Sports Picks & Predictions

At 1:30 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  The Panthers earned the Presidents' Trophy this season by virtue of having the NHL's best regular season record.  But if they don't win this afternoon, they'll be in danger of being the 9th straight Presidents' Trophy winner to fail to win the Stanley Cup.  Florida averaged a league-best 4.14 goals per game this season, but have been held to just 1 goal in each of its first two games in this series.  However, there is room for optimism in this Game 3, as Florida is 13-2 after scoring less than 2 goals, while Tampa Bay has gone 2-6 (but -10.4 net games) following 4+ wins in a row.  Take Florida in Game 3.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:30 pm, on Saturday, our selection is on the Miami Heat + the points over the Boston Celtics.  Boston leveled this series at 1 game apiece with a 127-102 victory in Game 2.  The Celtics will now return home where they hope to take a series in this Conference finals.  Unfortunately, home teams have struggled in Game 3 of a series tied at 1 game apiece, at the quarterfinals round forward.  Since 1990, our home teams have covered just 35.1% of the time.  That doesn't bode well for Boston here.  Nor does the fact that Miami is 15-7 ATS with Erik Spoelstra as coach off an upset playoff loss.  And it's also a solid 61-29 ATS its last 90, overall, off an upset loss vs. a foe off a SU win.  Take Miami + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:30 pm, on Saturday, our selection is on the UNDER in Game 3 between Miami and Boston.  This series is knotted at 1 game apiece after the two teams traded victories in Miami.  We'll look for a low-scoring affair in Game 3, as NBA Conference Finals have gone UNDER the total 15 of 16 times since 1990 when a series has been tied at 1-game apiece, and the O/U line was greater than 184 points.  Take the UNDER.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Rays over the Baltimore Orioles.  Meet Jeffrey Springs -- yet another talented, relatively unknown, Tampa Bay starting pitcher.  The southpaw hurler was drafted by the Rangers in 2015 and then after being in the Texas organization for five years he was traded to the Red Sox.  Springs' time in Boston was short -- one year -- before he was shipped south to Tampa in exchange for two minor league players.  And of course as is so often the case, a very average pitcher has begun to look like a solid Major Leaguer since joining the Rays.  Springs went 4-1 with a 3.43 ERA as a reliever last season in Tampa (he even had a couple of saves) and he began this season out of the bullpen as well.  But injuries to Luis Patino, Shane Baz and Tyler Glasnow have opened the door for Springs to be added to the rotation as a fifth starter.  He has made the most of it so far and will get his third start of the season tonight.  Kyle Bradish will get the ball for the Birds, but he's been hit relatively hard in his rookie season.  Bradish has a 5.06 ERA, with a 1.36 WHIP.  And those numbers balloon to 6.28 and 1.74 at home.  Tampa is 43-13 in the last 56 meetings with the Orioles and 12-2 in the last 14 here in Baltimore.  Take the Rays.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 4:05 pm, our selection is on the San Francisco Giants over the San Diego Padres.  This is a great pitching match-up this afternoon at Oracle Park.  San Diego will hand the ball to Joe Musgrove, while the Giants will send southpaw Carlos Rodon to the mound.  Musgrove has been generally terrific the past 2 seasons.  Indeed, he's currently working on a streak of 5 straight winning decision.  But one team which has had success vs. Musgrove is San Francisco.  He made five starts vs. the Giants last season, and gave up 18 earned runs, and 36 baserunners in 26 2/3 innings (6.07 ERA; 1.35 WHIP).  For his career, Musgrove has been profitable as a favorite, but has been dismal as an underdog.  Meanwhile, Rodon has been very profitable as a favorite (36-16 (+11.9 net games)).  And that's key, as the Padres have been installed as a road dog this afternoon.  With Musgrove's teams just 20-34 (minus 9.4 net games) when priced as an underdog, we'll fade the Padres this afternoon.  Take San Francisco.

At 10:15 pm, our selection is on the San Francisco Giants over the San Diego Padres.  We played on San Diego yesterday, and got the $$$ when Yu Darvish & Co. shut out Philadelphia, 2-0.  But we'll switch gears, and go against San Diego tonight.  The Padres will hand the ball to southpaw Sean Manaea tonight, but he's been hit hard over his last four outings (15 ER in 24 innings; 5.62 ERA).  Not surprisingly, the Padres lost each of those four games.  Jake Junis will be on the mound for the Giants, and he has a solid 3.37 ERA and 1.12 WHIP on the season.  Additionally, San Francisco is 48-33 (+18.5 net games) vs. lefty starters, and 83-49 (+22.2 net games) at home.  Take the Giants.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:00 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  Just as they did in their first round series against the Caps, the favored Panthers lost Game 1 at home -- this time against their cross-state rivals.  But the Bolts are a decidedly better team than the Caps so Florida has to be careful that it doesn't let down again tonight and go into a 2-0 hole, from which it would be very difficult to crawl out.  What the Panthers need to do tonight is to simply play like the team which had the best home record in the NHL this season -- and one which is 46-9 in its last 55 games as a home favorite.  Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky needs to play better than he did in Game 1 and he's certainly capable of it.  In the first round series, Bobrovsky came back after a lackluster performance in Game 1 and had one of his best games in Game 2 -- stopping all but one of the shots he faced from the high-flying Capitals.  Florida is 20-6 (+15 games on the moneyline) in its last 26 games after scoring one goal or less in its previous while the favorite is 23-9 in the last 32 meetings of these two.  Take the Panthers.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 1:05 pm, our selection is on the San Diego Padres over the Philadelphia Phillies.  It's been a roller coaster season for Yu Darvish.  The Padres' veteran RHP started out 2022 with six no-hit innings in Arizona.  Then, five days later, he proceeded to have one of the worst starts of his career, allowing nine runs on eight hits in less than two innings in a pitcher-friendly San Francisco park against the Giants.  Things have mostly settled down for him, but Davish still has his good days and bad.  The one thing that's improved is the run support he's getting.  And that's been reflected by the fact that although he has a 4.62 ERA over his first seven starts -- thanks in large part to that Giants outing -- the Pads have won each of his last five starts.  If there's one thing Darvish does like it's apparently pitching in Citizens Bank Ballpark.  In three starts here covering 18 1/3 innings, Darvish has a 1.96 ERA and 0.87 WHIP, with 25 strikeouts and only two walks.  He also doesn't mind pitching in day games as he has a career 3.26 ERA in these situations (vs. 3.73 under the lights).  Take San Diego.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:30 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the Edmonton Oilers.  Both of these teams needed Game 7 wins at home in order to advance to this round -- and both came through.  If you're looking for clues in the regular season as to who might have the upper hand in this series, you might not find many.  The Flames and Oilers split their four games with Edmonton winning the first two and Calgary coming back later in the season to take the last pair.  But one thing that seems consistent when these two meet is the strength of home ice.  The home team has won 10 of the last 12 meetings including each of the last five, so you can expect the packed Saddledome to have a major impact in Games 1 and 2.  The Flames should get another big boost from the probable return of physical defenseman Chris Tanev who left Game 6 of the Dallas series with an injury and didn't return for Game 7.  In the four home games of the previous series, Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom allowed four goals in 87 combined shots (95.4 SV %).  Finally, the favorite is 4-1 in the last five meetings of these two.  Take Calgary.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9 pm, our selection is on the Golden State Warriors minus the points over the Dallas Mavericks.  Luka Doncic & Co. knocked out the Western Conference favorite on Sunday, with a blowout win over the Phoenix Suns.  Phoenix was far-and-away the best team in the NBA this season, with a 64-18 record (a full eight games ahead of #2 Memphis).  But off that upset win, we will fade the Mavericks in San Francisco tonight.  Indeed, NBA teams that pulled off an upset win, and ousted a .705 (or better) opponent from the Playoffs in their previous game, have only covered the spread 27% the past 32 years.  Take Golden State minus the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Anaheim Angels over the Texas Rangers.  The Angels come into this game off back to back losses to Texas to open this 3-game set, so they'll look to salvage a win in this final game tonight.  Shohei Ohtani will get the ball, and the RH is 3-2 this season, with a solid 2.78 ERA and 0.95 WHIP.  The Angels are also 7-1 in his road starts when priced from -125 to -175.  He'll match up against Dane Dunning, whose ERA is north of 4 runs per game.  Even worse:  Dunning's career ERA in four starts vs. Anaheim is 7.13 with a 1.69 WHIP.  And the Rangers are a poor 41-79 (minus 25.4 net games) vs. RH starters the past 2 seasons.  Take the Angels.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the New York Mets over the St. Louis Cardinals.  Another MLB Season -- another in which Max Scherzer will dominate the hitters he faces.  This season -- and possibly for the rest of his career -- he will do it in a Mets uniform. Scherzer was traded from Washington to the Dodgers for the stretch run last season and he was dominant for them but couldn't lead them to another World Series.  Instead of signing Scherzer, L.A. opted to save money in hopes of keeping the other former Nat -- Trea Turner.  That left the door open for the Mets to grab the three-time Cy Young winner and pair him with Jacob deGrom.  That pairing hasn't materialized yet, but Scherzer has been great as the new ace of his team.  In seven starts covering 44 innings he is 4-1 with a 2.66 ERA and 0.91 WHIP with an 11.3 K rate.  The Mets won his only other start vs. St. Louis on 4/25 and his teams (Mets, Dodgers, Nats) are 4-1 in his last five starts against the Cards.  St. Louis will go with RHP Jordan Hicks and the Mets are 10-2 in their last 12 games vs. RH starters.  Take New York.

At 7:00 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the New York Rangers.  The Rangers played perhaps the toughest first round of any advancing favorite, coming back from a 3-1 series deficit and needing a goal in overtime of Game 7 at home.  How much those very demanding seven games against a depleted Pens team took out of them remains to be seen, but things certainly don't get any easier against the 'Canes.  Unlike New York, Carolina's seven-game series win over Boston went according to plan with the home team winning every meeting.  What makes the 'Canes hard-fought victory even more impressive is that they did it without their #1 goalie, Frederik Andersen, who has been sidelined since mid-April.  If there's any question about the importance of a veteran back-up net-minder with playoff experience, the 'Canes and Antti Raanta proved it without a doubt.  The 33-year-old Finn was 'money in the bank' and he'll be asked for more of the same in this quarterfinals round.  The Rangers are 15-36 in their last 51 playoff games as an underdog.  Take Carolina.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 1:10 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Brewers over the Atlanta Braves.  It's still early in the season, but it would appear the leading candidate for the Rodney Dangerfield award -- a pitcher who gets the least respect from his hitters and bullpen -- would be the Brewers' Corbin Burnes.  Last year's NL Cy Young winner has been brilliant once again but has little to show for it.  In seven starts covering just under 46 innings, Burnes has posted a microscopic 1.77 ERA with a league-leading 0.79 WHIP and 57 strikeouts, but has logged a won-lost record of just 1-2.  Just how bad has his run support been lately?  In Burnes' last four starts, the Brewers have managed a total of six runs.  And this from an offense that averages almost 4.8 runs per game so far and on separate occasions this season has plated 18, 12, 11 (twice) and 10 runs.  Burnes knows that the wins will come if he just keeps doing what he's best at -- getting hitters out.  The Braves are 1-4 in their last five games vs. a RH starter while the Brewers are 16-7 in their last 23 games as a favorite.  Take Milwaukee.

At 7:00 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning are going for a rare Stanley Cup Title three-peat and the first step is complete with their upset win over the Maple Leafs in the first round. But the mountain gets steeper in round two as they battle with their cross-state rivals to the south. Florida not only won the Atlantic Division, but the Presidents Trophy and finished with an almost-unprecedented +94 goal differential (only a meaningless final regular season game in which it rested all their regulars prevented it from finishing with +100). Just how steep is this mountain that the Bolts have in front of them? Consider that the Panthers finished the season with a 34-7-0 home record -- the best in the NHL. That zero at the end means that they were 8-0 in overtime games in South Florida -- also almost unprecedented and not good news for Tampa, which needed OT to win Game 6 over Toronto. Also not good news for the Bolts: the favorite is 35-17 in the last 52 meetings of these two and the home team is 5-2 in the last seven. Take Florida. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Blue Jays over the Seattle Mariners.  Seattle is known for its fondness of Japanese players -- especially pitchers.  Yusei Kukuchi was a member of the Mariners for his first three years in the league before signing with the Blue Jays as a free agent this past March.  So the 30-year-old lefthander will be facing the only other Major League team he's played for for the first time tonight when the Mariners visit the Jays for the first of a three-game set.  Kikuchi's numbers don't exactly jump off the page at you -- a 1-1 record with a 4.15 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in six starts covering 26 innings.  But let's consider who Kikuchi has faced so far.  The Japanese southpaw has gone up against the Yankees three times and the Astros twice.  His sixth start was against the Red Sox and although they're having a sub-par season, that's still a dangerous lineup.  The Mariners are 1-5 in their last six games against teams with a LH starter and they're also 4-12 in their last 16 games as a road underdog.  Take Toronto.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, our selection is on the Phoenix Suns minus the points over Dallas.  The Suns were destroyed by Dallas in Game 6, 113-86, even though the Suns were favored by 2 points.  That's the bad news.  The good news for this Game 7 is that Phoenix is a spectacular 16-0 ATS its last 16 off an upset road loss, if its opponent was off a double-digit cover.  Meanwhile, Dallas is a dreadful 7-19 ATS off an upset playoff win, when matched up against .630 (or better) foes.  Phoenix has won all six home meetings vs. the Mavericks the last two seasons (by an average of 12.6 ppg), and is 10-1 SU and 8-3 ATS vs. Dallas the past 11 games here, at home.  Lay the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, our selection is on the Phoenix/Dallas game UNDER the total.  We played on the under in Game 6, and were rewarded with a 113-86 result, which went under the total by 11.5 points.  The last four games of this series have all gone UNDER the total, and have done so by an average of 15 ppg.  We'll look for yet another low-scoring game on Sunday night, as the Mavericks are 52-21 UNDER when priced from -1 to +8 points, while Phoenix is 11-0-1 UNDER off a road loss this season (and 15-1-1 UNDER, dating back to last season).  Take Game 7 UNDER the total.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:30 pm, our selection is on the UNDER in the Boston/Milwaukee game.  The Celtics and Bucks have gone under in four of the first six games in this series, including Game 6, which went under by 9.5 points.  I look for another low-scoring game on Sunday, as Milwaukee has now gone under in eight of 10 Playoff games this season, while Boston has gone under in six of its last nine.  Even better, Boston's 30-11 under when priced as a favorite of -3 to -7.5 points.  Finally, in elimination games involving Milwaukee, the under has cashed 16 of 22, while it's cashed 23 of 36 in elimination games involving Boston.  Take the under.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 11:35 am, in a very early start, our selection is on the San Diego Padres over the Atlanta Braves.  Almost anyone who closely follows the Majors would agree that there are more ace-type starters in the National than the American League.  Scherzer, deGrom (when healthy), Burnes, Beuhler, Urias,  and Wheeler just to name six of the NL's best.  It's for this reason that a guy like Joe Musgrove tends to get completely overlooked.  Despite 11 wins, a 3.18 ERA, a league-best two complete game shutouts and of course a no-hitter in one of those, the 29-year-old RH didn't even make the All Star roster last season.  From the appearance of things so far in 2022, Musgrove is out to ensure that he doesn't get ignored again.  Over his first four starts covering 39 innings, Musgrove is 4-0 with a 2.08 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and a league-best K:BB ratio of 13.7 (41 K's and only 3 BBs).  Musgrove didn't factor in the 2021 Cy Young voting but if the season ended today, you'd probably have to award it to him.  Although the ERA is a little high in seven starts vs. the Braves (4.50), Musgrove is 3-1 vs. Atlanta, with a 1.22 WHIP.  Take San Diego.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Philadelphia Phillies.  This matchup will feature two left-handed starters:  Julio Urias (Dodgers) vs. Ranger Suarez (Phillies).  Last night, the Phillies won a high-scoring game, 12-10, over LA.  And that was the Dodgers' 3rd straight loss.  We'll take Los Angeles to bounce back tonight, as it is 13-3 after giving up more than 8 runs, and 7-2 its last nine when on a 3-game (or worse) losing streak.  Even better:  it's 84-30 (+17.5 net games) as a home favorite of -150 (or more); and 61-27 (+13.9 net games) vs. southpaw starters. 

At 7:00 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  The Lightning won a dramatic Game 6 at home on Thursday to force this final game in a series that seems more appropriate as a Conference Final than a first-round match-up.  The game couldn't have been any closer as the two clubs went into overtime tied at three goals apiece.  And it concluded with the winning goal out of Brayden Point 18 minutes into the fourth period.  Unfortunately for the Lightning:  they're a poor 15-19 (minus 16.4 net games) off an overtime win.  Tonight, Tampa will have to contend not only with the Leafs, but also the crazed Toronto fans who could give the home team the upper hand.  And what started out as a series which didn't seem to favor the home team has turned into one as the hosts have won the last three now.  Tampa is 0-4 its last four off a win, and 2-6 in its last eight games as a road underdog, while the favorite is 5-2 in the last seven meetings of these two.  And Toronto's a solid 25-12 after giving up more than 3 goals.  Take the Maple Leafs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10 pm, our selection is on the Golden State Warriors over the Memphis Grizzlies.  The Warriors were embarrassed, 134-95, in Game 5, as they once trailed by 58 points.  But off that rare clunker, we'll play on Steph Curry & Co. tonight.  Indeed, .610 (or better) NBA teams that lost a playoff game to their opponent, and failed to score 100 points in that defeat (with their opponent scoring more than 121) have bounced back to cover 83% since 1990.  Take the Warriors.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Boston Celtics + the points over the Milwaukee Bucks.  The Celts need to win tonight to force a seventh game, and I believe they will.  They've been installed as a small underdog after their 110-107 upset loss as a 4.5-point favorite in Game 5, and we'll take the points, as Boston is 17-2 ATS away from home in the playoffs, if they didn't lead in the series, and failed to cover the spread in their previous game by more than 7 points, including a perfect 12-0 ATS as a #3 seed (or better).  Take the Celtics.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:00 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the Pittsburgh Penguins.  Welcome to the Rangers must-win Game #2.  Down three games to one, New York had to have a win at home on Wednesday to stay alive and it did just that.  They have to do it again tonight and it will have to be in hostile territory but there are at least a couple of reasons to think the Rangers can force a Game 7 back in Manhattan.  First, the Penguins will be forced to use their third-string goalie again tonight for the fifth straight game.  Although 30-year-old journeyman Louis Domingue has been outstanding at times, it seems the Rangers have figured him out for the most part and the lapses he's been experiencing will only likely become more frequent.  Look for Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, and company to really turn up the heat on Domingue tonight.  Second, Pens Captain Sidney Crosby was hit by the Rangers Jacob Trouba and had to leave Game 5 with an upper body injury.  He is currently questionable for Game 6.  The favorite is 11-5 in the last 16 meetings.  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 6:40 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Brewers over the Miami Marlins.  Following up on his Cy Young winning campaign in 2021, Corbin Burnes is putting together another outstanding season so far.  Through six starts, the 27-year-old RHP has posted a 1.86 ERA together with a 6.25 K:BB ratio (50 Ks and 8 BBs) as well as a league-leading 0.80 WHIP.  Now if only he could find a way to win some games.  Of course it hasn't helped that in Burnes' last three starts the Brewers have plated a total of four runs and in fact, it is the main reason he only has one W to his credit so far.  That could certainly change tonight in Miami as the Brewers are 6-1 in the last seven meetings here at LoanDepot Park.  And Burnes has done by far his best work on the road throughout his career.  In 57 road games (23 starts) Burnes is 13-4 (.765) with a 2.88 ERA vs. just 11-9 and 3.53 in 51 games (24 starts) in Milwaukee.  The Marlins are coming back to Miami after a seven-game road trip but that's not necessarily a good thing as they are 0-4 in their last four games here. Take the Brew Crew.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 9:30 pm, our selection is on the UNDER in the Dallas/Phoenix game.  Three of the first five games of this series have gone under the total (as well as nine of the last 13 meetings between these clubs), and we'll look for another low-scoring game here.  Indeed, the last game went under by 25.5 points!  And the last 3 games have gone under by an average of 16.16 ppg.  Dallas has been installed as a home underdog in this game.  And the Mavericks are now 40-13 UNDER when priced as an underdog of less than 6 points, including 8-1 UNDER its last nine at home.  Take the UNDER.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  The Maple Leafs won a huge Game 5 on Tuesday at home, defeating the Bolts 4-3 to take a 3-2 series lead.  Technically, tonight in Tampa is not a must-win situation, but the last thing the Leafs want to do is give the defending two-time Stanley Cup Champions a chance at a Game 7 back in Toronto -- especially considering how close Game 5 was.  Key to the Tuesday night victory was Toronto Coach Sheldon Keefe showing confidence in goalie Jack Campbell after he fell apart in Game 4 (5 goals in 16 shots) and was replaced in the 3rd period by his back-up, Erik Kallgren.  Keefe stuck with Campbell for Game 5 and the veteran net-minder came through, stopping 32 of 35 shots (.914) from one of the top scoring teams in hockey.  On the other side, Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy had his second sub-par game in a row, allowing four goals on just 25 shots (.840).  With the Tuesday loss, the Bolts are now 5-12 in their last 17 games vs. teams with a winning % above .600.  Take the Maple Leafs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7 pm, our selection is on the UNDER in the Philadelphia 76ers/Miami Heat game.  Three of the first five games have gone under the total in this series (as well as 7 of the last 10 meetings between the clubs), and I look for yet another relatively-low scoring game tonight.  Indeed, the Heat have now gone under in 8 of their last 10 games, overall, while Philly has gone under in 7 of its last 10. Even better:  the Sixers come into this game off a blowout 35-point loss.  But the 76ers are 32-12 UNDER off a loss by 30+ points, while Miami is 20-4 UNDER when installed as an underdog vs. foes off a 25+ point defeat.  Take Game 6 under the total.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 1:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Mets over the Washington Nationals.  There's no question that RHP Taijuan Walker is struggling in his second season with the Mets.  The veteran starter has posted a 4.91 ERA in three starts covering just 11 innings so far.  But all three of those stars have come against the Phillies and Walker has never done particularly well against Philadelphia's baseball club.  He'll likely be glad that he doesn't have to face them this afternoon.  The once mighty Nationals don't look quite the same this season.  Gone are players like Bryce Harper, Max Scherzer, and Trey Turner and the only true superstar left on this squad is OF Juan Soto.  Normally a .300 hitter, teams have been pitching around Soto enough this season that he's only managed roughly a .250 batting average and just 10 RBI over his first 117 at bats.  Walker should be smart enough to do more of that today as the Mets try to extend their comfortable lead (6 games) in the NL East.  The Mets are 4-2 in the last six meetings -- all of them here at Nationals Park.  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:00 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the Pittsburgh Penguins.  After four playoff games, the only one of the eight NHL series where a team holds a 3-1 lead is this one.  That's good news for the Penguins and bad news if you're a Rangers fan.  New York must now win three games in a row to advance and even if it wins tonight, it has to go back to Pittsburgh where it was blown out on Monday.  The Rangers smartly pulled Igor Shesterkin from the net in that game after two periods and six goals allowed.  That should give the League's leading goalie a chance to regroup and come back fresh tonight.  But if the Rangers are going to win tonight, they're going to have to up their shot output as they registered just 24 on Pens rookie (third string) goalie Louis Domingue in Game 4.  A return to their form in the last game here where they logged 40 shots on goal (and won) is what we would expect to see tonight.  The home team is 4-1 in the last five meetings and the Penguins are 2-5 in the last seven here at Madison Square Garden.  Take the Rangers.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10 pm, our selection is on the Phoenix Suns minus the points over the Dallas Mavericks.  The Suns swept the regular season series from Dallas, 4-games-to-none, and then won the first two games of this Playoff series for a 6-game win streak this season.  But the Suns lost Games 3 + 4 to knot this series at 2-games apiece.  Still, Phoenix is a very profitable 17-6 ATS its last 23 vs. Dallas.  Moreover, the Suns were installed as a road favorite in Game 4, yet lost by double-digits, 111-101.  The good news for Chris Paul & Co. is that Phoenix is a powerful 15-0 ATS its last 15 off an upset road loss, if its opponent was off a double-digit cover.  And Dallas is a dreadful 7-18 ATS off an upset playoff win, when matched up against .630 (or better) foes.  Lay the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:35 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Rays over the Los Angeles Angels.  When it comes to finding serviceable veteran talent at bargain-basement prices, no team comes close to the Rays.  Case in point is Corey Kluber.  At age 36, the RHP is clearly past his prime, but the two-time Cy Young Award winner still has some gas left in the tank as evidenced by his winning record (5-3) and 3.86 ERA in 16 starts for the Yankees last season.  And just for good measure, Kluber threw in a no-hitter on May 19 in Texas.  Anyway, the Rays saw an opportunity to sign him as a free agent and promptly did so for the team-friendly price of just $8 Million.  So far the veteran has shown he's worth every penny of that and probably much more with a 2.36 ERA and 1.05 WHIP with a 4.17 K:BB ratio in his first five starts covering 26 2/3 innings.  In eight career starts covering 51 1/3 innings vs. the Angels, Kluber is 3-2 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.09 WHIP.  The Rays have dominated this series lately going 20-7 in the last 27 meetings and 32-12 in the last 44 here in Anaheim.  Take Tampa Bay.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  The NHL and TV networks must be very happy that all four of the series that are on tap for a Game 5 tonight are tied at two games apiece.  Some of the teams however are not likely sharing in the joy.  The Toronto Maple Leafs looked like they would potentially put Tampa away early when they won the first game in a rout and then did it again in Tampa in Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead.  But every time Toronto takes the air out of Tampa's balloon, the Bolts have re-energized and made a statement of their own.  Game 5 has now become absolutely critical for the home team after the Lightning put up seven goals on the Leafs in Game 4 chasing Toronto goalie Jack Campbell in the process.  It remains to be seen if the Leafs go with back-up Erik Kallgren -- who stopped all 10 shots he faced -- tonight, but based on statements made by Coach Sheldon Keefe, he'll be sticking with Campbell.  Andrei Vasilevskiy had his own problems in Game 4, stopping just 22 of 25 shots (.880).  And Tampa's a wallet-breaking 5-7 (minus 11.4 net games on the moneyline) off a blowout home win by 3+ goals.  Take the Leafs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:35 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Rays over the Anaheim Angels.  Jeffrey Springs will match up against Noah Syndergaard tonight.  We'll take the underdog Rays, as Tampa Bay is 113-63 (+34.9 net games) vs. righty starters, 47-40 (+18.1 net games) as an underdog, and 57-39 (+18.4 net games) its last 96 on the road.  And while it's true that Syndergaard has been great this season (2.62 ERA, 0.95 WHIP), the Rays have excelled against excellent pitchers, as they're 14-4 their last 18 vs. American League pitchers with an ERA of 2.90 (or better), and 20-9 vs. AL pitchers with a WHIP of 1.10 (or better).  Meanwhile, Springs has given up just 1 earned run over 13 innings this season (0.69 ERA), and his WHIP is 0.77.  Take the underdog Rays.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks 'under' the total.  We played on the 'under' 213 in Game 3, and were rewarded with a 103-101 Milwaukee victory in a game which sailed under the total by 9 points.  And that was the 3rd straight under played by these teams to open this 7-game series.  Game 4 is tonight and, as my mother used to say, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."  I will adhere to that advice, and once again look for a low-scoring game.  Indeed, not only has all three games of this series gone under (by 9, 21 and 28 points), but all eight of Milwaukee's playoff games have gone under!  The Bucks have now gone 'under' 24-9-2 their last 35 home playoff games, while Boston has gone under 24-11 its last 35 road playoff games.  Take the 'under.'  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:00 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the Washington Capitals.  Two nights after the Panthers routed the Caps in Florida to even the series at a game apiece, the Caps returned the favor at home in Game 3.  Now Florida is faced with going down 3-1 against a very good road team if it plays another lackluster game like the one played here on Saturday afternoon.  The Caps went with Ilya Samsonov in goal for Game 3 and they will likely go back to the 25-year-old Russian again tonight.  Sammy -- as he is called in DC -- stopped 29 of 30 shots he faced on Saturday while his counterpart, veteran Sergei Bobrovsky, had an off night.  Look for Bobrovsky to bounce back strong here in Game 4 as the Panthers are 16-5 in their last 21 games immediately a game where their opponent scored five or more goals.  They're also 29-11 in their last 40 games after scoring two goals or fewer.  Despite the loss, Florida is 19-7 in its last 26 games as a road favorite while the Caps are 0-4 in their last four after allowing two goals or fewer in their previous.  Take the Panthers.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 1:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Yankees over the Texas Rangers.  People were scratching their heads when the Yankees let several affordable free agent starters (Marcus Stroman, Eduardo Rodriguez, Steven Matz, etc.) go by and sign with with other teams this past Winter.  After all, the New York rotation is hardly that of the White Sox, Brewers, or Padres.  But maybe the Yanks knew something that the rest of us didn't.  Despite sitting pat for the most part, New York has the best pitching staff in the American League -- at least as far as team ERA is concerned.  And that ridiculous 2.60 staff number is second in the Majors only to the Dodgers.  One of the reasons for the success is the emergence of LHP Nestor Cortes.  The 27-year-old southpaw starter is 1-1 with a 1.82 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in five starts covering just under 25 innings with 31 strikeouts and seven walks.  Start number six will come this afternoon at home a day after these two played a double-header here.  The Yanks are 6-3 in Cortes' last nine starts going back to September 2021.  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 4:05 pm, our selection is on the Anaheim Angels over the Washington Nationals.  After the Angels' pitching staff tossed back to back shutouts (against Boston and Washington), the Nationals scored seven runs last night to win, 7-3.  We'll take Anaheim to bounce back, as the Nationals are still a poor 38-85 (minus 28.4 net games) as a road underdog, while the Angels are 23-9 (+8.1 net games) as a home favorite priced from -150 to -200.  And LHP Patrick Sandoval has been perfect at home this season, with 0 earned runs over 11 innings pitched.  Take Anaheim.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 4:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Mets (in Game 2 of the Double-Header) over the Philadelphia Phillies.  This match-up will feature RHP Chris Bassitt and LHP Cristopher Sanchez on the mound.  Bassitt has been extremely effective this season, with a 2.61 ERA over 5 starts (31 innings).  And he's been at his best on the road, with 0 earned runs (in 2 starts) over 12 innings.  Even better:  against losing teams, Bassitt's teams (the A's last year and Mets this year) have gone 14-1, and they've gone 10-0 as a road favorite of -125 (or higher).  Take the Mets in Game 2.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 1:40 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Blue Jays over the Cleveland Guardians.  Those who predicted that Alek Manoah would have a breakout season and compete with the League's elite aces for a Cy Young are looking like geniuses right about now.  The 24-year-old RHP is 4-0 with a 1.45 ERA through five starts covering 31 innings.  Start number six will come this afternoon against a Guardians club which is struggling to get to .500 this season.  Even when Manoah didn't get the W, he pitched brilliantly -- against the Yankees when he threw six innings of one-run, three-hit ball in a game that the bullpen blew.  This will be Manoah's first start vs. Cleveland and therefore his first start at Progressive Field.  Although he's been better at home throughout his career, Manoah has been a pretty solid road pitcher as well, going 6-2 with a 3.63 ERA in 13 starts covering 69 1/3 innings away from Toronto/Buffalo/Dunedin.  The Guardians are 8-18 in their last 26 games vs. teams from the AL East and 4-9 in their last 13 vs. teams with a winning record.  Take the Jays.

At 1:35 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Brewers over the Atlanta Braves.  The Brewers' 4-game win streak was halted yesterday by Atlanta.  And it was the 3rd straight game Milwaukee has lost with its ace, Corbin Burnes, on the mound.  Today, the Brewers will hand the ball to Aaron Ashby, who has started off pitching like an ace this season (although in just two starts).  Ashby's ERA is 0.93, and the Brewers have won each of his starts.  He'll match up against Charlie Morton, who is still trying to find his groove.  After winning his first start of the season (against the pitiful Cincinnati Reds), Morton has been on the mound for four straight losses.  And his ERA in those four games was 7.85, while his WHIP was 2.07.  Take Milwaukee.

At 9:30 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the Dallas Stars.  Calgary was poised to take a commanding 2-0 lead in this series when it played Game 2 at home on Thursday night.  But the Stars somehow managed an upset win despite only registering 22 shots on goal.  Still, the Flames' defense has been superb in this series, allowing just 38 shots in the first two games.  This will be the 2nd meeting in Dallas this season between the clubs.  In the only previous meeting here at American Airlines Center this season, the Flames came away with a hard-fought 4-3 victory.  The Stars tend to let down after big wins recently as they are just 1-4 in their last five following a victory.  Meanwhile, the Flames are 10-4 in their last 14 after scoring two goals or less in their previous game.  And the favorite is 6-2 in the last eight meetings.  Take Calgary.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 3:30 pm, our selection is on the UNDER in the Boston/Milwaukee game.  The first two games of this series have sailed under the total.  And neither were close.  Game 1 was won by Milwaukee, 101-89, and went under the total by 28 points.  Likewise, Game 2 -- a 109-86 Celtics win -- went under by 21 points.  We'll look for yet another low-scoring game this afternoon, as NBA Playoff games have gone under 62.3% since 1990 if the two previous games in the series combined to go under the total by 44+ points.  Even better:  Milwaukee has gone under in five straight home playoff games, and is 23-9-2 under its last 34 home playoff games.  Meanwhile, Boston has gone under 23-11 its last 34 road playoff games.  Take the UNDER.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:30 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Mavericks over the Phoenix Suns.  Dallas is down 2-games-to-none, so it needs to win tonight, lest it fall into a 3-0 hole (out of which no NBA team has ever climbed).  We'll take Luka Doncic & Co. tonight, as NBA teams, seeded#5 (or better), have gone 63-38-2 ATS if they were down 2-0 in a series, and not installed as an underdog of +2 (or more) points.  Take Dallas.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:30 pm, our selection is on the UNDER in the Dallas/Phoenix game.  The Suns erupted for 129 points in their Game 2 win, and also tallied 121 in Game 1.  But off these two high-scoring games, we'll take Game 3 to go UNDER the total.  Indeed, since 1990, NBA teams that scored more than 120 points in a playoff win, and also scored more than 120 points two games back, have gone UNDER 68.6% since 1990.  Take the UNDER.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  After a resounding 5-0 shutout win on Monday, the Maple Leafs seemed poised to take a 2-0 series lead at home when they took the ice on Wednesday for Game 2.  After all, it was the same team that had so decisively taken Game 1.  But the Bolts summoned their great teams of the past and dominated play early and often in Game 2 and got out of Canada with a 5-3 victory.  Now the series shifts to Florida and although it might be easy to think that Tampa has the upper hand and will go up 2-1, there are some things to consider.  First and foremost is the fact that the Leafs are 3-1 in their last three meetings with the Lightning here in Tampa going back to January of 2019.  Second is the fact that although the Bolts finished the regular season strong, they did most of their damage against sub-par opponents who weren't playing for anything.  Going back to the beginning of March, Tampa is 3-10 in their last 13 regular season games vs. teams with a winning pct of 60% or better.  Take Toronto.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:00 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Carolina Hurricanes.  With all Eastern Conference teams having played their first two playoff games, the Hurricanes are the only one that has managed to win both of its home openers.  That puts them in a dominant position in this first round series but it certainly doesn't mean it's over.  If you're the Boston Bruins, this is no time to panic with two games coming up on home ice -- a home ice that was very good to them in the regular season.  Carolina's success in Games 1 and 2 didn't come without a price.  Already without #1 goalie Frederik Andersen heading into the playoffs (lower body injury), the 'Canes lost #2 Antti Raanta to an upper body injury in Game 2 after being hit by Boston's David Pastrnak.  The injury is not thought to be serious, and Raanta was at practice yesterday, however his status has yet to be determined for tonight's game.  If Raanta is unable to play, then 22-year-old rookie Pyotr Kochetkov will mind the net for the visitors.  Regardless of which goalie is between the pipes, we'll take the Bruins, as they are 9-3 in the last 12 meetings here in Boston.  Take the Bruins.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Twins over the Baltimore Orioles.  The Orioles made one of the biggest changes of any team over the winter and it had nothing to do with free agent players or coaches and managers.  At the O's home park of 30 years, the team moved the left field wall back a whopping 30 feet and raised it 10.  The result has been unmistakable as Camden Yards has gone from being one of the most hitter friendly venues to one that is now as stingy as they come.  It's the main reason that a mostly unknown pitching staff has gone from one of the worst home ERAs in the game to one of the best (2.68).  As they welcome the Twins back for the final of three games, veteran RHP Chris Archer likely can't wait to get his first start in the newly expanded ballpark.  The now 33-year-old was an all-but-forgotten starter in 1 1/2 seasons in Pittsburgh and then an unremarkable return to Tampa last season.  But Archer has found new life with the Twins, posting a 2.93 ERA in four starts covering 15 1/3 innings.  Minnesota is 15-6 in the last 21 meetings here.  Take the Twins.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Mavericks + the points over Phoenix.  The Suns were the league's #1 team this season, and the only team which won 69+ percent of its games.  Phoenix got this series off to a great start with a 7-point win on Monday.  Unfortunately, #1-seeded NBA teams with a .733 (or better) win percentage have gone 30-64 ATS as home favorites in the NBA playoffs if they led the series, and their opponent had yet to win a game.  That doesn't bode well for Phoenix tonight.  Nor does the fact that the Mavericks are 39-14 ATS as a double-revenge-minded road underdog off a loss vs. an opponent off a win.  Take the Mavericks.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:35 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over the St. Louis Blues.  The NHL Post-season opened on Monday night, and while the two Eastern Conference Game 1's went according to plan -- big wins for the favored home teams Hurricanes and Leafs -- the West was a different story on Monday.  Edmonton was upset at home by the Kings, while the Wild laid an egg at home against the Blues.  Minnesota has lost in the first round of the playoffs in five of the last six seasons (the sixth season they didn't participate in post-season play) but this is arguably the best team it's ever had.  With the series going to St. Louis for two games after tonight, this is pretty much a must-win for the Wild, who came into the first round having won seven of its last eight regular season games.  This is no time to panic as the Wild out-shot the Blues in Game 1, 37-31.  The Wild leaned on Marc-Andre Fleury Monday for his Stanley Cup experience, but they could easily make a change to Cam Talbot in Game 2 as the veteran goalie has a career 2.45 GAA and 92.3 save % in 32 post-season games.  Regardless of which netminder is between the pipes, we'll take the Wild, as they're 9-2 their last 11 off a shutout loss, and 27-8 their last 35 off a home defeat (including 8-0 this season off a home loss by 2+ goals). Take Minnesota.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie. 

At 8:40 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Rockies over the Washington Nationals.  It's much too early in the MLB Season to start giving out awards, but we can say pretty confidently that the surprise team of the League so far is the Colorado Rockies.  You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone -- including those in the state of Colorado -- who would've thought this team would be above .500 after the first month.  But the Rockies are 13-10.  Few noticed when Austin Gomber was one of the players traded to the Rox as part of the deal which sent star Nolan Arenado to St. Louis back in February of 2021.  And a season in which he went 9-9 with a 4.53 ERA in 23 starts did little to enhance his reputation.  But the 28-year-old LHP is one of many surprises for Colorado so far in 2022, posting a 3.86 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in four starts covering 21 innings.  Sure, he got roughed up in his only start at Coors Field, but what pitcher doesn't?  In fact, his mound opponent tonight -- the Nats' LH Patrick Corbin -- has a career 5.91 ERA and 1.58 WHIP in 13 games (12 starts) here.  Finally, the Nats are 3-5 in the last eight meetings in Denver, and 1-11 their last 12 as an underdog of +150 or less with Corbin on the hill.  Take the Rockies.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  We cashed the Maple Leafs in Game 1 of this series -- a 5-0 blowout -- as they were my highest-rated NHL play of the season-to-date.  Admittedly, the Lightning have been spectacular off a loss in the Playoffs. Indeed, Tampa goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy is 14-0 his last 14 games following a playoff defeat, with a 1.20 GAA, and a 95.2% SVS %.  Last season, the Lightning went 7-0 in the 2021 playoffs in games immediately following a loss en route to a second straight Stanley Cup.  But it's important to note that all seven of those rebound wins last season came at home, while tonight, the Lightning must do it in hostile territory.  And it's also important to note that in none of those games last season did he face a goal scorer as dynamic as the Leafs' Auston Matthews.  Matthews has already made his mark on this series, scoring twice in Game 1 and there will likely be many more to come from the regular season goals leader (60).  A hot goalie is key to a deep Stanley Cup run and Jack Campbell (who was maligned earlier this season) appears to be in peak form now, stopping all 24 Tampa shots in Game 1 while earning Star of the Game.  With the victory, the Leafs have now won five of the last seven meetings going back to February 2020.  And it was 7-0 this season off a shutout win.  Take Toronto in Game 2.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the Dallas Stars.  The Flames just concluded their most successful season -- 111 total points -- since they won it all way back in 1989 (they finished that season with 117 points).  Perhaps that will serve as an omen for what is about to happen in this post-season.  After all, we're talking about a club that hasn't made it out of the first round in their last three trips to the playoffs (2017, 2019, 2020), so even getting past the Stars will be seen as a victory of sorts.  And as if they needed any more motivation, this is a huge revenge situation as it was the Stars who knocked Calgary out in six games in August of 2020.  Dallas had the home ice advantage in that series but now it's the Flames who will enjoy four games at home in this opening round.  The Flames took two of three games from the Stars this season, including each of the last two on February 1 and April 21.  Three of Dallas' last four victories were against the Kraken, Sharks, and Ducks and it is 2-4 in its last six vs. teams with winning records.  Take Calgary.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:30 pm, our selection is on the Memphis Grizzlies + the points over Golden State.  The Grizz lost Game 1, but covered the 2.5-point spread in the process.  And that extended Memphis' point spread record this season to 56-32-1 ATS this year (63.6%).  Its regular season ATS record (52-29-1 ATS) was not only the #1 ATS record of any NBA team this season, but it also was the 4th best regular season ATS record over the past 32 seasons!  This is key, as NBA teams have gone 53-24 ATS at home in the Playoffs, if their ATS win pct. was 62% (or better).  Moreover, Memphis is 25-3 ATS at home when playing with revenge against an opponent off a SU win, if the Grizzlies weren't favored by more than 2 points.  Take Memphis as a home dog on Tuesday.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Angels over the Boston Red Sox.  Two resurrection projects of sorts will take the mound this evening in Boston when the Red Sox and Michael Wacha host the Angels and Noah Syndergaard.  While Wacha's story so far this season is surprising, Syndergaard's is downright miraculous.  The 29-year-old RHP was all but forgotten after a combination of the COVID pandemic and Tommy John surgery meant that the Mets were not going to sign him to a long term contract and he was granted free agency last year.  With not much interest out there among teams, the Angels signed Thor to a one-year, $21 Million contract that so far is making them and their winning record look like geniuses.  In three starts covering 17 innings, Syndergaard is 2-0 with a sparkling 2.12 ERA and 0.82 WHIP.  Start number four will be just his second ever at Fenway Park.  His other one was superb -- 7 IP, 0 ER, 3 H and a W back in 2018.  The Angels are 6-0 in their last six games as a favorite (4-0 in their last four as a road favorite).  Take Los Angeles.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7 pm, our selection is on the Boston Celtics minus the points over Milwaukee.  The Celtics had covered their previous seven games vs. the Bucks before getting upset in Game 1, 101-89.  But off that upset loss, we'll lay the points with Ime Udoka's men tonight.  Indeed, .610 (or better) NBA teams have gone 49-21 ATS at home off an upset playoff loss, if they scored less than 90 points in that defeat, and were favored by 4+ points in the current game.  Take Boston minus the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:10 pm, in Game 1 of the double-header, our selection is on the New York Mets over the Atlanta Braves.  Charlie Morton will get the start for the Braves, but the reliable veteran has not been his normal self this season.  He's given up between 2 and 5 earned runs in each of his four outings, covering 18 innings, for a 7.00 ERA and a 1.77 WHIP.  A major culprit has been walks, as he's put on 11 baserunners due to his lack of command.  In contrast, Carlos Carrasco has a 0.95 WHIP, as he's walked just four batters in his 22 innings pitched (with 17 hits).  In his career, Morton's teams are a poor 38-53 (minus 23.4 net games) in his daytime starts, and 46-76 (minus 15.6 net games) as an underdog.  Take the Mets as a small home favorite this afternoon.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 2022 Eastern Conference playoffs feature the most compelling match-ups in recent memory. In one series you have the Presidents Trophy Winner (Panthers) vs. the greatest goal scorer of our generation (Alex Ovechkin). In another, you have a legend like Sidney Crosby vs. the team (Rangers) with the best goalie in the world right now. And let's not forget this game, which pits the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champs (Lightning) vs. the team (Maple Leafs) with perhaps the next great goal scorer, Auston Matthews (to whom Ovechkin will be passing the torch). Let's also not forget that Toronto has a huge chip on its shoulder this year after being eliminated in the first round in five straight seasons coming into these playoffs. But the Leafs are a lot more than just Matthews. RW Mitch Marner put up 97 points and LW Michael Bunting (who won't play in Game 1) is the favorite for Rookie of the Year. Toronto finished the season strong with 15 win over its last 19 games, including a 5-2 blowout of Boston on Friday. Toronto's 39-15 off a win by 3+ goals, and 11-1 its last 12 at home. Admittedly, the Leafs lost the previous meeting vs. Tampa (a game which Matthews and goalie Jack Campbell missed), but have won four of the last six meetings between these two going back to the start of 2020. Toronto is a solid 18-6 when playing with revenge from a loss in which it scored less than 2 goals (and 50-31 its last 81, overall, when playing with revenge). Take Toronto. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the New York Mets over the Philadelphia Phillies.  The Mets signed veteran RHP Max Scherzer to a huge short-term contact in the off-season.  The three-time Cy Young award winner would like nothing better than to win another World Series before he retires, and Scherzer just might be able to do that with this Mets team.  Jacob deGrom has yet to throw a pitch this season thanks to a shoulder injury, but the Mets are 15-7 and in first place without him so they can afford to wait and bring deGrom back when he's 100 percent ready.  So far, Scherzer has been nothing short of amazing for his new club, going 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA in four starts covering 25 innings.  He will likely reach 200 career victories this season but that likely won't matter much to him unless the Mets make a deep post-season run riding on his back.  His fifth start will come tonight in prime time against a Phillies team that he's completely dominated in his career.  In 26 starts vs. the Phils covering just under 164 innings, Scherzer is 15-4 with a 2.47 ERA and 1.00 WHIP.  Take the Mets.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 2:15 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Cardinals over the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Jordan Hicks began life in the Majors as a late-inning option out of the bullpen for the Cards.  In 2018, the then-21-year-old RHP finished 20 games for St. Louis, recording six saves in the process. 2019 saw Hicks assume the full-time closers role and with much success in the early part of the season it seemed as though he might have that job for years to come.  But a torn UCL in June led to July elbow surgery and that was followed by COVID so Hicks opted out of the 2020 season as he recovered.  After a non-descript 2021 campaign, Hicks is back and in the rotation due in part to Jack Flaherty's bad shoulder.  If Hicks can get his walks under control, he could be a very good MLB starter and at just 25 years old, he has plenty of time to work on it.  Expect him to get stretched out a bit in his third start this afternoon against the D-Backs -- a team that he has a 0.00 ERA against in four career innings.  The D-Backs are 2-6 in their last eight meetings with the Cards in St. Louis, and 31-79 (minus 30.9 net games) as a road underdog.  Take the Cardinals.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie. 

At 1 pm, our selection is on the Boston Celtics minus the points over the Milwaukee Bucks.  Last year, the Bucks won the title in part due to the loss of key players to injury by other teams.  This season, it's the Bucks (and 76ers) who have suffered the biggest losses thus far.  Milwaukee will be without its second best player, Khris Middleton, for this series, while the 76ers lost center Joel Embiid.  It would have been an uphill climb for Milwaukee even with Middleton, but his absence will likely doom Milwaukee in this series.  I expect Boston to get off to a good start in Game 1, and we'll lay the points.  Milwaukee has won its last three games, but it's a poor 110-173-1 ATS off three (or more) wins.  Even worse:  it's 5-20 ATS as an underdog of more than 2 points, including 0-8 ATS vs. a foe off back to back wins.  Take the Celtics.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Blue Jays over the Houston Astros.  Jose Berrios came to the Blue Jays by way of the Twins at the trade deadline last July.  Many thought Toronto just wanted the 27-year-old RHP for the post-season run, but after they were eliminated, the Jays and Berrios showed that they had other, long-term goals in mind when they agreed to a very friendly seven year, $131 Million contract extension that will keep him in Ontario until at least 2028.  So Berrios would like nothing more than to help the Jays bring a World Series north of the border and he certainly has the tools to do it.  Berrios' 4.91 ERA this season is skewed because of a horrible first start when he lasted just 1/3 inning.  His three subsequent starts have been very good and Berrios is poised to finish the first month strong and take that momentum into the Summer.  In seven starts last season at Rogers Centre, Berrios went 3-2 with a 3.27 ERA and 0.89 WHIP in just over 41 innings.  The Blue Jays are 5-0 in Berrios' last five starts and 4-0 in his last four here at home.  And they're a super 57-31 (+18.2 net games) in the daytime.  Take Toronto.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 2:15 pm, our selection is on the St Louis Cardinals over Arizona.  We played on the Cardinals and RHP Miles Mikolas earlier this week against the New York Mets.  The Cards lost that game, 5-2, but Mikolas threw 7 shutout innings.  Unfortunately, they blew a 2-0 lead by giving up 5 runs in the 9th.  Mikolas has now had back to back scoreless outings, as he went 5 innings at Miami on April 20, in a 2-0 Cardinals win.  For the season, his ERA is 1.21, with a 0.94 WHIP.  And his career ERA vs. the Diamondbacks is 3.00.  In contrast, Merril Kelly's career ERA vs. the Cardinals is 4.91.  Arizona is a poor 23-62 as a road underdog, while the Cards are 22-5 in Mikolas' daytime starts.  Take St Louis.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:10 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Detroit Tigers.  The Dodgers come into this weekend series against the Tigers having just lost two of three to the Dbacks who are playing better than expected.  Despite the upsets in Arizona, they still have a 12-6 record and are in the thick of it in the NL West with the Giants and Padres.  Shoulder discomfort landed starter Andrew Heaney on the IL which opened the door for LH Tyler Anderson -- who L.A. acquired in the off-season -- to take a turn in the rotation.  His first start for the team was solid as the 32-year-old went 4 2/3 innings and allowed two runs on four hits against a good Padres team.  Start number two in Dodger Blue will come tonight against a Tigers team which Anderson has only faced once previously.  In that game, he held the Tigers to 2 runs over 5 innings, in a 3-2 victory.  Anderson's teams are also 8-1 in his nine Interleague starts, so that bodes well for Los Angeles tonight.  Many thought Detroit could compete for a playoff spot this season with its young talent, and off-season acquisitions like Javier Baez.  But so far the going has been tough (6-12).  L.A. is 19-7 in its last 26 games vs. the AL Central, while Detroit is 1-6 in its last seven vs. LH starters.  And the Dodgers are also 85-25 (+24 net games) its last 110 as a favorite of -200 (or more).  Take the Dodgers.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, on Friday, our selection is on the UNDER in the Memphis/Minnesota game.  These two teams went down to the wire in Game 5, with Memphis winning by just points, 111-109.  And the game went under the total by 11 points.  We'll look for another low-scoring game on Friday, as Memphis has been installed as a narrow 1-point road favorite.  And NBA Playoff games, competitively-priced with a point spread less than 2 points, have gone 'under' 99-79 since 1990.  Take the 'under.'  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins minus 1.5 goals over the Columbus Blue Jackets.  The Penguins haven't exactly been what you'd call a "clutch" team lately.  With third place in the Metropolitan Division on the line and the Pens ending their season with games against the Flyers, Oilers, and Blue Jackets, you'd think they would have been in very good shape.  Heck, even a 3-0 finish would not have been out of the question.  But they come into tonight's match-up with Columbus needing a victory after dropping games to Philly and Edmonton -- and neither was close.  Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets come into tonight off an emotional win over the defending Champs (Tampa) in their final home game of the season.  Off that win, however, I expect a letdown tonight.  And, based on the numbers, Pittsburgh couldn't have hand-picked a better opponent for its final game of the regular season.  The Penguins have won 13 of the last 15 meetings with the Blue Jackets and they have won 10 straight meetings here at home going back to December of 2015.  The Blue Jackets are also 4-9 in 13 games when playing with zero days of rest this season.  Take Pittsburgh on the puck line, minus 1.5 goals.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 6:40 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Mariners over Miami.  Matt Brash will get the ball for Seattle this evening, and has been installed as a small favorite vs. Elieser Hernandez and the Marlins.  We'll play on Seattle, as the Marlins are a horrid 3-19 their last 22 interleague games.  Meanwhile, the Mariners are 68-44 (+14.8 net games) as a road favorite of -150 (or less), and are 49-29 (+23.5 net games) when priced from -125 to +125.  Take the Mariners.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10 pm, our selection is on the 'under' in Game 6 between Utah and Dallas.  These two teams mustered just 179 points in Game 5, which went 'under' by 33.5 points.  And Game 4 wasn't much better, as they scored just 199 points combined, which was 15 points less than the posted total.  Game 6 is set-up to be another low-scoring game, as NBA playoff games have gone 'under' 57% since 1990 off back to back low-scoring games that each went 'under' by 15+ points.  Take the 'under.'  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10 pm, our selection is on the Utah Jazz over the Dallas Mavericks.  Utah's Donovan Mitchell will play tonight, and that's all we need to pull the trigger on the Jazz.  Utah could not have played any worse in Game 5, as it lost by 25 points, and made just 3 of 30 shots from three-point range.  Given that Utah converted 36% of its three-point shots this season, and ranked second in successful three-pointers per game (14.5), I fully expect the Jazz to play much better here, at home, on Thursday.  NBA teams with a .583 (or better) win percentage are a solid 59-41 ATS in the playoffs off a 25-point (or worse) defeat.  Take the Jazz.  Good luck as always....Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over the Calgary Flames.  While Calgary is locked into the #2 spot in the Western Conference, behind Colorado, the Wild are battling the St Louis Blues for home ice advantage in the opening round.  Minnesota has been on fire over its last 22 games, as it's lost just twice in regulation, and is 17-2-3, overall.  We'll take the Wild, as they're 26-8 off a home loss, including 7-0 if they lost by 2+ goals in their previous game.  With Minny, indeed, off a 5-3 home loss to Arizona, we'll take the Wild to bounce back tonight.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, on Thursday, our selection is on the New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns 'Under' the total.  We played on the #1-seeded Suns in Game 5 of this series, as our NBA Game of the Week, and were rewarded with a 112-97 win.  That game went 'under' the total of 216.  We'll look for another low-scoring game on Thursday, as #8 seeds (like New Orleans) have gone 'under' the total in Home elimination games 62% of the time since 1990, including 78.9% when the O/U line was between 198 and 219 points, and 82.3% in competitively-priced games with point spreads of 3 or less.  Take the 'under.'  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7 pm, on Thursday, our selection is on the Philadelphia 76ers over the Toronto Raptors.  The Sixers were blown out, 103-88, by Toronto in Game 5.  But off that home upset defeat, we'll take Philly on the road in Game 6.  Indeed, road teams that scored less than 90 points in a 15-point (or worse) home upset playoff loss, have cashed 64.7% since 1990.  Take the 76ers.

At 7 pm, on Thursday, our selection is on the 'under' in the Philadelphia/Toronto game.  Game 5 went 'under' the total by 20.5 points, and that was the 4th straight game in this series which has gone 'under.'  We'll look for another low-scoring game on Thursday, as the Sixers have gone 'under' in 9 of 12 games after failing to cover the spread by 18+ points in their previous game, and 27-18 'under' after going 'under' by 17+ points in their previous game.  Likewise, Toronto is 24-10 'under' after going 'under' by 17+ points in its previous game.  Take the 'under.'

At 10 pm, on Wednesday, our selection is on the UNDER in the Denver/Golden State game.  The Warriors have exploded to score 123, 126, 118 and 121 points in this series.  And, dating back to the regular season, the Warriors' last five games have gone 'Over' the total.  But off this string of high-scoring games, we'll take the 'UNDER' on Wednesday night.  Indeed, NBA teams have gone 'under' the total 65.1% since 1990 if they scored 118+ points in the three previous meetings that season, and the most recent meeting didn't go 'under.'   Even better:  Golden State has gone 'under' 60% at home off 5+ overs.  Take the UNDER in Game 5.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10 pm, our selection is on the Phoenix Suns minus the points over New Orleans.  We played on the Pelicans as a home underdog in Game 4, and were rewarded with a 118-103 blowout win.  But off that loss, we'll take Monty Williams' men to rebound on Tuesday.  Phoenix is an awesome 50-18-1 ATS off an upset road loss, including 16-0 ATS its last 16 vs. foes that covered by 11+ points in their previous game.  Take the Suns.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:45 pm, our selection is on the St Louis Cardinals over the New York Mets.  St Louis was in a great position to take Game 1 of this series last night.  It had a 2-0 lead entering the top of the 9th inning.  And it had the Mets down to their final strike on a number of occasions.  But New York rose from the dead to score 5 times with two out in that 9th inning, for a 5-2 win.  Once again, the Cardinals have been installed as a home underdog against the team which may be the NL's 2nd best behind Los Angeles.  St Louis will hand the ball to fireballer Jordan Hicks for his 2nd career start.  He allowed 1 ER on 2H in 3 IP in his first start vs. Miami, and I expect him to go at least 4 innings this evening.  Hicks will match up against Chris Bassitt, who was shelled for 5 runs and 8 hits in his last outing -- a 5-2 loss to the Giants.  Admittedly, Bassitt was more effective in his first two starts, but those were against the 6-11 Diamondacks (worst batting avg. (.185) in baseball) and the 6-12 Nationals.  Bassitt's career ERA vs. the Cardinals is 8.11.  Take the Cardinals.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the Carolina Hurricanes.  New York's road to the division championship is certainly a difficult one.  It would need to win tonight in regulation, and then follow that up with two more wins against Montreal and Washington to end its season.  And, while that is very possible, it's the 2nd part of the equation which is the most unlikely.  New York would also need the Hurricanes to lose at home to New Jersey in their season finale.  So, the Rangers understand that even a win tonight won't probably change their playoff seeding.  But the team is still focused on playing well, and carrying that momentum into the post-season.  New York is 7-2 its last nine, and will be looking to avenge a 4-2 home loss to these Hurricanes two weeks ago.  New York is a solid 12-6 when playing with revenge from a loss earlier in the year, while Carolina is 1-6 off 4+ wins.  These two teams are the #1 and #2 teams in the league in goals allowed (Carolina 196, New York 197), though the Rangers gave up 3 goals in each of their two previous games.  But New York is 14-3 after allowing 3+ goals in back to back games.  We'll take New York at home tonight.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:45 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Cardinals over the New York Mets.  These two teams have both impressed early on.  The Cardinals are 9-5, while New York is 12-5.  We played on the Mets yesterday, as our MLB Game of the Week, and were rewarded with a 6-2 victory over Arizona.  But we'll play against the Mets tonight in this series-opening game.  The mound opponents will be Max Scherzer for New York, and Miles Mikolas for St. Louis.  Both pitchers are off to fantastic starts.  The Mets have won each of Scherzer's 3 outings, and his ERA is 2.50, with an 0.88 WHIP.  Likewise, St. Louis is 3-0 in Mikolas' starts.  But his ERA is better than Scherzer's, at 1.76, while his WHIP is 1.04.  Mikolas is 1-0 vs. the Mets in his career, with a 2.25 ERA and 0.75 WHIP, while Scherzer's record vs. St. Louis is below .500, at 5-6 (though his ERA is solid, at 2.53).  The key to our pick tonight is that St. Louis has been installed as a medium-sized home underdog.  The Cards are a perfect 6-0 since 2020 with Mikolas on the hill when installed as an underdog of +150 or less, while the Mets are a poor 50-71 (minus 27.1 net games) on the road (including 27-28 (minus 12.8 net games) as a road favorite).  Take the Cardinals.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7 pm, our selection is on the Brooklyn Nets over the Boston Celtics.  Brooklyn was within a half-second of winning Game 1 on the road, but fell, 115-114, when Jayson Tatum took a pass from Marcus Smart, and made a lay-up at the buzzer.  It was one of those momentous plays which -- for all intents and purposes -- swung this series to Boston's favor.  Indeed, Brooklyn never recovered.  It certainly had its chances again in Game 2, but collapsed late in a 7-point loss.  And, then, here at home, the Nets lost by six, 109-103, in Game 3.  I stayed completely away from this Playoff series over its first three games, but the value now resides on the side of Brooklyn.  It was favored by 4 points in Game 3, but because it's down 3-games-to-none, the number has been significantly adjusted.  I certainly understand WHY the number has been adjusted:  teams down 3-games-to-none have gone 39-55-5 ATS since 1990 in Game 4.  But of those prior 99 series, only 2 have been more competitive as this one, as Boston has only outscored Brooklyn by a total of 14 points in the three games.  We'll play on Brooklyn, as it falls into a 90-52 ATS Playoff series of mine which plays on certain home teams off back to back ATS losses.  Take the Nets.  Good luck, as always....Al McMordie.

At 9:30 pm, our selection is on the New Orleans Pelicans + the points over Phoenix.  The #1-seeded Suns regained control of this series with a 115-112 victory in Game 3.  But we will fade Phoenix off that win, as NBA road teams off a win in Game 3, and up 2-games-to-1, are a dismal 32.7% ATS since 1990 in competitively-priced games with spreads less than 5 points.  Take the Pelicans to even this series at 2 games apiece.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 4:10 pm, our selection is on the New York Mets over the Arizona Diamondbacks.  New York is off to a blistering 11-5 start, and has yet to lose a series this season.  With a win this afternoon, the Mets will keep their perfect series record intact, with their 5th straight series win.  RHP Tylor Megill will get the start for New York, and he's led the Mets to wins in each of his 3 starts this season.  Megill's ERA is 2.20, and his WHIP is 0.91.  Even better:  in two road starts, he's yet to allow a run, and has put just six men on base in 10 1/3 innings (0.00 ERA; 0.58 WHIP).  He'll match up against veteran southpaw Madison Bumgarner (1.38 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) today.  Though Bumgarner's ERA is great, he's also allowed an NL-worst 10 men to reach via a walk.  That could spell trouble against a Mets offense which has drawn 62 walks (#4, MLB), and plated 75 runs (#2, MLB).  Bumgarner faced New York just once last season, and was bombed for 5 earned runs and eight hits in 2 innings, in a 7-6 New York victory.  Arizona has scored just 47 runs this season, which is 2nd worst in the NL.  And it's an awful 11-30 (minus 14.1 net games) as a home underdog priced from +125 to +175, and 27-47 (minus 13.4 net games) in day games.  Take the Mets.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:30 pm, our selection is on the Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors UNDER the total.  The Warriors come into this game off 3 SU/ATS wins that all went OVER the total.  But since 1994, Golden State has gone 'under' 67% of the time off 3 SU/ATS wins that all went 'over.'  As does the fact that the Warriors are 25-13 UNDER their last 38 as a road favorite.  I look for a relatively low-scoring game on Sunday.  Take the 'under.'  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Timberwolves + the points over Memphis.  The Grizzlies roared back from a seemingly impossible 26-point deficit to win Game 3, 104-95.  Memphis now has a 2-1 series lead, but the Timberwolves are far from out of it.  We'll take the homestanding T-Wolves tonight, as home teams off a loss in Game 3 have cashed 71% since 1990 if they trailed in the series 2 games to 1, and their opponent's win percentage was less than .703.  Take Minnesota + the points.

At 10 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies UNDER the total.  The last two games have gone WAY UNDER the total.  Game 2 totaled 220 points, and sailed under by 20.5.  Likewise, Game 3 totaled 199 points, and was 38.5 points away from the posted total of 237.5.  The Game 4 line has been adjusted downward, of course, but not by nearly enough.  We'll look for another relatively low-scoring game on Saturday night, as the Grizzlies have now gone 'under' 31-14-2 when the line has been 231+ points, including 8-1 'under' their last nine on the road.  Take the 'under.'  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over the Seattle Kraken.  If the Kraken want something to be positive about heading into the off-season having been eliminated from the playoffs a while ago, it might be their recent three-game win streak -- their first of the season.  The first two games of the streak were no big deal (the Senators and Devils), but in the third game, Seattle beat the Avalanche, holding the best offense in the West to just 27 shots.  But let's not kid ourselves, this is still a 26-50 team and all three of those wins were at home where they've played their best hockey.  They've had to go on the road now to play the Wild last night, and now the Stars in Texas.  Dallas is fighting for one of two Wild Card spots in the West and the Stars need to finish strong to have any chance of competing in the post-season.  The good news is that three of their final four games are against losing teams (Kraken, Coyotes, and Ducks) and the fourth is against Vegas who they're two points ahead of for that last spot.  Seattle is 2-6 in its last eight playing without rest.  Take Dallas.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 4:30 pm, our selection is on the Utah Jazz minus the points over Dallas.  With their proverbial backs against the wall, the Jazz will attempt to level the series at 2 games apiece this afternoon.  Utah is a spectacular 67.3% ATS as a favorite off a SU/ATS home loss since 1990 when playing with revenge.  I won't fade those numbers.  Lay the points.

At 4:05 pm, our selection is on the Milwaukee Brewers over the Philadelphia Phillies.  With perhaps the best 1-2-3 punch of any rotation in MLB, the pressure is not as intense on the #4 and #5 starters of the Brewers as it is for other teams.  That he doesn't have to perform like an ace has been apparent for RHP Adrian Houser.  The 29-year-old went 10-6 with a 3.22 ERA in 28 games (26 starts) in 2021 -- the first season that the Brew Crew had "the Big Three" of Burnes, Woodward, and Peralta at the top of the rotation.  This year is more of the same for Houser who has posted a 2.89 ERA in two starts covering 9 1/3 innings.  The only thing missing so far is a win, but that could come this afternoon against a Phillies team which has been underwhelming so far to say the least.  Houser was stretched out to 5 2/3 innings in his second start, pitching well enough to get the "W" vs. the Cards, but the offense was napping that day as the Crew lost, 2-1.  In four career games vs. the Phils (one start) Houser has a 2.45 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in 11 innings.  Take Milwaukee.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over New York.  Both the Bruins and Rangers will be incentivized to win this afternoon, as each is jockeying for playoff positioning.  New York has its eyes on moving to the #1 seed in the Metropolitan division, while the Bruins would like to avoid finishing 8th in the conference (and thereby drawing Florida in the first round).  The Bruins come into this game off a 4-0 shutout loss to Pittsburgh.  We played on the Pens in that game, but will take the Bruins to bounce back here.  Boston is 21-8 this season off a loss, and 7-2 off a shutout defeat.  Meanwhile, the Rangers bested the Islanders, 6-3, on Thursday.  Unfortunately, New York is a wallet-busting 56-63 (but minus 19.6 net games on the moneyline) after scoring more than 5 goals in its previous game.  Take Boston.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:30 pm, our selection is on the Phoenix Suns over the New Orleans Pelicans.  Entering the playoffs, the Suns had the easiest path toward a championship, which would have been their first in their franchise's history.  But that path got a huge roadblock in Game 2 when star Devin Booker sustained a hamstring injury.  If there is a silver lining for Monty Williams' crew, it's that they've played many games without Booker over the last two years.  This season, they went 8-6 in 14 games sans Booker.  We'll take Phoenix in this Game #3, as it is 105-58-3 as a single-digit favorite (or PK) off an upset loss, including 42-16-3 ATS on the road; 7-0 ATS its last 7 playoff games; and 40-15-2 ATS if it failed to cover its previous game by 16+ points.  Take the Suns.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:30 pm, our selection is on the Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans UNDER the total.  The Suns were stunned in Game 2, as New Orleans leveled the series at 1 game apiece with a road win.  Even worse:  Phoenix lost its best player, Devin Booker, for the remainder of the series.  We'll look for a low-scoring game in New Orleans tonight, as the Suns are 20-5 UNDER off a straight-up loss, including 9-0 UNDER their last nine on the road.  Take the UNDER.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:30 pm, our selection is on the UNDER in the Milwaukee/Chicago game.  The first two games of this series have gone UNDER the total, and they continued a series trend, as 12 of the last 16 meetings between these Central division rivals have gone UNDER the total.  And this series trend dovetails with how each team has done in division games, overall.  Chicago has now gone UNDER in 21 of 26 division games (including 11-0 UNDER when priced from 215 to 224), while Milwaukee has gone UNDER in 11 of 17 division games.  And the Bucks are 22-14 UNDER off an upset loss.  Take the UNDER.

At 7 pm, our selection is on the Atlanta Hawks over the Miami Heat.  Miami bested Atlanta by 10 points in Game #2.  We'll take Atlanta here, at home, in Game #3, as it's 96-55 ATS at home when playing with rest, and revenge from a double-digit loss.  Take the Hawks.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Yankees over the Cleveland Guardians.  Call Jameson Taillon a typical Pirates top pitching prospect.  The RH was selected second overall by Pittsburgh in 2010 and proceeded to go absolutely nowhere in four seasons with the Bucs once he reached the Majors in 2016.  The talent was there, however, and Taillon flashed it in 2018 when he went 14-10 with a 3.20 ERA and a league-leading two complete games.  Elbow surgery came at a opportune time (2020 COVID season) and then Taillon's prayers were answered with a trade to the Yankees just as he was ready to pitch again.  He was solid last season with an 8-6 record and 4.30 ERA in 29 starts and looks to improve on that this season and hopefully pitch into October and the playoffs.  His second start of 2022 comes tonight at home against a Guardians team which has been hot and cold so far.  Taillon has thrived in his new home park, going 5-3 with a 3.28 ERA in 16 starts here.  And coming into this series, the Yanks are 6-3 in their last nine meetings with Cleveland.  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the San Jose Sharks.  With just five games to go in the regular season, the Blues would seem to have their position as a top-three finisher in the Central Division solidified.  They can't catch the #1 Colorado Avalanche, but that doesn't mean these remaining games aren't important.  With the Stanley Cup Playoff format, the #2 and #3 seeds from each Division play each other in the first round and right now the Blues are tied with the Wild at 103 points (Minny has played one less game, however).  So finishing above Minnesota would mean home ice in that first round series, making tonight and the rest of their games very important.  The good news is that this series has been about as one-sided as any in the league lately.  The Blues have won each of the last four meetings with the Sharks and seven of the last eight here in San Jose.  Additionally, the Sharks are 0-7 in their last seven vs. Central Division teams, and 0-9 their last nine as an underdog.  St. Louis is 6-0 in its last six vs. teams with losing records and 4-0 in its last four road games.  And it's 9-1 its last 10 as a favorite.  Take the Blues.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.