Every team in the NL Central has a winning record, and the leader of the division is the Cubs, who just swept the Diamondbacks over the weekend. The Diamondbacks have now lost four straight games and have fallen one game below .500. We're at that junction already speculating if Arizona is a .500 team this year, while I have high hopes for the Pirates to make the postseason. Bubba Chandler starts for the Pirates on Tuesday, and he's been shelled in his last two games, allowing nine runs total with three home runs allowed. He'll be more effective on Tuesday. Arizona has won Eduardo Rodriguez's last four starts, but he allowed 10 runs in his last three. Pirates continue their winning.
Three of the last four meetings between the Pistons and Cavaliers have stayed under the total, but one was as high as 239.5 and ended 114-110. We're looking at Game 1 set at 216.5. At the last meeting on March 3, the total was 228.5, and it was 113-109. In the regular season, that game stays under, but in the postseason, that game goes over. I like the Cavs to take the Pistons to the very end. I like the Cavs to run their normal game, and what you get is this Game 1 over.
The Rays have won four games in a row, and they have also won 10 of their last 11 games. They’re streaking, and I think I'm buying what they're selling on Tuesday. They've also stayed under the total nine games in a row. The Blue Jays have gone over Kevin Gausman's last four starts while winning three of them. The Rays have also won three of Drew Rasmussen's last four starts, and the Rays have gone over four of his last five starts. It might be time to lay off the total trend, but I think the Rays deserve another wager on Tuesday.
Logan Gilbert has lost four of his seven starts this year, but he’s a huge favorite against the Braves, who have baseball's best record at 25-10. The Mariners are 16-19 and only 10-10 at home. If you bet the Braves all season, your profit margin is plus-796, but if you bet the Mariners, you're minus-804. The Braves have been doing it with their hitting (No. 1 in hitting at .276), but their pitching has been the main source of their success as they are No. 2 in baseball with a 3.19 ERA. The Braves have won both of JR Ritchie's starts this year. Braves at plus money is a play.
The 76ers carry some serious momentum into the playoffs, having won their last three games against the Celtics and three of four at Boston. The reason I like the Sixers in this series is that they're healthy and they hung tough with the Knicks this season, winning both games in New York. They lost by three in Philadelphia on January 24th and lost on February 11th when Paul George and Joel Embiid did not play. The Knicks also won three straight against the Hawks, but I think a healthy Embiid tilts the scales for the Sixers in this series, and it starts by winning game one. This is the highest spread in all their meetings this season. Sixers plus the points.
The Rays have won their last three and nine of their last 10, but this bet is more focused on the under. They've stayed under in their last eight games in a row. Nick Martinez comes off a 1-0 win at Cleveland, and he's got a 1.70 ERA with five of his six starts staying under. The only one that got over went into extra innings when the Rays beat the Yankees, 5-4. This looks like a good under.
The Rays are playing some of the best baseball in the league (21-12) with a just completed sweep against the Giants and winning nine of their last 10. Pitching has been the star of the Rays run, and they've kept their last eight games under the total. Nick Martinez has a 1.70 ERA, which is the fifth-best in baseball. He comes off his best start of the season, a 1-0 victory at Cleveland, where he went seven innings, giving up only three hits. The Rays have won five of the six starts. The Rays get the win against Toronto.
The Pistons have won the last two games to erase a 3-1 deficit the Magic had and force a Game 7 today. The Magic's Game 6 collapse will spill over into today's game as well. It was one of the more memorable playoff collapses, where they shot 35% and only 25% from three on 36 attempts. They were trying to score, but it wasn't happening as they only scored 19 points in the second half. The Pistons shot only 40% and won the game by 14. Detroit's at home, they've been the best team in the East all year, and this is their moment to prove themselves. Pistons to cover.
The Mets have gone 4-5 since Juan Soto returned to the lineup, and he's got a five-game hitting streak going into tonight’s game at the Angels. He's increased his average to .344 on the season during his last five that has seen him go 8-for-15 with two home runs and two doubles. Soto is ripe right now and should continue to mash. Over 1.5 total bases.
The Mets have won four straight meetings over the Angels, but the Angels have a half-game lead head-to-head in the standings at 12-21. The attraction for the Mets today is RHP Nolan McLean, who the Mets have lost four straight behind, but he's been stingy. He battles in every game and has allowed only 10 runs in his six starts this season. Lefty Reid Detmers has allowed seven runs over its last two starts, both of which were Angels losses. The Mets are 4-5 since Juan Soto returned to the lineup, and I expect him to have a good game tonight. The Angels have lost 7 straight. Mets to win.
It’s Game 7 with the 2026 version of the Sixers-Celtics rivalry. The loser goes home for the summer. The Celtics have lost the last two games badly, but they’re at home for this one. The Sixers look like they want it more. The two squads have gone under in eight of their last nine meetings, including five of six in this series. The total of the last game was 213.5, and it still went under. Playoff basketball sees more situational defense, but when the numbers are too low, like this one at 204.5, I have to go over.
The Royals have stayed under the total in 58% of their games, and they have great under weather in Seattle tonight at 70° with winds blowing in from left field at 8 mph with only 7% chance of rain. Cole Ragans looked like his 2025 self in his last start, allowing one run and striking out 11 over six innings against the Angels. Bryan Woo is a much better pitcher at home, and in two starts this year, he has a 2.77 ERA and 15 strikeouts. Under is the play.
It's expected to be 60° at Fenway Park tonight with winds blowing out to right field at 5.8 mph and no chance of rain. This is nice over weather, and the Astros are the best over team in baseball at 23-9. They produce a total of 11.31 runs per game. The Astros have lost Mike Burrows' last four starts, with him allowing a total of 15 runs. Jake Bennett is expected to make his MLB debut after being called up from Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday. The total number is going to keep crawling up as long as the Astros keep going over, but it hasn't gone up high enough yet. Just the over.
Zac Gallen has stayed under the total in his last five starts, but this is an Arizona team that puts up 10.2 runs per game, allowing 5.5 runs, and has gone over the total 18 times. The Cubs have gone over 20 times, scoring 5.45 runs per game. But the total sits at 7 because the wind is blowing in at 10 miles per hour. Arizona's bullpen is awful, ranking 25th with an ERA at 5.03, and they've allowed 10 runs or more in four of their last nine games. The bullpen needs some help, and it needs more than backup catcher James McCann pitching in four games this year. Over is the play.
Andrew Abbott is 0-2 this year with a 6.59 ERA, but the Reds have won three of his last four starts because they simply outscore their opponents. Abbott has gone over the total in his last five starts, and most of it is attributed to Abbott. In his first start against Boston, he pitched six innings and allowed no runs, and it looked like he was continuing his fantastic 2025, but it turned for the worse as he's allowed 22 runs in his last five starts. Rockies starter Michael Lorenzen has allowed 21 runs between his last five starts. Over is the play with a slight lean to the Rockies.