TOP RATED 10* BLAZERS @ THUNDER BOOKIE BREAKER TOTAL

The first two games of this series at Portland were both low-scoring affairs, and that's a trend I expect to continue here in Game 3 at Chesapeake Energy Arena Friday night. 

The Thunder really struggled to put points on the board and were held to sub-100 points in both contests. Under is 6-2 in Thunder last 8 vs. a team with a winning straight up record and 4-0 in their last four Conference Quarterfinals games.

The Blazers averaged 118.2 ppg at home during the regular season but that number dropped significantly to 111.1 ppg on the road. Under is 6-2-1 in their last nine away from home and 6-2 in their last eight vs. a team with a winning straight up record.

The Thunder need to win this game to avoid falling into an 0-3 hole. They're probably smart enough to realize they can't outscore Portland, and I expect the home team to come out and play lock-down defense and try and slow down the tempo. 

10* play on UNDER. 

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

The Colorado Rockies will host the Philadelphia Phillies for Game 2 of a four-game series Friday night. I think the total looks way high for this contest, and I'm going with a BIG BET on the under. 

Rockies right-hander German Marquez (2-1, 2.00 ERA) has been excellent through his first four outings in 2019. He was roughed up by Atlanta on April 9 but has allowed just one run covering a total of 22 innings in the other three starts. Last time out, he tossed a complete game, one-hit shutout against the Giants and under is 13-3-2 in Marquez's last 18 starts overall. 

Marquez has posted a 3.32 ERA in three career starts against the Phillies who turn to Vince Velasquez (0-0, 2.25 ERA). The 26 year old right-hander has made three appearances (two starts) here in 2019. In the the two starts, Velasquez held Miami and Washington to a combined three runs on six hits and three walks covering 11 innings of work. He has posted a poor 5.23 ERA in six career starts against the Rockies, but they've struggled to produce runs home at Coors Field this season. 

10* play on UNDER. 

FRIDAY NIGHT MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Detroit Tigers snapped a five-game skid with a 7-5 win over the Chicago White Sox in the opener of this four-game series Thursday night. 

I think the Tigers will be back to their losing ways here, facing White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon (2-2, 3.27 ERA) who held the New York Yankees to two runs on three hits in six innings on Sunday. Rodon has struggled in previous career matchups with the Tigers, but note that they're 1-6 in their last seven games vs. a left-handed starter.

Jordan Zimmermann (0-2, 4.29 ERA) will toe the slab for Detroit. He has been tagged with 10 runs while serving up four homers in his last two starts. Zimmerman was 1-2 with a weak 7.11 ERA against the White Sox last season and has posted a 5.81 ERA in 13 career starts against them. Jose Abreu and Yonder Alonso both has great number against the right-hander. 

White Sox are 6-2 in Rodon's last 8 Friday starts. Tigers are 2-9 in Zimmermann's last 11 Friday starts.

8* play on Chicago White Sox. 

GAME OF THE YEAR (NBA): MIKE'S BEST NBA PLAYOFFS SIDE FOR 2019!

The Golden State Warriors were cruising to an easy 2-0 lead in this Western Conference Quarterfinals series as they owned a 31-point lead halfway through the third quarter. Then complacency kicked in, and they ended up losing 135-131 ... 

The Warriors are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following a straight up loss, and oh boy, will they be fired up for this contest as the series move to LA all tied at 1-1. 

"We have a lot of experience," Warriors guard Klay Thompson said of the two-time defending champions. "This is the first time we've been tied in a series (since Game 7 of last year's Western finals against Houston, which Golden State won). I know we'll bounce back. We're too prideful not to."

Warriors are 27-10 ATS in their last 37 Conference Quarterfinals games. Clippers are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 Conference Quarterfinals games.

10* play on Golden State Warriors. 

LATE MLB MIDNIGHT MASSACRE

The Seattle Mariners have cooled off since a red hot 13-2 start to the season and managed just a total of 15 runs during an 0-6 homestand. The opposition was not the easiest though, with a pair of three-game series against Cleveland and Houston ... The Mariners are most likely rather happy to get out of Seattle for a change of scenery, and I like the price we get on the Mariners here at LA with veteran right-hander Felix Hernandez on the mound. 

Hernandez (1-1, 4.38 ERA) had a rough 2018, but he's been much better this season. He allowed just one earned run through 5 1/3 innings of a 6-3 win against the Halos in his season debut, a matchup where he just like today was opposed by LAA right-hander Chris Stratton. Stratton (0-1, 5.54 ERA) went 4 1/3 innings in that contest and allowed four runs on seven hits in the defeat. 

Mariners are 6-0 in their last 6 road games. Mariners are 12-2 in their last 14 vs. a team with a losing record. Mariners are 6-1 in the last 7 meetings.

8* play on Seattle Mariners. 

DODGERS @ BREWERS BOOKIE BLASTER

The LA Dodgers snapped a six-game slide with 7-1 win over Milwaukee on April 14, and they're coming off a three-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds to make it four wins in a row. They're however 1-6 in their last seven vs. a team with a winning record and 0-4 in their last four road games. Here they'll face a red hot Brewers pitcher in Zach Davies in the opener of a four-game series.

Davies (2-0, 1.53 ERA) has allowed just one earned run in his past two outings. First the right-hander blanked the Cubs over 5 2/3 innings before holding the Dodgers scoreless over seven frames of a 4-1 Brew Crew triumph last time out to improve to 3-1 with a 2.30 ERA in five career starts against the Dodgers.

The Dodgers turn to left-hander Julio Urias (0-1, 5.27 ERA) who was tagged with six runs (five earned) on six hits over five innings of am 8-5 loss to Milwaukee on April 12. 

The Brewers took two of three in LA Last week. They're 7-2 in their last nine home games vs. a left-handed starter and own a .308 batting average against southpaws on the season, good for 3rd in the major leagues.

8* play on Milwaukee Brewers. 

EARLY GIANTS @ NATIONALS TOTAL

The San Francisco Giants opened this series with a 7-3 win but the Washington Nationals tied it up with a 9-6 triumph Wednesday night. After two high-scoring contests, I think we'll see far fewer runs here in the rubber match.

Nats left-hander Patrick Corbin (0-0, 2.84 ERA) is 4-1 behind a 1.93 ERA in his last seven starts against the Giants. He limited Pittsburgh to one run and fanned 11 through seven innings last time out. On the season, Corbin owns a 24/4 K/BB ratio over 19 frames. 

Giants lefty Drew Pomeranz (0-1, 3.86 ERA) held the Rockies to two runs on four hits in five innings his last start. He has posted a 2.19 ERA in two career starts versus Washington.

Under is 23-9-2 in Giants last 34 after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game. Under is 25-10-1 in Giants last 36 when their opponent allows 5 runs or more in their previous game.

8* play on UNDER. 

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

The fourth-seeded Houston Rockets put a 122-90 beating on the fifth-seeded Utah Jazz in Game 1 of this Western Conference first-round series on Tuesday. They're now 9-4-1 ATS in the last 14 head-to-head meetings and I expect that dominance to continue here in Game 2. 

Utah's defensive scheme to contain James Harden failed miserable in the series opener as he had 29 points with 10 assists helping seven Rockets players to reach double digits in scoring.

Houston shot 15-of-41 (36.6%) from behind the arc, and while the Jazz are expected to make some adjustments for this contest, I just don't see them keeping up with this Rockets side. 

These sides clashed in the Western Conference semifinals last season, a series the Rockets opened with a win only to drop Game 2. They should have learned their lesson this time around. "It's only one game," Harden said. "They're going to make adjustments, we have to make adjustments and play that much harder and smarter. We'll let it sink in and get ready to go."

10* play on Houston Rockets. 

GIANTS @ NATIONALS NO-BRAINER

The Washington Nationals should be well up for this contest after taking a 7-3 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday. Here they'll face right-hander Jeff Samardzija (1-0, 1.62 ERA) who may be off to a fast start here in 2019, but he is 0-6 with a hideous 7.39 ERA in his last six starts against the Nationals. 

Nats' righty Jeremy Hellickson (1-0, 2.25 ERA) on the other hand has posted a solid 3.29 ERA in five career starts against the Giants. He tossed six shutout innings of a 15-1 win at Philadelphia last time out and Nationals are 7-1 in Hellickson's last eight starts vs. a team with a losing record.

Nationals are 5-1 in their last 6 games following a loss and 13-3 in their last 16 after allowing 5 runs or more in their previous game. Giants are 1-9 in their last 10 after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game and 2-7 in their last 9 games following a win.

8* play on Washington Nationals. 

RED SOX @ YANKEES AL EAST RIVALRY

The New York Yankees put an 8-0 beating on the Boston Red Sox in the opener of this two-game series Tuesday night. I like the price we get on the visitors to bounce back and deny the Bronx Bombers a sweep here with Nathan Eovaldi on the mound. 

Eovaldi (0-0, 8.40 ERA) has admittedly had a poor start to the season, but the Red Sox have still won each of his three starts. Eovaldi is very familiar with the Yankees organization after pitching for the club 2015 and 2016 and the 29 year old right-hander has dominated previous meetings with the Yankees. He limited them to one run in seven innings in Boston's 16-1 win in Game 3 of the 2018 ALDS in the last matchup. 

The home team turns to J.A. Happ (0-2, 8.76 ERA) who much like Eovaldi has had a rocky start to 2019. He gave up six runs in just four innings his outing, and the last time the left-hander faced Boston, in Game 1 of the 2018 ALDS, he was tagged with five runs in two innings.

Red Sox are 9-4 in their last 13 games vs. a left-handed starter and 5-0 in Eovaldi's last 5 starts. Yankees are 2-7 in their last 9 games following a win and 1-6 in their last 7 when their opponent scores 2 runs or less in their previous game.

8* play on Boston Red Sox. 

EARLY TOP RATED METS @ PHILLIES BOOKIE BREAKER

The Philadelphia Phillies dropped Game 1 of this series by a score of 7-6, but they bounced back in a big way on Tuesday. A 10 run first frame certainly didn't hurt, and I think they'll score plenty today as well coming up against a depleted Mets bullpen and a starter with a bloated ERA. 

Mets right-hander Zack Wheeler (1-1, 7.47 ERA) is coming off his best outing of the season, six innings of two-run ball at Atlanta. He did however struggle with his command again and has issued 11 walks in 15 2/3 innings. Wheeler was tagged with seven runs in two starts covering 11 2/3 innings against the Phillies last season 

Phillies right-hander Jake Arrieta (2-1, 2.25 ERA) meanwhile is off to an excellent start to the year and fanned eight through seven innings of one-run ball at Miami last time out. In 2018, Arrieta held the Mets to just five runs in 18 1/3 innings of work and he owns a 2.34 ERA in 10 career starts against the club.

10* play on Philadelphia Phillies.

LATE NIGHT MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Colorado Rockies have answered an eight-game slide with back-to-back wins, the most recent a  5-2 victory here at San Diego yesterday. The Padres are trending in the opposite direction coming off a pair of losses.

Colorado right-hander Jon Gray (0-3, 4.19 ERA) will take the mound eager to get his first W of the season. Gray was a hard-luck loser last time out though when he held the Giants to one run through 6 2/3 innings of a 1-0 defeat at AT&T Park, and I expect another stellar outing from him here.  

Gray is 8-3 with a 2.69 ERA in 15 career starts the Padres and he has won each of his past three starts in San Diego behind a 1.42 ERA. "I've always liked pitching in San Diego," Gray said last Sept. 1 after holding the Padres to two runs on seven hits and a walk over six innings. "I like the mound."

The Padres turn to rookie left-hander Nick Margevicius (1-1, 1.69 ERA) who has been outstanding through his first three starts in the big leagues, allowing just three runs on nine hits and a walk with 12 strikeouts in 16 innings of work.

Margevicius will no doubt find it hard to out-duel Gray here though, and I like the price we get on the visitors at Petco Park Monday night.

8* play on Colorado Rockies. 

MAGIC @ RAPTORS GAME 2 BOOKIE BLASTER

The Orlando Magic opened this Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series with a 104-101 win as a 9.5-point underdog. While I don't think the visitors will be able to win both of the first two games in Toronto outright, I do like them to cover the spread again. 

While Toronto relaxed down the stretch of the regular season, the Magic were in must-win mode pretty much since the All Star break and that mindset carried over to Game 1 of this series.

"These last few months, especially since after All-Star break, I think we have one of the best records in the NBA," said D.J Augustin, who scored 25 points Saturday. "It's just a mindset that we came in with. Our goal was to make the playoffs, and just not make it, we want to make noise and win a series or two. We feel like we can, we believe in ourselves, coach believes in us and I feel like that's all we need to get some good wins and build momentum."

The Raptors may have finished the regular season with the 2nd best record in the East, but they've struggled to cover the spread all season long. That was particularly true when closing as a favorite (29-37 ATS) while the Magic finished 30-22 ATS as an underdog. 

8* play on Orlando Magic. 

TUESDAY NIGHT CARDS @ BREW CREW TOTAL

Monday's matchup between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers turned into a high-scoring affair. I think runs will be harder to come by for both sides here in Game 2 of the series. 

Cards' right-hander Jack Flaherty (1-0, 2.93 ERA) went six innings, allowing one run on three hits and eight strikeouts against the Dodgers last time out. He has posted a 3.58 ERA in previous meetings with Milwaukee and has the current Brew Crew roster limited to a .194 AVG through 98 at bats. 

Brandon Woodruff (1-1, 6.00 ERA) will take the ball for Milwaukee. He'll be looking to get back on track after getting roughed up in back-to-back starts. The 26 year old right-hander did however limit St. Louis to a pair of runs in five innings of a 4-2 win in his season debut on March 30 and under is 7-2 in Woodruff's last nine home starts.

Under is 12-3-1 in Brewers last 16 games vs. a right-handed starter and 10-3-1 in their last 14 vs. a team with a winning record.

8* play on UNDER. 

$20 TUESDAY UNDERDOG DELIGHT

The Toronto Blue Jays took the opener of this series by a score of 5-3 on Monday. I think we're getting good value on them to pick up another win here at Minnesota Tuesday night. 

The Twins hand the ball to Kyle Gibson (0-0, 7.71 ERA) who has been roughed up in each of his first two starts this season. Minnesota still provided him with enough run support to win both games, but that might not be the case here as they'll come up against Toronto right-hander Aaron Sanchez (1-1, 1.69 ERA) who had opened the season strong prior to a disappointing outing at Fenway Park last time out. 

Sanchez is 2-0 with a 3.79 ERA in three starts here at Target Field and the price is right to back the visitors in this matchup.  

8* play on Toronto Blue Jays. 

TOP RATED 10* CLIPPERS @ WARRIORS BOOKIE BREAKER

We have seen most games go under the total so far in the first round of the NBA playoffs, and that's a trend I like to continue here as the Golden State Warriors take on the LA Clippers in Game 2 of their playoffs series. 

The Warriors won the first matchup 121-105, and in that neighbourhood is where I think the final score for this contest will land as well. 

The Clippers have averaged a healthy 115.0 ppg on the season, but they match up poorly offensively against Golden State and have averaged just 97.3 ppg through the last three head-to-head meetings (all three went under the total). 

Under is 6-2 in Clippers last 8 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. Under is 19-7 in Warriors last 26 overall.

10* play on UNDER. 

MONDAY NIGHT NHL PLAYOFFS TOTAL NO-BRAINER

This Western Conference Quarterfinals series between the Calgary Flames and the Colorado Avalanche move to Pepsi Center with the teams all squared at 1-1. The Flames blanked the Avs in a 4-0 win in the series opener while the Avs came through with a 3-2 OT victory Saturday night. I predict another tight, low-scoring affair here in Game 3 on Monday night. 

Colorado has scored more than three goals in only two of its last nine games. Note that the Flames held opponents to a respectable 2.72 gpg during the regular season while allowing a league-best 28.07 shots per game.  

Under is 8-2 in Flames last 10 road games. Under is 3-1-2 in Flames last 6 Conference Quarterfinals games. Under is 4-0 in Flames last 4 overall. Under is 5-0 in Avalanche last 5 Conference Quarterfinals games. Under is 8-3 in Avalanche last 11 games as a home underdog. Under is 10-3 in Avalanche last 13 overall.

8* play on UNDER. 

MONDAY NIGHT NHL MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Dallas Stars may have entered this Western Conference Quarterfinals series with the Nashville Predators as an underdog, but they're now in command after splitting a couple of games at Bridgestone Arena. The teams will now play a couple of games at American Airlines Center, and I like the price we get on the Stars to claim Game 3 in front of the home town crowd. 

"It's a seven-game series. We came into Nashville wanting to get one, wanting to steal one on the road," Dallas center Tyler Seguin said. "We did that. We're excited to get home and play in front of our fans."

Nashville won Game 2 of the series 2-1, but it could have been a different story if the Stars had been more effective on the man advantage. They failed to convert on six power play opportunities, but that's not very likely to happen again.

8* play on Dallas Stars. 

MONDAY NIGHT METS @ PHILLIES TOTAL

Two elite pitchers will take the mound at Citizens Bank Park Monday night, but I think the bookmakers have made a mistake on the total here, setting it a tad too low. 

Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola (1-0, 6.46 ERA) has been lit up in back-to-back starts to Washington, surrendering a total of 11 runs (10 earned) on 12 hits, five of them homers) over 9 1/3 innings of work. On top of that, Philadelphia's bullpen has struggled all season, and it won't help that the Phillies played a 14-inning marathon at Miami on Sunday.

Mets' right-hander Noah Syndergaard (1-1, 4.74 ERA) gave up four runs on seven hits in seven innings of a 9-6 win over Minnesota last time out. Last season, Syndergaard went 1-2 with a 5.75 ERA in four starts against the Phillies. 

8* play on OVER. 

ORIOLES @ RED SOX RUNLINE RIPPER

The Boston Red Sox have taken two of the first three games of this four-game series following a dominant 4-0 triumph on Sunday. I like them to pick up an easy win here in the series finale Monday afternoon with right-hander Hector Velazquez on the mound. 

Velazquez (0-0, 2.79 ERA) was 1-0 with a 3.09 ERA in five outings (two starts) covering 11 2/3 total innings against Baltimore last season. While this will be Velazquez second start of the season, note that he pitched three shutout innings as the starter in a 1-0 win over the Diamondbacks last Sunday. 

The Orioles turn to Dan Straily (0-1, 19.29 ERA) who is 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA in two career starts against the Red Sox. Straily was tagged with five runs on eight hits in just 3 1/3 innings of a 10-3 loss to Oakland last time out. On the season, he has served up four homers through 4 2/3 innings of work. 

10* play on Boston Red Sox. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (NHL): MAJOR WAGER ALERT ON THE ICE

The Tampa Bay Lightning dominated the regular season but have their backs against the wall just two games into the first round of the NHL playoffs following a pair of home losses to the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

"We’re in a tough position, but we’re not going to quit," Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos told reporters. "We’ve got to take a page out of their book and go on the road and win a hockey game. We just got to focus on Game 3. … It’s not from lack of effort, guys are working hard, we’re just not working smart enough. They’re executing their game plan a lot better than we’re executing ours."

The Lightning had won six straight meetings with the Jackets heading into this series and are 6-1 in the last seven meetings at Nationwide Arena. No reason to overthink this one; let's back the best team in the hockey in what can only be described as do-or-die situation. 

10* play on Tampa Bay Lightning. 

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

The Portland Trail Blazers closed out the regular season with a 136-131 win over Sacramento. Here they'll face an OKC Thunder team that kept the scorekeepers busy during their five-game winning streak down the stretch. 

The Thunder put a 127-116 beating on Milwaukee in the regular season finale, and playoffs or not, I expect both teams to let offense rule this game. Particularly Portland is likely to struggle to stop OKC in the paint on the defensive end with big man Jusuf Nurkic out for the season. 

We can also note that three of four regular season meetings between these two teams surpassed the posted total for this contest. 

10* play on OVER. 

SUNDAY AFTERNOON MLB BALLPARK BLOWOUT

The surging Oakland Athletics are going for a fifth consecutive victory here as they take on the Texas Rangers Sunday afternoon. 

Oakland southpaw Brett Anderson (3-0, 2.50 ERA) was 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA against the Rangers last season. He's coming off a solid outing where he held Baltimore to two runs in six frames. 

The Rangers turn to right-hander Adrian Sampson (0-1, 1.86 ERA) who has been solid out of the bullpen here in 2019, surrendering only two runs through 9 2/3 innings of work. This will however be just his sixth career start and he is 0-5 with a 4.10 ERA in eight career appearances. 

Sampson will face an Oakland team that is coming off six consecutive multi-homer games and reigning home run champion Khris Davis has already blasted a major league-leading 10 on the season. Davis hit seven homer in nine games here at Globe Life Park last season ... 

The Rangers have have lost five of six games, and I think we're getting a great price on the hotter (and better) A's in this matchup. 

8* play on Oakland Athletics. 

EARLY MLB RUNLINE RIPPER

The Detroit Tigers took a 4-3 loss here at Minnesota on Saturday. I expect the home team to make lighter work if their opponent today and rout the visitors at Target Field Sunday afternoon. 

Tigers' right-hander Jordan Zimmerman (0-1, 2.50 ERA) gave up five runs (four earned) on four hits, three of them homers, in an 8-2 loss to Cleveland last time out. The Tigers are 6-20 in Zimmermann's last 26 starts vs. a team with a winning record and he has poor career numbers against Minnesota which hands the ball to Jose Berrios (1-1, 2.18 ERA). The 24-year-old right-hander has opened the season with three quality starts, and I think he'll keep the Tigers in check here. The Twins are 21-5 in Berrios' last 26 home starts.

8* play on Minnesota Twins -1.5. 

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

The Tampa Bay Rays saw a five-game winning streak come to an end with a 3-1 loss at Toronto on Saturday. I like them to bounce back to their winning ways with a triumph in the rubber-match of this three-game series Sunday afternoon. 

The Rays hand the ball to Charlie Morton (2-0, 2.25 ERA). The Rays have won two of his three starts on the season, and the veteran right-hander has been solid with only four earned runs allowed and 21 Ks through 16 innings of work. Morton held the Blue Jays scoreless through seven innngs of four-hit ball last year. 

The Jays counter with Marcus Stroman (0-2, 2.41 ERA) who has pitched well, but with nothing to show for it as he has received extremely poor run support through his first three starts of the season (two runs in total). Stroman was tagged with five runs on 11 hits in two starts covering 6 2/3 innings against Tampa Bay last year.

Rays are 9-0 in their last 9 Sunday games. Rays are 16-5 in their last 21 games following a loss. Blue Jays are 0-4 in their last 4 Sunday games. Blue Jays are 1-5 in their last 6 games following a win.

10* play on Tampa Bay Rays. 

TOP RATED 10* SPURS @ NUGGETS BOOKIE BREAKER

The San Antonio Spurs closed out the regular season strong to earn the No. 7 seed and avoid avoid a matchup with the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs.

"We ended off strong," DeRozan told The San Antonio Express-News. "Our confidence is high. ... I think we've got our mindset where it's supposed to be heading into the playoffs." They have an experienced roster and a top notch head coach in Gregg Popovich who has won five titles and made six trips to the NBA Finals. 

The No. 2 Denver Nuggets on the other hand struggled down the stretch, splitting their last 10 games. While they have plenty of talent, they lack the experience of the Spurs team they'll face here. Only three of the Nuggets' main rotation players have been to the playoffs before ... 

Spurs are 5-2-1 ATS in their last 8 road games. Spurs are 21-8 ATS in the last 29 meetings in Denver. Nuggets are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 home games. Nuggets are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 Conference Quarterfinals games.

10* play on San Antonio Spurs. 

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

This contest will be played at Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico, and I expect both teams to entertain the crowd with their bats rather than their pitching. 

The Reds are coming off a three-game sweep of Miami during which they scored 21 runs with eight homers. The Cards are coming off a an have scored 30 runs during a five-game winning streak and put an 11-7 beating on the Dodgers last time out. Over is 9-1 in Cardinals' last 10 after scoring five runs or more in their previous game.

Cards' right-hander Adam Wainwright (1-0, 4.50 ERA) has posted a 5.09 ERA in 29 appearances (24 starts) against the Reds. Joey Votto is 14-for-46 with three homers and eight RBI off Waino. 

Tanner Roark (0-0, 5.79 ERA) will take the ball for Cincinnati. He has posted a gaudy 6.58 ERA through seven career appearances (five starts) against St. Louis. Marcell Ozuna has had decent success against Roark, going 13-for-41 with a homer and seven RBI.

10* play on OVER. 

SATURDAY NIGHT MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Philadelphia Phillies put a 9-1 beating on the Miami Marlins on Friday. The Fish have now lost five in a row and have earned just three wins on the season. I think they'll come up short for a sixth straight game here, coming up against Philly right-hander Zach Eflin on the mound. 

Eflin (2-0, 0.75 ERA) has allowed just one run through 12 innings of work on the season and he went 2-0 behind a 2.21 ERA covering 20 1/3 innings against the Marlins last season. Miami owns a .215 batting average on the season and has scored just a total of 34 runs here in 2019. 

Caleb Smith (0-0, 4.09 ERA) will take the ball for the Marlins. The left-hander has not been good nor bad through his first two starts of the campaign, but that could easily change here against a Philly team that averages 5.82 runs per game. 

The Phillies are 4-0 in their last four games vs. a left-handed starter, and Andrew McCutchen is coming off a 3-for-4 performance with three RBI and a homer. He is 2-for-5 with a homer in previous matchups with Smith. 

8* play on Philadelphia Phillies. 

MAGIC @ RAPTORS HARDWOOD HAMMER

I like the Orlando Magic to keep it relatively close here in the opener of their NBA playoffs first round matchup with the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors covered the spread in 121-109 win over Orlando on April 1, but the Magic had gone 4-0-1 ATS in the past five meetings heading into that contest. 

The Magic have won four straight since that setback, all in impressive fashion, and getting two days off since clinching a playoff spot looks just perfect. They have been in playoff mode for quite some time while Toronto could relax down the stretch with the second seed in the conference locked up rather early. 

Toronto closed out the regular season on a 7-1 ATS run but is 1-4 ATS in their last five games vs. a team with a winning straight up record. 

The Raptors are 0-7 ATS in their last seven games playing on three or more days rest, and I can the the home team coming out slow here while Orlando should come flying out of the gate. 

8* play on Orlando Magic. 

LATE MLB MIDNIGHT MASSACRE

The Colorado Rockies are ice cold, entering this contest as losers of six straight and 10 of their last 11. They took a 1-0 loss to the San Francisco Giants in the opener of this four-game series Thursday night and I predict another Rockies setback here in Game 2 of the series. 

They'll be coming up against San Francisco left-hander Drew Pomeranz (0-1, 4.00 ERA) who has never lost to the Rockies, going 2-0 with just two runs allowed through 14 frames for a 1.29 ERA. The Rockies are 0-4 in their last four games vs. a left-handed starter.

Chad Bettis (0-2, 11.88 ERA) will take the ball for the Rockies, and his first two outings of the seasons have both been subpar, getting roughed up for 12 runs (11 earned) in 8 1/3 innings. Bettis is 3-4 with a 4.59 ERA in 15 career matchups with San Francisco.

8* play on San Francisco Giants. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB BIG HITTER

The Tampa Bay Rays are coming off a three-game sweep as they knocked the Chicago White Sox's pitching staff around to the tune of 24 runs on 38 hits before getting Thursday off to recharge the batteries. 

Here they'll face Toronto rookie right-hander Trent Thornton (0-0, 1.59 ERA) who has fanned 15 while allowing just a pair of runs through his first 10 2/3 innings of work in the big leagues, but I don't think he's ready for this Rays team and their red hot bats. 

The Rays' pitching staff owns a combined 1.98 ERA and tonight's opener, Ryne Stanek (0-0, 1.50 ERA), has certainly pulled his weight. Toronto has struggled to score runs here at the start of the season, entering Friday with a poor 3.00 rpg average. 

The Rays are 14-6 in the last 20 meetings and 5-1 in Stanek's last six starts vs. Blue Jays.

10* play on Tampa Bay Rays. 

ROCKIES @ GIANTS MIDNIGHT MASSACRE

The Colorado Rockies will have a slight situational advantage as their scheduled series finale against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday was postponed due to poor weather while the Giants took a 3-1 loss to San Diego last night.

We can however note that San Francisco is 6-2 in the last eight meetings at AT&T Park, and I like the price we get on the home team here. 

Jon Gray (0-2, 5.68 ERA) will take the ball for Colorado, but the right-hander is off to a slow start to the season and was tagged with five runs on eight hits through six innings of a 7-2 loss to the Dodgers last time out. He is 0-2 with a 5.48 ERA in five career visits to AT&T Park. 

The Giants turn to Jeff Samardzija (0-0, 2.79 ERA). Samardzija owns a 4.00 ERA in 17 career appearances against the Rockies, but that number drops to 3.02 in games not played at Coors Field. 

Colorado has lost five in a row and nine of 10. Fade the slumping visitors. 

8* play on San Francisco Giants. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB BIG HITTER

The New York Mets managed to snap a two-game slide with a rather dominant 9-6 home victory over Minnesota Wednesday night. I think they'll find it hard to follow that up with another win here against a hot Atlanta Braves team that has won seven of eight games since an 0-3 start to the season. Additionally, the Braves should be pumped up to play again after getting Wednesday's matchup with the Rockies postponed due to rain. 

Atlanta right-hander Kevin Gausman (1-0, 0.00 ERA) has made just one start this season, but it was a dominant outing as he tossed seven scoreless innings of two-hit ball of a 4-0 triumph over Miami Friday night. 

The Mets turn to left-hander Steven Matz (0-0, 0.87 ERA) who is without a winning decision on the season despite allowing just one earned run through 10 1/3 innings of work. He has not recieved much help from a Mets' bullpen that owns a 6.37 ERA and we can also note that the Braves have hit a respectable .292 against southpaws this season. 

The Mets are 3-7 in Matz's last 10 starts vs. a team with a winning record. The Braves are 11-2 in their last 13 home games and a perfect 6-0 in Gausman's last six home starts.

10* play on Atlanta Braves. 

TOP RATED 10* NBA PLAY OF THE DAY

The Detroit Pistons sleepwalked through three quarters of yesterday's matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies and as a result trailed by 22 points at halftime and by 15 points as they entered the fourth quarter.

The Pistons did however come through when it really mattered and outscored their opponent 36-14 in the final period to earn a crucial victory. The job is not done yet, but at least they do control their own destiny heading into the regular season finale. A win and Detroit is in. A loss to the lowly Knicks combined with a Charlotte win over Orlando would see the Hornets overtake them for the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. 

The banged up Knicks are coming off a 96-86 triumph at Chicago last night, but can they really muster up that kind of energy and motivation two nights in a row? My money is on NO, and we can note that the Pistons have won the first three meetings with the Knicks this season by an average of 12.3 points.

10* play on Detroit Pistons. 

NHL PLAYOFFS WEDNESDAY NIGHT MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The St. Louis Blues closed out the regular season on fire with eight wins through their last 10 games, including triumphs over elite teams like Tampa Bay Lightning and Vegas Golden Knights. "We've been playing playoff hockey for a long time now just to clinch and get in," Blues forward Brayden Schenn told NHL.com. "This group has come a long way, come together. We're enjoying playing for one another right now. Obviously winning makes it a whole lot easier now. We feel like we've got a good team in here and hoping to go on a run in the playoffs."

Here they'll take on a Winnipeg Jets team that stumbled down the stretch, posting 2-4-1 mark to finish the season. It has lost four or its last five as a favorite and the road team is 5-1 in the last six head-to-head matchups between these two teams. 

As for the goaltenders; Blues' rookie netminder Jordan Binnington is 24-5-1 with a 1.89 GAA on the season while Jets' Connor Hellebuyck went 2-3-1 through his final six games. 

I think we're getting a great price on the team with all momentum and the hotter goaltender.

8* play on St. Louis Blues. 

WEDNESDAY NIGHT RUNLINE RIPPER

The Minnesota Twins put a 14-8 beating on the New York Mets and Jacob deGrom on Tuesday. I don't see them coming up with such a performance two days in a row, and I expect a blowout win for the home team here with Noah Syndergaard on the mound. 

Syndergaard (0-1, 4.50 ERA) held the Nats to two runs on just one hit through six innings last time out in his first home start of the season. The right-hander was 8-1 behind a 2.87 ERA in 13 starts at Citi Field last season. 

The Twins turn to Jake Odorizzi (0-1, 6.75 ERA) who didn't even get out of the first inning of a 10-4 loss at Cleveland last time as he was tagged with five runs (four earned) on two hits and three walks.  

Twins are 1-7 in Odorizzi's last eight road starts.

8* play on NY Mets. 

SUPER EARLY MLB BIG HITTER (RUNLINE)

The Tampa Bay Rays have opened the season with nine wins in 12 games and they're 4-1 in the road. That includes a 10-5 win over the Chicago White Sox Tuesday afternoon, and I expect the Rays bats to stay hot here against White Sox right-hander Reynaldo Lopez. 

Lopez (0-1, 10.00 ERA) was tagged with six runs and six hits over five innings. He'll go toe-to-toe with Rays' right-hander Tyler Glasnow (2-0, 0.82 ERA) who was poor during spring training but has turned up the heat when it matters. Glasnow has allowed just one earned run on nine hits through 11 innings and shut out the Giants over six frames last time out.

The White Sox's relievers rank dead last in the major leagues with a 6.72 ERA. Let's roll with the Rays for a second straight day. 

10* play on Tampa Bay Rays. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (NBA): MIKE'S TOP RATED 10* SIDE

The Houston Rockets are winners of six straight and 20 of their last 23 to move just 1/2 game behind Denver for the No. 2 seed in the conference. Here they'll visit an OKC Thunder team that was heading in the opposite direction but has managed to get on track somewhat with three consecutive wins. 

Still, OKC is just 7-17 ATS in its last 24 games overall and 3-13 ATS in its last 16 vs. Western Conference foes. The Rockets meanwhile are 6-0 ATS in their last six overall and 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings at Chesapeake Energy Arena. 

I expect Houston to come fired up here in its regular season finale, particularly as a loss could see it drop to fourth place in the conference. 

10* play on Houston Rockets. 

EARLY TOP RATED 10* MLB RUNLINE RIPPER

The Tampa Bay Rays are 8-3 on the season following a 5-1 victory in the opener of a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox on Monday. They're 5-2 SU and against the runline as a favorite on the season, and I think we're getting good value on the Rays to win by at least two runs today. 

The White Sox hand the ball to right-hander Ervin Santana (2018: 0-1, 8.03 ERA) for his team debut. Santana made just five starts with Minnesota last year due to various injuries and might be on a pitch count in this contest. He has posted a 5.31 ERA in 17 starts versus the Rays and I think they'll chase him off the mound early here, only for one of the worst bullpens in baseball to take over. 

The Rays counter with veteran right-hander Charlie Morton (1-0, 1.64 ERA) who has opened the season strong, allowing just a pair of runs with 14 strikeouts through 11 innings of work.

The White Sox are 2-11 in their last 13 after allowing five runs or more in their previous game and 1-7 in their last 8 home games vs. a right-handed starter.

10* play on Tampa Bay Rays. 

SUPER EARLY MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Cleveland Indians are coming off a four-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays. They've not lost since two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber (0-2, 5.23 ERA) got roughed up in an 8-3 loss to the White Sox on April 3 his last time out, but I think Kluber will bounce back with a big outing today. 

We can note that Kluber limited Detroit to three runs on 12 hits through 23 1/3 innings of work last season and the Tribe have won each of his last five starts against the Tigers. 

Detroit hands the ball to Jordan Zimmermann (0-0, 0.66 ERA) who has started the season with a pair of solid outings, but he is 0-5 with a horrendous 11.08 ERA in seven career starts against Cleveland. Cleveland's Jose Ramirez is 5-for-10 with a pair of triples, a homer and five RBI off the veteran right-hander. 

8* play on Cleveland Indians. 

TOP RATED NCAA TOURNEY CHAMPIONSHIP GAME ATS ANNIHILATOR

The Texas Tech Red Raiders' elite defense has shut down some of the most explosive offenses in the nation on their way to the NCAA Tournament Championship Game. They held Michigan State to 15-of-47 (31.9%) shooting from the field in their 61-51 triumph in the semifinals, and I like Texas Tech to come through with another upset win here in the final against Virginia. The Cavaliers have not impressed on their way to the final and needed three last-second free throws to beat Auburn 63-62 in the last round. They've covered the spread in only two of their last six games.  

10* play on Texas Tech Red Raiders. 

LATE BALLPARK BOOKIE BLASTER

Atlanta has won five of its last six games, and I like the price we get on the Braves here at Coors Field Monday night. 

Colorado's Kyle Freeland (1-1, 2.31 ERA) has posted a 4.13 ERA in four career starts against the Atlanta, and the current Braves are batting a combined .328 over 64 at bats against him. Nick Markakis is 5-for-11 with a pair of homers off the 25 year old southpaw. 

Atlanta right-hander Julio Teheran (0-1, 3.60 ERA) is 5-1 with a 2.25 ERA through 10 career starts against Colorado and the Braves are 5-1 in his last six starts vs. a team with a losing record.

The Rockies are off to a disappointing 3-7 start to the season and I'm not even sure they should even be the favorite in this matchup. 

8* play on Atlanta Braves. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB BIG HITTER

The Seattle Mariners have scored scored eight or more runs in six games on their way to a 9-2 record. They scored a total of 29 runs through their three-game series against the Chicago White Sox over the weekend, and I like the Mariners to stay hot at the plate here against KC right-hander Homer Bailey. 

Bailey (0-0, 5.40) was tagged with three runs in five innings against Minnesota in his season opener. He might not be able to count on much back up from a Royals' pen that has allowed 21 runs on 29 hits and 21 walks in 23 1/3 innings for an 8.10 ERA. 

Felix Hernandez (1-0, 1.69 ERA) will take the ball for Seattle. The veteran right-hander posted a 5.55 ERA last year but was sharp in his first start of 2019, giving up just one earned run over 5 1/3 innings against the Dodgers. Hernandez owns a 3.26 ERA in 16 career starts against the Royals. 

The Mariners are 5-0 in the last five head-to-head meetings with KC.

10* play on Seattle Mariners. 

SUPER EARLY MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Chicago White Sox won just one of three games against Seattle and gave up a grand total of 29 runs during their first home series of the season this weekend. While I doubt they'll get roughed up quite like that on the mound here Monday afternoon, I still think they'll come up short. 

Tampa Bay left-hander Blake Snell (1-1, 3.46 ERA), the reigning American League Cy Young winner, is 2-0 behind a minuscule 0.93 ERA in four career starts against the White Sox who are 9-25 in their last 34 home games vs. a left-handed starter.

The Rays' pitching staff has held opponents to two runs or fewer in eight of their past nine games and their bullpen's ERA of 1.88 is the best in baseball this season. 

Carlos Rodon (1-1, 1.59 ERA) will take the ball for the White Sox. He allowed just one unearned run on two hits over six innings against the Cleveland Indians last time out, but note that the Rays are 20-8 in their last 28 games vs. a left-handed starter. 

It's also worth pointing out that the White Sox's bullpen owns a ghastly 6.52 ERA on the season.

8* play on Tampa Bay Rays. 

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

The Denver Nuggets defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 119-110 home at Pepsi Center Friday night. Each of the last three meetings in the series have gone over the total, and I predict another relatively high-scoring affair here at Moda Center Sunday night. 

The Blazers have been held to fewer than 110 points in just one of their last nine games, a 99-90 loss at Detroit on March 30 which was their second game of a back-to-back situation. Over is 19-5-2 in Trail Blazers last 26 games playing on one day of rest and 13-2-1 in their last 16 home games.

The Nuggets have been involved in somewhat low-scoring affairs lately with only two of their last seven going over the total. However, with both teams playoff position still to be decided I expect to see a wide open affair and both teams trying to outscore the other rather than winning with good defense. 

10* play on OVER. 

TOP RATED 10* NBA ATS PLAY OF THE DAY

The Charlotte Hornets have been in "must-win" mode for quite some time and have managed to stay in playoff contention with back-to-back wins over New Orleans and Toronto. They still find themselves on the outside looking in at 10th place in the conference, two games back of No. 8 seed Detroit Detroit with three games to play. 

The Pistons have won just two of their last eight and enter Sunday desperate to end a three-game slide. To be fair, they closed all but three of those eight games as underdogs and have delivered the goods more often than not when favored all season. 

The Pistons are 21-13 ATS as a favorite on the season and 11-1 ATS in their last 12 home games. The Hornets are 6-15 ATS in their last 21 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. This looks like a great spot to trust the home favorite. 

10* play on Detroit Pistons. 

MLB 3-PACK - MARINERS @ WHITE SOX BOOKIE BLASTER

The Seattle Mariners are 8-2 on the year following a 9-2 triumph over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday. They look good to pick up another win here in the finale of this three-game set with 34 year old southpaw Wade LeBlanc on the mound. 

LeBlanc (1-0, 6.75 ERA) was roughed up for six runs by Boston last Sunday but was still rewarded with the W. He is 1-0 with a 2.35 in five career appearances (two starts) against the White Sox who hand the ball to Ivan Nova (0-0, 1.29 ERA) who was dominant against Cleveland in his season debut, but Nova is 0-0 with a 3.94 ERA in three career starts against the Mariners. 

Seattle leads the majors with 24 homers on the season, and I see no reason to pass up on arguably the hottest team in baseball.

8* play on Seattle Mariners. 

SUNDAY AFTERNOON MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Washington Nationals and the New York Mets are all tied at 1-1 in this three-game series following a 6-5 Mets win on Saturday. The Mets homered five times(!) in yesterday's triumph but figure to have less success here against Max Scherzer (0-2, 2.13 ERA). 

The Nats right-hander has been a hard-luck loser in both starts this season as he's allowed just four runs (three earned) through 12 2/2 innings of work. Scherzer allowed both runs in a 2-0 loss to the Mets on Opening Day but also struck out 12 batters in his 7 2/3 frames on the mound. The Nationals are 5-0 in Scherzer's last five starts here at Citi Field.

The Mets turn to Zack Wheeler (0-0, 7.20 ERA) who gave up four runs in five innings against the Nationals in his lone start of the season so far. I expect the Nats to knock him around early and give Scherzer the run support he deserves.

8* play on Washington Nationals. 

SUPER EARLY ROYALS @ TIGERS TOTAL

The Detroit Tigers enter this matchup riding a four-game winning streak following a 7-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday. The Royals have played six straight overs since an Opening Day under, but I think we'll see a fairly low-scoring contest here Sunday afternoon. 

KC right-hander Brad Keller (1-0, 2.08 ERA) tossed seven scoreless innings against the White Sox in his season opener before surrendering three runs in six innings against Minnesota. He is 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA through 10 innings pitched against the Tigers in his career. Under is 7-2 in Tigers last nine games vs. a right-handed starter, and their own right-hander Tyson Ross (0-1, 3.60 ERA) has posted a 3.00 ERA in 12 career innings against the Royals. 

The Tigers had opened the season with seven straight unders coming into this series, and I think the bats will cool off for both sides today. 

8* play on UNDER. 

SUPER EARLY HEAT @ RAPTORS BANKROLL BUILDER

The Miami Heat will come into this contest hyper motivated, as they're currently outside the playoff spots in the East, one game behind eighth-place Detroit.

"You want to win in the playoffs, you have to learn how to win pressure games and games with expectation and consequences during the regular season," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters after Friday’s 111-109 setback at Minnesota on Friday. Here they'll face a Raptors team already locked into second place in the East and just looking to stay healthy for the postseason. 

The underdog is 7-1 ATS in the last eight meetings in the series and the Heat are a solid 26-13 ATS on the road this season. 

8* play on Miami Heat. 

GAME OF THE YEAR (NHL): MIKE'S TOP RATED REG SEASON MONEYLINE

The Winnipeg Jets are just 2-5-1 through their last 10 games, but I like the price we get on the visitors here at Gila River Arena Saturday night as they enter the last day of the regular season fighting Nashville and San Jose for the division title. 

The Arizona Coyotes have also stumbled down the stretch, losing seven of their last 10 games. They got eliminated from playoff contention as recently as a couple of days ago and I doubt the Yotes can muster up all that much motivation for this contest. 

The Jets are 17-5 in their last 22 games as a road favorite of -110 to -150 and I expect the Jets to flex their muscle here to try and and the division title. 

10* play on Winnipeg Jets. 

GAME OF THE YEAR (CBB): MIKE'S TOP RATED NCAA TOURNEY SIDE

The Texas Tech Red Raiders have defeated both Michigan and Gonzaga straight up as underdogs on their way to the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament. I think they look good to at the very least cover the spread here against the Michigan State Spartans. 

The Red Raiders own an elite defense and rarely turn over the ball which should lead to a slow game, bad news for a Spartans team that is at its best in fast-paced contests. This will be Michigan State's first time against the Red Raiders D, and I don't think they have the key to unlock it. 

Texas Tech shut down the nation’s top scoring offense (Gonzaga) in the Elite Eight round while shooting 39.1% (9-for-23) from behind the arc in its 75-69 win.

10* play on Texas Tech Red Raiders. 

EARLY TOP RATED 10* MLB BIG HITTER

The St. Louis Cardinals took a 5-3 loss to San Diego in their home opener Friday afternoon. I like the Cards to bounce back and even the three-game series with a triumph today with Michael Wacha on the mound. 

Wacha (0-0, 1.50 ERA) has limited the Padres to nine runs (eight earned) on 24 hits and 11 walks with 20 Ks through five career starts covering 31 frames. He held Milwaukee to one run through six innings in his season debut. 

The Friars counter with rookie right-hander Chris Paddack (0-0, 1.80 ERA) who was solid in his MLB debut, holding the Giants to one run and two hits in five innings of work. We can however note that San Francisco has scored only 19 runs in eight games on the season, and this will be much tougher test for Paddack who will face a Cards team that has averaged a respectable 4.71 rpg in seven games. 

Cardinals are 7-2 in Wacha's last nine home starts. Padres are 6-21 in their last 27 during Game 2 of a series.

10* play on St. Louis Cardinals. 

ROYALS @ TIGERS DAYTIME DESTROYER

The Detroit Tigers claimed the first game of this three-game series with the Kansas City Royals 5-4 on Thursday. The two teams got Friday off, but I think the Royals will tie up the series here in Game 2 Saturday afternoon. 

The Royals are 4-0 in their last four games vs. a left-handed starter and here the they will face Tigers' southpaw Matt Moore (0-0, 0.00 ERA) who is 0-2 with a 5.91 ERA in four career starts against the Royals and likely to have a letdown game after tossing seven scoreless frames against the Blue Jays in his season opener. 

On the flip side, I expect Royals' right-hander Jorge Lopez (0-1, 7.20 ERA) to bounce back after getting knocked around in his first start of the season. All in all, good price to back the visitors.

8* play on Kansas City Royals. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (SOCCER): MIKE'S TOP RATED PREMIER LEAGUE SIDE

Both Crystal Palace (13th) and Newcastle (14th) are still running the risk of relegation, although it's extremely unlikely at this point. 

Five consecutive Premier League triumphs home at St. James' Park have allowed Newcastle to build a seven point gap down to 18th-placed Cardiff. We can also note that they could overtake Palace in the standings with a win here. 

Crystal Palace have lost three of their last four games overall, only beating league-worst Huddersfield during that stretch. 

Newcastle have won 10 of the last 16 head-to-head meetings, and with Palace scoreless in six of the last seven encounters at Newcastle I really like the price we get on the Magpies in this matchup.

10* play on Newcastle United. 

TOP RATED 10* NBA BOOKIE BREAKER

The Miami Heat are in desperate need of Ws as they enter Friday half a game on the wrong side of the playoff bubble following back-to-back losses to the Boston Celtics. 

Tonight's opponent looks way easier with the Minnesota Timberwolves already eliminated from playoff contention and 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games overall. The Wolves have admittedly played their best basketball home at Target Center (24-14 SU), but Miami is a very capable road team and 26-12 ATS away from home on the season. 

The Heat are 6-0 ATS in the last six meetings in Minnesota and I'm well happy to back them as a small favorite here. 

10* play on Miami Heat. 

EARLY TOP RATED 10* MLB BIG HITTER

The Seattle Mariners are off to the best start in franchise history, entering Friday 7-1 on the season. 

I think we're getting good value on the M's here Friday afternoon as they visit a Chicago White Sox team that will send out right-hander Reynaldo Lopez to the mound. 

The 25 year old Lopez (0-1, 9.00 ERA) was tagged with five runs in five innings against Seattle in 2018. He gave up four runs on six hits and four walks through four innings of an 8-6 loss at Kansas City in his season debut.

Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (0-0, 2.53 ERA) will take the ball for Seattle for his third major league start. He held both Oakland and Boston in check through the first two and owns an 8/1 K/BB ratio over 10 2/3 innings of work. 

The White Sox are 2-9 in their last 11 home games and we can note that they have committed a total to eight errors in five games this season.

10* play on Seattle Mariners. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (NBA): MIKE'S TOP RATED SIDE

This looks like a very tough spot for the Philadelphia 76ers who will be playing on no rest after closing out a three-game road trip with a 130-122 loss at Atlanta Wednesday night.

They'll host a well rested Milwaukee Bucks team that has been off since posting a 131-121 win at the Brooklyn Nets Monday night. The Bucks sit top of the Eastern Conference and could look in the No. 1 seed with a win against Philly. 

The Bucks are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 road games vs. a team with a winning home record and 5-1-2 ATS in their last eight games playing on two days rest. The 76ers are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games playing on zero days rest.

10* play on Milwaukee Bucks. 

THURSDAY NIGHT CUBS @ BRAVES BANKROLL BUILDER

I like the Chicago Cubs to come through with a big performance here as they seek to snap a four-game losing streak and deny the Braves to complete the sweep this three-game series. 

Cubs right-hander Yu Darvish (0-0, 10.13 ERA) was coming off a solid spring (2.25 ERA) but walked seven hitters and was knocked around for three runs in 2 2/3 innings in his season debut. He's so much better than that and has this Atlanta team limited to a .216  batting average. 

The Braves hand the ball to left-hander Max Fried (0-0, 0.00 ERA). Fried has logged 1 2/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen but will make his first start for the season here. 

The Cubs must be very disappointed with their 1-4 record and the books are giving us a good price on Chicago here due to its slow start.

8* play on Chicago Cubs. 

SUPER EARLY TOP RATED 10* MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The New York Mets are 5-1 on the season and have scored 6+ runs in three straight games. They picked up an 11-8 win at Washington last week in a matchup where both Stephen Strasburg and Noah Syndergaard allowed four runs over six innings. I predict another Mets win today. 

Syndergaard (0-0, 6.00 ERA) went 8-1 behind an 2.87 ERA in 13 home starts last season while fanning 80 through 78 1/3 innings of work. Particularly impressive considering he more often than not were opposed by elite pitchers. Syndergaard held the Nats to four runs in 12 innings over two outings.

Strasburg (0-0, 6.00 ERA) was tagged with four runs through six innings against the Mets in 2018. The Nats bullpen has been very suspect so far this season and ranks in the bottom three of the major leagues with a 6.60 ERA. Even if the Mets can't get to Strasburg, I'm sure they'll score plenty late in the game to earn the win. 

10* play on New York Mets. 

SUPER EARLY MLB DAYTIME DESTROYER

The Kansas City opened the season with a pair of wins but have lost three straight since. I think they'll get back to .500 with a win here in the opener of a three-game series with the Detroit Tigers Thursday afternoon. 

Royals right-hander Jake Junis (1-0, 4.76 ERA) pitched five scoreless innings before giving up a three-run homer in an 8-6 win over Chicago White Sox in his season debut. Junis was 4-0 with a 1.95 ERA in five starts against Detroit last season and has posted a 6-1 record behind an 3.12 ERA in eight career meetings. 

Tigers right-hander Spencer Turnbull (0-1, 5.40 ERA) made his major league debut with Detroit in September and owns a 6.20 ERA in four career starts. He's still without a major league win.

8* play on Kansas City Royals. 

HORNETS @ PELICANS HARDWOOD HAMMER

The Charlotte Hornets travel to New Orleans desperate to end a three-game slide. To be fair, they've closed the last two games as double-digit underdogs, but that doesn't change the fact that they've now fallen three games behind eighth-place Miami Heat for the final playoff spot in the East with only five games to play. While highly unlikely to make the playoffs at this point, I expect them to battle as long as they have a shot. 

The banged up New Orlaens Pelicans on the other hand have long since been eliminated from playoff contention. They've lost eight of their last 10 and are likely to be without All-Star forward Anthony Davis, E'Twaun Moore and Jrue Holiday for the rest of the season. We can also note that Julius Randle was left Sunday's game with a finger injury ... 

The road team is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings in the series and I expect a motivated Hornets team to get the job done tonight.

8* play on Charlotte Hornets. 

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Minnesota Twins are 3-1 on the season following a 5-4 victory in 10 innings here at KC on Tuesday night. 

I think they'll prove well worth the price here, facing right-hander Homer Bailey (2018: 1-14, 6.09 ERA) who might be coming off an impressive spring, but he had a disastrous campaign with Cincinnati in 2018 during which he went 0-9 with a 6.52 ERA in his final 11 starts. The Twins turn to right-hander Kyle Gibson (2018: 10-13, 3.62 ERA) who is 7-5 behind a 3.59 ERA in 18 career turns against Kansas City and owns a 3.43 ERA in 10 starts at Kauffman Stadium. 

The Twins are 7-2 in Gibson's last nine starts vs. the Royals and I don't think we'll even need him to have a particularly good game here for Minnesota to win this one. Fade Homer Bailey is the play.

8* play on Minnesota Twins. 

MLB DAYTIME DESTROYER

The Philadelphia Phillies have hit 10 home runs and scored 31 runs through a perfect 4-0 start to the season, and they look like a solid road favorite here in the finale of this two-game set at Washington Wednesday afternoon. 

The Nationals' hand the ball to Anibal Sanchez (2018: 7-6, 2.83 ERA) for his first start since coming over from Atlanta during the off-season. The veteran right-hander is 5-9 with a 4.50 ERA in 20 career starts versus the Phillies who counter with right-hander Aaron Nola (1-0, 1.50 ERA). Nola held Atlanta to one run on two hits in six innings while fanning eight and walking five on Opening Day. He was 3-1 with a 2.14 ERA against the Nats last season while fanning 35 batters through 33 2/3 innings of work. 

Bryce Harper, now with the Phillies, had three hits (including a 458-foot home run) in last night's 8-2 Phillies win here at Nationals Park. "It was pretty cool. My teammates and staff of the Phillies, I respect them so much," Harper said afterwards. "It was an emotional day. You just try to go about it the right way. I just try to go out there and play my game."

8* play on Philadelphia Phillies. 

MLB MIDNIGHT MASSACRE

The Seattle Mariners' red hot bats have led them to an American League-best record of 6-1, including three triumphs against the defending World Series champions Boston Red Sox. The Mariners posted a 6-3 triumph over the LA Angels last night and look good to also claim the finale of this two-game series tonight. 

Seattle left-hander Marco Gonzales (2-0, 4.76 ERA) was 3-0 with a 3.34 ERA in six starts versus the Angels last season, and he must be encouraged knowing that the Halos have scored just six runs during a three-losing streak. We can also note that Angels are 7-15 in their last 22 road games vs. a left-handed starter.

Trevor Cahill (0-1, 6.00 ERA) will take the ball for LAA. He was tagged with four runs in six innings of a 4-1 loss to his former team Oakland in his first start of the season. 

The Angels are 1-6 in the last seven meetings in Seattle and 1-9 in their last 10 road games.

8* play on Seattle Mariners. 

TUESDAY NIGHT MLB TOTAL

The Kansas City Royals opened the season with a high-scoring series opposing the Chicago White Sox. Here they'll host a Minnesota team that put a 9-3 beating on Cleveland last time out. "It was a good day offensively for the whole group," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "You can look up and down the lineup, it was fun to watch."

I think we'll see a decent amount of action over the plate for both sides in this contest. 

Minnesota right-hander Jose Berrios (1-0, 0.00 ERA) struck out 10 while holding the Cleveland Indians to two hits over 7 2/3 scoreless innings home at Target Field in his season debut. We can however note that the 24 year old posted a 4.85 ERA in 15 road starts last season and over is 4-1 in Berrios' last five road starts. 

The Royals hand the ball to right-hander Brad Keller (1-0, 0.00 ERA) who held the White Sox to one walk and two hits through seven scoreless innings on Opening Day. To me it looks like the books have set the total too low here though, putting way to much emphasis on the two pitchers Opening Day performances. We can also note that over is 4-0 in the last four meetings at Kauffman.

8* play on OVER. 

TUESDAY NIGHT NHL PUCKLINE PUNISHER

The Detroit Red Wings won't be anywhere near the playoffs, but that has not stopped them from going on a nice run down the stretch. They've won seven of their last eight and enter this contest on a five-game winning streak. The Red Wings closed as sizable underdogs in all but one of those games and put a 6-3 beating on Boston as a +185 dog on Sunday to make it 15 goals scored through their last three games. 

I like the price we get on Detroit to keep it close here against a Pittsburgh Penguins team that has all but clinched a playoff spot already, sitting sixth in the East with ninth-placed Montreal five points back and only three games to go. We can also note that Pens netminder Matt Murray is 1-3 with a 3.55 GAA in previous meetings with Detroit. 

The home team is 20-8 in the last 28 meetings in the series.

8* play on Detroit Red Wings. 

MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Tampa Bay Rays are 4-1 on the season following a 7-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies Monday night. I like the price we get on the Rockies to bounce back here in Game 2 of the series with left-hander Kyle Freeland (1-0, 1.29 ERA) on the mound. 

Freeland will make his first career start against the Rays, but he's an undefeated 6-0 with a 1.78 ERA in eight career interleague starts. In his first start of the season, Freeland allowed just a pair of hits as he cruised through seven innings of one-run ball at Miami.

The Rays turn to left-hander Blake Snell (0-1, 7.50 ERA) who served up three homers through six innings of a 5-1 loss to Houston on Opening Day. While the reigning American League Cy Young no doubt is better than that, I would not be surprised to see the Rockies get to him as well. 

8* play on Colorado Rockies. 

MLB MIDNIGHT MASSACRE

The Seattle Mariners are averaging 8.00 runs per game on the season, and I think their bats will stay hot here when hosting the LA Angels Monday night. 

They'll come up against Angels' right-hander Chris Stratton (2018: 10-10, 5.09 ERA) who will make his team debut since coming over from San Francisco. Stratton will make his first career start against the Mariners and was 4-7 with a 5.45 ERA in 13 road starts last season.

Felix Hernandez (2018: 8-14, 5.55 ERA) will take the ball for Seattle. He endured a difficult second half of 2018 and is 0-8 with a 6.34 ERA in 11 games since his last victory back in June.

I expect Hernandez to enter the new campaign focused and determined to show the world he's not done yet. He'll no doubt be encouraged by the fact that the Angels have totaled just nine runs through their first four games.  

The Mariners have won five of the last six meetings when hosting the Halos. 

8* play on Seattle Mariners. 

TOP RATED 10* NBA PLAY OF THE DAY

The Portland Trail Blazers have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA in recent weeks. They've won nine of its last 11 contests but will be looking to bounce back from a loss here following a 99-90 setback to Detroit Saturday night. The Blazers are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games following a straight up loss and still have plenty to play for as they battle Houston for 3rd place in the conference. "Especially on the road, we can't relax," said Portland center Enes Kanter. "We need to finish the job."

The Minnesota Timberwolves' season has been all but over for a while already. They've dropped seven of their last nine outings and failed to cover the spread in all those losses. The Timberwolves are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games vs. a team with a winning straight up record and I expect Portland to run away with this game. 

10* play on Portland Trail Blazers. 

MAGIC @ RAPTORS BOOKIE BLASTER

The Toronto Raptors are coming off back-to-back blowout wins at New York and Chicago. They have however struggled to cover spreads home at Scotiabank Arena all season long and are just 3-9 ATS in their last 12 home games. 

With the second place in the Eastern Conference all but locked up already the Raptors can relax and put focus on staying healthy, a luxury the visiting Orlando Magic could only dream about. They enter Monday 1/2 game behind the Miami Heat in the battle for the No. 8 spot in the East, but are also just 1 1/2 games behind the sixth-place Detroit Pistons. Plenty to play for ... 

The Magic are 13-3-1 ATS in their last 17 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record and I think they have a good chance stealing this game outright, but let's take the points as insurance.

8* play on Orlando Magic. 

NBA BOOKIE BLASTER

The Memphis Grizzlies are in a tough spot playing on no rest. They're 3-13 ATS in their last 16 games playing on 0 days rest and will be face a Clippers team looking to move up the Western conference standings. Clippers are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record. 

8* play on LA Clippers. 

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

As if there was ever any doubt, both teams have proven well capable of scoring runs here early in the season. The Mariners claimed the series opener 12-4 before Boston tied the series with a come-from-behind 7-6 triumph Friday night, and I think Game 3 will see plenty of action over the plate as well. 

Boston left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (2018: 13-5, 3.82 ERA) was reached for seven runs (six earned) on 13 hits in 10 innings of work against Seattle last season. Over is 4-0 in Mariners last four home games vs. a left-handed starter.

The Mariners turn to Mike Leake (10-10, 4.36 ERA) who posted a 3.21 ERA covering 14 innings in a pair of starts against the Red Sox last season. The right-hander has however struggled throughout spring training and was charged with 11 earned runs over his last three starts. Over is 12-4-2 in Red Sox last 18 games vs. a right-handed starter.

Xander Bogaerts was 1-for-3 with a homer in Friday's matchup and has five hits in 12 at bats against Leake. 

10* play on OVER. 

TOP RATED 10* ELITE EIGHT PLAY OF THE DAY

This will no doubt be an interesting contest with the Gonzaga Bulldogs, who own the nation's No. 1 offense, taking on Texas Tech Red Raiders and their top rated defense. 

The Zags have won their two recent games by double-digits to advance to the Elite Eight. They average 88.2 points per game while shooting 52.8 percent from the field, but can also play D as shown in their 72-58 victory over Florida State in the Sweet 16. They forced 14 turnovers while holding the Seminoles to 39.3 percent shooting from the field, including 3-of-20 from 3-point range. 

The Bulldogs have already faced several tough teams like Duke, North Carolina and Tennessee in the non-conference play, which might've served as important lessons. "We saw early on, Tennessee and North Carolina were physical and athletic in both the offensive and defensive end, and I think it prepared us a lot," said guard Zach Norvell Jr. "And also us taking those losses, we understood what it took to come out with a game like that -- you want to bring the fight to them and be more physical for 40 minutes."

Texas Tech completely shut down Michigan in a 63-44 rout last time out but will find it tough to slow down Gonzaga's explosive offense.

10* play on Gonzaga Bulldogs. 

TOP RATED 10* NBA PLAY OF THE DAY

The LA Clippers are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games following a straight up loss and look good to bounce back with a big performance here following a 128-118 loss at Milwaukee last time out. 

The Clippers should be fired up here, returning home from a trip out East to play in front of their home fans for the first time since March 19. They'll host a Cleveland Cavaliers team that is 1-4 ATS in the last five meetings with the Clippers and 4-11-1 ATS in its last 16 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600. 

The Clippers have a playoff berth locked in but are still battling to try and earn the best possible seed. They are 27-12 ATS as a favorite this season, and with motivation and class favoring the home team this an easy play on the Clippers.

10* play on LA Clippers. 

GAME OF THE MONTH (SOCCER): MIKE'S BEST PREMIER LEAGUE BET FOR MARCH

West Ham United are unbeaten through their last six league games at the London Stadium and have scored a total of nine goals in the last three. That string of games include a win over Arsenal and a draw against Liverpool. Here they'll host an Everton side that is winless in its last 10 league games played in London and it has picked up just 15 points in as many away games this season. The Toffees beat Chelsea last time out but might've lost the momentum due to the international break.  

With both teams in the middle of the table you would think they've got nothing but pride to play for this late in the season, but both are actually in a position to catch Wolves for 7th place (and Europa League qualification games).  

This is too good of a price on a motivated home team to pass up on. 

10* play on West Ham. 

EARLY METS @ NATS DAYTIME DESTROYER (1:05 PM ET)

The New York Mets held the Washington Nationals to just five hits in a 2-0 triumph on Opening Day. The teams got Friday off but will be back in action Saturday afternoon. I like the price we get on the visitors to take a 2-0 lead in this series at Nationals Park with another win.  

The Mets are 16-5 in their last 21 after scoring two runs or fewer in their previous game and hand the ball to right-hander Noah Syndergaard (2018: 13-4, 3.03 ERA). He was 5-1 behind a 2.26 ERA in 10 day starts in 2018 and held the Nats to four runs through 12 innings over two starts. 

The Nats turn to Stephen Strasburg (10-7, 3.74 ERA) who was 3-2 with a 3.19 ERA in six day starts last season and was charged with four runs on five hits (two homers) in six innings in his lone start against the Mets. 

NYM's Yoenis Cespedes is 9-for-18 in previous matchups with Strasburg and Robinson Cano drove in two runs in Thursday's matchup with the Nats.

8* play on New York Mets. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (NBA): MIKE'S TOP RATED 10* SIDE

The Charlotte Hornets are just 11-24 SU (15-20 ATS) on the road this season. They do however travel to LA desperate for Ws and must feel pretty confidence following four straight victories, including a win at Toronto 

The recent surge has kept the Hornets in postseason contention but they still have a lot of ground to make up with five teams battling for the final three Eastern Conference playoff berths.

Here they'll face a Lakers team that saw a two-game winning streak come to an end with a 115-100 rod loss at Utah Wednesday night. LeBron James was rested but figures to be back in action tonight. Still, the Lakers are just 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games overall and 7-25-1 ATS in their last 33 vs. Eastern Conference.

The Hornets are a superb 19-6-1 ATS in their last 26 Friday night games and will be looking to avenge a 128-100 home loss to the Lakers on Dec. 15.

10* play on Charlotte Hornets. 

TOP RATED 10* LATE NIGHT BATTERS BONANZA (TOTAL)

The Seattle Mariners' bats have been spitting fire through their first three games of the season. They opened the campaign by scoring 14 runs in pair of wins against Oakland in Japan and put a 12-4 beating on the Boston Red Sox on the "official" Opening Day on Thursday.

Here they'll face right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (2018: 6-7, 3.81 ERA) who admittedly was excellent in the postseason and a big reason Boston eventually won the World Series, but note that over is 6-2 in Eovaldi's last eight road starts. 

Seattle turns to Yusei Kikuchi (0-0, 1.93 ERA) who limited the A's to two runs (one earned) and four hits through 4 2/3 innings in his MLB debut. Another relatively short start will put a lot of pressure on Mariners' bullpen, and I think the Red Sox will get to the rookie early. 

Over is 8-3 in umpire Alfonso Marquez's last 11 games behind home plate in games involving Boston and 5-2 in his last seven games behind home plate in games involving Seattle. Over is 18-6-2 in Red Sox last 26 games following a loss.

10* play on OVER. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (CBB): MIKE'S TOP RATED SIDE

The Virginia Tech Hokis beat the Duke Blue Devils 77-72 home in Blacksburg back in February. 

Duke freshman Zion Williamson missed that contest, but he's back here and has together with RJ Barrett combined for 99 points through the first two rounds of the Big Dance.

Now, I can see why the public like VT here as Duke has looked sluggish lately, and the line has dropped since the opener, but I don't think the undersized Hokies will have any chance of stopping a fired up and physically superior Duke team with revenge on its mind. 

10* play on Duke Blue Devils. 

MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Houston Astros put a 5-1 beating on the Tampa Bay Rays on Opening Day. I like the Rays to bounce back here in Game 2 of the series Friday night. 

The Rays hand the ball to right-hander Charlie Morton (2018: 15-3, 3.13 ERA) for his first start for the club. The former Astro should be pumped up for this game, facing the team he helped win the 2017 World Series and compiled a 29-10 record behind a 3.36 ERA in 55 starts with over the last two seasons. "It's a group of guys I care a lot about," Morton told the Tampa Bay Times. "It's an organization I was proud to be a part of. To pitch against them, yeah, I absolutely expect to feel some emotion. And I think that's normal when you're pitching against a group of guys who mean a lot to you and you respect a lot."

The Astros counter with right-hander Gerrit Cole (2018: 15-5, 2.88 ERA) who is no doubt a stud, but he went 0-1 with a 3.46 ERA in two starts against the Rays last year. 

The Rays are 10-2 in their last 12 games following a loss and 9-2 in their last 11 after scoring two runs or less in their previous game. While those trends date back to last season, I still think they're worth taking into consideration here.

8* play on Tampa Bay Rays. 

TOP RATED 10* SWEET 16 BOOKIE BREAKER

The Gonzaga Bulldogs handled their first two opponents in the NCAA Tournament with ease, first brushing off Fairleigh Dickinson by almost 40 points followed by a 12-point win over Baylor. They failed to cover the spread against the Bears but are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games following a ATS loss. We can also note that Gonzaga is 20-12 ATS as a favorite this season. 

Here the Bulldogs will face a Florida State Seminoles side that also is coming off a pair of dominant displays, but this is a big step up in competition compared to beating up on Vermont and Murray State.

These teams met in the Sweet 16 a season ago, with the Seminoles besting the Bulldogs 75-60. This is payback time for the Zags as their offensive firepower will prove too much for FSU to handle. 

10* play on Gonzaga Bulldogs. 

OPENING DAY MLB MONEYLINE MASSACRE

I like the Colorado Rockies to the season started with a win here at Miami on Thursday. 

The Marlins hand the ball to right-hander Jose Urena who was reached for five runs on six hits and four walks through four innigns in an 8-4 loss to the Cubs in Miami's season opener last year. He posted a 3.38 ERA and a 9:5 K/BB ratio through 10 2/3 frames in spring training.

Colorado counters with left-hander Kyle Freeland who is coming off a breakout season in which he went 17-7 with a 2.85 ERA, an earned run average that set a franchise record for a full-season starter. Freeland went 4-1 with a 4.12 ERA in spring traning but recorded 19 Ks through 19 2/3 innings of work. 

The Rockies are 5-1 in Freeland's last six road starts while the Marlins are 1-7 in their last eight home games vs. a left-handed starter, and pitching aside, Colorado simply has too much firepower for Miami to keep up with. 

8* play on Colorado Rockies. 

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL DAYTIME DESTROYER

The St. Louis Cardinals look like a great underdog here in their season opener at Milwaukee. 

Brew Crew right-hander Jhoulys Chacín (2018: 15-8, 3.50 ERA) has struggled throughout his career versus the Cardinals, going 2-7 with a 5.72 ERA in 11 career appearances. Brewers are 1-4 in Chacin's last five home starts.

St. Louis right-hander Miles Mikolas (2018: 18-4, 2.83 ERA) on the other hand is coming off a career year which included a 3-0 record behind a 4.01 ERA in four starts against the Brewers. Cardinals are 13-3 in Mikolas' last 16 road starts.

St. Louis belted 205 homers last season, fourth-best in the NL, and has since added more firepower to the team by acquiring six-time All-Star Paul Goldschmidt from Arizona. 

8* play on St. Louis Cardinals. 

WEDNESDAY NIGHT NHL MONEYLINE MASSACRE

The Western Conference-leading Calgary Flames will be looking to bounce back from a 3-0 loss to Los Angeles on Monday. Quite a shocking result considering that the Flames closed as a -335 favorite and had won five straight home at Scotiabank Saddledome prior to that contest. 

"We just didn't get to their net," Flames captain Mark Giordano said. "It was one of those nights. We knew they were going to come in and play a really structured game defensively, and that's what they did. They really pack it in, and it was hard to get inside them. We had a lot of shots, but we didn't have enough second and third opportunities."

They've still won six of their last eight games overall and I think the Flames will be well up for this matchup with the Dallas Stars. 

The Stars are just 15-37 in their last 52 games as a road underdog of +110 to +150 and they've won just two of their last six games overall. 

8* play on the Calgary Flames. 

WARRIORS @ GRIZZLIES ATS ANNIHILATOR

The Golden State Warriors closed out three-game homestand with a 121-114 triumph over Detroit on Saturday. They did however fail to cover the spread and are just 6-14 ATS in their last 20 games. 

Here the Warriors will face a Memphis Grizzlies team that has been putting up a good fight home at FedExForum all season long and is 5-1 ATS in their last six home games. The Grizzlies put a 115-103 beating on Oklahoma City on Monday and are a perfect 6-0 ATS in their last six games following a straight up win of more than 10 points.

The home team is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings in this series and I think Memphis will keep this relatively close. 

8* play on Memphis Grizzlies. 

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

The Chicago Blackhawks managed to stay in the playoff picture as they snapped a three-game skid with a 2-1 OT win over the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday. They're still five points back with seven games to go and would not only have to leapfrog the Avs, but also Minnesota and Arizona who trails Colorado by just two points. 

The Arizona Coyotes are coming off an 0-3-1 road trip and took a 2-0 loss Sunday against the host New York Islanders, despite out-shooting their opponent 31-26. "I thought we played our hearts out in this game," Coyotes defenseman Jason Demers told NHL.com. "We battled. Obviously back-to-back (games) on the road is always tough, but I thought we weathered the storm in the first, and I thought in the second and the third we kind of took over the game. Their goalie made some big saves ... but our guys didn't quit until the end. That's what we've got to take from that game. We've just got to dust ourselves off and get back at it."

The Yotes must feel good about returning back home to Gila River Arena as they're 8-2 in their last 10 home games vs. a team with a losing road record and will host a Blackhawks side that is 16-18-3 away from home on the season. 

10* play on Arizona Coyotes. 

TUESDAY NIGHT NIT NO-BRAINER

Neither the TCU Horned Frogs or the Creighton Bluejays had any problems to dismiss their first two opponents in the NIT. 

We can however note that the Horned Frogs are just 5-11 ATS in their last 16 games overall while the Bluejays are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games overall. 

It's also worth mentioning that Creighton will be playing on three days rest while TCU only has had one day off since its 88-72 rout of Nebraska on Sunday. This late in the season, only two days can make a world of difference. Look for a cresh Creighton team to cover the spread.

8* play on Creighton Bluejays. 

TOP RATED 10* NBA BOOKIE BREAKER

The Orlando Magic are coming off five straight wins and recorded their third 20-point victory during that stretch with a 119-98 rout of Philadelphia on Monday.

All those five games took place at Amway Center though, and I don't think the Magic will have as much success when visiting the Miami Heat Tuesday night. 

While the visitors will be playing on no rest, Miami has had two days off since defeating Washington 113-108 on Saturday. The Heat closed that contest as a 1-point dog and are 12-4 ATS off an upset win as an underdog this season. 

There will be plenty at stake here as last night's victory moved Orlando within 1/2 game of the Heat who currently own the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. I think Miami's rest advantage will be a huge factor here though, and we can also note that the Magic are 0-4 ATS in their last four road games.

10* play on Miami Heat. 

TOP RATED 10* NBA BOOKIE BREAKER TOTAL

The Phoenix Suns have topped 103 points in only one of their last six games, an OT win at New Orleans. The under is 8-2 in their last 10 games and here they'll face a Utah team that is allowing just 106.2 ppg on the season and held the Bulls to 83 points on 35.9% shooting (including 2-of-16 from 3-point range) last time out. "I liked how we started the game. I thought we were focused on the defensive end," Utah coach Quin Snyder told the team website. "I just want us to keep getting better."

Under is 6-2 in Utah's last eight games overall and 7-1 in its last eight vs. Western Conference foes. 

The Jazz have a playoff spot locked in but are in a tight race for the No. 5 (and possibly No. 4) seed in the West. Under is 23-9 in the last 32 meetings with the Sun who they've beaten twice this season, winning 116-88 on Feb. 6 and 114-97 on March 13. I think this will be another relatively low-scoring affair. 

10* play on UNDER. 

TOP RATED 10* SUNDAY NIGHT NIT ATS ANNIHILATOR

The Nebraska Cornhuskers have been money against the spread lately and had covered in four straight games prior to coming up just short in their 80-76 win over Butler in the first round of the NIT. 

The No. 4 seed is 8-2 ATS in non-conference games on the season and pumped up for the NIT tournament. "Last year, we felt like it was a letdown to be in the NIT because of the season we had, winning 23 games, fourth in the Big Ten," Isaiah Roby told reporters. I'm not going to lie the locker room was down about playing in the NIT. This year, we went to Chicago (Big Ten Tournament) and we feel like we earned our spot in the NIT. This year we are definitely playing to win it all."

The top-seeded TCU Horned Frogs meanwhile probably felt they should be competing in the Big Dance and didn't look particularly sharp in their win over Sam Houston State last time out. The Horned Frogs are 3-7 ATS through their last 10 games and I wouldn't be surprised to see them lose this one outright. 

10* play on Nebraska Cornhuskers. 

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

The Colorado Avalanche are riding a four-game winning streak, the most recent victory a 4-2 triumph over the Blackhawks on Saturday. I think they'll complete the home-and-home sweep when visting Chicago here the following night. 

The Hawks are losers of three straight and have faded since a strong late-season push put them back in the playoff race. They enter this contest six games back of the Avs who currently hold down the last playoff spot in the Western Conference with Arizona and Minnesota just one point behind. 

The Blackhawks have not scored more than two goals in any of their last four games and have converted on just one of their last 24 opportunities to play with the man advantage while the Avs have allowed just four goals through their winning streak.  

You'll hear it's tough to sweep a home-and-home series, but at this price I think it's a no-brainer play on a hyper motivated Avs team. 

10* play on Colorado Avalanche. 

SUNDAY NIGHT NCAAB BANKROLL BUILDER

The 12th-seeded Liberty Flames managed to defeat No. 5 seed Mississippi State despite closing as a 7-point dog in the first round. I think their Big Dance adventure will come to an end here against the fourth-seeded Virginia Tech. 

I'm not sure if even Liberty believes it can win this game. "The stuff they run offensively is nightmares to prepare for," Flames coach Ritchie McKay said of the Hokies. "I was back at the hotel … and started watching film, and I finally gave up."

The Hokies biggest asset is their defense though. They have held opponents to 61.8 ppg on the season and limited Saint Louis to 36.5% shooting from the field and 4-for-23 from three-point range in a 66-52 victory in their first round matchup. "It’s a known precedent that if you play Virginia Tech, you’re going to make shots and have your best shooting night," Tech point guard Justin Robinson cracked after the game.

VT is 6-1 ATS in its last seven neutral site games while the Flames are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 neutral site games. 

8* play on Virginia Tech Hokies. 

TOP RATED 10* NBA BOOKIE BREAKER TOTAL 

The Denver Nuggets travel to Indiana riding a six-game winning streak. They've held opponents to an average of 102 ppg during that run and held the Knicks to 37.8 percent shooting from the field last time out.

Under is 18-5 in Nuggets last 23 overall, and here they'll visit a Pacers team that has averaged only 99 ppg through a four-game losing streak. Indiana was held to 38.5% shooting from the field in a 112-89 loss at Golden State last time out. Under is 8-1 in Pacers last nine overall and 20-6 in their last 26 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.

Both teams are involved in tight battles for home-court advantage in their respective conferences, and I think we'll see a competitive, low-scoring game with a postseason feeling to it here at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday. 

10* play on UNDER. 

SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

The Denver Nuggets travel to Indiana riding a six-game winning streak. They've held opponents to an average of 102 ppg during that run and held the Knicks to 37.8 percent shooting from the field last time out.

Under is 18-5 in Nuggets last 23 overall, and here they'll visit a Pacers team that has averaged only 99 ppg through a four-game losing streak. Indiana was held to 38.5% shooting from the field in a 112-89 loss at Golden State last time out. Under is 8-1 in Pacers last nine overall and 20-6 in their last 26 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.

Both teams are involved in tight battles for home-court advantage in their respective conferences, and I think we'll see a competitive, low-scoring game with a postseason feeling to it here at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday. 

We can also note that Nuggets are 10-4 ATS in the last 14 meetings in Indiana and I have no problem backing the red hot visitors to defeat a slumping Pacers team at this price. 

8* play on Denver Nuggets. 

SATURDAY NIGHT PUCKLINE PUNISHER

The Vancouver Canucks have played some decent hockey lately, winning four of their last five games including massive upset wins at Dallas (+190) and Chicago (+200). 

Three of their last four games have gone past regulation, and I think this is a good spot to back the Nucks on the puckline. Sure, they will face a red hot Calgary Flames side that has won five of its last six, but keep in mind that the home team is 11-4 in the last 15 meetings.

We can also note that Vancouver (somehow) still is in the playoff picture entering Saturday just four points shy of a postseason berth. "It's just crazy," center Bo Horvat told reporters, referring to the team's renewed playoff contention. "It just shows you never know what can happen. Down the stretch here we have been playing some good hockey. We're just going to keep plugging away and try and make a run for it. We're playing good hockey. We just have to keep it up."

8* play on Vancouver Canucks. 

LATE NIGHT NCAA TOURNEY ATS ANNIHILATOR

The Villanova Wildcats are 5-0 ATS as underdogs this season, and I'm very happy to take the points on the the defending national champion against Purdue Boilermakers in the second round of the NCAA Tournament Saturday night. 

Purdue may have put a 61-48 beating on Old Dominion in the first round, but it had dropped two of three games prior to that. Villanova on the other hand is peaking at the right time. It has won six of its last seven games overall and is 14-3 ATS in its last 17 NCAA Tournament games.

Wildcats are 11-2 ATS in their last 13 vs. Big Ten. Boilermakers are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 vs. Big East.

8* play on Villanova Wildcats. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (CBB): MIKE'S TOP RATED NCAA TOURNEY SIDE

A late run allowed the Baylor Bears to get past Syracuse in their first-round matchup. They are thrown a much bigger punch here in the top-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs who made light work of their first round opponent. 

The Zags took a 60-47 loss as a 15-point favorite against St. Mary’s in the WCC Tournament title game but bounced back with an 87-49 rout of Fairleigh Dickinson Thursday night. 

Gonzaga has been asked to cover big spreads all season long and has rarely disappointed, going 22-12 ATS in games as a 14-point favorite or more. 

The Bears are just 1-5-1 ATS in their last seven games overall while the Bulldogs are 14-5 ATS in their last 19 games following a straight up win of more than 20 points and 9-3-1 ATS in their last 13 vs. teams from the Big 12.

Baylor is a decent team defensively, but has nowhere near the offensive firepower to compete with Gonzaga. 

10* play on Gonzaga Bulldogs. 

TOP RATED 10* NBA BOOKIE BREAKER

Write up posted shortly. 

10* play on Miami Heat. 

WOFFORD VS. KENTUCKY BANKROLL BUILDER

The Kentucky Wildcats opened the NCAA Tournament with a 79-44 rout of 15th-seeded Abilene Christian, despite missing their leading scorer and rebounder PJ Washington. He's expected to miss Saturday's matchup as well with UK coach John Calipari quoted saying "I just can't (imagine him playing)". 

Here Kentucky will face a tougher test in a Wofford Terriers team that has won 21 games straight up and been money against the spread lately covering in 12 of their last 13 contests. The Terriers are a perfect 7-0 ATS in their last seven games vs. a team with a winning straight up record and 6-0 ATS in their last six Saturday games. 

We can also note that the Terriers will feel pretty confident coming off an 84-68 triumph over Seton Hall for their first NCAA Tournament win ever. Senior guard Fletcher Magee finished with 24 points on 7-of-14 shooting and is averaging 20.6 points per game while hitting 42.8% from deep on the season. 

All in all, Kentucky is no doubt a better team even without Washington, but I think Wofford will be able to keep this close. 

8* play on Wofford Terriers.