Vegas Butcher
Houston Astros +118
Musgrove has 21 K’s in 18 innings with only 2 BB’s. He’s faced TOR twice in his first 3 appearances, so clearly these numbers aren’t flukes. Now he’ll see another top-10 offense but I like his chances in this one due to his devastating ‘slider’. Plus the ‘unfamiliarity’ factor is in play. On the other side, Gausman has already struggled against Houston badly. Astros are a top-10 offense against the ‘fastball’, Gausman’s main pitch, and I like his chances of struggling once again tonight. He’s coming off a really inefficient outing (6 BB’s), allows a ton of HR’s (1.6 HR/9 rate), and is facing an offense with good ‘pop’ in the lineup. I don’t like the matchup for Gausman at all here and I’ll back the ‘Stros in this one.
Seattle Mariners -103
Iwakuma is pitching much better than his 91st season-long ranking indicates. His 3.5 e-ERA over the last 30-days is indicative of this. Throw in a huge BP advantage for Seattle (#5 vs #26), and the overall pitching matchup favors them in this one. Offensively, Mariners are a better team as well. My model has this one at -122 Seattle, so I’ll back them tonight.
GoodFella
Vikings +3
These Seahawks got a miracle win on a hail mary play, followed up with a 2 pt conversion on the final play of the game vs the Chiefs last week. Of course we were on the Chiefs in the game. The Vikings defeated the Bengals in their game last week. Both clubs have very good pre-season ATS records. Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer is actually (9-1 SU & 8-2 ATS) in his 10 pre-season games. Coach Carroll is a very good (28-13 ATS) in his pre-season career. I would not be surprised with a Vikings outright win here, as they've been very strong defensively in the pre-season under Coach Zimmer.
Rocketman
Chicago @ Cleveland
Play: Cleveland -1.5
The Chicago White Sox travel to Cleveland to take on the Indians on Thursday night. Chicago White Sox are 57-62 SU overall this year while Cleveland comes in with a 68-50 SU overall record on the season. Carlos Rodon is 3-8 with a 4.32 ERA overall this year. Danny Salazar is 11-4 with a 3.30 ERA overall this year and 5-2 with a 3.90 ERA at home this season. Salazar is 5-2 with a 3.19 ERA in his 8 starts vs Chicago White Sox in his career. Chicago White Sox are scoring only 3.9 runs per game against right handed starters this year and 4 runs per game against division opponents this season. Cleveland is scoring 5.9 runs per game at home this year and 7 runs per game their past 7 games overall. Cleveland is allowing only 3.7 runs per game their past 7 games overall and 3.9 runs per game at night this season. Feel like Cleveland will win this one by at least 2 runs.
Bob Balfe
Lions -2
The Bengals come into this game with a lot of injuries and not a lot of depth at the quarterback position. This game is in Detroit on turf and you just know opposing coaches cringe at playing in meaningless games in these conditions. The key tonight for the Bengals is to stay healthy. I think the Bengals are going to be just fine this year, but their main core group of starters are set in stone so there is no reason to go all in on the preseason. Cincinnati has a new Offensive Coordinator so it will take a few weeks for this offense to get clicking. Detroit is pretty deep team with their receivers. There are guys that are 5th or 6th options that could be a 2nd string receiver on a lot of teams that need them. This game is probably an audition for big trades to come. The Lions have a huge edge later in the game with some of the guys catching the ball against younger defensive backs. Look for Detroit to get the home win.
Orioles -125
The Orioles are a great team at home yet have dropped a few in a row in their own building and are looking to get back on track tonight. Gausman pitches well at home and the bullpen numbers are decent at home. Musgrove has pitched well for the Astros, but only had very limited work this year. Baltimore should bring his numbers back down to earth.
David Banks
Minnesota Vikings @ Seattle Seahawks
Pick: Minnesota Vikings +3
Thursday night NFL preseason action features a rematch of last year’s NFC divisional playoff participants, Minnesota and Seattle. This time, the stakes are a little different. It’s Week 2 of the preseason with both teams looking to solidify their rosters, not make it to the NFC Championship. Still, Thursday’s game will have an impact on both teams and their chances of making it back to the postseason.
Both Minnesota and Seattle won their first preseason games, ironically by identical scores of 17-16. The Vikings, under head coach Mike Zimmer, are 9-1 in preseason games. Minnesota has finished with a .500 record or better in the regular season 32 times after posting a .500 or better record in the preseason.
The Vikings starters may play a little longer than they did in Week 1. Wide receivers Cordarrelle Patterson and Jarius Wright are listed as probable and both need to perform on Thursday. Wright has been hampered by a calf injury and Patterson has never quite lived up to his billing as a top-level receiver. His abilities as a kick returner have kept him on the Vikings roster the past three seasons.
For Minnesota, it’s simple. Zimmer wants to run the football and RB Adrian Peterson and an experienced offensive line allows them to do so. Last year, the Vikings’ receivers combined for a whopping total of just six touchdown receptions. Minnesota will try and wear Seattle down with defense and the running game.
Seattle follows the same prescription but has talented quarterback Russell Wilson and a very good pair of receivers in Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett. How much they play on Thursday remains to be seen as Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll will probably want to take another long look at rookie QB Trevone Boykin. The former TCU quarterback was 16-for-26 for 188 yards and a touchdown in the win over Kansas City in Week 1. Running back Thomas Rawls, who did not play against the Chiefs, may see some action against Minnesota.
Brad Wilton
Seems like just yesterday it was -30 with the wind chill, and the Seahawks and Vikings were playing a January playoff game in Minnesota.
The Vikings Blair Walsh missed the short field goal that would have sent the Seahawks home, and while a lot less is at stake this Thursday night in the Emerald City, I would think that after losing twice to Seattle last year, the Vikes will want to gain some measure of revenge here on Thursday.
Both teams were one-point winners in their preseason openers, as Seattle got a TD with no time remaining and a 2-point conversion to win at Kansas City, while Minnesota stayed in front at Cincinnati in their 17-16 outright underdog win.
Mike Zimmer has shown in his short tenure at the helm in Minnesota that he likes to win these preseason games, as Minnesota enters this one with a 9-1 straight up mark since he took over 3 years ago, and they are 8-2 against the spread in those 10 preseason games.
I think it's obvious you back the Vikings plus the points tonight.
2* MINNESOTA
Scott Delaney
My free play is off the late card, as I'm on the Baltimore Orioles over the Houston Astros, with the two meeting at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
The Astros swept the Orioles in a three-game series in Houston back in May, so the birds will be looking for some revenge. There is plenty of motivation for the O's, too, as they've fallen off in the American League East. Toronto is in first place, while the Red Sox are sitting in second.
It wasn't too long ago neither of those teams could catch Baltimore. But the Orioles are now two games back of first place, and are the No. 2 team in the American League wild card race.
Houston held the potent Baltimore lineup to just seven runs while scoring two one-run victories and a two-run decision in that series three months ago. Astros pitching set a Major League record for strikeouts in a three-game series (52). The Orioles are just 3-7 versus the Astros over the past two years, so they'll be hungry for this one.
I'm taking the home team in this one, as the Astros come in mired in a four-game losing streak. Do not list pitchers here, simply take the home team.
4* ORIOLES
Jeff Benton
Your Thursday freebie is the Mariners to continue their hot clip with a win in the series finales over the Angels.
Seattle has now won 10 times in the last 12 games, including 5 of the last 6 against Los Angeles here in August. The Angels meanwhile are now staring at just 3 wins in their last 16 games.
Hisashi Iwakuma has not worked against the Halos thus far in August, but he does come into this start with wins in his last 3, and 8 of his past 9 starts overall.
Matt Shoemaker will counter, and he has dropped 4 of his past 5 starts. Included is an August 7th loss at Safeco Field. In that one, Shoemaker worked 7 innings of 3 run ball.
I don't know about you, but doesn't the price on this game seem like a very big gift?
Go with Seattle over Los Angeles.
5* SEATTLE
The Real Animal
Minnesota +3
Sure it’s preseason but I’m still all in when it comes to recent playoff revenge and Minnesota is loaded with it after missing that chip shot field goal against Seattle in the NFC playoffs last January. Throw in the fact the Seahawks are coming off a miracle-win at Kansas City on a 37-yard Boykin TD pass and two-point conversion on the final play of the game. Nothing like going 88 yards on four plays in the final minute! But what keeps the Vikings off the premium side tonight is their one-point road win at Cincinnati, a game in which the Vikings only had 274 total yards of offense. But I love the defensive depth on this team. 2* opinion only on Minnesota +3. The Vikings have that bitter playoff defeat still fresh in their mind and the Seahawks are not as strong defensively in 2016 with the second and third units.