Sports Picks & Predictions

5* American League Over/Under Game of the Month

---Rays/Royals Over 8.5---

Your first instinct might be to bet the UNDER given these two teams have combined for just 7 runs in the first two games of the series, but Mother Nature should provide a spark to both offenses this afternoon. Winds are expected to be blowing out of Kauffman Stadium at roughly 15 mph. That's bad news for today's two starters. Tampa Bay's Jake Ordorizzi and Kansas City's Jeremy Guthrie are both fly ball pitchers, with Guthrie on an extreme level (73% for career). I expect to see multiple home runs and with both pitchers struggling with command (walked 7 combined between their first starts of 2014), we should see the total here easily finish in double-digits.

The OVER is 8-2 in the Rays last 10 games vs a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30, 12-5-1 in their last 18 after scoring 2 or less in their last contest, and 7-3-1 in Guthrie's last 11 starts at home. BET THE OVER 8.5!

5* MLB Blockbuster Blue Chip Top Play

---St Louis Cardinals -1.5 (+109)---

There's great value with the Cardinals run line today. St Louis will be sending out one of the elite pitchers in the game in Adam Wainwright against Edison Volquez. Wainwright finished 2nd in the NL Cy Young race last year and was dominant in his first start against the Reds (3 hits in 7 shutout innings). Volquez went 9-12 with a 5.71 ERA last year with the Padres and Dodgers. Volquez averaged 4.07 walks/nine innings (3rd worst in the majors) and was up to his old tricks with 6 free passes in the Spring (13 innings).

There's a strong run-line system in play here.Road teams who won the previous matchup, where they held the opposing team to 1 run or less in a matchup involving two teams who finished with winning records the previous year are 38-14 (73%) against the run line since 1997! BET THE CARDINALS -1.5!

5* MLB Blockbuster Blue Chip Top Play

---Texas Rangers -136---

Solid spot to jump on the Rangers as a relatively small priced home favorite, especially after losing the opener last night. I really like what Texas has done this offseason and I'm big on 22-year-old Martin Perez, who posted a 3.19 ERA and 1.24 over his final 12 appearances in 2013.

The Phillies will send out A.J. Burnett, who is making his debut with his new team. Burnett is coming off a great 2013 campaign, but the majority of his success came at Pittsburgh's pitcher-friendly PNC Park. Burnett had a 2.37 ERA at home and 4.22 ERA on the road. He was also torched for 5 runs on six hits in his lone start vs the Rangers. Burnett is just 7-27 in his last 34 starts as a road underdog of +125 to +150. BET THE RANGERS -136!

5* World Series Game 1 Blue Chip Top Play

---Cardinals/Red Sox OVER 7---

The public is all over the UNDER in this one, which isn't all that surprising after both offenses struggled considerably in championship series. However, both teams have had extended rest to regroup and I look for the offenses to steal the show tonight. St. Louis is averaging 4.8 runs/game and the Red Sox are scoring 5.2 runs/game. I'm well aware of the low temps and possibility of rain. We still have a hitters friendly park in Boston and those poor conditions could make it difficult on the defenses to make those routine plays. The fact that oddsmakers have set this total at 7 and are driving money at the UNDER with plus odds, I'm confident I'm on the right side in this one. BET THE OVER!

5* Rays/Indians Over/Under Total Annihilator

---Rays/Indians UNDER 7---

I expect a pitchers duel tonight in the AL Wild-Card game between the Rays and Indians. While both teams will be sending out a couple of youngsters without any playoff experience, I look for both to step up and deliver a big time performance. Tampa Bay's Alex Cobb finished 11-3 with a 2.76 ERA, but most importantly he was strong on the road (4-3 2.70 ERA) and has pitched well down the stretch (3-0 1.16 ERA 0.814 WHIP L3). Cleveland's Danny Salazar will be making just his 11th start. While he's just 2-3 with a 3.12 ERA on the season, he's allowed two earned runs or fewer in six of his last seven starts. There's a chance Salazar might not go deep in this game, but the Indians bullpen is well-rested and was very good this season.

UNDER is 10-1 in Rays last 11 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600, 21-8-2 in Rays last 31 after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game, 6-2 in Cobbs last 8 starts as a road favorite, 8-3 in Indians last 11 games as a home underdog and 4-1 in Salazars last 5 starts as an underdog. BET THE UNDER!

5* Reds/Pirates NL Wild Card Blue Chip Top Play

---Pittsburgh Pirates -126---

The Reds closed out the regular season with five straight losses and I have a hard time seeing them getting a win on the road against the Pirates tonight. So much of the playoffs is determined by which team is playing the best baseball down the stretch. Pittsburgh has won five of six and the Pirates fans are going to treat this game like it's Game 7 of the World Series.

My money is on Francisco Liriano over Johnny Cueto. Liriano is a dominant 8-1 with a 1.47 ERA and 0.964 WHIP over 11 home starts (9-2 team record).

Cueto comes in off a couple of solid starts after returning from injury, but those came against the likes of the Astros and Mets. He's also not been as strong of a pitcher on the road and I could see him getting roughed up early. Cueto relies more on his control than striking out batters and he's not exactly in mid-season form with this being just his third start since the end of June. Adding to this is the fact that the Pirates are 39-19 over their last 58 games vs a starting pitcher with good control (less than 1.75 BB's/start) this season. BET PITTSBURGH!

5* Rangers/Rays AL East High Roller Top Play

---Tampa Bay Rays -125---

There's a lot to like with the Rays at this price. Tampa Bay is 46-29 at home this season and are hitting a solid .260 against left-handed starters. Texas will be starting Derek Holland, who is 9-9 with a 3.40 ERA. Don't read too much into Holland's overall numbers. He's getting up there in innings and has started to show signs of wearing down. He's 0-3 with a 8.77 ERA and 2.099 WHIP in his last three starts. The Rays counter with youngster Chris Archer, who has a 2.67 ERA and o.984 WHIP at home and is coming off a dominant start at Minnesota. Archer allowed just three hits and struck out seven in six scoreless innings. Tampa Bay is 7-3 when he takes the mound at Tropicana Field. BET THE RAYS!

5* NL West Blue Chip Over/Under Total Annihilator

---Dodgers/Diamondbacks UNDER 8---

These two teams combined for 3 runs on Monday with Ryu and Cahill on the mound. Tonight's pitching matchup is even better and I look for the final to come up well short of this total. The Dodgers will send out Zack Greinke, who is 14-3 with a 2.75 ERA and 1.145 WHIP. In his 35 starts this year the UNDER is 17-7-1. Arizona counters with Pat Corbin, who is 14-6 with a 2.92 ERA and 1.091 WHIP in 29 starts overall and 8-2 with a 2.21 ERA at home. The UNDER is 10-5 in Corbin's 15 home starts in 2013.

In Greinke's only start at Arizona this season, he allowed just 2 runs on two hits in seven innings of work. In Corbin's only start at home vs the Dodgers he threw six shutout innings, allowing just two hits.

The UNDER is 11-3 in the Diamondbacks last 14 games after allowing 3 runs or less in 3 straight games, 21-9 in the Diamondbacks last 30 games following a 1 run win and 9-1 in Greinke's last 10 road starts with a total of 7 to 8.5. Combined that's a dominant 75% Triple System that tells us to clearly BET THE UNDER!

5* AL East Blue Chip Game of the Week

---Tampa Bay Rays -133---

The Rays desperately need a win tonight, as they now just 1.5 games ahead of Cleveland and Baltimore for the final Wild Card spot. Tampa Bay really struggled over their 10-game road trip. They are 44-27 at home this year and I look for them to bounce back in Game 2 vs the Red Sox with a much-needed victory.

The Rays have a solid edge on the mound in this one. Tampa Bay will send out Alex Cobb, who is 8-3 with a 2.99 ERA in 18 starts. Cobb has been rock solid at home, going 5-0 with a 2.94 ERA and 1.158 WHIP in 10 starts. He will go up against he struggling Ryan Dempster, who has a miserable 7.13 ERA and 1.472 WHIP over his last three starts. Dempster is also just 2-2 with a 4.38 ERA and 1.559 WHIP over 9 road starts.

Tampa Bay is 15-4 in their last 19 home games vs. a right-handed starter, 17-7 in their last 24 vs. American League East and 11-4 in Cobb's last 15 starts as a home favorite. BET THE RAYS!

5* Blue Chip MLB Over/Under Total Annihilator

---Padres/Phillies UNDER 8.5---

The Phillies come in off a three-game sweep of the Braves, while the Padres just won five of six. Both teams have been winning thanks to great starting pitching. San Diego has scored just 3.4 runs/game and are hitting just .216 as a team over their last 7, while Philadelphia is hitting just .240 and has scored just 3.3 runs/game over their last 7.

I expect both offenses to continue to struggle to put up runs with two very underrated pitchers taking the mound tonight. The Padres Andrew Cashner has a 0.86 ERA and 1.095 WHIP over his last three starts and the Phillies Tyler Cloyd has been impressive in his recent call-ups. He's allowed 2 earned runs or less in five of his seven starts in 2013.

UNDER is 7-1 in the Padres last 8 games vs a team with a losing record and 6-1 in their last 7 road games with a total set between 7 and 8.5. The UNDER is also 3-0-2 in the Phillies last 5 home games vs a team with a road winning % of less than .400 and 4-0 in Cloyds last 4 starts vs a team with a losing record. BET THE UNDER!

5* Cardinals/Reds Blue Chip Over/Under Total Annihilator

---Cardinals/Reds OVER 8---

St Louis will send out youngster Shelby Miller against veteran Bronson Arroyo tonight. After a pitchers duel took place last night in a 1-0 Reds win, I expect both the offenses to steal the show. Miller has been on a downhill slide in the second half and has not pitched well on the road. He's got a 4.32 ERA and 1.381 WHIP over his last three starts and a 4.43 ERA and 1.449 WHIP in 13 starts on the road. Arroyo comes in with a hefty 6.61 ERA and 1.470 WHIP over his last three starts and he's not had much luck against the Cardinals in his career. Arroyo is just 8-16 with a 4.65 ERA and 1.335 WHIP in 35 starts vs St Louis. His most recent start against the Cardinals came at home on Aug 2 and he was torched for 7 runs on 8 hits in just 3 and 1/3 innings of work.

Don't let last night's low-scoring affair scare you. Last night was just the second time in eight meetings this season that these two teams have finished under the posted total.

The OVER is 4-1 in the Reds last 5 games when their opponent scores 2 runs or less and a perfect 7-0 when they score 2 runs or less. On top of that, the OVER is 22-10-3 in the Reds last 35 home games vs a team with a winning record and 8-2 in the Cardinals last 10 road games vs a team with a winning record. Add these up and that's a 71% system in our favor. BET THE OVER!

5* AL West Blue Chip Game of the Month

---Oakland A's -130---

The A's are on fire right now. Oakland has won 7 of their last 8 overall and are now in a tie with the Rangers for 1st place in the AL West. I look for the A's to take over the top spot tonight behind their ace Bartolo Colon, who is coming off a promising outing at Detroit last Thursday. Colon held the Tigers to just 1 run on 7 hits in 5 innings of work. Look for an even stronger performance at home, where he's 6-2 with a 2.88 ERA and 1.162 WHIP in 13 starts this season. Colon is also an impressive 19-7 with a 3.65 ERA and 1.104 WHIP in his career vs the Rangers.

Texas counters with Martin Perez, who can't be too excited about facing the A's. Perez is 1-2 with a 9.90 ERA and 2.100 WHIP in three career starts vs Oakland. He's also got a lofty 4.39 ERA on the road and comes in with a 4.05 ERA over his last three. Perez has an impressive 8-3 record thanks to the Rangers offense, but they won't be able to help him in this one.

Oakland's bats have came alive and they are 22-8 against the money line in home games when they come in having hit a home run in 10 consecutive games since 1997. The A's are also 32-15 as a favorite of -125 to -175 this season and Colon is 21-8 in night games over the last two years and 17-6 following two straight starts where he walked 1 or fewer. BET THE A'S!

5* AL East Blockbuster Blue Chip Top Play

---New York Yankees -136---

The Yankees rebounded like expected with a win in Game 2 of the series and have now won 13 of 15 against Toronto this season. The Yankees have a lot of momentum going right now with a 7-3 run. They are just 4.5-games back of Oakland for the final Wild Card spot.

Hard to not like the Yankees against a Blue Jays team that has nothing to play for. Tonight's pitching matchup features two starters that both are coming off pretty bad starts. New York's Hiroki Kuroda allowed 7 runs in six innings of a 7-2 loss at Tampa Bay, while Toronto's Todd Redmond was tagged for 8 runs on 8 hits in 3 and 1/3 innings of a 12-4 loss at Houston.

I'll take my chances on the established Kuroda to be the one to bounce back the strongest, especially considering he's 4-0 with a 1.60 ERA over his last 5 starts vs the Blue Jays. BET THE YANKEES!

5* High Roller Blue Chip Game of the Month

---Atlanta Braves -136---

This is an excellent price to back the Braves at home against the Indians. Atlanta will extremely motivated to start off their series against Cleveland on a positive note after losing the first three of a four game set at St Louis over the weekend. The Braves will send out promising youngster Alex Wood, who is 2-1 with a 2.56 ERA in seven starts. Wood has been even better of late with a 0.98 ERA and 0.873 WHIP over his last three starts and is also supporting a 2.02 ERA in four starts at home. He has the edge on the mound against the Indians Danny Salazar, who has been roughed up a bit of late. Salazar is 1-1 with a respectable 3.52 ERA over four starts, but is 0-1 with a 4.24 ERA over his last three. One of his biggest problems so far has been giving up the home run ball, he's allowed 5 in 4 starts, which is never a good thing when facing the explosive offense of the Braves.

Regardless of the pitching matchup, getting the Braves at this price at home is simply too good to pass up. Atlanta is 44-18 at home this season. Also big value here with the Braves coming in with a day off, as they are 28-8 returning from an off day over the last two seasons. Cleveland is a mere 19-37 in their last 56 games as a road underdog of +100 to +125. BET THE BRAVES!

5* NL Central Blue Chip Top Play

---St Louis Cardinals -107---

The Cardinals are showing great value at home in a huge a division showdown vs the Reds. Cincinnati just lost two of three at home the Brewers over the weekend, including a 1-3 loss on Sunday. Cincinnati is just 4-13 against the money line in road games after scoring 1 run or less in their previous game this season. The Reds will send out Mike Leake, who is 2-4 with a 5.87 ERA and 1.539 WHIP over seven career starts vs this Cardinals. St Louis is 4-1 in their last 5 home games vs a team with a winning record and 41-15 in their last 56 home games vs a right handed starter. BET THE CARDINALS!

5* Blockbuster NL Blue Chip Top Play

---San Diego Padres -123---

I'll be the first to admit that I was a bit fortunate to get a win with the Padres last night, as the Cubs jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the top of the first. However, a win is a win and I believe that come from behind win is crucial to betting San Diego again tonight. The Padres are small home favorites here, mostly due to the Cubs Jeff Samardzija coming off a complete game where he allowed just 1 run on six hits. Even with that performance, Samardzija still has a 6.47 ERA and 1.473 WHIP over his last three starts. He's really struggled to put back-to-back strong starts together in the second half. I'll take my chances here on a more motivated San Diego team that will send Eric Stults to the mound, who is 5-2 with a 2.50 ERA and 0.956 WHIP in 12 home starts (9-3 team record). BET THE PADRES!

5* AL East Blue Chip Game of the Week

---Tampa Bay Rays -108---

The Yankees winning streak comes to and end tonight against division rival Tampa Bay. The Rays are playing pretty well themselves, having won six of eight. Tampa Bay is 18-games over .500 at home, which has them showing unbelievable value here. Chris Archer takes the mound for the Rays. He's got a solid 2.88 ERA at home, but most importantly he has dominated the Yankees in both starts this season. Archer has allowed a total of just 1 run on 8 hits and 1 walk in 15 innings of work vs NY. The Yankees counter with Hiroki Kuroda, who has a 6.11 ERA and 1.585 WHIP in three career starts vs Tampa. BET THE RAYS!

5* NL High Roller Blue Chip Total Top Play

---Rockies/Phillies OVER 9---

This game should have no trouble going OVER the total tonight. Philadelphia's Kyle Kendrick is coming off a strong start where he allowed just 1 earned run over six innings. Kendrick has rarely been able to put two starts like that back-to-back. The OVER is 27-9 in Kendrick's last 36 starts following an outing where he allowed 1 or less earned runs. Kendrick held the Nationals to 1 run in 7 and 2/3 innings on 6/19. In his next start he was rocked for 6 runs on 9 hits in a game that saw 17 combined runs. It certainly helps that the Rockies are averaging 6.4 runs/game vs NL starters with a WHIP of 1.350 to 1.450 this season and the fact that Kendrick has a 6.08 ERA and 1.631 WHIP in 10 career starts vs Colorado. The Rockies add even more value here by sending out youngster Chad Bettis, who has a 5.30 ERA and 1.768 WHIP in 4 starts and 6.39 ERA and 2.131 WHIP over 2 road starts. BET THE OVER!

5* AL East Blockbuster Blue Chip Top Play

---Baltimore Orioles -113---

The Orioles will be extremely motivated to avoid getting swept at home by the Rays and are clearly showing some solid value listed as small favorite tonight. Baltimore will send out Wei-Yin Chen, who has a respectable 3.23 ERA over 15 starts and a solid 3.15 ERA in six starts at home. I'll take my chances on Chen and the Orioles against the struggling Jeremy Hellickson, who comes in with a 7.90 ERA and 1.829 WHIP over his last three starts and a 5.40 ERA and 1.346 WHIP in 12 road appearances. Hellickson's only start at Baltimore this season didn't go well at all, as he gave up 8 runs on 10 hits in 7 and 2/3 innings of work.

Baltimore is 27-13 over their last 40 vs a starting pitcher with good control (less than 1.75 BBs/Start, 19-9 in Chen's last 28 when playing against a team with a winning record and Tampa Bay is just 1-6 in their last 7 vs left-handed starters! BET THE ORIOLES!

5* Blockbuster Blue Chip Top Play

---Philadelphia Phillies -101---

The Phillies have now won two straight under interim head coach Ryan Sandberg, and are showing excellent value at home tonight. Philadelphia will send out youngster Tyler Cloud, who is 2-2 with a 3.41 ERA over six starts. Cloud has been very effective of late, posting a 1.45 ERA over his last three starts.

The Rockies have now lost three straight since putting together a nice little run. Colorado is simply not a very good road team, as they are a miserable 19 games under .500 (22-41) away from home and 16-39 over their last 55 road games vs a team with a winning home record. The Phillies on the other hand are a strong 8-3 win their last 11 home games vs a team with a road winning % of less than .400. BET THE PHILLIES!

5* Blue Chip MLB Game of the Month

---Washington Nationals -130---

The Nationals have won six of nine overall with all three losses coming by just one run each. Washington is fighting for their playoff lives, as they trail St Louis and Cincinnati by 9.5 for one of the two Wild Card spots. The Cubs have lost six of their last seven with all six losses coming by at least two runs. Chicago is a miserable 14-games under .500 at home. Washington is a dominant 10-2(83%) over their last 12 vs a team with a losing record and there's every reason to back them at this price given they will send Jordan Zimmerman to the mound, who is 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA over his last three starts. Zimmerman will be opposed by the struggling Jeff Samardzija, who is 0-2 with a 9.39 ERA and 2.153 WHIP over his last three starts. BET THE NATIONALS!

5* MLB Blue Chip Over/Under Top Play

---White Sox/Twins UNDER 7---

These two teams should have no trouble finishing under the total. The Twins offense will be going up against White Sox Chris Sale, who despite how bad his team is, has still pitched extremely well. Sale has a 2.79 ERA over 19 starts. Minnesota counters with Andrew Albers, who has simply been lights out in his first two big league starts. Albers hasn't allowed a run in 17 and 1/3 innings of work and has given up just six hits and only walked one. BET THE UNDER!

5* High Roller Blue Chip Top Play

---San Diego Padres -135---

The Padres are showing great value at home tonight with a rejuvenated Ian Kennedy on the mound against the struggling Jon Niese. Kennedy has looked like a completely different pitcher since being traded to San Diego and has posted a 3.34 ERA over his last five starts. It certainly helps that Kennedy has a strong history against the Mets, as he is 4-0 with a respectable 3.45 ERA and 1.213 WHIP. Neise has been bad for most of 2013 and has shown no life of turning it around. He's got a 4.45 ERA over 15 starts, a 5.40 ERA over his last three and a miserable 6.54 ERA on the road. BET THE PADRES!

5* Pirates/Cardinals MLB Early Bird Blue Chip Top Play

---St Louis Cardinals -122---

This is a huge game for St Louis in the rubber match vs the Pirates at home. The Cardinals trail Pittsburgh by 3 games in the NL Central and while they are in a good position to bring home one of the Wild Card spots, they would much rather win the division than play in a one-game playoff.

The key here is that the Cardinals will get back their heart and soul in catcher Yadier Molina, whose absence has played a big role in their struggles over the last couple weeks. It's also good news for starter Lance Lynn to have Molina back behind the plate. Lynn is 8-2 with a 2.78 ERA over 12 home starts and comes in with a strong 2.61 ERA and 0.919 WHIP over his last three. Pittsburgh's A.J. Burnett on the other hand is just 2-5 with a 3.60 ERA and 1.417 WHIP in 10 road starts. BET THE CARDINALS!

5* NL Blue Chip Top Play

---Washington Nationals -145---

The Nationals come in having won three straight and this is really their last chance to string together a run and make a push for one of the two Wild Card spots. The Giants on the other hand are completely out of it and really have nothing to get excited about at this point outside of playing spoiler.

Tonight's pitching matchup strongly favors the Nationals, who send out Jordan Zimmerman against the Giants Tim Lincecum. Zimmerman is 9-2 with a 2.90 ERA and 1.089 WHIP in 14 starts at home and a dominant 11-2 with a 2.68 ERA and 1.018 WHIP over 16 starts in night games.

Lincecum is just 2-6 with a 4.06 ERA and 1.477 WHIP in 11 road starts. He comes into this game off a brilliant start at home against the Brewers, where he allowed just 1 hit over 8 shutout innings. The last time Lincecum pitched that well was his no-hitter against the Padres on July 13. His very next start, he was torched for 8 runs on 9 hits in just 3 and 2/3 innings of work. Considering Washington is hitting a respectable .282 as a team over their last 7 and Lincecum is just 1-4 with a 5.68 ERA in his career vs the Nationals, it's easy to see why Washington is the play. BET THE NATIONALS!

5* AL Central High Roller Blue Chip Game of the Month

---Minnesota Twins -114---

The Twins are showing excellent value as a small home favorite. Minnesota is playing some of their best baseball right now. They have won 4 of 5 and 8 of their last 11 overall. The Twins will send out Sam Deduno, who is 3-1 with a 2.45 ERA and 1.061 WHIP in five starts at home. The Indians counter with Zach McAllister, who is 1-4 with a 4.23 ERA and 1.591 WHIP in seven road starts. If that's not enough, Deduno is 9-1 in home night games over the last two seasons! BET THE TWINS!

5* Late Night High Roller Blue Chip Top Play

---Arizona Diamondbacks -116---

The Diamondbacks have a clear edge on the mound tonight, as they send out the surging Wade Miley against the struggling Scott Feldman. Miley has gone 3-0 with a 0.86 ERA and 1.048 WHIP in his last three starts and has now allowed 3 earned runs or less in 12 consecutive starts. The Orioles are averaging 4.8 runs with a .266 average on the season, but that drops to 4.2 runs and a .253 average when they square up against a left-handed starter.

Feldman is just 1-2 with a 5.60 ERA over his last three starts. While he's 9-9 with a 4.10 ERA over 21 starts this season, he's struggled in night games, posting a 5.08 ERA in 14 starts. Feldman is also a miserable 4-13 over his last 17 games vs a team with a winning record. BET THE DIAMONDBACKS!

5* Early Bird Run Line Blue Chip Top Play

---St Louis Cardinals -1.5 (+118)---

The St Louis Cardinals are worth a strong look on the run line in Sunday's series finale against the Cubs. St Louis desperately needs to win this game after dropping four straight. Hard to not like their chances given the direction the two starters are headed in this one. The Cardinals Joe Kelly has went 3-1 with a 1.82 ERA and 1.212 WHIP in six starts and is 2-0 with a ridiculous 0.51 ERA over his last three starts. He faces off against the Cubs Edwin Jackson, who was just torched in Philadelphia for 7 runs on 10 hits in just 5 innings of work. Jackson is a miserable 3-7 with a 5.18 ERA in 12 road starts and has a poor 4.44 ERA and 1.405 WHIP in his career vs St Louis. BET THE CARDINALS -1.5!

5* NL Over/Under Blockbuster Total Annihilator

---Padres/Reds UNDER 8---

San Diego's Tyson Ross and Cincinnati's Tony Cingrani are not getting the respect they deserve. Ross has a 2.38 ERA over six starts and a dominant 1.35 ERA and 0.700 WHIP over his last three. Cingrani has a 2.87 ERA over 13 starts and a 2.41 ERA over his last three. Hitter-friendly ballpark or not, I'll take my chances on these two teams finishing under 8 runs with these two starting pitchers.

The UNDER is 5-2-1 in Padres last 8 road games vs LHP and 4-1 in Ross' last 5 starts as an underdog. It's also 8-3 in the Reds last 11 home games vs a team with a road winning % less than .400. BET THE UNDER!

5* Orioles/Giants Late Night Blue Chip Top Play

---Baltimore Orioles -127---

The Orioles should have no trouble escaping with a win on Friday night at San Francisco. Baltimore's Chris Tillman is 14-3 with a 3.89 ERA over 22 starts and a dominant 7-1 with a 3.23 ERA on the road (8-1 team record). He will be opposed by Ryan Vogelsong, who will be making his first start since May 20. He was just 2-4 with a 7.19 ERA at the point (9 starts) and should struggle in his first start back. BET THE ORIOLES!

5* Red Sox/Royals MLB Late Night Blue Chip Top Play

---Kansas City Royals +110---

The Royals shouldn't be an underdog at home. Kansas City is playing as well as any team in baseball right now, as they have won 13 of their last 15 overall. I'll take my chances on the home team with a clear edge on the mound. The Royals Bruce Chen has been outstanding since being inserted back in the starting rotation. He's 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA and 0.583 WHIP in four starts. Boston will counter with Jon Lester, who is just 6-6 with a 5.14 ERA and 1.464 WHIP in 14 road starts and is coming off a miserable start where he allowed 6 runs on 11 hits in just 4 and 1/3 innings of work. BET THE ROYALS!

5* AL West High Roller Blue Chip Game of the Month

---Texas Rangers -109---

The Rangers have taken the first two games of the series and I fully expect them to pull off the sweep tonight. Texas will send out Alexi Ogando, who 3-0 with a 2.88 ERA over his last 4 starts vs the Angels. Ogando will be opposed by Tommy Hanson, who has been awful pretty much all season. Hanson has a 5.29 ERA in 12 starts overall, 5.66 ERA at home and a 5.87 ERA over his last three.

Texas is 32-14 vs division opponents this season and a solid 25-16 over their last 41 night games. The Angels are a dismal 9-15 over their last 24 when revenging two straight home losses to the same opponent. BET THE RANGERS!

5* AL Blue Chip Grand Slam Top Play

---Kansas City Royals -1.5 (+115)---

After last night's convincing 13-0 win over the Twins in the series opener, Kansas City has now 12-1 over their last 13 games. 7 of their last 10 victories have come by 2+ runs. With the Royals offense on fire and their ace James Shield on the mound, I'm going big on the Kansas City Run Line. Shields has a dominant 2.25 ERA over his last three starts and has not allowed more than 3 earned runs in a start in over a month. Shields is also 3-0 with a 2.63 ERA over his last four starts vs the Twins.

He will be opposed by lefty Andrew Albers, who will be making his MLB debut. Considering the Royals are hitting .292 over their last 7 games and have the 8th best average against lefties in baseball at .260, I like their chances of putting up a big crooked number tonight.

This play falls into two very profitable system.

Road underdogs of +175 to +250, who feature a terrible offense (less than 2 runs/game)against a good starting pitcher (ERA less than 4.20) with an on-base percentage of .300 or worse over their last 15 games are 8-66 and losing by an average score of 2.6 runs/game.

Home favorites of -175 to -250 with a well rested bullpen (3 innings or less over last 2 games) against oppoent whose bullpen just threw 6 or more innings in their last game are 43-7 and are winning by an average of 2.5 run/game. BET THE ROYALS -1.5!

5* High Roller Blue Chip Top Play

---Seattle Mariners -135---

The Blue Jays were fortunate to avoid a 4-game sweep at Los Angeles, as scored 4-runs in the final two innings to steal a 6-5 win. I fully expect Toronto to go back to their losing ways against the Mariners, who will be sending out one of the most underrated pitchers in the game in Hisashi Iwakuma. In 23 starts, Iwakuma is 10-4 with a 2.76 ERA and 0.973 WHIP. He's 5-1 with a 2.49 ERA and 0.766 WHIP at home and comes in supporting a 0.96 ERA over his last three starts. Not to mention, Iwakuma is a perfect 2-0 with a 1.20 ERA in two career starts vs the Blue Jays. One of those came earlier this year in Toronto, where he allowed just 1 run on five hits over 7 innings of a 8-1 Mariners victory.

He will be opposed by R.A. Dickey, who has clearly not been the same pitcher in 2013. Dickey is 8-11 with a 4.66 ERA and 1.295 WHIP in 23 starts and comes in with a 4.50 ERA and 1.333 WHIP over his last three outings. Dickey opposed Iwakuma in his only start vs Seattle this season and was torched for 7 runs on 6 hits in six innings. In his two career starts vs the Marines he has a horrific 10.03 ERA and 1.542 WHIP.

Iwakuma is 16-6 over his last 22 starts at home and 11-3 against the money line vs. an AL team with an on base percentage .330 or worse in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons. Seattle also falls into a very profitable situation. Home teams with a starting pitcher whose WHIP is 1.100 or better on the season-AL against opponent with a starting pitcher whose WHIP is 1.300 or better on the season-AL are 142-71 (67%) over the last 5 seasons! BET THE MARINERS!

5* MLB Early Bird High Roller Top Play

---Chicago Cubs -102---

There's no question the Dodgers are playing outstanding baseball right now, but I believe there's exceptional value on the Cubs at home in this one. Chicago will send out Jeff Samardzija against the Dodgers Chris Capuano. Samardzija hasn't had the season the Cubs were hoping for, but he comes into this one on quite a run. He's got a 1.80 ERA over his last 3 starts and will certainly be motivated after allowing 5 runs on 8 hits in his only start against LA last season.

The Cubs offense hasn't been much to speak of, but they come into this one off a strong showing on Friday. While they only managed to score 2 runs in Friday's 2-6 loss, they pounded out 14 hits. I look for the hot bats to carry over to Saturday against Capuano, who is just 3-6 with a 4.73 ERA in 13 starts this season. BET THE CUBS!

5* High Roller NL Blue Chip Top Play

---Washington Nationals -134---

I believe this is the perfect spot to jump on the Nationals as they head to Milwaukee for a 3-game series over the weekend. Washington is in desperation mode right now,trying to get back in the playoff race. The Brewers on the other hand are counting down to the days until the season is over. With that I'll gladly take my chances on the Nationals with tonight's pitching matchup.

Washington's Jordan Zimmerman has been roughed up in each of his last two starts, but keep in mind that both of those starts came during a day game. Zimmerman has been at his best when he takes the mound at night. He's 10-2 with a 2.76 ERA and 0.950 WHIP in 14 starts in night games. Not to mention he's 3-0 with a 2.89 ERA in 3 career starts vs the Brewers. He'll be opposed by Tom Gorzelanny, who just recorded his first win in 15 starts dating back to 2011! BET THE NATIONALS!

5* Blue Jays/Angels MLB Blue Chip Top Play

---Los Angels Angels -108---

Given how tonight's two starters have performed in their home/away splits, I think we are getting exceptional value on the Angeles in this one. Youngster Garrett Richards is just 1-2 with a 4.65 ERA in five starts, but he's been nearly unhittable at home with a 2.70 ERA and 0.600 WHIP. Opposing Richards will be Toronto's Josh Johnson, who is 1-7 with a 6.08 ERA in 14 starts and 0-4 with a 7.66 ERA and 1.541 WHIP. The Angels come in having lost six straight, but could easily be riding a 3-game win streak. In their most recent series, they lost all three games via a walk-off.

The Angeles are 6-1 in Richards last 7 starts as a home favorite, while the Blue Jays are just 2-10 in their last 12 games following a win and 1-5 in their last 6 during Game 1 of a series. BET THE ANGELS!

5* Blue Jays/A's Blue Chip Game of the Week

---Oakland A's -147---

The A's had their 4-game winning streak snapped last night, but still come in red-hot having won 7 of 10 overall. They haven't lost back-to-back games in nearly two weeks and I expect that trend to continue with their ace Bartolo Colon on the mound. It certainly helps matters when you consider the Rays are a horrible 1-10 in their last 11 games following a win and 0-5 in their last 5 during game 3 of a series.

Colon is 14-3 with a 2.54 ERA and the A's are a dominant 17-4 in his 21 starts overall. Colon is also 6-1 at home and is on fire with a 1.69 ERA over his last 3 starts. I fully expect him to shutdown the Blue Jays offensively. At the same time, I look for Oakland to provide Colon with enough runs to ensure a victory, as they go up against the struggling R.A. Dickey. In 22 starts this season the 2012 Cy Young winner is 8-11 with a 4.86 ERA and 1.301 WHIP. He's been roughed up of late, allowing 9 runs on 14 hits over his last two starts.

We have a 100% system in play on this game. As Colon is a perfect 10-0 against the money line after giving up 2 earned runs or less in his two previous outings. BET THE A's!

5* ANGELS/RANGERS ESPN BLUE CHIP TOP PLAY

---Texas Rangers -127---

I'll gladly back the Rangers at home with one of the hottest starters in baseball taking the mound for Texas. Matt Garza, who was recently acquired from the Cubs has won six straight starts while posting a ridiculous 1.23 ERA. In his first start with the Rangers, Garza allowed 1 unearned run on five hits over 7 and 1/3 innings of work in a 3-1 victory of the Yankees. He should have a solid edge with this being his first start vs the Angels in 3 years.

Los Angeles will counter with a hot pitcher of their own in Jered Weaver, who has a 1.77 ERA over his last three starts. However, Weaver has not been as sharp on the road. He's 0-3 with a 4.60 ERA in five starts away from home. During his recent three game stretch, he allowed 4 runs on 9 hits in a 0-6 loss at Seattle, which just goes to show you how good he's been at home. Weaver's only start vs the Rangers in 2013 came in Texas back in early April. He allowed 5 runs on 7 hits in 5 innings of a 3-7 defeat. BET THE RANGERS!

5* NL BLOCKBUSTER BLUE CHIP TOP PLAY

---St Louis Cardinals -113---

I've been riding the Adam Wainwright train from the start of the season and there's no way I'm passing up on the ace at this price. The Cardinals are 15-6 in Wainwright's 21 starts this season and he's been just as strong on the road as he has at home. In fact, he's riding an 8-game win streak away from home and is 8-1 with 2.93 ERA over 12 road starts in 2013.

While the Braves send out a pretty good starter of their own in Mike Minor, St Louis is 25-8 over their last 33 games vs a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15. They are also a dominant 20-7 over their L27 vs the NL East and 6-0 in Wainwright's last 6 road starts vs a team with a winning record. BET THE CARDINALS!

5* AL BLUE CHIP BLOCKBUSTER TOP PLAY

---Baltimore Orioles -130---

The Orioles will be motivated to salvage a split in their 4-game series with the Royals and I like their chances of delivering a victory. Baltimore will send out Miguel Gonzalez, who is 2-0 with a 1.40 ERA over his last three starts and has posted a dominant 2.93 ERA on the road this season. Kansas City's Jeremy Guthrie on the other hand has a 5.03 ERA over his last three starts and a 4.61 ERA at home.

Each of the Royals last two wins have come by 2 runs or less and that sets up a very profitable trend to take Baltimore. Kansas City is just 5-15 over their last 20 games after two straight wins by less than 2 runs. BET THE ORIOLES!

5* NL OVER/UNDER TOTAL ANNIHILATOR BLUE CHIP TOP PLAY

---Reds/Giants Under 7.5---

I expect to see a very low scoring game tonight between the Reds and Giants, which clearly means there's some big time value on the UNDER at 7.5.

Cincinnati's Mike Leake has been unbelievable on the road, he's 6-0 with a 1.27 ERA over his last eight starts away from home. Adding even more value here is that he has a 0.77 ERA over his last three regular season starts vs the Giants.

San Francisco will counter with Chad Gaudin, who has been a surprise to say the least since filling in the rotation for Ryan Vogelsong. Gaudin is 4-0 with a 2.23 ERA over seven starts in 2013 and comes in on fire with a 0.95 ERA and 0.789 WHIP over his last three outings. I have a hard time seeing either team scoring more than 3 runs in this game! BET THE UNDER 7.5!

5* AL EAST BLUE CHIP GAME OF THE MONTH

---Boston Red Sox -134---

While the Rays have won six straight, including last night's series opener, my money is on the Red Sox to bounce back with a win at home in a game where they have a pretty big advantage on the mound. Tampa Bay's starters have been on an absolute tear, expect for today's starter Roberto Hernandez, who is just 1-1 with 4.50 ERA over his last three starts. The key here is that Hernandez is just 1-6 with a 5.74 ERA over eight road starts and will be facing a Boston team that is an impressive 33-18 at home this season. The Red Sox will send out Jon Lester, who has struggled since an impressive start to the season. However, Lester is 3-0 with a 2.96 ERA over seven starts at home and Boston has won all seven. He's going to be pitching for the first time in 10-days, which should have him throwing more like the guy who was 6-0 with a 2.72 ERA at one point this season. BET THE RED SOX!

5* AL NO DOUBT BLOCKBUSTER BLUE CHIP TOP PLAY

---Baltimore Orioles -114---

The Orioles are showing great value as a small road favorite tonight against the Royals. Baltimore has won 4 straight and 7 of 8 overall and have a clear edge on the mound. Kansas City's Wade Davis is a miserable 4-8 with a 5.89 ERA and 1.753 WHIP in 18 starts and will be making his first start since the All-Star break. He went into the break 0-3 with a 11.77 ERA and 2.000 WHIP over his last three starts. Baltimore's Scott Feldman has a respectable 3.86 ERA and has pitched well in two of his three starts since being acquired from the Cubs. His only poor start came against a very good offensive team in Texas. Feldman, who back in the day pitched for the Rangers, has a 2.41 ERA over 3 career starts vs the Royals, his best mark against any team he's faced more than once. BET THE ORIOLES!

5* MLB RUN LINE MASSACRE TOP PLAY

---St Louis Cardinals -1.5 (-104)---

I've had a lot of success picking my spots to back the Cardinals Adam Wainwright and I feel like today is definitely worth a shot. Given the ridiculously high price on the money line, I will be backing St Louis on the run line at a much more friendly -104. Wainwright will be extra motivated to make sure he pitches well. These two teams split the first two games and with this being a series the Cardinals really need to win at home, I expect Wainwright to deliver. Adding value here is that San Diego starter Eric Stultz has solid overall number at 8-7 with a 3.40 ERA, but he's actually not been anywhere close to that on the road. He's just 3-6 with a 4.31 ERA and 1.392 WHIP in 11 starts on the road. If that's not enough, Wainwright has a 1.02 ERA vs the Padres and Stults has a 5.07 ERA vs the Cardinals. BET ST LOUIS -1.5!

5* NL EAST EARLY BIRD BLUE CHIP TOP PLAY

---Philadelphia Phillies -120---

With last night's win over the Mets, the Phillies are now above .500. They have won three straight and 7 of their last 9 overall. I'm sticking with the hot hand and jumping on Philadelphia at what I believe is a huge discount on Saturday with Cole Hamels on the mound. Hamels got off to a rough start in 2013, but he went into the All-Star break riding three straight dominant starts where he went at least 7 innings and posted a 1.57 ERA and 0.870 WHIP. I fully expect Hamels to finish the season strong and we aren't going to get him at this price for much longer. New York will counter with youngster Zach Wheeler, who in his only start at home this season was shelled for 5 runs on 6 hits over just 4 and 2/3 innings of work. With the way Philadelphia is swinging the bat, I don't expect him to last long in this one. BET THE PHILLIES!

5* NL OVER/UNDER GAME OF THE MONTH

---Padres/Cardinals UNDER 9---

Tonight's total for the Padres/Cardinals matchup has simply been set too high. St Louis will send out Jake Westbrook, who has nearly been unhittable at home this season, going 3-0 with a ridiculous 0.31 ERA and 0.793 WHIP. He will be opposed by Jason Marquis, who went into the All-Star break with a 2.55 ERA over his last three starts and he's pitched well in his career against the Cardinals, going 6-2 with a 3.49 ERA. In most recent start vs St Louis this season, he allowed just 1 earned run on three hits over six innings of work. I look for both offenses to be a bit sluggish coming off the break and for this game to finish well below the mark that's been set. BET THE UNDER!

5* MLB BLUE CHIP TOP PLAY

---Baltimore Orioles -118---

The Orioles are showing big time value at home today. Toronto's Josh Johnson is getting way too much respect. He's simply not the same pitcher he was with the Marlins. He's just 1-4 with 4.63 ERA in 11 starts this season and a miserable 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA on the road. BET THE ORIOLES!

5* MLB BLUE CHIP TOP PLAY

---Philadelphia Phillies -130---

***I like this game for the same reasons I took it yesterday, but due to the fact that it's now part of a double-header I have downgraded it from my game of the month to a regular top play***

The Phillies come in having won six of eight and are just one-game back of .500. They are clearly going to be motivated to go into the All-Star break at or above that mark. The White Sox on the other hand are probably looking forward to some extended time off and it's hard to see them being all that excited about this series.

I definitely like the Phillies at this price at home with the edge they should have on the mound. Philadelphia's Jonathan Pettibone is 3-1 with a 2.45 ERA and 1.217 WHIP in 8 starts at home and the Phillies as a team are an impressive 7-1. As for Chicago starter John Danks, he's 0-5 with a 6.43 ERA and 1.429 WHIP in five road starts.

The Phillies are 18-5 against the money line when playing against a bad team (Win Pct. 38% to 46%) in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons. BET THE PHILLIES!

5* AL BLOCKBUSTER BLUE CHIP TOP PLAY

---Boston Red Sox -125---

The Red Sox are surprisingly showing some great value here. Boston will send out a red-hot Ryan Dempster, who is 3-3 with 3.33 ERA over his last eight outings. He'll be looking for his 8th quality start over a span of nine starts. Hard to not like his chances given his success the Mariners. Both of Dempster's previous starts vs Seattle have come at Safeco Field, where he's posted a 2.45 ERA and 0.954 WHIP.

Given the way the Red Sox are swinging the bats, Dempster might not even have to pitch well to get a win. Boston has exploded for 26 runs on 38 hits in the first three games of this series. That should continue given they will be facing Erasmo Ramirez, who will be making his 2013 debut. Ramirez wasn't exactly lighting it up in the minors, posting a 5.09 ERA in his last four starts before getting called up.

Boston is 18-5 against the money line after 2 or more consecutive OVERS this season, which directly corresponds to them swinging the bad well. At the same time Seattle is a mere 2-12 against the money line revenging a home loss of 6+ runs over the last three seasons! Combined these two systems provide us with a very profitable 81% angle! BET THE RED SOX!

5* BLUE CHIP INTERLEAGUE GAME OF THE MONTH

---Pittsburgh Pirates -129---

After losing the first two games of the series by a total of just two runs, I fully expect the Pirates to answer the call and avoid getting swept at home with a clear edge on the mound.

Pittsburgh's Francisco Liriano has been one of the biggest surprises of 2013. He's now 8-3 with a 2.20 ERA over 11 starts and comes into this contest having gone 3-0 with a 1.66 ERA over his last three starts. Liriano is also a dominant 4-1 with a 2.05 ERA in 5 starts at PNC Park.

The A's will counter with Tom Milone. While Milone has a winning record at 8-7, he also supports a not so strong 4.10 ERA. Most of his struggles have come on the road, where he's posted a 4.83 ERA in 10 starts. One of Milone's biggest struggles has been consistency. Oakland is just 1-6 in his last 7 starts following a quality start in his last appearance (8 innings 3 earned runs vs Royals last time out).

Pittsburgh is 10-3 over the last 3 seasons following back-to-back one run losses and 7-1 in their last 8 interleague games as a favorite of -110 to -150! BET THE PIRATES!

5* MLB HIGH ROLLER BLUE CHIP TOP PLAY

---St Louis Cardinals -1.5 (-116)---

I'm confident the Cardinals will win tonight by at least 2 runs behind their ace Adam Wainwright, who is 11-5 with a 2.36 ERA and 0.995 WHIP in 18 starts. He's been even more dangerous at home, posting a 1.84 ERA and 0.801 WHIP. Certainly have to like his chances against a struggling Astros club that has lost 8 of their last 10 (7 of the 8 by 2+ runs). Wainwright is 12-1 with a 1.44 ERA in 14 career starts vs Houston (9 wins by 2+). In his most recent start at home against the Astros, he tossed a complete game shutout in a 7-0 Cardinals victory.

Now the key for any run line bet is to get plenty of offense. I believe the Cardinals will be able to provide just that. Housto will send out Bud Norris to make his 19th start of 2013. Norris has a decent 6-7 record with a 3.22 ERA for a team that's 25 games under .500, but he's not been good on the road. His ERA away from home is 5.02 and he's supporting a less than impressive 1.48 WHIP. In his most recent start at St Louis, he allowed 5 runs on 6 hits in just 5 1/3 innings of work. BET THE CARDINALS -1.5!

5* BLOCKBUSTER NL UNDERVALUED UNDERDOG GAME OF MONTH

---Milwaukee Brewers +127---

The Brewers should not be an underdog at home tonight, but it's not surprising to see Cincinnati's Homer Bailey overvalued after throwing a no hitter in his last start. Bailey is 1-6 with a 6.00 ERA in 12 career starts vs Milwaukee. That 6.00 ERA is the worst against any team he's faced more than seven times. A lot of people will be quick to also jump on the Reds after seeing they are 5-1 vs the Brewers this season, but keep in mind all six of those game came in Cincinnati. This will be the first meeting in Milwaukee, where they went 4-2 vs the Reds last season.

The big key that has me liking the Brewers is a red-hot Kyle Lohse, who is 3-0 with a 1.72 ERA over his last six starts and has a very respectable 3.18 ERA vs Cincinnati in his career (12 starts).

Lohse has thrived in the role of home underdog in his career, he's 25-13 over his last 38 starts when he's listed as a home dog of +100 to +125. He's also 19-6 over his last 25 starts vs NL team with a batting average of .250 or worse. The Reds on the other hand are just 4-12 against the money line this season in road games after scoring 2 or fewer runs in their previous game. BET THE BREWERS!

5* A'S/ROYALS MLB OVER/UNDER TOTAL ANNIHILATOR

---A's/Royals OVER 9---

With two average starters on the mound and the wind blowing out towards left center at nearly 20 mph, the A's and Royals offenses should have no trouble combining for at least 10 runs this afternoon. BET THE OVER!

5* MLB BLUE CHIP BLOCKBUSTER TOP PLAY

---Pittsburgh Pirates -125---

This is an unbelievable price to be catching the red-hot Pirates. Pittsburgh has baseball's best record and a huge edge on the mound today. It doesn't take much to get better than the Cubs Edwin Jackson, who is 4-10 with a 5.75 ERA over 16 starts. Jackson has really struggled at Wrigley Field, going a miserable 1-5 with a 6.69 ERA and 1.785 WHIP in 7 starts. In comparison, Pittsburgh's Charlie Morton is has a 2.50 ERA. While this will be just the 5th start of the season for Morton, he's clearly on top of his game.

Jackson is just 5-16 in his last 21 starts following a team loss and the Cubs are just 11-29 in their last 40 games played on Saturday. The Pirates are 21-12 in their last 33 day games and 25-13 in their last 38 games vs division opponents (7-3 vs Chicago in 2013). BET PITTSBURGH!

5* MLB OVER/UNDER BLUE CHIP GAME OF THE MONTH

---A's/Royals OVER 8.5---

With the wind expected to be blowing out to straight center at nearly 15 mph tonight, I look for the A's and Royals to have little trouble eclipsing the 8.5 total set for this game. Both of tonight's starters should struggle to pitch deep as they both are fly ball pitchers

The Royals have scored an impressive 30 runs over their last four games and you have to like their chances of putting up a big number against Oakland's Tom Milone, who is 3-4 with a 5.04 ERA on the road (9 starts) and comes in struggling to the tune of a 7.31 ERA and 1.750 WHIP over his last three.

The A's will also be licking their chops offensively, as they face off against a struggling Wade Davis, who is 4-6 with a 5.55 ERA in 16 starts, 1-3 with a 4.53 ERA at home and a miserable 6.43 ERA over his last three. Davis has historically struggled against Oakland with a 6.75 ERA over three starts. BET THE OVER!

5* MLB 4TH OF JULY BLUE CHIP TOP PLAY

---St Louis Cardinals -128---

With last night's win over the Angels the Cardinals will be motivated to finish up their long 8-game road trip with a win to salvage a 4-4 split. They have just the starter on the mound to make sure that happens. Adam Wainwright is 11-5 with a 2.22 ERA and 0.995 WHIP in 17 starts and has certainly put himself into the Cy Young mix in 2013. He should have a clear edge against the Angels as this will be the first time he's faced Los Angeles in his career, meaning several players will have no idea what to expect when they step into the batters box.

The same can't be said for Angels starter Joe Blanton, who has made seven career starts vs St Louis, including two last year. In those two starts he allowed 10 runs on 14 hits in 10 innings of work. Blanton is just 2-10 on the season and a miserable 0-4 with a 5.04 ERA at home (Angels are 1-7 in his home starts). Clearly getting some great value behind one of the best starters in the game! BET THE CARDINALS!

5* MONDAY MLB RUN LINE MASSACRE TOP PLAY

---Cincinnati Reds -1.5 (+130)---

The Reds return home after a brutal 8-game road trip, where they went just 2-6 against the Diamondbacks, A's and Rangers. I fully expect them to play with a sense of urgency tonight. The Reds are a dominant 26-14 at Great American Ballpark and I like their chances of winning this one by at least two runs.

Cincinnati will send out Bronson Arroyo against the Giants Mike Kickham. Arroyo is just 6-6 with a 3.61 ERA on the season, but at home he's pitched like a Cy Young contender. Arroyo is 5-1 with a 2.50 ERA over 10 starts at home and the Reds as a team are 8-2 in those games. Kickham will be making just his third big league start. His first two both came on the road at pitcher-friendly ballparks in LA and Oakland and neither went well. He allowed 4 runs on 4 hits in 2 and 1/3 innings vs the A's and 6 runs on 8 hits in 5 and 1/3 innings vs the Dodgers. Now he must pitch in a hitter-friendly ballpark against a motivated Cincinnati team. I'll gladly take my chances in this spot. BET THE REDS -1.5 (+130)!

5* TIGERS/RAYS MLB SUNDAY AFTERNOON ANNIHILATOR

---Tampa Bay Rays -119---

With Tampa Bay at home there's clearly value on the Rays. They will send out red-hot Jeremy Hellickson vs the struggling Rick Porcello of Detroit. Hellickson allowed one hit over 7 scoreless in his last start and only gave up two earned over 6 innings prior to that. Both came against strong offensive teams in Toronto and Boston. Porcello has allowed 13 runs on 19 hits over his last two starts (10 and 1/3 innings). Look for the Rays to give Hellickson plenty of run-support. BET TAMPA BAY!

5* DIAMONDBACKS/BRAVES MLB BLUE CHIP TOP PLAY

---Atlanta Braves -145---

Atlanta's Tim Hudson is 3-0 with a 2.22 ERA and 0.963 WHIP at home this season and the Braves are a perfect 7-0 overall in those starts. Hudson is also an impressive 7-1 with a 1.88 ERA over 10 career starts (8-2 team record)against the Diamondbacks. Atlanta's offense should provide plenty of run-support, as Arizona counters with a struggling Ian Kennedy. In his last three starts, Kennedy has a 7.16 ERA and 1.592 WHIP. He's also just 1-3 with a 5.60 ERA on the road this season. Atlanta has won 3 of their last 4, while the Diamondbacks are just 1-4 over their last 5. BET THE BRAVES!

5* FRIDAY NIGHT OVER/UNDER BLUE CHIP TOP PLAY

---Giants/Rockies OVER 10.5---

Anytime the Giants send out Barry Zito on the road, there's a pretty good chance it's going to be a high-scoring affair. In 2013, Zito is 0-4 away from San Francisco with a dismal 11.28 ERA and 2.506 WHIP. To no surprise the total has gone over in 4 of his 5 road starts.

With this game being played in Colorado, the chances of both teams putting up big numbers offensively are greatly increased. Rockies starter Jhoulys Chacin has a 4.92 ERA at home and lately when he faces the Giants at home things have gotten out of hand. In his last four home starts vs San Francisco he's allowed at least 4 earned runs in each start. Combined in these outings, he's allowed 23 runs on 28 hits in just 20 innings of work!

Over is 19-8 in Rockies last 27 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of less than .400 and 5-1-1 in Giants last 7 after scoring 2 runs or less in their previous game. Everything points to a lot of runs on the scoreboard tonight! BET THE OVER 10.5!

5* NL CENTRAL GRAND SLAM MONEY LINE GAME OF THE MOTH

---Milwaukee Brewers +100---

Even with last night's loss the Brewers are still a dominant 19-4 over their last 23 games vs the Cubs. Chicago is also still 7-games under .500 on the road and a mere 10-25 against their division foes.

Milwaukee fits to extremely strong systems that have profited big over recent years. The first is the Brewers are 26-8 against the money line vs. an NL starting pitcher whose ERA is 4.20 to 4.70 over the last 3 seasons. The average score was MILWAUKEE 5.7, OPPONENT 4.4. The second is Matt Garza is 8-23 against the money line after giving up 2 or less earned runs in each of his last 2 starts. The average score was GARZA 4.0, OPPONENT 6.2 . BET THE BREWERS!

5* NL Blockbuster Blue Chip Grand Slam Top Play: Twins -107

The Miami Marlins have struggled against Left-handed starters all season. They are just 7-16 against southpaws and are averaging a mere 2.2 runs/game on a dismal .211 average. That certainly gives Minnesota starter Scott Diamond the upper-hand in this one. Diamond has struggled of late, but this is clearly a start where he should flourish. Even if Diamond struggles some, he should get plenty of run-support from his offense, as the Marlins send out Tom Koehler. In 8 starts Koehler is 1-5 with a 4.99 ERA and has gone 0-3 with a 6.27 ERA at home. BET THE TWINS!

5* Diamondbacks/Nationals MLB Blue Chip NL Game of the Month: Nationals -141

The Nationals have a clear advantage on the mound with Gio Gonzalez going up against the struggling Trevor Cahill. Gonzalez has caught fire of late. He's got a 2.25 ERA and 1.000 WHIP over his last 3 starts. The same can't be said for Cahill, who has struggled to the tune of a 8.70 ERA and 1.838 WHIP over his last three starts. Cahill is also just 2-4 with a 3.96 ERA and 1.396 WHIP over six road starts.

Gonzalez is a dominant 33-12 over his last 25 starts with a money line of -125 to -175, while Arizona is a mere 9-18 against the money line after having won 4 of their last 5 (just had their 4-game winning streak snapped last time out). BET THE NATIONALS!

5* Giants/Dodgers MLB Blue Chip Top Play: Giants +103

I like the Giants to continue their recent dominance over the Dodgers. San Francisco has taken five of six against LA this season and should be able to add to it with Madison Bumgarner on the mound. Bumgarner is 3-0 with a 2.37 ERA and 0.842 WHIP over his last three starts and is 6-2 with a 2.58 ERA over 8 career starts vs the Dodgers. In his two most recent starts (both at LA), Bumgarner has went eight scoreless in each, while giving up a combined six hits with no walks and 16 strike outs.

The Dodgers will counter with Hyun-Jin Ryu, who has been a pleasant surprised so far. However, this is going to be the third time Ryu has started against the Giants this season and they have hit him fairly well in the first two. San Francisco has piled on 18 hits in just 12 1/3 innings of work against Ryu.

Another key here is that the Giants are expected to get back both 3B Pablo Sandoval and LF Andres Torres, while the Dodgers continue to play without Matt Kemp, Carl Crawford and SCott Van Slyke. BET THE GIANTS!

5* White Sox/Royals AL Central Blue Chip Top Play: Royals -130

I expect the Royals to put an end to their current three-game losing streak tonight behind a strong performance from starter Wade Davis, who has a strong 2.04 ERA and 1.302 WHIP over his last three starts. Davis shouldn't have any trouble keeping it going, as he is 3-1 with a 2.01 ERA and 1.181 WHIP over his career against the White Sox. Davis is a sizzling 11-2 against the money line vs AL teams scoring 4.2 or less runs/game over the last 3 seasons! BET THE ROYALS!

5* Rays/Yankees MLB Blue Chip Top Play: Yankees -115

The Yankees are showing big time value as a small home favorite against the Rays. New York is a dominant 20-7 in their last 27 games as a favorite of -110 to -150 and are a perfect 4-0 in Phelps' last 4 starts as a home favorite of -110 to -150. Phelps has a clear edge on the mound against the Rays Roberto Hernandez, who is 4-7 with a 5.02 ERA over 13 starts and a dismal 1-4 with a 5.82 ERA over six road starts. BET THE YANKEES!

5* Cubs/Cards NL Central Blue Chip Game of the Week: OVER 8

The Cubs and Cardinals should have no trouble going over the total tonight. Chicago's Edwin Jackson is coming off a couple of strong starts, but he's still just 3-8 with a 5.40 ERA over 13 starts. Jackson has been less than impressive in his career vs the Cardinals. He's 1-3 with a 4.91 ERA. In his two most recent starts vs St Louis, he's allowed 13 runs on 14 hits in just 6 and 1/3 innings of work. St Louis will counter with Jake Westbrook, who will be making his second start since returning from the DL. Westbrook struggled in his first start back against a very poor Miami offense, allowing 5 runs on 8 hits in just five innings of work. It's going to take another start or two before Westbrook regains his rhythm on the mound and can pitch deep into a game. Both offenses should have no trouble scoring at least 4 runs in this one. BET THE OVER!

5* NL West Blue Chip Game of The Month: Giants -121

The Giants are showing exceptional value at home tonight. San Francisco is 17-5 in their last 22 home games vs. a team with a winning record and 19-7 in their last 26 home games vs a team with a road winning % less than .400. The Padres are a miserable 13-32 in their last 45 road games vs a team with a home winning % greater than .600.

The Giants will send out Barry Zito against Edinson Volquez. Zito got rocked for 8 runs on 11 hits in just 4 and 2/3 innings of work in his last start at Pittsburgh. Don't let that last start scare you away. Zito is 4-1 with a 1.94 ERA and 1.196 WHIP at home. San Francisco has won 7 of his 8 starts this season at AT&T Park. Volquez has struggled big time on the road, posting a 6.87 ERA and 1.827 WHIP in seven starts. Volquez has lost four straight starts at AT&T Park and over his career he has a 5.00 ERA and 1.694 WHIP vs San Francisco. BET THE GIANTS!

5* Nationals/Indians MLB Blue Chip Top Play: Nationals -118

This is a clear value play on the Nationals with Stephen Strasburg returning to the mound off the DL. Strasburg got off to a bit of a slow start by his standards, which is why he's just 3-5. Don't let his record fool you into thinking he's not one of the best in the game. He was dominant in his last three starts, posting a 1.59 ERA and 0.882 WHIP. Hard to not like our chances against the Indians, who will send out Corey Kluber. Kluber has been slightly better at home, but he's still got a 4.30 ERA over 9 starts. BET THE NATIONALS!

5* Cardinals/Marlins MLB Blue Chip Top Play: Cardinals -1.5 (-115)

This is the perfect spot to jump on the Cardinals after losing Game 1 of the series last night. St Louis has a clear edge on the mound with Lance Lynn against Miami's Tom Koehler. Lynn is 8-1 with a 3.00 ERA over 13 starts. St Louis is a perfect 3-0 in his last three starts, with all three wins coming by at least 2 runs.

Lynn is 10-2 against the run line vs NL teams with a batting average of .245 or worse over the last 2 seasons, 17-6 when they play a team with a losing record and 12-1 vs NL teams scoring 4.3 or less runs/game. BET THE CARDINALS!

5* Cubs/Mets MLB Blue Chip Game of the Month: Mets -120

With the Cubs coming off a 14 inning marathon win against division rival Cincinnati at home, I look for Chicago to stumble in Game 1 of their series against the Mets Friday night. New York has clearly not been playing well of late, but this is a good spot to back them as a small home favorite. The Mets go into this one with Shaun Marcum on the mound. Marcum has struggled in 7 starts, going 0-5 with a 5.49 ERA, but he's pitched better of late. In his last start at home he allowed just 2 runs on four hits in seven innings vs a very good Atlanta offense. The Cubs offense is averaging just 3.2 runs/game on the road and have scored two or fewer in three of their last four. New York's offense hasn't been great, but they figure to have plenty of chances against the Cubs Edwin Jackson. IN five road starts this season, Jackson is 1-3 with a 4.26 ERA. He's really struggled of late, posting a 5.24 ERA and 1.723 WHIP over his last three. BET THE METS!

5* Tigers/Royals MLB Afternoon Grand Slam Top Play: Tigers -122

Anytime you can get the Tigers' Justin Verlander at this price it's worth some action. Verlander hasn't quite been himself early on, but he's still 8-4 with a 3.71 ERA. What really makes this a big play is the fact the Verlander is 15-2 with a 2.67 ERA and 1.126 WHIP over 24 career starts vs the Royals. The Royals will counter with James Shields. While Shields has an impressive 2.81 ERA over 13 starts, he's just 2-6 and the Royals are only 5-8 in his starts overall. In Shields last two starts vs the Tigers, he's allowed 7 runs on 19 hits and 4 walks over 15 and 2/3 innings of work. It's pretty clear the Tigers are comfortable against hitting against him. BET DETROIT!

5* Braves/Padres MLB Blue Chip Top Play: Braves -128

The Braves come in off back-to-back wins over the Dodgers and have won 7 of their last 9 games overall. There's little concern with Atlanta playing across country as they should be well adjusted to the time difference after their 3-game series with the Dodgers.

The big reason I like the Braves in this one is starter Julio Teheran, who is coming off a brilliant performance in his last outing. Teheran flirted with a no hitter, but ended up allowing one hit over 8 scoreless innings. Teheran has a 1.69 ERA and 0.890 WHIP in his last three starts. There was all kinds of hype surrounding Teheran coming out of sprint training, but he struggled early due to not being able to rack up strikeouts. He's struck out 20 batters over his last 14 and 2/3 innings! BET THE BRAVES!

5* Pirates/Cubs Blue Chip Top Play: Pirates -120

I look for the Pirates to finish off the Cubs on Sunday. Pittsburgh is without question the better team and have a clear edge on the mound with Jeff Locke going up against Edwin Jackson. Locke is 5-1 with a dominant 2.45 ERA and has been even better on the road with a 1.96 ERA. Jackson is 1-8 with a 6.29 ERA and has struggled at home with a 7.83 ERA. There's a good chance Pittsburgh wins in a blowout. BET THE PIRATES!

5* Phillies/Brewers MLB Blue Chip Game of the Month: Phillies +108

The Phillies shouldn't be an underdog against the Brewers. Due to injuries the Brewers have been forced to move Tom Gorzelanny out of the bullpen and into the starting rotation. He's put up decent numbers in relief this year, but he's not expected to last long as he figures to have a pitch count of 50-60 pitches. That's bad news for the Brewers, who had to use their bullpen for 4 and 2/3 innings last night. This gives Philadelphia's Kyle Kenndrick a huge edge on the mound. Kenndrick is 6-3 with a 3.12 ERA in 12 starts and has been surprising strong on the road, where he's 2-1 with a 2.31 ERA and 0.9414 WHIP in five starts. Kendrick started at Milwaukee in his most recent start against the Brewers and pitched 8 innings of shutout baseball, allowing just 3 hits and one walk. BET THE PHILLIES!

5* American League Over/Under Total Annihilator: UNDER 7.5

I'll gladly pay a little extra juice to get the UNDER 7.5 in tonight's A's/White Sox game. Chicago's Jake Peavy should have little trouble keeping the A's offense in check. Peavy is 5-3 with a 2.44 ERA over 10 starts, but he's been much better at home. In four starts at US Cellular Field, he's 3-0 with a 1.47 ERA and 0.783 WHIP. On top of that, Peavy comes in with a 0.40 ERA and 0.529 WHIP over his last 3 starts. The White Sox offense has struggled to produce runs all season and that figures to be the case tonight against a red-hot Jarrod Parker, who is 2-1 with a 2.21 ERA and 0.836 WHIP over his last 3 starts.

These two starts just faced off in Oakland last Sunday. The White won the game 2-0. Parker and Peavy combined allowed just 1 earned run on six hits with both starts pitching at least 6 innings. BET THE UNDER!

5* MLB Blue Chip Top Play: Oakland A's -132

5* Rangers/Red Sox Blue Chip Top Play: Red Sox -126

5* MLB Over/Under Total Annihilator: UNDER 8

5* Diamondbacks/Cardinals MLB Blue Chip Top Play: Cardinals -1.5 (+152)

5* Diamondbacks/Cubs NL Blue Chip Game of the Week: Arizona -140

The wind will be blowing out in Chicago this afternoon and that should lead to an easy win for the Diamondbacks in the rubber-match of this 3-game series. Arizona has a huge edge on the mound with Pat Corbin taking the rubber against Edwin Jackson. Corbin is a perfect 8-0 with a 1.71 ERA and 1.024 WHIP in 10 starts. He's got a much better chance of succeeding in these conditions. Jackson is 1-7 with a 6.11 ERA and 1.566 WHIP in 10 starts. He's been absolutely horrible at home, where he's 0-4 with a 7.81 ERA and and 1.879 WHIP. Jackson simply lets too many runners on base for these conditions, as there figures to be a at least a few home runs in this one. BET THE DIAMONDBACKS!

5* Reds/Pirates MLB Blue Chip Top Play: UNDER 7.5

I expect a very low-scoring game today. Cincinnati's Mike Leake and Pittsburgh's Francisco Liriano both come in throwing the ball extremely well of late. Leake is 2-0 with a 0.43 ERA and 0.952 WHIP over his last 3 starts, while Liriano is 2-1 with a 2.55 ERA and 1.245 WHIP over his last 3. He's also a dominant 2-0 with a 0.71 ERA and 0.947 WHIP in two home starts. BET THE UNDER!

5* Brewers/Phillies MLB Blue Chip Game of the Month: Phillies -125

The Phillies should be a much bigger favorite at home tonight. Philadelphia will send out lefty Cole Hamels against the Brewers Yovani Gallardo. Hamels is a miserable 1-8 with a 4.43 ERA over 11 starts, but he's allowed 3 earned runs or less in each of his last two starts. The big key here is that the Brewers have been horrible against left-handed pitching in 2013. They are 4-18, averaging just 3.3 runs/game. Adding even more value here is that Hamels is 7-2 with a 3.07 ERA over 11 career starts vs Milwaukee. BET THE PHILLIES!

5* Reds/Indians MLB Blue Chip Top Play: Reds -126

Cincinnati should have little trouble getting a win to salvage a split in their quick two-game series at Cleveland. The Indians have won just 1 of their last 6 overall and are at a huge disadvantage on the mound. The Reds will send out Homer Bailey against the struggling Scott Kazmir. Bailey is just 3-3 on the season, but he's pitched much better than his record and it's started to show of late. In his last 3 starts he's 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA and 0.909 WHIP. Kazmir on the other hand has struggled all season. He's 2-2 with a 5.94 ERA and 1.650 WHIP in 7 starts. He's been even worse of late, posting a 7.62 ERA and 2.000 WHIP over his last three outings. BET THE REDS!

5* Red Sox/Phillies MLB Blue Chip Top Play: Red Sox -117

The Phillies managed to get a split in their quick two-game series at Boston thanks to a dominant pitching performance by Cliff Lee. The edge on the mound tonight belongs to the Red Sox and they are showing some great value as a small road favorite. Boston will send out John Lackey, who comes in off back-to-back dominant starts. During his last two starts he hasn't allowed a single earned run (2 unearned), while allowing just three hits and striking out 13 over 13 innings of work. He's just 3-4 on the season, but his 2.72 ERA tells me more wins are coming. Philadelphia will counter with Kyle Kendrick, who has struggled of late with a 5.50 ERA and 1.667 WHIP over his last three starts. Kendrick has a respectable 3.29 ERA on the season, but he's not been on his game at home. In five starts at home, he's just 2-2 with a 4.40 ERA and 1.630 WHIP. Kendrick's only two career starts against Boston have not been good. He's allowed 11 runs on 14 hits and four walks over just 7 and 2/3 innings of work. BET THE RED SOX!

5* Rockies/Astros MLB Blue Chip Top Play: Rockies -1.5 (-107)

I've had a lot of success lately going against the Astros on the Run Line and I feel like this is another spot where the value is there. Colorado has a clear edge on the mound and offensively can put up a lot of runs. The Rockies will send out Jorge De La Rosa, who is 6-3 with a 3.40 ERA over 10 starts. The Astros will counter with Jordan Lyles, who is 2-1 with a miserable 5.40 ERA and 1.600 WHIP. Lyles has been even worse at home, where he's got a 6.30 ERA. In his only start against the Rockies (last year), Lyles allowed 6 runs in just five innings of work. BET THE ROCKIES -1.5!

5* Cardinals/Royals MLB Blue Chip Top Play: Cardinals -108

*No Analysis Memorial Day*

5* A's/Astros MLB Blue Chip Top Play: A's -1.5 (-108)

I was all over the A's on the run line Saturday and Oakland delivered an 11-5 win. I expect a similar result Sunday afternoon. Oakland has got back on track with 7 wins over their last 8 games and when they get hot they tend to play well for an extended period of time.

I also believe the A's have a strong edge on the mound in this one. Oakland will send out Bartolo Colon against Houston's Dallas Kuechel. Colon has a 4.32 ERA over 9 starts, but he's pitched well over his last two outings, allowing just 5 runs on 10 hits over 13 innings of work. Colon has also pitched well against the Astros this season. In two starts he's allowed just 4 earned runs over 12 innings and most importantly the A's won both games by at least 2 runs. BET OAKLAND!

5* A's/Astros MLB Blue Chip Top Play: Oakland -1.5

I like the A's to not only win tonight against the Astros, but to win big. Oakland rallied for a 6-5 win last night in Game 1 of the series and have now won six of their last seven overall. Adding value to the run line is the huge advantage the A's have on the mound. Oakland will send out A.J. Griffin, who has a 3.59 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in nine starts against the Astros Lucas Harrell. In 10 starts this season, Harrell is just 3-5 with a 4.63 ERA and 1.651 WHIP. He's been at his worst at home, where he has a 5.85 ERA and 1.918 WHIP in six starts. In his only start against Oakland, Harrell allowed 8 runs on 7 hits in just 4 1/3 innings of work in a 3-9 loss at home to the A's earlier this season. BET OAKLAND!

5* Undervalued Underdog Blue Chip Top Play: Angels +120

We have two teams headed in different directions. The Angels enter on a four-game winning streak, while the Royals have lost five of six and 9 of 12 overall. The big reason for the Angels winning streak has been an offensive outburst led by Mike Trout. Los Angeles is hitting .300 and averaging 6.4 runs/game over their last 7. Look for them to give Kansas City's Ervin Santana all kinds of trouble in this one. Santana is a respectable 3-3 with a 2.77 ERA over 8 starts, but he's got a 4.19 ERA over his last 3 outings. The Angels Joe Blanton has struggled so far in 2013, but he comes in with a 2.96 ERA over 7 career starts vs the Royals. BET THE ANGELS!

5* AL Blue Chip Game of the Week: Red Sox -130

I'm confident the Red Sox will avoid the sweep tonight with their ace Clay Buchholz on the mound. Buchholz has been as good as it gets when it comes to AL starting pitchers. He's 6-0 with a 1.78 ERA and 1.035 WHIP over 9 starts and has been at his best on the road. In three starts away from home, Buchholz is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA and 0.952 WHIP.

The White Sox will counter with Hector Santiago, who is 1-1 with a 2.95 ERA over four starts. However, most of Santiago's success came in his first two starts. He's given up 9 runs on 12 hits and 5 walks over his last two starts. He lasted just 3 1/3 innings in his last start, giving up 3 runs on 4 hits and 4 walks before being pulled from the game.

Boston is 10-2 in their last 12 games as a road favorite and a ridiculous 26-5 in Buchholz's last 31 starts as a favorite of -110 to -150. BET THE RED SOX!

5* Cardinals/Padres MLB Blue Chip Top Play: Cardinals -137

This one is pretty simple. The Cardinals will be sending out Adam Wainwright, who has owned the Padres. In five career starts vs San Diego, Wainwright has a ridiculous 0.97 ERA and 0.946 WHIP. Wainwright was roughed up a little in his last start, allowing 3 runs on six hits over 6 innings, but he's proven he has the ability to bounce back with a dominant performance. After allowing 5 runs on 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings against the Brewers on 5/4, Wainwright came out the very next start and threw a complete game shutout against the Rockies. Adding some value is that Wainwright will be opposed by Edinson Volquez, who is just 3-4 with a 5.55 ERA over nine starts this season and 2-4 with a 5.32 ERA over 9 career starts vs St. Louis. BET THE CARDINALS!

5* Diamondbacks/Rockies NL West Game of the Month: Diamondbacks -111

The Diamondbacks have the clear edge in this one. Arizona will send out one of the most underrated starters of 2013 in Pat Corbin. In 8 starts, Corbin is a perfect 6-0 with a 1.52 ERA and 1.069 WHIP. He's been nearly untouchable of late with a 0.89 ERA over his last 3 starts. While Corbin could struggle a little in hitter-friendly Coors Field, he should get plenty of run-support to keep him in line for the win. Colorado will counter with Jon Garland, who is 3-4 with a 4.89 ERA and 1.500 WHIP. Unlike Corbin, who has been on fire of late, Garland has a 5.40 ERA and 1.733 WHIP over his last three starts. BET THE DIAMONDBACKS!

5* Rays/Orioles MLB Blue Chip Top Play: Orioles -113

This is a good spot to fade the Rays. Tampa Bay is playing their first road game in nearly two weeks and are just 6-12 away from home on the season. Rays starter Jeremy Hellickson hasn't been himself in 2013. He's 1-2 with a 5.25 ERA over 8 starts and is 0-2 with a 5.48 ERA over four road starts. Most importantly here is the fact that the Rays are 0-4 as a team when Hellickson takes the mound on the road. Adding even more value is that Hellickson was torched for five runs on eight hits in his only start against the Orioles this season. BET BALTIMORE!

5* AL East Blue Chip Game of the Month: Rays -120

This is simply too good of a price on the Rays at home with ace David Price on the mound. While Price hasn't been himself in 2013, he's shown signs of turning it around. He's got a 3.74 ERA over his last 3 starts. Price has had plenty of success against the Red Sox, posting a 2.99 ERA and 1.202 WHIP over 16 career starts. He's allowed just 6 earned runs in his last three starts vs Boston. BET THE RAYS!

5* Indians/Phillies Interleague Game of the Month: Phillies +110

The Phillies should not be an underdog at home tonight against the Indians. Philadelphia comes in having won two straight and just concluded their lengthy seven-game road trip against San Francisco and Arizona with a winning record at 4-3. Cleveland's Scott Kazmir has pitched well of late, but he shouldn't be favored on the road. Kazmir is 0-1 with a 8.64 ERA and 2.161 WHIP away from home this season. Philadelphia will counter with Jonathan Pettibone, who is 2-0 with a 3.63 ERA in four starts and has a dominant 2.32 ERA and 0.943 WHIP in two starts at home.

One of the big reasons I like the Phillies here, is the fact that the Indians are coming off a double-header against the Yankees yesterday. In those two games they managed just 1 run on 10 hits. Philadelphia on the other hand is playing with a full days rest and should be extremely motivated to sweep this short two-game series as they are still 3-games under .500. BET THE PHILLIES!

5* AL West Blue Chip Game of the Month: A"s -122

The Oakland A's have hit a rough patch in the season, as they return home after a disappointing 3-7 road trip. Oakland has fallen to 19-20 on the season, but you need to keep in mind that they have played just 17 games at home compared to 22 on the road. The A's are also a dominant 14-5 inside the AL West and are simply showing great value as a small home favorite. This is a good spot to fade Texas starter Justin Grimm, who is coming off one of his worst starts this season. Grimm allowed 5 runs on 8 hits and 3 walks over just 5 innings of what ended up being a 3-6 loss at the Brewers. He along with the rest of the team have been on the road since last Monday and the last series on a long road trip is typically where we see a team hit the wall. BET THE A's!

5* Pirates/Mets MLB Blue Chip Top Play: Pirates -107

The New York Mets were able to come away with 3-2 win Thursday night in Game 1 of this series, but the key here is the offense still struggled to produce. New York is hitting just .198 over their last 15 games and are batting just .192 in their last 9 games vs a left handed starter. That gives a pretty clear edge to the Pirates when it comes to starting pitching, as they will send out lefty Wandy Rodriguez. Adding even more value to this is the fact that Rodriguez is 3-0 with a 2.00 ERA in his last 4 starts vs the Mets.

New York will counter with Shaun Marcum, who will be making his 3rd start since returning from the DL. Marcum is a reliable starter when healthy, but that's simply not the case. He's totaled just 8.3 innings in his first two starts, failing to get past the 4th inning in each start. That's not good news for a Mets bullpen that was forced to pitch 4 innings last night and is supporting a 4.66 ERA on the season.

Pittsburgh is a perfect 4-0 in Rodriguez's last 4 road starts vs a team with a losing record, 8-3 in their last 11 following a loss. New York on the other hand is just 5-21 in their last 26 games as a home underdog. Combined these trends make up a strong 80% system! BET THE PIRATES!

5* Cardinals/Brewers MLB Diamond Winner: Cardinals -116

With Adam Wainwright on the mound I'll gladly back the Cardinals at this price. In his last start against the Brewers he threw a complete game shutout, allowing just 4 hits and striking out 12. Milwaukee's Yovani Gallardo has been downright awful against the Cardinals. He's 1-11 with a 6.86 ERA and 1.559 WHIP over 16 career starts. I'm a firm believer that Wainwright is going to win the NL Cy Young this year and he's off to a strong start with a 4-2 record and 2.03 ERA over six starts. BET THE CARDINALS!