Bryce Time put one unit on the Dodgers first-five 0.0 line with Clayton Kershaw opposing Tylor Megill. He downplayed the pitching duel—Kershaw is no longer peak Kershaw and Megill is on the verge of losing his rotation spot—but highlighted an offensive mismatch. Los Angeles mashes right-handed pitching and just bulldozed the Yankees in two of three games, while the Mets are one of the weaker clubs against lefties. The model expects LA’s lineup to strike early against Megill’s declining fastball-change combo, making the Dodgers a value before their shaky bullpen becomes a factor.

Bryce Time said to lay one unit on the Cubs first-five 0.0 line in Washington. He noted that rookie Cade Horton lines up well because his power cutter bores in on left-handers and runs away from righties, a pitch type the Nationals have struggled with. On the other side, Trevor Williams ‘simply isn’t good enough to dominate this Cubs lineup,’ even if Chicago ends up resting Kyle Tucker, who jammed a finger Sunday (X-rays negative). The model favors Chicago and does not believe Williams’ mediocre stuff can hold up for five innings, so Bryce wants to capitalize before the bullpens get involved.

Bryce Time recommended one unit on the Rays first-five 0.0 line with Drew Rasmussen facing Tyler Mahle. Rasmussen has delivered three straight outings of 6+ innings and fewer than three runs, riding a 96-mph fastball and cutter despite spotty secondary command. Bryce emphasized the Rangers’ offense has under-performed expectations—Corey Seager still looks rusty after the IL stint and, outside a weekend blip from Marcus Semien, Texas continues to rank near the bottom third in most hitting metrics. He also cited the notoriously tricky environment of the Rays’ spring-training-era park where visiting starters tend to struggle. Tampa’s bats just posted 30 runs in four games versus Houston, so the model projects early run support for Rasmussen.