SATURDAY AFTERNOON MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The San Diego Padres saw their four-game winning streak come to an end with a 2-1 loss here at PNC Park Friday night. I like the price we get on the Friars to bounce back with a win here in Game 2 of the series with right-hander Chris Paddack on the mound. 

Paddack (4-4, 3.15 ERA) has struggled through his most recent starts but will enter this contest well-rested and eager to get back on track. Paddack compiled a 1.55 ERA over his first seven starts in the big leagues so there's no doubt that this 23-year-old right-hander got some serious talent.  

The Pirates hand the ball to Chris Archer (3-6, 5.85 ERA) who is having a bad year. Archer has been tagged with 11 runs on 15 hits (six homers!) over 11 frames through his last two starts combined. Archer has served up at least one home run in nine straight starts and 17 over 12 starts (64 2/3 innings of work) on the season. His 69/33 K/BB ratio is nothing to brag about either ... 

The Padres are averaging a healthy 5.06 runs per game on the road and should be able to do plenty of damage off Archer. 

8* play on San Diego Padres. 

SUPER EARLY TOP RATED 10* MLB PLAY OF THE DAY (TOTAL)

The Minnesota Twins tied this series at one apiece with an 8-7 triumph on Friday, but today's matchup on the mound would suggest that a much lower scoring contest is in the cards for Game 3 of the four-game series. 

Twins' righty Jose Berrios (8-3, 2.86 ERA) has been one of the most reliable hurlers across the major leagues this season. He has allowed one earned run in four of his last five starts and matched a season-high with 10 strikeouts over eight innings of a 2-0 loss to Boston last time out. Berrios has posted a 2.86 ERA over his last six starts against the Royals. 

KC southpaw Danny Duffy (3-3, 4.64 ERA) has struggled in recent outings, but note that he has posted a 3.10 ERA in four day starts this season, considerably better than his 5.56 ERA in his six starts under the lights. Duffy has owned the Twins throughout his career, going 6-2 with a 2.75 ERA in 17 starts. 

Minnesota is just too good, particularly with Berrios on the hill. I expect the visitors to claim a low-scoring victory.

10* play on UNDER. 

SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

The Minnesota Twins tied this series at one apiece with an 8-7 triumph on Friday, but today's matchup on the mound would suggest that a much lower scoring contest is in the cards for Game 3 of the four-game series. 

Twins' righty Jose Berrios (8-3, 2.86 ERA) has been one of the most reliable hurlers across the major leagues this season. He has allowed one earned run in four of his last five starts and matched a season-high with 10 strikeouts over eight innings of a 2-0 loss to Boston last time out. Berrios has posted a 2.86 ERA over his last six starts against the Royals. 

KC southpaw Danny Duffy (3-3, 4.64 ERA) has struggled in recent outings, but note that he has posted a 3.10 ERA in four day starts this season, considerably better than his 5.56 ERA in his six starts under the lights. Duffy has owned the Twins throughout his career, going 6-2 with a 2.75 ERA in 17 starts. 

Minnesota is just too good, particularly with Berrios on the hill. I expect the visitors to claim a low-scoring victory.

8* play on Minnesota Twins. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB PLAY OF THE DAY

I really like the price we get on the LA Angels here in the opener of a three-game series at St. Louis Friday night. 

Cardinals' right-hander Michael Wacha (4-3, 6.00 ERA) will make his first career start against the Halos on the heels of surrendering six runs (five earned) on seven hits in four innings of an 8-7 loss to the New York Mets last time out. Wacha has been tagged with at least six runs in fewer than five innings in three of his last five outings and he has allowed 19 runs (18 earned) over 22 innings of work at home this season. 

The Angels counter with Griffin Canning (2-3, 3.93 ERA) who allowed four runs on six hits in six innings of a 6-5 defeat to the Rays at Tampa Bay on Sunday, but that was one of few rough outings during an otherwise solid rookie season. 

Note that this will be 39-year-old Albert Pujols' first trip back to St. Louis since leaving the club he spent his first 11 major league seasons with. "I think it's just going to be emotional for myself," Pujols said. "When I got to St. Louis, I was 21, and when I left, I was 32. I got there as a baby and left as a man. You can't ignore the success I had there, individually and team accomplishments, winning championships. It's pretty awesome. I'm excited."

10* play on LA Angels. 

FRIDAY NIGHT MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Houston Astros have dropped five in a row following a 10-6 loss here in the Bronx on Thursday. I don't like their chances of ending that skid tonight as they take on a Yankees team that expects to have slugger Aaron Judge back in the lineup for the first time since he suffered an oblique strain April 20.

The Yankees have had little trouble to put runs on the board even without Judge and have scored 49 runs during a six-game winning streak.

Here they'll get a look at Astros right-hander Brad Peacock (6-4, 3.67 ERA) who is 1-2 with a 5.51 ERA in his last three starts and has posted a  6.75 ERA in his previous matchups with the Bronx Bombers. The Yankees hand the ball to left-hander James Paxton (4-3, 3.93 ERA) who is 7-4 with a 3.33 ERA in 13 starts against the Astros. 

Yankees are 6-2 in Paxton's last 8 starts. Yankees are 6-1 in the last seven meetings at Yankee Stadium.

8* play on New York Yankees. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (MLB): TOP RATED 10* RUNLINE RIPPER

The Minnesota Twins look like a road favorite well worth the money at Kansas City Thursday night. Royals right-hander Glenn Sparkman (1-3, 4.01 ERA) is 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA in five career games (one start) against Minnesota. He last faced the Twins at Target Field on Saturday when he gave up all five runs (four earned) through five innings of the 5-4 loss. Minnesota right-hander Jake Odorizzi (10-2, 2.24 ERA) was charged with all four Royals' runs in that contest. We can however note that in his last eight starts prior to that contest, Odorizzi had allowed a total of four runs with six of those outings of the scoreless variety.

Minnesota averages 6.64 runs per game on the road and should have no trouble covering the runline. 

10* play on Minnesota Twins -1.5. 

EARLY ROCKIES @ DIAMONDBACKS TOTAL

The Colorado Rockies have won seven in a row against the Arizona Diamondbacks, with four of the last five going over the total. The Rockies lead the majors with a .273 batting average and roughed up Arizona ace Zack Greinke for five runs on 11 hits last night. "These guys can hit," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said of the Rockies. "They hit mistakes. They are up there free-swinging. You put a ball in the zone and make a mistake, they are going to make you pay for it."

Considering today's starting pitchers' history with their respective opponent, I think this will turn into a high-scoring affair. 

Arizona left-hander Robbie Ray (5-4, 3.83 ERA) has been tagged with 10 runs (five earned) in 10 1/3 innings in two starts vs. Colorado this season. Over his career, Ray has a 5.57 ERA in 14 starts against the Rockies. Colorado right-hander Jeff Hoffman (1-3, 7.04 ERA) who owns a hideous 9.00 ERA in three starts and two appearances as a reliever against the D'Backs. 

We can also note that games with umpire John Tumpane behind home plate have seen an average of 10.91 runs per game. 

8* play on OVER. 

LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Arizona Diamondbacks should be well up for this contest as they seek revenge for losing the opener of this three-game series to their National League West rival by seven runs. 

Tonight the D'Backs will hand the ball to right-hander Zack Greinke (8-2, 2.65 ERA) who has tossed 13 1/3 scoreless innings of six-hit ball through his last two starts. Greinke has compiled a dominant 12-6 record behind a 3.71 ERA in 32 career games (31 starts) against the Rockies. 

Colorado right-hander Jon Gray (6-5, 4.38 ERA) on the other hand has posted a bloated 5.15 ERA in eight career starts against Arizona and he has allowed eight runs on 17 hits and six walks over 12 innings in his last three starts combined. 

Diamondbacks are 35-16 in Greinke's last 51 home starts. Diamondbacks are 6-0 in Greinke's last 6 starts vs. a team with a winning record.

8* play on Arizona Diamondbacks. 

SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

The Arizona Diamondbacks should be well up for this contest as they seek revenge for losing the opener of this three-game series to their National League West rival by seven runs. 

Tonight the D'Backs will hand the ball to right-hander Zack Greinke (8-2, 2.65 ERA) who has tossed 13 1/3 scoreless innings of six-hit ball through his last two starts. Greinke has compiled a dominant 12-6 record behind a 3.71 ERA in 32 career games (31 starts) against the Rockies. 

Colorado right-hander Jon Gray (6-5, 4.38 ERA) on the other hand has posted a bloated 5.15 ERA in eight career starts against Arizona and he has allowed eight runs on 17 hits and six walks over 12 innings in his last three starts combined. 

Diamondbacks are 35-16 in Greinke's last 51 home starts. Diamondbacks are 6-0 in Greinke's last 6 starts vs. a team with a winning record. 

Under is 15-6-2 in Gray's last 23 starts during game 2 of a series. Under is 18-7-1 in Greinke's last 26 starts during game 2 of a series. Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings. 

8* play on UNDER

SUPER EARLY TOP RATED 10* MLB TOTAL PLAY OF THE DAY

Eighteen of the last 26 meetings in the Bronx have gone under the total, and I expect another relatively low-scoring affair here early Wednesday afternoon. 

Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia (3-4, 4.42 ERA) has extensive experience of the Rays and boasts a 3.63 ERA in 50 career starts against them. Sabathia owns a solid 2.33 ERA at home on the season and under is 10-4-1 in his last 15 home starts.

The Rays turn to a left-hander of their own in Blake Snell (4-5, 3.70 ERA) who has allowed two runs or fewer five times over his last seven starts. Snell last pitched here at Yankee Stadium on May 18, when he limited NYY to one run over six innings of work and he owns a 3.97 ERA in 13 career starts against the Yankees. 

Under is 19-6-1 in Snell's last 26 road starts.

10* play on UNDER. 

TUESDAY NIGHT MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Arizona Diamondbacks own a losing record home at Chase Field on the season, but I like the price we get on the D'Backs here in the opener of a three-game series with NL West rival Colorado Rockies who are 1-6 in their last seven road games vs. a team with a losing home record.

Colorado right-hander Antonio Senzatela (5-5, 5.48 ERA) was smacked around by the Cubs last time out when he allowed eight runs (six earned) on eight hits and four walks over just four innings of a 10-1 loss.

Senzatela is 1-4 with a 5.60 ERA in nine career appearances (five starts) against Arizona who turns to Merrill Kelly (7-6, 3.73 ERA). The right-hander tossed 7 2/3 shutout innings of three-hit ball on Wednesday in a 2-0 victory at the Philadelphia Phillies. Kelly has allowed just two runs in his last three starts, covering 22 1/3 frames.

The D'Backs won the first two head-to-head matchups of the season followed by five straight Colorado triumphs. This will however be the first meeting at Arizona. We can also note that both teams had Monday off and that Arizona is a solid 8-0 in its last eight games following an off day.

8* play on Arizona Diamondbacks. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB PLAY OF THE DAY

The Texas Rangers are 25-12 home at Globe Life Park this season following a dominant 7-2 triumph over the Cleveland Indians Monday night. I like them to keep rolling here behind right-hander Adrian Sampson (5-3, 4.21 ERA) who is 4-1 with a 2.70 ERA in eight appearances (five starts) in front of the home town crowd in 2019.

The Indians hand the ball to rookie right-hander Zach Plesac (1-2, 2.92 ERA) who's coming off his worst start in the big leagues so far when he gave up four runs on five hits (three homers) over 5 1/3 innings of a 7-2 loss to Cincinnati Reds. Does the 24-year old have the composure to bounce back with a solid outing?

Indians are 5-11 in their last 16 games vs. a right-handed starter. Rangers are 14-6 in their last 20 games vs. a right-handed starter.

10* play on Texas Rangers. 

LATE NIGHT BREWERS @ PADRES TOTAL

The San Diego Padres and the Colorado Rockies combined for 92 runs through a four-game series at Coors Field Thursday-Sunday. Here they'll take on the Milwaukee Brewers at pitcher friendly Petco Park, but I still think we'll see plenty of runs scored. 

Brewers right-hander Jhoulys Chacin (3-7, 5.74 ERA) who has been smacked around for 11 runs on 13 hits and seven walks over just 7 2/3 innings in his last two starts. Chacin has struggled on the road all season, entering this contest with a hideous 7.39 ERA in seven road outings this season. Padres' left-hander Joey Lucchesi (5-4, 4.11 ERA) has pitched rather well of late, but note that over is 6-1 in Lucchesi's last seven home starts vs. a team with a winning record and that Milwaukee is averaging a healthy 5.08 runs per game on the season. 

Over is 7-0 in Padres last 7 vs. a team with a winning record. Over is 3-0-2 in Brewers last 5 road games.

8* play on OVER. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB PLAY OF THE DAY

The Houston Astros suffered a 12-0 beating by the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday. The Cincinnati Reds meanwhile are coming off an 11-3 triumph over Texas and  I think they'll keep rolling here in the opener of a three-game series. 

The Reds hand the ball to Luis Castillo (6-1, 2.20 ERA) for his first career start against Houston. Castillo is having an outstanding year, and he has been particularly sharp home at Great American Ball Park where he boasts a 1.87 ERA through seven starts. The Astros counter with Wade Miley (6-3, 3.14 ERA) who much like Castillo has been at his best at home. Miley owns a 4.50 ERA over seven road starts on the season while giving up 41 hits and nine walks against 22 Ks over 38 innings of work. 

Reds are 9-3 in Castillos last 12 home starts vs. a team with a winning record.

10* play on Cincinnati Reds. 

SUNDAY AFTERNOON MLB NO BRAINER

The Colorado Rockies are 8-2 in the last 10 meetings with the San Diego Padres and I expect their dominance over the National League West foe to continue Sunday afternoon. 

San Diego left-hander Nick Margevicius (2-6, 5.02 ERA) is 0-4 with a 6.33 ERA over his last six starts and has already been smacked around for 10 runs over nine innings of work this season. The Rockies are 6-1 in their last 7 home games vs. a left-handed starter.

Peter Lambert (2-0, 1.50 ERA) will toe the rubber for the home team for this third start of the season. He's been excellent in his first two outings (both against the Cubs), allowing just two runs on seven hits and three walks with 12 Ks through 12 frames. 

Padres are 1-6 in their last 7 overall. Padres are 2-8 in their last 10 road games vs. a team with a winning record. Rockies are 14-6 in their last 20 overall.

8* play on Colorado Rockies. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE *EARLY START*

The St. Louis Cardinals had won four of five before coming up just short in an 8-7 loss to the NY Mets on Saturday. I like them to bounce back with a win Sunday afternoon with Dakota Hudson on the mound. 

Hudson (5-3, 3.47 ERA) is 3-0 with a 2.39 ERA over his last six starts and limited the Marlins to one run over a season-high seven innings last time out. The Cardinals are 5-0 in Hudson's last five starts and he has one career start against the Mets, a contest the Cards won 6-4. 

The Mets counter with left-hander Jason Vargas (3-3, 3.68 ERA) has compiled a 2.20 ERA in his last eight starts, but note that he is 1-2 with a 4.99 ERA in six career appearances (five starts) against the Cardinals.

Mets are 3-8 in Vargas' last 11 starts with 4 days of rest.

10* play on St. Louis Cardinals. 

SUPER EARLY SUNDAY AFTERNOON  MLB TOTAL

The Cleveland Indians and the Detroit Tigers combined for six runs in Saturday's matchup, and I expect another low-scoring affair here in the finale of this three-game set. 

Spencer Turnbull (3-5, 2.78 ERA) will toe the slab for the Tigers. He's coming off six scoreless innings of four-hit ball at Kansas City and under is 9-3 in Turnbull's last 12 starts overall.

Cleveland hands the ball to Trevor Bauer (4-6, 3.71 ERA) who limited Cincinnati to one run through 7 2/3 innings of work of a 2-1 Indians' win last time out. Under is 46-11-7 in Bauer's last 64 road starts.

The Tigers' 3.51 runs scored per game average is among the worst numbers in baseball and the Indians are also in the lower half with their 4.23 rpg. 

8* play on UNDER. 

CARDS @ METS TOTAL

The St. Louis Cardinals had won four of five before coming up just short in an 8-7 loss to the NY Mets on Saturday. I like them to bounce back with a win Sunday afternoon with Dakota Hudson on the mound. 

Hudson (5-3, 3.47 ERA) is 3-0 with a 2.39 ERA ovr his last six starts and limited the Marlins to one run over a season-high seven innings last time out. The Cardinals are 5-0 in Hudson's last five starts and he has one career start against the Mets, a contest the Cards won 6-4. 

The Mets counter with left-hander Jason Vargas (3-3, 3.68 ERA) has compiled a 2.20 ERA in his last eight starts, but note that he is 1-2 with a 4.99 ERA in six career appearances (five starts) against the Cardinals.

Under is 4-1 in Hudson's last 5 starts overall. Under is 10-0-1 in Vargas' last 11 home starts. Under is 5-1-2 in Vargas' last 8 starts overall.

8* play on UNDER. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (MLB): TOP RATED 10* MAJOR WAGER

The Atlanta Braves scored three runs at the bottom of the ninth inning to claim a 9-8 triumph over the Philadelphia Phillies Friday night. They're a perfect 8-0 through their last eight games and look good to pick up another win here with left-hander Sean Newcomb on the mound. 

Newcomb (1-0, 2.59 ERA) struggled as a starter to start the season and was as a result demoted to the minors. He has however notched 21 strikeouts while posting a 1.42 ERA through 19 innings since returning as a reliever, and he should be eager make the most of this chance filling in for injured starter Kevin Gausman. 

The Phillies counter with right-hander Aaron Nola (6-1, 4.58 ERA) who has had some issues with his command of late, walking three or more batters in four straight starts. Nola gave up six runs on eight hits and three walks in 5 1/2 innings of an 8-2 loss at San Diego last time out on the road and has posted a 6.75 ERA in five road starts on the season. Nola has owned the Braves throughout his career boasting a 2.05 ERA in 13 career starts, but he's never faced the Braves as hot as they are right now. 

Phillies are 1-5 in their last 6 road games vs. a left-handed starter. 

10* play on Atlanta Braves. 

SATURDAY NIGHT MLB TOTAL

The St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets have combined for 23 runs through the first two games of this series. I still expect a low-scoring affair in Game 3 of the series on Saturday with Michael Wacha vs. Noah Syndergaard on the mound. 

Wacha (4-2, 5.63 ERA) is coming off back-to-back scoreless outings, covering a total of 8 1/3 innings of work. He's had plenty of success in previous meetings with the Mets, compiling a 2.53 ERA in seven matchups. Mets' right-hander Noah Syndergaard is coming off seven scoreless innings of one-hit ball against Colorado. He enters this contest at 1-3 with a 3.73 ERA in five career starts against the Cards. 

Under is 7-0 in Wacha's last 7 starts during game 3 of a series. Under is 9-3-2 in Syndergaard's last 14 starts during game 3 of a series. Under is 51-23-2 in Cardinals' last 76 during game 3 of a series. Under is 9-4 in Mets' last 13 during game 3 of a series.

8* play on UNDER. 

SATURDAY AFTERNOON MLB TOTAL *EARLY START*

I think runs will come at a premium for both teams when the San Francisco Giants host the Milwaukee Brewers at Oracle Park Saturday afternoon.

Milwaukee hands the ball to Jimmy Nelson (0-1, 12.00 ERA) who was roughed up in his lone start so far here in 2019. This looks like an easier spot for the 30-year-old right-hander, facing a San Francisco team that averages just over three runs at home this season. 

Left-hander Madison Bumgarner (3-6, 3.83 ERA) will toe the slab for the home team. The Giants' ace has allowed only six runs while covering 19 innings over his last three starts but is still 0-2 in those outings due to a lack of run support. The 29-year-old southpaw has gone 7-4 with a 2.63 ERA in 12 starts against the Brewers in his career

Under is 7-1-1 in Bumgarner's last 9 Saturday starts and 12-3-1 in Brewers last 16 road games vs. a left-handed starter.

8* play on UNDER. 

LATE NIGHT MLB BOOKIE BLASTER

The Milwaukee Brewers have played just two games this week and scored 14 runs while splitting a couple of games against Houston Tuesday/Wednesday. I expect the Brew Crew's bats to generate plenty of fireworks here in the opener of a three-game series against the San Francisco Giants. 

Milwaukee right-hander Zack Davies (7-0, 2.41 ERA) is 2-0 with a 2.37 ERA over his last three starts. We can also note that performing on the road has not been an issue for the Brewers’ ace this season; he's a perfect 3-0 with a sparkling 1.88 ERA in seven starts away from home. Davies owns a 1.64 ERA in two career starts vs. San Francisco. 

The Giants turn to Drew Pomeranz (1-6, 7.16 ERA) who is coming off five scoreless innings against the Dodgers, but he's still 0-2 with an abysmal 13.00 ERA over his last three starts. The 30-year-old southpaw has yet to record a W home at Oracle Park in 2019 and he is 0-1 with an 8.00 ERA in two career starts against the Brewers. 

The Brewers have averaged 6.33 runs per game over their last three contests while the Giants have averaged 3.33 rpg over that same span. 

8* play on Milwaukee Brewers. 

FRIDAY NIGHT MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Philadelphia Phillies have dropped eight of their last 13 games, and I think they're in for a tough one here at Atlanta Friday night. 

The Braves hand the ball to left-hander Max Fried (7-3, 3.75 ERA) who has held the Phillies to one run over 9 2/3 innings in six relief appearances. Fried worked six innings and allowed three runs while striking out seven against Miami last time out. The Phillies are 1-5 in their last 6 road games vs. a left-handed starter.

Nick Pivetta (4-1, 4.93 ERA) will toe the slab for the visitors. He has compiled a 1.80 ERA since returning to the minors after posting an 8.35 ERA in his first four starts of the season. Only one of the last three starts were on the road though, a contest the Phillies lost 8-0, and they're 0-5 in Pivetta's last five road starts. Pivetta took on the Braves on March 30 and was charged with four runs in 4 2/3 innings.

The Braves are a perfect 7-0 in their last seven games vs. a right-handed starter and 5-0 in the last five when hosting Philadelphia. 

8* play on Atlanta Braves. 

FRIDAY NIGHT RUNLINE RIPPER

The Cleveland Indians took a 7-2 home loss to Cincinnati on Wednesday, but I think they look good to bounce back here in the opener of a seven-day road trip. They'll face a Detroit Tigers team that has dropped six of its last eight and will hand the ball to Ryan Carpenter. 

Carpenter (1-3, 7.89 ERA) was charged with eight runs on 10 hits over 3 2/3 innings in a 12-2 loss to Minnesota last time out. Last season, the 28-year-old left-hander allowed five earned runs in five innings while losing his only career start against Cleveland. 

The Tribe hand the ball to Adam Plutko (2-1, 5.19 ERA) for his fourth start this season. Plutko held the Yankees to two runs on three hits in six innings in an 8-4 win on Sunday. Note that the Tigers are 5-21 in their last 26 games vs. a right-handed starter.

Indians are 4-0 in their last 4 games following a loss. Indians are 5-0 in their last 5 games following an off day.

8* play on Cleveland Indians. 

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

The Arizona Diamondbacks shut out the Washington Nationals in a 5-0 triumph Thursday night, and I expect another low-scoring affair here with two quality pitchers on the mound. 

Arizona lefty Robbie Ray (5-3, 3.54 ERA) held the Blue Jays to pair of runs over 6 2/3 innings last time out. "I felt really good tonight," Ray told reporters after that game. "I felt like my command was the best it has been this all year. I was padding the zone, keeping them off balance with my off-speed." Ray fanned 10 batters in that matchup to put his tally at 34 over his last four starts alone and 101 over 76 1/3 innings of work for the season. 

Washington counters with Max Scherzer (4-5, 2.83 ERA). The veteran right-hander has allowed just two runs with 39 Ks over his last four starts and he is 6-0 with a 2.89 ERA in six career starts against Arizona.

Under is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings.

10* play on UNDER. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (NBA): TOP RATED TOTAL *MAJOR WAGER ALERT*

The Golden State Warriors managed to avoid elimination with a 106-105 win at Toronto on Monday, a contest that just about stayed under the total despite a high-scoring first-half. The series now shifts back to Oakland for Game 6, and I think this one will go over as we're seeing the lowest total so far in the series. 

The game will be the Warriors' last at Oracle Arena before moving to the Chase Center in San Francisco next season. Klay Thompson thinks the fans will be an important 6th man tonight, particularly with Kevin Durant out again after a brief comeback last time out. "I expect our fans to be the loudest they have ever been, especially in the name of Kevin and bringing his type of spirit he would bring to the fight and the competitiveness," Warriors guard Klay Thompson said Wednesday. "I know our fans will do that because we deserve it, but more importantly, Kevin does for what he gave this team, this organization. There wouldn't be banners if it wasn't for his presence."

The Raptors outscored the Warriors 120-96 from three-point land in their three triumphs, while the Warriors owned a 99-57 advantage from behind the arc in their two victories. Considering what's at stake, expect both teams to be locked in and knock down plenty of three-pointers driving up the score. 

Over is 9-3 in Raptors last 12 vs. a team with a winning straight up record. Over is 9-4 in Warriors last 13 vs. a team with a winning straight up record. Over is 9-3 in the last 12 meetings at Oracle Arena. 

10* play on OVER. 

THURSDAY NIGHT RUNLINE RIPPER

The New York Yankees look like a solid road favorite at Chicago White Sox Thursday night. They're averaging a solid 6.00 runs per game on the road this season and here they'll get a look at struggling White Sox righty Ivan Nova (3-5, 6.28 ERA). Nova was charged with four runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings at Kansas City last time out and he is 0-3 with a 9.39 ERA in five home starts this season.

The Bronx Bombers hand the ball to left-hander J.A. Happ (6-3, 4.48 ERA) who held Toronto to one run on four hits in seven innings of a 6-2 win last Thursday to improve to 5-0 with a 3.82 ERA over his past six starts. The Yankees are 10-3 in Happ's 13 starts on the season. 

White Sox are 2-10 in their last 12 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600. Yankees are 21-6 in their last 27 vs. a team with a losing record.

8* play on New York Yankees. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (MLB): TOP RATED 10* MAJOR WAGER ALERT (TOTAL)

The Toronto Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles are among the lowest scoring teams in the league, and I think the total is set way too high for this contest. 

Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman (3-8, 3.31 ERA) was smacked around for six runs by the Diamondbacks last time out, but he had allowed just a total of six runs through his last five starts prior to that. Stroman did a good job containing Baltimore on April 2, holding them to two runs through 5 2/3 innings of work, but Toronto still lost the game 2-1. The Blue Jays have scored two runs or fewer in eight of Stroman’s starts this year ... 

The Orioles hand the ball to Gabriel Ynoa (0-2, 4.96 ERA) for his fourth start of the season. The 26-year-old right-hander has worked mostly out of the bullpen but has been solid when getting the nod. He held the Astros scoreless until serving up a pair of homers in the fifth last time out and allowed just three hits during his time on the mound. 

Under is 4-1 in Stroman's last 5 road starts. Under is 5-0 in Ynoa's last 5 starts overall. Under is 4-2-1 in Blue Jays last 7 road games. Under is 6-2 in Orioles last 8 home games.

10* play on UNDER. 

STANLEY CUP FINALS GAME 7 BOOKIE BLASTER

Game 7 of Stanley Cup Finals (or any kind of finals for that matter) are usually tight low-scoring affairs, and I think that will be the case here when the Blues and the Bruins clash for all the marbles Wednesday night. 

On top of the situational angle, we can note that the teams have gone a combined 1-for-17 on the power play over the last three games and we have two solid netminders in Jordan Binnington and Tukka Rask in the crease. 

8* play on UNDER. 

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON MLB TOTAL

The Boston Red Sox have dropped five of their last six following back-to-back losses to Texas Rangers, the most recent a 9-5 setback Tuesday night. I think we'll see far fewer runs for both sides here Wednesday afternoon. 

Texas hands the ball to Lance Lynn (7-4, 4.39 ERA). The 32-year-old right-hander has held opponents two runs or fewer in four of this last six starts and allowed only three runs in the other two. Lynn has compiled a solid 1.91 ERA in six career appearances against the Red Sox who counter with Rick Porcello (4-6, 4.86 ERA). He's been roughed up in his first couple of starts this month but is usually solid home at Fenway Park (3.93 ERA compared to a 6.37 ERA on the road). 

Under is 6-1 in Rangers last 7 after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game. Under is 9-4 in Rangers last 13 overall. Under is 4-0 in Lynn's last 4 starts overall. Under is 16-5 in Red Sox last 21 vs. a team with a winning record.

8* play on UNDER. 

SUPER EARLY ATHLETICS @ RAYS BOOKIE BLASTER

The Tampa Bay Rays have won six of their last eight overall and look like a solid home favorite here against Oakland early Wednesday afternoon. 

Rays' Yonny Chirinos (7-2, 2.87 ERA) is coming off eight shutout innings of two-hit ball in a 5-1 win at Boston on Friday. The 25-year-old right-hander has allowed just five runs over his last five starts and he's 3-1 behind a 2.01 ERA in four day starts this season. 

Oakland left-hander Brett Anderson (6-4, 3.98 ERA) gave up three runs and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings at Texas last time out. He has compiled a 4.20 ERA in seven road starts and owns a 5.11 ERA in five day starts on the season. The 31-year-old has gone 1-1 with a 4.00 ERA in four career starts against Tampa Bay. 

Rays are 4-1 in their last 5 home games vs. a left-handed starter. Athletics are 3-8 in their last 11 games vs. a right-handed starter.

8* play on Tampa Bay Rays. 

LATE NIGHT MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The San Francisco Giants host the San Diego Padres for the opener of a two-game set Tuesday night. The Giants have dropped four of their last five games and I think we're getting a fair price on the visitors in this matchup. 

Padres' right-hander Chris Paddack (4-4, 2.97 ERA) ranks second in the National League among rookies in ERA despite getting roughed up in his last two starts. Good spot for the 23-year-old to regroup here against a Giants team that averages just 2.90 rpg home at AT&T Park. 

Tyler Beede (0-2, 8.15 ERA) will toe the slab for the Giants. He was bombed for five runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings in a 10-1 loss to the Friars last April and surrendered six runs (five earned) on five hits and four walks in five innings of a 7-0 loss at NY Mets last time out. 

Padres are 14-4 in their last 18 games following an off day. Giants are 1-4 in their last 5 games following an off day.

8* play on San Diego Padres. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB PLAY OF THE DAY

The Minnesota Twins closed out a 10-game road trip with a 12-2 beatdown of the Tigers at Detroit on Sunday. I think they'll pick up another comfortable win here as they host the Seattle Mariners for the opener of a three-game set Monday night.

Minnesota hands the ball to left-hander Martin Perez (7-2, 3.72 ERA) who held the Seattle to one run on five hits through 6 2/3 innings of a 7-1 win on May 17. He owns an 8-5 record and 3.26 ERA in 22 career appearances and 20 starts against the Mariners who counter with right-hander Mike Leake (5-6, 4.30 ERA). The 31-year-old right-hander is coming in off a complete-game 14-1 victory over the Houston Astros which puts him on a letdown spot here.

Leake has posted a 4.32 ERA in four career starts against the Twins and their current roster owns a combined .368 AVG over 68 at-bats against him. 

The Twins are 9-1 SU and against the runline as a home favorite of -175 or more. The Mariners are 0-5 in Leake’s last 5 road starts.

10* play on Minnesota Twins RL. 

LATE NIGHT MLB BOOKIE BLASTER

The LA Dodgers look like a great "road" favorite here in the late game on Monday's MLB card. 

They've won six straight games with Hyun-Jin Ryu's (9-1, 1.35 ERA) on the mound and the southpaw has allowed just two earned runs during that stretch. Ryu is 2-0 behind a stellar 0.83 ERA in three career starts versus the Angels who turn to right-hander Griffin Canning (2-2, 3.52 ERA). The 23-year-old rookie was tagged with four runs in six innings of a 4-2 loss to the Oakland A's on Tuesday and I think he'll find it hard to slow down one of the most powerful lineups in the major leagues. 

Dodgers are 13-3 in their last 16 interleague games vs. a team with a losing record. Angels are 3-8 in their last 11 home games vs. a team with a winning road record and 2-9 in their last 11 home games vs. a left-handed starter.

8* play on Los Angeles Dodgers. 

GAME OF THE MONTH (NBA TOTAL)

The Golden State Warriors are in desperation mode with their backs against the wall after a Game 4 loss at home to put them in a 3-1 hole in the series. The Warriors simply can not afford to lose another game, and as they are finding it very hard to stop the Raptors offense they're gonna have to focus on outscoring their opponent to stay alive. 

The Raptors are playing with a lot of confidence and have been shooting the ball well throughout the series. The Warriors, and Stephen Curry in particular need to bounce back from a tough outing as they scored just 92 points and turned the ball over 19 times in the most recent loss. Curry himself was just 2-for-9 from behind the arc, extremely unlikely to happen again. 

Over is 6-1-1 in Warriors last 8 road games. Over is 9-3 in Warriors last 12 NBA Championship games. Over is 9-2 in Raptors last 11 vs. a team with a winning straight up record. Over is 6-0 in the last 6 meetings in Toronto.

10* play on OVER. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB PLAY OF THE DAY

The Arizona Diamondbacks travel to Philadelphia riding a four-game winning streak, but I think the value is on the Phillies as a home favorite in this matchup. 

Jerad Eickhoff (3-3, 4.14 ERA) will toe the slab for Philadelphia. The Phillies have won six of his last eight starts overall and he held San Diego to three runs on four hits over six innings while striking out five without a walk last time out. "He pitched a great game," Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said. "He was very aggressive with his pitches."

Eickhoff owns a solid 3.24 ERA in three career starts against the D'Backs who turn to rookie right-hander Taylor Clarke (1-2, 4.43 ERA) for just his fifth major league start. This figures to be a tough game for the 26-year-old as he'll face a Philadelphia team that averages a healthy 5.18 runs per game home at Citizens Bank Park. 

We can also note that the Diamondbacks have dropped six of their last eight as road dogs while the Phillies have won seven of their last eight as home favorites. 

10* play on Philadelphia Phillies. 

GAME OF THE MONTH (NHL): MIKE'S STANLEY CUP FINALS GAME 6 BEST BET

The Boston Bruins looked like they were in control of the Stanley Cup Finals but are now facing elimination following 4-2 and 2-1 Blues wins in the past two games. I like the Blues to close out the series here in front of the home town crowd Sunday night. 

Boston has had the better special teams in the series, but their otherwise so potent power play is 0-for-5 in the past two games and the Blues have been dominant in 5-on-5 play. We can also note that the Bruins first line has gone stone cold producing only two assists in the past two losses.  

The home team is 6-2 in the last 8 meetings and I expect the Blues to be able to hoist the cup at the end of this game. 

10* play on St. Louis Blues. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (MLB): MIKE'S TOP RATED TOTAL

The LA Dodgers won Saturday's matchup 7-2, but I think we'll see the teams combine for far fewer runs here on Sunday with two very capable pitchers on the mound. 

Dodgers' right-hander Walker Buehler (6-1, 3.69 ERA) held Arizona to one run on two hits with 11 Ks over eight innings of work last time out. He has allowed just a total of eight runs over his last five starts.

Giants' left-hander Madison Bumgarner (3-5, 4.05 ERA) has allowed seven runs over his last three starts but he has dominated the Dodgers in two meetings this season, limiting them to one earned run on nine hits over 12 innings of work. 

Under is 7-1-1 in Dodgers last 9 overall. Under is 6-2-1 in Buehler's last 9 starts during game 3 of a series. Under is 6-2 in Giants last 8 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600. Under is 12-3-2 in Bumgarner's last 17 starts with 4 days of rest. Under is 11-5-1 in the last 17 meetings. 

10* play on UNDER. 

3-PACK

Jake Odorizzi (8-2, 1.96 ERA) will take the ball for the Twins. The 29-year-old right-hander has been lights out lately with zero runs allowed in six of his last seven starts. Over his last nine starts, Odorizzi has compiled a stunning 1.02 ERA and he tossed five scoreless frames against Detroit on May 10. The Tigers counter with southpaw Ryan Carpenter (1-2, 6.23 ERA) has allowed two or fewer earned runs in each of his last three outings. 

Under is 5-2 in Twins last 7 Sunday games. Under is 5-1 in Odorizzi's last 6 starts vs. a team with a losing record. Under is 5-1 in Tigers last 6 Sunday games. Under is 7-2-1 in the last 10 meetings in Detroit.

8* play on UNDER. 

3-PACK

Phillies' right-hander Aaron Nola (6-1, 4.63 ERA) was tagged with six runs in five innings at San Diego last time out. Nola was however coming off a solid month of May during which he went a 4-0 with a 2.73 ERA in six May starts. The 26-year-old right-hander is 2-1 with a 2.57 ERA in four starts against the Reds over the last three seasons. 

Reds' right-hander Sonny Gray (2-5, 3.54 ERA) has allowed just three runs on 15 hits covering 17 innings of work through his last three starts. The current Phillies’ roster is batting a combined .143 in 23 at bats off of Gray. 

Philadelphia won Saturday's matchup 4-1 and under is 20-6 in Reds last 26 when their opponent allows 2 runs or less in their previous game. Under is 4-1 in Gray's last 5 road starts. Under is 10-2 in Phillies last 12 Sunday games. Under is 13-5-2 in Nolas last 20 home starts vs. a team with a losing record. Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings.

8* play on UNDER. 

SATURDAY 3-GAME HIGH ROLLER REPORT (ALL MLB TOTALS)

The Milwaukee Brewers handed the Pittsburgh Pirates a 10-4 beating Friday night. They had however managed just eight runs through a three-game series against the Marlins prior to this set, and I think runs will be harder for both teams to come by here Saturday afternoon.

Pittsburgh righty Jordan Lyles (5-3, 3.38 ERA) owns a 2.67 ERA in five starts away from home on the season.  Milwaukee right-hander Zach Davies (6-0, 2.20 ERA) has been just about equally good no matter where he pitches and held the Buccos to a pair of runs over eight innings earlier this season. 

Under is 5-1 in Brewers last 6 home games vs. a team with a winning road record. Under is 17-4 in Davies' last 21 starts vs. National League Central. Under is 5-0 in Davies' last 5 starts vs. Pirates.

8* play on UNDER. 

EARLY SATURDAY MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The New York Yankees have dropped four of their last five following a 5-2 loss in the opener of this three-game series against the Cleveland Indians. This looks like a good price on the Bronx Bombers to get back in business with left-hander CC Sabathia on the mound. 

Sabathia (3-2, 3.61 ERA) is 4-3 with a 3.57 ERA in 13 career starts against the Tribe. The 38-year-old southpaw racked up eight strikeouts while surrendering three runs on seven hits over his six innings of work against the Red Sox last time out. Cleveland right-hander Adam Plutko (1-1, 6.35 ERA) has made just two starts this season and was tagged with seven runs in 5 1/3 innings of a 7-2 defeat to Tampa Bay last time out. This will be Plutko’s first appearance against the Yankees.

Yankees are 7-1 in their last 8 road games vs. a right-handed starter and I expect them to rake against Plutko. 

8* play on NY Yankees. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB BIG HITTER

The Philadelphia Phillies are a solid 21-11 home at Citizens Bank Park this season and they're 7-1 in their last 8 vs. a team with a losing record.

Philly right-hander Nick Pivetta (3-1, 6.14 ERA) had a poor start to the season and was sent down to the minors for a period, but he has allowed just three runs on six hits over 11 innings since being recalled to the big leagues. He fanned nine through six scoreless innings of three-hit ball at LA Dodgers last time out. "It's nice to get back to the pitcher that I am," Pivetta told reporters. "I think there's still room for improvement. There's always more. Yes, I had a good outing, but it's the consistency of the baseball game that I need to prove to everybody. To my teammates, this coaching staff, to the fans. And that's what it's going to take to move forward."

Reds right-hander Tanner Roark (4-4, 3.47 ERA) is 3-6 with a 5.30 ERA in his career at Citizens Bank Park and he gave up six hits and four runs in six innings in a 5-2 loss to the Washington Nationals last time out. Roark will have to be careful with hot-hitting Jay Bruce has four homers in as many games since joining the Phillies from Seattle. 

10* play on Philadelphia Phillies. 

SATURDAY 3-GAME HIGH ROLLER REPORT (ALL MLB TOTALS)

The Arizona Diamondbacks won the opener of this three-game set 8-2. I expect Saturday's contest to be a lower scoring affair with a solid pitching matchup on the mound. 

Arizona right-hander Zack Greinke (6-2, 3.09 ERA) has posted a 2.70 ERA in seven day starts this season and he'll face a Blue Jays team that has the worst batting average in the major leagues (.220). Aaron Sanchez (3-6, 3.95 ERA) will toe the slab for Toronto. Sanchez has posted a 3.41 ERA in six day starts on the season and tossed seven innings of one-run ball in his lone career start against Arizona, back in 2016.

Under is 5-1-1 in Diamondbacks last 7 games vs. a right-handed starter. Under is 4-1 in Greinkes last 5 road starts. Under is 4-1 in Blue Jays last 5 overall. Under is 6-1 in Sanchezs last 7 home starts vs. a team with a losing record.

8* play on UNDER. 

SATURDAY 3-GAME HIGH ROLLER REPORT (ALL MLB TOTALS)

The Kansas City Royals claimed the opener of this series 6-4 Friday night. I don't expect to see nearly as much action over home plate when the series continues Saturday. 

White Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito (8-1, 2.54 ERA) has been on fire for most of the season. He fanned nine over 7 1/3 scoreless innings of a 2-0 win over Cleveland last time out and has 28 Ks through his last three starts. Giolito has limited six of his last eight opponents to one run or fewer. KC right-hander Brad Keller (3-7, 4.50 ERA) gave up three runs in seven innings of a 5-1 loss at Texas last time out. I expect a solid outing from the 23-year-old here as he's posted a 2.89 ERA in six day starts on the season compared to a 5.98 ERA under the lights. 

Under is 20-8 in White Sox last 28 overall. Under is 6-0 in Giolitos last 6 starts overall. Under is 5-2 in Royals last 7 overall. Under is 5-1 in Kellers last 6 starts overall.

8* play on UNDER. 

GAME OF THE YEAR (NBA): MIKE'S BEST NBA PLAYOFFS TOTAL

The Toronto Raptors and the Golden State Warriors combined for 232 points in Game 3 of this series and over is now 9-2 in Warriors last 11 NBA Championship games.

I think we'll see another high-scoring affair here Friday night.

Sure, Warriors are expected to get Klay Thompson back which no doubt will help them defensively, but we should also keep in mind that Thompson was the Warriors' leading scorer in their Game 2 win with 25 points on 10-for-17 shooting. 

The Warriors are in desperate need of a win here to avoid heading to Toronto down 3-1 in the series, and they'll need to heat up offensively to keep pace with a Raptors team that has shot better than 50 percent from the field in its two wins in the series and shot 44.7 percent from beyond the arc last time out.

"We haven't really had a good team shooting night, and I knew eventually at some point we were due for one," Toronto guard Danny Green said after Game 3. "We still have to do a better job defensively on that end of the floor to limit those guys better so we don't have to rely on our offense or our shooting to win games for us."

Over is 9-2 in the last 11 meetings at Oracle Arena. Over is 13-3 in Raptors last 16 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.

10* play on OVER. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (MLB): MIKE'S TOP RATED RUNLINE RIPPER

The Atlanta Braves have won five of six encounters with the National League-worst Miami Marlins this season. They covered the runline in four of those triumphs and look good to pick up another comfortable victory Friday night.  

Braves rookie right-hander Mike Soroka (6-1, 1.41 ERA) went 3-0 with a 0.79 ERA in May and is 1-0 with a 0.77 ERA in two starts against Miami. Marlins right-hander Jose Urena (4-6, 4.14 ERA) is 2-7 with a 6.07 ERA in 15 career appearances, including 12 starts, against the Braves. 

Braves are 13-3 in their last 16 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of less than .400. Braves are 6-2 in Sorokas last 8 road starts. Marlins are 1-4 in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning record. Marlins are 1-5 in Urenas last 6 home starts.

10* play on Atlanta Braves RL. 

MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Cleveland Indians look like a solid home dog here in the opener of a three-game series against the NY Yankees. 

Yankees righty Domingo German (9-1, 3.66 ERA) has been knocked around for 10 runs on 16 hits through his last two starts. German owns an 0-1 mark with a 5.40 ERA in two career starts versus Cleveland who turns to righty Zach Plesac. 

Plesac (0-1, 1.46 ERA) has just two starts under his belt, but both were solid outings. First, he limited Boston to one run over 5 1/3 innings followed by seven innings of one-run ball at Chicago White Sox. We can also note that the rookie will be backed up by the best bullpen in baseball (3.23 ERA). 

8* play on Cleveland Indians. 

SUPER EARLY CARDINALS @ CUBS DAYTIME DESTROYER

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Miles Mikolas (4-5, 4.41 ERA) limited the Chicago Cubs to one run over seven innings last week. He is 3-0 with a 1.31 ERA in seven career games against them and the Cardinals are 16-5 in Mikolas' last 21 road starts.

Cubs left-hander Cole Hamels (4-2, 3.62 ERA) owns a solid 2.48 ERA in 15 career starts against St. Louis, but I don't think the Cubs should be this big of a favorite in this matchup. 

The teams have split the first two three-game sets of the season with the home team winning sweeping each series. I think the Cards will snap that streak today. 

8* play on St. Louis Cardinals. 

SUPER EARLY MLB DAYTIME DESTROYER

I like the Atlanta Braves to come through with a win here in the finale of this three-game set Thursday afternoon. 

The Pirates hand the ball to Chris Archer (2-5, 5.66 ERA) who has allowed three runs or more in each of his last six starts. He was tagged with four runs on five hits (two homers) in seven innings of a 9-4 win over Milwaukee last time out but the Pirates had lost each of his last seven starts prior to that. 

Atlanta hands the ball to Mike Foltynewicz (1-4, 6.10 ERA) who was knocked around by the Tigers his last start, but had allowed just two earned runs over 12 innings in his last two starts prior to that outing. 

The Pirates are scoring an average of 4.24 runs on the year, placing them 23rd in the major leagues while Braves average 5.05 rpg, ranking them 10th.

Pirates are 6-20 in their last 26 home games vs. a team with a winning record. Braves are 13-3 in their last 16 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of less than .400.

8* play on Atlanta Braves. 

TOP RATED 10* NBA FINALS GAME 3 BOOKIE BREAKER

The Toronto Raptors got a lot of production from their role players as they opened the series with a 118-109 triumph. Forward Pascal Siakam shot 14-for-17 en route to a team-high 32 points in that contest but managed just 12 points on 5-for-18 as Golden State showed what's what in Game 2 of the series when it stole homecourt advantage with a 109-104 triumph.  

The Warriors trailed at half time, but managed to come back and pulled away in the second period, despite losing Klay Thompson and Kevin Looney on top of already missing Kevin Durant. Looney has been ruled out for the rest of the series while Thompson might be a go tonight. "... it will be a game-time decision. But I really want to be out there." Thompson told the media on Tuesday. 

The Warriors might be banged up, but they're still the two-time defending champions and have plenty of star power with Steph Curry, Draymond Green and DeMarcus Cousins. Count on Warriors to get the job done in a high-scoring affair. 

10* play on Golden State Warriors. 

MIDWEEK MADNESS 3-PACK

The Toronto Raptors got a lot of production from their role players as they opened the series with a 118-109 triumph. Forward Pascal Siakam shot 14-for-17 en route to a team-high 32 points in that contest but managed just 12 points on 5-for-18 as Golden State showed what's what in Game 2 of the series when it stole homecourt advantage with a 109-104 triumph.  

The Warriors trailed at half time, but managed to come back and pulled away in the second period, despite losing Klay Thompson and Kevin Looney on top of already missing Kevin Durant. Looney has been ruled out for the rest of the series while Thompson might be a go tonight. "... it will be a game-time decision. But I really want to be out there." Thompson told the media on Tuesday. 

The Warriors might be banged up, but they're still the two-time defending champions and have plenty of star power and experience with Steph Curry, Draymond Green and DeMarcus Cousins. Count on Warriors to get the job done in a high-scoring affair. 

Over is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings. Over is 8-1 in Raptors last 9 vs. a team with a winning straight up record. Over is 8-2 in Warriors last 10 NBA Championship games.

8* play on OVER. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB RUNLINE RIPPER

The Toronto Blue Jays had won just one of their last 11 games prior to Tuesday's 4-3 win over the NY Yankees in the opener of this three-game series. I expect the Bronx Bombers to be fired up here after dropping back-to-back games for the first time in over a month, and runs surely won't come easy for Toronto with left-hander James Paxton on the mound for the visitors. 

Paxton (3-2, 2.81 ERA) tossed four hitless and scoreless innings against San Diego last time out. The Yankees have won each of his last five starts and covered the runline in four of those games. Paxton held the Jays to three runs on eight hits over 16 innings of work while with Seattle last year. 

Toronto hands the ball to right-hander Trent Thornton (1-4, 4.53) who will be making his 13th start. Thornton is 0-3 behind a 6.23 ERA in six starts home at Rogers Centre and was tagged with three runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings against the Tampa Bay Rays last time out.

The Yankees are 7-1 SU and 6-2 against the runline as a road favorite of -155 or more this season.

10* play on NY Yankees -1.5. 

MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Texas Rangers have won five of their last six and 13 of their last 18 to make it 30-27 for the season good for 2nd place in the American League West. Here they'll host a Baltimore Orioles side is an MLB-worst 18-41 on the season. I think we're getting a great price on the home team. 

Dylan Bundy (2-6, 4.58 ERA) will toe the slab for the Orioles. They're 2-9 in Bundy's last 11 road starts and  5-21 in his last 26 starts overall. He owns a sparkling 0.78 ERA in five career outings (three starts) against Texas, but the current Rangers roster is batting a combined .255 over 51 at-bats against him. 

The Rangers counter with Drew Smyly (1-3, 6.98 ERA). The left-hander is having a rough season, but he is well familiar with Baltimore since his time with Tampa Bay. Smyly is 4-1 with a 3.72 ERA in 10 games (seven starts) against the Orioles. Only three players on the current Baltimore roster have any experience of Smyly; Chris Davis, Mark Trumbo and Jonathan Villar. They're a combined 6-for-33 with 18 strikeouts.

8* play on Texas Rangers. 

TWINS @ INDIANS BOOKIE BLASTER

The Minnesota Twins are 13-3 in their last 16 road games, and here they'll visit a Cleveland Indians team that has dropped six of its last seven home at Progressive Field. 

Cleveland right-hander Shane Bieber (4-2, 3.67 ERA) was tagged with six runs on eight hits (three homers) over five innings against the Red Sox last time out. Minnesota left-hander Devin Smeltzer (0-0, 0.00 ERA) fanned seven through six shutout innings of three-hit ball against Milwaukee in his major leagues debut last Tuesday. 

I think this is a terrific price on a Twins team that owns the best record in baseball this season at 40-18.

8* play on Minnesota Twins. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB HEAVY HITTER

The New York Yankees have won 15 of 19 games since May 11, and I don't think they'll have any trouble to take care of business here in the opener of a three-game series against the struggling Toronto Blue Jays.

Toronto has lost 10 of its last 11 games and it is 0-2 in left-hander Clayton Richard's (0-1, 3.38 ERA) two starts on the season. Richards has struggled with his command issuing six walks through his eight innings on the mound. 

The Yankees will counter with right-hander Masahiro Tanaka (3-4, 3.20 ERA) who had allowed just two runs through his last three starts before getting charged with five (four earned) in a 5-4 loss to San Diego last time out. Tanaka rarely has two poor games in a row though, and we can note that he's 11-4 with a 2.69 ERA in 17 career starts against the Blue Jays.

The Yankees are 7-0 SU and 6-1 against the runline as a road favorite of -155 or more this season.

10* play on New York Yankees. 

10*

TOP RATED 10* BRUINS @ BLUES STANLEY CUP FINALS GAME 4

The St. Louis Blues managed to steal home ice advantage with a win at Boston in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals, but the Bruins regained it just as quick with a dominant 7-2 victory on Saturday.

Blues netminder and Calder Trophy finalist Jordan Binnington had a rough game giving up five goals on 19 shots, and one must wonder if the 25-year-old rookie can handle the pressure and regroup. 

The Bruins have a golden opportunity to set themselves up to close out the series in five games, and I think they'll do just that. This is simply too good of a price on a team that has won five straight on the road while allowing a total of just five goals with two shutouts. 

10* play on Boston Bruins. 

TOP RATED 10* WARRIORS @ RAPTORS GAME 2 SIDE

The Toronto Raptors claimed the opener of this series 118-109.

The Warriors did a decent job containing Kawhi Leonard (23 points on 5-of-14 shooting), but instead, role players like Pascal Siakam (32 points) stepped up big time for the Raptors. I don't see that happen two games in a row though with Warriors Draymond Green on a mission. 

"I have to be more aggressive on the defensive side of the ball," Green said Friday. "I think aggressiveness starts with me and everybody else will follow that. If I'm on my heels, everyone else is on their heels. I think that was kind of the story of (Game 1). I started the game not as aggressive as I could be on that side of the ball and it showed in our team defense."

The Warriors are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games playing on 2 days rest and 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games following a straight up loss. The Raptors are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games playing on 2 days rest. The underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 head-to-head meetings. 

10* play on Golden State Warriors. 

SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

The Toronto Raptors claimed the opener of this series 118-109.

The Warriors did a decent job containing Kawhi Leonard (23 points on 5-of-14 shooting), but instead, role players like Pascal Siakam (32 points) stepped up big time for the Raptors. I don't see that happen two games in a row though with Warriors Draymond Green on a mission. 

"I have to be more aggressive on the defensive side of the ball," Green said Friday. "I think aggressiveness starts with me and everybody else will follow that. If I'm on my heels, everyone else is on their heels. I think that was kind of the story of (Game 1). I started the game not as aggressive as I could be on that side of the ball and it showed in our team defense."

The Warriors are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games playing on 2 days rest and 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games following a straight up loss. The Raptors are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games playing on 2 days rest. The underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 head-to-head meetings. 

Over is 7-1 in Raptors last 8 vs. a team with a winning straight up record and 5-1-1 in Warriors last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. I expect the Warriors to beat Toronto in a fast-paced shootout. 

8* play on OVER. 

METS @ DIAMONDBACKS BANKROLL BUILDER

The New York Mets and the Arizona Diamondbacks enter the finale of this three-game set tied at 1-1. 

I like the visitors to get the better of their opponent today with Steven Matz (4-3, 3.55 ERA) on the mound. Matz is coming off back-to-back quality starts and he has not given up more than three runs in any of his past six starts. Matz 1-0 with a 3.78 ERA in three career starts against the Diamondbacks who counter with Merrill Kelly (4-6, 4.83 ERA). Kelly has lost four of his past five starts while surrendering 18 runs over 24 2/3 innings of work. 

Mets are 9-3 in Matzs last 12 starts. Diamondbacks are 2-7 in their last 9 games vs. a left-handed starter and 2-12 in their last 14 Sunday games. 

8* play on New York Mets. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB BIG HITTER

The Texas Rangers have won six of their last seven and nine of their last 11 games home at Globe Life Park. I like the price we get on the home team to pick up another win here in the finale of a four-game series with the Kansas City Royals. 

The Royals hand the ball to Brad Keller (3-6, 4.56 ERA) who was tagged with four runs on 10 hits in six innings at Chicago White Sox last time out. The Royals have lost six of his last seven starts overall and Keller is 1-4 with a 4.79 ERA in seven road starts on the season. 

The Rangers counter with Adrian Sampson (3-3, 4.53 ERA). He has picked up the W in each of his last three outings while posting a 2.87 ERA over 15 2/3 innings of work. Sampson has been at his best at home this season, entering this contest with a 3.52 ERA ovr six outings (three starts). 

The Rangers have won 21 of the last 26 meetings, dating back to July 2016. 

10* play on Texas Rangers. 

INDIANS @ WHITE SOX DAYTIME DESTROYER

The Chicago White Sox had their five-game winning streak snapped 5-2 by Cleveland on Saturday, but I like them to bounce back here against an inexperienced rookie right-hander. 

Indians' Zach Plesac (0-0, 1.69 ERA) will make just his second start in the majors. He held the Red Sox to one run on four hits through 5 1/3 innings in his debut on May 28, but here he'll face a hot White Sox team that has scored a total of 18 runs through the first three games of this series. 

Lucas Giolito (7-1, 2.85 ERA) will toe the slab for the White Sox. He matched a career high with 10 strikeouts as he held the Royals to three runs over eight innings last time out. The White Sox have won each of his last six starts, and he blanked Cleveland over 7 1/3 frames of a 2-0 triumph on May 7. 

Indians are 2-6 in their last 8 games vs. a right-handed starter. White Sox are 5-1 in their last 6 games vs. a right-handed starter.

8* play on Chicago White Sox. 

MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Toronto Blue Jays have won just four of Marcus Stroman's 12 starts this season. Stroman (3-6, 2.74 ERA) is 1-2 with a 3.47 ERA in four starts on the road and the Blue Jays are 7-16 in their last 23 road games vs. a team with a winning record.

The Rockies have won six of right-hander Jon Gray's (4-4, 4.52 ERA) last eight starts and he limited Arizona to a pair of runs over five innings last time out.

The Rockies have won seven of the last nine meetings at Coors Field and seven of their last eight overall in front of the home town crowd. 

8* play on Colorado Rockies. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB BIG HITTER

The Cincinnati Reds opened this series with a 9-3 triumph and look good to put another beating on the Washington Nationals on Saturday. 

Nats right-hander Erick Fedde (1-0, 2.18 ERA) has made just two starts this season. He blanked Miami over five innings of work last time out, but the Reds have way better bats than the Fish and have scored at least eight runs in four of their last six games. We can also note that Fedde is unlikely to pitch more than 5-6 innings only for the worst bullpen in baseball to take over. The Nationals are 1-4 in Fedde's last five starts.

The Reds hand the ball to Tanner Roark (4-3, 3.20 ERA) who fanned nine over five scoreless innings of a 10-2 win against the Cubs last time out. He has allowed three runs or fewer in 10 of his 11 starts on the season. 

10* play on Cincinnati Reds. 

GAME OF THE MONTH (SOCCER)

Tottenham will be out for revenge here following a pair of one-goal defeats to Liverpool in the Premier League this season. 

The Reds tried to hunt down Manchester City at the top of the table down the stretch while Tottenham have been able to rest key players in order to stay healthy for quite some time. 

Liverpool lost to Real Madrid in last year's final and have not won anything since manager Jurgen Klopp's arrival in 2015. They seem to have trouble to step up in the big games, and I expect Tottenham to keep this close.   

10* play on Tottenham +0.5. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB BIG HITTER

The St. Louis Cardinals were on the wrong side of a three-game sweep at Chicago during the first week of May, and I think they'll be fired up here in the opener of a three-game set against their NL Central rival. 

The Cards hand the ball to right-hander Miles Mikolas (4-5, 4.76 ERA). He fanned nine while allowing three runs through seven innings against Atlanta last time out. Mikolas has compiled a 3.15 ERA in six home starts on the season and the Cards are 10-4 in his last 14 home starts. In six career games (four starts) against the Cubs, Mikolas is 3-0 with a 1.32 ERA.

Chicago turns to right-hander Yu Darvish (2-3, 5.40 ERA) who was charged with six runs on 12 hits against Cincinnati last time out. He gave up five runs in four innings against St. Louis on May 4. 

The Cubs are 31-23 on the season, but note that the Cardinals are a solid 10-2 in Mikolas' last 12 starts vs. a team with a winning record.

10* play on St. Louis Cardinals. 

MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Atlanta Braves have won 12 of their last 18 contest and look like a solid home favorite here in the opener of a three-game series with the Detroit Tigers. 

Mike Foltynewicz (1-3, 5.67 ERA) will toe the slab for the home team. The 26-year-old right-hander posted an 8.02 ERA over his first four starts on the season, but in his last two, he has held the Brewers and the Cardinals to a combined two earned runs on eight hits with 10 Ks through 12 innings of work. "It looked like the old Folty," Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said after the St. Louis game last Friday. "I told him, 'You're getting back to where you were.' That's good to see."

The Tigers hand the ball to Spencer Turnbull (2-4, 2.97 ERA) who has had a solid year, but in his last two starts, he's been tagged with a total of seven runs on 14 hits through 12 innings. Detroit has lost his last three starts and is just 3-12 in its last 15 overall.

8* play on Atlanta Braves. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (NBA): WARRIORS @ RAPTORS BEST BET

I absolutely love the Golden State Warriors as an underdog here in the opener of the NBA Finals. Kevin Durant has been ruled out for this contest, but that doesn't bother me one bit as the rest of the Warriors have stepped up their game since his injury. 

They'll also be well rested after sweeping Portland in the Western Conference Finals while Toronto had to battle hard to get past Milwaukee in the East. 

The Raptors have played elite defense throughout the postseason, but let's face it: the East is not as good as the West and they have not seen the likes of the Warriors firepower. 

We can also note that it's a team with very little experience of big games like this while the Warriors have won three of the last four championships.

10* play on Golden State Warriors. 

THURSDAY NIGHT MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Texas Rangers are playing their best baseball of the season with wins in 10 of their last 14 contests while the Kansas City Royals have lost six of their last seven overall. 

Tonight Texas hands the ball to left-hander Mike Minor (5-3, 2.55 ERA) who held the Angels to one run on five hits in six innings of a no-decision last time out. He has permitted just four runs in his last three starts and is 2-1 behind a 3.52 ERA in four career starts against the Royals. 

Jakob Junis (3-5, 5.58 ERA) will toe the slab for the visitors. Junis is 0-3 in his last four trips to the mound and has allowed a total of 16 runs during that four-game stretch. 

The Royals are 1-5 in Junis' last 6 road starts. The Rangers are 7-1 in Minor's last 8 home starts vs. a team with a losing record.

8* play on Texas Rangers. 

TWINS @ RAYS BOOKIE BLASTER

The MLB-best Minnesota Twins are a solid 18-8 on the road this season and will have fresh minds and bodies after getting Wednesday off. They are 6-0 in their last six games following an off day and should have a significant rest advantage as the Tampa Bay Rays went 11 innings against Toronto yesterday. 

Minnesota southpaw Martin Perez (7-1, 2.95 ERA) has allowed just seven runs through his last six outings and the Twins have won six of his last seven starts. 

Tampa Bay right-hander Charlie Morton (5-0, 2.54 ERA) has allowed six runs (four earned) over 10 innings of work in his last two starts combined. We can note that while Morton owns a blistering 1.88 ERA in seven road starts this season, he has posted a more modest 3.68 ERA home at the Trop. 

The price is right to back Minnesota. 

8* play on Minnesota Twins. 

MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Colorado Rockies have opened this series with a pair of wins, but I like the Arizona Diamondbacks to get the W here with Robbie Ray (4-1, 3.26 ERA) on the mound. The left-hander is 2-1 with a 3.69 ERA in six career starts at Coors Field and 3-0 with a 2.10 ERA in five starts for the month. 

Colorado counters with Jeff Hoffman (0-1, 8.10 ERA) who was tagged with five runs and seven hits over five innings against Baltimore last time out. Hoffman is 0-2 with a bloated 10.38 ERA in four career outings (two starts) against Arizona.

Diamondbacks are 5-1 in Rays last six starts.

8* play on Arizona Diamondbacks. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB RUNLINE RIPPER

The Philadelphia Phillies have won nine of their last 12 games while the St. Louis Cardinals are just 7-17 in the month of May. 

Tonight the Phillies hand the ball to Aaron Nola (5-0, 4.53 ERA) who has posted a 2.59 ERA in five career starts versus the Cardinals. He's been red hot since a slow start to the season, compiling a 2.76 ERA over his last six starts with Philadelphia winning each of the last five. 

The Cardinals counter with Genesis Cabrera who will make his major league debut. The 22-year-old southpaw was 2-3 with a 6.35 ERA at Triple-A Memphis before getting called up to take Michael Wacha's spot in the rotation. 

The Phillies are 27-11 in their last 38 home games vs. a left-handed starter and 9-3 against the runline as a home favorite of -150 or more this season. The Cardinals are 6-14 in their last 20 games vs. a right-handed starter.

10* play on Philadelphia Phillies RL.  

GAME OF THE YEAR (NHL): MIKE'S BEST POSTSEASON SIDE

The Boston Bruins proved well worth the money in Game 1 of this series as they battled back from a two-goal deficit to earn a 4-2 victory

The loss must be mentally tough for the Blues who missed out on a golden opportunity to steal home-ice advantage, and I think they're unlikely to keep it close here as the red hot Bruins surely will be on their toes from the get-go tonight to avoid falling behind early again. 

The Bruins have won eight consecutive postseason games and the home team is 5-0 in the last five meetings between these two teams. 

This looks like a solid case for a blowout win for the home team. 

10* play on Boston Bruin PL. 

MLB 3-PACK

The Seattle Mariners snapped a six-game slide with a 6-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Monday. I think they'll make it two on the bounce here with Marco Gonzales (5-4, 3.41 ERA) on the mound. The 27 year old southpaw limited Texas to a pair of runs through seven frames last time out and is 4-2 with a 2.38 ERA in seven career starts vs. the Rangers.

Texas will open with right-hander Jesse Chavez (0-1, 4.55 ERA) followed by right-hander Adrian Sampson (2-3, 4.44 ERA). Sampson has good career numbers against the Mariners, but he has compiled a poor 6.19 ERA on the road this season.  

The Rangers are just 2-6 in the last eight meetings in Seattle following yesterday's loss, and I'm happy to back the home team in this matchup. 

8* play on Seattle Mariners. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB BIG HITTER

The Houston Astros beat the visiting Chicago Cubs on Monday in the opener of a three-game interleague series, and I think they'll get the better of the visitors again here on Tuesday. 

Tonight rookie right-hander Corbin Martin (1-1, 4.97 ERA) will take the ball for the home team. The Astros had won each of his first two starts in the big leagues prior to a 4-0 loss to the White Sox on May 23. 

Martin was charged with all four runs (three earned), but even so, he's still done better lately than Cubs' left-hander Jon Lester (3-3, 2.68 ERA) who has compiled a 9.72 ERA over his last two trips to the mound. Lester has made just two career starts against Houston (4.50 ERA) but the current Astros roster is batting a combined .270 over 63 at bats against the veteran. 

The Astros are 6-1 in their last seven interleague games vs. a left-handed starter and 8-2 in their last 10 interleague home games.

10* play on Houston Astros. 

Minnesota is the best team in baseball if we are to believe the standings. It should be eager to bounce back from a 5-4 loss to the Brew Crew on Monday to earn a split of this two-game interleague series. 

The Twins have won six of left-hander Martin Perez's (7-1, 2.95 ERA) last seven starts and Perez himself is 3-1 with a 2.51 ERA in five outings (four starts) home at Target Field. The Brewers counter with Zach Davies (5-0, 2.43 ERA) who's off to a blistering start this season, but he struggled last time out when he gave up six runs in just three innings against Cincinnati. 

The Twins are 13-3 in their last 16 after allowing five runs or more in their previous game and 19-7 in their last 26 games following a loss.

Edit: the Twins have made a pitching change as they give Devin Seltzer his big-league debut. The left-hander has posted a 1.15 ERA in nine starts between Double-Pensacola and Triple-A Rochester in the minors this season. I still like Minnesota to win this game. 

8* play on Minnesota Twins. 

LATE NIGHT MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Texas Rangers had won five on the bounce prior to dropping back-to-back games at LAA over the weekend. The winning streak included a three-game sweep of Seattle, and I think they'll open this series with another win over the Mariners Monday night. 

Texas right-hander Lancy Lynn (6-3, 4.67 ERA) is 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA in three career starts against the Mariners and has allowed two runs or fewer in six of his 10 starts this season. The Mariners counter with left-hander Tommy Milone (0-1, 3.60 ERA) who has made just one start this season. He is 3-5 with a 4.45 ERA in 11 career starts against Texas. 

The slumping Mariners have won just eight of their last 40 games since a red hot 13-2 start. The Rangers are 6-2 in their last 8 vs. a team with a losing record.

8* play on Texas Rangers. 

BLUES @ BRUINS STANLEY CUP FINALS GAME 1

The Boston Bruins are a rather sizable favorite here in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals, but I think they'll prove well worth the juice. 

The Bruins have had plenty of time to get ready for this contest (11 days) following a four-game sweep of Carolina while St. Louis battled six tough games against the Sharks. 

Too much time off for Boston? I don't think that is a thing this late in the season, and we can note that they held an intrasquad scrimmage on Thursday. "Once you go 10 days with no playing, I think it's good to get a little action in and get used to that pace," said Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask. "I think that's what we wanted to accomplish, and it looked good."  

As the clincher; the home team is 4-0 in the last four meetings between these two clubs.

8* play on Boston Bruins. 

GAME OF THE MONTH (MLB): MIKE'S TOP RATED RUNLINE FOR MAY

The slumping Cleveland Indians have dropped six of their last seven games and have scored more than three runs just once during that span. This looks like a very tough matchup with Boston Red Sox and right-hander Rick Porcello. 

Porcello (3-4, 4.45 ERA) held Toronto to one run over six innings in a no decision last time out. The Red Sox have won six of his last seven starts and Porcello is 10-5 with a 3.57 ERA in 24 career starts against the Indians who counter with Jefry Rodriguez. Rodriguez (1-4, 4.08 ERA) was tagged with five runs (four earned) in four innings against the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday and Cleveland has lost four of his six starts on the season. 

The Red Sox are a perfect 3-0 SU and against the runline in Porcello's last three starts as a -170 favorite or larger.

10* play on Boston Red Sox -1.5. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB BIG HITTER

The red hot Oakland Athletics are going for a ninth consecutive triumph when they host the Seattle Mariners for the finale of this three-game set Sunday afternoon. 

The A's have averaged 7.3 rpg during the winning streak and should have no trouble to pile up the runs here against right-hander Mike Leake (3-5, 4.73 ERA) who was tagged with seven runs on 11 hits (three home runs) in five innings at Texas last time out. Seattle has lost six of his last seven starts. 

Oakland hands the ball to left-hander Brett Anderson (5-3, 4.14 ERA) who limited Cleveland to one run in 5 1/3 frames of a 6-4 win last time out. Anderson is 4-1 behind a 3.00 ERA in six day starts on the season and 5-1 in his last six home starts.

The Mariners are 0-6 in their last six road games vs. a left-handed starter and 6-20 in their last 26 overall.

10* play on Oakland Athletics -1.5. 

SUPER EARLY MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Los Angeles Dodgers have outscored the Pittsburgh Pirates 17-4 over the first two games of this series. I expect another easy win for the Dodgers here to complete the three-game sweep. 

Pittsburgh right-hander Chris Archer (1-4, 5.55 ERA) has been tagged with a total of 15 runs while covering just 12 2/3 innings through his last three starts. The Pirates have lost six of his seven starts on the season, including a 6-2 loss to the Dodgers in LA on April 26 when Archer conceded six runs in his four frames on the mound. 

The Dodgers counter with Kenta Maeda (5-2, 3.51 ERA) who has blanked the opposition in three of his last four starts. He struck out 12 in 6 2/3 shutout innings of three-hit ball against San Diego last time out. 

Dodgers are 17-4 in the last 21 meetings with Pittsburgh and 25-10 in their last 35 overall.

8* play on Los Angeles Dodgers. 

SUPER EARLY SUNDAY AFTERNOON RIPPER

The Toronto Blue Jays have dropped 10 of their last 12 games at home and they've lost right-hander Marcus Stroman (2-6, 2.81 ERA) 11 starts on the season.

The Padres, on the other hand, have won seven of right-handed rookie Chris Paddack's (4-2, 1.93 ERA) nine starts, and he fanned even through six innings of a 2-1 win over Arizona last time out.

The Padres have won five in a row and claimed the opener of this series 6-3 on Friday followed by a 19-4 rout on Saturday.

Edit: Robbie Erlin will replace Paddack on the mound for the Padres, and I think he'll keep this low scoring Toronto team in check. 

8* play on San Diego Padres.

GAME OF THE WEEK (MLB): TOP RATED MLB RUNLINE RIPPER

The Los Angeles Dodgers put a 10-2 beating on the Pittsburgh Pirates here at PNC Park Friday night to make it eight straight wins in the head-tó-head series. 

This looks like it should be another comfortable win for the visitors with Hyun-Jin Ryu (6-1, 1.52 ERA) on the mound. The left-hander enters this contest riding a 31-inning scoreless streak and he is 5-0 with a 2.51 ERA in five career starts against the Pirates. 

Joe Musgrove (3-4, 3.67 ERA) will toe the slab for the home team. He was tagged with four runs (three earned) over 6 1/3 innings of a 6-4 win at San Diego last time out. Musgrove was reached for seven runs (five earned) in just 2 2/3 frames his last home start. 

The Pirates are 2-6 in their last 8 games vs. a left-handed starter. The Dodgers are 36-16 in their last 52 games vs. a right-handed starter.

10* play on Los Angeles Dodgers. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (NBA): MIKE'S BUCKS @ RAPTORS BEST BET

The Milwaukee Bucks were well on their way to the NBA Finals but are now in do-or-die mode instead following three straight losses to the Raptors. 

Despite recent results, I still think they're the superior team and will come through with a win here to take the series to a deciding Game 7 home at Fiserv Forum. 

"We're not going to fold," Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo said afterward the most recent setback. "Come on, man. Best team in the league, man. We're not going to fold. We're going to go in and give it everything we've got. We can't fold. We're going to come back to Milwaukee."

Bucks are 21-6 ATS in their last 27 games following a straight up loss and 20-8-1 ATS in their last 29 road games. The underdog is 9-3 ATS in the last 12 meetings. 

10* play on Milwaukee Bucks. 

FRIDAY NIGHT MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Texas Rangers enter Friday riding a season high-tying four-game winning streak, but I think it'll come to an end here with Drew Smyly on the mound. 

Smyly (0-3, 6.51 ERA) is 0-4 with a 5.59 ERA in seven appearances (five starts) against the Angels who turn to Griffin Canning (2-1, 3.80 ERA). The rookie right-hander fanned five through seven scoreless innings against Kansas City last time out and owns a solid 24/7 K/BB ratio through his first 21 1/3 innings in the big leagues. 

The Rangers are 1-8 in the last 9 meetings in Los Angeles and 6-22 in their last 28 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.

8* play on LA Angels. 

FRIDAY NIGHT MLB NO-BRAINER

The Cleveland Indians have surrendered 11 homers and 25 runs during a four-game losing streak, and I think they'll take another L here against the Rays Friday night. 

Cleveland right-hander Shane Bieber (3-2, 3.22 ERA) struck out 15 in a complete game shutout of Baltimore on Sunday. He had however been tagged with 17 earned runs over 28 2/3 inning in his last five starts prior to that. He boasts a very respectable 1.01 WHIP but, we can note that the Rays are 14-2 in their last 16 games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15.

The Rays hand the ball to reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell who has allowed just three earned runs over his last three starts, covering 17 2/3 frames. Snell is 2-1 behind a 1.69 ERA in four career starts against the Indians.

8* play on Tampa Bay Rays. 

SUPER EARLY ROCKIES @ PIRATES AFTERNOON ANNIHILATOR

I like the price we get on the Colorado Rockies to complete the sweep of this three-game series Thursday afternoon. 

Pirates' right-hander Jordan Lyles (4-1, 1.97) is off to a hot start to the campaign, but he's just 1-3 with a 4.86 ERA in 11 games (five starts) against Colorado. The Rockies know him well after spending several seasons on the team while this will be Colorado right-hander Antonio Senzatela's (3-3, 4.89 ERA) first start against Pittsburgh. 

The Pirates are 3-8 in their last 11 home games vs. a right-handed starter and they've lost five of the last six when hosting Colorado.

8* play on Colorado Rockies. 

SUPER EARLY NATS @ METS DAYTIME DESTROYER

The Washington Nationals are losers of four in a row including three straight to the Mets, but they look like a solid favorite here in the finale of this four-game set Thursday afternoon.  

Stephen Strasburg (4-3, 3.32 ERA) will toe the rubber for the visitors. He is 8-1 behind a 2.14 ERA in 11 starts at Citi Field and held the White Sox to a pair of runs through eight frames last time out. 

The Mets counter with left-hander Steven Matz (3-3, 3.96 ERA) who was tagged with two runs on five hits in 3 2/3 innings of a 2-0 loss at Miami last Saturday. He's fresh off a two week stint on the injured list and Matz is 1-5 with a 3.60 ERA in 11 starts against the Nationals.

Nationals are 16-2 in Strasburg's last 18 starts during game 4 of a series. Mets are 1-6 in Matz's last 7 starts during game 4 of a series.

8* play on Washington Nationals. 

WEDNESDAY MLB MIDNIGHT MASSACRE

The San Francisco Giants tied this four-game series at 1-1 by scoring three runs with two outs in the ninth inning on Tuesday. I like the Atlanta Braves to bounce back from that heartbreaker here on Wednesday with left-hander Max Fried on the mound. 

Fried (6-2, 2.86 ERA) is coming off six scoreless innings of two-hit ball against Milwaukee. He is 5-2 with a 2.64 ERA under the lights this season and the Giants are hitting just .220 as a team against southpaws this season. 

Jeff Samardzija (2-2, 3.69 ERA) will toe the slab for the home team. He has allowed a total of 10 runs on 15 hits and six walks through 14 1/3 innings in his last three starts combined and the Giants are just 7-16 in Samardzija's last 23 starts

Giants are 1-6 in their last seven games following a win and just 10-13 home at Oracle Park this season. The Braves are 7-1 in their last eight road games vs. a team with a losing home record.

8* play on Atlanta Braves. 

SUPER EARLY REDS @ BREWERS DAYTIME DESTROYER

The Milwaukee Brewers are coming off their first scoreless outing of the season as they took 3-0 loss to the Reds on Tuesday. They were 9-3 (+62.5% ROI) following a shut out defeat in 2018 and I think they'll roar back with a big performance today.  

Zach Davies (5-0, 1.54 ERA) will toe the slab for Milwaukee. He has allowed just two earned runs over 23 2/3 innings of work home at Miller Park this season and has posted a 1.40 ERA through four day starts. 

Reds right-hander Luis Castillo (5-1, 1.90 ERA) has also had a terrific start to the year, but his ERA in day games is higher than under the lights. We can also note that his lone loss on the season came against the Brewers back on April 3. 

Brewers are 6-2 in Davies' last eight Wednesday starts and 4-0 in his last four home starts vs. the Reds who are 3-13 in their last 16 Wednesday games. We can also note that the Reds are just 5-13 in day games this season. 

8* play on Milwaukee Brewers. 

SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

The Milwaukee Brewers are coming off their first scoreless outing of the season as they took 3-0 loss to the Reds on Tuesday. They were 9-3 (+62.5% ROI) following a shut out defeat in 2018 and I think they'll roar back with a big performance today.  

Zach Davies (5-0, 1.54 ERA) will toe the slab for Milwaukee. He has allowed just two earned runs over 23 2/3 innings of work home at Miller Park this season and has posted a 1.40 ERA through four day starts. 

Reds right-hander Luis Castillo (5-1, 1.90 ERA) has also had a terrific start to the year, but his ERA in day games is higher than under the lights. We can also note that his lone loss on the season came against the Brewers back on April 3. 

Brewers are 6-2 in Davies' last eight Wednesday starts and 4-0 in his last four home starts vs. the Reds who are 3-13 in their last 16 Wednesday games. We can also note that the Reds are just 5-13 in day games this season.

Under is 16-5 in Castillos last 21 starts overall and 39-14-1 in Reds last 54 road games. Under is 27-8-1 in Davies' last 36 starts overall and 8-3 in Brewers last 11 overall.

8* play on UNDER.

TOP RATED 10* BUCKS @ RAPTORS GAME 4 BOOKIE BREAKER

The Toronto Raptors were not able to put up much of a fight through the first two games of this series. Surely now they're back in business following a 118-112 double-overtime victory in Sunday's Game 3, right? Not so fast ...  

I'm confident the Milwaukee Bucks will bounce back with a win here to set themselves up to close out the series home at Fiserv Forum next time out. "We don't like losing. We know we are two games away from the NBA Finals," Giannis Antetokounmpo told reporters following the loss. "We cannot jump steps. We have to do it a game at a time, a play at a time, a day at a time."

Note that the Bucks are 21-5 ATS in their last 26 games following a straight up loss and  6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings with the Raptors. 

10* play on Milwaukee Bucks. 

TOP RATED 10* TUESDAY NIGHT BASES BIG HITTER

The Milwaukee Brewers are a solid 16-8 home at Miller Park on the season. They had Monday off following a lengthy road trip and are 22-6 in their last 28 games following an off day.

Tonight they'll hand the ball to Gio Gonzalez (2-0, 1.69 ERA) for his fifth start of the season. The veteran southpaw has held opponents to a combined two runs over 16 1/3 frames through his last three starts (Brew Crew won all three games). 

The Reds counter with Sonny Gray (0-4, 4.30 ERA). The Reds are just 3-6 in his nine starts on the season and the right-hander has yet to earn a W. Gray has allowed three earned runs in three straight starts without making it past the fifth inning in any of those outings. 

The Brewers are 16-5 in the last 21 meetings with Cincinnati. 

10* play Milwaukee Brewers. 

$20 TUESDAY SPECIAL

The Boston Red Sox put a 12-2 beating on the Toronto Blue Jays Monday afternoon, and I predict another Red Sox win here in Game of the series. 

Toronto hands the ball to Marcus Stroman (1-6, 2.95 ERA). It has lost eight of his 10 starts on the season and Stroman himself has been tagged with 13 runs over 20 1/3 frames through his last four starts. Boston counters with left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (4-2, 4.89 ERA) who is 4-0 with a 3.46 ERA in his past seven starts this season. Red Sox are 13-3 in Rodriguez's last 16 road starts.

The Blue Jays are 14-37 in their last 51 games vs. a left-handed starter and 1-5 in Stroman's last six starts vs. the Red Sox.

8* play on Boston Red Sox. 

MONDAY NIGHT MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Texas Rangers look like a solid moneyline favorite here against the Seattle Mariners Monday night. 

Texas hands the ball to Mike Minor (4-3, 2.61 ERA) who held the Royals to one run through five innings of a 6-1 win at Kansas City last time out. He has not allowed a single run in any of his last three starts home at Globe Life Park, covering a total of 24 innings of work. 

We can also note that the Mariners are 1-7 in their last eight games vs. a left-handed starter and that Minor fanned 13 through seven innings of a 15-1 win over Seattle on April 27. Seattle's Mike Leake (3-4, 4.00 ERA) on the other hand was ripped for nine runs on 10 hits in five innings in that very same contest. 

8* play on Texas Rangers. 

MONDAY NIGHT UNDERDOG DELIGHT

The Oakland Athletics are coming off a three-game sweep of the Tigers (Game 4 on Sunday got canceled due to weather), and I like the price we get on the visitors as an underdog at Cleveland Monday night. 

Oakland left-hander Brett Anderson (4-3, 4.41 ERA) is 3-0 with an 0.82 ERA in five career encounters with the Tribe who hand the ball to Carlos Carrasco (4-3, 4.18 ERA). Carrasco has tossed a total of 12 scoreless innings against the White Sox in his last two starts, which no doubt is driving up the price on the home team. 

Athletics are 6-1 in their last 7 vs. a team with a winning record.

8* play on Oakland Athletics. 

CUBS @ NATS SUNDAY NIGHT BASEBALL (LIVE ON ESPN)

The Chicago Cubs and the Washington Nationals enter the rubber match of this three-game set tied at 1-1 following a 5-2 Nats win on Saturday. The Cubs are a solid 9-2 in their last 11 games following a loss while the Nats are 6-20 in their last 26 games following a win.

Tonight the Cubs hand the ball to Kyle Hendricks (3-4, 2.86 ERA) who has allowed just one earned run on 12 hits and one walk while covering a total of 25 innings through his last three starts. Hendricks owns a 2.61 ERA in seven career starts against the Nationals who counter with Jeremy Hellickson (2-2, 6.00 ERA).

Hellickson (2-2, 6.00 ERA) was charged with five runs on six hits and five walks in five frames of a 6-2 loss to the New York Mets on Tuesday. He has not made it out of the fifth inning in any of his last six starts, something the Cubs should be able to take advantage of as the Nats bullpen has been the worst in baseball this year with a 6.82 ERA.

Cubs are 4-0 in Hendricks' last four starts vs. Nationals who are 5-11 in their last 16 games vs. a right-handed starter. 

8* play on Chicago Cubs. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (NBA): MIKE'S BUCKS @ RAPTORS BEST ATS BET

The Toronto Raptors have been completely outmatched in the first two games of this series, and I don't think a change of venue to Scotiabank Arena will make that much of a difference. Note that the Bucks are 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings in Toronto and own all the momentum and confidence. If they're to drop a game in this series, it might be Game 4 before heading back to Milwaukee to close out the series in front of the home town crowd. 

The Bucks are 4-0 SU on the road in the postseason, 20-6-1 ATS in their last 27 road games overall and 6-2-1 ATS as road underdogs this season. 

10* play on Milwaukee Bucks. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB BIG HITTER

The Minnesota Twins and the Seattle Mariners combined for 20+ runs on Saturday, and with depleted bullpens (particularly for the home team) I expect Sunday's matchup to turn into another high-scoring affair. 

Minnesota hands the ball to right-hander Kyle Gibson (4-1, 4.26 ERA). He was tagged with three runs on six hits and a pair of walks through 5 2/3 innings against the Halos last time out. Gibson has allowed 29 hits and eight walks in 26 1/3 innings of work through five road starts on the season (over is 4-1 in those games). 

The Mariners counter with left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (2-1, 3.64 ERA) who served up three home runs in six innings against Oakland last time out. The 27-year-old rookie has made just one day starts in the big leagues, at Chicago White Sox on April 5 when he was tagged with six runs (four earned) through five frames. Over is 7-1-1 in Kikuchi's last nine starts overall.

Over/under is 34-12-2 in games involving the Mariners this season. Minnesota and Seattle rank 2nd and 3rd respectively in slugging percentage this season (prior to Saturday's slate of games). 

10* play on OVER.