We wonder a bit about trusting A's starter Luis Severino, who has not pitched nearly as well in Sacramento (5.30 ERA) as he has on the road (0.64 ERA). But the A's bulldozed thru the Chisox by a combined 23-4 across a three-game sweep at the Rate last week, and in Severino's last two starts (including at Sutter Health Park vs. the Mets on April 13), he's allowed a combined two runs in 13 2/3 IP. The A's also buried Friday Pale Hose starter Sean Burke last Tuesday, smashing him for five runs and six hits across just 3 1/3 IP in a 12-3 romp. Across Burke's last four starts, he's also allowed six homers in just 15 2/3 IP! Play A's on Run Line

Noting easy here for the Lakers, who needed the T-wolves to go ice-cold with their shooting to recover from the 117-95 Game One humbling and level this series heading back to Minneapolis. LA has been held beneath 100 points in each of the first two games, with Luka Doncic (34 ppg in series) the only Laker performing to near full-capacity. JJ Redick's bench has also scored a paltry 13 points in each of the first two games. Minnesota's length and athleticism is a bother to the Lakers, now it's up to the Wolves offense to deliver as in Game One, when Shaq's so-called "others" (such as Jaden McDaniels who scored 25 on Sunday) contributed in support of Ant Edwards and Julius Randle. Play T-wolves

The unders have continued to deliver in the playoffs and did again last night in two of the three tilts, now 13-6 in the first round. These Lakers-Wolves games have been at the forefront, real rock-fights featuring stifling defense, both unders as well. Three-point shooting became a real issue in Game 2 when neither side shot as well as 21% from deep. For the Lakers, they're only shooting 30% (21 of 70) from deep across the past two games. Moreover, the Lakers have been held to beneath 100 points in each of the first two games, and LA bench production almost non-existent (only 13 points in each). And, remember, unders are now 6-0 in Lake Show-Wolves games this season. Play Lakers-Wolves Under

So far, about what we expected in this series...not a lot of flash, perhaps to be expected with the Devils still minus Jack Hughes. New Jersey has missed its top scorer since early March and his absence is being felt in the playoffs; the Devils were already one of the worst five-on-five scoring teams in the league, and even with Dougie Hamilton returning to active duty, New Jersey's offense has yet to kick on in this series. Each of the first two games landed under and both of those included Carolina empty-netters late in the third period. Nothing wrong with the Devils defense and GK Jacob Markstrom, who's making saves at a .930 rate thus far in the series. Play Hurricanes-Devils Under

Offense remains an issue for the Devils minus top scorer Jack Hughes, scoring only once in each of the first two games and now looking up at a 2-0 deficit vs. the Canes. But New Jersey is hardly being skated off of the ice, and Jacob Markstrom (.930 saves in this series) is mostly holding his own in goal; remember, Carolina added empty-netters late in both Games 1 & 2 to pad the final margins. Recently-activated Dougie Hamilton did get an assist for the Devils in Game 2, and let's see how Carolina and GK Frederik Andersen fare at the Rock, after the Canes lost their last six away games at the end of the regular season. Play Devils on Money Line

Perhaps the Angels should have some No-Doz handy tonight at Target Field after taking a red eye flight to Minneapolis following Thursday's late start vs. the Pirates that began about hours later than it should. The free-swinging, homers-or-bust Halo offense has mostly stalled the past ten days and now must deal with Twins ace Pablo Lopez, who has been activated from the injured list to start tonight after posting a 1.62 ERA in his first three starts (the last of those on April 8). Meanwhile Kyle Hendricks has started to wobble in the Angels rotation, with an ERA of 8.00 while losing his last two starts vs. the Astros and Giants. Play Twins on Run Line

The first two games were conducted on a knife's edge, requiring OT in Game One and only miraculously avoiding another OT in Game 2 when Jake Evens hit the post from point-blank range in the third period. Washington is not outskating Montreal and the offense has been mostly quelled while having problems solving Sam Montembeault; of the six Caps goals scored across the first two games, one came in OT and another was an empty-netter. Logan Thompson in goal kept the Caps afloat in Game 2, but can he do the same at Bell Centre, which hosts its first playoff game with a houseful of fans since 2017 (remember the 2021 playoffs had only limited attendance during the Covid days)? Play Canadiens on Money Line

Though down 2-0, the Magic have at least succeeded in making this an uncomfortable series for the Celtics. Jayson Tatum (wrist) is once again a doubtful, and worth noting that in a game he also missed at Orlando earlier this season (December 23), Boston lost 108-104 despite 35 points from Jaylen Brown, who scored nearly the same (35) on Sunday when the Celtics won, but didn't cover, in Game 2. Though Boston had geared it down and rested starters in the 96-76 loss at Kia Center on April 9, the Celtics were 0-2 in Orlando this season. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are combining for 58 ppg in this series, and a little help from elsewhere might give the Magic a legit chance. Play Magic

Finally, Jacob de Grom started to look like Jacob de Grom last Friday vs. the Dodgers, allowing just one run and three hits thru 7 IP at Arlington. We'll take our chances with him in Sacramento, which hasn't provided much of a home edge for the A's, though they did win last night by a 5-2 count to set this up as a rubber match tonight. Even with that win last night, Mark Kotsay's team is only 3-8 at Sutter Health Park, and rookie JT Ginn had a rough go in just his second start last Friday at Milwaukee, allowing 4 runs thru just 4 2/3 IP before being pulled by Kotsay in a 5-3 loss to the Brewers. Play Rangers on Run Line

The overs were 2-1 last night, but totals are still dropping across the NBA first round, and Nuggets-Clips tonight is down from 224.5 in Game One, 217.5 in Game 2, to 213.5 for Game 3...and we don't think it's dropped quite enough. Some underlying reasons for the generally-lower scores, as it looks like the playoffs are being played differently; without the bottom-of-the-barrel teams like the Wizards and Jazz and Pelicans and Hornets to worry about, these better teams are mostly taking away the three-point shots from the opposition and turning the clock back to the 1990s. Most of these series have turned into rock fights; modern analytics again mostly disappear in the postseason, which is what we're seeing in this series. Play Nuggets-Clippers Under

So far this season, this matchup has been the NBA equivalent of George Foreman vs. Joe Frazier. Six wins, six covers for OKC, no margin less than 13; we hardly think a change in venue to the Bluff City will change the dynamics, either, as the Thunder won by 13 and 17 earlier this season at FedEx Forum. OKC's defensive length has wrecked the Griz, held under 100 points in the first two games, and with Ja Morant playing on a bad wheel, Memphis is fighting with a hand tied behind its back. The Thunder hasn't even needed SGA at his best (just 22 ppg the first two playoff games after 36.3 pg vs. Griz during the season) to pull clear. Play Thunder

Things aren't looking too good for the Griz. Perhaps the fact Ja Morant seems to be playing at less than 100% on a sore ankle has something to do with it, but it's probably just as much the disorienting defensive schemes and quickness deployed by OKC, which is also challenging the Memphis shooters from the perimeter and holding the Griz to just 16 for 65 accuracy (24.6%) that has disoriented Morant, Desmond Bane & Co. The lopsidedness of this series, a carryover from the regular season, might be a fitting way for a Griz campaign that jumped the rails and forced out HC Taylor Jenkins, to conclude. Unders are also 11-5 overall in the playoffs (2-0 in this series) entering Thursday. Play Thunder-Grizzlies Under

The TV pundits are watching a different series here than us; Winnipeg is up 2-0 but the Jets are hardly steamrolling the Blues in the process. Consider that Game One was tied 3-3 into the final two minutes, and the Blues were lurking menacingly the whole way in a bitter 2-1 loss on Monday. The Blues now get Connor Hellebuyck away from Winnipeg; d Hellebuyck's numbers (including a 2.43 GAA) are not quite as overwhelming on the road. Save for a few moments in the third period of Game One, the Blues have maintained their defensive rigidity and made it difficult for the Jets to navigate up the ice, and St Louis has won 12 straight at the Enterprise Center! Play Blues on Money Line

Instead of Paul Skenes, Halos fans get to see the Bucs' Carmen Mlodzinski before their team has to rush to the airport for a late flight to Minneapolis that won't arrive until Friday morning. Now, Mlodzinski and his 7.41 ERA should be a lot more palatable than Skenes for the Angels, who should have an edge with Tyler Anderson (2.08 ERA) on the mound, especially as the Halos have won all four of his starts. But the Bucs are bossing this series, rapping out a 29-7 hit edge in wins the past two nights as the Angels' free-swinging offense has stalled. Derek Shelton also isn't expecting Mlodzinski to go deep and will have his bullpen at the ready. Play Pirates on Money Line

With livewires Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek back from injury, the Wild's offense has a lot more bite, and Minnesota isn't limited to hoping to win by scorelines like 2-1 and 3-2. Matt Boldy has also scored three goals already in this series, and jumping on VGK for a 3-0 lead after the first period (extended to 4-0 of Game 2 suggests Minnesota is very much in business. Vegas has not been controlling center ice or living in the O-zone in the first two games of this series as it usually does. A full-strength Wild seems an even match, perhaps even with an edge if Filip Gustavsson (30 of 32 saves on Tuesday) continues to stay sharp in goal. Play Wild on Money Line