Alex's Picks (4 Live)
Alex's Past Picks
No lineup in baseball at the moment is stingier when it comes to striking out than the Diamondbacks. Kirby is a quality young starter, but he's not a big strikeout guy and if we look at previous performances he tends to stuggle in tough matchups. Well, it doesn't get much tougher than the D-Backs right now. There are very few pitches I wouldn't fade at this number against Arizona at the moment.
The Phillies got off to a slow start offensively and also racked up quite a few strikeouts but have been significantly better recently, in addition to a a lot more stingy in the K department. The Phillies are 18th in K rate and just 16th in OPS against opposing right handed pitching, however they have scored at least seven runs in five of their previous eight games. Dylan Cease is off to a very nice start, however 8 Ks is just a big number in what I would consider a tougher matchup than most.
Jaime Jaquez has had a solid rookie season for the Heat and has stepped up in the absence of Jimmy Butler. That being said, I believe the Heat are going to face an angry Celtics team that is going to first and foremost look to smother Miami similar to their game 1 performance. Either way this is a big combo line for Jaquez who just barely eclipsed this line in game 1 while shooting 50% from the field. Look for another dominant defensive effort from the Celtics who looked vulnerable in Game 2.
Tyler Herro had a huge game 2 and led the Heat to a victory while splitting the series before heading back to Miami. This was a gutsy performance but I believe they caught Boston napping and I believe the Celtics will be motivated in game 3. Boston knows the key to stopping Miami is slowing down Herro and this is simply a big number for the combo guard.
I consider JP Sears a very underrated pitcher and this is often reflected in his pitching props. Sears is off to a solid start this season and has eclipsed this outs prop in 3 of his last 4 starts, all without throwing over 91 pitches. I would consider the Orioles a tough matchup as they boast a good offense, however they average the third fewest walks per game and they often swing at pitches early. I like Sears chances of starting the 6th inning barring a catastrophic outing.
CJ McCollum has had a rough start to the season and if the Pelicans are going to have any chance they will need a lot more production from him. McCollum was one of the Associations hottest players heading into the playoffs and was averaging close to 40 PRA over the final month and a half of the regular season. New Orleans is without their best player and usage monster Zion Williamson, in addition to Brandon Ingram being less than 100%. The Thunder have proven to be a tough team and matchup, but McCollum should be aggressive and will also have the benefit of playing at home.
Better grab this line while it's out as I do not expect to be 6.5 for long. This is simply too big of a number for Kikuchi who has been held under 7 Ks in 21 of 37 starts dating back to last season. The Dodgers are very tough on opposing southpaws and possess the 9th lowest K rate, in addition to the 10th highest OPS. It also should come as little surprise that the Dodgers lineup has solid career numbers versus Kikuchi.
This is a big number for Jalen Suggs who averaged 19.4 PRA in the regular season. Suggs has performed well in this playoff series, however he hasn't received an increase in playing time, and this series has been paced down and featured minimal possessions. The Cavs were routed by an inspired Magic team in game 3 and I expect a much better effort, particularly on defense, and this would certainly qualify as an inflated combo line for Suggs.
My good buddy and MLB expert expert A-Mags turned me on to this spot and it certainly appears to be a good looking spot to back Bailey Ober who has eclipsed this line in two consecutive starts. He gets another favorable matchup against an Angels lineup that is below average and ranks 19th in OPS. I like Ober's chances of starting the 6th inning today.
This combo line feels like a free roll considering how it is, in addition to the possibility that Kawhi Leonard may miss this game. Leonard is listed as questionable and he did not appear to be close to 100% in Game 2 where he shot 7-17 from the field. Russell Westbrook still logged at least 23 minutes in both games and in the event that Leonard misses Game 3, his usage and playing time are likely to both increase. Regardless of Leonard's status tonight, Russ appears locked into a 22-25 minutes off the bench and is certainly not shy or passive whenever hes on the court.
Tyrese Haliburton has been quiet through two games of this series. Haliburton had a fantastic regular season that saw him average 20.1 PPG and we're getting a sizable discount on this scoring prop. The Bucks really struggle defending opposing PGs and I believe the combination of going back to his home court will help Haliburton. I also believe Milwaukee has to adjust for Pascal Siakam which should help open things up for Haliburton from a spacing standpoint. Either way, I love his chances of bouncing back tonight at home and scoring at least 18+ points in the process.