Matt Fargo

This is a play on the ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI for our Final four Dominator. Many will point to Connecticut and Dan Hurley for being NCAA Tournament dominators which they certainly have been but they are obviously fortunate to be here. There will also be the argument of the Huskies winning the regular season meeting over Illinois as they took that game by 13 points but that was in late November and this Illinois team is different since then. Keaton Wagler played only 14 minutes and scored just three points and he has now been the focal part of the offense. The Illini have lost only two games in regulation since that defeat from the Huskies as they have four overtime losses and have matchup edges this time around. Illinois does not turn the ball over as it is No. 10 in Turnover Rate and can dominate a game on the offensive glass where they are No. 3 especially against a Connecticut defense that can be a bit susceptible to second-chance opportunities. The line is telling of a No. 3 favored over a No. 2 and the No. 2 that has been dominant in these spots. 10* (649) Illinois Fighting Illini

This is a play on the CINCINNATI REDS as part of our MLB Saturday Double Play. We were on the Reds last night and will be again here as there is good value as they improved to 4-3 and send out Rhett Lowder for his second start of the season. After missing nearly all of 2025 due to forearm and oblique injuries, he entered 2026 spring training as a frontrunner for a rotation spot and he had a great first start as he allowed two runs in five innings against the Red Sox. He has carried this over from last season where he posted a 1.17 ERA in six starts and he is a top four prospect that continues to gain traction. The Rangers are also 4-3 and send Kumar Rocker out for his season debut and he is a fade at this point. He posted a 5.74 ERA and 5.79 xERA in 12 starts last season and while his projections show improvements, he is not going to be stretched out early as he is being brought back slow from Tommy John surgery.  10* (977) Cincinnati Reds

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES ANGELS as part of our MLB Saturday Double Play. The Mariners took the opener of this series 3-1 in extra innings to improve to 4-4 and now is the time to go against them. Emerson Hancock is coming off the best start we have seen thus far as he tossed six no-hit innings against the Guardians and the line will be big backing him again here. He was not great in the rotation last season with a 5.29 ERA while pitching to a 5.69 xERA and his projections coming in were not great. He is in the rotation in place of Bryce Miller and has a sneaky tough matchup. The Angels are 3-5 with the offense having done nothing of late with just seven runs scored in their last four games which adds to the contrarian value. Jack Kochanowicz had a rough go of it on the road at Houston in his opener and he is home where he was much better compared to his 1-7 record and 7.42 ERA on the road last season. 10* (966) Los Angeles Angels