At 3:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between Senegal (235749) and Uganda (235750) in the Round of 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations. Senegal (2W-0D-1L) reached the Knockout Stage of the African Nations Cup with their 3-0 victory over Kenya on Monday. Uganda (1W-1D-1L) comes off a 2-0 loss to Egypt in their last Group Stage match on Sunday but still qualified as one of the sixteen teams in this tournament on the basis of accruing 4 points.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Senegal has sixteen players from the group that was 1W-1D-1L in last summer’s World Cup. They are led by Sadio Mane who stars for Liverpool in the English Premier League — but this is a defensive-minded group. The Lions of Teranga have registered six clean sheets in their last eight matches. Their defensive efforts are led by 6’5 Kalidou Koulibaly who anchors their backline. Senegal has allowed only one goal in this tournament. But they had scored only two goals in their first two matches before scoring three times in their last match against an overmatched Kenya side. With their top goalkeeper, Eduard Mendy, out with an injury, the Lions of Teranga will probably play even more cautiously as to not risk overwhelming their backup keeper. They will not face an explosive offensive attack from this Uganda team that has scored only three times in this tournament. The Cranes have been left scoreless in four of their last eight matches overall. This is the second straight African Cup for Uganda — and this is the first time they have reached the Knockout Stage since 1978. But this group is a bit distracted with the players refusing to train on Wednesday as a protest for unpaid bonuses they earned when they defeated the Democratic Republic of Congo in their opening match of this tournament. The Cranes best player may be their goalkeeper, Denis Onyango, who is one of the best keepers in the continent. Uganda has allowed only three goals in their three Afcon matches.

FINAL TAKE: Uganda has seen two combined goals scored in all three of their Group Stage matches — and their previous three matches before this tournament did not produce more than two combined goals. Senegal has only had one of their matches see more than two combined goals in this tournament — and only one of their four prior matches in 2019 generated more than two combined goals. I suspect Uganda fails to score in this match with the very high probability that no more than two combined goals being scored — making a push (at 2.0) the likely worst-case scenario. 25* Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16 Total of the Year with Under the Total in the match between Senegal (235749) and Uganda (235750). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:20 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Philadelphia Phillies (907) and the Atlanta Braves (908) listing both starting pitchers Zach Elfin and Mike Soroka. Atlanta (51-36) snapped their two-game losing streak yesterday with their 9-2 win over the Phillies. Philadelphia (45-41) has lost three of their last five games.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Braves have played 8 of their last 10 games Over the Total after a victory by at least six runs — and they have also played 15 of their last 20 games Over the Total after losing two of their last three games. Additionally, the Over is 14-5-1 in Atlanta’s last 20 games are scoring at least five runs in their last game. The Braves have been an offensive juggernaut when playing at home in SunTrust Park where they are scoring 5.8 Runs-Per-Game with a .276 batting average along with a .348 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .840. The Over is 15-5-1 in Atlanta’s last 21 games at home — and the Over is also 11-3-1 in their last 15 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. They give the ball to Soroka who is 9-1 with a 2.13 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP in fourteen starts. The sabermetrics are calling for regression for the rookie right-hander with both his SIERA and xFIP projecting an ERA of 4.04 and 3.75 respectively moving forward given his peripheral numbers. Soroka has not been as effective at home where he owns a 3.28 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .252 in six home starts as compared to his 1.29 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and .171 opponent’s batting average on the road. The Over is 4-1-1 in Soroka’s last 6 starts — and the Braves have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total with Soroka facing a fellow NL East opponent. He faces a Phillies team that has seen the Over go 7-3-1 in their last 11 road games against right-handed starting pitchers. Philadelphia has played 4 straight games Over the Total after a loss — and they have played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after allowing at least five runs in their last game. And while the first two games of this series have finished Under the Total, the Phillies have played 12 of their last 19 games Over the Total after playing at least two straight Unders. They give the ball to Eflin who is 7-7 with a 3.34 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP in sixteen starts. The sabermetrics are calling for regression — and this may be well underway already — with his SIERA and xFIP projecting an ERA of 4.64 and 4.75 moving forward. Elfin had a 4.02 ERA in his last five starts in the month of June — and he has surrendered 19 base hits in his last two starts spanning only 11 innings. Eflin has not been as effective on the road where he has an ERA of 3.62 along with a 1.35 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .265 in nine starts. The Over is 3-1-1 in Philadelphia’s last 5 road games with Eflin facing a team with a winning record — and Philly has played 11 of their last 14 Over the Total on the road as an underdog priced in the +125 to +175 price range with Eflin on the hill.

FINAL TAKE: The Over is 11-2-1 in Atlanta’s last 14 home games against right-handed starting pitchers. Expect a high scoring game. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break ESPN Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Philadelphia Phillies (907) and the Atlanta Braves (908) listing both starting pitchers Zach Elfin and Mike Soroka. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:10 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Chicago White Sox (14) versus the Detroit Tigers (913) listing both starting pitchers Reynaldo Lopez and Matthew Boyd. THE SITUATION: Chicago (41-42) has won five of their last six games after sweeping yesterday’s doubleheader with the Tigers by 7-5 and 9-6 scores. Detroit (27-54) has now lost three straight games as well as eleven of their last twelve contests. Lopez was scheduled to pitch against Boyd in the opening game of this series on Tuesday but rain postponed that game and both managers decided to push back the starters an extra day after both warmed up to take the mound.

REASONS TO TAKE THE WHITE SOX WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Chicago has won 4 straight games after allowing at least five runs in their last contest. The White Sox are now 24-18 at home in Guaranteed Rate Park — and they have won 13 of their last 18 games at home. Additionally, Chicago has also won 7 of their last 8 games against teams with a winning percentage below 40%. They give the ball to Lopez who is 4-7 with a 6.12 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP in seventeen starts this season. Those are unappealing numbers but the worst of it for Lopez has been when he has been on the road where he has been saddled with a 6.59 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP in eight starts. Lopez has been pitching better at home as of late after enduring a terrible start to the season. Over his last four starts at home at Guaranteed Rate Field, Lopez has a respectable 4.27 ERA along with a 1.26 WHIP covering 25 1/3 innings of work. Lopez was very good at home last year where he enjoyed a 3.63 ERA with a 1.08 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .211 as compared to his 4.20 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and .257 opponent’s batting average on the road. Chicago has won 4 of their last 5 home games with Lopez pitching when priced in the +125 to -125 range. He has a great opportunity to pick up his fifth win of the season against this Tigers team that is scoring 3.1 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven contests while hitting just .231 over that span with a .293 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .634. Detroit has lost a decisive 42 of their last 55 games against right-handed starting pitchers — and they have lost 5 of their last 6 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 or higher. The Tigers have also lost 26 of their last 33 games after a loss — and they have lost 20 of their last 27 games after dropping the first two games in a series. Furthermore, Detroit has lost 54 of their last 72 road games against teams with a winning record at home. They have also lost 15 of their last 20 games against teams with a losing record. Detroit was a small favorite in this matchup because of Boyd who has a 3.72 ERA and a 1.09 WHP in seventeen starts which has resulted in a 5-6 record — but (unfortunately) the two-game sweep yesterday helped to alert bettors to the relative value offered by this improved White Sox team. Boyd has thrived at home where he owns a 3.36 ERA with a 1.01 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .231 in nine starts. But the left-hander sees those numbers rise to a 4.17 ERA with a 1.19 WHIP and .237 opponent’s batting average on the road. Last year, Boyd endured a 5.89 ERA along with a 1.31 WHIP on the road. And while Boyd is pitching better this year after simplifying his approach to relying mostly on his fastball and slider, he remains a fly ball pitcher who is vulnerable to giving up gopher balls. Boyd surrendered a whopping ten home runs last month in five starts after only surrendering seven home runs in his first twelve starts of the season — so pitching in Guaranteed Rate Park will be a challenge since they allow the fifth-most home runs in MLB this season. Detroit has lost 21 of their last 29 road games with Boyd on the bump — and they have lost 7 straight games with Boyd pitching in Chicago against the White Sox.

FINAL TAKE: Chicago surge as of late in large part because they are hitting the ball better. Over their last seven games, the White Sox are scoring 5.7 Runs-Per-Game with a .283 batting average. Chicago has won 7 of their last 8 home games against left-handed starting pitchers — and they have won 5 of their last 6 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.15 or lower. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break American League Central Game of the Year with the money-line on the Chicago White Sox (914) versus the Detroit Tigers (913) listing both starting pitchers Reynaldo Lopez and Matthew Boyd. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:10 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Seattle Mariners (980) plus the +1.5 Run-Line versus the St. Louis Cardinals (979) listing both starting pitchers Mike Leake and Adam Wainwright. THE SITUATION: Seattle (38-51) snapped their four-game losing streak in the opening game of this series with their 5-4 victory over the Cardinals. St. Louis (41-42) has lost six of their last seven games.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MARINERS PLUS THE +1.5 RUN-LINE: The Seattle bullpen blew a 4-1 lead last night before the Mariners scored the winning run in the bottom of the 8th inning — and they have won 9 of their last 14 games after a game where they blew a save. Seattle has won 5 of their last 6 games at home — and they have won 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a losing record. They give the ball to Leake who is 7-7 with a 4.63 ERA with a 1.28 WHIP in seventeen starts. The right-hander has been more effective at home where he owns a 4.00 ERA in seven starts as opposed to his 5.08 ERA on the road. Surrounding gopher balls has been the biggest problem for Leake this season as he allowed a league-leading 23 home runs this year. But 19 of those home runs came on the road — Leake has given up only four home runs at home in the spacious T-Mobile Park. The Mariners have won 8 of their last 9 home games with Leake facing a team with a losing record. Seattle has also won 28 of their last 38 home games with Leake pitching with the Total set in the 9 to 9.5 range. He should find success against the slumping Cardinals who are scoring only 2.7 Runs-Per-Game in their last seven contests with a .229 batting average along with a .278 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .636 over that span. St. Louis has lost 4 straight games against right-handed starting pitchers. The Cardinals have lost 4 of their last 5 games after a loss — and they have lost 13 of their last 20 games after losing five or six of their last seven contests. Additionally, St. Louis has lost 4 straight games in Interleague play. They counter with Wainwright who is 5-7 with a 4.35 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP in fifteen starts. The right-hander has been effective at home where he owns a 2.68 ERA along with a 1.28 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .244 in eight starts — but he sees those numbers skyrocket to a 6.56 ERA with a 1.51 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .288 when on the road. The Cardinals have lost 4 straight road games with Wainwright on the hill — and they have also lost 5 of their last 7 games with Wainwright pitching in Interleague play. Furthermore, Wainwright has a 5.22 ERA with a 1.48 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .287 in eleven starts — and St. Louis has lost 8 of their last 10 games at night with Wainwright on the mound. He faces a Mariners team that has won 5 of their last 7 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 or higher.

FINAL TAKE: The team trends referenced in this Report do not take into account the +1.5 Run-Line we will be taking in this contest. Because the Mariners average 1.71 Home Runs per game, they are supported by a Run-Line specific angle that has been 61% effective since 1997. Seattle has a bullpen WHIP of 1.45 — and home teams who average at least 1.5 Home Runs per game whose bullpen has a WHIP in the 1.45 to 1.55 range have then covered the +1.5 Run-Line in 114 of these last 187 situations. 25* MLB Run-Line Underdog of the Month with the Seattle Mariners (980) plus the +1.5 Run-Line versus the St. Louis Cardinals (979) listing both starting pitchers Mike Leake and Adam Wainwright. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:30 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Jamaica (234222) plus the Goal-Line versus the United States (234221) in the Semifinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. THE SITUATION: Jamaica (2W-2D-0L) advanced to the Semifinals of this tournament. with their 1-0 victory over Panama on Sunday. The USMNT (4W-0D-0L) joined them in the Semifinals later that night with a 1-0 victory over Curacao. This match will be played in Nashville’s Nissan Stadium.

REASONS TO TAKE JAMAICA PLUS THE GOAL-LINE: The United States were -2.5 goal favorites on Sunday against the island nation of Curacao. This Stars and Stripes team lacks energy and team chemistry. Perhaps the flip side of having talented young players like Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie who play professionally in the English Premier League and Bundesliga respectively is that they have difficulty going through the motions when playing in this minor international tournament. We had Curacao in that match as a big underdog because they play with cohesion and purpose — and they dominated the pitch in the second half of the match. Curacao controlled possession for 60% of the second half while outshooting the Americans and putting three shots on target to just one by the US. Overall, Curacao won the possession battle by a 53% margin while outshooting the US by a 15-13 margin and getting five shots on target as compared to the three shots on target for the Stars and Stripes. This team has the look and feel of the group that simply expected good things to happen when they traveled to Trinidad and Tobago in November of 2017 where they just needed a draw to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. They now face a Jamaica side who is — by far — the best team they will have faced in this tournament. The Reggae Boyz are playing the stout defense that has helped them reach the Finals of the last two Gold Cups. They have surrendered only three goals in this tournament. Jamaica has won five of their last nine matches — going 5W-3D-1L over that span while scoring 12 times. They are happy to grind out a low scoring match where their speed can take advantage of mismatches to create scoring opportunities on the counter-attack. The US has yet to surrender a goal in this tournament but that speaks more to the quality of their competition that it does abut improved play from a group that looked shaky entering this event.

FINAL TAKE: The USMNT defeated Jamaica in the 2017 Gold Cup by a 2-1 score — but the Reggae Boys won the last meeting between these two teams in a friendly back on June 5th by a 1-0 score. I would be very surprised if the US wins this match by more than one goal. I will not be surprised if Jamaica pulls the upset — and I find the chances of this match still be deadlocked after 90 minutes to be pretty high. 25* CONCACAF Gold Cup Semifinals Match of the Year with Jamaica (234222) plus the Goal-Line versus the United States (234221) in the Semifinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Sweden (225905) plus the Goal-Line versus Netherlands (225906) in the Semifinals of the Women’s World Cup. THE SITUATION: Sweden (4W-0D-1L) looks to build off their 2-1 win over Germany last Saturday in the Quarterfinals of this tournament. The Netherlands (5W-0D-0L) reached the Semifinals on Saturday as well with their 2-0 victory over Italy.

REASONS TO TAKE SWEDEN WITH THE GOAL-LINE: Sweden displayed grit and resolve by allowing the Germans to take a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute of the match but leveling the score at 1-1 just six minutes later. The Blue and Yellow then seized the 2-1 lead in the third minute of the second half. The Swedes flexed their muscles on defense by not allowing the Germans to score a tying goal for the remaining time in the second half consisting of more than 40 minutes. Germany had been a thorn in Sweden’s side for years as they lost to Die Nationalist in both the Round of 16 in the 2015 World Cup as a well as the Gold Medal round of the 2016 Summer Olympics. Will the Blue and Yellow now suffer an emotional letdown from finally defeating Germany in a high profile international match? Or, will the Swedes feel emboldened from this accomplishment and build off the momentum of that victory? I suspect it will be the latter. It certainly helps that Sweden is once again considered the underdog when facing the 2017 Euro Champions. This is the last hurrah for a golden generation of Swedish players who now in their 30s. Caroline Seger is 34-years old while defenders Nilla Fischer and Linda Sembrandt is 34 and 32-years old. Their legendary starting goaltender who debuted on the Swedes’ 2003 World Cup team is 36-years old. There is a good argument to be made that the Blue and Yellow have been the third best national program in the world since their second place finish in that 2003 World Cup to the Germans and the Unties States. And perhaps manager Peter Gerhardsson’s decision to rotate seven players in their Group Stage match with the US will turn out to be inspired if it put them on the other side of the bracket away from host nation France with an impending rematch in the Finals against what could be an overconfident American side? The Swedes are stout defensively as they have surrendered only four goals in this tournament with three of them coming against the US and Germany. The Netherlands overwhelmed an upstart Italian side that clearly got tired and depleted in the hot temperatures on Saturday. This will be the most difficult test for the Orange Lionesses in this tournament. Their Round of 16 encounter with Japan was probably their most challenging match — and the Dutch were outplayed for most of the second half of that game. The Netherlands won that match when a controversial handball was called in the waning moments of that match which afforded Lieke Martens to score the winning goal via a penalty kick in the 90th minute. The Dutch enjoyed a geographical advantage in the Quarterfinals as well with that match taking place in Valenciennes which is two hours from the Dutch border. And remember that their 2017 Euro Championship was aided by being the host nation of that event.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams met in the Quarterfinals of the 2017 Euro with the Netherlands taking advantage of playing on home soil by earning a 2-0 victory. The Orange Lionesses have taken full advantage of a handful of fortunate situations — but they may have run out of good luck this afternoon. I think Sweden wins this match outright — but take the enormously valuable goal-line in this situation for some insurance. 25* Women’s World Cup FS1-TV Match of the Year with Sweden (225905) plus the Goal-Line versus Netherlands (225906). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:30 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the match between Mexico (234217) and Haiti (234218) in the Semifinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. THE SITUATION: Mexico (3W-1D-0L) survived their Quarterfinals match with Costa Rica on Saturday by winning via a shootout by a 5-4 margin after that game ended with a 1-1 score after 120 minutes of play. Haiti (4W-0D-0L) reached the Semifinals earlier on Sunday with their 3-2 upset win over Canada. This match will be played on a neutral field at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Haiti has fully embraced the role of the Cardiac Kids in this tournament with three of their four victories occurring after initializing allowing the first goal in that game. Les Grenadiers rallied from 1-0 deficits to defeat both Bermuda and Costa Rica by 2-1 scores in the Group Stage. Those results gave this team confidence even when they went into halftime trailing by a 2-0 score to Canada in the Quarterfinals. Haiti kept to their game plan on relying on counter-attacks — and they scored three times in the second half to steal that match from the Canadians. With an average age of just over 24-years of age, this is the youngest team in this tournament. But they are also surging with confidence. They are unlikely to secure a clean sheet in this match. However, this Haiti team will keep on attacking even if they fall behind. They have scored nine times in their four matches despite having an average possession of the ball for just 38.1% of the time in these contests. Counter-attacking sides have often been the Achilles’ heel of the Mexican national team. El Tri has surrendered at least one goal in three of their four matches in this event. Their nervy Quarterfinals match with an angry Costa Rica side motivated to redeem themselves from blowing their 1-0 lead against Haiti was the first time in eight matches under new manager Tito Martino where they did not score at least three goals. Mexico has scored fourteen goals in this tournament. They did not lack for pressure against Costa Rica as they had 22 shots attempts in that match.

FINAL TAKE: With the quick turnaround for this Semifinals match, legs may be tired for both sides. That should help the offenses for each respective team. I expect to see both teams score in the first 90 minutes of this match with at least one of these teams scoring twice over that span. 25* CONCACAF Gold Cup Semifinals Total of the Year with Over the Total in the match between Mexico (234217) and Haiti (234218) in the Semifinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:30 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the Semifinals of the Copa America in the match between Argentina (234489) and Brazil (234490). THE SITUATION: Argentina (2W-1D-1L) reached the Semifinals of the Copa America with their 2-0 win over Venezuela on Friday. Brazil (2W-2D-0L) joined them in the Semifinals later that day with their 0-0 draw with Paraguay which they survived by winning the shootout by a 4-3 score.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Argentina is a work in progress as their national program rebuilds from their disappointing World Cup last summer where they lost in the Round of 16 to France. Manager Lionel Scaloni has tried to have his team play more pragmatically since that tournament. La Albiceleste is playing better defense as this event moves forward as they have registered two straight clean sheets. But they have only scored five goals in their four matches despite having Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero on the pitch. They will be playing a Brazil team that has yet to concede a goal in this tournament. But the Selecao has struggled in three of their four matches which have resulted in their fans jeering them for underachieving. Brazil has not scored a goal in two of their four matches against Venezuela in their second Group Stage match and then against Paraguay last Friday night. This team has often played with nervous energy in front of their home fans as the host nation. They are a bit undermanned with Richarlison unavailable for them in the midfield as he deals with a case of the mumps. The Selecao did not score a goal against Paraguay despite having a man advantage on the pitch after a red card gave them an 11 to 10 man advantage in the 58th minute of that match. Yet Brazil could not muster even one goal with the man advantage for those remaining 32 minutes.

FINAL TAKE: Both these teams are searching for confidence right now. Argentina has never won an international title in the Messi era. After losing in the 2014 World Cup Finals to Germany, La Albiceleste has been a national program in decline. Brazil lost to the Germans by a 7-1 score in the Semifinals of that World Cup in the Estadio Mineiro that will host this match. Since that match, the Brazilian fans have had little patience for their team. This shapes up to be a low scoring match where neither team takes too many chances in the hopes that their talent will make the difference late in the match. 25* Copa America Semifinals Total of the Year with Under the Total in the Semifinals of the Copa America in the match between Argentina (234489) and Brazil (234490). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:07 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Boston Red Sox (913) and the Toronto Blue Jays (914) listing both starting pitchers David Price and Trent Thornton. THE SITUATION: Boston (44-40) returns stateside after getting swept in their two-game series in London against the Yankees where they followed up a 17-13 loss on Saturday with a 12-8 loss on Sunday. Toronto (32-53) has won three of their last four games with their 11-4 win over Kansas City yesterday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Red Sox have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after a loss — and they have played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after scoring at least five runs in their last contest. Additionally, Boston has played 10 of their last 13 games Over the Total after allowing at least 10 runs in their last game to a fellow AL East rival — and they have played 10 of their last 12 games Over the Total after surrendering at least 10 runs in two straight games. Furthermore, while the Red Sox bullpen surrendered ten runs on Sunday, they have then played 11 of their last 17 games Over the Total after a game where their bullpen gave up at least four runs. The Over is also a decisive 41-16-2 in Boston’s last 59 games after an off day. They stay on the road where the Over is 3-0-1 in their last 4 games against teams who are not winning more than 40% of their games at home. They have also played 28 of their last 43 games when priced at -150 or higher. They give the ball to Price who is 5-2 with a 3.36 ERA with a 1.12 WHIP in fourteen starts. The left-hander has been more effective at home where he owns a 3.06 ERA with a 1.08 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .230 in six starts — but those numbers climb to a 3.60 ERA with a 1.15 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .250 on the road. And while Price comes off a solid outing where he allowed only two earned runs in 6 innings of work at home against the White Sox, the Red Sox have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total with Price looking to follow up a Quality Start. He faces a Blue Jays team that is scoring 6.9 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven contests with a .307 batting average along with a .365 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .930 over that span — and they have played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total against left-handed starting pitchers. Toronto has played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total after a win — and they have played 10 of their last 14 games Over the Total after scoring at least five runs in their last game. The Blue Jays stay at home where the Over is 15-5-1 in their last 21 games — and the Over is 10-2-1 in their last 13 home games against teams with a winning record. Toronto has also played 7 of their last 8 home games Over the Total as a money-line underdog priced in the +125 to +175 price range. They counter with Thornton who is 2-5 with a 4.60 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP in seventeen starts. The right-hander has not been as effective a home where his ERA rises to a 6.39 mark with a 1.58 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .272 in seven starts. The Blue Jays have played 4 straight games Over the Total at home with Thornton on the hill — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total at home with Thornton facing a team with a winning record. He faces a Red Sox team that is scoring 6.9 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .328 batting average along with a .382 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .924 in those games. Boston has played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total against right-handed starting pitchers — and the Over is 15-5-1 in their last 21 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 or higher.

FINAL TAKE: The Over is 6-0-1 in the last 7 meetings between two teams when playing in Toronto. 20* MLB Tuesday Night Discounted Deal with Over the Total in the game between the Boston Red Sox (913) and the Toronto Blue Jays (914) listing both starting pitchers David Price and Trent Thornton. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the Semifinals of the Women’s World Cup between the United States (225901) and England (225902). THE SITUATION: The USWNT (5W-0D-0L) defeated France by a 2-1 score on Friday in that Quarterfinals showdown. England (5-0-0) reached the Semifinals on Thursday when they defeated Norway by a 3-0 score.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: England entered that match with Norway with two significant doubts on their backline with Steph Houghton dealing with an ankle injury and Millie Bright ill with a virus that spread through the team. Both central defenders ended up playing and played important roles in the clean sheet. With five days of rest and recuperation since that match, both defenders should be closer to full strength for this showdown. The Three Lionesses defense has been outstanding in this tournament as they have conceded only one goal in their opening match against Scotland. England is led by Lucy Bronze who is probably the best right back in the world of women’s soccer. She will be assigned to slow down Megan Rapinoe in this match — and she will have an advantage of being very familiar with the pitch with this being played in Lyon where she plays professionally. The Three Lionesses have scored eleven goals in their five matches which is a healthy amount — but after scoring only five goals in their three Group Stage matches, this team may be prepared to grind out a low scoring match with the Americans. Team USA has been spectacular on defense in this tournament as they have also only surrendered two goals. A question mark for this group entering this event regarded how Crystal Dunn would play at left back since this put the attacker out of position in playing on the backline. Dunn has steadily improved and rewarded manager Jill Ellis’ choice to put her on the pitch in the Starting XI as she played her best game in this World Cup. The Stars and Stripes did not allow a shot on target in the first half by the French. And they held Les Bleus to only one goal despite allowing them to have possession for 61% of that match. On paper, the USA looks like an offensive juggernaut with its whopping 22 goals in this tournament. But after their 13-0 win over Thailand to begin this tournament, they have scored only nine goals in their last four matches which is much closer to England’s more modest scoring efficiency. This US team has become more defensive oriented when Ellis moved Julie Ertz from the backline to the middle as a holding midfielder.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams played in the She Believes Cup back on March 2nd which resulted in a 2-2 draw. I expect this rematch with the stakes much higher to be a defensive struggle with both teams being careful to not allow their opponents to seize scoring chances. 25* Women’s World Cup Semifinals Total of the Year with Under the Total in the Semifinals of the Women’s World Cup between the United States (225901) and England (225902). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Chicago Cubs (951) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (952) listing both starting pitchers Adbert Alzaolay and Trevor Williams. THE SITUATION: Chicago (45-39) has lost four of their last six games after their 8-6 loss in Cincinnati yesterday. Pittsburgh (39-43) has lost two in a row after their 2-1 loss in Milwaukee yesterday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Cubs have played 15 of their last 21 games Over the Total after a loss by two runs or less in their last game. Chicago has also played 7 of their last 10 games Over the Total when facing an opponent that did not score more than two runs in their last game. Additionally, the Cubs have played 6 of their last 7 road games Over the Total against teams with a losing record on the road — and they have played 15 of their last 22 road games Over the Total with the Total set in the 8.5 to 10 range. They give the ball to Alzolay who is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP in his 8 2/3 innings of pitching this year after being called up from Triple-A. Obviously, we are dealing with a very small sample size — but there are some things to be worried about with the rookie. First, Alzolay has already issued six bases-on-balls in those 8 1/3 innings of work. Second, this will be his first time pitching in a hostile ballpark in his career at the major league level. His SIERA and xFIP project an ERA of 5.30 and 5.44 based on his peripheral numbers — so I do not put much stock in his current ERA. Alzolay faces a hot-hitting Pirates team that is scoring 5.9 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .298 batting average along with a .351 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .849 over that span. The Over is 15-5-1 in the Pirates’ last 21 home games against right-handed starting pitchers. The Over is also 9-3-2 in Pittsburgh’s last 13 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 or higher. The Pirates have played 20 of their last 28 games Over the Total after a loss — and they have played 18 of their last 24 games at home Over the Total after a loss by just one run. Additionally, the Over is 7-1-1 in Pittsburgh’s last 9 games after scoring two runs or less in their last game. The Pirates have only scored two runs in their last three games — but they have then played 9 of their last 12 games Over the Total after failing to score more than three runs in two straight contests. Pittsburgh returns home here the Over is 19-6-2 in their last 27 games. Additionally, the Pirates have played 18 of their last 27 games Over the Total with the number set in the 9 to 9.5 range — and they have played 13 of their last 16 home games Over the Total with the Total set in the 8.5 to 10 range. They counter with Williams who is 2-2 with a 4.25 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP in eleven starts this season. The right-hander has not been as effective at home where he has struggled with a 6.00 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and .283 opponent’s batting average in four starts. Pittsburgh has played 3 of their last 4 games Over the Total with Williams pitching at home. He faces a Cubs’ team that is scoring 5.3 Runs-Per-Game on the road.

FINAL TAKE: The last meeting between these two teams ended with the Cubs pulling a 2-0 loss in Wrigley Field back on April 11th. The Pirates have played 10 of their last 12 games Over the Total when playing with revenge from a loss where they did not score more than one run. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break Monday ESPN Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Chicago Cubs (951) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (952) listing both starting pitchers Adbert Alzaolay and Trevor Williams. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Curacao (234213) plus the Goal-Line versus the United States (234214) in the Quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. THE SITUATION: Curacao (1W-1D-1L) registered a dramatic 1-1 draw with Jamaica last Tuesday to eke into the Quarterfinals of this tournament. The USMNT (3W-0D-0L) won first place in their group with their 1-0 win over Panama on Wednesday. This match will be played on a neutral field on Lincoln Field Park in Philadelphia.

REASONS TO TAKE CURACAO PLUS THE GOAL-LINE: Curacao needed a result in their final Group Stage match to secure second place in Group C. They surrendered an early goal to the stout defensive-minded Reggae Boyz — but this team showed grit by scoring three minutes into extra time to eke out the draw and the one point necessary to advance to the Quarterfinals. This team will be feisty underdogs in this match in what is just their second Gold Cup ever. But this roster is talented with the majority of their players playing in one of the top two professional leagues in the Netherlands which is one of the better soccer nations in Europe when it comes to the professional talent that makes their home there. This is also a young team with 20 of the 23 members on the roster being under the age of 30. Curacao made me take notice in the 2017 Gold Cup where they lost all three matches but were competitive in all three contests against tough competition that included Jamaica (who reached the Finals that year) along with Mexico. This team won the 2017 Caribbean Cup — and they were 3W—0D-1L in the CONCACAF Nation’s League Qualifiers with a +16 net goal differential which led all teams. Curacao has allowed only two goals in this tournament — and they have one of the best goalkeepers in this event in Elroy Room who stood on his head making great saves in their upset 1-0 win over Honduras in their second match. The USMNT is feeling very good about themselves again with their three Group Stage wins after limping into this tournament with 1-0 loss to Jamaica followed up by a 3-0 loss to Venezuela. I do not put too much stock in their 4-0 win over an overmatched Guyana side — nor do I think much of their 6-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago in that revenge situation. That Trinidad team simply does not have a great roster — and it was the US this time around with the home field advantage. The US played many of their bench players in the match with Panama — but so too did the Canal Men play many of their second teamers with a Quarterfinals match already secured. The Stars and Stripes have yet to allow a goal in this tournament — but there play on defense was an issue entering this tournament.

FINAL TAKE: The pressure is on the United States — big time — in this match. A loss to Curacao would not only ruin any good feelings they have built up over the last two weeks but it would leave the program even worse off than when they began with those two straight losses. While I am not picking the straight up upset, I do think Curacao keeps it close. 25* CONCACAF Quarterfinals Match of the Year with Curacao (234213) plus the Goal-Line versus the United States (234214) in the Quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Atlanta Braves (913) and the New York Mets (914) listing both starting pitchers Max Fried and Noah Syndergaard. THE SITUATION: Atlanta (50-34) has won six of their last eight games after they won Game Two of this series last night by a 5-4 score. New York (37-47) has lost seven straight games.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Braves have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after a victory by one run over a fellow NL East rival. The Over is also 10-3-1 in Atlanta’s last 14 games after scoring at least five runs in their last game. And in their last 20 road games with the Total set at 7 to 8.5, the Braves have played 13 of these games Over the Total. They give the ball to Fried who is 9-3 with a 3.96 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP in sixteen starts (eighteen appearances). The left-hander has not been as effective on the road where he sees his ERA rise to a 4.50 mark along with a 1.52 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .280 in eight starts (ten games). Atlanta has played 9 of their last 12 games on the road Over the Total with Fried on the hill. Fried comes off a good effort where he allowed only two earned runs in 6 innings of work in Chicago against the Cubs (but his troubling walk rate as of late continued as he issued five bases on balls) — and the Over is 6-1-1 in the Braves’ last 8 games when Fried is looking to follow up a Quality Start. New York has played 16 of their last 24 games in the month of June Over the Total. The Mets have also played 16 of their last 22 games Over the Total when favored in the -100 to -150 price range — and this includes them playing nine of their last thirteen games at home Over the Total when favored up to the -150 price. New York has also played 34 of their last 50 games Over the Total when playing at night

At 5:00 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Chicago Sky (625) plus the points versus the Los Angeles Sparks (626). THE SITUATION: Chicago (6-5) has lost their last two games after their 79-76 loss in Seattle on Friday as a 3-point underdog. Los Angeles (5-6) snapped a four-game winning streak on Thursday with their 86-74 upset victory over as Vegas as a 2-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE CHICAGO PLUS THE POINTS: Los Angeles is likely to suffer a letdown after their big win over the Aces. The Sparks have failed to cover the point spread in 9 straight games after a double-digit win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 21 of their last 30 games after an upset victory by at least 10 points. Los Angeles is also 5-15-1 ATS in their last 21 games after a straight-up win — and they are 3-9-1 ATS in their last 13 games after a point spread victory. The Sparks made 42.7% of their shots on Thursday which was the highest field goal percentage in their last four games. They also held Las Vegas to just 41.7% shooting which was the best defensive performance in their last five snots. They stay at home where they are just 2-2 while being outscored by -3.0 PPG. They have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games at home. The Sparks are also 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 games against teams from the Eastern Conference. Chicago is 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 games after a straight-up loss — and they are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 games when playing with one day of rest. And while their game with Seattle finished Over the Total, the Sky have then covered the point spread in 15 of their last 20 road games after playing a game that finished Over the Total. Chicago plays great defense — they are holding their home hosts to just 40.8% shooting this season. They are also 5-2-1 ATS in their last 8 games on the road overall. And in the last 4 games against Western Conference opponents, the Sky is 3-0-1 ATS.

FINAL TAKE: Chicago will have revenge on their minds as well with this being their first opportunity to avenge a 93-76 loss at home to Los Angeles last year on July 22nd. 25* WNBA Game of the Month with the Chicago Sky (625) plus the points versus the Los Angeles Sparks (626).  Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 4:10 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the San Diego Padres (912) versus the St. Louis Cardinals (911) listing both starting pitchers Joey Lucchesi and Miles Mikolas. THE SITUATION: San Diego (41-40) has won four straight games after their 12-2 win over the Cardinals yesterday in the second game of this series. St. Louis (40-40) has lost five straight contests.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PADRES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: San Diego is on fire with their bats right now. They have scored 33 runs during their four-game winning streak with 42 base hits which includes a whopping 16 more runs over that span. The Padres have won 6 of their last 7 games after a win — and they have won 5 of their last 6 games after scoring at least five runs in their last contest. San Diego has also won 7 of their last 10 games after not allowing more than two runs in their last game. They give the ball to Lucchesi who is 6-4 with a 3.95 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP in fifteen starts this season. The rookie has been pitching his best ball of the season as he owns a 3-1 record with a 3.38 ERA along with a 0.95 WHIP over his last five starts. The left-hander has done his best pitching at home where he owns a 2.70 ERA with a 1.01 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .195 in nine starts. The Padres have won 7 of their last 10 games at home with Lucchesi making the start — and they have also won 4 of their last 5 home games with Lucchesi facing a team with a losing record. Lucchesi has had an extra couple days of rest to prepare for this start with his last effort being last Sunday — and San Diego has won 6 of their last 7 games with Lucchesi pitching with six days of rest. He faces a cold Cardinals lineup that is scoring only 2.9 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven contests with a .219 batting average along with a .277 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .598 over that span. St. Louis has lost 5 of their last 7 road games when facing left-handed starting pitchers. That cause was made even worse for the Cards with Marcell Ozuna hitting the disabled list after suffering a broken right hand. Ozuna is the team’s best hitter with six more home runs and 26 more RBIs than any of his teammates. St. Louis has five of their last seven games — and they have then lost 12 of their last 18 games after losing five or six of their last seven contests. The Cardinals have also lost 17 of their last 25 games on the road — and they have lost 16 of their last 21 road games against teams with a winning record. St. Louis has also lost 6 straight games against teams with a winning record. They counter with Mikolas who is 5-8 with a 4.33 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP in sixteen starts. The right-hander has been very tough when pitching at home in Busch Stadium where he owns a 2.48 ERA with a 0.97 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .223 — but those numbers explode to a 7.76 ERA with a 1.76 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .346 in seven starts on the road. The Cardinals have lost 4 of their last 6 road games with Mikolas on the mound. And while Mikolas allowed only one run in his last start which was at home against the Angels, St. Louis has lost 3 of their last 4 games when Mikolas is following up a start where he allowed only one earned run. The Padres are scoring 6.7 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven contests with a .275 batting average along with a .351 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .902 in those games. San Diego has also won 5 straight home games against right-handed starting pitchers.

FINAL TAKE: The Cardinals have lost 16 of their last 24 games when playing with at least double-revenge. St. Louis has also lost 6 of their last 7 meetings with the Padres which includes them losing four straight games in San Diego’s Petco Park. 25* Major League Baseball Game of the Month with the money-line on the San Diego Padres (912) versus the St. Louis Cardinals (911) listing both starting pitchers Joey Lucchesi and Miles Mikolas. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 1:10 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Texas Rangers (921) and the Tampa Bay Rays (922) listing both starting pitchers Jesse Chavez and Blake Snell. THE SITUATION: Texas (46-37) saw their six-game winning streak snapped on Saturday with their 5-2 loss to the Rays. Tampa Bay (47-36) has won two of their last three games.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Rangers have played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after allowing at least five runs in their last game. Texas has also played 15 of their last 18 road games Under the Total after winning at least four of their last five contests. Additionally, the Texas bullpen has pitched only five combined innings in their last three games — and they have then played 8 of their last 9 games Under the Total when their bullpen has not logged more than 5 combined innings in their last three contests. The Rangers have played 19 of their last 28 games Under the Total in the month of June. They also have played 5 straight games Under the Total on the road. Jesse Chavez takes the mound with his 3-2 record along with a 2.79 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP across 51 2/3 innings of work. The veteran right-hander is making his first start of the season because he has allowed only one earned run in his last 14 1/3 innings of work while striking out 14 batters and walking just one over that span. Working mostly in long relief this season, Chavez has been more effective on the road where he owns a 1.37 ERA with an opponent’s batting average of .222 in 26 1/3 innings of work as compared to his 4.26 ERA along with a .271 opponent’s batting average at home. Chavez’s teams have played 8 of their last 13 games Under the Total when he is making a start with the Total set in the 7 to 8.5 range. He faces a slumping Rays’ team that is scoring only 4.0 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .202 batting average along with a .260 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .622 over that span. Tampa Bay has played 4 of their last 5 home games Under the Total against right-handed starting pitchers. The Under is 6-1-1 in the Rays’ last 8 games after a win — and the Under is 6-1-1 in their last 8 games after scoring at least five runs in their last contest. Tampa Bay has also played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after allowing no more than two runs in their last game. Furthermore, the Under is 6-2-1 in the Rays’ last 9 games at home — and the Under is 7-2-2 in their last 11 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. They counter with Snell who is 4-7 with a 5.01 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP in sixteen starts. The left-hander has really struggled as of late having not completed four complete innings in three straight starts. He is struggling with his curveball which has allowed hitters to sit on his fastball. But his velocity on his fastball is still good at 96 MPH and he has an effective changeup as a counter to it. His last two starts have been on the road against two of the best offenses in baseball against the Yankees and Twins — so maybe just returning home will help cure what ails him. Snell has gotten pounded on the road where he has a 6.48 ERA with a 1.54 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .287 — but he has been very good at home with a 3.38 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and .218 opponent’s batting average in seven starts. The deeper sabermetrics are encouraging with both his SIERA and xFIP projecting an ERA of 3.57 and 3.20 moving forward. Tampa Bay has played 21 of their last 35 games Under the Total with Snell on the hill after a win. He should find success against this Rangers team that is hitting only .228 against left-handed starting pitchers with a .307 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .693. Texas has played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total against left-handed starting pitchers.  The Rangers have also played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 or higher.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have now played 5 of their last 7 meetings Under the Total. 25* MLB American League Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Texas Rangers (921) and the Tampa Bay Rays (922) listing both starting pitchers Jesse Chavez and Blake Snell. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the Quarterfinals match of the CONCACAF Gold Cup between Costa Rica (234205) and Mexico (234206). THE SITUATION: Costa Rica (2W-0D-1L) looks to bounce-back from a 2-1 loss to Haiti last Monday. Mexico (3W-0D-0L) completed their three-game sweep in Group Stage play with their 3-2 victory over Martinique last Sunday. This match will be played on a neutral field at NRG Stadium in Houston.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Costa Rica will have an opportunity to redeem themselves from suffering an upset loss to an upstart Haiti side that rallied from a 1-0 halftime deficit to score twice in the second half. That comeback certainly raises questions about the quality of the Los Ticos backline. They also surrendered a goal to a weak Bermuda side in Group Stage play after earning a clean sheet against a disappointing Nicaragua team in their opening match. Costa Rica competed in last summer’s World Cup and gave up goals in all three of their Group Stage matches. Los Ticos should rebound with a strong effort in the role of the underdog with this opportunity to knock off Mexico who are the favorites to win this tournament. Costa Rica has scored seven times in their three games — and they have scored at least one goal in four of their last five matches in all competitions. Mexico showed some leakiness with their defense by surrendering two goals to a weak Martinique team. Issues on defense have already become an issue under new manager Tito Martino who came over after leading the Atlanta United to the MLS championship last year. The former Barcelona skipper has seen El Tri give up a goal in six of the seven matches he has coached for the national team. Mexico also gave up seven goals in their four matches in last summer’s World Cup where they also failed to register a clean sheet. There one shutout under Martino was in this tournament in their opening match against Cuba which was a team that saw their captain defect before the match started. But this El Tri group can score goals. They have a whopping thirteen goals in this event — and they have scored at least three goals in all seven matches under Martino (which have all been victories).

FINAL TAKE: This match has a 2-1 score (minimum) written all over it. Mexico will get their goals — and a feisty Costa Rica side should find the back of the net at least once. 25* CONCACAF Gold Cup Quarterfinals Total of the Year with Over the Total in the Quarterfinals match of the CONCACAF Gold Cup between Costa Rica (234205) and Mexico (234206). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 4:10 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Cincinnati Reds (956) versus the Chicago Cubs (955) listing both starting pitchers Luis Castillo and Jose Quintana. THE SITUATION: Cincinnati (36-42) snapped a four-game losing streak last night by defeating the Cubs in the opening game of this series by a 6-3 score. Chicago (44-37) has now lost three of their last four games.

REASONS TO TAKE THE REDS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Cincinnati has won 5 of their last 6 games after a victory — and they have also won 6 of their last 8 games after losing four of their last five games. Additionally, the Reds have won 7 of their last 9 games against teams with a winning record — and they have won 5 straight games at home. They give the ball to Castillo who is 7-2 record with a 2.56 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP in sixteen starts. The right-hander has added a change-up this year which has helped him become more effective against left-handed hitters. Castillo has a deadly combination of attributes in that he is striking out 28.9% of the batters he is facing while inducing ground balls in 55.3% of the balls he is allowing into play. Castillo’s biggest flaw is that he is walking too many batters at a 13.0% clip of all the batters he faces. He issued five bases-on-balls in his last start on the road against Milwaukee. Castillo has a 1.40 WHIP when pitching on the road. But he has better control at home where his WHIP drops to a 0.97 mark which correlates with a 2.01 ERA and a .164 opponent’s batting average in eight starts. Cincinnati has won 14 of their last 20 home games with Castillo on the hill — and they have won 4 of their last 5 home games with Castillo facing a team with a winning record. The Reds have also won 5 of their last 7 games with Castillo facing the Cubs. Chicago has lost 8 of their last 10 road games against right-handed starting pitchers. The Cubs have also lost 9 of their last 11 games away from home overall — and they have lost 16 of their last 21 road games against teams with a winning record at home. And in their last 19 road games, as an underdog priced at least at +100, Chicago has lost 15 of these contests. They counter with Quintana who is 4-7 with a 4.50 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP in sixteen games (fifteen starts). The lefty is mired in a big slump over his last nine starts where he has a 0-6 record with a 5.40 ERA. Quintana’s velocity is down to just 91.7 MPH on his fastball which is the lowest mark since his rookie season back in the idyllic days of 2012. The result has been that Quintana has not struck out more than six batters in eleven straight starts. Quintana has also been less effective on the road where he sees his ERA rise to a 4.93 mark along with a 1.57 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .288 on seven starts (eight games). The Cubs have lost 4 straight road games with Quintana on the mound. Quintana has also been rocked with a 6.29 ERA along with a 1.49 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .302 in six day starts.

FINAL TAKE: Chicago has lost 4 of their last 5 games with Quintana facing the Reds. Cincy is currently scoring a healthy 5.1 Runs-Per-Game. 25* MLB National League Central Game of the Month with the money-line on the Cincinnati Reds (956) versus the Chicago Cubs (955) listing both starting pitchers Luis Castillo and Jose Quintana. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 1:10 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the New York Yankees (965) and the Boston Red Sox (966) listing both starting pitchers Masahiro Tanaka and Rick Porcello. THE SITUATION: New York (52-28) begins this series having won three straight games — as well as eleven of their last twelve contest — after their 8-7 victory over Toronto on Thursday. Boston (44-38) has lost three of their last five games after their 8-7 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. While the Red Sox are the technical home team who will bat last in this series, this game is being played on a neutral field at London Stadium in England.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Yankees have played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a win — and they have played 9 of their last 11 games Over the Total after a win by just one run. New York has also played 8 of their last 11 games Over the Total after allowing at least five runs. Additionally, the Over is a decisive 35-14-2 in the Bronx Bombers’ last 51 games on the road. They give the ball to Tanaka who is 5-5 with a 3.21 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP in sixteen starts. The deeper sabermetrics for the right-hander calls for regression with both his SIERA and xFIP projecting an ERA of 4.18 and 3.96 moving forward. Tanaka has not been as effective away from Yankee Stadium as he owns a 3.89 ERA on the road in six starts as compared to his 2.84 ERA at home. And while Tanaka comes off a nice outing where he allowed only two runs in 6 innings of work against the Astros — but the Over is 4-1-1 in the Yankees’ last 6 games when Tanaka is on the hill looking to follow up a Quality Start. The Over is also 3-1-1 in New York’s last 5 games with Tanaka facing the Red Sox. Boston has played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total against right-handed starting pitching. The Red Sox are swinging hot bats right now as they are scoring 6.1 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .310 batting average along with a .378 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .868 over that span. Additionally, the Over is 40-16-2 in Boston’s last 58 games after an off day — and the Over is 29-14-2 in their last 45 opening games to a new series. The Red Sox have also played 5 of their last 8 games Over the Total after a game where at least 15 combined runs were scored — and they have played 4 of their last 6 games Over the Total in contests with the Total set at 11 or higher. The Over is also 4-1-1 in Boston’s last 6 games against fellow AL East opponents. They counter with Porcello who is 5-7 with a 4.52 ERA with a 1.35 WHIP in sixteen starts. The sabermetrics are not encouraging for the right-hander either with his SIERA and xFIP projecting an ERA of 4.89 and 5.02 respectively moving forward given his peripheral numbers. Porcello has struggled away from Fenway Park where he has a 5.15 ERA with a 1.45 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .289 in seven starts as opposed to his 4.11 ERA with a 1.28 WHIP and .242 opponent’s batting average when pitching in Fenway. The Red Sox have played 3 of their last 4 games with Porcello pitching with the Total set at 11 or higher. He faces a powerful Yankee lineup that is scoring 6.7 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .304 batting average along with a .365 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .935.

FINAL TAKE: The Yankees have played 9 of their last 13 games Over the Total against right-handed starting pitchers — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 or higher. Expect a high scoring game between these two teams swinging hot bats. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break Fox-TV Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the New York Yankees (965) and the Boston Red Sox (966) listing both starting pitchers Masahiro Tanaka and Rick Porcello. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Germany (225990) minus the Goal-Line versus Sweden (225989). THE SITUATION: Germany (4-0-0) won their fourth straight match in this tournament with their 3-0 win over Nigeria in the Round of 16 last Saturday. Sweden (3-0-1) reached the Quarterfinals of this event with their 1-0 win over Canada last Monday.

REASONS TO TAKE GERMANY MINUS THE GOAL-LINE: Die Nationalelf has steadily improved in each of their matches. They have scored seven goals in their last two contests against Nigeria and South Africa. The relatively slow start for the Germans where they “only” won their opening two matches by 1-0 scores against China and Spain should be taken with a grain of salt since they were adapting to the loss of their best player, Dzsenifer Marozsan, who suffered a broken foot in that first match against China. The good news for Die Nationalelf is that the seven days off since their Round of 16 victory against Nigeria, Marozsan may be healthy enough to take the pitch again in this match. Her presence would be a major boost for this team that ranks second in the world by both FIFA and the ELO ranking systems. The one benefit of Marozsan not playing for these last three matches is that has opened space for Sara Dabritz to step up in her absence — she has scored three times in this tournament after taking more of an offensive role in the midfield. One of the concerns for this team entering this tournament was that they had played only four friendlies under new manager Martina Voss-Tecklenburg who took over in November last year. As Voss-Tecklenburg has put her imprint on this squad, the team has become more defensive-oriented. Not only have the Germans not surrendered a goal in this tournament, but their four opponents have managed only six shots on target spanning 360 minutes play. Die Nationalelf won the 2016 Olympics in what was the last major international event in women’s soccer. Sweden rebounded from their 2-0 loss to the United States with their victory over Canada. But as they showed against the Americans, the Blue and Yellow tend to struggle against opponents that are loaded with talent and that play with space. That is an apt description of what they will see from the Germans this afternoon. Goal scoring can be an issue for this team that lacks the proven goal scorers of the past that helped them reach the finals of the 2016 Olympics. Besides the five goals they scored against an overmatched Thailand team (who surrendered 13 goals against the US), Sweden has scored only three goals in their other three matches. The weather may also play a role in this match with the temperatures very high in France. The Blue and Yellow have four key players who are 32-years old or older in midfielder Caroline Seger, defenders Nilla Fischer and Linda Sembrandt along with goalkeeper Hedvig Lindhal who may experience more difficulty in dealing with the extreme heat.

FINAL TAKE: These are two opponents very familiar with each other — and Germany has had Sweden’s number as of late. Die Nationalelf has won four of the last five meetings between these two teams which include their 4-1 win over the Blue and Yellow in the Round of 16 of the 2015 World Cup and their 2-1 win in the Gold Medal match of the 2016 Olympics. Germany won the last friendly between these two sides on April 6th with another 2-1 victory. 25* Women’s World Cup Quarterfinals Match of the Year with Germany (225990) minus the Goal-Line versus Sweden (225989). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 AM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the match between the Netherlands (225985) and Italy (225986). THE SITUATION: The Netherlands (4W-0D-0L) reached the Quarterfinals of the Women’s World Cup with their 2-1 win over Japan on Tuesday. Italy (3W-0D-1L) advanced to the Quarterfinals the same day with a 2-0 victory over China.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Netherlands scored in the 90th minute on a penalty kick conversion by Lieke Martens. But the Orange Lionesses were fortunate to survive that match with Japan controlling the pace of play for the last 20 minutes of the second half while blowing a number of good scoring opportunities. Japan had 12 shots in that match. The defense for the Netherlands appeared to be the weak link for this team when they began this tournament. While Stephanie van der Gragt is a strong and physical defender, the rest of the group in the backline is a young and inexperienced group that may not be as talented as some of the defenders in the Quarterfinals. The Dutch have surrendered a goal in three straight matches. And while they did enjoy a clean sheet against New Zealand to open this tournament, remember that the Kiwis were a defensive-oriented side that scored only three goals in their three Group Stage matches before being eliminated. The Netherlands route to reaching the Semifinals will likely require them scoring multiple goals — but they have the elite forward talent that can accomplish this task with Martens joined by Vivianne Miedema and Shanice van de Sandeen along with the 22-year old Lineth Beerensteyn who has found success coming off the bench. The Orange Lionesses have scored eight goals in this tournament. The Dutch also scored nine goals in their three Knockout Stage matches in the 2017 Euro Championship — so high scoring games were the norm for them in winning that tournament. Italy has scored nine times in this event with multiple goals scored in three of their four matches. There was plenty of action in their match with China as Le Azzurre attempted 17 shots with the Chinese making 20 shot attempts. Italy pushes the pace of play in a free-flowing style. Both teams have scored at least one goal in six of their last nine matches across all competitions.

FINAL TAKE: Look for this match to play out similar to the Netherlands’ contest with Japan where the match became level at 1-1 about midway before a team broke out to score a second goal. 25* Women’s World Cup FS1-TV Total of the Month with Over the Total in the match between the Netherlands (225985) and Italy (225986). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:10 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the Washington Nationals (927) versus the Detroit Tigers (928) listing both starting pitchers Anibal Sanchez and Daniel Norris. THE SITUATION: Washington (40-40) has won three straight games — as well as eight of their last ten contests — with their 8-5 win at Miami yesterday. Detroit (26-50) has lost seven straight games — as well as eleven of their last twelve contests — after their 3-1 loss to Texas yesterday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE NATIONALS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: This red-hot Washington team has won 6 of their last 7 games after a win — and they have won 5 of their last 6 games after scoring at least five runs in their last game. The Nationals have also won 4 of their last 5 games after allowing at least five runs in their last game. Washington stays on the road where they have won 6 of their last 7 games — and they have won 7 of their last 9 road games with the Total set at 10 to 10.5. Additionally, the Nationals have won 7 of their last 8 games against teams with a winning percentage below 40%. Washington sends out Sanchez who is 3-6 with a 4.02 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP in fourteen starts. The 35-year old has reinvented himself late in his career by adding a cutter into his arsenal to compensate for his declining velocity — and this has lowered his hard-hit rate by opposing batters. Sanchez has been outstanding as of late with a 3-0 record over his last five starts with a 2.45 ERA over that span. The right-hander has been more effective on the road where he owns a 3.84 ERA with a .233 opponent’s batting average in seven starts as compared to his 4.15 ERA and .244 opponent’s batting average at home. The Nationals have won 4 of their last 5 games with Sanchez pitching as a favorite priced at least at -110. He faces a cold Tigers lineup that is scoring only 3.0 Runs-Per-Game over their last five games. Detroit has lost 10 of their last 14 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 or lower. The Tigers have also lost 22 of their last 27 home games against right-handed starting pitchers. Detroit has lost 12 of their last 14 home games after being on at least a three-game losing streak. The Tigers have also lost 23 of their last 29 games after a loss — and they have lost 10 of their last 13 games after scoring two runs or less in their last game. Detroit has been a disaster when playing at home in Comerica Park where they have dropped 20 of their last 22 games. The Tigers have also lost 26 of their last 33 home games against teams with a losing record on the road — and they have lost 20 of their last 25 home games as the underdog. They counter with Norris who is 2-6 with a 4.69 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP in thirteen starts (sixteen appearances). The left-hander has not been as effective at home where he owns a 5.10 ERA as compared to his more modest 4.44 ERA on the road. Detroit has lost 16 of their last 21 home games with Norris on the hill. He faces a hot-hitting Nationals team that has scored 6.3 Runs-Per-Game in their last seven games with a .268 batting average along with a .332 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .809 over that span.

FINAL TAKE: Washington has won 9 of their last 13 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 or lower. With the price on the Nationals below my -150 price threshold, let’s attack. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break Road Warrior of the Year with the money-line on the Washington Nationals (927) versus the Detroit Tigers (928) listing both starting pitchers Anibal Sanchez and Daniel Norris. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Over the Total in the match between Chile (234481) and Colombia (234482). THE SITUATION: Colombia (3W-0D-0L) won all three of their Group Stage matches after they defeated Paraguay by a 1-0 score last Sunday. Chile (2W-0D-1L) looks to bounce-back from a 1-0 loss to Uruguay on Monday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Colombia has scored four goals in their three victories — and they have not surrendered a goal in their three Group Stage matches. But after registering a clean sheet against the mess that remains the current Argentina national team (despite having Lionel Messi), Los Cafeteros have not faced offensive juggernauts in Qatar and then Paraguay on Sunday. Paraguay generated 10 shots while controlling possession for 54% of that match — so it is not as if Colombia has been stifling on the defensive end of the pitch. Los Cafeteros play their two fullbacks high which makes them vulnerable to counter-attacks. Their backline is considered their biggest vulnerability. This team also has the reputation of folding versus elite teams — and they continued to enable that perception with losses last summer to Japan and then England in the Round of 16 of the World Cup. Colombia is winless in their last nine matches against a Chile team that is the two-time defending champions of the Copa America. I suspect that Los Cafeteros will surrender at least one goal — but they should also score at least once in this match. Colombia plays a direct style with a possession-based attack. They are led by one of the best-attacking midfielders in the world in James Rodriguez who was a breakout star for them in Brazil (this locale this summer) in the 2014 World Cup. He is complemented by a veteran attacker in Radamel Falcao. They will be challenged by a Chile side that showed grit and determination in their 1-0 loss to Uruguay on Monday. La Roja seems to be an aging team with Alexis Sanchez, Eduardo Vargas, and Arturo Vidal all past their primes. But this group controlled possession for 59% of their match against Uruguay before losing to an Edinson Cavani goal in the 82nd. Chile had a healthy 12 shots in that match. They have scored six times in this tournament as their loss on Monday was their first match in their last nine where they did not score at least one goal. La Roja’s defense takes a hit tonight with one of their leaders on their backline, Gary Medal, a doubt with an injury.

FINAL TAKE: Chile has scored and conceded at least one goal in six of their last eight matches across all competitions. I see both teams scoring in this match in what should be full of drama. Colombia wants to grab the torch from La Roja — but this proud Chile side will be very difficult to dethrone as the two-time reigning Copa America champions. 25* Copa America Quarterfinals Total of the Year with Over the Total in the match between Chile (234481) and Colombia (234482). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between the United States (225981) and France (225982). THE SITUATION: The USWNT (4W-0D-0L) reached the Quarterfinals of the Women’s World Cup with their 2-1 win over Spain on Monday. France (4-0-0) made it to the Quarterfinals the day before with their 2-1 victory over Brazil that required the extra 30 minutes of time to resolve a 1-1 score after 90 minutes.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Both of these teams have potent offenses that tend to overwhelm lesser opponents. The question in handicapping this match is to discern whether or not the respective managers will continue to play aggressively or instead embrace more defensive tactics in this showdown that might very well determine the winner of this tournament. France manager Corinne Diacre tends to have her team play more cautiously when facing elite competition. A 1-0 win over Australia in April along with a 2-0 win over the Matildas last October and a 1-0 loss to Germany on February 28th of this year is evidence of this tactic. And after their opening 4-0 win over the Korea Republic, Les Bleus have scored only five combined goals (in 285 minutes of play). France managed only three shots on goal against Brazil on Sunday as their frontline struggled against the physical Brazilian backline. Les Bleus forwards and midfielders have too often appeared too scripted while lacking the cohesion of clicking together in more creative opportunities. That is not a good sign when facing an American team that has registered 18 clean sheets in their last 23 matches. Team USA saw their clean sheet streak of seven matches snapped on Monday against Spain. Perhaps not coincidentally, manager Jill Ellis did not start Lindsey Horan in that match out of fear that she would be whistled with a second yellow card which would suspend her for this showdown. Getting Horan back helps the US team on both ends of the pitch — but don’t underestimate her defensive capabilities particularly in tackling opposing players move the ball up the pitch. A key question for Ellis is what her starting midfield will be — particularly, whether or not she will start holding midfielder, Julie Ertz. I think she does as the Stars and Stripes improved significantly when Ertz was converted from the backline to the midfield to improve the defensive presence of this team — and it helps explain the clean sheet run the team is on. Questions have developed for the USWNT on offense after they managed only two shots on net against Spain. It is not a good sign that both their goals scored were from penalty kicks. Alex Morgan has been scoreless in her last three games as she seems to be slowed by nagging injuries. Megan Rapinoe is out of form on the pitch despite her two penalty kick goals on Monday. Spain provided a blueprint as to how to slow down the American attack: cut off the service to forwards, press the sometimes shaky US backline, and play rough with their attackers once they find a dangerous scoring position. With central defenders Wendie Renard and Griddle Mbock Bathy, Les Bleus have the prototype physical defenders that can make things difficult for the American attackers.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played three times since March of 2017. The USA has scored only two goals in those three matches. This past success on defense will likely compel Diacre to have her team play cautiously with the advantage of playing this match on home soil in Paris. And I think Ellis will not have her squad push the agenda too hard precisely because this is a true road contest with the hopes that the skill and experience of her players will eventually make the difference. Expect no more than two combined goals to be scored in the first 90 minutes of this match. 25* Women’s World Cup Quarterfinals Total of the Year with Under the Total in the match between the United States (225981) and France (225982). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:30 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (682) minus the points versus the Edmonton Eskimos (681). THE SITUATION: Winnipeg (1-0) comes off their bye for this West Division showdown after they opened their 2019 campaign with a 33-23 win at British Columbia as a pick ‘em back on June 15th. Edmonton (2-0) has won their first two games of the season with their 39-23 win over British Columbia last Friday as a 3-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BLUE BOMBERS MINUS THE POINTS: The Eskimos have started the season well with two victories at home — but now they go on the road for the first time this year. Edmonton has failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 21 games after winning two-straight games at home — and they have also failed to cover the point spread in a decisive 42 of their last 63 road games after winning two games in a row. The Eskimos have also failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a victory at home over a West Division rival. This team made saw some significant changes in the offseason after their disappointing 9-9 season as their 2017 Most Outstanding Player in the league in quarterback Mike Reilly signed a big contract to move to British Columbia. Edmonton responded by signing QB Trevor Harris as a free agent from Ottawa. Harris is a promising quarterback who is clearly top-six in the league — but he is a step back from Reilly who led the team to a Grey Cup championship in 2015. The Eskimos have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games in the month of June. And while Edmonton has allowed only 104 and 165 passing yards in their first two games, they have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 23 games after not allowing more than 200 passing yards in two straight games. Winnipeg has Grey Cup aspirations this season after they lost to Calgary in the West Division Finals last November. The Blue Bombers added speed and more weapons on offense for QB Matt Nichols to a group that already led the CFL in scoring last season. The Winnipeg defense allowed the fewest points in the league last year — and while they reshuffled their secondary in the offseason, they added defensive end Willie Jefferson to an already stout defensive line. And they still have two-time CFL Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year in Adam Bighill who that won the award in a Blue Bomber uniform last season. The Blue Bombers have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a straight-up win — and they are 5-2-1 ATS in their last 8 games after a point spread victory. Winnipeg is also 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 20 of their last 28 games against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: The early bye week should help Winnipeg who have a game under their belts but can make significant adjustments and improvements from their first real game. The Blue Bombers are 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 games after a bye week. They will also have revenge on their mind after losing the last game in the regular season to Edmonton by a 33-24 score last November 3rd. 25* CFL Thursday Night ESPN2 Game of the Month with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (682) minus the points versus the Edmonton Eskimos (681). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Norway (225978) plus the Goal-Line versus England (225977) in the Quarterfinals of the Women’s World Cup. THE SITUATION: Norway (3W-0D-1L) advanced from the Round of 16 last Saturday by defeating Australia in the shootout by a 4-1 score after 120 minutes of play that saw those two sides deadlocked at 1-1. England (4W-0D-0L) defeated Cameroon on Sunday with a 3-0 victory to reach the Quarterfinals.

REASONS TO TAKE NORWAY PLUS THE GOAL-LINE: England was involved in a strange match where continued controversies with VAR played a significant role. Cameroon found themselves on the wrong end of two similar offsides situations where VAR took a goal away from them while allowing a goal for the Three Lionesses to stand. The Cameroon players went on tilt after England scored the third goal at the 58-minute mark which essentially ended that match. But the drama surrounding this match should not obscure that the Three Lions looked vulnerable — and a different VAR conclusion on just one of those close offsides calls (I honestly do not know what offsides is anymore after watching international soccer for 25 years), the outcome of this match might have been much different. England has an impressive +7 net goal differential in their four World Cup matches — and they have allowed only one goal in this event. But those numbers serve to overrate how the Three Lionesses have played in this tournament — and I say that as someone who liked this group as Overlay Bet to win this World Cup two weeks ago. England looked bad in the second half of their opening match against a Scotland side that ultimately disappointed in Group Stage play. They experienced too many shaky moments in their narrow 1-0 win over Argentina. They concluded Group Stage play with a nice 2-0 win over Japan (in a situation where we had a 25* play on the Three Lionesses) but things got tense in the second half. England has holes with their two center backs on their backline that seem ready to exploited by a more powerful attacking side than what they have so far faced. And to make matters worse for manager Phil Neville, both those starting center backs are major doubts to play this afternoon with captain Steph Houghton dealing with an ankle injury she suffered last Saturday and Millie Bright dealing with an illness that has impacted the team over the last few days. Neville will likely have to turn to backups Leah Williamson and Abbie McManus to start this match at center back. This is far from ideal — it is a bit like the Seattle Seahawks suspect left tackle and guard being injured in the playoffs which require them to elevate their even weaker backups to play significant minutes. The biggest knock on this group entering this tournament was the level of their inner confidence after losing in the Semifinals of both the 2017 Euro Championship as well as the 2015 World Cup. This team seems to falter when on the biggest of stages. Now they have to play this Quarterfinals match without their captain and two cogs in the middle of their backline. They face a dangerous opponent in Norway that should not be dismissed simply because they are without their best player (and perhaps the best player in the world) in Ada Hegerberg. The 23-year old superstar is boycotting playing for her national team given their unequal treatment of women’s athletics. Yet this remains a roster loaded with talent along with a strong tradition of excellent women’s soccer. The Grass Hoppers have relished the role of the underdog throughout this tournament without Hegerberg — yet they have won three of their four matches while sporting a +4 net goal differential. They played quite well in their 2-1 loss to France in the Group Stage. Cohesion and chemistry are two advantages for this team anchored by a backline of Chelsea teammates Maren Mjedle and Maria Thorisdottir. Norway has also shown a balance on offense by scoring seven goals with four different players scoring for the team.

FINAL TAKE: My survey of the Grass Hoppers was that they would become intriguing underdogs if they were able to make it through the Group Stage and gather confidence with their starting XI. After defeating a quality Australia side, this has happened — and now they face a vulnerable England team that is missing two of their starting defenders. Extra time after a tie score after the first 90 minutes is likely - but don’t be surprised if Norway pulls the upset. 25* Women’s World Cup Thursday Afternoon Special Feature with Norway (225978) plus the Goal-Line versus England (225977). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the match between the United States (234923) and Panama (234924). THE SITUATION: The USMNT (2-0-0) clinched a spot in the Quarterfinals of the Gold Cup with their 6-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago last Saturday. Panama (2-0-0) joined them in the Quarterfinals of this tournament with their 4-2 victory over Guyana on Saturday. This match will be played at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The US Men’s National Team enjoyed their best effort under new manager Gregg Berhalter in this match which offered the team a small modicum of revenge against a Trinidad and Tobago team that eliminated them from qualifying for the 2018 World Cup back in November of 2017. Getting players like Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie playing together for an extended period of time is certainly helping to build cohesion for this team. The offensive attack is looking up with the Stars and Stripes having scored ten goals in their two matches. And Berhalter deserves credit for his halftime adjustments considering that eight of these ten goals have been scored after halftime. Berhalter has installed a new system for the American national team that emphasizes possession along with counter pressing to retake control of the ball. This is an approach that can help produce blowout wins against overmatched foes (like Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana who were their first two opponents). The USA has generated a whopping 39 steals so far in this tournament. But defense remains an issue for this team despite them pony allowing 13 shots in their first two matches. Team USA struggled on defense in a 3-0 loss to Venezuela and a 1-0 loss to Jamaica in their last final two friendlies before this tournament. The Stars and Stripes lack quality center defenders — and Michael Bradley is their only midfielder with quality defensive skills (with Mckenzie who stars as a holding midfielder playing in Bundesliga being asked to play up on the pitch by Berhalter). Don’t be surprised if Panama finds plenty of scoring opportunities when they beat the American counter-press. Los Canaleros are also happy to counter-attack to regain possession as well — they have 34 steals in their first two matches in this tournament. Panama has scored six times in their two matches after taking 19 shots against Guyana with eight of them on target. The Red Wave are entering a new generation this year after seeing the retirement of longtime leaders in Blas Perez and Felipe Baloy. But this group will not be intimidated by playing the United States since they were actually in Russia last summer playing soccer in the World Cup while the Americans watched on television. Panama lost all three of their World Cup matches but they scored two goals while surrendering eleven goals with all three of their matches seeing at least three combined goals scored. Los Canaleros are 6W-4D-2L in their last twelve matches in the Gold Cup — and they have displayed prowess on the offensive side of the pitch in those matches by scoring 17 times.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams last played on January 27th in a friendly where the United States won by a 3-0 score. First place in Group D is at stake with a match with Curacao in the Quarterfinals — and that is a more attractive opening match in the Knockout Stage than the loser’s match in the Quarterfinals with Jamaica. Both teams should be playing to win — expect a higher scoring match between two teams that push the pace of play. 25* CONCACAF Gold Cup Group Stage Total of the Year with Over the Total in the match between the United States (234923) and Panama (234924). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:45 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Colorado Rockies (903) versus the San Francisco Giants (904) listing both starting pitchers German Marquez and Jeff Samardzija. THE SITUATION: Colorado (41-38) looks to bounce-back from losing the second game of this series by a 4-2 score. San Francisco (34-44) snapped a two-game losing streak with the victory behind the efforts of starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner — but they have still lost five of their last eight games.

REASONS TO TAKE THE ROCKIES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Despite the loss on Tuesday, Colorado has won 4 of their last 5 road games against teams with a losing record at home. The Rockies have also won 15 of their last 21 road games when priced in the -125 to -175 range as the favorite. They give the ball to Marquez who is 7-3 with a 4.32 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP in seventeen starts this season. The right-hander with the devastating curveball should be seeing better results according to the sabermetrics. Both his SIERA and xFIP project an ERA of 3.70 and 3.44 moving forward based off his peripheral numbers. Marquez also struggles at home in Coors Field where he has been saddled with a 5.70 ERA along with a 1.60 WHIP. But in his eight starts on the road, Marquez has a nice 3.02 ERA with a 0.79 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .186. These disparate home/road splits are consistent with last season where Marquez had a 4.74 ERA with a 1.47 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .284 at home but saw all those numbers significantly improve when getting away from Coors Field on the road where he had a 2.95 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .203. Marquez comes off a strong start on the road in Los Angeles against the Dodgers on Friday when he allowed just two runs (one earned) in 8 innings of work. Colorado has won 11 of their last 13 games with Marquez pitching with four days of rest. The Rockies have also won 6 straight games with Marquez on the mound against teams with a losing record. Marquez also thrives in day games given his 3.06 ERA in day games with a 0.96 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .198 in five starts. Colorado has won 5 straight games with Marquez pitching in an afternoon game. He should pitch well against this slumping Giants’ lineup that is hitting only .204 over their last seven games with a .261 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .635. San Francisco has lost 29 of their last 39 third games of a series. The Giants are playing their ninth straight game against a fellow NL West opponent — and they have lost 5 of their last 6 games after playing at least six games in a row against division foes. San Francisco is just 16-22 at home this year — and they have lost 7 of their last 10 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. The Giants have also lost a decisive 44 of their last 61 games against teams with a losing record. They counter with Samardzija who is 4-6 with a 4.23 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP in fifteen starts. The sabermetrics are not encouraging for the former Notre Dame wide receiver with both his SIERA and xFIP calling for a rise in ERA to respective 4.84 and 5.11 marks moving forward. The right-hander has seen his numbers decline over the last few seasons. He has lost three miles-per-hour on his fastball than what he was clocking back in 2017. Samardzija has not been as effective during day games where he has a 4.35 ERA with a 1.35 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .264 in six starts as compared to his more modest 4.15 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and .250 opponent’s batting average at night. Last year, Samardzija had an 8.10 ERA with a 2.10 WHIP in day games. Additionally, San Francisco has lost 4 straight games with Samardzija pitching at home in AT&T Park — and they have lost 7 of their last 9 games at home with Samardzija facing a team with a losing record.

FINAL TAKE: The Giants have lost 6 of their last 8 games with Samardzija pitching against the Rockies. Look for Marquez have the upper hand this afternoon. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break Getaway Game of the Year with the money-line on the Colorado Rockies (903) versus the San Francisco Giants (904) listing both starting pitchers German Marquez and Jeff Samardzija. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:30 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing El Salvador (234285) with the Goal-Line versus Honduras (234286). THE SITUATION: El Salvador (1W-1D-0L) enters their last match in Gold Cup play coming off a 0-0 draw against Jamaica on Friday. Honduras (0W-0D-2L) was eliminated from reaching the Quarterfinals of this tournament with their 1-0 upset loss to Curacao on Friday. This match will be played on a neutral field in Los Angeles at Banc of California Stadium.

REASONS TO TAKE EL SALVADOR WITH THE GOAL-LINE: Honduras played well in their opening match against Jamaica in what was a true road match in Kingston the Reggae Boyz’ National Stadium but lost by a 3-2 score. They may have been still suffering from the hangover from that deflating loss when they were then stung by an upset Curacao team that earned their first victory ever in Gold Cup play. Los Catrachos are one of the better teams in CONCACAF with Final Four results at the Gold Cup in 2009, 2011, and 2013. After reaching the 2014 World Cup, Honduras reached the Quarterfinals of the 2017 Gold Cup before losing to Mexico. But perhaps the writing was on the wall for this team taking a step back as Los Catrachos did not earn a win in Group Stage but qualified for the Knockout Stage via a 0-0 draw with Canada. Honduras is just 0W-2D-4L in their last six matches in all competitions while getting outscored by -12 goals in those contests. Defense is an issue for this side right now as they have surrendered 17 goals in those last six matches. With this group now eliminated, manager Fabian Coito may decide to give his bench players the opportunity to play as he looks to the future. Twenty of the twenty-three players on this roster are under the age of 30-years old as this national team continues to transition to a new generation of players after that World Cup run five years ago. El Salvador will be motivated to play their “A-Game” tonight no matter what the result in the opening match between Jamaica and Curacao in this doubleheader in Los Angeles. La Selecta has 4 points which ties them with Jamaica at the top of Group C but Curacao is not far behind at 3 points. A draw in that opening match would require El Salvador to then at least snag a draw in this nightcap. And no matter what the result of that opening match, El Salvador can win first place in the group with a victory with them needing to win by more goals than Jamaica if the Reggae Boyz win that match. La Selecta is playing very good soccer right now. They are 6-1-1 in their last eight matches across all competitions with a +7 net goal differential in those contests. Manager Carlos de la Cobos’ group is playing outstanding defense. They have not allowed a goal yet in this tournament with two clean sheets — and they have allowed only three goals in their last eight matches. El Salvador made the Quarterfinals in the 2017 Gold Cup where they lost to the USMNT by a 2-0 score. Since a 3-1 loss to Mexico in 2017, La Selecta is 2W-2D-1L.

FINAL TAKE: Honduras is a small favorite in most spots in this situation with them playing the role of spoiler to a geographical rival. Maybe … but I suspect that the opportunity to use this match look at younger players will be the higher priority for their manager. El Salvador has momentum and incentive to keep their winning ways going tonight. 25* CONCACAF Gold Cup Group C Match of the Year with El Salvador (234285) with the Goal-Line versus Honduras (234286). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:10 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Minnesota Twins (970) versus the Tampa Bay Rays (969) listing both starting pitchers Kyle Gibson and Blake Snell. THE SITUATION: Minnesota (50-27) saw their two-game winning streak snapped on Sunday with their 6-1 loss at Kansas City. Tampa Bay (45-33) has won two of their last three games after they defeated the A’s in Oakland by an 8-2 score.

REASONS TO TAKE THE TWINS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Minnesota has bounced-back to win 22 of their last 28 games after a loss — and they have won 10 of their last 11 games after failing to score more than one run against a fellow AL Central opponent. The Twins have also won 20 of their last 28 games after allowing at least five runs in their last game. And in their last 11 games after an off day, Minnesota has won 9 of these contests. They return home where they have won 9 of their last 13 home games against teams with a winning record. They give the ball to Gibson who is 7-4 with a 4.18 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP in fourteen starts. The deeper sabermetrics for the veteran right-hander are encouraging with both his SIERA and xFIP projecting an ERA of 3.97 and 3.62 moving forward. Gibson has been more effective at home where he owns a 3.62 ERA with a 1.02 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .265 in six starts as compared to his 4.68 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and .291 opponent’s batting average on the road. The Twins have won 4 of their last 5 games at home with Gibson on the hill — and they have also won 6 straight games with Gibson pitching with five days of rest. He should pitch well against this Rays team that has scored only 3.3 Runs-Per-Game in their last seven games with a .219 batting average along with a .272 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .602 during that span. Tampa Bay has lost 4 straight games after a win — and they have lost 4 straight games after scoring at least five runs in their last contest. The Rays’ bullpen pitched 8 innings on Sunday as they used Ryne Stanek as their opener. Tampa Bay has then lost 16 of their last 22 games when their bullpen logged in at least seven innings in their last game. The Rays have lost 5 of their last 7 games after allowing at least five runs in their last game. And in their last 7 games against teams with a winning record, Tampa Bay has lost 5 of these contests. They counter with Snell who is 4-6 with a 4.40 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP in fifteen starts. The left-hander comes off a disastrous outing where he only registered one out in Yankee Stadium while allowing six earned runs before being pulled. From suffering a freak accident which broke his toe to his allowing 2.2 Home Runs per 9 innings, this has been a down year for the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner. Snell has been effective at home where he has a 3.28 ERA with a 1.13 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .218. But in his eight starts on the road, Snell sees those numbers explode to a 5.40 ERA with a 1.36 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .257. The Rays have lost 5 of their last 7 games on the road with Snell on the hill. He faces another tough test against this Twins team that is scoring 6.7 Runs-Per-Game against left-handed starting pitchers with a .292 batting average along with a .351 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .852 in those games. Minnesota has won 8 of their last 9 games against left-handed starting pitchers.

FINAL TAKE: The Rays have lost 4 of their last 5 meetings against the Twins. Look for Minnesota to continue their recent dominance against Tampa Bay. 25* MLB Tuesday Night Special Feature with the money-line with the money-line on the Minnesota Twins (970) versus the Tampa Bay Rays (969) listing both starting pitchers Kyle Gibson and Blake Snell. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Netherlands (225974) minus the Goal-Line versus Japan (225973). THE SITUATION: The Netherlands (3W-0D-0L) completed their perfect mark in Group Stage play with their 2-1 win over Canada last Thursday. Japan (1W-1D-1L) looks to rebound from a 2-0 loss to England last Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE NETHERLANDS MINUS THE GOAL-LINE: The Orange Lionesses have been dominant so far in this World Cup as they have yet to trail any of their three matches. The Netherlands struggled a bit in their opening match against a stingy New Zealand side before winning by a 1-0 score. But they have since looked in good form with a 3-1 win over Cameroon before their victory over a Canada team ranked in 5th in the world by FIFA and the ELO system. The core of this roster remains the team that won the 2017 Euro Championship. Manager Sarina Wiegman’s group has lost only four matches since the start of 2018. The Dutch women have an elite trio on their frontline with Vivianne Miedema, Shanice van de Sanden, and superstar Lieke Martens. The Three Lionesses also have a strong group of midfielders led by Danielle van de Donk. The Netherlands have a nice +4 net goal differential in this event as they have only conceded two goals in their three matches. Japan’s 2-1 victory over Scotland in their second Group Stage match is their only victory in their last seven matches across all competitions. The Nadeshiko Japan has been one of the best national programs in the world over the last ten years — but they are in a period of transition after failing to even qualify for the 2016 Olympics. The questions that this team faced when entering this tournament remain pronounced as they enter the Knockout Stage. Ten of their twenty players on the pitch (non-goalkeepers) are under 23-years of age. Past teams would have dominated inexperienced teams on the international stage like Argentina and Scotland. Instead, the Nadeshiko Japan struggled in a nil-nil draw with Argentina before eking by the Scots. Japan is struggling in finishing on offense as they have scored only two goals.

FINAL TAKE: The Netherlands will have revenge on their minds in this match as they were eliminated in the Round of 16 in the 2015 Women’s World Cup to this Japan side. The Orange Lionesses did get an initial measure of revenge in last year’s Algarve Cup where they dominated Japan in a 6-2 win. The pedigree of the Nadeshiko Japan program has impacted the betting line for this match. The reality is that this Japan program has taken a step (or two) back with a new generation of players that average three years younger than the group lost in the finals of the 2015 World Cup after winning this tournament in 2011. 25* Women’s World Cup Round of 16 Match of the Year with Netherlands (225974) minus the Goal-Line versus Japan (225973). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Costa Rica (234277) minus the Goal-Line versus Haiti (234278). THE SITUATION: Costa Rica (2-0-0) won their second straight match in the CONCACAF Gold Cup with their 2-1 win over Bermuda on Thursday. Haiti (2-0-0) is tied with them in first place in Group B in this tournament as they won their second straight match on Thursday with their 2-0 win over Nicaragua. This match will be played on a neutral field at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.

REASONS TO TAKE COSTA RICA MINUS THE GOAL-LINE: While both these teams have clinched a spot in the Quarterfinals of this tournament, there is still plenty of incentive to win this match since that will ensure that they avoid a match with Mexico in the Quarterfinals. Costa Rica is the class of Group B (and probably the second best team in this tournament) so they should step up to win this contest. This is Los Ticos ninth straight Gold Cup with the core of this roster being of players the competed last summer at the World Cup. This team limped into this tournament having scored just one goal in their four friendlies under new manager Gustavo Matosas but they have played well so far in this event by scoring six times and sporting a +5 net goal differential. Los Ticos are usually a strong defensive team with a backline led by the 6’5 Kendall Watson that is made up of some of the best defenders in the MLS. They have allowed only five goals in their last eight matches. And while their star goaltender, Keylor Navas, is not participating in this event amidst renegotiations with Real Madrid, this team is getting good play from backup Leonel Moreira who has made four saves. Costa Rica has now gone 5W-1D-1L in their last seven matches in the Gold Cup. Haiti has won six of their last nine matches overall while benefiting from a soft schedule with two of the weaker teams in this tournament in Bermuda and Nicaragua. Yet Les Grenadiers only controlled possession in 29% of their last match with Nicaragua which is not a good sign for this showdown. This is Haiti’s first Gold Cup since 2015 — and they entered this tournament with just a 4W-5D-14L mark in their twenty-three Gold Cup matches in their history. Les Grenadiers lost all three of their matches in the 2016 Copa America. They rank 100th in the world by FIFA with the ELO rankings system liking them much better with their ranking of 80th in the world. But they are facing a Costa Rica side that ranks 38th in the world by FIFA and 43rd in the world by ELO’s system.

FINAL TAKE: Haiti is just 0W-4D-8L in their twelve meetings with Costa Rica. With Los Ticos motivated to win this match to avoid their likely showdown with Mexico, expect Costa Rica to win this match rather convincingly. 25* CONCACAF Gold Cup Group B Match of the Year with Costa Rica (234277) minus the Goal-Line versus Haiti (234278). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the New York Yankees (910) minus the -1.5 Run-Line versus the Toronto Blue Jays (909) listing both starting pitchers C.C. Sabathia and Aaron Sanchez. THE SITUATION: New York (49-28) saw their eight-game winning streak snapped on Sunday with their 9-4 loss to Houston. Toronto (29-49) has won three of their last four games with their 6-1 win at Boston yesterday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE YANKEES MINUS THE -1.5 RUN-LINE: New York had been crushing teams as they had outscored their previous six opponents by a whopping 60 to 23 mark while clubbing 17 home runs in those contests. The Yankees did extend their streak of hitting at least one home run to 26 games yesterday in their loss. The Bronx Bombers have bounced back to win 8 straight games after a loss by at least four runs — and they have won 27 of their last 33 games after allowing at least nine runs in their last contest. New York stays at home where they have won 7 of their last 9 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. They give the ball to Sabathia who is 4-4 with a 4.14 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP in twelve starts. The left-hander has been outstanding at home in Yankee Stadium where he owns a 2.18 ERA with a 1.12 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .207 in six starts. The Yankees have won 29 of their last 39 home games with Sabathia on the hill. New York has also won 5 of their last 6 games with Sabathia facing a team with a losing record. He faces a Blue Jays team that has lost 27 of their last 36 road games against teams using a left-handed starting pitcher. Toronto has also lost 18 of their last 26 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 or higher. The Blue Jays have lost 12 of their last 15 games after a win — and they have lost 5 straight games after not allowing more than two runs in their last game. But the Toronto bullpen has logged in 10 2/3 innings of work — and they have lost 26 of their last 32 games when their bullpen has pitched at least 9 combined innings in their last two games. The Blue Jays have also lost 10 of their last 11 opening games to a new series. They counter with Sanchez who is 3-9 with a 5.49 ERA and a 1.67 WHIP in sixteen stats. The right-hander has really struggled after suffering a finger injury that required him to leave early in a start on May 27th. Since that outing, Sanchez has allowed 23 earned runs in 18 2/3 innings of work for an 11.09 ERA along with a 2.04 WHIP. He has struck out only nine batters during that span after failing to strike out a single batter in his last effort against the Angels. Sanchez has particularly struggled on the road where he has a 6.08 ERA with a 1.80 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .296 in nine starts. Toronto has lost 9 of their last 10 games on the road with Sanchez on the hill. He faces a hot-hitting Yankees lineup that has scored 6.6 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .270 batting average along with a .335 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .844 in those games. The Blue Jays have lost 6 of their last 8 games when playing the Yankees in New York. They also have lost 4 of their last 5 games with Sanchez pitching against the Yankees.

FINAL TAKE: While none of these team trends take into account the -1.5 Run-Line we are laying in this game, because Sanchez averages 4.9 innings per start, the Blue Jays fall into an empirical “play-against” angle specific to the Run-Line that has been 71% effective since 1997. Toronto is hitting .260 this season — and road underdogs who are not hitting above .260 using a starting pitcher who does not average at least 5 innings per start now facing an American League starting pitcher with an ERA of 4.20 or lower have then failed to cover the +1.5 Run-Line (when priced at last at +100) in 45 of these last 56 situations where these conditions applied. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break American League East Run-Line of the Year with the New York Yankees (910) minus the -1.5 Run-Line versus the Toronto Blue Jays (909) listing both starting pitchers C.C. Sabathia and Aaron Sanchez. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Uruguay (234465) minus the Goal-Line versus Chile (234465). THE SITUATION: Uruguay (1W-1D-0L) looks to bounce-back from a surprising 1-1 draw with Japan on Thursday. Chile (2W-0D-0L) clinched a spot in the Quarterfinals of the Copa America with their 2-1 win over Ecuador on Friday.

REASONS TO TAKE URUGUAY MINUS THE GOAL-LINE: Manager Reinaldo Rueda will likely rest some of his key players with La Roja’s spot in the Quarterfinals secured. Alexis Sanchez sprained his ankle in that match on Friday so it will be prudent to hold him out for this match. Rueda is also likely to not play their star midfielder, Arturo Vidal, who is one yellow card away from a suspension after already carrying one in this tournament. That leaves La Roja with just Eduardo Vargas as their best scoring threat in this match. Frankly, this Chile team that has past their prime anyways with their golden generation of players that group up together starting with the under-20 World Cup in 2007. While La Roja has won the last two Copa Americas in 2015 and 2016, they failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. They entered this tournament with a mediocre 5W-4D-4L record under Rueda who tried to get his team younger when he took over but had to go back to veterans like Vargas and defenseman Gonzola Jara when the results were not encouraging. It was troubling that Ecuador controlled the time of possession in that match on Friday by controlling the ball for 54% of that match. Uruguay will likely have a chip on their shoulder after the draw with a young Japan team using this event to prepare for next year’s Olympics. La Celeste had won their previous four matches without conceding a goal before that result. Uruguay still has the core of the team that reaches the Quarterfinals of last year’s World Cup before suffering a 2-0 loss to France with the host nation going on to win that tournament. La Celeste did not have forward Edinson Cavani in that match last summer — but he is back on the pitch this summer to join fellow forward Luis Suarez who stars for Barcelona. Those two stars up top allow Uruguay to play a defensive-orientated game based on the strength of two centers on their backline in Diego Godin and Jose Maria Gimenez that leads what might be the best group of defenders in international competition.

FINAL TAKE: Uruguay will be motivated to win this match since a victory would clinch first place in Group C play. Look for La Celeste to overwhelm an undermanned and aging Chile side. 25* Copa America Group C Match of the Year with Uruguay (234465) minus the Goal-Line versus Chile (234465). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Sweden (225966) with the Goal-Line versus Canada (225965). THE SITUATION: Sweden (2-0-1) looks to bounce-back from their 2-0 loss to the United States on Thursday. Canada (2-0-1) also looks to rebound from a 2-1 loss to the Netherlands on Thursday.

REASONS TO TAKE SWEDEN WITH THE GOAL-LINE: Sweden did not send out their “A-Team” on Thursday as manager Peter Gerhardsson made seven changes to the lineup that defeated Thailand by a 5-1 score in their second match. That might have been a shrewd move since it put The Blue and Yellow away from the Quarterfinals bracket for the winner of Group F which was slotted to likely be a matchup with the host nation, France. The display of depth also allowed for the resting of some players while bolstering the confidence of this team along the way. The second goal by Team USA was a controversial own-goal early in the second half. Sweden won their opening match against Chile by a 2-0 score. They have an impressive +4 net goal differential while showing some offensive firepower by scoring seven times. The Blue and Yellow remain one of the best women’s soccer programs in the world with a Silver Medal in the 2016 Olympics representing the most recent high point for this team. This is also a veteran group with six players with over 100 caps for the national team. This World Cup is the last hurrah for a golden generation of players that includes the 34-year old Caroline Seger and the 34-year old Nilla Fischer along with their outstanding goalkeeper in the 36-year old Hedvig Hindhal. Canada also won two matches in Group Stage play with a 1-0 win over Cameroon and a 2-0 win over New Zealand. But the fact that this group scored only four goals in their three matches continued the concern that this team does not have enough scoring options. 36-year old Christine Sinclair is the Reds best scoring option — but she tends to get isolated against elite competition with defenders who can commit themselves to neutralize her skills on the pitch. Sweden certainly has the talent on their backline to accomplish this task. Canada only scored one goal in the Algarve Cup earlier this season in three matches. In fact, the Leaf Girls only scored five times in their six matches in 2019 after they defeated Mexico by a 3-0 score. Canada reached the Quarterfinals of the 2015 World Cup but that was likely this team’s best chance to make a deep run in this tournament as both the host nation and Sinclair four years younger. She has shown signs of her game slowing down since that event.

FINAL TAKE: Canada has a history of defeating the teams that they are supposed to before fading against elite competition. These two teams played in March in the Algarve Cup with the result being a win for the Reds via penalty kicks after a scoreless draw. With more offensive firepower and revenge on their mind, look for Sweden to win this match in regulation. 25* Women’s World Cup Monday Afternoon Special Feature with Sweden (225966) with the Goal-Line versus Canada (225965). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:30 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Martinique (234270) plus the Goal-Line versus Mexico (234269). THE SITUATION: Mexico (2W-0D-0L) has all but clinched a spot in the Quarterfinals of the Gold Cup with their 3-1 win over Canada on Wednesday. Martinique (1W-0D-1L) still has a scant hope to reach the Quarterfinals after they defeated Cuba on Wednesday by a 3-0 score.

REASONS TO TAKE MARTINIQUE PLUS THE GOAL-LINE: El Tri has 6 points in Group A play. If Canada wins their match with Cuba (highly likely as they are laying -4.5 goals in that match) and Martinique pulls the upset in this match, they would still have to lose by at least six goals to then lose the goal differential tie-breaker. Only the top two teams in each of the four groups will advance to the Quarterfinals. Mexico is +9 in goal differential with Canada next at +2 goals and Martinique at -1 goals — so a 6-0 clean sheet by Les Matinino over the Mexicans would be what is necessary for them to overtake El Tri in the goal differential tie-break (and, I am not sure what the tie-break is if both Martinique and Mexico end with a +5 goal differential with a five-goal win for the dogs tonight — I suspect it is number of goals scored rather than head-to-head which is likely bypassed given the theoretical three-way tie with Canada at 6 points). Needless to say, these hypothetical scenarios are all highly unlikely — and Mexico manager Tito Martino certainly understands all this. I expect Martino to use much of his bench for this match to give the rest to his frontline starters as they prepare for the Knockout Stage as the favorites to win this tournament. Depth is probably the biggest knock on the roster that Martino has assembled. Given some injuries and knocks to the players that made up El Tri’s World Cup team from last summer along with some players who decided to skip this event all together (West Ham’s Chicharito Hernandez and Chucky Lozano, for starters), this group is not the best of the best that will be at Martino’s disposal down the road. But this is all the more reason why Martino needs to take advantage of competitive opportunities like this to test these backups. Martinique is not eligible for the World Cup since they are not a member of FIFA — so tournaments like this mean everything to this island nation. So while Les Matinino does not appear in FIFA’s rankings, the ELO rankings that measure head-to-head play has them as 89th in the world which is not too bad considering their relative lack of competitive opportunities. For comparison's sake, Trinidad and Tobago rank below them at 95th in the nation according to ELO’s ranking system — and Haiti is not much higher ranked at 80th. The bulk of the roster plays professionally in one of the top two professional leagues in Martinique. This team defeated Nicaragua by a 2-0 score in the 2017 Gold Cup before winning all four of their matches in the CONCACAF Nations League to qualify for this summer’s event. This team trailed Canada by just a 1-0 score at halftime of their first match before they surrendered three more goals in the second half playing from behind. They did pressure a solid Les Rouges side with 16 shots in that match.

FINAL TAKE: I am not suggesting that Mexico is on upset alert for this match. But Martinique is respectable — and they are facing a team that is looking forward to the Quarterfinals. Getting at least +3.0 goals is too good to pass up. 25* CONCACAF Gold Cup Group A Match of the Year with Martinique (234270) plus the Goal-Line versus Mexico (234269). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the St. Louis Cardinals (980) versus the Los Angeles Angeles (979) listing both starting pitchers Miles Mikolas and Tyler Skaggs. THE SITUATION: St. Louis (40-36) has won the opening two games of this series with their 4-2 victory over the Angels on Saturday. The Cardinals have won five of their last seven games as well as seven of their last ten contests. Los Angeles (38-40) has lost three straight games.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CARDINALS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: St. Louis may be just 16-21 on the road this season but they play much better at home in Busch Stadium where they have now won 7 of their last 10 games. The Cardinals have also won 13 of their last 17 home games with the Total set in the 9 to 9.5 range — and they have won 7 of their last 9 home games against teams with a losing record on the road.
Furthermore, St. Louis has won 22 of their last 28 games when favored in the -110 to -150 price range. They give the ball to Mikolas who is 5-7 with a 4.48 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP in fifteen starts this season. The right-hander comes off an impressive effort in his last start where he pitches 6 scoreless innings against at home against a Miami team that had just seen his stuff in his previous outing. The Cardinals have won 12 of their last 17 games with Mikolas looking to follow up a Quality Start. Mikolas has been a much better pitcher at home this season where he enjoys a 2.55 ERA with a 0.80 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .211 in eight starts. His disparate home/road splits are consistent with last year where he had a 2.17 ERA with a 0.97 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average at home as opposed to his 3.53 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .264 when on the road. St. Louis has won 12 of their last 16 home games with Mikolas on the mound. They also have won 9 straight games with Mikolas pitching with the Total set in the 9 to 9.5 range. And with the Cardinals using a six-man starting rotation right now, Mikolas is pitching with five days of rest for this start — and St. Louis has won a decisive 16 of their last 20 games when he is pitching with five days of rest. Los Angeles has lost 13 of their last 16 games after dropping the first two games of a series. The Angels are now just 19-24 on the road this year — and they have lost 22 of their last 29 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home. Los Angeles has also lost 5 of their last 6 road games in Interleague play. They counter with Skaggs who is 6-6 with a 4.61 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP in thirteen starts. The left-hander comes off an encouraging outing where he allowed only one earned run in 7 1/3 innings of work in Toronto. That was his first Quality Start in his last eight starts — and the Angels have lost 4 of their last 5 games with Skaggs looking to follow up a Quality Start. Skaggs stays on the road for this start where he will not have the luxury of facing that light-hitting Blue Jays’ lineup. Skaggs has been much worse on the road where he has a 5.27 ERA along with a .261 batting average in eight starts as compared to his more modest 3.58 ERA along with a .233 opponent’s batting average when pitching at home.

FINAL TAKE: The Angels have lost 5 straight games against the Cardinals — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 games against them playing in St. Louis. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break Sunday ESPN Game of the Year with the money-line on the St. Louis Cardinals (980) versus the Los Angeles Angeles (979) listing both starting pitchers Miles Mikolas and Tyler Skaggs. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing France (225958) minus the Goal-Line versus Brazil (225957). THE SITUATION: France (3W-0D-0L) completed their undefeated campaign in Group Stage play with a 1-0 win over Nigeria last Monday. Brazil (2W-0D-1L) clinched a spot in the Knockout Stage with their 1-0 victory over Italy on Tuesday.

REASONS TO TAKE FRANCE MINUS THE GOAL-LINE: The soccer punditry considers Brazil a very dangerous underdog in this situation. Unfortunately, I think that reflects more on observers paying attention to women’s soccer for one month every four years. Certainly, the Selecao has earned the right to be considered one of the biggest brands in women’s soccer. But this was an aging team four years ago in a campaign that resulted in a disappointing 1-0 loss to Australia in the Round of Sixteen. That was considered the final run of a golden generation of players that ultimately underachieved at the international level despite having perhaps the greatest women’s player ever in Marta. Expectations were sky high for this national team after they lost in the Finals of the 2007 World Cup to Germany. Four years later, they lost their showdown with the United States in the Quarterfinals of the 2011 World Cup. With an average age of 28-years old and nine players at 30-years old and above, the window seems to have closed long ago for this group. And Brazil limped into this tournament by winning only one of their last eleven matches — including a 3-1 loss to France back on November 10th. Things started well for the Selacao who opened this tournament with a 3-0 win over an overmatched Jamaica side. But all my concerns for this team were confirmed in a 3-2 loss to Australia in their second match where they blew a 2-0 lead to the Aussies. Brazil did bounce-back against a defensive-minded team in Italy — but that result needs to be taken with a grain of salt with the Italians having already clinched a spot in the Knockout Stage. The Selection ended up being the third-place team after the tie-breakers from their difficult group which saw both Italy and Australia also pull off two victories. From that respect, this is a difficult draw for a France team that was undefeated. And certainly, this Brazilian group has tons of experience at the international level. But it will be over 100 degrees when this match is played — on French soil no less. I expect the younger legs of Les Bleus to simply overrun and overwhelm this old team. Some think that France has been unconvincing in their three victories. I have seen them as mostly ruthless in their attack while conserving their energy for what appears to be an inevitable clash with the United States in the Quarterfinals. France has scored seven goals in their three matches while conceding only once. They did not have the luxury of facing one of the weakest teams in the tournament in Thailand nor a Chile side making their World Cup debut — so comparisons to what the USWNT has accomplished so far is shortsighted. Les Bleus possess an elite roster of talent that has a nice blend of international experience and youth. They certainly have the depth to continue to push Brazil in the second half. France reached the Semifinals of the 2011 World Cup before losing to Germany in the Quarterfinals in the 2015 World Cup in heartbreaking fashion having dominated the play of that match before losing via penalty kicks in the shootout. This team has not lost since the start of 2018 across all competitions. Much of their roster — including their backline — consists of players who are also teammates for the professional Lyon team that is probably the best women’s team in the world. That cohesion should pay dividends against the best competition in this tournament. And don’t underestimate the importance of home field advantage in what it will do to help from a raucous fan base to a familiar pitch to officials who sometimes cannot help but respond to the atmosphere supporting the home side.

FINAL TAKE: The pedigree of the players on the pitch for Brazil should ensure that this French team takes this match very seriously (to not look ahead to the looming showdown with the United States). But the youth and the athleticism of Les Bleus — as well as the simple talent advantage of a national team that has outperformed the Brazilians in three World Cup cycles at this points — should lead them to a victory by more than one goal. 25* Women’s World Cup Fox-TV Match of the Month with France (225958) minus the Goal-Line versus Brazil (225957). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:10 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the San Francisco Giants (913) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (914) listing both starting pitchers Tyler Beede and Zack Godley. THE SITUATION: San Francisco (32-43) snapped a three-game losing streak last night with their 11-5 win over the Diamondbacks. Arizona (38-39) has lost five straight games.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Giants played their fourth straight game Over the Total last night — and they have played 13 of their last 20 games Over the Total after playing at least two straight Overs. Additionally, the Over is 3-1-1 in San Fran’s last 5 games after scoring at least five runs in their last game — and they have now played 4 straight games Over the Total against fellow NL East opponents. Furthermore, the Giants have played 4 straight games Over the Total on the road — and the Over is 14-6-2 in their last 22 road games against teams with a losing record. And in their last 17 road games as a money-line underdog priced in the +125 to +175 price range, San Francisco has played 11 of these games Over the Total. They give the ball to Beede who is 1-2 with a 6.67 ERA with a 1.91 WHIP in 28 1/3 innings of work. The former first-round pick picked up his first win in MLB on Monday in Los Angeles against the Dodgers — but he still has a troubling 6.75 ERA when pitching on the road. Beede has also struggled in night games where he has a 7.97 ERA with a 1.97 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .282. The rookie has an uninspiring 32:22 strikeout-to-walk ratio this season. The Giants have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total with Beede on the mound as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. He faces a Diamondbacks team that has played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total against right-handed starting pitchers. Arizona has played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after a loss — and they have played 9 of their last 12 games Over the Total after allowing at least eight runs in their last game. Additionally, the Diamondbacks have played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total after scoring at least five runs in their last game. Arizona has also played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total after a loss by at least five runs. This team has also played 4 straight games Over the Total against teams with a losing record. They counter with Godley who is 3-4 with a 6.52 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP in fifteen appearances which include eleven starts. The right-hander has been clobbered when pitching at home in Chase Field where he has a 7.09 ERA in eight games which includes five starts. Godley also is saddled with a 7.33 ERA with a 1.65 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .288 in six starts (eleven appearances) at night. The seeds in Godley’s decline were evident last year where his Ground Ball rate declined by 6.5% while his walk rate of 4.09 Bases-on-Balls per 9 innings was over 1.0 Walk higher per 9 innings than in 2017. Godley will not pitch deep into this game — especially when considering that he had an ugly 9.20 ERA when going through the batting order for the third time last year. But the Arizona bullpen has struggled with a 7.22 ERA with a 1.56 WHIP in their last seven games. The Diamondbacks have played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total with Godley facing a team with a losing record.

FINAL TAKE: Arizona has played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total when looking to avenge a loss where they allowed at least 10 runs. These two teams have played 4 straight games Over the Total. Expect another higher-scoring game. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break National League West Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the San Francisco Giants (913) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (914) listing both starting pitchers Tyler Beede and Zack Godley. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the match between Norway (225949) and Australia (225950). THE SITUATION: Norway (2-0-1) finished with six points in Group Stage play with their 2-1 win over South Korea on Monday. Australia (2-0-1) also punched their ticket into the Knockout Stage with a decisive 4-1 victory over Jamaica on Tuesday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Sam Kerr scored four times on Tuesday against the Reggae Girlz to propel the Matildas to eight goals scored in their three matches which is the second most for any team in this tournament. Australia is a high-scoring team with their pressing style under manager Ante Milicic. But this high-risk/high-reward approach makes them vulnerable to counter-attacks especially when considering that their backline has some deficiencies. The Matildas have surrendered five goals in their three Group State matches. This style also tends to enable wild contests. Australia blew a 1-0 lead in their opening match against Italy that resulted in a 2-1 loss — but their aggressive tactics were exactly what they needed against Brazil as they rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat them by a 3-2 score. With talents like Kerr and Caitlin Foord up top, it makes sense for the Matildas to deploy this approach. But in a 3-0 loss to the Netherlands and a 5-3 loss to the United States in the lead up to this tournament, this strategy has its vulnerabilities. This Norway team is very good despite being without their best player, Ada Hegerberg, who is boycotting participation with the national team given their unequal treatment of women’s athletics. The Grass Hoppers have scored five goals in this tournament which a 2-1 loss to the host nation, France, who are one of the top favorites to lift the championship trophy. Norway still has quality players — led by Caroline Graham Hansen who is expected to play this afternoon after suffering a knock in that match with South Korea this week. The Grass Hoppers scored 22 goals in their eight qualifying matches for this World Cup. As one of the traditional European powers that have won a World Cup back in 1995, they have a balanced and talented group of players who should find plenty of scoring opportunities in a counter-attack against the aggressive tactics of Australia. But I am concerned about their defense after allowing South Korea to attempt 22 shots against them on Tuesday.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams played last year in the Algarve Cup with Australia pulling out a 4-3 shootout. While seven combined goals may be too much to expect in this contest, I do expect a higher scoring match. 25* Women’s World Cup Fox-TV Total of the Month with Over the Total in the match between Norway (225949) and Australia (225950). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:30 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between Curacao (234253) and Honduras (234524). THE SITUATION: Curacao (0-0-1) lost their opening match in the Gold Cup with a 1-0 loss to El Salvador on Monday. Honduras (0-0-1) also lost their opening match in the Gold Cup with a 3-2 loss to Jamaica on Monday. This match will be played on a neutral field at Houston’s BBVA Compass Stadium.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Curacao did not display much energy on the offensive end of the pitch against El Salvador. They managed only three shots in that contest as they never tested the Salvador goalkeeper, Henry Hernandez. This is just the second Gold Cup ever for this island colony of the Netherlands. This team failed to score a goal in their three Group Stage matches in the 2017 Gold Cup. But this team is not necessarily pushovers either with the majority of the roster playing in the professional leagues of the Netherlands. In their four matches in the CONCACAF Nations League Qualifiers, Curacao allowed only two goals while producing three clean sheets. Honduras has only scored four goals in their last five matches across all competitions. Los Catrachos did not score a goal in their four Gold Cup matches in 2017. But they only allowed five goals in those four matches which culminated in a narrow 1-0 loss in the Quarterfinals to Mexico. The three goals they allowed against Jamaica needs to be taken with some context as the Reggae Boyz were playing on their home pitch in Kington in National Stadium.

FINAL TAKE: Honduras was able to make the Quarterfinals of the 2017 Gold Cup with just one point given their draw with Canada which ended in a scoreless draw — so do not underestimate the value these teams put in a nil-nil result. With the Total set at 2.5, expect a lower scoring game. 25* CONCACAF Gold Cup Group C Total of the Year with Under the Total in the match between Curacao (234253) and Honduras (234524). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the San Diego Padres (957) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (958) listing both starting pitchers Eric Lauer and Joe Musgrove. THE SITUATION: San Diego (38-37) comes off a four-game sweep of the Brewers after their 8-7 victory on Wednesday. Pittsburgh (33-40) has won two of their last three games with their 8-7 win over Detroit on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Over is 11-4-1 in the Padres’ last 16 games after scoring at least five runs in their last game — and the Over is 8-2-2 in their last 12 games after allowing at least five runs in their last contest. The Over is also 5-0-2 in San Diego’s last 7 games after an off day. The Padres have played 13 of their last 17 road games Over the Total after a win. And while the San Diego bullpen did not allow a run in their last game against the Brewers, they have then played 16 of their last 22 games Over the Total after a game where their bullpen did not allow an earned run. The Padres stay on the road where they have played 4 straight games Over the Total — and they have played 5 of their last 6 road games Over the Total against teams with a losing record. They give the ball to Lauer who is 5-6 with a 4.60 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP in fourteen starts. The left-hander has thrived in the spacious confirms of Petco Park where he has a 2.70 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .244 — but those numbers skyrocket to a 7.81 ERA with a 1.66 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .310 in his six starts on the road. The Over is 5-0-2 in San Diego’s last 7 games on the road with Lauer on the hill. He faces a hot-hitting Pirates team that is scoring 6.1 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven contests with a .301 batting average along with a .349 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .855 over that span. The Over is 15-5-1 in Pittsburgh’s last 21 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 or higher. Additionally, the Over is 14-4-2 in the Pirates’ last 20 games after a victory. Furthermore, the Over is 21-5-2 in Pittsburgh’s last 28 games after scoring at least five runs in their last game — and the Over is 19-7-1 in their last 27 games after allowing at least five runs in their last contest. The Pirates have played 8 straight home games Over the Total after winning two of their last three games — and the Over is 3-1-1 in their last 5 games after an off day. Pittsburgh stays at home where the Over is 18-7-1 in their last 26 games — and they have played 16 of their last 21 games Over the Total against teams with a winning record. They counter with Musgrove who is 4-7 with a 4.87 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP in fourteen starts (fifteen appearances) this year. The left-hander has particularly struggled at home where he has a 5.71 ERA with a 1.38 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .284 in six starts. The Pirates have played 5 straight home games Over the Total with Musgrove on the hill. He also faces a hot-hitting team right now with the Padres scoring 8.3 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven contests with a .331 batting average along with a .391 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .961 in those games. San Diego has played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total against right-handed starting pitchers.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams last played in mid-May with the Pirates winning the last three games on the road despite being the underdog. The Padres have played 23 of their last 31 road games Over the Total when playing with at least double revenge after being upset as a home favorite in their last two games with their current opponent. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break National League Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the San Diego Padres (957) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (958) listing both starting pitchers Eric Lauer and Joe Musgrove. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Washington Mystics (647) and the Las Vegas Aces (648). THE SITUATION: Washington (5-3) snapped a two-game losing streak on Tuesday with their 81-52 blowout upset victory at Los Angeles as a 1.5-point underdog. Las Vegas (4-3) has won their last two games with their 80-75 victory at Minnesota as a 6.5-point favorite on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Mystics won their game in LA on Tuesday based off the strength of their strong play on defense as they held the Sparks to just 28.8% shooting from the field. Washington stays on the road where they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total. The Mystics have also played 10 of their last 12 road games Under the Total as an underdog getting 3.5 to 6 points. Washington has scored at least 71 points in their last seven games after beginning the year by scoring only 69 points — and they have then played 20 of their last 29 games Under the Total after scoring at least 70  points in four straight games. The Mystics have also played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total against teams from the Western Conference. Las Vegas has seen the Under go 6-0-1 in their last 7 games against teams from the Eastern Conference. The Under is also 4-0-1 in the Aces’ last 5 games after a point spread loss. Las Vegas won that game despite the Lynx making 42.6% from the field which was the Aces’ worst defensive effort in their last five games. Under former Detroit Pistons’ star Bill Laimbeer, this Las Vegas team has taken on a defense-first identity like his Bad Boys’ teams. They limit their visitors to just 34.2% shooting from the field on their home court which results in just 71.7 PPG. The extra days of rest should help the energy of this team on defense — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total when playing with at least three days of rest. The Under is also 6-0-1 in the Aces’ last 7 games at home — and they have played 8 of their last 9 home games Under the Total as the favorite. And in their last 7 games against teams with a winning record, Las Vegas has played 6 of these games Under the Total.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played 10 of their last 13 meetings Under the Total — and this includes these two teams playing five of their last six encounters Under the Total when playing in Las Vegas. Finally, these team trends are complemented by a historical WNBA angle that has been 72% effective since 1997. In games with the Total set at 140 or higher in the month of June, when the home team comes off a game where they won but did not cover the point spread as the favorite, these games then finished Under the Total in 52 of the last 72 situations where these conditions applied. 25* WNBA Non-Conference Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Washington Mystics (647) and the Las Vegas Aces (648). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between the United States (225937) and Sweden (225938). THE SITUATION: The United States (2-0-0) has won their first two matches in this World Cup with their 3-0 win over Chile last Saturday. Sweden (2-0-0) also has six points with two victories in their first two games with their 5-1 win over Thailand on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: It might be very tempting for bettors to take the Over after Team USA racked up thirteen goals in their opening victory against Thailand. This Stars and Stripes team is loaded with scoring talent — and their midfielders and fullbacks like to play up the pitch. But a draw is enough of a result for the USA to win first place in Group F which is their immediate goal. This US team also needs to build skill and cohesion in their backline with two converted attackers being inserted into those two fullback positions by manager Jill Ellis. This contest against a good Swedish team is an opportunity to work on technical tactics. This team has dominated both their opponents as they have surrounded only three combined shots with neither opponent controlling possession for more than 30% of the contest. Team USA has not allowed a goal in their last six matches. They will face a Sweden team that is very familiar with their schemes and tactics. This will be the fourth meeting between these two national teams in the last five major international tournaments. The Blue and Yellow were triumphant in the last meeting between these two teams where the Swedes pulled the big upset in the Quarterfinals of the 2016 Olympics. Sweden’s conservative tactics where they play with a high back-line on the pitch while searching for opportunities to counter-attack is the anti-American scheme given their Stars and Stripes typical aggressiveness. The Blagurt have veterans in their middle field and a defensive line who have played in many of those matches with the Americans. Sweden also has an elite goalkeeper in Hedvi Lindhal playing in perhaps her last World Cup at 36-years old. Sweden has scored seven times in this tournament which is a bit of an aberration for this team. They scored only four goals in their four matches in the 2017 Euro Championship which ended in a disappointing loss in the Quarterfinals to the Netherlands. They scored just five times in their four matches in the 2015 World Cup where they lost in the Round of 16. They entered this tournament with just four goals in their previous four matches. But they surrendered a mere one goal in those final four matches — and they gave up only two goals in their eight World Cup Qualifying matches.

FINAL TAKE: This shapes up to be a tactical contest — especially with the stakes relatively low since both teams have clinched spots in the Knockout Stage. In the last five meetings between these two sides since 2013, all five matches saw no more than two combined goals scored. It was a nil-nil draw when these two teams faced off in the Group Stage of the 2015 World Cup. 25* Women’s World Cup Group Stage Total of the Year with Under the Total in the match between the United States (225937) and Sweden (225938). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between Cameroon (225930) and New Zealand (225929). THE SITUATION: Cameroon (0-0-2) has lost their two World Cup contests after suffering a 3-1 setback to the Netherlands last Saturday. New Zealand (0-0-2) has also lost their first two matches in this tournament after their 2-0 loss to Canada on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Cameroon has only scored one goal in their two matches after they lost to Canada by a 1-0 score. The Indomitable Lions are a team on the rise with 12 players back from the group that competed in the 2015 World Cup. This team’s defense can be shaky on the defensive end of the pitch — but allowing three goals to a potent Netherlands attack is not terribly surprising. Manager Alain Djeumfa has had his team embrace defensive tactics to compensate for this potential deficiency while banking on the counterattacking skills of speedy forwards like Gabrielle Onguene and Galla Enganamouit. But this approach has contributed to a toothless attack for the Indomitable Lions. They did not generate a shot on target in their opening match against Canada. And while their offensive activity improved against the Netherlands, they managed only 11 shots with just four on target. Controlling possession has been an issue as they had the ball for just 39% of their match with the Dutch after controlling possession in just 26% of their match against Canada. New Zealand may play on their front foot in this match like they often do when facing the inferior competition of the Oceania Football Confederation. The Football Ferns play solid defense on the grandest of international stages — and that should not go away in this contest. New Zealand has allowed only three goals against the Netherlands and Canada who enter this third match with two wins apiece. But the Kiwis have yet to score in this event. They did not manage a shot on target against Canada while managing just three shots on target against the Dutch. New Zealand has only generated seven total shots in their two matches. In the 2015 World Cup, the Football Ferns scored only twice in their three matches but only surrendered three goals. Cameroon made it to the Knockout Stage in 2015 on the strength of a 6-0 win over an overmatched Ecuador side — but it is their 1-0 loss to China in the Round of 16 that will likely be a harbinger as to how this match will be played out.

FINAL TAKE: One side earning a clean sheet in this match is pretty high when considering that New Zealand has seen at least one side go scoreless in nine of their last ten matches. Eight of the last ten matches played by the Kiwis have seen less than three combined goals scored. Both teams need a victory — and then help with goal differential — to advance to the Knockout Stage. However, since a draw helps neither side — I expect the first team to score in this match will then park the bus in back to do everything they can to preserve that lead. 25* World Cup Group E Total of the Year with Under the Total in the match between Cameroon (225930) and New Zealand (225929). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Chicago White Sox (979) and the Chicago Cubs (980) listing both starting pitchers Lucas Giolito and Jon Lester. THE SITUATION: The White Sox (35-36) won the opening game of this series last night with their 3-1 victory. The White Sox have won four of their last six games while the Cubs (39-33) has lost four of their last five contests.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The White Sox have played 21 of their last 31 games Under the Total after not allowing more than one run in their last game. And while the White Sox have not committed an error in three straight games, they have then played 7 straight games Under the Total on the road after not committing an error in two straight contests. This team has also played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total on the road — and the Under is a decisive 46-21-3 in their last 70 games on the road against teams with a winning record. They give the ball to Giolito who is 10-1 with a 2.22 ERA and a WHIP of 0.95 in thirteen starts. The young phenom has allowed only one earned run over his last three starts for a minuscule 0.43 ERA along with a 0.76 WHIP over 21 innings. The right-hander has been particularly effective on the road where he owns a 1.48 ERA with a 0.82 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .156 in six starts. The White Sox have played 16 of their last 22 road games Under the Total with Giolito on the hill — and this includes them playing their last 4 road games Under the Total with him on the hill. The White Sox have also played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total with Giolito looking to follow up a Quality Start. He faces a Cubs team that is scoring only 3.4 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a low .223 batting average along with a .270 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .635.

At 3:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing England (225921) minus the Goal-Line versus Japan (225922). THE SITUATION: England (2-0-0) has clinched winning Group D with their second straight win last Friday with their 1-0 victory over Argentina. Japan (1-1-0) comes off a 2-1 win over Scotland last Thursday.

REASONS TO TAKE ENGLAND MINUS THE GOAL-LINE: The biggest question for the Three Lionesses is how manager Phil Neville will treat this match since they have already qualified for the Knockout Stage. While substituting key players is tempting to give them a rest while avoiding injury, a consideration for Neville is to have his best players take the pitch with the goal of using this high profile match to produce a statement win over a Japanese team that won the 2011 Women’s World Cup before losing in the championship in 2015. Inner confidence might be the biggest vulnerability for these Lionesses who finished in the Semifinals of the 2015 Women’s World Cup before losing in the Semifinals to host nation the Netherlands in the 2017 Euro Championship. Sure enough, Neville, the former Manchester United defender, has made it clear that he wants to use this match as a measuring stick. Said Neville: "And we want to continue and build the momentum that we've built in the first two games. So I'll be picking my best side to win the game … I want us to have played three, won three, and affect the mindset of other people in the tournament, but more importantly give my players more confidence … Forget the group permutations - I think playing three, winning three in a group everyone said was the 'group of death' would send a strong statement … We're watching the USA play, we're watching Germany, France. They're winning their groups and we need to keep up with them.” Neville has a loaded roster at his disposal who won the She Believes Up played earlier this year in a prestigious tournament that includes USA, Japan, and Brazil. Japan snapped a five-game winless streak on Friday with their victory over Scotland. The Nadeshiko Japan is a team in transition that went much younger after their flameout in 2016 where they failed to qualify for the Olympics. The average age of this team is around 24-years old which is three years younger than the 2015 group. With youth comes inexperience. Size is also a concern for this group. While Japan remains a rich soccer nation, this roster is not as proven nor talented as past teams. Their nil-nil draw with an Argentina team ranked 37th in the world by FIFA and 36th in the world by ELO is telling.

FINAL TAKE: When these two teams played on March 5th in the She Believes Cup, England dominated with a 3-0 victory. The Three Lionesses still remember their heartbreaking loss to Japan in the Semifinals of the 2015 Women’s World Cup where their Laura Bassett scored an own goal in the 92nd minute to produce a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat. The opportunity for revenge along with making a big statement moving into the Knockout Stage will likely be irresistible for this team. 25* Women’s World Cup Group D Match of the Year with England (225921) minus the Goal-Line versus Japan (225922). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:20 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Atlanta Braves (904) versus the New York Mets (903) listing both starting pitchers Julio Teheran and Jacob DeGrom. THE SITUATION: Atlanta (43-30) has won ten of their last eleven games with their 12-3 win over the Mets yesterday in the opening game of this series. New York (34-38) has lost two straight as well as four of their last five games.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BRAVES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Atlanta is a very intriguing money-line underdog as they are currently the hottest team in baseball. They are dogs in this game because they are facing the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner — but the Braves have scored at least five runs in ten of their last eleven games while outscoring their last two opponents by a whopping 27 to 4 margin. Atlanta has won 8 of their last 9 games after a win — and they have won 21 of their last 27 games after scoring at least five runs in their last game. The Braves have been very tough to beat at home in SunTrust Park where they have won 9 of their last 10 games — and they have won 9 of their last 12 home games against teams with a winning percentage below 40% on the road. They give the ball to Teheran who is 5-4 with a 2.92 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP in fifteen starts. Over his last eight starts, the veteran right-hander has an outstanding 0.81 ERA — and he has not allowed a home run since April 30th. Teheran has been great at home where he owns a 1.85 ERA in six starts. Atlanta has won 6 straight home games with Teheran on the hill — and they have won 5 straight home games with Teheran facing a team with a losing record. Additionally, the Braves have pulled the upset in a whopping 14 of their last 16 games with Teheran pitching as the underdog — and this includes six straight wins with him pitching as a home dog. He faces a Mets team that has lost 5 of their last 6 games against right-handed starting pitchers. New York has lost 7 of their last 8 games after allowing at least ten runs in their last game. The Mets have also lost 21 of their last 27 games on the road — and they have lost 10 of their last 12 road games against teams with a winning record at home. They counter with DeGrom who is 3-6 with a 3.28 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP in fourteen starts. The right-hander has been not quite as effective on the road in seven starts where opponents are hitting .238 against him as opposed to his .227 opponent’s batting average at home. But his teammates rarely seem to provide him much run support as the Mets have lost 5 straight games on the road. New York has also lost 8 of their last 10 games with DeGrom pitching as the favorite. He does come off a strong outing where he allowed only two runs in 7 innings of work against the Cardinals — but the Mets have lost 4 straight games with DeGrom looking to follow up a Quality Start. He faces a hot-hitting Braves team that is scoring 8.9 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .350 batting average along with a .414 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of 1.042 over that span. Atlanta is also scoring a robust 5.9 Runs-Per-Game at home this season with a .281 batting average along with a .355 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .853. The Braves have won 10 of their last 11 games against right-handed starting pitchers — and they have won 4 of their last 5 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.15 or lower.

FINAL TAKE: The Mets have lost 6 of their last 7 games with DeGrom making the start against the Braves — and this includes them losing four straight games on the road in Atlanta. New York has also lost 5 of their last 7 games in SunTrust Park against the Braves. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break National League East Underdog of the Year with the money-line on the Atlanta Braves (904) versus the New York Mets (903) listing both starting pitchers Julio Teheran and Jacob DeGrom. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the match between Australia (225913) and Jamaica (225914). THE SITUATION: Australia (1-0-1) earned their three points last Thursday with a 3-2 victory over Brazil. Jamaica (0-0-2) lost their second straight match in the World Cup by losing to Italy by a 5-0 score.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Australia found themselves in dire straits as they trailed the Brazilians by a 2-0 score — and that came after suffering a 2-1 upset loss to Italy in their opening match. But the Matildas scored a late goal in extra time of the first half to get on the board and they completed their three-goal rally by scoring twice in the second half to stun the Selecao. That comeback victory should trigger confidence in this Australian team that limped into the World Cup with two straight losses. Expectations have never been higher for this Matildas team that has reached the Quarterfinals in the last three World Cups as well as the 2016 Olympics. This is probably the best roster this national team has ever assembled. But a 5-3 loss to the USA on May 3rd followed by a 3-0 loss to the Netherlands on June 1st left some questions on the table for this group. Australia is loaded with scoring firepower led by their 25-year old captain, Sam Kerr, who is one of the best goal scorers in the world. New manager Ante Milicic (who took over amidst scandal from the previous dirtbag manager of the Matildas) implemented a high-risk/high-reward pressing system a la the schemes used by Liverpool and Manchester City in the English Premier League. The goal is to create more scoring opportunities to take better advantage of their elite talent of Kerr and other players like forward Caitlin Foord. It worked for a bit against the US as those tactics created a 2-1 lead in that April friendly match. But the risk of pushing forward on the attack with left and right backs, Steph Catley and Ellie Carpenter, jetting up the pitch to support their scoring opportunities is that they become very vulnerable to counter attacks. Team USA burned them by rallying to score three goals to win that match before the Dutch scored three more goals against them in that last friendly. Australia has scored and conceded four goals in their first two World Cup matches. With three points and tied with Brazil for second place in Group C play, goal differential may play a critical role as a tie-breaker. That means that the Matildas are highly likely to keep their foot on the proverbial accelerator in this match as they look to pile on the goals. But this strategy risks them conceding goals to the Reggae Girlz. Frankly, this Jamaica team is happy to be competing at this event after seeing their program dormant from 2008 to 2014. The daughter of Bob Marley, Cedella Marley, infused the national team with money to jumpstart the women’s team who then qualified for this World Cup with their third place finish in last year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup qualifier. The Reggae Girlz are young and inexperienced with seven of their players under the age of 22. But they are fast and happy to take their chances on the counter-attack. They have conceded eight goals in their two matches — but they have dynamic goal scorers led by Khadijah “Bunny” Shaw. The former Tennessee Volunteer has 31 goals in 23 caps for the national team and is an imposing presence on the pitch with her 5’11 frame. Jamaica had scored nine goals in their last four friendlies before this tournament — but they also allowed seven goals in those four matches.

FINAL TAKE: Australia should win this match easily as they press to score as many goals as they can to help their positioning. Winning Group C remains possible if Brazil defeats an undefeated Italian team — but they will need to plenty of goals to seize the goal differential tie-breaker. Jamaica is leaky on their back end — but I will not be surprised if they leave this match relatively happy by scoring their first ever goal in World Cup competition. 25* Women’s World Cup Group C Total of the Year with Over the Total in the match between Australia (225913) and Jamaica (225914). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:20 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the New York Mets (953) and the Atlanta Braves (954) listing both starting pitchers Zack Wheeler and Mike Soroka. THE SITUATION: New York (34-37) has lost three of their last four games with their 4-3 loss to St. Louis yesterday. Atlanta (42-30) has won nine of their last ten games after they crushed Philadelphia yesterday by a 15-1 score on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Over is 10-1-1 in the Braves’ last 12 games after a win — and they have played 10 of their last 11 games Over the Total after scoring at least five runs in their last game. Atlanta’s bullpen has pitched 9 1/3 combined innings over their last two games — and they have played 15 of their last 18 games Over the Total when their bullpen has logged in at least 9 combined innings in their last two games. The Over is also 12-3-1 in the Braves’ last 16 home games against teams with a losing record. They give the ball to Soroka who is 7-1 with a 1.92 ERA along with a 0.97 WHIP in eleven starts. The deeper sabermetrics are not bullish on the rookie right-hander with both his SIERA and xFIP projecting an ERA of 3.93 and 3.59 moving forward. Soroka opened the season with an unsustainable low Batting Average for the Balls he Allowed Into Play (BABIP) and Home Run to Fly Ball rate — and the that he is still leaving 77.6% of the runners left on base when retiring the side is well above the league average. But the right-hander has seen the Regression Gods already visit him a few times this month as he has a 4.12 ERA with a 1.12 WHIP over his last three starts while striking out only 14 batters in 19 2/3 innings of work. Soroka has not been as effective at home where he sees his ERA rise to a 3.03 mark along with a 1.18 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .248 in five starts as compared to his filthy 1.11 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and .154 opponent’s batting average on the road. Atlanta has played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total with Soroka facing a team with a losing record. He faces a Mets team that is scoring 5.9 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games. New York has played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total against right-handed starting pitchers — and the Over is 3-0-1 in their last 4 games against teams using a starting pitcher with a WHIP of 1.15 or lower. The Over is 3-0-1 in the Mets’ last 4 games after a loss. Additionally, New York has played 5 of their last 6 road games Over the Total against teams with a winning record — and they have played 28 of their last 42 games Over the Total in night games. They counter with Wheeler who is 5-4 with a 4.87 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP in fourteen starts. The right-hander has particularly struggled on the road where he has a 5.48 ERA with a 1.45 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .287 in seven starts. The Over is 7-3-2 in the Mets’ last 12 road games with Wheeler on the mound. The Over is also 6-0-2 in New York’s last 8 games with Wheeler pitching on five days of rest. He faces a hot-hitting Braves team that is scoring 9.0 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .342 batting average along with a .402 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of 1.056 over that span. Atlanta is scoring 5.8 Runs-Per-Game at home — and the Over is 12-3-1 in their last 16 home games against right-handed starting pitchers.

FINAL TAKE: The Braves have scored at least nine runs twelve times this season. They face a pitcher in Wheeler who has already surrendered 13 home runs this season. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break National League East Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the New York Mets (953) and the Atlanta Braves (954) listing both starting pitchers Zack Wheeler and Mike Soroka. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Norway (225909) minus the Goal-Line versus South Korea (225910). THE SITUATION: Norway (1-0-1) looks to bounce-back from a 2-1 loss to France last Wednesday. With a 3-0 victory over Nigeria in their opening match, a victory for the Grass Hoppers clinches their spot in the Knockout Stage Round of Sixteen. South Korea (0-0-2) lost their second straight match on Wednesday with a 2-0 loss to Nigeria. The Taegeuk Ladies must win this match to secure 3 points and hope they can grab one of the four third-place finishes in the six groups that will advance to the final sixteen  Knockout Stage.

REASONS TO TAKE NORWAY MINUS THE GOAL-LINE: The Grass Hoppers acquitted themselves quite well against the talented host nation. They controlled the time of possession 56% of the match. If not for a controversial penalty kick assisted by the Video-Assist-Review, Norway may have secured a point with a 1-1 draw. The headline regarding this Norwegian team is they are without their star, Ada Hegerberg, who is boycotting participation with the national team given their soccer federation’s unequal treatment of the women’s club. But this remains a very talented team even without perhaps the best female player in the world. Without Hegerberg, the Grass Hoppers were 7-0-1 in the UEFA Qualifying stage for this World Cup while outscoring their opponent’s by a dominant 22 to 4 goal margin. Norway continued their quality play without Hegerberg in their 3-0 win over Nigeria as they dominated possession again by holding the ball for 59% of that match. South Korea is a solid side that dominates their Asian Federation — but they tend to falter against quality opponents from European and North American. They were easily handled by France in their opening match by a 4-0 score. The Taeguek Ladies needed to then step up on against a Nigerian side that had never won a match in a World Cup before their triumph last Wednesday. This South Korean side has a small backline that is effective in pushing the attack against their Asian peers but tends to get overmatched against bigger opponents. That group had cohesion issues in the 2015 World Cup where they surrendered eight goals in four matches. The six goals they have allowed in the first two matches in this tournament is a concern. But perhaps a bigger concern is the lack of offensive punch from this group that has yet to find the back of the net. South Korea will likely play their most aggressive match in this tournament this afternoon with their need to secure 3 points to keep their Knockout Stage hopes alive. However, those tactics will leave then Taegeuk Ladies vulnerable in the counter-attack.

FINAL TAKE: Norway would be a significant threat to win this tournament if Hegerberg was on their roster. Even without their best player, this strong European team with a rich history remains capable. They should overwhelm a South Korean team that continues to falter against European competition. 25* Women’s World Cup Group-A Match of the Year with Norway (225909) minus the Goal-Line versus South Korea (225910). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:30 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between Nicaragua (234213) and Costa Rica (234214). THE SITUATION: Costa Rica (0-0-0) the first CONCACAF Gold Cup match ever to be played on their home soil. Los Ticos finished 0-1-2 in their three Group Stage matches in last summer’s World Cup. Costa Rica reached the Semifinals of the 2017 Gold Cup before losing to the USMNT. Nicaragua (0-0-0) plays in their first international tournament sine that 2017 Gold Cup where they lost all three of their matches in Group Stage play.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Costa Rica is one of the favorites to win this year’s tournament — and they are the dominant team in Group B. Los Ticos are led by an MLS-heavy defensive group that is quality tacticians on the international stage. The 6’5 defender, Kendall Watson, is key to their success with his size providing La Sele an aerial defensive presence as well as a strong tackler. Costa Rica allowed five goals in their three World Cup matches last year — but they were in a challenging group led by the powerful Brazil side along with two upstarts in Switzerland and Serbia. The problem for this team last summer was the lacking of a scoring punch as they scored only two goals (against the Swiss) after suffering two clean sheets in their first two matches. Gustavo Matosas is the new manager this year — but they are just 1-0-3 in the four friendlies under his leadership. They have scored only one goal in those four matches in a win against the defensive-minded Jamaican side. This side lacks creativity on the offensive end of the pitch right now. Getting too cute now would be a disaster for Los Ticos against an overmatched Nicaraguan side — especially when playing at home. Expect a conservative game plan where veterans like Joel Campbell or Bryan Ruiz should eventually get Costa Rica on the scoreboard. Nicaragua is unlikely to threaten with many scoring opportunities. The Pinoleros privilege defensive tactics with the hope that their captain, Juan Barrera, can find scoring opportunities in the counter-attack. Nicaragua has scored only one goal in their six matches ever played in Gold Cup competitions. And in the twelve previous meetings between these two nations, the Pinoleros have scored only eight times. All three of their matches in the 2017 Gold Cup did not see more than three combined goals scored. In their last five matches, Nicaragua has scored only four times with two of those goals occurring in a 2-2 draw with Bolivia back on March 3rd in a friendly.

FINAL TAKE: Costa Rica will not have their veteran superstar goalkeeper, Keylor Navas, this summer with his status with Real Madrid up in the air. Los Ticos did not have Navas in the 2017 Gold Cup either but that did not slow this side down against North American competition. A clean sheet is highly likely for Costa Rica tonight — but they are not likely to score more than two goals (and certainly not three goals which would Push the most common Total of 3). 25* CONCACAF Gold Cup Group B Total of the Year with Under the Total in the match between Nicaragua (234213) and Costa Rica (234214). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Los Angeles Dodgers (914) minus the -1.5 Run-Line versus the Chicago Cubs (913) listing both starting pitchers Hyun-Jin Ryu and Jose Quintana. THE SITUATION: Chicago (39-31) had lost four of their last five games before they eked out the third game of this series yesterday with their 2-1 victory over Los Angeles. The Dodgers (47-24) won the first two games of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE DODGERS MINUS THE -1.5 RUN-LINE: The Cubs did not commit an error for the fourth straight game yesterday — but they have then lost 10 of their last 15 games after not committing an error in at least two straight games. Chicago remains a troubling 15-20 on the road this season. The Cubs have lost 7 of their last 9 games on the road — and they have lost 9 of their last 13 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home. Additionally, Chicago has lost 8 of their last 10 road games when an underdog priced at least at +150. They give the ball to Quintana who is 4-6 with a 3.89 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP this season in thirteen games (fourteen appearances). The deeper sabermetrics are troubling for the left-hander. For starters, his hard-hit rate stands at 37.8% of the batted-balls he is allowing into play which is the highest of his career after last year’s high of 33.5%. Quintana has been at his best when he is not walking batters while inducing lightly hit fly balls. But he walked four batters in 4 2/3 innings of work in his last start. Quintana’s fly ball rate to his lowest since 2015 while his decision to trust his infield has led to a ground ball rate of the balls he is allowing into play of 47.3% which is the highest in his career. His strikeout rate of 20.8% of the batters he faces is also his lowest since 2015. The lefty is throwing first ball strikes while increasing the use of his sinker — but both his SIERA and xFIP project an ERA of 4.41 and 4.14 moving forward based off his peripheral numbers. Quintana has done his best pitching at home in Wrigley Field where he enjoys a 2.98 ERA with a 1.15 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .238 in seven starts — but those numbers skyrocket to a 5.13 ERA with a 1.53 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .281 when he is on the road. The Cubs have lost 9 of their last 12 road games with Quintana on the hill. He faces a Dodgers team that is scoring 5.6 Runs-Per-Game at home with a .280 batting average along with a .353 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .856. Los Angeles has won 5 of their last 6 games against left-handed starting pitchers. The Dodgers have also won 13 of their last 16 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 or higher. Los Angeles has won 9 of their last 11 games after a game where no more than four combined runs were scored. Furthermore, the Dodgers have won 51 of their last 76 games after a loss — and they have won 37 of their last 51 games after failing to score more than two runs in their last game. LA has also still won an incredible 21 of their last 26 games against teams with a winning record — and they have won 18 of their last 22 games after playing their last three games at home. While the fact that the Dodgers have won 23 of their last 28 home games when priced at least at -150 might compel most bettors to take their chances investing in the higher price, that would be the less profitable path this season. Los Angeles has been a home favorite priced above my -150 threshold 29 times this season — and they have won 21 of those games by more than one run to produce a much better yield overall. They count on Ryu tonight who is enjoying a sensational season with his 9-1 record along with a 1.36 ERA and 0.80 WHIP in thirteen starts. The issue for the left-hander has been more about durability than overall talent. Ryu enters this game with an eye-popping 77:5 strikeout to walk ratio in 80 innings of work. Led by one of the best changeups in baseball, Ryu has been nearly unhittable at home where he has a 1.01 ERA with a 0.65 WHIP and .172 opponent’s batting average in six starts. We have to expect some regression is inevitable with gaudy numbers like that — but remember that Ryu had a 1.97 ERA last year overall with 1.15 ERA at home along with a 0.90 WHIP and .212 opponent’s batting average so his spectacular 2019 did not come out of nowhere. The Dodgers have won 39 of their last 55 home games with Ryu on the hill including all six this season. LA has also won 5 straight home games with Ryu facing a team with a winning record. And in his last 26 starts when priced as a favorite at -150 or higher, the Dodgers have won 21 of those games. He faces a Cubs team that has lost 5 of their last 7 road games against left-handed starting pitchers — and they have also lost 7 of their last 9 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.15 or lower.

FINAL TAKE: Los Angeles has won 8 of their last 10 games when avenging an upset loss as a home favorite to their opponent. The Cubs have still lost 9 of their last 12 games in Dodger Stadium against the men in blue. Rather than paying the higher price on LA, the recent history makes it clear that the better investment is to lower the price by laying the -1.5 Run-Line. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break Sunday ESPN Run-Line of the Year with the Los Angeles Dodgers (914) minus the -1.5 Run-Line versus the Chicago Cubs (913) listing both starting pitchers Hyun-Jin Ryu and Jose Quintana. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 1:10 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Texas Rangers (929) plus the +1.5 Run-Line versus the Cincinnati Reds (930) listing both starting pitchers Ariel Jurado and Sonny Gray. THE SITUATION: Texas (38-32) has won the first two games of this series — as well as six of their last nine contests — after taking Game Two of this series yesterday by a 4-3 score. Cincinnati (30-38) has now lost six of their last eight games.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RANGERS PLUS THE +1.5 RUN-LINE: Texas has now won 6 of their last 8 games on the road — and they have won 4 straight road games against teams with a losing record. Additionally, the Rangers have now won 4 straight games against teams with a losing record — and they have won 5 of their last 6 games in Interleague play. This team is big money-line underdogs due to the betting public’s lack of faith in Jurado despite his 4-2 record along with a 3.02 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP in 41 2/3 innings in fourteen appearances including five starts this season. The 23-year-old right-hander has rattled off four straight Quality Starts due in large part because he is inducing ground balls in 50.8% of the batted balls he is allowing into play. While not a phenom, Jurado has always been an intriguing prospect given his career 53% ground ball rate in the minor leagues allow with a sub-2.0 walks per 9 innings rate. Improved velocity this season has helped improve the effectiveness of his sinker. Jurado has also been more effective on the road where he has a 2.95 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .244 in 21 1/3 innings which includes two starts as opposed to his 3.10 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and .263 opponent’s batting average at home. Jurado comes off a solid start in Boston where he allowed three runs on just five hits in 6 innings of work. The Rangers have won 4 of their last 5 games with Jurado looking to follow up a Quality Start. He faces a slumping Reds lineup that is scoring only 2.7 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .199 batting average along with a .275 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .625 over that span. Cincinnati has lost 7 of their last 9 games against right-handed starting pitchers. The Reds have also lost 7 of their last 10 third games in a series after losing the first two games. Additionally, Cincinnati has lost 4 straight games at home as well as 6 of their last 8 games against teams with a winning record. And in their last 30 games played in the day, the Reds have lost 21 of these games. They counter with Gray who is 2-5 with a 3.65 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP in thirteen starts. The right-hander has not been as effective at home where his ERA rises to a 4.09 ERA with a 1.27 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .252 in seven starts in the Great American Ballpark as compared to his 3.21 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and .198 opponent’s batting average on the road. Gray also sees his ERA rise to a 3.81 mark in his six starts during the day — and the Cincy has lost 4 of their last 6 day games with Gray on the hill.

FINAL TAKE: The Rangers’ bats should keep them competitive in this game as they are scoring 6.0 Runs-Per-Game against right-handed starting pitchers with a .270 batting average along with a .338 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .817. Texas has won 13 of their last 18 games against right-handed starting pitchers. With the Reds being a money-line favorite priced in the -170 range, that lowers the price on the Rangers getting the valuable +1.5 Run-Line below my -150 price threshold. Let’s attack! 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break Run-Line Underdog of the Year with the Texas Rangers (929) plus the +1.5 Run-Line versus the Cincinnati Reds (930) listing both starting pitchers Ariel Jurado and Sonny Gray. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:07 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Seattle Mariners (977) and the Oakland A’s (978) listing both starting pitchers Gerson Bautista and Frankie Montas. THE SITUATION: Seattle (30-43) won the opening game of this series last night by a 9-2 score over Oakland (35-35) in Oakland Alameda County Coliseum.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Mariners have played 13 of their last 17 games Over the Total after a win — and the Over is also 10-2-1 in their last 13 games after allowing two runs or less in their last game. They stay on the road where the Over is a decisive 34-16-1 in their last 51 games — and the Over is also 11-3-1 in Seattle’s last 15 road games against teams with a losing record. And while the A’s are 18-14 at home this year, the Mariners have played 4 straight road games Over the Total against teams with a winning record at home. Additionally, Seattle has played 10 of their last 12 games Over the Total in the month of June — and they have played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total against fellow AL West foes. They will be using an opening tonight with Bautista taking the hill with his 5.40 ERA and 2.40 WHIP in just 3 1/3 innings of work. Bautista had a 12.46 ERA with a 3.00 WHIP in 4 1/3 innings of work last season. Let’s put it this way: although Bautista has appeared in only eight games in his major league career since debuting last year, he has allowed at least one run in six of those contests. So when Wade LeBlanc enters this game in the second inning, there is a good chance that the A’s will already have runs on the board. The left-hander has a 3-2 record this year with a 5.31 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP in six starts/eight appearances this season. LeBlanc was not quite as effective on the road last year where he had a 1.24 WHIP with a .255 opponent’s batting average as opposed to his 1.12 WHIP and .247 opponent’s batting average at home. LeBlanc has struggled under the lights this year with a 6.30 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and .284 opponent’s batting average in three starts/four appearances at night. Bautista and then LeBlanc will be facing an A’s team that has played 7 of their last 9 games Over the Total against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 or higher. The Seattle bullpen will not offer much support either was LeBlanc is pulled. The Mariners’ pen has a 6.32 ERA with a 1.66 WHIP on the road — and they have a 7.63 ERA and 1.63 WHIP in their last seven games. Oakland has played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total at home — and they have played 4 straight home games Over the Total against teams with a losing record. The A’s have also played 18 of their last 26 home games Over the Total with the number in the 9 to 9.5 range. Oakland has also played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total against AL West foes. They counter with Montas who is 8-2 with a 2.84 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP in thirteen starts. The 26-year old is enjoying a breakout season — but the sabermetrics are calling for regression with both his SIERA and xFIP projecting an ERA of 3.78 and 3.55 respectively moving forward based off his deeper peripheral numbers. The right-hander has not been as effective at home where he has a 3.54 ERA with a 1.32 WHIP and .255 opponent’s batting average in five starts as compared to his 2.44 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and .231 opponent’s batting average on the road. These disparate home/road splits are consistent with last year where he had a 4.35 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and .291 opponent’s batting average at home as opposed to his 3.44 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and .289 opponent’s batting average on the road. The A’s have played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total with Montas pitching with the Total set at 9 to 9.5. Montas last pitched on June 9th — and Oakland has played 7 straight games Over the Total when he is starting with five days of rest. He faces a hot-hitting Mariners lineup that is scoring 6.6 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .265 batting average, .337 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .850 over that span. The Over is also 33-16-2 in Seattle’s last 51 games against right-handed starting pitchers.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played 10 of their last 14 contests Over the Total. Expect another higher scoring game between these two clubs. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break AL West Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Seattle Mariners (977) and the Oakland A’s (978) listing both starting pitchers Gerson Bautista and Frankie Montas. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:20 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the Atlanta Braves (908) versus the Philadelphia Phillies (907) listing both starting pitchers Max Fried and Nick Pivetta. THE SITUATION: Atlanta (40-29) has won seven straight games after their 6-5 win over Pittsburgh last night. Philadelphia (38-30) has lost three of their last four games after losing at home to Arizona on Wednesday by a 2-0 score.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BRAVES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: This streaking Atlanta team has won 23 of their last 31 games after a victory. The Braves have also won 5 straight games after allowing at least five runs in their last game. They stay at home where they have won 6 straight games — and they have won 6 of their last 7 home games against teams with a winning record. They give the ball to Fried who is 7-3 with a 3.75 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP in thirteen starts (fifteen appearances). The left-hander has been most effective when pitching at home in Suntrust Park where he owns a 2.75 ERA with a 1.00 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .226 in six starts as opposed to his 4.75 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and .301 opponent’s batting average in seven starts (and nine appearances) on the road. These disparate home/road splits are consistent with last year where Fried’s late-season call-up resulted in a 2.40 ERA, 1.27 WHOP and .200 opponent’s batting average in 15 innings at home but a 3.38 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and .242 opponent’s batting average in 18 2/3 innings on the road. Fried’s improvement this season has in part come from his addition of a slider that has given him a third effective pitch. He is also inducing ground balls in 54.8% of the batted balls he is allowing into play. Bases-on-balls has been Fried’s biggest Achilles’ heel in the minor leagues but he has seen an improvement in his control this season. He has issued two walks or less in eight of his last nine starts this year. Atlanta has won 4 of their last 5 games with Fried facing a team with a winning record. He should have success facing this Phillies team that has lost 5 of their last 6 road games against left-handed starting pitchers. Philadelphia has lost 5 of their last 7 games after a loss — and they have lost 9 of their last 10 games after a game where no more than two combined runs were scored. The Phillies managed only three hits on Wednesday against the Diamondbacks — and they have lost 19 of their last 26 road games after not generating more than four base hits in their last game. They go on the road where they have lost 5 of their last 7 games — and they have also lost 5 of their last 7 road games against teams with a winning record. Furthermore, Philly has lost 7 of their last 10 games against teams with a winning record. They counter with Pivetta who is 4-1 with a 4.93 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP in seven starts. The right-hander entered the season with high expectations but he struggled with an 8.35 ERA in his first five starts which prompted him to be demoted to the minors. While Pivetta started striking out more batters in Triple-A which was enough for the Phillies to recall him to the majors again, control remains an issue as he walked 20 Triple-A batters in 37 innings. Pivetta has allowed only one run in his two starts back in the bigs — but he is making only his second start away from home this season. Pivetta struggled on the road last year where he had a 5.33 ERA with a 1.43 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .276 as compared to his 4.34 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and .249 opponent’s batting average at home in Citizen’s Bank Park. Pivetta also issued 3.34 Walks per 9 innings on the road last year. Philadelphia has lost 5 straight games on the road with Pivetta on the mound. He faces a hot-hitting Braves team that is scoring 6.3 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .279 batting average along with a .363 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .894 over that span. Atlanta has won 7 straight games against right-handed starting pitchers. The Braves have also won 13 of their last 16 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 or higher.

FINAL TAKE: Atlanta begins this NL East weekend showdown one game ahead of the Phillies in first place in the division. Philadelphia has lost 5 straight games against the Braves in Suntrust Park. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break NL East Game of the Year with the money-line on the Atlanta Braves (908) versus the Philadelphia Phillies (907) listing both starting pitchers Max Fried and Nick Pivetta. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:07 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Toronto Raptors (531) plus the points versus the Golden State Warriors (532). THE SITUATION: Golden State (71-32) stayed alive on Monday in Game Five of the NBA Finals by pulling off a 106-105 win over the Raptors. The Warriors return home to the Oracle Center for one final game before they move to their new arena next season. Toronto (73-32) hopes to close out this series and hoist the NBA Championship trophy in this game.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RAPTORS PLUS THE POINTS: Golden State was galvanized with the news that Kevin Durant would plan on taking the court again after missing most of the postseason with a leg injury. Bettors respond by shoveling money on the Warriors with the line dropping from Toronto laying 2 to 3 points to Golden State closing as a 1-point favorite in many spots with the expectation that Durant would change the dynamic of that game. Durant’s presence certainly jumpstarted the team as the two-time defending champions scored 34 points in the first quarter. But then Durant re-injured his leg in what looks to be a nasty Achilles tear that will sideline him well into next season. The Warriors were +6 with Durant on the court in his 12 minutes — so his presence made a big difference. And the team showed resiliency immediately after his injury with DeMarcus Cousins seesawing from a possible Coaches Decision: Did Not Play game to scoring 14 points on 6 of 8 shooting to help Golden State take a 14-point lead. But as the game moved on, it became clear that this Warriors team simply does not have enough ballers to hang with the depth of this Raptors team. Head coach Steve Kerr only has four players he can rely on to play significant minutes with one of those players in Andre Iguodala in a huge shooting slump having made only 13 of his 36 shots (36.1%) including just 5 of 20 (25%) from behind the arc. Supporting cast players like Cousins or Jordan Bell offer offensive capabilities for this team but at the expense of being liabilities on the defensive end of the court. Kerr can turn to other players like Alfonzo McKinnie or the injured Kevon Looney for better defensive play but they do not offer much of any threat on offense. Looney reinjured his broken clavicle on Monday and while he claims he will play on Thursday, that dude can’t move his right arm over his shoulder. Shaun Livingston is a shell of the player he has been with this team. Draymond Green has seen his scoring skills decline. There is a reason why the Raptors have successfully deployed box-and-one and triangle-and-two junk defenses in this series. The steady deterioration of this team’s depth gave them simply not enough wiggle room if (and when) they were ever to be hit by the injury bug. And yet some late 3-pointers (and some shaky play by the Raptors) allowed the champs to survive for another day. Unfortunately for this Warriors team, that victory might re-instill the complacency that has dogged this team all season. They are 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after a victory by 3 points or less. The complacency of this team is best embodied by their seeming need to be too loose with the basketball. Even with their season on the line, they committed another 16 turnovers on Monday. And now Golden State returns to the Oracle Center where they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 home games against teams with a winning record. Furthermore, the Warriors have failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 20 home games when not playing more than their fourth game in ten days. Additionally, Golden State has failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 19 games with the Total set in the 210 to 219.5 point range — and this includes them failing to cover the point spread in five of their last seven home games with the Over/Under number in that range. The Warriors have been unreliable favorites who have failed to cover the point spread in 28 of their last 41 points when laying 3.5 to 9.5 points. Toronto blew an opportunity to win their first championship — and it sure looked like they were on their way to closing out this NBA campaign with Kawhi Leonard looking like a vintage Michael Jordan through most of the 4th quarter. But teams need to experience disappointment when dethroning champions — and I expect the Raptors to learn from that loss. With a game in hand back home in Toronto for a potential seventh game, don’t be surprised if the Toronto takes advantage of their proverbial free roll on Thursday by playing aggressive and loose. This will be a confident group that is 7-1-1 in their last 9 games against playoff competition — and they have covered then point spread in 4 straight games at Golden State after pulling upsets in both Game Three and Game Four of this series. The 46.3% shooting percentage that the Warriors enjoyed was tied for the highest mark that the Raptors have allowed in their last nine games. Kevin Lowry, Pascal Siakam, and Danny Green should make more than the one basket they converted of their 14 shots from behind the arc in Game Six. And I certainly expect Toronto to reduce their turnover rate after they coughed the ball up 13 times on Monday with this likely a major bone of contention for head coach Nick Nurse. The Raptors have been outstanding underdogs who have covered the point spread in 20 of their last 32 games when getting 3.5 to 9.5 points — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 17 road games when getting no more than 6 points.

FINAL TAKE: Toronto’s formula of using Golden State’s aggressiveness against them by forcing additional scoring opportunities from turnovers and getting to the charity stripe more often has more than neutralized a Warriors team that has become too dependent on 3-point shooting. Golden State made 20 of 42 shots from behind the arc for a sizzling 47.6% mark — and yet they only won by 1 point on Monday! I just don’t think the Warriors can shoot that well from 3-point land again (with no Durant this time) — the Raptors have been successful in pushing Stephan Curry and Klay Thompson’s open looks a few feet further back from behind the stripe. The underdog is now 3-0-1 ATS in the last 4 meetings between these two teams. I think Toronto wins this game — but take the points for the very valuable insurance in what could be another close game. 25* NBA Game of the Year with the Toronto Raptors (531) plus the points versus the Golden State Warriors (532). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:20 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the St. Louis Blues (13) and the Boston Bruins (14). THE SITUATION: Boston (64-32-9) forced a climactic seventh game of the Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday with their 5-1 victory over St. Louis (60-38-9). The Bruins return home to TD Garden for the decisive final game of this series and the 2018-19 NHL season.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Boston got outstanding play once again from goalie Tuukka Rask who stopped 28 of the 29 shots he faced while keeping his team competitive in the first period when the Blues enjoyed two Power Play chances. Rask entered this series with a 1.84 Goals-Against-Average along with a .942 save percentage in this postseason — and while some regression was expected, he still sports a strong .924 save percentage in the first six games of this series while allowing only 13 goals in those contests. This is Rask’s sixth career Game Seven start in the playoffs along with his second Game Seven in the Stanley Cup Finals — so the moment should not be too big for him. Rask is being helped by outstanding play from the Bruins’ top two defensive pairings who have thwarted 17 of the 18 Power Play chances St. Louis has had in this series. Expect continued outstanding defensive play from this Bruins team that has played 29 of their last 47 games Under the Total when playing just their second game in five days. Boston snapped a two-game losing streak to win Game Six — and they have played 20 of their last 30 games Under the Total after losing two of their last three contests. And while the Bruins scored five goals on Sunday (with one being an empty netter), they have then played 13 of their last 20 games Under the Total after scoring at least five goals in their last game — and they have played 8 of their last 9 games Under the Total when playing at home after finding the back of the net at least five times in their last game. St. Louis has played 27 of their last 43 games Under the Total after a loss — and they have played 12 of their last 19 games Under the Total after failing to score more than one goal in their last game. The Bruins entered the third period with just a one-goal lead before exploding for four goals to force this seventh game. The Blues have played a decisive 32 of their last 52 games on the road Under the Total after allowing at least two goals in the third period in their last game. Goalie Jordan Binnington surrendered four goals in Game Six — but he still has a nice .925 save percentage by allowing only seven goals in the last three games of this series even after Sunday. Binnington has been consistently outstanding when attempting to lead his team after a loss this season. In his nine starts after a Blues lost in this postseason, Binnington has responded with a 1.86 GAA along with a .941 save percentage while allowing just sixteen goals in those nine contests. This playoff success continued his strong play after losses in the regular season where Binnington posted a .935 save percentage while surrounding only 10 goals in the six games he started after a loss. Wednesday’s Game Seven will be St. Louis’ fifth game in the last fourteen days — and they have played 14 of their last 18 road games Under the Total when playing no more than five games in the last fourteen days. Additionally, the Blues have played 6 of their last 9 playoff games Under the Total when the series is tied — and they have played 14 of their last 21 playoff games Under the Total when facing elimination.

FINAL TAKE: St. Louis has played 7 of their last 11 games Under the Total when playing with revenge from a loss by at least four goals. With this being a Game Seven in the Stanley Cup Finals, the referees will be a bit more conservative in calling penalties as they will be reticent to have their calls play a critical role — this is especially true after the controversial no-call on a Blues’ trip in the third period of Game Five of this series that played a significant role in St. Louis winning that game. And don’t forget the controversy the league offices felt with San Jose’s three-goal comeback in Game Seven of their series with Vegas stemming from a controversial five-minute major penalty called in that game. Lastly, seventh games tend to see both teams play a bit more cautiously as they hope to not put their opponent on the Power Play. While three of the games in this series have gone Over the Total, two of those final scores came from late empty net goals (which are rarer than they have appeared in this series). Outside the third period on Sunday and the first periods of the first three games of this series, this has been a very low scoring series. Look for this final game to follow those trends. 25* NHL Playoffs Game Seven A-List O/U Special with Under the Total in the game between the St. Louis Blues (13) and the Boston Bruins (14). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between Norway (225857) and France (225858). THE SITUATION: Norway (1-0-0) won their opening match of the 2019 Women’s World Cup with a dominant 3-0 victory over Nigeria on Saturday. France (1-0-0) began this tournament as the host nation last Friday with a 4-0 victory over South Korea.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: With both sides securing sizable victories in their opening match, the significance of this match lightens a bit since advancement to the Round of 16 Knockout Stage should be in pretty good shape. Given that, both teams may play a bit more cautiously since a big loss hurts their goal differential which could become an issue if they either team would not secure at least the one point with a draw in their final Group Stage match. France is more a reserved side than the group that lost in the Quarterfinals of the 2015 World Cup in Canada. Roster turnover explains most of that with a previous generation of goal scorers retiring. Les Blues are one of the top favorites to win this event not only because they are the host nation but because their national squad is dominated by the French professional club in Lyon that is — by far — the best women’s professional team in the world. But Lyon’s best attackers play for other national teams. However, the core group of the French defense are Lyon starters in Wendie Renard, Griddle MBock Bathy, and Amel Majri along with their keeper, Sarah Bouhaddi. National teams that have a cluster of starters who play together on their national team gives them an edge in cohesion — so this should be a very tight defensive group this summer. Renard scored twice in their win over South Korea — but don’t expect a defender to score goals on a regular basis for this team. France tends to play lower scoring matches against the better teams in the world. Their last loss was in a friendly to Germany by a 1-0 score back on February 28th. They defeated Australia by a 2-0 score on October 5th while also beating 1-0 win over Canada on April 9th. Les Bleus did lose to Team USA by a 3-1 score on January 9th in a friendly — but that match may have sent a message to manager Corinne Diacre. Even playing on their home soil, the French probably cannot get into a shootout with the Americans. On the heels of the Stars and Stripes 13-0 win over Thailand yesterday, this may be a match where Diacre wants her side to focus on defensive tactics and counter-attacks. In their 2015 World Cup run where they lost on the Quarterfinals to England via Penalty Kicks after a 1-1 score in extra time, France had their clean sheets and three of their five matches result on less than three combined goals (after squashes against Mexico and South Korea). Norway manager Martin Sjogren has already indicated that she will have her side play more cautiously in this contest as they look to neutralize a French attack and look to score on counters. The Grasshoppers are without their best attacker — and probably the best female player in the world — in Ada Hegerberg — who is boycotting her participation with her national team that continues to treat women’s soccer with second class status as compared to their middling men’s side. Norway had three goals against a Nigeria team that is shaky on defense — but that final goal was an Own Goal by the African Cup champs. Norway remains a solid team without Hegerberg who can still make a deep run in the Knockout Stage if they develop confidence and cohesion. They also have cohesion in their backline with Chelsea teammates Maren Mjelde and Maria Thorisdottir — and they are joined by a potential superstar in Graham Hansen who has something to prove after a knee injury kept her out of the 2015 World Cup. Even a 1-0 loss to Les Bleus could be a psychological victory for the Grasshoppers.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have not seen more than two combined goals scored in their last seven head-to-head meetings. Expect a low scoring match — especially given the situation they have given the early events of this tournament. 25* Women’s World Cup Group A Total of the Year with Under the Total in the match between Norway (225857) and France (225858). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Toronto Blue Jays (961) and the Baltimore Orioles (962) listing both starting pitchers Trent Thornton and John Means. THE SITUATION: Toronto (23-42) begins this series having lost four straight games after their 8-2 loss on Sunday to Arizona. Baltimore (20-45) has lost four of their last five games with their 4-0 loss in Houston on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Blue Jays’ offense is struggling after getting shutout once and plating only four runners in their three-game series with the Diamondbacks over the weekend. They generated only one base-hit in their sixteen at-bats with Runners In Scoring Position over those three games — and they are hitting just .161 over their last 112 at-bats with RISP. Toronto goes on the road where the Under is 3-1-1 in their last 5 games — and they have played 6 of their last 9 road games Under the Total with the number set at 9 to 9.5. The Blue Jays have also played 11 of their last 14 games Under the Total as a money-line underdog priced in the +100 to +150 range. Additionally, Toronto has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after allowing at least five runs in their last game. They give the ball to Thornton who is 1-4 with a 4.73 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP in thirteen starts this season. The rookie is striking out 24.8% of the batters he has faced — and he is averaging a robust 9.8 batters per 9 innings of work. Walks have been his biggest weakness — but the right-hander has been much better on the road where he has a 3.21 ERA with a 1.16 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .192 in six starts as compared to his 6.39 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and .272 opponent’s batting average in seven starts at home. The Blue Jays have played 5 of their last 6 road games Under the Total with Thornton on the hill. Thornton should pitch well against this Orioles lineup that is scoring only 3.4 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games while hitting .217 over that span with a .264 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .638. Baltimore has played 4 straight games Under the Total against right-handed starting pitchers — and the Under is 8-3-1 in their last 12 home games against right-handed starting pitchers. Baltimore has played 4 of the last 5 games Under the Total after a loss — and they have played 5 straight games Under the Total after a game where no more than four combined runs were scored. Furthermore, the Orioles have played five straight games where neither team scored more than four runs — and they have then played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after playing at least three straight games where neither team scored more than four runs. Baltimore returns home to Charm City where they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total. The Orioles have also played 6 straight games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage below 40%. They counter with Means who is 5-4 with a 2.67 ERA and a 1.07 WHP in ten starts (fourteen appearances). The right-hander has maintained a 2.77 ERA in his last ten appearances since April 14th. The left-hander has been remarkably consistent as he has not allowed more than three earned runs in nine of his ten starts including his last six starts. Means has also been more effective at home where he enjoys a 1.53 ERA with a 0.82 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .173 in five starts (seven appearances) as compared to his 3.73 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and .261 opponent’s batting average on the road. The Orioles have played 4 straight home games Under the Total with Means on the mound — and they have also played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total with Means pitching with the Total set in the 8.5 to 10 range. He faces a Blue Jays team that is scoring only 3.1 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games while hitting only 3.1 Runs-Per-Game over that span with a .214 batting average, .271 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .642 over that span. The Under is 3-1-1 in Toronto’s last 5 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.15 or lower.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have seen the Under go 35-15-1 in their last 51 meetings — and this includes the Under going 14-6-1 in the last 21 contests between these AL East rivals when playing in Camden Yards. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break AL East Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Toronto Blue Jays (961) and the Baltimore Orioles (962) listing both starting pitchers Trent Thornton and John Means. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:07 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Golden State Warriors (529) and the Toronto Raptors (530). THE SITUATION: Toronto (73-31) took a commanding 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals on Friday with their 105-92 upset victory over the Warriors. The Raptors host Game Five as they look to lift the NBA championship trophy with Golden State (70-32) looking to extend this series to a sixth game back home in the Oracle Center.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Raptors have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a double-digit victory. And while Toronto has covered the point spread in seven of their last eight games, they have then played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total after covering the point spread in five or six of their last seven games — and they have played 5 straight games Under the Total after covering the point spread in six or seven of their last eight contests. The Raptors have also played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total when playing with two days of rest. Toronto’s outstanding defense has been their calling card this postseason. They have held their playoff opponents to just 42.0% shooting from the field — and they have limited their last five opponents to just 42.8% shooting. The Raptors won Game Four despite making just 41.9% of their shots from the field in a shooting effort that I expected to see from them in Game Three where instead they shot a surprising 52.4% from the field. Now with the opportunity to close out this series and win the championship on their home court, I expect this Toronto team to be a bit nervy with their shooting. The Raptors have played 12 of their last 18 games Under the Total when leading in a playoff series — and they have played 4 of their last 6 games Under the Total in playoff games where they have the opportunity to close out the series. Golden State has played 13 of their last 18 games Under the Total when trailing in a playoff series — and they have played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total when facing elimination in the playoffs. The Warriors should play tough on the defensive end of the court with their season on the line. This is a team that usually plays better on defense when on the road — they have held their home hosts to just 43.8% shooting this season which is a few notches below the 44.4% opponent’s field goal percentage for the year overall. Golden State has seen the Under go 33-16-2 in their last 51 games after a straight-up loss. And while the Warriors suffered upset losses in their last two games at home as a favorite in this series, they have then played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after losing two in a row— and they have played 18 of their last 26 games Under the Total after suffering two straight upsets in a row. The team may decide to play Kevin Durant with it being an elimination game. While they certainly need his offensive skills after making only 44.2% of their shots over their last five games, it remains a question how effective he will be if not at 100% and rusty from all the time he has been away from the court. And don’t underestimate Durant’s importance on the defensive end of the court as he offers the Warriors a big body to potentially slow down Kawhi Leonard. If Durant plays, the Golden State offense tends to slow down in pace as well with him looking to generate one-on-one scoring chances. The other big update for this Warriors team was the surprise return of Kevon Looney who had previously been declared out for the remainder of this playoff series by the team. One of the reasons we had the Over in Game Four was that Looney’s absence likely ensured more playing time for Boogie Cousins who is helpful on offense but a liability on defense. Looney’s ability to take the court helps the Golden State defense while limiting their offensive capabilities in lieu of Cousins. Regardless of whether or not Durant plays, this Warriors team has played 6 of their last 9 road games Under the Total as a road dog getting no more than 6 points.

FINAL TAKE: Golden State has played 6 of their last 9 games when playing with revenge from two straight upset losses to their opponent. 25* NBA Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Golden State Warriors (529) and the Toronto Raptors (530). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:20 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the Boston Bruins (11) versus the St. Louis Blues (12). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (60-37-9) took a 3-2 lead in this series on Thursday with their 2-1 victory on the road in Boston. The Bruins (63-32-9) look to stave off elimination and force a climactic Game Seven back on the home ice.

REASONS TO TAKE BOSTON WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Bruins’ loss on Thursday was as frustrating setback as it gets in the NHL. Boston outshot St. Louis by a decisive 39 to 21 margin. They controlled the momentum in the third period and they looked close to tying the game at 1-1 before they were absolutely robbed by a no-call from the officials. The Blues’ Tyler Boak clearly tripped Noel Acciari (who would not return to the game) — but rather than putting the Bruins on the Power Play, the referees kept their whistles silent which gave St. Louis a de-facto 5-4 advantage which they took advantage of with David Perron scoring their second goal just after the midway point of the third period. Boston did finally score a goal but the two-goal deficit was simply too much to overcome. The result was infuriating because we had a big play on the Bruins. After two days of decompressing from that loss, the level-headed side play is to take Boston on the road as a money-line underdog. The Blues would be mistaken to think this series is over simply because they won Game Five under very challenging circumstances on the road. They face the risk of letting their guard down with their 3-2 series lead amidst the talk regarding which of their played will win the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff Most Valuable Player. Don’t underestimate the pressure this St. Louis team will face as they attempt to hoist the Stanley Cup as champions on their home ice in front of the rabid fan base that has never seen a Stanley Cup winner. The Blues are just 6-6 at home in these playoffs — and they have lost 4 of their last 6 home games with the Total set at 5 or less. St. Louis has also lost 11 of their last 17 sixth games in a playoff series. If Boston outshoots St. Louis by close to 18 shots again tonight, they should win this game. They have won 11 of their last 15 games after losing two in a row — and they have won 17 of their last 25 games on the road after losing their last two games. Additionally, the Bruins have won 12 of their last 15 games after losing three of the last four contests. Boston has still yet to see their top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak scored a goal at even strength in this series (although there were excruciatingly close on Thursday). Expect this cold streak to end tonight with the Bruins facing elimination. Boston has won 11 of their last 13 games after not scoring more than one goal in their last game — and they have won 17 of their last 22 games following a contest where no more than three combined goals were scored. The extra day of rest should help this veteran team be ready to go tonight — and they have won 27 of their last 36 games when playing with two days of rest. If there was a silver lining from Game Five, it was that Zdeno Chara was able to play more than 16 minutes despite suffering from the broken jaw he received in the fourth game of this series. Boston has won 4 straight games when trailing in these playoffs — and they also won 4 of their last 6 playoff games when facing elimination. Remember, they were in exactly this spot in the opening round of the playoffs against Toronto before they won Game Six on the road before returning home to Boston to win Game Seven.

FINAL TALE: The Bruins have won 11 of their last 15 games when playing with revenge from a loss where they scored only one goal. Look for Boston to play one of their best games of this postseason tonight as they force a final seventh game of the season. 25* NHL Sunday Night Special Feature with the money-line on the Boston Bruins (11) versus the St. Louis Blues (12). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Boston Bruins (10) versus the St. Louis Blues (9). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (59-37-9) evened this series at 2-2 on Monday with their 4-2 victory over the Bruins. Boston (63-31-9) returns home to host the fifth game of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BRUINS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The biggest question entering Game Five regards the status of Boston’s captain, Zdeno Chara, who took a puck to the face that broke his jaw. Without any evidence, I suspect Chara will play. If Chara chooses to have his jaw wired shut, while he will experience pain, the bigger issues will be if with some difficulty breathing along with an inability to communicate with his voice on the ice. On the other hand, Chara may decide to delay wiring his jaw shut and rely on playing with a protective mask/cage over his face. Chara would not be the first NHLer to play with this malady although the three-day turnaround is likely unprecedented — but, then again, these are the Stanley Cup Finals. But, even if Chara does choose to play in Game Five, I still feel strongly that the Bruins win this game. Either way, the remaining Boston players are going to be inspired one way or the other by having to make up for his absence or follow his lead with him playing in pain. Chara remains a good player at 42-years old — but he has been surpassed by Charlie McAvoy as the team’s best defenseman. If Chara cannot play, John Moore would be elevated to the top defensive pairing with McAvoy with the Torey Krug and Brandon Carlo remaining together as their second blue-line pairing. The Bruins are likely getting some depth back on defense as well with Matt Grzelcyk skating again in practice and perhaps ready to return after being out since taking a brutal hit from Oskar Sundqvist in Game Two. Boston has depth on their blue line so a potential loss of Chara is not as devastating as some pundits have suggested. The Bruins should respond with an inspired effort as they bounced-back to win 15 of their last 23 games after a loss on the road. And while the Blues have won two of the last three games in this series, Boston has won 20 of their last 31 games after losing two of their last three games. Boston has been very good at home all season where they are 36-13-2 this season. The Bruins have won 17 of their last 24 home games with the Total set at 5.5. Boston has also won 25 of their last 33 home games against teams from the Western Conference. Additionally, the Bruins have won 18 of their last 25 games after playing their last two games on the road. The extra day of rest will help this veteran team as well — and they have won 27 of their last 35 games when playing with two days of rest. St. Louis is 8-3 on the road this postseason but they were only 21-13-7 on the road during the regular season. This Blues team demands respect given their 30-10-5 record to close out the regular season which was tops in the NHL. But the deeper metrics from the playoffs are not bullish on this St. Louis team entering this series. Their Expected Goal Share entering this series in the playoffs has been only 49.7% which is 10th best of the sixteen playoffs teams. They enjoyed a 57.8% Expected Goal Share mark after January during their big regular season run. Their Expected Goals Scored per 60 minutes is 2.71 in the playoffs and exactly the same as their Expected Goals Allowed per 60 minutes in the playoffs. Both those marks call for regression from their 2.71 Goals Scored per 60 minutes in these playoffs along with the 2.45 Goals Allowed per 60 minutes this postseason. Boston has the edge in goal with Tuukka Rask as the former Vezina Trophy winner entered this series has a 1.84 Goals-Against-Average along with a .942 save percentage in these playoffs. While Rask has been outstanding, much of the credit should go to the strong and consistent play from the Bruins’ blue line. Rask’s save percentage in five-on-five play entering this series in the playoffs has been .946 — and that is not much higher than his expected save percentage of .930 in five-on-five in these playoffs entering this series. Rask also has a significant edge given his playoff experience — he had a 2.21 GAA with a .932 save percentage in the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals where he started all six games — and he has a solid .919 save percentage in the first four games of this series after stopping 113 of the 123 shots he has faced. St. Louis’ rookie goaltender, Jordan Binnington, has been good in the playoffs — but his .914 save percentage entering this series was a few notches below that of Rask’s. Binnington has been up and down in this series as he has stopped 90 of the 102 shots he has faced for a disappointing .882 save percentage.

FINAL TAKE: Binnington was pulled in Game Three — the last time this series was tied — after he allowed five goals on the nineteen shots he faced in that game. The Blues were crushed by a 7-2 score in that contest. Look for this veteran Bruins team making their third Stanley Cup Finals appearance since 2013 to do what it takes to win this fifth game of this series. Lastly, the money-line is hovering between the -150 and -155 price line in most spots. With enough -150s (or lower) out there with less than 24 hours before the puck drops, I am committing to this strong play. Even if the money-line price rises tomorrow, I still recommend this strong play despite my -150 threshold. If we start taking too many heavy favorites, we are going to get burned. However, except for Game Two, this series is going as expected (and I suspected this would be even at 2-2). If this was the middle of February, I would still feel comfortable with the price since about half the lines are not higher than my -150 threshold — and I love the situation. 25* National Hockey League Game of the Year with the money-line on the Boston Bruins (10) versus the St. Louis Blues (9). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:10 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Minnesota Twins (921) versus the Cleveland Indians (922) listing both starting pitchers Jose Berrios and Trevor Bauer. THE SITUATION: Cleveland (31-30) have won three of their last four games after taking the first two games of this series after they rallied from a four-run deficit to defeat Minnesota (40-20) by a 9-7 score last night.

REASONS TO TAKE THE TWINS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Indians have then lost 3 of their last 4 games after scoring at least nine runs in their last game. Cleveland has also lost 8 of their last 13 games after winning three of their last four games. And while the Indians’ bullpen pitched 7 2/3 innings yesterday with Tyler Clippard serving as the opening in a bullpen game after Carlos Carrasco was scratched with the news of his health condition, they have then lost 4 straight games after a game where their bullpen pitched at least 6 innings in their last game. They give the ball to Bauer who is 4-5 with a 3.76 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP in thirteen starts. The deeper sabermetrics are not encouraging for the right-hander who is 0-4 in his last six starts. His SIERA and xFIP project an ERA of 4.25 and 4.50 moving forward based on his peripheral numbers. The right-hander has not been as effective at home either where he has a 5.60 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in six starts as opposed to his 2.42 ERA and 1.12 WHIP on the road. Cleveland has lost 4 of their last 5 home games with Bauer on the mound. He faces a strong Twins lineup that is scoring 6.7 Runs-Per-Game on the road with a .287 batting average, .337 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .873 in those games. Minnesota has won 37 of their last 51 games against right-handed starting pitchers — and this includes them winning nine of their last twelve games on the road against right-handed starting pitchers. The Twins have bounced-back to win 21 of their last 28 games after a loss. They also have won 9 of their last 13 games after scoring at least five runs in their last game. This team has won 12 of their last 16 games on the road. Minnesota has also won 15 of their last 21 games in expected close contests where they are priced in the +/- 125 range. They counter with Berrios who is 7-2 with a 3.27 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP in twelve starts this season. The right-hander has been a bit better on the road where he has a 1.10 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .229 in six starts on the road as compared to his 1.16 WHIP and .263 opponent’s batting average at home. The Twins have won 4 straight road games with Berrios on the mound. He comes off a strong outing where he allowed three runs in 6 2/3 innings of work at Tampa Bay — and Minnesota has won 5 of their last 6 games with Berrios following up a Quality Start. The Twins have also won 4 of their last 5 games with Berrios facing the Indians. He faces a Cleveland team scoring only 3.9 Runs-Per-Game against right-handed starting pitchers while sporting a .227 batting average, .304 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .664 in those games. The Indians have lost 7 of their last 9 games against right-handed starting pitchers.

FINAL TAKE: Minnesota may have lost the first two games of this series but they have then won 7 of their last 8 games when motivated by at least double revenge. 25* MLB American League Central Underdog of the Month with the money-line on the Minnesota Twins (921) versus the Cleveland Indians (922) listing both starting pitchers Jose Berrios and Trevor Bauer. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:07 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Toronto Raptors (525) and the Golden State Warriors (526). THE SITUATION: Golden State (70-30) evened this series at 1-1 on Sunday with their 109-104 upset win at Toronto (71-31). The Warriors return home to the Oracle Center to host the third and fourth games of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Golden State vastly improved their efficiency in their half-court offense after scoring just 0.84 Points-Per-Possession in the half court in Game One of this series. The Warriors improved that mark to a 1.068 PPP rate in the half court in Game Two which was the most efficient mark that the Raptors have allowed in these playoffs. Regression is likely for this Golden State team — especially with all the injuries they are dealing with tonight. Klay Thompson claims that he will play tonight — but head coach Steve Kerr will not play him if he is experiencing pain with the pulled hamstring he suffered on Sunday. While Thompson’s ability to launch jump shots should not be affected by this injury, his movement will be — so he may have difficulty getting open if and when he does play tonight. Kevin Durant is still not ready to play in this series — and the Warriors lost Kevon Looney to a season-ending cartilage fracture injury on Sunday. DeMarcus Cousins played surprisingly well in Game Two but he is still not at 100% as he recovers from his torn quad — and he is still working back into game shape after missing over a month of play. Even Andre Iguodala is not at 100% as he is dealing with a sprained calf of his own. Golden State’s most reliable offensive threat remains Stephen Curry — but when the Raptors deployed the gimmick box-and-one defense in the late moments of the fourth quarter, the Warriors’ offense stalled to a near halt. While the Warriors will adjust to that gimmick defense, the reason why it worked is that Golden State simply lacks reliable scoring threats with all these injuries they have endured. Bettors who had the closing over/under number of 212.5 still cashed their Over tickets that looked like locks midway through the final quarter even with the ugly scoring drought suffered by both teams — and the Warriors have played 15 of their last 22 home games Under the Total after playing a game that finished Over the Total. Golden State has also played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after pulling off an upset victory. Now the Warriors finally return to the Oracle Center for the first time since May 16th after playing their last four games on the road. Golden State has played 28 of their last 39 games Under the Total after playing at least three straight games on the road — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after playing their last four games on the road. Furthermore, the Warriors have played 13 of their last 19 games at home Under the Total — and they have also played 4 of their last 5 home games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. Toronto should play better on the defensive end of the court after allowing the Warriors to make 46.3% of their shots which was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last six games. The Raptors have played 14 of their last 21 games Under the Total after suffering an upset loss. Toronto has also played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total after a point spread loss. The Raptors also experienced problems on the offensive end of the court with them shooting just 37.2% of their shots from the field. Kawhi Leonard has seen his offensive productivity steadily decline as the postseason moves on. Leonard has been nursing a leg injury of his own and he seems to be tiring. He only had seven isolation plays on offense with a mere four post-up plays with his energy appearing to be limited. Now Toronto goes on the road where the Under is 8-2-1 in their last 11 games. The Raptors have also covered the point spread in five of shier last six games — and they have then played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after covering the point spread in five or six of their last seven games. Additionally, the Raptors have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total when playing with two days of rest.

FINAL TAKE: Golden State has played 4 of their last 5 playoff games Under the Total when the series is tied. Toronto has played 6 of their last 8 playoff games Under the Total when the series is tied. Expect a lower scoring game tonight. 25* NBA Wednesday Night O/U Special Feature with Under the Total in the game between the Toronto Raptors (525) and the Golden State Warriors (526). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Boston Bruins (7) and the St. Louis Blues (8). THE SITUATION: Boston (63-30-9) took a 2-1 lead in this series on Saturday with their 7-2 victory on the road against the Blues. St. Louis looks to even this series at 2-2 on their home ice before traveling to Boston for Game Five on Thursday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Blues should play a more disciplined defensive game after falling behind by a 4-0 score early in the second period when Boston scored on a Power Play that was carried over from the first period. St. Louis has played 8 of their last 9 games Under the Total after allowing at least five goals in their last game. The Blues have also played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after a loss by at least three goals. Goalie Jordan Binnington allowed five goals in that game before being pulled — but he has been very reliable when attempting to bounce-back from a loss. In his six starts after a loss in the regular season, Binnington stopped 141 of the 151 shots he faced for a .935 save percentage. In his eight starts in the playoffs this postseason after a loss, Binnington has stopped 194 of the 207 shots he has faced for a .935 save percentage along with 1.84 Goals-Against-Average. The Blues stay at home where they have played 40 of their last 64 home games Under the Total with the number set at 5.5. St. Louis has also played 6 of their last 8 home games Under the Total when a money-line favorite priced in the -110 to -150 price range. And in their last 10 home games against teams with a winning record on the road, the Blues have played 7 of these games Under the Total. Boston has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after scoring at least five goals in their last game — and they have played 9 of their last 11 games Under the Total after scoring at least six goals in their last contest. The Bruins have held their last five opponents to just 1.6 Goals-Per-Game after their goaltender, Tuukka Rask, stopped 27 of the 29 shots he faced. Rask has a nice .919 save percentage in this series. Moving forward, Boston has played 4 straight games Under the Total when playing with one day of rest — and they have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total against an opponent that did not score more than two goals in their last game. The Bruins stay on the road where they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total — and they have played 16 of their last 21 road games Under the Total with the number set at 5.5.

FINAL TAKE: Boston has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total when leading in a playoff series — and St. Louis has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total when trailing in a playoff series. After Game Three was a high-scoring affair, expect the fourth game of this series to be lower-scoring. The last two games have seen plenty of scoring in the first period. Expect the play in the first period of this game to be very cautious. 25* NHL Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Boston Bruins (7) and the St. Louis Blues (8). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:07 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Golden State Warriors (523) and the Toronto Raptors (524). THE SITUATION: Toronto (71-30) won the opening game of this series on Thursday with their 118-109 victory as a 2-point favorite. The Raptors have now won and covered the point spread in five straight games. Golden State (69-30) had their six-game winning streak snapped in that game.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Warriors shot just 43.6% from the field on Thursday which was the worst shooting effort in their last twenty-seven games. Golden State has seen the Over go 5-2-1 in their last 8 games after a point spread loss. Additionally, the Over is 5-1-1 in the Warriors’ last 7 games on the road — and the Over is also 5-1-1 in their last 7 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home. Furthermore, Golden State has played 13 of their last 17 games Over the Total with the number set in the 210 to 219.5 point range — and they have also played 9 of their last 11 road games Over the Total with the number set in that range. Moving forward, the Warriors have played 10 of their last 11 games Over the Total in the second game of a playoff series. Golden State has also played 7 of their last 9 games Over the Total in the NBA Finals. Toronto has played 5 of their last 7 second games of a playoff series Over the Total. The Raptors have also played 21 of their last 32 home games Over the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 31 of their last 47 home games Over the Total after scoring at least 115 points in their last game. Additionally, Toronto has played 14 of their last 20 home games Over the Total after winning at least three straight games — and they have played 29 of their last 44 home games Over the Total after covering the point spread in four or five of their last six games. The Raptors have also played 5 of their last 7 home games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. And in their last 25 games in expected close contests where they are listed in the +/- 3-point range, the game finished Over the Total 17 times.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played 7 of their last 9 contests Over the Total — and they have also played five straight games Over the Total when playing in Toronto. 25* NBA Sunday Night O/U Special Feature with Over the Total in the game between the Golden State Warriors (523) and the Toronto Raptors (524). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:20 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Boston Bruins (5) and the St. Louis Blues (6). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (58-36-9) evened this series at 1-1 on Wednesday with their 3-2 victory in overtime over Boston (62-30-9). The Blues return home to the Enterprise Center to host the third and fourth games of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The first period of Game Two saw both teams score goals before that game became a defensive slugfest for the next two periods. The Blues limited the Bruins to just 23 shots in that game which included an extra 3:21 minutes of overtime. St. Louis has only allowed 1.6 Goals-Per-Game in their last five contests. The Under is 14-6-2 in their last 22 games when playing an opponent that did not score more than two goals in their last game. The Under is also a decisive 44-21-4 in their last 69 games when playing with two days of rest — and this includes them playing twenty of their last twenty-nine games at home Under the Total when playing with two days of rest. The Blues have won four of their last five games — and they have played 24 of their last 35 home games Under the Total after winning four of their last five games. Additionally, St. Louis has played 7 of their last 9 home games Under the Total against teams with a winning record on the road — and they have played 6 of their last 8 home games Under the Total as a home favorite priced in the -110 to -150 price range. The Blues have also played 5 of their last 7 playoff games Under the Total when a playoff series is tied. Boston has played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after losing their previous game in overtime. Furthermore, the Bruins have played 30 of their last 46 games Under the Total after a loss at home. Boston has also played 26 of their last 38 games Under the Total after scoring two goals or less in their last game. The Bruins have also held their last five opponents to only 1.6 Goals-Per-Game. They now go back on the road where they have played 5 straight games Under the Total. Boston has played 4 straight games Under the Total in the playoffs as an underdog. And in their last 14 games when playing with two days of rest, the Under is 9-4-1.

FINAL TAKE: With the series tied at 1-1, expect another low scoring game between these two teams. With the Total set at just 5, the oddsmakers are daring bettors to take the Over. Don’t take the bait. 25* NHL NBC Sports Network Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Boston Bruins (5) and the St. Louis Blues (6). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Liverpool (224202) minus the Goal-Line versus the Tottenham Hotspurs (224201). THE SITUATION: Liverpool defeated Barcelona in the second leg of their Semifinals match by a 4-0 score to win the aggregate score by a 4-3 margin back on May 7th. Tottenham rallied from a 1-0 loss in the Semifinals of their first leg match with Ajax by defeating them by a 3-2 score on May 8th in the second leg which had them advance to this championship match via their higher goals scored on the road. This match takes place on a neutral field in Wanda Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain.

REASONS TO TAKE LIVERPOOL MINUS THE GOAL-LINE: Liverpool has been the far superior team all season. They finished just one point behind Manchester City in the English Premier League in a campaign that most of the time would have seen them hoist the EPL trophy. They have experience having played in the Champions League Finals match last season where they narrowly lost to Real Madrid. They posted a winning 5-4-1 record against the Power Six clubs in the EPL. And their Semifinals competition in the Champions League against Barcelona (and Lionel Messi) was a stiffer challenge. Tottenham was not very good to close out their EPL campaign with a 1-0 loss to West Ham followed by a 1-0 loss to Bournemouth and then a 2-2 draw with Everton being their last three results. The Spurs were without Harry Kane to close out the season but they hope to have him back on the pitch today. However, considering that he has not played since April 9th, his form for this match remains a question. Tottenham feasted on the lesser teams in the EPL but they were just 2-1-7 in their ten-matches against Power Six clubs. When playing away from home, the Spurs record against Power Six teams in the EPL was a lowly 1-0-4 — and they scored only six goals in those five matches.

FINAL TAKE: Tottenham finished 26 points behind Liverpool in the EPL table this season — there is a wide berth between these two teams despite the Spurs finishing in third place. In the last meeting between these two teams, the Reds defeated Tottenham on the road by a 2-1 score. Having missed out on last year’s Champions League title and then this season’s EPL crown, look for Liverpool to finally seize a championship under manager Jurgen Klopp. 25* Champions League Match of the Year with the Liverpool (224202) minus the Goal-Line versus the Tottenham Hotspurs (224201). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:10 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Los Angeles Angels (923) and the Seattle Mariners (924) listing both starting pitchers Tyler Skaggs and Mike Leake. THE SITUATION: Los Angeles (27-29) has won three straight games as well as five of their last six contests after winning the opening game of this series last night by a 9-3 score. Seattle (24-35) has lost three straight games as well as nine of their last ten contests.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Angels have played 4 straight games Over the Total after a win — and they have played 4 straight games Over the Total after scoring at least five runs in their last game. Los Angeles has also played 7 of their last 10 games Over the Total after winning four of their last five games. The Angels have played 5 straight games Over the Total on the road — and they have played 9 of their last 12 road games Over the Total with the number set in the 9 to 9.5 range. They give the ball to Skaggs who is 4-4 with a 4.40 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP in nine starts. The left-hander does his best pitching at home where he sports a 2.28 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .209 — but he sees those numbers rise to a 6.56 ERA with a 1.59 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .295 in five starts. He will be supported by a bullpen that has been rocked with a 5.25 ERA with a 1.39 WHIP over their last seven games. Los Angeles has played 5 straight games Over the Total with Skaggs facing the Mariners — and they have played 4 straight games Over the Total with Skaggs facing this team in Seattle. Skaggs faces a Mariners team that has played 10 of their last 12 home games Over the Total against left-handed starting pitchers. Seattle has also seen the Over go 19-6-2 in their last 27 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 or higher. The Over is 29-14-1 in the Mariners’ last 44 games against an opponent that scored at least five runs in their last game. Seattle has also played 31 of their last 43 games Over the Total with the number set in the 8.5 to 10 range. Additionally, the Over is 12-3-1 in the Mariners’ last 16 games at home — and the Over is 8-2-1 in their last 11 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. Additionally, the Over is 15-5-1 in Seattle’s last 21 games against teams with a losing record. They counter with Leake who is 3-6 with a 4.93 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP in eleven starts. The right-hander has not been as effective at home where he owns a 1.44 WHIP with an opponent’s batting average of .300 in four starts at T-Mobile Park as opposed to his 1.36 WHIP and .278 opponent’s batting average on the road. These disparate home/road splits are consistent with last season where Leake had a 4.55 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and .287 opponent’s batting average at home as compared to his 4.20 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and .274 opponent’s batting average on the road. The Mariners have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total with Leake facing a team with a losing record. Seattle has also played 5 straight games Over the Total with Leake facing the Angels. Leake will be supported by a tired bullpen that has logged in 9 2/3 innings of work over their last two games. The Mariners have played 12 of their last 14 games Over the Total when their bullpen has pitched at least 9 innings over their last two games. This bullpen has a 4.86 ERA with a 1.50 WHIP when pitching at home. The Angels are scoring a robust 6.4 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .299 batting average along with a .390 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .820 over that span. Additionally, LA has played 5 straight games Over the Total against right-handed starting pitchers.

FINAL TAKE: Seattle has played 12 of their last 13 games Over the Total when avenging a loss at home by at least six runs. These two teams have also played 4 of their last 5 meetings Over the Total. 25* MLB Bailout Total of the Month with Over the Total in the game between the Los Angeles Angels (923) and the Seattle Mariners (924) listing both starting pitchers Tyler Skaggs and Mike Leake. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:10 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Cleveland Indians (919) and the Chicago White Sox (920) listing both starting pitchers Trevor Bauer and Dylan Covey. THE SITUATION: Chicago (26-29) ha won four straight games after winning the opening game of this series last night by a 10-4 score. Cleveland (28-27) has lost four of their last six games.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Indians have played 9 of their last 13 games Under the Total after a loss. Cleveland has now played 12 of their last 16 games Under the Total against teams with a losing record — and they have played 5 of their last 7 road games Under the Total against teams with a losing record. They give the ball to Bauer who is 4-4 with a 3.99 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP in twelve starts. The right-hander has been more effective on the road where he owns a 2.40 ERA with a 1.06 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .181 in six starts. The Under is a decisive 45-11-7 in the Indians’ last 63 road games with Bauer on the hill. The Under is also 3-0-1 in Cleveland’s last 4 road games in Chicago facing the White Sox. Bauer will be supported by an elite Indians’ bullpen that has a 3.15 ERA on the road with a 1.21 WHIP. Bauer faces a White Sox lineup that is scoring only 4.2 Runs-Per-Game against right-handed starting pitchers this season while posting a .249 batting average along with a .302 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .694 in those games. Chicago has played 15 of their last 22 games Under the Total against right-handed starting pitchers. The Under is 15-7-1 in the White Sox’s last 23 games after a win — and they have played 13 of their last 16 games Under the Total after a win by at least six runs over an AL Central rival. Chicago has also played 5 of their last 7 Games Over the Total after scoring at least five runs in their last game — and they have played a decisive 38 of their last 55 games Over the Total after scoring at least 8 runs in their last contest. The White Sox have played 4 of their last 5 home games Under the Total against teams with a losing record on the road. They counter with Covey who is 0-4 with a 5.47 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP in five starts and seven appearances this season. The right-hander has been effective when pitching at home where he sees is ERA and WHIP plummet to 2.61 and 1.16 marks — and his opponents are hitting just .189 when he pitching at home in Guaranteed Rate Field. Chicago has played 5 straight games Under the Total with Covey pitching on four days of rest between starts — and they have also played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total with Covey making the start against the Indians. Covey’s bullpen enters this game with a 2.37 ERA with a 1.27 WHIP in night games this season. Cleveland is scoring only 4.1 Runs-Per-Game on the road with a .224 batting average along with a .302 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .668. The Indians have played 11 of their last 15 games Under the Total against right-handed starting pitchers — and the Under is 8-3-1 in their last 12 road games against right-handed starting pitchers.

FINAL TAKE: With Bauer struggling this month and bettors not giving much respect to Covey, the Total has been set in the 10 range for this contest. Bauer has allowed at least four runs in his last three starts — but all those efforts were at home where he has a history of not always being as effective. Bauer has still amassed 88 strikeouts in 76 innings of work — and he is facing a White Sox team that strikes out 30% of the time against elite starting pitchers like Bauer with similar profiles. Covey is not a strikeout pitcher and gets into trouble when issuing too many bases-on-balls — but the ground ball pitcher has better control when pitching at home. 10s or higher is too high for this matchup especially with two of the weaker lineups in the league. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break AL Central Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Cleveland Indians (919) and the Chicago White Sox (920) listing both starting pitchers Trevor Bauer and Dylan Covey. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:10 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Los Angeles Dodgers (970) minus the -1.5 Run-Line versus the New York Mets (969) listing both starting pitchers Hyun-Jin Ryu and Jason Vargas. THE SITUATION: Los Angeles (37-19) has won five of their last six games after winning the third game of this series last night by a 9-8 score. New York (27-28) has lost two of their last three games as they close out this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE DODGERS MINUS THE -1.5 RUN-LINE: Los Angeles has won 6 of their last 7 games after allowing at least five runs in their last game. The Dodgers have been dominant at home where they have won 39 of their last 53 games — and they have won 5 of their last 7 home games against teams with a winning percentage below 40% on the road. LA has also won 18 of their last 22 after playing their last two games at home. The Dodgers have won 24 of their last 29 games when favored by at least a -150 price. They give the ball to Ryu who is 7-1 with a 1.65 ERA and a 0.83 WHIP in ten starts. The left-hander has been almost unhittable at home where he owns a 1.22 ERA with a 0.65 WHIP and .177 opponent’s batting average in five starts. His disparate home-road splits are consistent with last season where he had a 1.15 ERA with a 0.90 WHIP and .212 opponent’s batting average at home as compared to his 3.58 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and .240 opponent’s batting average on the road. Los Angeles has won 22 of their last 28 home games with Ryu pitching against teams with a losing record. The Dodgers have also won 5 of their last 6 games against the Mets with Ryu on the hill. New York has lost 15 of their last 21 road games after being on the road for at least their previous two games. The Mets have lost 18 of their last 23 games on the road — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home. Furthermore, New York has lost 7 of their last 9 games against teams with a winning record. They counter with Vargas who is 1-2 with a 5.22 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP in seven starts (eight games). The left-hander has been solid at home where he owns a 3.94 ERA with a 1.44 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .246 — but he sees those numbers explode to a 6.75 ERA with a 1.73 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .294 when he is pitching on the road. The Mets have lost 7 of their last 10 games with Vargas pitching with four days of rest. Vargas faces a hot-hitting Dodgers team that is scoring 7.1 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .325 batting average along with a .399 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .967 over that span. LA is also scoring 5.8 Runs-Per-Game at home with a .281 batting average along with a .355 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .852. The Dodgers have also won 6 of their last 7 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 or higher.

FINAL TAKE: The Mets have now lost 8 of their last 11 games in LA against the Dodgers. With the Dodgers priced in the high -200s for this game, the straight-up side play is well beyond my -150 price threshold. And while the team trends mentioned in this Report do not take into account the -1.5 Run-Line we will be laying, the Run-Line is supported by a historical angle that has been 71% effective since 1997. The Mets average 1.33 Home Runs per game — but road underdogs who average at least 1.25 Home Runs per game coming off a game where at least 17 combined runs were scored have then failed to cover the +1.5 Run-Line in 50 of these last 71 situations (when priced in the +110 to +155 price range). 25* MLB National League Run-Line of the Month with the Los Angeles Dodgers (970) minus the -1.5 Run-Line versus the New York Mets (969) listing both starting pitchers Hyun-Jin Ryu and Jason Vargas. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:07 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Golden State Warriors (521) and the Toronto Raptors (522). THE SITUATION: Golden State (69-29) has won six straight games after they completed their four-game sweep over Portland by defeating them on the road by a 119-117 score as a 2.5-point favorite back on May 20th. Toronto (70-30) has won four straight games after rallying from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Milwaukee by a 4-2 margin with their 100-94 victory as a 1.5-point road favorite last Saturday. The Raptors host the opening two games of this series. Kevin Durant has been ruled out for this game — but the news I have been waiting for was the confirmation by the Warriors that DeMarcus Cousins will be considered active for tonight’s opening game.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: With the big break before the start of the NBA Finals, looking at team trends is helpful to assess how these two teams will respond to the extended time off. Golden State has played 3 of their last 4 games Over the Total when playing with at least three of rest. Toronto has played 10 of their last 14 games Over the Total when playing with at least three days of rest between contest. Additionally, the Raptors have played 20 of their last 31 home games Over the Total after a straight-up victory. Toronto has covered the point spread in their last four games — and not only have they played 28 of  their last 43 games at home Over the Total after covering the point spread in four or five of their last six contests but they have also played 11 of their last 16 games Over the Total after covering the point spread in four straight games. They held the Bucks to just 40% shooting on Saturday which was the lowest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last three games as their defensive wall against Giannis Antetokounmpo further frustrated that Milwaukee offense. But they will have to hope the chalkboard clean regarding their defensive schemes against this potent Warriors attack. The Raptors face a dilemma on defense as they want to have Danny Green get significant minutes to take advantage of his size in defending Stephen Curry who will torch smaller defenders like Kyle Lowry or Fred VanVleet — but Green is slow in switching off pick-and-rolls and he cannot be a liability with his outside shooting. Green has a great pedigree of nailing 3s in the NBA Finals given his time with San Antonio — but his cold shooting continues, he will have to be benched for VanVleet who has been on fire with his 3-point shooting but is a defensive liability. Furthermore, Toronto has played 16 of their last 24 games Over the Total when listed in the +/- 3-point range which includes them playing five of their last seven games at home Over the Total in that point spread range. Golden State plays at a quicker pace without Durant on the court as they can replace quick ball movement with his one-on-one isolation skills that does drain time off the shot-clock. The Warriors have played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 20 of their last 30 road games Over the Total after a game where they scored at least 115 points. Golden State shot just 46.5% from the field in their last game against the Blazers which was the lowest shooting effort in their last five games. The Warriors have not been as sharp on defense as teams of the past in this postseason as they are allowing the 9th most Points-Per-Possession in these playoffs. They certainly miss Durant’s defensive capabilities — and he would have been the primary ball defender on Kawhi Leonard. Moving forward, Golden State stays on the road for the third straight game where the Over is 4-1-1 in their last 5 contests. The Warriors have also played 12 of their last 16 games Over the Total with the number set in the 210 to 219.5 point range — and they have played 8 of their last 10 road games Over the Total with the number set in that range. Additionally, Golden State has played 6 of their last 8 games in the NBA Finals Over the Total. And with Cousins likely to play tonight, that puts the icing on the cake for this Over play (and the 25* rating) since the big man fills a hole on offense with his post-up and shooting skills while representing a liability on the defensive end of the court.

FINAL TAKE: Toronto swept the two games between these two teams in the regular season with the Raptors pulling the upset in the last meeting back on December 12th where they won by a 113-93 score on the road as an 8-point underdog. The Warriors have played 10 of their last 16 games Over the Total when playing with revenge from a loss by at least 20 points. These two teams have played 6 of their last 8 meetings Over the Total including four straight Overs when playing in Toronto. 25* NBA Total of the Month with Over the Total in the game between the Golden State Warriors (521) and the Toronto Raptors (522). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the St. Louis Blues (3) and the Boston Bruins (4). THE SITUATION: Boston (69-29-9) won the opening game of the Stanley Cup Finals on Monday with their 4-2 victory over St. Louis (57-36-9). The Bruins host the second game of this series tonight.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Blues took a 2-0 lead in this game as they were able to successfully take advantage of the rust that Boston endured after not playing for eleven days after sweeping Carolina in four games. St. Louis either started playing safe or they were concerned about the speed of the Bruins’ forwards — but, either way, their defensemen offered too much space which gave too much room for the Boston offensive players to maneuver at will. St. Louis thrives when playing physical — look for head coach Craig Berube to get his team back to engaging in this style of play tonight which should include playing tighter against the Bruins’ forwards. The Blues allowed two goals in the third period on Monday — and they have played 31 of their last 50 games Under the Total on the road after surrendering at least two goals in the third period of their last game. St. Louis has also played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after a loss on the road by at least two goals. Rookie goalie Jordan Binnington did not play bad — he was peppered with 37 shots in Game One while he stopped 34 of them (with the last Boston goat being an empty-netter). Binnington has been outstanding when he is between the pipes after a Blues loss. In the regular season, Binnington stopped 141 of the 151 shots he faces in six games following a St. Louis loss for a sparkling .395 save percentage. And after the Blues’ seven losses in this postseason, Binnington has stopped 194 of the 207 shots he has faced for a .937 save percentage. As it is, St. Louis has allowed only 2.2 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games — and they can take stock in the fact they stopped four of the five Power Play chances by the Bruins. The Blues may also see the return of one of their top-four defensemen in Vince Dunn who has missed the last four games with a facial injury after getting struck by a puck. Dunn has taken part in the team’s last three practices with the last two without the need of a protective visor. But St. Louis may have bigger problems on the offensive end of the ice after they generated only 12 shots in the final two periods of Game One. The Blues have seen the Under go 26-11-2 in their last 39 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game — and the Under is 20-8-3 in their last 31 games against teams that did not allow more than two goals in their last game. This team scores only 2.8 Goals-Per-Game when playing away from home. Additionally, the Under is 34-13-3 in St. Louis’ last 50 road games as a big underdog priced in the +151 to +200 range. The Blues have also played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total when trailing in a playoff series. Boston has played 15 of their last 22 games after a win at home where they scored at least four goals. The Bruins have also played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total when playing with one day of rest — and they have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after winning at least six games in a row. Goalie Tuukka Rask showed the outstanding form in the second half of that game that he has displayed this postseason as he entered this series with a 1.84 Goals-Against-Average along with a .942 save percentage. Boston has allowed only 1.9 Goals-Per-Game in the playoffs — and they have given up just 1.4 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games.

FINAL TAKE: St. Louis has played 18 of their last 25 games Under the Total when avenging a loss by at least two goals — and they have also played 8 of their last 12 games Under the Total when playing with revenge from a loss on the road by at least two goals. 25* NHL NBC-Sports Network Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the St. Louis Blues (3) and the Boston Bruins (4). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:10 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Houston Astros (928) versus the Chicago Cubs (927) listing both starting pitchers Wade Miley and Kyle Hendricks. THE SITUATION: Houston (37-19) has won the first two games of this series — as well as four of their last five games — with their 9-6 win over the Cubs yesterday. Chicago (30-23) has lost three straight games as well as five of their last six contests.

REASONS TO TAKE THE ASTROS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Houston has won a decisive 48 of their last 68 games after a win. Additionally, the Astros have won 7 of their last 9 games after scoring at least five runs in their last game — and they have won 4 of their last 5 games after allowing at least five runs in their last contest. Houston has also won 18 of their last 20 games after a game where at least 15 combined runs were scored. The Astros are tough at home where they are 22-7 this season — and they have won 36 of their last 51 home games in Minute Maid Park. Houston has also won 6 of their last 7 home games against teams with a winning record — and they have won 5 of their last 6 home games when priced in the +/- 125 range. They give the ball to Miley who is 5-2 with a 3.32 ERA, and a 1.16 WHIP in eleven starts this season. The left-hander comes off a strong start at home where he held the Red Sox to just one run in 6 innings of work while punching out eight batters. The Astros have won 5 straight games with Miley pitching after a Quality Start in his last outing. Miley has been more effective at home where he owns a 2.15 ERA with a 0.95 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .183 in five starts as opposed to his 4.36 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and .281 opponent’s batting average on the road. Houston has won five straight games with Miley on the mound. Say this about Miley: he is remarkably consistent about keeping his team competitive in his starts. He did not allow more than three earned runs in any of 16 starts with Milwaukee last year and he has only allowed more than three runs just once in his eleven starts for Houston this season. Miley has also been very tough under the lights as he owns a 2.15 ERA with a 0.95 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .183 in five starts. His teams have won 18 of their last 23 night games with Miley making the start. Chicago has lost 6 of their last 7 games after a game where at least 15 combined runs were scored. Additionally, the Cubs have lost 7 of their last 8 games after scoring at least five runs in their last game — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 games after allowing at least five runs in their last contest. Chicago has lost 5 of their last 7 games on the road — and they have lost 6 of their last 7 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home. They counter with Hendricks who is 4-4 with a 4.34 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP in ten starts. The deeper sabermetrics are not bullish for the right-hander with both his SIERA and xFIP projecting an ERA of 4.08 and 3.84 moving forward. Hendricks has thrived at home in Wrigley Field where he owns a 1.29 ERA with 0.80 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .194 — but those numbers rise to a 6.00 ERA with a 1.67 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average in five starts on the road. The Cubs have lost 5 of their last 7 road games with Hendricks pitching with the Total set in the 9 to 9.5 range. Chicago has also lost 6 of their last 9 games with Hendricks pitching against an American League team. He faces an Astros team that is scoring 5.4 Runs-Per-Game at home with a .289 batting average along with a .364 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .818.

FINAL TAKE: The Cubs have lost 9 of their last 13 games when playing the Astros in Houston. 25* MLB ESPN Game of the Month with the money-line on the Houston Astros (928) versus the Chicago Cubs (927) listing both starting pitchers Wade Miley and Kyle Hendricks. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Arsenal plus the Goal-Line versus Chelsea in the Europa League Championship match. THE SITUATION: Arsenal reached the championship match of this event by defeating Valencia by an aggregate 7-3 score in that two-leg semifinals. Chelsea needed to Penalty Kicks to defeat Eintracht Frankfurt in the semifinals after two matches resulted in duel 1-1- results. This match will take place on a neutral field in Bazu, Azerbaijan.

REASONS TO TAKE ARSENAL PLUS THE GOAL-LINE: The Gunners need to win this match as it provides them an avenue to qualify for next year’s Championship League play after they missed qualifying for that prestigious event by finishing in 5th place in the English Premier League (with the top-four finishers earning qualification for that event). Arsenal struggled over the last final two months of the EPL season particularly on defense where the season-ending injury to Hector Bellerin left their back-line slow and vulnerable. The Gunners did play better in May as they closed out their EPL campaign with a win and a draw while only surrendering two goals during that span. They also held Valencia to just three goals in two matches — and that Valencia side just defeated Barcelona on Saturday in the Copa del Ray Final. Manager Unai Emery has had great success in the Europa League as he oversaw three straight championships when he was the manager for Sevilla. Frankly, Emery began shifting his lineup rotations to privilege the Europa competitions over the EPL matches during their cold stretch with lifting the Europa trophy being a better bump moving into the offseason. Failing to qualify for the Champions League would be devastating for the Gunners’ summer transfer aspirations. While their defense is an issue, Arsenal does have two outstanding forwards in form with Golden Boot winner Pierre-Emerick Aubemeyang along with Alexandre LaCazette who played quite well together in the semifinals matches against Valencia. This team will be without Aaron Ramsey and Henrik Mkhitaryan with the former being injured and the latter not making the trip given his Armenian heritage which places him at risk when playing in Azerbaijan. Ramsey is mostly a substitute forward at this point in his career — and Emery did not like playing Mkhitaryan with two other offensive players on the pitch in the preferred Aubemeyang and LaCazette. Don’t be surprised if Mesut Ozil makes his presence felt in this match in the midfield as well. While the German has seen a decline in his presence this season, the wily veteran has more big-time championship experience in his role with the German national team over the years. Chelsea qualified for the Championship League with their fourth-place finish in the EPL — but their 3-3-4 record against the Power Six sides was identical to Arsenal’s mark against those top six teams. The Blues were outscored by a 15 to 10 margin in those matches while the Gunners were only outscored by a 19 to 16 mark. Chelsea thrived at home — but they only scored two goals on the road against Power Six sides while being outscored by a 14 to 2 margin which explains why they lost four of those five matches with just one draw on the road against the top six. Arsenal had two draws with three losses on the road against the EPL Power Six — but they were only outscored by a 14 to 7 margin. The Blues are also dealing with some significant injuries with the biggest being the knee injury to N’Golo Kante. The holding midfielder is one of the best players in the world who quarterbacked not only France’s World Cup championship last season but also two EPL championships for both Chelsea and Leicester City’s miracle run in 2015-16. Kante is being described as 50-50 to be able to take the pitch this afternoon while some reports from a few days ago indicated he would not be able to play. The Blues will also be without defenseman Antonio Ruddier and middle-fielder Ruben-Loftus Creek with the latter injury leaving the team with just three able-bodied midfielders. The Blues have not been very good away from Stamford Bridge as their last EPL victory on the road was against Crystal Palace back on December 30th.

FINAL TAKE: This Chelsea team is facing an uncertain future with first-year manager Maurizio Sarri possibly moving on to Juventus in the offseason while their talisman, Eden Hazard, may be signing a bigger deal with Real Madrid. The Blues also are facing a transfer ban that quells optimism moving forward. Sarri has never led a team to a major championship in his coaching career. These two teams split their two EPL matches this season with Arsenal winning the last meeting at home at the Emirates by a 2-0 score in January. This is a coin flip situation which makes the +0.5 goal-line with the Gunners being very valuable. 25* Europa League Match of the Year with Arsenal plus the Goal-Line versus Chelsea in the Europa League Championship match. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:35 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates (901) and the Cincinnati Reds (902) listing both starting pitchers Steven Brault and Anthony DeSclafani. THE SITUATION: Cincinnati (26-29) has won three of their last four games after winning the third game of this series last night by an 11-6 score. Pittsburgh (26-27) has lost two straight games as well as five of their last six contests. The Reds host this Getaway Game this afternoon to close out this four-game series.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Pirates have played 7 straight games Over the Total after a loss — and the Over is 7-0-1 in their last 8 games after allowing at least five runs in their last game. Pittsburgh has also seen the Over go 16-5-1 in their last 22 games after scoring at least five runs in their last game. And the Over is now 5-0-1 in their last 6 games on the road. They give the ball to Brault who will serve as the opener this afternoon with his 1-1 record along with a 7.11 ERA and a 1.74 WHIP in 25 1/3 innings of work. The left-hander has been even less effective on the road where he has a 9.00 ERA with  2.17 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .353 in 12 innings — and he has an 11.88 ERA with a 2.40 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .378 during the day this season. The Over is 3-0-1 in the Pirates’ last 4 road games with Brault on the hill. He faces a hot-hitting Reds lineup that is scoring 7.9 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .340 batting average along with a .399 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .988 over that span. The Over is also 3-0-1 in Cincy’s last 4 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 or higher. The Pirates’ bullpen will be called on to log in plenty of innings after Brault this afternoon — but that group has an ERA of 5.85 over their last seven games with a WHIP of 1.67. Cincinnati has played 5 straight games Over the Total after scoring at least five runs in their last game — and the Over is 5-0-1 in their last 6 games after scoring at least five runs in their last contest. The Over is also 3-0-1 in their last 4 games after allowing at least five runs in their last contest. The Reds have played 4 straight home games Over the Total against teams with a losing record. They counter with DeSclafani who is 2-2- with a 4.99 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP in ten starts. The right-hander has not been as effective at home where he owns a 5.68 ERA with a 1.37 WHIP in four starts as compared to his 4.55 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP on the road. Tony Disco had a 5.02 ERA at home in the Great American Ballpark last year as competed to his more modest 4.78 ERA when on the road. The Over is 4-0-2 in Cincinnati’s last 6 home games with DeSclafani on the hill — and the Reds have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total with him facing the Pirates. He will be supported by a bullpen that has a 6.58 ERA over their last seven games. Pittsburgh is also swinging hot bats as they are scoring 5.7 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .292 batting average with a .332 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .820. The Pirates have played 9 of their last 10 games Over the Total against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 or higher — and the Over is 15-5-1 in their last 21 games against right-handed starting pitchers.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have seen the Over go 4-0-1 in their last 5 meetings. Expect another high-scoring game between these two teams in this afternoon Getaway Game. 25* MLB National League Central Total of the Month with Over the Total in the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates (901) and the Cincinnati Reds (902) listing both starting pitchers Steven Brault and Anthony DeSclafani. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:10 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the New York Mets (961) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (962) listing both starting pitchers Steven Matz and Rich Hill. THE SITUATION: Los Angeles (36-18) won the opening game of this series last night by a 9-5 score over New York (26-27).

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Mets bullpen surrendered seven runs in their last loss yesterday on Memorial Day. New York has then played 9 of their last 10 games Over the Total after a loss by at least four runs — and they have played 23 of their last 33 games Over the Total after a game where their bullpen allowed at least four runs. Furthermore, the Over is 3-1-1 in their last 5 games after allowing at least five runs — and the Over is 4-1-1 in their last 6 games after scoring at least five runs in their last contest. Additionally, the Mets have played 18 of their last 20 road games Over the Total as a money-line underdog priced in the +125 to +175 price range — and the Over is 3-0-1 in their last 4 road games against teams who are winning at least 60% of their games at home. They give the ball to Matz who is 3-3 with a 3.63 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP in nine starts. The deeper sabermetrics are bearish on the left-handed knuckleballer with both his SIERA and xFIP projecting an ERA of 4.06 and 4.00 moving forward. Matz has been very good at home where he owns a 1.50 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .238 — but those numbers rise to a 6.10 ERA with a 1.60 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .304 in five starts on the road. These disparate home/road splits are consistent with last season where Matz had a 3.59 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and an opponent’s batting average of .209 at home but a 4.46 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, and .257 opponent’s batting average on the road. The Over is 5-2-1 in New York’s last 8 road games with Matz facing a team with a winning record. The Over is also 9-2-1 in the Mets’ last 12 games when Matz is pitching on four days rest. He faces a hot-hitting Dodgers team that is scoring 7.6 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven contests with a .306 batting average along with a .392 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .898 over that span. Los Angeles is also scoring a healthy 5.8 Runs-Per-Game at home with a .277 batting average, .351 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .837. The Dodgers have played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 or higher. Los Angeles has played 5 straight games Over the Total after a win — and they have played 5 straight games Over the Total after scoring at least five runs in their last game. The Dodgers banged out 17 hits yesterday — and they have played 17 of their last 21 games Over the Total after producing at least 17 hits in their last game. They counter with Hill who is 1-1 with a 2.67 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP in five starts. The sabermetrics suggest he is overachieving as his SIERA and xFIP project a rise in his ERA to 3.28 and 3.29 respectively based on his peripheral numbers. The left-hander has not been as effective at home either where he has a 3.27 ERA with a 1.09 WHIP in two starts. Last year, Hill had a 3.69 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .246 at home with all those numbers improving to a 3.63 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and .193 opponent’s batting average when pitching on the road. Los Angeles has played 11 of their last 15 home games Over the Total with Hill pitching on the road. And while Hill comes off a nice outing where he allowed only one earned run in 6 innings of work at Tampa Bay, the Over is 16-4-1 in the Dodgers’ last 21 games with Hill following up a Quality Start. He faces a Mets team that is scoring 5.7 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .260 batting average, .314 On-Base Percentage, and an OPS of .822 in those games. New York has also played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have now played 7 of their last 8 meetings in Los Angeles Over the Total. Expect another high-scoring game. 25* Major League Baseball Total of the Month with Over the Total in the game between the New York Mets (961) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (962) listing both starting pitchers Steven Matz and Rich Hill. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the St. Louis Blues (1) and the Boston Bruins (2). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (57-35-9) reached the Stanley Cup Finals by defeating San Jose in six games with their 5-1 victory at home last Tuesday. Boston (61-29-9) has won seven games in a row after they completed their four-game sweep of Carolina that they concluded on the road back on May 16th by a 4-0 score. The Bruins host the first two games of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Boston is getting outstanding goaltending from a former Vezina Trophy winner in Tuukka Rask who has a 1.84 Goals-Against-Average along with a .942 save percentage in these playoffs. Over his last seven games, Rask has a 1.29 GAA along with a .961 save percentage. Boston has allowed only five combined goals over their last five games while never allowing more than two goals over that span. Rask has two shutouts in these last five games. The Bruins have then played 9 of their last 14 games Under the Total after not allowing more than two goals in four straight games. Boston looks to get their veteran leader Zdeno Chara back tonight after he missed the last game of the series with the Hurricanes with an injury. He will help a Bruins’ Power Play Kill Unit that has been 86.3% effective in the postseason. Moving forward, Boston has played 20 of their last 28 home games Under the Total after winning at least five games in a row — and they have played 6 straight games Under the Total after winning at least six straight games in a row. Furthermore, the Under is 3-1-1 in the Bruins’ last 5 games in the Stanley Cup Finals. Boston has also played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total against teams that scored at least five goals in their last game. St. Louis has seen the Under go 20-7-3 in their last 30 games against an opponent that did not allow more than two goals in their last game. The Blues have won three straight games as well as four of their last five contests. They preceded their Game Six victory over the Sharks with a 5-0 shutout win against them in Game Five of that series. St. Louis has played 14 of their last 17 road games Under the Total after winning two straight games by at least two goals — and they have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total after winning two straight games by at least three goals. The Blues have only allowed two combined goals over their last three games — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after allowing one goal or less in three straight games. They are also getting outstanding goaltending with Jordan Binnington owning a 2.31 GAA along with a .914 save percentage in these playoffs. Binnington also owns a 0.67 GAA with a .974 save percentage over his last three starts. He has been helped by a blue-line that has not allowed a goal in 11 of their last 13 Power Play Kills (84.6%). St. Louis has played 24 of their last 34 road games Under the Total after winning four of their last five games. And while the Blues’ have played only five games over the last fourteen days, they have then played12 of their last 15 road games Under the Total when playing just their fifth game in fourteen days.

FINAL TAKE: St. Louis has played 15 of their last 23 opening games to a new series Under the Total. The Bruins have seen the Under go 15-6-5 in their last 26 playoff games when favored in the -110 to -150 price range. Expect a lower-scoring game tonight with both teams dealing with the rust of six and eleven days off since last taking the ice against hostile competition. 25* NHL Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the St. Louis Blues (1) and the Boston Bruins (2). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 4:05 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Boston Red Sox (916) minus the -1.5 Run-Line versus the Cleveland Indians (915) listing both starting pitchers Rick Porcello and Jefry Rodriguez. THE SITUATION: Boston (28-25) enters this series coming off a 4-1 win in Houston yesterday. Cleveland (26-26) has lost six of their last seven games after losing at home to Tampa Bay yesterday by a 6-2 score.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RED SOX WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Boston has not scored more than four runs in their last three games — and they have won 16 of their last 18 games after failing to score more than four runs in three strong contests. Now the Red Sox return back home after playing their last seven games on the road. Boston has won 7 of their last 8 home games when favored in the -151 to -200 price range. The Red Sox have also won 6 of their last 9 games with the Total set at 10 or higher. They give the ball to Porcello who is 3-4 with a 4.45 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP in ten starts this season. The right-hander comes off a strong outing where he allowed only one run in 6 innings of work in Toronto. Boston has won 4 straight games with Porcello looking to follow up a Quality Start. After a slow start, the former Cy Young Award winner has found his form as he has a 3-1 record along with a 2.72 ERA over his last six starts. Porcello has also been more effective at home where he owns a 3.41 ERA with a 1.14 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .208 in five starts as compared to his 5.76 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and .297 opponent’s batting average on the road. These disparate home/road splits are consistent with last season where Porcello had a 1.07 WHIP and .226 opponent’s batting average at home but a 1.27 WHIP and .253 opponent’s batting average on the road. He should thrive against this Indians team that is scoring only 2.7 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven contests with a .193 batting average along with a .294 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .626 over that span. Cleveland is also scoring just 3.5 Runs-Per-Game on the road with a .213 batting average, 0.287 On-Base Percentage, and .653 OPS this season. The Indians have lost 4 of their last 5 games after a loss — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 games after allowing at least five runs in their last game. Additionally, the Indians have lost 4 of their last 5 road games against teams with a winning record at home. They also have lost 5 of their last 6 opening games to a new series. They counter with Rodriguez who is 1-4 with a 4.08 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP in six starts. The deeper sabermetrics are not encouraging for the right-hander as both his SIERA and xFIP projecting an ERA of 5.14 and 4.96 moving forward. Rodriguez has also been less effective in day games where he sees his ERA and WHIP rise to 4.24 and 1.47 marks. Cleveland has lost 3 of their last 4 games with Rodriguez starting in the month of May. He faces a Red Sox team that is scoring 5.6 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .271 batting average along with a .339 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .828 over that span. Boston has also won 6 of their last 8 home games against right-handed starting pitchers.

FINAL TAKE: With the money-line price for the Red Sox over my -150 threshold, I would only consider taking Boston minus the -1.5 Run-Line. While the above team trends do not take into account the -1.5 runs we will be laying, the Red Sox are supported by a Run-Line specific angle that has been 63% effective over the last five seasons. Boston is scoring 5.2 Runs-Per-Game — and American League teams that average at least 4.9 Runs-Per-Game have covered the 1.5 Run-Line (when priced in the +115 to +160 range) in 45 of the last 71 games when playing on a Monday. 25* MLB ESPN Run-Line of the Month with the Boston Red Sox (916) minus the -1.5 Run-Line versus the Cleveland Indians (915) listing both starting pitchers Rick Porcello and Jefry Rodriguez. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the St. Louis Cardinals (962) versus the Atlanta Braves (961) listing both starting pitchers Jack Flaherty and Julio Teheran. THE SITUATION: St. Louis (26-25) rallied from a 3-2 deficit by scoring four runs in the bottom of the 8th inning to pull out a 6-3 victory yesterday. The loss snapped the Atlanta (29-24) three-game winning streak.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CARDINALS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: St. Louis’ bullpen blew a 2-1 lead in the top of the 7th inning in the game — but the Cardinals have then won 18 of their last 25 games after a game where they a save was blown. This team has been tough to beat at home where they have won 9 of their last 13 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. St. Louis has also won 28 of their last 42 home games with the Total set at 9 to 9.5. And in their last 19 games when favored in the -100 to -150 price range, the Cardinals have now 15 of these games. They give the ball to Flaherty who is 4-3 with a 4.19 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP in ten starts. The deeper sabermetrics are encouraging with both his SIERA and xFIP projecting an improvement in his ERA to 4.10 and 3.93 marks respectively based on his current peripheral numbers. Flaherty has not allowed more than three runs in each of his last five starts. The right-hander has also been more effective at home where he owns a 2.48 ERA with a 0.93 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .190 in five starts as compared to his ugly 6.20 ERA on the road along with a 1.62 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .287. These disparate home/road splits are consistent with last season where he had a 2.93 ERA and 1.03 WHIP at home as compared to his 3.67 ERA with a 1.16 WHIP on the road. Flaherty also enjoys a 2.51 ERA with a 1.19 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .212 in five starts at night this season. St. Louis has won 4 of their last 5 games with Flaherty pitching at night. He faces a slumping Braves lineup that is hitting only .232 over their last seven games with a .288 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .702 over that span. Atlanta ends their seven-game road trip tonight — and they ave last 6 of their last 9 games after playing at least their previous five games on the road. The Braves have also lost 11 of their last 16 road games against teams with a winning record at home. Atlanta has also lost 8 of their last 12 games as an underdog priced in the +125 to +175 price range. They counter with Teheran who is 3-4 with a 3.67 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP in eleven starts. The sabermetrics call for regression for Teheran with his SIERA and xFIP projecting an ERA of 4.61 and 4.59 moving forward this season. The right-hander has been less effective on the road where he has a 4.46 ERA in seven starts as compared to his 2.35 ERA when pitching at home. The Braves have lost 3 of their last 4 road games with Teheran pitching as an underdog priced in the +125 to +175 price range.

FINAL TAKE: The Cardinals conclude their five-game homestand tonight — and they have won 13 of their last 18 games after playing at least their previous three games at home. 25* MLB Sunday Night ESPN Game of the Month with the money-line on the St. Louis Cardinals (962) versus the Atlanta Braves (961) listing both starting pitchers Jack Flaherty and Julio Teheran. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:15 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the New York Yankees (969) and the Kansas City Royals (970) listing both starting pitchers Domingo German and Danny Duffy. THE SITUATION: New York (34-17) has won seven straight games in a row after sweeping yesterday’s double-header — winning Game One by a 7-3 score before winning the nightcap by a 6-5 score. Kansas City (17-34) has lost three straight games.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Over is 5-0-1 in the Yankees’ last 6 games after a win — and they have played 13 of their last 16 games Over the Total after a win on the road. New York has seen the Over go 5-0-1 in their last 6 games after scoring at least five runs in their last contest. The Yankees have now seen the Over go 33-11-3 in their last 47 games on the road — and they have played 7 straight road games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage below 40% at home. Additionally, New York has played 10 straight games Over the Total on the road as a favorite priced at -125 or higher. Furthermore, the Yankees have played 15 of their last 18 games Over the Total in the third game of a series. They give the ball to German who is 9-1 with a 2.60 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP in nine starts. The deeper sabermetrics are not encouraging with both his SIERA and xFIP projecting an ERA of 3.91 and 3.82 moving forward. The right-hander has not been as effective on the road either as he has a 1.69 ERA with a .177 opponent’s batting average at home but a 3.45 ERA with a .193 opponent’s batting average in five starts on the road. These disparate home/road splits are consistent with last season where German had a 5.20 ERA with a 1.29 WHIP and .224 opponent’s batting average at home with all those numbers rising to a 5.98 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and .261 opponent’s batting average on the road. The Over is 6-0-1 in New York’s last 7 games on the road with German on the hill. And while the Yankees’ bullpen has pitched 14 innings over their last three games, New York has played 9 of their last 10 games Over the Total after their bullpen has pitched at least 13 combined innings over their last three games. The Over is 3-0-1 in the Royals’ last 4 games against right-handed starting pitchers — and the Over is 19-7-1 in their last 27 home games against right-handed starting pitchers. Kansas City has seen the Over go 21-10-3 in their last 34 games after a loss — and they have played 7 of their last 8 games after a loss by just one run. Additionally, the Over is 12-5-3 in the Royals’ last 20 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% — and they have played 9 of their last 13 games Over the Total as an underdog priced at least at +150. Furthermore, the Over is 3-1-1 in Kansas City’s last 5 games at home — and the Over is 15-5-2 in their last 22 home games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. They counter with Duffy who is 3-1 with a 3.45 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP in five starts. The sabermetrics call for regression with his SIERA and xFIP projecting an ERA of 4.88 and 4.25 moving forward. The left-hander has been less effective at home as well where he owns a 4.50 ERA with a 1.44 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .286 in three starts as compared to his 2.13 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and .239 opponent’s batting average of .239 on the road. Duffy struggled at home last year as well where he was saddled with a 6.31 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and .276 opponent’s batting average of .276 as compared to his 3.94 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and .256 opponent’s batting average at home. The Royals have played 7 of their last 9 home games Over the Total with Duffy on the hill. And while he comes off a strong effort where he allowed only one earned run in 6 innings of work in Los Angeles against the Angels, KC has played 11 of their last 13 games Over the Total when Duffy is pitching after an outing where he did not allow more than one earned run. He faces the Bronx Bombers’ offensive juggernaut that is scoring 8.6 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games along with .301 batting average along with a .390 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .951 over that span. The Yankees are scoring 6.2 Runs-Per-Game on the road — and they have played 5 of their last 6 road games Over the Total against left-handed starting pitchers. The Over is also 5-0-1 in New York’s last 6 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 or higher.

FINAL TAKE: The Over is 3-0-1 in the last 4 meetings between these two teams when playing in Kansas City. 25* MLB American League Total of the Month with Over the Total in the game between the New York Yankees (969) and the Kansas City Royals (970) listing both starting pitchers Domingo German and Danny Duffy. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:35 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Milwaukee Bucks (511) plus the points versus the Toronto Raptors (512). THE SITUATION: Toronto (69-30) seized a 3-2 in this series on Thursday with their 105-99 upset victory in Milwaukee as a 7.5-point underdog. The Bucks (70-26) has lost three straight games and look to avoid elimination in the playoffs tonight.

REASONS TO TAKE MILWAUKEE PLUS THE POINTS: The Bucks raced out to an 18-4 lead early in this game and entered the 4th quarter still up 3 points. Perhaps this team simply never felt they would not pull this game out with the benefit of playing on their home court where they have been dominant this season. But a few fluky plays down the stretch along with two calls from the referees that were reversed under instant replay along with a late leg injury to Giannis Antetokounmpo and sensational clutch play from Kawhi Leonard resulted in their second straight upset loss in this series. Now this team is facing true adversity — but it would be a mistake to count them out from forcing a climactic seventh game. Milwaukee has covered the point spread in 16 of their last 20 games after an upset loss. The Bucks have also covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after a loss on their home court. Additionally, Milwaukee has covered the point spread in 21 of their last 27 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 18 of their last 25 games after a point spread loss. And while the Bucks have failed to cover the point spread in the last three games in this series, they have then covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after failing to cover the point spread in three of their last four games. There is no question that head coach Mike Budenholzer needs to make an adjustment to jumpstart his team. Despite all the accolades that Leonard has earned in this series, Milwaukee still held the Raptors to just 34.9% shooting on Thursday (but Toronto did nail 18 of their 43 3-point attempts). The key for success for the Bucks is to execute better in their half-court offense where things have stalled to a halt. I thought Antetokounmpo would play more in the post in Game Five like he did when playing the 76ers during the regular season. Another likely move by Budenholzer will be to shorten his bench to ensure his best players are on the court in this elimination game. Antetokounmpo has played only 52 minutes in this series at the same time with Khris Middleton and Malcolm Brogdon — but they are +34.9 points over that span when all three are playing together. Budenholzer only had those three play together for 11 minutes on Thursday despite his decision to insert Brogdon back into the starting lineup again after he missed most of the second half of the season with an injury. None of those three players logged in 40 minutes in Game Five either — it is time for Budenholzer exorcise his inner-Bobby Cox and manage this game with a sense of urgency. The Greek Freak is receiving plenty of criticism right now as not being “playoff-ready.” I think he needs more help — Eric Bledsoe, Brooks Lopez, Nikola Mirotic along with Middleton and Brogdon combined to make only 5 of their 22 shots from behind the arc in Game Five. The closer those five players can raise that 22.7% mark from 3-point land to 35.0% mark that the Bucks shoot for the season from behind the arc, the easier it will make things for Antetokounmpo. Milwaukee remains a team that is 20-8-1 ATS in their last 29 games on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 14 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home court. The Bucks have also covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 road games as an underdog. Additionally, Milwaukee has covered the point spread 13 of their last 18 games with the Total set in the 210 to 219.5 point range. Toronto should be careful to presume they have won this series with things returning to their home court with the opportunity to close things out tonight. The Raptors do not have a great history of success in dealing well with prosperity. Toronto has failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 23 games after covering the point spread in three of their last four games — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after covering the point spread in three straight games. The Raptors have also failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 16 playoff games when leading in the series.

FINAL TAKE: Milwaukee has covered the point spread in 11 of their last 18 opportunities to avenge an upset loss — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games when playing with revenge from two straight upset losses to their opponent. Lastly, the underdog has covered the point spread in 9 of the last 12 meetings between these two teams. 25* NBA Eastern Conference Game of the Year with the Milwaukee Bucks (511) plus the points versus the Toronto Raptors (512). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:15 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Houston Astros (922) versus the Boston Red Sox (921) listing both starting pitchers Brad Peacock and David Price. THE SITUATION: Houston (34-18) won the opening game of this series over Boston (27-24) last night by a 4-3 score.

REASONS TO TAKE THE ASTROS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Houston should build off their momentum as they have won 46 of their last 65 games after a victory — and they have won 5 of their last 6 games after a win by just one run. And while the Astros managed only four hits last night, they have then won 28 of their last 37 games after a win by at least four runs. Houston is tough to defeat at home in Minute Maid Park where they are 19-6 this season with an average winning margin of +1.7 Runs-Per-Game. The Astros have won 35 of their last 51 games at home — and they have won eight of their last eleven home games against teams with a winning record. Houston has also won 5 of their last 7 home games when favored in the -100 to -150 price range. Additionally, the Astros have won 8 of their last 10 games with the Total set in the 9 to 9.5 range. They give then ball to Peacock who is 5-2 with a 3.59 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP in eight starts. The right-hander has been more effective at home where he owns a 2.89 ERA with a 1.00 WHIP in four starts. His disparate home/road splits are consistent with last season where he owned a 3.44 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and .221 opponent’s batting average at home but a 3.49 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and .231 opponent’s batting average on the road. Houston has won 6 of their last 7 home games with Peacock on the hill. Boston’s bullpen pitched two scoreless innings last night in relief of Chris Sale — but they have lost 12 of their last 19 games after a game where their bullpen did not allow an earned run. This is the Red Sox’s sixth road game in a row — and they have lost 10 of their last 16 games after playing at least their last four games on the road. Boston has also lost 5 of their last 6 games against teams with a winning record. And in their last 9 games when priced in the +/- 125 price range, the Red Sox have lost 6 of these games. They counter with Price who is 2-2 with a 3.29 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP in seven starts this year. Only two of those starts have been at home where Price enjoys a 1.38 ERA, 0.73 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .159. But in his five starts on the road, the left-hander sees his ERA rise to a 4.18 mark along with a 1.21 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .252. Price was more effective at home in Fenway Park last year as well where he had a 2.98 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and .213 opponent’s batting average but a 4.31 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and .249 opponent’s batting average on the road. The Red Sox have lost 4 of their last 5 games with Price pitching on grass — and they have lost 3 straight games with Price pitching at night. The veteran’s decline in velocity betrays his high-profile performances in the postseason last year — increasing his perceived value by the betting public. He faces an Astros lineup that scores 5.4 Runs-Per-Game at home with a .290 batting average along with a .366 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .870.

FINAL TAKE: Houston has won 23 of their last 32 games against teams using a left-handed starting pitcher. The Astros have also won 5 of their last 6 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.15 or lower. 25* MLB Saturday Night Fox-TV Game of the Month with the money-line on the money-line on the Houston Astros (922) versus the Boston Red Sox (921) listing both starting pitchers Brad Peacock and David Price. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:15 PM ET, we will be playing the money-line on the New York Yankees (915) versus the Kansas City Royals (916) listing both starting pitchers J.A. Happ and Jakob Junis. THE SITUATION: New York (32-17) has won five straight games — as well as nine of their last ten contests — with their 6-5 win on Thursday. Kansas City (17-32) has lost five of their last seven games after a 10-3 loss in St. Louis on Wednesday. This afternoon game is a make-up from last night’s game that was postponed. Chad Green was set to be the opener in that game but Happ takes his spot today with him pitching with his normal four days of rest.

REASONS TO TAKE THE YANKEES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: New York has won 19 of their last 26 games after scoring at least five runs in their last game. The Yankees have also won a decisive 52 of their last 67 games after allowing at least five runs in their last contest. New York has also won 17 of their last 22 games after winning five or six of their last seven contests. The Bronx Bombers enjoyed a 5-1 lead entering the bottom of the eighth inning before their bullpen allowed four runs which tied the game. New York won the game by scoring in the top of the ninth — and they have won 19 of their last 22 games after a game where their bullpen blew a save. Happ is 3-3 this season in ten starts with a 5.16 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. The left-hander has been more effective on the road where he owns a 4.09 ERA with a 1.23 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .259 in four starts as compared to his 5.93 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and .277 opponent’s batting average when pitching at home. These disparate home/road splits are consistent with last season where Happ had a 2.61 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and .204 batting average on the road as compared to his 4.31 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and .237 opponent’s batting average when at home. He was outstanding after being traded from the Blue Jays to the Yankees as he posted a 7-0 with a 2.69 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP in eleven starts for the Bronx Bombers. New York has won 4 straight games with Happ making the start on the road. Happ should have success facing this Royals team that has lost 25 of their last 35 games against left-handed starting pitchers. He will be supported by a New York bullpen that has a 3.41 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP over the last seven games even with their disappointing effort yesterday. The Yankees have won 5 straight games on the road — and they have also won 36 of their last 51 road games against teams with a losing record at home. The Bronx Bombers have also won 36 of their last 53 games against teams with a winning percentage below 40% — and they have won 13 of their last 16 games when favored priced at -100 to -150 range. Kansas City (17-32) has lost 4 of their last 5 games after a loss by at least six runs. And while the Royals had won their two previous games before losing on Wednesday, they have lost 8 of their last 9 games after winning two of their last three games. KC returns home where they have lost 4 of their last 5 games — and they have lost 4 straight home games with the Total set at 10 or higher. The Royals have also lost 21 of their last 27 home games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road — and they have lost 46 of their last 56 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% overall. They counter with Junis who is 3-5 with a 5.69 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP in ten starts. The right-hander has not been as effective at home where he has a 6.08 ERA with a 1.54 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .284 in five starts as compared to his 5.34 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and .279 opponent’s batting average of .279. Kansas City has lost 13 of their last 18 games with Junis facing a team with a winning record — and they have lost seven of their last ten home games in that situation. Junis faces a Yankees team that is 15-7 on the road while scoring 6.2 Runs-Per-Game with a .269 batting average along with a .343 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .827 in those games. New York has also scored 7.4 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .286 batting average along with a .361 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .907 over that span.

FINAL TAKE: The Yankees swept the three-game series between these two teams in April. Kansas City has lost 19 of their last 26 games when playing with at least double-revenge. New York has also won 6 of their last 8 games with the Royals when playing in Kansas City. 25* MLB American League Road Warrior of the Month with the money-line on the New York Yankees (915) versus the Kansas City Royals (916) listing both starting pitchers J.A. Happ and Jakob Junis. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:35 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Milwaukee Bucks (508) minus the points versus the Toronto Raptors (507). THE SITUATION: Toronto (68-30) evened this series at 2-2 on Tuesday with their 120-102 upset victory over Milwaukee (70-25) as a 3-point underdog. The Bucks return home to host the fifth game of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE MILWAUKEE MINUS THE POINTS: The Bucks played their worst game of the series on Tuesday. This is just the second time all season that this team has lost two games in a row. This group has responded well when facing adversity this season. Milwaukee has covered the point spread in 6 straight games after a double-digit loss — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of the last 11 games after an upset loss by double-digits. Furthermore, the Bucks have covered the point spread in 16 of their last 19 games after suffering an upset loss — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 11 games after an upset loss as a road favorite. Additionally, Milwaukee has covered the point spread in 21 of their last 26 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 18 of their last 24 games after a point spread setback. This team has also covered the point spread in 9 of their last 10 games after losing two of their last three contests. The Bucks need to tighten things up on defense after allowing the Raptors to make 47.1% of their shots which was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last eight games. Milwaukee has still held their last five opponents to just a 39.3% shooting percentage. Returning home should help as the Bucks limit their guests to only 42.7% shooting on the season. Perhaps the bigger adjustment for head coach Mike Budenholzer will be to make things easier for Giannis Antetokounmpo who missed 19 of his 33 shots from the field in Games Three and Four in Toronto. Raptors head coach Nick Nurse made an adjustment in Game Three by not only having Kawhi Leonard become the primary ball defender against the Green Freak but he also had his primary defender match-up with him tight at the top of the key rather than at the free throw line to neutralize the 7’3’s Eurostep. Look for Antetokounmpo to see more time on the offensive end of the court down low in the post where he had success against the Sixers last round. Toronto has also been quick to double-team Antetokounmpo — and the Bucks’ solution to that is simply to make more open shots. Playing back in Milwaukee should help on this end since the Bucks make 47.8% of their shots at home which translates into 119.1 PPG. Expect more from Eric Bledsoe tonight after scoring only 5 points on Tuesday. Bledsoe has made only 11 of his 45 shot attempts so far in this series. The Bucks have covered the point spread in 4 straight games at home — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 home games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. Milwaukee has also covered the point spread in 13 of their last 17 games with the Total set in the 210 to 219.5 point range — and this includes them covering the point spread in nine of these last ten situations when playing at home. Toronto has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 14 games after winning two straight games at home. They have also failed to cover the point spread in 20 of their last 32 games after scoring at least 120 points in their last game. Kawhi Leonard finally got some help in Game Four with Kyle Lowry leading the team with 25 points and Norman Powell scoring 18 points while leading the team with 18 shot attempts. Toronto made 47.1% of their shots which was the best shooting effort in their last six games. The Raptors enjoyed an effective field goal percentage of 61.3% with their 40 uncontested shots from behind the arc in Games Three and Four of this series on their home court. Coincidentally, Toronto also launched 40 uncontested 3-pointers in Games One and Two of this series in Milwaukee but they enjoyed only a 47.5% eFG on those shots in the hostile environment. The Raptors are making only 40.7% of their shots over their last five games — and they made only 71 of their 179 shots (40%) in Games One and Two of this series on the road. A looming concern for Toronto is the status of Leonard who looked to be in pain in Game Four as he deals with a left leg injury. After playing 53 minutes in the double-overtime affair in Game Three, Leonard may be suffering from fatigue in a long postseason in which he has been asked to carry his team in a way he has never done before. The Raptors have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home. The last three games of this series have finished Over the Total with at least 222 combined points scored. But Toronto has failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 27 games after scoring at least 215 combined points in three straight games — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 15 games after playing at least three straight Overs.

FINAL TAKE: Milwaukee has covered the point spread in 11 of their last 16 opportunities to avenge an upset loss to their opponent. The Bucks have also covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games when playing with revenge from a double-digit loss. 25* NBA Thursday TNT Playoff Game of the Year with the Milwaukee Bucks (508) minus the points versus the Toronto Raptors (507). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:10 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the New York Mets (902) plus the +1.5 Run-Line versus the Washington Nationals (901) listing both starting pitchers Steven Matz and Stephen Strasburg. THE SITUATION: New York (23-25) looks to sweep this four-game series this afternoon after winning Game Three of this series yesterday by a 6-1 score. Washington (19-30) has lost four straight contests.

REASONS TO TAKE THE METS PLUS THE +1.5 RUN-LINE: New York has won 4 of their last 5 games after a win. The Mets have also won 11 of their last 17 games after winning three straight games against a fellow NL East rival. New York has now won 6 straight games at home in Citi Field — and they have won 5 straight home games against teams with a winning percentage below 40% on the road. They give the ball to Matz who is 3-3 with a 3.96 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP in eight starts. The left-hander knuckleballer has been more effective at home where he owns a 1.50 ERA with a 0.89 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .169 in three starts. These disparate home/road splits are consistent with last year where Matz had a 3.59 ERA with a 1.05 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .209 at home as compared to his 4.46 ERA with a 1.49 WHIP and .257 opponent’s batting average on the road. New York has won 5 straight games at home with Matz on the hill. He faces a Nationals team that is hitting only .230 on the road with a .296 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .678. Washington has lost 9 of their last 13 games against left-handed starting pitchers. They have lost 4 of their last 5 games after allowing at least five runs in their last game. The Nationals have also lost 14 of their last 21 games after losing four or five of their last six games. Additionally, Washington has lost 4 straight games on the road — and they have lost 5 of their last 6 games against teams with a losing record. And in their last 35 games with the Total set in the 7 to 8.5 range, the Nationals have lost 22 of these contests. They counter with Strasburg who is 4-3 with a 3.32 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP in ten starts. The right-hander has not been as effective when pitching on the road. While Strasburg has a 3.21 ERA with a 0.95 WHIP at home, he sees those numbers rise to a 3.45 ERA with a 1.02 WHIP in five starts on the road. Perhaps the bigger problem for Strasburg is that he has not pitched 7 full innings in seven of his ten starts this season. While that is not really a slight on him, it does likely mean that the Nationals bullpen who will be asked to pitch at least 2 innings this afternoon. The Washington bullpen is last in MLB with a 6.89 ERA — and that group has a 10.25 ERA with a 1.82 WHIP over their last seven games. Strasburg and this bullpen will be facing a Mets team that is scoring 5.0 Runs-Per-Game at home while hitting .253 with a .335 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .768. New York has won 5 straight home games against right-handed starting pitchers.

FINAL TAKE: Washington has lost 6 of their last 8 games when attempting to avenge a loss where they scored no more than one run. And because they have an On-Base Percentage of .307 for the season, the Nationals fall into a historical “play-against” angle that has been 75% effective since 1997. Road favorites with a bullpen ERA of 4.50 or higher with an On-Base Percentage no higher than .310 have failed to cover the -1.5 Run-Line (when that prop is priced in the -160 to +115 price range) in 59 of these last 79 situations where these conditions applied. With the Mets’ +1.5 Run-Line priced below my -150 threshold, taking the valuable +1.5 Run-Line (especially against the bad Nats’ bullpen) is the preferable play to taking the Mets as a money-line dog. 25* MLB National League East Run-Line Underdog of the Month with the New York Mets (902) plus the +1.5 Run-Line versus the Washington Nationals (901) listing both starting pitchers Steven Matz and Stephen Strasburg. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:10 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Los Angeles Dodgers (979) versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (980) listing both starting pitchers Rich Hill and Ryan Stanek (as their opener). THE SITUATION: Los Angeles (32-17) has won the first two games of this series — as well as six of their last seven games — with their 7-3 victory over the Rays in the opening game of this two-game series. Tampa Bay (27-18) has lost two straight games as well as three of their last four contests.

REASONS TO TAKE THE DODGERS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Los Angeles has won 4 of their last 5 games after a victory. The Dodgers have not allowed more than four runs in seven straight games — and they have won 6 of their last 8 games after not allowing more than four runs in at least four straight games. Additionally, Los Angeles has won 13 of their last 16 games against teams with a winning record. They have also won 5 of their last 7 games on the road. Furthermore, the Dodgers have won 20 of their last 29 games when favored in the -125 to -175 price range — and this includes them covering the point spread in eight of the last twelve situations where they were playing on the road. They give the ball to Hill who is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP in four starts this season after starting the season on the disabled list. The left-hander has been better on the road where he has a 2.70 ERA with a 1.00 WHIP in two starts. His disparate home/road splits are consistent with last year where he had a 3.63 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and .193 opponent’s batting average on the road as compared to his 3.69 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and .246 opponent’s batting average at home. The Dodgers have won 6 straight road games with Hill on the mound. The veteran comes off a strong effort where he allowed only two hits and no runs while striking out 10 batters on the road in Cincinnati. Los Angeles has won 17 of their last 22 games with Hill following up a Quality Start. He faces a Rays team that is scoring only 2.7 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .224 batting average along with a .280 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .644. Tampa Bay has lost 4 of their last 5 home games against left-handed starting pitchers. The Rays have lost 4 of their last 5 home games against teams with a winning record — and they have lost 15 of their last 21 home games in Interleague play when playing a team with a winning record. They counter with Stanek as their “opener” for this contest. Handicapping these increasingly prevalent MLB games where openers are employed is a pain in the proverbial arse — but, the challenge represents an opportunity to find more of an edge against the books (and the betting public in the market that helps set the final line). Stanek is 0-1 with a 3.70 ERA and 1.07 WHIP this season that needs to be taken with a grain of salt since he will only pitch 1 or 2 innings before being taken out. With these openers, I want to look for red flags regarding that pitcher surrendering a handful of runs rather than being satisfied that the individual in question will pitch an inning or two of scoreless ball. The deeper sabermetrics suggest that Stanek is overachieving given his SIERA and xFIP of 4.03 and 4.38 moving forward. The Rays have lost 7 of their last 11 games with Stanek opening as a money-line underdog priced at +100 to +150. While the initial reports this week suggested that Jalen Beeks would then pitch the middle innings tonight, the fact that the lefty pitched 3 innings last night likely removes that possibility. Instead, I suspect that it will Yonny Chirinos to then take over with his 5-1 record along with a 3.26 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP. He has pitched 4 2/3 and 4 innings in his last two appearances that were also following up Stanek opening the game. But Chirinos’ SIERA and XFIP project an ERA of 4.24 and 4.34 moving forward. With Stanek and Chirinos both right-handed pitchers, we can put some stock in the Dodgers’ numbers against righties since that will likely consist of at least 5 innings of this game. Led by Cody Bellinger’s career year swinging from the left side of the plate, Los Angeles is clobbering right-handed pitching by averaging 5.5 Runs-Per-Game against right-handed starting pitchers (which is roughly applicable for this situation) along with a .261 batting average, .343 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .815. The Dodgers have won 36 of their last 51 games against right-handed starting pitchers. And while both Stanek and Chirinos have WHIPs of 1.07 and 0.91 this season, LA has won 41 of their last 57 games against teams using starting pitchers with a WHIP no higher than 1.15 (and I consider this situation applicable). The Rays’ bullpen is also struggling as of late as they have a 5.35 ERA with a 1.62 WHIP over their last seven games.

FINAL TAKE: Frankly, successful handicapping consists of discerning what data is relevant and what data is irrelevant as evidence for the unique situation at hand. The emerging tactic of baseball managers to use openers pitching just one or two innings presents a new challenge for those of us that attempt to find value in the battle between starting pitchers. In this instance, the three-headed monster of Stanek, Chirinos, and then the rest of the Rays’ bullpen looks overvalued — and they are facing one of the best teams in baseball in the Dodgers who are not often favored below my -150 money-line price threshold. 25* MLB Interleague Game of the Month with the money-line on the Los Angeles Dodgers (979) versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (980) listing both starting pitchers Rich Hill and Ryan Stanek (as their opener). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:40 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the San Diego Padres (954) versus the Arizona Diamondbacks (953) listing both starting pitchers Eric Lauer and Merrill Kelly. THE SITUATION: San Diego (25-24) has won the first two games of this series with their 3-2 win over the Diamondbacks yesterday. Arizona (25-24) has now lost four games in a row.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PADRES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: San Diego has now 7 of their last 10 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. The Padres have also won 9 of their last 13 games with the Total set in the 8 to 8.5 range. And in their last 17 games played in the afternoon, San Diego has won 12 of these contests. They give the ball to Lauer who is 2-4 with a 5.24 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP in nine starts this season. The deeper sabermetrics suggest that the left-hander should be seeing better results with both his SIERA and xFIP projecting an ERA of 4.62 and 4.70 moving forward. Lauer has also been much better at home in Petco Park where he owns a 3.04 ERA with a 1.35 WIP in five starts as compared to his 8.24 ERA with a 1.52 WHIP when pitching on the road. These disparate home/road splits are consistent with last season where Lauer had a 3.99 ERA with a 1.38 WHIP at home but a 4.73 ERA with a 1.73 WHIP on the road. Lauer has also been quite good in his three day starts this season where he has compiled a 2.70 ERA with a 1.08 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .233. The Padres have won 4 of their last 5 games with Lauer facing a team with a winning record. He should fare well against this slumping Diamondbacks team that has is batting only .227 over their last seven games with a .306 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .729. Arizona has lost 5 straight games against left-handed starting pitchers. The Diamondbacks have also lost 5 of their last 7 games after a loss — and they have lost 5 of their last 6 games after scoring no more two runs in their last game. Arizona has now lost 5 of their last 6 games on the road. They have also lost 15 of their last 21 third games of a series. They counter with Kelly who is 4-4 with a 4.21 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP in nine starts. The 30-year old rookie right-hander has been tough at home where he has a 2.64 ERA with a 1.14 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .261 in five starts — but he sees those numbers skyrocket to a 6.53 ERA with a 1.84 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .286 on the road. The sabermetrics are not bullish either with both his SIERA and xFIP projecting regression with his ERA rising to 4.85 and 4.76 marks respectively moving forward. Kelly will be supported by a bullpen that has been rocked on the road with a 4.83 ERA with a 1.51 WHIP this season. The Padres have won 9 of their last 13 home games against right-handed starting pitchers.

FINAL TAKE: Arizona has now lost 6 of their last 7 meetings with San Diego. Look for Lauer to outpitch Kelly this afternoon. 25* MLB Getaway Game of the Month with the money-line on the San Diego Padres (954) versus the Arizona Diamondbacks (953) listing both starting pitchers Eric Lauer and Merrill Kelly. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:35 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Milwaukee Bucks (503) minus the points versus the Toronto Raptors (504). THE SITUATION: Toronto (67-30) made this is a 2-1 series on Sunday with their 118-112 victory over Milwaukee (70-24) in double-overtime as a 2.5-point favorite. The Raptors host the fourth game of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BUCKS MINUS THE POINTS: Milwaukee saw their six-game winning streak snapped in that game — but they have bounced-back to cover the point spread in 21 of their last 26 games after a straight-up loss. The Bucks have also covered the point spread in 12 of their last 14 games after a loss on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 24 of their last 33 games after a point spread loss. Milwaukee almost stole Game Three of this series despite not having a dismal performance on offense. The Bucks made only 37.3% of their shots which was the worst shooting effort in their last seven games — and they made only 14 of their 44 shots (31.8%) from 3-point land. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored only 12 points while turning the ball over 8 times. The Greek Freak combined with Kris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe to score a mere 32 points on 11 of 48 combined shooting — and they three committed 16 turnovers. Milwaukee should see a better effort from their top three scorers. It is a testament to the strong Bucks’ bench as well as their strong defense that they were able to force overtime on Sunday. Milwaukee is 20-7-1 ATS in their last 28 games on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home court. The Bucks have also covered the point spread in 30 of their last 47 road games as the favorite. Milwaukee has also covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games played in Toronto. The Raptors played their best defensive game in their last twelve contests by holding the Bucks to that 37.3% shooting effort. They were carried by Kawhi Leonard who played 52 minutes who scored 36 points while drawing the defensive assignment on Antetokounmpo. But with Leonard hobbled by a leg injury, this Toronto team may be simply asking too much of him to continue to carry all the load. Too often his Raptors teammates have been too passive in picking up the offensive slack — especially in crucial situations. Toronto’s hot shooting from 3-point land helped them race out to a 58-51 halftime lead as they made 17 of their 45 shots (37.8%) from behind the arc. But the Raptors managed only 38 points in the second half despite being only the fourth team in these playoffs to make at least 36% of their 3-pointers in a game against the Bucks. Toronto is not built to pull out these high scoring games. They launched 102 shots on Sunday — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after taking at least 100 shots in their last game. And while the last two games of this series have finished Over the Total, the Raptors have failed to cover the point spread in 19 of their last 28 games after playing two straight Overs. Toronto has struggled against balanced teams this season as they have failed to cover the point spread in 19 of their last 28 games against opponents who make at least 46% of their shots while holding their opponents to only 43% or less shooting — and the Raptors shoot 47.3% for the season while limiting their opponents to just 42.9% shooting.

FINAL TAKE: Milwaukee has covered the point spread in 15 of their last 22 opportunities to avenge a loss where they allowed at least 110 points. With Leonard not at 100% with his leg injury and perhaps fatigues after logging in 52 grueling minutes two days ago, this Bucks team that should better performances from Antetokounmpo, Middleton, and Bledsoe should overwhelm the Raptors. It is telling that the oddsmakers installed Milwaukee as a 2.5-point road favorite when this game opened after Toronto was laying those points on Sunday in their victory. 25* NBA Tuesday TNT Playoff Game of the Year with the Milwaukee Bucks (503) minus the points versus the Toronto Raptors (504). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the San Jose Sharks (25) and the St. Louis Blues (26). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (56-35-9) took a 3-2 lead in this series on Sunday with their 5-0 victory over San Jose (56-36-7). The Blues return home tonight as they attempt to close out this series to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Sharks are big money-line underdogs given the injury status of Erik Karlsson, Tomas Hertl, and Joe Pavelski. Reports this afternoon indicate Karlsson and Hertl did not make the trip to St. Louis with Pavelski still being a game-time decision (and, hence, I am comfortable making my call on this game with that updated information).

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: San Jose has scored only one goal in the last two games since their controversial hand pass helped Karlsson score the winning goal in overtime in the third game of this series. The Sharks were still in a close game on Sunday midway through the second period before Hertl took a big hit that was not called for a penalty. Instead, Hertl was unable to return for the third period and joined both Pavelski and Karlsson in suffering game-ending injuries. Don’t read much into the final score where the Sharks allowed five goals as San Jose committed 32 minutes of penalties in the final 20 minutes of that game that was likely lost. The Sharks will be without at least two important pieces on offense with Karlsson and Hertl out. San Jose can only grind out a low-scoring game tonight. But don’t count them out — goaltender Martin Jones owns a sensational .943 save percentage in the four elimination games he has played this season which includes two overtime periods as he has stopped the 149 of the 158 shots he has faced which is a pretty large sample size. The Sharks have played 18 of their last 25 games Under the Total when facing elimination in a playoff series. San Jose has also played 14 of their last 20 sixth games of a playoff series Under the Total. Additionally, the Sharks have played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total after a loss at home by at least three goals. They have also played 21 of their last 29 road games Under the Total after failing to score more than one goal in two straight games. The Under is also 3-1-1 in San Jose’s last five games on the road. St. Louis has played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after a shutout victory — and they have played 6 of their last 8 Under the Total after allowing no more than one goal in two straight games. Additionally, not only have the Blues played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a shutout win on the road but they have played 11 of their last 13 games Under the Total after a win on the road by at least two goals — and they have played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total after a win on the road by at least three goals. Much of St. Louis’ success has come from not giving the Sharks’ too many chances with a man-advantage. The Blues have committed only 12 minor penalties in this series — and that has helped them allow only two Power Play goals in this series. The Under is 18-6-2 in St. Louis’ last 26 home games when a favorite priced in the -151 to -200 range — and the Under is 4-0-1 in their last 5 playoff games priced in the -151 to -200 range.

FINAL TAKE: San Jose has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total when avenging a loss by at least four goals. The Sharks can win this game — but they need to focus most of their energies on stopping the Blues’ from scoring and make this a tight game in the third period where their experience gives them an edge. 25* NHL Tuesday Night O/U Special Feature with Under the Total in the game between the San Jose Sharks (25) and the St. Louis Blues (26). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:05 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Portland Trail Blazers (502) plus the points versus the Golden State Warriors (501). THE SITUATION: Golden State (68-29) took a commanding 3-0 lead in this series on Saturday with their 110-99 upset win in Portland (61-36) as a 2.5-point favorite. The Trail Blazers host Game Four as they hope to stave off elimination.

REASONS TO TAKE PORTLAND PLUS THE POINTS: The Trail Blazers were not able to handle the pressure of the moment down 0-2 in this series in Game Three as they made only 40% of their shots. With this series now likely lost (but then again, one more Warriors injury might change everything), Portland should be able to play this game with a reckless abandon that will help them start making shots again. The Blazers should shoot much closer to the 47.4% clip they average when playing on their home court. Portland usually responds with strong efforts after disappointing performances from what we saw on Saturday. The Trail Blazers have covered the point spread in 4 straight games after a double-digit loss — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a double-digit loss on their home court. Portland is also 17-8-1 ATS in their last 26 games after a point spread setback. The Blazers need to play better on the defensive end of the court as the 48.8% field goal percentage for the Warriors along with their 110 points represents their lowest marks so far in this series. Portland has covered the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games after allowing their last three opponents to make at least 47% of their shots — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after surrendering at least 110 points in three straight contests. The Blazers remain 37-11 on their home court with an average winning margin of +7.7 PPG. They have covered the points spread in 7 of their last 9 home games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. Portland has also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 home games as an underdog. And in their last 56 expected close games when listed in the +/- 3-point range, the Blazers have covered the point spread in a decisive 37 of these games — and they have also covered the point spread in eleven of these last sixteen situations when playing on their home court. Golden State is 19-42-2 ATS in their last 63 games after a double-digit victory — and they have failed to cover the point spread in their last 3 games after an upset victory by at least 10 points. The Warriors have also failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after a point spread win. This is a different team with a bit of distinct personality when playing without Kevin Durant — and their now 33-4 straight-up record when playing with a healthy Stephen Curry but without Durant should be taken very seriously by bettors and handicappers. But this is also a group whose biggest challenger has too often been their own lethargy. Golden State has won eight of their last ten games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 26 of their last 40 games after winning six or seven of their last eight games. The Warriors enter this fourth game with Andre Iguodala declared unlikely to play with an injured right calf injury. Alfonzie McKinney will likely take his place in the starting lineup. Without Iguodala, not only does this Golden State team now without their vaunted Hampton’s Five lineup but they lost their third most reliable scorer. The Warriors have been installed as the favorite for this game after taking the 3-0 lead with their upset win on the road on Saturday — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 16 road games when favored by no more than 6 points.

FINAL TAKE: The Trail Blazers have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 13 games when playing with revenge from a double-digit loss. 25* NBA Western Conference Game of the Year with the Portland Trail Blazers (502) plus the points versus the Golden State Warriors (501). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Sunday. we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Chicago Cubs (913) and the Washington Nationals (914) listing both starting pitchers Kyle Hendricks and Jeremy Hellickson. THE SITUATION: Washington (18-26) has won three of the last four games after winning the second game of this series last night by a 5-2 score. Chicago (26-16) has lost three of their last four games.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Nationals have seen the Over go 15-7-1 in their last 23 third games of a series. The Over is a decisive 30-14-3 in their last 47 games at home — and the Over is also 10-3-1 in their last 14 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. Washington has also played 36 of their last 57 home games Over the Total when playing at night. They give the ball to Hellickson who is 2-2 with a 6.00 ERA and a 1.67 WHIP in seven starts this season. The right-hander has struggled at home where he sees his ERA and WHIP rise to 8.04 and 1.79 marks — and his opponents are hitting .299 when he is pitching in Washington. These disparate home/road splits are consistent with last season where Hellickson had a 4.50 ERA with a 1.12 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .260 at home as compared to his 3.03 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and .218 opponent’s batting average when he was pitching on the road. The Over is 3-1-1 in the Nationals’ last 5 home games with Hellickson on the hill — and Washington has played 6 of their last 9 home games Over the Total with Hellickson pitching when priced in the +/- 125 range. He faces a hot-hitting Cubs team that is scoring 6.4 Runs-Per-Game on the road with a .274 batting average along with a .345 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .833. Chicago has played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total on the road — and they have played 5 straight road games Over the Total against teams with a losing record at home. Additionally, the Cubs have played 16 of their last 23 games Over the Total with the number set in the 8.5 to 10 range — and they have played 12 of their last 15 games Over the Total on the road with the number set in that 8.5 to 10 range. They counter with Hendricks who is 3-4 with a 2.86 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP in eight starts. The deeper sabermetrics are not nearly as encouraging as those frontline numbers with his SIERA and xFIP projecting an ERA of 4.13 and 3.86 respectively moving forward. And while the right-hander has been outstanding at home in Wrigley Field where he has a 0.62 ERA with a 0.72 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .180, those numbers skyrocket to a 5.91 ERA with a 1.73 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .330 on the road in four starts.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total when playing in Washington. 25* MLB Sunday Night ESPN Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Chicago Cubs (913) and the Washington Nationals (914) listing both starting pitchers Kyle Hendricks and Jeremy Hellickson. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Milwaukee Bucks (549) and the Toronto Raptors (550). THE SITUATION: Milwaukee (70-23) took a 2-0 lead in this series on Friday with their 125-103 victory as a 6-point favorite over Toronto (66-30). The Raptors host the third and fourth games of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Milwaukee has played 10 of their last 14 games Over the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total when playing with one day of rest. This Bucks team has won and covered the point spread in six straight games. Milwaukee has then played 8 of their last 12 games Over the Total after winning at least five straight games — and they have played 6 of their last 9 games Over the Total after covering the point spread in four straight contests. The Bucks have dominated the boards in this series as they have out-rebounded Toronto by 15 and 14 boards in the first two games of this series. Milwaukee has then played 28 of their last 39 games Over the Total after out-rebounding their last two foes by at least 10 rebounds. The Bucks have also held their last five opponents to just 38.1% shooting from the field — and they have played 11 of their last 17 games Over the Total after their last five opponents shot no better than 42% over that span. Now after playing their last three games on their home court, Milwaukee goes back on the road where they are scoring 116.8 PPG on 47% shooting from the field. The Bucks have played 6 of their last 9 games Over the Total after playing their last three games at home. Milwaukee has also played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total on the road — and they have played 10 of their last 11 road games Over the Total against teams with a winning record on their home court. Furthermore, the Bucks have played 8 of their last 12 games Over the Total as an underdog. Toronto has played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total when playing with one day of rest. And while they have failed to cover the point spread in four straight games as well as six of their last eight contests, the Raptors have then played 10 of their last 14 games Over the Total after they have failed to cover the point spread in six or seven of their last eight games. Toronto shot just 42.5% from the field on Friday — but they return home where they are scoring 113.8 PPG while making 47.4% of their shot attempts. The Raptors have played 14 of their last 21 games Over the Total when listed in the +/- 3-point range — and this includes them playing three of these last four situations Over the Total when playing on their home court.

FINAL TAKE: Toronto has lost their last three encounters with the Bucks — and they have played 12 of their last 17 games Over the Total when playing with triple revenge. The Raptors have also played 34 of their last 54 games Over the Total when avenging a loss where their opponent scored at least 110 points. 25* NBA Eastern Conference Playoff Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Milwaukee Bucks (549) and the Toronto Raptors (550). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:08 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (22) versus the St. Louis Blues (21). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (55-35-9) evened this series at 2-2 on Friday with their 2-1 win on their home ice over San Jose (56-35-7). The Sharks return home to the SAP Center to host the fifth game of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE SAN JOSE WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Sharks should respond with a strong effort after their slow start on Friday ultimately cost them that game. San Jose fell behind by a 2-0 score in the first period and could never score the tying goal despite outshooting the Blues by a 30 to 22 margin while applying furious pressure on them late in the third period. The Sharks have won 19 of their last 25 games after failing to score more than one goal in their last game — and they have won 5 of their last 6 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last contest. San Jose has also won 19 of their last 27 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. They return home where they are 32-14-3 this season. The Sharks have won 9 of their last 12 home games when favored — and they have won 6 of their last 8 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. This San Jose team should be very focused to redeem themselves from their 4-2 loss to St. Louis in their last game at home. The Sharks are 7-3 on home ice in these playoffs while outscoring their visitors by a 39 to 20 goal differential. San Jose has won both their previous Game Fives in the first two playoff series this postseason against Vegas and Colorado. The Sharks have won 9 of their last 11 home games with the Total set at 5.5. And in their last 6 playoff games when the series was tied, San Jose has won 5 of these games. St. Louis has lost 4 of their last 5 games after a win this postseason. Their rookie goaltender, Jordan Binnington, was outstanding on Friday as he stopped 29 of the 30 shots he faced. But Binnington has an unspectacular 2.58 Goals-Against-Average with a .908 save percentage in seventeen starts in these playoffs. The Blues have lost 16 of their last 23 games in the playoffs when priced as an underdog in the +110 to +150 price range. This franchise has also lost 10 of their last 14 games in the Western Conference Finals.

FINAL TAKE: San Jose has won 7 of their last 10 games when playing with revenge from a loss where they only scored one goal. They are hosting a Blues team that has lost 4 of their last 5 games played in the SAP Center against the Sharks. 25* NHL Third Round NBC-TV Game of the Year with the money-line on the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (22) versus the St. Louis Blues (21). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:05 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Portland Trail Blazers (548) minus the points versus the Golden State Warriors (547). THE SITUATION: Golden State (67-29) took a 2-0 lead in this series on Thursday with their 114-111 win at home over Portland (61-35). The Trail Blazers return home where they will host the third and fourth games of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE TRAIL BLAZERS MINUS THE POINTS: The Warriors rallied from a 65-50 halftime deficit while trailing in the final minute of the game to eke out Game Two. Golden State made 51.2% of their shots which was the best shooting effort in their last eight games. Expect a letdown from this team that will continue to play without Kevin Durant who will not be playing in either of these two games in Portland. While defeating the Blazers in the first two games in this series was their preferred outcome, their success double-digit comeback may have served to enable their penchant to believe they can turn on and off the switch regarding their energy and effort level. Look for Golden State to get stung with that bad habit tonight. As it is, the Warriors have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after a narrow win at home by 3 points or less. Furthermore, Golden State has failed to cover the point spread in 21 of their last 40 games after winning their last two games on their home court. Now this team goes back on the road where they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games when listed in the +/- 3-point range. And in their last 9 games when leading in a playoff series, the Warriors have failed to cover the point spread 6 times. Portland has bounced-back to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after losing their last two games on the road. Additionally, the Blazers have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after leading by at least 15 points at halftime of their last game. The 51.2% field goal percentage they allowed the Warriors to shoot was the worst defensive in their last eight games. They should play better on the defensive end of the court tonight considering that they have held their playoff opponents to just a 44.1% field goal percentage. Now Portland returns home where they are 37-10 with an average winning margin of +8.1 PPG. The Trail Blazers score 118.1 PPG on their home court while shooting 47.5% from the field. Portland has covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 home games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. The Blazers have also covered the point spread in a decisive 37 of their last 57 games when listed in the +/- 3-point range.

FINAL TAKE: Portland has covered the point spread in 21 of their last 31 games at home when attempting to avenge a loss where they allowed at least 100 points. 25* NBA Saturday Night Special Feature with the Portland Trail Blazers (548) minus the points versus the Golden State Warriors (547). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:15 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Chicago Cubs (957) versus the Washington Nationals (958) listing both starting pitchers Jon Lester and Stephen Strasburg. THE SITUATION: Chicago (26-16) has won four of their last five games with their 14-6 win over Washington (18-26) in the first game of this series last night. The Nationals have lost fifteen of their last twenty-two games.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CUBS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Chicago has won 10 of their last 13 games after a victory. The Cubs have also won 7 of their last 9 games after scoring at least five runs in their last game — and they have won 9 of their last 12 games after allowing at least five runs in their last contest. Furthermore, Chicago has won 8 of their last 11 games against teams with a losing record — and they have won 4 straight road games against teams with a losing record at home. They give the ball to Lester who is 3-1 with a 1.16 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP in seven starts this year. The left-hander has been more effective on the road where he owns an 0.89 WHIP with a .164 opponent’s batting average in three starts as compared to his 1.32 WHIP and .289 opponent’s batting average at home. Lester’s disparate home/road splits are consistent with last year where he had a 2.87 ERA with a 1.24 WHIP on the road as compared to his 3.71 ERA and 1.37 WHIP when pitching at Wrigley Field. The Cubs have won 18 of their last 22 road games with Lester facing a team with a losing record. Chicago has also won 16 of their last 20 games with Lester pitching with the Total set in the 8.5 to 10 range. Lester has not allowed an earned run in his last three starts spanning 19 2/3 innings of work while striking out 20 batters during that span. The Cubs have won 13 of their last 15 games when Lester is on the mound after not allowing more than two earned runs in two straight games. He faces a Nationals team that is scoring only 3.6 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven contests while hitting just .226 with a .283 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .628 over that span. Washington (18-26) has lost 9 of their last 12 games against left-handed starting pitchers — and they have lost 8 of their last 11 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.15 or lower. The Nationals have lost 7 of their last 8 games after scoring at least five runs in their last game — and they have lost 15 of their last 22 home games after a game where at least 15 combined runs were scored. Washington has also lost 17 of their last 25 games played at night. Furthermore, the Nationals have lost 11 of their last 17 home games when priced at least as a -110 favorite. They also have lost 20 of their last 32 games wit hate Total set in the 7 to 8.5 range. They counter with Strasburg who is 3-3 with a 3.63 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP in nine starts. The right-hander has been less effective at home where he has a 3.86 ERA with a 1.09 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .237 as compared in four starts as opposed to his 3.5 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and .188 opponent’s batting average on the road. Strasburg had a 5.02 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and .252 opponent’s batting average at home as compared to his 2.40 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and .227 opponent’s batting average on the road. Washington has lost 3 of their last 4 home games with Strasburg on the hill. He faces a Cubs team that has won 20 of their last 27 games against right-handed starting pitchers.

FINAL TAKE: Chicago is scoring 6.6 Runs-Per-Game on the road with a .279 batting average along with a .352 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .849. While both these starting pitchers are performing quite well right now, the Cubs superior offense should make the difference in this game which makes them an intriguing underdog tonight. 25* MLB Saturday Fox-TV Game of the Month with the money-line on the Chicago Cubs (957) versus the Washington Nationals (958) listing both starting pitchers Jon Lester and Stephen Strasburg. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:35 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Toronto Raptors (545) and the Milwaukee Bucks (546). THE SITUATION: Milwaukee (69-23) won the opening game of this series on Wednesday with their 108-100 victory over Toronto (66-29). The Bucks host Game Two of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Bucks won this game despite shooting just 39.8% from the field which was the lowest shooting mark in their last five games. The seven-day break they experienced after defeating the Celtics in five games resulted in some cold shooters for this Milwaukee team. The Bucks made only 11 of their 44 shots from behind the arc for a 25% shooting clip which was well below their 35.8% percentage when playing at home. Milwaukee scores a robust 119.0 PPG when playing at home given their up-tempo pace and their 47.8% field goal percentage. The Bucks have played 4 of their last 5 home games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. Milwaukee should be primed for a better shooting effort tonight as they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total when playing with one day of rest. Additionally, the Bucks have played 7 of their last 11 games Over the Total after winning five games in a row (as they have after dropping Game One of their series with Boston. Milwaukee has also played 4 straight second games of a playoff series Over the Total. And while the Bucks have not allowed their last three opponents shoot better than 37.8% from the floor, they have then played 7 of their last 9 games Over the Total after not allowing their last three opponents to make more than 42% of their shots in three straight games. Toronto entered the fourth quarter of Game One with 83 points but only Kyrie Lowery managed to score a field goal in those final 12 minutes of play with Kawhi Leonard showing signs of fatigue by missing all three of his field goal attempts during that span. The Raptors shot just 37% from the field which was the lowest shooting effort in their last six games. Toronto has played 19 of their last 30 games Over the Total as an underdog in the 3.5 to 9.5 range — and this includes them playing five of these last eight situations Over the Total. The Raptors have also played 6 of their last 8 games on the road Over the Total when an underdog getting 6.5 to 12 points. And in their last 6 playoff games in the second game of the series, Toronto played 4 of these games Over the Total.

FINAL TAKE: The Raptors have played 16 of their last 26 games Over the Total when playing with revenge from a loss where they allowed at least 100 points. And while Toronto has lost the last two games between these two teams, they have then played 7 of their last 10 games Over the Total when looking to avenge at least two straight losses to their opponent. 25* NBA Friday Night O/U Special Feature with Over the Total in the game between the Toronto Raptors (545) and the Milwaukee Bucks (546). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the St. Louis Blues (18) versus the San Jose Sharks (17). THE SITUATION: San Jose (56-34-7) took a 2-1 lead in this series on Wednesday with their 5-4 win in overtime. St. Louis (54-35-9) hosts the fourth game of this series tonight looking to make this a three-game series going back to San Jose for that Sunday afternoon clash.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BLUES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: St. Louis has to bounce-back emotionally from the bad non-call in overtime with the Sharks’ Eric Karlsson being the beneficiary of an illegal hand pass that set up his game-winning goal at the 5:23 mark in overtime. I like the way head coach Craig Berube has responded which encourages me that the Blues will be completely focused on the task at hand tonight. This St. Louis team has been very tough when responding to adversity — particularly their goaltender, Jordan Binnington. The Blues were a perfect 6-0 after a loss with Binnington between the pipes during the regular where he posted a .935 save percentage in those contests. Binnington then stopped 24 of the 26 shots he faced in the second game of this series as the Blues’ rebounded from an opening 6-3 loss in Game One to upset the Sharks in San Jose in Game Two by a 4-2 score (in a game in which they dominated). St. Louis has won 4 of their last 6 games in these playoffs bouncing-back from a loss with Binnington posting a .932 save percentage in those games. The Blues have won 6 of their last 8 games after a loss by just one goal at home. St. Louis has also won 11 of their last 17 games after a game where both teams scored at least four goals. Additionally, the Blues have won 28 of their last 40 games when playing with just one day of rest — and they do have the younger legs in this series. St. Louis has found the back of the net at least three times in their last three games — and they have won 16 of their last 24 games after scoring at least three goals in three straight games. The Blues have won 17 of their last 24 games on their home ice — and they have won 7 of their last 9 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. Despite their win on Wednesday, San Jose is just 23-21-4 on the road this season. They have lost four of their seven road games in these playoffs while being outscored by a 25 to 17 margin. The Sharks have also lost 7 of their last 10 games on the road. San Jose has not responded well after winning in this postseason as they have lost 4 of their last 5 games after a win — and they have lost 10 of their last 16 games after a win on the road where they scored at least four goals. Defense remains an issue for this team as they have allowed 3.4 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games — and they give up 3.4 Goals-Per-Game when playing on the road. The Sharks have lost 5 of their last 7 games in the playoffs as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range.

FINAL TAKE: San Jose has lost their last 5 games when leading in a playoff series. Look for the Blues to even this series at 2-2 tonight. 25* NHL Western Conference Game of the Year with the money-line on the St. Louis Blues (18) versus the San Jose Sharks (17). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:10 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the Los Angeles Dodgers (905) versus the Cincinnati Reds (906) listing both starting pitchers Rich Hill and Anthony DeSclafani. THE SITUATION: Los Angeles (29-16) has won three straight games — and seven of their last nine contests — with their 2-0 victory against San Diego on Wednesday. Cincinnati (20-24) has won their last two games with their 4-2 win over the Cubs on Thursday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE DODGERS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Los Angeles has won 17 of their last 25 games after a victory — and they have won 22 of their last 28 games after not scoring more than two runs in their last game. Additionally, the Dodgers have won 23 of their last 30 games are not allowing more than two runs in their last game — and they have won 7 of their last 8 games after not allowing more than one run in their last game. And Los Angeles has won 40 of their last 59 games after an off day. The Dodgers’ bullpen has not allowed an earned run in three straight contests — and they have then won 12 of their last 16 games after not allowing an earned run in their last game while also winning 19 of their last 28 games after not giving up an earned run in three straight games. They give the ball to Hill who is 0-1 with a 4.28 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP in three starts this season after starting the season on the disabled list with a knee injury. Hill allowed three runs after the first four batters in his last start which was at home against the Nationals — but he settled down to complete 5 innings without giving up any more runs. The left-hander tends to give up runs in the first-inning before settling down — but he did conclude last season by not allowing a run in the first inning in three of his last four starts on the road. Hill was 11-5 last year with a 3.66 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP while being more effective on the road with a 3.63 ERA with a 1.04 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .193. When the 39-year old is healthy (and not dealing with blisters), he is a nasty customer for opposing hitters. The Dodgers have won 12 of their last 18 road games with Hill on the mound favored by at least a -125 price. He faces a Cincinnati team that has lost 9 of their last 13 games against left-handed starting pitchers. The Reds have also lost 21 of their last 30 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 or higher. Cincinnati has lost 5 of their last 7 games after not allowing more than two runs in their last game. The Reds have also lost 18 of their last 26 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. They have also lost 15 of their last 21 games when priced in the +/- 125 range. Cincinnati stays at home in the Great American Ballpark where they have lost 4 of their last 5 games as the underdog. They counter with DeSclafani who is 2-1 with a 4.17 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP in eight starts. The right-hander has not been as effective at home where he owns a 4.80 ERA with a 1.33 WHIP in three starts. His disparate home/road splits are consistent with last season where he had a 5.02 ERA with a .267 opponent’s batting average at home which was both a bit worse than his 4.78 ERA and .265 opponent’s batting average when pitching on the road. DeSclafani entered this season with a mandate to improve his location, especially against left-handed hitters. He had a 19.8% Fly Ball-to-Home Run ratio last year which translated into 24 home runs allowed in 115 innings of work. Tony Disco has surrendered 7 home runs in 41 innings of work so giving up the long ball remains an issue — and the Great American Ballpark has a short right field fence (370 feet in right-center to 325 feet down the line) which explains why he tends to be not as effective in that environment. Cincinnati has lost 4 of their last 5 games at home with DeSclafani on the hill. He faces a powerful Dodgers lineup that is scoring 5.5 Runs-Per-Game against right-handed starting pitchers with a .264 batting average along with a .346 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .825. Los Angeles has also won 20 of their last 29 games against right-handed starting pitchers.

FINAL TAKE: The Dodgers swept the three-game series these teams had in mid-April. The Reds have lost a decisive 50 of their last 71 games when playing with at least double-revenge. 25* MLB Road Warrior of the Month with the money-line on the Los Angeles Dodgers (905) versus the Cincinnati Reds (906) listing both starting pitchers Rich Hill and Anthony DeSclafani. Best of luck for us — Frank.