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Blackhawks face Sharks, seek positive to another non-playoff season
The Chicago Blackhawks hope to leave a better impression on their fans when they play their season finale against the visiting San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night.
The Blackhawks (28-39-14, 70 points) heard boos from their home crowd during a listless 5-1 loss to the visiting Buffalo Sabres on Monday night.
“I don’t know if it’s unwarranted, but it’s not fun,” Chicago defenseman Wyatt Kaiser said.
The Blackhawks will miss the playoffs for the sixth straight season and haven’t made the postseason in a regular 82-game slate since 2017. They haven’t won a playoff round since winning the Stanley Cup in 2015.
“At some point, I know that this is a young team and we will take off,” Chicago coach Jeff Blashill said. “I just don’t know when. Is it next year? That’s up to us.”
Chicago has lost four in a row and nine of 10, giving up at least five goals in six of those losses.
“I think it’s a little unfortunate these last couple games have gone this way because honestly we’ve done tons of good things to build this in the right direction, and unfortunately this sours your taste,” Blashill said. “In the end, when we look back, we’ll know we built a lot of building blocks to have success in the future.”
Chicago forward Connor Bedard, the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2023, said he hopes to get his teammates together over the summer for some much-needed bonding.
“Hopefully we’ll get a week or two where everyone’s schedule lines up and we can either come here (to Chicago) or go somewhere,” Bedard said. “When you ask guys about teams that they win with, (they say) they’re all very tight off the ice as well. That’s such a big part of it. We’ve already got that down, which is nice.”
The Sharks (38-34-8, 84 points) ended a 15-game winless streak against the Nashville Predators with a 3-2 win on Monday.
“They were fighting for their lives, and it just felt good to end it,” San Jose defenseman Vincent Desharnais said. “They had our number the first two games (of the season), and we came here and kind of broke up the party. It was fun.”
Both the Sharks and Predators were eliminated from the playoffs later on Monday when the Los Angeles Kings beat the Seattle Kraken. Despite that, Sharks goalie Alex Nedeljkovic likes the mood in the locker room.
“We got a lot of guys that care a lot, that want to win and want to compete every single night,” Nedeljkovic said. “Those are the guys that I want to play with, you want to go to war with, and do something special with. Those are the guys that you end up winning with at the end of the day.”
San Jose center Macklin Celebrini, the No. 1 overall pick in 2024, scored two goals on Monday to increase his point total to 112, which is two behind Joe Thornton for the club record he set in 2006-07.
Celebrini’s 44 goals are also tied with Owen Nolan (1999-2000) and Patrick Marleau (2009-10) for the second most in San Jose history behind Jonathan Cheechoo’s 56 goals in 2005-06.
The Sharks play their regular-season finale on Thursday at the Winnipeg Jets.
“I don’t think we’re ever going to give up,” Celebrini said. “We’re going to keep playing as best we can and give it our all.”
–Field Level Media
Stars, Sabres meet on stellar runs ahead of playoffs
The Buffalo Sabres wrap up the regular season Wednesday at the Dallas Stars, and for the first time since the 2010-11 season, the regular-season finale will not be Buffalo’s last game.
Coach Lindy Ruff’s team has been one of the NHL’s hottest over the past four months, winning 39 out of 52 games since Dec. 8. Thanks to that torrid stretch, the Sabres (50-23-8, 108 points) clinched the Atlantic Division title Monday with a 5-1 road win against the Chicago Blackhawks.
“This last four months has been so much fun coaching this group,” Ruff told reporters Monday. “You hope to get the team in the right place and become consistent, but these guys have exceeded my expectations.”
Tage Thompson scored two goals in Chicago to reach 40 goals for the third time in his career. With his 41 assists, the center leads Buffalo with 81 points. That total is Thompson’s highest since getting 94 points in the 2022-23 season.
Rasmus Dahlin had two assists in the win, giving the 26-year-old Swedish defenseman a career-high 74 points. With 19 goals, the eight-year veteran is one away from his second 20-goal season.
The Stars (49-20-12, 110 points) have also punched their ticket to the postseason and are on a four-game winning streak. A victory in their final regular-season game would give them 50 wins for a third straight season.
On Monday, Dallas rallied from a 5-3 hole with less than 16 minutes remaining to pull out a 6-5 victory at Toronto. Mavrik Bourque recorded the first hat trick and four-point game of his career and scored the game-winner with 5:08 left in regulation.
Bourque, 24, has 40 points in his second full NHL season and, according to coach Glen Gulutzan, the forward has been playing his best hockey over the past month.
“He’s embodied kind of what we wanted to do here,” Gulutzan said after the win over the Maple Leafs. “He’s been very physical. He’s been very responsible, two ways. A guy that you can trust, and I think his game has grown a lot from the start of the year.”
Jason Robertson leads the team with 96 points, which ranks 10th in the league. He and Wyatt Johnston share the team lead with 45 goals, and both are tied with Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov for fourth in the league’s goal-scoring race.
Dallas has been one of the league’s better teams all season, overcoming numerous injuries to key players along the way. The Stars are currently without defenseman Miro Heiskanen, who ranks second on the team with 54 assists, and forward Roope Hintz, whose 44 points are sixth-best.
Both are recovering from lower-body injuries and are questionable to return for the start of Dallas’ first-round series against Minnesota. In addition, Sam Steel, who has 12 goals and 21 assists in 72 games, is listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game with a hip issue.
Wednesday’s matchup features the league’s third- and fourth-best teams by record. It will also pit Dallas’ power play, which leads the league with 70 goals, against the Sabres, who rank fourth in killing penalties at 82.1% (41 allowed on 229 times short-handed).
–Field Level Media
Surging Golden Knights can capture Pacific with win vs. Kraken
The Vegas Golden Knights can clinch their third Pacific Division title in four years when they host the Seattle Kraken in their regular-season finale on Wednesday night in Las Vegas.
Vegas (38-26-17, 93 points) brings a season-best nine-game point streak (6-0-3) into the contest and has yet to lose in regulation (6-0-1) since John Tortorella took over for Bruce Cassidy as head coach on March 29. Edmonton (40-30-11, 91 points) is in second in the division with one game remaining.
At the time of the coaching change, the Golden Knights were sputtering, just four points above the playoff line and having lost six of seven games and 12 of their previous 16. But the change to Tortorella, who coached Tampa Bay to the 2004 Stanley Cup title, seemed to revitalize the team.
“I don’t think any of us would have expected to head into the last game of the year with a chance to win the division with the amount of points we had, but here we are,” said center Jack Eichel, a key member of the U.S. gold-medal winning hockey team at the Winter Olympics in February. “It’s been a season of ebbs and flows, but it seems like we’ve gotten things going in the right direction here.
“As you head into the playoffs, you want to be playing your best. It’s a great opportunity to continue to build our game and prepare for the postseason and whatever that looks like.”
Vegas comes in off a 6-2 home win over Winnipeg on Monday, its second straight victory. Eichel led the way with a goal and three assists, his fourth four-point game of the season, while captain Mark Stone added a goal and two assists. Stone has scored five goals in the last five games. Carter Hart made 21 saves to improve to 5-0-0 since returning from a lower-body injury.
“We’ve just got to stay about it. We’ve got to take each day at a time, keep building our game,” Tortorella said. “We’ve got one more regular-season game and, hopefully, we’re playing our best hockey as we’re heading into the playoffs.”
A win would guarantee that Vegas would have home-ice advantage for at least the first two rounds of the playoffs.
“You want to start here,” Eichel said. “You want to start at home in front or our fans. It’s the playoffs. To do that, we still have to go out there and win a hockey game.”
Seattle (34-35-11, 79 points) was in the thick of Western Conference playoff hunt entering the month but has sputtered badly down the stretch, garnering just five points in nine games (2-6-1). The Kraken, who finish their season on Thursday at Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado, come in off a 5-3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Monday.
“I don’t think we got to where we wanted to. Obviously, we’re not in the playoffs,” said center Matty Beniers, second on the team in both goals (20) and points (50) to Jordan Eberle (26, 55). “A little bit disappointing. I think we definitely had the ability to do it. We put ourselves in a spot to do it after the (Olympic) break but just didn’t get it done. It’s frustrating.”
This is the fourth meeting between the two teams, with Seattle winning all three of the previous contests, including 4-3 in a shootout on April 9, the only blip by the Golden Knights under Tortorella.
–Field Level Media
Playoff-bound Mammoth seek winning touch against Jets
The Utah Mammoth will try to get back in the win column when they host the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.
This is the third and final game between these Central Division rivals this season. The Mammoth won the two previous meetings, 3-2 in Winnipeg on Oct. 26 and 4-3 on Dec. 21 in Salt Lake City.
Utah (42-32-6, 90 points) sits in the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference playoff race. Leading scorer Clayton Keller (85 points, including a team-high 59 assists) and company are also looking to end a two-game losing skid.
After winning five straight games and punching their ticket to the postseason, the Mammoth fell 4-1 at home to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. They then struggled their last time out to find the back of the net, falling 4-1 to the host Calgary Flames on Sunday.
“I didn’t like the way we approached our game in the sense that we had to be ready to grind, get inside, and to work extremely hard for every inch,” Mammoth coach Andre Tourigny said after the loss to the Flames. “I don’t think our emotion, our focus was at the right place, and it showed everywhere from everybody. I’m not blaming anybody. Coaches, players, we need to be better. We need to grind.”
Utah defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, who was traded by the Flames to the Mammoth on March 4, said he knows from experience how hard it is for opponents to play in the Flames’ home arena.
“Both teams had a tough schedule coming into this one; whoever was the more prepared team in that first period had a really good chance to win this game,” Weegar said. “We didn’t come out prepared and connected and ready to compete.”
Meanwhile, the Jets (35-33-12, 82 points) have had their three-year playoff run snapped after they were mathematically eliminated from the postseason race on Monday night. They also enter Tuesday’s game on a two-game skid, which started with a 7-1 home loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
“The message is, I think, no one wants to lose like that,” Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey said after the loss to Philadelphia. “It was embarrassing in our own arena. But at the same time, what are we going to do, sit around and cry about it?
“We have three games left and a huge back-to-back, a tough road trip,” he continued. “Turn the page, fly there tomorrow, and get yourself ready to go, and let’s bring it to the next game. The score hurts right now, embarrassing right now as we drive home, we have to turn the page and keep pushing like we have been.”
Now, the Jets visit the Mammoth on the tail end of a back-to-back that started with a 6-2 loss to the playoff-bound Vegas Golden Knights on Monday.
In that game, the Golden Knights held the Jets off the scoreboard completely until the final frame, when Mark Scheifele and Gabriel Vilardi found the back of the net. Connor Hellebuyck allowed six goals on 38 shots after he was pulled in his previous start for allowing five goals on 20 shots against the Flyers.
–Field Level Media
Kings within range of higher seed as they face lowly Canucks
After clinching a Stanley Cup playoff spot, the Los Angeles Kings will look to track down the top wild-card seed in the Western Conference when they face the host Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night.
Quinton Byfield scored twice, while Alex Laferriere and Trevor Moore each scored and added an assist as the visiting Kings (35-26-19, 89 points) topped the Seattle Kraken 5-3 on Monday night for their fifth straight win. Los Angeles also has points in seven straight (6-0-1).
“It’s awesome,” Moore said. “It was dicey there for a while, but I’m really proud of our group for sticking together, believing in ourselves and going on this run.”
Adrian Kempe also scored while Anton Forsberg made 28 saves as Los Angeles defeated Seattle for the first time this season (1-2-1).
With the win, the Kings moved one point back of the Utah Mammoth for the first wild-card seed. Both teams have a pair of regular-season games remaining. Los Angeles has qualified for the fifth straight postseason after missing the playoffs for three years.
Byfield admitted the group was motivated to give captain Anze Kopitar a final playoff run.
“That’s what it’s about,” Byfield said. “You want to do it for one another, but at the beginning of the year, we talked about it, we wanted to give Kopi another shot for what he’s done for the organization. It’s the least we could do.”
Tuesday is the fourth and final game between the Pacific Division rivals, with the Los Angeles Kings looking to sweep the season series.
The two teams met most recently last Thursday, with the host Kings topping the Canucks 4-1.
Vancouver (24-48-8, 56 points), at the bottom of the league standings, has won back-to-back games following a 4-3 overtime win against the host Anaheim Ducks on Sunday night.
Curtis Douglas, Jake DeBrusk and Brock Boeser scored as the Canucks jumped out to a 3-1 lead, but Vancouver needed Marco Rossi’s power-play goal with 10 seconds remaining in overtime to secure two points.
Goaltender Nikita Tolopilo made 24 saves.
“Easily could have not played with the intensity or urgency we’ve seen the last three or four games, but they keep pushing, and they’re gelling together,” said Vancouver coach Adam Foote. “Give them a lot of credit, they’ve really connected as a group.”
Douglas, playing in his 41st career game, tied it 1-1 at 10:49 of the first period for his first NHL goal.
“It was pretty cool having everyone so excited. It was almost like they scored,” Douglas said of his teammates. “I have chills right now just talking about it. I don’t want to get emotional, but it was really, really special, I think, just coming down the line and seeing all the smiles and people freaking out because they’ve been there the whole time, and cheering me on and making sure I didn’t get down because I hadn’t scored yet.”
Tuesday is the final home game for the Canucks, who wrap up the season in Edmonton on Thursday.
–Field Level Media
The Arizona Diamondbacks head to Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Tuesday night trying to avoid letting one ugly collapse turn into a bigger problem. Arizona is 9-8, third in the NL West, and it just watched a 7-1 lead disappear in a 9-7 loss Monday night. Baltimore is 9-7, leading the AL East, and suddenly looks like one of the hotter teams in the league after winning six of its last seven. First pitch is set for 6:35 PM ET, with Merrill Kelly making his 2026 season debut for Arizona against Trevor Rogers for Baltimore.
This game feels a little more delicate than the moneyline suggests. The Orioles are favored around -147 to -149, which makes sense with Rogers’ form and Baltimore’s recent run, but Kelly is not some random fill-in. He was lined up for Opening Day before a back issue sidelined him, and Arizona views him as a key rotation piece if he is healthy. The warm April conditions in Baltimore should help carry the ball a bit, though the bigger handicap still comes down to Kelly’s readiness and whether Arizona’s bullpen can recover after Monday’s late collapse.
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Arizona Diamondbacks vs Baltimore Orioles Odds
These are the current betting lines, and bettors should always monitor the latest MLB odds before locking in a number.
| Team | Moneyline | Run Line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Diamondbacks | +123 | +1.5 (-171) | O 8.5 (-118) |
| Baltimore Orioles | -149 | -1.5 (+141) | U 8.5 (-108) |
Arizona Diamondbacks Betting Form
Arizona did plenty right Monday and still lost, which is usually a frustrating way to handicap the next game. The Diamondbacks hit four home runs in the opener, got two apiece from Ketel Marte and Nolan Arenado, and for five innings looked like the sharper club. That part matters. This lineup can still do damage, and when Marte and Corbin Carroll are creating traffic, Arizona has enough extra-base ability to put real pressure on a favorite. The Diamondbacks stats and results still point to a team that can score in bunches even if the record looks only decent.
Kelly is the real swing piece. He has not pitched in the majors yet this season because of the back issue, but he built back up this month with work at Triple-A Reno and in extended spring training. That gives Arizona a more legitimate starter than a lot of clubs would have in this kind of return spot, though I still think workload matters here. Even if Kelly is sharp, it would be surprising if he were asked to push deep into the game in his first outing back. That, more than anything, is what makes the full-game underdog case a little shaky. Arizona can absolutely win the first five. The full nine is a harder ask after what the bullpen showed Monday.
Baltimore Orioles Betting Form
Baltimore looks loose right now, and the offense is finally carrying some real confidence. The Orioles erased a six-run deficit Monday night, got a grand slam and another homer from Jeremiah Jackson, a go-ahead shot from Pete Alonso, and pushed their recent stretch to six wins in seven games. That is not just one weird comeback. They have been scoring more consistently lately, and that matters in a game against a starter returning from the shelf. The Orioles schedule and stats back up a club that is producing more late-inning pressure than it did earlier in the season.
Rogers has been one of the better surprises on this staff. He is 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA, has worked at least six innings in every start, and Baltimore has won all three games he has started. That kind of stability matters here because the Orioles do not need him to dominate. They just need him to keep Arizona from getting another early avalanche. Baltimore is still missing some pieces, including Ryan Mountcastle after the broken foot that landed him on the 60-day IL, but the recent offensive surge gives the roster enough support to trust Rogers in this price range.
Arizona Diamondbacks vs Baltimore Orioles Matchup Breakdown
The first question is whether Kelly can be close to full strength right away. If he is, Arizona has a real starting-pitcher answer here. Kelly was a steady mid-rotation arm last season, and the Diamondbacks have clearly been waiting for him because the staff needs innings and calm. But first starts off a back issue are tricky. There is a difference between being active and being fully stretched out, and Baltimore’s lineup is in no mood to ease anyone back in.
The second angle is bullpen trust, and that one leans Baltimore pretty clearly after Monday. Arizona’s relief group gave away a game it controlled, and now the D-backs are asking that same unit to be ready behind a starter who probably will not go especially deep. That is where the game starts to tilt. Even if Kelly matches Rogers early, the back end still favors the Orioles. From a betting perspective, that is why the side is cleaner than trying to get cute with Arizona on a plus-money comeback narrative. This is the kind of spot where an MLB betting guide usually pushes you toward the team with the clearer path through all nine innings, not just the better first four.
The total is interesting. Monday’s opener landed over, and both teams have enough power to get this game moving, but 8.5 feels fair with Rogers on one side and uncertainty around Kelly’s workload on the other. I lean slightly under because Rogers has been so steady and because Baltimore’s offense may not need a huge number to win. Still, this is not my favorite total on the board. A 5-3 or 5-4 kind of game feels more likely than another track meet.
Arizona Diamondbacks vs Baltimore Orioles Predictions and Best Bets
My first lean is Baltimore on the moneyline. The Orioles are at home, they are the hotter team, and they have the more reliable starter for this exact spot. Rogers has been giving them six-plus innings, the lineup is swinging with confidence, and Arizona’s bullpen is coming off a collapse that is hard to ignore. That does not mean the Diamondbacks are a bad underdog. It just means Baltimore has fewer ways for this to go sideways.
I thought a little about Arizona first five, because Kelly’s talent is real and Baltimore might not keep getting rescue acts every night. But the cleaner bet still comes back to the Orioles for the full game. There is too much uncertainty around Kelly’s pitch count and too much recent shakiness from the Diamondbacks relief corps to make Arizona the stronger value.
The total is more of a secondary lean. Under 8.5 makes some sense because Rogers can control the game, and Kelly may be effective in shorter bursts even if he is not fully stretched out. But if I am choosing one play, I want the side.
Best Bet: Orioles Moneyline -149.
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MLB Picks and Handicappers on ScoresAndStats
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The top sports handicappers page is a good place to sort through different styles, while the handicapper leaderboard gives you the transparency serious bettors usually want. Over 162 games, that matters a lot more than one hot streak.
The Washington Nationals head into PNC Park on Tuesday night trying to shake off a brutal opener in this series. They were run out of the building 16-5 on Monday, and now they are back on the field at 7-9, fourth in the NL East, looking to stop things from snowballing. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, is 10-6, sitting on top of the NL Central, and playing with real confidence after winning seven of its last ten.
This matchup is pretty straightforward from a betting perspective. Mitch Keller has been excellent to start the season for the Pirates, carrying a 1.00 ERA into this one, while Miles Mikolas has had a nightmare opening stretch for Washington with a 12.41 ERA. First pitch is set for 6:40 PM at PNC Park under light rain conditions, and the market reflects the pitching gap with Pittsburgh around -184 and Washington back at +153.
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Washington Nationals vs Pittsburgh Pirates Odds
These are the current betting lines, and bettors should always monitor the latest MLB odds before placing a wager.
| Team | Moneyline | Run Line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Nationals | +153 | +1.5 (-165) | O 9.0 (-110) |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | -184 | -1.5 (+140) | U 9.0 (-110) |
Washington Nationals Betting Form
Washington still has enough offense to be annoying, even after Monday’s mess. The Nationals put up five runs in the opener, and this lineup has not exactly lacked production lately. James Wood continues to be a problem, CJ Abrams has been productive, and there is enough overall contact quality here to keep a game from completely dying if the starter can just hold it together for a while.
That is the real problem, though. Mikolas has not held much together so far. A 12.41 ERA, a 2.35 WHIP, and five home runs allowed in 12 1/3 innings is a brutal profile to take into a road game against a hot lineup. He does have good career history against Pittsburgh, which is probably the one thing that gives Nationals bettors some hope, but right now the form is hard to trust. He has been giving up too much damage, too many baserunners, and not enough clean innings.
The Nationals can absolutely score enough to stay live in this game, especially with the Pirates bullpen not always looking airtight behind Keller. But from a betting angle, Washington’s best path probably involves Mikolas just being average for five innings, which feels like a pretty uncomfortable ask at the moment.
Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Form
Pittsburgh looks like the steadier side, and Monday was a loud reminder of what this lineup can do when it gets rolling. The Pirates hung 16 runs on Washington in the opener, and it was not all one guy going wild either. Bryan Reynolds and Brandon Lowe led the way, but the lineup as a whole kept pressure on inning after inning. That is what makes this team dangerous right now. It is not just relying on one star to carry the offense.
The season-long profile backs that up. Pittsburgh ranks near the top of the league in home runs and on-base percentage, which is a nice combination when facing a struggling starter. The Pirates can beat pitchers with patience, with power, or just by making them throw too many stressful pitches. Against Mikolas, that feels like a bad mix for Washington.
Keller is the bigger reason to trust the Pirates, though. He has been the best version of himself so far this season, and the 1.00 ERA is not coming from fluky luck alone. He is staying in control, working efficiently, and giving Pittsburgh a chance to own the first half of games. Even with the team keeping a close eye on pitch counts, he has looked sharp enough to back confidently in this spot.
Washington Nationals vs Pittsburgh Pirates Matchup Breakdown
The biggest edge in this game is on the mound. Keller is in excellent form, and Mikolas is not. It really is that simple. Keller has allowed only two earned runs through 18 innings, while Mikolas has been hit hard almost every time out. When the starting-pitcher gap looks that wide, it takes a lot for me to talk myself off the favorite.
There is still some total appeal here because Washington’s lineup is good enough to contribute. The Nationals are hitting for average, they have power, and they can do some damage even against quality pitching. On the other side, Pittsburgh should have a very real chance to score early and often again if Mikolas keeps pitching like he has. That makes the over tempting, even though Keller himself points the other way.
I keep coming back to game script. If Keller gives the Pirates five or six strong innings, Pittsburgh can play from ahead again, and that puts all the pressure back on a Nationals bullpen that is already dealing with injuries. Washington’s offense is live enough to make the total interesting, but the side feels cleaner because Pittsburgh has the much more stable route to winning.
The rain does not move me much here. Light rain and a damp track can matter a little, but not enough to override the obvious pitching mismatch that sits at the center of this handicap.
Washington Nationals vs Pittsburgh Pirates Predictions and Best Bets
My first lean is Pittsburgh on the moneyline. The Pirates are in better form, they are at home, and they have the far better starting pitcher. Keller has been one of the more reliable arms in the National League so far, while Mikolas looks like someone bettors should be fading until he shows signs of stabilizing.
The total is a little trickier. I understand the under case because Keller has been so good and the model projection lands around eight runs. But honestly, Mikolas makes me nervous on any under ticket. Pittsburgh could do a lot of the heavy lifting by itself, and Washington has enough offense to sneak in a couple of runs even in a loss. That pushes me away from making the under the main angle.
If you want something more aggressive, Pirates run line makes sense too, especially after what we saw Monday and with the current state of the Nationals’ pitching. But the safest route is still just backing Pittsburgh to win. The edge is on the mound, and it is big enough to trust.
Best Bet: Pirates Moneyline -184.
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MLB Picks and Handicappers on ScoresAndStats
Baseball is a long season, and the edge usually comes from comparing opinions and staying disciplined, not just firing on every game. ScoresAndStats helps there because bettors can sort through daily MLB takes, compare different handicapping styles, and focus on long-term performance instead of one hot pick.
The top sports handicappers page makes it easier to find proven records, while the handicapper leaderboard gives bettors a clearer look at consistency and transparency over time. That matters in MLB, where volume can hide a lot of noise.
For readers who want a more selective daily card, premium MLB picks can help narrow the board and keep the focus on stronger positions.
The Chicago Cubs head into Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday night needing a cleaner start than they got in the opener. Chicago is 7-9, fifth in the NL Central, and just got drilled 13-7 by Philadelphia on Monday after falling behind early and never really recovering. The Phillies are 8-8, third in the NL East, and trying to build off that win with Aaron Nola on the mound in a favorable bounce-back spot at home. First pitch is set for 6:40 PM, and the weather looks warm with a light breeze under broken clouds.
This game has a different feel than a standard starter-versus-starter matchup because the Cubs are expected to open with Riley Martin before turning things over to Colin Rea. That matters for bettors. It gives Chicago some flexibility early, but it also says plenty about where the rotation is right now with injuries piling up. Philadelphia, meanwhile, gets the simpler path with Nola, and the market reflects that with the Phillies sitting around -147 and the Cubs coming back at +123.
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Chicago Cubs vs Philadelphia Phillies Odds
These are the current betting lines, and bettors should always monitor the latest MLB odds before placing a wager.
| Team | Moneyline | Run Line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Cubs | +123 | +1.5 (-168) | O 9.5 (-106) |
| Philadelphia Phillies | -147 | -1.5 (+141) | U 9.5 (-114) |
Chicago Cubs Betting Form
Chicago still has enough offense to stay dangerous in games like this, even after Monday’s ugly loss. The Cubs had 11 hits in that opener, and that is the frustrating part if you backed them. The lineup did not disappear. It just got buried by the time the bullpen settled in. Dansby Swanson went deep, Moisés Ballesteros chipped in with two hits, and the broader shape of this lineup is still solid enough to create pressure. The Cubs rank well in home-run production and have been respectable getting on base, so there is still a case for them as an underdog.
The issue is the pitching setup. Martin has been effective in relief, and the early numbers look clean, but he is still serving as an opener here. Rea is really the key arm for the Cubs, and to his credit, he has handled this role well. He just gave Chicago five strong innings against Tampa Bay and has the kind of low-drama profile that can stabilize a game. He is not overpowering, though, and that is the concern against a Phillies lineup that can punish strike-throwers if they catch too much plate.
In some ways, Chicago’s betting case is pretty simple. Rea needs to keep this game from getting away in the middle innings, and the lineup has to convert enough of its traffic against Nola. The Cubs stats and results still suggest this team can be playable after a loss, but the path is thinner when the pitching plan is already a little patchwork before first pitch.
Philadelphia Phillies Betting Form
The Phillies looked much more like themselves Monday night. Kyle Schwarber set the tone with two home runs, the lineup kept the pressure on all game, and Philadelphia put up 13 runs without needing everything to be perfect. That matters because this offense has not always been consistent early in the season, but the power is very real. Schwarber is already carrying a big part of that, and the team has enough doubles and extra-base thump to create crooked innings quickly.
Nola is in a nice correction spot here. His last outing was frustrating because he worked five scoreless innings before one mistake turned into a three-run homer, and the Phillies gave him no run support. That kind of outing usually leaves a veteran starter in a pretty focused place the next time out. Against a Cubs club using an opener and a bulk reliever, the Phillies have the cleaner structure and the more stable route to six or seven solid innings.
Philadelphia is not fully healthy either, but the core of the roster is still good enough to like at home in this type of matchup. The Phillies schedule and stats point to a club that should continue to generate power, and that becomes even more important in a park where one mistake can leave in a hurry.
Chicago Cubs vs Philadelphia Phillies Matchup Breakdown
The biggest edge in this game is not lineup talent. It is clarity on the mound. Philadelphia knows what it is getting with Nola. Chicago is trying to piece together a start with Martin and Rea, and while that can work, it also creates more chances for the game to tilt early. If Martin does not give the Cubs a clean opening look, Rea may enter in a bad spot, and the Phillies are one of the tougher lineups to clean up traffic against.
The Cubs do have enough offense to make this uncomfortable for Philadelphia. That part is real. Chicago can hit, and the lineup is good enough to keep pushing even after falling behind. But this is also a Phillies offense that just saw the Cubs’ staff up close and scored 13 times in the opener. That is not always predictive, but it does matter when the same lineup gets another shot at a compromised pitching group the next night.
I also think the ballpark plays into the Phillies’ advantage here. Citizens Bank Park rewards power, and Philadelphia has more proven top-end thump in this matchup. The Cubs can answer with some pop of their own, but if you are comparing which team is more likely to create a big inning, it is still the Phillies for me. That is the kind of spot where an MLB betting guide usually pushes bettors toward the more stable pitching structure and the lineup with clearer power upside.
The total is a little trickier. Monday was a slugfest, and both teams rank well enough in home runs to keep over bettors interested. But 9.5 is not a soft number, and Nola gives Philadelphia a much better chance to keep the game from fully opening up. I still think runs are there, just not as freely as in the opener.
Chicago Cubs vs Philadelphia Phillies Predictions and Best Bets
My first lean is Philadelphia on the moneyline. The Phillies are at home, they have the better and more conventional starting setup, and they are coming off a game where the lineup clearly found rhythm. Nola is also in a strong bounce-back spot after a start that was better than the final line looked. Chicago’s offense makes the Cubs live enough to avoid blindly laying a big price, but Philadelphia is still the side I trust more.
The total leans under 9.5 for me, though not by a huge margin. The Cubs can score, and the Phillies just showed how dangerous they are in this park. Still, the market adjusted upward after Monday’s 20-run opener, and I think that adjustment went far enough. Nola is capable of keeping Chicago in check better than Cristopher Sánchez needed to, and Rea at least gives the Cubs a chance to stabilize things after Martin opens.
That is why I would not overreact to the first game of the series. This matchup is not identical. Philadelphia still has the cleaner edge, but the total is a different story with Nola on the mound and Chicago likely trying to manage the game more carefully from the start.
The safer way to play it is to trust the Phillies to win, then treat the under as the secondary lean.
Best Bet: Phillies Moneyline -147.
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The Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers both come into Tuesday night at 7-9, but the momentum is clearly leaning one way. Kansas City is trying to recover from a loss, while Detroit has won three straight and looks a little more settled heading into this one at Comerica Park. First pitch is set for 6:40 PM, and the weather setup looks mild enough with overcast skies and a light breeze, so this feels more like a pitching and matchup handicap than a weather game.
The listed starters are Cole Ragans for Kansas City and Framber Valdez for Detroit. That makes this game a bit more complicated than the records suggest. Ragans has struggled early with a 5.91 ERA and is dealing with a thumb issue, while Valdez has not exactly been dominant either at 4.76. The market still leans Detroit at home, with the Tigers around -126 and the Royals back at +105. That feels fair, maybe a touch short, given how these teams are trending.
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Kansas City Royals vs Detroit Tigers Odds
These are the current betting lines, and bettors should always monitor the latest MLB odds before placing a wager.
| Team | Moneyline | Run Line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Royals | +105 | -1.5 (+168) | O 7.5 (-113) |
| Detroit Tigers | -126 | +1.5 (-206) | U 7.5 (-108) |
Kansas City Royals Betting Form
Kansas City is still a little hard to pin down. The Royals have enough talent in the lineup to stay dangerous, and Bobby Witt Jr. plus Maikel Garcia give them two bats that can create pressure in different ways. Garcia has been especially steady early, and the offense overall has shown it can compete even in losses. That said, the team has not been especially clean in tougher spots, and the road profile still leaves some room for concern.
The bigger issue is the uncertainty around Ragans. If he is fully healthy and the thumb is not limiting him, there is still real upside here because he can miss bats and carry a game for stretches. But the early ERA tells you things have not looked quite right yet. Against a Detroit lineup that has found some rhythm and has hit enough to cash in on mistakes, this is not an easy bounce-back assignment. For Kansas City, the more appealing angles are probably tied to underdog value or maybe a tighter first-five look if you trust Ragans more than the full-game form suggests.
The Royals can absolutely win this game if Ragans looks more like himself and the lineup cashes in early chances. But right now it still feels like Kansas City needs more things to go right than Detroit does.
Detroit Tigers Betting Form
Detroit comes in playing the better baseball. The Tigers have won three straight, and they just handled Miami 8-2 with power and solid pitching. The lineup is not overwhelming, but it is functional. It gets enough traffic, has a few bats with pop, and seems a little more comfortable at home. That matters in a game with a modest total where one or two big swings could decide things.
The offensive profile is good enough, especially when players like Kerry Carpenter and Dillon Dingler are contributing. Detroit does not need to be explosive every night. It just needs to be opportunistic, and this feels like a decent spot for that against a starter who has not been sharp and may not be fully settled physically.
Valdez is the tougher call. The ERA is not great, but there is still enough here to think he can pitch better than that number suggests. He has strikeout ability, the Tigers’ staff overall has done a decent job limiting damage, and Comerica can help a pitcher if he keeps the ball under control. I do not think Detroit needs Valdez to be dominant. Six solid innings might be enough.
Kansas City Royals vs Detroit Tigers Matchup Breakdown
The first thing that stands out is that both starters come in with shakier surface numbers than their names might suggest. But Detroit has the more favorable environment around its starter. The Tigers are at home, the lineup is in better form, and the bullpen has been more supportive lately. Kansas City can still hit, but it feels less reliable inning to inning.
The Royals probably have the best individual offensive talent in the game with Witt, but Detroit looks deeper right now. That matters in a matchup where both starters could allow traffic. If this game turns into a contest of which lineup can string together professional at-bats in the middle innings, I trust the Tigers a bit more.
The total at 7.5 is pretty sharp. There are arguments both ways. Ragans and Valdez both have enough stuff to pitch better than the current ERA lines, and Comerica is not the easiest park to launch a slugfest in. On the other hand, neither starter feels completely trustworthy right now. I still lean under a bit because both offenses are more decent than elite, and this game has a pretty natural 4-3 feel to it.
Detroit’s home edge is real here too. The Tigers have been better in this setting, and Kansas City has had trouble covering when games get away from them. That pushes me more toward Detroit moneyline than anything more aggressive.
Kansas City Royals vs Detroit Tigers Predictions and Best Bets
My first lean is the Tigers on the moneyline. Detroit is in better form, it is at home, and the overall team setup is cleaner right now. Kansas City is live enough to make this competitive, especially if Ragans finally gives them the version they expected, but that still feels more speculative than solid.
I also think the under has some value. The total is only 7.5, so there is not much room for a bad inning, but this does not project like a wide-open scoring game to me. Detroit can win this with four runs, maybe five, and Kansas City has not consistently looked like a lineup that is going to pile up offense on the road.
This is one of those spots where the favorite is not overwhelming, but it is still the right side. Detroit has fewer questions at the moment, and in April baseball that is often enough.
Best Bet: Tigers Moneyline -126.
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The San Francisco Giants open a road series Tuesday night at Great American Ball Park trying to stop a slide. San Francisco is 6-10, last in the NL West, and has dropped two straight. Cincinnati is 9-7, second in the NL Central, and even after a recent loss, this team has still won six of its last ten. First pitch is set for 6:40 PM ET in Cincinnati, and the matchup is a pretty clean one for bettors: Robbie Ray for the Giants against Brady Singer for the Reds. The market is basically a pick’em, with San Francisco around -111 and Cincinnati around -109.
This game matters because the pitching gap looks bigger than the price. Ray has been excellent early with a 2.08 ERA and a sub-1.00 WHIP, while Singer has stumbled badly out of the gate with a 7.71 ERA and a 2.06 WHIP. In a hitter-friendly park with warm, breezy conditions, that difference gets harder to ignore.
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San Francisco Giants vs Cincinnati Reds Odds
These are the current betting lines, and bettors should always monitor the latest MLB odds before placing a wager.
| Team | Moneyline | Run Line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco Giants | -111 | -1.5 (+145) | O 9.0 (-105) |
| Cincinnati Reds | -109 | +1.5 (-176) | U 9.0 (-116) |
San Francisco Giants Betting Form
The Giants have not played well enough overall, but this looks like a decent spot to get right. Ray has been the stabilizer. He is missing bats, limiting hard contact, and giving San Francisco real first-five value every time out. His recent work against Philadelphia was another reminder that he can still control a game when the command is there. Against a Reds lineup with power but some swing-and-miss risk, that profile matters a lot.
The offense is less convincing, though not hopeless. Luis Arraez is doing what he usually does, putting balls in play and keeping innings alive, and Matt Chapman still gives the lineup some punch. San Francisco has been decent at turning contact into doubles, which matters in this park because rallies can snowball quickly. If you are checking Giants stats and results, this is the kind of matchup where the lineup does not need to be great. It just needs to be competent against a struggling starter.
Cincinnati Reds Betting Form
Cincinnati is the hotter team overall, and the offense can absolutely make this game dangerous. Elly De La Cruz remains the obvious headliner with five home runs and a strong start, while Sal Stewart has added real support. The Reds have enough power to change a game fast, and Great American Ball Park only amplifies that. That is the best case for Cincinnati. One or two swings can erase a lot.
But the handicap keeps coming back to Singer. A 7.71 ERA and 2.06 WHIP through his early outings is a rough place to start, especially against a Giants lineup that should be able to put pressure on him without needing three home runs. The Reds have been respectable overall on the mound, but this specific starting matchup puts more stress on the home side than the price suggests. Their Reds schedule and stats tell the story of a team with enough offense to stay live, but not necessarily enough starting-pitching stability to deserve favorite treatment here.
San Francisco Giants vs Cincinnati Reds Matchup Breakdown
This game starts with Ray versus Singer, and that is the clearest edge on the board. Ray is in better form, he is getting more swing-and-miss, and he is doing a better job of limiting traffic. Singer has allowed too many baserunners, and in this ballpark that can get ugly fast. For side betting, that pushes me toward San Francisco.
The bigger question is whether the Giants can do enough offensively to turn that edge into a win. I think they can. They do not need to slug their way to seven runs. They just need to cash in on a few baserunners and make Singer throw from the stretch. Cincinnati’s offense is more explosive, but San Francisco has the cleaner path to steady run creation in this specific matchup. That is the kind of split a solid MLB betting guide usually helps clarify. In this case, better starter beats better home-run environment for me.
The total at 9.0 makes sense because of the park and the weather. I still lean over a bit, mostly because Singer is vulnerable and the Reds are dangerous enough to contribute against almost anyone at home. But the side is cleaner. The park can create noise. The starting-pitcher gap feels more actionable.
San Francisco Giants vs Cincinnati Reds Predictions and Best Bets
My first lean is the Giants on the moneyline. Ray is the best and most trustworthy piece in this game, and at nearly a pick’em price that is enough for me. San Francisco has not earned much trust overall, sure, but this is exactly the kind of spot where a good starter can cover a lot of team-level problems.
I also lean over 9.0, though not as strongly. Cincinnati has enough thump to get to a few runs, and Singer has done little to suggest he can shut down a decent lineup right now. A 5-4 type of result fits the matchup naturally, maybe even 6-4 if Singer gets into trouble early. Still, if I am choosing one position, I would rather back the arm.
Best Bet: Giants Moneyline -111.
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