2016 wnba thread news notes picks !

[CNOTES]

Preview: Wings (7-9) at Storm (6-9)
Date: June 30, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

It sure didn't take long for Seattle forward Breanna Stewart to make an impact in the WNBA.


The three-time college national player of the year at Connecticut is coming off the third-highest scoring performance by a rookie in league history as she leads the Seattle Storm into Thursday's home contest against the Dallas Wings.


Stewart scored 38 points on 12-of-16 shooting in Tuesday's 84-81 victory over the Atlanta Dream. Only Candace Parker (40 in 2008) and Odyssey Sims (39 in 2014) have tallied more as a rookie.


The point total was also the second most in Storm history behind Lauren Jackson's 47-point performance in 2007.


Stewart has topped 20 points in each of the last four games and is averaging 29.3 points during the stretch. She suddenly ranks fifth in the league in scoring (18.9) as well as second in rebounding (9.4).


"She's adapting," Storm coach Jenny Boucek said after Tuesday's victory. "We have players on this team that are willing and able to create for not only themselves, but for others as well. And that's what we want.


"Right now Stewie is getting hers, but it could be different on another night. Stewie has shown that she's willing to be a facilitator if that's what the defense is giving her. That's one of my favorite things about our team, including Stewie."


Seattle (6-9) is building with Stewart and second-year guard Jewell Loyd, who ranks ninth in the league at 16.6 points. Veteran point guard Sue Bird is averaging 13.8 points and 5.5 assists.


Dallas (7-9) has lost consecutive games and saw a 19-point halftime lead slip away during Tuesday's 89-84 road loss against the Los Angeles Sparks.


The Wings scored a season-best 53 first-half points but were dominated in the second half while being outscored 55-31.


"We have to put together a 40-minute game," Dallas guard Skylar Diggins said after the loss. "I thought we let little things add up such as outside defense. We haven't been able to do that this whole season.


"There are no excuses. We just have to look at film and make the adjustments and get ready for Seattle, who is another tough team."


Diggins scored a season-high 29 points on 12-of-17 shooting in the loss and ranks third on the team in scoring at 14.1 points per game. Sims, a guard, averages a team-best 15.7 and forward Karima Christmas is at 14.4.


Sims and forward Glory Johnson didn't start against Los Angeles due to unspecified rules violations.

 

[CNOTES]

6/29 - Yesterday's Results: 4 - 4


Overall : WLT PCT UNITS RANK


ATS Picks 37-40-3 48.05% -3500


O/U Picks 44-36-0 55.00% +2200




THURSDAY, JUNE 30


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


ATL at LA 03:30 PM

ATL +12.0


U 162.0




DAL at SEA 10:00 PM


DAL +1.0


O 172.5

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack


-- Indians won their 13th straight game last night; last time the Tribe won 13 games in a row, the Rochester Royals (now Sacramento Kings) were NBA champions.


-- Clayton Kershaw goes on the DL with a bad back. Dodgers acquired Bud Norris from Atlanta for two low-level minor league relief pitchers. Dodgers are desperate for starting pitching.


-- Marlins acquired closer Fernando Rodney from San Diego.


-- Giants didn't use a DH in Oakland last night; they let Madison Bumgarner hit.


-- Bronx pushed CC Sabathia's next start back to Monday; they don't want him to hit in San Diego this weekend and risk having him run the bases and get hurt.


-- Happy Canada Day to all of our friends north of the border.


**********


Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Looking at SEC football teams.....


Alabama-- 39-5 SU in last 44 conference games, 27-17 vs spread. +63 in turnovers last nine years, but allowed 40+ points in three of last four bowl/playoff games- they are 3-2 in last five bowl/playoff games.


Arkansas-- Won last three bowl games, all by 13+ points; are +14 in turnovers last two years, after being -28 the two years before that. Razorbacks are 18-7-1 vs spread last two years, 11-4-1 in conference play.


Auburn-- Have eight new assistant coaches this year, after going 15-11 last two years. Scored 31+ points in last four bowls, but split those games. 7-19 vs spread in last 26 games, 3-9 in last 12 tries as a home favorite.


Florida-- Went 10-4 in McIlwain's first year, after going 29-23 under Muchamp, who is now the coach at South Carolina. Gators are 6-14 as home favorites since 2012; they covered six of last eight as a road favorite. Have two transfer QBs battling for #1 job; from Oregon State, Purdue-- one is Jack Del Rio's son.


Georgia-- Why did they fire Mark Richt? Dawgs are 50-17 last five years, have a +41 turnover ratio last five years. Since '13, are 9-17 vs spread coming off a win. Special teams coach in new regime is Shane Beamer, who spent last fuve years working for his father at Virginia Tech.


Kentucky-- Last bowl was 2010, last bowl win in '08. Wildcats are 14-6 as favorites at home since '10, but are 1-9-2 in last 12 tries as a home underdog. Cats are 7-18 as a road dog since 2010-- last time they were favored on the road was five years ago.


LSU-- In 2011-12, Tigers were +36 in TOs, went 23-4. Last three years, Tigers have a +10 TO ratio, are 27-11 and Les Miles barely kept his job. Last two years, LSU QBs completed 50%/53.6% of their passes- that has to go up. Tigers are 4-11 against the spread in true road games the last four years.


Ole Miss-- Favorites covered their last five bowl games; Rebels won five of them, are 13-7-1 as home favorites under Freeze, 11-4 as underdogs. Ole Miss lost four of its top six tacklers from LY. Kelly threw for 4,042 yards, 31 TDs last year.


Mississippi State-- Six straight winning seasons, are 19-7 last two years. Mullen is 15-8-1 vs spread in SEC last three years, 6-2 as road underdog, 18-10 in last 28 games as a home favorite. Six straight winning years in Starkville is no small feat.


Missouri-- Will miss underrated coach Pinkel. Won last three bowl games, all by 10+ points, scoring 35 ppg. Tigers are +24 in turnovers last three years. Mizzou is 16-6 vs spread off a loss, but 2-6 in last eight games as a home underdog.


South Carolina-- Spurrier is tough act to follow, especially with only nine starters back. Gamecocks are 9-15 vs spread in SEC last three years- they're 1-5-1 in their last seven games as a road favorite. Won last four bowls, were underdog in last two.


Tennessee-- Vols are 3-9 vs spread in last dozen games where spread was 4 or less points-- Jones isn't a good game manager, but he can recruit- they won 45-28/45-6 in last two bowls. Hae senior QB who needs to improve on 59.3% completion % from last year-- with 22 starts under his belt, Dobbs should be better than he is. .


Texas A&M-- Were minus in turnovers six of last seven years (-33 total), are 6-12 vs spread as home favorite last three years (6-17-1 vs spread in SEC games), covered just four of last 13 as a dog. Aggies have won four of their last five bowl games.


Vanderbilt-- 7-17 since James Franklin left, with -24 turnover ratio. Commodores are 10-5 as home underdog since '11, 11-6 as road dogs since '12, 22-13 overall in last 35 games when getting points. Won three of last four bowls, with average total of 64 in last three-- their last bowl was in 2013, Franklin's final year as coach.

 

[CNOTES]

Five truly Canadian bets to make this Canada Day




This July 1, celebrate Canada Day by wagering a few Loonies and Toonies on these All-Canadian bets.


I’ve had possibly the most Canadian week ever leading into the July 1 holiday, better known as “Canada Day”.


After subduing the football shakes with a couple bets on Week 1 of the CFL season (underdogs are now a perfect 8-0 ATS the last two opening weeks), I proceeded to injure my ankle playing Ultimate Frisbee and needed a trip to the hospital - a trip that didn’t cost me jack squat since we have kick-ass health care in Canada.


Once my foot felt better, I spent an evening mowing my lawn. And, after finishing up and briefly heading inside to grab an ice-cold Moosehead, I returned to my freshly-coiffed backyard to find a big-ass wild turkey confidently strutting about like Mike Reno, the lead singer for “Loverboy”.


My first instinct, since I’m a red-blooded Canuck, was to find out if it was turkey hunting season. It is not. And my second instinct, since I’m a red-blood Canuck, was to politely ask the turkey to leave – for which I’d immediately apologize for. Sorry.


But my third instinct, and one that speaks to the sports bettor in all of us, was to get that turkey something to eat. I grabbed whatever I thought a turkey would care to snack on and threw it at the big dumb bird. If I feed this turkey all summer long and keep him coming back for more, by the time the fall rolls around (AKA turkey season), he’ll be fatter than a garbage bag full of Tim Horton’s day-olds.


You see: risk a little to get a lot. That’s a gambler’s Holy Grail.


So, after being served a big slice of Canadiana this week, it only seems fitting to return the favor to my fellow sports bettors in the Great White North, and even those of you outside our vast borders. With Canada Day kicking off the weekend Friday, here are my favorite Canadian inspired bets for July 1:


Toronto Blue Jays


When the Red Sox are winning, Boston is buzzing. When the Cubs are cruising, Chicago is jumping. But when the Blue Jays are rolling, the entire nation is losing their frickin’ minds.


Take last season’s incredible second-half run and postseason appearance by Toronto. Jose Bautista’s infamous bat flip against the Rangers actually made Canadian sports fans forget about hockey for a few minutes. If you had immediately lobbied for the silhouette of Bautista barbarically discarding his bat to replace the maple leaf in the middle of the Canadian flag, it would have passed with a unanimous vote.


This Canada Day, the Jays are home to the red-hot Cleveland Indians. Toronto will be sporting their special red attire for the nation’s birthday, giving the nod to Marcus Stroman for the matinee start. The Blue Jays, who are currently -118 favorites, have won the last three July 1 outings and have outscored opponents 23-6 in those games.

CFL


It just doesn’t feel like Canada Day without some three-down football, am I right? It's like seeing Tom Cochrane without a jean jacket on. Last year, July 1 was void of any CFL action but the schedule makers have more than made up for that with a “double double” of Canadian pigskin Friday.




The BC Lions are visiting the Hamilton Ti-Cats, moving from touchdown dogs to 5.5-point pups in the early game. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are on the road facing the Calgary Stampeders later in the day, with Calgary moving from -8.5 to -10.5 – a rare double-digit CFL favorite.


Parity is the name of the game in the Canadian Football League. Last season, there were only five double-digit spreads all year, with those big faves going 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS. The Stamps were responsible for two of those double-digit covers.


Wimbledon tennis


Both Canadian tennis stars, Milos Raonic on the men’s side and Eugenie Bouchard on the women’s, have advanced to the third round at the All England Club.


Bouchard, seeded 16th, faces 19th-seed Dominika Cibulkova next, with oddsmakers setting Genie as a +133 underdog despite defeating Cibulkova in both of their career meetings, including earlier this year at the Hobart Open. You can be sure that Covers' own Andrew “Taco” Caley will have a ticket on Bouchard, to go with his creepy shrine to Canada’s resident tennis goddess.


Raonic, who has yet to drop a set at Wimbledon, takes on American Jack Sock in the third round. Books have the Thornhill, Ontario native priced at -720 to advance. If swallowing that amount of juice feels like chugging a warm can of Labatt Maximum Ice (or even an ice-cold Maximum Ice... yuck), then perhaps you can cool down the vig by taking Milos at -103 to win in three straight sets.

MLS soccer


Is the quality of the Euro Cup just too good for you to wager on? Do you need a watered-down version of the beautiful game in which you know none of the players, nor did you realize half of the teams in the league even existed? Major League Soccer is begging you to bet on it. No, really. It is. On both knees.


There are three Canadian clubs in the MLS: Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. And according to our standings, none of them are really great – and none of them actually play on the Canada Day holiday.


However, Montreal hosts New England Saturday, as a +117 favorite in the three-way betting, and Toronto takes on visiting Seattle as a -139 three-way fave to win. Say what you want about the quality of the play, but I’ve heard it’s quite the party in the stands for a MLS game. Throw a long-weekend rager in the middle of those wagers, and I’m sold!


NHL futures


Hockey fans from East to West were extremely pissed off Wednesday when two massive trades by Canadian NHL clubs left puck faithful scratching their heads in Montreal and Edmonton. You would have thought they were outlawing the use of Muskoka chairs at the end of lake-view docks with the way Canadians (and Canadiens) were losing their shit.


Montreal dealt face of the franchise P.K. Subban to Nashville for fellow blueliner Shea Weber, while Edmonton packed up leading scorer Taylor Hall and sent him to New Jersey for defenseman Adam Larsson.


I have friends in both camps and let me tell you, Facebook was not a pretty place once those guys vented their frustrations. If anything fellas, you can get the Habs and Oilers at juicy odds to win the Stanley Cup next year with Montreal going off at +2,500 and Edmonton at +5,500.

 

[CNOTES]

WNBA


Friday, July 1


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


7:00 PM
SAN ANTONIO vs. INDIANA
San Antonio is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
San Antonio is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 16 of Indiana's last 22 games at home
Indiana is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing San Antonio


8:30 PM
WASHINGTON vs. CHICAGO
Washington is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games
Chicago is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Washington
Chicago is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington


10:00 PM
NEW YORK vs. PHOENIX
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New York's last 6 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
New York is 2-3-2 ATS in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Phoenix's last 13 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 6 games at home


-------------------


WNBA
Dunkel


Friday, July 1




San Antonio @ Indiana


Game 651-652
July 1, 2016 @ 7:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
San Antonio
102.246
Indiana
114.260
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Indiana
by 12
151
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Indiana
by 8
156
Dunkel Pick:
Indiana
(-8); Under


Washington @ Chicago


Game 653-654
July 1, 2016 @ 8:30 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Washington
109.699
Chicago
115.149
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago
by 5 1/2
169
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago
by 3 1/2
165
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago
(-3 1/2); Over


New York @ Phoenix


Game 655-656
July 1, 2016 @ 10:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
New York
113.870
Phoenix
112.239
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New York
by 1 1/2
172
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Phoenix
by 4
166
Dunkel Pick:
New York
(+4); Over








WNBA
Long Sheet


Friday, July 1


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


SAN ANTONIO (3 - 12) at INDIANA (7 - 9) - 7/1/2016, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 37-22 ATS (+12.8 Units) after a division game over the last 3 seasons.
INDIANA is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) off an upset win as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in road games against Eastern conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) after allowing 75 points or more this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 3-2 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 3-2 straight up against SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


WASHINGTON (9 - 8) at CHICAGO (6 - 9) - 7/1/2016, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 288-341 ATS (-87.1 Units) in all games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 180-223 ATS (-65.3 Units) vs. division opponents since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) as a road underdog of 3.5 to 6 points over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 11-21 ATS (-12.1 Units) after allowing 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 13-24 ATS (-13.4 Units) after scoring 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 5-5 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 8-3 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
7 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


NEW YORK (11 - 5) at PHOENIX (7 - 9) - 7/1/2016, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 33-21 ATS (+9.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 20-5 ATS (+14.5 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in road games in May, June, or July games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 77-50 ATS (+22.0 Units) in road games against Western conference opponents since 1997.
NEW YORK is 77-50 ATS (+22.0 Units) in road games in non-conference games since 1997.
NEW YORK is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in road games after allowing 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 15-4 ATS (+10.6 Units) in road games after scoring 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 20-32 ATS (-15.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 12-24 ATS (-14.4 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 3-2 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 3-2 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Stars (3-12) at Fever (7-9)
Date: July 01, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Indiana Fever forward Tamika Catchings, in the midst of her 16th and final WNBA season, still has plenty left in the tank.


Catchings is coming off a 26-point, five-rebound, four-assist effort in a 95-83 win at the Chicago Sky on Wednesday afternoon, a performance that also served as a tribute to her college coach, Tennessee's Pat Summitt.


Catchings, whose entire pro career has been with Indiana, has scored at least 23 points in four of the past seven games. She is averaging a team-best 13.8 points per game as the Fever (7-9) play host to San Antonio (3-12) on Friday night.


Her performance against the Sky came one day after Summitt died. Catchings pointed a finger toward the sky after she scored Wednesday.


"I'm very happy," she said on WNBA.com. "Really, my motivation was two-fold. First, just for Pat, I wanted to play well for her. Second, I wanted to do well, playing back here in Chicago for the last time."


San Antonio has been struggling, especially on offense and on the road.


The Stars average a league-low 73.7 points per game and is also last in shooting percentage (40.5).


They opened a three-game road trip Wednesday afternoon with an 84-67 loss at Washington, dropping to 0-7 away from home. San Antonio trailed by as many as 30 points in the second half.


Guard Kayla McBride is the Stars' go-to scorer. She averages 17.8 points per game, ranking seventh in the WNBA. She doesn't have a lot of help, though, as forward Dearica Hamby is the only other double-digit scorer at 10.4 points per game.


Rookie guard Moriah Jefferson has been a bright spot, averaging 9.5 points and 4.3 assists.


Indiana has scored more than 90 points in two consecutive games, having made 51 of 55 free throw attempts in that span. Guard Erica Wheeler, having moved into the starting lineup in the past games, has reached double-digit points in the past three outings.


This will be the second of three meetings this season between the Fever and Stars. Indiana won 84-75 in San Antonio on June 17, as Catchings had 23 points, five steals and two blocks.


WNBA HEAD TO HEAD


Jun 17, 2016 Score ATS Results
IND « 84 Cover: 4
SA 75 Over: 159
Tools: Recaps


Jul 21, 2015 Score ATS Results
IND 62 Under: 142
SA « 80 Cover: 20.5
Tools: Recaps


Jul 10, 2015 Score ATS Results
SA 76 Cover: 0.5
IND « 83 Over: 159
Tools: Recaps

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Mystics (9-8) at Sky (6-9)
Date: July 01, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

The Washington Mystics are seeking their third consecutive victory as they embark on a five-game road trip that begins against the Chicago Sky on Friday at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill.


Washington (9-8) upset the Minnesota Lynx 87-63 on Sunday before beating the San Antonio Stars 84-67 on Wednesday. The victory over San Antonio moved the Mystics above .500 for the first time this season. They are third in the WNBA's Eastern Conference behind the New York Liberty and the Atlanta Dream.


In the win over San Antonio, the Mystics mounted an early 18-0 run to build a commanding 27-7 first-quarter lead.


"I think we're focused on coming out of the games with really high energy," said Natasha Cloud, who had 11 points against the Stars. "Pushing the ball in transition is what we're doing best right now."


Chicago (6-8) has lost two in a row and five of six, falling to fifth in the Eastern Conference. The Sky suffered an 80-79 loss to the Liberty on June 24 and dropped a 95-83 decision to the Indiana Fever on Wednesday.


Chicago beat Washington twice before its recent skid began. The Sky handed the Mystics back-to-back losses, beating them 86-78 on June 1 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., and 98-72 on June 3 at Allstate Arena.


Elena Delle Donne had 18 points and nine rebounds while Cappie Pondexter added 16 points for Chicago in the first game. In the second game, Delle Donne had 18 points, six rebounds and six assists, leading six players who scored in double figures for the Sky. Pondexter and Allie Quigley scored 16 points apiece.


Delle Donne is fourth in the WNBA in scoring at 19.8 points per game. Teammates Jamierra Faulkner and Courtney Vandersloot rank second and third in assists, averaging 4.9 and 4.8, respectively.


Washington's Emma Meesseman leads the league in 3-point shooting at 56 percent.




WNBA HEAD TO HEAD


Jun 3, 2016 Score ATS Results
WAS 72 Over: 170
CHI « 98 Cover: 15.5
Tools: Recaps


Jun 1, 2016 Score ATS Results
CHI « 86 Cover: 4
WAS 78 Over: 164
Tools: Recaps


Aug 23, 2015 Score ATS Results
CHI « 66 Cover: 4.5
WAS 64 Under: 130
Tools: Recaps


Aug 21, 2015 Score ATS Results
WAS 85 Cover: 3.5
CHI « 87 Over: 172
Tools: Recaps


Aug 2, 2015 Score ATS Results
WAS 68 Cover: 2.5
CHI « 71 Under: 139
Tools: Recaps


Jul 15, 2015 Score ATS Results
WAS 57 Under: 142
CHI « 85 Cover: 22.5
Tools: Recaps


Jun 28, 2015 Score ATS Results
CHI 71 Over: 157
WAS « 86 Cover: 14
Tools: Recaps

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Liberty (11-5) at Mercury (7-9)
Date: July 01, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

The Phoenix Mercury will try to win its fourth consecutive game when they entertain the New York Liberty on Friday at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Ariz.


Phoenix (7-9) has won three in a row to move into a tie with Dallas for third place in the WNBA's Western Conference. In the past week, the Mercury has posted wins over Washington, New York and Connecticut.


Sonja Petrovic had a career-high 22 points in an 86-75 victory over Connecticut on Wednesday. Brittney Griner had 19 points, eight rebounds and five blocked shots. DeWanna Bonner added 18 points for Phoenix, which shot 50.8 percent from the field while holding the Sun to 38.2-percent shooting.


Candice Dupree had 26 points and seven rebounds while Diana Taurasi added 24 points in the Mercury's 104-97 overtime victory over New York on Sunday at Madison Square Garden. Tina Charles led the Liberty with 26 points and eight rebounds. Sugar Rodgers had 24 points.


Beating New York for the second time in six days would be an impressive feat for Phoenix. The Liberty has won seven of its last eight games and is coming off a 95-92 overtime victory against a Minnesota squad that won its first 13 games to set a WNBA record for consecutive victories to start a season. It was New York's fourth overtime game in its last five outings.


Rodgers scored a career-high 30 points in the win over Minnesota. Amanda Zahui B. made her first career start, posting 17 points and nine rebounds in place of Charles, who underwent a procedure Tuesday to repair a broken nose.


Charles sustained the broken nose in a June 22 game against Atlanta. She played two games before sitting out against Minnesota, posting 21 points with 13 rebounds against Chicago and 26 points with 15 rebounds against Indiana. The team has not indicated when Charles will return. She leads the WNBA with 22.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.




WNBA HEAD TO HEAD


Jun 26, 2016 Score ATS Results
PHO « 104 Cover: 9.5
NEW 97 Over: 201
Tools: Recaps


Jul 18, 2015 Score ATS Results
NEW « 75 Cover: 9
PHO 73 Under: 148
Tools: Recaps


Jun 11, 2015 Score ATS Results
PHO 57 Under: 125
NEW « 68 Cover: 12.5
Tools: Recaps

 

[CNOTES]

Standings

EASTERN CONFERENCE


Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Conf. Last 10 Streak


New York Liberty 11 5 0.688 0 4-4 7-1 6-1 8-2 W-1


Washington Mystics 9 8 0.529 2 4-6 5-2 5-3 7-3 W-2


Atlanta Dream 8 8 0.500 3 4-3 4-5 6-4 3-7 L-5


Indiana Fever 7 9 0.438 4 3-4 4-5 3-5 4-6 W-2


Chicago Sky 6 9 0.400 4 3-3 3-6 4-4 5-5 L-2


Connecticut Sun 3 13 0.188 8 2-6 1-7 0-7 2-8 L-3





WESTERN CONFERENCE


Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Conf. Last 10 Streak


Los Angeles Sparks 15 1 0.938 0 8-1 7-0 7-1 9-1 W-4


Minnesota Lynx 13 3 0.813 2 5-2 8-1 7-1 7-3 L-3


Dallas Wings 8 9 0.471 7 4-5 4-4 6-3 5-5 W-1


Phoenix Mercury 7 9 0.438 8 5-3 2-6 1-8 5-5 W-3


Seattle Storm 6 10 0.375 9 4-5 2-5 2-6 4-6 L-1


San Antonio Stars 3 12 0.200 11 3-5 0-7 1-5 2-8 L-1



Updated Fri Jul 1 11:07 AM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

6/30 - Yesterday's Results: 3 - 1


July's Record: 0- 0


Overall: WLT PCT UNITS RANK


ATS Picks 39-40-3 49.37% -2500


O/U Picks 45-37-0 54.88% +2150

 

[CNOTES]

6/30 - Yesterday's Results: 3 - 1


Overall: WLT PCT UNITS RANK


ATS Picks 39-40-3 49.37% -2500


O/U Picks 45-37-0 54.88% +2150




FRIDAY, JULY 1


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


SA at IND 07:00 PM

IND -9.0


U 154.5




WAS at CHI 08:30 PM


WAS +4.0


O 167.0




NY at PHO 10:00 PM


NY +3.5


U 166.0

 

[CNOTES]

WNBA Capsules
July 2, 2016


ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) Elena Delle Donne had 28 points and 11 rebounds, Courtney Vandersloot hit a game-winner with 4.6 seconds left in overtime and the Chicago Sky rallied to beat the Washington Mystics 86-84 on Friday night.


Delle Donne made a steal and went coast-to-coast to tie it at 84-all with 48.5 seconds left. After a Washington miss, Vandersloot dribbled down the clock and sank a pull-up jumper. Washington had a good look before the buzzer, but Stefanie Dolson's shot was blocked Erika de Souza.


Vandersloot finished with 14 points and five assists for Chicago (7-9), which is ranked No. 8 in the AP power poll. Delle Donne was 13 of 27 from the field for her fifth straight 20-plus scoring game. She also recorded her first double-double of the season.


Vandersloot drove the lane and fed it to Delle Donne for an open jumper to tie it at 77-all with 36.1 seconds left in regulation. Tayler Hill's runner in the lane was blocked by Imani Boyette and Delle Donne secured the rebound. Vandersloot found Boyette in the lane but her shot didn't fall and Washington didn't get off a shot before overtime.


Hill scored a career-high 25 points for fourth-ranked Washington (9-9).


STARS 87, FEVER 85, OT


INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Moriah Jefferson had a game-winning putback just before the overtime buzzer as part of her career-high 31 points to help the Stars beat the Fever.


Monique Currie made San Antonio's second 3-pointer of the game with 1:08 left in overtime to give the Stars an 83-81 lead - their first since 33-32. Indiana's Tamika Catchings tied it at 85-all with 3.3 seconds left on a jumper in the lane. San Antonio (4-12) took a timeout to advance it and Kayla McBride missed a baseline jumper but Jefferson was there for the rebound and basket.


Erlana Larkins had 16 points and a season-high 17 rebounds for ninth-ranked Indiana (7-10).


LIBERTY 99, MERCURY 88


PHOENIX (AP) - Tina Charles had 31 points and 10 rebounds, Sugar Rodgers added 22 points and the Liberty beat the short-handed Mercury.


New York went ahead 64-41 after a six-point possession in which Phoenix stars Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi were ejected.


Taurasi was called for a technical foul with 7:41 left in the third quarter after picking up an offensive foul. On New York's next possession, Sonja Petrovic was whistled for a questionable foul and then Griner picked up her fourth contesting Charles' jumper.


Griner had words with an official and was ejected. Taurasi was also sent off and coach Sandy Brondello got a technical. Rodgers made four straight free throws and Charles added two.


Phoenix rallied to pull to 85-78 with 3:27 left after Isabelle Harrison scored six straight Mercury points during a 9-2 run. But Rodgers made a 3-pointer and Charles had a putback to extend New York's lead to 90-78.


Shavonte Zellous and Tanisha Wright added 16 points apiece for New York (12-5), which is No. 3 in the AP power poll. The Liberty are 8-1 on the road this season.


DeWanna Bonner made four 3-pointers and scored 22 points for seventh-ranked Phoenix (7-10).

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Saturday's six-pack


-- Dodgers are 14-2 in Clayton Kershaw's starts, 31-35 in all other games.


-- Joc Pederson is the 19th Dodger to go on the disabled list this season.


-- Bartolo Colon has batted 265 times in his career but has never walked, the most at-bats by any player ever without a walk.


-- Atlanta Braves have 41 HRs; no one else in NL has less than 66.


-- Cleveland's Carlos Carrasco is 15-7, 2.20 in his last 25 road starts.


-- Indians won in 19 innings Friday; Toronto used two position players as pitchers.


**********

Armadillo: Saturday's List of 13: Random stuff on a summer day......


This is July 4 weekend, an American holiday; here are two examples of why this is a really great country:
13) Timofey Mosgov, who started 208 games in six NBA seasons, gets $65M from the Lakers for four years. Mosgov has a career scoring average of 6.9 ppg in his 369 NBA games. He will be 30 years old in two weeks. Now he is really, really rich, and he is not close to being really, really good.


12) Every July 1, from 2010-2035, Bobby Bonilla gets a check for $1,193,248.20 from the New York Mets, who dumped him before the 2000 season, instead of paying him $5.9M. So the Mets, whose owner is the head of MLB's Finance Committee, will pay Bonilla $29,831,205, instead of paying him $5.9M sixteen years ago. Geniuses.


Send your kid outside now, with a basketball or a bat. If he is going to be 7-feet tall, the basketball is probably a wiser choice. You never know what could happen.


11) Nationals' TV announcer FP Santangelo was explaining other night how moving from shortstop to centerfield isn't all that hard, much easier than moving to a corner outfield spot, where the fly balls slice or hook a lot more. Trea Turner, the Nationals' top prospect, is learning to play center in the minor leagues.


10) Dodgers' pitcher Kenta Maeda has an incentive-laden contract; he just bagged a $250K bonus for getting to the 90-inning mark. When he gets to the 100-inning mark, he cashes in on another $250K. Maeda has a balky elbow, which is why the Dodgers made his contract so heavily weighted with bonuses.


9) Saw something I never saw before: Thursday night, Braves led Miami 8-4 with two out in the ninth inning. Ump calls a close pitch a ball and the catcher (Tyler Flowers) explodes, yelling at the umpire and he gets tossed. With two outs in the last inning.


Field mikes pick up Flowers clearly yelling, "You're bleeping terrible!!!!" at umpire Larry Vanover before he goes to the dugout. Treemendous entertainment, then the TV guys apologize for airing the foul language. Hell, that was the best part.


8) I don't give a rat's ass about the Olympics. Not one bit; I guess I'll watch some of the basketball if I think games will be competitive, but otherwise, no thanks. Lot of the golfers are deciding not to go-- Jason Day is the latest to bail on his Olympic invite.


7) Phillies have a young OF prospect named Nick Williams who is rumored to be called up to the majors fairly soon. Read a lot of good things about Williams, so I made a trade for him and he is on my fantasy team, in a keeper league.


One small problem; Williams has been benched twice in the last couple of weeks for not hustling all the time, which will obviously delay his promotion to Philly. Ticklish situation; the guy is probably pouting because he wants to get called up, which delays the one thing he wants most. Phillies need more offense-- call the kid up!!!! If he does not hustle in front of the Philly fans, they'll let him know about it.


6) Congrats to Coastal Carolina on winning the College World Series; they're the first team since 1956 to win the CWS in their first appearance there.


5) So I'm watching Oceans Eleven the other night, had never seen it before. Excellent cast: Brad Pitt, Andy Garcia, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, One scene, they're in a casino and just sitting at a video poker machine in a tuxedo is Clooney's character, waiting for the action to happen.


I go to Las Vegas several times a year, play my share of video poker and other games. I've met lot of interesting people, but never saw George Clooney playing video poker.


4) Terrance Ferguson is headed to Australia to play pro basketball for a year, three months after his high school graduation, then he'll enter the 2017 NBA Draft. Will not be easy being halfway around the world at age 18, playing pro ball against adults, but at least the language won't be a problem. .


3) ESPN had a very nice sendoff for Mike Tirico Thursday, which was his last day working for the network after 25 years. Big loss for ESPN letting him walk.


2) Want to feel old(er)? Mike Tyson turned 50 this week.


1) Roger Goodell made $32M last year, $1M per team. Pretty good job he has.

 

[CNOTES]

WNBA
Dunkel

Saturday, July 2


Connecticut @ Dallas

Game 603-604
July 2, 2016 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Connecticut
102.771
Dallas
110.398
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Dallas
by 7 1/2
178
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Dallas
by 10
173 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Connecticut
(+10); Over

San Antonio @ Minnesota

Game 601-602
July 2, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Antonio
104.065
Minnesota
117.464
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 12 1/2
150
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
by 16 1/2
155
Dunkel Pick:
San Antonio
(+16 1/2); Under




WNBA
Long Sheet

Saturday, July 2

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SAN ANTONIO (4 - 12) at MINNESOTA (13 - 3) - 7/2/2016, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in road games after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) after allowing 75 points or more this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 6-4 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 10-1 straight up against SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
8 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONNECTICUT (3 - 13) at DALLAS (8 - 9) - 7/2/2016, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CONNECTICUT is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) against Western conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 2-2 against the spread versus CONNECTICUT over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 2-2 straight up against CONNECTICUT over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




WNBA

Saturday, July 2

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8:00 PM
SAN ANTONIO vs. MINNESOTA
San Antonio is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Antonio's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Minnesota's last 12 games when playing San Antonio
Minnesota is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Antonio

8:30 PM
CONNECTICUT vs. DALLAS
Connecticut is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Connecticut's last 6 games when playing Dallas
Dallas is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing Connecticut
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games when playing Connecticut

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Stars (4-12) at Lynx (13-3)
Date: July 02, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Minnesota Lynx try to end a three-game skid when they host the San Antonio Stars on Saturday night at the Target Center in Minneapolis.


Minnesota (13-3) won 13 in a row to break its own WNBA record for consecutive victories to start a season. The defending WNBA champions then fell to the Los Angeles Sparks, the Washington Mystics and the New York Liberty. The losses dropped the Lynx to second place in the Western Conference, two games behind Los Angeles.


"We've won 13 games, played at a really high level, (and) it's a very natural thing that the slippage happens," Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. "I don't necessarily sense it. I didn't feel like, 'Come on, guys, we are winning games but we have to fix this.' I think a little bit of it is not overreacting to it. We're not made of steel. ... We're human. ... I think the important thing is to make sure that you don't make excuses, you don't settle, and you know what you have to do to get back on track."


The Lynx are coming off a 95-92 overtime loss to the Liberty. Maya Moore scored 24 points for Minnesota, but it wasn't enough to overcome a 30-point performance by New York's Sugar Rodgers.


San Antonio (4-12) has lost five of its last seven games, but is coming off an 87-85 overtime victory over the Indiana Fever. Moriah Jefferson scored 31 points on 13-of-18 shooting and won the game with putback at the buzzer. Kayla McBride added 17 points despite making just 6 of 21 field-goal attempts.


Moore is fifth in the WNBA in scoring at 18.8 points per game. Teammate Sylvia Fowles is fourth in field-goal percentage at 58.8 percent.


Jefferson is fifth in 3-point shooting at 44.4 percent.


This is the first time Minnesota and San Antonio have met this season. They meet again July 12 and Sept. 11.



WNBA HEAD TO HEAD


Aug 21, 2015 Score ATS Results
MIN « 78 Cover: 9
SA 61 Under: 139
Tools:


Aug 11, 2015 Score ATS Results
SA 76 Cover: 6.5
MIN « 83 Over: 159
Tools: Recaps


Jul 12, 2015 Score ATS Results
SA 49 Under: 115
MIN « 66 Cover: 1.5
Tools: Recaps


Jun 19, 2015 Score ATS Results
MIN « 74 Cover: 7.5
SA 59 Under: 133
Tools: Recaps

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Sun (3-13) at Wings (8-9)
Date: July 02, 2016

The Connecticut Sun will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak when they visit the Dallas Wings on Saturday at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.


Dallas (8-9) is third in the WNBA's Western Conference, 7 1/2 games behind first-place Los Angeles. The Wings had won four in a row before suffering back-to-back losses to the Indiana Fever and the Los Angeles Sparks.


The Wings are coming off an 83-78 victory over the Seattle Storm. Rookie Aerial Powers came off the bench to score a team-high 19 points for Dallas, the fourth time this season she has led the team in scoring. She made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 54 seconds remaining. Courtney Paris recorded a double-double, finishing with 12 points and 12 rebounds.


Connecticut (3-13) is last in the Eastern Conference. The Sun has lost three in a row and six of its last seven.


The Sun, which is wrapping up a four-game road trip, is coming off an 86-75 loss to the Phoenix Mercury. Alex Bentley led the team with 20 points and six assists. Alyssa Thomas had 18 points and eight rebounds. Jonquel Jones came off the bench to post 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting.


This the first time Connecticut and Dallas have met this season. They will play again July 20 and Sept. 16.


Odyssey Sims leads Dallas and ranks 13th in the WNBA in scoring at 15.2 points per game. Sims shot 47.2 percent from the field during her team's four-game winning streak from June 16-23, well above her season shooting percentage of 38.3 percent.


Paris is third in the league in rebounding, averaging 8.8 rebounds per game. Erin Phillips is third in free-throw shooting at 92.9 percent.


Bentley leads Connecticut in scoring at 13.8 points per game. Jasmine Thomas is fifth in the WNBA in assists, averaging 4.6 per game. Alyssa Thomas is fifth in steals, averaging 1.6.

 

[CNOTES]

7/1 - Yesterday's Results: 3 - 3


July Results: 3 - 3


Overall :WLT PCT UNITS RANK


ATS Picks 41-41-3 50.00% -2050


O/U Picks 46-39-0 54.12% +1550




SATURDAY, JULY 2


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


SA at MIN 08:00 PM


SA +16.0


U 155.5




CONN at DAL 08:30 PM


CONN +10.0


U 173.5

 

[CNOTES]

Standings

EASTERN CONFERENCE


Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Conf. Last 10 Streak


New York Liberty 12 5 0.706 0 4-4 8-1 6-1 8-2 W-2


Washington Mystics 9 9 0.500 3 4-6 5-3 5-4 7-3 L-1


Atlanta Dream 8 8 0.500 3 4-3 4-5 6-4 3-7 L-5


Chicago Sky 7 9 0.438 4 4-3 3-6 5-4 5-5 W-1


Indiana Fever 7 10 0.412 5 3-5 4-5 3-5 4-6 L-1


Connecticut Sun 3 13 0.188 8 2-6 1-7 0-7 2-8 L-3



WESTERN CONFERENCE


Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Conf. Last 10 Streak


Los Angeles Sparks 15 1 0.938 0 8-1 7-0 7-1 9-1 W-4


Minnesota Lynx 13 3 0.813 2 5-2 8-1 7-1 7-3 L-3


Dallas Wings 8 9 0.471 7 4-5 4-4 6-3 5-5 W-1


Phoenix Mercury 7 10 0.412 8 5-4 2-6 1-8 5-5 L-1


Seattle Storm 6 10 0.375 9 4-5 2-5 2-6 4-6 L-1


San Antonio Stars 4 12 0.250 11 3-5 1-7 1-5 3-7 W-1



Updated Sat Jul 2 11:07 AM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

WNBA Capsules
July 2, 2016


MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Natasha Howard scored 21 points and the Minnesota Lynx ended a three-game skid with a 91-68 win over the San Antonio Stars on Saturday night.


The Lynx (14-3) led the entire way with Maya Moore and Jia Perkins adding 14 points each. Moore avoided the first four-game losing streak of her career.


Lindsay Whalen scored 12 and Rebekkah Brunson had eight points and 12 rebounds. Minnesota opened the season with 13 straight wins - a WNBA record for best start - but fell to No. 2 in the AP WNBA poll after losing two last week and dropped another on Wednesday night in overtime to New York.


The 11th-ranked Stars (4-13) got no closer after the break than the 19-point halftime deficit and the Lynx had their largest margin at 75-43 with 8:51 left in the game.


Kayla Alexander had 11 points and Moriah Jefferson 10 for San Antonio, which won its first road game on Friday night in Indiana.


SUN 86, WINGS 83


ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Alex Bentley scored 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting and the Sun snapped a three-game losing streak, beating the Wings.


Alyssa Thomas gave the Sun (4-13) an 85-80 lead on a baseline drive with 22 seconds left. Skylar Diggins drew a foul on her 3-point attempt less than two seconds later and made all three free throws to pull Dallas (8-10) within two.


Bentley then missed one of her two free throws which gave Dallas an opportunity to tie on the final possession. But Diggins missed a pair of 3-point attempts.


Thomas added 17 points and Camille Little scored 14 for Connecticut, the No. 11 team in the AP WNBA power poll. The Sun took the lead for good during a 10-0 run capped at 76-69 on Chiney Ogwumike's layup with 5:18 left.


Johnson had 16 points and rookie Aerial Powers added 15 to lead six in double figures for the sixth-ranked Wings.

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack


Friday was a great day to be an NBA player (or their agent):


-- Timofey Mosgov getting $65M for four years is nonsense; guy played 76:00 total in 21 playoff games for Cleveland this spring.


-- Brooklyn giving Jeremy Lin $36M for three years makes some sense.


-- Joakim Noah is a good fit for the triangle offense; Derrick Rose is not.


-- Pelicans gave Solomon Hill $12M a year; guy started three games for Indiana last season. He played a lot for the Pacers the year before, but $12M a year?


-- Milwaukee gave Matthew Dellavedova $38.5M for four years.


-- Memphis made Mike Conley the highest-paid player in NBA history. Problem is, he's never even made one All-Star Game.


**********


Armadillo: Sunday's List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here......


13) I'm a big fan of the instant replay system in baseball, think it has made the game a lot better, but the Angels-Red Sox game Friday night was instant replay at its worst.


Angels are down 5-4 in ninth inning; Mike Trout is tying run on first with two out. . Daniel Nava hits a ball down the rightfield line at Fenway- it bounces, hits the top of the short wall, keeps going until a fan reaches out and grabs the ball. Call on the field is a ground rule double, but even the Red Sox TV guys said Trout should score.


Angels challenge the play but replay says Trout should stay at third. Who is making this call? Maybe they should show which umpires are deciding what in the replay center in Manhattan, because whoever made that decision screwed the Angels bigtime.


12) In 2013-14, NBA salary cap was $58.68M; it went up to $63.07, then $70M his past year, $94M next year and $107M in 2017-18, so the NBA is very healthy.


This year's salary floor is $85M; teams have to spend that much on salary, which is part of why guys who aren't stars are raking in silly money.


11) I remember seeing OJ Mayo play in an AAU tournament in Florida in 2006; he played on D-I Greyhounds, who also had Bill Walker- they played the 10pm game in The Milkhouse most nights-- they were the best team, and they knew it.


Ten years later, Mayo has banked $46M in salary but is now suspended by the NBA for two years- he'll be turning 31 next time he is eligible to be an NBA player, just as salaries are really taking off bigtime now. It can be difficult to handle prosperity.


10) New Orleans Saints wanted to make a waiver claim on QB Connor Shaw this week, but instead of e-mailing the NFL, they mistakenly sent their plan to every other team in the league and the Chicago Bears picked Shaw up instead.


9) White Sox got shut out Friday nite, but their TV guys praised home plate ump Jordan Baker, a young umpire who is 6-foot-8. When Hawk Harrelson praises an umpire after a White Sox loss, you know the ump did a really good job.


8) Somehow Tom Brady was involved in the Celtics' pitch to lure Kevin Durant to Boston as a free agent. Durant grew up in Maryland but isn't a Ravens' fan?


7) Captain Obvious checks in with this: In movies and on TV shows, the good guys are much better shooters than the bad guys. Bad guys should practice more- never see a criminal at a gun range practicing.


6) Arizona Cardinals are 20-6-1 vs spread under Bruce Arians in games where the spread was 4 or less points, by far best in NFL.


Indianapolis Colts are 23-13-1 under Chuck Pagano in games with a spread of 4 or less points, but if you remember, Pagano was ill during his first year as coach- the interim coach? Bruce Arians. Indy was 6-2-1 vs spread that season in low-spread games.


5) There is a tournament at World Series of Poker this weekend-- it costs $50,000 to enter, five times what the Main Event costs. Daniel Negreanu says that for most of the top players, the Players tourney is most fun/prestigious event of the WSOP.


4) Seven of the top nine international baseball prospects that were eligible for the draft this weekend were listed as shortstops, including all of the top five.


3) As I type this, Ryan Anderson just got $80M for four years from Houston; he scored 15.4 ppg the last two years in 29 mpg, despite starting only 12 of 127 games. He is a career 37.7% shooter outside the arc. Shooting is marketable.


Al Horford gets $113M for four years from the Celtics.


2) Blue Jays 9, Indians 6-- Congrats to Cleveland on a 14-game winning streak.


1) Pinnacle Sports posted odds on the Nathan's hot dog eating contest that is held every July 4 on Coney Island in Brooklyn.:


Over 65.5 hot dogs eaten by winner: -$145. Under 65.5: +119