Sports Picks & Predictions

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* Ervin Santana has been great this year, but he hasn't been nearly as dominant of late. In 6 of his last 8 starts Santana has allowed at least 4 runs. The Blue Jays have a solid offense, and they can generally score some runs at home. Henderson Alvarez is a pretty good young pitcher, but the Angels are locked in on offense right now. Alvarez has a 4.40 ERA at home this year. Tim McClelland is the umpire in this one, and he is one of the best over umpires in the game because of his very small strike zone. The over is 15-6 in the Angels last 21 road games. The over is 15-6-2 in the Jays last 23. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The New York Mets don't have much to play for at this point, and it seems that it making their games higher scoring. The over is 21-7-1 in their last 29 road games. The Cardinals have plenty to play for, and I think they'll be able to get to Chris Capuano. Capuano has a 5.29 ERA on the road this year. Jake Westbrook pitches for the Cardinals. He has a 5.59 ERA at home and a 5.15 ERA during the day. Jim Reynolds is a huge over umpire, and he is behind the dish for this one. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Late Night BAILOUT* Could there be a better pitching matchup in the National League? Clayton Kershaw would have my vote as this year's CY Young winner in the National League, and Tim Lincecum has already won it twice. Lincecum and Kershaw have squared off three times already this year. The final scores were 2-1, 2-1, and 1-0. Quite honestly, I could easily see this one staying at 3 runs or below once again. I expect both of these pitchers to be in the game a long time. Both offenses are very weak. This is a very low number, but I really like the under.

*3 Star MLB BEST Bet* Rick VandenHurk has pitched just six innings in the majors so far this season. He has looked very shaky. His minor league numbers really aren't very good. The Red Sox aren't the type of lineup you want to put a guy like VandenHurk up against. Erik Bedard hasn't pitched in quite a while, and he has struggled to find the zone all year long when he has been on the mound. The Orioles pounded out hits all day yesterday, and they should put up several runs here. I expect this one to easily surpass the posted total.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* Fausto Carmona has been crushed by the Chicago White Sox throughout his career. Carmona has a 5.54 ERA against the White Sox. The Indians have really started hitting the ball much better themselves of late. The over is a stunning 14-2-1 in Cleveland's last 17 games. The middle of the order is much more formidable with Hafner and Sizemore back. Gavin Floyd has a 5.06 ERA in his last three starts. Carmona has an ERA of 10.66 in his last three starts. I expect some runs to be scored here. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Totals Takedown* The Minnesota Twins are extremely short-handed offensively right now. There is no Mauer, Morneau, Kubel, or Valencia in the lineup. The Indians are without Michael Brantley and Shin Soo-Choo. Justin Masterson has been solid all year, but he has been shaky in his last three starts. I think he'll pitch better again Sunday against this weak Twins lineup. Carl Pavano has a solid 3.42 ERA at home this season. The under is 4-0 in Pavano's last 4 starts against the Indians. The under is 7-0 in Masterson's last 7 against the Twins. The wind is expected to be blowing in as well. I like the under in this one.

*3 Star MLB Totals TKO* Tim McClelland is one of baseball's biggest 'over' umpires. He has a very small strike zone, which will likely frustrate Dillon Gee and Brandon Beachy Sunday afternoon. Gee has an ERA over 5.5 on the road this year. The over is 5-1 in his last 6 road starts. Beachy has been pretty good this year, but the over is 5-1 in his last 6 starts overall as well. The over is 19-7-1 in the Mets last 27 road games. With the total sitting at just 8 for this one, I like the value on the over.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* Freddy Garcia will start for the Yankees, and he is definitely off schedule right now. The Blue Jays have a pretty good lineup, and I expect them to score some runs here. Brandon Morrow has been horrible at home and during the day this year. Morrow has a 6.91 ERA at home and a 6.5 ERA during the day. The Yankees lineup is arguably the best in baseball right now, and I think they'll make it very tough on him. The ball really flies in Toronto during the daytime when the roof is open, and I expect it to be open on Sunday. I think this one will be high scoring. Take the over.

*3 Star NFL Total DOMINATION* The Kansas City Chiefs defense was lit up like a Christmas tree by Buffalo last weekend. Detroit's offense will be much better this year with a healthy Matt Stafford under center. Calvin Johnson is a beast on the outside, and the Lions have a solid offensive nucleus. Kansas City lost Eric Berry, their most talented player in the secondary, and he will miss the rest of the year. On the other side, I do expect Jamaal Charles and the Chiefs to be able to move the ball on the ground some in this one. The over is 8-2 in the Lions last 10 home games, and with Stafford healthy I think this Lions offense is very good. The over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these two teams. Take the over.

*3 Star College Football Total Domination* The BYU Cougars have played to a 14-13 and 17-16 final in their first two games. At this point, it is pretty clear that the BYU defense is ahead of the offense. The same thing happened last year with this team at the beginning of the season. Utah held a pretty good USC offense in check last weekend. The Utes have a fairly pedestrian offense. The under is 3-1 in the last 4 meetings in this in-state rivalry. The under is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings at BYU. I expect both defenses to flex their muscles in this one. Take the under.

*3 Star Oklahoma/FSU Total Domination* Oklahoma's high octane offense will be difficult for anyone to stop this year. The Sooners defense isn't bad, but they certainly aren't one of the best in the land. If Florida State is going to keep up with Oklahoma, they'll have to put up quite a few points in this one. I think the Seminoles are equipped to put together long drives and score some points here. At the same time, I think Oklahoma will wear down the Florida State defense with their fast paced offense. Last year's game saw Oklahoma roll to a 47-17 win. Florida State should be highly motivated in this one, and I expect a high scoring close game here. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Play of the Day* Zach Britton has been very good most of the year. He has a stellar 2.84 ERA at home this year. The Angels have never seen him, which should give him a leg up on the Angels hitters. Ervin Santana has been solid all year long. Santana has a 3.30 ERA this season. The under is 19-9 in Santana's 28 starts this year. The under is 4-0 in Britton's last 4 home starts. The wind will be blowing in from center at about 10 mph here, and that should help both pitchers quite a bit. Expect both pitchers to pitch well in this one. Take the under here.

*3 Star NCAA FB Hidden GEM* It's a battle of two directional Michigan schools in the MAC this Saturday. Central Michigan has a solid secondary led by Jahleel Addae. Western Michigan counts on throwing the football all the time, and if forced to run it, they will have some trouble offensively. Western Michigan probably has the best front four in the MAC, and that should give Ryan Radcliffe and the Central Michigan offense quite a bit of trouble. Central Michigan only put up 21 points against South Carolina State, so their offense isn't too strong. The under is 6-2 in Central Michigan's last 8. The under is 4-1 in the Broncos last 5 home games. Take the under.

*3 Star College Football Totals Takedown* Dana Holgorsen is an offensive minded coach, and everywhere he has been the team's offense has put up points. Geno Smith is a good quarterback for the system and Tavon Austin is a real threat at the wide receiver spot. Maryland's Danny O'Brien is a much better quarterback than most people realize, and the West Virginia defense lot a ton of talent from last year. Maryland rolled up 499 total yards against Miami, and I expect Randy Edsall's team to be a solid balanced offense this year. I like this one to go over the total.

*3 Star NCAA FB Early Bird Special* The Wyoming Cowboys don't have much of a passing attack, but the running game is pretty good. Bowling Green's weakness defensively is stopping the run, so I expect Wyoming to be able to move the ball in this one. Bowling Green runs a west coast offense. Matt Schilz is a solid quarterback and I think the Falcons will score quite a few points this season. The Wyoming secondary is extremely inexperienced, and that should show quite frequently this weekend. Schilz was injured quite a bit last year, but he is healthy this year. I expect Bowling Green totals to move higher as the year goes along. I like the value on the over.

*3 Star MLB Play of the Day* Alexi Ogando was great through the first 2/3 of the season, but he has struggled mightily for the last month or so. Ogando has a 9.26 ERA in his last three starts. He has given up 5 runs or more in 3 of his last 4 home starts. Fausto Carmona has a career 5.16 ERA against the Texas Rangers. Texas has a lot on the line right now, and I expect their offense to continue to pound out hits. The Indians offense is a little better now that Sizemore and Hafner are back. Shin Soo-Choo is expected back in this one as well. The over is 4-0-1 in the Rangers last 5 home games. The over is 7-0 in the Indians last 7 games. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Play of the Day* Clayton Kershaw has been absolutely dominating this year. He proably won't win it because the Dodgers are bad, but he should win the NL CY Young award this year if he finishes well. How good has he been? Kershaw has a 2.36 ERA and an 18-5 record for a team that sits below .500 on the season. At home, he is even better. Kershaw has a 1.80 ERA at home this year. Daniel Hudson has been spectacular of late. Hudson has an ERA of 0.78 in his last three starts. The Dodgers offense isn't very good to start with, and they are without Ethier and Blake now. The under is 5-0 in Hudson's last 5 starts. The under is 6-1 in Kershaw's last 7 home starts. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* Tim Wakefield just can't seem to get that 200th win. The Red Sox have blown some leads for him, but he also hasn't been pitching very well. He has given up at least 4 runs in seven of his last ten starts overall. Toronto has a solid offense and they should be able to score. Brandon Morrow has an ERA of 9.70 in more than 34 career innings against the Red Sox. Boston realizes they need to win now that the Rays are closing in on the Wild Card spot. I expect both offenses to put up several runs here. Take the over.

*3 Star Monday Night Football Bookie CRUSHER* The Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos both have a new coach this year. The Raiders team lost quite a bit of talent, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Oakland lost the best corner in football, and now their secondary is banged up. While Denver wasn't very good last year, the passing game was very effective. On the other side, Denver was one of the worst defenses in the NFL. The Broncos simply couldn't stop the run, and that is exactly what the Raiders do very well. With McFadden and Bush running hard behind a talented run blocking offensive line, I expect the Raiders to run the ball well on Monday night. The over is 16-5 in Denver's last 21 games overall. The over is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings between these teams. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Totals TKO* Jeff Niemann has been hith hard in his last two starts, but those starts were both against the heavy hitting Texas Rangers. Baltimore's lineup is a little short-handed right now, and Adam Jones will miss this game. Niemann has a 3.36 ERA on the road this year. Zach Britton has been great at home all year. Britton has a 2.54 ERA at home this season. Phil Cuzzi will be the umpire in this one, and he has one of the biggest strike zones in the majors. The under is 7-1-1 in Britton's last 9 home starts. Take the under.

*3 Star NFL Total DOMINATION* The Carolina Panthers will have Cam Newton under center as they start off the 2011-2012 season. Newton will certainly give them a play maker at the quarterback position. Stewart and Williams give the Panthers a nice tailback tandem, and Smith is still one of the best receivers in the NFL. I think Carolina's offense will be quite a bit better than they were last year. Arizona picked up Kevin Kolb, which should help their passing game a lot. Larry Fitzgerald might be the most talented receiver in football, and Kolb should connect deep with him at least once or twice a game. Both teams improved offensively, and I think the oddsmakers have this one set too low. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* The Dodgers and Giants are both very short-handed offensively right now. Andre Ethier, Juan Uribe, and Casey Blake are out for the Dodgers. Buster Posey, Freddy Sanchez, and others are out for the Giants. Madison Bumgarner has quietly been pitching great. Bumgarner has a 1.19 ERA in his last three starts. Hiroki Kuroda has an impressive 2.89 ERA on the road this season. Vic Carapazza is behind home plate in this one. The under is 6-0 in his last 6 games behind the dish. Take the under here.

*3 Star College Football Total DOMINATION* The BYU Cougars and the Texas Longhorns are two teams that are quite a bit like each other. Both teams have a quarterback with quite a bit of promise, but they haven't been terribly consistent. Both defenses have had to carry the offenses in the past year, and I expect that to be the case quite a bit in this game. BYU won 14-13 last week, but their last touchdown was a defensive score. Texas struggled in the first three quarters against a terrible Rice defense. Neither team will be able to air it out much in this one. Look for a lot of running that will keep the clock ticking. The under is 6-1 in BYU's last 7 road games. The under is 5-1 in Texas' last 6 home games. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA FB Top Total* After Tyler Bray took over as quarterback last season, the Tennessee offense became much more productive. The team averaged 35.4 points per game in their last five contests last year. They opened by putting up 42 points against Montana last week. Cincinnati has a very skilled quarterback in Zach Collaros. The Bearcats rolled up 72 points against Austin Peay last week. Neither of these teams have a strong defense, and I think this could turn into a track meet. Look for both quarterbacks to have a big day in this one. The over is 8-1 in Tennessee's last 9 home games. The over is 7-0 in the Volunteers last 7 non-conference games. Take the over.

*3 Star College Football Totals TKO* The Kentucky Wildcats beat Western Kentucky 14-3 in week one. Kentucky managed just 190 yards of total offense against a very questionable defense. Without Locke and Cobb Kentucky really lacks playmakers on offense. Central Michigan put up just 256 yards of total offense against South Carolina State last week. Kentucky's defense is a swarming defense, and I suspect the Chippewas will find it difficult to move the ball this week as well. Both teams will try to establish the run, but neither team is very good at running the ball. I expect a lot of punting in this one. Take the under.

*3 Star TGIF Bookie BEATDOWN* Brandon McCarthy has been pitching great of late, and I suspect that is why the posted total is set so low here. I think it is giving us a lot of value on the over. McCarthy has a 1.82 ERA in his last three starts, but he has a career 4.61 ERA against the Texas Rangers. Colby Lewis has a 9.39 ERA in his last three starts. He has been terrible at home all year. The Athletics have been hitting the ball much better over the last few weeks. The over is 34-12-5 in Oakland's last 51 games. The over is 6-0 in Lewis' last 6 starts against the Athletics. The over is 11-3 in Lewis' last 14 starts at home. The over is 10-2 in the last 12 meetings. All signs point to the over. I like the value on the over.

*3 Star MLB Bookie CRUSHER* The San Diego Padres offense averages just 3.73 runs per game. The Padres are without Hawpe, Headley, and Forsythe right now. Ian Kennedy has been absolutely brilliant this year. Kennedy is 18-4 with a 2.96 ERA. He has a stunning 0.86 ERA in his last three starts. Cory Luebke is a talented young lefty for the Padres. Luebke has a 2.94 ERA on the road this year and a WHIP of just 0.96. The under is 5-1 in Luebke's last 6 road starts. The under is 5-0 in Kennedy's last 5 home starts. Take the under in this one.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* Tim Wakefield is a streaky pitcher. If he has the knuckler working he can be very difficult to hit, but when he is struggling he can be very hittable. He has been very hittable of late (6.23 ERA last three starts). Brandon Morrow has a horrible 6.38 ERA at home over 79 innings this season. The over is 5-1 in his last 6 home starts. The over is 4-0 in his last 4 starts against the Red Sox. I expect both teams to put up several runs in this one. The scoreboard should light up here. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* Justin Verlander has probably been the most dominant pitcher in baseball this year. The Cleveland Indians are missing Hafner, Choo, Brantley, and others from their lineup right now. Justin Masterson has a terrific 2.92 ERA this season. The under is 8-1 in Masteron's last 9 home starts. The under is 9-4 in the last 13 meetings between these two in Cleveland. Brian Gorman is the umpire here and he has a wide strike zone that both pitchers will use to their advantage. Take the under in this one.

*3 Star MLB Late Night Bailout* Ervin Santana has been very good this season. He has an ERA of 3.27 on the year. Ironically, Felix Hernandez has an identical 3.27 ERA. Santana hasn't pitched quite as well the last three games, but I think he'll bounce back against a weak Seattle offense. King Felix has looked great in his last three starts. Hernandez has an ERA of 2.35 in his last three starts. The under is 7-1-2 in Santana's last 10 starts. The under is 5-1-1 in Hernandez's last 7 starts against the Angels. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* Miguel Batista is 41 years and he will be starting for the Mets in this one. Batista has never been very good as a starter, and his stuff isn't even as good as it used to be. Chris Volstad starts for the Marlins. Volstad has a 5.48 ERA this year. The Mets have been hitting the ball very well of late since Reyes has come back into the lineup. The over is 4-0-1 in Florida's last 5 games. The over is 4-0-1 in the Mets last 5 games. Dana DeMuth is the umpire here. The over is 23-5 in Demuth's last 28 games behind the plate. Take the over!

*3 Star MLB Play of the Day* The Detroit Tigers pounded out 24 hits and 18 runs last night in a win over the Chicago White Sox. I like to look for a chance to pick the under after a team has put up so many runs the previous night. Rarely do you see big outputsd two days in a row, and in this case the Tigers will be facing Ubaldo Jimenez at Cleveland. Jimenez has a 1.71 ERA in 21 innings at home since being traded to Cleveland. Doug Fister starts for the Tigers, and he has been amazing. Fister has an ERA of 0.83 in his last three starts. The Indians offense is severely short-handed right now because of injuries, and I think Fister will fare well against them. The under is 11-5-1 in the Tigers last 17 road games. The under is 6-2 in the Indians last 8 games. I expect a low scoring game. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Totals Takedown* The San Diego Padres offense has been slumping badly again of late. Chase Headley and Cameron Maybin were the team's top two hitters, but they are both out of the lineup right now. Aaron Cook hasn't pitched well this year, but I think he'll fare better against this weak Padres lineup. Mat Latos has pitched very well in the last couple months. 8 of his last 10 starts have been quality starts. John Hirschbeck is the umpire behind the dish here, and that is great news for 'under' bettors. The under is 32-12 in Hirschbeck's last 44 Sunday games. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB BEST Bet* Joel Piniero has been beaten up pretty badly of late. Piniero has an ERA of 7.71 in his last three appearances. He also has a 6.61 ERA during the day this season. The Twins put up 6 runs on Jered Weaver Saturday, and I think they'll get to Piniero. Kevin Slowey has struggled all year, and he hasn't been any better of late. The over is 18-6 in the Angels last 24, and the bats of guys like Vernon Wells and Torii Hunter have come alive of late. The over is 20-6-2 in their last 28 meetings. I think both pitchers are capable of giving up 6 or 7 runs. I really like the over in this one.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* John Lackey gets better run support than any starting pitcher in baseball. Lackey has an ERA of almost six and yet he has a winning record on the season. Lackey's ERA is actually a little above 6 at home. Lackey also has allowed 13 runs to Texas in just two starts this year. Matt Harrison started the year well, but he has been struggling of late. He gave up 7 runs to the Red Sox last time out, and this Boston lineup is starting to get healthy again. With Ellsbury, Pedroia, Gonzalez, Youkilis, and Ortiz the top five are very tough. I expect a slugfest here. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Late Night Bailout* The San Diego Padres are one of the worst offenses in the majors. Right now their lineup is short-handed, which has hurt their production even more. Cameron Maybin, Brad Hawpe, and Chase Headley are all out. Alex White hasn't been very good so far for the Rockies, but he was great in the minors and I think he'll do well against the Padres. Cory Luebke has been tremendous so far this year, and the Rockies bats have been cold on the road of late. The under is 10-3 in the Rockies last 13 road games. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA FB Hidden GEM* The South Carolina Gamecocks offense is extremely good this year. Marcus Lattimore will be one of the best running backs in the country, and Alshon Jeffery might be the best reciever in the country. Stephen Garcia has gotten better each year and I expect him to have a solid season. East Carolina runs an uptempo offense and they air it out early and often. South Carolina allowed opponents to throw for 242 yards per game last year. Domonique Davis is a very good quarterback and I expect him to take advantage of the Gamecocks secondary. At the same time, East Carolina's defense was absolutely horrendous last year. By many different statistics, they had the worst defense in the entire nation in 2010. Navy scored 76 points on East Carolina while running all over them. Expect South Carolina to be able to do whatever they want in this one. East Carolina's last five games last season all went over the total, and they all finished with at least 71 points total. I think there is a lot of value on the over in this one.

*3 Star NCAA FB Total Domination* The UCLA Bruins were bad last year, and Rick Neuheisel is definitely on the hot seat right now. The single biggest problem for UCLA last season was the weakness defensively. UCLA gave up 30.3 points per game last year. Houston suffered through a difficult season last year, but things should be much different with Case Keenum under center once again. Keenum is one of the nation's best quarterbacks and he'll instantly make this Houston offense great once again. Despite having their third string quarterback playing most of the year, Houston still averaged 37 points per game last year. Expect that number to go up quite a bit this season. Houston's front seven isn't very good at all defensively, and the UCLA Bruins can definitely run the football. Franklin is a very good back for the Bruins, and I expect him to do quite a bit of damage here. The over is 5-2 in UCLA's last 7 road games. The over is 7-1 in Houston's last 8 home games. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* Bartolo Colon will be on the hill for the Yankees in this one. Colon has been superb when pitching during the day this year. He has a 2.36 ERA during the day in 2011. Ricky Romero will pitch for Toronto, and he has been excellent this season. Romero has a 2.87 ERA in 2011. The under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these two teams. The under is 5-1-2 in Romero's last 8 road starts. Phil Cuzzi is behind the plate here, and he is one of the biggest under umpires in the league. Take the under.

*3 Star TGIF Play of the Day* The Cleveland Indians are severely short-handed right now. Travis Hafner, Grady Sizemore, Michael Brantley, and Shin-Soo Choo are all out of the lineup. The Indians are plugging in a lot of youngsters who really aren't ready for the majors quite yet. Bruce Chen has a solid 3.94 ERA this year, and his ERA is 3.63 at home. The Indians are terrible against lefties (3.79 runs per game). Justin Masterson has been very good all year for the Indians. Masterson has an impressive 2.83 this year, and he has been great on the road. He has a road ERA of 2.62. The under is 5-0 in the Indians last 5 games. The under is 3-0-1 in Chen's last 4 starts against Cleveland. Take the under here.

*3 Star Yankees/Red Sox Total Domination* The New York Yankees have put up some runs against Jon Lester this year, and I think they can again in this one. A.J. Burnett starts for New York in this one, and we all know how bad he has been of late. Burnett has a ridiculous 13.86 ERA in his last three starts. Earlier this year against Boston he allowed 8 runs in 5 and 2/3. It wouldn't shock me to see the Red Sox put up 10 runs by themselves in this one. The over is 5-0 in Burnett's last 5 starts against the Red Sox. The over is 5-2-1 in Lester's last 8 against the Yankees. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Totals Takedown* Jacob Turner is a very highly touted pitcher who I expect will have a successful career in the majors. Danny Duffy is a much better pitcher than he has been showing of late. Both of these guys have put together multiple very good years in the minor leagues. Bill Miller is the umpire in this one, and he is my single favorite 'under' umpire. Miller has a huge strike zone, and I think both of these pitchers will be able to use that to their advantage. Take the under here.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Cleveland Indians beat the Oakland Athletics in 16 innings last night. I won on the 'under' in that one, and I'm going to take the under again in this one. A long game like that with a quick turnaround will likely mean that several regulars will be given the day off. Fausto Carmona is a much better pitcher at home. The under is 20-7 in Carmona's last 27 home games. Gio Gonzalez has struggled of late, but the Indians are missing Sizemore, Choo, and Hafner. I like this one to be a pitcher's duel. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* The Cleveland Indians are dinged up badly right now. Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner, and Shin-Soo Choo are all out of the lineup with injuries. Rich Harden hasn't been great of late, but I think he'll fare well against this weakened Indians lineup. Ubaldo Jimenez has started twice in Cleveland since being traded and he has only allowed one earned run. Jimenez had impressive velocity and location in his last start. I wouldn't be surprised if he finishes the season well. The under is 19-6-1 in the last 26 meetings between these two. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* Ted Lilly has been a completely different pitcher during the daytime this year. Lilly has a terrible 6.02 ERA when pitching during the day this year. Wade LeBlanc has struggled on the road this season. He has an ERA of 5.70 away from home. The Padres have been hitting the ball pretty well on the road of late. Dodger Stadium is much more friendly to hitters during the daytime. The over is 7-3 in LeBlanc's last 10 road starts. The number here is set quite low. I like the over.

*3 Star MLB Late Night Bailout* The Colorado Rockies offense has been on fire of late. The over is 10-2 in the Rockies last 12 games. Wade Miley is a decent young left-handed pitcher for Arizona, but his numbers in the minors tell me he will probably need some time to get accustomed to the majors. Aaron Cook has been horrible on the road, and the DBacks have ownwed him in the past. Cook has an ERA of 6.43 on the road this year. The over is 12-3-1 in Cook's last 16 games against the DBacks. I like the over in this one.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* Jair Jurrjens has not been the same pitcher since after the All-Star break. Jurrjens had a minor injury and missed some time, and he hasn't been same since. Jurrjens has allowed 4 runs or more in 4 of his last 6 starts. Livan Hernandez hasn't been good on the road this year. Hernandez has an ERA above 5 on the road. The Braves offense fares pretty well against righties. The over is 10-0-1 in the last 11 meetings between these two. I think this one is set too low. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* The San Diego Padres have one of the worst offenses in baseball. Cameron Maybin has been a nice surprise for them, but he is dinged up right now. The Dodgers have Kemp and Ethier in the middle of the order, but other than that this is a weak lineup. Clayton Kershaw has been absolutely dominating this year. Kershaw has a 0.41 ERA in his last three starts. Mat Latos started the year slowly, but he hasn't allowed more than 3 earned runs in his last 10 starts. With two bad offenses and a two great pitchers in a pitchers park, I'll take the under here.

*3 Star MLB Totals Takedown* Tampa Bay pounded out 12 runs yesterday, but this offense is not very consistent. Ricky Romero is one of the best young pitchers in baseball, and he the Rays collectively have a .212 average against him. The Blue Jays are struggling quite a bit offensively right now. Bautista is great in the middle of the order, but the lineup depth isn't what it needs to be. Toronto's hitters have a .235 average against Davis. The under is 9-4-2 in Romero's last 15 starts. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* Cory Luebke is a very talented young pitcher for the Padres. Luebke has allowed 2 earned runs or less in 8 of his last 10 starts overall. On the road, Leubke has an ERA of just 2.12. Ian Kennedy has been one of the more surprising pitching stories of the year. Kennedy is 16-4 with a 3.09 ERA this season. Eight of his last nine starts have been a quality start. The Padres lineup isn't very good, and they might be missing Cameron Maybin, who is nursing a wrist injury. The under is 6-0-1 in Arizona's last 7 games. Take the under here.

*3 Star MLB Totals Takedown* The Los Angeles Angels have won six straight, which makes this series extremely important. Dan Haren is a good pitcher, but he can struggle on the road at times. Haren has a mediocre 4.17 ERA at Texas. Derek Holland will be on the mound for the Rangers. Holland has been bad at home all year. He has a poor ERA of 5.32 at home this season. The over is 7-2 in Haren's last 9 road starts. The over is 11-3 in Holland's last 14 home starts. I like the value on the over in this matchup.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* A.J. Burnett has been an absolute mess on the mound of late. Burnett has a 9.45 ERA in his last 3 starts. On the season Burnett has a terrible 6.07 ERA on the road. The Yankees should be able to put up several runs off Orioles starter Tommy Hunter. Hunter doesn't have the dominating stuff needed to put away these Yankees hitters. The Yankees burst out in a big way at the end of the game yesterday against Oakland. Expect both offenses to fare well in this one. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* Alexi Ogando was cruising through most of the season, but he has been struggling quite a bit lately. Ogando has a 6.75 ERA in his last three starts. Andrew Miller has been inconsistent all year long, and he issues free passes at an alarming rate. Miller has a 4.99 ERA this year and the Rangers can really hit the lefties. The over is 6-1-1 in the last 8 games that Kerwin Danley has umped, so the umpire is a help in this one as well. These two offenses can put up runs in a hurry, so I'll take the over.

*3 Star MLB Hidden Gem Total* Wade Miley was hit pretty hard in his MLB debut last week. Miley was inconsistent in the minors as well. John Lannan has been walking all kinds of batters of late, and that is very bad news for him in this one. Tim McClelland is home plate umpire, and he has the smallest strike zone in all of baseball. Lannan has issued 26 free passes in his last 7 starts. Expect McClelland to be pinching the zone, and there should be a lot of baserunners in this one. Take the over in this game.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* Doug Fister has done a nice job for the Tigers since coming over from Seattle. Fister has a very solid 3.49 ERA this year. The Rays really struggle to score at home. Jeremy Hellickson is one of the best young pitchers in baseball. Hellickson has a 2.40 ERA at home this year. The Rays have done a nice job limiting his innings, so he is fresh even at this late stage of the season. The under is an amazing 58-23-4 in the Rays last 85 home games. The under is 11-1 in Hellickson's last 12 home starts. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* Jaime Garcia hasn't pitched as well of late, but on the year he has been tremendous at home. Garcia has a 2.06 ERA at home this season. The Dodgers offense is strong in the middle with Kemp and Ethier, but Los Angeles doesn't have a strong lineup at all from top to bottom. Hiroki Kuroda has quietly put together an excellent season. Kuroda has a 2.88 ERA on the year, and he has been pitching great lately. The under is 5-1 in his last 6 road starts. The under is 6-1-1 in the Cardinals last 8 home games. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB BEST Bet* Ross Ohlendorf will be making his first start since April for Pittsburgh in this one. He has been out with a shoulder strain. The Brewers aren't a good lineup to be facing in a first time back inside the rotation. Marco Estrada is starting for the Brewers. Estrada is normally a reliever, and he generally can't go anymore than five innings. Estrada has mediocre stuff and the Pirates should score some here. Sam Holbrook is behind the dish, and he might be the best 'over' umpire in baseball. Expect a small strike zone and quite a few runs here. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* Bruce Chen has been erratic this year. Sometimes Chen is very good, but at other times he has been terrible. Chen has a poor 5.06 ERA on the road this year. Toronto punishes lefties (5.42 runs per game). The Royals are better against right-handers. Brandon Morrow has been terrible at home this season. Morrow has a 5.87 ERA at home this year. The total on this one is set quite low. Both teams have the ability to put up a big number here. I like the value on the over in this matchup.

*3 Star MLB Totals Takedown* I like the pitching matchup in this one. Cory Luebke is a very good young pitcher for the Padres. He has started ten games now this year, and in 8 of those 10 games he has given up 2 earned runs or less. The Marlins lineup is very short-handed right now, and that should help as well. Anibal Sanchez has allowed 2 earned runs in each of his last three starts against San Diego. Dan Bellino is a solid under umpire behind the dish as well. The under is 9-3-1 in the last 13 meetings between these two in San Diego. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Hidden GEM* Luis Perez will be making the first start of his MLB career for the Blue Jays in this one. Perez has a 3.49 ERA out of the bullpen this year, but he had an ERA above 4 in Triple A when starting. The Athletics bats have really come alive of late. The over is 25-3-5 in Oakland's last 31 games overall! Guillermo Moscoso starts for the Athletics and I think he is due for some regression. He never fared all that well in the minors, but his numbers have been good in the majors thus far. The Blue Jays have a solid offense. I like the over in this one.

*3 Star MLB BEST BET* The Dodgers and Rockies have met at Coors Field six times this year and all six have gone over the posted total. The lowest scoring game was an 8-2 Dodgers win. Here we have Kevin Millwood, who has been out of baseball for quite a while, pitching for the Rockies. Millwood should struggle in the Coors Field high altitude. Chad Billingsley has a history of struggling badly at Coors. Billingsley has a 7.88 ERA in six appearances at Coors. There is no reason to expect a lower scoring game in this one. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB BEST Bet* Both starting pitchers in this game have some real issues, and I'm very surprised the total isn't higher than this. Tommy Hunter has allowed 17 runs (yes 17) in just six innings pitched at Angels Stadium. That gives him an ERA of 24 in his starts in LA. Joel Piniero has an ERA of 10.38 in his last three appearances. Both offenses have been hitting better of late, and these pitchers are very hittable. The over is 20-7 in the Orioles last 27 road games. The over is 7-3 in the Angels last 10. Expect a high scoring game here. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Late Night BAILOUT* Gio Gonzalez has fallen apart of late. Gonzalez was good for most of the year, but he has hit a wall. Gonzalez has allowed at least four earned runs in each of his last five starts. The Blue Jays average 5.56 runs per game against lefties. Henderson Alvarez has been shaky in his first two starts, and the Oakland offense has really picked it up of late. The over is 18-5-3 in the A's last 26 home games. The over is 11-5-1 in the last 17 meetings between these two. Gerry Davis is a nice 'over' umpire behind the plate as well. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Totals Takedown* A.J. Burnett continues to struggle as a starter for the Yankees. He obviously has the stuff, but he tends to allow a big inning once every game. Francisco Liriano is another guy that has the stuff, but his command just isn't there right now. The Yankees punish left-handers, and Liriano has struggled against them in the past. The over is 3-0-1 in Burnett's last 4 road starts. The over is 11-4 in Liriano's last 15 home starts. The wind will be blowing out here as well. I like the over.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The Dodgers and Rockies have met in Colorado five times this year. The final scores in those five games were: 9-7, 6-5, 11-7, 10-8, and last night's 8-2 game. All five were over this posted total. Ted Lilly has a 5.47 ERA in five starts at Coors field. Esmil Rogers has an ERA of 12.1 in a couple appearances at home this year. The over is 4-1 in the Rockies last 5 home games. The over is 14-5 in the last 19 games between these teams. With this two pitchers, I expect a high scoring game Saturday. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB BEST Bet* The New York Yankees offense is one of the two best in all of baseball. Alex Rodriguez probably won't be in the lineup here, but the Yankees have been crushing the ball without him. Granderson, Cano, Jeter, Gardner, Tex, Swisher, and the rest of the crew are all swinging the bat well right now. Kevin Slowey will pitch for the first time since May, and the Yankees should make it tough on him. Phil Hughes has an ERA of above 6 on the season. He had a solid start last time out, but he has been able to string together quality starts this year. The wind is expected to be blowing out at 12 mph. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Totals TKO* Wandy Rodriguez has always been tough to hit at home. San Francisco's offense is severely short-handed right now, and I just don't see them doing too much damage against Rodriguez. Ryan Vogelsong continues to be underrated by the books. The Astros are running out a Triple A lineup on a nightly basis right now, and the Giants have the best pitching staff in baseball. This has all the makings of a low scoring game that comes down to the wire. I expected the line to be 6.5 or 6 here. I really like the under at 7.

*3 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* Derek Lowe has been terrible this year, and he has been even worse of late. Lowe has just one quality start in his last eight starts overall. The Diamondbacks offense should be able to put a few up on the board against Lowe in this one. Daniel Hudson has been pretty good this year, but he has been inconsistent. Hudson has struggled on the road, and the Braves offense is getting healthy of late. I think this total should be a run or so higher. I like the value on the over.

*3 Star MLB Late Night Bailout* Trevor Cahill is a different pitcher at home. Cahill has been dominating lineups for the last couple years at home. He has an ERA of just 2.62 at home this season. Ricky Romero is one of the hottest pitchers in the majors right now. Romero has a ridiculously good WHIP of 0.57 in his last three starts and an ERA of 1.57 in those starts. The under is 5-1-1 in Romero's last 7 road starts. The under is 18-7-3 in Cahill's last 28 home starts. I think this one has the makings a very low scoring contest. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* Justin Masterson has been one of baseball's best pitchers this year. Masterson has been consistently great all season. He has a stellar 2.59 ERA away from home. Phillip Humber has been struggling of late, but I think a struggling offense like the Tribe will help him bounce back. In addition, John Hirschbeck is behind the plate here. Hirschbeck has been one of the best 'under' umpires in the league for many years. Both pitchers should benefit from his large strike zone. Take the under in this one.

*3 Star MLB BEST Bet* Tim Lincecum may not have started the season as well as normal, but he is pitching extremely well right now. Lincecum has only allowed more than one run in two of his last ten starts and in those starts he allowed two and three runs respectively. The under is 6-2 in Lincecum's last 8 starts against Atlanta. Mike Minor is a talented young pitcher and I think he'll give this short-handed Giants offense a lot of trouble. The under is 8-3 in their last 11 meetings in Atlanta. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB BEST Bet* C.J. Wilson has become a clear number one this year. Wilson has a solid 3.28 ERA this season, including a 2.68 ERA on the road. Wilson has been great against the Angels in his last three starts against them. Ervin Santana may be the hottest pitcher in baseball of late. Santana has allowed exactly one run in each of his last five starts. The under is 16-6-4 in Santana's last 26 starts overall. The under is 5-1-1 in Wilson's last 7 starts against the Angels. This is an important game for both teams, and I think it will be low scoring. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* Coors Field has always been a great hitter's ballpark. The wind will be blowing out on Wednesday night, and I think these two pitchers will struggle. Ricky Nolasco has pitched well of late, but he is very inconsistent. Aaron Cook has struggled all season, and he has an ERA of 6.61 in his last three starts overall. The last two night's the game has gone over the total when these teams have played, and I think it will be 3 straight after this one. Take the over here.

*3 Star MLB Totals TKO* Matt Cain is one of the more consistent pitchers in baseball. Cain has a 3.00 ERA on the year, and he rarely gets hit hard. Jair Jurrjens has been on the DL of late, but he'll get to face a very short-handed Giants offense in this one. Without Posey, Beltran, Sanchez, and many others this offense has struggled badly of late. The under is 4-1 in Cain's last 5 starts against the Braves. The under is 5-0 in Jurrjens last 5 starts against the Giants. Expect a pitcher's duel here. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Hidden GEM* The Chicago Cubs have been hitting the baseball much better of late. The Cubs have scored at least 4 runs in each of their last five games. Henry Sosa will start for the Astros, and he had a mediocre ERA in the minors earlier this year. I think the Cubs will be able to get to him. Rodrigo Lopez will be on the mound for the Cubs. Lopez has an ERA of 7.07 on the road this year. The Astros have shown the ability to hit some at home. With these two pitchers, I like the value on the over.

*3 Star MLB BEST Bet* The San Francisco Giants are hurting badly on offense right now. Carlos Beltran has missed six straight games. Tim Hudson has always been dominant in the month of August, and this year has been no different. Hudson has allowed a total of four runs in his last three starts overall. Madison Bumgarner has pitched much better than his record would indicate. The Braves average just 3.4 runs per game against lefties. Bumgarner has a 3.03 ERA on the road this year. The under is 7-1 in the Giants last 8. The under is 7-1 in the last 8 meetings in Atlanta. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Play of the Day* The Florida Marlins and the San Francisco Giants both have a ridiculous amount of injuries right now. Beltran, Posey, Sanchez, Tejada, Burrell, Torres are all injured for the Giants. The Marlins are without Hanley Ramirez, Infante, Coghlan, and others. Ryan Vogelsong hasn't been as sharp of late, but I think he can bounce back with a nice outing against a weak lineup here. Chris Volstad is a little better at home, and against the lineup the Giants have right now I think he will fare alright. The under is 6-1 in the Giants last 7 games. The under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings between these two teams. A total of 8 with these short-handed lineups feels like a good opportunity to take the under.

*3 Star Hidden GEM* The Atlanta Braves bats seem to have woken up in a big way lately. Dan Uggla is riding a 32 game hitting streak and the rest of the team has been following his lead. Derek Lowe and Randy Wells have both been pitching very poorly of late. Lowe has a 7.2 ERA in his last three starts. Wells has a 5.68 ERA in his last three starts. The over is 5-1 in the Braves last 6. The over is 7-1 in the Cubs last 8 road games. The over is 15-5-1 in Lowe's last 21 starts. Take the over in this one.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* This is a matchup of two excellent starting pitchers. Most people know about Jered Weaver, but few realize how talented Ricky Romero is. Romero has a 1.11 ERA in his last three starts and he has a nice 2.83 ERA at home this year. Weaver has a ridiculous WHIP of 0.94 and an ERA of 1.78 on the year. The under is 44-18-6 in Weaver's last 66 starts. The under is 8-3-1 in Romero's last 12 starts. The under is 26-10-4 in the last 40 meetings between these two in Toronto. I expect a pitcher's duel here. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* Both of these teams have some serious injury issues that are holding back their offenses. The Giants are without Beltran, Posey, Tejada, Sanchez, and Burrell. The Marlins are missing Hanley Ramirez, Coghlan, Infante, and others. Matt Cain and Ricky Nolasco both have an ERA below 3 in their last three games. Both pitchers should benefit from facing a short-handed lineup. The under is 11-4 in Cain's last 15 starts. The under is 7-2 in Nolasco's last 9 starts. Take the under in this one.

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special* The New York Yankees have made a habit out of crushing the baseball during the daytime this year. I think they have another good setup to do just that again on Thursday afternoon. Tyler Chatwood will pitch for the Angels. Chatwood struggles with control issues, and the Yankees have a ton of patient hitters. The over is 6-2-1 in Chatwood's last 9 road starts. Bartolo Colon starts for the Yankees, and I expect the Angels to be able to tack up a few runs on him as well. I like the over in this one.

*3 Star MLB Best Bet* The weather conditions play a huge role at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The gametime temperature is expected to be 105 degrees for this one. In addition, the wind is expected to be pushing the ball out toward center at about 10 mph. The conditions are right for plenty of homers in this one. Derek Holland struggles mightily at home. Holland has a 5.55 ERA at home this year. Jason Vargas has been slumping of late, and Texas crushes lefties. The over is a huge 16-5 in Holland's last 21 home starts. Take the over!

*3 Star MLB Totals TKO* The San Diego Padres have been crushing the baseball of late. Actually, San Diego hasn't been too bad offensively on the road all year. The Padres also lead the majors in stolen bases, which could be important against a knuckleballer like R.A. Dickey. Dickey has been pretty good this year, but his ERA is above 4 at home on the season. Aaron Harang is a streaky pitcher, and he has been struggling of late. Harang has a 7.56 ERA in his last three starts. The over is 9-1-1 in the Padres last 11 road games. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Totals Takedown* Phillip Humber has been struggling of late, but I think this is a good spot for a bounceback for him. Humber actually pitched well last time out against the Yankees, but he had one bad inning. The White Sox bats are struggling badly right now. The under is 20-6 in the White Sox last 26 road games. The under is 7-2 in Humber's last 9 road starts. The under is 12-4 in the last 16 meetings between these two teams. Bill Miller, the biggest under umpire in the majors, is behind the dish here. The under is 68-32-6 in his last 106 games. Take the under.

*5 Star MLB Play of the Week* The Boston Red Sox have the best offense in baseball right now. Francisco Liriano has been very inconsistent this year. Liriano has a terrible 5.98 ERA at home this year. Even worse, he has an ERA just above 8 in his last three starts. Erik Bedard and Liriano are both lefties who try to stretch the corners, and that won't work well with the umpire for this one. Tim McClelland is behind the dish here, and he is arguably the biggest 'over' umpire in the game. The over is 14-6 in his last 20 games behind the plate. The over is 11-3 in Liriano's last 14 home starts. I think this one is set too low. Take the over big here.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* The Texas Rangers are hitting the baseball very well right now, and the conditions in Texas are very friendly to hitters. The gametime temperature is expected to be 106 degrees in this one. The ball can really fly in Arlington with this kind of temperature. Michael Pineda is a very good young pitcher, but he has allowed at least 5 runs in each of his last three road starts. Alexi Ogando has been slightly more shaky of late as well. The over is 5-1 in Ogando's last 6 home starts. The over is 6-2-1 in the last 9 meetings at Texas. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* The Texas weather is absolutely ridiculous right now. The Dallas area has seen multiple straight days of 105 degrees or more for a high temperature. At the start of this game the temperature is expected to be 104 degrees. The ball really flies in that kind of heat, and the wind will be pushing the ball out to center. Colby Lewis has been bad at home and Josh Tomlin has been poor on the road. The Indians bats have really woken up of late (they've scored 7 runs in three straight games). The over is 5-0-1 in Tomlin's last 6 road starts. The over is 9-2 in Lewis' last 11 home starts. This is a combined 14-2 winning angle between the two starts! Take the over!

*3 Star MLB Best Bet* Clayton Kershaw has always been a very talented pitcher, but he has matured a ton this year. Kershaw is getting ahead of batters and walking far fewer than he has in the past. He could easily be competing for Cy Young's in the next few years. Ian Kennedy is a very good young pitcher for the Diamondbacks. Kennedy has a 1.71 ERA in his last three starts. Kershaw has a 1.52 ERA in his last three starts. This game has the makings of a low scoring pitcher's duel. Take the under.

*3 Star Yankees/Red Sox Total DOMINATION* C.C. Sabathia has been dominating most opponents this year, but not the Boston Red Sox. He has seen the Red Sox three times and he hasn't fared too well in any of those starts. He scattered nine hits in his first appearance, but then allowed 6 earned runs in each of his last two starts against Boston. John Lackey has an ERA over 6 this year, and the Yankees should be able to put up several runs on him. These are the two best offenses in all of baseball, and I think a posted total of nine is a good value on the over.

*3 Star MLB Totals Takedown* The Chicago White Sox offense has been ridiculously bad this year. The White Sox are talented offensively, but they just can't seem to string together hits to score often at all. The Twins are more healthy than they were, but their offense is still less than stellar. Mark Buerhle and Nick Blackburn have both faired well against the opposing team in this matchup. The under is 6-0-2 in Buerhle's last 8 starts. The under is 16-5 in the White Sox last 21 road games. The under is 5-1-2 in the last 8 meetings between these two teams. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* The Detroit Tigers have an impressive lineup. Sometimes the Tigers struggle to score too many runs at home because of their huge ballpark, but the runs generally pile up on the road. The over is 31-18-4 in the Tigers 53 road games this year. Rick Porcello has given up runs in bunches against the Royals in the past. In fact, the over is 8-0 in Porcello's last 8 starts against the Royals! Felipe Paulino is an inconsistent pitcher and I think the Tigers lineup can put up several runs against him. Take the over in this one!

*3 Star MLB Totals TKO* The conditions will be perfect for a high scoring in Texas on Friday night. The temperature at gametime is expected to be a ridiculous 106 degrees. The wind tunnel at Arlington will be in effect, which will be pushing the ball out toward center field. These conditions tend to lead to a lot of home runs. Ubaldo Jimenez is very good, but he didn't fair well in Coors this year and Texas is a similarly difficult park for pitchers. Derek Holland has been bad at home. Holland has an ERA of 5.10 at home, and the over is 10-2 in his last 12 home starts. Take the over.

*3 Star Yankees/Red Sox Total Winner* When these two teams meet it is a meeting of the two best offenses in all of baseball. A total of 9.5 is fairly high for a normal game, but in this case I think it is a good value. Jon Lester is a very good pitcher, but the Yankees have been able to score against him in the past. The over is 5-1-1 in Lester's last 7 against the Yankees. The over is 39-16-1 in the last 56 meetings between these two in Boston. Bartolo Colon has been good, but I think the Red Sox can get to him as well. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* The Washington Nationals have been hitting the ball quite a bit better of late. Washington put up 4, 5, and 9 runs in their three game series with the Braves. Coors Field is definitely great for hitters, and the pitching matchup here makes me think plenty of runs will be scored in this game. Ross Detwiler is generally a reliever, but he did start once for Washington at Coors Field. In that game he allowed six runs in four innings. Esmil Rogers has been in the bullpen of late as well and he has an ERA of 27 at home so far this year. The over is 3-0-1 in Rogers last 4 starts. The over is 5-1 in Detwiler's last 6 road starts. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* Jason Marquis will make the start for the DBacks in this one. Marquis has an ERA of under 3 in his career pitching at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Ryan Vogelsong continues to surprise people by how amazingly consistent he has been this year. Vogelsong has only allowed more than three runs twice this season. The under is 8-1 in his last 9 home starts. He has an ERA of 1.28 at home this season. This is a pitcher's ballpark and I think this one will be a pitcher's duel. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Total DOMINATION* The Atlanta Braves did pickup Bourn, but this is still a lineup that is short-handed right now. John Lannan is an underrated solid pitcher for the Nationals. Derek Lowe has good career numbers against just about everyone in the Nationals lineup. I consider Vic Carapazza a slight 'under' umpire, which should help out here as well. Two offenses that struggle to hit the long ball and two pitchers that don't serve up many. Take the under in this one.

*3 Star MLB BEST Bet* The Atlanta Braves lineup is not nearly as scary as normal right now. The Braves are missing McCann, McLouth, and Schaefer. The Marlins aren't a powerful offense to start with. Tommy Hanson has a 3.02 ERA at home this year, and he has shown the potential to shut down opposing batters on any given day. Ricky Nolasco is actually better on the road than at home, and against this weakned Braves offense I think he'll fare well. The under is 10-1 in the last 11 meetings between these two teams. Lance Barksdale is the umpire here and he is a solid 'under' ummpire. I like the under.

*3 Star MLB Top Total* Nick Blackburn has been inconsistent this year, but his past history against Oakland isn't a good one. The Twins are 1-8 in his last 9 starts against the Athletics. Guillermo Moscoso had an ERA over 4 in AAA, but he pitched great when he first came up to the majors. I figured that would come to an end, and indeed in his last two starts he has been hit hard. Both of these teams have had weak offenses for the year overall, but both lineups are hitting the ball very well right now. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Total Knockout* Madison Bumgarner has a poor record (6-9) this season, but he has pitched quite well. Bumgarner has a 2.54 ERA on the road this year. Mike Leake has been pitching much more consistently of late. The Giants did trade for Beltran, but they still don't have a powerful offense. I think both starters are a little underrated by the books right now. The under is 4-0 in Bumgarner's last 4 Saturday starts. The under is 5-2 in Leake's last 7 starts. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Total Domination* Anibal Sanchez has always pitched well against the Braves. In fact, the under is a stunning 7-0-1 in Sanchez's last 8 starts in Atlanta. The Braves offense is hurting right now. They are without McCann, Schafer, McLouth, and Chipper Jones. Tim Hudson has thrown seven straight quality starts. The Marlins aren't a very powerful offense. The Marlins have seen a lot of Hudson, but their lineup has just one career home run against Hudson. I like this one to be a low scoring pitcher's duel. Take the under.