Top Rated 10* MLB *BIG HITTER*
Play: Texas Rangers
Rating: 10/10*

The Texas Rangers are coming off a much needed day off following their 22-10 loss to the Marlins. The Rangers are 5-0 in their last five games following an off day and 5-2 in their last seven Friday games. Tonight's opponent the Baltimore Orioles on the other hand are 0-7 in their last seven Friday games.

Andrew Cashner (5-8, 3.64 ERA) will take the ball for the Rangers. He owns a superb 2.50 ERA through six starts in front of the home fans this season, and I certainly rate him higher than Chris Tillman (1-5, 7.01 ERA) who's having an outright awful season. The 29 year old right-hander has been particularly bad on the road, allowing 22 runs (21 earned) on 34 hits through just 15 1/3 frames for a 12.33 ERA. 

The Rangers have won seven of the last eight meetings at Texas.

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

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

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

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

Top Rated 10* Late Night MLB *BEST BET*
Play: San Diego Padres
Rating: 10/10*

The San Diego Padres will host the new York Mets in the final game of their four-game set at Petco Park in San Diego Thursday night. 

Luis Perdomo (4-5, 4.71 ERA) takes the ball for the Padres for his first meeting ever with the Mets. Note that the Padres are 4-0 in Perdomo's last four home starts and the right-hander has a 4-1 record with a 4.83 ERA in nine home starts on the season. 

This is however not as much a bet on the Padres and Perdomo as a fade of the Mets' Chris Flexen who will be making his Major League debut. I think the Padres will make the most of this opportunity to beat up on a rookie, and this is just a good spot overall to back the home team. 

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

The Cleveland Indians have outscored their opponents 50-18 during a six-game winning streak. I expect them to remain hot and complete the sweep of this three-game series with the LAA Angels Thursday afternoon.

Trevor Bauer will take the ball for the Tribe. He is just 1-2 with a bloated 8.44 ERA so far here in July, but he's had plenty of success against the Angels in the past going 3-0 with a 3.14 ERA in four career starts. Bauer is 5-3 with a 4.81 ERA home at Progressive Field this season. 

The Halos turn to JC Ramirez (9-8, 4.38 ERA) who has pitched well this month, going 2-2 with a 3.52 ERA. This will be his first career start against Cleveland, but he has posted a 5.06 ERA in four relief appearances against the Indians. 

It would be foolish to go against the Indians considering the way they're playing right now. It's a lot of juice to lay, but I think Cleveland will prove well worth the investment.

Top Rated 10* MLB *MONEYMAKER*
Play: Houston Astros
Rating: 10/10*

The Houston Asros are going for the sweep of this three-game series at Citizens Bank Park Wednesday evening. They're 22-5 in their last 27 interleague road games and 7-0 in their last seven games vs. a team with a winning % below .400. The Astros are an impressive 37-12 on the road overall this season while the Philadelphia Phillies are just 18-28 at home.

Tonight Mike Fiers (7-4, 3.59 ERA) will take the ball for Houston. He's 0-2 with a 12.15 ERA vs. Philadelphia, having given up 11 runs (nine earned) in 6 2/3 innings, but this looks like a good time to improve those numbers. Fiers is 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA in his last two starts, and over his past 10 starts dating back to May 30, Fiers is 6-2 with a 2.36 ERA. 

The Phillies turn to Aaron Nola (7-6, 3.38 ERA) who is 4-1 with a 1.70 ERA through his last six outings. The thing is though, he's not faced the Astros in any of those games. Note that Houston leads the majors in batting average, home runs, runs and several other offensive categories this season. 

The Astros are 14-5 as a favorite closing at less than -120 this season. Do not be afraid to back the Astros with a BIG BET at this great price. 

MLB *AFTERNOON APOCALYPSE*
Play: San Francisco Giants
Rating: 8/10*

The San Francisco Giants exploded offensively and scored 10 runs through the first four frames against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday. I think they'll give Trevor Williams (4-4, 4.74 ERA) all sorts of problems as well here on Wednesday. 

Williams was tagged with five runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings at Coors Field his last time out. He has posted a 5.40 ERA in 10 appearances (seven starts) on the road this season and has struggled to log innings, which does not bode well considering the circumstances. 

The Giants hand the ball to Jeff Samardzija (4-11, 5.05 ERA) who has struggled lately as well, conceding 16 runs on 26 hits in 17 1/3 innings in his last three starts combined. He did however face the Pirates at the beginning of the month and was terrific, limiting the Bucs to two runs in six innings. He is 5-4 with a strong 2.91 ERA in his career against Pittsburgh. 

Super Early Top Rated 10* MLB *BANKROLL BUILDER*
Play: Tampa Bay Rays
Rating: 10/10*

Big big mismatch on the mound here at Tropicana Field Wednesday afternoon. The Tampa Bay Rays' Alex Cobb (8-6, 3.57 ERA) has held seven of his last eight opponents to three of fewer runs. Sure, the Orioles hit him pretty hard in the last meeting (seven runs through 6 1/3 frames) but I think he'll handle the O's better today. 

The Orioles turn to Ubaldo Jimenez (4-6, 7.19 ERA) who has been torched in each of his last four starts, conceding a total of 21 runs and 31 hits through 19 innings. He was charged with nine runs in 2 1/3 frames when he took on the Rays on June 23.

The teams are tied at 1-1 heading into the rubber match of this series. Let's go with the home team to claim it. 

MLB *DOG OF THE DAY*
Play: Milwaukee Brewers
Rating: 8/10*

The Milwaukee Brewers have dropped seven of their last eight games. Here they'll face the Washington Nationals who are 7-2 since the All Star break, but I like the Brew Crew as a road underdog with Zach Davies (11-4, 4.76 ERA) on the mound. Davies is 5-0 with a 3.18 ERA in 10 road starts on the season. He is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in two starts versus Washington, winning at Nationals Park in 2016.

The Nats turn to Edwin Jackson (1-0, 4.50 ERA) who will make his second start since coming over from Baltimore. He gave up just two runs in seven innings during a 4-3 win over the Angels on July 18, but I think the Brewers will hit him hard tonight.

Top Rated 10* Interleague *GAME OF THE WEEK*
Play: Houston Astros
Rating: 10/10*

The Houston Astros own the best road record in baseball at 36-12 while the Philadelphia Phillies are just 18-27 home at Citizens Bank Park. Houston really did a number on the Phillies last night scoring 10 runs through the first five innings and never looked back. I think they've got too much firepower for the Phillies to compete again in Tuesday's contest.

Houston's Charlie Morton (7-4, 4.18 ERA) is certainly no ace, but he's been pitching alright for the better part of the season and 83 Ks trough 75 1/3 innings of work on the season is nothing to scoff at. The Phillies hand the ball to 24 year old rookie Nick Pivetta (3-5, 5.58 ERA) who has struggled to keep the ball in the park lately, serving up 11 homers through his last six starts. He has been tagged with 12 earned runs in his last two starts, covering 10 1/3 frames.

The Astros are 17-4 in their last 21 during Game 2 of a series and 5-2 in Morton's last seven starts vs. a team with a losing record. The Phillies are 1-6 in Pivetta's last seven starts vs. a team with a winning record.

MLB 3-Pack
Play: Seattle Mariners
Rating: 8/10*

The Seattle Mariners should come out very motivated here after dropping three of four against the Yankees. They're 7-1 in their last eight Monday games and 4-0 in left-hander James Paxton's (9-3, 3.05 ERA) last four starts. Paxton has held the Red Sox to one run on nine hits and two walks through a pair of eight-inning outings in previous meetings. The Red Sox hand the ball to another left-hander in Eduardo Rodriguez (4-2, 3.66 ERA) who spent more than a month on the DL before allowing three runs on six hits and four walks in 5 1/3 innings against the Blue Jays on July 17. It might take another couple of games for Rodriguez to get back to his very best. 

MLB 3-Pack
Play: Texas Rangers
Rating: 8/10*

The Texas Rangers are coming off a three-game sweep at Tampa Bay. I think they'll keep that momentum going here in the opener of a series with the Miami Marlins.

Left-hander Martin Perez (5-7, 4.72 ERA) takes the ball for Texas. The Rangers have won four of his last six starts and we can note that the Marlins are 2-9 in their last 11 interleague road games vs. a left-handed starter.

The Rangers have had more success against southpaws, going 8-2 in their last 10 interleague home games vs. a left-handed starter, so they'll be glad to see Adam Conley (2-3, 6.75 ERA) on the mound for the Fish. The Marlins have lost four of Conley's last five starts. 

MLB 3-Pack
Play: Detroit Tigers
Rating: 8/10*

The Kansas City Royals are coming off five consecutive victories, a streak I think will end as they travel to Detroit and Comerica Park Monday. KC's Jason Hammel (4-8, 4.81 ERA) will match up with Detroit's Justin Verlander (5-7, 4.54 ERA) on the mound. The same two pitchers squared off just five days ago, a game the Royals won with two runs in the bottom of the ninth. Verlander was solid though allowing just two runs through seven innings, and while Hammel allowed only one run through 6 1/3 innings of work we can note that he has a 6.98 ERA in 11 career games (eight starts) versus Detroit.

The Tigers are 9-2 in Verlander's last 11 starts during Game 1 of a series and 10-4 in Verlanders last 14 home starts.

Top Rated 10* MLB *BIG HITTER*
Play: Pittsburgh Pirates
Rating: 10/10*

The Pittsburgh Pirates had won six straight games prior to Saturday's 7-3 setback here at Coors Field. They're still 9-2 in the last 11 meetings at Colorado and I think they'll bounce back here with Ivan Nova (10-6, 3.27 ERA) on the mound. Nova has not had much success in previous meetings with Colorado, but this will be the first encounter this season and he's been really solid all year long. The Rockies turn to Kyle Freeland (9-7, 3.67 ERA) who was knocked around for five runs (four earned) on nine hits and five walks in just 5 2/3 innings of a 7-2 loss at Pittsburgh on June 12.

The Pirates are 5-2 in Nova's last seven starts, the Rockies are 1-7 in their last eight vs. a team with a winning record.

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

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

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

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

MLB *RUNLINE RIPPER
Play: Toronto Blue Jays +1.5
Rating: 8/10*

The Cleveland Indians opened this series with an emphatic 13-3 victory on Friday. 

I think the Blue Jays will put up a better fight tonight with Marcus Stroman (9-5, 3.10 ERA) matching up with Danny Salazar (3-5, 5.40 ERA) on the mound. 

Stroman has posted a 1.45 ERA through his last three starts, and he's compiled a 2.53 ERA in four career games (three starts) against Cleveland. Salazar is 1-2 with a 6.19 ERA through his last three starts and 2-1 despite a somewhat bloated 4.58 ERA in four career starts against Toronto. 

Blue Jays are 10-2 in Stroman's last 12 Saturday starts.

Top Rated 10* NL *GAME OF THE WEEK*
Play: Chicago Cubs
Rating: 10/10*

The Chicago Cubs saw their six-game winning streak come to an end with an 11-4 loss to NL Centrral rivals St. Louis Friday afternoon. We should see the Cubbies come out fired up for revenge on Saturday. 

Chicago left-hander Jon Lester (6-6, 4.07) is 3-4 despite a very solid 2.37 ERA in 12 career starts against the Cards. On the other end of the spectrum we have St. Louis right-hander Adam Wainwright (11-5, 5.08) who is 14-9 despite a 4.09 ERA in 42 games (33 starts) against the Cubs. 

The Cubs are 12-3 in their last 15 games following a loss while the Cardinals are 2-6 in their last eight games following a win. Don't be scared, lay the juice. 

MLB *NIGHTCRAWLER*
Play: Washington Nationals
Rating: 8/10*

The Washington Nationals are 6-1 in their last seven road games and 4-0 in the last four meetings in Arizona. Max Scherzer (11-5, 2.01 ERA) is 5-0 with a 2.41 ERA in six career starts against the D'Backs. The Diamondbacks are 3-9 in their last 12 overall and tonight's starter Zack Godley (3-4, 3.09 ERA) was lit up for seven runs (six earned) on eight hits in six innings of a 7-1 loss at Atlanta his last time out.

MLB *DOG OF THE DAY*
Play: Pittsburgh Pirates
Rating: 8/10*

The Pittsburgh Pirates are steaming hot, coming off five straight victories and with just one loss through their last nine games. The Colorado Rockies have won four straight, but I think Pittsburgh has the edge in Friday's matchup.

Trevor Williams (3-4, 4.69 ERA) has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his last six starts. The Colorado Rockies hand the ball to Jeff Hoffman (6-1, 4.33 ERA) who is 2-1 despite a bloated 6.44 ERA in six games (five starts) home at Coors Field on the season.

The Pirates are 8-1 in the last nine meetings in Colorado, and I think they'll give Williams enough run support to win this game. 

MLB *ACE ON THE MOUND*
Play: Texas Rangers
Rating: 8/10*

The Tampa Bay Rays have won six of their last eight while the Texas Rangers are losers of five straight games. I still like the visitors at Tropicana Field Friday night as they hand the ball to their ace, Yu Darvish. 

The Rangers have lost six straight with Darvish (6-8, 3.45 ERA) on the mound, but the right-hander has allowed two earned runs or fewer in all but one of his last five outings. We can also note that he has produces his best work on the road this season and is 4-0 with a 1.09 ERA in five career games versus the Rays who will send Alex Cobb to the mound. 

I actually don't have much bad to say about Cobb (8-6, 3.59 ERA) as he's been one of the hottest pitchers in baseball of late, and has good career numbers against the Rangers, but this is simply a good spot to back the Rangers as they look to end a losing streak.

Top Rated 10* MLB *BIG HITTER*
Play: Seattle Mariners
Rating: 10/10*

We won with the Seattle Mariners as a Top Rated 10* selection on Wednesday, and I'm releasing another BIG PLAY on the Mariners here as they host the New York Yankees Thursday night. 

The Mariners hand the ball to Felix Hernandez (5-3, 4.20 ERA) who has won his past two outings (while allowing just one earned run through 11 frames). Fernandez is 3-1 with a 3.72 ERA in five starts since returning from the disabled list and a solid 4-1 with a 3.82 ERA in six starts home at Safeco on the season. 

The Yankees turn to Luis Severino (5-4, 3.40 ERA) who is winless in his last six starts, surrendering four runs or more in three of those outings. The whole Yankees team is struggling at the moment while the Mariners are on a roll winning five of six since the All Star break. 

The Yankees are 1-9 in Severino's last 10 starts during Game 1 of a series, the Mariners are 10-3 in their last 13 during Game 1 of a series.

MLB *NO-BRAINER*
Play: Pittsburgh Pirates
Rating: 8/10*

The Pittsburgh Pirates have clinched the first two games of this series, and I think they'll set themselves up for the four-game sweep with another victory on Wednesday. 

Zach Davies (11-4, 5.08 ERA) takes the ball for Milwaukee. He was knocked around for  seven runs and 10 hits over five innings by the Pirates on June 20 and he's 1-3 with a 10.29 ERA in five career starts against Pittsburgh. 

The Pirates hand the ball to Gerrit Cole (7-7, 4.35 ERA) who has held opponents to two runs or fewer in five of his last six starts. He's 3-3 with a solid 3.16 ERA in nine career starts against Milwaukee. He has allowed just two runs on five hits in 14 innings against Milwaukee this season and the current Brewers team is batting a combined .111 over 54 at bats against the right-hander. 

This is a no-brainer - play the Pirates. 

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

It's never easy to go against the best team in the American League, but you simply gotta do it if the price is right. I think the Seattle Mariners have an edge here with left-hander James Paxton (8-3, 3.19 ERA) on the mound. Paxton has dominated the Astros in two meetings already this season, holding them to six hits through 13 scoreless innings. We can also note that Paxton is perfect 3-0 with a 2.33 ERA in three starts here in July. 

The Astros hand the ball to Charlie Morton (7-3, 4.06 ERA). He allowed five runs (four earned) on three hits and five walks in five innings against Minnesota his last time out. We can also note that Morton has posted a 5.91 ERA in two day starts on the season while Paxton owns a 2.60 ERA in three day starts. 

The Astros are 1-4 in their last five home games vs. a left-handed starter. Let's go with Seattle at a great price. 

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

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

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

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

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

MLB 3-Pack
Play: Cleveland Indians
Rating: 8/10*

Cleveland's Mike Clevinger (5-3, 3.00 ERA) has pitched very well lately, going 3-0 with a 1.66 ERA through his last five starts. The Giants' Ty Blach (6-5, 4.60 ERA) meanwhile has struggled lately, giving up five runs or more in three of his last six starts. Good price on Cleveland. 

MLB 3-Pack
Play: Pittsburgh Pirates
Rating: 8/10*

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Late Night MLB *NIGHTCRAWLER*
Play: Cleveland Indians
Rating: 8/10*

The Cleveland Indians are still winless since the All Star break after three straight losses at Oakland. I think they'll have better luck on the other side of the bay as they take on the San Francisco Giants Monday night.

Cleveland's Josh Tomlin (5-9, 5.90 ERA) has had a tough season, but he is coming off a strong effort in an 11-2 win over San Diego on July 6 when he held the Friars to two runs and four hits in seven innings. The Giants are 2-10 in their last 12 home games vs. a right-handed starter.

The Giants hand the ball to left-hander Matt Moore (3-9, 6.04 ERA) who was roughed up for five runs on 12 hits in just 3 1/3 innings of a 6-1 home loss to Miami his last time out. The Indians are 6-2 in their last eight games vs. a left-handed starter.

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

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

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

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

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

Situational *NO-BRAINER*
Play: Minnesota Twins
Rating: 8/10*

Purely a situational play. The New York Yankees are coming off a double-header at Washington. Their pitching staff have been put under heavy pressure with four games in three days and one of the games going to 16 innings. Tonight they hand the ball to Bryan Mitchell (1-1, 5.06 ERA) while the Twins turn to Adalberto Mejia (4-4, 4.43 ERA). Mejia has pitched pretty well lately while Mitchell will make his first start for the season. I also think the Twins will be eager to book wins home at Target Field after dropping two of three at Houston over the weekend. Great price on the Twins considering the circumstances. Don't overthink this one, bet the home team. 

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

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

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

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

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

BIG play on the under. 

MLB Total
Play: Under
Rating: 8/10*

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

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

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

MLB *RUNLINE RIPPER*
Play: Cleveland Indians
Rating: 8/10*

The Cleveland Indians managed just four hits in a shutout loss to the A's in their first game back from the All Star break Friday night. I think they'll come back with a vengeance in Saturday's contest. 

Here they'll face 23 year old rookie Paul Blackburn who will make his third start in the major leagues. He posted a 3.05 ERA 79 2/3 innings at Triple-A this season and has allowed only two runs on 11 hits in 13 2/3 innings of work against Atlanta and Seattle, but the Indians should come out in full force tonight. 

Also note that the Indians are unlikely to give up many runs themselves with the phenomenal Corey Kluber (7-3, 2.80 ERA) on the mound.

Kluber has surrendered only a total of three runs through 21 innings of work in his last three starts combined. He faced the Athletics last month and tossed six scoreless innings, and now owns a strong 2.45 ERA in seven career starts against them. 

MLB 3-Pack
Play: LA Angels
Rating: 8/10*

We backed the Tampa Bay Rays as a premium winner on Friday, but I'm switching sides here for Game 2 of the series. Tampa Bay's Alex Cobb (7-6, 3.75 ERA) has posted a 6.51 ERA over five career starts against the Halos, and their current lineup is batting a combined .353 over 51 at bats against the right-hander. We can also note that he owns a 4.52 ERA in 11 road starts on the season (compared to a 2.64 ERA home at the Trop). Los Angeles' J.C. Ramirez (8-7, 4.46 ERA) faced the Rays back in late May and held them to just two runs through 6 2/3 frames. 

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

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

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

MLB *NIGHTCRAWLER*
Play: Tampa Bay Rays
Rating: 8/10*

The Los Angeles Angels will most likely receive a boost with Mike Trout back in the lineup after missing six weeks recovering from a torn ligament in his left thumb. I still don't think the Halos will score enough runs to make up for Ricky Nolasco's (4-10, 5.06 ERA) shortcomings on the mound though. Note that Nolasco is 3-7 with a 6.67 ERA in 10 career starts versus the Rays who hand the ball to young Jacob Faria (4-0, 2.11 ERA) who has posted six quality starts in the big leagues. Good price on the visiting Rays here. 

Top Rated 10* MLB *BIG HITTER*
Play: Cleveland Indians
Rating: 10/10*

The Cleveland Indians are 9-2 in their last 11 on the road, and I think they'll open the second half of the season with another win away from home, this time at Oakland. 

The A's hand the ball to Sonny Gray (4-4, 4.00 ERA). Several members of the Tribe have good career numbers against the right-hander and the Indians are batting a combined .275 over 138 at bats against Gray. 

The Indians turn to Carlos Carrasco (10-3, 3.44 ERA) who has a fantastic all-time record of 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA in five games (four starts) against the A's. 

The Athletics are 2-8 in their last 10 home games, and I like the Indians in this spot. 

All Star Game *SPECIAL*
Play: American League
Rating: 8/10*

The American League has won the last four All-Star Games and is 16-3-1 over the past 20 meetings. We're all very familiar with the players participating, and I don't think the NL deserve to be favorites here. Back the dog AL in the All Star game. 

MLB *RUNLINE RIPPER*
Play: Texas Rangers -1.5
Rating: 8/10*

The Texas Rangers have reeled off three straight wins and covered the run line each time. I like them to head into the All Star break with their winning streak SU and ATS intact. 

The Angels hand the ball to JC Ramirez (7-7, 4.73 ERA) who is 1-3 with a 6.86 ERA through his last four starts. The Rangers meanwhile turn to their ace Yu Darvish (6-7, 3.56 ERA) who was rocked for seven runs on 11 hits in just 4 1/3 innings by the Red Sox his last time out, but I predict him to bounce back with a solid outing today.

Note that the Rangers are 15-6 SU as a home favorite of -110 or higher on the season and 13-8 against the run line in those games. 

Top Rated 10* AL *GAME OF THE WEEK*
Play: Minnesota Twins
Rating: 10/10*

The Minnesota Twins will be looking to deny the Baltimore Orioles to earn a tie of this four-game series when they close out the series Sunday afternoon. 

The Twins hand the ball to Kyle Gibson (5-6, 5.82 ERA) who had a disastrous start to the season, but he's 4-2 with a 3.91 ERA in his last eight starts. That's just a bonus though as this is more a fade of Baltimore's Ubaldo Jimenez (3-4, 6.64 ERA) who's been getting lit up on a regular basis in his starts this season, and the right-hander is 1-2 with an 8.22 ERA in his last three starts. 

The Orioles have won just one of their last six games and they're 10-22 as a road underdog of +100 or higher this season. 

Top Rated 10* HIGH ROLLER *BOOKIE BREAKER*
Play: Tampa Bay Rays
Rating: 10/10*

The Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays are tied at 1-1 as they head into Game 3 of a four-game series. I like the Rays to come out ahead in Saturday's matchup. 

Alex Cobb (6-6, 4.01 ERA) takes the ball for Tampa Bay. He's 4-3 with a 3.84 ERA in 12 lifetime starts against Boston, but what I really like is how Cobb has pitched lately. He had allowed just a total of five runs (four earned) in 21 2/3 innings of work through three starts before conceding seven (six earned) at Baltimore his last time out as two homers became his undoing. 

Boston hands the ball to Rick Porcello (4-10, 5.01 ERA) who limited the Rangers to three runs on three hits in 6 1/3 frames his last time out, but he had been knocked around plenty in each of his last five starts prior to that. I'm not convinced he's back to the form that earned him the AL Cy Young title last season just after just one good start. 

Let's roll with the Rays. 

Top Rated 10* MLB *BIG HITTER*
Play: Seattle Mariners
Rating: 10/10*

The Seattle Mariners have dropped eight of their last 10 games and they enter Friday's matchup with the Oakland Athletics on a four-game slide. I think they'll edge this game though with James Paxton (6-3, 3.27 ERA) on the mound. The 28 year old southpaw is 4-2 behind a 2.68 ERA in eight home starts on the season, and he'll be looking to revenge a terrible outing against Oakland back in April. The A's hand the ball to Sean Manaea (7-4, 3.75 ERA). He has pitched well lately, but I think the Mariners' desperation to start winning games gives them the advantage here.  

MLB 3-Pack
Play: Arizona Diamondbacks -1.5
Rating: 8/10*

The Arizona Diamondbacks are coming off a loss as they allowed the Dodgers to score four runs in the ninth inning on Thursday. Expect them to make the Reds pay the price for that debacle tonight.

Zack Greinke (10-4, 3.05) is 7-2 with a 2.40 ERA in 12 career starts against the Reds, and 8-0 with a 2.67 ERA in 10 home starts on the season. Cinicinnati's Tim Adleman (5-5, 4.67 ERA) has surrendered eight runs and six homers in 15 innings through his last three starts. He is 2-5 with a 4.05 ERA in 12 career road starts.

Let's go with the RL as i predict an easy win for the home team. 

MLB *BANKROLL BUILDER*
Play: Houston Astros
Rating: 8/10*

Almost a pure motivational play on the Houston Astros who had won four straight prior to Thursday's 7-4 loss here at Rogers Centre. They're still an amazing 20-4 in their last 24 on the road. Both starting pitchers, Houston's Charlie Morton (5-3, 4.06 ERA) and Toronto's Aaron Sanchez (0-1, 3.33 ERA), are fresh off the DL. In other words, don't know what to expect from either, meaning big advantage to the better bats and more motivated team of a loss = Astros. 

MLB *NIGHTCRAWLER*
Play: LA Dodgers
Rating: 8/10*

Big matchup from the NL West as the division-leading LA Dodgers will host 2nd placed Arizona Diamondbacks for the finale of a three-game set. 

Rich Hill (5-4, 4.00 ERA) takes the ball for the Dodgers. The veteran left-hander fanned 11 through seven scoreless innings of four-hit ball at San Diego his last time out, and he's allowed just four runs on 12 hits through 19 frames in his last three turns combined. The Diamondbacks are 1-5 in their last six road games vs. a left-handed starter and they've hit just .191 on the road against southpaws this year.

Robbie Ray (8-4, 3.06 ERA) takes the ball for the D'Backs. He's 1-1 with a bloated 5.09 ERA in his last three starts and note that the Dodgers are 16-5 in their last 21 games vs. a left-handed starter.

Top Rated 10* MLB *RUNLINE RIPPER*
Play: Oakland Athletics
Rating: 10/10*

The Oakland Athletics ended a six-game slide when they defeated the White Sox 7-6 yesterday. I think they'll wrap up the series with another victory Wednesday afternoon. 

Sonny Gray (3-4, 4.09 ERA) will take the ball for the A's. He held Atlanta to one run and two hits through eight innings his last time out. We can also note that Gray is 2-0 with a 2.27 ERA in five day starts this season. Chicago's Mike Pelfrey (3-6, 4.13 ERA) on the other hand was charged with five runs on eight hits with a pair of homers through five innings against Texas his last turn. The current Oakland roster is batting a combined .291 over 79 at bats against Pelfrey while the White Sox are batting .188 through 48 at bats against Gray. 

The Athletics are 6-2 in their last eight games following a win. The White Sox are 1-8 in their last nine during Game 3 of a series.

MLB *MONEYMAKER*
Play: Boston Red Sox
Rating: 8/10*

The Boston Red Sox are on a 5-0 run while the Texas Rangers are 1-5 in their last six overall. 

The Red Sox hand the ball to David Price (3-2, 4.61 ERA) who has allowed three or fewer earned runs in each of his last four starts. The Red Sox are 9-2 in Price's last 11 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance and it's worth noting that the Rangers have the very worst batting average against southpaws on the season at .226. 

The Rangers turn to Yu Darvish (6-6, 3.11 ERA). They've lost six of his last seven starts, and I don't think the Rangers will be able to provide him with sufficent run support tonight either. 

The Red Sox are 5-0 in the last five meetings.

Top Rated 10* MLB *BIG HITTER*
Play: Milwaukee Brewers
Rating: 10/10*

The Baltimore Orioles are just 15-26 on the road this season and 2-10 in their last 12 road games vs. a team with a winning record. The Milwaukee Brewers are 5-1 in their last six home games. 

The Brewers' right-hander Jimmy Nelson (6-4, 3.43 ERA) will face Baltimore for the first time in his career. He has posted a 2.64 ERA in nine home starts this year and limited the Dodgers to one run on six hits through nine innings his last time out at Miller Park. Baltimore hands the ball to right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez (3-3, 6.48 ERA) who will make his fourth start since returning from a monthlong stint in the Orioles' bullpen. Jimenez is coming off his best start of the season when he held the Blue Jays to two hits and a walk through eight shutout innings, but I think the Brew Crew will be able to get to him.