Toronto FC comes into matchday 3 hoping for their first win of the year. They lost 3-2 in the opening-day match against DC United, where they gave up two goals in stoppage time. Additionally, they drew 1-1 in their visit to Atlanta United on the last matchday after blowing their leverage.
This is Toronto’s first home game of the season, a setup where they haven’t done very well lately, winning only two of their last 9 MLS appearances and most of their recent matches against Columbus Crew.
If Toronto should have a positive outcome tomorrow it will be thanks to Federico Bernardeschi who scored in the first two games, twice after the break.
Possible Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sean Johnson; Richie Laryea, Matt Hedges, Sigurd Rosted, Raoul Pedretta; Michael Bradley, Mark-Anthony Kaye; Brandon Servania, Federico Bernardeschi, Jonathan Osorio; Adama Diomande.
Betting On Columbus Crew
1XBet Spread: +1.5
1XBet Over/Under: Under 2.5
1XBet Moneyline: 3.36
BetMGM Over/Under: Under 2.5
Bet MGM Moneyline: 3.30
Columbus Crew on the other hand came back from a 4-1 loss to Philadelphia Union on Matchday 1, by winning 2-0 over DC United in their last game, thanks to Lucas Zelarayan’s first-half brace.
Besides the three points, the victory would have been satisfying for Wilfried Nancy’s defense, which broke a losing streak where they lost seven consecutive games, giving up goals. But, Crew’s offense has brought the team succour, as this was their 8th game in a row with a goal.
They will now have a harder time securing a series of victories, which they haven’t done since the end of the 2021 campaign and the start of the 2022 season. To pull this off, they will have to break the jinx of losing their last eight home games.
Possible Lineup (3-4-2-1): Eloy Room; Steven Moreira, Milos Degenek, Philip Quinton; Mohammed Farsi, Darlington Nagbe, Aidan Morris, Yaw Yeboah, Alexandru Matan, Cucho Hernandez; Lucas Zelarayan.
MatchPlug Prediction
Toronto FC showed promise in their early matches, with a good offense headed by Bernardeschi; but their poor defense is their Achilles Heel. This is a problem that Columbus Crew who also gave up goals, suffers from too.
Four of the past 5 league meetings between these clubs scored three points. Taking account of the defensive shortcomings of Toronto and Columbus, and their good offensive play, fans can expect a high-scoring match, as the trend will continue. Final Prediction: Toronto Moneyline and Over.
Major League Soccer is growing into one of the world’s most popular soccer leagues, and the DC United VS Orlando City game assures to be a highlight of a season that just kicked off. The match happens on Saturday, March 11, 2023, and fans anticipate it.
A game between DC and Orlando has always been interesting to watch, and tomorrow’s one will be the same way. Due to this, we’ve found some picks and predictions for the match and analyzed some elements that may influence the game’s outcome.
In this preview, we answer which team will win the game and progress to the finals. The analysis and selections we’ve mentioned reveal who experts and sportsbooks think the winner will be.
MatchPlug has the Best Betting Tips Today and MLS Predictions for DC United and Orlando City. Including odds for and other information for this matchup.
DC United’s start to this season left no clear indication as to how their performance will be. However, they played only two rounds; they won one game and lost the other. Due to this, they got three points and are in 8th position in the Eastern Conference, tying with Philadelphia Union and Columbus Crew.
For goals, DC has scored three goals and gave up four, giving them a total goal difference of -1.
In matches played, United’s victory ended with a 3-2 home win over Toronto FC. Christian Benteke, Mateusz Klich, and Theodore Ku-Dipietro scored the goals; the last one was in the 90th minute. Their second game was a 2-0 loss to Columbus Crew as the visiting team.
Possible Lineup (3-5-2): Tyler Miller; Andy Miller; Andy Najar, Victor Pálsson, Steve Birnbaum, Mohanad Jeahze, Christopher Durkin, Mateusz Klich, Russell Canouse, Pedro Santos; Christian Benteke, Nigel Robertha.
Betting On Orlando FC
1XBet Spread: +1.5
1XBet Over/Under: Under 2.5
1XBet Moneyline: 3.2
BetMGM Over/Under: Under 2.5
Bet MGM Moneyline: 3.20
Orlando City SC is currently in sixth place in the MLS Eastern Conference standings and has four points on a win and draw. They scored one goal and conceded nothing, so they have 1 in goal difference.
The clubs they’ve played against are 1-0 VS New York Red Bulls at home, Facundo Torres scored the goal, then FC Cincinnati at home again. If Orlando wins this game, they can advance in the standings, a far leap that may happen at this early stage of the season.
Possible Lineup (4-3-3): Pedro Gallese; Kyle Smith, Rodrigo Schlegel, Michael Halliday, Mauricio Pereyra; Wilder Cartagena, Dagur Dan Þórhallsson, Facundo Torres; Abdi Salim, Ercan Kara, Gastón González.
MatchPlug Prediction
The match between DC United and Orlando City will be thrilling because of the results the teams have so far.
But, DC scored more in the two rounds it has played with Orlando and is more likely to win because of this. Final Prediction: DC United Wins by 2 goals.
Atlanta Hawks VS Washington Wizards is another important game in the Eastern Conference play-in battle coming up. This matchup will be the second time these two teams meet this week after playing against each other two days ago.
The Hawks avenged a home loss in February and got away with a 122-120 win on Wednesday night. They had a big late comeback, but the game saw them win the final quarter 32-26.
MatchPlug has some vital information for the Hawks and Wizards. We have the best NBA Prediction Tonight for this game. You can also find the surest Basketball Predictions and odds for similar NBA games.
Predictions and Betting Preview for Atlanta Hawks VS Washington Wizards NBA Regular Season Game
Venue: Capital One Arena, Washington D.C.
When: Thursday, March 10th, 2023
Time: 16:00 GMT
Teams to play: Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards
The Atlanta Hawks are aware that they delivered a huge win in their last game, and thanks to Miami Heat’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, they have now advanced within 1.5 games of the seventh place in the Eastern Conference.
Trae Young led the Hawk’s comeback in their last game against the Wizards, recording a big double-double of 28 points and 10 assists while being one of six players in the team to up to 13 points.
However, in spite of their recent success, Atlanta has had a hard time on the road this season, experiencing 15 wins and 20 losses. They also have an alarming defensive record, allowing an average of 119.1 points per game.
Betting On The Washington Wizards
Regular Season Record: 31-35
1XBet Spread: +1.5
1XBet Moneyline: 2.18
1XBet Over/Under: Over 238.5
BetMGM Spread: +1.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 2.00
BetMGM Over/Under: Under 237.5
Washington Wizards enter today’s match with the intent to prevent a second consecutive defeat and fourth loss in a row in the presence of their supporters. They still grace 10th place in the Eastern Conference, but they might want to sit up, as they are just 1.5 games behind the Chicago Bulls, who are their closest competitor.
For the Wizards to get back in form, they must restore their strength playing at home. This is important because they have won only one of their last five home games. Although they’ve lost four closely-contested games, they know they can improve on their record.
To do that, they’ll depend on their key 3 players – Kristaps Porzingis who scored 43 points, then Kyle Kuzma and Bradley Beal who added 25 and 24 points, respectively, last week Wednesday.
MatchPlug Prediction
Atlanta’s defense problems were apparent on Wednesday, whereas their offense was impressive, headed by one of the NBA’s best players, averaging 117.2 points in a road game.
But, while Washington is not great in offense, it has three players in its ranks that are in excellent shape and have exploited the Hawks’ shortcomings on their side of the court in the last two occasions this campaign.
22 out of the Hawks’ 35 games on the road this year, have covered the Over. Taking into account how well the Wizards and Hawks have done in defense, fans should expect another close, high-scoring matchup. Final Prediction: Atlanta Hawks Moneyline.
Finally, the World Baseball Classic returns to screens in 2023 after a two-year, pandemic-induced hiatus, with its largest field and debatably the greatest gathering of players so far. After two qualifying events last September, the Classic will be happening across the globe.
These are the answers to frequently asked questions about the World Baseball Classica and how it works.
What is the World Baseball Classic?
The Baseball Classic is like the World Cup event, but for baseball, where different talents across the globe are showcased.
It is authorized by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) in partnership with MLB. The Classic is the only baseball tournament by the WBSC that confers the title of “World Champion.’’
How can you watch and listen to the game?
Games from the event will be broadcasted live on Fox, FS1, FS2, Tubi and Fox Deportes.
Live audio coverage of all matches will be shown on SiriusXM, TuneIn, MLB.com and in the MLB App.
Who is the defending champion of the World Baseball Champion?
Team USA won the tournament in 2017 for the first time.
How many Classic tournaments have there been?
The World Baseball Classic tournament has happened four times. It started in 2006. Held again in 2009 (Japan), 2013 (Dominican Republic), and 2017. This year’s own is the fifth time.
How many teams play in the tournament?
In 2023, the total number of teams playing is 20, an increase from 16.
What teams are there and how do they rank?
In the first round, teams are assigned, and ranked in pools, based on:
First, the team representing each pool’s host country/ territory.
Second, the team(s) that played in the final four of the 2017 Classic will be assigned next as the top teams for each pool.
The remaining teams will be assigned based on December 31, 2021, WBSC rankings to ensure competitive balance.
Pool play is a round-robin, double-elimination tournament. From there, the two top teams in every pool progress to, an eight-team, single-elimination bracket.
Each team’s final, 30-man roster must include at least 14 pitchers and at least two catchers.
What is the designated pitcher pool?
Every team can identify a designated pool of 10 pitchers who qualify to participate in one or more consecutive rounds. The list of pitchers was submitted when the provisional and final rosters were due. A team who wants to use the pitcher pool must have one or two pitchers from the pool on its final roster.
If they can’t list a pitcher from the pool on its submitted roster, they will be barred from using the designated pitcher pool for the rest of the event.
When a pool pitcher is listed on a tournament roster and removed before the next round, he can no longer participate.
After every round, a pitcher from an advancing team’s designated pitcher pool may be replaced on the final roster with another pitcher from the pool, as long as no member of the pool is added back to his federation final roster once he has been replaced.
How is player eligibility for a team determined?
A player is eligible if they meet these criteria:
The player appeared on a team’s final roster in the past, at the beginning of a World Baseball Classic qualifier or tournament round; or
The player is a citizen of the team’s country or territory, as indicated by a valid passport the player holds as of three months to the start of the tournament; or
The player is currently a permanent legal resident of the team’s country or territory; or
The player was born in the team’s country or territory, as shown by a birth certificate or its equivalent; or
The player has at least one parent who is (or, if deceased, was), a citizen of the team’s country or territory; or
The player has at least one parent who was born in the team’s country or territory; or
The player presents documentary evidence that he would be granted citizenship or a passport in due course under the laws of the team’s country or territory if he were to apply for such citizenship or passport.
Is there a cap on how many players can participate from a single MLB club?
Yes. The maximum number is 15 players from any team or 10 from an active Major League roster or injured list as of August 31, 2023.
How does World Baseball Classic handle injuries?
An injured player on a team’s roster is replaced by another player who is on their available player list. Only a pitcher can replace a pitcher and only a catcher can stand in for a catcher.
The replaced player is then ineligible to return to the event.
If a player who is not a catcher is injured in the first round of the tournament, they cannot be replaced and can play until the beginning of the next round. If they are injured during the semifinals, no replacement will be permitted.
What are the rules for the tournament?
The 2022 Official Baseball Rules are what the World Baseball Classic will abide by, with these stipulations:
The automatic runner on second base will be used in extra innings.
The three-batter minimum for pitchers will be enforced.
There will NOT be a limit on mound visits.
The designated hitter will be used for all games.
Replay review will be utilized and will follow MLB’s replay rules
The new MLB rules for 2023 — the pitch timer, bigger bases and restrictions on infield shifts — will NOT be used.
There are limits on pitcher use.
What are the use limits for pitchers?
To reduce injury risk in this crucial period ahead of the MLB season, a pitcher must:
Not pitch until a minimum of four days have passed since he last pitched, if he threw 50 or more pitches when he last pitched;
Not pitch until a minimum of one day has passed since he last pitched, if he threw 30 or more pitches when he last pitched;
Not pitch until a minimum of one day has passed since any second consecutive day on which the pitcher pitched;
Throw no more than 65 pitches per game in the first round, 80 pitches per game in the quarterfinal round and 95 pitches per game in the championship round of the tournament, unless the pitcher needs more to complete a batter’s plate appearance.
The aggregate number of pitches thrown in two successive games over two days will not be used to determine pitcher rest restrictions.
When a pitcher reaches the maximum limit of pitches in a game in a batter’s plate appearance, they may continue the game, until the plate appearance or the inning ends, whichever comes first.
Is there a run rule?
Yes. In the first round, victory is given if a team is ahead by 10 or more runs after any complete inning, starting with the completion of the seventh inning.
Or if a team is ahead by 15 or more runs after any complete inning, beginning with the fifth inning.
How does World Baseball Classic determine home/visitor designations?
Home/visitor designations are based on pool rankings. In every pool, Team No.1 gets three home games and one away game, and Team No.2 will receive two home games and two away games.
Team No.3 will get two home games and two away games, Team No.4 gets two home games and two away games and Team No.5 receives one home game and three away games.
For every quarterfinal game, the home team designation will be given to each of the Round 1 pool winners. Every Round 1 pool runner-up will be designated as the visiting team.
In a championship round game, which includes the semi-finals and the final game, the team with the higher winning percentage of games in the tournament will be the home team.
If the teams competing in the championship game have identical winning percentages in the tournament, then WBCI will conduct a coin flip to determine the home team.
Sacramento Kings VS New York Knicks will be the last game today for the NBA. Both the Kings and the Knicks are in great shape and will wish to keep making fans happy, with their impressive performances.
In the first meeting of the season between these teams, New York won, exploiting the absence of De’Aaron Fox in Sacramento’s corner to win 99-112, recording their fourth consecutive win this series.
MatchPlug has a match preview you can trust for the Kings and Knicks. We have the best NBA Prediction Tonight for this game. You can also find the surest Basketball Predictions and odds for similar NBA games.
Predictions and Betting Preview for Sacramento Kings VS New York Knicks NBA Regular Season Game
Venue: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California.
When: Thursday, March 9th, 2023
Time: 19:00 GMT
Teams to play: Sacramento Kings and New York Knicks
The Sacramento Kings’ surprisingly strong campaign is still happening, and it looks like the team will run with this upward movement; they are not rooted deeply in third place in the Western Conference, and now they can take a second position too if they want, as they are just 0.5 games behind the Memphis Grizzlies who are presently having a tough time.
Sacramento’s offense has stunned this season, scoring 121.1 points per game and shooting 50.0% from the field which is a league-best. This performance has largely covered up the blind spots of their defense, which are third worst with 118.4 points allowed per game.
Betting On The New York Knicks
Regular Season Record: 39-27
1XBet Spread: +1.5
1XBet Moneyline: 2.25
1XBet Over/Under: Under 239.5
BetMGM Spread: +2.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 2.10
BetMGM Over/Under: Over 239.5
In recent weeks, the New York Knicks have shown a new level that is quite impressive, reaching here even after suffering one loss in their past 10 games. They defeated the Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks, and Miami Heat, to further secure their place in the direct playoff spots.
New York finally found a great balance between their offense and defense, with a good average of 115.5 points scored per game, emerging 8th best in the NBA in defense with an average of 112.4 points against, and stopping their opponents to 45.4% shooting from the field.
MatchPlug Prediction
Sacramento Kings have shown that they can destroy any defense in the NBA, especially when they’re playing at home, so the New York Knicks will have a difficult time controlling them in this matchup, as they already struggled against the Celtics and Heat in their recent games.
But, the weaknesses in the King’s defense are clear, even if they’re playing on their home court where they have a 20-13 record, they rarely give good performances in this area, so they will have a long night playing Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson of the Knicks who are at their best.
There is no doubt that this will be a good match, where the offenses will be looked on to take the lead from the beginning as the Kings often do at home games, and leave fans with a high score.
Final Prediction: Sacramento Kings Moneyline and Over.
The San Francisco Giants VS Milwaukee Brewers matchup will hold at the Major League Baseball training camp.
For this game, sportsbooks did not reveal any straight favourite. So, we too will not name one outrightly out of the two teams.
However, one thing to note is that the prediction for the Giants and the Brewers is the past head-to-head matches between these teams. Their last head-to-head happened almost less than a week ago, and then Milwaukee destroyed San Francisco in a demoralising 14:2 defeat.
Our detailed analysis of today’s matchup is enclosed in the latter part of this preview. MatchPlug also has some MLB Predictions Today for the matchup, gotten from the best oddsmakers.
Predictions and Betting Preview for San Francisco Giants VS Milwaukee Brewers MLB Spring Training
Venue: Major League Baseball Training Camp, Old Town Scottsdale
The San Francisco Giants have performed badly in the preseason. They scored two winless series within a short period.
However, there is nothing bad about their loss. As the Giants are acquiring a few new players at the base in order to strengthen the first-team roaster. By the time the regular season begins, San Francisco will be metamorphosed, as their ambitions are still high.
Betting On The Milwaukee Brewers
1XBet Spread: +1.5
1XBet Over/Under: Under 10.5
1XBet Moneyline: 2.03
The Milwaukee Brewers are deploying new tactical arrangements without appearing to achieve noticeable success.
On Tuesday the Brewers lost to the Chicago Cubs (2:5), finding themselves in the midst of catching up in the open inning. Corbin Burns stumbled at an important moment, while Peter Stzheletsky made a terrible mistake.
MatchPlug Prediction
For today’s matchup, experts say the layouts are noticeably traced. After the last head-to-head between the Giants and Brewers, there have been no significant changes.
They believe that San Francisco will again be broken. While winning this game is a priority for Milwaukee.
Oakland Athletics VS Los Angeles Dodgers is another game in the long list of matches gracing the Major League Baseball preseason matches.
In this game, a promising away team will play against a main contender for the final championship. This match seems like it already has a clear favourite.
Let’s look at the H-2-H – In the head-to-head that occurred less than a year ago, Los Angeles easily won over Oakland (6:4).
This MatchPlug Preview discusses the current conditions of the opponents, plus MLB best bets today surrounding the game.
Predictions and Betting Preview for Oakland Athletics VS Los Angeles Dodgers MLB Spring Training
The Oakland Athletics took a minor step in the direction of progress. On Tuesday they won Arizona Diamondbacks (9:3), breaking a winless streak which had carried on for 9 matches.
JP Sears is the only player who stood aside from the general background, from the negative side, while others performed well.
Oakland is not ready for the fight ahead, but they will get better with time.
Betting On The Los Angeles Dodgers
1XBet Spread: -1.5
1XBet Over/Under: Under 10.5
1XBet Moneyline: 1.62
Los Angeles is gradually becoming a dominant force in MLB. In February they lost to the Milwaukee Brewers (4:7) and Cincinnati Reds (1:7). In March they have not lost to any team.
They shared points with the Seattle Mariners (2:2) losing a small lead in the final inning. Shelby Miller turned out to be the worst pitcher in statistics. Although from afar he looks rehabilitated.
MatchPlug Prediction
Today’s meeting between Oakland and Los Angeles will not be thrilling. The Dodgers have massive superiority in player selection, and experts believe that once again they will leave the Athletics with nothing.
Los Angeles winning this match is the best outcome for this game.
Connor McDavid the Edmonton Oilers captain has scored twice to boost his NHL-leading goal to 54, setting a career-high with 124 points in a 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night.
McDavid makes a case to win his third Hart Trophy for MVP in eight seasons, with his 12th multigoal game of the season, aiding the Oilers to secure two crucial points in a packed Western Conference race to the playoffs.
“The finish was all-world,” Jay Woodcroft the Edmonton Oilers coach said about McDavid scoring the first goal on the fly by defeating Craig Anderson through the legs 3:23 into the third period, less than a minute after Buffalo tied the game at 2.
McDavid’s 124 points in 65 games are over the career best he set in 80 games last year, and the All-Star centre took his points streak to 11 games, in which he has 12 goals and 15 assists.
“I saw someone that was competitive right from the puck drop,” Woodcroft said. “Connor’s at a different evolutionary stage in his game right now, and I think everyone saw that here tonight.”
It is not often that a crowd from the Eastern Conference gets to watch Connor McDavid play in person and for that game, they seem to have gotten their money’s worth; although the Sabres failed to pick up two points in their fight for a wild-card berth.
“Who’s more likely to make a big play than him?” Zach Hyman said. “He’s the best player in the world, and he’s pushing his own boundaries. He’s been driving the bus for a long time and continues to get better.”
Derek Ryan scored too, while Stuart Skinner blocked 37 shots for Edmonton, who rose to 5-4-3 in their past 12 and came back from a 7-5 loss at Winnipeg on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Jeff Skinner and Dylan Cozens scored for the Sabres and Anderson blocked 34 shots.
By dropping to 6-4 in its last 10 games, the Sabres resumed its season-long struggles at Buffalo in losing five of their past seven.
The Sabres have been in the middle of an NHL-worst 11-season playoff drought but stay in the mix and have games in hand on most of its competition. The day started with four points demarcating the New York Islanders who were in seventh place from the Buffalo Sabres which are in ninth place; locked in a four-way tie with 68 points.
The Sabres coach Don Granato did not say if he thought McDavid to be a step ahead of everyone else in the league, out of deference to his own players. But, Granato had no other option but to sing the praises of the Oiler’s captain, who scored twice on three shots on net.
“He’s got 50-plus for a reason, he doesn’t need many [shots],” Granato said. “He’s done that to lots of teams and goaltenders, and he was ready for his opportunities. That’s what makes him special.”
The Edmonton Oilers (35-22-8) share a tie with Seattle for third place in the Pacific Divison.
After opening the scoring in the first period, McDavid scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period, immediately after Cozens tied the game.
Warren Foegele moved up to the left wing to take the Sabres’ zone and then spun to hit McDavid in stride cutting up the middle. McDavid steered to his left to get by defender Jacob Bryson and fired a shot through Anderson’s legs.
It was McDavid’s ninth game-winning goal of the season after he started the day in a four-way tie for second and one behind teammate Leon Draisaitl.
Connor McDavid and the Oilers will play the NHL-best Boston Bruins next on Thursday night.
Florida Panthers VS Vegas Golden Knights will be between two teams that wish to build off the momentum they’ve gathered this season.
Vegas has a 38-19-6 record and three consecutive wins, which is the best record in the Pacific Division, while the Panthers have a 31-27-6 record and are in the midst of the playoff race in the Eastern Conference.
These teams want to boost their profiles ahead of the playoffs, so they’ll give their best for today’s game.
MatchPlug has provided the NHL Predictions Today for the Panthers and Golden Knights. We have given a detailed breakdown of what the experts are saying about the two teams too.
Florida Panthers VS Vegas Golden Knights Betting Preview
The Florida Panthers’ offense squad is bringing the team joy this season, scoring 3.39 goals per game plus 4 goals in their last game.
Matthew Tkachuk, Carter Verhaeghe, and Aleksandr Barkov scored 76 goals and 112 assists to lead the top two lines, but the other members have stepped up too. Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart, and Eetu Luostarinen share 51 goals and 64 assists. Defensemen Brandon Montour and Gustav Forsling added 19 goals and 65 assists from the point to place the Panthers’ offense over the top.
Florida’s offense is good, but the defense is where the problem lies, they’ve allowed 3.38 goals per game. While Montour and Forsling combine for 6.2 defensive point shares, the rest of the unit contributes nothing, allowing the opponents to fire shots on the net at will.
Additionally, goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky musters a .906 save percentage and a 2.98 goals-against average on 1211 shots with 0.9 goals saved above average.
Betting On The Vegas Golden Knights
Season Record – 38-19-6
1XBet Spread: +1.5
1XBet Total: Over 6.5
1XBet Moneyline: 2.956
BetMGM Spread: +1.5
BetMGM Total: Over 6.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 2.25
The Vegas Golden Knights are having a fantastic season, thanks to their offense rising to the occasion and scoring 3.16 goals per game including 11 goals in the past three games.
Chandler Stephenson, Jack Eichel, and Jonathan Marchessault scored 54 goals and 86 assists to lead the top two lines, but the other offense members have done well too. Reilly Smith, William Karlsson, and Phil Kessel share 43 goals and 64 assists. Defensemen Alex Pietrangelo and Shea Theodore contributed 15 goals and 54 assists from the point to open up the offense.
The Golden Knights’ defense is what has been carrying them the whole season, even at a time their offense was found wanting. It allowed only 2.76 goals per game. Brayden McNabb and Shea Theodore combine for 7.4 defensive point shares and 213 blocked shots. Alex Pietrangelo, Alec Martinez, and Nicolas Hague have combined for 8.8 defensive point shares to add depth to the unit.
Finally, goaltender Logan Thompson has been great with a .914 save percentage and a 2.66 goals-against average on 1093 shots with 9.7 goals saved above average.
MatchPlug Prediction
This matchup will be a good one as the two teams want to improve on already incredible seasons. Vegas wants to win its fourth consecutive game, but since it’s in Florida, Panthers will want to control the game.
Florida averages 3.39 goals per game and will pile on the goals with Tkachuk, Verhaeghe and the forward unit carrying the puck into the offensive zone and creating open shots with quick passes near the net.
The Panthers will use Montour, Forsling, and their defensive unit to create turnovers in the defensive zone and limit shooting lanes. This will allow Bobrovsky to make plenty of simple saves. Florida should win the game with a powerful performance on their home ice.
The Cleveland State Vikings will play against the Norsemen with a season record of 21-12. Presently, they’ve been the home team 16 times, with a 13-3 record. Cleveland has been the underdog 14 times, going 6-8 straight up.
Tristan Enaruna is the Vikings’ leading scorer for today’s game at 15.38 points per contest. Enaruna has been a vital part of his team’s scoring efforts, but he is also the top rebounder at Cleveland State. Behind Enaruna is Tae Williams whose strong play benefitted the team. Williams is second in scoring 11.0 points per game. Overall, he hit 52.5% of his shots and added 5.94 boards per game.
The Vikings walk into today’s game intending to dominate the Norsemen by continuing their powerful offensive play. They average 75.6 points per game. For 33 games, they’ve hit 47.9% of their field goal attempts. In pace, they prefer to slow the game down, ranking 420th in possessions per game.
Betting On The Northern Kentucky Norsemen
Season Record – 21-12
1XBet Spread: -2.5
1XBet Moneyline: 1.732
1XBet Over/Under: Under 126.5
BetMGM Spread: -2.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 1.69
BetMGM Over/Under: Over 126.5
The Northern Kentucky Norsemen head into their 34th game of the season today, with a record of 21-12. They would be playing their 14th game of the season, after going 7-7. Kentucky has been the favourites 23 times; 17-6 straight up.
Northern Kentucky will be expecting another outstanding performance from the team’s leading scorer Marques Warrick who averages 19.06 points per game for his team. He is also important to their ability to score on the perimeter. Currently, he leads the team in 3-point shots made. Sam Vinson is another key player in the Norsemen’s plan, he has hit 38.9% of his field goal attempts on his way to averaging 11.38 points per game.
The Norsemen have struggled with their offense this season, now ranking 241st in college basketball at 69.9 points per game. Their low-scoring totals are because they have played at a below-average pace, and faced challenges in knocking down outside shots. Northern Kentucky’s 3-point shooting percentage sits at only 34.6%, placing them 207th in the NCAA.
MatchPlug Prediction
For today’s game, there are two reasons why the Northern Kentucky Norsemen will win and cover; they have been good vs the spread on the road, scoring 7-3 over their last 10 road games, and they also have the edge in 3-point shooting.
The Norsemen’s offense averages 8.75 made 3’s per game, putting them far above the NCAA average. Their advantage from beyond the arc should carry them to a straight-up win.
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