Sports Handicapper William Burns's Picks & Predictions

(#26) Detroit Red Wings | ML | . 

Although the Blue Jackets are currently tied with the Red Wings with 88 points, both outside of a playoff spot, I believe that being at home is going to help Detroit a ton for this massive game on Tuesday. Columbus is ice cold, having lost six consecutive games now. 

Detroit, on the other hand, has lost B2B. Neither team has been great whatsoever down the stretch. But, there's still very much hope. I believe that the Red Wings hold a massive advantage in attacking play, with loads of talent on the forward line. That's ultimately going to be the main thing that gets the job done on Tuesday evening. 

Burns' Prediction: 4-2 Red Wings.

(#551) Houston Rockets | ATS | . 

Although the Suns are pretty much back to full strength now, I'm still not sold on them for the remainder of the season. Phoenix struggles at times to get production out of its front court, and that's not something you like to see when your team is playing against one of the lengthiest sides in the NBA. The Suns also haven't been home in over a week & the first game back from a road trip is always dangerous. 

Houston, on the other hand, is riding a six game winning streak. Ime Udoka has his side playing fantastic basketball at the moment and I just don't see that changing here on Tuesday evening. The Rockets are led by perhaps the greatest pure scorer in NBA history in Kevin Durant. Plus, he's got a great supporting cast this season. Both of these two teams are fighting for seeding in the West standings. Phoenix will probably just have to be content where it is though. Give me Houston in this one. 

Burns' Prediction: 109-102 Rockets.

(#927) Houston Astros | ML | . 

Mike Burrows (1-1, 5.91 ERA) vs. Kyle Freeland (0-1, 2.89 ERA) . 

Even though Kyle Freeland has the stronger stats of the two pitchers entering today, he's yet to pitch at home. Last season in Colorado, Freeland had a 5.75 ERA at home and a 3-7 record. Pitchers always have some struggles here and there's no question about it. That's what makes this stadium so unique. 

Looking at the hitting, Houston's been one of the top scoring teams in the league so far. As a matter of fact, the Astros are currently leading the MLB in runs per game scored at 7.0. I believe that this is only going to help the Astros in this series against Colorado. Lay the juice or the run and a half with confidence. 

Burns' Prediction: 8-4 Astros.

(#540) Boston Celtics | ATS | . 

Having just went on the road and beating Minnesota, I don't believe that Charlotte's going to be able to do win consecutive road games against top playoff contenders. Don't get me wrong, I've been really impressed with what I've seen from this healthy Hornets squad. However, this is the toughest matchup out there and the C's might just be fully healthy as well. 

In the first meeting, Jayson Tatum was still sidelined while recovering from his achilles tear. In the second meeting (when BOS won,) Jaylen Brown was out with an injury. Now, Boston's expected to have both of its superstars and I don't expect that to be a good thing for Charlotte. This game is at the TD Garden and I've got the C's by double digits. 

Burns' Prediction: 117-105 Celtics.

(#917) Detroit Tigers | ML | . 

Tarik Skubal (1-1, 0.69 ERA) vs. Taj Bradley (1-0, 0.87 ERA) . 

Once again (so far YTD,) Tarik Skubal looks to be one of the best in the entire big leagues. Last time out, he was a very unlucky loser as the Tigers lost the game 0-1 and Skubal ended up with the L. This time around, I'm not expecting Detroit to struggle with the bats as much. Yes, the Tigers have lost consecutive games now and have been sub-par at the plate in those games. However, they shouldn't need much on Tuesday given how dominant Skubal is. 

I know that Taj Bradley has pretty much matched Skubal to begin the year so far. That being said, he's not going to be able to keep this up. I wouldn't be shocked if this is the best season of Bradley's young career. But, having had a 5.05 ERA w/ two teams last season, I don't expect Cy Young numbers from him by any means. I like DET's lineup a whole lot better than MIN's as well. Give me the Tigers to bounce back here today. 

Burns' Prediction: 4-0 Tigers.

(#27) Tampa Bay Lightning | ML | . 

Despite playing yesterday, I'm still kind of shocked that Tampa Bay is an underdog in this evening's hockey game. I know that this is a very intriguing matchup between two teams currently projected in the NHL playoffs. However, Tampa's been elite throughout the whole season and Ottawa's definitely had some lapses. The Senators had a hard time staying out of the penalty box in the last meeting, with five penalties taken. If there's somewhat close to that today, expect TB to capitalize. I wouldn't have been surprised with a "pick-em" price here. But, getting the Lightning, who are fighting for the top seed in both the Atlantic and the East overall, at an underdog price is a gift. 

Burns' Prediction: 5-2 Lightning.