Rating: 2 Units

St. Louis comes into this matchup on a five game winning streak and they have scored at least seven runs in three straight. The Cardinals are 6-3 on the road this year, while the Marlins are 8-5 at home. Miami has lost four of their last five games and they have allowed 5+ in all four of those losses. The Marlins are starting Meyer, who has allowed 3, 1, 2, and 3 earned runs in his four starts, while McGreevy has allowed two earned runs or fewer in three of his four starts. I really like how St. Louis is hitting the ball right now and I think they have the pitching advantage, so I like the Cardinals to get the win here.

Rating: 2 Units

The Braves are looking more and more like the cream of the crop in the NL East and if that’s the case, this series should be a breeze to keep stacking in the division. The Nationals are a scrappy bunch but their pitching is horrible and Irvin is one of the guys who has contributed to the failures. Through 19 innings, Irvin has a 6.16 ERA and 1.47 WHIP with 11 walks. Elder looks like a CY Young candidate through 23.1 innings with his 0.77 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. Massive pitching advantage and the bats are hot as well. I’m not stepping in front of these Braves. Give me the Braves

Rating: 2 Units

The Hawks were a nice team for us over the last month or so and many had hopes for them in this series. The Hawks are fine and moving in the right direction. A lot of three-and-D guys, youth, and athleticism. I get the appeal. The problem is the Hawks are young and going up against an experienced Knicks team that knows it’s now or never. As I said in the game 1 write-up, there are too many resources put into this team to be a first- or second-round exit. To avoid a shakeup, the Knicks probably have to make the finals. Some of the younger players for the Hawks struggled in game 1 as expected and while you’d expect improvement with a game under their belt, there’s just a serious experience gap between these teams when the big boys usually shine. MSG is also a zoo this time of year. I’d need more points. Give me the Knicks.

Rating: 2 Units

The Senators have had recent success against the Canes and they’ve done a fine job of bouncing back from losses all season. However, I simply need more bang for my buck to pull the trigger. It’s the same case as game 1. The Hurricanes are too balanced, too consistent and too experienced to turn down at home with cheap prices. This is an eighth straight playoff trip for the Hurricanes and they’ve made the conference finals in three of those previous appearances. Like the Avs in the west, the Hurricanes are one of those teams you can trust this time of year. Push these prices in the -170-plus territory and then I’ll start showing some attention toward the Senators. Keep these prices under -150 and I’ll keep hammering the Canes.