Sunday 3/6/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Post your request, Comments or concerns here.
Good luck on all your plays.

When not viewing the service plays.
Make sure to enjoy the rest of what the RX has to offer.

First time here at the RX.
Make sure to visit the Newbies Room
Click here to go there now

 

[superbeets]

Spanish La Liga TODAY 11:00

Real Betis

v

Granada

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS5					More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT REAL BETIS	RECENT FORM
ALHWADHDHDAW​ Most recent​	0 - 0 1 - 2 1 - 2 4 - 1	ALHLALHLAWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Betis have won just one of their last 11 home league fixtures

EXPERT VERDICT: Successive wins have boosted Granada’s survival hopes and their good run can continue with a valuable draw at Betis. Poor home form has been a major problem for Betis, who have taken just 12 points in front of their home fans – fewer than any other team in La Liga.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1

 

[superbeets]

Italian Serie A TODAY 11:30

Torino

v

Lazio

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU					More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT TORINO	RECENT FORM
HDADHLAWHDAL​ Most recent​	0 - 2 1 - 3 1 - 0 1 - 0	ADHWADADHWHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Lazio's last three away matches have been goalless draws

EXPERT VERDICT: Lazio suffered a bloody nose when they were beaten 2-0 by Sassuolo on Monday but their away form has been decent – they are unbeaten in their last six games on the road – and they can see off Torino, who have won just two of their last 13 Serie A matches.

RECOMMENDATION: Lazio
2

 

[superbeets]

French Ligue 1 TODAY 13:00

Marseille

v

Toulouse

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT S					More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MARSEILLE	RECENT FORM
AW*ADHLHDADAW*​ Most recent​	2 - 0 2 - 2 2 - 1 2 - 1	HLALHDALHDHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Toulouse have scored four goals in their last eight league matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Marseille will be out to avenge a League Cup defeat at Toulouse in January, though it’s hard to have much faith in either side. OM have only scored more than one goal in one of their last ten while Toulouse, led for the first time by new boss Pascal Dupraz, are without a win in ten.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1

 

[superbeets]

Dutch Eredivisie TODAY 13:30

Willem II

v

Ajax

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS5					More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT WILLEM II	RECENT FORM
HDHDADHDALAW​ Most recent​	1 - 1 2 - 4 1 - 3 0 - 2	HDADHWAWHWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Ajax have won six and drawn two of their eight Eredivisie games in 2016

EXPERT VERDICT: Ajax are hoping to keep the pressure on Dutch league leaders PSV but they may be made to work hard in Tilburg. Willem II have not lost any of their last six home games, including a 2-2 draw with PSV, but Ajax striker Arkadiusz Milik is in great form with four goals in his last two games and is worth following.

RECOMMENDATION: A Milik first goalscorer
1

 

[superbeets]

Premier League TODAY 13:30

C Palace

v

Liverpool

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1					More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT C PALACE	RECENT FORM
HLADHLAWALAD​ Most recent​	1 - 2 3 - 1 3 - 3 2 - 1	AD*AWADHWND*HW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Palace have lost their last four home league games

EXPERT VERDICT: Crystal Palace are in poor form and are unlikely to get much joy from Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp’s side bounced back from their League Cup final disappointment to rout Wembley conquerors Manchester City in the league and the Reds but his side should have too much for the Eagles, who have not won at home in the Premier League since before Christmas.

RECOMMENDATION: Liverpool
3


REFEREE: Andre Marriner STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Italian Serie A TODAY 14:00

Atalanta

v

Juventus

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2					More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ATALANTA	RECENT FORM
HDALHDADHLAD​ Most recent​	0 - 3 1 - 4 0 - 1 0 - 2	AWHWADHDHWAL*​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Juventus have dropped just two points from their last 17 Serie A matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Juventus have not conceded a goal in their last eight league games and that spells bad news for Atalanta, who are winless in their last 12 outings. The Old Lady are showing no signs of slowing down in Serie A and should win with a bit to spare despite being taken to penalties by Inter in the Coppa Italia on Wednesday.

RECOMMENDATION: Juventus
4

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Kobalt 400 Preview
By Micah Roberts

For the 19th straight year, Las Vegas gets the greatest touring show stopping by in March once again as the annual NASCAR weekend is upon us. As a bonus this season, fans will get extra day of action as a NASCAR mandated test session will occur on Thursday. Then the regular schedule begins on Friday with practice and qualifying followed up by Saturday's practices and the Xfinity Series' Boyd Gaming 300 and then Sunday's Kobalt 400.

While the Las Vegas Motor Speedway has the nicest spread among all tracks in the series, complete with its ground-breaking Neon Garage that allows fans watch to watch crews work in the garages above above giant glass windows, the real attraction the Vegas date has that no where else does is legal sports betting.

After 18 years, the regular visitors for the Vegas race have become very adept at how to wager. There are still the occasional first-timers that come to the window not knowing how the betting works, but for the most part they now come in with all their bet numbers written down and fire away. It's been a long education process, but the fans are now seasoned bettors.

Sunday's race will be the highest handled Cup race of the season, almost four times the action the second most wagered race -- Daytona 500 -- takes in. With over 160,000 fans in town just for race action, the handle piles up quickly. And the sports books around town do a great job of providing bettors with a wide array of propositions.

Just about anything that appears in a NASCAR box-score can be wagered on. Lap leaders, cautions, car number to win, manufacturer to win, margin of victory -- anything you can think of that has an official result tied to it, you'll be able to find some action on it. Then of course there's the staple of NASCAR wagering which is simply picking the winner, which almost everyone in the stands seems to have a couple tickets on.

So let's start there. Who will win? Will it be a Chevy for the seventh time in LVMS history, or a Toyota for the third time? Ford has won a track-record eight times, the last coming two years ago by Brad Keselowski (Dodge won once as well with Sterling Marlin).

Last Sunday's Atlanta race won by Jimmie Johnson gave us some great insight to what might happen Sunday at LVMS just because it was the first race of 2016 using the new low downforce package. We saw two races last season with it at Kentucky and Darlington and Joe Gibbs Racing had a huge edge over everyone while winning both races. Team Penske wasn't far behind and the Chevrolet teams like Stewart Haas Racing and Hendrick Motorsports looked a little behind.

Kevin Harvick would lead the most laps (131) at Atlanta, Kurt Busch would lead the second most (62) and Johnson third most (52) -- Chevy looks good. Matt Kenseth would lead 52 laps and Martin Truex 47 for Toyota. It was quite the turnaround from what we saw last season. Chevrolet is no longer behind, and they may have even passed the Gibbs Toyota's with the package. Richard Childress Racing and Chip Ganassi also looked fast for Chevy during Atlanta practices.

Atlanta is a 1.5-mile track like Las Vegas, but it's much faster because of a higher banking. Tire wear shouldn't be as difficult this week, but the Vegas race is 100 miles shorter than Atlanta. There were surprisingly only three cautions at Atlanta which was a big drop-off from Kentucky' s 11 and Darlington's 18 last year. Drivers are obviously more comfortable with this package and know how to roll through the corners now at maximum speed without sliding as much as last year.

While the most important equation into picking the winner this week is the low downforce package, we also can't ignore history and a couple of drivers have some great history in Las Vegas beginning with Johnson and his LVMS-best four wins. Kenseth has three wins and a track best 11.3 average finish in 16 starts. Carl Edwards is a two-time winner with a 12.2 average.

Harvick won this race for the first time last season and has led more laps in the past 25 races (since 2014) on intermediate tracks than anyone else in the series -- by over 600 laps more than Joey Logano who has the second most.

Harvick's also got some great personal history in Las Vegas. Beyond his early days of racing in the Winston West series in Las Vegas, the Bakersfield native also got married to his wife Delana in 2001 during the Vegas race weekend, one week after making his Cup debut in Rockingham when taking over the RCR car the late Dale Earnhardt drove. A week later he would win his first Cup race in Atlanta in only his third career start.

There was enough evidence in Sunday's Atlanta race to believe Harvick should be the driver to beat this week, just like there was last year when he led 131 laps at Atlanta (runner-up) before winning a week later in Las Vegas.

Another big reason to support Harvick this week is that he is using a chassis that is absolutely awesome. It raced four times last season, which included a win in Las Vegas and two other runner-up finishes.

Let's go with 'Happy' Harvick on his anniversary to go back-to-back in Vegas. Three other drivers have gone back-to-back in LVMS as well (Jeff Burton, Kenseth Johnson).

Top-5 Finish Prediction:

1) #4 Kevin Harvick (6/1)
2) #20 Matt Kenseth (8/1)
3) #48 Jimmie Johnson (7/1)
4) #18 Kyle Busch (8/1)
5) #41 Kurt Busch (14/1)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Drivers to Watch - Las Vegas

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Kobalt 400
Sunday, March 6th – 3:45 p.m. EDT
Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, NV

Jimmie Johnson will be going for his fifth Sprint Cup victory at the Kobalt 400 in Las Vegas on Sunday. This is going to be an exciting race, as this track has produced some fun events in the past. It runs 1.5 miles long and nobody has been better than Johnson here. His last victory was in 2010 and that gave him a record four wins at the Kobalt 400.

Last year, however, Kevin Harvick was the one that emerged victorious here. Matt Kenseth will also have a victory on his mind, though. Kenseth last won here in 2013 and that gave him three wins, so he can tie Johnson as the best driver ever to drive in Las Vegas on Sunday.

One thing worth noting is that the winner of this race has driven in a Ford manufactured car eight times in event history. With that information out of the way, let’s now take a look at who might be winning this race on Sunday:

Drivers to Watch

Jimmie Johnson (+500) - Johnson is not the favorite to win this event, as he is considered second to Kevin Harvick. Harvick is listed at 4-to-1, but it is Johnson who will have the attention of all the other drivers. As mentioned earlier, Johnson has won this event four times in his career and he will certainly be hungry to win his fifth on Sunday. He also happens to be coming into this race in tremendous form, as he emerged victorious at the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 just a week ago. Johnson is somebody that is definitely worth putting a few units on this weekend.

Matt Kenseth (+600) - Kenseth is yet another guy with tremendous history in Las Vegas and he is likely going to be in the running to win this thing on Sunday. As mentioned earlier, Kenseth has won this event three times and he will be fueled by the opportunity to tie Johnson’s record of four wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Kenseth was about 30 seconds from winning the Daytona 500 earlier in the season, but he made a bad mistake that left him in 14th by the time the race ended. He is going to notch his first victory of the year soon and at 6-to-1, this is as good a spot as any to take him.

Carl Edwards (+850) - Edwards not only has good history at this track, but he also is off to a very impressive start to the Sprint Cup season this year. Edwards won this event back in 2011 and it was the second time he has won this race. Edwards has also finished in fifth place in each of the previous two races this season. He might have had a better shot to win the Daytona 500 if it weren’t for a few mistakes he made in the beginning of the race. Still, he finished strong and followed it up with a good performance in Atlanta. Edwards has been in solid form and he is a good guy to take with favorable odds.

Chase Elliot (+3000) - Elliot has been one of the main talking points of the Sprint Cup this season, as he is one of the more promising young drivers to ever hit the circuit. Elliot also happens to be coming off of his best performance in a Sprint Cup race, finishing in eighth at the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 a week ago. Elliot showed major improvement from his performance at the Daytona 500 and he is worth a unit or two at 30-to-1.

Odds to win Kobalt 400

Kevin Harvick 4/1
Jimmie Johnson 5/1
Joey Logano 6/1
Kyle Busch 6/1
Matt Kenseth 6/1
Brad Keselowski 17/2
Carl Edwards 17/2
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 10/1
Denny Hamlin 10/1
Kurt Busch 11/1
Martin Truex Jr. 12/1
Kasey Kahne 25/1
Kyle Larson 25/1
Chase Elliott 30/1
Austin Dillon 50/1
Jamie McMurray 50/1
Ryan Blaney 50/1
Ryan Newman 50/1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Soccer: EPL Best Bets - Week 29
By Chris David

Week 27 & 28 Recaps

Matchday 27 only had eight games on the docket and favorites produced a 6-1 mark but the lone underdog to connect was a big one, Manchester United (+195). The Red Devils ran past Arsenal 3-2 at Old Trafford and the ‘over’ connected early in the first-half, which was one of five games to go to the high side over the weekend.

In midweek action this past Tuesday and Wednesday, bettors watched favorites go 5-3 with two draws. The biggest shocker occurred at the Emirates as Swansea City (+700) dropped Arsenal with a 2-1 decision. It wasn’t surprising to see Liverpool (+143) knock off Manchester City at home but a 3-0 thrashing opened up some eyes. The ‘over’ went 6-4 over the two days.

Through 28 weeks of the season, favorites are 127-75 with 76 draws. The ‘over’ is 137-135-6.

Top 4

The North London Derby takes center stage in Week 29 and this matchup actually matters with Tottenham sitting in second place in the Premier League and Arsenal right behind them in third.

Arsenal at Tottenham (Saturday, NBCSN, 7:45 a.m. ET)

White Hart Lane will be buzzing this weekend as Arsenal (+210) and Tottenham (+130) square off in the key “London Derby” match. If either team can secure a win, it will move them closer to leader Leicester City, who has shown signs of fading down the stretch.

The Spurs and Gunners both enter this games off loss this past Wednesday and more criticism is being directed at Arsene Wenger’s team. The club has dropped three straight in all competitions and its last win came in mid-February when it defeated Leicester City with a goal in extra time.

Tottenham has gone 2-1-0 after a loss in league play this season and it’s scored eight goals in those games. At White Hart Lane, the club has gone 8-4-2 while outscoring opponents 25-10. Arsenal has struggled on the road lately, going 1-2-2 in its last five contests with the lone win coming against Bournemouth.

Two of the last three outcomes between the pair have ended in 1-1 ties and the Draw (+245) presents a generous return on Saturday.

The Gunners lost goaltender Peter Cech to injury and will have David Ospina step into the net on Saturday. Laurent Koscielny (calf) will also be ‘out’ this weekend to go with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (knee).

The total on this game is set at 2 ½ goals and shaded to the ‘over’ (-115). The Spurs have the best defense in the EPL, allowing 22 goals and they’ve only conceded 10 at home. Arsenal has put up the second-best offensive numbers on the road with 25 goals, right behind Leicester City.

While the Premier League is more important to Tottenham, the club does have a very important Europa League clash at Borussia Dortmund next Thursday.

Manchester City vs. Aston Villa (Saturday, NBCSN, 10:00 a.m. ET)

According to the oddsmakers, the most lopsided matchup in Week 29 takes place from Etihad Stadium as Manchester City (-550) meets Aston Villa (+1500). Even though the Lions sit in 20th place and are expected to be relegated in mid-May, backing the Citizens could be dicey at this price.

Man City has dropped three straight league games and been outscored 8-2 but to be fair the opponents were the two top teams in Leicester City and Tottenham, plus an eighth place Liverpool squad is no pushover.

Villa actually played Manchester City to a 0-0 draw in November from Villa Park but City blasted them 4-0 in a FA Cup match in late January. If you’re expecting another draw this week, then you can garner +625 at the betting counter.

To no surprise, this game also has the highest total listed in Week 29 with a number of 3 (Over -125). I’d expect most books to push that number to 3 ½ by kickoff and it’s hard to argue the ‘under’ in this spot. In the last four games between the pair at Etihad Stadium, they’ve combined for 5, 4, 5 and 5 goals.

Expecting Villa to score in this spot could be difficult considering they’ve only posted 11 goals in 14 games as visitors this season. However, City is averaging 2.5 goals in 14 home games and getting three could happen in the first half.

Chelsea vs. Stoke City (Saturday, USA, 10:00 a.m. ET)

Even though it’s been a disappointing season overall for Chelsea (-210), it’s hard to deny that their unbeaten run under interim manager Guus Hiddink is very impressive. The Blues have gone 6-6-0 in their last 12 games and that includes a run of three straight wins.

Oddsmakers expect the streak to continue Saturday when Stoke City (+625) visits Stamford Bridge. The Potters have also won three consecutive league matches albeit two came against clubs in the drop zone at home.

Stoke City got the better of Chelsea at home earlier in the season with a 1-0 win from Britannia Stadium but playing on the road versus the Blues hasn’t been successful. Chelsea has won seven straight against Stoke at home and the Potters have only managed two goals during that span.

The Blues aren’t expected to have Pedro or John Terry available for this game and Hiddink could monitor the minutes for other players since Chelsea has a key Champions League battle next Wednesday versus Paris Saint-Germain.

The total on this game is 2 ½ (Over -125) and Chelsea has watched the ‘over’ go 8-4 during its unbeaten run. Stoke has won of the weaker offensive units (30 goals) in the EPL and that’s helped the ‘under’ go 16-12 this season.

Manchester United at West Bromwich Albion (Sunday, NBCSN, 11:00 a.m. ET)

Manchester United (-105) will be looking to win its third straight EPL game this weekend when it meets West Bromwich Albion (+330) from The Hawthorns. The Red Devils haven’t strung together a streak this long since early September and the offense posted nine goals during that three-game run.

United has only scored four goals in its last two league games but it should be noted that it posted a combined eight in a pair of FA Cup and Europa League matches. Marcus Rashford, an 18-year-old, continues to steal the headlines with four goals in his first three games for United.

The confidence for the Baggies should be high since they’re unbeaten in their last three (2-1-0) league games, which includes a 2-2 draw at Leicester City this past Tuesday. At The Hawthorns, the club is unbeaten in its last five (3-2-0) after starting the season with a dreadful 2-2-5 record at home.

These clubs met Old Trafford in early November and United captured a 2-0 win. Manchester is unbeaten in its last nine EPL visits to the Hawthorns (7-2-0) and they’ve scored 14 goals in the last five games at this venue.

The total is only 2 goals but could go up since most books are shading heavily to the ‘under’ (-140). The Baggies are tied for the fifth weakest offense (29 goals) in the league but United has been suspect on defense as a visitor.

Fearless Predictions

Despite drawing a blank in our final two games, we managed to scoop up 50 cents ($50) in Matchday 27 and dropped the overall deficit to $1775. We passed on the midweek action (Week 28) and only have 10 weeks remaining to get into the black. This week’s selections are all on Saturday and I’m going to try to double-up with a parlay wager to boot.

Straight – Over 3 (-125) Manchester City-Aston Villa – 3 Units

Straight – Stoke City-Chelsea Draw (+325) – 1 Unit

Straight – Under 2 ½ (-120) Arsenal-Tottenham – 2 Units

Straight – Under 2 ½ (-125) Leicester City-Watford – 2 Units

Straight – Under 2 ½ (-130) Norwich City-Swansea City – 2 Units

Parlay – Over 3 Manchester City-Aston Villa, Under 2 ½ Arsenal-Tottenham - 2 Units

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Stars (39-20) at Senators (31-28)

Date: March 06, 2016 5:00 PM EDT

Dallas' growing list of injuries now includes John Klingberg, further thinning out a defensive unit that already is missing Jordie Benn.

The Stars won't get concerned unless the issues extend into the postseason, but the injuries could affect where they end up in a tight Central Division race.

Dallas looks to avoid a fifth loss in six games Sunday night when it faces an Ottawa Senators team hoping to improve its postseason chances.

Benn and forward Patrick Sharp are expected to miss roughly another week with lower-body injuries, and forward Patrick Eaves has been out the last six games while battling pneumonia. Dallas (39-20-7) snapped a four-game skid with Friday's 4-2 win over New Jersey, but Klingberg left early with a lower-body injury and didn't practice Saturday.

Coach Lindy Ruff said Klingberg, who ranks third among defensemen with 53 points, won't travel to face Ottawa (31-28-7), although there's a chance if he progresses quicker than expected that he could join the club for Tuesday's game at Montreal.

Eaves practiced Thursday and will travel, but Ruff didn't say if he'll be in the lineup. With only six healthy defensemen, Ruff hinted that a call-up from the minors was expected before this contest.

"Nothing conclusive with the tests, which is good," Ruff said of Klingberg's injury. "So, we just go day to day with him and see where he is at."

The Stars are tied with Chicago for the Central lead and are two points ahead of St. Louis despite going 2-5-2 since falling to the Blues in overtime Feb. 16. Their wounded group looked good against the Devils, though, as Valeri Nichushkin scored and had an assist on his 21st birthday.

Vernon Fiddler scored his 100th career goal, Former Senator Jason Spezza added his 23rd of the season and Alex Goligoski and Mattias Janmark had two assists apiece.

"We haven't won too much lately, so you don't want to lose that feeling of winning," Janmark said. "It's good to break that losing streak, but we have to work on a winning streak now."

The Senators are trying to do the same. They're tied with New Jersey and Carolina for 10th in the Eastern Conference, five points back of Pittsburgh for the last wild-card spot.

Ottawa is 6-2-1 in its last nine, but it had dropped three of four prior to Saturday's 3-2 win at Toronto in Dion Phaneuf's first game there since being acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Maple Leafs on Feb. 9.

Bobby Ryan scored before Marc Methot tied it early in the third and Zack Smith tallied the winner with 2:15 remaining.

'Big points for us,' Phaneuf said. 'We seemed to keep coming."

Mike Hoffman scored twice and Jean-Gabriel Pageau had two goals and an assist to overcome a three-point night from Jamie Benn in a 7-4 victory over the Stars in the first meeting Nov. 24, snapping a seven-game losing streak in the series.

Hoffman has scored once in his last 10, though, and coach Dave Cameron benched him for the entire third period Saturday.

'Ice time is always distributed with what I think gives us the best chance to win,' Cameron said without elaborating on the decision.

Craig Anderson made 33 saves in the first meeting with Dallas, but he suffered a lower-body injury Monday against St. Louis and is considered day to day. Andrew Hammond has started the last two and stopped 41 shots Saturday.

Kari Lehtonen earned the win for the Stars on Friday, but Antti Niemi could be back in goal for this one.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Wings (32-21) at Blackhawks (40-21)

Date: March 06, 2016 5:00 PM EDT

A stellar performance by Patrick Kane and company left quite an impression on Detroit coach Jeff Blashill after his Red Wings suffered a home loss to the Chicago Blackhawks in their first of two meetings in five days.

Blashill acknowledged afterward what his team needs to do to slow down Kane, and they'll get another shot in Sunday's rematch at the United Center.

Chicago (40-21-5) got off to a quick start Wednesday against its longtime rival, taking a 1-0 lead 2:23 into the first period on Brent Seabrook's career-high 13th goal en route to a 5-2 victory. The game took a major turn in the second when the Blackhawks took advantage of a 5-on-3 power play, scoring twice in a 1:26 span to go up 3-0.

Kane assisted on the first - Artemi Panarin's first of two goals on the night - and scored the second after Seabrook found him wide open at the blue line. The superstar then skated in untouched to wrist a shot past Petr Mrazek.

'We've just got to do a better job of being tight to him,' Blashill said of Kane, who has a career-best 37 goals and leads the league with a career high-tying 88 points. "We've got to do a better job of not giving him as much space. It's not an easy thing to do. He's great at creating space, but you have to limit his opportunities.'

The trouble with that is if too much attention is paid to Kane, linemates Artem Anisimov and Panarin also have a knack for scoring. Panarin leads all rookies with 24 goals and 59 points and has four of his six power-play scores in the last seven games.

"Him and Kane, they find each other pretty much anywhere," Detroit defensemen Jonathan Ericsson said. "We've got to be aware of them wherever they are. They're a little unpredictable on the ice, too because they maybe don't follow the standard routes, so you've got to keep an eye on them and try to stay close."

The Blackhawks haven't had a 90-point scorer since Jeremy Roenick totaled 107 in 1993-94.

Blashill also had high praise for Corey Crawford, who didn't allow a goal until midway through the third period and finished with 31 saves. Wednesday's victory gave him a career-high 34 - the most by a Blackhawks goaltender since Ed Belfour had 37 in 1993-94.

"He consistently does that," Blashill said. "He makes big saves at big moments, that's why he is who he is. He's a big piece of their team."

Crawford got the day off the following night, and Chicago came out flat Thursday in Boston, getting outshot 12-5 in the first period and losing 4-2.

'I know it's a back-to-back, but you can't really make up any excuses," defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson said.

Although the Blackhawks didn't play with much intensity, the power play continued to roll as Jonathan Toews scored with the man advantage. Chicago, tied with Dallas atop the Western Conference, is 12 for 25 with the extra skater in the last eight games. Detroit (32-21-11) had killed all 17 penalties over a six-game stretch before having its three-game win streak end Wednesday.

"We've got to stay out of the box," Ericsson said. "Their power play is really good. ... We've got to communicate a little better."

The three days' off between games for Detroit should benefit Mrazek, who returned Wednesday after sitting out Monday's 3-2 overtime win at Dallas with a groin injury. Mrazek has allowed five goals in three of his last six starts after going 9-2-2 with a 1.22 goals-against average in his previous 13.

Brad Richards, who won the Stanley Cup with Chicago last season, scored Wednesday and has been heating up, tallying three of his eight goals in the last six games.

The Blackhawks are 7-1-1 in their last nine home meetings with the Red Wings, which includes the 2013 Western Conference semifinals.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Islanders (35-20) at Rangers (38-21)

Date: March 06, 2016 5:00 PM EDT

After knocking off the NHL's top team despite being without their star goaltender, the New York Rangers look to take down their in-state rival for the first time this season.

With Henrik Lundqvist's status uncertain, the Rangers try to avoid a third straight defeat to a New York Islanders' team that's looking for six wins on a seven-game road trip for the first time in franchise history Sunday night.

As Lundqvist sat with neck spasms, the Rangers (38-21-6) got a tiebreaking goal from Derek Stepan early in the third and 32 saves from Antti Raanta in Friday's 3-2 victory at Washington.

'It was a good sign for us responding under tough conditions, travel (to Washington) and obviously going against the top team in the league and proving that we can come out on top,' said captain Ryan McDonagh, who had two assists.

Though the second-place Rangers are well back of the Capitals in the Metropolitan Division, they're amid an 11-3-1 stretch and five points ahead of the third-place Islanders (35-20-7).

"It's about finding ways to win," coach Alain Vigneault said.

The Rangers did so minus Lundqvist, who remains day to day after he left Thursday's 4-1 loss at Pittsburgh following a collision with McDonagh.

"I don't think it's anything serious," Vigneault said of Lundqvist, who yielded three goals in the second period of that defeat. "He's getting evaluated again (Saturday)."

Lundqvist stopped 65 of 68 shots while the Rangers totaled two goals in going 0-1-1 in this season's first two meetings with the Islanders - both on the road.

Raanta has a 1.67 goals-against average while winning his last three starts, and could make his first career appearance against the Islanders.

"(The Rangers) are a good team, right in front of us in the standings," Islanders forward Anders Lee said. "Big divisional game, and we've got to be ready to go. They play physical. We've got to get to the net and limit their opportunities, obviously."

The Islanders improved to 5-1-0 on a season-high seven-game trip with Thursday's 4-3 overtime win against Winnipeg. Kyle Okposo scored the winner and had an assist while Lee also contributed one of each.

"The guys worked hard this road trip," coach Jack Capuano told the NHL's official website.

Okposo and Lee have combined for three goals and four assists in the last two games for the Islanders, who have won nine of 12.

"Just excited for us and the boys," Lee said. "It will be nice to get back home and get our bearings back."

Amid their recent success, the Islanders are just 2 for 20 on the power play in seven games but 2 for 4 against the Rangers in 2015-16.

Okposo has a goal with two assists against them this season.

Though Thomas Greiss started the last two games, Jaroslav Halak could get the call after stopping all but two of 69 shots faced in the first two of this season series.

While playing for Montreal, St. Louis and the Islanders, Halak has a 1.25 GAA and .960 save percentage during a four-game winning streak at Madison Square Garden. He made 27 saves in a 3-0 victory in the teams' most recent meeting there Jan. 13 of last year.

In the midst of a 7-0-1 starting stretch, Greiss has never made a start against the Rangers.

Teammate John Tavares has gone three games without a point after recording 19 in the previous 14 contests.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Penguins (33-23) at Devils (31-28)

Date: March 06, 2016 5:00 PM EDT

The Pittsburgh Penguins had trouble providing reasons for losing at home to one of the NHL's worst teams when so much is on the line in a tight playoff race.

There's also little explanation for why they've played so poorly in their recent trips to New Jersey.

Cory Schneider's play in net has been part of it, but the injured Devils goaltender won't be in uniform when they try to trim their deficit for the Eastern Conference's final postseason spot Sunday night.

Pittsburgh (33-22-8) blew a two-goal lead in a loss to Washington on Tuesday before bouncing back with a win over the New York Rangers two nights later. But after Sidney Crosby scored his second goal of the game Saturday against a Calgary team that entered having dropped seven straight, the Flames scored the final three for a 4-2 victory.

The Penguins' five-point edge for the last wild-card spot was cut to three after Philadelphia routed Columbus 6-0 later that night. They also missed an opportunity to move into seventh in the East and could've pulled within one point of the New York Islanders, who hold the Metropolitan Division's last automatic playoff berth.

"For whatever reason, we didn't have the desperation, the urgency that you need," Crosby said. "Sometimes that happens, but there's no excuse for that because we need points. We're in a huge playoff race right now. We can't accept that. We've got to be better."

Pittsburgh has lost three of its last four on the road and begins a four-game trip against the Devils (31-28-7), who trail the Penguins by five points in the playoff race.

"The good thing is we've got 19 games left," said Patric Hornqvist, who had two assists to give him four along with five goals during a five-game point streak. "We know we have a good enough group in here to win a lot of games and series, so just fix those things and go on here."

Crosby and Phil Kessel scored in a 2-0 home win over the Devils in the last meeting Jan. 26, but Pittsburgh's had plenty of trouble finding the net in road matchups. The Penguins have been outscored 22-8 while dropping seven of eight in Newark and have been blanked in the last two by Schneider, who made 21 saves in a 4-0 win Nov. 14.

Schneider, though, suffered a lower-body injury and left in the second period of Friday's 4-2 loss at Dallas. The severity of his injury is expected to be released prior to the game, which backup Keith Kinkaid will start.

Kinkaid stopped all six shots he faced against the Stars and is 5-5-1 with a 2.48 goals-against average in 11 starts and three relief efforts this season.

"Keith came in and played great right when he went in there," said forward Adam Henrique, who has four goals over his last three. "They had a couple opportunities he made big saves on."

New Jersey could use a solid performance from Kinkaid with the club running out of time to catch Pittsburgh. The Devils have dropped seven of their last nine, including a 1-4-0 mark at home in that stretch.

Coach John Hynes certainly wasn't pleased with the latest effort.

"We were just light on the puck," Hynes said. "May have been the difference of getting a point out of the game or two points out of the game right there."

Crosby has scored once in his last 10 games in New Jersey.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Oilers (25-35) at Jets (27-32)

Date: March 06, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

After a last-place team snapped Edmonton's mini-run, the Oilers can still put a positive stamp on their trip against another.

Two days after watching their first win streak in a month end, the Oilers visit the Winnipeg Jets in a battle of two of the Western Conference's worst teams Sunday night.

Edmonton (25-35-7) found a pulse with three straight wins following a dismal 1-8-2 stretch, including victories at Buffalo on Tuesday and Philadelphia on Thursday to open a four-game trip. But despite another goal and an assist from rookie phenom Connor McDavid, the Oilers blew up defensively in Friday's 6-3 loss at Columbus, pushing them to the bottom of the Pacific Division with 57 points.

The effects of Thursday's 4-0 win over the Flyers were evident as the Blue Jackets scored on their first two shots and beat 22-year-old backup goaltender Laurent Brossoit four times in the opening 30 minutes.

"I was concerned going in that our gas tanks would be a little bit empty and the energy level would be low," coach Todd McLellan told the team's official website. "Tired teams can still win in this league if they play smart, and we didn't."

McDavid, the No. 1 pick in last year's draft, has returned from a broken left collarbone with eight goals and 14 assists in 17 games to pump life into an Edmonton attack that averages 2.40 goals.

However, it was a defensive unit ranked toward the bottom of the league that lifted the Oilers on their run and floored them in their latest loss.

Edmonton, the only remaining team with single digit victories on the road at 9-21-5, surrendered two goals on its win streak and six over its previous five games before Brossoit coughed up six in his second start of the season and third of his career.

Starter Cam Talbot will return Sunday looking to continue the dominance that resulted in a .966 save percentage over his last five starts. Talbot stopped 44 shots in a 3-1 home win over the Jets on Dec. 21, but Brossoit suffered the loss in a 2-1 shootout defeat in Edmonton on Feb. 13.

Winnipeg has won five of the last six meetings in this series, though four of them were decided in either overtime or a shootout.

The Jets (27-32-5), last in the Central, followed their Feb. 13 win over the Oilers with a 1-5-2 stretch before Saturday's 4-2 win over Montreal snapped a three-game skid.

Mark Scheifele continued his hot streak with his first career hat trick, including the winner with 6:59 left to end Winnipeg's six-game home skid.

Scheifele has followed a 14-game goal drought with eight in his last eight since stepping into the No. 1 center spot following a season-ending vertebrae injury to Bryan Little. Scheifele leads Winnipeg with a career-high 20 goals.

"It feels good," the 22-year-old told the team's official website. "I want to continue to grow and get better."

Saturday was the first time in eight games Winnipeg held an opponent to fewer than three goals. Michael Hutchinson started four games in that stretch, scuffling to an .885 save percentage and 3.50 goals-against average.

Winnipeg placed defenseman Adam Pardy on waivers Sunday and Edmonton picked him up a day later. The 31-year-old had just one assist in 14 games with the Jets, but he has two in three contests with the Oilers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blues (37-20) at Wild (31-25)

Date: March 06, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

While the St. Louis Blues try to keep the pressure on in the race for Western Conference supremacy, the Minnesota Wild would like to extend their new wild-card lead.

Jori Lehtera played a major role in evening this season series last month. Now he's hoping to return as the Blues look to come away with the decisive fifth meeting.

Vladimir Tarasenko attempts to torment the hosts again Sunday night when St. Louis chases its third straight win and tries to deny Minnesota its longest run in almost a year.

The Blues have had four days off since a 4-3 shootout win at Ottawa moved them into a three-way tie atop the Central Division. With Chicago and Dallas now leading the West by two points, St. Louis will try to keep pace with its seventh win in eight road games.

The Blues (37-20-9), however, have dropped four of their last five trips to Minnesota, including last year's first-round playoff series that the Wild won in six games. They evened this season series Feb. 6 when Lehtera, Paul Stastny and Troy Brouwer each had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 home win.

Stastny has three assists and four points in his three games against the Wild.

With some time off between games, Lehtera said he was "pretty sure" he'd be ready to return following a three-game absence after taking a redirected puck to the face on Feb. 25 against the New York Rangers.

"I feel pretty good," he told the team's official website. "I'm ready to play again."

Tarasenko, who scored his team-high 30th goal against the Senators, should feel good about facing the Wild (31-25-10). The right wing has scored in each of his last four regular-season meetings and has 11 goals in his past 12 versus Minnesota, including playoffs.

St. Louis has totaled eight goals in its back-to-back wins after scoring just four times during a three-game losing streak. The club hopes to keep it going against projected starter Devan Dubnyk, who stopped 30 shots in a 3-2 shootout win at Buffalo on Saturday.

Dubnyk is 4-1-1 with a 1.98 goals-against average in his last six starts against the Blues dating to last year's playoff series. Minnesota's defense continues to carry an offense that has averaged 2.6 goals in its last seven.

David Jones, however, scored his first goal since he was acquired from Calgary at the trade deadline as Minnesota won its fourth straight Saturday.

The Wild, who have made the playoffs three straight years, moved into sole possession of the West's final wild-card spot with the victory and Colorado's loss. They can build a four-point cushion with their first five-game run since March 21-28.

'Every single point is important and we've got to keep getting better and keep building our game,' said Mikko Koivu, who has found the net in each of the past two games.

Charlie Coyle has three goals in his last two home games and scored twice in the other home meeting with St. Louis. Erik Haula has two goals in the past three matchups overall.

Jake Allen will try to contain Minnesota after allowing five goals on 77 shots in the back-to-back wins. Including playoffs, he owns a 2.19 GAA in 10 career starts.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - March

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
3/1 8 48.5 49 OVER
3/2 3 16.5 17 OVER
3/3 12 65.5 69 OVER
3/4 3 15.5 20 OVER
3/5 11 - - -
3/6 6 - - -
3/7 7 - - -
3/8 8 - - -
3/9 6 - - -
3/10 6 - - -
3/11 5 - - -
3/12 12 - - -
3/13 3 - - -
3/14 6 - - -
3/15 8 - - -
3/16 6 - - -
3/17 8 - - -
3/18 6 - - -
3/19 11 - - -
3/20 7 - - -
3/21 4 - - -
3/22 10 - - -
3/23 2 - - -
3/24 11 - - -
3/25 3 - - -
3/26 14 - - -
3/27 3 - - -
3/28 8 - - -
3/29 9 - - -
3/30 3 - - -
3/31 10 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA notebook: G Martin headed to Spurs
By The Sports Xchange

Free agent guard Kevin Martin is expected to join the San Antonio Spurs, according to reports Saturday.
The 6-foot-7, 199-pound Martin cleared waivers Friday after negotiating a buyout earlier this week with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Sources told ESPN.com that Martin has agreed to a deal with San Antonio after being pursued by other teams, including Houston, Dallas, Oklahoma City, Memphis and Washington.
Martin, 33, has averaged 17.6 points per game over his 12-year career, along with being a 38.5 percent shooter from 3-point range. He averaged 10.6 points in 39 games with the Timberwolves this season after averaging 20 points in 2014-15.

---An MRI on Los Angeles Lakers small forward Anthony Brown revealed a stress reaction in his right foot, the team announced Saturday.
Brown is expected to miss at least four weeks. He was injured during Friday's 106-77 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. He is averaging 4.0 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.

---The Indiana Pacers requested waivers on forward Chase Budinger.
The team reached a buyout agreement with Budinger that was finalized Friday night, the Indianapolis Star reported.
Acquired from Minnesota in a trade last July, Budinger played in 49 games (starting two) with the Pacers, averaging 4.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-7, 209-pound Budinger has seven seasons of NBA experience. He was originally drafted by Detroit in the second round (44th overall) of the 2009 NBA draft.
Free agent guard Ty Lawson is expected to join the Pacers this weekend, according to Yahoo Sports. Lawson was bought out by the Houston Rockets.

---Five Sacramento Kings, including point guard Rajon Rondo, appeared on the team's injury report for Saturday night's game at the San Antonio Spurs.
Rondo, who leads the team with 12.1 assists per game, is probable with a right ankle sprain, right thumb sprain and turf toe in his right foot.
Rudy Gay (17.8 points per game) is also probable with a right shoulder strain. Kosta Koufos is questionable due to food poisoning, guard Seth Curry is questionable with a right foot sprain and forward-center Eric Moreland is out with a left foot fracture.

---The Detroit Pistons signed forward Justin Harper to a second 10-day contract Saturday.
In three games with the Pistons this season, Harper is averaging 3.3 points in 7.5 minutes per game. The 6-foot-10, 225-pound Harper has averaged 14.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 34 games with the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Warriors (55-5) at Lakers (12-51)

Date: March 06, 2016 3:30 PM EDT

For all of the eye-popping and impressive numbers the Golden State Warriors have amassed in chasing the 72-win Chicago Bulls, one stands out specifically against the Los Angeles Lakers this season.

And fittingly, that number is three.

That is the total combined minutes Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green have played in the fourth quarter of their three victories over Los Angeles, and another such lopsided win Sunday would further enhance Golden State's chances of setting that new league standard.

Golden State's march toward surpassing the 1995-96 Bulls picked up steam with two wins over Oklahoma City in its last three games. That included a 121-106 victory Thursday night in which the Warriors (55-5) rallied from nine down in the third quarter to blow past a tired Thunder team playing for a second consecutive night.

Stephen Curry, who sat out Tuesday's victory over Atlanta with an ankle injury, scored 33 points as the Warriors matched that Bulls juggernaut with their NBA record-tying 44th consecutive home win. The bench provided 32 as Marreese Speights and Shaun Livingston fueled a decisive fourth-quarter spurt.

'We're confident coming off the bench,' Livingston said. 'They have a good team. But we have a deeper team. We try to come in and all do our parts and do our jobs and hopefully overwhelm them over a 48-minute game.'

Golden State has made quick work of Los Angeles, winning all three meetings by a combined 73 points. The Warriors hit 36 3-pointers in the first three quarters and averaged 89.0 points - 53.3 from Curry, Thompson and Green.

Thompson is the only one to see any action in the fourth quarter of those contests, a pedestrian three minutes of a 109-88 rout Jan. 5 in which he didn't take a shot.

Blowout wins are a key reason the Warriors have a chance to be two games clear of the Bulls' pace through 61 games with a victory. The trio has enjoyed the final 12 minutes from the bench seven times this season, though it hasn't happened since a 120-90 rout of San Antonio on Jan. 25.

Already the owner of the NBA's single-season record for 3-pointers made, Curry is seven shy of 300. He's hit that many in a game 17 times and made 8 of 16 from beyond the arc in a 116-98 win over the Lakers on Jan. 14 in the most recent game between the teams.

Kobe Bryant is questionable for what would be his final game against the Warriors due to a sore shoulder. He didn't play along with fellow injured top scorers Jordan Clarkson (15.6 points per game) and Lou Williams (15.3) on Friday night when the Lakers (12-51) were overrun 106-77 at home by Atlanta for their 24th loss in 28 games.

"You're missing your three guys that do the bulk of your scoring," coach Byron Scott told the team's official website. "(We were) just searching tonight to try to find somebody to have some consistency on that end of the floor."

Williams has been ruled out of this game, while Clarkson is questionable.

Trying to carry the offensive load proved too much for rookie D'Angelo Russell, who shot 3 of 16 and finished with seven points. The No. 2 overall pick had averaged 26.8 points in the previous four games.

Bryant has averaged 27.3 points in 66 lifetime games against Golden State, matching his highest against any opponent. Ten of his 121 40-point games in the regular season have come versus the Warriors, who are looking to pull off a season sweep of the Lakers for the first time since 1993-94.

It seems likely Bryant will at least be in the building to see the league's best team - even if he can't play - after not even going to Staples Center for Friday's game.

'A lot of times he stays home to get treatment and he's resting,' Scott said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Thunder (42-20) at Bucks (26-36)

Date: March 06, 2016 3:30 PM EDT

Regardless of how solid the Oklahoma City Thunder's standing in the Western Conference might be, their post-All-Star break struggles have Kevin Durant and company doing some soul searching.

Looking to avoid a third straight defeat, the visiting Thunder hope to begin their turnaround Sunday against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Third in the West, Oklahoma City (42-20) has a 9 1/2-game lead in the Northwest Division and is set to return to the playoffs after missing last season. However, the Thunder have gone 2-6 during a grueling post-All-Star break schedule that's featured two games with Golden State and only two sub-.500 opponents.

They've also had to deal with the passing of part-owner Aubrey McClendon, who was killed in a single-car crash Wednesday.

'We've definitely got to get it under control,' said Durant, who has averaged 31.6 points and 11.4 rebounds in the last five games. 'I'm not happy with the way we're playing. Obviously we want to win, but this is where you see what you're made of.

"Our backs are against the wall right now as far as where we want to be as a team."

While the recent issues against some of league's better teams are concerning, Oklahoma City also allowed a New Orleans club that's well below .500 to shoot 52.2 percent in a 123-119 loss Feb. 25.

The Thunder have allowed an average of 112.9 points since the break.

"When we're losing, that's when you've really got to show your character and who you are," Durant told the NBA's official website. "We're going to keep our heads up. All our guys are going to continue to stay positive, keep working, and learn from it."

The Thunder, who dropped a season-high three straight from Nov. 2-5, must again learn how to hold a lead.

One night after a blowing a 22-point lead in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City failed to hold a nine-point, third-quarter advantage in Thursday's 121-106 defeat to the Warriors. It was the second time in six days the Thunder couldn't keep a lead heading into the fourth against Golden State.

Their 10 defeats when leading after three quarters are tied with Philadelphia for most in the NBA.

"Next game. The next game," Durant after having nine turnovers Thursday. "That's the only opportunity we've got. We've got to go out there and win. That's what it's all about."

Oklahoma City has beaten the Bucks (26-36) six straight times when Durant has played, including a 131-123 victory Dec. 29. Durant and Russell Westbrook both missed the Thunder's only defeat in the last five meetings overall and the most recent in Milwaukee, 85-78 in November 2014.

Westbrook has averaged 27 points in his last three against the Bucks.

Khris Middleton scored a career-high 36 and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 27 with 10 rebounds against the Thunder in December. Middleton scored 32 and Antetokounmpo just missed his third triple-double in six games with 27 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds in Friday's 116-101 home win over Minnesota.

"It doesn't matter (about a triple double), we got the win," said Antetokounmpo, who has averaged 18.9 points and 11 rebounds in the past nine games. "We've got to build on this and move forward."

He's taken over the point guard duties recently, averaging 8.5 assists in the last six games while the Bucks have shot 50.7 percent. They're scoring 109.4 points per game since the All-Star break, 10 above their season average.