Goldschmidt believes Cardinals can complete unfinished business

Paul Goldschmidt laments the struggles of the past two seasons that ultimately led to his painful exit from the Cardinals. Had his power and productivity numbers been significantly better and had St. Louis not missed the playoffs in 2023 and ‘24, the now-37-year-old Goldschmidt might still be wearing the birds on the bat of the Cardinals instead of wearing the pinstripes of the Yankees. In many ways, it’s as if Goldschmidt’s emotions are battling one another as he adjusts to being in a lineup with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton instead of one with close friend Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras.

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Liam Hendricks Super Energized in Red Sox Debut

Liam Hendriks isn’t all about winning the Red Sox closer role just yet. For him, Wednesday was about the excitement of competing again after missing most of the last three seasons. In his Grapefruit League debut, Hendriks showed his signature fire, securing a strikeout with a fist pump despite it being just the fourth inning of a spring game. Liam Hendriks explained at the end of the game, “You come across as kind of a [jerk] when you do it in the fourth inning of a Spring Training game,” “But it’s nice to get that going, as far as just the mentality of having it in you and doing it that way.”

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7’6 Mamadou N’Diaye Takes the Mound at Dodgers Camp

7-foot-6 Mamadou N’Diaye towered over the 6-foot-4 Ohtani in a photo that highlighted the striking height. Ndaiye took the mound, receiving pitching tips from manager Dave Roberts. His towering frame brings to mind the tallest recorded MLB player, 6-foot-11 Sean Hjelle, and even surpasses 7-foot-3 Victor Wembanyama, who threw a first pitch last season.

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Marquis Grissom Baseball Association Guides Next Generation

Marquis Grissom has had one of the best Major League Baseball Careers. He won the 1995 World Series with the Braves, took home four straight Gold Glove Awards from 1993-96, made a couple All-Star teams and spent 17 seasons playing at the game’s highest level. He played his last game in 2005. He knew exactly what would come next for him: the Marquis Grissom Baseball Association, a nonprofit organization that’s helped a new generation of players live the same dream Grissom did for nearly two decades. Grissom founded the MGBA in 2006 with the mission to provide athletes in underserved communities the opportunity to compete in a competitive baseball league. He sponsors travel baseball teams around the Atlanta area, ranging from age 7-22, while also providing coaching, mentoring, college placement assistance, tutoring and scholarship in his hometown. “I had some people that were very instrumental in my growing up and upbringing that really invested a lot of time with me, so I kind of knew what I was going to do once I retired,” Grissom said in a phone interview. “I even knew what I was gonna do, whether I made it to the league or not gonna make it to the league. I always wanted to go back and help kids follow their dreams and continue to dream and try to be whatever you think you are capable of being.”

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NHL Expert Picks: Oilers VS Panthers

The Edmonton Oilers face the Florida Panthers in a Stanley Cup Final rematch at Amerant Bank Arena on February 27. Read our preview for the Oilers VS Panthers.The Oilers aim to end their four-game losing streak against the reigning champions.  You can get Todays basketball tips for Oilers VS Panthers on MatchPlug. We are a sure Prediction site for previews and tips regarding similar matches. Betting Preview for Oilers VS Panthers Betting On Oilers The Oilers’ struggles continued with a fourth straight loss to Tampa Bay on Tuesday, marking their worst skid of the season. As they take on Florida on Thursday, they’ll look to avoid a fifth consecutive defeat on their tough Eastern Conference road trip.   Edmonton has yet to win on this trip, losing all three games by at least three goals and getting outscored 22-11. They enter Thursday’s matchup as underdogs and hold the NHL’s worst puck line record at 20-38, failing to cover in eight straight games.   Betting On Panthers Florida holds a strong 17-10-2 home record this season but will be without star forward Matthew Tkachuk for a third straight game due to a groin injury from the 4 Nations Face-Off. He isn’t expected to return until mid-March.   While his absence may impact their offense, the Panthers’ defense has been dominant, allowing the second-fewest goals per 60 minutes since Jan. 1. MatchPlug Prediction For Oilers VS Panthers The Panthers have one of the NHL’s strongest defenses and have been excellent at stopping their opponents’ shots. Ths Oilers might find this match a bit challenging because of their struggle with offense on the road.  With Tkachuk still out, Bennett is expected to step up again, and the Panthers are favored to win. Final Prediction: Panthers Over/Under

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NHL Expert Picks: Flames VS Lightning 

The Calgary Flames face the Tampa Bay Lightning in what should be an exciting NHL matchup on Thursday, February 27, 2025. Read our preview for the Flames VS Lightning match. The match is scheduled for 07:00 PM EST at the Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida. Match Plug provides the latest analysis and odds for the Flames VS Lightning game. Betting Preview for Flames VS Lightning  Betting On The Flames The Calgary Flames are fighting to stay in the Stanley Cup playoff race, earning points in their last three games. While a win against struggling San Jose (3-2) was expected, their impressive 3-1 victory over Washington stood out, making them the first team in 2025 to take two points from the Capitals at home. Head coach Ryan Huska’s squad will be looking to build on this momentum as they push toward their postseason goals, but consistency will be key moving forward. Betting On Lightning  John Cooper’s squad is staying strong even after the February break, extending their winning streak to six games. Instead of overpowering opponents, they’ve taken a more controlled approach, securing solid wins like 4-1 victories over both Seattle and Edmonton. Now sitting fourth in the East, Tampa Bay is in great form and has the potential to climb even higher, possibly contending for the second seed and home-ice advantage in the playoffs. MatchPlug Prediction For Flames VS Lightning  With Tampa Bay in top form and riding a six-game winning streak, they have a strong chance to extend their success. Their recent dominant 4-1 wins over Seattle and Edmonton further shows how great they are at dominating games. With their current momentum and push to climb up the standings, the Lightning are likely to win against the flames on Thursday. Final Prediction: Lightning Moneyline

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Trevor Zegras Suspended for Interference on Michael Rasmussen

Trevor Zegras has been suspended for three games without pay for interference against Detroit Red Wings forward Michael Rasmussen The incident occurred during the second period of their game on February 23. As a result, Zegras will forfeit $89,843.76 in salary, which will go to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

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Panthers Coach ‘Not Worried’ About Tkachuk Injury

Panther’s Coach Paul Maurice has said that the Panthers are not worried about star forward Tkachuk lower-body injury. However, Tkachuk continues to be evaluated by medical personnel’s to ensure that there’s no serious injury. Tkachuk got injured playing for the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off. “We have a pretty good idea of where it’s at,” Maurice said after practice. “We need to make sure everyone looks at the pictures the same way. We are always vague on these before we get the [medical] report because there is always a chance that there’s something unusual. We don’t think there is. We’re not worried about it.”

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Ducks Acquire Ville Husso from Red Wings

Ville Husso was traded from the Detroit Red Wings to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for future considerations. The 30-year-old goaltender had struggled with the Red Wings this season, posting a 1-5-2 record with a 3.69 goals-against average (GAA) and an .866 save percentage in nine NHL games. He was subsequently assigned to Grand Rapids in the AHL, where he performed better with an 8-4-0 record, a 2.70 GAA, and a .912 save percentage. Husso is set to join Anaheim’s AHL affiliate in San Diego as the Ducks deal with injuries at the goaltender position. The move comes ahead of the NHL trade deadline on March 8. 

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MLB 2025 Betting Guide And Previews

The MLB Season 2025 kicks off on Tuesday, March 18 with the current World Series Champions LA Dodgers facing the Chicago Cubs in a two-game series set in Tokyo. Most teams, including 15 of the 16 National League clubs, will open their season on Thursday, March 27. Meanwhile, the Colorado Rockies and Tampa Bay Rays will begin their 162-game schedule on Friday, March 28. Let’s take a look at the preview for future games as well as the best betting strategies to use. Table of Content MLB 2025 World Series Betting Winners Odds Team Odds Los Angeles Dodgers +250 New York Yankees +800 Atlanta Braves  +950 New York Mets +1100 Philadelphia Phillies  +1100 Baltimore Orioles +1400 Boston Red Sox  +1800 Houston Astros +2100 San Diego Padres  +2200 Texas Rangers +2400 MLB 2025 World Series Winners OddsOdds as seen on sportsgeek. MLB 2025 World Series Championship Favorites There are lots of great teams in the MLB, each with potential to impress fans and stun their opponents into defeat. However, only one team can win the MLB World Series, and this year 3 lucky American baseball teams have been chosen to receive that honor. Below, we’ve shared the title favorites for the MLB 2025 World Series Championship favorites. Los Angeles Dodgers (+250) The Dodgers finished the 2024 World Series as favorites after defeating the Yankees in five games to claim their eighth title in franchise history.  New York Yankees (+800) The Yankees were the second strongest team in the 2024 World Series. They came up three wins short of a World Series title in 2024, losing to the Dodgers in five games after securing the AL East and ALCS crowns.  Atlanta Braves (+950) The Atlanta Braves started the 2024 season with +450 odds to win the World Series. However, after being eliminated in the NL Wild Card round, their odds dropped to +950. MLB 2025 AL And NL MVP Odds Let’s check out the early odds for which players will stand out by winning MVP at the end of the year American League MVP Aaron Judge +300 Last year’s American League MVP, Aaron Judge is this season’s favorite. He led the Yankees to win their first World Series berth since 2009 while also claiming his third All MLB Selection team. Bobby Witt Jr +450 Bobby Witt Jr. had an amazing season. At just 24, he became the MLB batting champion (.332), earned All-Star honors, made the All-MLB first-team, won a Gold Glove and took home the Silver Slugger Award.  Yordan Alvarez +600 Gunnar Henderson +750 Jose Ramirez +1500 National League MVP Shohei Ohtani +200 Shohei Ohtani enters the 2025 MLB season as the favorite after securing the NL MVP last year. He ranked second in home runs (54), RBIs (130), and WAR (9.2), while finishing fourth in batting average (.310). Juan Soto +550 Fernando Tatis Jr +750 Mookie Betts +1200 Bryce Harper +1400 Bet on Baseball: Our Baseball Betting Tips If you’re a newbie in the MLB betting world, you might find it a bit challenging to bet. However, it’s easier than it looks, and with a little guidance, you’ll be betting like a pro in no time. Here are the different ways to bet on baseball odds: Moneyline Bets A moneyline bet is a type of wager placed on a team to win. These bets can be placed on any game from the start of Spring Training through to the finals of the World Series. It is the most straight-forward bet in baseball. Some betting platforms offer early cash-outs while the game is playing, while others offer early payout promotions if the team you’ve bet on takes a significant lead. For example, if you bet on the Yankees’ moneyline against the Red Sox, your bet wins only if the Yankees come out on top. Run Line The runline is similar to a spread in football. However, it’s a lot smaller than that of high scoring games like the NBA and NFL. In baseball, the runline is generally only 1.5 in either direction.  The favourites are usually listed as -1.5, which means that they need to win by two clear runs for you to win. While the underdog will likely be listed at +1.5.  Game Total Betting platforms show you the moneyline, runline and game total for each baseball game.  The game total means the total number of runs scored in the game. There’s usually a set  ‘line’ and bettors are allowed to bet on over or under that number. For instance, if the ‘line’ is set at 7.5, and you bet on the over, your bet will win if there are 8 or more total runs in the game. Prop Bets Prop bets are bets on a player in a baseball game. Most Betting sites give bettors a selection of players to bet on and the bets focus on the player’s performance in a specific game.  Hits, total bases, home runs and strikeouts are four of the staples for measuring prop bets. Many of these markets follow the same over/under format as the game total.  Futures Bets An MLB futures bet involves betting on a future baseball event or multiple events. These are usually placed way before the game and bettors may have to wait for a long while for their bets to be decided.  Futures bets often have longer odds and will also have cash out options. They can be very lucrative because you can bet on the winner before and during the season. Parlays If you like betting on longer odds, Parlays are great for you. A parlay allows you to bet on multiple wagers, with potentially large payouts. For you to win a parlay, all your wagers must win. For example, If you backed the Giants, Yankees and Astros to win, you would need all three to win their games for your bet to pay out.  First Five Innings Betting on the first five innings of MLB games has become increasingly popular in the baseball world today.

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