You want to hear the sound of crickets? Go to the Trop today on a gorgeous college football Saturday afternoon in Florida. So, yeah, not much of a home-field edge but the Red Sox really have nothing to play for at this point. They will be the AL's No. 2 wild card team. The Rays still have to push a few more days to win the AL East and earn the Junior Circuit's top seed. They rarely lose B2B at home and lost last night. But at least the bullpen was reset. And starter Freddy Peralta has found his rhythm finally post-trade with four straight wins and just two earned allowed in that span.

Will not hide that I have been getting massacred in SL MLB plays lately ... yet doing well in parlays that include MLB in the newsletter and CBS Sports SGPs. Simply don't like book numbers they give me, why should I be at their disposal? Want to manipulate the number. I'll just flat-out tell you this is part of my NL parlay today (but fine solo). Really not a losable game you'd think, but I've thought that for a while. Usually this is when it's time to "separate the wheat from the chaff." I'm honestly expecting to crush the final MLB week or so because now it's truly all about motivation. The Athletics have none other than Pebble Beach tee times on Sept. 28.

I do so well with alt numbers it seems, and this is clearly one for the F5 total. Not sure I've seen a 6.5 F5 outside of Sacramento or Denver this year, so on principle have to do it. Two meh primary pitchers, but both sides are resting a big bat or two -- no Mookie Betts or Will Smith for the Dodgers.

I agree wholeheartedly with No. 1 MLB expert Eric Cohen -- stinks for you Eric with my rough run of late on site -- that Arizona can't lose tonight at home after falling in extras last night to the Fish. The good news for the Snakes is that Miami's bullpen is shredded after that and having put closer Pete Fairbanks on the IL ahead of the game. Arizona's Merrill Kelly is having a down year (9-13, 4.97 ERA) but has been a big-game pitcher in the past and has looked much better in his past three. With the home team off on Thursday, just about every arm is available behind Kelly as you gotta have this to stay within shouting distance of the Padres.

I haven't played a F5 in a while but this is an outlier number at our books and you can see it's a bit juiced. Houston hits only .238 off southpaws and faces a decent one in KC's Daniel Lynch (5-5, 3.52 ERA). No Astros batters have done anything off him career. Counterpart Cristian Javier is rounding into form after a late start to 2026 off TJS. In his last two starts against much better offenses in the D-backs and Phillies, he has held them to a combined two runs on four hits in 11.0 innings for a 1.64 ERA. No Royals have done much off him career. Our model has 8.3 total runs scored, so 5.5 should hit in that ballpark scenario.

That Giants lineup is so anonymous now that Rafael Devers is done for the year. SF has lost four straight and Blade Tidwell just allowed five runs to the Cards last time out. STL ace Andre Pallante dominated the Giants opposite Tidwell last week, but the bullpen blew the win. Think -1 is fine here and really hope we get that in 2027 (if there's a season). The Cards are technically still alive in the WC race.

Toronto lost a game it really couldn't afford to lose in Monday's series opener but at least Detroit's back end of the bullpen is now likely unavailable tonight. Tigers starter Drew Anderson is 1-5 with a 4.63 ERA. Looks like all hands on deck for Toronto in a bullpen-type game with Spencer Miles (6-2, 2.71 ERA) as the primary. The Jays simply have to win the final two at home of this series against a bad team for their WC hopes before a road trip. They are probably toast if not. All I ask is a sense of urgency tonight. Playing-out-the-string Detroit hasn't won back-to-back road games since early August.

At this point, the sinking White Sox are like one of those scantily clad victims in a B-type shark movie just pawing at the side of the boat before going under. I sure hope the Pale Hose can hang on to that playoff boat but at one point that lack of pitching was going to catch up to them. And it is currently. This is the when the Guardians flip the switch annually, and I usually back them at Progressive Field when Gavin Williams pitches as he does tonight. Cleveland must sweep the 3 to win the season series and own a key tiebreaker.

The Cubbies need to finish the sweep to keep pace with the Phillies for that top wild-card spot. The good news is that Chicago starts Matthew Boyd and the Bucs are 15-32 against southpaws. One of Boyd's best outings of 2025 was a victory in Pittsburgh in late July. Pirates rookie counterpart Bubba Chandler has a 6.10 ERA and .310 OBA in 10.1 innings against Chicago.

I lost on the Red Sox on Friday, and I was a tad worried that they might start somewhat not caring semi-locked into the AL's No. 2 WC spot. Sorta looked that way and think I am done backing Boston rest of the RL. The Yankees are not there yet regarding locked into the No. 1 WC spot because they are just 3 back of the Rays in the AL East. Not that I'm sure motivation would be lacking against the Mets anyways. Rookie southpaw Zac Thornton has been good for the Metropolitans, but the Yanks are an AL-best 32-18 vs. lefties. And this is why Gerrit Cole makes the big bucks. Wanted to make sure Aaron Judge was in the lineup. He is.

I was happily done for the day with the Cubs' easy win but of course I am a fool (also habit/profession) and checked the injury wire. Yordan Alvarez is not in the Houston lineup and that's simply a game-changer like Aaron Judge sitting out the past few seasons was for the Yankees. Have to go now behind Rays ace Drew Rasmussen (14-5, 2.88 ERA). I would so prefer -1 here but am fine with as is.

In my opinion, one of the biggest home-field advantage situations in the majors, if not the biggest, is when the Cubs are hosting one of these Friday matinees and they were off Thursday while the opponent played Thursday night and has the super-quick turnaround. That's the case here, although I will say the surging Pirates only had to travel across Chicago (finished sweep at White Sox) if they even changed hotels. But between that huge edge, now not having to face All-Star pitcher Braxton Ashcraft and having massive motivation still to earn that top WC spot. Well, I don't know what to say folks. It's baseball so anything can happen, but you can't lose a game like this Cubbies. Every possible edge it would seem.

So I think the rest of MLB season I'm going to be incredibly particular -- has worked on parlays this week in the newsletter and CBS Sports betting. I'll always double-take at outlier lines, and this is clearly an alt at BetRivers (all of our others at 4.5 and leaning slightly Under). It's Cards ace Andre Pallante and they are sitting Home Run Derby champ Jordan Walker (.282, 28 HR, 100 RBI). So if Giants starter Blake Tidwell can keep this to three runs over five I think this cashes as Pallante should largely keep the SF lineup in check -- which is without Rafael Devers. The full-game total is only 8.5.

I think you all know I just refuse to play -1.5 and I'm not thrilled posting this big number, but I will match it -- bet to win. This is literally the season for the Mariners after losing last night. And the good thing is that the A's largely wrecked the bullpen in that win. This is an unloseable (not sure if a word) game I guess is my point for Seattle behind George Kirby. And I think the M's play like that. This would be very clearly my anchor leg if a weekday to the newsletter parlay of the day.

I sure didn't see anything from Friday's easy Mets win to make me think they can't do it again Saturday, so I'll double down. Back-to-back 10-runs games for that New York offense, and rookie lefty Zac Thornton has been very good (2.93 ERA). Other than Rafael Devers (he's on fire so pitch around that guy -- kudos to my friend and cohort Eric Cohen for riding that train big time lately and just banking), that SF lineup is Anonymous City 101.