Sports Picks & Predictions

At 7:15 pm, our selection is on the New York Yankees over the Boston Red Sox.  Despite one of the highest winning percentages in baseball (9-2; .818) and the lowest walk rate in the AL at 1.1, Jameson Taillon will be staying home next week instead of going to the All Star game in Los Angeles.  The 30-year-old Yankee RHP's cause isn't helped by his 4.01 ERA, his poor start to the month of July, or the fact that three Yankee pitchers are already on the squad (Cole, Cortes, Holmes).  Nonetheless, Taillon probably feels snubbed and would like nothing better than to show how well he can perform on the big stage tonight in the biggest rivalry in MLB.  To that end, Taillon has some very solid numbers in his career vs. the Sox.  In five starts against them covering just under 30 innings, Taillon is 2-0 with a 3.03 ERA.  Taillon is also out to avenge one of those poor July starts as it happened last Sunday against Boston (and also his mound opponent, Nick Pivetta).  The good news is that Taillon's teams have gone 39-22 (+12.8 net games) in his career when he's worked on an extra day or two of rest.  Even better, in five career games vs. the Yanks (four starts), Pivetta is 0-2 with an 8.50 ERA.  And, despite their win last night, the Red Sox are still just 5-10 in the last 15 meetings, 12-24 (minus 13.3 net games) vs. division rivals, and 33-36 (minus 6.7 net games) vs. righties.  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:40 pm, our selection is on the San Diego Padres over the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Yu Darvish was an All Star last season for the Padres but his 7-4 record and 3.38 ERA in 16 starts covering 101 1/3 innings wasn't quite enough to get him back to the Mid-Summer Classic for a second straight year (and sixth time overall).  Of course, given that the 35-year-old Japanese RH tanked badly in the 2nd half of 2021 after his trip to the All Star Game, Darvish may be feeling a bit relieved that he wasn't chosen to go to Los Angeles next week.  Darvish will get his 17th start of the season tonight and it will come at home against the D-Backs and opposite another former All Star in LH Madison Bumgarner.  Despite Petco Park's reputation as a pitcher's paradise, Bumgarner has rarely performed well here, going 5-11 with a 4.70 ERA in 23 career appearances (22 starts) covering 132 innings in San Diego.  The D-Backs are 1-7 in the last eight meetings with the Padres and 7-20 in the last 27 at Petco.  They are also 3-6 in Bumgarner's last nine starts as well.  Take the Padres.

At 8:15 pm, our selection is on the St Louis Cardinals over the Cincinnati Reds.  Hunter Greene will start for Cincy tonight, and the Reds have won just 4 of his 17 starts (including 0-8 his last eight on the road).  That doesn't bode well for the Reds tonight against a St Louis team which will start RH Andre Pallante.  The rookie will be making his second start vs. the Reds, and he shut them out over 5 1/3 innings when he made his home debut back on June 10.  And he's been at his best at home this season, as he has a 3.00 ERA with a 1.33 WHIP here, at Busch Stadium.   It's true that St. Louis comes into this weekend series having lost 10 of its last 15 games.  But it was an underdog in 12 of those 15, as it went up against two of the NL's best in the Dodgers and Braves, and also played seven games against the Phillies.  The Reds, of course, are not close to the caliber of those clubs, as they're tied for the 3rd worst record in baseball.  The Cards are 78-42 their last 120 as a favorite, including 30-13 (+8.9 net games) this season.   Take St. Louis.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Rays over the Baltimore Orioles.  The hottest team in the league is the Baltimore Orioles, whose winning streak has now grown to 10 games.  But before we hand the O's a World Series trophy -- or even a Wild Card ticket for that matter -- we must keep in mind that they've been beating up on two of the most dysfunctional teams in the league over the past week.  The O's swept the Angels over four games last weekend and then headed to Chicago for a couple of wins over the 34-55 Cubs Tuesday and Wednesday.  Now comes a real test against the team which has had the Orioles' number lately more than any other.  Tampa Bay is an amazing 29-9 against the Orioles over the past three seasons, and the situation gets even more lopsided when looking the meetings here at Tropicana Field where the Rays are 15-1 in the last 16.  If the O's can come out of these last three games before the break with their streak intact, then we can say that they are a real threat in the AL East.  Tonight, they'll face RH Luis Patino, who makes his return from the 60-day injured list.  Baltimore will counter with Tyler Wells.  The Rays are 39-18 (+16.2 net games) at home when priced as a favorite of -150 or less, and 139-81 (+38.8 net games) vs righties.  Take the Rays.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Blue Jays minus 1.5 runs over the Kansas City Royals.  Toronto's Charlie Montoyo became the third MLB Manager to be relieved of his duties this season when the Jays fired him earlier this week (joining Joe Girardi (ex-Phillies) and Joe Madden (ex-Angels).  Bench coach John Schneider has stepped in for now and he has already won his first game, beating the Phillies on Wednesday.  Since going 8-1 with a 1.67 ERA in his first 12 starts, All Star RH Alek Manoah has won just one of his five starts since while seeing his ERA climb to 2.34.  But Manoah has faced winning teams (Red Sox, Mariners, Brewers, and Yankees) in four of those five outings.  Start number 18 will come tonight and Manoah will step down in class to face the 36-53 Royals.  In two career starts vs. KC, Manoah has yet to allow a run as he has logged 13 innings while surrendering just eight hits and four walks with eight strikeouts.  Despite the Royals victory on Thursday evening, the Jays have won five of the last eight meetings vs. Kansas City.  Take Toronto.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Texas Rangers over the Seattle Mariners.  The Mariners' 10-game win streak has catapulted them into Playoff contention, as they're 47-42.  But don't sleep on the Texas Rangers, who are only 4.5 games back, at 41-45.  The Rangers have been led by their southpaw, Martin Perez, who was named to this year's American League All-Star team.  Perez has been nothing short of sensational, as he's 7-2 with a 2.72 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP.  Even better:  the Rangers have won 12 of his last 13 starts.  And he has a career 3.59 ERA vs. Seattle in 23 starts, while his teams have gone 14-9 in those games.  Perez will match up against Marco Gonzales, who has a 5-9 record, with a 3.24 ERA and 1.31 WHIP on the season.  We'll take Texas and go against a Seattle team which is 8-13 (minus 5.2 net games) vs. lefty starters this season (compared to 39-29 (plus 12.0 net games) vs. righties).  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:40 pm, our selection is on the San Diego Padres over the Colorado Rockies.  It seemed to many that the exclusion of Joe Musgrove from the NL All Star roster in 2021 was a huge snub -- especially given that the Padres RH threw a no-hitter in his second start of the season.  Well, Musgrove doesn't have to wait any longer to be called an All Star as the 29-year-old was a no-brainer selection this year on the strength of his incredible first-half numbers.  You could certainly argue that only one other NL starting pitcher -- LA's Tony Gonsolin -- had a better first half as Musgrove has logged an 8-2 record with a 2.09 ERA in 15 starts covering 99 innings.  Start number 16 will come tonight in a place where many starters go to get humbled -- Colorado's Coors Field.  Musgrove, however, has not minded the thin air in Denver that much as in two starts here covering 13 innings, he is 1-1 with a 2.77 ERA and 1.00 WHIP.  Musgrove's teams (San Diego and Pittsburgh) have gone 4-1 in his last five starts vs. the Rockies going back to August 31, 2019.  Take the Padres.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Cubs over the Baltimore Orioles.  Tonight's pitching match-up will be southpaw Justin Steele for the Cubs and righty Spenser Watkins for the Orioles.  The Orioles are 8-13 behind Watkins, including 0-3 in his interleague starts.  And his ERA in those three interleague games is 10.12.  Take the Chicago Cubs.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 12:05 pm, in Game 1 of the double-header, our selection is on the Washington Nationals over the Seattle Mariners.  Last year, Chris Flexen's Mariners were 22-9 when he was on the hill, and he led the majors (in Las Vegas) in the all-important betting category of "Money Won" in the games he started.  But 2022 has been a different story.  Seattle is 6-10 in his starts, including 1-8 as an underdog of +155 or less.  Flexen will match-up against Josiah Gray, who comes into this game off one of his best outings of his career.  Last Wednesday, Gray gave up 2 runs and 4 hits over 6 innings, and struck out 11 Phillies (a career high), in a 3-2 Nationals win.  Take Washington.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Cubs over the Baltimore Orioles.  The Orioles are on an 8-game win streak.  But that streak will be tested tonight with RH Jordan Lyles going to the mound.  After all, Lyles has a 5.89 ERA on the road this season, while the Orioles have won just 4 of his last 14 starts.  And in his last two starts vs. the Cubs, he gave up 14 runs over 4 2/3 innings, while his team lost by scores of 10-4 and 11-3.  Lyles' teams are a wallet-breaking 8-23 in interleague games, including 1-9 his last 10.  Lyles will match up against Cubs RH Adrian Sampson, who will make his fourth start of the season.  His first three were against the Brewers, Red Sox and Cardinals.  And Chicago won 2 of the 3 despite being big underdogs in each.  Sampson has a respectable 3.94 ERA and 1.18 WHIP this season.  Take the Cubs.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:20 pm, our selection is on the Atlanta Braves over the New York Mets.  The Mets drew first blood in this all-important series between the two NL East powers and now the Braves will try to answer behind rookie RHP Spencer Strider.  The 23-year-old only made two relief appearances in 2021 but Strider now finds himself in the Braves rotation in his second season in the Majors and if he keeps pitching the way he has been, Atlanta will keep putting Strider out there every five or six days.  In 19 appearances -- eight starts -- Strider is 4-2 with a 2.60 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in just under 66 innings.  If Strider had enough innings to qualify in the starter rankings, his 13.97 strikeouts per game would put him at the top of the league in that category.  Strider had a bad beat in his last start, shutting out the Cards over six innings while allowing just two hits with 12 strikeouts and only two walks in a 3-2 St. Louis victory.  This will be Strider's first career game vs. the Mets.  Meanwhile, New York's David Peterson has made five prior starts vs. Atlanta, and has compiled a 5.47 ERA.  We played on the Mets (and won) last night, as our NL East Game of the Month.  But even with their victory on Monday, they're just 2-4 in the last six meetings with the Braves in Atlanta.  And they're 28-25 (minus 4.7 net games) off a win this season (compared to 25-8 off a loss).  Take the Braves.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:20 pm, our selection is on the New York Mets over the Atlanta Braves.  The first place Mets come into Atlanta for a huge three-game series which could go a long way towards determining the team which sits atop the NL East division come October.  The Mets were happy to get Max Scherzer back in the rotation last week after he missed the entire month of June with an injury.  Scherzer faced the Reds in Cincinnati last Tuesday and pitched like he hadn't missed a beat -- although he was held to a pitch count of around 80 in a very close game.  The key stat for Scherzer's previous start was that he struck out 11 Reds over six innings.  Look for the 37-year-old RH to get stretched out a bit in his second start back tonight.  This will be Scherzer's first start of the season vs. the Braves, but he has some solid -- though not spectacular -- numbers against them in his career.  In 27 games -- 25 starts -- vs. the Braves, Scherzer is 10-9 with a 3.88 ERA.  Importantly, the Mets are 24-8 off a loss this season, and 19-15 (+4.3 net games) in competitively-priced contests with odds between +125 and -125.  In contrast, the Braves are 10-17 in competitively-priced games with odds between +125 and -125, including 2-8 here, at home.  And the road team is also 4-2 in the last six meetings between these division rivals.  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 4:10 pm, our selection is on the San Diego Padres over the San Francisco Giants.  This matchup will pit two southpaws -- Alex Wood and Mackenzie Gore -- against one another.  These two pitchers also faced off back on May 22, and Gore got the better of Wood, as San Diego won that game, 10-1.  Gore went six innings, and allowed just 1 run on 3 hits, while he struck out six Giants.  Meanwhile, Wood was bombed for five runs on eight hits, and two walks, over three innings.  San Diego is a solid 20-10 this season vs. lefty starters.  And it's 5-0 behind Gore in daytime game.  The Padres have been installed as a slight favorite, which bodes well for the home team, as San Francisco is 3-12 its last 15 as a road underdog.  And Wood's teams are a wallet-busting 14-27 (minus 8.7 net games) as an underdog with him on the mound, and 19-27 (minus 16.0 net games) in his daytime starts.  Take San Diego.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 4:10 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Rays over the Cincinnati Reds.  The Reds brought 2017 first round draft pick Hunter Greene up to the Majors this Spring after just three seasons in the Minors.  Despite a few flashes of brilliance, you have to wonder if they didn't rush Greene along too quickly.  In 16 starts, the 22-year-old RHP is 3-10 with a 6.01 ERA and league-leading 22 home runs allowed in just over 79 innings and the Reds have lost each of his last five starts coming in.  Despite the struggles, Greene will get start number 17 this afternoon at home against the Rays and RH Drew Rasmussen.  After shining brightly for Tampa in 2021 once he came over from the Brewers, Rasmussen is having another solid campaign this season with a 5-3 record, 3.30 ERA, and 1.17 WHIP in 13 starts covering just under 63 innings.  This will be Rasmussen's first career start vs. the Reds, but he has a 2-0 record in 11 interleague games -- including four starts.  And the Rays are also 6-0 behind him when favored -150 (or higher).  Despite their loss last night, the Rays are 38-18 in their last 56 interleague games.  And they're 61-34 (+21.1 net games) in daytime affairs.  Take Tampa Bay.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Twins over the Texas Rangers.  It's going to be awfully "Gray" in Arlington, Texas tonight as Sonny Gray of the Twins takes on Jon Gray of the Rangers in the first of this three-game series.  Both of the Grays have had had bounce-back seasons in 2022.  And while RH Jon of the Rangers has put up some decent numbers this season -- his first in Texas -- after struggling for years in Colorado, it's been the Twins' RH Sonny who has really flourished.  In 11 starts covering just under 55 innings, Sonny has posted a 4-1 record with a stellar 2.47 ERA and 1.04 WHIP.  More importantly for this evening, S. Gray has some pretty dominating career numbers against Texas.  In 15 games vs. the Rangers -- 14 starts -- covering 94 1/3 innings, he is 9-3 with a 2.86 ERA.  Even when Sonny doesn't get the "W" this season, his team usually does.  In Gray's last nine starts going back to May 7, the Twins are 8-1.  The Twins are also 8-3 in the last 11 meetings with the Rangers and 7-0 in the last seven here in Arlington.  Take Minnesota.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie. 

At 9:40 pm, our selection is on the San Diego Padres over the San Francisco Giants.  We've seen how the Padres stack up against the Dodgers -- L.A. just took three of four from San Diego -- and now it's time for the Pads to battle the Giants.  San Francisco heads south for four games against the Padres who will start with ace Joe Musgrove tonight.  The veteran RH hit a rough skid at the end of June but his overall numbers on the season are still as strong as just about any starter in the league (he should be an All-Star for sure).  In 14 starts covering 92 innings, Musgrove is 8-2 with a 2.25 ERA and 0.95 WHIP with 92 strikeouts and only 19 walks.  Most importantly, the Padres are 11-3 in his starts this season and that includes a 2-1 victory over the Giants in San Francisco on May 21.  The Padres are also 6-0 in Musgrove's last six starts after a team loss in their previous game.  This season, these two teams have met six times -- all in San Francisco -- and the Pads are 4-2 in those games.  Even worse for SF:  it's 1-9 in its last 10 games as a road underdog.  Take San Diego.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 1:10 pm, our selection is on the Cleveland Guardians over the Detroit Tigers.  Shane Bieber is having just the type of season you would expect from an Ace -- with the exception of one category.  The veteran RHP has a stellar 3.16 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 15 starts covering 91 innings.  But despite those solid numbers and the fact that his team is winning consistently so far, Bieber's won-lost ledger is just 3-4 heading into this afternoon's start against the Tigers.  The good news is that even when he doesn't get the W for himself, the Guardians usually win the game.  In fact, Cleveland is 6-1 in Bieber's last seven starts going back to his dominating eight inning performance in a 8-1 win right here in Detroit on May 28.  That's par for the course when he faces the Tigers.  In 10 career starts vs. Detroit covering 70 1/3 innings, Bieber is 7-3 with a 2.18 ERA and 0.88 WHIP and those seven victories represent the most that he has registered against any MLB team.  The Guardians are 63-24 in the last 87 meetings with the Tigers and 41-20 in the last 61 here in Detroit.  Take Cleveland.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Cleveland Guardians over the Detroit Tigers.  A double-header sweep is not the way the Guardians wanted to begin this four-game series against the Tigers, but that's the hand they've been dealt after Detroit won both games on Monday.  Tonight the Guardians will turn to veteran righthander Cal Quantrill in Game 3 of the series here in Detroit.  In 14 starts this season, Quantrill is 4-4 with a 3.72 ERA and 1.24 WHIP.  Those numbers may be off from his 2021 campaign, but Quantrill is still a very solid option for the Guardians this season.  In five career appearances vs. the Tigers covering 16 1/3 inning -- two starts -- Quantrill is 1-1 with a 2.76 ERA and 1.10 WHIP.  In his last start against the Tigers -- from August 6 of last season -- Quantrill was quite spectacular, allowing no runs on four hits in seven innings in a dominating 6-1 Cleveland victory.  The Guardians are 63-22 in the last 85 meetings with the Tigers and 41-18 in the last 59 meetings here at Comerica Park. Take Cleveland.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Blue Jays -1.5 runs over the Oakland Athletics.  A five-game series between two teams in the regular season is rare, but the Blue Jays and Rays just played one with Tampa getting the better of Toronto, three games to two.  Alek Manoah -- arguably the Jays best starter -- didn't go in that series, so he gets the call tonight in Oakland against the A's.  With a 9-2 record and 2.09 ERA in 15 starts covering 94 2/3 innings, Manoah is a shoe-in for the AL All-Star team and is also an early favorite for the Cy Young award.  This will be the 24-year-old RH's third start against the A's -- his second this season.  The Jays are 2-0 in his previous two outings vs. Oakland -- with both of those coming at home.  But Manoah should have no problem pitching in the friendly confines of the Oakland Coliseum where fly balls go to die -- usually in the gloves of the outfielders.  The Blue Jays are 13-3 in the last 16 meetings with the A's overall and 5-2 in the last seven in Oakland.  The Jays are also 6-2 in Manoah's last eight starts going back to May 21.  Take Toronto -1.5 runs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 1:35 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Blue Jays over the Tampa Bay Rays.  The Jays were swept here, at home, by Tampa yesterday.  So, they'll look to bounce back this afternoon behind 32-year-old swingman, Ross Stripling.  The veteran is 4-2 with a solid 3.12 ERA in 18 appearances -- including 10 starts.  But more importantly, when Stripling pitches -- the Jays win.  In fact Toronto is 8-1 in the last nine games that Stripling has appeared in (whether as a starter or reliever). And the Jays are also 6-4 this year in the 10 games in which he's started.  Finally, in 65 daytime appearances (including 30 starts) Stripling is 14-9 (.609) with a 3.29 ERA vs. just 18-27 with a 4.22 ERA in 125 appearances (60 starts) under the lights.  Take the Blue Jays.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 12:10 pm, in Game 1 of the Double Header, our selection is on the New York Yankees -1.5 runs over the Cleveland Guardians.  The Yanks are likely looking forward to playing the Guardians over this weekend.  Then again, they're probably happy to be playing anyone other than the Astros.  Against Houston, New York is 2-3 this season.  Against everyone else, the Yanks are 54-18.  At the front of the line of players who are happy not to be facing the 'Stros is ace RH Gerrit Cole.  Cole is having another season worthy of Cy Young consideration (he's yet to win the award but has come close several times).  In 15 starts covering just over 87 innings, the 31-year-old is 6-2 with a 2.99 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, an 11.4 strikeout rate and a 4.83 K:BB ratio.  This is his second start of the season against the Guardians.  On April 24, Cole threw 6 2/3 innings of four-hit, shutout ball in a 10-2 Yankees victory over Cleveland.  Prior to the loss to Houston in his last start, the Yanks had won Cole's last four outings by a total run count of 29-9.  That bodes well for a blowout this afternoon vs. the Guardians, who will hand the ball to Kirk McCarty.  The rookie southpaw is making his second major league start.  He has also pitched in relief once this season -- and that was against the Yankees.  In that outing vs. New York, he was hit hard for 4 runs in 3 innings, and gave up 2 home runs.  Overall, in his 2 appearances, he's given up 9 runs (8 earned) and 5 home runs, in 7 innings, for a 10.29 ERA.  The Yanks are 9-3 in the last 12 meetings and 6-1 in the last seven in Cleveland.  Take New York minus 1.5 runs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 6:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Cardinals over the Philadelphia Phillies.  As many expected, the NL Central is a two-team race between the Cards and Brewers and it likely will continue to be so for the rest of the season.  Both teams have thrived on their pitching (as well as hitting) this season.  And no pitcher epitomizes the term "workhorse" any more than St. Louis righthander Miles Mikolas.  Signing a 31-year-old Mikolas to a 4 year, $68M extension in 2020 may have seemed liked a risky move at the time, but it's looking pretty smart right now.  Mikolas is in the top three for innings pitched in the NL this season -- he should go over 100 tonight -- and he just keeps giving his team quality start after quality start every time he goes out there.  After a 4.23 ERA in an abbreviated 2021, Mikolas has come storming back this season with a 2.57 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 15 starts.  Mikolas last pitched against the Phillies in May of 2019 when he threw seven shutout innings in a 6-0 Cards win.  St. Louis is also a dominant 11-1 (+10 games on the moneyline) in its last 12 games as a road favorite.  Take the Cards.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 6:05 pm, our selection is on the Philadelphia Phillies over the Atlanta Braves.  Aaron Nola is no stranger to bad luck.  Over the past two seasons, the veteran RHP has put up mostly solid numbers for the Phillies with much better than a strikeout per inning and yet he hasn't been able to crack the .500 mark in wins and losses.  This season is more of the same.  In his last start, Nola threw seven innings of one-run, seven-hit ball with 10 K's against the Padres with nothing to show for it.  Usually, when that happens, although Nola doesn't get a "W", the Phillies still win, but that last start was a painful 1-0 loss to San Diego.  It was the first loss for the team in the last six Nola starts going back to May 26.  Nola will give it another shot tonight against the defending World Series Champs.  In that May 26 start, Nola faced this Braves club in Atlanta and was brilliant once again, throwing 8 1/3 innings of one-run ball in a 4-1 Phillies win.  And that time, he did get the victory.  Despite their loss here last night, the Phillies are still 9-3 in their last 12 games vs. winning teams.  Take Philadelphia.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 3:40 pm, our selection is on the San Diego Padres over the Arizona Diamondbacks.  In 2020, the Guardians (then Indians) decided is was time to dump salary by trading away basically all of their best players with the exception of their #1 hitter (Jose Ramirez) and #1 pitcher (Shane Bieber).  Part of that dump was a very talented starter by the name of Mike Clevinger, who Cleveland shipped off to San Diego.  At the time, Clevinger was a 29-year-old RH with a career 42-22 record and an ERA around 3.10 -- pretty good numbers for a guy who was still in his prime.  Unfortunately, Clevinger only made four starts for the Padres before needing major elbow surgery so he missed all of 2021 as a result. Clevinger is back this season, but the Pads are proceeding with caution.  Don't be surprised if they start stretching him out more as the season progresses and Clevinger continues to build arm strength.  He just threw four solid innings against this D-Backs team in his last start -- a game won by San Diego, 10-4.  The Padres are 5-0 in Clevinger's five starts this season.  Take San Diego.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:45 pm, our selection is on the San Francisco Giants over the Detroit Tigers.  Giants LH, Carlos Rodon, has done very little wrong this season.  Outside of an awful game on May 15 at St. Louis, he's allowed just 16 earned runs over 76 1/3 innings, in 13 games.  But even with that horrible outing against the Cardinals (3 2/3 innings, eight runs), Rodon's season ERA is an impressive 2.70, with a 1.08 WHIP (without that May 15 game, his numbers for his other 13 starts are 1.53 ERA, 0.99 WHIP).  Tonight, Rodon will match-up against Detroit's fellow southpaw, Tarik Skubal, who is 0-3, with a 9.88 ERA and 2.04 WHIP over his last three starts.  The Giants are a solid 96-48 (+28.4 net games) vs. losing teams; 54-33 (+18.6 net games) off a loss; and  57-38 (+21.8 net games) vs. lefties.  Meanwhile, the Tigers have been profitable this season off a win, but an awful 14-29 (minus 10.6 net games) off a loss.  And they're 7-13 (minus 4.6 net games) vs. lefties.  Take San Francisco.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Blue Jays over the Boston Red Sox.  Kevin Gausman was brought into the Blue Jays clubhouse almost immediately after their Cy Young-winning starter Robbie Ray signed with the Mariners.  It would seem like a natural trade-off with both star pitchers being in their early 30s although Gausman is a righthander while Ray is a southpaw.  Both have struggled at times with their new teams, but it's Gausman who has the better numbers so far.  In 14 starts covering 79 innings, the 31-year-old is 5-6 with a 3.19 ERA, a 9.9 strikeout rate and a 6.7 K:BB ratio (87 strikeouts and only 13 walks).  Gausman has had plenty of experience pitching against Boston from his time with the Orioles.  Most of those outings were rough, but since he's been with Toronto this season, Gausman has faced the Red Sox twice, allowing one earned run on 11 hits in 14 innings with 17 strikeouts and no walks -- and the Jays won both of those games back in April.  The Sox are 1-5 in the last six meetings with the Jays and 1-4 in the last five here in Toronto.  Take the Jays.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:15 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  The Lightning shocked the Avs on Friday night, winning Game 5 in Denver in OT to bring the series back to Tampa for a final home game this season.  Once again, Colorado probably did enough to win the game and hoist the Cup on Friday, out-shooting the visitors by 37-29.  But a few bounces didn't go its way so here we are with Game 6 tonight.  The Avs could get a huge boost by the expected return of winger Andre Burakovsky from his hand injury tonight.  He is listed as "possible" but the 27-year-old star will travel with the team to Tampa and if there is any way he can be out on the ice tonight, then you can bet he will.  Before the Avs lost Game 3 here, they were 7-0 in road games in these Playoffs.  And with their win in Game 4, they are now 8-1 coming into tonight.  Take Colorado.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 1:35 pm, our selection is on the New York Yankees over the Houston Astros.  A stunned sell-out crowd at Yankee Stadium watched Saturday as three Astros pitchers combined to no-hit the boys in pinstripes.  It's the first time that the Yanks have been no-hit since June 2003, which means it's the first time it's been done to them since they moved out of Old Yankee Stadium (and it was the Astros that did it back then, as well). The team with the best record in baseball will try to regroup this afternoon behind the guy who's been their best left-handed starter this season. 27-year-old Nestor Cortes will take the hill for his 14th start of the season.  The Cuban southpaw has been nothing short of brilliant this season, with a 6-3 record, 2.31 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 74 innings.  Almost a year ago, on July 9 2021, Cortes threw four shutout innings vs. the 'Stros in his last start against them in a 4-0 New York victory in Houston.  Cortes has done by far his best work at home this season, going 3-0 with a 1.53 ERA in six starts here (vs. 3-3 and 3.03 in seven starts on the road).  New York is 11-4 its last 15 (and 110-57 (+33.7 net games) its last 167) off a shutout loss, and 30-9 this season as a home favorite.  Take the Yankees.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:15 pm, our selection is on the Atlanta Braves over the Los Angeles Dodgers.  This weekend's three-game series between the Dodgers and Braves is the first time these two clubs have met in Atlanta since last October's clinching NLCS Game 6 that sent the Braves to the World Series.  The Dodgers have come back this season with another strong team, but so has Atlanta.  And the Braves' pitching might actually be better than it was when they won it all eight months ago.  One of the Braves who seems to be approaching the best level of his career is 28-year-old LHP Max Fried, who goes in his 15th start of the season tonight.  Fried is 7-2 with a 2.77 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in just under 88 innings and he has not lost a decision since his second start back on April 13.  In his next start after that one, Fried blanked this Dodger club in L.A. over seven innings.  And that commenced a streak of 12 outings in which he has either won or had a No Decision.  The Braves are 10-4 in his starts this season and they are 6-0 in his last six.  Meanwhile, the Dodgers are 1-5 in their last six games here at Truist Park.  Take Atlanta.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 6:10 pm, our selection is on the Cleveland Guardians over the Boston Red Sox.  Josh Winckowski's MLB career has started off on the right foot.  He's 2-1 in three starts, with a 3.68 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP.  And that 1.50 WHIP is a troubling sign, as his first three starts were all at home -- and against three losing teams with a combined W/L record of 83-131.  This evening, he'll make his first road start, and it will come against a Guardians team which is 16-11 at home this season.  Even worse, his mound opponent will be Cleveland's ace, Shane Bieber.  Understandably, given Bieber's 3.12 ERA this season, and Cleveland's 5-0 record in his last five starts, the homestanding Guardians have been installed as a mid-sized favorite.  And this bodes well for Cleveland as it's 20-1 its last 21 (and 35-9 its last 44) with Bieber on the mound, when priced from -125 to -175.  Take the Guardians.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 2:15 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Cardinals over the Chicago Cubs.  When Miles Mikolas returned to the Majors in 2018 after three seasons in Japan, he proceeded to surprise everyone by winning a league leading 18 games while posting a 2.83 ERA and making his first All Star game.  The big question after that season was whether this was a one-off season or whether the then-29-year-old RH had learned some new tricks in Japan and was going to continue to pitch like that.  After unimpressive efforts the next two seasons, it appeared as though 2018 was nothing more than an aberration.  But now in 2022, Mikolas seems to be up to his old -- as in 2018 -- tricks.  In 14 starts covering 88 2/3 innings, Mikolas is 5-5 with a 2.64 ERA and 0.97 WHIP and he has a complete game to his credit as well.  In 12 career games vs. the Cubs (10 starts) Mikolas is 4-2 with a 2.08 ERA.  The Cards are 3-0 in Mikolas' last three starts vs. Chicago going back to September 2019.  Mikolas is also 13-8 (.619) with a 3.75 ERA in 39 career day games including 32 starts.  Take the Cardinals.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 1:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Yankees over the Houston Astros.  As hot as the Yankees have been this season, you'd think that their ace, RH Gerrit Cole, would be winning games by the bunches.  But despite a 3.14 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in 14 starts covering just over 80 innings, Cole has only won two of his last six starts going back more than a month now.  Call it a bit of bad luck, bad timing, or whatever label you want to put on it, but if Cole just keeps doing what he's been doing and the Yanks stay on their ridiculous pace, then the wins will come for the 31-year-old.  Cole gets a shot at his seventh victory of the season when he meets his former team this afternoon.  Cole had one of the best starts of his career last July against the Astros.  In that one, he threw nine shutout innings, while allowing just three hits and striking out a dozen 'Stros in a 1-0 Yankees win.  Cole is loving his home cooking this season as in seven starts at Yankee Stadium he has posted a 2.47 ERA and 0.85 WHIP vs. just 3.93 and 1.23 in seven starts on the road.  Take the Yankees.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:15 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  If the Avalanche players are hoisting the Stanley Cup for the third time in their franchise's history in a week's time or less, they will no doubt look back at Wedneday's Game 4 as the game that made it all possible.  Out-shot and out-played through most of the first three periods, the Avs had to come from behind on two occasions in Tampa's home arena in front of a deafening roar of 20,000 Lightning crazies.  They somehow managed to get it to the overtime period and then -- for the second time in this series -- ended it before the 20 minute extra stanza was completed.  Now they come back to Denver with a 3-1 lead and a chance to end it in their home building in front of their own rabid fans.  They don't want to go back to Tampa because they know what the Bolts can do in a Game 6 and 7 scenario, so look for Colorado to pull out all the stops and leave nothing on the ice at the end of 60 minutes.  The Avs are 59-13 in their last 72 home games and 36-15 in their last 51 playoff games as a favorite.  Take Colorado.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Houston Astros over the New York Yankees.  At the age of 39 years, Houston ace RHP Justin Verlander is making a case for his third Cy Young award.  The future Hall-of-Famer who is less than two years removed from Tommy John Surgery has a league-leading eight wins with a 2.30 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and 7.00 K:BB ratio.  And what better way is there to cement his status as the best starter in the league than to perform on the biggest stage in the game against the team with the best record in Baseball.  It's Friday night at Yankee Stadium and Verlander will be front and center as the Astros try to avenge a painful loss on Thursday here.  Not surprisingly, Verlander has plenty of history against the Yanks, although he hasn't faced them since the 2019 playoffs.  But the good news for his team tonight is that the Astros are 6-2 in Verlander's eight starts vs. New York since he joined the team in 2017.  The Yankees will go with RHP Luis Severino and they are 2-4 in his last six starts vs. Houston going back to July of 2017.  Take the Astros.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.  

At 1:10 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Twins over the Cleveland Guardians.  For those thinking the AL Central would be a runaway this season for the Chicago White Sox, think again.  What has developed over the first half of the season is a three-way battle between the Twins, Guardians, and ChiSox, with the Twins and Guardians getting the better of their more talented -- and better funded -- rival.  Cleveland has won the first two games of this series, so it's now tied with Minnesota atop the division.  RHP Zach Plesac goes to the mound this afternoon for his 13th start of the season for Cleveland.  Plesac had a solid 2021 and he's following that up with a similar campaign this year -- albeit a bit more frustrating so far. Plesac has been a bit snake-bit recently, throwing quality starts in each of his last four outings but coming away with just one victory to show for his efforts.  Additionally, he's been shelled by the Twins in his last two outings against them (8 1/3 innings; 8 ER, 14 baserunners).  Minnesota will counter with lefty Devin Smeltzer, who has faced the Guardians once earlier this season.  He was effective, as he gave up just 1 ER over five innings.  Minnesota has won all 5 of Smeltzer's daytime starts in his career, and is 19-13 in the daytime this season.  Take the Twins.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:15 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  For the Lightning to just win Game 3 at home after getting blown out in Game 2 in Denver would have been okay.  But what they really wanted to do was make a statement.  Well, statement made as on Monday night the Bolts pretty much did to the Avs what the Avs did to them in Game 2, blasting the visitors 6-2 to get within a win of leveling the series.  But despite their worst loss of the post-season so far, the Avs needn't panic.  Once again they out-shot the Lightning on Monday, 39-33 and they pretty much threw in the towel after the second period, removing starting goalie Darcy Kuemper from the game and replacing him with back-up Pavel Francouz.  The move saved Kuemper -- who was obviously not at his best -- from having to play more in a game which was already decided and should help him recover for tonight's critical Game 4.  The Avs are 21-5 in their last 26 games immediately following a loss by three goals or more, and they're 7-1 in their last eight road games.  Take Colorado.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:40 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Twins over the Cleveland Guardians.  With more than 1/3 of the season in the books, the team atop the AL Central isn't the mighty Chicago White Sox but rather the Twins -- and the White Sox aren't in second place either.  One of the reasons that Minnie has done so well so far is its pitching.  The Twins starting pitching ERA is 3.83 (it was 5.18 in 2021) and one of the reasons they have improved in that category so much this season is the addition of veteran RHP Sonny Gray.  The Twins acquired the 32-year-old starter from the Reds via trade in mid-March, and so far Gray has done little wrong for his new team -- and in his new League.  Through his first eight starts covering just under 39 innings, Gray is 3-1 with a 2.09 ERA and 0.93 WHIP.  Gray has missed some time this season due to two different injuries (hamstring and pectoral muscle) but when he's been out there facing batters, he's been pretty deadly.  Despite their win here last night the Guardians are just 6-13 in their last 19 meetings in Minneapolis. Take the Twins.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 2:10 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Blue Jays over the Chicago White Sox.  The Jays lost in extra innings last night to the ChiSox, and that was their fifth loss in six games.  We'll take Toronto to bounce back on this Wednesday afternoon, as they'll go up against Chicago's RH Lucas Giolito.  Last season, Giolito had his 3rd straight solid campaign, as he was 11-9, with a 3.53 ERA and 1.10 WHIP.  But this season, it's been a different story.  His ERA has ballooned to 4.78, while his WHIP is a poor 1.49.  His last start was his worst yet this season, as he gave up eight runs over five innings, in a 13-3 loss to Houston.  Giolito has not fared well in his career vs. Toronto, as his ERA is 4.67.  He made one start earlier this season vs. the Blue Jays, and that was his 2nd-worst start of the season.  In that game, he surrendered six runs over 4 2/3 innings, in a 6-5 defeat.  Giolito's teams have gone 7-17 as a home underdog with him on the mound, and are 27-37 (minus 20.3 net games) at home, overall, behind the big righty.  Take Toronto.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Blue Jays over the Chicago White Sox.  Two teams that many thought would be at the top of their respective divisions are meeting this week in a three-game series.  Of course, both the Blue Jays and White Sox are looking up at other teams currently, but there is still plenty of time for these talented clubs to get back on track.  The Jays basically swapped their Cy Young winner from 2021, Robbie Ray, for RHP Kevin Gausman in the off-season.  And the latter is having a better season so far than Ray, who is now with Seattle. Gausman comes into tonight's 14th start for Toronto off of his worst outing of the season -- against the Orioles no less.  In that game, the 31-year-old lasted just 2 1/3 innings, allowing seven runs (five earned) on seven hits in a 10-2 shellacking at home.  He's favored on the road tonight, and the ChiSox are a horrid 21-41 (minus 15.0 net games) as an underdog.  Also, in five career appearances vs. the Sox -- three starts -- Gausman is 1-0 with a 2.33 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in just over 19 innings.  Take the Blue Jays.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:40 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Twins over the Cleveland Guardians.  Joe Ryan had just five starts for the Twins in 2021 and did little wrong.  He wasn't on anyone's radar at the end of last season and still wasn't when the 2022 season kicked off.  But with his rookie status still intact, the 26-year-old RHP is making a case for the upcoming All Star Game as well as garnering interest as a Rookie of the Year candidate.  Ryan will get his 10th start of the season tonight and it will come against a team he just beat a little more than a month ago.  On May 15, Ryan threw six quality innings at home against the Guardians, allowing just one run on four hits with five strikeouts and no walks.  The Twins won that game, 3-1, and Ryan picked up his fourth win of the season.  That makes three career starts against the Guardians comprising a total of 18 innings in which Ryan has allowed just two runs on eight hits for a 2-0 record and 1.00 ERA.  The Twins are also 6-2 in Ryan's last eight starts.  Meanwhile, the Guardians are 5-13 in the last 18 meetings with the Twins here at Target Field.  Take Minnesota.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:15 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning 'under' the total.  After a close game on Wednesday followed by a blowout on Saturday, the Stanley Cup Finals series switches to Florida from Colorado.  Watching the Avs play hockey, one has a tendency to think that they could scored seven or eight goals in 60 minutes on the moon if given the chance.  But what people might forget is that the Avs are a much more prolific scoring team at home than on the road.  In their 41 games in Denver this season, the Avs put the puck in the net an average of 4.15 times per game (2nd in the NHL).  On the road however, that figure drops to 3.37.   And when you add to this the fact that the Bolts were one of the stingiest home teams in the league this season, allowing an average of just 2.49 GPG at Amalie Arena, then the version of the Avalanche you see tonight in Game 3 could be a lot different than the one that dropped seven goals in Game 2.  The under is 5-0 in Tampa's last five home games and 7-0 in its last seven playing on one day of rest.  Take the 'under.'  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Rays over the New York Yankees.  Tampa's RH Shane McClanahan has faced the Yankees twice this season, and has given up 1 earned run over six innings in each of those two starts (1 win, 1 loss).  He'll match up against Gerrit Cole, who has a 3-4 record, and 3.77 ERA in his last 10 starts vs. Tampa (his teams have gone 3-7).  The Rays are 95-53 (+34.4 net games) vs. division rivals, and 30-12 (+17.6 net games) when the total is 7 runs or less.  Gerrit Cole's teams, meanwhile, have gone 17-16 (but minus 10.6 net games) vs. division foes, and 17-17 (minus 4.6 net games) when the total was 7 runs or less.  Tampa is 99-52 (+21.3 net games) at home, including 14-12 (+3.9 net games) as an underdog.  Take the Rays on this Monday as a home dog.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 1:10 pm, our selection is on the New York Mets over the Miami Marlins.  A rare Monday afternoon holiday game features the completion of the series between the Marlins and Mets in Queens.  David Peterson is not a household name like Max Scherzer or Jacob deGrom, but the 26-year-old southpaw is putting together a very solid season for the Mets so far.  In nine games -- seven starts -- covering 40 innings, Peterson is 3-1 with a 3.60 ERA and his three wins are against the Angels, Giants, and Braves.  This will be his first start of the season against the Marlins, however in his only other outing against them, Peterson threw five innings, giving up two runs on four hits while picking up the Win in an 8-4 Mets victory on August 8, 2020.  He'll try to at least duplicate that effort today.  Perhaps the most important stat for Peterson is this one -- in his seven starts this season, New York has a 6-1 record.  The home team is 7-2 in the last nine meetings of the Marlins and Mets, while the Marlins are 56-91 their last 147 road games, overall (including 8-17 behind Trevor Rogers).  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 2:20 pm, our selection is on the Atlanta Braves over the Chicago Cubs.  Ian Anderson's post-season exploits are well documented.  The 24-year-old RHP is a playoff monster, with a 4-0 record and 1.26 ERA eight post-season starts across six different series.  Despite this October-November dominance, Anderson has yet to become a consistent regular season starter.  Last season was solid as Anderson went 9-5 with a 3.58 ERA in 24 starts over 128 1/3 innings.  Anderson has yet to get fully on track in 2022, but don't be surprised if by the end of September, he's put together another quality campaign.  If you think Anderson's starts have been a bit frustrating this season, then take a look at Kyle Hendricks' game log so far.  The 32-year-old Cubs RH is literally capable of throwing seven or eight shutout innings one start and giving up seven or eight runs the next.  You never know what you're going to get with him, but this season it's been more bad than good.  In his last three starts vs. Atlanta, Hendricks has allowed 21 runs (16 earned) in 12 innings (all losses).  Take the Braves.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 9:10 pm, our selection is on the San Diego Padres over the Colorado Rockies.  After being drafted by the Rangers in 2011, RHP Nick Martinez spent 2014- 2017 in the Major Leagues with pretty unexceptional results.  After that, Martinez figured he should take his game and his glove to Asia and he proceeded to spend the next four seasons in the Japanese Professional League.  When he was ready to come back after 2021 wrapped up, Martinez -- now 31 years old -- found a willing taker in the Padres, who signed him to a 1-year, $6 Million contract with options for future seasons.  Martinez isn't setting the league on fire, but he's making the most of his opportunity with a 3.74 ERA in 11 games -- nine starts -- covering 55 1/3 innings.  Despite their loss here last night, the Padres are still 12-4 in their last 16 games as a road favorite.  They are also 17-6 in their last 23 road games vs. teams with a losing record and 20-9 in their last 29 road games overall.  Take San Diego.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:00 pm, on Saturday, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  It was a tight Game 1 for the home team as the Avs prevailed here in Denver when Andre Burakovsky scored just 1:23 into the overtime period for a 4-3 win.  Even though Colorado never trailed, it's better that the Avs had that type of game in the Stanley Cup Finals opener rather than one of the high-scoring blowouts we've become so accustomed to with this offensive machine of a team, as blowouts can sometimes lead to complacency.  The Avs did exactly what they needed to, firing 38 shots on the Tampa net-minder while holding the Bolts' offense to just 23 shots on Darcy Kuemper.  In some ways, Colorado flipped the script on the tight-checking Lightning, beating Tampa at its own game.  Tonight's game is crucial before the Avs head to Tampa, where the Bolts are 7-1 in these playoffs.  With the victory, Colorado is now 4-1 in the last five meetings with Tampa going back to October of 2019.  And it's 15-1 its last 16 at home vs. top-level goalies with a saves pct. of 91.5 (or better). Take the Avalanche.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:15 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Cleveland Indians.  The Dodgers lost in extra innings last night, which moved their record to 0-5 this season in extra-inning games!  I look for Los Angeles to bounce back on this Saturday, as it will hand the ball to dependable LH Julio Urias.  Last season, Urias went 20-3, with a 2.96 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP over 32 starts.  This season, his W/L record is just 3-6, but he's pitching equally as well (2.80 ERA; 1.05 WHIP).  The problem for Urias this season has been run support, as they've scored just 11 runs in the six games he's had a losing decision.  But he should get some run support today, as Guardians starter, Cal Quantrill, has a career 9.65 ERA in his starts vs. Los Angeles.  Moreover, his teams have gone just 6-23 when installed as an underdog in his career.  Take the Dodgers.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Blue Jays over the New York Yankees.  The Yankees are not just the hottest team in baseball (41-10 last 51), but they're the hottest team since the Cleveland Indians ripped off 42 wins in 50 games in 2017.  So, if one is going to fade the Yankees, one better have a very good team, as well as a great pitcher on the other side.  And that's the case this afternoon.  Toronto's 37-27, itself, and will hand the ball to Cy Young Award-candidate Alek Manoah.  All the 2nd year RH has done is go 8-1 in 12 starts, with a 1.67 ERA and 0.91 WHIP.  And that sparkling record includes two starts against the Yankees where he allowed just 1 run in 12 innings, with just 9 baserunners (and 14 strikeouts).  Overall, in his career, he's made 4 starts vs. the Pinstripes, and is 2-0 with a 1.52 ERA and 0.88 WHIP.  The Blue Jays have won 25 of Manoah's 32 career starts, including 13-2 at home.  Finally, the Yankees have struggled in daytime games (48-51, minus 29.7 net games) relative to games at night (128-66, +30.0 net games).  Toronto is the opposite, as it's 65-39 (+11.2 net games) in the day, but 95-89 (minus 13.7 net games) at night.  Take the Blue Jays.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 6:40 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Brewers over Cincinnati.  Hunter Greene will get the start for the Reds this evening, and he's had no success in his career vs. the Brewers.  He's made two starts -- both this year -- and was bombed for 10 runs over eight innings (11.25 ERA, 2.25 WHIP).  Milwaukee won each of those games, by scores of 10-5 and 5-4, and we'll look for another Brewers victory against Greene today.  Milwaukee will hand the ball to its southpaw, Eric Lauer.  Although he stumbled badly in his last start at Washington (8 runs, 5 IP), he still brings a 5-2 record, 3.36 ERA and 1.20 WHIP into this game.  The Reds own one of the five worst records in baseball, and Milwaukee has dominated bad teams (with win percentages < .380), as it's 73-36 (+21.3 net games).  Even better:  it's 56-33 (+17.4 net games) on the road vs. righties, while the Reds are 0-6 behind Greene when he was working with an extra day or two of rest.  Take Milwaukee.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9 pm, on Thursday, our selection is on the Boston Celtics on the MONEYLINE, to win straight-up, against the Golden State Warriors.  The Celtics come into this Game 6 -- an elimination game -- off back to back double-digit losses.  They fell by 10 points, 107-97, in Game 4.  And then they lost, 104-94, on Monday night in San Francisco.  We'll take Boston to level this series at 3 games apiece, as NBA teams, favored by 3+ points, have gone 56-11 straight up in the Playoffs (and 44-22-1 ATS) off back to back double-digit losses (including 12-2 straight-up in elimination games).  Even better:  the Warriors are 19-36 straight up (and 20-35 ATS) as road underdogs of less than 6 points, if they were off back to back wins.  And Boston has gone 13-2 straight-up (and 12-3 ATS) in the Playoffs off back to back SU/ATS losses, if they were not leading a playoff series.  Take the Celtics to win Game 6 straight-up.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9 pm, our selection is on the UNDER in Game 6 between Golden State and Boston.  The last 2 games resulted in 204 and 198 points, with each going 'under' the total by 9.5 and 13.0 points, respectively.  We'll look for yet another low-scoring game on this Thursday, as it falls into NBA totals systems of mine with records of 163-106, 74-43 and 169-95.  Additionally, Boston has gone 'under' in its last 4 elimination games (and 17 of its last 26 elimination games).  And the Warriors have gone 'under' in 5 of their last 7 playoff games as an underdog.  Take the 'under.'  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. 

At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the New York Mets over the Milwaukee Brewers.  With their continued pitching struggles -- and both the Braves and Phillies surging of late -- the Mets sure could use a boost.  Last week it appeared they got one in the form of the return of RHP Tylor Megill from the IL.  Prior to a disastrous start on May 11 -- the game in which he got hurt -- Megill was 4-1 with a 2.43 ERA in six starts.  Tendinitis landed him on the shelf and he missed a month prior to coming back last Friday in a start in Anaheim against the Angels.  He lasted just 3 1/3 innings in that one as the team was being cautious for obvious reasons.  Look for a much better effort tonight at home for the 26-year-old as the Mets try to take two of three from a very good Brewers club.  In his only other start here at CitiField against the Brew Crew, Megill threw five solid innings, allowing just one run on two hits with seven strikeouts in a 4-2 New York victory back on July 5 of last year.  Despite their victory here last night, the Brewers are just 2-7 in their last nine games vs. teams from the NL East.  Meanwhile, New York is 34-16 (+10.5 net games) as a home favorite priced from -125 to -175.  Take the Mets.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:00 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  This year's Stanley Cup Finals will be a classic match-up between a high-powered offense vs. a two-time defending champion team which thrives on tight checking and goaltending.  The Avalanche easily dispatched of the Oilers in their Western Final series 4-0, while the Lightning needed six tough games to get past a pesky Rangers team.  But what this time off has done for the Avs is allow them to get healthy.  Number 1 goalie Darcy Kuemper left the Conference Finals Game 1 with an injury, so back-up Pavel Francouz had to go the rest of the way.  And LW Andre Burakovsky only played in 1 1/2 games of the Oilers series due to a lower body injury.  Now both are healthy and ready to go, while it appears the Bolts will still be without C Brayden Point -- at least for the beginning of the Finals.  Heading into this series, four of Colorado's skaters are among the top 10 scorers of the 2022 post-season while only one of Tampa's is (Kucherov).  The favorite is 15-4 in the last 19 meetings of these two teams.  And Colorado is 14-1 its last 15 at home vs. top-level goalies with a saves pct. of 91.5 (or better).  Take the Avalanche.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Brewers over the New York Mets.  Sometimes in the Majors it pays big dividends just to be in a certain division.  The Brewers went through a very rough patch where they lost 10 out of 11 games -- including eight in a row.  And despite that, they were still just 1 1/2 games behind the first place Cardinals.  And because they're in the NL Central, they also still hold a 9-game lead over the other three teams in the division.  In some ways, Corbin Burnes' 2022 campaign so far mirrors that of his team.  Most of the 27-year-old RH's underlying numbers are just as solid as in his Cy Young season last year.  But despite a 2.48 ERA and 0.96 WHIP, Burnes' won-lost record is just 3-4 in 12 starts.  Perhaps a start against the Mets will get Burnes back to the .500 mark tonight.  In three career games vs. New York (two starts) covering 15 innings, Burnes is 1-0 with a 1.20 ERA with 18 strikeouts and only one walk.  Nothwithstanding last night's loss here at Citi Field, the Brewers are still 20-9 in the last 29 meetings with the Mets.  And they're 13-6 as a road favorite with Burnes.  Meanwhile, the Mets are a poor 10-19 (minus 7.2 net games) as a home underdog.  Take Milwaukee.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the 'under' in the Atlanta Braves/Washington Nationals game.  The Braves will hand the ball to their southpaw ace, Max Fried, who has pitched quality starts in eight of his last nine outings, including 5 in a row.  Indeed, he's given up just 15 earned runs over those nine games, for an ERA of 2.10.  And his ERA over his last 3 starts is 0.90.  It doesn't get any better than that!  For the season, Fried's ERA is 2.64, but it drops to 1.67 on the road (with a 0.66 WHIP).  And Fried has gone 'under' in 17 of his last 26 road starts.  His mound opponent this evening will be righty Jackson Tetreault, who will be making his first MLB start, after 12 starts at AAA Rochester this season.  Tetreault had a 52:24 K:BB ratio at Rochester this year, while it was 72:28 last season.  We'll take the Braves/Nationals 'under' on Tuesday.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9 pm, on Monday, our selection is on the Boston Celtics + the points over Golden State.  The Celtics and Warriors are tied at 2-games apiece after the Warriors' 107-97 victory in Game 4 on Friday.  We'll take Boston in this Game 5, as the Celtics are an awesome 17-0 ATS away from home in the Playoffs, when priced from -3.5 to +7.5, if they failed to cover the spread by more than 7 points in their previous game, and don't lead in the Playoff series.  Even better:  the Warriors have been horrible (26-62 ATS) off a point spread win, when matched up against a revenge-minded foe.  Grab the points with Boston.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 4:05 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over the San Francisco Giants.  The rivalry between the Dodgers and Giants was taken to a new level last year when they met in the NL Division Series.  In that series, Los Angeles prevailed over San Francisco three games to two on its way to facing the Braves in the NLCS. Dodgers LHP Julio Urias had a Cy Young-caliber season in 2021 and he's doing it again this year.  The only problem for the 25-year-old Mexican is in the wins category.  Urias has a 2.78 ERA in his 11 starts covering just over 58 innings and that number is less than the 2.96 ERA he posted last season.  But his record is just 3-5 putting him way behind 2021's 20-win pace.  In 21 appearances vs. the Giants -- 15 starts -- Urias is 3-3 with a sparkling 2.41 ERA with 82 strikeouts in 82 innings.  The Dodgers are 41-16 in their last 57 games vs. a LH starter, and 27-9 behind Urias when installed as a road favorite.  Finally, SF's southpaw, Carlos Rodon, is 0-2 with a 4.76 ERA in his career starts vs. the Dodgers.  Take Los Angeles.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 2:10 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Rays over the Minnesota Twins.  These days, you have to have a baseball encyclopedia to keep up with Tampa's starting pitchers.  It seems the only way you're likely to have heard of a Tampa starter is if he was a known player who was traded to the Rays from another team.  Jeffrey Springs was in fact traded to the Rays -- from Boston -- but he was anything but a household name.  The 29-year-old southpaw was a 30th round draft pick of the Rangers in 2015 and he bounced around from there to Boston before landing in Tampa back in February.  The former reliever seems to have found a home in the Rays' rotation -- and not a bad one at that.  Springs has a 1.62 ERA in 15 appearances with the Rays.  He has not been scored upon in relief so far.  But since he became a regular starter, Springs has posted a 2.12 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in seven starts covering 34 innings.  Not bad for a 30th round pick.  The Twins are 1-6 in their last seven as a home underdog while Tampa is 21-9 in its last 30 as a road favorite.  Take the Rays.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 1:35 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Brewers over the Washington Nationals.  With the loss to the Nats on Saturday, the Brewers' losing streak has grown to eight games.  With two of their "big three" starters -- Woodruff and Peralta -- on the shelf with injuries, the Brew Crew's struggles are not all that surprising.  The good news for Craig Counsell's team is that secondary starters have been coming through for the Brewers all season, so don't be surprised if this afternoon is another example of that.  Jason Alexander only has two Major League starts to his credit but the 29-year-old rookie has looked like a seasoned Pro, despite still looking for his first MLB victory.  In 12 innings, the righthanded pitcher has a 2.25 ERA, having faced the Cubs and Phillies.  He easily could've won that last start at home against Philadelphia but Alexander didn't get any run support that day.  Washington has yet to sweep a series all season and with Paolo Espino starting this afternoon, there's little reason to think that they will do it today. Even worse for Washington:  it's 75-117 (minus 34.8 net games) vs. righty starters, and 59-81 (minus 25.8 net games) at home.  Take the Brewers.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 4:05 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Brewers over the Washington Nationals.  To say Patrick Corbin was instrumental in the Nationals winning their only World Series in 2019 -- the first season he showed up in DC -- would be accurate.  To say that he's had his troubles in the two-plus seasons since then would be a huge understatement.  The year of their title, Corbin went 14-7 with a 3.25 ERA and finished 11th in the Cy Young voting.  Since then, Corbin's performance has been an unmitigated disaster.  In 54 starts between 2020 and now, Corbin has a 13-31 record with a 5.74 ERA.  Given his contract, the Nats appear to be okay sending the 32-year-old out there every five or six days hoping for a turnaround.  So he'll try again this afternoon against a Brewers team which has now lost seven in a row.  LHP Eric Lauer will go for the visitors in his 11th start of the season.  It's a good feeling when your #4 starter is 5-1 with a 2.38 ERA.  And he already tossed seven scoreless innings earlier this season vs. Washington, in a 7-0 shutout win.  Meanwhile, Corbin has gone 1-6 in his last nine starts against Milwaukee, with a 6.43 ERA.  And the Nats are 8-19 in their last 27 home games vs. a LH starter.  Take the Brewers.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:15 pm, on Thursday, our selection is on the New York Rangers +1.5 goals over Tampa Bay.  We played on New York in Game 1 of this series, as our NHL Game of the Year, and were rewarded with a 6-2 blowout win.  New York then followed up that game with another victory on its home ice, with a 3-2 triumph in Game 2.  And those two wins moved New York's record this season vs. Eastern Conference foes to 12-1 when not favored by more than -115.  For this critical Game 5, we'll take the New York Rangers +1.5 goals, and note that they are 11-2 this season off back to back losses.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:45 pm, our selection is on the San Francisco Giants over the Colorado Rockies.  Yesterday, the Rockies defeated Carlos Rodon and the Giants, 5-3.  We'll take Alex Wood and San Francisco in this rematch, as Colorado is 27-69 (-18.4 net games) as an underdog of +150 (or more), including 1-7 on the road this season.  And they've won just 17 of Antonio Senzetela's road starts in his career (minus 10.2 net games).  Meanwhile, Alex Wood's teams have racked up a 22-9 record as a favorite with him on the mound, and are 11-2 his last 13 starts vs. Colorado.  And the Giants are a solid 177-69 (+40.1 net games) at home when priced from -175 to -250.  Take San Francisco.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, on Tuesday, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the New York Rangers.  We played on the Rangers in Game 1, passed Game 2, and then took Tampa Bay on Sunday, in Game 3.  We'll come right back with the Lightning on Tuesday, as they've outshot the Rangers in all three playoff games, including 52-30 in Game 3.  Additionally, the Rangers are now 1-6 their last seven as a road underdog, while the home team has cashed six of the last eight meetings between these teams.  Tampa is 7-1 its last eight when trailing in a Playoff series (and 32-15, +15.7 net games, its last 47).  Take the Lightning.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Rays over the St Louis Cardinals.  The Rays come into this game off back to back home losses to the ChiSox.  But Tampa did get some good news over the weekend, as All Star reliever Andrew Kittredge made his return from the IL, and threw a scoreless 9th inning in Sunday's 6-5 defeat.  This matchup will pit southpaw Jeffrey Springs (2-2, 1.88 ERA) against RH Dakota Hudson (4-2, 2.96 ERA).  Both teams come in with almost-identical records.  The Cards are 32-23, while the Rays are 31-23.  We'll take the home-standing Rays, as they're 90-61 in interleague games, including 19-3 their last 22 home games vs. the National League.  Even better:  Tampa's 124-71 (+35.5 net games) vs. righties, and 41-17, +15.8 net games, priced as a home favorite of -125 to -175.  St. Louis, meanwhile, is 40-49 (minus 13.4 net games) vs. the AL East, and 16-27 (minus 3.7 net games) as a road dog priced from +125 to +175 (including 1-5 with Dakota Hudson on the hill).  Take Tampa Bay.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Blue Jays over the Kansas City Royals.  This will be the seventh day in a row that the Blue Jays have played a game.  So, with the recent injury to Hyun Jin Ryu, the Jays will need another starter.  Enter swing man Ross Stripling.  The 32-year-old RHP has made a career out of being flexible enough that he can start, pitch in middle relief, set-up the closer, or even perform that ninth-inning role himself (Stripling has four career saves including one this season).  He'll wear his starter's hat for the sixth time in 2022 tonight.  His last start was almost a month ago in the back-end of a double-header against the Indians.  Tonight, Stripling will be facing the Royals for the third time in his career (his second start against them).  In 6 1/3 innings vs. KC, Stripling is 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA and 0.79 WHIP.  In 13 games for the Jays this season, Stripling is 1-1 with a 4.22 ERA with 29 strikeouts and eight walks in 32 innings.  Toronto is 8-3 in the last 11 meetings with the Royals and 4-0 in the last four games that Stripling has pitched.  Meanwhile, the Royals are an awful 12-31 as an underdog this season.  Take the Jays.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:00 pm, on Sunday, our selection is on the Golden State Warriors minus the points over Boston.  The Celtics roared back from a double-digit deficit to stun the Warriors, 120-108, in Game 1.  We'll lay the points with Golden State to rebound in Game 2, as the Warriors are 51-31 ATS when off a SU/ATS loss, and playing with revenge.  And they're 19-9 ATS when playing with double revenge against foes with a W/L percentage < .700.  Meanwhile, Boston is an awful 0-8 ATS on the road in the playoffs following a win, if its opponent's win percentage is .630 (or better).  Lay the points with Steph Curry & Co.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, on Sunday, our selection is on the UNDER in Game 2 between Golden State and Boston.  The Celtics erupted for 40 points in the 4th quarter to rout the Warriors, 120-108, and take a 1-0 lead in the Finals.  Golden State will need to lock down on defense in this game, if it doesn't want to find itself in a 2-0 hole going back to Boston.  And the Warriors typically do just that.  In its 25 upset playoff defeats, it has held its opponent to a lower score 18 times.  And, not surprisingly, 18 of those 25 games have also gone 'under' the total.  Similarly, in the last 32 years of the Playoffs, teams off upset playoff defeats that gave up 120+ points in that upset loss, have then gone 'under' in the next game 58% of the time.  Take Game 2 'under' the total.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 4:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over the New York Mets.  The Dodgers lost, 9-4, at home last night, and have now dropped four of their last six games.  Still, the Dodgers remain the #1 team in the National League, with a 35-18 record.  And they also lead Major League Baseball in run differential, at +114.  This afternoon, LH Julio Urias will get the ball for Los Angeles.  And the Dodgers are 55-30 with Urias on the mound, including 14-6 in the daytime.  Even better, Los Angeles is 81-27, +30.8 net games, at home in daytime affairs, while the Mets are a poor 26-42, -24.8 net games, vs. lefty starters.  Finally, the Dodgers excel vs. the league's best teams, as they're 84-47 (+12.4 net games) vs. winning opponents.  But the Mets are a poor 55-69 (minus 19.6 net games) against winning foes.  Take Los Angeles.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:00 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the New York Rangers.  After a four-game sweep of the Presidents Trophy-winning Florida Panthers in the second round, the Lightning probably didn't imagine they would be down 2-0 to the Rangers -- especially with Andrei Vasilevskiy's record after a loss in the post-season.  But the Lightning are now back at home in what has to be considered a must-win situation given how the Rangers and their goalie, Igor Shesterkin, are playing right now.  But the Bolts have some positive take-aways from their two games at Madison Square Garden.  They out-shot the Rangers in each of those contests and they easily could have won Game 2 if not for some unfortunate puck bounces.  The Rangers find themselves in the role of road underdog this afternoon, a scenario in which they are just 1-5 in their last six games.  With the wins by the Rangers in New York, the home team is now 5-2 in the last seven meetings of these two.  And, of course, Tampa is still a not-too-shabby 17-1 off a loss in the Playoffs the past three years. And it's 24-5 its last 29 at home off a loss.  Take the Lightning.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:00 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Colorado Avalanche.  The Oilers couldn't score a goal on Colorado's back-up goaltender and are now down 2-0 in this series.  Certainly, it's a result they didn't want, but they also need to realize that this is no time to panic.   If they can come back strong tonight at home, they will be just a game down and right back in these finals.  They know that 24 shots on goal will not get it done in any game, so don't be surprised if Jay Woodcroft and the rest of the Edmonton coaching staff decide to try some lineup changes tonight in an effort to shake things up.  The Oilers have three of the top six point producers in these playoffs in Kane, McDavid, and Draisaitl.  So, they have to find a way to get those three -- and others -- producing for them tonight.  One bit of good news for the Oilers is that this has been a very host-friendly series lately as the home team is 7-1 in the last eight meetings going back to 2019.  The Oilers are also 21-9 (+11.5 net games) off a blowout loss by 3+ goals.  And the Avalanche are a poor 12-14 (but minus 11.9 net games) on the road after scoring 3+ goals in three straight games.  Take the Oilers.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Angels over the Philadelphia Phillies.  Generally speaking, professional teams aren't looking forward to a series in Philadelphia.  However, the Angels are likely thrilled to be anywhere but the Bronx after their beatdown at the hands of the Yankees over the past three days.  With very little break in their schedule, coupled with an ongoing back injury to Griffin Canning, Angels rookie RHP Chase Silseth will get his fourth start of the season tonight.  The 22-year-old has taken the fast track to the Majors, as Silseth was an 11th round draft pick in last June's MLB amateur draft.  In three starts totaling 14 2/3 innings, Silseth is 1-1 with a 3.07 ERA, so he deserves a shot to stick with the rotation -- at least until Canning returns.  The Angels come in having lost eight straight, in games against the Yanks, Blue Jays, and Rangers, so perhaps an inter-league game will change things up for them.  The Phillies are 19-29 (-17 games on the moneyline) in their last 48 inter-league games (and 30-46, minus 19.5 net games) their last 46 vs the AL West division.  Meanwhile, the Angels are 4-1 in their last five games vs. NL East opponents, and 18-10 off 6+ losses.  Take Los Angeles.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9 pm, on Thursday, our selection is on the Golden State Warriors.  Boston had to go the distance against the Miami Heat, while the Warriors snuffed out the Mavericks in just five games.  And I think the extra rest will benefit Golden State in this Game 1.  Additionally, the Western Conference has dominated the Eastern Conference in Game 1 of the NBA Finals when the Eastern team owned the worse regular season record.  Since 2005, our Eastern Conference teams have gone 0-13 straight-up and 1-12 ATS in these Game 1s of the NBA Finals, and have lost all 13 games by at least 8 points (average loss by 14.15 points).  Boston is an awful 6-13 ATS in its Game 1 road games, while the Warriors have excelled in their Game 1s (19-11 ATS last 30).  Take Golden State.  Good luck as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:00 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers +1.5 goals over the Colorado Avalanche.  The fact that it was played in Colorado makes it more appropriate to call Game 1 an Old West shootout than a hockey game perhaps.  When the gunsmoke had settled, the home team came away with an 8-6 victory.  But it was a costly one for the Avalanche who lost #1 goalie Darcy Kuemper about mid-way through Tuesday's contest with an upper body injury and it is unclear whether Kuemper will be able to play tonight.  If he can't go, that would leave the net-minding duties in the hands of back-up Pavel Francouz -- a decent 2nd option but not someone you'd want defending the crease every night against the likes of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evander Kane.  Likewise, the Oilers will need a better performance from Mike Smith tonight and the defense around him will have to step up as well.  They have a way of bouncing back after losses like the one on Tuesday.  The Oilers are 36-16 in their last 52 after allowing five goals or more in their previous game.  Take Edmonton +1.5 goals.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 1:05 pm, in Game 1 of the double-header, our selection is on the Anaheim Angels over the New York Yankees.  The Angels will attempt to snap their 6-game losing streak on Thursday, and will hand the ball to All-Star Shohei Ohtani.  In his young career, he has made just one start vs. the Yankees.  And it came here in the Bronx last season.  It was his worst outing ever, as he allowed seven earned runs in 2/3 of an inning (94.03 ERA).  But the Angels actually roared back in that game to win, 11-8.  Ohtani no doubt wants to have a much better showing this afternoon, and I expect that he will do just that.  This season, Ohtani's ERA is 3.45 and he's charged today with trying to aid Anaheim in snapping its 6-game losing streak.  The Angels are 18-8 (+13.8 net games) after losing 6 (or more) in a row.  And they're also 22-13 (+13.4 net games) after scoring less than 3 runs in back-to-back games.  Take Anaheim.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:00 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  The Rangers have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals by doing something that previously looked impossible in these playoffs.  They beat the Hurricanes on their home ice.  And they did it convincingly, winning Game 7 by a 6-2 score, in a game which was never really in doubt.  They won't have to worry about winning a Game 7 on the road in this series.  Although both the Lightning and Rangers finished the regular season with 110 points, New York won the tie-breaker and therefore has home ice advantage in this Eastern Conference Finals series.  But the Rangers still have to beat a very good team -- and one that just happens to be going for its third straight Stanley Cup.  The Bolts will still be without #2 Center Brayden Point who is battling a lower body injury.  The Rangers won all three meetings vs. Tampa Bay this season, including two on the road in Tampa Bay, as netminder Igor Shesterkin stopped 91 of 95 shots.  The Rangers are 9-4 in their last 13 after scoring five goals or more in their previous game, and 10-1 at home vs. Eastern Conference foes this season when not favored by more than -115.  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Rays over the Texas Rangers.  Despite some solid numbers at various times in his career, Jeffrey Springs' trip to a Major League rotation was a bit of a long and winding road.  Originally drafted in 2015 by the team he'll be facing today, Springs made it to the Rangers' big league roster in 2018 but was granted free agency the following season.  He was signed back by Texas two weeks later only to get traded to the Red Sox in early 2020.  COVID wiped out any chance he had of catching on in Boston and the Sox traded the 28-year-old southpaw to Tampa the following February.  Springs put up some impressive numbers as a middle-reliever last season and with the injuries to the Rays' rotation, Springs now has a starting job and he's making the most of it.  In 13 games -- five starts -- Springs is 2-2 with a 1.62 ERA and 0.81 WHIP with 33 Ks and seven BBs in 33 1/3 innings.  RHP Jon Gray goes for Texas and Tampa is 122-69 vs. RHPs (+35.8 net games) vs. RHPs.  Meanwhile, Gray's teams are 8-18 (-10 games on the moneyline) in his last 26 nighttime starts.  Take Tampa Bay.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 1:15 pm, our selection is on the San Diego Padres over the St. Louis Cardinals.  If not for one of the worst starts of any pitcher this season, Yu Darvish's 2022 numbers would put him squarely in the early race for the NL Cy Young.  And despite that particularly ugly effort -- 9 ER on 8 H in 1 2/3 IP and a L vs. the Giants -- the 35-year-old Japanese RH ace is still 4-2 with a 3.76 ERA and 1.08 WHIP for the Padres.  He'll get his 10th start of the season this afternoon and it comes against a team against which he's done very well (and at a Park where he's also excelled).  In seven career starts vs. the Cards covering 44 1/3 innings, Darvish is 2-2 with a 2.64 ERA and 0.99 WHIP.  And in three career starts at Busch Stadium covering 19 innings, he has a 1.42 ERA and 0.84 WHIP with 24 strikeouts and four walks.  In 66 career daytime starts, Darvish has a 3.19 ERA (vs. 3.73 in 155 starts under the lights).  The Padres are 6-1 in Darvish's last seven starts, and 17-9 on the road this season.  They'll go up against RH Dakota Hudson, whose career ERA when starting vs. San Diego is 5.39.  Take San Diego.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Pittsburgh Pirates.  This series has been the 2nd most lopsided baseball series over the past six years (only the Oakland/Detroit series has been more lopsided).  The Dodgers have won 12 of the last 13 here at Chavez Ravine, and have won 24 of the last 29, overall.  Tonight, Los Angeles will hand the ball to lefty Julio Urias, while the Buccos will start RH Mitch Keller.  Of course, Keller, with a career ERA north of 6 runs per game, has been largely ineffective this season.  He's made seven starts, and Pittsburgh has gone 1-6 in those games.  And in his career, the Pirates are 15-31 behind Keller, including 2-15 if the Pirates won their previous game.  That doesn't bode well for Derek Shelton's men tonight.  Nor does the fact that the Dodgers are 96-29 (+24.2 net games) as a favorite of -200 (or more), while Pittsburgh is an awful 24-56 (minus 20.8 net games) vs. lefties.  Take the Dodgers.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. 

At 8:00 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Edmonton Oilers.  The Western Conference Finals features the best regular season team from the Central Division (and best overall team from the Conference) vs. the second-best from the Pacific.  The Oilers only finished the season with the fifth-best point total in the Conference, but they've managed to punch their ticket to their 10th Conference Finals -- one series victory away from their eighth appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals.  But they have a tall -- call it a Rocky -- mountain to climb.  The Avalanche have done little wrong in getting to the semi-finals, sweeping the Predators in the first round and then dispatching of a stubborn Blues squad in six games.  Having home ice advantage could prove crucial in this series as the home team has won five of the last six meetings going back to April of 2019.  Colorado hasn't played since Friday and that should help its cause tonight as the Avs are 16-5 in their last 21 games playing on three or more days of rest.  Take the Avalanche.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 1:10 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Twins over the Detroit Tigers.  The Twins and Tigers will play a day-night double-header today and you could say that none of the four starting pitchers in these two games are household names -- far from it as a matter of fact.  Perhaps the most recognizable of the four is the Twins' Devin Smeltzer -- who goes in Game 1 this afternoon.  If you look up the term "crafty southpaw" in the baseball dictionary, you're likely to see a picture of the 26-year-old from New Jersey.  Smeltzer has a career record of 5-2 with a 3.60 ERA but only strikes out about six-and-a-half batters per nine innings.  This season, he's taken his craftiness to a new level, it would seem, as Smeltzer is 1-0 with a 1.04 ERA in three starts covering 17 1/3 innings but has only struck out eight batters along the way.  His last start was his best of the season so far as Smeltzer held the Royals to no runs on two hits in seven innings.  This will be his first start of the season vs. the Tigers against whom the Twins are 42-19 in the last 61 meetings.  Take Minnesota.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, on Monday, our selection is on the Under in the Carolina Hurricanes/New York Rangers game.  These two teams have played a series where the home team has won each of the first six games.  And it's also a series where five of the first six games have gone 'under' the total.  We'll look for another low-scoring game on Monday, as the Rangers have gone 'under' 36-21 off a win in their previous game.  Moreover, the Rangers have gone 'under' in seven of their last eight Game 7s, and have also gone 'under' in 22 of 31 when they've been tied in a Playoff series.  Meanwhile, the Hurricanes have gone 'under' in 9 of 13 when facing elimination, and have seen six of their last eight home games vs. New York go 'under' the total.  Take the 'under.'  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 2:15 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Cardinals over the San Diego Padres.  Packy Naughton may have one of the best names in major Pro Sports, but after his first MLB season in which he went 0-4 with a 6.75 ERA in seven games for the Angels, it wasn't clear whether many people would ever hear of him.  But now the 25-year-old LH will take the big stage on the mound at Busch Stadium on Memorial Day so maybe a few more people will know that name after today.  Naughton will get his second start of the season today as Jordan Hicks and Steven Matz have joined Jack Flaherty on the Cards' IL.  It's unclear how deep in the game his team will let him pitch, but it's a good bet that he will go longer than the 3 1/3 innings he got in his last start back on May 10.  In six appearances covering 9 1/3 innings, Naugton has posted a very nice 2.89 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with eight strikeouts and only one walk.  The Padres have struggled here, going 21-53 in the last 74 meetings in St. Louis while the home team is 8-0 in the last eight meetings of these two.  Take the Cards.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:30 pm, on Sunday, our selection is on the Boston Celtics -- on the moneyline -- over the Miami Heat.  The Heat will have home court advantage in this decisive 7th game.  But home teams NOT favored by 4+ points have gone 1-9 ATS in Game 7s since June 2005.  That doesn't bode well for Erik Spoelstra's men on Sunday.  Nor does the fact that Boston is 18-2 ATS away from home in the Playoffs if it didn't lead in the series, after failing to cover the spread in its previous game by more than 7 points.  We'll take the Celtics to win this game, as .660 (or worse) road teams are 77.4% ATS since 1990 after losing as a 5.5-point (or greater) favorite.  Take Boston on the moneyline.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 4:10 pm, our selection is on the Houston Astros over the Seattle Mariners.  Luis Garcia made a strong run for the 2021 Rookie of the Year, but ultimately just fell short, finishing second to the Rays' OF Randy Arozarena.  The Astros' 25-year-old RH was clearly the best rookie pitcher last season, winning 11 games while posting a 3.48 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 30 games (28 starts) covering just over 155 innings.  Following up that kind of performance the following season has been difficult for many young starters, but Garcia is making it look easy so far.  In eight starts covering just under 43 innings, the Venezuelan is 3-3 with a 3.38 ERA and 1.10 WHIP and he has the benefit of a deeper rotation around him as well.  Last season, Garcia did by far his best work at home, however so far in 2022 he has flipped that script a bit.  In four starts on the road covering 19 innings, Garcia has logged a 2.37 ERA while in his four home starts, that number is almost two runs higher at 4.18.  Heading into Sunday's game here in Seattle, the 'Stros are 40-16 in the last 56 meetings.  And they're also 12-3 this season vs. southpaw starters.  Meanwhile, the Mariners are 2-11 this season when priced from +125 to +175.  Take Houston.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:00 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the Carolina Hurricanes.  With a loss to the 'Canes in Game 5, the Rangers find themselves one game away from elimination.  But they probably feel pretty good about their situation tonight given that the home team has won every game of this series.  And despite their success thus far, the 'Canes are just 16-35 in the last 51 meetings of these two teams.  If the Rangers are going to have any chance of keeping the home team success going in this series, they're going to have to do better than the 17 shots on goal they managed in Game 5.  If they can get back to the level of play they displayed in Games 3 and 4, when they beat the 'Canes by a combined score of 7-2, then the Rangers will for certain force a seventh and deciding contest for a chance to play the Lightning in the Conference Finals.  The Hurricanes have won just 7 of their last 17 road games, while the Rangers are 20-6 in the last 26 meetings here at Madison Square Garden.  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.  

At 4:10 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Rays over the New York Yankees.  Last night, the Yankees shut out Tampa, 2-0, with the Rays mustering just 2 hits.  But the Rays are 7-3 after not scoring a run, and are 22-8 (+15.4 net games on the moneyline) after getting less than 5 hits.  New York will hand the ball to RH Gerrit Cole, who has a losing record in 15 starts vs. Tampa.  Over the last 2 seasons, he's made 9 of those 15 starts, and his team has lost six of those nine games.  His ERA vs. Tampa Bay over this span is 4.73 (27 runs in 51 1/3 innings).  The Rays have been dominant vs. right-handed starters (120-68, +35.9 net games), and vs. division rivals (92-49, +35.5 net games).  They've also excelled in day games (67-36, +22.2 net games), while the Yankees have underperformed in the daytime (44-49, minus 31.3 net games).  Take the home underdog Rays.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 4:10 pm, our selection is on the San Francisco Giants over the Cincinnati Reds.  Southpaw Alex Wood will get the ball for Gabe Kapler's Giants, and Wood's teams have won 4 of his 5 career starts vs. the Reds, and they've also won 12 of his last 17 road starts.  Vladimir Gutierrez will be making the start for Cincy, and he's been downright awful this season.  The Reds have lost six of his seven starts, which isn't surprising given that his ERA in those starts was 8.70.  His WHIP for the season is also atrocious, at 1.90.  We'll take the Giants this afternoon, as Cincy is 1-13 vs. the NL West division this season (and 12-35 (minus 23.3 net games)) its last 47 vs. the NL West.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 2:15 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Brewers over the St. Louis Cardinals.  This is RHP Adrian Houser's sixth season in the Majors and most people have still not heard of the 29-year-old from Oklahoma.  That's likely just fine with Houser who is in the back end of one of the best starting rotations in baseball these days.  With Freddy Peralta now out with a lat strain, Milwaukee's big three of Burnes, Woodruff, and Peralta is down to two.  So, Houser, Eric Lauer, and Aaron Ashby are expected to pick up the slack.  They all seem to be doing their part so far, with Houser leading the way as the one with the most Milwaukee experience of the three.  In eight starts covering 42 1/3 innings, Houser is 3-4 with a 2.98 ERA and 1.28 WHIP heading into this afternoon.  In 12 career games vs. the Cards (nine starts),  Houser is 4-3 with a 2.25 ERA in 52 innings.  But he's really shined lately.  He's made 5 starts vs. St. Louis over the past 2 seasons, and has given up just 2 runs in 30 2/3 innings (0.58 ERA; 1.04 WHIP).  And in 33 career day games (19 starts) Houser has a 3.35 ERA.  The Redbirds will go with rookie Matthew Liberatore.  He had his 1st career start last week against the Pirates, and was hit fairly hard.  In 4 2/3 innings, he faced 22 batters, and gave up 4 runs, 7 hits and 2 walks (7.71 ERA; 1.92 WHIP).  Even worse:  of the 7 hits, 5 went for extra bases (4 doubles, 1 home run).  The Brewers have won 34 of 49 division road games.  Take Milwaukee.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:40 pm, our selection is on the San Diego Padres over the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Keeping up with the Dodgers in the NL West Division is a tall task these days.  Los Angeles had another lopsided victory last night in Arizona while the Padres and Giants were idle.  San Diego made moves in the off-season to try to shore up its pitching and one such move was the acquisition of veteran LHP Sean Manaea from the Oakland Athletics.  The 30-year-old has been an effective starter for the A's in the past several seasons, with 2021 perhaps his best campaign yet.  Manaea comes to the Padres seemingly with less pressure on himself than he had in Oakland as his line-up is superior and he also has a better pitching staff around him.  Over his first eight starts, Manaea is 2-3 with a 4.04 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 49 innings of work.  He'll look to keep his good fortune going against a Pirates team that is, well...the Pirates.  Pittsburgh will hand the ball to southpaw Jose Quintana, who has made 4 career starts vs. San Diego.  But his ERA in those outings was 5.57.  The Pirates are 2-5 in the last seven meetings, while the Padres are 12-3 after scoring less than 3 runs, and 12-4 vs. lefties.  Take San Diego.  As always good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:30 pm, on Friday, our selection is on Game 6 between Boston and Miami to go Under the total.  These two teams have gone under the total by 30.5 points, and by 21.5 points in their last two games.  We'll look for yet another low-scoring game on Friday, as teams that have gone under by 30+ points in their previous playoff game have continued to go under 60% of the time since 1990.  Take the under.  Good luck, as always....Al McMordie.

At 9:30 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the Edmonton Oilers.  The Flames almost pulled off a come-from-behind victory on Tuesday night in Edmonton, after trailing 3-0, as they tied the game mid-way through the third period.  But ultimately, Calgary fell short and now it finds itself in a must-win situation, down 3-1 back at home.  Calgary limited Edmonton to just 25 shots the entire game on Tuesday, but goalie Jacob Markstrom will have to play better tonight.  Certainly, he's capable, and he's been terrific here at the Saddledome.  Markstrom had a 22-8-7 record and 2.17 GAA average in Calgary this season, so I look for him to bounce back strong in Game 5.  The Flames' offense will also need to set the tone with early offense, as it did in Game 1.  In that game, Calgary scored three times in its first 10 shots and knocked Mike Smith out of that game before going on to a huge 9-6 victory.  The Flames are 46-29 (+10 games on the moneyline) in their last 75 after allowing four or more goals in their previous game.  Take Calgary.  As always good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:30 pm, on Wednesday, our selection is on the Miami Heat over the Boston Celtics.  These two teams have alternated wins and losses over the series' first four games, and I look for that to continue on Wednesday.  Indeed, NBA teams off a loss by 7+ points, and not favored by 7+ points, have gone 10-0 straight-up and 9-1 ATS in Game 5 of the Conference Finals since 1994, if the series was tied at 2-games apiece.  Even better:  Miami is 23-8 ATS in 'win situation' games with point spreads less than 3 points, if it was off a loss by 20+ points in its previous game.  And Boston is 0-15 straight-up, and 2-13 ATS in Playoff road games vs. .600 (or better) foes, if the Celtics were off a win by more than 11 points.  Take Miami in Game 5.  Good luck, as always....Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Yankees over the Baltimore Orioles.  Do you think it's hard to imagine a winless starter with an ERA under 3.50 who pitches for the team with the best record in the Majors?  Well, how do you think southpaw Jordan Montgomery feels?  The 29-year-old lefthander has an ERA of 3.35 and a WHIP of 1.12 in eight starts covering just over 40 innings but has nothing to show for it in the wins category.  Despite numbers that most MLB starters would die for, Montgomery is 0-1 on the season.  He already has three starts vs. the Orioles this season -- two at Camden Yards and one right here at home in Yankee Stadium.  Montgomery is hoping his first victory the season will come tonight, and no doubt his teammates would love that as well.  The O's are just 14-37 in their last 51 games vs. teams with a LH starter.  Baltimore will also start a southpaw tonight in Bruce Zimmermann and the Yankees are 14-5 in their last 19 games vs. teams with a LH starter.  Meanwhile, Baltimore's a poor 11-47 (minus 27.0 net games) vs. teams with a win percentage of .620 (or better), and 22-68 (minus 24.8 net games) vs. AL starting pitchers with ERAs less than 3.70.  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:40 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Brewers over the San Diego Padres.  Adrian Houser will likely never be an ace in the Majors and that is probably just fine with him and the Brewers.  The 29-year-old righthander just needs to be a solid starter and that's exactly what he's been for his team last season, and so far in 2022.  After winning 10 games with a 3.22 ERA in 2021, Houser is at it again, with three wins in his first seven starts and the exact same 3.22 ERA he had in 28 games (26 starts) last season.  Start number eight will come tonight in the first of this three-game series in San Diego against the Padres.  It's a match-up to which Houser is likely looking forward.  In two previous starts against the Padres, Houser has allowed two earned runs on six hits in 9 2/3 innings.  Most importantly, the Brew Crew has won both of those starts.  And Houser also has 13 wins in 45 career road games versus just seven victories in 46 games when pitching at home (30 starts).  The Brewers are 6-2 in the last eight meetings with San Diego and 9-3 in the last 12 here at Petco Park.  Take Milwaukee.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:30 pm, on Monday, our selection is on the Boston Celtics minus the points over the Miami Heat.  We played on Miami in Game 3, but will take the home-standing Celtics in Game 4.  With its 109-103 defeat, Boston has fallen behind in this series 2-games-to-1.  But home teams that trail 2-games-to-1 in a Playoff series have covered 64.7% since 1990, if they lost Game 3, and weren't an underdog of 4+ points in Game 4.  Moreover, the Celtics have gone 26-12-1 ATS in the Playoffs, if they trailed in a series, and failed to cover the previous game's spread by 6+ points.  And Miami has covered just 7 of 24 games as a road underdog in the Playoffs, if it led in a series.  Take Boston minus the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:30 pm, on Monday, our selection is on the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat Under the total.  The Celtics were upset by Miami, 109-103, on Saturday, and now trail in the series, 2-games-to-1.  Off that upset loss, and with their back against the wall, I expect a much better defensive effort by Boston on Monday night.  Indeed, NBA teams that trailed in a Playoff series, that were off an upset loss in a game which went Over the total, have generally rebounded to play MUCH BETTER defense in their next game.  Since 1990, such teams have held their opponent to a lower point total in 86.9% of the games, and the UNDER has cashed 62.3%.  Take the UNDER in Game 4.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9 pm, on Sunday, our selection is on the Dallas Mavericks minus the points over Golden State.  We played on the Warriors in Game 1 of this series (and were rewarded with a 25-point win), but stayed away from Game 2.  The Warriors won that game, albeit a comeback victory rather than a blowout win from start-to-finish.  Here, however, Dallas will have the benefit of playing in front of its home crowd.  And, in the Playoffs since 1996, home teams off back to back SU/ATS losses have covered 65% vs. < .700 foes, if our home team trailed in the series, and were not favored by more than 3 points.  Dallas is a solid 28-5-1 ATS at home off a road loss vs. a foe off a win, if the Mavs were not laying more than 7 points.  Meanwhile, Golden State is a wallet-busting 0-7 ATS on the road as an underdog off less than 6 points, off back-to-back SU/ATS wins.  Take Dallas.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie

At 4:05 pm, our selection is on the San Francisco Giants over the San Diego Padres.  Alex Wood is not a bad starter to have on your team.  Just be warned that you may not want to watch him pitch too much.  Wood has a very weird wind-up and delivery that almost look painful.  As long as he can remain healthy, the 31-year-old LH likely doesn't care what his pitching looks like as it seems to be effective lately.  Wood posted a 10-4 record with a 3.83 ERA in 26 starts for the Giants last season and so far in 2022 he's doing more of the same.  In seven starts covering 34 1/3 innings, Wood is 3-2 with a 3.93 ERA and 3.50 K:BB ratio (35 Ks and 10 BBs).  He's back home this afternoon where he has a career record of 9-5 and a 3.95 ERA.  And the Giants have gone 8-1 in his 9 daytime starts the past 2 seasons, including 2-0 this year.  Even better:  San Francisco is 103-51 (+29.1 net games) as a favorite, including 64-33 at home.  Despite the win here yesterday, the Padres are still just 9-21 in their last 30 games vs. teams with a winning record.  Take San Fran.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.