John RyanFOR THE LARGEST SELECTION OF FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Oakland Athletics at Texas Rangers
Prediction: Oakland Athletics
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5* graded play on the Oakland As as they take on the Texas Rangers in a critical game for them to win in their drive for the playoffs. Even though they lost the series in the Bronx, the A?s have a strangle hold on the wild card berth and they are in full control of their playoff destiny. With each win, it makes it that more difficult for the trailing contenders to catch them. The simulator shows a high probability that Oakland will win this game. Oakland is a solid 16-7 (+11.4 Units) using the money line when facing an AL starting pitcher whose ERA is 4.00 to 4.70 this season. They are also a stout 33-21 (+20.7 Units) using the money line when facing a starting pitcher whose strikes out five or more batters per start this season. Take the Oakland As.
Scott Delaney
My free pick run is now 11-3; quirky as it seems, I won 11 straight and have lost three in a row now. Tonight in Major League Baseball I want you playing the St. Louis Cardinals over the Houston Astros. I'm not sure why there isn't a line on the baseball game - if it's really cause of Carlos Beltran, I'm shocked - but I suspect you're going to have to lay the run line.
St. Louis has now won eight straight in this series, and with the late playoff push upon us, I can't imagine anything changes in this heated rivalry. Many believe the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry, or the new Reds-Cardinals rivalry, are St. Louis' big ones. But these two organizations do not like one another.
And with the defending World Series champions handing the ball to Lance Lynn, who has never lost to the Astros heading into tonight's series-opener at Minute Maid Park, I think it's a no-brainer.
I know this is supposed to hold some special meaning for the Astros, who make the move to the American League West next season, but they're horrendous and have no shot at upending the Cardinals and Lynn.
The right-hander is 3-0 with a 1.47 ERA against the Redbirds lifetime, while he's won two straight starts after being demoted from the rotation due to an abysmal 6.56 ERA in five August outings.
Back on track, and ready to lead his team to a postseason run, I like Lynn and the Cardinals on the run line.
3♦ ST. LOUIS
Chuck O'Brien
My free winner for Monday is going to be the Baltimore Orioles on the Run Line, as they return home in dire need of another winning run. Though they had a stellar road trip, they ended it with a disappointing 2-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox yesterday. Now one game back of the New York Yankees in the American League East, I have to believe the Orioles will welcome the opportunity to attack the fifth-place Toronto Blue Jays with the season winding down to its final week.
I don't think it'll be a problem getting it done on the Run Line, as the Jays come in struggling on offense, having hit a mere .182 and getting outscored 24-9 while losing all five games in Baltimore this season.
The Blue Jays have lost 10 of 12 overall and come in after suffering through six straight road losses, dropping three in a row to the Yankees and another three games to Tampa Bay over the weekend.
This should be over early. Take the Orioles on the run line.
2♦ BALTIMORE -1.5
Craig Davis
Now a 77-61 free play run.
Monday's comp play winner is the White Sox on the Run Line over Cleveland.
I believe the White Sox will thrash the Indians in an attempt to break out of this funk.
The losing streak for the Sox stands at five games, yet somehow they still lead the Tigers by one game in the AL Central as they begin this three-game set with the Cleveland Indians.
So far this year the Sox have taken two out of every three games they play (8-4), but they've never entered a series with Cleveland in the midst of a losing streak like this either. Both Chicago and Detroit have exactly 10 games remaining.
Chris Sale (17-7, 2.82 ERA) takes the mound for the White Sox tonight and is actually trying to rebound from a loss himself. It's not often he loses, but the Royals did get to him for three runs over six innings and the Chicago offense couldn't pick him up. He hasn't faced the Indians since May 8 in a relief appearance.
He's 2-0 with a 1.65 ERA vs. the Indians in his career, starting just twice against them but facing them in relief 11 other times. Trust me, he'll be fine tonight.
Zach McAllister (5-8, 4.31 ERA) counters for Cleveland and tries to figure out a way to get rid of this four-game losing streak he's on. He hasn't won a decision since August 11... and September has been his worst month so far, posting an 0-3 record with a 6.87 ERA. Ouch.
Game, set, match.
Free play of the day on the White Sox on the run line.
3♦ WHITE SOX - 1.5
Jeff Benton
Your Monday freebie is the Under in the Green Bay-Seattle contest.
The tendency on Monday night is to expect higher-scoring games, and the linemakers definitely kick up the totals an extra point or two.
That being the case, I will back the Under in Seattle tonight.
There have been three Monday night games played, two of the three have held Under the total, including last week's Atlanta-Denver meeting.
8 of the 14 games played yesterday also landed Under, as the linemakers again have over-inflated some totals due to the replacement referees.
Green Bay played their prime time Thursday affair versus Chicago well Under the total last time on the field, while Seattle has held Under the total in both games thus far this season.
Look for the points to be at a minimum tonight, as the Packers and Seahawks stay Under the posted total.
2♦ GREEN BAY-SEATTLE UNDER
Chris Jordan
My free winners for Monday night are on the Baltimore Orioles in both Games 1 and 2, as I think they're in the right spot to score a doubleheader sweep after a successful road trip that saw them go 6-3. After losing the first two in Oakland, the O's won six straight over the A's in the finale in a sweep of the Seattle Mariners and the first two of the Boston Red Sox before losing yesterday's series finale.
Overall, the Orioles have won nine of their last 12 and have a firm grip on one of the two American League Wild Card spots, while sitting one game back of the New York Yankees in the East division.
The Orioles have won nine of 14 meetings with the Blue Jays this season, and today Baltimore's pitchers getting a Toronto offense that has struggled with a bleak .182 batting average in five losses in Baltimore this season. Overall, the Blue Jays have lost 10 of 12.
The Yankees open a three-game series in Minnesota tonight, but with a sweep today in this twinbill, the Orioles can trim the Yankees' division lead to a half-game, or pull ahead if the Yankees were to lose.
Rarely do I play one game in a doubleheader, but I like both in this Monday pair at Camden Yards, and you're getting them both for free.
5♦ BALTIMORE in Game 1
3♦ BALTIMORE in Game 2
Matt Rivers
Monday's free play is the Yankees on the Run Line over the Twins.
On a 21-12 free play run, and I see New York rolling past Minnesota this Monday night.
The Yankees had their seven game winning streak snapped on Sunday, but their numbers against Minnesota lead me to believe they will be right back in the win column tonight.
New York is 25-6 since the 2009 season versus Minnesota (postseason included), and Yankees starter Andy Pettitte has won his last nine decisions versus Minny in that span as well.
Pettitte just pitched five scoreless in his return to the rotation, and he should be able to work a little deeper into the game tonight.
Minnesota proved no pushover this weekend, sweeping a twin-bill from the playoff-seeking Tigers yesterday, but all that baseball may leave them a little fatigued tonight, and the fact starter Liam Hendricks has won just once at this level - hit last time out - versus seven losses does not bode well for Minnesota.
Hendicks' season ERA is quite close to six, so expect the New York sticks to put a pounding on him early as they take the easy two runs or better win to open this set.
4♦ N.Y.YANKEES -1.5