Matt's Picks (9 Live)
Waited about as long as possible on this for any late news -- Barca is down 2-0 in aggregate, so Atleti would hand it a 1-0 road win right now and be thrilled with it. Atleti knocked Barcelona out of this season's Copa del Rey with a 4-3 aggregate semifinal win, so you know the visitors will just be going 110% all-in to stop this nonsense today. Maybe just a bad matchup. Barcelona did dominate the first leg early, but Pau CubarsÃ’s red card changed everything. The Catalans twice overcame two-goal deficits in last season’s UCL semifinals against Inter Milan before eventually falling in extra time. Since the start of last season, half of Atlético Madrid’s home defeats are against Barca. Half-unit.
PSG is up 2-0 on aggregate, so obviously Liverpool will have to force the issue on Tuesday in the Champions League. The Reds didn't have a single shot on goal in the first leg, which I didn't even know was possible in a high-level matchup like this. Liverpool certainly looked a lot better Saturday back on the home pitch in a 2-0 EPL win over Fulham. Even PSG manager Luis Enrique said he expects a much different foe this time around. At home, Liverpool has won 14 of its past 18 vs. French foes.
Really strange hockey weekend, I have to say. Some results still have me puzzled. San Jose is all but eliminated from playoff contention and has lost three in row. It hasn't played outside the West Coast in weeks. Nashville, meanwhile, is neck-and-neck with Los Angeles for the West's final WC spot and has won four of six. The Preds aren't getting in without two points Monday (may not anyways).
Hard to find a team with too much to play for this early in an MLB season, but Monday back home sure feels like a spot the Yankees are going to treat a bit different than a typical mid-April game having lost five straight and rumors flying about Aaron Boone being the first manager canned. Unless the other New York manager (Carlos Mendoza) gets fired first, that is. Quite enjoying all the bad baseball in Gotham. Just not Monday in this case please. I could definitely see Aaron Judge going yard off struggling Angels lefty Yusei Kikuchi (0-2, 6.75). Think Yanks not bat bottom nine would be a solid alternative to knock this number down a bit.
The Hurricanes aren't flat-out giving up tonight as they still have the East's top seed to clinch, but they would get that with a single point and still have one game left. So it appears the team is half-in with some top guys like Sebastian Aho (80 points), Seth Jarvis (66 points), Jordan Staal (36 points), Andrei Svechnikov (70 points) and blueliner Shayne Gostisbehere (50 points, +11) all sitting. The Flyers haven't clinched anything yet but would with a win in any fashion. If this goes to OT, I may have to crush live Philly ML because the Canes will have accomplished the top seed by just getting there.
Pricy at -0.5, yes, but I'm frankly surprised even one of our books is offering me this for Monday's lone EPL matchup -- all of our others are -1, and if I can avoid a possible push of course I'm doing that. Man U is 22 points higher in the table than Leeds United and has just one loss in the past 10 under interim manager Michael Carrick (sure he gets the full-time gig). I highly doubt a loss here but yeah a draw might get us; they did draw in January. The Red Devils are unbeaten in their last 18 home league games against Leeds.