Sports Handicapper Will Rogers's Picks & Predictions

The set-up: It's a special game between the Cards and Pirates on Sunday night, as the teams meet at Historic Bowman Field in Williamsport, Pa. as part of the Little League Classic. The Pirates will be the host team and yesterday afternoon snapped a six-game slide with a 6-4 victory, The Cardinals took the first two of this four-game series by scoring 11 runs each on Thursday and Friday but were held in check yesterday and with the loss, fell 2 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central (are also a half-game back of the second-place Brewers).

The pitching matchup: Mike Leake (7-11 & 3.88 ERA) goes for St. Louis and Ivan Nova (10-10 & 3.77 ERA). Not much has gone right for Leake lately, as he's win-less in his last four outings, allowing 19 runs (18 earned) over 20 1/3 innings (7.97 ERA) after getting pounded for eight runs at Boston on Tuesday in a 10-4 loss. He enters this contest having completed more than five innings just twice in his last eight starts, in stark contrast to the pitcher who accomplishing that feat in 15 of his first 16 outings of 2017. Leake is 10-5 with a 3.33 ERA in 31 career starts against Pittsburgh but his teams are just 14-17. Nova lost for the fourth time during a five-game win-less streak (he's 0-4 and the team 1-4) this past Tuesday at Milwaukee (Brewers won 3-1). However, he pitched well, permitting two runs (just one earned) over six innings. He's faced the Cards just once in his career, throwing a 78-pitch complete game but still took the loss in the Cardinals' 2-1 win April 17 at Busch Stadium.

The pick: Leake's 3.33 career ERA in 31 starts) is pretty good plus Nova has been a mainstay of the Pittsburgh rotation in 2017. Make the Under an 8* play.

The set-up: The Atlanta Falcons lost 23-20 at Miami in Week 1 and travel for the second straight weekend, visiting Pittsburgh on Sunday. The Steelers welcome the defending NFC champions to Heinz Field on Sunday, coming off a 20-12 Week 1 at the NY Giants.

Atlanta: Matt Ryan saw limited action last week but made the most of it, going 3 for 3 with 32 yards and a TD. RB Devonta Freeman caught that 15-yard TD pass from Ryan but had just one rushing attempt, as did the backfield partner, Tevin Colemn (the two combined for four rushing yards). Simms, who owns just 39 regular season pass attempts in his NFL career (none since 2014), saw the most action at QB (10 of 20 for 104 yards). The Atlanta D had two 'picks' but also allowed two TD passes in the fourth quarter of the three-point loss.

Pittsburgh: The Steelers won 20-12 last week but made just 10 FDs and gained a pathetic 226 yards. Fourth-round pick Joshua Dobbs saw the bulk of the game action at QB, going 8 for 15 with 100 yards, a touchdown but also two INTs. Pittsburgh's D led the way to victory, coming up with seven sacks, two takeaways (1 INT & 1 fumble) but consistently were able to stall New York possessions, holding the Giants to four FGs.

The pick: Neither team showed much on offense in their respective Week 1 games and it's expected that both teams' starters will not see significant action until the third game of the preseason. That leaves me with the better defensive team which is the Steelers. Make Pittsburgh

The set-up: The New York Mets came into Saturday's game with the Marlins on a 1-8 run at home in Citi Field, a span in which they had averaged a paltry 2.3 RPG. It was more of the same through five innings on Saturday for New York but then, a seven-run outburst in the sixth led to an 8-1 win. It was the most runs New York has scored at home since July 15 and it snapped the club's five-game overall losing streak overall. The Mets now set their sights on a series win when they host the Miami Marlins in the rubber match of this three-game series Sunday afternoon. Miami lost for just the second time in eight games, as Giancarlo Stanton was walked three times while being kept in the ballpark for the third straight game, which follows his string of six straight contests with a HR.

The pitching matchup: Adam Conley (5-5 & 5.32 ERA) will start for Miami and Jacob deGrom (13-6 & 3.35 ERA) for New York. Conley has pitched much better since returning from the minors, going 3-2 with a 3.62 ERA in six starts (Marlins are 3-3). Conley had a 7,53 ERA in seven appearances in early May was he was sent to the minors. Conley actually opened the season with three straight games against the Mets (two starts and a relief appearance), posting a 3.00 ERA as the Marlins won both oh his starts (Conley took the loss in that relief stint). He does own an impressive 1.98 ERA in eight career matchups (six starts / team is 4-2) with New York. DeGrom gave up five runs over 7 1/3 innings of a 5-4 loss in his 100th career start this past Tuesday at Yankee Stadium (Mets lost 5-4). DeGrom was 12-3 (3.30 ERA) heading into late July but has lost three of his last four starts. He's 4-3 with a 3.46 ERA in 11 career starts vs. the Marlins (Mets are 5-6).

The pick: Not much on the Mets, who have traded six players since July 27, but deGrom owns an excellent 2.49 ERA at home and I'll back him here, in his 50th career home start. Make the Mets a 10* play.