Doc’s Sports – Sports Handicapper

4-Unit Play. #002 (5Dimes) Competition: International Champions Cup. Take Arsenal +0.5 (-105) over Bayern Munich (Wednesday @ 11:00 pm). Includes 90 Minutes + Injury Time. For this selection to win, Arsenal must win or draw.

As the Domestic seasons draw closer to kick-off, we are going to hone in on the International Champions Cup to get a good read on these big club teams. This tournament is classified as an exhibition but still serves as a useful platform for new transfers and clubs to prove their fitness and worth. We are extremely excited about what lies ahead in soccer and I encourage you to get signed up for a season-long package so that we can make money together!

As per your selection on Arsenal +0.5, we love the fact that they've been in the United States for a week and have already played a game vs Colorado. In the game, the veteran players were used sparingly with the youngsters getting the majority of the action and rewarding their coach. Now it's the veterans turn to get into match fitness and get a run in and we like their situation much better than we do Bayern's. Arsenal will feature what will essentially be their starting XI (bar one or two changes), with just Koscielny out of duty. Bayern will be without replacements for Ribery and Robben - both of whom helped the club to another Bundesliga title last season. With this being just the preseason and Bayern's first (un)official game, they will likely just be pleased with a 90-minute kickabout where nobody picks up any knocks and they can rotate the squad throughout the game. Arsenal has the better and deeper squad in the U.S and we believe their match fitness will see them through to at least a draw in this one.

5-Unit Play. #628. Take Minnesota over Seattle (Wednesday at 8:00 pm).

We are starting to find our groove again in the WNBA as we are on a 4-1 run for +1570. Let's extend that run tonight.

As per your selection on Minnesota over Seattle, when we see a team play as well as Minnesota played in their last game, we have no problem going back to the well to grab another win. Look, Minnesota emphatically handed Phoenix in their last game and that brought their record to 10-7 on the season but perhaps more importantly 4-1 in their last five games. The Lynx are playing extremely good basketball of late and they've won their last three home games, to go with wins over Conn and Chi on the road. Now they get a Seattle team who has some internal issues to deal with surrounding their all-star forward Natasha Howard. Howard will likely be in the lineup tonight, but distractions can play a big part in derailing a team. Seattle has won two straight but against Dallas and NY. Now they have to step up in class to face a heavyweight and they do so in their first road game since June 25 (almost a month). We feel that this is a great spot to fade them and back Minnesota on their home court. The Lynx are 16-7 ATS in their last 23 meetings when hosting Seattle, while they are also 5-0 ATS in their last 5 home games, 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games overall and 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs a team with a winning record. The Storm is just 2-6-1 ATS in tiger last 9 games following an ATS win. Let's roll with the home Lynx tonight and enjoy a nice WNBA winner.

3-Unit Play. Take #952 St. Louis over Pittsburgh (1:15 p.m. Wednesday, July 17)

Things have been pretty even with the Pirates and Cardinals this year as they both have beaten each other 4 times and the Cardinals are just 1.5 games up on the Pirates in the standings. I think the Cardinals are going to win tonight to win this series and take the lead in the season series. Chris Archer hasn't been very good for most of this season as he is 3-6 with a 5.42 ERA and I think the St. Louis offense is going to give him fits today. Daniel Ponce de Leon has been very good in his three starts at home this year allowing just 2 earned runs over 17.2 innings while holding opponents to a .121 average. St. Louis is a better team and I think they will prove that in this contest.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports