Michael Alexander Sports Handicapper

Rating: 2 Units

Expect Erik Spoelstra to go back to the zone he used in most of the Boston series and that will help slow down the Nuggets. That defensive gimmick will help a lot more in Game 2 when the Heat have their legs back since they have Friday and Saturday off.  There's no doubt that going seven games against Boston had an effect on their performance on Thursday along with the altitude. Strus, Caleb Martin and Robinson combined for 2-for-23 in Game 1 and all three will bounce back in Game 2. Martin has been terrific in the postseason, averaging 13.5 points and shooting 44% from beyond the arc. But the biggest factor is Butler getting a couple of days off to rest his ankle and he will be looking to get to the line a lot more in this game. The Heat will push the Nuggets to the limit in Game 2 and will shoot a lot more than two free throws.

Rating: 2 Units

In his last start, Miller took the loss as he was roughed up by the Yankees at home Monday night. He threw 4.2 innings, allowing eight runs on 11 hits with no walks and three strikeouts in a 10-4 Seattle defeat. Over his last three starts, Miller is 1-2 with a 5.82 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP, two walks and 13 strikeouts over 17 innings of work. In his seventh career major league start, Miller pitches against the Rangers for the first time. He makes his first career start at Globe Life Field in this contest. Prior to his recall, Miller was 0-2 with a 6.41 ERA, a 1.322 WHIP, three walks and 18 strikeouts over 19.2 innings in four starts with Double-A Arkansas of the Texas League. Consider that the over is 15-5-2 in Rangers last 22 home games.

Rating: 2 Units

The Chicago White Sox will look to complete the 3-game sweep over the Detroit Tigers in their game today. There’s been little offense for both teams in this series, and pitching has dominated so far. For the White Sox, Michael Kopech will start and he’s 3-5 with a 4.52 ERA. Before getting hit around by the Angels in his last start, he had back-to-back starts going 7+ innings without allowing a run. Despite only going 4.1 innings against the Angels, he threw 10 strikeouts as the strikeout continues to be a big part of his game. Kopech generally finds success against weaker lineups such as the Royals and Guardians, so the Tigers, given their current struggles, shouldn’t give him a rough outing. Matthew Boyd will start for the visiting Tigers and he’s 3-4 with a 5.96 ERA. Boyd gave up 5 runs in his latest start but only 1 in his start before that.. The Tigers’ bullpen has surprisingly pitched really well this season and the past 2 games against the White Sox has not been an exception. If Boyd doesn’t make it deep into this game, which he typically doesn’t, they should be backed by a deep bullpen that’s shut down the Sox so far. The White Sox have continued to struggle offensively but thanks to their pitching staff, 5 runs in 2 games has given them 2 wins. Consider that the under is 45-21-3 in Tigers last 69 when their opponent scores 2 runs or less in their previous game.

Rating: 2 Units

The Tampa Bay Rays aren’t nearly as dangerous on the road where they are only two games above the .500 mark. They lost two of three to the Cubs prior to this series and lost game one of Saturday's DH. The Red Sox are three games above .500 at home. Rays’ starter Taj Bradley is an inexperienced rookie. The right-hander does not go deep into games, last 5.1 or fewer innings in all but one start this season, and the Rays bullpen is actually a bit of a weakness, ranking 22nd in the big leagues with a 4.32 ERA to go with a 1.34 WHIP. Tampa Bay has lost in each of Bradley's last three starts while Boston has won in four of Houck's five home starts this season.

Rating: 2 Units

Miller has pitched pretty well in his first handful of starts in the majors but he was lit up by the Yankees in his last outing. Facing a team with a prolific lineup with plenty of power bats may be a lot to ask of a young guy that hadn’t pitched above Double-A prior to being called up to the majors. Eovaldi has been rolling this season and went 4-0 with a 0.96 ERA with nine walks and 31 strikeouts over 37.2 innings in five starts in the month of May. Opposing hitters posted a measly .178/.232/.264 slash line in those outings. After seeing how Seattle sputtered against an equally hot pitcher in Gray on Friday night, you have to give the advantage to the hosts here as the Rangers earn the win to take the series.

Rating: 2 Units

The Angels have been roughed up in Houston this weekend, as the Astros have won the first three games of this American League West Division series, while outscoring the Halos by a 20-10 margin. Even RHP Shohei Ohtani was unable to pitch them to victory on Friday night. Now, the Halos turn to RHP Griffin Canning to try and salvage something in this series. He is 4-2 with a 4.89 ERA and 1.30 WHIP across eight starts. However, he also has a dismal 7.90 ERA and 1.46 WHIP in three daytime starts across 13 2/3 innings, while teams are hitting .291 against him. The Astros are starting to round into championship form after a slow start. Houston is 18-5 in the past 23 games dating back to May 9, and the hot streak started when the team visited the Angels in Anaheim from May 8-10. The Astros are 5-1 in the past six games during Game 4 of a series, while Houston is 38-14 in the past 52 games inside the AL West. In addition, the Astros have been stacking wins, going 11-3 in the past 14 games following a win, while cashing in 11 of the past 16 games against a right-handed starting pitcher.