Buster Sports
Ottawa at Pittsburgh
Play: Ottawa +180
We have a real live dog with the Ottawa Senators today in Pittsburgh. The Senators have played great hockey in this series and could easily be leading this series with a bit of luck. There is a ton of pressure on the Penguins to win today especially at home and the Senators know if they can get the jump on them they will have a good chance to win the series back in Ottawa on Tuesday night. The Senators split the first two games in Pittsburgh and this game will go right down to the wire like the first two in Pittsburgh. The oddsmaker has Pittsburgh at a minus 210 favorite and we are going to be the contrarian today and go with the HUGE underdog.
Ottawa at Pittsburgh
Play: Ottawa +180
We have a real live dog with the Ottawa Senators today in Pittsburgh. The Senators have played great hockey in this series and could easily be leading this series with a bit of luck. There is a ton of pressure on the Penguins to win today especially at home and the Senators know if they can get the jump on them they will have a good chance to win the series back in Ottawa on Tuesday night. The Senators split the first two games in Pittsburgh and this game will go right down to the wire like the first two in Pittsburgh. The oddsmaker has Pittsburgh at a minus 210 favorite and we are going to be the contrarian today and go with the HUGE underdog.
Dave Essler
Houston Astros -115 First Five Innings
We were right about Cleveland yesterday Musgrove kills me, Salazar does, too. What I really like here is the Astros F5. I think that Houston will get "some" off of Salazar and the Indians haven't seen Musgrove so he should have the advantage early. It's not like Cleveland knocked the cover off the ball yesterday, either. That F5 takes the Indians bullpen out of the equation.
Houston Astros -115 First Five Innings
We were right about Cleveland yesterday Musgrove kills me, Salazar does, too. What I really like here is the Astros F5. I think that Houston will get "some" off of Salazar and the Indians haven't seen Musgrove so he should have the advantage early. It's not like Cleveland knocked the cover off the ball yesterday, either. That F5 takes the Indians bullpen out of the equation.
Wunderdog
Colorado @ Cincinnati
Pick: Colorado +109
The Colorado bullpen had a rare meltdown on Saturday, but the Rockies still are 14-7 on the road, and look to bounce back with Kyle Freeland on the mound in Sunday's matchup. Colorado has won six of Freeland's eight starts, including a 6-3 win at Minnesota on Tuesday when he gave up three runs and five hits in six innings. The left-hander is 4-2 with a 3.13 ERA on the season and has allowed more than three earned runs only once. Bronson Arroyo is attempting to make a comeback this year, but hasn't had much success, and hasn't pitched as well as his 3-3 record indicates. Arroyo has a 6.31 ERA and has enjoyed a lot of run support, however, he lost his last outing, 9-5, to the Cubs when he allowed five runs and eight hits in five innings. The Rockies have won five of their last six after a loss, and the Reds have lost seven of their last eight games overall.
Colorado @ Cincinnati
Pick: Colorado +109
The Colorado bullpen had a rare meltdown on Saturday, but the Rockies still are 14-7 on the road, and look to bounce back with Kyle Freeland on the mound in Sunday's matchup. Colorado has won six of Freeland's eight starts, including a 6-3 win at Minnesota on Tuesday when he gave up three runs and five hits in six innings. The left-hander is 4-2 with a 3.13 ERA on the season and has allowed more than three earned runs only once. Bronson Arroyo is attempting to make a comeback this year, but hasn't had much success, and hasn't pitched as well as his 3-3 record indicates. Arroyo has a 6.31 ERA and has enjoyed a lot of run support, however, he lost his last outing, 9-5, to the Cubs when he allowed five runs and eight hits in five innings. The Rockies have won five of their last six after a loss, and the Reds have lost seven of their last eight games overall.
Jack Brayman
My free pick for today is on the Atlanta Braves, getting a big number at home from the Washington Nationals.
Atlanta shocked the Nationals last night, sending them to their fourth straight defeat. Now, catching a big number, I say why not take a chance here with a live underdog.
I won't list pitchers. After all, why would I care if Washington's Stephen Strasburg gets scratched? Am I worried? Not in baseball, where anything can happen on any given day. Just look how the Braves took care of Max Scherzer last night in this series.
The Braves showed us resiliency Friday night by scoring three times in the eighth inning for a 7-4 victory, and then beat Washington 5-2 last night.
Atlanta beat the Nationals for just the sixth time in their past 24 meetings. That, too, could provide a little motivation.
Washington is explosive and dangerous, I get it. But when it is slumping, you take advantage of prices and take a shot.
I'll do so with the Braves.
2* BRAVES
My free pick for today is on the Atlanta Braves, getting a big number at home from the Washington Nationals.
Atlanta shocked the Nationals last night, sending them to their fourth straight defeat. Now, catching a big number, I say why not take a chance here with a live underdog.
I won't list pitchers. After all, why would I care if Washington's Stephen Strasburg gets scratched? Am I worried? Not in baseball, where anything can happen on any given day. Just look how the Braves took care of Max Scherzer last night in this series.
The Braves showed us resiliency Friday night by scoring three times in the eighth inning for a 7-4 victory, and then beat Washington 5-2 last night.
Atlanta beat the Nationals for just the sixth time in their past 24 meetings. That, too, could provide a little motivation.
Washington is explosive and dangerous, I get it. But when it is slumping, you take advantage of prices and take a shot.
I'll do so with the Braves.
2* BRAVES
Brad Wilton
Sunday's Bonus Play will be to lay whatever you have to lay with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The # 1 seed in the East, the Boston Celtics had home court edge in this series, and that lasted all of about 8 minutes, as Cleveland has beaten them like a drum up and down the court.
The Cavaliers have humiliated the Celtics 2 times already, and are 5-1 straight up in this year's season series versus Boston, covering in each of the last 3.
Boston's main gun, Isaiah Thomas is now out with a hip strain that forced him to leave the game early on Friday. It really doesn't matter, as he wasn't a factor in either loss in Boston.
Cleveland is 10-0 straight up this postseason, and has now covered 8 straight in the playoffs.
Expect another blowout in Game 3 on Sunday night.
Cavaliers by 18 points minimum.
3* CLEVELAND
Sunday's Bonus Play will be to lay whatever you have to lay with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The # 1 seed in the East, the Boston Celtics had home court edge in this series, and that lasted all of about 8 minutes, as Cleveland has beaten them like a drum up and down the court.
The Cavaliers have humiliated the Celtics 2 times already, and are 5-1 straight up in this year's season series versus Boston, covering in each of the last 3.
Boston's main gun, Isaiah Thomas is now out with a hip strain that forced him to leave the game early on Friday. It really doesn't matter, as he wasn't a factor in either loss in Boston.
Cleveland is 10-0 straight up this postseason, and has now covered 8 straight in the playoffs.
Expect another blowout in Game 3 on Sunday night.
Cavaliers by 18 points minimum.
3* CLEVELAND
Eric Schroeder
My free winner for Sunday is the Tampa Bay Rays, as I'm taking them once again, after hitting them with my 75 Dimer yesterday.
The Rays are suddenly playing a decent brand of baseball, and today they're laying a value price at home against the New York Yankees. Riding a four-game win streak, I'll play the home chalk, as the Rays should have no trouble today.
I'm not listing pitchers because I don't really care who goes, but I can tell you I don't mind going against aging veteran C.C. Sabathia, who steps to the hill after bouncing back from a stretch of three rough outings. While he looked good in 6 2/3 innings of shutout ball against the Royals in his last start, he's still struggled more times than not this season. And now he gets a red-hot Rays team that is swinging scorching bats right now.
During this four-game win streak, the Rays have outscored the Indians and Yankees by a combined final of 27-17. During a 5-1 run against the aforementioned two teams, and the Red Sox, Tampa Bay has outscored its foes 45-27.
The Yankees have lost their last three games, and now play their sixth road game in as many nights.
Great spot for the Rays.
4* RAYS
My free winner for Sunday is the Tampa Bay Rays, as I'm taking them once again, after hitting them with my 75 Dimer yesterday.
The Rays are suddenly playing a decent brand of baseball, and today they're laying a value price at home against the New York Yankees. Riding a four-game win streak, I'll play the home chalk, as the Rays should have no trouble today.
I'm not listing pitchers because I don't really care who goes, but I can tell you I don't mind going against aging veteran C.C. Sabathia, who steps to the hill after bouncing back from a stretch of three rough outings. While he looked good in 6 2/3 innings of shutout ball against the Royals in his last start, he's still struggled more times than not this season. And now he gets a red-hot Rays team that is swinging scorching bats right now.
During this four-game win streak, the Rays have outscored the Indians and Yankees by a combined final of 27-17. During a 5-1 run against the aforementioned two teams, and the Red Sox, Tampa Bay has outscored its foes 45-27.
The Yankees have lost their last three games, and now play their sixth road game in as many nights.
Great spot for the Rays.
4* RAYS
Jeff Benton
Sunday comp play is the Over in the Rockies and Reds.
Yesterday, these teams combined for 20 runs, that after combining for 18 runs on Friday night. Both games easily making there way Over the total.
That makes 6 of the last 7 between the teams having landed Over the total dating back to last season.
The Rockies enter Sunday's series finale with 4 of their last 6 Over the posted price, while the Reds have played Overs in each of their last 6 games.
Your starters are Kyle Freeland and Bronson Arroyo, and while 7 of Freeland's 8 season starts have landed Under the total, Arroyo has seen 6 of his 8 starts play Over the total.
With both teams tearing the cover off the baseball, I say play the Over in the Rockies and Reds this afternoon from Great American Ballpark.
4* COLORADO-CINCINNATI OVER
Sunday comp play is the Over in the Rockies and Reds.
Yesterday, these teams combined for 20 runs, that after combining for 18 runs on Friday night. Both games easily making there way Over the total.
That makes 6 of the last 7 between the teams having landed Over the total dating back to last season.
The Rockies enter Sunday's series finale with 4 of their last 6 Over the posted price, while the Reds have played Overs in each of their last 6 games.
Your starters are Kyle Freeland and Bronson Arroyo, and while 7 of Freeland's 8 season starts have landed Under the total, Arroyo has seen 6 of his 8 starts play Over the total.
With both teams tearing the cover off the baseball, I say play the Over in the Rockies and Reds this afternoon from Great American Ballpark.
4* COLORADO-CINCINNATI OVER
Nelly
Celtics at Cavaliers
Play: Celtics +17
As great of a season as Isaiah Thomas had for the Celtics his absence could help the team compete better in this matchup after two lopsided losses at home to start the series. Thomas is pretty worthless defensively and Cleveland’s reliance on 3-point shooting benefitted from Thomas being on the court, leading to the amazing shooting numbers for the Cavaliers in the first two games. The oddsmakers have been burned by the favorites so far in the Conference Finals and they made sure they will ward a lot of serious action off with an outrageous price of -16 and higher for Game 3. The road teams have dominated ATS in the playoffs so far this postseason and this line is six points higher than an early November meeting in Cleveland and an over 12-point adjustment from Game 1 in Boston just four days ago. Boston was down 0-2 vs. Chicago and struggled in the Wizards series for stretches and this isn’t a group ready to hang it up. At this price even a marginally competitive game would lead to an underdog cover and only three of 10 playoff wins for the Cavaliers have come by more than this price. While Cavs/Warriors for the third straight Finals looks inevitable Cleveland is unlikely to outshoot Boston by 19 percent for a second straight game and more time for bigger guards Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier won’t be the worst adjustment for the Celtics, who need to slow the pace down to have a shot at getting back in the series.
Celtics at Cavaliers
Play: Celtics +17
As great of a season as Isaiah Thomas had for the Celtics his absence could help the team compete better in this matchup after two lopsided losses at home to start the series. Thomas is pretty worthless defensively and Cleveland’s reliance on 3-point shooting benefitted from Thomas being on the court, leading to the amazing shooting numbers for the Cavaliers in the first two games. The oddsmakers have been burned by the favorites so far in the Conference Finals and they made sure they will ward a lot of serious action off with an outrageous price of -16 and higher for Game 3. The road teams have dominated ATS in the playoffs so far this postseason and this line is six points higher than an early November meeting in Cleveland and an over 12-point adjustment from Game 1 in Boston just four days ago. Boston was down 0-2 vs. Chicago and struggled in the Wizards series for stretches and this isn’t a group ready to hang it up. At this price even a marginally competitive game would lead to an underdog cover and only three of 10 playoff wins for the Cavaliers have come by more than this price. While Cavs/Warriors for the third straight Finals looks inevitable Cleveland is unlikely to outshoot Boston by 19 percent for a second straight game and more time for bigger guards Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier won’t be the worst adjustment for the Celtics, who need to slow the pace down to have a shot at getting back in the series.
