There are just six games on Thursday’s American League schedule, but those outings stretch out the entire travel day. Cleveland and New York conclude their three-game series with an afternoon affair, while first pitch in the Texas-Seattle American League West tilt occurs nine hours later.

Advertisement

Plenty of chances to cash tickets on a limited slate, so let’s break down four of Thursday’s key contests.

**Indians (Byrd) at Yankees (Mussina)**

-Caesars Palace lists New York as a $1.35 home ‘chalk’ over Cleveland, with the total set at 9 ½. This contest is scheduled to start at 1:05 p.m. ET.

-Cleveland’s Paul Byrd (1-2, 3.74 ERA) is off last Thursday’s no-decision against Seattle despite tossing 7 2/3 innings of scoreless ball. The veteran right-hander surrendered four hits with a walk and four strikeouts.

-The Indians eventually won that contest as a $1.45 home favorite, 3-2, while the combined five runs failed to topple the 10-run closing total. The ‘under’ is 3-1 his last four starts.

-The Louisiana State product beat New York April 25 as a $1.20 home underdog, 6-4, while the combined 10 runs slithered ‘over’ the 9 ½-run closing total. Byrd went 5 2/3 innings, yielding four runs on six hits (three home runs) with no walks or strikeouts.

-New York counters with Mike Mussina (4-3, 4.23 ERA) who enters this contest riding a personal three-game winning streak. The former Stanford pitcher knocked off Seattle Saturday as a home ‘pick,’ 6-1, tossing six innings while allowing the lone run on seven hits with no walks and five strikeouts.

-The combined seven runs failed to eclipse the 8 ½-run closing total, helping the ‘under’ improve to 5-2 during his seven starts.

-Mussina upended the Indians April 28 as a $1.00 road selection, 5-2, lasting five innings while being reached for two runs on seven hits with a walk and two strikeouts. The combined seven runs went ‘under’ the 9 ½-run closing total.

**Red Sox (Beckett) at Tigers (Verlander)**

-Caesars Palace installed Boston as a $1.35 road favorite over Detroit, with the total listed at 8 ½. First pitch is scheduled to start at 7:05 p.m. ET.

-Boston pitcher Josh Beckett (3-2, 4.19 ERA) is off Saturday’s victory over Tampa Bay as a $1.55 home ‘chalk,’ 12-4. The 6-foot-5 right-hander went eight innings, surrendering four runs on seven hits (two home runs) with a walk and five strikeouts.

-The combined 16 runs soared ‘over’ the eight-run closing total, helping the ‘over’ improve to 3-2 his five starts.

-Beckett, an eight-year veteran, has not started against the Tigers the last few years.

-Detroit right-hander Justin Verlander (1-5, 6.28 ERA) has suffered back-to-back losses after Saturday’s setback to Minnesota as a road ‘pick,’ 4-1. The 25-year-old went seven innings, yielding four runs on seven hits (one home run) with two walks and five strikeouts.

-The combined five runs failed to topple the nine-run closing total, helping the ‘under’ cash his second straight outing.

-Verlander beat the Red Sox last season as a $1.20 road underdog, 7-2, tossing 7 2/3 innings while being reached for two runs on six hits (one home run) with no walks and seven strikeouts. The combined nine runs slithered ‘under’ the 9 ½-run closing total.

**Orioles (Cabrera) at Royals (Hochevar)**

-Caesars Palace opened Baltimore as a $1.10 road ‘chalk’ over Kansas City, with the total set at 8 ½. This matchup is scheduled to begin at 8:10 p.m. ET.

-Baltimore hurler Daniel Cabrera (2-1, 4.06 ERA) heads to the hill fresh off his first setback after falling to Los Angeles Saturday as a $1.15 road underdog, 3-1. The Dominican Republic native was reached for three runs on six hits with two walks and six strikeouts over 7 1/3 innings.

-The combined four runs never seriously threatened the 9 ½-run closing total, enabling the ‘under’ to improve to 5-0-1 his last six starts.

-The 6-foot-9 righty picked up two no decisions against the Royals last year in two starts, going a combined 12 innings while surrendering five runs on 13 hits with four walks and 10 strikeouts. The Orioles ended up winning as a $1.75 home ‘chalk,’ 6-4, and as a $1.00 home underdog, 3-2.

-Kansas City right-hander Luke Hochevar (2-1, 4.86 ERA) has won consecutive starts after beating Cleveland Saturday as a decided $2.70 road underdog, 4-2. The two-year veteran went six innings, allowing both runs on three hits (one home run) with four walks and six strikeouts.

-The combined six runs went ‘under’ the 8 ½-run closing total, helping the ‘under’ cash in all three of his starts.

-Hochevar has never started against the Orioles in his brief major-league career.

**Rangers (Gabbard) at Mariners (Hernandez)**

-Caesars Palace has Seattle listed as a $1.65 home favorite over Texas, with the total set at 8 ½. First pitch is scheduled for 10:10 p.m. ET.

-Texas pitcher Kason Gabbard (1-0, 2.18 ERA) has been involved in three consecutive no decisions, and hasn’t pitched since April 21 when he went on the 15-day disabled list due to a strained muscle in his back.

-The three-year veteran has seen the ‘over’ go 3-1 his four starts.

-The left-hander escaped with a no-decision against the Mariners last year despite allowing four runs on six hits (one home run) with six walks and two strikeouts over just 3 1/3 innings. The Rangers ended up dropping that contest as a $1.20 road underdog, 8-7, while the combined 15 runs soared ‘over’ the nine-run closing total.

-Seattle’s Felix Hernandez (2-2, 3.04 ERA) enters this contest mired in a personal two-game losing skid after Saturday’s setback to New York as a road ‘pick,’ 6-1. The Venezuela native lasted 5 2/3 innings, yielding six runs on 12 hits (one home run) with three walks and three strikeouts.

-The combined seven runs failed to topple the 8 ½-run closing total, enabling the ‘under’ to cash his fourth consecutive start.

-Hernandez received a no-decision in an April 1 matchup with the Rangers, surrendering an unearned run on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts over seven innings. The Mariners eventually dropped that affair as a $1.90 home ‘chalk,’ 5-4, while the combined nine runs slithered ‘over’ the 8 ½-run closing total.

Brad Young can be reached at byoung@vegasinsider.com.