Sports Handicapper Tom Macrina's Picks & Predictions

This is a premier Cy Young-caliber pitching duel in Detroit. Two of the game's top arms — Miami's Sandy Alcantara and Detroit's Tarik Skubal — are set to square off in a matchup that screams low-scoring baseball.
Sandy Alcantara has been borderline untouchable early in 2026. Through three starts, he owns a sparkling 0.74 ERA over 24.1 innings, with an elite 0.58 WHIP (2nd in MLB) and just 4 walks. He’s coming off a dominant 8.1-inning effort against the Reds in which he allowed just 2 earned runs. Alcantara is generating weak contact and missing bats at a high level, keeping the Marlins in every game he starts.
Tarik Skubal has had a bumpier beginning (1-2, 2.55 ERA), but the underlying indicators remain strong, and the Marlins offense is ice-cold right now. Miami managed just one run across the first two games of this series in Detroit. This lineup struggles to generate consistent hard contact against quality pitching, and facing Skubal at home won’t suddenly wake them up.
Several factors point to runs being at a premium:

Comerica Park plays as a strong pitcher’s park, especially in April.
Detroit has won 4 of their last 5 home games, showing solid home form.
Both teams boast strong bullpens that can shut down late innings if the starters go deep.
Weather looks favorable for pitchers: heavy wind blowing in from right field will suppress fly balls and extra-base hits.

Oddsmakers are pricing in a classic pitching duel, and the metrics back it up. With two aces on the mound, weak offense from one side, a pitcher-friendly venue, and helpful wind conditions, expect a grind-it-out game where both sides have to scratch for runs.
Recommended Play: Marlins/Tigers Under 6.5 (-120)
This feels like a 3-2 or 4-1 type of afternoon — elite starting pitching and environmental factors should keep the total well in check.

The New York Islanders are in a brutal spot tonight, playing the second half of a back-to-back after getting shut out 3-0 at home by Ottawa on Saturday.
They’ve been especially poor on the tail end of B2Bs all season, and their recent form is downright ugly: just 1-5 in their last six games. Playoff hopes are fading fast, and fatigue plus low motivation is a dangerous combination.
On the other side, the Montreal Canadiens are rolling. They’ve won 10 of their last 11 games, with the only blemish coming on the second leg of a B2B, home and home series against New Jersey. Montreal already showed exactly how this matchup can go — they dominated the Islanders 7-3 in late March.
The Habs still have real motivation too: they’re fighting for the top seed in the Atlantic Division and will be playing with urgency and confidence.
At -110, Montreal is excellent value. This line feels soft — it should be closer to -130 (or tighter) given the Islanders’ current state and the recent head-to-head blowout. We’re getting the clearly better, hotter, and more motivated team at a very playable price on the road.
Recommended Bet: Canadiens -110