double D

Las Vegas - Wonder why the Royals are sitting in first place in the American League Central? Two words. Danny Duffy. Double D has been out of his mind, winning four of his first five decisions. But that's not the whole story. He has thrown 30 innings and allowed only 2 earned runs for a RIDONKULOUS 0.60 ERA. Duffy's first start of the season was a win against Cleveland (6 innings, 0 earned, 2 hits, 5 Ks) and we're expecting another one just like the other one. And you can BOOK IT!!!

So, my guys, Arsenal, are fighting for their soccer lives in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League semifinal. The Gunners lost to Villarreal in Spain last week, 2-1, but scored a CRUCIAL away goal. And they were also playing with only 10 men following Dani Ceballos' red card. So, 2-1 was about as good a result as possible. Back at home in London, they'll need a MONSTER effort to survive and advance to the final. Even though Villarreal has one of the GREAT nicknames in soccer, the Yellow Submarine, it's gonna be a long night for the visitors. One of the reasons is Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. He had a nasty bout of malaria and wound up losing almost 10 pounds and was out for 11 days. He was just a substitute in the first game back against Villarreal but had a solid effort this past Sunday in the Premier League against Newcastle, scoring a goal and playing solid minutes. As long as P-EA is healthy, we're dropping a few bucks on the Gunners. Of course, I'm writing/betting with my heart on this one, so don't get crazy with the bankroll.

In the other semi, Manchester United should win again, but after destroying Roma at home in England, 6-2, the Red Devils might just put it on cruise control. They have three Premier League games on tap in a space of FIVE days coming up, so they could choose to rest some of their starters to keep 'em fresh. Gonna take a pass.

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