The San Diego Padres should be up 1-0 in the NLDS, but they are not. Ty France crushed a ball that was headed for the bleachers with a man on first in the top of the 9th, but his rocket hit a roof cable. Really? Give me a break. Baseball diamonds should not have roofs over them. Today in Game 2 at American Family Field the Padres need to take care of business and they will. If this series is knotted up when it heads to San Diego for the next two, the Brewers will be in trouble. The Padres had one of the best home records in all of baseball and swept the Brewers in a 3-game set back in August at Petco, outscoring them 18-7 over the 3 games. The Brewers will send Logan Henderson to the hill. Henderson was dominant in the regular season with a record of 11-3, a 2.47 ERA and a 0.84 WHIP but the last time he faced San Diego on August 10th he was on the losing end. San Diego tagged him for 5 hits, 3 runs, and the Friars went on to a 3-2 victory. Michael King will get the nod for the Padres. In Game 1 of the NL Wild Card with the Chicago Cubs, King was throwing flames. He pitched 7 strong allowing only 1 hit with 8 K’s and San Diego rolled to an 8-0 romp. The Padres as usual are getting no respect and they should be feared. This team is loaded with talent, 1-9, and has a pitching staff that can go toe-to-toe with anybody.
TONIGHT’S PICK: SAN DIEGO PADRES
Saturday NCAA Football Pick
The Georgia State Panthers will look to go 3-0 on their home turf when they host the Old Dominion Monarchs this afternoon in Atlanta. The Panthers are 3-1 on the season and second in the Sun Belt. The Monarchs reside in the seventh spot in the Sun Belt at 1-3 and are winless on the road at 0-1. The Monarchs lost three straight and are coming off a 46-20 thumping by the James Madison Dukes. The Panthers took care of business last week, cruising to an easy 35-14 victory over the visiting Northern Illinois Huskies. Georgia State has a huge edge in total offensive yards, passing yards, rushing yards, and is averaging 38.8 points per game as opposed to Old Dominion at 22.3. They also have the edge in points allowed at 21.3 with the Monarchs allowing an average of 30.0. The line is currently Georgia State laying 2.5 which is fishy; it should be higher. Consider the Panthers on the money line at only -145.
TODAY’S PICK: GEORGIA STATE PANTHERS M/L
Friday NHL Pick
The Carolina Hurricanes will look to redeem themselves in front of their home crowd when they host the Washington Capitals tonight at Lenovo Center. The Champs fell to the visiting Florida Panthers, 1-0, in overtime in their season debut Tuesday and had just 15 shots on goal in the loss but will come out swinging tonight. The Capitals missed the postseason last year with a record of 43-30-9. Alex Ovechkin, who is now 41, sat out all of the preseason with back issues and maybe father time is finally catching up with the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer. This is Washington’s season debut so timing could be an issue unlike Carolina who flushed that out of their system on Tuesday.
TONIGHT’S PICK: CAROLINA HURRICANES
Thursday MLB Pick
It looked as if the Philadelphia Phillies season was over yesterday, down late 3-1 to the Atlanta Braves, but it wasn’t. They rallied with back-to-back home runs by Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper to tie it in the 8th and went on to win 4-3 and push a game 3 for tonight to decide who heads off to Chavez Ravine on Saturday. The starting pitchers have yet to be announced but it will likely be Grant Holmes for the Braves and Zack Wheeler for the Phillies. If this is the case, Philadelphia has the edge. Holmes was 10-6 in the regular season with a 3.44 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. Wheeler has been in this situation before and was 14-5 in the regular season with a 3.00 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. Philadelphia seems to be getting no respect in this one and they should be. They have momentum on their side and Don Mattingly calling the shots.
TONIGHT’S PICK: PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Wednesday MLB Pick
The Philadelphia Phillies are on the brink of elimination after their 5-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves yesterday in the best of 3 NL Wild Card Series. Today at Truist Park the Phillies will turn to southpaw Cristopher Sánchez to throw strikes and that is what the 2-time All-Star does. Sánchez was 18-7 in the regular season with a 2.91 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP but has to go deep into the game with Philadelphia’s shaky bullpen if they want to push this series to a Game 3. The Braves will send Tyler Mahle to the hill. He was 7-10 in the regular season with a 3.99 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP, and in his last turn in a losing cause against the Cincinnati Reds Mahle was tagged for 5 runs on 6 hits over 5 frames and the Reds prevailed 7-6. This Phillies team is loaded with heavy hitters like Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, etc., etc., and Donnie Baseball will have his boys ready.
TODAY’S PICK: PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Tuesday MLB Pick
The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox will kick off the best of 3 ALWC games tonight in the Bronx. The lock for the AL Cy Young award Cam Schlittler will get the nod for the Yankees. The Mass. native was lethal all season, going 14-6 with a 1.95 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, and owned Boston this year. In 4 starts, Schlittler was 2-1 with a nasty ERA of only 0.74. The Red Sox will counter with Payton Tolle who was 9-6 with a 3.03 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, and Judge or no Judge the Yankees hitters should be able to get to him. The Bombers won the last two meetings with the Red Sox this year in the Bronx, outscoring them 25-3 over the two games and it goes without saying the Yankees fans will be in rare form for this one. Consider the Boys from River Ave.
TONIGHT’S PICK: NEW YORK YANKEES
Monday NFL Pick
The 2-0 Philadelphia Eagles will be laying 3.5 tonight when they travel to Soldier Field to take on the 1-1 Chicago Bears. The Eagles’ QB Jalen Hurts has been in the zone as usual. Hurts is 40/62 for 467 yards with 5 TDs. With starter Caleb Williams out with a hamstring pull and backup Tyson Bagent questionable due to concussion protocol, the Bears might have to turn to third stringer Case Keenum to run the offense and that is not good. Keenum has not started a game since 2023 when he was with Houston, and he will be facing an Eagles defense that is second in the league against the pass. The Eagles are 6-1 in their last 7 meetings with the Bears and are the side to consider.
TONIGHT’S PICK: PHILADELPHIA EAGLES M/L