Matthew Lowrimore
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One pick is taken from each sport and a winning ticket would give us a nice payout with odds of +1131 at DraftKings. Let’s break down each of these plays.
EPL: Aston Villa vs Tottenham Hotspur ML (+115), 12:30 pm ET
Tottenham put in one of its best performances of the season against Newcastle on Sunday and looks ready to continue a push for a top-4 EPL finish. Spurs hammered Newcastle 5-1, and although the Magpies did not impress, it was a superb effort from the London club. January signings Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski have added quality to a squad now looking for a 4th straight Premier League victory.
Aston Villa have lost 3 successive EPL games with poor displays against West Ham, Arsenal and Wolves. They have won just 5 home Premier League games all season, so Tottenham looks a great bet to grab the road victory.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Aston Villa vs Tottenham Hotspur
MLS: Toronto FC vs Real Salt Lake ML (-120), 8:00 pm ET
Real Salt Lake has looked extremely strong to start the year, with their only loss a 1-0 defeat to Sporting Kansas City. Meanwhile, Toronto has started surprisingly well and they will be content with 2 victories in their opening 5 games. Historically, the home team has dominated this matchup, going 8-1-1 in the last 10 meetings, with the only loss coming in 2013 when Toronto lost at home. Real Salt Lake has won both its home games to start the season, and should not slow down against Toronto tonight.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Toronto FC vs Real Salt Lake
MLB: Houston Astros vs Los Angeles Angels ML (+105), 9:07 pm ET
Typically, in this spot everything would point to backing the Astros with Justin Verlander on the mound and the Astros offense firing on all cylinders. However, the Angels are working a 6-man rotation and have no plans to limit Noah Syndergaard with the extra rest he’ll have between his starts.
Meanwhile, Verlander will be part of a 5-man rotation and Astros manager Dusty Baker mentioned he thought Verlander was tired in the 5th inning of his last start. On top of that, Baker has suggested resting players early in the season because of the shortened spring training schedule. There’s a chance that Verlander eases his way back into things and the Astros turn to their bullpen early, which benefits the Angels. With that in mind, take the Angels at plus money and a shot to pick up their first win of the season.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Houston Astros vs Los Angeles Angels
UFC: Gilbert Burns vs Khamzat Chimaev win by finish (-190), 11:00 pm ET
Khamzat Chimaev comes into this fight with an MMA record of 10-0. He is 4-0 in the UFC, most recently beating Li Jingliang by submission in October 2021. Chimaev is averaging 8.68 significant strikes per minute and has a striking accuracy of 77%. He is absorbing 0.08 strikes and has a striking defense of 75%. His grappling has also been elite, averaging 4.65 takedowns per every 15 minutes and 5.8 submission attempts during the same time period.
Chimaev is the clear favorite, and he continues to dominate his UFC opponents, winning all 4 fights by finish and now has 10 wins by finish in his career. For that reason, backing Chimaev to win by finish is the play.
Be sure to check out our full fight preview for Gilbert Burns vs Khamzat Chimaev
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