Thursday 5/19/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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

Scottish FA Cup Sa 21May 15:00

Rangers

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Hibernian

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BBC1		10/11	13/5	10/3	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ALL VENUES	RECENT FORM
NWND*ALHDALAD​ Most recent​	2 - 3 4 - 2 1 - 2 1 - 0	HWHWALHWHDAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: The five meetings between the teams this season have produced a total of 23 goals

EXPERT VERDICT: Rangers have taken their foot off the gas since they beat Celtic in the semi-final – they won none of their final four league matches of the campaign - but the occasion should mean the Championship winners are switched on. The Ibrox giants were 11 points better than Hibs in the regular season and can show the gulf in class at Ibrox.

RECOMMENDATION: Rangers
2


REFEREE: Steven McLean STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

English FA Cup Sa 21May 17:30

C Palace

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Man Utd

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BBC1		19/4	13/5	3/4	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ALL VENUES	RECENT FORM
ADALNWALHWAL​ Most recent​	0 - 2 0 - 0 1 - 2 0 - 1	HWNWHDAWALHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Crystal Palace have beaten four Premier League teams in the FA Cup this term

EXPERT VERDICT: Manchester United have had to work hard to reach the final of the FA Cup and opponents Crystal Palace are unlikely to roll over at Wembley. Palace have been successfully prioritising the cup for months, knocking out Southampton, Tottenham, Stoke and Watford and they can hold for in regulation time.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1


REFEREE: Mark Clattenburg STADIUM: Wembley

 

[superbeets]

German Cup Sa 21May 19:00

B Munich

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B Dortmund

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BTEU		Evs	13/5	5/2	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ALL VENUES	RECENT FORM
AWALHDHWAWHW​ Most recent​	0 - 0 5 - 1 1 - 1 1 - 0	HWAWAWHWALHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Bayern have not lost in 90 minutes in their last five fixtures against Dortmund

EXPERT VERDICT: By Bayern Munich’s illustrious standards, anything less than a treble in Pep Guardiola’s final season was going to be a disappointment but the German champions can do the double with a cup final success against their biggest rivals. Bayern are a nice price to get the job done in normal time rather than the much shorter odds to lift the trophy.

RECOMMENDATION: Bayern Munich
1

 

[superbeets]

Coppa Italia Sa 21May 19:45

Milan

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Juventus

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SS2		11/2	13/5	8/13	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ALL VENUES	RECENT FORM
AWHDALHDAWHL​ Most recent​	1 - 2 0 - 1 1 - 3 0 - 1	HWHWAWHWALHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Juventus have won the last eight meetings between the two clubs

EXPERT VERDICT: Juventus have been in phenomenal form and the Old Lady rates a confident selection to retain the Coppa Italia with a win over troubled Milan. The Rossoneri have won just two of their last 11 matches and their route to the final - they beat third tier outfit Alessandria in the semi-finals - was distinctly easier than Juve’s.

RECOMMENDATION: Juventus
3

 

[superbeets]

French Cup Sa 21May 20:00

Marseille

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Paris St-G.

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		9	4	1/3	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ALL VENUES	RECENT FORM
ALAW*HDAWHWAD​ Most recent​	1 - 2 1 - 2 2 - 3 0 - 2	AW*NWHWAWADHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scored 48 goals in 50 games this season

EXPERT VERDICT: PSG have carried all before them in France once again this season and they should sign off with another trophy. Zlatan Ibrahimovic left the Parc des Princes to a standing ovation on Saturday and it would be typical of the Swede to mark his final PSG game with another match-winning performance.

RECOMMENDATION: Z Ibrahimovic first goalscorer
1

 

[superbeets]

International Su 22May 17:15

England

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Turkey

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
ITV		4/9	3	7	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSIN ENGLAND	RECENT FORM
HWAWALHWAWHL​ Most recent​	2 - 0 4 - 0 8 - 0 5 - 0	AWHWAWHDHWAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Turkey have won five of their last six friendly matches – four of them by a 2-1 margin

EXPERT VERDICT: England’s Euro 2016 preparation starts when the Three Lions face Turkey at Manchester’s Etihad Stadium and there should be goals. The Turks have a solid recent record in friendlies, beating Sweden and highly-rated Austria, and have scored in 11 of their last 12 matches.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
2

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Golfers to Bet - Byron Nelson

Tournament: AT&T Byron Nelson
Date: Thursday, May 19th
Venue: Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas
Location: Irving, TX

After an exciting PLAYERS Championship, the TOUR golfers head to Texas for the AT&T Byron Nelson on Thursday. Jason Day was the one that emerged victorious last week and he also happened to be a wire/wire leader in the tournament. He is, however, absent from this week’s field.

Fortunately for those that plan on watching, Jordan Spieth will be playing in the tournament and he will be joined by guys like Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Louis Oosthuizen, Brandt Snedeker and Matt Kuchar.

Steven Bowditch will also be playing in this tournament and he was the golfer that won this event a year ago. Bowditch shot an 18-under to defeat Charley Hoffman, Scott Pinckney and Jimmy Walker by four strokes.

It was the best score shot in this tournament since Rory Sabbatini posted a 19-under in 2009. Sabbatini’s 261 total score was the best aggregate score this tournament has ever seen.

With that being said, let’s now take a look at who might be winning on Sunday:

Golfers to Bet

Jordan Spieth (15/2) - Spieth is coming off of a very bad outing at the PLAYERS Championship, as he went just one-under in the opening two days and ended up missing the cut. While a one-under might not seem that bad, the course was relatively easy to play on those days and his peers faired a lot better than he did. Spieth has now blown a tournament and missed a cut in his last two events, but he’s still a guy that must be backed when getting odds like 7/1. He has a strong claim for being called the best golfer on the planet and will be competiting in a tournament that won’t feature guys like Jason Day or Rory McIlory in the field. Spieth should be able to get back on track with a victory on Sunday.

Dustin Johnson (9/1) - Johnson didn’t miss the cut last week, but he also wasn’t anywhere near the top of the leaderboard either. He shot a three-under on the weekend and that gave him a t-28th finish. Johnson did, however, play some solid golf at The Masters, shooting a one-under and finishing t-4th in that tournament. He has one of the best all-around games on the TOUR, as he is a monster off the tee and approaches the green as well as anybody. Johnson will, however, need to keep his cool when putting. He is known for being a bit of a choker, but that isn’t necessarily the case in smaller tournaments like these. He’s a very good play at 9/1.

Bryson DeChambeau (40/1) - DeChambeau has burst onto the scene this season and has already gotten himself up to 207th in the Official World Golf Rankings. He recently officially became a professional and finished in the top 30th in each of his first three tournaments, with one of those being a t-4th at the RBC Heritage. While DeChambeau has missed each of his past two cuts, some of those struggles can be explained by a bit of fatigue. He has not played anything nearly as demanding as a pro schedule in his career, but he did not play in the PLAYERS Championship last week and that likely gave him some time to rest and get his body right. He’s a high-upside play at 50/1 this weekend.

Steven Bowditch (350/1) - Bowditch has had a truly miserable season thus far, shooting a nine-over at the PLAYERS Championship last week and also missing seven other cuts on the year already. He does, however, have some insane odds at 250/1 and it’s worth putting a half-unit or even a quarter-unit on him this weekend. There is always a chance that Bowditch can recapture some of his magic from last year’s dominant AT&T Byron Nelson performance. He navigated the course brilliantly a year ago and perhaps he can do it again starting Thursday. If he does find himself at the top of the leaderboard on Sunday then it’d payoff huge.

Odds to win AT&T Byron Nelson -

Jordan Spieth 15/2
Dustin Johnson 9/1
Charley Hoffman 20/1
Matt Kuchar 20/1
Zach Johnson 20/1
Charl Schwartzel 22/1
Sergio Garcia 22/1
Brandt Snedeker 25/1
Louis Oosthuizen 26/1
Brooks Koepka 28/1
Marc Leishman 30/1
Jason Dufner 35/1
Ryan Palmer 35/1
Bryson Dechambeau 40/1
Danny Lee 40/1
Gary Woodland 40/1
Graham Delaet 40/1
Jimmy Walker 40/1
Colt Knost 55/1
Bryce Molder 60/1
Jonas Blixt 60/1
Keegan Bradley 60/1
Tony Finau 60/1
Charles Howell III 70/1
Lucas Glover 70/1
Scott Piercy 70/1
Russell Henley 75/1
Harris English 85/1
James Hahn 85/1
Boo Weekley 90/1
Ian Poulter 90/1
Jhonattan Vegas 90/1
Tyler Aldridge 90/1
Anirban Lahiri 100/1
Bobby Wyatt 110/1
John Senden 110/1
Andrew Loupe 120/1
Jon Curran 120/1
Scott Langley 120/1
Alex Cejka 130/1
Jerry Kelly 130/1
Kiradech Aphibarnrat 130/1
Sean OHair 130/1
Chez Reavie 140/1
Freddie Jacobson 140/1
Patrick Rodgers 140/1
Aaron Baddeley 150/1
Brian Harman 150/1
Chad Campbell 150/1
Chesson Hadley 150/1
David Toms 150/1
Martin Flores 150/1
Martin Piller 150/1
Seung-Yul Noh 150/1
Tim Wilkinson 150/1
Will Wilcox 150/1
Zac Blair 150/1
Brendon Todd 170/1
Cameron Smith 170/1
Chris Stroud 180/1
Ernie Els 180/1
John Huh 180/1
Luke List 180/1
Matt Jones 180/1
Scott Stallings 180/1
Ben Crane 200/1
Cameron Percy 200/1
Ken Duke 200/1
Kyle Stanley 200/1
Adam Hadwin 210/1
Hudson Swafford 210/1
Ricky Barnes 210/1
Scott Pinckney 210/1
Spencer Levin 210/1
Stuart Appleby 210/1
Kyle Reifers 220/1
Shawn Stefani 220/1
Thomas Aiken 220/1
Johnson Wagner 230/1
Vijay Singh 230/1
Sung Kang 240/1
Andres Romero 250/1
Blayne Barber 250/1
Bud Cauley 250/1
J.J. Henry 250/1
Jeff Overton 250/1
John Merrick 250/1
Mark Hubbard 250/1
Michael Kim 250/1
Michael Thompson 250/1
Robert Garrigus 250/1
Steve Wheatcroft 250/1
Tom Hoge 250/1
Whee Kim 250/1
Will MacKenzie 250/1
Brice Garnett 300/1
Bronson Burgoon 300/1
Chad Collins 300/1
Derek Ernst 300/1
Erik Compton 300/1
Greg Owen 300/1
Henrik Norlander 300/1
Hiroshi Iwata 300/1
Jason Gore 300/1
Justin Hicks 300/1
Mark Wilson 300/1
Peter Malnati 300/1
Angel Cabrera 350/1
Brian Gay 350/1
D.A. Points 350/1
Luke Guthrie 350/1
Steven Bowditch 350/1
Alex Prugh 400/1
Billy Hurley III 400/1
Dawie Van Der Walt 400/1
Derek Fathauer 400/1
Dicky Pride 400/1
Kelly Kraft 400/1
Sam Saunders 400/1
Steve Marino 400/1
Tyrone Van Aswegen 400/1
Rod Pampling 450/1
Carl Pettersson 500/1
Carlos Ortiz 500/1
D.J. Trahan 500/1
Miguel Angel Carballo 500/1
Rhein Gibson 500/1
Tom Gillis 500/1
Wes Roach 500/1
Andres Gonzales 600/1
Brett Stegmaier 600/1
Michael Bradley 600/1
Trevor Immelman 600/1
D.H. Lee 650/1
Abraham Ancer 750/1
Alex Moon 750/1
Andrew Landry 750/1
Brian Norman 750/1
Cameron Beckman 750/1
Curtis Reed 750/1
Darron Stiles 750/1
Joe Affrunti 750/1
Lucas Lee 750/1
Marc Turnesa 750/1
Mike Weir 750/1
Richard H. Lee 750/1
Rob Oppenheim 750/1
Robert Allenby 750/1
Tim Herron 750/1
Will Zalatoris 750/1

Odds Subject to Change

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

10 Players to Watch: AT&T Byron Nelson
By Tom LaMarre, The Sports Xchange

1. Dustin Johnson, United States -- DJ has victories in the last eight seasons on the PGA Tour, the longest active streak, and he just might extend it to nine this week the way he plays TPC Las Colinas. He has finished in the top 10 in the AT&T Byron Nelson four of the last five years, with the lone exception a tie for 20th in 2011. His best result was a tie for fourth in 2009, when he played the last three rounds in 66-65-65 and wound up four strokes behind winner Rory Sabbatini of South Africa. Johnson shot 8-under-par 62 in the third round last year on his way to a tie for eighth and is 40 under in the top 10s. He has six top-10 results this season, including a tie for fourth in the Masters.

2. Jordan Spieth, United States -- The demise of the No. 2 player in the World Golf Rankings might be a little exaggerated. Sure, he shot 72-71--143 to miss the cut by one stroke in the Players Championship after a month off following his late collapse in the Masters. But his ball-striking was very good at TPC Sawgrass and he only has to start making putts again got get back on track. Spieth has not played his best since winning the Hyundai Tournament of Champions by eight strokes in January, but he has five other top-10 finishes this season. His best result in five starts at TPC Las Colinas was a tie for 16th in 2010, but if Spieth can make some putts, he should be right there this week.

3. Matt Kuchar, United States -- With three top-10 finishes since the end of March, Kooch has shown that he might be snapping out of the mini-slump he has been in for the last year or so. He was chasing Jason Day almost all the way to the end of the Players Championship last week, finishing five shots back in a tie for third. That was Kuchar's fourth top-10 finish of the season and his best result since he tied for second in the Humana Challenge last year. He is making his ninth start at TPC Las Colinas, and his best result was a tie for sixth in 2011, three strokes out of the playoff in which Keegan Bradley beat Ryan Palmer, and he also tied for seventh two years ago.

4. Charl Schwartzel, South Africa -- After skipping the Players Championship because he played a busy early season schedule, which included victories in the Tshwane Open on the European Tour and the Valspar Championship on the PGA Tour, Schwartzel might be the most rested player in the field at TPC Las Colinas. His last outing was a missed cut in the Masters five weeks ago, but he has four top-10 finishes on both major tours this season and also won the Alfred Dunhill Championship at St. Andrews at the end of November. This will be Schwartzel's fourth start in the AT&T Byron Nelson, and three years ago he opened with a 7-under-par 63 on his way to a tie for third, three shots behind winner Sang-moon Bae of South Korea, and also tied for 11th in 2014.

5. Charley Hoffman, United States -- The last time he was in Texas, Hoffman wound up holding the trophy last month in the Valero Texas Open, claiming the fourth victory of his PGA Tour career by one stroke over Patrick Reed with a nine-foot birdie putt on the final hole. A streaky player throughout his career, he also tied for 11th in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and tied for 14th in the RBC Heritage recently but missed the cut last week in the Players Championship. Hoffman is making his 10th appearance at TPC Las Colinas, and last year he posted his best result, finishing 65-64-65 to finish in a tie for second, four shots behind champion Steven Bowditch of Australia. He has three other top-10 results in the AT&T Byron Nelson.

6. Sergio Garcia, Spain -- The Spaniard seemed to be rounding into form when he shot 6-under-par 66 in the second round of the Players Championship, but then he finished 77-75 to wind up in a tie for 54th. He five-putted from nine feet on the fifth hole when the greens were running off the charts in round three, and made several visits to the water at TPC Sawgrass. Sergio hopes to find a refuge this week at TPC Las Colinas, where he won in 2004. He started with scores of 66-68-65 and after closing with a 1-over 71, he beat Dudley Hart and Robert Damron with a par on the first playoff hole. Garcia is making his 12th start in the AT&T Byron Nelson. He also tied for third in 1999 and tied for eighth in 2001.

7. Zach Johnson, United States -- Zach seemed to be coming on when he finished fifth in the Arnold Palmer Invitational and tied for ninth in the WGC-Dell Match Play Championship in March, but after shooting 80 to miss the cut in the Masters, he has failed to crack the top 25 in three ensuing tournaments. Perhaps he can find his game at TPC Las Colinas, which he played last year for the first time in 10 years and was in the chase much of the way before finishing fifth, five shots behind winner Steven Bowditch. Johnson opened with a 1-under-par 69 before lighting it up with 64-68-63 the rest of the way. That got him started on a run of four top-10s in five events, capped by his victory in the Open Championship at St. Andrews.

8. Louis Oosthuizen, South Africa -- Oosty was tied for the lead in the AT&T Byron Nelson with eventual winner Brendon Todd in 2014 after shooting 6-under-par 64 in the third round, but he stumbled to a 74 in the final round and slid to a tie for 11th. After skipping the tournament last year, he is back for this third appearance in TPC Las Colinas, having withdrawn because of a neck injury while tied for 30th after three rounds in 2013, and he shot 73-72--145 to miss the cut by three shots in 2012. Oosthuizen has played well on both major tours this season, winning the ISPA Handa Australian Open on the Euro Tour and losing to top-ranked Jason Day in the final of the WGC-Dell Match Play a week after tying for seventh in the Valspar Championship.

9. Jason Dufner, United States -- Trying to get back to the form that took him to the 2013 PGA Championship at Oak Hill, Duf won the CareerBuilder Challenge in a playoff over David Lingmerth of Sweden with a par on the second playoff hole earlier this year. However, his best result since was a tie for 11th in the WGC-Cadillac Championship. That was one of Dufner's four victories on the PGA Tour and another came in 2012 in the AT&T Byron Nelson. He sank a 25-foot birdie putt on the final hole to beat Dickie Pride and win for the second time in three weeks, having also won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in a playoff over Ernie Els of South Africa for his first PGA Tour victory.

10. Steve Bowditch, Australia -- Coming into his title defense in the AT&T Byron Nelson with five missed cuts in a row and seven in his last nine tournaments probably doesn't faze Bowditch too much because he had missed the weekend nine times and was disqualified from another event before winning at TPC Las Colinas last year. And don't forget, James Hahn won the Wells Fargo Championship two weeks ago after missing eight straight cuts. Bowditch claimed his second PGA Tour victory by leading wire to wire when he started with an 8-under-par 62 and added 68-65-64 in his adopted home state to win by four strokes over Charley Hoffman, Jimmy Walker and Scot Pinckney. He is making his fifth start at TPC Las Colinas, where he missed the cut in his previous three after tying for 60th in 2011.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

PGA Tour Picks: AT&T Byron Nelson Odds and Expert Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews

With all due respect to Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy, there's little question that right now the world's best golfer is Aussie Jason Day, and that has been the case since right after last year's British Open.

Day was brilliant at the Players Championship in going wire-to-wire to win the event, at 15-under 273, for the first time in his career. He was the first wire-to-wire winner at TPC Sawgrass in 16 years, and it was Day's seventh victory overall in the past 17 starts. That's pretty incredible. Only five other players since 1960 have produced such a stretch. Tiger Woods did it an absurd seven times.

This stretch began after Day just missed out on the playoff at the 2015 British Open. He won the next week at the Canadian Open and was off and running. Day, who led the Players field in driving distance, scrambling and putting percentage from outside 10 feet, now ranks second among active players under 30 with 10 PGA Tour wins. Rory McIlroy, 27, has one more than the 28-year-old Day. He also has now won the past five events he has led or shared the 54-hole lead. Day also has three wire-to-wire wins now too.

I'll certainly admit when I'm wrong, and I was on Day at the Players as I didn't see him playing that well. He had missed the cut in three of his past five visits. My choice to win was Spain's Sergio Garcia as he almost always plays well at TPC Sawgrass. Alas, he blew up with 77-75 on the weekend after a second-round 66. I had tournament favorite McIlroy for a Top-10 finish but he missed that by a shot. His third-round 75 was a killer. I also liked Henrik Stenson for a Top 10, but he missed the dang cut. The top American was Kevin Chappell, who finished four shots back of Day in second. I liked defending champion Rickie Fowler there, and he missed the cut.

So all in all, pretty much my worst tournament of 2016. Thus, let's move on. The Tour begins its two-week Texas Swing on Thursday with the AT&T Byron Nelson at the TPC Four Seasons Resort at Las Colinas in Irving. Still no Tiger, but he was in the news Monday when he visited Congressional outside Washington, D.C., to talk about his upcoming tournament there, the Quicken Loans National the week after the U.S. Open. Tiger says he's progressing well but didn't give a timetable for his return. He looked nowhere near ready after hitting three balls into the water on the short par-3 10th. It was rather sad honestly.

Spieth is a Dallas native, so he's playing this week; his first-ever PGA Tour event was here as an amateur at age 16. The defending champion is Steven Bowditch. The Aussie closed with a 64 and won by four shots for his second career title. He became the seventh player to lead all four rounds of the event. Bowditch now lives in Dallas, too, and was married at that resort. Par was altered to 69 last year because one par-4 hole was so drenched due to rain that it was shortened to a 100-yard par 3. I don't believe there's even been a par 69 before. I don't see Bowditch contending again as he has just one Top 25 this season in 15 events. He has missed eight cuts, including last week for the fifth straight event. He's +25000 this week.

Golf Odds: AT&T Byron Nelson Favorites

To no surprise, Spieth is the +700 Bovada favorite, but he still hasn't been able to win a Tour event in Texas. He has been a runner-up three times in the Lone Star State. He hasn't played well here, either. Since a T16 back in 2010 as an amateur, he hasn't been better than 30th.

Dustin Johnson is +900. He struggled Sunday at the Players and finished 28th. But he has four Top-10 finishes here in six tries and has never missed the cut.

The rest of the favorites are Matt Kuchar (+1800), Sergio (+2000) and Charley Hoffman (+2200). Kuchar was T3 last week, his best result anywhere in more than a year. He has two Top 10s here but was 39th in 2015. Garcia won here in 2004. He last played here in 2011 and was 20th. Hoffman already has a win in Texas this year (San Antonio) and was a co-runner-up here last year. He did miss the cut last week.

PGA Tour Picks: AT&T Byron Nelson Expert Betting Predictions

For a Top 10, I don't like Spieth (-190) as he seems to press in Texas and I'm not sure his mind is right yet from Augusta. I do like Johnson (-150), Zach Johnson (+225) and Marc Leishman (+275).

Head-to-head, lean Dustin Johnson (-105) over Spieth (-125), Kuchar (-120) over Sergio (-110), Hoffman (-120) over Charl Schwartzel (-110), Zach Johnson (-115) over Louis Oosthuizen (-115), Leishman (-130) over Jason Dufner (even), and Ryan Palmer (-120) over Jimmy Walker (-110).

I'm going to split my money over two longer-shots this week in Leishman (+3300) and Palmer (+4000). Leishman missed the cut here last year but the three years before that was T3, T12 and T3. Palmer has made 12 straight cuts on Tour and was second here in 2011, ninth the next year and 10th in 2015.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL notebook: Canadiens, Reway reach contract agreement
By The Sports Xchange

The Montreal Canadiens agreed to terms with forward Martin Reway on a three-year, two-way contract Wednesday.
Reway, 21, completed the 2015-16 season with Fribourg-Gotteron in the Swiss National League A, posting 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 19 games. The 5-foot-9, 173-pound winger began the season with Sparta Praha of the Czech Extraliga and registered 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 14 games. A native of Prague, Czech Republic, Reway amassed 73 points (22 goals, 51 assists) and 74 penalty minutes in 67 regular-season games since making his pro debut in Europe in 2014-15. He added one goal and six assists in seven playoff games.
Reway produced 112 points (42 goals, 70 assists) and 104 penalty minutes in 90 regular-season games with Gatineau in the QMJHL (2012 to 2014). He also recorded 27 playoff points.
Selected in the fourth round of the 2013 NHL draft, Reway participated in the Canadiens' Development Camp in July 2013.

--The Dallas Stars signed defenseman Chris Martenet to a three-year entry-level contract, beginning in the 2016-17 season.
Martenet, 19, finished the 2015-16 season ranked sixth in the Ontario Hockey League and fifth on the London Knights with a career-high plus-44 rating. He registered 12 points (three goals, nine assists) and a career-high 85 penalty minutes in 67 regular-season games in his second season in the OHL.
Martenet also had six penalty minutes and a plus-3 rating in 18 postseason games, helping London win the OHL championship and advance to the 2016 Memorial Cup.
The 6-foot-7, 200-pound native of St. Louis, Mo., was selected by Dallas in the fourth round of the 2015 NHL draft.

--The Minnesota Wild agreed to terms with free agent goaltender Adam Vay on a two-year, entry-level contract.
Vay, 22, posted a 3.67 goals-against average and .911 save percentage in three games for Hungary at the 2016 IIHF World Championship in Russia this month.
Vay appeared in 39 games with Debreceni HK in the MOL League (Hungary and Romania) in 2015-16 and posted a 2.77 goals-against average, .927 save percentage and two shutouts.
Vay went 28-4-0 with a 2.03 goals-against average, .923 save percentage and five shutouts in 32 games with El Paso in the Western States Hockey League in 2014-15.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blues (49-24) at Sharks (46-30)

Date: May 19, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) When Peter DeBoer took over as coach in San Jose one of the first tasks he wanted to complete was making sure the Sharks were more than just a power-play team.

Improved depth and 5-on-5 play helped get San Jose back to the postseason after missing it a year ago, but come playoff time that power play has served as an impressive weapon and a barometer for the team's success.

One game after getting shut out on the man advantage, the Sharks struck twice following St. Louis penalties in a 4-0 win Tuesday night that tied the series at one game apiece heading into Game 3 on Thursday in San Jose.

'It creates momentum for us,' DeBoer said Wednesday. 'I think that's what you're looking to do with your special teams both ways, is create momentum. I think when our power play scores, that creates momentum. I think when we kill penalties like we did last night, like that four-minute penalty, I think that creates momentum the other way for us. That's what you're looking to do as a coach, is get momentum out of your special teams. I think that does that for us.'

The Sharks lead the NHL with 15 power-play goals this postseason and their 30 percent success rate is tops among all teams that have played more than one round. San Jose is 13-for-32 on the power play in nine playoff wins, compared to 2-for-18 in its five losses.

With a five-man top unit that has years of experience together, San Jose is a finely tuned unit. Joe Thornton is the playmaker, spending most of his time along the half-boards or behind the net. He has plenty of options.

Brent Burns scored both power-play goals in Game 2 off one-timers that St. Louis goalie Brian Elliott had little chance to save. Captain Joe Pavelski led the team with 12 power-play goals in the regular season, with many coming on deflections in front of the net or rebounds. Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau bring versatility with the ability to create plays for teammates or score on big shots of their own.

'Our power play's pretty free-flowing,' Thornton said. 'Really just can't key on one guy. We got five guys that can hurt you. I think for us it's just the way you move around, it's really hard to defend.'

The Blues managed to neutralize the Sharks in Game 1 when they killed all three power plays in a 2-1 victory. They were short-handed five times in Game 2, including a slash behind the play by Troy Brouwer that led to the Sharks' second goal of the game and an interference call on Steve Ott for hitting Pavelski from behind when the puck was not in the area.

'The penalties you don't like at this time of year are reactionary penalties,' coach Ken Hitchcock. `We had two reactionary penalties yesterday, one in the first game. Those are the ones you don't like. Doesn't matter who takes them, veterans, rookies. That's a sign that the other team has a little bit of an advantage, they're making you react to anything happening on the ice. Those are the ones you don't like.'

The other big difference in Game 2 was that the Blues failed to take advantage of their power-play chances. After getting a man-advantage goal from captain David Backes to open the scoring in Game 1, St. Louis went 0-for-6 on the power play Tuesday night, including a weak four-minute chance early in the third period when Marleau was called for a high-sticking penalty and the Sharks lead was only 2-0.

San Jose used 13 of its 18 skaters for more than a minute of penalty-killing time with top defensive pair Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Justin Braun each spending more than 5 minutes on the ice with the Sharks short-handed.

The Blues managed 12 shots on the power play but were unable to beat Martin Jones as the Sharks did a good job controlling rebounds and keeping St. Louis to the outside.

'You want to use the power play to get momentum,' forward Robby Fabbri said. 'Last night we didn't execute on any of them. Just the way some games go. We got to stay confident and go with our next chances.'

NOTES: Hitchcock said he plans to tinker with his lineup for Game 3 but gave no specifics. ... DeBoer said Thornton looked fine Wednesday after taking a slash on his left hand from Jay Bouwmeester during the game.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Thursday's game

San Jose-St Louis (1-1)
Road team won four of last five St Louis-San Jose games; Blues won four of last seven games overall aganst the Sharks, winning 7-2/1-0 in last two visits here. St Louis won five of last eight games (over 3-2-3) overall; they won last three road games. Sharks won last four home games by combined score of 18-7 (over 2-0-2). San Jose is 2-8 on power play in series, the Blues are 0-7. St Louis is 5-2 on road so far in playoffs, San Jose is 5-1 at home in playoffs, losing one game to the Kings.

Playoffs tally: 1st round-- Home: 23-24, Over: 16-17-14
2nd round-- Home: 16-9, Over: 11-5-9
Conference finals-- Home 2-3, Over 1-3-1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA notebook: James, Cavs rolling in playoffs
By The Sports Xchange

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are living up to the top spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
After drubbing the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday night, the Cavaliers are looking downright unbeatable with a 9-0 record this postseason to show for it. he Cavs are rolling, and James and Kyrie Irving are a big reason why. James scored 24 points and Irving, the team's leading scorer this postseason, had 27 as the Cavs made just seven 3-pointers but shot 55.4 percent and scored 56 points in the paint.
"(Tuesday) they wanted us to be in the paint," James said. "We tried to take advantage of that. I keep telling you we're not a jump-shooting team. We're a balanced team. We're able to do whatever the game dictates, and we're able to adjust to that."
The Cavaliers are the first team to win their first nine postseason games since the 2012 San Antonio Spurs, who won their first 10 before losing four straight to Oklahoma City.

--LeBron James' lifetime deal with Nike could be worth more than $1 billion.
The Cavaliers star's business manager and agent, Maverick Carter, suggested in a GQ story that James' lifetime Nike endorsement deal might top $1 billion. During the interview with the magazine, Carter was asked about rapper Kanye West's contention that the agreement was worth $1 billion. Carter smiled and pointed one finger skyward.
"Yeah. It's a fantastic deal. Nike feels great about the deal," Carter told GQ. "That's the most important thing. As great as I feel, as great as LeBron feels -- Nike feels fantastic about it. It's the largest deal in the history of the company. Their hope is he makes even more. And our hope is that, too, obviously."
James signed the lifetime contact with Nike in December. The deal was reported as the largest single athlete guarantee in the sports apparel company's history.

--The Houston Rockets plan another interview with Philadelphia 76ers assistant Mike D'Antoni for their head coaching opening.
According to ESPN.com sources, the 76ers' associate head coach has landed a second interview with Houston and is an "increasingly serious candidate."
D'Antoni, 65, will meet this time with Rockets owner Leslie Alexander, according to ESPN.
The Rockets met with D'Antoni and former Indiana Pacers head coach Frank Vogel after Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff withdrew from consideration for the position earlier this month. The Rockets fired Kevin McHale just 11 games into what was the first season of a three-year deal.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Thursday's NBA Conference Finals betting preview and odds: Raptors at Cavaliers

Toronto Raptors at Cleveland Cavaliers (-10.5, 201.5)

Cavaliers lead series 1-0

The Cleveland Cavaliers dismantled the Toronto Raptors in the opening game of the Eastern Conference finals and attempt to remain unbeaten in the postseason when they host Thursday's Game 2. Cleveland is 9-0 in the playoffs and its latest superb performance was a 115-84 trouncing of Toronto in Game 1.

The 31-point margin of victory was the largest in Cavaliers' postseason history and the Raptors tried to put on brave faces after the annihilation. "It's the first to four, and it's one game," Toronto small forward DeMarre Carroll told reporters. "It doesn't matter if you lose by two or you lose by 30. It's only one game." The Raptors were dominated on the boards 45-23 without center Jonas Valanciunas (ankle) - who is likely to miss Game 2 as well - and were powerless to defend Cleveland star LeBron James, who scored 24 points on 11-of-13 shooting and is highly motivated to keep the wins coming. "We have a goal, and our goal was not nine wins," James told reporters. "It's just not my focus. I've won nine games in the postseason before, won 14 games in the postseason before. "It's not my goal, and as the leader of this team, I'm going to continue to make sure that these guys understand what our goal is."

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

LINE HISTORY: Following their dominant performance in Game 1, the Cavs opened as 12-point favorites over the Raptors for Game 2. As of Wednesday evening, the line has not moved off the lofty opening number. The total hit the board at 196 but was raised a full two points Wednesday morning and that is where it currently sits.

ABOUT THE RAPTORS (64-33, 50-47 ATS, 48-48-1 O/U): Point guard Kyle Lowry appeared to be on his game with outings of 36 and 35 to close the Miami series but he was disjointed in Game 1 with just eight points on 4-of-14 shooting - including missing all seven 3-point attempts. Toronto won two of the three regular-season meetings and believes it can compete with Cleveland but Game 1 displayed the opposite as the Raptors were largely uncompetitive. "It's a different series than last series," Toronto coach Dwane Casey told reporters. "We've got to get our minds adjusted and bodies adjusted. The speed of the game is another issue, a quicker pace, a quicker foot speed for this team versus Miami and Indiana, so we've got to make that adjustment."

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (66-25, 43-45-3 ATS, 46-45 O/U): Point guard Kyrie Irving is meshing well with James and badly outplayed Lowry with 27 points on 11-of-17 shooting in the opener. Irving and James haven't always seen eye-to-eye over their two seasons together but James said he is seeing the growth and maturity needed from Irving. "He's grown every single day, every single week, month and over the course of these last two years or year-plus, becoming a leader and becoming a staple of our team," James told reporters. "We all knew how talented the kid was and how talented he is still today, but his growth and what he demands out of all of us, as the point guard, as one of the leaders of the team, that's what's the best part about it."

TRENDS:

* Raptors are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 road games.
* Cavaliers are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Over is 24-5 in Raptors last 29 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points.
* Over is 8-2 in Cavaliers last 10 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Over is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.

CONSENSUS: The Cavaliers are picking up 53 percent of the Consensus wagers as of Wednesday evening. It seems as though the public doesn't really like the lofty 12-point spread as you'd expect the percentage to be much higher for a very public team coming off a monster win. The Over is picking up 72 percent of the total wagers - even after the line move up to 196.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Raptors (56-26) at Cavaliers (57-25)

Date: May 19, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

CLEVELAND -- LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are living up to the top spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

After drubbing the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday night, the Cavaliers are looking downright unbeatable with a 9-0 record this postseason to show for it.

The Cavs are rolling, and James and Kyrie Irving are a big reason why.

James scored 24 points and Irving, the team's leading scorer this postseason, had 27 as the Cavs made just seven 3-pointers but shot 55.4 percent and scored 56 points in the paint.

"(Tuesday) they wanted us to be in the paint," James said. "We tried to take advantage of that. I keep telling you we're not a jump-shooting team. We're a balanced team. We're able to do whatever the game dictates, and we're able to adjust to that."

The Cavaliers are the first team to win their first nine postseason games since the 2012 San Antonio Spurs, who won their first 10 before losing four straight to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

"It's one game," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said of the 115-84 loss Tuesday. "It's just one game."

James was pleased to go home with the win in Game 1. But he enters Game 2 of the best-of-seven series on Thursday hoping for clarity from officials who called 45 total fouls in the first game, 25 on the Raptors.

"Nowadays to get a flagrant foul, you've got to fall down and grab your head and roll on the ground. LeBron being so strong, guys bounce off him," Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said Wednesday. "He's not going to hit the ground as hard as other guys do. A lot of times it's still a flagrant foul. If someone else gets hit, they fall on the ground, grabbing their head, taking 30, 40 seconds to get up. That just automatically triggers the referees to go to the scorer's table and review it and come up with a flagrant foul. So I don't know."

Kyle Lowry, the Raptors' All-Star point guard, continued a wildly erratic postseason. He was 4-of-14 shooting and spent most of the second half on the bench with his head in a towel.

There is growing doubt 7-footer Jonas Valanciunas will be able to play this week. He's still hobbled by a sprained ankle and hasn't played since that injury in Game 3 of the previous series against the Miami Heat.

Lowry is vital to any chance the Raptors have to pull off the playoff upset. He had a career-high 43 against the Cavs in a February victory at Air Canada Centre. Neither Lowry nor Demar DeRozan attempted a free throw Tuesday. With Lowry on the bench, the Raptors got little from Cory Joseph, who struggled at both ends of the court.

"We've got to come out of the gate with that mindset, being aggressive like we usually do," Lowry said. "I think we didn't try to do that until later on in the game."

DeMarre Carroll had a strong record defending James entering Tuesday's game but was manhandled in the paint in Game 1. James set a playoff-career best going 11 of 13 from the floor (84.6 percent).

James' first nine baskets came near the restricted area and attempted only one shot -- a 3 from the wing -- outside of the paint. Cleveland went inside after averaging nearly 17 3-pointers per game through the first two playoff rounds. The Cavs led by as many as 35 in the fourth quarter. But James wanted to give the credit to Irving.

"He's grown," James said. "Every single day, every single week, month over these past two years, becoming a leader, a staple of this team."

Casey thought the defensive rotations broke down once the Raptors denied the Cavs 3-point looks.

"We've got to continue to keep those (3-pointers) down, work to keep those down, and also at the same time make sure we understand and be disciplined as far as how we take away their roll guy," Casey said. "Because I thought that hurt us, especially in the second quarter."

The sweeps in each of the first two rounds meant the Cavs played just eight games in the last 33 days, while the Raptors were stretched to seven games in each of their first two series. All the time off has done little to disrupt Cleveland's rhythm. It might have sapped the Raptors of some of their bounce, but Thursday is the time to rediscover it, or the Raptors will be down 2-0 heading home in their first-ever Eastern Conference final appearance.

"I thought they were quicker than us tonight, and the reasons are not important. It's not an excuse," Casey said. "It's one game. But they were the quicker team, and we've got to make adjustments of how we want to combat that quickness."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Game 2 - Raptors at Cavaliers
By Kevin Rogers

The series opener of the Eastern Conference Finals between Cleveland and Toronto was an expected blowout as the Cavaliers ripped the Raptors, 115-84 to easily cash as 11-point favorites. In spite of Toronto jumping out to an early 7-0 lead and hanging around for the entire first quarter, the Raptors were wiped away by LeBron James and the Cavaliers in the second quarter, 33-16 to trail by 22 points at halftime. Has Cleveland paved the way for a perfect 12-0 record on the way to the NBA Finals or can Toronto show some fight in Game 2 on Thursday?

The Cavaliers didn’t take their first lead in Game 1 until five minutes remaining in the opening quarter at 18-17, while the Raptors held their final advantage at 28-27 before Cleveland ripped off 15 consecutive points. Tyronn Lue’s club took a 66-44 halftime lead, the third straight home game that the Cavaliers have headed into the intermission with an advantage of at least 10 points. Cleveland torched Atlanta in the previous round by knocking down an incredible 77 three-pointers (average of 19.25 per game), but the Cavaliers hit only seven shots from downtown in 20 attempts in Game 1.

James put together one of his most efficient postseason games in his career, connecting on 11-of-13 shots from the floor for 24 points. Kyrie Irving paced Cleveland with 27 points, while Kevin Love scored in double-figures for the ninth straight playoff game with 19 points. No other Cavaliers posted double-digit scoring, but Cleveland’s bench compiled 41 points as the team shot 55% from the floor.

Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan started on fire in Game 1 by hitting his first five field goal attempts, but converted on 4-of-17 attempts the rest of the way for a team-high 18 points. DeRozan’s backcourt mate Kyle Lowry failed to knock down a three-pointer in seven tries, while finishing 4-of-14 from the floor as the Raptors’ guard was held to below 36% for the 12th time in 15 playoff games. Lowry shot 38% from three-point range during the regular season, but his numbers have dipped from downtown to 26% in the postseason (26-of-99), which includes his half-court heave against the Heat at the end of regulation in the conference semifinals opener.

The Raptors have responded well off a loss in the playoffs by posting a 6-0 SU and 3-3 ATS record, although all these games in this situation came with Toronto in the favorite role. Dwane Casey’s squad has improved by an average of +11.6 points per game following a loss this postseason, meaning the Raptors will likely score in the mid-90’s if this trend holds true. However, since winning Game 3 at Indiana in the opening round, Toronto owns a 1-5 SU/ATS record in the last six road playoff contests with four of the losses coming by 12 points or more.

The big question going into Game 2 is if Cleveland can rout Toronto once again and easily cover as a double-digit favorite. Going back to the 2013 playoffs, teams off a victory of 29 points or more own a 6-6 SU and 4-8 ATS record, which includes a 2-2 SU/ATS mark in the 2016 postseason. Most recently, the Spurs pounded the Thunder by 32 points to tip off the second round, but OKC rebounded with a one-point victory as seven-point underdogs in Game 2. Dallas responded in the first round following a humiliating 108-70 loss at Oklahoma City to shock the Thunder in Game 2 as 14-point ‘dogs, 85-84.


NBA Playoffs - Teams off 29-Point or More Wins

Team Blowout Win Following Game SU/ATS Results

Cleveland - 2016 Cavaliers 115 vs. Raptors 84 - -
Miami - 2016 Heat 123 vs. Hornets 91 Heat 115 vs. Hornets 103 Win-Win
San Antonio - 2016 Spurs 106 vs. Grizzlies 74 Spurs 94 vs. Grizzles 68 Win-Win
Oklahoma City - 2016 Thunder 108 vs. Mavericks 70 Thunder 84 vs. Mavericks 85 Loss-Loss
San Antonio - 2016 Spurs 124 vs. Thunder 92 Spurs 97 vs. Thunder 98 Loss-Loss
Golden State - 2015 Warriors 115 at Rockets 80 Warriors 115 at Rockets 128 Loss-Loss
L.A. Clippers - 2015 Clippers 128 vs. Rockets 95 Clippers 103 at Rockets 124 Loss-Loss
San Antonio - 2014 Spurs 112 vs. Thunder 77 Spurs 97 at Thunder 106 Loss-Loss
L.A. Clippers - 2014 Clippers 128 vs. Warriors 138 Clippers 98 at Warriors 96 Win-Loss
San Antonio - 2013 Spurs 113 vs. Heat 77 Spurs 103 vs. Heat 109 Loss-Loss
Miami - 2013 Heat 115 vs. Bulls 78 Heat 104 vs. Bulls 94 Win-Win
Oklahoma City - 2013 Thunder 120 vs. Rockets 91 Thunder 105 vs. Rockets 102 Win-Loss
San Antonio - 2013 Spurs 120 at Lakers 89 Spurs 103 at Lakers 82 Win-Win

A few things to note from the above table regarding this system. First, the scoring output for winning teams decreased by an average of 17.5 points per game, including three clubs this postseason that went from triple-digits to double-digits from Game 1 to Game 2. Secondly, two of the blowouts by San Antonio in 2016 against Memphis and 2013 against the Lakers came against teams that were decimated by injuries. This season’s Grizzlies were without point guard Mike Conley and center Marc Gasol, while the 2013 Lakers were missing Kobe Bryant after he tore his Achilles tendon in the final week of the regular season.

I presented these numbers to NBA expert Chris David and he delved into the numbers and found other angles that could have you leaning to Toronto in a couple other bets for Game 2.

He explained, “Based on the blowout trends that we’ve seen recently in the NBA playoffs, this should be a very tight game and I’m buying the Raptors not only for the game but I’m going to double and triple-up with first quarter and first half wagers. After a 30-point loss in a competitive healthy series in the NBA playoffs, we’ve seen those teams rebound in a very strong way from the get-go.”

“The loser has led after the first quarter in six of the next 10 games and twice they were tied. In the two instances they were trailing, the margins were only by one and three. For halftime bettors, the team that was blown out managed to hold leads in five of the next 10 games at the break with one tie and the four margins (3, 2, 3, 12) were tighter than expected.”

David notes, “The Raptors are catching five and eight points in the first quarter and first half respectively for Game 2 and both those are numbers are inflated. While I wouldn’t advise you to take Toronto to win outright on Thursday as a 7/1 underdog, I believe the Raptors (+400) on the money-line in the first half presents great value.”

Shifting to the totals perspective, where the Raptors have cashed four consecutive ‘overs’ since a 9-2 start to the ‘under’ in the postseason. David provides his view on the total, “Depending when you bet the total on Game 1, you could’ve hit the ‘over’ or the ‘under’ with the game opening as high as 202 and closing at 198. To be fair the ‘over’ was the right side and it would’ve connected if it wasn’t for a 37-point fourth quarter. After Tuesday’s result, the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook opened Game 2 with a total of 196 and that’s been pushed up to 198.”

Cleveland has eclipsed the 100-point mark in all nine victories in the playoffs, resulting in five ‘overs.’ At home, the Cavaliers have given up at least 100 points only once in five tries, coming back in the playoff opener against the Pistons in which Detroit put up 101 points.

David gives his spin on Cleveland’s output, “The offensive production for the Cavaliers could have you leaning to the ‘over’ again in Game 2 and you can certainly make a strong argument for that lean. However, you could argue for the ‘under’ as well based on what we’ve seen from Toronto after a loss. The Raptors haven’t dropped back-to-back games in this year’s postseason and that perfect mark (6-0) is directly attributed to their defense, which has only surrendered 90.3 PPG in these situations. While Cleveland has been nothing short of a juggernaut in the playoffs, a letdown shouldn’t come as a surprise and I’d lean strongly to its team total ‘under’ (105) on Wednesday.”

After the Cavaliers closed as 11-point favorites in Game 1, oddsmakers pushed Cleveland to a 12-point favorite for Thursday’s Game 2. Don’t be surprised if that game closes at 12 ½ with public money as the Cavaliers have covered four of five games at Quicken Loans Arena in the playoffs. Thursday’s contest tips off at 8:35 PM EST and can be seen on ESPN.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Cavs Cruise Into Game 2 Versus Raptors'

So far, so good for the Cleveland Cavaliers. They shook off a slow start Tuesday night to bury the Toronto Raptors (+11 away) 115-84 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Game 2 takes place Thursday night in Cleveland, tipping off at 8:30 PM ET on ESPN.

Toronto had to play Game 1 without starting center Jonas Valanciunas (27.7 PER in the playoffs), who sprained his right ankle in the previous series versus the Miami Heat. Valanciunas is expected to miss Game 2 as well, and might not return at all this series. With zero injured players, Cleveland should be fresh Thursday night after sweeping through the first two rounds. No Cavalier needed to play more than 30 minutes in the opener; LeBron James (25.0 PER) sat the entire fourth quarter after scoring 24 points on 11-of-13 shooting.

The Raptors will only go as far as their shooters will take them, and after showing signs of life in the Miami series, Kyle Lowry (16.3 PER) struggled again in Game 1. Lowry shot 4-of-14 for just eight points, missing all seven of his attempts from behind the arc. As a team, Toronto went 5-of-24 from long range (20.8%).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Toronto-Cleveland (C 1-0)
Cavaliers won five of last seven games with Toronto; five of last six tilts in series went over total. Raptors are playing third game in five days; in Game 1 they got outrebounded 45-23, were down 22 at half, they didn't compete real hard- they'll show up better here. Cavaliers are 9-0 SU in playoffs, 6-3 vs spread (over 5-4). Toronto is 1-4 in its last five road games (under 3-2). James was 11-13 from floor in Tuesday's game. NBA playoff favorites of 8+ points are 19-6 vs spread this season.

Playoff tally: Favorites vs spread: 26-18, Over: 13-31
Second round: Favorites: 13-8, over: 12-9
Conference final: Favorites: 2-1, over: 1-2

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

At the Gate - Thursday
By Mike Dempsey

A field of 11 will head to the starting gate for Saturday’s $1.5 million Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico, and the undefeated Nyquist drew the three post and was installed as the 3-5 morning line favorite.

Only two of the 19 runners that Nyquist beat on the first Saturday of May in the Kentucky Debry (G1) are back looking to turn the tables—the runner up Exaggerator and ninth place finisher Lani.

Exaggerator drew post five and is the 3-1 second choice on the morning line. The UAE Derby (G2) winner Lani, who was ninth in the Run for the Roses, drew post six and is 30-1 on the morning line.

Among the new shooters the promising Stradivari is the lowest price on the official morning line, listed at 8-1. The Todd Pletcher trainee earned a 100 Beyer trouncing first level allowance foes at Gulfstream Park by 14 ½ lengths in his last outing on April 17.

The weather has bene the talk all week and as of Thursday night the chance of rain was lowered slightly from 90% to 70% and the rain total and decreased from an inch to about a half inch.

Both Nyquist and Exaggerator have run well on wet tracks, and don’t forget if the average weatherman had to wager on his forecast he would be living in a cardboard box.

Add to that the fact that the Pimlico main track dries out pretty quickly, and I would not fret much about the weather on Saturday afternoon unless you have tickets for the infield party.

Post Positions, Jockeys and Morning Line Odds for the Preakness Stakes:

1. Cherry Wine, C. Lanerie, 20-1
2. Uncle Lino, F. Perez, 20-1
3. Nyquist, M. Guttierez, 3-5
4. Awesome Speed, J. Toledo, 30-1
5. Exaggerator, K. Desormeaux, 3-1
6. Lani, Y. Take, 30-1
7. Collected, J. Castellano, 10-1
8. Laoban, F. Geroux, 30-1
9. Abiding Star, J.D. Acosta, 30-1
10. Fellowship, J. Lezcano, 30-1
11. Stradivari, J. Velazquez, 8-1


Here is today’s opener from Belmont Park to get the day off to a good start:

BEL Race 1 Md Sp Wt (1:30 ET)
#5 Star Empire 5-2
#4 Fuhrlong 8-5
#3 Honor River 3-1
#1 Read My Lips / 1a Terminal Speed 4-1

Analysis: Star Empire makes his debut for the Ward barn that is 24% winners overall with first timers. The barn had a good meeting at Keeneland with juvie firsters, winning with 5 of 11. This colt is by Foxwedge, a first crop sire out of an Empire Maker mare that has dropped two foals to race but no winners. The colt debuts with lasix and a good gate drill at Keeneland on May 6.

Fuhrlong set the early fractions and could not go with the winner late in a runner up finish here in the mud on May 5. The likely one to catch unless the ward firsters shows some speed. He is out of a Successful Appeal mare that has dropped three winners including stakes winner Miss Behaviour ($790,834).

Wagering
WIN: #5 to win at 9-5 or better.
EX: 5 / 3,4
TRI: no play

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Belmont Park:

BEL Race 8 OClm $40,000N2X (5:13 ET)
#5 Roman Ceres 4-1
#7 Vicki's Dancer 5-2
#2 Lakeside Sunset 3-1
#3 Tahoe Tigress 5-1

Analysis: Roman Ceres is perfect in two career starts, breaking her maiden in her debut and then beating state bred Alw-1 foes last out, both on the inner track for the Mott barn that usually does not have them fully cranked early. Now she comes back off a two month break here stepping up another condition. She is going to need to move forward again to beat this group but the extra ground should suit and she has worked smartly in the mornings since her last win.

Vicki's Dancer tracked the early pace and weakened to finish fourth last out on turf in the License Fee going six furlongs on the turf with Ortiz dropping his whip around the 3/16's mark. The mare has been better on dirt and was a sharp winner two back on dirt at the Big A. He makes his third start off the claim by Gullo who took this gal from RRod for $32,000 three back. He figures to bounce back with the surface switch.

Wagering
WIN: #5 to win at 3-1 or better.
EX: 5,7 / 2,3,5,7
TRI: 5,7 / 2,3,5,7 / 2,3,4,5,7

Live Longshots:
These are price plays for exotic players looking to find a couple of extra contenders to use in their trifecta and superfecta wagers. Or for those with smaller bankrolls, you might want to get in a small win-place wager.

Belmont Park
R2: #5 Wildniteattheopera 8-1
R3: #1 John Eddie 12-1
R3: #4 Daggerpoint 8-1
R4: #7 Finalize 10-1
R6: #2 Sharpie’s Dream 8-1
R7: #4 Dark Roast 12-1
R9: #3 Scott Hill 10-1

Good luck today!