41 Expert Picks

Think the Canucks are toast in this series with No. 1 goaltender Thatcher Demko ruled out for Friday after also missing Game 2 with an injury -- and it sounds like he will not return this series after winning the opener. Casey DeSmith is a solid No. 2 but a massive downgrade as we saw in Game 2 when he allowed a goal on Nashville's first shot as the Preds won 4-1 in Vancouver. DeSmith also struggled some at the end of the regular season. Really tough break for the Pacific Division champs.

The Sunshine State series is being conducted in close quarters, with plenty of tight checking and not much room for the respective snipers to operate. Defense has been the name of the game as each of the first two games landed 3-2 in Florida's favor, and both goalies (Sergei Bobrovsky and Andrei Vasilevskiy) looking sharp beat. If there might be an edge with the series shifted to Tampa, it's the absence of Panthers forward and catalyst Sam Bennett, out at least a week with what appeared a wrist injury suffered in Game 2. In a series of such tight margins, the absence of a key cog like Bennett looms large, and the Lightning will play with real urgency tonight. Play Lightning on Money Line

Are the Knicks better than everyone thought...or are they simply tempting fate? Leaving it late as in Game 2 suggests that maybe it's the former, as even with Jalen Brunson shooting only 29% from the floor in the series (and just 7 of 28 in Game 2), New York still forged a 2-0 lead at MSG vs. the Sixers. Or, are the Knicks standing on the precipice, risking everything collapsing if Brunson doesn't begin to ignite like he did prior to the playoffs, when scoring nearly 36 pg in the first half of April? There are plausible explanations both wasy, but we do know both previous games cleared 204, and each was trending strongly "over" prior to Monday's game. Play Knicks-Sixers "Over"

The Padres have beaten the Rockies seven out of eight times. Randy Vasquez made his first start for the Padres and lost to Toronto 5-2 allowing four runs in five innings. But the bet here is against Dakota Hudson who hasn't won in four starts for the Rockies and it's been him that's been the culprit of the losses. He's allowed 15 runs in four starts already. I'm taking the Padres.

The Royals like winning better than losing, they've won the last two against the Blue Jays after losing seven straight to them between last year and this year. It's a new brand of Royals. But Jose Berrios is on another planet. He hasn't allowed a run in his last three starts and has allowed three runs total on the season. He's won all five of his starts. It's the best run of his career. So I'm not betting against him and I don't care who is pitching for the Royals. He's cheap and he's on a vibe that I'm going to ride. Blue Jays to win.

A team returning home down 0-2 in the series is very much a system play that I have to trust. These Game 3 situations tend to get the group as motivated as they'll ever be to avoid falling into an 0-3 hole. These two teams met last season in the first round. Carolina took the first two games at home, the series went to New York, and the Islanders won Game 3 5-1. I am bumping this down to a .5u play because the way Game 2 ended could just be so demoralizing for the Isles, but I'm expecting a spirited and aggressive effort to make this a series.

Bryce Harper is back from the paternity list and ace Zack Wheeler is on the hill for the Phillies. Anytime I can play the Phils' first five and avoid their still very shaky bullpen is just fine by me. Wheeler took a no-hitter into the eighth inning last time out but that almost doesn't count because it was against the White Sox. He has a 2.98 ERA career vs. the Reds.

End of a seven-game trip for the Brewers so a natural letdown spot ahead of a return home for one of the series of the season vs. the Yankees. A couple of regulars are getting the day off and Christian Yelich remains out injured. Just found out the Pirates are the only team in the majors this season to not lose a game where they scored at least four runs. Starting pitcher Mitch Keller is is 8-4 with a 3.09 ERA in 16 starts at PNC Park since the beginning of last season. That home ERA since the beginning of last year is the ninth-best in all of MLB among pitchers with at least 100.0 innings.

By this point, the White Sox must be feeling like the old Washington Generals, as almost every opponent might as well be the Harlem Globetrotters. It's now losses in 21 of 24, and of the last 18 defeats, 15 of those have been by more than one run. A recovery on Thursday with ex-Brave Michael Soroka on the mound seems remote with Soroka having posted a 7.50 ERA and 1.79 WHIP, and the host Twins looking for a four-game sweep. Minnesota also can't wait for another look at Simeon Woods Richardson, making his first start since April 13 vs. the Tigers, when allowing just one run and two hits in 6 IP of a 4-1 win. Play Twins on Run Line

The Cavaliers took care of business at home, winning the first two games of this series. The Magic were only 18-23 on the road during the regular season. Things now shift to Orlando, where the Magic had a stellar 29-12 home record. These two teams are too evenly matched for the Cavaliers to put the Magic on the brink of being swept. Play the home team to win.

Nestor Cortes Jr. has logged at least seven innings in two of his last three starts. Both of those games came at home, where he had a 1.18 WHIP last year. On the road, he had a 1.35 WHIP. This is a great spot for him to give the Yankees some length again, given that the Athletics have the third-worst OPS in baseball. The Athletics will also likely be without their best hitter Zack Gelof (oblique), who might land on the injured list.

Beena few days since he hit one to the second deck but Alex Wood will give him a chance to duplicate that tonight. The Bronx crowd is loving on Soto every chance it gets and he has two bombs in 17 career ABs against this struggling starter and I smell a pullside HR over the short porch in left. Lefties have a 1.057 OPS vs Wood who is getting smoked but allowing just 3 HRs thus far ... But he ain't in that huge park in Oakland tonight.

Freddy Peralta has been electric and he is anything but a slow starter. He's been on coming out of warms every start this season and this is a lineup he has dealt with in the past. His numbers through the first 5 innings of games have been ridiculous - a 0.90 ERA allowing just 9 hits in 72 batters faced, with an opposing slashline of: .132/.181/.213. That's a 394 OPS, folks. Brewers have been one of MLBs best clutch teams with runners on base and Adames, Contreras, Turang and Wiemers have combined for 4 HRs in 33 career ABs vs Mitch Keller, allowing a .286 BA in innings 1-5 with a 4.68 ERA

Nikola Jokic averaged 26.4 points over 35 minutes per game during the regular season. Now that the playoffs are here, Jokic will spend even more time on the court. He logged at least 39 minutes in both of the first two games of this season. That enabled him to score 32 points in Game 1 and 27 points in Game 2. The Lakers need a win to have any chance of making a comeback in this series, so expect this to be a close battle. That should lead to enough minutes and shot attempts for Jokic to hit this over.

I have some issues with the Phillies bullpen and games can get turned around quickly in this tiny stadium and the Reds have some mashers, but I like the chasm in quality between these starting pitchers and scratching out a few early runs can cash for us here. Wheeler has been special, allowing a .157/.208/.213 slashline in innings 1-5 with a 1.44 ERA. I don't think the Reds starter can keep pace