Sports Handicapper William Burns's Picks & Predictions

It's been a back and forth series so far with the Bruins leading two games to one. Having said that, this is a massive game for Toronto. Nobody wants to go down 3-1. Especially when you're not going back home for Game 5. Toronto's been playing this series without one of their best players so far. William Nylander, who people believe to have been dealing with a severe migraine, was a full participant in yesterday's practice. Now, I'm not going to sit here and call him in for this game without it being announced, but signs are pointing in the right direction. 

We all know what Austin Matthews can do on the attacking end. Including the playoffs, he's scored 70 goals this season. Expect him to get on the scoresheet again today. Last year, the Bruins struggled when leading in their playoff series against Florida. I could see this one going to Game 7 as well. Nonetheless, even if Nylander can't go, I'll take the Maple Leafs to make this series interesting as they are 40-20 in their last 60 games when losing by two or more in their last game. Play on Toronto. 

Score Prediction: 4-2 Leafs

Looking at the Serie A group of games on Saturday, this one stood out. Lazio is heating up, having won three consecutive games (in all competitions.) Now, they get to face a Hellas Verona team that doesn't entirely have much to play for at the moment, other than hanging on to a non-relegation position. A win here is also crucial for the home side as they are battling for a spot in Europe for next season. In their last meeting, it was a draw. Lazio dominated the play as well as shots. This time around, they are back in the stadium that they play so well in. As a matter of fact, Lazio is unbeaten in 14 of their last 15 games at home. That includes 10 victories. They are the favorite for a reason and should be able to cruise to another win here. Play on Lazio. 

Score Prediction: 3-1 Lazio

In Game 2, Oklahoma City looked like they were on a completely different level than New Orleans. A 32 points win makes this series 2-0 as we head to the "Big Easy." Yes, this is a very young Thunder team. However, they've already proven that they can win under the bright lights. The Thunder are an excellent 11-3 SU after playing three home games in a row. 

Looking at the Pelicans, they've now lost four of their last five games overall. They've been very "average" at home this season, while their opponents have been dominant both home/away. New Orleans also isn't a team that's done very well in the playoffs in recent history. With OKC now having won four straight against NOP, this line is straight up disrespectful to the #1 seed. Take the Thunder to take a 3-0 series lead. 

Score Prediction: 115-103 Thunder.

Let's talk about the pitchers in this matchup. Yes, Chris Paddack's (0-1, 8.36 ERA) numbers look alarming. However, he's off a very strong start where he pitched seven shutout innings, allowing just six baserunners and striking out ten. He wasn't able to get the win, but I believe that he'll gain some momentum after that performance. On the other hand, Jose Soriano (0-3, 3.43 ERA) isn't pitching badly at all either. In his last two starts, he's given up just one earned run (four total,) and has lost due to the errors from the defense. I don't expect that many mistakes to be made in this game. 

Now, let's take a look at the hitting. Neither team is hitting the ball very well to begin this season. In fact, Minnesota is averaging just 3.8 runs per game while the Angels are averaging 4.2 runs per game. Both teams are also in the bottom half of the league in AVG as well as OBP. The Twins are hot having won four consecutive games coming into this series. They should be able to shut down the Angels bats. Don't expect them to score that many runs either against a very good up and coming pitcher. This line is too high. The play is on the "under." 

Score Prediction: 4-2 Twins.