Matt Fargo Sports Handicapper Review & Free Picks

This is a play on the HOUSTON ASTROS for our MLB Thursday Runline Destruction. Houston had a seven-game home winning streak snapped with a 9-4 loss last night as Gerrit Cole got lit up for six runs on seven hits in five innings. We expect the Astros to bounce back tonight and while we have no interest in laying a moneyline of this size, we will be going with the runline where there is a lot of value. The recent seven-game home winning streak saw the Astros win all seven games by at least two runs and on the season, of their 18 home wins, 14 have come by more than one run. The White Sox snapped a three-game losing streak and the nine runs scored was the first time they scored more than four runs in seven straight games where they plated a total of just 13 runs. The starting rotation has been dreadful for the White Sox with a lone bright spot being Lucas Giolito and his 3.35 ERA. He is perfect on the road with a 4-0 record and a 2.42 ERA but this will be his biggest challenge as the Astros lead all of baseball in home average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The White Sox are 5-13 in his last 18 starts against teams with a winning record. Houston counters with Corbin Martin who struggled last time out after a strong Major League debut. That last game was in Boston however and Chicago is hitting just .243 on the road against righties. 10* (916) Houston Astros -1.5 Runs

This is a play on the MILWAUKEE BUCKS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. The series heads back to Milwaukee for Game Five as the home team has held serve through the first four games. Milwaukee has been a force on home court during the postseason, winning straight up and ATS in six of seven, including five victories by 21 or more points. While momentum may have shifted, we feel the Bucks swing it back their way tonight. Two factors led to the Raptors tying this series up in Game Four and the Bucks need to reverse both. The Milwaukee bench outscored Toronto 130-78 through the first three games of the series but it was the Raptors bench, Norman Powell scoring 18 points, Serge Ibaka adding 17 points and Fred VanVleet tossing in 13 points, that decided Game Four and it will be up to the Bucks reserves to get back to the way they were in the first two games. Second, Game Four was the Bucks worst defensive game (120 points allowed on 96 possessions) of the postseason, and that was the focus of head coach Mike Budenholzer's frustration Tuesday night. The league's No. 1 defense simply cannot have the same kinds of breakdowns going forward. Milwaukee is 16-3 ATS off an upset loss as a favorite this season and here, we play on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points revenging a loss of 10 points or more, off two or more consecutive road losses. This situation is 37-13 ATS (74 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (508) Milwaukee Bucks