Charlotte FC VS Colorado Rapids is another thrilling game happening for MLS Matchday 8, as the battle for supremacy continues between clubs.
A little research will reveal that Charlotte scored less than 2.5 goals in 8 of the last 9 MLS home games. They also scored lower than 2.5 goals in all their last 9 MLS games.
MatchPlug has a detailed match preview for Charlotte VS Colorado including the Best Betting Tips Today and accurate MLS Picks.
Charlotte is in 26th position after playing 7 matches that ended in 1 win, 2 draws, and 4 losses. There is a promise that this team won’t settle for this.
They forfeit on average 2 goals per game this season, mostly in the first half of a game, while upsetting their opponents with goals scored once with the greatest success in the first half.
Unarguably, having a modest performance, Charlotte FC still can’t boast of any notable achievements, but the good thing is that the players stay focused and keep progressing through matches.
Colorado Rapids will start the next round at the 23rd position. After 7 games, they have 6 points in their piggy bank.
The Rapids hit the opponent’s goals during the period from 46-60, scoring 4 goals. However, they must be careful in the 2 forty-five minutes, because their defence makes more mistakes.
In terms of field factor, on the home, Colorado forfeits on average stats .1 goals against home value goals per match, while scoring 0.5 times per game.
Both Charlotte and Colorado have no intentions of giving up points to the opposing side. And this setup will excite fans. Mostly because these types of matches are intriguing and the outcomes unpredictable. This should make the match more interesting to watch.
In CF Montreal VS DC United, expect Montreal to try and get back to its winning ways when they face DC at Saputo Stadium in the upcoming MLS Match. After suffering two embarrassing losses, they’ll want to leverage home-field advantage to improve their standings on the points table.
Montreal is presently in the last position in the Eastern Conference with just 1 win out of 6 games. In the last match, they faced a 0-4 defeat against New England.
DC United hasn’t had a good season too. They are in 13th place in the Eastern Conference with 1 win, 4 losses and 3 draws. In the last matchup, they won 0-2 against Columbus Crew. DC will have to put their best foot forward when they visit Montreal today.
For an accurate betting preview of Montreal and DC, visit MatchPlug. We also have the Best Betting Tips Today, MLS Predictions, picks, and odds for similar MLS matches.
CF Montreal won 3 of their last 5 home matches, they scored 10 goals and forfeited 7. Two of those 5 matches ended in clean sheets. This season, they hosted just one game; they won Philadelphia 3-2 in this matchup.
During home games, Montreal usually scores early. The average time for their first goals is the 44th minute in the last 5 home games. They played with an average of 0.50 goals per match in the present season. At home, their current average is 3 goals per match.
CF Montreal for shot conversions, maintained a rate of just 6% so far. Overall XG is 104, at Home 1.33.
Striker, Romell Quioto heads the attack for this club. He scored 2 goals this season, with an average of 0.8 shots on target per match. Quioto’s goal conversion rate is 17%, and his key passing average is presently at 1 per match. Nnamdi Chinonso Offor is another key striker in Montreal’s ranks; Offor’s conversion rate is 14%, and he created one big chance for the club too. His passing accuracy is 68%.
This season, Montreal conceded 2.67 goals per game. They forfeited 7 goals in the last 5 home matches. 4 of them were in the second half. Jonathan Sirois the goalkeeper has an average of 3.5 saves per game with a success rate of 60%.
Defense-wise, key defenders are Joel Waterman and Gabriel Corbo. Waterman has an average of 3.3 clearances per game with 100% success. He won 58% of ground duels too; maintaining an average of 1 interception per game with a 100% success rate in ground duels.
Possible Lineup (3-4-1-2): Jonathan Sirois, Joel Waterman, Nnamdi Chinonso Offor, Romell Quioto, Camacho, Corbo, Herrera, Duke, Wanyama, Iliadies.
Betting On DC United
1XBet Spread: +1.5
1XBet Over/Under: Under 2.5
1XBet Moneyline: 3.52
In recent road matches DC United has struggled. Out of the last 5 matches away from home, they lost 4, and mustered 1 draw only. Their goal aggregate is 2-9. Only 1 of their 5 games ended in a clean sheet.
DC played 3 road games this season; they lost 2 and drew 1. They’ve performed poorly in scoring in away matches. They scored just 1 of the last 5 away matches; their first goal was in the 46th minute.
Wayne Rooney’s club played with an average of 1.00 goals per game till now. In the road fixture, the average dips to 0.67 goals per match. Their shot conversion rate this season is 9% and overall XG is 1.49, at away is 1.35.
The leading attacker for DC United is Christian Benteke. He added 3 goals to his name in the current season. Benteke played with 1.1 shots on target per match on average. His goal conversion rate is 14% with an average of 1.3 key passes per game. Taxiarchis Fountas is another key piece in the club’s forward panel. Although Fountas hasn’t scored this season, he maintained an average of 2.3 shots on target per match. His dribbling success rate is 70%,
DC United’s goal-conceding average is 1.71 per match. In the away games, their average is 1.67 goals per game. Out of the past 7 goals conceded in the last 5 away matches, 4 were scored in the first half. Goalkeeper Tyler Miller has been decent, he saved 2.6 goals per match with a 60% success rate.
The lead defenders for DC are Donovan Pines and Steve Birnbaum. Pines played this season with an average of 4 clearances per game. His success rate in aerial duels is 84%.
Possible Lineup: (4-4-2): Tyler Miller, Donovan Pines, Steve Birnbaum, Taxiarchis Fountas, Christian Benteke, Ruan, Jeahze, Santos, Canouse, Morrison, Klich.
MatchPlug Prediction
Montreal will pick up on the hint to make a strong comeback at home after two disappointing results. They are off a good home record.
DC United on the other hand are gearing up for the heavy challenge of avoiding another loss when they play Montreal in a road duel. Sportsbooks favour Montreal to win this match. The scoreline is in favour of Montreal.
Philadelphia 76ers VS Brooklyn Nets is one of the first matches in the 1/8 finals happening for the NBA playoffs.
Before today’s match, both sides met 58 times; Philadelphia won 32 times, while Brooklyn secured 26 victories. When predicting for 76ers VS Nets, note down that on April 9, the 76ers won against the Nets with a 134-105 score.
MatchPlug has got all the details you need for betting on the Philadelphia 76ers VS Brooklyn Nets, including the NBA Predictions and odds for it. Don’t forget to visit our Prediction Site for more Basketball matches, plus previews for the playoffs.
Predictions and Betting Preview for Philadelphia 76ers VS Brooklyn Nets Regular Season Game
The Philadelphia 76ers actually had a good regular season, they emerged 3rd place in the Eastern Conference standings with 54 wins in 82 games.
When those numbers are separated, it should be noted that the 76ers’ matches on the home court: 29 matches out of 42 were won (4th indicator in the east). Additionally, when backing this team, consider the fact that they have a great mindset for today’s matchup after securing 5 wins in the last seven games.
Betting on the Brooklyn Nets
Regular Season Record: 45-37
1XBet Spread: +8.5
1XBet Moneyline: 4.5
1XBet Over/Under: Under 214.5
BetMGM Spread: +8.5
BetMGM Moneyline: Over 214.5
BetMGM Over/Under: 3.75
The Brooklyn Nets were top 4 in the Eastern Conference for a long time but ended as the final 6th place.
However, it should still be noted that the Nets are good for road matches: they won 22 games out of 41 (3rd indicator in the East).
If you’re going to back the Nets, note that the team’s composition is in good shape, almost all their players will be present for today’s game.
MatchPlug Prediction
Brooklyn weakened after Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving left the team; they had been top 3 in the Eastern Conference standings for a long time, only to take the last 6th place.
Philadelphia on the other hand, had an even season; they won where they needed to and ended the season on the third line.
Additionally, when predicting for 76ers VS Nets, not that all four head-to-head matchups between these teams ended with Philadelphia winning. Even in the last game on April 9th, the 76ers dealt the Nets a 105-134 blow. The hosting team shouldn’t have a problem with today’s game.
The first-round matchup for Cleveland Cavaliers VS New York Knicks might be the most thrilling and physical.
It features the Knicks (47-35, 44-34-4 ATS) number 5 seed who will be in Ohio for a matchup against the Cavaliers (51-31, 42-36-4 ATS) number 4 seed tonight.
Cleveland won the first regular season meeting between these teams by 13 at home, followed by New York winning the next three. The last game was in Cleveland, where the Knicks trashed the hosts 130-116.
Tonight, Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse will be hosting the first game in front of what is expected to be a deafening crowd.
MatchPlug has all the details for Cavaliers VS Knicks, including the NBA Predictions Tonight, picks, and odds for which side will win this matchup.
Predictions and Betting Preview for Cleveland Cavaliers VS New York Knicks Play-in Tournament
2022-23 Cleveland Cavaliers had the best defense in the NBA; they allowed the lowest three-point attempts per game in the regular season and held opponents to the 6th lowest effective goal percentage. The Cavaliers are 4th in turnover percentage. Their Achilles heel was pushing misses on threes, opponents shot 36.8% against them, which was 23rd in the league. Surprisingly, the Knicks had higher shooting numbers against Cleveland this campaign than their season averages. Most of the time, the Cavaliers were the ones doing the shutting down.
In terms of offense, the Cavaliers didn’t slack too, they finished 8th in offensive rating. 9th in effective goal percentage, took the lead as fifth-bets shooting percentage at the rim, 66.1%. They guarded the ball well too, ending the season 9th in turnover percentage. Donovan Mitchell is the name on everyone’s lips and he’s dealt with New York recently. The last 6 times he faced the Knicks, he averaged 32.5 points with 7.0 assists.
The Cavaliers had the second-best net rating in the NBA this season, and most of the destruction happened at home. They went 31-10 in Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, which is the 6 best home record in the NBA. Cleveland has a home-court advantage this season, so, winning all their home games should do the trick.
Darius Garland, Caris LeVert, and Donovan Mitchell were absent from games towards the end of the season, but as a precautionary measure. Three of them should be gracing the courts today. It isn’t certain if Isaac Okoro will be joining, although reports say he’s headed in the right direction. Okoro is great at defense, so it will boost the Cavalier’s ranks significantly.
Betting On The New York Knicks
Regular Season Record: 47-35
1XBet Spread: +4.5
1XBet Moneyline: 3.165
1XBet Over/Under: Under 217.5
BetMGM Spread: +5.5
BetMGM Moneyline: Over 216.5
BetMGM Over/Under: 2.80
The New York Knicks were among the seven teams to finish above .500 in away matches this season, with a 24-17 record away from the Garden. Their net rating in road contests was +1.6, 5th in the league. One of their away wins was courtesy of Cleveland on March 31, the last time they played the Cavs. In Julius Randle’s absence, New York won 130-116.
Randle’s health is perhaps the biggest news for the Knicks. He was supposed to play all 82 games before he sprained his ankle against Miami Heat on March 29. While Randle has been practising, he’s faced limitations, not participating in any contact activities. He was an All-Star this season, heading New York in scoring and rebounding, The team scaled through the season without his 25.1 points and 10.0 boards per game, but they won’t have the same luck postseason.
Jalen Brunson ended the season too with an injury but showed that a right-hand sprain won’t hinder him at all. Brunson is a left-handed shooter, so this won’t affect him. The Knicks will need him in shape the same way he was in last year’s playoffs, to lead an offense that is 4th in offensive rating.
The Knicks’ successful offense wasn’t born out of shooting efficiency. Instead, they thrived by limiting turnovers (5th in turnover percentage), frequenting the free throw line (8th in free throw rate), and grabbing offensive boards (second in offensive rebounding percentage). New York has an iso-heavy offense, with the fewest assist percentage in the game.
New York dwindled on defense, especially with them ending 19th in defensive rating. Rebounding and forcing misses, particularly at the rim, are the Knicks’ strong suits on the defensive end of the floor. But, they allow too many threes and don’t force turnovers. In the four meetings, they held the Cavaliers to 105.3 points per game on 44.6% shooting from the field, both well below the Cavaliers’ season average.
MatchPlug Prediction
Today’s game between the Cavaliers and Knicks should be a tight one. Game one in a series usually is, especially between evenly matched teams and the fact that New York which was lower-seeded won the season series.
The Knicks’ impressive defense at the rim and rebounding that matches the Cavaliers is what gives Cleveland fits.
Cleveland’s outstanding home performance doesn’t work because New York on the road was one of the toughest teams to defeat. This game may be decided by one possession.
The New York Yankees will want the same pattern as last year; show strength on top of the rotation hit home runs and do quality work off the pen. They are behind Tampa Bay in the AL East standings, coming home from a seven-game home stand.
New York homered in ten of their first eleven games going into Wednesday afternoon’s series finale. Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortes the top two starters are combined for 5-0 in five starts and the Yankees bullpen combined sub 3.00 ERA with three saves and nine holds. Franchy Codero on Wednesday hit his fourth home run of the season, while Oswaldo Cabrera broke a 2-2 tie in the ninth with a two-out double to help the Yankees boost to 8-4 on the season with a 4-3 win. Closer Clay Holmes escaped a bases-loaded situation in the ninth to preserve the win.
Jhony Brito makes his third start of the season as he fills in for New York’s depleted starting rotation. Brito is 2-0 on the season with an ERA of only 0.90. He has thrown ten innings while allowing five hits and only one run. He walked three batters in his two starts while striking out eight batters. So far, opponents are batting only .158 against Brito.
Notable injuries: Gleybor Torres and Oswald Peraza are listed as day-to-day.
Betting On The Minnesota Twins
1XBet Spread: +1.5
1XBet Moneyline: 2.448
1XBet Over/Under: Under 8.5
BetMGM Spread: +1.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 2.25
BetMGM Over/Under: Over 8.5
The Minnesota Twins will want to maintain a good start to the season in a place that has been a house of horrors for them, the Yankees Stadium. They are 2-13 at Yankee Stadium since 2-18. Their most present home stand began well after taking two of three games from the Houston Astros last weekend.
Minnesota split the first two games with AL Central Division rival Chicago going into Wednesday afternoon’s series finale. Sonny Gray continued his fire start to the 2023 season, throwing five shutout innings, and now has a 0.53 ERA in three starts this season. With this win, the Twins improved to 8-4 on the season.
Joe Ryan will kick off the series for Twins on the Hill. After a great first full season with 13 wins and an ERA of 3.55, Ryan picked up from where he left off in 2022 with two wins in his first two starts. He has thrown 12 innings, allowed six hits and struck out 13 batters with an ERA of 3.75 in two starts. On the road last season he made 12 starts and went 6-4 with an ERA of 4.22. He gave up 60 hits in 64 innings but allowed 11 homers with a K/9 ratio of 8.58.
Ryan was 0-1 against the Yankees with an ERA of 9.00 in one start last season. He lasted only four innings, giving up three hits, and four runs while walking four batters.
Notable injuries: LF Joey Gallo and SS Carlos Correa are day-to-day.
MatchPlug Prediction
Over the past four seasons, the Yankees have won the Twins at the Yankee Stadium with 13 wins in 15 games. Brito got off to a great start with two consecutive wins and an ERA of 0.90. Ryan on the other hand, was hit hard in his only start against New York last season and allowed over a run more per game on the road than at home.
Ryan’s pitching isn’t exactly high-volume, which may lead to a good night for the Yankees’ strong batters. For Wednesday’s game, Minnesota scored a total of six runs in their last 5 losses. The Yankees may continue dominating the Twins on the home pitch.
Buffalo Sabres VS Ottawa Senators feature two Atlantic Divison teams making a future for themselves in the regular season as they take the ice in search of a win in Western New York. The Senators are the guest on a road trip to face the Buffalo Sabres.
Ottawa defeated the Carolina Panthers 3-2 at home in a past matchup on Monday Night. While Buffalo is fresh off a 6-2 pastingon the road against New Jersey in the second game of a back-to-back situation in the last game on Tuesday night.
In the previous 10 meetings between these sides, the Senators secured a 7-3 advantage and took two straight. This includes a 3-1 home win in the most recent game on January 1.
For accurate NHL Predictions Today for Buffalo Sabres VS Ottawa Senators, you can count on MatchPlug. We have picks and odds for this game too.
Betting Preview for Buffalo Sabres VS Ottawa Senators NHL Regular Season
Buffalo Sabres won three consecutive and five out of their last six games before getting thrashed by the New Jersey Devils on the road Tuesday night. They entered Wednesday in fifth position in the Atlantic Division with a 40-33-7 mark, 46 points behind the Bruins for the top spot.
The Sabres were eliminated from playoff competition, extending the NHL’s longest playoff drought to 12 seasons. For this season, they are 4th in offense as they averaged 3.55 goals per game on the season. They are tied for 27th place in the league in goals against as they allow 3.65 goals per contest this year. They are 28th in the league in goals against as they allow 3.65 goals per contest this year. Buffalo is in 8th place in power play success as they cash in 23.5% of their chances with the man advantage. The Sabres are 28th in penalty killing, successfully scaling through shorthanded situations on the year.
Buffalo was burnt out from playing the Devils in the second match of a back-to-back and it told on their performance against New Jersey. This was what removed them from playoff contention. They saw few shots at 10 in the opening period of play but scored 1-0 after 20 minutes. In the second period, they held a 15-9 advantage in shots on goal but were outscored 2-1 to trail 3-1 at the second intermission.
After a 2-0 fall, Jeff Skinner got the Sabres on the board with his 34th goal this season at 6.55 off assists from Casey Mittelstadt and Alex Tuch. Buffalo conceded a goal later to recover their two-gap deficit. They were outshot 13-11 in the third period and outscored 31- to wind up the loss. Mattias Samuelsson forfeited a goal to trail 4-1 but got the Sabres back within two with his second goal of the season at 13:15 off an assist from Tuch.
This was the closest Buffalo ever got as New Jersey laid on with a couple of empty net goals to secure the decision. Devon Levi made 24 saves for the Sabres, who had a 38-30 edge shots on goal, in the loss. Ukka-Pekka Luokkonen is expected to get the lead in goal for today’s matchup.
Betting On The Ottawa Senators
Season Record: 39-35-7
1XBet Spread: +1.5
1XBet Total: Under 6.5
1XBet Moneyline: 2.856
BetMGM Spread: +1.5
BetMGM Total: Over 7
BetMGM Moneyline: 2.15
The Ottawa Senators won their second consecutive match as they handled the Carolina Panthers on home ice Monday night, although it was too late for their playoff dreams. They entered Wednesday night 39-35-7 on the season and were sixth in the Atlantic Division standings, 48 points behind the Bruins for the division lead. The Senators have been removed from playoff contention.
Ottawa is tied for 17th in offense as they average 3.16 goals per game to this part of the season. They tie for 20th in goals against, allowing an average of 3.28 goals per contest this year. The Senators are 9th with the man advantage as they have cashed in 23.4% of their chances with the man advantage this season. They are 14th in penalty killing, successfully navigating 80.1% of their shorthanded situations this season.
The Senators began strongly against the Panthers, they let them back into the game, then proceeded to win late to make it two straight wins. They maintained a 10-9 edge in shots on goals in the opening period of play and took a 2-0 lead to the dressing room after 20 minutes of play. Claude Giroux kicked off scoring with his 33rd goal of the season at 5:51 off assists from Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle. Stutzle later made it a 2-0 game with his 38th goal of the year at 17:26 with Giroux and Tkachuk drawing the assists on the marker.
Ottawa was outshot 12-8 in the second period of play and outscored 1-0 to narrow their margin to 2-1 after 40 minutes. In the third period, Carolina outshot them 12-10 with both teams scoring once, leaving the hosts with the lead as time expired. When the Panthers tied the game, Giroux scored his second goal and 34th of the season at 9:37 to give the Senators a lead. That goal held up as the game-winner and Claude ended the night with 1,001 career points. Mads Sogaard made 27 saves for the Senators, who were outshot 32-29, in the win. He is expected to get the start in goal again today.
MatchPlug Prediction
Buffalo and Ottawa are playing out the string on a season that couldn’t produce the ultimate goal. The Senators added some weapons to their Arsenal but their goaltending has been a disappointment which put them on the outside looking in for the postseason.
The Sabres took major forward steps this campaign as their young core greatly improved from last season, Just like Ottawa, they too struggled with keeping the puck out of their net. If Levi can exploit his hampered action in the last week of the season, the Sabres could end the drought next season.
For this match, the Sabres are on their third game in four nights against the well-rested Ottawa team. This is enough to give them little advantage in this contest.
In Dallas Stars VS St. Louis Blues, St.Louis rounds up the season against Dallas with the teams on opposite sides of the Western Conference for Stars VS Blues.
While the Blues with their 37-6-7 record will miss the playoffs, the Stars have a 45-21-14 record and are battling for a place in a playoff in the Central Division.
St.Louis wants to end a challenging season with a win, while Dallas intends to move on strong, which makes this a tough matchup for all involved.
To bet on this game, refer to these NHL Predictions Today by MatchPlug for the Stars VS Blues. Find the picks, and odds we have from the sportsbooks.
Betting Preview for Dallas Stars VS St. Louis Blues NHL Regular Season
The Dallas Stars’ offense is giving the team a fantastic season, stepping up and scoring 3.44 goals per game. Jason Robertson, Joe Pavelski, and Jamie Benn scored 106 goals and 151 assists to lead the top two lines but the rest of the offense did well too. Roope Hintz, Tyler Seguin, and Wyatt Johnston combined for 77 goals and 83 assists while defenseman Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell contributed 19 goals and 76 assists from the point to place the offense over the top.
Dallas’ offense has been impressive but their defense also performed well, allowing just 2.66 goals per game. Heiskanen and Lindell combined for 10.6 defensive point shares and 243 blocked shots while Colin Miller, Jani Hakanpaa, and Ryan Suter combined for 12.6 defensive point shares to add depth to the unit.
Additionally, goaltender Jake Oettinger has been great with a .918 save percentage and 2.41 goals against average on 1751 shots with 23.6 goals saved above average.
Betting On The St. Louis Blues
Season Record: 45-21-14
1XBet Spread: +1.5
1XBet Total: Under 6.5
1XBet Moneyline: 4.12
BetMGM Spread: +1.5
BetMGM Total: Over 6.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 3.20
The St. Louis Blues are coming off a challenging season, but their offense has brought them some hope, scoring 3.23 goals per game. Jordan Kyrou and Pavel Buchnevich scored 63 goals and 76 assists to lead the top line but the whole offense have done well. Brayden Schenn, Robert Thomas, and Brandon Saad combined for 57 goals and 108 assists while defenseman Justin Faulk has added 11 goals and 38 assists from the point to open up the offense.
St Louis’ defense let them down this season, allowing 3.65 goals per game including 3.75 goals per game since March. Justin Faulk and Nick Leddy combined for 5.9 defensive point shares but the rest of the unit struggled, allowing other teams to find open shots on the net at will.
Furthermore, goalie Jordan Binnington has been terrible with a .892 save percentage and a 3.35 goals-against average on 1792 shots with -21.5 goals saved above average.
MatchPlug Prediction
The Blues want to end a bad season on a positive note, but the Stars will intend to control this match on their home ice.
Dallas should have no problems finding the back of the net against St. Louis, who allow 3.65 goals per game, Jason Robertson, Joe Pavelski, and the rest of the forward unit will establish a powerful defensive zone presence and create open shots with great puck movement.
The Stars who allow just 2.66 goals per game, should limit the Blues’ offense with Heiskanen, Lindell, and the other defensive unit members creating turnovers at the blue line and limiting St. Louis from taking the puck into the offensive zone.
Dallas’ goaltender Jake Oettinger will step up and make many big saves. They should win the match and cover the spread in a win on their home ice.
New Orleans Pelicans VS Oklahoma City Thunder meet in a matchup that will decide the season for both sides. This Play-In tournament matchup has all the makings of a memorable clash that’ll kick off the postseason in the right direction.
Keeping reading for more details about the Pelicans and Thunder game in the 2022-23 NBA Play-In Tournament, including the NBA Prediction Tonight, analysis, picks, and odds for this matchup presented by MatchPlug.
Predictions and Betting Preview for New Orleans Pelicans VS Oklahoma City NBA Play-In Tournament
Venue: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA.
When: Friday, April 12th 2023
Time: 18:30 GMT
Teams to play: New Orleans Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder
New Orleans Pelicans will play without Zion Williamson for this matchup VS Oklahoma City Thunder, but CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram will still lead the team. Both players have the capacity to take over the Pelicans’ offense, which concluded the regular season with an average of 117.5 points per game. McCollum put up 20.9 PPG in the regular season, while Ingram made 24.7 PPG.
The duo expect to get assistance from Trey Murphy, Jonas Valanciunas, and Herbert Jones. Valanciunas will play an important role because of his rebounding powers. He ended the regular season with 10.2 RPG while playing efficiently too on offense with 14.1 PPG on 54.7 FG%.
While the Pelicans are dealing with a 113-108 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a game that happened last Sunday, they covered the spread in five of their last 6 games after dealing with a loss.
Betting On The Oklahoma City Thunder
Regular Season Record: 40-42
1XBet Spread: +5.5
1XBet Moneyline: 2.75
1XBet Over/Under: Under 227.5
BetMGM Spread: +5.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 2.80
BetMGM Over/Under: Over 226.5
The Oklahoma City Thunder finished their regular season with a 40-42 record to secure an unbelievable spot in the Play-in Tournament. They weren’t regarded for a greater part of the season as a contender for playoffs, but the Thunder are now only two wins away from securing a sure spot in the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
After 82 games, Oklahoma City mustered a +1.1-point differential, averaging 117.5 points per game and allowing 116.4 points per contest. They are led by an explosive offensive talent in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who averages 31.4 PPG on an impressive 51.0 FG% despite high usage.
Jalen Williams has also become a breakout talent for the Bolts, particularly in the last part of the NBA regular season. Williams put up 13.5 points on 47.8 FG% in his last four outings. As a team, the Thunder is 10-4 ATS in their past 14 games versus the Pelicans.
MatchPlug Prediction
Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams, and Josh Giddy lead the Thunder with good outside shooting and their powers for breaking down defenses with their respective talents.
Toronto Raptors VS Chicago Bulls faceoff today, with both teams expecting to extend their season for one more game.
MatchPlug has all the details for Raptors VS Bulls in the 2022-23 NBA Play-in Tournament, including the NBA Predictions Tonight, picks, and odds for which side will win this matchup.
Check back on our Prediction Site for more NBA betting previews that cover the wrap-up of the regular season and playoffs.
Predictions and Betting Preview for Toronto Raptors VS Chicago Bulls Play-in Tournament
The Toronto Raptors ended their regular season experience on a positive note, defeating the Milwaukee Bucks at home on Sunday to a total score of 121-105. Toronto won 3 of its last 5 games and 6 of its last 9 outings. Plus they’ve gone unbeaten in all four of their most recent games at home.
Playing in front of their home audience in such a high-pressure match is a big advantage for the Raptors in today’s game, especially when you consider the success they’ve had lately at Scotiabank Arena.
The Raptors are also 15-5-1 ATS in its last 21 home games. Expect their defense to make the game more interesting. They are in 4th position in the NBA with only 111.4 points allowed per game and No.1 too with teams making our only 82.3 field goals per game with Toronto.
Betting On The Chicago Bulls
Regular Season Record: 40-42
1XBet Spread: +5.5
1XBet Moneyline: 3.28
1XBet Over/Under: Under 212.5
BetMGM Spread: +6.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 2.80
BetMGM Over/Under: Over 212.5
The Chicago Bulls will still play basketball beyond the regular season. They became the No.10 seed in the Play-in Tournament after winning their last two games for a 40-42 record. Chicago has momentum because of their present winning streak, which includes the 102-81 defeat of the Detroit Pistons at home last Sunday.
As always the Bulls, will depend on Zach LaVine (24.8 PPG), DeMar DeRozan (24.4 PPG), and Nikola Vucevic (17.6 PPG, 11.0 RPG) in this end-all game against the Raptors on the road. Chicago covered the spread in 12 games of their last 17 trips to face Toronto. They are also 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 meetings with Toronto.
MatchPlug Prediction
The Raptors draw strength from the energy of the crowd at Toronto, and Pascal Siakam will be a wrench in the plans of the Chicago Bulls.
Toronto Blue Jays VS Detroit Tigers already played game one of this series on Tuesday night, with Detroit (2-8) securing a 3-0 lead in the second inning. Toronto (7-4) was unmoved, beating the next 9 runs on their way to a 9-3 win during their home opener.
Five Blue Jays players hit a home run and the bullpen hurled 1.2 on-hit innings behind Alex Manoah. Detroit used just two pitchers, and both of them had a forgettable night. Fortunately, the Tigers can get a clean slate when they return to the Rogers Centre today.
Let’s see if the Tigers can maintain a lead this time.
The Toronto Blue Jays could not hit a home run in their first series, which is odd for a team with powerful bats. Since leaving St. Louis, they’ve hit one in every game, crushing 15 over the next 8 contests. They enter today’s matchup; game two of this series with one loss in their last seven and with their power emerging, it is not a coincidence.
Toronto seems to have regained their strength, so they must keep batting strong if they want to win. They have the talent to do that.
Taking their first home series of 2023 will assist them greatly, especially with an upcoming matchup against the unbeaten Tampa Bay over the weekend. Kevin Gausman is the starter for today’s game. Gausman has not allowed an earned run this season in 12.0 innings and has 14 strikeouts against three walks. Last season, he faced the Tigers once, holding them to two runs (one earned) in 6.0 innings. The bullpen behind him has been solid so far and easily wiped out the Tigers’ bats in game one.
Toronto’s offense is more than capable of leading the team to victory if their pitchers can’t do so. The team puts up 5.7 runs per game, led by the heart of the order. Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Matt Chapman share an OPS of over 1.000 presently. Newbie Kevin Kiermaier, recognised for his world-class defense, has an OPS of 9.70 through his first nine games as a Blue Jay.
Betting On The Detroit Tigers
1XBet Spread: +1.5
1XBet Moneyline: 3.7
1XBet Over/Under: Under 8.5
After losing to the Tampa Bay Rays, the Detroit Tigers secured two of three against the Houston Astros. Since then, they’ve not won any other match; they enter today’s game on a five-game slide. They haven’t had any competitive losses either, all of them have been by three runs.
The Tigers were not fated to be a postseason team this campaign, but they expected better than what they’ve gone through 10 games. To stop this, Eduardo Rodriguez needs to detect the tone of today’s game when he starts for the 3rd time this season. The ex-Boston Red Sox pitcher has enough experience with the Blue Jays, facing them 17 times in his career.
Although Rodriguez has an unimpressive result, he owns a 5.20 ERA and has mustered 17 homers, tied for the most among all the teams he faced. His starts in 2023 haven’t been good too, as he allowed 4 walks, 9 hits, and 7 runs in 10.0 innings. He earned the loss in both starts too.
If Rodriguez gets through the Blue Jays’ bat untouched, he’ll deliver the ball to a reliever group that entered Tuesday 30th in WAR at -0.8. Especially since the only reliever who pitched on Tuesday allowed five earned runs in 2.0 innings, plus two home runs, these numbers are not increasing. Their bullpen was 26th in ERA before the match on Tuesday, and that ERA will increase from the 6.18 mark.
Detroit’s offense won’t save them too, as their 30 runs are the lowest in MLB. The Tigers are 29th in batting average, 29th in OBP and 30th in slugging percentage. Except for a few players, Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene, and Matt Vierling, nothing is working on the plate too. Out of 30 runs, 18 were in 3 games.
MatchPlug Prediction
The Blue Jays have an expert starting pitcher, a stronger bullpen, a better offense, and home field advantage in this game. Rodriguez has had some challenges with Toronto throughout his career and conceded 6 runs in 3.1 innings the last time he played them.
That doesn’t take in his struggles early this season. The Tigers’ offense may randomly blow up in this game, but since they’ve been the worst offense in MLB these first few weeks, the possibility of this happening is low. Detroit is battling a five-game losing streak and already owns a -41 run differential. There are not enough good reasons to expect the Tigers to compete in this match, except for the random nature of baseball. Toronto may dominate again.
