Pittsburgh Pirates -132

Did you notice that the Pittsburgh Pirates are in second place in the N.L Central...they are also on a roll having won 8 of 10 heading into Monday night.

I think the good times will continue to roll Tuesday at home. Pittsburgh has lefty Wandy Rodriguez on the hill. Way-Rod is enjoying a fine season including 6 shutout innings against the Cubbies in his first start of the year.

As much as I like him I also really like fading Cubs starter Matt Garza Tueday. Garza never really lives up to expectations and this is his first start of the season after starting the year on the disabled list.

I don’t have a lot of confidence in him coming out guns blazing.

Good Luck, Razor Ray.

5* Free Play

Are you looking for the best SPORTS PICKS in the business? You can’t do much better than OUR IN HOUSE CAPPER Ray Monohan. “Pad that bankroll one day at a time folks!” • MLB Overall Plays (+1027) 34-22 L56 61% Run.

Texas Rangers –1.5

The Texas Rangers dropped the first game of this series to Oakland last night. Oakland is a scrappy team, but there is no doubt that the Rangers have the better overall team on paper.

Yu Darvish is the Rangers best pitcher, and no one from the A’s lineup has had much success against him in the past.

Betting on Texas after they have lost the night before has been a very profitable strategy in the past couple years.

It seems Ron Washington’s team responds very well to getting beaten up the night before. How good have they been off a loss? Texas is 72-27 in their last 99 games following a loss.

Oakland will start young prospect Dan Straily in this one. Straily has all the makings of a very good pitcher, but he hasn’t quite put it all together just yet.

He has tremendous stuff and a really good arm, but he pitches himself into jams far too often.

The Rangers lineup is still one of the best in baseball, because there really is no easy out in this lineup. Texas is 16-3 in Yu Darvish’s last 19 home games as a favorite. Look for Darvish and the Rangers to bounce back big tonight.

Good Luck, Razor Ray.

7* Play on Texas Rangers -1.5

Houston ML

The Houston Astros host the Kansas City Royals in game two of a three-game set on Tuesday. Houston won game one in the series on Monday, 6-5.

Houston’s win on Monday was their third in the last five games, while Kansas City has now lost four in a row and eight of their last 10 games.

Bud Norris gets the nod for the Astros on Tuesday. He’s allowed two or fewer earned runs in six of his nine starts this season.

We cashed a ticket on Norris’s last start at home, and we’ll go right back to that well for this one. Norris’s strong play at home is easy to overlook with the Astros struggling to put wins together. He is 7-2 with a 1.89 ERA at Minute Maid Park over the last two seasons.

Wade Davis will take the hill for the Royals. Davis has a 5.98 ERA on the season with a terrible 1.89 WHIP. His ERA jumps up to 6.61 over his last three starts, with opponents scoring an average of 7.0 runs in those games.

The Royals are 4-10 in their last 14 games as a road favorite, and 1-5 in their last six road games overall. Take Houston.

Good Luck, Razor Ray

8* Play on Houston Astros +121

Memphis +5.5

The San Antonio Spurs host the Memphis Grizzlies in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday. San Antonio won Game One in the series on Sunday, 105-83.

We cashed a top-rated play on Game One in this series, and we have detected another strong angle for Game Two.

The Spurs won Game One rather handily over the Grizzlies, but Memphis was surely eager to get to the film room and began to plan their adjustments for Game Two.

No team has made in-series adjustments better than Lionel Hollins and the Grizzlies have. The team is 8-1 straight up and a perfect 9-0 ATS in the postseason after the opening game of a series.

Leading scorer Zach Randolph was limited to just two points on 1-for-8 shooting from the floor in Game One, but a better performance from Z-Bo can certainly be expected in Game Two as the Grizzlies coaching staff finds ways to free up their talented big man.

While Memphis struggled on offense, San Antonio benefitted from countless wide open shooting opportunities from beyond the arc. The Spurs connected on 14 three-pointers in Game One. Expect the Grizzlies to make adjustments to limit those opportunities in Game Two.

The Grizzlies are 17-5-1 ATS in their last 23 games overall. Take Memphis.

Good Luck, Razor Ray

7* Play on Memphis Grizzlies +5.5

Philadelphia ML

The Philadelphia Phillies host the Cincinnati Reds on Friday in game one of a three-game set.

The trip out to Philadelphia hasn’t been an easy one for the Reds in recent years. Cincinnati is just 7-19 in their last 26 games in Philadelphia.

Additionally, the Phillies have started their series’ strong this season. The team is 5-2 in their last seven games to open a series.

For this game, the Phillies will send out Cliff Lee. Lee has wins in back-to-back starts, allowing only two runs over 15 innings of work over his last two outings.

The Reds have struggled versus left-handed pitchers, due largely to the fact that they’re so reliant on left-handed hitters like Shin-Soo Choo, Joey Votto, and Jay Bruce. In five starts versus the Reds since the start of the 2010 season, Lee is 3-0 with a 1.83 ERA.

The Reds counter with Tony Cingrani. Cingrani’s start was pushed back to Friday due to soreness in his throwing shoulder. There’s simply no telling how the youngster’s shoulder will hold up in this one, but given his delivery, the Reds could be forced to lean heavily on their bullpen in this one.

The Reds are 1-4 in their last five games versus a left-handed starter. Take Philadelphia.

Good Luck, Razor Ray

7* Play on Philadelphia Phillies -113

Ottawa ML

The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Ottawa Senators on Friday in Game Two of their second round playoff series. Pittsburgh won Game One of the series on Tuesday, 4-1.

The Ottawa Senators showed a tremendous ability to overcome injuries in the regular season, playing much of the season without stars Erik Karlsson and Jason Spezza, while goaltender Craig Anderson missed significant chunks of the season as well.

After backing into the playoffs, the Senators have now had the time to get healthy again, and they’re one of the dark horses to represent the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Final.

The Senators made short work of the second-seeded Canadiens in round one, and now get the top-seeded Penguins. While Ottawa has gotten stronger as the season has progressed, kinks are beginning to emerge for the Penguins.

Pittsburgh’s goaltending situation is a major issue for the team, as it was a year ago when they were bounced in the opening round of the playoffs. Tomas Vokoun is better suited for a backup role at this stage of his career.

With a significant edge between the pipes, the red hot Senators are mispriced in this game.

The Senators are 6-2 in their last eight road games. Take Ottawa.

Good Luck, Razor Ray

7* Play on Ottawa Senators +175

Colorado & San Francisco under 9

The Colorado Rockies host the San Francisco Giants on Friday in the second game of a four-game set.

It’s déjà vu all over again as Jorge De La Rosa and Madison Bumgarner will face off with one another for the second time this season. The first meeting saw the game’s total installed at 7.0, and the team’s played under the number.

With the scene shifting to Coors Field the total for this game jumps up to 9.0, but we’ll gladly get in on this one, as we expect another pitcher’s duel, even with the shift in scenery.

Bumgarner hasn’t been bothered by the trip out to Coors Field. In four starts there last season he posted a 3.04 ERA. He’s been dealing this season, with a 2.18 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP.

The under is 5-0 in Bumgarner’s last five starts versus National League West opponents, and 7-3-1 in his last 11 starts versus Colorado.

De La Rosa has had a field day at his home park this season. Through two starts, he still hasn’t allowed a run, compiling a WHIP of 0.67, while limiting opposing hitters to a batting average of just .132.

The under is 5-2 in De La Rosa’s last seven starts versus the Giants. Take the UNDER.

Good Luck, Razor Ray

9* Play on Colorado & San Francisco u9 -105

Royals ML

The Kansas City Royals aren’t the same team they were a year ago. In fact, they aren’t the same team they have been for the past few years.

The Royals have constantly disappointed largely due to a poor pitching staff, but this year they are getting some solid pitching at the top of the rotation.

It all starts with newly acquired James Shields. Shields hasn’t had a bad start so far this year, and he has a sparkling 2.48 ERA overall.

Shields has had at least 6 strikeouts in 6 of his 8 starts so far this season. He has some devastating movement on his pitches.

Jarrod Parker had a tremendous season last year for the Oakland Athletics, but Parker can’t seem to find his rhythm this year. He has a 6.86 ERA on the year, and his ERA is 9.61 on his home field.

Kansas City’s offense has been very patient this year, and walks have been a major problem for Parker.

The Royals offense is deeper than Oakland’s. The Athletics lineup started the season on fire, but they have quickly come back down to earth.

The Royals have the better pitcher and the better offense here. Take Kansas City.

Good Luck, Razor Ray.

8* Play on KC Royals ML

Chicago & Detroit under 5

The Chicago Blackhawks host the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday in Game Two of their second round playoff series. Chicago won Game One in the series on Wednesday, 4-1.

A tough luck push for us when an three-goal third period in Game One of this series kept us from cashing our under ticket, but what we saw in that game leaves us confident to go right back to that well.

Goaltending was a major issue for the Blackhawks entering the season, but it certainly hasn’t been one in the playoffs.

Chicago starting goaltender Corey Crawford has a 1.27 GAA and a .950 save percentage in the postseason.

The under cashing in has been commonplace when these teams meet. The under is 18-7-2 in the last 27 meetings, and 8-1-2 in the last 11 meetings.

The Red Wings played over the total only once in their four postseason meetings with the Ducks. The under is 6-1-4 in Detroit’s last 11 road games.

In three trips to Chicago in 2013, the Red Wings have managed to score only four times.

Detroit had major issues on their back line with the losses of veterans Nicklas Lidstrom and Brad Stuart in the offseason, but that group is really coming together at the right time for the team, and they’ll certainly be extra motivated to continue their solid play against the rival Blackhawks.

The under is 6-2-3 in Chicago’s last 11 games. Take the UNDER.

Good Luck, Razor Ray
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7* Play on Chicago & Detroit u5 -110

Chicago ML

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim host the Chicago White Sox on Saturday afternoon in game three of a four-game set. The White Sox won game two in the series on Friday, 3-0.

The Angels send Joe Blanton out to the mound for this one. We’ve been very aggressive in fading Blanton, and up to this point, we’ve been correct each time.

Blanton is a miserable 0-7 on the season with a 6.46 ERA and a 1.87 WHIP. Through eight starts as an Angel, the team is 0-8 when he takes the mound, getting outscored by an average of 6.6 to 3.1.

The Halos seem to be losing faith in their teammate, as they’ve provided Blanton with an average of only 2.0 runs of support over his last three outings.

The White Sox have hit 16 home runs in their last 15 games, and should tee off on Blanton.

The Angels are 1-6 in their last seven home games.

The White Sox counter with Hector Santiago. Santiago has posted a 2.00 ERA with a 1.06 WHIP in three starts this season.

The White Sox are 4-0 in their last four road games, and 5-2 in their last seven games versus American League West opponents. Take Chicago.

Good Luck, Razor Ray

7* Play on Chicago White Sox +120

Indiana -4.5

The Indiana Pacers host the New York Knicks on Saturday in Game Six of their second round playoff series. New York is coming off an 85-75 win in Game Five on Thursday.

The Knicks were able to extend this series with their Game Five win, but there’s no questioning that Indiana has been the better team in this series.

Even with a terrible effort that saw the team shoot 36.2 percent from the field, miss 14 free throws, and turn the ball over 19 times, the Pacers remained in Game Five up until the end.

Now, with the series shifting back to Indiana, we can expect a better performance from the Pacers as they look to close out this series.

The Pacers have been dominant at home this season. The Miami Heat are the only Eastern Conference team with a better home record than Indiana’s 35-11 mark in their own building.

Each of the last four games in this series has been won by the home team by a double-digit margin.

In fact, the Pacers are 5-0 at home this season, with each win coming by at least 11 points. Their average margin of victory at home in the postseason is 15.4 points.

The Pacers are 5-0 ATS at home in the playoffs. Take Indiana.

Good Luck, Razor Ray

7* Play on Indiana Pacers -4.5

Detroit Tigers ML

Anibal Sanchez is one of the most underrated starting pitchers in baseball. Sanchez has become a great number three starter for Detroit’s staff.

He rarely has a really bad game, so he gives his team a chance to win almost every single time out there.

Justin Grimm will start for the Rangers in this one. While he looked good in his first couple starts, Grimm has looked a lot more like a rookie with plenty to learn in his last couple games.

He has been hit hard in his last two outings, and those were both against teams with much lesser offenses than the Tigers.

Detroit leads the majors in runs scored per game. The Tigers might have the best lineup in baseball thanks to their depth and amazing combination with Fielder and Cabrera in the middle of the order. Torii Hunter has also given the team another big hitter early in the order.

Detroit has at least as good of a lineup as the Texas Rangers, and they clearly have the pitching edge in this one.

The Rangers don’t have their normal bullpen advantage because of injuries. Detroit is priced too short for me to pass this value up. Take Detroit.

Good Luck, Razor Ray.

8* Play on Detroit Tigers ML

Washington ML

The San Diego Padres host the Washington Nationals on Saturday in game three of a four-game set. Washington won game two in the series on Friday, 6-5.

A comeback bid by the Padres fell short on Friday night, surely leaving the team a little depressed entering Saturday’s contest.

Eric Stults gets the nod for the Padres in this one. He’s the rare San Diego pitcher whose numbers are actually better away from Petco Park.

Stults has posted a 5.87 ERA at home this season, and has a 4.11 career ERA at Petco Park.

The Nationals counter with Jordan Zimmermann. Zimmermann has quietly been one of, if not the best pitchers in baseball this season.

Zimmermann is 7-1 with a 1.69 ERA on the season, and he’s been even better of late. Over his last four starts, Zimmermann is 4-0 with a 0.95 ERA.

Expect him to keep the good times rolling against the Padres. Zimmermann has posted a 0.69 ERA in two career starts at Petco Park. He has limited opponents to three runs or fewer in each of his eight starts this season.

The Nationals are 11-1 in Zimmermann’s last 12 road starts versus opponents with a losing record.

The Nationals are 7-1 in their last eight games in San Diego. Take Washington.

Good Luck, Razor Ray

6* Play on Washington Nationals -145

Seattle Mariners ML

King Felix doesn’t often go into a start against a mediocre team at even odds like he is in this case.

Felix Hernandez is one of the best pitchers in the game, and he can absolutely dominate any lineup. His career numbers against Cleveland aren’t as good as most teams, but that is primarily because of one terrible start.

Hernandez is throwing as well as he ever has in his career right now, and I don’t see that changing soon.

Cleveland has really been playing some good baseball and coming up with some late inning wins, but I don’t think this team can stay in first place like they are right now.

Cleveland has plenty of holes in their lineup, and there are some guys on this team who are playing above their heads.

Justin Masterson is a decent pitcher, but I don’t consider him a true Ace. Obviously, the pitching matchup is a major mismatch in this game. Seattle’s offense isn’t very good, but I don’t think they’ll have to be in this one.

The Mariners are 0-4 in their last 4 games in Cleveland, which is probably why we got the line we did.

Sometimes you have to ignore the trends and back the better pitcher. Take Seattle.

Good Luck, Razor Ray.

8* Play on Mariners ML

Boston & New York under 5

The Boston Bruins host the New York Rangers in Game Two of their second round playoff on Sunday afternoon. Boston won Game One in the series in overtime on Thursday, 3-2.

The Rangers finally clamped down on the Capitals in the final two games of their opening round series, with goaltender Henrik Lundqvist racking up shutouts in games six and seven.

Expect Lundqvist’s strong play carried over into this series against the Bruins in Game One, as a dominant performance by Lundqvist kept the offensively challenged Rangers in the game.

Lundqvist will need to continue to put up another strong performances in this series, as the Rangers have had a ton of trouble scoring on the road in the playoffs. Prior to Game Seven of their series with Washington, New York scored just twice in their first three postseason road games.

The under is 13-0-7 in New York’s last 20 road playoff games.

Don’t expect to see many goals on the power play in this series. The teams went a combined 1-for-30 against one another in their regular season series, and were a combined 1-for-7 in Game One.

The under is 14-5-3 in the last 22 meetings between these teams, and 8-1-2 in the last 11 meetings between these teams in Boston. Take the UNDER.

Good Luck, Razor Ray

7* Play on Boston & New York u5 -130

San Antonio & Memphis over 182.5

The San Antonio Spurs host the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday afternoon in Game One of the Western Conference Finals.

A very low total set for this game, and it has us running, not walking, to the betting window to get in on this one.

The Spurs haven’t seen a total this low all season. The team has had only two totals set below 187 points this season, with both of those games playing over the number.

The over is 5-2 in Spurs games with totals set below 190 points this season, including 2-0 in the postseason.

San Antonio has played at a faster pace at home this season, and with the team as healthy as they’ve been all season, they can be expected to play like the team that averaged 104.6 points per home game during the regular season.

That number has held true in the postseason, with the team averaging 104.4 in their own barn.

The over is 6-2 in San Antonio last eight home games.

Expect Tony Parker to lead the way in the scoring department for the Spurs. He’s scored 20 or more points in seven of 10 games this postseason, compiling an average of 22.4 points per game. He averaged 25.5 points per game against the Grizzlies in the regular season.

The over is 4-1 in San Antonio’s last five Conference Finals games.

The Spurs have been among the association’s best teams in basketball at making in-series adjustments, however, that leaves them vulnerable in the opening game of a series.

Golden State’s backcourt duo picked apart the Spurs in games one and two of that series in San Antonio, and now the Spurs will have to contend with Mike Conley, while also dealing with Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph in the paint.

Randolph is averaging 19.7 points per game, Gasol has 18.3 points per game, and Conley’s chipped in 17.6 points per game in the postseason.

The over is 5-2 in Memphis’s last seven road games.

With some misconceptions by the general public pushing this number down well below anything the AT&T Center has seen this season, and both sides presenting significant edges in this scenario, we’ll bump this play up to our top rating. Take the OVER.

Good Luck, Razor Ray

10* Play on San Antonio & Memphis over 182.5

San Francisco ML

The Colorado Rockies host the San Francisco Giants on Sunday afternoon in game four of a four-game set. Colorado won game three in the series on Saturday, 10-2.

Barry Zito’s time in San Francisco has largely been viewed as a failure. Given his enormous contract, that isn’t entirely untrue.

However, while the average fan has a hard time forgetting his initial struggles with the Giants, Zito has quietly turned things around and established himself as a solid starting option.

Zito has posted a respectable 3.40 ERA this season, and dating back to last season, he’s been racking up wins in bunches.

The Giants are 21-6 in Zito’s last 27 starts. He hasn’t compiled that winning streak against soft competition either, with San Francisco going 11-1 in his last 12 starts versus opponents with a winning record.

Zito has been especially solid against National League West opponents. The Giants are 17-4 in Zito’s last 21 starts versus National League West opponents.

Juan Nicasio opposes Zito in this one. Nicasio has a 5.13 ERA on the season, and that number jumps to 6.00 over his last three starts.

The Giants are 4-0 in Zito’s last four starts versus the Rockies. Take San Francisco.

Good Luck, Razor Ray

8* Play on San Francisco Giants +110

Giants vs. Rockies Over 11

It’s not easy to bet on an over at such a high number, but even at 11 runs I like the value on this over. Barry Zito has been great at home all year, but he has been a complete disaster on the road.

Zito has a 11.25 ERA on the road so far in 2013.

The Giants defense has been booting the ball all over the place of late, and the bullpen has been struggling to record outs.

Colorado has scored 26 runs in the first three games of this series, and now they face a pitcher in Zito who can’t seem to get anyone out on the road.

What about the trends? They are really impressive as well. The over is 6-0 in the Giants last 6 road games.

The over is 7-0 in the Rockies last 7 games overall. The over is 4-0 in the Giants last 4 against a righty.

San Francisco’s offense is quite a bit better than it was a year ago, and the Giants should be able to put up quite a few runs in this one against Colorado team that has a terrible pitching staff.

The only way Colorado can win games this year is getting into a slugfest. Coors Field and two poor pitchers should mean a high scoring affair. Take the over.

Good Luck, Razor Ray.

7* Play on Giants vs. Rockies over 11

Ottawa ML

The Ottawa Senators host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday in Game Three of their second round playoff series. Pittsburgh won Game Two in the series on Friday, 4-3.

The Ottawa Senators showed a tremendous ability to overcome injuries in the regular season, playing much of the season without stars Erik Karlsson and Jason Spezza, while goaltender Craig Anderson missed significant chunks of the season as well.

After backing into the playoffs, the Senators have now had the time to get healthy again. They’ll get a much needed emotional boost in front of their home crowd on Sunday, with top line center Jason Spezza returning to action for the first time since January 27th.

While Ottawa has gotten stronger as the season has progressed, kinks are beginning to emerge for the Penguins.

Pittsburgh’s goaltending situation is a major issue for the team, as it was a year ago when they were bounced in the opening round of the playoffs. Tomas Vokoun is better suited for a backup role at this stage of his career.

With a significant edge between the pipes, the red hot Senators are mispriced in this game.

The home team is 9-4 in the last 13 meetings between these teams. Take Ottawa.

Good Luck, Razor Ray

7* Play on Ottawa Senators +118

Seattle Mariners ML

Felix Hernandez was beaten up yesterday, and the Cleveland Indians kept their recent hot play going. The thing that many bettors don’t realize is that Hisashi Iwakuma has actually been better than King Felix so far this year.

How good has Iwakuma been? Iwakuma has thrown a quality start in each of his nine starts so far this year.

You’d have to go back to early last September to see a bad start from him. He has extremely nasty stuff, and he really has his control working well of late.

Scott Kazmir has been good the last few starts, but I still can’t completely trust him. There is a reason this guy was out of the majors for several years. He is far too inconsistent to back.

Iwakuma has been a model of consistency, while Kazmir has always been known as a Jekyll and Hyde type of pitcher.

The Indians may be a decent team, but they aren’t as good as their recent results would lead you to believe. Cleveland is getting too much credit because of their recent play here. Seattle is 16-5 in Iwakuma’s last 21 starts.

Seattle should be favored by more than this in a total pitching mismatch. Big play on Seattle here. Take Seattle.

Good Luck, Razor Ray.

10* Play on Seattle Mariners ML

Detroit & Chicago under 5

The Detroit Red Wings host the Chicago Blackhawks in Game Three of their second round playoff series on Monday. Detroit won Game Two in the series on Saturday, 4-1.

A tough luck push for us in games one and two of this series, as late goals to run up the score led to the teams playing to the total, and kept us from cashing our under tickets, but what we saw in those games leaves us confident to go right back to that well.

Goaltending was a major issue for the Blackhawks entering the season, but it certainly hasn’t been one in the playoffs.

Chicago starting goaltender Corey Crawford has a 1.64 GAA and a .937 save percentage in the postseason.

The under cashing in has been commonplace when these teams meet. The under is 17-6-3 in the last 26 meetings, and 8-1-3 in the last 12 meetings.

Detroit had major issues on their back line with the losses of veterans Nicklas Lidstrom and Brad Stuart in the offseason, but that group is really coming together at the right time for the team, and they’ll certainly be extra motivated to continue their solid play against the rival Blackhawks.

The under is 7-0-1 in Chicago’s last eight road games. Take the UNDER.

Good Luck, Razor Ray

7* Play on Detroit & Chicago u5 -110

St. Louis Cardinals ML

The St. Louis Cardinals have the best record in the National League. St. Louis has a dangerous combination of what seems to be the best lineup in the National League and a terrific pitching staff.

Coming into the season, there were some questions about the back of the bullpen. Edward Mujica has silenced the critics with some terrific work as the closer so far this year.

St. Louis leads the majors with a 3.18 team ERA. Rookie Shelby Miller is tied with Clayton Kershaw for the major league lead in ERA at a miniscule level of 1.40.

Miller was expected to come in and be good right away, but who could have expected him to dominate the way he has?

Miller hasn’t allowed more than 3 earned runs in any of his starts so far this year.

The San Diego Padres lineup is one of the worst in the National League, and it’s hard to imagine them getting to him much in this one.

Jason Marquis works himself into trouble far too often, and that is extremely dangerous against a team with as much depth in the lineup as the Cardinals. St. Louis is 70-30 in the last 100 meetings between these two teams. Too short of a price on the Cardinals here. Take St. Louis.

Good Luck, Razor Ray.

8* Play on St. Louis Cardinals ML

San Francisco & Washington over 8

The San Francisco Giants host the Washington Nationals on Monday in game one of a three-game set. San Francisco is coming off a 5-0 loss to Colorado, while Washington dropped their last game to San Diego, 13-4.

Ryan Vogelsong gets the nod for the Giants. The over has been money when he’s taken the hill. The over is 7-1 in his eight starts this season.

Vogelsong has posted an 8.06 ERA with a 1.84 WHIP this season, and he’s only gotten worse as the season has progressed.

Over his last three starts, Vogelsong has a 13.09 ERA with a ridiculous 2.64 WHIP. Opponents scored an average of 8.7 runs in those three starts.

The over is 17-3-1 in Vogelsong’s last 21 starts as a favorite.

Washington counters with Zach Duke in this one. Duke only gets the start because of an injury to Ross Detwiler.

Duke certainly hasn’t earned this start on his own merits, as he has posted an 8.40 ERA in 15 innings out of the bullpen for Washington this season.

He could get some help though, with Bryce Harper hoping to return to the Washington lineup on Monday.

The over is 6-0 in the last six meetings between these teams. Take the OVER.

Good Luck, Razor Ray

9* Play on San Francisco & Washington o8 -105

Pittsburgh Pirates -132

Did you notice that the Pittsburgh Pirates are in second place in the N.L Central...they are also on a roll having won 8 of 10 heading into Monday night.

I think the good times will continue to roll Tuesday at home. Pittsburgh has lefty Wandy Rodriguez on the hill. Way-Rod is enjoying a fine season including 6 shutout innings against the Cubbies in his first start of the year.

As much as I like him I also really like fading Cubs starter Matt Garza Tueday. Garza never really lives up to expectations and this is his first start of the season after starting the year on the disabled list.

I don’t have a lot of confidence in him coming out guns blazing.

Good Luck, Razor Ray.

5* Free Play

Are you looking for the best SPORTS PICKS in the business? You can’t do much better than OUR IN HOUSE CAPPER Ray Monohan. “Pad that bankroll one day at a time folks!” • MLB Overall Plays (+1027) 34-22 L56 61% Run.

Texas Rangers –1.5

The Texas Rangers dropped the first game of this series to Oakland last night. Oakland is a scrappy team, but there is no doubt that the Rangers have the better overall team on paper.

Yu Darvish is the Rangers best pitcher, and no one from the A’s lineup has had much success against him in the past.

Betting on Texas after they have lost the night before has been a very profitable strategy in the past couple years.

It seems Ron Washington’s team responds very well to getting beaten up the night before. How good have they been off a loss? Texas is 72-27 in their last 99 games following a loss.

Oakland will start young prospect Dan Straily in this one. Straily has all the makings of a very good pitcher, but he hasn’t quite put it all together just yet.

He has tremendous stuff and a really good arm, but he pitches himself into jams far too often.

The Rangers lineup is still one of the best in baseball, because there really is no easy out in this lineup. Texas is 16-3 in Yu Darvish’s last 19 home games as a favorite. Look for Darvish and the Rangers to bounce back big tonight.

Good Luck, Razor Ray.

7* Play on Texas Rangers -1.5

Houston ML

The Houston Astros host the Kansas City Royals in game two of a three-game set on Tuesday. Houston won game one in the series on Monday, 6-5.

Houston’s win on Monday was their third in the last five games, while Kansas City has now lost four in a row and eight of their last 10 games.

Bud Norris gets the nod for the Astros on Tuesday. He’s allowed two or fewer earned runs in six of his nine starts this season.

We cashed a ticket on Norris’s last start at home, and we’ll go right back to that well for this one. Norris’s strong play at home is easy to overlook with the Astros struggling to put wins together. He is 7-2 with a 1.89 ERA at Minute Maid Park over the last two seasons.

Wade Davis will take the hill for the Royals. Davis has a 5.98 ERA on the season with a terrible 1.89 WHIP. His ERA jumps up to 6.61 over his last three starts, with opponents scoring an average of 7.0 runs in those games.

The Royals are 4-10 in their last 14 games as a road favorite, and 1-5 in their last six road games overall. Take Houston.

Good Luck, Razor Ray

8* Play on Houston Astros +121

Memphis +5.5

The San Antonio Spurs host the Memphis Grizzlies in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday. San Antonio won Game One in the series on Sunday, 105-83.

We cashed a top-rated play on Game One in this series, and we have detected another strong angle for Game Two.

The Spurs won Game One rather handily over the Grizzlies, but Memphis was surely eager to get to the film room and began to plan their adjustments for Game Two.

No team has made in-series adjustments better than Lionel Hollins and the Grizzlies have. The team is 8-1 straight up and a perfect 9-0 ATS in the postseason after the opening game of a series.

Leading scorer Zach Randolph was limited to just two points on 1-for-8 shooting from the floor in Game One, but a better performance from Z-Bo can certainly be expected in Game Two as the Grizzlies coaching staff finds ways to free up their talented big man.

While Memphis struggled on offense, San Antonio benefitted from countless wide open shooting opportunities from beyond the arc. The Spurs connected on 14 three-pointers in Game One. Expect the Grizzlies to make adjustments to limit those opportunities in Game Two.

The Grizzlies are 17-5-1 ATS in their last 23 games overall. Take Memphis.

Good Luck, Razor Ray

7* Play on Memphis Grizzlies +5.5