Jane Njoku, Author at Matchplug Blog

NHL Predictions Today: Dallas Stars VS Seattle Kraken Expert Picks

The Dallas Stars and Seattle Kraken will clash at the American Airlines Center for a Stars VS Kraken NHL action tonight.

MatchPlug has a NHL Predictions today for the Stars VS Kraken. Use the Prediction today, picks, odds, and analysis we laid out in this preview.

Betting Preview for Dallas Stars VS Seattle Kraken

Venue: American Airlines Center.
Date: Monday, 14th October, 2024.
Time: 01:00.
Teams to play: Stars and Kraken.
NHL Picks: SPREAD -1.5.

Odds as provided by 1XBet.

Betting On The Dallas Stars

1XBet Spread: -1.5
1XBet Total: Over 5.5
1XBet Moneyline: 1.948

The Dallas Stars defeated the Nashville Predators and New York Islanders, and will face the San Jose Sharks, Washington Capitals and Edmonton Oilers next. The Stars average 3.5 goals per match and score on 16.7% of their power play chances. Mason Marchment leads the team with 2 goals, Logan Stankoven records 3 assists and Thomas Harley has 7 shots on goal.

Defensively, Dallas permits 1.5 goals per match and stops 85.7% of their opponent’s power plays. Jake Oettinger has permitted 3 goals on 70 shots faced.

Betting On The Seattle Kraken

1XBet Spread: +1.5
1XBet Total: Under 5.5
1XBet Moneyline: 3.32

The Seattle Kraken lost to the Toronto Blue Jays, won against the Minnesota Wild, and will play Nashvill next. The Kraken average 3 goals per match and score on 33.3% of their power play chances. Jordan Eberle leads the team with 2 goals, Andre Burakovsky has 2 assists, while Oliver Bjorkstand has 8 shots on goal.

Defensively, Seattle permits 3.5 goals per game and stops 57.1% of their opponent’s power plays. Philipp Grubauer has conceded 3 goals on 25 shots faced, while Joey Daccord permitted 4 goals on 38 shots.

MatchPlug Prediction For Dallas Stars VS Seattle Kraken

The Kraken are off a good start in defence and are tough at home. The Stars have won 4 consecutive matches against Seattle, outscoring them 12-5 in that time. Experts support Dallas to win this matchup.

Final Prediction: Dallas Stars -1.5.

NHL Predictions Today: Edmonton Oilers VS Calgary Flames Expert Picks

The Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames will play on Sunday night in an Oilers VS Flames NHL action at Rogers Place.

Use MatchPlug to get the NHL Predictions today for the Oilers VS Flames game. You can trust the Prediction today, picks, odds, and analysis we laid out in this preview.

Betting Preview For Edmonton Oilers VS Calgary Flames

Venue: Rogers Place.
Date: Monday, 14th October, 2024.
Time: 01:00.
Teams to play: Oilers and Flames.
NHL Picks: MONEYLINE 1.672.

Odds as provided by 1XBet.

Betting On The Edmonton Oilers

1XBet Spread: -1.5
1XBet Total: Over 6.5
1XBet Moneyline: 1.672

The Edmonton Oilers enter this match hoping to redeem themselves from consecutive losses to start the season, after taking a 5-2 defeat in Saturday’s game. After this match, the Oilers will host the Philadelphia Flyers.

Corey Perry and Leon Draisaitl both have a goal for Edmonton while Connor McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jeff Skinner and Mattias Ekhold all have an assist. Connor McBrown, Skinner, and Ekolhm share an Oilers-high 6 shots so far this campaign. In goal for the team, Calvin Pickard is 0-1 with a 4.17 GAA and a.778 save percentage. Stuart Skinner has a 9.64 GAA and .615 save percentage.

Betting On The Calgary Flames

1XBet Spread: +1.5
1XBet Total: Under 6.5
1XBet Moneyline: 4.205

The Calgary Flames enter this matchup hoping to extend their winning streak to the term after winning 6-3 over the Flyers in their last game. After tonight’s fixture, the Flames will play the Chicago Blackhawks and Seattle Kraken.

Jonathan Huberdeau leads Calgary with 5 points including a Flames-high 3 goals and 2 assists. Nazem Kadri has 4 points with 2 goals and 2 assists. Martin Pospisil records 4 points and 3 assists, while Andrei Kuzmenko leads with 4 assists too. Mackenzie Weegar, Connor Zary, and Anthony Mantha share 3 points. Weegar logs 2 goals while Zary and Mantha share 2 assists. Goalie Dustin Wolf is 1-0 with a 3.05 GAA and a .925 save percentage.

MatchPlug Prediction On Edmonton Oilers VS Calgary Flames

The Oilers are failing through a season-opener disappointment and until they get their head in the game, it would be wise not to back them. The Flames have played well so far and have what it takes to win this match. However, the sportsbooks favour Edmonton.

Final Prediction: Edmonton Oilers Moneyline.

PIF ambitions still unchanged at Newcastle

Newcastle United Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan is still stoked about the team’s PIF future.

Al-Rumayyan is a representative for Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and their investment in Newcastle.

There has been speculation that PIF are reconsidering the plans for Castle.

But a source told ChronicleLive: “There is a big picture. It’s on track, the ambition was set three years ago to make the club competitive again at the highest level and that hasn’t changed.

“There has been a lot done on and off the pitch in the last three years. They want sustainable success and they don’t want to be a flash in the pan.

“The tone from the top is exactly the same as three years ago.”

Bayern watched Penders for months before Chelsea swooped in

Chelsea passed over Bayern Munich to draft Genk goalkeeper Mike Penders last month. They signed him before accepting to loan him back to Genk for the campaign.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Bayern scouted Mike for months, but the Blues swooped in.

Chelsea signed Penders for €20m and then loaned him back to Genk.

Last week, Genk teammate Tolu Arokodare while speaking to Tribalfootball said about Penders: “He is a good person, a good professional and he is very hardworking. We should expect the best from him.

“I must admit that it is difficult to score against him in training and we do our best to help one another improve.

“We should expect nothing but the best from him and talking about our reaction when Chelsea signed him. Well, we were not really surprised because we know the qualities he possesses.”

Frattesi happy with Inter Milan progress

Davide Frattesi is happy with the progress he has made at Inter Milan.

The former AS Roma midfielder is in his second term with Milan.

He said from Italy: “It’s already better than last year.

“Jokes aside, I understand Mister Inzaghi and that’s why I’ve never tried to bother anyone about it.

“There are four of us and we’re all top-level players, it’s not easy. Last year I turned up at a team that had just won the Scudetto and reached a Champions League final, it’s not easy.”

Schuster: Real Madrid suffering for not replacing Kroos

Ex- Real Madrid player and coach Bernd Schuster says Kylian Mbappe should not be blamed solely for Real’s inconsistent start to the year. Instead he feels that the team not replacing Toni Kroos is part of the reason for their recent struggles.

Mbappe has played well since joining from Paris Saint-Germain over the summer, although many people have expected more from him.

Schuster while speaking at a golf event on Saturday said: “Sometimes people like him come in with a lot of quality. Normally it’s easier for them, but sometimes it’s a bit difficult. I think it’s a question of matches. He knows what he has to do, it’s a question of time. The whole team has to change a bit, not just him.

“In the team, right now there is no one there (to replace Toni Kroos). He was the last one. He has marked 10 years at Real Madrid with the way of playing. His solidity was only his and that cannot be replaced. There is no one there now and we have to find a formula for things to work the same way.

“There will not be another like him because he has marked an era and this cannot be changed in two months.”

Paul George makes 23 points in preseason debut with Philadelphia

Paul George displayed his scoring touch in his preseason debut for the Philadelphia 76ers last Friday night.

George made 8-for-15 and scored a 76ers-high 23 points in a 121-11 defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

He logged 26 minutes, hit four 3-pointers and included six rebounds and two assists.

His exhibition debut features new faces in new positions during this year’s preseason, including Karl-Anthony Towns with the Knicks, Chris Paul in the Spurs, DeMar DeRozan in Kings, and Klay Thompson in Mavericks jersey.

The 76ers signed George to a four-year, $212 million deal as a free agent this summer, they are his fourth team, after he spent seven years with the Indianapolis Colts, two with Oklahoma City Thunder and last five with the Los Angeles Clippers. He won the All-Star nine times, is a six-time All-NBA selection and averages 20.8 points over his first 14 NBA seasons.

The match in Iowa was a homecoming for Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse. Nurse is an Iowa native, who coached Minnesota’s G League team when it was Iowa. He is the former head coach at NAIA member Grand View University situated in Des Moines. Nurse was the youngest college coach in the USA when he started the job at 23.

Reddick refused one-year contract from New York Jets amid holdout

The New York Jets’ ongoing quarrel with Haason Reddick got wild last week when the star pass rusher’s agency dropped him. It was the newest unusual event in an event that became continually odd.

The saga does not seem to be ending any time soon.

However, there was a point early in the year when it seemed Reddick would end his holdout with a reevaluated one-year contract that would have pacified him.

The deal was all but finalized with the player’s former agents at CAA and Jets management. Reddick, owes millions of dollars in fines, but got an offer that would have given him the chance to pay those fines and still earn more money that he was already slated to earn.

The parties involved expected a peaceful resolution that would allow him to play New York and make his money back. He would cash out again this offseason with a big 2024 in a defense coaches thought is ideal for him. But, Reddick refused to sign the deal.

New York had no other option than to move on and hope he shows. Reddrick did not want to come in.

Instead, Haason wanted a multi-year contract that would make him one of the higher-paid pass rushers in the league. It seems that there is presently no market for that type of deal.

Reddrick was set to make $14.25 million this term. But when the Jets traded with the Philadelphia Eagles for him, he wanted a multi-year contract. They instead opted for a one-year solution, with the pass rusher playing it out and becoming a free agent in 2025.

Currently, Haason is the only player holding out, and he must show up Week 13 to get an accrued season. If not, his contract will tank and everyone will go through the same issue next season.

He could also walk away from the game, maintain his principles.

Last week, club owner Woody Johnson, pleaded with Reddrick to come in.

“Haason, get in your car, drive down (I)-95 and come to the New York Jets, and we can meet you and give you an escort right in the building and you’ll fit right in,” Johnson said. “You’re going to love it here and you’re going to feel welcome and you’re going to accomplish great things with us.”

When asked to summarize the issue, Johnson said, “This is something I’ve never seen before, you know, and you’ve got even more years than I have. I don’t think any of us have seen anything like this. I think you have to be part psychologist and part some-other gist to try and figure out what is actually going on.”

He said Reddick would be received with open arms if and when he shows up.

Dr. Meister proposes progressive MLB rule change to prevent pitching injuries

Texas Rangers’ head physician Dr. Keith Meister says he has a revolutionary rule change that can improve pitcher health: outlawing two-strike foul balls.

Dr. Meister, who is part of Major League Baseball’s task force, revealed his idea as part of an extensive feature story, shared with Mike Piellucci, the sports editor of D Magazine.

This is how Piellucci interpreted the doctor’s idea:

“If he’s losing the battle, he’s refusing to concede ground. He serves on an MLB task force investigating the injury epidemic, and he has proposed a rule to ban foul balls on two-strike counts, which would amount to the most dramatic change in how the game is played in decades.

At first blush, it seems outlandish, then much less so as he bores into its potential to cut down pitch counts, push hitters to put more balls in play, and shorten games in one swoop.”

Piellucci believes that Dr. Meister’s idea would make two-strike foul balls strikeouts. This was how the league handles two-strike bunt attempts.

Based on what the doctor is proposing, removing extended at-bats would reduce pitch count and match times across the board. It would also cut down the amount of some pitch types thrown. Dr. Meister faulted “designer pitches,’’ like sweeper and hard changeup, for the increase in injuries; these pitches are often released when a K is on the line.

The MLB threw over 30% breaking balls in two-strike counts this season, in contrast to 21% in no strike counts and 24.2 in one-strike counts.

Banning two-strike fouls would significantly change the game in many ways, and as such that type of rule would not even be considered.

Furthermore, most foul balls are not caused by intent or strategy. There are some hitters who can spoil hard pitches, but they are the exception instead of the rule. It is unreasonable to think that fouls are due to intentional swings rather than just mistakes. And that rule would punish hitters. Plus there would be too many of such offenses if Meister’s rule is implemented.

On the other hand, pitchers might love the rule, not because it prevents injuries, but because it would make their jobs easier.

That is why it is not surprising to hear Dr Meister say: “I’ve even got Max Scherzer saying, ‘You know, that’s not such a bad idea.’ And Max doesn’t agree with anything.”

NFL PREDICTIONS: Washington Commanders VS Baltimore Ravens betting Tips

The Washington Commanders will face the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium for Commanders VS Ravens.

Find the NFL Betting tips, picks, odds, and analysis for Commanders VS Ravens on MatchPlug. We have the previews for similar matches in this league.

Predictions And Betting Preview For Washington Commanders VS Baltimore Ravens

Venue: M&T Bank Stadium.
When: Sunday, October 13th, 2024.
Time: 18:00.
Teams to play: Commanders and Ravens.
NFL Expert Picks: SPREAD -6.5.

Odds provided by 1XBet.

Betting On The Washington Commanders

1XBet Spread: -6.5
1XBet Over/Under: Over 51.5
1XBet Moneyline: 1.385

The Washington Commanders have surprised the NFL, winning four straight after losing their campaign opener 37-20 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Their solid play has been courtesy of Jayden Daniels, who is third in the NFL in QBR (73.2) with a 77.1% completion percentage. The star rookie and the Commanders handled the Cleveland Browns last week, outscoring them 434-212.

Washington averages 31.0 points (1st) and 392.6 total yards (4th), including 214.2 passing yards (14th) and 178.4 rushing yards (2nd). They have permitted 12 sacks and registered three turnovers this campaign. The Commanders have converted 51.6% of their third downs (1st) and scored a touchdown on 56.5 percent of their red zone trips (15th).

Betting On The Baltimore Ravens

1XBet Spread: +6.5
1XBet Over/Under: Under 51.5
1XBet Moneyline: 3.4

The Baltimore Ravens outscored the Cincinnati Bengals in overtime last weekend, with Lamar Jackson passing for 348 yards and four touchdowns. Joe Burrow, passed for almost 400 yards and five scores. Baltimore were more potent on the ground (5.1 YPC), as Cincinnati averaged only 3.1 yards per carry. Derrick Henry led with 15 carries for 92 yards and a touchdown in the division win.

The Ravens average 29.4 points (2nd) and 447.6 total yards (1st) per match, including 236.4 passing yards (9th) and 211.2 rushing yards (1st). Baltimore has permitted five sacks and delivered four turnovers. They converted 50.0% of their third downs (3rd) and scored a touchdown on 75.0% of its red zone trips (2nd).

MatchPlug Prediction For Washington Commanders VS Baltimore Ravens

The last 10 times Lamar Jackson won, the Ravens were victorious by an average of 17.8 points per game. They are gathering momentum after winning the Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, and the Bengals. Back them to win the Commanders too tonight.

Final Prediction: Baltimore Ravens -6.5.

Jane Njoku