Power Sports
Texas vs. Seattle
Pick: Texas
This is a pretty remarkable price on Cole Hamels all things considered. The Rangers' lefty ace was actually in a similar range against both the Indians and Angels, but considering how Seattle has played, this spot looks like a bargain. Yes, Hamels has an 0-2 TSR, but he didn't factor into the decision either time. I'll call for him to pitch well again today and help his team avoid the sweep.
It had been an ugly 2-8 start for Seattle before taking the first two games of this series. They've held Texas to just one run and it was a 5-0 shutout yesterday. For the record, the M's are 7-14 the L3 seasons following a shutout victory. Texas is 13-6 after getting shutout, over the same time frame.
I don't expect Hisashi Iwakuma to pitch all that well today. While his numbers are similar to Hamels' so far in '17, Iwakuma isn't Felix Hernandez or even James Paxton, the two Seattle starters that have held the Rangers in check thus far. Behind Iwakuma is a terrible bullpen, one that still ranks as the second worst in MLB (7.13 ERA) even after the last two days. The Rangers bullpen denied Hamels what should have been a win his last time out, but he'll get in the win column here.
Buster Sports
Chicago vs. Boston
Play: Chicago +6.5
The Chicago Bulls face the Celtics in Boston today and we see them as a live dog here. The Bulls just made the playoffs and now we see them being a club that teams might not want to face. The teams split their season series 2 games each. The Celtics will be playing with heavy hearts today as Isaiah Thomas, their superstar guard lost his sister yesterday in a tragic car accident. Thomas will be a game time decision at the time of this writing. It is also the return of Rajon Rondo to Boston for a playoff game. We believe Rondo might be the key to whether the Bulls can beat the Celtics not only in this game but in the series. The oddsmaker is giving us 6 1/2 points with the Bulls here and we will take them.
Bob Balfe
Padres +110
All sports fans love Bartolo Colon and his antics, but this guy is now 43 years old and obviously is on the tail end of a great career. The clear edge in the pitching match up today goes to San Diego and with this line being even it holds great value.
Harry Bondi
TAMPA BAY +130 over Boston
Drew Pomeranz pitched very well in his last outing, allowing just one run and four hits in six innings of work at Fenway against Baltimore after coming off the DL. But even with those impressive numbers, his career record at Fenway is still just 1-2 to go along with a 5.21 ERA and we’ll call for him to regress to the mean today. Conversely, Rays starter Alex Cobb has felt right at home when toeing the Fenway rubber, winning three of his four career starts here with a 2.28 ERA. Take the better starting pitcher at a nice underdog price.
Dave Price
Rockies vs. Giants
Play: Giants -126
The San Francisco Giants will come back hungry for a win Sunday after losing 5-0 yesterday. They want to even this series 2-2 with the Rockies after losing 2 of the first 3 games. Jeff Samardzija has certainly enjoyed facing the Rockies, going 3-2 with a 2.29 ERA in 7 lifetime starts against them. Look for him to get back on track after two rough outings against the Diamondbacks to open the season. The Giants are 10-4 in their last 14 games following a loss. San Francisco is 5-1 in its last 6 after scoring 2 runs or less in its previous game.
Wunderdog
Atlanta @ Washington
Pick: Washington -5.5
The Hawks have been an up-and-down team all season, and come limping into the playoffs off a 6-10 finish over their last 16 games. That mark includes 2-7 in their last nine on the road, and have also dropped three straight in Washington. The Wizards completed November in distress, as they began December as a team that was just 6-11. From that point on this team became consistently good, and finished at 43-22, for the fifth best mark in the NBA, so this team is a lot better than the record. They have also been the NBA's third best home team at 25-6. The Wizards also fit into a playoff situation that has been 96-47-2 ATS.