Saturday 4/11/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[Scott602]

I been tracking Pregame I mean Prescam lol and there cappers are ICE COLD... BE CAREFUL

 

[superbeets]

English Premier TODAY 12:45

Swansea

v

Everton

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT1		7/5	11/5	15/8	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SWANSEA	RECENT FORM
HWAWALHLAWHW​ Most recent​	3 - 0 1 - 2 0 - 3 0 - 2	ALHWHWALAWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Swansea have won just two of their last six home games

EXPERT VERDICT: Everton have a poor away record but their European exit and the international break should have given Roberto Martinez a chance to refocus his underperforming squad. Swansea are a good side but six of their eight home wins have come when hosting teams in the current bottom seven.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
2


REFEREE: Michael Oliver STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

English Championship TODAY 12:15

Derby

v

Brentford

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		Evs	11/4	11/4	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT DERBY	RECENT FORM
HDADHLALHDAW​ Most recent​	5 - 0 3 - 2 1 - 1 1 - 0	ADHLAWHDAWHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Brentford have won five of their last eight matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Derby have failed to beat promotion rivals Norwich, Middlesbrough, Wolves and Watford in recent weeks and could be heading for defeat against Brentford. The Bees have surprised the critics by staying in promotion contention and should be backed to post their 11th away league win of the season.

RECOMMENDATION: Brentford
1


REFEREE: Graham Scott STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Scottish Premiership TODAY 12:45

Inverness CT

v

Celtic

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS2		5	10/3	1/2	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT INVERNESS CT	RECENT FORM
ADALHWALHDAL​ Most recent​	1 - 0 0 - 1 1 - 3 2 - 4	ADAWHWHWAWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Inverness have just lost two of their last 18 home league matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Celtic have won ten of their last 11 matches on the road, but a trip to the Highlands is usually difficult and Ronny Deila’s side will be conscious that they returned empty-handed from an August voyage north. Thistle have had another excellent season and should be able to make things difficult for the Premiership leaders.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1


REFEREE: Craig Thomson STADIUM: Caledonian Stadium

 

[superbeets]

English Premier TODAY 15:00

West Ham

v

Stoke

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		6/5	11/5	9/4	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT WEST HAM	RECENT FORM
ADHLHLALHWAL​ Most recent​	0 - 1 1 - 1 3 - 0 3 - 1	AWHWHWALHLAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: West Ham have won just once in their last ten outings

EXPERT VERDICT: West Ham’s early-season promise seems a distant memory and instead of challenging for a European place, recent performances suggest they may have a job on their hands just to finish in the top half. Stoke played well in their defeat at Chelsea and should fancy their chances of a sixth away win.

RECOMMENDATION: Stoke
2


REFEREE: Roger East STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

English Premier TODAY 15:00

West Brom

v

Leicester

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		6/5	11/5	9/4	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT WEST BROM	RECENT FORM
HWALALHWALHL​ Most recent​	3 - 0 1 - 4 2 - 0 1 - 0	ALADALHDALHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: West Brom have won six of eight at home under Tony Pulis

EXPERT VERDICT: Leicester ground out a much-needed win against out-of-form West Ham last weekend but remain rock bottom and have won just one league away game since September. West Brom endured an embarrassing 4-1 thrashing from QPR last time out but Tony Pulis will demand a reaction from his squad.

RECOMMENDATION: West Brom
2


REFEREE: Martin Atkinson STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

English Premier TODAY 15:00

Tottenham

v

Aston Villa

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		4/7	3	9/2	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT TOTTENHAM	RECENT FORM
NLHWAWALHWAD​ Most recent​	3 - 0 2 - 0 2 - 0 2 - 1	HWHWAWHLALHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Spurs have won five of the last six league home games

EXPERT VERDICT: Tim Sherwood has brought a much more positive mindset to the Villa dugout and his White Hart Lane return could be a thriller. Spurs continue to attack with vigour, scoring between two and five goals in every home league game in 2015, but they haven’t kept a clean sheet in any of those six matches.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
2


REFEREE: Lee Probert STADIUM:

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

National League
Cardinals @ Reds
Wacha is 0-1, 6.59 in his last three starts, all of which went over total.

Cueto is 2-0, 0.78 in his last three starts; under is 6-1-1 in his last eight.

Cincinnati won its first four games, all in last at-bat, allowing 12 runs. Home side won nine of last 11 St Louis-Cincy games; last three series games went over the total.

Nationals @ Phillies
Fister is 5-0, 1.26 in his last five starts; five of his last six stayed under.

Hamels is 0-2, 3.60 in his last three starts; Phillies scored one run in the three games. Four of his last six starts stayed under.

Washington lost six of last seven games with Phillies; under is 5-2-1 in last eight meetings. Nationals lost three of first four to start this season.

Mets @ Braves
Gee is 1-2, 4.88 in his last four starts; over is 3-1-1 in his last five.

Teheran is 2-1, 2.50 in his last three starts; four of his last five went under.

Atlanta won its first four games to start season; Mets won seven of last 11 with Atlanta; under is 6-2-1 in last nine series games.

Pirates @ Brewers
Worley is 3-0, 2.67 in his last five starts; five of his last six stayed under.

Nelson is 0-5, 5.08 in his last six starts; Brewers scored four runs in his last three starts.

Pirates lost three of first four games; Brewers lost four in row at home to open season. Pittsburgh won five of last seven games against Milwaukee, with under 4-0-1 in last five series games.

Cubs @ Rockies
Hammel is 1-1, 2.20 in his last five starts, all of which stayed under.

Kendrick is 3-1, 1.78 in his last four starts; seven of his last ten went over.

Colorado won its first four games to start season; they've lost three of last five games with Cubs, who scored three runs in losing two of their first three games this season. Six of last nine series games stayed under total.

Dodgers @ Diamondbacks
Kershaw is 0-2, 6.75 in his last three starts; over is 5-1-1 in his last seven.

Bradley is making MLB debut; he was 1-4, 5.18 in five AAA starts LY, but is considered a top prospect.

Dodgers won seven of last nine games with Arizona; six of those nine games went over the total. Three of four LA games this week went over total

Giants @ Padres
Bumgarner is 4-0, 1.16 in his last five starts; three of his last four went over.

Shields is 0-2, 5.85 in his last four starts; six of his last seven went over.

San Francisco won three of first five games; Padres lost three of first five; each team scored one run in 21 innings in this series so far. Home side won seven of last nine Giant-Padre games, with Giants winning four of last six- four of last five stayed under the total.

American League
Red Sox @ Bronx
Kelly is 3-0, 4.43 in his last three starts; Red Sox scored 21 runs in the three games. Over is 5-3 in his last eight starts.

Warren has a 6.75 RA in three MLB starts, last of which was in 2013.

Boston lost six of last nine games with Bronx; seven of those nine games went over the total. Red Sox won three of first four games; Bronx lost three of its first four. This game lasted 6:49, ending at 2:12am. First pitch today? 1:05.

Twins @ White Sox
Pelfrey is 0-5, 8.37 in his last eight starts; four of last five went over.

Samardzija is 2-4, 3.06 in his last seven starts; last four went over.

Minnesota lost three of its first four games; White Sox were outscored 27-7 in losing first four games. Twins are 6-5 in last eleven games with Chicago- over is 7-2 in last nine series meetings.

Mariners @ A's
Happ is 2-0, 2.70 in his last two starts; seven of his last eight stayed under.

Gray is 2-0, 0.00 in his last two starts (17 IP); four of his last five home starts went over the total.

A's won last three games with Seattle, outscoring them 19-2; six of last eight series games stayed under total. Seattle lost its last three games, outscored by total of 19-3.

Tigers @ Indians
Price is 2-1, 1.38 in his last four starts, all of which stayed under.

Kluber is 5-1, 1.51 in his last six starts; seven of his last ten stayed under.

Detroit won tis first four games to start season; they won eight of last nine games with Cleveland-- last five went over the total.

Blue Jays @ Orioles
Sanchez was 2-2, 1.09 in 24 relief appearances for Toronto LY; this is his first MLB start. He was 3-7, 3.95 in 20 minor league starts LY. .

Jimenez is 3-1, 5.75 in his last four starts; four of his last five went over.

Toronto won three of last four games with Orioles. Under is 7-2 in last nine series games. Toronto won three of first four games this season.

Astros @ Rangers
Hernandez is 0-2, 7.40 in his last five starts; his last six all went over total.

Gallardo is 0-5, 7.04 in his last six starts; four of those six went over the total.

Home side won eight of last eleven Houston-Texas games; eight of last nine in series stayed under the total. All four Astro games this week stayed under.

Royals @ Angels
Guthrie is 4-1, 2.41 in his last six starts, last five of which stayed under.

Weaver is 0-2, 4.74 in his last three starts; three of his last four home starts stayed under the total.

Kansas City won six of last seven games against Angels. Royals won first four games this season. Three of last four series games stayed under, as did three of Angels' first four games.

Interleague
Rays @ Marlins
Archer is 1-2, 2.02 in his last four starts; over is 4-2-1 in his last seven.

Cosart is 0-3, 3.86 in his last four starts; seven of his last nine went under.

Miami lost three of its first four games to open season; Rays lost three of their first four games, with three of those four going over. Marlins won last five games with Tampa Bay; last thee series games went over the total.

Umpires
StL-Cin-- Five of last seven West games stayed under.
Wsh-Phil-- Seven of last ten Layne games went over.
NY-Atl-- Favorites won 10 of last 12 Culbreth games.
Pitt-Mil-- Underdogs won last five Demuth games.
Chi-Colo-- Over is 4-1-2 in last seven Cederstrom games.
LA-Az-- Eight of last nine TBarrett games stayed under.
SF-SD-- Eight of last twelve Vanover games went over.

Bos-NY-- Under is 9-2-1 in last 12 Muchlinski games.
Minn-Chi-- Since 2005, under is 87-62 in Hirschbeck games; he's missed a few seasons, only worked two games last year.
Sea-A's-- Three of last four Carlson games stayed under.
Det-Clev-- Seven of last nine Scott games went over total.
Tor-Balt-- Five of last six TWelke games stayed under.
Hst-Tex-- Eight of last nine Nelson games stayed under.
KC-LAA-- Road team won six of last eight Eddings games.

TB-Mia-- Home side won 12 of last 15 Cuzzi games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Hot Teams
-- Orlando won three of last four games, covering all four.
-- Toronto won five of its last seven games (2-6 last eight AU).
-- Bulls won last five home games, covering four of them.
-- Memphis won three of its last four games (3-1 last four AU). Clippers won 11 of their last 12 games (1-4 last five HF).
-- Utah won five of last seven games, covering six of them (0-3 last three AU). Portland won seven of its last ten (7-4 last 11 HF).
-- Warriors won 12 of their last 14 games (5-1 last six HF).

Cold Teams
-- Knicks lost 11 of last 12 games, covered five of last seven.
-- Miami lost five of its last six games (4-1 last five HF).
-- 76ers lost their last seven games (2-5 vs spread).
-- Minnesota lost its last nine games (2-7 vs spread).

Series Records
-- Knicks lost three of last four games with Orlando.
-- Heat won nine of last ten games (7-3 vs spread) with Toronto.
-- 76ers lost last five games (3-2 vs spread) with Chicago.
-- Clippers won/covered only two of last ten with Memphis.
-- Portland won six of last seven games with the Jazz.
-- Warriors won nine of last ten (6-4 vs spread) with Minnesota.

Totals
-- Eight of last nine NY-Orlando games went over total.
-- Four of last five Toronto-Miami games stayed under.
-- Three of last four Philly-Chicago games went over.
-- Under is 3-1-1 in last five Memphis-Clipper games.
-- Seven of last ten Utah-Portland games went over.
-- Seven of last nine Minnesota-Golden State games stayed under.

Back-to-Backs
-- Knicks are 5-10-1 on road if they played night before. Orlando is 10-5 if it played night before.
-- Toronto is 8-5 on road if it played night before.
-- Memphis is 6-8 on road if it played night before.
-- Utah is 7-4 vs spread if it lost the night before.
-- Minnesota is 5-3 on road if it played night before.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL Grand Salami - April

The Grand Salami in pro hockey is decided by adding up all the goals scored in every game scheduled for that particular day. You can wager on 'over' or 'under' the Grand Salami total. The total is set by adding up all listed 'over/under' odds for each game on that particular day.

Note: The Grand Salami will have no action if any game is suspended or cancelled before the regulation time of three twenty minute periods. Also, regardless of the number of goals scored during the shoot out portion of the overtime, the final scored recorded for the game will give the winning team on more goal than its opponent based on the score at the end of regulation time.

*The majority of sportsbooks do not put out a total on the Grand Salami when there is only one game on the card. For tracking purposes, we will continue to show the 'over/under' for goals and combined goals scored on days with just one game.

NHL GRAND SALAMI

Date No. of Games Total Goals Combined Goals Scored Result
4/1 4 22.5 24 OVER
4/2 9 48.5 55 OVER
4/3 5 27 34 OVER
4/4 13 69.5 76 OVER
4/5 5 26.5 21 UNDER
4/6 5 26 25 UNDER
4/7 9 42 41 UNDER
4/8 3 16 12 UNDER
4/9 11 56.5 50 UNDER
4/10 2 11 10 UNDER
4/11 15 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL Preview: Oilers (24-44) at Canucks (47-29)

Date: April 11, 2015 10:00 PM EDT

The Vancouver Canucks are gearing up for the playoffs, and there's a chance they will have clinched home-ice advantage in the first round by the time the puck is dropped Saturday night.

The Canucks play their final tuneup as they go for their first ever season sweep of the visiting Edmonton Oilers.

Vancouver (47-29-5) will go toe-to-toe with Calgary when the postseason gets underway next week, but it's still unclear as to which team will host the first two games and a potential Game 7. The Canucks, currently two points ahead of the Flames for the Pacific Division's No. 2 seed, would secure that spot if Calgary loses at Winnipeg on Saturday afternoon.

However, Vancouver would need to pick up at least one point against the Oilers if the Flames were to win.

"Big game on Saturday," Daniel Sedin told the league's official website following Thursday's 5-0 win over Arizona. "We'll take the same approach as we did today, just play hard and play our system and I think we'll be fine. ... Hopefully we get home ice and it's going to be a lot of fun."

It appears the Canucks will enter the postseason with Eddie Lack as their No. 1 goalie. Lack stopped 28 shots for his second shutout Thursday, improving to 12-6-2 with a 2.36 goals-against average since Ryan Miller went down with a knee injury Feb. 22.

"I've always stuck to my own business and worked hard," Lack said. "I've always thought that if I keep working hard my chance is going to come eventually. But playing such a big role in the playoff hunt, I didn't expect that."

Miller dressed as the backup against the Coyotes after missing 21 games, but coach Willie Desjardins hinted that he could start Saturday.

"You have to have two goalies going into the playoffs," Desjardins said. "It would be tough on Ryan if he ended up playing in the playoffs without having played in so long."

Miller is 11-0-0 with a 1.99 GAA and one shutout against the Oilers after starting each of this season's first four meetings. Daniel Sedin, twin brother Henrik and Radim Vrbata have combined for six goals and 20 points in those games for Vancouver, which is 12-2-1 at home in the series since 2009-10.

Edmonton (24-44-13), missing the playoffs for the ninth straight season, has been outscored 22-8 in dropping four of five this month after falling 3-1 to San Jose on Thursday. Nail Yakupov gave the Oilers the lead in the second period before Laurent Brossoit surrendered three goals over the final 10 minutes of the third in what was an otherwise stellar NHL debut.

Brossoit, whose 49 saves were the most in a debut since Manny Legace in 1998, was reassigned to the AHL on Friday as the Oilers activated Viktor Fasth from injured reserve. Fasth, 6-15-3 with a 3.41 GAA, has been out since Feb. 16 due to a knee injury.

The Oilers are giving up 3.33 goals per game for the NHL's worst mark since Florida surrendered an average of 3.54 in 2012-13. They have given up 36 goals in their last seven road games and are 1-5-2 away from home since the beginning of March.

Jordan Eberle leads Edmonton with 62 points despite coming up empty in the last three games. He's been held pointless in each of his last five visits to Rogers Arena.

Daniel Sedin has 14 goals and 28 points in his last 22 home games in the series. He's scored in three straight overall to go along with three assists.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Death of the 6-goal NHL total: High-scoring hockey is gone forever
By JASON LOGAN

For the supposed “fastest game on earth”, hockey teams are dragging their skates when it comes to scoring pace.

So far this season, NHL teams have allowed just 2.52 goals against per game, which is the third lowest league-wide GAA since the 1955-56 NHL season when teams gave up only 2.49 goals per contest. And if you need further evidence that goal scoring in the NHL is a lost art, just look at the decline in NHL Over/Under numbers since the league lockout in 2004-05.

Following the lockout, which brought with it numerous rule changes to help speed up the game and increase scoring, the 2005-06 NHL season had 1,064 regular season games (all but 166 games) with a betting total of six goals or more. This year, NHL bettors have seen just seven. That’s a decrease of more than 99 percent over the last 10 NHL seasons.

Dustin Nielson, an NHL analyst and talk radio host on TSN 1260 in Edmonton, believes two factors have played into the decline in scoring over the past 10 seasons: the use of advanced analytics to fine tune defensive pairings and matchups, and a decrease in ice time for the NHL’s top scorers. Nielson points to the latter as the major culprit, stating that the best offensive talents are playing less therefor not scoring at the same pace.

New York Islanders center John Tavares, the NHL’s leading scorer (tied at 83 points with two others), tops all forwards in ice time with 20:41 minutes per game this season. Going back to the 2005-06 campaign, average ice time for forwards has been shrinking and Tavares’ 2014-15 minutes wouldn’t even crack the Top 10 in any of those nine previous years.

Here is where Tavares’ 20:41 minutes of ice time would rank in each of those seasons:

2013-2014 - 11th (leader was Sidney Crosby at 21:59)
2012-2013 - 16th (leader was Ilya Kovalchuk at 24:44)
2011-2012 - 16th (leader was Ilya Kovalchuk at 24:25)
2010-2011 - 14th (leader was Ilya Kovalchuk at 22:33)
2009-2010 - 18th (leader was Ilya Kovalchuk at 22:02)
2008-2009 - 20th (leader was Alex Ovechkin at 23:00)
2007-2008 - 25th (leader was Martin St. Louis at 24:17)
2006-2007 - 22nd (leader was Martin St. Louis at 24:09)
2005-2006 - 18th (leader Rod Brind'Amour at 24:17)

Nielson uses this year's scoring race as an example, with the top point getters in the mid 80s compared to the 100-point totals hockey fans have seen over those last 10 seasons. In 2005-06, Joe Thornton topped the NHL with 125 points and was one of seven players with 100-plus points on the year. Since the 2010-11 campaign (lockout-shortened 2012-13 season excluded), there have been only three players hit triple figures in points on the season.

“I'm almost certain if Tavares and Crosby were playing 23 or 24 minutes a night those totals would be a heck of a lot different,” Nielson tells Covers.

In 2005-06, NHL scoring jumped from 5.14 goals per game in the season prior to the lockout to 6.16, which was the highest-scoring NHL schedule since the 1995-96 season, which averaged 6.28 goals a contests. Of those 1,064 games with totals of six goals or more, teams averaged 6.44 goals per game but still boasted a 480-524-60 Over/Under count (52 percent Under), a forerunner of things to come in the NHL.

The next season, NHL totals of six or more goals were limited to 693 games. In 2007-08, Over/Unders of six-plus totaled just 209 games. There were only 200 in 2008-09 and 217 in the 2009-10 season. NHL totals of six or more goals were trimmed to 58 games in 2010-11. And over the last four NHL seasons, there have only been 54 games with an Over/Under of six or more goals, including just 16 in 2013-14 and 2014-15 combined.

Oddsmakers don’t have a rhyme or reason for the decline in scoring for the NHL – they honestly don’t really care to know - and simply react to how games are played out. According to Peter Korner, founder of Nevada-based odds service The Sports Club, he remembers setting nine-goal totals for Pittsburgh Penguins games back in the 1990s but says making today’s NHL totals is pretty much picking between two numbers.

“Totals are very easy now,” Korner tells Covers. “You really don’t have to personally research each game. You choose between 5.5 and 5. As for why those numbers, it just it. Scores are much lower. It’s simple to dissect from a betting standpoint.”

Games with totals of six goals or more (between 2005-06 and 2014-15) have finished with a collective 1,123-1,218-186 Over/Under record, playing Under the number 52 percent of the time. However, this season - which has had only seven NHL games with totals of six goals - teams are 5-2 O/U with only days remaining on the schedule. On the year, NHL games – regardless of total number - are 520-576 O/U (52.55 percent Under) as of Friday.

The six-goal total is dying, reserved for such high-scoring teams as the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders as well as horrific defensive clubs like the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers. And if the 6-goal total is on its deathbed, then the 6.5-goal total is the dodo bird.

There’s hasn’t been a 6.5-goal total in an NHL regular season game since the Washington Capitals hosted the Carolina Hurricanes on November 28, 2010 – a 3-2 win for Carolina that finished Under the total. There were four 6.5-goal totals that season and they all finished below the number.

As for totals of seven goals or more - which have been slashed to unicorn status - NHL bettors may never get to wager on those sky-high Over/Unders again. There were 81 games with totals of seven or more in the 2005-06 season, finishing 25-36-20, and only nine in 2006-07, with a 1-8 O/U count.

The last NHL game with a total of seven was on April 3, 2007 when the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4-1 at home. That could stand as the exact day high-scoring hockey died for good.

Rest in peace 6-goal totals. You were fun while you lasted.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Flames immerging defense leading to unders
Justin Hartling

The Calgary Flames have gone under the closing total in their past four games, thanks to a strong defensive presence. The Flames have only allowed seven goals during that span, including a shutout against the lowly Edmonton Oilers.

Those four contests have seen the Flames allow the seven goals, mentioned above, while socring 11 which equals 4.5 goals per game.

Calgary will visit the Winnipeg Jets Saturday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Calender year since Canadiens have lost to Maple Leafs
Justin Hartling

The Montreal Canadiens have have won the past five games against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The last time the Leafs have topped the Habs was on Jan. 18, 2014.

The Canadiens have rarely run away with those games though as all but the last affair has been settled by a mere one goal.

Montreal visits Toronto Saturday.


Bryan Little, Winnipeg - Out Sat

Little will miss Saturday's game against the Flames as he will receive a day of rest.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Sadly, Nassau Coliseum coming to an end
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- To be a hockey executive watching a game from the press box at Nassau Coliseum is to appreciate the arena, yet understand why its doors will close for good upon the completion of the New York Islanders' season.

In order to get between the press box and the visitor's locker room during intermissions on Feb. 24, Arizona Coyotes goaltending coach Sean Burke first navigated the narrow hallway connecting the press box with one of the Coliseum's two elevators.

Once he emerged from the packed elevator, Burke had to thread his way through the sellout crowd spilling on to the arena's lone concourse and make his way to the winding ramp that finally took him down to ice level.

"It has that feel of a lot of tradition in here, a lot of history," Burke said after the Coyotes' 5-1 loss to the Islanders. "You look around at the banners and the teams that they've had here. It definitely has its place in the history of the NHL. There's no doubt about it."

Then Burke laughed.

"But it's time," he said. "It's time for a new building."

The Coliseum, which has been the Islanders' home since entering the league in 1972, will host its last regular-season game on Saturday, when the Islanders play the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Starting in October, the Islanders will play home games at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The move west came after nearly three decades of contentious negotiations between Nassau County and three different Islanders ownership groups regarding a replacement for the Coliseum.

The Islanders will leave behind a building outdated and decrepit by modern standards, but one whose sightlines and acoustics turned it into a terrific place to play in or watch a game.

"It's not the greatest building or whatever," ex-New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur said after earning his first win for the St. Louis Blues in a 6-4 victory on Dec. 6. "But when you're on the ice playing the game, it's a fun building."

The Coliseum also housed one of the great dynasties in sports history. Three of the four consecutive Stanley Cups the Islanders won between 1980 and 1983 were clinched on the Coliseum ice.

The Islanders made the playoffs in 14 straight seasons from 1974-75 through 1987-88, a stretch in which they went 358-118-84 at home as the Coliseum earned the nickname "Fort Neverlose."

"It's almost like being in the old Boston Garden or Maple Leaf Gardens or Montreal Forum," said Hurricanes radio play-by-play man Chuck Kaiton, who has been with the franchise since its days as the Hartford Whalers. "There's only a couple of modern buildings that get you as close."

The near-invincibility of the Islanders at home made any victory a memorable occasion for a visitor.

"My rookie year, I remember coming here and it was the end of their dynasty, where they still had (Denis) Potvin and (Bryan) Trottier and (Mike) Bossy," said former Montreal Canadiens goalie and current Colorado Avalanche head coach Patrick Roy. "It was pretty intimidating. But we beat them 3-2. I think that was the first (win) for Montreal in probably nine or 10 years."

Close -- it was the Canadiens' second win at the Coliseum in eight years.

Burke and Brendan Shanahan, the president of the Toronto Maple Leafs, both played on the 1987-88 Devils, who extinguished the last embers of the Islanders' dynasty with a six-game win in the Patrick Division semifinals.

"We were excited to beat them," Shanahan said. "But you could sense it was a little bit sad, as well. After that they were like a lot of teams -- they were trying to rebound."

There will be one more chance for current players to experience the Coliseum at playoff frenzy. The Islanders clinched just their ninth postseason berth in the last 26 seasons on Thursday by virtue of the Boston Bruins' 4-2 loss to the Florida Panthers.

The Islanders haven't won a series since 1993, though they took the Pittsburgh Penguins to six games in a memorable Eastern Conference quarterfinal in May 2013.

"It was loud in here and it was cool," said Avalanche right winger Jarome Iginla, who played for the Penguins in 2013. "To see it rocking like that, you get a feeling a little bit of what it might have been like when they were really winning here."

Even when the Islanders were at their worst, the Coliseum still stuck out as a unique place at which to play and coach.

"There were a lot of one-goal games over the years," said Winnipeg Jets coach Paul Maurice, who spent 15 seasons coaching the Whalers/Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs. "Pretty exciting games. A lot of transition, a lot of flow."

Vancouver Canucks president Trevor Linden scored his first career goal at the Coliseum and captained the Islanders in the late '90s. He said he told friends from around the country that a game at the Coliseum would "probably be your best fan experience because it's a great bowl."

Yet Linden got a lesson in the aged nature of the building on Feb. 22. After the Canucks' 4-0 win, he passed on waiting for the elevator and instead followed a reporter to the Canucks' locker room.

It's time to move on -- albeit to a building that may never match the character nor nostalgic charm of the Coliseum.

"The new stadiums are great for the fans, they're great for the business of hockey," Shanahan said. "But I feel sorry for the players that never had an opportunity to play in the classic barns. A lot of the modern arenas sort of look the same. They've just got different coatings of paint.

"But like this one, there was a time when each arena had its own personality."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Masters Odds - 3rd Round Update

In Friday's second round of the 2015 Masters, Jordan Spieth shot an 6-under 66, which gave him a five-stroke lead after 36 holes, while setting a Masters record 14-under 130 through the first two days.

Spieth was in contention at last year's Masters but faded in the final round. Make a note that only four golfers -- Craig Wood (1941), Arnold Palmer (1960), Jack Nicklaus (1972) and Raymond Floyd (1976) -- have captured wire-to-wire victories at the Masters.

The University of Texas product was listed as high as a 12/1 betting choice to win this year's even but took some late action and closed as an 8/1 betting choice.

After Friday's effort, oddsmakers have pushed him down to a -250 betting choice (Bet $250 to win $100).

The one golfer that received the most attention this past week was Tiger Woods, who finished Friday's action at 2-under par, while sitting at 3-under for the tournament.

Woods, a favorite amongst bettors, was as low as 18/1 before the tournament but has been adjusted back to 85/1 odds.


Odds to win 2015 Masters - As of 6:00 p.m. ET on 4/10/15

Jordan Spieth 2/5
Dustin Johnson 15/2
Paul Casey 13/1
Charley Hoffman 15/1
Justin Rose 15/1
Phil Mickelson 40/1
Adam Scott 50/1
Rory McIlroy 50/1
Jason Day 65/1
Bubba Watson 70/1
Hideki Matsuyama 70/1
Ernie Els 80/1
Tiger Woods 85/1
Angel Cabrera 100/1
Louis Oosthuizen 100/1
Charl Schwartzel 125/1
Bill Haas 140/1
Kevin Na 150/1
Kevin Streelman 150/1
Sergio Garcia 150/1
Patrick Reed 175/1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

After record breaking play, Spieth is massive favorite
By JUSTIN HARTLING

Jordan Spieth broke Raymond Floyd's record for fewest shots taken through 36 holes at the Masters, which stood since 1976. Thanks to his astonishing -14 through the first two days, Spieth is a massive 5/9 favorite to take his first green jacket according to the Westgate LV Superbook.

Here are the Top 10 after Day 2:

1) Jordan Spieth -14
2) Charley Hoffman -9
T3) Justin Rose -7
T3) Dustin Johnson -7
T3) Paul Casey -7
6) Phil Mickelson -6
7) Ernie Els -5
T8) Kevin Na -4
T8) Kevin Streelman -4
T8) Bill Haas -4
T8) Ryan Moore -4

Weather forecast for Day 3:

Late Friday evening there is expected to be thundershowers, but with only trace amounts of rain. By tee-off early in the morning, the skies are expected to be cloudy with temperatures near 80°F with humidity of 88 percent.

Afternoon tee-off's should see sunshine break through the clouds with temperatures near 86°F. Winds are expected to stay consistently blowing northward around six miles per hour.

Odds after Day 2:

It comes as no surprise that Spieth is the odds-on favorite, taking a five stroke lead into Day 3. Dustin Johnson is actually getting the second best odds of getting a new green jacket despite being in a three-way tie for third.

Below is a complete list of odds after Day 2 according to the Westgate LV Superbook:

JORDAN SPIETH 5/9
DUSTIN JOHNSON 8/1
JUSTIN ROSE 15/1
CHARLEY HOFFMAN 15/1
PHIL MICKELSON 15/1
PAUL CASEY 15/1
RORY McILROY 30/1
JASON DAY 50/1
ADAM SCOTT 60/1
BUBBA WATSON 60/1
ERNIE ELS 80/1
TIGER WOODS 80/1
FIELD (all others) 15/1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Soccer EPL Best Bets - Week 32
By Toby Maxtone-Smith

Chelsea’s 2-1 win against Stoke City at the weekend means they need five wins from their last eight games to guarantee winning the league. The Blues are now 1/25 to claim their fifth English title with an Arsenal side who have won their last seven consecutive legue games the closest challengers at 20/1.

But it is at the bottom where things are really looking interesting. Wins at the weekend for Leicester, QPR and Sunderland sent shivers down the spines of Hull City and Aston Villa fans. Just seven points separate the bottom six in the league. QPR’s fixture list means they are the favourites to go down at 1/4. Next come fellow-promoted sides Leicester (1/3) and Burnley (4/6). Hull are 6/4 with Sunderland and Aston Villa both priced up at 11/4.

Let's handicap Week 32 of the Premier League.

The Banker: Arsenal to win at Burnley at 4/7
Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET

Burnley have done a good job at home to the top sides this season, having beaten Manchester City 1-0 and taken 0-0 draws off Manchester United and Spurs, but at 4/7 a rampant Arsenal side cannot be ignored. Even last year, this was the kind of match - tough-tackling opponents, noisy, old-fashioned northern ground - where you’d have been queuing up to oppose Arsenal, but with the added steel of players like Francis Coquelin and Alexis Sanchez, the Gunners should have few problems here.

Over the last nine seasons, Arsenal have won 74% of their away matches against teams who went on to be relegated. I wouldn’t expect Arsenal to run riot - Burnley have conceded 19 in 16 at home - but one goal may be enough, and in their current form Arsenal will certainly be able to score. They need to: any dropped points would surely herald the end of the title race.

The Solid Bet: Southampton to win to nil vs Hull City at 11/10
Saturday, 10:00 a.m. ET

Even though Southampton’s season is tailing off, they look a good price to beat Hull City on Saturday. This fixture sees the league’s best defence (Southampton have conceded just 22 in 31 games all season - four fewer than Chelsea) against one of the weakest attacks. Hull have scored just 12 away from home all season, and were very poor in a 3-1 defeat at Swansea City last time out. The Saints have conceded ten goals at home all year and eight of their 17 games at St. Mary’s have seen the hosts win to nil. Hull have a tough run-in, and will only be favourites for one game until the end of the season. It is hard to see a revival starting on Saturday.

The Outsider: Chelsea to win by one goal at Queens Park Rangers at 12/15
Sunday, 8:30 a.m. ET

The nature of the ‘outsider’ in this is the price, rather than backing Chelsea who are 2/5 to win this West London derby. This is an unusual fixture in that, beyond any situations in the league, it matters far more to QPR than to Chelsea. The Hoops have long been in Chelsea’s shadow and for their fans this is an opportunity to get one over on their illustrious neighbours.

Since 2008 these teams have played each other eight times: the results have been (Chelsea first) 1-0, 1-0, 0-1, 1-0, 6-1, 0-0, 1-0, 2-1. So only once have Chelsea found it easy against a QPR side who are usually pretty easy to play against away from home. Chelsea’s performances have not been great recently - all their last five league wins have come by one goal. QPR’s huge level of motivation for this game means that trend is unlikely to be bucked, but Jose Mourinho’s men should have just enough to move three points closer to the title.

The First Goalscorer: Wayne Rooney for Manchester United vs Manchester City at 5/1
Sunday, 11:00 a.m. ET

The biggest game of the weekend is a fascinating one from a punting perspective. Going on the head-to-head record, which matters more in derby matches, City look the bet at 15/8; however on current form you’d be all over United at narrow 13/8 favourites. There is a strong case to be made for either side: United have been excellent lately while City’s season is drifting painfully. On the other hand City arguably still have a stronger squad.

This leaves me to conclude that a draw is probably the best bet in the match result market, but there might be more value to be found in backing Wayne Rooney to break the deadlock at 5/1. United’s good recent form has coincided with Rooney playing a lone-striker role, and he has scored seven in his last ten games. There should be goals in this game, and Rooney looks a good shout to continue his excellent record against City.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Tottenham dominant versus Aston Villa
Andrew Avery

Tottenham Hotspur has been close to a sure thing against Aston Villa in recent meetings spanning all competitions. The North London club has won six previous encounters with the Villains, including five Premier League clashes and one League Cup matchup.

Spurs won the reverse fixture 1-2 at Villa Park earlier this season and defeated the struggling side 3-0 at White Hart Lane last season.

Currently at Bet365, Spurs is a -163 home favorite, with Villa +500 and the Draw +320.