Cash That Ticket - Friday May 22nd
Munaf Manji talks betting on Friday.
Munaf Manji flies solo on this Friday edition of Cash That Ticket on the Straight Outta Vegas AM feed, with Uncle Diamond Dave Essler traveling for the weekend and set to return on Monday. Coming off a one-and-one week on the podcast, Munaf recaps a Blue Jays team total that fell one run short and a Braves game total that cashed easily as Atlanta rolled to a 9-3 win over the Marlins to improve to 35-16 on the season. He also updates his standing at Pregame.com, where he is currently 6-4 at 60 percent as a new dollar capper, before pivoting to tonight's full slate of action. The main event is Game 3 of the NBA Western Conference Finals, where the San Antonio Spurs host the Oklahoma City Thunder in San Antonio with the series knotted at one game apiece and tip-off scheduled for 8:30 Eastern. Munaf breaks down the injury report on both sides, explaining why he believes De'Aaron Fox plays tonight despite his right ankle sprain, why he does not think Jalen Williams suits up given the severity of his hamstring situation, and what Dylan Harper's status means for San Antonio's offensive ceiling. He makes the case for the zigzag theory in this series, citing the Spurs' extraordinary post-loss record in the 2026 postseason, four wins in four tries, all straight up, all against the spread, with at least 111 points scored in each, and praises head coach Mitch Johnson for an underappreciated job guiding a young team that features Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Julian Champagnie, Keldon Johnson, and Luke Kornet into one of the deepest playoff runs in recent Spurs history. His primary NBA play is the Spurs team total over 109.5 at minus 108 on DraftKings, backed by Wembanyama's 41 rebounds through two games, the team's home-court scoring history in this postseason, and the favorable pace San Antonio can generate if Fox returns to the lineup. A second play targets Julian Champagnie over 2.5 three-pointers made at plus 106, arguing the volume is there and the home arena provides a shooter reset that the numbers from Minnesota support. On the SGA side, he identifies the assists prop over 8.5 at plus 123 as a value play if Jalen Williams sits out and Oklahoma City must redistribute ball movement. The MLB segment covers five games in detail, including the Cristopher Sanchez regression angle against Cleveland in a Phillies-Guardians pitcher's duel, the Gerrit Cole season debut uncertainty versus the surging Tampa Bay Rays and Nick Martinez, the Blue Jays run-line structure against Bubba Chandler and the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Atlanta Braves first five innings team total at home against Miles Mikolas and the Washington Nationals with Bryce Elder dealing. Quick mentions also cover the Dodgers-Brewers series opener with Justin Wrobleski and Logan Henderson, Jacob deGrom and the Rangers against the Angels, Walker Buehler and the Padres hosting the Athletics, and the White Sox heading to San Francisco. Munaf closes by reading a five-star Apple Podcasts review and delivering his two official best bets for the evening. Use promo code PLAYOFFS20 at Pregame.com for 20 percent off any pick package including Munaf's two-star Game 3 play and Uncle Dave Essler's weekend selections.
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