Big Al McMordie Sports Picks & Handicapper Review

At 2:20 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Cubs -1.5 runs over the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Matt Boyd will get the start for Chicago.  He's in terrific form, with just 3 earned runs allowed across his last three starts (19 IP).  In Boyd's career, his teams have gone 23-11 as a favorite with him on the mound, and 25-17 (+9.3 net games) vs. division rivals (including 24-18 (+7.3 net games) on the run-line).  This season, the Cubs are +8.2 net games on the run line as a favorite, while the Buccos are -11.4 net games on the run-line.  And Pittsburgh is an awful 10-23 (-8.1 net games) on the road this season, including 0-5 vs. lefties and 1-7 vs. division foes.  Take Chicago -1.5 runs.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:00 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Florida Panthers.  It's hard to recall a bigger game in their history for the Oilers than Game 4 of this Stanley Cup Finals on Thursday night.  If Edmonton lost, they would trail 3-1 -- a seemingly impossible situation.  And yet it looked like that's exactly what was going to happen at the end of the first period as the Panthers took a 3-0 lead.  And dating back to Florida's overtime winner in Game 2, the Panthers had outscored the Oilers 10 goals to 1.  But the Oilers clawed their way back with 3 goals in the 2nd period, and finally ended it in dramatic fashion in OT with a goal from their star, Leon Draisaitl.  For the second straight game, Edmonton replaced goalie Stuart Skinner with Calvin Pickard but this time the 33-year-old from New Brunswick was outstanding, allowing just one goal with 19 seconds left in the 3rd period, while making 22 saves -- including a couple of critical ones in the overtime period.  There's no doubt the Oilers should go with Pickard from the get-go this evening at home, but skipper Kris Knoblach has not announced a starter as of this writing.  Regardless, we're on the Oilers, as Edmonton is 66-29 (+13.3 net games) as a home favorite, while Florida has burned money as a road underdog (10-15, -2.5 net games).  Take the Oilers.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:15 pm, our selection is on the New York Yankees over the Boston Red Sox. If last night's game is any indication, this series is going to be a good one, perhaps hearkening back to Yankee-Red Sox clashes of old. Yankee skipper Aaron Boone didn't get to see the walk-off win by the Sox in the 10th inning from the field as he was ejected after a heated argument with the umps in a game that Boston really needed. Tonight, New York will send Carlos Rodon to the mound for his 15th start of the season. The veteran LHP is having an All-Star-caliber season, with an 8-4 record and 2.87 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in just under 85 innings. After battling injuries for years -- including 2023 in his first campaign with the Yanks -- Rodon is healthy for the second straight season and paying huge dividends. In five career starts here at Fenway Park, Rodon has a very nice 3.72 ERA with 41 strikeouts and 10 walks in 29 innings. And this season he has done his best work on the road with a 4-1 record and 2.61 ERA in six starts away from the Bronx (vs. 4-3 and 3.09 at home). These two pitchers (Rodon and Hunter Dobbins) matched up in the Bronx last week, and Boston won, 11-7.  We'll take New York and Rodon to avenge that defeat. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 4 pm, our selection is on the Toronto/Calgary game to go UNDER the total.  The Over/Under in this game has been installed north of 50 points.  And these two teams have gone UNDER the total in 12 of the last 16 meetings when the O/U line was 50+ points.  Last week Calgary blew out Hamilton, 38-26, while Toronto lost to Montreal, 28-10.  Teams off high-scoring wins, in which they tallied 38+ points have gone 57% UNDER over the last 20 years.  Take the UNDER.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7 pm, our selection is on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats + the points over Saskatchewan.  The Ti-Cats have been installed as a home underdog on this Saturday after dropping their season-opening game at Calgary, 38-26.  We'll happily grab the points, as Hamilton is a solid 76-56-5 ATS as an underdog, including 39-21-2 ATS off a point spread loss, while Saskatchewan is a wallet-busting 19-43-1 ATS as an unrested favorite vs. losing teams.  Additionally, in Week 2, CFL underdogs off a double-digit loss have cashed 64% vs. foes off a SU win.  Take Hamilton.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3 pm, our selection is on the Indiana Fever + the points over the New York Liberty.  These two teams met earlier this season in a thriller which went down to the wire.  New York escaped with a 90-88 victory as a 4-point road favorite.  We'll take Indiana, as Caitlin Clark will be back in the lineup this afternoon.  The Fever are a solid 14-5 ATS the last two seasons vs. foes off a SU/ATS win, while New York is a nasty 47-89-4 ATS vs. revenge-minded foes.  The Fever were blown out by 19 points by the Dream on Tuesday.  But WNBA teams off a SU/ATS loss are on a 29-10 ATS run vs. foes not off a SU/ATS loss.  Take the Fever.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.