Wunderdog
Minnesota Lynx @ Chicago Sky
Pick: Chicago Sky +155
An early season showdown as East meets West with two of the league's best teams. Minnesota had no trouble with Phoenix in the opener, but that was at home. Now they start a three-game road trip and the Lynx are on a 3-9 ATS run on the road. Minnesota is also 4-10 ATS after a victory, plus 5-14 ATS when playing on three or more days rest. They face a Chicago Sky squad that won 21 games last year, leading the WNBA in scoring behind league MVP Elena Delle Donne. They upgraded the defense with 6-7 rookie Imani Boyette and that has already paid dividends. Chicago allowed 70 points the last game, leading the league already in rebounds and third in points allowed. They allowed 33.8% shooting against Connecticut while holding the Sun to 18 points in the paint. Delle Donne will play tonight after missing the opener with an illness. Chicago has done well on this court against Minnesota, winning three of the last four here, including a 90-83 victory last season.
Wunderdog
Minnesota @ Detroit
Pick: Detroit -148
This is the third straight home game for the Tigers on a nine-game homestand. Detroit is #11 in baseball in runs scored, eighth in homers, plus top 10 in slugging. They go for the sweep here with the offense heating up, as Victor Martinez has homered in three straight games and is 7-for-12 in that span. Tigers' righty Justin Verlander is 15-8 with a 3.12 ERA in 30 career starts against the Twins. He faces a Minnesota offense that is #28 in runs, #24 in on-base percentage and #25 in slugging. Minnesota is 4-18 on the road and on an 18-39 run overall. Twins' starter Ricky Nolasco (4.87 ERA) has allowed at least four runs in each of his last four starts and was ripped for six home runs in that stretch. The Twins are 6-18 in Nolasco's last 24 starts following a team loss in their previous game. Nolasco went five+ innings against Detroit on May 1 and was reached for five runs on eight hits. The Twins are 3-9 in the last 12 meetings against Detroit and this is the end of a six-game road trip, so grab home field and play on Detroit.
Buster Sports
Penguins at Lightning
Play: Over 5
The series is tied at one after Captain Sidney Crosby’s first career playoff overtime goal gave the Penguins a 3-2 victory in Game 2. The Penguins have been the dominate team in the first two games out-shooting the Lightning 76-41. Look for the Lightning to open things up right from the start tonight as they play on home ice. Ryan Callahan returns to the Lightning line-up tonight which will give the Lightning more confidence with the veteran leaders presence. With goalie Ben Bishop still nursing an injury from early in Game 1, 21-year-old Andrei Vasilevskiy will be in net again tonight. He has stopped 63-of-67 shots since coming on for Bishop in the first period of Game 1. The rookie has looked great but tonight is going to be different. Just as in baseball, the hitters usually need a couple of looks at a new pitcher before they can figure out weakness. What he throws on different counts etc. No different in hockey. Now that the Penguins have seen Vasilevskiy twice they will have a way better idea on how to score on him. Especially the way they have been getting shots in the first two games. Get this line early as you might see some 5 1/2's showing up late. The OVER is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings in Tampa Bay between these teams.
The Prez
Tampa Bay vs. Toronto
Play: Tampa Bay +110
Tampa Bay and Toronto look to improve their standing in the American League East on Wednesday night when Jake Odorizzi and former Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey take the mound at the Rogers Centre.
Dickey (2-4, 4.31) was pitching on emotion in his last start. The Knuckleballer allowed just three hits and struck out six in eight innings of a 5-0 victory over Texas. It is worth noting that the win against the Rangers in his last start was his first since the first week of April when he defeated today’s opponent, Tampa Bay. Dickey’s last start was motivated by the fact that it may have been his last time pitching in Texas. The Rangers were the first team to give him a chance in the bigs 10 years ago when made his first start. The former Cy Young winner is now 41 and in the last year of his contract with Toronto and is throwing more fastballs that at any point in his career with the Jays. Dickey allowed a mere three singles over eight innings Friday night as he and his teammates put a 5-0 whitewashing on the Rangers. The right-hander struck out six and walked one.
"You never know when you are going to be back or get another chance," the former Ranger said in the post-game press conference. "There’s a chance this could be the last time I pitch here. … That felt very validating. To come here, to come out here where it all began. It’s a neat narrative."
The 40-plus year old Dickey isn’t likely to have the same blood flow he did in last weekend’s start, potentially his last for his first MLB team, in the Lone Star state. The Blue Jays right-hander is 0-3 with a porous 5.55 ERA in four starts (24 1/3 innings) at Rogers Centre this season. It is difficult to back Dickey in his current form and due to the lack of offensive production by the Jays lineup. Top of the batting order Josh Donaldson is a mere 1-for-21 in his last five games.
While Dickey continues to be the warrior he has been his entire career his 4.31 ERA is better than his FIP and XFIP, which makes him and the Jays a play against tonight.
Scott Rickenbach
San Francisco at San Diego
Pick: San Francisco
As long-time followers know I don't play big favorites but certainly the Giants are what I would call a "reasonably priced favorite" in a spot like this. San Francisco has Johnny Cueto getting the start tonight and the Giants are 7-1 in his starts this season including a perfect 4-0 on the road as he's turned out to be a great fit for this team after coming over from Cincinnati last year. With their win last night San Francisco has now won 6 straight games. Cueto has held the Padres scoreless in the 16 innings spanning his last two starts against them. San Diego comes into this game having lost 3 of their last 4 games. Offensive struggles continue to be an issue as the Padres have been held to 3 runs or less in 8 of their last 11 games. San Diego will have Drew Pomeranz on the bump tonight and he's had a solid start to this season. However, the Giants are a nemesis of his as the lefty has gone 1-3 with a 6.00 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP in his 5 career starts against San Francisco. The Giants are hitting .281 against left-handers which ranks them among the top teams in the majors against southpaws. They hammered Pomeranz when they saw him late last month while the Padres were completely shutdown by Cueto when they faced him in late April. Look for more of the same tonight.
Harry Bondi
HOUSTON -105 over Chicago
Tonight's White Sox starter, Mat Latos, is major league baseballs "worst" unbeaten pitcher. He has has 3 straight lousy starts in which he failed to get out of the 6th inning and deserved to lose all 3 but his team came to his rescue scoring double digit runs enabling him to escape with a win and 2 no-decisions. Latos' ERA went up 3 full points over the last 3 starts and eventually he has to pay the piper for his poor pitching and tonight's the night! Doug Fister, tonight's Houston starter, is the opposite of Latos. His numbers don't look impressive but he has been pitching very well lately. He has had 5 straight quality starts and won his last 3.
Chip Chrimbes
Mariners at Orioles
Play: Mariners
After getting swept in three home weekend games against the Angels the Mariners bounced back with a huge win (10-0) yesterday. Today they start Taijuan Walker (2-2, 2.63 ERA) who has dropped his last two decisions and has no record against the Orioles. Baltimore starter Chris Tillman (5-1, 2.58) has four straight wins and five straight quality starts. What is truly amazing is his lifetime record against Seattle a he is 6-0 with a 2.98 ERA in eight career starts against them. Maybe because it was Seattle that originally drafted Tillman 11 years ago. It all catches up with him today.
Bruce Marshall
Cubs / Brewers Under Under 8.5
The Cubs offense has suddenly gone on the blink, scoring two runs or fewer in four of their last six games, the latest a 4-2 loss on Tuesday at Miller Park. Now they face Brewers starter Jimmy Nelson, whose last two starts at home have been superb, allowing just two runs on each occasion vs. the Padres and Angels. Meanwhile, Cubs starter John Lackey has allowed just five runs over 23 IP in his last three starts.
GoodFella
Rays +110
I will continue to fade RA Dickey here. These Jays are not playing well right now & the Rays have had some good success vs Dickey. The Rays also playing good ball right now & I fully expect them to get to Dickey eventually. Rays SP Odorizzi has really limited these Jays over his career. Current Jays are hitting just .150 (113 AB's) with a weak .586 OPS. I look for Odorizzi to limit the Jays again & hand the ball over to the Rays best arms in their bullpen to close this game out. I have these Rays as a very live dog tonight & I'm on these TAMPA BAY RAYS in this spot on Wednesday evening.
Bruce Marshall
Yankees / DBacks Over 9
The D-backs have been scoring plenty of runs in this series and they might have to as the Yankees take their swings against struggling Arizona starter Shelby Miller, who has allowed a whopping 8 homers in just 35 IP thus far. But the D-back batters will take their chances against Yanks starter Nathan Eovaldi, who has also been hampered by the long ball (seven homers in 42 IP).
OC Dooley
Brewers +170
This daring wager is backed by a dazzling "13-1" pitching angle which will be detailed shortly. Despite leading the majors in overall record and run production the Cubs have suddenly lost two in a row with the offense producing just 3 runs combined. Last night Milwaukee's Chase Anderson actually NO HIT the Cubs through six innings. Arguably this is a law-of-averages wager as Milwaukee is on a nasty 2-14 skid in this series even though it is against a Divisional opponent and Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy (ex-All Star finally healthy) has HOMERED in 3 consecutive contests. The Cubs suffered a 1-0 SHUTOUT loss last time John Lackey took the mound. In the past three years after allowing "one or less" earned runs Lackey has gone a disastrous 1-13 if the next assignment is on the ROAD
Dr. Bob
Oklahoma City at GOLDEN STATE (-8½) (222.5 OU)
I have no opinion on this game. I do expect the Warriors to play better and in general the team coming off a loss in the previous game of the series is more likely to play above expectations. However, that’s already incorporated into the line, which is why Golden State is favored by 8½ points after losing game 1 while favored by 7½ points. I also favor the Warriors by 8½ points, with a predicted total of 222½ points, so there is no value in this game and there are actually no significant playoff situations that apply. The Warriors are 33-11-1 ATS when hosting a team coming off a win, but that’s not enough for me to have an opinion.