Sports Handicapper William Burns's Picks & Predictions

(#225612) Argentina | ATS | . 

In what was a bit of a head-scratching game for me as I expected goals to be scored, Switzerland managed to play great defense in it's Rof16 match (vs. Colombia) without the likes of some of it's top attacking options. One could say that the European side got a bit fortunate towards the end, given some of the opportunities that Colombia had. But, credit to Switzerland for taking its chance in PK's and advancing. 

I don't expect this matchup to go quite as well for the Swiss though. The defending champions of the 2022 World Cup have been playing with a bit of fire so far during the KO stages of this edition. But, Argentina has found a way to get things done. Don't expect the South American's to find themselves in a big hole here this evening. Messi is here to put on a show for the fans and I expect him to do exactly that. Give me Argentina & expect it to win inside 90 minutes. 

Burns' Prediction: 2-0 Argentina.

(#650) Atlanta Dream | ATS | . 

For an expansion team, Portland's done a solid job at staying relevant. However, I still don't believe that it has the talent to compete with the best of the best in the WNBA. The Fire just played in three consecutive close games, with one win to show for. Don't get me wrong, it was a decent performance against LVA at home to even keep it within single digits. But, now the Fire will have to go on the road to Atlanta. 

Looking at the Dream, they are 13-9 this season. I know that this record is nothing to be ecstatic about. That being said, they are 7-3 at home and just snapped a 5-game skid with a double digit win against Seattle. Playing at home once again, the Dream should have all the confidence in the world to dominate this basketball game as well. Lay the points with confidence. 

Burns' Prediction: 94-72 Atlanta.

(#967) Houston Astros @ (#968) Texas Rangers | OVER | . 

Peter Lambert (7-5, 3.26 ERA) vs. Kumar Rocker (2-7, 3.95 ERA) . 

Although on paper, both of these two pitchers have been very solid this season, I do believe that we're going to see both of them struggle a bit on Saturday evening. Peter Lambert has already faced the Rangers this season when he allowed five earned runs. That resulted in an 8-0 loss. With Texas swinging the bat much better over the past couple of months, this could be another dangerous spot for him. 

On the other hand, Texas will send out Kumar Rocker to the mound. Despite his 2-7 record, he's actually been solid. However, when he does get hit, he gets hit hard. Just like Lambert, he's faced the Astros once this year. Rocker allowed four runs in that start, resulting in a 9-0 loss. Considering that both pitchers have already had some trouble facing the opposing team, I believe that a repeat should be awaiting for both of these two starters. Hammer the "over" on Saturday. 

Burns' Prediction: 7-5 Rangers.

(#971) New York Yankees | ATS | . 

Cam Schlittler (9-5, 2.01 ERA) vs. Miles Mikolas (3-7, 5.78 ERA) . 

Even without Aaron Judge in the lineup, the Yankees are dangerous. Currently just four games behind the Rays for the top spot in the AL East as well as the overall American League standings, New York sends out their "ace" to the mound. The AL Cy Young favorite has been simply incredible all season long and I believe that there's no question that he will continue the dominance on Saturday. 

Miles Mikolas has once again plummeted this season. I'm not sure how he still has a job in the MLB if I'm being completely honest here. I mean, this is Mikolas' fourth straight season with an ERA above 4.75. Against a Yankees team that feeds off of poor pitching, expect a win by multiple runs for the Yankees on Saturday afternoon. 

Burns' Prediction: 7-2 Yankees.