Last weekend wasn’t too kind to the Gasman as he went a sorry 2-3 in the second week of his picks. He’s 5-5 this season, and he isn’t heading to the Rio just yet. With a buffet of playoff heaven in basketball and hockey, which the Gasman will finally pay attention to, the weekend has a full plate to munch on. Here’s the skinny:
Friday
NHL: Rangers at Penguins — This, perhaps, is the most intriguing matchup of the second round. Both teams are hotter than Kim Kardashian. And both teams haven’t played in over a week. Pittsburgh has the offense that can win the Cup. But can they play defense? They did in the first round. The Rangers, rather, hit high gear during their first round swamp of metropolitan rival New Jersey. Emotional highs will be evident, as well as the Rangers defense. The pick: Rangers, 4-2.
NBA: Pistons at 76ers — Maurice Cheeks may have hi-fived everyone inside the Palace at Auburn Hills after a surprising Game 1 victory. Game 2, Cheeks needed Excedrin. Philly got smacked, evidence that the 76ers spent all they had during a middle-season run to make the playoffs. They are done, and Detroit’s experience and half-court precision game will factor. The pick: Sheed dominates. Pistons, 93-79.
Saturday
NHL: Avalanche at Red Wings — The Gasman is having flashbacks of the late 90s when these two squads were the NHL. Times have changed, and so has the game. Expect a lot of hitting and, well, scoring from the Wings. Detroit swept the regular season series, even shutting the Avs out twice. And that familiarity goes a long way. The pick: Detroit, 5-2.
NBA: Rockets at Jazz — Referring to the Rockets’ two home games this series, Tracy McGrady said, “It’s like someone ordered Heineken, but got Budweiser.” The Gasman hates when that happens and is astonished at T-Mac’s playoff drought. He never won a playoff series in six tries and it doesn’t seem that this season is different. T-Mac certainly carried the Rockets during a 22-game winning-streak without Yao Ming. Ming is still absent and it’s is definitely felt in the postseason. The pick: Utah, 101-98.
Sunday
MLB: Reds at Giants — Barry Zito has turned into the $126 million sham. Once regarded as one of the league’s top pitchers, Zito is 0-5 heading into today’s matchup. Yes, 0-5. He’s never lost five consecutive starts before. So why stop the streak now? He’s facing 25-year old Edinson Volquez, the same Volquez that is 3-0 with a 1.21 ERA and 23 strikeouts in four starts. Youth versus aging. Youth wins, 6-2 Reds.
NASCAR: Talladega — Two words. Dega. Diggit. The Daytona 500 seems like years ago and finally the circuit is on another high-speed restrictor-plate track. Talladega, where every lap is as interesting as the last, kicks off the mid-season run, and is always exciting. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is itching to win his first race with Hendrick Motorsports. He’ll get it this weekend during a caution-filled event.
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