10* LA Dodgers (7:05 ET): Though they've certainly had their share of issues beating the Red Sox, the Dodgers are the better team this year. They look to be an extraordinary value Sunday night w/ Hyun-Jin Ryu starting. Ryu was arguably the top starter in all of baseball in the first half, earning him starting honors for the National League in Tuesday's Midsummer Classic. After going down in just five games in LY's World Series and dropping Friday's opener 8-1, the Dodgers got the best of the Red Sox last night, winning 11-2. Behind Ryu, they make it two in a row tonight and take the series.

Ryu's numbers from the first half were just incredible. He has a MLB-best 1.73 ERA in 17 starts as well as a 0.908 WHIP. Save for one bad start at the most hitter-friendly park in the game (Coors Field), Ryu has allowed 2 ER or fewer in EVERY start this season! His 1st half concluded with six shutout innings of three-hit ball against the Padres. While pitching at Fenway will present a greater challenge than most of his starts (there's a DH too), Ryu should be up for it. Something else to consider here is that Boston is now just 1-7 this season at home when they are priced between +125 and -125.

David Price came out on the winning end of Game 2 of LY's World Series opposite Ryu and has emerged as the de facto ace of the Red Sox starting rotation this year, primarily due to the surprising struggles of yesterday's loser Chris Sale. There's no denying that Price has pitched well in his own right; he's just not been as good as Ryu. Nor have the Red Sox been as good as the Dodgers in 2019. LA has not only the best record (61-33) in all of baseball, they also have the best run differential (+131). Boston actually has a losing record at Fenway (21-23) this year and is just +56 in run differential. 10* LA Dodgers

8* Under White Sox/A's (4:07 ET): Oakland has taken the first two games of this three-game set and is heavily favored to make it a three-game sweep. Given that, it's highly unlikely that we'll be playing a full nine innings here as the home team figures to have the lead going into the ninth inning. While certainly not guaranteed, I'll work on that assumption here. The White Sox might only be four games below .500 entering Sunday, but don't let that fool you into thinking they've been all that competitive. Their YTD run differential is actually -86, which is bottom five in all of baseball. They've managed only three runs so far in this series and are 28th in runs scored. Take the Under.

Of course, while not likely, there's always a chance Chicago wins this game. It doesn't look good though after they gave up 13 runs to the A's yday. But I don't think they'll be giving up anywhere close to that number this afternoon. It was a seven-run 1st inning by Oakland that really put the White Sox behind the proverbial "8-ball" yesterday. The Chicago bullpen was actually fine. That's good news in case if Sunday's starter Reynaldo Lopez were to falter. But I don't think that he will considering Lopez has allowed 3 ER or less in his last three starts away from home.

No matter who wins or how much Oakland is limited offensively today, Under remains the clear call. The White Sox simply have not been able to do anything offensively in this series. Both runs yday came against Oakland reliever Blake Treinen. That came on the heels of them scoring just once on five hits in Friday's opener. A's starter Brett Anderson looked very good in his L2 starts before the All-Star Break, giving up only two runs on seven hits in 14 IP. Oakland is allowing only 3.9 runs per game at home this year, which is one of the lowest marks in all of baseball. It would be nice if we avoid the bottom of the ninth here, but either way this shapes up as a low-scoring game. 8* Under White Sox/A's

8* Under Reds/Rockies (3:10 ET): So we know what happened here yesterday. Despite a very high number (14.0!), my Total of the Week was on the Over. The Reds & Rockies ended up combining for 26 runs (Reds won 17-9), which makes it six weeks in a row that I've won my Total of the Week in MLB. But for Sunday, I'm actually taking the Under. It's not like an Under would be w/o precedent. Friday's series opener was a 3-2 Colorado win and today's starting pitching matchup looks to be a lot more promising than yday's. Take the Under.

The scoring came early and often Saturday night, perhaps a byproduct of a 3+ hour rain delay affecting the respective starters. Cincinnati's Tanner Roark gave up four runs in the 1st inning and was pulled after 4 2/3 after allowing 7 runs and 13 hits. Colorado's Kyle Freeland was no better, giving up five runs and nine hits in just four innings. The Reds had not one, but two five-run innings last night, enabling them to rally from the early 4-0 hole. Overall, the teams combined for not only 26 runs, but also 39 hits. For many reasons, I don't think we'll be seeing anything close to that kind of offensive outburst today.

Now the Reds' Tyler Mahle has not won on the road all year. He has an 0-10 TSR and it's not like his individual numbers have been good. But they haven't been particularly bad either and despite pitching in Coors, I think he can somewhat limit the damage. Since the start of May, Mahle hasn't allowed more than 4 ER in any start. Remember than Sonny Gray pitched surprisingly well here on Friday for the visitors, who have allowed the fewest number of runs in the NL. Rockies' starter Antonio Senzatela went 4-1 in June w/ a 3.44 ERA. He's allowed 2 ER or less in six of his last eight outings. 8* Under Reds/Rockies

6* NY Mets (1:10 ET): The Mets finally beat the Marlins yday, 4-2, thanks to a tiebreaking two-run HR from Robinson Cano. They also got seven strong innings from Noah Syndergaard. They should again beat their division rival on Sunday as Jacob deGrom is starting. If you look at the early line movement for today's matchup, I think you'd agree that this number was set far too low. The thing is while the Mets had lost four in a row to the Marlins (prior to yday's win), they'd actually taken the season's first five head to head matchups. deGrom looks like a lock today. Take the Mets.

Somehow, the Mets have gone 19-31 w/ deGrom starting the L2 seasons. To call that "head-scratching" would be a mild understatement. deGrom won the Cy Young last year in spite of his team, but this year has somehow shaped up as even more disappointing as the Mets are just 5-13 in his starts. But deGrom continues to pitch relatively well. His numbers may not be as good as they were last year, but he still sports a 2.68 ERA and 0.979 WHIP over his last seven starts, all quality ones. He's allowed 3 ER or less NINE straight times, including a strong effort vs. Philly (gave up just two runs on three hits in seven innings) in his last start before the All-Star Break.

In the last series between these teams (back in May), which ended up being a 3-game Miami sweep, Sandy Alcantara tossed a complete game shutout. But don't let that fool you. It was easily Alcantara's best start of the season as he still has a 1.401 WHIP in 2019. The Marlins are just 6-11 when he starts, including 2-7 here at home. Alcantara's margin for error here is very small as Miami has the lowest scoring lineup in the entire National League set to face deGrom, who is long overdue for a win. 6* NY Mets

10* Over Reds/Rockies (8:10 ET): It was a rare low-scoring game last night here at Coors Field w/ the host Rockies prevailing 3-2 over the Reds. You have to remember that over the first half of the season, Colorado both scored and allowed 6.9 runs per game. The Reds bring the NL's top pitching staff (in terms of # of runs allowed) to Denver this weekend, but Saturday starter Tanner Roark is not a big reason why they are leading in that department. Meanwhile, Rockies starter Kyle Freeland has REALLY been struggling this year. So I expect the balls to resume flying tonight here at Coors and I'm on the Over.

We know there's a major difference between the Rockies' offense on the road and here at home. It's been that way for the franchise's entire existence. But even by that quarter century standard, 2019 is shaping up to be one of the sharpest home vs. road splits ever. On the road, the Rockies are averaging just 4.2 runs per game. It's a 2.6 rpg jump here at home. Thus, it was pretty impressive to see the Reds hold them to only three runs last night. But w/ Roark allowing 3 HRs his last time out, I don't see him keeping this lineup down for a 2nd straight day.

Of course, the effect Coors has on Colorado's pitchers is just as pronounced as what's felt by the hitters. Kyle Freeland knows all about this. He has a 9.31 ERA and 1.724 WHIP in six starts here this season. Things got so bad for Freeland that he had to spend the last six weeks in the minors to figure things out. It was a terrible May for him w/ a 10.17 ERA in six starts and he allowed 11 HR's. All six starts happened to go Over the total. Freeland has a 6.11 ERA in three previous starts against Cincinnati, so there's no reason to expect him to pitch any better tonight. This should be a really high scoring game. 10* Over Reds/Rockies

8* Under Dodgers/Red Sox (7:15 ET): So, it was an all-too familiar result for the Dodgers last night here in Fenway Park. They lost to the Red Sox 8-1, reminiscent of last year's World Series, which saw them eliminated in just five games. They're now 1-6 all-time in regular season games here in Boston, plus the two losses in LY's Fall Classic. Now on a four-game losing streak overall, their longest losing skid since April, the Dodgers will try and be better under the bright lights of FOX for tonight's nationally televised contest. But, unfortunately, I see some of the issues persisting for them. Take the Under here.

Despite adding a DH to a lineup that already averages a healthy number (5.2) of runs per game, LA could do little offensively against Eduardo Rodriguez, who struck out 10 and allowed just five hits in 7 IP. Tonight, the Dodgers will have to go up against Chris Sale. While this may not be a banner season (so far) for Sale, he is still a pitcher to be respected. A 1.075 WHIP for the year shows me that he's pitched better than most realize and the Under is 6-0 the L6 times he's pitched against a team w/ a winning record. (I shouldn't have to mention that the Dodgers are 60-33 entering Saturday).

The Dodgers' surprising lack of scoring here in Boston isn't just confined to last night. They scored just six runs in the two losses here in LY's WS. They've now scored only seven runs total during their four-game losing streak. Trying to help them out of this hole will be Saturday starter Ross Stripling, who has seen the Under go 6-0-1 in his previous seven starts. Stripling has a bit of an extended history of Unders as well; his last 24 road starts have seen an Under mark of 16-5-3 while he's also 12-2-2 the L16 times he's started on 5+ days rest. 8* Under Dodgers/Red Sox

10* Over Calgary/Hamilton (7:00 ET): Last week saw the Stampeders (Calgary) show reports of their demise were pretty premature as they went to Saskatchewan and handed the Roughriders a 37-10 beatdown. It was easily the Stamps' best defensive performance of the season as they'd given up 32 points in each of the first two games. They're now also averaging a healthy 33.7 points per game on offense. Matched up this week w/ high-flying Hamilton (39.2 PPG), you'd expect the points to keep coming Saturday night and I agree as I'm on the Over here.

You also have to think the Ti-Cats are going to be in an ornery mood this week after being dealt their first loss of the season last week. It came to Montreal of all teams, 36-29, as a 12.5-pt road favorite. The Ti-Cats had opened the year 3-0, scoring 64 and 41 points in two of the wins, so a return home should lead to an obvious increase in points this week. Hamilton is widely expected to runaway w/ the East Division this year as they're the lone team of the four that came into 2019 settled at the QB position. Jeremiah Masoli threw for 5,209 yards and 28 touchdowns last season. Through four games this year, he's well on his way to another stellar campaign.

Calgary is one of four teams in the league that has already had to turn to a backup QB. But filling in for Bo Levi Mitchell, Nick Arbuckle's starting debut could not have gone any better last week. Arbuckle has completed 90% of his pass attempts since coming in for an injured Mitchell in the comeback win over B.C. two weeks ago. So both offenses should score. The difference is I see the Stampeders defense reverting back to the form of the first two games. Hamilton gave up 36 pts LW to a poor Montreal team and this will be the best offense they have faced so far this season. 10* Over Calgary/Hamilton

7* Chi Cubs (2:20 ET): Though the NL Central remains a crowded race (all 5 teams still alive!), the Cubs are simply a much better team than the Pirates. That's reflected in the odds here, but I have zero hesitation taking the Cubs in this price range. They took Friday's opener, 4-3, despite blowing a three-run lead and that may end up being the Pirates' best chance to steal a game in this series. Yes, the Bucs did take three of four last weekend from the Cubbies. But that was at PNC Park. Here at the Friendly Confines of Wrigley, the home team is 30-16 and holding visitors to 3.8 rpg (2nd fewest in the league). Like I said earlier, zero hesitation in backing the Cubs this afternoon.

Everyone else in the division lost yday, so the Cubs now have a 1.5-game lead on the field. They're 3.5 games ahead of the Pirates, but that's misleading considering the Cubs have outscored opponents by 56 runs this year (3rd best in NL) while the Pirates are looking at a -37 run differential (tied for 4th worst). The Cubs are now 16-5 as a home favorite of -125 to -175 this season and will send Jon Lester to the bump Saturday afternoon. Lester has a 7-2 TSR w/ a 2.42 ERA at home this season and the Pirates are a team he's generally pitched well against in his career (3.12 ERA in 19 starts).

Pittsburgh goes w/ Jordan Lyles, who was not pitching well before the Break. He has a 9.00 ERA and 2.077 WHIP his L3 starts after giving up seven runs to the Cubs on July 4th. Regulars may recall that I played against the Lyles & the Pirates that day and the result was the team's only loss of that series (11-3). Lyles allowed 3 HR's in the loss and has now allowed at least one long ball in five straight outing. The Pirates have been a pure fade on my end for the last several weeks and that's unlikely to change in the 2nd half. 7* Chi Cubs

7* Milwaukee (8:10 ET): Perhaps the All-Star Break came at the WRONG time for the Giants considering they'd won six of seven. That has them over .500 since June 1st, but this is still a last place team w/ a lot of holes and the second worst run differential (-70) in the National League. They've been pretty fortunate to go 18-9 in one-run games so far, the 2nd best record in that situation, behind only division rival San Diego. Milwaukee may have limped into the Break having lost five of six, but they are the better team here and priced accordingly.

Almost everyone is alive in the NL Wild Card hunt and you can count the Brewers among those on the list. The Brew Crew were actually leading the NL Central before skidding into the Break. This despite a negative run differential on the year. But now they're back at Miller Park where they own a 27-18 record. Chase Anderson gets the nod Friday and he has pitched well in five of his six starts this year, including a quality effort in San Francisco back on June 16th. That was the Brewers only win in that series, but you should expect a better result after this weekend has concluded.

Another Anderson will start here for SF, that being Shaun, who has a high WHIP. This Anderson lasted all of four innings his last time out and gave up four runs. The Giants still won the game, 7-5 over Arizona, but don't credit the starting pitching there. Anderson has allowed between 2 and 4 ER in all 10 of his starts this year. His counterpart has a 3.00 ERA his L3 starts, having allowed just 5 runs in 15 IP. To me, Milwaukee is simply the better team here. They're at home and the Giants likely lost "momentum" by the Break coming at an inopportune time. The Giants are 53-112 their L165 road games vs. a team w/ a winning record. 7* Milwaukee

8* Under Astros/Rangers (8:05 ET): It was not the return from the Break that the Astros were looking for last night as they were blanked by the Rangers 5-0. For Texas, it was sweet revenge for a three-game sweep they suffered back in May. That was up in Houston though. While the Rangers are potent offensively, particularly in their home ballpark, tonight they're up against Gerrit Cole, which means they're likely to struggle to score runs. But Jesse Chavez has proven to be a worthy adversary for Cole, so like last night I see this one staying Under the total.

Cole needs little introduction as he's one of the top starters in the game. He comes in sporting a 0.90 ERA and 1.00 WHIP his L3 starts, all of which were Houston wins and stayed Under. In fact, his L4 starts have all been Houston wins & Under as Cole has allowed a total of just three runs in 26 IP during that time. The last time he faced Texas, Cole struck out 12 and allowed just one run and four hits over six innings. There was a bad start earlier this year here in Arlington, but considering how he's pitched recently, I'd expect Cole to be at the top of his game here.

The Astros couldn't score yday against Lance Lynn, even though their lineup is now healthier than it's been in some time. Chavez has made seven starts this year, though somehow only one has been here at Globe Life Park. It came in May, back when he was being used as an "opener." Chavez allowed no runs in that role and then his first time as a traditional starter saw him give up just one unearned run against the Tigers. The last two starts before the Break weren't quite as good, but don't be surprised if he comes up big tonight. The Under is 19-9 in the Rangers' last 28 home games. 8* Under Astros/Rangers