Will Rogers

The LA Angels are on a tear at the moment, winning their last seven straight. The As are struggling, giving up twice the number of runs than the Angels over their last seven games, and are a very poor bet as a home underdog. Sandoval starts for the Angels. He is 3-1, with an ERA of 2.11 over his last seven starts. He pitches better on the road, and after giving up 3 runs to the As last time out (his worst start in two months) is a prime candidate to bounce back today. Oakland’s starter Martinez has struggled, with short starts and a 5.92 ERA over his last seven starts. Take Sandoval and the stretch-happy Angels to go for 8 straight tonight, stealing this one from the As on the road.

The Cubs haven't hit especially well lately, but boy are they getting good pitching from all sides. Rookie Cubs' starter Wesneski has been an eye-opener, with 4 of his first 5 starts of the quality variety.  The Reds' rookie Hunter Greene has finally harnessed his huge potential and has been pitching very well of late.  The Reds are hitting worse than any team in the league lately, just .169/.497 in the last week. Greene should pitch long enough to keep the Reds' pen out of too much trouble.  The Cubs are getting solid support from their relievers.  Take this game to go under! 9*!

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You have to feel for the Reds’ rookie pitcher Hunter Greene this year. He took it on the chin for weeks early in the season, then gets his act together with a fine 2.01 EAR in his last 7 starts and still can’t win, getting little support from the Reds’ bats or pen.

Meanwhile, the Cubs are loving it down the stretch, winning 9 of 10. While their bats are still sub-par, they are getting great pitching from all quarters, allowing just 6 runs total in their last 6 games. Wesneski, the Cubs’ fine young rookie has impressed, with 4 of his first 5 starts of the quality variety. He faced the Reds in August and blanked them over five innings.

The Reds are in the cellar on offense, hitting a remarkably poor .169/.497 in the last week and have the bullpen struggling as well. Take the Cubs to win again today, although it may take the full nine innings.

MNF week 4 brings us the next installment in the Rams/49ers’ rivalry. So what has the home team done well to date? Sterling defense in all three games; they’ve limited points and yards, have a great pass defense, and solid run defense. The 49ers are also very good in time of possession. One caveat; they have lost Trent Williams for this week. Their rush offense has been solid as well, although it did stumble vs Denver. The big question on pass defense, is how much can Jimmy G improve after a terrible effort against a very tough Broncos pass defense. The Rams’ defense has been solid against the run but has given up plenty of pass yards and is just average in Qb pressures. Will Garoppolo break out in Week 4? I don’t see it, although he does have a fine record against the Rams.

We know what Stafford is capable of, but he has only had middling results so far, including 5 interceptions. He had a good effort against the Cardinals last week, but faces a much tougher defensive beast on Monday. Stafford and the Rams’ 30th ranked run game were stymied by the Bills’ defense, which is similar in make-up to the 49ers’. My conclusion: neither team gets very many points for very different reasons. Take the Under on Monday.

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