At 2:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Belgium (9503) plus the +0.5 Goal-Line versus Brazil (9504). THE SITUATION: Belgium (4-0-0) reached the Quarterfinals of the World Cup by defeating Japan by a 3-2 score on Monday. Brazil (3-1-0) advanced to the Quarterfinals with their 2-0 win over Mexico in the first match on that Monday.

REASONS TO TAKE BELGIUM PLUS THE +0.5 GOAL-LINE: Belgium found themselves in deep trouble on Monday when Japan scored twice in the first seven minutes of the second-half to then be trailing by a 2-0 score. But the Red Devils persevered and scored 17 minutes later in the 69th minute to make it a match again — and they leveled the score at 2-2 five minutes later after their relentless pressure finally made the Japanese relent. Then rather than being content for 30 minutes of extra time, Belgium executed a flawless counterattack in the waning moments of stoppage time to walk away with the 3-2 victory. This kind of comeback victory should be galvanizing for this team. The Red Devils have won all four of their matches in this World Cup but team cohesion had been one of my biggest questions for this group. On paper, this Golden Generation of Belgium players is as talented as any national team in the world. This team leads this tournament with 12 goals — and their twenty-three match unbeaten streak is the longest in the world. Brazil comes off their best match in this event and they are now unbeaten in their fifteen matches. But this team is not at 100% with midfielder Casemiro suspended for this match after drawing his second yellow card and Marcelo dealing with a sore back. Both of these players serve important roles in the defensive formation of the Selecao. Casemiro stars for Real Madrid while Marcelo may simply be the best left back of all-time. Marcelo missed the Mexico match and is slated to return — but it remains uncertain how effective he can be. This is a nervy situation for a Brazilian side with high expectations despite still trying to erase the memories of their 7-1 loss at home to Germany in the Semifinals of the 2014 World Cup. This team lacks experience in defeating the elite national teams when the stakes are high. It also remains a question how Neymar will handle the pressure of this moment between his crying in relief after surviving Costa Rica in the Group Stage with two goals in the second-half stoppage time or his now ridiculous over-acting when trying to draw fouls. I worried that his decision to move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-German last year was a reflection of his inability to deal with the highest expectations on the world stage given that the French professional league, Ligue 1, is not as competitive as the Spanish La Liga. Belgium clearly presents the biggest challenge to the Selecao so far in this tournament.

FINAL TAKE: I think Belgium is more dangerous in the rare role of the underdog than they are as the favorite in this tournament — so I really like this opportunity for them especially when they are +0.5 with the Goal-Line. The Red Devils can pull off the upset in regulation time — and a deadlocked score after 90 regulation minutes is a distinct possibility. 25* World Cup FS1 Match of the Year with Belgium (9503) plus the +0.5 Goal-Line versus Brazil (9504). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:10 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Houston Astros (912) minus the -1.5 Run-Line versus the Chicago White Sox (911) listing both starting pitchers Justin Verlander and Carlos Rodon. THE SITUATION: Houston (57-31) has won two straight games with their 5-4 win over the Rangers yesterday. Chicago (30-56) has lost five of their last seven contests after they lost in Cincinnati yesterday by a 7-4 score.

REASONS TO TAKE THE ASTROS MINUS THE -1.5 RUN-LINE: Houston has won a decisive 46 of their last 63 games after scoring at least five runs in their last game. They also have won 21 of their last 25 games after winning their last two games on the road against a divisional rival. They return home for the first time since June 27th to begin an important eleven-game homestand to take them into the All-Star Break. Look for this reigning World Series Champions to make a big run right now. As it is, they have won 7 of their last 8 home games after being on the road for at least seven days. And while the Astros are hitting only .189 over their last five games, they have won 12 of their last 15 games after failing to hit better than .225 over their last five contests. They give the ball to Verlander who is 9-4 with a 2.12 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP in eighteen starts. The right-hander has been more effective at home where he owns a 0.77 WHIP and .167 opponent’s batting average in nine starts as compared to his 0.95 WHIP and .198 opponent’s batting average on the road. Verlander’s teams have won 48 of their last 55 home games with the Total set at 7-7.5. Chicago has lost 9 of their last 23 games after a loss — and they have also lost 29 of their last 43 games on the road. The White Sox were swept in a three-game series they hosted in April where they scored only two runs in the entire series — and they have lost 7 of their last 8 games when playing with at least double-revenge where they did not score more than two runs in either game. They counter with Rodon who is 1-3 with a 4.55 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP in five starts. The left-hander sees his ERA and WHIP rise to 5.94 and 1.38 marks in his three starts on the road. Chicago has lost 14 of their last 17 road games with Rodon pitching as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Houston has a heavy money-line price over -300 which is double the -150 maximum threshold I am willing to invest in money-line favorites. The Astros have won 32 of their last 46 home games when priced at least at -200. The White Sox have lost 26 of their last 35 games when an underdog priced at least at +150. The better investment is to cut the Houston price in half by taking them minus the -1.5 Run-Line. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break American League Run-Line of the Year with the Houston Astros (912) minus the -1.5 Run-Line versus the Chicago White Sox (911) listing both starting pitchers Justin Verlander and Carlos Rodon. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:10 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Arizona Diamondbacks (956) versus the St. Louis Cardinals (955) listing both starting pitchers Patrick Corbin and Milos Mikolas. THE SITUATION: Arizona (48-38) snapped a four-game losing streak yesterday with their 4-2 victory over the Cardinals. St. Louis (43-41) has lost five of their last six games.

REASONS TO TAKE THE DIAMONDBACKS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Arizona has won 5 of their last 7 games after a victory. The Diamondbacks conclude a ten-game homestand in this contest — and Arizona has won 10 of their last 15 games after playing at least their last five games at home. They give the ball to Corbin who is 6-3 with a 3.14 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP in seventeen starts. The left-hander has allowed only one earned run in his last two starts spanning 13 innings. The sabermetrics indicate that Corbin should be seeing even better numbers with his SIERA and xFIP projecting an ERA of 2.85 and 2.62 moving forward. The Diamondbacks have also won 4 of their last 6 games with Corbin pitching with the Total set in the 8 to 8.5 range. He should fare well against this Cardinals team that has lost 8 of their last 10 games against left-handed starting pitchers — and they have also lost 38 of their last 53 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.15 or lower. St. Louis has lost 5 of their last 7 games after a loss — and they have lost 5 of their last 7 games after failing to score more than two runs in their last contest. The Cardinals have also lost 5 of their last 6 games against teams with a winning record. They counter with Mikolas who is 8-3 with a 2.61 ERA and a 0.99 in sixteen starts. The right-hander has been outstanding at home where he sports a 1.65 ERA with a 0.91 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .220 — but he sees these numbers rise to a 3.70 ERA with a 1.07 WHIP and .239 opponent’s batting average in eight starts on the road. The sabermetrics also call for regression for Mikolas in his first year back in MLB after pitching in Japan for years. His SIERA and xFIP project an ERA of 3.77 and 3.55 respectively moving forward. Mikolas also has a .243 opponent’s batting average in night games as opposed to his .209 opponent’s batting average in day games — and the Cardinals have lost 6 of their last 9 night games with Mikolas on the mound this year. He faces a Diamondbacks team that has won 7 of their last 10 games against right-handed starting pitchers — and they have also won 6 of their last 7 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.15 or lower.

FINAL TAKE: While the frontline numbers for both these starting pitchers are similar, the sabermetrics suggest there will be a widening divide between these two pitchers moving forward with Corbin enjoying the edge. Arizona should close out their homestand with a win. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break ESPN Game of the Year with the money-line on the Arizona Diamondbacks (956) versus the St. Louis Cardinals (955) listing both starting pitchers Patrick Corbin and Milos Mikolas. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:10 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Seattle Mariners (912) versus the Los Angeles Angels (911) listing both starting pitchers Wade LeBlanc and Andrew Heaney. THE SITUATION: Seattle (54-31) has won seven straight games with their 1-0 win over the Royals on Sunday, Los Angeles (43-42) has lost seven of their last nine games after they lost in Baltimore on Sunday by an 8-2 score.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MARINERS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Seattle has won 5 of their last 7 games after an off-day. Additionally, the Mariners have won 22 of their last 29 games after a victory — and they have won 13 of their last 18 games after allowing no more than two runs in their last game. Furthermore, Seattle has won 20 of their last 26 games at home — and this includes them winning six of their last eight home games against teams with a winning record. They give the ball to LeBlanc who is 3-0 with a 3.38 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP in eleven starts. The left-hander has been more effective at home where he owns a 2.68 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP in six starts. The Mariners have won 6 straight home games with LeBlanc facing a team with a winning record. He should fare well against this Angels team that is scoring only 3.4 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven contests with a .215 batting average along with a .276 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .618 during that span. Los Angeles has lost 8 road games against left-handed starting pitchers. The Angels have last 16 of their last 22 games after an off-day. Additionally, the Angels have lost 5 of their last 6 games after a loss — and they have lost 8 of their last 11 games after allowing at least five runs in their last game. LA has also lost 11 of their last 14 games on the road which includes them losing seven straight road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home. They counter with Heaney who is 4-5 with a 3.95 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP in fourteen starts. The left-hander has been great at home where he has a 2.18 ERA along with a 0.97 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .201 batting average in seven starts but he sees all these numbers skyrocket to a 6.14 ERA with a 1.50 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .290 in seven starts on the road. The Angels have lost 13 of their last 16 road games with Heaney on the hill — and this includes them losing five straight road games with Heaney facing a team with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: The Mariners are only small money-line favorites given the good reputation of Heaney and the general distrust of LeBlanc. But the sabermetrics suggest this is a close matchup with Heaney’s SIERA and xFIP of 4.00 and 4.02 being only a little bit better than LeBlanc’s 4.20 and 4.31 marks. Heaney on the road with LeBlanc pitching home evens up this duel even more — and the Seattle are a better home team than the Angels are on the road. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break American League West Game of the Year with the money-line on the Seattle Mariners (912) versus the Los Angeles Angels (911) listing both starting pitchers Wade LeBlanc and Andrew Heaney. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the match between Colombia (9883) and England (9884). THE SITUATION: England (2-0-1) reached the Knockout Stage after winning their first two matches in Group Stage play. With only first place at stake which did not guarantee a better Knockout Stage draw, the Three Lions played a listless match with a similarly unmotivated Belgium side that resulted in a 1-0 victory for The Red Devils. Colombia (2-0-1) needed a win while getting — and that all came together for Los Cafeteros as they defeated Senegal by a 1-0 score. But Colombia’s best player, James Rodriguez, injured his right leg in the match and has remained in doubt for this match even as we approach kickoff.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Manager Jose Pekerman will wait until an hour before match time to reveal his plans for Rodriguez. Personally, I am expecting Rodriguez to take the pitch. Tests on Saturday revealed swelling but no muscle tear — so he has had over two days to reduce the swelling from that injury. While Rodriguez may not start the match, I will not be surprised to see him playing in the second half. That said, to take the Over, I have to assume that Colombia will score at least one goal in this match — even if they are without the services of Rodriguez for the entire contest. I do think Los Cafeteros will score. This Colombia roster is loaded with talent in this golden generation of their national team even without Rodriguez. Their captain, Radamel Falcao, was injured and missed the 2014 World Cup where they made it to the Quarterfinals. Colombia also has a rising star in Juan Fernando Quintero and the player dubbed “James Junior” for his history of stepping up in Rodriguez’s absence. Quintero has been involved in three of Los Cafeteros’ five goals in this World Cup. Colombia has scored five times in their three matches with one of them occurring despite playing with just ten men in their opening match against Japan. In their last major international tournament in the 2016 Copa America, Los Cafeteros scored 11 times while surrendering 6 goals in six matches that resulted in a Third Place finish. England has scored eight times in this tournament — and their six goals via set pieces were the most of any team in the Group Stage. The offensive numbers for this Three Lions team would be even better if anything would have been on the line in their third match against Belgium where both teams went through the motions. Led by Harry Kane and his five goals, this England team is blessed with plenty of offensive firepower. But I do have concerns over their back line that feature three fullbacks not playing their natural position from their professional teams in the English Premier League. This group has yet to be tested with matches against lowly Panama and Tunisia before their glorified scrimmage with Belgium. England has scored in seventeen of their last eighteen Knockout Stage matches in the World Cup.

FINAL TAKE: These are two teams that are happy to push the pace and push the ball vertically up the field. I think the worst case scenario is a match that sees at least two combined goals — and the probability that one of these teams scores at least twice in the regulation time being very high since neither of these sides will even consider parking the bus in back. 25* World Cup Round of 16 Total of the Year with Over the Total in the match between Colombia (9883) and England (9884). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:00 AM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Switzerland (9876) with the Goal-Line as a pick ‘em (or +0.5 Goals) versus Sweden (9877). THE SITUATION: Sweden (2-0-1) reached the Knockout Stage with their surprising 3-0 upset win over Mexico last Wednesday. Switzerland (1-2-0) reached the Round of 16 with their 2-2 draw with Costa Rica on Wednesday. Both sides will be undermanned in this match given yellow card suspensions: midfielder Sebastian Larsson will be out for Sweden while the Swiss will be without two defensemen in Stephan Lichtsteiner and Fabian Schur.

REASONS TO TAKE SWITZERLAND WITH THE GOAL-LINE: The loss of those two defenders to Nati Swiss will hurt — but manager Vladimir Petkovic does have the benefit of depth in his backline. The key players for this Switzerland side are Sheridan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka who might be the two best players on this pitch in this contest. The Swiss National Team only needed a draw in that third match against Costa Rica — and they looked destined for the victory until they suffered an own goal in the waning moments in extra time in that match. Switzerland did fail to click in that match but they are still unbeaten in their last nine matches while scoring the final goal in five of those contests. They also took the still-favorites to win this tournament in Brazil to a 1-1 draw to begin this tournament. The Nati Swiss are well respected and capable while being solid at all three levels. Sweden may be due for a letdown after what was a near perfect performance against Mexico where they were able to use their size advantage against El Tri. The Blue and Yellow will not enjoy a size advantage in this match against a physical Swiss side. Sweden is a counterattacking team that matched-up quite well against a Mexico team that does struggle against that style of play. All three of their goals were in the second-half with the final two coming against an El Tri side beginning to play with desperation after surrendering the first goal at the 50 minute mark. The loss of Larsson in this match may be the more impactful suspension since Sweden lacks the depth of the Swiss while needing Larsson to defend against Shaqiri and Xhaka. The Blue and Yellow had scored only once in their final four friendlies before this tournament so their five goals in the Group Stage has been a surprise. But this side can go stagnant with their offensive productivity without it being a surprise. This is a team that has been liberated from the shadow of their long time talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic — so reaching the Knockout Stage has been a nice result for these players. But the overall talent level of this side remains a question.

FINAL TAKE: Now in a single elimination match where they can no longer sneak up on a Mexico team that perhaps was looking ahead, the bubble will likely burst for Sweden. Too much talent for Switzerland — even with the two suspensions on defense. Expect Shaqiri and Xhaka to do what it takes to lead the Swiss to victory. 25* World Cup Round of 16 Match of the Year with the Switzerland (9876) with the Goal-Line as a pick ‘em (or +0.5 Goals) versus Sweden (9877). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:00 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the match between Denmark (9767) and Croatia (9768). THE SITUATION: Denmark (1-2-0) received the point they needed to secure advancing to the Knockout Stage with a 0-0 draw with France last Tuesday. Croatia (3-0-0) completed a perfect Group Stage mark on Tuesday with their 2-1 win over Iceland.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Both of these teams allowed only one goal in their group stage matches with both of those coming off penalty kicks. Given those strong defensive numbers, taking the under might look very tempting to many bettors. However, don’t be surprised if this ends up being a higher-scoring affair. Denmark only scored two goals in their three matches. But after their 1-0 win over Peru in their first match, they were happy to live with the two draws they secured against Australia and France while never having to abandon their organized but methodical tactics. That may have to change for the Danish Dynamite in this match against a Croatia side that scored seven times in their three group stage matches. Despite their outstanding defensive numbers in this tournament, it would not be accurate to describe Denmark as a defensive team as they are willing to take their chances in attack led by Tottenham dynamo Christian Eriksen. In this national team’s four matches in the knockout stage of the World Cup, the Danes have scored seven times while allowing nineteen goals. The average total in those four matches was 4.75 combined goals scored. Croatia scored at least two goals in all three of their group stage matches even after making nine changes in their 2-1 victory over Iceland in their last contest against Iceland. The Vatreni are very gifted in their attacking players which facilitates their aggressive style. But despite their good defensive numbers, Croatia is less than stout in their backline. In the 2016 Euro which was their last international tournament, they allowed four goals in their three group stage matches while scoring five times. Their tournament ended with a 1-0 loss that was dictated by Portugal’s extreme caution that led to neither side attempting a shot on target in regulation time. The Vatreni have not played in a cautious manner like that match in this tournament.

FINAL TAKE: Denmark is unbeaten in their last eighteen matches and will be a difficult out in this elimination contest. Croatia will score — but the Danish Dynamite should keep pace. 25* World Cup Sunday Afternoon O/U Special Feature with Over the Total in the match between Denmark (9767) and Croatia (9768). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:05 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Texas Rangers (976) versus the Chicago White Sox (975) listing both starting pitchers Bartolo Colon and Carlos Rodon. THE SITUATION: Texas (37-46) has won ten of their last twelve games with their wit their 11-3 victory over the White Sox in the opening game of this series last night where they clubbed five home runs. Chicago (28-53) has lost their last two games.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RANGERS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Texas has won 7 of their last 9 games after a victory. The Rangers have also won 5 of their last 6 games at home — and they have won 4 straight games against teams with a winning percentage below 40%. Texas has not allowed more than three runs in each of their last three games — and they have then won 6 of their last 7 games after allowing three runs or less in three straight games. They give the ball to Colon who is 4-5 with a 4.72 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP in fourteen starts this season. While getting on the Colon train did not initially tickle my fancy in what otherwise looks like a strong situation, the ole man’s presence on the mound is why the Rangers are not priced in the -150 range. Yet the wily veteran’s sabermetrics actually call for immediate improvement with both his SIERA and xFIP projecting an ERA of 4.38 and 4.21 moving forward. Colon has also been more effective at home where he owns a 1.18 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .256 in six starts as compared to his 1.20 WHIP and .273 opponent’s batting average in eight starts. Colon’s teams have won 19 of their last 27 games when he is starting and priced as a favorite at -110 or higher — and this includes Texas winning their last three games in that situation. He faces a White Sox team that scores only 3.7 Runs-Per-Game on the road with a .231 batting average along with a .286 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .653. Chicago has lost 8 of their last 10 games after a loss. They also have lost 25 of the last 37 road games as an underdog. Furthermore, one of the other reasons I am willing to bet against this White Sox team despite their facing old man Colon is that their mediocre bullpen has logged in 14 2/3 innings in their last three games — and they have lost 9 of their last 11 games after their bullpen has pitched at least 13 innings over their last three games. Chicago has also lost 5 straight games in expected high-scoring games with the Total listed at 10 or higher. They counter with Rodon who is 1-2 with a 3.70 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in four starts. The left-hander’s SIERA and xFIP project an ERA of 4.66 and 5.38 respectively. Rodon also sees his ERA rise to a 4.76 mark with a 1.32 WHIP in his two road starts this season. Last year, Rodon had an ERA of 4.70 on the road which was almost a full run higher than his 3.72 ERA at home. The White Sox have lost 6 straight road games with Rodon on the hill — and they have also lost 13 of their last 16 road games with Rodon pitching as an underdog. He faces a hot-hitting Rangers team that is scoring 6.0 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .281 batting average along with a .333 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .809 over that span. Lastly, Texas has won 5 of their last 6 home games against left-handed starting pitchers.

FINAL TAKE: It is not very often where the opportunity exists to bet against the White Sox on the road where they favorite is not a money-line favorite priced higher than -150. From that perspective, it is Colon on the mound that is ensuring the small price on a great situation. Let’s attack while backing a red-hot team that should score plenty of runs tonight. 25* MLB Game of the Month with the money-line on the Texas Rangers (976) versus the Chicago White Sox (975) listing both starting pitchers Bartolo Colon and Carlos Rodon. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 1:07 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Toronto Blue Jays (966) minus the -1.5 Run-Line versus the Detroit Tigers (965) listing both starting pitchers Sam Gaviglio and Matthew Boyd. THE SITUATION: Toronto (38-43) has won four of their last six games with their 3-2 victory over the Tigers in the opening game of this series last night. Detroit (36-47) has lost ten games in a row.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BLUE JAYS MINUS THE -1.5 RUN-LINE: The Tigers have lost 10 of their last 11 games after a loss — and they have lost 6 straight games after scoring two runs or less in their last game. Detroit has also lost 7 of their last 8 games played on turf — and they have lost 11 of their last 13 games in Toronto. They give the ball to Boyd who is 4-6 with a 4.15 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in fifteen starts. The left-hander has struggled on the road where he sees his ERA rise to a 5.71 mark along with a 1.46 WHIP in eight starts. The Tigers have lost 10 of their last 12 road games with Boyd on the hill. The sabermetrics are not encouraging either as both his SIERA and xFIP project an ERA of 4.71 and 4.96 moving forward. Toronto has won 6 straight games after not allowing more than two goals in their last contest. The Blue Jays have also won 9 of their last 10 games at home — and they have won a decisive 38 of their last 55 home games against teams with a winning percentage below 40% on the road. They counter with Gaviglio who is 2-2 with a 3.98 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP in seven starts. His SIERA and xFIP call for immediate improvement by projecting his ERA to be closer to a 3.66 or 3.73 mark. The left-hander has also been more effective on the road where he owns a 1.31 ERA with a 1.16 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .215 in three starts. He should fare well against this slumping Tigers team that is scoring only 2.6 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven contests with a .204 batting average along with a .219 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .550 over that span. Lastly, because Detroit has a low .153 batting average over their last three games, they fall into an empirical “play-against” angle specific to the Run-Line that has been 64% effective over the last five seasons. The Tigers have a .301 On-Base Percentage for the season — and American League road underdogs with an On-Base Percentage of .310 or lower who are hitting below .175 in their last three games now facing a starting pitcher with a WHIP of 1.30 or lower have then failed to cover the +1.5 Run-Line in 30 of the last 47 situations where these conditions applied.

FINAL TAKE: The Tigers are in the middle of a horrible slump while the Blue Jays are on fire playing at home. With the money-line price being higher than my -150 threshold, let’s take advantage of the nice price when taking advantage of the Run-Line as this is a game that Toronto should win by more than the one run against a lefty in Boyd who struggles on the road. 25* MLB Run-Line of the Month with the Toronto Blue Jays (966) minus the -1.5 Run-Line versus the Detroit Tigers (965) listing both starting pitchers Sam Gaviglio and Matthew Boyd. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Edmonton Eskimos (376) minus the points versus the British Columbia Lions (375). THE SITUATION: Edmonton (1-1) looks to bounce-back from an ugly 38-21 upset loss to Winnipeg last Friday as a 6.5-point favorite. British Columbia (1-0) enjoyed their bye-week after a 22-10 win against Montreal in the opening week of the season by a 22-10 score as an 8.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE EDMONTON MINUS THE POINTS: The Eskimos should rebound with a very good effort tonight. They have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games after an upset loss by double-digits as a favorite laying at least 6 points — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after a home loss by at least 17 points. Edmonton is the in-vogue pick to win this year’s Grey Cup with them hosting the game in late November. They have averaged at least 12 wins over the last four seasons which included them lifting the Grey Cup trophy in 2015. Since that feat, the Eskimos have lost three straight games in the West Division Finals. Edmonton has led the point spread in 4 straight games against teams with a winning record — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games against West Division rivals. British Columbia has failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 10 games after a win at home — and they have also failed to cover the point spread in 4 straight games after a point spread victory. Frankly, a 12-point win over the worst team in the CFL who just were crushed by 46 points last week is not a huge accomplishment. This Lions team lost nine of their last eleven games last season while scoring the fewest points in the league. Now they go back on the road where they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games. British Columbia is also just 2-9-1 ATS in their last 12 games against West Division rivals. And in their last 5 meetings with Edmonton, the Lions have failed to cover the point spread in 4 of these games.

FINAL TAKE: Edmonton should be very feisty tonight after their bad loss to Hamilton while BC’s first bye week did not come at the most opportune moment of the long CFL season. 25* CFL Game of the Month with the Edmonton Eskimos (376) minus the points versus the British Columbia Lions (375). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the Philadelphia Phillies (902) versus the Washington Nationals (901) listing both starting pitchers Nick Pivetta and Erick Fedde. THE SITUATION: Philadelphia (43-36) won the opening game of this series last night by a 4-3 score. Washington (41-38) is mired in a terrible slump having lost three straight games as well as five of their last six and ten of their last thirteen contests.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PHILLIES WITH THE MONEY: Philadelphia has won 5 of their last 7 games after a victory. And while the Phillies have not scored more than four runs in each of their last four games, they have then won 10 of their last 14 games after failing to score more than four runs in four straight contests. Furthermore, Philly has won 13 of the last 21 home games with the Total set in the 8.5 to 10 range. They give the ball to Pivetta who is 4-6 with a 4.06 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP in sixteen starts. The right-hander has allowed only four earned runs over his last 12 2/3 innings while striking out 20 batters over that span. Pivetta has been more effective at home where he enjoys a 3.04 ERA with a 1.05 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .224 in nine starts. The Phillies have won 10 of their last 13 home games with Pivetta on the hill. He should fare well against this Nationals team that is scoring only 2.9 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven contests with a .230 batting average along with a .302 On-Base Percentage and .653 OPS over that span. Washington (41-38) has lost 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning record. The Nationals have also lost 6 straight games on the road — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 games in Philadelphia. They counter with Fedde who is 0-3 with a 5.32 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP in four starts this year after posting a mediocre 4.35 ERA with a 1.40 WHIP in 41 1/3 innings in Triple-A this season. The right-hander enjoyed his best start of the season in his last outing at home against these Phillies where he allowed three runs in 6 innings of work — but this is a tough assignment for him to make just his second start away from home this season against a team that will have a recent memory of his pitches. Washington has lost 3 of their 4 games with Fedde on the mound with the Total set in the 8.5 to 10 range. He faces a Phillies team that has won 7 of their last 10 home games against right-handed starting pitchers.

FINAL TAKE: Pivetta has been very tough when pitching at home this season — and he should be very focused in this game after being rocked by the Nationals in Washington back on May 4th. He gets payback against a slumping Washington team tonight. 25* MLB National League East Game of the Month with the money-line on the Philadelphia Phillies (902) versus the Washington Nationals (901) listing both starting pitchers Nick Pivetta and Erick Fedde. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Ottawa Redblacks (371) and the Calgary Stampeders (372). THE SITUATION: Ottawa (1-0) had the Week One bye — but they came out of the gate like gangbusters last week with a dominant 40-17 win over Saskatchewan as a 2.5-point favorite last Thursday. Calgary (2-0) remained undefeated this season with their 41-7 blowout win in Toronto in the revenge of their Grey Cup loss last Saturday as 4-point favorites.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Redblacks dominated the Roughriders as they outgained them by +114 net yards due to their strong defensive play that limited Saskatchewan to just 345 total yards. Ottawa has then played 16 of their last 26 games Under the Total after outgaining their last opponent by at least +120 yards. It was the Redblacks defense that played a critical role in their late-season progression that led them to win the 2016 Grey Cup. This group regressed last year but the hiring of new defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe is very encouraging for this unit to get back to playing at an elite level given his strong reputation coordinating the Montreal defense for years. Ottawa also added a number of talented free agents to bolster their defensive group. Now the Redblacks go on the road where they have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total. They also have played 13 of their last 20 games Under the Total when playing with six days or less of rest including playing five of their last seven games played on a Thursday Under the Total. Calgary has played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 25 of their last 35 games Under the Total after a point spread victory. Additionally, the Stampeders have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a win by at least four touchdowns on the road. Calgary’s defensive unit remains quite good after suffering heartbreaking losses in the Grey Cup in each of the last two seasons. They held an Argonauts team that upset them last November in that championship game to just 215 yards of offense. Moving forward, Calgary has played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record — and they have played 19 of their last 24 games Under the Total in the month of June.

FINAL TAKE: With both these offenses reaching the 40 point threshold last week, it might be tempting for some bettors to expect another high-scoring game. While that sentiment has pushed the Total into the high 50s, don’t be surprised if this rematch of the 2016 Grey Cup ends up being decided by the defenses. 25* CFL Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Ottawa Redblacks (371) and the Calgary Stampeders (372). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:10 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Boston Red Sox (968) versus the Los Angeles Angels (967) listing both starting pitchers Brian Johnson and Jaime Barria. THE SITUATION: Boston (54-27) has won three straight games — as well as five of their last six contests — with their 9-6 victory over the Angels in the second game of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RED SOX WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Boston has won a decisive 36 of their last 53 games after a win — and they have also won 17 of their last 24 games after allowing at least five runs in their last game. Additionally, the Red Sox have won 6 of their last 7 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. They give the ball to Johnson in this spot start with Steven Wright being placed on the disabled list. The left-hander has a 1-2 record with a 4.50 ERA and 1.44 WHIP mostly pitching out of the bullpen. The sabermetrics call for immediate improvements in those numbers with his SIERA and xFIP projecting an ERA of 3.72 and 3.95 moving forward. Johnson will not pitch deep into this game — and the Red Sox bullpen has been one of the best in baseball. Boston’s pen has a 3.06 ERA with a 1.19 WHIP while seeing both numbers drop to a 2.35 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP over their last seven games. The Red Sox have won their last 6 games with Johnson making the start. He should find success against this Angels team is scoring only 3.4 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .214 batting average along with a .270 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .603. LA has lost 13 of their last 16 games against left-handed starting pitchers. Los Angeles (41-40) has lost five straight games as well as twelve of their last sixteen contests. The Angels have also lost 4 straight games after dropping the first two games in a series. Furthermore, LA has lost 6 straight road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home. They counter with Barria who is 5-3 with a 3.40 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP in ten starts. The lefty has not been quite as effective on the road where he has a 1.23 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .260 in four stars as compared to his 1.20 WHIP and .237 opponent’s batting average at home. He faces a Red Sox team that is scoring 7.0 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .311 batting average, .375 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .914 over that span. Boston has won 42 of their last 59 games against right-handed starting pitchers.

FINAL TAKE: While the money-line price on the Red Sox has dropped from the -145 range to the -125 to -135 range probably because of Johnson on the hill. But I think Johnson should pitch pretty well in this spot before handing things off to the outstanding Boston bullpen. Even if he struggles, the Red Sox should still out-slug this slumping Angels lineup. 25* MLB Thursday ESPN Game of the Month with the money-line on the Boston Red Sox (968) versus the Los Angeles Angels (967) listing both starting pitchers Brian Johnson and Jaime Barria. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing England (9756) with the Goal-Line as a pick ‘em versus Belgium (9755). THE SITUATION: England (2-0-0) clinched a spot in the Round of 16 on Sunday with their 6-1 victory over Panama. Belgium (2-0-0) also reached the Knockout Stage on Saturday when they defeated Tunisia by a 5-2 score. The result of this match will determine who finishes in first place in Group G with a draw triggering the Fair Play tie-breaker measuring which side has received fewer yellow and red cards — which England currently owns a slight lead.

REASONS TO TAKE ENGLAND WITH THE GOAL-LINE AS A PICK ‘EM: Belgium has been impressive in this tournament by scoring eight times while only allowing two goals. But one would be foolish to read too much into victories over Tunisia and Panama who are two of the weakest teams in this field. The Red Devils are certainly loaded with talent. They finished in the Quarterfinals of the 2014 World Cup where they lost to Argentina in the final eight. They also had a Quarterfinals run in the 2016 Euro where they lost to Wakes by a 3-1 score. And those results express a concern regarding this side: they are too likely to fold up shop when facing an opponent of equal or greater value. Team cohesion seems to be an issue for this group that perhaps has a fractured locker room. A roster filled with players that speak either French or Dutch coming from this small nation does not help the chemistry matters. Manchester City star Kevin DeBruyne called out manager Roberto Martinez last November after a 3-3 draw to Mexico where they were dominated in both possession time and aggressiveness. The tactical makeup of this group remains a question. Unfortunately for the viewing public this afternoon, it looks like we will not even have the opportunity to see these heavyweights battle at full strength. Martinez has communicated that his highest priority is to maintain his best possible group for the Knockout Stage — and that means resting some of his key players with only seeding at stake. Of course, the perception that the side of the bracket where the second place team will be slotted is a much easier road to the Semifinals makes this decision easier to make. Martinez also wants to avoid having some of his key players like DeBruyne avoid being called for a second yellow card which automatically suspends him for his next match. Striker Romelu Lukaku will not play after receiving a knock in that match with Tunisia. He may be joined by other English Premier League stars like Eden Hazard, Vincent Company and others who may use this opportunity to rest. This attitude seems to be the opposite of England’s manager Gareth Southgate who declared yesterday that his team will be “going for it” regarding earning the win. The Three Lions have not won a Knockout Stage match in a long time — it has been 28 years since this national team made a deep run in the 1990 World Cup where they reached the Semifinals. England failed to reach the Knockout Stage in the 2014 World Cup — and they were the upset victims of Iceland in the 2016 Euro in the Quarterfinals. Southgate thinks this group needs to continue to build confidence and momentum. Frankly, I think this collection of players would have a great chance of defeating Belgium even if the Red Devils were 100% committed to winning. With EPL stars of their own like Harry Kane up front, Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling anchoring the midfield and a strong group of fullbacks to cement the backline, talent is not the question mark for this group (1:15 PM ET UPDATE: the lineups have been released with Southgate choosing to bench Kane and Sterling amongst a handful of his starters. While I did not mention this in my original Report, (my Reports are long enough as is), I am comfortable with the bench options for England. Manchester United forward Marcus Ashford comes in for Kane as he joins Jamie Vardy as the scoring options up front — those are two talented players. The midfield depth is also capable — England’s depth is one of their strengths with stacked with big contributors to their EPL squads). The Three Lions have displayed outstanding offensive prowess by scoring eight times. They also have demonstrated exciting dead-ball prowess after scoring twice off headers from a corner kick and dead ball against Panama.

FINAL TAKE: Everything being equal, I like England to defeat a Belgium side with a history of underachievement against elite opponents in international competition. With the Red Devils likely benching their key players with an eye towards the Round of 16, this becomes a very nice opportunity for us. 25* World Cup Group G Match of the Year with England (9756) with the Goal-Line as a pick ‘em versus Belgium (9755). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:00 AM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Over the Total in the match between Senegal (9753) and Colombia (9754). THE SITUATION: Senegal (1-1-0) enters this third match in Group H play coming off a 2-2 draw with Japan on Sunday. A draw in this match would be enough for Senegal to advance to the Knockout Stage. Colombia (1-0-1) comes off a 3-0 win over Poland on Sunday. This team needs a result while getting some help from Poland to advance to the Knockout Stage. A victory in this match sees Los Cafeteros through to the Round of 16. Colombia can live with a draw in this match only if Japan fails to defeat Poland.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Since both these teams have yet to clinch a spot in the Knockout Stage, both sides will likely feel senses of urgency on the pitch to score. We have already witnessed plenty of matches that are scoreless in the first-half before seeing a second-half that sees a handful of goals scored with desperation kicking in. When teams can no longer rely on parking the bus in their back end to play defense, not only does their aggressiveness create more scoring opportunities but it makes them vulnerable to counter-attacks. Colombia will need to be the aggressors to open this match since they need a positive result. Los Cafeteros are developing a nice trio of players complementing each other in James Rodriguez, Juan Cuadrado, and Juan Fernando Quintero. Rodriguez was the Golden Boot winner in the 2014 World Cup with six goals and two assists and was in-form for Bayern Munich this past season. He assisted on two of Colombia’s three goals. Quintero is known as “James Jr.” since his previous role was often to replace Rodriguez in the starting XI when their striker was unavailable but manager Jose Pekeman has decided to insert his talents into the starting group. Cuadrado is a solid cog in the midfield who plays professionally for Juventus. Pekeman is also getting a key piece back in midfielder Carlos Sanchez who was suspended for that match with Poland. And remember that in their 2-1 loss to Japan to begin their tournament, Los Cafeteros played that match with only ten players on the pitch for 84 minutes of that match after Sanchez was booked with a red card. The offensive prowess of this team probably was more accurately displayed against Poland considering that they were at full strength for all that match. Senegal has also scored four goals in this tournament while displaying some beautiful attacking moments. With Liverpool star Sadio Mane leading the way, the Lions of Teranga have one of the best offensive talents in the world on the pitch. Senegal plays a fast, attacking style when they are most comfortable. Manager Alion Cisse may try to have his team start cautiously considering that a scoreless draw serves them very well. But if and when this team falls behind, they will immediately need to begin pressing forward since they risk disaster if they lose this match. Senegal has scored two or more goals in each of their last six World Cup matches. And they have been a bit porous on the defensive end of things by giving up three goals in this tournament while experiencing a few more nervy moments.

FINAL TAKE: With the stakes high for both these teams, at least three combined goals seems highly likely before everything is said and done. 25* World Cup Group G Total of the Year with Over the Total in the match between Senegal (9753) and Colombia (9754). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:10 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Los Angeles Dodgers (908) versus the Chicago Cubs (907) listing both starting pitchers Alex Wood and Kyle Hendricks. THE SITUATION: Chicago (43-34) snapped their five-game losing streak last night with their 9-4 victory over Los Angeles (42-36).

REASONS TO TAKE THE DODGERS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Los Angeles had won four straight games before that loss.

At 2:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Serbia (9744) plus the +1.0 Goal-Line versus Brazil (9743). THE SITUATION: Brazil (1-1-0) enters this match coming off a 2-0 win over Costa Rica last Friday. They need a draw to clinch a spot in the Knockout State of the World Cup. Serbia (1-0-0) looks to bounce-back from a 2-1 loss to Switzerland on Friday. They can the reach the Knockout Stage with a victory in this match.

REASONS TO TAKE SERBIA PLUS THE +0.5 GOAL-LINE: I expect this to be a very nervy situation for the Brazilian team that entered this tournament with sky-high expectations — and the shocking loss by Germany this morning that eliminated them from this World Cup only fuels this pressure. The Selecao were still in a scoreless draw with Costa Rica entering stoppage time in the second half before Countinho scored to save the Brazilians. Neymar then added a second goal in the waning moments of stoppage time — but he has not been in form in this event. He is clearly feeling the pressure himself as evidenced by him crying in relief on the pitch after that match. That is not a good way to enter this match with their tournament lives on the line. The Selecao is 0-2-4 in their last six matches against a European team in the World Cup. And to compound matters, Brazil is also dealing with injuries with defenders Danilo and Douglas Costa on the shelf. Serbia following up their 1-0 win over the Korean Republic with their 2-1 loss to the Swiss. Aleksander Mitrovic scored first at the 5-minute mark for the Eagles but they allowed two second-half goals to let the match slip away. There is talent on this team led by Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic — the issue for this group has been cohesion and chemistry. Serbia has a history of choking in big situations as well — but they should relish this opportunity as the underdog with low expectations (just like Sweden versus Germany). The Eagles are not fast — but they are big and they can push around some of these Brazilian players.

FINAL TAKE: With Brazil just needing a draw, that looks like a highly likely result. This is a situation where we want the benefit of the +1 Goal-Line with the underdog as a one-goal loss for Serbia looks like the worst case scenario. 25* World Cup Group E Total of the Year with Serbia (9744) plus the +1.0 Goal-Line versus Brazil (9743). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:00 AM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between the Korean Republic (9738) and Germany (9737). THE SITUATION: Both these teams remain technically alive to advance to the Knockout Stage. Germany (1-0-1) comes off a 2-1 win over Sweden last Saturday. They need to match Sweden’s result with Mexico while scoring one more goal than them in the process to ensure they secure the Goals-Scored tie-breaker. South Korea (0-0-2) looks to bounce-back from a 2-1 loss to Mexico on Saturday. The Taegeuk Warriors need Mexico to defeat Sweden while they defeat the Germans with one of these Wednesday victories occurring by at least two goals to put them in a position to eke out the second team advancing from Group F in what will turn out to be an elaborate tie-breaker.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Germany played better on Saturday than in their second match against Mexico where too often El Tri put them on their back foot. Die Mannschaft pulled out the victory over the Swedes despite being down to 10 men at the 82nd-minute mark when defenseman Jerome Boateng was issued a red card. The German defense did not waver — and they continued to pressure until Toni Kroos scored a spectacular goal in the waning moments of the six minutes of stoppage time. Germany will not have the services of Boateng in this match as he serves his suspension but the team will get back their best player on their back line in Matt Hummels who missed Saturday’s match with an injury. Germany will want to score goals in this match to secure the tie-breaker — but a comfortable win will likely be all they need to advance. They have only allowed two goals in this tournament while getting some outstanding player their keeper Manuel Neuer. But the Germans have only scored twice as they appear out of synch on offense from past squads. The Korean Republic’s goal against Mexico is the only time they have scored in this tournament. They lacked offensive imagination in their qualification matches so this their ability to get on the board will likely continue. Their main scoring threat is Son Heung-min who stars as a midfielder for Tottenham in the English Premier League — but the Germans have plenty of talent to key on him without sacrificing positioning elsewhere. The TaeGuek Warriors will be without their captain and best passer on the team in Ki Sung-Yueng who will be out for this match with a calf injury which leaves the offensive threats for this group even more limited.

FINAL TAKE: The Korean Republic will struggle to score goals in this match. Germany should control this match and win with comfort — but their zeal to run up the score will be mitigated by their need to control possession while limiting counter-attack opportunities from the Taeguek Warriors. 25* World Cup Group F Total of the Year with Under the Total in the match between the Korean Republic (9738) and Germany (9737). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Nigeria plus the +1.0/+1.5 Goal-Line versus Argentina. THE SITUATION: Nigeria (1-0-1) finds themselves very much alive to advance to the Knockout Stage of the World Cup after they defeated Iceland by a 2-0 score over Iceland last Friday. Argentina (0-1-1) must win this match — and then get some help from Croatia — to advance to the Round of 16 after they lost to Croatia by a 3-0 score last Thursday.

REASONS TO TAKE NIGERIA PLUS THE +1.0 GOAL-LINE: Argentina is simply a mess as a three-goal loss will attest. La Albiceleste went into halftime with a scoreless match — but their leaky and aging back-line surrendered three goals in the final 45 minutes. All the while, their superstar forwards Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero were mostly anonymous in this contest. Before doing my deep dives on all 32 teams, I was leaning to Argentina as my Best Bet to win the tournament given the urgency Messi has in bolstering his international resume along with his strong supporting cast and the weaknesses I saw in their main competitors to lift the trophy. While La Albiceleste has not lifted a trophy in international competition with Messi, they have been left at the altar with second place finishes in the 2014 World Cup along with the 2015 and 2016 Copa Americas. But upon closer inspection, it became clear to me that this Argentina team had likely missed their window of opportunity. La Albiceleste was rarely in form in their qualification matches for this tournament — and they changed managers by hiring Chile’s former manager Jorge Sampaoli a year ago to inspire the team. But the urgency to win matches however possible to qualify prevented Sampaoli from using his first months with the team to implement his high-pressing attacking style that worked so well for Chile. Argentina’s aging roster also lacks a new generation of potential superstars: while half the roster entered this tournament with ten or fewer caps for the national team, only two of these players were younger than 25-years-old. That has left this side without an energetic young counterpart who can complement Messi with speed — instead, the likes of Aguero or Gonzalo Tiguan or Angel Di Maria offer another aging player not as adept to execute this pressing system. An injury to keeper Sergio Romero has not helped matters. Chelsea backup Willy Caballero was shaky as the starter against Iceland before being a disaster in the match with Croatia — and he will be replaced for this match. However, his replacement, Franco Armani, will be starting his first match for La Albiceleste with tons of pressure on him. To make things even worse, Sampaoli will be implementing his third different formation for this match as he looks to find the secret formula for this team after shifting from a 4-2-3-1 against Iceland to a 3-4-3 against Croatia. It will likely be a 4-3-3 formation against Nigeria with the hopes that this will unlock Messi — but it is a sign of this team’s lack of organization that they are still searching two weeks into this tournament. Rumors abound regarding the chemistry of this team with the players in a near mutiny with Sampaoli over tactics and line-ups. Unfortunately, I am not surprised after completing my due diligence for this team. Nigeria, on the other hand, is loaded with pace and ability with the counterattacking talent to exploit the defensive vulnerabilities of Argentina. The Super Eagles are loaded with players exuding pace and ability. Nigeria is made of English Premier League players like Alex Iwobi of Arsenal, Kelechi Iheanacho of Leicester City and Mikel John Obi of Chelsea who all have something in common: donning their national team’s jersey affords them the opportunity to shine on the pitch after being pushed out of the way for the other stars on their professional teams. These three young players all have talent and are complemented by midfielders Victor Moses and Wilfried Ndidi who played more significant roles with Chelsea and Leicester City in both their recent EPL championship runs. They decisively defeated an Iceland side that not only earned a draw with Argentina this tournament but also secured an impressive win over England and a draw with eventual winner Portugal in the 2016 Euro. This group might very well be more talented than the team that lost to France in the Round of 16 in the 2014 World Cup. They entered this event in form having won six of their last nine matches which include impressive wins over Argentina and Poland. In fact, Nigeria has lost to Argentina in all four of their previous World Cup appearances. All those setbacks were by just one goal despite La Albiceleste usually in much better form — so the Super Eagles will be very comfortable and confident when facing this familiar foe.

FINAL TAKE: It looks like Obi will not be available for this match given a hand injury — but Nigeria remains capable in their midfield. Don’t be surprised if the Super Eagles pull the upset with a draw in this match more than likely. An Iceland loss sees the winner of this match advance to the Round of 16 — and a Nigeria draw or an Argentina victory doing the trick if they either side retains the better net goal differential after the Viking Boys’ result. Unfortunately for Messi, it looks like his decision to retire from international play after that 2015 Copa America was prescient over the dismal state his national team was going to be in. A divorce seems likely now for the golden generation of this team with their new manager. 25* World Cup Group D Match of the Year with Nigeria plus the +1.0/+1.5 Goal-Line versus Argentina. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:00 AM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Peru (9400) as a pick ‘em with the Goal-Line versus Australia (9401). THE SITUATION: Australia (0-1-0) stayed alive to reach the Knockout Stage of the World Cup with their 1-1 draw with Denmark. Peru (0-0-2) was eliminated from the Knockout Stage by losing to France by a narrow 1-0 score.

REASONS TO TAKE PERU AS A PICK ‘EM WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Peru has been hard-luck losers in both their matches despite having nothing to show for it. They controlled possession against a power French side for 56% of their match. They also won the possession battle in their 1-0 loss to Denmark. They have attempted 27 shots but have not found the back of the net. Los Incas have played tight on defense as they have only conceded two goals. Peru is a battle-tested team that finished 5th in a very competitive CONMEBOL (finishing above reigning Copa America champion Chile).  Peru reached the Quarterfinals of the 2016 Copa America (with a win over Brazil) after a strong 3rd place finish in the 2015 Copa America. Manager Ricardo Gareca has this team in excellent form as they had not lost their last twelve matches since a 2-0 loss to Brazil in November of 2016 before Saturday’s setback. The Incas high-press creates scoring opportunities which should eventually break through with all the scoring opportunities they are generating. Peru does have recent experience facing teams from the Oceania Federation that Australia won as they defeated New Zealand by a 2-0 aggregate score in a playoff in the qualification phases of this World Cup. Australia has lost their last twelve matches away from home before earning the one point with their draw with Denmark. The Socceroos have allowed at least one goal in their last twelve World Cup matches so Los Incas have a good chance of registering their first goal in this tournament. Australia has scored a goal via a penalty kick in three straight World Cup matches but the problem for this team is that they have not scored any other goals in these matches without the benefit of that scoring opportunity. The Socceroos need a win in this match while scoring more goals than what Denmark scores against France in what must be a loss to Les Blues — only then will Australia advance to the Round of 16. But this side simply lacks elite talent on their roster. They will also be without their starting striker Andrew Nabbout who is injured with a dislocated shoulder.

FINAL TAKE: Peru has played two quality matches but has been snake-bit when it comes to positive results. But with a strong fan base still in Russia, Los Incas should remain very motivated to win this match for pride in their first World Cup in 36 years. 25* World Cup Group C Match of the Year with Peru (9400) as a pick ‘em with the Goal-Line versus Australia (9401). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:10 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Los Angeles Dodgers (908) minus the -1.5 Run-Line versus the Chicago Cubs (907) listing both starting pitchers Kenta Maeda and Duane Underwood. THE SITUATION: Los Angeles (41-35) has won three games in a row after their 8-7 win in New York against the Mets. Chicago (42-33) has lost four in a row after their 8-6 loss in Cincinnati. The Dodgers opened as money-line favorites in the -135 price range but has been bet up and stabilized in the -160 range. While that is above my -150 threshold regarding endorsing money-line favorites, this situation does meet my standards regarding laying the -1.5 Run-Line — and we are getting great value with Los Angeles as money-line underdog in the +130 range.

REASONS TO TAKE THE DODGERS PLUS THE +1.5 RUN-LINE: The Cubs are struggling right now — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 games after a loss. Chicago has also lost 4 straight games after allowing at least five runs in their last game. The Cubs have also lost 5 straight games on the road. They have decided to call up Underwood from Triple-A to make his major league debut. I usually stay away from investing for or against rookies who lack sufficient sample sizes — but after a deep dive into Underwood’s history, I am comfortable in betting against him. The 23-year-old had a 4.43 ER in 138 innings in Double-A ball last year while continuing his reputation of being wildly inconsistent. In Triple-A this season, Underwood has a 3-7 record with a 4.27 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP which is not encouraging for him making his debut on the road against the reigning NL champions. Furthermore, the Cubs surrendered four earned runs in their loss yesterday — and they have then lost 11 of their last 17 games after a game where their bullpen allowed at least four earned runs. Chicago has also lost their last 5 games in LA against the Dodgers. Los Angeles has won 9 straight games after allowing at least five runs in their last contest. They return home for the first time since June 17th — and they have won 4 of their last 5 home games after being on the road for at least seven days. Additionally, the Dodgers have won 5 of their last 6 games at home — and they have won 16 of their last 22 games against teams with a winning record. They counter with Maeda who is 4-4 with a 3.84 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP in twelve starts. The right-hander has been more effective at home as he sees his ERA drop to a 3.41 mark in seven starts. LA has won 8 of their last 11 home games with Maeda facing a team with a winning record. He should fare well against this Dodgers team that the lost 4 straight games against right-handed starting pitchers. Lastly, because the Dodgers score 4.7 Runs-Per-Game, they are supported by an empirical angle specific to the Run-Line that has been 69% effective over the last five seasons. Maeda is averaging 5.75 strikeouts per game — and in the first-half of the regular season, National League favorites who score at least 4.7 Runs-Per-Game with a starting pitcher who strikes out at least 5.0 haters per game now facing a team with a bullpen ERA of 3.33 or  lower (Cubs: 3.11 bullpen ERA) have then covered the -1.5 Run-Line in 46 of these last 67 situations (when priced in the +110 to +160 price range).

FINAL TAKE: I think this is a very challenging situation for an MLB debut for a starting pitcher with the “inconsistent” label. With the Cubs bullpen struggling (and their closer Brandon Morrow on the disabled list) and this team slumping overall, they should lose to this Dodgers team that is playing much better baseball after a slow start to the season. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break Monday ESPN Run-Line of the Year on the Los Angeles Dodgers (908) minus the -1.5 Run-Line versus the Chicago Cubs (907) listing both starting pitchers Kenta Maeda and Duane Underwood. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Iran (9720) plus the +1.0/+1.5 Goal-Line versus Portugal (9719). THE SITUATION: Iran (1-0-1) looks to bounce-back from a 1-0 loss to Spain last Wednesday. Portugal (1-1-0) comes off a 1-0 win over Morocco. Iran needs a win to advance to the Knockout Stage while a draw will ensure that Portugal will play in the Round of 16.

REASONS TO TAKE IRAN PLUS THE +1.0/+1.5 GOAL-LINE: Iran accounted for themselves very well in their match with Spain. They frustrated La Roja often in that match with their outstanding defensive play. ,b>Team Melli is managed by one of the best in the world in Carlos Queiroz who has previously managed both Real Madrid and the Portugal national team. He has this Iranian team played a very compact and organized scheme on defense that also frustrated Morocco. Team Melli has allowed only one goal in this tournament. Iran had to get more aggressive after surrendering a goal to Diego Costa at the 54th minute mark — but they almost evened the match a number of times. One Spanish player after the match said that Iran was more difficult than their first match against this Portugal side. Team Melli clearly looks to be the best national team in Asia and will play very hard this afternoon. Portugal is not a reliable favorite when being asked to lay a goal (or more). In their Euro 2016 championship run, they only defeated an opponent by more than one goal only once — and that was a 2-0 win over a Wales team in the Semifinals that were missing their second and third best players to injury. The Seleccao followed up their 3-3 draw with Spain with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring his fourth goal in this tournament 4 minutes into that match with Morocco. But Portugal was unconvincing for most of that match in which they lost the possession battle by a 47% to 53% mark while also being outshot by a 16 to 10 margin. Portugal has weaknesses in their back-line which contributes why they play very conservatively.

FINAL TAKE: Portugal will be happy with a draw — so I do not expect them to take many chances. Ronaldo is playing outstanding right now — but I see a victory for The Seleccao by one goal the likely worst case scenario. A draw is most likely with an outside chance that Iran pulls the upset. 25* World Cup Group B Underdog of the Year with ran (9720) plus the +1.0/+1.5 Goal-Line versus Portugal (9719). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:00 AM ET on Monday, we will be playing Uruguay (97891) with the Goal-Line as a pick ‘em versus Russia (97890). THE SITUATION: Uruguay (2-0-0) clinched a spot in the Knockout Stage with their 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia last Wednesday. Russia (2-0-0) also clinched one of the sixteen slots in the Knockout Stage when they defeated Egypt by a 3-1 score last Tuesday. Uruguay needs a victory to earn the top seed coming from Group A while Russia will be happy with a draw given their +7 goal differential after the first two matches.

REASONS TO TAKE URUGUAY AS A PICK ‘EM WITH THE GOAL LINE: Russia has been the surprise of the tournament with them scoring eight goals in their first two matches. But I think that speaks more to the poor quality of their opponents as Saudi Arabia and Egypt are two of the bottom teams in this World Cup. The Bears benefited from an own-goal by Egypt in their match on Tuesday — and that shifted the momentum as Russia then scored two more times in the next fifteen minutes to seize a 3-0 lead. Mo Salah did score on a penalty kick eleven minutes later but it was clear that the Liverpool star lacked fitness for that match after being out for three weeks with the injury he suffered in the Champions League Final. Yet Russia lost the time of possession battle by a 53% to 47% margin while being outshot by 13 to 11 shots. This will now be the trickiest match for the Russians so far in this event. They will also still be without a key piece in their midfield in Alan Dzagoev who is dealing with a hamstring injury. Russia is benefiting from being the host nation of this tournament (along with FIFA perhaps looking the other way when it comes to drug testing). But the Bears are also the team that did not advance out of the Confederation’s Cup last summer after failing to win a match in the 2016 Euro. This is a roster full of players coming from the Russian professional league that is not considered world class. Uruguay is loaded with talent from the upper-tier European leagues. They will be without Atletico Madrid defenseman Jose Maria Gimenez who is dealing with a thigh injury but they are still loaded on their back line with his Atletico Madrid teammate Diego Godin. La Celeste has not allowed a goal yet in this tournament. Up top, Uruguay has two world class forwards in Barcelona’s Luis Suarez and Paris Saint-German’s Edinson Cavani. La Celeste has not been flashy with their goal scoring but they have controlled both of their matches. Uruguay is an accomplished team who reached the Round of 16 in the 2014 World Cup before finishing 2nd in the very competitive CONMEBOL qualification group even with Suarez and Cavan dealing with injuries.

FINAL TAKE: Russia will be playing with plenty of confidence — but the step up in competition should catch up with them. 25* World Cup Monday Morning Special Feature with the Uruguay (97891) with the Goal-Line as a pick ‘em versus Russia (97890). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the Philadelphia Phillies (957) versus the Washington Nationals (958) listing both starting pitchers Nick Pivetta and Jefry Rodriguez. THE SITUATION: Philadelphia (41-33) has won three straight games — as well as six of their last seven — with their 5-3 victory over the Nationals in the second game of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PHILLIES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Philadelphia has won 4 of their last 5 games after a win — and they have won 23 of their last 32 games after winning four or five of their last six games. Additionally, the Phillies have won 4 straight games on the road — and they have won 6 of their last 7 games against teams with a losing record. They give the ball to Pivetta who is 4-6 with a 4.08 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP in fifteen starts. The right-hander has been outstanding at missing bats this season as he has struck out 94 batters in 79 1/3 innings of work. That is one of the reasons why the sabermetrics are bullish on Pivetta: his SIERA and xFIP project an ERA of 3.25 and 3.29 moving forward. Philadelphia has won 8 of their last 10 games with Pivetta facing a team with a winning record. He should fare well against this Nationals team that is scoring only 3.7 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven contests. Washington (40-35) has lost seven of their last nine games — and they have lost 5 straight games after allowing at least five runs in their last game. The Nationals have also lost 5 of their last 7 games at home — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning record. They counter with Rodriguez who is 0-0 with a 4.66 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP in just 9 2/3 innings of work. The 24-year-old made the big jump from AA just two weeks ago where he had a solid but unspectacular 3.31 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP in 68 innings of work. This is a big stage for his third career MLB start — and he is a facing a red-hot Phillies’ lineup that is scoring 6.7 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .287 batting average along with a .383 On-Base Percentage and a .885 OPS. Philly has won 9 of their last 10 games against right-handed starting pitchers — and they have won 4 of their last 5 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 or higher.

FINAL TAKE: Philadelphia is still a bit undervalued right now — and they have a big edge in starter pitchers tonight with the surging Pivetta in a breakout season facing a starting pitcher making just his third start ever above Double-A ball. 25* MLB Sunday Night ESPN Game of the Month with the money-line on the Philadelphia Phillies (957) versus the Washington Nationals (958) listing both starting pitchers Nick Pivetta and Jefry Rodriguez. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:00 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Poland (9711) plus the +0.5 Goal-Line versus Colombia (9710). THE SITUATION: Poland (0-0-1) looks to bounce-back from an upset 2-1 loss to Senegal last Tuesday. Colombia (0-0-1) is also without a point in Group H play after they lost to Japan by a 2-1 score.

REASONS TO TAKE POLAND PLUS THE +0.5 GOAL-LINE: The White and Reds are led by the 29-year-old Robert Lewandowski. The Bayern Munich star has scored in 21 goals in his last sixteen matches for the Polish national team — and he needs to get going in this match. He did not get enough touches in their loss to the Lions of Teranga. Poland did control the ball for 57% of that match while outshooting them by a 10 to 8 margin. Yet they found themselves trailing by a 2-0 score before Grzegorz Krychowiak scored at the 80th minute mark to give his side hope. Lewandowski should be the best player on the pitch — and he is joined by a talented midfielder in Piotr Zieleinski who is using this tournament to audition for a job in the English Premier League. This is a young and talented side that has improved since their Quarterfinals run in the 2016 Euro where they lost in a heartbreaking shootout to the eventual winners in Portugal. The White and Reds scored 25 goals in their ten qualifying matches for this tournament. Colombia was cold in their 2-1 loss to Japan where they had to play with only ten men for most of that match after being issued a red card in the 6th minute of that match. Los Cafeteros also did not start their talisman James Rodriguez who had a knock entering that contest but did come off the bench in that match. He should start this afternoon. But this is a side that has lost five with two draws in their seven all-time matches from a team from Europe in World Cup competition. Los Cafeteros did reach the Quarterfinals of the 2014 World Cup — but that was played in their continent in Brazil. They also had a favorable Group draw with Greece, the Ivory Coast and Japan their competitors before facing a Uruguay side in the Round of 16 without their best player in Luis Suarez who was suspended for that match for his infamous biting incident. This Colombian side usually takes advantage of their opportunities against lesser talent but folds against more quality competition when the stakes are high. In their qualification matches, Los Cafeterias lost to Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and Argentina twice but took care of business as bottom feeders for the remaining squads from CONMEBOL.

FINAL TAKE: Colombia may be a bit overrated relative to their results since their surprising 2014 World Cup run where they enjoyed a geographical edge. Poland is in the midst of their own golden generation — they have a good chance to win this match with a draw a likely possibility as well. A draw keeps both teams alive entering their third match next week. 25* World Cup Group H Match of the Year with Poland (9711) plus the +0.5 Goal-Line versus Colombia (9710). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:15 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Houston Astros (924) minus the -1.5 Run-Line versus the Kansas City Royals (923) listing both starting pitchers Lance McCullers and Ian Kennedy. THE SITUATION: Houston (50-27) has lost two of their last three games with their 1-0 loss to the Royals last night.

REASONS TO TAKE THE ASTROS MINUS THE -1.5 RUN-LINE: Houston has still won thirteen of their last sixteen games. They managed only two hits last night against Danny Duffy — but they have then won 25 of their last 33 games after failing to generate more than four hits in their last game. The Astros have also won 6 straight games after failing to score more than two runs in their last contest. They give the ball to McCullers who is 8-3 with a 3.77 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP in fifteen starts this season. The right-hander has been more effective at home where he owns a 2.37 ERA with a 1.00 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .194 in six starts. Houston has won 11 of their last 16 home games with McCullers facing a team with a losing record. He should fare well against this Royals team that is scoring only 2.3 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games while hitting .203 with a .264 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .559 over that span. Kansas City (23-52) snapped a nine-game losing streak with their victory last night — but they have lost 23 of their last 32 games after a win. The Royals have also lost 6 of their last 7 games after scoring two runs or less in their last game. Furthermore, Kansas City has lost 6 of their last 8 games on the road. They counter with Kennedy who is 1-7 with a 5.31 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP in fifteen starts. The right-hander has particularly struggled on the road where he has been saddled with a 6.16 ERA with a 1.73 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .311 in six starts. The Royals have lost 5 straight road games with Kennedy on the hill — and they have also lost 10 of their last 11 night games with Kennedy on the mound. He faces a still hot-hitting Astros lineup that is hitting .281 over their last seven games with a .354 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .804 over that span. Furthermore, Houston has won 25 of their last 33 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 or higher. Additionally, because Houston has not committed more than one error in their last 39 games, they are supported by an empirical angle specific to the Run-Line that has been 72% effective over the last five seasons. McCullers has a WHIP of 1.09 over his last ten starts — and home favorites who have not committed more than one error in at least ten straight games using a starting pitcher with a WHIP of 1.10 or lower over his last ten starts have then covered the -1.5 Run-Line in 47 of the last 65 situations (when priced in the +100 to -190) when these conditions applied.

FINAL TAKE: 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break Fox-TV Run-Line of the Year with the Houston Astros (924) minus the -1.5 Run-Line versus the Kansas City Royals (923) listing both starting pitchers Lance McCullers and Ian Kennedy. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Germany (9702) minus the Goal-Line versus Sweden (9701). THE SITUATION: Germany (0-0-1) were upset in their opening match last Sunday in their 1-0 loss to Mexico. Sweden (1-0-0) sees themselves tied in first place with El Tri in Group F with their 1-0 win over the Korea Republic.

REASONS TO TAKE GERMANY MINUS THE GOAL-LINE: Germany finds themselves in a must-win situation in this match with both the Swedes and the Mexicans both with 3 points already.

At 7:10 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the New York Yankees (965) and the Tampa Bay Rays (966) listing both starting pitchers C.C. Sabathia and Ryne Stanek. THE SITUATION: New York (50-22) has won seven of their last eight games with their 4-2 win over Seattle yesterday. Tampa Bay (34-40) has lost five of their last seven contests with their 5-1 loss at Houston on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Yankees have seen the Under go 13-3-1 in their last 17 games after a win. Additionally, New York has played 10 of their last 11 games Under the Total against teams with a losing record — and they have played 7 straight games Under the Total on the road. They give the ball to Sabathia who is 4-2 with a 3.30 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP in thirteen starts. The left-hander has been more effective on the road where he owns a 1.20 WHIP and .209 opponent’s batting average in five starts as compared to his 1.22 WHIP and .260 opponent’s batting average at home. The Yankees have played 7 of their last 8 road games Under the Total with Sabathia facing a team with a winning record — and they have also played their last 4 games Under the Total with Sabathia starting in Tampa Bay. The veteran will be supported by a bullpen that is second in the AL with an ERA of 2.86. He faces a cold Rays lineup that is scoring only 2.0 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven contests with a .191 batting average along with a .267 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .558 over that span. The Under is also 7-1-1 in Tampa Bay’s last 9 home games against left-handed starting pitchers. The Rays return home for the first time since June 13th. The Under is 6-2-1 in their last 9 home games after being on the road for at least seven days — and the Under is 3-1-1 in their last 5 games after an off day. Additionally, The Under is 19-7-1 in Tampa Bay’s last 28 games after a loss — and the Under is 15-5-1 in their last 21 games after scoring two runs or less in their last contest. They counter with Stanek will pitch the first inning tonight with it being a “bullpen game” for the Rays. The right-hander has not allowed an earned run this month in 10 2/3 innings consisting of eight appearances. He should be followed by Ryan Yarbrough who is pitching his regular fifth turn in the make-shift rotation out of the pen where he usually pitches 4 to 5 innings. Yarbrough is 5-3 with a 4.21 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP this season — and he has a 4.19 ERA with 1.08 WHIP along with an opponent’s batting average of .229 when at home.

FINAL TAKE: The combination of Stanek and Yarbrough is solid for the Rays while Sabathia continues to cruise in the twilight of his career where he is thriving as a crafty lefty. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break American League East Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the New York Yankees (965) and the Tampa Bay Rays (966) listing both starting pitchers C.C. Sabathia and Ryne Stanek. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between Serbia (9475) and Switzerland (9476). THE SITUATION: Serbia (1-0-0) finds themselves in the driver’s seat in Group E after their opening 1-0 win over Costa Rica last Saturday. Switzerland (0-1-0) are in decent shape with their 1-1 draw with Brazil last Saturday as well but need some kind of result in this match.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Swiss National Team frustrated the power Brazilian side with a defensive web that featured pressing in the midfield. Switzerland is very organized with a strong midfield led by Sheridan Shaqiri and and Granit Xhaka who start for Stoke City and Arsenal. These high pressing tactics should also frustrate this Serbian team. Switzerland are well-respected and capable — but they are a side that looks to grind out low-scoring matches. In their Round of 16 run in the 2016 Euro, they allowed only two goals in four matches. However, they only scored three goals in those contests. Their lack of a quality center forward makes their manager Vladimir Petkovic reliant on defensive tactics for good results. Serbia displayed encouraging team cohesion in their victory over Costa Rica. Their lone goal by their center forward Aleksander Mitrovic came off a free kick set piece. But this is a side where scoring will likely be at a premium as well despite their scoring of 20 goals in an albeit weak qualification group that includes Wales, Georgia, Austria and Moldova. The Eagles have experienced talent in their back-line that will be relied on this match. Serbia will be quite content with a draw since it keeps them in position to advance to the Knockout Stage.

FINAL TAKE: There have been plenty of 1-0 results so far in this World Cup — and that looks like a distinct possibility in this match between two strong defensive teams that lack scoring prowess. 25* World Cup Friday Afternoon O/U Special Feature with Under the Total in the match between Serbia (9475) and Switzerland (9476). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Over the Total in the match between Argentina (9464) and Croatia (9463). THE SITUATION: Argentina (0-1-0) settled for a 1-1 draw with Iceland last Saturday in their opening match in the World Cup. Croatia (1-0-0) is alone in first place in Group D with their 2-0 victory over Nigeria.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Argentina was frustrated by the defensive tactics of Iceland who were content to park the bus in their back end. La Abliceleste scored only once despite their attempting a whopping 26 shots. However, Argentina would have remained in fine shape going into this match if Lionel Messi takes advantage of the penalty kick he took in that contest. Now La Abliceleste faces an urgent situation where a loss would put their chances to advance to the Group Stage very much in doubt. Sergio Aguero scored the only goal for Argentina which should ensure he remains in manager Jorge Sampaoli’s starting lineup with changes likely coming. Having the Manchester City star forward on the pitch to complement Messi should help the Argentine offense gel. However, La Abliceleste’s ability to slow down their opponents remains a big concern for this team whose high press makes them vulnerable in their back end that consists of players that are perhaps too old, too slowing and still unfamiliar with the system they are playing for their national team. Croatia will be relaxed after their decisive victory over the Super Eagles — and that makes them dangerous as technical underdogs. The Vatreni are very gifted with attacking players that are aggressive within their possession tactics. And while Croatia only allowed four goals in their last ten World Cup qualification matches, they are less than stout in their back end while being prone to errors. Like Argentina, the Vatreni typically face opponents primarily focused on defense with occasional counter-attacks given the oozing talent they have on the pitch.

FINAL TAKE: Both teams should score in this contest which makes a push the likely worst-case scenario. The urgency that Argentina will have in this match should ensure at least one of these two sides scores at least two goals. This will be an open, free-flowing match with neither side playing cautiously — and that is a formula for a high-scoring contest. 25* World Cup Group D Total of the Year with Over the Total in the match between Argentina (9464) and Croatia (9463). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the match between Iran (9457) and Spain (9458). THE SITUATION: Spain (0-1-0) earned a point last Friday with a 3-3 draw with Portugal. Iran (1-0-0) finds themselves alone in first place in Group B play with their 1-0 victory over Morocco on Friday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Spain rallied from a 1-0 deficit against Portugal to take a 3-2 lead before having their hearts broken by Cristiano Ronaldo who scored a game-tying goal off a free kick in the 88th minute. The good news for La Roja is that their offense was clicking by scoring three goals on the defensive-minded reigning European champions who allowed only five goals in those seven matches in 2016. Diego Costa produced a brace with his two goals which provided ample evidence that his aggressive style could harmonize with the possession tactics of the Spanish national team. La Roja scored 36 goals in their ten qualification matches for this tournament — so this is a side that can generate another three goals themselves in this match. A draw would produce a nervy third match for the 2010 World Cup champions against Morocco — instead, this is a team that not only needs the 3 points from a victory but also some extra goals to boost their goal differential margin in case that becomes necessary as a tie-breaker to be one of the two teams that advance out of Group B. But the Spanish defense looked shaky at times on Friday — and their world-class keeper David de Gea did not perform well with the second goal he allowed to Ronaldo being a roller that he should have scooped up. La Roja’s tiki-taka style makes them vulnerable to counter-attacks — and this is the main source of offense coming from Team Melli. Iran did not score on Morocco in their match with the winning goal coming from an own-goal late in stoppage time. But they did pressure the Moroccan keeper with five shots on target in that match. In their qualification matches for this tournament where they went 12-6-0, the Iranians demonstrated that they can score goals with the core of their forwards and midfielders playing professionally in Europe. Their potential breakout star (their “Iranian Messi”) is 23-year-old Sardar Azmoun who plays his professional soccer in Russia. He has 23 goals in 33 national team contests.

FINAL TAKE: Spain is a powerhouse offensive juggernaut that will likely score at least two to three goals in this contest. But they have proven loose on the pitch in their back end — and Iran has the talent to stay competitive. This should be a high-scoring match. 25* World Cup Group B Total of the Year with Over the Total in the match between Iran (9457) and Spain (9458). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:05 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Arizona Diamondbacks (927) plus the +1.5 Run-Line versus the Los Angeles Angels (928) listing both starting pitchers Matt Kock and Felix Pena. THE SITUATION: Arizona (40-32) has won eight of their last eleven games with their 7-4 win over the Angels last night. Los Angeles (38-35) has lost three straight games as well as seven o father last eight contests.

REASONS TO TAKE THE DIAMONDBACKS PLUS THE +1.5 RUN-LINE: Arizona has won 5 of their last 7 games are a victory — and they have won 5 of their last 7 games after scoring at least five runs in their last game. Additionally, the Diamondbacks have won 4 straight games on the road. Furthermore, Arizona has been dangerous underdogs who have won 15 of their last 21 games when priced in the +100 to +150 price range — and they have won 7 of their last 11 road games as a dog priced in the +125 to +175 range. They give the ball to Koch who is 5-3 with a 4.09 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP in eleven starts. The right-hander has been more effective on the road where he owns a 3.93 ERA and .250 opponent’s batting average in three starts as compared to his 4.15 ERA and .253 opponent’s batting average at home. The Diamondbacks have won their last 4 games with Koch on the hill. Los Angeles has lost 5 of their last 6 games after a loss — and they have lost 5 of their last 6 games after allowing at least five runs in their last game. Additionally, the Angels have played six straight Overs — and they have then lost 13 of their last 18 games after playing at least four straight games Over the Total. LA has also lost a decisive 14 of their last 17 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. They counter with Pena making his first major league start of his career after pitching 2 2/3 innings in relief where he allowed three runs and five hits. The 28-year-old right-hander has been mediocre in Triple-A this season where he has a 1-2 record with a 3.51 ERA. He faces a hot-hitting Arizona lineup led by a Woke Paul Goldschmidt who is 27 of 69 (.426) over his last seventeen games while crushing seven homers with 18 RBIs over that span. The Diamondbacks are scoring 5.9 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .263 batting average along with a .336 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .775 over that span. Arizona has won 6 of their last 8 games against right-handed starting pitchers.

FINAL TAKE: The slumping Angels with an unproven rookie pitcher making his first Major League start in his career represent very shaky favorites. The Diamondbacks have been good as an underdog — and with them priced no higher than -150 with the advantageous +1.5 Run-Line, let’s attack. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break Tuesday ESPN Run-Line of the Year with the  Arizona Diamondbacks (927) plus the +1.5 Run-Line versus the Los Angeles Angels (928) listing both starting pitchers Matt Kock and Felix Pena. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Egypt (9448) plus the +0.5 Goal-Line versus Russia (9449). THE SITUATION: Russia (1-0-0) enjoyed the most impressive victory in the opening round of the World Cup with their 5-0 win over Saudi Arabia. Egypt (0-0-1) lost a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Uruguay after surrendering a late goal in the 89th minute.

REASONS TO TAKE EGYPT PLUS THE +0.5 GOAL-LINE: The dominant effort by Russia probably was a stronger statement regarding the lack of quality with the Saudi Arabia side than it does about the Russians. Remember, the Bears won only one of their last eight friendlies entering this World Cup. The Russian national team had some encouraging performances last summer when they were the host country in the Confederations’ Cup in a 1-0 loss to Portugal and a 2-1 loss to Mexico in the Group Stage. But the fact remains that the Bears did not advance into the Knockout Stage in either the 2016 Euro or in last summer’s tournament. They scored only five goals in those six matches — so seeing the Bears equal that number in just one match is quite surprising. This win over Saudi Arabia was their first victory since October of 2017. I expect a big letdown from this team — and the first-half injury to starting midfielder Alan Dzagoev makes things more challenging for this Russian team that has a roster consisting of players almost entirely from the far-from-elite Russian professional league. Egypt played a surprisingly good match on Friday in their 1-0 loss to Uruguay. The Pharaohs’ defense starved the two superstar Uruguayan forwards in Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani of scoring opportunities. Manager Hector Cuper had his team very well organized despite the absence of their talisman Mohamed Salah who was did not take the pitch with his injured shoulder that he suffered from the Champions League Final last month. This is a must-win match for Egypt for their chances to advance to the Knockout Stage — but this should be a confident team after their near-miss with Uruguay and with Salah likely to play in this match. While I was surprised that Cuper did not use Salah as a substitute last week, the original projection when he was injured in his Liverpool match versus Real Madrid was that he would be out for three weeks — making him due to return for this match with Russia. Salah is one of the best players in the world after his transcendent debut in the English Premier League. It is difficult to imagine what Russian player will have the skills to keep up with him on the pitch.

FINAL TAKE: I suspect that Russia will never be more overvalued than they are after their opening victory over a Saudi team that might be the worst side in this tournament. I think Egypt has a great chance to win this match outright with Salah healthy again — but take the +0.5 goals for some very valuable insurance in case this match ends in a draw. 25* World Cup Group A Match of the Year is with Egypt (9448) plus the +0.5 Goal-Line versus Russia (9449). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Chicago Cubs (907) and the St. Louis Cardinals (908) listing both starting pitchers Jose Quintana and Jack Flaherty. THE SITUATION: Chicago (40-27) snapped their three-game losing streak last night with their 6-3 victory over the Cardinals.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Cubs have played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total after a victory — and they have now seen the Under go 39-19-2 in their last 61 road games against teams with a winning record at home. Chicago has also played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total in the third game of a series. They give the ball to Quintana who is 6-4 with a 4.09 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP in thirteen starts. The left-hander has been very tough on the road where he owns a 2.68 ERA with a 1.21 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .210 in seven starts. The Cubs have played 15 of their last 19 road games Under the Total with Quintana pitching as a favorite priced in the -100 to -150 range — and they have also played 12 of their last 14 road games with Quintana pitching with the Total set in the 7 to 8.5 range. Chicago has also played 10 straight road games Under the Total with Quintana pitching with five or six days of rest. Quintana has found a groove over his last three starts as he owns a 2.04 ERA with a 0.90 WHIP. He should pitch well against this Cardinals team that is scoring only 3.7 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven contests. The Under is also 16-5-1 in St. Louis’ last 22 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 or higher. The Cardinals (36-32) has seen the Under go 13-6-3 in their last 22 games after a loss — and the Under is 5-1-1 in their last 7 games after allowing at least five runs in their last game. St. Louis has also played 11 of their last 16 games Under the Total at home — and they have also played 17 of their last 25 home games with the Total set in the 7 to 8.5 range. They counter with Flaherty who is 3-2 with a 2.96 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP in eight starts. The rookie phenom has been better at home where he owns a 0.96 WHIP and .217 opponent’s batting average in four starts as compared to his 1.25 WHIP and .244 opponent’s batting average when on the road. The Under is 4-1-1 in the Cardinals’ last 6 games with Flaherty facing a team with a winning record. He faces a slumping Cubs’ offense that is scoring only 4.1 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .221 batting average along with a .309 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .645. Lastly, Chicago has played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total against right-handed starting pitchers.

FINAL TAKE: This shapes up to be a pitcher’s duel tonight with these two starters facing two teams swinging cold bats. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break Sunday Night ESPN Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Chicago Cubs (907) and the St. Louis Cardinals (908) listing both starting pitchers Jose Quintana and Jack Flaherty. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the match between Denmark (9421) and Peru (9422). Denmark and Peru face off in a match that will likely play a decisive role in who advances (along with France) out of Group C play. These two teams rank 12th and 11th in the world according to FIFA — and the ELO ratings have Peru 10th and Denmark 16th in the world. FiveThirtyEight’s Soccer Power Index that is used by ESPN ranks Denmark as the 14th best team in this tournament while dropping Peru to the 19th best side at the World Cup.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: While those various ranking systems diverge regarding who is likely the better side, all three suggest this will be a closely decided match between very competitive teams. The urgency of this situation should compel both sides to push the agenda. A victory for either side with those subsequent 3 points would put that team in a great position to advance to the Knockout Stage. On the other hand, a loss would be disastrous. Both sides can live with a draw — but that would only delay the likely resolution these two teams seem destined to have to determine who joins the French in the Round of 16. Denmark is led by a dynamic scorer in Christian Eriksen who stars for Tottenham in the English Premier League. The creative midfielder scored 11 goals in World Cup qualifying matches which was third most for any player — and his 41 scoring chances was the most of any player. He is supporting a group of complementary players with size and efficiency that mostly represent rosters in the professional leagues in Europe. Manager Age Hareire has his team play cautiously — but this group does not park the bus in back. The Danish Dynamite will aggressively attack their opponents as evidenced by their 5-1 victory over the Republic of Ireland which clinched their qualification for this World Cup. But the Denmark defense is vulnerable in their back end with significant questions regarding their fullback pair. Peru is dangerous given their attacking flair led by their 34-year-old talisman Paolo Guerrero who has been cleared to play by FIFA after seeing his suspension for a positive drug test overturned. Guerrero has 34 goals in 87 caps for the Incas. This is a battle-tested team that finished 5th in a very competitive CONMEBOL (finishing above reigning Copa America champion Chile).  Peru reached the Quarterfinals of the 2016 Copa America (with a win over Brazil) after a strong 3rd place finish in the 2015 Copa America. Manager Ricardo Gareca has this team in excellent form as they have not lost their last twelve matches since a 2-0 loss to Brazil in November of 2016. The Incas high-press creates scoring opportunities — but they are vulnerable in their back end particularly on the wing. Peru can also be beat via set pieces as they allowed ten goals off set pieces in their World Cup qualifying matches — so don’t be surprised if Eriksen scores or assists from that situation this afternoon.

FINAL TAKE: I expect both teams to score in this match with so much at stake. Neither of these teams expect to win through clean sheets. I think the worst case scenario is a push with the Total set at 2 in most spots — with a very good chance that at least three combined goals are scored. 25* World Cup Saturday Afternoon O/U Special Feature with Over the Total in the match between Denmark (9421) and Peru (9422). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:07 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the Washington Nationals (927) versus the Toronto Blue Jays (928) listing both starting pitchers Gio Gonzalez and Aaron Sanchez. THE SITUATION: Washington (37-28) enters this game coming off a 5-4 win in New York over the Yankees on Wednesday. Toronto (30-38) has lost three straight games with their 1-0 loss in Tampa Bay on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE NATIONAL WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Washington has won a decisive 23 of their last 30 road games after a win by just one run — and they have won 7 of their last 10 games after scoring at least five runs. The Nationals have also won 10 of their last 11 games against teams with a losing record — and they have won 15 of their last 20 games on the road. Additionally, Washington has won 7 of their last 8 games in Interleague play. They give the ball to Gonzalez who is 6-2 with a 2.65 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP in thirteen starts. The left-hander has been more effective on the road where he owns a 2.43 ERA with a 1.19 WHIP in six starts. The Nationals have won 13 of their last 19 road games with Gonzalez on the hill. He faces a Blue Jays team that has lost 17 of their last 21 games against left-handed starting pitchers. Toronto has lost 7 of their last 9 games after a loss — and they have also lost 4 of their last 5 games after an off day. Additionally, the Blue Jays have lost 5 straight games against teams with a winning record. They counter with Sanchez who is 3-5 with a 4.33 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP in thirteen starts. The right-hander has a 1-3 mark with a 4.63 ERA over his last seven starts. Furthermore, the sabermetrics suggest things could be even worse for Sanchez with his SIERA and xFIP projecting an ERA of 5.10 and 5.04 moving forward. In his seven home starts, Sanchez has a 1.55 WHIP — and the Blue Jays have lost 6 of their last 8 home games with Sanchez on the hill. Toronto has also lost 9 of their last 10 games with Sanchez facing a team with a winning record. He faces a Washington team that has won 21 of the last 27 games against right-handed starting pitchers — and the Nats have won 9 of their last 11 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 or higher.

FINAL TAKE: Washington has been a better team on the road this year with their 22-12 mark. With a significant edge in starting pitchers tonight, we are getting great value with the Nationals with them priced below our -150 money-line threshold. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break Interleague Game of the Year with the money-line on the Washington Nationals (927) versus the Toronto Blue Jays (928) listing both starting pitchers Gio Gonzalez and Aaron Sanchez. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Spain (97803) minus the -0.5 Goal-Line versus Portugal (97804). THE SITUATION: Spain and Portugal face off in a heavyweight matchup in the first full day of World Cup matches. These are two teams ranked in the top-ten world rankings according to FIFA, ELO and FiveThirtyEight’s rating systems with the winner taking the driver’s seat to win Group B and a more favorable draw in the first match in the Knockout Stage Round of 16.

REASONS TO TAKE SPAIN MINUS THE -0.5 GOAL-LINE: Some bettors were shying away from laying -0.5 goals with a Spanish team that did not advance out of Group Stage play in the 2012 World Cup even before the news that manager Julen Lopetegui was fired on Wednesday by the Spanish Football Federation after agreeing to become the next manager for Real Madrid after neither Lopetegui nor Real Madrid extending the courtesy to negotiate given that he was currently employed as the Spanish National Team manager in an appointment that could have extended until at least the 2020 Euro. This shocking news persuades me that a play on Spain is even more fruitful now that it was entering the World Cup. The game plan for Portugal has already been installed with the remaining issue being execution for a La Roja side that FiveThirtyEight’s Soccer Power Index ranks as the second best national team in the world. Spain did play better in the 2016 Euro where they lost in the Round of 16 to Italy. The Spanish National team has not lost a match since going 14-0-6 under Lopetegui’s stewardship. He made the decision to maintain Spain’s famed tiki-taka approach that emphasizes a plethora of short passes to maintain ball possession. This system was celebrated when La Roja won the 2008 Euro followed by the 2010 World Cup and then the 2012 Euro again. But opposing managers adapted and this scheme received plenty of criticism during the 2014 World Cup while Spain struggled to score in that disastrous summer for them in Brazil. The vulnerabilities from the pressing that short-passing attack exposed on the defensive end compelled Lopetegui to adapt to that countermeasure by having his players quickly counter press after getting turned-over. Interim manager Fernando Hierro will certainly have this team maintain those tactics. This national team will be player-driven now more than ever. With veterans like midfielders Andres Iniesta and David Silva along with defenseman Sergio Ramo who were cogs in that Spanish machine back in 2008 joined by a new generation of superstars led by Isco (who stars for Real Madrid), Bayern Munich’s Thiago Alcantara and Diego Costa who helped Chelsea win the 2017 English Premier League championship, this roster has perhaps the most talent of any team in this year’s World Cup. La Roja also has perhaps the world’s best keeper right now in David de Gee after a spectacular season for Manchester United. This group cruised through their ten World Cup qualification matches with an unbeaten 9-1-0 mark with a 36 to 3 goal differential.

Portugal is the reigning 2016 Euro champions led by perhaps the best player in the world in Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid. But the Seleccao are reliant on a number of complementary players coming off subpar seasons with their professional teams headlined by midfielders Andre Silva and Joao Mario are coming off disappointing professional seasons. Their defense is led by a 34-year-old Pepe but things get murky after that for a group that looks worse than their backline two summers ago and that suffered too many lapses in last summer’s Confederation’s Cup where Portugal lost to Chile in the Semifinals. They managed to win the Euro championship the previous year despite limping into the Knockout Stage with three draws and waiting until the Semifinals win their first match in regulation time against an injured Wales side. Portugal failed to advance out of the Group Stage in the 2014 World Cup — so there is a case to be made that this is an overrated group bolstered off one legitimate superstar and one extremely fortunate tournament win in 2016. I happen to find that case persuasive. 

FINAL TAKE: Spain is the vastly more talented side in this encounter despite Ronaldo’s presence on the pitch. These La Roja players should respond to the short-term crisis of seeing their manager terminated with an inspired performance with the onus regarding their eventual success this summer clearly lying with their internal leadership. 25* World Cup Group B Match of the Year with Spain (97803) minus the -0.5 Goal-Line versus Portugal (97804). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the New York Yankees (966) minus the -1.5 Run-Line versus the Tampa Bay Rays (965) listing both starting pitchers Domingo German and Blake Snell. THE SITUATION: New York (43-20) has lost two of their last three games with their 5-4 loss to Washington yesterday. Tampa Bay (32-35) has won three straight games with their 1-0 win over the Blue Jays as a small home underdog yesterday. The Rays travel to the Bronx to begin this four-game series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE YANKEES MINUS THE -1.5 RUN-LINE: New York has bounced-back to win 37 of their last 52 games after a loss. The Yankees have been outstanding at home where they have 42 of their last 54 games — and they have also won 4 of their last 5 home games against teams with a losing record. The Yanks are outscoring their visitors by +1.4 Runs-Per-Game when playing in Yankee Stadium. They give the ball to their rookie Domingo German who is 0-4 with a 5.32 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in six starts. The hard-throwing right-hander has 53 strikeouts in 47 1/3 innings of work which is one of the reasons why the sabermetrics are calling for significant improvements in the runs he allows moving forward. Both his SIERA and xFIP project an ERA of 3.71 and 3.96 moving forward. He should pitch well against this Rays team that has lost 6 of their last 8 games against right-handed starting pitchers. Tampa Bay has lost 21 of their last 24 games after upsetting a AL East rival as a home underdog. The Rays have also lost 4 straight games after failing to score more than two runs in their last game. And while they have only allowed one run in their last two games, they have lost 11 of their last 14 games after not allowing more than two runs in two straight games. Additionally, Tampa Bay has lost 6 straight games on the road — and they have lost 8 of their last 9 games against teams with a winning record. They counter with Snell who is 8-3 with a 2.30 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP in fourteen starts. Snell’s SIERA and xFIP project an ERA of 3.48 and 3.47 moving forward. The left-hander has not been as effective on the road where he owns a 3.40 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in eight starts as compared to his 0.96 ERA and 0.94 WHIP when at home. Snell also struggles in New York against the Yankees where he has a 6.55 ERA — and the Rays have lost 6 straight games in Yankee Stadium with Snell making the start. Furthermore, Tampa Bay has lost 17 of their last 25 games with Snell pitching with four days of rest. He faces a New York team has that won 13 of their last 16 home games against left-handed starting pitchers — and they have won 11 of their last 15 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.15 or lower. Lastly, because the Yankees are scoring 5.4 Runs-Pe-Game, they are supported by an empirical angle that is specific to the Run-Line that has been 70% effective over the last five seasons. American League teams that score at least 5.1 Runs-Per-Game with a starting pitcher with an WHIP of 1.30 or lower now facing an American League starting pitchers with an ERA of 3.50 or less have then covered the -1.5 Run-Line (priced in the +115 to +160 price range) in 33 of these last 47 situations where these conditions applied over the last five seasons.

FINAL TAKE: With the Yankees priced in the -160 range which is above my -150 threshold, the better risk/rewards investment is with the Run-Line. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break Thursday FS1 Run-Line of the Year with the New York Yankees (966) minus the -1.5 Run-Line versus the Tampa Bay Rays (965) listing both starting pitchers Domingo German and Blake Snell. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:10 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Detroit Tigers (920) plus the +1.5 Run-Line versus the Minnesota Twins (919) listing both starting pitchers Matthew Boyd and Jose Berrios. THE SITUATION: Minnesota (29-34) won the opening game of this series yesterday by a 6-4 score.

REASONS TO TAKE DETROIT PLUS THE +1.5 RUN-LINE: The Twins have lost 6 of their last 8 games on the road — and they have lost 15 of their last 21 road games against teams with a winning record at home. They give the ball to Berrios who is 7-5 with a 3.66 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP in thirteen starts. But the right-hander has not been nearly as effective on the road where he has a 4.55 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average in five starts as compared to his 3.12 ERA with a 0.77 WHIP and .179 opponent’s batting average in eight home starts. Minnesota has lost 13 of their last 16 road games with Berrios on the hill. Detroit (31-37) has lost five of their last seven games — but they have won 10 of their last 14 games after losing five or six of their last seven contests. The Tigers have also won 11 of their last 17 home games as an underdog priced at least at +125. They counter with Boyd who is 4-4 with a 3.20 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in twelve starts. The left-hander has been particularly tough at home where he owns a 2.48 ERA with a 0.99 WHIP and .186 opponent’s batting average in six starts. Detroit has won 5 straight home games with Boyd on the bump — and they have also won 5 straight home games with Boyd pitching as an underdog. He should fare well against this Twins team that has lost 5 of their last 6 games against left-handed starting pitchers. Lastly, the Twins fall into an empirical “play-against” angle specific to the Run-Line that has been 70% effective over the last five seasons. Berrios has only issued one walk in each of his last two starts — and road favorites with a team batting not higher than .240 over their last twenty games (Minnesota: .236 batting average (676-160) in their last 20 games) using a starting pitcher who has not issued more than one walk in at least two straight starts have then failed to cover the -1.5 Run-Line in 64 of the last 91 games when then priced in the +130 to -255 price range.

FINAL TAKE: Detroit is an intriguing money-line underdog in this situation given their success as home underdogs. But given the low price in taking the +1.5 Run-Line, the advantage that offers us make that the more prudent investment option. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break American League Central Run-Line Underdog of the Year with the Detroit Tigers (920) plus the +1.5 Run-Line versus the Minnesota Twins (919) listing both starting pitchers Matthew Boyd and Jose Berrios. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:40 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Arizona Diamondbacks (906) versus the Pittsburgh Pirates (905) listing both starting pitchers Zack Greinke and Jameson Taillon. THE SITUATION: Arizona (37-29) has won five straight games after their 13-8 victory over the Pirates in the second game of this series. Pittsburgh (32-35) has lost two straight as well as five of their last six games.

REASONS TO TAKE THE DIAMONDBACKS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Surging Arizona has won 11 of their last 15 games after scoring at least eight runs in their last game — and they have won 7 straight games after allowing at least five runs in their last contest. The Diamondbacks have also won 5 straight games at home — and they have won 5 of their last 7 games against teams with a winning record. They give the ball to Greinke who is 5-4 with a 3.53 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP in thirteen starts. The right-hander has been more effective at home where he has a 1.64 ERA with a 0.86 WHIP and .198 opponent’s batting average in seven starts. In fact, in his last eighteen starts at home going back to last season, Greinke is 13-1 with a 2.87 ERA. Greinke has only lost once in his last twenty-five starts at home. Arizona has won 21 of their last 27 home games with Greinke on the mound — and this includes them winning seventeen of their last nineteen home games with Greinke facing a team with a losing record. He should fare well against this Pirates team that has lost 5 of their last 7 road games against right-handed starting pitchers. Pittsburgh has lost 5 of their last 7 games after a loss — and they have lost 4 straight games after scoring at least five runs in their last game. The Pirates have also lost 17 of their last 23 games after dropping two of their last three games — and they have lost 6 of their last 7 road games against teams with a winning record. They counter with Taillon who is 3-5 with a 4.08 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP in thirteen starts. The right-hander has not been as effective on the road where he has a 4.13 ERA with a 1.32 WHIP in six starts. Pittsburgh has lost 4 of their last 5 road games with Taillon on the mound. He faces a red-hot Arizona lineup that is scoring 8.3 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .295 batting average along with a .361 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .852 over that span.

FINAL TAKE: I expected the money-line price on the Diamondbacks to rise this morning — but it is stabilizing in the -150 range in enough locations for this opportunity to still fit within my parameters. Let’s attack. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break National League Getaway Game of the Year with the money-line on the Arizona Diamondbacks (906) versus the Pittsburgh Pirates (905) listing both starting pitchers Zack Greinke and Jameson Taillon. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:35 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the New York Mets (955) and the Atlanta Braves (956) listing both starting pitchers Zack Wheeler and Mike Foltynewicz. THE SITUATION: New York (28-34) snapped their eight-game losing streak on Sunday with their 2-0 win over the Yankees. Atlanta (37-28) has lost three of their last four games with their 7-2 loss in Los Angeles to the Dodgers on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: New York has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after a win — and they have played 12 of their last 14 games Under the Total after allowing two runs or less. The Mets have also played 4 straight games Under the Total against teams with a winning record. They give the ball to Wheeler who is 2-4 with a 4.57 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP in eleven starts. The right-hander has been more effective on the road where he has a 3.86 ERA with a 1.21 WHIP and .224 opponent’s batting average in five starts. Three of Wheeler’s last four starts were registered as Quality Starts. The Under is also 3-1-1 in the Mets’ last 45 games with Wheeler facing a fellow NL East opponent. Atlanta (37-28) has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a win — and they have played 10 of their last 14 games Under the Total after scoring two runs or less in their last game. The Braves have also played 5 straight games Under the Total at home. They counter with Foltynewicz who is 5-4 with a 2.31 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in six starts this season. The right-hander has an outstanding 0.97 ERA with an opponent’s batting average of .167 in his last six starts. Foltynewicz has only given up two earned runs or less in twelve of his thirteen starts this season. The Under is 5-1-2 in Atlanta’s last 8 home games with Foltynewicz on the hill. The Mets’ bats are ice-cold as they are scoring average 1.1 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .143 batting average along with .211 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .454 over that span. Lastly, New York has played 16 of their last 21 games Under the Total against right-handed starting pitchers.

FINAL TAKE: With two starting pitchers performing very well right now along with the anemic Mets’ bats in this game, expect a low-scoring contest. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break Tuesday ESPN Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the New York Mets (955) and the Atlanta Braves (956) listing both starting pitchers Zack Wheeler and Mike Foltynewicz. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:40 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the Arizona Diamondbacks (908) versus the Pittsburgh Pirates (907) listing both starting pitchers Patrick Corbin and Joe Musgrove. THE SITUATION: Arizona (35-29) swept the Rockies in Colorado over the weekend with their 8-3 win yesterday. The Diamondbacks have won seven of their last nine games — and they face a Pirates team (32-33) that has lost sixteen of their last twenty-two games despite their 7-1 win in Chicago yesterday over the Cubs.

REASONS TO TAKE ARIZONA WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Diamondbacks have won 5 of their last 6 games after scoring at least five runs in their last game. They return home for the first time since June 3rd — and they have won 5 straight home games after being on the road for at least seven days. Arizona has also won 5 of their last 6 games at home at Chase Field. They send out Corbin who is 6-2 with a 2.87 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP in thirteen starts. The left-hander has been more effective at home where he owns a 0.78 WHOP and an opponent’s batting average of .171 in seven starts. The Diamondbacks have won 16 of their last 23 home games with Corbin on the hill. He should thrive against this slumping Pirates team that is scoring only 3.7 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .210 batting average along with a .289 On-Base Percentage and .588 OPS over that span. Pittsburgh has lost 16 of their last 21 road games against left-handed starting pitchers. The Pirates have lost 6 straight games after a win — and they have lost 6 of their last 8 games after scoring at least five runs in their last game. Furthermore, Pittsburgh has lost 4 of their last 5 games on the road — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning record. They counter with Musgrove who is 2-1 with a 1.89 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in three starts this season. The sabermetrics call for significant regression with both his SIERA and xFIP projecting an ERA of 3.88 and 3.81 from the deeper peripheral numbers of these three starts. This the left-hander’s first start away from home this year after posting a 5.15 ERA with the Astros on the road last season. He faces a red-hot Arizona lineup led by the Woke Paul Goldschmidt who was 8 of 15 over the weekend while blasting four home runs and driving in seven runners. The Diamondbacks are scoring 6.4 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .274 batting average along with a .357 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .813 over that span.

FINAL TAKE: While Arizona opened as a -160 money-line favorite, that price has dropped below my -150 maximum threshold in most locations. Let’s attack. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break National League Game of the Year with the money-line on the Arizona Diamondbacks (908) versus the Pittsburgh Pirates (907) listing both starting pitchers Patrick Corbin and Joe Musgrove. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:15 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the New York Yankees (929) versus the New York Mets (930) while listing both starting pitchers Domingo German and Steven Matz. THE SITUATION: The Yankees (41-18) have won three straight games — as well as eight of their last nine contests — with their 4-1 win over the Mets in the opening game of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE YANKEES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Bronx Bombers have won 13 of their last 16 games after allowing no more than two runs in their last game. The Yankees have also won 16 of their last 21 games on the road — and this includes them winning six of their last seven road games against teams with a losing record. And in their last 9 games in Interleague play, New York has won 8 of these games. They give the ball to German who is 0-4 with a 5.44 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP in five starts. The sabermetrics are for the 25-year hard-throwing right-hander are encouraging as both his SIERA and xFIP project that he should be allowing at least one run less per game given those respective 4.03 and 4.16 marks. He should fare well against this ice-cold Mets team that is scoring only 1.1 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .139 batting average, .223 On-Base Percentage and .439 OPS over that span. The Mets are also scoring only 3.1 Runs-Per-Game at home with a .215 batting average with a .289 On-Base Percentage and .618 OPS. The Mets have lost 6 straight games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 — and they have lost 4 straight games against right-handed starting pitchers. The Mets have lost seven straight games — and they have also lost 18 of their last 26 home games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. They counter with Matz who is 2-4 with a 3.42 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP in eleven starts. He sees his ERA jump to a 4.75 mark in his six starts at home — and the left-hander had a 10.38 ERA with a 2.03 WHIP at home last year. The Mets have lost 6 of their last 8 home games with Matz facing a team with a winning record. He faces a Yankees team that has won 20 of their last 28 games against left-handed starting pitchers.

FINAL TAKE: Matz consistently struggles at home in Citi Field — and German is undervalued. The Yankees are a much better team than the Mets and the money-line has stabilized this afternoon at my maximum -150 price range in most locations which makes this a strong play (even if you have to invest a little more). 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break Saturday Fox-TV Game of the Year with the money-line on the New York Yankees (929) versus the New York Mets (930) while listing both starting pitchers Domingo German and Steven Matz. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:10 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Golden State Warriors (507) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (508). THE SITUATION: Golden State (73-29) took a commanding 3-0 lead in this series on Wednesday with their 110-102 win in Cleveland (62-41) as a closing 3.5-point favorite. They have the opportunity to win back-to-back NBA Championships Friday night.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Warriors shot 51.9% from the field after making 57.3% of their shots in Game Two — but they have then played 18 of their last 27 games Under the Total after making at least 50% of their shots in two straight games. Golden State has also played 14 of their last 20 games Under the Total after winning at least four straight games — and they have played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total after scoring at least 100 points in their last game. The Warriors have also played 4 straight games Under the Total when playing with one day of rest. Additionally, Golden State has now played 20 of their last 28 road games Under the Total which includes them playing seven of their last eight games Under the Total against teams with a winning record at home. And in their last 4 opportunities to close-out a playoff series, the Warriors have played all 4 games Under the Total. Cleveland has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total games Under the Total after allowing at least 100 points in their last game. They also have played 11 of their last 14 games Under the Total when playing no more than their fifth game over the last fourteen days. Furthermore, the Cavaliers had 92 shots attempts in Game Three after taking 90 shots in Game Two — and they have then played 25 of their last 36 games Under the Total after attempting at least 90 shots in two straight games and this includes playing their last four games below the number in that situation. And in their last 17 home games against teams with a winning record on the road, Cleveland has played 12 of these games Under the Total.

FINAL TAKE: This is the first game in this series that will be played with just one day of rest. I look for a slower-paced game than the first three games of the series with perhaps both offenses taking a step back without the extra rest. 25* NBA Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Golden State Warriors (507) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (508). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Houston Astros (973) minus the -1.5 Run-Line versus the Texas Rangers (974) listing both starting pitchers Justin Verlander and Doug Fister. THE SITUATION: Houston (39-25) won the opening game of this series yesterday with their 5-2 victory over the Rangers.

REASONS TO TAKE THE ASTROS MINUS THE -1.5 RUN-LINE: Houston should build off the momentum from that win tonight as they have won a decisive 38 of their last 54 games after scoring at least five runs in their last game. The Astros have also won 5 of their last 6 road games against teams with a losing record — and they have won 10 of their last 12 road games with the Total set in the 8.5 to 10 range. Houston has also won 45 of their last 64 road games when priced as at least a -125 favorite. They give the ball to Verlander who is 7-2 with a 1.24 ERA and a 0.72 WHIP in thirteen starts this season. The right-hander has been even better on the road where he owns a minuscule 0.44 ERA in six starts. The Astros have won 5 of their last 6 road games with Verlander on the hill. He faces a Texas team (27-38) that has lost 19 of their last 28 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.15 or less. The Rangers are scoring only 3.1 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven contests with a .215 batting average along with a .308 On-Base Percentage and .698 OPS over that span. Texas has lost 31 of their last 46 games after allowing at least five runs in their last game. And while the Rangers have won two of their last three games, they have lost 15 of their last 21 games after winning two of their last three games. Additionally, Texas has lost 5 of their last 7 home games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road — and they have lost 6 straight home games as an underdog priced at least at +175. They counter with Fister who is 1-6 with a 4.13 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP in eleven starts this year. The right-hander has struggled at home where he has been saddled with a 6.39 ERA with a 1.70 WHIP and .312 opponent’s batting average in five starts. The Rangers have lost their last 5 games with Fister pitching on four days of rest. He is likely in more trouble tonight against this Astros team that has won 21 of their last 28 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 or higher — and they are scoring 5.7 Runs-Per-Game on the road. Lastly, Texas falls into an empirical “play-against” angle specific to the Run-Line that has been 65% effective over the last five seasons. The Rangers have a slugging percentage of .389 this season — and American League home underdogs with a slugging percentage no better than .400 facing a starting pitcher with a WHIP of 0.80 or lower over his last three starts (Verlander: 0.72 WHIP over his last three starts) have then failed to cover the +1.5 Run-Line in 70 of the last 108 situations where these conditions applied.

FINAL TAKE: Verlander has raised his game to another level since being traded to Houston from Detroit. He should outduel Fister who is getting crushed in Globe Life Park in Arlington. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break American League West Run-Line of the Year with the Houston Astros (973) minus the -1.5 Run-Line versus the Texas Rangers (974) listing both starting pitchers Justin Verlander and Doug Fister. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:15 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Washington Capitals (9) and the Vegas Golden Knights (10). THE SITUATION: Washington (65-32-7) took a commanding 3-1 lead in this series on Monday with their 6-2 victory over the Golden Knights. This series goes back to Las Vegas for Game Five.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Capitals once again scored first in that game which allowed them to deploy their 1-3-1 trapping zone defense that clogs the neutral zone which has frustrated the speed of the Vegas skaters. Washington has allowed only five goals in the last three games after that opening game where they gave up six goals. Now the Caps go back on the road where the Under is 5-2-1 in their last 8 games away from home. Additionally, Washington has played 16 of their last 22 Game Fives in the Stanley Cup Playoffs Under the Total — and this includes them playing seven straight Unders when leading by a 3-1 margin in the series. Furthermore, the Capitals have played 23 of their last 38 games Under the Total when attempting to close-out a playoff series. Vegas (64-30-7) is cold with their scoring with their top three lines — especially their top line. For the Golden Knights to extend this series, they need to tighten things up on defense and offer help to goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. Head coach Gerard Gallant made it clear that he did not think Fleury could do much to stop five of the six goals he allowed. Vegas has played 17 of their last 25 home games Under the Total after a game that finished Over the Total. Additionally, the Golden Knights have played 14 of their last 19 home games Under the Total after a game where at least seven combined goals were scored — and they have played 15 of their last 23 home games Under the Total after a game where at least eight combined goals were scored. Furthermore, the Under is 3-1-1 in Vegas’ last 5 games when facing an opponent that scored at least five goals in their last game. Lastly, the Golden Knights have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total when avenging a loss where they allowed at least five goals.

FINAL TAKE: Winning the fourth game in a playoff series is considered the most difficult — and the Capitals have a bad history of blowing 3-1 series leads. Expect both teams to be tight in this game. 25* NHL NBC-TV Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Washington Capitals (9) and the Vegas Golden Knights (10). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:10 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Boston Red Sox (914) minus the -1.5 Run-Line versus the Detroit Tigers (913) listing both starting pitchers Jalen Beeks and Matthew Boyd. THE SITUATION: Boston (43-19) has won four straight games — as well as seven of their last nine games — with their 7-1 victory over the Tigers in the second game of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RED SOX MINUS THE -1.5 RUN-LINE: Boston has on 5 of their last 6 games after scoring at least five runs in their last game — and they have won 19 of their last 26 games are allowing no more than two runs in their last contest. Additionally, the Red Sox have won a decisive 22 of their last 30 games at home in Fenway Park. They are pounding the ball at home by averaging 6.2 Runs-Per-Game with a .291 batting average along with a .357 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .849. They called up rookie Jalen Beeks to make his major league debut in this game. The left-hander has been outstanding in Triple-A where he enjoyed a 2.56 ERA with 80 strikeouts in just 56 2/3 innings of work. He has a great chance for a memorable debut against this slumping Tigers team that is scoring only 3.6 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven contests along with a .220 batting average, .280 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .624 per that span. Detroit (29-34) has lost 11 of their last 15 games against left-handed starting pitchers. The Tigers have lost 22 of their last 32 games after failing to score more than two runs in their last game. Detroit has also lost 39 of their last 54 games on the road including dropping six straight to teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home. They counter with Boyd who is 3-4 with a 3.23 ERA and a WHIP of 1.08 in eleven starts. The deeper sabermetrics suggest that those numbers are due for regression with both his SIERA and xFIP projecting an ERA of 4.82 and 5.09 moving forward. The left-hander has struggled on the road where he owns a 4.23 ERA with a 1.19 WHIP in five starts. The Tigers have lost 8 of their last 9 road games with Boyd on the hill. He faces a Red Sox team that has won 5 of their last 7 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.15 or lower. Lastly, Detroit falls into an empirical “play-against” angle specific to the Run-Line that has been 62% effective over the last five seasons. Road underdogs with a batting average of .200 or lower over the last three games (Detroit: .191 batting average last three games) now facing a team with a slugging percentage over .440 in their last twenty games (Boston: .501 slugging percentage over their last 20 games) have then failed to cover the +1.5 Run-Line (when priced in the -160 to -115 price range) in 58 of the last 93 situations where these conditions applied.

FINAL TAKE: With Boston a pricy money-line favorite in the -190 range (and well above my -150 maximum threshold), the value is in taking the Red Sox minus the -1.5 Run-Line. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break Thursday ESPN Run-Line of the Year with the Boston Red Sox (914) minus the -1.5 Run-Line versus the Detroit Tigers (913) listing both starting pitchers Jalen Beeks and Matthew Boyd. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:10 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Cleveland Cavaliers (506) plus the points versus the Golden State Warriors (505). THE SITUATION: Golden State(72-29) took a 2-0 lead in this series on Sunday with their 122-103 win over the Cavaliers as an 11.5-point favorite. This series travels to Cleveland (62-40) for Games Three and Four.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CAVALIERS PLUS THE POINTS: Cleveland lacked energy on Sunday as they looked deflated after seeing so many things go against them in the opening game of this series. After out-rebounding the Warriors by a 53 to 38 margin in Game One, the Cavs only won the rebounding battle by a 42-41 margin in an area that they simply have to own a decisive edge. Cleveland was also too slow to adjust to Golden State’s slipping off their screens which helped them score 22 of their first 32 points in the paint. The Warriors shot 57.3% from the field which was the Cavaliers’ worst defensive effort in their last 49 games. The Cavs also made just 41.1% of their shots from the field which was their worst offensive effort in their last eight games. They made only 9 of their 27 (33.3%) shots from behind the arc. Yet despite all this, Cleveland still pulled to within 5 points in the 4th quarter of that game before Stephen Curry became possessed with his 3-point shooting. Expect the Cavaliers to play their best game in this series on Thursday with it being essentially a must-win situation for them back on their home court. Remember, Cleveland was down 0-2 to the Celtics last round before returning home where they won the next two games to even that series. The Cavaliers have bounced-back to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a point spread loss. Cleveland has also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 8 games after losing the previous two games by double-digits. They have covered the point spread in 4 straight games on their home court — and they have covered the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games as an underdog getting 3.5 to 9.5 points. Golden State’s 57.3% field goal percentage was not only their best shooting effort in their last 42 games but it was also their best offensive performance in the playoffs in the Steve Kerr coaching era with the team. But the concerns for this team is not how high their ceiling is when they are clicking on most of their cylinders but rather a complacency that has too often plagued them this season. The Warriors have failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 25 games after a straight-up win — and they are 7-21-1 ATS in their last 29 games after a double-digit win. And while Golden State has won four straight games, they have then failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 18 games after winning at least four in a row — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 17 games after winning their last two games at home. Now the Warriors go on the road where they have failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 18 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home — and they have failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 road games with the Total set in the 210 to 219.5 point range. Lastly, Golden State has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 11 playoff games when leading in the series.

FINAL TAKE: There is speculation that the Andre Iguodala might be able to take the court again after being out the last two weeks with an injury. But Iguodala will likely be rusty and his presence on the court may play into the Warriors’ hubris that almost cost them against the Rockets. The Cavaliers have made only 19 of their 64 (30%) 3-point shots so far in this series. If Cleveland can just match their 36.5% mark from behind the arc this season in Game Three, that should be enough help to compliment another likely super-human performance from LeBron James. 25* NBA Game of the Year with the Cleveland Cavaliers (506) plus the points versus the Golden State Warriors (505). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:10 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Arizona Diamondbacks (953) and the San Francisco Giants (954) listing both starting pitchers Zack Godley and Derek Holland. THE SITUATION: San Francisco (29-30) has won four straight games with their 6-1 win over Philadelphia yesterday. Arizona (31-27) has won five of their last six games with their 6-1 win in Miami yesterday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Giants have played their last three games Under the Total — and they have then played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after playing at least three straight Unders. San Francisco has also played 8 of their last 13 home games Over the Total with the number set in the 7 to 7.5 range. And in their last 11 opening games to a new series, the Over is 7-2-2. They give the ball to Holland who is 3-6 with a 4.94 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP in eleven starts this season. The left-hander has not been as effective at home where he has a 5.75 ERA in four starts this season. Holland has seen 4 of his last 5 starts against NL West teams finish Over the Total. He faces a hot-hitting Diamondbacks team that is scoring 6.1 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven contests with a .815 OPS over that span. Arizona has played 6 straight games Over the Total against left-handed starting pitchers. They have also seen the Over go 9-3-1 in their last 13 games after allowing two runs or less in their last game. And while the Diamondbacks have not allowed more than two runs in their last three games, they have then played 7 of their last 10 games Over the Total after not allowing more than four runs in three straight games. Now Arizona goes back on the road where they have played 5 straight games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home — and they have also played 11 of their last 15 road games Over the Total when priced in the +/- 125 price range. They counter with Godley who is 5-4 with a 4.38 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP in eleven starts this season. The right-hander has not been as effective on the road where he has a 5.81 ERA with a 1.90 WHIP and .286 opponent’s batting average in six starts. The Diamondbacks have played 4 of their last 5 road games Over the Total with Godley on the mound. He faces a Giants team that is scoring 4.4 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .293 batting average along with a .341 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .751.

FINAL TAKE: With both these teams hitting the ball well right now, expect a high scoring game featuring two vulnerable starting pitchers. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break Monday ESPN Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Arizona Diamondbacks (953) and the San Francisco Giants (954) listing both starting pitchers Zack Godley and Derek Holland. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:15 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the Vegas Golden Knights (7) versus the Washington Capitals (8). THE SITUATION: Washington (64-32-7) took a 2-1 lead in this series on Saturday with their 3-1 victory over the Golden Knights. Game Four of this series stays on Washington.

REASONS TO TAKE VEGAS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Golden Knights have lost two straight games for the first time in these playoffs — and this is the first time they have trailed in a playoff series this postseason. Vegas responded to losing the first game in the Western Conference Finals against Winnipeg by going out to win the next four games. Expect the Golden Knights to work very hard in this game as they focus on getting all five of their skaters to push their forechecking game to create scoring opportunities. After outshooting the Capitals by a 73 to 54 margin in the first two games in this series, Vegas only managed 22 shots on net on Saturday. The Golden Knights have won 14 of their last 21 games after a loss on the road — and they have won 7 of their last 10 games after a loss by at least two goals on the road. Vegas has also won 8 of their last 11 games after suffering at least two straight losses. Furthermore, the Golden Knights have won 20 of their last 26 games after scoring no more than two goals in their last game — and they have won 12 of their last 15 games after not scoring more than one goal in their last game. Vegas has also won 21 of their last 26 games after a low-scoring game where no more than four combined goals were scored. The Golden Knights have been very reliable on the road in the playoffs where they have a 6-3 record — and they have won 15 of their last 23 road games with the Total set at 5.5. Additionally, Vegas has been very good when motivated by revenge as they have won 16 of their last 22 games when avenging a loss — and this includes them winning seven straight games when avenging a loss by just one goal. The Capitals have been at their shakiest in these playoffs when they give themselves some breathing room. Remember that they lost three straight games in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Lightning after winning the first two games of that series in Tampa Bay. Washington has lost 15 of their last 23 home games when leading in a playoff series.

FINAL TAKE: The Capitals are likely to exhale just a little for the first time since they took a 2-0 lead last round against the Lightning — and it took them three games to get their edge back. Vegas has yet to play as well in these Finals as they have during the first three rounds of the playoffs — but expect the urgency of the situation to produce their best game in this series. 25* NHL Game of the Year with the money-line on the Vegas Golden Knights (7) versus the Washington Capitals (8). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Cleveland Cavaliers (503) and the Golden State Warriors (504). THE SITUATION: Golden State (71-29) won the opening game of this series with their 124-114 win in overtime on Thursday over the Cavaliers as a 12.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: These two teams had their offensive clicking in the first-half with the halftime score being a 56-56 tie. But things slowed down in the second-half — and that game only needed a flurry of baskets in the final two minutes of the game to reach 214 combined points (before overtime allowed for all Over tickets to be redeemed). Cleveland (62-29) has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 16 of their last 23 games Under the Total after a point spread victory. And while the Cavs have covered the point spread in four of their last five games, they have then played 9 of their last 13 games Under the Total after covering the point spread in four of their last five games. The extended schedule should help Cleveland’s effort on defense as they Under is 4-1-1 in the last 6 games when playing with two days of rest — and they have played 4 straight games Under the Total when playing just their second game in seven days. The Cavs have also played 4 of their last 5 road games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home court. Golden State shot 51.1% from the field which was their best shooting effort in their last five games. The Warriors have then played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and the Under is 20-7-1 in their last 28 games after a point spread loss. The Under is also 19-6-1 in Golden State’s last 26 games after allowing at least 100 points in their last game. The Warriors were out-rebounded by a 53 to 38 margin — and they have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after being out-rebounded by at least 15 boards. Golden State has also played 4 of the last 5 games Under the Total on their home court — and they have played 40 of their last 65 home games Under the Total when laying 6.5 to 12 points.

FINAL TAKE: Look for Game Two to resemble the second-half on Thursday. 25* NBA Sunday Night O/U Special Feature with Under the Total in the game between the Cleveland Cavaliers (503) and the Golden State Warriors (504). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:15 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Vegas Golden Knights (5) and the Washington Capitals (6). THE SITUATION: Washington (63-32-7) evened this series at a game apiece on Wednesday with their 3-2 victory over Vegas (64-28-7). The Capitals see this series return to DC where they will be hosting Games Three and Four.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: After the scoring fest in Game One that the Golden Knights won by a 6-4 score, Game Two settled down with just five combined goals. Braden Holtby was the hero for Washington as he stopped 37 of 39 Vegas’ shots including an epic save that robbed Alex Tuch of a goal with just 1:50 left in the third period. While Holtby was fantastic in Game Two, he was helped by a committed team that combined to block 18 shots before they reached him. The Capitals return home where they scored averaged only 2.3 Goals-Per-Game in their three home contests in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Under is 3-1-2 in Washington’s last 6 home games. The Capitals have also played 12 of their last 19 games Under the Total after playing their last two games on the road. Furthermore, Washington has played 18 of their last 29 playoff games Under the Total when tied in the series. Vegas has played 14 of their last 23 games Under the Total after allowing at least three goals in two straight games. Marc-Andre Fleury should play better tonight as he has allowed only seven goals while posting a .932 save percentage in games following up the three previous Golden Knights’ losses in the playoffs. Remember that Fleury posted a 1.68 Goals-Against-Average with a .947 save percentage in the first three series of this postseason. Vegas is scoring only 2.25 Goals-Per-Game on the road in the playoffs while allowing only 1.88 Goals-Per-Game on these eight contests. The Under is 4-0-1 in their last 5 road games — and the Golden Knights have played 16 of their last 23 road games Under the Total after a game that finished Under the Total.

FINAL TAKE: Washington hopes to have Evgeny Kuznetsov after he missed most of Game Two with a nasty left wrist injury — but his effectiveness remains in question which will contribute to the Caps’ playing cautiously. Expect another low-scoring game. 25* NHL Non-Conference Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Vegas Golden Knights (5) and the Washington Capitals (6). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:15 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the St. Louis Cardinals (906) versus the Pittsburgh Pirates (905) listing both starting pitchers Miles Mikolas and Jameson Taillon. THE SITUATION: St Louis (29-24) has won four of their last six games with their 10-8 victory over the Pirates yesterday after rallying from an 8-5 deficit in the 9th inning to pullout that victory. Pittsburgh (29-26) has lost five of their last six games.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CARDINALS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: St. Louis allowed four runs in the 8th inning of that game to blow their 5-4 lead before they embarked on their 9th inning comeback. The Cardinals have won 5 of their last 8 games after their bullpen blew a save in their last game — and they have also won 4 of their last 6 games after their bullpen allowed at least four runs in their last game. Furthermore, St. Louis has won 3 of their last 4 games after allowing at least eight runs in their last contest. The Cardinals host Game Two tonight where they have won 6 of their last 8 games against teams with a winning record — and they have also won 30 of their last 42 second games to a new series. They give the ball to Mikolas who is 6-0 with a 2.58 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP in ten starts this season. The right-hander has been particularly tough at home where he owns a 1.53 ERA with a 0.85 WHIP and .214 opponent’s batting average in four starts. St. Louis has won 4 of their last 5 games with Mikolas facing a team with a winning record. He faces a Pirates team that has lost 5 of their last 7 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.15 or less — and they have lost 12 of their last 17 road games against right-handed starting pitchers. Pittsburgh has lost 22 of their last 30 road games after losing three of their last four contests — and they have also lost 4 of their last 5 games after scoring at least five runs in their last game. Additionally, the Pirates have lost 12 of their last 17 games on the road — and they have lost 5 of their last 6 games against teams with a winning record. They counter with Taillon who is 2-4 with a 4.53 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP in eleven starts this season. The right-hander has struggled on the road where he has a 5.47 ERA with a 1.58 WHIP and .290 opponent’s batting average in five starts. Pittsburgh has lost 4 straight road games with Taillon on the hill. He faces a Cardinals team that has won 4 of their last 5 games against right-handed starting pitchers.

FINAL TAKE: These are two teams who play better much better at home which gives the Cardinals the edge tonight. Mikolas should outpitch Taillon. 25* MLB Pre-All Star Break National League Central Game of the Year with the money-line on the St. Louis Cardinals (906) versus the Pittsburgh Pirates (905) listing both starting pitchers Miles Mikolas and Jameson Taillon. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:05 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Cleveland Cavaliers (501) and the Golden State Warriors (502). THE SITUATION: Cleveland (62-38) reached the NBA Finals with their 87-79 upset win in Boston on Sunday as a 3.5-point underdog. Golden State (70-29) sealed their fate to make this the fourth straight meeting between these two teams in the NBA Finals with their 101-92 win in Houston on Monday as a 6-point favorite. The first two games of this series are at the Warriors’ Oracle Center.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Cavaliers held the Celtics to a season-low opponent’s field goal percentage of 34.1% on Sunday — but anyone watching that game will attest that Boston’s pathetic shooting deserves most of the credit for those numbers. Cleveland has then played 12 of the last 18 games Over the Total after not allowing more than 85 points in their last game — and they have played 3 of their last 4 games Over the Total after not allowing their last opponent to shoot better than 35% from the field. Additionally, the Cavaliers have played 31 of their last 45 road games Over the Total with the number set in the 210 to 219.5 point range. And while the last meeting between these two teams back on January 15th resulted in a 118-108 victory for the Warriors in Cleveland, the Cavs have then played 13 of their last 21 games Over the Total when avenging a double-digit loss. Golden State closed out their series with the Rockets by playing five straight games Under the Total. The Warriors have then played 3 of their last 4 games Over the Total after playing four straight Unders. Golden State has also played a decisive 42 of their last 69 home games Over the Total when favored in the 12.5 to 18 points favorites — and this includes playing nine of their last fourteen Over the Total in that situation.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams played four straight Overs to close out the NBA Finals last year with the Total ranging from 222 in Game Two to 231 in the final Game Five. While both these are not as potent offensive units as they were last year at this time, they both should play at a fast pace once again that both teams prefer. 25* NBA Total of the Month with Over the Total in the game between the Cleveland Cavaliers (501) and the Golden State Warriors (502). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:15 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates (953) and the St. Louis Cardinals (954) listing both starting pitchers Trevor Williams and Jack Flaherty. THE SITUATION: Pittsburgh (29-26) snapped their four-game losing streak yesterday with their 2-1 win over the Cubs. St. Louis (29-24) has lost two of their last three games with their 3-2 loss in Milwaukee yesterday. The Cardinals return home to host this series.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Pirates have lost five of their last seven games — and they have then played 13 of their last 17 road games after losing five or six of their last seven games. Additionally, the Under is 4-1-3 in Pittsburgh’s last 8 games on the road against teams with a winning record. And in their last 30 road games as an underdog priced in the +125 to +175 price range, they have played 21 of these games Under the Total. They give the ball to Williams who is 5-3 with a 3.43 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP in eleven starts this season. The right-hander has been more effective on the road where he owns a 3.14 ERA with a 1.05 WHIP and .170 opponent’s batting average in five starts. The Pirates have also played 8 of their last 9 road games Under the Total with Williams on the mound. He faces a Cardinals teams that are scoring only 3.4 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .239 batting average, .285 On-Base Percentage and .661 OPS over that span. The Under is 5-1-1 in St. Louis’ last 7 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.15 or lower. The Cardinals have also played 4 straight home games Under the Total against right-handed starting pitchers. St. Louis (29-24) has seen the Under go 4-0-1 in their last 5 games are a loss. The Cardinals have also seen the Under go 16-4-1 in their last 21 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. St. Louis has also played 16 of their last 23 games Under the Total with the number set in the 8 to 8.5 range. They counter with Flaherty who is 2-1 with a 2.15 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP in five starts this season. Flaherty will be making just his second start at home this year after allowing only one earned run in 7 2/3 innings of work against the Phillies earlier this season. In three career starts at home, the right-hander has a 0.89 WHIP and .080 opponent’s batting average. Furthermore, the Under is 4-0-1 in the Cardinals’ last 5 games with Flaherty facing a team with a winning record. He faces a cold-hitting Pirates team that is scoring only 3.6 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven contests with a .237 batting average, .266 On-Base Percentage and .656 OPS over that span. The Under is 4-1-2 in Pittsburgh’s last 7 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.15 — and the Under is 33-16-5 in their last 54 road games against right-handed starting pitchers.

FINAL TAKE: Both starting pitchers should dominate against two lineups that are struggling to score points. 25* Major League Baseball Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates (953) and the St. Louis Cardinals (954) listing both starting pitchers Trevor Williams and Jack Flaherty. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:15 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Washington Capitals (3) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (4). THE SITUATION: Vegas (64-26-5) won the opening game of the Stanley Cup Finals on Monday with their 6-4 victory. This series stays in Las Vegas for Game Two tonight.

REASONS TO TAKE WASHINGTON WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Capitals (61-32-8) are no strangers to facing adversity in these playoffs. Washington lost the opening games in their first two playoff series against Columbus and Pittsburgh. They later lost three straight games to Tampa Bay to fall behind a by a 3-2 margin in the Eastern Conference Finals before rallying to win that series. Goalie Braden Holtby entered this series on a 159:27 minute streak without giving up a goal after pitching two shutouts against a Lightning team that was the highest-scoring team in the NHL during the regular season. The five goals Holtby allowed on Monday (the final goal was an empty-netter) were the most he has allowed since February 17th — so he should play better tonight. Washington has won 19 of their last 24 games after allowing at least five goals in their last game. They also have won 20 of their last 31 games on the road after a loss by at least three goals — and this includes them winning ten of these last fifteen situations. Additionally, the Capitals have won 9 of their last 11 road games when avenging a loss by at least two goals. Washington has been very reliable road warriors who have still won 13 of their last 16 games away from home. The Capitals have also won 4 of their last 5 playoff games when trailing in the series. Vegas has lost 5 of their last 7 games after scoring at least six goals in their last game. They were fortunate to get three goals in the third period from their fourth line to pull out Game One — but getting production from their second and third lines remains an issue for this team. The Golden Knights entered this series with only ten goals from forwards outside their top-line — and their second and third line forwards accounted for only two assists with those six goals on Monday. Furthermore, Vegas only had to defend one Power Play in Game One despite their aggressive style that resulted in them leading all playoff teams in hits-per-game along with the most forced turnovers per games. The Capitals entered the Stanley Cup Finals second in the playoffs with a Power Play Unit that scored on 28.8% of their opportunities. The Golden Knights entered the Finals being outscored by 10-9 goal margin with special teams in these playoffs.

FINAL TAKE: Both teams were rusty on Monday — with the results being disappointing play from their defenses and goaltenders. The Capitals proven resiliency should serve them well in Game Two. 25* NHL Game of the Month with the money-line on the Washington Capitals (3) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (4). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:35 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the New York Mets (907) and the Atlanta Braves (908) listing both starting pitchers Jason Vargas and Julio Teheran. THE SITUATION: Atlanta (32-22) won the third game of this series on Tuesday with a 7-6 victory over the Mets. The series concludes with a fourth game tonight.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Braves have played 4 of their last 5 home games Over the Total. They also have played 7 of their last 10 fourth games to a series. They give the ball to Teheran who is 4-2 with a 4.20 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP in eleven starts this season. The right-hander has struggled at home in the hitter-friendly Sun Trust Park where he has a 5.54 ERA with a 1.50 WHIP and .263 opponent’s batting average in five starts as compared to his 3.18 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and .178 opponent’s batting average on the road. Atlanta has played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total with Teheran pitching on grass. Teheran faces a New York team that is scoring 5.4 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .290 batting average, .351 On-Base Percentage and an OPS of .810 over that span. The Mets have also played 4 straight games Over the Total against right-handed starting pitchers. New York (26-26) saw their bullpen surrender all six runs yesterday — and they have then played 9 of their last 10 games Over the Total after a game where their bullpen gave up at least five runs. Additionally, the Mets have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total on the road — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total against teams with a winning record. They counter with Vargas who is 1-3 with a 10.62 ERA and a 2.16 WHIP in five starts this season. The left-hander has been a disaster in three road starts where he has a 15.19 ERA with a 2.63 WHIP and .404 opponent’s batting average. Vargas had an 18-11 record with a 4.16 ERA and 1.33 WHIP last year with the Royals — but those numbers were propped up very fortunate BABIP and Left-On-Base rates in the first-half of the season. His ugly 6.38 ERA over the second-half of the season took place after those metrics finally regressed back to the mean. Vargas faces an Atlanta team that scores 6.1 Runs-Per-Game against left-handed starting pitchers with a .286 batting average, .360 On-Base Percentage and an .818 On-Base Percentage. The Braves also score 5.5 Runs-Per-Game at home — and the Over is 21-8-2 in their last 31 home games against left-handed starting pitchers. Atlanta has also played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 or lower. Lastly, New York has played 5 of their last 7 games with Vargas making the start.

FINAL TAKE: Vargas has been a mess for almost an entire calendar year while Teheran typically sees home/road splits that favor his being away from the new Sun Trust Park. Expect the hitters to enjoy the advantage for both teams tonight. 25* MLB National League East Total of the Month with Over the Total in the game between the New York Mets (907) and the Atlanta Braves (908) listing both starting pitchers Jason Vargas and Julio Teheran. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:15 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Minnesota Twins (973) versus the Kansas City Royals (974) listing both starting pitchers Kyle Gibson and Danny Duffy. THE SITUATION: Minnesota (22-27) snapped their four-game losing streak yesterday with an 8-5 win in Kansas City in the opening game of this series. The Royals (18-36) has lost three of their last four games.

REASONS TO TAKE THE TWINS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Minnesota has won 6 of their last 7 games against fellow AL Central opponents. The Twins have also won 4 straight road games against teams with a winning percentage no better than 40% at home. They give the ball to Gibson who is 1-3 with a 4.02 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP in ten starts this season. The right-hander has been more effective on the road where he owns a 2.61 ERA with a 0.90 WHIP and .129 opponent’s batting average in five starts as compared to his 5.76 ERA, 1.80 WHIP and .320 opponent’s batting average when at home. Minnesota has won a decisive 19 of their last 22 road games with Gibson facing a team with a losing record. He should fare well against this Kansas City team that has lost 23 of their last 26 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 or higher. The Royals have also lost 15 of their last 17 home games against right-handed starting pitchers. Kansas City has lost 8 of their last 10 games after a loss. The Royals have also lost 29 of their last 27 games at home. And in their last 11 games against teams with a losing record, Kansas City has lost 9 of these contests. They counter with Duffy who is 2-6 with a 6.14 ERA and a 1.60 WHIP in eleven starts this season. The left-hander has been even worse at home where he has been saddled with a 6.98 ERA with a 1.71 WHIP and .304 opponent’s batting average in four starts. The Royals have lost 5 straight games at home with Duffy on the hill.

FINAL TAKE: Gibson was significantly better on the road last year as well. Duffy has lost the effective he demonstrated last season. 25* MLB American League Central Game of the Month with the money-line on the Minnesota Twins (973) versus the Kansas City Royals (974) listing both starting pitchers Kyle Gibson and Danny Duffy. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:05 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Houston Rockets (512) plus the points versus the Golden State Warriors (511). THE SITUATION: Golden State (69-29) forced a decisive seventh game in this series on Saturday with their 115-86 victory over the Rockets. This series returns to Houston (76-22) for the climactic seventh game.

REASONS TO TAKE THE ROCKETS PLUS THE POINTS: The Warriors finally displayed their brilliance in the second-half on Saturday by destroying Houston in the second-half by a stunning 64-25 scoring margin. But for a team whose biggest challenge this season has been overcoming complacency, winning by such a decisive margin to close out that game may have been the worst thing that could have happened to them along the way in forcing a final seventh game in this series. This is awful basketball in both conferences — so a home underdog getting 6 or so points has inherent value. I have zero confidence in Golden State replicating their strong performance in the second-half from Saturday (or from Game Three which prompted them to then lay two straight eggs in Game Four and Game Five). This is a team that has failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 22 games after a straight-up win — and they are just 6-21-1 ATS in their last 28 games after a double-digit victory. Additionally, the Warriors have failed to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 17 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home court. And in their last 14 opportunities to close out a playoff series, Golden State has failed to cover the point spread 9 times including failing to cover these last three situations. The Warriors will be without Andre Iguodala which leaves them woefully short in terms of depth. I am assuming that Chris Paul will also not be able to play with his hamstring injury. I am not expecting fireworks from James Harden who I tend to consider overrated. But the Rockets launch 3s like crazy and squeeze out as much value per scoring possession as any team in the league. Houston has covered the point spread in 4 straight games after a straight-up loss — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after a double-digit loss. Additionally, the Rockets have covered the point spread in 4 of their last 5 games after a loss by at least 15 points.

FINAL TAKE: Houston could not have looked as bad as they did in the second-half on Saturday. But even without Paul, 6 or so points as a home underdog would have looked very tasty even for last year’s Rockets. Houston can win this game outright on their home court — and the Warriors have shown me that they will not take the easy road anywhere. 25* NBA Western Conference Game of the Year with the Houston Rockets (512) plus the points versus the Golden State Warriors (511). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:10 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Washington Capitals (1) and the Vegas Golden Knights (2). THE SITUATION: Washington (61-31-8) reached the Stanley Cup Playoff Finals with a 4-0 win in Tampa Bay in the seventh game of that series last Wednesday. Vegas (63-26-5) had earned their spot in the Finals last Saturday with their 2-1 win in Winnipeg that ended that series on five games. 

REASONS TO TAKE THE UNDER: The Capitals defense along with goaltender Braden Holtby is clicking on all cylinders right now after shutting out a potent Lightning attack in the final two games of the Eastern Conference Finals. Washington has then seen the Under go 3-1-2 in their last 6 games after a win — and they have also played 16 of their last 24 road games Under the Total after a win by at least three goals. The Capitals stay on the road where the Under is 4-1-1 in their last 6 games. And in their last 24 opening games to a new playoff series, the game finished Under the Total 17 times. Vegas has seen the Under go 4-1-1 in their last 6 games after a victory. The Under is also 8-3-1 in their last 12 games after a game where they did not score more than two goals. And in their last 19 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last contest, the Under is 12-5-2 for the Golden Knights.

FINAL TAKE: With Washington and Vegas having five days and nine days off since last taking the ice, expect both offensive attacks to be shaking off some rust. 25* NHL NBC-TV Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Washington Capitals (1) and the Vegas Golden Knights (2). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:35 PM ET own Sunday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between Cleveland Cavaliers (711) and the Boston Celtics (712). THE SITUATION: Cleveland (61-38) forced a climactic seventh game of this series on Friday with their 109-99 win over the Celtics. This series returns to TD Garden in Boston (66-34) tonight.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Cleveland was carried by LeBron James who scored 46 points on 17 of 33 shooting from the field who led his team to victory. George Hill added another 20 points on 7 of 12 shooting — but he is scoring only 5 PPG on 31% shooting when playing on the road in this series. Who will step up to help James with the scoring tonight? The Cavaliers have played 16 of their last 27 road games when listed in the +/- 3-point range. Additionally, Cleveland has played 13 of their last 20 games Under the Total after a double-digit victory — and they have played 15 of their last 21 games Under the Total after a point spread victory. Additionally, the Cavaliers have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total when tied in a playoff series. Boston made 51.4% of their shots on Friday which was their best offensive effort in their last eleven games. But they should tighten up on offense in this climactic seventh game. They have played 33 of their last 52 games Under the Total in expected close games where they are listed in the +/- 3-point range — and this includes them playing 12 of their last 15 home games when listed in the +/- 3-point range.

FINAL TAKE: With the pressure of this climactic seventh game, the unreliable Cavs supporting cast combined with this young Celtics roster will likely result in a lower scoring game. 25* NBA Sunday Night O/U Special Feature with  Under the Total in the game between Cleveland Cavaliers (711) and the Boston Celtics (712). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:05 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Houston Rockets (509) and the Golden State Warriors (510). THE SITUATION: Houston (76-21) seized a 3-2 lead in this series on Thursday with their 98-94 upset win over the Warriors as a 1-point underdog. This series returns to the Oracle Center with Golden State (68-29) looking to stave off elimination.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Rockets will be without Chris Paul in this contest who suffered a hamstring injury late in Thursday’s game. Paul was essential in that contest as he was his team’s best offensive player. James Harden is in a massive slump: he  has missed 20 straight 3-pointers while making only 36.8% of his shots since the first game of this series. Houston will have to rely on their defense that has held the Warriors to under 100 points in two straight games with a series of sophisticated switching techniques that has frustrated this Golden State team. The Rockets have played 19 of their last 26 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 5 of their last 7 games after an upset win as a home underdog. Houston has also played 14 of their last 17 games Under the Total after a win by 6 points or less. And while the last three games in this series have gone Under the Total, the Rockets have then played 12 of their last 17 games Under the Total after playing at least three straight Unders. Additionally, Houston has played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total on the road as an underdog. Golden State has been lulled into exacerbating some of the bad habits they have picked on offense this year. They are attempting to execute isolation plays at triple the rate they were during the regular season which is not the egalitarian pass-oriented offense that Steve Kerr wants from this team. The Warriors clearly miss Andre Iguodala who remains listed as questionable for tonight’s game. The Warriors have seen the Under go 5-0-1 in their last 6 games after a straight-up loss — and the Under is 19-7-1 ATS in their last 27 games after a point spread loss. Golden State returns home where they have played 13 of their last 20 home games Under the Total against teams with a winning record on the road. And in their last 20 games when playing with same-season revenge, the Warriors have played 13 of these games Under the Total.

FINAL TAKE: Houston is missing a key piece of their offense while Golden State is out-of-synch on offense. Yet both these teams with Top-Ten defenses during the regular season in terms of efficiency will lean on their defensive efforts in this contest. 25* NBA Saturday Night O/U Special Feature with Under the Total in the game between the Houston Rockets (509) and the Golden State Warriors (510). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:35 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the Oakland A’s (980) versus the Arizona Diamondbacks (979) listing both starting pitchers Sean Manaea and Patrick Corbin. THE SITUATION: Oakland (26-24) has won five of their last seven games with their 4-3 win over the Mariners yesterday. Arizona (25-24) is reeling having lost seven straight games as well as thirteen of their last fourteen contests with their 9-2 loss in Milwaukee on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE A’S WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Oakland has won 10 of their last 14 games against teams that allowed at least five runs in their last game. The A’s have also won 5 straight home games against teams with a losing record — and they have won 9 of their last 12 games when favored in the -125 to -175 price range with eight of those wins being at home. They give the ball to Manaea who is 5-4 with a 2.71 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP in ten starts so far in what appears to be his breakout season. The left-hander has been outstanding when pitching at home where he enjoys a 1.78 ERA with a 0.56 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .137 in four starts. Oakland has won 5 of their last 7 home games with Manaea facing a team with a winning record. He should fare very well against this slumping Arizona team that has is scoring only 1.7 Runs-Per-Game over their last seven games with a .160 batting average, .228 On-Base Percentage and .505 Slugging Percentage over that span. The Diamondbacks have lost 5 of their last 6 games against left-handed starting pitchers — and they have also lost 4 straight games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.15 or lower. Arizona has lost 13 of their last 16 games after a loss. And while they have not scored more than two runs in four straight games, they have then lost 9 of their last 10 games after failing to score more than two runs in at least two straight games. Furthermore, the Diamondbacks have lost 7 straight games on the road — and they have also lost 17 of their last 22 games against teams with a winning record. They counter with Corbin who is 4-1 with a 2.61 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP in ten starts this season. But while the lefty has a 2.03 ERA with a 0.68 WHIP and .144 opponent’s batting average in six home starts, those numbers rise to a 3.63 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and .235 opponent’s batting average in four starts on the road. The Diamondbacks have lost 9 of their last 11 road games with Corbin facing a team with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: These are two teams moving in opposite directions with the A’s having an advantage with Manaea pitching at home. 25* MLB Game of the Month with the money-line on the Oakland A’s (980) versus the Arizona Diamondbacks (979) listing both starting pitchers Sean Manaea and Patrick Corbin. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:35 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Boston Celtics (709) plus the points versus the Cleveland Cavaliers (710). THE SITUATION: Boston (66-33) took a 3-2 lead in this series on Wednesday with their 96-83 victory as a 1.5-point favorite. The series returns to Cleveland tonight with the Cavaliers (60-38) looking to stave off elimination.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CELTICS PLUS THE POINTS: The home team has held court while covering the point spread in all five games in this series. But we should not be hasty in expecting Cleveland to maintain this series trend considering that they are 17-35-1 ATS in their last 53 games at home — and they have also failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 22 home games as a favorite laying 6.5 to 12 points. Expecting another zig-zag with the Cavaliers covering the point spread in this game also runs into the evidence that Cleveland has failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 24 games after a double-digit loss — and they have also failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 14 games after failing to score at least 85 points in their last game. The Cavaliers may force a Game Seven but I expect this to be their most challenging home game in this series. Between LeBron James tiring, the roster limitations of this Cleveland team and the ever-growing eye-rolls coming from James’ teammates in what looks to be the waning days of LeBron’s second tenure with the franchise before he becomes a free agent, the chips look to be stacking against this Cavs’ team. Tonight will be James’ 99th game this season which ties for the second most he has ever played during a year — and that is not a good sign for a player that he admitted he was fatigued on Wednesday. The Celtics are making it harder for him to score baskets  — Brad Stevens’ move to start Aaron Baynes has added a rim protector down low and a difficult obstacle to James coming off pick-and-rolls. Over the last three halves in this series, James has committed 11 turnovers while only assisting on five baskets. And after his supporting cast made only 8 of 32 (25%) baskets in the second-half of Game Four, they shot only 38.5% of their field goals in Game Five. Tyron Lue was criticized for not playing Kyle Korver for more than 10 minutes on Game Four — but Stevens stymied that move by shortening his bench by not using Semi Ojeleye who Lue would match Korver against on defense. The concern for Lue is that Korver is a defensive liability to any other Celtic besides the rookie Ojeleye — and this highlights the limitations of this roster that was retooled on the fly at the trade deadline when the chemistry was awful between James and the new players that were brought in last summer (to take over for the players that Cleveland is now relying on to complement LeBron). Baynes’ increased playing time also hurt Cleveland on the offensive glass as they pulled down only three offensive rebounds in Game Five with that 7.3% offensive rebounding rate tying for their second-lowest mark in either of the James’ era.

The Celtics have only won once in their seven playoff games on the road — but that was a crucial third game in Philadelphia against the 76ers that essentially ended that series. I expect this young Boston team to continue to improve when playing on the road as they get more acclimated to these situations. They will certainly have the benefit of not having the pressure on them with this game serving as a freeroll with a potential Game Seven still in hand back at TD Garden. Despite the poor win/loss record on the road, the Celtics have still covered the point spread in 30 of their last 48 road games with the Total set in the 200 to 209.5 point range. Stevens’ move to go big with Baynes replacing Marcus Morris on the court has produced great dividends as Boston has outscored the Cavs but +31.3 points with Baynes and Horford on the court together over the last two games. I just don’t think Lue has the pieces to counter this move — instead, Cleveland will need to make a bunch of 3s tonight or instead hope that James has yet another super-human game left in the tank. Yet it is Boston that is due to see more shots fall after they made only 36.5% of their shots on Wednesday which was the worst offensive effort in their last 21 games. The Celtics are seeing tons of shots at the rim bounce-out: they made just 11 of their 27 (40.7%) layups or dunks in Game Five and they are making just 56.3% of their shots at the rim in this series as compared to the 62.9% shooting percentage at the rim for the other three teams in the Conference Finals. Boston covers the point spread in Game Four in Cleveland if they just make one or two more layups (hello, Jaylen Brown). The Celtics should respond well to this challenge as they have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 18 games after a double-digit win at home. Boston has also covered the point spread in 23 of their last 33 games as an underdog. And in their last 7 opportunities to closeout a playoff series, the Celtics have covered the point spread in 5 of these games.

FINAL TAKE: Boston should play their best game in Cleveland tonight while the Regression Gods should help to see a few more of their shots at the rim actually fall. The Cavaliers may force a Game Seven tonight but expect the closest game of this series. 25* NBA Friday Night Special Feature with the Boston Celtics (709) plus the points versus the Cleveland Cavaliers (710). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:05 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the Golden State Warriors (507) minus (or plus) the point(s) versus the Houston Rockets (508). THE SITUATION: Houston (75-21) evened this series at 2-2 on Tuesday by rallying from an early 12-0 deficit to grind out a 95-92 upset win as an 8-point underdog while breaking the Warriors’ sixteen-game winning streak on their home court. This series returns to Houston’s Toyota Center for a decisive fifth game.

REASONS TO TAKE GOLDEN STATE PLUS THE POINTS: If that collapse by Golden State (68-28) was not a wake-up call for this team, then nothing will be for the defending champions whose biggest enemy all season has been complacency. I delayed a final decision on this game awaiting injury updates to Klay Thomson and Andre Iguodala. It looks like Thompson will play despite his left knee strain suffered on Tuesday. Iguodala will be a game-time decision. While the Warriors cleary missed Iguodala in Game Four, having Thompson healthy for this game is important. Yet the key for this game will be the play of their two superstars Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry who got lulled into too much isolation ball in Game Three. Golden State assisted on only 48.5% of their baskets on Tuesday which was far below their league-leading 64.4% assist on field goals mark for the regular season. Head coach Steve Kerr should have commanded his team’s attention on this aspect heading into tonight’s clash. As it is, the Warriors have covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games are an upset loss as a home favorite — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after a narrow loss by 3 points or less. Additionally, Golden State has covered the point spread in 8 of their 10 games when avenging a loss by 3 points or less. And in their last 14 games in Houston, the Warriors have covered the point spread 10 times. Houston may suffer a bit of a letdown after stealing Game Four after such a slow start.

At 8:35 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Boston Celtics (708) minus (or plus) the point(s) versus the Cleveland Cavaliers (707). THE SITUATION: Cleveland (60-37) held serve at home and evened this series at 2-2 with their 111-102 win over the Celtics as a 7-point favorite. This series moves to Boston (65-33) for Game Five.

REASONS TO TAKE BOSTON PLUS THE POINTS: The Cavaliers are unlikely to continue their strong play going back on the road where they have failed to cover the point spread in 17 of their last 25 games against teams with a winning record at home. And while this is Cleveland’s fifth game in the last fourteen days, they have failed to cover the point spread in 23 of their last 31 games when playing no more than their sixth game in fourteen days. An emotional letdown is likely for this team after they raced out to double-digit leads in both the previous two games in Cleveland. The Cavs have then failed to cover the point spread in 3 of their last 4 games after owning double-digit halftime leads in their previous two games. Cleveland has outworked this younger Celtics team as well as they out-rebounded them by +10 and +11 boards in the last two games of this series. But the Cavaliers have failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 12 games after winning the rebounding battle by double-digits in two straight games. Boston should start much better back on their home court where they have covered the point spread in 18 of their last 24 games. Additionally, the Celtics have bounced-back to cover the point spread in 13 of their last 16 games after a loss on the road — and they have covered the point spread in 9 of their last 11 games after losing their last two games in the road. Furthermore, Boston has covered the point spread in 23 of their last 29 games when playing with revenge — and they have covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games when playing with double-revenge. Head coach Brad Stevens usually sees his team perform well in these expected close contests. The Celtics have covered the point spread in 17 of their last 24 games when listed in the +/- 3-point range — and this includes them covering the point spread in eight of their last ten games at home when in the +/- 3-point range. Lastly, Boston has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games when a playoff series is tied.

FINAL TAKE: While Boston is undefeated at home in these playoffs, that is not nearly enough of a reason to take the Celtics against a LeBron James team. But certainly this young Celtics team plays better on their home court — and the Cavs may not be able to avoid exhaling a small sigh of relief while lowering their sense of urgency after being down 0-2 in this series. 25* NBA Eastern Conference Game of the Year with the Boston Celtics (708) minus (or plus) the point(s) versus the Cleveland Cavaliers (707). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:15 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Washington Capitals (53) and the Tampa Bay Lightning (54). THE SITUATION: Washington (61-32-7) forced a climactic Game Seven on Monday with their 3-0 shutout victory over the Lightning. This series returns to Tampa Bay (64-29-7) for Game Seven to determine the Eastern Conference champion.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: There are historical angles that provide evidence how teams respond to situations similar to the circumstances facing the two teams in question but there are also team trends that offer specific support regarding how those particular teams have responded in the past. With Washington and Tampa Bay, we have a good sample size of recent evidence suggesting a team personality regarding how they should respond tonight. The Lightning have played 9 of their last 12 games Under the Total after getting shutout — and they have also played 9 of their last 12 games Under the Total when avenging an upset loss to their opponent. Furthermore, Tampa Bay has played 4 straight games Under the Total after suffering a loss by at least three goals. Additionally, the Lightning have played 20 of their last 28 playoff games Under the Total when tied in a playoff series. And in their last 7 Game Sevens in the NHL Playoffs, Tampa Bay has played all 7 games Under the Total. Washington has played 8 of their last 9 Game Sevens Under the Total. Furthermore, the Capitals have played 22 of their last 27 games Under the Total when attempting to closeout a playoff series — and this includes them playing six of their last seven closeout games Under the Total. Lastly, the Under is 3-1-1 in Washington’s last 5 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home ice.

FINAL TAKE: The oddsmakers have finally moved the Total off of 6 down to 5.5 for this contest. Despite that move, the Under remains a strong play. 25* NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Game Seven O/U Special Feature with Under the Total in the game between the Washington Capitals (53) and the Tampa Bay Lightning (54). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 1:15 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Kansas City Royals (975) and the St. Louis Cardinals (976) listing both starting pitchers Jakob Junis and Michael Wacha. THE SITUATION: Kansas City (15-33) won the second game of this series last night by a 5-1 score. This three-game series concludes this afternoon in this getaway game in St. Louis (26-20).

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Royals have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a win — and they have also played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after scoring at least five runs in their last contest. They give the ball to Junes who is 5-3 with a 3.51 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP in nine starts this season. The right-hander has been more effective on the road where he sports a 2.70 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and .202 opponent’s batting average in four starts as compared to his 4.25 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and .250 opponent’s batting average at home. Junis also is performing better in day games where he has a 2.75 ERA with a 1.07 WHIP in three starts which all finished Under the Total. Kansas City has also played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total with Junis pitching with the Total set in the 7 to 8.5 range. He faces a Cardinals team that has seen the Under go 11-4-3 in their last 18 games against right-handed starting pitchers — and the Under is 4-1-1 in their last 6 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.15 or lower. St. Louis has seen the Under go 6-2-2 in their last 10 games after a loss — and the Under is also 20-7-2 in their last 29 games after allowing at least five runs in their last game. Furthermore, the Under is 9-3-2 in the Cardinals’ last 14 home games. They counter with Wacha who is 5-1 with a 3.08 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP in nine starts this season — and he has not allowed more than two earned runs in each of his last six starts. The right-hander has been more effective at home where he has a 2.38 ERA in six starts as compared to his 4.60 ERA in three starts on the road. Last year, Wacha enjoyed a 3.41 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and .259 opponent’s batting average at home as compared to his 4.97 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and .277 opponent’s batting average on the road. The Cardinals have played 5 of their last 6 home games Under the Total with Wacha facing a team with a losing record. Wacha was also more effective during day games last year where he sported a 3.16 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and .252 opponent’s batting average as compared to his 4.64 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and .275 opponent’s batting average in night games.

FINAL TAKE: Expect both starting pitchers to see success in this afternoon midweek contest. 25* MLB Getaway Game Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Kansas City Royals (975) and the St. Louis Cardinals (976) listing both starting pitchers Jakob Junis and Michael Wacha. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:05 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Houston Rockets (505) and the Golden State Warriors (506). THE SITUATION: Golden State (68-27) took a 2-1 lead in this series on Sunday with their dominating 126-85 victory over the Rockets. They stay at home to host Game Four.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Golden State shot 52.2% from the field while making 13 of their 32 (40.6%) of their shots from behind the arc — and they will likely keep their offense clicking on all cylinders for this game. They have played 34 of their last 41 games Over the Total after a win by at least 20 points. They have also played an incredible 97 of their last 113 games Over the Total after winning two of their last three games. And while they held Houston (74-21) to just a 39.5% field goal percentage, they have played 28 of their last 30 games(!) Over the Total after not allowing more than 90 points in their last game. Furthermore, the Warriors have played 23 of their last 27 home games Over the Total with the number set at 220 or higher. Golden State has also played 22 of their last 28 home games when favored in the 6.5 to 12 point range. Additionally, the Warriors have played 26 of their last 35 playoff games Over the Total when leading in the series — and they have played 7 of their last 10 Game Fours in the playoffs Over the number. Houston failed to score in triple digits for the first time in these playoffs while that 39.5% field goal percentage was their lowest mark in eleven games. Even worse, their Offensive Rating of 87.9 in that game was their lowest number of the entire season. But the Rockets have then played 8 of their last 11 games Over the Total after a loss on the road. Houston has also played 7 of their last 9 games Over the Total after a loss by at least 10 points — and they have played 4 straight games Over the Total after a loss by at least 15 points. Furthermore, the Rockets have played 29 of their last 38 games Over the Total with the number set at 220 or higher — and this includes them playing thirteen of their last eighteen games on the road with the Total set at 220 or higher. Houston has also played 19 of their last 24 games Over the Total when avenging a loss where their opponent scored at least 100 points. Lastly, in their last 5 Game Fours in the playoffs, the Rockets have played 4 of these games Over the Total.

FINAL TAKE: Houston should play much better on offense in this game — especially with the Warriors’ Andre Iguodala now listed as doubtful for this game. Iguodala has been the primary defender on James Harden in this series. Golden State should continue to play well on offense at home as well which should result in the highest scoring game so far in this season. 25* NBA Western Conference Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Houston Rockets (505) and the Golden State Warriors (506). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:10 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Boston Red Sox (915) and the Tampa Bay Rays (916) listing both starting pitchers Chris Sale and Jake Faria. THE SITUATION: Boston (32-15) has won four of their last five games after their 5-0 win over Baltimore on Sunday. Tampa Bay (22-23) hosts this series after seeing their six-game winning streak snapped on Sunday with a 5-2 loss in Los Angeles against the Angels.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Boston has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after scoring at least five runs in their last game — and they have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total after a victory. Additionally, the Red Sox have played 4 straight games Under the Total on the road. They give the ball to Sale who is 4-1 with a 2.29 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP in ten starts this season. The left-hander has been a bit more effective on the road where he has a 0.83 WHIP and a .182 opponent’s batting average in six starts as compared to his 1.09 WHIP and .202 opponent’s batting average at home. The Red Sox have played 4 of their last 5 road games Under the Total with Sale on the hill. He should pitch better against this Tampa Bay team that is scoring only 4.0 Runs-Per-Game at home with a .253 batting average, .322 On-Base Percentage and .694 OPS. Furthermore, the Under is 4-1-1 in the Ray’s last 6 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.15 or lower — and the Under is 3-1-2 in their last 6 games against left-handed starting pitchers. Tampa Bay has seen the Under go 7-2-1 in their last 10 games after a loss. The Under is also 5-1-1 in their last 7 home games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. They counter with Faria who is 3-2 with a 5.20 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP in nine starts this season. The right-hander is struggling on the road with an 8.14 ERA and 1.56 WHIP but he has been much better at home where he sports a 1.74 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and .187 opponent’s batting average in four starts. The Under is 5-0-1 in Tampa Bay’s last 6 home games with Faria facing a team with a winning record. He faces a Boston team that sees their team batting average drop to a .253 mark with a .307 On-Base Percentage and .725 OPS when on the road. The Red Sox have played 6 of their last 7 road games Under the Total against right-handed starting pitchers. And in their last 7 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.30 or higher, the Under is 5-1-1.

FINAL TAKE: Faria usually pitches much better at home — this could end up being a pitching duel with Sale who is a bit more effective away from Fenway Park and it’s Green Monster. 25* MLB American League East Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Boston Red Sox (915) and the Tampa Bay Rays (916) listing both starting pitchers Chris Sale and Jake Faria. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:35 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Boston Celtics (705) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (706). THE SITUATION: Cleveland (59-37) rebounded from losing the first two games of this series in Boston (65-32) by returning home to win Game Three decisively by a 116-86 score as a 6.5-point favorite on Saturday. The Cavaliers host Game Four.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Cleveland nailed 17 of their 34 shots from behind the arc on Saturday and the evidence is quite strong that this strong play on offense will continue tonight as demonstrated by the established personality of this team. Cleveland has played a decisive 22 of their last 25 home games Over the Total after a win by at least 20 points. The Cavaliers have also played 40 of their last 47 home games Over the Total with the number set in the 200 to 209.5 point range — including six straight Overs. Furthermore, Cleveland has played 16 of their last 20 home games Over the Total as a favorite laying no more than 6 points. This team has played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total when playing with one day of rest. And in their last 28 Game Fours in the playoffs, the Cavs have played 20 of these games Over the Total — including eight of their last ten Game Fours. Boston has played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a straight-up loss — and the Over is 13-2-1 in their last 16 games after a point spread loss. The Celtics have also played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total after a loss on the road by double-digits. Furthermore, Boston has played 13 of their last 16 games Over the Total after a loss by at least 30 points. They made only 6 of their 22 (27.3%) shots from behind the arc en route to their 39.2% field goal percentage which was the worst offensive effort in their last nine games. The Celtics have played three straight Unders — but they have then played 6 straight games Over the Total after playing at least three straight Unders. Lastly, Boston has played 23 of their last 29 games Over the Total when playing with revenge — and this including them playing eight of their last nine games Over the Total when avenging a loss on the road.

FINAL TAKE: The team trends for both these teams strongly suggest that both will have strong offensive efforts. Cleveland will be playing with desperation down 2-1 while the Celtics can still feel loose with home court still in hand even with a loss. 25* NBA Playoff A-List O/U Special with Over the Total in the game between the Boston Celtics (705) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (706). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:10 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Tampa Bay Lightning (9) and the Washington Nationals (10). THE SITUATION: Tampa Bay (64-28-3) has won the last three games in this series on Saturday with their 3-2 victory. Washington (60-32-7) returns home looking to stave off elimination.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Capitals have played 11 of their last 13 games Under the Total when facing playoff elimination — they have plenty of experience in this situation. Washington has only scored two goals in each of their last three games — and they have seen the Under go 7-2-2 in their last 11 games after scoring two goals or less in their last game. The Capitals have been frustrated by Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy who has a .943 save percentage in these last three games. Washington returns home where the Under is 9-3-4 in their last 16 home games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. The Capitals have also played 10 of their last 12 home games Under the Total with the Total set at 6. Tampa Bay has scored at least three goals in each of these last three games — but they have then played 31 of their last 47 games Under the Total after scoring at least three goals in three straight games. The Lightning have also played 25 of their last 39 road games Under the Total after scoring at least three goals in three straight games. Additionally, the Under is 2-0-2 in Tampa Bay’s last 4 games after a victory. Lastly, the Lightning have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total when attempting to close out a playoff series.

FINAL TAKE: The Lightning are committing themselves to block shots to help protect a confident Vasilevskiy who has definitely found the form he enjoyed in the first-half of this season. The Caps have become a defensive-first team this year who should play tight but controlled in this potential elimination game. 25* NHL Eastern Conference Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Tampa Bay Lightning (9) and the Washington Nationals (10). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Golden State Warriors (504) minus the points versus the Houston Rockets (503). THE SITUATION: Houston (74-20) evened this series at 1-1 on Wednesday with their 127-105 victory over the Warriors. The series turns to Golden State (67-27) for Game Three.

REASONS TO TAKE GOLDEN STATE MINUS THE POINTS: The Warriors have lost only three times in the last two years in the NBA Playoffs — and they have outscored their opponent by +17.0 PPG after their previous two playoff losses. Golden State has covered the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games after a loss by at least 15 points — and they have also covered the point spread in 3 of their last 4 games after a loss by at least 20 points. Furthermore, the Warriors have covered the point spread 5 of their last 7 games after a point spread loss. Golden State has also covered the point spread in 7 of their last 11 games when avenging a loss on the road by at least 20 points. Look for Stephen Curry to play better tonight after making only 2 of his 13 shots from behind the arc and averaging just 17.0 PPG in the first two games in this series. The extra time off should help Curry — and the Warriors have covered the point spread in 4 straight games when playing with three or more days of rest. Golden State has also covered the point spread in 21 of their last 28 home games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. Houston (74-20) made 51.1% of their shots on Wednesday which is tied for their best field goal percentage in their last sixteen games. P.J. Tucker, Eric Gordon and Trevor Ariza combined to score 68 points on 23 of 33 (70%) shooting along with making 12 of their 18 (75%) shots from behind the arc — these secondary players are essential for this Rockets team to win this series. But a letdown is likely tonight as Houston is 3-13-1 ATS in their last 17 games after scoring at least 125 points in their last game. The Rockets have also failed to cover the point spread in 9 of their last 13 games after a straight-up win. A concern for this Houston team is controlling the boards as they have been out-rebounded by -15 and -13 rebounds in the first two games of this series. The Rockets have failed to cover the point spread in 3 of their last 4 games after being out-rebounded by at least 10 boards in their last two games. Lastly, Houston has failed to cover the point spread in 4 of their last 5 road games as an underdog.

CONCLUSION: Look for the Rockets role players to cool down while the Curry and the Warriors to play much better at home in the Oracle Center. 25* NBA Sunday Night Special Feature with the Golden State Warriors (504) minus the points versus the Houston Rockets (503). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Cleveland Indians (927) and the Houston Astros (928) listing both starting pitchers Carlos Carrasco and Lance McCullers. THE SITUATION: Cleveland (22-22) won the second game of this series yesterday with their 5-4 victory over the Astros. The series concludes tonight in Houston for Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Houston (29-18) has seen the Under go 3-1-1 in their last 5 games after a loss — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after allowing at least five runs in their last game. The Astros have also played 8 of their last 10 home games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage below 40% on the road — and they have played 22 of their last 29 games Under the Total played at night. They give then ball to McCullers who is 5-2 with a 3.63 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP in nine starts this season. The right-hander has been more effective at home where he has a 2.37 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and .212 opponent’s batting average in three starts at home as compared to his 4.36 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and .242 opponent’s batting average on the road. Houston has played 10 of their last 13 home games Under the Total with McCullers facing a team with a losing record. He faces an Indians team that has seen the Under go 7-3-1 in their last 11 road games against right-handed starting pitchers. Cleveland stranded three baserunners last night — and they have then played 16 of their last 26 games Under the Total after stranded three or fewer runners in their last game. The Indians have also played a decisive 47 of their last 38 road games Under the Total when priced in the +/- 125 price range. They counter with Carrasco who is 5-2 with a 3.66 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in nine starts. The right-hander has been very tough on the road where he sports a 2.78 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and .211 opponent’s batting average in five starts as compared to his 5.01 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and .250 opponent’s batting average in four starts at home. The Under is 11-4-1 in the Indians’ last 16 road games with Carrasco on the mound. He faces an Astros team that has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.15 or lower — and the Under is 19-7-1 in Houston’s last 27 games against right-handed starting pitchers.

CONCLUSION: Expect a pitcher’s duel between Carrasco and McCullers. 25* MLB Sunday Night ESPN Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Cleveland Indians (927) and the Houston Astros (928) listing both starting pitchers Carlos Carrasco and Lance McCullers. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:10 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Vegas Golden Knights (7) and the Winnipeg Jets (8). THE SITUATION: Vegas (54-30-7) seized a 3-1 lead in this series on Friday with their 3-2 victory over the Jets. This series returns to Winnipeg (61-26-11) for Game Five.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Both these teams are 8-1 if their score first in these playoffs — so not surrendering the first goal will be a priority for both teams. The Jets have only scored five goals in their last three games as goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has stymied them with a 1.67 Goals-Against-Average and a .951 save percentage in the last three games of this series which the Golden Knights have won. Winnipeg has played 13 of their last 19 games Under the Total after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. And while the Jets lost Game Three of this series by a 4-3 score, they have then played 11 of their last 15 games Under the Total when attempting to avenge two straight loss to their opponent who scored at least three goals in both those victories. Winnipeg returns home where they are allowing only 2.25 Goals-Per-Game in eight postseason games — and the Under is 3-1-1 in their last 5 games at home against teams with a winning record on the road. Vegas has seen the Under go 3-1-1 in their last 5 games following a win — and they have played 15 of their last 22 road games Under the Total after playing a game that finished Under the Total. The Golden Knights are allowing only 2.0 Goals-Per-Game in their seven playoff games away from home. The Under is 3-0-1 in their last 4 games on the road. And in their last 6 playoff games when leading in the series, Vegas has played 5 of these games Under the Total.

CONCLUSION: Winnipeg has made too many mistakes which have created scoring opportunities for Vegas. The Golden Knights should remain patient this afternoon while the Jets play cautiously to stop their miscues. 25* NHL Conference Finals NBC-TV Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Vegas Golden Knights (7) and the Winnipeg Jets (8). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:10 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Seattle Mariners (978) minus the -1.5 Run-Line versus the Detroit Tigers (977) listing both starting pitchers James Paxton and Mike Fiers. THE SITUATION: Seattle (25-19) won the second game of this series last night with their 5-4 victory.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MARINERS MINUS THE -1.5 RUN-LINE: The Mariners snapped a two-game losing streak with that win last night — and they have then won 10 of their last 13 games after dropping two of their last three games. Seattle’s bullpen did not allow an earned run last night — and they have then won 10 of their last 13 games after not allowing an earned run in their last contest. Additionally, the Mariners have won 7 of the last 10 home games against teams with a winning percentage below 40% on the road — and they have won 17 of their last 26 games played at night. They give the ball to Paxton who is 2-1 with a 3.52 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP this season. Over his last three starts, the left-hander has a 1.23 ERA with a 0.68 WHIP with a 27:4 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 22 innings of work. Paxton also thrives at night where he has a 2.25 ERA with a 1.00 WHIP in five starts this year. Seattle has won 4 of their last 5 games at night with Paxton on the mound. He should fare well against this Tigers team that has lost 10 of their last 14 games against starting pitchers with a WHIP of 1.15 or lower. Detroit (20-24) has not hit a home run in three straight games — and they have lost 27 of their last 37 games after failing to hit a home run in at least two straight games. The Tigers have also lost 14 of their last 19 games on the road — and they have lost 21 of their last 28 games against teams with a winning record. They counter with Fires who is 4-2 with a 4.23 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP in seven starts so far with the Tigers. His SIERA and xFIP suggest he is overvalued with those sabermetrics predicting a 4.47 and 4.74 ERA respectively moving forward. Furthermore, Fires’ teams have lost 10 of their last 16 road games with the Total set in the 7 to 8.5 range. He faces a Mariners team that has won 4 of their last 5 games against right-handed starting pitchers. Lastly, because the Tigers have a team batting average of .259, they fall into an empirical “play-against” angle that has been 60% effective over the last five seasons. Road teams with a team batting average no better than .260 facing an American League starting pitcher with an ERA of 3.60 or lower on a Saturday have then failed to cover the +1.5 Run-Line in 90 of the last 151 situations where these conditions applied.

CONCLUSION: With Seattle a big money-line favorite priced in the -260 range, the better value play is to reduce the investment price by laying the -1.5 Run-Line. 25* MLB American League Run-Line of the Month is with the Seattle Mariners (978) minus the -1.5 Run-Line versus the Detroit Tigers (977) listing both starting pitchers James Paxton and Mike Fiers. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:35 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the Cleveland Cavaliers (704) minus the points versus the Boston Celtics (703). THE SITUATION: Boston (65-31) held serve on their home court by winning Game Two of this series on Tuesday with their 107-94 victory as a 1-point favorite. Cleveland (58-37) returns home down 0-2 in this series in what appears to be a must-win situation.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CAVALIERS MINUS THE POINTS: The Cavaliers seemed to be in good shape (and the Over certainly did) when they went to the locker rooms with a 55-48 lead. Only scoring 39 second-half points did them (and the Over) in. Cleveland can take something positive from that game in that they held the Celtics to just a 43.5% field goal percentage which was the best defensive effort in their last five games. Returning home should where they shot 48.1% and then 59.5% in their two games in their previous series against the Raptors. The supporting cast makes more of their shots at home and LeBron James should have enough energy with the extended time off since Game Two. The Cavaliers have covered the point spread in 16 of their last 27 Game Threes in the NBA Playoffs. Boston (65-31) look like world beaters right now with head coach Brad Stevens being anointed as a genius in many circles. But this will be their first game away from home since May 7th where they lost to the 76ers by 11 points while shooting only 41.3% from the field. The Celtics are just 1-4 on the road in these playoffs while shooting better than 41.4% from the field just once. Their young talent that has thrived at home this postseason have not been nearly as good when playing in hostile environments. Boston has failed to cover the point spread in 12 of their last 15 games after winning their last three games at home. And in their last 13 games when playing no more than their third game in ten days, the Celtics have failed to cover the point spread 9 times.

CONCLUSION: It is too early to write the obituary for this Cavaliers team that just less than two weeks ago looked great in sweeping a Toronto team that had the best record in the Eastern Conference. 25* NBA Saturday Night Special Feature with the Cleveland Cavaliers (704) minus the points versus the Boston Celtics (703). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:10 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Winnipeg Jets (61) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (62). THE SITUATION: Vegas (53-20-7) seized a 2-1 lead in this series with their 4-2 win over the Jets on Wednesday. They host Game Four.

REASONS TO TAKE WINNIPEG WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Jets have lost two straight games in the playoffs for the first time this postseason. The last time they lost more than one game in a row was back on March 10th-13th. But a victory on Friday has them return home with home ice advantage once again with this series tied at two games apiece. They started slowly on Wednesday perhaps being uncomfortable with the rowdy Vegas crowd — but they outplayed the Golden Knights for most of the 2nd and 3rd periods where they peppered goalie Marc-Andre Fleury with 30 of their 35 shots on they put on net overall. Expect Winnipeg to play their best game in this series tonight as they have won 10 of their last 12 games after a loss on the road by at least two goals. The Jets have also won 8 of their last 10 games after losing their last two games. Winnipeg had won four of their last five games on the road in these playoffs before that loss on Wednesday while averaging 4.2 Goals-Per-Game in those contests. Overall, the Jets have won 7 of their last 10 games on the road going back to the regular season. They have also won 23 of their last 31 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last contest — including winning ten of those last eleven situations. Furthermore, Winnipeg has won 27 of their last 32 games when playing with same-season revenge which includes them winning fourteen of their last fifteen games when avenging a loss of at least two goals. And in their last 20 opportunities to play with revenge from two straight losses, the Jets have won 15 of these games. Vegas won Game Two of this series by a 3-1 score — but they have then lost 7 of their last 11 games after winning two straight games by at least two goals. And while it was the Golden Knights’ depth combined with head coach Gerard Gallant’s commitment to rolling four forward lines with three defensive pairs in the first rounds in the playoffs, this Winnipeg team matches their roster depth. Lastly, while Fleury was spectacular on Wednesday, he has been inconsistent as of late as he has allowed at least three goals in five of his last eight starts this postseason since posting a shutout in the opening game of the San Jose series.

CONCLUSION: This shapes up to be a long series. Look for the Jets to even this series at 2-2. 25* NHL Western Conference Playoff Game of the Year with the money-line on the Winnipeg Jets (61) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (62). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:10 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the Milwaukee Brewers (929) plus the +1.5 Run-Line versus the Minnesota Twins (930) listing both starting pitchers Kyle Gibson and Brent Suter. THE SITUATION: Milwaukee (26-18) has won five of their last seven games with their 8-2 win in Arizona yesterday. Minnesota (18-25) has lost three of their last four contests with their 7-05 loss to St. Louis on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BREWERS PLUS THE +1.5 RUN-LINE: Milwaukee has stranded three and five baserunners over their last two games — and they have then won 12 of their last 17 games after stranding less than five runners in two straight games. The Brewers have also won 8 of their last 10 games on the road — and they have won 13 of their last 16 games against teams with a losing record. They give the ball to Suter who is 2-3 with a 5.14 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP in seven starts this season. The left-hander has been more effective on the road where he has a 4.43 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and .263 opponent’s batting average in four starts as compared to his 5.82 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and .308 opponent’s batting average in three starts at home. These disparate home/road split stats are consistent with last season where Suter had a 2.86 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP on the road as compared to his 3.83 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and .264 opponent’s batting average when at home. The Brewers have also won 5 of their last 6 games with Suter facing a team that scored at least five runs in their last game. Minnesota (18-25) has lost 5 straight games after an off day. They stay at home where they have lost 5 of their last 7 games — and they have lost 11 of their last 16 home games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. They counter with Gibson who is 1-1 with a 3.43 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in eight starts this season. But the right-hander has not been as effective at home where he owns a 5.27 ERA, 1.90 WHIP and .322 opponent’s batting average in three starts as compared to his 2.61 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and .129 opponent’s batting average when on the road. Last year, Gibson had a 5.72 ERA along with a 1.66 WHIP and .313 opponent’s batting average at home versus a 4.34 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and .266 opponent’s batting average when on the road. The Twins have lost 5 of their last 7 home games with Gibson facing a team with a winning record. He faces a Brewers team that has won 19 of their last 26 road games against right-handed starting pitchers.

CONCLUSION: While Gibson has improved going back to his last eight starts last season, he has consistently not been as good when at home. The Brewers can easily win this game but with them priced below the -150 threshold when getting the valuable +1.5 runs, the Run-Line play offers more value. 25* MLB Run-Line Underdog of the Month with the Milwaukee Brewers (929) plus the +1.5 Run-Line versus the Minnesota Twins (930) listing both starting pitchers Kyle Gibson and Brent Suter. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:15 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Colorado Rockies (959) versus the San Francisco Giants (960) listing both starting pitchers Chad Bettis and Jeff Samardzija. THE SITUATION: Colorado (23-20) takes the field again after an off-day following their 4-0 shutout loss in San Diego to the Padres on Tuesday. San Francisco (22-22) saw their three-game winning streak snapped yesterday with their 6-3 loss to Cincinnati.

REASONS TO TAKE THE ROCKIES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Giants have lost 5 of their last 6 games after a loss. San Francisco has also lost 6 of their last 7 games against teams with a winning record. They give the ball to Samardzija who is 1-2 with an 8.31 ERA and a 2.19 WHIP in five starts this season after starting the year on the disabled list with a pectoral injury. The right-hander has been pummeled at home in AT&T Park where he has been saddled with an 8.31 ERA along with a 2.19 WHIP and .342 opponent’s batting average. He allowed a career-high 1.3 Home Runs per 9 innings pitched last year — and he has already surrendered five homers in the 23 21/3 innings he has thrown this year for a rough 1.93 Home Runs per 9 innings rate. He has also issued 15 walks for a terrible 13.6% wake rate after posting a career-low 3.8% walk rate last season. The Giants have lost 5 of their last 6 games with Samardzija facing a team with a winning record — and they have also lost 9 of their last 13 home games with Samardzija facing a team with a winning record. The Giants have also lost 4 of the last 5 games with Samardzija facing the Rockies. He will likely struggle again against this Rockies team that has won 5 of their last 6 road games against right-handed starting pitchers. Colorado has won 4 of their last 5 games after an off-day. The Rockies have also won 6 of their last 7 games on the road to bolster their 16-9 mark away from Coors Field this season. And while they only stranded three runners on Tuesday against the Padres, they have then won 14 of their last 15 games after not leaving more than three runners on base in their last game. They counter with Bettis who is 4-1 with a 3.12 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP in eight starts this season. The right-hander has been very good when away from Coors as he has a 1.35 ERA with a 0.99 WHIP and .197 opponent’s batting average in five road starts. Colorado has won 4 of their last 5 road games with Bettis on the bump. Lastly, the Rockies are live dogs tonight who have won 11 of their last 15 road games as an underdog priced at +100 or higher.

CONCLUSION: Bettis should outpitch the struggling Samardzija for this Rockies team that plays much better on the road. 25* MLB Underdog of the Month with the money-line on the Colorado Rockies (959) versus the San Francisco Giants (960) listing both starting pitchers Chad Bettis and Jeff Samardzija. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:10 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Oakland A’s (915) and the Boston Red Sox (916) listing both starting pitchers Trevor Cahill and Chris Sale. THE SITUATION: Oakland (21-21) won the second game of this series last night with their 5-3 victory in Boston.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The A’s have played 7 of their last 10 road games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home. Oakland has also played 3 of their last 4 games Over the Total as a big underdog priced in the +175 to +200 price range. They send out Cahill who is coming off the 10-day disabled list exactly ten days after going on the DL — and his teams have played 4 straight games Over the Total when he was pitching with at least ten days between starts. The right-hander has a 1-1 record with a 2.25 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in four starts — but he has a 4.91 ERA in two starts on the road while not yet allowing an earned run in his two starts at home. Last year, Cahill had an awful 7.07 ERA with a 1.97 WHIP and .320 opponent’s batting average when pitching on the road in his stints with Kansas City and San Diego. The Over is 3-0-1 in Cahill’s last 4 road starts. He faces a strong hitting team in Fenway Park as Boston is scoring 6.5 Runs-Per-Game at home with a .287 batting average along with a .804 OPS. The Over is 9-3-1 in the Red Sox’s last 13 home games against teams against a right-handed starting pitcher. Boston (28-14) has played 12 of their last 17 home games Over the Total against teams with a losing record on the road. The Red Sox have also played 6 of their last 9 home games with the Total set in the 8 to 8.5 range. They counter with Sale who is 3-1 with a 2.17 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP in nine starts this season. The left-hander has not been as effective at home with the Green Monster looming in left-field with his 1.06 WHIP and .224 opponent’s batting average in three starts as compared to his 0.83 WHIP and .182 opponent’s batting average on the road. These disparate home/road splits are consistent with last season where Sale had a 2.17 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and .203 opponent’s batting average on the road with those numbers all rising to a 3.16 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and .215 opponent’s batting average at home. Boston has played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total with Sale on the hill. Lastly, the Over is 26-8-2 in the A’s last 36 games against teams using a starting pitcher with a WHIP of 1.15 or lower.

CONCLUSION: The Red Sox should pound Cahill while Sale should give up a few runs on his end of things. 25* MLB American League Total of the Month with Over the Total in the game between the Oakland A’s (915) and the Boston Red Sox (916) listing both starting pitchers Trevor Cahill and Chris Sale. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:35 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Cleveland Cavaliers (701) and the Boston Celtics (702). THE SITUATION: Boston (64-31) was dominant on Sunday as they crushed the Cavaliers in the opening game of the Eastern Conference Finals by a 108-83 score as a 1-point underdog. The Celtics host Game Two.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Cavaliers were dreadful on offense in this game as they made only 4 of their 26 (15.4%) of their 3-point shots while shooting just 36% from the field. That was their worst field goal percentage in their last 44 games. Cleveland has played 4 straight games Over the Total after a point spread loss — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after allowing at least 100 points in their last game. Additionally, the Cavs have played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total when playing with one day of rest. Furthermore, Cleveland has played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total when avenging a loss that was by at least 20 points. Boston (64-31) is not likely to play as well on defense in this contest when considering that the Cavs’ 36% field goal percentage was their lowest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last 43 contests. The Celtics have played 10 of their last 11 games Over the Total after a win by at least 10 points — and they have played 8 of their last 10 games Over the Total after a win by at least 15 points. And in their last 12 games at home in TD Garden, Boston has played 10 of these games Over the Total.

CONCLUSION: This should be a close game which will drive the combined score over the number. 25* NBA Eastern Conference Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Cleveland Cavaliers (701) and the Boston Celtics (702). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:10 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (1) versus the Washington Capitals (2). THE SITUATION: Washington (62-27-3) returns home with a commanding 2-0 lead in this series after their 6-2 win over the Lightning on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE TAMPA BAY WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Capitals have played much better on the road in these playoffs away from their home fans who quickly turn on their team if things don’t go swimmingly after years of being burned with playoff disappointments after winning the President’s Trophy for the best record in the regular season. Washington is just 3-3 on their home ice in this postseason. The Caps have lost 7 of their last 10 games after scoring at least five goals in their last game. They have also lost 5 of their last 8 games after a win on the road by at least three goals. And while Washington have won their last four games, they have then lost 6 of their last 8 games after being unbeaten in at least four straight games. This Capitals team may return home a bit overconfident with two wins on the road after confronting their demons in the Pittsburgh Penguins last round. Scoring first has been critical in these first two games as it allows the Caps to sit back and play their 1-1-3 zone defense that has found success in forcing turnovers to trigger odd-man rushes. Tampa Bay (62-27-3) remains a very good team that has won 4 of their last 5 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home ice. The Lightning may have struggled in these first two games after slaying their proverbial dragon in Atlantic Division rival Boston last round. They should be scared straight now — and they have won 4 of their last 5 games are a loss by at least thee goals. They also have won 37 of their last 50 hames after a game where at least seven combined goals were scored. They should get better goaltending play from Andrei Vasilevskiy who has an .839 save percentage in the first two games after entering the Eastern Conference Finals with a 2.20 Goals-Against-Average and a .927 save percentage in the playoffs. Not making him try to stop odd-man rushes will certainly help. It will also help for the Lightning to score more goals — and they have won 5 of their last 6 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. Tampa Bay has won 23 of their last 34 games when trailing in the playoffs. They also have won 12 of their last 17 games when avenging a loss where their opponent scored at least five goals. Lastly, the Lightning have won 8 straight games when looking to avenge two straight losses to their opponents by at least two goals.

CONCLUSION: This Tampa Bay team is more experienced than the Capitals with most of the core players remaining on this roster from the group that reached the Stanley Cup Finals two years ago. 25* NHL Eastern Conference Game of the Year with the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (1) versus the Washington Capitals (2). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:05 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Los Angeles Angels (914) plus the +1.5 Run-Line versus the Houston Astros (913) listing both starting pitchers Andrew Heaney and Lance McCullers. THE SITUATION: Houston (26-16) has won two straight games as well as five of their last six contests with their 6-1 win over the Rangers yesterday. Los Angeles (24-16) enters this series coming off a 2-1 win over the Twins.

REASONS TO TAKE THE ANGELS PLUS THE +1.5 RUN-LINE: The Astros have not allowed more than three runs in seven straight games — but they have then lost 10 of their last 15 games after not allowing at least four runs in six straight games. Houston has also lost 5 of their last 8 games when a money-line favorite in the -100 to -150 price range. They give the ball to McCullers who is 5-1 with a 3.72 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP in eight starts this season. The right-hander has not been as effective on the road where he has a 4.67 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and .250 opponent’s batting average in five starts as compared to his 2.37 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and .212 opponent’s batting average in three starts at home. These disparate home/road splits are consistent with last year where McCullers had a 5.14 ERA with a 1.39 WHIP and .269 opponent’s batting average as opposed to his 3.04 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and .222 opponent’s batting average at home. Houston has lost 4 straight opening games to a new series with McCullers on the mound. McCullers last pitched on May 8th — and the Astros have lost 18 of their last 29 games when he is pitching with five or six days of rest. The Angels have won 7 of their last 10 games against right-handed starting pitchers. Los Angeles has won 5 of their last 7 games after failing to score more than two runs in their last game — and they have won 22 of their last 29 games after allowing two runs or less in their last game. They counter with Heaney who is 1-2 with a 4.78 ERA and 1.37 WHIP in five starts this year. The left-hander’s sabermetrics are encouraging with his SIERA and xFIP projecting an ERA of 3.69 and 3.34 moving forward. He should keep the Angels close at home where they have won 5 of their last 7 games. Lastly, because Heaney is averaging 5.8 strikeouts per start, Los Angeles is supported by a Run-Line specific angle that has been 66% effective since 1997. The Angels have a .260 team batting average — and American League teams with a batting average no better than .260 using a starting pitcher who strikes out at least five batters per start have then covered the +1.5 Run-Line in 364 of the last 556 situations where these conditions applied.

CONCLUSION: McCullers remains overvalued when pitching away from Minute Maid Park. With the Run-Line listed in the -150 range for the Angels as a dog, it is worth the price. 25* MLB American League West Run-Line Underdog of the Month with the Los Angeles Angels (914) plus the +1.5 Run-Line versus the Houston Astros (913) listing both starting pitchers Andrew Heaney and Lance McCullers. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Arizona Diamondbacks (964) versus the Washington Nationals (963) listing both starting pitchers Zack Godley and Jeremy Hellickson. THE SITUATION: Washington (23-18) has won the first three games of this series — as well as twelve of their last fourteen games — with their 3-1 victory over the Diamondbacks. Arizona has dropped four in a row as well as their four encounters with the Nationals.

REASONS TO TAKE THE DIAMONDBACKS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Arizona has only scored three runs in this series which is a big reason all three games in this series have finished Under the Total — but the Diamondbacks have then won 6 of their last 8 games after playing at least three straight Unders. The silver lining for this team is that their bullpen has not allowed an earned run in the last two games — and they have won 6 of their last 8 games when their bullpen is unscathed for at least two days. And while the Nationals are now 13-8 on the road this year, Arizona has still won 5 of their last 6 home games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. They turn to Godley who is 4-2 with a 3.83 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP in seven starts this season. The right-hander has been much better at home where he sees his ERA drop to a 1.96 mark with a 1.09 WHIP. Last year, Godley had a 1.03 WHIP and .198 opponent’s batting average at home as compared to his 1.25 WHIP and .212 opponent’s batting average when on the road. The Diamondbacks have won 7 of their last 8 home games with Godley on the hill. Arizona has also won 16 of their last 20 home games when playing with double-revenge — and they have won 15 of their last 21 games against opponents who have beaten them at least four times in a row. Washington has lost 12 of their last 18 games after allowing no more than one run in at least two straight games. And while the Nats have not allowed more than two runs in five straight games, they have then lost 9 of their last 12 game safer allowing three runs or less in five straight games. This is Washington’s seventh game in a row on the road — and they have lost 6 of their last 8 games after playing at least five in a row on the road. They counter with Hellickson who is 1-0 with a 2.28 ERA and 0.87 WHIP in five starts this season. The right-hander has not allowed an earned run in two straight starts — but his sabermetrics suggests that he should be performing closer to ERA levels of 3.80 and 3.60 according to his SIERA and xFIP. He had a 5.43 ERA last year in his stints with the Phillies and the Orioles. Furthermore, Hellickson’s teams have lost 14 of their last 20 games after allowing one or less earned run in two straight starts.

CONCLUSION: Although Washington is streaking, momentum only lasts as long as the next starting pitcher. The Diamondbacks are a good team that wants to avoid being swept after losing their first series of the year with yesterday’s loss. 25* MLB Sunday Night ESPN Game of the Month with the Arizona Diamondbacks (964) versus the Washington Nationals (963) listing both starting pitchers Zack Godley and Jeremy Hellickson. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:35 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the Boston Celtics (734) plus (or minus) the point(s) versus the Cleveland Cavaliers (733). THE SITUATION: Cleveland (58-35) takes the court again after sweeping Toronto in four-games after their 128-93 victory on Monday. Boston (63-31) dispatched of the 76ers in five games with their 114-112 win on Wednesday — they host the first two games of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CELTICS PLUS (OR MINUS) THE POINT(S): Cleveland is likely to experience some rust in this game after the extended time away from the court — they have failed to cover the point spread in 5 straight games when playing with at least three days of rest. They torched the hoops on Monday by making 12 of their 26 (46.2%) of their 3-pointers en route to a 59.5% field goal percentage which was tied for the best offensive performance in their last 22 games. But the Cavaliers have failed to cover the point spread in 14 of their last 22 games after scoring at least 120 points in their last game. Cleveland has also failed to cover the point spread in 8 of their last 13 games after a victory by at least 15 points. Now this team goes back on the road where they have failed to cover the point spread in 18 of their last 27 road games as a favorite — and this includes failing to cover the point spread in twelve of their last seventeen road games when favored by 6 points or less. Boston has covered the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games when playing with at least three days of rest. The Celtics have also covered the point spread in 5 straight games after allowing at least 100 points in their last game. Boston is undefeated at home in the playoffs — and they have covered the point spread in 13 of their last 16 games on their home court. They also have covered the point spread in 11 of their last 12 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. The Celtics have also covered the point spread in 15 of their last 22 games when listed in the +/- 3-point range. Lastly, this is the first meeting between these two teams since their showdown back on February 11th in that Sunday afternoon game which was the debut of the new players the Cavs’ acquired at the trade deadline. Cleveland dominated that game by a 121-99 score — but Boston has covered the point spread in 22 of their last 27 games when playing with revenge and this includes covering their last ten games when avenging a double-digit loss.

CONCLUSION: The Celtics young players are very comfortable playing at home right now — look for them to outplay the supporting cast of LeBron James this afternoon. 25* NBA Eastern Conference ABC-TV Game of the Year with the Boston Celtics (734) plus (or minus) the point(s) versus the Cleveland Cavaliers (733). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:10 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Winnipeg Jets (22) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (21). THE SITUATION: Winnipeg (60-23-11) advanced to the Western Conference Finals by defeating the Predators in Nashville on Thursday by a 5-1 score in the seventh game of that series. Vegas (51-29-7) takes the ice again after disposing of San Jose in six games with their 3-0 win last Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE WINNIPEG WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Jets should benefit from still being in the rhythm in their intense series with the Predators. Winnipeg has won 16 of their last 22 games after a win. The Jets have also won 5 of their last 7 games after scoring at least five goals in their last contest — and they have won 11 of their last 14 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. Winnipeg entered these playoffs with a roster generally lacking in playoff experience — but that has quickly been rectified over the last month. Years of high draft choices has loaded this team with elite young talent that is superior to the albeit scrappy castaways that make of the Golden Knights’ team. And while Vegas has enjoyed a depth advantage all season with head coach Gerard Gallant committed to rolling with four forward lines and three defensive pairs, this Jets team can match their depth. Winnipeg’s physical play was able to neutralize the speed edge of Nashville last round — and that spells trouble for Vegas now. The Golden Knights are likely to be rusty tonight after being off for six days. Vegas has also lost 4 of their last 6 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home ice. The Jets have won 42 of their last 53 games at home. And while they lost to the Golden Knights by a 3-2 score in the last meeting between these two teams on February 1st, they have won 26 of their last 30 games when looking to avenge a same-season loss.

CONCLUSION: Winnipeg has two situational advantages with them still in the zone from their grueling series with the Predators and Vegas having almost a week off with rest that may help them as the series moves along. 25* NHL Western Conference NBC-TV Game of the Year with the money-line on the Winnipeg Jets (22) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (21). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Pittsburgh Pirates (906) versus the San Francisco Giants (905) listing both starting pitchers Chad Kuhl and Jeff Samardzija. THE SITUATION: Pittsburgh (22-16) has now won four games in a row with their 11-2  last night in the opening game of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE PITTSBURGH WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Pirates have now won 6 straight games at home — and they have won 10 of their last 13 games with the Total set in the 8.5 to 10 range. They give the ball to Kuhl tonight who is 4-2 with a 4.12 ERA and 1.30 WHIP this season. The right-hander is 4-2 with a 4.12 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in seven starts this season. He has been more effective at home where he owns a 3.18 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and .250 opponent’s batting average in three starts as compared to his 4.84 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and .273 opponent’s batting average in four road starts. Pittsburgh has won 8 of their last 10 home games with Kuhl on the hill. He should fare well against this Giants team that has lost 4 straight games against right-handed starting pitchers. San Francisco (19-20) has lost 5 straight games against teams with a winning record They also have lost 7 of their last 9 road games when priced in the +/- 125 range. They counter with Samardzija who is 1-2 with a 6.62 ERA and 1.81 WHIP in four starts this season after starting the year on the disabled list with a pectoral injury. Last year, the right-hander had a 4.81 ERA on the road which was much higher than his 3.97 ERA when at home. He allowed a career-high 1.3 Home Runs per 9 innings pitched last year — and he has already surrendered three homers in the 17 2/3 innings he has thrown this year. He has also issued 13 walks after posting a career-high 3.8% walk rate last season. The Giants have lost 5 of their last 6 road games with Samardzija facing a team with a winning record. Lastly, the Pirates have won 4 of their last 5 games against right-handed starting pitchers.

CONCLUSION: Pittsburgh is playing better baseball right now and has the starting pitcher edge tonight. 25* MLB National League Game of the Month with the money-line on the Pittsburgh Pirates (906) versus the San Francisco Giants (905) listing both starting pitchers Chad Kuhl and Jeff Samardzija. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the Philadelphia Phillies (952) versus the New York Mets (952) while listing both starting pitchers Jake Arrieta and Steven Matzo. THE SITUATION: Philadelphia (22-15) comes off a 6-3 win over the Giants yesterday to complete that four-game sweep where they scored 32 runs. New York (18-17) has lost two straight as well as eight of their last nine games after their 2-1 loss in Cincinnati on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PHILLIES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Philadelphia has won 13 of their last 17 home games after winning four or five of their last six games. The Phillies have also won 4 straight home games against teams with a winning record. They give the ball to Arrieta who is 3-1 with a 3.15 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP in six starts. The right-hander has been more effective in his new home in Philly as he has a 1.50 ERA with a 0.78 WHIP and .133 opponent’s batting average in three starts as compared to his 4.96 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and .279 opponent’s batting average in three starts on the road.

At 8:10 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Nashville Predators (54) versus the Winnipeg Jets (53). THE SITUATION: Nashville (60-22-4) forced a climactic Game Seven in this series with their 4-0 win over the Jets in Winnipeg on Monday. They host Game Seven back at Bridgestone Arena.

REASONS TO TAKE NASHVILLE WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Nashville has a significant edge in playoff experience with the core of the group that reached the Stanley Cup Finals last year. Predator players have combined to play 44 Game Sevens with their head coach Peter Laviolette having overseen victories in five of the seven Game Sevens he has coached. This is the first Game Seven for this Winnipeg franchise (59-23-11) that languished in its first ten years in Atlanta as the Thrashers. This young Jets team entered the season with a roster that played just 282 combined games in the playoffs. Nashville should build off the momentum of their key win on Monday as they have then won 5 of their last 7 games after a win by four goals or more — and they have won 11 of their last 16 games after a win on the road where they scored at least four goals. The Predators have also won 22 of their last 30 games after allowing two goals or less in their last contest. Additionally, Nashville has won 4 of their last 5 games when playing with two days of rest. Home ice advantage should finally pay off for this Predators team that has lost two of their three games at home in this series. Nashville was 9-2 at home in the playoffs last season while enjoying a 28-9-4 at home during the regular season. If they can score first at home, they should be in command as they can then deploy the trapping zone schemes that helped them win Games Four and Games Six by a combined 6-1 score. The Jets have struggled when facing adversity as they have lost 5 of their last 6 games after a loss at home by at least three goals — and they have lost 4 straight games after being shutout at home. Winnipeg has also lost 6 of their last 8 games when attempting to avenge a loss at home by at least three goals — and they have lost 6 of their last 9 games when playing with revenge from a shutout loss to their opponent. The Predators have won 5 of their last 8 opportunities to close out a playoff game.

CONCLUSION: Playoff and Game Seven experience combining with the home-ice advantage should help see the Predators through tonight. 25* NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Game Seven A-List Special with the money-line on the Nashville Predators (54) versus the Winnipeg Jets (53). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the Philadelphia 76ers (712) plus (or minus) the point(s) versus the Boston Celtics (711). THE SITUATION: Philadelphia (57-34) staved off elimination on Monday by defeating the Celtics by a 103-92 score to make this a 3-1 series. Boston (62-31) returns home to host Game Five at TD Garden with the opportunity to close things out.

REASONS TO TAKE PHILADELPHIA PLUS THE POINTS: I did a very deep dive for this contest. Most pundits consider the Celtics’ winning this series a foregone conclusion with the fact that NBA teams that take a 3-0 lead in a series have won all 129 times that has happened. Bettors have followed with Boston moving from a small underdog to them being a small favorite as of this writing. But the oddsmakers initially installed the 76ers as the favorites tonight for a reason. Remember, Philadelphia lost Game Two of this series by 5 points (blowing a 22-point lead in the first half) before losing Game Three by just 3 points in overtime as the Celtics have benefited from winning the two close games in this series. The Sixers were blown out in Game One in a situation I attributed to their playoff inexperience combining with a long layoff against a Boston team still dialed-in from their seven-game series with Milwaukee. And taking a farther step back, Philadelphia entered this series having won twenty of their twenty-one games — and they probably have the best two players on the court with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons (depending on how one evaluates Al Horford). The key move in Game Four was Philly head coach Brent Brown inserting T.J. McConnell into the starting lineup for Robert Covington. This triggered three changes in the dynamic of this series that helps the Sixers. First, McConnell’s playmaking abilities allow for Simmons to play off the ball on the post which helps him find scoring opportunities — he has been stymied in the first three games of this series with the Celtics daring him to shoot outside jumpers that is not a strength of his. Second, McConnell’s presence on the court with Simmons helps the Sixers push the pace to counter the shell that Boston was often creating around Simmons to slow him down. Third, McConnell offers a better defensive counter to T.J. Rozier — and it is this latter element that is the most promising for Philadelphia moving forward. Rozier scored only 11 points on Monday on 4 of 11 shooting which included only 1 of 6 shooting from 3-point land. He added just 2 assists. Rozier has been essential to the Celtics in these playoffs after this team ranked just 23rd in Offensive Efficiency in the last fifteen games of the regular season since the Kyrie Irving injury. In the first three games of this series, Rozier averaged 23.3 PPG along with 6 Assists-Per-Game while shooting 50% from the field (24-48) and from behind the arc (13-26). In what is not a coincidence, Rozier scored 22 PPG while tallying 6.3 Assists-Per-Game while making 50% of his shots from the field and 50% from 3-point land in Boston’s four wins over Milwaukee in the first round of the playoffs. But in the Celtics’ three losses in that series, Rozier averaged only 11.7 PPG on 27.8% shooting. For this young Boston team that is limited with offensive playmakers at this point of the season and needed seven games to survive against a Bucks team that was outscored by their opponents in the regular season, Rozier represents the key to their chances. Philadelphia may have dug a hole too deep to climb out of in this series — but I do expect them to make things interesting. They should build off the momentum of their win on Monday as they have covered the point spread in 14 of their last 19 games after a straight-up win — and they have covered the point spread in 10 of their last 13 games after a win by double-digits.

CONCLUSION: While the Celtics are undefeated in six home games this postseason, they were trailing by 22 points to these 76ers the last time they met in Boston — they needed the unique combination of poor play and terrible coaching to help them to seize momentum and quickly get back into that game before halftime. Look for Philadelphia to force a sixth game back home. 25* NBA 2nd Round Playoff Game of the Year with the Philadelphia 76ers (712) plus (or minus) the point(s) versus the Boston Celtics (711). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:35 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the New Orleans Pelicans (507) plus the points versus the Golden State Warriors (508). THE SITUATION: Golden State (65-26) seized a commanding 3-1 lead in this series on Sunday with their 118-92 win in New Orleans as a 6-point favorite. They return home to the Oracle Center with designs to close out this series in five games.

REASONS TO TAKE NEW ORLEANS PLUS THE POINTS: The Warriors shot 48.4% from the field in Game Four which is tied for the best effort on offense in their last six games. Don’t be surprised if the defending champions come out flat — they are are just 7-18-1 ATS in their last 26 games after a double-digit win. The Warriors have launched at 91 shots from the field in each of their last four games — but they have then failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games after taking at least 90 shot attempts in two straight games. Furthermore, Golden State has failed to cover the point spread in 7 of their last 10 games on their home court. And in their last 5 opportunities to close out a playoff series up 3-1, the Warriors have failed to cover the point spread 4 times. New Orleans (53-37) should play much better tonight after making only 36.4% of their shots on Sunday which was the worst offensive performance in their last 36 games. They made only 4 of their 26 (15.4%) shots from behind the arc. But the Pelicans have covered the point spread in 17 of their last 26 games when looking to avenge a loss where they allowed at least 110 points. They have also covered the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games when looking to avenge a loss at home by at least 20 points. Head coach Alvin Gentry had his team take yesterday off from practice given the heavy minutes his starters have been playing. Now they go back on the road where they have covered the point spread in 6 of their last 7 games — and they have also covered the point spread in 13 of their last 20 road games with the Total set in the 200 to 229.5-point range.

CONCLUSION: Expect the Pelicans to play like the team that was very competitive in the second and third games of this series. 25* NBA 2nd Round Playoff Bailout Game of the Year with the New Orleans Pelicans (507) plus the points versus the Golden State Warriors (508). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:05 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the Oakland A’s (920) plus the +1.5 Run-Line versus the Houston Astros (919) listing both starting pitchers Sean Manaea and Lance McCullers. THE SITUATION: Oakland (18-17) looks to bounce-back from their 16-2 loss to the Astros in the opening game of this series yesterday.

REASONS TO TAKE OAKLAND PLUS THE 1.5 RUN-LINE: The A’s have bounced-back to win 5 of their last 7 games after a loss. Oakland has also won 5 of their last 6 games last home — and they have won 8 of their last 11 home games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. They give the ball to Manaea who has been outstanding this season with a 1.63 ERA and a 0.68 WHIP behind a 4-3 record in seven starts this season. The left-hander has a no-hitter this year while seemingly fully recovered from an illness last summer that cost him 20 pounds in what resulted in a disappointing sophomore season. Manaea has been very tough at home where he has a 0.73 ERA and 0.41 WHIP in three starts — and his disparate home/road splits are consistent from last year where he had a 4.19 ERA and .265 opponent’s batting average at home versus a 4.50 ERA and .271 opponent’s batting average on the road. The A’s have won 5 of their last 6 home games with Manaea facing a team with a winning record. Houston (22-15) has lost 5 of their last 6 games after allowing no more than two runs in their last game. The Astros have also lost 5 of their last 7 games against teams with a winning record. They counter with McCullers who is 4-1 with a 3.73 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in seven starts this year. The right-hander has not been as effective on the road where he has a 4.91 ERA and 1.32 WHIP in four starts. McCullers was not quite as good on the road last year either as he had a 5.14 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and .269 opponent’s batting average on the road versus his 3.04 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and .222 opponent’s batting average when at home. Lastly, Houston has lost 5 of their last 7 games with McCullers pitching after a game where they scored at least five runs. Lastly, because Manaea is averaging 6.0 strikeouts per start, the A’s are supported by a historical Run-Line angle that has been 67% effective since 1997. Oakland has a .251 batting average this season — and American League teams not hitting better than .260 for the season using a starting pitcher who is striking out at least 5.0 batters per start have then covered the +1.5 Run-Line in 317 of the last 469 situations where these conditions applied.

CONCLUSION: With the A’s a money-line underdog in the +130 range which places their +1.5 Run-Line price in the -130 range, I recommend investing in the +1.5 Run-Line for insurance in this contest. 25* MLB American League West Run-Line Underdog of the Month with the Oakland A’s (920) plus the +1.5 Run-Line versus the Houston Astros (919) listing both starting pitchers Sean Manaea and Lance McCullers. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:35 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Toronto Raptors (503) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (504). THE SITUATION: Cleveland (57-35) has taken a commanding 3-0 lead in this series on Saturday with their 105-103 victory as a 4.5-point favorite over the Raptors. They host Game Four with the opportunity to close this series out.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Cavaliers raced out to a 55-40 lead at halftime on Saturday before holding on for that victory. Cleveland has then played 7 of their last 10 games Over the Total after leading at halftime by at least 15 points in their last game. The Cavaliers have also played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total when playing with one day of rest. Cleveland has won four straight games — but they have failed to cover the point spread in four of their last six games. The Cavs have played 26 of their last 38 home games Over the Total after only covering the point spread once or twice in their last six games. Cleveland has also played 6 of their last 9 playoff games Over the Total when playing with the possibility of closing out the series with a win. Toronto (63-28) has played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total after a point spread win — and they have also played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total after a loss by 3 points or less. Additionally, the Raptors have played 7 of their last 11 games Over the Total as a road underdog of 6 points or less. Toronto has played has lost five games in a row to the Cavaliers going back to the regular season. The Raptors have then played 15 of their last 21 games Over the Total when playing with triple revenge — and they have played 8 of their last 12 games Over the Total when facing an opponent that they have lost to at least four times in a row. Lastly, Toronto has played 11 of their last 16 games Over the Total in the playoffs when facing elimination.

CONCLUSION: Expect a high-scoring game with the Raptors playing like they did in the second-half where they scored 63 points with the pressure off after digging a likely insurmountable hole in this series. 25* NBA 2nd Round Playoff Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Toronto Raptors (503) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (504). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:10 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Washington Capitals (1) and the Pittsburgh Penguins (2). THE SITUATION: Washington (56-30-7) has the opportunity to finally defeat the Penguins in the playoffs after seizing a 3-2 lead in this series on Saturday with their 6-3 victory. The two-time defending Stanley Cup Champions return home to Pittsburgh where to stave off elimination.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Pittsburgh (54-33-6) has lost three of their last four games — but they have won their last four games when facing the possibility of playoff elimination. Expect goalie Matt Murray and this entire Penguins team to play very tough — particularly on defense. Pittsburgh has played 3 of their last 4 games Under the Total when trailing in the playoffs. Additionally, the Under is 6-1-1 in the Penguins’ last 8 games after allowing at least five goals in their last game. Pittsburgh has also played 5 straight games Under the Total after allowing at least six goals in their last contest. Washington has played a decisive 21 of their last 26 games Under the Total when having the possibility to close out a playoff series — and this includes playing five of these last six situations Under the Total. The Capitals have also played 6 of their last 9 games Under the Total when leading in a playoffs series. The team may be without Nicklas Backstrom who is a game-time decision tonight as he deals with an upper-body injury. Backstrom is tied for second on the team with 13 points in these playoffs with three goals and ten assists playing mostly with Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin has already lost Tom Wilson on his line due to his three-game suspension that concludes tonight — so more disruption to that chemistry will not help the Capitals offensive designs. Furthermore, Washington has allowed three goals in the last three games of this series — and they have then played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total after allowing at least three goals in three straight games.

CONCLUSION: Expect a tight, low-scoring game. 25* NHL 2nd Round Playoff Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Washington Capitals (1) and the Pittsburgh Penguins (2). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:40 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (66) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (65). THE SITUATION: Vegas (58-29-7) took a 3-2 lead in this series on Friday with their 5-3 victory over the Sharks. This series returns to San Jose (51-30-10) for Game Six.

REASONS TO TAKE SAN JOSE WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Sharks were dominant in their last game in San Jose in this series where they won by a 4-0 score. Expect a strong effort from this veteran group — they have won a decisive 43 of their last 65 games after a loss by at least two goals. San Jose has also won 21 of their last 30 games after allowing four goals in their last game. Goalie Martin Jones was pulled in that game but he has shown resiliency to bounce-back with strong efforts after a bad game. Returning home will help as the Sharks have won 9 of their last 11 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. San Jose is doing a good job of generating offense — they have tallied at least 33 shots on net in each game of this series while scoring at least three goals in each of their last four games. The Sharks have won 11 of their last 13 games after generating at least 30 shots on net in five straight games. San Jose has also won 7 straight home games after scoring at least three goals in three straight games. Vegas (58-29-7) has lost 7 of their last 9 games after a contest where both teams scored at least three goals. And while the Golden Knights raced to a 4-0 lead in the 3rd period on Friday, they showed some cracks in their armor by allowing three goals over a 6:09 span before scoring an empty netter to clinch that game. Vegas has then lost 10 of their last 16 games after allowing two or more goals in the 3rd period of their last game. And in their last 5 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home, the Golden Knights have lost 4 of these games.

CONCLUSION: Expect this to be a seven-game series to be decided on Tuesday. 25* NHL Sunday Night Special Feature with the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (66) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (65). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:35 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Golden State Warriors (705) and the New Orleans Pelicans (706). THE SITUATION: New Orleans (53-36) made this a series on Friday by crushing the Warriors by a 119-100 score as a 4.5-point underdog. They host Game Four in the Big Easy.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Golden State (64-26) should bounce-back with a much better effort after being pretty lethargic with the comfort of their 2-0 lead in this series. The Warriors shot just 38% from the field which was the worst offensive effort in their last four games — and they made just 9 of their 31 (29.0%) of their 3-point shots. Golden State has played 18 of their last 20 games Over the Total after an upset loss. The Warriors’ 26 free throws in Game Three were 14 more opportunities at the charity stripe — and they have played 24 of their last 33 games Over the Total after attempting at least 10 more free throws than their opponent in their last game. Golden State has also played 8 of their last 11 games Over the Total when playing with revenge from a loss where they allowed at least 110 points. Moving forward, the Warriors have played 11 of their last 13 games Over the Total when not playing more than their fifth game in fourteen days. Golden State has played 27 of their last 41 games Over the Total when favored in the 3.5 to 9.5 point range — and they have also played 31 of their last 47 games Over the Total as a road favorite laying no more than 6 points. Furthermore, the Warriors have played 30 of their last 38 games Over the Total with the number at the lofty 230 or higher point range — and this includes them playing thirteen of their last eighteen games Over the Total when on the road. New Orleans (53-36) has played 4 straight home games Over the Total with the Total set at 230 or higher. They have also played 21 of their last 27 home games Over the Total after a double-digit win. And in the Pelicans’ last 13 games after a win by at least 15 points, they have played 10 of these games Over the Total.

CONCLUSION: New Orleans should continue to feed off the energy of their crowd — which is why I am passing on the side play with the Pelicans being a home dog (though I lean to the Warriors). This is an instance where just taking the Over seems prudent. 25* NBA 2nd Round ABC-TV Playoff Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Golden State Warriors (705) and the New Orleans Pelicans (706). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:10 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Boston Bruins (63) and the Tampa Bay Lightning (64). THE SITUATION: Tampa Bay (61-25-3) has won three straight games in this series to seize a commanding 3-1 lead with their 4-3 victory over the Bruins on Friday. They return home with the opportunity to close out this series.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Expect the Bruins (58-26-9) to tighten things up on defense as they look to grind out a low-scoring victory and extend this series back to Boston. Boston has played 10 of the lsat 15 games Under the Total after a loss by just one goal. Boston has also played 19 of their last 28 games Under the Total after allowing at least four goals in their last game. Additionally, the Bruins have played 14 of their last 17 road gams Under the Total after a loss to an Atlantic Division rival. Now Boston goes back on the road where they have played 10 of their last 14 games with the Total set at 6 or higher. The Under is also 8-3-1 in the Bruins’ last 12 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on home ice. Boston has also played 14 of their last 18 road games Under the Total against Atlantic Division foes. Tampa Bay (61-25-3) has played 12 of their last 17 Game Fives in the Stanley Cup Playoffs Under the Total — and this includes them playing four of their last five games Under the Total when up 3-1 in the series. The Lightning have also played 13 of their last 20 games Under the Total when playing with the opportunity to close out a playoff series. Lastly, while Tampa Bay has scored four goals in three straight games, they have then played 24 of their last 38 games Under the Total after scoring at least three goals in three straight games.

CONCLUSION: I lean strongly to the Bruins as a big underdog today — but this is an ideal situation to translate that play into a two-team parlay with the Under. 25* NHL 2nd Round ABC-TV Playoff Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Boston Bruins (63) and the Tampa Bay Lightning (64). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:45 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Nashville Predators (62) versus the Winnipeg Jets (61). THE SITUATION: Nashville (59-21-4) evened this series at 2-2 on Thursday with their 2-1 win in Winnipeg. The Predators return home to Bridgestone Arena to host this decisive fifth game of this series. Nashville opened as a money-line favorite at -160 but Jets’ money has pushed that price down to the -150 (or lower range) in most locations.

REASONS TO TAKE NASHVILLE WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Winnipeg (58-23-11) may have blown their chance to win this series with that loss on Thursday. The Jets are very talented — but they also lack playoff experience. Ten of their players are taking part in their first postseason while they began these playoffs with a roster with just 282 combined playoff games under their belt. This is now a very difficult test to bounce-back in the very hostile environment in Nashville. Winnipeg has lost 11 of their last 16 games after facing a Central Division rival at home. The Jets have also lost 10 of their last 15 games when avenging an upset loss on their home ice — they were favorites in the -145 range on Thursday. The tone of this series seems to have changed in Game Four as the Predators they committed only three penalties after playing too loose and undisciplined in Game Three of this series which saw them blow a 3-0 first-period lead in a 7-4 loss. Goalie Pekka Rinne stopped 32 of 33 shots in playing his best game of this series. Nashville found success by committing to focusing more of their energies playing defense to stifle this potent Jets offense. This is the Predators formal for success. They have won 13 of their last 16 games after scoring two goals or less in their last game. Nashville has also won 9 of their last 14 games after a win on the road by one goal or less. Additionally, they have won 18 of their last 24 games after playing their last two games on the road. And in their last 36 home games with the Total set at 5.5, the Predators have won 23 of these games. This team has the best blue line in the NHL with the Ryan Ellis-Mattias Ekholm and P.K. Subban-Roman Josi pairings. This is a battle-tested playoff team after they made their run to the Stanley Cup Finals last year. Winnipeg’s blue line is not nearly as experienced in the playoffs while supporting a goaltender in Connor Hellebuyck who is playing his first postseason.

CONCLUSION: With the price on Nashville dropping to the -150 range which is my ceiling for endorsing money-line favorites, let's pounce on this talented Predators team with a huge edge in playoff experience and a strong home-ice advantage. 25* NHL Central Division Playoff Game of the Year with the money-line on the Nashville Predators (62) versus the Winnipeg Jets (61). Best of luck for us — Frank.