Sports Picks & Predictions

6* MLB Interleague *CA$H COW* on New York Yankees -1.5 (+101)

The Key: The New York Yankees have a lot at stake in their final game of the season.  They can improve their seeding with a win.  The Marlins don’t have much to play for and are just happy to have made the postseason, especially after going just 2-5 in their last 7 games overall.  The Yankees will hang a big number on Jose Urena, who is 0-3 with a 6.00 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in 21 starts this year.  That should allow them to cover the -1.5 run line even with rookie Clarke Schmidt on the mound.  The Yankees are 18-2 as a home favorite of -150 or more this season and winning by 4.3 RPG.  Take New York on the Run Line.

6* MLB Interleague *CA$H COW* on Chicago White Sox -1.5 (+128)

The Key: The Chicago White Sox are 13-0 against left-handed starters in 2020 and scoring 6.9 RPG.  They get to face lefty Jon Lester for a 2nd time this season.  The 1st on August 21st was a disaster for Lester.  He yielded 8 runs and 4 homers in 3 2/3 innings of a 10-1 win for the White Sox.  Dane Dunning is 2-0 with a 3.19 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 6 starts this year, including 1-0 with a 2.20 ERA and 0.74 WHIP in 3 home starts.  Take the White Sox on the Run Line.

6* MLB Interleague *MOUND MISMATCH* on Minnesota Twins -140

The Key: The Twins have a huge edge on the rubber today with Jose Berrios over Tyler Mahle.  Berrios is 3-2 with a 2.67 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 5 home starts this year.  Mahle is 0-2 with a 6.39 ERA and 1.58 WHIP in 3 road starts.  The Twins are 22-5 at home this year. The Reds are 1-8 in road games after allowing 2 runs or less this year.  Mahle is 1-12 as a road dog of +100 or higher over the last 2 years.  Take Minnesota.

6* Thursday MLB *UPSET SPECIAL* on Chicago White Sox +127

The Key: The Chicago White Sox just lost the AL Central lead for the first time since August.  They will be hungry for a win after dropping 4 straight, including the first 3 games of this series to Cleveland, so they want to avoid the sweep after losing to walk-off HR’s each of the past 2 days.  Dallas Kuechel comes in to stop the bleeding today.  Kuechel is 6-2 with a 2.04 ERA in 10 starts this year, 3-1 with a 1.62 ERA in 6 road starts, and 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in his last 3 outings.  Kuechel is 4-1 with a 2.50 ERA in 8 previous starts against the Indians.  The wrong team is favored in this matchup.  Take Chicago.

6* AL Central *CA$H COW* on Minnesota Twins -1.5 (-135)

The Key: The Minnesota Twins have won 3 straight to pull within 0.5 games of the Chicago White Sox for 1st place in the AL Central.  They keep their momentum going today against the Detroit Tigers, who are 5-15 in their last 20 games overall.  The Twins have a big edge on the rubber in this one.  Kenta Maeda is 5-1 with a 2.52 ERA and 0.76 WHIP in 10 starts this year, and 2-0 with a 1.33 ERA and 0.52 WHIP in 4 home starts.  Casey Mize is 0-2 with a 6.09 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in 6 starts for Detroit.  Mize is 0-0 with a 6.43 ERA and 1.57 WHIP in 2 starts against the Twins this year.  The Twins are 15-3 in home games against right-handed starters this year and winning by 2.3 RPG on average.  The Twins are 21-4 vs. an AL starting pitcher with an ERA of 5.90 or worse over the last 2 years, and outscoring these teams by 3.0 RPG on average.  Take Minnesota on the Run Line.

6* AL West *CA$H COW* on Houston Astros -1.5 (-115)

The Key: The Houston Astros are fighting to make the postseason and have won 3 of their last 4 coming in.  The Mariners have been eliminated from postseason contention and are 2-6 in their last 8 games overall with all 6 losses coming by 2 runs or more.  The Astros have the edge on the rubber today with Zack Greinke, who is 3-2 with a 3.90 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 11 starts this year.  Greinke is 7-1 with a 1.86 ERA and 0.93 WHIP in 13 lifetime starts against the Mariners.  Nike Margevicius is 1-3 with a 5.34 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in 6 starts this year, and 0-2 with a 6.89 ERA and 1.66 WHIP in his last 3 starts.  Greinke is 59-17 as a favorite of -175 to -250 lifetime with his teams winning by 2.1 RPG on average.  Take Houston on the Run Line.

6* MLB Interleague *CA$H COW* on St. Louis Cardinals -113

The Key: I like the price we are getting on the St. Louis Cardinals today as they try and make the playoffs.  They also look to bounce back from a loss to the Royals as a big favorite yesterday.  Austin Gomber has only made 2 starts this year, but he has a 0.00 ERA as he has fired 5 2/3 shutout innings for the Cardinals.  Brady Singer is 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA and 1.64 WHIP in 3 home starts for the Royals this year.  Gomber pitched 5 shutout innings in his lone lifetime start against the Royals in a 7-0 victory.  The Royals are 29-72 in their last 101 home games against a team with a winning record.  Take St. Louis.

6* American League *MOUND MISMATCH* on Houston Astros -134

The Key: The Houston Astros are fighting to make the postseason as they embark on the final week of the season.  They have a great chance considering they play the 2 worst teams in their division on the Mariners and Rangers.  The Astros have the edge on the rubber today over Seattle.  Lance McCullers is 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in his last 3 outings.  McCullers is 7-2 with a 2.95 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in 13 lifetime starts against the Mariners.  Marco Gonzalez has never beaten the Astros, going 0-5 with a 6.61 ERA and 1.84 WHIP in 7 lifetime starts against them.  His teams are 0-7 in those starts.  Take Houston.

6* American League *MOUND MISMATCH* on New York Yankees -1.5 (-115)

The Key: The New York Yankees are 10-0 in their last 10 games overall with 8 wins by 2 runs or more.  They have scored a combined 57 runs in their last 5 games and are getting healthy at the right time.  The Red Sox are 19-34 with nothing to play for.  Deivi Garcia has been superb for the Yankees, going 2-1 with a 3.28 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in 4 starts, including 1-1 with a 3.06 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in 3 road starts.  The Yankees are 12-0 in their last 12 matchups with Boston with 11 of those wins coming by 2 runs or more.  Take New York on the Run Line.

6* American League *MOUND MISMATCH* on New York Yankees -1.5 (-131)

The Key: The New York Yankees are 9-0 in their last 9 games overall with 7 wins by 2 runs or more.  They have scored a combined 49 runs in their last 4 games and are getting healthy at the right time.  They have the edge on the rubber over the Red Sox once again today.  J.A. Happ is 1-2 with a 3.96 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 7 starts this year.  Chris Mazza is 1-1 with a 6.28 ERA and 1.81 WHIP in 4 starts.  Happ is 12-5 with a 3.22 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 26 lifetime starts against the Red Sox, which is no small feat.  Mazza is 0-1 with a 12.00 ERA and 3.00 WHIP in his lone lifetime start against the Yankees, which came back on August 16th.  The Yankees are 11-0 in their last 11 matchups with the Red Sox with 10 of those wins coming by 2 runs or more.  Take New York on the Run Line.

6* American League *MOUND MISMATCH* on New York Yankees -1.5 (-134)

The Key: The New York Yankees are now 8-0 in their last 8 games overall with 7 wins by 2 runs or more.  They have scored a combined 43 runs in their last 3 games and they are getting healthy at the right time.  Now they have a big edge on the rubber over the Boston Red Sox tonight.  Jordan Montgomery is 2-2 with a. 4.76 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 8 starts this year for the Yankees.  Montgomery has never lost to the Red Sox, going 1-0 with a. 3.42 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 5 lifetime starts against them.  He has yielded just 2 runs in 9 1/3 innings in 2 starts against the Red Sox in 2020 alone.  Martin Perez is 0-3 with a 5.48 ERA in 4 home starts for the Red Sox this year.  Perez is 2-3 with a 9.85 ERA and 2.07 WHIP in 6 lifetime starts against the Yankees.  The Yankees are 10-0 in their last 10 matchups with the Red Sox with ALL 10 WINS BY 2 RUNS OR MORE.  Take New York on the Run Line.

6* American League *MOUND MISMATCH* on New York Yankees -1.5 (-119)

The Key: The New York Yankees have righted the ship by going 7-0 in their last 7 games overall with 6 wins by 2 runs or more.  They have scored a combined 33 runs in their first 2 games against Toronto in this series.  And now they have another big edge on the rubber tonight with Masahiro Tanaka over Chase Anderson.  Tanaka is 2-2 with a 3.16 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 8 starts this year.  He is 13-5 with a 2.87 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in 21 lifetime starts against the Blue Jays.  Chase Anderson is 0-1 with a 5.81 ERA and 1.56 WHIP in 7 starts this year for the Blue Jays.  That includes 0-0 with a 9.00 ERA and 1.86 WHIP in 2 road starts.  The Yankees are 16-1 as a home favorite of -150 or more this year and winning by 4.4 RPG.  Take New York on the Run Line.

7* American League *MOUND MISMATCH* on Chicago White Sox -138

The Key: They Chicago White Sox are 22-5 in their last 27 games overall.  They have won 10 of their last 11 games coming in.  And now they have the edge on the rubber over the Twins once again today, and it’s not even close.  Lucas Giolito is 4-2 with a 3.43 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 10 starts this year with 82 strikeouts in 60 1/3 innings.  Jake Odorizz is 0-1 with an 8.10 ERA and 1.600 WHIP in 3 starts this year for the Twins, and all 3 came against the light-hitting Royals.  The Twins are 2-8 in their last 10 road games.  The White Sox are 14-2 in their last 16 home games.  The White Sox are 26-8 as a favorite of -110 or higher this year.  Take Chicago.

6* MLB Interleague *CA$H COW* on Cleveland Indians +144

The Key: The Cleveland Indians are desperate to end their 6-game losing streak.  They had yesterday off to regroup and should come back with a big effort against the Chicago Cubs today.  I love the price we are getting with the Indians behind Carlos Carrasco, who sports a 3.12 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 9 starts this year.  Carrasco has been dominant in his last 3 starts with a 0.95 ERA and 1.05 WHIP while yielding only 2 earned runs in 19 innings. Yu Darvish is having a great season, but his teams are just 1-5 in his 6 lifetime starts against the Indians.  The Indians are 7-2 in their last 9 interleague games, and 6-1 in their last 7 interleague road games.  The Cubs are 2-9 in their last 11 home games against a team with a winning record.  Take Cleveland.

6* American League *MOUND MISMATCH* on Chicago White Sox -122

The Key: The Chicago White Sox are 21-5 in their last 26 games overall.  They have won 9 of their last 10 games coming in.  And now they have the edge on the rubber over the Twins today.  Dane Dunning is 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in his 4 starts as a rookie for the White Sox this year.  Randy Dobnak started strong for the Twins, but he’s just 1-2 with an 8.25 ERA and 1.92 WHIP in his last 3 outings.  The White Sox are 25-8 as a favorite of -110 or higher this year.  Take Chicago.

6* American League *CA$H COW* on Chicago White Sox +129

The Key: The Chicago White Sox are playing too well to be home dogs to the Twins.  The White Sox are 20-5 in their last 25 games overall.  They have won 8 of their last 9 coming in.  They have scored at least 4 runs in all 9 games.  And now they should get after Jose Berrios, who is 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA and 1.80 WHIP in 4 road starts this year.  One of those starts came at Chicago on July 24th when he yielded 5 earned runs in 4 innings.  Dylan Cease is 5-2 with a 3.33 ERA in 9 starts for the White Sox, including 2-0 with a 1.72 ERA in 3 home starts.  Take Chicago.

6* Indians/Twins AL Central *CA$H COW* on Cleveland +115 

The Key: The Cleveland Indians feel like they’re in a must-win here Sunday after losing the first 2 games of this series to the Twins.  They desperately want to avoid the sweep as they are now 2.5 games behind the Twins.  Rookie Triston McKenzie has been awesome for the Indians, going 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA and 0.76 WHIP in his 4 starts this year with 26 strikeouts in 21 innings.  The Indians are 14-6 in their last 20 games after losing the first 2 games of a series.  Take Cleveland.

6* Indians/Twins AL Central *CA$H COW* on Cleveland -107

The Key: This is a huge game for the Cleveland Indians after losing Game 1 to the Minnesota Twins.  They are trying to keep pace in the AL Central and find themselves in 3rd place currently.  But the Indians have the clear edge on the rubber tonight with Zach Plesac, who is 3-1 with a 1.32 ERA and 0.74 WHIP in 5 starts this year.  Rich Hill is 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in 5 starts for the Twins.  Hill is 0-1 with an 8.00 ERA and 1.78 WHIP in 2 lifetime starts against the Indians.  The Indians are 12-3 in their last 15 road games.  The Indians are 7-1 in their last 8 during Game 2 of a series.  The Twins are 2-10 in their last 12 games as home underdogs.  The Indians get back on track here following 4 straight losses overall.  Take Cleveland.

6* American League *MOUND MISMATCH* on Chicago White Sox -1.5 (-128)

The Key: The Chicago White Sox are 17-5 in their last 22 games overall and really making their move to win the AL Central.  They have a huge edge on the rubber tonight over the Detroit Tigers, who are coming off a double-header yesterday against the Cardinals, while the White Sox had yesterday off.  That’s a huge rest advantage too.  Lucas Giolito is 4-2 with a 3.29 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 9 starts this year.  One of those came against Detroit on August 20th when he pitched 7 shutout innings with 13 strikeouts in a 9-0 victory.  Casey Mize is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA and 1.71 WHIP in 4 starts for the Tigers.  One of those came against the White Sox on August 19th when he yielded 3 runs in 4 1/3 innings for a 6.24 ERA.  The White Sox are 6-1 against the Tigers in 202 with all 6 wins coming by 2 runs or more.  Take Chicago on the Run Line.

6* National League *CA$H COW* on Philadelphia Phillies -104

The Key: The Philadelphia Phillies are 12-4 in their last 16 games overall.  They had yesterday off and will the fresher team today.  The Marlins had to suffer through their worst loss in franchise history, a 9-29 loss to the Atlanta Braves yesterday.  They won’t be fully recovered.  Jake Arrieta owns the Marlins at 8-1 with a 3.55 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 11 lifetime starts against them.  Philadelphia is 13-2 when the money line is +100 to -150 this season.  Take Philadelphia.

6* American League *CA$H COW* on Toronto Blue Jays +127

The Key: The Toronto Blue Jays have now won 17 of their last 24 games and are just 3.5 games back of the Rays in the AL East.  The New York Yankees have lost 15 of their last 20 games coming in and are 6.5 games back.  It’s just not the same Yankees team we saw at the start of the year as they are without arguably their 2 best hitters in Judge and Stanton, plus Urshela.  Tanner Roark is consistently underrated and the Blue Jays are 6-1 (+6.5 units) in his 7 starts this year.  Deivi Garcia was just rocked for 4 runs in 4 2/3 innings of a 3-6 loss to the Orioles in his last start for the Yankees.  Roark is 1-1 with a 3.65 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 2 lifetime starts against the Yankees, both of which have come over the last 3 seasons.  Roark is 10-1 (+13.7 units) as a dog of +125 to +175 over the last 2 years.  Take Toronto.

6* American League *CA$H COW* on Toronto Blue Jays -111

The Key: The Toronto Blue Jays have won 16 of their last 23 games while the New York Yankees have lost 14 of their last 19 now.  The Yankees have lost 4 straight including the final 3 games of their series with the Orioles, and then their 7-12 loss to the Blue Jays yesterday.  It’s just not the same Yankees team we saw at the start of the year as they are without arguably their 2 best hitters in Judge and Stanton plus Urshela.  Taijuan Walker is 3-2 with a 3.26 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 7 starts this season and 3-1 with a 2.66 ERA and 0.89 ERA in 4 home starts.  J.A. Happ is 1-1 with a 4.68 ERA in 5 starts for th eYankees, and 0-0 with an 8.00 ERA in 2 road starts.  The Yankees are 1-8 in their last 9 against a team with a winning record.  Take Toronto.

6* American League *MOUND MISMATCH* on Minnesota Twins -1.5 (-109)

The Key: The Minnesota Twins have a huge edge on the rubber today with Michael Pineda over Michael Fulmer.  Pineda made his first start of the season for the Twins on September 1st and held the White Sox to 2 runs in 6 innings of a 3-2 victory.  Pineda is 3-2 with a 4.11 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in 8 lifetime starts against Detroit.  Fulmer is 0-0 with a 7.27 ERA and 1.90 WHIP in 6 starts this year.  Pineda is 11-1 off a team loss over the last 2 years with his teams winning by 4.1 RPG.  Take Minnesota on the Run Line.

6* Cardinals/Cubs ESPN *BAILOUT* on St. Louis -101

The Key: The St. Louis Cardinals have won 5 of their last 7 now and are making a run at the Cubs in the NL Central.  They swept the Cubs yesterday and I expect them to win again Sunday thanks to their huge edge on the rubber.  Dakota Hudson sports a 2.77 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in 5 starts this year and a 1.64 ERA and 0.64 WHIP in 2 road starts.  Hudson sports a 3.38 ERA in 2 lifetime starts against the Cubs.  Jon Lester is 2-1 with a 5.11 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in 7 starts this year and 0-1 with an 8.04 ERA and 1.47 WHIP in 3 home starts.  Lester is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA and 2.07 WHIP in his last 3 outings.  The left-handed is also 1-2 with a 10.93 ERA in his last 3 starts against the Cardinals, yielding 17 earned runs in 14 innings.  Take St. Louis.

6* American League *MOUND MISMATCH* on Minnesota Twins -1.5 (-124)

The Key: The Minnesota Twins have a huge edge on the rubber tonight with Kenta Maeda over Tarik Skubal and that should lead to a win by multiple runs.  Maeda is 4-1 with a 2.53 ERA and 0.75 WHIP in 7 starts this year, including 1-0 with a 0.64 ERA and 0.36 WHIP in 2 home starts.  Skubal is 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA and 1.61 WHIP in 3 starts for the Tigers, including 0-1 with a 10.39 ERA and 2.77 WHIP in 2 road starts.  Detroit is 24-72 when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 years, losing by 2.2 RPG.  Take Minnesota on the Run Line.

6* MLB Interleague *CA$H COW* on Tampa Bay Rays -124

The Key: We are getting he Tampa Bay Rays at a great price tonight over the lowly Miami Marlins.  The Rays are now 20-4 in their last 24 games overall.  The Marlins are just 7-12 in their last 19 contests.  The Rays beat the Marlins 4-0 in this same matchup of Josh Fleming against Pablo Lopez just a week ago on August 29th.  Fleming is 2-0 with a 1.74 ERA and 0.87 WHIP in his 2 starts this year.  He shut out the Marlins through 5 1/3 innings and gave up just 3 base runners with 6 strikeouts.  Take Tampa Bay.

6* American League *MOUND MISMATCH* on Chicago White Sox -130

The Key: Dylan Cease is having a great season for the White Sox.  He is 4-2 with a 3.00 ERA in his last 7 starts and 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA in his last 3 outings.  Danny Duffy is 2-2 with a 4.11 ERA in 7 starts for the Royals and 1-0 with a 5.00 ERA in 2 home starts.  Cease is 1-0 with a 2.61 ERA in 2 starts against the Royals in 2020.  Duffy gave up 4 runs in 5 2/3 innings to the White Sox on August 28th in his last start.  The White Sox are a perfect 11-0 against left-handed starters this season and scoring 6.7 RPG in those contests.  Take Chicago.

6* National League *MOUND MISMATCH* on Chicago Cubs -1.5 (-115)

The Key: The Chicago Cubs have scored 18 runs in winning each of their last 2 games.  They will get after Joe Musgrove in this game as well.  The Pirates are 1-4 in their last 5 games.  The Cubs give the ball to Kyle Hendricks, who is 3-4 with a 4.09 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 7 starts this year.  Hendricks sports a 3.27 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 17 lifetime starts against Pittsburgh.  The Pirates are 11-41 in their last 52 against a team with a winning record.  The Cubs are 4-0 against the Pirates this year.  Take Chicago on the Run Line.

6* Wednesday MLB *UPSET SPECIAL* on Philadelphia Phillies +110

The Key: The Washington Nationals are 1-7 in their last 8 games overall to fall to 12-21 and essentially out of the playoff race.  They got their World Series title last year and aren’t taking this season seriously.  The Philadelphia Phillies have played their way right back into the NL East race by going 7-1 in their last 8 games overall.  They have scored at least 5 runs in 6 of those 8 games, including a combined 24 in their last 3 contests.  Zack Wheeler is 3-0 with a 2.58 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 6 starts for the Phillies this year.  He has been better than Max Scherzer, who is getting too much respect from oddsmakers at 3-1 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.34 WHIP in 7 starts.  Wheeler is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in his last 2 starts against Washington.  The Nationals are 2-10 (-8.3 units) when the line is +125 to -125 this season.  Washington is 4-19 (-21.1 units) against right-handed starters this year.  Take Philadelphia.

6* American League *CA$H COW* on Minnesota Twins -101

The Key: The Twins have lost every way imaginable during their 6-game skid and now find themselves behind the 1st place White Sox.  They blew a 4-0 lead yesterday in Game 1 of this series.  They will be hungry to bounce back tonight.  Michael Pineda makes his 1st start of the year for the Twins.  Pineda is 5-3 with a 3.24 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in 8 lifetime starts against the White Sox.  Pineda went 4-0 with a 2.88 ERA in 4 starts against the White Sox in 2019.  The Twins are 19-8 in the last 27 matchups.  Take Minnesota.

6* Monday MLB *UPSET SPECIAL* on Minnesota Twins +120

The Key: The Twins have been a thorn in my side the last couple days not coming through for me, but I’m giving them another shot Monday, this time as a nice underdog to the Chicago White Sox.  I love fading starting pitchers who are coming off a no-hitter or a complete game like Lucas Giolito, who no-hit the Pirates last time out.  His last 2 starts have been dominant, but they were against 2 of the worst teams in baseball in the Tigers and Pirates.  Giolito is only 4-6 with a 5.34 ERA in 11 lifetime starts against Minnesota.  He was rocked for 7 earned runs in 3 2/3 innings in his last start against the Twins on July 24th.  Rich Hill is 1-1 with a 3.55 ERA in 3 starts this year for the Twins.  Minnesota is 12-3 at home this year.  The Twins are 10-1 in their last 11 home games against a right-handed starter.  Take Minnesota.

7* American League *MOUND MISMATCH* on Minnesota Twins -1.5 (-126)

The Key: The Minnesota Twins have had just 2 losing streaks the entire season.  It just so happens that both are 4-game skids like the one they are currently on.  They won’t be losing a 5th straight today.  Kenta Maeda is the real deal at 4-0 with a 2.21 ERA and 0.71 WHIP in 6 starts this year.  Casey Mize clearly still has some work to do in his rookie season.  Mize is 0-1 with a 7.05 ERA and 1.83 WHIP in his 2 starts.  The Twins are 70-25 in their last 95 games against a starter with a WHIP of greater than 1.30.  The Tigers are 29-83 in their last 112 games as underdogs, including 16-58 in their last 74 games as home underdogs.  Take Minnesota on the Run Line.

7* AL Central Game of the Year on Minnesota Twins -154 (Game 1)

The Key: The Minnesota Twins have lost 2 straight games coming in.  It’s only their second 2-game losing streak of 2020, which shows how good they have been.  They’ll get right back on track today against the lowly Detroit Tigers, who are one of the worst teams in baseball once again in 2020.  Big edge to the Twins on the rubber here.  Randy Dobnak is 5-1 with a 1.78 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in 6 starts this year.  Matt Boyd is 0-4 with an 8.48 ERA and 1.74 WHIP in 6 starts for the Tigers.  He has already yielded 27 runs and 8 homers in 28 2/3 innings.  Dobnak held the Tigers to one hit and zero walks in 6 innings in his only previous start against them in 2019.  Boyd is 1-1 with a 9.00 ERA in his last 2 starts against the Twins, yielding 12 earned runs and 6 homers in 12 innings.  The Twins are 70-23 in their last 93 against a starter with a WHIP of greater than 1.30.  The Twins are 53-24 in their last 77 games off a loss.  The Tigers are 19-62 in their last 81 home games.  Take Minnesota in Game 1.

6* American League *MOUND MISMATCH* on Oakland A’s -138

The Key: The Oakland A’s are one of the best teams in baseball at 21-10 on the season.  The A’s are 7-0 against left-handed starters this season, and they’ll be up against dreadful lefty Kolby Allard tonight.  Allard is 0-2 with a 7.81 ERA and 1.82 WHIP in 4 starts this year while averaging just 3.2 innings per start.  Mike Fiers is the better starter in this matchup, and the A’s have by far the better lineup.  The Rangers are scoring just 3.7 RPG overall and 3.5 RPG at home.  The A’s are scoring 5.0 RPG overall, 5.9 RPG on the road and 5.7 RPG against left-handed starters.  Fiers is 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA in his last 2 starts against Texas while yielding only 4 earned runs in 14 innings.  Fiers is 22-4 as a favorite of -110 or higher over the last 2 years.  Take Oakland.

6* MLB Interleague *CA$H COW* on Chicago Cubs -120

The Key: The Chicago Cubs (18-10) should be much bigger favorites over the Detroit Tigers today.  The Tigers are 2-11 in their last 13 games overall and once again one of the worst teams in MLB.  Tyler Chatwood was dominant in his first 2 starts this year yielding only 1 earned run in 12 2/3 innings with 19 strikeouts.  But he suffered an aberration against the Royals last time out and then went on the IL.  He is back healthy here and should return to form.  Spencer Turnbull is only averaging 4.9 innings per start for the Tigers and has already walked 15 batters in 24 2/3 innings.  Detroit is 10-41 as a home underdog of +125 or more over the last 2 years.  Turnbull is 3-15 in home starts over the last 2 years.  Take Chicago.

6* National League *MOUND MISMATCH* on Cincinnati Reds -130

The Key: Both the Cincinnati Reds (11-15) and Milwaukee Brewers (11-15) have struggled too start 2020.  But one thing is certain tonight, the Reds have a huge edge on the rubber.  Trevor Bauer is pitching like a Cy Young candidate.  He is 3-0 with a 0.68 ERA and 0.57 WHIP in 4 starts while yielding only 2 earned runs and 15 base runners in 26 1/3 innings with 41 strikeouts.  Brett Anderson is washed up and is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA and 1.65 WHIP in his 2 home starts this year.  Bauer held the Brewers to 1 run in 6 innings with 12 strikeouts in an 8-3 victory on August 7th earlier this month.  Anderson is 2-2 with a 5.33 ERA and 1.62 WHIP in 5 lifetime starts against the Reds.  Take Cincinnati.

6* National League *MOUND MISMATCH* on Cincinnati Reds -106

The Key: The Cincinnati Reds have a big edge on the rubber tonight with Tyler Mahle over Daniel Ponce de Leon.  Mahle is 0-0 with a 1.80 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in 2 starts this year against the Cubs and Indians.  Ponce de Leon is 0-2 with a 6.43 ERA and 1.57 WHIP in 2 starts this year against the Cubs and Twins.  The Reds are 5-1 in their last 6 games off a loss.  The Cardinals are 0-4 in their last 4 games off a win.  Take Cincinnati.

6* American League *MOUND MISMATCH* on Minnesota Twins -153

The Key: The Minnesota Twins suffered a rare loss to the Kansas City Royals in Game 1 of this series and will bounce back in Game 2 thanks to their big edge on the rubber.  Randy Dobnak has been a pleasant surprise for the Twins this year.  He is 4-1 with a 1.42 ERA and 0.87 WHIP in 5 starts this year with only 4 earned runs, 2 homers and 22 base runners allowed in 25 1/3 innings.  Brady Singer is 1-2 with a 4.56 ERA in 5 starts this year for the Royals.  Dobnak is 2-0 with a 2.53 ERA in 2 lifetime starts against KC, while Singer is 1-1 with a 4.22 ERA in 2 lifetime starts against the Twins.  Take Minnesota.

6* American League *MOUND MISMATCH* on Cleveland Indians -1.5 (+109)

The Key: Two teams headed in opposite directions square off Friday when the Detroit Tigers visit the Cleveland Indians.  The Tigers are 0-9 in their last 9 games overall with all 9 losses coming by 2 runs or more.  The Indians are 6-0 in their last 6 games overall with all 6 wins coming by 2 runs or more.  Both trends will continue today considering Cleveland edge on the rubber.  Adam Plutko is 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in his 2 home starts this year.  Plutko has never lost to the Tigers, going 4-0 (6-0 ML) with a 4.26 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 6 lifetime starts against them.  Michael Fulmer sports a 7.55 ERA and 2.04 WHIP in his 3 starts this year.  Fulmer is 2-4 with a 6.87 ERA and 1.79 WHIP in 9 lifetime starts against Cleveland.  The Indians are 34-7 against the Tigers over the last 3 years, including 18-2 in their 20 home meetings over this span.  Plutko is 13-1 as a favorite of -110 or higher over the last 2 years with the Indians winning by 3.9 RPG.  Fulmer is 0-12 when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 years with the Tigers losing by 4.6 RPG.  Take Cleveland on the Run Line.

6* MLB Interleague *MOUND MISMATCH* on Colorado Rockies -130

The Key: The Colorado Rockies will be hungry for a victory tonight.  They have dropped the first 3 games of this series to Houston and want to avoid the sweep.  The good news is that ace German Marquez takes the rubber for the Rockies to get the job done.  Marquez sports a 2.25 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 5 starts this year for the Rockies.  Cristian Javier is 1-1 with a 6.00 ERA in 2 road starts this year and won’t enjoy pitching at Coors Field today.  Colorado is 15-3 after batting .175 or worse over a 3-game span over the last 3 years.  The Astros are 0-6 in their last 6 games as underdogs.  The Rockies are 59-23 in their last 82 games as home favorites.  Take Colorado.

6* MLB Interleague *MOUND MISMATCH* on Texas Rangers +119

The Key: Few starters have been as impressive as Lance Lynn thus far in 2020.  And he had a great season in Texas in 2019 going 16-11 with a 3.67 ERA in 33 starts, so it has been no fluke.  Lynn is 3-0 with a 1.11 ERA and 0.74 WHIP in 5 starts this year with 36 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings.  Chris Paddack is 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA in 5 starts for the Padres, including 1-2 with a 7.36 ERA in his last 3 outings.  Lynn is 3-3 with a 3.00 ERA in 7 lifetime starts against San Diego as well.  I love the price we are getting on Lynn and the Rangers today as they try an avenge 2 losses to the Padres to open this series.  San Diego is 1-9 in its last 10 home games off 7 or more consecutive road games.  Take Texas.

6* MLB Interleague *MOUND MISMATCH* on Philadelphia Phillies -120

The Key: The Boston Red Sox have lost 8 straight games and were just swept by both the Rays and Yankees in 4 games.  They are one of the worst teams in MLB at 6-17 on the year.  The Phillies have won 3 straight and have a big edge on the rubber tonight.  Zach Eflin is 0-1 with a 3.60 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in 2 starts for the Phillies.  Zack Godley is 0-2 with an 11.33 ERA and 2.42 WHIP in 3 starts for the Red Sox, yielding 13 earned runs, 25 base runners and 5 homers in 10 1/3 innings.  Boston is 5-19 at home with a money line of +125 to -125 over the last 2 years.  The Red Sox are 5-21 in their last 26 games as underdogs.  Take Philadelphia.

6* American League *MOUND MISMATCH* on Chicago White Sox -147

The Key: The Detroit Tigers have come back down to reality after their surprising start this season.  They are now 0-5 in their last 5 games overall with all 5 losses coming by multiple runs.  The White Sox are starting to live up to their potential and have climbed back to .500 on the season.  They have a big edge on the rubber with Gio Gonzalez, who is 0-1 with a 4.26 ERA in 3 starts in 2020.  Matt Boyd is 0-2 with a 10.24 ERA and 1.97 WHIP in 4 starts for Detroit.  Boyd is 4-7 with a 5.08 ERA and 1.51 WHIP in 15 lifetime starts against the White Sox.  He just faced Chicago in his last start on August 12 and yielded 7 earned runs in 4 2/3 innings.  The Tigers are 22-74 in their last 96 games as underdogs.  The White Sox are 4-0 in their last 4 against a left-handed starter.  The White Sox are 13-5 in the last 18 matchups.  Take Chicago.

7* NL East Game of the Month on Philadelphia Phillies -122

The Key: I always love the angle of the pitcher facing his former team for the first time.  That will be the case for Zack Wheeler of the Phillies up against the Mets Sunday.  Wheeler is 2-0 with a 2.89 ERA in 3 starts in 2020.  He’ll be opposed by Rick Porcello, who was terrible in Boston last year and hasn’t been any better for the Mets thus far.  Porcello is 1-2 with a 5.68 ERA and 1.63 WHIP in 4 starts in 2020.  The Mets are 0-8 as underdogs of +100 to +150 this year.  The Phillies are 9-2 in their last 11 home matchups with the Mets.  Take Philadelphia.

6* National League *CA$H COW* on Milwaukee Brewers -115

The Key: The Milwaukee Brewers need to make up ground on the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central.  They have the edge on the rubber tonight with Adrian Houser.  He is 1-1 with a 2.65 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 3 starts this year, including 1-0 with a 0.75 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in 2 road starts.  Colin Rea will make his first start of the year for the Cubs.  He is 7-7 with a 4.59 ERA and 1.36 WHIP in his 3 seasons in the big leagues.  The Cubs are 11-24 in their last 35 games as underdogs, including 1-5 in their last 6 games as home underdogs.  Take Milwaukee.

7* National League *MOUND MISMATCH* on Cincinnati Reds -1.5 (+108)

The Key: Sonny Gray has been one of the top starters in the game over the last 2 years.  Gray is 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in 4 starts this year with 35 strikeouts in 24 innings.  That includes 3-0 with a 0.96 ERA and 0.70 WHIP in 3 home starts.  Chad Kuhl will be making just his 2nd start of the year for the Pirates.  Kuhl is 18-20 with a 4.30 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in 64 games in MLB lifetime.  Gray is 14-1 at home when the total is 8.5 to 10 over the last 2 years and the Reds are winning by 3.5 RPG.  Take Cincinnati on the Run Line.

6* National League *CA$H COW* on Milwaukee Brewers +165

The Key: I really like the price we are getting on the Milwaukee Brewers Thursday.  You Darvish gave up 3 runs in 4 innings of a 3-8 loss to the Brewers as a -145 favorite back on July 25th.  And now he’s upwards of a -180 favorite today.  Brett Anderson is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in 3 lifetime starts against the Cubs.  The Brewers will be hungry to carve into that Chicago lead within the division starting with Game 1 of this series tonight.  Anderson is 8-0 (+10.7 units) in road games against a team with a winning record over the last 2 years.  Take Milwaukee.

6* NL *MOUND MISMATCH* on Colorado Rockies -104

The Key: The Colorado Rockies are rolling at 12-5 on the season.  They are scoring 5.6 RPG and holding opponents to just 4.0 RPG.  They have a big edge on the rubber tonight with Antonio Senzatela, who is 3-0 with a 2.65 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 3 starts this year.  Luke Weaver is 0-3 with a 12.20 ERA and 2.13 WHIP in 3 starts for the Diamondbacks as he has been a disaster.  Weaver is 1-1 with a 6.94 ERA and 1.63 WHIP in 3 lifetime starts against Colorado as well.  Senzatela is 9-1 at home when the total is 12 or higher over the last 2 years.  Take Colorado.

6* American League *CA$H COW* on Tampa Bay Rays -104

The Key: We’re getting the Tampa Bay Rays at a great price tonight.  Andrew Kittredge sports a 2.35 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 3 lifetime starts against Boston.  Martin Perez is 1-4 with a 6.75 ERA and 1.66 WHIP in 9 lifetime starts against Tampa Bay.  The Rays should be bigger favorites today instead of this nearly even money price against the awful Perez.  The Red Sox are 8-22 in their last 30 vs. a team with a winning record.  The Red Sox are 0-6 in their last 6 as home underdogs.  Take Tampa Bay.

6* MLB Interleague *CA$H COW* on Minnesota Twins +100

The Key: The Minnesota Twins have lost 4 in a row since their 10-2 start.  It’s time for them to get back on track here against the Milwaukee Brewers.  The Twins will be happy to be sending Randy Dobnak back to the rubber tonight.  Dobnk is 2-1 with a 0.60 ERA and 0.87 WHIP in 3 starts this year while yielding only 1 earned run in 15 innings.  With those numbers, they should not be dogs to the Brewers tonight.  Take Minnesota.

6* National League *CA$H COW* on Cincinnati Reds +109

The Key: No analysis Sunday.

6* Astros/A’s AL West *CA$H COW* on Houston +131

The Key: I love the price we are getting with the Houston Astros today as you’ll rarely get the chance to back them as dogs.  And Houston will be hungry for a win after dropping 3 straight and now trailing Oakland by 3.5 games in the AL West.  This is a very important game for them to say the least after falling to the A’s in extra innings yesterday.  Take Houston.

6* MLB *MOUND MISMATCH* on Toronto Blue Jays +101

The Key: Tanner Roark has consistently been one of the most underrated starters in baseball over the last couple years.  He is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA and 0.60 WHIP in his lone start of 2020 thus far.  Ryan Weber is 0-2 with an 11.57 ERA and 2.43 WHIP in 2 starts for Boston, yielding 9 earned runs, 4 homers and 17 base runners in 7 innings.  Roark is 7-0 lifetime on the road when the total is 10 or higher.  Take Toronto.

6* MLB Interleague *CA$H COW* on Baltimore Orioles +122

The Key: The Baltimore Orioles will be hungry to avoid the sweep after dropping the first 3 games of this series to the Miami Marlins.  The Marlins are overvalued right now after starting 5-1 and I’ll fade them as a favorite here.  Wade LeBlanc is 1-0 with a 4.09 ERA and 0.82 WHIP in 2 starts for the Orioles.  LeBlanc is 14-4 (+12.4 Units) when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 years.  Take Baltimore.

6* MLB Interleague *CA$H COW* on Houston Astros -135

The Key: I cashed in the Astros in an 8-2 victory over the Diamondbacks yesterday.  I’ll take the Astros again today for many of the same reasons.  They have a big edge at the plate as they are scoring 6.0 RPG on the season while Arizona is hitting .194 and scoring 2.6 RPG this year.  They also have the edge on the rubber with Lance McCullers Jr. over Robbie Ray.  Ray is 0-2 with an 8.63 ERA and 2.16 WHIP in 2 starts this year.  The Astros are 43-12 in their last 55 games versus a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30.  Houston is 12-2 in its last 14 interleague road games against a left-handed starter.  The Diamondbacks are 1-5 in their last 6 games overall.  Arizona is 5-16 in its last 21 games as an underdog.  Take Houston.

6* MLB Interleague *CA$H COW* on Houston Astros -127

The Key: Christian Javier was impressive in his 2020 debut for the Astros.  He gave up just 1 run and 3 base runners with 8 strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings against the Dodgers on July 29th.  He will have more success against an Arizona lineup that has been dreadful.  The Diamondbacks are hitting .192 and scoring 2.7 RPG this year.  To compare, the Astros are hitting .255 and scoring 5.8 RPG this year.  Madison Bumgarner is well past his prime and will get knocked around by the Astros tonight.   The Astros are 48-13 in their last 61 during Game 1 of a series.  The Diamondbacks are 3-14 in their last 17 games as underdogs.  Take Houston.

6* MLB Interleague *CA$H COW* on Chicago White Sox -103

The Key: The Milwaukee Brewers will be shaking off some rust today having not played since July 29th.  They will be sending the washed up Brett Anderson to the mound too.  And they face a buzz saw in the Chicago White Sox who have won 4 straight while outscoring the opposition 27-9.  Chicago has really gotten its offense going, and Milwaukee will be without both Ryan Braun and Lorenzo Cain.  I’ll back the team with momentum against the rusty team with a terrible starter today.  Take Chicago.

6* American League *CA$H COW* on Tampa Bay Rays -1.5 (-115)

The Key: The Tampa Bay Rays have lost 4 in a row.  They’ll be hungry to avoid the sweep here against Baltimore and I expect them to win in a blowout.  Yonny Chirinos fired 4 innings without allowing a single earned run against the Braves in his last start.  Tom Milone yielded 4 runs in 3 innings against Boston in a 2-13 loss in his last start.  Milone is 2-3 with a 6.28 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in 5 lifetime starts against Tampa Bay.  Chirinos sports a 4.15 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 3 lifetime starts against Baltimore.  The Orioles are 9-34 off a win by 2 runs or less over the last 3 years.  Take Tampa Bay on the Run Line.

6* MLB *MOUND MISMATCH* on Oakland A’s -148

The Key: Mike Fiers has a big advantage on the rubber over Yusei Kikuchi tonight.  Fiers sported a 3.56 ERA in 2018 and a 3.90 ERA in 2019.  He has a 3.38 ERA in his last 3 outings against Seattle.  Kikuchi sports a 5.61 ERA over the last 2 years in Seattle.  He has never beaten the A’s, going 0-2 with a 4.29 ERA in 4 lifetime starts against Oakland.  The A’s are 38-14 in their last 52 games against left-handed starters.  Take Oakland.

6* National League *MOUND MISMATCH* on Atlanta Braves -130

The Key: No analysis Friday.

6* Dodgers/Diamondbacks MLB *BAILOUT* on Arizona +144 

The Key: If there’s such a thing as a letdown spot in MLB this would be it.  The Dodgers just swept their 2-game series with the Astros by winning in extra innings last night.  It was sweet revenge for the Dodgers, who felt like they were robbed of a World Series title by the Astros a few years ago due to the cheating scandal.  And we’re getting the Diamondbacks at a great price tonight with Robbie Ray on the mound.  Ray has had great success against the Dodgers, going 8-6 with a 3.33 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in 21 lifetime starts.  Ross Stripling is 1-2 with a 4.41 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in 8 lifetime starts against the Diamondbacks.  Take Arizona. 

7* AL Central Game of the Month on Chicago White Sox -113 

The Key: The White Sox really need a win as they are just 1-4 while the Cleveland Indians are 4-1.  Ace Lucas Giolito is here to the rescue and is the much better starter in this matchup with Zach Plesac.  Giolito is 2-2 with a 3.16 ERA in 4 lifetime starts against Cleveland.  He has pitched 14 2/3 shutout innings in his last 2 starts against them with 17 K’s.  Plesac has never beaten the White Sox, going 0-2 with a 5.25 ERA in 2 lifetime starts against them.  Take Chicago. 

7* National League Game of the Week Pittsburgh Pirates +155

The Key: The Pittsburgh Pirates want revenge after blowing a 5-1 lead in the 9th and losing in extras to the Brewers yesterday.  We are getting them at a tremendous price here Tuesday in Game 2 of this series.  Derek Holland has never lost to the Brewers as he is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in 2 lifetime starts against them.  Josh Lindblom makes his return to the majors after spending the last few years in Korea.  He is 5-8 with a 4.10 ERA and 1.37 WHP lifetime in the majors.  Take Pittsburgh.

7* American League *HEAVY HITTER* on Houston Astros -1.5 (-120)

The Key: Josh James is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in 7 lifetime appearances against the Mariners.  Kendall Graveman will be making his first appearance since May 11, 2018 for the Mariners.  He went 1-5 with a 7.60 ERA in 2018.  The Astros are hitting .290 and scoring 7.0 RPG through 3 games this season behind one of the best lineups in MLB.  The Mariners are hitting .238 and scoring 3.7 RPG.  Seattle is 10-45 vs. teams outscoring opponents by 0.5 RPG or more over the last 2 years.  It is losing by 2.4 RPG in this situation.  Take Houston on the Run Line.

7* Braves/Mets ESPN *HEAVY HITTER* on Atlanta +102

The Key: The Braves should not be underdogs to the Mets today.  Rick Porcello went 14-12 with a 5.52 ERA with Boston in 2019 and is on the decline.  Sean Newcomb went 6-3 with a 3.16 ERA last year for the Braves.  Newcomb is 2-2 with a 2.75 ERA in 7 lifetime starts against the Mets.  Take Atlanta.

7* Saturday MLB *Total* Annihilator on Pirates/Cardinals UNDER 9.5

The Key: I definitely got robbed on the UNDER 8.5 yesterday in the Cardinals/Pirates game.  It was 3-0 going into the 7th inning and finished with 9 combined runs.  I’m back on the UNDER 9.5 today because the fact remains that these are two of the worst lineups in baseball, especially Pittsburgh.  Adam Wainwright has allowed just 2 earned runs in 13 innings in his final 2 starts against the Pirates in 2019.  Trevor Williams gave up just 2 earned runs in 12 innings in his 2 starts against St. Louis in 2019.  Take the UNDER.

7* Friday MLB *Total* Annihilator on Pirates/Cardinals UNDER 8.5

The Key: The Pirates have arguably the worst lineup in baseball.  They aren’t going to contribute much to this total going up against Jack Flaherty.  Flaherty is 4-1 with a 1.84 ERA and 0.93 WHIP in 7 lifetime starts against the Pirates.  Joe Musgrove appeared to fix some mechanical issues at the end of last season by going 3-0 with a 2.89 ERA with 32 K’s over his final 5 starts of 2019.  The one weakness for the Cardinals is their lineup as it just hasn’t produced the last few years.  They are a perfect ‘under’ team and that will prove to be the case today.  Take the UNDER.

6* Nationals/Astros Game 7 *CA$H COW* on Washington +123 

The Key: The Washington Nationals will improve to 10-0 this postseason in games decided by Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg when they win Game 7 Wednesday night.  Scherzer is 3-0 with a 1.42 ERA in his last 3 starts and 9-2 with a 2.49 ERA in 14 road starts this year.  Zack Greinke is 0-4 with a 5.56 ERA in his last 7 playoff starts and isn’t built to handle this big of a moment.  The Nationals have won 7 straight playoff road games.  The Nationals are 11-1 in their last 12 trips to Houston.  Take Washington. 

7* Nationals/Astros Game 6 *HEAVY HITTER* on Washington +1.5 (-135) 

The Key: Stephen Strasburg is too good to allow the Astros to beat the Nationals by more than one run tonight, let alone beat him at all.  I think the price is right to pull the trigger on the Nationals on the Run Line here.  Strasburg is 5-2 with a 1.34 ERA in 8 postseason starts lifetime.  Justin Verlander is 0-3 with a 5.40 ERA in his last 4 playoff starts this season.  Take Washington. 

6* Astros/Nationals Game 4 *CA$H COW* on Washington -103 

The Key: The Washington Nationals have a big pitching advantage tonight.  They go with Patrick Corbin and will have their best bullpen arms available after none of them pitched last night.  The Astros go with rookie Jose Urquidy and probably won’t have all of their best bullpen arms available after they all pitched last night.  Take Washington. 

7* Astros/Nationals Game 3 *Total* Annihilator on OVER 8 

The Key: Zack Greinke is 0-4 with a 6.14 ERA in his last 6 playoff starts.  Look for him to get rocked again in another high scoring Game 3.  The weather is perfect in Washington DC with little to no wind and 60 degree temps at game time.  Anibal Sanchez has been good this postseason, but he faces a different animal here in this hungry Astros lineup.  The OVER is 4-1 in Astros last 5 games overall.  The OVER is 4-0 in Nationals last 4 games overall.  The OVER is 6-0 in Nationals last 6 interleague games.  Take the OVER. 

7* Astros/Nationals Game 2 *HEAVY HITTER* on Washington +1.5 (-132) 

The Key: Stephen Strasburg is the biggest underdog he has ever been in his career tonight.  Only having to lay -132 on him on the +1.5 run line is a gift from the books.  Another game that’s expected to be a pitcher’s duel here and it’s likely this game is decided by one run either way.  Strasburg sports a 1.10 ERA in 7 lifetime postseason appearances with 6 starts.  Justin Verlander is 0-2 with a 5.19 ERA in his last 3 starts.  He has yielded 10 runs and 5 homers in 17 1/3 innings during this stretch.  The Nationals are 90-35 in Strasburg’s last 125 starts and 44-15 in his last 59 road starts.  Take Washington on the Run Line. 

7* Nationals/Astros Game 1 *HEAVY HITTER* on Washington +1.5 (-115) 

The Key: The total for this game is only 6.5, so oddsmakers are expecting a pitcher’s duel.  And when that’s the case there is a good chance the game is decided by one run either way.  Getting Max Scherzer on the run line here as only a -115 favorite is a great price.  Scherzer has been dominant in the postseason, especially of late while yielding only one run and 5 hits in his last 15 innings pitched for a 0.60 ERA.  The Nationals have won 15 of Scherzer’s last 18 starts.  They have won 6 straight playoff games and couldn’t possibly come into the World Series with any more confidence after coming from behind to win the wild card game and Game 5 of the NLDS over the Dodgers before sweeping the Cardinals with ease.  Take Washington on the Run Line. 

6* Astros/Yankees Game 5 *CA$H COW* on New York +131 

The Key: I like the price we are getting with the Yankees at home underdogs as they try to stave off elimination for one more game.  The Yankees are 54-19 in their last 73 home games, so it’s hard to envision them not winning a single home game in this series.  The Yankees are 6-0 in James Paxton’s last 6 home starts as well.  Paxton is 7-3 with a 3.48 ERA in his 16 home starts this year.  Paxton sports a 3.25 ERA in 15 lifetime starts against the Astros.  Take New York. 

7* MLB Playoffs Game of the Year on New York Yankees -128 

The Key: Masahiro Tanaka beat Zack Greinke in Game 1 to cash in the Yankees as nearly +150 underdogs.  Tanaka will beat Greinke again in Game 4 here and save the Yankees season.  Tanaka is 3-0 with a. 1.00 ERA in his last 3 starts.  Tanaka sports a 1.95 ERA in his last 6 starts against the Astros.  Greinke is 0-4 with a 6.84 ERA in his last 5 postseason starts.  He has yielded 19 runs and 8 homers in 25 innings.  The Yankees have won 54 of their last 72 home games.  Take New York. 

7* Astros/Yankees Game 3 *HEAVY HITTER* on New York +141 

The Key: If anyone was going to beat Gerrit Cole this season, it would be the Yankees at home.  They are 59-24 at home this year.  And I would argue they are going with their most talented starter tonight in Luis Severino, who had a huge season last year but has been injured most of this year, so he is under the radar.  Severino is 1-1 with a 1.12 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in 4 starts this year, and 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 0.78 WHIP in 2 home starts. Severino is also 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA in his last 2 starts against the Yankees, yielding only 2 earned runs in 16 innings.  The Yankees are 22-3 in home games off a loss this year, and 14-1 in home games after scoring 2 runs or less this year.  Take New York. 

6* Cardinals/Nationals Game 3 *CA$H COW* on St. Louis +123 

The Key: Jack Flaherty gives the Cardinals hope that they can get back in this series.  He takes the ball for Game 3 tonight with the Cardinals trailing 0-2.  Flaherty is 12-9 with a 2.75 ERA in 35 starts this year.  What he has done in the second half of the season has been unmatched and is deserving of Cy Young consideration.  Flaherty sports a 1.13 ERA in his last 18 starts.  He has yielded only 15 runs in 119 innings during this stretch.  Take St. Louis. 

6* Nationals/Cardinals NL *Total* Annihilator on UNDER 8 

The Key: This game sets up perfectly for an UNDER.  Both teams are still hungover from winning Game 5 in the NLCS and the batters will be affected more.  It will take some time for players to get into this series, and the pitchers on both teams will be at an advantage in Game 1.  But the biggest advantage for the pitchers in this one is the fact that temperatures will be in the 40’s for this game in St. Louis Friday night.  Anibal Sanchez sports a 3.48 ERA in 15 road starts this year, and Miles Mikolas sports a 3.01 ERA in 15 home starts.  The UNDER is 4-1 in Nationals last 5 playoff road games.  The UNDER is 35-16 in Cardinals last 51 home games against a right-handed starter.  The UNDER is 9-1-2 in Mikolas’ last 12 starts against a team with a winning record.  The UNDER is 5-0-1 in the last 6 meetings.  Take the UNDER. 

6* Cardinals/Braves Game 5 *CA$H COW* on Atlanta -102 

The Key: Mike Foltynewicz already squared off with Jack Flaherty once in this series.  Foltynewicz won Game 2 by a final of 3-0 as he fired 7 shoutout innings, while Flaherty gave up 3 runs in his 7 innings.  Foltynewicz now is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in his last 2 starts against the Cardinals in 2019 without allowing a single earned run in 13 innings.  He has been pithing well for a couple months now.  Foltynewicz sports a 1.48 ERA in his last 8 starts and has yielded only 8 earned runs in 48 2/3 innings over this time frame.  Flaherty is 1-2 with a 4.18 ERA in 4 lifetime starts against the Braves.  The Cardinals are 1-7 in their last 8 playoff road games.  St. Louis is 1-5 in Flaherty’s last 6 road starts against a team with a winning record.  The Braves are 14-3 in Foltynewicz’s last 17 starts, and 6-0 in his last 6 home starts.  Take Atlanta. 

7* Astros/Rays AL *Total* Annihilator on OVER 7.5 

The Key: The Astros and Rays combined for 13 runs in Game 3.  I think they’ll easily top this 7.5-run total in Game 4 as well.  Justin Verlander is vulnerable tonight as he’ll be pitching on 3 days’ rest for the first time this season.  And Diego Castillo will be the opener in what will be a bullpen game for the Rays.  Castillo is 0-1 with a 6.14 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 6 starts this year, and 0-0 with a 10.81 ERA and 1.80 WHIP in 3 home starts.  Castillo is 11-2 OVER when the total is 7 to 8.5 over the last 2 years.  The OVER is 4-0 in Astros last 4 playoff road games.  The OVER is 13-3 in Castillo’s last 16 starts.  The OVER is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.  Take the OVER. 

6* Yankees/Twins AL *CA$H COW* on Minnesota +138 

The Key: The Minnesota Twins will be determined to avoid the sweep in Game 3 tonight.  They had too good of a season and are too good a team for it to end like that.  They should be able to get to the lightly-used Luis Severino, who has only pitched 12 innings all season due to injury.  The Yankees won’t extend him too long in this game.  Jake Odorizzi is having a great year at 15-7 with a 3.51 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in 30 starts.  He has actually done pretty well against the Yankees lifetime with a 1.20 WHIP across 17 starts.  Severino has never beaten the Twins as he is 0-1 with a 7.00 ERA and 1.67 WHIP in 3 lifetime starts against them.  Odorizzi is 10-0 after giving up 2 earned runs or fewer in each of his last 2 outings this season.  The Yankees are 2-10 in their last 12 playoff road games.  The Yankees are 0-5 in their last 5 road games against a right-handed starter.  The Twins are 21-6 in Odorizzi’s last 27 starts.  Take Minnesota. 

6* Braves/Cardinals NL *Total* Annihilator on UNDER 8.5 

The Key: Adam Wainwright has been dominant at home this season, and Mike Soroka has been dominant on the road.  I think the price is right to pull the trigger on the UNDER 8.5 here in Game 3 because of it.  Soroka is 7-1 with a 1.55 ERA in 16 road starts.  Wainwright is 9-4 with a 2.56 ERA in 16 home starts.  Wainwright is 8-0 UNDER as a home dog of +100 or higher over the lsat 3 years.  Wainwright is 8-1 UNDER in day games this season.  Take the UNDER. 

6* Nationals/Dodgers NL *Total* Annihilator on UNDER 7.5 

The Key: Runs will be hard to come by again tonight for the Dodgers and Nationals.  These are two elite starting rotations when you have Stephen Strasburg and Clayton Kershaw as your No. 2 starters.  Strasburg is 18-6 with a 3.32 ERA in 33 starts this year.  Kershaw is 16-5 with a 3.10 ERA in 28 starts.  Strasburg sports a 2.66 ERA in 11 lifetime starts against the Dodgers.  Kershaw sports a 2.65 ERA in 18 lifetime starts against the Nationals.  The UNDER is 5-0-1 in Nationals last 6 games against a left-handed starter.  The UNDER is 17-6-1 in Strasburg’s last 24 road starts against a team with a winning record.  The UNDER is 9-1-1 in Dodgers last 11 playoff home games.  The UNDER is 18-7-1 in the last 26 meetings in Los Angeles.  Take the UNDER. 

6* Nationals/Dodgers NL *Total* Annihilator on UNDER 7.5 

The Key: Runs will be hard to come by between the Dodgers and Nationals with the two starters going tonight.  Pat Corbin is 14-7 with a 3.25 ERA in 33 starts this year.  Corbin is 2-0 with a 0.59 ERA in his last 5 starts against the Dodgers.  Walker Buehler is 14-4 with a 3.26 ERA in 30 starts this year.  Buehler is 6-1 with a 2.86 ERA at home this year.  He sports a 2.92 ERA in 2 lifetime starts against the Nationals.  He fired 7 shutout innings in his lone home start against the Nationals this year.  The UNDER is 8-1-1 in Dodgers last 10 playoff home games.  The UNDER is 34-13-5 in Dodgers last 52 home games against a team with a winning record.  The UNDER is 11-0-2 in Buehler’s last 13 home starts against a team with a winning record.  Take the UNDER. 

7* Rays/A’s AL *Total* Annihilator on UNDER 7.5 

The Key: Two elite starters go at it tonight followed by two elite bullpens in this wild card game.  The end result will be a pitcher’s duel and UNDER 7.5 combined runs.  Charlotte Morton is 16-6 with a 3.05 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 33 starts this year for the Rays.  Morton is 2-1 with a 3.20 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 7 lifetime starts against the A’s, including 1-0 with a 0.68 ERA in 2 starts against them in 2019 while yielding only one earned run in 13 1/3 innings.  Sean Manaea is 4-0 with a 1.21 ERA and 0.78 WHIP in 5 starts this year.  Manaea is 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 3 lifetime starts against the Rays.  The UNDER is 6-0 in A’s last 6 games overall.  The UNDER is 5-0-1 in A’s last 6 playoff home games.  The UNDER is 5-1 in Manaea’s last 6 starts.  The UNDER is 4-1 in Rays’ last 5 games overall.  The UNDER is 10-4 in the last 14 meetings in Oakland.  Take the UNDER. 

7* Brewers/Nationals NL *HEAVY HITTER* on Washington -174 

The Key: The Nationals come into the postseason with all the momentum and a real chance to win a World Series with their combination of starting pitching, a revamped bullpen and a great lineup.  I expect them to handle their business here in the wild card against the Brewers and improve to 9-0 in their last 9 games overall.  The Brewers are 0-3 in their last 3 games overall, which has to have given their confidence a hit because all 3 were meaningful games in Colorado with the NL Central title at stake.  Max Scherzer sports a 2.92 ERA in 27 starts this year and a 1.80 ERA in 8 lifetime starts against the Brewers.  I trust in him to get the job done over Brandon Woodruff, who has a 4.41 ERA in 9 road starts and a 5.14 ERA in his last 3 outings.  Take Washington. 

6* National League *MOUND MISMATCH* on Pittsburgh Pirates +109 

The Key: The Pirates are 4-1 in their last 5 games overall and closing the season strong.  I don’t believe they should be home dogs to the Reds today.  Trevor Williams has never lost to the Reds, going 5-0 with a 1.94 ERA in 8 lifetime starts against them.  Tyler Mahle is 2-12 with a 5.42 ERA in 24 starts this year for the Reds and 0-1 with a 9.26 ERA in his last 3 outings.  Mahle has never beaten the Pirates, going 0-3 (0-5 ML) with a 4.61 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in 5 lifetime starts against them.  Take Pittsburgh. 

6* American League *MOUND MISMATCH* on Oakland A’s -1.5 (-123) 

The Key: The A’s can move closer to clinching a wild card with a win over the Mariners on Friday.  The Mariners have lost 4 straight and have scored a combined 2 runs in those 4 games, an average of just 0.5 RPG.  Mike Fiers is 15-4 with a 3.86 ERA in 32 starts for the A’s this year and should shut down the Mariners. Justus Sheffield is 0-1 with a 5.79 ERA in 6 starts for the Mariners, and 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in 4 home starts this year.  Fiers is 14-0 against an AL team with an OBP of .320 or worse in the second half of the season over the last 2 years.  Fiers is 12-0 as a road favorite of -150 or more over the last 2 years.  The A’s are winning by 3.7 RPG in this situation.  Take Oakland on the Run Line. 

6* American League *MOUND MISMATCH* on Cleveland Indians -1.5 (-117) 

The Key: The Indians are now 1.5 games out of the wild card after losing yesterday.  Due to their advantage on the rubber in this one, they will bounce back in blowout fashion against the Chicago White Sox Thursday night.  Aaron Civale is 3-3 with a 1.82 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 9 starts this year.  Dylan Cease is 4-7 with a 5.67 ERA in 14 starts, and 2-4 with a 6.55 ERA in 7 home starts.  The Indians are 6-0 in their last 6 against a right-handed starter.  Cleveland is 40-11 in its last 51 against a team with a losing record.  Take Cleveland on the Run Line. 

7* AL East Game of the Year on Tampa Bay Rays -142 

The Key: That Tampa Bay Rays are the 2nd wild card right now, but 0.5 games behind the A’s and 0.5 games ahead of the Indians.  They need to keep winning just to get into the postseason.  The Yankees have already clinched the division and aren’t likely to catch the Astros for the top seed.  They don’t need wins right now, and it’s showing.  The Yankees are just 5-5 in their last 10 games overall, while the Rays are 5-1 in their last 6 contests.  The Rays have the clear advantage on the rubber tonight with Charlie Morton, who is 15-6 with a 3.15 ERA in 32 starts, and 7-3 with a 2.75 ERA in 16 home starts.  Jonathan Loaisiga is 0-1 with a 5.73 ERA in 3 starts for the Yankees.  The Yankees are 4-19 as a road dog of +100 to +150 over the last 2 years.  New York is 0-4 in Loaisiga’s last 4 starts.  The Rays are 6-0 in Morton’s last 6 home starts against a team with a winning record.  Take Tampa Bay. 

6* Monday MLB *Total* Annihilator on Marlins/Mets UNDER 8.5 

The Key: I can’t see the Marlins and Mets being able to do much offensively in this game.  Steven Matz is 7-1 with a 1.97 ERA in 13 home starts for the Mets this year.  Caleb Smith has been the Marlins’ best starter, going 9-10 with a 4.12 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 26 starts.  Smith is 2-0 with a 2.38 ERA in 4 lifetime starts against the Mets.  Matz is 4-3 with a 2.83 ERA in 11 lifetime starts against the Marlins.  The UNDER is 6-1-1 in Mets last 8 games overall.  The UNDER is 7-1-1 in Matz’s last 9 starts against the Marlins.  Take the UNDER. 

6* National League *MOUND MISMATCH* on Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 (-160) 

The Key: The Dodgers have a huge advantage over the Rockies on the rubber tonight.  Ace Clayton Kershaw is 14-5 with a 3.10 ERA in 26 starts this year, and 9-2 with a 2.79 ERA in 15 home starts.  Kershaw is 22-8 with a 3.21 ERA in 41 lifetime starts against the Rockies.  Peter Lambert is 3-6 with a 6.98 ERA in 18 starts for Colorado, and 1-1 with a 9.25 ERA in his last 3 outings.  Lambert is 0-1 with an 11.11 ERA in 3 lifetime starts against the Dodgers.  The Rockies are 3-13 in Lambert’s last 16 starts, and 0-7 in his last 7 road starts.  The Dodgers are 92-32 in Kershaw’s last 124 starts, and 45-12 in his last 57 home starts.  Take Los Angeles on the Run Line. 

6* American League *MOUND MISMATCH* on Cleveland Indians -1.5 (-170) 

The Key: The Indians are 17-1 against the Tigers this season with 16 of those 17 wins coming by multiple runs.  Expect more of the same here thanks to their advantage on the rubber tonight.  Mike Clevinger is 11-3 with a 2.68 ERA in 18 starts this year, and 4-1 with a 1.98 ERA in 9 home starts.  Clevinger is 7-2 with a 1.88 ERA in 10 lifetime starts against the Tigers, and 3-0 with a 0.45 ERA in his last 3 starts against them with only one run yielded in 20 innings.  Daniel Norris is 0-1 with a 7.81 ERA in 2 road starts at Cleveland this year.  Norris is 2-5 with a. 4.65 ERA in 16 road starts this season.  Take Cleveland on the Run Line. 

7* American League *MOUND MISMATCH* on Cleveland Indians -1.5 (-150) 

The Key: The Cleveland Indians are now 16-1 against the Detroit Tigers this season.  They have won 15 straight over the Tigers with all 15 wins coming by at least 2 runs.  The Indians have a huge advantage on the rubber over the Tigers today.  Aaron Civale is 3-3 with a 1.93 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 8 starts this year, including 2-1 with a 1.06 ERA in 3 home starts.  Civale is 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA in 2 starts against the Tigers this year.  Spencer Turnbull is 3-15 with a 4.77 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in 27 starts for the Tigers, including 0-2 with an 11.11 ERA in his last 3 outings.  Turnbull has never beaten the Indians, going 0-5 with a 6.48 ERA and 1.80 WHIP in 5 lifetime starts against them.  Take Cleveland on the Run Line. 

6* National League *MOUND MISMATCH* on Chicago Cubs -1.5 (+115) 

The Key: The Chicago Cubs have reeled off 4 straight wins to pull within 2 games of the Cardinals for 1st place in the NL Central.  They just scored a total of 47 runs in their 3-game sweep of the Pirates over the weekend.  To say they are clicking right now offensively would be an understatement.  I’ll back them on the Run Line today at home against the Cincinnati Reds.  Cole Hamels is 3-1 with a 2.66 ERA in 12 home starts this year.  Hamels is 12-2 with a 2.06 ERA in 20 lifetime starts against the Reds, and his teams are 18-2 in those starts.  Kevin Gausman is 3-7 with a 6.19 ERA in 16 starts this year and 1-4 with a 6.82 ERA in 7 road starts.  Gausman is 0-1 with a 12.38 ERA in 2 lifetime starts against the Cubs.  Take Chicago on the Run Line. 

6* AL West *CA$H COW* on Oakland A’s -119 

The Key: The Oakland A’s have won 4 straight and 9 of their last 11 as they try and hold onto a wild card spot in the American League.  They are hitting the cover off the ball right now with 43 runs scored in their last 4 games. Not even Mike Minor will slow them down today.  I think we’re getting the A’s pretty cheap here.  Mike Fiers is 14-4 with a 3.92 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in 30 starts this year and has been one of the most profitable pitchers in baseball.  Fiers is 11-0 against an AL team with a batting average of .255 or worse in the 2nd half of the season over the last 2 years.  The A’s are 8-0 in Fiers’ last 8 starts against a team with a losing record.  The Rangers are 7-20 in their last 27 against a team with a winning record.  Texas is 1-7 in Minor’s last 8 home starts against a team with a winning record.  Take Oakland. 

6* Thursday MLB *CA$H COW* on Toronto Blue Jays +141 

The Key: The Boston Red Sox are starting to realize that they have no shot of making the postseason, and they are playing like it.  The Red Sox are 0-5 in their last 5 games overall.  They were held to 1, 0 and 0 runs in 3 of the losses and have only scored a combined 9 runs in those 5 games.  Jhoulys Chacin is 3-10 with a 5.66 ERA in 20 starts this season, 1-9 with a 7.25 ERA in 10 road starts, and 0-1 with an 11.05 ERA in his last 3 outings.  Clay Buchholz is 1-1 with a 3.78 ERA in 3 home starts this year, and 1-2 with a 3.57 ERA in his last 3 starts for the Blue Jays.  Take Toronto. 

7* AL Game of the Month on Cleveland Indians -130 

The Key: The Cleveland Indians are fighting for a wild card in the American League.  There is only 2 games separating 3 teams fighting for 2 spots with the Rays and A’s also in the mix.  The Indians have handled their business against the Angels winning 6-2 and 8-0 in the first two games of this series, and they should sweep it tonight.  The Angels are 4-14 in their last 18 games overall, and they’ve been playing with Mike Trout of late due to injury.  Cleveland starter Adam Plutko is 6-4 with a 4.16 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 16 starts this year.  Los Angeles starter Dillon Peters is 2-2 with a 5.80 ERA and 1.54 WHIP in 8 starts.  The Indians are 7-1 in Plutko’s last 8 starts against a team with a losing record.  The Indians are 23-4 in the last 27 meetings.  Take Cleveland. 

7* Interleague Game of the Week on Minnesota Twins -144 

The Key: The Minnesota Twins are hungry to win the AL Central.  The Washington Nationals are kind of stuck in no man’s land right now as they are likely to get the 1st wild card, but they can’t win the division.  The Nationals have lost 4 of their last 5 games coming in.  Jose Berrios is the better starter in this matchup with a 3.78 ERA in 28 starts this year, and a 3.62 ERA in 12 home starts.  Anibal Sanchez has a 4.11 ERA in 26 starts for the Nationals.  He gave up 7 runs and 3 homers in 5 innings of a 4-8 loss to the Mets in his last turn.  The Twins are 51-17 in their last 68 games against a starter with a WHIP of greater than 1.30.  The Twins are 40-16 in their last 56 games off a loss.  Take Minnesota. 

6* National League *MOUND MISMATCH* on Chicago Cubs -140 

The Key: The Cubs are desperately trying to hang on to the 2nd wild card spot in the National League.  They have 3 teams within 2 games of them.  They need this series in San Diego, and it starts with Game 1 tonight.  The Cubs should win with ease thanks to their advantage on the rubber.  Kyle Hendricks is 9-9 with a 3.39 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 26 starts this year.  Hendricks is 5-2 with a 2.98 ERA and 0.89 WHIP in 9 lifetime starts against the Padres.  Cal Quantrill is 0-3 with an 11.15 ERA and 1.76 WHIP in his last 3 starts.  The Padres are 2-10 in their last 12 games against a starter with a WHIP of less than 1.15.  The Padres are 8-20 in their last 28 against a team with a winning record.  The Cubs are 8-3 in their last 11 meetings in San Diego.  Take Chicago.