*3 Star MLB Runline Play of the Day* Yovani Gollardo started against the Cubs three times in 2010. In those three starts he gave up one run total! The Cubs clearly have a difficult time against Gallardo, who is a very talented young pitcher. Casey Coleman has an ERA over 7 against Milwaukee in his young career. Gallardo is much further along in his development process than Coleman. The Brewers are 5-1 in their last six games against the Cubs when Gallardo is the starter. I think he'll shut down the Cubs again and I like the Brewers to cruise in this one. Take the Brewers -1.5.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Washington Nationals don't have a lineup that will be able to put up a ton of runs all that often. New York is a decent offense, but I think Jason Marquis has a solid chance to shut them down. Marquis is a very streaky pitcher, and he looked good in Spring Training and in his first start. He is keeping the ball down and getting a lot of ground balls. Brian Gorman is the umpire in this one and he generally has a pretty large strike zone. Chris Young has pretty good stuff and I think he could do well in New York this year. I like the under in this one.

*3 Star MLB Moneyline Cash* The Orioles are a much improved baseball team, and I think Jake Arrieta has a chance to be a very good pitcher with some time. Matt Harrison had a good first start, but his numbers over the long run haven't been good. His career ERA is nearly 5.50, and his ERA against Baltimore is over 7. The Rangers have a solid lineup that can score a lot of runs, but I think people might be overlooking what a solid lineup Baltimore now has. With Brian Roberts, Nick Markakis, Vlad Guerrero, Derrek Lee, Luke Scott, Adam Jones, Mark Reynolds and Matt Wieters this is a team that should score a lot this year. I think the Orioles have the edge in pitching here, and at just about even money, I'll take the home team. Take Baltimore.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* I bet on the 'over' yesterday when these two met and lost despite a four run first inning from the Tigers. Both teams left the bases loaded and there were several base running blunders that prevented a score from occurring. I think the over will cash on Saturday. Phil Coke is starting for Detroit, and I'm really not sure he is a starter. Kansas City isn't a very good offense, but I don't think Coke will be able to shut them down. Bruce Chen starts for the Royals, and in his last four starts against Detroit the final total has been 10, 15, 10, and 15 runs. Obviously, he hasn't fared well against the Tigers. I expect both starters to have a short day. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Yankees have hit Clay Buchholz well in their past meetings. Buchholz has an ERA of over 5.50 against the Yankees. Ivan Nova has pitched against Boston in Fenway just once, but he didn't last long at all in that outing (2 and 1/3 innings). These two have arguably the top two offenses in the major leagues, so when the Yanks and Red Sox get together there should be a bunch of runs this year. We saw that come to fruition in Friday's game where the Red Sox won 9-6. The over is 8-3 in the Red Sox last 11. The over is 18-7-1 in the Yankees last 26. The over is 4-0 in the last four meetings between these teams. Take the over.

*3 Star Moneyline Cash Play* The Cleveland Indians are 4-2 this year, but they aren't a very good team. This will be their first road game, and I expect them to find this tougher sledding. Jason Vargas is one the hill for Seattle, and he has been great at home throughout his career. In fact, he has an ERA of just 3.21 at home in his career. Carlos Carrasco is pitching for Cleveland, and while he is talented, he makes too many mistakes and I think it will hurt him here. The Indians are just 3-10 in his last 13 starts. The Indians are just 31-65 in their last 96 road games. Take Seattle.

*3 Star MLB Dog of the Day* Carlos Zambrano loves pitching against the Milwaukee Brewers, especially in Miller Park. The Cubs are 6-0 in Zambrano's last 6 starts in Miller Park. Zambrano pitched in Milwaukee twice last year. He combined to pitch 13 and 2/3 and allowed just five hits and two runs. No one on this Brewers team has impressive stats against Zambrano. Randy Wolf isn't a bad pitcher, but I like getting Zambrano at plus money here. The Cubs are 54-24 in Zambrano's last 78 road starts. I like the Cubs to beat the Brewers on Friday.

*3 Star MLB Totals Takedown* The Tampa Bay Rays simply cannot score right now. It really is amazing, but the Rays have only scored one run in five of their six games this year. John Danks has a good history against the Rays, and this is not nearly as good of a Tampa Bay lineup. James Shields is on the hill for the Rays, and I expect a solid campaign from him this year. He pitched twice against the White Sox last year, and gave up just two runs in both outings. The under is 22-6-1 in the Rays lats 29 games. The under is 6-2 in Danks' last 8 starts against the Rays. The under is 24-11 in the last 35 meetings between these two.

*3 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* The Florida Marlins don't have a very good lineup, and the Houston Astros lineup is even worse. Ricky Nolasco and Wandy Rodriguez will be pitching in this one, and both of them are solid pitchers. Rodriguez is often dominating at home, and I think he'll fare very well in this one. Nolasco has actually had better numbers on the road than home in the last year or so. The under is 6-0 in the Marlins last six road games. The under is 6-2 in the last 8 meetings between these two in Houston. I think eight is a generous number when we have two poor offenses against two very good pitchers. Take the under here.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* Max Scherzer has struggled mightily this year, starting with Spring Training. It seems he hasn't been able to locate his pitches at all. Kyle Davies is a very inconsistent pitcher, and the Tigers have a nice history of hitting him well. Martinez, Peralta, and Ordonez are all hitting over .300 against Davies in their careers. These two teams have a nice history of playing high scoring against one another. The over is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings in Detroit. I think both pitchers are fully capable of imploding, and it wouldn't surprise me to see a very high scoring game. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* I think this game sets up nicely to be a low scoring affair. Josh Johnson is a terrific pitcher, and he has been brilliant at home over the last couple years. The under is 9-2-1 in his last 12 home starts. The under has been a good play with John Lannan pitching on the road as well. The under is 17-8-1 in Lannan's last 26 starts as a road underdog. The umpire in this game has a solid lean to the under with a pretty large strike zone. Both pitchers should be able to pound the zone here. The wind is expected to be blowing in at about 12 mph, which should help fly balls stay in the park. Take the under in this one.

*3 Star MLB Run Line Play of the Day* It will be Roy Halladay on the hill for the Phillies. The Phillies aren't a team to mess with when Halladay is on the mound. Halladay is the best pitcher in baseball right now, and the Phillies are 17-5 in his last 22 starts. They are 10-2 in his last 12 home starts, and 14-1 in his last 15 starts against an NL East Opponent. The Phillies are 4-0 in their last 4 against the Mets when Halladay starts. Niese is a solid young pitcher, but the Mets are just 1-4 in his last 5 starts. The two lineups are pretty even right now, but the home field advantage and the huge pitching edge goes to Philadelphia. Take Philadelphia -1.5.

*3 Star MLB Under the Radar Play* The Pittsburgh Pirates have quietly started the year off 4-2. This is a young team that is slowly improving. Last year the Pirates were awful, but it is important to remember that they weren't that bad at home. Pittsburgh was 40-41 at home last year. The Rockies were a pretty good team, but they were awful on the road. The Rockies were 31-50 on the road. Colorado will have gotten in late on Wednesday and then have to play an early game on Thursday, which is a tough schedule for the Rockies. Maholm's numbers against the Rockies are bad, but most of the damage has been done in Denver. I think the Pirates will win in front of a packed crowd in their home opener.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Cincinnati Reds are 5-0 to start the season. The Astros are 0-5. Cincinnati is hitting the ball very well right now, and the Astros are having a terrible time with errors. Houston committed five errors on Wednesday night. The over is 6-0 in Houston's last 6 road games. The over is 4-1 in the Reds five games this year. Jim Reynolds is the umpire in this game, and the over is 65-32-4 in his last 101 games behind the plate. Don't expect either pitcher to get a ton of help in this one. I like the over.

*3 Star Moneyline Play of the Day* Ricky Romero is a very good young pitcher. Romero has an ERA under 2 in April in his young career, and he has been terrific at home all through his career. Trevor Cahill is another talented young pitcher, but Cahill is not nearly as good on the road as he is at home. The Jays scored eight runs off Cahill in Toronto last April. Bautista will be out of the lineup for Toronto, but the lineup is still decent. The A's are just 1-7 in their last 8 games in Toronto. I think the Blue Jays have a nice edge on the mound, and I like the value on the moneyline here. Take Toronto.

*3 Star MLB Moneyline Cash* The Oakland A's will start Dallas Braden in this game. Braden has historically been a very fast starter, and I expect a solid effort from him in this one. Jose Bautista, the Jays best hitter, will miss this game because of the birth of his child. Litsch will start for the Jays, and he has had quite a bit of injury trouble of late. I'm not sure he is healthy and ready to go yet, but it appears he will start. I think the A's have the much better pitcher here, and the lineups are pretty equal without Bautista. I like Oakland in this matchup.

*3 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* Justin Verlander has a history of shutting down the Baltimore Orioles. Brad Bergesen showed some marked improvement over the last few months last year, and he has a solid sinker. The Orioles are playing extremely good defense right now. The under is 4-0 in the Orioles four games this year. The under is 4-1 in Bergesen's last five starts. The under is 5-2 in Verlander's last 7 starts against the Orioles. The under is 4-0 in the last four meetings between these two teams. All the trends point to the under, and I think this one will stay under the posted total.

*3 Star MLB Afternoon ATS Play* Chad Billingsley hasn't fared well in Coors Field over his career. His ERA is over 5.5 at Coors Field, and the Dodgers are just 2-6 in his last 8 starts in Colorado. Jason Hammel has improved quite a bit at home over the last couple years. The Rockies are 22-7 in his last 29 home starts, and they are 23-5 in his last 28 home starts as the favorite. The Rockies have the better lineup and they have a solid home field advantage. I like the Rockies to win this one.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Tampa Bay Rays just don't have a very good lineup right now. Longoria is out and this team doesn't really have many guys that can get on base consistently. Dan Haren is pithcing for the Angels, and he has been a great first half pitcher for the last few years. Haren has the ability to shut teams down, and I think he could do that Wednesday to the Rays. Jeremy Hellickson is a very good young pitcher for Tampa Bay, and I think he'll continue his trend from last year of dominating the opposition at home. I think this one will be a low scoring affair. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Run Line Play of the Day* The New York Yankees are 31-6 in their last 37 home games against the Minnesota Twins. The Yankees are 23-5 in their last 28 home games when C.C. Sabathia is the starting pitcher. Brian Duensing simply isn't an overpowering type of pitcher, and I think the Yankees can get to him early on. Sabathia has good numbers against the Twins in his career, and the Yankees have dominated the Twins for the last few years. I believe this is a very good value on the Yankees. Take New York -1.5.

*3 Star MLB Bookie BASHER* The Boston Red Sox haven't been good to me so far this year, but I still think this team is far better than they have shown thus far. Josh Tomlin is not the type of pitcher that has overpowering stuff, and he is prone to giving up the long ball. The Red Sox should come in here ready to take out their frustration on a very weak Indians team. Josh Beckett was bad last year, but I think he'll improve some this year. The Red Sox are 26-8 in Beckett's last 34 against a team with a losing record. Boston is 19-7 in their last 26 against Cleveland. The Red Sox are 4-1 in Beckett's last 5 starts against the Indians. I think this could get ugly. Take Boston -1.5.

*3 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* The Angels and the Rays used to have a couple of the best offenses in the league, but now both teams are short on hitting talent. Tampa Bay scored just one run in each of their three games against Baltimore in the first series of the year. The Angels are without Kendry Morales, one of their best hitters. Jeff Niemann is on the hill for Tampa Bay, and he has shut down most of the Angels hitters in the past. Vernon Wells is just 2 for 21 in his career against Niemann. Abreu is just 2 for 13. In the same manner, Jered Weaver has been great against the Rays. The under is 4-1 in Weaver's last 5 against the Rays. The under is 35-15-2 in the Rays last 52 home games. The under is 28-10-5 in Weaver's last 43 starts overall. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Run Line Play of the Day* The New York Yankees have owned the Minnesota Twins over the last few years, especially when they play in New York. The Twins are a horrific 18-57 in their last 75 meetings against New York. Minnesota is just 6-30 in their last 36 games at New York. The Yankees have a terrific lineup that can put up the runs. Scott Baker is on the hill for Minnesota here. Baker hasn't been a pitcher that starts the season well historically. Baker's ERA in the first half of the season in his career is 4.95, while in the second half it is 3.72. Ivan Nova pitched fairly well for the Yankees last year, and the Yankees are 5-1 in his last 6 starts. The Yankees are 97-42 in their last 139 home games. I like the value on the Yankees -1.5 against a team they have dominated over the last few years.

*3 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* The Detroit Tigers have a very good lineup this year. Martinez and Cabrera in the middle of the order should help this team put up a lot of runs. Baltimore has started 3-0, and this Orioles team is very good offensively. There really isn't a weak spot in the Baltimore lineup. Porcello and Arrieta are both young pitchers who have been inconsistent in the majors. The weather is a major reason I am playing this game. The wind is expected to be blowing out at 15-25 mph during the game. Both of these pitchers (especially Porcello) have been prone to giving up the long ball. The over is 6-2 in Porcello's last 8 starts. The over is 5-1-2 in Arrieta's last 8 starts. Take the over in this one.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Atlanta Braves will send Brandon Beachy to the mound on Monday afternoon. Beachy is a solid young prospect, but I think he'll have a tough time shutting down this Brewers team that will be hungry for a win after getting swept by Cincinnati. Chris Narveson is on the hill for the Brewers, and I like to play the 'over' when he pitches. He had an ERA of 4.99 last year. The over is 6-2 in his last 8 home starts. The over is 7-1 in the last 8 meetings between these two teams. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Moneyline Play of the Day* The Boston Red Sox are a better team than the Texas Rangers, but they haven't shown it over the first two games. I expect that to change on Sunday. This Red Sox team is too good to be getting swept very often this year, and Harrison isn't a pitcher that the Red Sox lineup should have much trouble with. Buchholz will be on the hill for the Red Sox, and I expect another good year out of him. In the last two years Harrison has finished with an ERA of 6.11 and 4.71. I think this is the game where the Red Sox bats take out their frustration. Take Boston.

*3 Star MLB Dog of the Day* The Baltimore Orioles have started the year 2-0, and they are starting their top prospect on Sunday. Zach Britton is listed as one of the top five pitching prospects in the majors by many people. He was the Orioles best pitcher in Spring Training, and I think he can handle this Rays lineup. Evan Longoria will miss the game Sunday with an injury. Baltimore is a team that may well have value quite a bit early on this year. The Orioles have a very good lineup, and they are improving a lot defensively as well. I expect Baltimore to put up some runs here and pull off the upset.

*3 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* This will be the third straight day I've played the Twins/Jays over. The first day it worked, while Saturday it didn't because the Twins offense was non-existent. The Twins lineup is actually pretty good, and I think they are bound to breakout at some point. Brett Cecil is an inconsistent starter for Toronto, and Nick Blackburn has been roughed up quite a few times in the last couple years. Paul Schrieber is the umpire behind the dish here, and he is one of the bigger 'over' umpires in the league. Take the over in this game.

*3 Star MLB Runline Play of the Day* The Seattle Mariners aren't a very good team this year. The Mariners lineup is fairly weak, and their pitching staff isn't deep at all. Justin Vargas struggled badly on the road last year. The Mariners were 4-17 in his last 21 road starts last year. Brett Anderson is a talented left-hander for the Athletics, and I think he has a good chance of shutting down the Seattle offense in this one. The Mariners are 0-8 in Vargas' last 8 starts. The Mariners are also just 1-5 in the last 6 meetings with Oakland. The Mariners took the opener, but that was with King Felix on the hill. I expect the A's to bounce back with a solid win here. Take Oakland -1.5

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* The Yankees are going to score a lot of runs this year, but the pitching staff is nothing special. Burnett has been hot and cold for the last couple years, and this Tigers lineup is pretty decent now with Martinez and Cabrera in the middle. The conditions set up well for a play on the over. The wind is expected to be blowing straight out at 15 mph or so. The over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these two teams. Look for a high scoring affair here. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Minnesota Twins lineup is much stronger with Justin Morneau in the middle of the order. Toronto has a very good lineup, and I think they are a team that will score quite a few runs this year. Liriano is still a pretty good pitcher, but the over has been a good play in his starts. The over is 6-0 in his last 6 starts. Kyle Drabek starts for the Jays, and while he is talented, I don't expect him to be able to shut down a lineup with Morneau and Mauer in the middle. I like the over here.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* Carl Pavano generally doesn't start the season very well, and he doesn't like to pitch against the Jays. In his career Pavano's ERA is 4.70 in the first month of the year. Pavano's ERA against Toronto is 5.91. Ricky Romero is on the hill for Toronto, and he is a solid young pitcher, but he is coming back from an injury. The Twins get a big boost to their lineup when Justin Morneau goes back into the cleanup spot for Opening Day. Both teams have a solid lineup and neither pitcher has a favorable matchup. The over is 7-1-1 in the last 9 meetings between these two teams. I like the over in this one.

*3 Star MLB Moneyline Cash* The Boston Red Sox have extremely high expectations this year, and they have a lineup that could do a ton of damage. Boston's starting rotation is inconsistent, except for Jon Lester, who I expect to have a huge year. Lester has an ERA of 3.41 or better in each of his last three years and I think he could be poised for a breakout year. Texas isn't quite as good as last year, and I think C.J. Wilson's numbers will drop a bit this year. The Red Sox may well be the best team in the American League, so I don't want to pass up the ML at such a short price when they have their ace on the hill. The Red Sox lineup is better than the Rangers, and they have the better pitcher here as well. Take Boston in this one.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* Roy Halladay was the best pitcher in baseball last year, and I expect a lot from him again in 2011. The Houston Astros may have the worst lineup in all of baseball. Houston will struggle to score runs all year, and Halladay should absolutely shut them down. The Phillies lineup is good, but without Utley they aren't tremendous. Brett Myers has turned into a very solid pitcher, and he should be motivated to face his former team. The under is 11-4-1 in Myers' last 16 road starts. The under is 9-4-1 in Halladay's last 14 home starts. The under is also 5-0 in the last 5 meetings between these two teams. The wind is expected to be blowing in at about 15 mph on a cool damp day in Philly. I like the under here.

*3 Star Dog of the Day* The Los Angeles Angels aren't the same team they were a few years ago. One of their better hitters, Kendry Morales, is on the DL right now. Jered Weaver has been great at home the last few years, but his numbers on the road aren't all that impressive. He was just 7-8 with a 4.06 ERA on the road last year. Luke Hochevar was awful on the road last year, but he had a respectable 3.32 ERA at home. The Royals are getting some positive press of late, and this team is definitely going the right direction. At this price, I think the Royals are worth a shot as they are amped up for their home opener in the season debut. Take the Royals.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* Both Yovani Gallardo and Edinson Volquez are talented young pitchers, but both struggle to find the zone at times. Gallardo has struggled badly against the Reds in the past couple years, and Volquez has struggled against the Brewers. This is the type of game where it wouldn't surprise me if the pitchers don't give up too many hits, but because of control problems they give up several runs. The over is 4-1-1 Volquez's last six starts against the Brewers. The over is 3-0-1 in Gallardo's last four starts against the Reds. Neither pitcher has been consistent, and I think this number is too low. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Opening Day Early Bird* Livan Hernandez is on the hill for the Nationals and he has been great against the Braves for quite some time now. He also had a 2.73 ERA in day games last year. Derek Lowe had an ERA of 4.1 on the road last year. The Nationals weren't a good team last year, but they were still 41-40 at home. The Braves were 35-46 on the road. I expect the Nationals to be a little better this year. The Braves will be good, but they'll do most of their damage at home. The Braves are just 2-5 in the last 7 meetings in Washington. I like Hernandez to pitch well here. I like the value on this home underdog.

*3 Star World Series Total Knockout Play* The Giants and Rangers both scored far more runs than expected in Game One. The average bettor might be inclined to think the under is a good play in the second game because the pitching staffs will bounce back, but I like the value on the over in Game Two. C.J. Wilson is a solid pitcher, but he is definitely new to the big stage of the World Series. Matt Cain is a very good pitcher, but the over has been the play in his home starts of late. The over is 5-2 in his last 7 home starts. The over is 4-1 in the Giants last 5 home games. The over is 5-1-1 in Texas' last 7 games overall. How about the weather and the umpire? The wind is expected to be blowing out to center field at about 10 mph in this one. The home plate umpire is Sam Holbrook, who is one of the top over umpires in the league. Holbrook pinches the zone very often, which could hurt both Wilson and Cain, who like to paint the corners. I like the over in this one.

*3 Star Phillies/Giants GUARANTEED Winner* It is Roy Halladay vs. Tim Lincecum Part II. Lincecum and the Giants won the first battle, and I like the fact that they are home dogs in this one. Roy Halladay may well be the best pitcher in the league right now, but he hasn't fared well against the Giants. In his career against San Francisco he is 0-3 with an ERA above 7. He has allowed 33 hits against them in just 25 and 2/3 innings. Tim Lincecum is 3-1 in his career against the Phillies, and he has an ERA of just above 3. Lincecum is almost never an underdog, especially at home. This is a guy who won back to back Cy Young awards after all. The Phillies have been having serious trouble hitting the baseball of late, and I just don't think they'll snap out of it against Lincecum. I look for this to be a tightly contested game, but I'll take the home underdog to finish this one off. The public is betting on the Phillies because they know the Phillies must win this one, which has given us a nice value on the Giants moneyline.

*3 Star MLB Wednesday Play of the Day* The Philadelphia Phillies are down 2-1 in this series, and they are planning on sending out Joe Blanton. Blanton pitched well in the second half of the season, and I think he has a good shot at pitching well against a fairly light-hitting Giants offense. Madison Bumgarner is the starter on the other side, and I think he is being overlooked by a lot of people right now. Bumgarner has amazing stuff and he has the attitude to pitch well despite his inexperience in the playoffs. What about the stats? The under is 8-1 in Bumgarner's last 9 starts at home. The under is 13-4 in the Giants last 17 home games. The home plate umpire is Wally Bell, who called 64.3% of pitches a strike this year, which is one of the highest rates of all the umpires. The pitchers should get the edges on Wednesday, and I think this one will stay under the posted total.

*3 Star Tuesday MLB Play of the Day* The Giants took game one, but the Phillies bounced back in a big way in game two. Cole Hamels takes the mound in this one for Philadelphia against Matt Cain for San Francisco. I really like the way Hamels has been pitching down the stretch this year. His outing in Cincinnati in the NLDS was absolutely tremendous. Hamels had his best year as a pro this year, and he seems to have command of all his pitches right now. Hamels is only 26 years old, but this will be his 12th playoff start. Hamels has a 6-3 record and a 3.36 ERA in the playoffs. Matt Cain is only making his second playoff start, and the Giants are just 1-4 in his last 5 against the Phillies. I like Hamels in the pitching matchup. There is no debating that Philadelphia has the much stronger lineup in this series. What about the home field advantage for the Giants? Well the Phillies are 22-5 in their last 27 road games, so they have proven they can win on the road. I like the Phillies ML a lot in this game.

*3 Star Monday MLB Play of the Day* It will be Andy Pettite vs. Cliff Lee in Game Three on Monday evening. Lee has been great against the Yankees and Pettite has been great in the playoffs. We are getting even money on the over 7.5 here because of their great track records. Why do I like the over? The wind is expected to be howling out to center field at 15 to 20 mph in this. Both Pettite and Lee often give up a lot of fly balls. Both of these offenses are very strong, and it would only take one or two big innings to get to this total. Jim Reynolds is behind the dish and he is one of the biggest "over" umpires in all of baseball. The over is 56-32 in his 88 games behind home plate the last three years. Reynolds won't be doing the pitchers any favors in this one, and I think these lineups will put some runs on the board. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Play of the Day* The Braves fell apart at the end of Game Three, but the under still cashed in. Madison Bumgarner will face Derek Lowe in Game Four. Bumgarner is only 21 years old, but he has amazing stuff. Bumgarner has proven his toughness on the road all year long. In 10 road games this year Bumgarner has a record of 6-3 and an ERA of 1.91. Derek Lowe started twice in the regular season against the Giants and was 2-0. He gave up just one run in Game One, and I believe he will pitch will again. The Braves struggle mightily against pitchers they haven't faced before, and Bumgarner fits that billing. These two lineups are probably the weakest lineups remaining in the playoffs and both bullpens are tremendous. I like the under here.

*3 Star MLB Play of the Day* The Braves and Giants hit the ball a little more in Game Two, but I think there is a solid chance Game Three is a low scoring game once again. Jonathan Sanchez has quietly been brilliant for the Giants this year. Sanchez has been at his best on the road, as he has an ERA of 2.86 on the year. Tim Hudson has been superb at home all year for the Braves, and he gets the ball in this one. Hudson has a 2.48 ERA at home in 2010. The under is 15-7 in Hudson's last 22 starts overall and the under is 6-1 in Sanchez's last 7 starts overall. Both bullpens are solid and these are probably the two weakest lineups in the MLB playoffs. A solid under umpire also helps our cause in this one. I think the under is the play here!

*3 Star Braves/Giants Guaranteed Winner* The Giants started off this series with a 1-0 victory last night. I think we can count on there being more than one very low scoring game when these two teams meet. Both teams have a great pitching staff, but lack in the hitting department. Matt Cain is a very good number two pitcher, and the under is 4-0 in his last four starts against Atlanta. Tommy Hanson has been pitching brilliantly of late, with an ERA of 0.48 in his last three starts. For the season, Hanson actually pitched better on the road than he did at home. Paul Nauert is a nice under umpire behind the plate. The under was 19-12 in his 31 games behind the dish this year. The under is 7-2 in Atlanta's last 9 and 13-3 in San Francisco's last 16. This is a low number, but it deserves to be. Take the under here and expect another pitcher's duel.

*3 Star MLB Playoff Bookie Crusher* The New York Yankees will send Andy Pettite to the hill tonight. Pettite started the season on fire, but ended by having some injury trouble and struggling. It is the postseason now, and Pettite knows how to win. Pettite is 18-9 with a 3.90 ERA in the postseason. He owns the most postseason wins in the history of baseball. Carl Pavano had a good year, but I'm not sure he is ready for this Yankees lineup. New York is the type of team that can make you pay for every mistake you make. Is the home field advantage really a good thing for the Twins? The Twins are 0-9 in their last 9 home playoff games. The Yankees are 7-1 in their last 8 games in Minnesota, and Pettite is 4-0 in his last 4 starts against Minnesota. I like the Yankees at this short price.

*3 Star MLB Playoff Opener Winner* The playoffs are finally here and it is time for teams to win or go home. Cliff Lee and David Price are two of the best pitchers in baseball right now, and I fully expect them to bring their "A" game on Wednesday afternoon in Tampa Bay. Price has been superb at home, and the under is 15-5-1 in his last 21 home starts. The Rangers have struggled all year against left handers and this is a very tough test for them. Cliff Lee showed how good of a postseason pitcher he can be last year when he looked absolutely amazing every single game for the Phillies. I think he'll be ready for this one and give the Rays lineup all sorts of trouble. Game One favors the pitchers to start with in my opinion because of the jitters of playoff baseball, and with these two pitchers going, this could be a very low scoring game. I like the under here.

*3 Star MLB Finale Play of the Day* The Mets and the Nationals will square off in the season finale for both of these teams. Mike Pelfrey and Livan Hernandez have both had strong seasons on the mound. Pelfrey has been terrific at home. Pelfrey has a 10-3 record and a 2.92 ERA at home this year. He has four straight quality starts. Livan Hernandez has been an under machine this year. The under is 24-7 in Hernandez's 31 starts this season. The under is 4-0 in his last 4 starts against the Mets as well. We have a bit of an under umpire here and the wind is expected to be blowing in from center field at about 10 mph. The trends look great here and the two lineups should be pretty weak with guys like Beltran, Bay, and Zimmerman missing. I like the under here.

*3 Star MLB Play of the Day* The Reds and Brewers will face off in a quite meaningless game for both teams on Saturday afternoon. The Reds are in the playoffs and won't have home field advantage, while the Brewers will be done after Sunday's game. This is expected to be a cool breezy day in Cincinnati, with the wind blowing in toward home plate. Homer Bailey will be pitching for Cincinnati, and he has been solid against the Brewers throughout his career. The under is 5-1 in Bailey's last 6 against Milwaukee and 9-3 in his last 12 starts overall. Chris Capuano has quietly been pitching very well of late. He has five straight quality starts and the under is 4-1 during that time. I expect the Reds to rest some of their regulars in this one and both pitchers should pitch well. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Play of the Day* The Padres and Giants are playing a pivotal three game series in San Francisco. One thing I know well about these two teams is they are built on terrific pitching. Matt Cain is on the hill for San Francisco and he has been superb of late. Cain has an ERA of 0.82 in his last three starts. For the year, Cain has an amazing WHIP of just 0.95 at home. Clayton Richard is pitching for the Padres. Richard has been very good this year, and he has fared well against the Giants. He has four starts against the Giants this year and the most runs he has allowed has been two. The under is 4-0-1 in Richard's last 5 against the Giants. The under is 4-1-1 in Cain's last 6 against the Padres. The under is 20-8-1 in the last 29 meetings between these two. Take the under here.

*3 Star MLB Play of the Day* The Cincinnati Reds clinched their first playoff berth on Tuesday. The team rested all of its starters Wednesday and they will likely rest some of them on Thursday. Brett Myers is on the hill for Houston. Myers has been excellent all year long. Myers has an ERA of 2.89 for the season. Bronson Arroyo is the starter for Cincinnati in this one. Arroyo has a 2.65 ERA in his last three games. Arroyo has owned Houston in the past. The Reds are 6-0 in his last 6 starts against them and the under is 7-1 in his last 8 starts against the Astros. The under is 6-2 in his last 8 home starts. The under is 18-7-3 in Myers' last 28 starts overall. The Astros have a light hitting lineup and the Reds will be resting some key players. It sounds like a great time to take the under.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Atlanta Braves are in the thick of the wild card race right now. They need to win every game at this point, so you know they'll be putting everything into this game. The Braves are 43-17 in their last 60 home games. Derek Lowe has been pitching brilliantly of late. Lowe has an ERA of 0.95 in his last three starts and the Braves are 17-8 in his last 25 home starts. On the other side, the Florida Marlins are a beat up bunch right now. Their star, Hanley Ramirez, will miss this game due to injury. At this point their lineup is full of youngsters. On the mound Florida will have Andrew Miller. Miller has an ERA of 11.81 in his last 3 starts and the Marlins have lost his last four starts. This is a major pitching mismatch and the team that needs it more should win comfortably here. Take the Braves run line.

*3 Star Tuesday Total Domination* The Orioles have been playing much better baseball since Showalter took over. Brad Bergesen has been looking like a whole new pitcher over the last couple months. In his last five starts he has allowed just six earned runs. David Price is pitching for the Rays and he has been superb all year, especially at home. The left hander has an ERA of 2.11 at home on the season. The under is 18-7-1 in the Orioles last 26 road games. The under is 4-1 in Bergesen's last 5 road starts. The under is 4-0 in Price's last 4 home starts. I expect Price to shut down the Orioles and Bergesen to escape with minimal damage. I like the under in this one.

*3 Star Monday MLB Play of the Day* The Angels and the Athletics are both fairly light hitting teams, especially of late. The under is 19-5-3 in the Angels last 27 games overall. The under is 16-7 in Oakland's last 23 road games. Ervin Santana will be pitching for the Angels, and he has been great in his last few starts. Santana has an ERA of 1.85 in his last three starts and the under is 13-5 in his last 18 starts against Oakland. Brett Anderson is on the hill for Oakland, and he is dealing right now as well. Anderson has a 1.77 ERA in his last three starts and he will be facing an Angels team that hits just .242 against left handed pitchers. I like the matchup here and I think this will be a pitcher's duel. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Play of the Day* The Tampa Bay Rays are red hot right now and they have pulled out to a game and a half lead over the Yankees in the AL East. James Shields was beaten up in his last start in New York, but this time he'll be at home and against a much weaker lineup. On the year he has a solid 4.34 ERA at home and the Rays are 5-1 in his last 6 home starts. Lucas French will start for Seattle, and he has had trouble on the road. French has a 5.80 ERA on the road and the Mariners are just 1-6 in his last 7 road starts. Seattle is a very bad road team. They have lost 43 of their last 60 road games. The Mariners are 1-8 in their last 9 meetings with the Rays. I expect the Rays to take care of business once again on Sunday. Take the Rays -1.5.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination Play* The White Sox are out of the race in the AL Central, which should mean they'll start playing a lot of inexperienced youngsters to give them a chance. The Angels are on a big run of under games lately. The under is 10-2-1 in their last 13 home games, and 20-7-2 in their last 29 games overall. Scott Kazmir was awful earlier in the year, but he has pitched pretty well of late as he has gotten better control of his pitches. John Danks has pitched well historically against the Angels. The under is 6-2 in his last 8 starts against the Angels, including a game in which he pitched a shutout earlier this year. All signs point to the under being the play in this one!

*3 Star MLB Run Line Play of the Day* The Tampa Bay Rays have now won three straight, and they have taken the lead over the Yankees in the AL East. They know it is important for them to try to get home field advantage in the American League, so expect them to be playing all out in this one. The Seattle Mariners are a horrific road team. The Mariners have gone a miserable 23-53 on the road this year. Matt Garza has struggle of late, which is why we are getting such a good value. Garza's struggled have come primarily against the Yankees, and this Mariners team doesn't have even close to the lineup the Yankees do. The Rays are 21-8 in Garza's last 29 home starts. Expect the Rays to get the job done on Saturday evening.

*3 Star Run Line Play of the Day* Mark Rogers, a highly touted prospect for the Brewers, will make his major league starting pitching debut on Friday night. Rogers throws 100 mph on his heater quite frequently and has a very good curve. The Marlins offense is hurting badly now that Hanley Ramirez will be out the rest of the year. On the other side, Andrew Miller is pitching for the Marlins. Miller has been absolutely horrible of late. His ERA is 14.81 in his last three starts. The Marlins are just 1-4 in his five starts this year. The Brewers have a nice lineup with Weeks, Hart, Fielder, Braun, etc. and I think they'll put up a lot of runs again on Friday. I like the Brewers run line here.

*3 Star Rivalry Showdown Winner* The Yankees are now just 1/2 game ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East. Josh Beckett is pitching for Boston, but I actually think that should be considered a bad thing for Boston. It has been a long time since Beckett has pitched well against New York. In his last five starts against the Yankees he has allowed at least 5 runs in every single game. Andy Pettite has been great against Boston, as the Yankees have won four straight against Boston with him on the mound. The Yankees are quite healthy right now, while Boston is missing a whole lot of their lineup. I think the Yankees get the best of this one. Take the Yankees -1.5 here.

*3 Star TGIF Total Domination* Brett Myers has been one of the best pitchers in the National League this year. For the year, Myers has an ERA of 2.76. In his last three starts his ERA is just 0.43. Myers has not allowed more than 3 runs in a game since August 7th, a span of eight starts. During that time he has pitched three shutouts. On the other side, James McDonald is quietly pitching very well for the Pirates. McDonald has pitched a shutout in two of his last three starts and he has allowed just two home runs in 54 innings this year. The Astros and the Pirates are both teams with a weak offense, especially now that both teams have many injuries. The under is 14-3 in Houston's last 17 road games. The under is 13-3-1 in Myers' last 17 road starts. The under is 4-1 in McDonald's last 5 home starts. The under is the play here.

*3 Star Late Night Bailout Play* Cliff Lee went through a brief period where he was very hittable, but now that his back is healthy again he looks like the dominant Cliff Lee once again. In his last two starts he has allowed one earned run in both games, while pitching the Rangers to two wins. Dallas Braden has hit a rough patch of late. Braden has an ERA of 7.56 in his last 3 starts. The Athletics are 0-5 in Braden's last five starts. In addition, Braden has been beaten in both of his starts against Texas so far this year. I like Cliff Lee to outpitch Dallas Braden and the Texas Rangers to win this one.

*3 Star Tantalizing Total Play* This is a matchup of two pitchers that are absolutely struggling in a huge way right now. Talbot has struggled all year at home and he is battling a nagging injury right now. On the year Talbot's ERA at home is 6.37. The Royals have been hitting the ball well lately and the over has cashed in nine of their last ten games. Sean O'Sullivan starts for the Royals and his ERA is 11.57 in his last three starts. He hasn't had a quality start in the last month. The over is 5-0 in the Indians last five games as well. We have two teams who are hitting very well and two pitches who are struggling in a big way, so I love the over in this one.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* Felix Hernandez is on the hill and that usually means two things: the opposition won't score many runs, and the Mariners won't put many on the board to support Felix. The under is 16-4-2 in Felix's last 22 starts overall. In his last 8 games on the mound he has given up 0 earned runs five times and allowed only one earned run 2 times. The Blue Jays bats have cooled down a bit and the under is 4-1 in their last 5 overall. These get away days are usually solid under plays, and Mike Estabrook is a very solid under umpire behind the plate. I think this will be a low scoring game and the under is the way to go here!

*3 Star Major League Mismatch* Where is the mismatch in this game? The mismatch in this one is on the pitcher's mound. Wandy Rodriguez has been pitching extremely well for the past few months, and Jason Marquis has struggled in a big way. In his last ten starts Rodriguez has allowed three earned runs or less in every single game, including seven games where he has allowed one earned run or less. Jason Marquis has an ERA of 8.86 at home this year, and he is coming off a start against Philadelphia where he allowed 6 runs in 1/3 of an inning. The Nationals are just 2-9 in Marquis' last 11 starts. The Astros are 6-1 in Rodriguez's last 7 starts against Washington. The Astros continue to fly under the radar playing solid baseball of late, and Wandy is a very good pitcher. I'll take the Astros here.

*3 Star MLB Totals Terrorizer* The Colorado Rockies offense is absolutely on fire of late. The over is 6-0 in the Rockies last 6 games and they are averaging 7.3 runs per game during that span. Troy Tulowitzki is the hottest hitter in baseball and Carlos Gonzalez continues to tear it up. Joe Saunders is on the hill for Arizona and he hasn't been very good of late. He allowed 7 runs in 2 and 1/3 at Colorado just ten days ago. The Diamondbacks tend to put up some nice offensive numbers at home, so I expect some runs out of them as well. We all know the DBacks bullpen is absolutely horrendous, so if Saunders is gone early then the Rockies should do even more damage. Take the over here.

*3 Star MLB Bookie Basher* The Yankees and Rays are playing a crucial series in the Bronx this week. In Tuesday evening's game it will be Shields vs. Hughes on the mound. Shields has struggled of late, with a 6.32 ERA in his last three starts overall. On the road Shields has an ERA of 5.40 for the entire year. The over is 6-2 in Shields' last 8 road starts. Phil Hughes started the season great for the Yankees, but he has tailed off as the season has gone along. Hughes has strangely been much worse at home this year. Hughes has an ERA of 4.88 at home this year. In his last 15 starts at home the over is 12-3. These two teams tend to play high scoring game when they get together. The over is 11-4 in the last 15 meetings and 5-0 in the last 5 at Yankee Stadium. Take the over here.

*5 Star MLB Tuesday Top Play* I firmly believe the Phillies are now the best team in the National League. Roy Halladay has been solid all year long and the Phillies will have a huge pitching advantage in this one. It is the rookie Mike Minor pitching the Braves, and he has an ERA of 9 in his last three starts. Halladay has an ERA of 2.24 at home this year and he has allowed just one run in his two starts against the Braves this year. If the pitching mismatch isn't enough, this Phillies team has a much better offense than the Braves, and they are finally getting healthy! I expect the youngster to struggle and Halladay to be in form in this one. I love the value on the Phillies run line in this one!

*3 Star MLB Monday Major Value Play* The Philadelphia Phillies may have looked bad a few months ago, but they have things rolling now. A lineup with guys like Utley, Howard, Victorino, Polanco, Ibanez, etc. is not one that the opposing pitcher is going to want to see. Jair Jurrjens has been solid all year at home, but very poor on the road. Jurrjens has a 6.34 ERA in his last 3 starts and a 5.81 ERA on the road this year. Cole Hamels is pitching as well as anyone in baseball right now. Hamels has allowed just one run in his last four starts. The Phillies are 41-15 in their last 56 overall and I think this is a terrific value on the run line. Take the Phillies -1.5.

*3 Star MLB Run Line Play of the Day* Francisco Liriano is on the mound and that is great news for the Twins chances to win this one. The Twins are 10-1 in his last 11 starts and 6-0 in his last 6 home starts. The Twins are the hottest team in the AL right now, and they have won 39 of their last 53 games overall. Brett Cramer is a great story, but I don't think he can keep up with Liriano in this one. The Athletics don't have the lineup that the Twins do. Oakland is just 2-6 in their last 8 games against Minnesota. I like Minnesota to win this one by a comfortable margin. Take the Minnesota run line.

*3 Star MLB Total Dominator* Joe Blanton is pitching for the Phillies and he has been an over machine this year. The over is 9-1-1 in his last 11 home starts. Blanton has an ERA of 6.45 in his career against the Nationals and the over is 21-7-2 in his last 30 starts overall. The Nationals are starting youngster Yuneski Maya. Maya has plenty of potential, but this Phillies team has really started to hit the ball of late. The Phillies have the best offense in the NL and they are rolling of late. Maya doesn't have a big strikeout pitch and I think the Phillies will get to him in this one. I like the over in this game.

*3 Star MLB Run Line Play of the Day* The Tampa Bay Rays lost last night to the Angels and it cost them first place in the AL East for the time being. On Saturday they'll send their ace out to the mound. David Price has an ERA under 1 in his last three starts and the Rays are 19-7 in his last 26 starts at home. The Angels have struggled all year against left handers. Joel Pineiro is starting for the Angels, and he is coming off a long layoff and the disabled list. He has an ERA of 6.67 on the road. Tampa Bay needs this game far more than the Angels do, and I think they'll bounce back nicely in this one. Take the Tampa Bay run line in this one!

*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.

*MLB Play of the Day Guaranteed Winner* The Mets are 73-73 on the year, but they are an impressive 43-27 at home. The Pirates are 7-45 in their last 52 road games, and they currently lay claim to the worst team in baseball award. Pittsburgh is just 5-17 in their last 22 games in New York. Mike Pelfrey will pitch for New York, and although he has been inconsistent on the year, his numbers at home are still fabulous. Pelfrey has an ERA of 2.89 at home and the Mets are 11-5 in his last 16 home starts. Charlie Morton is on the hill for Pittsburgh, and Morton has been struggling mightily of late. Morton is 0-7 on the road this year and his ERA is an astronomical 11.38! The Pirates are a miserable 2-15 in Morton's last 17 road starts. Add it all up and I think we've found a terrific value on Mets run line in this one!

*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 Run Line Play of the Day* Clay Buchholz has been tremendous for the Red Sox this year. He was awful in his last outing at Oakland, but I fully expect him to bounce back nicely in this one. Buchholz has a 2.53 ERA for the year and Boston is 13-4 in his last 17 road starts. David Pauley is on the mound for Seattle. The Mariners have lost 5 of his last 6 starts at home and they are 0-4 in his last 4 starts overall. I think Seattle will have trouble getting much of anything off Buchholz and I think Boston will get several runs off of Pauley. The Red Sox -1.5 is a great value play here.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Houston Astros are staying under the radar of everyone, including the books, but they are winning a lot of games of late. Happ is on the hill Wednesday for Houston and David Bush for the Brewers. Happ is a good left hander that pitches especially well at home. Bush is horrific on the road. In fact, the Brewers are just 18-38 in his last 56 road starts. The Brewers are sliding right now, having lost seven of their last eight road games. The Astros on the other hand, are 17-6 in their last 23 games overall. Take the Astros run line at a big plus money number!

*3 Star MLB Moneyline Mania* The Houston Astros are quietly playing some solid baseball over the last month or two. The Astros are only six games under .500 after a horrific start to the season. Bud Norris is on the hill in this one, and the Astros are 8-1 in his last 8 starts overall. They are actually 5-0 in his last 5 home starts. Chris Capuano pitches for the Brewers and they are just 6-20 in his last 26 starts. He has pitched better of late, but not well enough to justify being even money in this one. I think the Astros are the value play with a pitching advantage and the momentum going into this game.

*3 Star MLB Run Line Play of the Day* The Phillies are playing terrific baseball right now. They have finally gotten healthy and they are getting great efforts from their pitchers of late as well. Cole Hamels has been the hottest starting pitcher in all of baseball of late. Hamels has not allowed a run in his last three starts. The Marlins are starting Adalberto Mendez, who has never started in the major leagues. Mendez's numbers were only fair in Triple A and I suspect he'll find it tough sledding when he faces the best offense in the National League on Tuesday night. I like the Phillies run line in this one.

*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 Guaranteed Cash* The Rockies have now won ten straight. No doubt this team someone finds another gear in the month of September and gets on these amazing streaks. I have backed this team frequently in recent days, and I'm not stopping just yet. Jeff Francis is just off the DL to start for Colorado in this one. He hasn't pitched well against San Diego in the past, but he generally fares well at home. The Padres are starting young left hander Cory Luebke. Luebke looks like a very good pitcher, but he has yet to go on the road, and making your first start at Coors Field can be extremely difficult. The Padres are 4-13 in their last 17 games, while the Rockies are 17-4 in their last 21. I'm taking the hot team who knows how to win in September. The run line has great value here.

*3 Star MLB Run Line Play of the Day* The Rockies are absolutely the hottest team in baseball right now. Chacin has been a very solid pitcher for this team, and his ERA is just 1.96 in his last 3 starts. Ian Kennedy has pitched very well of late, but he has struggled on the road this year. I think the Rockies will get to him in this one. The Rockies have won nine straight games and they are nearly unbeatable at home. I like the value at plus money on this run line play. Take the Rockies -1.5 in this matchup!

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Reds are getting closer and closer to putting themselves back into the playoffs once again for the first time since 1995. The Pirates are horrible on the road, as evidenced by their ridiculous 8-44 record in their last 52 games on the road. Brian Burres is starting, and he has never lasted long as a starting pitcher in the major leagues because his stuff just isn't that great. Johnny Cueto has had the Pirates number in the past, and he pitches for the Reds on Sunday. The Reds are 7-1 in his last 8 starts against the Pirates. The Reds are 8-3 in Cueto's last 11 starts at home. I think the Reds get to Burres and Cueto pitches well here. Take the Reds -1.5.

*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.

*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 Guaranteed Moneyline Winner* Don't look now, but the Houston Astros are playing some very good baseball of late. The Astros are 16-5 in their last 21 home games and they have climbed their way back pretty close to .500 on the season. J.A. Happ has been a very nice acquisition for this team. Happ has had six quality starts in a row now for Houston. The Dodgers struggle mightily against left handers, so Happ should fare well against LA. The Astros have won it with pitching and defense over the last few weeks and I fully expect them to do that again on Friday evening. Take the Astros moneyline in this one.

*3 Star Run Line Play of the Day* The Cincinnati Reds have lost five straight games. The lead over the Cardinals has fallen to five games. No doubt the Reds are fading in September, but going home to face the Pittsburgh Pirates should be just what the doctor ordered for this team. Paul Maholm is on the mound for Pittsburgh and he has a 5.43 ERA on the year. Homer Bailey is pitching for the Reds. Bailey has shutout the Pirates in his last two starts against them, so he definitely feels comfortable against Pittsburgh. How bad is Pittsburgh on the road? The Pirates are actually 9-45 in their last 54 road games. This is a team that has a terrible rotation, bad defense, and a very weak lineup. The Reds should bounce back nicely in this one. Take the Reds -1.5.

*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 Run Line Play of the Day* Gio Gonzalez has quietly been absolutely amazing in the last few months. Gonzalez has given up a grand total of five earned runs in his last six starts. On the year he has a 2.59 ERA at home. The Athletics are 13-1 in Gonzalez's last 14 starts when they are favored and they are 4-0 in their last 4 home games when he starts. Lucas French has been pitching well for Seattle, but that has been at home. On the road French has an ERA over 5 and the Mariners are 1-5 in his last 6 road starts. The Mariners are just 22-49 in their last 71 road games and I think Gonzalez will shut them down on Wednesday night. Take the Athletics -1.5.

*3 Star Underdog of the Day* The Houston Astros have been playing very good baseball of late. Brett Myers has been one of the most underrated pitchers all year long. The Astros are 8-3 in his last 11 starts and 5-2 in his last 7 road starts. The Cubs have played better of late, but they are just 2-6 in Randy Wells' last 8 starts overall and 1-4 in his last 5 home starts. The Astros are 6-2 in their last 8 games at Wrigley Field, so they don't have any problems winning in Chicago. I think the Astros are a great value here and they are my underdog play of the day!

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Yankees have lost three straight games and they have let their AL East lead dwindle down over that time period. Losing two straight at home to the Orioles is not something you would expect from the Yankees. Ivan Nova is on the hill for Game Three in this series and he is a bit an unkown for New York, but he has pitched fairly well. Brad Bergesen is pitching for the Orioles and he has been terrible on the road this year. Bergesen has a road ERA of 5.31 and the Orioles are just 4-14 in the last 18 games he has started on the road. The Yankees are still light years ahead of this Orioles team in talent and they know they need to win this game. I think they'll win it handily. Take the Yankees -1.5.

*3 Star Late Night Bailout* The Seattle Mariners are 21-49 in their last 70 road games. On Monday, Brett Anderson shut them down. Tuesday they'll face another very good left hander in Dallas Braden. The Athletics are 4-0 in Braden's last 4 starts as a favorite and 4-0 in his last 4 starts against the Mariners. This Seattle team is lacking offensive firepower in a big way and Doug Fister is just not very good on the road. Fister has a road ERA of 5.10. The Mariners are 0-5 in Fister's last 5 starts. The Mariners are 0-6 in their last 6 games at Oakland. I think the Athletics will take this one again by a comfortable margin. Take the Oakland run line here.

*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.

*3 Star Moneyline Guaranteed Winner* The San Francisco Giants are right in the thick of the playoff race right now. They were able to take two out of three from their rivals, the LA Dodgers, over the weekend. Madison Bumgarner is on the hill for San Fran in this one and he is likely their future ace. Bumgarner has been great away from home this year and the Giants are 5-1 in his last 6 road starts. The Diamondbacks have been playing better of late, but I think the odds have moved too much in their favor because of their temporary increase in production. Kennedy was beaten up in his last home start against the Giants and I think the Giants are the value play in this game. Take the Giants moneyline.

*3 Star Run Line Play of the Day* The Seattle Mariners have played their last ten games at home, but now they must go to the road to face the Athletics. Brett Anderson is a solid left handed pitcher that should be tough on the Mariners in this initial game of their road trip. Oakland has been great home this year, with an impressive record of 40-28. On the other hand, the Mariners are just 21-45 away from home. Jason Vargas has pitched very poorly of late. I think the A's have the edge in all aspects of this game. Take the Oakland run line in this one.

*3 Star Early Bird Special* The Kansas City Royals are 5-17 in their last 22 road games. The Minnesota Twins are 55-25 in their last 80 home games. The Royals will start youngster Sean O'Sullivan, who has a 5.50 ERA on the year. The Twins have Kevin Slowey on the hill, and the Twins have a great 24-9 record in his last 33 home starts. The Twins are one of the hottest teams in all of baseball and they just swept the first place Rangers this past weekend. The Royals lineup is quite weak right now and they are at a clear disadvantage in the pitching department in this game. Take the Twins -1.5 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 MLB Moneyline Winner* Carl Pavano has been a very pleasant surprise for the Minnesota Twins this year. The Twins are 11-5 in his last 16 starts. On the other hand, the Rangers are just 1-7 in Colby Lewis' last 8 starts overall. The Rangers are also 0-4 in their last 4 meetings. Marquez is the umpire here and the home team has fared extremely well when he has been behind the dish in the past couple of years. The Twins are 52-25 in their last 77 home games. I like the Twins in this one.

*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 MLB Early Bird Special* The Yankees are really on a roll right now. This Yankees team has won seven straight games and they are really crushing the baseball right now. The Blue Jays have Mark Rzepczynski on the hill in this one, and the Yankees teed off on him in their last meeting. He has had serious control issues of late, walking 12 batters in his last 3 starts. With an umpire behind home plate with a small strike zone on Saturday, I suspect he'll have trouble once again. The Yankees offense is in the zone right now and I fully expect them to light up the scoreboard in this one. I like the Yankees runline in this early game.