*3 Star MLB Runline Play of the Day* The Pirates beat the Reds 7-6 yesterday thanks to a poor performance from Edinson Volquez. In Game One of this series the Pirates beat the Reds 6-1, only to see the Reds bounce back with an 11-2 win in game two. I expect the Reds to bounce back with a big win again on Monday night. Travis Wood is on the hill for Cincinnati, and I think he is a very good young pitcher. Wood pitched once against the Pirates last year and allowed just 2 hits and no runs. Kevin Correia starts for the Padres, and his ERA at Great American Ballpark is above 6. Keep in mind, the Pirates are just 14-53 in their last 67 road games, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see them get blown out here. I like the Reds -1.5.

*3 Star MLB Totals Takedown* Francisco Lirano actually pitched well most of the game in his last outing. He had one bad inning where the Royals strung together a bunch of bloop hits, but overall he looked better. The Orioles aren't hitting well right now, but they are definitely playing some very good defense. Justin Morneau missed Sunday's game with the flu, and he may well miss Monday's game as well. The Twins lineup is already without Joe Mauer. The under is 14-3 in the Twins last 17 games overall. The under is 34-16-1 in the Orioles last 51 against a left-handed pitcher. Take the under in this one.

*3 Star MLB Dog of the Day* The White Sox haven't been playing well of late, but I think this is a good spot for them. Edwin Jackson is facing his old team, and the last time he showed up in Tampa Bay against the Rays he threw a no hitter for the Diamondbacks last June. No one on this Tampa Bay team has had success against Jackson in the past, and the Rays may be without Johnny Damon in this one. Damon injured a finger on Sunday and said it was "very sore" later in the day. This Tampa Bay lineup isn't strong to start with, and without him they would be very weak. David Price is a very good pitcher, but he hasn't fared well against the White Sox. The Rays are just 1-4 in his last 5 starts against the White Sox. I think the White Sox win this one because of their strong lineup.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* Chase Field is a hitters paradise when the roof is open, especially when the weather is hot with low humidity. The roof is expected to be open tomorrow with 90 degree heat and almost no humidity. Expect the ball to travel extremely well in this game. Bumgarner is struggling badly with his control this year and he can give up the long ball. Enright has struggled at home, especially with the roof open. While Saturday's game stayed under the total, I think this game will be a very high scoring game. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Run Line Play of the Day* The Oakland Athletics have Trevor Cahill on the mound Sunday. Cahill has been terrific at home the last couple years. The A's are 20-8 in his last 28 home starts overall. Brad Penny has been poor on the road in his career, especially in the last couple years. The Tigers aren't hitting the ball well at all now, and I don't think they'll do much against Cahill. I think this is a solid value on the A's to win by at least two. I'll take the better starting pitcher. Take Oakland -1.5.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* The Seattle Mariners are a terrible hitting team. Other than Ichiro, they really don't have anyone on their team who scares the opposition much at all. Kansas City isn't better than average at the plate, and Michael Pineda has shown to be a very good young pitcher for the Mariners. Pineda should have the upper hand facing the Mariners for the first time. Jeff Francis has his command working very well so far this year, and the Royals may have gotten a good value when they picked him up. The under is 35-17-5 in Brian Runge's last 47 games behind the plate, and he is the umpire in this one. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Totals TKO* The Twins lineup simply isn't the same without Mauer in the middle of it. Jeremy Hellickson is a very good young pitcher for the Rays. Hellickson has an ERA of just 3.00 at home in his young career. Brian Duensing is a decent pitcher, and we all know the Rays offense has been terrible this year without Longoria. The under is 22-4 in the Rays last 26 games overall. Both teams are missing their best hitter, and I think this is the type of game where both starter's take control early. Take the under here.

*3 Star MLB Totals Early Bird* Doug Eddings is behind the dish in this one, and there isn't a better umpire to have behind the plate if you want an 'under'. The Red Sox are still struggling to hit the ball well, and Eddings will have a wide strike zone. The under is 15-5-1 in Eddings last 21 games behind the plate. Jon Lester is pitching the Sox, and he has looked much better in his last couple outings. Lester is great at home, and the under is 4-1 in his last 5 starts against Toronto. I expect this one to stay under the total.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Blowout* The Cincinnati Reds are a much better team than the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates took game one in this series, but the Reds won game two 11-2. Edinson Volquez settled down nicely in his performance against San Diego earlier this week. Jeff Karstens has never proven to be an effctive starting pitcher in the majors. The Pirates are 1-9 in Karstens last 10 road starts. The Pirates are 0-4 in Karstens last 4 starts against the Reds. The Reds are 6-1 in Volquez's last 7 home starts. I expect a comfortable win for the Reds here.

*3 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* Chase Field becomes a hitter's paradise with the roof open. The Chase Field website says the roof is expected to be open in this one. We have two pitchers who are extremely capable of getting hit around in this matchup as well. Barry Zito is struggling in a big way with his control right now, and I think he'll get punished by this DBack offense if that continues on Saturday. Joe Saunders was lit up by the Cincinnati Reds in his last start with the roof open at home, and I think that is likely again here. The over is 4-1-1 in Zito's last 6 starts against Arizona. I expect a high scoring affair here. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Mound Mistmatch* Nelson Figueroa is a journeyman who has never settled in at any particular spot in his career. Figueroa has given up 6 runs and 5 runs in his first two starts this year for the Astros. He doesn't have great stuff, and he often struggles with his control. Mat Latos is a very good young pitcher, and he has great numbers against Houston. Latos has pitched 16 innings in his short career against Houston and he has yet to allow a run. In his one start at Houston he allowed just 2 hits in 8 innings. I don't see the Astros getting many runs here, and I think San Diego can get to Figueroa. Take the Padres -1.5.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Boston Red Sox are slumping in a big way right now, but JoJo Reyes is the type of pitcher that they should be able to hit. Reyes is a youngster who doesn't have any overpowering pitch to put away hitters. Josh Beckett has pitched well so far this year, but the Jays have been a thorn in his side in the past. Beckett's ERA against the Jays in his career is 7.03. This is a day game and Reyes has a terribly 7.07 ERA in his day starts. These Boston bats are too good to stay silenced forever, and I think they'll bust out here. At the same time, the Jays should score quite a few as well. I like the over.

*3 Star TGIF Bookie SMASHER* Zach Britton is the top pitching prospect in the Orioles organization, and he is one of the best in the majors. In his first two starts in the major leagues he has given up a total of just one run. He shut down the mighty Texas Rangers lineup in his last start. Justin Masterson has been very good at home over the years. His ERA at home is 3.83 in his career. The Indians don't have a very good lineup, but they are playing great defense. The Orioles defense has been tremendous this year. The under is 13-5 in the Orioles last 18 games overall. The under is 6-1 in Masterson's last 7 starts overall. The under is 11-5 in the last 16 meetings between these two. I like this one to stay under the posted total.

*3 Star Moneyline Value Play* I'll be the first to admit I typically don't like betting on a guy like Bruce Chen. Chen is a journeyman who has the potential to pitch a solid game here or there and then get blown up, but he has looked decent this year. The other primary reason I am betting this game is Doug Fister and the Mariners are terrible on the road. I believe the Mariners will be one of the worst teams in baseball this year. The Mariners are 28-62 in their last 90 road games. The Mariners are 3-13 in Fister's last 16 road starts. The Royals are 4-1 in Chen's last 5 home starts. The Royals are slowly improving, and I think they'll win this game.

*3 Star Big Bounceback Spot* The Atlanta Braves bats were silenced by Josh Johnson last night. Johnson nearly no-hit the Braves. Ricky Nolasco will pitch for the Marlins on Thursday, and the Braves have fared well against Nolasco in the past. Nolasco's ERA at Turner Field is almost exactly 5. The Marlins are 2-5 in Nolasco's last 7 starts in Atlanta. Brandon Beachy is a solid young starter for the Braves, and I think the Braves have the better lineup of these two teams. Don't forget the Braves have typically had one of the best home field advantages of any team in baseball. I like Atlanta to win this one.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* Phil Hughes has not been good at all this year. Hughes hasn't been able to put anyone away. In fact, Hughes has just one strikeout through two starts. This Baltimore lineup has struggled a bit so far this year, but they have a ton of talent and I think they could bust out at any point. On the other side, Arrieta is a pretty decent young pitcher, but I don't expect him to shut down this very good Yankees lineup. The wind is expected to be blowing out at about 10 mph. Phil Hughes has trouble with the long ball, and he hasn't fared well at Yankee Stadium. The over is 14-5 in his last 19 starts at home. The over is also 4-0-1 in his last 5 starts against Baltimore. Take the over.

*3 Star Trend Bashing Moneyline Play* The Milwaukee Brewers are now 41-13 in their last 54 games against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Anytime I can get the Brewers at essentially even money against the Pirates, I have a hard time not biting. Randy Wolf is 8-3 in his career against Pittsburgh. The Pirates are just 3-11 in Paul Maholm's last 14 starts against Milwaukee. Even if we call the pitching matchup even, the Brewers definitely have the better lineup. Fielder has started the season hot, and Braun has hit Maholm well in the past. I'm not going to fight the trend here. Take the Brewers.

*3 Star Early Bird Special* This will be the second game of a doubleheader in New York on Thursday afternoon. One of the main reasons I like this game is the Rockies appear to have the edge when it comes to depth. Colorado has several guys that have a bit of a platoon, and I think they'll be hurt less by lineup changes in the second game. I would expect Beltran, and maybe even Wright or Reyes to be out of the second game for the Mets. Jorge De La Rosa has been a fast starter in the last few years, and no one on this Mets team has had much luck against him in the past. I like the Rockies in game two.

*3 Star Late Night BAILOUT* Chase Field once again showed how friendly it is to hitters when the roof is open last night. The DBacks won 13-8 in a game with Chris Carpenter as the starter for the Cardinals. I've cashed in twice with the over in this series, and I'm going to try for a sweep here. The dry heat causes the ball to carry in the desert air and it is a huge boost to the over. Jake Westbrook hasn't pitched well on the road. The over is 4-1 in his lats 5 road starts. The over is 5-2-1 in Kennedy's last 8 home starts. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* Wandy Rodriguez is absolutely terrific at home, and Carlos Zambrano is a much better pitcher on the road. The umpire in this one, Paul Emmel, has a wide strike zone, and typically calls quite a few 'under' games. The trends in this one are extremely impressive. The under is 6-0 in Rodriguez's last 6 home starts against the Cubs. The under is 12-2 in Zambrano's last 14 road starts against the Astros. The under is 32-14-2 in the last 48 meetings between these two teams in Houston. I expect a pitcher's duel in this one. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Moneyline Value* Shawn Marcum is a pitcher I'm pretty high on. Marcum has solid stuff and he has pretty good control as well. Kevin Correia pitched poorly in a great pitchers park last year in San Diego, and I think his first couple starts a bit of an aberration. I think Marcum is the better pitcher. The Brewers have had the Pirates number over the last few years. Milwaukee is 40-13 in their last 53 games against the Pirates. The Pirates are 36-82 in their last 118 games against a right-handed starter. I like the Brewers to win this one.

*3 Star MLB Runline Value Play* Roy Halladay is the best pitcher in baseball. John Lannan isn't a bad pitcher, but he has been terrible against the Phillies in his career. The Nationals are 1-10 in his last 11 starts against Philadelphia. The Nationals are 0-7 in his last 7 home starts against the Phillies. Twice last year Halladay and Lannan squared off and the Phillies won 11-1 and 8-0 in those two games. I'm not going to overthink this game. The Phillies have the better offense, the far better pitcher, and I think this is a good value on the runline. Take Philly -1.5.

*3 Star Early Bird Total* I unsuccessfully played the under in this matchup last night, but I think Thursday afternoon's game is likely to be lower scoring. Both teams have struggled against left-handers, and both pitchers in this game are high quality left-handed starters. The Athletics are hitting less than .200 against lefties this year, and the White Sox are only scoring 3 runs per game against lefties. The under is 4-1 in Danks' last 5 starts against Oakland. The under is 9-4 in Anderson's last 13 road starts. The under is 25-10-1 in these two teams last 36 meetings in Chicago. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Runline* The Minnesota Twins are a fairly solid team, and I think they are much better than Kansas City at this point. Kyle Davies is a pitcher I like to fade pretty often. Davies is capable of getting beat up on any given outing, and the Twins have fared well against him in the past. Mauer and Kubel are both hitting better than .400 against Davies. Liriano hasn't been good this year, but the Royals have struggled with him in the past, and I think he'll bounce back in this game. The Royals are terrible against lefties. In fact, KC is 8-29 in their last 37 road games against a lefty. Take Minnesota -1.5 here.

*3 Star MLB Late Night Bailout* The Los Angeles Angels have a very poor offense this year. Fausto Carmona has fared extremely well in the past against the Angels. Torii Hunter is just 5 for 28 in his career against Carmona. Dan Haren has been one of the best first-half starters in the league for the last few years. The Angels have made it a habit to not give Haren much run support at all. The under is 8-0-1 in Haren's last 9 starts overall. The under is 24-9 in the last 33 meetings between these two. Barrett is the umpire in this one, and he leans slightly toward the under. I like the under in this game.

*3 Star Weather Factors Over Play* Chase Field is a whole different ballpark when the roof is open. On a warm day with low humidity the ball travels extremely well in the desert. Last night it was a little cooler than it will be tonight, and there were three home runs last night. Don't be surprised if there are three or more home runs in this one. Chris Carpenter is a very good pitcher, but he has the tendency to get frustrated easily, and I could see these young DBacks getting to him a bit. On the other side, Galarraga makes his first home start, and I don't think he will be well-suited to this park. He was in a pitcher's park in Detroit the last few years, and he will find this ballpark a whole different story. I like the over in this one.

*3 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* Trevor Cahill is one of the better pitchers in the American League. Cahill has great command and he is a bulldog on the mound. Edwin Jackson is a streaky pitcher, and he has started the season red hot. Neither of these teams has a terrific lineup. The under is 5-0 in Oakland's last 5 games overall. The under is 4-1 in Cahill's last 5 starts against the White Sox. The under is also 33-16-2 in the last 51 meetings between these teams. I expect a game with some very good starting pitching here. Take the under.

*3 Star Dog of the Day* Chris Volstad is on the hill for the Marlins, and he has been very good against Atlanta in his career. Volstad has 2.84 ERA in his three starts at Turner Field. Volstad is also a fast starter. He has a 3.84 ERA in April. I believe the Braves are being overvalued right now. The Braves lineup isn't that impressive. Tommy Hanson has some very good stuff, but he has been having a lot of trouble locating his pitches. The Marlins are 4-1 in Volstad's last 5 starts against Atlanta. I think this is a very good price on Florida. Take the underdog here.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Texas Rangers have been the best team in the majors so far this year. C.J. Wilson has come out in his first two starts and shown he is ready to be the number one starter for the Rangers. Brad Penny has struggled mightily in his first couple starts this year. Adrian Beltre, Michael Young, and Mike Napoli all have great numbers off Penny in their careers. Wilson has been underrated by the books for quite a while now. The Rangers are 27-10 in his last 37 starts. They are 17-5 in his last 22 starts against a team with a losing record. I like the Rangers here.

*3 Star MLB Dog of the Day* Clayton Kershaw is a very good young pitcher. Madison Bumgarner is an extremely talented young pitcher. Kershaw has developed and matured as a Major League pitcher, and I think Bumgarner still needs to do that. Kershaw held the Giants to just one run a few days ago, and I think he'll pitch well again in this pitcher's ballpark. The Dodgers lineup is slightly better than the Giants, and we are getting a possible CY Young candidate at plus money here. I really like the Dodgers in this one.

*3 Star Late Night Bailout* The Cincinnati Reds have one of the better offenses in all of baseball. With Phillips, Votto, Rolen, Gomes, and Bruce they have plenty of guys in the middle of the order who can make you pay with one swing of the bat. Mat Latos has been injured and will make his first start in this one. Latos is very good, but he could be a little rusty in his first start back. Edinson Volquez is on the hill for Cincinnati, and he has been very erratic this year. Volquez often struggles to find the strike zone. Petco is definitely a pitcher's park, but with two starting pitcher's who have significant question marks in this one I am taking the over.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* Chase Field becomes a hitter's dream when the roof is open. The low humidity helps the ball carry extremely well. One would think the roof will be on Monday night with a forecast of 75 degrees and sunny. Kyle McClellan and Barry Enright are both inconsistent pitchers, and I think they will get hit around pretty good in this one. It is quite normal for games to finish 10-8 like the DBacks game against the Reds did on Sunday when the roof is open. The Cardinals hitters have struggled this year, but with Matt Holiday back in the lineup they should improve quite a bit. Take the over.

*3 Star Moneyline Cash Play* The Houston Astros simply aren't a good team this year. The Astros lineup doesn't strike fear in anyone. The Cubs have a decent lineup and a fairly good bullpen as well. Houston has a decent starting rotation, but Nelson Figueroa, their worst starter, is starting in this game. Ryan Dempster has been solid on the road in the past, and I expect a solid effort out of him in this one. Based on the Astros roster, I think the short price on the Cubs here is a great value. Take the Cubs in this one.

*3 Star MLB Runline Play of the Day* The Boston Red Sox started the year 0-6 and everyone started jumping ship on them. This is still a very good baseball team. Tampa Bay has been the worst hitting team in all of baseball by a long way, and I don't expect them to light up Matsuzaka in this one. None of the current Rays hitters have good career stats against Dice K. Hellickson is a great young prospect for the Rays, but he has been much better at home. Hellickson is also more prone to the long ball than Dice K, and the wind is expected to be blowing out at 15-20 mph here. I like the Red Sox to win big here.

*3 Star MLB Moneyline Cash* The Cincinnati Reds are a pretty solid team this year. Mike Leake started the season out very well last year, and his numbers are actually a lot better on the road than they are at home. The Reds teed off on Joe Saunders twice last year. Arizona is just 3-9 in Saunders' last 12 starts overall. The Reds are 8-1 in their last 9 games in Arizona. Leake is just as good of a pitcher as Saunders and the Reds have the better lineup. I like the value on the Reds here. Take the Reds moneyline in this matchup.

*3 Star MLB Dog of the Day* I think this is a case of the Giants being overvalued and the Cardinals being undervalued a bit. The Cardinals clearly aren't that great right now, but with Barry Zito on the hill I think the Cardinals have a good shot in this game. The Giants are just 1-6 in their last 7 against St. Louis when Zito is pitching. Zito is very inconsistent and he often walks far too many batters. Pujols and Berkman both have good numbers against Zito in their careers. I like getting St. Louis at this good of a price. Take the underdog here.

*3 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* The Oakland A's have a poor offense that struggles to manufacture runs. They also lack a real power hitter. Minnesota can score some runs at times, but Brandon McCarthy has the stuff to shut them down. A big reason I like this play so much is the home plate umpire in this one. Bill Miller is behind the dish here and he has been an under machine in the last couple years. The under is 54-24-6 in his last 84 games behind home plate. Both pitchers should be getting the corners in this one. I expect this one to stay under the posted total.

*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!