MLB Day Game Picks – 5/5

Ballpark food tastes oh so good in thin air

Reds @ Brewers – 1:40 PM
Adrian Houser has been ramping up his innings over his first four starts – 3.2, 5.2, 6 and 6. He should have no problem getting into the sixth inning against Cincinnati. The Reds rank last in many categories this year. The two important ones for today are strike out rate (26.4%) and wOBA (.266). Houser is likely due for regression (2.53 ERA/4.11 xERA) but I don’t think that slide begins against this opponent. His modest 6.75 K/9 will likely increase after today. I like Houser to get at least 5 strikeouts against the most strikeout-prone team in MLB.
My Pick: Houser o4.5 strikeouts +125

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2022 NHL Playoff Picks – First Round

Which team will be drinking beer out of this bad boy come June?

Hurricanes vs Bruins
Frederik Andersen will miss the first game of the series, and possibly more. Antti Raanta will start between the pipes for the ‘Canes to begin the series, and while he has been solid this year, I don’t think he will be able to withstand the onslaught of pucks a healthy Bruins team will sling at him. Whoever Boston goes with in net, Jeremy Swayman or Linus Ullmark, will be able to keep Boston in the series. Andersen is expected back at some point so I think that Carolina will weather the storm until he returns.
My Picks: Carolina to win series -120, Carolina to win series 4-3 +450, Boston to win Game 1/Carolina to win series +450

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Angels @ White Sox – 5/2

‘Da Cell

Let’s keep it going on this first Monday in May with some more day baseball action! The Los Angeles Angels and Chicago White Sox finish off their 4-game wraparound series today on the South Side. We get a great young pitching matchup with lefty Patrick Sandoval going for LA and righty Dylan Cease on the mound for the Chi Sox. Both have had great starts to their season. Sandoval hasn’t allowed an earned run yet! Cease has a respectable 3.27 ERA, but really could be a lot lower – his FIP is 2.50.

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Royals @ Cardinals – 5/2

My first MLB pick of the season! Kansas City is coming off a sweep at home at the hands of the Yankees and look dreadful at the plate. They aren’t striking out much (actually have the best team K% in MLB) but are making pretty weak contact. Zack Greinke will go for the Royals, while St. Louis will start Steven Matz.

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Boston Bruins @ St. Louis Blues – 4/19

We get a good one here in a rematch of the 2019 Stanley Cup combatants. St. Louis is scorching hot right now – 9-0-1 and 5.40 goals per game over their last 10 games. And they have won their last 5 home games. On the other hand, Boston has been treading water over their last 10 games – 5-5-0 and 3.30 goals per game. They are sorely missing star forward David Pastrnak. He did not travel with the team on their current road trip.

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