Really loving this match to hit our Blackjack. Last fixture of these teams was on May 3 and if my counting skill is correct, they got 22 combined goals, corners and cards. I'm expecting them to repeat that performance today and give us the needed lucky number here.

This might alleviate the pain that I felt from the recent "crash". 

As per my selection on Juventus to win this game and to life the trophy, this is their biggest game of the season and anything short of a win and a trophy would make the season a massive failure. Yes, I know they didn't win the Scudetto for the first time in nine seasons, but that run was going to end eventually. This game means so much more to the club because not only are they fighting for their coaches life, but they are fighting for a little success and a little pride to end the season on. Juventus have been mired in a rut all season long, until their last two games (both wins) in which they finally showed some character and resolve and finally put all the pieces together. Will this game against Atalanta be tough, absolutely, but Juventus still have world-class players at their disposal and they are the far more talented team. As for Atalanta, yes, this Coppa Italia Finals is a chance to make another statement in the Serie A after having already secured a Champions League spot for next season. However, this game is going to test Atalanta as they've never been tested before. It's easy for them to beat up on the weaker teams in Serie A and score a bunch of goals, but the Finals of a tournament is next-level pressure and no team knows how to cope with the pressure of being in a Finals better than Juve. I expect Juve to come out and play for their pride, their coach, and their goalkeeper, Buffon who will essentially be playing his last game for Juventus here tonight.
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There is going to be a lot of firepower happening in this game. You have a Burnley team that got destroyed in its last game 4-0 by Leeds United, and the last time this team came off a loss was to Man United losing 3-1 and immediately next game they put up a 4-0 win over the Wolves (they were coming off back to back losses that game). This team just comes off a 4-0 loss and were likely looking ahead to Liverpool and they face a Liverpool team that just beat West Brom 2-1 and now face a Burnley team that actually shut this team out 0-1 last time. So, you know Liverpool is going to be upset, they are going to look to score a slew of goals and why wouldn't Burnley be upset losing 0-4 and that is the reason why this total is so high here given the recent results of both teams and therefore, look for this game to likely go over the posted total today.
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Newcastle has wrapped-up another season of EPL status but Sheffield is locked into a last place EPL finish and relegation at season’s end. A lack of offense has been Sheffield’s biggest issue all season and they’ve scored 19 goals in 36 games. They’re 2-8 in their last 10 matches overall, scoring just three goals, while allowing 21. And Sheffield is 1-8 and have been shutout seven times in their last nine on the road. Newcastle lost its last two home matches but those were against Arsenal and Manchester City. This home match comes against a team they should be able to handle. In fact, Newcastle is on a 5-1 head-to-head run, out-scoring Sheffield 10-3. I’m backing Newcastle on Wednesday.
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The Lakers have the No. 2 defense in the NBA, and only the Knicks have been better. This team is going all out to slow down Steph Curry tonight. Last two times these teams met, the Lakers held Curry to around 21 PPG. Without Curry scoring a big number this Warriors team doesn’t have much of a chance. While these teams still get another chance to make the playoffs even if they lose, this is still the most important game of the season for both clubs. We expect both teams to give full effort on defense, and the Warriors will need to step up their defensive intensity if they want a chance to pull the upset here. We think LA keeps Curry somewhat in check and that the other players don’t really step up as much as they would need to get this one over the posted number. Six of the last eight meetings have gone under the posted total.
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I'll roll with the Grizzlies here as it's hard to imagine that this team is not going to be motivated to play well given that they just lost to the Warriors for the previous sport, and also lost to the Blazers in last year's play in as well. Do they really lose yet again? They destroyed the Spurs the previous two times and though the Spurs have a lot of revenge coming in, it's hard to think that these Grizzlies simply do not get up for this game. Let's roll with the Grizzlies here to avoid losing back to back games here after a loss to the Warriors and now as they face the Spurs they don't want the same situation to happen to them to what happened to them last year. Hence, let's roll with the Grizzlies.
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[moderator's note: consecutive posts merged]

This is a great spot for them to bounce back with a win against a Washington side that picked up where they left off last year and that was by playing terrible basketball. The Mercury was in the game against Conn until the very end and we like their big three of Griner, Taurasi, and Diggins-Smith much more than we like anything the Mystics can throw their way outside of Delle Donne who is not scheduled to appear in this game. Phoenix was coming off a tough home-opening win vs Minnesota before traveling across the country to face Conn and now that they've been on the East coast for a few days, they should be rested and ready to put in a full 40 minutes of high-quality basketball against a team in the Mystics that's just not very good right now. Phoenix is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings in Washington.
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Just think this season is a wash for the Celtics. Jaylen Brown went down for the season. That seemed to take the air out of this Celtics team that looked off anyways. They have dealt with many injuries all season and never got to develop the necessary chemistry needed for a championship run. They lost five of six games to close out the season, and they didn’t reach the century mark on offense in three of those games. They are banged up heading into this game with key players nursing a variety of injuries. The Wizards got off to a slow start this season, but they have been playing as well as anyone in the NBA lately. They have been a covering machine as they have covered the majority of their games over the last month or so. They are 8-1-1 ATS in their last 10 road games. They are 4-1-1 ATS in the last six meetings. The last five meetings have all gone under the posted number.
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Southampton has pulled clear of relegation thanks in part to two straight wins, beating Fulham and Crystal Palace. However, the level of competition increases quite a bit in this one and attacking and gambling on the offensive end means a couple of likely breakaways for Leeds at the other end. Before defeating the two teams mentioned above, Southampton had gone 0-4-1 in their previous five games, out-scored 9-2. I’m betting Leeds will be too much for Southampton on the offensive end. I’m backing Leeds United on Tuesday.
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As per this selection on Chelsea, this isn't so much about revenge for the FA Cup Finals lost to this very Leicester team, but it's about securing a spot in the Champions League for next season, should they lose the Finals to Manchester City. Chelsea has lost back-to-back games for the first time since December and under Tuechel, after a loss they generally respond well. They know a win here would go a long way in qualifying for Europe next season and it would give Leicester something to think about as Liverpool would be right on their tails with two games left to play. Ultimately, this game comes down to who is the better squad and it's still Chelsea despite the FA Cup result. Look for Chelsea to dominate at home and grab a much-needed three points.
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Rangers over the Yankees, really? Yep! But it's hard to take the Rangers against anyone. We know, but if you're going to, now is the time.  There is a lot of anxiety in the Yankee's clubhouse, due to spreading Covid, even after all have been vaccinated. Add the solid Rangers' pitcher, Lyles to that equation, and we have underdog numbers we can't pass up. Yes, even with Cole on the mound for the pinstripes. We expect a high-scoring affair and +240 is just too good to pass up when a game can, basically, go either way. Take the Rangers and let's hope for something good.
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The Minnesota Twins will go with left-hander JA Happ in this one. Happ faced this Chicago White Sox team last time out and it was one of the worst starts that he's had in a career that spans 15 different seasons as he allowed 9 earned runs in the game and didn't make it out of the 4th inning. This offensive explosion by Chicago isn't nothing new as the White Sox have easily posted the best team batting average, on base percentage and slugging percentage in MLB the last two years when they have went up against a southpaw. The Twins overall have been the worst team in baseball to bet on this year as they have already lost 2x more units than the next closest team in MLB costing backers nearly 16 units so far this season.
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As per this selection on Carolina, I believe this is a great spot for them to get the upper hand in the series by taking Game 1. The Canes are the better team, have the better goaltending and have the better defensive and offense records. This game and series will be won and lost on special teams and with Carolina boasting the league's 2nd best power play, and Nashville boasting the 3rd worst penalty kill, we see Carolina capitalizing on their chances and pulling away from the Preds. Not to mention, at 5 on 5, Carolina has more skill and talent.
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Girona has a ton to play for here as they are still looking to lock up a playoff spot in the second division and they have been on a bit of a roll of late, winning seven of their last nine games. As for Gijon, they are tied with Girona in the standings but they haven’t been playing nearly as well as they have failed to find the back of the net in each of their last three road games. These two are evenly matched on the table but Girona is playing the better soccer of the two and we’re going to lay the price with them here to get the home win over Gijon on Monday afternoon.
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These two squads are separated by only three points just outside the top half of the table. Bologna needs a win here to level with the host Verona. Verona’s last 25 matches have only seen more than 3 goals scored just five times. Bologna only nine times in 25 games. These two have squared off five times in the last five years, and only back in 2017 did this match have more than 3 goals. Their last match saw 1-nil, with the only goal a penalty kick by Ricardo Orsolini. Hellas has not scored more than one goal in their last seven matches. Look for a low scoring affair on the pitch here Monday.  
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The Detroit Pistons are crawling home down the stretch as they have dropped 8 of their last 9 games overall. It's looking more and more like they will be sitting a ton of their regulars in this one with 9 players listed as out or doubtful for this contest. The Miami Heat have covered 4 of their last 5 on the road and 6 straight as a favorite in a game.

Lay the points with Miami in this game. 
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Do you think the Lightning have forgotten the back to back losses to the Panthers to close the season which saw them get out scored 9-1?  I dont think so, and I expect them to come out with some revenge here while sending a message to the Panthers reminding them who are the defending champs.  A big factor here is that the Lightning played those games without two of their superstars and today they get both Stamkos and Kucherov back in the lineup which are huge offensive weapons for them.  In goal I feel we have a huge edge as well with Vasilevskiy who comes in with a 30-10-1 and a 2.21 GAA to go along with a .925 SV%.  He led his team to the Stanley Cup last year so he knows what it takes to play in these high pressure situations.  Bobrovsky for the Panthers although he has a decent record he comes in allowing nearly 3 goals per game on the season with a 2.91 GAA and a .906 SV%.  He has struggled in his last 20 games vs the Lightning going 9-10-1 with a horrific 3.46 GAA and .884 SV%.  His career playoffs numbers are even worse vs the Lightning as he is just 12-21 in 38 games with a 3.13 GAA and .902 SV%.  Put it all together and we will take the Lightning to get it done in game 1 here as they will look to send a strong message and grab a big win.  Panthers are 3-7 in their last 10 games as a home underdog.  Panthers are 1-6 in their last 7 playoff games as an underdog.   
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Do the Mets really get swept here? I don't think so as they send Stroman to the mound to avoid the sweep. The Mets are actually atop the NL East currently which is a surprise with how inconsistent they've been and the lack of offense at times this season. Marcus Stroman is having a fantastic year for the Mets, constantly keeping his team in the game. He is only 3-3 on the year with an impressive 1.99 ERA, however he could probably be 5-1 if he had more run support. On the flip side the Rays will send Josh Fleming to the hill. He has done well this year, however that said he comes off giving up just 1 earned to the Yankees and might be in for a let down here as he faces a motivated Mets lineup eager to bust out. He's thrown 30 innings this season, with only 16 strikeouts, which means the Mets will get opportunities to put the ball in play against him. We think Stroman will do what he does and give the Mets every chance here with a strong pitching performance, while the Mets likely bust out putting some runs on the board as they will avoid the sweep. Take the Mets to get it done today. Mets are 7-0 in their last 7 games as a favorite. Mets are 4-0 in their last 4 during game 3 of a series.
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The Seattle Sounders are red hot to start the MLS season and their first 5 league games they are 4-0-1 and come into this home game winning 3-Straight. Their last two home league games they are 2-0 and have outscored their opponents 7-0. Los Angeles FC have been awful to start the season and they continue to suffer big injuries and tonight I see another LAFC loss. This will be the second meeting between these two teams and in LA their first meeting ended in a 1-1 draw but again tonight I see the Sounders hitting the back of the net multiple times and they win this match 3-1.
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Ian Anderson was a guy I was looking to bet against this year. But I stand corrected. He has won five of six starts and has battled every time out. He has just a 3.46 ERA and a solid 43-17 strikeout-walk ratio. And he’s rung up those numbers against some very good lineups. I think the Brewers are a step down and I look for Anderson to dominate. I also think the rest of the Braves lineup is going to step its game up without Ronald Acuna. I’ll keep chopping against the overrated Brewers.
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Rays got a good pitching performance, yesterday, from Glasnow and look to keep the Mets down again, today. Rays are finally beginning to look like the reigning American League Champs. Today NY sends out Drew Smith, who hasn't pitched enough to have a real ERA - we don't see him staying in, long. Compare that to Shane McClanahan's 3.75 and you've all the reasons you need from the pitching side and Rays are a better hitting team and are just now starting to show it. Take the Rays to get the Mets closer to the .500 team, they're more comfortable being.
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San Antonio beat this team 111-85 in Phoenix back in April. You’d have to think that is fresh in the Suns mind still. Yes, the Spurs need this game, however Phoenix still has a shot at the #1 seed here, as there are two regular season games left and the Suns own the tiebreaker vs the Jazz should they be tied at the end of the season – Also keep in mind the Suns need one victory to reach 50 on the season which would be a monumental accomplishment for a team that has been in the dumpster for years. Chris Paul has brought a lot of leadership and experience with him to Phoenix and everything is starting to gel for them as they likely do not have a letdown here, and with the revenge from getting blown out earlier this year and trying to reach 50 wins and needing to simply win the next two games to obtain the #1 seed, look for the Suns to roll today.
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I believe LA Galaxy are the better team and they are coming off a great win against rivals LAFC and I don't see them having a letdown in this spot as Austin FC is an expansion team but one that has turned heads so far this season. Austin FC hasn't played a home game yet this year and this will be their fifth straight road game so we see a little bit of fatigue coming into play in this contest. LA Galaxy are among the best teams in the league this year and staying at the top would require them to win games such as these against inferior opponents.
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Denver has averaged 116.6 ppg over their last 5 games and they have shot 48.9% as a team on the road this season. Denver has also shot 37.9% as a team from beyond the arc on the road this season and they just held Minnesota to shooting 42.5% against them while also outrebounding them by 10 in that 11-point victory. That is the same Minnesota team that Detroit just lost to by 19 points in Detroit. Play Denver ATS.
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