Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos – Week 12

Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos flexed to Sunday night in Week 12

The NFL has decided to flex a bad game out of the Sunday night slot and put a new game in. The league announced that the Week 12 prime time game will be between Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos. The Kansas City Chiefs or Denver Broncos will remain right behind the Raiders near the top of the AFC West division standings. The Kansas City Chiefs won the last meeting in Denver last November. Before that, the Denver Broncos have dominated the series against the Kansas City Chiefs with a seven-game winning streak. The Chiefs last two wins were both on the road playing as the underdog. The Chiefs are underdogs again on Sunday as the Broncos are a 3-point favorite. The game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos is scheduled to take place on Sunday, November 27, 2016, at 8:30 p.m. ET at Sports Authority Field.
The Kansas City Chiefs have flown under the radar at 7-3 and currently sit atop the AFC West. The Week 12 battle with the reigning Super Bowl champs could be for the lead in the best division in football. The Kansas City Chiefs had a five-game win streak, but that came to an end with a 19-17 loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday. The Chiefs defense allowed 331 passing yards and a touchdown to Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston. The Chiefs offense had deficiencies in that game that cost them the win to the Buccaneers. Every team has to work around injuries and the Chiefs are no exception. The loss of wide receiver Jeremy Maclin has hurt in the passing game. The Chiefs are having trouble scoring inside the red zone and are next to last in red zone touchdown efficiency. If it wasn’t for the accurate leg of field goal kicker Cairo Santos, the scoring average would be lower than their 19th ranked 22.2 points per game.
The Denver Broncos are also coming in with a 7-3 record. Denver has won three of their last four. Denver had a 25-23 win over New Orleans a couple of Sundays ago. During that game, Denver blocked a potentially tie-breaking extra point by the Saints and ran it back the other way for two points and an improbable victory.  The Broncos played their last two games before the off week without cornerback Aqib Talib and defensive end Derek Wolfe. Talib and Wolfe both returned to practice this week.  Also outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware is returning into the rotation from his fractured arm injury. This means the Broncos could field their starting defensive unit together for the first time since Week 2. Even with the injuries, the Broncos are ranked fifth in total defense, second in sacks and top ranked in pass defense. We don’t think that Kansas City has the weapons to win this one against a Broncos healthy team.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Philadelphia Eagles at Seattle Seahawks – Week 11

Philadelphia Eagles travel to CenturyLink Field to visit Seattle Seahawks in Great NFC matchup

The Seattle Seahawks are coming off an emotional win last week at New England. Their offense seems to be coming together just in time for another charge at a division title and the postseason. The Philadelphia Eagles rookie quarterback has made quite a good impression this season. The Philadelphia Eagles is looking for its first away victory and has a difficult task in knocking off the Seahawks to get it. The Seattle Seahawks are the favorites after a colossal win in New England and a spotless 4-0 SU home record. The matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and the Philadelphia Eagles is scheduled to take place on Sunday, November 20, 2016, at 4:25 p.m. ET at CenturyLink Field.
The Philadelphia Eagles rookie quarterback Carson Wentz hasn’t been affected by the big leagues and has had a lot of success in his first season. The Eagles are now 17th in total offense with 344 yards per game.  They have been improving with 400-plus yards in back-to-back weeks and average 25.1 points which is 10th in the NFL. Philadelphia has scored 20-plus points in 11 straight games, which is the longest streak in the NFL. Philadelphia has one of the game’s best defenses as well. They are sixth with allowing just 323 yards per game, and are tied for third with allowing 17.8 points per game.
The Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was hobbled by ankle and knee injuries for much of the season. The offense stumbled as Wilson looked uncomfortable in the pocket and didn’t display his usual effectiveness at extending plays and getting outside the tackles. During the past two weeks, Wilson looks like he got his mobility and elusiveness back and the Seahawks’ offense has thrived. On Sunday night the Seattle Seahawks had an impressive road win over the New England Patriots. Wilson had his best game of the season throwing for 348 yards and three touchdowns without a pick. The Seattle Seahawks is 21st in the NFL in scoring at 21.4 points per game and 20th in total offense at 341.9 yards per game. The Seahawks have a great defense and are ranked ninth in allowing 338.4 yards per game, and second in allowing just 17.6 points per game.  If the Eagles had this game at home we would probably lean towards them, but it’s another story at the Link and have to give the edge to the Seahawks.

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Dallas Cowboys at Pittsburgh Steelers – Week 10

Pittsburgh Steelers open as favorites to host Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at Heinz Field

The Dallas Cowboys (7-1) have seven straight wins, with quarterback Dak Prescott already playing about as well as Tony Romo ever has. The Dallas Cowboys have the best record in the NFC. The Pittsburgh Steelers (4-4) aren’t used to losing three games in a row, but there are extenuating circumstances surrounding that slide, mainly an injured Roethlisberger. The Dallas Cowboys will be tested in the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, November 13, 2016, at 4:25 p.m. ET at Heinz Field.
The Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin started Roethlisberger in last Sunday’s game just a few weeks after knee surgery. Big Ben didn’t look ready for that game but apparently Tomlin thought he was good to go. Roethlisberger threw for 54 yards, had a pick and a few others that should have been intercepted through three quarters. Pittsburgh’s offense failed to get on track amassing a total of two first downs to that point. Then the Steelers offense picked things up in the fourth quarter when Big Ben threw for 210 yards and made a late run. We think it took Big Ben the first 45 minutes to find his timing in the fourth quarter.  We know Big Ben is tough as nails and we bet that it took that long for him to find his groove.
The Dallas Cowboys have been a bit surprising this season. I’m sure not many envisioned this after Tony Romo went down in the preseason. Quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott are getting all the headlines for their play in running the offense. Dallas averages nearly 28 points (fourth-best in the NFL) and tops the circuit in rushing. Add Dez Bryant and Jason Witten, along with a stellar offensive line, and the Cowboys look unstoppable. The Dallas Cowboys defense is only allowing 17.5 points per contest (fourth-best in the NFL). While Pittsburgh is expected to win games at home, it’s hard to go against the Cowboys right now. We like the Cowboys on the road to come out on top, but this could end up being a close game.

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys – Week 8

Dallas Cowboys are rested from their bye week and preparing to go toe-to-toe with their divisional rival Philadelphia Eagles

The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles are two divisional rivals that will go head-to-head in what might be a crucial duel for the outcome of the NFC East. Both teams are here because of the stellar play of their rookie quarterbacks. Both Dak Prescott and Carson Wentz will have a chance to sway voters for the rookie of the year award. The game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles will take place on Sunday, October 30, 2016, at 8:30 p.m. ET at ATT Stadium.
The Philadelphia Eagles have stunned the Vikings on their home field and is in a great position to overtake Dallas at the top of the NFC East. The Eagles quarterback, Carson Wentz has shown that he is a rookie who has a future. The wide receiver Jordan Matthews is his only target in the passing game and the Eagles will need to address that in the future.
The Dallas Cowboys are coming off a bye week and five straight wins. This round of rest gave them the chance to get some of their injured players back. The biggest name that is most likely to be back on the roster is Dez Bryant. The Dallas Cowboys offense has been pretty good even without him, but there is no question that quarterback Dak Prescott and his offensive line are even more dangerous with Bryant on the field. Dak Prescott’s success also has been made easy with another Rookie of the Year candidate in running back Ezekiel Elliott. The Cowboys have a good offense and the Eagles will have a tough time defending everyone, even though they’ve been pretty good at doing it. We give the Dallas Cowboys the edge for playing at home, but this game will be as close as the team’s are in the standings.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles – Week 7

Minnesota Vikings (5-0) travel to play the Philadelphia Eagles (3-2) in Week 7

The Minnesota Vikings are the only unbeaten team in the NFL thanks to their devastating defense. The Philadelphia Eagles have lost two straight and quarterback Carson Wentz doesn’t look like the golden boy any longer. As impressive as the Eagles 3-0 start was, two of their three wins were over the Browns and the Bears. The Eagles had been pretty good at stopping the run until last week as the Washington Redskins ran for 230 yards on 33 carries. The game between Minnesota Vikings and the Philadelphia Eagles will take place on Sunday, October 23, 2016, at 1 p.m. ET at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Minnesota Vikings were dealt a massive blow less than two weeks before the season when starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater blew out his knee at practice. The Minnesota Vikings went out and traded a first-round pick and a conditional fourth-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for Sam Bradford. Bradford is now the starting quarterback and has been playing some of the best football of his career. He has completed 70.4 percent of his passes for 990 yards and has six touchdowns in his four starts. Even more impressive is that Bradford has yet to throw an interception through 125 pass attempts and is currently second in the NFL with a 109.8 passer rating. Bradford found his favorite target in wide receiver Stefon Diggs, as he completed 18 passes for 269 yards in thee games to Diggs. Diggs missed the Vikings’ Week 5 win over the Houston Texans with a groin injury but is expected to return against the Eagles.
The Philadelphia Eagles were not looking in good form last Sunday against the Washington Redskins. The Redskins don’t the best defense, but were able to hold the Eagles offense to just a pair of field goals. It looks like they may have figured out how to slow down quarterback Wentz and the Vikings have taken notice. The Vikings defense is good and have not surrendered more than 16 points in any game this season. Even though the Vikings are on the road we give the edge in this game to them because their defense flies around and makes plays. They can stop the run, the pass, force turnovers and get sacks. It’s going to be a long day for Carson Wentz and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Monday, October 3, 2016

New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers – Week 5

New York Jets face Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on Sunday

The New York Jets will face the Pittsburgh Steelers this Sunday. The Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has been killing them after throwing nine interceptions in his last two games. The Jets are in need of a victory and Fitzpatrick needs to get it together before their playoff hopes go south. The Pittsburgh Steelers are back on track after beating the Chiefs handily 43 – 14. The Steelers are looking like Super Bowl contenders that many have predicted. The ballgame between the New York Jets and the Pittsburgh Steelers will take place on Sunday, October 9, 2016, at 1 p.m. ET at Heinz Field.
The New York Jets will be paying close attention to quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick when they meet the Steelers on Sunday. Fitzpatrick lost time in the preseason because of a contract settlement. However, Fitzpatrick is a well seasoned player who is playing for his sixth team. He’s been a starter in Buffalo and Houston with  a 43-61 record as a starter during his 11 seasons and has yet to lead a team to the playoffs. Offensively, the Jets are averaging 19.8 points and 360.8 total yards (248.2 in passing and 112.5 in rushing) per game. Defensively, the Jets are yielding 26.2 points and 355.2 total yards (285.0 in passing and 70.2 in rushing) per game against the opposing teams. The Jets pass defense has been an issue and they might have to face Big Ben and Antonio Brown without their top cornerback.
The Pittsburgh Steelers did a good job of dismantling of the Chiefs in last Sunday’s night triumph. The Steelers seem to be in good form now that Le’Veon Bell is back in the lineup. Offensively, the Steelers are averaging 27.0 points and 374.5 total yards (262.2 in passing and 112.2 in rushing) per game. Defensively, the Steelers are yielding 20.0 points and 394.8 total yards (316.5 in passing and 78.2 in rushing) per game against the opposing teams. They’ll be tough to stop in this game and we give the Steelers an edge for another big win.

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys, Week 1

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys in NFC East Rivalry on Sunday

The NFC East is one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL. This season The Dallas Cowboys start the season with a rookie quarterback as they host the New York Giants in their opener on Sunday. The Giants have lost five of their last six games against the Cowboys, but managed to win the final meeting between the teams last season. The Dallas Cowboys are 1-point underdogs for Sunday’s season opener. The Dallas Cowboys will start rookie Dak Prescott at quarterback this Sunday afternoon at 4:25 PM ET, on FOX when they kick off the 2016 regular season in Arlington at AT&T Stadium against the New York Giants. 
The New York Giants had a 6-10 win-loss record last season partially because of their defense, which gave up the most yards in the league. The Giants now have a rookie head coach Ben McAdoo. He was promoted from offensive coordinator to replace Tom Coughlin, and McAdoo has already proved capable of getting good results from QB Eli Manning.  The offense is still intact with Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr., who’s one of the top receivers in the league. The health of the defense has been a concern though. That’s where they focused their offseason efforts with the additions of Janoris Jenkins, Damon Harrison and Eli Apple
The Dallas Cowboys had a 4-12 win-loss record last season, with an injured Tony Romo. Rpmo is out once again with a back injury. That puts rookie Dak Prescott under the spotlight and another rookie, Ezekiel Elliott, will line up behind him at running back. The Cowboys still have a tremendous offensive line, but it’ll have to survive without Romo, which they struggled with last season. Top Sports Blog sees that this game has lots of unknowns and could go either way.

Monday, August 1, 2016

Women’s Soccer – United States vs. New Zealand

United States Women’s National Team will face off against New Zealand for RIO Olympics 2016 on Wednesday

The United States Women’s National Team will be playing against New Zealand on Wednesday night in their first match for the Summer Olympics. The USWNT has looked sharp this season, sweeping through the World Cup with relative ease. The United States is the big favorite in this fixture. The match between the United States and New Zealand will take place on Wednesday, August 3, 2016, at 3:00 p.m. ET at the Estadio Governador Magalhaes Pinto in Belo Horizonte. The fixture will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network.
New Zealand will be a longshot to score a goal in this fixture. The team has two wins this year. They have one win on the road over Portugal and one win against Papua New Guinea. The the Football Ferns did put up good fights in a 1-0 loss to Brazil and a 1-1 draw in Melbourne against Australia. The one New Zealand woman to watch out for will be Hannah Wilkinson. She is 24 years young and has 23 goals in 74 soccer games for her country. She did go to college at the University of Tennessee, so many of the Americans are familiar playing against her.
The United States Women’s National Team has been in good form and is 14-1-0 so far this year. Also, the USWNT has posted shutouts in five of its last six matches and 13 of the 15 in 2016. Thus far, the US women have outscored their opponents by a 23-0 margin. Head coach Jill Ellis will be playing Hope Solo in the pipes as usual. Also, forwards Alex Morgan and Carli Lloyd will be the attacking options for the team. Christen Press will likely start up front alongside Morgan, while Tobin Heath will join Lloyd, Rapinoe and likely Lindsey Horan in the midfield. Becky Sauerbrunn, Ali Krieger and Kelley O’Hara will be three of the four defenders, though the fourth choice for Ellis will be interesting between Julie Johnston and Meghan Klingenberg. Top Sports Blog thinks that the Americans will use defensive tactics and overwhelm the New Zealand team. We don’t see New Zealand scoring a goal in this fixture.

Thursday, July 28, 2016

MLB – Washington Nationals at San Francisco Giants

NL Division Leaders Washington Nationals at San Francisco Giants on Saturday

The Washington Nationals will travel to play the San Francisco Giants on Saturday. Both teams are leaders in their division and are right behind the  Chicago Cubs for the best record in the National League. These are two talented ballclubs both with a 59-42 record as of Tuesday. The ballgame between the Washington Nationals and the San Francisco Giants is scheduled to start on  Saturday, July 30th, 2016, at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California.
The San Francisco Giants will be sending the veteran right-hander Jake Peavy to the mound for this ballgame. Peavy has a 5.42 ERA. Peavy is older and has lost some of his stuff and is no longer considered even an average hurler. The San Francisco Giants have a balanced offense which also includes star catcher Buster Posey.  Posey has been in good form and is batting .285, with 12 homers and 47 RBIs. First baseman Brandon Belt has done well also and is hitting .283 with 11 home runs and 49 RBIs . The Giants have scored a solid 462 runs for the season. The Giants are 30-19 at home so they may feel good on their chance to win this game.
The Washington Nationals have a solid starting pitching staff but have not announced their starter for this ballgame. The Nats outfielder Bryce Harper is one of the best hitters in the game, however he has been in a slump lately.  He is hitting .237 with 20 homers and 55 RBIs this season. Nats infielder Daniel Murphy has been in good form and is batting .351 with 20 home runs and 75 RBIs this season. The Nationals are well over .500 on the road this season. Top Sports Blog think it’s hard to predict this ballgame without knowing the pitcher for Washington. However, we give the edge to the Nats because we suspect the pitcher won’t be worse than Peavy statistically.

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

MLB – Colorado Rockies at New York Mets


Colorado Rockies continues two city East Coast swing against New York Mets on Thursday

The Colorado Rockies is opening up a four game series against the New York Mets on Thursday. The New York Mets are now seven games over .500 and in the run for a NL Wildcard spot.  The matchup between the Colorado Rockies and New York Mets will take place on Thursday, July 28, 2016, at 1:10 p.m. ET at Citi Field. The ballgame will be broadast on SportsNet New York and ROOT Sports Rocky Mountains.
The Colorado Rockies are just a few games under .500 every month and are an even 10-10 in July. They are a little above .500 at home and below on the road. The Rockies offense comes from the bats of shortstop Trevor Story and third baseman Nolan Arrenado. The Colorado Rockies offense is scoring just 4.14 runs per game on the road and 6.18 runs per game at home. The Rockies will be sending the 26-year old southpaw Tyler Anderson to the mound for this ballgame. Anderson has 48 innings over eight starts with a 3-3 record and a 3.56 ERA.  The Rockies have won his last three starts. He has done well in Coors Field and has pitched slightly better at home than on the road. He has a 0-2 record on the road with a 3.86 ERA in 11 2/3 innings.
The New York Mets have been up and down this season. The Mets offense has injuries right now is a bit of a question. The rotation has been hurt with a season ending surgery for Matt Harvey and bone spur issues for both Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz. The Mets will be sending the 28-year old right-hander Jacob deGrom to the mound for this ballgame. This season deGrom has 17 starts with a 6-5 record and a 2.73 ERA. He pitches better at home with a 4-2 record and a 2.45 ERA in nine starts. The only time deGrom pitched against the Rockies was back in May. He pitched in Coors Field, and allowed three runs in six and a third innings. Top Sports Blog is looking for the game to be close through the first five or six innings. We will give the edge to the Mets, because they have the stronger bullpen.

Thursday, July 21, 2016

MLB – San Francisco Giants at New York Yankees


San Francisco Giants return to the Big Apple against New York Yankees on Saturday

The San Francisco Giants are having another great year and are in great position for another deep playoff push. The New York Yankees had back-to-back losses to divisional-rival Boston coming out of the All-Star break and things were looking bleak. Then a win in the series finale against Boston and a nice start in the series against Baltimore has the Yankees at .500 and back in the hunt. The matchup between the San Francisco Giants and the New York Yankees is scheduled to start on Saturday, July 23, 2016, at 4:05 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium. The ballgame will be broadcast on FS1.
The New York Yankees is still not in great form given the rotation questions and aging lineup. The Yankee offense has been questionable lately. A-Rod was able to hit a home run on Monday but has been shown to have a rather slow bat all season. The pitchers for this game hasn’t been announced, but based on how each team set their rotation it looks like Ivan Nova will take the mound for the Yankees. In his game against Baltimore last Monday, Nova pitched 6 innings and allowed one run and four hits. This was his first quality start since June 9. Nova has a 7-5 record and a 4.92 ERA. He has allowed 9.9 hits per nine innings and 16 home runs in 86 innings.
The San Francisco Giants have been on a roll this year with a 50-26 record. The Giants lineup works pretty good and they have a rotation that is one of the best in the sport. The Giants should be sending veteran right-hander Jeff Samardzija to the mound for this ballgame. Samardzija hasn’t done very well in the past against the Yankees. Yankee outfielder Carlos Beltran is hitting .313 in 16 at bats with three walks against him. Also, Yankee infielder Chase Headley has a .579 on base percentage in 17 plate appearances. Samardzija has been inconsistent this year and has a 7-3 record with a 2.84 ERA. In his first start after the break against the Padres, Samardzija allowed four runs in five innings. Top Sports Blog gives the edge to the Giants because they are able to produce and give Samardzija run support when he needs it.

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Women’s Soccer – United States vs. Costa Rica

United States Women’s National Team prepares for Olympics against Costa Rica on Friday at Sporting Park

The United States Women’s National Team will be playing their last tune-up match against Costa Rica before heading out to Brazil for the Summer Olympics. The USWNT has looked sharp this season and has defeated Colombia, Japan, and South Africa so far. The US women are heavy favorites to win this soccer match against Costa Rica. The fixture between United States and Costa Rica is scheduled to start on Friday, July 22, 2016, at 9:00 p.m. ET at Sporting Park in Kansas City, KS. The matchup will be televised on ESPN.
The Costa Rica women’s national football team will have Dinnia Diaz defending the goal against the USWNT.  Her performance will be the most crucial part of the game for the Ticas. Diaz was solid in net for Costa Rica during the Women’s World Cup last year.  There was 55 shots and 24 shots in goals, but she only allowed four to get past her.
The United States Women’s National Team have outscored their opponents 21-3 this season. Japan was soccer team that scored all 3 goals. The USWNT has dominated CONCACAF and should not have much trouble against Costa Rica. The USWNT striker Alex Morgan has not put up the numbers she usually does for her NWSL club. She has two goals in 10 games this season. Morgan has played four games with the USWNT this year.  She has four goals and an assist in those games, including three goals in two games against Japan. Goalkeeper Hope Solo should have no problem in defending her goal as the USWNT continually finds the back of the Ticas net. Top Sports Blog thinks head coach for USWNT, Jill Ellis won’t look to run up the score. This could be a subdued affair with the side just wanting to avoid injury and get a win before heading off to Brazil.

Monday, July 18, 2016

MLB – San Francisco Giants at Boston Red Sox


Red Sox sends newly acquired Drew Pomeranz against San Francisco Giants on Wednesday Night

The Boston Red Sox will get its first look at the newest pitcher it acquired against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday Night. Drew Pomeranz is the Red Sox pitcher and this will be his first start at Fenway Park.  The Boston Red Sox will be favored at home. The San Francisco Giants are the best team on the road with a 28-18 record. The road game for the Giants have allowed them to pull away from the rest of the pack in the NL West. The ballgame between the San Francisco Giants and the Boston Red Sox is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, July 20, 2016 at 7:10 p.m. ET at Fenway Park. The matchup will be broadcast on ESPN.
The Boston Red Sox will send the lefty Pomeranz to the mound on Wednesday night. He was picked up from the Padres during the All-Star break.  He is going to have to pitch under the pressure of a pennant chase for the first time in his career. Before last season, Pomeranz was just an average pitcher. He is hot this year going 8-7 and a 2.47 ERA with the Padres. The Red Sox pitching staff is having their injury problems this season. Junichi Tazawa is on the disabled list with shoulder problems and  Craig Kimbrel battling a knee injury. Koji Uehara is doing good at closing out games, as he is 4 for 4 before the All-Star break. The problem with Uehara is that he allows too many hits along with his strikeouts. His ERA is 4.54 and we wouldn't feel safe with him against a good San Francisco lineup.
The San Francisco Giants will probably be sending Matt Cain to the mound for this ballgame.  Cain is the scheduled to start this game, but he's still on the disabled list. Cain has been battling a hamstring injury and has been out on a rehab assignment. Top Sports Blog thinks Cain is a big question mark for the Giants right now, but we see a lot flaws in the Red Sox right now as well. We think this game can go either way but we are giving the edge to San Francisco.

Friday, July 15, 2016

MLB – New York Mets at Chicago Cubs


Chicago Cubs open up three game revenge minded set with the visiting New York Mets at historic Wrigley Field

The Chicago Cubs lost three straight to their division rival New York Mets just before the All-Star break. If not for that the Cubs would have been one of the hottest teams heading back into the second half of the season. Recently, the Mets dropped the whole series to the Nats at home. Before that the Mets took four straight form the Cubs and then took two out of three games from the Marlins. This helped to put some space between them and Miami in the standings. The matchup between the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs is scheduled to start on Monday, July 18, 2016, at 7:05 p.m. ET at Wrigley Field. The ballgame will be televised on ESPN.
The New York Mets return after the break with a 47-41 record. The Mets should be sending the young lefty Steven Matz to the mound for this ballgame. After his terrible debut, Matz went on to pitch seven quality starts.  He only allowed 2 ER or less three times and allowed 0 ER four times. Since then, Matz has only had three quality starts in his last eight starts on the mound. In his most recent start against the Nats before the break, he went seven innings and allowed four walks. He has a 4-2 record on the road with a 3.38 ERA. He has one career start against the Cubs allowing seven hits and 3 ER through 5.1 innings in a no decision.
The Chicago Cubs at one point in the season had an insurmountable lead atop the NL Central standings. Then during the last three weeks before the break, the Cubs dropped 15 of their last 21 ballgames. The Cubs will be sending Jake Arrieta to the mound for this ballgame. He got beat up during his last three starts in allowing 15 ER. Arrieta still has a good 2.68 ERA overall. When Arrieta is at Wrigley Field, he’s allowed no more than 3 ER in any of his eight starts to date. He has a 2-2 record with a 2.48 ERA against the Mets.  Top Sports Blog thinks to look for the Cubs to rally and give Arrieta the win and finally put an end to their eight game losing streak to the Mets.

Thursday, July 14, 2016

Montreal Impact vs. New York City FC

New York City FC are in search of a victory against Montreal Impact at Saputo Stadium on Sunday

The New York City FC and the Montreal Impact are both  threatening to win the Eastern Conference regular season title. The combination of both of these teams are averaging over three goals per game. The Montreal Impact should be favored in this fixture because they’re at home and are near the top of the chart. The fixture between the Montreal Impact and New York City FC is scheduled to start on Sunday, July 17, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. ET, at Saputo Stadium. This matchup will be broadcast on ESPN.
The Montreal Impact have been in good form as of late and have gone five straight matches without a loss. The last time the Impact were beaten at home was back in April.  However, this year the Impact are only 4-3-1 at home. Midfielder Marco Donadel is out for now, but should be back at some point in the future from his ankle injury. Also, it is questionable if forward Didier Drogba will be back in full form from a thigh injury. There are some concerns at the back for Montreal. The goalkeeper Evan Bush hasn’t been good in the net this season. Montreal also has problems on finding center backs to help him out.
The New York City FC are in great form and has been a bib surprise this season. The City has a great 5-1-3 record on the road. Last weekend, the City did loose a match on the road to Sporting Kansas City by a score of 3-1. The City has had a lot of success this season due to a relatively healthy lineup. The City are without midfielder Connor Brandt and forward Steven Mendoza, both who have long-term injury problems. Top Sports Blog doesn’t like the vulnerability which the Impact have shown. We think that City has a great chance to win this match on the road against a top contender in the East.

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

MLB – Texas Rangers at Chicago Cubs

Texas Rangers vs. Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Friday

The Chicago Cubs will pick back up the 2016 MLB season at home playing against the Texas Rangers. Both clubs at one point in time owned the largest leads of any division leader. However, both teams have gone on prolonged losing streaks heading into the break. The matchup between the Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs is scheduled to take place on Friday, July 15, 2016, at 2:20 p.m. ET at Wrigley Field. The ballgame will be broadcast on the MLB Network.
The Texas Rangers lost a four game series against the Minnesota Twins through Sunday to fall to 3-9 in its last 12 games. The Texas Rangers have played their best ball on the road where their record is 25 wins and 21 loses. The Rangers should be sending Martin Perez to the mound for this ballgame. Perez is 7-5 with a 3.85 ERA and the Rangers have a 10-7 record when he has started. However, he is allowing nine hits and four walks per nine innings. He hasn’t been very dominate over his last three starts with a 1-1 record and a 5.29 ERA. Perez has been a better pitcher at home in his own ballpark where his ERA is at 2.48 compared to 5.23 when on the road..
The Chicago Cubs lost 9 of their last 11 ballgames going into the All-Star break. The Cubs are currently 12 games over .500 and will be sending Kyle Hendricks to the mound. Hendricks has dominated throughout most of the first half of the season. He is just one win away from matching his career high at 6. He is best at home with a 5-1 record and a 1.67 ERA. Top Sports Blog thinks it will be interesting to see how these teams perform after the break. We think the Cubs should be given the edge in this ballgame with Hendricks the more dominating of the two starting pitchers.