Sunday 4/24/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Post your request, Comments or concerns here.
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[superbeets]

Spanish La Liga TODAY 11:00

Levante

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Ath Bilbao

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS3		23/10	12/5	6/5	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT LEVANTE	RECENT FORM
HWALHDALHWAL​ Most recent​	0 - 2 1 - 2 3 - 1 3 - 0	HDHLHWAW*AWHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Bilbao have won five of their last seven away games

EXPERT VERDICT: Levante’s 5-1 defeat at relegation rivals Granada on Thursday has left them in huge trouble and they are heading for another defeat against Athletic Bilbao, who have an outside chance of Champions League qualification. The Valencian outfit have taken seven points from their last three home games but all were against teams in the bottom half of the table.

RECOMMENDATION: Ath. Bilbao
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[superbeets]

Italian Serie A TODAY 11:30

Frosinone C

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Palermo

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		11/8	12/5	2	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT FROSINONE C	RECENT FORM
ALHDALHLAWAL​ Most recent​	Unknown	HLADALHLALHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Frosinone have won six of their eight home games against teams in the bottom half

EXPERT VERDICT: It's crunch time in the Serie A relegation zone and Frosinone will be hoping their excellent home form continues with a crucial win over Palermo, who are a point behind their hosts in 19th place. Six of Frosinone's eight league wins have come at home against bottom-half teams and they are worth a bet against a Palermo side who have lost four of their last five away games.

RECOMMENDATION: Frosinone
2

 

[superbeets]

Premier League TODAY 14:05

Sunderland

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Arsenal

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		4	3	8/11	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SUNDERLAND	RECENT FORM
HDADADHDHLAW​ Most recent​	0 - 2 1 - 3 0 - 1 2 - 0	ALAWHWADHDHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Jermain Defoe has scored 16 goals in 30 appearances this season

EXPERT VERDICT: Sunderland’s 3-0 win at Norwich at the weekend was their first win in seven and was also the Mackems’ biggest win since their victory against Newcastle in October. Arsenal’s title bid seems to have hit the buffers and they have not been on top form for a while so take a chance on the Black Cats.

RECOMMENDATION: Sunderland
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REFEREE: Mike Dean STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

German Bundesliga TODAY 14:30

Mgladbach

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Hoffenheim

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT1		8/13	16/5	17/4	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MGLADBACH	RECENT FORM
ALHWALHWALAL​ Most recent​	3 - 1 2 - 2 2 - 1 1 - 2	ALHWAWHDAWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Gladbach have won eight of their last nine Bundesliga home games

EXPERT VERDICT: Borussia Monchengladbach’s away form has been awful but Borussia Park has been a fortress for the Foals and they should account for Hoffenheim. The visitors have been excellent since 28-year-old manager Julian Nagelsmann took charge in February, but Gladbach will provide a tough test.

RECOMMENDATION: Gladbach-Gladbach double result
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[superbeets]

Spanish La Liga TODAY 15:00

Seville

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Real Betis

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS2		1/2	10/3	11/2	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SEVILLE	RECENT FORM
HLAWALHL*HDAL​ Most recent​	4 - 0 0 - 2 4 - 0 5 - 1	ALHLALHWADHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: All 13 of Seville's La Liga victories this season have come at home

EXPERT VERDICT: Seville's remarkable record in La Liga now stands at 13 home wins and no away victories and they are short-priced favourites for another victory on their own patch. Real Betis haven't won any of their 12 games against top-seven teams but Seville, perhaps distracted by their Europa League run, have lost four of their last five in the league and can be opposed.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
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[superbeets]

English FA Cup TODAY 16:00

C Palace

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Watford

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		31/20	9/4	21/10	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ALL VENUES	RECENT FORM
HLADHWHDADAL​ Most recent​	1 - 2 1 - 0 1 - 0 2 - 2	AWHLALHDAWAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Palace have won just one of their nine cup matches against the Hornets inside 90 minutes

EXPERT VERDICT: Both Crystal Palace and Watford have shown the form of relegation fodder over the last couple of months with their progress in the FA Cup proving a distraction. So don’t expect them to serve up a treat now their big day out at Wembley has finally arrived and a low-scoring draw appeals.

RECOMMENDATION: No goalscorer
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REFEREE: Craig Pawson STADIUM: Wembley

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Toyota Owners 400
By Micah Roberts

The third short track race of the Sprint Cup season takes us to Richmond International Raceway for Sunday's Toyota Owners 400.

Because the D-shaped oval is less than 1-mile in distance, we call it a short track, but for oddsmaking and handicapping purposes the best way to approach Richmond races is to look at recent results on the flat 1-mile tracks at New Hampshire and Phoenix rather than the half-mile tracks at Bristol at Martinsville.

I'll share a part of the process I've been going through for the past 22 years every Sunday night when doing pre-practice rating adjustments for the upcoming race. This process helps me set the numbers on each driver for every race and also use the largest variances from my numbers against the sports book numbers to offer the best perceived betting value for myself. Every driver has a number with a dollar and cents value attached for each race which helps me find the best value in driver vs. driver matchup wagers.

The last major part of the equation will come Saturday following the two practice sessions, but its also a part that many sports book over-adjust with -- pricing drivers way higher in matchups than they should be. They reason the books do it that way is because they're just reading their bettors wagering patterns. The average bettor looks at practice speeds and fires away at any price with whoever looks fast. Sometimes it works out, but most times it doesn't -- see Kyle Larson's 35th-place finish last week at Bristol after being stellar in final practice.

However you choose to go about weighing your own driver data for Sunday's race, the first team you want to break down and analyze is Joe Gibbs Racing, who have won the past three races on the schedule. Kyle Busch won at Martinsville, and then Texas. Sunday at Bristol, Carl Edwards won from the pole and also led the most laps. He had 8/1 odds at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.

It could be argued that the short track wins at Martinsville and Bristol give the five Gibbs drivers (Martin Truex Jr. included) a huge edge making them the easy favorite to win at Richmond. But the counter argument that might weigh heavier in each drivers' rating this week is what happened at Phoenix in March.

Last season three of the top-five finishers at Phoenix finished in the top-five at Richmond in April. Kevin Harvick won at Phoenix -- of course -- and his Stewart Haas Racing teammate Kurt Busch (finished fifth at Phoenix) won at Richmond. They both led the most laps in their wins. Harvick also led the most laps six weeks ago during his Phoenix win.

I'm of the opinion that the most current Phoenix events weigh more heavily at Richmond than the most recent Martinsville or Bristol results. The set-ups for the flat layouts appear more relevant. If crew chiefs use the same set-ups and sometimes same exact chassis for each, that should be good enough for me to follow suit when adjusting pre-practice driver ratings.

It's also important to note that JGR's Matt Kenseth won at Richmond in September (led 352 laps) and also at New Hampshire two weeks later. However, those results don't weigh as much in driver ratings just because the new low downforce package wasn't used in those races.

When we look at this years Phoenix results, there's Harvick winning followed by Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. to complete the top-five. That's three JGR drivers that were set up very nice for Phoenix which should apply to Sunday at Richmond as well. Just to note the JGR strength at Phoenix: Kenseth finished seventh and Truex Jr. was 14th.

Harvick has won three times at Richmond (2006, 2011, 2013) and has a 10.8 average finish in 30 starts. However, all those wins came while driving for Richard Childress Racing. He was runner-up in this race last season following the Phoenix win for his top finish in four races while driving for Stewart Haas Racing.

Kyle Busch has finished in the top-five there in 14 of his 21 starts, which includes four wins. This dude is absolutely awesome -- 14 top-fives in 21 races is incredible consistency over long haul. His 7.1 average finish is the best among all active drivers. Harvick and Busch deserve to be 5/1 co-favorites as both rate the highest on equal terms.

The best look with value this week might be Hamlin, who hails from Virginia. He's a two-time winner (2009, 2010) at his home track who you should be able to fetch, hopefully, at 10/1 odds to win at one of your favorite sports books. His 10.7 average finish is second-best and his 1,404 laps led is tops in the series. His third-place Phoenix finish make him someone to seriously consider, or at least if you believe anything I've discussed here.

So yes, JGR still has the edge here, but not as pronounced as what we saw at Bristol last week. The best long shot to consider this week is Earnhardt Jr. at 20/1 odds just because of a solid Phoenix run.

Top-5 Finish Prediction:

1) #11 Denny Hamlin (10/1)
2) #4 Kevin Harvick (5/1)
3) #19 Carl Edwards (8/1)
4) #18 Kyle Busch (5/1)
5) #20 Matt Kenseth (8/1)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Drivers to Watch - Richmond

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Toyota Owners 400
Sunday, April 24 – 1:00 p.m. EDT
Richmond International Speedway – Richmond, VA

Kyle Busch will be looking to win his fifth Toyota Owners 400 when the drivers compete at Richmond International Speedway on Sunday.

Busch will be looking forward to this one, as he was unable to finish after crashing into the wall at Bristol last race.

This race won’t be as cluttered, though. Richmond International Speedway is .75 miles long and that’s a lot bigger than the .53-mile Bristol Motor Speedway.

Busch will have a lot of incentive to win this one on Sunday. Not only is he coming off of a terrible outing, but he is also just two wins away from tying Richard Petty for most wins in this race.

With that information out of the way, let’s now take a look at who could be entering victory lane on Sunday:

Drivers to Watch

Joey Logano (7/1) - Logano has had a bit of a disappointing season, as he has not yet won a race. That should, however, change soon. Logano is one of the most talented drivers in the world and it’s very hard to believe that he won’t be winning sometime soon. This Sunday marks as good of a time as any for him, as Logano loves racing at Richmond. He has finished top-five in three straight races here and also came away victorious in this race in 2014. If you want one of the favorites other than Busch to back then Logano would be the guy.

Kyle Busch (9/2) - As previously mentioned, Bristol was not kind to Kyle Busch in last week’s race. He was not able to finish the race and will now be looking for redemption on Sunday. With that being the case, it’s going to be difficult not to play Busch this weekend. Not only does he have extra incentive to win, but he also is the best active driver at Richmond International. Busch has won this race four times in his career and he’ll be near the front of the pack all day on Sunday.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (20/1) - Like Logano, Earnhardt Jr. has not been able to buy a victory this season. He has, however, had a few very good races and should be due for one soon. Earnhardt Jr. had a rough start at last week’s Food City 500, but he ended up coming in second place in the race. That was Earnhardt Jr.’s second consecutive second place finish and fourth top-five of the season. He’ll now head to a track that he has come close to winning on numerous times over the years. He came in second here in 2012 and he knows how badly he needs a victory soon. He’s a good person to take a chance on at 20/1.

Chase Elliott (20/1) - Chase Elliott is another guy that is worth taking a chance on at 20/1. There are not many good dark horse options in this race, so perhaps putting more than a unit on Elliott would be the way to go for a big payout. This young driver came into the year with a ton of hype, but he has certainly lived up to it. Elliott has battled his way to top-five finishes in each of the past two races. He also has a total of five top-10 finishes on the season. He is a natural on the track and his first Sprint Cup victory is going to come soon. It’s worth playing him with these types of odds, as they won’t be as favorable once he notches his first win.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Capitals (56-18) at Flyers (41-27)

Date: April 24, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

Prior to Game 4, Michal Neuvirth hadn't started in the postseason in five years. That came with the Washington Capitals, who eventually felt Neuvirth was expendable because of Braden Holtby's emergence.

Neuvirth is getting a measure of revenge against his former team now, though, helping the Philadelphia Flyers battle back in the series. Another victory Sunday at home would force an unlikely Game 7 and put Washington on the brink of yet another playoff failure.

Steve Mason started the first three games and had a dismal .852 save percentage that led to the Flyers falling into an 0-3 hole. His most embarrassing moment came in Game 2, when he allowed Jason Chimera's 101-foot dump-in to slip through his legs.

Coach Dave Hakstol had little choice but to insert Neuvirth after Mason lost 6-1 in Game 3. Neuvirth has been up to the challenge, stopping 31 shots in a 2-1 victory Wednesday before making 44 saves for his second career postseason shutout in Friday's 2-0 win.

'I like to face a lot of shots. It keeps me in the game,' said Neuvirth, who set franchise records for saves in a playoff shutout and saves in a regulation playoff game. 'I enjoy it. Guys did a really good job in front of me. I was seeing the puck well. We didn't take any bad penalties, and we stuck to our system and big win for us.'

That system didn't generate much offense for him, though. Philadelphia managed only 11 shots - the fewest in franchise history in the regular season and playoffs - despite having six power-play opportunities, becoming the first team to win a playoff game with that total since Washington beat Ottawa in 1998.

Ryan White scored in the second period and Chris VandeVelde added an empty netter.

"Neuvy made some big saves," White said. "It's the time of year where it doesn't how you get it done, you've just got to get it done."

Capitals coach Barry Trotz seemed bewildered after his club dominated throughout most of the game. Washington has suffered back-to-back regulation losses for the first time all season, and its fans likely are experiencing a case of postseason deja vu.

The Capitals blew a 3-1 lead to the New York Rangers in the second round last year, preventing them from reaching their first Eastern Conference finals since losing to Detroit in the 1998 Stanley Cup Final.

Trotz didn't have much to complain about after this defeat, though. Washington had a total of 82 shot attempts and pressed hard offensively, just as it did in the previous four games.

"They had five even-strength shots all game," Trotz said. "I thought our penalty kill was outstanding. And they got a little bit of a lucky goal. You put the puck to the net, and sometimes it goes in. If we play like that next game, we should be fine."

Alex Ovechkin had series highs of eight shots on goal and eight hits. He's yet to break through on Neuvirth.

'We have lots of perimeter shots, but we don't have traffic in front of the net,' Ovechkin said. 'You see all these (saves) that he makes, he sees everything.'

Neuvirth's back-to-back solid efforts have overshadowed the fact that Holtby has been stellar throughout the series. He's stopped 123 of 128 shots, and Game 4 is the only one in which he's allowed more than one goal.

Holtby has a 1.97 goals-against average in 20 career playoff games on the road, but the Capitals have lost 13 of them.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Stars (50-23) at Wild (38-33)

Date: April 24, 2016 3:00 PM EDT

Minnesota would've entered the playoffs as a huge underdog against top-seeded Dallas even if Zach Parise and Thomas Vanek were healthy. The absence of two of its best forwards only enhanced that notion.

The fact that the Wild have a chance to push this series the distance with a home victory over the Stars in Game 6 on Sunday might be shocking to outsiders, but they've gotten enough contributions from elsewhere to make it possible.

The most notable has been from Mikko Koivu. The 33-year-old Wild captain had one point through the series' first four games before tying Game 5 with 3:09 remaining in regulation and winning it 5-4 in overtime with a redirection of Ryan Suter's shot.

"When you lose top players, other guys have to step up," Suter said. "And Mikko has stepped up."

Parise's upper-body injury and Vanek's lower-body ailment likely will keep them out no matter if Minnesota is able to force Game 7 on Tuesday in Dallas, but Koivu believes there's enough to keep rolling.

The Wild jumped out to a 2-0 lead in Game 5, withstood the pressure after Jamie Benn, Jason Spezza and Alex Goligoski scored in the third to put the Stars ahead and keep their composure to win it in the extra session. They were routed 4-0 in Game 1, but their other two defeats in the series have come by one goal and they've scored five in each win.

And they did so Friday without having a single power play, the first time that's happened in Wild playoff history.

"It's more important in the bigger picture how you play individually and as a team," Koivu said. "We're doing a lot of good things. We've been playing better as the series goes on here, and that's a good sign. We still have steps to go, and we want to improve our team."

Dallas isn't exactly panicking after missing an opportunity to advance to the Western Conference semifinals for the time since 2008. It outshot Minnesota 41-24 and battled back against the desperate Wild.

'It's just a tough one to lose," Benn said. "You score four, you should probably win the hockey game. But it's just one of those games where it was back and forth. And I think we can clean it up a bit in the defensive zone.'

It's not as if the Stars felt Minnesota would go away quietly. The Wild have advanced past the first round each of the last two years and have come back to at least tie three of their last four series despite losing either one or both of the first two games.

But after dropping Game 5, Dallas coach Lindy Ruff might be inclined to make another change in net. Kari Lehtonen stopped 47 of 48 shots in Games 1 and 2, then gave way to Antti Niemi after losing 5-3 in Game 3.

Niemi made 28 saves in Game 4 before having a tough time Friday.

"It's a seven-game series, and there are a lot of momentum swings," Spezza said. "We have to be happy where we are and disappointed that we lost the game. We have a chance to close it out again next game. We're in a good position. Get some rest and we'll be ready to go."

The Wild are hoping Devan Dubnyk has a better performance in goal. He has just a .892 save percentage in the series despite facing fewer than 30 shots three times.

'We felt confident, we thought we were going to come out and play a good game (Friday). Games 2, 3, 4 and 5, I've liked,' interim coach John Torchetti said. 'Now we got to go home and try and find a way to get back to Dallas.'

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Panthers (47-26) at Islanders (45-27)

Date: April 24, 2016 7:00 PM EDT


Notice there's nothing in the adage of a hot goaltender leading a deep playoff run needing to be the starter. And after 21 seasons of occasionally peeking their heads into the playoffs, the New York Islanders aren't about to be picky with qualifications.

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It's not the goalie they thought it'd be maybe even six weeks ago, but few Islanders fans will be checking the progress of Jaroslav Halak prior to Sunday night's Game 6 against the second-seeded Florida Panthers. Rather, it's Thomas Greiss who has the Islanders in position to reach the second round for the first time since 1993.

The wild-card Islanders can clinch before a home crowd that tuned in with sweaty palms for Friday's 2-1 double-overtime win in Florida. They lost in seven games to Washington last season and in six to Pittsburgh in 2013 for their only playoff appearances since '07.

"This is the first time we're going back with three wins and a chance to close it out at home," Frans Nielsen told the team's official website after scoring his third goal of the series in the first period. "Hopefully we're going to come out and respond the right way."

Alan Quine, who wasn't three months old when New York beat the Penguins in seven games in '93, scored on the power play 16 minutes into the second extra period for his first playoff goal and second overall in his seventh NHL game.

It came after Aleksander Barkov's penalty shot in the first OT was saved by Greiss, marking the third penalty shot ever awarded in a playoff overtime - all were missed. It shouldn't come as much of a surprise considering Greiss' progress in the series as he takes the spotlight for the injured Halak, who has been out since March 8 because of a groin injury.

The 30-year-old Greiss, who had logged all of 40 playoff minutes before the series, stopped 47 shots in Game 5 and 92 of the last 95 he's faced. He has a 2.09 goals-against average and .938 save percentage over all five contests.

"He was huge for us tonight, big saves all night," Nielsen said. "It definitely gives you a little momentum when he saves a penalty shot."

While Florida feels it is playing well, the team is a loss away from exiting the playoffs in the first round for the fourth time since last winning a postseason series to advance to the 1996 Stanley Cup Final.

"I think we're playing great hockey," coach Gerard Gallant said. "We're getting great scoring chances. The kid's (Greiss) playing really well. ... Hopefully, sooner or later, we're going to get some breaks."

Four of the five games have been decided by a goal and two have reached overtime, and the Panthers' three one-goal defeats have all included at least one Islanders' power-play goal. New York is 5 for 18 while Florida is 2 for 12, and Gallant's frustration with the overtime call on Derek Mackenzie for slashing was evident.

"Definitely disappointing," Gallant said. "But what do you do? They call penalties and penalties are part of the game. Make a great shot, they score the winning goal. It was a great hockey game."

It was the Panthers' first with Vincent Trocheck after missing 10 games with a foot injury. The center had scored in four straight games and racked up 13 points in 10 contests leading up to the March 29 game in which he was hurt.

Roberto Luongo made 40 saves against his inceptive NHL team and has a 1.66 GAA and .947 save percentage in the four games since allowing five goals in Game 1, but the veteran fell to 2-9 in his last 12 playoff games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL Hockey Odds and Picks: Scouting the Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews

In my opinion, the big winner of the first week of the Stanley Cup playoffs was the Western Conference top-seeded Dallas Stars. The big loser? The greater Los Angeles area. I didn't give the Stars a great chance of winning the West because while it's a fabulous offensive team, Dallas wasn't great on defense during the regular season. But with has happened to the two L.A. teams thus far, now I'm rethinking that.

The Stars took a 2-0 series lead against Minnesota into Monday's game in Minneapolis. Kari Lehtonen has been great in goal, although it's against a Wild team missing two of its best forwards due to injury and that's easily the worst club in the postseason. My only worry about Dallas now is the status of star forward Tyler Seguin. He missed the final 10 games of the regular season and first of these playoffs with an Achilles injury. He did play 15:40 in Game 2 but apparently tweaked that injury. NHL teams are notoriously vague about these types of things. Seguin was to miss Game 3 and all Coach Lindy Ruff would say is that what Seguin is dealing with is "not his injury, but it is kind of related."

I don't think the Stars can win the Cup without Seguin at 100 percent, so I'd just sit him the rest of the Wild series to heal up for the conference semifinals. I do think they can win the West without him because now it looks as if Dallas won't have to deal with either the Los Angeles Kings, the Western Conference betting favorites entering the playoffs, or Pacific Division champion Anaheim Ducks in the conference finals.

I'm absolutely shocked that Los Angeles entered Monday's Game 3 of their series at San Jose down 2-0. True, the Sharks led the NHL in road wins during the season and set a franchise record, but I never saw them winning both games in L.A. It was a bad week in L.A. hockey as the Ducks also dropped their first two at home against Nashville, each by the same 3-2 score. John Gibson was in net for both of those, but I think you will see Coach Bruce Boudreau go with Frederik Andersen, who has much more playoff experience, in Game 3 on Tuesday. The Ducks' big guns, Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler, have been held to three total points. Perry is minus-three for the series. The Ducks are also taking too many penalties. They have now lost four straight playoff games, three at home, since leading the Blackhawks 3-2 through five games of last season's Western Conference Finals.

Anaheim is a +100 underdog for Tuesday's game in Nashville, which has a 2-0 playoff series lead for the first time in franchise history. The new odds to win the West are: Stars at +250, Blues (+450), Blackhawks (+500), Sharks (+500), Predators (+600), Ducks (+950), Kings (+1000) and the no-chance Wild at +4000.

Chicago faces a near must-win home game on Tuesday against St. Louis, with the Hawks as -155 favorites. They totally let one get away in Sunday's Game 2, leading 2-1 entering the third but falling 3-2. The Blackhawks had been 70-0-4 since the start of last season when they had the lead at the beginning of the third. The Blackhawks had trouble scoring in 5-on-5 play during the regular season, ranking in the bottom third of the NHL, and that has carried over with just one goal at even strength. The Blues finished second in 5-on-5 goals allowed this season and they have outpaced the Hawks in high-danger scoring chances during 5-on-5 play 35-19. I wouldn't bail on Chicago yet as the Hawks typically play inconsistently early in series and then flip the switch.

My original Western Conference picks to advance were Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles and Anaheim. Not looking great there at the moment.

In the Eastern Conference, Washington is now a huge -105 favorite to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. The Capitals looked to take a commanding 3-0 lead over the Flyers in Philly on Monday night. The Penguins are next at +500 to win the East, followed by the Lightning (+750), Rangers (+750), Islanders (+900), Panthers (+1100), Flyers (+3500) and Red Wings (+3500). I'm sticking with my first-round selections: Washington, the two New York teams and Detroit.

Easily the most interesting series in the East has been Pittsburgh and the New York Rangers, especially in net. Blueshirts star Henrik Lundqvist left Game 1 with an eye injury and New York lost. He was a game-time call for Game 2 on Saturday but was in net and led a 4-2 victory to even the series at one. The Penguins have played both games with third-stringer Jeff Zatkoff in net and he's expected to be in there against Tuesday with Marc-Andre Fleury and Matt Murray still recovering from injuries. It was because of Zatkoff that I liked New York in this series. The Penguins did welcome back star forward Evgeni Malkin in Game 2; he had been out since March 11 and was supposed to be out at least six weeks. Malkin played nearly 20 minutes Saturday and had an assist. The Rangers are actually +101 underdogs for Tuesday. On the series line, the Pens are -165 and Rangers +145. Blueshirts captain Ryan McDonagh hasn't played yet in the series and is doubtful for Tuesday. He did practice Monday for the first time since being hurt two weeks ago.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Spurs (67-15) at Grizzlies (42-40)

Date: April 24, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

The San Antonio Spurs entered this first-round matchup with a five-game winning streak over the Memphis Grizzlies, and many assumed it would rather easily grow to nine with a nice little break heading into the Western Conference semifinals.

That should come true Sunday in Memphis as the Spurs try for a third sweep in the teams' fourth all-time playoff series after getting through an uninspiring Game 3 performance with a victory.

After two blowouts in San Antonio, the series shifted to Memphis on Friday and things got closer with the Spurs winning 96-87. The Grizzlies led by a point heading into the fourth quarter, but Kawhi Leonard scored 13 of his series-high 32 points in the final 12 minutes.

"I thought we were a little disjointed at times, mostly because of their pressure and physical toughness," coach Gregg Popovich said. "But we fought through it."

On the eight-game overall skid against San Antonio, Memphis has scored at least 90 points once, and the offensive shortcomings have been even more exposed in the playoffs. The Spurs swept the Grizzlies in 2004 and '13 - Memphis did win a six-game series in '11 - and the seven straight playoff wins have come by a 98.7-82.9 margin with Memphis shooting 37.9 percent.

For this series, the Grizzlies are averaging 76.3 points and shooting 37.7 percent. San Antonio is 10 percent better than that from 3-point range after hitting just 23.5 in its last four regular-season contests.

Leonard has been a big part of all of those numbers and matched a career postseason scoring high in Game 3, hitting 6 of 9 from beyond the arc to single-handedly better Memphis (4 of 18) in half the attempts.

"He just keeps getting better and better," Memphis coach Dave Joerger said of the repeat Defensive Player of the Year. "He's been terrific all series, and he's also a bailout player for them ... They can run all their stuff, and it's hard to defend, and he can go get a shot when the shot clock is going down."

Tim Duncan played only 13:32 after averaging just over 24 minutes in the first two games. He's tied with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for third in career playoff victories with 154 and can match former teammate Robert Horry with another. Derek Fisher's league-record 161 would be in reach if the Spurs make the conference finals.

Memphis, which is 1-13 since March 21, is playing the series without two of its top three scorers in Marc Gasol and Mike Conley in a season defined by makeshift starting fives. What's left of the trio - Zach Randolph - had 20 points and 11 rebounds in Game 3 after being limited to 8.5 points on 26.7 percent shooting in the first two games.

Rookie forward Jarell Martin is the latest to succumb to injury after missing Game 3 with a left foot ailment and isn't expected to return anytime soon.

The Grizzlies elected to go with a smaller lineup in Game 3, moving Tony Allen into the starting five while Chris Andersen came off the bench. The results were an improvement - just not enough to add any intrigue to the series.

Joerger summarized his team's part with a true statement of the overmatched.

"You're going to go down swinging," he said. "You know, Matt (Barnes) sort of summed it up the other night, and that's kind of what we try to do. Guys who have been in the league a long time, all of our guys, are playing with a lot of heart."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Warriors (73-9) at Rockets (41-41)

Date: April 24, 2016 3:30 PM EDT

The absence of Stephen Curry has kept the Houston Rockets relevant, but the window might be closing on their significance to this postseason.

With the expected return of the league's scoring leader and reigning MVP, the Golden State Warriors hope to realign their title defense when they go for a split in Houston on Sunday.

The Warriors' chances to sweep this series were lost with a rare defeat in Game 3 without Curry, who left the opener last Saturday with a sprained right ankle.

Curry is officially listed as questionable for Sunday, but Steve Kerr said Saturday that he expects Curry to play. The MVP himself had some thoughts after Friday's practice.

"I think I can play through a little bit of discomfort and whatnot, especially in a playoff situation," Curry said.

"Obviously, if I'm playing I'll be aggressive, I'll do exactly what I usually do when I'm out there on the floor, whether I make or miss shots. And I think we'll live with that, as long as I'm on the court."

That last part is important. The only thing keeping Houston in this series has been Curry's absence. He scored 24 points in an easy 104-78 win in the opener, but the Rockets drew closer with Monday's 115-106 loss before breaking through with Thursday's 97-96 win - just their second in 16 games against the Warriors.

The Rockets' victory was sealed on James Harden's stepback jumper with 2.7 seconds left - aided by a Michael Jordan-esque push-off the NBA later said should have been an offensive foul, one of four admitted missed calls in the final two minutes.

Harden has made only 39.1 percent of his shots in this series, including 29.6 from 3-point range. However, he has posted 63 points and 20 assists the last two games.

'The last shot was typical of what James does,' coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. 'The move, we've seen before. The finish, we've seen before. You do get spoiled by it at times, but in these biggest of moments, you can't help but appreciate it.'

Golden State shot just 43 percent in Game 3, well below its league-best 48.7 during the regular season. Granted, it was still better than the 42.9 posted in the opener with Curry.

But things just didn't click for the Warriors the way they did all season long with the ball in their star's hands. The final chance to win on Thursday went to Draymond Green, and he dribbled the ball off his foot and out of bounds.

Green finished with nine points, seven rebounds, seven assists and seven turnovers.

'I cost us the game,' he said. 'The world will think I'm talking about that last turnover but I'm not. That happens. I was awful the whole game. I care about that turnover, but I cost us the game way before then.'

Marreese Speights was the only Warrior to eclipse 20 points with 22, far more than the 7.1 he averaged in the regular season. Klay Thompson poured in 34 in Game 2 but finished with half that on Thursday on 7-of-20 shooting, missing all seven of his 3s. Shaun Livingston, starting in place of Curry, added 16 points.

Speights didn't attempt a 3-pointer in his first 29 playoff games but is 4 of 9 in this series and knocked down 3 of 6 on Thursday. Surprisingly, he was the only Warrior to make more than one as they finished at 24 percent, their worst showing from deep in 24 games.

Curry should improve those numbers. He broke - shattered, really - his own record with 402 made 3s this season while shooting 45.4 percent from deep.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hawks (48-34) at Celtics (48-34)

Date: April 24, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

The Atlanta Hawks left TD Garden on Friday night knowing they have a series on their hands, and they'll likely be spending the hours leading up to Game 4 devising a way to slow down Isaiah Thomas.

That actually might be easier than figuring out how to limit the impact of Jonas Jerebko.

Brad Stevens' move to a smaller lineup opened up the floor and allowed the Celtics to get back into this series, and the onus now falls on Mike Budenholzer to counter Sunday night as Boston tries to even things at two games apiece.

The 5-foot-9 Thomas had a career-high 42 points in Game 3, carrying the Celtics to a 111-103 win after they'd blown a 20-point lead. But on a night when the smallest player on the floor became Boston's ninth to hit 40 in a playoff game, it was two adjustments from Stevens that may provide his team some sustained hope in its attempt to rally from an 0-2 deficit for the second time in franchise history - and first since the 1969 NBA Finals.

Out went Marcus Smart and Jared Sullinger from the starting lineup and in came Evan Turner and Jerebko, both of whom made a difference in a chippy game that featured three flagrant fouls and two technicals. Turner had 17 points, seven assists and five steals, while Jerebko chipped in 11 points and 12 rebounds.

His impact went beyond those numbers, though. Jerebko spread the floor and opened up lanes for Thomas, who drove to the basket 22 times - just eight fewer than he did in Games 1 and 2 - and wound up shooting 15 of the Celtics' 33 free throws.

Boston got to the line just 31 times in the first two games.

"He just gives me space to work and I'm glad he got his opportunity tonight and he was the difference maker," Thomas said. "I mean, he spaced the floor for everybody, he is always in the right spots and it makes it tough to guard when you got a shooter like that to stretch the floor and knock down shots and also attack the paint, and he did a hell of a job tonight."

Jerebko only went 1 of 4 from beyond the arc but Boston was 11 for 32 after going 16 for 63 (25.4 percent) in Atlanta. The Celtics were a plus-14 when he was on the floor Friday, and for the series they have a 14.6 net rating in the 74 minutes he's been on the court.

In the 70 he's been on the bench? Try minus-25.1, with Boston producing just 77.5 points per 100 possessions.

"He plays really, really, hard," Stevens said. "He's got versatility with regard to defensively. It's really hard to switch onto (Jeff) Teague and (Dennis) Schroder, but all of our bigs have to do that some as they get going downhill on you. And then his scoring is just a plus. You know, if he scores, he scores; if not, he's still spacing for us."

Budenholzer played center Mike Muscala for just three minutes and even spent six with Teague and Schroder together, a point guard pairing that was ineffective when he occasionally used it in the regular season.

If there's a greater change to be made Sunday, Budenholzer didn't sound too intent on sharing it after Game 3.

"I don't think we defended them well enough," he said. "It seemed like there were a few plays where we could finish better in the paint, take care of the ball better, make better decisions. ... Who was out there, who wasn't I don't think it's quite as impactful as us needing to be better and Isaiah Thomas having a big night."

Teague and Schroder provided 43 points and Kyle Korver hit five 3s and totaled 17 points for the second straight game, but the Hawks are still waiting for Paul Millsap to step up offensively.

Millsap carved up the Celtics with 22.5 points per game during the regular season but has totaled 26 in this series, shooting 4 for 21 in the last two games.

His defensive impact remains. Boston is shooting 34.3 percent with Millsap on the floor and 48.5 percent when he's sitting.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cavaliers (57-25) at Pistons (44-38)

Date: April 24, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

The outside voices will likely focus less on the off-court relationships of the Cleveland Cavaliers' Big Three and more on their on-court chemistry if they continue the roll they're on.

Kyrie Irving says they don't care either way.

With their stars hitting their stride, the Cavaliers can sweep their first-round series and match the longest postseason winning streak over an opponent in league history with Sunday night's contest at the Detroit Pistons.

The Cavaliers seemed exhausted at times during a regular season filled with critiques of LeBron James' every move, mainly on social media. Though pushed by the pesky Pistons, Cleveland's big names have looked re-energized while building a 3-0 lead that no NBA team has ever overcome in a seven-game series.

Two of the Cavs' Big Three missed time during last season's playoffs, but the early returns from Irving and Kevin Love suggest James may not have to do it all by himself again.

While Love has three double-doubles, averaging 21.3 points and 11.7 rebounds, Irving's scoring average is at 26.3 - well above his season average of 19.6.

James struggled from the floor during Friday's 101-91 win, making only 8 of 24 shots for 20 points, though he led the Cavs with 13 rebounds and seven assists. Irving and Love combined for 46 points on 18-of-30 shooting, including two key 3s late from Irving.

"We're not necessarily concerned with the B.S. that's going on outside of the locker room," Irving told the team's official website. "We know what to expect, we execute the game plan, and we're executing at a really high level on both ends of the floor. We may have some mishaps, but we come in, we look each other in the eye, and we communicate the next play and that's just what it's about."

The Pistons are in danger of dropping their 12th straight postseason game to Cleveland and 10th in a row overall.

The Cavaliers' playoff winning streak over Detroit is tied for the second longest in league history. The Los Angeles Lakers beat Denver 11 straight times from 1985-2009 and Seattle a dozen from 1980-89.

"We're coming out and we're down 0-3, but somebody has to be the team to come back from it," Reggie Jackson said.

Detroit is closer than it looks to snapping its playoff woes. After beating the Cavs in three of four regular-season meetings, the Pistons tested them in Games 1 and 3.

They trailed just 54-53 at halftime on Friday, though Cleveland played air-tight defensively from there. The first and second halves have been far different this series, the Pistons holding a two-point edge in the opening 24 minutes and the Cavs blowing things opening with a 152-118 second-half disparity.

The difference Friday seemed to come from what's generally been an advantage for Detroit. The Cavaliers held a 46-32 rebounding edge on a team that was second in the league with a plus-3.8 difference during the season.

The Pistons have averaged 36.3 rebounds to Cleveland's 41 this series.

'Rebounding's been one of our strengths all year. It's been terrible in this series,' coach Stan Van Gundy said.

Shooting from 3-point range might be a bigger issue. While Cleveland has made 32 of 67 attempts the last two games, Detroit is just 10 for 40.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

SPOT PLAYS

For Sunday


TRACK (RACE) HORSE, MORNING LINE


Aqueduct (3rd) Dr. Shane, 7-2
(6th) Brimstone, 7-2


Emerald Downs (5th) Packy's Out, 3-1
(7th) Where's My Voucher, 7-2


Golden Gate Fields (5th) Dervish, 4-1
(9th) Brother Gill, 5-1


Gulfstream Park (1st) She Read My Texts, 7-2
(7th) Tizabella, 6-1


Hastings (1st) Perfectly Restless, 4-1
(6th) Au Clair de Lune, 6-1


Keeneland (4th) Mountain Cry, 3-1
(7th) Tobias, 10-1


Laurel (5th) Picnic Party, 5-1
(8th) Bobbi Grace, 9-2


Lone Star Park (4th) Sierra Delta, 9-2
(9th) Catlab, 4-1


Los Alamitos (3rd) Esmeralda Belle, 3-1
(7th) Spicy Blonde, 8-1


Mountaineer (1st) Leestown's Omega, 4-1
(5th) White Lace Lady, 7-2


Parx Racing (1st) Cat Nip Ally, 7-2
(6th) Distinct Diva, 4-1


Sunland Park (8th) Fancy Stripe, 7-2
(9th) D E Lover, 7-2


Tampa Bay Downs (7th) Vespertini, 4-1
(9th) Starship Journey, 5-1


Turf Paradise (5th) Hot Tub, 3-1
(6th) Kris's Parker, 4-1


Woodbine (2nd) Canadian Class, 3-1
(3rd) Got Pump, 3-1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rays (7-10) at Yankees (7-9)

Game: 3
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: April 24, 2016 1:05 PM EDT

The New York Yankees don't care how it's done, as long as they find ways to win games.

Following a walk-off triumph, the Yankees can record their first home sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays in seven years Sunday.

After he delivered a tying RBI with an infield single in the seventh inning, Brett Gardner hit a solo home run with two outs in the ninth to give New York (7-9) a 3-2 victory Saturday. The victory came one night after Jacoby Ellsbury's steal of home highlighted a 6-3 win over Tampa Bay (7-10).

"At this point, we'll take it any way we can get it," Gardner said after his second three-hit game in seven days.

The Yankees have found some life through the first two games of the series after losing seven of eight. They've still scored three or fewer runs in nine of their last 11 games and struck out 84 times over those contests.

"It's such a long season," said Gardner, who was 0 for 23 in his previous six games against the Rays. "It's important to put things into perspective. The past week, week-and-a-half, we've had trouble scoring runs but we've got some good pitching the last two days. ... We've got a great group of guys."

New York last swept a home series from Tampa Bay by taking four straight in September 2009. The Yankees might not have an easy time doing it again while facing Drew Smyly (0-2, 2.91 ERA), who is 1-0 with a 2.37 ERA in three starts against them.

All five runs the left-hander allowed in those starts came via home runs.

Smyly surrendered three homers in his first 2016 start, but none in the last two during which his teammates failed to back him with any runs. He tied a career high by striking out 11 for a second consecutive outing Tuesday, and gave up one hit over eight innings of the 3-0, 10-inning victory at Boston.

Smyly's WHIP of 0.65 entered play Saturday the second-lowest in baseball.

"Drew kept us in that game and did a phenomenal job,' teammate Kevin Kiermaier said. 'He's just so much fun to play behind. He works quick and just throws a bunch of strikes."

Corey Dickerson had three hits and Kiermaier added two Saturday for Tampa Bay, which has dropped three of four since winning three in a row. Kiermaier is 7 for 18 with two homers in five games after going 0 for 19 in his previous eight.

Teammate Logan Morrison went 1 for 4 on Saturday, but is 3 for 45 with 19 strikeouts through the first 15 games of his Tampa Bay tenure.

Kiermaier and Morrison are a combined 3 for 14 against Michael Pineda (1-1, 5.29), who has allowed two earned runs over six innings in each of his last two starts after yielding six through five of his first 2016 outing. The right-hander fanned seven with one walk in Tuesday's 3-2, 11-inning home loss to Oakland.

New York's Alex Rodriguez endured his second straight 0-for-4 performance Saturday and is 7 for 53 with 18 strikeouts this season. Including the postseason, he's 1 for 7 with five strikeouts against Smyly.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Athletics (10-8) at Blue Jays (9-10)

Game: 3
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: April 24, 2016 1:07 PM EDT

Opponents liked to see Drew Hutchison's name listed as Toronto's probable starter last season. The Blue Jays' lineup just liked it more, and those bats seem to have shown up just in time for his return.

The right-hander was eight games over .500 and left off the postseason roster because of a 5.57 ERA, but he's back with the big league club for a spot start Sunday as the Oakland Athletics wrap up a three-game series in Toronto. Expect some offense.

The Blue Jays aren't replacing or skipping anyone in the rotation, only electing to give a starting staff that's thrown an AL-leading 117 1/3 innings an extra day of rest. They complete 16 games in as many days on Wednesday.

Hutchison went 13-5 in 28 starts and two relief appearances last season, and his .722 winning percentage went down as the best ever for a pitcher with an ERA over 5.50. The next closest is 15-8 seasons (.652) by Colorado's Shawn Estes in 2004 and Bill Hawke with Baltimore in 1894, who strangely had the exact same ERA (5.84).

His 150 1/3 innings were 11 2/3 shy of qualifying for individual leaders categories, but his 7.90 run-support average would have blown away last season's leader - teammate Mark Buehrle (6.89). Hutchison's mark would have gone down as the highest since David Wells' 7.97 in 2005 with Boston and only the seventh north of 7.75 in RSA data available back to 1974.

The 25-year-old lost out to Aaron Sanchez in a competition for the No. 5 spot in Toronto's rotation and has gone 0-1 with a 4.11 ERA and .208 opponent batting average in three starts for Triple-A Buffalo. Those numbers blew up with five runs and 10 hits allowed in six innings of a 9-6 win on Monday after giving up a hit and two runs over his first 9 1/3 innings.

One of his better efforts last year came at home against the A's, limiting them to two runs and four hits in seven-plus innings in a 4-2 win on Aug. 11.

He's opposed by Eric Surkamp, whose brief tenure as Oakland's No. 5 starter has gone smoothly enough, though he's still seeking his first win as a starter since 2011. The left-hander has given up two runs in each of his first three starts, though eight walks in 14 2/3 innings have stopped him from getting through six innings yet. Surkamp (0-1, 3.68 ERA) gave up seven hits with three walks in 5 2/3 innings of Tuesday's 3-2, 11-inning win at the New York Yankees.

He faced the Blue Jays six times in relief in 2014 while with the Chicago White Sox, giving up a run and two hits in 4 1/3 innings. Toronto has a .630 OPS against lefties a season after posting a major league-best .818 mark.

Toronto evened the series with Saturday's 9-3 victory ending its three-game losing streak and Oakland's six-game winning streak. Troy Tulowitzki was 3 for 4 with two home runs for his first multihit game, and former A's third baseman Josh Donaldson went 3 for 4 with a home run and four RBIs to help the Blue Jays (9-10) to their seventh win in the last eight meetings in Toronto.

"We've been waiting on that kind of day," said manager John Gibbons after his team's top offensive output of the season. "Hopefully we can build off that. It should loosen a lot of guys up."

The A's (10-8) got a home run in a second straight game from Mark Canha but lost on the road after a 7-0 start. They've hit six homers in the last three games and are batting .276 on the 6-1 span after opening at .212 over their 4-7 start.

"The offense did well again today, and I just didn't give us a chance, and that's the most disappointing thing," starter Chris Bassitt told MLB's official website.