[tinfw17]

Pittsburgh +2.22 over LOS ANGELES PINNACLE
The tag has heavy influence on this choice, as Jon Garland should never be this big a favorite over anyone. The Pirates may not win here but these huge pups have been hitting all year at a decent rate and this one is as possible as any of those. Also consider that the Dodgers are coming off a weekend in San Fran, it’s biggest rival and a letdown is a distinct possibility against the enthusiastic Pirates. Daniel McCutchen has looked decent enough in his only two starts, going six innings in his first start in Cinci and following that up with a seven-inning stint against the Cubbies. His BAA in those two games was .269 and he also whiffed 10 batters in those 13 innings combined, not to mention inducing 23 groundouts. So yeah, I’ll take my chances against Garland because he’s about as hittable as any pitcher in baseball. Play: Pittsburgh +2.22 (Risking 2 units).

Toronto +2.30 over DETROIT PINNACLE
David Purcey returns to the Jays rotation after a four-month stint in the minors and hopefully he’s learned something. One thing is certain; Purcey has the talent and is very capable of doing well at this level. He’s struck out 84 batters in his 90 major-league innings and he’s thrown a few gems as well. He has done an outstanding job against the Tigers, going 1-0 in three starts against them with an ERA of 1.56. Furthermore, the Tigers are laboring with one win in its last six games and that includes being swept by the Royals and losing the first two games of this series being pulling out a win yesterday. Justin Verlander is tough for sure but the Jays know him well and this intruder has a good history of beating good pitchers and losing to poor one’s. At this price, the Jays are definitely worthy of a bet. Play: Toronto +2.30 (Risking 2 units).

[tinfw17]

NFL NEW ENGLAND -10½ over Buffalo PINNACLE
With Tom Brady back in the fold and after missing the playoffs last season despite an 11-5 record, one has to figure the Patriots to come out blazing and they couldn’t have handpicked a more ripe opponent. The Pats may not be as strong as everyone thinks and they’ll get exposed at some point, especially on defense but it’s not going to happen here. The Bills might be the worst the NFL has to offer. They have an inexperienced and very vulnerable offensive line and that means the Patriots will be coming at Trent Edwards all night long. Edwards won’t have the luxury of handing the ball off to Marshawn Lynch, who is serving a three-game suspension. This is an offense that couldn’t move five yards in the preseason and subsequently fired its offensive coordinator about a week ago. This is also a team that lost eight of its last 10 a year ago, they have not won here since 2000 and they’ve lost by an average of 20 points per game to the Pats over that stretch. One has to wonder how on earth are the Bills going to score any points, let alone enough to cover. This one could get ugly. Play: New England -10½ (Risking 2.16 units to win 2).