Sleepyj
Miami Marlins vs. Texas Rangers
Play: Texas Rangers
I'll bite for a second straight days on the Rangers. Coming off a shutout loss I would expect the Rangers to bounce back here with Hamels on the mound. Hamels has been solid since his return and facing a team that doesn't hit the LHP all that well is a plus...Hamels has a 3.78ERA and is coming off a terrible outing. He gave up 9 hits and 7ER against Baltimore his last game. He should come out ready and looking for some redemption...Miami hasn't seen him and that's always a plus at home...Straily goes for the Marlins and he has been pretty good all year. He has lost his last two starts and my concern with him is being inconsistent overall. He tends to give up the big shot and he can give up hits in bunches. Straily is also a pure fly ball pitcher which doesn't help his cause either. My feeling is this is a close game, but Hamels and a deep shot seal the deal for the Rangers at home.
Stephen Nover
Oakland at Toronto
Play: Oakland
This may be the only time I lay a road price with the A's all season, but I want Sonny Gray in a pitching matchup against Cesar Valdez.
Gray is pitching great - 4-1 with a 1.62 ERA and 0.72 WHIP in his last five starts - and is sure to be pumped in what very well could be his final start in an Oakland uniform.
Valdez is more relief pitcher than starter. He's a journeyman who the A's designated for assignment earlier this season. So Oakland hitters know him. The right-hander has made just three big league starts. Valdez has a 6.92 ERA in those starts. He's filling in here for injured Aaron Sanchez.
The A's have won nine of the last 12 times they've faced a righty starter. They also are 4-0 the past four times Gray has gone against Toronto.
Rob Vinciletti
White Sox at Cubs
Play: Cubs -1.5
The Cubs will look to bounce back here today and fit a solid 89% system that plays on home team off a -200 or higher home favored loss scoring 2 or less runs vs an opponent off a +200 or higher road dog win scoring 4 or less runs with 10+ hits. The Cubs have won 16 of 22 vs leftys and average over 6 runs against them. Rodon pitching for the Whitesox has a pedestrian like 5.76 Era. Lackey has allowed just 3 runs in his last 2 starts vs the Sox. The Whitesox are 4-13 in July. Look for the Cubs to bounce back.
Bob Balfe
Rays -125
Tampa is on a 5 game slide, but the good news tonight is they have Jacob Faria on the mound. Wade Miley has been really bad this year for Baltimore and not a solid pitcher on the road. The clear edge tonight goes to Faria and the Rays. This is a spot in which Tampa can’t afford to break out of this slump.
Alex Smart
Red Sox at Mariners
Play: Mariners +10
Seattle's starting hurler Hernandez (5-4, 3.88 ERA) is 8-4 in 18 career starts against the Red Sox, including 5-2 with a 3.90 ERA at Safeco Field and a solid option to back tonight against the Red Sox. Boston lost yesterday, by a 4-0 count to Seattle , and are 0-9 with immediate revenge on board in their L/9 opportunities. Also BOSTON is 7-17 L/24 against the money line after getting shut out. Bosox starter POMERANZ when he starts ha seen his team go 15-30 against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record. SEATTLE is 25-11 L/36 against the money line in home games when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 54% to 62%). MLB Home underdogs with a money line of +100 or higher Mariners - average offensive team (4.4 to 4.9 runs/game) against a good starter (ERA 4.20 or less ) (AL), with a starting pitcher whose WHIP is 1.300 to 1.400 on the season-AL are 37-18 dating back 5 seasons for a 67% conversion rate.
Chris Jordan
My free winner for tonight is on the New York Yankees, on the Run Line, against the visiting Cincinnati Reds.
Like I told you yesterday with my 2,000♦ play last night, I'm big on capitalizing on make-up games. I've always thought the team traveling is in a precarious spot, and that's what we see on Monday with the Reds.
Now that same Reds team, that got beat up in Cleveland last night - on a day it thought it would have the day off - it has to play in the Bronx against a feisty New York team.
The Reds arrive after losing two of three at home against the Miami Marlins over the weekend and last night's thumping in Cleveland. Cincinnati, which is sitting in last place in the National League Central, has lost nine of its past 11 games.
Just look for the Yankees to capitalize on a tired Cincinnati team.
Based on 1♦ to 5♦
3* YANKEES
Eric Schroeder
The Kansas City Royals are on a run, I get it. But there is revenge to be had tonight, as Detroit's Michael Fulmer will be out to avenge last week's loss at Kauffman Stadium.
Fulmer was pounded by the Royals last week in Kansas City, and now he'll be looking for payback, as the shellacking snapped his personal four-game winning streak.
Yes, Kansas City owns a six-game winning streak after beating Detroit 5-3 in 12 innings on Monday, but I love pitching rematches when the situation is right, and this old school betting system is in line for a play on the home chalk.
Take the Tigers and list both.
1* TIGERS
Jack Brayman
My free play is on the Seattle Mariners, over the struggling Boston Red Sox.
Don't worry about listing pitchers in this one, as the M's will take advantage of what appears to be a tired Sox squad.
This is a dangerous situation, as I hate going against a kid making his Major League debut, but Boston's Rafael Devers isn't a pitcher - he's a third baseman. So the highly touted prospect doesn't scare me.
Though I'm not listing pitchers, I don't mind having Felix Hernandez on the hill tonight, as he is 8-4 in 18 career starts against the Red Sox - including 5-2 with a 3.90 ERA at Safeco Field.
Seattle has a chance to get back to the .500 mark, and that is also added motivation.
Take the M's as my comp play.
2* MARINERS
Brad Wilton
Tuesday night comp play is the Reds and Yankees Over the total.
When these teams met in May, they split a pair of totals at Great American Ball Park, with 14 and 8 combined runs being the official tally.
Look for them to be somewhere in between those numbers tonight at Yankee Stadium.
Cincy has played 4 straight Unders, while the Yankees had a long string of Unders snapped in their last pair of games in Seattle - coming back home with their last 2 games played landing Over the total.
Reds starter Luis Castillo has seen his last pair of starts land Over the total, while Yankees hurler Jordan Montgomery had a string of 7 straight Overs come to a halt in his last start at Minnesota.
Based on what the pitchers have done lately, I think we have a good chance the bats get things going tonight in the Bronx.
Reds-Yankees Over.
4* CINCINNATI-N.Y. YANKEES OVER
Jeff Benton
Tuesday freebie is the Dodgers on the Run Line over the Twins.
L.A. got there last night, 6-4 thanks to a Bellinger three-run dinger in the bottom of the 8th, and I think that stinging loss is going to carry over onto the field tonight for Minnesota.
The Twins have now lost 4 of their last 6, and starter Jose Berrios has really struggled on the road. Over his last 3 road efforts, Berrios is 0-2 with just 13 innings of work, 16 runs allowed - 11 of them earned, and 21 hits allowed! Not confidence inspiring at all.
The Dodgers are now 42-11 their last 53 games, and starter Kenta Maeda has won his last pair of starts. Maeda is also 5-0 at home after losing his home opener to San Diego this year. Throw in his 3-0 career interleague mark with an ERA just over 1, and this sets up to be an easy 2 runs or better L.A. win.
4* L.A. DODGERS -1.5