Sports fans are in for a treat tonight as the NHL and the MLB have lined up two blockbuster games that will definitely tickle your viewing fancy. Opening proceedings tonight is the much-anticipated National League showdown between the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets.
Then, just at the other side of town, it’s Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the New York Rangers and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Will the Big Apple teams find some success tonight? Read on below for a quick breakdown of these two pivotal games and while you’re at it, you can check out our NBA Game 1 previews of Golden State vs. Houston and Cleveland vs. Atlanta.
[sc:MultiSportArticles ]St. Louis Cardinals vs. New York Mets (7:00 PM ET)
Line: St. Louis Cardinals (+130) at New York Mets (-140); total: 6.5 – view all MLB lines
[sc:MLB240banner ]The St. Louis Cardinals snapped their two-game losing streak with a nerve-wracking 2-1 win over the Detroit Tigers last night. Kolten Wong hit the tie-breaking homer in the sixth inning to lead the Cards to their 25th win of the season. Pitching for St. Louis tonight in the opening game of their seven-game road trip is John Lackey (2-2, 3.32 ERA). He is 0-1 with a 5.82 ERA in three road starts this season.
Starting for the Mets, on the other hand, is Matt Harvey (5-1, 2.31 ERA). The right-hander was phenomenal in his last start, throwing seven shutout innings in New York’s 2-1 defeat to the Chicago Cubs on May 13. For the Mets to win tonight, they will need to get some runs on the board for Harvey. The Mets have scored a total of just two runs in Harvey’s last two starts.
The total has gone under in the Mets’ last six home games against the Cardinals.
Click here for an in-depth preview of this game.
Writer’s Prediction
The Mets win, 5-3.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. New York Rangers (8:00 PM ET)
Line: Tampa Bay Lightning (+120) at New York Rangers (-140); total: 4.5 – view all Stanley Cup lines
The New York Rangers drew first blood in their best-of-seven series with the Tampa Bay Lightning, eking out a 2-1 victory in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals Saturday night. Dominic Moore scored the game-winner with 2:25 remaining for the Rangers who moved to within three wins of a return trip to the Stanley Cup finals. It was the seventh 2-1 win for the Rangers this postseason.
To no one’s surprise, it was New York’s defense that proved to be the difference in the match. Henrik Lundqvist was tremendous between the pipes, recording 23 saves against Tampa Bay in Game 1. For the Lightning to even the series in Game 2, they need to take advantage of their power play opportunities. They were just 1 of 4 in the power play against New York in Game 1. The Lightning were 7-of-20 (35%) with the man advantage against the Montreal Canadiens in the previous round.
The Lightning are 6-4 in their last 10 meetings with the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
Writer’s Prediction
Tampa Bay wins, 3-1, to even the series at a game apiece. Create a betting account now and bet on the best games for tonight.
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