Saturday 6/6/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

Champions League TODAY 19:45

Juventus

v

Barcelona

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
ITV		5	16/5	8/13	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ALL VENUES	RECENT FORM
HDADAWND*HWAD​ Most recent​	2 - 1 1 - 1 1 - 0 1 - 3	HWHWALAWHDNW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Juventus have conceded only seven goals in 12 Champions League games this season

EXPERT VERDICT: Barcelona's brilliant attackers are rarely underrated by bookmakers and the value may be for Juventus to frustrate the Catalans – at least in 90 minutes. Juve's defence has been outstanding in Europe this term but they also created plenty of chances in their impressive two-legged victory over Real Madrid and could take Barca to extra time in Berlin.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1


REFEREE: Cuneyt Cakir STADIUM: Olympiastadion, Berlin

 

[superbeets]

International Su 7Jun 13:00

Ireland

v

England

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
ITV		11/4	12/5	Evs	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSIN IRELAND	RECENT FORM
AWHWADALNWHD​ Most recent​	1 - 1 1 - 1 1 - 3 1 - 1	HWAWHWAWHWAD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: England have won seven of their last eight matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Ireland would love to give this high-profile friendly their full attention, but they face a crunch Euro 2016 qualifying clash with Scotland less than a week later which could be a problem for Martin O’Neill when selecting his starting 11. England have played well in recent matches and look worthy favourites.

RECOMMENDATION: England
1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Game of the Day: Blackhawks at Lightning

** Chicago Blackhawks at Tampa Bay Lightning (-125, 5)

Blackhawks lead series 1-0

After winning a franchise-best 32 home games during the regular season, the Tampa Bay Lightning let a third-period lead slip away in the opener of the Stanley Cup final to fall for the sixth time in 11 playoff contests at Amalie Arena. Undaunted, the Lightning look to even their series with the Chicago Blackhawks when the clubs play Game 2 on Saturday night.

Tampa Bay seemed content to let Alex Killorn’s nifty deflection stand up as the lone goal in Game 1, as the team failed to muster a shot for over 13 minutes at one point and routinely was on the defensive in the eventual 2-1 loss on Wednesday. “You can respect them; you can’t fear them,” Lightning veteran Brenden Morrow said. “It looked like in the third we were holding on and the fear of maybe what would be coming and what might happen.” What did happen was rookie Teuvo Teravainen scored through a screen with 6 1/2 minutes to play before setting up fellow third-liner Antoine Vermette’s tally 1:58 later as Chicago seized hold of home-ice advantage.

TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, NBC, CBC, TVA Sports

LINE HISTORY: The line opened as TB -125 with a total of 5.

INJURY REPORT: Blackhawks – LW Bryan Bickell (Ques-Upper Body), D Trevor Van Riemsdyk (Ques-Wrist) Lightning – N/A

WHAT BOOKS SAY: “After giving up their one-goal lead in the third period in Game 1, the Lightning look to bounce back versus the Blackhawks in Game 2. The Lightning are getting 68 percent of the moneyline action and 92 percent of the action to cover the -1.5 goal line.” Michael Stewart of Carbon Sports.

WHAT CAPPERS SAY: “Chicago has the best goalie in hockey right now in Corey Crawford, who is showing once again why he’s so good – especially in big pressure situations. He also has the an edge in experience over Ben Bishop, having won a Stanley Cup in 2013 with Chicago as its No. 1 netminder. But Tampa will be tough with its proverbial back against the wall. The Lightning lost Game 1 at home twice previously this post-season (once in the first series vs. Detroit and once in the Conference finals vs. NY) and both times they came back to win game 2 at home convincingly (5-1 vs. DET and 6-2 vs. NYR).” Big Al McMordie

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS: Defenseman Duncan Keith set up Teravainen’s goal to extend his assist/point streak to five games, during which he has set up eight tallies. The two-time Norris Trophy winner has a career-high 17 assists and 19 points in the playoffs, with the former serving as the most by a blue-liner in a playoff year since New York Rangers stud Brian Leetch (23, 1994) and the latter as the most by a defenseman since Edmonton’s Chris Pronger (21, 2006). Keith, who is logging a massive 31:28 of average ice time in the playoffs, sat out Friday’s practice but is in no danger of missing Game 2.

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING: The vaunted “Triplets” line of Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov was held in check in the series opener, but coach Jon Cooper isn’t ready to push the panic button. “They’ve proven time and time again, they may be kept off the scoresheet a game here, a game there, but you’re not going to keep them off for long,” Cooper said of the line, which recorded 28 goals and 55 points over the first three rounds of the playoffs. In the Stanley Cup final opener, however, the trio combined for just two shots.

TRENDS:

*Blackhawks are 4-0 in their last 4 Stanley Cup Finals games.
*Lightning are 6-1 in their last 7 games playing on 2 days rest.
*Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
*Over is 4-1-1 in Lightning last 6 home games.

CONSENSUS: 64 percent of wagers are on the Bolts.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Blackhawks are no “cadeaux” when it comes to betting the Cup final
By Jon Campbell

“Le cadeaux” is a term my gambling buddies and I like to call those rare betting opportunities that poke their heads up only a handful of times each year and you end up torturing yourself over how much money you’ll put on them.

It means “a gift” in French and of course they don’t always win, hence the torture.

One of those “cadeauxs” emerged from hiding and showed itself at the start of the Stanley Cup finals series when the Chicago Blackhawks were slated to win the championship at somewhere between -135 and -160 at many sportsbooks.

Or so I thought.

It wasn’t that I saw the Tampa Bay Lightning as a bad team – I am certain they are great – I was just on the consensus side that this squad didn’t have the talent, depth or experience to match up with a Chicago team in search of its third Cup in six seasons.

And now that I’m one game up with my futures ticket in hand and the Stanley Cup futures odds bumped to -300, I am less sure of winning this bet more than ever.

Tampa Bay skated circles around the Blackhawks in the first period of Game 1, ultimately winning the battles in shots, hits, blocked shots and faceoffs by the time the final horn sounded. There were stretches in the first period especially where you’d swear oddsmakers had the wrong team favored – and by a lot.

Ultimately, it did seem to be the depth of the Blackhawks that helped Chicago score two quick goals in final minutes of the third to edge the Lightning. But I expect the Lightning to have learned a lot from Game 1 and I’ll be surprised if every game in this series isn’t a barn burner.

Odds worth a look in Game 2

Keeping in mind that games in this series should be closely contested, you may want to take a peek at the odds for either team to win by one goal, set at +250 for both the Blackhawks and the Lightning at bet33.com. It’s a much better payout than the -130 or +110 odds you’ll find simply for the straight-up win by any score.

The only stat that matters for bettors – the money

If you want to decide who the better team is based on the stack of money beside it these playoffs, Chicago is your team. And it’s not even close.

If you’d been risking a $100 unit on every game – meaning you risk $100 when the team is an underdog and risking enough to win $100 when the team is favored – the Blackhawks are up almost $800 on the Lightning.

Chicago is 13-5 in the postseason for a betting total of $914 while the Lightning are 12-9 and have scraped out a narrow profit of just $163. It’s feasible that Tampa Bay could come very close to winning the Stanley Cup but could be a losing bet game-to-game.

Compare that with the Ducks, who turned out a profit of $575 for their backers but lost in the conference finals.

Conn Smythe odds

Blackhawks super captain Jonathan Toews opened as the Conn Smythe favorite at +250 before this series began but now Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith is the frontrunner at +225.

If you like the Bolts to come and win the series, don’t even consider anyone other than Tyler Johnson, who sits at +650.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Lightning host Blackhawks in GAME #2
by Zach Cohen

*CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (61-32-7) at TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (62-33-8)
Stanley Cup Finals Game 2: Saturday, 8:05 p.m. ET
Line: Chicago +110, Tampa Bay -130, Total: 5.0

The Lightning look to even up the series when they host the Blackhawks in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Saturday.

In Game 1, the Lightning struck fast and decided to play cautiously the rest of the way. That did not work for them as they would blow their 1-0 lead and end up losing the game 2-1. They will need to open it up a little bit in Game 2 or they are in great danger of falling behind 2-0 heading into Game 3 in Chicago. With the victory for the Blackhawks, the team is now 2-1 both SU and ATS against the Lightning on the season. They have split wins both SU and ATS in Tampa Bay as well. The Blackhawks are 15-5 ATS in road games when playing only their second game in five days this season and 13-5 ATS in the playoffs overall. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, is 13-3 ATS after two or more consecutive Unders this season. The total has gone Under in three of the past four Lightning games and that could continue if the team continues to try to win games with a defensive mentality. D Trevor Van Riemsdyk (Wrist) and LW Bryan Bickell (Upper Body) are both questionable for Chicago and Tampa Bay enters this game at close to full strength.

The Blackhawks were able to steal Game 1 in Tampa Bay and G Corey Crawford (10-4, 2.46 GAA, 92.1% SV% in playoffs) played very well. Crawford settled down after allowing an early goal and stopped 22 of the 23 shots he faced. He’ll need to continue to be a sturdy presence for his team moving forward. Offensively it was LW Teuvo Teravainen (3 G, 5 A, 9 PTS in playoffs) who stepped it up for Chicago. He had a goal and an assist in the game and really came through when the Blackhawks were desperate for some firepower. C Antonie Vermette (3 G, 3 A, 6 PTS in playoffs) also scored a goal for the Blackhawks. He has been clutch throughout the postseason, but Chicago will need its usual suspects to get it going in this series. If RW Patrick Kane (10 G, 10 A, 20 PTS in playoffs), D Duncan Keith (2 G, 17 A, 19 PTS in playoffs) and C Jonathan Toews (9 G, 9 A, 18 PTS in playoffs) are unable to make their marks in this series then it is extremely likely that the Lightning will be hoisting a trophy when it’s all over. These Blackhawks superstars must be aggressive in Game 2, as it’s unlikely that the team will win if they are pointless once again.

The Lightning got off to a fast start on a beautiful goal by C Alex Killorn (8 G, 9 A, 17 PTS in playoffs) in Game 1, but they sat on their lead and were not aggressive enough. This was the most explosive team during the regular season and it will need to try to win games with its fast-paced offense the rest of the way. One guy who absolutely must show up for the Lightning is C Steven Stamkos (7 G, 10 A, 17 PTS in playoffs). The Lightning captain has just seven shots on goal over the past three games and has really been invisible at times throughout those games. He is one of the most potent goal scorers in the entire NHL and has to find the back of the net at some point. It would give his team a huge boost if he is to find his game in Game 2. G Ben Bishop (12-9, 2.14 GAA, 91.9% SV% in playoffs) is going to have to be ready to stand on his head in this series. His team seemed perfectly content with playing a defensive oriented game and if that is the case then he will likely have to allow one or less goals moving forward. He was solid in Game 2 and it’s unfair to ask much more of him, as this Lightning offense should be able to provide some more scoring.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five To Follow MLB Betting: Saturday, June 6, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

It’s easy for me to say right now, but I projected the Detroit Tigers to take a big step back this season after winning four AL Central titles in a row. I expected Victor Martinez to come way back to earth after a monster 2014 season because of age. He has in a big way and is on the disabled list. Justin Verlander hasn’t been the same guy in a couple of years and still hasn’t pitched in the majors this season, although he’s getting close. Not sure that will save things. I was wrong on Miguel Cabrera slightly regressing as he’s having another fine season. I bring up the Tigers because they entered Friday on a seven-game losing streak that’s the longest in the majors and could slip under .500 on Saturday with losses Friday and Saturday

Cubs at Nationals (TBA)

Washington got back infielder Anthony Rendon off the disabled list on Thursday; he hadn’t played all season. Yet the Nats might have lost another infielder in Yunel Escobar. He left Thursday’s loss to the Cubs after hurting his right wrist on a check swing. X-rays were negative, but it still might mean a trip to the disabled list. At a minimum he seems likely to miss a couple of games. He’s having a nice season, batting .316. The Nats are expected to start A.J. Cole for a spot outing due to a doubleheader Tuesday and some injuries in the rotation. The Nationals recalled Cole from Triple-A on Thursday. Cole is 0-0 with a 5.79 ERA and a save in three big-league outings this season (one start). Jason Hammel (4-2, 2.82) goes for Chicago. He struck out a career-high 11 Monday in Miami, allowing one run in 6.2 innings in a win. Ryan Zimmerman hits .355 off him with four extra-base hits in 31 at-bats. Bryce Harper is 0-for-10 with five strikeouts.

Key trends: The Cubs are 6-0 in Hammel’s past six vs. the NL East. The Nats are 8-2 in their past 10 during Game 3 of a series. The “over/under” has gone under in six straight Hammel starts in Game 3 of a series.

Early lean: No opening line because Cole hasn’t been made official yet, but by all accounts it’s going to be him. The Nats could be great value here because they might even be slight home dogs. It’s not like the Cubs know Cole.



Tigers at White Sox (+146, 8)

It’s Detroit’s first seven-game skid since 2011, when it still won 95 games. The Tigers didn’t lose more than five straight last season, four in a row in 2013 or five in a row in 2012. FanGraphs now gives the Tigers just a 34.7 percent of making the playoffs. If the Tigers didn’t extend the skid on Friday they are in good position to end it here behind lefty David Price (4-2, 3.15). He dominated the White Sox in Detroit on April 17, striking out nine and giving up one run over eight innings. Adam Eaton is 7-for-12 off Price. Jose Abreu just 1-for-10. Chicago lefty John Danks (3-4, 4.81) comes off his best start in forever, throwing a complete-game shutout in Houston despite 10 hits allowed. He hasn’t faced Detroit this season. Ian Kinsler is a .341 hitter off him with four doubles and four homers in 41 at-bats.

Key trends: The Tigers are 10-1 in Price’s past 11 vs. the AL Central. Chicago is 4-1 in Danks’ past five at home. The over is 4-0-1 in Danks’ past five against the Tigers at home.

Early lean: Tigers at +100 on runline — they usually smash Danks. Go over.



Rangers at Royals (-163, 8)

It’s a major-league first on Saturday in Kansas City: a Wandy vs. a Yordano on the mound. OK, I can’t prove that it’s the first time, but I feel pretty confident it’s the case. Actually there was history made the last time the Royals’ Yordano Ventura faced Texas as it was the first Yo-Yo game ever because he was opposed by the Rangers’ Yovani Gallardo. Has no betting value at all, but I like entertaining myself. Texas’ Wandy Rodriguez (2-2, 3.55) is 1-0 with a 3.06 ERA in his past three starts. @Askthebookie He hasn’t faced the Royals in three years. Ventura (3-4, 4.26) lost in Texas on May 13, giving up a season-high 10 hits and five runs over seven innings. He allowed two homers, his only game this season giving up more than one. Prince Fielder is 3-for-4 with a homer off him.

Key trends: Texas is 4-0 in Rodriguez’s past four on the road. The Royals are 12-3 in their past 15 against lefties. They are 1-5 in Ventura’s past six. The under is 7-0-1 following a quality start in his last appearance.

Early lean: Royals and under.



Cardinals at Dodgers (-190, 6)

Los Angeles second baseman Howie Kendrick missed Thursday’s game with a knee injury and might have to miss a few more. The good news is an MRI on Kendrick’s right knee ruled out any structural damage. A DL stint hasn’t been ruled out yet, however. Lefty Jaime Garcia (1-2, 2.70) starts for St. Louis. He has made only three starts after beginning the year on the disabled list but has nicely filled the No. 5 spot thus far. He hasn’t faced the Dodgers since 2012. Jimmy Rollins has seen him the most of any L.A. player, going 4-for-20 with two doubles. It’s fellow southpaw Clayton Kershaw (4-3, 3.73) for the Dodgers. He looks back on track, winning two straight stars and allowing two combined runs and striking out 17 over 14 innings. Matt Holliday is 9-for-35 with 10 strikeouts off him. Yadier Molina is 6-for-22 with three doubles.

Key trends: The Cards are 0-4 in their past four on Saturday. The Dodgers are 0-4 in their past four against a lefty. The Dodgers are 1-4 in Kershaw’s past five vs. the NL Central. The over is 4-1-1 in Kershaw’s past six at home vs. St. Louis.

Early lean: Cardinals certainly have solved Kershaw in the playoffs. I’ll take St. Louis at -130 on runline. Go under.



Mets at Diamondbacks (-107, 8.5)

With David Wright out, the Mets have probably the worst offensive infield in baseball. Thus, they can ill afford to lose second baseman Daniel Murphy. But he left Thursday’s game against the Diamondbacks after pulling up lame running out a ground ball. Manager Terry Collins said it was a quad injury and that Murphy may be headed to the DL. Murphy is hitting .283 with 29 RBIs. Bartolo Colon (8-3, 4.72) starts here for New York. Amazingly, he has faced Arizona only once in his 18-year career and way back in 2006. Colon has won back-to-back starts, allowing three earned in each. Snakes catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia has seen Colon the most of any Arizona player, going 5-for-21 with a homer and eight strikeouts. Arizona’s Chase Anderson (1-1, 3.26) continues to be the no-decision king with just those two in 10 starts. He comes off his worst outing, allowing six runs and 10 hits over five innings in Milwaukee.

Key trends: The Mets are 8-2 in Colon’s past 10 on the road. The Diamondbacks are 0-9 in Anderson’s past nine starts with five days of rest. The over is 7-0 in Colon’s past seven against teams with a losing record. The over is 5-0 in Anderson’s past five on Saturday.

Early lean: Mets and over.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB Betting Cheat Sheet: Winless in Seattle over the last five games
By Doc Sports

Here’s a comprehensive look at betting notes for this weekend’s major-league schedule:

Seattle slew of losses

The Seattle Mariners have lost five games in a row after getting swept in three straight by the New York Yankees earlier this week. Seattle has gone eight consecutive contests without scoring more than three runs. Second baseman Robinson Cano is 2-for-19 dating back to last Saturday.

He’s a Joc

Los Angeles Dodgers’ center fielder Joc Pederson is on a six-game hitting streak and has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games. Five of those nine have been of the multi-hit variety for the 23-year-old. Pederson (.267, 17 HR, 32 RBI) has also gone deep in five consecutive games.

Over automatic with Bradley

Since getting hit in the head by a comebacker on April 28, Archie Bradley of the Arizona Diamondbacks has watched his ERA balloon from 1.80 to 5.80 in the span of four starts. He returned on May 16 and has given up at least four earned runs in each of his last four appearances while never lasting more than five innings. The over is 7-0 in Bradley’s last seven starts heading into Saturday’s home date with the New York Mets.

Pitching Notes

* Oakland Athletics’ veteran Jesse Chavez is just 2-5 in 12 appearances (eight starts), but he is sporting a 2.11 ERA. He has not surrendered a single run in his last two outings (16 innings). The under is 6-1-1 in Chavez’s eight starts. The 31-year-old will get the nod on Saturday at the Boston Red Sox.

* Jason Hammel of the Chicago Cubs is averaging more than a strikeout per inning through 10 starts this season. He has mowed down 69 batters in 67 innings of work after recording a career-high 11 strikeouts in Monday’s 5-1 win over the Miami Marlins. The under is 6-2 in Hammel’s last eight outings. He will take the mound again on Saturday at the Washington Nationals.

Hitting Notes

* Pittsburgh Pirates’ center fielder Andrew McCutchen (.293, 7 HR, 34 RBI) is on a five-game hitting streak and has nine base knocks in those five. He batted .330 in May and is off to a .714 start in June. The Pirates have won three games in a row and 11 of 13 and the over is 4-0-3 in their last seven.

* The Kansas City Royals are 0-3 O/U in their last three overall and 1-5 O/U in their last six. They have crossed the plate exactly one time in a whopping five of their last eight games. Second baseman Omar Infante is 1-for-22 in his last six contests.

Totals Streak

Atlanta Braves (32-18-3 O/U): The over is 4-0-1 in the Braves’ last five overall. They have scored at least six runs in each of their last five games, including a total of 37 during this potent stretch. At the same time, Atlanta allowed 16 runs in its last two games of this week’s series against Arizona.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

‘Champions League Final Betting Preview': Barcelona trio could be too much for Juventus
By Soccer Authority

The wait for the hotly-anticipated Champions League final is almost over, but who will be victorious at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium on Saturday?

The newly-crowned Spanish champions, Barcelona, are heavy favorites to clinch their fifth European Cup, but Italian champions Juventus will provide a stern test for the Catalan club.

Many are predicting Saturday’s final to be a tight affair, but that Barcelona will ultimately come out on top. If you believe this, a bet of Barcelona to ‘Win to Nil’ at +150 may be worth considering. The Catalans have kept a record amount of clean sheets (shut-outs) this season.

Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez have been in incredible form this season. The South American trio have notched a whopping 120 goals between them this season. Messi has hit 58 goals, Neymar has 38 and Suarez has (just in case maths isn’t your thing) 24 goals in his debut season in Spain.

Messi to score anytime is priced at -110 with most books and the Argentinian has had an exceptional season even by his own high-standards. Messi is the Champions League’s joint top-scorer this season, having notched 10 goals, a feat only matched by a certain Real Madrid and Portugal forward.

Juventus pair Carlos Tevez and Alvaro Morata will need to perform if the Italian side are to upset the odds and claim their third Champions League trophy. Tevez has been in sensational form for Juventus, forming a brilliant partnership with Morata.

Juventus will need to defy the odds once more, just as they did when dispatching Barca’s fierce rivals Real Madrid in the semifinals of this competition. The Italian club are priced at +260 to lift the trophy, while they are priced at +500 to win the match in 90 minutes.

Heavy favorites Barcelona are priced at -160 to win in normal time, and are -300 to lift the trophy.

The Catalans have been stuck on four trophy wins in this competition since 2011, when they defeated Manchester United 3-1 at Wembley. Barcelona will undoubtedly go into the final with confidence flowing having already won La Liga and the Copa Del Ray in recent weeks. Luis Enrique’s record-breaking team will have landed the treble should they claim their fifth Champions League Trophy on Saturday, and with their front-three in such form, it would be brave to back against them.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

UFC Fight Night 68: Boetsch vs Henderson
by Freddy Wander

UFC Fight Night 68: Boetsch vs Henderson

Saturday, June 6th – 10:00 p.m. ET
New Orleans, Louisiana
Tim Boetsch (18-8-0) vs. Dan Henderson (30-13-0)

‘Middleweight Bout’
Line: Henderson +150, Boetsch -185

Two struggling fighters, Tim Boetsch and Dan Henderson, fight in the main event at UFC 68 this coming Saturday.

Here is the betting preview for this matchup:

Boetsch started out his UFC career in early 2008 and was an instant success with two first round knockouts in his first three matches. After his fourth match, a loss to Jason Brilz by unanimous decision at UFC 96, “The Barbarian” spent the next year winning three fights outside of the UFC circuit. Upon his return at UFC 117, he was able to rattle off five victories in his next six bouts and took all but one of the wins by decision. Unfortunately for the now 34-year-old, that was the end of his sustained success, and over his last six fights he is 2-4 with his only impressive showing coming when he earned “Performance of the Night” honors in a second round knockout over Brad Tavares last summer. As he attempts to get back to his winning ways, he will need to get through one of the true veterans of the sport in 44-year-old Dan Henderson, who after an impressive career in the UFC, Strikeforce and Pride, has fallen on hard times with a single win over his last six fights. That last victory, coming in March of last year, did earn him “Fight of the Night” and “Performance of the Night” honors when he took out Mauricio Rua via knockout early in the third round in Brazil. In two of his past three defeats, Henderson has been on the losing end of a very quick match, being knocked out early in the first round against both Vitor Belfort and most recently Gegard Mausasi in his return to the middleweight division. Henderson is certainly a legend of mixed martial arts, and in this fight he is going against another struggling fighter, but it will be tough for him to overcome the 10-year age difference separating him from the 185-pound Boetsch.

Boetsch has had eight losses in his career, but half of those have came in the last six fights and he has been taken down a total of six times over the four defeats. Overall, his takedown defense average isn’t very impressive, sitting at 54% as his accuracy with his own takedowns sits at a meager 33%. With that percentage he has been able to earn himself 1.69 takedowns per 15 minutes in the octagon, but in his past eight fights has a putrid four total. While getting the opponent on the mat isn’t the only way to win a MMA fight, he hasn’t really impressed with his striking ability either, landing 2.72 significant strikes per minute at a 50% accuracy. The mark is just barely more than what his opponents are laying on him (2.66 SApM) while he has been able to deflect 58% of the attempts. He was involved in the “Fight of the Night” in his loss to Thales Leites most recently and in the process was out-struck 26-20 while failing to defend against the second submission attempt, an arm triangle which ended things in the second round. Boetsch has certainly not been fighting his best lately, and despite the decade of age between him and Henderson, will need to put up a nice effort against one of the most well known fighters in the sport.

Henderson has been around for what seems like forever with his first UFC match coming at UFC 17 in 1998, but he did not fight again in the circuit until 2007 when he made his return and lost his first two bouts back. He was very successful when competing in the Pride Fighting Championships where he was the middleweight and welterweight champion, but overall in his career he has actually been outhit 2.55 significant strikes per minute compared to a mere 2.38 significant strikes per minute landed himself. He has been able to land only 47% of his total strikes as his opposition had a better rate of 50%. Henderson has been manhandled recently and over his last three losses has seen his opponent land 66 strikes compared to his meager 11. Statistically, not much else has stood out for “Hendo” as he gets 1.61 takedowns per 15 minutes of fighting and has only defended against opponent takedowns 58% of the time. Henderson has certainly lost a step and will have trouble defeating most decent fighters at the moment.



**Henderson’s recent record has been terrible

Dan Henderson is one of the biggest names in the MMA world, but the legendary fighter has won just one of his last six fights.

The fights are getting harder and harder to watch too as ‘Hendo’ managed to make it the distance in those first two, but has been finished early in the other losses.

Henderson is currently +175 when he takes on Tim Boetsch Saturday, in what could be his last fight in the UFC.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Soccer Champions League Props

The 2014-15 UEFA Champions League final takes place this Saturday June 6 from Berlin as FC Barcelona meets Juventus.

The action is set for 2:45 p.m. ET.

Odds to win UEFA Champions League
Regular Time
Juventus +450
Barcelona FC -169
Draw +300
Over 2.5 (-114)
Under 2.5 (-114)

Regular Time & Extra Time
FC Barcelona -320
Juventus +220

1st Half Lines
Juventus +450
Barcelona FC +105
Draw +120
Over 1.5 (+180)
Under 1.5 (-250)

2nd Half Lines
Juventus +400
Barcelona FC -114
Draw +160
Over 1.5 (+110)
Under 1.5 (-149)

Draw No Bet
Juventus +325
Barcelona FC -475

Goal Line
Juventus +1.5 (-215)
Barcelona FC -1.5 (+260)

Total Goals

Juventus
Over .5 (-155)
Under .5 (+115)

Barcelona FC
Over 1.5 (-145)
Under 1.5 (+105)

Both Teams to Score
Yes -120
No -120

Juventus to keep a clean sheet
Regular Time
Yes +450
No -750

Barcelona FC to keep a clean sheet
Regular Time
Yes +115
No -115

Top Goal Scorer
(Dead Heat Rule Apply)
Lionel Messi -250 - 10 Goals
Cristiano Ronaldo +240 - 10 Goals
Neymar +400 - 9 Goals
Carlos Tevez +15000 - 7 Goals
Luis Suarez +20000 - 6 Goals

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL Lightning open -130 in Game 2 of Stanley Cup
By ANDREW AVERY

An online shop has released odds for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final between the Chicago Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning and have posted the Bolts -130.

The Lightning were the first favorite to lose Game 1 of the Stanley Cup in 10 years after squandering a 1-0 lead in the third period to fall 2-1 to the Hawks.

The sportsbook opened the total at 5 with O -135 and U +115.

 

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Lightning lament Game 1 loss; Lesson learned?
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

TAMPA, Fla. – Jon Cooper knows his team likes to take the hard road, which is why the Tampa Bay Lightning coach is not fretting over what might be viewed a heartbreaking loss in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Wednesday.

"We respect everybody, but there's no fear in the room," Cooper said. "Especially after playing last night's game, when you're feeling out your opponent a little bit, I don't know, we didn't come here to come second. We came here to win this. We got a taste of who we were playing against.

"It's probably in our style. This is four series (this postseason). Third one where we've lost Game 1. We've never made it easy on ourselves."

The Blackhawks scored two late goals to overtake the Lightning in Game 1, a game Tampa dominated defensively, particularly in taking away clean looks for Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.

Lightning defensive center Cedric Paquette, just 21 years old, easily won in the head-to-head matchup with Toews.

But Chicago scored twice in a span of 1 minute, 58 seconds in the third period in the 2-1 victory.

"Definitely a lesson learned," said Lightning defenseman Anton Stralman.

Game 2 is Saturday in Tampa, and the two-day break gives the Lightning more time to think.

Toews said Thursday on the first of two off days that he was not surprised the Blackhawks rallied. He was surprised the Lightning didn't close out the game. Chicago is 5-5 this postseason in games in which it trailed but with Tampa leading in shots on goal 23-5 in the first 15 minutes of the game, the Blackhawks realize they dodged multiple bullets.

"Knowing a team like Tampa, as far as I know, when they get up in games, they have not an easy time, but more often than not, they find ways to close out," he said. "I don't want to overstate it or anything, but we knew going down 1-0 was a good situation for us concerning the fact it could have been worse. We know if there's games where we tend to give up leads or we go down a goal or two, there's always that confidence we can find ways to put pressure on the team and make them stave off our pressure late in games. We found a way to get a couple bounces (Wednesday) and walked out with a win, knowing we can play a lot better and we're going to play better. But I think there's that confidence in our group that we can find ways to come back if we're not in an ideal situation in a game or a series."

Cooper has the same confidence the Lightning will rebound. Tampa came back to beat the New York Rangers after a Game 1 defeat in the conference finals.

"You've got to go through these situations to learn from them," said Lighting captain Steven Stamkos said.

 

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Blackhawks bettors sitting pretty after Game 1

Bettors who backed the Chicago Blackhawks to win the Stanley Cup against the Tampa Bay Lightning before Game 1 are happy as the series price took a big jump after the the Hawks took a 1-0 series lead.

The Blackhawks are now -255 favorites to win their third Stanley Cup in six seasons after opening at -150.

The Lightning have gone from +103 to +210, with Game 2 going in Tampa Bay Saturday night.

 

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NEWSLETTER MLB Baseball Prediction From Doc’s Sports

Take Toronto (+120) over Houston (1 p.m., Saturday, June 6)
I think this will be an excellent opportunity to jump on an underdog on the diamond. Houston has gotten off to a dream start. No team has made more for its backers this year, and they are the talk of the Majors right now. They were the first team to reach 30 wins and are out in front in a bad A.L. West at the moment. But as of Tuesday they were just 3-4 in their last seven games. @Askthebookie I see some signs that this team is slowing down a bit. They are very reliant on the home run ball, and Drew Hutchinson has really improved in that aspect. He is keeping the ball down and has only allowed four home runs in his last nine starts. Hutchinson is coming off a poor showing in Minnesota, but prior to that he shut down the White Sox with a complete game shutout. Hutchinson has just a 2.97 ERA at home this year, and I think that he is going to get the better of weak-armed Brett Oberholtzer, who is just a stopgap starter for the Astros right now. I think that Toronto is a little bit better than they’ve shown in this one, and I think that the Blue Jays will pay out on Saturday afternoon.

 

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NEWSLETTER MLB Baseball Prediction From Allen *******

Take Chicago Cubs over Washington (12:05 p.m., Saturday, June 6)
The Cubbies are going to keep cranking out wins here, and I think that Jason Hammel will get the better of the Nationals on Saturday. Washington was the hottest team in baseball. But now they are banged up again. Jason Werth and Stephen Strasburg are both on the DL. Denard Span has a banged-up knee. They still haven’t gotten Anthony Rendon back. This team falls apart when it starts having injury issues. We’ve seen that over the past couple years. The Cubs have a lot of confidence right now. They are 8-2 in their last 10 against teams from the East, and they have revenge against Washington for losing two of three to the Nats at Wrigley just last week. Hammel pitched the day before that series. But he’s not going to miss Washington this time around. Go with the Cubbies.

 

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NEWSLETTER MLB Baseball Prediction From Strike Point Sports

Take Seattle over Tampa Bay (10 p.m., Saturday, June 6)
Felix Hernandez was rocked his last time out, giving up more runs than innings pitched, something you don’t see very often. Hernandez took a loss to the Yankees when he gave up 7 earned runs lasting just 4.2 innings as the Mariners lost 7-2. Fortunately for Seattle, Hernandez has pitched very well against Tampa Bay. He threw a complete game shutout against them on May 27, and in his last 3 starts against the Rays he is 2-0, allowing just 4 runs on 16 hits over 22.2 innings pitched. The Rays will counter with Alex Colome on the bump. He has had a rough going on the road this season, sporting a 1-1 record with a 6.38 ERA. He wasn’t terrible against the Mariners at home on May 26 when he allowed 2 earned runs over 5 innings, but the Rays still took the loss 7-6. The Mariners have won 6 out of the last 9 meetings between these two clubs the past two seasons, and the Mariners are 9-2 in games that Hernandez has started this season. I like them to pick up the win here as well.

 

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NEWSLETTER MLB Baseball Prediction From Jason Sharpe

Take #976 New York Yankees (-120) over L.A. Angels (7 p.m., Saturday, June 6)
Los Angeles Angels starter Matt Shoemaker is an extreme fly ball pitcher who runs into problems when he faces teams who can hit the long ball or if he’s pitching in a game at a hitters’ park. He’s dealing not with one but both of these negative things here in this game. Shoemaker has been hit real hard three times this season in which he’s allowed five earned runs or more in a start. Those three starts came against Toronto, Houston and Oakland, all of which are teams built to hit the long ball. He goes into New York here to face a Yankees offense ranked near the top of the league in home runs hit so far this season. Shoemaker also has to deal with the fact that this game is being played in Yankee stadium, the park ranked as the easiest park to hit a home run in MLB last year in the stat called ‘MLB park factors’. New York counters here with starter Adam Warren. The right-hander pitched out of the Yankees bullpen last season but was moved into their starting rotation this season. He struggled to start things off this year as he failed to get past the 6th inning in any of his first 6 starts while posting an ERA of 4.80 overall. He looks to have settled in nicely of late, though, with four straight quality starts coming into this game and an ERA of just 2.71 overall during this recent stretch. Warren couldn’t ask for much a much better matchup as he faces an Angels offense that has struggled again this season against right-handed pitchers. Take the New York Yankees here in this one.

 

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NEWSLETTER Boxing Prediction From Raphael Esparza

Take Cotto (-300) To Win by KO/TKO/DQ over Geale (8 p.m., Saturday, June 6)
Here is another guy that is looking for a fight with Money Mayweather if he has an outstanding showing. Cotto has won back-to-back fights since losing back-to-back fights by Austin Trout and Mayweather, but that was a totally different Miguel Cotto. Cotto has changed his whole fight plan, and since then I believe he got faster and his hands are heavier. With that I see Cotto finishing Daniel Geale late in the fight. Daniel Geale was exposed when he fought GGG (Gennady Golovkin), and if Cotto goes to the body early in this fight I see Geale going down in rounds 8 through 10.

 

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CHICAGO vs. TAMPA BAY
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Tampa Bay's last 14 games when playing at home against Chicago

Chicago at Tampa Bay
Chicago: 18-20 SU when playing with 2 days rest, 31-32 SU after a 2 game unbeaten streak
Tampa Bay: 25-8 SU when playing only their 2nd game in 5 days, 26-10 SU after having lost 2 of their last 3 games