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I'm playing on CHICAGO. Arizona has "gotten healthy" here but now it's the Cubs' turn to stop the bleeding. Miley was superb last time out. He allowed just one hit through seven shutout innings. He recorded six K's without walking a batter. The Cubs won 9-0. On the other hand, Kelly allowed eight runs in his last start, a span of only two innings. Walking four batters didn't help matters. Arizona lost 12-3. While that was against the Dodgers, the Dbax lost his previous start by a score of 11-3 and that was against Miami. The Dbax are still 40-92 on the road the past 2+ seasons. I say the Cubs bounce back. 

I'm playing on Calgary/Edmonton UNDER the total. Needless to say, this has started out as a very high-scoring series. The results from those first two games have led to a generously high O/U line here. I believe it'll prove to be too high. The series is now tied and shifting north to Edmonton. Often, the change of venue also leads to a change in tempo. Off the Game 2 loss, the Flames will be doing everything they can to slow down the Oilers and limit Edmonton's scoring chances. Calgary's  Tyler Toffoli commented: "I think since I've been here, we've done a really good job of playing our type of hockey. The past two games, we haven't been playing to our foundation and it's been getting away from us and we're giving up too many scoring chances." The Flames have seen the UNDER go 4-2 the past six times that they were tied in a series. All three of their road playoff games have finished with six or fewer combined goals. Last time they played here at home, also tied in a series, the Oilers won by a score of 2-0. Look for this one to also prove lower-scoring than expected.

I'm playing on LA. The Angels got back on track yesterday. I expect them to carry the positive momentum into this afternoon's game. Sandoval has been outstanding, to say the least. He's got a 1.91 ERA through six starts. In three home starts, that number dips to 1.62. With that type of pitching, backed by the powerful Angel lineup, its no surprise that the team is 3-0 in his three starts here, 5-1 overall. Fresh off the injured list, Irvin will be making his first start this month; he's got a 5.40 ERA through two road starts. Angels are 18-8 the past 26x that they were home favorites in the -175 to -250 range and they improve on those stats this afternoon. 

I'm playing on SF. While I lost with the Giants yesterday, I'm coming right back with them this afternoon. I like what I've seen from Wood of late. He's got a solid 3.60 ERA his past three starts, despite one of those coming at Coors and another at Dodger Stadium. Having been pitching against the likes of the Cubs and Reds, Gore hasn't been facing nearly as tough a recent challenge. He's still only made five big league starts and he's been fortunate with the teams he's faced. A desperate Giants team will bring him back down to earth a little. Remember, Gore had 1.47 WHIP in the minors (4 teams) last season. He's hittable. Wood is 66-50 with a 3.51 ERA and 1.23 WHIP for his career. He's allowed three or fewer earned runs in 13 of 14 starts, since last year. I'm backing the veteran over the youngster as the Giants bounce back and avoid the sweep. 

I'm playing on Seattle/Boston UNDER the total. Yesterday's game was high-scoring but I'm expecting to see much better pitching this afternoon. Dating back to the start of last September, Gilbert has now allowed four or fewer earned runs in 14 straight starts. He allowed two ER or less in 10 of those. Ten of those 14 games finished with nine or fewer combined runs. One of those was a 5-4 Seattle victory over Boston, last September. Gilbert allowed two runs through six complete, striking out nine. Admittedly, Eovaldi was NOT good last game. However, he'd allowed three or fewer earned runs in 12 straight starts, before that. So, I'm willing to cut him a little slack. Before the 13-4 beating, his previous five starts had all finished with eight or fewer combined runs. Don't be surprised when this one proves lower-scoring than some will be expecting. 

I'm playing SEATTLE on the run-line (+1.5 runs) The Mariners lost a tough 1-run game yesterday. They're going to be hungry to bounce back and close out the series on a high note. I successfully played against Gilbert last game. However, he was sharp. He went seven innings against a tough Toronto lineup, while recording nine K's. Dating back to the start of last September, Gilbert has now allowed four or fewer earned runs in 14 straight starts. He allowed two ER or less in 10 of those. That makes beating him by more than one run difficult. Note that seven of his past 15 starts were decided by a single run. One of those was a 5-4 Seattle victory over Boston, last September. Gilbert allowed two runs through six complete, striking out nine. The Sox are 0-5 the past five times that Eovaldi took the mound and they're 2-7 his past nine starts. One of the two wins came by a single run, too. While we may not need them, I'm grabbing the extra +1.5 runs. 

Obviously, it's been a disappointing season for Manchester United. The Red Devils expect better. This is still an important game though. A victory ensures they get 6th place. By getting sixth place, the Red Devils will get themselves a spot in the Europa League for next season. However, if they fail to secure maximum points here, then 7th place West Ham could potentially overtake them. That said, I expect a highly motivated effort, which should lead to the season "sweep." Consider Manchester United. 

I'm playing on BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION (Draw = No bet) Both teams are coming in hungry and with something to play for. West Ham could potentially still move up to 6th place. However, the Hammers would need to win here and that wouldn't even matter if Manchester United wins its match. Brighton, meanwhile,  can finish in the top half for the first time ever. The Seagulls have had a great season, for their standards. Currently, they're in 10th. They could fall as far as 14th; finishing in the top half is a big deal to them. They're playing their best and come into this match full of confidence. Playing at home will provide a boost. Take a look at Brighton's recent matches, dating back to April 9th. A 2-1 win over Arsenal. A 1-0 win over Tottenham. A 3-0 loss to Man City, the best team. A 2-2 draw with Southampton. A 3-0 win over Wolverhampton followed by a 4-0 win over Man. United. Last time out, the Seagulls had a draw vs. Leeds. So, despite facing some (four of the current top 6) really tough teams, the Seagulls are 4-1-2 the past six weeks. West Ham is in the wrong place, at the wrong time. 

I'm playing on DALLAS. The Mavericks have shown that they should not be counted out. Down 0-2 to the Suns, they returned home and won Game 3 by a 103-94 score. They also won Game 3 in the Jazz series, winning by eight as +8.5 point underdogs. They're 6-3 SU/ATS the past nine times that they were trailing in a series. The Warriors aren't as tough on the road. They're 19-27 ATS (22-24 SU) in road games. Favored for the first time in the series, note that the Mavs are 30-19-2 ATS and 41-10 SU when listed as favorites. Expect them to bounce back and improve on those stats here.