MARK FRANCO
Minnesota vs. Buffalo
Play: Minnesota -2½
Sam Bradford enjoyed the most accurate season in NFL history in 2016, but the Minnesota Vikings quarterback would like to inject some juice into the dink-and-dunk operation this year.
Pat Shurmur's offense will still consist mainly of high-percentage short throws, but if the Vikings' offensive line is better than the waffle-cone barrier Minnesota employed last season, we expect Bradford to expand the field more this year. The quarterback vocally requested more "explosive plays," now he'll have to execute them.
The Bills will have more than a few things to work out with a new coaching staff lead by Sean McDerroitt. The Vikings on the other hand have been money under coach Mike Zimmer 11-2 both SU and ATS in four years of preseason.
JACK JONES
Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks
Play: Diamondbacks +170
Rarely will you get the opportunity to back the Arizona Diamondbacks as this big of a home underdog. They are 37-19 at home this season, scoring 5.8 runs per game and hitting .277 as a team. They will be motivated to win this series against the rival Dodgers with a victory in the Game 3 grudge match tonight.
Yu Darvish is getting way too much love here after pitching a gem in his first start for the Dodgers at the Mets. But he was struggling coming into that start having given up 10 earned runs in 3 2/3 innings of a 10-22 loss to the Marlins in his previous start.
Anthony Banda has held his own in two starts for the Diamondbacks, going 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.200 WHIP. Arizona is 10-3 (+9.4 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +100 or higher this season.
JOHN MARTIN
Orioles vs. Athletics
Play: Orioles -108
The Baltimore Orioles are fighting to stay alive for the postseason. They are coming off two straight losses to the Angels last series, and now this series against the lowly Oakland A's becomes a big one for them. Wade Miley faces a team he has owned in the past, going 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in three previous starts against the A's. Oakland is 17-40 in its last 57 during game 1 of a series.
DAVE PRICE
Yankees vs. Blue Jays
Play: Yankees -133
The Yankees have won 3 of their last 4 and just got done hanging 11 runs on the Toronto Blue Jays yesterday. Now Sonny Gray will be making his second start for the Yankees. Gray is 6-6 with a 3.41 ERA in 17 starts this year, including 4-3 with a 1.59 ERA in his last 7 starts. Gray is 3-2 with a 2.54 ERA in 6 lifetime starts vs. Toronto and 1-2 with a 2.37 ERA in 3 starts at Rogers Centre. Marco Estrada is 0-5 with a 7.39 ERA in 12 starts since his last win. Opposing hitters have batted .294/.380/.542 during that stretch. Estrada has given up 13 earned runs in 8 1/3 innings in his last 2 starts against the Yankees, both of which have occurred since June 1st of this season.
Eric Schroeder
My free play is in the NFL preseason, something I rarely look at for premium plays. Don't look for me to release anything during the preseason - maybe one premium play - as I'm not a big believer here.
But for a comp play, why not?
Head coach Sean McDermott makes his debut as Buffalo’s sideline boss, and he is going to really want his players focused for this game. It will send a statement that he's done a good job leading up to this point.
I know for a fact this team has spent just as much time watching film, as it has covering fundamentals and getting back to learning the basics. It's as if everyone is starting from square one.
And that's where the bonding and camaraderie comes in.
Wide receiver Sammy Watkins is expected to have a full workload with most of the other starters against the Vikings tonight, with the only question mark on the recently signed Anquan Boldin, who could see at least a little bit of work against the Vikings.
Currently battling for Minnesota’s backup quarterback job are Case Keenum and Taylor Heinicke, and I think the focus will be on those two, rather than starter Sam Bradford or backup Teddy Bridgewater, who is still rehabilitating his catastrophic leg injury that cost him the 2016 campaign.
Take the home underdog, as I like Buffalo to win this one.
1* BILLS
Brad Wilton
Thursday comp play release is the Under in the Mets and Phillies.
The last time these division-rivals met at the end of June into early July, they played 2 of their 3 games Under the posted price. Included was Jacob de Grom's start that the Mets happened to win 2-1.
New York heads down the road having played each of their last 3 games, and 5 of 6 overall Under the posted price.
Philadelphia comes in having landed Under in all 3 of their games played in Atlanta over the past 3 days, and the Under for the Phils is 5-1-1 for their last 7 games played.
Vincent Velasquez will take the ball for the Phillies, and he sports an ERA of 3.60 for his last 3 starts - 2 of the 3 landing Under the total.
Likewise, de Grom has seen 2 of his last 3 starts play Under, with an ERA of 3.32.
Runs will be scarce tonight at the Bank.
Mets-Phils Under.
4* N.Y. METS-PHILADELPHIA UNDER
Jack Brayman
On the heels of hitting the Detroit Tigers with my freebie last night, I'm playing the Philadelphia Phillies as my comp play tonight, a solid underdog winner that gets the money over the New York Mets.
The National League East rivals are at the bottom of the division, the Phils a little more so than New York, but they ride in on a three-game win streak.
The Mets, who are 24-29 on the road this month, have lost eight of 10 after last night's 5-1 home loss to the Texas Rangers.
The Phils won 3-2 in Atlanta and return home for this four-game set with the Mets. Look for Philly to come out swinging in the series lid-lifter.
3* PHILLIES
Jeff Benton
Your Thursday freebie is the Yankees-Blue Jays to hold Under in their series finale.
The Yankees had an offensive explosion last night, as they rapped out 17 hits, and scored 11 runs, but let's keep in mind that in 5 of their previous 6 prior to last night, they had been held to 2 runs or less.
Look for them to scratch and claw tonight for runs against Marco Estrada who has had some past success against New York, but has not fared well in his last couple of starts against them this year.
Sonny Gray pitched fine in his Yankees debut last week in Cleveland, but 3 errors in the first inning led to a few unearned runs, and that was all she wrote against the likes of Corey Kluber.
Gray is still 4-3 with a 1.59 ERA in his last 7 season starts.
Going to look for Gray and Estrada to set the tone tonight, as the Yankees and Blue Jays end this series with an Under.
3* N.Y. YANKEES-TORONTO UNDER
Chris Jordan
After taking the first two in Kansas City, the St. Louis Cardinals returned home to host the Royals, as the teams traveled north on the I-70 for games three and four at Busch Stadium. And last night my money was on the Redbirds for a 1,000♦ winner. Tonight I'm back on St. Louis as is has some nice momentum flowing right now.
The Cardinals trounced the Royals collectively, 21-6 in victories Monday and Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium. Last night St. Louis won 8-5 to up that tally to 29-11. And while the Cardinals are an impressive 34-19 in regular-season games played at Kansas City, they're now 13-15 in new Busch Stadium against the Royals, and 20-20 overall against their Missouri rivals, in St. Louis.
Despite this being a road-team series, I still like the Cardinals.
St. Louis has won five consecutive games for the first time since mid-May, and are now above .500 for the first time since June 1. And don't look now, but the Cardinals are creeping up on the Chicago Cubs, who fell 3-1 to the lowly San Francisco Giants last night. With the Cardinals a short 1 1/2 games back of Chicago in the National League Central, I like the Redbirds to keep their momentum going tonight.
Don't list either pitcher - remember, this is not a necessity every day, and anyone who insists it is doesn't belong handicapping - so just take St. Louis.
3* CARDINALS