: Baltimore Ravens. 

PREMIER LEAGUE PUNISHER

Liverpool crushed West Ham 4-0 in their season opener while Crystal Palace defeated Fulham 2-0. I like Liverpool to come out of this contest with another win. They've been extremely dangerous on the offensive third the last couple of season's, and now Jurgen Klopp finally have been able to bring in some solid defensive players as well. Crystal Palace won't be able to handle all Liverpool's firepower. 

5* play on Liverpool. 

MLB RUNLINE RIPPER

The Arizona Diamondbacks took a 7-6 loss here at Petco Park Saturday after blowing leads of 3-0 and 5-3. Their lead over Colorado at the top of the National League West is now just a half-game, and I think a motivated D'Backs team will bounce back in a big way here Sunday afternoon. 

Arizona right-hander Zack Greinke (12-8, 3.00 ERA) is 11-2 behind a 2.10 ERA in 21 career starts against the Padres and he's been hot lately. Over his last 11 starts since June 18, Greinke is 7-3 with a 1.99 ERA. 

The Friars turn to Brett Kennedy (0-2, 11.00 ERA) who has lost both his major league starts while giving up a total of 11 runs and 20 hits through nine innings of work. 

Padres are 5-21 in their last 26 home games. Diamondbacks are 7-1 in their last 8 games following a loss and 8-1 in their last 9 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of less than .400.

8* play on Arizona Diamondbacks. 

TOP RATED BIG HITTER

The St. Louis Cardinals are the hottest team in baseball as they enter Sunday on a 10-1 run through their last 11 games, including a 7-2 triumph over Milwaukee yesterday. The Brew Crew on the other hand have dropped three in a fow and six of their last eight. 

Milwaukee hands the ball to right-hander Jhoulys Chacin (12-4, 3.72 ERA) who has been lit up by the Cards on more than one occasion already this season. Over three starts, he has allowed 17 runs (14 earned) on 21 hits and 10 walks through 14 2/3 innings of work. 

The Cardinals turn to right-hander John Gant (5-4, 3.74 ERA) who has heöd Milwaukee to one earned runs over four innings out of the bullpen. Gant limited Washington to one run through 5 1/3 frames his last time out for his second straight win. 

Brewers are 3-14 in their last 17 during game 3 of a series. Cardinals are 5-0 in their last 5 during game 3 of a series.

10* play on St. Louis Cardinals. 

PREMIER LEAGUE PUNISHER

Manchester United took care of business with a 2-1 triumph over Leicester in their season opener, and I think they'll make it two in a row when visiting Brighton here on Sunday. Brighton were never really close to even score in their 2-0 setback at Watford, and they're having some injury problems ahead of this game. Man U have a couple of players out because of injuries as well, but they have a much deeper squad and their backups are more than capable of stepping right in and deliver the goods. 

8* play on Man United. 

SUPER EARLY PREMIER LEAGUE BOOKIE BREAKER

Watford made light work of Brighton in their first game with a convincing 2-0 victory, but I think they're about to run into trouble here at Burnley on Sunday.

Note that Watford haven’t won any of their last 10 away league games against Burnley (D4 L6), and they're winless in their last 12 Premier League away games overall, losing 11 of these. They've been held scoreless in their last eight away league games. 

The only worry IMO is Burnley's participation in the Europa League with the most recent game this past Thursday, but it doesn't seem to be a concern for Burnley manager Sean Dyche: "The fitness here is unbelievable. The players' mental and physical fitness is absolutely fantastic, so they will be ready for Sunday."

Burnley were held to a goalless draw away at Southampton in their Premier League opener, but they're much stronger home at Turf Moor. 

8* play on Burnley.

MLB PLAY OF THE DAY

The Cincinnati Reds claimed the series opener 2-1 Friday night. "We have good hitters up there but, right now, we're in a serious funk," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said after his team was held to two runs or fewer for the fifth time in 10 games. "And they're having trouble getting out of it."

I expect another low-scoring affair, but with a different winner here on Saturday with the Giants to come through despite their offensive slump.

San Francsisco southpaw Madison Bumgarner (4-4, 2.71 ERA) is 2-1 with a 3.79 ERA at Great American Ball Park throughout his career and has allowed just just five earned runs through his last four starts overall, over a span of 26 innings. Under is 12-3-2 in Bumgarner's last 17 starts with 4 days of rest.

Cincinnati right-hander Matt Harvey (5-7, 5.19 ERA) held the Diamondbacks to two runs over seven innings of the Reds' 6-3 victory last Saturday, but had surrendered 15 runs in his last three starts prior to that outing. 

I expect Bumgarner to outduel Harvey for a Giants victory here. 

10* play on San Francisco Giants. 

MLB 3-PACK

The Cincinnati Reds claimed the series opener 2-1 Friday night. "We have good hitters up there but, right now, we're in a serious funk," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said after his team was held to two runs or fewer for the fifth time in 10 games. "And they're having trouble getting out of it."

I expect another low-scoring affair, but with a different winner here on Saturday with the Giants to come through despite their offensive slump.

San Francsisco southpaw Madison Bumgarner (4-4, 2.71 ERA) is 2-1 with a 3.79 ERA at Great American Ball Park throughout his career and has allowed just just five earned runs through his last four starts overall, over a span of 26 innings. Under is 12-3-2 in Bumgarner's last 17 starts with 4 days of rest.

Cincinnati right-hander Matt Harvey (5-7, 5.19 ERA) held the Diamondbacks to two runs over seven innings of the Reds' 6-3 victory last Saturday, but had surrendered 15 runs in his last three starts prior to that outing. 

I expect Bumgarner to outduel Harvey for a Giants victory here. 

8* play on UNDER.

MLB 3-PACK

This play is based on an undisclosed totals system which has generated an ROI of 15% so far in 2018. 

In addition we can note that Rays left-hander Tyler Glasnow (1-2, 3.97 ERA) has thrived as a starter since coming over from Pittsburgh, posting a 2.25 ERA with 20 strikeouts through 12 innings of work. Boston left-hander David Price (12-6, 3.75 ERA) is coming off six scoreless innings at Baltimore and he has allowed only three earned runs through his last four starts. He owns a 2.10 ERA with 24 strikeouts through 25 2/3 innings against the Rays this season. 

Under is 6-0 in Rays last 6 overall. Under is 5-1-1 in Red Sox last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning record.

8* play on UNDER. 

RAIDERS @ RAMS BOOKIE BREAKER *TOP PLAY*

Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden is 31-16 in preseason games and he led the Raiders to a 16-10 home win over the Lions last week. Oakland Detroist just 253 total yards, including 88 yards on the ground. The Rams took a 33-7 loss to the Ravens on the road last week and neither QB in the rotation had much success, despite the motivation of fighting for a backup role behind Jared Goff. 

Oakland has a deep QB rotation with Derek Carr, Connor Cook and EJ Manuel. Cook and Manuel are fighting for the backup spot behind Carr. Cook hit 11-of-10 passes for 141 yards and a TD against Detroit while Manuel hit 4-of-6 for 46 yards. 

Take the points on Oakland.

10* play on Oakland Raiders. 

SUPER EARLY BLUE JAYS @ YANKEES DAYTIME DESTROYER

This play is based on an undisclosed totals system which has generated an ROI of 15% so far in 2018. 

In addition we can note that even though Yankees righty Luis Severino (15-6, 3.27 ERA) has struggled on the moúnd lately, keep in mind his 3-0 record behind a 2.19 ERA in his last starts against the Blue Jays since June 4, 2017. Toronto righty Sean Reid-Foley (0-1, 5.40 ERA) gave up three runs in five innings of a 3-1 loss to Kansas City in his major leagues debut on Monday, but before joining Toronto, the 22-year-old was a combined 12-4 with a 2.98 ERA in 23 starts for Double-A New Hampshire and Buffalo.

Under is 4-1-1 in Yankees last 6 overall. Under is 5-2 in Blue Jays last 7 overall.

8* play on UNDER. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (SOCCER)

Arsenal lost their season premiere and first game with Unai Emery in charge. Manchester City proved to be too much to handle in a 2-0 loss home at Emirates, and I think they're in for another home loss here when hosting London-rivals Chelsea. 

Chelsea won their season opener in an impressive fashion, putting a 3-0 beating on Huddersfield on the road. The new Chelsea manager, Italian Maurizio Sarri, seem to have created a positive vibe within the club and is way more liked than his predecessor Antonio Conte. 

We can also note that Arsenal will be without several defenders, among them Laurent Koscielny, and I expect Chelsea's fearful attack to take full advantage. 

10* Soccer Game of the Week: Chelsea

PREMIER LEAGUE PUNISHER

Tottenham defeated Newcastle 2-1 on the road in their season opener, and I think they look good to follow up with another triumph when hosting Fulham Saturday afternoon. The visitors are still waiting to get off the mark after falling at home to Crystal Palace last week, and I think the newly promoted team's stay in the Premier League might be a short one. 

Spurs are unbeaten in 36 Premier League fixtures against newly-promoted teams (W33, D3) and I expect them to make light work of this Fulham side.

8* play on Tottenham. 

MLB 3-PACK

This play is based on an undisclosed totals system which has generated an ROI of 15% so far in 2018. 

In addition we can note that Arizona left-hander Robbie Ray (3-2, 4.83 ERA) has been at his best in his first eight road starts this season, going 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA. Ray has been very effective in his four previous starts at Petco Park, going 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA. Padres southpaw Joey Lucchesi (6-6, 3.45) gave up only two hits over six scoreless innings against Philadelphia his last time out. Under is 7-1 in Diamondbacks last 8 road games vs. a left-handed starter.

8* play on UNDER. 

MLB 3-PACK 

This play is based on an undisclosed totals system which has generated an ROI of 15% so far in 2018. 

In addition we can note that Twins righty Kyle Gibson (6-9, 3.49 ERA) held Detroit to one run through seven innings of a 4-3 win his last time out. Minnesota southpaw Matthew Boyd (7-10, 4.20 ERA) has won three of his last four starts and has a 2.37 ERA since the All-Star break. He held Minnesota to one run on two hits through six frames his last time out. 

Under is 13-3-1 in Tigers last 17 Friday games. Under is 10-4-1 in Twins last 15 home games vs. a left-handed starter.

8* play on UNDER. 

TOP RATED MLB PLAY OF THE DAY

The San Francisco Giants are in a good spot here at Cincinnati Friday night as they're 7-1 in their last 8 games following an off day and 9-4 in their last 13 vs. a team with a losing record. The Reds have dropped four straight home at Great American Ballpark and right-hander Anthony DeSclafani (6-3, 4.46 ERA) owns a 4.74 ERA at home. 

The Giants turn to right-hander Casey Kelly who will fill in for standout rookie right-hander Dereck Rodriguez. Kelly (0-1, 1.42 ERA) pitched five scoreless innings of relief Saturday against Pittsburgh in his first major league appearance since 2016 then took the loss Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium. Reds are 1-10 in their last 11 games vs. a right-handed starter.

10* play on San Francisco Giants. 

MIDNIGHT MASSACRE

San Diego right-hander Jacob Nix (1-0, 0.00 ERA) held the Phillies to four runs through six scoreless innings in his major leagues debut on August 10, but I think he's about to get roughed up by Arizona here Thursday night. 

The Diamondbacks are sitting at the top of the National League West despite dropping three of their last five games, but they need to start winning again with Colorado and LA Dodgers breathing down their neck. Left-hander Clay Buchholz (5-2, 2.67 ERA) has been solid and allowed two or fewer runs in five of his last six starts. In his career, Buchholz is 2-0 with a 2.92 ERA and 13 strikeouts against San Diego.

Padres are 2-9 in their last 11 home games vs. a team with a winning record. Diamondbacks are 6-0 in their last 6 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of less than .400. Diamondbacks are 4-0 in the last 4 meetings at Petco Park.

8* play on Arizona Diamondbacks.

TOP RATED 10* MLB BIG HITTER

The Colorado Rockies had won four straight prior to taking a 12-1 beating at Houston Wednesday night. I think they're in for another loss here when visiting the red hot Atlanta Braves for the opener of a four-game series. 

Atlanta has won five on the bounce and hands the ball to Julio Teheran (8-7, 4.33 ERA) who is 5-1 with a 2.21 ERA in nine career starts against the Rockies and he was 1-0 with a 1.26 ERA in two starts against Colorado last year. Teheran is coming off a solid six-inning start against Milwaukee on Saturday, when he allowed one run on two hits.

The Rockies turn to Jon Gray (9-7, 4.81 ERA) who is 3-0 with a 1.04 ERA in four career starts against the Braves, but note that he gave up four runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings against the Dodgers his last time out. 

10* play on Atlanta Braves. 

LATE MLB BASE BRAWLER

LA Angels have won six of their last eight and go for the sweep of this three-game series with the San Diego Padres Wednesday night.

Halos righty Felix Pena (1-3, 4.95 ERA) has posted a 1.84 ERA through three starts on the road this season. Padres left-hander Robbie Erlin (2-3, 3.36 ERA) will make his 32nd appearance for the season, but just his fifth start. He gave up four runs (two earned) in five innings at Milwaukee his last time out. 

Angels are 11-2 in their last 13 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of less than .400 and 5-1 in their last 6 interleague games vs. a left-handed starter. Padres are 2-9 in their last 11 home games vs. a team with a winning record and 1-6 in their last 7 interleague games vs. a right-handed starter.

8* play on LA Angels.

MLB 3-PACK

The Atlanta Braves are 11-3 against the Miami Marlins on the season. Right-hander Kevin Gausman (6-9, 4.27 ERA) is 1-1 with a 2.77 ERA since coming over from Baltimore and he'll face a struggling Miami side which has lost four in a row and seven of its last eight. Jose Urena (3-12, 4.74 ERA) will take the ball for Miami. He has a lifetime record of 2-6 with a 5.91 ERA against Atlanta. He has faced them four times this season, going 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA.

8* play on Atlanta Braves. 

MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Boston Red Sox have won 11 of their first 12 games this month to improve to 17-5 since the All-Star break. Boston righty Nathan Eovaldi (5-4, 3.74 ERA) was knocked around by Baltimore his last time out, but here he'll face a Phillies team which has scored just 16 runs in its last seven games (2.3 runs per game). Eovaldi is 3-4 with a 3.51 ERA in nine career starts versus the Phillies who turn to Vince Velasquez (8-9, 3.98 ERA). He was tagged with four runs in as many innings of a 6-0 setback at Arizona his last time out and Phillies are 4-9 in Velasquez's last 13 starts.

Phillies are 1-6 in Velasquez's last 7 Wednesday starts. Red Sox are 21-5 in their last 26 Wednesday games.

8* play on Boston Red Sox. 

TOP RATED MLB TOTAL PLAY OF THE DAY

This play is based on an undisclosed totals system which has generated an ROI of 15% so far in 2018. 

In addition we can note that Twins righty Jose Berrios (11-8, 3.66 ERA) owns a 2.95 ERA in 13 home starts on the season while Pittsburgh righty Chris Archer (4-5, 4.36 ERA) has posted a 3.92 ERA through 11 outings on the road. He's 6-1 in his career against Minnesota and 4-0 with a 1.48 ERA at Target Field. 

Under is 5-1 in Twins last 6 overall and 6-2 in Pirates last 8 games vs. a right-handed starter. 

10* play on UNDER. 

TOP RATED BASES BLOWOUT

The Pittsburgh Pirates have won four of their last six while the Minnesota Twins have dropped four of their last five. 

Pirates are 11-2 in their last 13 road games vs. a right-handed starter and Twins righty Jake Odorizzi (4-7, 4.50 ERA) gave up three runs on five hits and three walks across 4 1/3 innings against Pittburgh back in April. Twins are 1-6 in Odorizzi's last 7 starts vs. a team with a winning record.

Pirates righty Jameson Taillon (9-8, 3.63 ERA) is 7-4 with a 2.95 ERA since June 1 and has held opponents to three runs or less in each of his last 13 starts. Taillon notched his second complete game of the season his last time out as he held the Rockies to two runs in a 10-2 victory at Coors Field. 

Taillon held Minnesota to a pair of runs with nine Ks through 5 1/3 frames of a 5-4 victory on April 2 in his season debut. This looks like another Pirates triumph. 

10* play on Pittsburgh Pirates ML. 

MLB 3-PACK

The Baltimore Orioles have been in last place in the American League East for much of the season and enter Tuesday with a MLB-worst 35-84 record. They've dropped five straight and nine of their past 11 while the NY Mets have won four of their last five, including an 8-5 triumph in the Bronx Monday night. 

Mets righty Jason Vargas (2-8, 8.75 ERA) owns a 2.33 ERA in 10 career starts against Baltimore while Orioles righty Andrew Cashner (3-10, 4.83 ERA) has struggled against the Mets in his career, going 0-3 with a 6.18 ERA in nine appearances, including four starts.

Mets are 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Baltimore and 9-3 in the last 12 meetings overall. The Mets' bats have hot of late, and I exåect the visitors light up the scoreboard to win a high-scoring contest. 

8* play on NY Mets. 

MLB 3-PACK

The Baltimore Orioles have been in last place in the American League East for much of the season and enter Tuesday with a MLB-worst 35-84 record. They've dropped five straight and nine of their past 11 while the NY Mets have won four of their last five, including an 8-5 triumph in the Bronx Monday night. 

Mets righty Jason Vargas (2-8, 8.75 ERA) owns a 2.33 ERA in 10 career starts against Baltimore while Orioles righty Andrew Cashner (3-10, 4.83 ERA) has struggled against the Mets in his career, going 0-3 with a 6.18 ERA in nine appearances, including four starts.

Mets are 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Baltimore and 9-3 in the last 12 meetings overall. The Mets' bats have hot of late, and I exåect the visitors light up the scoreboard to win a high-scoring contest. 

8* play on OVER. 

BREWERS @ CUBS DAYTIME DESTROYER

The Chicago Cubs are 8-3 against Milwaukee this season and left-hander Jose Quintana (10-8, 4.28 ERA) a dominant 4-1 with a 0.92 ERA in seven career starts against the Brewers. Milwaukee righty Jhoulys Chacin (11-4, 3.91 ERA) 3-4 with a 3.30 ERA in eight games (seven starts) against the Cubs, and note that he has struggled somewhat lately and surrendered 11 runs in his two starts this month. 

Brewers are 1-6 in their last 7 games vs. a left-handed starter. Cubs are 5-1 in their last 6 home games vs. a right-handed starter and 14-3 in Quintana's last 17 home starts.

8* play on Chicago Cubs. 

LATE NIGHT MLB MIDNIGHT MASSACRE

The Angels are 5-1 in left-hander Andrew Heaney's (7-7, 3.96 ERA) last six starts while Padres left-hander Clayton Richard (7-10, 5.13 ERA) is 0-4 (and the Friars are 2-4) in his last six starts with a 7.50 ERA. 

Angels are 9-2 in their last 11 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of less than .400 and 4-1 in their last 5 interleague games vs. a left-handed starter. Padres are 1-5 in their last 6 home games vs. a left-handed starter.

8* play on LA Angels. 

MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Washington Nationals took a heartbreaking 4-3 loss at Chicago Sunday night as Cubs' David Bote hit a walk-off grand slam. The St. Louis Cardinals meanwhile recorded a 8-2 triumph at Kansas City Sunday afternoon for their fifth straight win. 

Cardinals righty Miles Mikolas (12-3, 2.74 ERA) is 4-0 over his last seven starts (Cardinals 6-1 in those games) and has allowed more than two runs just once in that span. Mikolas is 5-3 behind a 2.01 ERA in 11 home starts on the season.

The Nats turn to left-hander Tommy Milone (1-1, 5.50 ERA) who took a 10-hit, seven-run pounding from Atlanta over six innings his last time out. 

Nationals are 3-8 in their last 11 road games vs. a team with a winning home record and 6-16 in their last 22 road games vs. a right-handed starter. Cardinals are 4-0 in their last 4 home games vs. a left-handed starter and 5-2 in their last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning record.

8* play on St. Louis Cardinals. 

TOP RATED RUNLINE RIPPER

The Arizona Diamondbacks avoided the embarressment of getting swept at Cincinnati by beating the Reds 9-2 Sunday afternoon. They scored a total of five-homers in the victory, and I like their bats to stay hot here at Texas Monday night. 

Texas right-hander Bartolo Colon (6-10, 5.18 ERA) has been tagged with four earned runs of more in each of his last four outings and served up a pair of homers against Seattle his last time out. Colon is 1-3 with a 4.67 ERA in six career meetings with the Diamondbacks. 

Arizona counters with Zack Greinke (12-7, 2.89 ERA) who is 3-5 against Texas, despite a strong 2.61 ERA. The right-hander is having a solid season and Diamondbacks are 6-0 in Greinke's last 6 road starts.

Rangers are 8-21 in their last 29 vs. a team with a winning record. Diamondbacks are 10-3 in their last 13 road games vs. a team with a losing record.

10* play on Arizona Diamondbacks RL. 

TOP RATED BIG HITTER

The Arizona Diamondbacks should fired up for this one after back-to-back losses as the Reds followed up a 3-0 win on Friday by rallying for four runs in the eighth inning. 

Arizona Right-hander Zack Godley (12-6, 4.35 ERA) held Philly to a pair of runs through 7 1/3 innings his last time out and limited the Reds to a pair of runs throgh six solid innings on May 29. Cincinnati righty Luis Castillo (6-9, 4.91 ERA) is 1-2 with a 4.08 ERA against the Diamondbacks in three career starts, taking the loss in that May 29 game by allowing four runs in five innings.

Reds are 2-6 in their last 8 during game 3 of a series. Diamondbacks are 8-3 in Godley's last 11 starts.

10* play on Arizona Diamondbacks. 

MLB DOG OF THE DAY

The Tampa Bay Rays have won seven of eight meetings with the Blue Jays this season, and I think we're getting excellent value on the road dog in this matchup. 

Tampa Bay righty Tyler Glasnow (1-2, 4.14 ERA) has a 2.57 ERA in his two starts since coming over from Pittsburgh. He struck out nine while allowing two hits, no walks and one run in four innings Tuesday against the Baltimore Orioles. This will be his first career start against Toronto.

The Blue Jays turns to Marcus Stroman (4-8, 5.20 ERA) who is 5-4 with a 4.37 ERA in 11 career starts against the Rays. Stroman left his last start with a blister on his right middle finger and it could very well affect him today. 

Blue Jays are 1-7 in their last 8 home games and 1-4 in Stroman's last 5 home starts vs. Rays.

8* play on Tampa Bay Rays. 

PREMIER LEAGUE PUNISHER

The reigning Premier League champions Manchester City are looking even stronger this season with players like Riyad Mahrez added to the mix. Arsenal will begin life without Arsene Wenger who was in charge for 22 years, and it might take a while for new manager Unai Emery to get things in order at the Emirates. 

8* play on Manchester City. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (NFLX): VIKINGS @ BRONCOS

Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer owns a 14-3 preseason record, even though his team was just 2-2 in 2017. The reigning NFC North champions look strong with new quarterback Kirk Cousins and backup QB Trevor Siemian will no doubt be looking to air it out here against his former team. The Vikings are deep on most positions and they can always rely on their defense, no matter if it's their starters or reserves out on the gridiron. The Broncos on the other hand are not what they used to be and held just four opponents under 20 points last year. Denver coach Vance Joseph was perfect 4-0 in preseason last year, but that winning streak ends now. 

NFLX Game of the Week: Minnesota Vikings. 

MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The St. Louis Cardinals have won seven of their last nine and they put a solid beating on the Kansas City Royals Friday night. I expect more of the same here in Game 2 of the series. 

Cardinals righty Jack Flaherty (5-6, 3.27 ERA) is coming off six scoreless innings at Pittsburgh while KC left-hander Danny Duffy (7-10, 4.70 ERA) was lit up for six runs in six innings at Minnesota his last time out. Duffy is 1-5 with a 6.48 ERA in nine starts home at Kauffman on the season. 

Royals are 2-8 in Duffy's last 10 home starts. Cardinals are 4-1 in their last 5 games vs. a left-handed starter.

8* play on St. Louis Cardinals. 

TOP RATED MLB BIG HITTER

The Atlanta Braves opened this series with a dominant 10-1 triumph Friday night, their fourth straight win home at SunTrust Park.

Atlanta right-hander Julio Teheran (8-7, 4.48 ERA) has allowed just four earned runs through his last three home starts and Braves are 7-0 in Teheran's last 7 home starts vs. a team with a winning record.

The Brew Crew have lost four of their last five overall and left-hander Wade Miley (2-1, 2.10 ERA) earned run average will blow up sooner or later, particularly considering his poor 22/18 K/BB ratio over his first 34 1/3 innings of work this season.

10* play on Atlanta Braves. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (SOCCER)

Fulham are back in the Premier League, and they aim to stay there after bringing in 12 new players during the summer's transfer window. Crystal Palace finished mid-table in the Premier League last season, but I think they'll find it hard against a super motivated home team here in the season premiere.  

10* Soccer Game of the Week: Fulham. 

SATURDAY PREMIER LEAGUE PUNISHER

Tottenham will be without nine players, and most of them key players who participated in the World Cup this summer; Harry Kane, Hugo Lloris, Dele Alli, Kieran Trippier, Eric Dier, Danny Rose, Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alberweireld and Mousa Dembele. Newcastle will be in for a tough season, but I think they have a good chance of getting a draw here. 

5* play on DRAW

MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Arizona Diamondbacks should be fired up here as they're competing with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the National League West title. 

The D'Backs will play their first game on the road for the month but they're a solid 10-1 in their last 11 road games vs. a team with a losing record. 

Cincinnati is back home from a disappointing 2-7 road trip and are 1-4 in their last 5 home games following a road trip of 7 or more days.

Arizona righty Clay Buchholz (5-1, 2.68 ERA) beat San Francisco on Saturday while giving up just two runs, striking out eight through six innings for his fifth win in a row. He's 3-1 behind a 2.10 ERA in six road starts. 

Cincinnati right-hander Anthony DeSclafani (5-3, 4.98 ERA) held the Nationals to one run and six hits over seven innings during a 7-1 Reds victory on Saturday, but he has posted a 4.05 ERA in three career starts against the Diamondbacks. We can also note that he owns a 5.65 ERA in seven home starts on the season. 

8* MONEYLINE MASSACRE: Arizona Diamondbacks ML. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (MLB)

We saw a fair amount of action of the plate in the opener of this four-game series, but the pitching matchup suggest a much lower scoring contest here in Game 2 Friday night. 

Rangers left-hander Mike Minor (8-6, 4.53 ERA) has been solid lately, allowed just five runs through his last three starts while fanning 19 through 18 innings of work. 

Yankees righty Masahiro Tanaka (9-2, 3.76 ERA) has knocked out 27 through his last three starts, allowing just one run in 19 2/3 innings of work. 

Under is 8-2-1 in Minors last 11 starts overall. Under is 17-8-2 in Rangers last 27 road games.

10* MLB Game of the Week: UNDER 9 runs. 

FRIDAY PREMIER LEAGUE PUNISHER

Both teams will be without several key players with the players who participated in the World Cup just returning from a late vacation. Jose Mourinho pretty much always has his team setup with a "not-lose" mentality and I think defense will come first for both sides in this contest. 

8* play on UNDER. 

The slumping Colorado Rockies have dropped six of their last eight and they've struggled at the plate lately with just a total of seven in a three-game series against Pittsburgh to start the week.

The LA Dodgers have scored just 10 runs in the past five games, and all things combined lead me to believe we'll see a low-scoring contest here at Coors Field Thursday night. 

In addition we can note that Dodgers righty Ross Stripling (8-3, 2.68 ERA) owns a 2.88 ERA in 10 career appearances (three starts) versus the Rockies' who hand the ball to left-hander Tyler Anderson (6-4, 4.05 ERA) who has posted a 1.32 ERA over his last four home starts. 

Under is 13-4-1 in Dodgers last 18 road games vs. a left-handed starter. Under is 15-5-1 in Rockies last 21 home games.

10* BIG HITTER: Under 10.5.

The Red Sox delivered a 10-5 beatdown of the Blue Jays on Wednesday, Toronto's fifth straight setback home at Rogers Centre and the second straight in this series Boston scored in double digits (won Game 1 of the series 10-7). The red hot Red Sox have now won six in a row and nine of their last 10. I expect the Red Sox to pick up an easy victory here Thursday night with righty Rick Porcello on the mound. 

Porcello (14-4, 3.84 ERA) fanned nine through nine innings of one-run ball against the Yankees his last time out. He's 8-1 behind a 3.14 ERA in 12 starts on the road this season and Red Sox are 7-1 in Porcello's last 8 starts.

Toronto counters with rookie left-hander Ryan Borucki (1-2, 2.30) who has pitched pretty well through his first seven starts in big leagues. The lone exception was back on July 13 when he surrendered seven runs (four earned) on eight hits and four walks in three innings against ... this very Red Sox team. 

Red Sox are 5-1 in their last 6 games vs. a left-handed starter and 5-1 in their last 6 Thursday games. Blue Jays are 3-11 in their last 14 Thursday games and 1-4 in their last 5 games vs. a right-handed starter.

8* MONEYLINE MASSACRE: Boston Red Sox. 

SUPER EARLY BRAVES @ NATIONALS DAYTIME DESTROYER

The Atlanta Braves have have claimed two of the first three contests in the series, including a decisive 8-3 triumph on Wednesday. 

Here they Braves hand the ball to Anibal Sanchez (6-3, 2.89 ERA) who is 1-0 with a 1.69 ERA in three appearances (two starts) against the Nationals on the season while the Nats counter with Gio Gonzalez (6-8, 4.04 ERA) who is 5-11 with a 5.04 ERA lifetime against the Braves. Gonzalez is not having a great season and has posted a 6.37 ERA through his last 11 starts. 

Braves are 8-2 in their last 10 overall and  9-4 in Sanchez's last 13 starts. Nationals are 0-4 in Gonzalez's last 4 starts.

Great value on Atlanta. 

DAYTIME DESTROYER: Atlanta Braves ML. 

The St. Louis Cardinals and the Miami Marlins have split the first two games of this series, with the Fish claiming Monday's matchup 2-1 and the Cards winning 3-2 on Tuesday. I think it's an easy call to go with the visiting Cardinals here in the series finale with Miami losing seven of its last eight games. 

Miami hands the ball to Trevor Richards (3-6, 3.92 ERA) who has posted a brilliant 0.76 ERA through his last four starts, but the Marlins are still just 2-2 in those four games. Right-hander John Gant (3-4, 4.12 ERA) will take the ball for the Cards. Gant may have been tagged with six runs in four innings at Pittsburgh on August 3 his last time out, but he posted a solid 3.51 ERA in six appearances (four starts) in July. 

Richards faced the Cardinals on June 7, allowing three runs and seven hits in five innings while this will be Gant's first start against the Marlins.  

10* BIG HITTER: St. Louis Cardinals ML

The Pittsburgh Pirates have played well lately and improved to 18-8 over the past month with a 10-2 triumph here at Coors Field on Tuesday. Colorado has dropped six of its last nine, but I think the home team has a big enough edge on the mound in Wednesday's matchup to make it worth a play. 

Pittsburgh righty Chris Archer (3-5, 4.40 ERA) struggled in his Pittsburgh debut, giving up five runs (four earned) through 4 1/3 innings against St. Louis. He has allowed three earned runs in four of his last five starts. 

Colorado counters with righty German Marquez (9-8, 4.70 ERA) who is 4-0 with a 2.95 ERA over his past six starts. He has a good record against Pittsburgh, winning each of his three career starts with a 2.50 ERA. 

Rockies are 13-3 in their last 16 home games vs. a team with a winning record. Pirates are 14-37 in their last 51 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.

8* DAYTIME DESTROYER: Colorado Rockies. 

LATE NIGHT MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

Arizona right-hander Zack Greinke (12-6, 2.96 ERA) has been outstanding all season and he ahs allowed just a total of four runs while covering 28 2/3 innings through his last four starts. The D'Backs have won seven of his last nine starts and he's 5-2 behind a 2.44 ERA in 12 home starts on the season. 

Philly right-hander Nick Pivetta (6-9, 4.75 ERA) held Miami to a pair of runs in six innings his last time out, but he had surrendered a total of 11 runs (nine earned) in his past two starts prior to that. Phillies are 2-8 in Pivetta's last 10 road starts vs. a team with a winning record.

D'Backs are 5-1 in the last six meetings (prior to Monday's matchup). 

8* play on Arizona Diamondbacks. 

ASTROS @ GIANTS DAYTIME DESTROYER

The Houston Astros are banged up with second baseman Jose Altuve (right knee), shortstop Carlos Correa (lower back) and outfielder George Springer (left thumb) simultaneously on the 10-day disabled list, but that didn't stop them from defeating San Francisco 3-1 Monday. I think they'll complete the sweep of this two-game interleague series at AT&T Park with another win here Tuesday afternoon. 

Houston southpaw Dallas Keuchel (9-9, 3.61 ERA) is 5-1 with a 2.04 ERA in his last six starts and he has posted a 3.12 ERA in 12 outings on the road this season. Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner (4-4, 2.97 ERA) hasn't allowed more than three runs in any of his previous four starts, but note that the Giants didn't do better than spltting those games.  

Giants are 1-6 in their last 7 home games. Astros are 9-2 in their last 11 interleague road games vs. a left-handed starter. Astros are 4-0 in the last 4 meetings.

8* play on Houston Astros. 

MLB 3-PACK

The Philadelphia bring a five-game winning streak into this three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but note that the last four triumphs came against the lowly Miami Marlins. I think the Phillie are about to run into trouble here, facing right-hander Zack Godley on the mound. 

Godley (12-6, 4.46 ERA) is 6-2 behind a solid 3.43 ERA in 11 home appearances here in 2018. He struck out 10 in seven scoreless innings of a 6-0 victory over Texas last Tuesday and has won three straight decisions (and seven of his last eight). 

The Phillies turn to Jake Arrieta (9-6, 3.32 ERA) who's coming off a solid month and there's really not much negative to say about him, but I don't see him outdueling Godley at Chase Field.

Phillies are 1-5 in the last 6 meetings. Under is 6-2 in Arrieta's last 8 starts overall. Under is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings in Arizona. 

Let's go with D'Backs to win a low-scoring contest.

8* play on Arizona Diamondbacks. 

MLB 3-PACK

The Philadelphia bring a five-game winning streak into this three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but note that the last four triumphs came against the lowly Miami Marlins. I think the Phillie are about to run into trouble here, facing right-hander Zack Godley on the mound. 

Godley (12-6, 4.46 ERA) is 6-2 behind a solid 3.43 ERA in 11 home appearances here in 2018. He struck out 10 in seven scoreless innings of a 6-0 victory over Texas last Tuesday and has won three straight decisions (and seven of his last eight). 

The Phillies turn to Jake Arrieta (9-6, 3.32 ERA) who's coming off a solid month and there's really not much negative to say about him, but I don't see him outdueling Godley at Chase Field.

Phillies are 1-5 in the last 6 meetings. Under is 6-2 in Arrieta's last 8 starts overall. Under is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings in Arizona. 

Let's go with D'Backs to win a low-scoring contest.

8* play on UNDER. 

MONDAY NIGHT MLB BIG HITTER *TOP PLAY*

The Colorado Rockies spent all of last week on the road and snapped a four-game skid with a 5-4 triumph at Milwaukee Sunday afternoon. Tonight they'll be back home at Coors Field where they've would four in a row.

Kyle Freeland (9-7, 3.20 ERA) will toe the slab for the Rockies and he's 6-2 behind a rock solid 2.45 ERA in nine home starts on the season. Pittsburgh hands the ball to Joe Musgrove (4-5, 3.63 ERA) who has allowed just four earned runs through 20 innings of work away from home, but this will be his first ever start at hitter-friendly Coors Field. 

Pirates are 6-22 in their last 28 road games vs. a left-handed starter. Rockies are 13-3 in their last 16 home games following a road trip of 7 or more days.

10* play on Colorado Rockies. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (MLB)

The Oakland Athletics enter Sunday riding a five-game winning streak, including a couple of one-run wins against the Tigers. I think they'll win by a bigger margin here in the finale of this three-game set Sunday afternoon. 

Trevor Cahill (3-2, 3.39 ERA) will take the ball for Oakland. He knocked out six through six innings of two-run ball against Toronto his last time out. The 30 year old right-hander is 2-0 behind a minuscule 1.13 ERA in six home starts.

The Tigers will send Francisco Liriano (3-5, 4.41 ERA) to the mound. He was scratched from last Saturday's start after suffering an allergic reaction but threw two scoreless innings in relief Sunday against the Indians. Tough spot for the veteran southpaw here, and note that the red hot Athletics are 6-1 in their last 7 games vs. a left-handed starter.

10* MLB Game of the Week: Oakland Athletics. 

CARDS @ PIRATES DAYTIME DESTROYER

The St. Louis Cardinals hand the ball to right-hander Jack Flaherty (4-6, 3.49 ERA) who is 3-1 behind a solid 2.61 ERA in six day starts this season. He's faced Pittsburgh three times, going 1-1 with a 3.94 ERA while Pirates righty Trevor Williams (9-7, 3.89 ERA) is 2-3 with a 7.44 ERA in nine career appearances (six starts) against the Cardinals. 

The Cards have won three of their last four and they claimed Saturday's matchup 8-4. Cardinals are 6-2 in the last 8 meetings with Pittsburgh. 

8* play on St. Louis Cardinals. 

MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Atlanta Braves had won five straight prior to getting shut out in a 3-0 loss to the Mets on Saturday. I expect them to bounce back here Sunday afternoon with Julio Teheran on the mound. 

Teheran (8-7, 4.46 ERA) is 9-6 with a 2.33 ERA in 23 games (22 starts) against the Mets. In his three starts against them this season, Teheran has allowed just two earned runs over 21 innings of work. 

The Mets hand the ball to Corey Oswalt (1-2, 5.27 ERA) who will be pitching in place of injured left-hander Steven Matz. I don't see him being able to shut down this Atlanta team which will be fired up after yesterday's sluggish performance. 

Braves are 5-1 in the last 6 meetings at Citi Field.

8* play on Atlanta Braves. 

3-PACK OF RUNLINE RIPPERS

The Seattle Mariners took a disappointing 7-2 loss to Toronto Friday night. I expect to see a fired up Seattle side here on Saturday with its ace James Paxton on the mound. 

Paxton (9-4, 3.49 ERA) fanned eight through seven shutout innings against Houston his last time out. The 29 year old southpaw tossed a no-hitter at Toronto on May 8 and has this Toronto roster limited to a .207 AVG over 87 at bats. 

The Blue Jays counter with Marco Estrada (4-8, 4.90 ERA) who missed almost all of July due to a hip injury. He struggled in his first outing back on July 30, conceding four runs on five hits and three walks in four innings of a 10-1 loss at Oakland. 

Blue Jays are 1-8 in Estrada's last 9 starts vs. a team with a winning record. Mariners are 21-5 in their last 26 vs. a team with a losing record.

8* play on Seattle Mariners. 

3-PACK OF RUNLINE RIPPERS

The LA Angels snapped a four-game losing streak by winning Friday's matchup 7-4. I expect Cleveland to come out fired up after the loss. 

Cleveland righty Corey Kluber (13-6, 2.79 ERA) limited Detroit to one run on five hits through 7 1/3 innings of an 8-1 triumph his last time out. He held LAA to a pair of runs in seven frames back in April and has had plenty of success against this Halos roster with a .160 AVG over 100 at bats. 

LAA righty Felix Pena (1-2, 5.23 ERA) didn't even make it out of hte first inning when he was tagged with seven runs in an 8-5 loss to Seattle on July 29. 

Indians had won 10 straight meetings at Progressive Field prior to yesterday's setback. Indians are 6-2 in their last 8 games following a loss.

8* play on Cleveland Indians. 

3-PACK OF RUNLINE RIPPERS

The Minnesota Twins snapped a two-game skid with a 6-4 win in the opener of a three-game series with Kansas City Royals Friday night. They have a significant edge on the mound tonight, and I fully expect a blowout win for the home team here.

Minnesota righty Jose Berrios (10-8, 3.56 ERA) has been dominant at home all season, entering Saturday 7-2 behind a 2.99 ERA in 12 starts at Target Field. This will be his second home start against KC on the season after holding them to one run through seven frames on July 9. 

The Royals hand the ball to 28 year old right Burch Smith (1-2, 6.00 ERA) who will make his fifth start of the season. He was tagged with five runs on five hits and three walks in four innings of a 7-3 loss in the Bronx on July 29 last time out. 

Twins are 18-4 in Berrios' last 22 home starts and 7-1 in their last 8 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of less than .400.

8* play on Minnesota Twins. 

MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE *TOP PLAY*

The Toronto Blue Jays opened this series with a 7-3 triumph Thursday night. The setback was the Mariners third straight and dropped them a half-game behind Oakland for the American League's final wild-card berth. I think we can expect to see a fired up Mariners team here Friday night. 

The Mariners hand the ball to left-hander Marco Gonzales (12-5, 3.37 ERA) who has won five straight starts, allowing six earned runs in that span. We can also note that he's been rock solid home at Safeco all season, going 5-1 with a 2.88 ERA in 10 home starts. Mariners are perfect 6-0 in Gonzales' last 6 home starts.

The Blue Jays turn to 24 year old rookie left-hander Ryan Borucki (0-2, 2.83 ERA) for his seventh career start. He's 0-1 with a 4.80 ERA in three road starts.

Blue Jays are 1-5 in their last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning record. Mariners are 21-5 in their last 26 vs. a team with a losing record.

10* play on Seattle Mariners. 

MLB 3-PACK

The Mariners hand the ball to left-hander Marco Gonzales (12-5, 3.37 ERA) who has won five straight starts, allowing six earned runs in that span. We can also note that he's been rock solid home at Safeco all season, going 5-1 with a 2.88 ERA in 10 home starts. Mariners are perfect 6-0 in Gonzales' last 6 home starts. The Blue Jays turn to 24 year old rookie left-hander Ryan Borucki (0-2, 2.83 ERA) for his seventh career start. He's 0-1 with a 4.80 ERA in three road starts.

Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Seattle. Under is 6-2 in the last 8 meetings.

8* play on UNDER. 

MLB 3-PACK

We saw plenty of fireworks as the Boston Red Sox claimed the opener of this series 15-7 Thursday night. I think runs won't be as easy to come by for either team tonight. Yankees right-hander Luis Severino (14-4, 2.94 ERA) tossed 6 2/3 scoreless innings in a win against the Red Sox last month. Boston righty Rick Porcello (13-4, 4.03 ERA) pitched seven shutout innings, allowing two hits, in beating the Yankees April 12 and owns a 3.31 ERA in 20 careers start against New York.

Under is 7-3-1 in Severino's last 11 starts vs. a team with a winning record. Under is 11-3 in Porcello's last 14 home starts vs. a team with a winning record.

8* play on UNDER. 

BEARS @ RAVENS *TOP PLAY*

Handicapping preseason NFL is never easy, but I think we have a solid reason to back Ravens here with Baltimore coach John Harbaugh owning a 28-12 preseason record overall and going 4-0 both in 2016 and 2017. Chicago head coach Matt Nagy (former Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator) on the other hand has no experience being in charge of an NFL team.

10* play on Baltimore Ravens. 

YANKEES @ RED SOX RIVALRY GAME

The New York Yankees took a 7-5 loss to Baltimore last night. Perhaps their minds and focus had already moved on to this opener of a four-game series at Fenway Park, and I like the Yankees to come through with a much better performance tonight. 

CC Sabathia (6-4, 3.53 ERA) will take the ball for NYY. Since losing to the Red Sox on July 16, 2016, the left-hander is 6-0 against Boston, including 1-0 in two starts this season. Yankees are 21-6 in Sabathia's last 27 starts vs. a team with a winning record.

The Red Sox turn to a left-hander of their own in Brian Johnson (1-3, 3.45 ERA) who's coming off 5 2/3 shutout innings against Minnesota, but it's worth noting that his ERA home at Fenway is two runs higher at home than on the road. 

Bostons bats have been quiet of late, scoring just a total of six runs through its last three games. The Yankees have not had such issues with 22 runs scored through their last four games.

8* play on NY Yankees. 

EARLY MLB DAYTIME DESTROYER *TOP PLAY*

The St. Louis Cardinals have won two of the first three games of the series. I like them to claim the series finale here as well Thursday afternoon with Miles Mikolas on the mound. 

Mikolas (11-3, 2.83 ERA) has been the Cardinals' best starter this season and is coming off 14 straight quality starts. He limited the Chbs to six hits and two runs in six innings his last time out and is 5-3, 2.09 in 10 home starts. 

The Rockies counter with Antonio Senzatela (4-3, 5.01 ERA) who is 0-2 with a 7.94 ERA in two road starts this year. Rockies are 1-7 in his last 8 road starts. 

10* play on St. Louis Cardinals.