Scott Spreitzer
NBA
4-Unit Play: Take 564 Mavericks -3 over Warriors (9 p.m., Sunday, May 22)
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CHUCK O'BRIEN
TODAY'S PLAY
100 Dime Play: Rays Run Line
Line as of 7:50 AM Eastern: Tampa Bay +100 at -1 1/2 Runs
UPDATE: Tampa Bay is -105 at -1 1/2 runs at 5:25 am pacific
Special Instructions: Kluber and Watkins are your starters.
Today's Analysis:
Corey Kluber carries a 4.29 ERA through 7 starts into today's game. But remove his one bad outing this season, his May 10 start at LA when the Angels rocked him for 8 runs on 11 hits in 3 IP, and that ERA drops all the way down to 2.48.
Not a bad mulligan, right?
The veteran right-hander is 5-1 with a 2.94 ERA in 11 career starts against the Orioles, who are in the midst of a 2-7 slump.
Tampa had its 15-game series' win streak snapped with Friday's 8-6 loss, but the Rays rebounded with a 6-1 victory last night. They're on a 22-2 series' roll since the start of the 2021 season, and have outscored Baltimore 177-84 in that span.
The Orioles' Spenser Watkins' first 7 starts have produced an ugly pitching line: 30 IP, 33 H (5 of them HR), 20 R, 15 BB. That's 48 baserunners in only 30 innings of work.
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JAY MCNEIL
TODAY'S PLAY
The Pick: 100 DIME play on the Toronto Blue Jays (Kikcuhi) -1 1/2 runs over the Cincinnati Reds (Ashcroft).
The Line: At 7:15 am eastern, the Blue Jays are -1 1/2 runs, -125.
Notes: Both listed pitchers must start, or NO ACTION on this release.
Your Analysis
Cincinnati entered their interleague series with Toronto on a 5-2 uptick, and truth be told, they have had chances in both games this weekend to improve on that mark, as their pitching has only allowed 5 runs, but you cannot win if you do not score, and the Reds paltry 2 runs this weekend is the reason they have lost both of these games as they look to avoid the sweep in the TO.
Cincy's offensive woes go back a little further than just this weekend, as the Reds have scored one run or fewer in 4 of their last 6 games overall, and I do not think they are plating too many runs today against Yusei Kikuchi in the series finale.
Kikuchi has been on point lately as he is 2-0 with a 1.56 ERA over his last 3 starts, and his team has posted wins in 5 of their last 7 games as their pitching staff has allowed only 13 runs total - 5 of them in one game - over those 7 games.
Connor Overton was with the Jays last season and actually made 4 relief appearances. The youngster has looked solid in his action on the hill with a 1-0 mark in his 24-plus innings and an ERA of 1.82 so far.
He was SUPPOSED to be the Reds starter for today, but he is dealing with back issues, so Graham Ashcroft is getting the call to come up from Triple-A, Louisville to make his big league debut.
Ashcroft is the Reds #5 rated pitching prospect, but he is assigned a tough debut today and I do not think he is going to stymy the Toronto bats.
The runs may be hard to come by on both sides of the plate, but I have confidence in this Toronto team to be the team that winds up with 2 more runs than this Cincinnati team when the 9 innings of play today are over and done with.
Jays Run Line the Sunday call.
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GUS AUGUSTINE
TODAY'S PLAY
The Pick: 40 Dime New York Mets
The Line: At 3 am eastern, the number is -120..
Instructions: List Taijuan Walker over Austin Gomber.
Your Analysis
I'm playing the New York Mets over the Colorado Rockies today, as I like the pitching mismatch in this one. Which is why I want you listing Taijuan Walker over Austin Gomber.
Walker is 1-0 with a 3.52 ERA in five starts. But his ERA is inflated because of one bad start he didn't even take the loss. If you take away a brutal start in Philadelphia, Walker's ERA is a stifling 1.42.
I have confidence he'll be at his best considering he is 2-1 with a 2.43 ERA in six career starts against the Rockies. In four starts at Coors Field, he is 2-1 with a 2.63 ERA.
He'll get the run support he needs from the Mets, who have won eight of their last 13, outscoring the competition 62-53.
I like the Mets' chances against Gomber, who is 2-3 with a 4.38 ERA in seven starts this season. In his last four starts he is 1-2, while the team is 1-3, and his ERA is 4.50.
Play the Mets today.
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FRANK TAPANI
TODAY'S PLAY
Selection: 50 Dime - N.Y. Rangers
Price: At 6:30 am eastern time, the Rangers are -105.
YOUR ANALYSIS
Have to give the Carolina Hurricanes a ton of credit, as the 'Canes have held the Rangers to just one goal through the first pair of games in this series, as Carolina's defense has not given New York much time or space to get their offense untracked so far as the series shifts to the Big Apple for this do-or-die game for the home team at Madison Square Garden on Sunday afternoon.
Carolina has won ALL 6 of their home ice games this postseason, and they have also won 8 of their last 9 series meetings against New York dating back to their best-of-five "bubble" series playoff sweep of the Rangers in Toronto back in the 2020 campaign!
The problem for the Hurricanes is they did lose ALL 3 of their road games in the opening round in Boston, getting outscored 14-5 in those games in Beantown!
The Rangers were able to come back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Penguins in their opening round, but I promise you that going down 3-0 today in this series against the Hurricanes is NOT a recipe for success in this conference semifinal against the capable 'Canes.
New York did win 3 of their 4 home skates over Pittsburgh with the lone loss in the series opener in 3 overtimes. The Broadway Blues is a different team on their home ice - 30-10-2 this year! - and they had better win this game today or you can put a fork in this Original Six squad for any potential advancement.
Rangers to get it done.
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JEFF BENTON
TODAY'S PLAY
The Pick: 40 Dime New York Mets
The Line: At 8:15 am eastern, the number is -120.
Instructions: List Walker over Gomber.
Today's Analysis
I like the New York Mets over the Colorado Rockies.
I like Taijuan Walker over Austin Gomber.
Walker is 1-0 with a 3.52 ERA this season. Walker's lone win came on the road. Walker has allowed three or fewer earned runs in four of his five starts this season. Walker has allowed zero earned runs in three of his starts this season. In six career starts against Colorado, Walker is 2-1 with a 2.43 ERA.
Gomber is 2-3 with a 4.38 ERA this season. Gomber has allowed three or more earned runs in five of seven starts this season. His ERA in May is 5.00. His overall ERA ranks 12th highest in the league. He's allowed six home runs this season, tied for 19th highest in the majors.
The Mets have won five of their last six in Game 3 of a series by a combined final of 41-20. In those games they're hitting .283 and have hit six home runs.
New York is on a 13-1 run after a loss this season. In those games it is hitting .263 and has outscored teams by a combined final of 78-37. Three of those wins came by way of shutout.
Despite Saturday's win, the Rockies have lost nine of their last 12. Colorado has also lost 12 of its last 15 as an underdog.
Play the Mets.
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