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Juan Soto loves playing in the Big Apple. He is hitting .302, with nine home runs and 34 RBs. The Yankees 2.91 team ERA is second in all of baseball.  Luis Gi will go for the Yankees, he is 4-1 with a 2.51 ERA, and 48 strikeouts. Chicago will go with Brad Keller on the mound. He is 0-1, with a  2.84 ERA.. The problem with Chicago is when they do get a good pitching performance they have the worst offense in baseball. I don’t see them scoring enough against Gil and the Yankees will win by multiple runs.

Play on the Yankees minus 1.5 runs.  This is a 3% play

After dropping their first two games at home, everyone, including myself, seemed to write the Nuggets off. They proved us all wrong and won three in a row and are now poised to close out the series with the Timberwolves. The Timberwolves had not lost three straight games all season. Jokic has been the man, putting up 37.5  points over the last two games. Anthony Edwards has been a stud for the T’’Wolves but the Nuggets are making others beat them which has proven to be successful over the last couple of games. The Nuggets are the more experienced team and it is starting to show. Denver knows how to close things out and they don’t want to go to a game seven.

Play on Denver. This is a 2% play. 

Dallas let one get away in game four and now find themselves tied at 2-2 going into a pivotal game five game against OKC. Dallas had a 14 point lead but poor free throw shooting (52.2%) and 14 turnovers led to the loss. Dallas has had a huge rebounding advantage the last three games and that needs to continue going forward. I am looking for another close game in this one as Dallas has an edge in playoff experience.

Play on Dallas. This is a 2% play

The Philadelphia Phillies square off against the Miami Marlins. Philadelphia has a 20-4 record over their last 24 games. Zack Wheeler will get the start for the Phillies. In eight starts this season, he is 4-3 but has posted a 1.64 ERA and 0.89 WHIP. In his last outing, he went seven scoreless innings allowing four hits and a walk, and struck out eleven. Miami was a playoff team last season but has gotten off to a terrible start to the season. They are 10-31 and have lost five in a row. To make matters worse they have already traded away their best player. Braxton Garrett will be making his first start the season. Last season he went 9-7 over 31 appearances (30 starts), with a 3.66 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. Zack Wheeler is fourth in baseball in ERA and seventh in WHIP. He has allowed just one earned run over his last 25.1 innings (4 starts) for a 0.36 ERA.  The Phillies have won 20 of their last 24 with 15 of those wins coming by two runs or more. The FMarlins have lost five in a row and all five losses were by two runs or more.

Play on Philadelphia minus 1.5 runs. This is a 5% play.

With the series tied 1-1 OKC would like to get home court advantage back as soon as possible. I am looking for them to get it back today. Doncic is not 100% with a sprained knee for Dallas and they got 29 points from PJ Washington in their game two win but I don’t expect another game like from Washington, who averaged under 13 points a game this season. OKC has depth and plays a lot better on the defensive end. The Thunder were ranked fourth in defensive efficiency, allowing just 109.5 points per 100 possessions while the Mavericks were 16th, at 112.4 points per 100 possessions.  OKC has covered the spread in two of the last three between these two teams, while covering in eight of their last ten overall. I like OKC to win outright but will take the points in what could be a close game.

PLay on OKC. This is a 3% play

The Philadelphia Phillies go on the road to open a three-game series against the Florida Marlins. The Phillies are 26-12 and have won seven of their last eight games. Miami has struggled this season and is 10-29 and have lost five of their last six. The Phillies had their seven-game winning streak snapped by the Blue Jays last time out. They will look to start another one with Roger Suarez taking the mound. He is 6-0 overall with a 1.72 ERA. He has started seven games this season and the Phillies have won all seven. In three road starts, he has a 1.29 ERA. The Marlins will hand the ball to Trevor Rogers. He, like the Marlins, has struggled this season, posting a 0-7 record and a 6.16 ERA. The Marlins are 0-7 when he has started. Miami is 5-15 at home this season. Philadelphia is 11-5 on the road. Philadelphia has a huge advantage on the mound and at the plate. I look for the Phillies to win by two or more runs.

Play on Philadelphia minus 1.5 runs. This is a 4% play.

Oklahoma City Thunder looks to take a 2-0 lead in the series while Dallas is looking to even t up before heading home.  OKC won the first game 117-95. Dallas will need to get more out of their big two as Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic were held to just 39 combined points. Doncic is playing with a sprained knee which hampered him on both ends of the court. The Thunder have not lost a game yet in the postseason. The Thunder have covered the spread twice in the last month against Dallas, in four-straight overall, and in eight of their last nine. Without a healthy Doncic I see the Mavs struggling in this one.

Play on OKC. This is a 4% play.

The Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays continue their three-game series after Tampa Bay took game one. The White Sox will go with Michael Soroka on the mound. He is 0-3, with a 6,48 ERA this season. The Rays will go with  Zach Eflin. He is 1-4, with a 4.17 ERA. The Sox had their two-game winning streak snapped yesterday. The Rays have struggled to start the season including losing three straight to the White Sox. Eflin, like the Rays, has gotten off to a slow start. Last season, 11 of his 16 wins came at home. The Sox have not hit the ball this season which should give Eflin a chance at some clean innings. Soroka will not overpower you, as he has 16 strikeouts in 33.1 innings. Soroka is 0-2 with a 6.05 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP in four road games this season while Zach Eflin is 1-1 with a 3.44 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP in three home. I look for the Rayd to get a couple of multi-run innings off Soroka and come away with the win.

Play on Tampa Bay minus 1.5 runs. This is a 3% play

The Eastern Conference Semifinals see the Indiana Pacers take on the New York Knicks. Indiana took down the Bucks in six games while New York took care of the Sixers in six. Against the Bucks they put up 113 points a game and shot 47.9% from the field and 34.4% from beyond the arc. On the defensive end, they allowed 110.2 points per game. The Knicks put up 108.3 points per game, and they shot 44.1% from the field and 37% from deep. On the defensive end, they gave up 108.2 points per game. The Pacers went 2-1 SU and ATS in three regular-season games against the Knicks. New York played a short rotation against the 76ers and may have to expand it against the Pacers. Both teams played banged-up teams in the first round but Indiana is playing slightly better on both ends of the floor. The Knicks struggled at the line to close out games and that could be important in a close game. I like Indiana to keep this one close and get the cover if not the win. Play on Indiana. This is a 3% play.

Orlando had to dig deep and come from behind in Game 6 to stay alive and force game seven back in Cleveland. Cleveland has a lead going into the fourth but once again shot poorly from deep and ended up losing the game. Cleveland has been putting up 112.3 points per game. In the playoffs so far, they have not scored more than a hundred points. On the defensive end, they are giving up 109.7 points per game.They have been playing a lot better on the defensive end during the playoffs. The Magic outscored the Cavs 13-6 over the final four minutes to pull out game six. Orlando put up 110 points a game this season. On the defensive end, they are giving up 107.9 points per game, and have been even better in the playoffs. Home court has ruled the day in these playoffs with the Cavs winning every game at home but they've lost ATS in the last four. The Magic are young, and very talented and have been able to slow down Cleveland on the offensive end. Orlando has had a huge advantage on the boards all series and that should continue in this game. This game has final shot vibes all over it so I will take the points.

Play on Orlando. This is a 3% play.

The Chicago White Sox are one of the worst teams in baseball with a 6-25 record. The St. Louis Cardinals have struggled out of the gate and are just 14-17 this season and in fourth in the NL Central. The Chicago White Sox are putting up just 2.87 runs per game. The Sox will go with Brad Keller for today's start. He has just one outing out of the bullpen this season, going 1.2 scoreless innings against Minnesota  He posted a 4.57 ERA and a 1.92 WHIP with a 3-4 record in 45.1 innings last season with the Royals. He faced the Cardinals in 2022 as a member of the Kansas City Royals and went 6.1 shutout innings with four hits, three walks and a pair of strikeouts. The St. Louis Cardinals are putting up 3.52 runs per game. Sonny Gray gets the start for the Cardinals. He is 3-1 with a 1.16 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP in 23 innings. He has given up zero or one run in three of his four outings. Against the Sox, he has posted a 3.58 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP in 70.1 innings. Neither team is scoring runs and I can’t lay this price on the Cardinals. I am laying a small wager on the White Sox at +1.5 runs and + money.

Play on the White Sox plus 1.5 runa.. This is a 2% play.

The Los Angeles Kings find themselves in a deep hole to the Edmonton Oilers being down 3-1.  The Kings split the first two games but lost two straight at home. The Kings have scored just one goal in each of their home games.  They have allowed 18 goals in the four games and need to improve this area as well as their offense. As well as the offense has played for the Oilers the defense has been better. The Kings need a win to keep their season alive but it is hard to see how they beat this Oilers team.  The Oilers will want to win this one at home and they will with their offense and defense.

Play on Edmonton minus 1.5 goals.. This is a 3% play

`After getting lucky in game one, the Thunder have rolled and are on the verge of a sweep on the New Orleans Pelicans. Without Zion Williamson in the lineup. The Pelicans are limited on the offensive end. The Thunder have done a good job attacking away the next best players and no other Pelican has stepped up to take up the slack. The Pelicans have failed to score more than 92 points in any game of the series. Oklahoma City has too many weapons and different players have stepped up in different games. The Pelicans don’t have that and without Williamson they have no chance. The Thunder get the sweep.

Play on OKC. This is a 4% play..

The Oakland A's will look to win the series when they take on the Baltimore Orioles in the final game of a three-game set. The A's will go with Paul Blackburn on the mound. He is 2-1 with a 2.03 ERA this season. Baltimore will counter with Albert Suárez. He is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA. Oakland won the first game of the series in extra innings but were blown out yesterday 7-0. Baltimore has by far the better offense. They rank high in many offensive categories while the A’s rank near the bottom and are 29th in runs scored. The Orioles dominated the A's in 2023, winning six of seven games played. The Orioles have won four of their previous five games at home. Oakland has lost six of their last nine road game and has not scored more than three runs in eight straight. I am taking the Baltimore offense to come through in this one. Play on Baltimore minus 1.5 runs. This is a 3% play

The Oklahoma City Thunder go on the road to take on the New Orleans Pelicans. The Thunder have won the first two games of the series. The Thunder are putting up 109 points per game in the series and shooting nearly 51% from the field and 31% from 3-point range. They are giving up just 92 points per game and holding the Pelicans to just 41% shooting overall. The New Orleans Pelicans nearly stole game one but are now in a must win situation and are still without Zion Williamson. The Pelicans are scoring just 92 points per game in the series and are shooting 41% from the field overall. Without Williamson, the Pelicans lack scoring. Ingram has been a disappointment in Williamson’s absence and must step up if the Pelicans are going to win.  The Thunder were 24-17 on the road this season while the Pels were just 21-20 at home.  New Orleans isn’t the same team without Williamson and the on the floor and the Thunder have been playing great since the first half of game one. The Pels are in a must win game but I don’t feel they have enough to get the job done.

Play on OKC. This is a 3% play

The Orlando Magic will look to even their series with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland is putting up 112.3 points per game, but have been held to less than a hundred points in the first three games of this series. On the defensive end, they are giving up 109.7 points per game this season. Orlando put up 110 points per game this season and on the defensive end, they are giving up 107.9 points per game. The Orlando defense held the Cavs under 100 points for the third straight game of the series and their offense finally showed up at home.  They were once again able to keep the Cavs under their average from deep but what was more important in game three was that the Magic was able to hold their own on the glass. By controlling the glass, they were able to keep the Cavs from getting easy points. I am not looking for an easy win but I do expect the magic to win this game.

Play on Orlando. This is a 3% play

The White Sox are just looking to score some runs and win a game let alone a series. Tampa Bay comes to Chi-town hoping to extend the misery. The Rays will send Zach Eflin to the mound. He is 1-2 with a 3.68 ERAthis season, The White Sox will counter with Chris Flexen. He is 0-3 with a 6.41 ERA. The White Sox have lost seven straight. In those seven losses they have scored a total of 18 runs and have lost by an average of 4.4 runs. The Rays dominated the season series last year, going 6-1 in seven meetings, with an average margin of victory of four runs per victory. Eflin, in his career versus the Sox, is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in three appearances. Until the Sox show that they can score runs consistently, there is no way you can take tem against a good pitcher.

Play on the Rays minus 1.5 runs. This is a 3% play.

The New York Knicks got away with one in game 2 in more ways than one.  New York is holding Philadelphia to 43.6% shooting overall and 35.2% shooting from 3-point land. New York is also outrebounding Philadelphia. The Knicks have won two straight with their best player not playing well. Saying all that, this is a must-win game for Philadelphia and I look for them to come out angry in this one. They were stripped literally and figuratively in game 2 and will look for revenge in this one. The Sixers' defensive strategy against Brunson has worked and the Sixers have held the Knicks offense in check overall but their offense needs to be better, especially from deep. I expect Philly to shoot better from deep at home and they will play with a little extra fire early.  Philly rolls at home in this one.

Play on Philly. This is a 3% Play.

Orlando is coming back home down 0-2 and in a must win situation. If there is a bright spot it is that their defense has been stellar as they have held the Cavs to under 40% from the floor. Jalen Suggs missed most of game 2 and he should be ready to go in this one. He will give them a lift on both ends of the floor. Suggs and Harris will need to slow down Mitchell and keep him form getting easy baskets. Cleveland has not been shooting well from deep and I don’t see that getting better on the road. I feel this will be a different Magic team at home and I like them to get a win in this one. 

Play on Orlando. This is a 3% play.

The Los Angeles Dodgers square off against the Washington Nationals. The Dodgers have won three straight and will look for their fourth by sending Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the mound. He is 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. Washington has played some decent baseball to start the season and has picked up some nice wins. They have lost two in a row and will look to turn things around by sending MacKenzie Gore to the mound. He is 2-1 with a 3.60 ERA and 1.35 WHIP over 20.0 innings. The Dodgers have won two straight games, out-scoring their opposition 14-1 over the two-game stretch. The Dodgers have won two straight games and three of their last four road games. Gore has given up eight runs in three starts at home and the Dodgers hit well against left-handers. Yamamoto has given up seven runs in his last four starts. 

PLay on LA minus 1.5 runs. This is a 3% play.

The LA Kings will look to even their series with the Edmonton Oilers. The Edmonton Oilers are 5-2-0 against the Kings in the playoffs since 2022-23. The Kings dropped game 1 7-4. During the season, the Kings allowed just 2.56 goals against per game. Cam Talbot should get the start again in net but will have to play a lot better. He allowed six goals on 44 shots. Edmonton forced the Kings to play fast paced hockey and the Kings defense crumbled. Stuart Skinner will get the start in net once again. He made 33 saves on 37 shots but was also playing with a big lead early. The Oilers controlled Game One and I see them dominating this game on both ends of the ice. I look for the Oilers to push the pace once again and the Kings just don’t have the offense to keep up.

Plat on Edmonton minus 1.5 goals.  This is a 3% play.

OKC is a young team without a lot of playoff experience and it showed in Game 1. They came out tight, shot poorly and played sloppily in the first half. They played better in the second half and were able to battle back and get the win. I look for them to shake off game 1, especially after a win and come out sharper on the offensive end. If the Thunder can play like they did during the regular season this game should be a lot easier, considering the Pelicans will be playing without Williamson once again. The Thunder should be able to hold their own on the boards and limit the Pelicans chances at easy points. You can only play at a high level without your star and I look for the Pelicans to stumble a bit in this game.

Play on OKC. This is a 2% play.

Both teams have been a disappointment this season. It was expected from the Chicago White Sox but not the Twins. The Chicago White Sox are 1-10 on the road this season. They have already been shut-out 7 times this season, Erick Fedde gets the start for Chicago. He has posted a 3.10 ERA. The Twins are just 3-6 at home this season and are 8-13 overall. Pablo Lopez takes the mound for the Twins. He has posted a 3.97 ERA this season. The Twins are 8-2 over the last 10 games against the Sox including four straight. 

Play on Minnesota minus 1.5 runs. This is a 2% play.

The Phoenix Suns and Minnesota Timberwolves  play Game 2 of their first-round Western Conference series. Minnesota took Game 1 120-95. Nothing went right for the Suns in game 1. The Suns dominated the Timberwolves during the regular season. Including the regular season, they have won 10 of 12 against the Wolves. Minnesota put up the most points they have scored against the Suns all season. The Suns had held the T’wolves to under 103 points their last three games.  Kevin Durant was  his consistent se;f but both Booker and Beal had under 20 points. I expect Both beal and Booker to have better games and the defense to step up and play better, Minnesota played the perfect game and I am not sure that happens again. I am looking for Phoenix to even the series but take the points. 

Play on Phoenix. This is a  3% play.

The Thunder are the number one seed but are not getting the respect that top seeds normally get. The Pelicans will be without their best player in this game and possibly the series. Zion  Williamson could be able to go on May 1st. But unfortunately for New Orleans, the series could be over by then.  The Thunder likes to play fast and score on the break. Without Zion controlling the glass the Pelicans will struggle to slow down the Thunder break. Ingram did not play well in the first play-in game but played better in the second. He needs more consistency if they want to have a chance. The Thunder went 33-8 at home this season and they rack up another win in Game 1. 

Play on OKC, this is a 3% play.

The sixth-seeded Indiana Pacers are on the road to take on the third-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 of their best-of-seven series. The Pacers took four of the five meetings this season. Indiana finished the season winning four of their last five games. Indiana finished 1st in the league in scoring offense with 123.3 points per game. On the defensive end, they were 27th allowing 120.2 points per game. Milwaukee finished the season losing two in a row. The Bucks finished 4th in the league in scoring at 119 points per game. On the defensive end, they were 21st at 116.4 points per game. Antetokounmpo is doubtful for this contest while Lillard  and Green  are both questionable. The Pacers are a high scoring offense and the Bucks struggle at the defensive end. Without Giannis on the floor I see the Bucks having problems keeping pace with the Pacers. Milwaukee was 4-6 in games that Antetokounmpo missed this season. Dame Time is not 100% and that is another problem for the Bucks. I am taking the Pacers in this one.

Play on Indiana, this is a 4% play.

The Washington Capitals open their NHL postseason on the road against the New York Rangers.  Washington won their last three games and were  4-4-2 over their last 10. New York won their last two games and were 7-3-0 over the last 10. Washington put  2.63 goals per game which is 28th and they allowed 3.07 goals per game. New York is putting up 3.39 goals per game which is 7th and on the defensive end, they also rank 7th, giving up 2.76 goals a game.  New York has won  seven of the last nine games that Shesterkin has been in net.  Washington and New York were 2-2 during the regular season. It is the playoffs and you will need to score goals. The Rangers have the better offense and goalie. Take the Rangers in this one.

Play on New York Rangers minus 1.5 goals. This is a 3% play.

Chicago has lost seven of the last eight and the White Sox have lost four of the last five played on the road. Philadelphia has won 12 of the last 17 versus Chicago and the Phillies have won five of their last six overall. At home, Philadelphia has won 9 of the last 12 versus the White Sox. , if not the worst offense in baseball. They were dominated by Wheeler yesterday and would expect the same from Nola today. Chicago starting pitcher Nick Nastrini will be making his second career start. In his first start, he allowed just two runs in five innings on three hits in a 2-0 loss to KC. Aaron Nola struggled in his first start but has allowed just three runs in his last 19 innings. He should have another good day against a White Sox team that has scored just 38 runs in 19 games. Sometimes we can overthink things but you can’t overthink the White Sox as there is nothing there to entice you.

Play on Philadelphia minus 1.5 runs. This is a 3% play.

The Los Angeles Lakers meet the Denver Nuggets in game one of the NBA Western Conference quarterfinals. The Nuggets swept the Lakers in the conference finals last year and won this year's season series 3-0. The Lakers have won five straight on the road covering in three. They are putting up 118 points a game this season and on the defensive end, they are giving up 117.4 points. Denver finished the season by winning and covering four of their last five. Denver is  putting up 114.9 points a game and on the defensive end, they are giving up 109.6 points a game. The Lakers have won seven of their last ten games. The Lakers lost three of the four Western Conference Finals games by six points or less. Davis is healthy but the Nuggets are the one team that can match up well against Davis. The key in this game will be Denver’s bench as it is not the same as last season and after the top six players I don;t have a lot of trust in the rest. The Nuggets have had a week off so rust could play a part early in the game. I like the Lakers to keep this one close.

Play on LA. This is a 3% play.

The Chicago White Sox take on the Philadelphia Phillies in an interleague battle. This is the second game of the series with the Phillies taking on game 1. Chicago will send  Michael Soroka to the mound while Philadelphia will counter with Zach Wheeler. The White Sox are arguably the worst team in baseball. They have won three of their first nineteen games. Michael Soroka will be making his fifth start of the season. He is 0-2 with a 6.98 ERA and he has given up at least two earned runs in every start this season. Philadelphia started a little slow out of the gate but has put a nice run together and trails just the Braves in the NL East. Zach Wheeler gets the start and is looking to turn things around. He is 0-3 with a respectable 3.00 ERA. In his four starts this season, the Phillies have scored 6 total runs. Soroka has not pitched well and has given up four or more runs in three of his four starts. Wheeler has pitched better than his record indicates and the Phillies should be able to give him run support in this game that they have failed to produce in his other starts. The White Sox have the worst offense in the league and Wheeler should have no problem shutting them down.

Play on the Phillies minus 1.5 runs. This is a 3% play.

The Pelicans have won five straight over the kings but the loss of Zion Williamson changes the complexion of this game. Zion ws playing like the man we all expected him  to be when he was drafted. He had 40 points with 3 minutes left and LA had no answers to stopping him. The injury probably cost the Pelicans the win as they were on a roll at home. New Orleans won and covered all five games this season. They covered those games by an average of 19.2 points. Domantas Sabonis should have an easier time in the post for the Kings without Zion in the lineup. Ingram and McCollum played awful against the Lakers and will need to step up in this one. The Pelicans were 7-5 in games without Zion this season. Sacramento has the momentum in this one and unfortunately the Zion injury will be a huge factor.

Play on Sacramento. This is a 2% play.

The Texas Rangers  are on the road to take on the Atlanta Braves. It is the first game of a three-game series. The Rangers will send Andrew Heaney to the mound for tonight’s start. He has struggled this season, posting an 0-2 record with a 6.75 ERA in three starts. Atlanta will go with Chris Sale. he has posted a 1-1 record with a  4.58 ERA so far this season. Texas comes in having won three of their last four. The Texas pitching staff has given up four runs or more in three of their last four contests. Atlanta has won four straight games. Atlanta has scored five runs or more in four straight. Sale has pitched well against Texas, going 8-2 record with a 2.43 ERA and 0.90 WHIP in 16 appearances. Atlanta has scored five or more runs in all but one of their home games this season. The Braves are the best team in the league in team batting average, and team RBIs. Three of Atlanta's past four wins have been by two or more. Atlanta had a day of rest while the Rangers had to travel after last nighs game. Take the Braves on the run-line

Play on Atlanta,.minus 1.5 runs. This is a 3% play.

The eighth-seeded Miami Heat take on the seventh-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in an Eastern Conference play-in game. They split their four games this season with Philadelphia taking the last two games. The Heat finished the regular season 46-36. The Heat finished the season 26th in scoring at 110.1 points per game this season. On the defensive end, they finished 3rd in points allowed at 108.4 points per game. Philadelphia finished the season strong, winning their last eight games in a row. They finished the regular season 47-35. They finished the season 15th in scoring at 114.6 points per game. On the defensive end, they were 9th, allowing 111.5 points a contest. The 76ers were 25-16 at home this season. Embiid is back and it looks like he has something to prove. He is a huge matchup problem for the Heat and Philly has the players to slow down Butler if needed. I look for Philly to take control early with Embiid and Maxey taking control.

Play on Philadelphia. This is a 3% play.

The #10 Golden State Warriors square off against the #9 Sacramento Kings. The loser of this game will go home, while the winner takes on the loser of the 7 vs. 8 game. Golden State finished strong to c;ose out the season, winning four of their last five games. The Warriors 44-38 ATS this season. Sacramento struggled down the stretch, losing five of their last seven. The Warriors closed the season by winning 10 of their final 12 games. The Warriors have struggled with post defense this season. Sacramento is young, and I look for Sabonis to have a big game inside. The Warriors rely on Steph Curry for their offensive production, De'Aaron Fox is one of the better perimeter defenders in the NBA. I am taking the points with the home team in this one.

Play on Sacramento. This is a 3% play

The eighth-seeded in the Western Conference, Los Angeles Lakers take on the seventh-seeded New Orleans Pelicans. The Lakers defeated the Pelicans in the last game of the regular season. The Lakers finished the season 39-44 ATS. New Orleans had their four-game winning streak snapped in the loss to the Lakers. New Orleans finished the regular season going 43-37-2 ATS. Los Angeles is 5-1 both SU and ATS in their last six games against New Orleans. The Lakers won three of four matchups against the Pelicans this season. Davis should be able to go after leaving the last game with back spasms. I can’t see LA losing this game in order to avoid Denver. James will not let the Lakers lose this game. 

Play on the LA Lakers, This is a 3% play.

The Carolina Hurricanes face the Chicago Blackhawks.  The Hurricanes are 51-22-7 and with four wins in a row, They still have a slim chance to take the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The Blackhawks are 23-51-5 this season and have lost three in a row. The Hurricanes are putting up 3.38 goals per game and have scored 16 goals in the last four games. On the defensive end, they are giving up just 2.54 goals per game including only five goals in the last four games. The Blackhawks are putting up just  2.16 goals per game and have scored just three goals over their last three games. Connor Bedard has been the only bright spot  this season for Chicago. On the defensive end, they are giving up 3.51 goals per game and has given up 14 goals in their last three games. The Hurricanes still have a chance at the top seed so I don’t see them resting a lot of players. They have a huge advantage on both ends of the ice and I look for them to easily win this game by multiple goals.

Play on Carolina. Minus 1.5 goals. This is a 2% play

The Detroit Pistons and the San Antonio Spurs close out their seasons Sunday. The Pistons are 14-67 and are coming off a 107-89 win over Dallas. The Spurs are 21-60 and are coming off a one point win over Denver. The San Antonio Spurs put up 112 points per game while shooting 53.1% from the field. On the defensive end, they are giving up 118.9 points a game. San Antonio Spurs have posted a 43-38 ATS record this season and a 21-19 ATS at home. They have covered eight of their last ten. The Pistons put up 110.1 points per game while shooting  52.7% from the field.On the defensive end, they are giving up 118.9 points a game. Detroit is 40-40-1 ATS this season and 22-19 ATS on the road. They have covered just three of their last 10 games. With this being the last game of the season you could see a lot of players sitting out. I expect to see Wemby to play at least some minutes in this one and he is the best player on either team. I like San Antonio to win and cover in this one.

Play on San Antonio. This is a 2% play,

The Nashville Predators go on the road to take on the Chicago Blackhawks. Nashville is 45-29-5 while Chicago is 23-50-5. Nashville has won all three meetings this season. Nashville ranks 12 in goals and 8th in shots per game. The Preds scored three or more goals in seven of their last 10 games. On the defensive end, they rank 14th in goals against and 20th in shots against per game. The Blackhawks rank last in goals and 30th in shots per game. They have scored two or fewer goals in six of their last 10 games. On the defensive end, they rank 29th in goals 26th in shots against per game. The Preds are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games against Chicago. In those meetings Nashville averages 3.30 goals per game while the Blackhawks average 1.80 goals per game. Nashville is headed to the playoffs while the Blackhawks ae just going through the motions. I look for the Preds to easily win this game by two or more goals,

Play on Nashville minus 1.5 goals. This is a 3% play.

The Atlanta Braves are on the road to take on the Miami Marlins. Atlanta is 7-4 this season while Miami is just 2-11. Last season, the Braves went 9-4 against Miami. The Braves were pounded by the Mets yesterday 16-4. Atlanta will go with Max Fried on the mound. He has struggled this season, posting an 18.00 ERA in two appearances.  Last season, he went 8-1 with a 2.55 ERA with 80 strikeouts in 14 appearances. The Miami Marlins are coming off a win over the Yankees. Miami ranks 29th in batting average and last in on base percentage. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the Marlins. He is 0-1 with a  5.40 ERA with nine strikeouts in two appearances. Last season, he was 1-2  with a 4.00 ERA with 19 strikeouts in four appearances. 

The Atlanta Braves had a 9-4 record against the run line versus the Marlins last season. Rogers is 0-5 against the Braves in his career with a 6.03 ERA in seven appearances. Fried is 3-0 with a 2.86 ERA in his last five starts against the Marlins. You have the best offense in the Braves going against the worst offense in Miami.

Play on Atlanta minus 1.5 runs. This is a 3% play.

The New York Knicks square off against the Boston Celtics. New York is 47-32, good for third in the East, while Boston is first in the East with a 62-17 record. The Knicks are one game behind Milwaukee for second and 0.5 games above Cleveland. The Knicks are 43-35-1 ATS. The Knicks have won two in a row. Boston has had the Eastern Conference locked up for months. The Celtics had their five game winning streak snapped last time out. The Celtics are 40-35-4 ATS this season. Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown, and Jayson Tatum are all listed as questionable with injuries, while Kristaps Porzingis is listed as questionable for “possible rest.” Boston has been resting players for a while now and are still winning games. They will want to get everyone back to playing together soon. Boston is 35-3 SU at home this year. Even if not at full strength, Boston has a lot of offensive firepower to pull this game out.

Play on Boston. This is a 2% play.

The Oakland A's finish off their three-game series with the Texas Rangers after splitting the first two games. Oakland will go with JP Sears on the mound while the Rangers will counter with Jon Gray. Sears will be making his third start of the season. He is 0-1, with an 8.68 ERA this season. In five career starts against the Rangers, he is 1-0 with a 5.55 ERA, Gray is 0-0, with a 6.14 ERA this season. Gray has a 2-1 record with a 4.60 ERA in 31.1 innings against the A’s in his career. The Rangers won four of six games played against the A's at Globe Life Field last season. The A's had won three straight before yesterday's loss. The Rangers snapped a three-game losing streak yesterday. The Rangers won six of their last eight meetings with the A's last season. Oakland's pitching staff ranked second-to-last in the MLB in ERA last year and they haven’t shown much improvement this season. Gray had an ERA under 3.50 and just 13 hits in 16 innings in three starts against Oakland last season. Sears had an ERA near 6.00 in three starts against the Rangers last season. The Texas pitching staff currently ranks in the top 10 in the league in ERA while Oakland ranks 27th in the league in batting average. I am taking the home team in this one. Play on Texas minus 1.5 runs. This is a 3% play.

The Denver Nuggets host the Minnesota Timberwolves Minnesota has won four of the last five games and are putting up 113 points per game. On the defensive end they are giving up 106 points per game, which is the best in the NBA. Denver comes into this game also having won four of their last five. Denver is putting up 114.7 points per game. On the defensive end, they rank sixth in the NBA, giving up 109.7 points per game. Denver has won four of the last five at home against Minnesota, by an average of 12.4 points. Minnesotaloves to shoot from deep and shoots it well but Denver has one of the best 3-point defenses in the league. Both teams are on the second leg of a back-to-back so the altitude in Denver could play a roll in the second half. I am taking the home team here.

Play on Denver. This is a 3% play.

The New York Knicks will face the Chicago Bulls in an Eastern Conference matchup. The Bulls came away with a 108-100 win on Friday. The season series is tied at 1-1 with two games remaining. New York is in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. With four games remaining the Knicks can still get to second in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks are putting up 112.5 points a game and are shooting 46.4% from the field and 36.6% from deep. On the defensive end, the Knicks are giving up 108 points a game. The Bulls are putting up 111.7 PPG on 46.8% shooting from the field and 35.8% from deep. On the defensive end, they are giving up 113.4 points a game. The Knicks are fighting for playoff position as they could drop into the Play-In Tournament with a couple of losses. Chicago is basically playing for who hosts the play in game, them or Atlanta. New York has more to play for and Chicago is too inconsistent for me.

Play on New York. This is a 3% play.

The Orlando Magic are on the road to take on the Houston Rockets. Orlando is 46-32 this season and is third in the Eastern Conference. Houston is 11th in the Western Conference at 38-40. The Magic have been getting it done all season on the defensive end, allowing just 108.3. On the offensive end, they won’t overpower anyone as they are scoring just 110.6 points per game.  Houston is putting up 114.2 points per game, and on the defensive end, they are giving up 113.3 points per game but over their last five, they have given up 127.4. Orlando is playing for playoff position while Houston has nothing to play for. Orlando is also 4-1 against the spread in their last five meetings against the Rockets.

Play on Orlando. This is a 3% play. 

The top two seeds in the Eastern Conference meet up when the Milwaukee Bucks take on the  Boston Celtics. Milwaukee is second in the East but have lost four in a row. The Magic and New York Knicks are only one game behind Milwaukee. The Celtics come in on a five game winning streak. The Celtics are 2nd in scoring with 120.8 points a game. . The Celtics are shooting 48.7% from the field and 38.9% from deep. On the defensive end, they are giving up 109.2 points a game. Milwaukee is putting up 119.7 points per game on 48.8% shooting from the field and 37.2% from deep. . Giannis is questionable, while Khris Middleton and Patrick Beverly are probable. Boston has been on a roll while Milwaukee is heading in the opposite direction. The injury to Antetokounmpo will be an issue. Even if he can play, he will not be 100%. The Celtics are much better defensively. Boston has beaten Milwaukee in seven of their last ten meetings. Boston is 40-34-4 ATS while Milwaukee is 33-44-1 ATS. Boston will rise their depth in this one to a win.

Play on Boston on the money line. This is a 4% play.

The Chicago White Sox take on the  Cleveland Guardians in game two of their three game series. With Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert on the IL, Chicago has no offense, not that they had much with them. The White Sox have scored just 16 in 10 games this season. Their pitching hasn’t been any better. As a team they have posted a 4.09 ERA. Michael Soroka gets today’s start. He is 0-1  with a 4.91 in two starts. Cleveland is clicking at the plate and look to continue their hot start by sending Logan Allen to the mound. He is 2-0 this season in two starts. Last time out he went 6.2 scoreless innings with four hits and 6 strikeouts. Michael Soroka struggled in his last start, and the White Sox have no offense to fall back on. Cleveland is an impressive 7-2 both straight-up and against the spread this season. The White Sox have been shutout four times in 10 games this season and like Cleveland to win by more than 2 in this one.

Play on Cleveland minus 1.5 runs. This is a 3% play.

 These are the two best teams, and have been all season. Back-to-back player of the year Edey has been a force in the postseason but will meet someone almost as tall as him in Clingan. Purdue’s guard play has been suspect this season, even though they played better in the semifinals. The three ball finally fell for Purdue, they made 10 last game, and must do that again if they want to keep this one close. I think they will struggle to get good shots in this one as UCONN has a lot of length on the wings and will make things difficult. UCONN has more depth and I think their team is just better all sound. I think Purdue can keep this one close for most of the game but UCONN comes on late and covers once again. I look for UCONN to win by double digits.

Play on UCONN. This is a 5% play.

The New York Mets have struggled to  begin the season, posting a 3-6 record. They will turn to Julio Teheran to start tonight’s game. He went 3-5 with a 4.40 ERA last season and will be making his first start this season. He faced the Braves twice last season and went 0-1in 11.0 innings and gave up 10 runs on 14 hits with nine strikeouts. The Mets are last in MLB in OPS and are scoring just 2.78 runs a game.  The Atlanta Braves are 6-2 to start the season and lead the NL East. The Braves will turn to Charlie Morton for tonight’s start. He went 5.2 scoreless innings against the White Sox, allowing three hits, two walks with six strikeouts.  On the other end of the spectrum, The Braves are leading baseball in OPS while averaging 7.0 runs per game. Morton pitched four times against the Mets last season, going 2-1 in 22.0 innings with  eight runs on 15 hits, 15 walks and 26 strikeouts. Julio Teheran is making his first start and to be honest, who knows what you are going to get from him and for how long. The Mets have won three of their last four games, while the Braves have won three straight. Atlanta is the better team and has shown a far superior offense. I think they will be able to get to Tehran early. Lay the run and a half doe better value.

Play on Atlanta minus 1.5 runs. This is a 3% play

 The Cavaliers lost against the Lakers on Saturday while the Clippers won big on Friday over Utah. The Cavaliers are 1-3 on their five game road trip and 3-7 SU over their last ten games. They are third in the Eastern Conference, a game and a half behind second place Milwaukee. The Clippers have won two straight and five of their last six games. They are in fourth place in the Western Conference, four games out of first place. The Cavaliers have been struggling down the stretch, losing 12 of their last 19 games. The Clippers have won seven of their last ten straight up. The Clippers are putting up more than 115 points per game at home and are shooting 49%. The Cavaliers have given up more than 120 points per game in their last three games. This will also be the second game of a back-to-back so their defense could be a bit slow do to fatigue. The Cavaliers have lost six of their last nine games and five of their last six road games. Over their last three games, they are putting up 110 points a game. The Clippers have held their last three opponents under 105 points. Leonard is questionable but even if he can’t go, I like the Clippers in this one.

Play on LA Clippers. This is a 3% play.

The surprising No. 11 N.C. State Wolfpack takes on the No. 1 Purdue Boilermakers in one semi-final. NC State had to win five games in five days to even make the Tournament now find themselves one game away from the finals. During the tournament, they are putting up 75.7 points a game and have won by an average of 10 points. On the defensive end, they are giving up 65.5 points per game. During the regular season, they allowed 72 a game. In the tournament, Purdue is putting up 84 points per game, right along their season average. On the defensive end, they are giving up 62.8 compared to 69.4 per game during the season. NC State has been the underdog in seven of their last eight games and has gone 7-0 ATS. This game could be decided by the whistle. Edey has lived at the free throw line and Burns needs to stay on the floor for the Wolfpack. If they are blowing a quick whistle and not letting them play, it could be a long night for NC State. This is a lot of points to give to a team that is lucky to be here. I think NC S can keep this one close. Play on NC State. This is a 3% play

The Oklahoma City Thunder head to Indy to take on the Indiana Pacers. OKC is finishing off a five game road trip and are in a tight battle for the top spot in the division with Minnesota and Denver. They have lost two in a row and need to turn things around and have covered just once in their last five games. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has missed the last three games and is questionable for the Pacers. Jalen Williams is also questionable. Oklahoma City is only 2-3 in their last five road contests. OKC is putting up 119.9 points per game and are giving up 113.3 points. The Pacers are seventh in the east, 2.5 games out of fourth place. They have covered the spread in three of their last five games.  Myles Turner did not play on Wednesday and is questionable for tonight. The Pacers are 3-2 in their last five home games. Indiana is putting up 122.7 points a game and are giving up 120.3 points a game but have been playing better on the defensive end lately. The Thunder are finishing off a five-game road trip and probably can’t wait to get back home. Without SAG and Williams the Thunder are a different team on both ends of the court. Over the last five games the Pacers defense has been better than their season average and the Thunder are a lot worse. I will take the home team against a mentally and possibly physically tired team.

Play on Indiana. This is a 2% play.

The Washington Capitals to take on the Carolina Hurricanes. The Capitals are in the last spot in the Eastern Conference Wild Card. The Hurricanes are five points behind the New York Rangers for the Metro Division lead. The Hurricanes have lost two of their previous three matchups with the Capitals. Washington has lost three straight games. Capitals goaltending has struggled in the past few weeks, giving up five goals or more in four of their last seven games. The Hurricanes have won three of their last four games. Carolina’s defense has held their opponents to one goal or less in three of their last four games. The Hurricanes have beaten the Capitals in two of the last three games at PNC Arena. Carolina has held the Capital to two goals or less in three straight home games. Carolina has won over 65% of their home games this season and has won four straight at home. Their defense has given up two goals or less in seven straight games at home. The Hurricanes have won eight of their last 10 games overall. Washington has not only struggled on the road, they have struggled to score all season. Carolina is the better team and it will show. Play on Carolina minus 1.5 goals. This is a 2% play

The Oakland Athletics head to the Motor City to take on the Detroit Tigers. Oakland enters this game with a 1-6 record and not surprisingly is last in the American League. Detroit for a period of time, was the last undefeated team in baseball but lost the second game of a double header in extra innings to fall to 5-1. JP Sears will make the start for the A’s. He is 0-1 this season with a bloated ERA of 12.27. Last season he went 5-12 with a 4.54 ERA of 4.54. He needs to pitch better in this one as the A’s bullpen ranks the eighth worst in the league, with an ERA of 5.12. Detroit has been getting dominant pitching so far this season. Tarik Skubal will get the start for the Tigers. He is 1-0 with an ERA of 0.00. Last season he was 7-3 with a 2.80 ERA. They have no problem turning it over to their bullpen, even though they lost the game yesterday, as they  rank second in the MLB with an ERA of 2.04. Last season the Detroit Tigers had a 13-11 record against the run line as favorites at home. Meanwhile the Athletics had a record of 38-41 against the run line as underdogs on the road. Skubal has been dominant over the last half a year. He has a high K rate which will be beneficial against an A’s team that tends to swing and miss. The only worry is that the Tigers are all not that great offensively. The Tigers are 5-1 and it is their home opener.

Play on Detroit, minus 1.5 runs. This is a 3% play.

We have an A.L. Central clash between the Chicago White Sox and the Kansas City Royals. The Chicago White Sox are just 1-4 this season but their win did come over Atlanta. Chicago will look to keep the momentum from their win over Atlanta last time out. They will send Michael Soroka to the mound to face the Royals. He did not pitch well in his opener. He has posted a 7.20 ERA and 2.00 WHIP in five innings. There are thoughts that KC could challenge for the division, while that is not out of the question, they have gotten off to a rough 2-4 start to the season. KC let one get away yesterday as they blew a 3-0 lead late in a loss to Baltimore. They will look to turn things around by sending Seth Lugo to the mound. In his first start, he won two hits and a walk. He has posted a 0.50 ERA so far this season.  When you play in the worst division in baseball you always have a chance, even when both teams could be the worst in baseball. Lugo could have another outstanding outing against a White Sox offense that is last in team batting average and 26th in OPS. Soroko gave up runs to the Tigers and no one is writing home about that offense. I would love to take the Sox in this one but I just can’t

 Play on KC minus 1.5 runs. This is a 3% play.

The Atlanta Braves take on the Chicago White Sox in game two of a three-game set. The Braves took game one 9-0 in a rain shortened game. The Chicago White Sox have not recorded a win this season. Garrett Crochet will take the mound in game two. Crochet pitched well in his first start but the Sox gave him no support. He is 0-1 with a 1.50 ERA and a 0.83 WHIP, striking out 8 in six innings. The Braves will go with Reynaldo Lopez on the mound. He has a 3.27 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP in 68 appearances last season. The Braves offense has been clicking to start the season, putting up 8.7 runs per game. They have been able to cover the run-line in four of their five games. The Sox have struggled at the plate, scoring just 2 runs a game and their pitchers have a 4.75 team ERA. Crochet pitched well in his MLB debut but that was against the Tigers. The Braves have a more formidable offense. I will take Atlanta on the run-line as I don’t think the Sox can score enough in this game.

Play on Atlanta minus 1.5 runs. This is a 3% play.

The Colorado Rockies are in Chi-town to take on the Chicago Cubs. The Rockies lost game one, 5-0 to the Cubs and now have lost four of their last five. Colorado has averaged just 2.8 runs per game. They will look to turn things around by sending Kyle Freeland to the mound. His first start did not go very well asn he gave up 10 runs on 10 hits in 2.1 innings. The Cubs have won two in a row and are now 2-2 to start the season. Javier Assad makes his first start for the Cubs. Last season he made 10 starts in 32 appearances with a 3.05 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 7.7 K/9 rate in 109.1 innings. Freeland did not fare well in his first start. He should have a better outing but he has not pitched well against the Cubs in his career. He is 1-3 in five starts against the Cubs and gave up eight runs in his last two starts against them. Run-lines on home teams are taking a little chance but I like the Cubs offense to do damage early in this one. The Rockies have struggled this season, scoring less than four runs per game. 

Play on Chicago. Minus 1.5 runs. This is a 3% play.

The Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans will face each other twice this week. The Suns are in seventh place in the Western Conference, a game and half behind Dallas in sixth. They have gone 4-2 in their last six games. Phoenix is putting up 116.7 a game and are shooting 49.5% from the field and 38.1% from deep. On the defensive end, Phoenix is giving up 114.1 points per game. The Pelicans are in fifth place in the West. They have gone 3-2 SU over their last five games. They are putting up 115.2 points a game on 48.7% shooting from the field and 37.8% from deep. On the defensive end, they are giving up 110.3 points. They have met once this season, with Phoenix winning by 14. Both teams are fighting for playoff position with Phoenix trying to get above the play in line and New Orleans trying to stay above it. Ingram being out hurts the Pelicans offense as he is the second leading scorer. The Suns are 5-2 SU and ATS in the last seven games versus New Orleans. The Suns are in a position where they can’t rest players unless they are winning by wide margins. Without Ingram, I like the Suns to come away with an important win.

Play on Phoenix. This is a 3% play.

This could be a preview of a Play-In Tournament game  with the Atlanta Hawks being 10th in the East going against the ninth seeded Chicago Bulls. This will be the second game of a back-to-back for Chicago, after taking down Minnesota yesterday. The Bulls won the first two games of their three game season series. The Hawks have been without Trae Young but they still maintain a five game lead over the Nets for 10th. The Hawks rank 8th in offensive efficiency and 27th in defensive efficiency and play at the 7th fastest pace. The Bulls have lost four of their last five games, but are six games ahead of Brooklyn. Chicago ranks 19th in offensive efficiency and 21st in defensive efficiency and are 28th in tempo. Atlanta has won four of their last five, while the Bulls have lost four of five. This is the second game of a back-to-back for the Bulls and they have two starters battling injuries. Atlanta has played well without Young as shown in their two wins over Boston in the last week. If Caruso and or Dysoumo cannot go for the Bulls it will limit their wing defenders. Atlanta is in a good spot here to get the win.

Play on Atlanta. This is a 3% play.

The Atlanta Braves looked like they would sweep the Phillies but were denied late. The Chicago White Sox were swept by the Tigers in three games decided by a run. The Braves finished with the best record in baseball last season after winning 104 games. Morton faced the White Sox once last season, going 1-0 in that start. The white Sox lost over 100 games last season and look on their way to doing it again as they were swept by the Tigers. Flexen struggled on the mound last season and I expect him to struggle against this Braves lineup. The White Sox have struggled at the plate and I don’t see them doing a lot of damage off Morton. Morton has won all four of his starts against Chicago, allowing a total of seven runs. I like Atlanta’s offense against Flexen and Morton should pitch well enough for Atlanta to win by more than one run. Play on Atlanta, Minus 1.5 runs. This is a 3% play.

The Washington Nationals and the Cincinnati Reds have split their first two games. The Nat’s will send Jake Irvin to the mound to face off against Nick Martinez. Jake Irvin went 3-7 over 24 starts last season, posting a 4.61 ERA and 1.42 WHIP with 99 strikeouts in 121.0 innings. Nick Martinez came over from the Padres in the offseason. He made 54 relief appearances and nine starts with the Padres last season.  He went 6-4 with a 3.43 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP.  He looked impressive this spring in two starts, going nine innings with a 0.00 ERA and 0.33 WHIP while striking out 13. The reds are a good young team ans as long as their pitching holds they should make a run for the division. I like Martinez in this one as he has pitched well against the Nationals in his career. 

Play on Cincinnati MINUS 1.5 RUNS. This is a 3% play.

The Arizona Diamondbacks play host to the Colorado Rockies in the final game of the three-game set. The Rockies will look to bounce back after getting shelled in the opener. They will send Austin Gomber to the mound to face the D’backs. Last season he went 9-9 with a 5.50 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP. In his last start against the Diamondbacks, he allowed six runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings. Arizona took the opener 16-1 and will look to carry that momentum over by sending Tommy Henry to the mound. He went 5-4 last season with a 4.15 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. The Diamondbacks have won eight of their last ten against the Rockies. Arizona put up 16 in the opener while the Rockies have scored more than two runs only once in their last four meetings against Arizona. Tommy Henry was 2-0 in his games against the Rockies last season, even holding them scoreless through seven innings in their last meeting. The Rockies were the worst team in the NL last season and didn’t look any better in the opener this season.

Play on Arizona minus 1.5 runs. This is a 3% play

I am looking for a close game between Illinois and UCONN.  UConn will not be able to impose their will in the paint as the Illini have the bigs that can not only match up but hold their own. Connecticut is a balanced team, but the best player on the floor will be Terrence Shannon Jr. for the Illini. He has scored 26 or more in every game in the Tournament. Both teams have covered their games so far but this will be the toughest matchup for UCONN so far. Illinois is 10th in KenPom, and they have the 2nd most efficient offense in the country. UCONN has won their games by an average margin of 18 points. Illinois will hold their own in the paint and Shannon will be able to score. I think this number is just too high in what I see as being a competitive game.

Play on Illinois. This is a 2% play.

The Detroit Red Wings face off against the Florida Panthers. Both teams need a win as the Red Wings have lost three in a row while the Panthers have lost two straight. The Red Wings are fighting for a playoff spot and are fifth in the Atlantic Division. They are 10th in the league in goals scored. Alex Lyon is expected to be in the net. He is 18-16-3 with a .904 save percentage and 3.07 goals allowed per game. The Panthers are 46-22-5 this season and are 13th in goals scored. Sergei Bobrovsky is 32-16-3 with a .914 save percentage and 2.41 goals per game between the pipes for the Panthers. I like the Panthers in this one as they will get it done with their defense as they allow just 2.44 goals a game. Both teams have struggled of late with the Red Wings going 3-6-1 in their last 10 games while the Panthers are just 1-5-1 in their last seven. Florida has clinched a playoff spot and is still battling Boston for the top spot while Detroit has slipped out of the second wild-card spot. The Panthers are 21-13-3 at home this season. Detroit has been a good story this season but is struggling to close it out down the stretch. Florida is better in net and will take them win in this one. Play on Florida minus 1.5 goals. This is a 3% play

The St. Louis Cardinals dropped their opening game to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Cardinals will send Zack Thompson to the mound, while the Dodgers counter with Bobby Miller. Zack Thompson had a rough season last year, posting a 5-7 record with a 4.48 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP. During the spring, he posted a 2.81 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP in 16 innings. The Cardinals biggest signing this offseason was Sonny Gray but he is starting the season on the IL. The Dodgers come into this game with a loaded lineup and should easily make the playoffs as long as their pitching can hold up this season. The Dodgers’ potent offense should have success against Thompson who has not found success at the major or minor league levels.  Bobby Miller is in the second season with the Dodgers. The Dodgers went 15-7 in games he started last season. Three of the Dodgers' four wins against the Cardinals last season were by two or more runs and they won yesterday by a 7-1 score. 

Play on the LA Dodgers minus 1.5 runs. This is a 3% play

Creighton has an offense that gets contributions from everybody and that gives them the opportunity to get hot at any time. They put up 24 points in the five-minute overtime against Oregon in the last round. Tennessee's offense can be erratic and you never know what you are going to get. The bigger elephant in the room is probably Rick Barnes. he has lost twice in the Sweet 16 with Tennessee. Dalton Knecht has been a star for the Vols this season but Creighton has an answer in Baylor Schiereman. Schiereman has a size advantage but is also quick enough to play on the outside. Creighton is well balanced on the offensive end which allows them to take advantage of matchups. The Bluejays are the bigger team and pose matchup problems for Tennessee. I like Creighton to win this game outright but will take the points. Play on Creighton. This is a 3% play

McCain has had an excellent tournament for Duke but now he will be defended by a Houston backcourt that held Texas A&M All-American guard Wade Taylor IV to just 5-of-26 shooting from the field. The Cougars thrive by playing a physical brand of basketball and the Duke guards are not really built for that type of game. Houston rebounds from all five positions and attacks the glass on both ends, which will limit Duke from getting second-chance points. The Cougars are holding teams to just 29% from 3-point range and came into the tournament ranked first in field goal defense. The Cougars are 13-4 against tournament teams this season. Duke's season looks good on paper but after taking a deeper dive, Duke has only played five games against ranked opponents this season, going 2-3. Houston will limit Duke's open looks from deep and they have enough to control the paint. I think Houston’s defense will be too much for Duke to overcome. Play on Houston. This is a 2% play

The Colorado Rockies were pounded in their opener by the Arizona Diamondbacks 16-1. The Diamondbacks went 10-3 against the Rockies last season. The Rockies will send Cal Quantrill to the mound. Last season, he posted a 4-7 record with a 5.24 ERA. In his career against Arizona, he is 1-1 with a 6.00 ERA. Merrill Kelly gets the start for the Diamondbacks. Last season, he went 12-8 with a 2.39 ERA of 3.29. In his career against the Rockies, he 5-3 with a 3.89 ERA. The Arizona Diamondbacks have a 7-3 record against the run line in their last ten games against the Rockies. Yo would expect the Rockies to at least put in a better showing in this game but the D’Backs have a massive advantage at the plate and on the mound.

Play on Arizona minus 1.5 runs. This is a 3% play.

The 11th-seeded NC State Wolfpack faces the 2nd-seeded Marquette Golden Eagles in the Sweet 16. The Wolfpack are coming off a 79-73 win over Oakland while the Golden Eagles took down Colorado 81-77. The Wolfpack are putting up 76.5 points per game and on the defensive end, they are giving up 72.6 points per game. The Golden Eagles are putting up 78.6 points per game. The Wolfpack have won seven straight games. NC State has won its last five games as an underdog, but it's only 18-19-1 ATS this season. Marquette is 18-12-1 ATS. This is the seventh game in sixteen days for NC State. I look for Marquette to turn it up on the defensive end and put pressure on the Wolfpack. When Marquette has the ball, I can see the making Burns play defense in the pick and roll as the Wolfpack struggled to defend that all season. I look for Marquette to wear down NC State and pull away late. Play on Marquette. This is a 2% play,

Alabama was able to take of business the first weekend even though against lesser competition by beating the College of Charleston and Grand Canyon. UNC was able to man-handle Michigan State and their 11th ranked defense. I expect Bama to try and out run and gun the Tar Heels. Alabama struggled all season on the defensive end and will need to try and outscore the Tar Heels and it will not be easy to slow down the NC offense. NC can play some defense and they ranked 6th at 70 points a game. NC has a huge advantage in the paint with forwards Armando Bacot and Harrison Ingram over Grant Nelson and Nick Pringle. Bama lives and dies by the three. If they are hitting from deep, Bama can keep this one close and possibly win outright but by the same token they can shoot themselves out of a game. The Pace won’t bother Carolina and I like their overall offense better. They should be able to out rebound Bama which will help them set the tempo for the game. I am taking Carolina to cover late.

Play on NC. This is a 3% play.

Both San Diego State and UCONN deploy elite defenses. While SDSU is known for their defense, UCONN can get it done on both ends of the court. UCONN has covered in eight of its last nine games. San Diego State has their struggles on the offensive end, especially from deep, where they rank 301st in three point percentage. They usually can make it up with a rebounding advantage but they won’t have that in this game as the Huskies can rebound as well. This is a lot of points but I do not trust the SDSU offense to score enough points. This is a game UCONN could lose but everything must go wrong for that to happen. I think there is a better chance for a blowout than a close game.

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The St. Louis Cardinals open the season with a four-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday afternoon. St. Louis finished last season at 71-91 and in the basement of the NL Central. The Dodgers have already played this season, splitting two games with the Padres in Korea. St. Louis added starters Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson to their rotation. Gray is already on the IL with a hamstring injury. Miles Mikolas gets the start for the Cardinals in this one. He went 9-13 with a 4.78 ERA, and a 1.316 WHIP in 39 starts last season. He led the league in hits and earned runs allowed. During spring training, he was 2-0 with a 4.78 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP.  The Dodgers showed the bats are just fine as they put up 11 runs in a 15-11 loss to close out the Korea series. Tyler Glasnow opened the season for LA, going 5 innings and allowing two runs on two hits with four walks and three strikeouts. During spring, he was 1-0 with a 0.90 ERA, a 0.70 WHIP, three walks, and 14 strikeouts over 10 innings of work. Mikolas is a pitch-to-contact pitcher and the Dodgers lineup can make contact. Glasnow needs to have better control than he had in the first game. The Dodgers are at home and this lineup is loaded. Los Angeles has already played two regular season games which has to be an advantage. I like the Dodgers to pile on the runs off Mikolas early. Lay the 1.5 runs for value.

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The Los Angeles Angels kick off the baseball season in Baltimore to take on the Orioles. LA  will send Patrick Sandoval to the mound to face former Milwaukee Brewers ace Corbin Burnes. Sandoval went 7-13 last season with a 4.11 ERA and 1.51 WHIP in 28 starts. Burnes finished last season with a 10-8 record and a 3.39 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 32 starts with Milwaukee. Los Angeles comes into this season without Ohtani but they still have Mike Trout. Sandoval did not pitch well on the road last season, going 5-7 with a 3.81 ERA and 1.55 WHIP in 16 road starts. Baltimore was the young upstart team last season, winning 101 games and making the playoffs. The Playoffs didn’t go so well but they are looking to do better this season and went out and got an ace in Burnes. Burnes has recorded 200 or more strikeouts in each of the past three seasons. The Orioles were 49-32 at Oriole Park in 2023. Baltimore was 5-2 against Los Angeles last season, outscoring the Angels 41-27. These Orioles have won eight of the previous 10 games against the Angels. I like Baltimore in this one but I will be looking for value early with Burnes on the mound. Lay the 1.5 runs at + money.

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In a NIT quarterfinals matchup, the VCU Rams take on the Utah Utes. VCU has been getting it done with their defense, as six straight opponents have failed to score more than 65 points. On the offensive end, they are putting up 71.5 points per game. They shoot 44.3% from the field and 35.7% from deep. Utah plays fast and puts up 78.6 points per game on 46.8% shooting from the field and 36.2% from deep. On the defensive end, they give up 73.0 points per game. I don’t see Utah producing the same offense they have against the VCU defense. This should be a close game so I will take VCU plus the points.

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The UNLV Running Rebels will travel across the country to New Jersey to take on the Seton Hall Pirates in the quarterfinals of the NIT Tournament. The Running Rebels have won their two games in the NIT by an average of eight points. On the season, the Rebels are 189th in the nation in scoring. They are 75th in field goal shooting and 173rd in 3-point shooting. On the defensive end, they are 80th in the nation in scoring defense. Seton Hall is 16-3 at home with the two tournament wins. On the season, the Pirates are 166th in the nation in scoring. They are 141st in field goal shooting and 225th in 3-point shooting. On the defensive end, they are  92nd in the country in scoring defense. The Rebels were 8-3 on the road this season. The Pirates are now 16-3 at home this season. Seton Hall. They have held their two NIT opponents to an average of 65 points per game while the Rebels have given up 78 points per game. Seton Hall is the better rebounding team and has a huge advantage playing at home. Take Seton Hall in this one.

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The Sacramento Kings take on the Dallas Mavericks in a hotly contested Western Conference playoff battle. The Kings beat the Mavericks in Dallas twice earlier this season. Dallas has won three in a row and eight of their last nine. The Kings hold the sixth seed over Dallas bases on head-to-head so far this season. Trey Lyles, Sasha Vezenkov, and Kevin Huerter have all been hit by injuries. The Kings have 11 games in the next 19 games. Dallas is 22-12 on the road this season. They are also 8-1 ATS over their last nine games. The Kings are 14-20 ATS at home this season. Doncic and Irving will carry the Mavs over an injury plagued Kings team.

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The 13th-seeded Yale Bulldogs face the 5th-seeded San Diego State Aztecs in the round of 32. The Bulldogs knocked off 4th-seeded Auburn in the first round. The Bulldogs are putting up 73.7 points per game. On the defensive end, they are giving up 68.4 points per game. The Aztecs are coming off a close win over UAB. San Diego State plays well on the defensive end, allowing 67.3 points per game. The Aztecs have won three of their last four games, and are putting up 74 points per game. They have made over 76 percent of their free throws in their last three games which could be a factor down the stretch. They are a good offensive-rebounding team and I think they will be able to get some easy second-chance points against Yale. Yale hasn’t faced a lot of big-time offenses and gave up 76 last time out. The Bulldogs have won three straight games. They have scored less than 70 points in their last three games and SDSU is equipped to defend Yales deliberate style of play. They have struggled at the line as of late and can’t afford to give up free points. They also do not rebound well and will have to do a better job on the boards. The Aztecs are a much better half-court defensive team than Auburn and will be able to make the Bulldogs work harder to score. This is a perfect matchup on many levels for SDSU and I see them winning this game easily.

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The six-seed Clemson Tigers take on the three-seed Baylor Bears in the Round of 32. Both teams won easily in the first round. Clemson has experience as they start four seniors and one junior. Clemson puts up 77.4 points,and shoots 46.8% from the field and 35.4% from deep. On the defensive end, they are allowing 71.3 points a game. Baylor is putting up 80.3 points a game and have six players scoring in double figures. On the defensive end, they are giving 71.3 points a game.  Clemson allowed a lot of  open looks to New Mexico but they were not able to convert. You cannot expect Baylor to do the same. Baylor is sixth in the nation in three-point percentage and 95th in offensive rebounds per game. Baylor has a lot of depth and their length at the wings will cause problems for Clemson. Baylor has a better all around team ant their depth will carry them to a win and cover.

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James Madison is on a fourteen-game winning streak and finished the season at 32-3.  James Madison puts up 84 points a game and loves to run the floor. I am never sure what Duke team you are going to get. You know Kyle Filipowski will get his but the guard play for Duke is suspect. If they are playing well Duke is a tough out, but if is the keyword. The fact that James Madison hasn’t lost since January even though they were the lower seed, showed they were the better team against Wisconsin. James Madison likes to attack the rim and will try to get into foul trouble and pick up cheap points at the line. Duke should win this game but I like James Madison to keep it within the number.

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Oregon has the momentum on their side as they had to win the Pac-12 tournament to get here. The Blue Jays have two advantages that I like in Tournament play, experienced guard play and a rebounding edge. There are some intriguing matchups in both the front and back courts. I think the back-court matchups will be the difference in this game. The Blue Jays' guards are more experienced and will handle the pressure down the stretch if this game is close. I am looking for Creighton to be able to control the boards and come away with a win and cover.

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I am going with Texas in this one for two very distinct reasons. The first reason is I look for guard play and  the Longhorns have two excellent ballhandlers, that can also take over games. Abmas put up 33 on Baylor, and Hunter had a 30-point game against Oklahoma. The second reason is Rick Barnes but more on that later. Texas can also play on the defensive end as they held Colorado State to just 11 points in the first half. Texas will focus their defensive efforts on Knecht, who Tennessee seems to rely on, and try to slow down the Vols. Rick Barnes is known for choking in March. It is funny to think about but Rodney Terry has more Elite Eight appearances in one year at Texas than Barnes has in nine seasons with Tennessee. Tennessee is the better team on paper and should be on the court. I just think with all the history with Barnes and how underachieving Tennessee can be I like the points in this one.

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This game will be about defense, or should I say Iowa State's defense. Iowa State did what they have done all season in the first round and that is, they turned their defense loose. They are playing some of if not the best defense in the country. The Cyclones are 4-0 SU and ATS in their last four games and have won those games by an average of 17 points. They finished the season with an 18-point win over Houston.  Washington State had to come from behind to beat Drake and I can't see that happening against this defense. WSU struggled to score against a Drake defense that is not nearly close to Iowa State. They put up just 66 against Drake and have been held under 70 points in three of their last four games. Iowa State is 24-10-1 ATS this season and I look for their defense to shut down the Cougars and come away with a win and cover. 

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Michigan State finally looked like a team that started the season ranked in the top five. Inconsistency has plagued the Spartans all season despite being a senior-laden team. MSU doesn't have the big men to contain Bacout and I look for him to have a huge game. Walker can match RJ Davis shot for shot but I am skeptical of the rest of the Spartans stepping up to hit big shots. MSU keeps this one close for a while but I look for North Carolina to pull away late.

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The 12th seed Grand Canyon Lopes will take on the fifth seed Saint Mary's Gaels. Grand Canyon puts up 78.4 points a game 45.8% shooting from the field and 34.4% from deep. On the defensive end, they are giving up 66.7 points a game. Grand Canyon has not played a tough schedule ranking 204th. Saint Marys puts up 73.2 points a game on 46.6% shooting from the field and 35.5% from deep. On the defensive end, they are giving up 59.7 points a game. 

Grand Canyon played a weak schedule this season and there were not a lot of good defensive teams in their conference. Saint Mary's has a defense that has shut down some of the best offenses in the country. The Gaels like to play at a slow pace and work for a good shot. They have great shooters and a big-time scorer in Aidan Mahoney, who can take a game over. Grand Canyon has not faced a defense like St Mary’s this season. St Mary's has covered the spread in eight of its last 10 games. Grand Canyon is a great story but I think they are overmatched in this game.

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In the South Region the 12th-seeded James Madison Dukes take on the fifth-seeded Wisconsin Badgers.The James Madison Dukes are putting up 84.4 points per game on 48.0% shooting from the floor. On the defensive end, they are giving up 69.2 points per game. The Wisconsin Badgers put up 75.1 points per game on 46.3%  shooting from the field. On the defensive end, they are giving up 69.9 points per game. JMU is very good from deep and has multiple players that shoot from deep. It ranks 54th in threes made per game and 42nd in three-point percentage. The Badgers rank 345th in opponent three-point percentage. JMU will have an advantage on the boards and I like them to win this game outright but will happily take the points.

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The 10th-seeded Colorado Buffaloes face the 7th-seeded Florida Gators. The Buffaloes finished third in the Pac-12 and they’re coming off a 60-53 win over Boise State in the First Four. The Gators finished sixth in the SEC. Colorado has a game under their belt and got to experience the pressure of a tournament game with their win over Boise State. They are putting up 78.7 points per game. On the defensive end, they are giving up 70.7 points per game. The Gators were riding a three-game winning streak before losing to Auburn in the final of the SEC Tournament. Florida is putting up 85.1 points per game. On the defensive end, they are giving up 78.5 points per game. Colorado has won nine of their last 10 games. The Gators have won three of their last five games. The Gators haven’t played well defensively this season and they played worse in recent games, giving up at least 80 points in six of their last seven games. The Buffaloes have held four of their last five opponents under 60 points. Florida looked flat after the Handlogten injury last Sunday. His loss will hurt Florida on the boards.

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The Northwestern Wildcats of the BIG10 take on the Florida Atlantic Owls from the American Athletic Conference. Northwestern is the 9-seed after finishing fourth in the BIG10 while. Florida Atlantic finished second in the AAC. Northwestern has made the dance for just the third time and now two years in a row. NW went 4-7 in Quad 1 games and 5-3 in Quad 2 and were 17-14-1 ATS. The Wildcats put up 73.7 points a game and on the defensive end, they are giving up 69. Florida Atlantic went to the dance last season as a nine-seed and made it to the final four. The Owls had a 2-2 Quad 1 record and were 8-3 in Quad 2 games. The Owls put up 82.5 points a game and on the defensive end, they are giving up 73.3. Northwestern likes to slow the pace of play down to a crawl. FAU should be able to take advantage of a Northwestern defense that allows their opponents to shoot 45% from the field and 36% from deep. The Owls like to play at a faster pace and should be able to get out and run as they have a rebounding edge over the Wildcats. The Owls are experienced and have tasted the Final Four I look for FAU to push the pace and Northwestern will find it difficult to keep up.

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The 10th-seed Drake Bulldogs take on the seventh-seed Washington State Cougars in the 1st Round of the NCAA Tournament. Drake won 10 of their last 11 games including a win over Indiana State in the MVC Tournament Final. Drake puts up 80.3 points a game on 47.7% shooting from the field and 36.5% shooting from deep. On the defensive end, they allow 70.6 points. Washington State finished second in the Pac-12 with a 14-6 record. Washington State  puts up 74.3 points a game on 46.6% shooting from the field and 34% from deep. Drake’s Tucker Devries will be the best player on the floor for either team and has the ability to take over the game. Washington State has been inconsistent on the offensive end this season and don’t shoot the three ball well. Drake has tournament experience which should play a factor if this game is close down the stretch. I will take Drake and Devries to pull off the slight upset.

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We have an intriguing 12-5 matchup in the West Region with the McNeese State Cowboys, who finished at 30-3, against the Gonzaga Bulldogs, who finished the season at 25-7. The Cowboys went 17-1 in their conference and have won 11 straight games. They have scored more than 74 points per game on the road. They will be at a disadvantage on the boards so extra possessions will be hard to come by. The Bulldogs have won nine of their last 10 games. They are scoring more than 83 points per game and are making over 51 percent of their shots. The Bulldogs have held their last three opponents under 68 points per game. McNeese State loves to shoot the three ball and i feel that the only way for them to win is get hot from deep. They are not used to playing in a large arena so it may take them some time to get their shots to fall. The Zags should be able to dominate with their two big men in the paint. They shoot a combined 60% from the floor and should be able to control the boards, giving them second chance opportunities and limiting the same for McNeese State.  I am laying the points with Gonzaga in this one as the avoid they 12-5 upset.

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The 14-seed Oakland Golden Grizzlies take on the 3-seed Kentucky Wildcats. Oakland finished the season at 23-11 while Kentucky finished at 23-8. Oakland won both the Horizon League regular season and conference tournament championships and closed the season winning eight out of their last nine and 17 of their last 20 games. Kentucky finished one game out of first place in the SEC. They won five of their last six games to finish the season. Kentucky has an explosive offense and even though they have struggled at times on the defensive end I feel that Oakland isn’t efficient enough on the offensive end to take advantage. Oakland doesn't defend the three-ball well and Kentucky can light it up from deep. Kentucky will also have an advantage on the boards which should lead to second-chance opportunities. Oakland can keep this close for a half but will get blown out in the second half.

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In an East Regional contest, the three-seed Illinois Fighting Illini take on 14th-seed Morehead State Eagles. The Eagles finished the season 26-8 overall and 18-11-1 ATS. They won the Ohio Valley Conference to make the Dance. The Fighting Illini finished with a 26-8 overall record and were 19-13-2 ATS and won the Big 10. Morehead State is riding a six-game winning streak but has not played in 12 days.  For the season, they are putting up 75.5 a game. They are shooting 46.9% from the field and 36.1% from deep. On the defensive end, they are giving up 62.8 points per game. The Fighting Illini were in form down the stretch going 7-1 over their last 8 games. For the season, they put up 84.4 on 47.1%  shooting from the field and 35% from deep. On the defensive end, they are giving up 73.8 points a game. The Fighting Illini have gone 3-1 ATS over their last four games. The Fighting Illini can be taken advantage of on the defensive end but I don’t believe Morehead State has the offense to do it. Morehead State has had 12 days off so it may take some time to get their in-game touch going. Illinois has two guys who can get a bucket when needed, to hit 26 free throws in the Big Ten title game. Morehead State has played just two tournament games this season and has not faced a team like Illinois.  Illinois lack of defensive effort can worry you in this one but I don’t think Morehead State will be able to score enough.

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The East Regional has a matchup with the No. 6 BYU taking on No. 11 Duquesne. The Duquesne Dukes finished the season at 24-11 overall. They won the Atlantic-10 championship. The BYU Cougars finished the season at 23-10 overall and finished fifth in the Big 12, losing to Texas Tech in the quarterfinals. This is the Dukes' first appearance in the Big Dance since 1977 and are riding an eight-game winning streak. This season they put up 70.8 points a game on 43.7% shooting from the field and 34% from deep. On the defensive end, they give up 66 points a game. The Cougars finished the season on a 4-2 run. Their offense put up 81.8 points a game this season. They shot 46.2% from the field and 34.8% from deep, On the defensive end, they gave up 69.9 points a game. The Cougars have gone 4-1 ATS in the last five games that they were favored in. The Cougars love to play at a fast pace and they love to shoot from deep. The Dukes prefer to play at a slower style and limit possessions. The Dukes have been playing great on the defensive end, allowing 70 points on their 8-game winning streak. The Dukes have the guard play to control this game and when you live by the three you die by the three. I think BYU wins the game but Duquesne covers the number.

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The 2024 MLB season will kick off early on Wednesday as the Los Angeles Dodgers take on the San Diego Padres in South Korea. The rich get richer as the Dodgers won over 100 games for the second straight season and then went out and got the best player in baseball as well as the best pitcher in Japan. Last season, they were second in runs per game, 3rd in home runs, and 3rd in slugging percentage. The Dodgers went through 17 starting pitchers last season as the staff was beset by injuries. The Dodgers will hand the ball to Tyler Glasnow for their opener. This spring he has produced a 0.90 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 10 innings pitched and a WHIP of just 0.70. The San Diego Padres went all in last season and it did not go well for them. Their high-powered offense struggled and their pitching staff was hit by injuries. The Padres start Yu Darvish in the opener. This spring, he posted a 2.89 ERA with 10 strikeouts in 9.1 innings pitched. He is 4-5 vs. the Dodgers with a sparkling 2.38 ERA. If the Dodgers don’t win a hundred games this year, I will be shocked. They have the best lineup in baseball with Ohtan, Betts, and Freeman at the top. Darvish has lost a bit off his fastball and his swing and miss rate declined last season. The Padres are trying to figure out their bullpen without Hader as their closer. I am taking the Dodgers to open the season with a win and playing them on the run-line for value.

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The New York Knicks will be in San Francisco to take on the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors won back in February 110-99 as a 3.5-point favorite. The Knicks are in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. New York has won three straight and four of their last five games. They have been outstanding on the defensive end over the last five games as they have not allowed over 93 points in that stretch. On the offensive end, they are putting up 111.9 points on 46.1% shooting from the field and 36.2% from deep. Golden State is putting up 118.4 points a game on 47.2% shooting from the field and 37.8% from deep. On the defensive end, they allow 116.8 points a game. You can make the arguement tha the Knicks are playing better than th Warriors. If Anonoby plays, he's going to be limited offensively. These are starting to be must win games for Warriors as they try to stay out of the play in games. Golden State won the last game two weeks. I like Golden State and the old men to get the job done today.

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The Philadelphia 76ers are at home to take on the Miami Heat. Miami will be playing on the second game of a back-to-back after getting by Detroit yesterday. The Philadelphia 76ers are coming off a dominating win over Charlotte on Saturday and will have a day's rest. The Miami Heat are putting up 110.1 points a game and are shooting 53.6% from the field. On the defensive end, they are giving up 109.6 points a game. The Heat are 32-34-1 ATS this season but are 20-14-1 against the spread on the road. The Philadelphia 76ers are putting up 115.1 points and are shooting 53% from the field. On the defensive end, they are giving up 112.6 points a game. They are 35-32  ATS this season. I like the 76ers in this one as Miami will be on the back end of a back-to-back.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers are on the road to take on the Indiana Pacers. The Cavaliers come into this game having lost three of their last four, while the Pacers have won three of the last four. The Cleveland Cavaliers are fourth in points allowed at 109.6 points a game and on the offensive end, they are putting up 113.6 points per game on 47.9% shooting from the field and 36.6% from deep. Indiana is first in the NBA in scoring at 123.1 points a  game on 50.5% shooting from the field and 37.4%very porous on the defensive end, allowing 121.1 points a game which ranks 26th. Cleveland has struggled with injuries but has all its regulars with the exception of Evan Mobley. Cleveland has a nice backcourt duo of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland which will be a lot for the Pacers defense to handle. Cleveland has the better defense and I think they will be able to make enough stops to get the cover.

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The Denver Nuggets have climbed back to the top of the Western Conference. They will take on the Dallas Mavericks,who sit eighth in Western Conference. The Nuggets are riding a five-game winning streak,while Dallas is coming off a loss to OKC.  Denver is putting up 114.8 points a game on 49.6% from the floor and 36.9% from deep. On the defensive end, they are giving up 110.3 points per game. Dallas is putting up 119.0 points per game on 48.3% shooting from the field and 37.1% from deep. On the defensive end, the Mavericks are giving up 117.7 points per game. The Nuggets have beaten the Mavs twice this season by 11 and 26. Luka Doncic is a game time decision. Even if Luka plays I still like the Nuggets to take care of business.

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The Wisconsin Badgers  made it to the Big 10 finals by taking down the 31 seed Purdue Boilermakers. They will take on the two-seed Illinois Fighting Illini with the winner getting the automatic qualifier for the Big Dance. Illinois took the only meeting between the two 91-83.  Wisconsin has played great in this Big Ten Tournament but this is a bad matchup for the Badgers. They have a bad matchup on the defensive end, evident in the fact thatIn the first game between the two, the Illinois duo of Shannon Jr. and Domask combined for 54 points. Illinois loves to attack the rim and will have Wisconsin on their heels. I look for illinois to pull away late.

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The fifth-seeded UTEP Miners and the third-seeded Western Kentucky Hilltoppers face off in the Conference USA Tournament Championship. The UTEP Miners took down  Sam Houston in their semi-final matchup. The Miners put up 72.9 points a game and on the defensive end, they are giving up 69.0 points per game. Western Kentucky is coming off a blowout of Middle Tennessee in their semi-final. The Hilltoppers put up 80.5 points a game and on the defensive end, they are giving up 74.8 points per game. Western Kentucky has had an easy time so far, winning by 20 and 31 points. They split their two games this season with both teams winning at home. Western Kentucky has turned up the defense in the tournament and with the way their offense scores they will be too much for UTEP to overcome.

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The No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies will take on the No. 6 Florida Gators in a surprising SEC Semi-final matchup. The Aggies made it here with an upset of Kentucky. The Aggies are putting up 73.4 points per game average, and shoot 39.7% from the field and just  27.8% from deep. On the defensive end, they are giving up 69.5 points per game. Florida is coming in off a win over Alabama. Florida gets it done on the offensive end, putting up 84.9 points per game on 45.7% shooting from the field and 33.9% from deep. On the defensive end, they are giving up 77.6 points per game. The Gators are able to match up well with the Aggies. They have the guard play that can go head-tom-head with the Aggies guard strength and Florida is the best rebounding team in the country which negates the Aggies rebounding proficiency. The Aggies were able to slow down florida in the second half to pick up a win this season but I see this game being played at a faster pace and high scoring with the Aggies struggling to keep pace.

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The No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide will take on the No. 6 Florida Gators in an SEC quarterfinal matchup. The Bama offense is putting up 90.8 points a game on 47.8% shooting from the field and 36.9% from deep. The Bama defense has left a lot to be desired, as they have given up 80.4 points a game.The Florida Gators are putting up 84.9 points on 45.7% shooting. On the defensive end, they are giving up 77.6 points per game. The two teams split the season series, each taking a game on their home-court. The Crimson Tide play fast and shoot often.  Bama wore down the Gators in the first matchup and with Florida playing on no rest I see that happening again.

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