Jim Feist

The Milwaukee Bucks will face the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Pacers took a 1-0 series lead with their commanding Game 1 win over the Bucks by 117-98 after establishing their dominance with a 24-point halftime lead that they maintained throughout the game.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 36 points to lead Milwaukee but received minimal support from his starting teammates who only scored 14 points combined. The Bucks showed poor performance from beyond the arc by making only 24.3% of their shots which they need to fix to bring the series to a tie. The main focus as Game 2 approaches will be the playing status of Damian Lillard who has moved from doubtful to questionable. After multiple weeks sidelined by a calf blood clot Damian Lillard completed full practice sessions on Monday which would boost Milwaukee's offense if he receives clearance to play.

The Pacers demonstrated a balanced offensive strategy during their first game. Pascal Siakam scored 25 points and led the team as Myles Turner contributed 19 points along with four blocks. Tyrese Haliburton struggled with shooting yet managed to create multiple scoring opportunities by delivering 12 assists. Indiana demonstrated strong defensive depth in their initial game performance and they aim to preserve this progression while taking advantage of their home-court standing in Game 2.

If Lilliard can play tonight it will be a huge boost to this Bucks lineup. Either way, the Bucks have to play with urgency here on Tuesday. I'll take the points with Milwaukee. 

Jim's Pick: Bucks

On Tuesday April 22, 2025, Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. will host the start of the interleague series between the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles with the game beginning at 6:45 PM ET. Left-handed pitcher Mitchell Parker will represent the Nationals while right-handed pitcher Dean Kremer will pitch for the Orioles in this matchup.

Mitchell Parker has achieved 2 wins against 1 loss and a strong 1.85 ERA across 24.1 innings pitched during his current season. Washington receives reliable rotation performance from him because he has allowed 18 hits and struck out 16 batters while issuing 9 walks. Parker’s command over the game and his damage-limiting skills have driven his initial season triumphs. Dean Kremer has achieved a 2-2 win-loss record while struggling with a 6.41 ERA across 19.2 innings pitched. Although he has allowed 25 hits while striking out 13 and walking just 4, Dean Kremer's early-season inconsistency has resulted in added burdens for Baltimore’s bullpen.

James Wood leads the Nationals offense with seven home runs and seventeen RBIs while Keibert Ruiz contributes with a batting average of .306. Cedric Mullins represents the Orioles with his power hitting demonstrated by 6 home runs and 19 RBIs along with a .284 batting average. The offensive output from both teams has been powerful at times which means Tuesday's game might produce numerous runs.

The matchup features a Nationals team with dependence on their powerful starting pitcher against an Orioles team that aims to leverage their offensive capabilities while seeking pitching stability. The series opener will depend heavily on how well the starting pitchers execute and the timing of hits from both teams. I'll take the visitors in this one on Tuesday. 

Jim's Pick: Nationals 

The Cincinnati Reds face the Miami Marlins Tuesday, April 22nd, 2025 at loanDepot Park for a game poised to deliver a high-scoring outcome. The match holds promising conditions for surpassing the over goal because both starting pitchers are performing poorly while each team demonstrates impressive offensive capabilities.

Cincinnati will have Nick Martinez start with his current 0-3 record and 6.00 ERA from 21 total innings. Despite his outstanding 4-0 record with a 1.00 ERA in 10 appearances against the Marlins previously, his current performances show a marked decline. Martinez has encountered difficulties in both command and preventing home runs because he has surrendered four home runs so far this season. Edward Cabrera leads Miami in the game after experiencing a challenging start to his 2025 season with a 6.52 ERA through 9.2 innings pitched. Cabrera has faced major control issues since his two outings led to six walks and his previous start against the Reds resulted in 7 earned runs and 4 homers over 3.1 innings.

The Cincinnati offense demonstrated explosive potential through a 24-run eruption against Baltimore. The Reds possess a potent offensive duo in Elly De La Cruz and Gavin Lux that challenges pitchers who have difficulties with control. Miami's inconsistent offense found its rhythm during a 6-3 win against the Reds where Kyle Stowers hit a pivotal three-run home run. The Miami team has surpassed the total score 15 times in their 22 games whereas Cincinnati has done so in 12 out of their 23 games this season. A posted total of 8.5 runs sets low expectations but weaknesses in both pitching staffs combined with potent lineups indicate value exists in betting on the over.

This matchup presents the kind of variables bettors look for when targeting a total: The combination of starting pitchers who struggle together with strong offensive teams and tendencies toward high scoring games. Due to Martinez and Cabrera's inconsistent performances alongside potent batting lineups both teams should see multiple base running chances and scoring prospects during the game. In this Tuesday night battle bettors should favor the over as their primary choice.

Jim's Pick: Over 

On Tuesday, April 22, 2025, the Cleveland Guardians will host the New York Yankees in the second game of their three-game series at Progressive Field with first pitch at 6:10 PM ET. The Guardians won the opening series game with a 6-4 score after José Ramírez hit a three-run homer and Kyle Manzardo delivered a solo shot to extend his streak of homers to three games.

Will Warren will pitch for the Yankees starting with a record of 1-0 and an ERA of 5.17. In 15.2 innings Warren has achieved 16 strikeouts but has also walked nine batters indicating control problems early in the season. The Guardians will start Tanner Bibee who holds a 1-2 record with a 5.85 ERA. Tanner Bibee's season started poorly when he allowed seven home runs over 20 innings of work against a Yankees lineup known for their power hitting.

Aaron Judge continues to lead New York offensively through reaching base in 19 successive games and maintaining a .384 batting average alongside his seven home runs and 25 RBIs. The Guardians respond with Steven Kwan who maintains a .333 batting average and four home runs alongside Kyle Manzardo who stands out as the team leader with seven homers and 17 RBIs. The two teams have displayed the ability to score heavily in clusters which sets the stage for a high-scoring game.

The Guardians enter the match as favorites with an 8-point total runs over/under prediction. Trent Grisham will miss New York's game because he's on the paternity list and Jorbit Vivas joins the team from Triple-A. Cleveland faces injury issues and must play without outfielder George Valera.

As both starting pitchers search for consistency and teams display powerful offensive capabilities this matchup promises to deliver an exciting competition while the Yankees work to balance their series record. I'm taking the OVER in Tuesday's matchup. 

Jim's Pick: OVER

The Boston Red Sox will host the Seattle Mariners for the opening game of their three-game series at Fenway Park on April 22, 2025, with the first pitch at 6:45 PM ET. The Mariners have a 12-10 record going into the series and the Red Sox hold a 13-11 record.

The Seattle Mariners have assigned right-handed pitcher Bryce Miller to take the mound. Bryce Miller holds a 1-2 pitching record and has maintained a 3.43 ERA through his 21 innings pitched this season. During his most recent start against the Cincinnati Reds he pitched five innings with no runs allowed while striking out eight batters and giving up three hits. Miller has provided positive momentum to the Mariners' pitching lineup and aims to maintain his effective performance against Boston.

Right-hander Brayan Bello will make his season debut following shoulder injury recovery when he steps onto the mound for the Red Sox. Bello achieved a 12-11 win-loss record while maintaining a 4.24 ERA throughout his 157.1 innings pitched during the 2024 season. While rehabbing he pitched four combined starts for the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs and Triple-A Worcester Red Sox and finished with a 7.07 ERA from 21 strikeouts across 14 innings. The Boston team hopes to see Bello regain his past performance levels to enhance their pitching rotation stability.

Cal Raleigh has led the Mariners offensively by hitting with power from both sides of the plate. Seattle's lineup averages 4.5 runs per game which puts them at the 13th position among MLB teams. Trevor Story leads the Red Sox offensive efforts with a .337 average complemented by five home runs and 30 hits. The Boston team averages 4.52 runs per game which ranks them 11th in the league standings.

Moneyline odds show the Red Sox as slight favorites at -135 and the Mariners as underdogs at +115. The total runs predicted for the game stands at 9. Both teams have demonstrated offensive strength which when combined with Bello's season debut could create scoring chances for both sides.

The matchup pits a Mariners team that wants to extend their recent winning streak against a Red Sox team that seeks to secure their standing in the American League East division. The series opener at Fenway Park promises to be an exciting contest between two teams that have strong offensive lineups along with uncertainties about their starting pitchers. With that I'm taking the OVER here on Tuesday. 

Jim's Pick: Over

The Arizona Diamondbacks will host the Tampa Bay Rays for the first game of a three-game interleague series at Chase Field on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, beginning at 9:40 PM ET. The betting line stands at nine runs while multiple signs indicate that this game will likely produce many points on the scoreboard.

Zack Littell takes the mound for Tampa Bay with an 0-4 win-loss record and a 5.48 ERA. Littell faces difficulties maintaining control over opponents as evidenced by his 14 earned runs surrendered across 23 innings pitched. The data shows that Littell's high hard-hit rate and barrel-permitting performance demonstrates opposing teams' success in making solid contact against him. Brandon Pfaadt of Arizona enters the matchup with a 3-1 win-loss record and maintains a 3.04 ERA. Pfaadt demonstrates better effectiveness than Littell but frequently allows home runs which Tampa Bay's strong lineup can exploit.

Seattle and Arizona enter this game with high offensive scoring capabilities. The Diamondbacks lead the league with an average of 5.6 runs per game while the Rays score 4.3 runs per game. The Diamondbacks bullpen showing a 6.75 ERA over their last ten games makes it more probable that late-inning runs will score.

The two inconsistent starting pitchers combined with potent batting orders from both teams make betting on more than 9 runs a wise choice for this Arizona series opener. Players should anticipate continuous base traffic together with scoring opportunities during the entire game.

Jim's Free Play: OVER