MIKE'S GIANTS/REDS TOTAL BOOKIE BU$TER

Giants left-hander Alex Wood (3-3, 4.82 ERA) has been tagged with eight runs on 14 hits over 7 1/3 innings over his last two starts. The Reds hand the ball to Vladimir Gutierrez (0-6, 8.70 ERA). The wheels have really come off lately for the right-hander, with 21 runs allowed over 15 innings through his last four starts. 

The Reds have scored 29 runs over their last three games. The Giants have scored 23 runs over their last three games. 

8* PLAY ON OVER. 

MIKE'S HEAT/CELTICS GAME 6 NBA BOOKIE BREAKER

The Celtics have the Heat on the ropes following a 93-80 win in Miami to take a 3-2 lead in the series. They now get a chance to close out the series in front of the hometown crowd at TD Garden, and I don't think Miami can keep this close.

Only one of the previous five games in the series was decided by single digits, and Miami is not the same team without NBA Sixth Man of the Year Tyler Herro who has missed the last two games due to a groin injury. Herro was listed as questionable on Thursday, and even if he plays, he's unlikely to be at 100%. 

Celtics are 29-14-1 ATS in their last 44 playoff games as a favorite.

8* PLAY ON BOSTON CELTICS. 

MIKE'S ROYALS/TWINS MLB BOOKIE BU$TER

We've lost with Minnesota two days in a row, but I am not afraid to back them the third day in a row.

They could easily have won and covered the runline in yesterday's 3-2 loss to Kansas City, loading up the bases with no outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, only to end up with no runs.

The Royals are 0-4 SU and against the runline as road dogs off a win. They had lost six straight games in a row and covered the runline in only one of the losses before yesterday's win.

The Twins are 13-7 against the runline in the 20 games they've won this season when closing as favorites. 

8* PLAY ON MINNESOTA TWINS -1.5. 

MIKE'S DODGERS/DIAMONDBACKS LATE NIGHT BOOKIE BU$TER

The Los Angeles Dodgers are coming off a rare shutout loss. They are 16-2 straight up and 12-6 against the runline in their last 18 instances after scoring zero runs in their last game. Since the start of last season, the D'Backs are 5-12 straight up and 9-17 against the runline as underdogs against the Dodgers.

I do not care about the pitching matchup. This is a pure situational play on the Dodgers. 

8* PLAY ON LOS ANGELES DODGERS -1.5. 

MIKE'S NBA GAME OF THE MONTH - MAVS/WARRIORS GAME 5 MAJOR WAGER

The Dallas Mavericks fended off elimination with a 119-109 Game 4 victory home in Dallas, but they're still heading to California down 3-1 in the series.

The Warriors failed to complete the true sweep, but there's no way they're missing out on this opportunity to complete the "gentleman's sweep" at home. I fully expect them to press the pedal to the metal again after an uninspired performance last time out, and then there's not anything the Mavs can do to stop them. 

Mavericks are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games as a road underdog. Warriors are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 home games.

Warriors by double digits. 

10* PLAY ON GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS. 

MIKE'S TOP-RATED 10* MLB RUNLINE RIPPER

This looks like a great spot to back the Minnesota Twins whose bats should be ready to go off following a couple of disappointing two-run outings. 

The Royals have dropped six in a row and eight of their last 10 games. Minnesota outscored them 22-12 through a three-game sweep in KC May 20-22. 

Tonight's KC starter Daniel Lynch (2-3, 4.01 ERA) was tagged with four runs in 3 2/3 of a 6-4 loss in that series. Minnesota southpaw Devin Smeltzer (1-0, 1.74 ERA) held the Royals to one run in 5 1/3 innings in that same game. 

10* PLAY ON MINNESOTA TWINS -1.5. 

MIKE'S TOP-RATED 10* CELTICS/HEAT NBA TOP PLAY OF THE DAY

The Celtics and the Heat have traded wins and losses through the first four games of the series. With the Celtics winning last time out, that should mean that Miami will take this one, but I don't think that will be the case. Boston has been the better team throughout the series (IMO), and the fact that they're a favorite on the road here in Game 5 says a lot. Heat are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 playoff games as an underdog. Celtics are 19-6-1 ATS in their last 26 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.

10* PLAY ON BOSTON CELTICS

PHILLIES/BRAVES TOTAL BOOKIE BU$TER

The Atlanta Braves have scored four runs or more in four of their last five games. Tonight they get a look at Philadelphia left-hander Ranger Suarez (4-2, 4.12 ERA) who gave up three runs on five hits in three innings in his last start. Suarez has limited experience against Atlanta who counters with right-hander Charlie Morton (3-3, 4.95 ERA), who has a  4.53 ERA in 12 career starts against Philadelphia. The Phillies have scored four runs or more in three straight games. 

Over is 5-0-1 in Phillies last 6 road games. Over is 7-0-1 in Braves last 8 games as a home favorite.

8* PLAY ON OVER. 

MIKE'S SUPER EARLY MLB RUNLINE RIPPER TOP PLAY

The Detroit Tigers got shut out in the opener of this series yesterday. They have scored fewer than two runs in four of their last six games. Minnesota right-hander Dylan Bundy (3-2, 5.14 ERA) has 10 scoreless innings at Target Field this season. The Twins are riding a six-game winning streak through which they have averaged 7.2 runs per game.

10* PLAY ON MINNESOTA TWINS -1.5. 

MIKE'S WARRIORS/MAVS NBA TOP PLAY OF THE DAY

I thought the Dallas Mavericks would be able to pull out a win in Game 3. I was wrong. 

The Warriors once again proved to be too much to handle, and I don't see them stepping off the gas here in Game 4.

Completing the sweep tonight would have them at a significant rest advantage against whichever team comes out of the East, especially with that series looking to go to seven games. 

10* PLAY ON GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS. 

MIKE'S MLB GAME OF THE WEEK - RUNLINE MAJOR WAGER

This looks like a great spot to back the Houston Astros to bounce back from a 6-1 loss to Cleveland on Monday, The Astros are perfect 4-0 straight up and 3-1 against the runline in revenge games in a series this season. 

Houston left-hander Framber Valdez (3-2, 2.68 ERA) is 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA through two career appearances (one start) against Cleveland. Guardians righty Zach Plesac (1-3, 4.42 ERA) gave up four runs over five innings in his lone career start against Houston. Plesac is 0-2 with a 6.86 ERA through his last four starts overall. 

10* PLAY ON HOUSTON ASTROS -1.5. 

MIKE'S TUESDAY NIGHT MLB RUNLINE RIPPER

This looks like a good spot to fade the Washington Nationals who won 8-2 at Milwaukee in their last game while the Dodgers will be looking to bounce back from a loss at Philadelphia.

The Dodgers are 4-2 SU and against the runline as road favorites off a loss. The Nats are 2-10 SU and 3-9 against the runline as underdogs off a win.

Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler (5-1, 2.89 ERA) is having a really good year and he owns a  2.33 ERA in four career appearances (three starts) against the Nationals.

8* PLAY ON LOS ANGELES DODGERS -1.5. 

MIKE'S LATE NIGHT METS/GIANTS TOTAL BOOKIE BREAKER

Giants right-hander Alex Cobb (3-1, 5.61 ERA) was tagged with seven runs on 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings at Colorado in his last start. The Giants still won 10-7, and the over is 5-1 in Cobb's six starts this year.

The Mets hand the ball to David Peterson (1-0, 1.89 ERA) to replace the injured Max Scherzer. The left-hander will make his first start in almost three weeks following a stint in the minors. Peterson gave up four runs (three earned) in five innings in his last MLB start.

Over is 4-0 in Giants last 4 home games vs. a left-handed starter. Over is 9-3 in Giants last 12 games as a favorite.

8* PLAY ON OVER. 

TOP-RATED 10* NBA PLAY OF THE DAY

We won with Miami in Game 3 of the series a couple of days ago, but that was with the Heat off a big home loss. Now they're instead coming off a win on the road and I like the Celtics to be the more amped up side for this game as it would be extremely tough to go back to Miami down 3-1 in the series.

Celtics are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS loss. Celtics are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up loss.

10* PLAY ON BOSTON CELTICS. 

MIKE'S BLUE JAYS/CARDINALS MLB TOTAL TOP PLAY OF THE DAY

The Toronto Blue jays are 26-14-1 to the under this season. Right-hander Jose Berrios (3-2, 4.83 ERA) has had a bit of a slow start to the year, but he held Seattle scoreless over seven innings of a 3-0 win in his last start and he has an ERA of 2.92 in two career starts against St. Louis. 

Cardinals right-hander Miles Mikolas (3-2, 1.68 ERA) is having a great year and has yet to allow more than two runs in a start. 

10* PLAY ON UNDER. 

MIKE'S WARRIORS/MAVS NBA TOP PLAY OF THE DAY

With Golden State holding a 2-0 lead in this series, this is pretty much a must-win game for the Dallas Mavericks. The good news is that they put together a very strong first half before collapsing in Game 2, and now they return home where they've been hard to beat all playoffs. 

Mavericks are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 home games vs. a team with a winning road record. Mavericks are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games after allowing more than 125 points in their previous game. Mavericks are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games as a favorite. Warriors are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 road games.

10* PLAY ON DALLAS MAVERICKS. 

MIKE'S SUNDAY AFTERNOON MLB RUNLINE RIPPER

The Washington Nationals have lost seven of their last nine games. They did not cover the runline in any of the losses. The Brewers have won five of their last six, and they've outscored Washington 12-1 through the first two games of this series. Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta (3-1, 3.53 ERA) is 3-0 with a 1.57 ERA over his past five starts while Nats righty Aaron Sanchez (2-3, 7.94 ERA) is 1-2 with an 8.78 ERA over his last three starts. 

8* PLAY ON MILWAUKEE BREWERS -1.5. 

MIKE'S EARLY MLB MONEYLINE MONEYMAKER TOP PLAY

The Philadelphia Phillies are coming into this game as losers of three in a row and five of their last six. The Los Angeles Dodgers are riding a seven-game winning streak. They are 5-2 in Tony Gonsolin's (4-0, 1.64 ERA) seven starts this year. The Phillies are 2-4 in Zach Eflin's (1-3, 3.90 ERA) six starts in 2022. Eflin is 0-3 with an 8.78 ERA in six career starts against the Dodgers. 

10* PLAY ON LOS ANGELES DODGERS. 

MIKE'S HEAT/CELTICS GAME 3 NBA BOOKIE BREAKER

I think Boston is the better team in this series, but giving this many points to a Miami team off a 20-point home loss seems like a few too many. The Heat are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games following a double-digit loss at home, 18-8 ATS in their last 26 games as an underdog and 12-5-1 ATS in their last 18 road games. The Heat are 10-3 ATS in the last 13 meetings in Boston.

8* PLAY ON MIAMI HEAT. 

PADRES/GIANTS MLB BOOKIE BU$TER TOTAL

Both starting pitchers are off to a hot start to the year, but Padres Joe Musgove posted a 6.08 ERA over 26 2/3 innings against the Giants last year. The Giants current roster has a combined batting average of .348 over 103 at bats against Musgrove. 

Giants are 18-9 to the over in games with a total under 8.0 (13-6 to the over if their opponent has a winning record). The over is 13-6 in Padres last 19 games with the total set at 7.0-8.5.

8* PLAY ON OVER. 

MIKE'S METS/ROCKIES MLB TOTAL TOP PLAY OF THE DAY

The over is 10-2 in Rockies last 12 home games with the total set at 9.0-10.5. Mets right-hander Carlos Carrasco (3-1, 3.73 ERA) has posted a 6.19 ERA over three road starts this year. Colorado right-hander German Marquez (1-3, 6.16 ERA) has allowed 13 runs over his last three starts and he has a 6.04 ERA home at Coors Field on the season. His last four home starts all went over the total.

10* PLAY ON OVER.

MIKE'S NBA GAME OF THE WEEK - MAVS/WARRIORS 10* BEST BET

The Golden State Warriors put a real beating on the Mavs in the opener of this series. The final score was 112-87 in favor of Golden State and Mavs superstar Luka Doncic was held to 20 points on 6-of-18 shooting from the field. It seemed like every Maverick was misfiring while the Warriors couldn't miss, but think this will be a much closer game. The Mavs are 19-7 ATS in their last 26 games following an ATS loss, the Warriors are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.

10* PLAY ON DALLAS MAVERICKS. 

MIKE'S TIGERS/GUARDIANS MLB BOOKIE BU$TER

The Cleveland Guardians righty Aaron Civale (1-3, 9.85 ERA) has had a horrendous start to the year. A date with Detroit could be just what he needs to get back on track. In seven career starts against Detroit, Civale is 6-0 with a 2.19 ERA. 

The Tigers hand the ball to left-hander Tarik Skubal (3-2, 2.50 ERA) who is 0-2 with a 5.94 ERA in four career starts against Cleveland.

8* PLAY ON CLEVELAND GUARDIANS. 

MIKE'S CELTICS/HEAT NBA BOOKIE BREAKER

The Miami Heat won Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals 118-107. I think the Celtics are in for another tough game here in Game 2. The Celtics have Marcus Smart and Robert Williams banged up while Al Horford is likely to miss the game due to COVID-19 protocol. With their full roster at full strength, the Celtics could win this one, but not in their current condition. 

8* PLAY ON MIAMI HEAT. 

MIKE'S TOP-RATED 10* PADRES/PHILLIES MLB MONEYLINE MONEYMAKER

Phillies right-hander Kyle Gibson (3-1, 4.10 ERA) was smacked around by the Dodgers in his last start, allowing eight hits and six runs in 3 2/3 innings. I expect Gibson to bounce back with a strong outing, and he is 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA in three career starts against the Padres.

San Diego right-hander Yu Darvish (3-1, 4.62 ERA) gave up five runs on nine hits over 5 2/3 innings at Atlanta in his last start. Darvish has a strong 2.30 ERA in five career starts against the Phillies, but he has posted a hideous 7.91 ERA over 19 1/3 innings on the road this year. Gibson is 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA over 18 2/3 innings at home. 

10* PLAY ON PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES. 

MIKE'S TOP-RATED 10* MAVS/WARRIORS NBA PLAY OF THE DAY

The Dallas Mavericks are coming off a seven-game series against Phoenix. While the deciding Game 7 on Sunday ended in a route, they're still at a rest disadvantage compared to the Warriors who finished off the Grizzlies in six games. The Warriors are 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 games playing on 3 or more days rest and 7-2 ATS in their last 9 home games.

10* PLAY ON GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS. 

MIKE'S MLB MONEYLINE MONEYMAKER

This looks like a good spot to back the Los Angeles to bounce back from a couple of losses. The Rangers have scored a total of 24 runs over their lsat three games, but tonight they'll face Angels' ace Shohei Ohtani (3-2, 2.78 ERA) who should be fired up for this one after giving up six runs in only 3 2/3 frames when he took on Texas on April 14. Ohtani has allowed only three runs and 13 hits through 18 innings over his last three starts.

Texas' right-hander Dane Dunning (1-2, 4.06 ERA) was charged with five runs over 5 2/3 innings in his last start.

8* PLAY ON LOS ANGELES ANGELS. 

MIKE'S TOP-RATED 10* MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Texas Rangers won the opener of this series 7-4 on Monday. They are still only 8-12 at home for the season while the Angels are 12-7 on the road. 

Texas' left-hander Taylor Hearn (2-2, 5.26 ERA) held Kansas City scoreless over five frames in his last outing, but here they'll face an Angels team that is 7-2 in its last nine games against left-handed starters. Angels' 22-year-old left-hander Reid Detmers (2-1, 3.77 ERA) will be bringing with confidence following an epic no-hitter against the Rays last week.  

Rangers are 1-4 in their last 5 games following a win. Angels are 4-0 in their last 4 games following a loss. Angels are 7-3 in the last 10 meetings in Texas.

10* PLAY ON LOS ANGELES ANGELS. 

LATE NIGHT MLB BOOKIE BREAKER TOTAL

The Minnesota Twins' over/under record this season is 13-20-4. The Oakland Athletics over/under record is 13-19-3. 

Twins' right-hander Chris Archer (0-1, 4.43 ERA) gave up four runs against Houston in his last start, but he had not allowed more than two runs in any of his previous five starts this year. Archer has a 3.60 ERA in three career starts against Oakland who counters with left-hander Zach Logue. Logue (2-1, 1.35 ERA) is coming off seven scoreless innings at Detroit. Logue has 12 strikeouts and only three walks over 13 1/3 inning of work on the season. 

8* PLAY ON UNDER. 

MIKE'S TOP-RATED 10* MLB TOTAL PLAY OF THE DAY

The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Reds 1-0 on Sunday, despite recording a single hit. They have scored a total of only six runs over their last four games and been held to three runs or fewer in seven of their last 10 games. The Chicago Cubs have been held to three runs or fewer in six of their last 10 games. 

Pittsburgh right-hander Dillon Peters (3-1, 1.83 ERA) held the Dodgers scoreless through three innings in his last start. Cubs left-hander Wade Miley's 9.00 ERA for the season looks bad, but it's over a one-game and three-inning sample. Miley owns a 3.64 ERA in 13 career starts against the Pirates.

10* PLAY ON UNDER. 

MIKE'S MONDAY NIGHT MLB RUNLINE RIPPER

The Detroit Tigers are coming off a three-game sweep of Baltimore. They'll face a much tougher opponent tonight as they travel to Tampa Bay to take on the Rays. 

Detroit is only 4-10 on the road this season and this will be rookie right-hander Alex Faedo (0-1, 3.60 ERA) first appearance on the road following three outings (one start) at home. 

The Rays turn to Corey Kluber (1-2, 4.55 ERA) who had a decent start to the year before getting smacked around for eight runs through just three innings against the Angels. Well, the Tigers lineup is not nearly as potent as the Halos', and they average only 1.92 R/9 against right-handers on the road. 

The Rays have been underperforming as home favorites this season, but they just took two of three against Toronto here at the Trop and I expect them to handle the Tigers. 

8* PLAY ON TAMPA BAY RAYS -1.5. 

NBA GAME OF THE WEEK - MIKE'S TOP-RATED 10* TOTAL

The first two games of this series were high-scoring affairs, but the following four games have gone under the total. I fully expect another low-scoring game here in this win-or-go-home matchup where the winner will move on to take on the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference finals and the loser will, well, go home. The losing team has been held to fewer than 101 points in the last four games, and I would not be surprised if neither team tops 100 points in this one. 

Under is 15-5-1 in Suns last 21 games playing on 2 days rest and 34-16-1 in Suns last 51 games following a straight up loss. Under is 47-22 in Mavericks last 69 games as an underdog.

10* PLAY ON UNDER. 

NBA GAME OF THE WEEK - MIKE'S TOP-RATED 10* SIDE

The two teams have traded wins and losses throughout this series, with each team winning two games on the road and one at home. The Celtics won 108-95 at Milwaukee on Friday, and I think the alternating of wins and losses stop today. The homecourt advantage should really come in effect here for Game 7, and the Celtics have been the better team in this series IMO. Their role players have mostly been solid while the Bucks' have struggled to contribute much.  

Celtics are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points. Bucks are 11-23 ATS in their last 34 games as an underdog. Bucks are 3-12-1 ATS in the last 16 meetings.

10* PLAY ON BOSTON CELTICS. 

MIKE'S SUPER EARLY MLB MONEYLINE MONEYMAKER

The Detroit Tigers have won only 11 of their 34 games and they won't sweep many series this season, but they have a chance of doing just that this Sunday. The Tigers have outscored the Orioles 7-2 through the first two games, and today they hand the ball to left-hander Tarik Skubal (2-2, 2.94 ERA) who is having a strong start to the year. In his last start, Skubal blanked the A's through seven innings of a 6-0 win in Oakland. The Orioles turn to righty Tyler Wells (1-2, 3.75 ERA) who is 0-2 with an 8.00 ERA over three road starts this year. The Orioles have lost five of his six starts this year. 

8* PLAY ON DETROIT TIGERS. 

MIKE'S EARLY MLB TOTAL TOP PLAY OF THE DAY

The Miami Marlins have scored 21 runs through their last three games. Milwaukee right-hander Brandon Woodruff (3-2, 5.97 ERA) was roughed up for six runs (five earned) in 4 1/3 innings of a 10-5 loss at Cincinnati in his last start. Each of Woodruff's last three starts has ended with the game going over the total. Miami right-hander Elieser Hernandez (2-2, 6.37 ERA) has allowed 16 runs over his last four starts. Four of his last five starts have gone over the total. 

The Brewers are averaging a healthy 5.42 R/9 off right-handers. This looks like way too low of a total considering the matchup on the mound. 

10* PLAY ON OVER. 

MIKE'S REDS/PIRATES MLB BOOKIE BREAKER

The Cincinnati Reds have recovered from their horrible start to the year. They've picked up five of their nine wins for the season over their last six games, and they've outscored Pittsburgh 12-2 through the first two games of this series.

Reds right-hander Luis Castillo (0-0, 5.79 ERA) surrendered three runs on three hits and recorded five strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings against Milwaukee in his lone start of the season. Cincinnati still won the game 10-5, and Castillo should have a better game here in his second start of the year. Pittsburgh righty Zach Thompson (1-3, 7.08 ERA) held the Reds scoreless over five innings in his last start. The Reds still won the game 7-3. 

8* PLAY ON CINCINNATI REDS. 

MIKE'S ORIOLES/TIGERS MLB BOOKIE BOMBER

The Detroit Tigers opened this series with a win on Friday, but they're only 2-9 over their last 11 games. They have the lowest-scoring offense in the majors and here they'll come up against left-hander Bruce Zimmermann (2-1, 2.67 ERA) who is having a strong year.

This will be Zimmermann's first career start against Detroit. The Tigers hand the ball to right-hander Michael Pineda (1-2, 3.43 ERA) who has a 4.09 ERA in 15 career starts vs. Baltimore.

8* PLAY ON BALTIMORE ORIOLES. 

MIKE'S PADRES/BRAVES MLB MONEYLINE MONEYMAKER

The San Diego Padres opened this series with a win on Friday, and I think we're getting a great price on them to take Game 2 as well.

Braves right-hander Charlie Morton (2-3, 5.65 ERA) has had a rough start to the year, and now he'll face a Padres team that recorded 16 hits in last night's 11-6 win and has a combined .354 AVG over 80 at bats against him.

The Padres hand the ball to left-hander Sean Manaea (2-3, 3.75 ERA) has had a solid start to the year.  

8* PLAY ON SAN DIEGO PADRES. 

MIKE'S 10* GRIZZLIES/WARRIORS NBA PLAY OF THE DAY

The Golden State Warriors had the opportunity to close out this series in Memphis a couple of days ago, but instead, they came out sleepwalking and lost by just under 40 points. I expect the Warriors to bounce back in a big way and finish off the Grizzlies here on the second try. 

The Grizzlies will once again be without leading scorer Ja Morant, and while they made it work in the last game, one must wonder how much gas is left in the tank after the 134-95 rout. The Warriors will no doubt be motivated, as they look to repay the humiliation.  

10* PLAY ON GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS. 

MIKE'S CELTICS/BUCKS NBA TOTAL BOOKIE BU$TER

The last two games of this series have gone over the total, but the Bucks are 8-2 to the under over their last 10 and 6-1 to the under in their last 7 games as a favorite.

The Bucks have the upper hand in the series after shooting 45 percent from three-point range in a 110-107 win in Boston on Wednesday.

The Celtics rank No. 1 for several defensive metrics, including scoring defense, defensive field goal percentage and defensive three-point percentage, and I expect them to do a better job closing down the Bucks tonight. 

8* PLAY ON UNDER. 

 MIKE'S MLB GAME OF THE MONTH - TOP-RATED 10* RUNLINE

The New York Mets are 7-1 straight up and 6-2 against the runline as favorites in series openers this season.

I expect a strong outing from Mets righty Max Scherzer (4-1, 2.92 ERA) after seeing his unbeaten streak of 24 games coming to an end last Sunday.

Seattle has lost five of left-hander Marco Gonzales' (1-4, 3.91 ERA) six starts this season, all but one by two or more runs.

Gonzales has allowed five runs on 14 hits and six walks while serving up four homers over 11 1/3 innings over his last two starts. 

10* PLAY ON NEW YORK METS -1.5. 

MIKE'S SUNS/MAVS NBA BUCKET BREAKER

Each of the last three games of this series has gone under the total.

The two teams know each other very well by now, and from here on out it's all about grit and defense, especially for the Mavs who would see their postseason come to an end with a loss. The Suns are not shooting the ball quite as well on the road as they do at home.

The under is 16-5-2 in Suns last 23 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600 and 21-5 in Mavericks last 26 games as a home underdog.

8* play on UNDER. 

TOP-RATED 10* HEAT/SIXERS NBA PLAY OF THE DAY

I think the Sixers will go off tonight, facing elimination after getting humiliated in a 120-85 loss in Miami on Tuesday.

Both teams have defended their homecourt through the first five games of the series, and the 76ers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games as a home favorite as well as 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points.

The Heat are 1-4 ATS in the last 5 meetings in Philadelphia.

10* PLAY ON PHILADELPHIA 76ERS.

MIKE'S EARLY ATHLETICS/TIGERS MLB AFTERNOON ASSASSIN

The Detroit Tigers have been shut out in three of their last five games, and they've scored more than three runs in only one of their last 10 games.

The Tigers are averaging a paltry 2.91 runs per nine innings on the season, and Oakland is also one of the lowest-scoring teams in the MLB with only 3.55 runs per nine innings.

The A's have been shut out in three of their last eight games and they've averaged 2.6 runs per game in day games this year. The pitching matchup is nothing special, but I expect this one to go under the total. 

8* PLAY ON UNDER. 

MIKE'S TOP-RATED 10* WARRIORS/GRIZZLIES TOP PLAY

Memphis' star point guard Ja Morant missed Monday's Game 4 loss to the Warriors, and he is doubtful to return at all this postseason. The Grizzlies played surprisingly well without him when Morant missed a part of the regular season, but this is the playoffs and the Warriors will be looking to close this one out tonight and avoid a Game 7. I don't see how the Grizzlies will be able to put up enough points without Morant to keep this close.

10* PLAY ON GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS. 

MIKE'S WARRIORS/GRIZZLIES TOTAL

Memphis' star point guard Ja Morant missed Monday's Game 4 loss to the Warriors, and he is doubtful to return at all this postseason. The Grizzlies played surprisingly well without him when Morant missed a part of the regular season, but this is the playoffs and the Warriors will be looking to close this one out tonight and avoid a Game 7. I expect the Warriors to take this in a low-scoring game as I don't see how the Grizzlies will be able to put up enough points without Morant. 

8* PLAY ON UNDER. 

MIKE'S RAYS/ANGELS MLB MONEYLINE MONEYMAKER TOP PLAY

The Los Angeles Angels have outscored Tampa Bay 23-3 through the first two games of this series. Rays' left-hander Shane McClanahan (2-2, 3.06 ERA) has allowed five runs and three home runs over 10 1/3 innings in his last two starts combined. Angels' right-hander Shohei Ohtani (3-2, 3.08 ERA) has been lights out lately with a total of only three earned runs allowed through his last four starts. At this price, you just gotta love the hot Halos with their ace on the mound.  

10* PLAY ON LOS ANGELES ANGELS.

MIKE'S TOP-RATED 10* MLB TOTAL PLAY OF THE DAY

Diamondbacks' veteran left-hander Madison Bumgarner has found his footing after struggling in his first two seasons in Arizona. Bumgarner (1-1, 1.50 ERA) has been one of the best pitchers in the major leagues this year, and he has allowed only one run over 15 innings in his last three starts combined. Miami hands the ball to left-hander Jesus Luzardo (2-2, 3.08 ERA) who's had a solid start to the year as well, and the D'Backs batting only .185 while averaging 2.76 R/9 against left-handers. 

10* PLAY ON UNDER. 

MIKE'S SIXERS/HEAT NBA TOP PLAY OF THE DAY

The 76ers tied the series with a 116-108 win at home in Philadelphia on Sunday, but now they're back in Miami where they struggled with their shooting through the first two games of the series. The Heat had allowed 86, 94, 92, 103, and 99 points through their last five games prior to Sunday's defeat. Under is 10-3 in 76ers' last 13 games as a road underdog and 14-3 in Heat's last 17 playoff games as a favorite. Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Miami.

10* PLAY ON UNDER. 

MIKE'S TUESDAY NIGHT MLB RUNLINE RIPPER

The Cincinnati Reds have an MLB-worst six wins on the season and right-hander Hunter Greene (1-4, 8.71 ERA) has been getting smacked around on the regular.

In his last start, Greene was tagged with eight runs on nine hits while serving up five home runs over only 2 2/3 innings on the mound, against this very same Milwaukee team.

This looks like a great spot to back the Brewers to bounce back from three disappointing losses, including a 10-5 setback in the opener of this series Monday night.

Brewers' righty Freddy Peralta (1-1, 5.09 ERA) has a respectable 3.70 ERA in 15 career outings (nine starts) against the Reds

8* play on Milwaukee Brewers -1.5. 

MIKE'S TOP-RATED 10* LATE NIGHT MLB RUNLINE RIPPER

The San Francisco Giants are 2-1 straight up and against the runline as home favorites of -200 or more. The Colorado Rockies are 1-3 SU and against the RL as underdogs and their opponent is a favorite of -200 or more.  

The Giants are 3-1 straight up and against the runline in left-hander Carlos Rodon's (3-1, 1.55 ERA) four starts as a favorite this year. 

10* PLAY ON SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS. 

MIKE'S CELTICS/BUCKS NBA TOTAL TOP PLAY OF THE DAY

Each of the first three games of this best-of-seven series has gone under the total. The maximum points scored was 204 as Milwaukee took a 2-1 lead in the series with a 103-101 win in the last game. I don't see why we would see a different type of game tonight. 

Under is 8-0 in Bucks last 8 overall and 19-6-2 in Bucks last 27 playoff games as a favorite. Under is 5-1 in Celtics last 6 overall.

10* PLAY ON UNDER. 

SUPER EARLY ROYALS/ORIOLES MLB BOOKIE BU$TER

Baltimore Orioles' left-hander Alexander Wells (0-0, 4.91 ERA) has pitched only 3 2/3 innings this season, but he should have a solid outing here against a Royals team that is averaging only 2.53 R/9 against left-handers this season. The Orioles are averaging 3.53 R/9 overall.

8* PLAY ON UNDER. 

MIKE'S TOP-RATED 10* MLB RUNLINE PLAY OF THE DAY

The Chicago Cubbs are reeling, coming into this game as losrs of seven of their last eight games. The Los Angeles Dodgers are rolling, coming off five five straight wins, all by two runs or more. 

The Dodgers are 4-1 SU and against the RL in Walker Buehler's five starts this year. Buehler (3-1, 2.12 ERA) has fanned 15 through 14 scoreless innings in his last two starts. 

10* PLAY ON LOS ANGELES DODGERS -1.5. 

MIKE'S SUNS/MAVS NBA TOP PLAY OF THE DAY

The Phoenix Suns can't be too pleased with their performance in a 103-94 loss to Dallas on Friday. They're still holding a 2-1 lead in the series, and I like Phoenix to bounce back with a win here so they can finish the series at home on Tuesday. The Suns are 17-8 ATS after failing to cover the spread against their opponent in the last meeting and 15-4 ATS facing an opponent they lost straight up to in the last meeting. The Suns are 9-2 ATS in the last 11 meetings in Dallas.

10* PLAY ON PHOENIX SUNS. 

MIKE'S GRIZZLIES/WARRIORS NBA BOOKIE BU$TER

The Memphis Grizzlies tied the series with a 106-101 win on Tuesday. They played with a bigger passion than the Warriors who looked satisfied with leaving Memphis with one win, but I expect to see more fire in the Warriors tonight as they don't want to give back homecourt the advantage. 

Warriors are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 home games. Warriors are 38-15-1 ATS in their last 54 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600. Grizzlies are 6-14 ATS in their last 20 playoff games as an underdog.

8* PLAY ON GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS. 

MIKE'S BREWERS/BRAVES MLB MONEYLINE MONEYMAKER

The Milwaukee Brewers are 18-8 on the season and they're coming into this game as winners of nine of their last 10. They're only 2-3 in right-hander Corbin Burnes' five starts on the season but to little fault of Burnes himself who has a 1.93 ERA and a 0.73 WHIP. Burnes has recorded 10+ strikeouts in three straight games.

The Braves rank 28th in the majors averaging 9.53 strikeouts, and I think we're getting a price on one of the hottest teams in baseball with the reigning Cy Young winner on the mound. 

8* PLAY ON MILWAUKEE BREWERS. 

MIKE'S 10* CELTICS/BUCKS NBA TOTAL PLAY OF THE DAY

The Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks combined for 190 and 195 points in the first two games of this series. I expect the top-notch defending to continue when the series moves to Milwaukee on Saturday. The Celtics have the best scoring defense in the NBA, and the under is 7-0 in Bucks last 7 overall. 

Under is 18-6-2 in Bucks last 26 playoff games as a favorite.

10 PLAY ON UNDER. 

MIKE'S SUNS/MAVS NBA TOP PLAY OF THE DAY

The Phoenix Suns are traveling to Dallas with a 2-0 lead in the series, and a win here would put them in a great position. They won the last game by 20 points and I think that was it for the Mavs. Luka Doncic has averaged 40 points through the first two games of the series, but he's not getting much help.

The Suns are 14-3 SU and ATS as favorites of -0.5 to -4 points this season. The Suns are 13-3 ATS in the last 16 meetings in Dallas.

10* play on Phoenix Suns. 

MIKE'S HEAT/SIXERS GAME 3 NBA BOOKIE BU$TER

Without their star center and MVP candidate Joel Embiid, the Philadelphia 76ers did not stand much of a chance in either of the first two games of this series. Embiid will miss Game 3 as well, and I think the Heat will win and cover the spread comfortably. The Heat have been playing exceptional defense, and I don't think moving to the homecourt will improve Sixers' shooting all that much. 

The Heat are 11-3-1 ATS in their last 15 road games and 8-3-1 ATS in their last 12 games as a road favorite. Additionally, they are 8-3-1 ATS in the last 12 meetings with the Sixers. 

8* PLAY ON MIAMI HEAT. 

LATE NIGHT MARLINS/PADRES MLB MONEYLINE MONEYMAKER

This looks like a good spot to back the Miami Marlins who will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak. Padres' right-hander Nick Martinez (1-2, 4.12 ERA) has struggled with his control and has issued 12 walks over 19 1/3 innings. Marlins' lefty Jesus Luzardo (2-1, 3.10 ERA) has allowed only two runs on four hits with 13 strikeouts over 11 innings through his two starts. Luzardo is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA in two starts on the road.

8* PLAY ON MIAMI MARLINS. 

MIKE'S TIGERS/ASTROS MLB RUNLINE RIPPER

The Houston Astros have picked up pace following a slow start and Detroit is heading in the opposite direction with just one win in its last nine games, but I think the Tigers can keep this close. 

Houston right-hander Jose Urquidy (2-1, 5.95 ERA) could certainly have had a better start to the year while Tigers' left-hander Tarik Skubal has posted a 3.05 ERA in four starts this season. They have won two of his four starts outright and Houston is batting only .202 while averaging 3.49 R/9 against left-handers. 

8* PLAY ON DETROIT TIGERS +1.5. 

MIKE'S SUPER EARLY MLB TOTAL TOP PLAY OF THE DAY

The Milwaukee Brewers put an 18-4 beating on Cincinnati yesterday. For the season, the over/under is 17-25 in games where one of the teams scored 10 runs or more the previous game. 

Cincinnati's rookie right-hander Hunter Greene (1-3, 6.00 ERA) has 22 strikeouts over his first 18 innings in the majors, and the Brewers are striking out almost nine times per nine innings. I expect plenty of swings and misses from the Brew Crew today as they might feel a bit too frisky looking to repeat yesterday's performance. 

The Brewers counter with right-hander Adrian Houser (2-2, 2.53 ERA) who's had a solid start to the year, and he struck out eight through six shutout innings against the Cubs in his last start. The Reds are averaging only 3.30 runs per nine innings on the season. 

10* PLAY ON UNDER. 

MIKE'S MAVS/SUNS NBA TOTAL TOP PLAY OF THE DAY

The Phoenix Suns won Game 1 of this Western Conference semifinal series 121-114. Neither team could've been satisfied with their defensive performance, and I expect a much lower final score here as Dallas tries to make it as ugly as possible to keep it close. The Mavs have relied on defense over offense all season long, and the under 6-2 in Suns last 8 games as a home favorite. Under is 6-2 in the last 8 meetings.

10* PLAY ON UNDER. 

MIKE'S MLB MONEYLINE MONEYMAKER

This looks like a terrific spot to back the Colorado Rockies to bounce back from a 10-2 loss to Washington last night. 

Struggling left-hander Patrick Corbin (0-4, 8.69 ERA) will toe the rubber for the Nats. The Rockies are 17-9 against left-handed starters home at Coors Field since the start of last season and they are averaging 6.00 runs per nine innings off southpaws this season. 

Austin Gomber (1-2, 3.86 ERA) will take the ball for Colorado. He's off a decent start to the season, and over his last two starts, Gomber has allowed a total of only two runs on seven hits with 14 Ks over 12 innings. 

8* PLAY ON COLORADO ROCKIES. 

MIKE'S TOP-RATED 10* MLB TOTAL PLAY OF THE DAY

The Los Angeles Angels got shut out in a 4-0 loss to Boston on Tuesday. I don't expect them to score many runs tonight either, coming up against Red Sox right-hander Garrett Whitlock (1-1, 0.54 ERA) who has conceded a total of only one earned run while recording 20 strikeouts over 16 2/3 innings this season. 

The Angels turn to left-hander Reid Detmers (1-1, 5.19 ERA) to get a start instead of Shohei Ohtani. Detmers has given up only three runs on five hits with eight strikeouts over his last two starts.

The Red Sox are averaging only 3.60 runs per nine innings on the season.

10* PLAY ON UNDER. 

MIKE'S WARRIORS/GRIZZLIES 10* NBA TOTAL PLAY OF THE DAY

The Golden State Warriors and the Memphis Grizzlies combined for 233 points in the first game of their Western Conference semi-finals series. Still, the over/under is at 3-8 through the last 11 meetings. I think both teams will play better defense here as they'll be more familiar which each others offensive schemes when matching up for the second time in three days.

10* PLAY ON UNDER. 

MIKE'S TOP-RATED 10* MLB MONEYLINE MONEYMAKER

The Chicago White Sox have won only three of their last seven games, but they shut out the Angels yesterday and tonight's starter Michael Kopech (0-0, 1.42 ERA) has allowed only three earned runs over his 19 innings on the mound this season. 

The Cubs have also dropped seven of their last 10 games, and left-hander Drew Smyly (1-2, 2.79 ERA) has been tagged with six runs on 11 hits (four home runs) over his last two starts. 

The White Sox are 4-2 against left-handed starters and they are averaging 5.18 runs and only 2.6 strikeouts per nine innings against left-handers.  

10* play on Chicago White Sox. 

NBA GAME OF THE WEEK - MIKE'S BUCKS/CELTICS 10* MAJOR WAGER

The Milwaukee Bucks won the opener of this Eastern Conference semi-finals series, which puts Boston in a precarious spot here for Game 2.

A loss here would put them in an incredbly tough situation, and I expect to see a hyper-motivated Celtics team after coming out flat as a pancake in Game 1.

Celtics are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS loss, 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games following a straight up loss, and 7-1 ATS in the last eight meetings with Milwaukee. 

10* play on Boston Celtics. 

MIKE'S MAVS/SUNS NBA TOTAL TOP PLAY OF THE DAY

The Dallas Mavericks have the second-best scoring defense in the league and they held Utah to 100 points or fewer in four of their six meetings in the first round of the playoffs. They know they'll have to stay aggressive on D to have a chance against the top-seeded Suns. Under is 6-1 in Suns' last 7 games as a home favorite and 6-2 in the last 8 meetings with Dallas.

10* PLAY ON UNDER. 

MIKE'S MONDAY NIGHT MLB TOTAL BOOKIE BU$TER

This is admittedly an extremely low total, but I still think there's value on the under.

Both starting pitchers have had a red hot start to the year, with Arizona's Zac Gallen coming into the game with a 0.60 ERA over 15 innings and Miami's Pablo Lopez with an even better 0.39 ERA over 23 1/3 innings.

The Diamondbacks are averaging an MLB-worst 3.14 runs per nine innings and their batting average of .181 is also an MLB-worst. They average 9.14 strikeouts per game, and Miami is second to last in the majors with 9.81 strikeouts per game. 

8* PLAY ON UNDER. 

MIKE'S ANGELS/WHITE SOX MLB TOP PLAY OF THE DAY

The Chicago White Sox have lost 11 of their last 13 games, but I like them here as they look to earn a tie of this four-game series.

The White Sox are averaging 5.30 R/9 against left-handers and Angels' lefty Patrick Sandoval (1-0, 0.00 ERA) could be in for a rough awakening after not allowing a single earned run through his first 15 innings of the season.

The White Sox counter with Dylan Cease (2-1, 3.27 ERA) who has been solid, and the White Sox have won three of his four starts. 

10* PLAY ON CHICAGO WHITE SOX. 

MIKE'S WARRIORS/GRIZZLIES NBA TOP PLAY OF THE DAY

The Memphis Grizzlies are the higher seed, but they were taken to six games by Minnesota in the first round while the Warriors swept the Nuggets.

The young and hungry Grizzlies have had an impressive year and Ja Morant will be one of the best players in the league for years to come, but they miss the experienced leadership that the Warriors have.

I think the fact that the bookmakers made Golden State the favorite here says it all. 

10* play on Golden State Warriors. 

MIKE'S MLB MONEYLINE MONEYMAKER

This looks like a good spot to back the Colorado Rockies as they look to complete the sweep of this three-game series.

Cincinnati's pitching has been one of the worst in the MLB, and today's starter Reiver Sanmartin (0-3, 10.91 ERA) has certainly been part of the problem. The Reds have lost each of his three starts, and in his last start, Sanmartin was tagged with nine runs in just three innings against San Diego.

Rockies' left-hander Kyle Freeland (0-3, 6.16 ERA) is still looking for his first win, but his last start was promising when he gave up only one earned run while recording seven strikeouts over five innings against Philadelphia.

Freeland has a gaudy 8.77 ERA in five career meetings with the Reds, but he should get plenty of run support. 

8* play on Colorado Rockies. 

MIKE'S BUCKS/CELTICS SIDE

The two teams split the four regular-season meetings, with the home team winning outright in each game. The Celtics covered the spread in all four of those games and they are 9-1 ATS in the last nine meetings with the Bucks. 

Milwaukee forward Khris Middleton will miss the beginning (and possibly all of this series) with a sprained MCL. They would need to be fully healthy to beat this Celtics team that is peaking at exactly the right time and made a sweep of the Nets in the first round look easy. 

I also like the under. Sure, three of the four regular-season meetings went over the total (and with bigger totals than this), but this is the playoffs. Both teams have been locked in on defense and neither will give up easy looks.

8* play on Boston Celtics. 

MIKE'S BUCKS/CELTICS TOTAL

The two teams split the four regular-season meetings, with the home team winning outright in each game. The Celtics covered the spread in all four of those games and they are 9-1 ATS in the last nine meetings with the Bucks. 

Milwaukee forward Khris Middleton will miss the beginning (and possibly all of this series) with a sprained MCL. They would need to be fully healthy to beat this Celtics team that is peaking at exactly the right time and made a sweep of the Nets in the first round look easy. 

I also like the under. Sure, three of the four regular-season meetings went over the total (and with bigger totals than this), but this is the playoffs. Both teams have been locked in on defense and neither will give up easy looks.

8* play on UNDER.

MIKE'S LATE NIGHT BLOWOUT @ THE BALLPARK BAILOUT

The Los Angeles Dodgers returned home off a couple of losses at Arizona. They bounced back with a 5-1 win over the Tigers on Friday and I expect the Dodgers to close out the week strong. Dodgers' left-hander Clayton Kershaw is 3-0 with a 2.65 ERA in three starts this year. He has this Tigers roster limited to a combined .159 AVG and 19 strikeouts over 42 at bats and Detroit is averaging 2.69 R/9 against right-handers this season. 

Detroit right-hander Beau Brieske (0-1, 5.40 ERA) has made only one major league start, in which he allowed three runs on three hits (two homers) over five innings of a 3-2 loss to Colorado. This will most likely be an even tougher game for him, against one of the best teams in baseball. 

8* play on Los Angeles Dodgers. 

MIKE'S NATS/GIANTS MLB RUNLINE RIPPER

This looks like a good spot to back the San Francisco Giants after getting blown out in the opener of this series Friday night. Giants' right-hander Logan Webb (2-1, 2.96 ERA) is off to a very promising start to the year. He got the W against the Nats in Washington in his last start, despite not being at his best with three runs allowed over 6 2/3 innings. The Giants' still won 12-3, and today's Nats starter Joan Adon (1-3, 6.98 ERA) was tagged with five runs in four innings on the mound. Adon has given up four runs or more in three of four starts this year.

8* play on San Francisco Giants. 

MIKE'S ASTROS/BLUE JAYS MLB TOP PLAY OF THE DAY

The Toronto Blue Jays took two of three at Houston in their first series last weekend, and I like them to bounce back here after taking a 11-7 loss in the opener of this series Friday night. 

Toronto right-hander Jose Berrios (1-0, 4.9 ERA) has allowed a total of only three runs over 13 innings in his last two starts combined. He held the Red Sox to two runs on five hits over seven innings in a 6-2 Blue Jays win on April 25, and Toronto has won each of his four starts this year.  

Houston right-hander Luis Garcia (1-0, 4.60 ERA) pitched in the lone Houston win against Toronto last weekend, but he was rather lucky to not be taking an L after giving up five runs in six innings. 

The Blue Jays are averaging 5.00 runs per game home at Rogers Centre. The Astros are averaging 3.43 rpg on the road.

10* play on Toronto Blue Jays. 

MIKE'S BLOWOUT @ THE BALLPARK BAILOUT

The Los Angeles Dodgers are 6-1 SU and against the runline as favorites of -200 or more. This is the second time a team is a -200 or more favorite against Detroit this season; the Yankees defeated them 4-2 on April 19. 

Detroit left-hander Tyler Alexander (0-2, 7.20 ERA) was slapped around by Colorado in his last start, with Alexander allowing five runs on eight hits over 3 2/3 innings. Dodgers' left-hander Tyler Anderson (1-0, 2.84 ERA) has not allowed more than two runs in any of his three starts this year. 

8* play on Los Angeles Dodgers. 

MLB GAME OF THE WEEK - PHILLIES/METS BIG BET ALERT

This looks like a great spot to back the New York Mets who had won three straight and five of six prior to a 10-5 loss at St. Louis on Wednesday. They had Thursday off, while the Phillies completed a four-game sweep against Colorado. We have two solid pitchers on the mound in Phillies' Aaron Nola (1-2, 3.74 ERA) and Mets' Tylor Megill (3-0, 2.35 ERA), but the Mets' bullpen has a better ERA at 3.34 against Phillies' 4.17 ERA. Home advantage, rest advantage, and motivation favor the Mets, and I like the price we get on the home team. 

10* play on New York Mets. 

NBA GAME OF THE WEEK - MAVS/JAZZ BIG BET ALERT

The Dallas Mavericks have looked deadly since getting their star player Luka Doncic back in the lineup, and they absolutely wrecked Utah in a 102-77 Game 5 win. The Mavericks are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following an ATS win, 41-16-1 ATS in their last 58 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600, and they have covered the spread in the last four games of this series. Can the Jazz bounce back? I don't think so. The Jazz are 5-15-2 ATS in their last 22 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points and 15-34-3 ATS in their last 52 games following an ATS loss.

10* play on Dallas Mavericks. 

MIKE'S CUBS/BRAVES MLB TOTAL TOP PLAY OF THE DAY

Over their last six games, the Chicago Cubs have scored 32 runs. That might look impressive at first glance, but keep in mind that 21 of those runs were scored in a single game, against Pittsburgh, on April 23. 

That leaves 11 runs scored between the other five games, and here they'll face a hot pitcher in Atlanta right-hander Kyle Wright (2-0, 1.06 ERA). Wright has been excellent with only two runs allowed and 26 strikeouts against two walks over 17 innings of work. 

Cubs' left-hander Drew Smyly (1-1, 2.45 ERA) had opened the season with 9 2/3 scoreless innings before giving up four runs on six hits in five innings against Pittsburgh in his last start. He should bounce back with a strong outing.  

10* play on UNDER. 

SIXERS/RAPTORS NBA TOTAL TOP PLAY OF THE DAY

Each of the last four games in this series has gone under the total. Toronto has seemingly figured out how to defend their opponent and held Philly to 38% shooting in a 103-88 win Monday night. The Sixers have the star players and the flair, but both James Harden and Tyrese Maxey have really struggled in recent games. Still facing elimination, it will be in Toronto's best interest to turn this into another scrappy dogfight, and I expect they will succeed.  

10* play on UNDER. 

MIKE'S SUPER EARLY PADRES/REDS MLB MONEYLINE MONEYMAKER

I like the price we get on the Cincinnati Reds as they look to avoid the three-game sweep. The Reds have lost nine of their last 10 games but we should see a strong performance here in the finale of their six-game homestand before they head on the road to Colorado tomorrow. Reds' righty Tyler Mahle (1-2, 6.88 ERA) could have had a better start to the year, but he owns a decent 3.86 ERA in three career starts against the Friars.

The Padres hand the ball to right-hander Nick Martinez (0-2, 4.30 ERA) who has allowed seven runs in 14 2/3 innings. Not too bad, but his 1.77 WHIP suggests his ERA could be a lot worse. 

8* play on Cincinnati Reds. 

MIKE'S ASTROS/RANGERS MLB TOTAL PLAY OF THE DAY

The first game of this series saw eight runs, the second game six runs. I don't expect to see much action over the plate in Game 3 tonight either.

Houston hands the ball to Cristian Javier (0-0, 0.00 ERA) for his first start of the season. Javier has worked 8 1/3 frames as a reliever this season, but he is not a complete stranger to starting games and owns a 3.35 ERA over 51 career appearances, 19 starts. Javier has posted a 2.84 ERA over eight career outings (four starts) against the Rangers who turn to Glenn Otto. 

Otto (1-0, 1.80 ERA) held Oakland to one run on two hits with five strikeouts over five innings in his first, and up until now, only start of the season. 

10* play on UNDER. 

TOP-RATED 10* BULLS/BUCKS NBA TOTAL PLAY OF THE DAY

The Milwaukee Bucks have held the Bulls to 95 points or fewer in three of the first four games of the series, 81 and 95 points in the last two. 

The Bulls are lacking healthy playmakers with Alex Caruso in the league's concussion protocol and All-Star Zach LaVine in the NBA's health and safety protocol, in addition to Lonzo Ball and Matt Thomas also being out. 

Under is 15-5-2 in Bucks last 22 playoff games as a favorite. Under is 6-0 in the last 6 meetings in Milwaukee.

10* play on UNDER. 

MIKE'S EARLY CARDS/METS MLB TOTAL BOOKIE BU$TER

The St. Louis Cardinals have scored only two runs through the first two games of this series, and today they'll run into Mets' right-hander Carlos Carrasco (1-0, 1.47 ERA) who has a 2.84 ERA in his two career starts against St. Louis. 

The Cardinals hand the ball to Steven Matz (2-1, 5.27 ERA) who spent six years with the Mets before getting acquired by the Blue Jays last season. There's some bad blood between Matz and the Mets after some off-season drama, and I expect a big outing from Matz who has allowed only one run over 10 2/3 innings in his last two starts. 

8* play on UNDER. 

NBA GAME OF THE MONTH - MIKE'S PELS/SUNS MAJOR WAGER

I fully expect the Phoenix Suns to bounce back with a big win here after getting outplayed and outworked in a 118-103 loss in New Orleans on Sunday. The Suns are 16-2 SU and 14-4 ATS when revenging a loss this season and the Pelicans are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS win. Additionally, Phoenix is 6-2 ATS in the last 8 meetings. 

10* play on Phoenix Suns. 

MIKE'S ORIOLES/YANKEES MLB BOOKIE BU$TER

The Baltimore Orioles' over/under record is 12-2-2 and the Yankees over/under record is 5-11. Baltimore right-hander Jordan Lyles (1-1, 3.52 ERA) is off to a promising start to the year, and he has a career ERA of 2.57 in three games (two starts) against the Yankees. 

Yankees' Luis Severino (1-0, 2.08 ERA) has also had a good start to the season and Severino has a career ERA of 3.31 in 10 career appearances (eight starts) against the Orioles.

8* play on UNDER. 

MIKE'S ROCKIES/PHILLIES MLB TOTAL TOP PLAY OF THE DAY

The Colorado Rockies average only 3.72 R/9 away from home and they are 5-2 to the under on the road. The Philadelphia Phillies won Monday's matchup 8-2, but they still average only 2.74 R/9 at home at Citizens Bank Park and they are 5-2-2 to the under in their home games. Neither pitcher has had a great start to the year, but Rockies' right-hander German Marquez (0-0, 4.67 ERA) owns a solid 3.21 ERA in seven career starts against the Phillies and I don't trust Rockies' bats to do much damage of Eflin.  

10* play on UNDER. 

MIKE'S MONDAY NIGHT MLB RUNLINE RIPPER TOP PLAY

The Los Angeles Dodgers are coming off a 10-2 win at San Diego and they have scored five runs or more in six of their lsat eight games. 

Arizona righty Merrill Kelly (1-0, 0.59 ERA) is off to a hot start to the season but he is 0-4 with a 4.58 ERA in seven career appearances against the Dodgers.

LAD right-hander Walker Buehler (1-1, 4.02 ERA) is 4-0 with a 2.24 ERA in 11 career appearances against Arizona.

The Dodgers are 11-4 straight up and against the runline as favorites this season. 

10* play Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5. 

MIKE'S JAZZ/MAVS 10* NBA PLAY OF THE DAY

The Dallas Mavericks lost Game 4 in Utah 100-99 as a 6-point underdog, but the good news is that Luka Doncic was back in the lineup.

Doncic was the team's best player as per usual with 30 points and 10 boards, and having him back is massive for the Mavs. They return home for Game 5, and I don't see Dallas losing this one on homecourt and with their star player back. 

The Mavs have covered the spread in each of the last three games in this playoff series and they are 8-1 ATS in the last nine meetings with the Jazz. 

10* play on Dallas Mavericks. 

MIKE'S MONDAY NIGHT NHL MONEYLINE MONEYMAKER

The Chicago Blackhawks will close out the season with a three-game homestand, starting with this matchup against Philadelphia Monday night. The Blackhawks are coming into the game as losers of four of five and 12 of 14, but they've had a one day of rest unlike the Flyers who gave it alll in a win against rivals Pittsburgh on Sunday. 

8* play on Chicago Blackhawks. 

MIKE'S TOP-RATED 10* SUNS/PELS NBA TOP PLAY OF THE DAY

The Phoenix Suns defeated the Pels 114-111 in an intense back-and-forth Friday night. The Suns now hold a 2-1 lead in the series and a win here would set them up to close it out at home in a couple of days. The Suns are 15-6 ATS in their last 21 playoff games as a favorite, the Pelicans are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games as a home underdog. Suns' leading scorer Devin Booker is expected to miss the game because of a hamstring injury, but the Suns won Game 3 without him. I expect a comfortable win for the Suns. 

10* play on Phoenix Suns. 

WARRIORS/NUGGETS NBA BOOKIE BU$TER

The Golden State Warriors have dominated in every aspect possible through the first three games of this Western Conference first-round playoff series. Game 3 was the closest Denver has come so far, but the Warriors still managed to come back to win 118-113. I don't see the deflated Nuggets being able to put up a fight, and the Warriors close it out today. 

8* play on Golden State Warriors. 

MIKE'S JAYS/ASTROS MLB TOP PLAY OF THE DAY

This looks like a good spot to back the Houston Astros to end a four-game skid and deny the Blue Jays to sweep this three-game series. Toronto left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (0-1, 3.24 ERA) is 1-5 with a 6.00 ERA in 11 career starts against the Astros who counter with Right-hander Luis Garcia (1-0, 2.79 ERA).

Garcia has made one career start against Toronto. It came during his rookie season last year when he held the Jays to one run on three hits with eight strikeouts through six frames. 

10* play on Houston Astros. 

MIKE'S SUPER EARLY BUCKS/BULLS NBA BOOKIE BOMBER

The Chicago Bulls had the audacity to win Game 2 in Milwaukee, but the Bucks made them pay for the insult with a 30-point rout in Game 3. The Bucks improved to 11-4-1 ATS in their last 16 Conference Quarterfinals games while the Bulls fell to 9-23 ATS in their last 32 home games vs. a team with a winning road record and 8-20 ATS in their last 28 games as an underdog. The Bucks are the much better team, and they won't make the mistake of taking the Bulls lightly again after the Game 2 loss. 

8* play on Milwaukee Bucks. 

MIKE'S LATE NIGHT GRIZZLIES/WOLVES NBA BOOKIE BU$tER

The Memphis Grizzlies are coming off back-to-back wins since being caught off guard by the Wolves in the opener of this series. They'll now be looking to take a 3-1 lead and set themselves up to close out the series at home in a couple of days. They came back from a huge deficit to win Game 3, and I think the demoralized Wolves are toast now. 

Grizzlies are 26-10 ATS in their last 36 games as a favorite. Grizzlies are 23-11-1 ATS in their last 35 road games. Grizzlies are 6-2 ATS in the last 8 meetings in Minnesota. Grizzlies are 19-7 ATS in the last 26 meetings.

8* play on Memphis Grizzlies. 

MIKE'S TOP-RATED 10* MLB TOTAL PLAY OF THE DAY

The Miami Marlins are averaging only 3.55 R/9 and they are 9-4 to the under on the season. They've been shut out in two of their last four games. Miami right-hander Elieser Hernandez (1-1, 4.22 ERA) has posteda 2.27 ERA through 10 career outings (five starts) against Atlanta. 

10* play on UNDER.