Friday 4/28/17 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Friday, April 28

Nashville is 5-0 in playoffs this month, with three road wins- they allowed six goals in the five games. Predators blocked 18 shots in Game 1, Blues only four. Home side won seven of last ten Nashville-St Louis games; Predators lost four of last six games in this arena. Under is 6-3-2 in last 11 series games. Nashville won four of last five road games. Under is 3-2-3 in last eight Predator games. Blues won seven of their last nine games but is 2-3 in last five home tilts. Five of their last seven games stayed under the total. St Louis is 2-5 in last seven series in this round. Nashville has never advanced past this round, in three tries.

Oilers scored four third period goals to break 1-1 tie and win Game 1 5-3- they were 2-5 on power play, Ducks 1-3. Anaheim lost four of last five games with Edmonton; Oilers lost three of last five games in the Pond. Under is 4-2-2 in last eight series games. Edmonton won eight of its last 10 games overall, five of last six on road. Over is 4-2-1 in their last seven road games. Ducks won eight of their last nine games overall. Oilers are in playoffs for first time since losing Cup Final in 2006; Anaheim lost three of last four times they were in this round; Ducks are in playoffs for 10th time in last 12 years overall.

Second round NHL series
NY Rangers (-$150) vs Ottawa (+$130)
Ottawa 2-1

Pittsburgh (+$110) vs Washington (-$130)
Pittsburgh 3-2

St Louis (+$110) vs Nashville (-$130)
Nashville 4-3

Anaheim (-$135) vs Edmonton (+$115)
Edmonton 5-3

Home: 1-3 (21-25)
Over: 2-1-1 (15-22-9)

NHL First round series:
East
Washington-Toronto
Wash 3-2 OT
Tor 4-3 2OT
Tor 4-3 OT
Wash 5-4
Wash 2-1 OT
Wash 2-1 OT
Capitals win series, 4-2

Pittsburgh-Columbus
Pitt 3-1
Pitt 4-1
Pitt 5-4 OT
CBJ 5-4
Pitt 5-2
Penguins win series, 4-1

Montreal-NY Rangers
NYR 2-0
Mtl 4-3 OT
Mtl 3-1
NYR 2-1
NYR 3-2 OT
NYR 3-1
Rangers win series 4-2

Ottawa-Boston
Bos 2-1
Ott 4-3 OT
Ott 4-3 OT
Ott 1-0
Bos 3-2 OT
Ott 2-1 OT
Senators win series, 4-2

West
Chicago-Nashville
Nash 1-0
Nash 5-0
Nash 3-2 OT
Nash 4-1
Predators win series, 4-0

Minnesota-St Louis
StL 2-1 ot
StL 2-1
StL 3-1
Minn 2-0
StL 4-2 OT
Blues win series, 4-1

Anaheim-Calgary
Ana, 3-2
Ana 3-2
Ana 5-4 OT
Ana 3-1
Ducks win series, 4-0

Edmonton-San Jose
SJ 3-2 ot
Edmonton 2-0
Edmonton 1-0
SJ 7-0
Edmonton 4-3 OT
Edmonton 3-1
Oilers win series, 4-2

Home teams: 20-22
Over: 13-21-8

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Friday, April 28

Trend Report

8:00 PM
NASHVILLE vs. ST. LOUIS
Nashville is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
Nashville is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
St. Louis is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Nashville
St. Louis is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Nashville

10:30 PM
EDMONTON vs. ANAHEIM
Edmonton is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Anaheim
Edmonton is 7-17 SU in its last 24 games when playing Anaheim
Anaheim is 17-7 SU in its last 24 games when playing Edmonton
Anaheim is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Edmonton

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Friday, April 28

Friday's NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Betting Preview and Odds

The Edmonton Oilers attempt to seize a 2-0 advantage in their Western Conference second-round series on Friday when the teams reconvene at Honda Center.

Nashville Predators at St. Louis Blues (-120, 5)

Predators lead series 1-0

ABOUT THE PREDATORS (46-29-8-4, 42-36 O/U): The only team that has yet to lose in the Stanley Cup Playoffs looks to keep their perfect run intact when the surprising Nashville Predators visit the St. Louis Blues on Friday night in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals. No. 8 seed Nashville improved to 5-0 in the postseason with a 4-3 victory in Game 1 that was marred by a costly injury. Trading captain Shea Weber in the offense was a shocking move, even if the blockbuster deal yielded another star defenseman in P.K. Subban, who put on a show in Game 1 by scoring once and setting up a pair of goals -- all coming via booming slap slots. Subban tied his career high and became the first Nashville defenseman to register three points in a playoff game while boosting his career postseason totals to 43 points in 60 games. "We can sugarcoat it, but that's why they pay me, you know?" Subban told reporters after the game. "It's to come up big in these games and perform."

ABOUT THE BLUES (50-31-5-2, 36-39 O/U): Although St. Louis dispatched Minnesota in five games in the opening round, it continues to struggle with its special teams, converting on 1-of-16 chances with the man advantage in the playoffs while surrendering two power-play goals for the second straight contest. "Penalties killed us," Blues forward Ryan Reaves said after Thursday's practice session. "We've obviously got to eliminate penalties. Playoff hockey, teams are going to make you pay." Forward Jaden Schwartz, who scored six playoff goals over 38 contests in the past four seasons, collected his third in six games.

LINE HISTORY: Game 2 of this Western Conference Semifinal series opened with the Blues pegged as -120 favorites after dropping the opener Wednesday night. The total opened at 5.

INJURY REPORT:

Predators - RW C. Smith (Questionable, lower body), C C. Jarnkrok (Questionable, undisclosed), LW K. Fiala (Out For Season, leg).

Blues - C R. Fabbri (Out For Season, knee).

TRENDS:

* Predators are 5-0 in their last 5 overall.
* Blues are 4-0 in their last 4 games playing on 1 days rest.
* Over is 5-0-3 in Predators last 8 Conference Semifinals games.
* Over is 4-0-3 in Blues last 7 Conference Semifinals games.
* Home team is 11-4 in the last 15 meetings.



Edmonton Oilers at Anaheim Ducks (-140, 5)

Oilers lead series 1-0

ABOUT THE OILERS (52-27-5-5, 35-45 O/U): A now-healthy Leon Draisaitl continues to make opponents feel sick, and the Anaheim Ducks routinely have found themselves under the weather when he's on the ice. After ending Anaheim's point streak at 18 contests (15-0-3), Draisaitl and the Edmonton Oilers attempt to seize a 2-0 advantage in their Western Conference second-round series on Friday when the teams reconvene at Honda Center. "I think people make too big a deal of it," Draisaitl said of his dominance of the Ducks, as the 21-year-old German recorded one goal and three assists in Wednesday's series-opening 5-3 win to increase his point total to 12 (seven goals, five assists) in six encounters with Anaheim in 2016-17. Stay-at-home defenseman Adam Larsson matched his point total from his previous 23 games by scoring two goals and setting up another on Wednesday. "He's definitely not Bobby Orr but (Wednesday) he sure looked good on that last one, skating," Oilers coach and Jack Adams finalist Todd McLellan said of Larsson's game-winning goal in which he banked a shot from behind the goal line off Ducks defenseman Josh Manson and into the net. Countryman Oscar Klefbom, who has 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in his last 11 contests, extended his point streak to three games after notching an assist in back-to-back outings.

ABOUT THE DUCKS (50-24-10-3, 30-37 O/U): Anaheim captain Ryan Getzlaf is enjoying a healthy run in his own right, scoring and setting up a goal in Game 1 to give him 34 points (eight goals, 26 assists) in his last 23 overall contests while increasing his total to nine (two goals, seven assists) in six encounters with Edmonton. After dealing with the respective injuries to All-Star Cam Fowler and Sami Vatanen, Anaheim has another on its hands in its back end as coach Randy Carlyle deemed defenseman Kevin Bieksa (club-best four assists) to be "doubtful" for Game 2 because of a lower-body injury. Bieksa initially sustained the injury while colliding with a teammate in the first period on Wednesday before officially exiting the contest in the second. Vatanen has missed two games with an upper-body injury, with Carlyle telling the Orange County Register that the playoff situation "has not allotted us enough time for him to be 100 percent."

LINE HISTORY: The Ducks opened at -130 for Game 2 and have been bumped up to -140. The total opened at 5 and will likely remain on that number

INJURY REPORT:

Oilers - D A. Ference (Out For Season, hip), RW T. Pitlick (Out For Season, knee).

Ducks - D S. Vatanen (Questionable, shoulder), D K. Bieksa (Doubtful, lower body), D S. Despres (Out Indefinitely, concussion), D C. Stoner (Out Indefinitely, abdominal).

TRENDS:

* Oilers are 5-0 in their last 5 Conference Semifinals games.
* Ducks are 11-1 in their last 12 after allowing 5 goals or more in their previous game.
* Under is 12-3-2 in Oilers last 17 Friday games.
* Over is 2-0-2 in Ducks last 4 home games.
* Oilers are 9-27 in the last 36 meetings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Art Aronson
Apr 28 '17, 10:35 PM
NBA | Clippers vs Jazz
Play on: Jazz -5½ -115 at betonline

1* Bonus Play Utah Jazz.

The Clippers lost Blake Griffin to injury and predictably, LA has struggled. With a chance to deliver the knock out blow, it’s hard to imagine the league’s No. 1 defense falling apart tonight. The trends support the Jazz as well, as note that the Clippers are a poor 8-9 ATS this year off an upset loss as a favorite, while Utah is 4-2 ATS this season off an upset win as an underdog. Chris Paul is an amazing player, but without Griffin, all signs point another early exit for the Clippers this year. Consider laying the points on UTAH tonight.

AAA Sports

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Chase Diamond
Apr 28 '17, 8:05 PM
NBA | Celtics vs Bulls
Play on: Bulls +2½ -108 at 5Dimes

Normally I would never give this strong of a play out for free but NBA has not been my strongest sport but the playoffs is when I shine. I have reached out to both of my Vegas contacts both say Bulls large tonight. Bulls won the first two in this series but when Rondo went down this series was over. I think the Bulls show up in front of their home crowd and throw everything they have at Boston. This game has trap written all over it as masses are betting the road Celtics at this point 84% are betting the Celtics but not me I'll follow my sharp contacts and bet the Bulls for a 15* winner.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

DAVE COKIN

NASHVILLE AT ST LOUIS
PLAY: NASHVILLE +105

Nashville has a leg up in this series after winning the opener by a 4-3 margin. The Blues fought back to tie the game after trailing 3-1, but the Predators got the fairly late game winner and now lead the series 1-0.

If you watched that game, chances are you’ve arrived at the same conclusion I have. Simply stated, the Predators have too much team speed for the Blues, particularly in transition. Nashville really dominated the first two periods the other night, and had they not lightened up on the pedal to the metal mode of play in the third period, I have my doubts that the Blues would have been able to catch up.

Prior to the start of this series I stated that I thought Nashville had legitimately been the better team in the series with Chicago. At the same time, I expressed the opinion that goalie Jake Allen was the only reason the Blues got past Minnesota.

The bad news for the Blues is that Allen might have cooled off a bit to start this series. He had his share of great saves in the opener, but Allen also let a couple get by that he probably should have stopped. I think Allen will have to turn into Mr. Zero again this evening, or the Blues are in trouble.

Nashville is now 5-0 in the playoffs and that team speed advantage that was on display in this series opener should play a role gain tonight. I’ll side with the red hot Predators to maintain their sizzling streak with another win tonight.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Rob Vinciletti

Washington vs. Atlanta
Play: Washington +3

The Wizards are up 3-2 in the series and teams up 3-2 in game 6 have won outright 7 of the 10 times in round 1 if the home team has won the previous 5 games. The Hawks have failed to cover 7 of 9 at home off a road spread win. Look for the Wizards to get the cover.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Big Al

Clippers vs, Jazz
Play: Clippers

Utah upset Los Angeles in Game 5 to take a 3-2 series lead. But teams off an upset loss in Game 5 are an awesome 60% ATS the past 27 years in Game 6.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Bird Dog Sport Picks

MLB LA ANGELS ‑110

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Team Underground

NBA LA CLIPPERS +6

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Tommy King Wins

MLB NY YANKEES ‑115

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA
Dunkel

Friday, April 28


Washington @ Atlanta

Game 511-512
April 28, 2017 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
120.919
Atlanta
119.147
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 2
206
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta
by 3
210
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(+3); Under

Boston @ Chicago

Game 509-510
April 28, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
127.458
Chicago
118.388
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 9
195
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
by 2
204 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(-2); Under

LA Clippers @ Utah

Game 507-508
April 28, 2017 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Clippers
125.818
Utah
128.939
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Utah
by 3
201
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Utah
by 6
192 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Clippers
(+6); Over

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA
Long Sheet

Friday, April 28

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

LA CLIPPERS (53 - 34) at UTAH (54 - 33) - 4/28/2017, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 208-263 ATS (-81.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 190-235 ATS (-68.5 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=98 points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
UTAH is 9-7 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 11-5 straight up against UTAH over the last 3 seasons
8 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

BOSTON (56 - 31) at CHICAGO (43 - 44) - 4/28/2017, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 2-15 ATS (-14.5 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.
CHICAGO is 22-10 ATS (+11.0 Units) in home games after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 25-16 ATS (+7.4 Units) in road games this season.
CHICAGO is 8-20 ATS (-14.0 Units) on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 9-7 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 8-8 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

WASHINGTON (52 - 35) at ATLANTA (45 - 42) - 4/28/2017, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 146-189 ATS (-61.9 Units) on Friday nights since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 178-220 ATS (-64.0 Units) vs. division opponents since 1996.
ATLANTA is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) after a division game this season.
ATLANTA is 81-58 ATS (+17.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 22-32 ATS (-13.2 Units) as a favorite this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 13-9 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 12-11 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
13 of 23 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA
Short Sheet

Friday, April 28

Western Conference – Round 1 – Best of 7 – Game 6 – UTH Leads 3-2

LA Clippers at Utah, 10:35 PM ET
Los Angeles: LA CLIPPERS are 11-3 UNDER when playing with 2 days rest
Utah: 2-12 ATS in home games after covering 4 of their last 5 against the spread

Eastern Conference – Round 1 – Best of 7 – Game 6 – BOS Leads 3-2

Boston at Chicago, 8:05 PM ET
Boston: 17-8 ATS when the line is +3 to -3
Chicago: 23-12 UNDER (+9.8 Units) as a favorite

Western Conference – Round 1 – Best of 7 – Game 6 – WAS Leads 3-2

Washington at Atlanta, 7:35 PM ET
Washington: 43-24 UNDER in road games off a win against a division rival
Atlanta: 9-0 ATS after 2 consecutive division games

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Friday, April 28

Trend Report

7:30 PM
WASHINGTON vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Washington's last 15 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Washington is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Atlanta is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Atlanta's last 15 games when playing at home against Washington

8:00 PM
BOSTON vs. CHICAGO
Boston is 4-12 SU in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Boston's last 9 games when playing Chicago
Chicago is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Boston
Chicago is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

10:30 PM
LA CLIPPERS vs. UTAH
LA Clippers are 10-2 SU in their last 12 games when playing on the road against Utah
LA Clippers are 6-15-2 ATS in their last 23 games when playing on the road against Utah
Utah is 15-6-2 ATS in their last 23 games when playing at home against LA Clippers
Utah is 5-20 SU in their last 25 games when playing LA Clippers

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Friday, April 28

Celtics won last three series games, by 17-9-11 points, with Rondo out with broken thumb- he is not expected back here; their series wins stayed under total, their losses went over. Under is 6-3 in last nine series games overall. Bulls shot 50% from floor in Game 3 loss but were -10 (16-6) in turnovers. Chicago is 20-71 on arc in its last three games. Boston won Games 3-4 here, by 17-9 points; Bulls’ last four home games stayed under the total. Celtics were 9-40 on arc in last game, but 23-23 on foul line, most FT’s they’ve taken in game in this series.

Home side won nine of last ten Wizard-Hawk games, including all five in this series (favorites 4-1 vs spread); Wizards lost Games 3-4 here by 2-10 points. Three of last four series games stayed under total- under is 5-2-1 in last eight series games overall. Hawks’ bench was 8-24 from floor in Game 5 loss; Atlanta won its last five home games, scoring 115.8 pts/game. In its three series losses, Hawks were -7/-7/-5 in turnovers; they were +4/+2 in two wins. Dwight Howard played 28:00 in Game 5, took three shots from floor (1-4 FT’s); how is that possible?

Gobert played 36:00 in Game 5, scoring 11 points, grabbing 11 boards; his +6 was second-best for Jazz in huge road win. Utah bench outscored Clippers’ subs 36-16 in Game 5 upset at Staples. Jazz bench has 102-53 scoring edge in last two tilts. Clippers scored 99-111 points in two series wins- they scored less than 99 in all three losses, Road team is 3-2 SU in this series; under is 3-2 in series. Clippers won three of last five games in SLC (over 4-1). LA bench was just 5-22 from floor in Game 5; they’ll need more from Crawford here.

First round playoff series:
Boston-Chicago
Chi 106-102, +7, O207
Chi 111-97, +7.5, O206.5
Bos 104-87, -2.5, U206
Bos 104-95, -1.5, U204
Bos 108-97, –7.5, U205.5

Cleveland-Indiana
Clev 109-108, -9, O208.5
Clev 117-111, -9, O210
Clev 119-114, –1.5, O210
Clev 106-102, -4, U214
Cavaliers win series, 4-0

Toronto-Milwaukee
Mil 97-83, +7.5, U197.5
Tor 106-100, -8, O195
Mil 104-77, –2, U197
Tor 87-76, +2.5, U194
Tor 118-93, -6, O193
Tor 92-89, +1.5, U196.5
Raptors win series, 4-2

Washington-Atlanta
Wash 114-107, -5.5, O209.5
Wash 109-101, -6.5, U211.5
All 110-108, -2.5, O211
Atl 111-101, -2.5 U212.5
Wash 103-99, -6.5, U212

Golden State-Portland
GState 121-109, -15.5, O220
GState 110-81, –12, U219
GState 119-113, -5, O217.5
GState 128-103, -9, O222.5
Warriors win series, 4-0

San Antonio-Memphis
SA 111-82, -9.5, O190.5
SA 96-82, -10.5, U189
Mem 105-94, +3.5, O188
Mem 110-108, +5.5, O187
SA 116-103, -10.5, O188.5
SA 103-96, -5.5, O190.5
Spurs win series, 4-2

Houston-Oklahoma City
Hst 118-87 -7.5, U227.5
Hst 115-111, -7.5, O225.5
OC 115-113, -2.5, O224
Hst 113-109, +1, U223.5
Hst 105-99, -7.5, U223.5
Rockets win series, 4-1

LA Clippers-Utah
Utah 97-95, +6, U198.5
LAC 99-91, -9, U200
LAC 111-106, -1.5, O197.5
Utah 105-98, -5, O196
Utah 96-92, +3, U195.5

Favorites: 18-21-1 vs spread
Over: 21-19

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Cappers Access

Hawks -3
Bulls +2
Tigers -141

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

HORSE RACING SPOT PICKS

For Friday

TRACK (RACE) HORSE, MORNING LINE

Belmont Park (6th) Shimmering Moon, 8-1
(7th) Thundering Sky, 5-1

Belterra Park (1st) Umami, 7-2
(4th) Scotch is My Candy, 5-1

Charles Town (7th) Ice Blue Vision, 8-1
(8th) Windsor Calling, 4-1

Emerald Downs (2nd) Daves Birthday Boy, 3-1
(5th) Defend Liberty, 10-1

Evangeline Downs (1st) Bogue Bear, 3-1
(6th) Under and Over, 10-1

Golden Gate Fields (2nd) Image of Strength, 7-2
(8th) Donji, 3-1

Gulfstream Park (1st) Bluegrass Luck, 9-2
(3rd) Tale of Preseli, 4-1

Hawthorne (1st) Princess Izabella, 4-1
(2nd) Limestone, 4-1

Indiana Grand (2nd) Discreetly Firm, 7-2
(6th) Springboard, 7-2

Keeneland (6th) Lifelong Dreamer, 3-1
(10th) Silver Defense, 3-1

Laurel Park (5th) Apollo Eleven, 6-1
(3rd) Photo Gallery, 9-2

Lone Star Park (1st) Unbroken Song, 5-1
(5th) Singing Aces, 3-1

Penn National (4th) Main Line Philly, 7-2
(8th) Gold Man, 3-1

Prairie Meadows (6th) Maize Road, 5-1
(7th) Elizabeth Rules, 5-1

Santa Anita (7th) Tiz Adore, 3-1
(9th) Marq One, 6-1

Tampa Bay Downs (1st) Renee’s Cat, 4-1
(9th) Zortec, 3-1

Woodbine (3rd) Misty Spirit, 7-2
(9th) Dupes, 3-1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Stephen Nover
Apr 28 '17, 8:15 PM
MLB | Twins vs Royals
Play on: Royals -124 at BMaker

How much do I want to fade Kyle Gibson? Enough to lay a price with the Royals, who are coming an 0-7 road trip and are the lowest-scoring team in the majors. Gibson is in the argument for worst starting pitcher in the majors. He was brutal last season going 6-11 with a 5.07 ERA and he has the second-highest ERA (9.00) of starting pitchers who have thrown at least 17 innings this year. The 0-3 Gibson couldn't reach the fourth inning against the Tigers in his last start this past Sunday giving up seven runs before departing. He's surrendered 17 runs in 17 innings. The Twins have been patient with Gibson because he was their first-round picks in 2009. They had high hopes for him. But he is who he is. He's 32-41 lifetime with a 4.72 ERA and getting worse not better as the league is familiar with him. Gibson is a sinkerball pitcher. But he hasn't been getting ground ball outs the past two seasons. His fly ball rate of 30.2 percent this season would be a career-high. Opponents are batting an insane .467 with an on-base plus slugging percentage of 1.343 when facing Gibson the second time through the order. Gibson's stuff is totally ineffective. Going against Gibson is the biggest reason why I'm involved in this game. There are other factors, though. The Royals are a good home team. That's held up this season where they have a winning record. The Twins are a bad road club losers of 22 of their past 32 away contests. Royals starter Ian Kennedy is off to an excellent start even if his record is 0-2. He has a 2.08 ERA. Kennedy made five starts against the Twins last season and went 3-0 with a 2.86 ERA. Kansas City is 5-1 the past six times Kennedy has faced Minnesota. The Royals need to turn things around now at home to regain the faith of their fans. This is a team, remember, that won the World Series just two years ago and remains strong defensively. The Royals really want payback, too, after the Twins swept them in Minnesota to begin the season with two of those three defeats coming in blowout fashion. The Royals dominated the Twins last season winning 15 of 19, including going 9-1 at Kauffman Stadium. Eric Hosmer, Alex Gordon and Alcides Escobar are all too good of players to be batting .220 or less. The Royals are due to bust out - and they couldn't fnd an easier pitcher to do it against. The price is low enough to get involved.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Friday's Tip Sheet
By Brian Edwards

Wizards at Hawks

Washington (52-35 straight up, 44-42-1 against the spread) took a 3-2 series lead thanks to Wednesday’s 103-99 win over Atlanta as a six-point home favorite. The Hawks took the cash for the third straight time in this best-of-seven set, while the 202 combined points stayed ‘under’ the 211.5-point total. Bradley Beal led the winners with 27 points, five rebounds, three steals and three blocked shots in 41-plus turnover-free minutes. John Wall added 20 points, 14 assists and six rebounds. Otto Porter Jr. scored a series-best 17 points and needed only four shots from the field to do so. Bojan Bogdanovic contributed 14 points and six boards, while Marcin Gortat finished with five points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots.

Dennis Schroder was sensational for Atlanta in the losing effort. The fourth-year point guard had 29 points, two steals and 11 assists compared to only one turnover. He became the first Hawk since ‘Pistol’ Pete Maravich to have 25 points and 10 assists in a postseason game (hat tip, Ernie Johnson Jr.) For the series, Schroder is averaging 24.4 points per game and has a 36/8 assists-to-turnover ratio.

Paul Millsap produced 21 points, 11 rebounds and two assists in Game 5. Tim Hardaway Jr. finished with 15 points, while Taurean Prince had 10 points, six rebounds, one block and four assists compared to merely one turnover. Prince, the rookie forward out of Baylor, has started throughout the series and has scored in double figures in each contest.

Dwight Howard had his best game of the series in a 111-101 triumph in Game 5, scoring 16 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. However, he had only five points and 10 rebounds in 28 minutes of action in Game 5 at Verizon Center. Howard has scored in double figures just once in this series.

With Washington clinging to a 101-96 advantage, Schroder hit a 3-ball with 1:09 remaining to trim the deficit to two. On the ensuing possession, however, Wall drained a 20-footer with 45 ticks left to make it a four-point game. Atlanta couldn’t answer and after getting a stop, Hardaway missed a 3-pointer right before the final seconds dripped off the clock.

As of Thursday night, most betting shops had Atlanta (45-42 SU, 42-45 ATS) installed as a three-point ‘chalk’ with a total of 210. The Wizards were +135 on the money line (risk $100 to win $135).

Mike Budenholzer’s squad is 25-18 SU and 19-24 ATS at home this season.

Washington owns a 19-24 SU record and a 19-23-1 ATS mark in its road assignments this year.

Totals have been a wash overall (2-2-1) in this series. In four regular-season meetings between these clubs, the ‘under’ went 3-1.

The ‘under’ is 50-34-3 overall for the Hawks, 23-19-1 in their home games.

The ‘over’ is 53-33-1 overall for the Wizards, 27-15-1 in their road assignments.

Sportsbook.ag has Washington as the -480 favorite for the series, while Atlanta is +380 on the comeback (risk $100 to win $380).

VegasInsider.com handicapper Kevin Rogers pointed out to me that home favorites killed it in Game 6’s last season. Rogers said, “This is the second situation in this postseason with home favorites heading into Game 6 trailing 3-2. In 2016, home favorites in this situation compiled a perfect 3-0 SU/ATS record, including Cleveland beating Golden State by 14 points in the NBA Finals. In fact, all three squads in this scenario (Cleveland, Miami, Indiana) won by double digits to force a Game 7 on the road. Washington entered this postseason with an incredible 10-1 ATS record since 2014 in the role of an away underdog, but it is 0-2 ATS in this round as a road ‘dog. Also, the Wizards have lost four of their last five road playoff games at Philips Arena.”

Celtics at Bulls

As of Thursday night, most books had Boston (56-31 SU, 43-42-2 ATS) listed as a 1.5-point road favorite with a total of 204. The Bulls were +105 on the money line.

Since falling into a 0-2 hole, Boston has ripped off three straight victories and covered the spread in each instance. The Celtics won a 108-97 decision over Chicago as eight-point home favorites in Wednesday’s Game 5 at TD Garden. The 205 combined points slipped ‘over’ the 205.5-point total. Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley scored 24 points apiece to lead the way. Al Horford stuffed the box score with 21 points, seven rebounds, one steal and nine assists compared to only one turnover. Kelly Olynyk added 14 points and five boards in 20-plus minutes off the bench. Jae Crowder contributed eight points, eight boards and a pair of blocked shots.

Chicago (43-44 SU, 44-43 ATS) led by two going into the final stanza of Game 5 at Boston, but the Celtics outscored it 29-16 in the fourth quarter. Dwyane Wade produced 26 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in the losing effort. Jimmy Butler added 14 points, eight boards and six assists, while Robin Lopez finished with 14 points, six rebounds, four assists, three blocks and one steal. Isaiah Canaan was also in double figures with 13 points.

Despite losing his sister in a tragic one-car accident the day before the series opener, Thomas has averaged 25.2 points, 5.6 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game in the series. He has struggled with his 3-point shot, though, making only 8-of-38 launches from downtown (21.1%).

Boston owns a 25-18 SU record and a 25-16-2 ATS ledger in road games this season.

After scoring 106 and 111 points in victories at Boston to open the series, Chicago has struggled offensively without Rajon Rondo. The Bulls have produced only 87, 95 and 97 in the last three outings.

Rondo scored 12 points to go with eight rebounds, two steals and six assists with just one turnover in Game 1. Then in Game 2, he finished with 11 points, 14 assists, nine rebounds and five steals. However, he sustained a fractured thumb in Game 2 that’s caused him to miss the last three games. When he had the thumb placed in a cast on April 19, the original diagnosis was for the thumb to remain in a cast for 7-10 days. Friday will be the ninth day since then as Rondo is listed as ‘'out' for Game 6.

Chicago has a 25-18 SU record and a 21-22 ATS mark in its home games this year.

The updated series price at Sportsbook.ag has Boston as the -1000 ‘chalk,’ leaving the Bulls as +650 underdogs (risk $100 to win $650).

The ‘under’ is 6-3 in the nine head-to-head meetings between these squads this year.

The ‘under’ is 51-35-1 overall for the Bulls, 27-16 in their home contests.

The ‘over’ is 42-41-4 overall for the Celtics, but the ‘under’ is 23-18-2 in their road outings.

Clippers at Jazz

Utah took a 3-2 lead in this best-of-seven series thanks to Tuesday’s 96-92 win over the Clippers at Staples Center. The Jazz won outright as a three-point underdog, while the 188 combined points fell ‘under’ the 196-point tally. After L.A.’s Chris Paul buried a 3-pointers with 5.1 seconds left to trim the deficit to two, George Hill went to the free-throw line and hit a pair to put the game on ice.

After missing most of the Game 4 win due to food poisoning, Gordon Hayward was back at 100 percent for Game 5. The Butler product scored a game-high 27 points to go with eight rebounds, four assists and two steals. Hayward knocked down 4-of-8 shots from 3-point land. Rodney Hood added 16 points and five boards, while Joe Johnson contributed 14 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Hill finished with 12 points, seven assists and five boards, while Rudy Gobert had 11 points, 11 rebounds, five steals and two blocked shots. Boris Diaw was also in double figures with 10 points.

In the Game 5 defeat, Paul produced 28 points, nine assists and four rebounds. He made 4-of-6 attempts from long distance. J.J. Redick snapped out of a slump (he failed to score in double figures in the three previous games) to score 26 points. DeAndre Jordan finished with 14 points and 12 boards. With Blake Griffin out, the Clippers need production from veteran big man Mo Speights. He didn’t provide that Tuesday, though, missing all three shots in 13-plus minutes of PT. Jamal Crawford also had a poor outing in Game 5. The veteran scoring guard had only four points, missing six of eight shots from the field and both of his 3-point launches.

Following the Game 5 victory, Hayward told the Associated Press, “We want to close it out in Salt Lake City. We definitely don’t want to come here for Game 7.”

L.A. head coach Doc Rivers offered up these thoughts following the Game 5 setback: “It’s a tough loss, but it’s not like I’m going to bury my head or anything like that. We lost the game. You know, defensively overall I thought we played pretty well. Offensively, I didn’t think we played well at all. There were a lot of things I did like about the game, and there were a lot of things I didn’t. I think they’re all fixable.”

As of Thursday night, most spots had Utah (54-33 SU, 40-43-4 ATS) favored by 5.5 points with a total of 192.5. Gamblers had the chance to take the Clippers to win outright for a +200 return (risk $100 to win $200).

Los Angeles (53-34 SU, 41-45-1 ATS) is 23-20 SU and 20-23 ATS on the road this season.

Utah owns a 30-13 SU record and a 20-20-3 ATS mark in its home games this year.

The Clippers are 4-8 ATS in 12 games this year when they’ve been listed as underdogs of five points or more.

The updated series price: Utah -425, L.A. +315 (risk $100 to win $315). I think the Clippers are worth a small wager at that price.

The ‘under’ has cashed at 3-2 clip in this series, but the ‘over’ hit in Games 3 and 4 at Utah.

The ‘over’ is 46-40-1 overall for the Clippers, 28-15 in their road contests.

The ‘over’ 44-43 overall for the Jazz this year, but the ‘under’ is 22-21 in its home games.