Bruce's Picks (1 Live)
Bruce's Past Picks
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
As the oddsmakers have adjusted the total to a series-low 213.5, we're compelled to give over another look. The Nuggets have been getting some extra contributions from unexpected sources, like Julian Strawther's 15 points off the bench on Thursday, and of course there's still Jokic and Murray, while five of the six scorelines in this series would have cleared 213.5 (though Game Three did require OT). We get the feeling that OKC has been performing a bit under capacity since Game Two, but the Thunder still has balance and documented explosiveness, and note the three games at Paycom Center have landed above 213.5. Expect this scoreline to come close to the near 248 pg we saw in the last three reg-season meetings. Play Nuggets-Thunder Over
Nice bounce-back yesterday for the Rays, leveling this Citrus Series by blanking the Marlins 4-0. That puts Tampa Bay at 25-5 the last 30 vs. Miami, and also on course to win its fifth straight series with another success on Sunday. Chances look good as Marlins starter Cal Quantrill has struggled, as his 7.00 ERA and 1.64 WHIP indicates he's a long way from the Quantrill who won15 games as recently as three years ago with Cleveland. Meanwhile, Shane Baz hasn't been especially sharp in his recent rays starts, but the bullpen was on the mark on Saturday and Kevin Cash will be very happy with four or five serviceable innings from his starter. Play Rays on Run Line
Detroit has an AL-best 30-16 record, winning most of tis series, and suspect they can get another of those in Toronto. Saturday's 2-1 loss was bitter, but the rubber match can be a different story behind impressive rookie Jackson Jobe, whose only rough outing can be excused for his first appearance at Denver (though the Tigers still won). Indeed, Detroit has won all seven of his starts, not a bad track record into mid-May, and wondering if the wrong team might be favored as Blue Jay starter Jose Berrios was hit hard by the Rays in his last start, allowing five runs and five hits in his last start on Tuesday in what turned into an 11-9 Toronto loss. Play Tigers on Money Line
Last night withstanding, we've usually trusted the Padres at Petco Park, where they're 16-6 this season, and reminded how they could bounce back from a stinging loss at home earlier this week when beating the Angels in the last two of their midweek set. Nick Pivetta has also experienced a lot more success on the mound at Petco, where he's 4-0 with a 1.42 ERA this season, and should get more support than Stephen Kolek last night, when the Padres didn't score until the ninth inning. They should do better tonight vs. Seattle's Emerson Hancock, off of a difficult outing vs. the Yankees on Monday when he allowed three homers in just 5 IP of an eventual 11-5 loss. Play Padres on Run Line
We know about Winnipeg's road struggles in the playoffs. On the ice, however, the Jets have been limiting the quality chances Dallas takes and there have been only four goals scored in three of the last four games in this series. That's the other trend to note in this matchup, as games have been lower-scoring, after the under cashed in all four regular-season meetings and four of five thus far in this series, only once climbing above five goals in any game. Stars goalie Jake Oettinger has been at the least matching Connor Hellebuyck throughout this series. Play Jets-Stars Under
Just how deep is this funk on the road in the playoffs for the Jets? Not just 0-5 this spring and outscored 25-8 in the process, but since 2023, it now reads nine straight playoff losses by a whopping 45-14 combined score. Connor Hellebuyck's form on the road in goal for the Jets has been a major concern, not at all reminiscent of his home form which includes back-to-back shutout of Dallas at Canada Life Centre. Dallas counterpart Jake Oettinger, however, with .916 saves in the playoffs, is exceeding Hellebuyck in the playoffs, and can't forget how the Stars took out Colorado at home in the first round thanks to heroics by Mikko Rantanen. Play Stars on Money Line
Keep riding the Twins? Why not, until this current hot streak ends? It's now 12 in a row for Minnesota after last night's 3-0 win over the Brew Crew behind a solid effort from Joe Ryan as the beat went on for the Twins even minus Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa, involved in a Thursday on-field collision at Baltimore. Minnesota has now spun back-to-back shutouts and tonight goes with one of its aces, Pablo Lopez, with a 2.77 ERA and 0.97 WHIP, and working into the 7th inning in recent starts. Meanwhile the 21-24 Brewers continue to flounder, and Saturday starter Tobias Myers doesn't give Milwaukee much work than do openers, with his ceiling usually four innings. Play Twins on Money Line
The Mets seemed to freeze on the big Subway Series stage last night, falling behind early and never catching up in the opener, but the pitching matchup offers a bit more promise on Saturday. Ex-Angel Griffin Canning has been a revelation, as the Mets have won in his last seven starts, the last five of those allowing just 4 runs across 27 IP (1.33 ERA). This afternoon in the Bronx, the pitching edge might be with the Mets and Canning, as Yankee Clarke Schmidt, though performing better in recent starts, still has a 4.73 ERA, and doubt he gets the sort of run support he has in his recent trips to the mound (28 runs his last three starts!). Play Mets on Money Line
Not the Bay Bridge Series these days with the A's de-camped to Sacramento (how about the I-80 Series instead?), but Mark Kotsay has just the man he wants on the mound after his pitching staff was battered the past two night by the Dodgers, allowing a whopping 28 runs. JP Sears has allowed only six runs across 28 IP (1.93 ERA) in his last five starts, all wins by the A's, who also check the "humiliation bounce-back box" after last night's humbling 19-2 loss at Chavez Ravine. Sears will have to outduel Logan Webb, who has been the Giants' most effective starter with his 2.60 ERA, but Bob Melvin's side has also been slumping, dropping five of its last six. Play A's on Money Line
Along with being down 3-2 and on the brink of elimination, the Leafs seem to have no answers for the Panthers, who have rendered the Toronto attack almost helpless as the series has progressed. Sustained offensive zone pressure has kept the Leafs on their heels, as we've seen far fewer rush chances up the ice by Toronto during the past two games in particular. The dam finally broke in Game 5 as Joseph Woll couldn't keep Florida at bay, and he's back in goal again tonight with Anthony Stolarz still out. With Pantehrs depth (14 different point-getters in Game 5!) and the Auston Matthews-Mitch Marner line doing almost nothing, the series seems to have gotten away from the Leafs. Play Panthers on Puck Line