Sports Handicapper William Burns's Picks & Predictions

(#15) New York Islanders @ (#16) New York Rangers | UNDER | . 

With both Sorokin & Shesterkin expected between the pipes in this game, I believe that we're going to see a lower scoring game in the battle of New York this evening. The Islanders have cooled off a bit, scoring just five goals over the past two games in losses. 

On the other hand, the Rangers have the best goaltending in hockey. They allow 2.33 goals per game (#1) and are excellent on the penalty kill. The Rangers don't tend to score much either though averaging the same amount of goals per game themselves as allowed. That's second worst in the NHL. Another low scoring contest should be on the cards for Saturday. 

Burns' Prediction: 3-1 Rangers.

(#8829) Aryna Sabalenka | ML | . 

I'm a big fan of Elena Rybakina. She's been flying under the radar for a couple of years now ever since she won the final at Wimbledon in 2022. That being said, this is her biggest final since then. I do believe that she's going to make things interesting. But, it's going to be very difficult for her, yet alone anyone, to knock off the "Queen of Hard Courts" at this very moment. 

Aryna Sabalenka is the best player in the world at the moment for a reason (#1 ranking) and she's done a pretty solid job against Rybakina in the past. As a matter of fact, she's 9-6 against her with a 3-1 record over her last four. Yes, Rybakina's been on an absolute tear down the stretch of the season. But, she tends to tighten up at times when the lights are the brightest. Give me Sabalenka on Saturday. 

Burns' Prediction: 7-6, 6-4 Sabalenka.

(#234) Saskatchewan Roughriders | ATS | . 

I've grown up in British Columbia and call it my home province. Even though it would be nice to cheer for the home team in this spot, in the biggest football league in Canada, I simply don't believe that the Lions are going to do too well this evening. They were lucky to get by Calgary in the last round, and that game was at home in the dome of BC Place. Now, they'll travel to Saskatchewan to play in the cold "wintery" feeling air. 

Talking about the Roughriders, they've been the best team in the CFL all season long. That being said, they have been able to rest their starters for basically a month, having the best record for so long. Yes, they might be slightly rusty at the start of this game. But, when it's all said in done, I don't see a team knocking off Saskatchewan, yet alone at home here today. 

Burns' Prediction: 34-20 Saskatchewan .

(#14) Montreal Canadiens | ML | . 

Utah has exceeded my expectations up until this point and has been one of the better teams in the Western Conference. Having said that, I don't expect it to continue for the remainder of the season. Don't get me wrong, the Mammoth should still be competitive. But, they aren't as talented as some of the best in the conference, yet alone the Central Div. 

Looking at Montreal, I'm liking what I'm seeing a ton from this team. The Canadiens probably won't keep it up either, at this rate. But, they were a playoff team a year ago and are playing like one that could do some damage this season. Did you know that home favorites are 49-13 (79%) since 2022 when they've seen 6+ consecutive games go "over?" I'm on MTL. 

Burns' Prediction: 4-2 Canadiens.

(#209882) Inter Miami | 3-WAY ML | . 

Despite winning game two in this best-of-three series in the MLS Cup Playoffs, Nashville remains the underdog in this draw. If the Coyotes were playing any other team, I'd like their chances much, much more. However, this isn't the time of year to be playing against the best player to ever step foot on a soccer field. 

Leo Messi is who I'm talking about. Yes, I said it. I think he's the best all-time. He's got 40 goals in all competitions this season (45 games,) and has scored three in this series already. Miami will be without Suarez this evening. But, that won't matter in the end. Messi should dominate and I expect a Miami win in regulation. 

Burns' Prediction: 4-2 Miami.

(#567) Los Angeles Lakers | ATS | . 

Los Angeles will continue to play without Austin Reeves tonight. However, the Lakers are scorching hot at the moment and even without him, Luka Doncic should be able to carry to load like he did against the Spurs. They also have some very good supporting pieces like Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, Deandre Ayton & Jake LaRavia. 

Looking at the Hawks, they aren't at full strength either. The thing is with Atlanta, it's really struggled without its playmaker. Atlanta just lost by double digits last night in the NBA Cup against the Raptors. Playing on the second night of a B2B, I'll lay the points with the more well rested side on Saturday. 

Burns' Prediction: 124-108 Lakers.

(#671) Oklahoma Sooners @ (#672) Gonzaga Bulldogs | OVER | . 

Even though Oklahoma is a double digit dog in this game against an opponent that's supposed to have one of the best defenses in the country, the pace of this game should help the Sooners score some points. They aren't that bad of a team and given that they'll have to face the fast paced SEC later in the season, this is going to be an excellent warm up game for OU. 

Looking at the Zags, they should be feeling very good about where they are right now. KenPom has them ranked number eight in overall efficiency and they've got their dominant inside force in Graham Ike along with an excellent core of guys to show up again this season. Gonzaga should score 90 fairly easily in this contest. I'll go with the "over." 

Burns' Prediction: 97-82 Zags.

(#664) Southern Utah Thunderbirds | ATS | . 

Even though UT Rio Grande Valley might be higher rated in KenPom early on in the season, playing on the road is extremely tough in college, especially early on in the year when teams are still figuring out how to play alongside another. The Vaqueros weren't the greatest in the Southland last season (okay year) and I don't expect much better this season. They are going to probably get better as the season progresses. 

On the other hand, Southern Utah is motivated to do much better than last season. Even though it was even worse than UTRGV record wise, having less teams in the conference should help the Thunderbirds in the long run. Coach Rob Jeter says, "This is the most talented and versatile team we've had and the most unselfish team I've had." I like what I hear. 

Burns' Prediction: 91-77 SUU.

(#660) Bradley Braves | ATS | . 

Central Michigan is coming off a disappointing, losing year. Yes, the MAC has got some "sleeper" teams that sometimes make noise in the big dance. But, the rest of the conference isn't necessarily so great. The Chippewas bring in a new coach from Division 2 who had quite a bit of success. But, it might take him a minute to get going in Division 1 as this team is completely new. 

Bradley, on the other hand, will want to respond badly here after taking an L against St. Bonaventure in the opener. The defense was there in that game for the Braves, who allowed less than 70 points. However, the three point shooting and rebounding is going to need to be much better here. Being at home for the first time this year will be a massive help. I'll lay the points on the them that finished 28-9 last season. 

Burns' Prediction: 85-67 Bradley.

(#21) Colorado Avalanche @ (#22) Edmonton Oilers | OVER | . 

Nathan MacKinnon continues to rack up points for the Avs and I don't see him slowing down anytime soon on Saturday against the Oilers. Even though both of the goaltending from these teams has been solid so far this season, these two high powered offenses should be enough to see this game finish with quite a few goals this weekend. 

Edmonton's duo of superstars in McDavid & Draisaitl are hot as well. Yes, McDavid hasn't scored much yet. But, he did in his last game and I wouldn't be shocked if he found the back of the net again. I just don't see this one staying low scoring. Hammer the "over." 

Burns' Prediction: 5-4 Edmonton.

(#5) Dallas Stars | ML | . 

Despite the poor performance against the Ducks on Thursday, Dallas remains one of my top teams this season, and for good reason. This is an all-around stacked roster with excellent play everywhere. The Stars have enjoyed playing against the Predators in the past as well as they've won nine of the most recent 13 matchups. 

Talking about Nashville, it's in a major slump. Three consecutive defeats have them falling down in the Central Division standings, and this is exactly not what NSH fans want to see. This is a team that's filled with older guys and will probably make some moves at the trade deadline to rebuild if this slump isn't fixed any time soon. 

With NYR, Pittsburgh twice, Colorado & Florida on deck, this stretch could extend for a while yet as well. I expect Dallas to roll on Saturday and have a much better defensive/goaltending showing than it did in its last game. 

Burns' Prediction: 5-2 Stars.

(#201265) AC Milan | 3-WAY ML | . 

Even on the road, I'm very confident in AC Milan's style of play to get the job done and acquire the full three points on Saturday afternoon. All season long, Milan has been tremendous defensively and a big part of that has been the French national goalkeeper in Mike Maignan. He's a force and with an extremely tough line in front of him, it's nearly impossible to crack, especially more than once. 

On the other hand, Parma has been the worst attacking team in the Serie A this season. As a matter of fact, it's averaging 0.5 goals per game this season through 10 games. That's simply not good enough. Yes, its defense has been alright, leading to many draws. However, I don't see that happening on Saturday against one of the league finest. 

Burns' Prediction: 3-1 AC Milan.

(#203233) FC Nantes @ (#203234) Le Havre | UNDER | . 

Even though the defensive shape of both teams isn't the greatest in the French league, that's what's to be expected given the positions in the table. That being said, FC Nantes has averaged less than a goal per game so far this season (in 11 games) and I don't believe that it's going to be able to score on the road here this afternoon. 

Le Havre has been better than Nantes this season and the defense has actually been a key factor in recent games. It hasn't allowed a goal in three consecutive games, ultimately leading to seven points. That's huge for a team that was near the bottom a couple of weeks ago. 

With the way Le Havre is playing now, and considering that it's at home for this contest, I believe that all signs are pointing towards a low scoring contest. I wouldn't be shocked if this ends up as a draw, either 0-0 or 1-1. But, don't expect either team to score more than a goal on Saturday in this match. 

Burns' Prediction: 1-0 Le Havre.

(#203953) Sparta Rotterdam | GOAL SPREAD | . 

Even on the road, I believe that this is an excellent spot for a team like Sparta Rotterdam, who's still in great form despite the loss last time out. Prior to losing against AZ Alkmaar (the 3rd ranked team in the league,) it had won three consecutive contests while scoring eight goals and allowing just two. I expect Sparta Rotterdam to hunt for more damage against a side that's won just two matches this season in 11 games. 

Talking about the team that's been having problems this campaign, PEC Zwolle just got humiliated in its last match, allowing eight goals in a single game to the team in dead last in the Eredivisie. I mean that's the worst thing a team can do really. Having said that, Zwolle has allowed the second most goals over any team in the league and is in bad form. I'll definitely take Sparta Rotterdam on the goal spread on Saturday. 

Burns' Prediction: 2-0 Sparta.

(#24210) Muslim Salikhov | ML | . 

Even though he's 41 years of age, Muslim Salikhov is a force to be reckon with in the Welterweight Division. Watching his last fight in July, it was electric as he finished the guy in the opening round. That's consecutive fights now that he's done that. He throws a unique variety of attacks, from spinning, to extremely quick. Salikhov is very accurate with his strikes and has great technique and is full of confidence at the moment. 

Looking at his opponent, Uros Medic doesn't care for decisions. As a matter of fact, in 14 pro fights, he's never been to a decision. That means that we're likely to see blood early and often in this fight, as it should be one of the best brawls of the night. Medic has already been finished in 2025 and I don't see him having much of a chance against a clinical "King Of Kung Fu" master. This is so big that it's my WELTERWEIGHT 'DOG OF THE YEAR. 

Burns' Prediction: Salikhov via. 1st or 2nd Rnd KO.

(#170) Alabama Crimson Tide | ATS | . 

LSU, like Clemson & like Penn State, came into the season as one of the expected best teams in the country. The Tigers have sure disappointed. Even though I don't think that they have been horrible, losing to Ole Miss, Vandy, and TAMU, that just isn't good enough in the perhaps toughest conference in CFB. Having said that, I believe that LSU will struggle again this weekend against a team on the rise in Alabama. 

The Crimson Tide have been utterly dominant since that week 1 loss against FSU. They play tough defense and although their rushing numbers are nothing to get excited about, the passing attack makes up for it and they use their RB's in the pass game a ton as well. As a home favorite, Bama is 26-9-1 against the spread since 2019. Roll Tide on Saturday. 

Burns' Prediction: 35-13 Bama.

(#134) West Virginia Mountaineers | ATS | . 

These two teams seem to be heading in opposite directions. As much as I think that Deion Sanders was a great football player, he's not getting much help from the program that he currently coaches. Colorado is in "shambles" at the moment and I don't see a way out of it over the rest of the season. The Buffaloes have given up 105 points over the past two games/losses (that's 52.5 per game!)

On the other hand, West Virginia might have found its quarterback. The Mountaineers just knocked off a ranked Houston team on the road last weekend, in what was a brilliant game from the whole team. Scotty Fox has taken over under center and he's been excellent so far. Last week, he did tons of damage on the ground as well. I believe that being at home, WVU's bowl hopes should stay alive for at least another week. 

Burns' Prediction: 37-20 WVU.

(#179) Kansas Jayhawks @ (#180) Arizona Wildcats | OVER | . 

Kansas has been up and down so far this season and still needs another win to secure a bowl game. The Jayhawks have three very tough games on the schedule, so playing their best in all three is going to be crucial. Even though the offense isn't as high flying as some of the other teams in a similar boat, the Jayhawks can put up points and have a great dual threat QB in Jalon Daniels. 

On the other hand, Arizona is filled with confidence after the 52-17 complete destruction of Colorado on the road last weekend. Now, the Wildcats are at home and should be even better. Arizona's defense has been good this season, but not as great as some of the teams that KU has already seen. 

Both teams have very strong offenses and I believe that this total is too low. I expect both teams to come close to 30pts if not crack the marker this weekend and that will ultimately lead to this game finishing "over" the o/u line. Hammer the "over." 

Burns' Prediction: 38-29 Arizona.

(#142) Miami Florida Hurricanes | ATS | . 

Syracuse has been pretty awful in games within the conference so far. I mean, last weekend, the Orange lost to a 3-5 UNC team by 17 points. They were at hoe in that game. That's now five consecutive losses on the season and all of them have been double digits losses. They are a pass first offense that has scored in the occasional game. But, the defense is atrocious and I don't see it scoring much against a hungry Miami FL team. 

Talking about the Hurricanes, I did win against them last weekend w/ SMU. It was a matchup and situational game for me as I believe that they weren't taking SMU as serious as they should have considering that the Mustangs had lost the week prior. Having said that, I expect Miami to get back on track w/ a dominant win this weekend against one of, if not the worst program in the ACC. Miami blew some teams out earlier on this season and will be hoping to do the exact same thing this weekend. 

The defense of Miami is going to be shut down this weekend and that will lead to many short fields for Carson Beck to take advantage of. All of these games down the stretch are must-wins for the Canes and this one should give them to momentum and confidence to have a chance at winning all of them. Expect a blowout. 

Burns' Prediction: 52-13 Miami FL.

(#177) UNLV Rebels | ATS | . 

Despite being on the road this weekend, I believe that this is a great matchup for UNLV. Yes, it's lost consecutive games after beginning the year w/ a perfect 6-0 record. However, that was maybe slightly expected against Boise State and a tough UNM team last weekend. Now, the Rebels get back to business against a team that's been struggling all season long. Even with the two recent losses, the Rebels have a top offense in the country, really applying pressure on their opponents. 

On the other hand. Colorado State really struggles to score the ball. Yes, the Rams match up a bit better on the defensive side of the ball. However, they still don't have much of an edge, if any at all there. If you recall, I won w/ CSU against Fresno State earlier this season in one of its only wins. I do believe that the Rams are capable of hanging around at times. But, with the rest of the seasons schedule, I don't see the Rams making much of an end-of season run as they've got UNM & Boise on deck. 

I simply believe that the Rebels are going to want this game much more and try and finish the season well. They are already locked in a bowl, but each win down the stretch will make for a better bowl game and more branding. Expect UNLV to cruise to a victory by at least a touchdown this weekend. 

Burns' Prediction: 41-20 UNLV.