Sports Handicapper William Burns's Picks & Predictions

We all know that Bayer Leverkusen has yet to lose a single game this season in "any" competition. They've had goals past the 80' like nothing you've ever seen before and it's been a nightmare to bet against. Having said that, I believe that Roma has a good chance in breaking this incredible unbeatable stretch. 

In my opinion, the Italian Serie A is much more competitive than the German Bundesliga that Leverkusen are a part of. Yes, Bayer Leverkusen has played teams outside of their league, but Roma is definitely going to be tough. Roma is very strong at home and this game happens to be in Rome. I'll gladly take Roma to at least get the draw in this match. They are going to do whatever they can to win this game and/or at least get the draw as they don't want to head to Germany while trailing. Give me the +0.5 here. 

Score Prediction: 1-1 Draw.

Tyrese Maxey was absolutely brilliant in the late game of Game 5. Having said that, I don't believe that the 76ers are going to come back and win this series. New York has been the better team all year long, and they've been better than average on the road. Philly is still playing with an Embiid who's not 100% and a team that hasn't played together really all year long. NYK has the chemistry of Brunson, Hart and DiVincenzo from back at Villanova and they are using that to their advantage. In the last game back in Philly, the Knicks held Philly to just 92 points in a win. That makes the Knicks 3-1 in their last four games played on this court. I'll grab the points here in this one as I expect them to close it out. 

Score Prediction: 99-93 Knicks.

We've all seen the struggles of the Houston Astros to begin this season. They've looked out of it and haven't really gained any sort of momentum. Having said that, it's about time for them to change things up. A 10th inning loss last night wasn't ideal. But, they know that they win against this team. Don't get me wrong, Spencer Arrighetti (0-3, 10.97 ERA,) the Astros starter, has been horrible. However, let's not forget that he's still a very young arm that will more than likely turn things around in the near future. Logan Allen (3-1, 5.46 ERA) is the Guardians projected starter. Yes, his record might be alright. But, his inflated ERA is something to be concerned about. He hasn't been very good at not allowing runs. Something that nobody wants to hear when they play the Astros. Regardless of the pitching matchup, I believe that Houston's bats will finally wake up. Expect them to make good contact and win this game on Thursday. 

Score Prediction: 8-3 Astros.