Sports Handicapper William Burns's Picks & Predictions

(#977) Los Angeles Dodgers | ML | . 

Yoshinobu Yamamoto (6-4, 2.68 ERA) vs. Sean Burke (3-3, 3.88 ERA) . 

Despite the White Sox winning yesterday's game, there's no doubt in my mind that the Dodgers will bounce back on Saturday, even despite laying heavy juice. Yamamoto has been absolutely stellar lately & I'm expecting another strong start from one of many LAD ace pitchers. 

On the other hand, although Burke's numbers don't look that bad on the outside, he's allowed 18 runs over his past six starts, going 5.1 innings or less in five of the six contests. This is going to be a matchup that the Dodgers should be able to take advantage of, even with a less-intimidating lineup with all of the injuries. Give me LAD. 

Burns' Prediction: 8-1 Dodgers.

(#635) Minnesota Lynx @ (#636) Las Vegas Aces | UNDER | . 

These are probably the two hottest teams in the WNBA right now. Although you might expect points galore in a matchup like this, I actually think that the defense will be huge in a game like this. Don't get me wrong, the Lynx have been scoring quite a ton so far this season. But, this is a game where they are going to have to work for their points against a very strong defensive team in LV. 

Like Minnesota, the Aces are one of three teams who are perfect in the Commissioner's Cup "tournament" so far. They are off consecutive very high scoring games against Seattle & Portland. But, those are two of the worst teams in the West this season. This line has gotten way too high 

Burns' Prediction: 85-78 Las Vegas.

(#225249) Scotland | 3-WAY ML | . 

With Brazil/Morocco in this group as well, this is a crucial fixture for both of these two teams. While the third place team in each group has a 2/3 chance of making it through with 8/12 of those teams making it to the knockout stage, the winner of this game while like it's chances. That's why I very much like Scotland to pull through on Saturday evening in Boston. 

Haiti did show some goal scoring ability when it beat New Zealand 4-0 on June 2nd. But, it then dropped a game 2-1 against Peru on the 5th leading up to this game. Led by Wilson Isidor, Haiti doesn't have much else to work with. I think that Scotland's talent should shine here in the opener, leading to a comfortable win. 

Burns' Prediction: 4-1 Scotland.

(#969) Tampa Bay Rays | ML | . 

Griffin Jax (1-4, 4.15 ERA) vs. Jose Soriano (7-4, 2.96 ERA) . 

While this pitching matchup looks like it favors the Angels, I actually think that the Rays have the hotter pitcher at the moment. Do not let Jax' 1-4 record fool you. Not only is he coming off a game where he pitched 5.0 shutout innings. But, Jax also owns a very respectable 3.63 ERA in road games this season. With excellent numbers against the Angels over his career, he should be strong again on Saturday evening. 

Jose Soriano began the season really well. As a matter of fact, he had the best numbers in baseball. That being said, Soriano's definitely come back down to earth since the hot start. He allowed double digit baserunners en route to five total runs (4 ER) in his latest start & has now given up at least three total runs in three consecutive outings. 

Prior to the series, the Rays were back home in Tampa. Having to fly out to LA for this series is definitely quite a ways away. Why does this matter? Well the Rays started to find their footing near the end of the game on Friday, scoring three late to make it a competitive contest. I believe that the Rays will continue gaining even more comfortability here in LA on Saturday & ultimately even this series up. 

Burns' Prediction: 7-2 Rays.

(#980) Athletics | ML | . 

Kyle Freeland (1-6, 7.81 ERA) vs. Jeffrey Springs (3-6, 4.68 ERA) . 

These games in Vegas are a bit of a question mark as nobody really knows how many runs are going to be produced. However, Jeffrey Springs has already gotten a chance to experience this & I expect him to be much more comfortable in this matchup on Saturday evening. Kyle Freeland gets the nod for the Rockies and he's been quite bad this season to be honest. It's one thing to be bad at Coors Field. It's another thing to be even worse on the road. Freeland actually owns a 8.07 ERA on the road this season (0-4 record) which is significantly worse than his home stats. I believe that the A's are a much stronger team overall as well. Give me the A's. 

Burns' Prediction: 11-5 A's.

(#510) San Antonio Spurs | ATS | . 

After dropping both games at home, San Antonio was able to respond w/ a massive win in Game 3. Now, I know that the Spurs blew a 29 point lead in Game 4, making it the biggest blown lead in NBA Finals history. But, that shouldn't change the game plan here. There was a few plays late that the Spurs could've executed on differently & we wouldn't be looking at an elimination game here. Props to the Knicks for staying in the game and knocking down timely shots in the 4th qtr. However, I believe that New York will still be content to go back home after this one with a chance to close out the series at MSG in front of those fans. San Antonio hasn't lost three consecutive home games all season long & I'm not expecting that to happen today either. Give me SAS in a response after the collapse. 

Burns' Prediction: 112-103 Spurs.

(#225245) Morocco | ATS | . 

While there's obviously plenty of hype around this Brazil squad and the addition of Neymar to the roster, I'm not expecting him to suit up for this opening contest against Morocco. Don't get me wrong, Brazil's got some of the best attacking players in the world with Vini Jr, Raphina, Cunha & Martinelli. That being said, I'm not sure how great the defense is going to be a part from Marquinhos. The squad has got plenty of question marks. 

On the other hand, Morocco showed the world what it was capable of in 2022, making it to the Semi Final of that tournament. I expect another great showing from the Moroccan's in 2026, led by Hakimi, Saibari, Diaz & standout goalie Bounou. I wouldn't be shocked if Morocco wins this game outright given the pressure that Brazil has and all of the individual matchups on the pitch. Expect this to be a closer game than people are predicting. 

Burns' Prediction: 2-2 Draw.