The set-up: The Raptors saw the Bucks come into Air Canada Centre for Game 1 of this series and win by 14 points. That was not exactly something new, as the Raptors are now 0-9 in opening games of first-round playoff series (also just 1-11 in Game 1s of any series). However, the Raptors did bounce back to win their first two playoff series last postseason after losing Game 1 and Toronto was able to even this series in Game 2 by winning 106-100 (non-cover). The series now shifts to Milwaukee for the next two games and the pressure is now on the Bucks to 'hold serve.'

Toronto: After an 'ugly' Game 1 (2 of 11 for four points), PG Kyle Lowry scored 22 points and backcourt mate Demar DeRozan has averaged 25 points and 7.5 rebounds in the first two games. However, the 'star' of Game 2 for Toronto was its pressure-packed defense which held Giannis Antetokounmpo to shoot 9-of-24 from the floor, despite scoring 24 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. "The Greek Freak" made 13-of-18 shots in Game 1! The Raptors rely heavily on their two All Star guards but let's not forget Serge Ibaka, the trade deadline pickup from Orlando, who has averaged 17.5 & 10.5 in the first two games, while shooting a team-best 48.3% from the floor.

Milwaukee: Antetokounmpo knows he will need to make adjustments to deal with Toronto's change in defensive tactics. "They didn't allow me to go in the paint," he told reporters. "Every time I drove the ball, everybody was sucking into the paint. They were more physical. I still have to make the right plays and try to find my teammates." While Antetokounmpo struggled in Game 2, it was good news that SG Khris Middleton scored 20 points, after struggling to 10 on 4-of-15 shooting in the opener. Head coach Jason Kidd's rotation changed slightly down the stretch in Game 2 as he left Tony Snell on the bench while using PGs Malcolm Brogdon and Matthew Dellavedova in tandem. The move raised some eyebrows, but Kidd insisted that it was just a matter of matchups and rhythm and nothing against Snell, who played only 21 minutes.

The pick: Could it be as simple as this? The Raptors shot 5-of-23 in the opener from three-point range and lost by 14. They were 14-of-29 from three-point range in Game 2 and won by five. The Bucks are hoping to capitalize on a raucous home-court advantage to pull ahead in the series, but Kidd has been urging his young squad to not get too comfortable in front of its home crowd. "You can't think about having two games at home," Kidd said. "You have to stay in the moment. We're all excited to be home. For us, we had an opportunity in Game 2. We had some good looks at the end, but the ball didn't fall for us. We're focused on the first possession of Game 3 and trying to find a way to win." The Milwaukee Bucks haven't won a playoff series since the 2000-01 season and I'm backing the more playoff-tested Raptors in this one. Make Toronto a 10* play.

The set-up: The Phillies and Mets have split the first two of this three-game series in New York and will play the rubber match tonight. Philadelphia won 6-2 in 10 innings on Tuesday with New York winning 5-4 last night.The Phillies come into this contest 5-9 overall and have lost six of their last eight. Meanwhile, the Mets' win last night ended a four-game slide (New York is now 8-7), but the Mets will be looking to make it five win in six outings versus the Phillies this season.

The pitching matchup: Aaron Nola (1-0 & 3.27 ERA) takes the mound for Philly and Noah Syndergaard (1-0 & 0.95 ERA) for the Mets. Nola had a poor 2016 (6-9 with a 4.78 ERA / team was 8-12 in his starts) but has shown signs of rebounding in the early going of 2017. He's got 13 strikeouts against just two walks in his tow starting assignments, covering in 11 innings. The seventh overall pick of the 2014 draft, Nola settled for a no-decision on Friday despite allowing just one run on six hits and striking out six over five innings at Washington. However, he was roughed up in his lone career meeting with the Mets, allowing six runs on nine hits in four innings of a 9-4 setback back on Sept. 2, 2015. Syndergaard is off to a dominating start in 2107 with 20 strikeouts without walking a single batter in 19 innings over three starts so far. He beat the Phillies twice in 2016, improving to 4-0 with a 1.37 ERA in four career starts against them.

The pick: It's been feast or famine for the Mets through 15 games this season. They have been limited to two runs or less six times but have scored five runs or more seven times. Those New York bats should reach Nola without much trouble and more good news comes the Mets' way in that reliever Jeurys Familia is expected to make his season debut Thursday. Familia led the majors with a team-record 51 saves last year but was suspended for the first 15 games following a domestic violence incident with his wife in October. Make the Mets an 8* play.

The set-up: The Columbus Blue Jackets have produced a franchise-best season in 2016-17 and surely don't want to see it come to an end here in Pittsburgh, tonight. Columbus avoided a four-game sweep at the hands of the defending champs with a 5-4 home win in Game 5, after losing a 3-1 lead in Game 3, before losing 5-4 (OT) in Game 3. The Penguins hope to polish off the Blue Jackets in Game 5 Thursday at PPG Paints Arena and they could make it easier on themselves if they could play better in the first period. The Blue Jackets have enjoyed the better start in every game, for the first part of or all of the first period.

Columbus: The Blue Jackets built a 16-3 shot advantage in the first period of Game 1 but it ended scoreless. Columbus led in shots 12-7 after one period in Game 2, although Sidney Crosby was able to give Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead. Then in Game 3, Columbus stormed to a 3-1 lead after one period only to lose 5-4 in OT. Finally in Game 4, the Blue Jackets jumped out to a 2-0 lead and hung on for a 5-4 win. "We have nothing to lose," Cam Atkinson told the Columbus Dispatch on the heels of Tuesday's victory. "We're still down. We're still crawling back into this. But it's huge for us to get momentum. A lot of guys contributed, so feel good about this, get ready to work and we'll head to Pitt. Just play our game and we'll have success."

Pittsburgh: The Penguins have 16 goals in the series' four games. Rookie Jake Guentzel continued his successful run by scoring on Wednesday to increase his point total to six (five goals, one assist) in the last three games while his goal total is the most in the first four career postseason contests since Montreal's Maurice "Rocket" Richard in 1944. His six points are tied with Phil Kessel but trail Evgeni Malkin, who notched two assists to record his third multi-point game of the series and push his point total to an NHL-best eight (two goals, six assists).

The pick: Pittsburgh head coach Mike Sullivan is thrilled to be up 3-1 and is pleased with how his team has finished games. However, he would love a fast start in Game 5. "It's about being ready from the drop of the puck. It's a mindset. It's not a wait-and-see approach," Sullivan said following Wednesday's practice. "We've got to be ready to dictate the terms from the very first puck drop." With its two wins in Games 1 and 2, Pittsburgh is 33-6-4 at home this season, while averaging a whopping 3.79 goals. Make Pittsburgh an 8* play as the Pens send the Blue Jackets back to Columbus a loser.

The set-up: The Minnesota Wild were second in the league in scoring during the regular season (3.21 goals per game) but find themselves in an 0-3 'hole' in their opening round series with the St. Louis Blues, after scoring just three goals in three games! Minnesota has outshot St. Louis 117-79 in the first three games but has gone 1-for-10 on the power play and its top four goal scorers in the regular season have yet to tally in the series. Yes, the Blues have scored just seven goals (one an empty-netter) but Jake Allen has turned away 114 of the 117 shots he's faced!

Minnesota: “We’re not playing bad,” defenseman Ryan Suter told reporters. “We just can’t score. If we can find a way to score a goal, it’s a different game.” Head coach Bruce Boudreau reportedly made changes to his forward lines at practice Tuesday, moving Eric Staal between Coyle and leading scorer Mikael Granlund while captain Mikko Koivu centered Nino Niederreiter and Zach Parise. However, the Wild are now tasked with winning four straight games against a St. Louis team which has won six consecutive games overall and is 18-2-2 in its last 22 contests.

St. Louis: Jake Allen came into the series 3-5 all-time in the postseason but his brilliant postseason play is just a continuation of his play down the stretch of the regular season. He has now allowed fewer than three goals in 15 of his last 19 starts, after stopping 40 of 41 shots in Game 3's 3-1 victory. Jaden Schwartz has a goal in each of the last two games and a point in all three contests. Patrik Berglund has registered three assists along with a plus-3 rating and Alex Steen also has produced three points after netting an empty-net tally to clinch Game 3. Leading scorer Vladimir Tarasenko (two assists) has unleashed 12 shots in the series.

The pick: No reason to over-think this one. Minnesota's Devan Dubnyk had an outstanding regular season (2.25 GAA & .923 SP) and has surrendered just six goals in the first three games. However, his counterpart Allen has just been better (see above!). Goals will be at a premium again, making the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: The OKC/Houston series has been billed as the "Battle of Two MVP Candidates," the Thunder's Westbrook against the Rockets' Harden. Game 1 went to Harden (37-7-9) and the Rockets 118-87, as Westbrook scored 22 points on just 6-of-23 shooting and had more turnovers (nine) than assists (seven). However, the real surprise was Houston's domination of OKC's bigger frontcourt, as the Rockets outrebounderd the Thunder 56-41! That said, Houston head coach Mike D'Antoni cautioned reporters, "All we did is defend our home court, and that's what we're supposed to do. It's nice to play well and get the win because you have to, but this is just one little step ... in the big scheme of things. I'm sure they'll (Thunder) bounce back, and we've got to be ready to go."

Oklahoma City: Along with Westbrook's off-shooting outing in Game 1, SG Victor Oladipo was an awful 1-of-12 from the floor, while the frontcourt trio of Steven Adams, Taj Gibson and Enes Kanter combined for just 19 points and were the prime reason why Oklahoma City was outrebounded 56-41. The Thunder pressed Houston shooters on the perimeter, limiting the Rockets into 10-of-33 shooting on three-pointers but the downside was that the strategy was parlayed into a layup line for Houston.

Houston: It wasn't all Harden in Game 1, as his backcourt mate Patrick Beverley had 21 points and 10 rebounds plus challenged Westbrook defensively all game. Post players Nene (15 points on 7-of-8 shooting) and Clint Capela (14 points on 7-of-9) operated at will against the Thunder in Game 1.

The pick: No way OKC's big men don't play better in Game 2, while Westbrook almost assuredly will bounce back. Also, is it possible for Oladipo (made 44.2% from the floor this season) to shoot worse? That said, the Rockets also figure to be much better from the three-point line, as well. Make the Over a 10* play.

The set-up: The Wizards own a strong starting-five and all reached double digits in the team's 114-107 Game 1 win over the Hawks. All-Star PG John Wall scored a playoff career-high 32 points to go with 14 assists and while SG Bradley Beal went 2-of-11 from three-point range, he added 22 points. Washington was able to pull off the seven-point win despite sending the Hawks to the free-throw line 39 times (Atlanta made 32). "The difference in the game was we were playing basketball and they were playing MMA," Atlanta forward Paul Millsap told reporters. "They were physical. When the game is like that, we have to match their physicality. But again, we've got to go get some moves and bring them back to the court." Washington likely has no intention of letting up after watching its aggression lead to 69 second-half points in the Game 1 win.

Atlanta: Head coach Mike Budenholzer knows his team can't commit 21 turnovers again, or allow 25 fast-break points! "Transition. Same since day one. If we do not get back, it is going to be hard for us to win games, so they took advantage of that," Hawks guard Tim Hardaway Jr. said. "John Wall is a blur out there, and when you have (Beal) and Otto Porter out there ... when he is in transition, those are his outlets. You know he puts so much pressure whenever he has those outlets and he knocks those shots down, it is kind of hard to (cover him)." The Hawks have spent the past two days of practice focusing on correcting just that. We'll see. Also, the Hawks are going to need more than seven points from center Dwight Howard, who had finished the regular season with a streak of 13 straight double-digit scoring efforts.

Washington: The Wizards trailed 48-45 at halftime in Game 1 but with Wall in control, the Wizards outscored Atlanta 38-28 in the third quarter and led by as many as 15 points in the fourth. Help came in the form of 22 points from Beal and 21 from Morris, who also had four blocked shots. The Wizards could always use some extra help off the bench and they anticipate having center Jason Smith (knee) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (knee) available for Game 2, as both returned to practice Tuesday after sitting out Monday's session.

The pick: Washington's Game 1 win lifted them to 31-11 SU at home this season and that's after opening the season 5-6 SU at home. Atlanta lost Game 1 to Washington in the 2015 Eastern Conference semifinals before recovering to win the series on six games. However, that Atlanta team was the East's No. 1 seed, while this year's edition is a No. 5 seed, which ended the regular season on a 6-10 run. Make Washington an 8* play.

The set-up: The Brewers won In Wrigley 6-3 on Monday but the Cubs rallied for a 9-7 win on Tuesday, snapping a four-game losing streak. Chicago’s bullpen has been a concern early on but five relievers combined to allow one run over 5 1/3 innings on Tuesday and retire 15 of Milwaukee's last 16 batters. The loss was just the second of the Brewers’ nine-game road trip which concludes Wednesday afternoon, before Milwaukee begins a 10-game homestand on Thursday. The 8-7 Brewers and 7-7 Cubs play the rubber match of this series today.

The pitching matchup: Lefty Tommy Milone (1-0 & 7.36 ERA) will be on the hill for the Brewers and the Cubs respond with Kyle Hendricks (1-1 & 5.73 ERA). Milone is taking the injured Junior Guerra's spot in the rotation (Guerra was the Opening Day starter but left the game with a calf injury). Milone held Cincinnati to three runs and six hits over five innings on Friday, although he did surrender a pair of HRs, while picking up his first win of 2017. Milone's first start of the season came against the Cubs back on April 8 in Milwaukee, when he allowed four ERs on nine hits over four innings, drawing a no-decision in an 11-6 Milwaukee loss (it's his lone career start vs. the Cubs). Hendricks led the NL with a 2.13 ERA in 2016 (was 16-8 on the season / team ws 19-11 in his starts) but will be pitching on regular rest for the first time this season (2 1/2 weeks in!). The hope is that it will lead to him having sharper command. He gave up four runs over six innings in a win at Milwaukee on April 8 (opposite Milone) and lasted just five innings while allowing three runs in a loss to Pittsburgh on Friday. Hendricks is 6-3 with a 2.47 ERA in 11 career starts against the Brewers (Cubs are 7-4).

The pick: This could be the last start for a while for Milone, as Matt Garza (right groin strain) is expected to return from the disabled list later this week. Hendricks pitched too well last year for the Cubs to be concerned about his slow start in 2017. Getting back on regular rest should help and expect the Cubs, last year's best home team with a  57-24 mark, to take the rubber game of this series against a Milwaukee team which finished 30 1/2 games back of the Cubs last season, while going only 32-49 on the road. Make Chicago a 6* play

The set-up: Utah center Rudy Gobert (14.0 & 12.8) had a breakout season in 2016-17 and was a huge reason the Jazz returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2012. However, he suffered a knee injury on the opening possession Saturday's Game 1 against the Clippers. The game was an emotional roller coaster for the Jazz but all's well that ends well and veteran reserve Joe Johnson's buzzer-beater lifted the Jazz to a 97-95 victory in the opener of this best-of-seven series. Meanwhile, the Clippers are left to wonder just how they lost the homecourt advantage in the series by falling to a Utah team in Game 1 at Staples Center playing without its starting center? "The series doesn’t start until somebody loses at home," guard Chris Paul told reporters after producing 25 points and 11 assists. "I guess that [loss] started it. … Now we've got to see what we're made of."

Utah: Gobert's status for the rest of the series is in doubt. "I don't think we're ready to say today, tomorrow, a week, two weeks," head coach Quin Snyder told reporters. "I think it's literally that wide open." Johnson led all Utah scorers with 21 points plus Favors added 15 points off the bench, as well. Utah's best player, SF Gordon Hayward (21.9 & 5.4), had 19 & 10, and the team's new PG, George Hill (16.9 & 4.2 APG), added 16 points. Utah's reserves outscored LA's 47-20!

LA Clippers: The Clippers are insisting that there is no need to panic following the Game 1 loss."A lot of guys have played enough playoff games to know it's truly a series," forward Blake Griffin told the Los Angeles Times. "Everybody says that. But we've been up 2-0 several times and lost a series [to Portland]. We've been up 3-1 and lost a series [to Houston]. We've lost a first game and won a series. So it doesn't really matter, you know?" Griifin must be in denial. The Clippers' playoff history is filled with nothing but failure and as for Chris Paul, who so many think so much of, he's never even played on a team which has won a second round playoff series. Let that sink in! Griffin (26 & 7), Paul (25 & 11 assists) and Jordan (10 & 15) all had good stats but the Clippers struggled to free up their shooters, as guards J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford combined for 15 points on 7-of-19 shooting, including 1-of-7 from three-point range. Then there was LA's bench getting pummeled by Utah's, 47-20!

The pick: Should LA bounce back and take Game 2? The Clippers should but I'll take the points and make Utah an 8* play.

The set-up: The Edmonton Oilers lost Game 1 at home (blew a 2-0 lead and lost 3-3 in OT), playing in their first postseason since 2006. However, the Oilers have rebounded with a 2-0 home win in Game 2 and then a 1-0 win at San Jose in Game 3. Edmonton goalie Cam Talbot has turned aside all 39 shots he has faced in registering back-to-back shutouts.

Edmonton: The Oilers had six penalties in each of the first two games but showed much more discipline in Game 3, taking only two penalties. Despite being short-handed a league-high 14 times through three games, the Oilers have allowed just one power play goal (92.8 percent). "It feels great but, I mean, the job's not done yet," Talbot said after his second straight shutout. "We came in, got home-ice advantage back, but it'd be nice to come in and play another game like that on Tuesday."

San Jose: The Sharks finally have both of their top injured forwards back in the lineup but their returns have done nothing to improve the team's offense. Logan Couture was back in the Sharks' lineup for the series opener after missing the final seven regular-season games with a facial injury and Joe Thornton returned for Game 3 after sitting out a total of five contests with a knee ailment. However, Game 3 ended in a second straight shutout for the Sharks.

The pick: Connor David, the next big thing in the NHL, has a goal and an assist in his first playoff series. However, two players who had breakout seasons in Leon Draisaitl (29 goals, 48 assists) and Patrick Maroon (27 goals), have failed to record a point. Talk about a "must win?" The Sharks have played 2,192 games, including the postseason, and they have have never been blanked three times in a row. It won't happen here either and teh team with all the experience edge (and teh one which was in last yera's Stanley Cup Finals), comes away with the win tonight. Make San Jose a 10* play.

The set-up: The San Francisco Giants are off to a slow start to the 2017 season (just 5-9), as they visit Kansas City to take on the 6-6 Royals in this two-game IL series. However, the Giants are getting some good news, as four-time All-Star catcher Buster Posey is expected to be activated from the DL on Tuesday. Posey was beaned by a fastball in a game against Arizona on April 10 and will likely serve as the team's DH as he eases his way back into action. "It gives him three more extra days (counting Thursday's off day)," manager Bruce Bochy told The San Jose Mercury News of Posey (team-leading .333 batting average). Kansas City has been streaky in the early going of 2017, and comes in on a four-game winning streak, following a three-game slide, which was the second such skid of the season for the Royals. This marks the Giants' first return to Kansas City since the 2014 World Series.

The pitching matchup: Matt Cain (1-0 & 4.82 ERA) gets the nod tonight for San Francisco and Kansas City hands the ball to Jason Hammel (0-1 & 6.52 ERA). Cain had a shaky 2017 debut (allows six hits and four ERs over 4 1/3 innings against the Padres) but earned a 6-2 win against Arizona on Wednesday. He allowed just one run on five hits in as many innings. The Giants are hoping Cain can be the team's fifth-starter, coming off a two-year span in which his ERA is 5.77 and WHIP is 1.52. Cain is 1-0 with a 3.28 ERA in his lone start against the Royals. It's early but Jason Hammel has stumbled out of the box after signing a two-year, $16 million deal in offseason, a move designed to shore up KC's starting rotation after the death of Yordano Ventura. Hammel's allowed 13 hits and seven ERs over 9 2/3 innings, with a 6.52 ERA, 1.97 WHIP and .333 opponents BA! However, despite going winless in 11 career appearances against San Francisco (10 starts / teams are 4-6), he has pitched reasonably well against them with a 3.17 ERA.

The pick: KC's starting pitchers have a 0.63 ERA, allowing two runs and 13 hits over 28 2/3 innings during the team's four-game winning streak and now it's Hammel's turn to start "pulling his own weight." He faces a San Francisco lineup which has been very mediocre, batting .237 (17th). As for that KC lineup, it ranks 29th in BA (.210) and runs scored (3.17 per). Make the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: The 7-5 Washington Nationals open a three-game series tonight in Atlanta against the Braves. Daniel Murphy has hit safely in 11 of 12 games this year and brings a .396 batting average into the series opener. Bryce Harper followed his 2015 MVP season with a down year in 2016 (hit only .243) but is starting to warm up in 2017, going 9-for-23 with eight RBI and seven runs scored in his last six games. He had two HRs, including a walk-off shot, in Sunday’s 6-4 victory over Philadelphia. The Braves won just 68 games in 2016 and opened the 2017 season at 1-6 but come into this series on a five-game winning streak, after Dansby Swanson’s walk-off single in Monday’s 5-4 victory over San Diego gave them a four-game sweep of the Padres, along with giving them a 4-0 record at their new home, SunTrust Park.

The pitching matchup: Max Scherzer (1-1 & 2.13 ERA) will get the ball in the series opener for the Nats, opposed by Atlanta's Mike Foltynewicz (0-1 & 6.35 ERA). Scherzer was slowed in spring training by a knuckle injury on his right ring finger but has pitched well in his first two outings of 2017. He took the loss Wednesday against St. Louis despite allowing only one ER in six innings with 10 strikeouts but he struck out seven while giving up two runs in a win at Philadelphia back on April 7. He won his second career Cy Young Award last season and had no trouble vs. the Braves, going 4-0 while striking out 32 in 33 1/3 innings in five starts (Nats were 4-1). The Braves had multiple off-days during their season-opening road trip and that resulted in Foltynewicz being temporarily moved to the bullpen. He gave up two runs and three hits in two innings of relief last Tuesday at Miami, striking out four without issuing a walk. Foltynewicz's only start of the year came ion April 7th, when he allowed two runs and six hits over 3 2/3 innings en route to a 5-4 loss at Pittsburgh. He was 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in two starts against Washington in 2016 (team was 1-1).

The pick: Washington won the NL East last season with a 95-67 record, thanks in part to dominating Atlanta by taking 15 of the 19 meetings between the two rivals (?), while averaging 5.7 runs per contest. Setting aside Washington's dominance over Atlanta, we also have a Scherzer-Foltynewicz 'duel,' which seems like a total mismatch. Make the Nationals an 8* play.

The set-up: The defending champs have played up to their pedigree, opening with home wins of 3-1 and 4-1, then overcoming a 3-1 deficit at Columbus for a 5-4 OT win in Game 3. 22-year-old rookie Jake Guentzel completed a hat trick at 13:10 of overtime to give the Penguins a 3-0 series lead. One more win and the Pittsburgh Penguins sweep their way into the second round and one more loss for the Columbus Blue Jackets and the best season in franchise history comes to an abrupt end.

Pittsburgh: Guentzel recorded his second straight game-winning goal on Sunday's and has 21 points (11 goals, 10 assists) in his last 14 contests overall. He had 33 points (16 goals, 17 assists) in 40 games with the club this season. Bryan Rust scored twice in Game 3 to give him seven goals in his past 11 playoff games. Fellow forward Evgeni Malkin recorded his 14th career three-point performance by scoring in his second straight game and adding two assists to increase his point total to six (two goals, four assists) in the series. Not to be outdone, captain Sidney Crosby has set up two goals in back-to-back contests after being held off the scoresheet in the series opener.

Columbus: Zach Werenski, who was first in NHL scoring among rookie defensemen with 47 points (11 goals, 36 assists, saw his season came to a close after he sustained a ghastly facial fracture, taking a puck under his right eye on Sunday. His loss makes the Blue Jackets' uphill climb even steeper against the defending Stanley Cup champions.

The pick: Columbus is facing a huge challenge but veteran forward Scott Hartnell reminded his teammates Monday that the deficit is not insurmountable, as he played a role in the Philadelphia Flyers' comeback from a 3-0 deficit against the Boston Bruins to win a first-round series back in 2010. "We're still in this thing," Hartnell said. "We've still got another game to play. I don't think any of us envisioned this. I thought we deserved a better fate. We're playing good enough to win. There is a belief in (the locker room). There were good vibes that were positive. We'll still here and putting on our skates." I expect Columbus to come with its "A game" and that makes the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: The Toronto Raptors reached the Eastern Conference finals last year but not before losing each one of the three Game 1s the team played during three separate series. Well, nothing has changed for the Raptors in the 2017 postseason, as they were held to 32 second-half points on Saturday by the Bucks, as Milwaukee took a 1-0 lead in its opening round series against Toronto, 97-83.

Milwaukee: Since losing in the Eastern Conference finals back in 200-01 season to the 76ers and Allen Iverson, the Bucks had made the playoffs just six times before this season, while losing each time in the first round. One game does not a series make but let's note that the Bucks sure didn't look like a team that had lost 13 of its past 15 regular-season games to the Raptors when it rode the coattails of All-Star small forward Giannis Antetokounmpo's 28-point effort to a 14-point victory. The "Greek Freak" averaged 22.9-8.8-5.4 on the season and noted, "It's big for us, but now we have to focus on Game 2," he told reporters. "We know they're going to be more desperate." Antetokounmpo wasn't alone on Saturday, as rookie PG Malcolm Brogdon contributed 16 points, center Greg Monroe contributed 14 points and 15 rebounds off the bench plus while SG Middleton made just 4 of 15 FG attempts for 10 points, he handed out nine assists.

Toronto: The Raptors were outscored 51-32 in the second half with All-Star PG Kyle Lowry scoring only two points in the second half and four points for the game on 2-for-11 shooting (0 of 6 on threes). DeRozan, who averaged 27.3 PPG on 46.7% shooting this season, made only 7 of 21 shots, as 13 of his 27 points came from the FT line. "It sounds like a yearly song we sing but we're going to go as (Lowry) and DeMar (DeRozan) go and he's got to be aggressive no matter what the defense is doing," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. Serge Ibaka was the best Raptor on the court, scoring 19 points adding 14 rebounds but was the only starter to make a three-pointer in the game (Toronto was 5-of-23 from long range).

The pick: Toronto's been in this position before, as the Raptors are now 0-9 in opening games of first-round playoff series and just 1-11 in Game 1s, overall. Quite frankly, how pathetic is that? However, Toronto did average 106.9 PPG (10th) on the season and even if we include Saturday's awful 83-point effort, the Raptors have averaged 110.2 PPG at Air Canada Centre this season. Maybe Toronto loses again but it will go down 'swinging.' Make the Over a 10* play.

The set-up: The Ducks extended their home dominance over the Flames in taking a 2-0 lead in this opening round series, although both wins came by 3-2 finals. Anaheim captain Ryan Getzlaf has collected a goal and an assist in both contests so far and the Ducks have hardly been dominant. "Lucky" is how Getzlaf described his pinball, go-ahead goal that caromed off the right skate of Flames forward Lance Bouma and into the net with 3:46 left in regulation of Saturday's 3-2 win. Still, the two one-goal victories give Anaheim a 13-0-3 run over its last 16 games. Calgary now finds itself in the ominous position of trailing after two games in a best-of-seven series. "It was just a (bad) bounce. That's the way it happens sometimes," Flames forward Kris Versteeg told the Orange County Register. "I don’t really believe in curses. It was just for whatever reason a bad-luck bounce. You can't blame anyone on that. It’s just something that happens."

Anaheim: Right winger Patrick Eaves drew an assist on Getzlaf's game winner and admitted the Ducks got a fortunate bounce to win Saturday's game. "We'll take it and run," Eaves told CBC during a post-game interview. "You always want to win your games at home, but we know we have a big test ahead of us. They play really well in their building also. We'll be ready." The trio of Getzlaf, Rickard Rakell and Jakob Silfverberg have each scored once in the opener and then duplicated that feat in Game 2. "I'm sure that they're happy that they're scoring and we're real happy they're scoring, but there's other guys that are going to score in this series, for sure," said Anaheim head coach Randy Carlyle. Anaheim goalie John Gibson has a .952 save percentage in his last 10 games overall and has turned aside 65 of 69 shots in this series.

Calgary: Mikael Backlund followed up his career-high goal total (22) this season by scoring a short-handed goal in Game 2. Fellow forward Sean Monahan (team-leading 27 goals) has scored in back-to-back contests after being held off the scoresheet in each of the previous four and linemate Johnny Gaudreau (team-leading 43 assists and 61 points) notched an assist after a four-game point drought.

The pick: A change of scenery might be just what the doctor ordered for Calgary, which is leaving its house of horrors at the Honda Center in favor of Scotiabank Saddledome. "Obviously it's going to be fun to play at home," defenseman Dougie Hamilton said. "We can't quit. We haven't quit all season. We’re going to come out hard at home and turn the series around." The Flames averaged 3.15 GPG at home this season and the play here is Over (10*s).

The set-up: The Spurs allowed the Grizzlies to score 30 points in the first quarter of their Game 1 series but Memphis never had more than 19 points in any of the final three quarters, with An Antonio pulling away for a 111-82 win. "They just took over the game," Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph told reporters. "They started to hit shots and put pressure on us. We couldn’t get the ball where we wanted to get it. We just couldn’t get shots." A 19-0 run over a five-minute span bridging the third and fourth quarters turned the reasonably tight contest into a rout.Kawhi Leonard (25.5 & 5.8) not surprisingly led all Spurs with 32 points plus Popovich had to like Parker (just 10.1 PPG on the season) looking 'young again" with 18 points in minutes.

Memphis: The key to San Antonio disrupting Memphis was getting PG Mike Conley out of his rhythm. Parker helped in that regard, as Conley (20.5 & 6.3 APG) managed just 13 points on 5-of-14 shooting. "They forced other guys to handle the ball," Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale told reporters. "We went over it, we expected it, but we just didn't respond well to it. I thought Mike missed some chippies in there in the paint. But give them credit; they really turned the game around defensively against us." In an overall poor offensive effort by Memphis, the bright spot was center Marc Gasol (19.5 & 6.2), who scored 32 points on 11-of-18 shooting.

San Antonio: Leonard and PF LaMarcus Aldridge (20 points / six rebounds) were the only players to log more than 25 minutes for San Antonio on Saturday, so "Pop's" team will be well rested. "The best part was the team keeping its composure, not going off in different directions and just trying to do what he planned execution-wise on both ends of the floor," Popovich said. "I thought we got better as the game went on."

The pick: The Spurs rested their starters for the entire fourth quarter, which could be a huge advantage in a series that is expected to be a physical one between grind-it-out teams. Still, Memphis was awful after the first quarter, yet trailed just 74-64 with 1:53 to play in the third quarter. Memphis scored only 33 points in the second half and missed nine of its 10 three-point attempts after halftime. Memphis will be better in Game 2. The Spurs were just 19-22 ATS at home during the regular season and I'll take the points here with The Grizz. Make Memphis an 8* play.

The set-up: The Indians were AL champs last year and had the Cubs down 3-1 in the 2016 World Series, before losing the final three games of the Fall Classic (Games 6 & 7 at home). Cleveland then opened the 2017 season in Texas against the Rangers, a team which has been to the postseason in five of the last seven years. The Indians swept that three-game series in Arlington, 8-5, 4-3 and 9-6. Terry Francona's club was off and running, or so we thought. However, just the opposite has been the case, as the Indians limp into Minnesota on Monday, losers of seven of their last nine. As for the Twins, they were coming off a 103-loss season, owners of MLB's worst record in 2016. However, they opened 4-0 and 5-1, before losing four of their next six.

The pitching matchup: Danny Salazar (0-1 & 4.63 ERA) will open this four-game series for the Indians, opposed by Minnesota's Kyle Gibson (0-1 & 8.00 ERA). Salazar limited the White Sox to two runs on four hits and a pair of walks over six innings last Wednesday, but suffered the loss in a 2-1 decision despite matching a career high with 11 strikeouts. Salazar had a great first half for the Indians in 2016 (10-3 with a 2.75 ERA before the All-Star break) but injuries limited him to eight starts after the break (he was 1-3 with a 7.44 ERA / team was 5-3 in his starts). In the postseason, he made just two relief appearances. Salazar went 0-1 with a 10.13 ERA in three starts against the Twins in 2016 and is 3-3 in 10 appearances (all starts) with 4.80 ERA against Minnesota (Indians are 6-4). Gibson has allowed eight runs on nine hits (including three HRs) over nine innings with seven strikeouts and three walks to open the 2017 season. This comes on the heels of him going 6-11 with a 5.07 ERA in starts last year. Gibson was 0-1 with an 8.44 ERA in two starts versus Cleveland last year and is 2-3 with a 6.40 ERA in nine career starts against the Indians (4-5).

The pick: The Indians scored 21 runs in sweeping the Rangers to open the season but have scored three or fewer runs in six of their last nine games. However, Gibson was just brutal at home last season, going 1-8 with a 5.21 ERA in 13 starts. Make Cleveland a YUGE 10* play.

The Ottawa Senators were able to erase a two-goal deficit in the third period of Game 2 against the Bruins on Saturday. They were then able to even their series against Boston with an overtime goal by defenseman Dion Phaneuf, avoiding falling behind 0-2 in the series by dropping both home games. “The resilience we showed through the last portion of the year came out again,” Senators head coach Guy Boucher said following Saturday's 4-3 victory. “We’ve talked about the fact that adversity builds you or destroys you, and we prefer to see it as a builder." However, the Bruins have accomplished prying the home ice edge away from Ottawa as the teams get set to play the next two games in Boston.

Ottawa: The Senators came into the playoffs dealing with Erik Karlsson's foot injury and Marc Methot's finger, which was almost severed at the tip by a Sidney Crosby slash. Defensemen Karlsson and Methot are both playing in the playoffs but especially in Methot's case, it's been a struggle. However, Mark Borowiecki (another defenseman) went down with a lower-body injury on Saturday. The Senators skated in Boston on Sunday with head coach Guy Boucher saying "we'll see" on Borowiecki's status.

Boston: The Bruins also know all about dealing with injuries. Boston is minus center David Krejci plus defensemen Torey Krug, Brandon Carlo and Colin Miller. Then, Boston absorbed another blow when blue-liner Adam McQuaid was hurt in Game 2. While all continue to be listed as day-to-day, there was some positive news on the injury front: Miller skated at Sunday's practice and has a shot to return while forward Noel Acciari is expected to be available and take his place on the fourth line alongside Dominic Moore and Riley Nash. "He was playing good hockey when he got hurt, so there's a good chance that he'll draw back into the lineup," head coach Bruce Cassidy said.

The pick: The Senators should have a certain level of confidence in knowing that they have won on each of their past three visits to Boston, including two this season. However, since winning 3-2 in Boston back on March 21, the Senators have won just one of their last seven road games. Make Boston an 8* play.

The set-up: The Cleveland Cavaliers are up 1-0 in their series with the Pacers (East's No. 7 seed with a 42-40 record, including 13-28 on the road, the worst of any of this year's playoff qualifiers). However, the Cavs, just 10-14 since March 1, needed to withstand a late comeback by Indiana to earn a one-point win (109-108). Cleveland let a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter slip away and was a missed shot at the buzzer away from losing Game 1. However, All-Star PG Kyrie Irving does not feel the team is vulnerable. "Feel vulnerable? Hell no," Irving told reporters. "Not going into any game with the group that we have. I understand there's some mistakes that happen throughout the game, and the regular season didn't end the way we wanted it to, but like I said, it's just a step in the right direction. Game 1, just taking care of home floor and have to come out for Game 2 with an even higher focus and even better level of intensity, limit our mistakes, and we will be good." That's brave talk from a player who went 1-of-9 from three-point range in Game 1!

Indiana: C.J. Miles missed a mid-range jumper at the buzzer in Saturday's loss but Indiana just confirmed its belief that it could hang with the defending champions. "We knew we could go toe-to-toe with them," Pacers All-Star forward Paul George told the media. "We challenged them the last time we were here. We knew we had a chance coming in to win a game here. It sucks that we're down 0-1, but it's encouraging." George (23.7 & 6.6) has led the Pacers all season and did so again in Game 1, scoring 29 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Stephenson signed as a free agent deal in late in March with Indiana and has been a solid reserve. However, he played all 12 minutes of the fourth quarter and scored eight of his 16 points in that final period. He shot 8-of-13 in Game 1, his highest output since making his team debut on Apr. 2.

Cleveland: LBJ let everyone know he's read for another run at the Finals (and another title?) on Saturday. He scored 32 points and handed out 13 assists in 43 minutes (also had six rebounds). However, Kyrie shot poorly (11 of 27 overall) and Kevin Love scored 15 of his 17 points in the first half and finished with just four rebounds. Also, Cleveland shot just 14 of 27 from the foul line and Kyle Korver, the league's top three-point shooter this season, made the only shot he took on Saturday and it wasn't even a three-pointer.

The pick: I noted the following in playing the Over in Game 1..."The Cavs have work to do on defense, ranking 20th in scoring defense overall and just 29th since the All-Star break!" The Pacers scored 108 points on the Cavs in Game 1, making 49.4 percent, including 11 of 24 on threes. Meanwhile, the Cavs scored 109 points, despite making only 14 of 27 FTs. Second verse, same as the first, Make the Over a 10* play.

The set: The OKC Thunder against the Houston Rockets (Westbrook vs. Harden) is one of two excellent opening round series in the West. The Jazz and Clippers is the other and that one didn't disappoint Saturday night, with the Jazz edging the Clippers 97-95 on a game-winning buzzer beater! Westbrook and Harden are the two leading MVP candidates (Kawhi seems left out and I'm not sure why?) and for that reason alone, this has to be the first round's most appealing. The Thunder went 47-36 (No. 6 seed) and the Rockets had a 55-27 regular season mark, giving them the West's No. 3 seed but also note that Houston also owns a better record than any team in the East, as well

Oklahoma City: Westbrook led the NBA in scoring (31.6), ranked third in assists (10.4) and was 10th in rebounding (10.7) to join Oscar Robertson (1961-62) as the lone players to average a triple-double over an entire season. He also had 42 triple-doubles during the season to break the Big O's single-season record of 41. OKC was 33-9 in his triple-double games but head coach Billy Donovan is well aware that OKC will need more than Westbrook to advance in the playoffs. There is no doubt that Oklahoma City is armed to the teeth with bigs in Steven Adams, Enes Kanter, Taj Gibson and Domantas Sabonis.

Houston. The Rockets were just 41-41 last season with Harden and the unhappy Howard not meshing. With Howard gone to Atlanta, Harden made this "his team" and Houston won 14 more games this season. Harden finished second in scoring (29.1), led the NBA in assists (11.2) and averaged 8.1 rebounds during the regular season and he is eager to compete with the tenacious Westbrook. Houston set an NBA record with 1,181 three-point FGs, an average of 14.4 per game. Harden (262) led the way, while backup SG Eric Gordon (246) and forward Ryan Anderson (205) all over 200. SF Trevor Ariza (190), just missed that mark.

The pick: Here's the rub. While the Rockets "fill the air" with three-point attempts, they finished just 15th in three-point percentage (35.7). The Thunder led the NBA in rebound percentage (53.4) but managed only a plus-1.8 rebounding margin against the Rocket, losing three of four. Obviously, OKC.was unable to overwhelm the Rockets with its advantage in size and bulk during the regular season. However, Houston was unable to stop Westbrook, who averaged 36.3 points, 9.3 assists and nine rebounds against Houston. Meanwhile, Harden experienced some struggles against OKC, averaging just 20.5 points on 34.3 percent shooting. Like with the Jazz/Clippers, the points could be YUGE. Make OKC a 10* play in Game 1.

The Pittsburgh Penguins (defending champs) have opened a 2-0 series lead over the Columbus Blue Jackets, winning Games 1 and 2 in Pittsburgh, 3-1 and 4-1. The Penguins ranked first in goal scored (3.39) during the regular season, while Columbus wasn't too far behind at 2.96 GPG, to rank 6th. However, Columbus has scored just one goal in each of the first two games, with Pittsburgh's Fluery turning away 70 of 72 shots.

Pittsburgh: The "HBK Line" was all the rage last spring as Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel catapulted Pittsburgh on its way to its fourth Stanley Cup title in franchise history. This time, it's the tentatively titled line of "Sid and the Kids" consisting of Crosby, rookie Jake Guentzel and second-year forward Conor Sheary that has captured the hearts of the Steel City following a six-point performance (two goals, four assists) and 10 shots on goal Friday. Crosby has 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in his last 17 games overall. He's the 57th player in NHL history to reach 50 postseason goals and has 140 points in 126 playoff contests.

Columbus: The Blue Jackets have not had much luck denting Fluery plus Columbus goalie Sergei Bobrovsky has seen his late-season swoon continue. He's now 0-5-0 with an .879 save percentage in April. It's a "must win" for Columbus in Game 3. The Blue Jackets beat the Penguins there twice here in Nationwide Arena during the regular season but they don't look like the the same team that won 16 consecutive games from Nov. 29th through Jan. 3rd, on the way to the fourth-best record in the NHL during the regular season.

The pick: However, there seems to be no panic in the Blue Jackets. Captain Nick Foligno said, "I can say it was probably the weirdest ride home, only that we're down 2-0 and obviously not really enjoying the situation we're in, but the optimism in our room is incredible and how we feel about our game," talking to NHL.com. "That's a great team over there and I'm not discrediting what they're doing, but there's so much good we're doing that it's going to break for us eventually." Hard to argue with that. The Blue Jackets have attacked the Penguins in the offensive zone and often controlled play but their shots have just simply not found the back of the net. I expect that to change here on home ice but keeping Crosby and Co. off the scoreboard is another thing. Make the Over a 10* play.

The set-up: The Arizona Diamondbacks were just 69-93 in 2016 (22 games behind the division-winning Dodgers) but opened this season 7-2. However, consecutive losses here in Dodger Stadium (7-1 on Friday and 8-4 on Saturday), gives the D'backs three straight losses overall and a record of 7-5. Meanwhile, the Dodgers have improved to 5-1 at home on the 2017 season and to 7-5 for the season (a half-game back of the first-place Rockies).

The pick: After that quick start (6-1), Arizona has lost four of its last five games. Looking at the team's early schedule, its 6-1 start was greatly helped by all games being contested at Chase Field. Away from home, the D'backs are now 1-4, getting outscored 5.60-to-2.40 RPG. Conversely, the Dodgers are 5-1 at home, outscoring opponents 7.00-to-2.50 RPG. Let's not overthink. Make the Dodgers an 8* play.

The set-up: The Pittsburgh Pirates were just 1-8 in the "Friendly Confines" in 2016 but Andrew McCutchen’s go-ahead, three-run HR in a five-run seventh inning on Saturday made them 2-0 there in 2017. The Pirates won 4-2 on Friday and then 8-7 on Saturday, assuring the Cubs of their first series loss since mid-September of 2016. Reigning National League MVP Kris Bryant hit his first two HRs of the season on Saturday but the Cubs have just nine dingers through their first 11 games. Chicago is just 6-5 and needs to salvage a win in the finale of this series, to avoid slipping to .500.

The pitching matchup: Jameson Taillon (0-0 & 1.38 ERA) will take the mound in Wrigley for Pittsburgh, opposed by Chicago's Jon Lester (0-0 & 1.64 ERA). Taillon has pitched well enough to win in each of his first two outings of 2017 but has yet to earn a "W." He pitched seven scoreless innings at Boston and then allowed just two runs over six innings against Cincinnati. Taillon has registered 10 strikeouts and four walks over 13 innings with a 1.38 ERA and 1.00 WHIP but the Pirates are 0-2 in his starts. Taillon faced the Cubs twice last season, going 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA. Lester knows how Taillon feels. He has also failed to earn a "W." despite two string performances to open the 2017 season. He has seven Ks in each of his two starts, limiting the Cards to one run over five innings and holding the Dodgers to one in six innings. He does not have a decision yet, although the Cubs are 1-1 in his starts. Lester is 4-3 with a 2.68 ERA in eight career starts against the Pirates (teams are 4-4).

The pick: The Pirates aim for their first sweep at Wrigley since Sept. 5-7, 2014 but remember Pittsburgh was an 88-win team that season, while the Cubs went 73-89, finishing in the basement of the NL Central back then. Eight of the Chicago's first 11 games have been decided by two runs or less, with the Cubs going 3-5 in those contests. Be assured, that will change. How about right here? After all, the Cubs owned MLB's best home record in 2016, going 57-24. Make the Cubs an 8* play.

The set-up: The 49-33 Washington Wizards did win the franchise's first division title since the 1978-79 season in winning this year's Southeast title but the Wizards enter the playoffs having lost five of eight. The team's late-season "mini slump" (just 8-9 since March 13th) saw them fall to the East's No. 4 seed and the team will open the postseason with Southeast Division rival, Atlanta. The 43-39 Hawks know all about poor play the last 1 1/2 months, as they lost nine of 11 from Mar. 13 through Apr. 2nd, before the return of All-Star power forward Paul Millsap helped the team turn things around. The Hawks secured the No. 5 seed with four straight wins, then lost their meaningless regular season finale at Indiana, while resting most of the its key players. .

Atlanta: Millsap (18.1 & 7.7) scored over 20 points in two of the four games after his return but was limited to an average of 16 points on 41.5 percent shooting in three games against Washington this season. Center Dwight Howard was pretty much a forgotten man this season but averagd a double-double at 13.5 points and 12.7 boards. He will playing in his 90th career playoff game in Tuesday's Game 2. on Tuesday. Dennis Schroeder (17.9 & 6.3 APG) ably replaced Teague at PG and no player on the Hawks benefited more from Korver's trade to the Cavs than Hardaway, who was one of the NBA's most improved players this season (ended the season averaging 14.5 PPG). Injuries shook up the team's lineup the second half of the season and the Hawks are expected to start SG Tim Hardaway and SF Taurean Prince, while bringing former starters SF Thabo Sefolosha and SF Kent Bazemore off the bench.

Washington: The Wizards own a clear backcourt advantage with Wall (23.1 & 10.7 APG) and Beal (23.1), plus all three frontcourt players average in double figures. Center Gortat (10.8 & 10.4) is surrounded by forwards Morris (14.0 & 6.5) and Porter (13.4 & 6.4) . A lack of scoring off the bench was addressed at the trade deadline, with the acquisition of Bojan Bogdanovic, who averaged 12.7 PPG in 26 games with Washington. Backup center Ian Mahinmi (calf) will not be available for the start of the series.

The pick: Neither team was very impressive after the All-Star break but both have All-Star talent. Washington lost its first meeting with Atlanta this season but then won the final three meetings, giving them five wins over the last seven between the two rivals. The Wizards also have the revenge card on their side, having lost the series 4-2 to the Hawks in 2015 but note, Atlanta was the East's top-seed in that season. At least for Game 1, it's all Washington. Make the Wizards a 10* play.

The set-up: The Toronto Raptors ended the regular season on a four-game winning streak and while they did catch the Cavs at 51-31, Cleveland earned the No. 2 seed due to its series win over Toronto. So, the third-seed Raptors open the 2017 playoffs against the 42-40 Milwaukee Bucks, who are the East's No. 6 seed. The Bucks finished above .500 for the first time since going 46-36 in 2009-10 and the team is looking to halt a stretch of six consecutive first-round playoff exits. The Raptors reached the East Finals last year (lost 4-2 to the Cavs) and are expecting another sustained postseason run. However, the Cavs will almost assuredly be waiting for them in the second round, if Toronto beats Milwaukee. Toronto is the clear favorite to do just that, as the Raptors were 3-1 against the Bucks this season and have won 13 of the past 15 meetings between the two clubs.

Milwaukee: All-Star small forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will be counted on to carry Milwaukee in the postseason, just like in the regular season. He became the fifth player in NBA history to lead his team in scoring (22.9), rebounding (8.8), assists (5.4), blocked shots (1.9) and steals (1.6) in the same season. The Bucks were expected to fall out of the playoff race after losing Jabari Parker (20.1 & 6.1) to a torn ACL on Feb. 8th. However, just the opposite happened. The Bucks lost their first game without Parker, allowing 122 points the Lakers, but from then on won 21 of their final 30 games. The return of last years leading scorer Khris Middleton (18.2) was surely huge, as he averaged 14.7 PPG in 29 games, plus rookie guard Brogdon (10.2 & 4.2 APG) has played well enough to be considered for ROY honors.

Toronto: The Raptors are led by their All Star backcourt of DeRozan (27.3 & 5.2) and Lowry (22.4-4.8-7.0) but the addition of Serge Ibaka could be the difference in this year's anticipated second-round showdown with Cleveland. Ibaka has averaged 14.2 & 6.8 in his 23 games with Toronto and gives center Valanciunas (12.0 & 9.5 plus a team-best 55.7% shooting percentage) some much-needed inside help.

The pick: Yes, the Raptors are favored to win this series but it's not as if Toro pnto has a long history of playoff successes. In fact, the Raptors lost Game 1 of each of their playoff series last year. Take the points and make Milwaukee an 8* play.

The set-up: The Red Sox opened the 2017 season with consecutive wins over the Prates, before the third game of that series was rained out. However, after last night's 10-5 home loss to the Rays, Boston is just 5-5 to start the season. Tampa Bay's win snapped a three-game slide and the Rays get set for the second of this three-game series at 6-5.

The pitching matchup: Jake Odorizzi (1-1 & 4.50 ERA) will take the hill for Tampa Bay and Chris Sale (0-1 & 1.23 ERA), who is still looking for his first win with Boston, takes the mound for the Red Sox. Odorizzi limited the Toronto Blue Jays to two runs on two hits in six innings to pick up his first win of 2017 last Sunday. However, it's not good news that seven of the nine hits he has allowed so far in 2017 have gone for extra bases, including three HR. Odorizzi has faced Boston 13 times, going 3-3 with a 4.13 ERA (teams are 8-5). Sale has yielded eight hits in 14 2/3 innings while recording 17 strikeouts through the first two starts, along with a 1.23 ERA and 0.68 WHIP (.157 BAA). However, the Red Sox didn't score until the 12th inning in his team debut and were limited to just one run in his second appearance last Monday at Detroit. Sale was 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA -- 16 strikeouts and no walks -- in two starts against the Rays for the White Sox last season, including a two-hit shutout April 15. Lifetime, he is 4-2 with a 2.25 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 55 innings against Tampa Bay.

The pick: Boston is just not giving Sale any support and I wouldn't want to bet on it happening here, even though Odorizzi is hardly a "shut-down" pitcher. Meanwhile, Sale is an impressive 48-19 with a 2.70 ERA in his career before the All-Star break and owns a 2.76 mark all-time at Fenway. The Under is a 10* play.

The set-up: The Bruins won the opening game of this series 2-1 on Wednesday, one of five visiting teams to win Game 1 of their first-round series. That said, the Bruins have to feel pretty lucky to have come away with that Game 1 win, as the Bruins became the first team in nearly 23 years to win a playoff game without registering a shot on goal in a period. Boston got a pair of goals in the third period, rallying for a 2-1 win. The Senators had swept the four-game season series against the Bruins, and the team's mindset in Wednesday's loss did not sit well with coach Guy Boucher. “Going into the third, they just stuck with what they were doing and we didn’t,” Boucher said. "We looked like we were scared to lose rather than hungry to win."

Boston: The Bruins look to put a stranglehold on this Eastern Conference first-round series when they visit the Senators in Game 2 on Saturday afternoon. The Bruins opened this series missing injured defensemen Torey Krug and Brandon Carlo. Now, Colin Miller is expected to also miss in Game 2, as a result of a second period knee-on-knee collision with Mark Borowiecki in Game 1. The there is veteran center David Krejci, who has twice led the NHL in playoffs scoring. He missed Game 1 while dealing with what's believed to be an upper-body injury and head coach Bruce Cassidy said Krejci would be "unavailable" for Game 2.

Ottawa: "It's a long series," Senators center Kyle Turris said after the Game 1 loss. "We knew the odds of us sweeping Boston weren't very good. We figured we'd lose at some point. We've just got to take the right steps to get back in the win column. Goaltender Anderson (25-11-4, 2.28 GGA & .926 SP) didn't play poorly in Game 1 (saved 25 of 27 shots on goal) but allowing two goals in the final period is never a good sign. Then again, it's hard to put too much blame on the goalie, when the team scores just one goal at home.

The pick: Therein lies the problem for Ottawa. The Senators have scored a total of only 16 goals over their last 29 games. Ottawa has failed on its last 13 power-play chances and is 1-for-21 over the past eight games. Can you say an 0-2 'hole?' Make Boston a 10* play.

The set-up: The Cavs have sure not looked like defending champs since the All Star break and in particular, since the beginning of March. Cleveland ended the season on a four-game slide and will enter the postseason with a 10-14 record since March 1. However, few doubt that the remain the favorites (prohibitive?) to come out of the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers will begin their title defense by hosting the seventh-seeded Indiana is in Game 1 of the first round on Saturday. The Pacers went over two months without securing back-to-back wins but with "their backs to the wall" (maybe too many backs in ths sentence), Indiana responded by closing the season on a five-game winning streak which clinched a playoff spot but not until the final day of the regular season.

The pick: LBJ is looking to advance to the NBA Finals for the seventh straight season, which is quite a run. However, first things first. Every postseason begins with a first-round series and LBJ's teams have never lost a first-round series. In fact, they won the last 17 games in the opening round. Meanwhile, the Pacers come to Cleveland for the first two games of this series with the worst road record of any of this year's playoffs teams, at 13-28. However, the Cavs have work to do on defense, ranking 20th in scoring defense overall and just 29th since the All-Star break! Make the Over a 10* play.

The set-up: The Nats edged the Phillies 3-2 Friday night in the opener of this three-game series. Washington has won three of its last four to move to 6-4, with Daniel Murphy (.347 BA in 2016) hitting safely in all 10 games so far. He has multiple-hit games in seven of the 10, including a 2-for-5 effort Friday. His game-winning RBI double in the 10th inning gives him a .444 average through 10 games. along with a team-leading 10 RBI. The Phillies, who won two of three at home against Washington last weekend, have now dropped four in a row, three by one run, and sit at 3-7. One way to open the season 3-7 is to have an NL-worst 5.11 team ERA, including a 5.59 bullpen ERA and just one save!

The pitching matchup: Jeremy Hellickson (1-0 & 0.90 ERA) takes the mound for Philly on Saturday afternoon, opposed by Washington's Tanner Roark. Hellickson has been the lone bright spot in Philadelphia's rotation. He allowed only one hit over five scoreless innings versus the Nationals last Sunday, before departing with the injury. He has allowed just one run on seven hits with two walks in 10 innings overall, throwing just 137 pitches thus far. However, he is just 1-3 with a 4.93 ERA in seven career starts against the Nationals (teams are 2-5), having allowed 31 hits and 16 walks in 38 1/3 innings. Roark had a very solid 2017 debut and while he wasn't anything special in his second outing of the season (allowed five runs, three earned, on seven hits in just five innings against St. Louis on Monday), he was able to move to 2-0 to open the season. Roark is 4-4 with a 3.58 ERA in 10 career starts against Philly (teams are 5-5), including making five starts against them in 2016.

The pick: Roark won 15 games in his first full season in the majors (2014) but was the "forgotten man" in 2015, before working his way back into the starting rotation last year and winning 16 times. He owns a 2.84 ERA in his career at home, while Hellickson owns a 5.60 ERA in three career starts at Nationals Park. Make Washington an 8* play.

The set-up: The Texas Rangers opened the 2017 season by getting swept at home in a three-game series by the Indians but have rebounded to take two of three at home against the A's and then win two of three in Anaheim against the Angels. The Rangers rode a 47-29 record inside their division last year to create the nine-game gap between themselves and the Seattle Mariners, allowing them to win the American League West going away. The Mariners got Thursday off and it can't possibly do anything but help. 2-8 Seattle has matched its worst 10-game start since 2004, after losing for the fifth time in six contests on Wednesday, 10-5 at home to the Astros. Seattle has struggled in a number of key categories, ranking 26th in the majors in BA (.208), 26th in ERA (4.94) and last in opponent's batting average (.290).

The pitching matchup: Martin Perez (1-1 & 2.38 ERA) will get the nod for Texas and Felix Hernandez (0-1 & 4.09 ERA) get the ball for Seattle. Perez has struggled with his control in two starts (seven walks in 11 1/3 innings). His first two starts of 2017 have been at home and now he goes on the road, hoping to put 2016's road struggles behind him. The lefty was just 2-8 with a 5.78 ERA in 15 road starts last season, as Texas went 6-9. However, one of his two road victories came at Seattle's expense and Perez went 3-0 with a 2.63 ERA in four overall starts against the Mariners in 2016 (Texas was 4-0). Hernandez did not factor in the decision of Saturday's 5-4 road loss to the Angels, giving up three runs and 10 hits in six innings during his 100-pitch outing. The six-time All-Star has 12 recorded strikeouts without issuing a walk in 11 innings but he's hardly resembled a 'King,' already surrendering three HRs and 15 hits, while allowing opponents to bat .333 against him thus far. Hernandez went 1-2 with a 7.47 ERA in three starts versus the Rangers last season, falling to 18-23 - his most losses against any opponent - with a 3.95 ERA in 50 career starts.

The pick: Noting the above numbers, "King Felix" has not pitched like royalty against the Rangers but Perez has always been a pitcher who has been tough at home but woefully vulnerable on the road. Seattle unveiled a bronze statue of Ken Griffey Jr. outside the home plate entrance on Thursday. Friday figures to be a special night at Safeco Field, as fans in attendance will receive a miniature version of the statue and Griffey will throw out the first pitch. Make Seattle an 8* play.

The set-up: The Minnesota Wild fell into a funk for much of March but a 5-1 home win over Ottawa on March 30 did spark a finish in which the Wild won five of their final six games. Despite the Blues' 15-2-2 run to end the season, the Wild still finished seven points better than the Blues, which gave them the home ice edge in the teams' opening round series. However, even though the Wild outshot the Blues 52-26 in the opener, the Blues' Jake Allen made 51 saves (.981 SP) and when defenseman Joel Edmundson scored 17:48 into overtime, St. Louis had a 2-1 Game 1 victory. The Wild may have gone 27-12-2 at home during the regular season but they are now 13-17 all-time at Xcel Energy Center in the playoffs, including a 4-5 mark in overtime games. Game 2 looms large for Minnesota, tonight.

St. Louis: Jake Allen's Wednesday effort was superb but it was not unexpected. He has rebounded from a rough stretch in the middle of the season to limited opponents to two or fewer goals in 13 of his last 17 contests! Allen was especially strong in the second and third periods of Game 1, when he stopped all 34 shots he faced as his teammates managed to get just 12 on Minnesota counterpart Devan Dubnyk. St. Louis Blues head coach Mike Yeo joked that goalie Jake Allen might get the start for his team in Game 2 of Friday's first-round playoff series at the Minnesota Wild.

Minnesota: The Wild's Devan Dubnyk is coming off an excellent regular season, one in which he went 40-19-5 with a 2.25 GAA and .923 save percentage. He was solid in net in Game 1, stopping 24 of 26 shots (.923 SP), but his teammates just couldn't dent Allen. In fact, Minnesota's only goal of the game came with only 22.7 seconds left in regulation, when Zach Parise notched his 31st goal in 90 career playoff games.

The set-up: The Blues used their size to keep many close-in pucks away from Allen and swat rebounds away. These teams also met back on March 7 here in Minnesota and the Blues also won that game, 2-1, using pretty much the same tactics (Allen saved 32 of 33 shots in that one). Deja vu? The Under is a 10* play.

The set-up: The Atlanta Braves went 68-93 last season and the San Diego Padres were 68-94. In the early going of 2017, the Padres have opened 5-5 while the Braves are 2-6, although Atlanta has yet to play at home. That changes here, as the Braves open a four-game series with the Padres in the team's brand-new stadium, SunTrust Park. The Braves opened the season with a three-city road trip and needed a 5-4 ninth-inning victory over the Marlins in Miami on Wednesday, just to avoid coming home to christen their new ballpark on a six-game losing streak. San Diego took two of three at Colorado this week (held the Rockies to just six runs in the three games) and after scoring just 10 runs in the team's first four games, the Padres have scored 25 in winning four of their past six contests.

The pitching matchup: Jhoulys Chacin (1-1 & 8.10 ERA) takes the mound for San Diego and Atlanta ace Julio Teheran (0-0 & 0.00 ERA) gets the ball for Atlanta. Chacin surrendered nine runs in just 3 1/3 innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 3 (opposite Kershaw) in Colorado's 2017 debut, giving up eight hits and hitting a batter. However, he rebounded to beat San Francisco this past Saturday, allowing three hits with five strikeouts in 6 2/3 shutout innings. He is 1-2 with a 4.05 ERA over four career starts against the Braves (teams are 1-3). Teheran started the final game the Atlanta Braves played at Turner Field last season and tonight, he fittingly draws the honor of starting the inaugural game at SunTrust Park. Teheran opened the 2017 season by throwing six scoreless innings against the New York Mets on April 3 and followed up by allowing two unearned runs on six hits in seven innings Sunday at Pittsburgh. Atlanta’s offense has struggled in both of Teheran’s 2017 starts but what else is new? The Braves averaged just 3.35 runs in Teheran’s starts last season, 2nd-worst fewest among starters. He's 3-2 with a 3.86 ERA is seven career starts against the Padres (Braves are 3-4).

The pick: The Atlanta Braves don't come into their home opener at their new ballpark with the record they hoped for, but at least they'll have the pitcher they'd want on the mound (Teheran has yet to allow an ER in 13 innings!). San Diego was swept in a three-game series at Atlanta last year and has struggled mightily at Turner Field for most of its 20 seasons of use by the Braves. No reason for that to change at SunTrust Park. Make Atlanta a 10* play.

The set-up: The defending AL Champs have lost five of their last six outings. The Indians three-game sweep of the Rangers in the season's first week seems like a long time ago, as the Indians get set to host the 6-3 Detroit Tigers in a three-game series which opens tonight. The Indians gave up five runs in the first inning of Thursday's 10-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox and have now allowed at least five runs in five of their first nine contests. The Tigers lost 11-5 in Thursday's series finale against Minnesota but had won five of their previous six games. “I know it’s a sour note to end the homestand on a loss,” Detroit manager Brad Ausmus told reporters, “but if we’re going to win series, we’ll be in great shape. I’ll take series wins the rest of the way. If that happens, we’ll be in the playoffs.” The Tigers are playing better than the Indians at the moment but are well aware that they lost 14 of 18 games against the Indians last season, getting outscored 106-71.

The pitching matchup: Lefty Daniel Norris (0-0 & 4.26 ERA) takes the mound for Detroit, up against Cleveland righty Trevor Bauer (0-1 & 6.35 ERA). Norris failed to earn a decision in his season debut, allowing three runs on seven hits and three walks with a pair of strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings in a 7-5 loss to Boston last Sunday. Norris made 14 appearances (13 stgarst) for the Tigers in 2016, going 4-2 with a 3.38 ERA (team was 8-5 in hsi 13 starts). Norris has made three career starts against Cleveland, going 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA (teams are 2-1). Bauer pitched four scoreless innings in his first start of the season against Arizona last Saturday, but left the game after 5 2/3 innings having given up four runs on seven hits and three walks to take the 11-2 loss. He won a career-high 12 games last season (12-8 & 4.26 ERA) and did strike out seven without allowing a walk against the D'backs. He's made nine career starts against Detroit, going 3-3 with a 6.99 ERA (Indians are 3-6).

The pick: Norris has had success in limited action against the Indians but also note that he finished last season well, going 3-0 over his final seven starts (Tigers were 6-1). He also pitched well on the road in 2016, going 3-0 with a 2.81 ERA in six starts (team was 4-2). When healthy, Bauer is a solid pitcher and I look for good efforts from both of these starting pitchers. The Under is an 8* play.

The set-up: The 50-23-9 Chicago Blackhawks led the Western Conference with 109 points. Chicago has won three Stanley Cup championships over the previous six seasons and two of those runs to the title started with a first-round playoff win over the Nashville Predators. Is it an omen that the Blackhawks open the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs against the 41-29-12 Nashville Predators? The Predators are in the playoffs for the third straight season and just last season, it was the Predators, not the Blackhawks, who advanced to the Western Conference finals, although they lost to the San Jose Sharks.

Nashville: The Predators may start the series short-handed. Forwards Colin Wilson and Calle Jarnkrok missed Wednesday's Predators practice with lower-body injuries and their status for Game 1 is uncertain. Both been significant contributors to Nashville's offense. Their absence would impact the depth of a team that already had its hands full even at full strength. It may be up to goalie Pekka Rinne to lead the way for Nashville. His season numbers (31-19-9, 2.42 GAA & .918 SP) are similar to his Chicago counter part Corey Crawford (32-18-4, 2.55 GAA & .918 SP) and he comes in playing well, allowing just 14 goals over his last nine starts.

Chicago: The Blackhawks won 17 of 20 games shortly after the All-Star break and coasted to the No. 1 seed in the West, despite dropping their last four. Six players, led by captain Jonathan Toews and reigning Hart Trophy winner Patrick Kane, remain from the core that captured Stanley Cup titles in 2010, 2013, and 2015. Chicago already features plenty of offensive firepower (2.93 GPG ranks 9th) and will get another boost with the return of 22-goal scorer Artem Anisimov, who gets back to the lineup after a one-month absence and will center Kane and Artemi Panarin, who combined for 65 goals this season. Kane finished tied with Sidney Crosby for second in the league with 89 points. Goalie Corey Crawford has now posted at least 32 wins in each of the past four seasons.

The pick: Chicago amassed 18 goals in winning the last four meetings between the clubs this season. Nashville captain Mike Fisher knows this series will be a challenge. "I think facing a team like Chicago first, it's going to have to bring the best out of us as a group," he said. "We know they're a great hockey team and they finished first for a reason, so I think we're going to prepare. We know we've got to be at our best." However, Nashville's best may not be good enough. Make Chicago a 10* play.

The set-up: What's up with the Blue Jays? Toronto has played in the last two AL championships series but at 1-7 in 2017, is off to its worst start in franchise history. Toronto managed just four hits in a 2-0 loss to Milwaukee on Wednesday, its fifth consecutive defeat. The Blue Jays are in desperate need of an offensive spark, as they have only a total of 17 hits in their last four games. Toronto opens a four-game series with the visiting Baltimore Orioles on Thursday, who swept two from Toronto at home to begin the season. The 5-2 Orioles hit five HRs in a 12-5 win over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, gaining a split in the two-game set at Fenway Park.

The pitching matchup: Kevin Gausman (0-0 & 5.40 ERA) takes the mound for Baltimore and it will be Francisco Liriano (0-0 & 135.00 ERA) getting the ball for Toronto. Gausman is making his third start of 2017 and took a step back in his second start of the season Saturday against the Yankees, allowing four runs and eight hits with three walks in 4 2/3 innings. He has given up 13 hits and walked seven in 10 innings thus far but despite his 5.40 ERA, Baltimore has won both of his starts. He is 2-3 with a 4.43 ERA in eight career starts against the Blue Jays (Orioles are 4-4). Liriano walked four batters, threw one wild pitch and was taken deep by Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria while retiring just one batter in his dismal 2017 debut last week on the road. He went 2-1 with a 3.07 ERA in five starts at home for the Blue Jays in 2016, after being traded from Pittsburgh to Toronto last season. He is 2-4 with a 4.34 ERA in nine career starts against Baltimore, with his teams going 2-7.

The pick: Liriano is hoping for a better result at the Rogers Centre tonight, than what happened in his 2017 debut. How could it be worse? Toronto is too good of a team to continue its offensive struggles and Gausman has yet to be sharp in two previous 2017 outings, plus he was 0-2 with a 7.04 ERA in three starts (Orioles lost all three!) against the Jays in 2016. Make Toronto a 10* play.

The set-up: The Yankees opened the 2017 season losing two of three in Tampa to the Rays and then losing two of three in Baltimore to the Orioles. However, after 8-1 and 8-4 wins Monday and Wednesday against the Rays here in the Bronx, the Yanks go for a three-game sweep in their opening series at home in tonight's game against Tampa. Tampa Bay opened its 2017 season by taking five of seven at home over New York and Toronto but are looking for the team's first road win of the season tonight, after getting outscored 16-5 while going 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position and committing four errors in the first two games of this series in the Bronx.

The pitching matchup: Matt Andriese (0-0 & 9.00 ERA) gets the nod for Tampa and Luis Severino (0-0 & 7.20 ERA) for New York. Andriese is Tampa's fifth starter, as of now. However, he may need to put together a few strong performances to keep his hold on that role after allowing five runs (four earned) and seven hits against Toronto last Friday. He was 8-8 with a 4.37 ERA in 29 appearances in 2016 (19 starts) and went 2-6 with a 6.03 ERA after the All-Star break last season. He's made three career starst vs. the Yankees, going 1-2 with a 7.43 ERA. Severino kept his team in the game during his first start of the season (allowed four runs and six hits with six strikeouts and a walk over five innings in a 6-5 loss to Baltimore last Friday) but he's still searching for the form he displayed in 2015 when he was 5-3 with a 2.89 ERA in 11 starts as a rookie. He is 3-1 with a 3.47 ERA in seven appearances (three starts / team is 2-1 and his ERA is 5.17!) against Tampa Bay.

The pick: The Rays have dropped their last eight series in New York but haven't been swept at Yankee Stadium since losing four straight here back in September 2009. Severio is a liability and I won't ignore that he owned a 5.83 ERA and 1.45 WHIP over 22 appearances in 2016, including 11 starts. In fact, the Yankees were 2-9 in his starts, going minus-$714 against the moneyline. Take the 1 1/2 runs with Tampa Bay and make them an 8* play.

The set-up: The Dodgers and Cubs meet this afternoon at Wrigley for the rubber match of their three-game series. The Cubs won 3-2 on Monday night but the Dodgers evened the series last night with a 2-0 win behind a solid effort from Brandon McCarthy (six scoreless innings) and three more scoreless innings from three relievers. The Cubs were shut out for the first time in 2017 but note that this powerful Chicago lineup has scored three runs or less in five of its first eight games (Cubs are 5-3). LA (5-4) hopes to stay above .500 with w win, before returning home for a four-game series with the surprising 7-3 Arizona Diamondbacks.

The pitching matchup: The Dodgers send Hyun-Jin Ryu (0-1 & 3.86 ERA) to the mound up against Chicago's Brett Anderson (0-0 & 1.59 ERA). Ryu missed all of 2015 and made just one start last year but was promising in his season debut against Colorado. He struck out five while allowing two runs and six hits over 4 2/3 innings in his first major-league outing since July of 2016. Ryu is in his fifth Dodgers season. He was 14-7 with a 3.38 ERA in 2014 (his last full season) and was 14-8 with a 3.00 ERA in his 2013 rookie season and finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting. He's only faced the Cubs twice, going 1-0 with a 2.92 ERA (Dodgers are 2-0). Anderson spent the previous two seasons with the Dodgers and has never has faced his former team. Anderson went 10-9 with a 3.69 ERA in 2015 but was sidelined much of 2016 with a bad back, working four games between Aug. 14 and Sept. 29 (1-2 with an 11.91 ERA over 11 1/3 innings pitched). Other injuries over his career have included a strained right oblique, stress fracture in his right foot and a broken left index finger. The Cubs signed Anderson, a free agent, in January.

The pick: Anderson was solid in his Cubs debut, limiting Milwaukee to one run and five hits over 5 2/3 innings while recording four strikeouts. Anderson has made just one start at Wrigley Field, allowing two runs and 11 hits over seven frames of a no-decision in 2014. The Cubs have yet to get untracked in 2017 but let's not forget that Chicago was 57-24 at Wrigley in 2016, the best home record of any team in MLB. Make the Cubs an 8* play.

The set-up: The 26-55 LA Lakers have all of a sudden stopped 'tanking' and head into Oakland on a five-game winning streak. Meanwhile, the 66-15 Golden State Warrioes own the NBA's best record, although their 14-game winning streak was snapped in their last outing, a 105-99 home loss to teh Utah Jazz.

LA Lakers: First-year head coach Luke Walton said he was feeling encouraged after LA's 108-96 Tuesday win over the Pelicans in the team's home final. "It has been an amazing year so far," Walton told reporters after Tuesday's win. "There have been a lot of ups and downs. It's been a great year with these guys."That may not be all that much of an exaggeration, as the Lakers did win only games last season. The Lakers own their longest winning streak since notching five straight triumphs to end the 2012-13 season and the team's late-season surge ended its chances of securing the second-worst overall record. Phoenix will instead will claim that 'honor,' while Los Angeles will finish with the league's third-worst record. The Lakers likely will be without guard D'Angelo Russell for the second straight game as he left the team for Louisville, Ky., after the death of his grandmother.

Golden State: The Warriors figure to limit the minutes of their starters in this contest. Golden State Kevin Durant (knee) to further his comfort level with his teammates after recently returning from a knee injury, and he produced 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in each of his wants first two games back. "Overall, I felt good on the defensive end, got a few dunks," Durant told reporters after the contest against Utah. "I guess that's the last piece of the puzzle." Durant was sidelined for 19 contests and the loss to Utah marked the first time he and PG Stephen Curry had played together since Feb. 28.

The pick: Don't expect much from the Warriors in this one and make the Under an 8* play.

analysis by 12 pm et

The set-up: The 28-53 Philadelphia 76ers are headed to the lottery for the fifth straight season and will end their season tonight in Madison Square Garden against the 30-51 NY Knicks. The Knicks will be wrapping up their fourth consecutive non-playoff season.

Philadelphia: Ben Simmons, the 2016 drfat's overall No. 1 pick never played a game this season but at times, the Sixers looked like a team on the rise with promising rookies Joel Embiid (20.2 &7.8 in 31 games) and Dario Saric (12.8 & 6.3) flashing signs of stardom. "You feel the fans, you want to acknowledge them," 76ers coach Brett Brown told reporters after the home finale on Monday. "We believe that there were things that went on this year that I hope they too are excited about." Philadelphia continued to get promising performances from its young players even after Embiid (knee) was shut down for the season and Saric (heel) was put on a minutes restriction. Power forward Richaun Holmes and shooting guard Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot emerged over the last few weeks, and Brown was happy to give the pair the experience.

NY Knicks: The Knicls will likely hold stars Carmelo Anthony (knee) and Kristaps Porzingis (back) on the bench for the finale. Antnony averages and Porzingis. New York's offseason promises to be dominated by the same discussion that surrounded the team for most of the 2016-17 campaign: whether or not to trade Anthony. "I think it's all his choice still, isn't it, with his contract? We'll go into the summer -- I think every year until guys are gone, coaches, we all assume we have the same team," Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek told reporters in regard to Anthony's status. "That's how you prepare. When something changes you deal with it."

The pick: Philadelphia took two of the first three meetings this season, with the lone loss coming in New York 110-109 on Feb. 25. This total is way too low, as Philly road games have averaged 212 PPG this season and New York home games, 210. Make the Over an 8* play.

The set-up: The 32-49 Dallas Mavericks have limped to the finish line, as they have dropped five in a row and nine of 10, including a 109-91 loss to Denver in their home finale Tuesday. The 43-38 Memphis Grizzlies are locked into the seventh seed in the West and will open the playoffs against the Spurs but first, they get their final tune-up when they host the Mavericks on Wednesday in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Dallas: The Mavs are resting players, even though all have nothing but free time on their hands starting April 13th. Leading scorer Harrison Barnes (19.2) and guard Wesley Matthews (13.5) both sat against the Nuggets while the team gave a ceremonial spot on the bench to former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. Several other Mavs are expected to sit out Wednesday, including star forward Dirk Nowitzki (14.2), who scored 21 points against Denver.

Memphis: The Grizzlies aren't exactly racing to the finish line themselves, with four losses in their last five games. Head coach David Fizdale gave his reserves loads of playing time in the team's last game, although he has suggested that he might take a different approach in the finale Wednesday. "I don't even know if we're giving a guy the game off," Fizdale told reporters. "We want to keep them in rhythm and keep the cardio up and still let them get the contact and execution and all the stuff you get with playing a real game."

The pick: Memphis will be making its seventh consecutive playoff appearances, which represents the league's third-longest active playoff streak (Spurs have made 20 in a row and the Hawks, 10 straight). Everything points to Memphis showing some interest in this one,m while the Mavs 'mail it in.' Make Memphis a a 10* play.

The set-up: The 50-24-8 Columbus Blu Jackets are coming off a season in which they had a 16-game win streak (Nov. 29-- Jan. 3) and registered 108 points but in the top-heavy Metropolitan Division, their 108 points left them third. Columbus returns to the NHL's postseason for the first time since 2014 and draws the Metropolitan's 2nd-place team (and defending champs!), the 50-21-11 Pittsburgh Penguins. Pittsburgh makes its 11th consecutive playoff appearance and when Columbus last made the playoffs (2014), it was eliminated by the Penguins.

Columbus: The Blue Jackets stumble into the postseason having lost a season-high six in a row (0-5-1), before a 3-2 victory at Toronto on Sunday. Columbus will count on Sergei Bobrovsky in goal, who had the league's best goals-against average (2.06) and save percentage (.931), while his 42 wins ranked second among all netminders. However, in order to compete in the series, Columbus must 'find' its power play. The Blue Jackets led the league by going 32-for-124 (23.9%) with the man advantage in their first 41 games but then converted on just 10-of-87 opportunities (11.5%) the rest of the way.

Pittsburgh: The Penguins own the league's top offense at 3.39 goals per game but their overall postseason success could greatly hinge on the health of former Hart Trophy winner Evgeni Malkin (33 goals, 39 assists), who is expected to return Wednesday from a 13-game absence due to an upper-body injury. However, while Malkin is set to return, fellow forwards Carl Hagelin (lower body) and Chris Kunitz (lower body) as well as defenseman Chad Ruhwedel (upper body) are expected to miss after sitting out practice on Tuesday. Of course, there is also captain Sidney Crosby. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy last spring and Rocket Richard Trophy this season with 44 goals,

The pick: Bobrovsky had a terrific season but he comes in havin g allowed 13 goals during his four-game losing skid to end the season. He'll be opposed by Matt Murray, who posted a 15-6 mark with a 2.08 goals-against average and .923 save percentage in the playoffs last season, helping the Penguins win the Stanley Cup. Make Pittsburgh a 10* play.

The set-up:The Toronto Blue Jays opened the 2017 season by going 1-5 on a six-game road trip. That's not what was expected from a team which had played in the last two AL championship series. A return home to host the Milwaukee Brewers was supposed to help but the Blue Jays lost again last night (4-3) and now sit at 1-6. The Toronto lineup managed just five hits on Tuesday, after producing just three in a loss at Tampa Bay on Sunday. The Brewers received HRs from Keon Broxton and Domingo Santana last night and they have now gone deep 12 times in their first eight games (3-5).

The pitching matchup: Chase Anderson (0-0 & 1.50 ERA) takes the mound for Milwaukee up against Toronto's Marcus Stroman (1-0 & 1.42 ERA), who is the lone Blue Jays pitcher to have earned a win in 2017. Anderson allowed one run on three hits in six innings of a no-decision against Colorado in his season debut, striking out four and walking two. He has never faced the Blue Jays but is 4-2 with a solid 3.20 ERA in 11 career interleague games (10 starts). Stroman sailed through the first six innings in scoreless fashion in his first start of the season, before allowing a run in the seventh. He yielded six hits and two walks while striking out five and getting 11 outs on the ground. Like Anderson, he has never faced this opponent but is 5-0 with a 2.21 ERA in interleague play.

The pick: Toronto is batting just .196 (29th) as a team, while scoring 3.29 RPG (26th). Jose Bautista is one of the primary culprits and is batting .120 after another hitless effort on Tuesday. Catcher Russell Martin is 0-for-18 and former MVP Josh Donaldson was limited to pinch-hitting duties Tuesday due to a calf injury. However, Stroman is the man Toronto wants on the mound here, looking to end its four-game slide. Make Toronto a 6* play.

The pick: We've got two young pitchers in this one but the edge goes to Snell, who has seen this Yankee lineup before. Montgomery outperformed pitchers such as Luis Cessa and Chad Green during spring training to earn a spot in the starting rotation but the jury is surely still out. Make Tampa Bay a 10* play.

The set-up: Russell Westbrook now stands alone in the NBA record books with 42 triple-doubles on the season. Westbrook's triple-doubles equate to winning for the Thunder, who are 33-9 when he records a triple-double and just 13-25 when he doesn't. The 45-34 Thunder are locked in to the West's No. 6 seed, playing tonight in Minnesota and back home tomorrow against the Nuggets. Meanwhile, The 31-49 Minnesota Timberwolves are limping to the finish with four straight loses on a just-concluded road trip, including a 110-109 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

Oklahoma City: Westbrook scored 50 points and added 16 rebounds plus 10 assists in Sunday's 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets, capping the record-breaking triple-double with a game-winning, 36-foot three-pointer as time expired. "I only know one way to play, honestly," Westbrook told reporters. "I don't know any other way to play. When I get on the floor, I try to leave everything I have, regardless of seedings, records, the time of day, whatever. It doesn't matter to me. Basketball is basketball, and I try to go out there and leave it all on the floor."

Minnesota: There are wif any teams more disappointing this season than the Timberwolves. A season filled with promise and moments of hope ends without the playoffs for the 13th straight season. Minnesota received standout play from second-year center Karl-Anthony Towns (25.1 & 12.2) and third-year scoring wing Andrew Wiggins (23.7) plus got a big step forward from PG Ricky Rubio (11.1 & 9.1 APG). However, mainly due to defensive inefficiencies (106.6 PPG ranked 18th), the Timberwolves are locked out of the postseason, again.

The pick: Head coach Billy Donovan said he will let Westbrook decide if he wants to play in either of the final two regular-season games. Westbrook has just one triple-double in three contests against Minnesota this season while averaging 26.7 points, 11.7 assists and eight rebounds. Yes, the Timberwolves beat the Thunder 96-88 back on Jan. 13 but that comes after losing 26 of the previous 30 meetings with them. Make OKC an 8* play.

The set-up: The Toronto Blue Jays have won 93 and 89 games the last two seasons, each time reaching the ALCS. However, the Jays opened the 2017 season with six games away from home and after losing all three games at Tampa Bay this past weekend, return home at 1-5, one of three American League teams with five-plus losses (Royals are 2-5 and the Mariners 2-6). Toronto opens its home season tonight against the Milwaukee Brewers, who play in the NL's Central Division. This marks Milwaukee's first road game, after going 2-5 at home to begin the 2017 campaign. Milwaukee is batting only .215 and has a .292 on-base percentage. However, it entered Monday tied for the National League lead with 10 HRhe

The pitching matchup: Wily Peralta (1-0 & 0.00 ERA) takes the mound for the Brewers and J.A. Happ (0-1 & 3.86 ERA) for the Blue Jays. Peralta was a 17-game winner in 2014 but he started horribly for Milwaukee last season and was sent to the minors. However, he posted a 2.92 ERA in 10 starts after the All-Star break and opened 2017 with five scoreless innings in a 6-1 home win over Colorado last Wednesday. Peralta has had just one career start against Toronto (0-0 with a 6.00 ERA / team is 0-1). Happ had a career season in 2016, going 20-4 with a 3.18 ERA. Toronto was 24-8 in all his starts, giving him a plus-$1189 moneyline mark (eighth-best among all starters) He suffered a hard-luck loss in his 2017 debut, allowing three runs and five hits in seven innings while striking out nine at Baltimore last week. "Overall, I was throwing a lot of strikes," Happ told reporters after issuing zero walks. "That's a good sign." However, he owns a 6.13 ERA in 11 career games (10 starts) against Milwaukee. He's 3-4 with a 5.81 ERA in those 10 starts (teams are 5-5).

The pick: "Obviously, 1-5 is not the way you want to start ... good thing there's 162 of these," Blue Jays shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said. "It's only six games, so back home in front of our great fans, (we can) get this thing rolling. I agree with Tulo. Toronto is home for the first time in 2017, while Milwaukee plays away from Miller Park for the first time. Toronto was 99-63 at home these last two season while Milwaukee has gone 66-96 in the same span on the road. Also note that Toronto has gone 25-15 these last two seasons against NL clubs. Make Toronto an 8* play.

The set-up: The Cleveland Indians opened the season with an impressive three-game sweep at Texas, one which included two late-inning comebacks. However, they then moved on to Arizona and the pitching staff was ripped for 21 runs, as the Indians lost all three games. Cleveland will play in front of its fans late this afternoon for the first time since Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, hoping for a better result. The Indians host the rival Chicago White Sox on Tuesday in the first of a three-game series. Chicago is batting only .238 as a team and fought through some tough weather conditions against Detroit (rained out twice at home vs. the Tigers), to open 2-3 despite playing all games so far at home.

The pitching matchup:James Shields (1-0 & 1.69 ERA) takes the mound for Chicago and Carlos Carrasco (1-0 & 3.18 ERA) for Cleveland, with both pitchers coming off wins in their 2017 debuts. Shields split last season between San Diego and Chicago, going 6-19 with a 5.85 ERA. The two teams were 9-24 in his 33 starts and his moneyline mark of minus-$1403 was better than only Ervin Santana (minus-$1450) and Chris Archer (minus-$1553). So much for the moniker, "Big Game James!" His WHIP was 1.60 and he struck out 81 fewer hitters than the previous season in the same number of starts (33). However, he allowed just one run and two hits over 5 1/3 innings to beat Detroit 11-2 last Thursday. Shields is 4-6 with a 4.02 ERA in 18 career starts against Cleveland (teams are 9-9). Carrasco missed the 2016 postseason when he was hit by a line drive that broke his right hand on Sept. 17 and while he was bothered by elbow swelling in spring training. He's been a solid pitcher for the Indians these last two seasons with 55 starts (Cleveland is 33-22) and 366 strikeouts in 330 innings. Carrasco shook off those elbow issues in the spring to win his season debut, allowing two runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and one walk over 5 2/3 innings last Tuesday in Texas (Indians won 4-3). He needs one victory to even his career record at 46-46 and hopes to improve at home after allowing 13 HRs and posting a 4.29 ERA at Progressive Field in 2016. However, Carrasco went 0-1 with a 5.09 ERA in three starts against the White Sox last year and is 3-9 with a 5.73 ERA in 16 career starts against Chicago (teams are 5-110.

The pick: For all of Shields' woes last year, let's note that he had won double-digit games every season since 2007 before last year's implosion. In fact, entering ther 2017 season, Shields led all major-league pitchers with 330 starts and 2,169 innings pitched since 2007. He was also fourth in that span with 208 quality starts and sixth with 1,873 strikeouts. He pitched well in his 2017 debut and expect another solid outing here. As for Carrasco, he will be on the mound at Progressive Field for the first time since Sep. 17 of last year, which became the last start of his season. His lifetime mark against Chicago is poor but the White Sox aren't hitting so far in 2017, batting only .238 to open the season. This is Chicago's first road game. The Under is an 8* play.

The set-up: The 49-31 Utah Jazz will be in Oakland tonight to take on the 66-14 Golden State Warriors. K.D. returned for the Warriors in Saturday's 123-101 home win over the Pelicans and played a team-high 31 minutes while scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. The Warriors have now won 14 straight since their three-game losing streak (Mar. 8-11), going 11-2-1 ATS. Meanwhile, the Jazz are involved in one of the few races still to be decided with three days left in the regular season. The No. 4 seed in the Western Conference has yet to be determined, as the 49-1 Clippers are battling the Jazz for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Utah: The Jazz enter Monday with a record identical to the Clippers' but sit in the No. 5 spot due to its head-to-head tiebreaker disadvantage. Making things even more difficult is that Utah finishes the regular season against the top two teams in the West, Golden State and San Antonio. "We don't really care," Jazz point guard Shelvin Mack told the Salt Lake Tribune regarding the team's desire for home-court advantage. "We're not going to get the No. 1 overall seed. So at some point, we're going to have to win a game on the road." Word is that Utah is more concerned with being healthy heading into the playoffs and All-Star small forward Gordon Hayward (quadriceps), shooting guard Rodney Hood (rest) and power forward Derrick Favors (rest) all are candidates to sit on Monday.

Golden State: Durant made his return on Saturday and collected 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in 31 minutes. "It felt normal again," Durant told reporters. "I'm a basketball player. I love playing basketball. That's my favorite thing to do. So, to feel like I’m part of the team, to feel like I’m a part of this energy that we have, it feels great." Curry averaged 26.9 points and 7.8 assists with Durant out of the lineup, including a pair of 42-point performances in his last three games. Curry is expected back from a knee contusion on Monday, meaning Curry and Kevin Durant will take the floor together for the first time since Durant went down with a knee injury on Feb. 28

The pick: The Warriors no longer are playing for anything after locking up the top seed throughout the playoffs but they have two regular-season games to find the chemistry the team enjoyed prior to the injury to K.D. The Warriors have won seven straight at home over the Jazz, dating to April 2013. That streak includes four consecutive victories by 15 or more points, capped by a 104-74 spanking in December. Make Golden State an 8* play.

The set-up: The 51-29 Boston Celtics are tied with the Cavs for the East's best record (with two games left for both teams) but Cleveland does own the tiebreaker. Isaiah Thomas scored 32 points as Boston lost a 19-point lead in the second half but held on to beat Charlotte 121-114 on Saturday, ending a two-game slide. Meanwhile, the Cavs lost 126-125 yesterday. Boston welcomes the 20-60 Brooklyn Nets to the TD Garden and while the Nets have clinched the worst record in the NBA, they have won four of their last five and are 11-11 since March 1, after going 9-49 (.155) through the end of February.

Brooklyn: The Nets' .500 run since Mar. 1 has given the players some confidence it can close out teams. Spencer Dinwiddie and rookie Caris LeVert scored 19 points apiece in Brooklyn's home finale Saturday nigh (a 107-106 win over the Bulls) plus Rondae-Hollis Jefferson finished with 16 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and three steals. That said, it's been the return PG Lin from his hamstring problems (14.2 & 5.1 APG) which has sparked the Nets' recent respectable play, along with the season-long solid play from center Lopez (20.5 & 5.3) Lin is averaging 18.8 points while shooting 11-for-19 from three-point range over the last four games.

Boston: Head coach Brad Stevens gathered his players during a timeout when they were down seven midway through the fourth quarter, after Boston had blown a 19-point lead. He told them they can expect this kind of adversity in the postseason. "At this point in the season, it's just about figuring out ways to win," Isaiah Thomas said after the game. "When (he) said that, it was real though. The playoffs are going to be different types of games where you just got to figure out a way to win. The Celtics bounced back from losses to the Cavs and Hawks with a win at Charlotte on Saturday night and now still have a chance at the East's No. 1 seed.

The pick: With three days (two games) remaining in the regular season, Boston's best (only?) chance to win the East would be wins over the Nets and Bucks at home, while the Cavs lose tonight in Miami. The Cavs finish with the Raptors at home on Wednesday and Toronto would have little motivation to win Wednesday's finale if it meant a possible second-round matchup with the Cavaliers. A real problem for Boston is the Celtics have given up at least 114 points in three straight games and in four of its last five. Defense remains a concern with the playoffs on the horizon but note that Brooklyn allows 112.5 PPG, ranking 29th of 30 teams. The over is a 10* play.

The set-up: The 3-3 Mets are in Philadelphia Monday for the opener of a three-games series with the Phillies, who are also 3-3. Philadelphia dropped a 7-6 decision to Washington in its home opener on Friday but then outscored the Nationals 21-6 in winning on Saturday and Sunday. The Phils look to make it three in a row tonight, against National League East-rival, the New York Mets. The Mets will take to the road for the first time after going 3-3 on their season-opening homestand. New York salvaged the finale of its three-game series against Miami on Sunday as Michael Conforto homered and drove in two runs in his first start of the year while Noah Syndergaard struck out nine over seven strong innings en route to a 5-2 triumph.

The pitching matchup: Jacob deGrom (0-0 & 0.00 ERA) takes the mound for the Mets and Jerad Eickhoff (0-1 & 2.70 ERA) for the Phillies. DeGrom showed no ill effects from his elbow surgery in September, as he struck out six and limited Atlanta to two hits over six scoreless innings on Wednesday. However, he settled for a no-decision and has now  gone six starts (Mets are 2-4) without a victory since defeating the New York Yankees on Aug. 2. The good news for New York here is, deGrom is 4-0 (2.42 ERA) in seven career starts against the Phillies, with the team going a perfect 7-0 (that includes a one-hit shutout on July 17 at Philadelphia). Eickhoff also pitched well his season debut b pitched but like deGrom, got no support and took the loss last Wednesday at Cincinnati. He allowed only two runs and five hits over 6 2/3 innings while recording six strikeouts and one walk but the Phillies were shut out, 2-0. Eickhoff has also had no luck against the Mets in his career, posting a 2.66 ERA in seven career starts but owning a 1-4 record (however, the Phils are much better at 3-4 in those starts).

The pick: DeGrom's 2017 debut was promising, as he threw six scoreless innings of two-hit baseball with six strikeouts and a walk against the Braves. Most important, his fastball topped out at 98 mph. "Last year it was all I could do I felt like to get to 93, 94," he told the New York Post after his Wednesday outing, a game the Mets lost 3-1 to the Braves in 12 innings. DeGrom looks like he's back and I'll make the Mets a 10* play.

The set-up: The 36-43 Detroit Pistons were officially eliminated from playoff contention Saturday but they are coming off a 114-109 win Friday at Houston. They will be in Memphis tonight, where the 43-37 Grizzlies continue the process of preparing for their first-round playoff matchup. Memphis got locked into the No. 7 seed in the West on Friday, which means the Grizzlies will be playing the San Antonio Spurs in the first round (good luck!).

Detroit:: The Pistons have ruled out PG Reggie Jackson out for the remainder of the season and there are other indications the page is already turning to next season. Rookie forward Henry Ellenson was given his first career start Friday at Houston and responded with 15 points and 11 rebounds, easily the best numbers in his 16-game career. Second-year center Boban Marjanovic was given a season-high 28 minutes and broke out for a career-high 27 points to go along with 12 rebounds in the win.

Memphis: The Grizzlies have announced that sixth man Zach Randolph will sit this one out and other key figures will probably get some rest as the team plays out a four-game homestand to finish the regular season. Wayne Selden chipped in a career-high 13 points to help Memphis get past New York on Friday and he has played at least 23 minutes in all four games this month as he works his way into the rotation.

The pick: The Pistons were officially eliminated from playoff contention yesterday and at 33-33 less than a month ago, the team's 3-10 slide leaves everyone in the organization unhappy. Who knows who will play or how long they will play in this one for Memphis. Make the Under an 8* play.

The set-up: The 28-39-14 New Jersey Devils and the 32-36-13 Detroit Red Wings cap disappointing seasons late this afternoon in the final game for the Red Wings in Joe Louis Arena. New Jersey looks to avoid ending the season with a three-game losing streak after dropping a 4-2 decision to the New York Islanders on Saturday in its home finale. The Devils will finish last in the Eastern Conference, as they failed to qualify for the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season. The Red Wings have lost five of their last six contests, after dropping a 3-2 overtime decision to visiting Montreal on Saturday, and have had their 25-year playoff streak snapped in the 2016-17 season.

New Jersey: While the Devils might seem like an odd choice to close out the Detroit rink, there is some history between the teams. The Devils swept the Wings in the 1995 Stanley Cup final, Detroit's first appearance in the Cup final since 1966. Also, when Joe Louis Arena opened in 1979, the Devils -- in their previous life as the Colorado Rockies -- were the second visiting team to win a game in the arena when they toppled the Wings 5-3 on Dec. 31, 1979, with Don Cherry behind the bench and goalie Hardy Astrom earning the win.

Detroit: Henrik Zetterberg figures to have mixed emotions Sunday as he skates in his 1,000th career game when the Detroit Red Wings and will say farewell to Joe Louis Arena. The captain leads Detroit in scoring with 66 points and will become the 12th Swedish player to reach the 1,000 career game milestone in the NHL. The team will honor Zetterberg's achievement during a pregame ceremony that undoubtedly will also pay homage to Joe Louis Arena

The pick: The Red Wings won four Stanley Cups while calling "The Joe" home. Nothing at stake in this one and with New Jersey allowing 2.93 GPG (25th) and Detroit allowing 3.00 GPG (26th), the Over is a 10* play.

The pick: Oklahoma City has won eight straight meetings with Denver and gets a 'triple-double' here, the win, the cover and Russell's 42nd triple-double of the season. Make OKC a 10* play.

The pick: Cueto was 3-1 with a 1.41 earned run average in four starts against the Padres last season, including throwing complete games in his first three! After going 23-9 (plus-$1056) in his regular season starts in 2016, the Giants are 1-0 here in 2017. Make the Giants a 10* play.

The set-up: The Phillies scored 12 first-inning runs in Saturday's home contest against the Nationals and cruised to a 17-3 victory. Philadelphia hosts Washington in the rubber game of this series (Nats won 7-6 Friday night), looking to even their record at 3-3 (a Nats loss and 3-2 Washington would fall to .500).

The pitching matchup: Stephen Strasburg (1-0, 2.57 ERA) takes the mound for Washington and Jeremy Hellickson (1-0, 1.80 ERA) does so for Philadelphia. Strasburg has said his new mindset in now focused on inducing groundballs instead of always going for the strikeout. He held Miami to two runs over seven innings in Monday's 4-2 win (had a modest three Ks) and has enjoyed success against Philadelphia in his career, going 8-2 with a 2.37 ERA in 17 starts (Nats are 13-4). Hellickson limited Cincinnati to one run in five innings on Monday, generating eight groundouts compared to one strikeout. However, in 2016, his first season with the Phillies, Hellickson made four starts against the Nationals and went 1-2 with a 5.09 ERA. He's 1-3 with a 5.67 ERA in six career starts against the Nats (teams are just 1-5).

The pick: It was the Phillie bats which exploded on Saturday but with Hellickson's poor career numbers vs. the Nats, expect it to be Washington's turn to 'light up' the scoreboard on Sunday. Make the Over an 8* play.

The set-up: The Pirates opened the season by losing twice at Fenway (final game of the series was rained out) but have taken the first two of this three-game home series with the Braves, evening their record at 2-2. The Braves have now dropped three in a row to fall to 1-4. They committed two errors that led to three unearned runs in Saturday's 6-4 loss and continue to struggle with runners on base. Atlanta is 9-for-43 with RISP through five games, leaving 39 runners on base and grounding into eight double plays.

The pitching matchup: Each team trots out its ace for the series finale, Julio Teheran (0-0, 0.00 ERA) for Atlanta and Gerrit Cole (0-1, 9.00 ERA) for Pittsburgh. It was the "same old song" In Teferan's 2017 debut, as Atlanta's best pitcher rarely gets any support. The Braves averaged just 3.35 runs in Teheran’s starts last season (2nd-worst fewest among starters) and could not score push across a run in Monday's 6-0 defeat at the New York Mets. He scattered four hits while striking out six over six scoreless innings. He blanked the Pirates over 7 2/3 innings in his only start against them in 2016 and is 3-1 with a 3.51 ERA in seven career games (six starts / team is 5-1) against Pittsburgh. Cole pitched poorly in his 2017 debut at Fenway, giving up five runs on seven hits in five innings. He battled injuries in 2016, landing on the DL twice while making just 21 starts but posted a 3.88 ERA. Cole is 3-0 in four career starts against the Braves (Pirates are 4-0), giving up two runs or fewer in each outing while throwing seven innings three times (1.73 ERA)..

The pick: I went against Teheran and the Braves on Opening Day and will do so again here. The Braves have scored four runs in each of the first two games of this series, yet have lost both. The Braves have struck out 44 times in 178 at-bats through five games and will face a starter (Cole) who has "had their number," owning a 1.73 ERA in four meetings. The Braves are 4-11 in their past 15 games at PNC Park, so expect Teheran's hard luck to continue. Make Pittsburgh an 8* play.

The set-up: The Texas Rangers opened 2017 by getting swept at home in a three-game series with the Indians but picked up their first win of the new season with last night's 10-5 win over the 2-3 Oakland A's. Texas scored eight times in the first two innings en route to the easy triumph. Nomar Mazara is off to a tremendous start for the Rangers as he is batting .588 with two HRs and nine RBI (he had a grand slam and six RBI last night). Khris Davis appears intent on proving that last season was no fluke, as he has three HRs in five games, after setting career highs with 42 HRs and 102 RBI in 2016 (his first season with Oakland, after spending three years in the National League with Milwaukee).

The pitching matchup: Kendall Graveman (1-0 & 3.00 ERA) had a solid season debut on Opening Day against the Angels, picking up the victory after allowing two runs and striking out seven over six innings. He is looking to post his second win in two starts this season, after needing 10 outings to hit the mark last year (Graveman was 10-11 with a 4.11 ERA in 2016 / Oakland was 14-17 in his starts). He's made four career starts against the Rangers, going 1-2 with a 6.35 ERA (team is 1-3). Yu Darvish (0-0 & 5.68 ERA) allowed four runs in 6 1/3 innings in starting Texas' season-opener. He also issued five walks, which was one shy of his career high. Darvish has not been very good against the A's in his career, going 3-9 with a 4.64 ERA in 14 starts versus the Athletics (Rangers are 4-10).

The pick: Despite Dravish's poor numbers against the A's, it's hard to overlook the fact that Texas was MLB's biggest moneymaker last season, going plus-$2932, more than $1300 better than second-place Baltimore (Rangers were 53-28, plus-$1873 at home). Meanwhile, the A's ranked 27th in the moneyline standings in 2016, at minus-$1478. Make Texas an 8* play.

The set-up: The Brewers bested the Cubs 2-1 in 11 innings on Friday, as the defending champs fell to 2-2 to open the 2017 season. The Cubs have played three one-run games so far, with their first four contests being decided by a total of just five runs. The Brewers' win makes them 2-3 to open the 2017 season as the teams clash in the middle contest of this three-game series at Miller Park.

The pitching matchup: Kyle Hendricks (16-8, 2.13 ERA in 2016) makes his 2017 debut for the Cubs and will be opposed by Tommy Milone, who pitched in relief on Opening Day, allowing two runs and three hits over two innings. Milone will make at least one start while Junior Guerra nurses a calf injury. The veteran Milone, pitching for his fourth team in seven years, appeared in seven spring training games, including three starts, posting a 9.00 ERA with nine strikeouts and two walks in 14 innings. Hendricks begins the season in the No. 5 slot in the rotation despite leading the majors in ERA and finishing third in the National League Cy Young Award voting a year ago. The Brewers handed Hendricks two losses in four meetings last season, but he is 5-3 with a 2.11 ERA in 10 career starts against Milwaukee. The 27-year-old has been especially good at Miller Park, where he’s 3-1 with a 1.82 ERA in five outings.

The pick: Milwaukee has won six of its last seven games against Chicago and is trying to capture its third straight series in the rivalry. However, Chicago's starting pitchers have been outstanding, posting a 1.99 ERA in 22 2/3 innings through the first four games. Expect more of the same with Kyle Hendricks on the mound Saturday, as he allowed more than two ERs only six times in 30 starts in 2016. Make teh Cubs an 8* play.

The set-up: The 38-41 Miami Heat's recent stumbles have left the Heat on the outside looking in at the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Miami is 3-5 in its last eight games and in the midst of a challenging four-game stretch to close the season. Part one of its challenging schedule began Friday with a 96-94 loss at Toronto. The Heat are one game behind the Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers (both 39-40), as they made a late-night flight last night to Washington. The 48-31 Wizards are a half-game behind Toronto for third place in the East.

Miami: The Heat were only 11-30 after losing by eight to the Milwaukee Bucks back on Jan. 13. but they won their next 13 and are 27-11 since then to get into the playoff mix. It's all a challenge," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "This is the way we have been for the past two-and-a-half, three months. We have been in our March Madness, we feel like every single game has had the feeling of an elimination game for several straight weeks."

Washington: The Heat's loss in Toronto also impacted the Wizards. Washington is one-half game behind Toronto and while a win would tie Toronto, the Raptors have a noon road game Sunday in New York. Washington has won two in a row won two but is struggling at the defensive end of the court. Nine of tits last 10 opponents have scored at least 100 points. "We have a bigger picture," John Wall told reporters. "We're trying to play for the playoffs and play for something special so we have to do a better job defensively. Defense is a big factor in the playoffs because every possession matters. Offense and all that is not our problem."

The pick: Miami has won the first two meetings this season between the two teams, while averaging 113 points. The Wizards need to step up defensively and I believe they will. Miami plays the second of a back-to-back and scored only 94 points in Toronto on Friday, shooting 39.8 percent. Make the Under a 10* play in this "playoff atmosphere" contest.

The 44-29-7 St. Louis Blues are headed to the playoffs playing their best hockey of the season.The Blues are 8-1-2 in their last 11 after a 6-3 win at Florida on Thursday and need just one point in their final two games to hold off Nashville for a chance to take on Minnesota in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. The Carolina Hurricanes climbed into a contending spot for a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference but then dropped their first four games of April and at 35-31-14 (84 points), will sit the playoffs out.

St. Louis: This marks the Blues' final road game of the regular season and a victory, or extending the game to overtime, would clinch that third-place divisional spot for St. Louis without going into the final day of the season with that uncertainty. "Obviously, we're looking at other scores, but we're also expecting ourselves to take care of our games," LW David Perron said. "I think it's huge in the playoffs. It would be huge to secure third place."

Carolina: The Hurricanes exited March on a 13-game point streak (9-0-4) but have scored just five goals in April (have been shut out twice!), going 0-4-0! Head coach Bill Peters was pretty straightforward about how he didn't want to witness a repeat of how the team played in Thursday's 3-0 home loss to the Islanders. "I would suggest you go back to work and find the identity and share the workload to finish this off properly," Peters said.

The pick: Most of the key offensive players for Carolina have gone cold down the stretch. Meanwhile, St. Louis is 13-2-2 across a period of a little more than a month. Make the Under an 8* play.

The set-up: The 39-40 Indiana Pacers are currently in the East's playoff field but just barely. Home wins this week over the Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks, which marked the team's first back-to-back wins since early February, have the Pacers and Bulls tied at 39-40, with the Heat lurking at 38-41, one game behind in the No. 9 spot. The Pacers play in Orlando tonight, against the 28-51 lottery-bound Magic. The Magic snapped a five-game slide with a 115-107 win over the NBA-worst Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday but sit tied with the Philadelphia 76ers for the fourth-worst record in the NBA. "

Indiana: From the "strange but true" category of NBA life, Indiana got a boost in the last two games from the return of Lance Stephenson, who has energized the home crowd and is proving to be a key member of the rotation off the bench. He was part of Pacers' teams that went to the conference finals in 2013 and 2014. In the team's two home wins this week, he combinied with Aaron Brooks to form a potent backcourt on the second unit. "With Lance and Aaron Brooks in the game together, we have the versatility to move them from point to wing," Indiana coach Nate McMillan told reporters. "Aaron is a good three-point shooter and with Lance at the point, that gives us another option on the wing." You can't make this stuff up!

Orlando: The Magic are coming to the end of their season and are intent on building chemistry heading into the summer and looking ahead to next season. PF Aaron Gordon and PG Elfrid Payton are developing a strong connection. "It's something that is growing with us and we want it to keep growing through the summer," Payton told the team's website of the chemistry he has with Gordon. "We're definitely trying to make an imprint and establish a way that we’re going to play. We’re finding an identity and we’ve got to just continue to get that defensive identity down." Payton and Gordon combined for 43 points on 17-of-29 shooting in Thursday's win over Brooklyn. Gordon (12.5 & 5.0) is averaging 20.0 & 9.6 his last five games and Payton (12.7-4.7-6.4) is averaging 15.4-6.8-10.2 over the same time frame.

The pick: From "Ripley's Believe it or Not," we have Stephenson is averaging 8.3 points, two rebounds and 3.7 assists in 22 minutes per game in three appearances for the Pacers so far. Pacers PF Thaddeus Young has also recorded a double-double in two straight and three of the last five contests. plus as always, Paul George (23.3 & 6.6) leads the charge. Make the Pacers an 8* play.

The pick: The Twins will take the field Saturday afternoon in Chicago trying to win five straight games to start a season for the first time since 1968. Mejia did pitch well this spring but it was only in limited innings. This Minnesota pitching staff has pitched over its head in the early going and I will make the Over a 10* play in this one.

The set-up: The 49-23-8 Columbus Blue Jackets are headed to the playoffs but their season-high five-game losing streak has ended any chance for home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Blue Jackets take the ice Saturday afternoon when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers, who are preparing to sit out the playoffs for the third time in the last five seasons.

Columbus: The Blue Jackets know they cannot move out of the third spot in the Metropolitan Division and will start Round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs in Pittsburgh against the defending champs., despite owning the fourth-best record in the NHL That's a daunting task but first, Columbus needs to get off the schneid. "Right now, we're on a bit of a skid here, but we know what we need to do going into the playoffs," said Brandon Saad.RW Cam Atkinson (career-best 34 goals, 61 points) has been held off the scoresheet in five consecutive contests and nine of his last 10.

Philadelphia: The Flyers dropped their second straight outing with a 1-0 overtime setback in New Jersey on Tuesday. The Flyers close out the regular season with back-to-back homes games against Columbus and Carolina (Sunday) games. They are likely to split goaltenders Michal Neuvirth (11-11-1, 2.82 GAA, .891 SP) and Steve Mason (25-21-8, 2.67, .908) in the final two games. Neuvirth has been re-signed for the next two seasons, but Mason is destined to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

The pick: Columbus is just 20-15-4 since starting the season on a blistering 29-8-4 pace and have been outscored 16-10 during its five-game skid. The Blue Jackets are expected to turn to former Flyers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who was given the night off on Thursday when the Jackets fell 5-4 to the Winnipeg Jets. Bobrovsky ranks second among NHL goalies in wins (41), first in GAA (2.02) and first in save percentage (.933), but has lost his last three starts and has allowed nine goals in those losses. However, he is 3-0-0 this season with a 1.31 goals-against average and .955 save percentage versus Philadelphia, highlighted by his 36-save performance in a 1-0 win on March 25. Make Columbus a 10* play.

The set-up: The 45-33 OKC Thunder have clinched the sixth seed in the Western Conference playoff race. They will travel to Phoenix Friday night, to take on the 22-57 Suns, who have lost 13 in a row.

Oklahoma City: Westbrook's triple-double saga has overshadowed anything else that happens with the Thunder this season. He had a streak of seven consecutive triple-doubles snapped when a final-minute rebound bounced off his hands and was collected by Memphis guard Andrew Harrison, in OKC's 103-100 Wednesday win at Memphis. Westbrook had 45 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds against Memphis and will look to post a record-breaking 42nd triple-double on Friday. He is tied with Oscar Robertson (1961-62), as he fell one rebound shy of breaking the mark during Wednesday's win

Phoenix: The Suns' current 13-game losing streak ties a franchise record (has happened twice previously). Devin Booker remains the bright spot, having topped 20 points in seven consecutive games, which includes his career-high 70-point outing against the Boston Celtics on March 24. Booker is averaging 33.3 points during the stretch. Rookie PG Tyler Ulis had a season-best 34 points Sunday against Houston, part of a six-game run of double-figure scoring during which he has averaged 18.7 points. He currently ranks first among rookies in assists (7.2) and seventh in scoring (12.4) since the All-Star break. PF Alan Williams s another young player making a splash despite the Suns' woes, scoring 16 points and adding a career-high 17 rebounds in Wednesday's loss against Golden State, for his 14th double-double of the campaign.

The pick: Westbrook is averaging 41.7 points, 13.7 rebounds and 13.7 assists against the Suns this season, including outputs of 51 and 48 points and a career-best 22-assist effort. This is no more than an 'exhibition' and the Over is a 10* play.

The pick: The Spurs have often played very well in games like this (when significant players have been kept on the bench) plus the Mavs have no reason to win anymore. The Mavericks snapped a seven-game losing streak in the overall series with a 105-101 comeback win in January, which ended a Spurs' run of 117 straight wins at home when leading by least 10 points at the half. Dallas had lost 12 in a row in San Antonio going back to 2010. Despite the loss, San Antonio has still won 21 of the last 26 regular-season matchups, including three straight and seven of the last nine in Dallas. Even with the "second team" playing, make the Spurs a 10* play.

The set-up: The Tampa Bay Lightning are not quite dead, remaining alive with a 4-1 victory at Toronto on Thursday. The 40-30-1 Lightning can still make the postseason with two wins and some help. They will have to win tonight, when they visit the 46-25-9 Montreal Canadiens, the Atlantic Division champs, who currently have 101 points.

Tampa Bay: The Maple Leafs hold the second wild-card spot with 93 points, while the Lightning and Islanders each have 90 points with two contests left. Tampa Bay needs Toronto to lose its next two games in regulation, the Islanders to lose at least once and to win both of its last two in regulation. That's a daunting proposition.

Montreal: Having clinched the Atlantic Division title at the start of the week, the Canadiens are in full-on playoff preparation mode. The team's final countdown of the regular season kicked off with a loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday, snapping Montreal's five-game winning streak.

The pick: Obviously, the Lightning have more at stake but here's the rub. Since losing their 2015 second-round playoff series to Tampa Bay, the Canadiens have not lost in regulation in seven meetings with the Lightning (6-0-1). Goaltender Carey Price is expected to make his last start of the regular season for the Canadiens and is 12-3-0 in his last 15 decisions and has allowed just 29 goals in the past 18 contests. Make Montreal an 8* play

The set-up: The Washington Nationals opened the 2017 season by taking two of three at home against the Marlins, while the Philadelphia Phillies lost two of three at Cincinnati. The Phillies take the field for their home opener this afternoon against the Nats. Washington is on a bit of a quick turnaround after losing 4-3 to the Marlins last night. The game was delayed by rain and then went 10 innings. Philadelphia opened its season with a 4-3 Monday win but followed by losing 2-0 Wednesday night and then 7-4 Thursday afternoon. Let there be no mistake, there is still a lot of work to be done at Philadelphia.

Washington: Max Scherzer (20-7 & 2.96 ERA in 2016) will take the mound today against Vincent Velasquez (8-6 & 4.12 ERA). Scherzer begins his third season with Washington, coming off winning his second career Cy Young Award in 2016. He suffered a broken knuckle late last season but the injury was not diagnosed until December. He went the entire off-season without picking up a ball due to the injury. However, Scherzer did make three spring training appearances while posting a 2.45 ERA. “I’m good to throw 100 pitches (Friday),” said Scherzer, He will be opposed by Vincent Velasquez, who struck out 16 batters in his 2016 home debut as part of an up-and-down campaign.
Velasquez had a much better ERA at home (2.88) than on the road (5.37) last season and held opponents to a .204 average at Citizens Bank Park, compared to a .314 mark in visiting ballparks.

The pick: Velasquez made 19 appearances for Houston in 2015 but in his first year with the Phillies, he went 8-6 with a 4.12 ERA in 24 starts. His best stretch was his first eight games, when he went 5-1 with a 2.42 ERA, striking out 59 in 48 1/3 innings. Over his last 16 starts, he was 3-5 and the team was 5-11 (note: team lost eight of his nine post-All Star break starts!). The Nationals won 14 of 19 meetings last season with the Phillies with Scherzer going 3-0 with a 2.02 ERA in five starts against the Phillies (Nats were 4-1). He is 7-1 with a 1.78 ERA in 11 starts overall versus Philadelphia (teams are 9-2). Make Washington an 8* play.

The set-up: The Tigers were rained out twice this week at Chicago but the teams did manage to play two of the three games of the series (Tigers won 6-3 Tuesday but lost 11-2 on Thursday). The Red Sox opened their season with 5-3 and 3-0 (12 inn.) wins over the Pirates in Fenway but then got rained out yesterday, when the were trying to complete a three-game sweep. The postponement prompted a rotation reset. Eduardo Rodriguez, who was scheduled to start against the Pirates, will go Saturday in Detroit, keeping knuckleballer Steven Wright in line to make his season debut Friday. Boston also placed both shortstop Xander Bogaerts and reliever Matt Barnes on the bereavement list and put reliever Robbie Ross Jr. on the disabled list with a flu bug that kept right fielder Mookie Betts out of the lineup in Wednesday's 3-0 win over Pittsburgh.

The pitching matchup: Steven Wright (13-6 & 3.33 ERA in 2016) squares off against vs. Michael Fulmer (11-7 & 3.06 ERA). The Red Sox went 15-9 (plus-$339) in Wright's 24 starts last year. Wright is 0-1 with a 10.00 ERA in two starts against Detroit (team is 0-2). His worst start of the year came at home against Detroit on July 26, when he gave up eight runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.Fulmer won the AL's rookie-of-the-year in 2016, as the Tigers were 19-7 in his 26 starts and his plus-$1292 moneyline mark ranked 6th-best among all MLB starters. He allowed three runs in 7 2/3 innings at Boston on July 27 before tying season highs by giving up six runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings in a rematch at Comerica Park nearly a month later (0-1, 6.07 ERA and team was 1-1).

The pick: Both of these guys have some ugly numbers (Wright vs. Detroit and Fulmer vs. Boston) but both are small sample sizes. Overall, Wright boasted a sparkling 2.09 ERA away from home in 2016 and allowed just one run in 13 1/3 innings during Grapefruit League play. Fulmer started slow start in 2016 (6.52 ERA through the first four) but over his his last 22, had a 2.58 ERA! The Under is an 8* play.

The set-up: The 50-28 Boston Celtics limp into Atlanta for tonight's game with the 39-38 Hawks, licking their wounds form a 114-91 thrashing at the hands of the Cavs last night in Boston. As for the Hawks, they are barely clinging to a playoff spot, having lost nine of their last 11.

Boston: The Celtics really covet the No. 1 overall seed in case of a potential Game 7 against the Cavaliers in the postseason, so the blowout loss was a huge setback. PG Isaiah Thomas (29.1 & 5.9 APG) had 26 points against Cleveland (he has topped 20 in 13 of his last 14 contests) but shot just 1 of 8 from three-point range. Boston was a combined 7 of 33 (21.2%) from beyond the arc and defensively, had no answer for LBJ (36-10-6). Love added 15 & 16 and Kyrie 19 and five assists. Is it "back to the drawing board" for the Celtics?

Atlanta: All-Star power forward Paul Millsap (18.1 & 6.3) returned from an eight-game absence due to a knee issue on Sunday but scored just 14 points on 4-of-14 shooting in a 91-82 loss to lowly Brooklyn. Millsap won't be operating at full strength but has had time to recover from Sunday's contest with a three-day stretch without a game. The Hawks are currently clinging to the No. 6 seed but are only 1 1/2 games ahead of Chicago, Miami and Indiana, who are all at 38-40.

The pick: Expect the Celtics to bounce back after last night's hugely disappointing effort (Atlanta is not Cleveland!). The struggling Hawks are 1-8 ATS their nine at home and look for them to play the perfect foil. Make Boston an 8* play.

The set-up: The Mets have gotten outstanding efforts from starters Syndergaard and deGrom (the duo combined for 13 strikeouts and allowed only seven hits in 12 scoreless innings) but have just split the first two of their season-opening three-game series with the Braves, who have also has received good starting pitching from Julio Teheran and Bartolo Colon (that duo has allowed just one run on six hits in 12 innings with 12 strikeouts!). The Mets did exploded for a six-run 7th in the opener before being held to one run in 12 innings last night. As for the Braves, they were scoreless for the first 15 innings of the season, while going 2-for-17 with runners in scoring position. However, Matt Kemp's two-run double in the 12th inning was enough to give Atlanta a 3-1 victory on Wednesday.

The pitching matchup: Jaime Garcia (10-13 & 4.67 ERA in 2016) goes for the Braves in this rubber match of the series, up against the Mets' Matt Harvey ( 4-10 & 4.86 ERA in 2016). Garcia looks to rebound after his ERA nearly doubled from 2015 (2.43) in his final season with St. Louis. He will be a free agent at season’s end and did make 30 starts in 2016 after injuries limited him to just 56 starts in the previous four seasons. Garcia is 2-3 with a 2.66 ERA in seven career starts against the Mets (teams are 3-4). A healthy starting rotation is critical to New York's postseason hopes, so all eyes will be on Matt Harvey. He made only made 17 starts before missing the final three months of the 2016 season following surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome. His fastball velocity has not returned yet to the mid-90s speed that helped him strike out 188 hitters in 189 1/3 innings in 2015. Harvey was 1-6 in his final 10 games (Mets were 3-7) with a 5.13 ERA and a .308 opponents batting average, before getting shut down for the season. Harvey made four starts against Atlanta last season, going 1-2 with a 4.37 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings. He's 2-4 with a 3.61 ERA in seven career starts against the Braves (Mets are 2-5).

The pick: Harvey insists he was healthy during spring training, despite allowing 12 earned runs on 23 hits in 18 1/3 innings over five starts.We'll have to see. If he can't shut down the Braves weak lineup (batting .197 with three runs scored in 21 innings), he's in trouble. I'm backing him here and making the Mets an 8* play

The pick: Since returning from a hamstring injury after the All Star break, the Nets are 9-12 in games that Lin has played in. They are 12-21 (.367) in the 33 games he's played in this season which may not sound like much, until one notes that the Nets are 7-38 (.156) in games he hasn't played in! Both teams are playing better offensively but the Nets average 106.2 PPG and Magic just 100.9 (27th of 30 teams) on the season. No reason for this total to be this high. The Under is a 10* play.

The set-up: The 49-19-11 Pittsburgh Penguins have all but clinched home-ice advantage for their upcoming first-round playoff series but the team just announced that offensive-minded defenseman Kris Letang will miss the upcoming postseason with a neck injury. Letang played an integral role in helping Pittsburgh to the Stanley Cup title last season, collecting three goals and 12 assists while averaging a club-best 28:53 of ice time. The Penguins built a three-point lead over Columbus with a 4-1 triumph over the Blue Jackets on Tuesday and now look to complete a five-game regular-season sweep of the 28-37-14 New Jersey Devils on Thursday when they visit the Prudential Center. New Jersey is in last-place in the Metropolitan Division, having scored just nine goals in its last seven games (1-4-2). While the Pens lead the NHL in goals scored (3.37 per), the Devils average of 2.19 GPG ranks 28th of 30 teams.

Pittsburgh: Captain Sidney Crosby (NHL-best 43 goals) has collected eight points (five goals, three assists) in four meetings with New Jersey. However, heading into this contest with the Devils, Pittsburgh lists eight players on its injured list. The playoffs start next week, and the defending Stanley Cup champions hope to get back most those players, especially superstar center Evgeni Malkin, sparkplug winger Carl Hagelin and top-six defensemen Olli Maatta and Trevor Daley.

New Jersey: Goalie Keith Kinkaid is completing a one-year, $725,000 deal and he's given New Jersey plenty to think about. The impending unrestricted free agent has allowed just 16 goals in his last eight outings.

The pick: Here's the rub. Pittsburgh injury issues are minor compared to New Jersey's overall woes. The Devils own just one win in their last seven games (a 1-0 overtime victory Tuesday over the Flyers) and just three wins since Feb. 19, a span of 21 games. Make Pittsburgh an 8* play.

The pitching matchup: The Tigers will send lefty Matthew Boyd (6-5 & 4.53 ERA in 2016) to the hill up against Chicago's James Shields. Shields split last season between San Diego and Chicago, going 6-19 with a 5.85 ERA. The two teams were 9-24 in his 33 starts and his moneyline mark of minus-$1403 was better than only Ervin Santana (minus-$1450) and  Chris Archer (minus-$1553). So much for the moniker, "Big Game James!" He's been forced to wait two extra days for his initial shot at redemption. The veteran right-hander says that he has been able to "work out a few kinks" in the bullpen earlier this month, as he expects (hopes?) to have a better season in 2017. Could it get any worse? Detroit originally planned to start Jordan Zimmermann on Wednesday but instead will give the ball to Matthew Boyd, who notched a 2.10 ERA in 25 2/3 spring innings. “This spring I’ve grown as a pitcher,” said Boyd and he's hoping for better results against the White Sox than in previous starts (Boyd is 0-1 with a 5.04 ERA in four starts, as his teams are 1-3).

The set-up: Shields completely fell apart last season, when his WHIP was 1.60 and he struck out 81 fewer hitters than the previous season in the same number of starts (33). However, he had won double-digit games every season since 2007 before last year's implosion. In fact, Shields leads all major-league pitchers with 330 starts and 2,169 innings pitched since 2007. He is also fourth in that span with 208 quality starts and sixth with 1,873 strikeouts. He's no Kershaw but he's WAAAY better than he showed last season. Make the Under a 10* play.

LA Clippers: The Clippers are headed toward a first-round playoff matchup with the Jazz but the team with home-court advantage will be teh favorite to win that matchup, as both teams have won more than two-thirds of their home games (Jazz are 27-12 at home and the Clippers 26-12). Los Angeles hasn't played since Saturday so the team should be well rested. The Clippers play three of their final four games at home but the road contest is at San Antonio and one of the homes games is against Houston. That makes this game vs. Dallas a must.

The pick. However, the Mavericks have actually won the last two meetings with the Clippers, after dropping 12 of the previous 16. Sure LA is likely to win but note that the Clippers are just 2-8 ATS at home their last 10 as double digits favorites, with one of those ATS wins coming against the Cavs, when they rested LBJ, Kyrie and Love. Make Dallas an 8* play.

The Denver Nuggets have won two straight while the Portland Trail Blazers have lost their last two. The 37-40 Nuggets are in Houston tonight and with a win over the Rockets, can move into a tie with the 38-40 Blazers for tehepot in the West (Blazers are idle). The Rockets are 52-25, after ending a three-game losing streak with Monday’s 123-116 victory at Phoenix. Houston is locked into the West's No. 3 seed and won Monday's game without three starters in the lineup.

Denver: The Nuggets have gotten back in the race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West by winning back-to-back road games. They edged the Heat 116-113 in Miami on Sunday and then won 134-131 at New Orleans on Tuesday. Denver used just eight players with Will Barton (foot) and Jameer Nelson (calf) out at New Orleans, but seven of the eight scored in double figures. The team shot 53.5 percent from the floor. Center Nikola Jokic (16.6 & 9.7) had 21 points and 12 rebounds for his fifth double-double to go along with a pair of triple-doubles in the last 10 contests while Danilo Gallinari (leading scorer at 17.9) is averaging 28.5 points over the past two games. PG Emmanuel Mudiay (11.0 & 4.0 APG) has received more playing time the last two games with Nelson out and averaged 16 points and eight assists after scoring 23 total points in March.

Houston: MVP candidate James Harden (sore wrist), Ryan Anderson (ankle) and Trevor Ariza (personal) all missed Monday’s victory at Phoenix. "It’s what you’re paid for,” Houston head coach Mike D’Antoni told reporters of his patchwork lineup. “They came out, as professional as heck. They got the job done. That’s what we just talked about.” Harden (29.2-8.1-11.2), who is averaging 33 points and 10 assists in three wins against Denver this season, could sit out another game or two to help his wrist recover for the playoffs.

The pick: How D'Antoni handles his rotation on Wednesday night against the Denver Nuggets at Toyota Center remains to be seen. However, we know Denver desperately needs this one (Nuggets still have two more road games left on this five-game trip), while the Rockets No. 1 priority has to be getting healthy for the playoffs. Make Denver a 10* play

The set-up: The 47-31 Toronto Raptors are tied with the Wizards and both teams have four games remaining, as they battle for the East's No. 3 seed. Toronto travels to Detroit on Wednesday to take on the 35-42 Pistons, whose playoff chances are hanging by a thread. The Pistons were last on the court in Friday's three-point OT at Milwaukee and with just five games remaining, find themselves 2 1/2 games out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Toronto: The Raptors have played well despite PG Lowry's absence and had won eight of nine before getting thumped by 18 points last night in Indiana. DeMar DeRozan (27.3 & 5.3) scored 27 points against the Pacers but was 0-for-2 from three-point range, playing a small part in Toronto's 5-for-23 performance from beyond the arc. Forward Serge Ibaka was the primary culprit, missing all six of his three-point attempts! The Raptors had only 11 assists on 34 baskets, a sign they could really use Lowry (22.8-4.7-6.9) as the season winds down. Lowry (wrist) has participated in practice and is hoping to return to the lineup soon.

Detroit: PG Reggie Jackson (14.5 & 5.2 APG)) is expected to miss his fifth straight game due to fatigue and physical issues (knee) and the Pistons know time is running out. "Right now, you continue to fight," head coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters Monday. "We know the deal. ... We pretty much have to go undefeated, and we need a couple of teams to lose three more games. It's not easy, but nothing's impossible in this league."

The pick: Detroit is 24-15 at home, compared to just 11-27 on the road and comes in well-rested (hasn't played since Friday). No way Toronto shoots as poorly as it did last night and with this total opening under 200, the Over is a 10* play.

The set-up: The 46-24-9 Montreal Canadiens beat Florida 4-1 on Monday night with Charlie Lindgren in net to give All-Star Carey Price a rest and head to Buffalo tonight looking to make it six straight wins. The Sabres are 32-35-12 (76 points) and have already been eliminated from the playoffs, and will be sitting out the postseason for the sixth consecutive campaign. They are ending their regular season on a down note as well, with three straight losses, after a 4-2 setback against red-hot Toronto on Monday night.

Montreal: The Canadiens are peaking at the right time and have allowed just six goals during their five-game winning streak.“It’s a good feeling knowing that we’re rolling right now,” Montreal captain Max Pacioretty told reporters. “We want to keep going and want guys to feel good about their game. … The offense is coming at the right time and hopefully we can maintain that.” Price has been his dominant self since late February as the former Hart and Vezina Trophy winner is 12-2-0 with a .945 save percentage in his last 14 appearances. Pacioretty leads the team in goals (35) and points (67)

Buffalo: The Sabres have shown little fight lately and Monday was the perfect example. They gave up three goals in the first 5:09 of the contest with the Maple Leafs. “We’ve got three games left, and no matter who you are on this team you’ve got stuff to prove,” Buffalo captain Brian Gionta told reporters. “We’ve got to come out more prepared with more urgency, more care to our game. What we need to do these next three games is find a way to compete.” That's a good sentiment but I'm not sure anyone is listening.

The pick: This is a game between two teams heading in opposite directions, as they meet for the final time this season. The Canadiens have registered at least a point in all three meetings this season (2-0-1) and five straight (4-0-1) against the Sabres. The Canadiens have been rejuvenated ever since making a surprising coaching change in mid-February, replacing Michel Therrien with former Boston coach Claude Julien. Since then, Montreal has only six losses in its 21 games. The Sabres are coming off one of their worst efforts of the season in Monday's home loss to the rival Toronto Maple Leafs (see above) and I don't expect much from them here, either. Regardless of who is on goal, the Under is a 10* play.

The set-up: Boston jumped out to 5-0 lead against the Pirates on Opening Day (Monday) but 2016 CY Young winner Rick Porcello ran into trouble in the 7th, when Pittsburgh scored three times. However, Boston's bullpen pitched a scoreless 8th and 9th (not without some angst, though) for a 5-3 Boston win. Monday's opener was Boston's first since longtime DH David Ortiz retired but rookie Andrew Benintendi helped Boston quickly turn the page to a new era with a three-run HR, as well as making a leaping catch in left field to stifle a rally by the Pirates in the seventh. In contrast, Pittsburgh's star outfielders, Andrew McCutchen and Starling Marte, combined to go 0-for-8 on Monday, with McCutchen striking out three times (including one with the bases loaded in the seventh inning!).

The pitching matchup: The Pirates send Jameson Taillon (5-4 & 3.38 ERA in 2016) to face Chris Sale (17-10 & 3.34), who Boston acquired in December from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for for a massive haul of prospects, Sale has been an All-Star in five straight seasons while finishing in the top six in Cy Young Award voting each time. Sale matched a career high in wins while posting personal bests in starts (32), innings (226 2/3) and complete games (six) for Chicago last year. Taillon was promoted from Triple-A Indianapolis in June and allowed three earned runs or less in 13 of his final 14 starts last year! He was the overall No. 2 pick in the 2010 draft but missed all of 2014 and 2015 following Tommy John and hernia surgeries.

The pick: Sale makes his debut for the Boston Red Sox in this one and he's 1-1 with a 3.63 ERA in six career games (three starts) at Fenway Park. He has never faced the Pirates but he does own a 1.00 ERA in nine career appearances (seven starts) against National League Central teams. Taillon looked good in the second half of last year but I believe he's in a little over his head here, up against Sale in Fenway. Make Boston an 8* play.

The set-up: The Nats beats the Marlins 4-2 on Opening Day (Monday) on the strength of HRs from Bryce Harper (fifth career Opening Day HR) and Adam Lind. Washington paid a hefty price in trading several top prospects to the White Sox for Adam Eaton and got exactly what they had hoped for from him, as he went 1-2 with two runs scored. Also, newly promoted closer Blake Treinen pitched a perfect ninth inning for his second career save. Throw in Strasburg giving them them seven innings allowing two runs and it's "so far, so good" for the Nats. The Marlins finished fourth in the majors in batting average last season (.263) but were limited to just six hits, including two by starting pitcher Volquez. Miami finished 32-43 against NL East competition last season and here in 2017, without Fernandez, will need to do better if it has any hopes of challenging for a playoff berth.

The pitching matchup: Miami's Dan Straily (14-8 & 3.76 ERA in 2016) squares off against the Nats' Tanner Roark (16-10 & 2.83). Straily set a career high in victories last season while with the Reds but gave up a National League-worst 31 HRs, 18 coming on the road away from the cozy confines of Cincinnati. He came on strong last year after the All Star break, going 10-2 with a 3.10 ERA in 15 starts. He's 0-0 with a 3.21 ERA in two career starts against the Nats, with his team going 2-0. Tanner Roark made his big league debut in 2013, going 7-1 with a 1.51 ERA that season in 14 games (five starts). He then won 15 games as a starter in 2014 but spent most of the 205 season in the bullpen. However, he was moved back into the starting rotation for 2016, finishing fourth in the NL in WAR for pitchers (5.5) and innings pitched (210), fifth in victories and 10th in the Cy Young voting. He limited opponents to a .232 batting average with runners in scoring position. He saw plenty of Miami last season, going 2-4 in six starts against them with a 4.46 ERA. Roark is 4-7 (4.09 ERA) in 12 career starts against the Marlins (team is 5-7)

The pick: Roark doesn't have good career numbers against the Marlins but he was very good last year overall and Washington was one of six MLB clubs to win 50-plus games at home, going 50-31. It's worth noting that Straily posted a 4.58 ERA in five spring training games. Miami elected to start the season with no left-handed pitchers in its bullpen, and that strategy backfired on Monday, as left-handed hitters Harper and Adam Lind homered off right-hander David Phelps. Deja vu? Make Washington an 8* play.

The pick: The Giants have won 13 of their last 14 series against the Diamondbacks in Arizona and went 9-1 at Chase Field in 2016. Sunday's blown save is behind them and while Cueto arrived late to camp due to personal issues this spring, he appears to be in mid-season form after posting a 1.50 ERA in three spring training starts. Make the Giants

The pick: Colorado has scored more than three goals just once in its last 18 games and averages 1.96 GPG on the season, easily the worst mark in the league. The Under is a 10* play.

The pick: This game with the Knicks is the first of five remaining games against non-playoff teams for Chicago. Hard to argue with Chicago's recent success but the Bulls are just 15-23 SU on the road this season. New York has won the first two meetings with Chicago, taking a 117-104 win in Chicago back on Nov. 4 and posting a 104-89 win on Jan. 12 in New York. Chicago as a road favorite?? Make the Knicks a 10* play.

Oklahoma City: Westbrook (31.9-10.6-10.4) continues to make individual history but says he's more interested in guiding his team to wins and locking up the best possible seed in the Western Conference playoffs. "We have to win, that's my thoughts," Westbrook responded when asked about the upcoming personal milestones. OKC may be looking up in the standings but the Thunder may also have to check the rear-view mirror. Oklahoma City is just 1 1/2 games ahead of the seventh-place Grizzlies and will begin a four-game road trip at Memphis on Wednesday, before closing out the regular season at home against Denver on Apr. 12.

The pick: Both teams will be playing hard tonight and although we can expect a "playoff atmosphere" in this one, I say the Over is an 8* play.

The pitching matchup: Carlos Carrasco (11-8 & 3.32 ERA in 2016)  will face Martin Perez (10-11 & 4.39 ERA) in Wednesday's middle game of this three-game series. Carrasco missed the 2016 postseason when he was hit by a line drive that broke his right hand on Sept. 17 and while he was bothered by elbow swelling in spring training, he's set to go  here. He's been a solid pitcher for the Indians these last two seasons with 55 starts (Cleveland is 33-22) and 366 strikeouts in 330 innings. Perez made a career-high 33 starts last year for Texas and reached double digits in wins for the second time in his career. He was a different pitcher at home last year (8-3, 3.24 ERA) than on the road (2-8, 5.78) and that's the good news here for the Rangers.

The pick: Then again, Perez will face a formidable Cleveland lineup and he had just 103 strikeouts in almost 200 innings (198 2/3), while allowing 76 walks (not a good ratio). He's only had two starts in his career against Cleveland but they've been disastrous, as he's posted a 12.40 ERA while going 0-1 (Texas is 0-2). Carrasco doesn't have a good history against Texas either, with a 1-3 record and 5.52 ERA in five starts (team is 1-4), but he's the superior pitcher. Perez turns 26 today but no birthday gift awaits. Make Cleveland a

St. Louis, Yes, the Blues have clinched a playoff spot, but that has not altered the motivation for the St. Louis Blues for the final week of the regular season. “We need to crunch down and play the way we want to play" Blues center Alexander Steen told reporters after scoring the tie-breaking goal in the second period on Sunday. St. Louis has at least one point in 14 of its past 15 games (12-1-2) and plays its final four games against teams out of or nearly eliminated from playoff contention. Goaltender Jake Allen, who was at one point this season for inconsistent play, made 35 saves Sunday and is 9-1-2 in his past 12 outings.

The pick: The Jets may be out of the playoffs but they are 7-2 their last nine (including four straight wins), while the Blues are red-hot at 12-1-2 their last 15. Both goaltenders o are on top of their games and the Under is a 10*play.

The pick: No doubt that the Nets are playing their best ball of the season and will be motivated to avoid a series sweep at the hands of the 76ers but I've been riding Philly lately and ahas rewarded its backers to the tune of going ATS its last . Make Philadelphia a 10* play.

The set-up: The Oakland A's host the LA Angels on Monday, as the two AL West foes open the season with a four-game series. The A's made three consecutive playoff appearances (2012-14) but have lost 94 and 93 games each of the last two years, giving them back-to-back last-place finishes in the division. The Angels won the division in 2014 (98 wins was a MLB-high!) but were just 74-88 last year, missing out on the playoffs for the sixth time in the last seven seasons. That was preceded by making the postseason in six of eight seasons, beginning back in 2002 when the team won the World Series.

The pitching matchup: Ricky Nolasco (2016: 8-14, 4.42 ERA in 2016 with Minnesota and LA) will face Oakland's Kendall Graveman, who is coming off a 10-11 (4.11 ERA) season. Nolasco will be making the fourth Opening Day start of his career, in his first full season with the Angels. He went 4-6 with a 3.21 ERA and one shutout in 11 starts after being acquired from Minnesota but went 3-0 while allowing just one unearned run over his last three outings of 2016, including an eight-inning effort against Oakland. Nolasco is 3-2 with a 3.38 ERA and a shutout in seven career starts versus the Athletics (teams are 4-3). Graveman gets the nod for his first career start on Opening Day, after working a team-high 186 innings last season. He was winless in his final six starts of 2016 (0-3 with the team going 1-5) but allowed three runs or fewer four times in that span. Graveman has pitched well in six career starts against the Angels, posting a 1-1 record and 3.38 ERA with one complete game (team is 3-3).

The pick: When one thinks "Opening Day starters," the names of Nolasco and Graveman don't readily come to mind. However, both pitched well down the stretch last season and I'm making the Under a 10* play.

The set-up: The 38-24-15 Toronto Maple Leafs won 5-4 at Detroit on Saturday and hold down third place in the Atlantic Division, as they own the tiebreaker over Ottawa, which occupies the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, and a three-point lead over Tampa Bay with one game in hand. The Maple Leafs look to be surging toward what would be only their second playoff appearance in 12 seasons, having gone 7-1-1 in their last nine games. They play the 32-24-12 Buffalo Sabres tonight on the road, who with just 76 points, have already been eliminated from the postseason.

Toronto: The Maple Leafs are right in the thick of playoff contention and five Toronto players have at least 57 points on the season. Toronto goalie Frederik Andersen (32-15-14, 2.66 GAA and .919 save percentage) is 5-0-1 in his last six decisions and has allowed a total of just 13 goals in his last seven games. He is expected to start on Monday.

Buffalo: The Sabres have lost two in a row, after falling behind early and surrendering two third-period goals in their 4-2 Sunday home loss to the Islanders. "We had chances, some good luck, some pressure, but we've got to capitalize a little bit more," Sabres captain Brian Gionta said after the game. However, it's been another sub-par season for Buffalo, which has now missed the playoffs for the sixth straight season.

The pick: The teams have split four meetings this season and note that the Sabres handed Toronto its only regulation defeat in its last nine contests, a 5-2 loss on March 25 in Buffalo. McElhinney started in goal that game, not Andersen. That should be motivation enough for the Leafs here. Make Toronto a 10* play.

Rogers' complete analysis by 12 pm et (10*)

The set-up: The Red Sox won the AL East last season (93 wins) but went meekly in the ALDS, losing three straight to the Indians. They now open the 2017 season at home vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates, without David Ortiz on the roster for the first time since 2002. Running the clubhouse now will be veteran second baseman Dustin Pedroia. Boston has a handful of emerging outfield stars plus a solid but banged-up rotation that features newcomer Chris Sale. The Pirates saws their three-year wild card steak end last season, going just 78-83. They will need one-time MVP Andrew McCutchen to return to form as he makes the move from center to right field following a down year.

The pitching matchup: Gerrit Cole (2016: 7-10, 3.88 ERA) will be on the mound for the Pirates, up against Boston's Rick Porcello, who won 2016's CY Young award in the AL by going 22-4 with a 3.15 ERA. Porcello led the league in wins and had the best strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.91) among AL hurlers. Boston was 25-8 in all of his regular season starts, earning a profit of $1470 (3rd-best in MLB). He was dominant at Fenway Park, going 13-1 with a 2.97 ERA in 16 home starts (team was 15-1). He posted an ERA below 3.00 in July, August and September while becoming the 22nd pitcher in team history to record 22 wins. He's faced the Pirates three times, going 2-0 with an 0.39 ERA (teams are 2-1). Current Pirates are hitting a combined .130 against him. Cole followed up a 19-win season in 2015 with an injury-plagued 2016 that saw his ERA soar by more than a run as he was limited to 21 starts. He was only 2-6 with a 5.48 ERA in nine starts after the All-Star break and pitched just 10 innings during Grapefruit League action. He's had just one start vs. Boston (2014), limiting the Red Sox to two runs in seven innings (1-0, 2.57 ERA).

The pick: This is the Pirates' first trip to Fenway since June 2005. Before that, Pittsburgh had not played in Boston since the inaugural World Series in 1903 (wow!). Stepping in front of Porcello here at Fenway makes little sense, off last year's performance. Make Boston an 8* play.

The set-up: The NY Mets have been to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons and return basically the same roster as 2016. When healthy, New York's starting rotation is among MLB's very best. However, that rotation has already had its problem this spring, as Stephen Matz begins the season on the DL (elbow) and Matt Harvey has not reached the same velocity since having thoracic outlet syndrome surgery last summer. In contrast to the Mets' win season, the Braves won only 68 games last season. That said, Atlanta did win 20 of its final 30 contests, as the addition of left fielder Kemp and shortstop prospect Swanson in August sparked the Braves' offense. Th issue heading into the 2017 season opener is a questionable starting rotation that felt as if adding R.A. Dickey and Bartolo Colon, a pair of 40-plus-year-old starters, to the back end of the rotation was a smart move. We'll see?

The pitching matchup: How New York's overall rotation will pan out is still a question mark but at the top, Noah Syndergaard and Jacob DeGrom give the Mets two Cy Young candidates. Syndergaard followed a strong rookie campaign with an All-Star appearance in 2016, finishing third in the NL in ERA, (2.60), fourth in strikeouts (218) and seventh in WAR (5.3). The 24-year-old dominated right-handers, holding them to a .228 average and a .581 OPS while giving up only five homers in 416 plate appearances. Syndergaard made one start against the Braves last season, giving up five runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings in a 7-3 loss Sept. 19. He's made just three career starst against them, going 0-1 with a 5.52 ERA (team is 1-2). Atlanta's Julio Teheran was 7-10 with a 3.21 ERA in 2016. He pitched way better than his record, as he received only 3.37 runs per start in 2016 , the third-lowest average in the majors. He's made 30-plus starts each of the past four seasons with a 3.21 or lower ERA in three of those campaigns. Teheran, who made the All-Star team and finished 10th in the NL in WAR for pitchers (4.8) last season, went 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA in four starts against the Mets in 2016 and overall, is 7-3 with a 2.02 ERA in 16 career starts but the team is just 8-6.

The pick: As noted earlier, the Braves played well late in teheseason but so did the Mets, who closed on a 27-13 kick to earn home field in the wild-card game game (didn't help, though against Bumgarner). Fredi Gonzalez of Atlanta was fired following a 9-28 start but Atlanta went 59-65 under interim skipper Brian Snitker, including 12-2 in the final 14 games. Snitker now has the full-time job and he's been in the Braves organization in many different roles since becoming a minor league player in 1977.

While Syndergaard has had little success against the Barves, it's over a small sample size (three starts). He's a 'monster' and Teheran is a hard luck pitcher who rarerly get support (see above). He won't get much here in his 2017 opener. Make the Mets an 8* play.

The set-up: Here's something no one has heard in over 100 years! The Cubs open the new season has defending champs! The curse is finally over but there is no rest for the weary, as the Cubs open their 2017 season with a three-game series in St. Louis against the Cardinals. This rivalry ranks among the most bitter in baseball and it's only intensified lately, with the Cubs now owning 'top dog' status in the NL Central, a division the Cards once dominated. Adding fuel to the fire was Dexter Fowler signing a five-year deal with St. Louis over the winter and leaving Chicago, just like Jason Heyward jilted the Cardinals to sign with Chicago prior to the 2016 season.

The pitching matchup: Jon Lester will make his second Opening Day start for the Cubs. He finished second in the NL Cy Young Award voting last year (19-5, 2.44 ERA) and was the MVP of the NLCS. He is 7-5 with a 1.87 ERA in 12 career starts against St. Louis (teams are 7-5). He dominated the Cards last season, going 2-0 with an 0.87 ERA in three starts (Cubs were 3-0). Carlos Martinez opposes the veteran Lester and at 25-years-old, will be the youngest Opening Day starter for St. Louis since Joe Magrane in 1989. Martinez posted 20 quality starts (out of 31) and won a career-best 16 games in 2016 (16-9, 3.04 ERA),.

The pick: The Cards are coming off their first postseason miss since 2010 and would love to spoil the Cubs' 2017 debut but Martinez hasn't had much success against the Cubs, going 3-3 with a 4.67 ERA in 19 games against them, including nine as a starter (team is 5-4 but his ERA is 5.08). Martinez may have been 16-9 last season but t Che were just 17-14 in his starts and actually lost money (minus-$130). As for Lester, the Cubs went 24-8 (plus-$1047) in his 32 starts, including going 12-2 in his 14 starts after the All Star break. Make Chicago an 8* Play

The set-up: The 28-48 Philadelphia 76ers are headed for another lottery pick, as this team's injury woes have prevented them from having a chance at making a run at the one of the East's final playoff spots. Maybe next year? Philly will be in Toronto on Sunday, facing the 46-30 Raptors who have won even of eight. The loss of PG Lowry (22.8-4.7-6.9) has not slowed Toronto and like he has all season, DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with a 40-point effort in Friday's 111-100 over the Pacers. The Raptors are tied with the Wizards for the East's third-best record and both teams has six game remaining.

Philadelphia: The 76ers have lost five of seven, after getting trounced 122-105 at Cleveland on Friday. The team dressed only nine players and lost despite 19 points apiece from Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Richaun Holmes (who?). Simmons never played a game this season and Embiid's season was limited to just 31 games. Then in late-March, the team announced that Jahlil Okafor (knee soreness) and Robert Covington (knee) also will miss the remainder of the year. Dario Saric was making his own run at ROY but only shot 3-of-12 from the floor on Friday and has now failed to reach 30 percent shooting in three of his last four outings.

Toronto: DeRozan has tied the franchise record with 30 games of at least 30 points this season and his Friday effort gave him 40-plus points for teh seventh time this year. He's had performances of  36, 40, 40 and 42 points in his last six games and his career-high scoring average now sits at 27.4 on the season. Center Jonas Valanciunas has notched 28 double-doubles on the season (12.0 & 9.6), the latest coming in Friday's win when he had 16 points and 17 rebounds. He is averaging 15.7 points and 13.7 rebounds over the last three outings. Serge Ibaka (acquired before the trade deadline from Orlando) also had a double-double against the Pacers (15 & 12) and has averaged 14.7 & 6.7 in his 18 games with the Raptors.

The pick: The 76ers have lost eight straight visits to Toronto and look like a M*A*S*H unit but here's the bottom line. Philadelphia is 18-7 ATS over its last 25 games. Make Philly an 8* play.

The set-up: The 35-40 Denver Nuggets have lost three straight and five of seven. That slump, coupled with Portland's late rush (), has Denver falling 2 1/2 games back of the Blazers for the West's No. 8 seed. Denver had been sitting on that eighth spot for a long time but now the Nuggets are running out of time (just seven games left in their season). The 37-39 Miami Heat know all about battling for a playoff spot. The Heat are one of three teams in the Eastern Conference with identical 37-39 records, and only two of them will make the postseason. Due to tiebreakers, the Chicago Bulls are in seventh place, the Heat are eighth and the Indiana Pacers are ninth. The Bulls are 6-4 over their last 10, the Heat are 5-5 and the Pacers are 3-7.

Denver: The Nuggets have allowed an average of 119.7 points during a three-game losing streak, including 122 in each of the first two games of their five-game road trip. Denver got outscored 52-35 in the paint and allowed Charlotte to make 17 three-pointers in Friday's 122-114 loss. "Definitely losing like this the last two it makes it tough, but we still have to do our job," forward Danilo Gallinari told the media. "Have fun with each other, have fun playing basketball and keep focusing on our job every game." Denver's five starters combined to score 95 points and shoot 56.1 percent but its four reserves were 8-for-24 from the floor. Losing is not fun, especially when a playoff spot is slipping away.

Miami: The Heat lost 98-94 at home to the sad-sack Knicks on Friday, the team's fourth loss in seven games. Is this a "must win" game for Miami? Maybe not but the Heat have a three-game road trip up next, visiting the Hornets on Wednesday before going to Toronto and Washington. They then return home to finish the regular season with a game against Cleveland. PG Dragic (20.1 & 5.9 APG) and center Whiteside (16.8 & 14.1) have led this team all season, with Whiteside having recorded 52 double-doubles on the season.

The pick: The Knicks Friday came into AmericanAirlines Arena on Friday with a 28-47 record and without the services of two of their top three scorers in Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose. Plus, Joakim Noah and Lance Thomas, who have started 61 games combined this season, were unavailable. Still, the Heat couldn't defnd their home court. Make Denver an 8* play.

The set-up: The San Francisco Giants are opening the season on the road for the eighth consecutive year and the 26th time in the last 33 seasons. They will open 2017 at Chase Field against the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are coming off a 69-83 year in which they finished 18 games back of the Giants and 22 back of the LA Dodgers, who won the NL West. It marked Arizona's third straight sub-.500 year and the fifth straight missed postseason. In stark contrast, the Giants own just one losing season in their last eight (2013) and have been in the postseason in four of those years, winning World Series titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014. The Giants had 32 blown saves last season and signed free agent closer Mark Melancon in hopes of settling a bullpen that was last seen imploding in Game 4 of the NLDS against the Chicago Cubs. Arizona changes included a front-office shakeup with new manager Torey Lovullo taking control of the team.

The pitching matchup: Bumgarner has proved himself over and over in the postseason, capped by his memorable 2014 World Series against the Royals. However, he is also just one of only two pitchers to make at least 30 starts and pitch 200 innings in each of the past six regular seasons. He set career highs in innings (226 2/3) and strikeouts (251) last season. Bumgarner is 9-7 with a 2.53 ERA in 26 appearances vs. Arizona, including 25 starts (Giants are 15-10). Zach Greinke signed a six-year, $206 million contract with Arizona prior to last season but oblique and shoulder injuries.limited him to 26 starts, going 13-7 with a 4.37 ERA (team was 16-10in his starts). Greinke's had excellent success vs. the Giants in his career, posting a 9-2 (2.49) record with his teams going 11-3.

The pick: Bumgarner had a solid spring (2.52 ERA in seven starts) and Greinke avoided any health issues this spring. This is the opener of a four-game series in Chase Field. It's important for Arizona to get off to a solid start for its new manager but that won't be easy. The Diamondbacks' first two weeks include seven games against the Giants, four versus the Los Angeles Dodgers and three against defending American League champion Cleveland. Arizona was just 6-13 against the Giants in 2016, losing nine of its 10 home games against San Francisco. Drawing Bumgarner in the season openers doesn't help. He is 6-2 with a 2.80 ERA in 15 appearances (14 starts) at Chase Field and he is making his fourth consecutive Opening Day start, going 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in his previous three. Make San Francisco a 10* play!

The set-up: The St. 42-28-7 St. Louis Blues lost 2-1 in a shootout Friday at Colorado but with the one point, clinched a playoff spot with 91 points. Speaking of 91 points, the 40-27-11 Nashville Predators also have 91 points after Saturday's 3-0 home win over the Wild. These two Central Division rivals square off this afternoon in St. Louis with the Blues sitting in third-place due to owning the tiebreaker and the Predators needing one point to clinch a postseason berth.

Nashville: The Predators snapped a two-game slide with Saturday's win, giving the team an 8-3-0 record in its last 11. The Predators are closing in on a third straight playoff appearance and have won three of the first four meetings in what will be a five-game season series with the Blues. Pekka Rinne (31-18-8, 2.44 GAA & .917 save percentage) recorded his third shutout of the season against the Wild and is 5-2-0 with a .944 save percentage in his last seven games. He's expected to be in net again on Sunday, in what may be the biggest game of the season.
"Probably the biggest game of the year so far, and it's going to be fun," Predators forward Filip Forsberg told NHL.com about Sunday's game. "It's going to be really fun to go in there and try to climb the standings as high as we can." Forsberg scored his team-leading 31st goal on Saturday.

St. Louis: The Blues are banged up on the blue line with Carl Gunnarsson missing the last two games (lower body) and Robert Bortuzzo leaving Friday's contest with an upper-body injury, forcing the team to recall Petteri Lindbohm from Chicago of the American Hockey League under emergency conditions. However, while goalie Jake Allen (30-19-5, 2.39 GAA and .915 save percentage) suffered his second loss in his last three games on Friday (1-0-2), he finished March with a .953 save percentage, the best non-April month of his career.

The pick: The Blues haven't been perfect recently but no one is holding that against them, as the team has surged into the postseason with an 11-1-2 record in their last 14 games. This is a YUGE game and both goalies come in playing great. Throw in the fact that the Blues are 1-for-15 on the power play in their last six contests while the Predators are 0-for-13 in their last four, and the Under is a 10* play.

The set-up: The 35-41 Charlotte Hornets have six games left and currently sit two games back of the East's final playoff spot. They will be in OKC on Sunday, taking on the 43-32 Thunder, who are 2 1/2 games back of the Clippers for the West's No. 5 seed. However, the Thunder are hoping to move closer to clinching the West's No. 6 seed with a win, as they are currently 1 1/2 games better than the No. 7 Grizzlies.

Charlotte: The Hornets got a much-needed 122-114 win against Denver amade 17 three-pointers.Frank Kaminsky () led the way with five and has made multiple three-pointers in four consecutive games, shooting 20-of-35 (57.1%) from the floor in the last three outings. PG Kemba Walker () had 31 points on Friday and has 23 assists versus just three turnovers in the last four games. The Hornets are currently on the outside looking in on the playoffs and need every win they can get. Charlotte is two games behind the Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat for seventh and eighth place in the East. With only two spots open for the five teams in contention, Charlotte is in "must win" mode from here out.

Oklahoma City: The Thunder fell Friday at home to Spurs, as Russell Westbrook (31.8-10.6-10.4 was not up to his MVP form. He shot just 8-of-22 in Friday's loss, although he still finished with a triple-double (35-15-12), his 39th of the season, two shy of the all-time record. The Thunder got 16 points from Victor Oladipo (16.3) against San Antonio and 13 from Steven Adams (11.6 & 7.6) and it's an ongoing issue. They continue to look for a consistent second option alongside Westbrook. Enes Kanter (14.5 & 6.9), who splits time at center with Adams, has scored in double figures in 16 of the last 17 games with six double-doubles over that stretch.

The pick: Still, this team is just too reliant on Westbrook. Want a perfect example? Westbrook dominants the ball, especially in the fourth quarter, leaving no other playmakers. Westbrook is averaging 10.4 APG but the next closest on the team is Victor Oladipo at 2.5 per game. That said, the Thunder can handle a team like Charlotte here at home, without much trouble. Look for Westbrook to dominate with his sixth straight triple-double and for OKC to win and cover. Make OKC an 8* play.

The set-up: North Carolina cruised through its first two games but needed a 12-0 run at the end of the game to get past Arkansas 72-65, before edging Kentucky 75-73 when Maye knocked down the game-winner with .3 seconds left on the clock. The 31-7 Tar Heels (the South's No. 1 seed) will square off against the 33--5 Oregon Ducks, the Midwest's No. 3 seed. The Ducks eked out a 69-68 win over Michigan in the Sweet 16, then shocked top-seeded Kansas in its 'backyard' (Kansas City) in the Elite 8, winning 74-60 as a 6 1/2-point underdog.

Oregon: The Ducks' Dillon Brooks (16.3) was the Pac-12's player-of-the-year but the unquestioned star of Oregon's Final 4 run has been guard Tyler Dorsey (14.5). He hit the game-winner in the round of 32 against Rhode Island and has averaged 24.5 PPG in four NCAA wins. In fact, going back to Oregon's three Pac-12 tourney games, he's topped 20 points in seven straight! The loss in the Pac 12 tourney of center Boucher (11.8 & 6.1) for the rest of the year was supposed to derail Oregon but that hasn't been the case, even though Brooks has been underwhelming, so far. The 6-9 Bell (10.9 & 8.6) has been terrific, averaging 12.5 PPG and 12.5 RPG along with 12 blocks after four games (he's pulled down double-digits in rebounds in six consecutive games).

North Carolina: The Tar Heels own a national-best rebounding margin of plus-13 per game and they are rebounding nearly 42 percent of their missed shots. Making that stat even more devastating is that North Carolina is a good shooting team, connecting on 47.2 percent (44th). When starting guard Williams was lost for the season in mid-Feb, Carolina began starting PG Berry (14.6-3.1-3.6) with the 6-6 Pinson (6.0-4.2-3.7), the 6-8 Jackson (18.2 & 4.7), the 6-10 Meeks (12.3 & 9.3) and the 6-9 Hicks (12.1 & 5.4). The 6-10 Bradley (7.3 & 5.1), the 6-8 Maye (5.8 & 4.0) and guard Britt (4.6) contribute off the bench. Roy Williams may have the most complete team left in the field, noting that Maye came off the bench to average 16.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in two games in the South regional in Memphis last weekend.

The pick: However, Berry has two balky ankles and as we saw last weekend, North Carolina was life-and-death with both Arkansas and Kentucky. Dorsey is 'on fire,' and Brooks is overdue for a breakout game. Bell was the Pac-12 defensive player of the year and this Oregon team thrives on its athleticism and effort. Take the points and make Oregon a 10* play.

The set-up: The 29-47 Sacramento Kings have been eliminated from postseason contention and the 30-44 Minnesota Timberwolves will join them shortly. Not much was expected of the Kings this season and when Rudy Gay (18.7) was lost to a season-ending injury and the Kings traded Cousins (27.8 & 10.6) at the All Star break, Sacramento 'turned the page" and has now sat out 11 straight postseasons. However, Minnesota's season began full optimism with two of the NBA's finest young players in Towns and Wiggins plus a proven scorer in LaVine. The addition of head coach Tom Thibodeau was expected to get this team into the playoffs. Instead, the T-wolves are now on the brink of playoff extinction, which will mark the 13th straight non-playoff season for this franchise.

Sacramento: The Kings enter Saturday's game at Target Center coming off a lopsided 117-89 road loss against the New Orleans Pelicans. It was Cousins' first game against the team which traded him away and he scored 37 points. Rookie Buddy Hield was the key piece in the Cousins trade and after averaging just 8.6 points in 57 games with New Orleans, he's averaged 13.9 points in 19 games with the Kings, shooting 48.5 percent from the floor.

Minnesota: Towns (24.7 & 12.1) and Wiggins (23.1 & 4.0) have had outstanding seasons plus LavVne (18.9) was close to a 20-point average before getting hurt. Veteran PG Rubio (10.9 & 9.0 APG) has put together a solid season and so has PF Dieng (10.1 & 7.9). There is just no excuse for this team to be 14 games under .500!

The pick: The T-wolves ended a six-game slide with a 115-114 Monday win at Indiana and then won again Thursday night at home, 119-104 over the Lakers, who aren't trying to win. Yes, the Kings are just 4-15 since trading Cousins but they are still trying. I want no part of laying a huge number with Minnesota. Make the Kings an 8* play.

The setup: Detroit's record streak of consecutive playoff appearances is officially over as they are the lone Atlantic team to be out of contention in the East. Toronto is looking to make the playoffs for the first time in years. They are currently fourth in the Atlantic and hold the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Toronto: The Maple Leafs have won two straight. They are also 3-0 vs. the Red Wings this year. This is a strong offensive team that ranks 5th in the league in goals per game. They've been playing good hockey for awhile now going 9-2-1 the last 12 games. But it's been goaltending, not the offense, carrying them. They've allowed two goals or less in 10 of those past 12 games.

Detroit: The Red Wings have lost two straight and given up nine goals in the process. However, goalie Jimmy Howard should still give them hope. He has a .932 save percentage for the year. Most importantly, the Under is 13-3 this year when Howard starts.

The pick: With the Under being so profitable when Howard is in goal, I've gotta lean that way. Especially considering how few goals the Leafs have allowed lately. Make the Under is a 10* play

The setup: The Devils have been officially eliminated from playoff contention. While the Flyers would need to jump several teams, they are still alive with 82 points. They've won three in a row, scoring six times twice. New Jersey has lost five in a row.

New Jersey: The last place team in the Metropolitan Division has not only lost five straight, but also seven of its past eight. They are 28th in the league in scoring. Last night saw them lose 2-1 to the Islanders. That's emblamatic of the kind of season they have had as they are 28th in the league in scoring. Corey Schneider is expected to start in goal here as Keith Kincaid played last night. Schneider has had somewhat of a down year. The Devils have a losing record in the second game of a back to back this year.

Philadelphia: Their last game was also against the Islanders, but it went a lot better (6-3 win). Somewhat surprisingly, they have struggled with the Devils this year, going 0-3 against their division rival. The last meeting was a 6-2 loss in New Jersey. Goalie Steve Mason has NEVER beaten the Devils. That being said, there is no denying which team is in better form here.

The Pick: Though the Flyers haven't beaten the Devils this season, it's tough not to like them in this spot. They have their season to play for while New Jersey is already turning to youngsters as their focus is now beyond 2017. Make Philly an 8* play