It’s not often that you get a suspended game to mess up your picks, but that happened to me yesterday, as the Astros and Twins have to finish the game they started on Wednesday so I can see if my bet was a winner or not. The hope here is that by the time the Astros are done scoring (they put up six runs in the sixth), the Twins will have thrown in the towel and shifted their focus toward the actually scheduled game.
Personally, I think there’s value in that one. Now, the question is, can I find two other games to pair with it? Time to try; here are my plays for May 12.
MLB PARLAY: ASTROS-TWINS U5 F5, REDS +0.5 F5, WHITE SOX ML, +355
I think that Houston and Minnesota will play out a low-scoring first few innings in large part because they’re going to ask their starters to go five if at all possible to save the bullpens after finishing the suspended game. As long as both pitchers bring their usual performances to the table, we should have a quick five innings as Houston doesn’t want its flight out of Minnesota delayed any longer than necessary. The Reds and White Sox are both better than their records indicate, and I think they’re starting to show it. Cincinnati should be able to play the Pirates to a draw, and I think the White Sox have the pitching edge over the Yankees.
NHL PARLAY: HURRICANES-BRUINS O5.5, MAPLE LEAFS-LIGHTNING O6, OILERS-KINGS O5.5, +375
I’m expecting a lot of goals in these Game 6 matchups. We haven’t seen a game between the Bruins and Hurricanes feature fewer than six goals yet, and I don’t think that’s changing now with Boston facing elimination. The Lightning don’t lose back-to-back games, and neither Toronto nor Tampa Bay seems capable of stopping the other team from scoring in this series. Finally, Edmonton has given up an unbelievable 88 shots on goal in the past two games. Yes, Game 5 went to overtime, but the teams were only on the ice for an additional 72 seconds before Adrian Kempe ended the game. There’s no excuse for the Oil letting that many pucks reach the net, but it does make for a strong over play.
CHARLES BARKLEY PARLAY: SUNS ML, 76ERS ML, PHILLIES TTO 2.5, +375
I’ve got nothing other than this for a third play, but there is some logic behind it. I think the Suns are going to close out Dallas as the stronger team in the series and the Sixers have too much pride to roll over and die again after losing by 35 to Miami on the road. That just leaves the Phillies, and there’s no way I’m crazy enough to go against the Dodgers in a series opener in Los Angeles. But that said, the Dodgers did just give up five runs to Pittsburgh in two of their past three games. I think the Phillies can do enough to plate three runs here.
