Matt Fargo

Minnesota and Phoenix are meeting with a trip to the WNBA Finals on the line for the fourth year in a row and the fifth time in six years. The Lynx finished the season with the best record in the league which gave them a double-bye in the new playoff format and while that can be considered an advantage, it may not be very helpful for this first game. They have been off for 11 days which is a huge amount of time off that can break up any sort of team chemistry and we saw it once with this team as they lost outright to Connecticut following the lengthy Olympic break. Phoenix survived both one-and-done playoff games as is peaking at the right time. It was a very disappointing season for the Mercury as they finished two games under .500 but they have played their best since starting 4-9 and a lot of that can be blamed on chemistry. Diana Taurasi missed all of last season and while she has been outstanding this year, it took some time for the team to get together. While Minnesota is the clear favorite in this series, Phoenix is catching a big number in this opener and will certainly be out for revenge after getting swept by Minnesota in the three-game season series. The Mercury have covered seven of their last 10 games against teams with a winning record while going 5-0 ATS in their last five games after three or more days of rest. Additionally, they have covered all three games this season when getting 5 or more points. 10* (651) Phoenix Mercury

The Giants opened this series last night with a victory and they remain a game ahead of St. Louis for the second Wild Card spot in the National League. The second half has been a nightmare for San Francisco and putting together any sort of winning streak has been a problem as since the All Star Break, the Giants are 6-20 in their 26 games following a victory. Colorado has dropped the first five games of its roadtrip as the offense has been unable to get off the ground but it is important to note that four of those five games have come against left-handed starters which they have struggled against this season. Jeff Samardzija gets the ball and he has been very inconsistent this season as just 16 of his 31 starts have been quality outings. He is coming off one of his best starts of the season where he allowed no runs over seven innings but in two previous starts this season where he allowed no runs, the Giants lost his next start where he allowed six runs in 10 combined innings. Coors Field can be a nightmare for many pitchers and that is certainly the case for Tyler Chatwood. In 14 home starts, he has a 6.12 ERA and 1.64 WHIP but in 12 road starts, he has a 1.88 ERA and 1.17 WHIP so he clearly prefers the highway and this has been the case throughout his career. He is coming off another quality road start against the Dodgers but the bullpen could not come through. In his last two starts against the Giants, he has allowed just one earned run in 12 combined innings. 10* (913) Colorado Rockies

After losing the opener of this series on Monday, the Rangers won last night to move a half-game ahead of the Red Sox for the best record in the American League. Overall, it has not been a great month for Texas as since a seven-game winning streak, it has gone 11-11 over its last 22 games while going 0-5 over its last five games after scoring five runs in its previous game. Milwaukee is just playing out the string but has not quit as the Brewers are 15-11 over their last 26 games and the profits have been huge as most of those victories have come as a sizeable underdog. Additionally, they are 17-10 on the season in Game Three following a loss. It has been a huge turnaround for Chase Anderson after struggling over the first half of the season. In 17 starts prior to the All Star Break, he posted a 5.44 ERA and 1.42 WHIP while going 4-10 but after the break, he is 5-1 with a 2.82 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in 13 games including 12 starts. In those 12 starts, he has not allowed more than three runs in any of them. Texas counters with Cole Hamels who has been very solid this season with a 3.30 ERA in 31 starts. However, his WHIP of 1.31 is far from dominant and most of his success has come on the road where he has a 2.40 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. Conversely, he has a 4.45 ERA and 1.49 WHIP in 14 home starts and he catches a Brewers team that has won five straight road games against left-handed starters. 10* (929) Milwaukee Brewers