Betting Picks

As Monday's 3 p.m. EST NHL trade deadline fast approaches, the talk is beginning to heat up. Originally, the speculation was that none of the big name types would be moving because the prices being asked were simply too high. But that scenario seems to be changing as the deadline draws closer, and some major stars could find themselves heading to new homes by the time the dealing is done.

The Boston Celtics made their first appearance at Little Caesars Arena earlier this season and picked up right where they left off, whipping the Detroit Pistons 91-81. The Celtics have won three of four and five of seven from the Pistons, and are especially successful in Detroit. Boston has won four straight in the Motor City. The Pistons haven't vanquished the Celtics on their home court since Dec. 16, 2015.

While the Boston Bruins get most of the love for heating up after a slow start to the NHL season, don't sleep on Philadelphia. The Flyers have gone 23-8-3 since Dec. 4, but suddenly, they are hurting. Philly lost both goalies, Brian and Elliott and Michal Neuvirth, to lower-body injuries, leading to them acquire Petr Mrazek, But now goal-scoring machine Wayne Simmonds is out 2-3 weeks.

Now it gets real. Over the next six weeks, the races on the 2018 Kentucky Derby qualifying schedule take a big jump up on the points scale, with six races awarding 50 points to the winner, and seven awarding 100 points, meaning a win in any of those races will lock up a spot in the Derby gate.

Before you go racing off to the sportsbook to place your bets on the Philadelphia Eagles winning Super Bowl LIII, repeat after me: Super Bowl champions no longer repeat the process. It's happened once since 2000, when the New England Patriots captured Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX. But faced with the opportunity to do so against the Eagles in Super Bowl LII, the defending champion Patriots dropped the ball.

As certain as death and taxes, from the moment the first puck dropped at the Olympic women's hockey tournament, everyone involved knew it was headed toward one destination - a Canada-USA gold-medal game. The powers of the female game did not disappoint, and they will meet for the title for fifth time in six Olympiads. The USA has not won the gold medal since 1998, Canada winning four straight.

The young Leafs are supposed to be building toward something great, but they seemed to be putting the blocks in place much fast than expected. With an 8-2 slate in their last 10 games, the Leafs have moved to within striking distance of top spot in the Atlantic Division, and should take another step forward against a Florida Panthers team at the end of a long road trip.

There's racing on the holiday Monday at Oaklawn Park with the running of the (G3) Southwest Stakes. A full field of 10 three-year-old colts have been entered to run 1 1/16 miles on the Oaklawn dirt, chasing a purse of $500,000 and valuable 2018 Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

One of two qualifying races for the 2018 Kentucky Derby, the El Camino Real Derby is unique in that the horses run the 1 1/8 miles race on the all-weather track at northern California's Golden Gate Fields. The race has drawn a field of nine, and the winner will grab 10 Derby qualifying points.