*3 Star Break the Books Back Play* The Rockets of Toledo have offensive issues this year. Austin Dantin has struggled mightily at the quarterback spot and they don't have any star running backs on their squad. Toledo has scored just 22 points in their first two games combined. Western Michigan was high flying offense in recent years with Tim Hiller at the helm, but Alex Carder is there now. Carder is a solid player, but he is more of a dual-threat quarterback rather than a drop back passer. I believe the line on this one is inflated based upon the teams offensive outputs from last year. These are very teams this year, and I think the under is a solid play here.

*3 Star ABC Showdown Big Play* The Cornhuskers of Nebraska have their first test of the season as they travel to Washington and take on the Jake Locker led Huskies. Nebraska's defense and running game are their two biggest strengths, and they know it. With a freshman quarterback don't expect the Huskers to air it out often. Washington's defense has looked decent against the run thus far this year, and this crowd will help pump them up in a big way on Saturday. I think Nebraska is the better team, but this is definitely a tough spot for them. Expect Nebraska's defense to hold Locker down better than most and expect the Huskers to play it safe on offense. I like the under.

*3 Star Super Value Play* I nominate Colorado State as quite possibly the worst offense in all of college football. The Rams have played two below average defenses in Colorado and Nevada, and have put up a total of 9 points! The Redhawks of Miami (OH) showed against Florida that they have a gritty defense. I really don't think the Rams have a big game here. The Rams defense is decent, with a solid linebacker unit and plenty of veterans on the field. I think Miami wins this game, but I don't think they have the offense to run up the score. This one should be an ugly game, but the under looks like a super value!

*Saturday NCAA FB Early Bird Special* The Temple Owls have turned into a decent team over the last couple years as Al Golden has really made this team believe. Connecticut is still the team with more talent here, but Temple will play with a ton of pride on their home field. In 2007 and 2008 these teams played and the score finished well under the posted total. In fact, in 2008 it was a 12-9 final in overtime. Temple's defense is defenitely its stronger unit, and UConn has a strong defensive line that will keep Temple from getting big gains in the running game. Both teams will want to run the ball as much as possible, which will definitely help the clock tick away quickly. Expect a ball control type of game with both defenses stepping up. Take the under.

*3 Star TGIF MLB Play of the Day* The Reds and Astros will kickoff their weekend series with their best pitchers pitching. Wandy Rodriguez has been absolutely dealing for the Astros of late, and Johnny Cueto has had a very good year for the Reds. Rodriguez gave up just one hit in his last game against Cincinnati, and Cueto shut out the Astros in his last start against them. The under is 5-0 in Rodriguez's last 5 home games against the Reds. Wandy hasn't given up more than 3 runs in any of his last 10 starts and his ERA is just 1.71 in his last 3. Cueto has a spectacular ERA of 1.89 in his last three starts as well and the under is 4-0 in his last 4 starts overall. The under is 24-6 in the Astros last 30 games overall. All signs point to the under behing a great play here.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination Play* In the last four games the Giants have played, three of those games have finished with a final score of 1-0. That really is an amazing stat and it shows both how well they are pitching and how poorly they are hitting. Matt Cain is the Giants best starter, and he has shut down LA the last couple times he has faced them. Chad Billingsley is starting for the Dodgers and the under is 8-1-1 in his last 10 starts overall. The under is 9-4 in the last 13 meetings between these two teams. I think Wednesday night's meeting will once again be a pitcher's duel. Take the under here.

*3 Star Total Domination* Shawn Hill looked decent in his first start as a Blue Jay last week, but I am very skeptical that he will be able to stick around in the major leagues for too long. Jacob Arrieta has an ERA of 5.40 at home and I think the Blue Jays bats will get to him quite a bit in this one. The wind will be blowing out slightly throughout the game. The over is 4-1 in Toronto's last 5 road games and it is also 4-1-2 in Arrieta's last 7 home starts. I'm not overly impressed with either pitcher and I think the scoreboard will light up quite frequently in this one. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination Play* The Blue Jays are not a team that you want to face if you are struggling with your control and keeping the ball in the ballpark. Jeff Niemann has a 20.70 ERA in his last three starts, which is almost unheard of. The over is 6-2 in the Jays last 8 games and the over is 6-0 in the Rays last 6 games. As you might expect with his troubles, the over is 5-0 in Niemann's last 5 starts as well. Mike Reilly is behind the dish, and his small strike zone makes him the friend of an over bettor. The over is the value play in this game between two teams with strong lineups! Take over 9.

*5 Star NFL Sunday Top Play* The Indianapolis Colts have more of their offensive weapons back and I look for them to be just as good if not better than they were last year on the offensive side of the football. The Texans have a budding star in Matt Schaub at quarterback and a terrific wide receiver in Andre Johnson. I fully expect both teams to air it out early and often in this one, and they should be quite successful. In their matchup last year in Houston the final score was 35-27. Both of these teams have a much stronger offense and a little bit of a weakness on defense. I think this number is set a little lower because it is the opening game, but that just gives us even more value on the over. Take over 47 in this one!

*3 Star NFL Total Dominator* The Bears and Lions played two games last year and the total points scored were 72 and 60. I know it is highly unlikely that the teams will score that many in this one, but I do think over 43 is a very nice value. The Lions and Matt Stafford have been able to throw the ball successfully against the Bears in the past and I expect that to continue this weekend. Jay Cutler may not have lived up to the hype yet in Chicago, but he has lit up the Lions in the past. The Lions secondary is below average and the pass rush won't be great either, so Cutler should have time to throw. In Chicago you always worry about the weather, but the forecast is looking nice and sunny with fairly calm winds. The conditions are right for the over in this one!

*3 Star Total Value Play* The New Mexico Lobos are one of the worst teams in all of college football. The Lobos have one single area of their team where they are decent, and that is the defensive line and stopping the run. If you know Texas Tech very well at all, then you know they are all about airing it out. This Lobos secondary will get torched week in and week out, and this might be the biggest mismatch they'll have all year. How did New Mexico fare last week? They were CRUSHED 72-0 against Oregon. Oregon actually led 59-0 at halftime! The Ducks had 351 passing yards in the game. Texas Tech might not give up many points against this horrific offense, but I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see them get into the 50's by themselves here. Take the over.

*3 Star No Doubt Total Play* The Aggies have what may be the worst offense in all of college football. I fully expect this team to struggle to get to 10 points in quite a few games this year. The Aggies want to run the ball all the time, but with absolutely no passing game it will be tough against a defense stacked in the box. New Mexico State's secondary is strong, which should help them hold down the Aztecs numbers in this game. San Diego State has a solid offense, but they struggle when forced to run the football. On the road I think they'll move the ball fairly well, but they won't put up huge numbers against a decent defense. The Aggies will struggle to score hardly anything no matter where the game is played. Take the under in this one.

*3 Star Saturday Bookie Smasher* The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are a program that has a long ways to go to being competitive against anyone from a major conference. The Hilltoppers didn't win a single game last year and they'll struggle to win more than one or two this year. Kentucky has a solid team and a defense that should exceed expectations. I fully expect Kentucky to run for a ton of yards in this one, but that will keep the clock rolling. Western Kentucky will struggle mightily on offense and I think Kentucky will end up putting the second and third string players in. The value looks like it is on the under in this game.

*5 Star Top Play CFB Saturday* The Baylor Bears are a totally different team this year with Robert Griffin under center. Griffin is one of the best play making quarterbacks in the entire country. Baylor's offense was back to its old ways with Griffin at the helm in Week One and I fully expect them to continue that this week. Buffalo has transitioned to a new no huddle offense under Jeff Quinn and that should keep the pace of this game flowing nicely. I expect both teams to put up plenty of points here. The books have given us a nice value based on these teams from last year, and they are very different teams in 2010. I really like the over in this one!

*3 Star CFB Total Dominator* The Arkansas Razorbacks will definitely have one of the best offenses in the entire country this year. Ryan Mallett is a terrific quarterback and the rest of the offense around him is setup extremely nicely this year. The UL Monroe Warhawks are definitely not accustomed to seeing a quarterback or an offense with even close to this much ability. The Razorbacks defense is still a bit of a weakness, so don't be surprised if Frank Goodin does some damage for Monroe on the offensive side of the football. I think Arkansas will put up a very high total here and Monroe will get just enough to make it get over the posted total. Take the over here.

*3 Star Bookie Crusher Deluxe* I must admit it scares me a little bit to bet on an under that is set so low, but I still think this play has a lot of value. If you take a close look at the numbers of the two starters, this has a very solid chance of staying under 6.5. Trevor Cahill has been unhittable at home this year, with an ERA of 1.71. The under is 13-2-1 in his last 16 home starts. Clay Buchholz has been amazing all year for the Red Sox. The under is 4-0 in his last four starts overall. Both of these teams have some very key hitters down with injuries right now, so the pitchers should have even more of an edge than normal in this one. Take the under 6.5 here.

*3 Star Thursday Total Domination Play* The Texas Rangers and the Toronto Blue Jays are both hitting the baseball very well right now. The over is 5-0 in Toronto's last 5 games overall and 4-0 in Texas' last 4 games overall. Colby Lewis starts for the Rangers and his ERA is over 9 in his last three starts. The Rangers have lost eight of his last nine starts. On the mound for the Blue Jays is Shawn Hill. Hill hasn't been able to stay in the majors in his earlier stints with other teams and he has an 8-16 lifetime record with an ERA above 5. I think both teams will be hitting the ball hard again on Thursday night. The trends say over and so does the pitching matchup. Take the over in this one.

*3 Star Crush the Books Play* The Marlins and Phillies will meet on Tuesday evening in a key game for the Phillies. The Phillies have gotten healthy and this lineup is as tough as you'll find in the National League. Chris Volstad is pitching for the Marlins and his road ERA this year is 5.79. The over is 4-1-1 in his last 6 starts overall. Joe Blanton is starting for the Phillies and the over is 19-7-2 in his last 28 starts overall. The umpire here is a solid over umpire and the wind is expected to be blowing straight out to center at about 15 mph. I like the over in this one.

*3 Star Total Dominator* The Nationals have started absolutely crushing the baseball of late. In their last five games they have scored: 10,5,9,8, and 13 runs! Both teams have a starting pitcher making their MLB debut in this game. The bad news for these pitchers is Jim Reynolds is the umpire behind the dish for this one. Reynolds is the top over umpire in all of baseball over the last few years, and he'll definitely pinch the strike zone. A total set this low with two first-time MLB starting pitchers and an umpire that pinches the zone is a great formula for an over. Take the over 8.5 here.

*Sink the Books Play of the Day* Both of these teams are hitting the baseball well right now. Detroit has scored at least 6 runs in each of their last three games and Kansas City is averaging more than 5 runs per game in their last four games. Armando Galarraga has been pitching well of late, but he has struggled mightily on the road this year. The over is 6-1-1 in his last 8 road starts and his road ERA is 5.86. Kyle Davies is pitching for the Royals and he hasn't been very good all year long. Davies has an ERA of 5.23 for the year and the Tigers torched him for 7 runs less than two weeks ago. The over is 9-2-1 in the last 12 meetings. How about the weather forecast for Sunday? The wind is forecast to be blowing out at 20 mph, with gusts of 25 mph. The pitching matchups and the data point the over being a great value here. Take over 9 in this one.

*3 Star Play* The Northwestern Wildcats are a team that is in transition after losing their key man on offense in Mike Kafka. Dan Persa will be a decent mobile quarterback for their offense, but they'll miss the ability to spread out the field through the passing game. Vanderbilt has one of the worst offenses in all of football. The passing game is non-existent and the running game was decent, but they are dealing with multiple injuries in the backfield. The Commodores defense is actually pretty good, but this team will struggle mightily to put points on the board. Northwestern is the better team, but they will likely struggle with new players in the key skill positions on offense. I expect this to be a pretty ugly game where both teams are out of rhythm. Take the under here.

*3 Star Play* The Oklahoma Sooners are coming off an extremely disappointing season, but things are looking up for them in 2010. Landry Jones got plenty of playing time and should be ready for a big year and they have play makers are all over the place on offense. Ryan Broyles and DeMarco Murray can take it to the house at any time. This Utah State team was 100th in the nation in sacks last year, so Jones should have all day to throw. Combine that with the fact that Utah State has had serious trouble in their secondary, and you get what should be a ton of points for the Oklahoma Sooners in this game. Utah State is a pretty good offensive team with a dual-threat quarterback in Borel, and I think they could put up a few points to help out as well. Oklahoma will score early and often and this one should go over the total. Take the over here.

*3 Star MLB Total Dominator* The under has been a masterful play when Trevor Cahill is on the mound of late, especially at home. The under is 12-3-1 in his last 16 home games. The under is 21-8-1 in the Athletics last 30 games overall. The Angels will have Jered Weaver on the hill. The under is 5-0-1 in his last 6 road starts and 9-2-1 in his last 12 starts against Oakland. The under is also 5-1 in the Angels last 6 games overall. Both offenses are struggling and both pitchers have great numbers against the opposing team. The umpire is favorable for an under as well. The under is the play in this afternoon game.

*3 Star Play* The Florida Gators are starting a new era, and while there is a ton of inexperience, there is also a ton of talent. John Brantley has all the tools needed to sling it around and be a prolific passer for the Gators. The Redhawks of Miami won just one game a year ago, and I think they'll be in for a very long season opener at the Swamp. Urban Meyer and the Gators aren't known for taking their foot off the gas when they are way ahead, so I'll assume they don't do it on Saturday either. This game will be extremely one sided, and it really is the type of game where the Gators could probably get to 52 by themselves. I like the value on the over in this one.

*3 Star Opening Night Great Catch* The Northern Illinois Huskies are a solid football team that could make some noise in the MAC this year. The offense is a grind it out type of offense that will use the clock and run the football consistently. Iowa State is a similar type of offense. I think both teams could gain quite a few yards in this one, but I think the clock will keep rolling and this will shorten this game considerably. Both defenses are pretty good at bending, but not breaking. I look for some long drives to end in field goals. This should be a hard fought game and I believe the right side to be on is the under. Take under 48 here.

*3 Star Thursday Night Top Total* The South Carolina Gamecocks have struggled to get their offense going in a big way the last few years. Southern Miss is on my radar of very underrated teams going into 2010. Southern Miss is very talented on defense and should be able to stop the run well. I believe both defenses are better than the offenses in this one. Southern Miss will make Garcia beat them with the pass by stuffing the run and the South Carolina secondary should do well stopping the pass attack of the Golden Eagles. Add in the fact that this is the first game of the year for both teams and there will be plenty of jitters, and I think we have found a great value on the under in this one. Take under 47 in this Thursday night matchup.

*3 Star MLB Totals Terrorizer* Mat Latos has quietly had an absolutely terrific year. He really is worthy of Cy Young consideration. In Latos' last 10 starts he has allowed a total of 11 runs! He has been the ultimate picture of consistency this year for the Padres. On the other side, Barry Enright has been brilliant in his short stint with Arizona thus far in 2010. Enright has an ERA of just 2.44 for the year and has been good in every start this season. The under is 4-1 in his last 5 home games. The under is 4-1-1 in Latos' last 6 games overall. This appears to be a very nice spot for the under with two pitchers who really have their act together right now! Take under 8 here.

*3 Star Early Bird Special* Freddy Garcia has gotten amazing run support from the White Sox this year, which is the only reason he is 11-5 on the season. If you take a look at Garcia's numbers, they aren't impressive. Garcia has a WHIP of 1.44 and his strikeout to walk ratio is just 1.93 after being 3.08 last year. Simply put, he doesn't appear to have the strikeout pitch going. Carrasco is a prospect for Cleveland that has struggled in AAA this year, and had an ERA of 9 last year in his short time in the major leagues. He hasn't been in good form of late. The over is 10-4 in the White Sox last 14 overall and 8-0 in Garcia's last 8 starts. It doesn't hurt that the wind is expected to be blowing out at 10-15 mph. The over is the play here.

*3 Star Total Domination Play!* Hurricane Earl is spinning slightly closer to south Florida and while it isn't expected to make a direct hit, it will cause some weather changes. What does this have to do with this game? The weather forecast is calling for steady wind of 15 mph with gusts of 20-25 mph in from center in this one. We have a great under umpire behind the dish in Jim Wolf as well. These two factors combined with the fact that Anibal Sanchez has been brilliant at home this year make the under look very enticing. Sanchez has an ERA of just 2.69 at home this year and he has allowed just 6 runs in his last four starts. The under is the play in this one.

*3 Star Total Dominator* Clayton Richard is great at home and Cole Hamels has been solid all year long. The two left handers should have a good old fashioned pitchers duel in San Diego. The wind is expected to be blowing in at about 10 mph here and the home plate umpire is very favorable for the under. The under is 16-5 in Hamels last 21 starts. The under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings between these two teams. This game means a ton to both teams and I fully expect both pitchers to bring their best stuff in this one. Take the under.

*3 Star Total Domination* Tim Hudson has been great this year, especially at home. Hudson has a 2.28 ERA overall for the year and a 1.87 ERA at home. The under is 4-0 in his last four starts at home. Ricky Nolasco started the seasn slowly, but he has come on nicely of late for the Marlins. The under is 6-2-1 in Nolasco's last 9 games. Nolasco is 10-2 on the road this year with an ERA of just 3.35. The Braves lineup has cooled off of late without Chipper Jones in the middle of the order. The wind is expected to be blowing in about 10 mph. The under looks like a solid play in this one!

*3 Star Late Night Fast Cash* Trevor Bell is naturally a reliever who the Angels are trying to get some starts out of, and the results haven't been good. Bell struggles with control and doesn't have a strikeout pitch. Brad Bergesen is pitching for the Orioles and he has an ERA of 5.98 on the road this year. The wind is expected to be blowing out on a nice warm night in LA, so the ball should carry. The over is 6-2-2 in the last 10 meetings between these two teams. I think both starters are below par here and the scoreboard should light up on Friday night in LA. Take the over!

*3 Star TGIF Totals Terrorizer* The Brewers can really hit the ball, especially at home. James McDonald is not a starter by nature, and he is young. The Brewers are the type of offense that can really feast on a youngster like this. Starting for Milwaukee will be Chris Narveson. Narveson is terrible at home, with a 6.18 ERA. THe over is 5-0 in Narveson's last 5 home games. The Pirates should be able to push across a few runs and I think the Brewers could score a bunch here. The over definitely looks like the value play. Take the over.

*3 Star TGIF Bookie Smasher* Justin Verlander is a very good pitcher, but in his career against the Blue Jays he has been bad. Verlander has an 8.22 ERA in his four starts against Toronto. Shawn Marcum is solid, but his ERA is over 5 in the last three starts. The Tigers bats have been heating up quite a bit in the last week or so. Jerry Crawford, who has the smallest strike zone in the league, is behind the dish. Given the pitcher splits and the great umpire for the over, I think this low number makes the over a great play.

*3 Star Totals Terrorizer* Randy Wolf has really been in good form of late, and the Dodgers really aren't hitting the ball very well right now. Kuroda has pitched quite well most of the year for the Dodgers, but hasn't received very good run support. Andy Fletcher is behind the plate, and he has one of the top three or four under umpires in the league today. Corey Hart is also injured and may miss this game. I think both pitchers will fare well. The under is a solid value.

*3 Star Totals Terrorizer* Rick Porcello simply has not had his best stuff in the last couple of months. The over is 4-1 in his last 5 home starts and he has been giving up way too many hits in his last few starts. Kyle Davies has a 5.30 ERA on the road this year. The best news may be that the home plate umpire is Jim Reynolds. Reynolds is known for having one of the smallest strike zones and being one of the biggest over umpires in the game today. Two pitchers that aren't pitching very well and a small strike zone equals a nice value on the over here!

*3 Star Total Domination* Scott Kazmir has been terrible this year and James Shields has been bad on the road. Both of these teams have shown they can put runs in the board in bunches when given opportunities. Kazmir has a WHIP of 1.60 and Shields has a WHIP of 1.39, so they are both allowing a ton of base runners this year. Kazmir is facing his old club, so he will be fired up, but that could mean he will be wild. Kazmir has allowed 19 home runs already this year and Tampa Bay can definitely hit the ball out of the park. The wind will be blowing out at game time as well. Shields has an ERA of almost 8 in his two starts in LA. I think both of these pitchers will allow too many base runners and the hitters will cash in. Take the over 9 in this game!

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* The Diamondbacks are my favorite team in the majors to play an "over" with. This is a team that plays in a hitter friendly ballpark and has the worst bullpen in the majors by a huge margin. Hudson has been good in his first few starts with the DBacks, but I feel like he is due for a bad game, and he isn't likely to be around past the sixth inning or so. Chacin has good stuff, but is inconsistent at this point. These two teams haven't scored much in the first two of the series, but I think that changes here. Take the over.

*3 Star Total Dominator* Max Scherzer has been excellent of late and the Indians lineup shouldn't be able to do much with his amazing stuff. In his last 10 starts Scherzer has allowed just 15 runs total, and in his last 3 starts he has an ERA of 1.35. The under is 8-3 in his last 11 starts overall. Joel Tomlin has started out his career with the Indians very nicely, and the under is 4-0 in his first four starts. Tomlin has very good stuff and can keep the batters guessing. The Tigers bats have gone much colder of late. The under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these teams as well. The under looks like the play here. Take under 8.5.

*3 Star TGIF Bookie Smasher* Andy Fletcher is behind home plate in this one, and that is great news for the under. The under is 11-5 in his last 16 games behind home plate and he is historically one of the best under umpires in the game. The Orioles have played much better of late since Buck Showalter took over, and the main reason is they are pitching much better. The under is 12-5-1 in their last 18 games. C.J. Wilson is pitching for the Rangers and the Orioles have had serious trouble hitting left handers this year. Baltimore is averaging just 3.01 runs per game against left handers. This looks like a great spot for the under in this one.

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* Carl Pavano has been very good all year for the Twins, which is one of the main reasons they are at the top of the AL Central Standings. Mark Buerhle has pitched very well on the road this year, and the Twins aren't nearly as good offensively against left handers. The under is 7-3 in Buerhle's last 10 starts against Minnesota. This game is extremely important to both teams, and I think these pitchers will bring their best stuff and the defenses will be solid. I like the under here.

*3 Star East Coast Special* Jered Weaver has had a terrific season and the Boston Red Sox lineup is severely hurting right now. Without Youk, Ellsbury, and Pedroia they lose a lot of their pop. Clay Buchholz has been outstanding all year long for the Red Sox, and in his last 3 starts his ERA is just 1.54. The under is 21-8-4 in Weaver's last 33 games overall. Weaver and Buchholz are both pitching their best baseball of the season right now, and I think this has a good chance of becoming a pitcher's duel. Take under 8 here.

*3 Star Bookie Basher* The Yankees look like they will be a little short handed as Alex Rodriguez and Nick Swisher both left with injuries on Monday. The under is 6-0 in Justin Verlander's last 6 starts, and in his career against the Yankees he has pitched well. Sabathia has been great, especially at home. Bill Miller is behind the plate in this one and he has the highest percentage of called strikes in the major leagues, so that will definitely help the under. These two offenses struggled Monday, and I think they will once again on Tuesday. Take under 7.5.

*3 Star Smash the Books Total* I'm really liking taking the over anytime Chris Volstad is pitching, especially on the road. Volstad has a road ERA of 6.19 on the year. McDonald is a young starter for the Pirates who started out hot, but doesn't have terrific stuff. The wind will be blowing out a little bit in this one. Florida's bats are hot, and the over is 14-6-1 in their last 21 games. The over is 5-1 in Pittsburgh's last 6 home games. With these two pithcers on the mound I think this is a nice value on the over.

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* Vicente Padilla has had a very solid year for the Dodgers, and Jair Jurrjens appears to be getting good and healthy for the Braves. If there is a perfect umpire for an under it is Mike Estabrook. The under is 23-9-2 in his last 34 games behind home plate. The first couple games in this series have been very low scoring, and I expect this will be the same. The slight breeze from center will help keep the ball in the park as well. The under is 6-0 in Jurrjens last 6 home starts and 6-1 in the last 7 meetings between these two in Atlanta. I think the value here is on the under.

*3 Star Bookie Crusher Special* Trevor Cahill has not given up an earned run in his last 3 starts. Brian Duensing has an ERA of 1.99 at home this year. The under is 13-3-1 in the A's last 17 games. The under is 5-0-1 in the Twins last 6 home games. The under is 5-0 in Duensing's last 5 home starts and the under is 20-7-2 in Cahill's last 29 starts overall. All of this adds up to a nice looking bet on the under in this one. Neither team is hitting particularly well and both pitcher's are dealing right now. Take the under here.

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* Jason Marquis and Ian Kennedy is a great pitching matchup to take the over here. Kennedy has struggled mightily on the road of late and Marquis has been on the DL and isn't showing good form. Kennedy has an ERA of 7.31 in his last 3 starts, which means we'll probably see a lot of the worst bullpen in the major leagues. The Nationals should be able to score several on the DBacks here and I fully expect Marquis to get hit around some by Arizona as well. The over looks like a great value here.

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* The Twins have to be thrilled with how well Carl Pavano has been pitching this year. Pavano looks like the dominant pitcher of old. Gio Gonzalez is having a breakout year with the Athletics as well. Gonzalez has an ERA of just 3.51 on the season. The Twins struggle against left handers, and Oakland's offense has been very quiet of late. The under is 12-3-1 in Oakland's last 16 games. I think this will be a well-pitched game on both sides. I think the under is the play here.

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* Livan Hernandez has been an absolute under machine this year. The under is 19-3 in his 22 starts this season. At home his ERA is just 2.77 this year. Ricky Nolasco has struggled overall this year, but his numbers are actually much better on the road. Nolasco's ERA on the road sits at 3.86. The wind is expected to be blowing in from center at about 10 mph and we have a bit of an under umpire here as well. Both of these teams have been scoring quite a bit recently, but the pitching match up makes me think the value is on the under here. Take under 8.

*3 Star Early Bird Play of the Day* Angel Campos is behind the dish here, and that is great news for the over. Campos has the smallest strike zone in the big leagues so far this year. It doesn't hurt that both teams are hitting the baseball well right now either. The DBacks are a much better team against left handers, so they should get to Randy Wolf some in this one. Rodrigo Lopez has been struggling quite a bit of late, so I expect the Brewers to put several runs on the board. The match ups and the umpire make this one a strong play on the over.

*3 Star Tasty Total Play of the Day* The game time temperature is expected to be in the mid 90's with moderate humidity, which will help the ball fly out. Chris Volstad has been horrendous on the road this year, with an ERA of 6.08. Scott Olsen has been pretty good at home, but the Marlins hit left handers very well. Both teams are swinging hot bats right now. The over is 4-0 in Florida's last 4 and 3-1-1 in Washington's last 5 games. The value in this one appears to be on the over. Take over 9 here.

*3 Star Early Bird Special* The Tigers have been falling apart over the last couple of months, but Justin Verlander is on the hill on Wednesday afternoon. Verlander is their ace, and he has been great at home. Verlander has an ERA of just 2.88 in his home starts this year. Matt Garza threw a no hitter against these Tigers just a couple of weeks ago, so he knows how to get through this lineup. The under is 5-0 in Verlander's last 5 starts. I believe Verlander will quiet the Rays offense and Garza will shine once again. This has the looks of a game that will be decided by a run or two in a low scoring affair. Take the under here.

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* The Phillies have continued to produce on offense even without Howard, Utley, and Victorino. The weather is expected to be hot, with fairly low humidity, which should help the ball fly out of Citizens Bank Park in Philly on Tuesday. The over is 41-20 in Kyle Kendrick's last 61 starts overall and 9-4-1 in Padilla's last 14 starts. Padilla isn't nearly as good on the road, and Kendrick has struggled at home. I think the value is on the over in this one. Take over 8.5.

*Fantastic Five Star Total* The Brewers bats are on fire right now and Arizona's pitching staff is the worst in the big leagues. Ian Kennedy is on the hill for Arizona in this one and his ERA in his last three games is 7.02. Chris Narveson is pitching for the Brewers and his ERA at home sits at 6.20 on the year. Arizona is actually a much better team against left handers, so they should have that as an added advantage over Narveson as well. This really looks like a game that could light up the scoreboard. I expect both starting to pitchers to struggle, and then when the bullpen's come in they will provide very little relief. I really like the over in this one!

*3 Star Total Knockout Play* Joe Saunders has been settling in very nicely in Arizona, and he appears to be much improved from earlier this year. Mat Latos has been amazing all year long. The under is 8-3 in Latos' last 11 starts. I expect Latos to keep the DBacks bats at bay, and Saunders to pitch well again in front of his new home crowd. The Padres struggle against left handers, which should make Saunders even more effective. The value is on the under in this one.

*3 Star Total Value Play* Trevor Cahill is quietly having a very impressive season. Cahill has an ERA of just 1.88 at home this year and his daytime ERA is just 1.60 as well. Colby Lewis is on the hill for the Rangers and he has been very solid all year long. The under is 20-7 in Lewis' last 27 road starts and 18-7-2 in the Rangers last 27 overall. The under is 8-0-1 in Cahill's last 9 home starts and 5-0-1 in the Athletics last 6 games overall. Expect a pitcher's duel here and take the value on the under.

*3 Star Trash the Books Total* Rick Porcello has been in terrible form this year and Trevor Bell has been no better for the Angels. These two starters are both liable to be gone by the fifth inning if they continue their recent trends. Bell has an ERA of 6.23 in his last three starts and Porcello's is 7.13. I think both offenses should have enough in them to make this a high scoring affair with these two starters on the mound. I like the over in this one.

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* It would be tough to find two pitchers in either league who have been pitching better than Matt Cain and Tim Hudson in the last three starts. Cain has an ERA of 1.19 in his last 3 starts and Hudson has a ridiculously low ERA of 0.87. The under is 13-5-2 in Cain's last 20 starts and 8-2 in Hudson's last 10 starts. These teams are only half a game apart in the standings, and this game could mean a lot down the road. I think both pitchers bring their A game and this one stays very low scoring. Take the under here.

*3 Star TGIF Late Night Bailout* I don't normally like to eat this kind of juice on totals, but this is an important number and I really think these two pitchers are worth this price. The under is 16-5-1 in the Rangers last 22 games overall and the under is 23-9 in Dallas Braden's last 32 home starts. Cliff Lee is pitching brilliantly and the under is 5-0 in his last 5 starts. This is the type of game that I see staying close the whole way and ending in a 2-1 or 3-2 type of score. Take the under in this one.

*3 Star Late Night Total* Fister has been a different pitcher at home this year with an ERA just above 2.5 at home. Wilson has been good everywhere, and the Mariners struggle to hit left handers. The under is 19-7-1 in the Mariners last 27 home games. Jim Wolf is behind the dish here and the under is 20-7 in his last 27 behind home plate. The numbers and data point to the under as the play here.

*3 Star NL Total Play* R.A. Dickey has been one of the biggest surprises in baseball this year. He has an ERA of just 2.32 for the year and 1.29 in his last three starts. The under is 10-4 in Dickey's starts this year. These two teams have a history of playing low scoring games when they get together. The under is 10-1 in the last 11 meetings. John Hirschbeck is behind the plate and that is great news for the under. I think this will be a tight game to the very end and I think the under is a nice value play here.

*3 Star East Coast Total Play* The Yankees can really hit the ball, especially when they are in Yankee Stadium. Ricky Romero is a quality left handed pitcher, but he tends to struggle a bit on the road. The Yankees are averaging over 6 runs per game off of lefties so far this year, and I think they'll get to Romero in this one. Dustin Moseley is pitching for the Yanks and though he has fared well, I think he is due for a poor outing. The umpire here is a solid over umpire and the wind will be blowing out to left field as well. This looks like a solid over play.

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* To say that Bruce Chen and Kevin Millwood have struggled recently is a huge understatement. In their last three starts the two have respective ERA's of 7.94 and 10.66. Both started the season actually pitching pretty decent, but have absolutely been torched of late. A nice hot and low humidity day should be good for the ball to fly well in this game. The over is 7-1 in Chen's last 8 home games. The over is 7-1-1 in Millwood's last 9 starts overall. Both offenses have looked good in this series. I think the value is on the over in this one.

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* Ryan Detwiler is starting for the Nationals, and he has never really proved himself in the majors. The Phillies offense has been improving quite a bit of late. Joe Blanton has been an over machine, with 10 of his last 13 road starts going over the posted total. It will be a hot day in Washington, which won't hurt things a bit. I think both starters will get run out of this one pretty early on. Take the over here.

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* Mike Pelfrey has been horrendous of late, with a 10.45 ERA in his last three starts. The Diamondbacks aren't a good team, but they can hit the ball. Ian Kennedy is much worse on the road, with an ERA of 4.70 for the year. Given the fact that these two starters have been struggling so badly I think the total is set too low in this one. The value play is on the over in this one. Take over 8.5.

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* Doug Eddings is the umpire here and he has the biggest strike zone in baseball. C.J. Wilson is having a breakout year, posting an ERA of just 3.03 for the year. The under is 5-1 in Wilson's last 6 starts. The Rangers bats have cooled off in a big way of late, with the under going 6-0-1 in their last 7 games overall. Mazzaro has pitched extremely well of late, and the under is 10-3-2 in his last 15 road starts. The signs all point to the under in this one, so go with under 8.5.

*3 Star Under Play of the Day* Bill Miller is behind the dish and if you are looking for an under, he is the umpire you want to see. The under is 47-17-4 in his last 68 games behind the dish. Livan Hernandez has been an under machine all year as the oddsmakers continue to doubt him and Tim Hudson has fared great in the past against the Nationals. I like this one to be a tight game and a low scoring contest. Take the under.

*3 Star Early Bird Special* Beckett just got off the DL and isn't in form yet, and Joel Piniero has struggled against Boston in his career. The wind will be pushing the ball out to center in this afternoon game in LA. I think the total should be set a little higher in this one and I like the over here.

*3 Star Under Play of the Day* The biggest under umpire in today's game is John Hirschbeck and he's behind the plate in Oakland Sunday. The under is 16-6-1 in his last 23 behind home plate. The under is also 23-8 in Dallas Braden's last 31 home games. The under is 34-16-2 in the last 52 games between these two teams. The data all points to the under. I like under 8 here.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* The biggest over umpire in the league in Jim Reynolds is behind the plate here. The Padres have been crushing the ball of late, with the over going 10-3 in their last 13 games overall. Lincoln has an ERA of over 10 in his last 3 starts, so the Padres will have a chance to keep their hot hitting going Sunday. The wind is expected to be blowing out at 10 mph, so that will help the ball fly out easier as well. Take the over.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* Rick Porcello is back, but he isn't form. Shawn Marcum has an ERA of over 7 in his last three games. Porcello doesn't have a good initial matchup in the Blue Jays, who hit home runs like crazy. The wind will be pushing the ball out toward left field and I think the value is on the over here. Take the over.

*3 Star Early Bird Special* Normally I don't like to play an over on such a ridiculously high number, but I think it is justified. The Yankees are crushing the ball at home of late. The over is 8-1 in thier last 9 home games. Davies' ERA is 5.71 on the road and Mitre isn't overpowering either. The wind will be blowing out at 10 mph or so and the home plate umpire is one of the bigger over umpires in the game. Take the over here.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* Matt Cain hasn't been himself at all of late and he has fared poorly in Arizona in the past. Rodrigo Lopez is not a very good pitcher and the Giants have been hitting better of late. The over is 30-18 in Arizona's 48 home games this year. I think this has the potential to be a game where both teams have to use the bullpen a long time, and Arizona's bullpen is the worst in baseball. Take the over here.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* Ricky Nolasco has been an over machine at home of late with a 6-1 record to the over. The Rockies are hitting the ball extremely well, as evidenced by 14 of their last 19 games going over the posted total. Hammel is a good pitcher, but he isn't the same on the road. The over is 7-2 in his last 9 road starts. Jim Reynolds behind the dish is a huge plus for the over as well. I like the over in this one.

*3 Star Under Play of the Day* Colby Lewis has been an under machine on the road (16-5 in his last 21 road starts) and Jim Wolf has been an under machine behind the plate (16-5 in his last 21). The under is also 4-1 in Max Scherzer's last 5 games overall. Both pitchers are getting their act together of late and I think this could be a pitcher's duel. I think the value is on the under here.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* Tim Wakefield has been getting beat around of late and I think it could certainly happen again in this one. Angel Campos is the biggest over umpire in the game in the last couple of years and he is behind the dish here. The over is 7-0 in the last 7 meetings between these two teams. The wind is expected to be blowing out to center at 14 mph during this one. I like the value on the over.

*3 Star Under Play of the Day* The wind is expected to be blowing in toward home plate at about 12 mph during this one and the home plate umpire has a nice and wide strike zone as well. Galarraga is much better at home, where the under is 7-3 in his last 10 starts. The under is 5-1 in the Rangers last 6 games overall as well. I think this one is set a little too high. Take the under here.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* The Brewers have started crushing the baseball of late. A lineup with Braun, Fielder, Hart, and company should score a lot of runs, and they are finally doing just that. Karstens is a below average pitcher and he is the type of pitcher Milwaukee should be able to get to in a big way right now. Capuano is not in good form at all and I expect the Pirates will put quite a few on the board as well. This has all the makings of a high scoring game. I like the over.

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* Johan Santana has been on his game of late, with an ERA well under 1 in the last three games. Sanchez is also a much better pitcher at home, so the Mets should have trouble getting too much going. I think this match up of left handers will stay low scoring all the way though. This has the potential to be a 2-1 type of game. Take the under.

*Saturday MLB Top Play of the Day* The Orioles and the Blue Jays are both hitting the ball well right now. Jim Reynolds is the umpire you want if you are looking for an over, and he'll be behind the dish in this one. Guthrie and Morrow both have an ERA of 6 in their last three starts. All the data and trends lead me to think this one could be a very high scoring affair. I love the over here!

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* It's Strasburg time again and so far that has generally meant a low scoring game. The wind is expected to be blowing in at about 15 mph and Ricky Nolasco has been pitching much bettero of late as well. I think this has the makings of a tight game that goes down to the wire and stays low scoring. Take the under in this one.

*3 Star Under Play of the Day* Wandy Rodriguez is rounding into form beautifully of late, and the St. Louis Cardinals are struggling offensively. The Cardinals are hitting just .255 against left handers this year and the Astros are hitting a miserable .236 against right handers. The under is 27-11-1 in the last 39 meetings and the under is 7-3-1 in Wandy's last 11 starts against the Cards. With a nice under umpire behind the plate in Andy Fletcher, I'm taking the under here.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* The over has been the play of late when Johnathan Sanchez and Craig Stammen are on the hill and I think it is again this Saturday. Both the Nationals and the Giants hit much better off of left handers than righties, and both pitchers can struggle with control. The home plate umpire is known to have a pretty small zone, so I expect to see plenty of walks. Take the over here.

*3 Star Early Bird Special* The Mets and the Braves are in a heated battle at the top of the NL East right now. Pelfrey and Hudson both have great numbers against the opponent in this one. Pelfrey is a much better pitcher at home. The home plate umpire is Bill Hohn, and he is known as a strong under umpire. I think this one is a tight low scoring game. Take the under.

*3 Star Under Play of the Day* Dan Haren and Ricky Nolasco both were supposed to have terrific years and started out slow, but they are both putting it together of late. Nolasco has been much better on the road than at home. The under is 11-5-5 in the last 21 meetings between these two. I like the value on the under here.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* If you are looking for an over, Jim Reynolds is the umpire you want to see. Reynolds is behind the dish in this one and both pitchers have been struggling quite a bit of late. Shields has pitched much worse at home and the Indians have a nice history against him. I think both teams put up a few runs in this one. Take the over.

*3 Star Early Bird Special* Bill Miller is the umpire behind the plate here and that makes the under worth a look. The under is 44-17-4 in his last 65 games behind the plate. The under is also 26-10-1 in the last 37 meetings between these two teams. On a get away day game the lineups may be a little weaker as well. I like the under in this one.

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* Trust me when I say I'm typically not a fan of taking overs with Tim Lincecum on the hill, but I think this is a good spot. Lincecum has struggled of late, and in his career his ERA is 5.67 against the Brewers. At the same time, the Giants hit lefties well so I think they'll put up several runs against Narveson. This total appears set too low. Take the over.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* The Dodgers and the Marlins are both hitting the baseball quite well right now. Volstad has struggled mightily on the road and Padilla is quite inconsistent. These two teams have a history of high scoring affairs. The over is 16-5 in their last 21 meetings, including 10-2 at Los Angeles. A breeze toward center and a nice over umpire doesn't hurt either. Take the over.

*3 Star Under Play of the Day* These two teams have both had some great pitching and light hitting all year long. Hernandez has really surprised people with how well he has pitched for the Nationals. The under is 13-2 in his 15 starts this season. The under is 6-0-2 in Richard's last 8 road starts. This has the makings of a low scoring and tight game. Take the under.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* The two starting pitchers in this one aren't going to scare either of the lineups. The wind tunnel that pushes balls out of the park is working in our favor tonight. The over is 12-3-2 in the last 17 meetings in Texas between these two teams. I think this one has all the makings of a very high scoring game. Take the over.

*3 Star Under Play of the Day* Bill Miller is behind the plate in this one and he is a big under umpire. The under is 43-17-4 in his last 64 behind home plate, which is quite an amazing stat. Nolasco is starting to pitch better of late and Hudson has been pitching very well. I think this has all the makings of a low scoring affair. Take the under in this one.

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* The Cardinals have been having hitting trouble of late, and they hit just .248 on the year against lefties. Parra has fared very well agains the Cardinals in the past. Carpenter is always very tough at home. The under is 5-0 in Parra's last 5 against St. Louis and the under is 22-10 in Carpenter's last 32 home starts. Take under 8.

*3 Star Under Play of the Day* The White Sox bats have cooled off some in recent days and Brian Bannister is much better at home than on the road. Gavin Floyd has an ERA under 1 in his last three games, so I expect him to keep the Royals offense down. The wind is expected to be blowing in from center at about 10 mph. This looks like a solid under!

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* The Orioles are starting to hit the ball hard in the last few games. The over is 7-0 in the Orioles last 7 games. The over is also 6-0 in the Nationals last 6 road games. Both pitchers have an ERA of over 5.50 in their last 3 starts, so the hitting should keep going in this one. The wind will be blowing out to center and the umpire has a pretty small zone. I like over 9.5 in this one.

*3 Star Under Play of the Day* The Marlins and the Padres are both struggling offensively right now. Wally Bell is a bit of an under umpire and the wind is expected to be blowing in pretty heavily from center field. Latos and Sanchez have both been great this year. I think this will be on of those games that goes down to the wire and it should stay low scoring. Take the under.

*3 Star Big Play* The Yankees are a powerful offensive team and the Dodgers have been hitting the ball well of late. Burnett has been horrendous in his last 3 starts with a 10.93 ERA. Kuroda has an ERA under 1 in his last 3, but the Yankees will be the best lineup he has faced. The wind is blowing out and the biggest over umpire in the game in Jerry Crawford is behind the dish. Take the over here.

*3 Star Under Play of the Day* John Hirschbeck is behind the plate here and that makes this a nice under play. The wind is also projected to be blowing in from center field at 15 mph during this one. Johnson has been the best pitcher in baseball over his last several starts and the Marlins offense is slumping of late. I think this one stays very low scoring. Take the under.

*3 Star Big Play* The Rays got no hit on Friday night, but I think they'll bounce back and hit the ball against Kennedy. The Diamondbacks hit left handers well so I expect them to get to Price some. The umpire in this one has a very small strike zone, so expect several walks to help the cause. I like over 8.5 in this one.

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* Sam Holbrook is behind the dish in this one and he's a great umpire for the over. Blanton has been awful of late so the Indians should be able to score some. The Phillies offense is starting to come back to life of late and should put up some runs. The wind is expected to be howling out to center and the temperature will be in the mid 90's. I like the over.