The Golden State Warriors have the daunting task of going back on the road after just defeating the Rockets forty eight hours ago. Jimmy Butler during the Rockets series did not make more then seven field goals from game two on. That makes it hard to clear a points prop, but Butler also has had a knack for setting the tone in a new series in game one. He also gets the edge as Minnesota has not seen him in a Warriors uniform. All four regular season matchups were played before January 15th, when he was a Miami Heat. Take his prop over in game one.

The Houston Astros have burned backers over the last week, losing three out of four to the White Sox, and dropping game one yesterday to Milwaukee. Pitching has been their main issue during their mini slump, but Hayden Wesneski has been consistent on the young season. In five starts he has allowed three runs or less in all. Back the Astros to even their series against the Brewers.

Certain players raise their game in the postseason versus the regular season. Aaron Gordon since his put back dunk to win game four over the Clippers, has surged in the points department. He scored 23, 19, and 22 to close out the series against the Clippers. Look for his confidence to continue in game one against the Thunder, as he goes over his points prop for a fourth straight postseason game.

Sunday, The Cincinnati Reds will aim to win their three-game series over the Washington Nationals. To begin the season the Reds were 0-5 in games with starter Nick Martinez on the mound, that changed in a 3-1 victory over St. Louis on Monday. Strikeout leader MacKenzie Gore also had his shortest outing last season against the Reds when he lasted just two innings. Back the home team here with Cincinnati.

Veteran players have that ability to preserve their energy for an expected long series. James Harden had been held in check from a scoring stand point in games two through five, averaging just sixteen points. His shot attempts were down, but in game six he took twenty shots his most since game one. Expect Harden to be ready for another big game tonight in a must win game seven. Take his points over.

For the first time since game one the Denver Nuggets are favored in their series against the LA Clippers. Typically, the home court edge pays off for the home team in game seven, but I’ll side with the Clippers here. Look for the Clippers to not make the same mistake as game five when they came out flat at Denver. Just like the Nuggets last playoff series when they were up 3-2 against Minnesota, they fall short in game seven. Take the Clippers.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have had an impressive ability to stay in games. Over their last six games, five have been decided by two runs or less. Today seems like the perfect spot for the Diamondbacks bats to break out and give their pitching staff a cushion to work with. Ketel Marte returned from nearly a full month on the IL, in last night’s one run loss. Additionally, Aaron Nola at this stage of his career has a tough time building off a quality start. Tail the road team here in the Dbacks.

Jabari Smith Jr. role has changed significantly from being a starter for the Houston Rockets. On the road in this series he has warranted an uptick in minutes where he is averaging 24 minutes. Expect his offense to be needed and the possibility of Smith finishing out the finally 4-5 minutes if a blowout does occur. Take his over in the points department tonight.

In game five the Denver Nuggets had so much success offensively that they got by with Nikola Jokic having an off game. The thirteen points he scored were the second fewest from Jokic since mid January. With the surging offense of Denver, the Clippers will be forced to make full team adjustments in particular on Jamal Murray. Look for Jokic to bounce back in the points department and clear his points prop tonight.

The San Diego Padres injuries with Luis Arraez, Jake Cronenworth, and Jackson Merrill took their toll, as the Padres were swept by the Tampa Bay Rays. After an off day look for the Padres to regroup behind ace Nick Pivetta. Additionally, Logan Webb gave up a season high ten hits to the Padres last year not once but twice in 2024. Take the Padres even if they continue to struggle at the plate in a 2-1, 3-2 type of victory.

Franz Wagner was fifteenth in the NBA this season averaging twenty four points per game. He has raised that in the first round by two points to an average of twenty six. With Orlando’s issues on having a third scoring option, it has raised Wagner’s volume shooting to twenty three shot attempts per game. Wagner also has room for improvement from beyond the arc where he is just twenty one percent in the series. Take his over in game five.

The Jimmy Butler effect is in play once again for game four now that he has been cleared. In game three I went the other way on the market reacting to Butler being out, and now will do so with him being cleared. As strong as Golden State’s overall record is with Butler in the lineup, Houston did go into Golden State and defeat them on April 6th. This is also the first time in the postseason Steph Curry has to step back on the court in a forty eight hour turn around, which has been troublesome for Curry during the regular season. Back the Rockets for the cover in game four.

Monday, the Detroit Tigers head to Houston after delivering a home sweep this past weekend over the Baltimore Orioles. Their long term success has featured wins in eight out of ten games. Last week I noted their strong ability on winning game ones in series, which they have now done eight straight times. This is where I step in and go against the trend. As great as Jack Flaherty’s numbers are, Detroit has not scored a run in each of his last two starts. Take the home price reduction here on the Astros.

The Tampa Bay Rays go into Sunday’s series finale against the San Diego Padres on a four game winning streak. San Diego began the series 12-1 at home on the year, and have already doubled their home losses on the year. The losses have been attributed to the Padres struggles at the plate where they have totaled just one run over their last three games. Take the Rays to finally win with Zack Little on the mound as a slight road underdog.

In game three the New York Knicks had four players score over twenty points, including OG Anunoby. Being aggressive in first quarters has sparked Anunoby’s success on cashing over in two of the three playoff games thus far. In game one he scored twelve first quarter points, and game three ten. Expect a more balanced effort for four quarters from Anunoby, as he eclipses his points prop for the third time in this series.