Stephen Nover

Expansion team Toronto is off to a surprising 3-2 start. The Tempo have been fortunate to play the Sparks in two of their last three games. The other game during this span was against the Mercury. LA is the worst defensive team in the WNBA. Phoenix is below average, too, defensively.

But now the Tempo draw the well coached Lynx, a team that has been idle since Sunday while Toronto is playing for the third time in five days - all of the games away from home - and in action for the fifth time in nine days.

It is a clear situational edge for Minnesota and I expect the veteran Lynx to take full advantage with a blowout victory.

Toronto is being carried by its starting backcourt of Brittney Sykes and Marina Mabrey. They are averaging more than a combined 46 points a game. They are good players, but that combined average is unsustainable especially when they start taking on better defensive opponents such as the Lynx.

Minnesota had the best record in the WNBA at 34-10 last year. The Lynx aren't getting much respect this season because superstar Napheesa Collier is out with an injury.

However, the Lynx still have many good players, including Courtney Williams, Kayla McBride, Natasha Howard and  point guard Olivia Miles, who has looked outstanding and is the favorite to win Rookie of the Year honors.

It is probably fitting that the Nationals are 25-25 given that they lead the majors in runs per game averaging 5.5, while having the worst pitching and fielding in the league. Washington gives up an average of five runs per game and has committed the most errors.

It is also why the Nationals have gone Over a staggering 68 percent of the time this year.  The Nationals are averaging eight runs per game during their last five games.

The Mets are 7-1-1 to the OVER in their last nine games. They are averaging 7.0 runs per game during this time frame.

Superstar Juan Soto is helping spark the Mets offense with five homers in his last seven games. He has been deadly against Washington, his former team, with 12 home runs and 26 RBI's in 35 career games.

The pitching matchup is David Peterson, who has been ineffective this season with a 5.40 ERA and 1.57 WHIP, against Cade Cavalli, who has a 4.05 ERA and 1.54 WHIP.

The Mets' bullpen is overworked, while Washington's relievers have the fifth highest ERA at 4.95.

I see no reason why each of these teams shouldn't score at least four runs. So I am going to ride the Over. 

(Editor's note: Stephen Nover is having a winning baseball season, is 38-25 on his last 63 NBA premium/free plays and 39-21-2 on his last 62 NHL premium/free plays with a Max Unit NHL Totals play heading up his Thursday card. Take advantage of Stephen's winning records and elite analysis.) 

After playing an exciting up-and-down, fast-paced series against the Sabres, the Canadiens now face the defensive-minded Hurricanes, who play a completely different style.

Carolina plays much more conservatively emphasizing puck-possession with unrelenting forecheck pressure. The Hurricanes are all about limiting shots on goal. They ranked first in that category during the regular season.

The Hurricanes have played fantastic defense giving up only 10 goals in eight playoff games with three of those games going into overtime. The Hurricanes killed 38 of 40 power plays (95 percent) during the postseason. Dipping into the end of the regular season, Carolina has allowed two or fewer goals in regulation during its past 12 games.

Carolina has had more than ample time to prepare its defensive strategy having not played since May 9.

Having been idle for nearly two weeks could mean a rusty offense for Carolina. The Hurricanes won their playoff series against the Flyers and Senators by defense. They only scored more than two goals in regulation (excluding empty-net goals) in just two of their eight playoff games.

Montreal has stepped up defensively in the playoffs. The Canadiens have given up three or fewer goals in 12 of their 14 playoff games. This was going against Buffalo and Tampa Bay, two of the top five scoring teams in the NHL.

Rookie goalie Jakub Dobes has started every playoff game for Montreal and has been solid with a 2.52 GAA and .910 save percentage.

Both young starting pitchers, Connor Prielipp of Minnesota and Payton Tolle of Boston, have shown good potential. But they are going to have ups and downs.

So I find this total too low factoring in the ballpark, wind and Minnesota's terrible bullpen.

The Twins have scored the ninth most runs. Byron Buxton is one of the most dangerous leadoff hitters in baseball.

Fenway Park is a hitter's park and the wind will be blowing out to left at 8-to-10 mph.

The Red Sox should get their share of runs against Prielipp, whose 2.88 ERA is negated by his 4.19 fielding independent, 1.4 home runs and 3.2 walks allowed per nine innings.

The Twins certainly can't count on a bullpen that has the third highest ERA at 5.00. 

In the bizarre world of scheduling WNBA games, Atlanta finds itself playing for the first time since Sunday hosting Dallas.

The Wings find themselves in a massive situational disadvantage. This is the third time they will be in action in the last five days. Dallas defeated the Sky, 99-89, in Chicago this past Wednesday.

Dallas and Atlanta have already met. The Dream defeated the Wings, 77-72, as 1 1/2-point road favorites 10 days ago.

Atlanta is the superior team and the spot sets up well for the Dream. The 2-1 Dream are off their first loss of the season, 85-84, at home to the defending champion Aces. Las Vegas pulled the game out with 3.6 seconds to play on a fadeaway jumper by Chelsea Gray.

The Dream are anxious to play again having had ample rest and preparation time. They have the league's third highest scorer in Allisha Gray, who scores 25 points a game, and will get back their second best scorer, Rhyne Howard. She missed the Las Vegas game because of a concussion. But she is cleared to play in this game. 

Colorado has been the best team in hockey this season. An upset home lost to the Golden Knights in Game 1 of this Western Conference Final doesn't change my mind.

Credit to the Golden Knights. But the Avalanche had not played in a week and the rust showed. They played well beneath their capabilities.

Expect the Avalanche to play up to their capabilities in this Game 2 knowing another home loss would put them in dire circumstances. I don't expect that to happen. It has been 25 games since the Avalanche lost consecutive games.

The Avalanche were 5-0 at home in the playoffs until losing to Las Vegas, 4-2, this past Wednesday. Only once in their previous nine playoff games have the Avalanche tasted defeat. That came against the Wild. Colorado won by three goals in the next game and that came on the road.

Star defenseman Cale Makar is out for Colorado. However, the Golden Knights are missing their injured captain Mark Stone. So these important injuries even out.