Soccer AM: Alexander Isak Carries Goal Scoring Streak into Match Against Sheffield United
On Saturdays and Sundays, we publish our soccer coverage before the newsletter so you don’t miss any of the action.
Newcastle striker Alexander Isak comes into today’s match on a serious hot streak with a goal in each of his last six starts in the Premier League. He now sits on a tally of 17 goals for the season in just 25 games. Isak has the best possible matchup with bottom of the table Sheffield United, which has conceded 92 goals in the league this season — a full 17 goals more than the next-worst team. Both Man Utd and Burnley have hit four goals past them in the past week, and Isak will be licking his lips at the prospect of facing their defense. Alexander Isak to score (-138 at Bet365)
Chelsea come into this game having had a terrible week. Last Saturday, they lost their FA Cup semifinal to Man City despite playing fairly well, and then midweek they got smashed 5-0 by Arsenal. The most concerning part of that defeat was how unmotivated they looked. With the FA Cup now gone, they have nothing left to play for this season. That’s very different to Aston Villa, who are in good form and know that they have can seal fourth spot and Champions League qualification if they continue winning. Aston Villa are an attractive price (+130) to win this, but given we’ve seen Over 2.5 goals in each of Chelsea’s past seven Premier League games, we’re also tracking goals in this match. Aston Villa and Over 2.5 goals (+170 at FanDuel)
PSG come into today knowing that a win over Le Havre will see them lift the Ligue 1 trophy once again. However, they play Dortmund in a Champions League semifinal on Wednesday. Given that they have an 11 point cushion in the league, it seems quite likely that they might rest some players. That likelihood of sitting their stars means that despite this being a title decider, we’re not looking at Kylian Mbappe to score. Instead we’re going to put our money on Goncalo Ramos to find the back of the net. He’s only started 14 of his 25 Ligue 1 games this season, but has scored 10 goals. He’s done well at home, with seven in 12 games at the Parc des Princes, including goals in each of his last five starts in Paris. With Mbappe likely resting, it’s the Portuguese striker’s time to shine. Matias Goncalo Ramos to score (+125 at Borgata)
We have just two games left in the Championship and there is a desperate battle to avoid relegation to League One. The big game of the day sees 23rd-place Huddersfield host 22nd-place Birmingham City, with both teams needing to catch teams above them to escape the drop. These are two poor teams who both deserve to be relegated, but it’s Huddersfield who are favored to win (and rightly so). They have home advantage and face a Birmingham team who blew a chance to beat already relegated Rotherham last weekend. Huddersfield to win (+125 at DraftKings)
While automatic promotion has been decided in League Two, there are six clubs fighting for three spots in the playoffs in today’s final matches of the season. One of those in Doncaster, who are currently fifth in the division and arguably the most in-form team on the planet. Two months ago, Doncaster were in the relegation zone before turning their form around. They’re coming into today on a 10-game winning streak. Gillingham are stuck in the middle of the table and have lost three of their past four, making it hard to see them stopping League Two’s form team at home, especially when a playoff spot is on the line. Doncaster to win (+105 at DraftKings)
Another team in the playoff hunt is Crawley Town, who are currently on the outside looking in, just one point behind Barrow for the final playoff spot. Crawley have struggled to get over the line with just two points from the last 12 available, but they should be able to beat Grimsby, who despite being fourth from bottom are safe from relegation. Grimsby have nothing to play for and Crawley have both the motivation and the home advantage — a win would secure them playoffs if Barrow lose to Mansfield, who are second in the division. Crawley to win (-140 at DraftKings)
Unless you’re a fan of either Nashville or San Jose it’s unlikely you’ll be tuning in to watch this MLS game since the home team is second from bottom in the Eastern Conference and San Jose is at the bottom of the West. Despite that, Nashville has lost just three times in eight games, scoring nine and conceding 16 as they picked up seven points. San Jose have a solitary win and have lost the other eight games that they’ve played this season, scoring 13 times but conceded an insane 24 goals. We’ve seen San Jose score but ultimately lose six of their nine games. Nashville to win and Both teams to score (+280 at FanDuel)
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