Zack's Past Picks
The Toronto Blue Jays just had their winning streak snapped at four games in their last outing against the Yankees. Look for the Blue Jays to get back on track Friday against a Padres team that was shutout Tuesday against the Brewers. It was the Padres first shutout loss of the season, and now they will face a rookie pitcher in Yariel Rodriguez more comfortable in his second start. Take the Blue Jays as the road favorites.
The Milwaukee Brewers take their strong 7-2 road record to St. Louis. Starting pitcher Freddy Peralta in two road starts has allowed just two runs and had a combined nineteen strikeouts. Yet, his worst road start of 2023 was against St. Louis where he gave up six runs. His other road start against the Cardinals a gem outing was spoiled with a 1-0 loss. Grab St. Louis
Cleveland has the tough task of not having an off day as they head into their new series against the Oakland As. Look for their hot bats to aide any poor innings from starting pitcher Tristan McKenzie. The Guardians lineup is just two runs behind the Baltimore Orioles for most runs in the American League. This is also a heavy regression spot for As starter Joe Boyle. Take the Guardians on the money line.
Atlanta goes into the play in with a record of just 36 and 46. At ten games below .500 they lost the final six games of the season. Yet, this team has adapted after missing Trae Young for nearly two months. Furthermore, Chicago is a team they defeated at the United Center on April 1st by a margin of twelve points. Grab the generous amount of points here on the Hawks side.
Win or lose look for Coach Spoelstra to have a playoff twist to his lineup today. After all in the Heat’s last two matchup against Philadelphia they lost, and had issues scoring. Minus Terry Rozier someone else needs to step up. Nikola Jovic down the stretch of the season had three games of eighteen or more points. In the month of April alone he is averaging twelve points. Take his over tonight in the points prop market.
The Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago Cubs have had an exciting series that has featured two extra inning games so far. For the Cubs today’s game marks the conclusion of a three series nine game road trip. Prior to yesterday their bats had been quiet, where they had scored an average of under three runs their prior five games. After yesterday’s breakout look for the bats to continue to excel in a hitter friendly ballpark. Take the Cubs.
If the Sacramento Kings are going to defeat the Golden State Warriors they will need elevated play from Keegan Murray. Murray has the skills on both ends of the floor, and can help fill the void of being without Malik Monk. In the month of April thus far he is averaging 17 points per game. In a lose and go home situation look for Murray to leave it all on the floor. Play his over.
The Oakland As have been better than anticipated at 7 and 10 on the year. I expect that to be short lived, and for the Cardinals bats to have success tonight. JP Sears is coming off a one hit performance in which he was fantastic against Texas. Replicating a strong start that had potential for a no hitter is one of the toughest spots for a pitcher. Back the Cardinals.
When Chicago travels to Arizona it is one of the Diamondbacks highest attended series. The representation of Chicago transplants in the valley of the sun almost makes this a home game for the Cubs. Look for the Cubs to feed off that energy, as Chicago’s timely hits gets them their third straight victory.
An angle that has been profitable is to play against a team that played Sunday night, and is traveling for Monday’s new series. Here I’ll bypass that angle as the Padres have not stepped foot out of the state of California in their past five series. They have hosted three home series and went on the road against the Giants and Dodgers. Milwaukee has been feast or famine as well, as their last five wins they have scored seven runs or more. Look for Musgrove to settle in today and the Padres to get the win.
A constant for the Arizona Diamondbacks has been the ability to lean on Zac Gallen in home starts. Already on the season he has two of the seven total Diamondbacks wins, with both wins at home. Look for Gallen to remain sharp against the team that originally drafted him in St. Louis. Tail the Backs on the moneyline.
The Pelicans and Lakers are one of the few matchups where both teams have something to play for on Sunday. Veteran CJ McCollum has been in a zone down the stretch, where he has scored 28 or more points in six straight games. That is an asset you want to keep in rhythm approaching the postseason. Even with Brandon Ingram’s likelihood of playing, take McCollum’s over.
Similar to his first start of the season Matt Manning will be apart of a double header for the Detroit Tigers. In his first start he did not allow a hit but was pulled after 5 2/3 innings. Look for Manning’s second start to be a bit more problematic as his walks create run opportunities for the Twins.
After an off day I fully expect the White Sox bats to get back to their normal levels. Prior to their last two games, they had scored over three runs just once in their first nine games. Additionally, Chris Flexen in his first two starts has received zero runs, as the White Sox have been outscored 12-0.
The overnight spread on the Knicks and Celtics is mainly predicated on the Celtics insane home record. At this stage of the season the Celtics are in a different mindset, gearing up for the postseason. Look for a similar situation we saw in their last outing against the Milwaukee Bucks. For the Knicks on the other hand they are looking to solidify their team camaraderie with OG Anunoby back. They also are chasing the Bucks for potentially getting the two seed in the Eastern Conference. Lay it with the Knicks.