Wednesday 4/22/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[Jermy]

Steve Nover

 

[superbeets]

Scottish Championship TODAY 19:45

Livingston

v

Hibernian

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
ALBA		19/4	3	4/7	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT LIVINGSTON	RECENT FORM
HLADHWHWAWHD​ Most recent​	0 - 4 1 - 2 0 - 2 4 - 1	HLALHLAWHWNL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Livingston have lost one of their last six Championship matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Hibs head to Livingston having suffered disappointment in the Scottish Cup semi-finals and while they have won five of their last six away league matches, this could prove a tough test. Livi have given themselves a chance of avoiding the drop with some fine recent resultsand can gain a share of the spoils.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1


REFEREE: Andrew Dallas STADIUM: The Energy Assets Arena

 

[superbeets]

Champions League TODAY 19:45

Monaco

v

Juventus

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS5		12/5	9/4	11/8	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MONACO	RECENT FORM
AWHDHDAWALHD​ Most recent​	3 - 2	HWHWAWALHWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Juve have lost just one of their last 14 away matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Juventus needed a penalty to seal a 1-0 first-leg win over Monaco in Turin but are well placed to clinch a place in the semi-finals for the first time since 2003. Monaco’s counter-attacking style is not suiting to chasing games and the concession of an away goal may signal the end of their Champions League quest.

RECOMMENDATION: Juventus
1


REFEREE: William Collum STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Champions League TODAY 19:45

Real Madrid

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Atl Madrid

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		10/11	13/5	7/2	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT REAL MADRID	RECENT FORM
ALHWAWHWADHW​ Most recent​	2 - 2 1 - 2 1 - 1 4 - 1	HWAWHWADHDAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Real Madrid have won 17 of their last 20 home matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Real Madrid have played Atletico seven times without success this season but can end their derby frustration with victory at the Bernabeu. Los Blancos have done the hard part – digging out a 0-0 away draw in the white-hot atmosphere at the Vicente Calderon - and can complete the job at home.

RECOMMENDATION: Real Madrid
2


REFEREE: Felix Brych STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Europa League Th 23Apr 20:05

Fiorentina

v

Dynamo Kiev

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
ITV4		3/4	14/5	17/4	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT FIORENTINA	RECENT FORM
ADHWHLALADHL​ Most recent​	0 - 0	HWAWHWHDHDAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Dynamo Kiev have lost three of their last four Europa League away matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Khouma Babacar’s last-gasp equaliser last week has changed the complexion of this tie and Fiorentina should now go on and book a spot in the semi-finals. Dynamo Kiev will have to come out at some stage and the Italians have the quality on the break to take advantage.

RECOMMENDATION: Fiorentina
2

 

[superbeets]

Europa League Th 23Apr 20:05

Dnipro

v

FC Bruges

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
ESPN		21/20	5/2	3	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT DNIPRO	RECENT FORM
AWAWHWHDADAW​ Most recent​	3 - 2	AWHWHWALHDHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Club Brugge are unbeaten in 15 Europa League matches this season

EXPERT VERDICT: It’s advantage Dnipro after a goalless first leg, but the Ukrainians have nominal home advantage with this return match being played in Kiev and another tight tussle looks likely. Club Brugge have been excellent in this season’s Europa League and should not be totally underestimated.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1

 

[superbeets]

Europa League Th 23Apr 20:05

Napoli

v

Wolfsburg

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT1		6/5	11/4	23/10	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT NAPOLI	RECENT FORM
HDALHLHWAWAW​ Most recent​	Unknown	ADHWHWAWHLHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Wolfsburg have scored in 23 of their last 25 games

EXPERT VERDICT: A brilliant first-leg performance from Napoli resulted in a stunning 4-1 success and the return should be a formality. Gung-ho Wolfsburg are blessed with outstanding talent in the forward department and will give it everything to try to retrieve the situation and another high-scoring tie looks likely.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
2

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

National League
Marlins @ Phillies
Cosart is 0-1, 4.76 in two starts this year; seven of his last ten went under.

Hamels is 0-2, 5.00 in three starts this year; under is 3-1-1 in his last five home starts, 5-3 in last eight overall.

Marlins lost five of last eight games with Philly; Miami lost its last five games; six of their last seven went over total. Phillies lost seven of last nine games; over is 5-1-1 in their last seven.

Cardinals @ Nationals
Lackey is 1-0, 2.77 in two starts this year; five of his last seven stayed under.

Fister is 6-0, 1.29 in his last seven starts, 1-0, 1.38 in two starts this year; six of his last eight stayed under the total.

Cardinals won eight of last 11 games with Washington; under is 8-1-1 in last ten series games. St Louis won five of its last six games, allowing seven runs; five of the six stayed under. Washington also won five of last six games; six of its last eight went over total.

Cubs @ Pirates
Hammel is 1-0, 4.73 in two starts this year; three of his last four went over.

Worley is 1-1, 5.40 in two starts this year; six of his last eight stayed under.

Cubs won three of last four games with Pittsburgh; over is 5-0-1 in last six series games. Pirates is 3-4 in last seven games; over is 3-0-2 in their last five. Chicago won seven of its last ten games.

Braves @ Mets
Stults is 0-1, 6.30 in two starts this year; six of his last nine went over.

Gee is 0-1, 7.59 in two starts this year; his last four starts went over.

Mets won their last nine games, scoring 42 runs in last seven (over 5-1-1); they won five of last seven games with Atlanta, last five going over. Braves are 5-2 on road; eight of their last ten overall went over the total.

Reds @ Brewers
Cueto is 0-2, 2.57 in three starts this year; under is 7-2-1 in his last ten.

Nelson is 1-1, 2.25 in two starts this year; under is 5-3 in his last eight starts.

Milwaukee lost last seven games, outscored 47-20; nine of last twelve series tilts stayed under total, with Reds winning last three. Brewers scored 10 runs last night, still lost by a TD. Five of last seven Cincinnati games stayed under the total- they scored 22 runs in first two games of this series.

Padres @ Rockies
Shields is 2-0, 3.32 in three starts this year; eight of his last nine went over.

Kendrick is 1-2, 7.56 in three starts this year; four of his last five went over.

San Diego won nine of their last 11 games overall; over is 7-2-1 in their last ten. Colorado lost its last five games, outscored 41-14. Home side won nine of last 12 Padre-Rockie games- San Diego won last three.

Dodgers @ Giants
Kershaw is 1-1, 5.89 in three starts this year; over is 6-2-1 in his last nine.

Bumgarner is 1-1, 5.29 in hree starts this year; five of his last seven went over the total.

Giants lost nine of their last 11 games; Dodgers won seven of their last eight, scoring 46 runs. LA won seven of last ten games against Giants; over is 4-1-2 in last seven series games. Six of last eight LA games went over.

American League
Orioles @ Blue Jays
Jimenez is 1-0, 0.00 in two starts (10.2 IP, one hit allowed) this season; he got tossed from last start (without warning) for drilling a Boston hitter.

Sanchez is 0-2, 6.23 in his first two MLB starts.

Baltimore lost three of last four games with Toronto, giving up 10+ runs in all three losses; over is 3-0-1 in last four series games. Blue Jays lost five of their last eight games, all at home- three of their last four went over.

Bronx @ Tigers
Warren is 0-1, 5.79 in his two starts this season.

Price is 1-0, 1.61 in three starts this year; five of his last six stayed under.

Detroit is off to an 11-3 start- they allowed total of three runs in last five wins. Bronx won four of last five games; nine of their last twelve games went over. Tigers lost six of last ten series games, with eight of last nine staying under the total.

Red Sox @ Rays
Kelly is 1-0, 2.13 in two starts this year; three of his last four road starts went over the total.

Karns is 1-1, 5.09 in three starts this year; all three went over total.

Red Sox won last three games with Tampa Bay by combined score of 23-4; they've lost three of last five games overall, with eight of last 11 going over. Rays lost five of last six games, with four of those six going over total.

Twins @ Royals
Pelfrey is 0-0, 4.50 in two starts this year; four of his last five went over.

Guthrie is 1-0, 5.54 in two starts this year; five of his last seven went under.

Kansas City won its last three games, allowing seven runs; over is 6-3-1 in their last ten games. Minnesota lost three of last four games. Over is 4-1-1 in last six Twin-Royal games; KC won seven of last ten against the Twins.

Indians @ White Sox
Kluber is 0-1, 2.49 in three starts this year; Indians scored eight runs in three games. Three of his last four starts stayed under the total.

Samardzija is 0-1, 4.29 in three starts this year; five of his last six went over.

Cleveland won eight of last 11 games against White Sox; 11 of last 12 series games stayed under total. Indians lost seven of last ten games, with six of last seven staying under. Chicago lost four of its last six games.

A's @ Angels
Gray is 1-0, 2.53 in three starts this year, all of which went over.

Weaver is 0-2, 6.61 in three starts this season.

Oakland lost eight of last ten games with Angels- five of last six went over total. LA lost seven of last 11 games, are 1-4 at home. Oakland lost four of its last six games overall.

Astros @ Mariners
Hernandez is 0-1, 6.75 in two starts; over is 6-1-1 in his last eight.

Happ is 0-1, 2.70 in two starts this year; eight of his last ten stayed under.

Houston won six of last seven games with Seattle; last five went over total. Astros won five of last six games, Seattle lost six of its last eight games; eight of their last eleven went over.

Interleague
Rangers @ Diamondbacks
Gallardo is 2-1, 3.45 in three starts this year; four of his last six stayed under.

Bradley is 1-1, 1.42 in his first two MLB starts, allowing five hits in 12.2 IP.

Texas won seven of last ten games with Arizona, taking last three by total of 23-7; Rangers lost five of last eight games overall- three of their last four went under total. Five of last seven Arizona games stayed under total.

Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Mia-Phil: Cosart 0-2; Hamels 1-2
Stl-Wsh: Lackey 1-1; Fister 1-1
Chi-Pitt: Hammel 1-1; Worley 1-1
Atl-NY: Stults 1-1; Gee 1-1
Cin-Mil: Cueto 1-2; Nelson 1-1
SD-Col: Shields 2-1; Kendrick 1-2
LA-SF: Kershaw 2-1; Bumgarner 1-2

Blt-Tor: Jimenez 1-1; Sanchez 0-2
NY-Det: Warren 1-1; Price 3-0
Bos-TB: Kelly 2-0; Karns 1-2
Min-KC: Pelfrey 1-1; Guthrie 2-0
Clev-Chi: Kluber 0-3; Samardzija 1-2
A's-LAA: Gray 1-2; Weaver 1-2
Hst-Sea: Hernandez 0-2; Happ 1-1

Tex-Az: Gallardo 2-1; Bradley 2-0

Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Mia-Phil: Cosart 0-2; Hamels 2-3
Stl-Wsh: Lackey 1-2; Fister 0-2
Chi-Pitt: Hammel 0-2; Worley 0-2
Atl-NY: Stults 0-2; Gee 1-2
Cin-Mil: Cueto 1-3; Nelson 0-2
SD-Col: Shields 0-3; Kendrick 2-3
LA-SF: Kershaw 2-3; Bumgarner 1-3

Blt-Tor: Jimenez 0-2; Sanchez 1-2
NY-Det: Warren 0-2; Price 0-3
Bos-TB: Kelly 0-2; Karns 1-3
Min-KC: Pelfrey 0-2; Guthrie 1-2
Clev-Chi: Kluber 1-3; Samardzija 0-3
A's-LAA: Gray 0-3; Weaver 0-3
Hst-Sea: Hernandez 1-2; Happ 1-2

Tex-Az: Gallardo 1-3; Bradley 1-2

Umpires
Mia-Phil-- Over is 19-6-1 in last 26 Basner games.
StL-Wsh-- Six of last nine Wolf games stayed under.
Chi-Pitt-- Over was 15-1-1 in last 17 Morales games LY.
Atl-NY-- Eight of last nine Segal games went over.
Cin-Mil-- Five of last six Barber games went over.
SD-Colo-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Joyce games.
LA-SF-- Over is 10-6 in last sixteen Fagan games.

Balt-Tor-- Favorites won eight of last ten Dimuro games.
NY-Det-- Six of last seven Davis games went over total.
Bos-TB-- Underdogs won three of last four BWelke games.
Min-KC-- Eight of last twelve Blaser games stayed under.
Cle-Chi-- Over is 6-2-1 in last nine Bellino games.
A's-LA-- Under is 9-3-1 in last thirteen Muchlinski games.
Hst-Sea-- Underdogs won four of last five LBarrett games.

Tex-Az-- Six of last eight Everitt games stayed under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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

UEFA Champions League: Quarterfinal - Second Leg preview

The biggest story to come out of the first leg of Champions League quarter-finals was FC Porto’s stunning 3-1 victory over Bayern Munich. It could have been more, in fact, had Manuel Neuer been sent off early on, which he should have been. This defeat pushed Bayern out to 4/1 to win the Champions League, though such is the confidence in the Germans that Porto are only narrow 5/6 favourites to qualify.

Otherwise, Barcelona showed why they deserve to be 11/8 favourites. Inspired by Luis Suarez, they dismantled Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 at the Parc des Princes, leaving the second leg looking like a formality. Real Madrid escaped from their frequent graveyard, the Vicente Calderon, with a 0-0 draw at Atletico, while Juventus defeated Monaco 1-0.

Let's handicap the second leg of UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.

The Banker: Under 2.5 goals in Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid at 4/5 (Wednesday, 2:45 p.m. ET)

The most interesting second leg looks set to come from the Santiago Bernabeu as Real and Atletico meet for the twelfth time in just a year and a half. Real Madrid were quite unlucky not to win their away leg. They dominated the first half but were unable to break their rivals down. Atletico then rallied after the break leaving the tie delicately poised.

The fact remains, however, that Atletico are better suited than almost anybody else to make life hard for Real. Only once in those twelve games have Atletico conceded more than twice in 90 minutes, and they have won away to Real three times in that period. Atletico will look to keep it tight early on, and the half-time 0-0 might be worth a bet, along with taking 4/5 on under 2.5 goals in the 90 minute match.

The First Goalscorer: Carlos Tevez at 4/1 for Juventus at Monaco (Wednesday, 2:45 p.m. ET)

After denying Monaco that crucial away goal in Turin, Juventus are 1/6 to make their first Champions League semi-final since 2003, when they were runners-up. The year after that, Monaco lost the final to Turin, and the side from the principality are 4/1 to overturn their first-leg deficit.

Carlos Tevez has had a superb season for Juventus, scoring 26 goals in 39 games. The former United and City striker is a real big game player, and Juventus know that an early goal would mean that Monaco would have to score three - a tough ask for a team who qualified from their group despite scoring just four goals in six games. Tevez is clearly the front-runner in the first goalscorer market, is in great form and is worth a bet at 4/1.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Tour heads to New Orleans

Tournament: Zurich Classic of New Orleans
Date: Apr. 23 - Apr. 26
Venue: TPC Louisiana
Location: Avondale, LA

The Zurich Classic kicks off this week as the PGA members head to the Gulf Coast for a tourney which has been held since 1938. There is typically a lot of scoring at this event, with the victors carding at least a score of 15-under-par since 2010.

They will be hitting this par-72, 7,425-yard course with just five of the top-25 players in the Official World Golf Rankings joining the field. One of them is Billy Horschel, who won here back in 2013 with a score of 20-under-par; marking his first career victory.

Last year, it was Noh Seung-yul who also earned his first career win here when he shot two rounds of 65 and defeated his closest competitors, Andrew Svoboda and Robert Streb, by two strokes. It is not uncommon for players to get their first win in Louisiana as seven of the last 10 victors at New Orleans were first-time winners and there has not been a multiple time winner here since Carlos Franco took home the trophy in both 1999 and 2000.

With such a weak field, there will be plenty of chances for some new names to breakthrough while players in the top-20 could dominate, so let’s take a look at a few of these golfers who could perform well this week.

Golfers to Bet

Justin Rose (8/1): Rose has been moving back up the ranks and really jumped back into the scene with his runner-up performance at the Masters. He did have a rough start to the year with three missed cuts in his first five events, but still has managed to rank in the top-50 in driving distance (296.1 yards per, 36th on tour), greens in regulation (68.9%, 38th on tour) and sand save percentage (63.6%, 13th on tour). He has also done a great job when teeing it up in New Orleans with a top-15 finish in each of the past three years; including his best showing last year when he hit 70.8% of GIR and finished in a tie for eighth. Look for Rose to be in the hunt for his seventh career PGA victory when all is said-and-done this week.

Rickie Fowler (17/1): Fowler has only one victory to his name, but he still ranks 13th in the OWGR due to his ability to stay near the top of the leaderboard each week. He has made each of his eight cuts so far on the year and has been turning it on lately with a 12th-place finish at both the WGC-Cadillac Championship and the Masters. He did miss the cut here last year, but has shown promise in the past with a 10th back in 2012 where he was able to have a Friday round of 65 and hit 76.4% of GIR with 67.9% of GIR nailed. Fowler is just itching to reach the next level of his game and it would be no surprise to see it happen at TPC Louisiana.

Morgan Hoffman (40/1): Hoffman is coming off his first career visit to Augusta where he put up a strong 28th-place performance and followed that up with a ninth at the RBC Heritage. That was his second top-10 of the season and fourth top-25 showing as he looks to become the eighth player in the past 11 installments of this event to earn his first career victory on these fairways. He’s been solid here in the past with a 34th last year and a 21st in 2013 as he comes into this week ranked 31st in driving distance (296.5 yards per) and 32nd in strokes gained putting (0.449). His all-around game should put him in line to win his first PGA event and start making more of a name for himself.

John Peterson (50/1): While Peterson’s best finish this year is 11th, he has been able to get consistent results with 13-of-14 cuts made and five top-25s. He has done so with an accurate drive (68.1%, 25th on tour) and great scrambling skills (63.8%, 28th on tour) and is on the cusp of a first PGA win. He has made the cut just once in the past three visits to New Orleans, but the one made cut was impressive as he shot 13-under-par with two 67s on the card in 2013 and finished eighth. Peterson has been playing some solid golf and that should start paying off more as he continues to make it to the weekend.

K.J. Choi (160/1): Choi is a former winner here when he shot 17-under in 2002 and defeated his closest competitor by four strokes. He is certainly not the player that he once was, but has shown flashes of his old self this year with two top-25s and 7-of-10 cuts made. He is one of the best golfers from 50-125 yards with an average distance of 15’7” (7th on tour) which should play very well on the rather short course this week. Choi may have a great chance to surprise this week as he hits a course where he has had some past success and is playing amongst plenty of less experienced golfers.

Zurich Classic Betting Odds

Dustin Johnson 15/2
Justin Rose 8/1
Jason Day 10/1
Rickie Fowler 17/1
Keegan Bradley 20/1
Harris English 23/1
Billy Horschel 30/1
Brendan Steele 35/1
Steve Stricker 35/1
Justin Thomas 40/1
Morgan Hoffmann 40/1
Sean O' Hair 40/1
Cameron Tringale 50/1
John Peterson 50/1
Nick Watney 50/1
Branden Grace 55/1
Brendon de Jonge 55/1
Daniel Berger 55/1
Jamie Donaldson 55/1
Russell Knox 60/1
Scott Piercy 60/1
Bernd Wiesberger 65/1
Charles Howell III 65/1
Kevin Kisner 80/1
Martin Laird 80/1
Troy Merritt 80/1
Kyle Reifers 90/1
John Senden 100/1
Lucas Glover 100/1
Marc Warren 100/1
Seung-Yul Noh 100/1
Jeff Overton 110/1
Marc Leishman 110/1
Robert Streb 110/1
Jason Bohn 120/1
Jonas Blixt 120/1
Kevin Chappell 120/1
Bo Van Pelt 130/1
Camilo Villegas 130/1
Freddie Jacobson 130/1
Alex Cejka 140/1
Boo Weekley 140/1
Chesson Hadley 140/1
William McGirt 140/1
Hudson Swafford 150/1
Will MacKenzie 150/1
Cameron Smith 160/1
Carlos Ortiz 160/1
George McNeill 160/1
Jerry Kelly 160/1
K.J. Choi 160/1
Luke Guthrie 160/1
Aaron Baddeley 170/1
Alex Prugh 170/1
Carl Pettersson 170/1
Chris Stroud 170/1
Danny Lee 170/1
John Huh 170/1
John Merrick 170/1
Retief Goosen 170/1
Zac Blair 170/1
Andrew Svoboda 190/1
Brice Garnett 190/1
David Hearn 190/1
Tony Finau 190/1
Ryo Ishikawa 210/1
Scott Stallings 210/1
Charlie Beljan 220/1
David Lingmerth 220/1
David Toms 220/1
Erik Compton 220/1
Michael Putnam 220/1
Michael Thompson 220/1
Robert Garrigus 220/1
Scott Brown 220/1
Brian Davis 250/1
Chad Campbell 250/1
Chad Collins 250/1
Jhonattan Vegas 250/1
Jon Curran 250/1
Ken Duke 250/1
Martin Flores 250/1
Sam Saunders 250/1
Scott Langley 250/1
Spencer Levin 250/1
Andres Gonzales 300/1
Andres Romero 300/1
Ben Crane 300/1
Blake Adams 300/1
Colt Knost 300/1
D.A. Points 300/1
J.J. Henry 300/1
Jim Herman 300/1
Mark Wilson 300/1
Nicholas Thompson 300/1
Ricky Barnes 300/1
S.J. Park 300/1
Derek Ernst 350/1
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano 350/1
Nick Taylor 350/1
Steven Bowditch 350/1
Tommy Gainey 350/1
Adam Hadwin 400/1
Andrew Loupe 400/1
Cameron Percy 400/1
Fabian Gomez 400/1
Greg Owen 400/1
Jason Gore 400/1
Max Homa 400/1
Scott Gardiner 400/1
Steve Wheatcroft 400/1
Whee Kim 400/1
Chez Reavie 450/1
Jonathan Randolph 450/1
Tyrone Van Aswegen 450/1
Derek Fathauer 550/1
Mark Hubbard 550/1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL Preview: Ducks (51-24) at Jets (43-26)

Date: April 22, 2015 9:30 PM EDT

The Winnipeg Jets were feeling optimistic as their first-round series shifted to the raucous MTS Centre, but now their confidence could be waning after another rally by the Anaheim Ducks.

The poised Ducks hope to again silence a deafening road crowd as they go after their first postseason sweep in nine years Wednesday night against the Jets, who seek the first playoff win in franchise history.

'The first one's going to be the hardest one, apparently,' Winnipeg winger Blake Wheeler said. 'You've got to make them win four games, so we're sure as hell not going to go down easy.'

The Jets' wild "whiteout" atmosphere seemed to provide a lift in Monday's Game 3 as Lee Stempniak scored the first goal and Bryan Little gave the Jets a 4-3 lead heading into the third period.

Winnipeg also had led 2-1 heading into the final 20 minutes of a 4-2 loss at Anaheim in Game 1 and 1-0 going into the third of a 2-1 defeat in Game 2. The Ducks made another comeback Monday when Ryan Kesler scored with just over two minutes to play before Rickard Rakell provided the overtime winner.

Anaheim set a single-season record with 18 wins when trailing at any point in the third period. Now it has become the first team to win three straight playoff games when trailing in the third period.

They've outscored the Jets 7-0 in the third period and overtime in this series and 14-1 in the last 20 minutes of regulation and overtime during a seven-game winning streak against them.

'We don't stop believing in that room,' Kesler said. 'It has been like that all year. To do it in the playoffs in three straight games, it's pretty special.'

After ranking among the league leaders with 13 third-period goals in the regular season, Corey Perry has scored two of his three goals in this series over the final 20 minutes.

Anaheim also has tightened up late defensively after allowing seven goals in the first two periods in the series. Frederik Andersen has gone 6-0-0 with a 2.43 goals-against average in his last six starts versus Winnipeg while allowing only one third-period score over that span.

The Ducks, who have reached the second round only twice in the past eight years, will now try for their first playoff sweep since beating Colorado in the 2006 Western Conference semifinals.

'The way we managed to come back, what three times now? It shows the character of some of the guys on our team is really strong,' Rakell said. 'We're very confident, and we never stop playing until they signal goals.'

The Jets hope to find a way to extend their first postseason series in Winnipeg since 1996 as they go after the franchise's first playoff win. They're 0-7 all-time in the postseason dating to their time as the Atlanta Thrashers.

Only four times in league history has a team come back to win when facing a 3-0 deficit, though the Los Angeles Kings did it last year against San Jose en route to winning the Stanley Cup.

'We've got a mountain to climb, and we're looking forward to the challenge,' Little said.

Andrew Ladd, who led Winnipeg with 62 points, had six goals in seven meetings with the Ducks before going without a point in each of the first three games of this series.

Ondrej Pavelec has fallen to 0-3-3 with a 3.91 GAA in his last six starts against the Ducks, who have held the lead for 11:21 in the past three games compared to the Jets' 65:53.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Four teams have come back from a three-game hole
Stephen Campbell

Fresh off a 2-1 overtime loss to Montreal in Game 3 of their first-round NHL Playoffs series on Sunday, the Ottawa Senators find themselves in a 3-0 hole heading into Game 4 that takes place on Wednesday.

Only four teams have ever come back to win when down three games to none in a series, but the good news for Sens backers is that it's happened twice recently. Last year, the eventual Stanley Cup winners L.A. Kings erased a three-game deficit en route to a first-round triumph over San Jose, while the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers accomplished the same feat in the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Bruins.

Oddsmakers currently have Ottawa priced at -110.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Canadiens without Beaulieu for remainder of series
Justin Hartling

The Montreal Canadiens announced that defenseman Nathan Beaulieu will miss the remainder of the series against the Ottawa Senators. The 22-year old d-man has averaged 12:18 minutes of play so far in the series with one assist.

Beaulieu was the least played defenseman for the Habs, but offerend valuable rest for the other five defenseman who all average 20:00-plus minutes of action.

 

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NHL

Canadiens scored 8:47 into OT to take 3-0 series edge, winning last two games in OT, after Ottawa had led all three games after the first period; six of nine Montreal goals have come in second period, as Canadiens outshot Ottawa 52-26 in 2nd period in series. Montreal won its last five games overall, allowing 13 goals; over is 5-1-3 in their last nine games. Ottawa is 3-7 on power play in series, but have only three even-strength goals. Over is 7-2-2 in last eleven series games. Canadiens are 3-2 in last five games played here. Montreal is 1-13 on power play this series.

Rangers won eight of last ten games with Pittsburgh, winning four of last five visits here. Penguins lost seven of last nine games overall, eight of their last eleven stayed under. Rangers won eight of last ten games overall, with five of last eight going over total. Last two games, there were total of only 18 shots on goal (10-8 NY) in first period. Penguins were held to 11 shots in first two periods of last game- they had 13 in third period, but too little, too late. Rangers are just 2-14 on power play in series, Pens are 2-7.

St Louis was shut out 3-0 on only 17 shots in Game 3, prompting ESPN's Barry Melrose to rip them for looking like they don't care. Blues didn't have one power play in Game 3; they're not creating any scoring chances. Curious to see how they come out here- they get home ice edge back if they can even series. Wild is 0-4 on power play last two games, after scoring half their goals (2-4) with man edge in Game 1. Minnesota lost three of its last four home games. . Blues have 109-87 faceoff advantage so far in series. Over is 3-1-1 in last five series games.

Anaheim is first team ever to win first three games of series, when they trailed all three games in third period- they won last six games with Winnipeg, scoring with 2:14 left to to force OT in Game 3. Still expect Winnipeg crowd to give home side a boost; this is first playoff series in Winnipeg since 1996. Five of last seven series games went over the total. Winnipeg is 1-10 on power play in series. Ducks won eight of their last ten games overall; they've outscored Jets 6-0 in third period.

Home teams are 18-9 in this round; over is 12-11-4.

 

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NBA post-Game 1 series takes
By Tony Mejia

All 16 NBA playoff teams are on an even playing field now. That’s not to say the Celtics are suddenly going to get a game off LeBron James’ Cavaliers, but they were never going to win that Game 1.

While you couldn’t go anywhere without hearing that Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love were finally experiencing the postseason under much maligned first-time head coach David Blatt, it went virtually unnoticed that Boston’s Brad Stevens, Sixth Man of the Year runner-up Isaiah Thomas and young guys like Marcus Smart, Kelly Olynyk and Jared Sullinger were all getting their first taste of the playoffs, too.

On the road.

That’s the game-changer, because a hostile environment fueled by fans thrilled to get free t-shirts and soak in an atmosphere that simply can’t be replicated on any other night during the season usually proves to be insurmountable. Last year was the anomaly, since five of the eight road teams won after every single one of them had lost the previous season.

This past weekend, every home team except Toronto, seven of eight, won their first-round game. Feeding off both the juice provided by sellout crowds and the familiarity of being able to get to their spots in striving to get comfortable, Game 1’s built-in advantage allowed the favorite to cover five of eight spreads.

The playoffs are what most players refer to as the “real season,” despite so many of them having little experience working when games matter most. It’s always telling to see who responds and who wilts.

Every team has their agendas early in a postseason, be it as simple as settling in and making sure everyone touches it on the first few possessions. Cleveland’s mission was far more contrived, which we’ll get into in these Game 1 observations:

No. 1 Atlanta vs. No. 8 Brooklyn

Hawks fans definitely answered the call that they would be able to supply a suitable homecourt advantage given their history of poor attendance. They’ve taken notice of this year’s team as a special one and will make it tough on road teams. Former fan favorite Joe Johnson was booed every time he touched the ball and didn’t handle it well early, contributing to Atlanta building a substantial cushion. Kyle Korver felt comfortable with the green light and took his 3-point looks fearlessly, which is also a great sign for this group. Brooklyn’s Deron Williams wasn’t sharp in Game 1 and will doom his team to a quick early exit if he doesn’t step his game up. On the heels of getting called out by Paul Pierce for shrinking from the spotlight, his poor performance was even more discouraging.

No. 2 Cleveland vs. No. 7 Boston

LeBron went out of his way to play facilitator, striving to get Irving, Love, J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Timofey Mozgov off before himself. That he led the team in assists should come as no surprise, but getting 20 points when barely trying to assert himself in that phase of the game has to give those who backed a sweep great hope. Irving’s brilliance should come as no surprise, since that kid’s nickname should be “Born Ready” instead of Lance Stephenson. Love’s struggles early were glaring, especially since Boston really overwhelmed him in the paint, but he rebounded well and made a positive contribution on that end. The Cavs then had he and Irving join James at the podium in their first three-man press conference of the season, a sign that the team is trying to prop up his confidence as the key to a run to the Finals.

No. 3 Chicago vs. No. 6 Milwaukee

Derrick Rose’s Game 1 was liberating. Both he and Jimmy Butler came in with injury-related concerns and took over the game in spite of them. The Bucks are putting a lot on Khris Middleton’s plate and will need to hit 3-pointers to hang around in the series. Unless Jason Kidd can free up Michael Carter-Williams to be more of a threat driving into the paint, the Bucks don’t figure to get much around the rim, which means this might be a far shorter series than some (me) imagined.

No. 4 Toronto vs. No. 5 Washington

Pierce isn’t like most. This Game 2 will be his 150th career playoff game, so he’s heard his share of boos. Making himself Public Enemy No. 1 in Toronto last year wound up working out for the Brooklyn Nets, so it became a priority this season. Saying the Wizards didn’t have “it,” he took all the pressure off young guards John Wall and Bradley Beal, then came through with big shot after big shot to quiet naysayers. He’s made this whole series about him. It’s on Raptors All-Star guard Kyle Lowry to change that or his team will be in a major hole.

No. 1 Golden State vs. No. 8 New Orleans

The Warriors aren’t going to be challenged here. New Orleans doesn’t have guards capable of making enough perimeter shots to hang with Golden State, at least at ORACLE Arena. Not only do elite shooters know every spot on that floor, they excel in feeding off the NBA’s top homecourt advantage, one that has produced a 40-2 mark and counting thus far this season. Anthony Davis is going to win a game by himself because he’s that blessed, but it won’t be happening in Oakland and won’t happen more than once. This series goes a maximum of five games.

No. 2 Houston vs. No. 7 Dallas

The Mavericks got stuck playing catch-up and lost a game where Dirk Nowitzki shot 10-for-14, something that isn’t likely to happen again this postseason. Amar’e Stoudemire, 2-for-12 off the bench, was outplayed by Swiss rookie Clint Capela, who helped make up for Dwight Howard playing just 17 minutes due to foul trouble. Rajon Rondo shot the ball well (7-for-16), yet was a -25 when on the court. It was a disconcerting opener for Dallas, who lost by double-digits despite James Harden shooting just 4-for-11.

No. 3 L.A. Clippers vs. No. 6 San Antonio

Tiago Splitter could only give the Spurs nine minutes, which means they’re in deep trouble if that doesn’t change. Being forced to use Boris Diaw and Aron Baynes against an athletically superior frontcourt led by Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan is something the defending champs may not be able to overcome. Chris Paul was brilliant in scoring 32 points on 13-for-20 shooting, overwhelming Tony Parker. Gregg Popovich can no longer afford to play anyone but Kawhi Leonard on him. It’s not panic time in San Antonio, even if it loses Game 2, but a lineup without Splitter won’t win four games here.

No. 4 Portland vs. No. 5 Memphis

Beno Udrih isn’t going to scorer a game-high 20 points again, but his emergence only made the result more pronounced. The Grizzlies might sweep this series if the Trail Blazers can’t establish better balance on offense, as LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard combined for 56 shots, making just 18 due to the increased attention they received. Going up against an elite defensive team like Memphis, Portland head coach Terry Stotts, a gifted offensive mind, needs to get creative. It’s not helping his cause that Arron Afflalo remains out, but he’s going to need to get more out of Nicolas Batum and young guys C.J. McCollum and Allan Crabbe. The fact Tony Allen looks spry doesn’t aid the Blazer cause.

 

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NBA Game of the Day: Wednesday's NBA playoff matchups

Brooklyn Nets at Atlanta Hawks (-9.5, 202)

Hawks lead series 1-0.

The Brooklyn Nets dropped Game 1 of their Eastern Conference playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks but have plenty of time to correct some mistakes. The Nets will try to even the series when they visit the Hawks for Game 2 on Wednesday.

The series got a long break after beginning with Atlanta’s 99-92 win on Sunday, and Brooklyn is working on small fixes. “We played hard,” Nets coach Lionel Hollins told reporters of Game 1. “I had no fault with the effort of our guys. We just have to be smarter and execute better.” Atlanta went 21-of-22 from the free-throw line in the win to help survive a subpar effort from Paul Millsap but could have a tougher challenge in Game 2. Center Al Horford is questionable for the contest after suffering a dislocated finger in the opener.

TRENDS:

* Nets are 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings in Atlanta.
* Road team is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.
* Underdog is 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings.


Portland Trail Blazers at Memphis Grizzlies (-6, 189)

Grizzlies lead series 1-0.

The Memphis Grizzlies delivered a series-opening blow and hope to return with an uppercut when they host the Portland Trail Blazers in Wednesday’s Game 2 of the first-round Western Conference series. Memphis led by as many as 29 points while cruising to a 100-84 victory in Game 1 to defeat Portland for the fifth straight time this season.

The aftermath wasn’t much better for the Trail Blazers as their locker room motivation card became public and included the phrase “We don’t lose to Spanish players,” and Grizzlies star Marc Gasol, who is from Barcelona, Spain, was miffed about the meaning. “I don’t know where it comes from and I don’t know what it means,” Gasol told reporters. “I have better things to think about than what they’re writing on the wall.” Memphis’ domination in the opener marked its third double-digit victory over Portland this season and also handed the Trail Blazers their fifth straight loss overall dating back to the regular season. “Nobody is giving us a shot,” Portland point guard Damian Lillard told reporters. “Nobody is saying, ‘Portland is going to come in here and win the series.’ If anything, they’re doubting us.”

TRENDS:

* Under is 6-2 in the last eight meetings in Memphis.
* Trail Blazers are 0-5 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Trail Blazers are 0-4 ATS in the last four meetings in Memphis.

San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Clippers (-1.5, 207.5)

Clippers lead series 1-0.

The San Antonio Spurs were thrashed by the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 1 and look to even up the Western Conference series when the teams clash in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The Clippers have won 15 of their last 16 games counting the regular season and controlled the flow in the opener.

Sixth-seeded San Antonio was outclassed by third-seed Los Angeles and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was surprised at the level in which his club was dominated. “The game was their defense was better than our offense; that’s the bottom line,” Popovich told reporters. “Their aggressiveness, their physicality, their athleticism really hurt us offensively.” Point guard Chris Paul (32 points) and power forward Blake Griffin (26) combined for 58 points in the 107-92 victory but Clippers coach Doc Rivers expects a tougher challenge from the Spurs in Game 2. “They’re still the defending champs, and they’re going to be the defending champs every night,” Rivers told reporters. “We have a lot of confidence in our team but you just have to stay humble and respect who you’re playing.”

TRENDS:

* Spurs are 1-7 ATS in their last eight Western Conference quarterfinal games.
* Clippers are 1-5 ATS in their last six home games.
* Under is 6-1 in the Clippers last seven games overall.

 

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Hawks' PF Al Horford, probable Wednesday

Horford suffered a dislocated finger during Sunday's game but will likely play in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Nets.

 

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Grizz seeking to stay perfect vs. Blazers this season
Stephen Campbell

Including Game 1 of their Western Conference Quarterfinals series, the Portland Trail Blazers have yet to beat the Memphis Grizzlies since the start of the regular season.

The Grizzlies' 100-86 triumph gave them a perfect 5-0 record against Portland this year. Memphis has came through for their backers as well, covering the spread in each of those contests.

Books are presently dealing Memphis -6 with a total of 189 for Game 2 Wednesday.

 

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Hawks' Budenholzer was 250/1 to win Coach of the Year
Stephen Campbell

Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer has been named the 2014-15 NBA Coach of the Year, the league announced Monday.

Budenholzer guided the Hawks to a 60-22 straight up record - a massive improvement over last season's 38-44 mark. The bench boss was a longshot to win the award prior the beginning of the campaign, priced at +25,000 at Sportsbook.ag in early October.

Coming in second was Golden State's rookie coach Steve Kerr with Jason Kidd of Milwaukee in third place.