Cincinnati Reds VS San Diego Padres joins the extensive list of MLB preseason matches.
They’ll play at the Goodyear Ballpark stadium in Goodyear. Fans should have fun selecting the winners for this matchup and if the chosen winner is the right one.
The Cincinnati Reds took charge of their games this season, losing only once to the Milwaukee Brewers 3:4 in the last five-game stretch.
Furthermore, they overpowered the Angels with a score of 10:0. The fourth frame was decisive, where the Reds scored up to eight points. Cincinnati hit a home run, three doubles, and made 14 hits. It was a great game by the pitchers – the ERA indicators of Lodolo, Sanmartin, and Young did not exceed 2.0
Betting On The San Diego Padres
1XBet Spread: -1.5
1XBet Moneyline: 1.77
1XBet Over/Under: Under 9.5
The San Diego Padres had a productive game in the face of extreme opposition. They won the Colorado Rockies by 14:2 and led 7-0 by the third inning.
They made 19 hits and scored 5 doubles. Additionally, the Padres had another good match where they won over the Brewers 11:6. So, so they worked well in this area.
MatchPlug Prediction
The guests which are the San Diego Padres are selected by experts to be the favourites for this game.
Both San Diego and the Reds played well in their last match. The offence and defence for both teams were great. But since Cincinnati is in better form, this game might go in their favour.
Edmonton Oilers VS Arizona Coyotes is a match between two teams with different goals going into the end of the season.
Arizona has a 27-33-11 record; the second worst in the Central Division. Edmonton has a 40-23-8 record and four wins in a row and rose to 3rd place in the Pacific Division.
The teams intend to improve in the Western Conference and end the season on a strong note. Tonight’s game should be a good one as a result.
MatchPlug has the NHL Predictions Today, picks, and odds for the Oilers and Coyotes game. Read our preview to find out what’s in store for the teams.
Betting Preview for Edmonton Oilers VS Arizona Coyotes NHL Regular Season
Venue: Rodgers Place, Edmonton.
Date: Wednesday, 22nd, March 2023
Time: 19:30 GMT
Teams to play: Edmonton Oilers and Arizona Coyotes
The Edmonton Oilers’ offense has been fantastic this season paving the way, with 3.93 goals per game with 21 goals in the past 4 games.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl scored 102 goals and 195 assists as two of the league’s best scorers, but the other members of the line did well too. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman, and Evander Kane combined for 74 goals and 110 assists while Darnell Nurse and Evan Bouchard have 12 goals and 55 assists from the point to put them over the top.
Just like the Coyotes, the Oilers’ defense also faced challenges, allowing 3.31 goals per game. Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci have combined for 6.3 defensive point shares, but the other defenders can’t keep up, giving opponents room for open shots on the net at will.
As with their tonight’s opponents, their goalie Stuart Skinner has been a beacon of hope for the team too. Skinner has a .911 save percentage and a 2.90 goals-against average on 1318 shots with 9.0 goals saved above average.
Betting On The Arizona Coyotes
Season Record – 27-33-11
1XBet Spread: +2.5
1XBet Total: Under 6.5
1XBet Moneyline: 6.15
BetMGM Spread: +2.5
BetMGM Total: Over 7
BetMGM Moneyline: 4.60
The Arizona Coyotes are not making any lasting impressions this season and it’s because of their offense which scored just 2.80 goals per game.
Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, and Matias Maccelli scored 60 goals and 101 assists to lead the top two lines, but the other members of this line struggled. There are only 6 active players with 10 goals or higher and they can be limited by opponents because of this.
Coyote’s defense let the team down too, allowing 3.44 goals per game. J.J. Moser and Patrik Nemeth combined for 4.4 defensive point shares but the rest of the unit struggled, giving way for opponents to find open shots on the net at will.
The only unit that brought Arizona joy is Connor Ingram the goaltender, who has a .909 save percentage and a 3.37 goals-against average on 897 shots with 3.8 goals saved above average.
MatchPlug Prediction
Edmonton is on a roll, winning four consecutive games, and intends to step up on their home ice and take control. They average 3.93 goals per game and should find the back of the Coyotes net at will with McDavid, Draisaitl, and the forward unit taking the offensive zone to create open shots with quick puck movement while Nurse will fire shots from the blue line.
Edmonton will limit Arizona’s offense which averages just 2.80 goals per game, with Nurse and Ceci and the other defensive unit creating turnovers in the defensive zone and limiting shooting lanes. This should allow Skinner make plenty of big saves. They’ll win the game and cover the spread in a dominating game to win their fifth successive row.
Milwaukee Bucks VS San Antonio Spurs may be one of the NBA’s most unbalanced games, but it is still a valid game in the best basketball league in the world, so fans can be expected to be entertained from start to finish.
As always, MatchPlug brings you the best NBA Prediction Tonight for the Bucks and Spurs, plus an analysis of each team, predictions, and NBA Expert Picks for the entire match.
Keep reading to see who experts say will come out on top for this game.
Predictions and Betting Preview for Milwaukee Bucks VS San Antonio Spurs NBA Regular Season Game
Venue: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
When: Thursday, March 22nd, 2023
Time: 17:00 GMT
Teams to play: Milwaukee Bucks and San Antonio Spurs
The Milwaukee Bucks reaffirmed their stance as being one of the best teams in the NBA. Even with their star players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton out due to physical challenges, they enter tonight’s game as the Eastern Conference leaders. Holding a narrow lead over the Boston Celtics.
Milwaukee defeated the Toronto Raptors 111-118 in their last game, thanks to an incredible performance in the last quarter, where they won 16-29. In that match, Anetokounmpo and Middleton were the best players with 22 and 20 points scored respectively. Giannis registered a triple-double by contributing 10 assists and 13 rebounds.
Betting On The San Antonio Spurs
Regular Season Record: 18-52
1XBet Spread: +17.5
1XBet Moneyline: 10.05
1XBet Over/Under: Under 238.5
BetMGM Spread: +17.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 11.00
BetMGM Over/Under: Over 237.5
The San Antonio Spurs are still a disaster, wearing the third-worst record in the NBA like a medal while ranking second to last in the Western Conference.
But, they have brought some relief to their followers, like a surprising home 118-126 win over the Atlanta Hawks on March 19, a record that gave them some hope about ending on the right note this season.
Doing this will be the only good way for the Spurs to thrive in a campaign where they have one of the worst offenses in the NBA, at 112.8 points scored per game, and in which they have the worst defensive record in the NBA, allowing opposing teams shoot 50.4% from the field and conceding an average of 122.1 points against per game.
MatchPlug Prediction
In spite of San Antonio’s efforts to be a more competitive team, they remain flawed, ridden with an unreliable offense and a defense that is lax.
It doesn’t help their case that they would be facing Milwaukee which is one of the best teams in the league. The Bucks have a whopping 29-7 record at home and an average of 119.6 points scored per match.
Due to this record, experts expect the Bucks to dominate the game from the beginning, putting the Spurs’ defense up for destruction, and Milwaukee winning an easy victory in tonight’s game.
Willis Reed, the player who emerged from the locker room some minutes before Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals to give the New York Knicks their first championship and deliver one of the most inspiring examples of playing through pain, died on Tuesday at the age of 80.
The National Basketball Retired Players Association announced Reed’s death, which was later confirmed by his family. The cause of death was not released, but Reed had been sick recently and could not travel to New York for the Knicks’ celebration of the 50th anniversary of their 1973 NBA championship team during their game against New Orleans on February 25th.
New York posted a photograph of Reed walking onto the court as his teammates warmed up for the 1970 finale, one of the most memorable moments the NBA and Madison Square Garden have ever witnessed.
“As we mourn, we will always strive to uphold the standards he left behind — the unmatched leadership, sacrifice and work ethic that personified him as a champion among champions,” the New York Knicks wrote. “His is a legacy that will live forever.”
Dubbed “The Captain’’, Reed played the role of a centre and emotional leader during the Knicks’ two NBA championship teams, he had a soft shooting touch from the outside and a toughness to tussle with the era’s superstar big men on the inside.
He was remembered at his death, maybe for the way he captained the Knicks more than how he played for them.
“Willis Reed was the ultimate team player and consummate leader. My earliest and fondest memories of NBA basketball are of watching Willis, who embodied the winning spirit that defined the New York Knicks championship teams in the early 1970s,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “He played the game with remarkable passion and determination, and his inspiring comeback in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals remains one of the most iconic moments in all of the sports.”
Willis Reed’s achievements – seven All-Star selections, and two NBA Finals MVP awards amongst others, would have gotten him a Hall of Fame induction. In the 1969-70 season, Reed became the first player to gather the MVP awards for the regular season, All-Star Game and NBA Finals.
However, this legend secured his place in history by merely walking onto the floor on the final night of the season.
Reed injured a thigh muscle in Game 5 of the series between the Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers, stumbling out on the court in pain. He sat out Game 6 as Wilt Chamberlain had 45 points and 27 rebounds in a Lakers’ spree that caused a deciding game at Madison Square Garden.
His Knicks teammates didn’t know his status as he was still getting treatment shortly before Game 7. The Lakers and Knicks were warming up when Reed showed up, fans rose and roared when they saw him coming out of the tunnel leading to the locker room.
“And here comes Willis and the crowd is going wild,” radio announcer Marv Albert said.
Los Angeles stopped to watch Reed, who did two quick jump shots in the early minutes of the game and ran back down the court with a noticeable limp after two of them. He would not score again, but the Knicks did not need him to. With their captain coming back and Walt Frazier’s 36 points and 19 assists spurring them to a 113-99 romp and their first NBA title.
Frazier for his team delivered one of the most impressive performances ever in a deciding game, but it remains a footnote to Reed’s return. In 2006, in line with the NBA’s 60th anniversary, it finished third in voting for the league’s 60 greatest playoff moments, after Michael Jordan’s championship-winning jumper for his sixth title in 1998 and Magic Johnson ending his rookie season by stepping in for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at centre in Game 6 of the 1980 finals to lead the Lakers to a championship.
In subsequent moments, what Reed did at Game 7 during Knicks VS Lakers, became a point of reference sometimes when a player came back from injury. One instance is when the Boston Celtics’ Paul Pierce was lifted off the floor with a knee injury in Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals against Los Angeles before returning. But Phil Jackson, Reed’s teammate and then Lakers coach has dismissed that comparison because of the severity of Reed’s injury.
“If I’m not mistaken, I think Willis Reed missed a whole half and three-quarters almost of a game and literally had to have a shot — a horse shot, three or four of them — in his thigh to come back out and play,” Jackson said.
Reed could not recover that fast from injuries in the years to come. He was restricted to only 11 games in 1971-22 but came back stronger the next season to lead the Knicks to their second title in what was the last full season he played.
Although his comeback made the ‘70 title the more celebrated one, it was the ‘72-73 squad, who were fortified by Hall of Famers Earl Monroe and Jerry Lucas that stood out to Reed.
“That, to me, in my mind was the best team,” he said during its 40th-anniversary celebration.
Willis Reed will go on to play 19 more games in 1973-74 before retiring due to a knee injury after only 10 seasons.
This 10 season was enough time for The Captain to collect over 12,000 points and 8,400 rebounds, two of which still rank top three on the Knicks’ career lists.
Reed had a successful post-playing career as a coach and executive with 76ers coach Doc Rivers remember playing for the Atlanta Hawks when Reed was an assistant coach.
“He was simply a great person, A man!!! A leader!!! A Winner!!!” Rivers tweeted.
I loved this man… He was my assistant coach when I was a player with the Hawks. He was simply a great person, A man !!! A leader!!! A Winner!!! 🙏🏾 https://t.co/QDIxHZcr22
Willis Reed was born June 25, 1942, in Hico, Louisiana. He was in his home state for his college career, leading Grambling State to the 1961 NAIA championship and a third-place finish in 1963. The school retired his number and named its court after Reed in 2022.
As a second-round pick in 1964, he proved immediately that being 6-foot-9 would not stop him from becoming one of the NBA’s top centres. He was voted Rookie of the Year and earned the first of his seven straight All-Star selections.
Reed played a huge role in driving the New York Knicks to become one of the best teams in the NBA, alongside Hall of Famers like Frazier, Bill Bradley, and Dave DeBusschere.
He contributed 18.7 points and 12.9 rebounds for his career, including a lot of toughness. In 2014, a documentary by ESPN on those Knicks showed a clip of a 1966 fight in a game against the Lakers, where Reed threw punches at multiple opponents, with Jackson noting that Reed seemed to “decimated this team.’’
Reed’s No.19 was the first number retired by the Knicks and in 1982 he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame.
He went on to coach the Knicks to a playoff berth in 1977-78 but coached them 14 more games the next season. He was also a head coach at Creighton and the New Jersey Nets, but his greatest success after his career as a player came in the front office.
He was the senior vice president of basketball operations when they drafted Derrick Coleman and Kenny Anderson, who became All-Stars, leading the Brooklyn Nets to the playoffs in the 1990s.
The English Premier League leaders Arsenal will visit the District of Columbia as the honoured guests this summer to participate in the MLS All-Star Game presented by Target at Audi Field. It is right to reminisce a bit about the last time the London Giants played the league’s midsummer party.
The Gunners have done this before. Then they were led by Arsene Wenger to San Jose for the 2016 edition of the ASG, to christen the Earthquake’s long-awaited new home, PayPal Park (known as Avaya Stadium back then). And as is their tradition, they forfeited a goal to Didier Drogba on their way to a good 2-1 win in front of 18,000 fans.
Although 2016 has not been that long, things have changed. For starts, Arsenal will be meeting a different vintage of Major League Soccer than the one they met under the NorCal sunshine that July.
Huge expansion
Back in 2016, MLS had only 20 teams. Ground was yet to be broken at what is now the 2023 ASG venue, Audi Field, with D.C. United was still housed at an ancient RFK Stadium for longer. The dominating Seattle Sounders had not won an MLS Cup yet, let alone the CONCACAF Champions League, with barely a single MLSer in the semifinals that year, much less a winner.
The reigning champions LAFC existed, but merely in manner of speaking. Chivas USA’s successor had their name and crest, but no coach, players or stadium yet. Minnesota United was completing their last season in the NASL, three years after the launching of the glittering Allianz Field. Atlanta United’s paradigm-shifting entry into MLS was still months away.
Inter Miami, Nashville SC, Austin, Charlotte FC and St. Louis CITY SC – and all the sprawling investments that followed them – were merely dreams in the eyes of their respective founders. FC Cincinnati were only a few months into their inaugural season in the USL Championship, the beginning of their outstanding path to the top flight.
There are 12 stadiums total, 10 of them soccer-first and more so in the manner of training facilities, academies, staff and other infrastructure. Hosting the 2026 World Cup on North American soil was an idea, too, years from reality. All these, promise valuable levels of stability and sustainability, like what Arsenal gained in relocating from their old Highbury home to the Emirates Stadium 17 years ago.
The youth system takes shape
In 2016, the U22 Initiative to trigger the influx of young talent into MLS was not in existence, neither was the Leagues Cup, MLS NEXT, or MLS NEXT Pro. Some clubs and coaches needed to be convinced that the homegrown pathway project was worth investing their time into, or that importing youths with rich sell-on potential was a profitable bet.
Now, the league can play a Thiago Almada or Brenden Aaronson highlight reel to measure this change.
The MLS adjusted its regulation to prime the pump. Clubs now keep more of the returns they get from outbound sales, especially on local players and can use more of their transfer earnings as allocation money. Today, the U22 Push incentives for acquiring blue-chip youngsters to an extent where they added extra Designated Player slots to the rosters of those who invest here. It is not a coincidence that the average age for squads has been reduced over the past seven years.
Winter of 2015-2016, the number of MLS players sold for money to overseas clubs, was less than what it is now in 2021-22. The total income for those sales was far less too. A report by the Athletic over a year ago announced last winter’s sales as adding up to close to $65 million in total base fees. Now the search for the next top prospect is more eager than ever.
The Quakes’ homegrown teen Cade Cowell is the player that draws the most crowd to PayPal Park these days. Cowell was merely 13 years old over in Ceres, California, still, two years eligible from joining the academy – when Arsenal played in what is now its home stadium. Today he’s got UEFA Champions League clubs watching his career and a huge seven-digit number bandied about as a possible price tag.
Club America’s Alejandro Zendejas who is the USMNT’s latest dual-national recruit was the most noteworthy homegrown sale in the summer of ‘16 going from FC Dallas to Chivas Guadalajara for a reported fee of $500,000. Last year that same FCD set several records by selling Ricardo Pepi to Augsburg on a deal estimated to be around $20 million.
A world of possibility
Arsenal is versed in the player development department, having dabbled in the act once or twice themselves. Besides being owned by Stan Kroenke owner/investor of the Colorado Rapids since 2018, they presently have two Americans in their squad. Philadelphia Union alumni and ex-Rapid Austin Trusty is the other one, and the one now on loan at Birmingham City; goalkeeper Matt Turner, the Gunners’ most prominent North American representative is the other.
Turner stopped the US men’s national team’s run to the Round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup after his multi-million dollar transfer from the New England Revolution to North London early in the year. Seven years ago he was unselected in the 2016 Super Draft and was set to spend his first professional season down at Richmond Kickers. His inspiring story, just like others, portrays MLS as a place anyone can shine.
Turner did not play high-level competitive soccer until well into his teens – being able to go far and fast as he did in the following years or how someone like Cowell ended up in the sights of popular European clubs and the USMNT before he was old enough to rent a car, indicates an extraordinary speed of evolution.
This is why this summer’s big game symbolises a long-time reconnection with the Old Continent. The last two years brought new cross-border spectacles in partnership with Liga MX, and with the expanded Leagues Cup which will debut after the All-Star Game, the growing ties became more permanent. All-Star is often a good opportunity for players to become more acquainted on and off the pitch. Hopefully, Robbie Lyle, ‘Troopz’ and other Arsenal superfans will come by to enjoy some D.C. culture and find common ground.
The Gunners on their own part, rediscovered themselves after two decades of top-four finishes in the English Premier ended in 2017. Only three original members of the 2016 All-Stars starting XI are currently playing in the league; two of Arsenal’s are still Gunners today. Arsenal wandered through mid-table for a bit, parted ways with Wenger and his immediate successor Unai Emery, gave Mike Arteta some time to settle in and is now resurgent: eight points clear atop the Premier League table with 10 matches to go.
This North American summer tour can be both a preparation and a party. It just makes sense for MLS best to link up with the newly-crowned champions of England and how they and their large group of fans and media, how things have changed on this side of the world.
Dont’a Hightower has officially announced his retirement from National Football League, after playing for 9 seasons on the field; he wrote a retirement letter to The Players’ Tribune on Tuesday.
“Today, I am officially retiring from the NFL,” Hightower wrote. “I know these announcements always feel bittersweet, but I can’t think of a better story than the one I wrote in New England. A decade, three Super Bowls, two Pro Bowls, and the birth of my son — all playing for one franchise.
“So this is a happy day for me, and I just wanted to let you all know how much I appreciate you embracing a Southern kid from Lewisburg, Tennessee.”
Hightower has been an essential tackler for the Patriots’ defense, he earned two Pro Bowls to further solidify his ring and generated 569 total tackles, 27 sacks and one career interception. He won two national championships in college at Alabama too.
Before his Pro Bowl 2019 campaign, Hightower opted to sit out the 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He came back in 2021, playing 15 games, and earning 64 tackles and 1.
In Hightower’s first Super Bowl victory over the Seattle Seahawks, as a player for the Patriots, he made of the most unsung plays of the game, tripping Marshawn Lynch at the 1-yard line. The play set up Malcolm Butler’s famous interception to seal the Lombardi Trophy for New England. If not for his tackle, that match would have ended differently.
“When I look at that first ring, I think about the Marshawn tackle,” Hightower wrote of the play.
“When I saw Seattle line up in that I-form, I knew Beast Mode was getting it, and I knew they’d been gashing us with that strong-side lead all game. I knew he was going to walk through a huge hole if I didn’t take a risk. It’s funny how things come full circle because when I was at Alabama, Kirby Smart used to always tell us, ‘Never ever go behind a block unless you’re sure you’re going to make a play.’
“Well, I wasn’t sure. But I figured we had nothing to lose.
So I ripped up under Okung and shot my shot. All I saw was Marshawn’s two legs churning, and I just prayed to God that I could clip him up or something.
The 22-year-old has also been looked at by West Ham and Tottenham but could land at the Emirates this summer as Arsenal are keen on expanding their attacking numbers.
Okafor broke into the limelight last season, scoring 14 times in 34 appearances for the Austrian side Salzburg.
The Swiss striker enhanced his reputation further with ten goals in 20 games ahead of the World Cup.
The striker’s contract at Red Bull Salzburg is up next summer, reducing Salzburg’s chances of commanding a fee for the striker who they signed in 2019 from Basel.
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But further interest in Italy from the likes of Milan duo Inter and AC will increase their hopes of driving the price as high as possible.
Tottenham’s chances of finishing in the top four took a big hit last weekend as they conceded three late goals to blow a two-goal lead in a 3-3 draw with Southampton. After the game, Conte accused his team of lacking professionalism in a 10-minute rant that also aimed at the club’s culture over the last 20 years.
His outburst and other related issues have led to speculations that he wants Tottenham to relieve him of his duties. It has now been reported that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy could finally sack Conte this week.
If Conte departs, Frankfurt boss Glasner has been eyed as a perfect replacement. According to German publication Bild, the 48-year-old, whose contract expires in 2024, has been contacted by Tottenham.
The Austrian boss guided Frankfurt to an impressive Europa League win last season. However, they could not beat Serie A leaders Napoli in the last 16 this year.
The long-serving left-back will earn a salary of €38m next season, including deferred wages, which puts him in the bracket as one of the highest earners in Europe.
But with Barca required to reduce their wage bill by more than €200m if they want to sign players or register new contracts, Alba will likely be let go.
After weeks of eliminations and player debuts, the World Baseball Classic has reached its final, and it promises a thrilling major event for baseball fans whose love for this game is boundless with USA VS Japan.
With no days off after defeating Mexico, the Japan National Team is set to face the United States Baseball National Team in the final. This final is special because two Anaheim Angels teammates will play on opposing sides. The phenomenal Shohei Ohtani will play the legendary Mike Trout for the World Baseball Classic championship.
Japan has a fantastic team which houses Masataka Yoshida who has been the most industrious player throughout this tournament. Yoshida is 9 for 19 with 2 home runs, 13 RBI and 5 R. These are the most RBI gotten in tournament history, so Ohtani is essentially an addition to an already star-studded team.
Team Japan’s win over Mexico was what brought them face-to-face with Team USA which has also done its fair share of destruction throughout the WBC. The Cuba National Team was their latest victim in a 14-2 match.
United States of America: Mookie Bets RF; Mike Trout CF; Paul Goldschmidt 1B; Nolan Arenado 3B; Kyle Schwarber LF; Will Smith C; Pete Alonso DH; Tim Anderson 2B; Trea Turner SS.
Japan: Lars Nootbar CF; Kansuke Kondoh RF; Shohei Ohtani DH; Masataka Yoshida LF; Munetaka Murakami 3B; Kazuma Okamoto 1B; Tetsuto Yamada 2B; Sosuke Genda SS; Yuhei Nakamura C.
In USA VS Japan, Merrill Kelly will pitch for the U.S. as he gets his shot for the finals. Kelly is a righty who plays for D-backs and started during the Pool C finale vs Colombia. He scaled through three innings and allowed two runs on four hits.
For Japan, Shohei Ohtani already said he would not be ready to pitch, so the team may use Shota Imanaga instead as the starting pitcher.
How can fans watch the United States VS Japan?
Fans can watch the match on FS1. They can also live stream it on FoxSports.com, the Fox Sports app, fuboTV or YouTube TV.
The broadcast starts at 7 p.m. ET.
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