Thursday 5/21/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

German Bundesliga 1 Sa 23May 14:30

Hamburg

v

Schalke

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		7/5	13/5	9/5	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT HAMBURG	RECENT FORM
HLALHWAWHDAL​ Most recent​	0 - 3 3 - 1 1 - 2 2 - 1	HDADALHWALHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Hamburg have kept one clean sheet in their last ten home fixtures

EXPERT VERDICT: Hamburg have never been relegated from the Bundesliga but their fate could be sealed by a defeat at home to Schalke. Victory for the hosts would open up the possibility of survival or a place in the relegation/promotion playoff but they can take nothing for granted against the Royal Blues, who will be keen to hold on to fifth place.

RECOMMENDATION: Schalke
1

 

[superbeets]

English League Two Sa 23May 17:30

Southend

v

Wycombe

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		6/4	23/10	19/10	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ALL VENUES	RECENT FORM
AWAWHWALADHD*​ Most recent​	2 - 2 1 - 4 1 - 1 1 - 2	HWADHLAWAWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Both teams have scored in 13 of Wycombe’s last 18 games

EXPERT VERDICT: Southend and Wycombe narrowly missed out on automatic promotion but they both have a second chance in the League Two playoff final and this should be a tight match. Only goal difference separated these teams after 46 matches and it may take extra-time, or possibly even penalties, to split them.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1


REFEREE: Simon Hooper STADIUM: Wembley

 

[superbeets]

Spanish Primera Liga Sa 23May 17:30

Barcelona

v

Deportivo

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS5		2/7	5	9	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT BARCELONA	RECENT FORM
HWAWHWHWALAW​ Most recent​	2 - 0 0 - 0 3 - 0 5 - 0	HLADALHDADHW​ Most recent​

EXPERT VERDICT: Barcelona wrapped up the La Liga title with a game to spare and can sign off their league campaign with an easy win over relegation-threatened Deportivo. Only a victory would be enough to guarantee top-flight survival for Depo, but the Galicians have not triumphed at Camp Nou since 2003.

RECOMMENDATION: Barcelona to win 3-0
1

 

[superbeets]

Spanish Primera Liga Sa 23May 19:30

Real Madrid

v

Getafe

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS5		1/8	8	20	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT REAL MADRID	RECENT FORM
HWAWALHDHDAW​ Most recent​	4 - 1 4 - 0 4 - 2 4 - 0	ALHLALHLALHD​ Most recent​

EXPERT VERDICT: Real Madrid have collected more points than on each of the last two seasons despite finishing behind Barcelona and can increase their tally to 92 with an easy home win over Gefafe. Survival is guaranteed for 14th-placed Getafe but they have taken just one point from their last six games and the short trip to the Bernabeu is unlikely to signal an improvement.

RECOMMENDATION: Real Madrid to win 4-0
1

 

[superbeets]

Italian Serie A Sa 23May 19:45

Genoa

v

Inter

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		31/20	5/2	17/10	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT GENOA	RECENT FORM
ALHWAWALHWAW​ Most recent​	1 - 0 0 - 0 0 - 1 0 - 1	HDHWAWHDAWHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Juventus are the only team to have beaten Inter in their last eight games

EXPERT VERDICT: Sixth place will be enough for Europa League qualification, although Genoa won’t be able to take their place in the competition unless their appeal against disqualification is successful. It may not get that far anyway because Inter, bar last week’s loss to Juventus, are playing some decent stuff under Roberto Mancini.

RECOMMENDATION: Inter
1

​

 

[superbeets]

Italian Serie A Su 24May 11:30

Empoli

v

Sampdoria

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT1		6/4	12/5	9/5	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT EMPOLI	RECENT FORM
HDADHWAWHLAL​ Most recent​	0 - 2 2 - 0 2 - 1 1 - 1	HDALHDHLAWHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Empoli have conceded at least two goals in seven of their last eight matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Sampdoria have struggled to cope with a demanding fixture list in recent weeks but can revive hopes of a top-six finish by beating lowly Empoli at the Carlo Castellani stadium. Empoli are in no danger of being relegated but have lost their last two games and their poor form looks set to continue.

RECOMMENDATION: Sampdoria
2

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Game 2 - Rockets at Warriors
By Kevin Rogers

The runaway train known as the Golden State Warriors almost get derailed in the series opener of the Western Conference Finals, trailing the Rockets by 16 points in the second quarter. A 25-6 run by the West’s top seed to close out the first half gave Golden State the lead for good and capture a 110-106 victory to take a 1-0 series advantage heading into Thursday’s Game 2 at Oracle Arena.

The Rockets grabbed the cover as 10½-point underdogs, even though Houston almost didn’t cash, falling behind, 108-97 with two minutes remaining in regulation. Kevin McHale’s club pulled off a 9-0 run after Golden State’s 11-0 spurt, as the Rockets pulled with two thanks to Trevor Ariza’s three-pointer. Stephen Curry capped off a 34-point night with a pair of free throws to ice away the victory, as the league MVP knocked down six shots from three-point range.

Both teams shot 46% from the floor, as the Rockets played nearly the entire second half without Dwight Howard, who suffered a knee injury after teammate Josh Smith collided with him on a rebound. Howard is listed as questionable for Game 2, as he scored seven points and pulled down 13 rebounds in 26 minutes. MVP runner-up James Harden tried to keep up with Curry in the stats department, scoring a team-high 28 points, to go along with 11 rebounds and nine assists.

Since falling behind the Clippers, 3-1 in the conference semifinals, the Rockets have covered four straight games, while posting a 6-2 ATS record as a road underdog in the postseason since 2014. Houston eclipsed the ‘over’ in each of the first six contests against Los Angeles, but the Rockets have built a two-game ‘under’ streak, barely, after the Game 1 total of 219½ finished four points shy of an ‘over.’

VegasInsider.com NBA analyst Chris David believes bettors could be scratching their heads for Game 2 on Thursday. He explained, “A lot of individuals often get a bad taste in their mouth when a team wins but fails to cover the spread and that was the case in Game 1. For the most part Houston was the right side but you can’t ignore the fact that Golden State was up 11 points late in the fourth quarter and if wasn’t for an unanswered 9-0 run by Houston late in the game, the Warriors had a legit chance to cover the healthy number.”

“I’m not surprised that the line is in the same neighborhood for Game 2 and I expect Golden State to take a 2-0 lead in the series, but I’m not going out on the limb with that prediction. As far as laying 10-plus points, it is a little concerning to back a Warriors team that is 2-4 ATS as a double-digit favorite in the playoffs. However if you exclude Game 1’s results, Houston hasn’t shown the ability to be competitive in losses in this year’s playoffs, losing all by double digits,” David says.

Golden State improved to 5-0 SU this season against Houston, but suffered its first ATS loss to the Rockets in five tries. The home team has led the Western Conference Finals, 2-0 in each of the past three seasons (San Antonio, 2012-14), with the last split coming back in 2011 between Dallas and Oklahoma City (Mavs had home-court and won the series).

Oddsmakers opened Game 2 at 220 and the line seems fair according to David.

“Game 1 had a nice pace to it and it started out fast, which helped the first-half ‘over’ connect (109 ½). Unfortunately for those bettors playing the ‘over’ in game, the game got tight at the wrong time and came up short largely because Golden State was held to two points in the final two minutes. One miss either way by the Rockets and they start fouling early to extend the game. Another reason you can point to the ‘under’ is neither team shot great from the field or free throw line and seeing Houston only attempt 22 shots from 3-point land was a surprise.”

Golden State’s offense has cooled off in Game 2’s of the postseason, an excellent observation made by David, “The Warriors have seen the ‘under’ go 8-2-1 in the playoffs and their defense continues to impress me. I know the Rockets defense isn’t great but the Warriors have taken a step back in Game 2 in each of their first two playoff series. They scored 106 and 101 in openers against New Orleans and Memphis respectively only to follow up those efforts with 97 and 90 points. I believe playing ‘under’ 115 on Golden State’s team total has value in Game 2.”

How much of a swing did we see in the series odds with Golden State rallying for a win in Game 1? Sportsbook.ag opened the Warriors up at -850 on Sunday to win the series, but Steve Kerr’s squad is now up to -2750 (Bet $2750 to win $100) to capture the conference title. The Rockets have rallied before to win a series after losing the opening game, but Houston went from +600 to +1300 on the series price following the Game 1 meltdown.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Game Of The Day: Rockets at Warriors

Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors (-10.5, 220)

Warriors lead series 1-0

Center Dwight Howard is listed as questionable as the Houston Rockets attempt to even the Western Conference finals when they visit the Golden State Warriors on Thursday. Howard played just 26 minutes in Game 1 after suffering a left knee injury and an MRI exam performed Wednesday determined the injury was a sprain.

The Rockets had to use a smaller lineup for much of the opening game and that played into the hands of the Warriors, who recovered from a 16-point, second-quarter deficit to post a 110-106 victory. NBA MVP Stephen Curry had 34 points and knocked down six 3-pointers to fuel Golden State and has made 20 3-pointers over the last three games. NBA runner-up James Harden was stellar for the Rockets with 28 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists and four steals and has scored at least 20 points in all 13 games this postseason. “Game 1 slipped away from us,” Harden told reporters. “We had several opportunities to win the game, didn’t happen, so I think we’ll look at some film, we’ll go from there and correct some things basically that were on us and just be better in Game 2.”

LINE HISTORY: Most books, both online and in Vegas, opened the line at GS -10/220. The spread has since been bet to GS -10.5.

INJURY REPORT: Rockets - C Dwight Howard (Ques-Knee), G K.J. McDaniels (Out-Wrist) Warriors - C Ognjen Kuzmic (Ques-Ankle)

WHAT CAPPERS SAY: "It was shocking to see Golden State come out flat in Game 1, especially since they were facing a Houston team off an emotionally grueling 7-game series against the Los Angeles Clippers. Apparently the Rockets were able to carry over that momentum into the first half of play, while the extended layoff hurt Golden State. After getting down by 16 points in the second quarter, the Warriors proceeded to out-score the Rockets 77-57 over the final 31 minutes of the game. It will be interesting to see if Golden State is now the team that can carry momentum into Game 2, or if the Rockets bounce back off the loss." - Covers Expert Steve Merril

WHAT BOOKS SAY: "We anticipated that all the players that lost backing the Warriors in the opener would be back on them again so we opened a point higher for Game 2. Early action has seen around 70 percent on Houston, and most of that has been sharp money, but I don't expect us to drop down to -10 at any point. For the total, the majority of early bets has been on the under but we've adjusted up a half point to 220, so that should tell you something." - John Lester, Senior Lines Manager at Bookmaker.eu

ABOUT THE ROCKETS: Howard suffered what was originally termed a bruised knee when teammate Josh Smith came crashing into his leg and he said afterwards that the injury was “very painful.” Undersized Clint Capela filled in but Houston coach Kevin McHale is aware he needs Howard on the floor for his club to have a chance at knocking off top-seeded Golden State. “Hopefully Dwight is healthy and we can play big,” McHale told reporters. “We didn’t have that option with Dwight out.”

ABOUT THE WARRIORS: While Curry continues to dazzle in the postseason and lead the way, forward Draymond Green is a valuable piece to the puzzle. The 6-7 Green had 13 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in the opener and saw a lot of time at center and can also guard players on the perimeter. “Draymond is one of the best defensive players in the league because he can guard low-post guys and perimeter guys,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr told reporters. “He can switch onto James Harden, he can guard Dwight Howard. Doesn’t mean he’s always going to get a stop, but he’s always going to put up a fight, and he’s got a chance.”

TRENDS:

*Rockets are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
*Warriors are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games following a S.U. win.
*Over is 7-1 in Rockets last 8 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
*Under is 7-1 in Warriors last 8 overall.

CONSENSUS: 66.35 percent are backing the Rockets with 55 percent on the under

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

National League
Cardinals @ Mets
Garcia is making his first start since last June; he was 2-1, 2.37 in his last three starts, all of which stayed under.

deGrom is 2-1, 3.00 in his last three starts.

Mets lost four of last six games with St Louis, giving up 19 runs in last two games; under is 9-2-1 in last 12 games in series. Mets lost seven of last ten games- they're 16-6 at home. Over is 4-2-1 in their last seven games. Cardinals won three of last four games- five of their last eight games stayed under.

Diamondbacks @ Marlins
Bradley is 2-1, 3.27 in his five starts, with last four going over.

Latos is 1-1, 3.86 in his last three starts; three of his last four home starts went over the total.

Miami lost nine of last ten games; their last four stayed under; they are 4-7 in last 11 games with Arizona-- seven of last nine series games stayed under. Arizona won its last three games; five of its last six stayed under.

Phillies @ Rockies
Williams is 1-2, 6.98 in his last four starts; four of his last six went over.

de la Rosa is 0-1, 13.09 in his last three home starts; three of his last four home starts went over.

Colorado lost 15 of its last 18 games, with four of last six going over; they lost five of last seven games with Philly- five of seven went over total. Phillies won seven of their last eight games, with six of those staying under the total.

Cubs @ Padres
Hendricks is 0-1, 5.15 in his last seven starts, six of which went over.

Despaigne allowed 15 runs in eight IP in losing his last two starts; his last three starts went over.

Cubs lost five of last seven games with San Diego (over 5-1-1); Chicago won seven of its last nine games- under is 6-3-1 in his last ten. Padres lost four of last five games, outscored 30-12; four of their last six games went over.

Dodgers @ Giants
Kershaw is 1-0, 5.03 in his last three starts (over 2-0-1).

Bumgarner is 3-1, 2.14 in his last five starts; over is 5-3 in his last eight.

Home side won nine of last ten Dodger-Giant games; LA lost last five in this park. Dodgers are 2-5 in last six games, scoring total of two runs in last four, zero in last two. Giants won last five games, scoring 36 runs.

Brewers @ Braves
Garza is 1-4, 6.17 in his last six starts; three of his last four went over.

Teheran is 1-0, 5.79 in his last seven starts; six of his last seven went over.

Milwaukee lost five of last six games with Atlanta; under is 7-2-1 in last ten series games. Brewers are 3-5 in last eight games (under 5-2-1). Braves won four of last five games; under is 5-3 in their last eight.

American League
Angels @ Blue Jays
Shoemaker is 1-3, 6.23 in his last five starts; over is 4-2-1 in his last seven.

Dickey is 1-4, 7.63 in his last five starts.

Angels won ten of last 14 games; 11 of their last 13 stayed under the total. Halos won ten of last 13 games with Toronto. Blue Jays lost nine of last 11 games; three of their last four stayed under.

Mariners @ Orioles
Happ is 3-1, 2.77 in his last six starts; four of the six stayed under.

Tillman is 0-4, 6.84 in his last four starts; six of his last nine went over.

Seattle lost six of last nine games with Baltimore; eight of last ten series games stayed under. Mariners lost seven of last nine road games; six of their last seven games overall stayed under the total. Orioles are 5-7 in last twelve games; five of their last six games stayed under.

Rangers @ Red Sox
Rodriguez is 1-1, 3.38 in his last three starts; four of his last five went under.

Buchholz is 1-0, 2.51 in last two starts; under is 4-1-1 in his last six.

Boston won six of their last nine games with Texas; they're 6-4 in last ten games overall, with last seven games staying under total. Red Sox lost six of their last eight home games. Rangers lost four of last six games.

A's @ Rays
Chavez is 1-4, 3.77 in his five starts (under 3-1-1).

Colome is 0-1, 10.61 in his last two starts (was 3-0, 1.10 in his first three).

A's lost ten of last 12 games; over is 7-3-1 in their last eleven- they're 7-2 in last nine games with Tampa Bay, with under 6-1-1 in last eight. Rays won last three home games, allowing five runs; four of their last five home games went under the total.

Astros @ Tigers
Feldman is 1-2, 6.48 in his last three starts; three of his last four went under.

Price is 2-0, 3.81 in his last four starts; under is 4-1 in his last five at home.

Houston won three of last four games with Detroit; four of last five in series stayed under total. Astros won seven of last eight games with three of last four staying under. Tigers lost three of last four games; four of their last five stayed under.

Indians @ White Sox
Salazar is 2-1, 5.84 in his last four starts; his last five went over.

Danks is 1-0, 1.93 in his last two starts; under is 5-1-1 in his last seven.

White Sox won eight of last 11 games, with eight of last nine staying under total. Chicago is 4-6 in last ten games with Cleveland; last 13 series games stayed under total. Indians won four of last six games; six of their last eight games stayed under.

Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Az-Mia-- Bradley 4-1; Latos 3-5
StL-NY-- Garcia 0-0; de Grom 4-4
Phil-Colo-- Williams 4-4; de la Rosa 1-4
Chi-SD-- Hendricks 3-4; Despaigne 2-2
LA-SF-- Kershaw 4-4; Bumgarner 5-3
Mil-Atl-- Garza 3-5; Teheran 5-3

LAA-Tor-- Shoemaker 4-3; Dickey 2-6
Sea-Balt-- Happ 5-2; Tillman 2-5
Tex-Bos-- Rodriguez 2-3; Buchholz 2-6
A's-TB-- Chavez 1-4; Colome 2-2
Clev-Chi-- Salazar 5-1; Danks 4-3
Hst-Det-- Feldman 4-4; Price 7-1

Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Az-Mia-- Bradley 2-5; Latos 2-6
StL-NY-- Garcia 0-0; de Grom 3-8
Phil-Colo-- Williams 3-8; de la Rosa 3-5
Chi-SD-- Hendricks 1-7; Despaigne 2-4
LA-SF-- Kershaw 3-8; Bumgarner 2-8
Mil-Atl-- Garza 2-8; Teheran 4-4

LAA-Tor-- Shoemaker 3-7; Dickey 2-8
Sea-Balt-- Happ 2-7; Tillman 2-7
Tex-Bos-- Rodriguez 2-5; Buchholz 2-8
A's-TB-- Chavez 0-5; Colome 1-4
Clev-Chi-- Salazar 4-6; Danks 2-7
Hst-Det-- Feldman 4-8; Price 3-8

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Golf Tour heads to Fort Worth

Tournament: Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
Date: May 21-24
Venue: Colonial Country Club
Location: Fort Worth, TX

The PGA shifts its focus out West for the Crowne Plaza Invitational this week; one of five invitational’s on tour that hosts a smaller 125-player field. The par-70, 7,204-yard course has been the venue for this tourney since 1946 while hosting both the U.S. Open (1941) and second edition of the Players Championship (1975) in past years. It will be tough to follow up the performance that Rory McIlroy put on at the Wells Fargo Championship this past weekend when he was seven shots better than the runners-up with his score of 21-under-par.

McIlroy won’t be attending this event, but the top two players (Jordan Spieth and Jimmy Walker) from the current FedEx Cup standings will headline a rather weak field which has another five players (Adam Scott, Patrick Reed, Kevin Na, Chris Kirk, Zach Johnson) from the top-25. Two of those golfers in that group are past champions at this tournament with Zach Johnson winning in both 2010, when he shot a tournament record 21-under-par, and 2012.

Adam Scott was the eventual victor in last season’s installment. The Aussie made a run on the final day to catch up with Jason Dufner and forced a playoff in which he took at the second hole. His winning score of nine-under par was the lowest since Olin Brown won at eight-under-par in 1999.

As the season continues to heat up, let’s take a look at who could take home the trophy this week in Fort Worth.

Golfers to Bet

Zach Johnson (12/1): Johnson is actually having a down season in comparison to what he’s used to and has already missed four cuts while also having seven top-25s in his thirteen outings. He also did not perform well here last season (73rd), but it is hard to ignore what he had done before that. Johnson posted four consecutive years of top-four finishes from 2010-2013 which included two victories. The weak field should also allow him to shine as he had three of his four top-10 finishes before March when most of the events aren’t featuring a ton of top talent. His driving accuracy (68.5%, 21st on tour) will aid him in navigating the tight fairways as he also ranks 19th in strokes gained from tee-to-green (0.845). Look for Johnson to put up another great effort at Colonial and make a run at the win.

Ryan Palmer (25/1): Palmer is a regular at Colonial as both a club and PGA member and has performed like he knows the course well in the past. He’s been in the top-14 at each of the last three installments, including two fifth place finishes, and already has seven top-25s in 11 2015 starts. His huge drive (302.3 yards per, 13th on tour) and total strokes gained (1.385, 8th on tour) have kept him in it every time out and it should be no different at his home course this week as he goes for his first PGA victory since the 2010 Sony Open.

Brendon Todd (40/1): Todd is coming off a huge 2014 campaign in which he earned his first career victory and finished 27th in the FedEx Cup standings. While he is not played to that level this season, Todd has still been competitive with three top-10s in 14 events as he’s missed only two cuts. He has struggled over the past two events played, going against the toughest of fields at the WGC Match Play Championship and the Players Championship, but had his best showing of the year just before that with a fourth at the RBC Heritage in which he had three rounds of 67 or better. He can thank his driving accuracy (70%, 14th on tour) and solid putting (0.464 strokes gained putting, 22nd on tour) for any success that he’s had and those stats will certainly factor in at this tough course where he had a fifth-place finish last year. He hit only 41.1% of fairways in that performance but was great on par-3s (five-under) and was 1.17 strokes better than the field in putting. Todd is extremely talented and should have no problems being towards the top of the leaderboard.

Kevin Kisner (30/1): Kisner has nearly won twice in his last four events while being the runner-up at both the RBC Heritage and Players Championship. Overall in that time he has shot under 70 in 11 of his 16 rounds and is 44-under-par. Just like Johnson and Todd, Kisner has excelled with his accuracy off the tee (66.4%, 38th on tour) and also has been one of the best scramblers (64%, 23rd on tour) out there. The 31-year-old has two Web.com Tour victories under his belt and is on the cusp of winning at this level very soon, making him a solid bet each week.

Chris Stroud (85/1): After two straight seasons in the FedEx Cup top-50, Stroud has stumbled this year and sits at 121st after missing seven of his 17 cuts. He has made four of his last five, though, and has two top-25s in that time with his best showing of the season coming when he finished 17th at the Shell Houston Open behind a score of nine-under par. What Stroud really has going in his favor is his past at the Colonial where he has been in the top-14 at each of the last three tourneys with his best being a seventh in 2013. Despite his poor showings this year, Stroud has been solid around the greens with 56.4% mark in sand saves (49th on tour) while ranking 62nd in scrambling (61.3%). Stroud is still searching for his first career PGA victory and could surprise many with his standing come Sunday afternoon.

Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Betting Odds

Jordan Spieth 9/2
Zach Johnson 12/1
Jimmy Walker 18/1
Paul Casey 22/1
Adam Scott 25/1
Ryan Palmer 25/1
Chris Kirk 28/1
Kevin Na 28/1
Kevin Kisner 30/1
Patrick Reed 30/1
Ian Poulter 35/1
Ben Martin 40/1
Brandt Snedeker 40/1
Brendon Todd 40/1
Charley Hoffman 40/1
Hunter Mahan 45/1
Sean OHair 45/1
Louis Oosthuizen 50/1
Bo Van Pelt 55/1
Chesson Hadley 55/1
John Peterson 60/1
John Senden 60/1
Russell Knox 60/1
Cameron Tringale 65/1
Daniel Berger 70/1
Geoff Ogilvy 70/1
Pat Perez 70/1
Robert Streb 70/1
Shawn Stefani 70/1
Boo Weekley 75/1
George McNeill 75/1
Graham Delaet 75/1
Kevin Streelman 75/1
Marc Leishman 75/1
Patrick Rodgers 75/1
Steve Stricker 75/1
Jason Kokrak 80/1
Chris Stroud 85/1
Danny Lee 85/1
Jason Bohn 85/1
Jon Curran 85/1
Jonas Blixt 85/1
Carlos Ortiz 100/1
Jason Dufner 100/1
Kevin Chappell 100/1
Rory Sabbatini 100/1
Brian Harman 120/1
Daniel Summerhays 120/1
John Huh 125/1
Martin Laird 130/1
Martin Flores 140/1
Billy Hurley III 150/1
David Hearn 150/1
David Toms 150/1
Jerry Kelly 150/1
Jim Herman 150/1
Michael Thompson 150/1
Ryo Ishikawa 150/1
Sangmoon Bae 150/1
Scott Brown 150/1
Steve Wheatcroft 150/1
Tony Finau 150/1
William McGirt 150/1
Brian Stuard 200/1
Hudson Swafford 210/1
Angel Cabrera 230/1
David Lingmerth 230/1
Freddie Jacobson 230/1
Kyle Reifers 230/1
Lucas Glover 230/1
Retief Goosen 230/1
Aaron Baddeley 240/1
Chad Campbell 250/1
Erik Compton 250/1
James Hahn 250/1
Luke Guthrie 250/1
Nicholas Thompson 250/1
Scott Piercy 250/1
Scott Stallings 250/1
Vijay Singh 250/1
Zac Blair 250/1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL Preview: Ducks (51-24) at Blackhawks (48-28)

Date: May 21, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

CHICAGO (AP) - The top four defensemen for the Chicago Blackhawks carried a heavy load in the first two games of the Western Conference finals. A couple of Chicago's biggest stars were shut out in Anaheim, and the Ducks' fourth line caused a bunch of problems for the Blackhawks.

At least Chicago doesn't have to worry about its goalie right now.

A month after Corey Crawford was pulled from Game 1 of the Blackhawks' first-round playoff series against Nashville, it looks as if the veteran is one of their biggest assets heading into Game 3 against Anaheim on Thursday night. For all the pre-series talk about the offensive stars, an opening split in Southern California belonged to Crawford and Ducks goalie Frederik Andersen.

'Both goalies are playing really well,' Chicago center Brad Richards said Wednesday. 'Big goalies that seem to fight through traffic really well. You know, when they see it, it's going to hit them most of the time.'

That was never more evident than Tuesday night, when the Ducks and Blackhawks faced off in a triple-overtime classic that could have a dramatic effect on the rest of the series. Crawford made 60 saves and Andersen finished with 53 stops, but Marcus Kruger's sixth goal in his 65th career playoff game lifted the Blackhawks to a 3-2 victory.

Now the series shifts to Chicago for the next two games, where the Blackhawks are 5-0 in the playoffs. But their top four defensemen played a ton of minutes in Anaheim, and it remains to be seen if they can keep it up against the physical Ducks.

'Our game plan is to get the puck in deep and forecheck their D men, finish our checks, play down low,' Anaheim defenseman Francois Beauchemin said. 'You know, they're in good physical shape. Obviously they've been playing most of the year with four or five defensemen. They're used to it. We just got to make sure we keep that puck down low and focus on our offense.'

The big question for the Ducks is their response to their first home loss of the playoffs, especially going into a notoriously difficult place to play.

'We've done it all year. I would be more surprised if we weren't able to rebound and play a really great game than if it went the other way around,' Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau said. 'I've been with this group for a long time now. You can see it. They were, rightfully so, very angry last night. Not disappointed, but angry. That's a good thing.'

Each side had numerous chances in the overtimes before Kruger's winning goal. Crawford, who helped Chicago win the Stanley Cup in 2013, made 28 stops in the extra periods.

'Crow did what he's done all playoffs for us, let us hang in there long enough so we could get one bounce,' captain Jonathan Toews said.

But Crawford's play was hardly a given for the Blackhawks after he gave up three goals on just 12 shots in the playoff opener at Nashville on April 15. After another lackluster effort in Game 2 against the Predators, coach Joel Quenneville went with Scott Darling in net before returning to Crawford in relief in the deciding Game 6.

Crawford helped the Blackhawks get into the second round, and then played a key role in a surprising sweep of the Wild. Now he is coming off one of the best games of his career.

'He had several key saves, a lot of traffic around him as well,' Quenneville said. 'He was fine in Game 1, as well. Their goalie has been pretty solid throughout the playoffs. But you could talk about some highlights in the game. I think the goaltenders stole the show.'

Andersen was a rookie starter heading into last season's playoffs, but got hurt and lost the job to Jonas Hiller and John Gibson in the second round. It has been smooth sailing so far in this year's playoffs, with Andersen allowing just 22 goals in a 9-2 start.

'I thought he was excellent,' teammate Patrick Maroon said, praising Andersen's performance in Game 2. 'That's not his fault. Throw pucks at the net, it hits off the guy, there's nothing he can do.'

---

AP Hockey Writer Greg Beacham in Anaheim, California, contributed to this report.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

What bettors need to know: Ducks at Blackhawks

Anaheim Ducks at Chicago Blackhawks (-130, 5)
Series tied 1-1

Two days after stealing home-ice advantage - and evening the series - with a marathon triple-overtime victory, the Chicago Blackhawks look to put it to good use when they host the Anaheim Ducks in Game 3 of the Western Conference final on Thursday. Chicago jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on Tuesday before squandering it, needing a stellar performance from Corey Crawford (60 saves) and a goal by Marcus Kruger at 16:12 of the third overtime to avoid falling into an 0-2 series hole.

An incredible effort by Andrew Shaw in the second extra session nearly gave the Blackhawks the victory, but his tally correctly was disallowed as he took a page out of the playbook of Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire and deliberately head-butted the puck past Frederik Andersen. The Anaheim netminder played nearly as well as Crawford, turning aside 53 shots, and Andrew Cogliano began the Ducks' comeback before Corey Perry continued his trend of scoring a goal in alternate games by knotting the contest late in the second period. Anaheim's third-ranked power play was unable to cash in, failing on five opportunities to drop to 0-for-6 in the series as the Ducks suffered their first home loss of the postseason (6-1). Anaheim was held to fewer than three goals for just the second time in this year's playoffs, with the first being a 2-1 triumph over Winnipeg in Game 2 of their first-round matchup.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC, TVA

LINE HISTORY: Books opened the Blackhawks between -135 and -130 with a total of 5.

INJURY REPORT: Ducks - D Sheldon Souray (Out-Wrist) Blackhawks - D Michal Rozsival (Out-Ankle)

ABOUT THE DUCKS: Perry began the postseason with a two-goal effort against the Jets and has scored in every second game since. He netted his eighth of the playoffs on Tuesday, putting him among the league leaders in both tallies and points (16). Captain Ryan Getzlaf tops all players in assists this postseason as he notched his 12th on Perry's goal in Game 2.

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS: Shaw, who opened the scoring Tuesday 2:16 into the contest with the first of his team's two power-play goals and had several other good chances, knew his soccer-style goal was in violation of league rule 78.5 - which states a tally would be disallowed "when the puck has been directed, batted or thrown into the net by an attacking player other than with a stick." Regardless, the 23-year-old would have liked to have seen the goal stand. "I understand (the rule), but I think if anyone can ever pull that off, it should still be a goal," Shaw said. "I mean, at that point, you react in the moment and try to get it in."

TRENDS:

*Road team is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
*Blackhawks are 5-0 in their last 5 games playing on 1 days rest.
*Under is 9-1 in the last 10 meetings in Chicago.
*Over is 4-0 in Ducks last 4 road games.

CONSENSUS: 61 percent are backing the Blackhawks with 62.7 percent on the over.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Ducks look to remain hot away from the Pond
Justin Hartling

The Anaheim Ducks are a solid 3-1 on the road during the postseason, and dating further back they are 7-1 in their past eight road games.

The Ducks have outscored their opposition 27-18 during that span with three games, including their one loss, going to overtime. Only two of those seven wins have seen the Ducks by more than one goal.

Anaheim is +118 when they travel to the United Center Thursday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Chicago scored two power play goals in first period of Game 2, then went scoreless for 109:53 before they evened series with goal in third OT. Anaheim is 9-2 in playoffs this spring, winning three of four on road- over is 5-2-2 in last nine games, with both totals in this series pushing. Chicago won five of last seven games with Anaheim, but lost three of last four played here- road team won seven of last nine series games- under is 8-2-2 in last 12 series tilts. Over is 7-2-3 in last 12 Chicago games. Ducks outhit Chicago 71-45 in Game 2- they're 0-6 on power play in this series.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Game 2 - Rockets at Warriors
By Kevin Rogers

The runaway train known as the Golden State Warriors almost get derailed in the series opener of the Western Conference Finals, trailing the Rockets by 16 points in the second quarter. A 25-6 run by the West’s top seed to close out the first half gave Golden State the lead for good and capture a 110-106 victory to take a 1-0 series advantage heading into Thursday’s Game 2 at Oracle Arena.

The Rockets grabbed the cover as 10 ½-point underdogs, even though Houston almost didn’t cash, falling behind, 108-97 with two minutes remaining in regulation. Kevin McHale’s club pulled off a 9-0 run after Golden State’s 11-0 spurt, as the Rockets pulled with two thanks to Trevor Ariza’s three-pointer. Stephen Curry capped off a 34-point night with a pair of free throws to ice away the victory, as the league MVP knocked down six shots from three-point range.

Both teams shot 46% from the floor, as the Rockets played nearly the entire second half without Dwight Howard, who suffered a knee injury after teammate Josh Smith collided with him on a rebound. Howard is listed as questionable for Game 2, as he scored seven points and pulled down 13 rebounds in 26 minutes. MVP runner-up James Harden tried to keep up with Curry in the stats department, scoring a team-high 28 points, to go along with 11 rebounds and nine assists.

Since falling behind the Clippers, 3-1 in the conference semifinals, the Rockets have covered four straight games, while posting a 6-2 ATS record as a road underdog in the postseason since 2014. Houston eclipsed the ‘over’ in each of the first six contests against Los Angeles, but the Rockets have built a two-game ‘under’ streak, barely, after the Game 1 total of 219 ½ finished four points shy of an ‘over.’

NBA analyst Chris David believes bettors could be scratching their heads for Game 2 on Thursday. He explained, “A lot of individuals often get a bad taste in their mouth when a team wins but fails to cover the spread and that was the case in Game 1. For the most part Houston was the right side but you can’t ignore the fact that Golden State was up 11 points late in the fourth quarter and if wasn’t for an unanswered 9-0 run by Houston late in the game, the Warriors had a legit chance to cover the healthy number.”

“I’m not surprised that the line is in the same neighborhood for Game 2 and I expect Golden State to take a 2-0 lead in the series, but I’m not going out on the limb with that prediction. As far as laying 10-plus points, it is a little concerning to back a Warriors team that is 2-4 ATS as a double-digit favorite in the playoffs. However if you exclude Game 1’s results, Houston hasn’t shown the ability to be competitive in losses in this year’s playoffs, losing all by double digits,” David says.

Golden State improved to 5-0 SU this season against Houston, but suffered its first ATS loss to the Rockets in five tries. The home team has led the Western Conference Finals, 2-0 in each of the past three seasons (San Antonio, 2012-14), with the last split coming back in 2011 between Dallas and Oklahoma City (Mavs had home-court and won the series).

Oddsmakers opened Game 2 at 220 and the line seems fair according to David.

“Game 1 had a nice pace to it and it started out fast, which helped the first-half ‘over’ connect (109 ½). Unfortunately for those bettors playing the ‘over’ in game, the game got tight at the wrong time and came up short largely because Golden State was held to two points in the final two minutes. One miss either way by the Rockets and they start fouling early to extend the game. Another reason you can point to the ‘under’ is neither team shot great from the field or free throw line and seeing Houston only attempt 22 shots from 3-point land was a surprise.”

Golden State’s offense has cooled off in Game 2’s of the postseason, an excellent observation made by David, “The Warriors have seen the ‘under’ go 8-2-1 in the playoffs and their defense continues to impress me. I know the Rockets defense isn’t great but the Warriors have taken a step back in Game 2 in each of their first two playoff series. They scored 106 and 101 in openers against New Orleans and Memphis respectively only to follow up those efforts with 97 and 90 points. I believe playing ‘under’ 115 on Golden State’s team total has value in Game 2.”

How much of a swing did we see in the series odds with Golden State rallying for a win in Game 1? Sportsbooks opened the Warriors up at -850 on Sunday to win the series, but Steve Kerr’s squad is now up to -2750 (Bet $2750 to win $100) to capture the conference title. The Rockets have rallied before to win a series after losing the opening game, but Houston went from +600 to +1300 on the series price following the Game 1 meltdown.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA Game of the day: Rockets at Warriors

Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors (-10.5, 220)
Warriors lead series 1-0

Center Dwight Howard is listed as questionable as the Houston Rockets attempt to even the Western Conference finals when they visit the Golden State Warriors on Thursday. Howard played just 26 minutes in Game 1 after suffering a left knee injury and an MRI exam performed Wednesday determined the injury was a sprain.

The Rockets had to use a smaller lineup for much of the opening game and that played into the hands of the Warriors, who recovered from a 16-point, second-quarter deficit to post a 110-106 victory. NBA MVP Stephen Curry had 34 points and knocked down six 3-pointers to fuel Golden State and has made 20 3-pointers over the last three games. NBA runner-up James Harden was stellar for the Rockets with 28 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists and four steals and has scored at least 20 points in all 13 games this postseason. “Game 1 slipped away from us,” Harden told reporters. “We had several opportunities to win the game, didn’t happen, so I think we’ll look at some film, we’ll go from there and correct some things basically that were on us and just be better in Game 2.”

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN

LINE HISTORY: Most books, both online and in Vegas, opened the line at GS -10/220. The spread has since been bet to GS -10.5.

INJURY REPORT: Rockets - C Dwight Howard (Ques-Knee), G K.J. McDaniels (Out-Wrist) Warriors - C Ognjen Kuzmic (Ques-Ankle)

WHAT CAPPERS SAY: "It was shocking to see Golden State come out flat in Game 1, especially since they were facing a Houston team off an emotionally grueling 7-game series against the Los Angeles Clippers. Apparently the Rockets were able to carry over that momentum into the first half of play, while the extended layoff hurt Golden State. After getting down by 16 points in the second quarter, the Warriors proceeded to out-score the Rockets 77-57 over the final 31 minutes of the game. It will be interesting to see if Golden State is now the team that can carry momentum into Game 2, or if the Rockets bounce back off the loss." - Steve Merril

WHAT BOOKS SAY: "We anticipated that all the players that lost backing the Warriors in the opener would be back on them again so we opened a point higher for Game 2. Early action has seen around 70 percent on Houston, and most of that has been sharp money, but I don't expect us to drop down to -10 at any point. For the total, the majority of early bets has been on the under but we've adjusted up a half point to 220, so that should tell you something." - John Lester, Senior Lines Manager.

ABOUT THE ROCKETS: Howard suffered what was originally termed a bruised knee when teammate Josh Smith came crashing into his leg and he said afterwards that the injury was “very painful.” Undersized Clint Capela filled in but Houston coach Kevin McHale is aware he needs Howard on the floor for his club to have a chance at knocking off top-seeded Golden State. “Hopefully Dwight is healthy and we can play big,” McHale told reporters. “We didn’t have that option with Dwight out.”

ABOUT THE WARRIORS: While Curry continues to dazzle in the postseason and lead the way, forward Draymond Green is a valuable piece to the puzzle. The 6-7 Green had 13 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in the opener and saw a lot of time at center and can also guard players on the perimeter. “Draymond is one of the best defensive players in the league because he can guard low-post guys and perimeter guys,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr told reporters. “He can switch onto James Harden, he can guard Dwight Howard. Doesn’t mean he’s always going to get a stop, but he’s always going to put up a fight, and he’s got a chance.”

TRENDS:

*Rockets are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
*Warriors are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games following a S.U. win.
*Over is 7-1 in Rockets last 8 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
*Under is 7-1 in Warriors last 8 overall.

CONSENSUS: 66.35 percent are backing the Rockets with 55 percent on the under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Rockets' Howard questionable for Game 2
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

Dwight Howard was supposed to be the big advantage for the Houston Rockets over the top-seeded Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference finals, but he might be on the bench Thursday following a Game 1 loss in which he suffered another knee injury.

Howard is listed as questionable for Game 2 against the Warriors, who went small and outran the Rockets on Tuesday, 110-106, the fifth win in as many meetings with Houston this season.

Officially a left knee bruise – good news for the Rockets considering the right knee ailment that dogged Howard during the 2014-15 regular season -- Howard attempted to return to the game but was hobbled and underwent an MRI exam on Wednesday after logging 27 minutes in the opening game. Houston lacks depth, especially up front, without Howard in the lineup.

"Thank God it was nothing major, but bruises – especially around the knee and all that – it's very hard to do a lot of the things that I want to do," Howard said. "It's very painful. I tried to play it off as much as possible, but I couldn't give my teammates what I needed to give them. It was disappointing. It was frustrating. But it's a long series."

If Howard isn't in the lineup, the Wizards can get away with making the game a track meet without concern over a shot-blocking presence in the paint. Without the 7-footer, the Rockets would be taking the court without three starters from the regular season. Already they're using replacements for Patrick Beverley (point guard, wrist injury) and forward Donatas Motiejunas (back).

"I don't think that it's going to be something that is going to restrict me from playing for the rest of the series," Howard said. "I'm just going to stay positive, stay focused, and the doctors are going to do their job to make sure that I get out on the floor."

Howard helped to spark at 27-6 run and the Rockets built a 16-point lead in Game 1. When he was out, the Warriors were the better team.

"I hope Dwight is healthy and we can stay big," Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. "I like us when we play big. We didn't have that option tonight with Dwight out."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Warriors are 5-0 vs Houston this year, with four of five wins by 11+ points; seven of last eight series games went under the total. Livingston was +16 in 29:00 off bench for Warriors- Curry hit six of 11 on arc in Game 1. Howard's knee injury may force Rockets to play smaller, which should increase tempo of game and eliminate hack-a-Dwight which mars game. Ariza had big game for Rockets in Game 1; can he keep it up? Six of last eight Rocket games went over total; seven of last eight Golden State games stayed under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by Chatsworth Consortium at Flamboro Downs

Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.


Race 10 - Post: 9:00 - 1 mile. TROT - Class Rating: 69 - Purse:$3500 - CLAIMING $6000.


CONSORTIUM CHOICES


Chatsworth Consortium

# 5 BRONTEWINE 6/1


# 6 LIME STRIKE 4/1


# 3 BRIDGE ON THE KWAI 10/1


Look no further than BRONTEWINE as the bet this time. Could be the most respectable in the field of horses here, showing respectable figures of late. Average speed is a solid 72. LIME STRIKE - Has a very strong shot in this contest, if he can repeat his back racing class. Really liked this gelding's last race. Ran a strong 66 speed rating. Major contender. BRIDGE ON THE KWAI - Sometimes you just have to go with a feeling, give the nod to this one's chances. With a 74 average class statistic, this race horse has one of the strongest class advantages in the group of animals.