Baseball Betting – MLB’s Coldest Teams ATS

The MLB sports betting regular season is now three weeks into the regular season, and the following teams have been ice cold for MLB bettors at BetOnline Sportsbook throughout the last week of play.

(RANK) (TEAM) (SU RECORD) (SU RECORD L/5 -$$)

1) Baltimore Orioles (9-13) (1-4 SU L/5 -$425): After getting off to a decent 6-2 start through the first eight games of their 2009 MLB betting campaign, the Orioles have hit rock bottom winning just three of their next 14. That mark includes their recent 1-4 SU mark their L/5 games that saw them fail their betting backers as lofty -150 favorites twice. Overall, Baltimore currently ranks 24th on the $$$ list with a deficit of close to $400 on the year. On top of that, they’ve struggled in Camden Yards winning just seven of the 15 games they’ve played to date. That’s horrifying news for O’s bettors and their fans considering the club finished 21-games under .500 as a visitor last season. Offensively, the team ranks out amongst the most potent of attacks in the league, but the pitching staff is once again horrendous. This gas can of a unit currently ranks 30th (dead last) in team ERA (5.94), 28th in WHIP (1.61), and 27th in the quality start department (6). Oh yeah, the bullpen ranks in at #26 in the league with a gaudy 6.14 unit ERA. Now they have to hit the road for five against AL East rivals Toronto and Tampa Bay; don’t be surprised to see them at the top of this list next week as well.

2) San Diego Padres (11-10) (1-4 SU L/5 -$395): The surprising Padres were the toast of the MLB betting community after it picked up a number of huge underdog wins at New York and Philadelphia the last couple weeks. The accolades quickly turned to boos though recently after San Diego’s managed just a 2-7 SU mark since it got the best of Brett Myers and the Phillies as +170 underdogs back on April 18th. If not for a 4-3 win at Coors Field against the Rockies in the second of their three-game set, the Padres would find themselves losers of five in a row heading into this weekend’s four- game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Going into the season, San Diego figured to be one of the worst teams in the “Bigs” after winning just 63 games a season ago. They currently rank in the bottom third of the league in runs/game (#21 with 4.33), batting average (#20 at .258), ERA (#22 at 4.82), WHIP (#21 at 1.48), and quality starts (7 total to rank #25). Now that San Diego is starting to show its true colors, look to fade the Fathers more times than not; especially away from Petco Park where they managed to win just 28 games in 2008.

3) Tampa Bay Rays (8-14) (1-4 SU L/5 -$350): It’s tough having a target on your backs! That’s exactly what the defending AL Champs have discovered throughout the first three weeks of their title defense. That said; they’ve already had to play through a hellacious schedule that’s seen them play 15 of their 22 games away from friendly Tropicana Field. Not making excuses for the club, but it’s not easy winning on the road in the Major League’s; especially in the first month of the season when teams make it a point to win at home trying to get off to a solid start to their respective seasons. Still, the Rays offense and pitching has been bothersome. They’re hitting the home runs and swiping the bases (ranked #9 & #1 respectively), but they’re not hitting for average (#19 at .260) and they’ve only averaged scoring 4.41 runs per game (#20). Making matters worse for the struggling offense is the fact that the starting rotation hasn’t fared well and the bullpen has gone from one of the best in ’08 to one of the worst right now. Things will come together for Manager Joe Maddon’s club, there’s too much talent at hand for it not to, but it better flip the switch quick before it finds its 6.5-game deficit in the East stretch out to 10.

And the rest….

4) Cleveland Indians (8-14) (2-3 SU L/5 -$150)

5) Cincinnati Reds (11-10) (2-3 SU L/5 -$120)

MLB Picks – St. Louis Cardinals at Washington Nationals

BetOnline MLB betting odds: Cardinals -120, Nationals +100, Total 10

Right-handers take the mound for both teams on Thursday, as Mitchell Boggs of St. Louis (1-0, 0.00 ERA) faces off against Daniel Cabrera of the Nationals (0-2, 4.42 ERA).

Here are some of the MLB Baseball betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* STL has won seven of its last nine games

* STL has lost 17 of its last 25 road games

* WASH has lost 19 of its last 24 games

* WASH has lost 11 of its last 15 home games

* WASH has played four of its last six home games UNDER the total

In the HEAD-TO-HEAD online betting trends:

* STL has won five of the last six meetings

* WASH has won five of the last seven meetings as the home team

* Twelve of the last 16 meetings in Washington have gone UNDER the total

The Cardinals beat Atlanta 5-3 on Wednesday for their seventh win in the last nine games, as Adam Wainwright picked up his third straight win. The Nationals were able to beat the Phillies 4-1 and take one game out of three in that series at Citizens Bank Park, as newly-acquired Scott Olsen registered his first win in a Washington uniform. The Cardinals are atop the National League Central, leading three teams – the Pirates, Reds and Brewers – by three and a half games. Washington brings up the rear in the National League East, 7.5 games in back of the Florida Marlins.

Neither of Thursday’s pitchers has ever made a start against the other team.

Daniel Cabrera was lifted after 2-1/3 innings in his last start, giving up five runs (one of them earned) and six hits in an 8-2 loss to the Mets. Thus far the Nats have lost all four games he has started. Cabrera has been around for a while, but he is not throwing with the same kind of velocity he used to, and that is evidenced by his strikeout rate, which is only seven in 18-1/3 innings. Last year he fanned 95 in 180 innings, but that is in stark contrast to 2006, when he struck out an average of 9.5 batters per nine innings. This was partly an effort get more control, but that hasn’t happened. He’s got 12 walks so far.

Mitchell Boggs led the Pacific Coast league in ERA last season, and he was the logical choice to take the fifth spot in the St. Louis rotation when Chris Carpenter went to the disabled list. What had held him back from a regular big league assignment was lack of command in his breaking ball, but pitching coach Dave Duncan has been impressed. "The most impressive thing was he made his breaking ball a factor in the game," Duncan told reporters after Boggs put in 5-2/3 innings against the Cubs five days ago without allowing an earned run. Still, concerns linger because in his brief stint with the big league club in 2008, Boggs allowed more walks than he had strikeouts.

Washington has had little in the way of a home field edge, with a 3-5 record this year and 11 losses in 15 games going back to the 2008 campaign. The pitchers themselves look like they may be going in different directions, so let’s lay a mild price with St. Louis, the -120 favorite in the BetOnline National League baseball sports betting odds.

JAY’S PLAY: ST. LOUIS (-120) **

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

Pick the Fish – Florida Marlins vs. Chicago Cubs

Florida Marlins vs. Chicago Cubs 8:05 ET

Thursday night provides another opportunity for MLB betting aficionados to boost their bankrolls, and BetOnline will be there to cover all of the action! As a part of a packed slate of games, the Florida Marlins (13-8, +$546) will invade the Windy City to do battle with the Chicago Cubs (10-10-, -$293) in the first of a four-game set at Wrigley Field. Since losing seven straight games, the Marlins have fired back with a vengeance, beating the Mets on Tuesday and Wednesday to return to their winning ways. The Cubs, on the other hand, are slumping, as they have dropped six of their L/8, and closed out their most recent six game road trip at just 2-4.

The oddsmakers are expecting a tight showdown tonight, as the Cubs are slender -120 favorites, while the ‘total’ comes in at 9.5 under –115.

Manager Freddie Gonzalez will send one of his many young arms to the mound on Thursday night. RHP Chris Volstad is off to a fantastic start in his second year in the big leagues, as he is 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. Marlins bettors are a cool 3-1 in his four starts (+$216). They’re now 11-7 and +$789 in his brief career. The righty only allowed a pair of earned runs in seven frames against the Phillies in his last start on April 25th, but thanks to some shoddy work by the back end of the bullpen, he came up with a tough luck no decision and Florida lost 6-4. He has had some control issues this season, as he has averaged 3.0 walks per start, but an 8.49 K/9 will more than make up for those issues. This will be the right-hander’s third career start against the Cubbies. He’s 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in his two previous outings (12.0 innings pitched) against the Northsiders.

For the third straight season, the Cubs are using LHP Sean Marshall in a role of spot starter/long relief. He’s made two starts and two relief appearances so far this season, and is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA and 1.42 WHIP. He has been acceptable in his L/2 appearances, both starts, as he has given up three runs in an average of just over five frames per start. Those numbers aren’t mind-boggling, but have at least kept the Cubbies in games. His bullpen has conceded nine runs in those outings though, and it should come as no surprise that Chicago bettors are 0-2 in each of his starts. Marshall’s career against the Fish has been a rough one, as he is 1-3 with a 4.38 ERA in 24.2 career innings pitched.

The choice here is fairly obvious. Volstad is leaps and bounds better than Marshall. Though the Cubs probably have a better batting lineup and bullpen than the Marlins possess, there’s simply too much value with Volstad tagged the underdog in this spot; especially since he’s matched up against a club playing just .500 baseball thus far.

Rose’s Recommendation: 3* Florida Marlins +100

(Rating Scale: 1* – 5*)

Sexy Sleepers – Diamondbacks vs. Brewers

The Arizona Diamondbacks and Milwaukee Brewers have been both sexy sleepers in the National League over the last two seasons but baseball betting fans know that both teams have failed to meet up with their potential.

On Thursday, they’ll meet up for a contest in Milwaukee, which will be the first if a four-game set.

The pitching matchup that online betting handicappers will be examining will be Max Scherzer (0-2, 4.91 ERA) versus Jeff Suppan (1-2, 7.32 ERA).

The Diamondbacks are hoping for big things from Scherzer this year as he is among their most highly touted prospects.

Scherzer has been inconsistent so far this season, allowing eight earned runs in just 14.1 innings pitched. He is known as a strikeout machine and he has been fanning opposing batters at a good pace with 13 strikeouts in 14.1 innings pitched, but he’s also been walking batters at a high rate. He has eight walks this season.

Facing Scherzer will be Suppan, who has experienced plenty of early season struggles himself. Suppan has started four games and has an ERA over seven so far. Reviewing his first four starts, he has really only had one good outing.

In his outing against the New York Mets on April 19th, Suppan allowed just two earned runs in six innings pitched. When subtracted from the rest of his numbers, Suppan actually has permitted 14 earned runs in just 13.2 innings pitched.

Suppan started twice against the D-Backs last year with mixed results. He won one of the starts but overall, allowed eight earned runs in 12 innings pitched. He also gave up 16 hits in those 12 innings pitched, two of which went for home runs while allowing the Diamondbacks to bat .333 against him.

Right now, Suppan is really struggling and so there is no reason for baseball betting handicappers to trust him. Over might be a good play as both pitchers are giving up enough runs to make this a high-scoring contest.

Perfect at Home – San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Dodgers

The San Diego Padres (11-10 SU, 11-9 RL, 11-8-1 O/U) and Los Angeles Dodgers (14-8 SU, 13-9 RL, 11-7-4 O/U) will both be looking to get back in the win column when the longtime division rivals square off at Dodger Stadium tonight at 10 PM ET.

The Padres were handed a 7-5 loss by the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday, losing as +125 underdogs while the 12 combined runs checked in Over the posted over/under total (10.5).

Adrian Gonzalez belted two home runs and drove in three runs in a losing effort.

The Dodgers lost to the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday as +130 road underdogs while the game’s 13 total runs played well OVER the set O/U total (7.5) in the BetOnline Sportsbook.

Orlando Hudson went 2-for-5 with one RBI for the Dodgers.

Tonight, the Padres will hand the ball to right-hander Josh Geer (0-0, 4.91 ERA) who will make his first start since tossing seven-innings against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 5-4 loss on April 19.

Geer also allowed a whopping five runs in four innings of relief in Saturday’s 10-1 loss to Pittsburgh after starter Shawn Hill left with soreness in his right biceps.

The Dodgers will counter with right-hander James McDonald (1-1, 7.11 ERA) to help them keep their perfect home record this season intact.

McDonald earned his first major league victory on Saturday, beating the Colorado Rockies 6-5 despite allowing five runs on four hits while striking out two and walking a career-high four batters in just five innings.

Here is a look at tonight’s key trends, followed by my in-depth analysis and MLB Free Pick.

The Padres are 5-0 in their last 5 Thursday games.

The Padres are 6-2 in their last 8 after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game.

The Dodgers are 4-0 in their last 4 home games with the total set at 9.0-10.5.

The Dodgers are 5-1 in their last 6 games as a favorite of -151 to -200.

The Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings.

The Over is 20-8 in the last 28 meetings in Los Angeles.

The Padres are 4-9 in the last 13 meetings.

The Padres are 1-5 in the last 6 meetings in Los Angeles.

MLB Odds

San Diego Padres +1½ -155

Josh Greer –R +130

Los Angeles Dodgers -1½ +135

James McDonald –R -150

Over 9½ -115

Under 9½ -105

Analysis: With two mediocre starting pitchers taking the bump tonight, I like the Over first and foremost for this contest.

Each of James McDonald’s last two starts have gone over their set O/U totals while Josh Greer has helped to send two of his last three starts Over their respective O/U totals as well.

Despite dropping three of their last four games, I expect the Dodgers to get back on track by unleashing an offensive explosion on Greer and the Padres tonight, though I will admit that I expect McDonald to give up his fair share of runs as well.

MLB Free Picks: Over 9½ Total Runs/Dodgers -1½ Runs

Celtics vs. Bulls Game Six – 1st Quarter Betting Props

Celtics-Bulls Game Six – Celtics ATS in the 1st Quarter

It’s actually unbelievable how good this series has been. The Bulls and Celtics have already set an NBA playoff record with three overtime games (and four overtime periods). The series returns to Chicago tonight with the Bulls facing elimination down three games to two. Maybe the only thing about the series that hasn’t been tightly contested is the first quarter. The Celtics are 4-0-1 SU in the first quarter, with game one being the tie. Here’s the betting line for the 1st quarter of tonight’s game:

Spread:

• Boston Celtics +1pt -115

• Chicago Bulls -1pt -115

Analysis: As I was saying, the Celtics have been dominating the first quarter in this series. To go along with their 4-0-1 SU record in the frame, they have an average point differential of +4. It’s no better for the Bulls in Chicago, where they have lost both first quarters by an average of 6 points. These numbers shouldn’t come as a surprise, because of the teams regular season first quarter performances. Boston is a +2.6 in first quarter over the whole season, while Chicago is -1.6. What’s really interesting is that those numbers hardly change at all when you only look at Boston’s performance on the road and Chicago’s at home. Chicago is an ugly -1.4 in the 1st Q at home, while Boston maintains a nice +2.4 start on the road. It’s amazing, given all these numbers, that Chicago is actually a favorite on the first quarter NBA betting line. I’m not saying that Boston is going to take this game, but given the history, you’ve got to like them in the first quarter at least. Here’s a summary of the relevant numbers, so you can draw your own conclusions, but I’m pretty sure you’ll end up liking this line as much as I do.

1st Quarter Betting Trends:

• The Celtics have a +2.6 point differential in the 1st quarter this season.

• The Bulls have a -1.6 point differential in the 1st quarter this season.

• The Celtics have a +2.4 point differential on the road in the 1st quarter.

• The Bulls have a -1.4 point differential at home in the 1st quarter.

• The Celtics are 6-1-1 SU against the Bulls in the 1st quarter this season (including regular season and the playoffs).

• The Celtics have a +4.1pt differential in the 1st quarter in those eight matchups.

Pick:

• Boston Celtics +1 -115 (1st Quarter Handicap)

NHL Second Round – Chicago Blackhawks vs. Vancouver Canucks

NHL Semi-Final Preview! Blackhawks Visit Vancouver

The Canucks have to be worried about the time they’ve had off. Sure it gave Mats Sundin and others time to lick their wounds, but they were in a serious groove after shutting down the Blues in four straight games. Vancouver is undefeated in their last five games, 15-2 SU in their last 17 at home and have held the UNDER in five straight games.

The Hawks clawed their way out of a series with Calgary, stunning the NHL betting world with some incredible hockey that propelled them past a perennially known as first-round fodder. But playing in Vancouver has not been their forte. The Hawks are 2-11 SU in their last 13 games in Vancouver.

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Vancouver Canucks

Thursday, April 30th — GM Place, Vancouver — 9:00pm EST

NHL Betting Line: Vancouver -145 (5)

I still don’t like the Hawks, no matter how many X-Box simulations the pundits run. This team is not built for the playoffs, and their too young to understand the serious difficulties in balancing the pressure of performing, and using that as motivation on the ice. The Hawks have averaged 3.22 goals for this season, and steadied themselves on the road for 3.0 goals. However, they’ll be meeting the scariest goal tender in these NHL Playoffs when they run in to the man known as Robert Luongo.

Things are going extremely well for the Canucks lately, and a lengthy rest will give them what they need to vanquish an inexperienced Chicago team traveling on the road after a physical series with the Flames.

NHL Furious Free Pick: Vancouver -145 (UNDER)

Orlando Magic vs. Philadelphia 76ers – Philly has a shot

Flagrant fouls were all the talk of the Eastern Conference, and Dwight Howard’s malicious elbow has been handed a one-game suspension. The Magic will have to rely on incredible perimeter shooting from Hedo and Rashard, and the Sixers’ fans will be thirsting for blood when the Magic and Sixers take the series back to Philadelphia.

This series has been full of surprises, but nothing has surprised me more than the sudden fanfare surrounding Andre Igoudala. Iggy is leading the Sixers with 18 points, five assists and just under six rebound a game but he’s hardly the clutch player that Philadelphia fans are anointing him as. Yes, he hit the game winner, but he was awful four five minutes before that.

#3 Orlando Magic vs. #6 Philadelphia 76ers

Thursday, April 30th — Wachovia Center, Philadelphia — 7:30pm EST

NBA Betting Line: Philadelphia -4 (185)

How good are the Magic without Howard? Howard missed three games this season, and the Magic went 2-1, notching victories over Utah and Golden State. They were both decisive wins. So are the Magic scared of the Sixers without Howard? Not exactly. They’re an extremely deep roster. But Howard is the center of their defense, and containing Philadelphia will be more difficult with Howard suspended.

This, of course, can have two effects. It can motivate the Sixers to play out of their mind and tie the series at threes. Or it can galvanize the Magic trying to prove that they can win without their fearless leader, and the Defensive Player of the Year.

NBA Betting Trends

-Orlando is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

-Orlando is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games on the road

-Orlando is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road

-The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando’s last 6 games on the road

-Philadelphia is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games

-Philadelphia is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games at home

-Philadelphia is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games at home

-Philadelphia is 3-11 SU in its last 14 games when playing Orlando

I’d like to think that the latter can happen, but Orlando hasn’t exactly been the conquering road team if you follow the trends. Philadelphia is always playing in a frenzy when their true sixth man – the crowd – is feverishly behind them. That’s why this game will go in the OVER. Expect Orlando to pull away early with some perimeter shooting, but without a dominant post presence, the Sixers will rally in the second half and cover the spread.

NBA Furious Free Pick: Philadelphia -4 (OVER)

Just won’t Die – Portland Trail Blazers at Houston Rockets

Portland Trail Blazers at Houston Rockets

Game 6 – Western Conference Playoff Series (Houston leads 3-2)

BetOnline Basketball Betting Odds: HOUSTON -5, Total 179.5

Here are some of the NBA pro basketball betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* PORT has won 12 of its last 16 games SU

* PORT has covered nine of its last 11 road games

* PORT has played its last five road games UNDER the total

* HOU has won eight of its last 11 games SU

* HOU has covered five of its last seven home games

* HOU has won its last eight home games SU

* HOU has played four of its last five home games UNDER the total

Also…

* HOU has won 10 of the last 13 meetings SU

* The last three meetings have gone UNDER the total

* Six of the last nine meetings have gone OVER the total

* PORT has covered five of the last seven meetings as the road team

* HOU has won the last five meetings SU as the home team

* Six of the last eight meetings in Houston have gone UNDER the total

* HOU has had the rebounding edge in five of the last seven meetings

Yao Ming had 24 points and shot nine-for-nine from the field in Game 1 of this series. It hasn’t been so easy for him since then, as Portland has made adjustments. Sure, the big guy is always going to shoot a high percentage, but it’s actually just 49% in the last four contests. And Portland has done a good job of boxing him out, as he’s garnered just six offensive rebounds in five games.

There were a number of subtle things that made the difference in Portland’s 88-77 win in Game 5. One of them was that the Blazers forced 16 turnovers, which fueled the transition game. They were aggressive defensively, with ten steals and eight blocked shots. They shot a better percentage from beyond the three-point arc (43%-20%). They limited Houston to just three offensive boards. One thing that was perhaps not so subtle was that they got to the line 23 times to just ten for the Rockets. Sometimes in the NBA that kind of thing reverses itself when the venue changes, and Greg Oden’s lack of scoring punch (just two points in the last two games) should not go unnoticed, nor should Houston’s nine-game home winning streak.

Let’s not forget, however, that Portland won 54 games this year and actually beat out Houston in the Western Conference standings. What I’m saying is that this team can play a bit. The Brandon Roy-LeMarcus Aldridge combo is hard for Houston to stop, because the Rockets really don’t have good matchups against those guys. Point guard Aaron Brooks has calmed down quite a bit since his explosions in Games 1 and 2 (50 points combined) to shoot just 10-for-38 over the last three contests. With Travis Outlaw, Rudy Fernandez, Sergio Rodriguez and Oden, Portland does have a potential bench edge to exploit.

Portland, which has found itself a little on the road (covering nine of their last 11 as the visitor) has not won at the Toyota Center yet, but they have not given Houston much room to breathe, with the margins by one point and three points. Nate McMillan has a nice motivational hold on this team, which is a far cry from the trouble-ridden Blazers of a few years ago. In a game which will go down to the wire, we’ll take the points with Portland, the five-point underdog in the BetOnline NBA playoff betting odds.

JAY’S PLAY: PORTLAND +5 ***

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

UEFA Cup Semis – Dynamo K vs. Shakhtar Donetsk

Ukrainian football broke new ground this season as three clubs advanced into the UEFA Cup knockout stages; and two are still alive in the competition, set to collide in a thrilling all-Ukrainian semi-final clash on Thursday.

The first chapter of the Dynamo Kiev and Shakhtar Donetsk tie is drawing near with the first leg kicking off tomorrow night in Kiev. The buzz in Ukraine and amongst soccer fans in that corner of the world is infectious. Not since 1999, when Valeri Lobanovsky guided a Dynamo side to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals has Ukrainian football enjoyed such attention. Certainly, a Ukrainian side will negotiate a position in the competitions final movement, which would be a first in that country’s history, and possibly even win the coveted prize. But which side will it be is the question inquiring soccer minds want to know.

Yuri Semin is confident his side Dynamo are ready for their domestic rivals. Yet, BetOnline bookies are not so certain, installing Dynamo as the marginal favourites at -125 on the futures market to qualify into the final over Shakhtar at -115 favourite odds. In terms of the first leg, they are also cautious, giving Dynamo only even odds to win at home, but solid +260 underdog odds to Shakhtar for the away win. How’s that for a vote of confidence.

Soccer Betting Line:

Dynamo Kiev -½ Ev Ev 2 O -125 U +105 1 O -140 U +110 Draw +225

Shakhtar Donetsk +½ -120 +260 2 O -125 U +105 1 O +120 U -150 Draw +225

Futures Odds: To Qualify into the Final

Dynamo Kiev -125

Shakhtar Donetsk -115

Match Time: 12:45 P.M. Eastern Time Thursday April 30 2009

Venue: Valeri Lobanovsky Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine

Soccer Betting Analysis: On the domestic front, Dynamo have all but secured the domestic title. Their success spills over internationally as well. Dynamo eliminated Tottenham, Metalurg and PSG in the knockout stages to reach the semi-finals. They are now close to eliminating their biggest rivals to reach the final.

By contrast, Shakhtar enjoyed a shaky start at home and they quickly dropped out of the title race. Though it was a domestic disappointment, it turned out to be a good thing for them on the international stage as they were able to focus on their Champions League bid. They played well but failed to qualify into the knockout stages, instead they settled for a third spot finish in the Group stage and continued their European bid in UEFA Cup. Shakhtar beat CSKA and Marseille to reach the semis.

Soccer Betting Verdict: These two sides know each other well so there will be no surprises. The outcome of this match will not be straightforward. Dynamo has the home patch edge so there is value in the home win, but Shakhtar cannot be underestimated. Both will be looking to score so take the over 2 goals at -125. I expect that this will end in a draw, as both sides will be cautious not to give up ground, leaving their tie to be decided in the return leg.

Soccer Free Picks: Draw +225| Over 2 goals -125

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