Tuesday 4/26/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

Champions League TODAY 19:45

Man City

v

Real Madrid

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		2	5/2	29/20	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MAN CITY	RECENT FORM
ADHWHWAWADHW​ Most recent​	1 - 1	ALHWHWAWHWAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Real Madrid are unbeaten in their last six matches against English clubs

EXPERT VERDICT: Manchester City are in their first Champions League semi-final but they can overcome that inexperience to hold Real Madrid to a draw in the first leg. City have improved defensively in recent weeks and can stand firm against the might of Madrid's famous front three of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1


REFEREE: Cuneyt Cakir STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Champions League We 27Apr 19:45

Atl Madrid

v

B Munich

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT S		2	11/5	13/8	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ATL MADRID	RECENT FORM
ALAWHWHWAWHW​ Most recent​	Unknown	HWAWADHWHWAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Atletico have won 12 of their last 16 Champions League home fixtures

EXPERT VERDICT: Beating Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals was the perfect preparation for Atletico as Bayern play the same possession-based game as Barca but the Munich men have weaknesses in defence. Astute manager Diego Simeone can mastermind another Atleti success.

RECOMMENDATION: Atletico Madrid
1


REFEREE: Mark Clattenburg STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Europa League Th 28Apr 20:05

Villarreal

v

Liverpool

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		11/8	12/5	15/8	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT VILLARREAL	RECENT FORM
HWHWAWALALHD​ Most recent​	Unknown	ADHWHWAWHWHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Liverpool have lost one of their last seven away matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Liverpool are unbeaten in 12 Europa League matches this season and they can show their resilience by beating Villarreal at El Madrigal on Thursday. The contest should not hold any fears for Liverpool, who are going from strength to strength under Jurgen Klopp and were the better side in their 1-1 draw away to Borussia Dortmund.

RECOMMENDATION: Liverpool
2

 

[superbeets]

German Bundesliga Fr 29Apr 19:30

Augsburg

v

Cologne

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		11/10	12/5	12/5	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT AUGSBURG	RECENT FORM
ADHLALAWHWAW​ Most recent​	0 - 0 2 - 1 2 - 0	AWHLADHLAWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Cologne have lost just one of their last ten away games

EXPERT VERDICT: Three consecutive wins have vaulted Augsburg into a much safer position in the Bundesliga but they look short enough to make it four against Cologne. The Billy Goats have been solid on the road this season and look worth backing to gain at least a point.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1

 

[superbeets]

Spanish La Liga Fr 29Apr 19:30

Sp. Gijon

v

Eibar

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS3		—	—	—	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SP. GIJON	RECENT FORM
HWADHLADHWAL​ Most recent​	3 - 2 2 - 0	ADHLALHWALHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Eibar have scored in five of their last seven matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Sporting Gijon are fighting for their La Liga survival and bookmakers expect them to beat an Eibar team with nothing to play for. However, the Basque minnows still carry a goal threat and they are expected to get on the scoresheet even if Sporting eventually get the job done.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
2

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Soccer: CL Best Bets - Semifinals
By Toby Maxtone-Smith

UEFA Champions League Semifinals - First Legs

There is quite a split between the four clubs in this year’s Champions League semifinals. All four are continental powerhouses, but two are old names at Europe’s top table and two are relatively new.

Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are the biggest clubs in their respective countries. They have won this competition 15 times between them. Manchester City, meanwhile, are in their first ever Champions League semifinal. Atletico Madrid have never won the competition either, but they did come within a minute of it in the 2014 final.

Bayern Munich have a difficult-looking draw with Atletico, but their consistent form over the season sees them go into the last four as 6/4 favourites.

Real Madrid will fancy their chances against Manchester City, but regular failure against the best teams in Europe over the last decade mean they are behind Bayern at 15/8.

Atletico Madrid are an attractive-looking 7/2 - they will fancy their chances against either of the other two semi-finalists.

Manchester City, who surprised a lot of people by defeating PSG in the last round, are outsiders at 15/2.


Tuesday, Apr. 26 (FS1, 2:45 p.m. ET)

Manchester City vs. Real Madrid: Real Madrid to win at 29/20 (+145)
Manchester City were heavy outsiders to get past PSG and many people, including me, had written them off. But a 2-2 draw in Paris followed by an uncharacteristically mature 1-0 win at home (in a dreadful game, it must be said) saw them through.

But it is right that they should be outsiders, even at home. They are 2/1 to win this game and the same price to qualify for the final. Real Madrid are 29/20 to win on the night and 4/11 to make it to Milan.

It is necessary, not just to make myself feel better about an incorrect prediction, to put City’s win over PSG into proper context. They were very lucky to escape from the first leg with a 2-2 draw. They should have been at least two goals down before Kevin de Bruyne gave them the lead.

And in the second leg they were up against a PSG side short of Blaise Matuidi and Marco Verratti - two players who do so much to ensure PSG dominate games in midfield. That, added to some rather brainless tactical decisions from Laurent Blanc, all ensured that City’s opponents were nowhere near their best.

But of course Real Madrid hardly had it easy in the quarterfinals. They lost 2-0 at Wolfsburg before Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 37th Real Madrid hat-trick in the second leg to see Los Blancos through. Since then, however, they have been back on their usual form of sweeping aside Spanish teams with plenty to spare. Their most recent results in the league (all wins) go 3-1, 7-1, 2-1, 4-0, 2-1 (against Barcelona), 4-0, 5-1, 3-0, 3-2. In Cristiano Ronaldo they have a genius hitting form at the right time (playing against a City side without Vincent Kompany).

City’s price seems to have taken their win over PSG into account too much, and 29/20 on Real Madrid is more than fair.

Wednesday, Apr. 27 (FS1, 2:45 p.m. ET)

Atletico Madrid vs. Bayern Munich: Atletico Madrid to win 1-0 at 6/1

This looks like being the most interesting two-legged European tie for years. Pep Guardiola, the great attacking coach of the era, takes on Diego Simeone who, along with Jose Mourinho, stands for the other type of football - all about fight, determination and tactical intelligence. And a lot of good defending.

The prices on this game are rather similar to in the City-Real match, though fewer goals are expected and the draw is a correspondingly shorter price. Atletico are 2/1 to win on the night and 13/8 to qualify. Bayern are 13/8 to win on the night and 4/9 to qualify.

Guardiola has lost his last three Champions League semifinals, and this looks set up very nicely for Atletico at the prices. Atletico knocked out a slightly superior team in Barcelona in the last round - and they did it with relative ease. Had Fernando Torres not been sent off in the first leg, they may well not have lost 2-1. And in any case, they won 2-0 at the fortress of the Vicente Calderon stadium.

At 6/1 odds, a 1-0 outcome seems like a very short price for a correct score, but there are many reasons to be confident in backing this. They have kept seven clean sheets in eight home games in the competition this year. Even more amazingly, they have kept six consecutive clean sheets in knockout games - including against Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus and Chelsea.

Bayern’s away record in big games this year has been patchy, and Atletico have enough to get a goal or two. 1-0 looks a very tasty bet.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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

Somewhat tough to scout the week ahead because the NHL hasn't yet announced the schedule for the conference semifinal round of the playoffs. In the West, Dallas has advanced after taking out Minnesota in six games. That one was an easy call. I didn't expect to see San Jose eliminate the Los Angeles Kings, but the Sharks did so in five games. That had to be sweet redemption for San Jose after blowing a 3-0 series lead against L.A. in 2014.

The Stars are now +260 favorites to win the Western Conference and the Sharks at +300. What we don't know is the opponent for each team. Anaheim was in Nashville on Monday night looking to close that series out in six games. Anaheim would face San Jose if it wins that series. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks and Blues played a Game 7 in St. Louis.

So this story will focus on the Eastern Conference as we know the matchups there, just not when they start, as of this writing. Washington and Pittsburgh square off on one side and that's clearly the marquee matchup of the semifinal round no matter what happens in the West. Both the Capitals and Penguins are +140 to win the East and +350 favorites to win the Stanley Cup. But on the series line, Washington is the -122 favorite as it has the home-ice advantage. Believe it or not, it's only the second time superstars Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby have squared off in the postseason.

Pittsburgh certainly was the most impressive team in the first round. I picked the New York Rangers to beat the Penguins because Pittsburgh was so banged up in goal. But they got Matt Murray back for Game 3 of the series and didn't lose again. Murray, 21, spent time in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., with the team's American Hockey League affiliate earlier this season. That's also where current head coach Mike Sullivan spent the first part of the season until he replaced the fired Mike Johnston in December. I presume Murray will get the call in Game 1, which probably will be Thursday. No. 1 goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is still experiencing concussion symptoms. He did take part in an optional workout on Monday and he is able to face shots from teammates.

Washington took a little longer than expected in ousting No. 8 Philadelphia in six games -- the Capitals managed just two total goals in the final three but took Game 6 1-0 behind Braden Holtby. You aren't beating the high-flying Penguins without scoring at least three goals a game. I say this series likely starts Thursday because it can't on Friday. There's a Justin Bieber concert at Verizon Center that night. Go away Bieber!

Crosby and Ovechkin faced off in the conference semifinals in 2009. They each scored eight goals in that seven-game series, with each having a Game 2 hat trick.. Pittsburgh won in seven. The Penguins won three of five meetings in this regular season with Washington. Ovechkin didn't score a point against the Penguins, while Crosby had a goal and three assists. Fleury started three games and Murray two. Holtby played in five.

On the other side of the bracket is the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders. I thought the Bolts might lose to Detroit in Round 1 without Steven Stamkos but they prevailed in five games, not allowing the Red Wings to score more than two goals in a game. Nikita Kucherov led the Lightning with five goals and eight points. Ben Bishop had a 1.61 goals-against average and .950 save percentage. The Lightning aren't getting Stamkos back for this series. They are hoping to get top defenseman Anton Stralman at some point vs. the Islanders, however. He has missed five weeks with a broken leg. Tampa is +550 to win the East and +1200 for the Stanley Cup. It is -143 on the series line.

The Islanders have advanced in the playoffs for the first time in 23 years, and I did have the Isles beating the Florida Panthers in Round 1. New York finished it off in six games, winning the final two by identical 2-1 overtime scores. Captain John Tavares scored the tying (with 53 seconds left) and double-OT goal in the clincher. Tavares had five goals and four assists overall in the series. I still have questions on Isles goalie Thomas Greiss, but he was great in that series with a 1.79 goals-against average and .944 save percentage. Prior to this postseason, Greiss had played in one NHL playoff game, with the San Jose Sharks in 2010. New York is +850 for the East, +1600 for the Cup and +123 on the series line.

I project a Washington-Tampa Bay Eastern Conference Finals because I favor those two teams in net for their respective series.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pacers (45-37) at Raptors (56-26)

Date: April 26, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

A lineup change revitalized the Indiana Pacers and helped them tie up their first-round series with the Toronto Raptors.

The change the Raptors would like to see is for DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry to wake up from some series-long woes.

These teams were also involved in a scuffle toward the end of the last matchup, and the tension only figures to be raised Tuesday night in a pivotal Game 5 in Toronto.

Indiana moved forward Myles Turner into the lineup in place of Lavoy Allen in Saturday's 100-83 rout. The Pacers held a rebounding edge for the first time in this series at 43-40, limiting Jonas Valanciunas to six after he totaled 48 in the first three games.

"I think our just general team awareness of the ways Jonas is hurting us is why we did better in Game 4 and it's gonna be a battle the entire series," Indiana coach Frank Vogel said.

While Valanciunas was bottled up on the glass, the production by DeRozan and Lowry remained consistent for Toronto - and it's not nearly good enough. The two All-Star guards were a combined 8 of 27 from the field and 0 for 7 on 3s for a total of 20 points.

Lowry is averaging 15.5 points on 32.2 percent shooting while DeRozan is at 13.3 points and 29.6 percent in the series.

"Give Indiana credit, they've done a good job on DeMar and Kyle," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "But we haven't seen their best, they know that and it may not be by scoring points, it may be by moving the basketball, it may be by helping defensively."

The Pacers are using Paul George to defend DeRozan and George Hill to slow down Lowry. They are wary that the Raptors duo, which averaged a combined 44.7 points during the regular season, may be due to break out.

"The efficiency has not been great for those guys but we're not comfortable in any way as good as those guys are," Vogel said. "We're going to continue to fine tune what we're doing with those guys, with the plan, George and Paul are doing a good job on them, but it's more than that, it's gotta be a team effort."

Hill and Ian Mahinmi, who is listed as questionable but expected to play through a back injury, each scored 22 points Saturday in a series that is getting nastier as it is progresses.

A scuffle developed with 5:03 left after Valanciunas gave George a small shove underneath the basket. George responded with words and then DeMarre Carroll ran into the gathering crowd. All three players drew technical fouls, including George's second in two games.

Toronto's Patrick Patterson also was assessed a technical in Game 4. Game 3 featured three technicals on Indiana after the first two games in Toronto saw neither team get one.

"I'm looking at flagrant fouls, Jonas Valanciunas gets cracked across the head and again, I've got to get an understanding, and the officials didn't review it but they were hitting us going through the lane and DeMar DeRozan shoots zero free throws with the same drive," Casey said.

DeRozan has failed to reach the line twice in this series after ranking third in the league in free-throw attempts.

Casey refused to acknowledge that the Pacers lineup change with Turner was a factor. Instead, the coach claimed that Monta Ellis had a huge impact despite a second straight seven-point effort; Ellis scored 15 in each of the first two games.

"I thought the guy who had the most effect on the game and didn't score a lot of points was Monta Ellis," Casey said. "His speed of pushing the ball down the floor, getting down the floor impacted the game as much as anything else. We have to look at that."

George has been the star of the series with 26.3 points per game and 36 free-throw attempts compared to 15 for DeRozan. He totaled 61 points on 54.1 percent shooting in the first two games in Toronto before averaging 22.0 points on 34.3 percent shooting in two at home.

"Toronto's a very hostile environment, hostile crowd," George said. "Game 5 is going to be about taking their crowd out of the equation."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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

Date: April 26, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

The Boston Celtics have a different look since their last visit to Atlanta, and so does their playoff series with the Hawks.

Let down by their usually dependable defense in the past two matchups, the Hawks may have to rely on home-court advantage to regain their lost momentum when the series shifts back to Philips Arena for Tuesday night's pivotal Game 5.

Done in by poor starts and inefficient shooting in losing the first two in Atlanta, Boston has been harder to defend since Brad Stevens inserted Jonas Jerebko and Evan Turner into starting roles prior to Friday's Game 3. The Celtics have shot 44.3 percent since the switch after being held to 34.2 percent in Games 1 and 2.

Jerebko, who averaged 4.4 points and 15.1 minutes during the regular season, has emerged as the unlikely X-factor to Boston's resurgence. The stretch forward totaled 27 points and 22 rebounds in the two home wins, and his ability to create space has allowed Isaiah Thomas to be more productive in attacking the basket.

Thomas' career-high 42 points helped Boston turn the tide with a 111-103 win in Game 3, and the All-Star guard scored 18 of his 28 during the second half and overtime as the Celtics rallied for a 104-95 victory in Sunday's Game 4.

Down 62-46 early in the third quarter, Boston shot 56.4 percent the rest of the way to even the series. Jerebko contributed 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting after halftime and Marcus Smart had 13 of his 20 points following the break.

"I think one of our most redeeming qualities as a team is the guys are really â?? they're fighters," Stevens said. "They never give up. They play to the end, even in games where we didn't really have it they've done that."

Smart also neutralized Paul Millsap down the stretch, limiting the versatile forward to four points over the final 14 minutes and none in overtime after Stevens changed the defensive assignments in the fourth quarter.

Millsap amassed 26 first-half points and finished with a playoff career-high 45 along with 13 rebounds.

"They got us out of whack," Hawks guard Kyle Korver said. "They put Marcus Smart on Paul and we just tried to force it to him and at times took us out of what we had been doing. Give them credit. They played really well and made some plays down the stretch."

Stevens' next task will be improving his team's play in Atlanta, where the Celtics are 0-4 this season and have lost in six straight visits. They were a woeful 3 of 23 from the field during a seven-point first quarter in Game 2 and shot 26.9 percent to trail by 11 through one period of a 102-101 loss in Game 1.

"The most important thing for us, we got to start the games better, especially on the road," Thomas said. "If we start just halfway decent on the road we'll be alright."

Boston was able to overcome a 14-0 Hawks' run to begin the second half of Game 4.

For Mike Budenholzer, the goal will be finding consistent scoring to complement Millsap. Al Horford has 13 points over the last two games after scoring 41 in the two wins, Jeff Teague finished 4 of 18 in Game 4 and top bench options Dennis Schroder and Thabo Sefolosha were a combined 3 for 17.

"I just think we needed a little bit more with him, collectively from all of us, a little more to help Paul," Budenholzer said. "They responded to being down 2-0 and now we've got to go home and respond."

Stevens said he doesn't expect Avery Bradley to return Tuesday from his Game 1 hamstring injury.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA Odds: Tuesday, April 26 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

I'm guessing that a sportsbook or two will offer a prop on the next coach of the Los Angeles Lakers because they did a couple of years ago before the team hired Byron Scott. He was informed late Sunday night that he wouldn't be brought back. Really no reason to keep him around now that Kobe Bryant is gone -- that was basically a keep Kobe happy hiring. It's still a prime job even though the Lakers just had their two worst seasons in franchise history. But if I'm a top head coach with interest, I wait until after the draft lottery and see if the Lakers get to keep their first-round pick. If the lottery went chalk, the Lakers would pick No. 2. But if they drop to fourth or worse, it goes to Philadelphia. The Lakers probably will go first after current Warriors assistant Luke Walton, a former Lakers player. He's a disciple of Phil Jackson, who is rumored to possibly return to the team in a year when girlfriend Jeanie Buss takes over the day-to-day running of it from her brother.

Game 5: No. 7 Pacers at No. 2 Raptors (-7, 192)

All four games in this 2-2 series have been decided by double digits after Indiana's 100-83 home victory on Saturday. Congratulations if you had Pacers center Ian Mahinmi and guard George Hill combining for 44 points on excellent 18-for-25 shooting in that one because I sure didn't. They were the biggest reason for the result after neither did much in the first three games. Not sure you can count on that again if a Pacers backer -- Mahinmi's 22 points were a career high and he added 10 rebounds and five assists. Paul George added 19 points after scoring at least 25 in each of the first three games.

What's up with Toronto's All-Star backcourt of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan? The former was 4-for-12 from the field (0-for-5 from 3-point range) for just 12 points in Game 4 and the latter 4-for-15 (0-for-2 from long range) for eight points and six turnovers. DeRozan and Lowry are averaging 28.8 points combined during the postseason, compared to 44.7 during the regular season. They are shooting a combined 30.8 percent from the field, the worst field goal percentage by any starting backcourt this postseason. DeRozan hasn't gone to the charity stripe in two games this series after ranking third in the NBA in free throw attempts per game during the season. Defensively, Game 4 was only the eighth time Toronto has allowed an opponent to record 50 or more points in the paint this season. The Raptors responded by holding opponents to an average of 38.0 points in the paint in the next game.

Series line: Raptors -325, Pacers +270

Key trends: The Pacers are 2-7 against the spread in their past nine following a double-digit win. The Raptors are 5-0 ATS in their past five after a loss. The "over/under" has gone under in six straight Pacers games and five straight for Toronto.

Early lean: Raptors and under.

Game 5: No. 5 Celtics at No. 4 Hawks (-7, 199.5)

Much like the above series, this looks to me like one that will go the distance with the home team winning each game. Atlanta really should have put this away in Boston with the Celtics missing Avery Bradley. But Boston evened things up with a 104-95 overtime win on Sunday. Isaiah Thomas followed his 42-point Game 3 with 28 in Game 4. Frankly, I thought he should have been suspended for Game 4 after hitting Hawks guard Dennis Schroder in the face in Game 3. Thomas guarded Jeff Teague on the final play of regulation Sunday and prevented him from getting a shot off. Marcus Smart stepped up and scored 11 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, helping Boston force overtime. Like Bradley, Smart is a great defender and he limited the Hawks to 1-of-10 shooting overall and forced two turnovers when serving as the primary defender on a guy.

Paul Millsap was brilliant in Game 4 for Atlanta with 45 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks. It was the most points scored by a Hawk in a playoff game since Dominique Wilkins had 47 points in Game 7 at the old Boston Garden in the 1988 Eastern Conference semifinals. Millsap had just 12 combined points in Games 2-3. Smart held Millsap to two baskets in the final nine minutes of regulation and none in overtime. The Hawks, who led by 16 in the third quarter, were 0-5 in OT in the regular season and have not won an overtime game in more than two years.

Series line: Hawks -225, Celtics +195

Key trends: The Celtics are 3-10 ATS in their past 13 road games. The Hawks are 0-5 ATS in their past five after a loss. The under is 13-3 in Boston's past 16 after a win. The under is 4-1 in Atlanta's past five at home.

Early lean: Hawks and under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Yonkers: Tuesday 4/26 Analysis
By Matt Rose

DRF HARNESS

MEET STATS: 132 - 393 / $712.80

BEST BETS: 17 - 33 / $60.00

Best Bet: MADMAN HALL (9th)

Spot Play: REGULUS N (12th)


Race 1

(3) CEE PEE PANIC has hinted at decent ability since switching to the Sager barn and he returns to Sears with a good post. (5) K SLATER returns locally at a reduced level and he may be the one to beat. (1) ALL FIRED UP returns to Yonkers and fits well with these.

Race 2

(1) CRAZYCAT has behaved himself recently and has raced well, including last week's easy front end score. If he stays trotting he wins. (4) THE POWER OF MANY has shown nothing since moving to the Andrew Harris barn; maybe the change in scenery will help. (6) BUZZEN GARLAND qualified effectively.

Race 3

(2) DAVID THE SAINT seemed to regain his stride over at The Meadowlands and he returns at a reduced level. (4) MATT MAJOR was in against some tough ones last out but his prior start was good; threat. (1) BOOGIEWOOGIEBRIAN lacks the class of others but he's got some speed and the best post.

Race 4

In a tough-to-figure race with no standouts (4) PARTY ON THE RIVER may have upset potential. Trotter really had no chance from outside posts in his last two but rallied for a minor share. He may be close enough to strike from this spot. (1) COVERT OPERATIVE picks up Sears and his effort from two back is enough to win this. (7) OH MY MAGIC has tailed off recently but he does have some speed at his disposal.

Race 5

(5) MAESTRO BLUE CHIP has breezed through this series as tons the best and he'll be the odds-on favorite again to win it all. (1) LATOKA has legitimate talent and could put a scare into the favorite from this spot. (1A) A LIST LINDY is the second half of a pretty solid entry and she also draws well. (6) NEWCASTLE has been rock-solid but faces a tall order having drawn outside the top ones.

Race 6

(3) CREAMPUFF MACDADDY behaved himself in his second return start and was an easy winner; he's clearly capable of repeating. (2) LORENZO DREAM is the best here but he hasn't been finishing well, and now he's going the added distance. (4) NOBLE WARRAREE is by no means a prolific winner but he can be considered underneath.

Race 7

(1) BLOOMFIELDCANTIFLY has two seconds and a win in her last three at this level and she lands a decent spot in this competitive event. (7) KICK A LOT returns locally for sneaky-sharp connections and he beat better than these a couple of months back at this distance. (8) CALIPARI drops in class again but needs to generate some early speed from this spot; use underneath.

Race 8

(9) KLM EXPRESS doesn't win with that much frequency but the veteran is always a threat with this type and only needs a smooth trip from the second tier to have a legit chance. (1) EXPRESSIVE ACTION has been behaving himself recently; threat. (5) FOX VALLEY STEFFEN drops below the level of the claim for Allard after getting bottomed out last week.

Race 9

(5) MADMAN HALL has just missed in his last two after big tries; Schnittker trainee is ready to score. (4) SOUTHWIND HOPE held off the top choice last week and is the clear threat. (8) FYGI BROS gets a big driver change to Bartlett and can be considered at a price.

Race 10

(3) BRANDOS MUSCLE MAN flashed both good early speed and good finishing trot last out; classy veteran lands in a winning spot. (9) SUPER MANNING picks up Bartlett and he's had his moments here in the past versus better than these. (5) DETROIT RAPPER also returns locally and he's a quality trotter.

Race 11

(4) REAL FLIGHT drops in price while in sharp form and he deserves top billing despite facing a competitive field. (6) HEEZ ORL BLACK N has fallen on hard times recently but he's still probably best here; needs a wakeup call. (3) COBBLE BEACH ships in debuting for Banca; instant respect.

Race 12

(5) REGULUS N makes his fourth return start for Tritton and the price should be right considering he's outside what he has to beat; take a shot. (1) RAMPAGE JACKSON draws best and is the controlling speed. (4) LONG LIVE ROCK closed crisply in his debut for a new barn.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

SPOT PLAYS

For Tuesday


TRACK (RACE) HORSE, MORNING LINE


Finger Lakes (1st) Awesome Lute, 5-1
(8th) Kokalola, 6-1


Indiana Grand (3rd) Poblanita, 8-1
(7th) Red Hot Suzy, 6-1


Mountaineer (2nd) Is This Georgia, 3-1
(8th) Carson Pass, 9-2


Parx Racing (1st) C C Diamond Lil, 6-1
(7th) Thunder Lord, 8-1


Sunland Park (2nd) Rock Hard City, 7-2
(6th) Dom Juan, 4-1


Turf Paradise (2nd) Strictly Classy, 6-1
(8th) Copper Ore, 6-1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Phillies (9-10) at Nationals (14-4)

Game: 1
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: April 26, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

Max Scherzer is well aware that batters aren't swinging and missing against him as much this year.

That issue hasn't been a problem against the Philadelphia Phillies.

He has captured his last five decisions against the Phillies and will try to help the Nationals stretch their home win streak to nine games Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game series.

Scherzer (2-1, 4.32 ERA) gave up a season-high five runs over five innings with three strikeouts in a 99-pitch outing in Thursday's 5-1 defeat at Miami. He struck out at least six in his first three starts.

"The swing-and-misses aren't there," Scherzer said, "and I feel like that's a lack of me finishing pitches and coming up with the right sequence."

Batters are swinging and missing 23.0 percent of the time versus Scherzer. He ranked fourth in baseball at 30.9 a year ago.

Scherzer has 37 strikeouts in 37 innings versus the Phillies (9-10) since joining Washington last year, going 4-0 with a 1.46 ERA in five starts. He's 5-0 with a 1.26 ERA in his last six, including a win for Detroit in 2013.

He cruised through seven innings with seven strikeouts while allowing only a solo homer to Cameron Rupp in an 8-1 rout at Philadelphia on April 16.

Ryan Howard is 1 for 16 with 10 strikeouts against Scherzer, Freddy Galvis is 3 for 17 and Phillies top hitter Maikel Franco is 1 for 9.

Scherzer, a career .185 hitter, has even hit safely in his last three games against Philadelphia with a two-run double earlier this month.

The batter the Phillies will obviously be more concerned about is Bryce Harper, who went 7 for 11 with three homers and six RBIs to help the Nationals (14-4) take two of three April 16-18 in Philadelphia. While Harper has homered in his last six road games against the Phillies, he has failed to go deep in the last five home matchups.

Harper, who entered the week leading the majors with nine homers, is expected back in the lineup after not starting Sunday. He delivered a tying pinch-hit homer in the ninth inning in Washington's 6-5, 16-inning victory over Minnesota that was the longest regular-season game in Nationals history at 5 hours, 56 minutes.

'We've seen thousands of games. They always say, go to the ballpark and you may see something you haven't seen before,' manager Dusty Baker said. 'Well this, I certainly haven't seen anything like this. This was crazy.'

Daniel Murphy had two hits for the fourth time in five games and leads the majors with a .397 average and a .483 mark at home.

Washington can match its longest home win streak since moving into Nationals Park with a ninth straight victory there. The only longer one since the franchise moved from Montreal was a 12-game run at RFK Stadium in 2005.

The Nationals will face Vince Velasquez (2-1, 0.93) for the first time. Velasquez posted 25 strikeouts in 15 scoreless innings in his first two outings before yielding five runs - two earned - in 5 2/3 innings with four strikeouts in last Tuesday's 11-1 loss to the New York Mets.

"He just wasn't sharp," manager Pete Mackanin said. "We expect a lot out of him. It wasn't his best outing."

The right-hander has faced one Nationals hitter in Stephen Drew, who is 0 for 3.

The Phillies took two of three in Milwaukee over the weekend to start a six-game trip. Franco was 7 for 13 with three homers and eight RBIs.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: White Sox (13-6) at Blue Jays (10-10)

Game: 2
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: April 26, 2016 7:07 PM EDT

Chris Sale is tied for the major league lead in wins, but he hasn't exactly faced any high-scoring lineups.

That's about to change Tuesday night when he takes the mound for the Chicago White Sox in the second of a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

Sale (4-0, 1.80 ERA) has won his first four starts for the first time, though they came against Oakland, Cleveland, Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Angels - teams that have thus far struggled to manufacture runs.

Still, the left-hander has been dominant. In his last two outings, Sale allowed one unearned run and four hits with no walks over 16-plus innings.

His next challenge is holding down a Toronto team that's scored 25 times in splitting its last four games following Chicago's come-from-behind 7-5 victory Monday. The White Sox (14-6) scored five runs in the seventh to win their fourth straight and for the sixth time in seven contests.

"Aces have always been those guys that extend winning streaks and stop losing streaks," manager Robin Ventura said. "For Saler, he's right (there) as one of those guys. He's as good as there is in the league."

Sale is looking to win his first five decisions for the second time after going 5-0 with a 1.59 ERA in seven starts to open the 2014 season.

"I think it's important, individually and as a team, to try to get off on the right foot," Sale said after beating the Angels 2-1 on Wednesday. "To start out with some momentum, that's important."

The White Sox are leading the majors with a 1.41 ERA from their bullpen, but Sale has given the relievers plenty of rest by going at least seven innings in each start.

Sale has eaten innings in going 2-1 with a 2.35 ERA in three starts against the Blue Jays (10-11). He's lasted at least seven in each of them and went the distance in his last matchup, a 4-2 win July 6.

Josh Donaldson is 3 for 11 with two homers when facing Sale, while Edwin Encarnacion is 4 for 8. Encarnacion had three RBIs on Monday and Michael Saunders went 3 for 5 with a two-run homer.

"It was definitely a tough loss," said Troy Tulowitzki, who made the final out when he was hit by Saunders' infield hopper while going from first to second.

Toronto sends R.A. Dickey (1-2, 6.10) to the mound after he finally made it past five innings in his last outing. The right-hander gave up three runs - all in the first inning - over six at Baltimore on Wednesday as the Blue Jays lost 4-3 in 10 on a passed ball.

"He kept us in the game," said Saunders, who is 9 for 17 over his last four contests. "Obviously, it didn't finish the way we would have liked."

Dickey is 0-3 with a 7.43 ERA in his last four starts against Chicago, and there are quite a few White Sox players that have had success when facing him in their careers.

Jose Abreu is 4 for 9 with three homers, Todd Frazier 4 for 10 with two home runs, Melky Cabrera 6 for 18 with a pair of homers and Jimmy Rollins 9 for 27 with six extra-base hits.

Rollins went 3 for 5 in the series opener and Frazier's two-run double in the seventh put Chicago ahead.

"Coming up big, man," Frazier said. "That's what this team is about. We were down four runs but we weren't out and we just battled our tails off."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Reds (9-10) at Mets (10-7)

Game: 2
Venue: Citi Field
Date: April 26, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

Yoenis Cespedes is out. That hasn't slowed down the New York Mets, and Neil Walker can take part of the credit.

With Cespedes likely to miss a fourth straight game, Walker looks to continue his power surge as the Mets go for a 10th straight win over the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night.

The centerpiece of New York's lineup, Cespedes suffered a leg injury diving into the stands to catch a foul ball during a win over Miami on April 13.

There didn't seem to be an issue with Cespedes hitting .345 with four homers and 11 RBIs over the next seven games, but fluid buildup in his right knee sidelined him for the past three. He had the knee drained Monday.

"At the moment, we're looking at it on a day-by-day basis," general manager Sandy Alderson told MLB's official website. "Fortunately, we have the depth that we anticipated we would need, and so we've been able to survive his absence over the last several days. And I'm sure we'll do our best to survive over the next two or three."

While the prospects of Cespedes returning Tuesday don't look good, the Mets (11-7) are aiming to extend their season-high winning streak to five games.

Walker has been vital to New York winning eight of 10, hitting .357 with seven homers and nine RBIs after connecting for a go-ahead, two-run shot in the seventh inning of Monday's 5-3 win over Cincinnati (9-11).

His eight home runs lead the team and are two shy of his career total in April prior to this year. Walker needs one more to tie the franchise record for April shared by John Buck (2013), Carlos Delgado (2006) and Dave Kingman (1976).

'Never anything like this, home-run wise,' he said.

The Mets send Bartolo Colon (1-1, 2.89 ERA) to the mound, and his 219 wins tie him with Pedro Martinez for second among pitchers born in the Dominican Republic - 24 behind Juan Marichal.

Colon failed to surpass Martinez on Wednesday, giving up three runs in six innings of a 5-4 loss in 11 at Philadelphia.

The right-hander is 4-1 with a 3.77 ERA in five starts - all on the road - against Cincinnati, although the most recent was Sept. 5, 2014.

The Mets have won nine straight against the Reds for their longest winning streak in the all-time series, and Cincinnati has lost four of five while batting .136 with four runs in the defeats. The Reds have a .185 average with runners in scoring position during their skid against New York.

The offense may suffer again if Brandon Phillips is unavailable after he was hit on the left ring finger by a pitch and left Monday's game. X-rays were negative, and Phillips also fouled a ball off his shin earlier in the at-bat.

"Probably the most painful at-bat I ever had in my career," he said.

Brandon Finnegan (1-1, 3.74) takes the ball against the Mets for the first time, and he's trying to bounce back from his worst - and shortest - performance of the season. The left-hander was tagged for five runs and two homers while committing a throwing error in four innings opposite Jake Arrieta's no-hitter in a 16-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Thursday.

Finnegan is 1-0 with a 1.54 ERA in two starts on the road despite allowing nine walks in 11 2/3 innings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Athletics (10-9) at Tigers (8-9)

Game: 2
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: April 26, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

Mike Pelfrey's three seasons in Minnesota were painful, but they never came with the diminutive levels of run support with which he's been welcomed in Detroit. Still, he has enough of his own concerns to correct before he criticizes the offense.

The right-hander makes his fourth start Tuesday night at home against the Oakland Athletics, and the Tigers have yet to score with him on the mound.

Pelfrey (0-3, 3.68 ERA) received 11 runs Aug. 12 in a win over Texas while with the Twins but has gone 0-7 since with a 5.54 ERA and nine runs of support in 50 1/3 innings over 11 starts, including 14 2/3 without a run from the Tigers (9-9).

The latest was Thursday's 4-0 loss in Kansas City with Pelfrey giving up three earned runs and eight hits with five walks in five innings. He's walked 11 in 11 innings over the last two starts, and the control problems at least gave him something to focus on other than the nonexistent offense.

"I don't think my command has ever been this bad," Pelfrey told MLB's official website. "But it's unacceptable. I've been terrible. I feel bad for the guys behind me, having to go hit after standing out in the field for 40 minutes.

"I take the blame for this. This is my fault. It's unacceptable. I need to be a lot better. I need to figure it out pretty fast. It's embarrassing. I haven't been good enough for three starts. I've been pretty terrible. I'll figure it out."

His previous starts against Oakland (10-10) offer little inspiration. Pelfrey has lost both with 13 runs allowed in eight innings and two runs of support.

He's up against a fellow veteran who's had his own control struggles lately. Rich Hill (2-2, 3.32) has been the recipient of reasonable support but walked four while giving up one earned run and three hits in six innings of Thursday's 7-3 road win over the New York Yankees.

Hill has traded losses and wins in his first four starts and walked seven in 10 1/3 innings over his last two. What's remained consistent is his ability to make batters miss. The left-hander has 29 strikeouts in 19 innings, including two 10-strikeout games. His 13.74 per nine innings leads MLB.

"Just the fastball-breaking ball, we've been sticking with that combination and have the fastball play off the curveball and the curveball play off the fastball," Hill said. "It's imperative that you have some angle on your pitches and make sure that you can get that late velocity through the zone against them."

He's faced the Tigers out of the bullpen 11 times with a 6.10 ERA, and Miguel Cabrera is 3 for 3 with a home run and double.

The Tigers ended a four-game losing streak with a 7-3 series-opening win Monday with Ian Kinsler out of the lineup due to flu-like symptoms. They had been limited to five runs and a .144 average on the skid, but Cabrera went 4 for 4 with two home runs and four RBIs after going 2 for 25 in the previous seven games.

Oakland's streaky start to the season continued, losing its third straight after a six-game winning streak, four-game skid and three-game win steak. Jed Lowrie is batting .462 in his last seven games, but the A's have a 11.30 ERA from their starters on the most recent skid.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Orioles (11-6) at Rays (8-10)

Game: 2
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: April 26, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

Ubaldo Jimenez ended a rough second half of 2015 on a positive note and carried it over into his first start this season.

His control has gone off the rails since.

The Baltimore Orioles and their sputtering offense hope Jimenez has it together Tuesday night when he faces the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.

Jimenez finished last season with 2.37 ERA over his final three starts, then looked solid in his 2016 debut while giving up one earned run and not issuing a walk in seven innings to beat Minnesota on April 7.

The right-hander has walked four in five innings in each of his two starts since, though, and he threw 110 pitches and gave up two runs while allowing the leadoff hitter to reach every inning in Baltimore's 4-3, 10-inning victory over Toronto on Wednesday.

"(My pitches) were moving everywhere," Jimenez said. "It was moving a lot. I felt like I was close on some, but not close enough. They were moving too much."

Jimenez (1-1, 3.71 ERA) didn't face the Rays last season but has allowed one run and walked three in 13 1-3 innings while winning his last two starts against them. The Orioles (11-7) hope Jimenez can handle Tampa Bay again, especially given the fact they've scored one run while losing back-to-back games.

Pedro Alvarez, who entered Monday's series opener 4 for 37, had two of Baltimore's five hits in a 2-0 loss. Manny Machado went 0 for 3 in Sunday's loss to Kansas City to snap his season-opening 16-game hitting streak, then went 0 for 4 against the Rays.

Mark Trumbo's single in the second extended his hitting streak to 10 for the Orioles, who dropped to 4-7 since their unbeaten start. That run included roughing up Jake Odorizzi (0-1, 3.97) on April 10.

Odorizzi allowed four runs and nine hits in six innings of the 5-3 defeat, but he bounced back with seven scoreless innings to beat the Chicago White Sox on April 15. The right-hander struggled again in his last outing, though, giving up five first-inning runs before being chased after four-plus in Thursday's 12-8 loss at Boston.

Odorizzi has a 6.11 ERA in his last three starts against Baltimore and could be in for another tough day if he can't solve two nemeses. Adam Jones is hitting .400 with a homer and a double, and Machado is batting .368 with two homers in their matchups.

"They have a lot of diversity," Odorizzi told MLB's official website. "A lot of right-left combinations, veteran hitters. They do have a lot of power. They have the capability of hitting the ball out of the park any time. So you just have to work your way through the lineup. Navigate. Focus on the guy who's in the box, because there are a lot of guys in that lineup who can hurt you if you're not focused."

Tampa Bay (9-10) has won back-to-back games and didn't need much in the opener to back Chris Archer in his first win of the season. Curt Casali had an RBI double in the fifth before being hit with a pitch with the bases loaded the following inning.

Logan Morrison is hitting .080 in 16 games and Steve Pearce started in his place at first base Monday. Morrison could be back in the lineup for this one having gone 3 for 3 in his career against Jimenez.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Sox (9-9) at Braves (4-14)

Game: 2
Venue: Turner Field
Date: April 26, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

The Boston Red Sox brought in David Price to lead the top of their rotation, but he's still searching for answers four outings into an erratic start to his tenure.

Facing the Atlanta Braves has often been the cure for what ails any starter.

After what transpired in his latest uncharacteristic start, Price might settle for feeling a little less comfortable when he tries to deal the powerless Braves their seventh straight loss Tuesday night before this two-city series shifts to Fenway Park.

"That's the best I've felt," Price told the league's official website after allowing eight runs over 3 2/3 innings Thursday in a 12-8 home loss to Tampa Bay. "That's the most disappointing thing. To feel as good as I felt, I want to be able to go out there and get the results that I expect."

Price is 2-0 with a 7.06 ERA so far with the Red Sox (10-9). The highest ERA through four starts in his career isn't that unfathomable, though. The left-hander's 4.20 mark in April is easily his worst of any month.

"I think with power pitchers... (this is) still a building phase of arm strength and overall command, and we may just be seeing that," manager John Farrell said.

Price has gone 2-1 with a 1.89 ERA in three career starts versus Atlanta. He allowed one run while striking out nine over seven innings in a 9-1 road win while pitching for Toronto on Sept. 16.

That Braves team scored the fewest runs in the majors and this one is just as anemic at getting runners across the plate. Atlanta (4-15) has totaled 11 runs with just seven extra-base hits and 55 strikeouts during a losing streak that reached six as Rick Porcello threw 6 1/3 strong innings and Jackie Bradley Jr. homered in Boston's 1-0 victory Monday.

The Braves' homerless stretch reached an unthinkable 14 games, matching the longest streak in their Atlanta history.

Freddie Freeman went 2 for 3 in his first game since getting dropped from third to sixth in the order. The first baseman is hitting just .200 with one of the Braves' three homers.

'I think by putting him in that spot it was nice to just have fun, Just play baseball and don't worry about carrying the team," manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He's not a number six hitter, believe me.'

Atlanta has provided Matt Wisler with one run over his last two starts. The right-hander threw a career-high 115 pitches Thursday and didn't allow an earned run over 6 2/3 innings in a 2-1, 10-inning loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"He's been getting better and better every time out," Gonzalez said.

Wisler (0-1, 3.10 ERA) gets his first look at a Boston team that averaged 6.2 runs and batted .340 over a five-game stretch before finishing with just six hits Monday.

The Red Sox have won 11 of 14 road meetings and nine of the past 11 overall.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Brewers (8-11) at Cubs (14-5)

Game: 1
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: April 26, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

With Anthony Rizzo and Jason Heyward now heating up, the Chicago Cubs can outslug opponents as well as outpitch them.

Chicago's offensive binge bodes well for Kyle Hendricks, who hasn't received much recent support at Wrigley Field entering Tuesday night's matchup with the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Cubs come into this three-game set after scoring 38 runs in winning three of four at Cincinnati. They capped that series with 15 hits and three home runs - two from Rizzo - to back Jason Hammel's six strong innings in a 9-0 victory.

After hitting .163 through the first 14 games, Rizzo is 6 for 20 with five homers and 10 RBIs over the last five.

'I opened my stance a little bit but nothing major," he said. "You stay with the process. The formula is there. Things will take care of themselves.'

Heyward has broken out from a similarly slow start. The prized free-agent addition, who hit .170 over the first 14 games, is 10 for 20 over the past five after finishing 4 for 5 with three RBIs Sunday.

Chicago (14-5) leads the majors with 119 runs scored, and it's getting solid pitching as well during its best 19-game start since 1969. Hammel, Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester are a combined 9-1 and all sport ERAs under two, with Arrieta throwing his second career no-hitter in Friday's 16-0 rout of the Reds.

Hendricks (1-2, 4.00 ERA) wasn't at his best last time out, however, allowing four runs over 5 1/3 innings Wednesday at St. Louis to lose his second consecutive start.

The right-hander gave up two earned runs in six innings of a 6-1 defeat to Colorado on April 15 in his previous assignment, extending his winless streak at Wrigley Field to seven games including last year's playoffs. The Cubs have totaled three runs with Hendricks on the mound over the last five of those starts.

Hendricks didn't get much help in a 4-1 home loss to Milwaukee on Sept. 23, and he didn't need much in holding the Brewers to one hit in six innings of a 1-0 win at Miller Park on Oct. 3.

Hendricks, 2-1 with a 1.48 ERA in four 2015 meetings with Milwaukee (8-11), faces a lineup that's also being swinging the bats well. The Brewers are averaging 5.5 runs over their last six and homered three times to halt a three-game skid with Sunday's 8-5 win over Philadelphia.

Ryan Braun had a solo homer among his two hits and is 13 for 25 with eight RBIs over a seven-game hitting streak that's raised the 2011 NL MVP's season average to .364.

'Swing is in a good place, bat path is in a good place,' he said. 'But more than that, I'm healthy, healthiest I've been in a while. I feel good.'

Braun is 1 for 8 with four strikeouts against Hendricks. Jonathan Lucroy, batting .323 over an eight-game hitting streak, is 1 for 7.

Heyward is 3 for 5 and Rizzo 4 for 13 with a home run against Jimmy Nelson (3-1, 3.46), who's trying to win four consecutive starts for the first time in his career. He's been well supported in the last two, including Wednesday's 10-5 victory over Minnesota in which he allowed four runs in 6 2/3 innings.

Nelson has posted three quality starts but has been prone to the long ball, having surrendered six homers in 26 innings.

The right-hander is 0-3 in five career starts against Chicago, but posted a 2.61 ERA in three last season while striking out 25 in 20 2/3 innings.