7* MLB *MOUND MISMATCH* on Cleveland -107

The Key: Cleveland continues to be one of the hottest teams in baseball and they bring their ace to the mound tonight in Danny Salazar.  On the season, Salazar sits at 8-3 with a 2.23 ERA in 13 starts.  He'll be backed by an Indians squad that has owned the Detroit Tigers of late, notching a 6-0 record against them, including taking the last three meetings in Detroit.  The Tigers are fresh off of a sweep over Seattle, but they will find this hungry Cleveland team a much tougher opponent to handle, especially with one of the great young pitchers in the game on the mound.  Take Cleveland.

7* NL East GAME OF THE MONTH on New York Mets -143

The Key: The New York Mets were just swept in three games by the Atlanta Braves over the weekend.  That will have them hungry for a victory and revenge in Game 1 of this new series Thursday.  Matt Harvey has really turned it around of late, posting a 2.08 ERA over his last four starts.  Harvey sports a 3.71 ERA in six lifetime starts vs. Atlanta.  Matt Wisley has gone 1-5 with a 4.50 ERA in 8 home starts this year, and he's 1-2 with a 9.20 ERA in his last 3 starts coming in.  Atlanta is 2-14 (-12.7 Units) against the money line in home games after scoring 3 runs or less 2 straight games this season.  The Braves are 3-19 (-17.0 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 to 7.5 this season.  Take New York.

7* American League *HEAVY HITTER* on Cleveland Indians -117

The Key: The Cleveland Indians are proving to be the best team in the AL Central behind the best rotation in the division.  They have won 5 in a row to get to 40-30 on the season.  The Tampa Bay Rays are reeling, having lost 6 straight coming in while scoring a combined 14 runs in the process.  Trevor Bauer will keep the Rays' bats cold tonight.  Bauer is 3-2 with a 3.23 ERA and 1.187 WHIP in 10 starts, including 1-0 with a 1.59 ERA in his last 3 starts.  Chris Archer has been awful this season, going 4-9 with a 4.60 ERA and 1.442 WHIP in 15 starts, and 3-4 with a 6.75 ERA and 1.790 WHIP in 8 road starts.  Archer has never beaten the Indians, going 0-4 with a 4.91 ERA and 1.682 WHIP in 4 lifetime starts against them.  Take Cleveland.

7* MLB *MOUND MISMATCH* on San Francisco Giants -139

The Key: I'm going to back the hottest team in baseball in the San Francisco Giants, who have won 8 of their last 9 games overall coming in.  They will be up against a Pittsburgh Pirates team that has lost 10 of its last 12 games overall.  There's no question the Giants have a big edge on the mound in this one as well.  Johnny Cueto has been brilliant, going 10-1 with a 2.10 ERA and 1.003 WHIP in 14 starts.  Cueto is 18-5 with a 2.23 ERA and 1.009 WHIP in 29 lifetime starts vs. Pittsburgh as well.  Wilfredo Boscan will be making his season debut for the Pirates, and he's simply overmatched in this one.  Cueto is 11-1 (+9.4 Units) against the money line as a favorite of -110 or higher this season.  The Giants are 9-0 in Cueto's last 9 starts vs. a team with a losing record.  Take San Francisco.

7* National League *MOUND MISMATCH* on San Francisco Giants -1.5 (-110)

The Key: The San Francisco Giants are the hottest team in baseball right now.  They have gone 8-0 in their last eight games with five of their last six victories coming by 2 runs or more.  They should continue to roll tonight due to the edge they have on the mound.  Ace Madison Bumgarner has gone 8-2 with a 2.01 ERA and 1.032 WHIP in 14 starts this year for the Giants.  Bumgarner is 3-3 with a 2.68 ERA and 1.041 WHIP in 6 lifetime starts vs. Pittsburgh.  Jeff Locke is now 5-5 with a 5.92 ERA and 1.487 WHIP in 13 starts for Pittsburgh.  He has gone 1-2 with a 12.06 ERA in his last 3 starts, yielding 21 earned runs in 15 2/3 innings.  Locke is 0-1 with a 9.42 ERA and 2.024 WHIP in 3 lifetime starts vs. San Francisco.  Bumgarner is 9-0 (+9.5 Units) against the money line in road games against NL Central opponents over the last 3 seasons.  The Giants are winning by 5.0 runs per game in this spot on average.  Take San Francisco on the Run Line.

7* NL Central GAME OF THE MONTH on Chicago Cubs -220

The Key:  Lester has been dominant all season.  He'll continue to shine against the Pittsburgh Pirates today.  Take Chicago.

7* MLB Friday Night *BAILOUT* on Washington Nationals -160

The Key: The Washington Nationals are playing their best baseball of the season right now.  They have won 9 of their last 11 games overall and don't appear to be slowing down any time soon.  They're up against a San Diego Padres team that has lost 5 of its last 6 coming in.  The Nationals certainly have the edge on the mound tonight behind Joe Ross, who is 5-4 with a 3.14 ERA and 1.158 WHIP in 12 starts, including 3-2 with a 2.77 ERA and 1.154 WHIP in 7 road starts.  Ross is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in one lifetime starts vs. San Diego, pitching 6 innings while allowing only 3 base runners and no earned runs in a 4-2 victory.  Christian Friedrich has never beaten the Nationals, going 0-2 with a monstrous 10.57 ERA and 2.350 WHIP in 2 lifetime starts against them.  Washington is 22-7 (+11.9 Units) against the money line as a favorite of -125 to -175 this season.  The Nationals are 8-1 in Ross' last 9 starts vs. a team with a losing record.  Take Washington.

7* AL Central GAME OF THE MONTH on Cleveland Indians -133

The Key: The Cleveland Indians are very hungry to avoid the sweep today against the hated Kansas City Royals after losing the first two games of this series by exactly one run each.  The Indians have the edge on the mound today and should avoid the sweep as a result.  Corey Kluber is 6-6 with a 3.65 ERA and 1.015 WHIP in 13 starts this year, including 4-2 with a 2.96 ERA and 0.8222 WHIP in 7 road starts.  Kluber is also 6-5 with a 3.17 ERA and 1.037 WHIP in 15 lifetime starts vs. Kansas City.  Ian Kennedy is 4-5 with a 4.06 ERA in 12 starts this year, including 0-2 with a 6.11 ERA in his last 3.  Kennedy is 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA in 4 lifetime starts vs. Cleveland.  He gave up 5 earned runs in 6 innings of a 1-7 loss to the Indians on June 4 earlier this month.  Cleveland is 14-4 (+11.0 Units) against the money line in road games after 2 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons.  The Royals are 2-7 in their last 9 games vs. a right-handed starter.  Take Cleveland.

7* American League *HEAVY HITTER* on Tampa Bay Rays -111

The Key: The Tampa Bay Rays come in playing some of their best baseball of the season.  They've won 7 of their last 9 games overall.  The Mariners come in playing some of their worst, losers of 7 of their last 10 games overall.  I believe the Rays have the edge on the mound tonight with Jake Odorizzi.  He's 3-3 with a 3.47 ERA in 13 starts, including 0-2 with a 2.52 ERA in 6 home starts.  Taijuan Walker is 3-6 with a 3.48 ERA in 12 starts, and 1-3 with a 5.00 ERA in 4 road starts.  Odorizzi has owned the Mariners, going 1-1 with a 0.52 ERA and 0.866 WHIP in 3 lifetime starts against them.  He has allowed just 1 earned run in 17 1/3 innings over those 3 starts.  Walker gave up 4 runs in 5 2/3 innings in his only lifetime start against Tampa Bay back on May 11 this year.  Take Tampa Bay.

7* American League *MOUND MISMATCH* on Houston Astros -127

The Key: The Houston Astros have clawed their back to near .500 on the season after a disastrous start.  They will make another stride forward today in the win column considering the edge they have on the mound.  Dallas Keuchel has gotten his act together of late, going 1-2 with a 3.98 ERA and 0.984 WHIP in his last 3 starts.  I'll gladly back him over Matt Moore, who is 2-4 with a 5.55 ERA and 1.478 WHIP in 12 starts this season.  Moore has already given up a whopping 14 homers in 69 2/3 innings pitched, so he has clearly been off his game all year.  The Astros are 5-0 in their last 5 during game 3 of a series.  The Astros are 9-2 in their last 11 vs. a team with a losing record.  The Rays are 1-8 in Moore's last 9 starts.  Take Houston.

7* NL West GAME OF THE MONTH on San Francisco Giants -120

The Key: The San Francisco Giants get the nod today as short home favorites over the rival Los Angeles Dodgers.  Jeff Samardzija looks to continue his great start to the season.  He's 7-4 with a 3.33 ERA and 1.136 WHIP in 12 starts, including 3-1 with a 2.93 ERA and 1.120 WHIP in 4 home starts.  Scott Kazmir hasn't been nearly as effective for the Dodgers, going 5-3 with a 4.46 ERA in 12 starts, including 2-0 with a 5.13 ERA in 6 road starts.  Kazmir is 1-2 with a 5.22 ERA and 1.548 WHIP in 4 lifetime starts vs. San Francisco.  In 2 starts against the Giants in 2016, he has given up 10 earned runs in 8 innings.  The Giants are 17-4 in their last 21 vs. National League West.  The Dodgers are 4-11 in the last 15 road meetings in this series.  Take San Francisco.

7* Indians/Mariners MLB *BAILOUT* on Cleveland +123

The Key: The Cleveland Indians get the nod Thursday as nice-sized road underdogs to the Seattle Mariners Thursday night in the final game on the board.  Josh Tomlin is killing it this season, going 8-1 with a 3.54 ERA and 1.098 WHIP in 10 starts.  He has been at his best on the road at 4-0 with a 2.93 ERA and 0.867 WHIP in 4 starts.  Nate Karns is 5-2 with a 4.23 ERA and 1.427 WHIP in 11 starts for the Mariners and shouldn't be the favorite here.  He's also 1-1 with a 6.89 ERA and 1.851 WHIP in his last 3 starts.  Tomlin is 4-1 with a 3.41 ERA and 0.903 WHIP in 5 lifetime starts vs. Seattle.  He pitched a one-hit shutout in his last start against the Mariners.  The Indians are 17-4 in Tomlin's last 21 starts overall, including 8-0 in his last 8 road starts.  Take Cleveland.

7* American League *HEAVY HITTER* on Toronto Blue Jays -123

The Key: The Toronto Blue Jays have a huge edge on the mound tonight over the Detroit Tigers.  Aaron Sanchez has been their best starter all season, going 5-1 with a 2.99 ERA and 1.216 WHIP in 11 starts, including 4-0 with a 2.38 ERA and 1.104 WHIP in 6 road starts.  Matt Boyd is 0-1 with a 5.56 ERA in two starts this season for Detroit.  Over his 2-year career, Boyd is 1-7 with a 6.75 ERA and 1.486 WHIP in 14 starts and 2 relief appearances.  He gave up 5 earned runs and 3 homers in 6 innings of a 3-5 loss to the Blue Jays in his only lifetime start against them last year.  Toronto is 21-7 (+13.2 Units) against the money line after batting .200 or worse over a 3 game span over the last 2 seasons.  The Blue Jays are 5-0 in their last 5 games following a loss.  Toronto is 6-1 in Sanchez's last 7 starts.  Detroit is 3-8 in Boyd's last 11 starts.  Take Toronto.

7* National League *HEAVY HITTER* on Colorado Rockies +131

The Key: The Colorado Rockies should not be underdogs to the Los Angeles Dodgers today with the edge they have on the mound.  Tyler Chatwood is one of the most underrated starters in baseball.  He's 6-4 with a 2.99 ERA and 1.212 WHIP in 11 starts this year, including a perfect 4-0 with a 0.53 ERA and 0.891 WHIP in 5 road starts.  Mike Bolsinger is no more than a fill-in starter for the Dodgers.  He's 1-2 with a 4.20 ERA in 3 starts this year.  Chatwood sports a 3.68 ERA in 8 lifetime starts vs. Los Angeles.  Bolsinger sports a 5.40 ERA and 1.650 WHIP in 4 lifetime starts vs. Colorado.  Take Colorado.

7* American League *HEAVY HITTER* on Boston Red Sox -121

The Key: The Boston Red Sox are showing great value as only -121 favorites over the Toronto Blue Jays today.  The Red Sox are extremely hungry for a victory after losing 3 straight coming in, and with their edge on the mound today, they should stop the losing streak here.  Steven Wright has been awesome this season, going 5-4 with a 2.45 ERA and 1.091 WHIP in 10 starts.  He has posted a 2.13 ERA and 1.184 WHIP in 2 lifetime starts vs. Toronto as well.  Marcus Stroman sports a 4.46 ERA in 11 starts  this year, including a 7.23 ERA in his last 3.  He has given up 12 earned runs in 10 2/3 innings in his last 2 starts against Boston, both of which have come this season.  He'll get rocked again today.  Take Boston.

7* American League *HEAVY HITTER* on Tampa Bay Rays -115

The Key: The Tampa Bay Rays are hungry for a victory tonight after losing 5 straight and 11 of their last 13 coming in.  I like their chances to stop the bleeding with the edge they have on the mound tonight.  Jake Odorizzi is having a fine season at 2-3 with a 3.36 ERA and 1.103 WHIP in 11 starts.  he has been at his best of late, going 2-1 with a 2.12 ERA and 0.765 WHIP in his last 3 starts.  Ricky Nolasco is 2-3 with a 5.28 ERA in 10 starts and 0-1 with a 7.54 ERA in 4 home starts.  Nolasco is 3-5 with a 7.33 ERA and 1.698 WHIP in 8 lifetime starts vs. Tampa Bay.  Minnesota is 7-26 (-17.6 Units) against the money line as an underdog of +100 to +150 this season.  The Twins are 1-14 (-13.9 Units) against the money line vs. teams whose hitters draw 3 walks or less/game this season.  Take Tampa Bay.

7* National League *MOUND MISMATCH* on Pittsburgh Pirates -105

The Key: The Pittsburgh Pirates have lost 3 of their last 4 games coming in and will be hungry for a victory tonight.  I like their chances with the edge they'll have on the mound here.  Jon Niese is the better starter at 5-2 with a 4.42 ERA in 10 starts this year.  But he's been at his best recently, going 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA and 1.053 WHIP in his last 3 starts.  Adam Conley is 3-3 with a 4.15 ERA and 1.481 WHIP in 10 starts, 1-3 with a 5.91 ERA and 1.641 WHIP in 4 home starts, and 1-1 with a 5.17 ERA and 2.043 WHIP in his last 3 starts.  Niese gave up 1 run and 5 base runners in 7 innings of a 5-1 win at Miami in his last start against the Marlins.  The Pirates are 6-1 in their last 7 road games vs. a left-handed starter.  Pittsburgh is 4-1 in Niese's last 5 road starts.  The Marlins are 1-5 in their last 6 games following a win.  The Pirates are 19-7 in the last 26 meetings.  Take Pittsburgh.

7* American League *HEAVY HITTER* on Tampa Bay Rays -114

The Key: The Tampa Bay Rays are certainly hungry for a victory here today against the Kansas City Royals.  They have lost two straight and six of eight overall.  But they do have the edge on the mound today to get back on track.  Drew Smyly sports a 3.92 ERA and 1.048 WHIP in 10 starts, and a 3.16 ERA and 1.181 WHIP in 5 road starts.  Dillon Gee is 1-2 with a 5.65 ERA and 1.745 WHIP in 3 starts for the Royals.  Smyly is 3-1 with a 2.20 ERA and 1.041 WHIP in 5 lifetime starts vs. Kansas City.  The Rays are 9-2 in their last 11 Tuesday games.  The Rays are 8-2 in Smyly's last 10 starts after scoring 2 runs or less in their previous game.  Take Tampa Bay.

7* American League *MOUND MISMATCH* on Chicago White Sox -141

The Key: The Chicago White Sox have been struggling of late, but the one thing that's certain is that they continue to win at an alarming rate with AL Cy Young contender Chris Sale on the mound.  The left-hander is 9-1 with a 2.26 ERA and 0.837 WHIP in 10 starts this season, including 5-0 with a 1.41 ERA and 0.809 WHIP in 5 road starts.  Sale has posted a 2.80 ERA in 15 lifetime starts vs. Kansas City as well.  Edinson Volquez has struggled for the most part this year, going 5-4 with a 3.81 ERA and 1.402 WHIP in 10 starts.  Sale is 18-3 (+13.9 Units) against the money line in May games lifetime.  The White Sox are 10-1 in Sale's last 11 starts.  Take Chicago.

7* American League GAME OF THE MONTH on Oakland A's -129

The Key: The Oakland A's won four straight before losing the first game of this series to the Yankees.  Look for them to get back in the win column tonight behind ace Sonny Gray.  The right-hander is undervalued right now due to a sub-par start to the season, but he's the real deal.  Gray is 1-1 with a 3.43 ERA and 1.095 WHIP in 3 lifetime starts vs. New York as well.  C.C. Sabathia is washed up.  He is 2-2 with a 3.81 ERA and 1.553 WHIP in 5 starts this year.  Sabathia is 9-11 with a 4.71 ERA and 1.385 WHIP in 29 lifetime starts vs. Oakland.  The left-hander has given up 13 earned runs in 17 1/3 innings for a 6.75 ERA in his last 3 starts against the A's.  The Yankees are 3-9 in their last 12 road games.  The A's are 7-1 in their last 8 Friday games.  The Yankees are 3-12 in their last 15 road meetings with the A's.  Take Oakland.

7* National League GAME OF THE MONTH on New York Mets -127

The Key: The New York Mets are coming off back-to-back losses and will be hungry for a win tonight in Colorado.  I like their chances of getting one with Logan Verrett on the mound.  Verrett has been dominant in his two starts this season, going 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA while tossing 12 shutout innings.  Verrett has faced Colorado once before, which came last season as he pitched 8 innings of 1-run ball with 8 strikeouts in a 5-1 road victory.  Eddie Butler is no more than a fill-in starter and wouldn't make most rotations in the big leagues.  Butler faced the Mets once last season, giving up 6 earned runs in 4 innings of a 3-12 loss at New York.  The Mets are 7-2 in their last 9 games following a loss.  New York is 35-16 in its last 51 road games.  The Rockies are 16-43 in their last 59 during game 2 of a series.  Colorado is 1-8 in Butler's last 9 starts vs. a team with a winning record.  Take New York.

7* MLB GAME OF THE MONTH on St. Louis Cardinals -113

The Key: The St. Louis Cardinals have been hitting the cover off the ball here of late.  They have scored 45 runs over their last 5 games while winning four of them.  Now they get to go up against Ruby De La Rosa, who sports a 5.79 ERA through 3 starts this year.  De La Rosa hasn't enjoyed facing the Cardinals, posting a 4.91 ERA in 2 starts against them.  Michael Wacha has given up just 3 earned runs in his last 3 starts for a 1.50 ERA.  The Cardinals are 26-11 in Wacha's last 37 starts.  Take St. Louis.

7* American League GAME OF THE WEEK on Los Angeles Angels -116

The Key: The Minnesota Twins have obviously been a great team to fade up to this point as they are 0-9 on the season.  I don't expect them to be getting their first win of the year today, either.  That's because they are up against the Los Angeles Angels and ace Garrett Richards.  The Angels come in having won four straight, and Richards wants to keep it rolling.  I like his chances considering what he's done against the Twins in the past.  Richards is 2-1 with a 2.63 ERA and 1.042 WHIP in 3 lifetime starts vs. Minnesota.  Tom Milone sports a 4.55 ERA and 1.483 WHIP in 11 lifetime starts vs. Los Angeles.  The Angels are 13-3 in their last 16 meetings with the Twins, including 7-1 in their last 8 meetings in Minnesota.  The Angels are 11-1 in Richards' last 12 Friday starts as well.  Take Los Angeles.

7* American League *HEAVY HITTER* on Texas Rangers -125

The Key: I like the value we are getting with the Rangers as small home favorites over the Orioles today, especially with ace Cole Hamels on the mound.  The Orioles are way overvalued right now due to their 7-1 start.  But they just suffered their first loss of the season yesterday, an I look for them to have a hangover today.  Hamels is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in two starts this season for Texas to pick up right where he left off last year for the Rangers.  Hamels has allowed just 3 earned runs in 16 innings in his last 2 starts against Baltimore as well.  Baltimore is 4-16 (-11.8 Units) against the money line in road games after having won 4 of their last 5 games over the last 3 seasons.  Take Texas.

7* Mets/Cubs Game 4 *HEAVY HITTER* on Chicago -115

The Key: The Cubs know that if they can just get through this game, they'll have a fighting chance because they'll have Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta for the next two games.  They aren't going to lay down for the Mets in this one.  Jason Hammel has been an effective starter all season at 10-7 with a 3.78 ERA and 1.175 WHIP in 32 starts.  He also shut down the Mets in his only start against them, giving up just one earned run in 8 innings back in May at home.  Steven Matz gave up 3 runs and 8 base runners in 5 innings against the Dodgers last series.  The Cubs can get to him and will tonight.  The Cubs are 7-1 in their last eight home meetings with the Mets.  If a couple bounces go their way last night, they would have won that game, too.  Take Chicago.

7* Royals/Blue Jays ALCS GAME OF THE YEAR on Toronto Blue Jays -144

The Key: The Toronto Blue Jays put up 11 runs on the Royals yesterday to get back into this series.  I look for those hot bats to continue tonight against Chris Young and the Royals in Game 4.  Young is 2-1 with a 4.98 ERA in 4 lifetime starts against Toronto.  R.A. Dickey has been dominant at home this season, especially of late, going 6-0 with a 1.94 ERA in his last eight home starts.  Dickey is also 3-0 with a 2.73 ERA in his last four starts against the Royals.  His knuckleball has gotten better here down the stretch and will fool these Kansas City hitters after facing flame-thrower Marcus Stroman last night.  The Blue Jays are 12-3 in Dickey's last 15 starts overall and 6-1 in his last 7 home starts. Take Toronto.

7* Astros/Royals ALDS *HEAVY HITTER* on Kansas City -124

The Key:  After coming back to win from 6-2 down in the 8th inning of an elimination game in Game 4, the Royals have all of the momentum coming into Game 5 tonight.  I look for that momentum to carry them to a victory and a second straight trip to the ALCS.  The inexperience on the Astros will show in this winner-take-all game.  Johnny Cueto hasn't exactly been lights out for the Royals, but this is his chance to step up and deliver for the team that believed in him at the trade deadline.  Cueto has been at his best at home, going 6-4 with a 3.14 ERA and 1.079 WHIP in 15 starts this year.  Collin McHugh has not been as good on the road, going 8-4 with a 3.99 ERA in 17 starts.  Cueto is 20-6 (+12.1 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 to 7.5 over the last 2 seasons.   Cueto is 14-2 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a marginal winning team (Win Pct. 51% to 54%) in his career.  The Astros are 44-97 in their last 141 road games vs. a team with a winning record.  Take Kansas City.

7* Cubs/Pirates Wild Card GAME OF THE YEAR on Chicago Cubs -134

The Key: Jake Arrieta has been unhittable since the All-Star Break.  He sports a 0.75 ERA since the break, which is an MLB record.  His 1.77 ERA on the season is the best mark for the Cubs since 1919.  He has owned the Pirates, too, going 6-1 with a 1.68 ERA and 0.831 WHIP in 9 lifetime starts against them.  In 2015 alone, Arrieta is 3-1 with a 0.75 ERA in 5 starts against the Pirates.  He has only allowed 3 earned runs over 36 innings against Pittsburgh in 2015.  The Cubs are 13-0 in Arrieta's 13 starts as a road favorite this season.  Arrieta is 7-0 against the money line in road games off 3 or more straight wins in his career.  Arrieta is 12-0 against the money line in road games vs. teams whose hitters draw 3 walks or less/game this season.  That's a 32-0 angle backing Arrieta and the Cubs.  Take Chicago.

7* Astros/Yankees *TOTAL* Annihilator on OVER 7
The Key: I expect there will be plenty of runs scored in tonight's Wild Card game between the Yankees and Astros.  These are two of the top home run hitting teams in baseball, and Yankee Stadium has yielded the second-most home runs in baseball this year.  The Astros are 2nd with 230 homers, while the Yankees are 4th with 212.  Masahiro Tanaka has given up 25 homers in 154 innings this season, including 17 in 87 1/3 innings at home.  Dallas Keuchel is 5-8 with a 3.77 ERA on the road while giving up 13 homers in 102 2/3 innings.  Tanaka gave up 3 homers and 6 earned runs over 5 innings in a 9-6 loss to Houston on June 27 in his only lifetime start against the Astros.  The Astros have combined with their last five opponents to score at least 8 runs.  The Yankees have combined with 5 of their last 6 opponents to score at least 7 runs.  Houston is 10-1 OVER (+9.0 Units) in road games vs. a starting pitcher who gives up 1 or more HR's/start this season.  It is combining with opponents for an average of 12.4 runs per game in this spot.  Take the OVER.

7* American League *HEAVY HITTER* on Toronto Blue Jays -162 (Game 1)

The Key: The Toronto Blue Jays are not only on a mission to win the AL East, they are also looking to earn the No. 1 seed in the American League and home-field advantage throughout the postseason.  They can clinch the AL East for the first time in 22 years with a win today over the Orioles, so they'll be motivated to do so.  They have won five straight coming in and play an Orioles team that has clearly given up.  The Orioles are 0-4 in their last four games overall and have been outscored 3-21 in the process.  They have been shut out three times during this stretch.  Marcus Stroman has lit it up here of late, going 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA and 1.000 WHIP in his last three starts.  He'll be opposed by Miguel Gonzalez, who is 9-11 with a 4.85 ERA in 25 starts, including 0-3 with an 8.59 ERA in his last three.  The Blue Jays are 41-14 in their last 55 overall.  The Blue Jays are 4-0 in Stroman's last four starts.  The Orioles are 0-7 in Gonzalez's last 7 starts vs. a team with a winning record.  Take Toronto in Game 1.

7* Dodgers/Giants NL West *BAILOUT* on San Francisco +125

The Key: As crazy as it may sound, the San Francisco Giants actually still have a shot to come back and win the NL West.  That's because they have won three in a row including Game 1 of this series with the Dodgers.  If they sweep the 4-game series, they'll only be two games back going into their final series.  They clearly have not given up, while the Dodgers have struggled coming in with four straight losses.  Now the Giants send their ace to the mound in Madison Bumgarner and we're getting him as a home underdog, which almost never happens.  Bumgarner is 9-3 with a 1.80 ERA and 0.904 WHIP in 16 home starts this year.  Clayton Kershaw hasn't been as good on the road as he has been at home, going 4-4 with a 2.82 ERA in 15 road starts.  The Dodgers are actually 6-9 (-10.5 units) in his road starts this year.  The Dodgers are 2-9 in their last 11 road games vs. a team with a winning record.  The Giants are 7-1 n Bumgarner's last 8 home starts.  Los Angeles is 0-7 in its last 7 trips to San Francisco.  The Dodgers are 0-5 in the last 5 meetings when Kershaw faces Bumgarner.  Take San Francisco.

7* MLB 100% Never Lost *MOUND MISMATCH* on Texas Rangers -117

The Key: The Texas Rangers have gone 7-2 in their last nine games overall to take control of the AL West race.  They now lead the Houston Astros by two games and want to keep their foot on the gas to maintain first place.  They continue their series with the lowly Oakland A's (64-87), who have lost three in a row coming in.  The Rangers have a massive advantage on the mound tonight behind Colby Lewis, who is 16-8 with a 4.41 ERA and 1.205 WHIP in 30 starts, and 2-0 with a 1.20 ERA in his last two.  One of those was against Oakland on September 11 as he pitched a 2-hit shutout.  Lewis is now 10-4 with a 3.03 ERA and 1.167 WHIP in 24 lifetime starts versus Oakland.  Felix Doubront is 3-2 with a 4.95 ERA and 1.476 WHIP this season for the A's, including 1-1 with a 7.72 ERA in his last three starts.  Doubront has never beaten the Rangers, going 0-5 with an 11.50 ERA and 2.507 WHIP in five lifetime starts against then.  Enough said.  Take Texas.

7* Yankees/Blue Jays ESPN *HEAVY HITTER* on Toronto -131

The Key: The Toronto Blue Jays have lost two of their last three games coming into this one.  They haven't lost three games in a four-game stretch since all the way back on July 24-28.  I look for them to take down the New York Yankees tonight behind a raucous home crowd in Toronto on National TV with this game being televised on ESPN.  Marco Estrada has been one of the most underrated starters in baseball, going 13-8 with a 3.14 ERA and 1.073 WHIP in 25 starts and six relief appearances.  In his last 3 starts against the Yankees this season, Estrada has allowed 6 earned runs over 17 1/3 innings.  Luis Severino is a talented young starters, but the Blue Jays have owned him in two starts this year.  Severino is 0-2 with a 9.72 ERA and 2.041 WHIP in those two starts while allowing 9 earned runs, 3 homers and 17 base runners in 8 1/3 innings.  The Blue Jays are 8-0 in Estradas last 8 starts when their opponent scores 2 runs or less in their previous game.  Toronto is 38-16 in its last 54 home games.  Take Toronto.

7* AL West GAME OF THE MONTH on Houston Astros -147

The Key: The Texas Rangers are in a letdown spot here.  They just overtook the Houston Astros for 1st place in the AL West with another win behind some magic late last night.  Sure, they want to extend the lead, but they will be feeling a sense of accomplishment and will let down today.  I like the Astros to come back hungry today, and I also like the fact that they have a massive advantage on the mound.  Dallas Keuchel is 17-7 with a 2.22 ERA and 0.997 WHIP in 29 starts this season, including 2-1 with a 1.71 ERA and 1.000 WHIP in his last three.  Keuchel is 3-3 with a 3.33 ERA and 1.111 WHIP in 12 lifetime starts versus Texas, including 1-0 with a 1.23 ERA in three starts against the Rangers in 2015.  Martin Perez is probably the worst starter on Texas' staff, going 2-5 with a 5.43 ERA and 1.500 WHIP in 10 starts this year.  The Astros are 9-1 in Keuchel's last 10 starts during game 3 of a series.  Houston is 25-9 in Keuchel's last 34 starts overall.  Take Houston.

7* American League DOG OF THE MONTH on Boston Red Sox +129

The Key: The Boston Red Sox have quietly been playing some of their best ball of the season down the stretch.  They are 7-3 in their last 10 games overall and are playing an Orioles team that is also hot, having won five of their last six.  But the fact of the matter is that neither team has much to play for, so at least they are playing with pride when they don't have to.  The reason I'm backing the Red Sox today is because of the advantage they have on the mound.  Joe Kelly has been on fire, going 8-0 with a 2.59 ERA during his eight-game winning streak.  He has limited opponents to two runs or less in the past seven.  Ubaldo Jimenez is having a decent season at 11-9 with a 4.22 ERA in 28 starts, but this is not a team he has success again.  In fact, Jimenez is 2-4 with a 7.63 ERA and 1.869 WHIP in 10 lifetime starts versus Boston.  Kelly is 14-5 (+11.9 Units) against the money line as an underdog of +100 to +150 over the last 2 seasons.  Take Boston.

7* AL West GAME OF THE YEAR on Houston Astros -147

The Key: The Houston Astros have lost the first two games of this series to the Oakland A's and will be hungry for a victory in Game 3 to avoid the sweep.  The Astros' lead in the AL West has been cut to one game by the Texas Rangers, so they realize they cannot afford to continue losing to poor teams like the A's.  Collin McHugh takes the mound today looking to stop the bleeding.  McHugh is a 15-game winner this season with a 3.54 ERA and 1.260 WHIP.  He has really turned it on down the stretch, going 2-1 with a 1.29 ERA and 1.048 WHIP in his last three starts.  He'll be opposed by Aaron Brooks, who is 1-2 with a 6.91 ERA and 1.463 WHIP in five starts and three relief outings.  Brooks is 0-2 with a 14.40 ERA and 2.500 WHIP in his last three starts, allowing 16 earned runs in 10 innings.  McHugh is 2-1 with a 1.77 ERA and 0.934 WHIP in three lifetime starts versus Oakland.  The A's are 0-7 (-8.9 Units) against the money line after shutting out a division rival this season.  The Astros are 8-0 in their last 8 after scoring 2 runs or less in their previous game.  The Astros are 12-2 in McHugh's last 14 starts versus AL West foes.  Take Houston.

7* MLB Tuesday Night *BAILOUT* on Texas Rangers -121

The Key: The Texas Rangers lead the race for the final wild card spot in the American League.  They are also just two games back of the Houston Astros for first place in the AL West.  The Seattle Mariners are seven games back in the wild card with little to no chance at this point despite having won five of six coming in.  It's too little too late for them.  I'll back the Rangers again tonight with ace Cole Hamels on the mound.  The left-hander has gone 2-0 with a 2.89 ERA over his last four starts and is finding a comfort zone in Texas now that these games matter.  He'll be opposed by Taijuan Walker, who is 10-7 with a 4.51 ERA in 27 starts this season.  Hamels is 10-1 (+9.5 Units) against the money line vs teams who strand 6.9 or less runners on base per game in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.  The Rangers are 8-0 in their last 8 games as a favorite.  Texas is 4-0 in Hamels' last four starts.  Take this 22-1 angle straight to the bank tonight.  Take Texas.

7* NL Sunday Afternoon *Mound Mismatch* on Washington Nationals -1.5 (-113)

The Key: The Washington Nationals are in must-win mode from here on out.  They are 5 games behind the New York Mets for first place in the NL East with 27 games to play.  They have won four in a row coming in while outscoring the opposition 32-8 in the process.  Three of those victories came against the lowly Braves, who have clearly packed it in.  Atlanta is 0-11 in its last 11 games overall while losing by at least two runs in all 11 games, making for a perfect 11-0 run line angle backing the Nationals.  Manny Banuelos is 0-3 with a 5.83 ERA and 2.026 WHIP in his last three starts and has made just five starts on the season.  Joe Ross has been unstoppable at home, going 4-2 with a 1.91 ERA and 0.823 WHIP in six home starts this year.  Take Washington on the Run Line.

7* American League GAME OF THE MONTH on Toronto Blue Jays -167

The Key: The Toronto Blue Jays just cannot be tamed right now.  They are 23-5 in their last 28 games overall and determined to win the AL East.  The Baltimore Orioles are stuck in reverse.  They are 2-12 in their last 14 games overall to essentially play themselves out of the postseason.  They aren't in a good state of mind right now like the Blue Jays are.  Betting on Drew Hutchison at home as been a wide move this year.  Hutchison is 11-1 with a 2.46 ERA and 1.061 WHIP in 14 home starts.  He is 3-0 with a 1.74 ERA and 0.774 WHIP in his last three starts overall, saving his best for last.  He'll be opposed by Ubaldo Jimenez, who is 3-7 with a 5.21 ERA and 1.596 WHIP in 15 road starts, and 0-2 with a 7.71 ERA and 1.897 WHIP in his last three starts overall.  Hutchison is 5-1 with a 3.13 ERA and 0.932 WHIP in 10 lifetime starts versus Baltimore.  Hutchison is 9-0 (+9.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.  Hutchison is 10-0 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in home games vs. teams whose hitters draw 3 walks or less/game in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.  Take Toronto.

7* MLB Never Lost *Mound Mismatch* on Texas Rangers -131

The Key: The Texas Rangers have gone 8-3 in their last 11 games overall to take over the final wild card spot in the American League.  They have a lot to play for right now, while the San Diego Padres do not.  Getting Cole Hamels at this price is a gift from oddsmakers.  Hamels is 8-8 with a 3.69 ERA and 1.212 WHIP in 25 starts this year, including 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA in his last three starts with the Rangers.  Ian Kennedy is 8-12 with a 3.94 ERA in 24 starts, and 6-4 with a 4.48 ERA in 12 home starts, which is really poor considering his pitchers in a pitcher's park at Petco.  Hamels is 9-2 with a 2.15 ERA in 16 lifetime starts versus San Diego.  In his last two starts against the Padres, he has allowed just one earned run in 15 innings while striking out 20.  Kennedy is 0-2 with an 8.10 ERA and 1.800 WHIP in two lifetime starts versus Texas, having never beaten the Rangers.  The Padres are 1-8 in their last 9 interleague home games.  The Padres are 16-36 in their last 52 interleague games vs. a left-handed starter.  Take Texas.

7* AL *BLOWOUT* GAME OF THE MONTH on Toronto Blue Jays -1.5 (+100)

The Key: The Toronto Blue Jays are 24-6 in their last 30 games overall.  The amazing part about that is the fact that 21 of their 24 wins have come by two runs or more.  They have been blowing out the opposition on the regular, and after losing yesterday, I look for them to get back to crushing the opposition Tuesday.  Marco Estrada is 11-8 with a 3.19 ERA and 1.094 WHIP in 21 starts and six relief outings in 2015.  He has proven to be a huge addition to the rotation this year.  Cody Anderson is 2-3 with a 4.30 ERA in nine starts for the Indians.  Anderson has really been battered recently, going 0-1 with a 7.24 ERA in his last three starts.  He has allowed 11 earned runs in 13 2/3 innings during this span, and now he faced the most potent lineup in baseball in the Blue Jays.  The Indians are 51-111 in their last 162 games as a road underdog of +151 to +200.  The Blue Jays are 10-2 in their last 12 games following a loss.  The Blue Jays are 41-19 in their last 60 home games.  Take Toronto on the Run Line.

7* Interleague *HEAVY HITTER* on Texas Rangers +114

The Key: The Texas Rangers (68-61) are rolling right now and should not be underdogs to the San Diego Padres.  The Rangers have won four straight and seven of their last nine to take over the last wild card spot in the American League.  Of course, they have a plethora of teams right on their heels, so they cannot afford to let up.  The San Diego Padres (63-67) have nothing to play for at this point, and it has shown with their play of late.  The Padres have gone 2-5 in their last seven games overall.  Colby Lewis has gone 14-6 with a 4.38 ERA and 1.205 WHIP in 26 starts, 8-4 with a 3.71 ERA and 1.141 WHIP in 13 road starts, and 2-1 with a 2.50 ERA in his last three starts.  Tyson Ross is 3-6 with a 4.13 ERA and 1.377 WHIP in 11 home starts this year.  That's pretty bad when you consider he pitches inside pitcher-friendly Petco Park.  He has walked an MLB-high 72 batters this season.  The Rangers are 12-2 in their last 14 interleague games as an underdog.  The Rangers are 6-0 in Lewis' last 6 starts during game 1 of a series. The Padres are 0-7 in their last 7 interleague home games.  Take Texas.

7* NL East GAME OF THE WEEK on Washington Nationals -1.5 (-101)

The Key: The Washington Nationals have won 5 of their last 7 games overall with each of their two losses coming by a single run.  They are making their move to try and catch the Mets in the NL East.  Now they have a massive advantage on the mound over the lowly Marlins in the finale of this series Sunday.  Stephen Strasburg is 4-3 with a 3.07 ERA and 1.146 WHIP in eight home starts this year.  Strasburg is 2-1 with a 1.89 ERA and 0.737 WHIP in his last three starts overall.  Brad Hand is 1-2 with a 6.27 ERA in four road starts this year.  Hand has never beaten the Nationals, going 0-5 with an 8.19 ERA and 1.921 WHIP in seven lifetime starts against them.  Strasburg is 19-2 (+16.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Sunday for his career.  The Nationals are winning by an average of 3.0 runs per game in his Sunday starts.  Take Washington on the Run Line.

7* American League *Mound Mismatch* on Seattle Mariners -105

The Key: These are two teams that don't have a lot to play for right now, but I like what I've seen from the Mariners better here of late.  They have won four of their last six, while the White Sox have dropped four of their last six.  I also like the fact that Seattle has the advantage on the mound in this one.  Hisashi Iwakuma is 5-3 with a 4.29 ERA and 1.036 WHIP in 13 starts, and 2-0 with a 2.97 ERA and 0.960 WHIP in five road starts.  He is also 3-0 with a 1.71 ERA in four starts this month.  But what really stands out is that Iwakuma is 1-0 with a 1.57 ERA and 0.522 WHIP in three lifetime starts versus Chicago.  Jeff Samardzija is 8-10 with a 4.75 ERA in 26 starts this year, including 0-3 with a 5.78 ERA in his last three.  He has pretty much packed it in in the second half.  He is 0-5 with a 9.00 ERA in five August starts thus far.  The Mariners are 9-1 in their last 10 games vs. a right-handed starter.  The White Sox are 1-7 in their last 8 games as an underdog.  Take Seattle.

7* Interleague GAME OF THE YEAR on Oakland A's -113

The Key: The Arizona Diamondbacks are extremely deflated right now.  They just got swept in a 4-game series by the St. Louis Cardinals to fall 8.5 games back in the NL West standings.  That series pretty much sealed their fate that they won't be going to the postseason.  I don't see them being able to get back up off the mat in time to face the Oakland A's today, who had yesterday off while the Diamondbacks played and lost Thursday.  Now they have to face one of the best starters in baseball in Sonny Gray.  The right-hander has gone 12-5 with a 2.10 ERA in 25 starts, including 8-2 with a 1.64 ERA in 13 road starts.  Gray will be opposed by Chase Anderson, who is 6-5 with a 4.28 ERA in 22 starts this season.  Anderson is 2-3 with a 4.37 ERA in 10 home starts, and 1-1 with a 5.51 ERA in his last three outings overall.  Arizona is 0-7 (-7.4 Units) against the money line in home games vs. good defensive catchers - allowing 0.5 or less SB's/game in the second half of the season this season.  The A's are 39-18 in their last 57 interleague games as a favorite.  Oakland is 7-0 in its last seven games as a road favorite.  The A's are 7-1 in Gray's last 8 road starts.  The Diamondbacks are 24-50 in their last 74 games as a home underdog.  Arizona is 20-52 in its last 72 games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15.  Take Oakland.

7* National League *Mound Mismatch* on San Francisco Giants -158

The Key: The San Francisco Giants are in a battle with the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the NL West.  They are also chasing the Cubs in the wild card.  They put an end to a 3-game losing streak with a 4-2 win over the Cubs yesterday.  Now, I expect them to win again today and take the series behind their ace in Madison Bumgarner.  The left-hander is 15-6 with a 3.02 ERA and 1.037 WHIP in 25 starts, 7-2 with a 2.05 ERA and 0.989 WHIP in 13 home starts, and 3-0 with a 1.48 ERA and 0.658 WHIP in his last three.  While Bumgarner is pitching his best ball of the season, Dan Haren has gone the other direction.  Haren is 1-1 with a 6.28 ERA and 1.326 WHIP in his last three outings.  Bumgarner is 5-2 with a 2.54 ERA and 1.127 WHIP in 9 lifetime starts against Chicago as well.  Bumgarner is 9-0 (+9.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 to 8.5 this season.  The Giants are 13-3 in their last 16 games as a home favorite.  The Giants are 8-0 in Bumgarners last 8 starts vs. National League Central.  Take San Francisco.

7* National League *HEAVY HITTER* on Pittsburgh Pirates -142

The Key: Off a rare loss to the Miami Marlins yesterday, I look for the Pirates to come back hungry tonight for a win as they continue their pursuit of the St. Louis Cardinals for first place in the NL Central.  The Pirates are still 10-3 in their last 13 games and have been a resilient bunch to boot.  They  have gone 8-1 in their last nine games following a loss.  The Marlins simply aren't very good and I have plenty of confidence in laying this kind of juice to fade them.  Jeff Locke has had plenty of success against Miami.  He is 2-2 with a 3.08 ERA in six lifetime starts against them.  He has given up just 5 earned runs over 20 2/3 innings in his last three starts against them.  Chris Narveson will be making his first start of the season for the Marlins.  The Pirates are 9-0 in their last 9 when their opponent scores 5 runs or more in their previous game.  The Pirates are 9-1 in their last 10 after allowing 5 runs or more in their previous game.  Pittsburgh is 5-0 in Locke's last 5 starts as a favorite of -110 to -150.  Take Pittsburgh.

7* NL *Never Lost* Mound Mismatch on St. Louis Cardinals -119

The Key: We're getting the best team in baseball at a very generous price tonight when you consider they actually have the advantage on the mound, too.  Jamie Garcia has been nothing short of spectacular, going 5-4 with a 1.79 ERA and 0.930 WHIP in 12 starts this season.  He is 2-2 with a 1.32 ERA in five road starts, and 2-0 with a 1.25 ERA in his last three starts overall.  Garcia is also 4-0 with a 2.78 ERA in four lifetime starts against Arizona having never lost.  He'll be opposed by Robbie Ray, who is 0-4 with a 4.45 ERA and 1.422 WHIP in six home starts this season.  The Diamondbacks are 0-6 in his six home starts.  Ray is also 0-3 with a 4.96 ERA and 1.531 WHIP in his last three starts overall.  Take St. Louis.

7* National League *HEAVY HITTER* on Pittsburgh Pirates -153

The Key: The Pittsburgh Pirates are breathing down the neck of the St. Louis Cardinals for first place in the NL Central.  They have gone 9-2 in their last 11 games overall and aren't about to slow down against one of the worst teams in baseball in the Miami Marlins.  That's why I'm willing to lay this kind of juice with the Pirates tonight.  J.A. Happ has pitched lights-out over his last two starts, going 1-0 with a 0.79 ERA while allowing just one earned run in 11 1/3 innings.  Happ is 2-2 with a 3.41 ERA in six lifetime starts versus Miami.  Tom Koehler is just an average starter in this league, going 8-11 with a 4.02 ERA in 23 starts this year, and 0-3 with a 6.23 ERA in his last three.  Koehler has never beaten the Pirates, going 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA and 1.625 WHIP in three lifetime starts against them.  Take that 100% never lost angle straight to the bank tonight.  Take Pittsburgh.

7* American League *HEAVY HITTER* on Tampa Bay Rays -123

The Key: The Tampa Bay Rays (62-61) are fighting to stay alive for the postseason.  They have won three straight one-run games coming in to give them a ton of confidence.  I look for them to sweep an Oakland A's (53-71) team that is just 2-9 in its last 11 games overall and with little to play for.  The key is that Tampa has a big advantage on the mound.  Jake Odorizzi is one of the most underrated starters in baseball, going 6-6 with a 3.02 ERA and 1.128 WHIP in 20 starts.  Kendall Gravemen has been the weakest link in the A's rotation this year.  Gravemen is 6-9 with a 4.27 ERA and 1.459 WHIP in 20 starts, and 0-2 with a 7.24 ERA and 1.609 WHIP in his last three.  The A's are 0-7 in Graveman's last 7 starts.  Take Tampa Bay.

7* American League *HEAVY HITTER* on Texas Rangers -118

The Key:  The Detroit Tigers are so desperate for a starting pitcher that they went out and got Randy Wolf to start a game today against the surging Texas Rangers.  The Rangers are right in the thick of the AL wild card race and playing their best baseball of the season.  I'll back them at this tremendous price Saturday.  Yovani Gallardo is 9-9 with a 3.39 ERA in 25 starts this season.  Gallardo sports a 3.86 ERA in his career against Detroit.  The Rangers are 6-0 in their last 6 games vs. a left-handed starter.  The Tigers are 3-13 in their last 16 games as a home underdog of +110 to +150.  Take Texas.

7* National League *Mound Mismatch* on San Francisco Giants -130

The Key: It's getting closer to the postseason, and with the Giants fighting for the NL West title and to stay alive in the wild card, it's no surprise that Madison Bumgarner has stepped up his game a notch.  The left-hander is 3-0 with a 0.71 ERA and 0.632 WHIP in his last three starts to drop his season numbers to 14-6 (2.98 ERA, 1.035 WHIP).  He has pitched two straight complete games, with his last being a shutout and 14 K's.  Bumgarner sports a 2.38 ERA and 1.029 WHIP in five lifetime starts versus tonight's opponent, the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Jeff Locke gets the ball for Pittsburgh and is nowhere near on Bumgarner's level.  The left-hander is 6-7 with a 4.31 ERA and 1.407 WHIP in 23 starts.  Locke sports an 8.68 ERA and 1.822 WHIP in two lifetime starts versus San Francisco.  Bumgarner is 17-1 (+16.5 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 7 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.  Bumgarner is 17-1 (+16.7 Units) against the money line in road games vs. NL teams scoring 4.3 or less runs/game on the season over the last 2 seasons.  Take San Francisco.

7* National League *HEAVY HITTER* on Washington Nationals -191

The Key: I have won with the Nationals the past two days as they've outscored the Rockies 19-7 while going 2-0.  I'll back them to cap off the sweep tonight due to the massive edge they have on the mound in this one.  Plus, the Rockies are just 1-8 in their last nine games overall and appear to have quit.  Max Scherzer is worth the price of admission today.  The right-hander is 11-9 with a 2.73 ERA and 0.897 WHIP in 24 starts, and 7-4 with a 2.41 ERA and 0.870 WHIP in 13 road starts.  He'll be opposed by Yohan Flande, who is 2-1 with a 4.19 ERA and 1.266 WHIP over 38 2/3 innings pitched this season.  Flande is 0-1 with a 5.87 ERA in three lifetime starts versus Washington.  Scherzer is 24-3 (+18.5 Units) against the money line as a favorite of -175 to -250 over the last 2 seasons.  That's why it's safe to lay this kind of juice with him.  Take Washington.

7* National League *HEAVY HITTER* on Washington Nationals -146

The Key: The Washington Nationals put an end to their six-game losing streak yesterday with a 15-6 victory over the Rockies, who have gone 1-7 in their last eight games overall.  I look for that scoring outburst to be a signs of things to come for the Nationals, who are finally getting healthy.  Stephen Strasburg just recently returned to the rotation from injury, and he has been nothing short of dominant.  Strasburg is 1-1 with a 1.62 ERA and 0.900 WHIP in his last three starts with 23 K's in 16 2/3 innings.  Strasburg is also 3-3 with a 2.77 ERA and 1.077 WHIP in six lifetime starts versus Colorado.  Jorge De La Rosa has not enjoyed pitching at home this year, going 2-2 with a 6.62 ERA and 1.629 WHIP in 10 starts at Coors Field.  De La Rosa sports a 4.12 ERA and 1.445 WHIP in nine lifetime starts versus Washington.  The Nationals are 9-2 in their last 11 games with the total set at 9.0-10.5.  Washington is 4-1 in Strasburg's last 5 starts.  The Rockies are 1-9 in their last 10 games as an underdog of +110 to +150.  Colorado is 0-7 in its last seven games with a total set of 9.0-10.5.  Take Washington.

7* National League GAME OF THE MONTH on Washington Nationals -148

The Key: The time is now for the Washington Nationals to get their act together and make a run at the NL East crown.  They have lost six straight coming in, but now they take on a team that has struggled just as much in the Rockies, who have lost 6 of their last 7.  The Nationals just have a lot more to play for right now, plus they have the clear advantage on the mound.  Jordan Zimmerman is 8-8 with a 3.34 ERA and 1.187 WHIP in 24 starts this season.  He owns the Rockies, going 5-0 with a 2.10 ERA and 1.150 WHIP in 9 lifetime starts against them.  David Hale is 3-4 with a 5.69 ERA and 1.388 WHIP this season for Colorado.  Hale has been brutal of late, going 0-2 with a 7.02 ERA and 1.680 WHIP in his last three starts.  The Nationals are 45-16 in Zimmermann's last 61 starts vs. a team with a losing record.  The Nationals are 63-23 in Zimmermann's last 86 starts as a favorite.  The Rockies are 1-9 in their last 10 games as an underdog of +110 to +150.  The Rockies are 0-5 in Hale's last 5 starts.  Take Washington.

7* American League *HEAVY HITTER* on Texas Rangers -124

The Key: The Texas Rangers have won four straight games and are now right in the thick if the AL wild card race.  They are only one game behind the Baltimore Orioles for the final wild card spot.  They traded for Cole Hamels before the deadline, and now that move could really pay off going forward to get them in the postseason.  Hamels is 6-8 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.201 WHIP in 22 starts this season, and 2-2 with a 3.34 ERA and 1.082 WHIP in 10 home starts.  He's better than Seattle's Taijuan Walker, sho is 8-7 with a 4.60 ERA in 23 starts this year, and 6-4 with a 5.03 ERA in 13 road starts.  The Mariners are 17-35 in their last 52 games following a win.  The Rangers are 10-1 in their last 11 home games.  Take Texas.

7* NL West GAME OF THE MONTH on San Diego Padres -103

The Key: The San Diego Padres have gone 4-1 in their last five games overall.  They have not quit on their season and have scored a combined 30 runs in their past four games.  The Colorado Rockies appear to have quit.  They have gone 0-6 in their last six games overall and have scored only 15 combined runs in the process.  The Padres have the advantage on the mound behind Ian Kennedy, who is 7-10 with a 4.37 ERA and 1.283 WHIP in 21 starts, 2-6 with 3.81 ERA and 1.220 WHIP in 10 road starts, and 1-1 with a 3.32 ERA and 1.105 WHIP in his last 3 starts.  Plus, Kennedy is 6-4 with a 2.95 ERA and 1.190 WHIP in 19 lifetime starts versus Colorado.  Chris Rusin is 2-5 with a 4.82 ERA and 1.634 WHIP in 13 starts this year, and 0-1 with a 5.62 ERA and 1.875 WHIP in his last 3 starts.  The Rockies are 0-7 in their last 7 when their opponent allows 5 runs or more in their previous game.  The Padres are 7-0 in the last 7 meetings.  The Padres are 4-1 in Kennedy's last 5 starts versus Colorado.  Take San Diego.

7* Nationals/Giants NL Saturday Night 'Bailout' on Washington -105

The Key: The Washington Nationals will be hungry for a victory after dropping the first two games of this series to the San Francisco Giants.  They have now lost four in a row and are desperate for a victory to turn their season around.  Surprisingly, Gio Gonzalez has been their best starter over the past couple months.  The left-hander is 5-0 with a 1.48 ERA in his last eight starts.  Gonzalez hasn't lost to San Francisco since 2010, going 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA in five meetings since.  Jake Peavy is 2-5 with a 3.76 ERA in nine starts this season for the Giants.  Peavy is 4-6 with a 3.72 ERA in 13 lifetime starts versus Washington.  Peavy is 29-57 (-23.5 Units) against the money line as an underdog of +100 to +150 in his career.  The Nationals are 13-3 in Gonzalez's last 16 starts vs. National League West.  The Nationals are 47-23 in Gonzalez's last 70 starts as a favorite.  The Giants are 0-6 in Peavy's last 6 starts vs. a team with a winning record.  Take Washington.

7* AL Run Line GAME OF THE MONTH on Toronto Blue Jays -1.5 (-104)

The Key: The Toronto Blue Jays are the hottest team in baseball.  They have won 11 in a row with 10 of those victories coming by 2 runs or more.  That's why I have no problem backing them on the run line today against the struggling Yankees, who have lost 5 of 6 to fall behind the Blue Jays in the AL East.  Ace David Price gets the ball for Toronto, and he's 11-4 with a 2.46 ERA and 1.081 WHIP in 23 starts this year.  He has won each of his first two starts with the Blue Jays, allowing 1 run in 15 innings.  One of those was against the Yankees on August 8 in his last start as he pitched 7 shutout innings of a 6-0 victory.  Ivan Nova does not enjoy facing this potent Toronto lineup.  Nova sports a 4.83 ERA and 1.408 WHIP in 10 lifetime starts versus New York.  The Blue Jays are 10-1 against the run line in their last 11 games overall.  Take Toronto.

7* Nationals/Giants NL Thursday Night 'Bailout' on Washington -127

The Key: The Washington Nationals really need to pick it up now if they want to make the postseason.  They were shut out the past two days and have dropped to 58-55 on the season.  One of the teams they are chasing is the San Francisco Giants (60-53), so they will be hungry in Game 1 of this series tonight.  They have the edge on the mound behind Stephen Strasburg, who is 2-0 with a 1.53 ERA and 0.623 WHIP in his last three starts.  He struck out 12 and allowed just 1 run and 3 base runners in 7 innings of a 6-1 win over Colorado in his first start back from injury on August 8.  Ryan Vogelsong is no more than an average starter, going 7-8 with a 4.26 ERA and 1.391 WHIP over 17 starts and 8 relief outings this season.  Strasburg is 3-1 with a 2.63 ERA in 7 lifetime starts versus San Francisco, while Vogelsong is 1-2 with a 6.12 ERA in 7 lifetime starts versus Washington.  The Nationals are 4-0 in Strasburg's last 4 starts.  The Giants are 1-4 in Vogelsong's last 5 starts as an underdog.  Take Washington.

7* American League *HEAVY HITTER* on Baltimore Orioles +120

The Key: The Baltimore Orioles are now two games back in the wild card and still alive for the AL East division.  They have been one of the most resilient teams in baseball here of late.  In fact, they are a perfect 6-0 in their last six games following a loss.  They haven't lost consecutive games since July 23-24.  After last night's tough 5-6 loss to the Mariners, I look for them to bounce back with a win Wednesday.  Kevin Gausman has pitched pretty well with a 4.56 ERA in spite of a solid 1.220 WHIP over 53 1/3 innings this season.  Guasman is 1-1 with a 3.54 ERA and 1.082 WHIP in his last three starts as well.  He'll be opposed by Hisashi Iwakuma, who is 3-2 with a 4.40 ERA in 10 starts, and 2-2 with a 5.35 ERA in six home starts.  Gausman sports a 1.35 ERA in his only lifetime start versus Seattle.  The Mariners are 17-35 in their last 52 games following a win.  The Orioles are 8-2 in Gausman's last 10 starts after allowing 5 runs or more in their previous game.  Take Baltimore.

7* AL Tuesday 'Mound Mismatch' on Los Angeles Angels -115

The Key: The Los Angeles Angels find themselves not only in a dog fight with the Houston Astros to win the AL West, but also with several teams to hold on to the final wild card spot in the American League.  The Chicago White Sox (52-58) have really fallen out of that race by going 3-8 in their last 11 games overall.  With the advantage the Angels have on the mound today, they should be much heavier favorites.  Hector Santiago is 7-5 with a 2.78 ERA and 1.176 WHIP in 21 starts this season.  He'll be opposed by Carlos Rodon, who is 4-4 with a 5.00 ERA and 1.677 WHIP in 15 starts and three relief appearances.  Rodon is 3-3 with a 5.97 ERA and 1.672 WHIP in eight home starts, and 1-1 with a 7.53 ERA and 1.743 WHIP in his last three starts.  The Angels are 6-0 in their last 6 games as a road favorite of -110 to -150.  The Angels are 5-0 in Santiago's last 5 starts as a road favorite of -110 to -150.  The White Sox are 2-9 in their last 11 vs. a team with a winning record.  Take Los Angeles.

7* Nationals/Dodgers National League 'Bailout' on Washington +115

The Key: The Washington Nationals are 5 games out of the wild card and 1.5 games back of the Mets for first place in the NL East. This is a much more important series for them than Los Angeles, which leads San Francisco by 3 games in the West.  I'll back the red-hot Gio Gonzalez at a great price tonight.  Gonzalez is 4-0 with a 1.77 ERA in his last seven starts.  He is also 1-1 with a 2.50 ERA in three lifetime starts versus Los Angeles.  Brett Anderson has been decent this year at 6-6 with a 3.13 ERA and 1.270 WHIP in 21 starts for the Dodgers.  But Anderson is 1-7 (-9.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.  Gonzalez is 7-0 (+7.7 Units) against the money line vs. teams outscoring opp by 0.5 or more runs/game on the season this season.   The Nationals are 12-3 in Gonzalez's last 15 starts vs. NL West foes.  Take Washington.

7* American League *HEAVY HITTER* on Los Angeles Angels -120

The Key: After getting shut out 5-0 by the Baltimore Orioles yesterday, the Los Angeles Angels will be motivated Sunday to win this series.  This is a very generous price to back Jered Weaver, who is 2-2 with a 3.43 ERA in six home starts this year.  Weaver is 8-4 with a 3.27 ERA and 1.011 WHIP in 13 lifetime starts versus Baltimore.  He'll be opposed by Miguel Gonzalez, who is 9-8 with a 4.32 ERA in 20 starts this year.  Gonzalez is 5-5 with a 4.64 ERA in 10 road starts as well.  The Orioles are 1-7 in their last 8 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.  The Angels are 40-16 in their last 56 games as a favorite.  The Angels are 45-16 in Weaver's last 61 home starts.  Take Los Angeles.

7* MLB 'Never Lost' Mound Mismatch on Los Angeles Angels -145

The Key: The Los Angeles Angels have a very favorable starting pitching match-up today that I'm going to back.  Garrett Richards has been solid all season, going 11-8 with a 3.46 ERA and 1.177 WHIP in 20 starts.  He has been especially dominant at home, going 7-2 with a 2.36 ERA and 0.954 WHIP in 10 starts.  Richards gave up 2 earned runs over 7 2/3 innings in his only start against the Orioles in 2015 back on May 17.  Ubaldo Jimenez is 2-5 with a 5.25 ERA and 1.697 WHIP in 12 road starts this year.  He has been battered of late, going 1-2 with a 9.64 ERA and 1.786 WHIP in his last three starts.  But what stands out most is that Jimenez is 0-5 with a 5.34 ERA and 1.406 WHIP in 5 lifetime starts versus Los Angeles.  That's right, he and his teams are winless in all 5 starts.  Jimenez drops to 0-6 for his career against the Angels after tonight folks.  Take Los Angeles.

7* National League *HEAVY HITTER* on Arizona Diamondbacks -114

The Key: The Arizona Diamondbacks (52-55) are still fighting to stay alive in the wild card race.  Yes, they are seven games back, but they are in much better position than the Cincinnati Reds (48-58), who just traded their two best starters before the deadline.  Chase Anderson is the better starter in this one as he's gone 4-4 with a 4.37 ERA and 1.276 WHIP in 18 starts.  While not impressive, Anderson has been better than his counterpart.  Raisel Iglesias is 2-3 with a 5.13 ERA and 1.395 WHIP over eight starts and two relief appearances for Cincinnati.  Iglesias has been at his worst away from home, going 0-3 with a 7.43 ERA and 1.575 WHIP in three road starts.  In his lone lifetime start against Cincinnati in 2014, Anderson allowed 1 earned run and 5 base runners over 7 innings of a 2-1 victory.  The Reds are 28-61 in their last 89 road games.  Cincinnati is 17-49 in its last 66 games as a road underdog.  The Diamondbacks are 5-0 in their last 5 during game 1 of a series.  The Diamondbacks are 5-0 in their last 5 vs. a team with a losing record.  Take Arizona.

7* Astros/A's AL West 'Bailout' on Houston -113

The Key: The Houston Astros will be hungry for a victory today after losing their last three games coming in.  They have lost the past two days by exactly one run each, so they will clearly be looking to get back in the win column in Game 1 of this series with Oakland.  Scott Feldman has done his best work on the road this year for Houston, going 2-1 with a 3.24 ERA and 1.110 WHIP in five starts away from home.  While Aaron Brooks has a 3.09 ERA this season for Oakland, he has only pitched 11 2/3 innings, so it's a very small sample size.  I believe he is getting too much respect for his ERA in limited action for an A's team with nothing to play for at 48-61.  The Astros are 8-3 in their last 11 during game 1 of a series.  Houston is 10-4 in its last 14 games as a favorite. The A's are 19-45 in their last 64 games as an underdog.  Oakland is 1-6 in its last 7 during game 1 of a series.  Take Houston.

7* NL Central GAME OF THE WEEK on Chicago Cubs +120

The Key: The Chicago Cubs are showing solid value as road underdogs to the Pittsburgh Pirates when they shouldn't be today.  The Cubs have won six straight coming in, including yesterday's 5-0 victory over the Pirates.  I would argue that the Cubs have the edge on the mound with Dan Haren, who is 7-7 with a 3.42 ERA and 1.093 WHIP in 21 starts.  Jeff Locke is 6-6 with a 4.21 ERA and 1.421 WHIP in 20 starts this season for Pittsburgh.  Locke is 1-2 with a 5.75 ERA and 1.623 WHIP in eight lifetime starts versus Chicago.  The Cubs are 6-0 in their last six road games.  Take Chicago.

7* MLB Tuesday Night "Bailout" on Los Angeles Angels -124

The Key: The Los Angeles Angels finally put an end to a stretch where they lost six straight and nine of 10 with a 5-4 win over the Indians last night.  I was on them last night, and I'll back them again Tuesday to put together their first winning streak since July 21-22.  I have no problem backing the Angels tonight with Matt Shoemaker on the mound.  The right-hander has been on his game of late, going 1-0 with a 0.96 ERA and 1.071 WHIP in his last three starts.  He has pitched 13 shutout innings in his last two starts while striking out 17.  Shoemaker sports a 2.25 ERA and 0.750 WHIP in one lifetime start versus Cleveland.  Carlos Carrasco has been overvalued for much of the season at 11-8 with a 4.03 ERA in 21 starts for the Indians, who have lost three straight and nine of 12.  The Indians are 0-6 in their last 6 after allowing 5 runs or more in their previous game.  The Indians are 4-12 in Carrasco's last 16 starts as an underdog of +110 to +150.  The Angels are 38-14 in their last 52 games as a favorite.  The Angels are 8-0 in Shoemaker's last 8 starts after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game.  Take Los Angeles.

7* American League GAME OF THE MONTH on Los Angeles Angels -115

The Key: The Los Angeles Angels will be more motivated for a win today than they have been at any other point in the season.  They have lost six straight and nine of their last 10 games overall to fall four games behind the Houston Astros in the AL West.  They are also barely hanging on to a wild card spot with just a two-game lead.  It's safe to say they are going to want this series opener against the Cleveland Indians (48-56) pretty badly.  This is a very generous price to get Garrett Richards, who is 10-8 with a 3.37 ERA and 1.190 WHIP in 19 starts this year.  Richards has been virtually untouchable at home, going 6-2 with a 2.08 ERA and 0.954 WHIP in nine home starts.  Corey Kluber did win the Cy Young last year, but he's overvalued as a result and is just 6-11 with a 3.44 ERA in 2015.  Kluber gave up 4 runs and 12 base runners in 4 2/3 innings in his lone lifetime starts versus Los Angeles.  The Angels are 14-3 in Richards' last 17 home starts vs. a team with a losing record.  The Indians are 7-15 in Kluber's last 22 starts.  Take Los Angeles.

7* American League *HEAVY HITTER* on Minnesota Twins +128

The Key: The Minnesota Twins would be the final wild card team in the AL if the season ended today.  But they lead a handful of teams by a very slim margin, so they clearly have a lot to play for.  The Seattle Mariners have lost five of six to fall eight games back of them with little to play for.  They own the second-worst record in the American League.  The Twins should not be underdogs to the Mariners today given the situation, but also because the Twins actually have the edge on the mound, too.  Mike Pelfrey is 5-7 with a 3.92 ERA in 19 starts this year.  While he hasn't fared well on the road, he's been dominant at home, going 3-2 with a 2.33 ERA in nine starts.  Hisashi Iwakuma just hasn't been the same pitcher this year because he's dealing with injury.  He is 2-2 with a 5.10 ERA in eight starts.  Iwakuma gave up 6 earned runs and 10 hits in his last start against the Diamondbacks.  The Mariners are 4-9 in Iwakuma's last 13 starts as a favorite of -110 to -150.  The Mariners are 9-21 in their last 30 games as a favorite.  The Twins are 21-7 in their last 28 home games vs. a team with a losing record.  The Twins are 7-3 in Pelfreys last 10 starts as an underdog of +110 to +150.  Take Minnesota.

7* NL Central GAME OF THE MONTH on Pittsburgh Pirates -147

The Key: The Pittsburgh Pirates have won four of their last five games overall to get to 60 wins on the season.  They are easily one of the best teams in baseball.  They now send NL Cy Young contender Gerrit Cole to the mound to face the Reds, who were sellers at the deadline in shipping their two best starters in Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake to the Royals and Giants, respectively.  Their rotation is now arguably the worst in baseball.  Raisel Iglesias goes for the Reds, and he is 1-3 with a 5.53 ERA and 1.474 WHIP over 40 2/3 innings pitched this year.  Cole has been superb, going 14-4 with a 2.24 ERA and 1.081 WHIP in 132 1/3 innings.  Cole has actually been at his best on the road, too, going 6-2 with a 1.89 ERA and 1.080 WHIP in 10 starts away from home.  The Pirates are 38-15 in Cole's last 53 starts.  Cole is 9-0 (+9.0 Units) against the money line as a road favorite of -125 to -175 over the last 2 seasons.  Cole is 11-1 (+9.4 Units) against the money line as a favorite of -125 to -175 this season.  Take Pittsburgh.

7* American League *Mound Mismatch* on Baltimore Orioles -159

The Key: The Baltimore Orioles are in a great frame of mind right now.  They have won five of their last six with four wins by two runs or more, and their lone loss came by a single run last night to the Tigers.  Baltimore is only two games behind Minnesota for the final wild card spot, and it still believes it has a chance to catch the Yankees in the AL East.  Detroit is trading off its players as it sent ace David Price to the Blue Jays, leaving it in a fragile state of mind.  But the biggest reason I'm taking the Orioles today is because of the starting pitching match-up.  Wei-Yin Chen has been the ace of the Orioles' staff this year, posting a 2.89 ERA and 1.134 WHIP in 19 starts.  He'll be opposed by Buck Farmer, who has been destroyed in limited action in the big leagues this year.  Farmer has gone 0-2 with a 9.22 ERA and 1.898 WHIP.  He has allowed 14 earned runs, 26 base runners and 4 homers in only 13 2/3 innings.  I don't expect he'll have much success against this potent Baltimore lineup.  The Orioles are 65-32 in their last 97 home games.  Baltimore is 29-8 in Chen's last 37 home starts with the total set at 7.0-8.5.  The Orioles are 20-6 in their last 26 games as a favorite of -151 to -200.  Take Baltimore.

7* American League *HEAVY HITTER* on Toronto Blue Jays -137

The Key: The Toronto Blue Jays got a huge game from Troy Tulowitzki in his debut with the team last night.  He had a homer and two doubles to lead the Blue Jays to an 8-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.  At 51-51 on the season, now is the time for the Blue Jays to make their run.  I look for them to make easy work of the Kansas City Royals tonight due to the edge they have on the mound and at the plate.  Marco Estrada is having a fine season in Toronto, going 7-6 with a 3.55 ERA and 1.182 WHIP over 15 starts and six relief appearances.  It isn't easy to pitch in Toronto, so his performance has really stood out to me.  Danny Duffy is 4-4 with a 4.03 ERA and 1.408 WHIP in 14 starts this year for Kansas City.  The left-hander is 1-2 with a 5.52 ERA and 1.977 WHIP in three lifetime starts versus Toronto.  Meanwhile, Estrada sports a 2.70 ERA in his lone start against Kansas City, which came on July 10 of this year.  The Royals are 2-11 (-9.1 Units) against the money line in road games after having won 4 of their last 5 games this season.  The Royals are 0-7 in Duffy's last 7 starts as an underdog of +110 to +150.  The Blue Jays are 9-2 in their last 11 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.  The Royals are 12-26 in the last 38 meetings in Toronto.  Take Toronto.

7* Interleague GAME OF THE MONTH on Toronto Blue Jays -1.5 (-126)

The Key: The Toronto Blue Jays know it's time to make a run at the playoffs.  They sit at 50-51 right now and just traded for Troy Tulowitzki.  They will be all in the rest of the way to try and end of the longest current playoff drought in baseball.  The Phillies have won five in a row and nine of ten, but their run ends today.  Toronto goes with R.A. Dickey, who is 1-1 with a 2.11 ERA and 0.797 WHIP in his last three starts.  He'll be opposed by Jerome Williams, who is 3-7 with a 6.28 ERA and 1.658 WHIP in 15 starts. Williams is 0-5 with an 8.05 ERA and 1.868 WHIP in eight road starts, and 0-2 with a 9.23 ERA and 1.815 WHIP in his last three starts.  Dickey is 4-4 with a 2.89 ERA and 1.255 WHIP in 10 lifetime starts versus Philadelphia.  Williams gave up 6 earned runs, 2 homers and 10 base runners in 5 innings in his last start against Toronto.  The Blue Jays are 18-7 against the run line (+12.4 Units) vs. NL teams scoring 4.3 or less runs/game on the season over the last 2 seasons.  Toronto is 18-5 against the run line (+15.6 Units) after 5 straight games where they had less than 10 hits over the last 3 seasons.  Take Toronto on the Run Line.

7* National League *HEAVY HITTER* on Chicago Cubs -154

The Key: The Chicago Cubs (52-46) picked up an emotional win last night that could catapult them to the postseason the rest of the way.  They were coming off a 3-game sweep at the hands of the Phillies and needed a win yesterday.  But they blew a 7-4 lead by allowing four runs in the top of the 9th, only for Kris Bryant to save the day with a 2-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the 9th.  This is the kind of win the Cubs can look back to as the turning point for them.  The Colorado Rockies are clearly sellers right now as they traded Troy Tulowitzki last night, and that will have an impact on the emotional state of this team.  Both the starting pitchers in tonight's matchup are not very good.  Yohan Flande will be making his first start of the year for the ROckies, while Dallas Beeler will be making his third for the Cubs.  Colorado is 3-22 (-17.2 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +150 to +175 over the last 2 seasons.  The Rockies are 24-67 in their last 91 road games.  Colorado is 0-7 in Flande's last seven starts as an underdog.  The Cubs are 14-4 in their last 18 games as a favorite of -151 to -200.  Take Chicago.

7* National League GAME OF THE YEAR on Chicago Cubs -155

The Key: The Chicago Cubs have reached their low point by getting swept by the National League-worst Philadelphia Phillies at home over the weekend.  It's safe to say that they will be more motivated for a win Monday than they have been at any other point in the season when they welcome the Colorado Rockies (42-54) to Wrigley Stadium for Game 1 of this series.  The Cubs clearly have the edge on the mound in this one behind Kyle Hendricks, who is 4-5 with a 3.66 ERA and 1.130 WHIP in 19 starts.  Hendricks has been at his best at home, going 1-2 with a 2.81 ERA and 0.958 WHIP in eight starts.  Jorge De La Rosa has gone 6-4 with a 4.62 ERA and 1.403 WHIP in 16 starts this year for the Rockies.  He allowed 6 earned runs in 6 innings of an 8-10 loss to the Rangers in his last outing.  Colorado is 3-18 (-12.7 Units) against the money line as an underdog of +150 or more this season.  The Rockies are 6-42 (-31.6 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +150 or more over the last 2 seasons.  The Cubs are 8-0 (+8.2 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss by 6 runs or more over the last 2 seasons.  The Rockies are 24-66 in their last 90 road games overall.  The Cubs are 7-1 in Hendricks' last 8 starts as a home favorite.  Take Chicago.

7* American League *HEAVY HITTER* on Toronto Blue Jays -108

The Key: The Toronto Blue Jays erased a 6-3 deficit to come back and win 8-6 after scoring two runs in the top of the 9th yesterday.  It was a huge win for the Blue Jays to get them back to over .500 for the season and squarely in the AL East and wild-card races.  It was an equally deflating loss for the Mariners, who now sit at 45-53 with little chance of making the postseason.  I look for the Blue Jays to carry over that momentum into Sunday's game.  They clearly have the advantage on the mound today to boot.  Mark Buehrle has gone 11-5 with a 3.23 ERA and 1.161 WHIP in 19 starts this year, including 2-1 with a 1.23 ERA and 1.000 WHIP in his last three.  The left-hander is 8-4 with a 3.62 ERA and 1.241 WHIP in 18 lifetime starts versus Seattle.  He has allowed 5 earned runs over 23 1/3 innings in his last three starts versus Seattle for a 1.93 ERA.  Taijuan Walker is 7-7 with a 5.06 ERA in 19 starts for the Mariners, including 0-1 with a 9.39 ERA in his last three.  Walker gave up 4 earned runs, 2 homers and 10 base runners over 5 2/3 innings of a 2-8 loss at Toronto on May 24 in his only start against the Blue Jays this year.  Toronto is 6-0 in Buehrle's last 6 starts as a road favorite.  The Blue Jays are 13-3 in Buehrle's last 16 road starts vs. a team with a losing record.  The Mariners are 5-16 in their last 21 during game 3 of a series.  Seattle is 0-7 in Walker's last 7 starts during game 3 of a series. Take Toronto.

7* National League GAME OF THE WEEK on San Diego Padres -135

The Key: The Miami Marlins just aren't a very good offensive team right now without their best player in Giancarlo Stanton.  Yet, they continue to get respect from oddsmakers when they shouldn't be.  The Padres got a win yesterday and will take Game 3 of this series tonight as well.  Ian Kennedy isn't having his best season, but I still believe he is the better starter in this one.  Plus, Kennedy is 3-1 with a 3.11 ERA and 1.168 WHIP in six lifetime starts versus Miami.  In fact, he is 1-0 with a 1.40 ERA in his last three starts against the Marlins, giving up 3 earned runs in 19 1/3 innings.  David Phelps is 4-6 with a 3.91 ERA and 1.283 WHIP this season for the Marlins, including 0-3 with a 4.67 ERA and 1.557 WHIP in his last three starts.  Phelps is 1-12 (-10.6 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +150 over the last 2 seasons.  Phelps is 4-16 (-11.1 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.  The Marlins are 18-41 in their last 59 games as a road underdog.  Take San Diego.

7* American League *HEAVY HITTER* on Houston Astros -109

The Key:  The Houston Astros send one of the most underrated starters in baseball in Scott Kazmir to the mound today.  The left-hander has gone 5-5 with a 2.38 ERA and 1.085 WHIP in 18 starts, and 1-0 with a 0.47 ERA and 0.569 WHIP in his last three starts overall.  The Astros made a huge move before the deadline in trading for Kazmir, who has to be extra motivated now that he is playing for a contender.  He faces arguably the worst starter in the Royals' rotation in Jeremy Guthrie, who is 7-5 in spite of a 5.36 ERA and 1.520 WHIP in 18 starts this year.  Guthrie is 2-2 with a 4.62 ERA in six lifetime starts versus Kansas City as well.  The Astros are 4-0 in their last four games overall.  The Astros are 6-0 in the last six meetings in this series.  Take Houston.

7* MLB Thursday 'Mound Mismatch' on Oakland A's -105

The Key: I would argue that the Oakland A's are one of the best teams in the American League despite their 44-52 record.  They are actually +48 in run differential, and only four teams in the AL have been better.  Unfortunately, they are just 10-22 on one-run games, which is more of a poor luck factor than anything.  The A's have now won five of their last seven games and are still fighting.  They send one of the most underrated starters in baseball in Scott Kazmir to the mound today.  The left-hander has gone 5-5 with a 2.38 ERA and 1.085 WHIP in 18 starts, 4-2 with a 1.36 ERA and 0.909 WHIP in 10 home starts, and 1-0 with a 0.47 ERA and 0.569 WHIP in his last three starts overall.  Kazmir has posted a 2.42 ERA in his last four starts versus Toronto while allowing 7 earned runs in 26 innings.  He'll be opposed by Drew Hutchison, who is one of the most overrated starters in baseball because he has gotten good run support this year.  Hutchison is 9-2 in spite of a 5.19 ERA and 1.471 WHIP in 19 starts.  He's also 2-1 in spite of an 8.81 ERA and 1.979 WHIP in 10 road starts, but his luck runs out today.  The Blue Jays are 0-6 in their last 6 games as a road underdog.  The A's are 9-2 in their last 11 during Game 3 of a series.  Oakland is 5-1 in Kazmir's last 6 starts as a favorite.  Take Oakland.

7* AL 'BLOWOUT' Game of the Month on Oakland A's -147

The Key: I would argue that the Oakland A's are one of the best teams in the American League despite their 43-52 record.  They are actually +47 in run differential, and only four teams in the AL have been better.  Unfortunately, they are just 9-22 on one-run games, which is more of a poor luck factor than anything.  The A's send AL Cy Young contender Sonny Gray to the mound tonight.  The right-hander is 10-4 with a 2.29 ERA and 0.979 WHIP in 19 starts this season.  Gray has also gone 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA and 1.077 WHIP in two lifetime starts versus Toronto.  He'll be opposed by Felix Doubront, who is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA and 1.429 WHIP in 14 innings pitched this year.  Doubront is no more than a fill-in starter.  He has gone 1-2 with a 7.85 ERA and 1.636 WHIP in four lifetime starts versus Oakland.  Toronto is 0-8 (-8.4 Units) against the money line in road games after having won 4 or 5 of their last 6 games this season.  The Blue Jays are 1-9 in their last 10 after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game.  Take Oakland.

7* NL Central GAME OF THE MONTH on Chicago Cubs -116

The Key: After dropping Game 1 of this series to the Cincinnati Reds, I look for the Chicago Cubs to get back in the win column in Game 2 thanks to the advantage they have on the mound.  Their motivation level is also higher in this series since the Reds know they are going to be sellers at the deadline coming up at the end of the month.  Jason Hammel has revived his career in Chicago.  The right-hander is 4-5 with a 2.86 ERA and 0.945 WHIP with 105 K's in 103 2/3 innings over 17 starts in 2015.  He'll be opposed by Raisel Iglesias, who is 1-2 with a 5.90 ERA and 1.517 WHIP over five starts and two relief appearances this year.  Iglesias is also 0-2 with an 8.31 ERA and 1.846 WHIP in his last three starts.  Cincinnati is 10-25 (-16.6 Units) against the money line after a one run win over the last 2 seasons.  The Cubs are 6-1 in Hammel's last 7 starts during game 2 of a series.  The Reds are 1-6 in their last 7 games following a win.  The Cubs are 10-3 in the last 13 meetings.  Take Chicago.

7* MLB Underdog GAME OF THE YEAR on Pittsburgh Pirates +117

The Key: The Pittsburgh Pirates are going to be highly motivated following a 3-game sweep at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend.  Look for them to come out with a sense of urgency in Game 1 of this series with the Kansas City Royals.  It will also help that they have a massive advantage on the mound.  A.J. Burnett is 7-3 with a 2.11 ERA in 18 starts this season as he's clearly an NL Cy Young contender.  He'll be opposed by Yordano Ventura, who is 4-6 with a 4.73 ERA in 13 starts on the year.  Ventura is also 3-3 with a 4.88 ERA in six home starts and 1-2 with a 7.36 ERA in his last three starts.  Burnett owns the Royals, going 5-3 with a 2.69 ERA in 11 lifetime starts against them.  Pittsburgh is 91-55 (+32.3 Units) against the money line after scoring 2 runs or less over the last 3 seasons.  Burnett is 9-1 (+8.1 Units) against the money line vs. poor power teams - averaging 0.9 or less HR's/game this season.  The Pirates are 37-13 (+20.7 Units) against the money line vs. teams whose hitters draw 3 walks or less/game this season.  The Pirates are 9-1 in their last 10 interleague games.  The Royals are 0-5 in Ventura's last 5 starts vs. a team with a winning record.  Take Pittsburgh.

7* American League *HEAVY HITTER* on Oakland A's -125

The Key: The Oakland A's are only 42-51 on the season despite being +40 in run differential.  To compare, the Twins are 50-41 with a +27 run differential.  The difference is that the A's are 9-22 in one-run games, which is the worst mark in all of baseball and is a luck factor more than anything.  The A's are obviously better than their record, but they are undervalued because of that record.  Jesse Chavez sports a 3.40 ERA and 1.221 WHIP in 15 starts and four relief appearances this year, including 2-4 with a 2.74 ERA and 1.196 WHIP in seven home starts.  Chavez is 1-0 with a 0.63 ERA and 0.768 WHIP in two lifetime starts versus Minnesota, allowing just 1 earned run and 11 base runners over 14 1/3 innings with 16 strikeouts.  Minnesota is 10-33 (-17.8 Units) against the money line in road games vs. a starting pitcher with good control (less than 1.75 BB's/start) over the last 2 seasons.  The Twins are 1-4 in Milone's last 5 road starts.  The A's are 8-2 in their last 10 during Game 3 of a series.  The A's are 10-2 in their last 12 home meetings with Minnesota.  Take Oakland.

7* National League GAME OF THE MONTH on Chicago Cubs -145

The Key: The Chicago Cubs lost their first game back from the break to the Braves 4-2 last night.  I'll call for them to get back in the win column Saturday.  It was a rare win for the Braves, who are 1-5 in their last six games overall.  Jon Lester has gone 4-8 with a 3.59 ERA and 1.260 WHIP in 18 starts this season.  But he has shown his ace form in recent starts.  Indeed, Lester has posted a 1.71 ERA and 0.810 WHIP in his last three starts.  He has allowed one earned run or less in four of his last six starts as well.  Manny Banuelos has pitched well in limited action, but he is getting to much love from oddsmakers as a result.  The Cubs are 37-17 in their last 54 during game 2 of a series.  Chicago will be hungry to put an end to an 8-game losing streak in Atlanta as well.  Take Chicago.

7* National League *HEAVY HITTER* on Washington Nationals -110

The Key: The Washington Nationals come out of the break looking to make a statement in this opening series with the Dodgers.  They clearly have the advantage on the mound in Game 1 behind Jordan Zimmerman.  The right-hander is 8-5 with a 3.22 ERA in 18 starts, 3-0 with a 2.29 ERA in his last three, and 4-3 with a 2.27 ERA in 10 home starts this year.  In his last two starts against the Dodgers, Zimmerman has only allowed 2 earned runs and 11 base runners in 10 1/3 innings.  Mike Bolsinger has struggled of late after a fast start to the year.  He has given up 6 earned runs and 16 base runners over 11 innings in his last two starts.  Zimmerman is 42-16 (+21.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.  The Dodgers are 2-8 in their last 10 games as a road underdog.  The Nationals are 6-0 in their last 6 home games vs. a team with a winning record.  Washington is 62-22 in Zimmerman's last 84 starts as a favorite.  Take Washington.

7* NL "Blowout" Game of the Month on San Francisco Giants -1.5 (+102)

The Key: The San Francisco Giants' bats have come alive in this series with Philadelphia now that they are finally healthy.  They have scored a combined 23 runs over the past two days with 15-2 and 8-5 victories.  The Phillies' bullpen is completely taxed now. Look for the Giants' bats to stay red hot against Chad Billingsley, who is 1-2 with a 6.67 ERA and 1.704 WHIP in five starts this season.  Chris Heston has been brilliant this year, going 8-5 with a 3.51 ERA and 1.210 WHIP in 17 starts, including 1-0 with a 2.21 ERA and 1.033 WHIP in his last three.  Philadelphia is 7-31 (-17.5 Units) against the money line as an underdog of +150 or more this season, losing by 2.5 runs/game.  Philadelphia is 2-15 (-11.8 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +150 to +200 this season, losing by 3.8 runs/game.  San Francisco is 12-1 (+12.0 Units) against the money line vs. a starting pitcher whose gives up 7 or more hits/start over the last 2 seasons, winning by 2.9 runs/game.  Take San Francisco on the Run Line.

7* Cardinals/Pirates NL Central GAME OF THE WEEK on Pittsburgh -117

The Key: The Pittsburgh Pirates are hungry to inch closer to the Cardinals for first place in the NL Central before the All-Star Break.  They find themselves just 4.5 games back after winning 9 of their last 11 games overall.  They are clearly playing their best baseball of the season right now.  A.J. Burnett has been brilliant this year, going 7-3 with a 1.99 ERA and 1.212 WHIP in 17 starts, including 2-2 with a 1.28 ERA and 1.118 WHIP in eight home starts.  Burnett is 1-0 with a 0.60 ERA in his last two starts against St. Louis, allowing 1 earned run in 15 innings.  John Lackey has been very good at home, but he's just 2-3 with a 4.60 ERA in eight road starts this season.  Lackey is 2-14 (-13.0 Units) against the money line in road games after giving up 1 or less earned runs last outing over the last 3 seasons.  The Pirates are 61-29 in their last 90 home games.  Take Pittsburgh.

7* American League *HEAVY HITTER* on Tampa Bay Rays -103

The Key: The Tampa Bay Rays will be more hungry for a win today than they have been at any other point in the season.  After losing four straight and 11 of their last 12, they clearly want to right the ship going into the All-Star Break.  I like their chances with Erasmo Ramirez on the mound.  He has gone 7-3 with a 3.08 ERA and 1.125 WHIP in 12 starts this season, 3-2 with a 2.56 ERA and 1.074 WHIP in six home starts, and 1-1 with a 1.23 ERA and 0.750 WHIP in his last three.  Ramirez is also 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.114 WHIP in two lifetime starts versus Houston.  Collin McHugh is 9-4 in spite of a 4.21 ERA this season for the Astros.  Houston has scored a combined three runs in losing three straight to the Indians in their last series.  Houston is 2-14 (-11.7 Units) against the money line after 2 straight losses by 2 runs or less over the last 2 seasons.  The Rays are 6-1 in Ramirez's last 7 starts.  Take Tampa Bay.

7* NL Run Line GAME OF THE MONTH on Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 (-120)

The Key: Zach Greinke would be an excellent choice for NL Cy Young up to this point of the 2015 season.  He has gone 7-2 with a 1.48 ERA and 0.893 WHIP in 17 starts this season, including 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 0.677 WHIP in his last three outings.  He has pitched 20 2/3 scoreless innings in his last three starts.  Now, he faces the worst team in baseball in the Philadelphia Phillies tonight.  Greinke has gone 3-1 with a 2.62 ERA and 1.020 WHIP in five lifetime starts versus Philadelphia.  He'll be opposed by Severino Gonzalez, who is 3-2 in spite of an 8.28 ERA and 1.760 WHIP in six starts.  Gonzalez has allowed a ridiculous 23 earned runs and 44 base runners in 25 innings pitched this year.  Greinke is 21-2 (+16.6 Units) against the money line as a favorite of -200 or more since 1997.  His teams are winning by an average of 3.6 runs per game in this spot.  Philadelphia is 4-21 (-14.3 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 7 to 7.5 this season.  It is losing by 2.5 runs per game in this spot.  Take Los Angeles on the Run Line.

7* American League *HEAVY HITTER* on Tampa Bay Rays -128

The Key: The Tampa Bay Rays are desperate for a victory today.  They have lost nine of their last 10 games overall to fall to .500 on the season at 43-43.  Adding fuel to the fire is that they were swept by the Kansas City Royals in a double-header yesterday.  They will clearly be out for revenge, and I expect them to get it.  Tampa Bay will throw its best starter in Chris Archer, an All-Star who has gone 9-5 with a 2.26 ERA and 0.960 WHIP in 18 starts, including 6-1 with a 1.54 ERA and 0.930 WHIP in eight road starts.  The right-hander has also posted a 2.13 ERA in two lifetime starts versus Kansas City.  The Royals throw their worst starter tonight in Jeremy Guthrie, who is 6-5 with a 5.42 ERA and 1.461 WHIP in 16 starts.  Archer is 10-1 (+8.9 Units) against the money line in road games vs. teams averaging 2.75 or less extra base hits per game over the last 3 seasons.   The Rays are 14-3 in Archer's last 17 road starts.  The Royals are 2-8 in their last 10 games as a home underdog of +110 to +150.  Take Tampa Bay.

7* A's/Yankees AL *HEAVY HITTER* on Oakland -109

The Key: The Oakland A's are showing excellent value as small road favorites over the New York Yankees today.  They should be much heavier favorites with the advantage they have on the mound in this one.  Sonny Gray was selected to the All-Star team for good reason.  He is 9-3 with a 2.09 ERA and 0.994 WHIP in 16 starts, and 6-1 with a 1.88 ERA in nine road starts.  Gray is 1-1 with a 3.21 ERA and 1.000 WHIP in two lifetime starts versus New York.  He'll be opposed by Nathan Eovaldi, who is 8-2 in spite of a 4.52 ERA and 1.540 WHIP in 16 starts this year.  Eovaldi is 0-1 with a 5.60 ERA and 1.811 WHIP in three lifetime starts versus Oakland.  The A's are 6-0 in their last 6 road games.  Oakland is 4-0 in Gray's last 4 road starts.  The A's are 5-1 in the last six meetings.  Take Oakland.

7* MLB Monday Night "Bailout" on San Francisco Giants -130

The Key: The San Francisco Giants have lost six straight coming into this game.  They clearly won't be lacking any motivation as they open this three-game series with the New York Mets.  Chris Heston has been a pleasant surprise for the Giants this year, going 8-5 with a 3.78 ERA and 1.229 WHIP over 16 starts.  One of those starts came against the Mets on June 9th.  In that contest, Heston actually pitched a perfect game to go along with 11 strikeouts in a 5-0 San Francisco victory.  Jon Niese just hasn't been able to get on track this year.  The left-hander is 3-8 with a 3.90 ERA and 1.489 WHIP in 15 starts, including 1-5 with a 4.02 ERA and 1.511 WHIP in eight road starts.  Niese is 0-9 (-9.0 Units) against the money line as an underdog of +100 or higher this season.  The Mets are 8-22 in their last 30 road games.  New York is 5-24 in its last 29 games as an underdog.  Take San Francisco.

7* National League *HEAVY HITTER* on Chicago Cubs -131

The Key: The Cubs have won four of their last five and are showing good value against the Marlins today at home.  The Marlins are overvalued due to winning four of their last five as well, but keep in mind that they are still without their best player in Giancarlo Stanton, so this success cannot be sustained.  The Cubs have the advantage on the mound with Kyle Hendricks, who is 3-4 with a 4.15 ERA and 1.181 WHIP in 15 starts.  Mat Latos is 3-5 with a 5.27 ERA and 1.405 WHIP in 13 starts for Miami.  Latos is 1-8 (-9.2 Units) against the money line after a game where he did not walk a batter over the last 2 seasons.  Hendricks is 9-1 (+8.9 Units) against the money line vs. teams whose hitters strike out 7 or more times/game in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.  The Marlins are 2-8 in their last 10 road games.  The Cubs are 9-2 in Hendricks' last 11 home starts.  Take Chicago.

7* AL West GAME OF THE MONTH on Los Angeles Angels -115

The Key: The Angels are rolling right now having won five of their last six games overall.  They should continue to roll with one of the most underrated starters in the league in Hector Santiago on the mound.  The left-hander has gone 4-4 with a 2.58 ERA and 1.135 WHIP over 15 starts and one relief appearance.  He has allowed just 2 earned runs and 8 base runners over 13 innings in his last two starts as well.  Plus, Santiago has given up just 2 earned runs over 12 1/3 innings in two starts against Texas this season already.  Wandy Rodriquez is 0-3 with a 7.10 ERA and 1.894 WHIP in five home starts this season.  He's also 2-1 with a 7.54 ERA and 2.442 WHIP in his last three starts overall.  Texas is 6-22 (-16.7 Units) against the money line in home games vs. an AL starting pitcher whose ERA is 3.20 or better over the last 2 seasons.  The Rangers are 0-9 (-9.0 Units) against the money line in home games vs. an AL starting pitcher whose WHIP is 1.200 or better this season.  Texas is 0-6 in its last six vs. AL West foes.  The Rangers are 22-50 in their last 72 games as a home underdog.  The Angels are 12-2 in their last 14 visits to Texas.  Take Los Angeles.

7* American League *HEAVY HITTER* on Los Angeles Angels -126

The Key: The Los Angeles Angels should be bigger favorites today against the Texas Rangers.  Garrett Richards is one of the best starters in baseball, going 8-5 with a 3.54 ERA and 1.239 WHIP in 14 starts.  Chi Chi Gonzalez has pitched well in limited action this year, but he's overvalued as a result.  Gonzalez has come back down to reality of late, going 0-2 with a 4.95 ERA in his last three starts.  Meanwhile, Richards is 2-1 with a 2.18 ERA in his last three.  Richards is 6-1 with a 3.05 ERA in 11 lifetime starts versus Texas as well.  The Angels are 21-8 in Richards' last 29 starts.  The Angels are 11-2 in their last 13 meetings in Texas.  The Angels are 5-0 in Richards' last 5 starts versus Texas.  Take Los Angeles.

7* American League "Total" Annihilator on Red Sox/Blue Jays OVER 9

The Key: I'll back the over tonight in a battle between two of the most potent offenses in baseball in Boston and Toronto.  The Blue Jays have had the league's best offense this season, while the Red Sox haven't quite lived up to their potential, though it's only a matter of time.  Both lineups should feast on today's starting pitchers.  Wade Miley is 7-7 with a 4.38 ERA and 1.364 WHIP in 15 starts, including 3-5 with a 4.66 ERA and 1.576 WHIP in nine road starts.  Miley is 0-2 with a 10.56 ERA and 2.477 WHIP in two lifetime starts versus Toronto.  Matt Boyd will be making just his second start of the season.  The rookie gave up 4 runs, 9 hits and 3 homers over 6 2/3 innings in his major league debut against Texas on June 27.  The OVER is 3-0-1 in Red Sox last 4 after scoring 2 runs or less in their previous game.  Take the OVER.

7* Interleague GAME OF THE MONTH on Detroit Tigers -107

The Key: The Detroit Tigers lost Game 1 of this series with the Pittsburgh Pirates in extra innings.  I expect them to get revenge in Game 2.  It's rare that you get the opportunity to back the Tigers at this kind of price at home, and we'll take advantage.  Alfredo Simon has proven to be an excellent addition to the rotation this year.  The right-hander is 7-4 with a 3.57 ERA and 1.272 WHIP in 14 starts, including 4-1 with a 2.33 ERA and 1.058 WHIP in seven home starts.  Simon is 3-1 with a 3.27 ERA and 0.970 WHIP in five lifetime starters versus Pittsburgh.  He pitched 8 shutout innings in a 1-0 victory over the Pirates on April 15th of this year.  A.J. Burnett is having a career year to this point, but he's overvalued as a result.  Burnett sports a 4.56 ERA and 1.438 WHIP in 13 lifetime starts versus Detroit.  Detroit is 13-2 (+11.8 Units) against the money line after a game where they had 17 or more hits over the last 2 seasons.  The Tigers are 68-26 in their last 94 interleague home games.  The Pirates are 26-60 in their last 86 interleague road games.  Take Detroit.

7* AL Non-Divisional GAME OF THE WEEK on Baltimore Orioles -140

The Key: The Baltimore Orioles have won seven of their last nine games overall to climb into first place in the AL East.  After dropping Game 1 of this series to the Rangers, I look for them to bounce back with a blowout victory in Game 2.  The Orioles clearly have the edge on the mound behind Miguel Gonzalez, who is 6-4 with a 3.58 ERA and 1.154 WHIP in 13 starts this season.  Gonzalez has been at his best at home, going 4-0 with a 1.89 ERA and 0.860 WHIP in seven home starts.  Colby Lewis, meanwhile, has been at his worst on the road, going 4-3 with a 4.59 ERA and 1.387 WHIP in eight road starts.  Lewis is 1-3 with a 5.97 ERA in six lifetime starts versus Baltimore.  In his last two starts against the Orioles, he has allowed 11 earned runs and a ridiculous 6 homers in 12 innings pitched.  Gonzalez is 2-1 with a 2.94 ERA in three lifetime starts versus Texas.  The Orioles are 60-27 in thier last 87 home games.  Baltimore is 26-10 in Gonzalez's last 36 home starts.  The Orioles are 6-0 in their last 6 after allowing 5 runs or more in their previous game.  Take Baltimore.