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The Miami Marlins are in the thick of the tight race for top spot in the NL East, and they'll get another shot at making up some ground on the first-place Washington Nationals when the teams finish up their three-game series in Florida on Wednesday. Bet on MLB with Bovada.

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And the Marlins will be looking to win behind the pitching of ace Josh Johnson for the fifth straight time on Wednesday, with the righthander going 2-0 with three no-decisions in those last five outings.

Johnson struggled at the start of the season, but has managed to give up three or fewer runs in each of his last four trips to the mound to get his ERA down to 4.87. The Marlins had won just one of Johnson's first five 2012 starts.

Johnson is 7-0 in 14 career starts against the Nationals, posting a solid 3.14 ERA in those outings while striking out 82 batters in 83 innings pitched.

For the Nationals, it'll be Chien-Ming Wang making his first start of the season. The righthander appeared in relief in his season debut for the team against the Braves last week, allowing one run on three hits in three innings of work.

Washington has managed to pull ahead of Miami on the MLB futures at Bovada, sitting at 15/1 compared to the Marlins' 20/1 on the odds to win the World Series. The Nationals are also at 6/1 to claim the NL Pennant, with the Marlins at 11/1 odds on that list.

The Marlins have Thursday off before returning to action with a road series against the Phillies in Philadelphia on the weekend. The Nationals also return to the diamond on Friday, playing host to the Braves in a three-game series.

The Texas Rangers already were the American League and World Series favorites on Bovada’s MLB baseball futures odds before they signed pitcher Roy Oswalt, but now the Rangers are even stronger favorites at the book after adding the veteran right-hander on Tuesday.

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Oswalt, the best free-agent pitcher left out there, got a one-year, approximately $5 million deal. He probably won’t be ready for big-league action before June 20 and will start his way back on Saturday when he pitches for Triple-A Round Rock. The Rangers were in need of a starting pitcher with Neftali Feliz likely out until at least the All-Star break.

Until Oswalt is ready, Scott Feldman will remain in the rotation. He made his fourth start for the Rangers on Tuesday night against the Mariners and allowed four runs in 4 2/3 innings. And it’s possible the Rangers return Feliz to the bullpen whenever he does get back.

The 34-year-old Oswalt pitched with the Phillies in 2011 and was 9-10 with a 3.69 ERA in 23 starts and 139 innings. He went on the DL twice last year with back problems and has visited the DL five times in the past six seasons. That back limited Oswalt to just 23 starts in 2011 after eight consecutive seasons of at least 30 starts. Still, he pitched at least six innings 18 times last season. Over 11 major-league seasons, he has a career record of 159-93 with a 3.21 ERA. He won 20 games for the Astros in both 2004 and '05, and is a three-time All-Star. In eight career starts at Rangers Ballpark, Oswalt is 2-5 with a 4.78 ERA. He has lost his last five starts there.

The Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers all made offers -- some exceeding that of the Rangers -- but Oswalt preferred Texas, where he has a close relationship with club president Nolan Ryan from both their days with the Astros. Plus Arlington is close to his Mississippi home. The Rangers are 9/4 favorites at the book to win their third straight AL pennant and 5/1 to win the franchise’s first World Series.

Max Scherzer will hit the hill for the Detroit Tigers on Thursday night as they close out their four-game series against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on the MLB betting lines.

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And Scherzer getting the start has been good news for MLB bettors lately, with the Tigers managing to pick up the win in each of the righthander's last four outings. Scherzer is now 4-3 on the season with a 5.67 ERA, striking out 72 batters in 64 innings of work.

Those strikeout numbers got a big boost over Scherzer's last two starts, as he fanned 24 combined Twins and Pirates in just 12 1-3 innings pitched. Overall on the season Scherzer has allowed three or fewer earned runs in seven of his 10 starts.

However, when he faced the Red Sox back on April 8 he was pounded for seven runs on eight hits in just 2 2-3 innings, and his ERA still hasn't recovered from that outing. Overall Scherzer is 0-2 in four career starts against Boston with an ERA of 11.81.

The Red Sox will counter with Josh Beckett on Thursday, and he's now 4-4 on the season with a 4.15 ERA. Boston is 3-0 in the righthander's last three starts, with Beckett giving up a combined three runs over those 21 2-3 innings pitched while fanning 19 batters.

Beckett was knocked around by the Tigers back on April 7, allowing seven runs on seven hits (including five home runs) in 4 2-3 innings of work. In his career against Detroit, Beckett is 3-3 in seven starts with a solid 3.65 ERA despite that April outing.

As the American League East tightens up the Red Sox find themselves with 20/1 odds to win the World Series on Bovada's MLB futures, with the Tigers up at 11/1 despite a disappointing start to the campaign that has them in third place in the AL Central.

That the Tampa Bay Rays are in first place in the loaded AL East division isn’t a huge surprise, but that the Baltimore Orioles reside there alongside the Rays is a stunner. Both teams are stumbling heading into Friday’s opener in St. Petersburg, Fla., with Tampa Bay a -170 favorite for Game 1 on Bovada’s MLB baseball odds.

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Baltimore was just swept three games in Toronto to start the week and has dropped eight of 10 overall. And the Birds almost saw disaster in Wednesday’s loss to the Jays as franchise player Adam Jones was hit on the left wrist by a pitch. X-rays, however, were negative and he should be able to go in the opener. Jones had a 20-game hit streak ended in that game, which was the longest for Baltimore since 2005. The 26-year-old centerfielder is batting .314 with 16 home runs, 34 RBIs, eight stolen bases and a .983 OPS.

The news isn’t as good for fellow outfielder Nick Markakis. He tweaked a previously hurt right wrist on Tuesday and will have surgery to fix a broken hamate bone on Friday. Markakis is likely out 2-4 weeks and this will be his first-ever DL trip. Markakis had started the team's first 50 games sitting out Wednesday's series finale in Toronto. He is batting .256 with eight homers, 26 RBIs.

The Rays, meanwhile, were just swept in a three-game series at home by the red-hot Chicago White Sox. Tampa Bay still hast the AL’s best home record at 17-10. The Rays know all about injuries as they have several players on the DL, led by star third baseman Evan Longoria and outfielder Desmond Jennings. Tampa Bay recently added free agent DH Hideki Matsui to the big-league roster and he is 1-for-6 with a homer in two games.

The pitching matchup Friday is a good one as the O’s send lefty Wei-Yin Chen against Tampa Bay ace lefty David Price. Chen (4-1, 3.31) has allowed two earned runs or fewer in seven of his nine starts. Price has allowed just one earned run in each of his past two starts but is 0-1 in that stretch. In nine career starts against Baltimore, Price is 4-2 with a 2.90 ERA.

The Orioles and Rays played three games in Baltimore from May 11-13 and the Orioles won two of them. Baltimore has won seven of its past 10 games at Tampa Bay.

The New York Yankees haven’t been able to put together a sustained run yet this season, but still the Bronx Bombers could move into first place alone in the American League East tonight if they beat visiting Tampa Bay and the Baltimore Orioles lose at Boston. New York is a -145 favorite on Bovada’s MLB baseball odds and there will be live play-by-play betting available.

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New York took Game 1 of the series Tuesday night in easy fashion, 7-0, behind Andy Pettitte’s two hits allowed and 10 strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings. Russell Martin hit a grand slam to lead the way offensively. The Yanks have won nine of 12 to move a season-high six games above .500 and a half-game behind the Rays and Orioles for the division lead.

The Yankees avoided potential disaster in Tuesday’s game when All-Star second baseman Robinson Cano was hit on his left forearm with a pitch. Cano said that X-rays performed after he was drilled with the seventh-inning fastball from Tampa Bay's Cesar Ramos were negative. Cano says he expects to play tonight. He had two hits and a run scored Tuesday and is hitting .290 with eight homers and 24 RBIs.

The Rays got back one of their many players on the disabled list on Tuesday as outfielder Desmond Jennings, out since May 12, returned and went 1-for-4. Before the injury, Jennings was batting .265 with a .732 on-base plus slugging percentage and eight stolen bases in 31 games.

New York turns to Ivan Nova tonight against Tampa Bay’s Alex Cobb. Nova (6-2, 5.60) has won his past two starts, although he has allowed eight runs and 14 hits in 13.2 innings in those two. He faced Tampa Bay at Yankee Stadium on May 3 and got the win, allowing two runs and striking out eight in seven innings. Cobb (2-1, 3.71) has never faced the Yankees. He had the worst of his three starts this season last time out, allowing four runs on nine hits in five innings in a loss to the White Sox.

Major League Baseball’s interleague play resumes on Friday – for every team but Milwaukee and San Diego – and as usual one of the most anticipated series is the Subway Series, and the Mets begin a three-game set in Yankee Stadium behind Johan Santana. The hosts are -130 favorites on Bovada’s MLB odds and there will be live play-by-play betting at the book.

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The last time we saw Santana (3-2, 2.38) was last Friday at Citi Field when he threw the first no-hitter in Mets history by blanking the St. Louis Cardinals. Santana, less than two years removed from major shoulder surgery that cost him all of last season, threw a career-high 134 pitches vs. the Cards. Thus the Mets decided not to start him Wednesday on his normal turn and give him two extra days of rest.

Santana, who faced the Yankees plenty from his Minnesota Twins days, is 5-3 with a 4.18 ERA in his career vs. the Bronx Bombers. Derek Jeter has had success vs. Santana, hitting .579 with a homer and four RBIs in the past five years vs. Santana.

Only one pitcher has thrown consecutive no-hitters in MLB history: Cincinnati’s Johnny Vander Meer. On June 11, 1938, Vander Meer walked three while striking out four and allowing no hits against the Boston Braves. Four days later in Brooklyn, Vander Meer walked a whopping eight and struck out seven in the first night game at Ebbets Field.

The Yankees will counter with right-hander Hiroki Kuroda (4-6, 3.82). He has been terrific of late, allowing just two runs and 11 hits over 15 innings in his past two starts. The former Dodger is 1-5 with a 5.75 ERA in seven career starts against the Mets. David Wright has hit Kuroda well in the past five years, batting .429 with three RBIs.

The Yankees lead the regular-season series 49-35. Last year, the Yanks took two of three from the Mets both at home and at Citi Field. The Yankees have won eight straight Friday games this season. The Mets have one just one of their past seven series openers in 2012.

Friday night will be a memorable one for Washington Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg as the young flamethrower pitches against the Boston Red Sox and at Fenway Park for the first time in his pro career. And the Nats are -130 favorites on Bovada’s MLB baseball odds as interleague play returns.

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Strasburg (6-1, 2.35) is certainly in the conversation for the NL Cy Young award this season. The big right-hander had probably his best outing of the season last time out, shutting out the Atlanta Braves over seven innings, allowing just four hits and striking out nine. It was the first time Strasburg, who is on an innings limit this season, had gone a full seven shutout innings in his career. In his previous two starts, also both wins, he was pulled after five innings because the Nats are monitoring his innings so closely. Washington is 8-1 in his past nine road starts.

While the Nationals lead the NL East, the Red Sox are looking to climb out of the basement of the AL East. The Sox turn to young lefty Felix Doubront for this one. Shockingly, Doubront (6-2, 3.75) has been the team’s most consistent pitcher – he had to win a job in the spring. Doubront hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in any of his past five starts. He last took the mound Saturday, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits and a walk in a win over Toronto. Boston is 5-0 in Doubront’s past five starts in a series opener.

Washington and Boston haven’t met since the 2009 season, the year Strasburg was drafted No. 1 overall. The Sox will Daisuke Matsuzaka in Saturday’s game, one day short of a year after he had reconstructive elbow surgery. Matsuzaka had Tommy John surgery last June 10. He made eight rehab starts and replaces struggling right-hander Daniel Bard, who was sent down to Triple-A.

Somehow, the Los Angeles Dodgers haven’t missed injured outfielder and NL MVP candidate (before he got hurt) Matt Kemp that much as they continue to have the best record in baseball and look for a four-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies today. However, the Phils are -200 home favorites on Bovada’s MLB baseball odds.

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L.A. sent the NL East last-place Phillies to their fifth straight loss on Wednesday, 6-5. Three Dodgers relievers combined for three scoreless innings after starter Chris Capuano struggled a bit before Kenley Jansen finished for his ninth save, including three in this series. Kemp, the NL MVP runner-up last year, landed on the disabled list for the second time with a hamstring injury May 31. The Dodgers are 4-2 since he went down again.

Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino and Ty Wigginton homered for the Phillies, who have lost a season-worst five straight. They are 0-22 when trailing after seven innings this season. The Brewers (0-26) and Cardinals (0-23) are the only other teams in the majors to be winless when trailing after seven innings.

And the Phils suffered another injury. Second baseman Freddy Galvis left the game during an at-bat in the fifth after injuring his lower back on a swing. The rookie will be placed on the disabled list Thursday. Galvis, who is filling in for the injured Chase Utley, was batting .226 with three home runs, 14 runs scored and is tied for fourth on the team with 24 RBIs. Mike Fontenot likely will get most of the time at second now until Utley is ready.

Philadelphia is a big favorite tonight because ace lefty Cole Hamels – who has been rumored to be a big Dodgers target if he reaches free agency after this season – pitches against L.A.’s Aaron Harang. Hamels (8-2, 2.81) is 3-0 with a 1.18 ERA in five career starts vs. Los Angeles. Overall the Phillies are 9-1 in Hamels’ past 10 starts. Harang (4-3, 3.90) is 3-2 with a 5.29 ERA in 12 games against the Phillies. L.A. is 4-1 in Harang’s past five starts.

Could it be a World Series preview on Monday night when the L.A. Angels and Dodgers face off in the opener of their interleague Freeway Series? It’s certainly a possibility. The host Dodgers are -108 favorites for tonight’s game on Bovada's MLB odds and there will be live play-by-play betting at the book. On the series line, this is a pick’em with both clubs at -115.

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The Dodgers enter on a two-game winning streak, the best record in baseball and with a five-game lead in the NL West. The Halos have won three straight and after a horrible start have now cut the Texas Rangers’ lead in the AL West to just three games.

Red-hot Mark Trumbo led the Angels to a sweep at Colorado over the weekend. He hit a pair of three-run homers to set a career high with six RBIs as L.A. won 10-8 on Sunday for its ninth straight road victory. That ties second-longest road winning streak in club history. Also red hot is Albert Pujols. Over his last 19 games, Pujols has hit .357 (25-for-70) with six home runs, 18 RBIs and 10 walks, to raise his season average from .211 to .256.

The Dodgers won two of three at Seattle over the weekend. In Sunday’s 8-2 victory, Andre Ethier hit his fourth career grand slam and first homer since May 21. But overall he has struggled since Matt Kemp has been out of the lineup with a hamstring injury. Ethier finished the 10-game road trip 5-for-38, his average falling from .324 to .292.

The Dodgers may get a boost tonight with the return of third baseman Juan Uribe. He finished a rehab stint (wrist) on Sunday. Uribe's return will dislodge Elian Herrera from the hot corner for most games.

Overall, the Angels (32-29) have won nine of their last 12 games against the Dodgers (39-22). In their last 14 games at Dodger Stadium, the Angels are 10-4, while holding a slim edge all-time at Chavez Ravine at 22-21.

On the mound tonight, the Halos go with young right-hander Garrett Richards against veteran lefty Chris Capuano. Richards (1-0, 1.13) is in the spot of the injured Jered Weaver. Richards did well in his last start against the Mariners, allowing one run and striking out eight over seven innings on Tuesday. Capuano (8-2, 2.82) has been a huge surprise but is coming back to earth. He has allowed 11 runs over 10.1 innings in his past two starts.

Good luck to the Toronto Blue Jays in Wednesday afternoon’s series finale with visiting Washington as the Nationals start ace Stephen Strasburg as they look to extend their lead in the NL East. As usual, the Nats are favored in Strasburg’s start, this time at -130 on Bovada’s MLB baseball odds.

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Washington has won four straight entering Tuesday night’s game to take a three-game lead in the division. Bryce Harper returned to the starting lineup Monday and was 3-for-4 with an RBI and a walk in the Nationals' win. Harper has 26 hits, 13 RBI and 11 walks in 19 games played since May 20. The only other major-league player who has more than 25 hits, more than 10 RBIs and more than 10 walks over that span is the Angels’ Albert Pujols.

Strasburg (7-1, 2.41), meanwhile, has been nearly unhittable more times than not this year. Last time out, he allowed two runs on four hits and struck out a season-high-tying 13 in a win at Boston – he leads the NL with 92 strikeouts. Strasburg attributed the improved effectiveness of his curveball in Friday's start to some advice from outfielder and former pitching phenom Rick Ankiel.

No pitcher had struck out 13 Red Sox hitters in Fenway Park since Mike Mussina punched out 13 on Sept. 2, 2001. Only seven pitchers have fanned 13 or more Sox batters anywhere since 1990. Strasburg became the youngest pitcher to strike out 13 hitters at Fenway Park since Roger Clemens fanned 20 Mariners in 1986. Strasburg is 4-0 with a 2.19 ERA on the road this season. Unfortunately Strasburg won’t get to hit in Wednesday’s game as he is batting.350 with a home run this season. Strasburg has never faced the Blue Jays. The Nats are 9-1 in Strasburg’s past 10 road starts.

Toronto starts young right-hander Kyle Drabek (4-6, 4.43). He allowed three runs (after 14 in the previous two starts) on six hits in five innings in a no-decision last time out vs. Atlanta. He is 3-2 with a 1.95 ERA at home this year. Drabek has never faced Washington. Toronto is 1-6 in Drabek’s past seven starts in Game 3 of a series.

Everyone keeps assuming the Boston Red Sox will make an eventual move in the American League East. But there the Sox continue to sit in last place, as they have been almost all season. And Boston is going the wrong way, with the Red Sox looking to avoid their fifth straight loss on Tuesday night in the second game of their series at the Marlins, who are -115 favorites on Bovada’s MLB baseball odds.

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After being swept over the weekend by the NL East-leading Washington Nationals, Boston dropped the opener in Miami on Monday night 4-1 in Josh Beckett’s return to south Florida. The Sox had only five hits and three of those were by leadoff man Scott Podsednik. The Red Sox are now 29-32. The last time Boston was at least three games below .500 this late into the season was 1997. That year, they finished 78-84.

The Marlins, meanwhile, snapped a six-game skid with the win; they were hitting just .197 in that losing streak and a .100 average with runners in scoring position. Jose Reyes celebrated his 29th birthday by leading off Monday night's game with a triple, a hit that sparked a three-run first inning in the Marlins' win. It was the 14th time in his career that Reyes led off a game with a triple, tying him with Juan Pierre for the second-highest such total among active players. Heath Bell closed out the game by striking out the side in the ninth inning.

The pitching matchup tonight is Red Sox right-hander Clay Buchholz vs. Marlins lefty Mark Buehrle. Buchholz (6-2, 5.77) shut out the Orioles in his last start, his third strong outing in a row. He's 2-0 in three interleague starts this year. Buehrle (5-6, 3.49) dropped his second straight start after he gave up two runs in six innings of work against Atlanta. The long-time Chicago White Sox pitcher has a chance to tie Kenny Rogers' record of 11 consecutive wins in interleague games tonight. In 18 career appearances against Boston, including 17 starts, Buehrle has gone 6-6 with a 4.49 ERA.

Normally when a pitcher has a winning record and a 2.69 ERA this late in the season, he’s a candidate for the All-Star Game in likely in the Cy Young conversation. But for Tigeres reigning AL MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander, this has been anything but a good season thus far. The right-hander looks for his first victory since May 18 when he takes the mound in the series finale at the Chicago Cubs on Thursday afternoon. Detroit is a -180 favorite on Bovada’s MLB baseball odds.

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When Verlander pitched a one-hit shutout and struck out a season-high 12 Pirates in a 6-0 victory over Pittsburgh on May 18, he was 5-1 with a 2.14 ERA and looked on pace to win another Cy Young award. But he is 1-3 since then, having allowed 14 runs in 26.1 innings while striking out 27. Very good numbers, indeed, but not up to his standard. Verlander still leads the AL in innings pitched (93.2), strikeouts (95) and complete games (3).

Considering that almost no Cub has ever faced Verlander, he could be dominant on Thursday. And in his two interleague starts this season, Verlander has allowed just two runs and seven hits in 16 innings, striking out 21. Chicago ranks just 26th in MLB in runs. Detroit is 10-1 in Verlander’s past 11 road starts vs. a team with a losing record.

The Cubbies counter with lefty Travis Wood (0-2, 4.71). He has allowed more than three earned runs in just one of his five starts this season after starting the year in the minors. Wood allowed three runs off six hits and three walks while striking out three over five innings against the Twins last time out. He got a no-decision. Wood will want to be careful with Tigers outfielder Austin Jackson, as he is hitting.342 in day games this season with 10 extra-base hits, including four homers. The Tigers have lost their past seven road games vs. a left-handed pitcher.

If you like watching stellar pitching over offensive fireworks, then Friday night’s interleague series opener between the Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers is for you. The Sox start AL Cy Young leader Chris Sale against 2011 NL Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw. The Dodgers are -130 favorites for the game on Bovada’s MLB baseball odds and there will be live play-by-play betting available. The total is a miniscule 5.5 at the book.

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Sale has been arguably the biggest pitching surprise in baseball. Last year he was a solid reliever for the Sox with eight saves and a 2.79 ERA. It was thought he was the team’s future at closer, but the White Sox converted him into a starter and it has paid off in a big way. Sale (8-2, 2.05) leads the American League in wins, ERA, WHIP (0.92) and opponents’ batting average (.188) and is a big reason why the White Sox lead the AL Central when many projected them to finish last in that division. The lefty was the AL Pitcher of the Month for May and is 5-0 with a 0.98 ERA over his last five starts. He has fanned 43 batters in his last 36 1/3 innings, including a career-high 15 strikeouts on May 28.

Kershaw, meanwhile, hasn’t been quite as dominant as he was a season ago in leading the NL in wins (tied with Arizona’s Ian Kennedy) ERA and strikeouts, but still very good. However, he has been a bit shaky in his past three starts, allowing 11 runs and 20 hits in 19.2 innings. He did strikeout a season-high 12 batters last time out for the NL West-leading Dodgers.

At 40-24, the Dodgers have the best record in baseball and also the most home wins with 22, although they enter having lost two of three at home to the Angels. The White Sox have been one of the best road teams with 18 wins entering Thursday’s series finale at St. Louis. The Pale Hose are 159-114 all-time in Interleague Play, which trails only the Yankees (164-109) for the best record in the majors.

The Dodgers are 1-5 in their past six openers of a series. They are 7-0 in Kershaw’s past seven home starts vs. teams with a winning record. The White Sox are 10-2 in their past 12 vs. teams with a winning record (entering Thursday).

It’s the interleague series of the weekend in Washington starting Friday night as the AL East-leading New York Yankees face the NL East-leading Nationals, with Washington a -135 favorite on Bovada’s MLB baseball odds.

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New York is surging, having won six in a row and nine of 10 to take over the top spot in the loaded AL East. The Yanks have had back-to-back sweeps to move a season-high 12 games over .500 and grab the best record in the American League. But the Nationals have the fewest losses in baseball (23) and have won seven in a row to take a sizable lead in the NL East.

The Yankees will avoid Stephen Strasburg in this series but get their first look at the other young Washington phenom, Bryce Harper. He’s the leading NL Rookie of the Year candidate, hitting .303 with seven homers and 19 RBIs. New York will get a bullpen boost Friday with the return of former closer David Robertson. He will be activated off the DL Friday but will move back to a set-up role with Rafael Soriano now entrenched as the closer.

The pitching matchup Friday seems to very much favor Washington as the Nats start lefty Gio Gonzalez vs. right-hander Phil Hughes. Gonzalez (8-2, 2.35), who was acquired via trade from Oakland this offseason, is 1-1 with a 7.27 ERA in 26 career innings vs. the Yankees. Mark Teixeira is hitting .357 off him career, but Derek Jeter is batting just .167. Hughes (6-5, 4.76) has pitched much better of late, beating the Tigers and Mets and allowing just three runs on 10 hits in 15 1/3 innings. The vast majority of Nationals hitters have never faced him.

Washington is 7-0 in its past seven interleague games, but New York is 7-0 in its past seven games after an off day.

The Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs have a lot in common. They have the two most historic parks in baseball and arguably the two most passionate fan bases. The Sox and Cubs also have two of the biggest payrolls in baseball yet both are in last place in their respective divisions. But the big link between the franchises currently is Cubs president Theo Epstein as Boston visits Wrigley Field for the second time ever and first since 2005 on Friday afternoon. The Cubs are -110 favorites for the interleague series opener on Bovada’s MLB baseball odds.

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Epstein, of course, was the architect of Boston’s two World Series winners as the team’s general manager. But he left the Red Sox this offseason in a “trade” with the Cubs as he attempts to bring the first title to the North Side of Chicago since 1908. Epstein has essentially turned the Cubs into the Red Sox of the Midwest by overhauling the franchise from the bottom up. It’s going to be a long process as the Cubs have the worst record in baseball. It’s quite possible that Epstein makes another trade with his former club (he already dealt outfielder Marlon Byrd, since designated for assignment, to Boston) as the Red Sox need pitching and the Cubs have Ryan Dempster and Matt Garza available.

Dempster will be on full display for Boston on Friday as he takes the mound opposite Daisuke Matsuzaka. Dempster (2-3, 2.31) is the reigning co-NL Player of the Week after he was 2-0 with 0.00 ERA and nine strikeouts over 15 innings last week. Only a handful of Red Sox have faced him. Adrian Gonzalez has two homers in 13 at-bats in the past five years vs. Dempster but is hitting just .154.

Dice-K (0-1, 7.20) came made his first start last Saturday in nearly a year following Tommy John surgery and allowed four runs on five hits while striking out eight over five innings in a loss to the Nationals. Cubs outfielder David DeJesus is 4-for-9 in his career vs. Matsuzaka with one home run and two RBIs. The Red Sox, who are 4-5 in interleague play this year, go for their third straight win. Boston is 8-2 in its past 10 interleague road games, while the Cubs are 2-8 in their past 10 at home vs. AL teams.

The pitching matchup of the night Tuesday in baseball action is a no-brainer as Detroit ace Justin Verlander faces off against the Cardinals’ surprising Lance Lynn, with the Tigers -145 home favorites on Bovada’s MLB baseball odds.

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Certainly both the Tigers and Cardinals could meet in the World Series, as they did back in 2006, although both currently sit in third place in their respective Central divisions. Detroit seems to be getting things together, having won two in a row to move within three games of the AL Central-leading White Sox entering play Monday. St. Louis, meanwhile, lost two of three at home over the weekend to Kansas City and is five games out in the NL Central.

Verlander (6-4, 2.66), the reigning AL Cy Young and MVP, got his first win in nearly a month last time out, allowing just two runs and striking out eight in eight innings vs. the Cubs. Verlander dominates interleague play with a 17-2 mark in 23 games against National League opponents. Verlander's .895 career winning percentage in interleague play is the highest for any pitcher with at least 15 decisions in cross-league matchups. He will want to be careful with Cards catcher Yadier Molina in this one. Molina is 5-for-8 (.625) in his career against Verlander with four RBIs – three of his five hits have been for extra bases. Verlander is 2-1 with a 5.50 ERA in his career (18 innings) vs. St. Louis.

Lynn (10-2, 2.42) was converted to a starter before this season and it has paid off in a big way. He set career high with 12 strikeouts in his last outing, after having 11 in his previous start, giving up three hits in 7 1/3 shutout innings against the White Sox. Lynn is tied for the NL lead with 10 wins and has allowed two earned runs or fewer in four straight starts. He has never faced the Tigers.

This will be the Cardinals’ first game in an AL park this season, so it will be the first time manager Mike Matheny gets to use a designated hitter. Allen Craig, Carlos Beltran and Matt Holliday are among those who Matheny listed as probable DH candidates. Beltran is hitting just .241 in road games compared to .372 at home.

The Los Angeles Angels could be ready to put a full-court press on AL West-leading Texas as the Halos, who are five games back of the Rangers entering play Tuesday, get back ace pitcher Jered Weaver from the disabled list for Wednesday’s interleague game vs. San Francisco. L.A. is a -165 favorite on Bovada’s MLB baseball odds and there will be live play-by-play betting at the book.

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Weaver (6-1, 2.61 ERA, .195 opponents’ BA) was off to a strong start in 2012, including a no-hitter May 2 vs. the Twins, before feeling a sharp pain in his lower back while pitching the first inning on May 28 against the New York Yankees. He lasted only three batters in the game and was soon afterward placed on the 15-day disabled list. The Angels were 25-25 after winning that game and have gone 11-7 since Weaver went on the DL (entering Tuesday).

A big part of that success has been rookie Garrett Richards, who has stepped in and gone 2-0 with a 0.86 ERA. Still, he might be sent back down to Triple-A presuming Jerome Williams is OK after suffering from shortness of breath following his start Monday. However, Williams also has struggled of late so the team could keep Richards in the rotation and move Williams. The Angels' team ERA is an AL-best 3.48 and their starters lead the league with 42 quality starts. Weaver, the 2011 AL Cy Young runner-up, will be limited to 80-90 pitches against San Francisco and didn’t make a minor-league rehab start. He has never faced the Giants.

San Francisco counters with red-hot Ryan Vogelsong (6-2, 2.29). The Giants have won the last eight games started by Vogelsong, who personally has won his last six decisions and leads San Francisco in quality starts – he has thrown at least six innings in every start. Vogelsong has pitched just two career innings vs. the Halos. L.A. is 15-6 in its past 21 games vs. a right-handed starter. San Francisco, meanwhile, is just 2-7 in its past nine Game 3s of a series.

It’s not that reigning NL Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw is pitching awfully. And it’s not that the Los Angeles Dodgers are losing every night. But neither Kershaw nor the Dodgers are playing up to par of late as L.A. finishes a three-game interleague series at Oakland on Thursday afternoon. Los Angeles is a -155 favorite on Bovada’s MLB odds and there will be live play-by-play betting available at the book.

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Entering Wednesday night’s game in Oakland, the Dodgers have alternated losses and wins in their past seven games. They still have the best record in baseball (42-26) and lead the San Francisco Giants by 4.5 games in the NL West. L.A. is just 5-5 vs. the American League this season after getting blanked 3-0 on just three hits Tuesday night.

Kershaw (5-3, 2.86) has solid numbers but his ERA has risen each month: 1.78 in April, 2.86 in May and 4.50 in June so far. The lefty has won just one of his past five starts and has allowed at least three runs in all of them. Last time out he allowed five runs for the second time in that stretch and eight hits (two homers) in six innings vs. the White Sox but got a no-decision. Kershaw has only pitched 5.2 career innings vs. Oakland and hasn’t allowed a run.

The A’s counter with lefty Travis Blackley (1-2, 4.60). Last time out, the Aussie allowed two runs on five hits in six innings in a win over San Diego, his first since his MLB debut in 2004. Blackley started the season as a reliever in San Francisco and faced L.A. twice. Neither went well. On May 7 at the Dodgers, he allowed four runs on three hits in just an inning of mop-up work. Two days later, Blackley allowed a run and two hits in one inning.

The Dodgers are 5-1 in their past six games vs. a lefty starter. They are 6-1 in Kershaw’s past seven road starts. The A’s are 1-8 in their past nine games vs. a lefty starter. But Oakland is 8-1 in its past nine Thursday games.

The battle of New York, otherwise known as the Subway Series, hasn’t been much of a battle in most years as the Yankees have dominated the Mets in interleague play. The two open a three-game series on the final weekend of interleague this season Friday night at Citi Field and the Yankees are -135 favorites on Bovada’s baseball odds. There will be live play-by-play betting available at the book.

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The Yankees swept three games at Yankee Stadium vs. the Mets by a combined score of 18-7 from June 8-10; it was the Yanks’ first sweep of the Mets in the Bronx since 2003. That improved the Yanks to 52-35 against the Mets since interleague play began back in 1997. Among teams that have met at least 25 times, the Yankees’ .598 win percentage against the Mets is the highest by a team against an in-state opponent. Last year, the Yanks won two of three vs. the Mets at Citi Field.

Yanks lefty Andy Pettitte (3-2, 2.77) starts on Friday night and he will set a record with his 52nd interleague start, breaking a tie with Livan Hernandez. Pettitte started on June 10 vs. the Mets and got a no-decision, allowing three runs and striking out eight in six innings. He has never pitched at Citi Field, but is 8-5 with a 3.66 ERA in 20 career starts against the Mets. Pettitte’s ERA this season on the road is 4.50, nearly two points higher than at home. Mets third baseman David Wright has hit Pettitte well the past five years with a .455 average and a homer in 11 at-bats.

The Mets start lefty Jon Niese (4-3, 3.82). He faced Pettitte in that June 10 game and allowed two runs and seven hits while striking out six over seven innings in getting a no-decision. Niese is 2-1 with a 3.89 ERA this season at home.

The Mets enter this game on a three-game losing streak, while the Yankees have lost two in a row after a 10-game winning streak. However, the Yankees have won their past seven road games. They are 11-1 in their past 12 Friday games. The Mets are 1-6 in Niese’s past seven starts vs. teams with a winning record and 1-4 in his past five interleague starts.

The big story in baseball right now is unquestionably Mets knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, and he takes the mound in the Subway Series finale vs. the Yankees in Sunday night’s ESPN national telecast. The Mets are slight home favorites on Bovada’s baseball odds for the game, which will have live play-by-play betting at the book.

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Dickey (11-1, 2.00) has pitched complete-game one-hit shutouts in his past two games. He is the 10th pitcher since 1900 to allow one hit or fewer in consecutive complete games, the first since Toronto’s Dave Stieb in 1988, and the first for the Mets. Dickey is the first NL pitcher to achieve that since 1944 and the first pitcher in modern baseball history (since 1900) with back-to-back one-hitters of at least 10 strikeouts.

In his past five starts, Dickey is 5-0 with a 0.00 ERA, three complete games and 52 strikeouts against just five walks. No pitcher in major league history had ever struck out eight or more men without allowing an earned run in five straight starts before Dickey did in his last five. His lone loss came in late April and Dickey already has reached his career-high in wins. His 42.2 consecutive scoreless innings is 6.1 short of Dwight Gooden’s franchise record of 49 set in 1985. The MLB record of 59 was set by the Dodgers’ Orel Hershiser in 1988.

Dickey has just one non-quality start this season, and since then he has gone 9-0 with a 1.21 ERA over his last 11 starts with the Mets going 10-1 in those games. No true knuckleballer has ever won the Cy Young award, but Dickey is certainly a favorite in the NL right now. Dickey didn’t face the Yankees when the teams met in the Bronx a few weeks ago. He is 3-1 with a 2.30 ERA in his career vs. the Yanks.

The Yankees start their ace in CC Sabathia (9-3, 3.55). The big lefty threw his first complete game of the season last time out, allowing two runs and striking out 10 in a win against the Braves. He missed the Mets in the earlier series but is 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA against them in his career.