Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Cincinnati Reds.

The Dodgers won Game 1 of this series by a score of 4-3, and we might expect another close game here in Game 2 at Chavez Ravine.

Tyler Mahle will toe the rubber for the Reds, and he's off to a hot start. Mahle (0-0, 0.82 ERA) allowed one run on four hits, striking out seven in five innings in a win over Miami his last time out. He faced the Dodgers once last year, allowing one run on three hits in five innings in a victory.

The Dodgers hand the ball to Kenta Maeda, who is coming off a loss his last time out. He gave up five runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings in loss at St. Louis.

Clay Bellinger (NL home run leader) left last night's game after being hit by a pitch.

Take CIN.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on [email protected] to go Under the total.

The Blue Jays earned a rare win at Minnesota in Game 1, and they send another hot pitcher to the mound in Game 2.

Aaron Sanchez will toe the slab for Toronto, and he's looking good so far. Sanchez (1-1, 1.69 ERA) has allowed three earned runs over 16 innings of work in three starts. 

The Twins hand the ball to Kyle Gibson, who is 2-0 with a 5.09 ERA in his last four starts against Toronto. He faces a Blue Jays lineup that is batting just .210 on the season.

These two teams have failed to reach the total in seven of the last 10 meetings in Minnesota.

Take Under.

GL,

Jesse Schule

8*

5*

This is a 10* play on Dallas.

The first thing I look at in any best of seven series is the goaltending. If I am going to consider the underdog, they damn well have the better goaltender. Now Pekka Rinne has had some success in the playoffs, but he's often hot or cold. He was 30-19-4 with a 2.42 GAA during the regular season, and at the age of 36 he still looks like a capable netminder. It might be a stretch to say that Dallas has the better goaltender, but Ben Bishop has better numbers. He led the NHL with a .934 save percentage, and his GAA of 1.98 was second to only Jordan Binnington, who started 15 fewer games. The Stars have arguably more high end talent on their top line with Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn and Alelander Radulov. This series isn't likely to be easy for Nashville.

Take DAL.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on [email protected] to go Over the total.

The Rangers shutout the Angels in a 5-0 win in Texas last night, but I expect both teams to score their share of runs here at the ballpark tonight.

Matt Harvey will toe the slab for LA, and the Dark Knight has fallen on dark times. Harvey (0-1, 10.05 ERA) allowed six runs on seven hits an two walks over 4 1/3 innings in a home loss to the Brewers his last time out.

The Rangers hand the ball to Lance Lynn, who was torched for seven runs on 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings against the Cubs in his last home start.

Take Over.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Atlanta Braves.

The Braves lost Game 1 of this home series versus Arizona, but I'll take them as a favorite in Game 2 with a favorable matchup on the mound.

Kevin Gausman will toe the slab for Atlanta tonight, and he's looked great so far. Gausman (1-1, 2.84 ERA) allowed four runs on four hits, striking out five in 5 2/3 innings in a loss to the Mets his last time out. He tossed seven scoreless innings, striking out seven in a home win over Miami in his season debut.

The D'Backs hand the ball to Zack Godley, who was torched for six runs on six hits and three walks in six innings in a home loss to the Padres his last time out.

Freddie Freeman is batting .429 with a home run lifetime versus Godley.

Take ATL.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on SF +1.5.

The Giants have won four of five heading into Game 2 in Washington, and they send a hot pitcher to the mound tonight.

Jeff Samardzija will toe the slab for the Giants, and he's coming off a gem in his last start. He tossed seven scoreless innings allowing just three hits and fanning seven in a home win over Colorado.

The Nats hand the ball to Jeremy Hellickson, who is also off to a good start to 2019. The veteran has only pitched eight innings so far, and he allowed a pair of runs on three hits in two innings of work at home.

Washington's bullpen ranks dead last in the majors with an ERA of 7.83.

Take SF.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Boston Red Sox +1.5.

The Red Sox and the Yankees are struggling so far. Boston has just three wins in 12 games on the road, while New York has just three wins in nine games at home.

Nathan Eovaldi will toe the rubber for the Red Sox, and the former Yankee has pitched just well enough for his team to win. While he doesn't have great numbers, the Sox are 3-0 in his three starts so far.

The Yankees hand the ball to J.A. Happ, who is 0-2 with an 11.25 ERA in two home starts. He was torched for six runs on nine hits in just four innings in a loss to the White Sox his last time out.

With all the Yankees injuries, I don't see why they should be a favorite in this game.

Take BOS.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on Cincinnati +1.5.

The Reds come into Game 3 of this series off back to back losses, but Game 1 was a close game decided by a walkoff in the bottom of the ninth. Another close game might be on tap here this afternoon.

Sonny Gray will toe the rubber for the Reds, and he's had a solid start to 2019. Gray (0-2, 2.03 ERA) gave up just two hits and struck out six in four scoreless innings in a win over Miami his last time out. Prior to that he pitched a gem in a 2-0 loss to Pittsburgh, giving up just one run on three hits while fanning seven in six frames.

The Dodgers hand the ball to Walker Buehler, whos is off to rough start to the season. The right-hander allowed five runs on five hits and a pair of walks in just four innings in a loss at St. Louis his last time out.

Take CIN.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on [email protected] to go Under the total.

The Pacers lost Game 1 by a score of 84-74, and yet the public is still betting on tonight's Game 2 to go over 200 points. I don't think Indiana is going to change a thing, coming out with every intention of muddying things up, playing down and dirty defensive basketball. The Pacers were the league's top defensive team in the regular season, ranking 1st in opponent's scoring average. Neither team shot the ball well in Game 1, and good looks will continue to be hard to come by throughout this series in my opinion.

Take Under.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 5* play on Over 2.5.

Manchester City returns home for this second leg match against Spurs needing to score at least twice to advance in the Champions League. If Spurs score just one goal, City will need three goals to advance. Needless to say, a conservative approach just won't do for the home side here. Fear not City fans, your club has the best home record in the Premier League, scoring 55 goals in 17 matches with a +43 goal differential. This should be an exciting match at the Etihad.

Take Over.

GL,

Jesse Schule