Love this spot for KAT who scored 20 points in game 1, despite not playing very many minutes in the 4th quarter. The Nuggets have struggled with bigs that can stretch the floor all season long, and I expect Anthony Edwards production to decrease as well. I think KAT could play more minutes and I believe he will be aggressive tonight, especially if Rudy Gobert misses the game.

I like this spot for Aaron Gordon to bounce back after a relative dud in game 1 of this series. Gordon played huge minutes and had a very solid opening round series against the Lakers. With Rudy Gobert missing in the Timberwolves lineup tonight, Gordon should have a lot more favorable looks and scoring chances. Look for AG to get us at least 14+ points in a must win game.

I typically like to pick on Sean Manaea, however to his credit has pitched well this season. Manaea's strikeout numbers are intriguing considering he is generating the second highest Whiff Rate of his 9 year career, thus suggesting he's actually running cold on strikeouts, despite averaging 9.2 K/9. I view the Cardinals lineup as fairly neutral and I believe Manaea is certainly wroth a shot at 4.5 against most lineups in his present form.

Luis Castillo is having a stellar season in Seattle and has proven to be one of the most durable and reliable starting pitchers in the league today. He has eclipsed 6 IP in four consecutive starts and 19/25 starts dating back to last season. Look for Castillo to earn another quality start.

Obi Toppin had a very good opening round series and was certainly a bright spot for the Indiana. Toppin came off the bench and scored 12 PPG in the series on 50% shooting. He is likely to have a much more difficult experience facing his former team the New York Knicks who pair an elite defense with the slowest pace of play in the NBA. Toppin averaged 1.2 made threes in the regular season, so this line would certainly qualify as lofty. The Knicks will try and make this ugly and they thrive in low scoring environments with minimal possessions.

Anytime were working with a K line of 7.5 or above, there is just so much that needs to go right. I would also argue that while Cole Ragans has pitched well, lines this high are reserved for the very best strikeout artists. Ragans has also been held under this line in 8 of his last 12 starts dating back to last season. The Brewers lineup does strikeout out a lot, however they also are dangerous as they as third in the the MLB in OPS.

Bryse Wilson has primarily been a relief pitcher over the last two seasons and is making just his third starter over the last two seasons. In his last outing he threw nearly a career high 91 pitches, which was the most pitches hes thrown in a game since July 7th, 2022. He's never thrown more than 100 pitches in his seven year career. Wilson will face a tough KC lineup that is 10th in OPS.

It's been a rollercoaster of a season for Max Friend who got off to a very rocky start, however the former All-Star has settled down and hasn't allowed an ER in his previous two starts/15 IP. There is a good chance that changes against arguably the most difficult matchup in the Dodgers who possess the sixth lowest K Rate against opposing southpaws, in addition to sporting the 5th highest OPS.

Dean Kremer has struggled so far this season and has failed to record six strikeouts in 4/6 starts. Kremer's 9.0% Swinging Strike Percentage is lower than his career average of 9.7%. He gets a plus matchup against a Reds team that strikes out a lot, however that is somewhat neutralized by this game being in a difficult pitching environment in Cincinnati.