At 9:05 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Portland Trail Blazers (543) plus the points versus the Golden State Warriors (544). THE SITUATION: Golden State (66-29) won the opening game of this series on Tuesday with their 116-94 victory over Portland (61-34) as a 7-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE TRAIL BLAZERS PLUS THE POINTS: Portland seemed physically spent on Tuesday as well as still suffering from the emotional hangover of pulling out their seven-game series on the road in Denver just two days earlier. The Trail Blazers made only 36.1% of their shots which was the worst shooting effort for them this season. They also committed 21 turnovers. This team also lacked focus on the defensive end of the court as they allowed the Warriors to make 50% of their shots in what was the worst defensive effort in their last seven contests. The funk that Portland endured extended to their head coach with Terry Stotts being having his team play too far off Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson as if the bigger threat on offense was the Warriors role players who were still dealing with one-on-one defenders. It is incredible — after Houston overcompensated in the sixth and final game in that series by barely paying attention to the non-Splash Brothers in the first half of that game, the Blazers pulled a complete 180-degree turn as they focused more efforts trying to slow down the likes of Kevon Looney. Needless to say, I expect Stotts and this Portland team to find a happy medium where they correctly identify the Splash Brothers as the two biggest scoring threats for the Warriors without then leaving open shots for the remaining three Golden State players on the court. The Blazers have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a straight-up loss. Portland has also covered the point spread in 9 of their last 15 games when playing their third game in five days. The Warriors are the type of team that the Trail Blazers tend to find success against. Golden State allows 111.2 PPG this season — and Portland has covered the point spread in 19 of their last 28 games in the second half of the season against opponents who allow at least 110 PPG. The Warriors’ bench outscored the Blazers’ bench by a 36 to 28 margin in Game One of this series. Portland’s bench should outplay the Golden State bench tonight — they outscored the Nuggets’ bench last round by a 34.1 to 25.1 PPG margin. The Warriors have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a point spread victory. Additionally, Golden State is just 19-41-2 ATS in their last 62 games after a double-digit victory — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 19 of their last 28 games after a win by at least 15 points. The Warriors have won three straight games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 35 of their last 57 games after winning at least three straight contests. Golden State followed up their inspiring upset win on the road at Houston in Game Six of that series even without Kevin Durant by playing one of their best games of the season on Tuesday once again without Durant. Their 50% shooting mark was the best field goal percentage in their last six games — and the 36.1% shooting mark they held the Blazers to was the best defensive performance in their last seventeen games. Yet this remains a team that has failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games with the Total set in the 210 to 219.5 point range. Golden State is now 31-4 straight-up in their last thirty-five games when playing without Durant but still having a healthy Curry — but that does not mean they have covered the point spread as the favorite in all those games. The Warriors have suffered from hubris too often when in comfortable situations this season — and this is especially when playing at home. Expect a flat effort from them tonight.

FINAL TAKE: Portland should respond with an inspired effort themselves after their subpar performance on Tuesday. The Blazers have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games when attempting to avenge a double-digit loss — and they have covered the point spread in 8 straight games when playing with revenge from a double-digit loss on the road. Portland has also covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games when avenging a loss by at least 20 points — and this includes them covering the point spread in these last four situations. 25* NBA Thursday Night Special Feature with the Portland Trail Blazers (543) plus the points versus the Golden State Warriors (544). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Boston Bruins (15) and the Carolina Hurricanes (16). THE SITUATION: Boston (60-29-9) took a commanding 3-0 lead in this series on Tuesday with their 2-1 victory on the road at Carolina (54-35-7). The Hurricanes look to stave off elimination tonight as they host Game Four tonight.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Carolina has scored only five goals in the first three games of this series. Much of this can be blamed on their struggling Power Play as the Hurricanes have failed to score in eleven straight opportunities with the man-advantage in this series. Overall, Carolina has scored only 5 Power Play goals in their 50 opportunities for a 10% success rate in this postseason. But the Hurricanes are also facing a red hot goaltender in Tuukka Rask. The Bruins have won six straight games with Rask sporting a 1.50 Goals-Against-Average over that span while stopping 196 of the 205 shots he has faced in those six games for a sensational .956 save percentage. Carolina came out on fire on Tuesday as they peppered Rask with 20 shots. But after Rask stopped every one of those shot attempts, this Hurricanes team look frustrated as they fell behind then by a 2-0 score before narrowing that game to a one-goal deficit before finally losing that game. Carolina probably took from that game that they cannot expect to win high scoring games with this Bruins team — so they will likely be looking to eke out a low-scoring game. The Hurricanes have played 6 of their last 9 games Under the Total after a loss by just one goal on their home ice. Carolina has also played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after losing three straight games — and they have played 13 of their last 17 home games Under the Total after losing at least three in a row. And while this is the Hurricanes’ fifth game in the last fourteen days, they have then played 13 of their last 17 home games Under the Total when playing no more than their fifth game in the last fourteen days. Carolina will likely stick with Curtis McElhinney between the pipes after he stopped 29 of the 31 shots he faced on Tuesday. The Hurricanes are allowing only 2.5 Goals-Per-Game when playing at home. Boston is allowing only 2.1 Goals-Per-Game in the playoffs — and they have given up just 1.6 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games. The Bruins have played 6 of their last 8 road games Under the Total after a narrow win by just one goal. Boston has also played 25 of their last 37 games Under the Total after scoring no more than two goals in their last game. And while the Bruins have won six straight games in a row, they have then played 5 straight games Under the Total after winning at least six games in a row. Boston has played 4 straight games Under the Total on the road — and they have played 30 of their last 47 games Under the Total when playing at least two straight games away from home. The Bruins have also played 15 of their last 23 road games Under the Total with the number set at 5.5. And in their last 26 games in the playoffs when favored priced in the -110 to -150 price range, the Under is 15-6-5.

FINAL TAKE: Carolina has played 14 of their last 19 games Under the Total when playing with revenge from a loss by at least one goal. The Hurricanes have also played 14 of their last 19 games Under the Total when playing with revenge from a loss at home. Expect another lower-scoring game. 25* NHL Eastern Conference Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Boston Bruins (15) and the Carolina Hurricanes (16). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:35 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Milwaukee Bucks (532) minus the points versus the Toronto Raptors (531). THE SITUATION: Milwaukee (68-23) takes the court again for the first time since last Wednesday when they closed out their five-game series with Boston with their 116-91 victory as an 8.5-point favorite. Toronto (66-28) survived their seven-game series with their 92-90 victory over Philadelphia as a 6-point favorite on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BUCKS MINUS THE POINTS: The Raptors will likely still be emotionally and physically fatigued from that grueling seven-game series with the 76ers. Toronto has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 home games against teams from the Atlantic Division. The Raptors have also failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 10 games after allowing no more than 90 points in their last game. Now this team goes back on the road where they have failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 19 home games against teams who are winning at least 60% of their games on their home court. Toronto has also failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 17 opening games to a new series. With fatigue being a potential issue for the Raptors tonight, the energy that will come from the respective benches of both teams will likely play a significant role. Toronto’s bench has played less than 30% of the total minutes for the Raptors this postseason — and bench players accounted for just 24.8% of the team’s minutes in the Sixers’ series. Toronto’s bench has averaged 21.6 PPG in these playoffs on 38.9% shooting. Milwaukee’s bench has averaged 39.8% of the team’s minutes in the playoffs while scoring 37.4 PPG fueled by 48.1% shooting from the field. Head coach Mike Budenholzer will want his team pushing the pace tonight in the attempt to wear out this Raptors team that may still be suffering from the hangover of their victory on Sunday. The Bucks have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 home games after a win by at least 20 points — and they are 23-7-1 ATS in their last 31 games after a double-digit win. Milwaukee has also covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a point spread victory. The Bucks got an additional lift in their series with the Celtics as Malcolm Brogdon returned to the court after being out with an injury for months — he played 17 minutes in Game Five. Milwaukee is playing outstanding on the defensive end of the court as they held Boston to just 31.2% and 37.8% shooting in the last two games of that series. The Bucks have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after not allowing their last two opponents to shoot better than 39% from the field. Milwaukee stays at home where they are 37-9 this season with an average winning margin of +12.5 PPG. The Bucks have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games at home — and they are 10-4-1 ATS in their last 15 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. Milwaukee has also covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games with the Total set in the 210 to 219.5 point range — and this includes them covering the point spread in seven of their last eight games at home with the Total set in that range. The Bucks have also covered the point spread in 25 of their last 38 games when favored in the 3.5 to 9.5 range.

FINAL TAKE: Toronto has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 meetings with Milwaukee after losing to them at home in their last meeting back on January 31st at home by a 105-92 score. The Raptors have failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 21 games when playing with revenge against their opponents. 25* NBA Wednesday Night Special Feature with the Milwaukee Bucks (532) minus the points versus the Toronto Raptors (531). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:05 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Portland Trail Blazers (533) and the Golden State Warriors (534). THE SITUATION: Portland (61-33) advanced to the Western Conference Finals on Sunday with their 100-96 upset victory in Denver as a 5.5-point underdog. Golden State (65-29) reached the Western Conference Finals two days earlier on Friday when they upset Houston on the road by a 118-113 sore as a 7.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Warriors stepped up without Kevin Durant on Friday as they made 49.4% of their shots which was the best shooting effort in their last five games. But this team will miss Durant’s scoring ability as he will likely miss the first few games of this series. Stephen Curry was outstanding in the second half by scoring 33 points — but he did not score in a first half where Golden State got surprising scoring contributions from their reserves. Curry and Klay Thompson have been inconsistent in these playoffs. This team is making only 46.4% of their shots over their last five games which is far below their 49.0% field goal percentage for the season. The Warriors have played 10 of their last 14 games Under the Total after a point spread win. Golden State has also played 17 of their last 25 home games Under the Total after a game where at least 225 combined points were scored. The Warriors return home where they have played 12 of their last 17 games Under the Total — and they have played 36 of their last 58 home games Under the Total when favored in the 6.5 to 12 point range. Additionally, Golden State has played 5 straight games Under the Total in the Western Conference Finals. The Warriors are making 38.3% of their shots from behind the arc — and Portland has played 41 of their last 68 games Under the Total against teams who shoot at least 36% from behind the arc. The Trail Blazers have stepped up their play on the defensive end of the court. They held the Nuggets to just 37.1% shooting on Sunday after limiting them to a 38.4% field goal percentage in Game Six of that series. Portland has held their last five opponents to a 42.9% field goal percentage which is a few clicks better than their 45.3% opponent’s field goal percentage for the season. But the Blazers are making only 42.4% of their shots over their last five games which is a bit below their 46.4% field goal percentage for the year. Portland will also likely be without their super sub, Rodney Hood, who has been downgraded to being doubtful given the knee injury he suffered in Sunday’s game. The Trail Blazers have also played 12 of their last 20 games Under the Total as an underdog getting 3.5 to 9.5 points.

FINAL TAKE: This is Golden State’s fourth game in the last ten days — and in games involving teams who have won five or six of their last seven games and is now playing just their fourth game (or less) in the last ten days, these games finished Under the Total in 435 of the last 764 situations where these conditions applied. 25* NBA Tuesday Night O/U Special Feature with Under the Total in the game between the Portland Trail Blazers (533) and the Golden State Warriors (534). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Carolina Hurricanes (12) versus the Boston Bruins (11). THE SITUATION: Boston (59-29-9) took a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday with their 6-2 win over Carolina (54-34-7). This series moves to Charlotte with the Hurricanes hosting the third and fourth games.

REASONS TO TAKE CAROLINA WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Hurricanes should play much better returning to their home ice where they have won all 5 of their last playoff games this season. For the year, Carolina is 29-13-4 when playing at home — and they have won 21 of their last 27 games at home. The Hurricanes have also won 5 straight home games against teams with a winning record on the road. And in their last 11 home games with the Total set at 5.5, Carolina has won 10 of these contests. Despite being outscored by an 11-4 margin in the first two games of this series, this remains a very good team that led the entire NHL in the regular season in Corsi-For and Fenwick-For that measures puck possession numbers. The Hurricanes should respond with a very strong effort tonight as they have won 5 of their last 7 games after a loss by at least three goals. Carolina has also won 4 of their last 5 games after allowing at least five goals in their last contest. Additionally, the Hurricanes have won 23 of their last 28 games when favored — and they have won 17 of their last 21 games when favored in the playoffs. Boston won the opening game of this series by a 5-2 score — but they have then lost 4 of their last 6 games after winning two straight games by at least three goals. And while the Bruins have scored at least three goals in five straight games, they have then lost 6 of their last 9 games after scoring at least three goals in two straight contests. Now Boston goes back on the road where they are 24-17-6 this season — but they have lost 12 of their last 17 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home ice. The Bruins have also lost 5 straight third games in a playoff series.

FINAL TAKE: Carolina head coach Rod Brind’Amour has not announced if he will continue with Petr Mrazek between the pipes or tap Craig McElhinney to play in goal tonight. This decision does not impact my thoughts on this game since both goaltenders platooned this season — and McElhinney played well to help the Hurricanes close out their series with Winnipeg after Mrazek suffered an injury. Carolina has won 12 of their last 17 games when avenging a loss by at least three goals — and they have won 7 of their last 9 games when playing with revenge from a loss on the road by three or more goals. The Hurricanes have also won 5 of their last 7 games when avenging a loss of at least four goals — and they have won 4 straight games when playing with revenge from a loss by at least four goals on the road. 25* NHL Eastern Conference Game of the Year with the money-line on the Carolina Hurricanes (12) versus the Boston Bruins (11). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:08 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the St. Louis Blues (7) and the San Jose Sharks (8). THE SITUATION: San Jose (55-33-7) won the opening game of this series on Saturday with their 6-3 victory over St. Louis (53-34-9). The Sharks host the second game of this series Monday night.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: San Jose has been an offensive juggernaut on their home ice. They are scoring 3.7 Goals-Per-Game at home and they are back at full strength with their leading scorer, Joe Pavelski, back on the ice after he missed the first six games of last round’s series with Colorado. Most of those games’ Totals were set at 6 despite Pavelski still recovering from the head injury he suffered in the third period of their Game Seven with Vegas in the opening round of the playoffs — so grabbing a 5.5 is a nice opportunity for this situation. The Sharks have played 21 of their last 30 games Over the Total after a win at home — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after scoring at least five goals in their last game. This is San Jose’s third straight game at home after they disposed of the Avalanche in seven games — and they have played 9 of their last 12 games Over the Total after winning their last two games at home. Furthermore, the Sharks have played 11 of their last 13 home games Over the Total. Additionally, San Jose has played 6 of their last 8 playoff games Over the Total when favored in the -110 to -150 price range. And in their last 4 games in the Western Conference Finals, the Sharks have played all 4 of these games Over the Total. St. Louis has played 10 of their last 15 games Over the Total after a game where at least eight combined goals were scored. The Blues stay on the road where the Over is 3-0-1 in their last 4 games. And in their last 4 playoff games as an underdog, the Over is 3-0-1.

FINAL TAKE: San Jose is going to score their share of goals on home ice at the SAP Center. With the Blues needing to win this game to avoid an undesirable 0-2 deficit when they return to St. Louis to play Games Three and Four, look for them to be very aggressive in trying to score goals. 25* NHL Western Conference Playoff Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the St. Louis Blues (7) and the San Jose Sharks (8). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:35 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Milwaukee Brewers (901) and the Philadelphia Phillies (902) listing both starting pitchers Freddy Peralta and Aaron Nola. THE SITUATION: Milwaukee (24-18) has lost two straight games after their 4-1 loss in Chicago last night against the Cubs. Philadelphia (23-16) has won two straight games with their 6-1 victory in Kansas City yesterday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Phillies have played 4 straight games Under the Total after a win — and they have played 11 straight games Under the Total after scoring at least five runs in their last game. Philadelphia has also played 4 straight games Under the Total after allowing at least two runs in their last game. They give the ball to Nola who is 3-0 with a 4.57 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP in eight starts. The right-hander has been more effective at home this season given his 3.77 ERA in five starts. Nola had a 2.34 ERA at home last year. After a slow start, Nola has looked like the pitcher who concluded the year with a 2.37 ERA along with a 0.97 WHIP in thirty-three starts. Over his last four starts, Nola has a 2.25 ERA while striking out 26 batters in 24 innings of work over that span. The Phillies have played 13 of their last 16 games Under the Total with Nola pitching as a favorite priced at least at -150. The Under is also 18-5-2 in Philadelphia’s last 25 games after scoring at least five runs in their last game. He faces a Brewers team that is hitting just .218 on the road with a .300 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .666 — and their slugger, Ryan Braun, is questionable tonight with a hamstring injury. Milwaukee has played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total after a loss. The Brewers gave up more than three runs for the first time in nine games last night — and they have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after not allowing more than four runs in at least four straight games. And while Milwaukee’s bullpen has thrown 13 1/3 innings over their last three games, they have then played 12 of their last 15 games Under the Total after their pen combined to throw at least 13 innings in their last three games. The Brewers stay on the road where they have played 13 of their last 18 games Under the Total. Milwaukee has also played 27 of their last 35 road games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. The counter with Peralta who is 2-1 with a 6.75 ERA and a 1.61 WHIP in six games. After Peralta was used after an opener in his last outing against Washington where he allowed only three hits and no runs in 5 innings of work, manager Craig Counsell will have him start in the first inning tonight. He has been better on the road where he has a 0.97 WHIP and .227 opponent’s batting average. The Brewers have played 5 of their last 6 road games Under the Total with Peralta pitching as a money-line underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. The Under is 15-5-1 in the Phillies’ last 21 games when facing a starting pitcher with a WHIP of 1.30 or higher. The Under is also 13-3-1 in Philadelphia’s last 17games against right-handed starting pitchers.

FINAL TAKE: Philadelphia is hitting only .225 over their last seven games with a .312 On-Batting Average and an OPS of .638 over that span. Expect a low-scoring game between these two teams. 25* MLB Monday Night ESPN Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Milwaukee Brewers (901) and the Philadelphia Phillies (902) listing both starting pitchers Freddy Peralta and Aaron Nola. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Toronto Raptors (522) minus the points versus the Philadelphia 76ers (521). THE SITUATION: Philadelphia (58-35) forced a climactic seventh game in this series on Thursday with their 112-101 upset win at home over Toronto (65-28) as a 1.5-point underdog. The Raptors return home to host this seventh game.

REASONS TO TAKE TORONTO MINUS THE POINTS: The Raptors should bounce-back from that underwhelming effort on Thursday as they have covered the point spread in 6 straight games after a double-digit loss — and they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after an upset loss by at least 10 points. Toronto has also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a point spread loss. The Raptors need to work harder in this game after allowing the 76ers to out-rebound them by a 64 to 43 margin. Toronto has covered the point spread in 14 of their last 20 games after being out-rebounded by at least 15 boards in their last game. The Raptors return home where they are 36-11 this season with an average winning margin of +8.5 PPG. Toronto scores a healthy 114.3 PPG on their home court while making 47.6% of their shots. The Raptors have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games at home — and they have covered the points spread in 16 of their last 19 home games against fellow Atlantic Division opponents. After allowing the Sixers to make 46.1% of their shots on Thursday, Toronto should tighten up on defense as they have held their playoff opponents to make only 41.1% of their shots. Philadelphia may be due for a letdown after extending this series to seven games. They have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after an upset victory — and they have also failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 12 games after a double-digit win. The 76ers have also failed to cover the point spread in 22 of their last 34 games after a win on their home court. And this team has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after out-rebounding their last opponent by at least 20 boards. Now they go back on the road where they have not nearly as good — nor consistent — as they have been on their home court. Philly is just 23-23 on the road where they are being outscored by -2.9 PPG. They have failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 25 road games against divisional rivals — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 road games with the Total set in the 210 to 219.5 point range. And while the last two games of this series have finished Over the Total, the Sixers have failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 25 games after playing two straight Overs.

FINAL TAKE: The 76ers have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games between these two teams when playing in Toronto. 25* NBA Second Round Playoff Game of the Year with the Toronto Raptors (522) minus the points versus the Philadelphia 76ers (521). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:30 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Denver Nuggets (526) minus the points versus the Portland Trail Blazers (525). THE SITUATION: Portland (60-33) forced a climactic seventh game of this Western Conference series on Thursday with their 119-108 victory at home over Denver (61-34) as a 4-point home favorite. The Nuggets host this game at the Pepsi Center.

REASONS TO TAKE THE NUGGETS MINUS THE POINTS: Denver should respond with a strong effort as they have bounced-back to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a point spread loss. The additionally second day of rest for this Nuggets team should help as they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games when playing with two days of rest. Denver shot just 38.4% from the field on Thursday with their bench not offering much production — that was the worst shooting effort in their last four games. But now this team returns home where their outstanding second unit usually plays much better. The Nuggets are 39-9 on their home court this season while outscoring their visitors by +10.1 PPG. Denver makes 48% of their shots on their home court. The Nuggets have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 20 home games when favored by no more than 6 points. They have scored at a 115.2 points per 100 possession pace in this series which has been the most efficient of all the teams in the second round of the playoffs. The X-factor in this game should be Nikola Jokic who has been the best player in this series. Even in a losing effort in Game Six, Jokic scored 29 points on 10 of 15 shooting while adding 12 rebounds and eight assists. The Trail Blazers Evan Kanter simply cannot slow him down on defense. In theory, Kanter’s defensive liabilities are made up for with his offensive prowess — but his shoulder injury has slowed him down on the offensive end of the court. Kanter managed only 6 points on 2 of 9 shooting in Portland’s winning effort on Thursday. Denver has played good defense in this series as they have limited the Blazers to just 42.7% shooting over their last five games. Portland has failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a win at home over a fellow Northwest Division rival. The Blazers bench played a key role in that Game Six win with Rodney Hood scoring 25 points and Zach Collins playing key minutes for this team. But Portland has not been nearly as good when playing on the road — and this is particularly true of their role players. The Trail Blazers are just 23-23 on the road this year where they are being outscored by their home hosts. Portland has failed to cove rah point spread in 5 of their last 7 games on the road — and they are just 2-5-1 ATS in their last 8 games at Denver. And while the Blazers have only covered the point spread twice in their last seven games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 18 road games after failing to cover the point spread in five or six of their last seven games. Portland has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games when tied in a playoff series — and they have also failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games when attempting to close out a playoff series.

FINAL TAKE: The Nuggets have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 18 games at home when playing with revenge from a loss. Their home court advantage — along with Jokic — should make the difference in this seventh game. 25* NBA Northwest Division Game of the Year with the Denver Nuggets (526) minus the points versus the Portland Trail Blazers (525). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:08 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Carolina Hurricanes (5) and the Boston Bruins (6). THE SITUATION: Boston (58-29-9) won the first game of this series on Thursday with their 5-2 victory over Carolina (54-33-7). The Bruins host the second game of this series this afternoon.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Boston entered the third period of that game trailing by a 2-1 score before scoring three times to win that game easily. The Bruins have scored at least three goals in four straight games — and they have totaled 16 goals scored in those four contests. They should keep it up this afternoon as they are scoring 3.4 Goals-Per-Game on their home ice. This team is getting it down with their Power Play after scoring twice with a man-advantage in Game One of this series. Boston has scored 12 Power Play goals in these playoffs in their 40 opportunities with the man-advantage for a 30% success rate that is tops of all teams in the playoffs. The Bruins have won four straight games after winning their six-game series at Columbus by a 3-0 score. Boston has played 10 of their last 15 games Over the Total after winning two straight games by at least two goals — and they have played 7 of their last 10 games Over the Total after winning their last two games by at least three goals. The Bruins have also played 15 of their last 24 games Over the Total after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. And in their last 5 playoff games when favored in the -151 to -200 price range, the Over is 4-0-1. Carolina has played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after scoring two goals or less in their last game — and the Over is 4-1-1 in their last 6 games after a loss by at least three goals. The Hurricanes have also played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total when playing with two days of rest. Carolina should get their offense cranking in this important game for them to steal since they do not want to return to Charlotte with a 2-0 deficit. They are scoring 3.0 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. However, they are also allowing 2.9 Goals-Per-Game when playing on the road. The Hurricanes have played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total on the road — and they have played 5 of their last 6 road games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home ice. Additionally, Carolina has played 5 of their last 7 playoff games Over the Total as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range.

FINAL TAKE: The Hurricanes have played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total when playing with revenge from a loss by at least three goals. Furthermore, the Over is 7-1-1 in the last 9 meetings between these two teams — and this includes four straight Overs when playing in Boston. 25* NHL Third Round NBC-TV Playoff Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Carolina Hurricanes (5) and the Boston Bruins (6). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:00 AM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Burnley (200046) plus the Goal-Line versus Arsenal (20045). THE SITUATION: Burnley (11-7-19) closes out their season at home looking to bounce-back from a 2-0 loss at Everton back on May 3rd. Arsenal (20-7-20) comes off a 1-1 draw at home to Brighton and Hove Albion last Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE BURNLEY PLUS THE GOAL-LINE: Arsenal comes off a 4-2 victory at Valencia on Thursday in the second-leg of their Europa League Semifinals match. The Gunners advanced to the Finals of that event so there is a very good chance that manager Unai Emery will be rotating players for this match. Emery has conceded that he does think his team has much of a chance to catch up to Tottenham who is currently in fourth place in the English Premier League standings as they are three points behind them while also trailing them in the tie-breaker goal differential by eight goals — so the Gunners would need to win this match by at least seven goals along with seeing the Spurs lose at home to Everton simultaneously. Despite their Europa run, this Arsenal team is not in form as they are just 0-1-3 in their matches. The Gunners’ defense has not been very good as of late as they have conceded 11 goals over their last six EPL contests which is the third most allowed over that span in the league. Arsenal has allowed 20 big chances in those last six matches which is the most in the EPL as well. In their last four matches, the Gunners have conceded 10 goals while scoring just four times. The deeper metrics suggest that this Arsenal team has overachieved this season as the Expected Goals analytics project that they should have only generated 58.61 points this season as compared to the 67 points that places them 5th in the EPL table. Furthermore, the Gunners are just 1-1-3 in their last five matches on the road where they have scored just three times. Burnley started the seasons 0-1-4 with their depth being severely tested by their campaign in the Europa League after finishing in sixth place in the EPL last season. Manager Sean Dyche’s side has played much better in the second half of the season to safely avoid relegation. The Clarets are just 0-1-2 in their last three matches — but those contests were against three quality sides in the Top-Eight in the standings against Manchester City, Chelsea, and a surging Everton side who has eight Clean Sheets in their last ten matches. Burnley only lost by one goal to Man City and earned a draw against Chelsea — and they won their three previous matches before this most recent gauntlet of three matches. The Clarets are getting good production from forward Chris Wood who has scored three times in his last five matches.

FINAL TAKE: Burnley would love to earn a victory in their last match of the year on their home pitch at Turf Moor. With the Clarets getting +0.5 goals in most spots, that proposition looks very enticing with a home draw being a significant possibility as well against an unmotivated Arsenal side who will likely be playing bench players. 25* English Premier League Match of the Year with the Burnley (200046) plus the Goal-Line versus Arsenal (20045). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:10 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Arizona Diamondbacks (908) versus the Atlanta Braves (907) listing both starting pitchers Merrill Kelly and Kevin Gausman. THE SITUATION: Atlanta (19-20) won the opening game of this series last night over Arizona (22-17) by a 2-1 score.

REASONS TO TAKE THE DIAMONDBACKS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Arizona has won 7 of their last 9 games after not allowing more than two runs in their last game — and they have won 7 of their last 9 games after a contest where no more than three combined runs were scored. The Diamondbacks are underdogs in this game because they are sending out their 30-year old rookie right-hander who is 3-3 with a 4.65 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP in seven starts. Kelly has been much better at home where he owns a 2.95 ERA with a 1.09 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .246 in three starts as opposed to his 6.53 ERA with a 1.84 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .286. He comes off a disappointing outing where he allowed 7 earned runs in just 4 innings of work at Tampa Bay on Monday. Kelly should be focused to redeem himself tonight after failing to complete five full innings of work — and he is facing a slumping Braves’ lineup that is scoring only 3.3 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .209 batting average along with a .253 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .600 over that span. Arizona is tough to beat at home even as underdogs as they have won 13 of their last 20 home games as a money-line dog. The Diamondbacks have also won 14 of their last 21 games in expected close games when listed in the +/- 125 price range. Atlanta has lost 6 of their last 8 games after not allowing more than two runs in their last game — and they have lost 6 of their last 7 games after allowing one run or less in their last contest. The Braves have also lost 5 of their last 6 games against teams with a winning record. Atlanta is now playing their ninth game in a row on the road — and they have lost 5 of their last 7 games after playing at least their last four games on the road. The Braves have also lost 5 of their last 7 road games with the Total set in the 8.5 to 10 range — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 road games against teams with a winning record. They counter with Gausman who is 1-3 with a 5.00 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP in seven starts. The right-hander has struggled in his last four starts where he has surrendered fourteen earned runs in 16 innings of work. Gausman has also struggled on the road where he has a 7.15 ERA with a 2.03 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .337 in three starts as compared to his 4.01 ERA with a 0.89 WHIP and .171 opponent’s batting average in four starts at home. Gausman’s teams have lost 4 of their last 5 games on road with him making the start — and his teams have lost 19 of their last 28 road games with him pitching as a favorite priced in the -110 to -150 price range.

FINAL TAKE: Despite winning last night, Atlanta has only won once in their last five meetings with the Diamondbacks. Arizona offers a very intriguing opportunity as a home underdog. 25* MLB National League Underdog of the Month with the money-line on the Arizona Diamondbacks (908) versus the Atlanta Braves (907) listing both starting pitchers Merrill Kelly and Kevin Gausman. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:05 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Golden State Warriors (519) and the Houston Rockets (520). THE SITUATION: Golden State (59-33) took a 3-2 lead in this series on Wednesday with their 104-99 victory at home over Houston (59-33) as a 6-point underdog. This series moves back to the Rockets’ Toyota Center tonight for Game Six with Houston looking to stave off elimination.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The calf injury that Kevin Durant suffered in the second half of this game that will keep him out the rest of this series is the most important intangible in handicapping this game. The Warriors will be looking to re-invent their Splash Brothers offense of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson circa the 2015-16 season before they signed Kevin Durant as a free agent. I do expect Golden State to attempt to play at a faster pace as their offense has tended to slow down to adapt to Durant’s isolation game in the half-court. But that all said, I do not expect the efficiency of the Warriors offense to significantly improve — especially without the luxury of having Durant that head coach Steve Kerr describes as the ultimate weapon. For starters, neither Curry nor Thompson are not in great form. Thomson’s series high is 27 points while he has only connected on thirteen shots from behind the arc in all five games. Curry has reached 30 points just once in this series while not nailing more than five 3-pointers in a game in this series while he seems to be slowed by a hyperextended left finger along with a right ankle issue. Furthermore, those pre-Durant Golden State teams had a better set of complementary offensive pieces (such as Harrison Barnes and a more productive Draymond Green on offense) than this current group that began the season banking on big contributions from DeMarcus Cousins. The Rockets have been doing a great job of defending Curry and Thompson in this series. Chris Paul remains a strong on-the-ball defender but what this Houston team has after him is a slew of guards with size whose length can mess with the Splash Brothers: James Harden is 6’5, Eric Gordon is 6’4, Austin Rivers is 6’4, Iman Shumpert is 6’5, Gerard Green is 6’7, and P.J. Tucker is 6’6. What head coach Mike D’Antoni chooses to do with Tucker will be particularly interesting since he has been relieved of being the primary defender on Durant for the Rockets. Frankly, Houston also has three more years of experience under their belts defending the Splash Brothers’ offense that a number of teams have copy-catted as they embraced up-tempo offensive systems that emphasize launching tons of 3s. And this Rockets team has steadily improved in their defensive play due to some important reconfigurations of their roster along with the continued work of their defensive guru in assistant coach Jeff Bzdelik. Houston boasted the second best Defensive Rating in the NBA over the last fifteen games of the regular season — and they have held their opponents in the playoffs to just 43.3% shooting from the field which has resulted in a -5.2 drop in points they are allowing per game from the 113.3 PPG they gave up in the regular season. Golden State typically plays harder on defense when they are away from home as well — they hold their home hosts to just 43.7% shooting as compared to the 44.4% overall mark this year. The Under is 10-2-1 in the Warriors’ last 13 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. Golden State has only covered the point spread twice in their last eight games — and they have played 30 of their last 46 games Under the Total after failing to cover the point spread in six or seven of their last eight games. The Under is also 19-7-1 in the Warriors’ last 27 games when playing with one day of rest. The Under is 18-5-2 in Houston’s last 26 games when playing with just one day of rest. Houston has also seen the Under go 7-2-1 in their last 10 games after a straight-up loss. The Rockets have only reached their 117.7 PPG scoring average once in this series with it being evident that Chris Paul is not the same offensive player that he once was. Paul is making only 45% of his midrange jump shots in these playoffs — and the 58% shooting inside feet of the basket is a few notches below the 61% mark he enjoyed in last year’s Western Conference Finals. Houston returns home where the Under is 8-3-2 in their last 13 games — and the Under is 5-1-1 in their last 7 home games against teams with a winning record on the road.

FINAL TAKE: The Rockets have played 19 of their last 26 games Under the Total when looking to stave off elimination in a playoff series. They will dedicate their defensive energies in stopping Curry and Thompson to dare the Warriors to rely on their secondary scorers. The Under is 20-8-1 in the last 29 meetings between these two teams when playing in Houston. 25* NBA Second Round ESPN Playoff Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Golden State Warriors (519) and the Houston Rockets (520). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:40 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the San Diego Padres (857) plus the +1.5 Run-Line versus the Colorado Rockies (858) listen both starting pitchers Eric Lauer and German Marquez. THE SITUATION: San Diego (21-17) enters this series having won three of their last four games with their 3-2 win over the New York Mets on Wednesday. Colorado (17-20) had lost three of their last four games before they defeated San Francisco yesterday by a 12-11 score.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PADRES PLUS THE +1.5 RUN-LINE: San Diego left only three runners on base in their victory over the Mets — and they have won 5 of their last 7 games after not leaving more than three runners on base in their last game. The Padres have also won 13 of their last 16 games after an off day — and they have won 15 of their last 22 opening games to a new series. Additionally, San Diego has won 9 of their last 13 road games even as a money-line underdog. The Padres are an impressive 11-6 away from Petco Field this season. They give the ball to Lauer who is 2-3 with a 4.30 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP in seven starts this season. The left-hander has been a bit more effective on the road this year where he has a 1.20 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .226 in three starts as compared to his 1.38 WHIP and .277 opponent’s batting average in four starts at home. San Diego has won 4 of their last 5 road games with Lauer on the hill — and they have also won 6 of their last 7 games with Lauer making the start in the opening game of a new series. He faces a Rockies team that has lost 6 of their last 7 home games against left-handed starting pitchers. Colorado has lost 4 straight games after a victory by two runs or less. The Rockies have also 5 of their last 6 games after scoring at least five runs in their last game — and they have lost 10 of their last 15 games after scoring at least 12 runs in their last contest. Colorado has allowed at least six runs in each of their last six games with their opponents clubbing at least ten runs in four of those contests. The Rockies have lost 6 of their last 8 games after allowing at least five runs in their last game — and they have lost 5 of their last 7 games after allowing at least seven runs in two straight games. They counter with Marquez who is 3-2 with a 3.46 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP in eight starts. The right-hander has been outstanding away from Coors Field where he enjoys a 1.55 ERA with a 0.62 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .125 — but he has been saddled with a 5.87 ERA with a 1.65 WHIP and .330 opponent’s batting average in four starts at home. These disparate home/road splits are consistent with last season where Marquez had a 2.95 ERA with a 0.98 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .203 on the road but a 4.74 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .284 when pitching at home. Colorado has lost 9 of their last 13 home games against teams with a winning record — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 home games against teams who are winning at least 60% of their games on the road. Marquez will be supported by a shaky Rockies’ bullpen as of late as that group has a 7.16 ERA with a 1.74 WHIP over their last seven games. The Colorado bullpen also has a 5.62 ERA with a 1.56 WHIP when pitching at home. Marquez and the Rockies’ bullpen faces a Padres team buoyed by the Manny Machado offseason acquisition that is scoring 5.9 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven contests with a .269 batting average along with a .318 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .818 over that span. San Diego has also won 4 of their last 5 road games against right-handed starting pitchers.

FINAL TAKE: Colorado has won the last four meetings between these two teams after sweeping a two-game series in April. The Padres have won 15 of their last 23 games when playing with double-revenge. San Diego is a live dog in this situation — but I love taking the very valuable +1.5 Run-Line in these situations when that proposition is priced at no higher than -150 (as it is in this situation). 25* MLB National League West Run-Line Underdog of the Month with the San Diego Padres (857) plus the +1.5 Run-Line versus the Colorado Rockies (858) listen both starting pitchers Eric Lauer and German Marquez. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:35 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Portland Trail Blazers (516) minus the points versus the Denver Nuggets (515). THE SITUATION: Denver (61-33) took a 3-2 lead in this series on Tuesday with their 124-98 victory at home against Portland (59-33) as a 5.5-point favorite. The Trail Blazers return for Game Six of this series hoping to keep their season alive.

REASONS TO TAKE PORTLAND MINUS THE POINTS: Trail Blazers head coach, Terry Stotts, claimed after the game on Tuesday that it was probably his team’s worst effort in their last six weeks. Portland allowed the Nuggets to make 48.9% of their shots which was the worst effort in their last four games. But the Blazers were even more disappointing on the offensive end of the court where they made just 36.7% of their shots which was the worst shooting effort in their last 57 games. C.J. McCollum was just 5 of 16 from the floor in that game while scoring only 12 points which was the fewest points he has scored in the playoffs since the 2017 postseason. Damian Lillard has made only 7 of his 32 shots from behind the arc since the first game of this series. Portland should respond with a strong effort as they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after a double-digit loss to a Northwest Division rival. The Blazers have also covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a loss on the road to a divisional foe. Now this team returns home where they are 36-10 with an average winning margin of +8.0 PPG. Portland should find their shooting stroke again tonight given their field goal percentage at home of 47.5% which generates 118.1 PPG. And while the Trail Blazers have allowed at least 116 points in their last three games, they have then covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after allowing at least 110 points in three straight games. Denver has failed to cover the point spread in 24 of their last 35 games on the road after a win on their home court — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 17 road games after a double-digit win at home. The Nuggets have also failed to cover the point spread in 22 of their last 33 road games after scoring at least 1115 points in their last game. Denver goes back on the road where they are just 22-24 this season with an average losing margin of -2.6 PPG. The Nuggets have covered the point spread in the last three games of this series — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 26 road games after covering the point spread in two straight games. Additionally, Denver has failed to cover the point spread in 7 straight road games after covering the point spread in three of their last four games. And the Nuggets have failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 23 games after scoring at least 110 points in three games.

FINAL TAKE: Denver has four starters who lacked playoff experience entering this postseason — so they may learn that winning the final fourth game in a playoff series is usually the most difficult. Portland has covered the point spread in 16 of their last 20 games when avenging a double-digit loss to their opponent — and they have covered the point spread in seven straight games when that double-digit loss was on the road. 25* NBA Second Round Bailout Playoff Game of the Year with the Portland Trail Blazers (516) minus the points versus the Denver Nuggets (515). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Philadelphia 76ers (514) plus the points versus the Toronto Raptors (513). THE SITUATION: Toronto (65-27) seized a 3-2 lead in this series on Tuesday with their 125-89 victory at home over Philadelphia (57-35) as a 6-point favorite. This series returns to Philly where the 76ers look to stave off elimination.

REASONS TO TAKE PHILADELPHIA PLUS THE POINTS: It was just a short week ago where the conventional wisdom hot take was that this Sixers team simply had too much star power for this Raptors franchise that has a long history of postseason failures. This 76ers team is a group that is happy to read about the headlines about the stories about them. They simply did not show up on Tuesday as they allowed Toronto to score 125 points while making 48.8% of their shots which was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last four games. The team trends that help to identify the team personality of this group suggests they will respond with a big effort tonight after embarrassing themselves (and their darn backers on Tuesday). Philadelphia has rebounded to cover the point spread in 28 of their last 41 games after a loss by at least 15 points — and they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games after a double-digit loss at home. Furthermore, the Sixers are 37-18-1 ATS in their last 56 games after a double-digit loss — and this includes them covering the point spread in thirteen of these last seventeen situations. Additionally, Philadelphia has covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games after a loss to an Atlantic Division rival. The Sixers return home where they are 34-12 this season with an average winning margin of +8.3 PPG. They should play better on the defensive end of the court tonight as they hold their visitors to just a 44.8% shooting percentage — and they have still held the Raptors to only a 43.4% field goal percentage over their last five games. The 76ers have covered the point spread in 23 of their last 31 home games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. Philadelphia has also covered the point spread in 30 of their last 46 home games as an underdog. Toronto may be vulnerable to an emotional letdown of their own after winning the last two games of this series. The Raptors have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games after a double-digit win at home over an Atlantic Division rival. Toronto has also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a win at home over a divisional rival. The Raptors have also failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 road games when favored by 6 points or less. Injuries have certainly been a subplot of this series. Pascal Siakam is dealing with a sore calf but still managed to scored 25 points while pulling down 8 rebounds in Game Five after not being very effective in Game Four in a contest that he was expected to sit out. With a game in hand potentially on Sunday, Siakam may take it easy in this game if Philly produces a fast start. Joel Embiid has been dealing with an upper respiratory issue along with a perennially sore left knee — he scored only 13 points with 8 rebounds on Tuesday. Embiid has has this flu/cold thing for a week at this point so I have to think that is getting better. I suspect Embiid will play better tonight with the season on the line.

FINAL TAKE: Philadelphia has covered the point spread in 29 of their last 45 games on their home court where they have the opportunity to avenge a same-season loss. Look for the Sixers to extend this series to a climactic seventh game. 25* NBA Second Round ESPN Playoff Game of the Year with the Philadelphia 76ers (514) plus the points versus the Toronto Raptors (513). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:08 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Colorado Avalanche (27) and the San Jose Sharks (28). THE SITUATION: Colorado (45-34-14) forced a climactic seventh game in this series on Monday with their 4-3 victory in overtime at home against San Jose (53-33-7). The Sharks host Game Seven in their SAP Center.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Avalanche have played 16 of their last 23 games Under the Total after a win at home — and they have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a win at home by just one goal. Colorado has also played 10 of their last 14 games Under the Total after a win at home where they scored at least four goals — and they have played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total after a game at home where both teams scored at least three goals. The Under is also 11-3-2 overall in the Avalanche’s last 16 games after a victory — and the Under is 13-4-2 in Colorado’s last 19 games when playing with one day of rest. The Avalanche’s offense has slowed down in this series as they have scored just 2.8 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contest as compared to their 3.2 Goals-Per-Game scoring average for the season. Now Colorado goes back on the road where the Under is 9-3-1 in their last 13 games — and the Under is 11-4-1 in their last 16 road games as an underdog. Additionally, the Avalanche have played 6 of their last 9 road games Under the Total with the number set at 5.5. Colorado has also played 14 of their last 23 games Under the Total when facing elimination in a playoff series. San Jose has played 17 of their last 24 games Under the Total when facing elimination in a playoff series. The Sharks offense has also slowed down as this series has moved forward as they are scoring only 2.4 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games as opposed to their 3.5 Goals-Per-Game scoring average for the season. San Jose has also played 5 of their last 8 games Under the Total bouncing back from an overtime loss.

FINAL TAKE: Two of the last three games in this series have seen just three combined goals scored. Look for this to be another lower scoring game. 25* NHL Second Round Playoff Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Colorado Avalanche (27) and the San Jose Sharks (28). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Boston Celtics (509) plus the points versus the Milwaukee Bucks (510). THE SITUATION: Milwaukee (67-23) took a commanding 3-1 lead in this series on Monday with their 113-101 upset victory over Boston (54-36) as a 1-point underdog. The Bucks return home with the possibility of closing out this series tonight.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CELTICS PLUS THE POINTS: This has been a frustrating series since I considered the Bucks significantly undervalued after they lost the first game of this series — and I was hearing too many national pundits counting them out against this experienced Celtics team. But, I did expect this to be a long series — so I was disappointed to see Boston get upset twice on their home court albeit against a Milwaukee team I like. That all said, I suspect the professional pride of this Celtics team to propel them to play their best game since that opening contest where they upset the Bucks in Milwaukee. Boston has covered the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games after losing three games in a row. The Celtics have not covered the point spread in the last three games in this series — but they have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 17 games after failing to cover the point spread in three straight games while also covering the point spread in 21 of their last 30 road games after they failed to cover the point spread in three of their last four contests. Boston has also covered the point spread in 4 straight games after a double-digit loss at home. Now this team goes back on the road where they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games — 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. Furthermore, the Celtics have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 19 road games with the Total set in the 220 to 229.5 point range. Boston has also been reliable as the underdog as they have covered the point spread in 33 of their last 44 games when getting the points — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 road games as an underdog getting 6.5 to 12 points. The Celtics should shoot better tonight as their 37.8% field goal percentage on Monday was the worst shooting effort in their slat seven games. That opponent’s field goal percentage was also the Bucks’ lowest mark in their last six contests. Milwaukee has failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 17 games after winning their last two games on the road. The Bucks have also failed to cover the point spread in 52 of their last 78 games at home when playing no more than their fifth game in the last fourteen days. And because Milwaukee has scored at least 113 points in each of their last three games, they fall into an empirical “play-against” angle that has been 61% effective since 1996. After 42 games into the season, home teams that average at least 102 PPG (Milwaukee: 118.0 PPG) who have scored at least 110 points in three straight games now facing an opponent that allows at least 102 PPG (Boston defense: 107.4 PPG) have then failed to cover the point spread in 159 of the last 261 situations where these conditions applied.

FINAL TAKE: Boston has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 Game Fives in a playoff series. They have also covered the point spread in 10 of their last 14 trips to Milwaukee to play the Bucks. And in their last 56 opportunities to avenge a loss where they allowed at least 110 points, the Celtics have covered the point spread in 34 of these games. 25* NBA Second Round Playoff Underdog of the Year with the Boston Celtics (509) plus the points versus the Milwaukee Bucks (510). 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 Dallas Stars (23) and the St. Louis Blues (24). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (52-33-9) forced a climactic seventh game of this series on Sunday with their 4-1 win on the road at Dallas (50-37-7). This series returns to St. Louis tonight with the Blues hosting Game Seven.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Stars should tighten things up on defense after surrendering four goals on Sunday. They are still giving up only 2.3 Goals-Per-Game in the playoffs. Dallas has played 15 of their last 21 games Under the Total after a loss by at least three goals — and they have played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total after a loss at home by at least three goals. Furthermore, the Stars have played 22 of their last 33 games Under the Total on the road after a loss at home — and they have played 14 of their last 18 road games Under the Total after a loss at home by at least two goals. Dallas has also played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total on the road after conceding at least four goals in their last game. The Stars goalie, Ben Bishop, left Game Six after taking a slap shot in his collarbone. He will be good to go to play tonight and should bounce-back after surrendering four goals on Sunday. Bishop entered Game Six with a 2.13 Goals-Against-Average and a .936 save percentage in the playoffs. Bishop has been the best goaltender in the NHL this season as he carried Dallas in the second half of the season with a 1.15 GAA along with a .962 save percentage. Bishop also has Game Seven experience as he has pitched two shutouts in his previous two Game Seven opportunities in his career. He has helped the Stars be sensational when playing undermanned in these playoffs. Dallas has successfully thwarted 33 of the 35 Power Play they have faced in this postseason for a .942 Power Play Kill rate. He will need to be outstanding tonight since the Stars score only 2.3 Goals-Per-Game when on the road. The Under is 17-6-5 in Dallas’ last 28 games on the road. The Under is also 11-3-3 in the Stars’ last 17 games as an underdog priced in the +110 +150 price range. St. Louis has played 10 of their last 12 games Under the Total after a win on the road by at least two goals. The Blues have also played 15 of their last 22 games Under the Total after not allowing more than one goal in their last game — and the Under is 18-7-3 in their last 28 games when facing an opponent that did not score more than two goals in their last contest. Their rookie goaltender, Jordan Bennington, stepped up on Sunday by stopping 22 of the 23 shots he faced. Bennington was spectacular in the second half of the season with a 1.90 GAA with a .928 save percentage in twenty-three regular season starts after the All-Star Break. St. Louis has played 5 of their last 6 home games Under the Total as a home favorite. The Blues have also played 13 of their last 20 playoff games Under the Total when facing elimination.

FINAL TAKE: Dallas has played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total when playing with revenge from a loss by at least two goals — and they have played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total after a loss by at least three goals. The Under is also 4-1-1 in the last 6 meetings between these two teams when playing in St. Louis. 25* NHL Central Division Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Dallas Stars (23) and the St. Louis Blues (24). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Philadelphia 76ers (505) plus the points versus the Toronto Raptors (506). THE SITUATION: Toronto (64-27) evened this series at 2-2 on Sunday with their 101-96 upset victory over Philadelphia (57-34). The Raptors host the fifth game of this series tonight.

REASONS TO TAKE THE 76ERS PLUS THE POINTS: Philadelphia usually responds with strong efforts after disappointing results as they experienced in Game Four. The 76ers have bounced-back to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 10 games after a loss to a fellow Atlantic Division rival. Philadelphia has also covered the point spread in 4 straight games after a point spread loss. And in their last 68 games after an upset loss to a fellow divisional opponent, the Sixers have covered the point spread 43 times — and this includes them covering the point spread in four of these last five situations. Philly suffered a bad break on Sunday with Joel Embiid sick with the flu. He scored only 11 points while grabbing 8 rebounds. With 48 hours to pump himself with liquids, he should be in much better shape tonight. The 76ers have covered the point spread in 4 straight games when playing with one day of rest. Philadelphia has also won their last 3 playoff games with the series being tied. The narrative of this series after the Sixers decisively won Games Two and Three was the Raptors were too dependent on Kawhi Leonard. While that storyline was a bit too myopic, it remains an issue that too often this Toronto team has failed to live up to expectations in the playoffs. This group has not handled playoff pressure well — and they remain just 3-8-1 ATS in their last 12 games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Pascal Siakam was not expected to play on Sunday with his right calf injury — so it was a surprise when he took the court to contribute. The good news is that Siakam will likely play again tonight. However, the bad news for the Raptors is that he managed only 9 points while grabbing 3 boards as he looked hampered by that injury. Toronto has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after a win over an Atlantic Division rival. And while the Raptors have covered the point spread in four of their last six games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 18 games after covering the point spread in four or five of their last six games.

FINAL TAKE: The underdog has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 meetings between these two teams. The 76ers have also covered the point spread in 39 of their last 59 opportunities to avenge a loss at home — and this includes them covering the point spread in 8 of these last 12 opportunities. 25* NBA Atlantic Division Underdog of the Year with the Philadelphia 76ers (505) plus the points versus the Toronto Raptors (506). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the match between Barcelona (224209) and Liverpool (224210). THE S|TUATION: Barcelona won the first leg of the two-leg Champions League Semifinals with a 3-0 win over Liverpool last Wednesday. The second-leg match moves to Liverpool’s home field at Anfield Stadium. The Reds must at least three goals to stay alive to advance to the Finals. A 3-0 Liverpool victory in regulation time forces two fifteen minute extra periods — and if things are still tied after that, then the match (and Champions League Finalist) will be decided by a shootout. With the first tie-breaker being goals scored on the road, Barcelona advances to the Finals even with a 4-1 loss since their one goal scored on the road is more than Liverpool’s zero goals scored last week. Liverpool advances to the Finals with a victory by at least four goals in regulation time.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Liverpool needs to score at least three goals to keep their Champions League aspirations alive. The problem for manager Jurgen Klopp is that he will be without two of his top strikers. Roberto Firmino has been dealing with a groin injury — and while he was a substitute in last Wednesday’s first-leg, he did not play in the Reds English Premier League match over the weekend. He does not fit to play this afternoon. Mohamed Salah also will be out this afternoon after receiving a knock in their Saturday match against Newcastle United which has him in the concussion protocol. Liverpool will push forward — they still have a prolific goal scorer in Sadio Mane while also possessing a group of talented defensemen who are comfortable playing up on the pitch to score goals. Look for Klopp to deploy the high-press system he relied on last season. This approach creates scoring opportunities by forcing turnovers — but it also leaves his defense vulnerable when these tactics fail. Klopp dialed back this approach this season to make the Reds more defensive in their tactics — but this situation calls for uber-aggressiveness. Barcelona is a pragmatic side this season — but they will not be resting on their laurels in this contest. Manager Ernesto Valverde has indicated he wants his team playing aggressively as well — if and when they score, it forces Liverpool to have to score five goals to win this match given the tie-breaker situation. Furthermore, with the Catalans featuring Lionel Messi on the pitch, he is capable of scoring from anywhere at any time.

FINAL TAKE: It is very difficult to expect the Reds to generate a clean sheet against Messi and this Barcelona side. I do think an aggressive Liverpool scores at least twice in this rematch (even without Salah and Firmino). 25* Champions League Semifinals Total of the Year with Over the Total in the match between Barcelona (224209) and Liverpool (224210). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:35 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Golden State Warriors (503) plus (or minus) the point(s) versus the Houston Rockets (504). THE SITUATION: Houston (58-32) made this a 2-1 series on Saturday with their 126-121 win in overtime over Golden State (63-28) as a 3.5-point favorite. The Rockets host Game Four of this series tonight.

REASONS TO TAKE THE WARRIORS MINUS THE POINTS: Golden State has bounced-back to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after a straight-up loss — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games are a point spread loss. The Warriors should shoot better tonight after making just 44.2% of their shots on Saturday. That was the worst shooting effort in their last thirteen games. Stephen Curry is struggling in this series making only 35.3% of their shots as he looks to be hampered by a dislocated finger on his left hand along with a sprained ankle — but this looks like a game where Kevin Durant will take charge. Golden State also allowed the Rockets to make 48.4% of their shots which was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last four games. The Warriors have covered the point spread in 4 straight games after allowing at least 125 points in their last contest. Golden State should not only play better on the defensive end of the court but they will also work harder. They were out-rebounded by a 67 to 48 margin in Game Three — and they have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 20 games after being out-rebounded by at least fifteen boards in their last game. The Warriors have also covered the point spread in 15 of their last 22 fourth games of a playoff series. Houston’s 48.4% field goal percentage was the best shooting effort in their last seven contests. The Rockets have then failed to cover the point spread in 24 of their last 37 home games after scoring at least 115 points in their last game —and they are 17-37-1 ATS in their last 55 games after allowing at least 125 points in their last contest. Houston has also failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after allowing at least 120 points in their last game. Furthermore, Houston has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 10 games after playing a game where at least 245 combined points were scored. The Rockets have also failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games when playing with just one day of rest.

FINAL TAKE: Golden State has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games on the road when looking to avenge a same-season loss. 25* NBA Monday Night Special Feature with the Golden State Warriors (503) plus (or minus) the point(s) versus the Houston Rockets (504). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the Columbus Blue Jackets (14) versus the Boston Bruins (13). THE SITUATION: Boston (56-29-9) took a 3-2 lead in this series on Saturday with their 4-3 victory over Columbus (53-34-4). The Blue Jackets host the sixth game of this series tonight.

REASONS TO TAKE COLUMBUS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Blue Jackets should not be counted out just yet in this series — this team has only lost four times since March 24th. Columbus has won 21 of their last 33 games after a game where at least seven combined goals were scored. The Blue Jackets have also won 7 of their last 10 games when playing with one day of rest. Columbus is doing a good job of pressuring the Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask. They have peppered Rask with 40, 34, and 41 shots in each of the last three games — and they have won 5 of their last 7 games after generating at least 33 shots on net in three straight games. Columbus returns home where they have won 8 of their last 10 games. The Blue Jackets need to get their Power Play going as they have not scored in their last six opportunities over the last two games. Columbus scored five Power Play goals in their ten opportunities in their opening round series with Tampa Bay while converting in three of their seven Power Plays in Games Two and Three of this series. The Blue Jackets have won 7 of their last 9 games when favored. Boston has lost 7 of their last 10 games in the playoffs as an underdog. The Bruins have also lost 6 of their last 8 games when leading in a playoff series — and they have lost 11 of their last 13 road games when attempting to close out a playoff series.

FINAL TAKE: Look for Columbus to extend this to a climactic final game in this series. 25* NHL Second Round Eastern Conference Playoff Game of the year with the money-line on the Columbus Blue Jackets (14) versus the Boston Bruins (13). 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 Milwaukee Bucks (501) and the Boston Celtics (502). THE SITUATION: Milwaukee (66-23) took a 2-1 lead in this series on Friday with their 123-116 upset win at Boston (54-35) as a 2-point underdog. The Celtics host the fourth game of this series tonight.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Bucks have played 19 of their last 28 games Over the Total on the road after a win by at least 20 points. Milwaukee has also played 17 of their last 22 games Over the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total after a point spread loss. Additionally, the Bucks have played 24 of their last 32 games Over the Total when playing with two days of rest. Now Milwaukee stays on the road where they have played 6 straight road games Over the Total — and they have played 7 straight road games Over the Total against a team with a winning percentage over 60% on their home court. Boston has played 4 straight games Over the Total after a straight-up loss. Furthermore, the Celtics have played 30 of their last 45 home games Over the Total after allowing at least 120 points in their last game. And while Boston has lost the last two games in this series, they have then played 8 straight home games Over the Total after losing two of their last three contests. Additionally, the Celtics have played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total when playing with two days of rest. And in their last 8 home games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road, Boston has played 7 of these games Over the Total.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have seen the Over go 18-7-1 in their last 26 games when playing in Boston. The Celtics have also played 6 of their last 9 games Over the Total when avenging an upset loss as a home favorite. 25* NBA Monday Night O/U Special Feature with Over the Total in the game between the Milwaukee Bucks (501) and the Boston Celtics (502). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Portland Trail Blazers (594) minus the points versus the Denver Nuggets (593). THE SITUATION: Portland (59-31) survived a triple-affair on Friday with their 140-137 victory as a 5.5-point favorite over Denver (59-33) to take a 2-1 lead in this series. The Trail Blazers host the fourth game of this series tonight.

REASONS TO TAKE PORTLAND MINUS THE POINTS: The Nuggets may have blown their opportunity to take back home court in this series (at least, before a potential Game Six back in Portland) by not pulling Game Three out with all the opportunities they were given to steal that game. Denver has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a point spread win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 16 of their last 23 road games after a point spread victory. Furthermore, the Nuggets have failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 18 games after scoring at least 120 points in their last game. Denver has also failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 19 games when playing with one day of rest. The Nuggets have not been a good road team this season as they are just 21-24 away from home. Denver has failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 17 road games in expected close games when listed in the +/- 3-point range. Portland has covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 home games when listed in that +/- 3-point range. The Trail Blazers have been very tough to play at home in Rip City where they are now 36-9 with an average winning margin of +8.3 PPG. Portland is 25-12-1 ATS in their last 38 games on their home court. They are 25-12-1 ATS in their last 37 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. Portland is also 15-6-1 ATS in their last 22 games after a point spread loss. The high-scoring game on Friday is a likely a good harbinger for the Blazers as they are 20-7-1 ATS in their last 28 games after scoring at least 125 points in their last game — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after scoring at least 130 points in their last contest.

FINAL TAKE: I think it will be difficult for a young and inexperienced playoff team like the Nuggets to bounce-back from that heartbreaking loss on Friday when playing on the road once again against a Blazers’ team that enjoys a strong home court advantage. 25* NBA Sunday Night Special Feature with the Portland Trail Blazers (594) minus the points versus the Denver Nuggets (593). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:35 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Toronto Raptors (591) plus the points versus the Philadelphia 76ers (592). THE SITUATION: Philadelphia (57-33) took a 2-1 lead in this series on Thursday with their 116-95 upset victory over Toronto (63-27) as a 1.5-point underdog. The 76ers host Game Four of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RAPTORS PLUS THE POINTS: The conventional wisdom after Game Three of this series regarded how little help Toronto’s teammates were offering Kawhi Leonard. Same old Raptors in the playoffs! So it might be surprising that the oddsmakers did not budge as they installed Toronto once again as a small road favorite. The news that Pascal Siakam would be doubtful to play this game given a right calf contusion injury pushed the Sixers to now being favored by 2 or so points. The Raptors will certainly miss Siakam — but I see their problems over the last two games being much simpler to address. First, Toronto simply needs to exert more energy on the defensive end of the court. They allowed Philly to score at a 1.67 Points-Per-Possession rate in transition with the Raptors not getting back in time. Overall, the 51.2% field goal percentage that the Sixers enjoyed on Thursday was the highest shooting mark that Toronto has allowed in their last 32 games. Toronto needs to get back to playing the strong defense that has typified their season. Second, the Raptors simply need to make their darn open shots. They have missed 35 of their 50 open 3-pointers so far in this series — and their failure to make these shots has prompted them to be more cautious in even taking these shots in Game Three. That is not this Toronto team’s game: they led the NBA in both volume and accuracy from the 3-point line after the trade deadline. After making only 36.3% of their shots in Game Two, the Raptors followed that up by shooting just 42.2% from the field with those two efforts being the worst offensive performances in their last eleven games. That should improve this afternoon. Toronto has bounced-back to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a double-digit upset loss — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after an upset loss by at least 15 points. The Raptors have also covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a double-digit loss — and they have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 17 games after a loss by at least 15 points. The first three games of this series have finished Under the Total — but Toronto has covered the point spread in 14 of their last 22 games after playing at least two straight Unders. The Raptors have been out-rebounded in their last four games by at least six boards — but they have then covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after being out-rebounded by at least five boards in three straight games. This remains a team that has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games on the road. Philadelphia is very susceptible to letdowns when they start reading about how good they are. They have failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 21 games after a win by at least 15 points. The 76ers have also failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 25 games after a double-digit win — and they had failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 17 games after a double-digit win at home. Furthermore, Philadelphia has failed to cover the point spread in 29 of their last 47 games after scoring at least 115 points in their last contest. And while the Sixers have pulled off two straight upset victories, they have failed to cover the point spread in 22 of their last 31 games after winning their last two contests — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 17 games after covering the point spread in their last two games. Their 51.2% field goal percentage on Thursday was the best shooting effort for them in their last six games. Philly has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 6 games in expected close games where they are listed in the +/- 3-point range.

FINAL TAKE: Expect Toronto to respond with their best effort of this series — even without their rising star in Siakam. 25* NBA Second Round ABC-TV Playoff Game of the Year with the Toronto Raptors (591) plus the points versus the Philadelphia 76ers (592). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:08 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the St. Louis Blues (5) and the Dallas Stars (6). THE SITUATION: Dallas (50-36-7) took a 3-2 lead in this series on Friday with their 2-1 victory at St. Louis (51-33-9). The Stars return home to attempt to close out this series on their home ice.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Blues will be playing with desperation this afternoon with their season hanging in the balance. St. Louis averages 3.0 Goals-Per-Game this season but they have managed only 2.4 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. The Blues need to get their Power Play going as they have only scored twice in their sixteen opportunities with the man advantage against the Stars in this series. They should be scoring more than that 12.3% clip considering that they scored five goals in their nineteen chances on the Power Play in their opening round series against Winnipeg for a 26.3% clip. St. Louis has seen a regression in their rookie goaltender, Jordan Binnington, in these playoffs. After posting a 1.90 Goals-Against-Average with a .928 save percentage in his last twenty-three regular season starts after the All-Star Break, Binnington has 2.73 GAA along with a .908 save percentage in these playoffs. The Blues have played 10 of their last 16 games Over the Total after playing their last two games against a Central Division rival. The Over is also 7-3-1 in their last 11 road games against teams with a winning record at home. St. Louis has also played 4 straight games Over the Total with the number set at 5 or less. Dallas has played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total after playing their last three games against divisional foes — and they have played 4 of their last 6 games Over the Total after winning two straight games against Central Division opponents. The Stars have found their offense as they have scored 3.0 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. Dallas has played 4 of their last 6 games Over the Total at home with the Total set at 5 or less. And the Over is 8-2-3 in the Stars’ last 13 games when favored in the -110 t0 -150 price range.

FINAL TAKE: This is been a higher scoring series with only Game Five seeing less than five combined goals scored and three of these contests seeing at least six combined goals were scored. 25* NHL Second Round NBC-TV Playoff Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the St. Louis Blues (5) and the Dallas Stars (6). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 11:30 AM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Arsenal (200014) minus the Goal-Line versus Brighton and Hove Albion (200013). THE SITUATION: Arsenal (20-6-10) returns to English Premier League play today looking to bounce-back from a 3-0 loss at Leicester City last Sunday. Brighton and Hove Albion (9-8-19) comes off a 1-1 draw at home to Newcastle United last Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE ARSENAL MINUS THE GOAL-LINE: The Gunners have been slumping in EPL play to close out the season as they have lost three straight games as well as four out of their last five contests against English Premier League competition. There is no question that Arsenal has been flat — they have only scored six goals in their last six matches. But some of this can be attributed to their heavy road schedule as of late. This will be the Gunners just second game at home at the Emirates since the beginning of April. Arsenal’s last home match was a 3-2 loss to Crystal Palace back on April 21st by a 3-2 score. The Gunners will be not only be looking to redeem themselves from that loss at home for their home fans but they will be motivated to conclude their EPL home campaign with a victory. Arsenal had won their previous ten matches in a row at home in EPL action by an aggregate 27 to 6 score. For the EPL season, the Gunners are 14-2-2 for 44 points which is third best in the EPL — and they outscore their guests by a 41-15 margin. Arsenal usually takes care of business against the lesser teams in the league as well — they re 17-3-6 against non-Big Six teams while outscoring them by a 53-30 margin. At home against non-Big Six sides, the Gunners fare even better with their 11-1-1 record with 32 goals tallied and just 10 goals conceded. Arsenal does come off a win on Thursday in the first leg of the Europa League Semifinals where they defeated Valencia by a 3-1 score. And the Gunners remain motivated to finish in the Top-Four in the EPL to secure qualification in the Champions League — they are currently tied with Chelsea for the fourth. Brighton and Hove Albion have been slumping as well in the last half of the season which put them in the risk of being relegated — but they officially received their reprieve yesterday when Crystal Palace defeated Cardiff City to clinch the latter being the third team to be demoted to the Champions League in England. The Seagulls are winless in their last seven EPL matches — and they have scored only one goal in their last seven matches. Brighton is just 3-3-12 on the road this season where they have scored 15 goals while conceding 31 goals. The Seagulls also struggle against Big-Six opponents — they are just 1-1-8 against the Top-Six teams in the league while being outscored by a 7 to 17 goal margin. It gets even worse for Brighton when they are playing on the road as they have lost all five of those matches while scoring only once and surrendering nine goals.

FINAL TAKE: Arsenal is 6-1-0 in their last seven home matches hosting Brighton in their history while conceding only one goal. The Gunners will be motivated to close out their EPL home campaign with a victory while improving their form to build momentum not only for their Europa campaign but also their drive to finish as a Top-Four team in the English Premier League. Expect a decisive win by at least two goals for Arsenal. 25* EPL Sunday NBC Sports Network Match of the Year with Arsenal (200014) minus the Goal-Line versus Brighton and Hove Albion (200013). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:08 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (4) and the Colorado Avalanche (3). THE SITUATION: Colorado (44-33-14) evened this series at 2-2 on Thursday with their 3-0 shutout win at home over the Sharks. San Jose (52-32-7) returns home to host the fifth game of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE SHARKS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: San Jose should respond with a strong effort back on their home ice. The Sharks have won a decisive 38 of their last 56 games after a loss by at least three goals — and this includes them winning twelve of their last sixteen games after losing their last game by at least three goals. San Jose has also won 4 of their last 5 games after a loss on the road where they were shutout. The Sharks have also won 7 of their last 8 games after not scoring more than one goal in their last game. San Jose returns home to the SAP Center where they are 28-13-3 this season. The Sharks have won 6 of their last 8 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. San Jose has also won 5 of their last 6 home games as a favorite priced in the -110 to -150 price range — and they have won 7 of their last 8 home games with the Total set at 5.5. Colorado has lost 9 of their last 13 games after generating a shutout victory — and they have lost 6 of their last 9 games after earning a shutout win on their home ice. Furthermore, the Avalanche have lost 14 of their last 23 games after a win by at least three goals — and they have lost 14 of their last 23 games after playing their last two games at home. Now Colorado goes back on the road where they are just 19-18-8 this season. The Avalanche has lost 36 of their last 53 road games against teams who are winning at least 60% of their games on their home ice. Colorado has also lost 12 of their last 15 games as a money-line underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. Additionally, the Avalanche have lost 11 of their last 13 games in the Western Conference Semifinals.

FINAL TAKE: San Jose has won 12 of their last 16 games when avenging a loss by at least three goals. The Sharks have also won 5 of their last 6 games when avenging a shutout loss to their opponent. Colorado did win the second game of this series on the Shark Tank — but they are still just 3-16-5 in their last twenty-four trips to the SAP Center to play San Jose. 25* NHL Second Round Bailout Playoff Game of the Year with the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (4) and the Colorado Avalanche (3). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:35 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Golden State Warriors (589) and the Houston Rockets (590). THE SITUATION: Golden State (63-27) seized a 2-0 lead in this series on Tuesday with their 115-109 victory over Houston (57-32) as a 5.5-point favorite. The Rockets host the third and fourth games of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Houston has played 7 straight games Under the Total after a point spread loss. They have also played 9 of their last 11 games Under the Total when playing with at least three days of rest between contests. They return home where the Under is 7-1-1 in their last 9 games — and they have also played 5 straight home games Under the Total against teams with a winning record on the road. The Rockets’ have more than an 0-2 deficit to be concerned about after James Harden got his eyes raked on Tuesday. While Harden will play, he indicates that he is still feeling the effects of that injury. Houston made 46.8% of their shots in Game Two which was actually the best field goal percentage in their last five games. The Rockets have been thriving in the last quarter of the regular season by significantly ramping up their play on the defensive end of the court. Over the last fifteen games of the regular season, Houston had the fourth best Defensive Rating in the NBA. In these playoffs, the Rockets are allowing only 101.1 PPG along with a 42.3% field goal percentage which is far below the 108.5 PPG they are allowing for the season along with an opponent’s field goal percentage of 46.3%. In their last five playoff games, Houston is holding their opponents to just 100.8 PPG on 41.3% shooting from the field. The Rockets have played a decisive 17 of their last 22 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record. Golden State is not often the underdog — the two-time defending NBA champions usually tighten things up on the defensive end of the court when their victory is not a foregone conclusion (in their minds). The Warriors have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total when they were the underdog — and they have also played 6 of their last 9 games Under the Total as an underdog getting 3.5 to 9.5 points. Furthermore, Golden State has played 11 of their last 15 road games Under the Total as an underdog. The 46.8% shooting percentage that Houston executed on Tuesday was the highest field goal percentage that the Warriors had allowed in their last three games. When playing on the road, Golden State holds its home hosts to just a 43.6% field goal percentage.

FINAL TAKE: Houston has played 11 of their last 15 games Under the Total when playing with revenge from a loss where they allowed at least 110 points. And despite the high Totals that typically are associated with these two high scoring teams, these two teams have played 9 of their last 11 meetings Under the Total. 25* NBA Second Round Saturday ABC-TV Playoff Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Golden State Warriors (589) and the Houston Rockets (590). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:45 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between Liverpool (200181) and Newcastle United (200182). THE SITUATION: Liverpool (28-7-1) enters this English Premier League match coming off a 5-0 victory at home over Huddersfield in their last EPL match last Friday. Newcastle United (11-9-6) comes off a 1-1 draw at Brighton and Hove Albion in their last match last Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: These are precarious times for Liverpool as they followed up their match with Huddersfield with the first leg of their Champions League Semifinals showdown with Barcelona which ended in a 3-0 loss. The Reds host the second leg of that contest midweek — so manager Jurgen Klopp will be keeping one eye with that impending rematch with his need to conserve the energy of his key players. Klopp does not need a blowout victory. However, Liverpool absolutely must generate the three points with a victory in this match to keep up their championship aspirations in the EPL as they are one point behind Manchester City. Things could get nervy for this team to register a goal. Before facing the bottom-feeder team in the league in Huddersfield who are already mathematically eliminated from not being relegated, the Reds had scored more than two goals just twice in their last five EPL matches. Liverpool’s offensive proficiency has been particularly slowed down when they are playing on the road away from Anfield. In their last nine EPL matches on the road, the Reds have scored more than two goals only once. Liverpool has still enjoyed great success because they have developed into an outstanding defensive team under Klopp. The acquisition of defenseman Virgil Van Dijk in last year’s winter transfer window has certainly played a huge role in their defensive transformation as he perhaps been the Most Valuable Player in the EPL. The Reds have allowed only 20 goals this season which is the lowest number in the league. Liverpool has allowed only ten goals in their 18 EPL matches on the road. And in their thirteen road games against the non-Big Six EPL sides, the Reds have surrendered a mere 5 goals. But also keep in mind that Liverpool has scored only 26 goals in those thirteen matches for flat 2.0 Goals-Per-Game average. Newcastle is a difficult opponent who plays a compact system that can be difficult to penetrate. The Magpies are happy to grind out low-scoring matches where they find scoring opportunities in cautious counter-attacking moments. Newcastle is in good form right now — they are 2-1-0 in their last three matches where they have allowed only two goals. In their last six matches on their home field at St. James Park, the Magpies have allowed only five goals — and they have conceded just 22 goals in their eighteen home matches this season. Newcastle has scored 22 goals in those eighteen home matches as well. Digging deeper, the Magpies have scored only nine goals in their eleven matches against one of the Big Six teams in the EPL — and they have conceded only nine goals in their five home matches against one of those Top Six EPL sides this season.

FINAL TAKE: Newcastle usually plays Liverpool tough — they have only lost once in their last seven home matches against the Reds. Liverpool will be cautious in this contest and will be very content with a 1-0 victory. While the Magpies are not likely to score a goal, the Reds are not likely to find the back of the net more than twice. 25* English Premier League Total of the Year with Under the Total in the match between Liverpool (200181) and Newcastle United (200182). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:35 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Denver Nuggets (587) and the Portland Trail Blazers (588). THE SITUATION: Portland (58-31) evened this series at 1-1 on Wednesday with their 97-90 upset victory over Denver (59-32) as a 4-point underdog. The Trail Blazers host the third and fourth of games of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Nuggets pulled the upset over the Trail Blazers in the opening game of this series by nailing 40.4% of their 3-pointers en route to a 50.6% shooting percentage for that game. It was a much different story in Game Two as they made only 6 of their 29 shots from behind the arc for a dismal 20.7% shooting percentage from 3-point land. Their 34.7% field goal percentage in that game was their lowest mark of the entire season. Denver has played 25 of their last 43 games Over the Total after suffering an upset loss as a home favorite. The Nuggets have also played 10 of their last 14 games Over the Total after failing to score more than 90 points in their last game. Now after playing their last three games at home, Denver goes back on the road — and they have played 8 of their last 11 games Over the Total after playing at least three straight games at home. The Nuggets score 107.4 PPG on the road — and they allowed 110.1 PPG in those contests. Denver has played 5 straight games Over the Total on the road — and they have played 5 straight road games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home court. Portland has played 8 of their last 11 games Over the Total after an upset victory over a fellow Northwest Division rival — and this includes them play those last four situations Over the Total. The Over is also 21-8-2 in the Trail Blazers’ last 31 games when playing with one day of rest. Now Portland returns home where they are scoring 117.8 PPG on 47.7% shooting from the field. The Blazers pulled off their upset on Wednesday despite making only 42.4% of their shots. The Nuggets’ 34.7% field goal percentage in that game was the lowest opponent’s field goal percentage in Portland’s last 79 games. The Blazers allow their visitors to shoot 45% from the field which generates 109.3 PPG. The Over is 16-4-1 in Portland’s last 21 games at home — and the Over is also 12-3-1 in their last 16 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. The Blazers have also played 11 of their last 17 home games Over the Total with the number set in the 210 to 219.5 point range.

FINAL TAKE: Denver has played 10 of their last 15 games Over the Total when avenging an upset loss — and they have played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total when avenging an upset loss where they were home favorites. These two teams have played 5 of their last 6 meetings Over the Total — and they have played 7 of their last 10 games played in Portland Over the Total. 25* NBA Friday Late Show O/U Special Feature with Over the Total in the game between the Denver Nuggets (587) and the Portland Trail Blazers (588). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Milwaukee Bucks (585) and the Boston Celtics (586). THE SITUATION: Milwaukee (65-23) evened this series at 1-1 on Tuesday with their 123-102 victory over the Celtics. Boston (54-34) hosts Games Three and Four of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Milwaukee has played 16 of their last 21 games Over the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a point spread victory. Furthermore, the Bucks have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after a win by at least 10 points. They now go on the road where they have played 5 straight games Over the Total — and they have played 10 of their last 11 road games Over the Total against teams with a winning record at home. Additionally, Milwaukee has played 23 of their last 31 games Over the Total when playing with two days of rest. Boston has played 4 of the last 5 games Over the Total when playing with two days of rest. They have also played 20 of their last 28 games Over the Total after a loss by double-digits — and they have played 9 of their last 12 games Over the Total after a loss by at least 20 points. The Celtics shot just 39.5% from the field on Tuesday which was the lowest field goal percentage for them in their last five games. They return home where they are making 47% of their shots en route to 113.0 PPG. Boston has played 9 of their last 12 home games Over the Total against teams with a winning record on the road — and they have played 6 of their last 7 home games Over the Total with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. Furthermore, the Celtics have played 38 of their last 57 home games Over the Total with the Total set in the 210 to 219.5 point range.

FINAL TAKE: Boston has played 13 of their last 17 games Over the Total when looking to avenge a double-digit loss on the road. The Celtics have also played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total when playing with revenge from a loss by at least 20 points. Lastly, the Over is 16-5-1 in the last 22 meetings between these two teams in Boston. 25* NBA Friday Night O/U Special Feature with Over the Total in the game between the Milwaukee Bucks (585) and the Boston Celtics (586). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the New York Islanders (79) versus the Carolina Hurricanes (80). THE SITUATION: Carolina (53-32-7) took a commanding 3-0 lead in this series on Wednesday with their 5-2 victory at home over New York (52-30-7). The Hurricanes look to close out this series at home in their PNC Arena tonight.

REASONS TO TAKE THE ISLANDERS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: This has been a much closer series than the 3-0 lead the Hurricanes currently enjoy suggests. New York lost Game One in overtime after the first 60 minutes were scoreless before losing Game Two by a 2-1 score. The Islanders were trailing 3-2 on Wednesday when they pulled their goal out of desperation which allowed for Carolina to score two late empty netters. The Islanders allowed the fewest goals in the NHL in the regular season — but they were just 21st in the league in goals scored. The problem with living on the edge eking out low-scoring games is that a team can suddenly drop three in a row. However, the plus side of being a stout defensive team is that those fundamentals should put them in a position to win most of their games. Head coach Barry Trotz has overseen a number of comebacks in a playoff series during his tenure in the league — he can point most recently to his Washington Capitals rallying from a 0-2 deficit to Columbus last year in the opening round of the playoffs when they lost their first two games at home. Certainly, an 0-3 deficit makes the situation even direr — but this Islanders team should continue to play very hard for Trotz. New York has won 12 of their last 17 games after a loss on the road. The Islanders have also won 5 of their last 6 games after a loss by at least three goals — and they have won 8 of their last 11 games after a loss by at least three goals on the road. New York has also won an incredible 16 of their last 18 games after not scoring more than two goals in two straight games. The defensive identity of this team under Trotz does keep them competitive on the road. They are allowing only 2.0 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. The Islanders have won 5 of their last 6 games on the road. New York is also a dangerous underdog at all times. The Islanders have won 5 of their last 6 games as an underdog — and they have won 9 of their last 13 road games as a money-line underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. Carolina has won five games in a row after rallying from their 3-2 deficit to the Capitals in the opening round of the playoffs — but they have then lost 3 straight games when trying to extend a winning streak to six games. The Hurricanes led the NHL in Corsi-For and Fenwick-For analytics that measure net differential in shot attempts. But this Carolina team is not a high-scoring team either — they ranked 16th in the NHL in goals scored despite their strong possession numbers. This Hurricanes got a great performance from goalie Curtis McElhinney on Wednesday as he stopped 28 of the 30 shots he faced. Petr Mrazek has been declared out for tonight’s game so McElhinney will be called on again by head coach Rod Brind’Amour. McElhinney was in a regular platoon during the regular season with Mrazek — but his 2.67 Goals-Against-Average along with a .910 save percentage after the All-Star Break left much to be desired. This remains a team that lacks deep playoff experience — so they may have to learn the old lesson that winning the fourth game in a playoff series is usually the hardest. The Islanders have lost 5 of their last 7 home games where they were hosting the Hurricanes.

FINAL TAKE: New York has won 9 of their last 13 road games when avenging a loss where they allowed at least four goals — and they have won 8 of their last 9 road games when playing with revenge from a loss by at least two goals. The underdog has won 20 of the last 27 meetings between these two teams which makes the Islanders a very intriguing proposition tonight. 25* NHL Metropolitan Division Underdog of the Year with the money-line on the New York Islanders (79) versus the Carolina Hurricanes (80). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:08 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Colorado Avalanche (78) versus the San Jose Sharks (77). THE SITUATION: San Jose (52-31-17) won the third game of this series on Tuesday with their 4-2 victory over Colorado (43-33-14) to take a 2-1 lead in this series. The Avalanche host Game Four of this series before things move back to San Jose.

REASONS TO TAKE COLORADO WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Avalanche head coach Jerad Bednar was not happy with his team’s effort or the decisions regarding the puck on Tuesday. Perhaps they were a bit overconfident after seizing home-ice advantage with their upset victory in San Jose on Sunday. Bednar can take some confidence in their improved play in the third period when they rallied from a two-goal deficit to tie the game. Unfortunately for Colorado, they then allowed the Sharks to immediately take the lead again. That final goal was a late empty netter so that final score was not indicative as to how close this game was. Look for the Avalanche to respond with one of their best efforts in the postseason. They have won 11 of their last 13 games when playing with one day of rest. Colorado has been tough at home as of late having won 8 of their last 9 home games. The Avalanche have scored 34 goals over those last nine games for a robust 3.78 Goals-Per-Game average — and they have allowed just 19 goals (even after the four goals the Sharks scored) 2.11 Goals-Allowed mark over those last nine home games. Colorado has also won 4 of their last 5 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. San Jose has lost 9 of their last 15 games after a victory on the road where they scored at least four goals. While this team is playing better defense as of late, they are still surrendering 3.5 Goals-Per-Game when playing away from home. The Sharks have also lost 5 of their last 7 games on the road. Goalie Martin Jones had a troubling 3.14 Goals-Against-Average during the regular season on the road with a .894 save percentage. Furthermore, San Jose has lost 5 of their last 7 playoff games as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. This team will remain without Joe Pavelski and his 38 regular season goals as he is still not ready to play after taking that big hit in Game Seven of their series with Vegas.

FINAL TAKE: Colorado has won 14 of their last 21 games when looking to avenge a loss at home by at least two goals. Look for the Avalanche to even this series at 2-2. 25* NHL Second Round Western Conference Playoff Game of the Year with the money-line on the Colorado Avalanche (78) versus the San Jose Sharks (77). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Toronto Raptors (581) and the Philadelphia 76ers (582). THE SITUATION: Philadelphia (56-33) evened this series at 1-1 on Monday with their 94-89 upset victory at Toronto (63-26) as a 7.5-point underdog. The 76ers return home to host the third and fourth games of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Philadelphia has played 15 of their last 21 games after a victory by 6 points or less. The 76ers have also played 5 of their last 7 games over the Total when playing with two days of rest — and that extra day of rest should help Joel Embiid be ready to play this game as he deals with knee injuries. Philadelphia held the Raptors to just a 36.3% shooting percentage on Monday which was the lowest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last 41 games. But the Sixers also shot just 39.5% from the field in that low-scoring game. Now Philly returns home where they are scoring 118.6 PPG on the strength of 48.5% shooting from the field. The 76ers have played 6 of their last 8 home games Over the Total — and they have played 5 of their last 7 home games Over the Total with the number set in the 210 to 219.5 point range. Toronto’s 36.3% field goal percentage was the worst shooting effort in their last 53 games. They also missed 27 shots from behind the arc on Monday — they should improve significantly on that resulting 27% mark from 3-point land tonight considering that they are making 36.6% of their shots from behind the arc on the road. The Raptors are averaging 113.2 PPG when playing on the road. The Over is 9-4-1 in their last 14 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home court. Toronto has also played 10 of their last 14 road games Over the Total when listed in the +/- 3-point range. Furthermore, in Toronto’s last 18 games overall in expected close games where they are listed in the +/- 3-point range, the Raptors have played 13 of these games Over the Total. And in their last 13 games in the Eastern Conference Playoff Semifinals, Toronto has played 9 of these games Over the Total.

FINAL TAKE: Toronto has played 8 of their last 9 games Over the Total on the road when avenging a loss — and they have played 16 of their last 21 games Over the Total when playing with revenge from a loss at home. These two teams have played 7 of their last 9 meetings in Toronto Over the Total. 25* NBA Atlantic Division Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Toronto Raptors (581) and the Philadelphia 76ers (582). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:38 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Dallas Stars (74) versus the St. Louis Blues (73). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (51-31-9) took a 2-1 lead in this series on Monday with their 4-3 victory over Dallas (48-36-7). The Stars stay at home for Game Four trying to even this series at 2-2.

REASONS TO TAKE DALLAS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Stars should respond with a strong effort tonight as they have won 13 of their last 17 games after a loss on their home ice — and they have won 7 of their last 9 games after a loss at home by just one goal. Head coach Jim Montgomery will be making an adjustment in this game by moving rookie Rope Hintz on to the Jamie Benn-Alexander Radulov line while moving Tyler Seguin to the Mats Zuccarello-Jason Dickinson line with the goal being Seguing will make that second line a little more potent. Dallas’ tough-checking defensive structure makes them a difficult opponent — there is a reason they defeated Nashville last round in six games. The Stars have won 4 of their last 5 home games when favored. They also have won 7 of their last 10 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. St. Louis has now won four straight games on the road in the playoffs after winning three games in Winnipeg in their opening round series — but that is a difficult streak to maintain. The Blues have still lost 15 of their last 21 playoff games as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. St. Louis has won their two games in this series by just one goal. They have only scored once in their nine Power Play chances after peppering the Jets for five Power Play goals in their nineteen opportunities for a 26.3% success rate. This remains a franchise that entered this series having lost 23 of their last 38 games in the Western Conference Semifinals — and they have dropped their last three Game Fours of a playoff series.

FINAL TAKE: St. Louis has lost 4 of their last 5 trips to Dallas to play the Stars. Look for Dallas to even this series at 2-2. 25* NHL Central Division Playoff Game of the Year with the money-line on the Dallas Stars (74) versus the St. Louis Blues (73). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:05 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Portland Trail Blazers (577) and the Denver Nuggets (578). THE SITUATION: Denver (59-31) won the opening game of this series on Monday with their 121-113 victory over Portland (57-31). The Nuggets host Game Two of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The silver lining for the Trail Blazers in Game One was that Enes Kanter was able to play despite a shoulder injury that had him questionable. Kanter played 33 minutes which allowed him to score 26 points while making 11 of his 14 shots. He is more of an offensive threat than Jusuf Nurkic who is out the season with an ankle injury. The problem for the Blazers with Kanter absorbing Nurkic’s minutes is that he is a liability on the defensive end of the court. Denver’s Nikola Jokic exploited him by scoring 37 points on 11 of 18 shooting while pulling down 9 rebounds. Kanter’s presence on both ends of the court has generated higher scoring games — and bettors have yet to catch up. Portland has played 27 of their last 44 games Over the Total after a game where at least 225 combined points were scored. The Blazers have also played 9 of their last 12 games Over the Total after a straight-up loss — and the Over is 5-2-1 in their last 8 games after a point spread loss. Furthermore, the Over is 21-7-2 in Portland’s last 30 games when playing with one day of rest. And while this the Blazers just second game in the last seven days after they dismissed Oklahoma City in five games, they have played 4 straight games when playing their second game in seven days. Portland has also played 7 of their last 10 games Over the Total against fellow Northwest Division opponents. Denver has played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total against Northwest Division foes. They have also played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total after a point spread victory. The Nuggets increase their offensive proficiency when playing at home — they are scoring 113.2 PPG on 48.3% shooting from the field at the Pepsi Center as compared to their 110.4 PPG scoring overall on 46.6% shooting this season. Denver has also played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total when playing with one day of rest.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have now played 5 straight Overs — and they have played 7 of their last 9 games Over the Total when playing in Denver. Expect another high scoring game between these two teams. 25* NBA Northwest Division Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Portland Trail Blazers (577) and the Denver Nuggets (578). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:35 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Houston Rockets (573) and the Golden State Warriors (574). THE SITUATION: Golden State (62-27) won the opening game of this series on Sunday with their 104-100 victory over Houston (57-31). The Warriors host the second game of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Warriors have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after a point spread loss. Golden State smoked this Rockets team who had been playing good defense by making 50.7% of their shots on Sunday. The Warriors have a 49.2% field goal percentage at home in the Oracle Center which has translated into 118.2 PPG. Over their last five games, Golden State is making 50% of their shots — and they are shooting 50.3% from the field so far in these playoffs. This shapes up to be a high-scoring game as the Warriors have played 8 of their last 9 second games to a new playoff series Over the Total. Golden State has also played 19 of their last 30 games Over the Total when leading in a playoff series — and this includes them playing three of these last four games Over the Total when leading in that playoff series. Houston should shoot better than the 41.9% field goal percentage they endured in the opening game of this series. The Rockets have played four straight games Under the Total — but they have then played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after playing four straight games Under the Total. Houston averages 110.2 PPG when playing on the road. The Rockets have also been out-rebounded by 13, 14, and 14 boards in each of their last three games — and they have played 9 of their last 14 games Over the Total after being out-rebounded in their last three games by at least 5.0 Rebounds-Per-Game. Houston has also played 14 of their last 21 second games in a new playoff series Over the Total — and this includes them playing four of these last five situations Over the Total.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have seen their last three games finish Under the Total — but the first game these two teams played in 2019 was in the Oracle Center where the Rockets won by a 135-134 score. After Game One finished Under the Total by more than 20 points, look for this game to finish Over the Total. 25* NBA Western Conference Total of the Month is with Over the Total in the game between the Houston Rockets (573) and the Golden State Warriors (574). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Milwaukee Bucks (572) minus the points versus the Boston Celtics (571). THE SITUATION: Boston (54-33) won the opening game of this series on Sunday with their 112-90 upset victory over Milwaukee (64-23) as an 8-point underdog. The Bucks host the second game of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE MILWAUKEE PLUS THE POINTS: The Bucks should respond with a strong effort after that embarrassing loss on Sunday. Milwaukee has bounced-back to cover the points spread in 15 of their last 18 games after an upset loss — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 10 games after an upset loss by double-digits. Furthermore, the Bucks have covered the point spread in 5 straight games after a loss by at least 10 points — and they have covered 4 of their last 5 games after a loss on their home court by at least 10 points. Additionally, Milwaukee has covered the point spread in 18 of their last 22 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 23 of their last 32 games after a point spread loss. The Bucks should shoot much better tonight after making only 34.8% of their shots in Game One which was the worst shooting effort in their last 32 games. The Celtics made a point of double-teaming Giannis Antetokounmpo when he got the ball down low — he made just 4 of 15 shots inside the paint. The solution to this tactic is for his teammates to make open shots when the Greek Freak passes out of these double-teams — but these shots were simply not falling on Sunday which prompted him to force too many shots down low. The Bucks will also need to amp up their intensity on defense after allowing the Celtics to make 54% of their shots which was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage of the season. Milwaukee holds their guests to just a 43.1% field goal percentage when they are playing at home — so they should play better on the defensive end of the court tonight. They also make 48.1% of their shots at home which translates into 119.2 PPG. The Bucks are 35-9 on their home court this season while outscoring these visitors by +12.0 PPG. Milwaukee has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 home games with the Total set in the 210 to 219.5 point range. Boston is just 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 games after a win by at least 10 points. The Celtics have also failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 6 games after a win on the road by at least 20 points — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 20 of their last 32 games after an upset win on the road by at least 15 points. Their 54% shooting from the field was the best field goal percentage in their last 34 games. And head coach Brad Stevens may not have the services of Aron Baynes who is questionable with an ankle injury after he joined Al Horford to do such a good job defending Antetokounmpo on Sunday. Boston has only covered the point spread in 13 of their last 20 road games with the Total set in the 210 to 219.5 point range.

FINAL TAKE: Milwaukee has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games when avenging a double-digit loss to their opponent. They also have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games when avenging an upset loss where they were favored by at least 7 points. 25* NBA Game of the Month with the Milwaukee Bucks (572) minus the points versus the Boston Celtics (571). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Boston Bruins (67) versus the Columbus Blue Jackets (68). THE SITUATION: Columbus (52-32-4) evened this series at 1-1 on Saturday with their 3-2 victory in overtime versus Boston (54-28-9). The series moves to Columbus for Games Three and Four.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MONEY-LINE ON THE BRUINS: Boston should respond with a strong effort tonight after losing home-ice advantage on Saturday. The Bruins have won 13 of their last 17 games after suffering a loss by just one goal. Boston has also won 43 of their last 60 games after scoring two goals or less in their last contest. Remember that this Bruins team was 22-7-4 in their last thirty-three games of the regular season after overcoming injuries to start the season. Their 107 points in the regular season were tied for the second most in the NHL (with Calgary and Tampa Bay now eliminated from the playoffs). The extra day off since Saturday should help their veterans retool for this contest — Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron have yet to register points in this series. Head coach Bruce Cassidy certainly used the extra day to tinker with his team’s Power Play that has only scored once in eight chances so far in this series. The Bruins have won 24 of their last 31 games when playing with two days of rest. Boston has also won 4 of their last 5 games on the road — and they have won 12 of their last 16 road games against teams with a winning record at home. They should continue to get goaltending from Tuukka Rask who has a strong 2.24 Goals-Against-Average in these playoffs. The Bruins have also won 4 of their last 5 games as the underdog. Columbus has lost 4 straight games in the playoffs when favored in the -110 to -150 price range. They also have lost 8 of their last 12 playoff games on home ice in their franchise history. The Blue Jackets are seeing great production from their Power Play as they have scored seven times in eighteen opportunities with the man advantage in these playoffs. However, that 38.9% success rate on the Power Play is simply not sustainable. This is just Columbus’ third game over the last fourteen days. Not only have the Blue Jackets lost 5 of their last 6 games when playing no more than their third game in ten days but they have also lost 9 of their last 12 home games when playing no more than their fifth game in the last fourteen days. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky played much better in the second half of the season for Columbus — but he still ended the regular season with an unappealing 2.73 Goals-Against-Average at home along with a .907 save percentage. This Blue Jackets franchise has lost 3 straight playoff games when the series is tied — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 third games of a playoff series.

FINAL TAKE: Boston has won 16 of their last 25 games when playing with revenge. The first two games of this series have seen three combined overtime periods played in addition to the 120 minutes of regulation. While the value in this close series is with the underdog tonight, I like the Bruins to bounce-back to earn the win to retake home ice advantage. 25* NHL Underdog of the Month with the money-line on the Boston Bruins (67) versus the Columbus Blue Jackets (68). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Ajax Amsterdam (224201) plus the Goal-Line versus the Tottenham Hotspurs (224202). THE SITUATION: Ajax reached the Semifinals of the Champions League by defeating Juventus by an aggregate 3-2 score in the Quarterfinals. Tottenham survived English Premier League rivals Manchester City by a 4-4 aggregate score in the Quarterfinals by scoring more goals in those two legs away from home. The Spurs host this opening match in this two-leg system.

REASONS TO TAKE AJAX PLUS THE GOAL-LINE: Tottenham is simply not in great form right now. They have lost more than half their matches since Valentine’s Day. They did defeat Manchester City earlier this month in the Quarterfinals — but that victory included a controversial ending where a Sergio Aguero potential winning goal was disallowed by the VAR review system. The Spurs are also severely undermanned in this match. Their best player, striker Harry Kane, is out indefinitely with leg injuries. Their second-best player this year, Son Heung-Min, is suspended for this match. That leaves Tottenham with their best players being Lucas Moura, Christian Ericksen, and Dele Alli with the latter two players having off-seasons overall this year. The Spurs host this first leg in their new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium which they played their debut match in back on April 3rd — so this team still does not have tons of familiarity with this new pitch. Frankly, the Spurs have not retained a significant home-field advantage in English Premier League play this season. They are 12-1-5 at home this year which is just 5th best in the EPL as compared to their 11-0-7 mark on the road which is 3rd best in the EPL. Furthermore, the dirty little secret about the Spurs this season is that they take care of business against the weaker teams in the league — but they are just 2-1-7 against the Big Six franchises while being outscored by a 15 to 10 margin in those matches. Furthermore, in their five home matches against Big Six teams in the EPL, Tottenham is only 1-1-3 while being outscored by a 6-5 margin this season. Ajax may not seem like much of a threat coming from the middling Dutch league — but they outlasted Bayern Munich in Group Stage playing by going unbeaten in those competitions while earning two draws with the German behemoths. Ajax then defeated the reigning Champions League champs in Real Madrid before defeating Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus in the Quarterfinals. What was even more impressive than defeating these heavyweights was they went on the road to secure these wins in the second-legs by defeating Real Madrid by a 4-1 score and Juventus by a 2-1 margin after drawing in the opening legs of these matches. With an average age of 24 years and 257 days of their players, this is the second-youngest team of the thirty-two clubs in this year’s Champions’ League. But this is a battle-tested group that got through three rounds of Qualifiers before getting to the Group Stage to overcome Bayern Munich. This is a confident and energetic group that has completely bought-in to their team system while fully embracing their underdog role. Ajax does not spend the money of the big European powers — but they combine a fantastic youth system with great scouts that pick up underrated talent. Dusan Tadic was signed from Southampton in the offseason — and he has scored six goals and added three assists in CL play. This team also has a rising superstar in the 21-year old Frankie De Jong who is two-way middle fielder who has signed a big contract to join Barcelona next year.

FINAL TAKE: Ajax has a situational edge with this match as their Dutch league canceled their match last week to offer them more time to prepare for the Spurs. Tottenham would prefer to take the underdog role that they enjoyed against Man City. The Spurs are shaky favorites undermanned and playing in their first Champions League Semifinals since 1961-62. I think this opening leg is a toss-up which makes taking Ajax with the +0.5 Goal-Line very valuable. 25* Soccer Match of the Month with the Ajax Amsterdam (224201) plus the Goal-Line versus the Tottenham Hotspurs (224202). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:35 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Portland Trail Blazers (563) and the Denver Nuggets (564). THE SITUATION: Portland (57-30) takes the court again for the first time since last Tuesday after they disposed of Oklahoma City in five games with their 118-115 win as a 3.5-point favorite. Denver (58-31) defeated San Antonio on Sunday by a 90-86 score as a 6.5-point favorite to win that series in seven games. The Nuggets host the first two games of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Trail Blazers have played 6 of their last 9 games Over the Total after a straight-up win where they failed to cover the point spread — and the Over is 11-5-1 in their last 17 games after a point spread loss. Portland launched 96 shots in that game after attempting 90 shots in Game Four of that series. The Blazers have then played 26 of their last 39 games Over the Total after attempting at least 90 shots in two straight games. Portland now goes back on the road where they are scoring 111.0 PPG while also allowing 111.0 PPG. The Trail Blazers have also played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. Denver has played 9 of their last 13 games Over the Total after scoring at least 90 points in their last game — and they have played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total after allowing at least 90 points in their last game. The Nuggets shot just 39.8% from the field in that game which was the lowest field goal percentage in their last twelve games. Denver survived because they limited the Spurs to shooting only 36.5% which was the best defensive effort in their last sixteen games. The Nuggets have also played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total when playing with one day of rest. Denver stays at home where they are scoring 113.0 PPG this season on 48.2% shooting from the field — and they are making 48.3% of their shots in the playoffs. The Nuggets have played 4 straight games Over the Total against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played 6 of their last 8 encounters Over the Total when playing in Denver. 25* NBA Northwest Division Total of the Month with Over the Total in the game between the Portland Trail Blazers (563) and the Denver Nuggets (564). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Philadelphia 76ers (561) plus the points versus the Toronto Raptors (562). THE SITUATION: Toronto (63-25) won the opening game of this series on Saturday with their 108-95 victory over Philadelphia (55-33). The Raptors host Game Two of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE 76ERS PLUS THE POINTS: Philadelphia should play better tonight ager struggling on both ends of the court on Saturday. The Sixers shot just 39.3% from the field which was the lowest field goal percentage in their last eleven games. They also allowed the Raptors to make 51.9% of there shots which was the worst opponent’s field goal percentage in their last seven games. Philadelphia has bounced back to cover the point spread in a decisive 48 of their last 71 games after a loss on the road. Furthermore, the 76ers have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 games after a loss to a fellow Atlantic Division rival. Additionally, Philly has covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games after a double-digit loss — and they have covered the point spread in 29 of their last 39 games after a double-digit loss on the road. Toronto has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a win at home over a divisional rival. And while the Raptors have won five straight games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 19 games after winning at least four straight games and they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games after winning at least five in a row. Toronto has covered the point spread in three straight contests as well — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 21 games after covering the point spread in three of their last four games. The Raptors stay at home where they have failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 22 home games with the Total set in the 220 to 229.5 point range. Toronto is also just 2-6-1 ATS in their last 9 games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

FINAL TAKE: Philadelphia has now lost fourteen straight times when playing the Raptors in Toronto. But this Sixers team has, by far, the best collection of talent. Look for them to play much better tonight in what should be a close game. 25* NBA Atlantic Division Game of the Month with the Philadelphia 76ers (561) plus the points versus the Toronto Raptors (562). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:38 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Colorado Avalanche (53) and the San Jose Sharks (54). THE SITUATION: San Jose (51-30-7) won the opening game of this series on Friday with their 5-2 victory over Colorado (42-32-14). The Sharks host Game Two of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: San Jose has played 13 of their last 18 home games Over the Total after a win by at least two goals. The Sharks have also played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total after allowing no more than two goals in their last game. San Jose is scoring 3.7 Goals-Per-Game on their home ice this season — and they have generated ten goals over their last two games. The Sharks have then played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total after scoring at least five goals in two straight games. But this San Jose team is also allowing 2.9 Goals-Per-Game at home this season with their tendency to have their offensive-minded defensemen, Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson, play aggressively up the ice. In the playoffs, the Sharks are allowing 3.4 Goals-Per-Game. The Sharks stay at home where they have played 10 of their last 11 games Over the Total — and they have played 8 straight home games Over the Total against teams with a losing record on the road. San Jose has also played 5 straight games Over the Total in the playoffs as the favorite. Colorado has played 31 of their last 51 games Over the Total after a loss on the road. The Avalanche had won four straight games in their series with Calgary before dropping Game One of this series — and they have played 13 of their last 20 games Over the Total after winning three of their last four games. This is Colorado’s fifth game over the last fourteen days — and they have played 11 of their last 14 games Over the Total when playing no more than five games in the last fourteen days.

FINAL TAKE: Colorado has lost their last five meetings with the Sharks — and they have played 37 of their last 57 games Over the Total when playing with at least double-revenge. The Over is also 9-1-1 in the last 11 meetings between these two teams in San Jose. 25* NHL Western Conference Total of the Month with Over the Total in the game between the Colorado Avalanche (53) and the San Jose Sharks (54). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the Houston Astros (978) versus the Cleveland Indians (977) listen both starting pitchers Wade Miley and Carlos Carrasco. THE SITUATION: Houston (16-11) won the third game of this series yesterday by a 4-3 score over Cleveland (15-11).

REASONS TO TAKE THE ASTROS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Houston has won a decisive 58 of their last 75 games after a victory — and they have also won 6 of their last 7 games after a win by two runs or less. The Astros have also won 11 of their last 16 games against teams with a winning record. Houston is 9-3 at home this season — and they have won 6 of their last 8 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. They give the ball to Miley who is 1-2 with a 3.58 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP in five starts this season. The left-hander has been more effective at home where he has a 2.31 ERA along with a 0.86 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .167 in two starts as compared to his 4.56 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and .277 opponent’s batting average in three starts on the road. Miley’s teams have won 14 of their last 19 games with Miley pitching at night. Miley’s teams have also won 14 of their last 21 games when he is pitching as a money-line priced in the -110 to -150 price range. He faces an Indians team that has lost 14 of their last 20 games against left-handed starting pitchers. Cleveland is scoring only 3.3 Runs-Per-Game on the road while hitting just .201 batting average along with a .280 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .619. They counter with Carrasco who is 2-2 with a 6.00 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP in five starts this year. The right-hander has struggled on the road where he has a 9.00 ERA with a 1.92 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .365 in three starts as opposed to his 2.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and an opponent’s average of .229 in his first two home starts. The Indians have lost 6 of their last 8 road games with Carrasco on the hill — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 road games with Carrasco pitching against a team with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: Miley is an underrated starting pitcher who had a 2.57 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP for the Brewers last year — and he did not allow more than three earned runs in any of sixteen starts last season. The better Astros offense should make the difference tonight. 25* MLB Sunday Night ESPN Game of the Month with the money-line on the Houston Astros (978) versus the Cleveland Indians (977) listen both starting pitchers Wade Miley and Carlos Carrasco. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Columbus Blue Jackets (43) versus the Boston Bruins (44). THE SITUATION: Boston (54-27-9) seized a 1-0 lead in this series on Thursday with their 3-2 win overtime over Columbus (51-32-4). The Bruins host Game Two of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BLUE JACKETS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Columbus had been on a six-game winning streak before losing in Boston on Thursday. They looked rusty after having eight days off from their opening round sweep of Tampa Bay. They entered the third period trailing by a 1-0 score before taking a 2-1 lead in a thirteen-second span where they scored twice — but the Bruins scored again to force overtime where they eventually won that coin flip of a game. The Blue Jackets have won 18 of their last 25 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. The Blue Jackets are still scoring 4.2 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games — and they average 3.1 Goals-Per-Game when playing on the road. This Columbus team absolutely dominated the President’s Trophy winners in the Lightning. After falling behind by a 3-0 margin in the first period of the opening game of that series, they then outscored Tampa Bay by a whopping 19 to 5 margin. This is a team that only lost once since March 24th as the roster moves this team made at the trade deadline proved to be the right mix for John Tortorella. Remember that this team took a 2-0 lead over Washington in the opening round of last year’s playoffs before losing four straight to the eventual Stanley Cup champions. This is a talented team. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky was outstanding in Game One to keep them in that game as he stopped 34 of the 37 shots he faced. Bobrovsky enjoyed a 2.20 Goals-Against-Average along with a .924 save percentage after the All-Star Break to close out the regular season. And while Columbus has allowed six goals over their last two games, the Blue Jackets have won 10 of their last 12 on the road after allowing at least two goals in their last game. Columbus has won 7 of their last 8 games on the road. They are also dangerous underdogs as they have won 5 of their last 6 games as an underdog — and they have won 4 of their last 5 games in the playoffs as a money-line underdog. Boston may be without center David Krejci in this game after he was hit hard by Rick Nash in Game One — he is a game-time decision tonight. Krejci had moved up to the Bruins’ top-line with Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak which allowed head coach Bruce Cassidy to drop center Patrice Bergeron to the second-line. While Bergeron will likely go back to form what be the best line in the NHL, it leaves the Bruins thin after those top three forwards — and that is what triggered Cassidy’s recent move. Boston had scored at least three goals in three straight games — but they have lost 11 of their last 17 games after scoring at least three goals in three straight games. Boston has still lost 4 of their last 5 games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals — and they have lost 5 of their last 7 games when leading in a playoff series.

FINAL TAKE: Look for the Blue Jackets to even this series at 1-1 before this series returns to Columbus for Games Three and Four. Remember that the Bruins lost twice at home in their opening round series against Toronto. 25* NHL NBC-TV Game of the Month with the money-line on the Columbus Blue Jackets (43) versus the Boston Bruins (44). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:35 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the match between the Philadelphia 76ers (553) and the Toronto Raptors (554). THE SITUATION: Philadelphia (55-32) has won four straight games after they disposed of Brooklyn in five games culminating in a 122-100 victory at home on Tuesday as a 9.5-point favorite. Toronto (62-35) has won four straight games as well after taking care of Orlando in five games after their 115-96 victory at home over the Magic on Tuesday as an 11-point favorite. The Raptors host the first two games of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The 76ers have played 17 of their last 24 games Over the Total after a victory by at least 20 points over a fellow Atlantic Division rival — and they have played 23 of their last 32 games Over the Total after winning their last two games against divisional foes. Philadelphia has covered the point spread in four straight games — and they have played 15 of their last 20 road games Over the Total after covering the point spread in four of their last five contests. The Sixers held the Nets to just 38.7% shooting from the field which was the best defensive effort in their last twenty games. Philadelphia did not let Brooklyn shoot better than 41.1% from the field in the last three games of that series — but they have then played a decisive 46 of their last 72 games Over the Total after not allowing their last three opponents to shoot better than 42% from the field. Furthermore, the Sixers controlled the boards in their series against the Nets as they out-rebounded them by at least 7 rebounds per game in all five games of that series. Philly has then played 13 of their last 17 games Over the Total after out-rebounding their last five opponents by at least 5.0 RPG. Moving forward, the 76ers have played 7 of their last 9 games Over the Total when playing their second game in seven days. Toronto has played 10 of their last 13 games Over the Total when playing with at least three days of rest. The Raptors have played 8 of their last 11 games Over the Total after a double-digit win — and they have played 7 of their last 10 games after covering the point spread as a double-digit favorite. Toronto has also played 18 of their last 26 games Over the Total after winning at least three straight games — and they have played 30 of their last 45 home games Over the Total after scoring at least 115 points in their last game. The Raptors also played very good defense in their opening series as well — they have not allowed their last seven opponents to shoot better than 42% from the field. But Toronto has played 16 of their last 21 games Over the Total after not allowing at least three straight opponents to make more than 42% of their shots.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played 10 of their last 14 meetings Over the Total — and this includes them playing 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total when playing in Toronto. Expect these team trends to continue tonight in this opening game of this Eastern Conference Semifinals series. 25* NBA Atlantic Division Total of the Month with Over the Total in the match between the Philadelphia 76ers (553) and the Toronto Raptors (554). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:08 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Dallas Stars (41) and the St. Louis Blues (42). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (50-30-9) won the opening game of this series on Thursday with their 3-2 victory over Dallas (47-35-9). The Blues host Game Two of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: St. Louis has played 11 of their last 15 games Over the Total after a win over a fellow Central Division rival — and they have also played six straight games at home Over the Total after a victory over a divisional foe. Furthermore, the Blues have played 16 of their last 24 games Over the Total after a win on their home ice. Additionally, St. Louis has played 8 of their last 9 games Over the Total after a narrow victory by just one goal. The Blues have played three straight games that concluded with 3-2 scores which makes taking the Over seem like a safe investment with a Push being the worst case scenario. St. Louis has played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total after winning at least two straight games by just one goal. The Blues score 3.2 Goals-Per-Game on home ice this season — but they are also allowing 3.0 Goals-Per-Game at home. In defeating Winnipeg in six games last round, St, Louis converted on 5 of their 19 Power Play opportunities which translated into an impressive 26.3% success rate. Dallas has seen at least five combined goals scored in four of their last five games. While the Stars have been an Under machine for much of the season, they have quietly players 10 of their last 15 games Over the Total in the month of April. Dallas has also played 4 of their last 6 games Over the Total on the road with the Total set at 5. Over their last five games, the Stars are scoring 3.2 Goals-Per-Game. When playing on the road, Dallas allows 2.6 Goals-Per-Game. Additionally, the Over is 7-2-7 in the Stars’ last 16 playoff games as a money-line underfoot priced in the +110 to +150 range. The Over is also 3-0-4 in the Stars’ last 7 games in the Western Conference Playoff Semifinals.

FINAL TAKE: With the Total set at 5, the worst case scenario is likely another 3-2 final score — but I do think both teams find the back of the net three times (or perhaps this game ends with a 4-2 score). 25* NHL NBC-TV Total of the Month with Over the Total in the game between the Dallas Stars (41) and the St. Louis Blues (42). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Newcastle Unites (200161) plus the Goal-Line versus Brighton and Hove Albion (200162). THE SITUATION: Newcastle (11-8-16) has won their last two matches after defeating Southampton last Saturday by a 3-1 score. Brighton (9-7-19) is winless in seven straight matches after a 1-0 loss at Tottenham on Tuesday.

REASONS TO TAKE NEWCASTLE PLUS THE GOAL-LINE: Brighton is in a free-fall as they have the third worst record in the English Premier League since December 4th. Part of the problem is that the team is missing their talisman Pascal Gross who is out with an injury. But things have gotten stale under manager Chris Hughton who has been with the franchise since 2015. Usually, he is able to coax just not enough out of his team to avoid relegation — but this now this group is in severe danger of falling into the bottom-three relegation zone. Over their last seven matches, they have scored only once while allowing fourteen goals. The Seagulls simply cannot find any scoring right now as they have not found the back of the net in six straight matches and are currently enduring a 556-minute scoreless streak. Their top forward, Glenn Murray, has not scored a goal at home in his last ten matches. In the past, the sensible style of Hughton saw them still retain a sneaky home field advantage when playing at Amex Stadium — but they have lost three straight matches at home where they have surrendered eight goals without scoring even once. In fact, Brighton has scored only once in 2019 in their seven matches on their home pitch. As this point, it looks like Hughton is content with grinding out scoreless draws as his team did two matches ago against Burnley. Scratching out even a point helps when compared to a Cardiff City side who is their closest opponent currently in relegation three points behind them (and Cardiff City is not beating Fulham as of this morning’s writing which is their best remaining opportunity to capture those three points). At this late point of the season, we want to invest in teams that still appear motivated to play out the long campaign — and that appears to be the case in manager Rafa Benitez’s Newcastle side. The Magpies are safely in 13th place and ten points up over Cardiff City regarding relegation. This team has won their last two matches while scoring four times and conceding just once. Benetiz is a great coach who has his team play an effective counter-attacking approach that served to represent one of the four teams in the EPL this season to defeat Manchester City. Newcastle is a very dangerous underdog when getting at least 0.5 goals as they are 10-8-6 against non-Big Six teams while outscoring those opponents by a 26 to 20 goal margin. Even more impressive, the Magpies are 3-7-1 in their last eleven matches on the road against non-Big Six sides (losing only once outright) while outscoring those teams by a 9-8 aggregate score.

FINAL TAKE: Newcastle will be motivated to avenge a 1-0 loss at home to Brighton back in October. Benitez’s contract is up this summer with his notoriously stingy owner, Mike Ashley, so he will want his team ending strong. The Magpies’ style translates well when playing on the road. They should pull out a draw with an outright win very possible when considering Brighton’s current poor form. 25* EPL Saturday NBC-TV Match of the Year with the Newcastle Unites (200161) plus the Goal-Line versus Brighton and Hove Albion (200162). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:08 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Colorado Avalanche (5) and the San Jose Sharks (6). THE SITUATION: Colorado (42-31-14) takes the ice again after winning four straight games to dispatch of Calgary in five games with their 5-1 win on the road last Friday. San Jose (50-30-7) has won three straight games after surviving their seven-game series with Vegas on Sunday with their 5-4 victory in overtime. The Sharks host the first two games of this seven-game series.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Sharks rallied from being down 3-1 in that series with the Golden Knights to eke out the last two games in that series in overtime. San Jose has played 10 of their last 16 games Under the Total after going to overtime in their last two contests — and they have also played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total after winning their last two games by just one goal against a Pacific Division rival. The Sharks have also played 71 of their last 111 games Under the Total after a game where both teams scored at least four goals. Remember, that Game Seven was looking like another shutout in that series for goalie Marc-Andre Fleury before that controversial call on Vegas when Joe Pavelski was double-hit and fell to the ice where his head started bleeding. Replays strongly suggest that the second hit from Paul Stastny was an inadvertent bump — but the five-minute major that was called on the Golden Knights resulted in a five-minute power play where the Sharks scored four times with the man-advantage to jumpstart their offense. Perhaps the most important development during that series was the improved play of goalie Martin Jones. After allowing 13 goals on 80 shots for a rough .838 save percentage in the first four games of that series, he stopped 122 of the next 129 shots he faced for a sparkling .946 save percentage in those three elimination games which included over two full periods of overtime hockey. San Jose was converting on only 4 of their 29 (13.8%) of their Power Play chances in that series before that miraculous five-minute Power Play on Sunday. But the ripple effect from that game will be felt tonight with Pavelski being declared out for Game One as he recovers from that head injury. Not only will the Sharks miss his 38 goals in the regular season, but head coach Peter DeBoer moved him to the second-line help provide his team more depth. Colorado has seen the Under go 10-2-1 in their last 13 games after a win — and they have played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after winning three games in a row. The Avalanche has also scored at least three goals in four straight games — but they have then played 13 of their last 17 games Under the Total after scoring at least three goals in three straight games. Colorado has a dynamic first line of forwards led by Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog. But what the Sharks got better at in their series with Vegas was contain their elite line of Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty, and Statsny which they checked with the defensive pairing of Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Brent Burns — and DeBoer has final choice regarding what players to put on the ice as the home team so he can ensure that top pair will combat MacKinnon and company. After losing by a 5-0 score in Game Four, the Sharks allowed only seven goals in the remaining three games in that series which went around 220 minutes of ice time when accounting for overtimes. What was underappreciated about the Avalanche in the first round was their strong defensive play against the Flames as they allowed only 2.2 Goals-Per-Game in those five games while not allowing more than two goals in those last four games. They stay on the road where the Under is 8-1-1 in their last 10 games — and the Under is also 3-0-1 in Colorado’s last 4 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on home ice.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams last played on April 6th where San Jose won at home by a 5-2 margin. The Avalanche have played 11 of their last 15 games Under the Total when avenging a loss by at least three goals. 25* NHL Bailout Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Colorado Avalanche (5) and the San Jose Sharks (6). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:05 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Golden State Warriors (533) minus the points versus the Los Angeles Clippers (534). THE SITUATION: Los Angeles (50-37) extended this series to a sixth game on Wednesday with their 129-121 upset victory in Golden State as a 15-point underdog. This series moves back to the Staples Center in Los Angeles with the Clippers looking to force a climactic seventh game.

REASONS TO TAKE THE WARRIORS MINUS THE POINTS: The dirty little secret about this Golden State team this season as they have more susceptible to underwhelming efforts when they have played on their home court where the two-time defending champions assume they have a larger margin for error. The Warriors have been more consistent when playing on the road — particularly on the defensive end of the court. Golden State holds its opponents to just a 43.7% field goal percentage when playing on the road as compared to the 44.5% mark they are allowing overall. The Warriors blew a 31-point lead on their home court in Game Two of this series — and they responded by crushing the Clippers in LA by a 132-105 score in Game Three. Golden State has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after an upset loss by at least 10 points. The Warriors have also covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after a point spread loss. Furthermore, Golden State has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after allowing at least 125 points in their last contest. Not only should the Warriors play harder on the defensive end of the court but they should also shoot better tonight after making only 44.8% of their shots on Wednesday. That was the lowest field goal percentage for Golden State in their last fifteen games — they should come closer to their 49.8% field goal percentage they have generated in this series. Additionally, the Warriors have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 trips to Los Angeles to face the Clippers. Los Angeles is just 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after scoring at least 125 points in their last game. Now the Clippers go home where they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games. Most importantly for this spot, Doc Rivers team has failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 7 home games as an underdog getting 6.5 to 12 points.

FINAL TAKE: Golden State has covered the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games when avenging a double-digit upset loss to their opponent. Look for the Warriors to exert more effort on defense — and that should serve as the catalyst for a decisive victory tonight. 25* NBA Friday ESPN Game of the Month with the Golden State Warriors (533) minus the points versus the Los Angeles Clippers (534). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:20 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Colorado Rockies (957) and the Atlanta Braves (958) listing both starting pitchers Antonio Senzatela and Max Fried. THE SITUATION: Colorado (11-14) enters this series having won eight of their last ten games with their 9-1 victory over Washington on Wednesday. Atlanta (12-11) has lost two of their last three games after a 4-2 loss at Cincinnati yesterday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Rockies have played 4 straight games Under the Total after scoring at least five runs in their last game — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after allowing at least five runs in their last contest. The Under is also 9-3-1 in their last 13 games after an off day. Now this team goes on the road where the Under is 22-6-3 in their last 31 games. They give the ball to Senzatela who is 1-1 with a 3.55 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP in two starts this season — and he has pitched at least 6 innings in both those starts. The 24-year old right-hander was 6-6 with a 4.38 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP last season — but he was more effective away from Coors Field where he saw his ERA and WHIP drop to 4.01 and 1.11 marks while posting an impressive .220 opponent’s batting average. In his one start on the road this year, Senzatela allowed only 1 earned run in 6 2/3 innings of work at San Diego. Colorado has played 8 straight road games Under the Total with Senzatela on the hill. He faces a Braves team that has played 5 of their last 6 home games Under the Total against right-handed starting pitchers. Atlanta has played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total after a loss. Now the Braves return home where they have played 4 of their last 5 home games Under the Total against teams with a losing record. Atlanta has also played 24 of their last 31 games Under the Total against teams with a losing record. They counter with Fried who has been outstanding so far this season with a 3-0 record along with a 1.38 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP in four starts. Two of those starts were at home where he sported a 0.75 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .186 as compared to his 1.29 WHIP and .231 opponent’s batting average when on the road. These disparate home/road splits are consistent with last year where the left-hander had a 2.40 ERA with a 1.27 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .200 in 15 innings at home as compared to his 3.38 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .242 in 18 2/3 innings on the road. I pay close attention to sample sizes — but I feel comfortable with Fried’s career 2.80 ERA along with a 1.18 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .200 in 34 2/3 innings of work when pitching at his Sun Trust Field in Atlanta. Fried faces a Rockies team that is scoring only 2.9 Runs-Per-Game on the road with a .199 batting average along with a .242 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .558 this year. The Under is 40-19-2 in Colorado’s last 61 games against left-handed starting pitchers — and the Under is 19-7-2 in their last 28 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.15 or lower.

FINAL TAKE: The Rockies are looking to avenge a 7-1 loss at home as a small money-line favorite against the Braves back on April 9th. Colorado has played 30 of their last 45 games Under the Total when avenging an upset loss at home. Lastly, these two teams have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total — and they have played 4 of their last 5 meetings in Atlanta Under the Total. 25* MLB National League Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Colorado Rockies (957) and the Atlanta Braves (958) listing both starting pitchers Antonio Senzatela and Max Fried. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Carolina Hurricanes (7) and the New York Islanders (8). THE SITUATION: Carolina (50-32-7) has won four of their last five games after defeating the Capitals in Washington on Wednesday with their 4-3 win in overtime in the climactic seventh game of that series. New York (52-27-7) has won their last six games after completing their seven-game sweep of the Penguins with their 3-1 win in Pittsburgh back on April 16th. The Islanders host this game in the Barclays Center to begin this seven-game series.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Hurricanes have played 4 of their last 5 road games Under the Total after winning four of their last five games. Carolina has also won 8 of their last 13 games Under the Total after scoring at least four goals against a Metropolitan Division rival in their last game. Furthermore, the Hurricanes have played 16 of their last 24 road games Under the Total after playing a game on the road — and they have played 19 of their last 28 games Under the Total after a game on the road where both teams scored at least three goals. Carolina is getting outstanding goaltending from Petr Mrazek who had a 1.83 Goals-Against-Average with a .938 save percentage after the All-Star Break during the regular season. The Hurricanes held the Capitals to just 2.4 Goals-Per-Game over the last five games in that series. Carolina has also played 22 of their last 34 games Under the Total when playing Metropolitan Division rivals. And while the Hurricanes have played three straight Overs, they have then played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total. New York has only allowed one goal in each of their last three games. Goalie Robin Lehner enjoys a 2.05 Goals-Against-Average with a .929 save percentage when playing at home this season. Over their last five games, the Islanders allowed only 1.2 Goals-Per-Game. Moving forward, the Under is 34-16-2 in New York’s last 52 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. But the Isles will likely be rusty in their offensive execution after not being in a real game in ten days. They return home where they have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total. New York has also played 11 of their last 13 home games Under the Total against teams with a winning record on the road.

FINAL TAKE: The Islanders led the NHL by allowing only 196 goals this season — and the Hurricanes were not far behind as they finished tied for sixth in fewest goals allowed. While I suspect some of the games in this series to finish Over the Total, look for both these teams to be cautious in this opener. 25* NHL Metropolitan Division Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Carolina Hurricanes (7) and the New York Islanders (8). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between Huddersfield Town (2000137) and Liverpool (2000138). THE SITUATION: Huddersfield (3-5-27) limps into this match coming off a 2-1 loss to Watford last Saturday. Liverpool (27-7-1) comes off a 2-1 win at Cardiff City on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Huddersfield is not likely to score a goal in this match. The Terriers have scored the fewest goals in the league at 20 — and that number drops to just 11 goals in their 17 matches on the road. Even worse, Huddersfield has scored only three times in their 10 matches against one of the Big Six franchises this season. The Terriers are cemented to be relegated to the Champions League — so this match is all about pride. Don’t be surprised if they park the proverbial bus in their back end to limit the Reds damage. On the plus side, the 29 goals they have surrendered against Big Six competition in ten matches results in less than 3.0 Goals Allowed per match. Yet this remains a side that has not scored a goal in seven of their last English Premier League matches on the road. And while they have allowed 69 goals this season with 39 of these goals being on the road — the Expected Goals metric indicates that they should have allowed just 60.78 goals overall this season along with only 32.00 goals allowed when playing on the road. Liverpool needs every point possible in their fight for first place with Manchester City. But the Reds will be without their top forward in Roberto Firminho who meager Jurgen Klopp has announced will not play today because of a muscle injury. While Liverpool is still loaded with goal scorers led by midfielders Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, the absence of Firminho hurts their cohesion up top. As it is, the Reds have not scored more than three goals in five straight EPL matches. But Liverpool has held their last two EPL opponents scoreless. The Reds have allowed only 20 goals this season which is the lowest mark in the league. In twelve home matches against the non-Big Six sides this season, Liverpool has scored a solid but not overwhelming 36 goals — while allowing just 7 goals in those matches.

FINAL TAKE: This match looks destined to be 3-0. The Reds should average their three goals in these situations — but it will be very difficult for Huddersfield to find the back of the net once. With the Total set at 4.0, we have a reasonable cushion. 25* EPL Friday NBC Sports Network Total of the Year with Under the Total in the match between Huddersfield Town (2000137) and Liverpool (2000138). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:38 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Dallas Stars (5) and the St. Louis Blues (6). THE SITUATION: Dallas (47-34-7) won the last three games of their opening round series to defeat Nashville in six games with their 2-1 victory in overtime on Monday. St. Louis (49-30-9) won their last two games in their series with Winnipeg to also dispatch of them in six games with their 3-2 victory last Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Under is 31-13-7 in the Stars’ last 51 games after a victory — and they have played 12 of their last 16 games Under the Total after a win over a Central Division rival. Dallas has also played 12 of their last 15 games Under the Total after a narrow win by just one goal — and the Under is 19-5-6 in their last 30 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. The Stars were the second best defensive team in the NHL during the regular season where they allowed just 2.44 Goals-Per-Game. Goalie Ben Bishop enjoyed a 1.15 Goals-Against-Average with a .962 save percentage in his fifteen regular season starts after the All-Star Break. Dallas allowed only 2.0 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games. But this team also scores only 2.3 Goals-Per-Game when playing on the road with only their top forward line being a reliable source of goals. The Under is 17-6-4 in the Stars’ last 27 games on the road — and the Under is 13-4-4 in their last 21 road games against teams with a winning record at home. The Under is also 10-2-2 in Dallas’ last 14 games as a money-line underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. St. Louis has played 16 of their last 19 games Under the Total after winning two straight games. They are led by a red hot goaltender that spearheaded their strong second half of the season in rookie Jordan Bennington who enjoyed a 1.90 GAA with a .928 save percentage in the twenty-three regular season starts after the All-Star Break. The Blues have played 5 of their last 7 home games Under the Total — and they have played 7 of their last 9 home games Under the Total when priced as a favorite in the -151 to -200 price range. The Under is also 20-8-2 in St. Louis’  last 30 games against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: Dallas was a perfect 15 of 15 with their Power Play kills in the opening round of the playoffs — and the Blues were solid by allowing only three goals in fourteen Power Plays for the Jets. These two teams have played 5 of their last 6 meetings Under the Total. Expect this opening game to continue this low-scoring tempo. 25* NHL Central Division Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Dallas Stars (5) and the St. Louis Blues (6). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the San Antonio Spurs (526) minus the points versus the Denver Nuggets (525). THE SITUATION: Denver (57-30) took a 3-2 lead in this series on Tuesday with their 108-90 victory over the Spurs (50-37) as a 5.5-point favorite. This series returns to San Antonio tonight for Game Six.

REASONS TO TAKE THE SPURS MINUS THE POINTS: San Antonio should extend this series to a climactic seventh game tonight.  Denver has won the last two games of this series by 14 and 18 points — but the Spurs have covered the point spread in 24 of their last 37 games after losing their last two games by double-digits. They also have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games after losing their last two contests. San Antonio made only 41.1% of their shots on Tuesday which was the worst shooting effort in their last eight games. But the Spurs have then covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after scoring at least 90 points in their last game. Now San Antonio returns home where they score 112.7 PPG while making 48.7% of their shots — so a better offensive performance is very likely. The Spurs are 33-10 on their home court with an average winning margin of +6.4 PPG. San Antonio has covered the point spread in 14 of their last 19 home games as a pick ‘em or a favorite laying no more than 6 points. The Spurs have also covered the point spread in 20 of their last 29 home games when playing just their second game in the last five days. Denver may be due for a letdown as they have failed to cover the point spread in 23 of their last 34 road games after a victory on their home court — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 23 road games after a win by at least 10 points. Furthermore, the Nuggets have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after a point spread victory. Denver has covered the point spread in three of their last four games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 17 games after covering the point spread in three of their last four games. The Nuggets have also failed to cover the point spread in 20 of their last 31 games after winning two of their last three games. Their 41.1% opponent’s field goal percentage was the best defensive effort in their last nine games. But now Denver goes back on the road where they allow 109.9 PPG while allowing their home hosts to make 46.9% of their shots. The Nuggets have a losing 21-22 record away from home while being outscored by -2.4 PPG. Denver remains a team that has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games in the Western Conference Quarterfinals.

FINAL TAKE: The Spurs have been very reliable under head coach Gregg Popovich when they are in revenge situations. San Antonio has covered the point spread in 24 of their last 30 games when avenging a loss where their opponent scored at least 100 points. The Spurs have also covered the point spread in 13 of their last 15 games when motivated by revenge from a double-digit loss on the road. Together, these team trends produce our specific 164-60 ATS combined angle for this situation. 25* NBA First Round Playoff Game of the Year with the San Antonio Spurs (526) minus the points versus the Denver Nuggets (525). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total run in the game between the Columbus Blue Jackets (3) and the Boston Bruins (4). THE SITUATION: Columbus (51-31-4) takes the ice with this first time since April 16th after they completed an improbable 4-0 sweep over Tampa Bay that concluded with a 7-3 victory back on April 16th. Boston (53-27-9) pulled out a seven-game series on Tuesday when they defeated Toronto by a 5-1 score. The Bruins host the opening two games of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Blue Jackets will likely be a bit rusty having not played in twelve days. Their head coach, John Tortorella, is a veteran who has led a previous team to a Stanley Cup championship and he will likely continue to rely on his team playing very physical to set the tone on defense. As it is, the Under is 25-11-4 in Columbus’ last 40 games after a victory — and they have played 12 of their last 17 games after a win at home by a test four goals. Additionally, the Under is 6-2-2 in the Blue Jackets’ last 10 games after scoring at least five goals in their last game — and they have played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total against a team that did not allow more than two goals in their last contest. The team is getting great goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky who stopped 109 of his 117 shots against the Lightning for a stellar .936 save percentage in that series. Columbus is the hottest team in the NHL right now as they have only lost once since March 24th — and the play of their goaltender has played a big role in their surge. Since the All-Star Break, Bobrovsky has a 2.20 Goals-Against-Average along with a .924 save percentage. The Blue Jackets have allowed only 2.0 Goals-Per-Game in their last five contests. Now they go on the road where they have played 12 of their last 15 games Under the Total. The Under is also 7-1-1 in their last 9 road games as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. Boston has played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total after scoring at least five goals in their last game — and they have also played 7 straight home games Under the Total after scoring five or more goals in their last contest. Furthermore, the Bruins have played 8 of their last 9 home games Under the Total after a win over an Atlantic Division rival. Boston will be happy to grind out a heavy-hitting lower scoring game with the Blue Jackets — they finished tied for third in the regular season by allowing only 2.59 Goals-Per-Game. Their goalie, Tuukka Rask, stopped 32 of the 33 shots he faced against the Maple Leafs to lead his team to that Game Seven victory. Rask entered these playoffs with a career 2.25 GAA along with a .924 save percentage in 65 games. Additionally, the Under is 13-4-5 in Boston’s last 22 games in the playoffs as a favorite priced in the -110 to -150 price range.

FINAL TAKE: Columbus’ only loss since Match 24th was a 6-2 loss at home to the Bruins back on April 2nd as a -140 money-line favorite. The Blue Jackets have played 23 of their last 35 games Under the Total when looking to avenge an upset loss — and they have also played 12 of their last 15 games Under the Total after a loss by at least three goals. Boston has won the last two meetings between these two teams — and Columbus has played 14 of their last 20 games Under the Total when motivated by double-revenge. 25* NHL Eastern Conference Total of the Month with Columbus Blue Jackets (3) and the Boston Bruins (4). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:35 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Los Angeles Clippers (515) and the Golden State Warriors (516). THE SITUATION: Golden State (60-26) took a commanding 3-1 lead in this series on Monday with their 113-105 victory over the Clippers (49-37). The Warriors look to close out this series tonight.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Golden State has played 11 of their last 16 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 11 of 15 games Under the Total after a point spread loss. The Warriors took 13 fewer free throws on Monday after attempting 16 fewer free throws than the Clippers in Game Three — and they have played 10 of their last 11 games Under the Total after attempting at least ten fewer free throws than their opponent in two straight games. Now Golden State returns home to the Oracle Center where they have played 10 of their last 13 games Under the Total — and they have also played 4 of their last 5 home games Under the Total against teams with a winning record on the road. Los Angeles has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after losing their last two games at home. The Clippers go back on the road where they have played 17 of their last 25 games Under the Total. And in their last 23 road games against teams with a winning record on their home court, Los Angeles has played 16 of these games Under the Total.

FINAL TAKE: The Clippers have played 13 of their last 14 games Under the Total when avenging a loss at home their opponent. 25* NBA Pacific Division Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Los Angeles Clippers (515) and the Golden State Warriors (516). Best luck for us — Frank.

At 10:35 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Oklahoma City Thunder (503) and the Portland Trail Blazers (504). THE SITUATION: Portland (56-30) took a 3-1 lead in this series on Sunday with their 111-98 upset victory in Oklahoma City against the Thunder (50-36). The Trail Blazers return home with the opportunity to close out this series tonight.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Oklahoma City offense has stalled in their three losses where they have failed to score even 100 points. Paul George is showing signs of being less than 100% with injuries to both his shoulders. He is making only 37% of his shots in this series while shooting just 30.8% from behind the arc — he is simply not close to his outstanding form in February prior to the All-Star Break when he was making a case to being the league’s Most Valuable Player. Russell Westbrook is also struggling as he is making only 36.3% of his shots in this series while shooting only 30.4% from behind the arc. The Thunder have played 9 of their last 11 games Under the Total after a double-digit loss at home. Additionally, the Under is 4-1-1 in OKC’s last 6 games after a straight-up loss — and the Under is 5-1-1 in their last 7 games after a point spread loss. Additionally, the Thunder have played 16 of their last 19 games Under the Total as an underdog. And in their last 74 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home, the Under is 50-23-1. Portland has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a double-digit victory — and they have played 13 of their last 17 games after a win over a Northwest Division rival. The Trail Blazers have also played 5 of their last games Under the Total after a point spread win. Portland certainly deserves much of the credit for the strong defense they are playing in this series. The Blazers have held the Thunder to just  41.3% shooting percentage from the field along with a low 30.8% mark from behind the arc. The Trail Blazers have played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: Oklahoma City has played 9 of their last 12 games Under the Total when attempting to avenge a double-digit loss to their opponent. 25* NBA First Round Northwest Division Playoff Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Oklahoma City Thunder (503) and the Portland Trail Blazers (504). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:35 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the San Antonio Spurs (501) plus the points versus the Denver Nuggets (502). THE SITUATION: Denver (56-30) evened this series at 2-2 on Saturday with their 117-103 upset victory in San Antonio (50-36). The Nuggets host Game Five tonight.

REASONS TO TAKE THE SPURS PLUS THE POINTS: San Antonio should respond with a strong effort as they have covered the point spread in 4 straight games after a double-digit loss at home. The Spurs are also 16-7-1 ATS in their last 24 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. San Antonio has played well in Denver in this series as they won Game One and had a 19-point lead in Game Two before Jamal Murray’s huge 4th quarter propelled the Nuggets to that victory. This veteran Spurs team under head coach Gregg Popovich has covered the point spread in 33 of their last 47 games when a playoff series is tied. Denver has failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 14 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after a point spread victory. And while the Nuggets have won two of their last three games in this series, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 20 of their last 30 games after winning two of their last three contests. Now Denver returns home where they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. The Nuggets have also covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games in the Western Conference Quarterfinals. And in their last 8 playoff games when the series is tied, Denver has failed to cover the point spread all 8 times.

FINAL TAKE: The Spurs have been very reliable when motivated by revenge. San Antonio has covered the point spread in 21 of their last 23 games when avenging a loss where they allowed at least 110 points. The Spurs have also covered the point spread in 15 of their last 19 games when looking to avenge a double-digit loss to their opponents. 25* NBA-TV Game of the Year with the San Antonio Spurs (501) plus the points versus the Denver Nuggets (502). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Boston Bruins (10) versus the Toronto Maple Leafs (9). THE SITUATION: Boston (52-27-9) extended this series to a climactic seventh game on Sunday with their 4-2 victory in Toronto against the Maple Leafs (52-27-9). The Bruins return home to host Game Seven.

REASONS TO TAKE BOSTON WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Bruins should build off their momentum from winning Game Six. Boston has won 9 of their last 11 games for a victory where they scored at least four goals. The Bruins have also won 12 of their last 16 games after allowing no more than two goals in their last game. Now this team returns home where they are 30-11-3 this season. Boston has won 20 of their last 28 home games against teams with a winning record on the road — and they have won 10 of their last 14 home games when favored in the -110 to -150 price range. The Bruins have also won 12 of their last 17 home games with the Total set at 5.5. Boston has a big edge in playoff experience going into tonight. Zdeno Chara is playing in his thirteenth Game Seven in a playoff series while veterans Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Krejci will be playing their 11th, 10th, and 8th seventh game in a playoff series. The Bruins are also the better defensive team as the 128 goals they allowed during the regular season on 5-on-5 situations was the second lowest in the NHL. Furthermore, Boston has been getting more production from their Power Play in this series as they have scored 7 times in their 16 Power Play chances (43.8%). Toronto has scored just 3 times in their 14 opportunities with a man advantage (21.4%). The Maple Leafs have had two opportunities on their home ice to either take a commanding 3-1 lead or to close the series out — but they failed in both instances. They are getting outplayed in this series — they have allowed 3.4 Goals-Per-Game in the last five games while scoring only 2.4 Goals-Per-Game over that span. Toronto has lost 4 of their last 6 games after losing at home to an Atlantic Division rival. The Maple Leafs have also lost 4 of their last 5 games after scoring two goals or less in their last contest. Additionally, Toronto has lost 5 of their last 7 games on the road. And in their last 11 playoff games as an underdog, the Leafs have lost 8 of these games.

FINAL TAKE: Toronto has lost Game Sevens in Boston both last year and 2013. Mental toughness has been an issue for this team all season — and it simply does not appear they have resolved that concern after blowing their best opportunity to win this series at home on Sunday. 25* NHL Atlantic Division Game of the Year with the money-line on the Boston Bruins (10) versus the Toronto Maple Leafs (9). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:35 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Houston Rockets (575) and the Utah Jazz (576). THE SITUATION: Houston (50-35) took a commanding 3-0 lead in this series on Saturday night with their 104-101 upset win in Utah (50-35) as a 2-point underdog. The Jazz host Game Four looking to stave off elimination.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Rockets have played 12 of their last 14 games Under the Total after a pulling off an upset victory — and they have played 23 of their last 34 games after a victory by 6 points or less. That game finished below the 214.5 point Total — and Houston has played 13 of their last 17 road games Under the Total after playing a game that finished Under the Total. The Rockets are playing their best defense of the season. They have held their last five opponents to just a 41.7% shooting percentage. Houston has played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total after holding their last five opponents to no higher than a 42% field goal percentage. Now the Rockets go on the road where they have played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total — and they have played 6 of their last 8 road games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home court. Furthermore, Houston has played an incredible 36 of their last 44 road games Under the Total when listed in the +/- 3-point range — and this includes them playing eleven of their last fourteen games Under the Total in that situation. Additionally, the Rockets have played 15 of their last 20 games Under the Total when attempting to close out a playoff series. Utah has played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 10 of their last 13 games Under the Total after a point spread loss. Over their last five games, this team is shooting only 43.3% from the field. The Jazz stay at home where they have played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total — and they have played 5 of their last 7 home games Under the Total against teams with a winning record on the road.

FINAL TAKE: Utah has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total when playing with at least triple revenge. These two teams have also played 5 of their last 7 meetings Under the Total. 25* NBA Round One Western Conference Playoff Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Houston Rockets (575) and the Utah Jazz (576). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:38 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Nashville Predators (85) and the Dallas Stars (86). THE SITUATION: Dallas (46-34-7) took a 3-2 lead in this series on Saturday with their victory at Nashville (49-32-6). The Stars have the opportunity to close out this series tonight back on their home ice.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Dallas is getting it done with their defense as they ave allowed only eleven goals in the first five games of this series. The Stars not only play a cautious style of play but they are also getting outstanding goaltending from Ben Bishop. The veteran had a 1.98 Goals-Against-Average during the regular season with a .934 save percentage — and those numbers improved to a 1.90 GAA with a .937 save percentage when playing at home. The Under is 30-14-7 in Dallas’ last 51 games after a win — and they have played 14 of their last 17 road games Under the Total after a win. Furthermore, the Stars have played 8 straight games Under the Total after a win on the road where they scored at least four goals. Additionally, Dallas has played 19 of their last 25 games Under the Total after playing a game that finished Over the Total — and they have played 5 straight games Over the Total after a game on the road where both teams scored at least three goals. Now the Stars return home where the Under is 9-3-1 in their last 13 games — and the Under is 13-3-1 in their last 17 home games when priced as a favorite in the -110 to -150 range. Nashville has played 27 of their last 40 games Under the Total after a loss to a Central Division rival — and they have also played ten of their last fifteen games Under the Total after a loss at home to a divisional rival. Furthermore, the Under is 22-7-5 in the Predators’ last 34 games after allowing at least five goals in their last game — and they have played 15 of their last 20 games against opponents who scored at least five goals in their last contest. This team has to tighten things up on defense after allowing ten goals in their last two games. Nashville has played 14 of their last 21 games Under the Total after allowing at least five goals in two straight games. Now this team goes on the road where the Under is 8-1-1 in their last 10 games — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. Additionally, the Preds have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total when trailing in a playoff series — and they have played 10 of their last 16 games Under the Total when facing elimination.

FINAL TAKE: Nashville has played 7 straight games Under the Total when playing on the road where are attempting to avenge two straight losses by at least two goals. 25* NHL First Round CNBC-TV Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Nashville Predators (85) and the Dallas Stars (86). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Detroit Pistons (574) plus the points versus the Milwaukee Bucks (573). THE SITUATION: Milwaukee (63-22) took a commanding 3-0 lead in this series on Saturday with their 119-103 victory over the Pistons (41-44). Detroit hosts the likely final game of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PISTONS PLUS THE POINTS: Detroit has not been competitive in this series as they have lost all three games by at least 16 points. But we don’t bet on teams, we bet on numbers — and laying 13 points on the road in the playoffs is no way to make consistent profits. The Pistons have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games after losing their last three games by double-digits. Detroit needs to play harder on defense after allowing the Bucks to make 48.8%, 52.2%, and 48.9% of their shots in each of the three games in this series. But the Pistons have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games after allowing their last three opponents to make at least 47% of their shots in three straight games. Furthermore, while the last two games of this series have seen at least 219 combined points, Detroit has covered the point spread in 16 of their last 24 games after playing two straight games where at least 215 combined points were scored. The Pistons have not shot better than the 38.5% mark they had on Saturday. They should shoot better tonight considering that they make 44.7% of their shots on their home court. Detroit did get Blake Griffin back in Game Three — and he scored 27 points while pulling down 7 rebounds and dishing out 6 assists in 31 minutes of work. He is listed as probable tonight. The Pistons should keep this game within single digits fully healthy on their home court where they are 26-16 this season. Detroit has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. And while this is the Pistons’ sixth game in fourteen days, they have covered the point spread in 16 of their last 22 home games when having not played more than six games in the last fourteen days. This is the Bucks’ just fifth game in the last fourteen days, they have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 16 games when playing no more than their fifth game in the last fourteen days. Additionally, Milwaukee has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after winning their last two games against Central Division rivals. The Bucks have failed to cover the point spread in 28 of their last 43 games after shooting at least 47% of their shots in three straight games. And in their last 8 opportunities to close out a playoff series, this Milwaukee franchise has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of these games.

FINAL TAKE: The Bucks only need to win this game by one point (and, frankly, with their 3-0 lead, they don’t really need to win even this game). Milwaukee should win this game but there is just too much value in the home team getting double-digits. 25* NBA Central Division Playoff Game of the Year with the Detroit Pistons (574) plus the points versus the Milwaukee Bucks (573). 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 (929) and the Cleveland Indians (930) listing both starting pitchers Max Fried and Shane Bieber. THE SITUATION: Atlanta (10-10) snapped a four-game losing streak yesterday by defeating Cleveland (12-8) by an 8-7 score.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Braves have seen the Over go 3-1-1 in their last 5 games after a win. The Atlanta bullpen has been busy as of late as they have pitched 15 combined innings over their last three games — and they have then played 18 of their last 25 games Over the Total after pitching at least 13 combined innings over their last three games. They send out Fried who is 2-0 with an 0.92 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP so far this season. While those numbers look great, the fact that the left-hander is striking out only 5.5 batters per 9 innings of work is of concern. Both his SIERA and xFIP project significant regression with those numbers projecting an ERA of 4.15 and 3.80 moving forward. Fried was more effective at home last year where he had a 2.40 ERA with a 1.287 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .200 — but those numbers rose to a 3.38 ERA with a 1.45 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .242 when pitching on the road. The Braves have played 4 of their last 5 road games Over the Total with Fried on the hill. Atlanta has also played 5 of their last 7 games on the road Over the Total — and they have played 7 of their last 10 road games Over the Total against teams with a winning record at home. Furthermore, the Over is 22-7-2 in the Braves’ last 31 games against teams with a winning record. Fried faces an Indians team that scores 5.0 Runs-Per-Game at home — and they are scoring 4.9 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games. Cleveland (12-8) has played 4 of their last 5 games in Interleague play Over the Total. The Indians’ bullpen has been roughed up as of late after they blew the save yesterday by surrendering 6 runs in 2 2/3 innings of work. Cleveland’s pen has an 8.25 ERA over their last five games — and they have lost 23 of their last 32 games when their bullpen has a 6.50 ERA or worse over their last five contests. They counter with Bieber who is 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP so far this season. But his SIERA and xFIP project a decline in those numbers as they project an ERA of 3.78 and 3.99 respectively moving forward. Bieber was not as effective when pitching at home last year where he had a 5.88 ERA with a 1.53 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .328 as compared to his 3.56 ERA with a 1.19 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .250 when on the road. The Indians have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total with Bieber on the bump after a game where they allowed at least five runs. Cleveland has also played 5 of their last 7 home games Over the Total against teams with a losing record on the road. They face a hot Braves lineup that is scoring 5.6 Runs-Per-Game over their last five games with a .261 batting average along with an On-Base Percentage of .353 and an OPS of .819. Atlanta also scores 5.4 Runs-Per-Game when playing on the road.

FINAL TAKE: The Over is 15-3-4 in the Indians’ last 22 home games when facing left-handed starting pitchers. The sample size regarding the number of starts a pitcher has made with his team is an important factor before I feel comfortable investing in April baseball action. With both these pitchers with their same team from last year — and with both with a growing set of 2019 data that says they are overachieving relative to their frontline ERA and WHIP numbers — let’s attack this early season opportunity. 25* MLB Sunday Night ESPN Total of the Month with Over the Total in the game between the Atlanta Braves (929) and the Cleveland Indians (930) listing both starting pitchers Max Fried and Shane Bieber. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:35 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Utah Jazz (564) minus the points versus the Houston Rockets (563). THE SITUATION: Houston (55-29) seized a 2-0 lead in this series on Wednesday with their 118-98 victory over the Jazz (50-34) as a 6.5-point favorite. This series moves to Utah for Games Three and Four.

REASONS TO TAKE THE JAZZ MINUS THE POINTS: The Rockets have been dominant in the first two games of this series after also blowing out Utah in Game One of this series by a 122-90 score. Houston raced out to a 59-44 halftime lead in the opening game of this series before generating 70-44 lead in the first 24 minutes on Wednesday. But those great starts may be a harbinger for bad times now for this Houston team as they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 straight road games after enjoying double-digit halftime leads in two straight games. The Rockets have also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after winning their last two games at home by at least 10 points. Houston has been only mediocre away from home this season given their 22-19 record. They make only 44.7% of their shots on the road while hitting just 34.9% of their shots from behind the arc. The Rockets have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 12 road games with the Total set in the 210 to 219.5 point range. Houston has also failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 road games when listed in the +/- 3-point range. Utah should play better tonight as they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a double-digit loss. Additionally, the Jazz are 19-6-1 ATS in their last 26 games after a straight-up loss — and they are 19-7-1 ATS in their last 27 games after a point spread loss. Furthermore, Utah has covered the point spread in 11 of their last 17 games after losing their last two games on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after failing to cover the point spread in their last two contests. And while the Jazz have lost four of their last five games, they have then covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after losing four or five of their last six contests. Don’t count out this Utah team just yet that had the second-best Net Rating in the league after Christmas. The Jazz return home where they are 29-12 this season with an average winning margin +7.6 PPG. Utah should better back on their home court after they failed to make even 40% of their shots in both Game One and Game Two of this series. The Jazz shot 46.6% on their home court. And in expected close games, Utah has covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 home games when listed in the +/- 3-point range.

FINAL TAKE: Houston has now won the last four meetings with the Jazz — but Utah has covered the points spread in 8 of their last 11 opportunities to avenge a four-game losing streak to their opponent. 25* NBA Round One ESPN Playoff Game of the Year with the Utah Jazz (564) minus the points versus the Houston Rockets (563). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Milwaukee Bucks (561) and the Detroit Pistons (562). THE SITUATION: Milwaukee (62-22) took a commanding 2-0 lead in this series on Wednesday with their 120-99 victory over Detroit (41-43) as a 15.5-point favorite. The Pistons host Games Three and Four tonight.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Detroit has not been able to put up much of a fight without their best offensive option in Blake Griffin who is likely to miss the third game in this series. The Pistons made only 37.4% of their shots on Wednesday. Over their last five games, Detroit is scoring only 99.2 PPG while shooting 39.9% from the field as opposed to their 106.7 PPG scoring average for the season on 43.8% shooting. The Pistons have played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after a point spread loss — and the Under is 34-15-2 in their last 51 games after a double-digit loss. Detroit was also not competitive in the first game of this series which they lost by a 121-86 score. The Pistons have played 15 of their last 19 games Under the Total after losing their last two games by double-digits — and this includes them playing their last six games Under the Total after losing their last two games on the road by at least 10 points. Detroit should play better on defense back at home tonight after allowing the Bucks to make 52.2% of their shots which was the highest opponent’s shooting mark in their last seven contests. The Pistons hold their guests to just 46.0% shooting — and they have played 4 straight games Under the Total on their home court. Additionally, the Under is 9-4-1 in Detroit’s last 14 home games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. Milwaukee has played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total after winning their last two games by at least 10 points. Now the Bucks go on the road where they have played 48 of their last 77 games with the Total set in the 210 to 219.5 point range. Milwaukee has also played 8 of their last 12 games Under the Total with the number set in the 210 to 219.5 point range overall. And in their last 16 games against fellow Central Division opponents, the Bucks have played 12 of these games Under the Total.

FINAL TAKE: The Pistons have played 19 of their last 27 games Under the Total when avenging a loss where they allowed at least 110 points. 25* NBA Central Division Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Milwaukee Bucks (561) and the Detroit Pistons (562). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 4:05 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Pittsburgh Pirates (956) versus the San Francisco Giants (955) listing both starting pitchers Jameson Taillon and Derek Holland. THE SITUATION: Pittsburgh (11-6) won the opening game of this series last night with their 4-1 victory over the Giants (8-13).

REASONS TO TAKE THE PIRATES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Pittsburgh has won 4 of their last 5 games after allowing two runs or less in their last contest. The Pirates have also won 5 straight games at home — and they have won 21 of their last 27 home games against teams with a winning percentage below 40% on the toad. They give the ball to their ace in Taillon who is 0-2 with a 3.43 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP in four starts this season. The right-hander comes off a start where he allowed three runs in 6 innings of work at Washington. This is Taillon’s just second start at home this year after allowing only one earned run in 7 innings of work against St. Louis. I am comfortable looking at Taillon’s numbers last year since he was wearing a Pirates’ uniform (as opposed to many of the starting pitchers in MLB who moved teams in the offseason). Taillon had a 14-10 record last year with a 3.20 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP — and he had a 1.13 WHIP with an opponent’s batting average of .242 at home as compared to his 1.21 WHIP and .249 opponent’s batting average when on the road. Pittsburgh has won 5 of their last 6 home games with Taillon on the hill. He should thrive against this Giants team that is scoring only 2.7 Runs-Per-Game while batting .190 with a .249 On-Base Percentage and an opponent’s OPS of .560 this season when facing right-handed pitchers. San Francisco has lost 20 of their last 26 games against right-handed starting pitchers — and they have lost 14 of their last 19 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.15 or lower. The Giants have lost 24 of their last 33 games after a loss — and they have also lost 24 of their last 31 games on the road. They counter with Holland who is 1-2 with a 4.09 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP this season after allowing four earned runs in 6 innings of work in his last start against the Rockies. I am comfortable using Holland’s numbers last year as well since he was the San Fran rotation where he finished with a 7-9 record with a 3.57 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. But the left-handed saw those numbers rise to a 3.63 ERA with a 1.35 WHIP when he was pitching on the road. The Giants have lost 4 straight road games with Holland facing a team with a winning record. He faces a Pirates team that has won 5 of their last 6 games against left-handed starting pitchers.

FINAL TAKE: It has been a slow start to our MLB campaign as I have just not trusted the data regarding the slate of starting pitching — or, when I do find the sample size data large enough and relevant, the evidence was conflicted. This is a strong play that has finally popped. 25* MLB Saturday FS1-TV Game of the Month with the money-line on the Pittsburgh Pirates (956) versus the San Francisco Giants (955) listing both starting pitchers Jameson Taillon and Derek Holland. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Toronto Maple Leafs (63) and the Boston Celtics (64). THE SITUATION: Boston (51-26-9) evened this series at 2-2 on Wednesday with their 6-4 victory over Toronto (48-30-6). The Bruins return home with the opportunity to move within one game of clinching this series.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Boston has played 8 of their last 10 games at home Under the Total after a victory over an Atlantic Division rival. The Bruins have also played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total after scoring at least five goals in their last game — and they have played 6 straight games after scoring at least five goals when they are playing on their home ice. Furthermore, Boston has played 36 of their last 54 games Under the Total after allowing at least four goals in their last game. While it was a high scoring game in Toronto on Wednesday, look for the Bruins defense and goaltender Tuukka Rask to play better tonight. Rask had a 2.32 Goals-Against-Average at home during the regular season with a .913 save percentage. Rask entered this postseason with a 2.25 GAA along with a .924 save percentage in 65 games in the playoffs which includes a Stanley Cup championship run. Boston has played 6 of their last 8 home games Under the Total against teams with a winning record on the road. The Bruins have also seen the Under go 12-4-5 in their last 21 games in the playoffs when favored and priced in the -110 to -150 price range. Toronto needs to play better with their Power Play Kill Unit as they have allowed Boston to score in 5 of their 11 (45.5%) Power Play chances. The Maple Leafs were just 17th in killing Power Plays during the regular season — but they should get closer to that 79.9% mark as this series moves on. Toronto has played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record. The Maple Leafs have also played 5 of their last 6 road games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home. And the Under is 5-2-1 in Toronto’ last 8 games as an underdog in the +110 to +150 price range.

FINAL TAKE: The Maple Leafs have played 10 of their last 13 games on the road when motivated by revenge — and they have played 16 of their last 23 games when avenging a loss where they allowed at least four goals. These two teams have played 4 of their last 5 meetings Under the Total. With this game being played in Boston, expect the Bruins’ to win the battle of styles which will result in a slower and more physical game. 25* NHL Atlantic Division Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Toronto Maple Leafs (63) and the Boston Celtics (64). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Toronto Raptors (551) and the Orlando Magic (552). THE SITUATION: Toronto (59-25) evened this series at 1-1 on Tuesday with their 111-82 victory over the Magic (43-41) as a 10.5-point favorite. Game Three and Four of this series move to Orlando.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Raptors tightened up their 3-point defense — or the Regression Gods paid a visit to Toronto in Game Two as the Magic made only 9 of their 34 (26.5%) shots from behind the arc after nailing 14 of their 29 (48.3%) 3-pointers in their upset win in Game One. The deeper concern for Orlando is that their most reliable scorer, Nikola Vucevic, has been bottlenecked down low by the Toronto combination of Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka. Vucevic is averaging only 8.5 PPG in this series while shooting just 6 of 21 (28.6%) from the field. The Raptors are an outstanding defensive team that ranked 5th during the regular season in Defensive Rating. Toronto has held their last five opponents to just 101.6 PPG on 41.4% shooting from the field — as compared to the 108.0 PPG they are allowing for the season on 44.8% shooting. The Under is 3-0-1 in the Raptors’ last 4 games after a straight-up win — and the Under is 3-0-1 in Toronto’s last 4 games after a point spread victory. Additionally, while the Raptors have covered the point spread in seven of their last nine games, they have then played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after covering the point spread in five or six of their last seven games. Furthermore, the Under is 3-1-1 in Toronto’s last 5 games on the road — and they have now played 5 straight games Under the Total in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Orlando has played 9 of their last 12 games Under the Total after a double-digit loss — and they have played 4 straight games Under the Total after a loss by at least 20 points. The Magic have all played 35 of their last 52 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 36 of the last 52 games Under the Total after a point spread setback. Head coach Steve Clifford will focus his team’s bounce-back from Game Two on the defensive end of the court where they ranked 8th in the NBA in Defensive Rating. Orlando has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record — and they have played 19 of their last 26 home games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played 5 of their last 6 meetings Under the Total — and in their last 6 games played on Orlando, the game finished Under the Total all 6 times. 25* NBA First Round ESPN Playoff Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Toronto Raptors (551) and the Orlando Magic (552). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:35 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Golden State Warriors (547) minus the points versus the Los Angeles Clippers (548). THE SITUATION: Los Angeles (49-35) evened this series at 1-1 on Monday with their epic 31-point comeback to stun Golden State (58-26) by a 135-131 score as a 14-point underdog. The Clippers host Game Three and Game Four at the Staples Center.

REASONS TO TAKE THE WARRIORS MINUS THE POINTS: The biggest enemy for this Golden State team often this season has been complacency — and that is exactly what stung them on Tuesday. The Warriors simply stopped playing defense in the second half. The lazy takeaway from the Clippers’ miraculous comeback would be something about Offensive Efficiencies of the modern game. Wrong — Los Angeles only made five 3-pointers in the second half which is right at their season average. Fourteen layups accounting for 28 easy points played a bigger role in the Clippers comeback. Golden State allowed Los Angeles to shoot 56.5% from the field which was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage they have allowed all season. That should help head coach Steve Kerr get his team’s attention — at least for one game. As it is, the Warriors have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a point spread setback. The other piece of bad news from Tuesday was the likely season-ending quad injury to DeMarcus Cousins. I was never as enamored with this move as many of the NBA punditry were. Kerr will insert Andrew Bogut into the starting lineup as he was an intriguing late-season acquisition that now appears very important. Kerr can also use big man Kevon Looney — and he also has the good ole Hampton’s Five lineup of Andre Iguodala playing with the big four of Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. The extra day off should help Kerr game plan for life without Cousins — his team has covered the point spread in 5 straight games when playing with two days of rest. The Warriors were a great road team this season where they tended to play a bit harder on defense. They hold their home hosts to just 43.9% shooting which is below their season average opponent’s field goal percentage. Golden State is 27-14 on the road this year with an average winning margin of +6.3 PPG. The Warriors have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 road games against teams with a winning record on their home court. Shooting has not been an issue for this team as of late as they are making a remarkable 51.1% of their shots over their last five games. This is usually the time in the playoffs where the two-time defending champions shine. Golden State has covered the point spread in 27 of their last 37 games in the Western Conference Quarterfinals — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 third games of a playoff series. Los Angeles has failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 13 third games of a playoff series under head coach Doc Rivers — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 20 games when tied in a playoff series. A letdown is likely for the Clippers as they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight games when playing with two days of rest. Los Angeles enjoyed their best shooting effort in that game in their last seven contests. But the Clippers are 26-15 on their home court where they are only outscoring their opponents by +3.3 PPG. Los Angeles has failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 home games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road.

FINAL TAKE: Golden State has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 opportunities to avenge an upset loss where they double-digit favorites on their home court. That simply does not happen very often. 25* NBA Pacific Division Game of the Year with the Golden State Warriors (547) minus the points versus the Los Angeles Clippers (548). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:05 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (58) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (57). THE SITUATION: Vegas (46-33-7) seized a commanding 3-1 lead in this series on Tuesday with their 5-0 shutout victory over the Sharks (47-30-7). This series returns to San Jose tonight for Game Five with the Sharks looking to stave off elimination.

REASONS TO TAKE SAN JOSE WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Vegas has been dominant over their last three games as they have outscored the Sharks by a 16-6 margin. They have won all three of these games by at least two goals. But the Golden Knights have then lost 6 of their last 8 games after winning their last two games at home by at least two goals. Vegas has also lost 6 of their last 8 games after scoring at least four goals in two straight games. Now the Golden Knights go back on the road where they are just 20-21-2 this season while allowing 3.2 Goals-Per-Game. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was not as effective on the road during the regular season where he had a 2.64 Goals-Against-Average along with a .908 save percentage as compared to his 2.40 GAA and .917 save percentage when playing at home. Vegas has lost 5 of their last 6 games on the road. The Golden Knights have also lost 10 of their last 12 road games when priced and an underdog in the +110 to +150 price range. Furthermore, the Golden Knights have lost 11 of their last 18 games when playing on the road with the Total set at 6. San Jose was undermanned on Tuesday with Joe Thornton suspended and defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic still injured from taking a puck to the body early in Game Two. Getting Thornton back not only re-establishes the center on their third-line back while allowing Joe Pavelski to return to right wing on the top line but it also sees the heart and soul leader of this squad back on the ice. Vlasic’s return is even more critical because it allows head coach Peter DeBoer to become flexible with his defensive pairings. The Vegas “second” line of Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty, and Paul Stastny has been destroying the Sharks and both their goaltenders. Back on home ice, DeBoer gets the final choice to place his best pure defender in Vlasic on the ice to counter that outstanding line with the option of pairing him with either Erik Karlsson or Brent Burns. That, of course, frees up the third defenseman to anchor the second defensive pairing which can play more aggressively. The soft underbelly of this Vegas team is last year’s top line of William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith have regressed so significantly from last year that they are playing closer to what the original projections of what that line would be for an expansion team. San Jose remains a very good team who took the Golden Knights to six games in last year’s playoffs before acquiring Karlsson in the offseason. The Sharks have won 37 of their last 55 games after a loss by at least three goals — and this includes them winning thirteen of their last fourteen games when playing at home after a loss by at least three goals. Back home in San Jose, the Sharks are 26-12-3 this season where they are scoring 3.6 Goals-Per-Game and outscoring their guests by +0.7 Goals-Per-Game. San Jose has won 10 of their last 14 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. Martin Jones will get the start between the pipes again tonight after being pulled in two of the last three games. While Jones has a history of inconsistent play during the regular season, he did enter this postseason with a .926 career save percentage in 42 playoff games which included a run to the Stanley Cup Finals three years ago.

FINAL TAKE: The Sharks have won 8 of their last 9 games when looking to avenge an upset loss to their opponent. San Jose has also won 5 of their last 6 games when playing with revenge from a loss by at least four goals to their opponent. And in their last 16 opportunities to snap a losing streak of at least three games to their opponent, the Sharks have won 11 of those contests. 25* NHL Pacific Division Game of the Year with the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (58) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (57). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:35 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Utah Jazz (541) plus the points versus the Houston Rockets (542). THE SITUATION: Houston (54-29) easily won the opening game of this seven-game series on Sunday with their 122-90 victory over Utah (50-33). The Rockets host the second game of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE JAZZ PLUS THE POINTS: Utah should play much better tonight. They have covered the point spread in 4 straight games after a double-digit loss. The Jazz are also 20-6-1 ATS in their last 27 games after a straight-up loss — and they are 19-6-1 ATS in their last 26 games after a point spread setback. And while Utah has lost their last two games on the road, they have then covered the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games after losing two straight games on the road. This is just the Jazz’s fourth game in ten days — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games when playing no more than four games in the last ten days. This remains a very good team that had the second-best net rating in the NBA since Christmas. They need to work harder. Despite owning the second best Defensive Efficiency mark in the NBA, they allowed the Rockets to make 50.5% of their shots. And while Utah finished third in the NBA in Rebounding Rate, they were out-rebounded by Houston by a 42 to 41 margin. Look for the Jazz to seize many more second-chance scoring opportunities against this Rockets’ team that was second-to-last in the league by allowing their opponents to pull down 30% of their missed shots. Utah rebounds 27.5% of their missed shots which is 12th in the NBA. The Jazz also need to simply make more shots after shooting just 39% from the field on Sunday which was the worst field goal percentage for them in their last seventeen games. Utah has coved the point spread in 10 of their last 14 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 Jazz have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 22 road games as an underdog getting 6.5 to 12 points. Utah is also 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games in Houston. The Rockets may be due for a letdown after enjoying their lowest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last seven contests. Houston has failed to cover the point spread in 29 of their last 42 games after a victory by at least 30 points — and this includes them failing to cover the point spread in eight of these last twelve situations. The Rockets have also failed to cover the point spread in 26 of their last 38 home games after a double-digit win at home. And in their last 25 games after scoring at least 120 points, Houston has failed to cover the point spread in 17 of these games.

FINAL TAKE: The Rockets high-scoring offense scores 114.0 PPG — but the Jazz have covered the point spread in 18 of their last 23 road games in the second half of the season against teams who score at least 110 PPG. Houston won the first game of the Western Conference Semifinals last season against Utah before seeing the Jazz steal Game Two as a road underdog. Don’t be surprised if History is Repeating tonight — but take the points for some valuable insurance. 25* NBA First Round Western Conference Underdog of the Year with the Utah Jazz (541) plus the points versus the Houston Rockets (542). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Dallas Stars (48) versus the Nashville Predators (47). THE SITUATION: Dallas (44-34-7) looks to bounce-back from a 3-2 loss at home to Nashville (49-30-6) on Monday. The Predators are up 2-1 in this series with the prospects of getting to host Game Five of this series back in Nashville.

REASONS TO TAKE THE STARS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Dallas should respond with a strong effort in this game after dropping the last two games in this series. The Stars have won 45 of their last 65 home games after a loss — and they have also won 20 of their last 26 home games after a loss to a Central Division rival. Dallas has also won 6 of their last 8 home games after a loss by a single goal. The Stars won Game One of this series by a 3-2 score before losing Game Two in overtime by a 2-1 margin. Dallas has then won 8 of their last 10 games after losing two straight games by just one goal. Furthermore, not only have the Stars won 10 of their last 14 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game — and they have won 14 of the last 19 games after scoring two goals or less in their last two games. There is no question that this team wants to put more pressure on the Predators’ goalie Pekka Rinne — but peppering with 42 shots like they did on Monday should eventually reap more goals. Dallas has only converted once in their thirteen Power Play chances in this series — and they were a solid Power Play team during the regular season where they ranked 11th in the NHL by converting on 21% of their chances with a man-advantage. Rookie head coach Jim Montgomery abandoned the Stars’ run-and-gun philosophy over the last few seasons for a more defensive approach that is likely better suited for playoff hockey. This team is second in the NHL by allowing 2.44 Goals-Per-Game. Don’t be surprised if they get an outstanding effort from goalie Ben Bishop after he gave up three goals on Monday. Bishop had a 1.98 Goals-Against-Average during the regular season with a .934 save percentage and seven shutouts. When playing at home, Bishop improved those numbers to a 1.90 GAA with a .937 save percentage. Bishop is also battle-tested in the Stanley Cup playoffs with a 2.09 GAA along with a .927 save percentage in 36 playoff games entering this series. Dallas was also tough at home with a 24-14-3 mark this season — and they have won 5 of their last 7 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. The Stars have also won 8 of their last 11 games against Central Division foes. There is no question that Rinne was outstanding on Monday — but he struggled on the road in the playoffs at times last year which played a large role in his middling 3.07 GAA along with a .904 save percentage in last year’s playoffs. Rinne had a 2.42 GAA with a .918 save percentage during the regular season — but he saw his GAA rise to a 2.72 mark with his save percentage drop to a .915 mark when on the road. The Predators were just 22-15-4 on the road this year as compared to their 25-14-2 mark at home during the regular season. They have a questionable bottom six group of forwards. And there were simply awful on the Power Play this season ranking last with a mere 12.9% conversion rate. Too many slap shots with their players trying to be heroes explain much of the reason for their poor success on the Power Play. Their star defensemen are also beginning to regress or underachieve. Nashville has lost 3 of their last 4 games after winning two straight games against Central Division rivals. And in their last 18 games after a victory over a Central Division foe, the Predators have lost 12 of these games.

FINAL TAKE: Dallas plays lower scoring games more often than not — but look for them to expose the shaky Rinne tonight and even this series at 2-2. 25* NHL First Round Central Division Game of the Year with the money-line on the Dallas Stars (48) versus the Nashville Predators (47). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:05 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the San Antonio Spurs (533) and the Denver Nuggets (534). THE SITUATION: San Antonio (49-34) won the opening game of this series on Saturday with their 101-96 upset win over the Nuggets in the opening game of this series. Denver (54-29) hosts Game Two before the Spurs host Games Three and Four.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: San Antonio has played 5 straight games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total after a point spread victory. And while the Spurs have won four straight games, they have then played 23 of their last 32 games Under the Total after winning at least three in a row. San Antonio found success by double-teaming Nikola Jokic in the post and forcing him to pass to open teammates who more often than not missed their open shot — the Nuggets made only 42% of their shots from the field. But the Spurs had their own difficulties on offense with their two leading scorers, LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan combining to score only 33 points on 12 of 36 combined shooting. San Antonio has played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total on the road — and they have played 6 of their last 8 road games Under the Total against teams with a winning record at home. Additionally, the Spurs have played 5 straight games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. And in their last 11 games against Western Conference opponents, San Antonio has played 10 of these games Under the Total. Denver has played 9 of their last 12 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 14 of their last 16 games Under the Total after a point spread loss. And while the Nuggets have lost three of their last four games, they have then played 14 of their last 18 games Under the Total after losing three of their last four. Denver should have better success containing the Spurs scorers who — outside of DeRozan and Aldridge — converted 28 of their 47 shots for a sizzling 60% shooting clip. The Nuggets hold their opponents to just a 44.9% shooting percentage on their home court. Denver has played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total on their home court — and they have played 6 straight home games Under the Total against teams with a losing record on the road. Furthermore, the Nuggets have played 14 of their last 19 games Under the Total against fellow Western Conference opponents.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played 5 straight games Under the Total. Expect these trends to continue tonight in Game Two of this series. 25* NBA-TV Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the San Antonio Spurs (533) and the Denver Nuggets (534). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (37) versus the Columbus Blue Jackets (38). THE SITUATION: Columbus (50-31-4) seized a 3-0 lead in this series on Sunday with their 3-1 victory over the Lightning (62-19-14) in Game Three of this series. The Blue Jackets hope to sweep this series tonight.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LIGHTNING WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Tampa Bay played their best game in this series on Sunday but still could not overcome this Columbus team. The Lightning were undermanned in that game with their top defenseman, Victor Hedman, out with an upper-body injury and Nikita Kucherov serving a one-game suspension. While Hedman will again miss this game, Kucherov does return to the ice tonight. This team is facing plenty of adversity for this game — and I expect them to respond with a very strong effort. Tampa Bay has still won 40 of their last 55 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. Going on the road may be a small blessing in disguise for this team as they can avoid all distractions and focus all of their energies on the business at hand. The Lightning are 30-10-2 on the road this season — and they have won an incredible 41 of their last 58 games away from home. Tampa Bay has also won 44 of their last 55 games against fellow Eastern Conference opponents. And in their last 51 road games when favored in the -110 to -150 price range, the Lightning have won 36 of these games. Tampa Bay needs to generate Power Play opportunities after failing to secure the man-advantage even once on Sunday. The Lightning led the NHL by converting in 28.2% of their Power Play opportunities in the regular season. They have yet to convert a Power Play in their five chances in this series. These few chances are also allowing the Blue Jackets to roll four lines and flex their muscles with their strong depth. Columbus has scored eight goals in their last two games in this series — but they have lost 8 of their last 11 home games after scoring at least three goals in two straight games. The Blue Jackets have also lost 5 of their last 7 home games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. And in the last 8 games as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range, the Blue Jackets have lost 6 of these games. Winning three games in this series is the first time in franchise history that Columbus has accomplished that feat. They have lost 16 of their last 24 games in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

FINAL TAKE: There is only one President’s Trophy team to lose the first three games in the first round of the playoffs. That was Vancouver in 2014 — and they extended that playoff series to five games by winning Game Four. Winning the final fourth game is usually the hardest thing accomplish in the Stanley Cup Playoffs — and I suspect the Blue Jackets to feel the pressure tonight. 25* NHL First Round Eastern Conference Playoffs Game of the Year with the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (37) versus the Columbus Blue Jackets (38). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Philadelphia 76ers (522) minus the points versus the Brooklyn Nets (521). THE SITUATION: Brooklyn (43-40) has won four straight games after they pulled off a 111-102 upset victory as an 8-point underdog in the opening game of this seven-game series. Philadelphia (51-32) hosts the second game of this series before things move to Brooklyn for Games Three and Four.

REASONS TO TAKE THE 76ERS MINUS THE POINTS: Philadelphia should respond with a better effort after lacking the focus they need to step up their game in playoff basketball. With Joel Embiid a game-time decision given his left knee issues that kept him out of fourteen of the Sixers’ last twenty-four games, Philly seemed distracted. But this remains a team that has covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after a loss to an Atlantic Division rival. That game finished below the 228 point Total — and the 76ers have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 22 games at home after a game that finished Under the Total. Furthermore, Philadelphia has only covered the point spread twice in their last seven games, they have then covered the point spread in 18 of their last 24 games after failing to cover the point spread in four or five of their last six games. The Sixers remain a dominant team on their home court who was 31-11 this season at home with an average winning margin of +7.7 PPG. Philadelphia should get better shooting from Tobias Harris, J.J. Roddick, and Ben Simmons after they combined to make only 8 of their 23 combined shots for just 18 points. The 76ers shot only 40.7% from the field overall which was the worst shooting effort in their last six games. Philly shoots 48.2% from the field at home so they should shoot much better tonight. The Sixers have covered the point spread in 31 of their last 46 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. Philadelphia has also covered the point spread in 12 of their last 19 home games when laying 6.5 to 12 points as the favorite. Embiid wearing the big knee brace looks to be his new normal with it likely signaling that he has arthritis in his left knee. But remember that the 76ers’ big five starting lineup of Embiid, Simmons, Harris, Reddick with Jimmy Butler (who scored 36 points on Saturday) outscored their opponents by a whopping +17.6 points per 100 possessions during the regular season when they were on the floor together. Brooklyn may be due for a letdown as they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 6 games after pulling off an upset victory against an Atlantic Division rival as an underdog of at least 6 points. The Nets have also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after winning four of their last five games. Brooklyn remains a team that was just 20-22 on the road this season.

FINAL TAKE: The Sixers are under a bunch of scrutiny right now after their Game One loss. But Philadelphia has covered the point spread in 38 of their last 57 games when avenging a loss at home to their opponent  — and this includes them covering the point spread in seven of these last ten opportunities. 25* NBA First Round Atlantic Division Playoff Game of the Year with the Philadelphia 76ers (522) minus the points versus the Brooklyn Nets (521). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the Carolina Hurricanes (32) versus the Carolina Hurricanes (31). THE SITUATION: Washington (50-26-8) seized a 2-0 lead in this series on Saturday with their 4-3 win in overtime against the Hurricanes. This series goes to Carolina (46-31-7) for Games Three and Four.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HURRICANES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Carolina should respond with a strong effort tonight in this must-win situation. The Hurricanes have won 11 of their last 16 games after a loss to a fellow Metropolitan Division rivals — and this includes them winning five of their last six games after a loss by just one goal to a divisional foe. This is a good Carolina team that generated the third most points in the NHL since December 31st by compiling a 31-12-2 record in the regular season. The Hurricanes play sound fundamental hockey who routinely controls puck possession — they led the NHL in both Corsi-For and Fenwick-For metrics this season that measure net shot differentials. Returning home should help in what should be an electric environment for the franchise’s first home game in the playoffs in ten seasons. Carolina needs to feed off the crowd and score first in this game after falling behind in both games played in Washington. Home ice advantage will also help head coach Rod Brind’Amour make the last change to help his top forward line featuring rising star Sebastian Aho have a better chance to succeed. The Aho line has been bottlenecked by the Capitals’ Evgeny Kuznetsov along with Washington’s defensive pairing of Dimitry Orlov and Matt Niskanen. The Hurricanes have won 4 of their last 5 games on their home ice. Washington has now won six straight playoff games after winning four straight games against Vegas to lift the Stanley Cup last June. But the Capitals have lost 6 of their last 9 games after a win against a divisional rival where they scored at least four goals. Washington has also lost 6 of their last 9 games after winning at home by just one goal. Furthermore, the Capitals have lost 10 of their last 15 games after a home game where both teams scored at least three goals. And in their last 19 playoff games as a money-line underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range, Washington has lost 13 of these games.

FINAL TAKE: The Capitals entered this series with a massive advantage in playoff experience over this Carolina team. Two games later, that edge has been mitigated somewhat. Washington was a middle-of-the-pack possession team that was also last in the NHL by winning just 45.7% of their face-offs. The defending champions are vulnerable — look for the Hurricanes to make this a series tonight. 25* NHL First Round Metropolitan Division Playoff Game of the Year with the money-line on the Carolina Hurricanes (32) versus the Carolina Hurricanes (31). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between Arsenal (200073) and Watford (200074). THE SITUATION: Arsenal (19-6-7) enters this English Premier League matching looking to bounce-back from a 1-0 loss at Everton last Saturday. Watford (13-7-12) returns to EPL action where their last match was back on April 2nd when they defeated Fulham by a 4-1 score.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Arsenal has scored only five goals in their last four matches — but they have surrendered only two goals over that span. None of those last four matches saw more than two combined goals scored. The Gunners have slowed down on offense in large measure to do the slump of their striker, Pierre-Emerick Aubemeyang. First-year manager Unai Emery is no longer playing Aubemeyang consistently despite him being the team’s leading scorer with 17 goals. When Emery pairs Aubemeyang with Alexandre Lacazette at forward, Arsenal becomes one of the most dynamic scoring sides in the EPL. But Emery does not like how that pairing impacts how his team plays defensively — and it has been Aubemeyang who has been the odd man out. The Gunners have scored 65 goals this season — but the deeper metrics suggests they have been fortunate to generate that much scoring as their Expected Goals drops to 54.21 this year. Arsenal has scored only 26 goals on the road this year in their 15 matches for a meager 1.73 Goals-Per-Game average — but their Expected Goals on the road drops to just 20. On the positive side of the ledger, the Gunners have allowed 28 goals on the road but the Expected Goals allowed drops to 25.02. Arsenal simply does not create a ton of scoring chances. The Gunners rank 12th in the EPL by scoring 11.9 shots per game — and that number drops to 10.5 shots per game when they are playing on the road which is just 13th in the league. Watford plays a grinding and physical style of play that tends to give Arsenal some trouble. The Hornets have only allowed two goals in their last five matches at home. Overall, Watford has surrendered just 20 goals in their 15 home matches. But the Hornets have scored only 23 times at home this year — and their Expected Goals at home drops to just 19.42. Watford plays conservatively on the pitch — they are just 16th in the EPL by averaging only 11.2 shots per game. The Hornets are also 7th in the league by only allowing 12.7 shots per game. Watford has scored only eight times in their ten matches against the Big Six teams in the EPL. At home, the Hornets have scored only five goals in their five home matches against the Big Six.

FINAL TAKE: Both of these teams are playing lower scoring games as of late — particularly when Watford is playing at home where just 10 combined goals have been scored in their last five home matches. 25* EPL Monday NBC Sports Network Total of the Year with Under the Total in the match between Arsenal (200073) and Watford (200074). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Boston Bruins (66) versus the Toronto Maple Leafs (65). THE SITUATION: Toronto (47-28-6) took the opening game of this series on Thursday with their 4-1 victory over the Bruins. Boston (49-25-9) looks to even this series at 1-1 before the Maple Leafs host the third and fourth games.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BRUINS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Toronto certainly boasts one of the best rosters in the NHL on paper — but consistency has been an issue for head coach Mike Babcock’s team. The Maple Leafs have lost 6 straight games after a win — and they have lost 20 of their last 30 games on the road after a loss by at least two goals. Toronto has also lost 7 straight games when facing an opponent that did not score more than two goals in their last contest. The Maple Leafs limped into the postseason with just a 4-7-3 mark in their last fourteen games. While they have a dynamic group of scorers, their defense remains a question after finishing 12th in the league by allowing 3.04 Goals-Per-Game. Goalie Frederick Andersen was outstanding between the pipes on Thursday by stopping 37 of the 38 shots he faced. But AndersonThis team lacks the players to successfully engage in the physical style of play that often characterizes success in the playoffs. Mental toughness is also a concern with this team. Toronto has lost 5 of their last 7 games against teams with a winning record. The Maple Leafs have also lost 5 of their last 7 games on the road. Furthermore, Toronto has lost 7 of their last 10 games in the playoffs as an underdog — and they have lost 7 of their last 10 games in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Boston has won 40 of their last 57 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last 57 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. After overcoming injuries to begin the season, the Bruins closed out the regular season on a 22-7-4 hot streak. They were 29-9-3 at home this season — and they have won a decisive 51 of their last 72 games on home ice. This is Boston’s third game in a row at home — and they have won 22 of their last 26 home games after playing their last two games at home. And in their last 13 home games against teams with a winning record on the road, the Bruins have won 9 of these home games. They still have one of the best goaltenders in the NHL in Tuukka Rask who has entered this series with a 2.25 Goals-Against-Average along with a .924 save percentage in 65 career playoff games.

FINAL TAKE: The Bruins should bounce-back with a strong effort as they have won 5 of their last 7 games when avenging a loss of at least two goals — and they have won 7 of their last 10 games when avenging a loss that was by at least three goals. Boston defeated the Leafs in seven games in the opening round of last year’s playoffs — so this looks destined to be another long series. 25* NHL First Round Playoff NBC-TV Game of the Year with the money-line on the Boston Bruins (66) versus the Toronto Maple Leafs (65). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:38 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the Winnipeg Jets (56) versus the St. Louis Blues (55). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (46-28-9) won the opening game of this series on Wednesday with their 2-1 victory. Winnipeg (47-31-5) hosts the second game of this series as they look to even things at 1-1 before traveling to St. Louis for Games Three and Four.

REASONS TO TAKE THE JETS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Winnipeg should bounce-back with a strong effort as they have won 14 of their last 16 home games after a loss by one goal. The Jets have also won 21 of their last 28 games after a loss to a fellow Central Division rival. Winnipeg has also won 9 of their last 13 games when avenging a loss by just one goal. The Jets did take their foot off the accelerator in the second half of the regular season as they went just 13-14-3 in their last thirty-one regular season games. Winnipeg has lost six of their last eight games — but they have then won 6 straight games after losing six or seven of their last eight contests. Furthermore, the Jets have won 15 of their last 20 games in the month of April going back to last season where they reached the Western Conference Finals. Winnipeg remains a dominant 25-13-4 on home ice this season — and they have won 28 of their last 36 home games with the Total set at 5.5. St. Louis may be due for a letdown after seizing home-ice advantage in this series. The Blues have then lost 4 of their last 6 games after a win by just one goal against a fellow Central Division rival. Their comeback from a 1-0 deficit in the third period was out of character for this team when considering that they were just 2-23-6 this season when trailing after two periods. Rookie Jordan Bennington has been spectacular between the pipes for this team this season — but he remains untested in the playoffs even after Wednesday’s success. St. Louis has lost 5 of their last 7 road games as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. The Blues have also lost 4 of their last 5 playoff games as an underdog in the +110 to +150 price range.

FINAL TAKE: Even after Wednesday’s victory, St. Louis has lost 11 of their last 15 games against the Jets. Look for Winnipeg to even this series at 1-1. 25* NHL CNBC-TV Game of the Year with the money-line on the Winnipeg Jets (56) versus the St. Louis Blues (55). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Under the Total in the game between the Carolina Hurricanes (13) and the Washington Capitals (14). THE SITUATION: Carolina (46-29-5) enters their first postseason in a decade on a three-game winning streak after their 4-3 win in Philadelphia last Saturday. Washington (48-26-7) begins their defense of their Stanley Cup championship having lost two of three with their 3-0 loss to the New York Islanders. Washington hosts the opening two games of this seven-game series.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Hurricanes have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a victory. Carolina is going to be a tough out for the Capitals because they do such a good job of controlling possession of the puck. The Hurricanes lead the NHL in both Corsi-For-Percentage and Fenwick-For-Percentage which measures their net differential in shot attempts versus their opponents. First-year head coach, Rob Brind'Amour, has overseen a style of play that emphasizes speed and constant pressure to keep the puck bottled up on their offensive end of the ice. This approach has helped Carolina to surrender only 28.6 shots per game which is the 3rd lowest in the NHL. This approach has done wonders for journeyman goaltender Petr Mrazek who has responded with an outstanding 1.83 Goals-Against-Average with a .938 save percentage since the All-Star Break. Over his last thirteen games, Mrazek enjoys a 1.68 GAA along with a .944 save percentage with two shutouts. Mrazek flashed plenty of potential when playing for the Red Wings. He has a career 1.98 GAA in 11 games (10 starts) in the playoffs along with a .927 save percentage which includes three shutouts. The Hurricanes have played 5 straight games Under the Total against teams with a winning record — and they have played 4 straight games Under the Total against teams with a winning record at home. Furthermore, Carolina has played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total — and the Under is 46-21-3 in their last 70 games when playing with at least three days of rest. Washington has played 6 straight home games after scoring one goal or less in their last game. The Capitals have also played 11 of their last 12 games Under the Total where no more than three combined goals were scored — and the Under is 23-9-2 in their last 34 games after scoring two goals or less in their last game. Washington enters the playoffs with a cold Power Play that has converted on only 3 of their last 25 opportunities (12.1%). But the Caps have a hot goalie right now with Braden Holtby boasting a .947 save percentage over his last five starts. Holtby will be a confident goaltender after finally leading his team to hoist the Cup last year. Holtby had a 2.16 GAA in last year’s playoffs with a .922 save percentage and two shutouts. In his career 82 playoff starts, Holtby has an outstanding .929 save percentage. The Under is 9-2-1 in Washington’s last 12 home games against teams with a winning record on the road — and they have played 7 straight home games Under the Total as the favorite. The Caps have also played 5 straight games Under the Total against fellow Metropolitan Division opponents.

FINAL TAKE: Carolina will be looking to avenge a 3-2 loss at home to the Capitals back on March 28th in the last meeting between these two teams. The Hurricanes have played 13 of their last 16 games Under the Total when avenging a one-goal loss to their opponent. And in the last 5 encounters between these two teams in Washington, the Under is 4-0-1. 25* NHL USA-TV Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Carolina Hurricanes (13) and the Washington Capitals (14). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:30 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Vegas Golden Knights (009) and the San Jose Sharks (010). THE SITUATION: Vegas (43-25-5) has lost two straight games as well as seven of their last eight contests after closing out the regular season with a 5-2 loss in Los Angeles to the Kings on Saturday. San Jose (46-27-6) won their last two games of the regular season after they defeated Colorado on Saturday by a 5-2 score.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Golden Knights have played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total after allowing at least five goals in their last game. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury played in those final two games of the regular season after getting a bunch of time off in March with the birth of his child coinciding with Vegas being pretty much locked-in to the third seed in the Pacific Division standings. Fleury's first game back was a 4-1 loss at home to Arizona last Thursday — but the Golden Knights have then played 11 of their last 14 games on the road Under the Total after allowing at least four goals in two straight games. Fleury needed to knock some rust off after taking time off — but I expect the veteran to be ready to go after being simply outstanding in his last two playoff experiences. In Vegas’ victory over the Sharks in six games in last year’s Western Conference Semifinals, Fleury had a 2.14 Goals-Against-Average with a .935 save percentage with two shutouts. The Golden Knights have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total when playing with at least three days of rest. Furthermore, the Under is 20-9-2 in Vegas’ last 31 road games as an underdog — and the Under is 5-1-1 in their last 7 games as an underdog in the playoffs. San Jose has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after scoring at least five goals in their last game. The Sharks scored 3.52 Goals-Per-Game during the regular season which was tied for third best in the league. But playoff hockey might see their offense take a step back. For starters, it remains unclear if this team has a consistently reliable top-line. Second, the health of their offensive-minded defenseman, Erik Karlsson, remains an issue as he returns to the ice after a nasty groin injury. Another concern for the Sharks is the play of their goaltender, Martin Jones, who had a 2.94 Goals-Against-Average with a .896 save percentage during the regular season. Jones has a career .926 save percentage in 42 games in the playoffs so he is more than capable and experienced. San Jose may choose to play a bit more cautiously to help build his confidence with the clean slate of the playoffs. San Jose has played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total when favored. The Under is also 3-1-1 in the last 5 games for the Sharks in the Western Conference Quarterfinals.

FINAL TAKE: The last two games played in San Jose in last year’s Western Conference Semifinals saw each team register a shutout win. The biggest problem the Sharks had last year in that series was being too loose with the puck which played right into the Knights’ transition game from forcing turnovers — after blanking them in the opening game of that series by a 7-0 score, Vegas scored four and five goals in their next two victories in that series before then winning by a 6-0 score in the first meeting between these two teams in the regular season back in November. Head coach Peter DeBoer cannot let his team surrender another barrage of goals to this Knights team. Expect this opening game to be a hard-hitting and tightly played affair which makes the Under very enticing with the Total set at 6. 25* NHL 1st Round Pacific Division Playoff Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Vegas Golden Knights (009) and the San Jose Sharks (010). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Detroit Pistons (537) minus the points versus the New York Knicks (538). THE SITUATION: Detroit (40-41) snapped their four-game losing streak last night with their 100-93 win over Memphis as an 11.5-point favorite. New York (17-64) closes out their regular season with a 96-86 upset win in Chicago as a 2-point underdog last night.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PISTONS MINUS THE POINTS: Detroit needs to win this game tonight to clinch the final slot in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Pistons are 11-5-1 ATS in their last 17 games after a straight-up win. Detroit has also covered the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games against teams with a losing record. Furthermore, the Pistons have covered the point spread in 20 of their last 27 road games against teams with a winning percentage below 40% on the road. And in their last 5 road games when favored by 6.5 to 12 points, Detroit has covered the point spread in 4 of these games. The team may not have the services of Blake Griffin who only played 18 minutes last night after aggravating his sore knee. But the Pistons will be facing a Knicks’ team that is a M*A*S*H unit right now. The following list of players are all listed as questionable tonight with various ailments: Noah Vonleh, Emmanual Mudiay, Allonzo Trier, Mario Hezonja, and Lance Thomas. Yet despite their limited roster, the Knicks have pulled off two straight upset wins with their victory over the Bulls preceded by an upset win over Washington as a 4-point underdog on Saturday. Both of those teams are already eliminated from the playoffs — but with the Knicks already locked-in to the last place in the NBA which affords them the most ping-pong balls for the Zion Williamson draft lottery, it was the Bulls and Wizards that had the perverse incentives to tank over these last two games. New York has then failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games an upset victory where they won by double-digits — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 8 road games where they pulled off an upset victory by at least 10 points. Furthermore, the Knicks have failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games after a point spread win. They held Chicago to just 36.1% shooting from the field last night which was the lowest field goal percentage for any of their opponents all season. New York returns home where they are just 9-31 this season with an average winning margin of -7.4 PPG. The Knicks have also failed to cover the point spread in 41 of their last 61 games on their home court.

FINAL TAKE: I am neutral on Detroit needing to win this game to make the playoffs — often times, the pressure of needing to win against an opponent that playing the role of the spoiler can be overwhelming. The Pistons will certainly be dialed-in to work hard tonight. The Knicks are in a great “play-against” situation with the added possibility that their healthy players will mail-in their efforts as they begin thinking about summer vacation. 25* NBA Eastern Conference Game of the Month with the Detroit Pistons (537) minus the points versus the New York Knicks (538). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:05 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Utah Jazz (518) minus the points versus the Denver Nuggets (517). THE SITUATION: Utah (49-31) saw their seven-game winning streak snapped on Sunday with their 113-109 upset loss in Los Angeles to the Lakers as a 12-point favorite. Denver (53-27) looks to bounce-back from their 115-108 loss in Portland on Sunday as an 8.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE JAZZ MINUS THE POINTS: Utah looks pretty cemented as the 5th seed in the Western Conference playoff standings at this late point of the season. And head coach Quinn Snyder will be using this opportunity to rest some key players who are dealing with some nagging injuries. Kyle Korver, Raul Neto, Ricky Rubio, and Dante Exum are all out for this game — but Derrick Favors may take the court again as he has been upgraded to probable with his back injury after missing the last four games. But Snyder will demand harder work from his team after their embarrassing loss to an undermanned Lakers team on Sunday where they were out-rebounded by a 49 to 35 margin. Their performance in that game was simply one of their worst efforts of the season. The Jazz shot just 45.2% from the field which was the worst shooting effort in their last eleven games. Utah also allowed the Lakers to nail 51.7% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last nine contests. Said Snyder: "Regardless of where you're seeded, you have to play well and play a certain way to win … We've won some games, so sometimes that masks some things we weren't doing well. Everyone has been talking about the winning streak, but that doesn't mean anything … We've tried to talk about playing well and getting better." As it is, the Jazz are 19-6-1 ATS in their last 26 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games after a loss by 6 points or less. Utah is also 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 games after a point spread loss. While Utah will be undermanned tonight, they still have their rising superstar in Donovan Mitchell along with the potential Defensive Most Valuable Player this season in Rudy Gobert. The Jazz role players also play much better at home where they are 28-12 this season with an average winning margin of +7.8 PPG. Utah has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games when playing with one day of rest. The Jazz have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games against Western Conference opponents. And while they have only covered the point spread twice in their last six games, Utah has then covered the point spread in 9 of their last 12 games after failing to cover the point spread in four or five of their last six games. Denver had failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a point spread win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 27 of their last 40 road games after a point spread victory. The Nuggets enter this game 1/2 games up on Houston for the second seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Yet head coach Mike Malone may still decide to rest players as he may decide that a fully healthy group entering the playoffs is more important that home court advantage in the second round of the playoffs for his inexperienced team. Denver has been outstanding at home this year — but they are just 20-20 on the road with an average winning margin of -2.4 PPG where they are shooting just 44.6% from the field. The Nuggets have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games when playing with one day of rest. And while they have covered the point spread in three straight games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 10 of their last 15 games after covering three of their last four contest. Denver is not an elite defensive team — they rank only 10th in the NBA in Defensive Rating. The Jazz are making 46.8% of their shots this season — and the Nuggets have failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 20 road games against teams with a team field goal percentage of 46%. Utah ranks second in the league in Defensive Rating behind the rim protection of Gobert. And while Denver makes 46.6% of their shots, the Jazz have covered the point spread in 23 of their last 35 games in the second half of the season against teams with a field goal percentage of 46% or higher.

FINAL TAKE: The Nuggets have failed to cover the point spread in their last five trips to Salt Lake City to face the Jazz — and Utah has won their last eight home games with Denver. The Jazz may not be at full strength — but that development has lowered by a few points in response. Utah should still have enough behind Mitchell and Gobert to cover the point spread. 25* NBA Northwest Division Game of the Year with the Utah Jazz (518) minus the points versus the Denver Nuggets (517). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:20 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders (811) and the Virginia Cavaliers (812). THE SITUATION: Texas Tech (31-6) reached the National Championship game on Saturday with their 61-51 upset victory over Michigan State as a 2-point underdog. Virginia (34-3) joins them in this showdown with their 63-62 win over Auburn as a 6-point favorite. This game will be played in U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis as a neutral court.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: We know about the strong defenses both these teams play. Texas Tech leads the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency while Virginia ranks 5th in the nation in that metric. The question is whether the oddsmakers have installed the Total too low with it currently residing in the 118 range. While the Over might look for very tempting to many bettors, don’t take the bait. The Red Raiders allowed only 58.8 PPG this season while limiting their opponents to just 36.8% shooting from the field. Their five NCAA Tournament opponents are scoring at just a 0.85 Points-Per-Possession rate which is the lowest since mark in the Big Dance since 2006. What makes this Texas Tech defense so tough is their ability to seamlessly switch off as defenders to fight off picks with all five of their players on the court. The Red Raiders have played 13 of their last 17 games Under the Total against teams outside the Big 12. Texas Tech has also played 20 of their last 28 games Under the Total when playing on a neutral court — and they have also played 14 of their last 20 games Under the Total as a pick ‘em or underdog of 3 points or less when playing on a neutral court. Additionally, the Red Raiders have played 18 of their last 25 games in the postseason Under the Total — and this includes them playing five of their last six games in the Big Dance Under the Total. Virginia has played 8 of their last 9 road games against teams who do not allow more than 64 PPG. The Cavaliers are holding their opponents to just 55.5 PPG this season while limiting these foes to just 38.4% shooting from the field. Texas Tech has played 10 of their last 12 games Under the Total against teams with an opponent’s field goal percentage of 39% or lower. On paper, Virginia has the third highest Adjusted Offensive Efficiency number in the nation. In practice, the Cavaliers have only matched or eclipsed that number once in their last six games this season (against Purdue). Virginia made 49% of their shots against Auburn which was actually their best shooting effort from the field in their last four games — yet they scored only 63 points. The Cavaliers have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a close win by 3 points or less — and they have played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total after a point spread loss. Virginia has only scored 28 and 29 points in the first half of their last two contests — and they have then played 7 straight games on the road Under the Total after failing to score at least 30 points in the first half in two straight games. The Cavaliers have played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total against teams outside the ACC — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total when playing on a neutral court. Virginia has also played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total when listed in the +/- 3-point range.

FINAL TAKE: I would not be shocked if one of these teams gets hot with their shooting. However, I do not see both teams torching the nets — and it is much more likely that both teams will struggle to hit baskets with the pressure of winning a National Championship on the line. Both these teams complement their stout defenses with a slow deliberate pace on the offensive end of the court. The strong fundamental play here is with the Under. 25* College Basketball Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders (811) and the Virginia Cavaliers (812). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:20 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Texas Tech Red Raiders (811) plus the point(s) versus the Virginia Cavaliers (812). THE SITUATION: Texas Tech (31-6) reached the National Championship game on Saturday with their 61-51 upset victory over Michigan State as a 2-point underdog. Virginia (34-3) joins them in this showdown with their 63-62 win over Auburn as a 6-point favorite. This game will be played in U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis as a neutral court.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RED RAIDERS PLUS THE POINTS: Texas Tech defeated the Spartans on Saturday despite making only 43.1% of their shots which was tied for the lowest field goal percentage in their last nine games. The Red Raiders did it with defense as they held Michigan State to just a 31.9% field goal percentage. Texas Tech has upset Michigan, Gonzaga, and then Sparty all in a row with all three of those teams ranking in metrics guru Ken Pomeroy’s top seven teams in the nation. And while the Red Raiders have covered the point spread in five straight games, they have then covered the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games after covering the point spread in four or five of their last six games. The Red Raiders allowed only 58.8 PPG this season while limiting their opponents to just 36.8% shooting from the field. Their five NCAA Tournament opponents are scoring at just a 0.85 Points-Per-Possession rate which is the lowest since mark in the Big Dance since 2006. What makes this Texas Tech defense so tough is their ability to seamlessly switch off as defenders to fight off picks with all five of their players on the court. The Red Raiders have covered the point spread in 11 straight games against teams with a winning record. Texas Tech has also covered the point spread in 5 straight games played on a neutral court — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games played on a neutral court as a pick ‘em or underdog. Furthermore, the Red Raiders have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games when listed in the +/- 3-point range — and they have covered the point spread in 6 straight games when playing their second game in three days. Virginia survived their game with Auburn while making 49% of their shots which was the best shooting performance in their last four games. The Cavaliers have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a narrow victory by 3 points or less. Virginia has also failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games when playing their second game in three days. On paper, Virginia has the third highest Adjusted Offensive Efficiency number in the nation. In practice, the Cavaliers have only matched or eclipsed that number once in their last six games this season (against Purdue). This team just does not seem to play at the same level of efficiency on offense in the Big Dance as they do during the regular season. Virginia has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games in the NCAA Tournament. Much of their improved success on offense during the regular season was head coach Tony Bennett’s move to more ball screen offensive sets. However, that will be difficult to execute given the ability of Texas Tech to switch defenders. The Cavs are likely to lean on their conventional Blocker-Mover offense which has been the source of their past struggles to score baskets in the NCAA Tournament. That offensive system is also slow — and this hinders Virginia from finding good shot opportunities when they need to score buckets in a hurry. Too often, the Cavaliers settle for launching ill-advised long 3-pointers when they get into trouble late in games. Furthermore, Virginia has failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight games played on a neutral court as a pick ‘em or favorite of no more than 3 points.

FINAL TAKE: Virginia has been very fortunate to eke out their last two games against Purdue and Auburn. Pomeroy ranks those teams as the 9th and 11th best in the nation — and that places them all below the Red Raiders’ last three opponents. Texas Tech has developed secondary scorers who have been reliable in offering a scoring punch to complement their star, Jarrett Culver. 25* CBB Texas Tech-Virginia A-List Special with the Texas Tech Red Raiders (811) plus the point(s) versus the Virginia Cavaliers (812). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:35 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Los Angeles Clippers (581) plus the points versus the Golden State Warriors (582). THE SITUATION: Los Angeles (47-33) has lost their last two games after their 122-117 upset loss to the Lakers on Friday as an 11.5-point favorite. Golden State (55-24) has won four straight games with their 120-114 win over Cleveland on Friday as a 15.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CLIPPERS PLUS THE POINTS: Los Angeles has taken their foot off the accelerator just a bit after clinching a spot in the Western Conference playoffs — but this remains a hard-working team for head coach Doc Rivers who have still won thirteen of their last seventeen games. The Clippers should respond to the challenge of facing the reigning NBA champions. Los Angeles has covered the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after a point spread loss. Additionally, the Clippers have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games on the road after a loss — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 12 games after a loss to a fellow Pacific Division rival. This team remains motivated to pick up some wins as they are currently in sixth place in the Western Conference standings but just 1/2 game ahead of Oklahoma City and only one full game ahead of San Antonio. Los Angeles made only 44% of their shots on Friday which was the lowest field goal percentage in their last nine games. Now the Clippers go back on the road where they are 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 games — and they are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home court. Los Angeles has also covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 road games with the Total set at 230 or higher. The Clippers have also covered the point spread in 21 of their last 27 games against Pacific Division rivals. Golden State has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games against Pacific Division foes. The Warriors may be due for a letdown as they have failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 17 games after a straight-up win. And while Golden State went into the locker room at halftime on Friday with a 68-49 lead over the Cavaliers, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after leading by at least 15 points at halftime of their last game. Furthermore, the Warriors have failed to cover the point spread in 16 of their last 24 games after winning four of their last five games. Golden State stays at home where they are just 8-20-1 ATS in their last 29 games — and they have also failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 15 home games against divisional rivals.

FINAL TAKE: The Clippers will be without Patrick Beverley and Danilo Gallinari who are listed as doubtful with injuries — but the strength of Rivers’ team is their depth. Golden State has Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston listed as questionable with injuries and their bench is much thinner than LA’s bench. The Clippers will be looking to avenge a 112-94 loss at home to the Warriors back on January 12th — and they have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 22 games when motivated by revenge. Los Angeles has also covered the point spread in 4 straight trips to Golden State at the Oracle Center. 25* NBA Pacific Division Underdog of the Year with the Los Angeles Clippers (581) plus the points versus the Golden State Warriors (582). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:49 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders (801) and the Michigan State Spartans (802). THE SITUATION: Texas Tech (30-6) reached the Final Four last Saturday with their 75-69 upset victory over Gonzaga as a 5-point underdog. Michigan State (32-6) joined them the next day when they upset Duke by a 68-67 score as a 2.5-point underdog. The Final Four takes place U.S. Bank Stadium on a neutral court in Minneapolis.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: In theory, the Red Raiders were facing their biggest defensive challenge of the season against a balanced and dynamic Bulldogs offense last week. In practice, Gonzaga scored at just a 0.97 Points-Per-Possession pace which was just the third time all season that the Bulldogs failed to score at least 1.0 PPG against their opponent. Yet even still, the 42.4% shooting clip that Gonzaga managed against Texas Tech was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage the latter had allowed in their last five games. The Red Raiders are holding their NCAA Tournaments to only 57 PPG. A key to their defense is the play of their rim protector, the 6’8, 250-lb Norense Odiase who is holding opponents to scoring at a minuscule 0.429 Points-Per-Possession in Post-Up plays which is in the 95th percentile in the nation this season. The issue for this Texas Tech team is that their offense tends to stall if Chris Mooney or Davide Moretti are not providing a scoring boost to complement Jarrett Culver. Mooney scored 17 points against Gonzaga but that was his highest scoring output in two months. Moretti made a whopping 62.5% of his 3-pointers in the two games in Anaheim after missing all seven of his 3-pointers in the first two games in the Big Dance. When neither of those players are contributing points, the Red Raiders offense becomes too one-dimensional as they rely on Culver to create shots in isolation. Texas Tech has played 19 of their last 27 games Under the Total when playing on a neutral court — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total in the NCAA Tournament. Furthermore, the Red Raiders have played 12 of their last 16 games Under the Total against teams outside the Big 12 — and they have played 13 of their last 19 games Under the Total with the Total set in the 130s. Texas Tech has also found more offense by scoring in transition — but they are now facing a Spartans team that did not allow Duke to score a single point in transition last Sunday. The Under is 28-10-1 in Michigan State’s last 39 games after a straight-up win — and the Under is 20-7-1 in their last 28 games after a point spread victory. Furthermore, the Spartans have only allowed 30 and 28 points in the first half of their last two games — and they have played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total after not allowing more than 30 points in their last game. Michigan State has held their opponents in the NCAA Tournament to just 61.3 PPG while limiting them to only 28.2% shooting from behind the arc. The Under is 19-7-1 in the Spartans’ last 27 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% — and they have also played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total when listed in the +/- 3-point range. Furthermore, Michigan State has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total on a neutral court — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games in the NCAA Tournament.

FINAL TAKE: Texas Tech averages 18.3 seconds per possession which is the 267th slowest in the nation. With the Red Raiders boasting the top Adjusted Defensive Efficiency in the nation and Sparty not far behind by ranking 9th in the nation in that metric. Points should be hard to come by in this contest. 25* CBB Final Four Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders (801) and the Michigan State Spartans (802). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:09 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Virginia Cavaliers (804) minus the points versus the Auburn Tigers (803). THE SITUATION: Virginia (33-3) reached the Final Four last Saturday with their 80-75 victory in overtime against Purdue as a 4.5-point favorite. Auburn (30-9) joined them on Sunday with their 77-71 upset victory in overtime over Kentucky as a 4.5-point underdog. The Final Four takes place on a neutral court in Minneapolis.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CAVALIERS MINUS THE POINTS: I suspect that the victory over the Boilermakers was a breakthrough for the Virginia program under head coach Tony Bennett. For starters, advancing to the Final Four is the farthest a Cavaliers team has enjoyed in his ten years with the program. Furthermore, Virginia was forced to flex all of their offensive muscles to survive against Purdue’s Carson Edwards who was simply unconscious in that game in scoring 42 points while making 10 of 19 (52.6%) of his shots from behind the arc with many being well beyond NBA range. The rap on this Cavaliers’ program under Bennett has been that while their Pack-Line defense is very difficult to penetrate, the slow pace that the team deploys on offense makes them vulnerable when their middle-of-the-pack scoring threats are not making shots. This came to a head in their upset loss to the 16-seed Maryland-Baltimore County in the first round of last year’s Big Dance. But this year’s team was elite on the offensive end of the court during the regular season — they rank 2nd in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. With De’Andre Hunter who is a legitimate future top-ten NBA draft pick and Kyle Guy who nails 42.7% of his 3-pointers, Bennett has the most dynamic scoring threats in his tenure in Charlottesville. They should build off the momentum from their victory against Purdue as they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 7 straight games on the road after a win by 6 points or less. And while the Cavaliers have only allowed 30 and 19 points in the first half of their last two games, they have then covered the point spread in 15 of their last 20 games after not allowing more than 30 points in the first half of their last two games. Moving forward, Virginia has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games against teams outside the ACC — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. Additionally, the Cavaliers have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games with the Total set in the 130s — and they have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games played on a neutral court where they were favored by 3.5 to 6 points. Auburn pulled off two straight upset in the Regional Finals with their victory over the Wildcats preceded by a win over North Carolina. What made the win over Kentucky even more impressive is that the Tigers did it even after the season-ending knee injury to their big man Chum Okeke. They were a team that remained determine to finally defeat their SEC rivals on Sunday after losing two them twice during the regular season. But the absence of Okeke and the burden of being the underdog once again may finally be too much for Bruce Pearl’s team. Auburn has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 6 games after being an underdog in their last two games. And while the Tigers have covered the point spread in three straight games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after winning three of their last four games. Frankly, this matchup with Virginia is not a good one for this Auburn team. The Tigers lead the nation by forcing turnovers in 24.9% of their opponent’s possessions — but the Cavaliers only turn the ball over in 14.7% of their possessions which is 12th lowest in the country. Auburn also nails 38.3% of their 3-pointers which is 15th best in the nation — but that Caves’ Pack-Line defense is very tough to shoot over as Virginia is 3rd in the nation with their opponent’s making just 28.7% of their 3-point attempts. Without Okeke, Auburn is without their best offensive rebounded. Virginia allows only 55.4 PPG — and the Tigers have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after fifteen games into the season against teams who do not allow more than 57 PPG. And while the Cavaliers average 21 shots from behind the arc per game, Auburn has failed to cover the point spread in a decisive 37 of their last 57 games on the road after fifteen games into the season against opponents who launch at least 21 shots from behind the arc per game. And while the Tigers average 11 made 3-pointers per game, Virginia has covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 road games against teams who average at least 9 made 3-pointers per game.

FINAL TAKE: I expect the bubble to burst for Auburn in this game. Even after a Herculean effort by Edwards, Virginia was too much for a very good Purdue team in the Elite Eight who had a seven-footer patrolling the middle. The absence of Okeke down low will allow for the Cavaliers to extend their Pack-Line a little further out which will force the Tigers to launch even longer 3-pointers. 25* College Basketball Game of the Year with the Virginia Cavaliers (804) minus the points versus the Auburn Tigers (803). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:35 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Portland Trail Blazers (555) and the Denver Nuggets (556). THE SITUATION: Portland (50-28) enters this game coming off a 116-89 win over Memphis on Wednesday as a 9.5-point favorite. Denver (52-26) comes off a 113-85 win over San Antonio on Wednesday as a 5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Trail Blazers have played 5 straight games Under the Total after a double-digit victory. The Under is also 3-0-1 in Portland’s last 4 games after a straight-up win — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after a point spread victory. The Trail Blazers are playing tough on the defensive end of the court as of late as they have held their last five opponents to just a 43.0% field goal percentage. Portland needs to lean on their defense given the injuries to C.J. McCollum and Jusuf Turkic who takes away a big-time scoring and a beast on the offensive glass for them. The Blazers go back on the road where the Under is 5-1-1 in their last 7 games — and they have played 4 of their last 5 road games Under the Total against teams with a winning record at home. Denver (52-26) has played 13 of their last 16 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 8 of their last 9 games Under the Total after a point spread win. The Nuggets have also played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a double-digit victory. Denver is struggling to score points as of late. They are scoring just 101.0 PPG over their last five games on 44.3% shooting from the field which is far below their 110.8 PPG scoring average for the season allowing with a 46.6% field goal percentage. The Nuggets stay at home where they have played 5 straight games Under the Total. Denver has also played 22 of their last 34 games Under the Total as a favorite laying 3.5 to 9.5 points. Furthermore, the Nuggets have played 13 of their last 16 games Under the Total against Western Conference opponents — and in their last 6 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%, Denver has played all 6 games Under the Total.

FINAL TAKE: Portland has lost their last five encounters with the Nuggets with the last result being a 116-113 loss in Denver back on January 13th. The previous result was a narrow 113-112 loss at home back on November 30th — and the Trail Blazers have played 10 of their last 11 games Under the Total when looking to avenge to straight losses that were decided by 3 points or less. 25* NBA Friday ESPN Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Portland Trail Blazers (555) and the Denver Nuggets (556). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Miami Heat (541) minus the points versus the Minnesota Timberwolves (542). THE SITUATION: Miami (38-40) has lost their last two games with their 110-102 loss at home to Boston as a 1-point underdog on Wednesday. Minnesota (35-43) enters this contest coming off a 110-108 upset victory at Dallas on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HEAT MINUS THE POINT(S): Miami should respond with a strong effort tonight as they are 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 games after a straight-up defeat — and they are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 games after a point spread loss. Additionally, the Heat have covered the point spread in 37 of their last 57 games after losing their last two contests

At 7:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Marshall Thundering Herd (734) minus the points versus the Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix (733). THE SITUATION: Marshall (22-14) reached the Finals of the College Insider Tournament on Tuesday with their 80-78 victory over Hampton as a 7.5-point favorite. Green Bay (21-16) joined them in the Finals of this tournament with their 87-86 win in overtime over Texas Southern as a 6-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE THUNDERING HERD MINUS THE POINTS: Marshall has covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a straight-up win. They get to host this championship game — and they are 15-3 at home with an average winning margin of +8.3 PPG. The Thundering Herd have covered the point spread in 36 of their last 56 home games as a favorite laying 3.5 to 6 points. Marshall plays at a blistering pace — they average only 14.3 seconds per possession which is the third fastest in the nation. The Thundering Herd score 86.0 PPG on their home court. They have scored at least 80 points in their last three games — and they have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 21 games after scoring at least 75 points in three straight games. Marshall has also improved their play on the defensive end of the court as they have held their last five opponents to just 41.1% shooting. The Thundering Herd have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games against teams with a winning record. Green Bay has failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games after a victory by 6 points or less in their last contest. And while the Phoenix have won five of their last six games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after winning five or six of their last seven games. Green Bay dished out 24 assists as a team on Tuesday — but they have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after a game where they had at least 24 assists. Now the Phoenix go back on the road for the first time in their last four games where they are just 6-13 this season with an average losing margin of -7.7 PPG. Green Bay has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 road games after playing their last three games on their home court. The Phoenix will be happy to play at the fast pace that the Thundering Herd will push as they rank 8th in the nation by averaging 14.9 seconds per possession. But Green Bay shoots under 44% from the field when playing away from home. The Phoenix have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games on the road - -and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home court. Green Bay has also failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 road games as a pick ‘em or underdog getting no more than 6 points.

FINAL TAKE: The Phoenix are not a good defensive team — their opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 55.3% on the road in hostile environments is 295th in the nation. Marshall should outrun Green Bay tonight. 25* CBB CIT Game of the Year with the Marshall Thundering Herd (734) minus the points versus the Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix (733). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:35 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Brooklyn Nets (512) plus the points versus the Toronto Raptors (511). THE SITUATION: Brooklyn (39-39) has lost six of their last nine games with their 131-121 upset loss at home to an injury-ridden Milwaukee team on Monday as a 1-point favorite. Toronto (55-23) has won their last four games with their 121-109 win over Orlando as a 6.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE NETS PLUS THE POINTS: Brooklyn should rebound with a strong effort as they have covered the point spread in 12 of their last 17 games after a point spread loss — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a double-digit loss at home. And while the Nets have lost three of their last four games, they have then covered the point spread in 37 of their last 59 games after losing three of their last four contests. Brooklyn has been one of the surprises of the league so far this season with both De’Angelo Russell and Caris LeVert enjoying breakout seasons. The Nets find themselves gobsmacked in the middle of the Eastern Conference playoff race — they are in the 7th place just 1/2 game behind Detroit while being 1/2 game ahead of Miami and one full game ahead of Orlando. Brooklyn only made 41.2% of their shots on Monday which was the worst shooting effort in their last four games. The Nets are battling for head coach Kenny Atkinson — they have outrebounded their last two opponents by +12 and +23 boards. Brooklyn has then covered the point spread in 8 of their last 11 games after out-rebounding their last two opponents by at least +10 rebounds. They stay at home where they have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games against teams with a winning record on the road. And while the Raptors rank 7th in the NBA by hitting 36.5% of their shots from behind the arc after making nineteen 3-pointers on Monday, the Nets have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 10 games in the second half of the season against teams who shoot at least 36% from behind the arc. Toronto has won four straight games while covering the point spread in their last three. But the Raptors have then failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 16 games after winning at least four straight games — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 15 games after covering the point spread in three of their last four games. Toronto seems to be pretty much locked-in to the second seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race as they are 3 games behind Milwaukee and 5 1/2 games ahead of Philadelphia. Head coach Nick Nurse has been monitoring the minutes of his key players as of late with Kawhi Leonard getting plenty of rest, Kyle Lowry not playing more than 30 minutes per game over his last five contests and Serge Ibaka coming off the bench with Marc Gasol starting. The Raptors are not likely to be sending out their “A-team” for the full 48 minutes of this game. They go back on the road where they have failed to cover the point spread in 15 of their last 23 games on the road with the Total set in the 220s — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 road games as a pick ‘em or favorite of no more than 6 points.

FINAL TAKE: Toronto has won the last two meetings between these two Atlantic Division clubs with them winning at home back on February 11th by a 127-125 score being the last encounter with the Nets. But Brooklyn has then covered the point spread in 17 of their last 25 games when playing with revenge. 25* NBA Atlantic Division Underdog of the Year with the Brooklyn Nets (512) plus the points versus the Toronto Raptors (511). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:45 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Crystal Palace (20001) plus the goal-line versus Tottenham Hotspur (20002). THE SITUATION: Crystal Palace (10-16-15) enters this match coming off a 2-0 win over Huddersfield last Saturday. Tottenham (20-1-10) looks to bounce-back from a 2-1 loss at Liverpool on Sunday. This match will see the long-awaited debut of the Spurs’ new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

REASONS TO TAKE CRYSTAL PALACE PLUS THE GOAL-LINE: Getting this new stadium open for the Spurs has been a debacle — the plan was for Tottenham to begin their 2018-19 campaign playing in their new facilities but construction problems delayed their ability to establish a home field advantage in their new facility. Much of a home team’s advantage in soccer comes from their comfort and familiarity with their specific home pitch — and this is something that this Spurs’ team currently lacks. Tottenham had been clicking at home back in the old White Hart Lane where they were 17-2-0 in their last nineteen matches. Granted, it will be a raucous environment for the Spurs in the debut of their new stadium. But crowd energy does not often translate into a net advantage in soccer since the constant action negates the anxiety crowd energy can trigger in opposing players. Tottenham struggled in their initial matches last year at Wembley Stadium which was their temporary home while they waited for this Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to be built — they opened last year’s campaign by going 0-2-1 in their last first three home matches playing on the relatively unfamiliar pitch even with a home crowd edge. To compound matters, the Spurs are struggling right now as they are just 0-1-4 in their last five matches in English Premier League play — and they were outscored by a 4 to 9 goal margin in these contests. Injuries are hurting this team right now — they will be without Eric Dier, Erik Lamela, Serge Aurier and Fernando Llorente for this match which leaves their backline a bit thin. As it is, the deeper metrics suggest that this Tottenham team has overachieved this season. The Expected Goals metric predicts that the Spurs hold have over 9 points fewer than the 61 they have this season. Despite a hot start to their EPL campaign, Tottenham is now at risk of not finishing in the Top Four which is necessary to qualify for next year’s Champions League. The Spurs currently are tied for 4th place with Manchester United (with a game in hand) but just one head of Chelsea who also catches up with the Red Devils in overall games played after today — so this is a team that is dangerously close to a 6th place finish. This pressure compounds the pressure they will face performing well in the debut of their new stadium. The Spurs have not performed well as of late in London Derby’s against fellow London clubs — they are just 1-1-2 in their last four London Derby showdowns. They face a very dangerous in Crystal Palace who are the only team this season to defeat Manchester City in their building. The counter-attacking style of manager Roy Hodgson’s club makes them a particularly challenging opponent for the Spurs who like to take the initiative on the pitch. The Eagles have won their last two matches on the road in EPL play with their counter-attacking approach also producing a 4-1-1 mark in their last six matches in the EPL. Crystal Palace is safe for next season in 13th place in the EPL table — but their 6-2-7 mark on the road gives them the seventh best record away from home in the league. The Eagles play the top teams very tough, especially on the road. They are 1-1-2 in their four matches on the road against one of the Big Six EPL teams while scoring seven goals along the way and surrendering nine goals. The laptops also love this team as the Expected Goals metric indicates they should be in 9th place on the table. Wilfried Zaha has scored in each of his last three goals (four goals total) on the road in EPL competition. With Michy Batshuayi and Christian Beneke, Hodgson has depth at the forward position of players who can complement Zaha in creating scoring opportunities in the counter-attack. But Crystal Palace’s foundation is with strong defensive play — they rank 7th in the EPL in total Goals Allowed. The Eagles are 6-2-7 on the road overall this season while allowing only 24 goals in those contests for a stingy 1.6 Goals-Against-Average.

FINAL TAKE: Tottenham has won their last seven matches against Crystal Palace — but six of those contests were narrow 1-0 results. This is an underrated Eagles team whose style of play wreaks havoc with the Spurs’ approach. I think a draw is likely — and I would not be surprised if Crystal Palace plays the role of spoiler today with an outright win (as they did against Man City). The pressure that Tottenham faces today, their lack of form on the pitch right now and their unfamiliarity with their new home field make them very precarious favorites. 25* EPL Midweek Match of the Year with the Crystal Palace (20001) plus the goal-line versus Tottenham Hotspur (20002). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:35 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Denver Nuggets (585) plus the points versus the Golden State Warriors (586). THE SITUATION: Denver (51-25) has lost two of their last three games with their 95-90 upset loss to Washington as a 10.5-point favorite on Sunday. Golden State (52-24) has won three of their last four games with their 137-90 win over Charlotte on Sunday as an 11-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE THE NUGGETS PLUS THE POINTS: Denver should respond with a strong effort tonight as they have bounced-back to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 16 games after an upset loss by double digits. And while Denver has only covered the point spread twice their last seven games, they have then covered the point spread in 20 of their last 32 games after failing to cover the point spread in five or six of their last seven games — and this includes them covering the point spread in seven of these last ten situations. The Nuggets match up well with the two-time defending champions who have taken a step back on defense this season. Golden State ranks just 14th in the league in Defensive Rating — and Denver ranks 6th in the NBA in Offensive Rating. The Nuggets made 46.6% of their shots this season — and the Warriors have failed to cover the point spread in 20 of their last 32 games against teams that make at least 46% of their shots. Additionally, Denver should be able to generate second-chance scoring opportunities tonight. Led by Nikola Jokic in the middle, they lead the NBA by pulling down 31.2% of their missed shots — and the Warriors are just 16th in the league by allowing their opponents to rebound 27.2% of their missed shots. The Nuggets out-rebound their opponents by +5.3 RPG — and Golden State has failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 19 games in the second half of the season against opponents who out-rebound their opponents by at least +3.0 RPG. Furthermore, Denver has covered the point spread in 25 of their last 41 games against teams with a winning percentage in the 60-70% range. And in their last 7 trips to play the Warriors in the Oracle Center, the Nuggets are 5-1-1 ATS. Golden State has been consistently inconsistent during the regular season as they have failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 14 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 9 games after a point spread victory. Additionally, the Warriors are just 17-36-2 ATS in their last 55 games after a loss by at least 10 points. And while Golden State raced out to a 71-49 halftime lead over the Hornets on Sunday, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after enjoying a halftime lead of at least 15 points in their last game. The Warriors stay at home where they have still lost four of their last eight games — and they are just 7-19-1 ATS in their last 27 games on their home court. Golden State has also covered the point spread in 12 of their last 16 home games with the Total set in the 220s. The Warriors have been unreliable favorites as well — they have failed to cover the point spread in 22 of their last 31 games when laying 3.5 to 9.5 points and they have failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 24 home games laying 6.5 to 12 points.

FINAL TAKE: This game has significant ramifications for home-court advantage in the Western Conference playoffs with the Warriors one game up on the Nuggets in the standings. But Golden State also knows they have an easier remaining schedule with four games against Cleveland, the LA Lakers, New Orleans, and Memphis while Denver still has dates with four Western Conference playoff teams. Andre Iguodala is questionable for this game with head coach Steve Kerr likely to give him the night off. The Nuggets’ Jamal Murray left Sunday’s game with the Wizards with an ankle injury but he has been upgraded to probable. Lastly, while the Warriors have won the last two meetings with Denver this season by 17 an 31 point margins, the Nuggets have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games when playing with double-revenge. 25* NBA Tuesday TNT Game of the Month with the Denver Nuggets (585) plus the points versus the Golden State Warriors (586). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:30 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Texas Longhorns (711) and the TCU Horned Frogs (712). THE SITUATION: Texas (19-16) reached the Semifinals of the NIT last Wednesday with their 68-55 win over Colorado as a 5-point favorite. TCU (23-13) joins them in the NIT Semifinals care of their 71-58 won over Creighton as a 3.5-point favorite last Tuesday. The way meet in the Madison Square Garden where the Semifinals and Finals of this event take place.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Longhorns held the Buffaloes to just 32.7% shooting in their win on Thursday. This is a strong defensive unit for head coach Shaka Smart — they rank 35th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. The Under is 38-17-1 in Texas’ last 56 games after a straight-up win — and they have played 8 of their last 10 road games Under the Total after a straight-up victory. And while they held Colorado to just 19 first-half points — and they have then played 11 of their last 13 games Under the Total after not allowing more than 25 points in the first half of their last game. Now the Longhorns go on the road after playing their last three games — and they shoot just 41.5% from the field away from home. Over their last five games, Texas is shooting only 40.2% from the field. They have played 27 of their last 40 games Under the Total when playing on a neutral court — and they have played 4 straight games Under the Total on a neutral court with the Total set in the 135 to 139.5 point range. TCU is also playing their first game away from home in their last four contests. The Horned Frogs have played 31 of their last 43 games Under the Total after playing their last two games at home. And while their victory over the Bluejays was preceded by an 88-72 win over Nebraska, TCU has then played 12 of their last 19 games Under the Total after winning their last two games at home by double-digits. Head coach Jamie Dixon’s squad is also very good on the defensive end of the court as they rank 33rd in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency after holding Creighton to just 36.2% shooting. The Horned Frogs have played 9 of their last 13 games Under the Total when playing on a neutral court with the Total set in the 135 to 139.5 point range. And in their last 87 games in expected close contests where they are listed in the +/- 3-point range, TCU has played 53 of these games Under the Total — and this includes them playing five of these last seven situations.

FINAL TAKE: The Horned Frogs have played 9 of their last 11 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record — and the Longhorns have played 4 straight games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. Texas is looking to avenge a 69-56 upset loss at home laying 7 points to TCU back on March 9th — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total when avenging an upset loss. These two teams have played 10 of their last 12 meetings Under the Total — expect another low scoring game between these two teams in the third meeting between these Big 12 opponents this season. 25* CBB NIT Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Texas Longhorns (711) and the TCU Horned Frogs (712). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Indiana Pacers (562) minus the points versus the Detroit Pistons (561). THE SITUATION: Indiana (45-32) has lost three straight games as well as seven of their last eight games after their 121-116 upset loss to Orlando as a 1.5-point favorite on Saturday. Detroit (39-37) has won their last two games with their 99-90 win over Portland as a 4.5-point favorite on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PACERS MINUS THE POINTS: Indiana has bounced-back to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 15 games after an upset loss as a home favorite — and this includes them covering the point spread in five of these last six situations. The Pacers have also covered the point spread in 24 of their last 35 games after a  loss at home. And while Indiana lost their previous game in Boston by just 2 points, Indiana has covered the point spread in 7 of their last 8 games after losing their last two games by 6 points or less. Furthermore, the Pacers have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 13 games after failing to cover the point spread in six or seven of their last eight contests. The Pacers have been tough at home where they are 28-10 this season with an average winning margin of +8.9 PPG. This team consistently plays hard for head coach Nate McMillan — and they limit their visitors to just 100.4 PPG on 43.1% shooting from the field. Indiana has covered the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games on their home court — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 10 home games against teams with a winning percentage no better than 40% on the road. And while the Pistons allow their opponents to shoot 47.0% from the field, the Pacers have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 9 home games against teams who allow their opponents to make at least 46% of their shots. Indiana has covered the point spread in a decisive 32 of their last 48 games as a favorite laying 3.5 to 9.5 points. And in their last 21 games in the month of April, the Pacers have covered the point spread in 17 of these contest. Detroit may be due for a letdown as they have failed to cover the point spread in 23 of their last 33 road games after a win on their home court. Portland shot just 37.3% from the field in that game which was the Pistons best defensive effort in their last fifteen games. Detroit’s win at home over the Trail Blazers came after a 115-98 win at home against Orlando as a 3.5-point favorite — but the Pistons have then failed to cover the point spread in 6 of their last 9 games after winning their last two games at home. Detroit has also failed to cover the point spread in 11 of their last 16 games after winning their last two games where they also covered the point spread — and this includes them failing to cover the point spread in five of these last seven situations. Now this team goes on the road where they are just 14-24 this season. The Pistons shoot just 42.9% from the field when on the road — and they allow their home hosts to make 47.8% of their shots which generates 108.6 PPG. Detroit has failed to cover the point spread in 29 of their last 46 road games as an underdog of 6 points or less. The Pistons will be without their best player tonight as Blake Griffin has been declared out with a knee injury. Indiana is 5th in the NBA with a 37.3% shooting percentage from behind the arc — and Detroit has failed to cover the point spread in 28 of their last 42 games in the second half of the season against teams who make at least 36% of their 3-pointers. The Pistons have also failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 17 games in the second half of the season against teams with a winning percentage in the 51-60% range.

FINAL TAKE: Indiana is still locked-in to a playoff spot as they have overcome the season-ending injury to Victor Oladipo. The Pacers will be looking to avenge a 113-109 loss on the road to the Pistons back on February 25th. Indiana has covered the point spread in 16 of their last 21 home games when avenging a same-season loss. 25* NBA Central Division Game of the Month with the Indiana Pacers (562) minus the points versus the Detroit Pistons (561). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the South Florida Bulls (702) minus the point(s) versus the DePaul Blue Demons (701). South Florida (21-13) reached the Finals of the College Basketball Invitational with their 56-47 win over Loyola-Marymount on Thursday as a 4-point favorite. DePaul (18-15) joined them the day before with a 92-87 win over Coastal Carolina as an 8-point favorite. The Bulls host the opening game of this best-of-three series before this event travels to Chicago with the Blue Demons hosting the second and potential third games to determine the champion.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BULLS MINUS THE POINT(S): South Florida should build off the momentum of their victory against the Lions as they have covered the point spread in 17 of their last 23 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 15 of their last 20 games after a point spread victory. Second-year head coach Brian Gregory has done a great job with this team that was predicted to finish last in the American Athletic Conference. Instead, the Bulls finished 8-10 in conference play based on a defense-first physical style of play. South Florida is 41st in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they have allowed just 61 PPG in this tournament. The Bulls generated points second-chance opportunities and getting to the free throw line. South Florida is 10th in the nation by pulling down 36.4% of their missed shots — and they lead the nation with a Free Throw Attempt-to-Field Goal Attempt ratio of 49.9%. The Bulls will want to win this opening game on their home court with this series moving to DePaul the rest of the way. South Florida is 16-5 on their home court this season with an average winning margin of +6.5 PPG. They hold their guests to just 64.5 PPG on 41.9% shooting from the field. Additionally, the Bulls have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 8 games against teams outside the American Athletic Conference. DePaul may be due for a letdown as they are just 11-28-3 ATS in their last 42 games after a straight-up win — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a point spread victory. The Blue Demons have also failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after scoring at least 90 points in their last game. DePaul is a high scoring team that has averaged 96.1 PPG in this tournament. But they have played all three of these games at home. Now they go on the road where they are just 3-9 this season with an average losing making of -5.7 PPG while allowing their home hosts to score 80.3 PPG. The Blue Demons have failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games on the road — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home court. DePaul is not a good defensive team — they rank 217th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They have allowed their last five opponents to score 87.0 PPG while shooting 49.7% from the field. The Blue Demons have also failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games against teams outside the Big East.

FINAL TAKE: This is a contrast of styles with the bruising style of South Florida countering DePaul’s high-scoring finesse attack. With the Blue Demons playing in a hostile environment, the Bulls’ defense should have the upper hand. 25* CBB CBI Game of the Year with the South Florida Bulls (702) minus the point(s) versus the DePaul Blue Demons (701). Best of luck for us — Frank.