SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

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). 

We can also note that the Twins are 9-2 in Gibsons last 11 starts and 7-1 in his last eight starts vs. Seattle. 

8* play on Minnesota Twins. 

SUPER EARLY DODGERS @ REDS DAYTIME DESTROYER

The over/under is 15-30-1 in games involving the Cincinnati Reds here in 2019 and 6-1-1 in Dodgers last eight overall. I think we'll see a low-scoring affair here in the rubber match of this three-game series Sunday afternoon. 

The Dodgers hand the ball to left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu (5-1, 1.72 ERA) who has allowed just one run with 21 Ks through 25 innings of work in his last three starts combined. He hasn't allowed more than two runs in any of his eight starts this season, and we can note that under is 27-11-2 in Ryu's last 40 road starts and 16-5 in Cincinnati's last 21 games vs. a left-handed starter.

The Reds counter with Tanner Roark (3-2, 3.50 ERA) who was tagged with three runs in five innings of a 3-1 home loss to the Cubs last time out. Roark has compiled a 2.45 ERA in day games this season.

8* play on UNDER. 

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

The over/under is 31-14-2 in games involving the Seattle Mariners this season, and I think Saturday's matchup with the Minnesota Twins will fly over the total. 

Twins right-hander Jose Berrios (6-2, 3.05 ERA) was tagged with five runs on 12 hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings of a 5-4 loss to the Angels last time out. Over is 5-0 in Mariners last five games vs. a right-handed starter.

The Mariners turn to left-hander Wade LeBlanc (2-0, 4.50 ERA) who will make his first start since April 12 after a stint on the injured list. LeBlanc has made three starts in 2019 with 21 hits allowed over 16 innings of work. Over is 7-2-1 in Twins last 10 games vs. a left-handed starter.

We can also note that Minnesota and Seattle rank 2nd and 3rd respectively in slugging percentage this season. 

10* play on OVER. 

SATURDAY NIGHT MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Los Angeles Angels enter this contest as a sizable favorite, but I still think they'll prove well worth the money coming up against a Kansas City Royals team that has found wins hard to come by on the road. 

The Halos hand the ball to Griffin Canning (1-1, 5.65 ERA) who was hurt by the long ball last time out when he served up three homers at Baltimore. The 23 year old rookie has recorded 19 Ks through his first 14 1/3 innings of work in the big leagues. 

The Royals counter with Jakob Junis (3-4, 5.77 ERA) who has lost back-to-back start while allowing 10 runs (nine earned) over 9 2/3 frames. Junis is 0-2 with an 8.10 ERA in two career starts against the Angels and their current roster is batting a combined .400 with four home runs through 35 at bats against the rigtht-hander. 

The Angels are 12-2 in their last 14 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of less than .400 and had won eight of the last 10 meetings with KC entering Friday.

8* play on LA Angels. 

TOP RATED 10* WARRIORS @ BLAZERS BOOKIE BREAKER

The Portland Trail Blazers could easily have won one of the first two games of this series but missed out on a pair golden opportunities to steal homecourt advantage at Oracle Arena. 

"They earned it down the stretch," Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum said of Golden State's 14-3 finish Thursday after the Warriors trailed by eight. "They made more plays than us in the last two minutes, last three minutes, but I like our chances going forward. I like the way we came out and competed." 

The Blazers might be saying the right things, but it must've taken its toll both mentally and physically and think they will find it very difficult to muster up enough energy to beat the Warriors here in Game 3 at Moda Center Saturday night.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr is confident his team will get the job done, and so am I. "We've been in this situation many times, so we know how we have to play. We've got to play with great discipline and some desperation like we did for only parts of (Game 2). We've got to play that way the whole game, and that's what it will take up in Portland." Kerr said.

10* play on Golden State Warriors. 

SUPER EARLY WHITE SOX @ BLUE JAYS DAYTIME DESTROYER

The Toronto Blue Jays are coming off a 10-2 triumph over the Chicago White Sox Friday night, but such high-scoring performances have been few and far between for the Jays this season.

Here they'll come up against White Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito (4-1, 3.55 ERA) who has allowed just one run on seven hits with 16 Ks through 14 1/3 innings of work in his last two starts combined.

Toronto will hand the ball to 33 year old knuckleballer Ryan Feierabend for the first time this season. Its bullpen is however expected to take over relatively early, and we can note that the Jays' relievers rank 5th in baseball with a 3.39 ERA on the season. 

8* play on UNDER. 

FRIDAY NIGHT MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

Both the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Francisco Giants will enter the opener of this three-game series coming off a rest day. Note that the Diamondbacks are a perfect 5-0 in their last five games following an off day while the Giants are 3-7 in their last 10 games in the same situation. 

Arizona right-hander Merrill Kelly (3-4, 4.70 ERA) has compiled a respectable 3.20 ERA through 25 1/3 innings of work home at Chase Field on the season. His last outing was decent with three runs allowed and five Ks through seven innings of work. 

The Giants turn to Jeff Samardzija (2-1, 3.51 ERA) who was tagged with three runs on five hits and three walks over just four innings against the Reds last time out. He has posted a 4.43 in four road starts on the season and the Giants are 5-18 in the veteran right-hander's last 23 road starts vs. a team with a winning record.

Arizona is one of the top hitting teams in the National League (.260 AVG, 64 home runs) and I think the D'Backs will put enough runs on the board to get the win here. 

8* play on Arizona Diamondbacks. 

TOP RATED 10* RAPTORS @ BUCKS BOOKIE BREAKER

The Milwaukee Bucks opened Game 1 of this series slow but earned a 108-100 victory by outscoring the Toronto Raptors by 15 points in the fourth quarter. A devastating result for the visitors as they missed out on a golden opportunity to steal homecourt advantage. 

"Any coach that goes into a game without playing a game for six days is very worried how are you going to play," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "It's just how are you going to play, how are you going to execute. ... It's impossible to replicate in practice, and you're also incredibly conscientious of staying healthy during those six days. I think we're just all glad to have played, and certainly to get the win. I'm sure they'll be better (Friday)." 

I'm also confident the Bucks will be on their toes from tip-off and put away their opponent early tonight. 

The Bucks are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games and 5-0 ATS in their last five Friday games. The Raptors are 1-6 ATS in their last seven Friday games and 1-4 ATS in their last five road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.

10* play on Milwaukee Bucks. 

BLAZERS @ WARRIORS GAME 2

I backed the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 1 of this series based on how scrappy the Warriors had looked so far in the postseason. 

Well, Golden State showed just how good it can be in the series opener, and in particular it impressed defensively.

Portland's backcourt duo of CJ McCollum and Damien Lillard shot a combined 11-of-31 from the field for 36 points in the 116-94 loss. That can be compared to Warriors Steph Curry who went 9-of-15 from downtown and scored a total of 36 points by himself.   

I think we'll see a blowout win for the Warriors who'll want to make the most of their homecourt advantage before the series shifts to Moda Center in Portland. 

8* play on Golden State Warriors. 

TOP RATED 10* BRUINS @ CANES BEST BET

The Carolina Hurricanes finally managed to shut down the Bruins offense in Game 3, but to no avail as they still lost 2-1. They've managed just a total of five goals through the first three games of the series, all losses. Facing elimination, I expect the home team to make sure to turn this into a low-scoring contest as the Canes simply can not rely on their offense. We can also note that the under is 15-8 in Bruins' road games where the total is 5.5 this season. 

Additionally, I fully expect Carolina to do everything in its power to avoid getting knocked out of the playoffs in its own building. It was perfect on home ice in the playoffs up until Tuesday, and this is a very good price on the home team. 

10* play on UNDER. 

SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

The Carolina Hurricanes finally managed to shut down the Bruins offense in Game 3, but to no avail as they still lost 2-1. They've managed just a total of five goals through the first three games of the series, all losses. Facing elimination, I expect the home team to make sure to turn this into a low-scoring contest as the Canes simply can not rely on their offense. We can also note that the under is 15-8 in Bruins' road games where the total is 5.5 this season. 

Additionally, I fully expect Carolina to do everything in its power to avoid getting knocked out of the playoffs in its own building. It was perfect on home ice in the playoffs up until Tuesday, and this is a very good price on the home team. 

8* play on Carolina Hurricanes. 

EARLY TOP RATED BREWERS @ PHILLIES BIG HITTER

The Milwaukee Brewers are coming off back-to-back wins and enter Thursday looking to deny the Philadelphia Phillies to tie this four-game series. 

They've been streaky for most of the season (7-1 in their last eight games following a win) and I like the Brew Crew to get the job done here with Zach Davies on the mound. Davies (4-0, 1.54 ERA) has held opponents to two runs or fewer in each of his eight starts on the season with all going under the total. 

Philadelphia counters with Zach Eflin (5-3, 2.47 ERA) who is 3-0 with a 1.39 ERA in his last and is coming off his second career shutout. There's not much negative to say about Eflin, but I think the price is right to go against him in this contest as the Brewers are 14-6 in the last 20 meetings in Philadelphia.

10* play on Milwaukee Brewers. 

SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

The Milwaukee Brewers are coming off back-to-back wins and enter Thursday looking to deny the Philadelphia Phillies to tie this four-game series. 

They've been streaky for most of the season (7-1 in their last eight games following a win) and I like the Brew Crew to get the job done here with Zach Davies on the mound. Davies (4-0, 1.54 ERA) has held opponents to two runs or fewer in each of his eight starts on the season with all going under the total. 

Philadelphia counters with Zach Eflin (5-3, 2.47 ERA) who is 3-0 with a 1.39 ERA in his last and is coming off his second career shutout. There's not much negative to say about Eflin, but I think the price is right to go against him in this contest as the Brewers are 14-6 in the last 20 meetings in Philadelphia.

Additionally I also like the under as under is 13-3 in Davies' last 16 road starts and 4-0-1 in Eflin's last 5 starts overall.

8* play on UNDER. 

SUPER EARLY METS @ NATS TOTAL

The first two games of this series have been relatively low-scoring affairs, but I think that's about to change here in the finale as we'll see two unreliable pitchers on the mound. 

The Nats hand the ball to Anibal Sanchez (0-6, 5.27 ERA) who was tagged with three runs and six hits with a pair of homers through just 4 1/3 innings against the Dodgers last time out. Sanchez has compiled a 4.13 ERA in 14 career starts against the Mets who turn to Zack Wheeler (3-2, 4.35 ERA). The right-hander is 4-9 with a 5.01 ERA in 15 career starts against the Nationals and has been tagged with 11 runs on 10 hits and eight walks in 9 2/3 innings of work against them this season. 

Over is 7-3-2 in Wheeler's last 12 starts overall. Over is 7-3-2 in Wheeler's last 12 starts vs. Nationals.

8* play on OVER. 

GAME OF THE MONTH (NBA): RAPTORS @ BUCKS GAME 1 BEST BET ATS

The Toronto Raptors are just 6-13 ATS in their last 19 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600, and I think they'll find it very hard to keep up with the Milwaukee Bucks here in the opener of the Eastern Conference Finals series. 

The Bucks dropped Game 1 of their semi-finals series with Boston but won the next four. They closed out the series with a dominant 116-91 triumph and are 23-7-1 ATS in their last 31 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points. They've had a week to rest and recover from that contest while the visitors have had just three days off since Kawhi Leonard buzzer beater to beat Philadelphia in seven games. 

The Bucks have outscored their opponents by an average of 15.3 points in the postseason, and I'm happy to lay the points on the No. 1 seed tonight. 

10* play on Milwaukee Bucks. 

TOP RATED 10* WEDNESDAY NIGHT MLB BIG HITTER

The Texas Rangers enter this game looking to snap a five-game losing streak after taking an 11-5 beating here at the K on Tuesday. I think the visitors will bounce back tonight with left-hander Mike Minor (3-3, 2.68 ERA) on the mound. Minor has more than two runs just twice through his last seven starts with three scoreless outings in that span. 

The Royals counter with Jorge Lopez (0-4, 6.07 ERA) who has had a poor start to the season. He has allowed at least four runs in each of his last five outings and was tagged with six runs (three homers) in just 2 1/3 innings of a 9-0 loss at Houston last time out. 

Royals are 9-24 in their last 33 games vs. a left-handed starter. Rangers are 7-2 in the last 9 meetings in Kansas City.

10* play on Texas Rangers. 

EARLY DAYTIME DESTROYER TOTAL

The Arizona Diamondbacks and the Pittsburgh Pirates enter the finale of this series tied at 1-1 following a 6-2 victory for the visitors on Tuesday. I think we'll see a low-scoring contest here in the finale with two very capable pitchers on the mound. 

Arizona hands the ball to Zack Greinke (5-1, 3.16 ERA) who has allowed just five earned runs through his last five starts. He threw seven scoreless innings against Pittsburgh on April 25 and owns a 2.22 ERA in four starts home at Chase Field this season. 

Right-hander Chris Archer (1-2, 4.33 ERA) will toe the slab for the Pirates as he makes his first start since landing on the injured list on  April 27 due to right thumb inflammation. Archer was knocked around by the Dodgers his last time out, but the rest should have him fit for fight today. 

Under is 6-2 in Diamondbacks last 8 home games. Under is 20-7 in Pirates last 27 road games vs. a right-handed starter.

8* play on UNDER. 

EARLY ANGELS @ TWINS BOOKIE BLASTER

The under is 5-1-1 in the last seven meetings between the LA Angels and the Minnesota Twins, and I think this will be another low-scoring affair. 

Twins right-hander Jake Odorizzi (5-2, 2.32 ERA) is tied for second in the American League with his ERA and conceded just one hit through seven scoreless frames last time out. Under is 9-2 in Odorizzi's last 11 starts during Game 3 of a series and under is 2-0-2 in Angels last four road games vs. a right-handed starter.

Halos right-hander Trevor Cahill (2-3, 6.35 ERA) has had a poor start to the season, but he limited Baltimore to two runs and four hits over six innings his last trip to the mound. Under is 6-1 in Twins last seven games vs. a right-handed starter.

8* play on UNDER. 

TOP RATED 10* BLAZERS @ WARRIORS GAME 1 BOOKIE BREAKER

The Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trail Blazers will clash Tuesday night for the opener of their NBA Western Conference Finals series. I'm happy to take the visitors here as I think they are spotted way too many points to pass up on. 

The Blazers must feel pretty confident hitting the road again as they're coming off a huge 100-96 road win as an underdog at Denver in Game 7 of their Western Conference semifinals series on Sunday. We can also note that they were spotted 8.5 points at Golden State on Dec 27, a game they lost by just one point. 

Golden State disposed Houston in six games in its semifinals series, but it was far from easy as the Warriors struggled with their depth all series and covered the spread in only two of those six contests. Now the Warriors will have to do without injured superstar forward Kevin Durant for at least the series opener (calf injury), and we can note that they are 2-7 ATS in their last nine games following a straight up win.

The Trail Blazers are 5-2 ATS in the last seven head-to-head meetings and should keep this relatively close. 

10* play on Portland Trail Blazers. 

EARLY INDIANS @ WHITE SOX DAYTIME DESTROYER

The Chicago White Sox are coming off four straight victories. I think we're getting good value on the home team as an underdog here against a Cleveland Indians side that has dropped three of its last four, including a 5-2 setback here at Guaranteed Rate Field Monday night.

Cleveland right-hander Carlos Carrasco (3-3, 4.91 ERA) is just 1-3 with a bloated 7.71 ERA in four road starts on the season. White Sox southpaw Manny Banuelos (2-2, 6.67 ERA) has been lit up on the regular since compiling a 2.70 ERA in his first six appearances of the season, but I still don't think he should be this big of an underdog. "I’m focused on the control, command of the fastball especially. Breaking ball is there. Figure out the command of my fastball," Banuelos told the team’s official website. "Hopefully they still have confidence in me. It was back-to-back bad outings, but I’m going to improve."

We can also note that the Indians are 3-8 in their last 11 road games vs. a left-handed starter.

8* play on Chicago White Sox. 

GAME OF THE YEAR (NHL): MIKE'S BEST 2019 NHL PLAYOFFS TOTAL!

The first game of this series ended with a 6-3 San Jose Sharks triumph, and I think the high-scoring affair will set the tone for the rest of the series. 

Note that the Sharks have averaged 4.11 gpg home in the Shark Tank through their nine games in the playoffs this season while the Blues have averaged a healthy 3.14 gpg on the road. Over is 11-2 in the Sharks last 13 home at the SAP Center. 

Over is 7-2 in Sharks last 9 playoff games as a favorite and over is 3-0-1 in Blues last 4 playoff games as an underdog.

10* play on OVER. 

TOP RATED 10* MONDAY NIGHT MLB RUNLINE RIPPER

The Indians and the White Sox split a four-game series at Cleveland last week. In Game 3 of that series we saw the same pitching matchup we will see tonight. The Tribe won that contest 5-3, and I expect a comfortable win for the visitors tonight. 

Indians right-hander Shane Bieber (2-1, 3.32 ERA) owns a solid 48/13 K/BB ratio in 43 1/3 innings on the season and has delivered a quality start in six of his last eight outings. Bieber is 2-0 with a 2.14 ERA in four outings away from home on the season. He limited the White Sox to three runs over six innings last time out and held them scoreless through 12 2/3 innings of work last season. 

The White Sox counter with Reynaldo Lopez (2-4, 6.38 ERA) who was tagged with three runs on nine hits across six innings against the Tribe last time out. The current Indians' roster is batting a combined .328 over 58 at bats against Lopez who has posted a 7.18 ERA in five starts home at Guaranteed Rate Field this season. 

Indians are 8-1 in Bieber's last 9 road starts. White Sox are 4-12 in Lopez's last 16 starts vs. a team with a winning record.

10* play on Cleveland Indians. 

MONDAY NIGHT MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Minnesota Twins enter Monday with the best record in baseball. Right-hander Jose Berrios (6-1, 2.53 ERA) is coming off seven scoreless innings of four-hit ball at Toronto and has won a career-best five consecutive starts. Berrios has recorded 51 Ks against eight walks through 53 1/3 innings this season and the Twins are 24-5 in his last 29 home starts.

The Los Angeles Angels counter with left-hander Tyler Skaggs (3-3, 4.70 ERA) who surrendered eight runs (seven earned) in 4 2/3 innings of a 10-3 loss at Detroit on Wednesday. Skaggs owns a solid 2.08 ERA in two career starts against Minnesota, but the current Twins roster is batting a combined .283 over 60 at-bats against him. Marwin Gonzalez has owned Skaggs with seven hits through 12 at-bats. 

Twins are 14-2 in Berrios' last 16 home starts vs. a team with a losing record. Angels are 1-4 in Skaggs' last 5 road starts.

8* play on Minnesota Twins. 

76ERS @ RAPTORS GAME 7

The 76ers are coming off a dominant 112-101 Game 6 win, but I like the Raptors experience and homecourt advantage to be too much to overcome here in the deciding game of the series. "We had a lot of open looks early and we missed them," Toronto All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry told reporters. "They played really well but we have to continue to look at the film and see what we can do to get better and see what we messed up."

This will be the first Game 7 for players like Joel Embid and Ben Simmons and Philly has been rather mediocre on the road all season. We can also note that the Raptors are 6-0 ATS in their last six games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points while the 76ers are 5-12 ATS in their last 17 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points.

8* play on Toronto Raptors. 

SUNDAY AFTERNOON MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

I like the price we get on the Cincinnati Reds here as they try to make it four wins in a row. They've outscored opponents 15-4 during their current three-game winning streak, and runs surely won't come easy for their opponent here with Tyler Mahle on the mound.

Mahle (0-5, 3.69 ERA) has allowed two runs on seven hits and one walk with 15 Ks while covering 11 innings in his last two starts combined. 

The Giants hand the ball to Madison Bumgarner (2-4, 3.99 ERA) who gave up three runs on eight hits in six innings at Colorado his last time out. Over his last three starts, Bumgarner has been tagged with nine runs on 23 hits and he has just a 3-5 record and 4.21 ERA in nine career starts against the Reds (Giants are 1-5 in Bumgarner's last six home starts vs. Cincinnati). 

8* play on Cincinnati Reds. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB BIG HITTER

The San Diego Padres tied this series with a 4-3 triumph Saturday night, but I like the Colorado Rockies to bounce back with a win here in the rubber match Sunday afternoon. 

Rockie's right-hander Antonio Senzatela (2-2, 5.67 ERA) is 5-1 behind a 3.18 ERA in 11 career meetings (five starts) with San Diego. The most recent matchup took place on April 15 when he held the Friars to one run through 6 2/3 innings of a 5-2 victory.

The Padres counter with rookie left-hander Nick Margevicius (2-3, 3.47 ERA) who has made just seven career starts. One of those was against the Rockies when he was lit up for five runs on seven hits in four innings of an 8-2 loss. 

The Padres are 1-5 in their last 6 games following a win. The Padres are 1-5 in the last 6 meetings with Colorado. 

10* play on Colorado Rockies. 

SUPER EARLY SUNDAY AFTERNOON MLB TOTAL

The Chicago White Sox are coming off a 7-2 triumph on Saturday, but their bats have been rather cold of late and they have scored three runs or fewer in seven of their last nine games. The Blue Jays have struggled at the plate all season and average just 3.59 runs per game overall, which drops to 3.30 rpg in front of the home town crowd. 

Today they'll face Toronto right-hander Aaron Sanchez (3-3, 3.21 ERA) who owns a 3.07 ERA in four career starts against the White Sox. Sanchez has yielded just three earned runs over 17 innings of work home at Rogers Centre this season.  

Right-hander Lucas Giolito (3-1, 4.06 ERA) will take the ball for the visitors. Giolito recorded eight strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings as part of a 2-0 win over the Indians last time out to improve to 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA over his past three starts.

Under is 20-5-1 in Blue Jays last 26 after allowing five runs or more in their previous game. Under is 17-6 in Sanchez's last 23 starts during game 3 of a series.

8* play on UNDER. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB BIG HITTER

The Colorado Rockies have scored at least eight runs in six of their last eight games following a 12-2 rout of the San Diego Padres in the opener of this three-game set Friday night.

Here the Rockies will face San Diego left-hander Joey Lucchesi (3-2, 5.00 ERA) who was tagged with three runs in five innings versus the LA Dodgers last time out. The Rockies counter with Jon Gray (3-3, 4.22 ERA) who has been roughed up in recent starts, but he's been solid home at Coors Field and is 9-3 with a 2.59 ERA in 16 career starts versus the Padres.

The Rockies are 12-4 in Gray's last 16 starts vs. a team with a winning record. The Rockies are 4-0 in Gray's last 4 starts vs. Padres. Padres are 1-4 in Lucchesi's last 5 starts vs. the Rockies.

10* play on Colorado Rockies. 

SATURDAY AFTERNOON MLB TOTAL

The Toronto Blue Jays have averaged just 3.63 runs per game on the season, and I think we'll see a low-scoring affair when they host the Chicago White Sox Saturday afternoon. 

Toronto right-hander Marcus Stroman (1-5, 2.96 ERA) has been tagged with 11 runs (nine earned) through his last couple of starts. He had however been solid in the previous outings, unfortunately without much to show for as a victim of poor run support (just eight runs in as many starts). Stroman has the current White Sox roster limited to a .200 AVG over 75 at bats. 

The White Sox counter with Ivan Nova (1-3, 7.04 ERA) who has held teams to one run in three of his seven starts. He is coming off his best start of 2019, seven innings of one-run ball at Cleveland. "I try to talk to him and say, 'What went well, what didn't go well, what did you feel out there?' Then it's easier to be on the same page when a day like today comes," catcher James McCann told the Chicago Sun Times. 

Under is 4-0 in White Sox last 4 overall. Under is 10-4 in Blue Jays last 14 overall.

8* play on UNDER. 

FRIDAY NIGHT MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The St. Louis Cardinals are a solid 14-6 home at Busch Stadium on the season following a 17-4 rout of the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday. 

They're 12-3 in their last 15 home games vs. a right-handed starter and here the Cards will face Trevor Williams (1-1, 3.74 ERA) who they have plenty of experience against. He has posted a 6.10 ERA in 12 appearances, including nine starts against St. Louis, and Matt Carpenter is 8-for-19 with three home runs off Williams. 

The Cards counter with Adam Wainwright (3-3, 4.71 ERA) who is 13-7 with a 4.45 ERA against the Pirates. Wainwright is 2-1 behind a 3.00 ERA at home this season. 

Pirates are 2-8 in their last 10 games following a loss. Cardinals are 8-3 in their last 11 games following a win.

8* play on St. Louis Cardinals. 

TOP RATED 10* NUGGETS @ BLAZERS BOOKIE BREAKER

The Denver Nuggets can close out this series and move on to the Western Conference Finals with a win here at Portland Thursday night. While the Nuggets are far stronger home at Pepsi Center than on the road, note that they won Game 4 here at Moda Center outright after losing a heartbreaking multiple OT Game 3 (still covered the spread). 

The Nuggets are 4-1 ATS in this playoffs series and have the momentum after a 124-98 home romp on Tuesday. "They just played harder than us," Enes Kanter admitted to reporters after the game. "Even the coach said, probably this was our worst basketball the last six weeks," Kanter continued. "On defense, we weren't really communicating with each other; we didn't really trust each other."

Portland might be able to win outright to force a Game 7, but I'm well happy to take the visitors to cover the spread. 

Nuggets are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 Conference Semifinals games. Trail Blazers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 Conference Semifinals games. Nuggets are 5-0 ATS in the last 5 meetings in Portland.

10* play on Denver Nuggets. 

LATE THURSDAY MIDNIGHT MASSACRE

The LA Dodgers are coming off a 3-0 sweep of the Atlanta Braves. I think they'll keep the momentum going with another win here against a Washington Nationals team that has lost four in a row and eight of its last 10. 

Tonight the Dodgers hand the ball to Rich Hill (0-0, 3.60 ERA) who will make his third start of the season. They have won both his first two starts, despite Hill serving up four homers through 10 innings of work. The veteran southpaw must enter this contest feeling pretty confident though considering he is 2-1 with a 3.80 ERA against the Nats who have scored just seven runs through their last four games. We can also note that the Nationals are 0-5 in their last five road games vs. a left-handed starter

Patrick Corbin (2-1, 3.71 ERA) will toe the rubber for the visitors. The 29-year-old left-hander was has surrendered nine runs on 12 hits and seven walks through 11 innings in his last two starts combined. Dodgers are 5-2 in their last seven games vs. a left-handed starter.

8* play on LA Dodgers. 

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

The Colorado Rockies are just 3-3 through their last six games despite having scored 45 runs during that stretch. I think they'll continue to swing hot bats and get the win here against San Francisco Giants' left-hander Derek Holland. 

Holland (1-4, 5.34 ERA) has not had much success in previous meetings with the Rockies, posting a 6.18 ERA in five career starts. He's been particularly poor in meetings at Coors Field where he has a 10.00 ERA. 

Colorado counters with left-hander Kyle Freeland (2-5, 5.90 ERA) who has been tagged with 13 runs through two starts since returning from a left middle finger blister. He is however 5-3 with a 2.87 ERA and 32 strikeouts in nine starts against the Giants and I expect a big outing from Freeland today. 

The Rockies are 14-3 in Freeland's last 17 home starts. The Rockies are 4-1 in Freeland's last 5 home starts vs. Giants.

10* play on Colorado Rockies RL. 

ANGELS @ TIGERS BANKROLL BUILDER

The Los Angeles Angels opened this series with a 5-2 triumph Tuesday night, and I think we'll see another low-scoring affair here with two hot hurlers on the mound. 

LAA left-hander Tyler Skaggs (3-2, 3.12 ERA) has posted a 1.64 ERA through his last two starts while Tigers southpaw Matthew Boyd (3-2, 3.05 ERA) held Kansas City to two runs through seven innings his last time out. 

Under is 6-0-1 in Skaggs' last 7 starts overall. Under is 5-2 in Boyds last 7 starts overall. Under is 15-5-1 in Angels last 21 road games vs. a left-handed starter. Under is 10-3 in the last 13 meetings in Detroit.

8* play on UNDER. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB BIG HITTER

The New York Yankees have dominated recent meetings with the Mariners and look good to defeat Seattle for an eighth straight time at Yankee Stadium here in Game 3 of a four-game set Wednesday night. 

Jonathan Loaisiga (1-0, 2.70 ERA) will toe the slab for the Yankees for his third start of the season. The 24-year-old right-hander, considered the team's top pitching prospect, has been called up from Triple-A Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre to fill the rotation spot of injured James Paxton. So far, Loaisiga has posted a respectable ERA with 10 Ks through 10 innings of work in the big leagues. 

The Mariners counter with left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (1-1, 3.98 ERA) who has been at his best home at Safeco Field. On the road, Kikuchi has posted a 4.34 ERA with a .266 BAA through 27 2/3 innings of work. 

Mariners are 1-7 in their last 8 road games and 6-20 in their last 26 vs. a team with a winning record. Yankees are 4-0 in their last 4 games vs. a left-handed starter and 8-1 in their last 9 games with umpire Angel Hernandez behind home plate.

10* play on New York Yankees. 

SUPER EARLY NATIONAL LEAGUE TOTAL 

The Philadelphia Phillies put an 11-1 beating on the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday. Under is 8-0 in Phillies last eight after scoring five runs or more in their previous game and I think runs will be harder to come by for both teams Wednesday afternoon. 

Jack Flaherty (3-2, 4.17 ERA) will take the ball for St. Louis. He has posted a 1.88 ERA in four starts home at Busch Stadium on the season and a 1.53 ERA in three day starts. In one career start against Philadelphia, Flaherty is 1-0 with a 1.17 ERA The Phillies will counter with Jerad Eickhoff (1-1, 2.05 ERA). Apart from a subpar outing at Colorado, Eickhoff has been solid with just one earned run allowed through his other three outings (16 innings) this season.

Under is 6-2-1 in Cardinals last 9 games vs. a right-handed starter. Under is 5-1 in Phillies last 6 games vs. a right-handed starter.

8* play on UNDER. 

BLAZERS @ NUGGETS GAME 5 BOOKIE BLASTER

The Denver Nuggets lost homecourt advantage with a Game 2 loss here Pepsi Center but stole it back with a 116-112 win in Portland on Sunday. I don't see them slipping up again in front of the home town crowd where they went an NBA-best 34-7 during the regular season. 

The Nuggets have covered the spread in five of the last six head-to-head meetings and they have the momentum following Sunday's win. "You think about how young we are and what we are doing, going on the road and winning a tough game in a hostile environment, and for Jamal (Murray) to be the centerpiece of that has been phenomenal," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said Sunday.

Additionally; Nuggets are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 Conference Semifinals games. Trail Blazers are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 Conference Semifinals games.

8* play on Denver Nuggets. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB BIG HITTER

The A's have had one day of rest since a 5-3 loss in 13 innings to Pittsburgh on Sunday while the Cincinnati Reds travel to Oakland off a 12-4 triumph over San Francisco on Monday. Note that the Reds are 1-10 in Tyler Mahle' (0-4, 4.09 ERA) last 11 starts and that he has served up a home run in each of his last five starts. I think this looks like a good spot to fade the Reds and the 24 year old right-hander. 

Oakland counters with Mike Fiers (2-3, 6.81 ERA) who has been knocked around plenty here at the start of the season, but he usually delivers the goods home at Oakland Coliseum where the A's are 8-2 in his last 10 starts. We can also note that Fiers owns a respectable 2.60 ERA in 10 games (eight starts) versus Cincinnati and he has the current Reds roster limited to a .154 AVG over 39 at bats. 

Oakland is just 15-21 overall on the season following a 1-8 road trip, but it has won 10 of 18 at home while the Reds are a poor 6-12 on the road. 

10* play on Oakland Athletics. 

$20 TUESDAY MLB MONEYMAKER

The Miami Marlins opened this four-game series at Wrigley Field with a 6-5 triumph Monday night.

"It's good," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said postgame. "I know how it looks when you're ... not winning and it looks like you're not playing with energy or effort, but these guys have been working and continuing forward. Everyone did a nice job tonight."

I really like the price we get on the Fish to pick up another win here in Game 2. 

Cubs' left-hander Jon Lester (2-1, 1.73 ERA) has posted a 5.01 ERA in six career starts against the Marlins who will hand the ball to a left-hander of their own in Caleb Smith (3-0, 2.00 ERA). Smith has walked nine and struck out 45 in 36 innings during an absolutely blistering start to the season. He has faced the Cubs once before when he held them to one run on four hits in 5 1/3 innings last season. We can also note that the Marlins are 4-0 in Smith's last four starts.

8* play on Miami Marlins. 

LATE NIGHT MLB MIDNIGHT MASSACRE

The Los Angeles Dodgers are a solid 12-4 home at Dodger Stadium on the season and 7-2 in their last nine games overall. Tonight they'll hand the ball to right-hander Walker Buehler (3-0, 5.22 ERA) who has settled down after a rocky start to the season, allowing just six runs through his last three starts.

The Braves hand the ball to Kevin Gausman (1-2, 4.83 ERA) who was ejected in the second inning after throwing just 28 pitches on Friday. Gausman had been tagged with five earned runs in back-to-back starts prior to that outing and I don't think pitching on two days rest will help the right-hander to find his rhythm.

The Dodgers will be eager to bounce back with a win after surrendering four runs in the bottom of the ninth of Sunday’s 8-5 loss to the Padres in San Diego. The Braves are in a letdown spot following a three-game sweep against the lowly Miami Marlins.

8* play on LA Dodgers.

MONDAY NIGHT MLB BANKROLL BUILDER

The New York Mets were ice cold at the plate while dropping three at Milwaukee over the weekend. I'm not confident their bats will catch fire here at San Diego Monday night either, but I don't think they need to either with Jacob deGrom on the mound. 

deGrom (2-3, 3.82 ERA) tossed seven scoreless frames against Cincinnati last time out and he is 3-2 behind a minuscule 1.66 ERA in six career starts against the Padres who counter with Chris Paddack (2-1, 1.91 ERA). The 23-year-old Paddack has had a blistering start to the season, but outdueling deGrom will be too tough of a task IMO. 

Mets are 5-1 in their last 6 Monday games. Padres are 9-23 in their last 32 Monday games. Padres are 1-7 in their last 8 home games vs. a team with a losing record.

We're getting good value on the visitors here at Petco Park Monday night. 

8* play on New York Mets. 

WARRIORS @ ROCKETS GAME 4 BASKET BRAWLER

The Houston Rockets came through with a 126-121 overtime win on Saturday to avoid falling into the dreaded 3-0 hole after opening the series with a pair of losses at Oracle Arena. 

This looks like a great spot to back the Warriors to bounce back with a win as they surely want to close out this series in five games next time out in front of the home town crowd. 

Warriors star Steph Curry had a poor Game 3, but that's unlikely to happen twice in a row. "He just had a tough night," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "No matter how good you are, you're going to have some bad games, and just a tough night for him. It just didn't happen."

"We still had a couple of chances to win down the stretch. Obviously, I'm thinking of what I can do better and elevate my game, and I'm looking forward to Monday." Curry himself said.

8* play on Golden State Warriors. 

NUGGETS @ BLAZERS GAME 4 NO-BRAINER

The Portland Trail Blazers are in control of this Western Conference Semifinals series after first stealing homecourt advantage at Denver and then defending it with a 140-137 quadruple-overtime victory Friday night. They still need to win again home at Moda Center Sunday to completely consolidate their homecourt advantage, and I think the home team has a big advantage in this contest. 

Both teams will most likely be drained after Friday's marathon matchup, but the Blazers have had the advantage of being able to rest and recover in their own homes. We can also note that the Trail Blazers are 25-12-1 ATS in their last 38 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.

Trail Blazers are 22-10 ATS in their last 32 games playing on 1 days rest. Nuggets are 6-13 ATS in their last 19 games playing on 1 days rest. Look for the home team to run away with this one.

8* play on Portland Trail Blazers. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (NBA): RAPTORS @ 76ERS GAME 4 TOTAL

The first three games of this series have gone under the total, and I expect another relatively low-scoring affair here in Game 4 Sunday afternoon. 

The Toronto Raptors will be desperate for a win to regain homecourt advantage and, and they know what they have to improve. "I think the first adjustment, we're going to have to make it, I guess we're going to have to play all of them a lot harder," Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said. "We're going to have to play a hell of a lot more physical. I mean if we don't do that, the prettiest things we decided to do offensively aren't going to matter much."

The Philadelphia 76ers won Game 3 116-95, but we can note that under is 8-2 in their last 10 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points and 7-1 in their last 8 home games vs. a team with a winning road record. Under is 8-1 in Raptors last 9 overall.

10* play on UNDER. 

SUNDAY AFTERNOON RUNLINE RIPPER

The Toronto Blue Jays +1.5 look like great value here in the rubber match of this three-game series with the Texas Rangers. 

Rangers left-hander Drew Smyly (0-2, 7.80 ERA) has not pitched since April 19 when he went on the injured list because of fatigue in his left arm. Texas has lost each of his four starts on the season and Smyly has been tagged with four runs in each of his last three outings. 

Toronto turns to Clay Buchholz (0-1, 4.79 ERA) who conceded three runs through five innings of work against the LA Angels his last time out, but I expect a solid outing from the 34 year old today. Keep in mind that this is a pitcher that posted a 2.01 ERA in 2018 so it's just a matter of getting the confidence back. 

Blue Jays are 18-8 in the last 26 meetings in Texas.

8* play on Toronto Blue Jays +1.5. 

EARLY TOP RATED 10* MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Milwaukee Brewers will be looking to complete the sweep of this three-game series after opening the set with a 3-1 triumph on Friday followed by a 4-3 win on Saturday. The reeling NY Mets have dropped seven of their last 10 and I think they'll come up short once again in this matchup. 

Milwaukee hands the ball to Zach Davies (3-0, 1.38 ERA) who has had an excellent start to the year. Davies has held each of his six opponents to two or fewer runs and limited the Rockies to one unearned run through 5 1/3 innings of a 5-1 win last time out.  

The Mets counter with Jason Vargas (1-1, 5.75 ERA) who has settled down since a rocky start to the season. Vargas has held three straight opponents to one run each, but he has, however, walked eight batters through 14 innings of work in those starts and owns a bloated 1.72 WHIP on the season.

The Brewers are 19-9 in their last 28 games vs. a left-handed starter. and they've won 10 of the last 11 meetings at Miller Park.

10* play on Milwaukee Brewers. 

3-GAME HIGH ROLLER REPORT PICK

The Milwaukee Brewers will be looking to complete the sweep of this three-game series after opening the set with a 3-1 triumph on Friday followed by a 4-3 win on Saturday. The reeling NY Mets have dropped seven of their last 10 and I think they'll come up short once again in this matchup. 

Milwaukee hands the ball to Zach Davies (3-0, 1.38 ERA) who has had an excellent start to the year. Davies has held each of his six opponents to two or fewer runs and limited the Rockies to one unearned run through 5 1/3 innings of a 5-1 win last time out.  

The Mets counter with Jason Vargas (1-1, 5.75 ERA) who has settled down since a rocky start to the season. Vargas has held three straight opponents to one run each, but he has, however, walked eight batters through 14 innings of work in those starts and owns a bloated 1.72 WHIP on the season.

The Brewers are 19-9 in their last 28 games vs. a left-handed starter. and they've won 10 of the last 11 meetings at Miller Park. Under is 9-2 in Davies' last 11 home starts. Under is 8-3 in Brewers last 11 home games. Under is 5-0 in Mets last 5 overall.

8* play on UNDER. 

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

The Golden State Warriors got the job done in two games home at Oracle without even playing at top level and will head to Houston with a commanding 2-0 lead in this Western Conference semifinals series. 

The teams have had three days off since the last matchup, something that could favor the visitors with the Warriors 6-2 ATS in their last eight games playing on three or more days rest while the Rockets are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games playing on three or more days rest. 

The Warriors are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games vs. a team with a winning % above .600 and they've covered the spread in each of their last three games as underdogs, the two most recent at Houston on March 13 and at OKC three days later. 

While Houston no doubt will be desperate to win this game, Golden State is just too good when motivated. Well happy to take the points on the reigning champs here. 

10* play on Golden State Warriors. 

ASTORS VS. ANGELS BASEBALL BONANZA @ MEXICO

The LA Angels have won seven of their last eight, but I don't like their chances here in the opener of a two-game series against the Houston Astros at Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey in Mexico. 

The Angels are 1-6 in their last seven games vs. a left-handed starter, and here they'll face Wade Miley (1-2, 3.24 ERA) who will toe the rubber for Houston. Miley made a strong start last Sunday when he held Cleveland to one run and six hits in 5 2/3 innings. He is 2-0 with a solid 2.01 ERA in three career starts against the Halos who hand the ball to Trevor Cahill (1-2, 5.93 ERA). The right-hander is 2-1 in six career games (five starts) against Houston, but behind a not particularly impressive 4.61 ERA. 

Both teams got Friday off, and we can note that the Astros are 10-1 in their last 11 games following an off day while the Angels are 1-4 L5 in the same spot. 

8* play on Houston Astros.

GAME OF THE WEEK (MLB): TOTAL MAJOR WAGER ALERT

The Pittsburgh Pirates and the Oakland Athletics will clash for the second game of a three-game set Saturday night. The A's put on a show at the plate in the series opener Friday night, but I think runs will be harder to come by for both teams in this matchup. 

The A's hand the ball to Chris Bassitt (1-0, 0.75 ERA). He will make his third start of the season and has been dominant through the first two, allowing just one run with 16 Ks while logging 12 innings of work. Bassitt will take on the Pirates for the first time, a spot usually favoring the pitcher.

Trevor Williams (1-1, 3.38 ERA) will toe the slab for Pittsburgh. The 27 year old right-hander was tagged with five runs through six innings at LA Dodgers last time out. Williams has been rather solid in most starts this season though, holding four of six opponents to two or fewer runs. He will make his first career apperance against Oakland and we can note that under is 16-5-2 in the A's last 23 interleague games and 39-14-1 in Williams' last 54 starts overall.

Under is 6-3 in the last 9 meetings. Under is 5-1-1 in the last 7 meetings in Pittsburgh.

10* play on UNDER. 

FRIDAY NIGHT D'BACKS @ ROCKIES BOOKIE BLASTER

The Colorado Rockies have been swinging hot bats in recent games, coming off back-to-back 11 run performances against Milwaukee. 

I think the Rockies will keep their scoring touch when taking on NL West rival Arizona Diamondbacks and Robbie Ray Friday night. Note that Ray (1-1, 4.18 ERA) owns a 5.77 ERA in 12 career starts against Colorado and the current Rockies roster is batting a combined .353 over 136 at bats against the left-hander. 

Tyler Anderson (0-2, 11.34 ERA) will toe the slab for the Rockies. The left-hander has had a terrible start to the season and served up three homers in 4 2/3 innings of an 8-7 Rockies loss at Atlanta last time out. He has allowed more than five runs in each of his first four starts on the season and owns a 5.77 ERA in eight career outings (six starts) vs. the D'Backs. 

Over is 6-2-1 in Ray's last 9 starts vs. Rockies. Over is 4-1-2 in Diamondbacks last 7 games vs. a left-handed starter. Over is 8-2-1 in Andersons last 11 starts vs. a team with a winning record.

8* play on OVER. 

TOP RATED 10* BUCKS @ CELTICS BOOKIE BREAKER

The Milwaukee Bucks are the No. 1 seed, but the Boston Celtics stole homecourt advantage by winning Game 1 of this Eastern Conference Semifinals series. The Bucks did, however, make sure not to lose two in a row as they turned it up a notch to put a 123-102 on Boston last time out. 

I think the Bucks will reclaim homecourt with a win here as the series shift to TD Garden. While they may have started this series on the wrong foot, the Bucks sure showed what they're capable of in round 2. They have the momentum coming off a blowout win and plenty of motivation to reclaim homecourt advantage with a win on the road.    

We can note that while Bucks are a solid 20-7-1 ATS in their last 28 road games, the Celtics are just 1-8-1 ATS in their last 10 home games.

Happy to take the points on the visitors as I think they have a very good chance of winning this one outright.

10* play on Milwaukee Bucks. 

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

The New York Mets will face the Milwaukee Brewers for the opener of a six-game road trip Friday night.

I really like the price we get on the visitors here as they hand the ball to Steven Matz (3-1, 3.68 ERA). The left.hander is 4-1 behind a 3.16 ERA in five career starts against the Brew Crew and held them to a pair of runs through seven innings of a 5-2 victory last week. The Mets are 7-1 in Matz's last eight starts overall.

The Brewers counter with Brandon Woodruff (3-1, 5.17 ERA) who held the Mets to one run on six hits in five innings during an 8-6 win last week. Woodruff has otherwise had a rather poor start to the season, as evidenced by his bloated ERA and 1.47 WHIP. 

The Mets are 6-5 SU for a +16.2% ROI as underdogs on the road this season. 

10* play on New York Mets. 

TOP RATED 10* RAPTORS @ 76ERS GAME 3 BEST BET

The Toronto Raptors and the Philadelphia 76ers enter Game 3 of this Eastern Conference semifinals series tied at 1-1. Both teams have combined decent defense with poor shooting through the first two games, and I expect more of the same tonight.

Toronto won the first game of the series 108-95, but neither team managed to break 100 points in Game 2, a matchup Philly won despite shooting just 39.5% from the field (Toronto shot 36.7%). 

Under is 7-1 in Raptors last 8 overall. Under is 6-1 in 76ers last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning road record. Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.

10* play on UNDER. 

THURSDAY MLB BOOKIE BLASTER

The Washington Nationals have lost six of their last seven games and have scored just a total of six runs through the first three contests of this four-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Nats are still a sizable favorite for this matchup, almost solely because they'll trot out their ace Stephen Strasburg (2-1, 3.82) on the mound. Strasburg has fanned 20 while allowing just a pair of runs through his last two starts, covering 15 innings of work. 

Strasburg owns a 2.56 ERA in six career appearances against the Cards who counter with Dakota Hudson (2-1, 5.63 ERA). The 24-year-old right-hander was tagged with three runs in 5 2/3 frames of a 6-3 win against Cincinnati last time out but should not have much to fear from a Nats lineup that is ice cold at the plate. 

8* play on UNDER. 

THURSDAY MLB BANKROLL BUILDER

The Washington Nationals have lost six of their last seven games and have scored just a total of six runs through the first three contests of this four-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Nats are still a sizable favorite for this matchup, almost solely because they'll trot out their ace Stephen Strasburg (2-1, 3.82) on the mound. Strasburg has fanned 20 while allowing just a pair of runs through his last two starts, covering 15 innings of work. 

Strasburg owns a 2.56 ERA in six career appearances against the Cards who counter with Dakota Hudson (2-1, 5.63 ERA). The 24-year-old right-hander was tagged with three runs in 5 2/3 frames of a 6-3 win against Cincinnati last time out but should not have much to fear from a Nats lineup that is ice cold at the plate. 

The Cards are red hot with five wins in a row and they've been victorious in 10 of their last 11 games. This is too good of a price on the visitors to pass up on. 

8* play on St. Louis Cardinals. 

SUPER EARLY MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Atlanta Braves defeated the San Diego Padres 5-1 on Wednesday for their third triumph in four games. I think they'll come through with another win here in the finale of this four-game set. 

Braves' right-hander Mike Foltynewicz (0-0, 6.00) will make his second start for the season after starting the campaign on the injured list. He gave up four runs in six innings against Colorado in his season debut, but also fanned five. Foltynewicz posted a 2.40 ERA in seven day starts last season and I expect a sharp outing from the 27 year old today. 

The Padres hand the ball to left-hander Matt Strahm (0-2, 3.04 ERA) who has been dominant in most of his starts, but with little to show for it. He is still looking for his first W, and San Diego has lost three of his five starts while providing him with just 15 runs of support. We can also note that the Braves are 6-2 in their last eight games vs. a left-handed starter.

The Braves have won four of the last five meetings overall and 21 of the last 28 as a home team.

8* play on Atlanta Braves. 

WEDNESDAY NIGHT MLB MONEYMAKER

The two teams enter the finale of this three-game series tied at 1-1 following a 10-3 Dodgers victory on Tuesday. I like them to come through again in the rubber match where we'll see a couple of left-handers battle it out on the mound. 

Dodgers' Hyun-Jin Ryu (3-1, 2.96 ERA) is 6-6 lifetime through 16 starts against the Giants behind a 2.94 ERA. He held them to a pair of runs over seven frames when he pitched opposite Madison Bumgarner (1-4, 4.30 ERA) on April 2. Bumgarner conceded five runs (none earned) over six innings in the 6-5 Dodgers win. The Giants are 1-7 in Bumgarner's last eight starts while the Dodgers are 17-5 in their last 22 road games vs. a team with a losing record.

The Giants possess the second-worst record in the league at 12-18 and have dropped seven of the last nine meetings with the Dodgers.

8* play on LA Dodgers. 

TOP RATED 10* BLAZERS @ NUGGETS NBA PLAY OF THE DAY

The Denver Nuggets won the first matchup of this Western Conference semifinals series 121-113. Denver big man Nikola Jokic took full advantage of the fact that the Blazers are banged down low with Jusuf Nurkic out for the season and Enes Kanter not 100%. "I cannot play the way I want to play," Kanter told reporters after Game 1. "Just keep playing through it". 

I think the Nuggets will be well motivated to make the most of their homecourt advantage again here in Game 2 before the series shift to Portland.

On the season, the Nuggets are 38-8 SU and 28-18 ATS home at Pepsi Center. They're 6-0 ATS in their last six Conference Semifinals games while the Portland Trail Blazers are just 3-8 ATS in their last 11 Conference Semifinals games. 

We can also note that Portland has failed to cover the spread in four of its last five on the road.

10* play on Denver Nuggets. 

YANKEES @ DIAMONDBACKS BOOKIE BLASTER

The Arizona Diamondbacks claimed the opener of this two-game interleague series at Chase Field with a 3-1 triumph last night. I like the price we get on the home team to complete the sweep with another win here Wednesday afternoon.

Arizona right-hander Merrill Kelly (2-2, 3.94 ERA) limited Pittsburgh to a pair of runs on six hits through seven innings of an 11-2 win last time out. This will be the 30-year-old rookie's first meeting with the New York Yankee who will counter with Masahiro Tanaka (2-2, 3.60 ERA). Tanaka has not been particularly sharp in recent starts and has surrendered 12 runs (11 earned) through his last 16 2/3 innings of work. He has given up three free passes in each of his last three starts and served up a pair of homers in an 11-5 loss at Los Angeles Angels his last time out. 

Diamondbacks are 10-1 in their last 11 vs. a team with a winning record and 4-1 in the last 5 meetings with the Yankees. 

8* play on Arizona Diamondbacks. 

SUPER EARLY MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Oakland Athletics enter this contest on a five-game slide, including back-to-back setbacks to the Red Sox. They've scored only a total of 12 runs during their losing streak, and I think they look like a good fade here with Mike Fiers on the mound. 

Fiers (2-2, 7.03 ERA) owns good career numbers against Boston, but he has been lit up on the regular this season. Note that Fiers had been rocked for 18 runs through his last three starts prior to a strong outing against Toronto. 

The Red Sox turn to right-hander Hector Velazquez (0-2, 3.86) who will make his fourth start of the season and is in need of a strong outing to justify his spot as a starter. Velazquez has faced Oakland twice as a reliever this season already, limiting them to one run over 2 2/3 innings of work. 

Athletics are 3-14 in their last 17 vs. a team with a losing record. Red Sox are 38-15 in their last 53 vs. a team with a losing record.

8* play on Boston Red Sox. 

TUESDAY NIGHT SHARKS @ AVS BOOKIE BLASTER

The Colorado Avalanche dropped the first game of this Western Conference second-round series but came through with a big 4-3 win in San Jose in Game 2 on Sunday night to claim home ice advantage. 

They're 13-3 in their last 16 home games and Colorado netminder Philipp Grubauer has stopped 62 of 66 shots home at Pepsi Center in the playoffs. Note that the Sharks won just one of three road games in their first round series with Vegas and are 2-5 in their last seven on the road.

I don't see the Avs allowing the Sharks to regain the edge in front of their home fans here Tuesday night. Count on Colorado's prolific top line to lead the team to victory. 

8* play on Colorado Avalanche. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB PLAY OF THE DAY

The Milwaukee Brewers have won 11 of the last 13 meetings with the Colorado Rockies following a 5-1 triumph here at Miller Park Monday night. I like the visitors to bounce back with a win tonight with German Marquez on the mound. 

Marquez (3-1, 2.54 ERA) has been one of the best pitchers in baseball here in the early goings, particularly on the road where he's 2-0 with a 0.41 ERA in three starts. He has fanned 23 strikeouts in those road games through 22 innings of work. 

The Brewers turn to Jhoulys Chacin (2-3, 6.35 ERA) who's had a tough start to the year, even more so in recent outings as he's 0-3 over his last four starts with a 7.64 ERA. Chacin has served up seven homers in 28 1/3 innings of work this season and has compiled a poor 1.41 WHIP. 

The Rockies had scored 79 runs during a 10-3 stretch prior to their current two-game skid. I think their bats will come alive again here against a struggling Chacin. 

10* play on Colorado Rockies. 

$20 TUESDAY MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Cincinnati Reds opened this series with a 5-4 triumph Monday night and I think they'll pick up another win here the next day with their ace on the mound. 

Luis Castillo (3-1, 1.23 ERA) has had an outstanding start to the season. The right-hander owns the lowest ERA in the majors and has allowed more than one run just once. Castillo tossed six shutout innings of a 4-2 victory against Atlanta last time out. 

The Mets turn to left-hander Jason Vargas (1-1, 7.20 ERA) who has had a very different start to the campaign. His ERA is the ninth-highest among pitchers with at least four starts even though he has pitched better of late, allowing only a pair of runs through 8 2/3 innings in his last two starts. Odds are Vargas is about to get lit up again here though as he owns a bloated 7.98 ERA in four career starts versus the Reds. 

8* play on Cincinnati Reds. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB BIG HITTER

The Tampa Bay Rays 18-9 mark is the best in baseball and they and took two of three against the American League-worst Kansas City Royals home at Tropicana Fields last week.

In that series, the Rays reached KC's Brad Keller (2-2, 3.41 ERA) for five runs on seven hits and three walks in 6 1/3 innings of a 6-3 win and I expect them to put another beating on the right-hander tonight. 

Tampa Bay hands the ball to Ryne Stanek (0-0, 1.32 ERA) who will act as the "opener" in today's contest. He has not allowed a run in his six starts through 9 1/3 innings of work. Stanek has made three career appearances against the Royals, holding them to three hits and no runs through 4 2/3 frames. 

Rays are 7-1 in their last 8 during game 1 of a series. Rays are 20-7 in their last 27 road games. Royals are 2-6 in their last 8 during game 1 of a series. Royals are 8-44 in their last 52 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.

10* play on Tampa Bay Rays. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (NHL): MIKE'S BLUES @ STARS BEST BET

The Dallas Stars stole home ice advantage in this playoffs series with a 4-2 win at St. Louis Saturday night. I think they'll ride the momentum of that huge win to another triumph home at American Airlines Center Monday night. 

The Blues' netminder Jordan Binnington has had an absolutely outstanding rookie season, but note that he posted a 2.76 GAA in three regular season meetings with Dallas. "They're a highly offensive team and they've got some skill, so they can capitalize on their chances," Binnington said.

The Stars have won seven of the last nine encounters and I absolutely love the price we get on the home team in this matchup. 

10* play on Dallas Stars. 

MONDAY NIGHT 76ERS @ RAPTORS GAME 2 ATS ANNIHILATOR

The Toronto Raptors put a 108-95 beating on the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1 of this Eastern Conference semifinals, and I expect a similar result here in the second game. 

The Raptors have won five straight since losing their postseason opener to Orlando and are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games. Furthermore, they're 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points and the home team is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings with Philadelphia. The 76ers have not won in Toronto since Nov. 10, 2012 ... 

They were completely unable to stop Kawhi Leonard in the first matchup up this series with the Toronto star putting up a career playoff-best 45 points on 16-of-23 shooting with 11 rebounds. "That was again, a big time performance at both ends," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. "And I just like the force that he is playing with at both ends, but especially when he is getting the ball. He is pushing it up the floor, he is punching gaps with force, and he is determined to get to spaces."

Toronto has held opponents to 92.5 points and 38.9% shooting from the field through its first six playoff games here in 2019. I expect another dominant defensive performance from the home team tonight. 

8* play on Toronto Raptors. 

MONDAY NIGHT 76ERS @ RAPTORS GAME 2 TOTAL

The Toronto Raptors put a 108-95 beating on the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1 of this Eastern Conference semifinals, and I expect a similar result here in the second game. 

The Raptors have won five straight since losing their postseason opener to Orlando and are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games. Furthermore, they're 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points and the home team is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings with Philadelphia. The 76ers have not won in Toronto since Nov. 10, 2012 ... 

They were completely unable to stop Kawhi Leonard in the first matchup up this series with the Toronto star putting up a career playoff-best 45 points on 16-of-23 shooting with 11 rebounds. "That was again, a big time performance at both ends," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. "And I just like the force that he is playing with at both ends, but especially when he is getting the ball. He is pushing it up the floor, he is punching gaps with force, and he is determined to get to spaces."

Toronto has held opponents to 92.5 points and 38.9% shooting from the field through its first six playoff games here in 2019. I expect another dominant defensive performance from the home team tonight. 

Under is 10-4 in 76ers last 14 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. Under is 6-1 in Raptors last 7 overall.

8* play on UNDER.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Arizona Diamondbacks and the Chicago Cubs have split the first two games of the series at Chase Field. The visitors came through with a dominant 9-1 triumph on Saturday and I think they'll pick up another victory here in the rubber match. 

Chicago left-hander Jose Quintana (3-1, 3.21 ERA) has pitched very well lately. He has allowed a pair of runs with 25 Ks against just three walks over his last three contests covering 21 innings of work. 

Arizona right-hander Luke Weaver  (2-1, 3.33 ERA) has been almost as sharp lately, holding his last three opponents to three runs total while covering 17 2/3 innings, with 24 strikeouts and two walks. We can, however, note that the current Cubs roster is batting a combined .407 in 91 at-bats against Weaver. 

Cubs are 11-5 in their last 16 Sunday games. Diamondbacks are 1-8 in their last 9 Sunday games.

8* play on Chicago Cubs. 

ROCKETS @ WARRIORS GAME 1 BANKROLL BUILDER

The Golden State Warriors needed six games to get past the LA Clippers in the first round while the Houston Rockets got past Utah Jazz in five games. It however easy to see that the Warriors were guilty of looking past the Clippers, and were extremely dominant when turning it up a notch. 

I don't think they'll take the Rockets lightly, especially after almost losing to them in the Western Conference finals last season. If they decide to throw their weight around the Warriors are still the superior team IMO. 

Sure, the Warriors are a bit banged up with backcourt duo Steph Curry and Klay Thompson questionable with ankle injuries, I don't see them risking giving up their homecourt advantage the crucial series opener.

"We'll see how they're doing (before the game)," Warriors coach Steve Kerr told the media. "I'm not going to make a definitive statement on whether they'll both play. Let's just call it questionable. And there's nothing implied there. They both came in today and got some work, and we'll see how they're doing." Thompson himself said that he expects to play "fully" in today's contest.  

8* play on Golden State Warriors. 

GAME OF THE MONTH (MLB): MIKE'S BEST MONEYLINE BET FOR APRIL

The San Diego Padres are going for a sixth straight win when they visit the Washington Nationals for the finale of this three-game series Sunday afternoon. 

San Diego left-hander Joey Lucchesi (3-2, 4.33 ERA) allowed just one run in 5 2/3 innings of a Padres win over the Reds last time out. "My mindset was the right spot," Lucchesi told the San Diego Union Tribune. "I told myself I was going to attack the zone, get in there, throw through (catcher Austin Hedges) with my fastball and my fastball command was there. I've been working on that in my last pen."

The Nats counter with right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (2-0, 4.34 ERA) who was tagged with five runs on nine hits in five innings against Colorado his last start. Also keep in mind that even if the Padres can't get to Hellickson, they must like their chances against a Nats bullpen that is dead last across the major leagues with a 7.34 ERA. A six-run 10th inning earned the Padres an 8-3 win yesterday. 

Nationals are 2-7 in their last 9 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600 and 2-5 in Hellickson's last seven starts vs. a team with a winning record.

10* play on San Diego Padres. 

SPURS @ NUGGETS TNT *DO OR DIE*

The San Antonio Spurs stepped up with a huge 120-103 win when they faced elimination Thursday night. We now get to enjoy a deciding Game 7 of this Western Conference first-round series with the Denver Nuggets. The teams are not only 3-3 SU in the series but also ATS with the team winning outright also covering the spread in each game. 

It's however also worth noting that the teams have won as underdogs one time each, and I'm happy to take the points on the underdog in what should be a close affair. Sure, it'll be a hostile environment at Pepsi Center, but I don't think it'll faze this veteran Spurs team one bit.

8* play on San Antonio Spurs. 

TOP RATED 10* MARLINS @ PHILLIES MLB PLAY OF THE DAY

The Philadelphia Phillies have scored just 13 runs through its last five games. They and the Miami Marlins have combined for a total of eight runs over the first two contests of this four-game series, and I think we'll see another low-scoring affair here in Game 3 on Saturday. 

Phillies right-hander Jake Arrieta (3-2, 2.65 ERA) was tagged with four runs (three earned) in six innings at New York Mets last time out. Under is however 6-1 in his last seven starts overall, and Arrieta had posted a 2.25 ERA through his first four starts of the season. He is 6-1 with a 2.78 ERA nine career starts against the Marlins. 

Trevor Richards (0-3, 3.72 ERA) will toe the slab for the visiting Marlins who have have lost each of Richards' first five starts of the season, but most of the time to little fault of his own. Miami has provided Richards with just eight runs of support, and it was blanked in a 5-0 loss to Washington on April 21. Under is 9-2 in Richards' last 11 starts with five days of rest.  

Philadelphia has scored just 13 runs through its last five games and under is 10-1 in Marlins last 11 road games.

10* play on UNDER. 

SUPER EARLY MLB RUNLINE RIPPER

We won with the Minnesota Twins on the runline as a free pick Friday night when they put a solid 6-1 beating on the Baltimore Orioles. I think they'll come through with another easy win here in this early Saturday afternoon matchup. 

The Twins hand the ball to Jose Berrios (3-1, 2.97 ERA) who had posted a 2.30 ERA through his first four starts of the season before surrendering four runs in six innings at Baltimore last Sunday. The Twins still won that contest 6-5, and I expect a better performance from Berriors here at Target Field where the right-hander usually is at his very best.  

The Orioles counter with Dan Straily (1-1, 8.59 ERA) who pitched opposite Berrios last Sunday. Straily was tagged with three runs through five frames and was charged with the loss. Minnesota homered five times last night to make it 42 on the season; extremely discomforting news for Straily who has served up seven dingers through 14 2/3 innings of work here in 2019. 

8* play on Minnesota Twins -1.5. 

GAME OF THE MONTH (NHL): MIKE'S BEST NHL MONEYLINE BET FOR APRIL!

The San Jose Sharks will host the Colorado Avalanche the opener of their best-of-seven second round playoff series Friday night. I think this looks like a great spot to back the visitors.

The Sharks did not only battle back from a 3-1 deficit in the series to beat Vegas in the last round, they were also forced to come back from 3-0 down in the deciding Game 7. That contest concluded just three days ago, and I think San Jose will be both physically and mentally drained for this matchup. 

"I’m more worried about our emotional level than our physical," Sharks’ coach Peter DeBoer said. "You’re fighting for your life for three games in a row, that taxes you emotionally. So we’ve got to get our emotional levels back up when we come out on the ice on Friday night."

The Avs, on the other hand, had little trouble to dismiss the Western Conference regular-season champions Calgary Flames in five games. They last played on April 19 so have had plenty of time to rest and prepare. 

10* play on Colorado Avalanche. 

CUBS @ D'BACKS FRIDAY NIGHT NO-BRAINER

The under is 8-3-1 in the last 12 meetings between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Chicago Cubs, and I think we'll see a relatively low-scoring affair here in the opener of a three-game series Friday night. 

The Cubs hand the ball to Kyle Hendricks (1-3, 3.54 ERA) who tossed seven shutout innings in a 5-1 victory over Arizona last Friday. Over his career, Hendricks owns a 1.95 ERA in five starts against the D'Backs who counter with Robbie Ray (0-1, 3.95 ERA). The left-hander has compiled a 1.80 ERA in five career starts against the Cubs and held them to four hits and one run through six innings last Sunday. The Cubs won that contest 2-1, and runs are likely to come at a premium for both sides here as well. 

Under is 7-2 in Diamondbacks last 9 overall and 8-2 in their last 10 games vs. a right-handed starter. Under is 6-2 in Cubs last 8 overall and 8-3 in their last 11 games vs. a left-handed starter.

8* play on UNDER. 

FRIDAY NIGHT MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The St. Louis Cardinals are on a roll coming off five straight victories. They've managed to combine solid pitching with good hitting during that stretch, and I think that will continue here against a Reds team they've beaten in 20 of the last nine meetings. 

Anthony DeSclafani (0-1, 5.59 ERA) will take the ball for visiting Cincinnati. Matt Carpenter has owned the Reds right-hander, hitting 9-for-22 (.409), and DeSclafani gave up four runs through four innings (three homers) when he faced the Cards on April 14. 

St. Louis turns to Miles Mikolas (2-1, 4.97 ERA) who held the Mets to a pair of runs through eight innings of a 10-2 win over the Mets last time out. He was not particularly sharp when he pitched opposite DeSclafani on April 14, but the Cards still won the game 9-5 and Mikolas is 2-0 behind a 3.60 ERA in six career appearances against the Reds.  

Cardinals are 14-2 in Mikolas' last 16 starts vs. a team with a losing record. Cardinals are 16-2 in Mikolas' last 18 starts with 5 days of rest. Reds are 1-7 in DeSclafanis last 8 starts. Reds are 2-10 in their last 12 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.

8* play on St. Louis Cardinals. 

TOP RATED SPURS @ NUGGETS NBA PLAY OF THE DAY

The San Antonio Spurs are in a do-or-die situation here, entering this contest at a 3-2 hole in the series following an 18-point loss in Game 5 of the series on Tuesday.

They're a solid 33-10 SU (25-18) ATS at home on the season while the Denver Nuggets are 21-22 SU (18-25 ATS) on the road and I expect the home team to force an all decisive Game 7. 

The Nuggets had lost 14 straight matchups at San Antonio before coming through with a Game 4 triumph at AT&T Center. To repeat that will be incridibly difficult against this well-coached San Antonio, team, and I expect Spurs coach Gregg Popovich to have his team better prepared for this than last time out. "They just outplayed us in every facet," Popovich said. "We missed a lot at the rim early, or it could have been a much more competitive first half. We've got to have more guys playing well for sure."

Spurs will be ready and fired up, and I don't see them getting knocked out in front of the home town crowd. 

10* play on San Antonio Spurs. 

THURSDAY NIGHT MLB TOTAL

The under is 18-5 in games involving the Cincinnati Reds here in 2019 following a 3-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday. We cashed in BIG with the under as our MLB Total of the Week on that contest, and I expect another low-scoring affair here in the finale of this three-game series. 

Cincinnati right-hander Luis Castillo (2-1, 1.47 ERA) has been on fire through the first couple of weeks this season. His 1.27 ERA is best among all starters across the major leagues and he has not given up more than two runs in any of his five starts.

The Braves turn to right-hander Julio Teheran (2-2, 5.61 ERA) who's not been quite as sharp, but he's shown some good stuff and has recorded 29 Ks through 25 2/3 innings of work. Teheran has alternated good and bad starts, and I like him to bounce back with a solid performance after surrendering five runs at Cleveland last time out. 

Under is 11-3 in Braves last 14 when their opponent scores two runs or fewer in their previous game and 9-1 in Castillo's last 10 starts overall.

8* play on UNDER. 

EARLY D'BACKS @ PIRATES DAYTIME DESTROYER

The Arizona Diamondbacks are playing great baseball at the moment and an 11-2 rout of the Pirates on Wednesday marked their eighth win in 10 games. Pittsburgh on the other hand is trending in the opposite direction with four straight defeats, and here it'll face D'Backs righty Zack Greinke (3-1, 4.60 ERA) who owns a 1.03 ERA in 13 career appearances against the Pirates. We can also note that Greinke has posted a 2.81 ERA through four quality starts in a row.

Jameson Taillon (1-2, 3.12 ERA) will toe the slab for the Pirates. He's coming off a solid outing, but I don't see him being able to shut down an Arizona team which has scored 25 runs through the first three games of this series. 

Pirates are 1-7 in their last 8 home games vs. a team with a winning record. Diamondbacks are 8-0 in their last 8 road games vs. a team with a winning record.

Diamondbacks are 11-1 in the last 12 meetings and a perfect 9-0 in the last 9 meetings in Pittsburgh.

8* play on Arizona Diamondbacks. 

WEDNESDAY NIGHT NBA NO-BRAINER

The Houston Rockets own a 3-1 lead in this Western Conference playoffs series and had won and covered the spread in each of the first three games before taking a 107-91 loss at Salt Lake City Monday night. 

It's actually not all that the Rockets had a letdown game after three strong performances, and while the Jazz may have been allowed to extend the series for another game, I'm very confident this series ends tonight. 

Utah has been completely outmatched in both games at Houston, losing by 32 and 20 points. Rockets are 7-0-1 ATS in their last eight home games and 4-1-1 in the last six meetings with the Jazz.

8* play on Houston Rockets. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (MLB): WEDNESDAY NIGHT TOTAL MAJOR WAGER ALERT

The Atlanta Braves picked up a 7-6 triumph here at Great American Ball Park in the opener of a three-game set Tuesday night. It was a rare slugfest involving the Cincinnati Reds who are 17-5 to the under on the season, and I think runs will come at a premium here in Game 2 of the series. 

Reds' right-hander Tanner Roark (1-0, 3.60 ERA) has allowed just two runs with 10 Ks over 10 2/3 innings over his last two starts. He owns a respectable 3.09 ERA in 23 career matchups with the Braves who counter with Mike Soroka (0-1, 1.80 ERA). The 6-foot-4 Canadian has made just one start this season, but it was a solid one when he held the D'Backs to one run in five innings of a 4-1 loss on Thursday. Soroka started the season with Triple-A Gwinnett and will be eager for another solid outing in order to earn a spot in the rotation. 

Under is 8-3 in Reds last 11 home games. Under is 16-5 in Braves last 21 road games vs. a team with a losing record.

10* play on UNDER. 

EARLY WEDNESDAY MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Colorado Rockies took a 6-3 loss to the Washington Nationals on Tuesday. They have been hot lately though winning seven of their last nine, and I like the price we get on the home team to bounce back with a big win here at Coors Field Wednesday afternoon. 

The Rockies hand the ball to German Marquez (2-1, 2.25 ERA). The 24-year old right-hander allowed 10 hits and a pair of walks against the Phillies last time out but managed to limit the damage to two runs over five innings. He had been much sharper in previous turns here in 2019 with just 13 hits and six walks allowed over 27 frames and owns a 0.97 WHIP. Marquez has a total of 30 Ks over 32 innings on the season and I expect him to have a solid outing here. 

The Nats turn to Anibal Sanchez (0-2, 4.91 ERA) who has yet to earn a victory this season. Sanchez gave up four walks in five frames last time out and has struggled with his command all season. The 24-year old right-hander has a bloated 1.55 WHIP which could spell big trouble at a hitters park like Coors Field.

8* play on Colorado Rockies. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (NBA): TUESDAY NIGHT MAJOR WAGER ATS ALERT

The Oklahoma City Thunder are on the brink of elimination here with Portland Trail Blazers heading into Tuesday night's matchup with a 3-1 lead in the series. The Blazers picked up a 111-98 triumph at Oklahoma City last time out and I don't see them losing here in front of the home town crowd. 

OKC's Russell Westbrook shot a weak 5-of-21 from the floor in the last game while the Thunder simply have no answer to Portland's dominant backcourt duo of CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard who combined for 51 points and 11 assists last time out. 

Blazers are 34-9 SU (26-16-1 ATS) home at Moda Center on the season and 34-15-3 ATS in their last 52 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points. Thunder are 1-4 ATS in their last five games following a double-digit loss at home and 1-4 ATS in their last five road games.

10* play on Portland Trail Blazers. 

LATE NIGHT RUNLINE RIPPER

The San Diego Padres snapped a six-game losing streak with a 4-3 win over Cincinnati on Sunday. They got Monday off, but I think they'll keep the momentum going with a win here against the Seattle Mariners Tuesday night. 

The Mariners had won three on the bounce before taking an 8-6 loss to the Halos at LA on Sunday. Tonight they'll hand the ball to rookie right-hander Erik Swanson (0-1, 3.38 ERA) for his third major league appearance and second major league start. Swanson was solid last time out when he held Cleveland to one run two hits through six innings, but Seattle still lost 1-0. Let down game for the 25 year old tonight?

Swanson will be opposed by Padres left-hander Nick Margevicius (1-2, 3.60 ERA) who was roughed up by Colorado in his last start, but he had been excellent through his first three outings posting a 1.69 ERA through 16 innings of work. Margevicius owns a 19-2 K/BB ratio through 20 frames in the big leagues. "When he's hitting his spots, Nick is difficult to square up," Padres manager Andy Green said recently of Margevicius. "And he's pretty good at hitting his spots."

Padres are 10-2 in their last 12 games following an off day. Mariners are 1-5 in their last 6 games following an off day.

8* play on San Diego Padres. 

LATE NIGHT MLB MIDNIGHT MASSACRE (TOTAL)

The Texas Rangers and the Oakland Athletics combined for seven runs with the total closing at 8.5 runs on Monday. I think this will be another relatively low-scoring affair. 

Rangers' right-hander Lance Lynn (2-1, 4.44 ERA) have conceded just five runs through his last three starts, covering a total of 18 2/3 innings. This will be his first career meeting with the A's who counter with right-hander Frankie Montas (3-1, 2.70 ERA) who held Houston to one run over 6 1/3 frames last time out. Under is 5-1 in Montas' last six starts overall.

Under is 7-2-1 in Athletics last 10 after allowing 2 runs or less in their previous game. Under is 5-1 in Rangers last 6 road games.

8* play on UNDER. 

BREW CREW @ CARDS $20 TUESDAY SPECIAL

The reeling Milwaukee Brewers have dropped five of their last six games and took a 13-5 beating here at St. Louis in the opener of this three-game series on Monday. 

Milwaukee right-hander Zach Davies (2-0, 1.19 ERA) has enjoyed a strong start to the season. He has allowed one earned run over his past three outings, but that could change fast here against a Cards team that owned him in 2018. Through two starts againts the Cards last year, Davies was tagged with 11 earned runs over 10 2/3 innings for a bloated 9.28 ERA.

The Cards hand the ball to rookie right-hander Daniel Ponce de Leon for his season debut. He compiled a respectable 2.73 ERA in 11 outings (four starts) covering 33 innings of work last season.

Cardinals are 8-1 in their last 9 home games. Brewers are 2-7 in Davies' last 9 starts vs. a team with a winning record.

8* play on St. Louis Cardinals.

CAPS @ CANES MONDAY NIGHT MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Washington Capitals took a 3-2 series lead with Saturday night's 6-0 home victory and would close out this Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series with a win here in Raleigh Monday night. 

We can however note that both teams are perfect on home ice in this series, and the visiting team has yet to hold a lead in any of the five games. The Carolina Hurricanes enjoy tremendous support home at PCN Arena, something the Caps are well aware of. "They get behind their players and they play well there," Washington center Nic Dowd said.

Carolina hopes to have rookie Andrei Svechnikov back in action for this contest. He has missed the last two games after getting knocked out by an Alex Ovechkin punch in Game 3. Expect the home town crowd to rally behind Svechnikov and the rest of the Hurricanes in this do-or-die matchup to carry the home team to a decisive Game 7 in Washington.

8* play on Carolina Hurricanes. 

MONDAY NIGHT MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Baltimore Orioles are just 1-9 home at Camden Yards on the season, and I think they'll take another L here with struggling right-hander David Hess on the mound. 

Hess (1-3, 5.57 ERA) was tagged with  six runs (including three homers) in two-plus innings on April 17 against the Rays. He has served up seven home runs in 21 innings already this season and allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits in 4 1/3 innings in his only career start against the White Sox. He might not be able to count on much help from a depleted bullpen followinga double-header against Minnesota yesterday.  

Manny Banuelos (1-0, 3.48 ERA) will take the ball for the visitors. The left-hander should we well up for this contest as he'll make his first start of the season after pitching 10 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. 

Orioles are 4-18 in Hess' last 22 starts and 0-6 in their last 6 games vs. a left-handed starter.

8* play on Chicago White Sox. 

D'BACKS @ PIRATES MONDAY NIGHT NO-BRAINER

The Pittsburgh Pirates had a five-game winning streak come to an end with a 3-2 loss to San Francisco on Sunday. They look way overpriced in this contest, and with this kind of value on the visitors I think this is a no-brainer play on Arizona Diamondbacks.

Arizona right-hander Zack Godley (1-1, 6.26 ERA) has not had a great start to the season, but his last outing was rather encouraging when he held the Braves to five hits and two runs, with four strikeouts and two walks in six frames of a 3-2 D'Backs win. Godley has posted a 3.86 ERA in three career matchups with the Pirates who will hand the ball to 3.86 ERA Joe Musgrove. 

Unlike Godley, Musgrove (1-1, 0.81 ERA) has been phenomenal here in 2019 with just two earned runs allowed through 22 2/3 innings of work, but I think a poor start is right around the corner. It might very well come here as he is 0-1 with a 5.56 ERA in three career games against the D'Backs. 

The Diamondbacks are 6-3 in their past nine road games. 

8* play on Arizona Diamondbacks. 

TOP RATED 10* NBA PLAY OF THE DAY

The LA Clippers had the audacity to upset the reigning NBA champions with a come from behind win at Oakland in Game 2 of this Western Conference playoff series. The Warriors did however manage to bounce back and reclaimed the momentum with a 132-105 rout of the Clip Show here in LA last time out. 

The Warriors have had their letdown game / wake up call already and now have a chance to take a 3-1 lead and and close out the series home at Oracle Arena in Game 5. With rest a hot commodity here in the playoffs, I don't think Golden State coach Steve Kerr will allow any more slip ups as he surely must value maximum preparation time for the next round. 

Warriors are 28-10 ATS in their last 38 Conference Quarterfinals games. Clippers are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 Conference Quarterfinals games. Warriors are 6-1 ATS in the last 7 meetings in LA.

10* play on Golden State Warriors. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB PLAY OF THE DAY

The Arizona Diamondbacks put an end to the Chicago Cubs' four-game winning streak yesterday with a 6-0 triumph. They've five of their last six with the only setback a 5-1 loss to the Cubs in the opener of this three-game set on Friday, and I think the D'Backs will claim the rubber match here Sunday afternoon. 

D'Backs left-hander Robbie Ray (0-1, 4.64 ERA) had allowed only a total of six runs through his first three starts (15 1/3 innings) before getting roughed up for five in six innings at Atlanta last time out. Arizona still won that game 9-6 and I like Ray to come back with a big performance here. Note that Ray has posted a 1.88 ERA in four career starts against the Cubs. 

Chicago hands the ball to Tyler Chatwood (0-0, 6.00 ERA) for his first start of the season. He has been tagged with four runs on six hits and five walks in six innings out of the bullpen. Chatwood surrendered four runs on five hits and six walks in 4 2/3 innings against Arizona last season.  

Diamondbacks are 11-4 in Ray's last 15 road starts vs. a team with a losing record.

10* play on Arizona Diamondbacks. 

SUPER EARLY WHITE SOX @ TIGERS DAYTIME DESTROYER

The Chicago White Sox have won four of their last six and tied this series at 1-1 with a 7-3 triumph over Detroit Friday night. Saturday's matchup was postponed due to steady rain in the Detroit area, but I like the Tigers to bounce back with a win here in the rubber-match of the series Sunday afternoon. 

Detroit hands the ball to left-hander Daniel Norris (0-0, 4.32 ERA) for his first start of the season. He has pitched OK out of the bullpen and limited Minnesota to one run in three innings last time out.

Norris is 3-1 with a 2.53 ERA in five career outings, including three starts against the White Sox who turn to Reynaldo Lopez (1-2, 8.84 ERA). Lopez was tagged with six runs on six hits and four walks in just five innings last time out. He has struggled with his command all season and issued 14 walks through 19 1/3 innings of work. Lopez has also struggled with the long-ball, serving up a total of seven homers through his last three starts and here he'll face a Detroit side that went deep three times in Friday's matchup. 

8* play on Detroit Tigers. 

EARLY SUNDAY PREMIER LEAGUE PUNISHER

Manchester United have hit a rough patch in recent weeks and have lost four consecutive road games in all competitions for the first time in 20 years.

They got knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona midweek, which could actually be a blessing in disguise as they now can put full focus on the Premier League and the race for 4th place.

The Red Devils have struggled defensively in recent games, but here they'll face an Everton side that is coming off a 2-0 loss to a weak Fulham team already facing relegation from the top flight ... 

Despite Man U's poor form away from home, they still own the 4th best road record in the Premier League this season with nine wins, two draws and six defeats. They're undefeated with six wins and three draws in the last nine meetings with Everton. 

8* play on Manchester United. 

TOP RATED 10* NBA PLAY OF THE DAY

The Houston Rockets made light work of the Utah Jazz home at Toyota Center in both of the first two games of this Western Conference first-round matchup.

The Jazz are now a favorite for Game 3 home in Salt Lake City, and that's a line I strongly disagree with. 

The Rockets are 8-1 ATS in their last nine games overall and are playing at an unbelievably high level at the moment. Star guard James Harden has made great use of his teammates in this series and is averaging 30.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 10 assists. "Our swag and our confidence is where it needs to be," Rockets guard James Harden said after a blowout win in Game 2. "We just need to bring that to the road. We all know how tough it is to win at Utah, but we did it last year. We're focused and we're on a level defensively to where we're engaged." 

The Jazz are indeed very hard to beat home at Vivint Smart Home Arena, but they're just 1-4 ATS in their last five home games vs. a team with a winning road record.

Houston beat Utah twice on the road in the Western Conference semifinals a year ago and it is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings in Salt Lake City. 

10* play on Houston Rockets. 

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

The Cincinnati Reds and the San Diego Padres battled out a low-scoring affair Friday night. I think runs will be few and far between here in Saturday's matchup as well. 

Reds right-hander Luis Castillo (1-1, 1.46 ERA) has had a blistering start to the year, allowing just four runs with 32 Ks through 24 2/3 innings of work. Except for a 14-0 win over Miami, the run support has however been meager with Cincinnati scoring just nine runs in his other three starts. Under is 8-1 in Castillo's last nine starts overall.

The Padres counter with 23 year old southpaw Eric Lauer (2-2, 4.91 ERA) who tossed six scoreless innings of a 2-0 triumph over San Francisco in his season opener. He has not been quite as sharp in recent starts, but we can note that under is 9-0 in Reds last nine games vs. a left-handed starter. Lauer faced Cincinnati twice last year and held the club to one run with 12 Ks through nine innings of work. 

Under is 23-6 in Reds last 29 road games. Under is 8-3 in Padres last 11 home games.

10* play on UNDER. 

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

The last two games have been low-scoring affairs, and I think that will be the case once again here with the Winnipeg Jets backed into a corner down 3-2 in the series. They will want to make sure not to fall behind as that could prove devastating, and I think the Jets will come out with a very defensive approach. 

The St. Louis Blues will be looking to secure their spot in the Western Conference Semifinals with a win, and the gameplan is clear: "We're just staying with it," Jaden Schwartz told NHL.com after a come from behind 3-2 win in Game 5. "We believe in each other, we believe in the system, and we work as a team. When the team has success, we know that we all get rewarded. We're all playing the same, we're working hard, we're tight defensively, and the power play had a big goal to give us momentum."

It certainly doesn't sound like the Blues have any intentions of turning this into a free flowing game of hockey ... 

Under is 9-1-2 in Blues last 12 Saturday games. Under is 12-5 in Blues last 17 games as a home favorite.

10* play on UNDER. 

NUGGETS @ SPURS GAME 4 BASKET BRAWLER

The San Antonio Spurs have taken a 2-1 lead in this series after splitting a couple of games at Denver before picking up a 118-108 home victory on Thursday. They've been rock solid home at AT&T Center all season (33-9 SU, 25-17 ATS) while the Denver Nuggets have been rather mediocre on the road (20-22 SU, 17-25 ATS). The Nuggets have lost 14 straight games in San Antonio and Spurs have covered the spread in six of the last eight of those games. 

Spurs have a considerable edge in recent playoff experience, and I think they'll take 3-1 lead in the series with another win here. 

8* play on San Antonio Spurs. 

SATURDAY PREMIER LEAGUE PUNISHER (TOTAL)

Newcastle (15th) and Southampton (16th) are both trying to avoid relegation. They're both on the right side of the relegation zone though (18th and worse) and a low-scoring draw here would probably suit both teams just fine. 

Newcastle are coming off a 1-0 win over Leicester and they have 10 clean sheets on the season. Southampton have done most of their damage at home and have scored just 16 goals in their 16 games away from home on the season. 

Expect a cagey, low-scoring affair with neither team willing to risk dropping points. 

8* play on UNDER. 

GAME OF THE MONTH (SOCCER): MIKE'S BEST SOCCER SIDE FOR APRIL

The Wolverhampton Wanderers are in a four-team race for 7th place in the Premier League. While worth little more than the prestige, it would mean a lot for a small club like Wolves. 

They've been extremely successful home at Molineux Stadium lately with victories in seven of their last eight home games in all competitions, drawing the other. 

Brighton are battling to avoid relegation, but they're doing a poor job and have suffered five straight defeats without scoring a single goal. They've lost 12 of their last 18 overall and dropped six of their last eight away from home. 

10* play on Wolves.