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Sports Picks For Sale - William Burns

Hot Streaks and Achievements

  • INCREDIBLE 49-31 (+$14K) FOOTBALL RUN s/ SEPT 17th
  • 18-11 RECORD • w/ GOY/TOY's
  • 3-0 CBB RUN (HEATING UP) ... 2-0 w/ CBB TOTALS YTD

Biography

The progeny of an accomplished sports handicapper, William Burns is already making a name for himself.

Active since:  2023

Location:  Vancouver Island, BC, Canada

They say that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Son of a well-known handicapper, William Burns has sports betting in his blood.  Indeed, since his teens, William was helping his father behind the scenes by studying games and applying his analytical skills to handicap games.  One of William's key learnings was it's often better to swim against the current than with it.  He also understands which situations and statistics are the best predictors of winning.  And this high-level training, combined with a deep understanding of sports, has provided William with the necessary skills to be a sharp handicapper.

William has had invaluable experience as an athlete, as well.  An avid and passionate soccer player, Burns competed in high-level international tournaments while growing up.  And his love of soccer has given him a unique ability to handicap the sport.  You can expect plays in all the worldwide soccer leagues.  Beyond soccer, William handicaps all the major leagues, including NFL, NBA, NCAAF, NCAAB, NHL and MLB.  And he will have plays in UFC, CFL, Tennis and more.

In 2023, William's first season as a professional handicapper, he had stellar results, including 70-50 in the NFL in 2023, 9-1 in MMA, 14-4 in Tennis, 27-16 in Soccer, and 54-39 in the NBA.  William expects 2024 to be bigger and better, and is excited to join BigAl.com, where his plays will reach a wide audience.  Don't miss any of William's winning selections.

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NCAAF - Point Spread - Sat, Nov 23

BURNS' {ACC} GAME OF THE YEAR ▶ WON T.O.Y!

The November 24/25th weekend is going to be William Burns' BIGGEST FOOTBALL CARD OF THE SEASON so far. Loaded with bi...

$30

NFL - Point Spread - Sun, Nov 24

[DIV.] GAME OF THE YEAR //• AMAZING 49-31!

BIG GAME ALERT!! William Burns is back with another GAME OF THE YEAR in the NFL on Sunday. He's getting ready for his...

$30

NCAAF - Over / Under - Sat, Nov 23

*[MOUNTAIN WEST]* TOTAL OF THE YEAR >> 67%!

Hitting on an AWESOME 67% of his CFB Totals on the season, Burns is releasing not one, but TWO CFB TOTAL OF THE YEAR ...

$30

NCAAF - Over / Under - Sat, Nov 23

#1 SBC TOTAL OF THE YEAR >> ⸨DAY GAME!⸩

Burns is unleashing an ABSOLUTELY MASSIVE BET this Saturday in the Sun Belt Conference. He won his SBC GOY easily jus...

$30

NHL - Moneyline - Thu, Nov 21

NHL GAME OF THE MONTH! (TOP SO FAR) >> THURS

William Burns is ready to start HEATING UP once again. He's won consecutive NHL selections and is now putting out his...

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ATP Finals 2024 Preview: (Tennis)

Saturday, Nov 09, 2024

Novak Djokovic has already pulled out of this season's final event leaving room for one more player to join the field of eight. That final spot goes to Andrey Rublev who is currently ranked #9 in the world. This should be an epic tournament as the WTA Finals has already lived up to the hype just a couple of days in. Here's what you can expect in this year's ATP Finals.  Round Robin Groups & Bracket:  If you don't already know, everyone in the same group will play a match against the other in the 'round-robin' phase. After those matches are completed, the top two players from each group will be put in a Semi-Final & Final mini bracket to decide the winner. This is a unique tournament as it's the only one that could possibly have a winner that losses in the earlier stages of the tournament. Be prepared for upsets and very intriguing matchups over the course of it. First Group: #1) Jannik Sinner (Italy) Sinner goes without saying. He is the best in the world right now. He's the favorite to win this whole tournament and should be considered as must-watch TV whenever he's taking the stage. He's -200 to come out of his side of the bracket. (+125 to Win)  #4) Daniil Medvedev (Russia) Medvedev definitely has a shot at winning this tournament. He won just one Grand Slam over the course of his career, which is concerning. However, this setup could favor him really well. It's not as many matchups and he's playing very good tennis right now. I would not be surprised if Meddy reaches the Semi's if not the Final if Sinner isn't on his game in the early stages. (+900 to Win) #6) Taylor Fritz (USA) Fritz is an interesting player. He's know considered as the top Men's American player on tour and there's no denying that he's got talent. However, he seems to fold when he plays the top competition. It's not easy playing the best of the best. But, I think that the American is going to need a whole lot of luck, especially in a group like this. (+1600 to Win) #8) Alex De Minaur (Australia)  Alex De Minaur is a special watch. Not many Australian players have ever been as talented as this guy. Having said that, he could be in for a tough tournament. Having to play against Sinner in the first match of this tournament, he's going to need to put together a couple of really good performances against both Medvedev & Fritz to get through. (+2000 to Win) Second Group: #2) Alexander Zverev (Germany) Having overtaken the Spaniard as the world number #2 over the past couple of tournaments, Zverev is a threat to win any match. His backhand is brilliant and he's got one of the most accurate service games of all time. This is the tougher of the two groups in my opinion and anyone could get out. The loser of the Zverev/Ruud match might end up going home early. (+550 to Win) #3) Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) Yes, he's dropped down to #3 in the world. However, Carlos Alcaraz is someone that you can never count out. The Spanish sensation will be wanting to finish the 2024 tennis season with a bang and this is the tournament to do so. With the best in the world all in one event, get your popcorn ready. This is going to be fun. (+210 to Win) #7) Casper Ruud (Norway)  Casper Ruud is not in great form right now. He's lost four consecutive matches leading up to this event which is kind of worrisome. Having said that, we all know what the Norwegian is capable of when he's on his game. Ruud will need to be at his best in all three games of this tournament. (+3500 to Win) #9) Andrey Rublev (Russia) Sneaking into the draw after Novak Djokovic withdrew, Andrey Rublev is a sneaky pick to win this whole thing. On his day, Rublev can look like the best player on tour. However, I don't see that happening this tournament. He's a lucky 'in' and will fall against both Zverev & Alcaraz (maybe even in all three.) (+2000 to Win) Burns Best Bet & Predictions: Having not been in 'top' form over the past monthor so, Carlos Alcaraz has fallen into the #3 spot. That being said, he still is one of the more exciting players to watch in the entire world of tennis. His speed, to go with his finesse is something to watch if you've never watched him before. He should be feeling good heading into this tournament and I believe that he'll be ready to win his side of the bracket. Expect Carlos Alcaraz to come out on top of the 'John Newcombe Group' and feature in the final of this year's ATP Finals. You can get - Carlos Alcaraz to Win Quarter at (-125) via. DraftKings Sportsbook. I do believe that Jannik Sinner will probably feature in the Final as well. He's had an outstanding season considering he's had to deal with his doping scandal. He will be favored in every single match over the course of this tournament. Having said that, it would be foolish of me not to pick him to win his side of the bracket as well. The come out of the 'Ilie Nastase Group,' you can get Sinner to Win Quarter at (-200) via. DraftKings Sportsbook. He's simply just that good.Final Prediction: 6-4 . 6-7 . 6-3 Alcaraz (over Sinner.)

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CBB Deep Dive: Key Players, Top Teams & More:

Thursday, Oct 31, 2024

College Basketball is back on Monday! Nobody is more excited than I am and it's going to be another season of brilliance. Let's take a look at what you can expect this season from the players to the teams. Good Luck this season! (All odds via DraftKings Sportsbook) Five Players to Watch Out For (Guard-Center) + Honorable Mentions : G - Mark Sears (Alabama)  The quarterback of the Alabama backcourt will be one of the best players in the country once again this season. Averaging 21.5 ppg last year, he was a huge part in their run to the Final Four. He will just keep improving as well. I believe that the Tide can even make it that one step closer towards everyone's main goal this season. With Sears, Bama is a real contender at winning the whole thing.  G - RJ Davis (UNC) RJ Davis gets slept on a bit with the likes of Elliott Cadeau also in this backcourt. Having said that, Davis averaged 21.2 ppg a year ago and is really benefiting from the departure of Caleb Love (who's still at Arizona.) He's more than capable of a repeat from last year and is ready to do just that. All he needs is 785 points this season to become UNC's all time scoring leader. He had 784 last year.F - Cooper Flagg (Duke)If you've been paying attention to any recruiting over this offseason, Cooper Flagg has been the biggest headline. One of the best American prospects ever, Flagg committed to Duke and has them back in the title contending race once again. If you've never watched him play, you're not going to want to miss him this season. For such a young age, he's ridiculously talented.  F - J'Wan Roberts (Houston) Flying under the radar, Roberts has been in Kelvin Sampson's program for a while now. Not only is he a great teammate, but he's also very coachable. Roberts is dominant on the glass and very good on the defensive end. Let's not forget his scoring ability too. Yes, he may not light up many scoring sheets. But, J'Wan is one of the top players in the country heading into this season and I have to put him on this list.C - Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton) Although Kalkbrenner might not be the most flashy center in Division 1, he's slowly became one of the best. The Creighton big man has now won the Big-East Defensive Player of the Year award three times. Not only is he great on defense, but Kalkbrenner also averaged 17.3 ppg with 7.6 rpg last season. Creighton is a very good team once again this season and he's a big part of it.  Two Honorable Mentions: 1.) Tamin Lipsey (Iowa State) Slowly climbing up the ranks, Iowa State is now ready to contend for the championship. Mainly thanks to this guy. Lipsey's stats last season don't show how good he really is. He's a dominant scorer who can look like the best player on the court in any given game. As an All Big-12 First Team & Big-12 All Defensive Team player last season, expect another monster year from the Cyclone Point Guard. 2.) Alex Karaban (UCONN)To have a list of players and not mention someone from the back to back champs would be criminal. Alex Karaban, who's now been a part of both championship runs, will now be the top option on this Husky team. His numbers were much improved last season and he plays nearly every game. Not to mention his great defensive skills and ability to make the right decisions. This could be another break-out season from the young forward.Burns' Preseason Top 25 Rankings:  1.) Alabama 2.) Kansas3.) Duke4.) UCONN5.) Houston6.) Iowa State 7.) UNC 8.) Houston9.) Baylor10.) Texas A&M11.) Gonzaga12.) Tennessee13.) Auburn14.) Arizona15.) Arkansas16.) Creighton17.) Florida18.) Kentucky19.) Indiana 20.) Purdue21.) Illinois22.) Texas23.) Michigan State24.) St. John's25.) RutgersThree Future Bets to Make Before the Season: 1.) Alabama to win the SEC (+220) - Adding someone like Chris Youngblood to the mix is huge for this Crimson Tide team. This is a team that looked very good in the conference last season and should be able to do the exact same thing and even improve this year. Mark Sears & Grant Nelson are back, and you can currently get the Tide to win the SEC with tremendous value across all sports books.2.) Duke to win the ACC (+125) -  The ACC doesn't get the respect that it deserves in College Basketball anymore. Even though the overall talent is spread across many conferences, let's not forget that this conference still has the blue bloods Duke & UNC. Having said that, the Blue Devils separated themselves as the clear front runners this offseason grabbing Cooper Flagg in the recruiting phase. He'll be enough to get them back to the top of the ACC after disappointment last season.  3.) Mark Sears to win the John Wooden Award (+800) - Like mentioned earlier in this article, Sears is going to once again be a top scorer in this league. The John Wooden Award goes to the "Most Outstanding Player in Men's & Women's College Basketball." That being said, Sears should be one of the favorites, due to his scoring. Having great players around him will only make him better and I believe he has an excellent chance in winning this award this season. 

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5 NBA Future Bets to Make Before the Season Begins:

Wednesday, Oct 16, 2024

The NHL has now commenced and that leaves us with another sport to watch out for. Basketball. The NBA season begins on October 22nd with the Knicks/Celtics & TWolves/Lakers. It should be another fantastic year and I'm looking forward to it very much. Let's take a look at five NBA Future Bets to make this season prior to the beginning of the 2024-25 campaign. *All Odds via. DraftKings Sportsbook. ----------------  1.) Victor Wembanyama to Win the Defensive Player of the Year (-170)  You can't really bet on anyone else here. Last season, in his rookie year, Wemby completely dominated on the defensive side of the ball. As a matter of fact, he averaged 1.2 steals per game as well as 3.6 blocks a game. Some would say that he got robbed of the Defensive Player of the Year just because he was a rookie. Now, I'm not going to say he got "robbed." But, I am going to say that Rudy Gobert (who won it last year) needs to be ready for the biggest challenge of his life this season. The 7'3" 20yr old played 71 games last season. If he can play anywhere close to that this season, he'll be a threat to break some block records in his first two seasons in the NBA. Nobody wants to challenge the big man in the paint with his insane wingspan. The Spurs are slightly better than last season as well which should help take the Frenchman's game to even another level. Expect Wemby to win his first DPOY this season.  2.) Denver Nuggets Over 51.5 Wins (-105)  After disappointingly losing to the Timberwolves in the Conference Semi-Finals last year, the Nuggets will want to regain their throne as the best team in the West this year. Although it was a down season for them, they still managed to finish second in the conference with 57 wins on the season. Yes, that's a lot of wins to try and repeat this season. But, they've still got plenty of the pieces from these past few seasons and should be able to at least make it "over" the total. The Nuggets added Russell Westbrook & Dario Saric this offseason which should help bolster their depth. Don't get me wrong, 51.5 wins is still quite a bit considering that this is probably the most competitive conference of the two with about 12 teams that could make a push into the playoffs this year. That being said, this Nuggets team is good enough to do just that once again this season. Prediction: 55-27 record. 3.) Lauri Markkanen to Make the All-Star Game (+320)  After being an All-Star during the 2022-23 campaign, Lauri Markkanen wasn't able to get back to it in 2023-24. That being said, I do believe that he will be able to reach the All-Star game again this season. The Jazz big man is one of the deadliest perimeter forwards in the game right now. His ability to stretch the floor and cause havoc under the basket has really set him a part from others. Lauri only played 55 games last year, which is why he wasn't eligible for contention. But, he still averaged 23.2 PTS, 8.2 REB, 2.0 AST, 0.9 Steals & 0.5 Blocks. This season, he's getting tremendous value to make this All-Star game. Although he wouldn't be considered a front-runner by any means, Lauri is good enough and should be in contention to be an All-Star for the second time in his career this season.  4.) Stephen Curry to be the 3s Made Per Game Leader (-275)  As everyone now knows, Stephen Curry is the greatest three-point shooter to ever live in the game of basketball. He's made three after three over the course of his career which is why he stands alone as the #1 three point getter of all-time. Last year, he led the NBA for the eight time in this category. As a matter of fact, Steph was 73 3pt FG's ahead of the next best guy who was Luka Doncic. That's absurd. Curry and the Warriors are reloading again this season as they hunt for another deep playoff run. They've got tons of depth which a good playoff team always needs. Losing Klay Thompson wasn't ideal for the Dubs, but that should open up even more 3pt opportunities for Curry this season. He's the big favorite in this category for a reason and there's no doubt in my mind that as long as he stays healthy, that he will win his ninth 3pt's Made in a Season title this season.  5.) Stephon Castle to Win Rookie of the Year (+1000)  Out of all of the rookies, I'm going to go a different route than most people would expect. Yes, Zach Edey is the favorite. His size and connection with Ja Morant has looked very strong so far. There is also Zaccharie Risacher, Reed Sheppard, Alexandre Sarr, Rob Dillingham & Matas Buzelis to consider. That being said, I'm going to go with Stephon Castle. The UCONN point guard can do it all and will do whatever Head Coach Greg Popovich asks of him. With other guard Devin Vassell out of the lineup for at least a couple of weeks, this is the perfect opportunity for the youngster to show the NBA what he's made of. Castle didn't put up monster numbers at UCONN last season. But, he didn't have to. He did the little things and it helped them win their second championship in as many seasons. He still was able to average 11.1 PTS, 4.7 REB, 2.9 AST in 34 contests last season. Castle is going to need to work for his playing time this year. But, don't be shocked if he builds a great relationship with both CP3 & Wemby. Popovich won't have any other choice than to keep him in the starting lineup all season long. -----------------In less than a week now, we will have another sport to cheer on. I finished the year on a fantastic 24-13 (+$9,700) NBA sides run last season. Jump on board with a subscription today before I start winning big!

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MLB Postseason Preview: A Look At Each Team + World Series Projection

Monday, Sep 30, 2024

The MLB playoffs start on Tuesday and there's nothing more exciting to a baseball fan than October baseball. Let's break down all of the teams that will feature in the 2024 postseason:  American League:[#1 seed] New York Yankees - Will play BAL/DET winner After owning the best record in the AL this past season, the Yankees will focus on getting ready over these next couple of wild-card round days. Known for their superstar talent, Aaron Judge & Juan Soto are on a mission to bring the title back to the Bronx. While Soto has already won a World Series w/ the Nationals, Judge will need one if he's to go down as the greatest power hitter of all time. Looking at what's next for them, they will be playing the winner of the #4/#5 matchup between the Baltimore Orioles and the Detroit Tigers. Baltimore, a division foe, owns a very good lineup and could cause the Yankees some trouble. Having said that, the Yankees will need to be at their best come Game 1 of the ALDS on Saturday.[#2 seed] Cleveland Guardians - Will play HOU/KC winnerCleveland enters this postseason as a sleeper team that not too many people are talking about. Even though they had an outstanding season, they just aren't a team that gets too much hype. Led by Jose Ramirez, this team very well could shock the baseball world. The Guardians are terrific hitters and have one of the best bullpens in the MLB. Unluckily for them, they'll have to play the winner of the #3/#6 matchup between the Houston Astros and the Kansas City Royals. Both of those teams are very solid and could make some noise as well. However, I do believe that the home field advantage will help the Guardians a lot during the ALDS. They own the best home record in the AL by a mile. Don't be shocked if we see the Guards in the ALCS or even the World Series.[#3 seed] Houston Astros - vs. KC After the horrendous beginning to their 2024 campaign, the Astros turned things around in a hurry. Back in April, I wrote an article about them when they were just 4-11. In that article, I mentioned, "It’s hard to think that the Astros aren’t going to make the playoffs after how many years that they’ve dominated the American League. Yes, it’s been a bad start. But, you’ve got to remember. This is a 162 game season and we are not even close to the halfway point yet. Expect Houston to still make the playoffs." Well, that turned out to be true and the Astros will host the Royals in a three game series to begin the postseason. They've got excellent pitching and should be strong in the hitting department. Never count the Stros out as they've got one of the top teams in baseball. [#4 seed] Baltimore Orioles - vs. DET Baltimore. They've been great all year long and should be great for years to come. Offseason addition Corbin Burnes has been a massive help to their pitching department. With their hitting already strong, it makes them a real contender as well. Yes, they finished second in their division. But, that was to the Yankees who got the #1 seed. They get the Detroit Tigers in the first round. While Detroit is solid, I don't expect them to be able to win this three-game series. The hitting of the O's is very good and should be strong again here. If they were to win this series, they'd go up against the Yankees in the next round. I do believe that they have a real shot at knocking them off as well. I wouldn't be shocked one bit if the Orioles are able to make the World Series this year.[#5 seed] Detroit Tigers - vs. BALDetroit really turned things up a notch over the last few weeks of the season. Although I don't really have much hope for them, it's hard to ignore their September run of glory. They're led by starting pitcher Tarik Skubal who very well might be the best pitcher in baseball right now. Skubal went 18-4 this season with a 2.39 ERA and 228 strikeouts. He'll get the nod in game 1. Other than him, the Tigers don't have much for starters. While Baltimore owns the advantage in both hitting and pitching, don't let stats fool you. This is October and anything can happen. Detroit is on a roll and could shock the world (even though I don't expect them to.)[#6 seed] Kansas City Royals - vs. HOUKansas City nearly played themselves out of a playoff spot. Opposite to the Tigers, they were pretty bad down the stretch in the final couple of weeks in September. Having said that, Bobby Witt Jr has led this team to an excellent season. They've got solid pitching and a lineup that can do damage if hot. Even though they are underdogs in this series against the Astros, they could steal a game and even win this series. Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo are excellent starters, but it falls off a bit after them. If this series goes to game 3, these Royals could be in trouble.  National League: [#1 seed] Los Angeles Dodgers - Will play SD/ATL winner Coming into this postseason with the best record in baseball, these Dodgers are ready to make a statement. Shohei Ohtani proved to everyone that he's the best player in the game by a mile. This year, Ohtani had 54 HR's, 130 RBI's, 59 SB's and a .310 BAA. You also can't forget that he wasn't even pitching this season. Having said all of that, Shohei isn't the only thing on this roster by any means. This is about as stacked as a team can possibly be and the Dodgers are favorites to win the whole thing for good reason. Great batting across the board and excellent pitching. LAD will play the winner of the San Diego Padres/Atlanta Braves series. Whoever they play, it's time to go for the kill if you're LAD. Anything but a World Series ring will be considered "bust" for these guys.[#2 seed] Philadelphia Phillies - Will play MIL/NYM winnerWhile Philadelphia began the season red hot, they cooled off a bit over the second half of the season. However, they still managed to own the second best record in the National League. Like the Dodgers, the Phillies have excellent hitting as well as pitching. They've got a dominant record at home which should help tremendously as well in these playoffs. In the ALDS, they will get the winner between Milwaukee and the Mets of New York. That should be a very competitive series which might take a lot of energy out of those teams. Philadelphia was a wild-card team last year and looked very strong. This year, they are a #2 seed and should be well rested coming in. The Phillies are definitely title contenders. [#3 seed] Milwaukee Brewers - vs. NYMWhile Milwaukee had to sit and watch the double-header between the Braves and Mets on Monday to see who they were playing, I'm sure they didn't really care at the end of the day. They've got to beat everyone to win it all and it's going to be an excellent series against the Mets. Luckily for the Brewers, they'll be at home for each of these wild-card games. They've played well enough to earn themselves the division title as well. Having said that, the Mets are looking confident and should pose a challenge. Milwaukee is still a very strong pitching team, even with Corbin Burnes departing this past offseason. Limiting runs will be the key to their success.[#4 seed] San Diego Padres - vs. ATL Like the Brewers, San Diego was watching Monday's war between ATL/NYM. They ended up drawing the Atlanta Braves in this round after the Braves won the final game of the mini double-header. Having said that, they are in for a battle. San Diego will use yesterday's off day as time to regroup and refocus like a bunch of these teams. With the Braves having to use more pitchers than they would've liked on Monday, San Diego should try and use that to their advantage and extend pitch counts as much as possible early in this series. The winner of this series gets the Dodgers. This will be good. [#5 seed] Atlanta Braves - vs. SD The Braves survived on Monday winning the final game of the double-header and clinching this spot. They also were able to avoid playing Chris Sae who was originally slated in that games slot. With that being said, Sale will be able to pitch during this series and that should provide a massive boost for this Braves team that is always dangerous. Even without the likes of Ronald Acuna Jr, Austin Riley & Spencer Strider, Atlanta possesses a bunch of talent across the board. Don't be surprised if the Braves, who have already won a World Series with no Acuna, make a strong run in this year's postseason. [#6 seed] New York Mets - vs. MIL With the Mets having won a game on Monday, they managed to sneak into the playoffs. Out of Milwaukee and San Diego, they might've got the "easier" of the two opening round matchups. Milwaukee won't be easy by any means. But, they might be slightly worse than the Padres who have a lot of playoff experience even despite missing it last season. The Mets play with a ton of emotion which might or might not help them in these playoffs. It's hard to say what will happen in this series considering New York, like Atlanta, used a lot of their pitching staff in the double header to finish September. Having said that, they will need to be at their best. If Pete Alonso plays well this series and in these playoffs overall, the Mets could be a scary team to watch out for. But, Pete needs to be at his best.  World Series Projection:  Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Baltimore Orioles Dodgers win series 4-2 .

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5 NHL Future Bets to Make Before the Season Begins:

Friday, Sep 27, 2024

With the NHL season less than a couple of weeks away now, fans are getting very excited. That being said, it's time to start looking at "Future Bets" to make for the course of this season. Here are five NHL Future Bets to make prior to the beginning of the 2024-25 campaign. *All Odds via. DraftKings Sportsbook.---------------- 1.) Sergei Bobrovsky OVER 32.5 Wins (-115) Nicknamed "Bob," Florida's net-minder is one of the best goaltenders in the National Hockey League. Coming off a year with 36 saves, Bobrovsky is back as the top option in net for the Panthers. He'll be expected to play at least 50 games again this season (most likely closer to 60 or more,) and I believe that he can get to this number without much trouble. Florida are once again cup contenders after winning it all last year. They've got a lot of their team back from last season as well which should help tremendously. Although many teams will want to beat Florida this year considering that they are the defending champs, I expect Bob to reach 33+ wins for the sixth time in his career in the 2024-25 season. 2.) Cale Makar to Win the Norris Trophy (+200) Although there are some other very strong defensemen in this league like Adam Fox, Quinn Hughes, Miro Heiskanen, Evan Bouchard & even Roman Josi who could win this award, Cale Maker stands alone at the top in my opinion. As one of the quickest skaters in all of hockey, he's able to use his speed to help him create for himself and score goals, as well as create for other players around the net. Makar is coming off a solid campaign where he had 21 goals and 69 assists in 77 games (90 points.) This year, he'll look to be even better. Playing on a team with Nathan MacKinnon should help him as well as the two work tremendously off each other. Last year's winner Quinn Hughes probably has everyone's eyes on him again. But, he played every single game last year and that helped him very much. Look for Makar to improve and get the second Norris Trophy of his career this season. 3.) Columbus Blue Jackets UNDER 67.5 Points (-115)  After another disappointing season last year, the Blue Jackets are in full rebuild mode now. They traded Patrick Laine away this offseason and lost Johnny Gaudreau in a tragic incident that nobody could have predicted. Having said that, they don't really have much left for this year. San Jose had just 47 points last season and were dead last in the NHL overall standings. While the Blue Jackets weren't that bad (66 points,) they still went "under" this year's expected total. I expect Columbus to be closer to the Sharks total from last year here this season. They really don't have much left and are a very young team compared to most in the league. Look for another down campaign for Columbus.   4.) Dallas Stars to Win the Western Conference (+550) While the Dallas Stars failed to beat the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Finals last season, I expect them to be back there and ready to win it this season. Last year, they still had a very young team that didn't have much postseason experience. They say you've got to experience it, before you win it. Well, Dallas has now done that. The Stars still have a stacked roster and their goaltenders are back and ready to go this season. I say goaltenders because the Stars picked up Casey DeSmith this offseason to backup young star Jake Oettinger. That should be a massive help if injuries happen or even fatigue throughout the season. Dallas is once again one of the favorites to be in contention for the cup as well as the President's Trophy. There's plenty of value here on playing them to win the WCF this season.  5.) Vegas Golden Knights to Make the Playoffs (-300)  Yes, I know this is quite expensive. However, you're still going to want to play on this one. The Golden Knights are back stronger than ever this season. They've got a healthy Adin Hill back who's been awesome ever since coming to the NHL. In fact, he owns a career 2.68 GAA which includes his first couple of seasons with the Coyotes & Sharks. The Golden Knight have been competitive every season they've been a team in the National Hockey League and have made the playoffs in six out of seven years so far with two Stanley Cup appearances. Considering I've got some heavy "underdog" selections in this list, consider laying the juice on the Golden Knights to make the playoffs.----------------While I'm expecting to have a massive hockey season this year, it's never too early to jump on board and grab a season long subscription. Good luck this season!

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2024 US Open (Tennis) Preview:

Saturday, Aug 24, 2024

Three of the four Grand Slam's of the tennis season have now been completed and we are just a week away from the final one of the year. With the Olympics having happened as well, the players have experienced tons of ups and downs throughout the year. Now, we shift our focus to the US Open in New York City. Here's what to look for in the final Grand Slam event of the 2024 season.  Giant Opening Round Matchups: Men's Best Matchup:  Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard vs. Tomas Martin Etcheverry is going to be a very intriguing matchup in the opening round. Yes, neither of them are ranked too high at the moment. However, both guys are more than capable of putting on a show and enter the later rounds of this tournament. Mpetshi Perricard has an enormous serve and should be able to hold his own against the Argentinian. Etcheverry is currently ranked 36th in the world and has put together a very good resume over the past couple of seasons. Expect a banger opening round matchup here between these two. (Etcheverry is -165) Women's Best Matchup:Beginning the tournament with an absolute bang, Jalena Ostapenko vs. Naomi Osaka will be one to watch. Osaka is one of the favorites to win this tournament while Ostapenko is ranked in the top ten currently. Osaka also beat Ostapenko in their only meeting that they've played against each other. The former #1 also is expecting big things this year, as this is her best of the four Grand Slam events. Expect the winner of this match to go far in the tournament, with even a shot at winning this year's US Open. (Osaka is -140) Full Odds to Win the Tournament (via. DraftKings:)Men's:  Carlos Alcaraz +150Jannik Sinner +200 Novak Djokovic +300Alexander Zverev +1200Daniil Medvedev +1400 Taylor Fritz +4000Holger Rune +4000Stefanos Tsitsipas +4000Matteo Berrettini +5000Frances Tiafoe +5000 Women's:  Aryna Sabalenka +275Iga Swiatek +350Coco Gauff +750Elena Rybakina +900Jessica Pegula +1400Mirra Andreeva +1800 Naomi Osaka +2200Qinwen Zheng +2500Danielle Collins +2800Jasmine Paolini +3000 Burns' Overall Predictions:  Men's Draw). After testing positive for a banned substance, currently world #1 Jannik Sinner's mind could be all over the place for this tournament. Yes, he's coming off a tournament win in Cincinnati. Yes, he's the "best" in the world at present time. However, despite still being allowed to play, I believe that all the media and expectations everyone has for him will slow him down and cause him to get knocked out earlier than people think. Having said that, I wouldn't be shocked whatsoever if he overcame all of the critics and won this tournament. He's definitely more than capable of doing so. Overall I'm expecting another fantastic tournament, with Novak Djokovic claiming his 25th Grand Slam title. It's amazing what that man can still do at 37 years of age. He's coming off an Olympic Gold Medal and is ready to dominate in a tournament that he's won four times before including last year against Medvedev. Alcaraz is also someone to watch out for, as he always is. Women's Draw). Before Cincinnati, I was probably leaning more towards the world #1 Iga Swiatek to win this tournament. She's extremely talented and simply has more will power & determination to win over anyone in the world. However, having watched that tournament, I believe that Aryna Sabalenka is the woman to watch here, especially after what we saw just over a week ago. Sabalenka knocked off everyone with ease, including Swiatek in straight sets. The way she's playing right now is perhaps even better than the level she was at when she won the Australian Open earlier this year. It also helps that she made the Finals last year in this competition and has the experience to get back in that spot. I also want to keep an eye on Naomi Osaka. The former #1 in the world is back and she's been building towards this tournament. It's her best tournament by far and I expect her to fare very well in this year's event. She could even challenge for the title. Expect another fantastic US Open in 2024. 3 Best Bets to Make: Novak Djokovic +300 to Win // Aryna Sabalenka +275 to Win // Big Three vs. The Field (Sabalenka, Swiatek, Gauff) -140 to Win

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CFB 2024-25 Projections // Top 10 "Surprise Teams"

Monday, Aug 19, 2024

With College Football just one week away now, let's take a look at some surprise teams to watch out for in the 2024-25 season. This list will go down from #10 to #1 and will not feature anyone ranked in the preseason top 15. #10 Oklahoma State (Ranked #17) Even though I believe that the Cowboys are slightly over-ranked to begin this year (by a couple of spots,) I do believe that they could make some noise this year. Oklahoma State comes into this season with one of the most experienced teams in the nation. As a matter of fact, they are returning 19 of 22 starters from last year's team. Experience in a young sport like this can be very valuable. The Cowboys will play Utah (the favorite to win the conference) at home, as well as Kansas State on the road. Winning at least one of those games will be very crucial for them. I believe that they can do it, especially with the talent that they possess. Given all of that, expect the Cowboys to compete for the Big 12 title this season. Record Projection: 10-3#9 Fresno State Bulldogs (Unranked)  With Mikey Keene still at Quarterback, I expect this Fresno State team to be very good once again. Yes, losing former Head Coach Jeff Tedford (who stepped down in July of 2023) was some cause for concern. However, they still played very well with Interim Head Coach Tim Skipper who led them to a 37-10 victory over NMST (+3 underdogs) in the New Mexico Bowl last year. Playing Michigan to begin the year is going to be tough for them. Some teams like to get settled in early and build on early wins. Well, Fresno State will most likely lose that game and it's hard to say what they will do from there. Either way, I expect them to be very solid throughout this season. Record Projection: 9-4 #8 Miami FL Hurricanes (Ranked #19) Fortunately for the Hurricanes, they managed to pick up one of the best QB's that they could get in Cameron Ward (from WSU.) They've always been very close to breaking through, but never seem to get the job done. That being said, this could be the year that they do just that. With FSU & UNC having lost a lot, this could motivate Miami FL to make some noise in the ACC this season. Clemson will be tough to beat as well, but the Hurricanes currently own the third best odds to win their respective conference, which should be a dog fight until the very end. Ward should make this offense even more "Air-Raid" than they already are and that could be dangerous for these teams. The first game will be a difficult test that they must pass against Florida. If they get past them, getting the Noles at home is huge. Miami FL could very well be one of the best teams in football this year.Record Projection: 11-3#7 Iowa Hawkeyes (Ranked #25) Iowa, Iowa, Iowa. Everyone knows that this football team could not score to save their lives last season. Despite all of that, they still managed to somehow finish with a 10-4 record. Yes, I don't expect them to win many games against the better teams in the country this year. But, this team is still a sleeper to go far and perhaps shock some teams in the Big 10. The Hawkeyes are once again loaded on the defensive side of the ball. They are going to be in low scoring games once again this season. However, I do expect their attack to be much stronger. It won't be to the caliber of some of these teams like OSU, Oregon and Michigan. But, Iowa should be able to win plenty of football games again this year. Look for them to come close to double digit wins and maybe even cracking that number once again. Record Projection: 9-4#6 Liberty Flames (Unranked) After going 13-1 (8-0 in Conference) last season, I couldn't really put these Flames higher. Yes, I expect them to have double digit wins again quite easily. However, this is a team that is just as good, if not better than last year which is why I couldn't ignore them. Starting QB Kaidon Salter is one of the best in the country and could very well lead this team to a playoff spot. They are in a poor conference, which helps and could very well go undefeated this season until the playoffs. Expect another strong Liberty year. Record Projection: 13-1 #5 Kansas State (Ranked #18) Kansas State is a football team that could very well shock the world and win the Big 12. Their matchups against OKST as well as Kansas are both at home which could really help them. Another thing that is going for this program is that they avoid Utah until the conference championship game. If they are able to run through the conference, what's stopping them from accomplishing the feat of playing for the Big 12 title. Despite losing quite a few players, Quarterback Avery Johnson is back under center for them. He was very solid last season which is why this team is ranked heading into this year. I expect a very good season from the Wildcats here in 2024-25. Record Projection: 11-3 #4 Air Force Falcons (Unranked)  Despite being one of three teams in the Mountain West Conference that I currently have in my top 10 sleeper teams, I believe that Air Force could be legitimate contenders to perhaps even make the CFB playoff. The Falcons run that unique brand of football that many teams don't know how to stop. They avoid playing Boise State in the regular season and get to host Fresno State in what could be an absolute war. Playing at Baylor in week three will be a test for them. However, if they enter conference play with no losses, watch out for Air Force as they continue to build momentum throughout the year. Record Projection: 11-3#3 Boise State Broncos (Unranked) After an okay 8-6 season last year, the Broncos are back and ready to take over the Mountain West Conference. Like Air Force and Fresno State, I'm expecting a massive year from Boise State. However, I believe that Boise could be the best out of all of them. The Broncos are the favorites to win the conference, which is why I don't have them as the #1 team on this list. But, I do expect them to absolutely dominate and perhaps even knock off a team in the College Football Playoff, assuming they make it. rFR QB Malachi Nelson is still considered a freshman. Nonetheless, the Quarterback can make every single throw and he's got a defense that's returning every single starter from last year behind him. Expect big things from the Broncos this year. Record Projection: 12-2 #2 Virginia Tech Hokies (Unranked) Despite entering this season unranked, the Hokies could be very sneaky this season. In a weaker ACC than normal. Virginia Tech gets Clemson & Georgia Tech at home. They also avoid playing the ACC favorite in Florida State this season. Yes, they've got some tough ones on the road. However, the Hokies are returning 21 of 22 starters from last year and should be one of the most, if not the most experienced team in all of College Football. One or two upsets could see this team in the ACC Championship Game at the end of the year. Look out for VT. Record Projection: 10-3 #1 Arizona Wildcats (Ranked #21) Arizona is my top "Sleeper Team" coming into this season. Returning Quarterback Noah Fifita led this program to double digit wins last year and very well could do the same thing this season. The Wildcats return eight offensive starters which should really help Fifita stay strong. Yes, Arizona heads to the Big 12 this season after being in the Pac-12. But, they've got the talent to run through the Big 12 as well if they stick together and play their best. A tough schedule makes them my top sleeper team as they could very well shock some teams. Assuming they lose to Utah on the road in week 5, important games include TCU on the road, Kansas State on the road, BYU on the road, as well as Colorado & ASU at home. Winning at least one of those games on the road and those home games will be crucial. I expect them to be strong either way. Record Projection: 9-4

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Way-Too-Early NCAAF Predictions & Future Bets to Make:

Wednesday, Jul 10, 2024

We are just over a month away from the 2024-25 College Football season. Beginning on August 24th, let's take a look at what we can expect over the course of this new season.  Teams I Expect to Improve:  Colorado Buffaloes (4-8 in 2023-24) - Even with their poor record, the Colorado Buffaloes were one of the most hyped teams last season. Head Coach Deion Sanders is now into his second season with his new program and I believe that they've got the ability to win a lot more ball games this season. More than definitely, they have the talent to reach a bowl game at the very least. Deion's sons, Shaduer and Shilo are back, as well as rising superstar and perhaps the best player in the country in Travis Hunter. No, they are not going to be National Champions this year. But, they've got what it takes to improve vastly. // Projection: 7-6TCU Horned Frogs (5-7 in 2023-24) - Coming off a National Championship Game appearance in 2022-23, it was a very disappointing season last year for the Horned Frogs. Yes, they lost a few guys including QB Max Duggan. However, it wasn't in the cards to miss a bowl game last season. This year, they've filled a much needed hole in their secondary. Plenty of new faces will help this TCU team be much better against the pass. TCU opens the season with a couple of "easier" games against Stanford and LIU. Expect them to win both of those games comfortably and have a much stronger season this year than last. // Projection: 9-4East Carolina Pirates (2-10 in 2023-24) - After finishing dead last in the AAC Conference last season, I'm expecting the Pirates to be much improved this year. They've got a much easier schedule and have their tougher games at home this season. ECU also avoids the likes of USF, Memphis & Tulane which should give them plenty of confidence throughout the year. They have quite a few returning faces, but also added a bunch of new transfers which should help them fill some holes. I expect the Pirates to win at least five games this season and perhaps make a bowl game like they did a couple seasons ago. // Projection: 7-6 Teams I Expect to Fall Off:  Washington Huskies (14-1 in 2023-24) - After losing in the National Championship game last season, the Huskies lost a lot. Head Coach Kalen DeBoer was replaced by Jedd Fisch as DeBoer filled the spot at Alabama. Washington also lost QB Michael Penix Jr as well as WRs Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan & Ja’Lynn Polk. Not to mention they also lost their star LT in Troy Fatanu Jr as well. That's a lot of critical spots to fill if this team is going to want to win a bunch of football games again. Now, I don't expect them to fall completely off the map. However, newly into the Big 10, I don't expect the Huskies to come close to their 14-1 mark from last season. // Projection: 7-6 Michigan Wolverines (15-0 in 2023-24) - Although I do believe that this Michigan program has some very strong pieces once again this year, I don't see them going undefeated again. MICH won the National Championship last season and have lost a bunch. Former Head Coach Jim Harbaugh moved up to the NFL. QB JJ McCarthy and WR Roman Wilson did the exact same thing. Looking at the rest of the conference, Ohio State is going to be the team to beat. They will also have to deal with some new faces in Washington, Oregon & USC joining their conference in the offseason (UCLA also joined but aren't on the schedule.) They've got a very good QB in Alex Orji for this season. However, don't expect another perfect year from the Wolverines. // Projection: 11-3Florida State Seminoles (13-1 in 2023-24) - I was one of the ones that believed that the Seminoles were robbed of a CFP spot last season. Holding a perfect 13-0 record into the Selection Show, there had never been an undefeated power 5 team that didn't get in (in the 4-team playoff system.) Unluckily for them, the expansion of the College Football Playoff begins this season. We will now see a 12-team playoff and much more excitement (in my opinion.) Also unluckily for the Noles, they lost their QB Jordan Travis. They also lost WR's Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson. Yes, they filled the QB spot with QJ Uiagalelei. However, I don't see how FSU wins 13 games again this season. They will drop off a bit and get close to the double digit win mark. // Projection: 9-4  Five Futures Bets to Make:  1. ) Ohio State Buckeyes - To Win the National Championship - YES (+400)2. ) Ohio State Buckeyes - To Win the Big Ten Championship Game - YES (+155)I love the Buckeyes this season. They are locked and loaded with massive amounts of talent filling much needed holes from last season. A new QB in Will Howard, returning RB TreVeyon Henderson & #1 overall player in the 2024 recruiting class in Jeremiah Smith should be enough as is to beat teams with ease. Not to mention that they bring back Emeka Egbuka as well as Brandon Innis at the WR position AND add RB Quinshon Judkins from Ole Miss. Even without Marvin Harrison Jr this season, this offense (in my opinion) is the best in the country by far. 3. ) Ole Miss Rebels - To Make the College Football Playoff - YES (-130)As mentioned in my OSU analysis above, the Rebels did lose their RB Quinshon Judkins in the transfer portal. However, they've still got their QB Jaxson Dart who I believe to be one of the best QB's in the nation this season. Just like his name, Dart throws darts. He's got an awesome arm and he's got two of his top three targets from last season back with him this year. Like always, Ole Miss also made some splashes in the transfer portal as they landed Walter Nolan as well as Trey Amos & Princely Umanmielen on the defensive end. New WR Antwane Wells Jr should also help Dart and the offense. I expect them to make the 12-team playoff this season. 4. ) Utah Utes - OVER 9.5 WINS (-135)Without their two best offensive players for the entirety of last season, the Utah Utes finally get back QB Cameron Rising and TE Brant Kuithe. In their new conference (the Big 12,) the Utes are actually favored to win the entire conference right now. Let's not forget that these two led Utah to a 10-4 record in 2021-22 when Kuithe led the team in receiving yards. I expect them to be back and better than ever with this awesome Utes defense. Expect them to have at least 10 wins this season. 5. ) Colorado Buffaloes - OVER 5.5 WINS (-140)As I already mentioned, I believe that the Buffaloes are going to be much improved from last year. Don't get me wrong, they are definitely not considered as title contenders. However, Deion Sanders will have his guys ready to go for this season. Improving by just two wins shouldn't be too difficult. Expect the Buffaloes to win at least six games and get into a bowl game this season. They should go "over" this mark without much trouble.  Burns' National Title Game Prediction: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Oregon Ducks 27-21 OSU. 

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Way-Too-Early NFL Predictions & Future Bets to Make:

Tuesday, Jul 02, 2024

Although it's still just early July, it's never too early to start thinking about football. That being said, let's take a look at this upcoming NFL season.  Teams I Expect to Improve:  Cincinnati Bengals (9-8 in 2023-24) - While the Bengals were very unfortunate last season when their Quarterback Joe Burrow went down with an injury. They'll have him back this season and they should be labelled as Super Bowl contenders once again. Yes, they lost Joe Mixon to the Houston Texas in Free Agency. However, this team is still extremely talented and having Burrow back greatly improves their chances of another playoff appearance and perhaps more. // Projection: 11-6 Los Angeles Chargers (5-12 in 2023-24) - Los Angeles also had plenty of injuries last season. Mike Williams went out early in the season and Keenan Allen missed four weeks as well. Although they'll be without both of them this season again, they are much improved in the trenches. New head coach Jim Harbaugh has added a few new pieces and he'll look to keep winning like he did in Michigan last season. Even with limited receiving options, QB Justin Herbert is more than capable of making things happen. // Projection: 8-9 New York Jets (7-11 in 2023-24) - Same with the Bengals, the Jets also had a Quarterback injury cause a rough season. Unluckily for them, theirs happened to be in week 1 of the regular season to a guy by the name of Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers is back this season and ready to roll as the Jets look to get to the postseason. If you don't remember, many people were very high on NYJ going into last year before the injury happened. They picked up a fantastic tackle in Olu Fashanu in the draft. Expect some improvement. // Projection: 10-7Teams I Expect to Fall-Off:  Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7 in 2023-24) - Pittsburgh picked up another winning season under HC Mike Tomlin last year. Don't get me wrong, he's one of the best coaches in this league right now. But, the Steelers are not a team that I expect to do all that well this season. They happen to be in what I believe to be the NFL's toughest division. With their last eight games of the season against BAL, CLE, CIN, CLE, PHI, BAL, KC, CIN, I just don't see them matching their number from last year. Expect a slight fall off. // Projection: 7-10 New Orleans Saints (9-8 in 2023-24) - New Orleans managed to do alright last season despite not having the best Quarterback play. Well, they might have to worry about the same things this year. Simply put, Derek Carr is not the answer for them. They did draft Spencer Rattler in the 5th round which could turn out to be the steal of the draft. But, don't expect him to start the season or even play all that much in his first season. // Projection: 7-10 Tennessee Titans (6-11 in 2023-24) - You may be thinking - Why am I expecting a 6-11 team to fall off? Well, I don't see them winning even five games this season. Tennessee lost their superstar running back in Derek Henry over this offseason, a move that everyone saw coming. They did manage to get Tony Pollard which should help them not be awful in that department. However, overcoming the loss of Henry and not improving offensively will be a problem. Nice addition to get L'Jarius Sneed from Kansas City though. // Projection: 4-13Five Future Bets to Make: 1. ) Indianapolis Colts - OVER 8.5 WINS (-105) 2. ) Indianapolis Colts - To Make The Playoffs - YES (+140)3. ) Shane Steichen - To Win Coach of the Year - YES (+1600) These top three are all about the Colts. I'm very high on Indianapolis this season. After a season where they finished 9-8 without their starting QB, I believe that they can accomplish things this year. New Head Coach Shane Steichen is going to do wonders for this football team as Anthony Richardson is one of the best up and coming stars. He proved that he's going to be special in just a few weeks last year. The win total is way too low considering the division that they are in. They will make the playoffs and perhaps even win the division. Getting Laiatu Latu in the 1st & Adonai Mitchell in the 2nd round was massive as well. Expect a big year for Steichen and this Indianapolis team. 4. ) Cleveland Browns - OVER 8.5 WINS (-135) While the Browns finished 11-6 last season with Joe Flacco under center for 5 games, they should be able to go "over" this mark quite easily. They'll have Deshaun Watson back and although he probably won't be as good as he was in Houston for those few years, he's more than capable at QB. The Browns will also be hoping that Nick Chubb returns sooner than later. That is probably what's causing this lower line. However, I do expect him to return at some point this season and get back to a decently high level once again.  5. ) New York Giants - UNDER 6.5 WINS (-135) New York simply isn't that good. They lost their superstar running back in Saquon Barkley during the offseason. Not only did they lose him. But, they lost him to their division rival in the Philadelphia Eagles. It's going to be a rough season for them as they are still leaning to having Daniel Jones take snaps behind center again. Yes, they added who I believe to be an insane talent in Malik Nabers. But, he's going to do nothing if they can't get him the ball. Don't expect very many wins from the G-Men this season.  Burns' Super Bowl Prediction:  Baltimore Ravens vs. San Francisco 49ers Score: 23-17 49ers. 

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2024 Wimbledon (Tennis) Preview:

Thursday, Jun 20, 2024

After successfully predicting the two winners (Carlos Alcaraz & Iga Swiatek) to win the French Open a month ago in my "2024 Roland Garros Preview," I'm back with a "2024 Wimbledon Preview" here for June/July. Although the main draw doesn't fully begin until July 1st, the qualification process begins on Monday (June 24th.) On that account, there is plenty for us to talk about. Let's take a look at what you can expect:  The Overall Favorites to win the Tournament:  With still over a week before the tournament begins, it's much harder to make predictions. Having said that, here's what I expect from the top players in both the Men's & Women's draws. Men's 1. ) Despite being the favorite once again for this year's Wimbledon, Carlos Alcaraz (+150 to win) suffered an early exit in Queen's (ATP 500 Tournament.) He's coming off an excellent Clay court campaign, capping it off with the French Open title. That being said, is the straight sets loss to Jack Draper in the Round of 16 of Queen's something to worry about? I don't think so. But, we'll have to see. Men's 2. ) Jannik Sinner (+175 to win) is right on the Spaniard's heels as one of the favorites in this slam. He's one of, if not the most consistent player on tour. He's already won the Australian Open this year and comes into the third Grand Slam of the year with just three losses so far this season (as of June 20th.) That's outrageous if you ask me. Men's 3. ) Why isn't Novak Djokovic (+350 to win) one of these first two names that I mentioned? Well, the "GOAT of tennis" who's won 24 of these Grand Slams (incl. 7 at Wimbledon) suffered a very concerning knee injury in the French Open. Labelled as a medial meniscus tear in his right knee, Djokovic has recovered extremely well. In fact, he was given the "doubtful" label by many sources as we heard this news. Now, we all know how much he wants to get back on the court. He's already ruled out the Olympics in late July/August as the workload would've been very much for an older player. Will he be fit and ready to go for this year's Championships? We'll just have to wait and see.  Women's 1. ) On the women's side of things, Aryna Sabalenka (+300 to win) is actually the overall favorite to win this tournament. With her power and dominant service game, it's hard to see anyone being able to stop her with how the grass game is played. She's coming off a disappointing loss in the French Open to the 17yr old phenom Mirra Andreeva. She'll definitely want to win this tournament for her second slam win of 2024.Women's 2. ) French Open champ Iga Swiatek (+350 to win) is the clear #1 player in the world right now. Her overall dominance to go along with her determination to win is very hard to ignore. It's not all that often that we have a player of this quality. Yes, Sabalenka might have the power to out duel most opponents. But, beating Swiatek will never be easy as long as the Pole stays healthy. Women's 3. ) Elana Rybakina (+450 to win) is one to watch in this year's tournament. She's a lengthy player who's got extreme power herself to go along with some of the best ground strokes you'll ever see. Yes, she's won just one Grand Slam. However, Wimbledon is the one tournament that she's won and she's very deadly on this court. Do not count her out. Full Odds to Win the Tournament (via. DraftKings:)Men's: Carlos Alcaraz +150Jannik Sinner +175 Novak Djokovic +350Alexander Zverev +1200Daniil Medvedev +1400 Matteo Berrettini +2000Alex De Minaur +2000Jack Draper +2500Hubert Hurkacz +2500Grigor Dimitrov +2500Women's: Aryna Sabalenka +300 Iga Swiatek +350Elena Rybakina +450 Coco Gauff +750Naomi Osaka +1100Ons Jabeur +1600 Marketa Vondrousova +2000Mirra Andreeva +2200 Qinwen Zheng +2500Emma Raducanu +2500 Burns' Wimbledon 2024 Projections:  As I mentioned earlier, I predicted that both Alcaraz (+260) & Swiatek (-165) would win the French Open. While both happened to be correct, those were the two favorites. In Wimbledon, I do believe that we could see a lot more upsets. That being said, I believe that anyone can win this tournament on both the Men's & Women's side. Ultimately I'm going to go with Jannik Sinner and Elena Rybakina as my two picks for Wimbledon. Both are very strong at both serving and returning and should be very hard to beat on this surface. Taylor Fritz (+2800) & Milos Raonic (+6500) could make some noise as they've both got insanely strong serves. On the Women's side, Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka are definitely very strong players, with powerful serves, that could do well as well. Just because I'm not taking them this time around, it doesn't mean that both Alcaraz and Swiatek can't win either. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised whatsoever if both end up winning once again. Expect a very exciting tournament in this year's Wimbledon. Best Bets: Jannik Sinner +175 to Win & Elena Rybakina +450 to Win. 

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2024 NBA Draft: What to Expect

Tuesday, Jun 04, 2024

As some have been saying, this might be one of the worst NBA draft classes of all time. Of course, there is still talent. But, let's take a look and see how good it really is. Lottery Picks: After a bit of speculation during the season, nobody really knew who would emerge as the best NBA prospect in this year's draft. As time passed along two names have become the best of the bunch. Alexandre Sarr (Perth Wildcats, NBL - France) & Zaccharie Risacher (France) are now the two favorites to be the #1 overall selection in this year's draft. Sarr, another lengthy 7-foot-1 player, is a tremendous defender. He might not have the ability that last year's #1 selection in Victor Wembanyama has in ball handling and the confidence of his shot quite yet. But, he has the potential to be great as he's drawn comparisons to someone like Jaren Jackson Jr. Risacher, who is now expected to go #2, is also a very exciting talent from the nation of France. Standing at 6-foot-10, he's an excellent player in transition, that reminds me a bit of Harrison Barnes. Although that might not be the most flashy player in the world to compare him to, he'll fill a much needed role for a program in need of a player like this.Over the rest of the top 15 picks of this year's draft, we could see a bunch of different things happen. Will Zach Edey end up in the lottery? Who will be the first guard taken off the board (Nikola Topic? Reed Sheppard? Rob Dillingham?) We will find all of this out on June 27th, 2024. Last Notes:A player to keep an eye on in the later stages of the draft will be Bronny James. Son of NBA living legend Lebron James, he most likely wouldn't even be a part of the talk of this draft class without his dad's name. That being said, he's ready to put the work in and I expect him to get drafted near the later stages of the second round. It's pretty safe to say that this class most definitely doesn't possess the talent that we've seen in previous years. But, it's hard to call it the "worst" without having had any of them play a single game in the NBA yet. Odds to go #1:  Alexandre Sarr (-210)Zaccharie Risacher (+190)Donovan Clingan (+1200)Ron Holland (+2000)Reed Sheppard (+2200)Robert Dillingham (+3000)Matas Buzelis (+3500)Nikola Topic (+4000)Stephon Castle (+5000)Dalton Knecht (+10000)Two Draft Night "Prop Bets" to Make: Firstly, getting Zaccharie Risacher at +100 to be the #2 overall pick is an absolute steal. With the odds of being the #1 overall pick at what they are, I don't see how the French powerhouses don't go #1 and #2 overall in this year's draft. For my second prop, I've got Donovan Clingan at +425 to be the #3rd overall pick in this year's draft. Although he has the third best odds to be selected at that pick, the Rockets should look at who's going to help them win. Clingan paired up with the already dangerous Alperen Şengün would be a nightmare for opposing opponents. These odds are too good to pass up. 

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Czech Republic Win Gold at IIHF World Championships

Thursday, May 30, 2024

The IIHF World Championships came to an end on Sunday as the Czechs claimed the gold medal against Switzerland behind some terrific home fan support. It was a very successful tournament as we saw plenty of top quality hockey involving some of the best players in the World from the NHL and other top leagues. While the Swiss ended up with silver, it was still a very impressive showing from the "Playground of Europe." Finishing in third place was Sweden, as they defeated Canada in the bronze medal game.  How the Tournament Went: Even though both the United States & Canada didn't have their best of the best come, it's always a disappointment if they aren't playing for Gold. The USA just weren't very strong from the opening match. Finishing without a medal, the US ended up losing to the Czechs (who went on to win) in the Quarter-Finals. Don't get me wrong, it was a close game. But, they should be winning that game and moving on. Canada, on the other hand, lost a shoot-out to Switzerland in the Semi-Finals. It was a heartbreak as probably their best player in the tournament, Dylan Cozens, was denied by the Swiss goalie (Leonardo Genoni) to extend the shoot-out, who was excellent throughout the whole tournament. Talking about Switzerland, they were led by their NHL superstars. Captain Roman Josi had Kevin Fiala, Nico Hischier & Nino Niederreiter with him as they battled. As mentioned earlier, the goaltender Leonardo Genoni absolutely stood on his head, especially against Canada. It's always difficult to lose in the big one, but this is a team that should be very proud of what they accomplished with the Silver Medal. The Czech Republic, led by David Pastrnak, won a battle in that Gold Medal Game. When the Boston Bruins got eliminated from the playoffs, every Czech hockey fan was waiting for the moment that the goal scoring machine would announce that he was coming. Of course, Pastrnak said yes and ended up being the hero for his home country. A goal with just over 10 minutes to go would end up being the game winner and the fans went absolutely nuts. Talk about an awesome experience. Terrific host country. Sweden and Finland were disappointed as well, especially the Fins. They actually played each other in the Quarter-Finals, in a game that was decided by an Overtime winner by Joel Eriksson Ek (Minnesota Wild Forward.) Sweden went on the lose to Czechia, but beat Canada to at least stand tall on the podium. With their talent, a goal medal was expected for them as well. Finland however, needs to get back to the top as they didn't look all that competitive in some of the group stage matches. What's Next? With all of this up and coming talent around the World, maybe International Hockey will finally get back to being what it used to be. NHL players are now allowed back in the Olympics (in 2026 and 2030,) which should gain huge viewership once again. Even more of the stars should be out for those events as the Olympics are as big as it gets. However, next year's Hockey World Championships promises to be just as good, if not better than this years. We are in a golden age of hockey right now and it's only going to get better! Speaking of the "Golden age of Hockey," we're down to the last four teams in the NHL playoffs. Both Conference Finals series are coming down to the wire. As of Thursday, May 30th, here are the odds (via. DraftKings) to win the cup! Florida Panthers +235 Dallas Stars +255 Edmonton Oilers +275 New York Rangers +370 If I had to pick one of those teams to win at the moment, it would have the be the Dallas Stars at +255. They look very strong and will get to play two of the last three games in this series against EDM at home (if necessary.) 

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2024 Roland Garros (French Open) Preview:

Friday, May 24, 2024

It's already been a grueling 2024 season for all of the players and it's only just getting into the busy time of the year. Fully into the "Clay Court" season after a very intriguing start to the year on the "Hard Court." Injury/Fatigue Woes:  Entering this year's French Open plenty of the top players have been dealing with issues with their bodies. World #1 Novak Djokovic might not be dealing with an injury, but he's dealing with something. As a matter of fact, he's yet to win a single tournament in 2024. #2 Carlos Alcaraz enters the big one "concerned" of his forearm still. Yes, they say he's "pain-free," coming in. However, there have been reports that he is still worried about hitting his forehand with full power. #3 in the world, Jannik Sinner also arrives in Paris with a lingering hip injury. After winning the Australian Open, fans were expecting him to play in Rome (his home country.) He wasn't able to play and everyone is eager to see if he can win another slam despite the setback. Many more players have been forced to withdraw from tournaments and not play due to injuries as well. Hopefully there's nothing to worry about for this tournament, but time will tell.   Giant Opening Round Matchups:  Kicking things off with an epic showdown, tennis fans have already been talking anxiously about the #4 Alexander Zverev/Rafael Nadal match. In what could very well be Nadal's last French Open of his career, he will have to go through one of today's best players in order to make a run at glory once again. Zverev knows that this match will not be easy, even considering Nadal's current form and health. This one is MUST-WATCH TV. (Zverev is -400) In a battle of the so-called veteran, we will get to watch the 39 & 37 year old's Stan Wawrinka/Andy Murray showdown in the opening round. Yes, it might not be as exciting of a match than the first one that I mentioned. However, this is a match that long time Tennis fans will be tuning into. Stan has won 16 tournaments (three grand slams) in his time in the tennis world including one in this very tournament back in 2015. On the other hand, the Brit has won 46 titles (three grand slams) over the course of his career. No, he's never won the French. But, he has featured in a final back in 2016. (Wawrinka is -200) On the women's side, a very good matchup will be #23 Anna Kalinskaya/Clara Burel. Both of these women are extremely talented and enter the tournament in the top 50 in the world. Kalinskaya hasn't really been all that impressive on Clay so far. But, she's coming off an excellent Quarter-Final finish in Australia and she's already beaten world #1 Iga Swiatek this season. For Clara Burel, she's not as well known in the tennis world. She made it to the Rof32 in the Australian Open, and will continue to push each and every one of her opponents. This should be a fascinating watch.  (Kalinskaya is -145) Potential Look-Ahead Matchups:Hopeful of yet another Grand-Slam win to his name, Novak Djokovic will have probably the easiest path to the final with #3 Sinner and #2 Alcaraz on the other side. If Rafa Nadal somehow manages to make it that far, a Semi Final matchup with Djokovic would be epic. Looking at the women's draw, #2 Aryna Sabalenka & #4 Elena Rybakina are on the same side. A match between former #1 Naomi Osaka and current #1 Iga Swiatek could very well happen in the second round. Overall many very interesting matchups could play out over the course of this tournament.  Odds to Win (via. DraftKings:) Men's: Carlos Alcaraz +260Novak Djokovic +330 Jannik Sinner +450Alexander Zverev +700Stefanos Tsitsipas +850 Casper Ruud +1200Andrey Rublev +2500Rafael Nadal +2500Daniil Medvedev +3000 Holger Rune +4000Women's: Iga Swiatek -165 Aryna Sabalenka +550 Coco Gauff +900 Elena Rybakina +1000Danielle Collins +2000 Jalena Ostapenko +4000 Maria Sakkari +5000 Qinwen Zheng +5000 Mirra Andreeva +6000 Ons Jabeur +6500  Burns' French Open 2024 Projections:  It's very hard to go against the two favorite's to win the whole thing. That being said, I do expect both Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek to come away with the French Open this year. They are both just way too talented on clay and I don't see them losing. A couple of players that could also win are Novak Djokovic (of course,) Jannik Sinner and Rafael Nadal (if he's playing his best) on the Men's side. For the women, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina could also win with a bit of luck. The top four women at the moment are simply much better than the rest of the field. Therefore, I believe that it's almost a guarantee that one of them wins. Best Bets: Carlos Alcaraz +260 to Win & Iga Swiatek -165 to Win. 

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Has the Golden State Warriors Dynasty Come to an End?

Sunday, Apr 21, 2024

After losing to the Sacramento Kings last Tuesday, people from around the world chimed in on their thoughts about Golden State. Their disappointing results last year had many people believing that it was the end. Now, after experiencing another let down so early, is it safe to say that we’ve seen the end of the dominance of the Warriors? As a fan of the game, it’s always fun to watch the best teams go at it in the biggest situations. Golden State has been the “best of the best” for many years in a row now and it’s sad to see them go. Having said that, are they really done just yet? Well, Klay Thompson’s contract expires this offseason. Meaning that it’s time for the front office to make some decisions. His horrible performance in the Play-In game might be something that they use to help make that decision. Prior to that game, Klay had actually been playing very well. But, they’ll need to figure things out, that’s for sure. Golden State will also have to decide on other changes that could possibly improve the team's abilities. Draymond Green is somebody to talk about. Jonathan Kuminga/Andrew Wiggins/Moses Moody/Dario Saric will also need to be figured out. Maybe even another move for Chris Paul is in the cards for this offseason. There’s just one thing that is set in stone, to my knowledge. Stephen Curry will continue to be a Warrior until the end of his career. In fact, Curry might happen to be a part of the discussions in some of these difficult decisions. Obviously he’s played his entire career with the likes of Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. If they can somehow keep the trio together for next season, I bet that they will. As much as everyone believes that they need a change, let’s not forget that all three of these guys are more than likely to be hall-of-famers when it’s all said and done. Having said that, it’s also likely that at least one of Klay/Draymond has to move on. If played correctly, the Warriors could very well trade away - EXAMPLE - somebody like Andrew Wiggins and get a decent amount in return. There’s no question that he struggled this season, from what he did last year at least. So, the question is still this. Will they continue to disappoint? Or will they snap out of it and make yet another run at glory? Everyone has their own opinions on this and I believe that a lot of people think that it’s over. But, as long as Steph Curry is still in that jersey, I find it hard to believe that the Warriors won’t be a threat, yet alone title contenders once again in the near future. 2024-25 Prediction: If the Warriors keep their trio together, I expect them to get back into the playoffs. They should be competitive (if they all stay healthy) against any team and could very well win a couple of series'. Having said that, if they are to rebuild, it could be another long season for Golden State fans.

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What's Wrong with the Houston Astros?

Saturday, Apr 13, 2024

Houston has been one of the most successful teams over the past decade. Baseball fans around the world have watched the Astros play in the ALCS for seven consecutive seasons now. It’s two weeks into the 2024 MLB season & the AL juggernauts have simply played horribly. With their 4-11 record, is it time to start worrying? Let’s break it all down. THE PITCHING: Through 15 games, the pitching numbers have been embarrassing. Currently ranked 29th out of 30, the team owns an alarming 5.56 ERA. Those aren’t the only statistics that the Astros are struggling in right now. They’ve allowed an average of 8.9 hits per game, a batting average of .263 and a 7.35 K/9 ratio. Unsurprisingly, all of those numbers rank 26th or worse at the moment. Improvement is critical if they want to make noise again this season. Yes, the Astros are dealing with injuries right now. They started the season without Luis Garcia as well as Justin Verlander. Now, Framber Valdez is out for at least two weeks on the 15 day IL. Of course, getting those guys back will help, but will it be too little too late? THE BATTING: Hitting hasn’t necessarily been the issue for Houston to date. They are averaging a plentiful amount of baserunners per game. What’s the issue then? Leaving runners on base is definitely it. They currently stand as the second worst team in baseball in that category. Alex Bregman is a guy that needs to wake up as well. He’s hitting just .241 and has yet to hit a single home run this season. That’s a shock since he’s hit at least 20 in each of the last four seasons that he’s played at least 155 games in.  IS THE DEPARTURE OF DUSTY BAKER THE PROBLEM?One of the most highly respected managers in recent MLB history stepped down after last season. He’s gotten them to four of those seven ALCS and helped bring Houston home a world series. Having said that, the Dusty Baker departure effect might be something that’s caused some of these problems. New manager Joe Espada has never been the head guy of a team before. Of course he’s been around the sport. But, is he up for the job? Well, if judged by his record, he hasn’t done a very good job so far. Yes, it’s early, but time is ticking and soon enough they’ll be out of the playoffs, if things don’t start to change.  CURRENT ODDS TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS, WIN THE AL WEST, WIN THE ENTIRE AL, & WIN THE WORLD SERIES (odds via. DraftKings:) To Make The Playoffs: -170 To Win The AL West: +165 To Win The AL: +550 To Win The World Series: +1100 (up from +800) ARE THEY GOOD ENOUGH TO COME BACK FROM THE EARLY STRUGGLES? Of course the Astros are good enough to come back from this. It’s the beginning of the season and this is the time to be at their lowest. The oddsmakers aren’t budging with future odds quite yet, and for a reason. When healthy, this team can be, and is one of the scariest teams to face in all of baseball. Now, baseball is a very long season. Everything can change with one swing. Don’t let the early season record of the Houston Astros deceive you. They are still very much alive and well. It’s just a matter of time for this stacked lineup to start capitalizing with runners on base. I have yet to play on (or against) the Astros but will be looking to play on them in favorable spots going forward.  BEST HOUSTON ASTROS FUTURE BET: It’s hard to think that the Astros aren’t going to make the playoffs after how many years that they’ve dominated the American League. Yes, it’s been a bad start. But, you’ve got to remember. This is a 162 game season and we are not even close to the halfway point yet. Expect Houston to still make the playoffs. The best Futures bet on the Astros is currently (-170 To Make the Playoffs.) --------------*Houston is currently about to win their fifth game of the season today against the Texas Rangers. The comeback is on!

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