Doug Upstone Handicapper Reviews & Picks

This series resumes after playing in the Field of Dreams Game on Thursday. The pitching matchup certainly favors the Phillies on Saturday, with Jesus Luzardo (10-5, 3.32 ERA) facing rookie Conner Prielipp (3-5, 4.79 ERA). Consider: NL favorites with a money line of -125 to -175, scoring 4.0 to 4.5 RPG, against an ordinary AL starter (ERA=4.30 to 5.70), with a starting pitcher who gives up 0.5 or fewer homers a start, are 37-7.

Colorado has a chance to move out of sole possession of last place in the NL West when they seek a second consecutive road victory over San Francisco on Saturday afternoon. But the Rockies appear to be at a disadvantage pitching-wise with Michael Lorenzen (3-10, 6.83 ERA) facing Logan Webb (7-7, 3.59 ERA) of the Giants. Webb and San Fran are 7-1 against the Rockies at home, with him sporting a 1.29 ERA. Lorenzen has a 6.23 ERA in seven starts against this division rival. Look for the Giants to escape falling into the division basement, at least today. Take them at -1.

The Chicago Cubs boast an 8-1 record in the last nine starts by Matthew Boyd (8-1, 3.50 ERA) since the left-hander returned from a torn meniscus on June 25. Boyd has a slim 1.58 ERA in seven career appearances (all starts) against the Cardinals. St. Louis starter is Michael McGreevy (4-9, 3.64 ERA), who is trending in the other direction. He had a 3-2 record on May 8 after defeating San Diego and is 1-7 since. The RH has a 7.94 ERA in four career appearances (all starts) vs. Chicago. With the Cubs 30-10 vs. an NL team with a team batting average of .245 or worse, take them at -1 for the best value.

Stetson Bennett played very well last preseason, and camp reports have him looking more mature and confident for the Rams in 2026. Often erratic Justin Fields is the Chiefs' backup. Maybe working under the tutelage of Andy Reid will improve his skills, but not this quickly. Take note that road underdogs of +2.5 or less are 85-43 ATS the last 11 preseasons.

Edmonton has dropped two straight after a 6-1 start. However, the Elks faced the current division leaders in those matchups. One can’t help but wonder if they might not be a little flat after those arduous assignments, especially at home. Toronto, on the other hand, has taken two in a row to get back to .500 at 4-4. The Argos won last week despite committing five turnovers and having a -3 TO differential. Toronto has the #1 pass offense with Chad Kelly at the controls, and the Elks pass defense is #6. With the Argos 9-3 ATS on the road playing against a team with a winning record, with the drill down 6-1 ATS with a win percentage of 60% to 75%, the backdoor is wide open at this number.