Rating: 2 Units

With former Brewers ace Corbin Burnes pitching for the Baltimore Orioles and Brandon Woodruff recovering from shoulder surgery, Freddy Peralta has emerged as Milwaukee's staff ace. Peralta (2-0, 2.55 ERA) has been up to the task while striking out 26 batters and walking two in 17 2/3 innings in three starts. He will face a Cardinals lineup that is failing to generate much offense. The Cardinals have scored three runs or fewer in five straight games and in 10 of their past 11. While Peralta has been on point for the Brewers, Kyle Gibson (1-2, 6.16 ERA) has struggled for the Cardinals since signing as a free agent. He has allowed five homers in 19 innings over his three starts. Gibson took the loss in his last start on Saturday. He allowed four runs on six hits -- including Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s three-run homer -- and three walks in six innings against the Diamondbacks. Gibson is 1-2 with a 5.44 ERA in eight career starts against the Brewers.

Rating: 2 Units

The surprising A's begin a three-game series and 10-game road trip when they face the Cleveland Guardians on Friday. Oakland begins the series on a hot streak after winning seven of its past 11 games, including a 6-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday. The Athletics will send rookie right-hander Joe Boyle (1-2, 5.68 ERA) to the mound in the series opener. He allowed one run on five hits and one walk over five innings in a 3-1 loss to the Washington Nationals last Saturday. Boyle, 24, went 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA in three starts with the A's last season. He is making his first appearance against the Guardians. Cleveland will counter with right-hander Triston McKenzie (1-2, 6.23), who is looking to bounce back after giving up six runs (five earned) on four hits and six walks over four innings in an 8-2 loss to the New York Yankees last Saturday. The 26-year-old McKenzie has struck out five batters and issued 12 walks in his first three outings covering 13 innings.

Rating: 2 Units

The Heat stole a win from the Bulls' clutches in last year's Play-In Tournament and robbed the Bulls of a chance at the playoffs. This season, the Bulls look like a motivated team heading back to South Beach. The potential loss of Butler for the Heat is far more significant than the potential loss of Caruso for the Bulls. While Caruso has been a solid distributor and reliable defender, Butler is the heart and soul of the Heat. Butler nearly carried the Heat to a title last year and his ability to isolate greatly enhanced the play of the Bulls role players. The Bulls will have to lean on Bam Adebayo if Butler is unable to go. He averaged 22 points per game in three games against the Bulls this season. The Bulls have two players that can drive their offense in DeRozan and White. DeRozan averaged 22 points per game vs. the Heat this season and will certainly benefit if Butler is unable to go and defend him. White averaged over 20 points per game vs. the Heat and will either be covered by a banged-up Terry Rozier, who missed the Sixers' game with a sore neck, or possibly Herro, a defensive liability. Chicago would be more exposed without Caruso against a team that plays at a high-level offensively but the Heat are not that team, certainly not without Butler. The Bulls will avenge last year's loss and move on to face the Celtics this weekend.

Rating: 2 Units

Right-hander Jameson Taillon will finally make his season debut today when the host Chicago Cubs open a four-game set with the Miami Marlins. After a strong season with the New York Yankees in 2022, Taillon took a step back with Chicago in 2023, going 8-10 with a 4.84 ERA. He went 4-6 with a 4.62 ERA at home, and only one of those wins came before the All-Star break. Activated from the 15-day injured list on Thursday, Taillon (back) is 2-0 with a glistening 0.54 ERA in three career starts against Miami. Left-hander A.J. Puk (0-3, 5.91 ERA) will try to slow down Busch and the Cubs when he makes his fourth start of the campaign today. Puk had never started a game prior to this season, and he hasn't had a smooth transition into his new role. In each of his first three outings this year, Puk has lasted no longer than 4 2/3 innings, a mark he reached on April 9 in a loss to the New York Yankees. Puk yielded two runs (one earned) on four hits and five walks against New York. Puk is 1-1 with a 6.00 ERA in four career relief appearances against Chicago.

Rating: 2 Units

I like the value of a bet on the Diamondbacks ML at roughly +150 odds. Webb hasn't been terrible, but he's put too many runners on base this season (17 in his last two starts combined). He isn't striking out a lot of batters, either (five or fewer Ks in all four starts). Arizona has plenty of offensive weapons and is averaging 5.7 runs per game. Given the Giants' struggles on offense, I don't expect Nelson to struggle much. San Francisco has scored three or fewer runs in eight of its last twelve games and is slashing .233/.307/.370/.677 vs. right-handed pitchers this season. Webb may be the bigger name, but I believe Nelson will hold his own. With early run support, he should last long enough to give his tired bullpen a rest. Besides, I'm not confident the Giants will have better luck against the D-Backs' pen. If anything, bettors should be wary of the home team's relief group (5.05 ERA).

Rating: 2 Units

Seattle will face Wild veteran goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. The 39-year-old Fleury was set to become a free agent this offseason, with questions swirling around about his future in recent weeks. Fleury and the team put an end to those questions when the netminder signed a one-year, $2.5 million extension for the 2024-25 season on Wednesday. Fleury is 17-14-5 with a 2.98 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage in 39 games (35 starts) this season. He ranks second all-time with 561 career victories, and he is one of only four goaltenders to appear in at least 1,000 games. Fleury has faced the Kraken seven times in his career. He is 5-1-1 with a 1.98 GAA and a .935 save percentage in those contests. Seattle could turn to Joey Daccord (18-18-11, 2.45 GAA) or Philipp Grubauer (14-16-2, 2.85 GAA) in net. Daccord has faced Minnesota twice in his career. He is 0-2-0 with a 4.52 GAA and a .842 save percentage in those games. Grubauer has gone up against the Wild 17 times. He is 9-7-0 with a 2.95 GAA and a .894 save percentage. This is the third meeting between the teams this season. The Wild won the first two contests on the road -- a 3-0 win on Dec. 10 and a 5-2 victory on Feb. 24.

Rating: 2 Units

This is truly a fascinating first-round matchup that pits two of the best coaches in the NBA against one another. Few coaches understand how to navigate the playoffs and exploit mismatches better than Heat head coach Eric Spoelstra. On the other side of the court, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse is acutely aware of how to carefully navigate through the playoffs with an injured superstar, as he proved with Kawhi Leonard when the pair won a title with Toronto several seasons ago. With the coaching matchup even, this game will likely come down to talent. In that regard, I'm giving the edge to the Sixers in this one. Embiid is a rather large x-factor for the Heat to try to work around. He has a decided-size advantage over Adebayo in the paint and has looked extremely healthy since returning. The two teams split the season series this year at 2-2 but Embiid missed three of those games. He will force the Heat to either allow him to go one-on-one with Bam or double him which will free up an array of shooters the Sixers have at their disposal. As good as Jimmy Butler is in the playoffs, the Sixers are uniquely suited to at least give him problems with a ton of athletic twos and threes to put on him. Nurse understands that Embiid likely has only so many bullets in the gun for these playoffs and will likely play all out here to avoid having to play a second play-in game. The Heat have been there and done that having played two play-in games last year. The Sixers won't have to worry about that.

Rating: 2 Units

Toronto is scheduled to start struggling Kevin Gausman (0-2, 11.57 ERA) today against fellow right-hander and former Blue Jay Marcus Stroman (1-1, 2.12). Stroman is 0-0 with an 0.82 ERA in two career starts vs. Toronto. This will be the second time Stroman has pitched in Toronto since he was traded to the New York Mets during the 2019 season. He held the Blue Jays to one run over five innings with the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 30, 2022. Gausman is 10-8 with a 3.27 ERA in 32 career outings (26 starts) against the Yankees. He allowed six runs (five earned) over 1 1/3 innings in a 9-8 loss in New York on April 6. He followed that last Friday by permitting six runs on 10 hits over 3 2/3 frames to the Colorado Rockies in a 12-4 loss.

Rating: 2 Units

Atlanta has won seven of the last 10 and 10 of the first 15 to start the season. Houston has lost five of the last seven and dating back to last season have lost 15 in the last 20 at home. At the plate, Atlanta is first in team batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, while third in runs scored. Houston is next to last in team ERA at 5.35 and 28th in batting average allowed (.265). Atlanta starting pitcher Max Fried is coming off a solid outing in which the left-hander gave up four hits and one run in 6 plus innings last Friday with Atlanta defeating Miami 8-1.  Houston starting pitcher J.P. France is off to a slow start. Across three outings, the right-hander has allowed 14 runs in 15 plus innings while striking out 12 but walking seven. Houston has lost each of France’s three starts.  As mentioned twice previously, Houston is playing without four starting pitchers from last season's starting rotation, due to injuries, which puts more pressure on both the starting rotation and bullpen.

Rating: 2 Units

The Royals are off to a great start this season and part of that success is due to the return to form of starting pitcher Singer. Singer has found his strikeout pitch again after struggling in 2023 with just 133 strikeouts. He is well ahead of that pace this year and looks like a top-two starter in the rotation. The Royals are hitting home runs at a fast pace already with 20 on the season and that doesn't bode well for White Sox starter Fedde. Fedde has already given up five home runs in just three starts this season. The White Sox, as a team, are hitting just .200 as team this season and have struck out 132 times as a team.

Rating: 2 Units

Oakland’s lineup is one of the worst in baseball. The current Athletics are only 10-for-43 with three home runs and four RBI against Lance Lynn. The A’s own an 85 wRC+ against the right-handed pitchers in April, so it’s hard to trust them in this matchup. I cannot take the A’s even though their bullpen has been terrific so far this month. The Cardinals have a 98 wRC+ against the southpaws in April and are 4-for-11 with a home run and two RBI versus JP Sears. Their bullpen has registered a strong 2.23 ERA and 2.63 FIP so far this month (40.1 innings pitched), so I’m backing the Cards to come out on top.  

Rating: 2 Units

The Lakers are only getting 1.5 points on the spread, if you are going to back LeBron here, the money line is the play. This will be the brightest lights of the season, as everyone will tune in to see who will advance in this Play-In Tournament game, and looking at the stars, only LeBron and AD have proven they can play on the biggest stage. Zion is having a strong finish to the year, and is finally healthy, but his game is still relatively one-dimensional, designed on attacking the rim and scoring in the paint. The Lakers are huge inside, Anthony Davis is one of the best post defenders in the league, and LeBron always has the opportunity to switch onto him late if needed. LeBron is more perimeter oriented, but he is three inches taller than Zion and still an elite defender when he wants to be. The Lakers have gone big in recent lineups, starting Hachimura, and bringing the athletic big Jaxson Hayes off the bench. The Lakers won three of four matchups against the Pelicans this season, and they cannot afford trying to dodge Denver and putting themselves in a must win next game. The Lakers get their spot in the playoffs in this one.

Rating: 2 Units

These teams are going in different directions after this game as the Senators are heading to the golf course with another disappointing campaign. Boston is heading to the postseason and looking to make a run. The Bruins are a solid 24-10-6 on home ice this season while Ottawa entered Monday 15-22-2 as the visiting team this season. Ottawa has mustered just six goals in the last four meetings with the Bruins and with nothing to play for here, it will be interesting to see what kind of performance we get from the visitors. Boston is the better team and will want to stay focused with the postseason looming. Give the advantage to the Bruins on home ice in this contest.

Rating: 2 Units

The Giants split their last four games. They are playing well offensively and scored 16 runs in their last three road games. Expect them to pay well offensively in this game because they have crushed left-handed pitching this season and Weathers has been shaky on the mound, giving up six runs in three starts. He gave up three runs in his lone home start, and with Miami having the third-worst bullpen in the league, they will have a hard time slowing down the Giants in this game. The Marlins have lost nine of their last 10 home games. They are playing well offensively and scored 13 runs in their last three home games. But, they will struggle offensively in this game because they haven’t hit the ball well against right-handers and Hicks has been brilliant on the mound this season, giving up three runs in three starts. He gave up one run in his lone start against the Marlins and will keep their offense in check. Go with San Francisco to cover the money line.

Rating: 2 Units

Sonny Gray's first start as a Cardinal was strong, and he'll return home as a pitcher that limits damage consistently. Behind him is a solid bullpen. Against an Athletics offense that is still among MLB's worst, expect St. Louis' pitching to keep Oakland in check. Meanwhile, the Cardinals will get hits off Ross Stripling, as his H/9 (13.0) is the reason that Oakland keeps losing his starts. St. Louis will get runs early and often. They should parlay that into a multi-run victory on the road.

Rating: 2 Units

The White Sox will send right-hander Nick Nastrini to make his major league debut today. Nastrini, 24, was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers ahead of last year's trade deadline for right-handers Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly. Nastrini has made two starts at Triple-A Charlotte, going 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA. He made five appearances (three starts) in spring training this year, going 0-1 with a 3.77 ERA. The Royals will send right-hander Seth Lugo (2-0, 1.45 ERA), who will be making his fourth start of the season. In his most recent start last Wednesday night against the Houston Astros, Lugo earned his second win of the year, allowing two runs on seven hits in six innings, striking out two. Lugo, who is 1-0 with a 1.23 ERA in his career against Chicago, will be making his second career start (third appearance) against the White Sox. Lugo allowed one run on eight hits over 6 2/3 innings, striking out three and walking two against the White Sox on April 4 to earn his first win with Kansas City.

Rating: 2 Units

The Milwaukee Brewers will look to bounce back behind resurrected right-hander Joe Ross when they host the San Diego Padres today in the opener of a short three-game homestand. Ross (1-0, 1.80 ERA), who missed most of the last two seasons after a second Tommy John surgery, makes his third start for Milwaukee. Right-hander Joe Musgrove (1-2, 6.87), who gave up one hit over eight innings the last time he faced the Brewers, gets the nod for the Padres. Musgrove was charged with four runs on five hits in four innings in his most recent start, a 5-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday. He allowed a leadoff homer in the fifth then left three batters later with the bases loaded. Reliever Stephen Kolek then surrendered a grand slam to the first batter he faced. Musgrove is 1-3 with a 4.04 ERA in eight career starts vs. Milwaukee.

Rating: 2 Units

This one is a game that has meaning for both teams, even with Boston locked into a postseason berth. The Bruins are still battling with the Panthers for the top spot in the Atlantic Division standings as they hold a single point advantage over Florida with a game in hand. Meanwhile, Washington is fighting for a playoff spot and it’s going to be a brawl over these final few days. The Capitals are a gritty team but you have to wonder if that six-game losing skid may have been too much for them to overcome. Boston is a veteran team with plenty of experience in big games. Look for the Bruins to go on the road and lock down the Atlantic Division crown by prevailing in this contest.

Rating: 2 Units

There are several game-time decisions on both squads with key players that could affect the outcome of this game. However, given that this is the last game of the season, don't be surprised if the vast majority of those players miss this game. Either way, the best player on the floor for both teams, Victor Wembanyama, is available for the Spurs and that will make all the difference. The odds-on favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award has been brilliant down the stretch on both ends of the floor. He's dominated the paint on defense and taken on more of a scoring role offensively. The Spurs come in with a lot of momentum after their upset win over the Nuggets on Friday night and I expect them to end on a high note here.

Rating: 2 Units

The Rockets have won two of their last three games and nine of their last 11 road games. They are playing well offensively and scored more than 118 points per game in their last three games. They’ve also done a good job at the charity stripe, making over 83 percent of their free throws. They rebound the ball well and grab more than 12 offensive rebounds per game on the road, which will lead to extra-scoring chances. They also cut down their turnovers in recent games and won’t give the Clippers a lot of easy-scoring opportunities. The Clippers have struggled defensively, giving up more than 112 points per game at home, so expect them to have a hard time slowing down the Rockets in this game. The Clippers have won four of their last six games, but they dropped their last two home games. They’re not playing well offensively and scored less than 110 points per game in their last three games. They don’t rebound the ball as well as the Rockets and won’t get a lot of extra-scoring chances against them. They’ve also been careless with the ball, which will lead to easy-scoring opportunities for the Rockets, who average more than seven steals per game. Even though the Rockets have struggled defensively, they played better in their last three games and they will be facing Los Angeles’ reserves in this game, so expect them to keep the Clippers’ offense in check. Go with Houston to cover the spread.

Rating: 2 Units

Chicago isn't going anywhere, but Cincinnati could be on the verge of a breakout season. The Reds have power, potential, and pitching — the White Sox have none of those things. The visitors will jump on Soroka early, giving Ashcraft the run support necessary to turn in a quality start. The Reds' SP hasn't been lights out, but he has fanned 11 batters in 11.1 IP and held the Phillies to two earned runs in his season debut. After facing Philadelphia and Milwaukee, he should find it much easier to work through the Sox lineup.

Rating; 2 Units

This Marlins squad has been miserable at home. Not only are they winless, but all but one of those defeats came by multiple runs. Matching up a struggling Jesus Luzardo, who has started three losses, against an Atlanta offense that's arguably MLB's best, is a nightmare matchup. Charlie Morton's lone road start of 2024 was what every team wants, scoreless. The Braves' bullpen has had issues, but Miami's offense is among MLB's weakest. This is another game where they can succeed. 

Rating: 2 Units

The Brewers have been road warriors this season. They have won three straight road games and six of their last seven overall. They are playing well offensively and scored 27 runs in their last three road games. Expect them to play well offensively in this game because they feasted on right-handed pitching this season and they’re batting over .290 against righties. Even though Corbin has pitched well this season, he hasn't been as sharp at home, and with Baltimore’s bullpen struggling in recent games, they will have a hard time slowing down the Brewers in this game. The Orioles have lost two of their last three home games. They are struggling offensively, scoring only six runs in their last three home games. Their offensive struggles will continue in this game because Rea has done a good job on the mound for the Brewers, giving up three runs in two starts. He didn’t give up a run in his lone start against the Orioles last season and will keep their offense in check. Go with Milwaukee to cover the money line.

Rating: 2 Units

The Bucks feel confident in securing the two seed in the Eastern Conference race and with that, they could sit out a few players. Giannis has already been ruled out and that alone could be enough to take them out of a rhythm on both ends. For Orlando, they expect to have a near full complement of players and it'll be great for them to grab a win and finish the season strong. With a win against the Bucks already under their belts, they'll be confident in being able to replicate that in this one. Orlando has covered the spread in two of three meetings this season between these two, as they make it a third time in this one.

Rating: 2 Units

The Blues (42-33-5, 89 points) hope to use this season's strong finish as a springboard to better things in 2024-25. They have gone 10-4-2 in their past 16 games despite falling 5-2 to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday. Today marks the third and final meeting between the teams this season. The Blues are 2-0 against the Kraken.

Rating: 2 Units

Arizona starter Ryne Nelson has an 8.33 ERA. The Diamondbacks have lost five of the last seven, five of the last six at home versus St Louis and Arizona is 2-4 in its last six against an opponent from the National League. St Louis is 14-6 in the last 20 versus Arizona and 5-1 in the last six on the road against the Diamondbacks. St. Louis is a solid 3.99 in team ERA. Arizona is allowing opponents to hit .246 and before winning two straight had lost five straight, allowing five runs or more in each of the five losses. Arizona is 25th in errors per game, committing an average of 0.85.

Rating: 2 Units

The Bruins have won five of their last seven games and three straight road games. They are playing well offensively and scored 10 goals in their last three road games. They have also played well on special teams, converting over 22 percent of their power play opportunities. The Penguins are great at killing penalties, but their defense is a liability, with the team giving up 11 goals in their last three home games, so expect them to have a hard time slowing down the Bruins in this game. The Penguins have won five of their last six games. They are paying well offensively, scoring 14 goals in their last three home games. They haven’t been as good on special teams, converting less than 15 percent of their power play opportunities. The Bruins have killed over 82 percent of their penalties and they’re playing well defensively, giving up only three goals in their last three road games, so expect them to keep Pittsburgh’s offense in check. Go with Boston to cover the money line.

Rating: 2 Units

Tampa Bay is 4-1 in the last five games, while San Francisco is 3-7 in the last 10 games, and 2-4 in the last six in the six versus Tampa Bay. San Francisco has lost nine of the last 12 in April. Tampa Bay starter Ryan Pepiot was hit hard in his first outing, but bounced back strong last time out when holding Colorado, at Coors Field, to three hits and no runs in six innings. Logan Webb has allowed nine runs in 19 ⅔ innings for an ERA of nearly 5.00. San Francisco’s team ERA is 27th at 5.06 and is allowing teams to average .262 at the plate. Tampa Bay’s Isaac Paredes is off to a strong start with four home runs and 10 RBIs.

Rating: 2 Units

Philadelphia has fared much better against left-handed pitchers (.277 BA/.358 OBP/.361 SLG/.719 OPS) than right-handers this season (.208/.283/.350/.633), and while Gonzales has pitched well in his first two outings, his track record isn't reliable. He has been home run-prone during his career, allowing 29 long balls in 2021 and 30 in 2022. The home team's powerful lineup will inflict damage on the lefty hurler's ERA early in tomorrow's game, building a lead for Turnbull. Philly's pen has performed poorly this season, but with a comfortable lead, Turnbull should last long enough to take pressure off of it.

Rating: 2 Units

Cincinnati is not off to the best start but it's playing one of the weakest teams in baseball, as the White Sox have been decimated by injuries. Chicago is without Eloy Jimenez, Yoan Moncada, Luis Robert and Max Stassi, who all contribute considerably at the plate. The loss of several players for Chicago has resulted in the White Sox being 25th in slugging percentage, 26th in team batting average and 29th in runs scored, averaging 2.42 runs per game. Chicago has lost 12 of its last 14. Cincinnati starting pitcher Andrew Abboitt has had two solid outings allowing 10 hits and five runs in 10 ⅓ innings. In contrast, Chicago starting pitcher Chris Flexen has allowed seven earned runs in 10 ⅔ innings resulting in losses to Atlanta and Kansas City. Flexen has a 5.91 ERA.

Rating; 2 Units

With the two-seed still within arm's reach, New York will play spirited basketball in front of its home crowd on Friday. The Knickerbockers are getting right just in time for the NBA playoffs, as the return of OG Anunoby has cemented their status as an elite Eastern Conference team. In the last matchup with the Nets, NY's defense was the story. Brooklyn scored just 93 points, as it shot 12-for-35 from three-point range and was outscored 48-35 in the paint. The Nets also committed 15 turnovers and gave up 18 fast break points. Bettors can expect more of the same on Friday at MSG, as New York's interior defense is tough (6th in opponent rim FG%) and Brooklyn struggles from the mid-range (27th in mid-range FG%), which puts too much pressure on it to hit three-pointers. The Knicks will win the battle for NYC, securing a double-digit victory tonight at The Mecca!

Rating: 2 Units

The Royals have won seven straight games. They’ve been on a roll offensively and scored 28 runs in their last three games. Expect them to play well offensively in this game because they’ve hit the ball well against right-handers this season and Severino struggled in his first home start, giving up six runs in the loss to Milwaukee. Even though he is 3-1 against the Royals, he didn’t pitch well in recent starts against them, giving up 13 runs in his last three starts against Kansas City, so expect him to have a hard time slowing them down in this game. The Mets have won five of their last seven games. They have also played well offensively, scoring 29 runs in their last three games. But, they will struggle offensively in this game because they’re batting under .200 against right-handers and Wacha has looked good on the mound for the Royals, giving up only three runs in two starts. He is 5-3 against the Mets and gave up 10 runs in his last four starts against them. With Kansas City’s bullpen playing well at the moment, they won’t have a hard time keeping New York’s offense in check. Go with Kansas City to cover the money line.

Rating: 2 Units

This is a tough scheduling spot for the Orioles, as they were on the road and playing well into the night against Boston before having to travel home to take on the well rested Brewer team. On top of that, Milwaukee has the best power hitter, and the better pitcher in the matchup. Christian Yelich has more home runs that the top two Orioles combined, he has been excellent lately and is fueling this Milwaukee attack. This will be bad news for Tyler Wells, as he lost both of his starts this season, allowing at least three runs and a home run in each of his two starts. Peralta has been much better for the Brewers, and has struck out 15 while only walking two, with the Brewers winning each of his two starts. The Brewers will steal the first game here on the road.

Rating: 2 Units

They say it is hard to beat the same team three times in a season. Well, how does that expression change when a team has already beaten them four times in a row, and are going for their fifth? It seems the Pelicans just have Sacramento's number. De'Aaron Fox averages 8 points under his average against New Orleans this season, as he is at 26 per game on the season, but only averages 18 against the Pelicans. The Pelicans also have the most to play for in this game, as they have the most realistic chance to stay in the six-seed with a win, while Sacramento would need many other results to fall their way to get up to 6th. Sacramento has not been the same team without Huerter and Monk, as they have lost three of their last four. Malik Monk was important to the Kings at crunchtime, and leaves Fox alone as the sole shot creator on the perimeter. Zion is healthy and is starting to show that potential he flashed years ago, and CJ McCollum is on fire, scoring at least 29 in his past four games.

Rating; 2 Units

Both teams are entrenched in the postseason field in the Western Conference. Dallas owns the top spot in the Central Division while Winnipeg is dueling with the Avalanche to try and lock down home ice advantage in what will be a highly entertaining first-round series. The Stars have been rock solid at home, posting a 24-10-4 mark this season, though the Jets are one of the league’s elite road teams (23-13-3) so they won’t be rattled playing in front of a raucous crowd. Dallas has had the upper hand in this series of late, earning points in nine of the last 10 meetings. Look for the Stars to sweep the season series by prevailing in this contest.

Rating: 2 Units

The Celtics do not have any motivation to win this game tonight. While the Knicks are fighting for the best possible spot in the playoff standings, Boston is already locked into the #1 spot in the Eastern Conference. With that in mind, the current designation of Porzingis and Horford as game-time decisions seems to be a bit translucent. You can almost guarantee that both will again be absent for this game given the intensity the Knicks will bring to this game and the Celtics not wanting to risk injury to their two big men. The Knicks' Brunson is playing himself into a likely top-five MVP finish with his play and he will do his best here to will the Knicks to win. I like the Knicks to bring the intensity and purpose of a team still fighting for the best seed and the Celtics being unable or even unwilling to match that intensity in a meaningless game for them.

Rating: 2 Units

The Royals have momentum after a solid start to 2024 and Singer has been impressive in his first two outings. The Astros aren't consistently producing at the plate and have been held to three or fewer runs in four of their last five games (prior to Wednesday's action). These Astros hitters haven't seen Singer since the 2022 season. Considering Brown's recent struggles, I feel confident the wrong team is favored. He may have better stuff tomorrow, but I'm not betting on that outcome. If the Royals get out to an early lead, the Astros will be leaving town with another series loss.

Rating: 2 Units

The Vegas Golden Knights will close their regular-season road schedule on Wednesday night when they face the host Edmonton Oilers for what could be a preview of a first-round playoff series in the Western Conference. It marks the final contest of a three-game road trip to forget for the defending Stanley Cup champions, who are chasing the Los Angeles Kings for third place in the Pacific Division and currently occupy the final wild-card spot in the West. Vegas (42-27-8, 92 points) started the trip by yielding six unanswered third-period goals in a 7-4 loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Friday, and it followed that up by blowing a 3-2, second-period lead in a 4-3 loss against the Vancouver Canucks on Monday. The potential good news for the Golden Knights is that they may not have to face reigning MVP Connor McDavid. McDavid, who is third in the league in points with 130 (31 goals, 99 assists), didn't practice on Tuesday because of a lower-body injury. However, the Oilers have a very deep team, with three other players (Draisaitl, Hyman, and Bouchard) ranked in the top 46 in points per game. 

Rating: 2 Units

Tonight,we focus on Milwaukee, who comes in off a revenge battle on this court against Boston. That sets the table as the Bucks bring a 2-5 ATS ledger into this contest since the new year began in games when coming off a same-season revenger. It meshes with Milwaukee’s 1-5-1 ATS mark in home games after battling Boston. Tie it into Orlando’s Friday, sterling 46-26 ATS overall mark in all games this season and we're on the Magic tonight.

Rating: 2 Units

Lugo has been outstanding in his two starts thus far, most importantly by keeping the ball on the ground and avoiding giving up extra-base hits. Brown has not been very good thus far, struggling with the strike zone and giving up 12 hits in just seven innings of work. Last year, Brown was roughed up by these same Royals including coughing up four home runs in his lone start against KC. The Royals have been getting exceptional pitching thus far with a team ERA under three and a team WHIP of 1.01. Lugo's ability to keep the ball on the ground will be key to victory here against an Astros team that has 16 home runs on the season heading into Tuesday night's game against KC.

Rating: 2 Units

Miami may have sent a message by updating their injury report right before the Atlanta game. Bam Adebayo, Terry Rozier, Kevin Love and Nikola Jovic were all added for minor injuries that were not previously listed. It is possible Miami will begin to prepare for the playoffs, and not put their best lineups on the floor for the final games. Miami cannot fall to the 9th spot, losses do not necessarily hurt them, and it is very unlikely they can jump all the way to six. The injury report may might be the first step in resting some of their stars down the stretch. Dallas is in the fifth spot in the West, but could fall to seventh with a disastrous finish. Dallas needs to hold on to their top six spot to ensure they are not in the Play-In Tournament. Matchup wise, Doncic and Irving are both healthy and their games have complimented each other recently. Dallas has ironed out their lineup with the two stars and role players that know their jobs every night. Dallas needs this one more and will cover the spread in Miami.

Rating: 2 Units

The Orioles jumped all over Boston's pitching yesterday, scoring seven runs on 13 hits. They were 8-for-15 with runners in scoring position. The Red Sox scored one run in the bottom of the first but were held scoreless the rest of the afternoon, managing just two hits against SP Corbin Burnes and the O's bullpen. I'm anticipating a better performance by the home team today against Irvin, who didn't fare well against Boston last season, as 1B Triston Casas hit a three-run homer and 3B Rafael Devers went 2-for-4. The Orioles starter put nine runners on base in his 2024 debut versus the Royals, and I expect Boston to take advantage of these opportunities after yesterday's dud. Crawford is expected to go for Boston, which should be good news for Sox fans. He has allowed just five hits with 12 Ks in 10.2 combined innings this season and held Baltimore scoreless in his lone appearance against them last year (one hit with seven Ks in 6.0 IP on Sept. 30). He and the Red Sox bullpen (fourth in ERA and fifth in strikeouts) should perform well enough to quiet the Orioles' bats. 

Rating: 2 Units

Nola (1-1, 5.40 ERA) allowed seven runs, six earned, in 4 1/3 innings during a 12-4 loss to the Atlanta Braves on March 30. He rebounded as the Phillies blanked the host Washington Nationals 4-0 on Friday. Nola walked four batters in the blustery conditions but gave up only two hits over 5 2/3 innings. Nola went 1-0 with a 1.54 ERA in two starts against the Cardinals last season. In his career, he is 6-3 with a 2.50 ERA in 11 starts vs. St. Louis. Lance Lynn (0-0, 4.15 ERA) will make his third start of the season for the Cardinals. He threw four scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers before a Southern California rainstorm cut short his March 30 start. In his second outing, Lynn served up three home runs to the Miami Marlins in 4 2/3 innings on Thursday, though the Cardinals won 8-5. He allowed four runs on eight hits in that contest.

NBA Game of the Week

Rating: 5 Units

Phoenix will be anxious to avenge a 138-111 beatdown at L.A. in January, knowing they are 13-6 SU and 12-7 ATS in games when avenging a loss of 25-plus points. That’s not good news for a group of paper clips who stand 5-12 ATS against foes with same season revenge on their minds from a loss of 20-plus points, including 0-5 ATS in the last five games – not to mention that Phoenix Suns are 12-2 ATS in Last Home Games they win outright, including 5-0 ATS when playing with revenge. Finally, Phoenix is 5-1 SUATS in this series when looking to avenge a same-season loss of 25-plus points, including 5-0 SUATS when the Clippers sport a winning record.

Rating: 2 Units

Both teams are trying to hang on for home court advantage in the postseason though in different forms. The Knicks showed grit rallying to down the Bucks after trailing by double digits at the half on the road Sunday but Brunson can’t carry the load by himself forever. Chicago won the meeting Friday night in their previous matchup and they have home court advantage going for them here. Injuries have taken a toll on the Bulls with LaVine and Williams out of the mix. Similarly, the Knicks lost Randle for the season but they have gotten production from DiVincenzo and Hart as part of their three-and-D wing players. New York has more at stake for themselves here and they find a way to pull out the win on the road.

Rating: 2 Units

Philadelphia has won seven of the last eight head-to-head versus St Louis and the Phillies have won four of the last five played on the road at Busch Stadium against the Cardinals. Although Philadelphia starter Zack Wheeler is 0-1, the right-hander has pitched very well in two outings allowing just one run in 12 innings pitched with 15 strikeouts and one walk. St Louis starting pitcher Sonny Gray will be making his season debut and will likely not pitch more than three to four innings. St Louis has struggled at the plate thus far with a team batting average of .222 and a .343 slugging percentage. The Cardinals OPS is just .643. Philadelphia is not that much better at this point, but the Phillies are higher in each of the three previous categories with a .229 team batting average, .358 slugging percentage and .675 OPS.

Rating: 2 Units

When looking at the offenses throughout the last few games, the Rangers are scoring 4.6 goals in their last five games while the Islanders are averaging 3.0 goals in their previous four games. The ability to score on the power play shows a massive difference as the Rangers are fourth in hockey with a 26.4 power play percentage while the Islanders are down at 20th with a 20.4 power play percentage thus far. All in all, go with the New York Rangers to win this game. 

Rating; 2 Units

The Yankees destroyed Jesus Luzardo, as both Juan Soto and Anthony Volpe took the Marlins’ lefty deep. The Yankees should be fired up to stay hot against another southpaw in A.J. Puk. It’s hard to trust Puk, who served as Miami’s closer for most of the 2023 season. He’s been pretty bad over his first two showings in 2024. Furthermore, the Marlins bullpen holds an ugly 6.11 ERA, whereas the Yankees’ relievers have recorded a 2.88 ERA so far this season.

Rating: 4 Units

The UConn Huskies were the betting favorite throughout the tournament and now find themselves listed as 6.5-point favorites in the Championship Game. The Huskies have been dominant in their postseason run, as their closest contest was the 14-point win in the Final Four. All five starters scored 12 or more in that game, as they were led by their freshman Stephon Castle with 21 points, and big man Donovan Clingan (7-2, 280) contributed another 18 points and five rebounds. Tristen Newton is their First Team All-American Guard, he averages 14.9 PPG, 6.6 RPG and 6.2 APG as a 6'5 senior. Newton had 12 points and nine assists in the Final Four win. Cam Spencer is the best shooter on the team, the 6'4 senior guard has 98 made threes and is not far behind Newton in scoring with 14.4 PPG. Spencer has scored in double figures in every tournament game so far. Donovan Clingan is one of the rare players in the nation that can match up with Zach Edey and not give up much size, he is a 7'2, 280-pound sophomore center getting 13.1 PPG and 7.4 RPG. Alex Karaban is a 6'8 sophomore getting 13.5 PPG and can stretch the floor with his jumper. Stephon Castle is a 6'6 freshman getting 11.0 PPG and is coming off the team-high in the Final Four. Conn is the top overall ranked team in KenPom. They also have the top-rated offense in terms of efficiency and rank 4th in defensive efficiency. They play even slower than Purdue does, ranking only 328th in the nation in pace of play Finally, Big East teams are 8-1 ATS while Big 10 teams are 0-6 ATS L18Y in championship contests.

Rating: 2 Units

James Paxton is 4-1 with a 2.61 ERA in seven career starts against the Twins. Last season, he met the Twins once as a member of the Red Sox and threw 6.1 frames of a three-run ball in a winning effort. On the other side, Bailey Ober emerged victorious in his lone career start against the Dodgers. Last year, he held the Blue Crew to one earned run on six hits. I’m backing the Dodgers because of their scary lineup. The Dodgers lead the majors in home runs (15) and are third in OPS (.816). They are hitting a strong .298/.373/.477 against the right-handed pitchers, and it’s hard to trust Bailey Ober in this matchup. The Dodgers are 12-1 in their last 13 meetings with the Twins. 

Rating: 2 Units

The Atlanta Braves are far and away the better team and should be able to dominate against a struggling New York Mets team. We do not know what is going to be coming out of Julio Teheran while Charlie Morton has been dominating throughout his old age. This Braves team has been the best offensive team throughout the beginning stages of the season and should be able to continue doing extremely well. Ronald Acuna Jr. is 4-for-6 with a home run while Marcell Ozuna has a 1.024 OPS in 53 at-bats. All in all, go with the Atlanta Braves to cover the run line in this game. 

Rating: 2 Units

The Penguins have been rolling and look to pull off the upset and provide great odds in the process. The problem is that the Maple Leafs have been one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference and they look to control this game from the first period. The Maple Leafs, who average 3.62 goals per game, should pile on the goals with Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and the rest of the forward unit carrying the puck into the offensive zone and creating open shots with quick passes. The Maple Leafs should limit the Penguins' offense with T.J. Brodie, Jake McCabe, and the rest of the defensive unit creating turnovers in the defensive zone and limiting shots on the net. The Maple Leafs should win the game with a strong performance on their home ice.

Rating: 2 Units

The Yankees have won seven of their last nine games. They are playing well offensively, scoring at least five runs in three of their last four games. They will play well offensively in this game because they have hit the ball well against left-handers and they’ve had a lot of success against Luzardo, who gave up five runs in his first two starts. He is 0-2 in two starts against the Yankees, giving up 10 runs in those starts. With Miami also having the sixth-worst bullpen in the league, they will have a hard time slowing down the Yankees in this game. The Marlins have lost nine of their last 10 games. Even though they played well offensively in their last game, they haven’t looked good on that end so far and scored only 11 runs in their previous four games. Even though Cortez has been shaky on the mound so far, giving up seven runs in two starts, expect the Marlins to struggle offensively in this game because they are batting under .200 against left-handers and Cortez is backed up by one of the best bullpens in the league, so even if they get to him, the damage will be minimized. Go with New York to cover the money line. 

Rating: 2 Units

The Dallas Stars are a determined squad. They have won eight of their last nine games and can build their lead to five points ahead of the Avalanche with a win in this one. A win would all but secure the division considering only four games remain after this one. The Colorado Avalanche are only 2-4 in their last six games. The Stars have been outstanding in the defensive end and in the net. They are a better defensive squad than the Avalanche and this one will have the emotion of a playoff game. The Stars have allowed two or fewer goals in seven of their last ten games. The Stars also have no issues on the road, collecting the win in four of their last five road bouts.

Rating: 2 Units

Brooklyn is playing for the second straight night here and have nothing to play for at this point after being eliminated from playoff contention. The Nets have sputtered offensively and have been less than inspiring all season long. Sacramento has fallen into the play-in tournament field and hope to try and push back into the actual guaranteed playoff field but they need to win some games plus get some help. The losses of Huerter and Monk have taken perimeter shooting options out of the mix. Still, Sacramento has something to play for and the rest advantage in this contest. Look for the Kings to come up with the victory in this contest.

Rating: 2 Units

The Bulls take the court in Orlando amid a battle with Atlanta as both teams look to avoid the 10-hole in the Eastern Conference playoff race. They’ll do so with a healthy dose of same-season triple revenge on its mind, with Orlando trying to do its best to stay focused after coming off Friday’s visit to Charlotte, where the Hornets were nesting with an identical same-season triple revenge motive. The question is whether or not you can blame the Magic for not being fully focused here tonight. With the Bulls bringing a brawny 10-3-1 ATS mark in games with same-season triple revenge from Game 70 out and Orlando 0-3 SUATS in games in the second half of opposing same-season triple revengers.

Rating: 2 Units

It appears as though the pressure has hurt the young talented roster of the Houston Rockets as they have lost four straight while attempting to move into 10th place in the Western Conference. The Rockets have failed to cover the spread in four of the last five. Dallas is closing in on securing a top six spot in the Western Conference to avoid the play-in round of the postseason. Dallas has covered the spread in seven of the last eight games. Dallas has the sixth best offense in scoring, averaging 118.2 points per day and is 11th in field goal shooting percentage while 10th in 3-point shooting percentage. Dallas has won nine of its last 10 straight up and that includes defeating the Rockets last week 125-107 in Houston, while covering the spread in the process.

Rating: 2 Units

Miami is 27th in team ERA, 28th in WHIP and 25th in batting average allowed. The Marlins are not much better at the plate, sitting 25th in team batting average, 26th in on base percentage and 27th in slugging percentage. St Louis is slightly better on the mound with the 18th-best ERA. Miami starter Max Meyer had a solid outing in his season debut allowing two runs in five innings including serving up one home run but the Marlins lost nonetheless.  Kyle Gibson had a strong debut with St Louis on the mound. Gibson gave up two runs in seven innings to beat the San Diego Padres 6-2 last Monday. Miami has lost eight straight to open the season and the Marlins are 1-9 over the last 10 games played on the road versus St Louis. St Louis has won four of its last six.

Rating; 2 Units

The Brewers have won five of their last six games. They are playing well offensively and scored 12 runs in their last three games. They will play well offensively in this game because they’re batting over .270 against right-handers and Hancock didn’t look good on the mound in his first start, giving up three runs in five innings. With Seattle’s bullpen also struggling during their slump, they will have a hard time slowing down the Brewers in this game. The Mariners have lost three straight games. They are struggling offensively, scoring seven runs in their last three games. Their offensive struggles will continue in this game because they’re barely batting over .200 against right-handers and Rea looked good on the mound in his first start, giving up only one run. With Milwaukee’s bullpen also playing well, they won’t have trouble keeping Seattle’s offense in check. Go with Milwaukee to cover the money line.

Rating: 4 Units

The Huskies will cover another large spread. They're 4-0 ATS in the tournament and 14-2 ATS in their last 16 games overall. While not usually high-tempo (315th in schedule-adjusted tempo), they can adapt to a faster pace, which will be required against the Crimson Tide (9th in adjusted tempo). They scored 80, 87, and 99 points in three games against more defensive-minded Xavier (35th in adjusted tempo) and UNC (42nd in tempo) squads. Alabama will find this matchup challenging, as Connecticut holds its opponents to 30.9 percent from beyond the arc and discourages them from taking a lot of threes (33.2 percent of their total shot attempts). It also ranks 2nd nationally in two-point defense and 1st in points per shot allowed at the rim. The Tide live and die with a rim-and-three-based offense — I bet on the latter outcome in the Final Four.

Rating: 2 Units

This is such an intriguing matchup. You have the Cinderella Wolfpack going up against a Purdue team riding the redemption train fast down the track. The Boilermakers come into this game with all the accolades and the best player in the tournament in Edey. The Wolfpack comes into this game with a defense that has held every team in the tournament to under 40 percent shooting including a season-low 32 percent by the Blue Devils in the South Region final. The Wolfpack are the hottest team in the tournament with nine straight wins and have been led by Burns and his ability to score in the paint and find his teammates in passes from the post. I think Purdue will get to the tournament final game on Monday night but I don't think it will be easy. Giving the Wolfpack nearly ten points is too much for a team that has covered every game this tournament and has been an underdog in three of the four games. The Wolfpack have enough bigs to throw at Edey to at least make him uncomfortable. They are not going to stop him but they can at least make him work. While Purdue was one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the regular season, they have not been as efficient in the tournament and now face an NC State team that has been very good against the 3-point shot in the tourney, holding teams to 24 percent shooting. Burns is crafty enough in the paint that he will get his points, even with Edey's large presence looming. This one will come down to the wire. I have faith in NC State's ability to defend and keep pace with Purdue.

Rating: 2 Units

Interesting matchup between two teams that appear to be unraveling at the wrong time of the season. For the Cavs, much of it has to do with injuries to All-Star guards Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. Both players were expected back at press time when the Cavs hosted the 76ers a week ago Friday, and it’s safe to say the team needs Mitchell like blood as Cleveland was 11-13 this season sans his services. With it, the young Cavaliers bring an 8-4 ATS road dog log into this contest in games with a revenge chip on its shoulder. Meanwhile, the Lakers return to La La Land following a six game road trip across the county with a lousy 5-13 SUATS mark at home coming off the three-plus game road soiree. Finally, Cleveland is 11-3 ATS as a road dog in this series with a greater than .400 win percentage, including 3-0 SUATS during the second half of the season.

Rating: 2 Units

The Bruins are closing the season strong and looking to grab the top spot in the NHL yet again this season. The Bruins will turn to goalie Linus Ullmark against the Panthers in the hopes of finishing the regular season at 4-0 vs. the Panthers this season. The Bruins have covered the spread in two of the three games against Florida this season. Boston should have the advantage given the number of shots the Panthers allow on net, ranked 29th in shots allowed this season, and the Bruins' ability to convert at a high percentage, ranked sixth in the NHL in shooting percentage. Florida has been stumbling as of late and seems resigned to taking the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference which will still result in home-ice advantage. The Bruins' recent play suggests that they are anxious to get home-ice advantage in multiple rounds this season.

Rating: 2 Units

This Marlins team is in absolute shambles right now, so there’s just no way that I can back them in this spot. Steven Matz gets the nod, and the southpaw has owned this Miami roster throughout his career. It’s a slim 31-at-bat sample size, but he’s limited them to a slash line of .194/.219/.258. Furthermore, Matz looked really solid in his season debut against the Dodgers, so I think he may parlay that performance into another respectable start against the floundering Fish. I believe the Red Birds have the edge in starting pitching, the bullpen, and offensively. Let’s not overthink this one, let’s lock in St. Louis at home.

Rating: 2 Units

The power play numbers could not be in more opposite directions as the Penguins are 31st in the NHL with 14.7% of their power plays ending in goals while the Lightning leads all of hockey with a 29.1 power play percentage thus far. These defenses have been doing very similar but there is a slight difference as Tampa Bay is giving up 2.2 goals in their previous five games while Pittsburgh is allowing 2.5 goals in their last four games played. With Andrei Vasilevskiy in the net, go with the Tampa Bay Lightning to pull off the victory. 

Rating: 2 Units

Both teams come into this game with momentum as they each earned road sweeps in their early week series. Neither team beat a juggernaut as the Red Sox swept the A’s while the Angels swept the winless Marlins but you take your wins where you can get them. Boston has been solid so far this season and they have the advantage on the bump in this contest with Crawford looking sharp in his debut. Meanwhile, Canning was roughed up by the Orioles in his season debut and the Red Sox are hitting the ball well right now. Look for the Red Sox to ding Canning and put this one in the win column.

Rating: 2 Units

The Celtics have been dominant at home, they haven't lost on their home floor in over two months, and their whole rotation is healthy. Boston does not appear to be resting any players yet, as every starter played at least 29 minutes last game. Boston is taking on Sacramento on the second game in two nights for the Kings. Boston just had that similar set up against the Thunder. Oklahoma City played the 76ers, then the Celtics in two nights, and by the time they got to Boston, the Celtics sent them home with a 35 point loss. Sacramento is dealing with injuries, their offense is designed to surround Fox and Sabonis with shooters, but both Huerter and Monk are out. Monk was one of their top scorers, and gave life to their second unit which will now be missing. Porzingis can battle Sabonis inside, last time Sabonis played the Celtics he only finished with 13 points. Similarly, Fox will be thrown off his game by the defensive pressure of Holiday. This leaves Tatum and Brown to focus on offense and dominate the Sacramento wings.

Rating: 2 Units

Pacers 3-7 ATS as a favorite against Western Conference opposition this season. Indiana got lucky with back-to-backers against lifeless Brooklyn before tonight’s clash, but if they take on the role of favorite, be aware that Oklahoma City is 8-3 ATS as a road dog in this series, including 7-1 ATS in games in which the Pacers sport a sub .600 win percentage. We can add a pinch of revenge to the mix as the Thunder dropped a 10-point decision to Indiana as 5.5-point home chalk three weeks ago. The bottom line is both teams appear firmly entrenched in the playoffs, but OKC is still battling for the top spot in the West.

Rating: 2 Units

Even though they'll be on the road, the Magic will dominate this matchup and come away with the cover and win. Charlotte has been one of the league's worst teams of late and with an injury report that is nearing the double-digits, it's difficult to imagine them having the depth to compete in this one. Orlando leads with their defense and against a Charlotte team whose leading assist-man is averaging just over three a game, the Magic will have no issues lowing them down. Add in plenty of capable scoring and no notable injuries to worry about, means Orlando will dominate. The Magic have covered the spread in five-straight in the series, as they extend that in this one.

Rating: 2 Units

New York holds the top spot in the Metropolitan Division while Detroit is fighting to earn the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Rangers have been hot of late with eight wins in their last 10 games while the Red Wings had dropped four straight before downing Tampa Bay. Detroit has the rest advantage as they had three days off after the win over the Lightning. That will at least give them a puncher’s chance but the Rangers have the advantage between the pipes, defensively and in the special teams departments. That’s too much for the Red Wings, even on home ice here.

Rating: 2 Units

The Mets will send left-hander Jose Quintana (0-1, 3.86 ERA) to the mound in the series opener at Cincinnati. Quintana allowed six hits and two runs over 4 2/3 innings and took a 3-1 loss against the Milwaukee Brewers on March 29 in the season opener. In his career against the Reds, Quintana is 5-4 with a 3.03 ERA in 14 games (13 starts). The Reds will counter with Hunter Greene (0-0, 3.86), also making his second start of the season. The right-hander was the victim of some shoddy fielding behind him in the Washington Nationals' 7-6 comeback win on Saturday. Greene allowed five hits and just two runs over 4 2/3 innings, striking out seven and walking four in a no-decision.

Rating: 2 Units

The Yankees will attempt to keep Toronto's offense quiet by starting former Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman (1-0, 0.00 ERA). He made his Yankee debut Saturday and allowed three unearned runs on four hits in six innings of a 5-3 win at Houston. Stroman is making his second start against the Blue Jays since they traded him to the New York Mets in 2019. He faced them on Aug. 30, 2022 for the Chicago Cubs and allowed one run in five innings of a no-decision. Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (0-1, 6.23), who allowed three runs in 4 1/3 innings Saturday against the Rays, starts for Toronto. He is 4-3 with a 3.57 ERA in 12 career appearances (10 starts) against the Yankees.

Rating: 2 Units

While the Clippers defeated the Nuggets the last time these teams met, that snapped an eight-game winning streak for Denver against Los Angeles. That included three straight victories in Los Angeles. Look for the Nuggets to be favored by three. Denver is playing exceptionally well, winning 17 of their last 21. That has vaulted them to the top of the Western Conference standings. Meanwhile, the Clippers saw their three-game winning streak come to an end, but they are just 5-5 in their last 10, including losing three straight games at home.

Rating: 3 Units

Rockets are performing like gold at the right time of the season and we’re not keen on stepping in front with a Warriors team that was on a 5-6 SU slide. Golden State doesn’t land in a money-making role either: The City enters off a same-season double-revenge contest at home against the Mavericks, and they’re just 8-13-1 ATS this campaign in games when coming off same-season revengers, including 3-9-1 ATS versus foes with winning records. Finally, Houston is 15-4 ATS with same-season double revenge versus .500 or greater opponents from game 68 out, including 5-0 ATS at home.

Rating: 2 Units

The Wild are having a rocky season as their offense has stepped up, scoring 3.03 goals per game. Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek have scored 67 goals and 77 assists to lead the top line but the rest of the offense has stepped up as well. Matt Boldy, Mats Zuccarello, and Marco Rossi have combined for 57 goals and 96 assists while defensemen Brock Faber and Jonas Brodin have added 14 goals and 51 assists from the point to open up the offense. The offense has stepped up but the defense has struggled, allowing 3.14 goals per game. Jonas Brodin and Brock Faber have combined for 8.1 defensive point shares but the rest of the unit has struggled, allowing opponents to find open shots on the net with ease. In addition, goaltender Filip Gustavsson has struggled with a .900 save percentage and a 3.04 goals-against average on 1192 shots with -4.2 goals saved above average.

Rating: 2 Units

The Heat have won three straight games, but two of those were against bottom of the league teams in Portland and Washington. The Heat will likely still be without Tyler Herro, and the 76ers are still unsure if Maxey will play. As for the 76ers, it looks as if they want to use the end of the season to get Joel Embiid back into playing shape. He was visibly fatigued last game, but he was still 12-12 from the line, and had a strong showing in just his first game back. Expect him to slowly return back to his normal form, which is dominating on the inside. Miami is small defensively, Adebayo is a tough defender, but is just 6'9 and gives up plenty of size to the 7'0, 280-pound Embiid. Even without Maxey, Philly still has perimeter players that can step up and score including Hield and Oubre. Oubre has been particularly hot lately, and has welcomed the bigger role by scoring at least 25 points in each of his last two games. Duncan Robinson has been cold lately, and Nikola Jovic doesn't do much in the starting lineup, Philly will look to steal a game here, and stay out of the 9-seed.

Rating: 2 Units

Conventional wisdom suggests that I go with Seton Hall in the championship game. They have done a much better job on the defensive end overall than the Sycamores in the tournament and have held the opposition to nearly 15 points less per game than Indiana State. The Sycamores feel like a microcosm of the current state of college basketball: they play fast, shoot the three often, and have a stretch five capable of scoring in the paint and on the perimeter. That fast play has led them to average over 90 points per game in the NIT. The difference for the Sycamores is, that despite playing so fast, they rarely turn the ball over. They get up more shots than the opposition and they shoot the ball at a higher rate than the opposition. This team has been playing with a chip on its collective shoulders since being snubbed for the NCAA Tournament. They are playing with that mid-level conference edge and they will be playing in front of a mostly Sycamore-driven crowd. Remember, the Sycamores come into this game at 19-1 in the state of Indiana this season.

Rating: 2 Units

While the Cardinals began their season by going 3-4 in California against the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, the reeling Marlins lost all seven games of their opening homestand against the Pittsburgh Pirates and Los Angeles Angels. St. Louis starter, Lynn (0-0, 0.00 ERA) threw four scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers in his first start of the season on Saturday. He allowed four hits, walked one and struck out five before a rain delay cut short his outing. The Marlins will counter Lynn with left-hander Ryan Weathers (0-1, 6.75 ERA). He is part of a Miami rotation that is missing injured starting pitchers Sandy Alcantara, Braxton Garrett, Eury Perez and Edward Cabrera. Weathers allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks in four innings during a 9-3 loss to the Pirates during his season debut on Saturday. He needed 94 pitches to get 12 outs.  I love betting on teams in their home openers when it makes sense.  This one makes sense.

Rating: 2 Units

Edmonton is trying to chase down Vancouver for the Pacific Division top spot though they are solidly in second place in the division, five points ahead of Vegas with a game in hand. The Oilers have picked up points in each of their last four games but this is going to be a challenge. Dallas has won seven straight games, outscoring the opposition 29-11 in that stretch, and they allowed two goals or less in six of those contests. The Stars are rolling right now and they are at home, plus they have a little extra rest in their back pocket. Look for the Stars to win a tight one as they make it eight straight wins.

Rating: 2 Units

The Timberwolves will dominate en route to a win and a cover in this one, as they take care of business at home. Both teams are coming off of a game on Tuesday night and Minnesota's depth, as compared to nearly ten injured for Toronto, will power them through. Beyond that, the Raptors come in without a win in their last ten games, with those struggles carrying out into this one. Minnesota is one of the league's best and most efficient teams on both ends of the court and there's no doubt that they'll dominate at home, where they have one of best marks in the NBA. Toronto has only covered the spread once in their last ten games and they certainly won't make it a second time in this one.

Rating: 2 Units

Rockies have gotten off to a forgettable start to the 2024 season, as they have dropped five of their first six games and three in a row while allowing an average of 8.2 runs per contest. After finishing a franchise-worst 59-103 last season, the 1-5 mark this year ties them with the 2005 and 2008 Colorado teams for the worst start in Rockies history.Hoping to start the turnaround for the Rockies is Wednesday's scheduled starter, Cal Quantrill (0-1, 9.00 ERA), who gave up five runs in five innings to the Diamondbacks in the second game of the season. In five career appearances against the Cubs, Quantrill is 1-2 with an 8.22 ERA. Cubs and Counsell will hand the ball first to left-hander Luke Little -- 0-0, 0.00 ERA in two games covering two innings this season -- in what likely will be a bullpen game for the pitching staff on Wednesday. Little pitched a scoreless ninth inning Tuesday.

Rating: 2 Units

The Celtics take to the floor looking to even the score from a 127-123 loss at OKC in early January knowing they are 7-3 SUATS this century in this series when playing with revenge from a loss of 7 or fewer points, including 3-0 SUATS during the second half of the campaign. One problem, though, is Boston returning home from a six-game road trek, which would normally put them in ‘play against’ terrain, but the feeling here is there are too many mitigating circumstances working against the Thunder. We told you the Thunder was in a knock-down, drag-out fight for the West lead with the Nuggets and T’wolves and OKC shows up tonight in Beantown playing its third of five straight road games. The Thunder is also in the middle of a same-season revenge sandwich, last night at Philadelphia, and at Indiana on Friday. 

Rating: 2 Units

Red Sox starters were stunning through the first five games of the season, combining to allow just five runs (four earned) across 28 innings, good for an ERA of 1.29. Of the five pitchers who started, Pivetta (0-1, 1.50 ERA) was among three who worked six innings, while the other two lasted five. Opponents mustered 17 hits against the starting rotation, which racked up 37 strikeouts against just one walk. Pivetta is 5-0 with a glistening 0.82 ERA in five career appearances (three starts) against Oakland. Fellow right-hander Ross Stripling (0-1, 7.20 ERA) will oppose Pivetta today after allowing five runs (four earned) and seven hits in five innings against the Cleveland Guardians on Friday. Stripling was tagged with the loss, and he hasn't picked up a win since Oct. 1, 2022, while pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Rating: 2 Units

With the way that Sacramento's offense isn't producing right now, this is a tough matchup. Especially without Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter, two key pieces for their rotation. Los Angeles' defense has been better lately and should hold the Kings under 110 points as most teams do these days. So, it'll be on the third-best offensive rating in the league to score at least 112 points to beat the spread. That should be an easy task, especially since the Clippers are third in three-point percentage against a Kings defense that's 29th against threes. Los Angeles is averaging 119.0 points per game against Sacramento this season. Take the Clippers to cover.

Rating: 2 Units

The Dallas Mavericks continue to dazzle. They have won five straight road bouts and have also earned the win in nine of their last ten games. Golden State is also winning but their last two games were against the Hornets and Spurs. The Mavericks are 2-0 against the Warriors this season. They are the stronger offensive team, averaging 117.9 points per 100 possessions compared to 116.9 points per 100 by Golden State. The Mavericks' defense has been incredible, making them difficult to beat these days. They have conceded an average of only 101.5 points in their last five games. Four of the Mavericks' last five wins have been by double digits.

Rating: 2 Units

Alex Wood's first start was horrible, and in this start (in the same building), he has an offense that should be even tougher. Oakland's bullpen can't be trusted to stop any bleeding. Expect Boston's offense to have a great night. Bello is facing an offense that was MLB's worst a year ago and didn't make any significant moves that project to change that for 2024. Through four games, the Athletics have drawn walks at a decent rate, and that's about it. Bello didn't issue a single walk in his first start, a strong winning effort.

Rating: 2 Units

The Pirates have played this tournament like a team that is trying to establish a winning identity and culture in their program. The Pirates, after sneaking past St. Joe's in the opening round, have dominated each of their last two games and I expect that to continue on Tuesday night. The Pirates are hitting nearly 50 percent of their shots and 40 percent of their three-point shots. More importantly, the Pirates' assist numbers are on the rise in the NIT which indicates an offense that is clicking. The Bulldogs are playing well but also playing with little or no margin for error. They have won their three games by a total of 10 points and are giving up nearly 72 points per game in the NIT. I like the Pirates to roll here and get into the NIT finals.

NBA Play of the Day

Rating: 4 Units

Houston stood 7-2 ATS when looking to avenge a same-season defeat of 20-plus points (lost 111-90 here two months ago, and 122-95 at home during the first week of January). Minnesota also takes the court off a pair of weekenders, currently owning a 0-2 SUATS mark in this series when playing with a greater than .590 win percentage. The Timberwolves are wedged into a tight one here, coming off same-season revengers against the Bulls and Nuggets, with more get-even games on deck with the Raptors (4-14 SU and 6-11 ATS before Toronto) and the Suns. Since March rolled around, Houston was 12-1 SUATS in their last thirteen games. Finally, playing on any .500-plus conference road team with same season double-revenge from a loss, the last by 20-plus points, if they are facing a greater than .666 foe is 15-3 ATS.

Rating: 2 Units

The Capitals have won three of their last four road games. They are playing well offensively, scoring six goals in their last two road games. They have also played well on special teams, converting 21 percent of their power play opportunities. The Sabres are good at killing penalties, but they’re not playing well defensively, giving up 11 goals in their last three games, so expect them to have a hard time slowing down the Capitals in this game. The Sabres have lost four of their last six games and two of their last three home games. They have struggled offensively, scoring seven goals in their last three games. They have also struggled on special teams, converting 15 percent of their power play opportunities. The Capitals have killed over 79 percent of their penalties and they’re playing well defensively, giving up eight goals in their last three road games, so expect them to keep Buffalo’s offense in check. Go with Washington to cover the money line.

Rating: 2 Units

Five scorers versus three scorers. Indiana State is deep with talent, Robbie Avila gets all the headlines as he should, but this team is packed with high level scorers. The Sycamores have five players averaging double figures, and have a strong balance across their lineup. Avila is a big who can step out and shoot, Swope and Conwell are excellent outside shooters, Larry can handle the ball and Kent is a wing with size who can score and help on the boards. Utah's top player is Carlson on the inside, but Indiana State has their own big in Avila who can matchup with him. Avila is not an elite defender, but he is a smart player who can force Carlson into bad shots, and get him in foul trouble on the other end. Utah has been favored in every game this postseason, this is the first time they will play a team better than them. Utah has not won a game as the underdog since mid February when they defeated UCLA. Indiana State also had a tougher road, as Utah got the advantage of playing a lower seeded VCU team. The Sycamores may not have made the Big Dance, but they will make in to the NIT Final.

Rating: 2 Units

Baltimore looked excellent in their first two games of the season, scoring at least 11 runs in each game, and now they will be playing a pitcher who was only 3-9 last season. Alec Marsh is starting for the Royals, he struggled last year and only had a 5.69 ERA. The Baltimore bats will get hot in this one, as Henderson and Santander are both off to a quick start to the 2024 season. Baltimore has 25 runs through their first three games, while KC only had 13, and 11 of them came in one game. The Royals hit five homers in their only win, but have shown very little offensive production outside that. The Baltimore pitching staff has five more strikeouts than the Royals, and are beating them in virtually every category.

Rating: 2 Units

Six games into a 162-game season, the San Diego Padres are showing the type of offensive punch they so often lacked last year. Sunday's 13-4 rout of the San Francisco Giants marked their second double-figure game and gave them 45 runs, an average of 7.5 runs per game. They collected five doubles and two homers in the first three innings alone. San Diego will try to keep up that prodigious production tonight when it welcomes the St. Louis Cardinals to town for the opener of a three-game series. The Cardinals arrive in San Diego after a difficult 5-4 loss Sunday at the Los Angeles Dodgers. St. Louis was in position to split its opening series of the season after taking a 4-0 lead in the sixth but its bullpen coughed up the lead, denying Steven Matz a win. Matz's 5 1/3 innings tied Zack Thompson for the longest stint any of the team's four starters enjoyed in Los Angeles. That means the Cardinals could use a long outing from one of their free agent acquisitions, veteran right-hander Kyle Gibson, who gets the start today. Coming off a 15-9 season in 2023 for the American League East champion Baltimore Orioles, Gibson would like to improve on his 4.73 ERA. He'll make his sixth career start against San Diego, going 2-1 with a 4.28 ERA in the previous five and 1-0 with a 6.32 ERA in three outings at Petco Park. Finally, last year teams that played on Sunday night and had to travel seemed to never win when having to play Monday in a quick turnaround, and that's where the Cardinals are tonight.

Rating: 2 Units

The Suns have won the last two meetings between these teams, including the most recent contest in New Orleans. It would seem to make sense to take Phoenix in this contest, and that is the smart bet. Not only have the Suns won the last two, but they have won five of the last seven and are 5-2 ATS in that span as well. New Orleans has lost three of their last four against the spread. Phoenix has won four of their last six ATS, and they have been on a weird run on the road where they have alternated wins and losses over the last eight games. This sets the stage for a victory, and that’s what the Suns will do.

Rating: 2 Units

The Atlanta Hawks have been playing well recently, they have won four of their last five, while the Bulls have lost four of five. The Hawks get the extra advantage of the taking on the Bulls on a back to back. Chicago is playing two games in two nights with travel in between. They have a tough opponent in their opening night as well, as they must take on Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert and the rest of the Timberwolves. The Bulls also have two starters on their injury report, as Caruso and Dosunmu are both battling injuries, which makes the second game of a back to back a likely spot to rest one or both of their important players. Chicago is not deep on the wing, as LaVine is out, and they do not have a big time scorer off the bench. Atlanta has adjusted well to life without Trae Young, they beat the Celtics twice recently, and Murray and Bogdanovic have stepped up their scoring. Atlanta has the 8th best offense in the league in terms of efficiency, while Chicago's defense ranks 21st and may be without some of their best perimeter defenders. Take advantage of the Hawks who are on a hot streak and get to play a Bulls team fresh off a battle against Minnesota.

Rating: 2 Units

Celts have had this game circled ever since they fell here in November as an -8.5-point favorite, and then again a week ago as double-digit chalk. That loss snapped an 8-0 SU and 6-2 ATS win skein by Boston as a double-digit road favorite and we know they love taking frustrations out on the Hornets, going 25-6 SU and 23-7 ATS in overall meetings dating back to 2015, including 6-0 SU and 5-0-1 ATS when seeking same season revenge. The Hornets are already making vacation plans and they bring a lousy 10-42 ATS mark into this contest in home games in which they lose as an underdog. 

Rating: 2 Units

We’re looking at a potential first-round playoff matchup depending on how things pan out for the Atlantic Division title between the Panthers and Bruins. The Panthers are just 2-5-1 in their last eight games coming into this contest. Meanwhile, Toronto has won two straight and they have played solid hockey on home ice. Samsonov has righted the ship after going down to the minors and the Maple Leafs actually have some stable goaltending with him, Woll and Martin Jones on the depth chart. The Maple Leafs are at home and they are playing physical hockey of late. Look for Toronto to bang Florida around the rink and come up with the home win here.

Rating; 2 Units

Did the Royals empty their tank on Sunday? After scoring just two runs in their first two games, they broke out offensively in the series finale. I'm not so sure they can sustain their offensive momentum tomorrow, however. Baltimore SP Kremer was a solid bet at home last season and was 11-3 with a 3.70 ERA in 22 night games, as well. I'm also betting on the O's offense to come back to life. After throttling the Angels for 24 combined runs in their first two games, they managed just one run through seven innings on Sunday. Wacha's ERA was nearly 1.5 runs higher on the road than at home in 2023. His first start for Kansas City will be challenging — I would rather back Kremer today.

Rating: 2 Units

It is likely that Sacramento will win this game. They have defeated Utah three straight times and in five of the last six meetings between these teams. However, they are just 3-3 ATS in those meetings. In fact, Utah has won against the spread in two of the last three meetings in Sacramento. While the Jazz are an abysmal team right now, their last three losses have been by 10 points or fewer. They are keeping games close, which should give them a good chance of covering the spread. 

Rating: 2 Units

Both teams are dealing with injury issues as the regular season winds down though the 76ers will at least be in the play-in tournament while the Raptors are looking to next season. Philadelphia hopes to get Embiid back before the end of the regular season as his absence has taken a massive toll on the team’s metrics, not to mention their win/loss record. On the plus side for the 76ers, they’re facing a Toronto team that is minus at least three starters (Barnes, Poeltl and Barrett) along with a pair of their top reserves in Boucher and Quickley. The Raptors have dropped 12 straight, seven of which have come by double figures. Look for Philadelphia to pick up the win in this contest to right the ship, at least temporarily.

Rating: 3 Units

This marks the third time in less than a month that these teams will do battle. Duke won the regular season meeting before the Wolfpack vanquished the Blue Devils in the ACC Tournament as part of this magical run. NC State is drawing parallels to the 1983 team that Jim Valvano coached to the title with their late season run. It’s hard to argue with a team that won five games in five days just to get in the field, before dispatching Texas Tech, Oakland and Marquette to get here. On paper, Duke is the better team but in a one-game scenario, anything can happen, as we saw with Houston losing Jamal Shead, helping the Blue Devils win that game Friday night. Duke should win this game but it’s closer than expected. Take the points and the Wolfpack in this contest. Finally, #10 or worse Seed dogs of more than 4 pts are 13-4 ATS (NC State)