The Cubs are having no problems scoring runs in Miami...

Seattle might want to go incognito after last night's loss...

The Angels are prone to streaks and right now they're on a nice once. A 3-game sweep of the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine was followed by a 4-3 win last night in Sacto. There's a chance Kyle Hendricks finally gets some run support. He hasn't gotten much in his last two starts when the Angels scored only once each game. After banging out 23 runs vs. Dodgers pitching, the Halo bats are stirring, and Hendricks (3.37 ERA last three) should take advantage. Meanwhile, the A's have lost five straight, and Tuesday's starter Gunnar Hoglund is off of a poor start vs. the Dodgers, allowing four runs on seven hits in just 5 1/3 IP of a 9-3 loss. Play Angels on the Money Line.

Unlike vs. the depth-shy Lakers or depleted Warriors, the T-wolves won't have the same manpower edge against the Thunder. Still, there was very little to choose between these sides in the regular season, splitting all four of their meetings, and there are good defensive matchups on each of the featured scorers (Jaden McDaniels on SGA< Lu Dort on Anthony Edwards). If Minnesota might have an edge, it could be from frontliner Julius Randle, scoring at better than 23 pg in the playoffs, while OKC's three-point shooting (only 31% in the postseason) has been inconsistent. This one looks close In Game One. Play T-wolves.

This wasn't a slow-paced series during the regular season, though it's worth wondering if the Thunder could cause a fundamental problem for the T-wolves. Mainly because Minnesota has been prone to sloppiness in this postseason, despite advancing handily past the Lakers and Warriors. That's a concern vs. OKC, which has been adept at converting turnovers into baskets, as Denver found out painfully on Sunday. As it was in the first meeting this season when Minnesota was guilty of 23 turnovers in a 113-105 loss back on New Year's Eve. But in the subsequent three meetings, the Wolves averaged only 11 TOs pg, not necessarily finding it a problem. Note all four regular-season meetings exceeded this 216.5 tonight in Game One. Play Wolves-Thunder Over.

True, Florida did put six on the Leafs when wrapping up that series on Sunday (and another six past Toronto in the Game Five win), but the playoff trend the past two week has been lower-scoring. The Canes reflected as much vs. Washington, keeping the Alex Ovechkin line mostly in check the whole series and making it very tough for the Caps to score as they spent much of the game hemmed in their own zone. When the Caps did venture up ice there was always Freddy Andersen, looking comfy in goal, as the last blockade. Sergei Bobrovsky was also hot in the Florida goal as the Toronto series progressed and expect this East final to be a succession of defensive battles. Play Panthers-Canes Under

As of early Tuesday, Dan Wilson was still contemplating who might start on the mound for the Mariners tonight at the Rate. That might matter too much, however, because the Mariners are flying after winning again 5-1 last night behind Luis Castillo, on the heels of their weekend sweep in San Diego. (Wilson could make this a bullpen game tonight.) It's also a chance to go against the Chisox, always at risk of a slump because of an offense that has stalled yet again in the current five-game skid (just ten runs). Starter Bryse Wilson (ERA 6.00; hammered last Thursday vs. the Reds, allowing three homers in 5 1/3 IP), needs all the help he can get these days. Play Mariners on Run Line

Not so easy here for the Nats like it was on the weekend when they were gifted the skidding Orioles in Baltimore, taking advantage to record a three-game sweep at Camden Yards. Things get much tougher this week and especially tonight as the Braves have activated Spencer Strider off of the DL (hamstring) to make his second start of the season, while Atlanta has crept back above .500 with wins in five of seven. Note Strider was 3-0 in three starts vs. Washington when he last saw the Nats in 2023, while Mitchell Parker has cooled off in the rotation for Dave Martinez, as his 9.68 ERA across his last four starts for Washington would suggest. Play Braves on Run Line

A tantalizing price on the Tigers, who enter with an MLB-best 31-16 mark and just having won yet another series at Toronto. True, Keider Montero usually works four innings or so in his starts, but he did go an impressive 8 IP on May 8 in Denver during a win over the Rockies, and AJ Hinch has plenty of experience using his bullpen for extensive stints. Yes, the Cards have won 12 of 14, but they are off a loss on Sunday vs. KC. Sonny Gray's pattern in recent years has included some funks, which might have begun last Thursday vs. the Phils when he couldn't get out of the 4th inning after allowing 7 runs, and 3 homers. Play Tigers on the Money Line.

The "new manager bounce" already hasn't worked for the Orioles, who lost both Saturday and Sunday under interim Tony Masolino after GM Mike Elias hit the eject button on Brandon Hyde, as the Birds plumbed new depths when getting swept at home by the Nats. Not sure getting out of Baltimore and on the road, where the O's are 7-15, is going to prove much help, either, nor is turning to starter Dean Kremer (5.36 ERA), one of the rotation pieces at the center of the disappointment. At least the Brewers showed enough spark on Sunday to end the Twins' 13-game win streak, and recent efforts on the mound by Quinn Priester (1.80 ERA last two starts) have encouraged. Play Brewers on Money Line

The problem for the Pale Hose continue to revolve around a still-anemic offense that risks the team slipping into a steep descent on a moment's notice. After getting swept at Wrigley Field, the current skid is at four, with the punchless attack providing little recourse if the Sox fall behind. Davis Martin's 3.65 ERA might keep the Pale Hose close for a while, but don't envision the Sox bats doing much business vs. Luis Castillo, who in recent outings has done things like handcuffing the Rangers and Yankees (each held to one run across 6 IP). Mariners pitching continues as a highlight, allowing just one run in each of the games across the sweep at San Diego on the weekend. Play Mariners on Run Line.

Second-round Stanley Cup trendlines have trended so hard to the under that we're seeing out first straight 5s on the totals side for this Game Seven in Toronto. As Paul Maurice even noted after Game Six, the six goals his Florida put into the Leafs net in Game Five consisted of at least "four knuckleballs," as he though the Leafs actually played better than the 6-1 scoreline suggested. If Leafs GK Joseph Woll was rattled, he didn't look it in Game Six when blanking the Panthers in Sunrise to force Game Seven. Toronto still hasn't been able to generate an excess of shots at Sergei Bobrovsky, so expect the same pattern to surface in the Sunday night decider. Play Panthers -Leafs Under

The Leafs passed a real gut-check in Game Six to force this Game Seven. Toronto fans are hoping that Auston Matthews scoring his first goal of the series on Friday will kick-start the production from his line along with Mitch Marner. We're curious to see how Florida, which has advanced all the way to consecutive finals, reacts after being stunned at home. These seem to be some different Leafs than in recent years, credit to HC Craig Berube, who waved a magic wand in his first season with the Blues back in 2019, and there is a quiet confidence to GK Joseph Woll, which he displayed when coming back from a rough Game Five to post the Friday road shutout. Play Leafs on Money Line

The A's need to snap out of this mini-funk of four losses before it becomes more serious. They have the right guy on the mound for Sunday, as Jeffrey Springs has excelled in his three May starts in which he's registered a 1.50 ERA and 1.00 WHIP, all against potent foes (rangers, mariners, Dodgers) with his effort on Tuesday at Chavez Ravine maybe his best yet, lasting seven innings while only allowing one run and six hits in an 11-1 A's win. That's their last success, so perhaps Springs is the key. meanwhile, marginal improvement in recent outings by SF's Justin Verlander, though the Giants have still lost in five of his last six starts. Play A's on Money Line

Lots of OKC backers thought this series would be over by now, but Denver has had different ideas. Getting contributions from more than just Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, the Nuggets have forced a Game Seven. Though news that Aaron Gordon will be a game-time decision with his hamstring is a concern, even though it might surprise if he didn't feature. Still, if he's compromised at all, given the role he's already played in the playoffs, it;'s a potential negative for Denver. OKC has not really gotten in gear since Game 2, but at the outset we suspected that the Thunder's balance and depth would prove the difference in this series, and we're still thinking that makes the difference in Game Seven. Play Thunder