Monday is a big day for ball games. Two preseason favorites in the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox face off for an afternoon of Major League Baseball. Later this evening, the Chicago Bulls and the Brooklyn Nets face off in a heated Eastern Conference showdown in the NBA. Read on for our take on the best games to bet on today.
Don’t forget to get your fair share of baseball and basketball action. Dig into our complete previews for MLB’s Detroit Tigers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates and the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers and Oklahoma City Thunder.
[sc:MultiSportArticles ]Washington Nationals vs. Boston Red Sox (3:05 PM ET)
Line: Washington Nationals (+106) at Boston Red Sox (-116); total 8.0 – view these lines
[sc:MLB240banner ]After an agonizing 14-4 loss at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, the Boston Red Sox play their home opener with Rick Porcello on the mound. Porcello lost his first start as a Red Sox, allowing three earned runs on a homer over six innings in a 4-2 loss at Philadelphia on April 8. But he should have a strong outing in tonight’s game should Washington continue to struggle at the plate. After six games, the Nationals are tied with Minnesota for the least runs scored (13) this early in the season.
Taking the ball for Washington is Jordan Zimmerman. He is the lone Nationals starter with a win thus far this season. Zimmerman has allowed four earned runs on 12 hits over 14 innings against Boston in his career. But he may be in for a rough outing this time around. Boston’s new acquisitions, Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval, have hit .400 and .462 in their respective careers against the Washington starter.
The Red Sox have won four of their last five games.
Writer’s Prediction
Ramirez and Sandoval flex their muscle in a dominant Red Sox (-116) win.
Chicago Bulls vs. Brooklyn Nets (7:30 PM ET)
Line: Chicago Bulls at Brooklyn Nets – view these lines
Derrick Rose is back. Judging by his 22-point explosion against Philadelphia, the Chicago star should be up and ready just in time for the playoffs. An on-point and aggressive Rose should give Brooklyn headaches. He’s averaged 18.5 points in Chicago’s first two meetings against the Nets, both wins. He was limited to just four points in a 96-82 home loss to Brooklyn on December 30.
But the Nets aren’t looking playoff ready just about now. They were a mess at Milwaukee on Sunday, shooting 32.5 percent from the field in a 96-73 loss. Starting point guard Deron Williams scored four points on 1-of-11 shooting. He’s shooting 26 percent in the season series against Chicago. Brook Lopez is due for a big game though. He led Brooklyn with 29 points at Chicago on December 30.
The Nets are 4-1 ATS in their last five home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Brooklyn’s struggles continue as the Bulls win and cover. Create a betting account now and get in on the day’s hottest action.
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