Sports Picks & Predictions

*3 Star Trash the Books Total* Rick Porcello has been in terrible form this year and Trevor Bell has been no better for the Angels. These two starters are both liable to be gone by the fifth inning if they continue their recent trends. Bell has an ERA of 6.23 in his last three starts and Porcello's is 7.13. I think both offenses should have enough in them to make this a high scoring affair with these two starters on the mound. I like the over in this one.

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* It would be tough to find two pitchers in either league who have been pitching better than Matt Cain and Tim Hudson in the last three starts. Cain has an ERA of 1.19 in his last 3 starts and Hudson has a ridiculously low ERA of 0.87. The under is 13-5-2 in Cain's last 20 starts and 8-2 in Hudson's last 10 starts. These teams are only half a game apart in the standings, and this game could mean a lot down the road. I think both pitchers bring their A game and this one stays very low scoring. Take the under here.

*3 Star TGIF Late Night Bailout* I don't normally like to eat this kind of juice on totals, but this is an important number and I really think these two pitchers are worth this price. The under is 16-5-1 in the Rangers last 22 games overall and the under is 23-9 in Dallas Braden's last 32 home starts. Cliff Lee is pitching brilliantly and the under is 5-0 in his last 5 starts. This is the type of game that I see staying close the whole way and ending in a 2-1 or 3-2 type of score. Take the under in this one.

*3 Star Late Night Total* Fister has been a different pitcher at home this year with an ERA just above 2.5 at home. Wilson has been good everywhere, and the Mariners struggle to hit left handers. The under is 19-7-1 in the Mariners last 27 home games. Jim Wolf is behind the dish here and the under is 20-7 in his last 27 behind home plate. The numbers and data point to the under as the play here.

*3 Star NL Total Play* R.A. Dickey has been one of the biggest surprises in baseball this year. He has an ERA of just 2.32 for the year and 1.29 in his last three starts. The under is 10-4 in Dickey's starts this year. These two teams have a history of playing low scoring games when they get together. The under is 10-1 in the last 11 meetings. John Hirschbeck is behind the plate and that is great news for the under. I think this will be a tight game to the very end and I think the under is a nice value play here.

*3 Star East Coast Total Play* The Yankees can really hit the ball, especially when they are in Yankee Stadium. Ricky Romero is a quality left handed pitcher, but he tends to struggle a bit on the road. The Yankees are averaging over 6 runs per game off of lefties so far this year, and I think they'll get to Romero in this one. Dustin Moseley is pitching for the Yanks and though he has fared well, I think he is due for a poor outing. The umpire here is a solid over umpire and the wind will be blowing out to left field as well. This looks like a solid over play.

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* To say that Bruce Chen and Kevin Millwood have struggled recently is a huge understatement. In their last three starts the two have respective ERA's of 7.94 and 10.66. Both started the season actually pitching pretty decent, but have absolutely been torched of late. A nice hot and low humidity day should be good for the ball to fly well in this game. The over is 7-1 in Chen's last 8 home games. The over is 7-1-1 in Millwood's last 9 starts overall. Both offenses have looked good in this series. I think the value is on the over in this one.

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* Ryan Detwiler is starting for the Nationals, and he has never really proved himself in the majors. The Phillies offense has been improving quite a bit of late. Joe Blanton has been an over machine, with 10 of his last 13 road starts going over the posted total. It will be a hot day in Washington, which won't hurt things a bit. I think both starters will get run out of this one pretty early on. Take the over here.

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* Mike Pelfrey has been horrendous of late, with a 10.45 ERA in his last three starts. The Diamondbacks aren't a good team, but they can hit the ball. Ian Kennedy is much worse on the road, with an ERA of 4.70 for the year. Given the fact that these two starters have been struggling so badly I think the total is set too low in this one. The value play is on the over in this one. Take over 8.5.

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* Doug Eddings is the umpire here and he has the biggest strike zone in baseball. C.J. Wilson is having a breakout year, posting an ERA of just 3.03 for the year. The under is 5-1 in Wilson's last 6 starts. The Rangers bats have cooled off in a big way of late, with the under going 6-0-1 in their last 7 games overall. Mazzaro has pitched extremely well of late, and the under is 10-3-2 in his last 15 road starts. The signs all point to the under in this one, so go with under 8.5.

*3 Star Under Play of the Day* Bill Miller is behind the dish and if you are looking for an under, he is the umpire you want to see. The under is 47-17-4 in his last 68 games behind the dish. Livan Hernandez has been an under machine all year as the oddsmakers continue to doubt him and Tim Hudson has fared great in the past against the Nationals. I like this one to be a tight game and a low scoring contest. Take the under.

*3 Star Early Bird Special* Beckett just got off the DL and isn't in form yet, and Joel Piniero has struggled against Boston in his career. The wind will be pushing the ball out to center in this afternoon game in LA. I think the total should be set a little higher in this one and I like the over here.

*3 Star Under Play of the Day* The biggest under umpire in today's game is John Hirschbeck and he's behind the plate in Oakland Sunday. The under is 16-6-1 in his last 23 behind home plate. The under is also 23-8 in Dallas Braden's last 31 home games. The under is 34-16-2 in the last 52 games between these two teams. The data all points to the under. I like under 8 here.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* The biggest over umpire in the league in Jim Reynolds is behind the plate here. The Padres have been crushing the ball of late, with the over going 10-3 in their last 13 games overall. Lincoln has an ERA of over 10 in his last 3 starts, so the Padres will have a chance to keep their hot hitting going Sunday. The wind is expected to be blowing out at 10 mph, so that will help the ball fly out easier as well. Take the over.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* Rick Porcello is back, but he isn't form. Shawn Marcum has an ERA of over 7 in his last three games. Porcello doesn't have a good initial matchup in the Blue Jays, who hit home runs like crazy. The wind will be pushing the ball out toward left field and I think the value is on the over here. Take the over.

*3 Star Early Bird Special* Normally I don't like to play an over on such a ridiculously high number, but I think it is justified. The Yankees are crushing the ball at home of late. The over is 8-1 in thier last 9 home games. Davies' ERA is 5.71 on the road and Mitre isn't overpowering either. The wind will be blowing out at 10 mph or so and the home plate umpire is one of the bigger over umpires in the game. Take the over here.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* Matt Cain hasn't been himself at all of late and he has fared poorly in Arizona in the past. Rodrigo Lopez is not a very good pitcher and the Giants have been hitting better of late. The over is 30-18 in Arizona's 48 home games this year. I think this has the potential to be a game where both teams have to use the bullpen a long time, and Arizona's bullpen is the worst in baseball. Take the over here.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* Ricky Nolasco has been an over machine at home of late with a 6-1 record to the over. The Rockies are hitting the ball extremely well, as evidenced by 14 of their last 19 games going over the posted total. Hammel is a good pitcher, but he isn't the same on the road. The over is 7-2 in his last 9 road starts. Jim Reynolds behind the dish is a huge plus for the over as well. I like the over in this one.

*3 Star Under Play of the Day* Colby Lewis has been an under machine on the road (16-5 in his last 21 road starts) and Jim Wolf has been an under machine behind the plate (16-5 in his last 21). The under is also 4-1 in Max Scherzer's last 5 games overall. Both pitchers are getting their act together of late and I think this could be a pitcher's duel. I think the value is on the under here.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* Tim Wakefield has been getting beat around of late and I think it could certainly happen again in this one. Angel Campos is the biggest over umpire in the game in the last couple of years and he is behind the dish here. The over is 7-0 in the last 7 meetings between these two teams. The wind is expected to be blowing out to center at 14 mph during this one. I like the value on the over.

*3 Star Under Play of the Day* The wind is expected to be blowing in toward home plate at about 12 mph during this one and the home plate umpire has a nice and wide strike zone as well. Galarraga is much better at home, where the under is 7-3 in his last 10 starts. The under is 5-1 in the Rangers last 6 games overall as well. I think this one is set a little too high. Take the under here.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* The Brewers have started crushing the baseball of late. A lineup with Braun, Fielder, Hart, and company should score a lot of runs, and they are finally doing just that. Karstens is a below average pitcher and he is the type of pitcher Milwaukee should be able to get to in a big way right now. Capuano is not in good form at all and I expect the Pirates will put quite a few on the board as well. This has all the makings of a high scoring game. I like the over.

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* Johan Santana has been on his game of late, with an ERA well under 1 in the last three games. Sanchez is also a much better pitcher at home, so the Mets should have trouble getting too much going. I think this match up of left handers will stay low scoring all the way though. This has the potential to be a 2-1 type of game. Take the under.

*Saturday MLB Top Play of the Day* The Orioles and the Blue Jays are both hitting the ball well right now. Jim Reynolds is the umpire you want if you are looking for an over, and he'll be behind the dish in this one. Guthrie and Morrow both have an ERA of 6 in their last three starts. All the data and trends lead me to think this one could be a very high scoring affair. I love the over here!

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* It's Strasburg time again and so far that has generally meant a low scoring game. The wind is expected to be blowing in at about 15 mph and Ricky Nolasco has been pitching much bettero of late as well. I think this has the makings of a tight game that goes down to the wire and stays low scoring. Take the under in this one.

*3 Star Under Play of the Day* Wandy Rodriguez is rounding into form beautifully of late, and the St. Louis Cardinals are struggling offensively. The Cardinals are hitting just .255 against left handers this year and the Astros are hitting a miserable .236 against right handers. The under is 27-11-1 in the last 39 meetings and the under is 7-3-1 in Wandy's last 11 starts against the Cards. With a nice under umpire behind the plate in Andy Fletcher, I'm taking the under here.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* The over has been the play of late when Johnathan Sanchez and Craig Stammen are on the hill and I think it is again this Saturday. Both the Nationals and the Giants hit much better off of left handers than righties, and both pitchers can struggle with control. The home plate umpire is known to have a pretty small zone, so I expect to see plenty of walks. Take the over here.

*3 Star Early Bird Special* The Mets and the Braves are in a heated battle at the top of the NL East right now. Pelfrey and Hudson both have great numbers against the opponent in this one. Pelfrey is a much better pitcher at home. The home plate umpire is Bill Hohn, and he is known as a strong under umpire. I think this one is a tight low scoring game. Take the under.

*3 Star Under Play of the Day* Dan Haren and Ricky Nolasco both were supposed to have terrific years and started out slow, but they are both putting it together of late. Nolasco has been much better on the road than at home. The under is 11-5-5 in the last 21 meetings between these two. I like the value on the under here.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* If you are looking for an over, Jim Reynolds is the umpire you want to see. Reynolds is behind the dish in this one and both pitchers have been struggling quite a bit of late. Shields has pitched much worse at home and the Indians have a nice history against him. I think both teams put up a few runs in this one. Take the over.

*3 Star Early Bird Special* Bill Miller is the umpire behind the plate here and that makes the under worth a look. The under is 44-17-4 in his last 65 games behind the plate. The under is also 26-10-1 in the last 37 meetings between these two teams. On a get away day game the lineups may be a little weaker as well. I like the under in this one.

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* Trust me when I say I'm typically not a fan of taking overs with Tim Lincecum on the hill, but I think this is a good spot. Lincecum has struggled of late, and in his career his ERA is 5.67 against the Brewers. At the same time, the Giants hit lefties well so I think they'll put up several runs against Narveson. This total appears set too low. Take the over.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* The Dodgers and the Marlins are both hitting the baseball quite well right now. Volstad has struggled mightily on the road and Padilla is quite inconsistent. These two teams have a history of high scoring affairs. The over is 16-5 in their last 21 meetings, including 10-2 at Los Angeles. A breeze toward center and a nice over umpire doesn't hurt either. Take the over.

*3 Star Under Play of the Day* These two teams have both had some great pitching and light hitting all year long. Hernandez has really surprised people with how well he has pitched for the Nationals. The under is 13-2 in his 15 starts this season. The under is 6-0-2 in Richard's last 8 road starts. This has the makings of a low scoring and tight game. Take the under.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* The two starting pitchers in this one aren't going to scare either of the lineups. The wind tunnel that pushes balls out of the park is working in our favor tonight. The over is 12-3-2 in the last 17 meetings in Texas between these two teams. I think this one has all the makings of a very high scoring game. Take the over.

*3 Star Under Play of the Day* Bill Miller is behind the plate in this one and he is a big under umpire. The under is 43-17-4 in his last 64 behind home plate, which is quite an amazing stat. Nolasco is starting to pitch better of late and Hudson has been pitching very well. I think this has all the makings of a low scoring affair. Take the under in this one.

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* The Cardinals have been having hitting trouble of late, and they hit just .248 on the year against lefties. Parra has fared very well agains the Cardinals in the past. Carpenter is always very tough at home. The under is 5-0 in Parra's last 5 against St. Louis and the under is 22-10 in Carpenter's last 32 home starts. Take under 8.

*3 Star Under Play of the Day* The White Sox bats have cooled off some in recent days and Brian Bannister is much better at home than on the road. Gavin Floyd has an ERA under 1 in his last three games, so I expect him to keep the Royals offense down. The wind is expected to be blowing in from center at about 10 mph. This looks like a solid under!

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* The Orioles are starting to hit the ball hard in the last few games. The over is 7-0 in the Orioles last 7 games. The over is also 6-0 in the Nationals last 6 road games. Both pitchers have an ERA of over 5.50 in their last 3 starts, so the hitting should keep going in this one. The wind will be blowing out to center and the umpire has a pretty small zone. I like over 9.5 in this one.

*3 Star Under Play of the Day* The Marlins and the Padres are both struggling offensively right now. Wally Bell is a bit of an under umpire and the wind is expected to be blowing in pretty heavily from center field. Latos and Sanchez have both been great this year. I think this will be on of those games that goes down to the wire and it should stay low scoring. Take the under.

*3 Star Big Play* The Yankees are a powerful offensive team and the Dodgers have been hitting the ball well of late. Burnett has been horrendous in his last 3 starts with a 10.93 ERA. Kuroda has an ERA under 1 in his last 3, but the Yankees will be the best lineup he has faced. The wind is blowing out and the biggest over umpire in the game in Jerry Crawford is behind the dish. Take the over here.

*3 Star Under Play of the Day* John Hirschbeck is behind the plate here and that makes this a nice under play. The wind is also projected to be blowing in from center field at 15 mph during this one. Johnson has been the best pitcher in baseball over his last several starts and the Marlins offense is slumping of late. I think this one stays very low scoring. Take the under.

*3 Star Big Play* The Rays got no hit on Friday night, but I think they'll bounce back and hit the ball against Kennedy. The Diamondbacks hit left handers well so I expect them to get to Price some. The umpire in this one has a very small strike zone, so expect several walks to help the cause. I like over 8.5 in this one.

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* Sam Holbrook is behind the dish in this one and he's a great umpire for the over. Blanton has been awful of late so the Indians should be able to score some. The Phillies offense is starting to come back to life of late and should put up some runs. The wind is expected to be howling out to center and the temperature will be in the mid 90's. I like the over.

*3 Star Early Bird Special* The Reds and the A's will conclude a three game set on Wednesday afternoon in Oakland. Mazzaro and Cueto are the two starters, and neither of them are pitching very well right now. Cueto has poor road splits and his ERA during day games this year is 6. The Reds bats seem to finally be waking up in the last couple of games. The over is 16-5 in Cueto's last 21 starts and 5-0 in Mazzaro's last 5 home starts. Take the over in this early game.

*3 Star MLB Total Play of The Day* The Cardinals bats have struggled mightily most of the year and Jaime Garcia has been terrific on the hill for them. The Jays have a very good youngster on the hill in Brett Cecil. The under is 4-1 in Cecil's last 5 home games. The under is 12-1 in Garcia's last 13 games overall. Expect these two left handers to be strong on Tuesday evening. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Total Play of the Day* If you watched the game at all on Saturday between these two you saw why I like the over in this one. It's going to be very hot in Philly for this one and the wind is blowing out. The umpire is an over umpire and this park is the ultimate park for an over. Halladay is pitching, but the Twins bats have heated up a lot of late. The Phillies are back to crushing the ball and they may get 8 by themselves here. I like the over.

*3 Star MLB Total Play of the Day* Sam Holbrook is behind the dish in this one and that means the over is a nice play to start with. The two teams also played a long 11 inning affair where the pitchers dominated on Friday night. I think the offenses will bust out some on Saturday. Peavy has struggled much of the year, and the White Sox offense has come on of late as well. The over is 5-0 in Peavy's last 5 road starts and 11-5-1 in the White Sox last 17 games overall. I like the over in this one.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* The Astros bats have finally woke up. They were horrible offensively for the first couple months, but they have finally started to hit the ball some of late. The Royals are starting Anthony Lerew, who didn't even fare that great in AAA. The wind will be blowing very strongly in this one, pushing the ball out toward left. The home plate umpire is McClelland, who is a nice over umpire. I like over 8.5 here.

*3 Star Under Play of the Day* Doug Eddings is the man behind the dish in this one and he is an under bettor's best friend. The biggest strike zone in the league and a whole lot of strikeouts typically lead to some low scoring games. A knuckleballer should love the big zone and Westbrook has been pitching pretty well at home this year. The little wind there will be will be blowing in. The under looks like a nice value here.

*3 Star MLB Total Play of the Day* John Hirschbeck may be my favorite umpire to find when looking for an under to bet on. He'll be behind the dish in this one. It is getaway day, so expect some of the regulars to sit this one out. Also, the shadows will play a role in an odd start time in LA for this one. I like the under in this one.

*3 Star NBA Play of the DAy* The Celtics and Lakers have had some low scoring affairs, but I think the number is set low enough now that the over is a nice value. This referee crew is a pretty good one for there to be a lot of free throws and I think the shooting percentages will improve. Take the over here.

*3 Star Big Play* The Orioles and the Mets are both teams lacking power in their offense. Pelfrey and Millwood are both pitching very well right now, and we have a huge under umpire in Kulpa behind the dish. This one has the makings of a tight game that is low scoring all the way through. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Total of the Day* The Phillies haven't been hitting the ball at all of late and the Dice K is finally hitting his stride for Boston. Hohn is a nice under umpire and I think a line set at 10 gives us a very solid value on the under. Take the under here.

*3 Star TGIF Total* The Brewers are a solid offensive team, and Rich Harden just hasn't found his form this year. At the same time, the Rangers have been knocking the cover off the ball offensively of late. In fact, the Rangers have scored at least 6 runs in 7 of their last 10 games. Both pitchers have an ERA of over 7 in their last 3 starts. This has the makings of a game that goes well over the posted total. Take the over.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* The Yankees offense is as potent as they come, so it's not exactly the team you want to make your MLB debut against. Arrieta has some talent, but I think he'll have the jitters in this one and the Yankees will make him pay. The over is also 9-4-1 in Burnett's last 14 starts. I think the Yankees put up quite a few and the Orioles also get to Burnett some. Take the over.

*3 Star Total Play of the Day* The Twins and the Royals have a history of playing high scoring games when they get together. The over is 13-3-1 in the last 17 meetings. Carl Pavano has done terribly against KC in the past, and the over is 5-0-1 in his last 6 starts against the Royals. Look for both pitchers to get hit pretty hard in this one. I like the over here.

*3 Star Totals Play of the Day* Jim Reynolds is behind the dish in this game and that is enough to make me like the over to start with. Wellemeyer is also a pitcher I like to fade, so I think the over is a solid play. Maholm has been pretty good at home, but Reynolds should pinch the strike zone for him as well. I like over 8 in this one.

*3 Star Over Play of the Day* The Rangers and the Rays have both been hitting the ball very well of late. The over is 4-0 in the last 4 for the Rangers and 4-1 in the last 5 for the Rays. The two pitchers in this one are both not in good form going into this game. The 95 temperature should be good for the over as well. These two strong offenses should put up plenty of runs in this one. Take the over.

*3 Star NBA Finals Game One Big Play* The Lakers and Celtics finally get underway tonight and it should be an exciting series. The two teams are veterans, but Game One usually still brings out some jitters. I would expect the Celtics to keep the pace low and the Lakers to show their improved defense as well. A total set at 192 points looks ripe for an under play to me. Take the under in this one.

*3 Star Big Under Play* Zack Greinke had a big hiccup at Coors Field, but he has been much better than his record indicates. The under is 28-8 in the last 36 meetings between these two. Jered Weaver has pitched exceptionally well of late, and the under is 12-4-3 in his last 19 games. Estabrook is behind the plate and the under is 41-19 in his last 60 games. The under has a lot of value here.

*3 Star Early Bird Play of the Day* Doug Eddings is probably the best umpire in the majors for an under bettor. He has the biggest strike zone in the league. Wakefield needs an umpire with a big zone, and the under is 6-1 in Wakefield's last 7 starts with Eddings behind the dish. Brett Anderson is in good form and the Red Sox have struggled against lefties this season. I like the under a lot here.

*3 Star Early Bird Play of the Day* The trends and the stats look very strong in this one. Tschida is a nice over umpire behind the plate. The two pitchers are both less than stellar at this point. The over is 35-15-2 in the DBacks last 52 games overall and 10-4-1 in the Dodgers last 15 games overall. A total set this low in the daytime in SoCal is worth a look, especially with all these factors. Take the over.

*3 Star MLB Total Play of the Day* The White Sox and Rangers have both had some struggles hitting the baseball of late. The wind is forecast to be blowing in during this one and Mark Buerhle is generally very good at home. I think the oddsmakers set this one a little too high. I like the under in this one.

*3 Star Total of the Day* The Angels have been heating up in a big way of late with their bats. The over is 7-2 in their last 9. Sam Holbrook is behind the dish here, and he is consistently a strong over umpire. Saunders is inconsistent this year and is capable of giving up runs. I like the over at just 8.5 runs here.

*3 Star Big Play* I've had the under the last two nights and it has been good to me. Why stop now? The A's have a streak of 7 straight unders and the Orioles are 8-2 to the under in the last 10. Bergesen pitches much better at home and Gonzalez has been pitching lights out of late. Neither team has a strong offense, so I think there is some nice value in the under here.

*3 Star Early Bird Play of the Day* Dan Haren is struggling mightily of late, so he can't be happy to see Coors Field right now. The wind will be blowing out and the home plate umpire is one of the bigger over umpires in the league. These afternoon games in Colorado have a tendency to get a little crazy. I like the over in this one.

*3 Star Big Play* The Orioles and Athletics are both without any big power hitters and both teams are on an impressive under streak right now. The under is 6-0 in the A's last 6 and 7-2 in the O's last 9 games. Matusz is good at home and Cahill has pitched well this year. The umpire here should help as Mark Carlson has a pretty wide strike zone. I like the under in this one.

*3 Star Big Play* Jim Reynolds is behind the dish here and he is the biggest over umpire in baseball. The over is 49-29-3 in his last 81 games behind the plate. Morrow has been imploding of late on the road and both teams have solid offenses. Piniero is a streaky pitcher who is capable of getting beat up. I think this total is set too low. Take the over!

*3 Star Early Bird Play of the Day* It is getaway day, which means some of the stars will likely sit this one out. Cleveland doesn't have many stars left in its lineup at this point. The under is 36-15-2 in Mark Buerhle's last 53 road starts and 4-0 in his last 4 starts against the Indians. The under is 6-2 in Westbrook's last 8 starts against the Sox. The trends point to an under here. Take the under!

*3 Star Unreal Under of the Day* Look at these two lineups and you'll see that neither strikes too much fear in the opposing pitcher's mind. The under is 6-2 in Baltimore's last 8 and 5-0 in Oakland's last 5. Both Guthrie and Braden are in very good form right now. The wind should be blowing toward home plate slightly as well. Everything looks good for an under in this one.

*3 Star Total of the Day* A game between the Mariners and Padres is typically thought of as a low scoring affair and with these two pitchers on the mound I think it will be on Sunday. King Felix hasn't been great of late, but the under is 4-0 in his last 4 starts against the Padres. The under is 9-4 in the last 13 meetings. Latos is pitching as well as anyone in baseball right now. Take the under.

*3 Star Late Night Bailout Play* A nice combination here of two offenses that are heating up and an umpire who has a very small strike zone. The over has hit almost 60% of the time in Jim Reynolds last 150 games behind the dish. Richard is great at home, but sketchy on the road. Snell is very inconsistent. Take the over in this one.

*Saturday Early Bird Play of the Day* The wind will be howling out in Oakland on Saturday and the home plate umpire is Sam Holbrook. Holbrook is a huge over umpire based on his past tendencies. Both pitchers are pretty good, but Gonzalez can be inconsistent and this total is set very low. I like the over here.

*3 Star Big Play* Lester and Liriano is a heck of a pitching match up in this one. Both offenses are very good, but I like these two lefties. A nice under umpire behind the plate and these two pitchers should lead to a low scoring game. The under is 5-0-1 in the last 6 meetings between these two teams and both pitchers are pitching very well this year. Take the under here.

*3 Star MLB Total Terrorizer* Greinke has been pitching well, but he hasn't been getting any run support. The under is 6-1 in Millwood's 7 starts this year for Baltimore. I think this will be a closely contested game and I believe the wind that is expected to blow in from center at about 10 mph will help here as well. I like the under.

*3 Star MLB Total of the Day* The Cards and the Nationals have both been playing a lot of games under the posted total of late. That is precisely why the number is such a good value in this game. Kyle Lohse is extremely inconsistent and has been poor of late. Stammen has been awful on the road for the Nationals. I think this has the potential to be a pretty high scoring game. Take the over.

*Sunday MLB Play of the Day* John Hirschbeck is behind the plate and we've got two of the best pitchers in American League on the mound. The number is set low at just seven, but this is the type of game that could easily be 1=1 in the ninth inning. I like the under in this one.

*3 Star Late Night Bailout* Ervin Santana has pitched brilliantly against the Oakland A's in his career. Duchsherer is pitching extremely well right now. Neither team is stacked full of big hitters. The umpire here is a nice under umpire with a huge strike zone. I like this one to stay under the total!

*3 Star Over of the Day* Joe Blanton and Chris Narveson are two starting pitchers that don't strike too much fear in batters at this point in their career. The Brewers have been an over machine at home of late (14-4 last 18.) The Phillies have a great lineup and I would expect the winner of this one to score quite a few runs. I like the over here.

*3 Star MLB Play of the Day* John Lannan is a consistently good pitcher and Chacin has burst onto the scene and not allowed a run in his first 14 innings in the majors. The weather should help the under here, with a slight breeze in. The Nationals are on a huge under run and I think with two quality pitchers going, the number here is set too high. Take the under.

*3 Star Big Play* The BallPark in Arlington creates a nice wind tunnel effect when the winds are coming from the south. They will be in this one. It should help the ball carry and the pitchers have a long day. Holland is starting his first game of the year. The over is 8-3-1 in the Rangers last 12 home games. I like the over in this one.

*3 Star Early Bird Play of the Day* The winds will be blowing out to center in Fenway in this afternoon game on Wednesday. The over is 9-3-2 in Tim Wakefield's last 14 home starts and 7-1-1 in Shawn Marcum's last 9 road starts. Both teams are hitting the cover off the ball of late and I feel like this series will come to a conclusion with another high scoring affair.

*3 Star Big Play* Dice K has been terrible of late and the Blue Jays are raking the ball. Boston has been putting up some huge runs at home as well. The over is 4-0 in Boston's last 4 and 6-1 in Toronto's last 7 games. The home plate umpire is a bit of a help to the over as well in this one. Expect a lot of fireworks in this one and take the over!

*3 Star Big Play* The primary reason behind this bet is the home plate umpire. John Hirschbeck is one heck of an umpire to have if you want the under. The under is 69-41 in his last 110 games behind home plate. It doesn't hurt that neither offense is hitting the ball very well and both pitchers have been in nice form of late. I like the under here.

*3 Star NBA Play of the Day* The Los Angeles Lakers got a huge win in Game Three in Utah. The Lakers will go for the sweep in this one, but I would expect Jerry Sloan's team to give their best effort in this one. The Jazz have been making a concerted effort to push the basketball and I don't expect that to stop in this one. Look for a high scoring close contest. Take the over.

*3 Star Total of the Day* Both pitchers are solid in this one, and the two offenses here have been scuffling of late. The home plate umpire is very helpful to the under's cause. This has the makings of a game that should stay low scoring and be very competitive. I like the under in this one.

*3 Star NBA Play of the Day* The Celtics and Cavaliers will meet in a crucial Game Three tonight. The referee crew is perfect for an over, with two of the three generally calling very high scoring games and one at an average score. The Cavaliers should put up more than 86 points here and I think the pace stays pretty quick. These two teams don't play as much defense as they used to and they both have plenty of scoring options. Take the over.

*3 Star Big Play* In this game we get two teams that are not hitting the ball so well right now and the biggest under umpire in all of baseball in Doug Eddings. The under is 6-2 in Seattle's last 8 and 4-0 in Tampa Bay's last 4. Eddings calls more strikes than any other umpire and has been as consistent as they come year after year at keeping the scoring down. I'll take the under in this one.

*3 Star Big Play* The Dodgers are imploding and the Milwaukee Brewers bats have heated up in a huge way in Los Angeles. It will be Ely against Bush in the pitching match up here. Neither of those pitchers strike fear in the batters mind too much at this point, and I think the total is set too low here. The over is 20-9 in the Dodgers last 29 games overall. Take over 9 here.

*3 Star Big Play* Dan Haren is a very good pitcher and these Houston Astros just aren't hitting anything of late. Wandy Rodriguez is often unhittable at home. I just don't see why this one is sitting at 8. This has the makings of a game that goes into the 8th or 9th inning at 2-1 or so. The umpire helps a little as well, with slightly lower than averaging scoring. Take the under here.

*3 Star Early Bird Play of the Day* The Indians and Blue Jays will finish off their three game series with a noon eastern time game. Ron Kulpa will be the umpire behind the plate, and the under is 37-17-3 in his last 57 games behind the plate. Fausto Carmona appears to have gotten back his form of two years ago and the Indian offense has been terrible of late. I like the under in this one.

*3 Star Big NBA Play of the Day* The Jazz and the Lakers meet tonight in Game Two. The Lakers took the first game despite blowing a big lead. I took the under in Game One and was beaten because of the Lakers hot shooting and fouls at the end of the game. I'm going with the under again in Game Two. The under is 7-1 in the last 8 meetings between these two. The Lakers aren't the same fast paced offense they were last year. I think this game is very competitive and it stays fairly low scoring. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Total of the Day* The trends point strongly toward the under in this one. The under is 6-1 in Kawakami's last 7 road starts and the under is 5-0-1 in Hernadez's last 6 starts overall. The under is 9-1 in the Nationals last 10 games overall and 11-4 in the Braves last 15 overall. The bottom line: neither of these teams are hitting right now and both pitchers should fare well in this one. Take the under.

*3 Star MLB Total of the Day* Neither of these are very good right now, and they are both sending the bottom of their pitching order to the hill here. Valdez is making his first career start for the Diamondbacks and Felipe Paulino has been a favorite fade of mine for quite some time. Both teams have been involved in some very high scoring games of late, and I think this is one is likely to be the same. Take the over in this one!

*3 Star NBA Play of the Day* I just feel like the Celtics and Cavaliers are two teams that will tend to have higher scoring games than they previously did. I took the over in Game One and won, despite poor shooting numbers. I think guys like Pierce for the Celtics and Jamison for the Cavs play better, and I think this one goes over the posted total. Take the over.

*3 Star ESPN Sunday Night Baseball Play* Johan Santana is on the hill for the Mets, and he has been nothing short of spectacular this year. The under becomes a bit more intriguing with Rollins out and Beltran out of the lineup. The umpire here is helpful to the under. The under is 11-3 in the last 14 meetings between these two teams. I like this Sunday Night game to stay under the posted total.

*3 Star NBA Big Playof the Day* The Los Angeles Lakers are no longer a team that likes to push the tempo and run, rather they are a solid defensive team. The last seven meetings between these two teams have gone under the posted total and the Lakers have proven capable of slowing down the Utah Jazz offense quite effectively. Expect a hard fought basketball game, but don't expect great shooting in this one. I think the under is the play here.

*3 Star Big Play* The most consistent under umpire in MLB is Doug Eddings. Eddings is behind the dish in this one. The Dodgers offense is non-existent right now and the Pirates don't exactly have a lineup of big bashers. The weather will be cool and the bats should stay cool in this one. Take the under.

*5 Star Top Play* The clash between the Celtics and the Cavs gives us our first top play in quite some time. The Cavs push the tempo more now that they have Jamison as another scorer. LeBron should be ok, despite a minor elbow injury. The Celtics and Cavs have gone over the posted total the last four times they played each other. The three referees in this crew are all very high scoring referees. The recipe is right for a top play on the over here. Take the over!