Rating: 2 Units

The Avalanche have won five consecutive playoff games since losing their first-round opener to the Winnipeg Jets. Colorado has shown plenty of offensive punch in that stretch. As much as the Avalanche can take pride in drumming up an impressive comeback victory to kick off this series, they know it is not a long-term recipe for success against the Stars, who finished atop the Western Conference standings in the regular season. Knowing Colorado has the firepower to come back -- led by Nathan MacKinnon, Valeri Nichushkin, Artturi Lehkonen, Mikko Rantanen and defenseman Cale Makar -- is comforting. The Avalanche have 32 goals in six playoff games this year and are the only team averaging more than five goals per game in the postseason. Colorado's cavalcade of talent converted both power-play opportunities in Game 1, and has now clicked for eight goals on 18 chances with the man advantage in the playoffs this year.

Rating: 2 Units

After dominating in game one, it's difficult to not imagine the Thunder coasting to an easy win in game two of the series. This is one of the best defenses Dallas has seen of late and it showed in game one, as they struggled to shoot the ball. That isn't expected to suddenly change for game two. Adding in Oklahoma City having the massive upper hand when it comes to three-point shooting itself, as well as one of the best homefield advantages in the NBA, and Oklahoma City has to feel great about their chances at victory in this one. The Thunder have covered the spread twice in the last month against Dallas, in four-straight overall, and in eight of their last nine, as they continue those winning trends coming in this one.

Rating: 2 Units

For most of Chicago's games, picking them to lose in uncompetitive fashion is the smart option. Erick Fedde has been their best starter, but the Guardians have already tagged him for five runs. The White Sox have a bullpen that issues a ton of walks, a dangerous formula against this Guardians lineup. Then, Cleveland's Ben Lively has been holding every offense under three runs this season. Chicago is already the only team that doesn't score at least three runs per game. Expect a blowout win in Cleveland's favor.

Rating: 2 Units

Lynn has been modestly effective for the Cardinals this season and has generally kept them in games that he has started. The Cardinals are 3-3 in Lynn's starts this season overall. One key factor has been Lynn's ability to keep the ball in the yard. After giving up 44 home runs last season, he has only given up five thus far on the season and kept his strikeout rate up. The Brewers' Myers has struggled to keep the ball in the yard, giving up five home runs in just 13 innings of work. He has an inflated ERA of 6.23 thus far and the Brewers are 0-3 in games he has started. I like the Cardinals to get a measure of revenge from their previous sweep at the hands of the Brewers and pick up the win.

Rating: 2 Units

Hunter Greene has been solid on the mound for the Reds, but his record does not reflect this. Greene still has a strong 3.12 ERA, but in his last four losses the Reds only scored three total runs. He was getting less than one run of offense per game in his starts, no wonder why he has a losing record. The same will not happen here, as Arizona is sending out Slade Cecconi to start. Cecconi is only making his fourth start of the year, in just three games he has given up three home runs, and has not had a single outing where he held the other team scoreless. In his last performance, he gave up two home runs and six runs in just four innings to the Padres. Cincinnati will be able to get their offensive groove back in this one, as De La Cruz and Steer are both having strong seasons thus far at the plate. Cincinnati is in an offensive slump, but they are still 16th in the MLB in run production, they are far from the worst offense. Cincy grabs the win here in the series finale.

Rating: 2 Units

A lot of the ref's calls at the end of game one seemed to favor the Knicks. Regardless, now is not the time for the Pacers to rely on excuses. Rather, they need to keep scoring as they did during the regular season. Game one's 117 was encouraging, as this club is now up to 113.6 points per contest in the postseason. With all of the offense in the world, Indiana still has clear issues defensively. They gave up the fourth-most points per game this season and have followed it up by surrendering 111.7 in the playoffs, more than any other team still alive. In game one, a team that was 26th in defensive rebounding percentage and facing the NBA's best offensive rebounding unit held up nicely. New York only grabbed eight. It didn't matter, as the Knicks hit 53.7% of their field goals, 47.8% of their threes, and attempted 26 free throws. Indiana also forced 14 turnovers to no avail.

Rating: 2 Units

The Boston Bruins will look to maintain the upper hand against the Florida Panthers today when they play Game 2 of their Eastern Conference second-round series in Sunrise, Fla.  The Bruins won all four meetings against the Panthers in the regular season and recorded a 5-1 victory in the opener of the best-of-seven series on Monday. Jeremy Swayman has been in a great place throughout the playoffs. Swayman, who made 38 saves in the series opener, has yielded two goals or fewer in each of his first seven starts this postseason while posting a 5-2-0 record with a 1.42 goals-against average and .955 save percentage.

Rating: 2 Units

Arizona's pitching is 22nd in team ERA and is allowing opposing hitters to average .255, which is 24th in the majors. Arizona starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery has struggled in three starts, allowing 10 earned runs in 16 innings, including six runs in three innings last Wednesday when losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-0. Montgomery has a 1.31 WHIP and a -0.2 WAR. Cincinnati starter Graham Ashcraft has a 3.63 ERA and the right-hander has had two consecutive strong outings, giving up just 12 hits and three runs in 12.1 innings. Ashcraft’s WHIP is 1.27 and his WAR is 0.2.

Rating: 2 Units

Milwaukee has sputtered a bit of late with three straight losses before last nights late inning heroics. The Brewers are trying to figure out their rotation as they have issues with Brandon Woodruff not pitching at all this year, Corbin Burnes gone, Freddy Peralta facing a suspension and the back of the rotation guys struggling. Kansas City has a solid lineup and they have gotten stellar work from Singer this season. The Royals have put up a solid 14-8 mark at home on the year. With the advantage on the mound and a better lineup right now, you have to give the edge to the Royals in this contest.

Rating: 2 Units

The Thunder will roll to a win at home in this one, as the Western Conference's top seed leans heavily on their homecourt advantage. The Thunder have been one of the best teams at home this season and there are no signs of that slowing down or not being the case in this one. Adding to that, Doncic and Hardaway Jr. battle injuries, which mean that this team will have two of their top three scorers somewhat hobbled. Against a team in OKC that has balance on both ends, it's going to be too much for Dallas to overcome to keep that one close come the fourth-quarter. Oklahoma City has covered the spread in eight of the last ten meetings between these two and in seven of their last eight overall, as that carries into this one.

Rating: 2 Units

Milwaukee's Colin Rea (3-0, 2.67 ERA) and Kansas City's Seth Lugo (5-1, 1.60) will take the mound today in a matchup of right-handers. Both pitchers have made one previous start against their Tuesday opponent, both going 3 2/3 innings in a no-decision last year. Rea allowed four runs on six hits, including a home run to Salvador Perez, with two walks with three strikeouts on May 14, 2023. He has a 7.71 ERA in two career appearances against the Royals. Seven of the eight runs Rea surrendered over his past four starts came via five long balls.  Lugo faced the Brewers on April 15, 2023, and he allowed three runs on eight hits and a walk with five strikeouts. For his career, he is 1-0 with a 2.16 ERA with nine appearances against the Brewers.

Rating: 2 Units

National League Rookie of the Month Shota Imanaga will look to continue his stellar debut season when he takes the mound today for the Chicago Cubs against the visiting San Diego Padres. Imanaga (5-0, 0.78 ERA) has sparkled for Chicago since the 30-year-old joined the Cubs after eight seasons in Japan's top league. The left-hander has racked up 35 strikeouts and walked only four in 34 2/3 innings across his six starts this season, all of which Chicago has won. Set to oppose Imanaga on the mound is Randy Vasquez (0-1, 5.87), who will make his third start this season for the Padres. The right-hander was recalled from Triple-A El Paso on Sunday after San Diego placed Joe Musgrove on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation. Vasquez last pitched for the Padres against the Rockies in Colorado on April 25. He surrendered four runs on six hits in 2 2/3 innings and earned a no-decision in San Diego's 10-9 loss.

Rating: 2 Units

The Hurricanes are looking to even up the series but the Rangers look to step up on their home ice and control this game. The Rangers, who have scored 19 goals in the playoffs, should pile on the goals with Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, and the rest of the forward unit carrying the puck into the offensive zone and creating open shots with quick passes. The Rangers, who allowed only seven goals in the First Round, should limit the Hurricanes offense with Adam Fox, Ryan Lindgren, and the rest of the defensive unit creating turnovers in the defensive zone and limiting shots on the net, allowing goaltender Igor Shesterkin to make plenty of big saves. The Rangers should win Game Two and provide great odds in the process as home Underdogs.

Rating: 2 Units

Nationals are coming off a series win over the Toronto Blue Jays and will look to surpass the .500 mark for the first time since July 1, 2021. Baltimore right-hander Corbin Burnes (3-1, 2.61 ERA) opposes Washington righty Trevor Williams (3-0, 2.27) in the opener. Williams has given up two earned runs or less in five of his six starts. He survived five hits and four walks against the World Series champion Texas Rangers on May 1, tossing five shutout innings in a 1-0 win. He escaped bases-loaded, no-out jams in the second and fifth innings.  He won his only career start against Baltimore, allowing a run in six innings.

Rating: 2 Units

The offense struggled but the defense stepped up, allowing only 12 goals in the series. Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy led the top pairing while Brandon Carlo and Matt Grzelcyk added depth to the unit, creating turnovers in the defensive zone and limiting shots on the net. In addition, goaltender Jeremy Swayman stepped up in the net with a .950 save percentage and a 1.49 goals-against average on 181 shots with 8.1 goals saved above average. The Bruins swept the four-game regular season series against the Panthers.

Rating: 2 Units

The Mariners send their ace to the hill on Monday night against the Twins. Castillo has won three straight starts and has not allowed a run in two of those three starts. He was particularly sharp in his last start, holding the Atlanta Braves' powerful lineup to just three hits and no runs while striking out seven batters in a 3-2 Mariners win. While the Twins have hit the ball better during this hot streak, they do not have a murderer's row of a lineup. Castillo will keep his team in the game and get into the backend of the bullpen today. He has pitched six or more innings in each of his last four starts. The Twins starter, Woods-Richardson, is relatively inexperienced and has had things go in his favor thus far despite giving up more hits than innings pitched this season. His luck will run out in the opener of this series today and the Mariners will open the series with a win.

Rating: 2 Units

Cleveland sports a .417 slugging percentage and .739 OPS at home, with 20 of its 33 long balls coming at Progressive Field. That's despite playing five more road games this season. The Guardians don't strike out too much (seventh-fewest per game) and were only fanned four times by Flaherty in seven innings last year. He may be coming off a stellar performance, but I doubt he'll command the strike zone like he did versus the Cardinals. I expect McKenzie to pitch well against a Tigers club that didn't perform up to expectations over the weekend. Detroit slashes .223/.298/.339/.637 on the road and .220/.301/.356/.656 vs. right-handers this season, as well. He hasn't allowed more than two runs in any of seven career outings versus Detroit and has tallied eight-plus Ks in four appearances. Once he exits, Cleveland's bullpen (2nd in ERA with the fewest HR allowed) will close the door on the visitors!

Rating: 2 Units

The San Francisco Giants are struggling to win games due to the slumping offense. They have dropped five of their last six games. The Phillies have won nine of their last eleven games.  The Giants will have Mason Black make his MLB debut. While he has great numbers in the minor leagues this is not ideal against a potent offense. Philly starter, Zack Wheeler is a Cy Young candidate. The ace has been incredible, conceding only one run in his last three performances spanning 18.1 innings.

Rating: 2 Units

This will be a great game between two evenly matched teams. The Rangers won the Presidents' Trophy but the Hurricanes were a better team in the second half of the season and look to take over this game from the first period. The Hurricanes, who scored 19 goals in the previous series, should find the back of the net with ease with Seth Jarvis, Martin Necas, and the rest of the forward unit establishing a strong offensive zone presence and creating open shots with quick passes. The Hurricanes, who allowed only 12 goals in the First Round, should limit the Rangers offense with Brent Burns, Jaccob Slavin, and the rest of the defensive unit creating turnovers in the defensive zone and limiting shots on the net, allowing goaltender Frederik Andersen to make plenty of big saves. The Hurricanes should win Game One with a strong performance on the road.

Rating: 2 Units

Offensively, these teams are about the same. That is to say, they're unreliable. As with Friday's matchup, whoever executes their pitches better will come out on top. Which is why the A's are the team to side with. Joe Boyle has pitched 10.0 innings and allowed two runs in his past two home starts. Miami's Sixto Sanchez has given up eight runs across his 6.2 innings pitched as a starter this season. Oakland may have MLB's most dangerous bullpen. Roll with the home team, who has a five-game winning streak, to come out on top in today's clash.

Rating: 2 Units

Right-hander Bryce Miller (3-2, 2.04 ERA) is the scheduled starter for Seattle today. He matched his career highs for innings (seven) and strikeouts (10) in his previous start, allowing one run on two hits and one walk in the Mariners' 2-1 win over the visiting Atlanta Braves on April 28. Miller ranks third among qualified pitchers with a .156 opponent batting average. Miller is 2-1 with a 2.20 ERA over three career starts against the Astros. He was the pitcher of record in the Mariners' 8-3 loss last Sept. 27 after allowing four runs on six hits and one walk with four strikeouts over four innings. Right-hander Hunter Brown (0-4, 9.78) has the starting assignment for the Astros. He allowed six runs on five hits and two walks with a season-high seven strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings but did not factor into the decision of the Astros' 10-9 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday. Brown threw 97 pitches against Cleveland, his most since a 97-pitch outing against the Baltimore Orioles on Aug. 10, when he absorbed a 5-4 road loss. Brown is 0-2 with a 17.47 ERA over two career starts against the Mariners. In his previous outing against Seattle, Brown allowed six runs on eight hits and two walks with five strikeouts over 2 2/3 innings in a 7-6 home loss on Aug. 20.

Rating: 2 Units

The Tigers have the better pitcher on the mound and have held a lead in both games of this series, they will finally be able to close one out here. Tarik Skubal has been strong on the mound for Detroit, he has a 4-0 record and is beating the Yankees' Cortes in all categories. Skubal has a lower ERA, has allowed fewer hits and home runs, and has more strikeouts. The Tigers have gone 4-1 in his last five starts, while the Yankees are 1-4 in Cortes' last five starts. The New York offense is very reliant on hitting home runs, and Skubal has only allowed two home runs all year. Detroit won four of their last five before starting this series, they are a strong team sending out one of their best starters, they won't get swept here.

Rating: 2 Units

Orlando has rebounded the ball like a machine since being outrebounded in the first two games, allowing the Magic to attempt 17 more threes than the Cavaliers. With Jarrett Allen dealing with a rib contusion, Cleveland is in dire straits in that department. He reportedly had difficulty lifting his arm after going through shootaround before game six. Without him, Evan Mobley shied away from the moment (three points on 1-for-5 shooting in game six), which is confusing considering that lack of spacing isn't a problem with Allen sidelined. Even with Mitchell's heroics (50 points on 22-for-36 shooting, including 36 points in the paint), the Cavs came up short in game six. His performance was more concerning than encouraging, as the Magic have been much more balanced, with Paolo Banchero (27 points), Franz Wagner (26 points), and Jalen Suggs (22 points) sharing the scoring responsibilities. Even at home, Cleveland will be vulnerable if Allen is as unhealthy as reports indicate. After stealing the momentum, the Magic will steal the series from the Cavaliers in game seven, winning straight-up as underdogs!

Rating: 2 Units

In both games five and six, the Bruins beat themselves with a lack of intensity to start the game. In game seven, at home in front of a raucous home crowd, intensity should not be an issue for the Bruins. The Bruins will need to pepper Toronto goalie Woll, make him uncomfortable from the start, and force the issue. In both games five and six, the Bruins got just four shots on net in total and allowed Woll to ease into the game and he delivered in the latter stages of the game. I expect the Bruins to come out firing on all cylinders tonight, particularly Pastrnak who was called out by his coach. Swayman has been stellar in net for the Bruins and will give his team every chance to win this game. With or without Matthews, the Leafs have had issues scoring in this series and won the last two games by taking away the Bruins' offense. That will change in game seven as the Bruins overcome their demons and avoid another 3-1 collapse.

Rating: 2 Units

The two superstars in this game are Nikola Jokic and Anthony Edwards. In the first game of the series, I will side with the team with the defense better suited to stop the other team's top player. Jokic is close to unstoppable, but if anyone could slow him down it would be the three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. The Timberwolves invested heavily in their frontcourt, going big with both Gobert and Towns in the starting lineup, and another big body off the bench in Naz Reid. The Timberwolves rank 1st in the NBA in defensive efficiency and will be able to limit Jokic's impact in this game. On the other side of the ball, Denver does not have a clear answer on who will guard Anthony Edwards. Aaron Gordon is a versatile defender, but he may not have the lateral quickness to stay in front of Edwards for long stretches. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is the other option, but he is not a strong enough defender to be locked on Edwards for the whole game. The Lakers had two games come down to the final shot against Denver, the T-Wolves will keep this close as well, and taking the points is the right play.

Rating: 2 Units

Remember how the Reds' relievers are the worst at inducing grounders? That will bite them in the butt against a Baltimore batting order that has bashed more home runs than any other team. Great American Ball Park is the easiest venue to homer in so that matchup is a nightmare. John Means is an unknown for Baltimore when it comes to effectiveness, but his first start since last September won't last long. That just means more innings for a bullpen that's ninth in FIP. The Orioles can slow down Cincinnati enough to let the late comeback happen. Take the Orioles to win on the road.

Rating: 2 Units

The most reliable group in this game is Oakland's pitching staff. Paul Blackburn has a 1.42 ERA at home this season. The Athletics' bullpen is leading the majors in ERA. Against an offense that's 25th in scoring, the A's should silence Miami's bats. So, it's up to the A's to score enough runs to win. They're facing a pitcher who has allowed at least three runs in four of his six starts this season. The Marlins have a subpar bullpen. Using their surprising power, which has led to a top-10 homer total, Oakland will score enough to win.

Rating: 2 Units

The Blue Jays have struggled on the road where they are 1-4 in their last five games. They have also lost eight of their last ten games after the defeat on Friday night. The Nationals are looking good, winning five of their last seven bouts. While Kevin Gausman has been solid, the squad has not been winning games when he is on the mound, losing in four of his last five starts. The veteran has issued a poor 4.83 ERA against the Nationals in his career. Nats starter Jake Irvin has been outstanding, conceding two or fewer runs in three of his last four starts.

Rating: 2 Units

Red Sox right-hander Tanner Houck (3-2, 1.60 ERA) will look to continue his breakout season when he takes the mound in the series opener. Houck, 27, has walked five batters and struck out 41 in 39 1/3 innings this season. In three career starts against the Twins, Houck is 2-0 with a 3.12 ERA. He has walked five and struck out 17 in 17 1/3 innings. Minnesota will counter with right-hander Chris Paddack (2-1, 5.88), who is set to make his sixth start of the season. He has earned the victory in each of his past two starts, although he allowed four runs on eight hits in five innings in his most recent outing against the Angels. Paddack has faced Boston only once in his career, and it did not go well. He gave up six runs on seven hits in 2 1/3 innings, leaving him with an 0-1 record and a 23.14 ERA against the Red Sox.

Rating: 2 Units

Orlando erased a ten-point deficit on the road in game five to cover and has played much better at Kia Center in this series. The visiting Cavaliers have not found a way to keep the Magic off the glass since game two and will be vulnerable again tomorrow with Allen (10.5 RPG) uncertain to play. I expect Orlando to punish Cleveland on offense at the rim if Allen is less than 100 percent or unavailable. Expect the Magic to take good care of the basketball and knock down more threes at home.

Rating: 2 Units

Everything about this game screams Guardians victory. They're at home, with an offense that's fifth in scoring, against a pitching staff that gives up more than five runs per contest. Offensively, Cleveland shouldn't have any issues. Nor should their pitchers, starting with Tanner Bibee and his 2.96 April ERA. Cleveland is perfect in his outings this season. With a late lead, the Guardians will only turn to a bullpen that has been better than every other in 2024. 

Rating: 2 Units

Let's check the advantages for the Mets in this game. They average more runs. New York's starting pitcher has a better ERA and FIP. In the bullpen, Tampa hasn't been in the same league this season. Even their records at home (8-9 for the Rays) and on the road (7-5 for the Mets) favor the visiting team. New York is coming off a win, while the Rays have dropped five of six (eight of 10 to stretch it further). Take the Mets to win this one. 

Rating: 2 Units

A seven-game series between these two teams seems inevitable at this point. The Sixers are getting all they can and more from a hobbled Embiid and the Knicks have had to lean on their starting five more than ever as this series has worn on. The Knicks looked like a team that was tired toward the end of game five and now will have to crank it back up after appearing to have earned their way into the second round late in game five. The 76ers will need another solid effort from Tobias Harris in game six and he should be able to pick his spots against the Knicks' tired first five. The Bogdanovic injury is big given that the Knicks were counting on his minutes and production at the forward spot. They now really have to lean on Hart to play almost 48 minutes a night. Maxey is becoming a legitimate NBA superstar before our eyes in this series and he'll help carry the Sixers to one more game at MSG this weekend.

Rating: 2 Units

There is a common bet trend to fade teams when it appears they will go for a bullpen game, with several different pitchers heading out to the mound for limited innings. The belief is that they do not have one of their powerful starting pitchers on the mound, and the backup team will get hammered by the opposing offense. It is not a bad thought, but it will not work here. Having a bullpen game is not a scary thought when your team literally has the best ERA in baseball. The Red Sox have the best ERA in the majors by a wide margin, as they have a 2.59 ERA and the next best is the Mariners at 3.03. Winckowski has started the past two bullpen games, only pitching in three innings, but both games were wins as they went 17-0 over the Cubs and 6-1 over the Pirates. On top of this, the Giants have been struggling to score lately, as they have scored three or less runs in five straight games. The best bullpen in baseball will flex its muscles here.

Rating: 2 Units

Chicago is right in the thick of the NL Central race as they get ready to open up their series with the Brewers Friday afternoon. The Cubs are missing several key pieces with Justin Steele, Kyle Hendricks, Drew Smyly and Jordan Wicks missing from the pitching staff while Cody Bellinger along with Seiya Suzuki are out of the lineup. Still, the Cubs still keep putting runs on the board and finding ways to hang in games. New York has struggled at putting runs on the board and Houser has had major issues when it comes to his control. Until we see him turn in a couple solid outings, you have to fade him accordingly. Give the Cubs the advantage here on getaway day.

Rating; 2 Units

The Avalanche look to close out this series and I see them controlling this game from the first period. The Avalanche, who have scored 22 goals in this series, should pile on the goals with Nathan MacKinnon, Artturi Lehkonen, and the rest of the forward unit controlling the puck in the offensive zone and creating open shots with quick passes. The Avalanche, who have allowed only five goals in the last three games, should limit the Jets offense with Cale Makar, Devon Toews, and the rest of the defensive unit creating turnovers in the defensive zone and limiting shots on the net, allowing goaltender Alexandar Georgiev to make plenty of big saves. The Avalanche should win the game and advance to the Second Round with a strong performance on the road.

Rating; 2 Units

Indiana's offense has been just as efficient as Milwaukee's in this series. The Pacers are winning the rebounding and turnover battle. Indiana is much healthier, especially when it comes to the stars in this series. Expect game five to bring this series to an end, especially if Antetokounmpo and Lillard don't play again. Milwaukee can't reach 115 points in an April game, even at home, and can't prevent the Pacers from exceeding 120 points. The Pacers are up 3-1 despite 68.8% free throw shooting. It's over. Take Indiana to win and cover.

Rating; 2 Units

The Magic looked dominant at home, but I don't put too much value in those outcomes. They weren't competitive in games one and two in Cleveland, and the Cavaliers are due for positive shooting regression. I expect Cleveland to get back to its winning ways by holding their own on the glass (+14 rebounding margin in game one and +7 in game two) and scoring more buckets in the paint. Limiting Orlando's fast break opportunities will also be a key to game five. The Magic are unlikely to shoot the ball as efficiently as on Saturday (55.8%). As long as the Cavs score early and often inside, offensively-challenged Orlando will crumble under the pressure of matching baskets with Cleveland. I predict the Cavs will get out to an early lead and use their home court to their advantage, holding off the Magic's comeback efforts. Cleveland will win and cover in game five!

Rating: 2 Units

Minnesota will continue its dominance of Chicago today. Soroka has been home-run prone in the past two seasons, allowing 16 home runs in 13 appearances. He will have a tough time keeping the Twins (30 HR) in the ballpark on a warm and breezy evening at Guaranteed Rate Field today. Minnesota scored 32 runs in its three-game set versus the Angels and averaged 8.1 runs during its seven-game winning streak. Soroka will face the Twins in consecutive starts, a tall task for any pitcher. I have more faith in Woods Richardson to get through five innings. The Twins have a much more reliable bullpen (third in ERA) than the White Sox (4.40 ERA and 16 HR allowed), as well. With a significant pitching advantage and a hot lineup, the visitors will will win tonight!

Rating: 2 Units

Right-hander Javier Assad (2-0, 2.00 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Cubs against left-hander Sean Manaea (1-1, 3.33). Assad didn't factor into the decision in his latest start, when he gave up one run over 5 2/3 innings in the Cubs' 3-1 win over the Houston Astros on Thursday. He is 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA in two career games (one start) against the Mets. Manaea also got a no-decision the last time he took the mound. He tossed 4 2/3 scoreless innings -- but gave up four hits and four walks -- in the Mets' 8-2 win over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday. He is 0-1 with a 4.67 ERA in four games (two starts) against the Cubs.

Rating: 2 Units

I like the Blue Jays to get some good swings against Ragans in their second meeting with the lefthander in a week. Last year, the Blue Jays batted .272 as a team against lefties and they still have a lineup of solid right-handed bats such as Vlad Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Justin Turner, and Alejandro Kirk to battle the lefty. Ragans has not been as sharp this season as he was in his 12-start stint with the Royals last year. He has given up 33 hits in 30 innings of work already and his WHIP has jumped up to 1.43 compared to 1.07 last year. Berrios took the hard-luck loss against the Royals in that rain-shortened game last week. He has been outstanding thus far with five quality starts in his six starts this season. Berrios has allowed just 26 hits in over 36 innings of work and his WHIP is a tidy 1.04. I'm going with the Jays to avenge last week's rain-shortened loss against Ragans.

Rating: 2 Units

The Phillies have won four of their last six games. They are playing very well offensively and scored 30 runs in their last four road games. Expect them to play well offensively in this game because they have hit the ball well against right-handers and Canning has struggled on the mound for the Angels, giving up 12 runs in his last three starts. He gave up seven runs in his last two home starts and with Los Angeles having the second-worst bullpen in the league, they will have a hard time slowing down the Phillies in this game. The Angels have lost nine of their last 10 games and four of their last five home games. They have struggled offensively and scored only eight runs in their last three home games. Their offensive struggles will continue in this game because Sanchez has done a good job on the mound for the Phillies, giving up eight runs in his last three starts. He gave up five runs in two starts against the Angels and won’t have trouble keeping their offense in check.

Rating: 2 Units

One has to wonder how much different this series would have been had Williamson not gotten injured in the play-in game against the Lakers. Without him, the Pelicans have sputtered mightily on the offensive end of the floor, failing to put up more than 92 points in any of their three games. Their O rating is a measly 96.7 and their effective field goal percentage of 45.7% fails to instill much in the way of confidence. New Orleans doesn’t have the pieces to match up on the defensive end either as Valanciunas logged only 12 minutes in Game 3 while Ingram has struggled to try and contain Holmgren. Oklahoma City has too many weapons and they have a ton of momentum on their side. Look for the Thunder to close things out, leaving the Pelicans to wonder what might have been.

Rating: 2 Units

Both teams come into this series playing better but the Twins are clearly the hotter of the two teams. White Sox starter Crochet is not hot coming in with the ChiSox losing each of his last five starts and Crochet not looking nearly as formidable as he did in his first couple of starts this season. He hasn't been able to get out of the fifth inning in any of his last three starts, including in Minnesota last week. Twins starter Ryan hasn't been dominant but he has been efficient and owns a 3-0 record against the White Sox in his last three starts against them. The Twins offense seems to have come alive and more help may be on the way as SS Correa appears close to return after spending time on the IL. The Twins offense will carry the day today and make it five straight wins over the White Sox.

Rating: 2 Units

The Lightning won the rivals' two previous playoff encounters in 2021 and 2022. Though Florida leads the best-of-seven series 3-1 -- with Game 5 set for the Panthers' home ice in Sunrise today.  The battle has been intense between the goalies -- Florida's Sergei Bobrovsky and Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy. They have combined to win three Vezina Trophy awards -- two by Bobrovsky -- and their talents have been on full display in this series. Panthers broadcasters swear Bobrovsky has made some of the best saves in franchise history in this series, and he has stopped 18 high-danger shots overall. But Vasilevskiy, despite being down 3-1, has stopped an amazing 28 high-danger shots as per NaturalStatTrick.com. Vasilevskiy has historically been a great playoff netminder. In fact, he has a .926 save percentage in elimination games. As a team, Tampa Bay is 8-5 in elimination games, and that's the third-highest winning percentage in NHL history.

Rating: 2 Units

The Yankees come into this series with a bit more momentum than the Orioles and could pounce on the opportunity to attack Rodriguez, who is coming off a poor performance. He was much better in his previous four starts, but his control of the strike zone has been lacking all season (nine walks). The Yankees get on base and have the power to drive in runners in bunches (30 runs in their last two games). If Rodriguez isn't locating his pitches well enough, the Bronx Bombers will make him pay dearly! While Schmidt isn't as hyped as G-Rod, he's been quietly solid for NY this season. He has racked up 20 Ks in his last three starts (15.1 IP) and held three of his last four opponents to two or fewer runs. The Orioles' lineup is formidable, but if he can last five or so innings, the rested Yankees' bullpen (2.74 ERA and 1.13 WHIP) will come through.

Rating: 2 Units

The Timberwolves have won four of their last five games and five of their last seven road games. They are playing very well offensively, scoring 117 points per game while making over 48 percent of their shots in the playoffs. They’ve also done well at the charity stripe, making 88 percent of their free throws. Their rebounding has been very good and they grabbed more than 12 offensive rebounds per game in their last three games, so expect them to get a lot of extra-scoring chances in this game. The Suns aren’t very good defensively and they haven’t played well in this series, giving up 120 points or more in two of their three games, so expect them to have a hard time slowing down the Timberwolves in this game. The Suns have lost three straight games and three straight home games. They aren’t playing well offensively and averaged less than 100 points per game in their first three games. Their ball movement hasn’t been good and their rebounding has fallen off as well, so don’t expect them to get a lot of extra-scoring chances in this game. They’ve also been careless with the ball, which will lead to easy-scoring opportunities for the Timberwolves, who average more than eight steals per game. The Timberwolves were one of the best defensive teams in the league during the regular season and they’ve played better in the playoffs, holding Phoenix to 99 points per game, so expect them to keep their offense in check.

Rating: 2 Units

The Red Sox have won four of their last seven games. They have hit the ball well against left-handers and Wicks has struggled on the mound for the Cubs, giving up eight runs in his last three starts. He gave up 11 runs in his last three road starts and will have a hard time slowing down the Red Sox in this game. The Cubs will struggle offensively in this game because Houck has done a good job on the mound for the Red Sox, giving up only nine runs in five starts. He gave up one run in two career starts against the Cubs and will keep their offense in check once again. Go with Boston to cover the money line.

Rating: 2 Units

The Canucks, if they’re going to survive this series without Demko, have two strategies to choose from going forward. They can either be aggressive on the offensive end of the ice and hope that they can beat Saros enough to make up for any potential miscues on the defensive end. We saw that fail to work out in Game 2 as they fell behind early and never caught up in the loss. The alternative was what we saw in Game 3, where the Canucks were outshot badly but took advantage of a pair of power play goals to earn a low-scoring victory. DeSmith was solid in Game 3 but it’s tough to rely on him turning in that kind of performance on a night in, night out basis. With that in mind, you have to lean toward the Predators, feeding off the home crowd, to capitalize on a couple of miscues to even this series up heading back west.

Rating: 2 Units

Taijuan Walker's first start of the season comes at the right time, as the Phillies are red-hot. The offense is consistently scoring 5+ runs, so he'll have run support. This bullpen is top 10 in FIP and WAR, so they can shut the door behind him. This is why Walker's initial outing of 2024 will be a multi-run win. Michael King has been walking batters at one of the league's highest clips all season, which is why two of his past three opponents have scored more than five runs against him. San Diego's bullpen is mediocre. Roll with the Phillies to win.

Rating: 2 Units

I will take the Bombers running up against a rookie righty in the series finale. Yankees starter Stroman has a good track record against the Brewers and has been effective in his brief tenure with the Yankees thus far. The Yankees have been road warriors thus far with Friday's loss just their fifth on the road this season. The veteran middle of the order, particularly Soto and Judge, should get good swings against Myers on Sunday and help power the Yankees to victory. The two teams are nearly even in the bullpen, each ranked in the top five in bullpen ERA. Runs will be tough to come by in the final few innings so I'm leaning on the Yankees with the edge of Stroman facing the rookie righty.

Rating: 2 Units

The likely loss of Robinson to an ankle injury is massive for the Knicks. Robinson was a menace on the glass in games one and two and gave the Knicks a legitimate option to harass Embiid when Hartenstein left the floor. With Robinson missing the entire second half, the Knicks' advantage on the glass disappeared. Game three was the first game of the series the Sixers won the rebounding battle, 36-32. Brunson broke out for 39 points but the Knicks bench had its worst game in game three as the Sixers seemed to focus in on the likes of Brogdanovic and McBride. Embiid and Tyrese Maxey continue to look for support and may have found some in Oubre in game three with his 15 points. The Sixers have a great opportunity to knot the series at two games apiece today and will do so with the Knicks bench taking a major hit without Robinson.

Rating: 2 Units

The Golden Knights have won five of their last six games and six of their last seven home games. They are playing well offensively and scored 15 goals in their last four home games. They’ve also played well on special teams, converting over 20 percent of their power play opportunities. The Stars have done a good job of killing penalties but they’re not playing well defensively, giving up seven goals in their last two games, so expect them to have a hard time slowing down the Golden Knights in this game. The Stars have lost two straight games and three of their last five overall. They have struggled offensively and scored only six goals in their last three games. They have done a better job on special teams, converting over 24 percent of their power play opportunities. The Golden Knights have killed over 79 percent of their penalties and they’re playing well defensively, giving up eight goals in their last three games, so expect them to keep Dallas’ offense in check. Go with Vegas to cover the money line.

Rating: 2 Units

Jordan Hicks has not allowed more than two runs in a start this season. After three home starts, he has a 1.80 ERA. He is the most reliable force in this game and the reason that the Giants will have a lead after six innings. Pittsburgh's Martin Perez has been getting tagged lately (seven runs allowed in his last two starts), and the Giants have a .257 team batting average against lefties. Expect this offense to score a few runs early. San Francisco will hold on late against a slumping offense. 

Rating: 2 Units

Suarez (4-0, 1.36 ERA) has been the best pitcher on arguably the best starting staff in the majors. He shut down the Reds Monday night over seven innings of a 7-0 win in Cincinnati, allowing only two hits with a walk and five strikeouts. Suarez's current scoreless streak is the longest for a Phillies pitchers since another lefty, Cliff Lee, authored one that lasted 30 2/3 innings from Aug. 17-Sept. 10, 2011. Like Lee, Suarez succeeds more by mixing pitches instead of overpowering hitters. Suarez enters this game with a 2-0 record in five career outings against the Padres, two of them starts. He owns a 2.65 ERA in 17 innings, which doesn't include a win and save in the 2022 National League Championship Series.

Rating: 2 Units

The Denver Nuggets know how to win playoff games. Denver has won all three games and game three was their best performance of this series. This is not a good sign for the Lakers. The Nuggets are 5-0 in their last five playoff road games. While James and Davis have been solid, they don’t have the depth to beat this Nuggets squad as seen in game three. Aaron Gordon dropped 29 points for Denver. The Nuggets continue to dominate the boards. They have out-rebounded the Lakers in all three games including 51 boards compared to only 38 by the Lakers on Thursday. Los Angeles has not been able to score enough points in this series despite shooting 49% due to the rebounding margin. The Nuggets have held the Lakers to an average of 102 points in the series. They have now beaten the Lakers in 11 straight meetings.

Rating: 2 Units

I fully expect the Bruins to wave the goal tandem, at least for this series and have Jeremy Swayman in net on Saturday night. Swayman has had the Leafs number this season with five straight wins and a dazzling near-96 percent save percentage in the two playoff games. The Bruins have dominated special teams in the series, scoring on 50% of their power play opportunities while only allowing one goal in 11 penalty-killing opportunities. Captain Marchand has once again done his job and is completely in the heads of the Maple Leafs heading into game four. The veteran winger has been an expert at this throughout his career and will certainly continue to agitate the Leafs in game four. The Bruins have done a lot of this damage without a big series from leading scorer David Pastrnak, who has just one goal thus far, and he is likely a timebomb that will soon go off. Ride with the Bs until the Maple Leafs can solve Swayman.

Rating: 3 Units

The Lightning look to avoid a sweep but this series has been one-sided and I see the Panthers dominating this game on both ends of the ice. The Panthers, who have scored 11 goals in the series, should pile on the goals with Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, and the rest of the forward unit carrying the puck into the offensive zone and creating open shots with quick passes. The Panthers should limit the Lightning offense with Gustav Forsling, Brandon Montour, and the rest of the defensive unit creating turnovers in the defensive zone and limiting shots on the net, allowing goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to make plenty of big saves. The Panthers should win the game to sweep the series with a strong performance on the road.

Rating: 2 Units

St Louis has won 10 of its last 15 games played at Citi Field in the Big Apple against New York. St Louis has struggled a bit at the plate but on the mound has a 4.11 team ERA, which is not the best, but its ace on the staff will be on the mound Saturday. St Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray has had a strong beginning to his season, allowing 14 hits and just two runs in 16.1 innings pitched, with the Cardinals winning two of his three starts. The only loss St. Louis has suffered with Gray on the mound was 2-0 to Milwaukee. New York starting pitcher Adrian Houser has been inconsistent in four starts. The right-hander allowed a combined three runs in two starts but in the other two starts, allowed a combined 13 runs in 9 Innings pitched. New York has lost three of the four games that Houser has started this season.

Rating: 2 Units

Orlando has to play its best basketball to win again in game four, and while it won't win by double digits, I do believe it can cover the two-point spread. Cleveland didn't put up much of a fight in game three, and while it should compete better today, it won't be enough. Like they did in the first two games, the Magic kept the Cavaliers under their shooting average from long range. However, in game three, they easily dominated on the boards and kept Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen from scoring too many easy buckets at the rim. The return of Jalen Suggs was crucial, as he added 24 points on offense and helped make Mitchell (6-for-16) more uncomfortable than he was in the first two meetings. I don't expect too much to change in game four, with the Magic bullying the Cavaliers on their home floor to even up the series.

Rating; 2 Units

The Phillies have won eight of their last 10 games and three of their last five road games. They are playing well offensively and scored 17 runs in their last three road games. They will play well offensively in this game because they’ve hit the ball well against right-handers and Musgrove has been shaky on the mound in recent starts, giving up 10 runs in his last three starts. He gave up six runs in his last start against the Phillies and will have a hard time slowing them down in this game. The Padres have lost two of their last three home games. They struggled offensively during that stretch, scoring only six runs. Their offensive struggles will continue in this game because Nola has been dominant on the mound in recent starts, giving up five runs in his last four starts. He gave up four runs in his last two starts against the Padres and will keep their offense in check once again. 

Rating: 2 Units

The Tampa Bay Rays have not been at their best but this is a great spot to gain some confidence against the worst squad in baseball. The Chicago White Sox are rarely winning games, dropping nine of their last ten games. They could be on the way to 110 defeats this season. The Rays have Zach Eflin on the mound. The veteran has been dominant, posting 12.1 scoreless innings in his last two performances including a gem against the Yankees. He has conceded zero or one run in three of his last four outings. Chris Flexen has been shaky. He has been solid out of the 'pen but has surrendered 13 runs in 13.1 innings in his three starts this season.

Rating: 2 Units

If Demko was healthy for this game, the Canucks would be favored and likely would be up 2-0 in the series. Instead, he’s banged up and coach Rick Tocchet has said that DeSmith is going to be between the pipes for this contest. We saw how he struggled in the opener, stopping 12 of 15 shots before the empty net goal that closed the scoring. Vancouver was down a goal 74 seconds into the game and never managed to get even the rest of the way. With the backup goaltender between the pipes, Vancouver can’t be as freewheeling offensively as they usually are. Look for Nashville to feed off their home crowd and take Game 3 to earn the series lead.

Rating: 2 Units

These teams have clashed seven times since November. Indiana is 5-2, including a 2-0 home record, because they've scored more than 120 points in all but one of those meetings. Considering that the Bucks have only scored more than 115 points once in April (117 on April 10), this game does not bode well for them. As is, Milwaukee has plenty of issues on the road, hence their 18-22 (16-24-0 ATS) record in away games. With a cold offense, no Giannis Antetokounmpo, and a defense that can't contain the Pacers, the Bucks are in danger. Milwaukee's weak offensive rebounding also doesn't challenge Indiana's awful defensive rebounding, an area where they could get points back. Take the Pacers to win by more than five points again now that this series is in Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Rating: 2 Units

Lugo has been outstanding thus far with four quality starts of his five starts. He's kept the ball on the ground, thus avoiding big innings despite giving up 30 hits in 31 innings of work. He will benefit from a Tigers team that has not hit the ball well at home and keep them in the park thanks to the daunting dimensions at Comerica Park as well as the ability to keep the ball on the ground. The Royals have shown surprising pop despite a relatively no-name lineup this season. They have 28 home runs but, more importantly, they can generate runs with a lineup that has some speed to complement the power. Olson has yet to win a game this season, has a WHIP of 1.45, and has given up more hits than innings pitched thus far. Look for the Royals to generate runs with speed and execution and Lugo to once again stay out of the big inning.

Rating: 2 Units

It is truly now or never for the Sixers in game three at home vs. the Knicks. This should be an angry bunch after coughing up a five-point lead in the final 30 seconds of the game on Monday night. The Sixers can blame the refs but they also know that they were dominated on the glass and physically dominated down the stretch. The Sixers' defensive strategy against Brunson has worked brilliantly and the Sixers have held the Knicks offense in check overall. Back at home, I expect the Sixers to get better performances out of the likes of Oubre and Harris to ease the burden of Maxey and Embiid to lead the Sixers to win. Batum should also have a stronger game after being limited offensively in the first two games. The Knicks have been a bit lucky in the first two games, losing in each game before rallying to victory. 

Rating: 2 Units

Both goaltenders have played well in this series. The Panthers are just getting more shots on goal in the series, and the result has been them taking two, one-goal victories. The series has been close though and should continue to be so. The Lightning are now at home, where they have been much better. That will be the difference in game three, as they get the win.

Rating: 2 Units

The Magic lost Suggs for nearly all of game two, but he's ready to play in game three. If he's close enough to 100 percent healthy, he'll give Orlando a capable defender to chase Mitchell and a three-point threat on offense. I expect he and Gary Harris to play much better in today's environment, providing a boost for the home team. With reliable performances from complementary players, Orlando will figure it out offensively. Protecting the paint on defense is another key, as Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen have scored too many easy buckets at the rim. Considering how poorly the Cavs have shot the three-ball in both games, reducing rim scoring is crucial.

Rating: 2 Units

Colorado's downfall is on the mound as the Rockies are 30th or last in each of the following: ERA, WHIP and batting average allowed. The Rockies cannot offset that poor pitching with hitting as Colorado is just 14th in batting average and 20th in slugging percentage, while producing 88 runs which is only 23rd. San Diego on the other hand has the eighth best team batting average and has scored the seventh most runs, while carrying the 10th best slugging percentage. On the mound, San Diego holds its own with the 10th best team ERA and 14th best batting average allowed at just .234. San Diego starting pitcher Randy Vasquez is just 0-1, but has a 1.80 ERA after allowing just one earned run in five innings last Saturday versus Toronto but the Padres played poorly in the field as San Diego gave up three unearned runs while Vasquez was on the mound. Colorado starting pitcher Dakota Hudson has been hit hard in each of the last three starts allowing a combined 12 runs in just 14 innings and needless to say Colorado lost each of the three games.

Rating: 2 Units

Berrios (4-0, 0.85 ERA) hasn't allowed a run in his last three outings covering 19 2/3 innings. His overall scoreless-innings streak stands at 21 2/3 innings. After posting three consecutive wins, Berrios is off to the best start of his career. In 21 career starts against the Royals, Berrios is 7-5 with a 4.72 ERA, most recently going seven innings and allowing two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts in a 5-2 win on Sept. 10, 2023. Berrios has held Salvador Perez to a .200 average with just three extra-base hits -- all doubles -- in 40 at-bats. Cole Ragans (0-2, 4.32 ERA) will take the ball for Kansas City today. The left-hander recorded just five outs while matching a career high with seven runs allowed on nine hits in a 9-7 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday.

Rating: 2 Units

Peralta (2-0, 1.90 ERA) will hope to limit the bullpen's workload on Thursday. He is 2-1 with a 3.18 ERA in 20 career appearances, 11 starts, against Pittsburgh. In his past two outings combined, Peralta has allowed just one run on nine hits in 12 innings, with two walks and 18 strikeouts. Right-handed pitcher Mitch Keller (2-2, 4.80 ERA) is expected to get the nod on the mound for the Pirates. Keller is 0-4 with a 6.23 ERA in six career starts against the Brewers.

Rating: 2 Units

The Oilers controlled Game One and I see them dominating this game on both ends of the ice. The Oilers, who averaged 3.56 goals per game this season, should pile on the goals with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and the rest of the forward unit establishing a strong offensive zone presence and creating open shots with quick passes. The Oilers also look to limit the Kings' offense with Evan Bouchard, Mattias Ekholm, and the rest of the defensive unit creating turnovers at the blue line and limiting shots on the net, allowing goaltender Stuart Skinner to make plenty of big saves. The Oilers should win the game and cover the spread with a strong performance on their home ice to take a commanding 2-0 series lead.

Rating: 2 Units

There wasn’t a whole lot to write home about offensively in Game 1 for either side. Both teams shot below 45% from the field and under 33% from beyond the arc. There has to be some positive regression for both teams in this contest but the fact remains that New Orleans is going to have to control the glass as they did in Game 1 to keep them in the mix. Oklahoma City has the best player on the floor with Gilgeous-Alexander and if their youth shakes off the rough shooting night in the opening game of the series, they should take the victory at home. With that said, expect the Pelicans to keep it close and cover the line. Straight up, the Thunder are the call but getting this many points after hanging tough in the opener, take the Pelicans with the points.

Rating: 2 Units

The Twins have won three of their last five home games. They are playing well offensively and scored 12 runs in their last three home games. They will play well offensively in this game because Crochet has struggled on the mound in recent starts, giving up 14 runs in his last three starts. He gave up nine runs in his two road starts and will have a hard time slowing down the Twins in this game. The White Sox have lost five of their last six road games. They aren’t playing well offensively and scored only seven runs in their last four games. Their offensive struggles will continue in this game because they are batting under .200 against right-handers and Ryan has done a good job on the mound for the Twins, giving up 11 runs in four starts. He gave up six runs in three starts against the White Sox, and with Minnesota having the fourth-best bullpen in the league, they won’t have trouble keeping Chicago’s offense in check. 

Rating: 2 Units

Sox need a bullpen game and could be without Casas and possibly Devers. Carrasco fared well enough in his last start and while pitching against the same club in consecutive outings can be challenging, the Sox haven't had enough continuity in their lineup to expect an improved performance this time around. Besides, the veteran righty has looked much better since returning in 2024 and has an elite bullpen backing him up. Cleveland's pen sports a 2.11 ERA and 1.03 WHIP with the most Ks and fewest HR allowed. The Guardians will string together enough hits against Boston's group of relievers to outlast them at home. They rank fifth in hits, sixth in total bases, and ninth in stolen bases per game this year. They're crushing lefty pitchers (.304/.365/.469/.834) and have performed well under the lights (.267/.333/.434/.767), as well. 16-6 both straight-up and against the spread.

Rating: 2 Units

Montgomery (1-0, 1.50 ERA) won his first start for Arizona over the San Francisco Giants on Friday. He will make his second today as the Diamondbacks face the St. Louis Cardinals to close their three-game road series. The Cardinals won the series opener 5-3 on Monday and the Diamondbacks rolled to a 14-1 victory Tuesday. Montgomery, who spent the bulk of last season with the Cardinals before his trade to the Texas Rangers, went six innings in his first start for the Diamondbacks. He held the Giants to one run on four hits while striking out three and walking nobody. The Cardinals will start Kyle Gibson (1-2, 5.04), who delivered a quality start in his last outing, a 2-1, 10-inning loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday. Gibson allowed one run on three hits and four walks over six innings while getting in sync with catcher Willson Contreras. He is 3-3 with a 2.75 ERA in six career starts against the Diamondbacks.

Rating: 2 Units

The Avalanche look to even up the series but the Jets look to step up at home and control this game. The Jets, who averaged 3.16 goals per game, should create plenty of scoring chances with Kyle Connor, Adam Lowry, and the rest of the forward unit carrying the puck into the offensive zone and creating open shots with quick passes. The Jets, who allowed only 2.41 goals per game, should limit the Avalanche offense with Dylan DeMelo, Josh Morrissey, and the rest of the defensive unit creating turnovers in the defensive zone and limiting shots on the net, allowing goaltender Connor Hellebuyck to make plenty of big saves. The Jets should win the game to take a commanding series lead.

Rating: 2 Units

These teams are trending in opposite directions, and the same could be said for the starting pitchers. The Orioles are hot, they have won six of their last seven games, and lead the major leagues in home runs with 33 home runs. They have four more home runs than the team in second place, the Red Sox. The Orioles generate runs at a high level, they rank 5th in the majors in run production. The Angels have not fared so well, they have lost four straight, including getting swept by the Reds. The Angels are only 20th in run production, and have not been putting up the same numbers as Baltimore. The Orioles will start Rodriguez here, they are 4-0 in his starts. In the other dugout, the Angels are starting Canning, and they are 0-4 in his starts. There pitching stats gives a big edge to the Orioles, as Rodriguez has 11 more strikeouts, has given up two fewer home runs, and has a much better ERA at 2.64, while Cannings is 8.05.

Rating: 2 Units

The Colorado offense has stalled out, and will have a tough time keeping up with San Diego's offense in this one. The Rockies have only generated four runs over the past three games combined, and are taking on the Padres who are in the top ten in runs scored, home runs and batting average as a team. It is a landslide in almost all statistical categories, the Padres have outscored the Rockies 118-80 this season, with ten more home runs, and a much lower ERA. The Rockies have the worst ERA in all of baseball at 5.88, as the thin Denver air is hurting them more than it helps. Colorado's starter Feltner has an ERA over 5, and will struggle to get out of innings against Tatis, Machado and company. Michael King has been far better on the mound, even in his only loss he struck out ten batters and only allowed two hits. San Diego will cruise an an easy victory here.

Rating: 2 Units

Indiana's offense rarely gets held under 110 points, let alone 100. Game one was a welcome to the postseason for them, but they should be the same team that haunted the Bucks all regular season. As for Milwaukee, their offense's inability to score 110 points again is concerning. In a matchup that features two heavily offensive-minded squads, the Pacers are more trustworthy right now. Milwaukee can't take advantage of arguably Indiana's greatest defensive weakness, rebounding. Expect the Pacers to bounce back with a win.

Rating: 2 Units

The Panthers look to take a commanding series lead but the Lightning look to bounce back and take over this game from the first period. The Lightning, who averaged 3.51 goals per game this season, should create plenty of scoring chances with Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, and the rest of the forward unit controlling the puck in the offensive zone and creating open shots with quick passes. The Lightning should limit the Panthers' offense with Victor Hedman and Mathew Dumba stepping up at the blue line and cutting off angels to the net on the rush while limiting shots on the net, allowing goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy to make plenty of big saves. The Lightning should win the game to even up the series. 

Rating: 2 Units

Oakland has been playing much better since its 1-7 start to the season. It gutted out a clutch win on Monday with just four hits, holding New York scoreless with zero extra-base hits. Now, it turns to Blackburn, who has been rock solid in 2024 and has fared well against the Yankees in the past. Plus, the Yankees are slashing just .227/.335/.351/.686 at home and really need Aaron Judge (.174 BA and 31 Ks in 86 ABs) to break out of his slump soon. With Stroman on the bump, I like Oakland's odds of at least keeping the final score close. The Yankees' starter got off to a solid start but wasn't as sharp in his last two appearances, putting eight runners on base in each outing. He gave up a home run in each of these starts and fanned just two Blue Jays in his last appearance. The A's may not be the most intimidating offense, but they're playing with some confidence. As long as Blackburn can give his team six innings of quality pitching, I like the value of a bet on the A's.

Rating; 2 Units

The Los Angeles Lakers needed to beat the Pelicans in the play-in round just to get to this series. They were outmatched in game one. The Lakers struggled against the Nuggets this season, dropping all three meetings. These were not close games. All three defeats were by eight or more points and they dropped game one by 11 points. These combatants met in the conference finals last year with the Nuggets earning the dominating sweep. Denver has now beaten the Lakers in each of the last nine meetings. The Lakers rely on the scoring to win games but Denver has the better offensive rating and is the superior defensive squad by a big margin. Anthony Davis is not going to have his usual success considering he is up against Nikola Jokic. Davis only averaged nine boards against the Nuggets this season. Jokic averaged 29 points against the Lakers and scored 32 points in game one.

Rating: 2 Units

The Stars have won seven of their last eight home games. They are playing well offensively, scoring more than three goals per game at home. They’ve also played well on special teams, converting over 24 percent of their power play opportunities. The Golden Knights are good at killing penalties, but they’ve struggled defensively, giving up 16 goals in their last three road games, so expect them to have a hard time slowing down the Stars in this game. The Golden Knights have lost three straight road games and four of their last six road games. They have struggled offensively, scoring only eight goals in their last three road games. They’ve done a better job on special teams, converting over 20 percent of their power play opportunities. The Stars have killed over 80 percent of their penalties and they’re playing well defensively, giving up only five goals in their last three home games, so expect them to keep Vegas’ offense in check. Go with Dallas to cover the money line.

Rating: 2 Units

Grayson Rodriguez bullied the Angels in his season debut on March 30. He punched out nine across six frames while giving up just an earned run on four hits and a walk. Since then, Rodriguez has allowed two earned runs in each of his next three starts. On the other side, Reid Detmers met the O’s on the last day of March and fanned seven across five innings. He emerged victorious, allowing one earned run on two hits and three walks. Detmers has been outstanding so far this season, and Rodriguez has been nothing short of spectacular, too. I’m backing the Orioles to come out on top because of their offense. Baltimore has been killing the southpaws over the last ten days, posting a ridiculous 259 wRC+ in 76 plate appearances (.444/.474/.750 triple-slash).

Rating: 2 Units

The Rockies have not been winning many games this season, and they are not going to win games in back to back days, especially while taking on San Diego. The Padres have far more offensive firepower, they have big name stars in Tatis and Machado, as well as up and comers who have been producing in Profar and Merrill. The pitching edge goes to San Diego here, Cease has 27 strikeouts to just 11 walks while giving up only one home run, while Gomber only has 18 strikeouts and has given up four home runs in the same amount of starts. Even with their recent struggles, the Padres are still sixth in the majors in home runs. and the Rockies are dead last in team ERA at 6.06. San Diego gets back on track and opens up this series with a big win.

Rating: 2 Units

Toronto left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (1-1, 2.08 ERA) will take the mound to open the series. In seven career starts against the Royals, Kikuchi is 1-2 with a 6.37 ERA, earning the lone win on April 4, 2023, while allowing a run on three hits over five innings. Hunter Renfroe has a home run among three hits in five at-bats against Kikuchi. Right-hander Brady Singer (2-0, 1.54 ERA) will start for Kansas City today. Singer is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in three career starts against the Blue Jays, having won the most recent outing on April 3, 2023, while allowing a run on two hits in five innings. Varsho has a home run in five at-bats against Singer. The Royals have won all four of Singer's 2024 starts as he has allowed no more than two runs in any outing. All four runs allowed over 23 1/3 innings scored on homers. Singer's .163 opponent batting average ranks third in the American League. The development of a split-change has helped him induce more weak contact.

Rating: 2 Units

I'm going to lean on the Bruins again in game two. The goalie change should benefit a Bruins team that has stuck by the platoon goalie system in each of the last two regular seasons and has the most points in the NHL in that time. Ullmark, the defending Vezina Trophy winner, is certainly not a step down from Swayman and may benefit from actually watching the action in game one and seeing Swayman in action. The Bruins let up more shots than they are used to giving up in game one but some of that may be due to the desperation of the Leafs in the latter stages of the game after falling behind. The Bruins, as is their strength, took fewer shots overall but more quality shots. Leafs' goalie Samsonov is far from elite and did give up a couple of easy goals in this game. The Leafs will not win many if any, games if they score under three goals in this series. The Bruins should be able to once again control the pace, get ahead early, and dominate the neutral zone to pick up a 2-0 lead in this series.

Rating: 2 Units

It says a lot that the team with the higher seed and home-court advantage is the underdog in this one. Indiana had their number all season long. Also, Giannis Antetokounmpo, the best player in this series for either team, is unlikely to suit up for the Bucks due to a calf injury. Milwaukee's main issue is that they can't exploit Indiana's weak defensive rebounding. The Pacers' offense is too explosive and efficient to let those opportunities slip. That's without accounting for the fact that the Bucks' defense isn't much better. Take Indiana to beat the tight spread in game one.

Rating: 2 Units

Not having Leonard is a massive blow to the Clippers and without their top defender, it means they'll have issues slowing down the Doncic-Irving combination. Adding in that Harden is probable but battling an injury, means they could be without another key scorer too. Dallas has leaned heavily on the three-point shot, which translates well to the road and against the Clippers, who have taken a back seat on the defensive end. Before the back-to-back losses to end the season, Dallas had covered the spread in seven of their previous eight games, as they return to that trend to kickoff the playoffs.

Rating: 2 Units

The Tigers have won two of their last three road games. They are playing well offensively and scored 16 runs in their last three games. They will play well offensively in this game because Varland hasn’t looked good on the mound for the Twins, giving up 15 runs in three starts. He gave up six runs in his last start against the Tigers and will have a hard time slowing them down in this game. The Twins have lost six of their last eight games. They have struggled offensively and scored nine runs in their last three games. Their offensive struggles will continue in this game because they are batting under .200 against right-handers and Mize has been solid on the mound, giving up seven runs in three starts. He gave up five runs in two road starts and with Detroit having the best bullpen in the league, they will keep Minnesota’s offense in check. Go with Detroit to cover the money line.

Rating: 2 Units

Stripling hasn’t earned a win in the majors since the 2022 campaign as he was 0-5 with the Giants last season ahead of being 0-4 this year. The A’s have hung tough early on this season and have been better than expected in the early going. Cleveland got the win in the opening game of this series as they were solid with runners in scoring position, going four of seven in those situations. The Guardians have had a lot of success in the early going this season and if Bibee can throw more strikes than he has in the early going, Cleveland should be in good shape here. Look for the Guardians to earn the victory in this contest.

Rating: 2 Units

Philadelphia will hand the ball to right-hander Aaron Nola (2-1, 3.47 ERA), who will have a tough act to follow after Zach Wheeler flirted with a no-hitter on Saturday. Against the Rockies last Monday, Nola gave up four hits and one run with nine strikeouts and one walk over 7 1/3 innings. He did not factor into the decision as the Phillies won 2-1 in 10 innings. The White Sox will turn to right-hander Nick Nastrini (0-1, 3.60 ERA) on the mound. Nola is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA in one career start against the White Sox. Despite scoring five runs in the ninth inning Saturday, the White Sox still fell to 3-17 for the worst 20-game start in franchise history.

MLB Free Pick - Tampa Bay at NYY

Although they are 14-7 in their first 21 games, the Yankees are 2-4 in their past six games. During that span, New York had a four-run ninth in Wednesday's 6-4 victory at Toronto, then put together a five-run seventh on Friday. Right-hander Aaron Civale (2-1, 2.74 ERA), who has completed six innings in three of his first four starts of the season, concludes the series for the Rays. Civale last pitched on Tuesday, when he took a no-decision after allowing three runs on five hits in six innings of Tampa Bay's 7-6 win over the Los Angeles Angels. Civale was acquired from the Cleveland Guardians ahead of last season's trade deadline. Yankee starter, Right-hander Luis Gil (0-1, 3.86) hopes he can display better command of the strike zone when he makes his 11th career start on Sunday. Gil has walked 14 in 14 innings across his first three outings. He issued seven free passes in five innings on Monday, also allowing three runs and three hits while taking a loss against the Toronto Blue Jays.

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Rating: 2 Units

The offense was great but the defense led the Panthers all season, allowing only 2.41 goals per game. Gustav Forsling and Niko Mikkola combined for 12.5 defensive point shares and 226 blocked shots while Aaron Ekblad, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Dmitry Kulikov combined for 12.3 defensive point shares to add depth to the unit. In addition, goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky put together a remarkable season with a .915 save percentage and a 2.37 goals-against average on 1584 shots with 18.1 goals saved above average.

Rating: 2 Units

Who will start in net for the Bruins may not be as big a factor as it may appear. Both Swayman and Ullmark are above-average goalies and either gives the Bruins a significant edge over Toronto's #1 goalie Illya Samsonov. Samsonov finished 38th in the NHL in GAA this season and just 45th in save percentage this season. Both Ullmark and Swayman finished in the top 10 in save percentage this season. Toronto has a huge edge offensively but Boston will have the advantage of the return of Patrick Maroon from his back surgery near the end of the season. His size and strength could be significant for Boston, particularly in the defensive zone against the likes of Matthews and others. Both teams come into this game cold with the Leafs losing each of their last four games and the Bruins losing three of four. The Bruins do have the edge in the head-to-head matchup having gone 2-0-2 this season against the Leafs and remaining undefeated against them in their last seven meetings. The Bruins will need to protect the puck in their end and be physical with Matthews every chance they get. I'll take the Bruins here thanks to their ability to get quality shots on net, the Leafs struggles protecting the net, and the Bruins dominance in net.

Rating: 2 Units

In four starts, Texas pitcher Nathan Eovaldi has allowed eight runs in 24 ⅔ innings but five of those eight were in just one start, while holding three opponents to just three runs across 18 ⅔ innings. Atlanta starter Charlie Morgan has been roughed up in each of the last two outings, allowing 10 runs in 10 ⅔ innings while striking out 12 but walking six. Atlanta will play without second baseman Ozzie Albies, who thus far this season has five doubles, two home runs and 14 RBIs. Albies production at the plate will be missed in this series with Texas. Texas has won 16 of its last 20 played on the road and the Rangers have won four of the last six played on the road against Atlanta. The Braves have struggled a bit on the mound with a team ERA of 4.41 and WHIP of 1.33. Saturday's starting pitcher for Atlanta, Morton has an ERA that is even higher than the team average at 5.29.

Rating: 2 Units

I fully expect this to be a long series between the two teams. I like the Knicks in game one with what should be a sizable chip on their collective shoulders. The Knicks are relatively healthy coming in with Anunoby back at full strength and their two-headed monster at center, Isaiah Hartenstein and Mitchell Robinson, both ready to go and lean on Embiid as often as possible. The Sixers did a great job at the deadline at adding pieces that will be critical to their playoff success. Hield and Lowry give the team more depth in the backcourt and more bodies to throw at Brunson, who is critical to the Knicks' success. Anunoby and Josh Hart should be able to minimize the effectiveness of the likes of Oubre, Tobias Harris, and even Nicolas Batum. The series may ultimately be decided by the winner of the matchup between Tyrese Maxey and Brunson. In game one, I like Brunson to prevail in that matchup and the Knicks others, like Hart and DiVincenzo, to do enough to tilt this game in their favor.

Rating: 2 Units

Diamondbacks’ starter Zac Gallen has been dominant, allowing zero or one run in three of his four outings this season. He issued six scoreless innings against the Cardinals in his previous outing. The Diamondbacks have won in three of his four starts. Giants’ starter Kyle Harrison is an inexperienced pitcher. He has given up 10 runs in his last 17 innings pitched.

Rating: 2 Units

Chicago will turn to right-hander Javier Assad (2-0, 2.16 ERA) for the opener of the twin bill. Assad's latest start was also against Seattle, and he came away with a victory after allowing two runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings on Sunday. Assad has never faced Miami in his career. Going up against a pair of pitchers with sub-2.20 ERAs could pose a challenge for the Marlins, who fell to 4-16 on the season with an 8-3 loss to the Cubs on Friday. Miami totaled six hits in the setback, with three of them coming in the ninth inning. Southpaw Jesus Luzardo (0-2, 7.65 ERA) will attempt to keep Chicago at bay in Game 1 of the Saturday doubleheader. Luzardo escaped with a no-decision against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday despite surrendering five runs and seven hits in five innings.