My 10* CLASH OF THE TITANS is on the St. Louis Cardinals.

This is a big game/series. Adam Wainwright (13-9, 3.83 ERA) gets the nod for the visitors, while the home side counters with Alex Young (7-4, 3.27). St. Louis clinched a playoff berth with yesterday’s victory, but it’ll keep the foot on the gas as the Brewers are still surging towards the finish line as well. Also note that St. Louis can play spoiler here, as a loss today will eliminate Arizona from contention. 

Key Trends:

- Wainwright is 4-0 in his last four starts, having given up just two runs over his last 27 frames of work.

- Wainwright is 9-5 with a 2.70 ERA in 16 career appearances vs. the D-Backs.

- This is Young’s first ever matchup vs. St. Louis.

The verdict: Young’s been great and Arizona’s season hangs in the balance, but the Cards have the advantage across the board here and I look for them to deliver the knock out blow; lay the short price!

My 10* TOTAL BIG TIGER is on the OVER Marlins/Mets.

The Mets’ wildcard hopes are dwindling, but they can only play one game at a time. This is a favorable matchup to open the new week obviously. The Marlins won’t be rolling over here as they’ll be looking to play spoiler. The visitors go with Caleb Smith (9-10, 4.24 ERA), while the home side counters with Steven Matz (10-9, 4.16.) Matz was crushed in his most recent outing, allowing seven runs over four innings in a 9-4 loss to the Rockies. Smith earned a victory his last time out despite not being at his best, allowing four runs over five frames in his team’s eventual 12-6 win over the D-Backs.

Key Trends:

- Miami has seen the total go over the number in 23 of its last 33 vs. southpaws.

- New York has seen the total go over the number in 40 of 63 vs. division opponents this season.

The verdict: I think these suspect starters get chased early; play the over!

My 10* ATS BLOOD-BATH is on the Washington Redskins.

So far the Bears’ offense has looked terrible. The defense has been decent, but the level of competition to this point is suspect in my opinion. Washington comes in at 0-2 and desperate for a victory. The Redskins have been horrible defensively, but the offense has in fact been above average (24.0 PPG, ranked 10th). With their season on the line, I think the home side will at the very least, take this one right down to the wire. 

Key Trends:

- Chicago is 7-9 ATS on the road in its last 16.

- The Bears are only 1-2 ATS in their last three after allowing 14 points or less in two straight games.

- Washington is a perfect 3-0 ATS in its last three off a home loss vs. a division rival.

The verdict: Washington QB Case Keenum has 601 passing yards, five TD’s and no INT’s. Chicago QB Mitchell Trubisky has been bad overall this season, throwing for just 120 yards last week. I’m banking on the “hungrier” team getting the job done tonight; grab the points!