Sports Picks & Predictions

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Florida Panthers.  In the biggest of Round 1 upsets, the Panthers knocked off the record-setting (135 total regular season points) Bruins in Boston on Sunday night, 4-3 in overtime to advance to the second round.  If ever there was a team that was ripe for a Game 1 let down, the Panthers are it.  With just one day off since their historic David beats Goliath victory, no one would be surprised -- perhaps not even themselves -- if the Panthers didn't have a full tank tonight in Toronto.  Even under normal circumstances, this would be a tough task for Florida as the home team is 15-5 in the last 20 meetings and the Panthers are 2-9 in the last 11 here in Toronto.  The Leafs also had a tough series against a very game Lightning club, but they closed it out in six games in Tampa on Saturday and have had two days off to rest and prepare for Round 2.  Take the Maple Leafs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 6:40 pm, our selection is on the Atlanta Braves over the Miami Marlins.  Sandy Alcantara is still trying to find his groove early in the season.  He's made just one quality start in his 5 trips to the mound, and has been especially bad over his last 3 outings (8.62 ERA; 1.59 WHIP).  Coincidentally, his last start was against Bryce Elder and the Braves, and Atlanta won that game, 6-4 (though Alcantara got a no-decision).  The Marlins have dropped his last 3 starts, and four of his five this season.  This will also be Elder's 6th start of the season, and he's compiled a super 2.17 ERA in those 5 prior starts.  And the Braves are 4-1 in those games.  We'll take Atlanta tonight, as it's 92-40 (+38.7 net games) at night, while Miami is 31-46 (minus 21.0 net games) at home vs. righties.  Take the Braves.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the New York Rangers.  The two rival teams from the biggest sports and TV market in North America meet tonight for a Game 7 in the Meadowlands.  The Rangers have hung tough every step of the way so far, including a huge 5-2 victory at home in Game 6 on Saturday to force this final clash.  The Devils made a name for themselves during much of the regular season by winning tough games on the road; now they must win the biggest of the season right at home in front of their loyal fans.  They'll look for a Game 5 repeat as they completely dominated play here at Prudential Center and skated away with a huge 4-0 win. They have a way of bouncing back after a dull offensive effort, as they are 14-3 in their last 17 after scoring two goals or less in their previous game.  Take New Jersey.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Cubs over the Washington Nationals.  The Nats come off of a weekend series against the surprising Pirates that featured a Saturday twin bill in which the Pirates outscored Washington, 22-4 over the two games.  But Washington came back Sunday and got a rare victory.  Certainly, the 2023 Nationals are a far cry from the 2018 team which won the World Series, and their re-building process will likely take several years.  Tonight, they will welcome another surprising NL Central team in the Cubs.  LHP Drew Smyly had been all but forgotten, but the 33-year-old has found new life in Chicago, and is pitching as well as he ever has.  Over five starts, Smyly is 2-1 with a 3.21 ERA and 0.93 WHIP with 27 Ks and six BBs in 28 IP.  LH MacKenzie Gore will get the start for the Nats.  We'll take Chicago, as the Cubs are 11-3 in their last 14 games vs. teams that start a southpaw pitcher.  Take the Cubs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 6:35 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Florida Panthers.  In what was the wildest game of these playoffs so far, the Florida Panthers forced a final Game 7 this evening by beating the Bruins on Friday night, 7-5.  Boston was seemingly in control after scoring twice in the first four minutes of the final period on Friday to take a 4-3 lead.  But what ensued from there was a whirlwind 16 minutes in which neither goalie -- especially the Bruins' Linus Ullmark -- could keep the puck out of the net.  Look for the 29-year-old Swede to rebound tonight with plenty of support from the home crowd.  After all, it was largely Ullmark -- and his league-leading 1.89 GAA and .938 Saves Pct -- who was responsible for Boston's record-setting campaign.  The Bruins are 18-4 off back to back losses, and 10-2 after allowing more than 5 goals.  Meanwhile, the Panthers are an ugly 18-26 (minus 19.3 net games) this season off a win. Take Boston.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 3:30 pm, on Sunday, our selection is on the UNDER in the game between Sacramento and Golden State.  Game 6 went comfortably under the total, as only 217 points were scored in Sacramento's 118-99 triumph.  We'll look for another low-scoring game at Golden 1 Center, as the Warriors have gone UNDER in 9 of their last 12 games when facing elimination, including 5-0 UNDER when not favored by more than 2 points.  And Golden State has also gone UNDER 31-9-1 in their last 41 Playoff games after a loss in which they failed to score 110 points.  Take the Under.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 2:35 pm, our selection is on the New York Yankees over the Texas Rangers.  The man they call "Nasty Nestor" in the Bronx burst on the scene last season.  The LHP had been in the league since 2018, but 2022 was a breakout campaign for Nestor Cortes as the southpaw went 12-4 with a 2.44 ERA in 28 starts covering just over 158 innings and that included a complete game shutout -- albeit the seven inning variety -- in the first game of a double-header on June 2.  He's just five starts into his 2023 campaign, but so far Cortes seems intent on proving that last season was no fluke as he is 3-1 with a 3.49 ERA and 1.06 WHIP and his 5.60 K:BB ratio is the best of his career so far.  Start number six will come this afternoon against the Rangers and if there's one thing Cortes likes, it's pitching in the afternoon.  In 35 daytime appearances -- 17 starts -- the 28 year old is 9-2 with a 2.89 ERA and 1.06 WHIP.  Despite the loss yesterday the Yankees are 11-4 in the last 15 meetings with the Rangers.  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 1 pm, on Sunday, our selection is on the New York Knicks minus the points over the Miami Heat.  The Knicks took 3 of the 4 games vs. the Heat this season, and covered the point spread in both home games.  And here at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks are 11-4 ATS their last 15, including a perfect 9-0 ATS when not favored by 8 or more points.  Meanwhile, the Heat are 7-14 ATS their last 21 road games.  And underdogs of more than 3 points are 0-9 ATS their last nine away from home off 3 covers by 7+ points.  Take New York.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the New Jersey Devils.  After winning the first two games of this series on the road, the Rangers have now dropped three straight, the latest being an embarrassing 4-0 shutout in New Jersey on Thursday night.  With their backs against the proverbial wall tonight, expect the Rangers to come out fighting at Madison Square Garden in this must-win Game 6.  Both Games 3 and 4 here in Manhattan were very close even though they didn't go the Rangers way and they managed to hold the Devils to just 28 and 23 shots respectively in those.  The Rangers are very good in what are called "double-revenge" situations -- they are 12-4 in their last 16 games revenging two straight losses against an opponent.  They are also 7-2 in their last nine games when revenging a road blowout loss of four or more goals vs. an opponent (3-0 in their last three in those blowout situations).  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 5:10 pm, our selection is on the Houston Astros over the Philadelphia Phillies.  Less than a month into the 2022 season, Astros' talented RHP Cristian Javier assumed a full-time starting job.  Since that time, the 26-year-old Dominican has pitched like he has no desire whatsoever to return to a bullpen role.  In his 25 starts last season, Javier was 11-8 with a sparkling 2.68 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 179 strikeouts in just over 149 innings.  And so far in 2023, Javier has set out to show that last season was no fluke.  In five starts covering 29 innings, Javier has posted a 2-0 record with a 3.21 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and a K:BB ratio of 4.83.  But never was Javier better than in last year's World Series against this Phillies club.  In Game 4 on the road, Javier threw six near-perfect innings on the way to an Astros no-hit 5-0 victory.  He'll try to duplicate that effort this evening -- this time at home where Javier has a career record of 14-6 with a 2.55 ERA in 44 games (25 starts).  Despite the loss yesterday, the 'Stros are 6-1 in their last seven games vs. the NL East.  Take Houston.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:30 pm, our selection is on the UNDER in the Memphis Grizzlies/Los Angeles Lakers game.  Three of the last four games in this series have gone UNDER the total.  And the only game which did not -- Game 4 -- only went Over because of an Overtime session (the game was tied at 104 at the end of regulation).  Thus, the last four games produced 196, 212, 208, and 215 in regulation (an average of 207.75).  We'll look for yet another relatively low-scoring game tonight.  This Grizzlies/Lakers series has now seen 18 of the last 23 go Under the total, including 12-1 Under when the O/U line was less than 224.  Take the UNDER.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Florida Panthers.  Just about everyone assumed that the Bruins would wrap up this series at home on Wednesday night.  Just about everyone that is except for the Florida Panthers.  The visitors pulled off a stunner in Game 5 two nights ago, beating the heavily favored Bruins 4-3 on an overtime goal by Matthew Tkachuk.  What do the Bruins need to do now?  Most importantly is what they shouldn't do -- panic and make any unnecessary changes.  The good news for Boston is that after its win at home in Game 1, the road team has now taken four straight in this series -- including the Bruins winning both Games 3 and 4 right here in South Florida.  The Panthers will have the crowd behind them tonight but that's about it as you can expect Boston to throw everything and the kitchen sink at goalie Sergei Bobrovsky who, despite his heroics on Wednesday, is just 4-9-2 with a 3.72 GAA lifetime vs. the Bruins.  Boston is 21-10 in the last 31 meetings with the Panthers here in Florida.  Take the Bruins.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Atlanta Braves over the New York Mets.  For the Atlanta Braves, the 1-2 punch of starters Max Fried and Spencer Strider is quickly establishing itself as the top duo in the NL -- if not all of the Majors.  And while it's Strider and his strikeouts that may be grabbing most of the headlines, it's the 29-year-old southpaw Fried who appears to be making a statement after finishing second in the Cy Young voting last season.  Although Fried has only one victory on his ledger so far, he also sports a 0.60 ERA and 0.93 WHIP in three starts covering 15 IP coming into this first 2023 meeting between the Braves and Mets.  Fried has more career victories against the Mets (7) than any other opponent and he also has a 2.78 ERA and 1.19 WHIP to go with it.  The Braves have been deadly on the road this season with a 10-2 record away from Atlanta vs. just 7-7 at home.  Atlanta is 4-0 in the last four meetings with the Mets while New York is 17-35 in its last 52 games vs. teams with a winning pct. above .600.  Take the Braves.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:30 pm, our selection is on the Boston Celtics minus the points over Atlanta.  The Hawks shocked the Celtics in Boston to win Game 5, and close the gap in this series to 3-2.  Unfortunately for Atlanta, NBA home teams off a win in Game 5, but down 3-games-to-2, have gone 1-12 ATS in Game 6 when not favored by 2 or more points.  And the Celtics are 18-7 ATS in the Playoffs off an upset defeat, while the Hawks are 1-13 ATS in the Playoffs off an upset win.  Lay the points with Boston.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:40 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Twins over the Kansas City Royals.  Not that long ago, Zack Greinke was among the best pitchers in the game.  Those days are over now and with the 39-year-old RHP on a 1-year contract, it's quite likely that Greinke will finish his career with the same team he started it with.  That's no doubt bittersweet for Greinke who would probably like to get one more crack at a title, but he won't get it with this version of the Royals.  KC is terrible and it could be a while before Greinke gets a W as he is 0-4 with a 4.61 ERA in his first five starts covering 27 1/3 IP.  He and the Royals will face a very good Twins club tonight with RH Tyler Mahle going to the mound.  The 28-year-old is just 1-2 but has a very nice 3.32 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in his four starts covering just under 22 innings.  In three career games vs. the Royals -- two starts -- Mahle is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA and 0.92 WHIP.  The Royals are 3-10 in the last 13 meetings with the Twins coming into this series and 15-37 in the last 52 here at Target Field.  Take Minnesota.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:30 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Bucks minus the points over Miami.  The Bucks have fallen in a 3-1 hole after dropping both games in Miami.  Still, the #1-seeded Bucks should have reason for optimism.  They had the #1 record in the league this season, and are 33-10 SU at home, with a 24-17-2 ATS record, including 11-2 SU and 9-3-1 ATS off a straight-up loss.  Even better, the Bucks are 53-22 ATS at home off back to back losses, including 6-1 ATS as a double-digit favorite.  Finally, in match-ups between .528 (or better) teams, underdogs off back to back upset home wins have gone 2-30 SU and 5-27 ATS.  Take Milwaukee to blow out the Heat.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:30 pm, on Wednesday, our selection is on the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat Under the total.  The Bucks have their proverbial backs against the wall in this Game 5, as they will be eliminated with a loss.  We'll look for this game to go Under the total, as Milwaukee has gone UNDER in 11 straight home games when facing elimination in the Playoffs.  Additionally, NBA Playoff series have gone Under 60% since 1990 if the road team won the Series' previous two games, and scored more than 116 in each of those two wins.  Take the Under.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, on Wednesday, our selection is on the Memphis Grizzlies minus the points over the Los Angeles Lakers.  The Grizzlies fell, 117-111, in overtime on Monday.  And they fell behind by 2 games in this 1st Round Playoff series.  We'll lay the points with Memphis, as #2-seeded teams have gone 17-6 ATS at home when down at least two games in a Playoff series.  And the Grizz are 9-2-1 ATS when playing with double-revenge.  Take Memphis minus the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7 pm, on Wednesday, our selection is on the Under in the New York Knicks/Cleveland Cavaliers game.  As my mother used to say, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.'  And that maxim could apply to the Over/Unders in this series.  We played on the Unders in Games 3 + 4, and easily won as those two games went under the total by 33 and 8 points, respectively.  And Games 1 + 2 also went under the total -- each by 17.5 points.  We'll ride the under once again, as the Cavaliers have now gone under in 6 straight games, and are 47-38-1 Under for the season. And they've gone under 24-12 their last 36 meetings vs. New York, and in their last eight playoff games, overall. Additionally, the Knicks have gone Under 26-9 when leading in a playoff series.  Take the Under.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7 pm, our selection is on the Cleveland Cavaliers minus the points over the New York Knicks.  The Cavs did not have a good trip to the Big Apple, as they lost Games 3 + 4 to the Knicks to fall behind 3-games-to-1 in this series.  We'll take the Cavaliers to rebound on Wednesday, as they're 12-0 SU/ATS at home when priced from -3 to -12 off a loss if matched up against an opponent off a win.  Meanwhile, the Knicks are 1-9 ATS on the road vs. non-division foes off back to back losses.  Lay the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 1:40 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Brewers over the Detroit Tigers.  After getting swept by the Orioles in three games in Baltimore over the weekend, the Tigers now find themselves in the unlikely position of getting a sweep of their own with a victory today in Milwaukee.  But it won't be easy as Freddy Peralta goes to the mound for the home team.  The 26-year-old RHP looked like he might be the second-best pitcher in the Brewers rotation (after Corbin Burnes) when he moved into his full-time starting role in 2021 -- making the NL All Star team that season.  But injuries set in and 2022 became a lost season as he managed just 17 starts and 78 IP.  Now healthy once again, the Brewers need Peralta to step up, especially considering how thin their starting pitching is with the injuries to Brandon Woodruff and Adrian Houser.  Peralta is answering the call so far with a 3.79 ERA and 23 Ks and 9 BBs in four starts covering 22 2/3 innings.  In 44 daytime games (30 starts) Peralta is 14-8 with a 3.34 ERA (vs. 4.14 in 76 games under the lights).  Take the Brewers.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9 pm, on Tuesday, our selection is on the Denver Nuggets minus the points over Minnesota.  The Nuggets come into this game off a road loss in Game #4 to the Minnesota Timberwolves.  Still, they lead this series 3 games to 1, and will look to close out their division rival tonight.  Denver is 36-7 SU and 27-15-1 ATS at home this season, and have covered the spread by an average of 3.62 ppg.  Notably, against .500 (or better) teams, the Nuggets are riding a 19-2 SU and 18-3 ATS run at home!  Meanwhile, the T-Wolves are a poor 0-18 ATS their last 18 on the road vs. .500 (or better) teams following a T-Wolves cover by more than 8 points.  Lay the points with Denver.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the New York Mets over the Washington Nationals.  The Mets have announced Jose Butto will get the start in today's game.  Butto was effective in his first start of the year, nine days ago.  He allowed just 1 run over five innings to the Oakland A's, and the Mets won, 4-3.  He'll match up against Josiah Gray, who has lost his last nine decisions dating back to last season's All-Star Break.  And his teams have gone 6-15 in his last 21 starts.  The Mets come into tonight's game off back-to-back losses to the Giants.  But New York is 51-22 (+22.5 net games) off a loss, while Washington is a wallet-busting 18-61 (minus 27.3 net games) vs. division rivals.  Take the Mets.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10 pm, on Monday, our selection is on the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies to go UNDER the total.  Game 3 totaled just 212 points, and went under the total of 221.5.  And that's continued a playoff trend, as LeBron James & the Lakers have gone under 20-12 in the Playoffs since he donned the purple-and-gold. Likewise, Memphis is 9-5 under its last 14 playoff games.  Additionally, these two teams tend to play relatively low-scoring games, as 17 of the last 21 meetings have gone UNDER the total (including 12-1 Under when the O/U line was less than 225 points).  We'll look for yet another low-scoring game between these two teams.  Take the Under.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:40 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Brewers over the Detroit Tigers.  It's not too surprising that the Brewers are in second place in the NL Central with a solid 15-7 record.  What is extremely surprising is that the team they're looking up at is the Pittsburgh Pirates, who are a half-game ahead of Milwaukee in first place.  In fact, if not for the most surprising team in the Majors, the Brewers would have the top record in the NL.  They go from one inter-league series to another tonight as they welcome a team with which they're pretty familiar in the Tigers.  Detroit comes in having just gotten swept by the Orioles in Baltimore.  To say the Tigers have a weak lineup would be quite the under-statement.  They come into this with the worst team batting average in the Majors -- one which is barely over the Mendoza Line at .209.  And despite the exploits of Eduardo Rodriguez on Sunday -- a perfect game through 6 2/3 IP -- their pitching is horrific as well.  Milwaukee is 7-0 in its last seven games following a loss while Detroit is 2-6 in the last eight meetings with the Crew here.  Take the Brewers.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, on Monday, our selection is on the Milwaukee Bucks minus the points over the Miami Heat.  The Bucks lost Game 3, 121-99, which puts their back against the wall in this Game 4.  The last thing Milwaukee wants to do is fall behind 3-games-to-1 in this series.  The good news for Mike Budenholzer's men is that they're 6-1 ATS their last seven when trailing in a playoff series.  And they're 17-5 ATS on the road when playing with revenge from a 15-point (or worse) defeat.  Finally, since 1990, NBA teams have cashed 76.4% after scoring less than 100 points in an upset Playoff loss, if they surrendered 115+ points in that previous game.  Take Milwaukee minus the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, on Monday, our selection is on the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat to go UNDER the total.  The Milwaukee Bucks are the #1 overall seed in the Playoffs, but find themselves down 2-games-to-1 entering this critical Game 4.  Needless to say, a victory is of paramount importance to Milwaukee, as it surely doesn't want to fall behind by two games.  After giving up 121 points in Game 3, I expect a MUCH BETTER defensive effort by the Bucks here, in Game 4.  Indeed, road favorites off upset playoff losses have gone under 61% since 1990.  Take the Under.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the New Jersey Devils.  The Devils made a name for themselves this season by winning games on the road.  In fact their 28-9-4 road record was second in the NHL only to the record-setting Bruins.  But towards the end of the season, that road magic faded quite a bit.  And, in fact, in its last eight road games of the season, New Jersey was just 4-4.  It's true that the road team has won all three games in this first round series so far.  However, if there's one place that's been tough for the Devils recently, it's probably Madison Square Garden.  In their last seven games at the Garden, the Devils are just 2-5 and it took overtime to win Game 3 here.  The Rangers out-shot the Devils in that game on Saturday, 36-28 and they appear poised to wrest control of this series back with a win tonight. The Devils are just 1-4 in their last five Conference Quarterfinals games while the Rangers are 5-1 in their last six and 19-9 in their last 28 home games.  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 3:30 pm, on Sunday, our selection is on the UNDER in the Golden State/Sacramento game.  After Game 1 went Over the total by 11.5 points, Games 2 + 3 have reversed course, and have gone significantly UNDER.  Game 2 totaled 220 points, and fell under by 18.5, while Game 3 was even LOWER scoring, as only 211 points were scored, sending it Under by a staggering 30 points.  The oddsmakers have made an adjustment for this Game 4, but not by nearly enough points.  We'll look for yet another low-scoring game on Sunday, as Playoff games have gone under 68.8% since 1992 when the O/U line was greater than 229 points.  Take the UNDER.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 1:35 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Blue Jays over the New York Yankees.  The Jays and Yanks went scoreless for 7 1/2 innings before New York took a 2-0 lead and then Toronto tied it in the top of ninth yesterday.  A rare clunker from Jays closer Jordan Romano resulted in a walk-off win for the Yanks.  Speaking of clunkers, normally reliable Jays veteran RH starter Kevin Gausman threw one in his last start in Houston, Monday, allowing eight runs (seven earned) in 4 2/3 innings in an ugly loss.  We'll look for Gausman to get back to his normal dominant self this afternoon against the Yanks and Clarke Schmidt.  New York is giving the 27-year-old RH a chance at the rotation early on but so far, it hasn't worked out.  In four starts covering 14 1/3 IP, Schmidt is 0-1 with an ugly 8.79 ERA and 1.88 WHIP.  Gausman, meanwhile, has a 3.75 ERA in 93 career day appearances.  He also owns a very nice 3.54 ERA in 14 games -- 11 starts -- here at Yankee Stadium.  And Toronto's 13-7 its last 20 meetings here, in the Bronx.  Take the Blue Jays.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 1 pm, our selection is on the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers to go UNDER the total.  We played on the Under in Game 3, and it easily sailed under the total, in a 99-79 New York win.  And that game was the lowest-scoring Playoff game so far this post-season.  It went under the total of 211 by 33 points, and that followed the first two games of this series that each went under by 17.5 points.  The oddsmakers have adjusted the number downward for this Game 4, but it's by not enough points, as the value still resides squarely on the Under.  The Cavaliers have now gone under in 5 straight games, and are 46-38-1 Under for the season. And they've gone under 23-12 their last 35 meetings vs. New York, and in their last seven playoff games, overall.  Even better, Cleveland has gone 30-11 Under the total following a game which totaled less than 192 points, while the Knicks have gone Under 25-9 when leading in a playoff series.  This will be a low-scoring game.  Take the Under.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Lakers minus the points over the Memphis Grizzlies.  We played against the Lakers in Game 2, and got the $$$ with the Grizzlies in a blowout win.  We'll switch gears for this Game 3 and take the homestanding Lakers, who are 14-6 SU/ATS off a straight-up loss since December 27.  Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are 10-19 SU and 8-20-1 ATS on the road vs. revenge-minded foes, including 0-12-1 ATS as an underdog!  Lay the points with the Lakers.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat to go UNDER the total.  The first two games of this series were very high-scoring.  Game 1, won by Miami, totaled 247 points, while Game 2 was taken easily by Milwaukee, 138-122.  Still, the Bucks have tended to play Unders in the Playoffs, as they had gone 11-2 Under their 13 previous Playoff games entering this post-season.  Likewise, Miami had gone Under 14-6 in its 20 previous Playoff games prior to this series.  I look for Saturday's game to be relatively low-scoring, as the Under falls into 106-62-9 and 94-55 Totals systems of mine.  Additionally, the Heat are 6-1 Under their last 7 as a home dog, while Milwaukee is 9-1-1 Under as a road favorite when the O/U line was 227 or less.  Take the Under.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 2:10 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Twins over the Washington Nationals.  Pablo Lopez was a hard-luck loser in his last start, as the Twins fell, 2-0, to Gerrit Cole (0.95 ERA) and the New York Yankees.  Lopez did take a back seat to Cole in that match-up, but the reality is that few pitchers in baseball have been more effective thus far than Lopez.  In four starts, the Twins' righty has a 1.73 ERA, with a 0.80 WHIP.  And his K:BB ratio is 33:6.  He'll face Chad Kuhl this afternoon, which is a highly-favorable match-up for Minnesota.  Kuhl's teams (Rockies, Nats) have lost his last seven starts, and 12 of his last 13, dating back to last season's All-Star Break.  And he's dropped his last 7 decisions.  This year, in three starts, he's 0-1 (the Nats are 0-3), with an 8.59 ERA and a 1.70 WHIP.  In Kuhl's career, his teams have gone 1-8 when he's been a road underdog of +200 (or more), and 8-30 in his road starts when the O/U line was less than 9 runs.  Meanwhile, the Twins have dominated as a favorite of -200 (or more), as they're 12-2 (+7.9 net games) their last 14, and 120-37 (+33.7 net games) their last 157.  Take Minnesota.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:30 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Timberwolves + the points over the Denver Nuggets.  The T-Wolves are down 2-games-to-none to Denver.  But the Nuggets are now on the road, where they've NOT been an elite team over the years.  Indeed, the Nuggets are a horrid 11-33 ATS on the road off back to back ATS losses, including 0-10 ATS vs. foes off back-to-back SU/ATS losses.  This season, Denver was under water away from home, with a 19-22 SU/ATS record, including 9-15 ATS as a road favorite.  The T-Wolves are 11-3 ATS their last 14 as a home underdog.  Grab the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:30 pm, our selection is on the UNDER in the Cleveland Cavaliers/New York Knicks game.  Games 1 + 2 have been extremely low-scoring.  Game 1 went to the Knicks by the score of 101-97, while Game 2 was won by Cleveland, 107-90.  The Over/Under lines were 215.5 and 214.5, so each game went under the total by a whopping 17.5 points.  The Cavaliers have now gone under in 4 straight games, and are 45-38-1 Under for the season.  And they've gone under 22-12 their last 34 meetings vs. New York, and in their last six playoff games, overall.  We'll look for yet another low-scoring game on Friday.  Take the Under.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Twins over the Nationals.  The Twins come home after a tough road trip to the Bronx and Boston and they have to like the look of things on the horizon as seven out of the 10 games on this homestand are against the Nationals (5-13) and Royals (4-15).  Minnesota held its own for the most part against the Yankees and Red Sox, going 3-4 over those seven road games.  One of the better interleague teams in the AL, the Twins have to be licking their chops to get a piece of the Nats, who are a shell of the 2018 team which won DC's only World Series since the old Washington Senators.  28-year-old RHP Tyler Mahle gets the ball for the Twins.  The former Reds starter drew a tough assignment in Yankee Stadium in his last start, but hung in there for 4 1/3 innings.  He's familiar with the Nats from his days in the NL, posting a 3-1 record and 4.50 ERA in five career starts, covering 24 IP vs. them.  Minny is 5-0 in its last five inter-league home games vs. teams with a losing record, and it's 43-17 (+16.7 net games) as a home favorite.  Take the Twins.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:00 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Winnipeg Jets.  Instead of flowing out into the Vegas night in a big celebration, the stunned home crowd from Game 1 of this series was sent quietly out to the Strip by the visiting Winnipeg Jets.  It was an embarrassing 5-1 loss for the heavily-favored Knights, who managed just 17 shots on goal the entire game (compared with 31 for the Jets).  You can bet that the Knights will use the day off to plan for some line adjustments as another outcome like the one on Tuesday would be disastrous for the Western Conference's number one seed.  After all, the last time this team won 51 regular season games was its inaugural season when it went all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals.  The Knights should bounce back tonight and take this season to Winnipeg all tied up 1-1.  They are 9-2 in their last 11 after allowing five goals or more in their previous game and 5-0 in their last five immediately after scoring two goals or less.  Take Vegas.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10 pm, on Thursday, our selection is on the Golden State Warriors minus the points over Sacramento.  We played on the Kings in Game 1, and passed Game 2.  But we will lay the points with the Warriors in this Game 3, as they're back in San Francisco.  This season, the Warriors have been dominant at home, and dreadful on the road, so it's no surprise they're down 2-games-to-0 with the first two games played in Sacramento.  But now, Golden State is back home, where it's 33-8 straight-up, and 27-13-1 ATS this season, including 10-2 ATS vs. .529 (or better) foes, and 15-1 ATS vs. foes off a SU/ATS win.  And the Warriors are 45-23-1 ATS in the Playoffs when playing with revenge.  Take Golden State.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Brooklyn Nets + the points over the Philly 76ers.  Jacque Vaughn's men were blown out of Games 1 + 2.  But we'll grab the points with the home puppy in Game 3, as the 76ers are a woeful 12-27-1 ATS when favored by 10 or less points (or PK) on the road off back to back wins, when they've owned a win percentage of .625 (or greater).  Meanwhile, the Nets are a solid 60-29 ATS off back to back SU/ATS losses, when facing a foe off a 9-point (or greater) win, if the Nets weren't favored by more than 2 points.  Brooklyn also falls into 65-38, 92-55 and 161-106 ATS systems of mine that play on certain playoff teams off blowout losses.  Grab the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:00 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  The Lightning did a number on the Maple Leafs in Game 1 of this first round series on Tuesday night, jumping out to a 3-0 first period lead and never looking back from there.  If the Leafs are to avoid yet another early exit from the post season, they almost have to win this second game at home before the series moves south to Tampa.  The Bolts are the definition of a Playoff team -- when you think they don't have the stuff to get it done because they limp into the post season, they all of a sudden turn into a late April Juggernaut.  There are reasons to believe that Toronto can turn things around.  First, the Leafs are 13-3 in their last 16 games following a loss by three or more goals (5-0 in their last five after a home loss by three or more).  Second, the Leafs are 23-8 in their last 31 after allowing five goals or more in their previous game while the Bolts are 2-6 in their last eight road games and 5-11 in their last 16 vs. winning teams.  Take Toronto.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:00 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Los Angeles Kings.  If the first night of the NHL Playoffs is any indication, strap yourself in because it's going to be a wild ride.  Two of the four games on Monday went into overtime, including the Kings and Oilers in Edmonton with Los Angeles prevailing 4-3.  This was the first 50-win season for Edmonton since its glory days (1986-87 to be exact) but it won't mean much if the club goes out in the first round like it did two seasons ago.  The Oilers feature the best player on the planet in C Connor McDavid (64G, 89A, 153P) but he can only carry the team on his back so far and the rest will have to contribute if they're going to get back to the Conference Finals.  They'll look to even the series at home tonight as they hope to get back to the form they had at the end of the regular season (nine straight wins).  Despite the victory on Monday, the favorite is 37-15 in the last 52 meetings of these two.  Take Edmonton.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9 pm, on Wednesday, our selection is on the Milwaukee Bucks minus the points over the Miami Heat.  Milwaukee suffered a loss in Game 1, as Miami went into Fiserv Forum, and upset the Bucks, 130-117.  Trailing in a playoff series isn't unfamiliar territory for Milwaukee, so I don't expect that it will be discouraged.  Indeed, the Bucks are 13-5 SU and 11-7 ATS in the Playoffs when they were trailing or tied in the series.  Even better:  off an upset playoff loss, the Bucks have gone 7-1 SU and 6-2 ATS.  Meanwhile, Miami is 0-6 SU and 1-5 ATS off an upset playoff win.  Finally, the Bucks are a wallet-fattening 52-22-1 ATS at home off back to back losses, including 21-4 ATS when playing with rest off a home loss.  Lay the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Memphis Grizzlies over the Los Angeles Lakers.  The Lakers upset the Grizzlies on Sunday, 128-112, as a 5.5-point underdog, behind 29 points from Rui Hachimura, and 23 from Austin Reaves.  We'll take the Grizzlies on Wednesday to level the series at 1 game apiece, as NBA teams off playoff losses by more than 15 points that also failed to cover the spread by more than 20 in that defeat, have gone 106-76-1 ATS since 1991.  Even better:  Memphis is 8-2-1 ATS when playing with double-revenge, while the Lakers are a poor 5-24-1 ATS on the road when playing a foe they upset in the season's previous meeting.  Take the Grizzlies in Game #2.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10 pm, on Tuesday, our selection is on the Phoenix Suns minus the points over Los Angeles.  Kawhi Leonard led the Clips to victory in Game 1 with 38 points, as Los Angeles upset Phoenix, 115-110.  We'll take the Suns to bounce back on Tuesday, as they're 62-30-1 ATS when favored, and playing with revenge from an upset loss earlier in the season.  And if it's a playoff game, then our 62-30 stat zooms to 11-1 ATS.  Lay the points with the Suns.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, on Tuesday, our selection is on the Cleveland Cavaliers minus the points over the New York Knicks.  New York upset the Cavaliers in Game 1, 101-97.  And that was Cleveland's 2nd straight upset defeat, overall.  We'll take the Cavs to bounce back in Game 2, as they've cashed 61.7% since 1990 off back to back upset losses, including 79% when priced as a favorite of less than 8 points.  Additionally, since 1990, favorites of less than 12 points have cashed 60% in the playoffs off back to back upset losses.  Lay the points with Cleveland.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Blue Jays over the Houston Astros.  When Kevin Gausman came to the Blue Jays after stops in Baltimore, Atlanta, Cincinnati, and San Francisco, his expectations for a title were the highest since he came into the league 10 years ago.  And although he had one of his best seasons ever in 2022 (12 wins, a 3.35 ERA, and a league-leading 7.32 K:BB ratio), the veteran RHP was still sent packing after the first round of the post-season.  We're just three starts into 2023, but the 32-year-old may finally be having the Cy Young-caliber campaign of which so many thought he was capable.  And with a little help from his teammates, it may also mean a trip to the World Series.  Over 20 innings, Gausman has a 1.35 ERA and 1.00 WHIP with 25 Ks and only three BBs.  Start No. 4 will come against the champion Astros, who are not off to a great start, missing their leader Jose Altuve (thumb) and the dominant pitching they had last season.  Gausman beat the 'Stros in his only start vs. them last season (7 IP, 2 ER, 10 K, 0 BB).  Take Toronto.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 5:30 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Bucks minus the points over Miami.  In the pandemic-impacted 2020 season, the Bucks were the number 1 seed, but were bounced out of the playoffs by the then-No. 5 seeded Heat.  However, since that series loss, Milwaukee has dominated the Heat here, at home, as the Bucks are 7-0 straight-up, and 5-2 ATS, with an average point spread differential of 10.3 ppg.  The Bucks come into Sunday's Game 1 vs. Miami off back to back losses in what were (admittedly) meaningless games.  This game, of course, is anything but meaningless.  And we'll lay the points with Milwaukee, as it's 52-21-1 ATS at home off back to back losses.  Take the Bucks.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 1:35 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Twins over the New York Yankees.  Yankees ace Gerrit Cole has never won a Cy Young award -- he's finished second in the voting twice -- and if he wanted to send a message early on that this is his year, he couldn't have done it any better than he has so far.  But despite a 3-0 record and an ERA well under two runs, the starter who's opposing him this afternoon actually has a better ERA, and pitches for a team with a better record.  The Twins are no doubt thrilled that they traded AL batting champ Luis Arraez, and in exchange got 27-year-old ace RH Pablo Lopez, along with a couple of solid minor league players.  His early season success notwithstanding, today is Lopez's chance to shine on the big stage against one of the game's best.  And there's every reason to believe he'll pull it off as he is 1-0 with a sparkling 1.35 ERA in three starts so far.  In his only previous start vs. the Yanks, Lopez threw six strong innings, allowing just one run on seven hits.  Minnesota is 6-2 in its last eight road games vs. teams with a RH starter.  And the Yankees have gone 11-12 (minus 11.4 net games) in his last 23 daytime starts.  Take the Twins.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:30 pm, our selection is on the Sacramento Kings over the Golden State Warriors.  This season, the Kings have covered 3 of 4 vs. Golden State.  Coincidentally, these two teams met two games ago, and the Warriors won, 119-97, for their only point spread win of the season vs. Sacramento.  Notwithstanding that loss, since 2017, Sacramento is a super 18-8 ATS vs. the Warriors, including 10-2 ATS when playing with revenge from a loss earlier in the season.  And Golden State is a horrid 32-72 ATS off a point spread win when playing a revenge-minded foe.  Finally, I just can't get behind the Warriors on the road tonight.  For the season, the Warriors are a woeful 11-30 straight-up, and 12-28-1 ATS away from San Francisco, including 2-14-1 ATS when the point spread was less than five points.  Take the Kings.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 4:10 pm, our selection is on the Anaheim Angels with Tyler Anderson over the Boston Red Sox and Nick Pivetta.  2022 was a breakout season for Anderson, as he made the All-Star team for the first time.  The southpaw's ERA over 30 appearances (28 starts) for the Los Angeles Dodgers was 2.57.  Still, the Dodgers allowed him to get away this past off-season, and sign with Angels.  He's off to a decent start this season, as Anaheim has won both of his starts, including a 6-0 shutout of Oakland, and a 9-5 triumph over Toronto.  Anderson comes into this day game with 2 extra days of rest following that game vs. the Blue Jays, while Pivetta is starting on regular rest.  In his last 36 starts with an extra day or two of rest, Anderson's teams have gone 26-10.  Even better, in his career starts vs. Boston, Anderson's ERA is 2.08, while Pivetta's ERA in his career starts vs. Anaheim is 4.91.  Take the Angels.  Good luck, as always....Al McMordie.

At 7 pm, on Friday, our selection is on the Miami Heat minus the points over the Chicago Bulls.  The Heat were upset here, at home, by Atlanta in its initial Play-in round game.  We'll take Miami to bounce back, as it's 66-34-3 ATS as a winning team when rested, and favored by 4+ points off an upset loss.  Additionally, in the Playoffs or Play-in round, the Heat are 14-0 ATS their last 14 off an upset loss when facing a sub-.700 foe which won its previous game.  Lay the points with Miami.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the Carolina Hurricanes.  The Panthers are officially IN the NHL Playoffs for the fourth straight season.  But as they found out last season when they led the league with 122 points only to fall in the second round, getting in doesn't guarantee anything.  That's especially true this season when the Eastern Conference's 2nd Wild Card team will have to play the historically dominant Bruins in the first round.  So if Florida can hold on to its first Wild Card spot with a win or tie tonight, it will avoid the Bruins in the first round.  And its opponent, instead, could very well be tonight's opponent, Carolina.  The Hurricanes are also incentivized to win, as they want to hold on to first place in the Metropolitan so this is also an important game for them.  The good news for the Panthers is that they've dominated this series lately, taking four of the last five meetings going back to April of 2021.  This has also been a very host-friendly series as the home team has taken seven of the last nine.  We'll take the Panthers tonight.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders minus 1.5 goals over the Montreal Canadiens.  The Isles had their playoff fate in their own hands as they went into DC as a heavy favorite to play a lackluster Caps team on Monday.  But of course things don't always go as planned in the NHL and the Caps jumped out to a 3-0 first period lead from which New York could not recover.  That upset was their fifth loss in a row.  But, as luck would have it, the Pittsburgh Penguins suffered an even worse upset last night when they lost at home (as a -490 favorite) to the woeful Chicago Blackhawks.  So, the Isles' fate is now back in their hands.  If they earn a point tonight, they'll punch the final ticket to the post-season.  The Isles, of course, are favored against a Canadiens team which has essentially stopped playing -- they've dropped five of their last six games by an aggregate score of 25-11.  Not that they need any more motivation, but this is also a revenge situation for the Isles, as the Habs beat them in their last meeting, 4-3, in OT back in February.  Montreal is a miserable 22-54 (minus 20.6 net games) off a road loss.  Take New York minus 1.5 goals.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Seattle Kraken.  With a two-point lead atop their division, the Knights can take a step toward locking down their fourth Pacific title in their six years of existence tonight.  A win coupled with an Edmonton loss or tie at Colorado would do the trick and cap off what would be their most satisfying title yet.  And if the Knights can get at least three points in their final two games, they would set a new franchise season record with 110.  They'll play another talented expansion franchise in the Kraken tonight on the Vegas Strip.  Seattle's victory over Vegas in the last meeting this past November marked the first time that the Kraken had broken through as the Knights are 5-1 in the two teams' six lifetime clashes.  Seattle's Saturday win over the Blackhawks may have been a costly one, though, as regular #1 goalie Martin Jones left after the second period with a hand injury.  It is unknown whether the veteran net-minder will be able to play tonight.  If Jones can't go, then it's likely Joey Daccord will be between the pipes for Seattle, as Philipp Grubauer was in net last night.  Regardless, we'll take the Knights.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the Buffalo Sabres.  The Devils may have lost to Boston on Saturday but losing 2-1 to an historically great team on the road is nothing to be upset about.  In fact, the Devils' loss to the Bruins by just one goal should serve as inspiration in the event they meet Boston in the semifinals.  But first things first as New Jersey attempts to catch Carolina for the top spot in the Metropolitan.  The Devils' remaining games are Buffalo (tonight) and Washington, so they stand a very good chance of going 2-0 and picking up four more points.  The Devils have won six of the last nine meetings with the Sabres and are looking to get revenge for a 5-4 loss to Buffalo in their last meeting on March 24.  Take New Jersey.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Ottawa Senators.  The Hurricanes defeated these Senators six days ago, 3-2.  But then they lost back to back games at Nashville (3-0) and Buffalo (4-3) to see their Metropolitan division-lead over the New Jersey Devils shrink to 1 point.  With an ultra-talented New York Rangers team looming in 3rd place, it's imperative for Carolina to win the division to avoid playing the Rangers in the 1st round.  I look for Carolina to bounce back tonight, as it's 24-10 off back to back losses (including 10-2 off back to back road losses), and 42-21 after allowing 3+ goals in back to back games.  Take the Hurricanes.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:40 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Timberwolves minus the points over New Orleans.  This is a huge game for both teams, as it will greatly impact their seeding in the Western conference.  We'll side with the homestanding T-Wolves, as New Orleans is a wallet-breaking 8-24-1 ATS as an underdog of +3 (or more) points, including 1-13 ATS off a straight-up win.  Take the T-Wolves minus the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:40 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Lakers minus the points over the Utah Jazz.  The Lakers can finish anywhere from #6 to #8 in the Western conference, so they're incentivized to win this afternoon.  We'll lay the points with the rested Lakers, and go against an unrested Jazz team playing its 3rd game in four days.  The Jazz upset the Nuggets in Salt Lake City yesterday, as a 10-point home underdog.  Unfortunately for Utah, unrested teams have covered just 38 of 98 following an upset win as a 7-point (or greater) home underdog.  Take the Lakers minus the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 1:10 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Raptors minus the points over the Milwaukee Bucks.  Toronto comes into this game off back to back losses to the Boston Celtics.  And it will also seek to avenge a 7-point loss to these Bucks, at Milwaukee last month.  We'll lay the points with the Raptors, as they're 124-80-5 ATS off back to back losses, including 11-6-1 ATS this season, and 14-5-1 ATS when playing with revenge vs. a division rival.  Take Toronto.

At 1:10 pm, our selection is on the Boston Celtics minus the points over the Atlanta Hawks.  The Hawks were upset at home by the Philadelphia 76ers in their previous game, and are now a road underdog at Boston on this final day of the regular season.  We'll go against the Hawks, as road dogs have covered just 32.5% since 1990 in the final game of the season, if they were off an upset home loss.  Take the Celtics.

At 1:10 pm, our selection is on the Orlando Magic + the points over the Miami Heat.  The Magic may not be headed toward the post-season.  But it's been a successful season by any measure.  Orlando's 34-47 SU and 45-33-3 ATS, including 30-15-3 ATS as an underdog of +4 (or more) points.  The Magic are 17-8 ATS in their last 25 meetings vs. Miami.  Take the Magic + the points.

At 1:10 pm, our selection is on the Brooklyn Nets minus the points over the Philadelphia 76ers.  The 76ers come into this game off an upset win over Atlanta as an 11.5-point underdog.  We'll fade Philly today, as .625 (or better) road underdogs have covered just 36% of division games since 1990 off an upset win as a 7-point (or greater) underdog.  Take Brooklyn.

At 8:40 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Mavericks minus the points over the Chicago Bulls.  The Bulls have qualified for the Play-in round, while Dallas is still fighting to do the same.  The odds are against Dallas, of course, but hope does remain.  But that hope will be extinguished if it loses to the Bulls tonight.  Chicago will be playing its final road game of the season, and was blown out, 105-92, at Milwaukee, on Wednesday.  We'll go against the Bulls, as .450 (or better) underdogs have covered just 31 of 85 off a straight-up loss, when playing their final road game vs. foes off a win.  Take Dallas.  Good luck, as always....Al McMordie.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the New Orleans Pelicans minus the points over the New York Knicks.  The Pelicans were blown out by 22 points when these teams last met.  New Orleans is playing its final home game of the season tonight, and it's well-motivated given that it is in 8th place, but can still finish as high as 5th (or as low as 9th).  The Knicks, on the other hand, are locked into the 5th seed in the Eastern conference.  For technical support, consider that NBA teams favored by more than 4 points in their final home game have covered 67% since 1990 when playing with revenge from a 22-point (or worse) defeat.  Take New Orleans.

At 7:40 pm, our selection is on the Brooklyn Nets minus the points over the Orlando Magic.  The Nets reside in 6th place, and need to win to ensure they stay ahead of 7th-seeded Miami (and avoid the dreaded Play-in round).  Orlando, of course, has long since been eliminated from the Playoff hunt.  The Magic did, however, defeat Brooklyn, 119-106, less than two weeks ago.  I look for the Nets to avenge that loss, as they're 74-33 ATS in the regular season when playing with revenge from a 13-point (or worse) defeat.  Take Brooklyn.

At 7:40 pm, our selection is on the Atlanta Hawks minus the points over the Philadelphia 76ers.  This game means nothing to the Sixers, but a lot to the Hawks, who sit in 8th (but just 1 game ahead of 9th-seeded Toronto).  Thus, Philly's Joel Embiid is not expected to suit up, and others may be in street clothes, as well.  The Sixers are a poor 16-36 ATS as a road underdog of more than 4 points vs. winning foes.  Take Atlanta to blow out Philly.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the San Antonio Spurs minus the points over Portland.  This game will be played at the Spurs' "home away from home" -- Austin, Texas.  The Spurs were blown out by the Phoenix Suns, 115-94, on Tuesday.  But we'll take them to bounce back tonight in this revenge game vs. Portland, as the Blazers blew them out by 20 points in the previous meeting.  San Antonio is 21-12 ATS as a home favorite when playing with revenge.  And it's 36-10-2 ATS off a loss by 18+ points, if it was favored by less than 8 points in its current game (including 21-3-2 ATS at home).  Take San Antonio.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Orlando Magic minus the points over the Cleveland Cavaliers.  The Cavs are locked into the #4 spot in the Eastern conference, so they'll have little incentive tonight.  Orlando is outside of the playoff picture, but is still competing hard.  The Magic are 45-31-3 ATS this season, including 9-1 ATS their last 10.  This is Orlando's final home game of the season, and it falls into a 94-54 system of mine which plays on certain teams in their last home game.  Lay the points with the Magic.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Clippers minus the points over the Los Angeles Lakers.  The Clippers come into tonight's game off a 122-114 loss to the Pelicans four days ago, while the Lakers won, 135-133, in overtime at Utah last night.  We'll lay the points with the well-rested Clippers tonight, as the Lakers are 45-71 ATS off a win, when playing on the road vs. a foe off a loss.  Take the Clippers.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:40 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Mavericks minus the points over the Sacramento Kings.  There's no doubt the Mavericks' acquisition of Kyrie Irving has not yielded the intended benefits.  Still, hope remains that the team can qualify for the Play-in round.  But to do so, it will have to win at least two of its remaining three games (but likely all three).  And even a 3-0 mark might not be good enough to pass Oklahoma City.  The good news, though, for the Mavericks is that all three games are at home and they will be favored in each.  We'll lay the points tonight with Dallas, as it's 150-95-6 ATS off a loss when playing a foe off a win.  Take the Mavs.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the New Orleans Pelicans minus the points over the Memphis Grizzlies.  The Grizzlies won, 119-109, vs. Portland last night to sew up the league's best home record this season (35-6).  Unfortunately, they've been dreadful on the road this season, with a 15-23 SU and 13-23-2 ATS record, including 0-8 ATS as an underdog vs. winning teams.  Even worse, when not favored by more than 1 point on the road vs. winning teams, the Grizzlies have lost their last 15 games, straight-up (1-13-1 ATS).  Lay the points with New Orleans.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:40 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Bulls + the points over the Milwaukee Bucks.  The Bulls play this game with revenge from a 112-100 defeat.  And Chicago is 7-1 ATS this season when playing with revenge from a 12-point (or worse) defeat.  Meanwhile, Milwaukee falls into a negative 37% ATS system of mine which fades certain teams late in the season off double-digit wins.  We'll grab the points with the Bulls.

At 9:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Lakers minus the points over the Utah Jazz.  The Lakers are making a final push for the Playoffs, and enter tonight's game on a 6-1 SU and 5-2 ATS streak.  This is a far cry from when these two teams met earlier in the season.  Utah took two meetings from the Lakers on November 4 and November 7 when the Lakers were in the midst of a 2-10 SU/ATS start to the season, while the Jazz were in the midst of a 10-3 SU/ATS start.  But now, it's the Jazz who are floundering, as they've lost six of their last seven games to fall out of the Playoff picture (if the season ended today).  The Lakers are 55-31 ATS as a revenge-minded road favorite.  Lay the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Houston Rockets + the points over the Denver Nuggets.  The Nuggets are a miserable 59-92 ATS on the road off a point spread win, including 11-32 ATS vs. foes off a double-digit loss.  With Houston in off a 134-109 blowout loss to the Lakers, and playing its final home game of the season, we'll take it to bounce back tonight.  Take Houston + the points.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Memphis Grizzlies minus the points over Portland.  The Blazers upset Memphis here, 122-112, when these teams last met.  We'll take the Grizzlies to avenge that loss, as they're 33-14 ATS when playing with revenge from an upset home loss earlier in the season, including 17-4 ATS as a favorite.  Lay the points.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs minus 1.5 goals over the Columbus Blue Jackets.  Columbus' defense has been a sieve, lately, as it's given up 74 goals over its 14 previous games.  That doesn't bode well for the Jackets tonight.  And especially not against a revenge-minded Maple Leafs team (Columbus defeated Toronto, 4-3, when these two teams last met).  Even worse:  the Leafs lost, 5-2, here at home to Detroit, on Sunday.  That was Toronto's 2nd straight home loss.  And it was its 2nd loss in its last three games, overall.  The Leafs, though, are 17-3 this season if they had lost at least 2 of their three previous games.  And they're also 12-1 at home following a loss by 2+ goals. We'll lay the 1.5 goals tonight, and look for a bounce-back blowout win.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:20 pm, on Monday, our selection is on the San Diego State Aztecs + the points over Connecticut.  The line in this game opened at -6, but quickly spiked higher.  By my math, it's too high.  We'll grab the points with Brian Dutcher's Aztecs, as teams seeded #5 (or worse) have cashed 69% in the NCAA Tournament as underdogs from the Elite Eight round forward.  That bodes well for San Diego State in this Championship game.  As does the fact that SDSU is 62-38 ATS off a point spread loss when playing an opponent off a win  Grab the points with the Aztecs.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over the Vegas Golden Knights. With just a half-dozen games to go in the season, the top two Division leaders in the Western Conference will face off tonight as the Knights visit Minneapolis for the second time since early February. It's a chance for Minnesota to get some revenge as the Knights have taken both meetings this season by a combined score of 9-2. It's also the back end of a home and home situation as Vegas just beat the Wild on the Strip at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday by a 4-1 margin. That win broke Minnesota's three game win streak including a big victory over the Avalanche in Colorado last Wednesday. You want to head into the post-season in good health but Vegas is anything but healthy right now with no fewer than eight players either temporarily sidelined or out for the rest of the season. This has been a host-friendly series lately as the home team is 6-1 in the last seven meetings. Minny is 22-8 in its last 30 games playing on one day of rest. Take the Wild. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:40 pm, our selection is on the Golden State Warriors + the points over Denver.  The Warriors will seek to avenge a 17-point loss here to the Nuggets two months ago.  We'll grab the points, as the Warriors are 73-46 ATS as an underdog when playing with revenge from a double-digit loss, including 9-0 ATS their last nine.  Take Golden State.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Bucks minus the points over the Philadelphia 76ers.  The Bucks lost by 41 points to Boston on Thursday.  We'll lay the points with Milwaukee, as Milwaukee is 31-15-1 ATS as a favorite off a home defeat, including 7-0-1 ATS its last eight.  Take the Bucks.

At 3:40 pm, our selection is on the Portland Trail Blazers + the points over Minnesota.  The Blazers come into this afternoon's game off 3 massive blowout losses to New Orleans (124-90), Sacramento (120-80) and Sacramento, again (138-114).  We'll take the points with Portland, as NBA teams off three straight 20-point defeats have covered 60.7% since 1990.  Take Portland.

At 8:45 pm, our selection is on the Connecticut/Miami game Under the total.  After shooting just 30.4% in its opening round win (63-56) vs. Drake, Miami has shot the lights out in its last three games.  Miami scored 85 in its 2nd round win vs. Indiana, 89 in its Sweet 16 round victory over Houston, and 88 in its Elite Eight triumph over Texas.  The Hurricanes were a combined 94-of-179 (52.5%) from the floor in those three games.  Those numbers were well above Miami's season averages of 79.6 ppg and 48.5% FG shooting.  Indeed, in ACC Conference play this season, the Hurricanes shot 50% (or better) in less than half of their games.  And I expect their red-hot shooting to come down in this semi-final match-up vs. UConn, as the Huskies have allowed just 34.9 percent shooting (81-for-232) in their four NCAA Tournament wins.  Connecticut is 42-24 Under away from home vs. teams that convert 48% (or better) of their field goals.  And it's also gone Under 59.3% vs. foes that scored 85+ in their previous game, and 62% vs. foes that average more than 79 points per game.  This will be a relatively-low scoring game.  Take the Under.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:40 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Clippers + the points over the New Orleans Pelicans.  We played against Los Angeles last night, and got the $$$ with the Memphis Grizzlies, in a 108-94 victory.  We'll switch gears and take the Clippers tonight, as they're 44-29-1 ATS on the road off a straight-up loss, including 11-4 ATS when playing without rest.  Even better:  the Pelicans upset the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, 107-88.  But Los Angeles is a solid 121-60-4 ATS on the road against foes off upset wins, if the Clippers were not favored by more than five points.  Take Los Angeles.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Ottawa Senators.  Their dreams of winning the Atlantic Division title and potentially having the best record in the East have been long dashed.  But that doesn't mean the Maple Leafs have thrown in the towel on the season.  Quite the opposite.  Toronto wants to stay ahead of the Lightning so that it has home ice advantage in the first round series with Tampa.  So with just a four-point lead over the Bolts, every game is still crucial for the Maple Leafs.  They make the short trip to Ottawa tonight to play the Senators for the fourth and final time this season.  They can't take their opponent lightly right now as the Sens are hungry with an outside shot at a Wild Card and they are hot, having won their last two games and three of their last four.  But Ottawa's biggest problem is injuries as it has no fewer than seven regular skaters and one goalie out with various ailments.  The Leafs are 5-1 in the last six meetings with the Sens.  And they're 16-3 this season if they're coming off losses in at least two of their three previous games.  Take Toronto.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:40 pm, our selection is on the Phoenix Suns minus the points over the Denver Nuggets.  The Suns were our preseason pick (at 13-1 odds) to win the NBA title, and they are well-positioned to do it, now that Kevin Durant has returned to the lineup.  Durant made his home debut for his new team in Wednesday's 7-point win over the Timberwolves.  Now, the Suns will look for their 4th straight win, overall, as they'll host the Western Conference's #1 seed, Denver.  Phoenix is a solid 76-52 ATS as a home favorite vs. .500 (or better) foes.  Additionally, Denver has covered just 5 of 16 road games when getting more than 3 points, and it's 17-39 ATS when getting more than 4 points from Phoenix.  Take the Suns.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Lakers over the Minnesota Timberwolves.  The T-Wolves have been installed as a small favorite in this critical Western Conference match-up.  Minnesota (39-38) sits a half-game ahead of the Lakers (38-38), as they battle down the stretch for Playoff (or Play-in round) positioning.  The Timberwolves have been horrid as a favorite when they've owned a .500 (or better) record, as they've gone 7-19 ATS.  The Lakers lost 4 weeks ago at home to Minnesota, but are 13-4 ATS their last 17 when playing with revenge from a loss suffered earlier in the season.  Take L.A.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Memphis Grizzlies minus the points over the Los Angeles Clippers.  This is the 2nd of back-to-back meetings here, on Beale Street, between these teams.  The Clippers won, 141-132, on Wednesday, as a road underdog.  We'll take the Grizzlies in the revenge role, as they're 38-21-2 ATS when playing with revenge from a home loss.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the Detroit Red Wings.  If the Jets thought they were going to cruise into the post-season -- it would be just the franchise's sixth overall playoff appearance since moving from Atlanta -- they better be careful.  After back-to-back losses to the Kings and Sharks, Winnipeg is just two points ahead of Calgary and three ahead of Nashville for the final Wild Card spot in the West.  The good news is that the Jets play both of those teams in April so to a certain extent their fate will be in their own hands.  But games like the one tonight -- against a 33-32-9 Red Wings team which isn't playing for anything except pride -- are crucial if Winnipeg is going to hold on to that spot, or even possibly pass the Kraken for the first Wild Card.  The Jets haven't been very good at home lately, but the Wings have been even worse on the road and have won just four of their last 16 overall.  Detroit is just 19-41 in its last 60 games when playing without rest, while the Jets are 33-15 in their last 48 against teams with a losing record.  Take Winnipeg.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 9:30 pm, on Thursday, in the NIT Tournament Championship game, our selection is on the UAB Blazers, on the moneyline, over North Texas.  This is the 4th meeting this season between these Conference USA rivals.  North Texas won the first two meetings, while UAB won the 3rd meeting, in the Conference USA tournament.  The Mean Green greatly favor a slow pace, as their games average 120.10 ppg, while UAB likes a more up-tempo pace, as its games average 151.55 ppg.  The first two meetings between these teams were played at a very slow pace.  Not surprisingly, the Mean Green won those regular season games.  The first was played at UAB on January 21, and North Texas upset the Blazers, 63-52, as a 3-point road underdog.  The pace was 62.8. Importantly, that game was played without Jelly Walker on the floor, as he was nursing a bruised foot.  Then, on February 9, the Mean Green won at home, as a 2.5-point favorite, 82-79.  That game went into double-overtime, so the high score is extremely misleading; it was tied, 62-62, at the end of regulation, and had a very slow pace of 57.1.  Walker scored 20 points in a losing effort.  The 3rd meeting, which was on March 10, had a much faster pace (68.1) than the prior two meetings, and UAB won, 76-69, as a 2-point favorite.  Although the final margin of victory was seven points, UAB was in complete control the entire way.  It sprinted out to a 22-2 start, and led by as many as 16 points in the 2nd half.  Jelly Walker dominated with 32 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists.  In this 4th meeting, I expect Walker to once again be the best player on the floor, and to lead UAB to the NIT Title.  UAB has gone 14-2 straight-up since Walker returned from injury.  Its two losses were the aforementioned double-overtime loss at North Texas, and the Conference USA Championship game vs. Florida Atlantic (which is playing on Saturday in the Final Four).  We'll take UAB on the moneyline.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Detroit Red Wings.  The Red Wings are giving up 3.27 goals per game this season.  And that doesn't bode well for the home team tonight, as Carolina is 30-7 its last 37 vs. foes that give up 2.85 (or more) goals per game.  Even worse:  Carolina comes into this game off back to back home losses to Boston (4-3) and Tampa Bay (4-0).  But the Hurricanes are 24-10 off back to back losses, and 15-6 off a blowout loss by 3+ goals.  Take the Hurricanes.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Boston Celtics + the points over the Milwaukee Bucks.  The Celts suffered a blowout loss to the Washington Wizards on Tuesday, so they'll look to bounce back tonight.  Boston is a solid 27-8 ATS in competitively-priced games with point spreads less than 4 points; 14-4 ATS as a road underdog; and 35-15 ATS its last 50 vs. Milwaukee.  Grab the points with the Celtics.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Nashville Predators.  Two days ago, the Predators did something that only three other NHL teams have managed to do all season.  They beat the best team in the league -- the Bruins -- in regulation.  If the Predators end up making it into the playoffs with a Wild Card seed, they may look back on Tuesday as the most important win of the season.  Of course a win tonight against a dangerous Penguins team that is also fighting for a post-season spot would be huge as well.  The Pens have made the playoffs for 16 straight seasons -- every season since they've had Crosby and Malkin -- but they're in danger of that streak being broken after an embarrassing 7-4 loss to the Red Wings Tuesday night and the Panthers breathing down their neck for the final Wild Card.  The good news is that five of their final eight games will be played here at home where they have a 20-11-5 record this season.  The Pens are 4-1 in the last five meetings with the Preds and the home team has taken three of the last four.  Take Pittsburgh.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Memphis Grizzlies minus the points over the Los Angeles Clippers.  Ja Morant didn't suit up in last night's game here, at home, vs. Orlando.  But Damichael Cole -- the Grizzlies beat writer for the Memphis Commercial Appeal -- has reported that Morant will play tonight.  And that's all we need to pull the trigger on Memphis.  The Grizzlies have now won 12 straight home games, 3 shy of their franchise record, and are 43-20-2 ATS at home their last 65.  Lay the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Lakers minus the points over the Chicago Bulls.  This is the 2nd of back to back meetings between these clubs.  Chicago won by 10, 118-108, on Sunday, as a 4.5-point road underdog.  The Lakers are 52-32 ATS as revenge-minded road favorites, while the Bulls are 45-83 ATS at home vs. Western Conference foes off an ATS loss.  Take the Lakers.

At 7:40 pm, our selection is on the Houston Rockets + the points over Brooklyn.  The Nets have dropped six of their last seven, and they're now laying double-digits to the Houston Rockets.  Admittedly, Houston is a horrible team.  But I can't get behind Brooklyn as a big favorite.  The Nets are 11-28 ATS their last 39 when laying more than 9 points, including 3-17 ATS vs. sub-.309 teams.  Take Houston + the points.

At 10 pm, our selection is on the Golden St Warriors minus the points over the New Orleans Pelicans.  Golden State comes into tonight's game off a rare home loss, as it fell, 99-96, on Sunday to the Minnesota Timberwolves.  We'll lay the points with Steve Kerr's men tonight, as they're 81-50 ATS off a straight-up loss, when playing an unrested foe, including 59-33-3 ATS at home.  And the Pelicans are 4-14 ATS on the road off a win, if playing an opponent off an upset loss.  Finally, over the past 10 years, the Pelicans are a woeful 2-20 straight-up, and 7-14-1 ATS at Golden State, including 0-8-1 ATS when priced from +6.5 to +10.5 points.  Take the Warriors.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7 pm, in the NIT Tournament, our selection is on the Wisconsin Badgers + the points over the North Texas Mean Green.  The Big 10 Conference has been dominant in the NIT Tourney since 1990, and especially at the 2nd round forward, where it's gone 54-33-3 ATS vs. non-conference foes.  We'll grab the points with the Badgers, as they're 34-13 ATS as a non-conference underdog/PK since 2004, and 9-0 ATS the past two years away from home when playing a non-conference foe, and not favored by 4+ points.  Meanwhile North Texas is 2-4 ATS vs. Big 10 opponents.  And Conference USA teams are a horrible 7-24 ATS away from home vs. Big 10 foes when not getting 14+ points.  Take Wisconsin + the points in this NIT semi-final game.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:10 pm, our selection is on the Sacramento Kings minus the points over the Minnesota Timberwolves.  These two teams met earlier this month in Minneapolis, and the Wolves upset the Kings, 138-134, as a 4.5-point home underdog.  The NBA season has less than 10 games left, and both of these Western Conference foes are locked into tight battles for playoff positioning.  The Kings sit two games behind 2nd-seeded Memphis with eight to play, while Minnesota is in 7th place, a half-game behind 6th-seeded Golden State, and a half-game ahead of 8th-seeded New Orleans.  Last night, the T-Wolves upset the Warriors in San Francisco.  Not many teams go into Golden State's building and win.  And even less follow a victory up with another victory their next game.  Indeed, teams off wins at Golden State are 32-49-5 ATS, including 1-8 ATS their last nine.  Likewise, teams off a win over the Warriors (regardless of venue) are a poor 1-12 ATS vs. revenge-minded foes.  Sacramento also falls into 150-70 and 488-347 ATS revenge systems of mine.  Lay the points with the Kings.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 6:10 pm, our selection is on the San Antonio Spurs + the points over the Boston Celtics.  The Spurs may be bereft of talent, but they still compete hard.  Today, they're playing the 4th of a 4-game road trip against a Celtics team which only beat them by 5 points earlier this season (as a 15-point favorite).  The Spurs are once again a massive underdog vs. Boston, which enters off back to back SU/ATS wins over Sacramento and Indiana.  We'll grab the points, as San Antonio is 90-58-2 ATS on the road vs. Eastern Conference foes that are off an ATS Win or Tie in their previous game.  And Boston is 9-20-2 ATS as a favorite following back-to-back covers as a favorite.  Take San Antone.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.