Zack's Picks (1 Live)
Zack's Past Picks
We saw the San Francisco Giants lose yesterday as heavy favorites with Robbie Ray on the mound. That creates a bit of value today on a much favorable price point with Hayden Birdsong making his third start of the season. As sharp as Ryan Weathers has been he saw the same opponent twice in the Cubs, and his old team in the Padres. Take the Giants to bounce back from yesterday’s poor loss.
We will likely see a strong pitching matchup today in Atlanta. Bryce Elder has fared well at home where he has allowed two runs or fewer in his last three home starts. On the other side Garrett Crochet has had misfortune where the Red Sox have not backed him up at the plate. This occurred against the Braves three starts ago, where Crochet received just two runs of support. Expecting this dip to end today as Crochet gets his first win since May 10th.
When it comes to closing out a series the Indiana Pacers need Andrew Nembhard playing his best basketball. He did so in the last round against Cleveland where he scored 18 points in game five. He also scored fifteen in game five in the first round to close out the Milwaukee Bucks. Look for Nembhard to end his three game mini slump where he has shot just 6 for 27 from the floor. Play his points over.
OG Anunoby continues to frustrate in the points prop market as he has went under in four out of the five matchups. Yet, there’s an aggressiveness to his offense over the last two games, where he has taken fourteen and sixteen shots. Look for Anunoby to finally get some consistency from beyond the three point line where he has went just two of fourteen for the past two games. Grab Anunoby to clear his points prop.
Friday, the Houston Astros got some late magic to defeat the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1. Close victories are what the Astros have produced in Colton Gordon’s first three starts, with two one run victories and another by two runs. Take the Astros who are now in first place of the AL West, to end the Rays six game winning streak with Zack Littel on the mound.
It’s win or go home tonight for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Their star player Anthony Edwards will need to be assertive early on. That was not the case in game four as his first shot came within the final minute of the first quarter. Expect the aggressiveness we saw in game two where Edwards took ten first quarter shots, and that opened up his game for the final three quarters. Take Edwards over in game five tonight.
The Detroit Tigers cashed as a slight home underdog yesterday to boost their stout home record to 20-8 on the season. Look for that to be put to the test this morning as Jackson Jobe looks to shake off his first loss on the season. Expect some early runs to help the Giants shake off a downturn at the plate where they have scored two runs or less in four straight games. Take the Giants.
The prop market backers of OG Anunoby in the Eastern Conference Finals have seen him come right under his points prop in all three games. He’s scored exactly 16 points in each of the first three games. Game three was his most efficient as he shot six of nine from the floor, but did not score in the fourth quarter. That was because of the hot shooting Karl Anthony Towns who put in twenty in the fourth quarter alone. Look for Anunoby to continue his effectiveness but have more attempts tonight.
The Indiana Pacers are a team full of talent and depth, but Pascal Siakam needs to be the center piece to their offense. We saw his explosive game two, but in game three he took just fourteen shots the entire night. Look for Tyrese Haliburton and his Pacers teammates to feed Siakam early and force his hand on being aggressive. Play his over in game four.
Prior to game three’s loss to Minnesota, SGA had scored 30 or more points in nine out of his last eleven playoff games. The other two occurrences he went under were games three and four on the road against Denver. Look for the same scenario as Minnesota forces other Thunder players to beat them versus SGA, who scores in the 20’s but falls short of his points prop.
One of the streak attractions today lies with the Tampa Bay Rays in a two-fold scenario. The Rays have shot up to second place in the AL East thanks to a five game winning streak, and won yesterday in dominating fashion over the Blue Jays 13-0. Their winning streak matches that the Rays have won each of the last five starts with Zack Littel as starting pitcher. Look for those streaks to come to an end against a Twins team that got to Littel for four runs in the first two innings last September. Take Minnesota
A strong pattern in MLB is not only riding a team during their hot streak, but fading once the winning streak ends. The LA Angels enjoyed a strong eight game winning streak where they won seven of those eight games on the road. Miami ended that streak yesterday, and are having success at the plate with four or more runs in both games against the Angels. Look for that success to continue against Kyle Hendricks. Tail the Marlins here.
The Oklahoma City Thunder head to Minnesota for game three with Jalen Williams seeking to shake the inconsistency playoff label. His last two road games he scored just six and ten points against the Denver Nuggets, and was a big reason why they were ineffective. This series against the Timberwolves appears to be different. Williams is doing it all with an average of 23 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. Impact play continues as Williams gets past his points prop on the road.
The San Diego Padres ended their six game skid in yesterday’s victory, but still remain in a difficult spot in Atlanta. Starter Michael King has had an uptick in hits and runs over his last three starts. Look for Ozzie Albies to capitalize as he does have a three run homer against King in his career, and is on a season best nine game hitting streak. Sprinkle here on Albies for a home run.