Rating: 2 Units

There wasn’t a whole lot to write home about offensively in Game 1 for either side. Both teams shot below 45% from the field and under 33% from beyond the arc. There has to be some positive regression for both teams in this contest but the fact remains that New Orleans is going to have to control the glass as they did in Game 1 to keep them in the mix. Oklahoma City has the best player on the floor with Gilgeous-Alexander and if their youth shakes off the rough shooting night in the opening game of the series, they should take the victory at home. With that said, expect the Pelicans to keep it close and cover the line. Straight up, the Thunder are the call but getting this many points after hanging tough in the opener, take the Pelicans with the points.

MLB Free Pick - Baltimore at LAA

The O's rank 15th in OBP (.316), 2nd in OPS (.780), 1st in home runs (35), and 2nd in RBI (123). Baltimore's pitching staff sports a 3.84 ERA (12th) and 1.18 WHIP (5th) in 2024. Kremer will take the hill for the visitors this afternoon in SoCal. The fifth-year pro went 5-3 with a 3.73 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in 13 road starts last year. In his most recent appearance on April 19, he held Kansas City to three runs on two hits and three walks in 5.2 innings. Kremer has faced the Angels three times in his career (2-0 with a 1.76 ERA in 15.1 IP), holding them scoreless twice.

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Rating: 2 Units

Sox need a bullpen game and could be without Casas and possibly Devers. Carrasco fared well enough in his last start and while pitching against the same club in consecutive outings can be challenging, the Sox haven't had enough continuity in their lineup to expect an improved performance this time around. Besides, the veteran righty has looked much better since returning in 2024 and has an elite bullpen backing him up. Cleveland's pen sports a 2.11 ERA and 1.03 WHIP with the most Ks and fewest HR allowed. The Guardians will string together enough hits against Boston's group of relievers to outlast them at home. They rank fifth in hits, sixth in total bases, and ninth in stolen bases per game this year. They're crushing lefty pitchers (.304/.365/.469/.834) and have performed well under the lights (.267/.333/.434/.767), as well. 16-6 both straight-up and against the spread.

Rating: 2 Units

Montgomery (1-0, 1.50 ERA) won his first start for Arizona over the San Francisco Giants on Friday. He will make his second today as the Diamondbacks face the St. Louis Cardinals to close their three-game road series. The Cardinals won the series opener 5-3 on Monday and the Diamondbacks rolled to a 14-1 victory Tuesday. Montgomery, who spent the bulk of last season with the Cardinals before his trade to the Texas Rangers, went six innings in his first start for the Diamondbacks. He held the Giants to one run on four hits while striking out three and walking nobody. The Cardinals will start Kyle Gibson (1-2, 5.04), who delivered a quality start in his last outing, a 2-1, 10-inning loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday. Gibson allowed one run on three hits and four walks over six innings while getting in sync with catcher Willson Contreras. He is 3-3 with a 2.75 ERA in six career starts against the Diamondbacks.

Rating: 2 Units

The Twins have won three of their last five home games. They are playing well offensively and scored 12 runs in their last three home games. They will play well offensively in this game because Crochet has struggled on the mound in recent starts, giving up 14 runs in his last three starts. He gave up nine runs in his two road starts and will have a hard time slowing down the Twins in this game. The White Sox have lost five of their last six road games. They aren’t playing well offensively and scored only seven runs in their last four games. Their offensive struggles will continue in this game because they are batting under .200 against right-handers and Ryan has done a good job on the mound for the Twins, giving up 11 runs in four starts. He gave up six runs in three starts against the White Sox, and with Minnesota having the fourth-best bullpen in the league, they won’t have trouble keeping Chicago’s offense in check. 

Rating: 2 Units

The Oilers controlled Game One and I see them dominating this game on both ends of the ice. The Oilers, who averaged 3.56 goals per game this season, should pile on the goals with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and the rest of the forward unit establishing a strong offensive zone presence and creating open shots with quick passes. The Oilers also look to limit the Kings' offense with Evan Bouchard, Mattias Ekholm, and the rest of the defensive unit creating turnovers at the blue line and limiting shots on the net, allowing goaltender Stuart Skinner to make plenty of big saves. The Oilers should win the game and cover the spread with a strong performance on their home ice to take a commanding 2-0 series lead.