THE GAMBLING GUIDE
Bookie Busters: NBA Playoffs, Messi vs Ronaldo and more
May 4, 2018, 7:28 am
Bookie Busters continues the winning-streak, busting the book again going 10-3 this week.
Last two weeks we are 17-5-2 ATS.
El Clasico Sunday
Barcelona vs. Real Madrid
Bittersweet can be best used to describe Sunday's fixture. A glorious farewell to a soccer legend expects the fans of the Barca to be electric come Sunday.
Andres Iniesta will take the pitch for his final El Clasico, and what better way to do it than in front of the home crowd. Barcelona to the bone, Iniesta played with the Barca youth since the age of 12. He would go on to captain the under 15 team to a Victory in the 1999 Nike Cup final, netting a goal in the final minutes. It was then that he caught the eye of the former Captain Pep Guardiola, who said Iniesta would retire him. Guardiola would ultimately play a big role in Iniesta's career as a coach, and someone the midfielder looked up to as a father figure.
In a perfect world, Iniesta rides off into the sunset, after three more matches, winning his last El Clasico appearance making it a fairytale ending to a supernatural career.
Every good story has a villain, and the spoiler to this film, will be none other than Cristiano Ronaldo. With the La Liga title wrapped up for Barcelona after Messi's hat trick last weekend, the teams will be playing for pride more than anything. With Madrid having played midweek in a crucial Champions League match, how much legs will they have to run around with the ultra passing Barcelona? Another factor will be that they qualified for the Champions League Final later this month and avoiding injuries will be the priority.
The match has somewhat of a laid-back feeling to it, and I expect an open game with teams looking to put on a show, with neither having anything to lose. Madrid just played an excruciating 90-minute match, and the defense will be feeling the quick turn around.
The Pick
Barcelona is undefeated this season and will be looking to complete the feat with four matches left in the season. At Camp Nou, they have 14 wins and 2 draws. While playing on home soil, they averaged 2.8 goals a game, while their counterpart nets two goals a game on average this season when playing as visitors. Barca is 4-1-2 in the last seven in this rivalry, and I see them continuing their dominance as remaining undefeated and the Iniesta factor will ultimately pull them through. Expect end to end action
Barcelona money line 3x
Game Total Over 3.5
Match Result and Both Teams to Score: Barca and Yes +185
Will a goal be scored in both halves? YES
Messi scores a goal 2x
Both team to score in 2nd half +130
Barca and 2.5 EVEN
Germany
RB Leipzig vs. Wolfsburg
Over 2.5 -144
Over 3 +112
Mainz 05 vs. Dortmund
Over 3
NBA Playoffs Friday 5/4
Pelicans vs. Warriors
Warriors over 30 1st quarter
Warriors Team total 1st half over 60
Over 119.5 First Half
For any questions or comments reach me @JerryBoKnowz on twitter
Cam Smith hit an RBI single in the eighth inning to give the Houston Astros a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday.
CAM SMITH COMES THROUGH! #BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/Y6dtPpXF9J
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 26, 2025
The rookie's second hit of the game came off Orion Kerkering (5-3) and gave the Astros their fourth straight win.
Brandon Marsh tied the game on a sacrifice fly in the top of the inning to end the Phillies' 26-inning scoreless streak.
The Astros took a 1-0 lead on Yainer Diaz’s RBI single in the second inning. They only managed three more hits off Phillies starter Christopher Sanchez, who struck out 11 with zero walks over six innings. Sanchez has not issued a walk in three straight starts.
Hunter Brown lowered his league best ERA to 1.74 by scattering three singles over seven shutout innings, with nine strikeouts. He did not allow a runner to reach second base.
FULL THROTTLE.
Hunter Brown now leads the MLB in lowest ERA (1.74). #BuiltForFuel pic.twitter.com/nkwT2MpgJQ
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 26, 2025
Bryan Abreu (3-3) struck out Trea Turner to end the eighth, and then struck out Kyle Schwarber, Alec Bohm, and Nick Castellanos in the ninth.
Abreu joined Julia Morales after the game and talked about his impressive performance!
🧹🧹🧹
After the @Astros completed their sweep of the Phillies, @JuliaMorales visited with Bryan Abreu!#BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/UeOOSNDKwW
— Space City Home Network (@SpaceCityHN) June 26, 2025
Rafael Marchán had two of the Phillies' four hits. Bryson Stott reached base twice and scored the Phillies' lone run.
Smith’s RBI.
Brown’s 1.74 ERA is the fourth best in Astros history through 16 starts and the best since Justin Verlander posted a 1.60 ERA through 16 starts in 2018.
The Astros open a three-game series against the Cubs on Friday with LHP Brandon Walter (0-1 3.80 ERA) on the mound.
The Phillies open a three-game series at the Braves on Friday with RHP Mick Abel (2-1 3.47 ERA) against Atlanta RHP Bryce Elder (2-4 4.77).