RED SOX @ ANGELS 10* PLAY OF THE DAY

The Boston Red Sox are on fire and are going for the sweep of this three-game series after outscoring the LA Angels 19-1 through the first two games. They've now scored 84 runs over their last 10 games. 

The Halos will send right-hander Nick Tropeano (1-0, 0.00) to the mound in his second regular-season outing since undergoing Tommy John surgery in August 2016. He tossed 6 2/3 innings against KC on April 12, but facing the Red Sox's bats is a whole different story. 

The Angels will be in big trouble if Tropeano doesn't deliver. "Our bullpen's been used a lot and we have to get a little bit of length from our starters," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (1-0, 3.72 ERA) will take the ball for Boston. He held Baltimore to one run and five hits in six innings Friday night and has the current Angels limited to a .176 AVG over 34 at bats. 

10* play on Boston Red Sox. 

TOP RATED 10* NBA *BOOKIE BREAKER*

The Golden State Warriors claimed the first two games of this series by an average of 18 points while scoring 114.5 ppg. I don't think they'll want to give seventh-seeded San Antonio Spurs a chance to get back into it, and I expect the Warriors to try to close out this series ASAP.

San Antonio has huge matchup problems especially from behind the arc; note that Spurs were just 4-of-28 from 3-point range in Game 2, while the Warriors were 15-of-31. 

Warriors are 7-2 ATS in the last nine meetings.

10* play on Golden State Warriors. 

INDIANS / TWINS *PUERTO RICO PUNISHER*

The Cleveland Indians opened this brief two-game series with a 6-1 triumph on Tuesday, but I think they're about to run into some serious trouble here as Minnesota sends out Jose Berrios (2-1, 2.18 ERA) to the mound. 

Berrios worked seven scoreless innings while fanning 11 in a win over the White Sox on Thursday. Note that this contest will take place at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico, less than 10 miles away from Papa Juan where Berrios was born and raised. You better believe he'll be fired up for this contest. 

"My family has been waiting a long time for this, just like I have," Berrios said. "This is a special moment for all of us, for the country to come together as one."

Cleveland turns to Carlos Carrasco (3-0, 3.48 ERA) who is a very good pitcher, but he could be due for a let down game after holding Detroit to a run on three hits in a complete-game victory his last time out.

8* play on Minnesota Twins. 

TOP RATED 10* NBA PACERS @ CAVS *BOOKIE BREAKER*

The Indiana Pacers claimed Game 1 98-80 as a 7-point underdog. I find it unlikely that they'll win back-to-back games at Cleveland outright, but I'm well happy to take the points on the Pacers in this matchup. 

Cavs superstar Lebron James has never lost a first-round series (12-0), and had never even a Game 1 of any first round prior to Monday's contest, but he's not surrounded by much talent this season as proven by the result in the first game of this series.

Indiana has a lot of grit, and we can note that the Pacers are 7-1 ATS in their last seven games vs. a team with a winning straight up record while the Cavs finished the regular season a NBA-worst 32-49-1 ATS. The Cavs should be fired up for this one, but I still think they're asked to cover too many points.

10* play on Indiana Pacers. 

GAME OF THE MONTH (MLB)

The Texas Rangers have won three of their last four games, including a 7-2 victory against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night.

Today they'll hand the ball to Cole Hamels (1-2, 4.50 ERA). The veteran southpaw held Houston to a pair of runs with seven strikeouts through six innings his last time out. Hamels has been hurt by the long-ball this season, serving up seven homers through 22 innings of work, but note that Tampa Bay has recorded just nine home runs in their 16 games this season. Hamels has held the Rays to one run in 14 innings in his last two starts against them. 

Jake Faria (0-1, 8.18 ERA) will toe the slab for Tampa Bay. He has really struggled with his control this year giving up 10 free passes and 11 hits through 11 innings of work. 

Rangers are 31-8 in Hamels' last 39 starts vs. a team with a losing record. Rays are 1-5 in their last six games vs. a left-handed starter.

10* MLB Game of the Month on Texas Rangers. 

TOP RATED 10* PELICANS @ BLAZERS TOTAL

The New Orleans Pelicans stole a 97-95 victory in Saturday's opener with the total closing at 216.5. I think we'll see another relatively low-scoring contest here in Game 2. 

New Orleans played excellent defense in Game 1 and held Portland to 31.9 percent shooting from the field, including 3-of-17 from behind the arc. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum combined for just three points on 1-of-15 shooting in the first half, which the Blazers finished trailing 45-36. "We just didn't make shots," said Lillard. "Give credit to what they did defensively. They were physical, and they were trapping a lot of my pick-and-rolls."

Expect more of the same tonight. 

Under is 8-2-1 in Pelicans last 11 vs. a team with a winning straight up record and 5-0 in Trail Blazers last five vs. a team with a winning straight up record. Under is 7-2-1 in the last 10 meetings in Portland.

10* play on NO @ POR to go UNDER the total. 

TOP RATED 10* NHL *POWER PLAY*

The Vegas Golden Knights can advance to the second round with a victory at LA Tuesday night after scoring three third-period goals en route to a 3-2 victory in Game 3 here at Staples Center Sunday night.

The Kings will no doubt be desperate, but do not underestimate this Vegas team which has shown no sign of buckling under the postseason pressure.  

Golden Knights might be a new franchise, but their roster has a veteran core with deep playoff experience. "A lot of these guys have been there before," Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant said after the last win. "Deryk Engelland, James Neal, (Marc-Andre) Fleury, they talk to the players about being composed."

The price is right to back the visitors with a big bet. 

10* play on Vegas Golden Knights. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB *RUNLINE RIPPER*

The Houston Astros had won five in a row before taking a 2-1 loss here at Safeco Park Monday night. I think they'll get back to their winning ways when facing Ariel Miranda (2017: 8-7, 5.12 ERA) on the mound. The left-hander will make his first start in the big leagues for the season and has posted a mediocre 4.00 ERA in two minor-league outings this year.

Miranda is 1-2 with a 4.30 ERA in seven career appearances (six starts) versus the Astros who hand the ball to Lance McCullers Jr. (1-1, 7.71 ERA). The right-hander was charged with a career-worst eight runs on seven hits and six walks in 3 2/3 innings against Minnesota his last time out, but he's a solid 5-2 with a 2.96 ERA in nine career starts against Seattle. 

Astros are 49-23 in their last 72 games following a loss and 6-1 in the last seven meetings with Seattle. 

10* play on Houston Astros -1.5. 

BUCKS @ CELTICS *MONEYLINE MASSACRE*

The Boston Celtics did extremely well to finish as the No. 2 seed in the East considering the amount of injuries they've battled throughout the season. 

A lot of credit must be given to coach Brad Stevens as they're one of the best coached sides in the NBA, and I'm sure Stevens has set up a plan how to handle Giannis Antetokounmpo as stopping him = stopping the Bucks. 

Al Horford did his best to keep the Greek Freak occupied at the other end of the floor in Game 1, a contest the Celtics won 113-107 after overtime. "I've got to do a better job guarding Horford," Antetokounmpo said. "He's a really big body, he's under control, he knows what he's doing down there. Hopefully in Game 2, I won't play on my heels. I'll play more on my toes and be able to defend without fouling, too."

I like Boston to take a 2-0 lead in the series. 

8* play on Boston Celtics. 

SPURS @ WARRIORS *ATS ANNIHILATOR*

The Golden State Warriors stumbled into the playoffs, losing three of their last four (and 10 of their last 17) regular season games, but had no trouble to dismiss the San Antonio Spurs 113-92 in Game 1 of this Conference Quarterfinals series. I assume they're looking to make a statement and prove people that doubted them wrong, and I predict another rout here Monday night.

This is not a great Spurs team, and coach Gregg Popovich was not happy with the performance in the first game.  "I thought we were very prepared physically and mentally, but I was mistaken. As I said, we looked like deer in the headlights. The defense was really poor as far as following game plan of the first quarter, and it's a bad combination to play defense like that and not shoot at the other end."

Warriors are 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings. 

8* play on Golden State Warriors

TOP RATED 10* NHL *POWER PLAY

The San Jose Sharks have taken a commanding lead in this series after back-to-back wins at Anaheim. The Sharks are 5-0-1 against the Ducks this season and I don't see them giving anything for free here in Game 3 of this playoff series. "We've all been around this league a long time and know that team over there has been in this position before and they have been able to claw their way back into a series," San Jose forward Logan Couture said. "We know how important the next game is."

San Jose was 25-13-2 home in the Shark Tank during the regular season while the Ducks were a 18-15-3 on the road.

10* play on San Jose Sharks. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB *MIDNIGHT MASSACRE*

The Seattle Mariners and the Houston Astros will open a four-game series at Safeco Field Monday night. Houston dropped a 3-1 decision to Texas in 10 innings on Sunday, but the Astros are a solid 7-2 in their last nine after scoring two runs or less in their previous game. 

I think the Astros will bounce back here with Dallas Keuchel (0-2, 4.20 ERA) on the mound. The left-hander has yet to win a decision on the season, but he's 8-5 with one complete game and an excellent 2.70 ERA in 15 career appearances (14 starts) against Seattle.

The Mariners turn to another southpaw in James Paxton (0-1, 5.74 ERA) who is 3-3 with a 3.38 ERA in eight lifetime starts against Houston. Mariners are 2-6 in Paxton's last eight starts.

Seattle had scored a total of 29 runs during a four-game winning streak before taking a 2-1 home loss to Oakland yesterday. The Mariners are however just 2-8 in their last 10 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600 and 1-4 in their last five home games vs. a left-handed starter. Astros meanwhile are 4-1 in their last five games vs. a left-handed starter.

10* play on Houston Astros. 

MLB *MONEYLINE MASSACRE*

The LA Dodgers enter this week at the bottom of the NL West, but they ended a three-game skid with a 7-2 triumph at Arizona on Sunday. They're 57-20 in their last 77 after scoring five runs or more in their previous game and I would not be surprised to see the Dodgers go on a run starting with an easy win here Monday night. 

Tonight they'll face Robbie Erlin (0-1, 2.38 ERA) on the mound. Erlin is coming out of the bullpen to fill in for Luis Perdomo who is serving a five-day suspension. The southpaw will make his first start since April 17, 2016 and missed the entire 2017 season due to Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery. Dodgers are 15-5 in their last 20 road games vs. a left-handed starter. 

Hyun-Jin Ryu (1-0, 2.79 ERA) will take the ball for LAD, and he's a solid 4-1 with a 2.57 ERA in seven career starts vs. San Diego.

8* play on LA Dodgers. 

TOP RATED 10* PREMIER LEAGUE *PUNISHER*

West Ham and Stoke are both battling for their Premier League life with the Hammers just six points above the relegation zone and Stoke second to last, five points from safety. 

Stoke's form is terrible, coming off four straight defeats and they have scored just seven Premier League goals this calendar year, fewer than any other side. They're the worst road team in the league with just eight points and 10 defeats in their 16 games away from home. 

West Ham have won two of their last three at home and could be boosted by the return from injury of Andy Carroll, James Collins and Manuel Lanzini. The confidence should be high after recording a 1-1 draw at Chelsea on April 8, and this looks like good price on the home team IMO. 

10* play on West Ham United. 

WOLVES @ ROCKETS *NO-BRAINER*

The Minnesota Timberwolves clinched their playoff berth with an overtime victory on the final day of the regular season. The "reward" is a series against the NBA-best Houston Rockets. 

This is simply a terrible matchup for Minnesota which struggles do defend the perimeter while Houston has fired 42.3 3-point attempts per game and made 36.2 percent of those shots. Over is 14-3 in the last 17 meetings, and I think we'll see another high-scoring affair tonight. 

8* play on MIN @ HOU to go OVER the total. 

D'BACKS @ DODGERS *NO-BRAINER*

The Arizona Diamondbacks have won each of the previous five meetings this season. Today the Dodgers hand the ball to Clayton Kershaw (0-2, 1.89 ERA) who has pitched well but been let down by the Dodgers' bats, and that's likely to happen again today. LAD is among the NL's least productive offenses with 47 runs and a .238 average on the season. Arizona on the other hand is among the most productive teams in the NL with 75 runs scored.

Zack Godley (2-0, 0.64 ERA) will take the ball for Arizona. He outdueled Kershaw at Arizona on April 3, giving up just one run on four hits over seven innings of a 6-1 triumph. Godley has allowed just four hits and one walk through 14 frames this season.

Diamondbacks are 11-3 in their last 14 road games vs. a left-handed starter. Dodgers are 2-7 in their last nine overall.

8* play on Arizona Diamondbacks +1.5. 

NBA *HARDWOOD HAMMER*

The Cleveland Cavaliers have had a very disappointing season and enter the playoffs as low as the No. 4 seed in the East. They'll be matched up with the Pacers in the first round, and I think Indiana will keep it a close game here in the series-opener. Cavs superstar Lebron James has never lost a first-round series (12-0), nor even a Game 1 of any first round, but he's not surrounded by much talent this season.

Indiana has a lot of grit, and we can note that the Pacers are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games vs. a team with a winning straight up record while the Cavs finished the regular season a NBA-worst 32-49-1 ATS. The Cavs are overrated once again here IMO.

8* play on Indiana Pacers. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (NHL)

The Pittsburgh Penguins opened this series with an emphatic 7-0 victory, but Philadelphia came back strong in Game 2 to leave Pittsburgh off a 5-1 victory. For the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, this was their first loss in six games against the Flyers this season.

Philly now owns home ice advantage, but I expect the Pens to come out angry and desperate here to earn it right back. Note that the Penguins are 4-1 in their last five games following a home loss of three or more goals and 8-2 in their last 10 Conference Quarterfinals games.

10* play on Pittsburgh Penguins. 

BUCKS @ CELTICS *MONEYLINE MASSACRE*

The Boston Celtics have done extremely well to finish as the No. 2 seed in the East considering the amount of injuries they've battled throughout the season. A lot of credit must be given to coach Brad Stevens as they're one of the best coached sides in the NBA, and I'm sure Stevens has set up a plan how to handle Giannis Antetokounmpo as stopping him = stopping the Bucks. 

The Celtics closed out the season on a solid 14-6 ATS run, and I don't think the break between the regular season and the playoffs will affect them negatively (4-1 ATS in their last 5 games playing on three or more days rest). The Bucks on the other hand are 3-9-1 ATS in their last 13 games playing on three or more days rest.

8* play on Boston Celtics. 

NHL *POWER PLAY*

The San Jose Sharks put a 3-0 beating on the Anaheim Ducks in the first game of the series. I think they're in a let down spot here after stealing home ice advantage, and I fully expect the Ducks to come out angry and determined.

8* play on Anaheim Ducks.  

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The San Diego Padres are coming off a 5-1 triumph over San Francisco Giants to improve to 5-2 in the last seven meetings at Petco Park. The Giants' left-hander Derek Holland (0-2, 4.09 ERA) was tagged with seven runs (six earned runs) on 13 hits in 5 2/3 innings in his lone previous meeting with the Friars. He was 3-7 with a bloated 7.17 ERA in 14 outings on the road last season. San Diego turns to Clayton Richard (1-1, 5.29 ERA) who's far from an ace, but note that the Giants have scored fewer than two runs in seven of their first 13 games this season. 

8* play on San Diego Padres. 

TOP RATED 10* NBA *BASKET BRAWLER*

The Philadelphia 76ers closed out the regular season with 16 straight victories and took down the Bucks 130-95 their last time out. The 76ers are 8-1 ATS in their last nine games following a straight up win of more than 10 points and look good to get the job done here against the Miami Heat who had lost two straight before beating Toronto 116-109 in OT in their last regular season game. Philly is simply too hot to not back here, and note that the Sixers are a solid 27-13 ATS at home this season. 

10* play on Philadelphia 76ers. 

NBA *HARDWOOD HAMMER*

The Toronto Raptors are the beast of the east right now and finished the regular season as the No. 1 seed in the conference. I think they're asked to cover too many points here when taking on the Washington Wizards in Game 1 of the conference quarter-finals on Saturday though. Note that the Raptors have yet to win a Game 1 of a first-round postseason series in their franchise history, and they've been overrated by the books lately going just 3-10-1 ATS in their last 14 games overall.

The Wizards are 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings in Toronto and I think this will be way closer than the line suggest. 

8* play on Washington Wizards. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB *BIG HITTER*

The Arizona Diamondbacks' Zack Greinke (0-1, 5.06 ERA) has yet to win a decision this season. He has started at Dodger Stadium three times in an Arizona uniform throughout his career and has a 7.56 ERA in those games with a 1-2 record. The Dodgers turn to Kenta Maeda (1-0, 0.00 ERA) who recorded 10 strikeouts over five innings in over the San Francisco Giants in his only start of the season so far. Maeda was 8-1 with a 2.88 ERA in 14 outings (11 starts) home at Dodger Stadium last season and Dodgers are 7-1 in Maeda's last eight home starts vs. a team with a winning record.

10* play on LA Dodgers. 

MLB *MONEYMAKER*

Both the Milwaukee Brewers and the NY Mets were off Thursday after wins on Wednesday. The Mets are off to a sensational start and enjoying the best 11-game start in baseball since 2013 with their 10-1 record. I think the Brew Crew are looking good to record an upset here with Zach Davies (0-1, 5.40 ERA) on the mound. Davies is undefeated in four career starts against the Mets and note that NY's Steven Matz (0-1, 3.00 ERA) has a mediocre 4.15 ERA in two career starts against Milwaukee. 

Mets are 1-7 in Matz's last eight starts vs. a team with a winning record.

8* play on New York Mets. 

MLB *BASE BRAWLER*

Cleveland has won five in a row and it is a solid 6-1 at home this season. Mike Clevinger (1-0, 0.71 ERA) has made one previous career appearance against the Jays when he pitched 1 1/3 scoreless inning out of the bullpen back in 2016. He gave up one hit, with three strikeouts and one walk. Clevinger has allowed just one run in 12 2/3 innings so far this season. 

Toronto hands the ball to Marcus Stroman (0-1, 8.38 ERA) who was 1-0 with a 0.66 ERA in two starts against the Tribe last season, but he's coming off a rough outing as was tagged with five runs on six hits and five walks over 4 2/3 innings at Texas his last time out. 

Indians are 14-3 in Clevinger's last 17 starts. Blue Jays are 4-10 in Stroman's last 14 road starts vs. a team with a winning record.

8* play on Cleveland Indians. 

NHL *POWER PLAY*

The Anaheim Ducks closed out the regular season on a five-game winning streak (10-1-1 last 12 games) while the San Jose Sharks dropped five of their last six. The results saw the Ducks overtake San Jose in the Western Conference standings and earned them home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. 

The Ducks' John Gibson set a career best with 31 wins and posted a 2.43 goals-against average in 60 games, while Ryan Miller went 12-6-6 with a 2.35 GAA. We can also note that Miller is 7-0-2 with a 1.97 GAA in 10 games at Honda Center this season. San Jose on the other hand has had its issues on the defensive end and Martin Jones finished the regular season with a career-worst 2.55 GAA.

Better options in the crease, positive momentum and home ice advantage give Anaheim the upper hand in this contest. 

8* play on Anaheim Ducks. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB *RUNLINE RIPPER*

The Minnesota Twins are coming off back-to-back wins against reigning World Series champions Houston Astros while the Chicago White Sox had lost five straight prior to defeating Tampa Bay 4-1 yesterday. 

Tonight the Twins hand the ball to Jose Berrios (1-1 3.29 ERA) who opened the season with nine scoreless innings of three-hit ball at Baltimore but gave up five runs through 4 2/3 frames against Seattle his last time out. I expect him to be much sharper here; Berrios is 3-1 with a 2.13 ERA while striking out 31 through 25 1/3 innings spread out over four meetings with the White Sox and he was 9-1 with a 2.41 ERA in 11 outings at Target Field last year.

The White Sox turn to Lucas Giolito (1-0, 6.17 ERA) who served up three homers and allowed four runs over six innings of a 4-1 loss against the Twins last season. Giolito has struggled with his control in his first two games this season, giving up a total of seven walks against five strikeouts. 

The Twins are 8-2 against the runline on the season. 

10* play on Minnesota Twins. 

THURSDAY NIGHT MLB TOTAL

The Cleveland Indians have won four games in a row, mostly thanks to their pitching. In their last six games overall, they have scored a total of just 15 runs, and I think runs will come at a premium for both teams here. 

The Tigers hand the ball to Michael Fulmer (1-1, 0.68 ERA) who tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings against the White Sox on Saturday. Fulmer has struggled in previous matchups with the Tribe, but Cleveland's bats have yet to come alive this season and the Indians enter Thursday with the worst batting average in baseball (.170).

Trevor Bauer (0-1, 2.08 ERA) will take the mound for Cleveland. Bauer limited KC to one run and three hits over eight innings his last time out. He'll face a Detroit team with the second worst AVG (.204) in the major leagues this season. 

Under is 5-0 in Tigers last five overall. Under is 7-0 in Indians last seven overall.

8* play on DET @ CLE to go UNDER the total. 

EARLY PIRATES @ CUBS *BASE BRAWLER*

The Chicago Cubs racked up 16 hits while defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 13-5 last night. Javier Baez knocked the ball out of the park twice and has four home runs in his last eight at-bats. 

Here Baez and the rest of the Cubs will face Trevor Williams (2-0, 1.59 ERA) who managed to concede just two runs despite giving up 10 hits in 5 1/3 frames against Cincinnati his last time out. He might not be as lucky here, especially considering his 4.82 ERA through 18 2/3 innings in previous meetings with Chicago. 

Kyle Hendricks (0-0, 4.09 ERA) will toe the slab for the Cubs. Last year, he went 1-1 in three starts against the Pirates, allowing five runs in 17 2/3 innings for a 2.55 ERA.

Pittsburgh is 8-3 on the season but due to regress. I like the Cubs to win and cover the runline here Thursday afternoon. 

8* play on Chicago Cubs -1.5. 

NBA *ATS ANNIHILATOR*

The Utah Jazz are coming off a 119-79 thumping of Golden State Tuesday night. They'll play on no rest, but coach Quin Snyder used no player more than 28 minutes in yesterday's contes. I think the Jazz will be able to keep this a close game with the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference on the line. 

Utah has won six straight and scored plenty of points during that stretch while Portland is slumping at the wrong time, heading into this contest off four straight defeats. The Blazers shot just 33 percent from the floor in an 88-82 loss at Denver Monday night. 

8* play on Utah Jazz. 

MLB *RUNLINE RIPPER*

The Pittsburgh Pirates are off to a fast start, entering Wednesday 8-2 for the season while averaging 6.60 runs per game. They defeated Chicago 8-5 in the Cubs home opener on Tuesday, but I like the home team to get revenge in a big way tonight. 

Pittsburgh left-hander Steven Brault (2-0, 1.13 ERA) began the season in the bullpen but made a spot start last week for Joe Musgrove, who is on the DL. Brault has posted a 7.90 ERA in two career starts against Chicago and the current Cubs are batting a combined .419 over 43 at bats against him. We can also note that Cubs are 9-2 in their last 11 home games vs. a left-handed starter.

The Cubs hand the ball to Jon Lester (1-0, 2.89 ERA). Lester is 5-5 with a 3.23 ERA in 12 starts against the Pirates. Lester tossed six scoreless innings of three-hit ball his last time out. 

8* play on Chicago Cubs -1.5. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB *BIG HITTER*

The Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Francisco Giants will play the rubber match of a three-game series Wednesday afternoon. Arizona is 8-3 on the season after losing Tuesday's matchup against its NL West rival 5-4, and here it'll face a Giants starter making his major-league debut. 

Left-hander Andrew Suarez will take the ball for the home team after getting summoned from Triple-A Sacramento to replace injured Johnny Cueto. The D'Backs hand the ball to lefty Robbie Ray (2-0, 5.73 ERA) who is 4-1 with 2.53 ERA in eight career starts against the Giants and 9-1 with a 1.84 ERA in his last 16 road starts.

Giants are 5-11 in their last 16 games vs. a left-handed starter. Diamondbacks are 8-2 in the last 10 meetings.

10* play on Arizona Diamondbacks. 

TOP RATED 10* NBA *BOOKIE BREAKER*

The Washington Wizards are slumping at the wrong time and have lost four straight to drop into eighth place in the Eastern Conference. 

They took a 103-97 home loss to the lowly Atlanta Hawks their last time out and coach Scott Brooks was far from happy with the performance. "Not passing the ball to one another. Simple as that. Nobody wanted to share the basketball tonight," coach Scott Brooks said. "When you do that, you end up taking bad shots. When you take bad shots, you end up missing. Simple game. You pass it to your teammate."

The Boston Celtics are banged up and will be without Kyrie Irving (knee) for the rest of the season, but they're also extremely well coached under Brad Stevens and according to the Boston Globe, Stevens promised he was going to play his first unit major minutes against Washington. 

Boston suffered a 112-106 setback to Atlanta on Sunday but is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games following a straight up loss and 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings in this series. The Celtics are 17-4 ATS as an underdog on the season. 

10* play on Boston Celtics. 

YANKEES @ RED SOX *BASE BRAWLER*

The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox will open a three-game set at Fenway Park Tuesday night. The Red Sox  recorded an eighth straight victory Sunday while the Yankees fell to 4-5 with a 12-inning loss to  Baltimore in the Bronx their last time out.

Here the Yankees hand the ball to Luis Severino (2-0, 1.38 ERA) who has had an excellent start to the year. Severino went 2-1 with a 3.33 ERA in four starts against Boston last season but I still think he'll find it tough to outduel Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale (0-0, 0.82 ERA). Sale went 0-3 in five outings against the Yankees in his first season with Boston despite a solid 2.65 ERA. He was 4-1 against New York while with the Chicago White Sox and the Red Sox red hot bats should give him more support in this contest. 

8* play on Boston Red Sox. 

TOP RATED 10* NBA *BOOKIE BREAKER* TOTAL

The Oklahoma City Thunder are coming off a huge 108-102 triumph at top-seeded Houston Rockets on Saturday. They can clinch a playoff spot with a win here against Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena Monday night, so I have no doubt that they'll bring it on the defensive end of the court.

The Heat are already in the playoffs but took a brutal 122-98 loss to the New York Knicks on Friday, so they no doubt want to do better defensively here. Under is 23-11 in Heat's last 34 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points.

Under is 4-0 in OKC's last four road games, 7-1 in its last eight overall and 20-6 in its last 26 Monday games. Under is 7-0 in Miami's last seven vs. a team with a winning straight up record.

Under is 8-0 in the last eight meetings, including a 105-99 Thunder win in Oklahoma City on March 23. 

10* play on OKC @ MIA to go UNDER the total. 

NBA *ATS ANNIHILATOR*

The Brooklyn Nets made a franchise-record 24 3-pointers in their 124-96 triumph at Chicago two days ago, their fourth win in the last six games. During those six games, the Nets are shooting 41.2 percent from 3-point range. "When we're hot, I felt like we can run with anybody in the gym," Quincy Acy told reporters. "And tonight, we got hot."

Brooklyn shot 38.1 percent from 3-point range in its 104-87 home win over Chicago on Feb. 26. The Nets are looking to finish the season strong while the Bulls don't mind losing to improve their chances in the draft lottery. 

8* play on Brooklyn Nets. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (MLB)

The Baltimore Orioles opened the season with three losses at Houston but are coming off a successful 3-1 series against the Yankees in the Bronx. They'll play their first home game for the season Monday night, and I think the price on the Birds to win this game is a steal.

Baltimore right-hander Dylan Bundy (0-0, 0.69 ERA) is off to a fast start and conceded just one earned run with 15 Ks through 13 innings of work over his first two outings. He's 3-0 mark with an 0.76 ERA in seven career appearances against the Yankees who turn to J.A. Happ (1-1, 5.40 ERA). The left-hander is 1-2 with a 4.05 ERA in six career starts at Camden Yards and surrendered four runs over 5 1/3 innings against the White Sox his last time out. 

Orioles are 9-4 in their last 13 home games vs. a left-handed starter and 6-2 in Bundy's last eight home starts.

10* MLB Game of the Week on Baltimore Orioles. 

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The Baltimore Orioles opened the season with three losses at Houston are coming off a successful 3-1 series against the Yankees in the Bronx. They'll play their first home game for the season Monday night, and I think they'll come through with a win. 

Baltimore right-hander Dylan Bundy (0-0, 0.69 ERA) is off to a fast start and conceded just one earned run with 15 Ks through 13 innings of work over his first two outings. He's 3-0 mark with an 0.76 ERA in seven career appearances against the Yankees who turn to J.A. Happ (1-1, 5.40 ERA). The left-hander is 1-2 with a 4.05 ERA in six career starts at Camden Yards and surrendered four runs over 5 1/3 innings against the White Sox his last time out. 

Orioles are 9-4 in their last 13 home games vs. a left-handed starter and 6-2 in Bundy's last eight home starts.

Under is 22-4-1 in the last 27 meetings. Under is 9-2-1 in the last 12 meetings in Baltimore.

8* play on TOR @ BAL to go UNDER the total. 

SUNDAY NIGHT BASEBALL TOTAL

The New York Mets have won four in a row and will go for a series sweep of the defending NL East champion Washington Nationals Sunday night. There's definitely some value on Mets as an underdog here, but I have my eyes on the total. 

The Mets hand the ball to Matt Harvey (0-0, 0.00 ERA) who allowed just one hit in five scoreless innings against the Philadelphia Phillies in his season debut. Under is 6-2-2 in Nationals last 10 home games vs. a right-handed starter and Harvey is 1-3 with a 3.86 ERA in six career starts here at Nationals Park.

The Nats turn to Tanner Roark (1-0, 1.29 ERA) who is  is 7-2 with a 2.76 ERA in 17 games (11 starts) against the Mets and went seven innings, allowing a run, four hits and a walk against the Atlanta Braves on Monday night. Under is 6-1 in Roark's last seven home starts and 9-1 in his last 10 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance.

8* play on NYM @ WAS to go UNDER the total. 

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The New York Mets have won four in a row and will go for a series sweep of the defending NL East champion Washington Nationals Sunday night. There's definitely some value on Mets as an underdog here, and I think they'll cover the runline in a low-scoring contest. 

The Mets hand the ball to Matt Harvey (0-0, 0.00 ERA) who allowed just one hit in five scoreless innings against the Philadelphia Phillies in his season debut. Under is 6-2-2 in Nationals last 10 home games vs. a right-handed starter and Harvey is 1-3 with a 3.86 ERA in six career starts here at Nationals Park.

The Nats turn to Tanner Roark (1-0, 1.29 ERA) who is  is 7-2 with a 2.76 ERA in 17 games (11 starts) against the Mets and went seven innings, allowing a run, four hits and a walk against the Atlanta Braves on Monday night. Under is 6-1 in Roark's last seven home starts and 9-1 in his last 10 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance.

8* play on NYM +1.5

MLB 3-PACK

The Texas Rangers took an 8-5 loss in the opener of this three-game series but tied it up with an 5-1 triumph on Saturday.

I like Texas here in the rubber match with Cole Hamels (1-1, 3.38 ERA) on the mound. The left-hander struck out 11 while allowing just one run through five innings of a 4-1 win at Oakland his last time out. Toronto turns to Jaime Garcia (0-0, 1.50 ERA) who held the White Sox to one run with seven strikeouts through six innings in his lone start of the season, but I think he'll find it tough to out-duel Hamels at Globe Life Park. Rangers are 26-9 in Hamels' last 35 home starts.

8* play on Texas Rangers. 

MLB 3-PACK

The Milwaukee Brewers look good to cover the runline in a low-scoring game here in the finale of a four-game series with the Chicago Cubs.

Milwaukee hands the ball to Chase Anderson (0-0, 3.60 ERA) who tossed six innings of one-hit ball at San Diego in his season debut and he's 3-2 with a 3.79 ERA in seven career starts versus the Cubs.

Jose Quintana (0-1, 9.00 ERA) will take the ball for Chicago. The left-hander is 2-1 with a minuscule 0.90 ERA in four career meetings with Milwaukee but struggled with his command in his first start of the season, so I wouldn't trust him completely here. We can also note that the Cubs won Saturday's matchup 5-2, but they're 0-8 in their last eight games following a win.

Under is 4-1 in both Milwaukee's and Chicago's last five overall. 
Under is 13-3 in Brewers last 16 Sunday games and 12-3-3 in Cubs last 18 Sunday games.

8* play on Milwaukee Brewers +1.5

MLB 3-PACK

The Milwaukee Brewers look good to cover the runline in a low-scoring game here in the finale of a four-game series with the Chicago Cubs.

Milwaukee hands the ball to Chase Anderson (0-0, 3.60 ERA) who tossed six innings of one-hit ball at San Diego in his season debut and he's 3-2 with a 3.79 ERA in seven career starts versus the Cubs.

Jose Quintana (0-1, 9.00 ERA) will take the ball for Chicago. The left-hander is 2-1 with a minuscule 0.90 ERA in four career meetings with Milwaukee but struggled with his command in his first start of the season, so I wouldn't trust him completely here. We can also note that the Cubs won Saturday's matchup 5-2, but they're 0-8 in their last eight games following a win.

Under is 4-1 in both Milwaukee's and Chicago's last five overall. 
Under is 13-3 in Brewers last 16 Sunday games and 12-3-3 in Cubs last 18 Sunday games.

8* play on CHC @ MIL to go UNDER the total. 

SUPER EARLY 10* NBA *BOOKIE BREAKER*

The Indiana Pacers have won six of their eight (beating the Warriors twice) but set season lows for points, made field goals and field-goal percentage in Friday's 92-73 loss to Toronto, the second night of a back-to-back. 

I expect the Pacers to come out ready to play here as they seek to rebuild some momentum with the playoffs just around the corner. The Pacers are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following a straight up loss and 15-7 ATS in their last 22 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points.

The Charlotte Hornets meanwhile will watch the postseason on TV and are expected to give expanded minutes to the younger players on the roster down the stretch. They've won five of nine games since officially eliminated from playoff contention, three of the four losses against three of the East's playoff teams -- Cleveland, Washington and Philadelphia. 

Charlotte is just 8-21-3 ATS in their last 32 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.

10* play on Indiana Pacers. 

Chelsea have lost five of their last seven Premier League game (no clean sheets during that stretch) and they're banged up at the defensive end of the field. They took a 3-1 loss to Tottenham here at Stamford Bridge their last time out.

West Ham are coming off a 3-0 win against Southampton but had conceded a total of 11 goals in three straight defeats prior to that triumph. The Hammers are only five points above the relegation zone so they're in dire need of points while Chelsea would need a small miracle to catch any of the top 4 teams. 

8* play on West Ham @ Chelsea to go OVER the total. 

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Chelsea have lost five of their last seven Premier League game (no clean sheets during that stretch) and they're banged up at the defensive end of the field. They took a 3-1 loss to Tottenham here at Stamford Bridge their last time out.

West Ham are coming off a 3-0 win against Southampton but had conceded a total of 11 goals in three straight defeats prior to that triumph. The Hammers are only five points above the relegation zone so they're in dire need of points while Chelsea would need a small miracle to catch any of the top 4 teams. 

8* play on West Ham +1.5. 

SATURDAY NIGHT *PUCKLINE PUNISHER*

The Dallas Stars will play on no rest following a 5-3 setback at Anaheim on Friday. They have no shot at making the playoffs, but I still expect them to come up with a decent effort here in their last contest of the season. 

The Kings have won four straight here at Staples Center and try to earn home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs, but they needed OT to get past Minnesota their last time out. 

The road team is 6-1 in the last seven meetings and we can note that LA is just 18-32 against the puckline as a favorite this season. 

8* play on Dallas Stars +1.5. 

MLB *RUNLINE RIPPER*

The Toronto Blue Jays' bats really came alive in Friday's 8-5 victory over the Texas Rangers. I like Texas to keep it much closer and maybe even pull off an outright upset here on Saturday. Toronto right-hander Marcus Stroman (0-0, 7.20 ERA) was limited to only two starts in spring training because of a sore shoulder and he conceded four runs in five innings in his season debut. Stroman has posted a 5.73 ERA in two career starts against the Rangers who turn to Mike Minor (0-1, 3.86 ERA). The left-hander is 2-0 in with a 1.69 ERA in four career appearances (two starts) against Toronto.

8* play on Texas Rangers +1.5. 

MLB 3-PACK

The Philadelphia Philles and the Miami Marlins are two of the lowest scoring teams in baseball so far this season. The Phillies beat the Fish 5-0 in the first of a three-game set before Friday's off day, and I think we'll see another low-scoring encounter here on Saturday.

Vince Velasquez (0-1, 13.50 ERA) will take the ball for Philly. He was lit up for seven runs (four earned) on nine hits through just 2 2/3 frames against Atlanta in his season debut, but note that he has compiled a 2.84 ERA in six appearances with Miami. 

The Marlins turn to Dillon Peters (1-0, 0.00 ERA) who tossed six scoreless innings in the 6-0 victory over the Cubs on Sunday. The left-hander held the Phillies to two runs and nine hits with 12 strikeouts over 13 innings last season.

Under is 8-2 in Phillies last 10 home games vs. a left-handed starter.

8* play on MIA @ PHI to go UNDER the total. 

MLB 3-PACK

The Arizona Diamondbacks are 6-1 on the season and defeated the Cards 3-1 in the opener of this three-game series on Thursday. 

Here they'll hand the ball to Zack Greinke who held Colorado to one run on five hits with nine strikeouts and no walks over 5 2/3 innings in his season debut. Greinke has traditionally has been tough on St. Louis, going 12-4 with a 3.17 ERA in 18 career starts. 

The Cardinals turn to Michael Wacha (0-1, 7.71 ERA) who gave up four runs on five hits (two homers) through 4 2/3 frames against the Mets in his first start of the season. Wacha tossed six scoreless innings against the D'Backs last season but I don't think he'll get enough run support in this contest. 

8* play on Arizona Diamondbacks. 

MLB 3-PACK

Detroit and the Chicago White Sox had Friday off following a 9-7 Tigers win in extra innings on Thursday. I think we'll see way fewer runs here with two gifted pitchers in Michael Fulmer (0-1, 1.13 ERA) and Lucas Giolito (0-0, 4.50 ERA) on the mound. 

Tigers' Fulmer held the Pirates to one run through eight innings of a 1-0 loss in his season debut while Giolito gave up three runs, four hits and four walks in six innings at Kansas City on March 31. Giolito tossed seven shutout innings against Detroit last season. 

Under is 4-0 in Giolito's last four starts overall. Under is 4-1 in Fulmer's last five starts overall.

8* play on DET @ CHW to go UNDER the total. 

SOCCER 3-PACK

Manchester City have already all but won the league, entering this game 16 points clear of 2nd placed Manchester United. I think they'll show up for this game after taking a 3-0 loss to Liverpool in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals earlier this week. I don't see Pep Guardiola resting key players here as the team needs to build some momentum for the second leg next week. 

United have lost eight of the last 13 league Manchester derbies and we can note that City are unbeaten in their last 27 home league games (W22, D5), winning the last 14 in a row. United meanwhile have only won one of their last 10 away league games against any of the other "Big Six" teams in the league. 

8* play on Manchester City.

GAME OF THE WEEK (SOCCER)

Liverpool are coming off an impressive 3-0 win over Manchester City in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. They've won three in a row and seven of their last nine, outscoring opponents by a total of 23-2 in the triumphs. Liverpool have lost just twice in their last 11 away Premier League games (W8, D1) and over is 13-3 in their 16 road games in the league this season. Six of Everton's last eight games have seen three goals or more. 

10* Soccer Game of the Week play on LIV @ EVE to go OVER the total. 

SOCCER 3-PACK

Liverpool are coming off an impressive 3-0 win over Manchester City in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. They've won three in a row and seven of their last nine, outscoring opponents by a total of 23-2 in the triumphs. Liverpool have lost just twice in their last 11 away Premier League games (W8, D1) and over is 13-3 in their 16 road games in the league this season. Six of Everton's last eight games have seen three goals or more. 

8* play on Liverpool.

MLB 3-PACK

Texas Rangers vs. Toronto Blue Jays usually means plenty of action over the plate with over 8-3-1 in the last 12 meetings overall and 6-1-1 in the last eight meetings at Arlington.

Texas right-hander Matt Moore (0-1, 9.00 ERA) was charged with four runs on seven hits through four innings against World Series champion Houston in his season debut. Toronto right-hander Marco Estrada (0-0, 3.86 ERA) gave up three runs on four hits and three walks with a pair of homers in a non-decision against the Yankees in his first outing of the season. He has a 3.74 ERA in six career starts against Texas and over is 11-1 in Estrada's last 12 starts during Game 1 of a series.

8* play on Toronto @ Texas to go OVER the total. 

MLB 3-PACK

The Baltimore Orioles win the opener of this four-game series 5-2 yesterday. I expect to see quite a few more runs scored in tonight's game. 

Kevin Gausman (0-1, 13.50 ERA) will take the ball for Baltimore. He was lit up for six runs and seven hits over four innings in a loss to Minnesota in his first start of the season. Gausman can't have very fond memories of Yankee Stadium after surrendering 12 runs on 16 hits and eight walks over 9 1/3 frames in two starts here last season.

The Yankees turn to CC Sabathia (0-0, 1.80 ERA) who held Toronto to two runs (one earned) on five hits in five innings on Saturday. Baltimore reached him for 15 runs and 23 hits over 17 frames last season.

Over is 22-6 in the last 28 meetings. 

8* play on Baltimore at NYY to go OVER the total.

TOP RATED 10* NBA *BASKET BRAWLER* (TOTAL)

The Washington Wizards blew a late lead in last night's 119-115 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. I don't see them having any intention of driving up the tempo here when playing on no rest, and the Atlanta Hawks have failed to score more than 100 points in all of their last four games. Under is 6-2 in Atlanta's last eight and 6-1 in the last seven head-to-head matchups in Washington.

10* play on ATL @ WAS to go UNDER the total. 

NBA 3-PACK

The Cleveland Cavaliers have won eight of nine while playing under interim coach Larry Drew. They'll have Tyronn Lue back on the sidelines tonight, and I think they'll play hard to give him a win. Washington meanwhile has lost six of its last eight games and has failed to cover the spread in nine of their last 12. 

Cavaliers are 7-0 ATS in their last eight home games. Wizards are 0-6 ATS in their last six road games.

8* play on Cleveland Cavaliers. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (NHL)

The Boston Bruins are tied with Tampa Bay for first place in the Atlantic Division with a game in hand. They'll be looking to bounce back from a pair of losses, the most recent a humbling 4-0 loss to the Lightning. The Bruins are 20-8 in their last 28 after scoring two goals or less in their previous game and a dominant 21-5 in the last 26 meetings with the Florida Panthers who are four points behind Philadelphia for the second wild card in the East with three games to go. 

Sure, the home team will be desperate for a win to keep its postseason dream alive, but the Bruins will also be fired up to end their two-game skid and I don't think they would mind playing the spoiler for their division rival here. 

10* NHL Game of the Week play on Boston Bruins. 

NBA 3-PACK

The Golden State Warriors have won three in a row following a 111-107 triumph at Oklahoma City on Tuesday. They were without Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green or Stephen Curry available in a 92-81 home loss to Indiana on March 27, but they're getting a little bit healthier lately and I think they'll be fired up to avenge that loss tonight. 

The Pacers dropped a 107-104 decision at Denver on Tuesday and they're just 2-6 ATS in their last eight home games vs. a team with a winning road record.

Under is 12-5 in Warriors last 17 overall. Under is 7-1 in Pacers last eight home games. Under is 6-2 in the last eight meetings in Indiana.

8* play on GS @ IND to go UNDER the total. 

NBA 3-PACK

The Golden State Warriors have won three in a row following a 111-107 triumph at Oklahoma City on Tuesday. They were without Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green or Stephen Curry available in a 92-81 home loss to Indiana on March 27, but they're getting a little bit healthier lately and I think they'll be fired up to avenge that loss tonight. 

The Pacers dropped a 107-104 decision at Denver on Tuesday and they're just 2-6 ATS in their last eight home games vs. a team with a winning road record.

Under is 12-5 in Warriors last 17 overall. Under is 7-1 in Pacers last eight home games. Under is 6-2 in the last eight meetings in Indiana.

8* play on Golden State Warriors. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB *BIG HITTER*

The Seattle Mariners will visit the Minnesota Twins for the opener of a three-game series Thursday afternoon. 

The visitors hand the ball to left-hander James Paxton (0-1, 11.57 ERA) who was charged with six runs on six hits, including a pair of home runs, in his season debut last week against Cleveland. I expect a much more composed outing from Paxton today. He was 12-5 with a 2.98 ERA last season and 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA in three career starts against the Twins who turn to Kyle Gibson (1-0, 0.00) who was 12-10 with a 5.07 ERA last season. 

Gibson didn't allow a hit but walked five batters through his six innings in the Twins' 6-2 victory over Baltimore in his season debut. He was 2-0 despite a 5.25 ERA in two starts against Seattle last season. I don't think he'll be as lucky today. 

10* play on Seattle Mariners. 

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

The Philadelphia 76ers have won 11 in a row following a 121-95 win over Brooklyn last night. They'll be without All-Star center Joel Embiid (orbital fracture) and Dario Saric (elbow), and we can note that under is 5-2 in 76ers last seven games playing on no days rest.

The Detroit Pistons have won five in a row and seven of eight to stay alive in the playoff race in the East. They held Brooklyn to 96 points their last time out and under is 15-4-2 in Pistons last 21 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600 and 12-3 in 76ers last 15 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.

10* play on PHI @ DET to go UNDER the total. 

MLB *DAYTIME DESTROYER*

The LA Dodgers are just 2-4 on the season while the Arizona Diamondbacks are 4-1. The D'Backs won last night's game 6-1 despite LAD starting Clayton Kershaw. Today's Dodgers starter Alex Wood (0-0, 0.00 ERA) held San Francisco to one hit with five strikeouts through eight scoreless innings in his season debut, but the D'Backs are a much different opponent and averaging 6.40 rpg on the season and they're 22-5 in their last 27 home games vs. a left-handed starter.

8* play on Arizona Diamondbacks. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB *RUNLINE RIPPER*

The Houston Astros have started the season on fire and picked up their fifth win in six games when they defeated the Orioles 10-6 last night. They've covered the spread in all of their wins and should do so again here with Dallas Keuchel (0-1, 4.50 ERA) on the mound. 

Keuchel wasn't at his best in his season debut when he conceded three runs over six innings at Texas, but he is 3-2 with a solid 2.93 ERA in six career starts against Baltimore. 

The Orioles turn to Dylan Bundy (0-0, 0.00 ERA) who worked seven shutout innings on Opening Day against Minnesota, but note that he is 0-1 with a 13.50 ERA over two career appearances (one start) against the Astros.

Houston is averaging 6.33 rpg on the season while Baltimore is averaging a lowly 2.40 rpg. 

10* play on Houston Astros. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB *RUNLINE RIPPER*

The reigning World Series champions Houston Astros have not shown any sign of a hangover, opening the season 4-1 and covering the runline all of their wins. That includes a 6-1 triumph over the Baltimore Orioles in the opener of a three-game series on Monday, and I predict another easy Astros win tonight. 

Justin Verlander (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will make his second start of the season for the Astros after a dominant display in his season debut. He pitched against the Orioles once last season (while still with Detroit), and held them to a pair of runs on six hits with 10 Ks over seven innings of work. Verlander has the current Orioles limited to a .219 batting average over 196 at bats. 

Baltimore hands the ball to Mike Wright who will make his first start of the season. He was lit up for 15 runs - 14 earned - on 26 hits and five walks across 19 innings during spring training and he has posted a bloated 6.22 ERA in 21 career starts in the Majors. 

Baltimore has mustered only six runs through its first four games of the season while Houston has scored 28 in five games. 

10* play on Houston Astros. 

NBA 3-PACK

The Golden State Warriors main motivation must be to get to the playoffs as healthy as they can as they're already locked into the No. 2 spot in the West. 

Kevin Durant (ribs), Klay Thompson (thumb) and Draymond Green (pelvic contusion) are back in the lineup, but Stephen Curry will miss his sixth consecutive game with a sprain of his left medial collateral ligament, Patrick McCaw is also out after a scary Saturday night injury that left him with a lumbar spine contusion and Andre Iguodala (knee soreness) and Kevon Looney (flu) are listed as doubtful for this contest. 

The OKC Thunder had lost three in a row before picking up a 109-104 win at New Orleans their last time out. They are battling for homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs so motivation should be high for the home team. 

Warriors are 0-7 ATS in their last seven road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600. Under is 7-1 in Warriors last eight vs. a team with a winning straight up record.

Thunder are 41-19-3 ATS in their last 63 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600. Under is 13-3 in Thunder's last 16 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.

8* play on OKC Thunder. 

NBA 3-PACK

The Golden State Warriors main motivation must be to get to the playoffs as healthy as they can as they're already locked into the No. 2 spot in the West. 

Kevin Durant (ribs), Klay Thompson (thumb) and Draymond Green (pelvic contusion) are back in the lineup, but Stephen Curry will miss his sixth consecutive game with a sprain of his left medial collateral ligament, Patrick McCaw is also out after a scary Saturday night injury that left him with a lumbar spine contusion and Andre Iguodala (knee soreness) and Kevon Looney (flu) are listed as doubtful for this contest. 

The OKC Thunder had lost three in a row before picking up a 109-104 win at New Orleans their last time out. They are battling for homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs so motivation should be high for the home team. 

Warriors are 0-7 ATS in their last seven road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600. Under is 7-1 in Warriors last eight vs. a team with a winning straight up record.

Thunder are 41-19-3 ATS in their last 63 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600. Under is 13-3 in Thunder's last 16 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.

8* play on GS @ OKC to go UNDER the total. 

NBA 3-PACK

The Boston Celtics have won six in a row, including a 110-99 triumph against the Raptors on Saturday to move just two games behind Toronto who sits top of the Eastern Conference standings. The Milwaukee Bucks are coming off a 128-125 OT loss at Denver. They're 0-6 ATS in their last 6 home games vs. a team with a winning road record while the 20-7 ATS in their last 27 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600. Boston is 16-3 ATS as and underdog this season and I would not be surprised if they win this game outright. 

8* play on Boston Celtics. 

TOP RATED 10* NHL *POWER PLAY*

The Tampa Bay Lightning have dropped four of their last five games, including a 4-2 loss at Boston last Thursday. Their captain Steven Stamkos is questionable here after suffering a lower-body injury in Sunday’s 4-1 loss to Nashville. 

The Bruins on the other hand had won four of five prior to a 4-3 OT loss at Philadelphia on Sunday. They've dominated the Lightning in recent seasons, winning five straight and eight of the last nine meetings. 

Lightning are 1-5 in their last six vs. a team with a winning % above .600, and I think the price is right to back the visitors in this matchup. 

10* play on Boston Bruins. 

TRIBE @ HALOS *BASE BRAWLER*

The Los Angeles Angels are off to a good start after taking three of four at Oakland. They've however lost 11 straight to the Cleveland Indians, and the Tribe look good to extend that winning streak Monday night. 

Cleveland hands the ball to Mike Clevinger who owns a 2-0 record and 3.94 ERA in three career starts against the Angels. Indians are 7-0 in Clevinger's last seven starts and he closed out last year with a sub-1.00 ERA over his last 27 1/3 innings of the regular season. 

LAA turns to JC Ramirez who is is 0-1 with a 3.75 ERA in five career games (one start) against the Tribe. Ramirez struggled during spring training, posting a 5.40 ERA over 13 1/3 innings of work. 

Cleveland dropped two of three at Seattle in its first series of the season and I doubt the Indians are too happy about that losing record.

8* play on Cleveland Indians. 

TOP RATED 10* DODGERS @ D'BACKS *BIG HITTER*

The LA Dodgers started the season with back-to-back 1-0 losses to the Giants before claiming the finale of the three-game series 5-0. Here they'll face an Arizona team in a complete opposite situation, coming off a 2-1 loss to Colorado after scoring a total of 17 runs in a pair of wins. 

The D'Backs are 20-6 in their last 26 home games vs. a left-handed starter and I think they'll have to trouble to get to Hyun-Jin Ryu who has posted a 4.80 ERA in his previous five starts at Chase Field. We can also note that Ryu posted a 7.04 ERA over 15 1/3 frames in four games during spring training. 

Taijuan Walker will take the ball for the D'Backs. Walker was 2-0 with a 3.24 ERA in three starts against LAD last season and the Diamondbacks are 6-2 in Walker's last eight starts during Game 1 of a series. Dodgers meanwhile are 2-8 in Ryu's last 10 starts during Game 1 of a series.

Paul Goldschmidt is hitless in his first eight at-bats of the season, but 9-for-21 with two home runs in previous matchups against Ryu. 

10* play on Arizona Diamondbacks. 

NCAA TOURNEY FINAL *BEST BET*

The Villanova Wildcats have won all their games here in the NCAA tournament by double-digits. Can they do the same when taking on the Michigan Wolverines here in the final? Sure, why not! 

Villanova has made at least 13 3-pointers in four of its five wins in this event and set a Final Four record with 18 3-pointers in Saturday's semifinal victory over Kansas. Michigan had an easier draw in Loyola-Chicago, but still had to rally back from a 10-point second-half deficit to make it here. 

Wildcats are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 vs. Big Ten.

10* play on Villanova Wildcats. 

MLB *RUNLINE RIPPER*

The Miami Marlins split four games with the Chicago Cubs in their first series of the season. Pretty impressive considering the Cubs are one of a handful of favorites to reach the World Series this year.

Tonight the Fish hand the ball to 24 year old Trevor Richards who will make his Major League debut. Richards has posted a 12-11 record with a 2.53 ERA in 27 games - 25 starts in the minor leagues and I think he'll give the Red Sox some trouble here. 

Brian Johnson takes the ball for Boston for his seventh start in the big leagues. Last season, he went 2-0 with a 4.33 ERA, but I really feel the Marlins are underrated in this contest.

8* play on Miami Marlins +1.5.

MLB *DAYTIME DESTROYER*

The St. Louis Cardinals look like good value here when they visit the Milwaukee Brewers for the opener of a three-game series. 

The Brew Crew hand the ball to Zach Davies. He was 17-9 with a 3.90 ERA overall last season but posted a bloated 5.82 ERA in 17 starts home at Miller Park. 

Davies will pitch opposite Miles Mikolas who is 2-5 with a 6.44 ERA in 10 career starts in the major leagues (all in 2014), but he has spent the last three seasons pitching in Japan, compiling a dominant 31-13 record behind a 2.18 ERA. 

"You can't deny the success that he had in Japan, and I'm hoping that he just stays with his strengths because this isn't Japan," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "But hitters are hitters, and he was able to get some good hitters out over there and we know that that plays here."

Last year the Cardinals were 5-4 at Miller Park, where they are 33-14 since the start of the 2012 season.

8* play on St. Louis Cardinals. 

SUPER EARLY TWINS @ PIRATES *AFTERNOON ASSASSIN*

The Pittsburgh Pirates have opened the season with a 3-0 sweep in Detroit, and I think they'll come out ahead here in their first home game of the year as well. 

Lance Lynn will make his debut as a Twin when taking the ball this afternoon. He saw a lot of the Pirates during his six seasons with the Cardinals, and has a bloated 5.10 ERA in 23 meetings (21 starts). Lynn was lit up in his last visit to PNC Park on Sept. 23 when he conceded eight runs and six hits in just two-thirds of an inning.

The Pirates turn to Jameson Taillon who was 8-7 with a 4.44 ERA in 25 starts during his rookie season, 1-1 with a 2.12 ERA in his final three starts. We can also note that he was 4-1 with a 2.93 ERA in eight day starts in 2017 and was sharp during spring training, posted a 2.13 ERA in 12 2/3 innings.

8* play on Pittsburgh Pirates. 

TOP RATED 10* NBA *BOOKIE BREAKER* TOTAL

The Golden State Warriors will play on no rest following a 112-96 win at Sacramento last night. They have six games left of the regular season but little to play for with the Rockets already having clinched the best record in the league and the Warriors themselves clinched the No. 2 seed in the West. 

Stephen Curry is expected to miss the rest of the regular season so the Warriors must avoid more injuries and keep the rest of their stars fresh which means more time on the floor for their fringe players. 

Under is 7-2 in Warriors last nine home games and they'll face a Phoenix team which may have lost four straight, but the Suns are coming off three straight impressive efforts against Boston, the LA Clippers and Houston. Under is 6-0 in Suns last six overall and 11-1 in their last 12 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.

10* play on PHX @ GS to go UNDER the total.

MLB 3-PACK

The Pittsburgh Pirates came out ahead of a wild affair on Friday with Gregory Polanco's a three-run homer sealing the deal in the 13th inning. I like the Tigers to get revenge today with Michael Fulmer on the mound. 

Fulmer looked sharp in the spring and tossed seven shutout innings against Atlanta his last time out. This will be his first matchup against the Pirates who turn to Trevor Williams. He tossed 2 1/3 innings, giving up four runs (two earned), against Philadelphia in his final spring appearance. 

Fulmer was 6-4 with a 3.55 ERA in 13 starts here in Comerica Park in 2017 while Williams was 4-6 with a 4.96 ERA in 14 appearances (11 starts) on the road. 

Count on the hungry Tigers to get the job done here in Game 1 of this Sunday double-header. 

8* play on Detroit Tigers. 

NBA 3-PACK

The Cleveland Cavaliers have won seven of their last eight games. They're allowing an average of 109.9 ppg on the season but have played much better defense of late and under is 4-1 in Cavs last five overall. Here they'll host a tanking Dallas team which has lost two in a row and seven of its last eight. Each of their last four games have gone under the total and they've averaged 92.5 ppg in the last two. 

Under is 9-4 in the last 13 meetings overall and 5-1 in the last six meetings in Cleveland.

8* play on DAL @ CLE to go UNDER the total. 

NBA 3-PACK

I expect a low-scoring contest when the two worst teams in the East clash at Philips Arena Sunday night. 

Orlando is coming off a 90-82 loss against Chicago. It has lost eight of its last 10 with only three of those going over the total. Atlanta has lost nine of its last 10 with four of the last six going under the total. It fell 101-91 against Philly its last time out. 

Atlanta's leading scorer PG Dennis Schroder suffered a medial bone bruise and a sprained left ankle against Golden State on March 23 and will miss the rest of the season, and it'll also have to do without its third-leading scorer Kent Bazemore. 

Under is 21-6 in the last 27 meetings in Atlanta.

8* play on ORL @ ATL to go UNDER the total. 

RED SOX @ RAYS *AFTERNOON ASSASSIN*

The Tampa Bay Rays won the season opener against the Red Sox 6-4. They've lost back-to-back games since, but both by just one run. I like the Rays to salvage a split of this four-game series with a win Sunday afternoon. 

Jacob Faria will take the ball for the Rays. The 24 year old right-hander held the Red Sox to one run on four hits through six innings in his lone start against them last season and added three scoreless innings in a relief outing for a career ERA of 1.00 vs. Boston. Current Red Sox are batting .103 over 29 at bats against him.  

Boston turns to 29-year-old right-hander Hector Velazquez who had plenty of success as a reliever last year, but he was 0-1 with a 5.02 ERA in his three starts. Overall Velazquez tossed 11 scoreless innings home at Fenway Park but he allowed eight runs on 15 hits (four homers) in 13 2/3 frames on the road. 

8* play on Tampa Bay Rays

TOP RATED 10* TWINS @ ORIOLES *BIG HITTER*

The Minnesota Twins and the Baltimore Orioles have split the first two games of this season-opening three-game series. I like the Twins to come through in the rubber-match as they hand the ball to Jose Berrios. 

Berrios is 2-0 with a 4.67 ERA in three career starts against Baltimore and although he didn't pitch in April, he did very well in May with a 3-1 record behind a 2.70 ERA in four starts. 

The Orioles turn to right-hander Kevin Gausman who is 2-3 with a 5.88 ERA in 15 career appearances in the month of April and 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in five career starts against the Twins.

The Twins took a 3-2 loss in the season-opener, but their bats came alive yesterday and the Twins went deep three times against Baltimore started Andrew Cashner. 

10* play on Minnesota Twins. 

GAME OF THE YEAR (CBB)

This Final Four matchup will feature a pair of No. 1 seeds with the Villanova Wildcats battling Kansas Jayhawks.

The Wildcats have won all their four games here in the NCAA Tournament by double-digits while Kansas had failed to cover the spread in two straight games before recording an 85-81 upset in OT against Duke. 

The experienced Wildcats know what it takes to win it all after capturing the national title in 2016. Junior guard Jalen Brunson was part of that national championship team and was named the Most Outstanding Player at the East Regional this year, averaging 21.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists. Villanova is 1st in the nation in scoring offense and has an extremely deep roster with six guys averaging in double figures. 

Kansas has a talented team, but the Jayhawks have not been in the National Title Game since 2012. Villanova's depth and experience will win the game for them.

10* CBB Game of the Year on Villanova. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (NHL)

The Dallas Stars have dropped nine of their last 10 (including a 5-2 loss at Minnesota Thursday night), and it's now all but impossible for them to reach the playoffs. The Minnesota Wild meanwhile are enter Saturday 3rd in the Central Division, five points up on the chasing Blues. 

The deciding factor here is the play in the defensive zone, with the Stars giving up an average of 3.8 goals per game through their last 10 games while the Wild have conceded just seven through their last four. 

Wild are 6-0 in their last six in the second game of a home-and-home situation and 5-1 in the last six meetings with Dallas. 

10* NHL Game of the Week on Minnesota Wild. 

NBA *HARDWOOD HAMMER*

The Heat would wrap up a playoff spot if they beat the Brooklyn Nets home at Miami Saturday night. I like the home team to come through in a big way here. 

Miami has won five of its last seven overall and it is 7-1 ATS in its last eight home games. It has won both its last two games by double-digits and is 8-2-2 ATS in its last 12 vs. Eastern Conference foes.

The Nets snapped a three-game skid with a 111-104 win at Orlando their last time out but have very little to play for at this stage of the season. Brooklyn took the last two meetings in the series but the super motivated Heat should win this one by a big number. 

8* play on Miami Heat. 

GAME OF THE MONTH (MLB)

The New York Yankees would be looking to set themselves up to sweep this four-game series with a third straight win on Saturday. 

Toronto has mustered just a total of seven hits through the first two games, and here it'll face veteran left-hander CC Sabathia who has the current Jays limited to a .239 AVG through 234 at bats. 

The Bronx Bombers have had no trouble to put runners on base through the first couple of games with 18 hits and six walks. Giancarlo Stanton has already recorded a pair of home runs as a Yankee and we can note the Toronto's Marco Estrada served up five homers in 29 1/3 innings against NYY last season. 

10* MLB Game of the Month on New York Yankees. 

LATE NIGHT MLB *NO-BRAINER*

The Arizona Diamondbacks put an 8-2 beating on Colorado Rockies Thursday night. They got to Colorado's starter Jon Gray early, and that's likely to be the case again Friday night as Rockies left-hander Tyler Anderson has a 4.85 ERA in his previous four starts against the D'Backs.

Arizona hands the ball to another southpaw in Robbie Ray who was 15-5 with a 2.89 ERA in 2017 and led the National League with a rate of 12.11 strikeouts per nine innings. He has a 5.21 ERA in nine career starts against Colorado but recorded 18 Ks in 12 2/3 innings against the Rockies last season. 

Arizona came out swinging hot bats last night and I like them to come through again here on Friday. 

8* play on Arizona Diamondbacks. 

TOP RATED 10* NBA *BASKET BRAWLER (TOTAL)

The Minnesota Timberwolves ended a two-game skid with a 126-114 triumph over Atlanta on Wednesday. They enter this contest at seventh place in the Western Conference 1 1/2 games up on the ninth-place LA Clippers, so they'll have everything to play for.

I think we'll see good defending and way fewer points scored than their last time out when they visit the Dallas Mavericks Friday night. The tanking Mavs have played three straight unders and we can note that under is 9-1-1 in Timberwolves last 11 vs. a team with a losing straight up record.

The Wolves have won four straight meetings, the most recent a 97-92 win home at Minnesota. Each of the last seven matchups in the series have gone under the total.

10* play on MIN @ DAL to go UNDER the total. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB *BIG HITTER*

The Boston Red Sox took a 6-4 loss here at Tropicana Field in the season opener yesterday after a six-run eighth inning for the Tampa Bay Rays. 

Very disappointing for Boston and its otherwise solid bullpen, and I think the visitors will bounce back tonight with left-hander David Price on the mound. Price was 6-3 with a 3.38 ERA last season and he has plenty of experience of the Trop since his six-plus seasons with the Rays. We can also note that the Rays struggled offensively against left-handers last year, hitting just .239 as a team.

Tampa Bay turns to a southpaw of their own in Blake Snell who finished last season 5-7 with a 4.04 ERA. Snell has struggled in previous meetings with Boston; he went 0-2 last year with a 5.91 ERA, and for his career, he's 1-3 with a 5.95 ERA against the Red Sox.

10* play on Boston Red Sox. 

NHL *PUCKLINE PUNISHER*

This will be the fourth meeting of the season. The Washington Capitals have won a couple of one-goal games at Carolina while the Hurricanes won 3-1 here at Capital One Arena on Jan. 11. 

Carolina is currently nine points out of the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference playoff standings and a loss here would officially eliminate the Canes from playoff contention. They most likely won't make the playoffs anyhow, but at they're still putting up a fight and had won three straight prior to a 4-3 loss to New Jersey on Tuesday. 

The Caps are sitting comfortably at the top of the Metropolitan Division and have won five straight, three by one goal and two by two goals. Carolina is a solid 24-10 against the puckline as an underdog this season. 

8* play on Carolina Hurricanes +1.5. 

SUPER EARLY PIRATES @ TIGERS TOTAL

Thursday's season-opener for Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers got postponed due to rain. We'll see the same pitching matchup Friday afternoon instead, and I think this will be a relatively low-scoring contest with Ivan Nova and Jordan Zimmermann on the mound. 

Nova finished last season with a 4.14 ERA (5.02 ERA on the road) but looks well prepared for this year. He came to camp 10 pounds lighter and will be relied upon here as Gerrit Cole was sent to Houston during the off-season.

Zimmermann posted the worst ERA of his career (6.08) in 2017 but the veteran should be poised to do better this year and has compiled a respectable 3.96 ERA in four career starts against the Pirates.

The Pirates will need to get used to life without Andrew McCutchen after dealing the All-Star center fielder to San Francisco. 

8* play on PIT @ DET to go UNDER the total. 

LATE NIGHT WILD WILD NL WEST *BASE BRAWLER*

The Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Colorado Rockies 11-8 in the NL Wild Card game before being swept by the NL champion Dodgers in the Division Series. I like the D'Backs to get the better of their NL West rival in the opener of the new season as well. 

Arizona left-hander Patrick Corbin was 9-4 with a 3.15 ERA in 17 starts home at Chase Field last season while Colorado's right-hander Jon Gray has bad memories of this ballpark after knocked around for seven hits and four earned runs in 1 1/3 innings in the Wild Card game. 

8* play on Arizona Diamondbacks. 

TOP RATED 10* MLB OPENING DAY *BIG HITTER*

The Philadelphia Phillies look like a solid road favorite when taking on the Braves at Atlanta on opening day. 

Aaron Nola will toe the slab for the Phillies. The 24 year old was 12-11 with a 3.54 ERA last year and beat Atlanta in both of his starts behind a 1.20 ERA. Nola has been solid during spring training, finishing with a 3.50 ERA in five starts. 

The Braves turn to Julio Teheran who had a rough 2017, particularly here at SunTrust Park where he went 3-10 with a 5.86 ERA. He has looked sharp in spring training, posting a 1.40 ERA in six starts but note that he gave up 16 runs (15 earned) on 26 hits in 23 1/3 innings against Philadelphia last year. 

Philly dominated the series against Atlanta last year beating the Braves 13 times in 19 matchups. Good value on the road team in this matchup. 

My selection is a 10* play on Philadelphia Phillies. 

MLB 3-PACK

The reigning World Series champions Houston Astros will open the new season with a matchup against American League West-rival Texas Rangers on Thursday. I think Texas will be able to keep this a close game with left-hander Cole Hamels on the mound. Hamels was 11-6 with a 4.20 ERA last season and owns a 3-1 record with a 2.84 ERA in his past five starts against the Astros. 

Houston hands the ball to veteran Justin Verlander who will be making his 10th Opening Day start in the past 11 years. Verlander has been terrific since being acquired from Detroit, but the Rangers should be more up for this game I would be surprised to see the Astros suffer a slight World Series hangover early in the season. 

8* play on Texas Rangers +1.5. 

CUBS @ MARLINS *RUNLINE RIPPER*

The Chicago Cubs have a very strong squad and hands the ball to left-hander Jon Lester who finished last season 13-8 with a 4.33 ERA. They'll face a Marlins team that has lost most of its star players such as Giancarlo Stanton, Dee Gordon, Marcell Ozuna and Christian Yelich. Miami hands the ball to Jose Urena who posted a 14-7 record behind a 3.82 ERA in 2017, but I don't see them home team having the firepower to keep up with the Cubs here on Opening Day. 

8* play on Chicago Cubs -1.5. 

LATE NIGHT MAVS @ LAKERS *NO-BRAINER*

The Dallas Mavericks are coming off a 103-97 win at Sacramento last night, their second straight game to go under the total. Four of their last five games when playing on no rest have gone under the total, and under is 13-6 in Mavericks last 19 vs. a team with a losing straight up record. Here they'll visit the 32-41 LA Lakers who have seen five of their last seven games stay under the total and under is 5-1 in Lakers last six home games vs. a team with a losing road record.

8* play on DAL @ LAL to go UNDER the total. 

TOP RATED 10* NHL *PUCKLINE PUNISHER*

The Vegas Golden Knights have made their backers plenty money during their inaugural season. They're however just 3-2-2 through their last seven games, and here they'll face an Arizona Coyotes team which defeated the Lightning 4-1 at Tampa Bay their last time out to improve to 14-7-2 in their last 23 contests. "I think we're trying to treat every game like a playoff game and we kind of get up for that," said rookie Clayton Keller after the win. 

The Yotes should be well up for this game after losing each of the first four meetings with the Knights. 

My selection is a 10* play on Arizona Coyotes. 

NBA *HARDWOOD HAMMER* TOTAL

The LA Clippers have played three straight unders and the Phoenix Suns four straight unders. Phoenix has pretty much checked out and topped 100 points in only one of their last six games. The Clippers trail the eighth-place Minnesota by 1 1/2 games in the Western Conference so they'll be up for this game and I see no risk of them slacking on their defensive duties.

My selection is an 8* play on LAC @ PHO to go UNDER the total. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (NBA)

The Boston Celtics are coming off four straight triumphs, including upset wins against OKC and Portland. They'll take on another tough team when visiting the Utah Jazz Wednesday night, but we can note that the Jazz have only split their last four games and covered the spread in only one of their last five (when they beat a banged up Warriors side their last time out). The Celtics are a solid 14-3 ATS as an underdog on the season and 9-3-2 ATS in the last 14 meetings with Utah. 

My NBA Game of the Week is a 10* play on Boston Celtics.