This is a play on the SAN DIEGO PADRES for our National League Game of the Month. San Diego had a three-game winning streak snapped with a 6-2 loss on Thursday as Joe Musgrove suffered his first loss of the season after an 8-0 start. The Padres have fallen into second place in the National League West, a game behind the Dodgers and head into Game Two of this series with a 20-14 record at home. The offense has been up and down this season but the pitching remains consistent despite the Thursday result as they have a 3.14 ERA at home. MacKenkie Gore got off to a great start with a 1.50 ERA over his first nine starts but has been lit up over his last two outings, allowing 14 runs against the Rockies and we can expect a big bounce back here. The Padres are 18-6 in their last 24 games after allowing five runs or more in their previous game. The Phillies snapped a three-game slide with the victory last night and the offense has struggled, averaging 2.6 rpg over the last four games. They are now a game over .500 on the road which is very respectable after losing 12 of 16 games that led to a manager change but are in a contrarian situation tonight. Aaron Nola is a big name pitcher who was off to an average start but has posted a 0.78 ERA and 0.70 WHIP over his last three starts which is the main reason for the Phillies being road favorites on Friday. The Phillies are 5-16 in their last 21 games against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record. Here, we play against teams when the money line is +125 to -125 starting a pitcher who walked one or fewer hitters each of his last two outings going up against an opponent starting a pitcher who allowed seven or more runs last outing. This situation is 26-8 (76.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (958) San Diego Padres

This is a play on the TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING for our NHL Friday Breakaway. A great Game Four between Colorado and Tampa Bay ended in controversy as the Avalanche won in overtime but it was proven after that they has too many men on the ice during the game winning goal. Colorado now enjoys a 3-1 series lead with two home games remaining should the Lightning extend the series to a full seven games. We all know how tough Colorado is at home as it improved to 39-6-3-2 at home after the Game Two win and has won four straight following a pair of losses against St. Louis and this is a very similar matchup. This will be the seventh meeting this season and while Colorado has won all three at home, two were by just one goal and four of the six overall meetings were decided by a single goal, three in extra time. Many expected this series to go the distance and now it is up to the Lightning to steal a game on the road and head back home to make that happen. A positive for Tampa Bay from Game Four is that it outshot Colorado for the first time in this series and it registered its most shots on goal with 39 with equaled the amount from the first two games in Colorado combined so that is something to build on. We have backed Tampa Bay numerous times this postseason and pointed out how the experience is a big factor and never more so than here. The Lightning are 91-27 in their last 118 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game. Here, we play on road underdogs of +100 to +200 against the money line after having lost three of their last four games going up against an opponent having won eight or more of their last 10 games. This situation is 37-24 (60.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (29) Tampa Bay Lightning

This is a play on the MONTREAL ALOUETTES for our CFL Thursday Enforcer. Montreal is off to a 0-2 start but both games could have gone either way. The Alouettes opened the season with a three-point loss at Calgary and followed that up with a one-point loss at Toronto last week as they missed a field goal in the last seconds of the game. They are now back in Montreal for their home opener and look to build off those first two impressive performances. Montreal outgained the Stampeders by 31 total yards and were outgained by just 19 total yards against the Argonauts and the season has started like what happened all of last season as the Alouettes lost four of their seven games by five points or less so they have been close to turning the corner. Vernon Adams, Jr. is out at quarterback but that is not a bad thing as Trevor Harris is the best backup in the league and threw for 270 yards in relief last week. The Roughriders are off to a 2-0 start , but those results are a little skewed. They opened the season against Hamilton and it was a close game until they pulled away in the fourth quarter and then last week against Edmonton, they trailed going into the final quarter and ended up with another double-digit win. The defense has carried the team thus far late in games and are at a scheduling disadvantage here. Saskatchewan heads east for the first time and has had two fewer days off than Montreal which is an issue as the shortened turnaround hurts when trying to prep for two quarterbacks as it had to early in the week. Saskatchewan is 5-15 ATS on its last 20 games after two consecutive games with a turnover margin of +2 or better. Here, we play against teams off a win over a division rival, team that had a winning record last season playing a team that had a losing season. This situation is 25-5 ATS (83.3 percent) since 1996. 10* (692) Montreal Alouettes

This is a play on the NEW YORK YANKEES for our MLB Thursday Sweet Spot. The two best and hottest American League teams square off in New York for a four-game series. The Yankees had another come-from-behind win on Wednesday as they trailed Tampa Bay 4-1 going into the sixth inning and then scored four unanswered runs to take home the 5-4 victory. This team is scary good on both sides as they are ranked No. 1 in runs allowed per nine innings and No. 2 in runs scored per nine innings and while they have a tough matchup here, the price is right. Jameson Taillon has had only one poor outing this season as he brings in a 2.70 ERA and 1.05 WHIP and he has allowed two runs or less in 10 of his 13 outings. The Yankees are 17-4 against the money line against American League starting pitchers whose WHIP is 1.30 or better this season. Houston has won three straight games and six of its last seven and like the Yankees, it has pulled away in its division as it has a 10-game lead over Texas in the American League West. The Astros are 23-14 on the road and all of the numbers are pretty similar except for the offense which is ranked No. 17 in runs scored per nine innings. Framber Valdez is also having a sensational season with a 2.78 ERA and 1.15 WHIP across 13 starts and while his numbers are even better on the road, six of his seven games have come against teams with a losing record with his worst start coming against the only winning in a loss at Toronto. The Astros are 2-6 in their last eight games as an underdog. Here, we play against American League road teams with a starting pitcher whose ERA is 3.20 or better on the season going up against an opponent with a starting pitcher whose WHIP is 1.10 or better on the season. This situation is 297-171 (63.5 percent) since 1997. 10* (918) New York Yankees

This is a play on the PITTSBURGH PIRATES for our MLB Thursday Afternoon Dominator. The Cubs snapped a three-game losing streak with a 14-5 win on Wednesday and it has certainly been a rough season for Chicago which has lost 13 of its last 16 games and it 17 games under .500 overall. The Cubs are 13-18 on the road which is better than their home record but the offense has been bad, averaging just 3.7 rpg. Justin Steele has been serviceable this season with a 4.33 ERA and 1.46 WHIP and he has been on a great run over his last three outings, posting a 2.37 ERA and 1.21 WHIP but all three of those were at home, four consecutive starts at home in total, where his ERA is 3.30 compared to 7.04 on the road. The Cubs are 7-20 in their last 27 games against teams with a losing record. Pittsburgh had a three-game winning streak snapped with the Wednesday defeat and it too has had a rough season but this was expected. The Pirates are 12 games under .500 including four games under .500 at home and while they have struggled against left-handed pitching, they have a great matchup here. Jose Quintana has had a solid career but he started tailing off in 2017 and in his first season in Pittsburgh, he has been very reliable. He has a 3.66 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 13 starts and has been better at home with a 3.18 ERA and 1.31 WHIP and this will be his third start this season against his former team since leaving the Cubs and he has posted a 2.70 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. The Pirates are 5-1 in their last six games during Game Four of a series. Here, we play on National League home teams averaging 3.8 or fewer rpg and batting .215 or worse over their last 15 games going up against a starting pitcher with an ERA between 4.20 and 5.20. This situation is 37-16 (69.8 percent) since 1997. 9* (908) Pittsburgh Pirates

This is a play on the COLORADO AVALANCHE for our NHL Game of the Week. Coming into Game Three, Tampa Bay was 7-1 at home in the postseason, including seven straight wins, while Colorado was 7-0 on the road in the playoffs so something has to give and it was the Lightning that kept its streak alive. Colorado struck first with a goal midway through the first period but the Lightning pinned their ears back and ran off three straight goals and when the Avalanche made it a one goal game, Tampa Closed with three more unanswered goals. Tampa Bay is one win away from tying this series up and it has stayed in this series in an unconventional way as it is tied with Colorado with eight goals apiece at even strength as it has not been able to keep up on special teams, going just 1-12 on the power play while allowing five power play goals in 11 man down chances. Colorado continues to pepper goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy as it has at least 30 shots in all three games and has done so in 10 straight playoff games, averaging 38.9 shots on goals. This has been a dynamic spot for the Avalanche as they are 29-7 on the season following five straight games where they had at least 30 shots so the game plan is simple to use their speed and forecheck to get some easy opportunities. The Avalanche are now 31-15-3-0 on the road and while the away numbers are down on the highway compared to at home, this style of play is going to derail the Lightning. The Avalanche are 21-5 in their last 26 games following a loss of three or more goals. Here, we play on road Teams when the money line is -100 to -150 in the second half of the season that are allowing a penalty kill of 17.5 or more and having gone five straight games with 30 or more shots on goal. This situation is 57-17 (77 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (27) Colorado Avalanche

This is a play on the MINNESOTA TWINS for our American League Central Game of the Month. Cleveland is coming off an 11-inning win over Minnesota on Tuesday and the Guardians has made it move in the American League Central. They have won two straight, seven of their last eight, 10 of their last 12 and 16 of their last 20. Cleveland now sits in first place in the division, percentage points ahead of the Twins and can take over sole possession for the first time since April 23 when it has a half-game lead over Minnesota. The Guardians are ranked in the top eight in runs allowed per nine innings, batting average allowed and opposing OPS and send Triston McKenzie to the mound and he is having a solid season with a 2.96 ERA and 0.93 WHIP over 11 starts and one relief outing. His numbers are equally as good on the road but Cleveland is just 4-4 in his eight road starts. Minnesota has lost two straight and has been below average over the last month as it has gone 11-15 over its last 26 games. The Twins are still 20-15 at home where they are hitting .253 while posting a 3.66 ERA and while they have been plodding along, they have avoided big losing streaks which has kept them afloat and the Twins are 7-1 in their last eight games following a loss. The rotation has been led by an unlikely starter who is making a resurgence as Sonny Gray is off to one of the best starts in his career as he has made only eight starts after an early stint on the IL and he has a 2.09 ERA and 0.93 WHIP and he has allowed two runs or less in every start. Over his last three outings, he has a 0.50 ERA and 0.56 WHIP while posting a 17:1 K:BB ratio. Here, we play against American League road teams with a starting pitcher whose ERA is 3.20 or better on the season going up against an opponent with a starting pitcher whose WHIP is 1.10 or better on the season. This situation is 297-171 (63.5 percent) since 1997. 10* (970) Minnesota Twins

This is a play on the CINCINNATI REDS as part of our MLB Tuesday Triple Play. The Dodgers head into Tuesday back in first place in the National League West, a half-game ahead of San Diego. They fell out of first place for two days and the lead has been shrinking for a while as Los Angeles has been below average since the end of May, going 7-11 over its last 18 games and hits the road where it is 2-4 in its last six games. Tony Gonsolin has been unbeatable this season, literally, at he is 8-0 with a 1.42 ERA and 0.82 WHIP which is another big reason for the lofty road price. Los Angeles is 1-3 in his no-decisions with all three losses coming on the road and overall, it is 6-0 at home and 3-3 on the road with the percentages in favor of the big underdog. Cincinnati has lost four straight games heading into Tuesday and there has not been a lot to put a positive spin on the Reds. They did have a decent stretch prior to this skid as they went 11-9 over their previous 20 games as the offense woke up after an early season slumber but have since averaged just 3.5 rpg during the four game skid. A positive from the pitching staff has been Tyler Mahle who has pitched very well of late. He has one bad start against the Giants but he has a 1.30 ERA in his last four starts and in seven starts since May 8 excluding that Giants start, he has a 1.80 ERA with the Reds winning three of those seven. Here, we play against National League road favorites with a money line of -175 or more allowing four or fewer rpg going up against an opponent with a starting pitcher whose WHIP is 1.00 or better over his last three starts. This situation is 21-12 (63.6 percent) since 1997. 9* (902) Cincinnati Reds

<p>

This is a play on the TORONTO BLUE JAYS as part of our MLB Tuesday Triple Play. We are backing Toronto again Tuesday as it lost the series opener to fall to 17-15 on the road where pitching has led the way with a 3.32 ERA. The Blue Jays have a long way to go to catch the Yankees in the American League East but they still sit atop the Wild Card in the league with a 38-29 overall record. The offense was very slow to start the season but are heating up and are No. 5 in batting average and No. 3 in OPS. Kevin Gausman is coming off his worst start of the season as he allowed seven runs, five earned, in just 2.1 innings against the Orioles. He has rare reverse splits where he has a 4.76 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in seven home starts and a 1.85 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in six road starts. Chicago remains in the hunt in the American League Central, trailing the Twins by 4.5 games as it hovers around .500. The White Sox are 14-17 at home which is the still the worst home record in the American League among teams with at least 30 wins. Chicago is ranked in the bottom half of baseball in runs scored per nine innings, No. 22 on offense and No. 24 with pitching. Dylan Cease has been outstanding of late as he has gone four straight starts without allowing an earned run, covering 21.1 innings but over that stretch, he has allowed 10 unearned runs as walks and errors has skewed his numbers for the good. Here, we play against American League home underdogs averaging 0.9 or fewer HRs per game and with a starting pitcher whose WHIP is 1.30 to 1.40 on the season going up against a starting pitcher who gives up 0.5 or fewer HRs per start. This situation is 86-31 (73.5 percent) since 1997. 9* (919) Toronto Blue Jays

<p>

This is a play on the TORONTO BLUE JAYS for our MLB Monday Sweet Spot. Toronto was squarely looking at getting swept against the Yankees as it was down 8-3 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning but out up seven runs over the next two frames and held on for a 10-9 victory. That was a huge win as it brought some confidence that had left the scene during this homestand that stood at 2-4 heading into Sunday. Toronto hits the road with a 17-14 record which is third best in the American League as a percentage and it is in a good spot to keep this momentum going. Jose Berrios has been very solid of late, posting a 2.45 ERA over his last three starts and he has tossed five quality outings in his last six starts with a 2.80 ERA in those five games. Chicago is coming off a winning roadtrip and it remains in the hunt in the American League Central, trailing the Twins by five games as it hovers around .500. The White Sox return home where they are just 13-17 which is the worst home record in the American League among teams with at least 30 wins. Chicago is ranked in the bottom half of baseball in runs scored per nine innings, No. 22 on offense and No. 24 with pitching so it has struggled on both sides. Lance Lynn made his first start of the season last week against Detroit and it did not go well as he allowed three runs on 10 hits in 4.1 innings and striking out just four and face the tenth lowest team strikeout percentage. Here, we play against American League teams averaging 4.2 or fewer rpg and starting a pitcher who did not walk a hitter last outing going up against a starting pitcher with an ERA between 4.20 and 4.70. this situation is 32-9 (78 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (965) Toronto Blue Jays

This is a play on the TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING for our NHL Monday Breakaway. We lost with Tampa Bay in Game Two as it forgot to show up and now faces a must win game at home on Monday to avoid a 3-0 series deficit. The Lightning could not handle the speed and forecheck of the Avalanche in Game Two as they turned it over constantly which led to open space and too many shot opportunities for Colorado. It was the second straight game Tampa Bay allowed three first period goals and while it was able to come back to tie it up in Game One, it was unable to do so on Saturday. The turnovers in Game Two killed the offense as the Lightning managed only 17 shots and led to 30 shots for Colorado which was down from the 38 shots in Game One. Tampa Bay is 34-9-2-4 at home this season including a 7-1 record in the playoffs where it is riding a seven-game winning streak. The Lightning are 18-2 against the money line in its last 20 home games revenging a loss where opponent scored four or more goals. Colorado has shown its speed and athleticism can even take down one of the top defensive teams but carrying that over into Game Three on the road can be a challenge against a desperate team that was in this same spot in the last series. The Avalanche are 31-14-3-0 on the road which is solid but they are not nearly as effective on away ice as they are at home. This will be their toughest test of the postseason thus far and they do fall short. Here, we play on home Teams when the money line is -100 to -150 after allowing three goals or more in two straight games going up against an opponent after scoring four goals or more in four straight games. This situation is 40-12 (76.9 percent) since 1996. 10* (26) Tampa Bay Lightning