Sports betting:

Vegas Play of the Day: Astros vs. Rays

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Lenny Ignelzi / AP File

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Gerrit Cole throws against the San Diego Padres in the first inning of a baseball game June 3, 2014, in San Diego. Pirates general manager Neal Huntington on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016, acknowledged the team erroneously computed Cole’s salary offer for 2016, which led to a public spat with their ace pitcher.

By Mike Grimala

Mon, Jun 18, 2018 (1:16 p.m.)

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We’ve entered the fourth season of the annual South Point-lined Play of the Day competition, effective July 1.

Starting bankrolls have reset to $10,000, with the maximum bet being to win $1,000 and the minimum wager $300. A participant's failure to place a bet on their scheduled day results in a $200 bankroll penalty.

Ray Brewer won back-to-back titles in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, after Taylor Bern prevailed in 2014-15.

Houston Astros minus-1.5 run line vs. Tampa Bay Rays: $1,215 to win $900:

The pitching matchup in this game couldn't be more lopsided. While the Astros are starting one of the game's top pitchers in Gerrit Cole (fourth in the American League in ERA, second in opponent's batting average, first in strikeouts per nine innings), the Rays are once again going with a bullpen day. Reliever Ryne Stanek will get the start, and the rest of the Tampa Bay bullpen will try to patch together seven or eight innings after him.

Houston's offense is too good for the bullpen tactic to work. The Astros are second in MLB in runs per game and seventh in isolated power; eventually, they'll find a weak link in Tampa's bullpen chain and put up a crooked number. That should be enough for Cole to secure the win.

Keefer (36-28-1, $11,716), Granger (17-16, $8,959), Brewer (28-30-1, $5,140), Grimala (17-23, $5,865).

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