William Burns

(#967) Athletics @ (#968) Cincinnati Reds | OVER | . 

Mason Barnett (1-1, 4.85 ERA) vs. TBD. 

Turning into a starter, for the meantime at least, Mason Barnett did not have a good July. Posting a 8.79 ERA over six outings during last month, I don't see much improvement coming from the 25 year old on Thursday. This is another hitter friendly ballpark and the struggles will continue against a hungry Reds lineup. 

Despite still being quite a few games back, Cinci is still pushing to make a run at a wildcard spot. The Reds just announced that Hunter Greene will be heading to the IL, meaning this will probably be a bullpen game or a pitcher called up from the minor leagues. I expect lots of runs in this one on Thursday afternoon. 

Burns' Prediction: 8-5 Reds.

(#224516) RB Salzburg | 3-Way ML | . 

With the Austrian Bundesliga finally getting underway, RB Salzburg should be in fantastic shape to get the job done on Thursday in this Europa League Qualifying leg one. Playing at home is always an advantage when it comes to matches like this. These games are absolutely massive and can shape a whole season. Last year wasn't RB Salzburg's best year. Expect much better this time around. 

Pafos, on the other hand, had to come back against HNK Hajduk Split in the last round of qualifying. Going down 2-0 after leg one in that tie wasn't ideal. But, it might be the case once again here against an even stronger opponent, and also on the road. I'm going with Salzburg on Thursday afternoon. 

Burns' Prediction: 3-1 Salzburg.

(#955) Miami Marlins @ (#956) Atlanta Braves | UNDER | . 

Janson Junk (5-6, 4.58 ERA) vs. Martin Perez (7-6, 3.24 ERA) . 

Only two games outside of the final Wildcard position at the moment, Miami needs its starting pitching to lock in as the season continues to move along. Janson Junk hasn't had the best of seasons. But, he's coming off a very solid July & I expect him to have a very solid start here on Thursday. Junk had a fantastic outing last time out against the Mets as well. 

For the Braves, they'll have Martin Perez on the bump this evening. Even though his record isn't anything special either, Perez owns a stupendous 2.36 ERA in 12 games played at home this season. In his last start, he gave up only a single hit in 7.0 shutout innings. He should have all the confidence in the world at the moment. 

Both of these two teams rank inside the top 10 in ERA & WHIP this season & top five in OBA. That pitching dominance should continue into Thursday's contest with lots on the line in this divisional contest. I've got the UNDER as my DIV. TOTAL OF THE YEAR. 

Burns' Prediction: 3-2 Braves.