Saturday 6/13/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Lightning going with G Bishop if he's able

Lightning head coach Jon Cooper will determine the status of goaltender Ben Bishop at Saturday's morning skate before Tampa Bay and the Chicago Blackhawks meet in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Bishop did not play in Game 4, a loss at Chicago, and was not at Friday's practice.
"Bish, don't be alarmed that he's not out there. I'm not going to sit here and commit as to whether he's going to play Saturday," Cooper said Friday morning. "He's feeling better with each day. When we made the decision not to play him the other night, the decision just wasn't made, 'oh, we're not going to play him.' It's, 'we're not playing you and you're taking the next three days off.' This was all in the plan."
Bishop left Game 3 in the third period and rookie Andrei Vasilevskiy got the win with five saves in the final 7:41. The 20-year-old had 17 saves on Wednesday in a 2-1 loss and could make his second playoff start Saturday night (8 p.m. ET, NBC). Cooper has been pleased with the play of his backup, but his preferred option is pretty clear.
"If Ben Bishop can play the game, he's playing," Cooper said.
The Lightning went to Chicago hoping to build on a solid two-game start to the series and split the games at the United Center. All four games have been decided by one goal.
"It's really tough for either team to separate themselves from the other in any of these games, which makes for entertaining hockey games," Toews said. "I think both teams are equally deserving so far. I think it's just going to come down to, as they say, who wants it more, who is going to fight and work for those bounces. I think both teams are feeling pretty confident it's going to go their way right now."
Tampa's game plan to force the Blackhawks to play mistake-free and maximize their minimal puck possession time might lead to the idea that Chicago should be pulling away from a less-talented team. Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said that's far from fact.
"I don't think they probably got the respect around here that maybe was deserved," Quenneville said

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB MONEYLINE

MLB > (917) MINNESOTA@ (918) TEXAS | 06/13/2015 - 04:05 PM
Play ON TEXAS using the money line in All games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 14 Wins and 5 Losses for the this season (+15.32 units)

MLB > (915) TORONTO@ (916) BOSTON | 06/13/2015 - 01:35 PM
Play AGAINST BOSTON using the money line in Home games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 20 Wins and 39 Losses for the last two seasons (-26.9 units)

MLB > (929) KANSAS CITY@ (930) ST LOUIS | 06/13/2015 - 04:10 PM
Play ON KANSAS CITY using the money line in Road games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 31 Wins and 18 Losses for the last two seasons (+18.45 units)

MLB > (909) ARIZONA@ (910) SAN FRANCISCO | 06/13/2015 - 07:15 PM
Play AGAINST SAN FRANCISCO using the money line in Home games in June games
The record is 5 Wins and 15 Losses for the last two seasons (-13.8 units)

MLB > (925) NY YANKEES@ (926) BALTIMORE | 06/13/2015 - 07:15 PM
Play ON BALTIMORE using the money line in Home games in night games
The record is 54 Wins and 26 Losses for the last two seasons (+25 units)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB RUNLINE

MLB > (917) MINNESOTA@ (918) TEXAS | 06/13/2015 - 04:05 PM
Play ON MINNESOTA using the in All games on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5
The record is 16 Wins and 1 Losses for the last two seasons (+14.3 units)

MLB > (929) KANSAS CITY@ (930) ST LOUIS | 06/13/2015 - 04:10 PM
Play ON KANSAS CITY using the in Road games in June games
The record is 13 Wins and 1 Losses for the last two seasons (+12.7 units)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB TOTALS

MLB > (921) SEATTLE@ (922) HOUSTON | 06/13/2015 - 04:10 PM
Play UNDER HOUSTON on the total in All games against left-handed starters
The record is 6 Overs and 19 Unders for the this season (+12.3 units)

MLB > (913) LA DODGERS@ (914) SAN DIEGO | 06/13/2015 - 10:10 PM
Play OVER SAN DIEGO on the total in All games in all games
The record is 39 Overs and 22 Unders for the this season (+16.5 units)

MLB > (903) ATLANTA@ (904) NY METS | 06/13/2015 - 04:10 PM
Play OVER ATLANTA on the total in All games against division opponents
The record is 19 Overs and 7 Unders for the this season (+11.8 units)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB TOP POWERLINE

MLB > (915) TORONTO @ (916) BOSTON | 06/13/2015 - 01:35 PM
Line: BOSTON -145 BTB PowerLine: BOSTON 156
Edge On: BOSTON (81)

MLB > (919) CLEVELAND @ (920) DETROIT | 06/13/2015 - 04:05 PM
Line: DETROIT -101 BTB PowerLine: DETROIT -114
Edge On: DETROIT (13)

MLB > (901) PHILADELPHIA @ (902) PITTSBURGH | 06/13/2015 - 04:05 PM
Line: PITTSBURGH -270 BTB PowerLine: PITTSBURGH -281
Edge On: PITTSBURGH (11)

MLB > (917) MINNESOTA @ (918) TEXAS | 06/13/2015 - 04:05 PM
Line: TEXAS -121 BTB PowerLine: TEXAS 107
Edge On: TEXAS (8)

MLB > (907) COLORADO @ (908) MIAMI | 06/13/2015 - 04:10 PM
Line: MIAMI -143 BTB PowerLine: MIAMI 142
Edge On: MIAMI (65)

MLB > (923) CHI WHITE SOX @ (924) TAMPA BAY | 06/13/2015 - 04:10 PM
Line: TAMPA BAY -160 BTB PowerLine: TAMPA BAY -183
Edge On: TAMPA BAY (23)

MLB > (929) KANSAS CITY @ (930) ST LOUIS | 06/13/2015 - 04:10 PM
Line: ST LOUIS -160 BTB PowerLine: ST LOUIS -137
Edge On: ST LOUIS (23)

MLB > (905) WASHINGTON @ (906) MILWAUKEE | 06/13/2015 - 04:10 PM
Line: MILWAUKEE -125 BTB PowerLine: MILWAUKEE -108
Edge On: MILWAUKEE (17)

MLB > (909) ARIZONA @ (910) SAN FRANCISCO | 06/13/2015 - 07:15 PM
Line: SAN FRANCISCO -160 BTB PowerLine: SAN FRANCISCO -107
Edge On: SAN FRANCISCO (28)

MLB > (927) OAKLAND @ (928) LA ANGELS | 06/13/2015 - 10:05 PM
Line: LA ANGELS -141 BTB PowerLine: LA ANGELS -134
Edge On: LA ANGELS (7)

MLB > (913) LA DODGERS @ (914) SAN DIEGO | 06/13/2015 - 10:10 PM
Line: SAN DIEGO +140 BTB PowerLine: SAN DIEGO 218
Edge On: SAN DIEGO (53)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

CHICAGO (62-34-0-7, 131 pts.) at TAMPA BAY (64-34-0-8, 136 pts.) - 6/13/2015, 8:05 PM

There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 5-3 (+3.0 Units) against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
TAMPA BAY is 5-3-0 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+4.1 Units)


CHICAGO vs. TAMPA BAY
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Chicago's last 15 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Chicago is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Tampa Bay's last 15 games when playing at home against Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 7 games when playing at home against Chicago

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Stanley Cup Finals - Game 5


CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (62-34-7) at TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (64-34-8)

Sportsbook.ag Line: Chicago +105, Tampa Bay -125, Total: 5.5

The Lightning look to regain the lead in this series with a home win over the Blackhawks in Game 5 Saturday.

The Blackhawks played with a sense of desperation in Game 4 and it paid off as they beat the Lightning 2-1 to even up the series. Both teams really locked things up defensively, as there was only a combined 44 shots on goal in the game. Most of Tampa Bay’s came in the final two minutes with the goalie pulled as well.

Even with the loss for the Lightning, the team is still 7-3 SU in its past 10 games against the Blackhawks.

Tampa Bay is also 5-1 SU when playing Chicago at Amalie Arena in the past six meetings. Two straight games and three of the four games played in this series have gone Under the total.

The Blackhawks are 15-6 ATS in road games when playing only their second game in five days this season. The Lightning, however, are 27-8 ATS in that situation on the year. They are also 14-3 ATS after scoring one goal or less in their previous game this season.

One thing to monitor heading into this game is the health of G Ben Bishop (Lower Body). Bishop got hurt in Game 2 and played with pain in Game 3 before sitting out in the most recent matchup. He is questionable heading into this one.

The Blackhawks were able to even the series up with a 2-1 win on Wednesday and a lot of that had to do with RW Patrick Kane (10 G, 11 A, 21 PTS in playoffs) and C Jonathan Toews (10 G, 10 A, 20 PTS in playoffs) stepping up.

Both players had been struggling in this series, with Toews not finding the back of the net and Kane not recording a single point heading into Game 4. That changed as Toews scored a goal that broke the 0-0 tie in the second period and Kane assisted on the game-winning score. The two of them will need to keep it up offensively or the Lightning will easily take control of this series right back.

LW Brandon Saad (8 G, 2 A, 10 PTS in playoffs) was the one who scored the game-winner and he now has scored goals in back-to-back games. His play in this series has really boosted his team.

The hero of Game 4, however, was G Corey Crawford (11-6, 2.50 GAA, 91.8% SV% in playoffs). Crawford stopped all but one of the 25 shots he faced and gave his team a chance to win in what was a slugfest of a game. After allowing seven goals in the previous two games, Crawford looked calm in the net and will need to give his team another chance on Saturday.

The Lightning were unable to take a commanding 3-1 lead thanks to their 2-1 loss in Chicago in Game 4. G Andrei Vasilevskiy (1-1, 3.19 GAA, 89.5% SV% in playoffs) performed admirably in place of G Ben Bishop (13-9, 2.19 GAA, 91.9% SV% in playoffs), allowing just two goals in a big spot. The Lightning, however, will really be hoping that Bishop can play on Saturday. He has more experience and is a much better puck-handling presence.

C Alex Killorn (9 G, 9 A, 18 PTS in playoffs) continued his ridiculous offensive play in this postseason, scoring the only goal for Tampa Bay. It was his second of the series and he scored four against the Rangers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The story for the Lightning, however, is the poor play of C Steven Stamkos (7 G, 11 A, 18 PTS in playoffs). Stamkos recorded the assist on Killorn’s goal, but he is on this team to score goals and has failed in this series. He has not scored in this series and has just two shots on goal in each of the past three games for Tampa Bay. He must find a way to break out of this slump or the Blackhawks will be lifting the trophy when all is said and done.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

2015 baseball information
Today's games
National League
Reds @ Cubs
Leake is 1-3, 8.04 in his last five starts, all of which went over.

Hendricks is 2-1, 2.96 in his last four starts, three of which stayed under.

Cincinnati lost eight of last ten games with the Cubs. Reds won five of last six games overall; ten of their last 12 games went over. Cubs won four of their last six games.

Phillies @ Pirates
O'Sullivan is 0-2, 6.17 in his last four starts; over is 6-3-1 in his last ten.

Cole is 4-0, 1.53 in his last four starts; under is 6-0-1 in his last seven.

Phillies lost eight of last 11 games with Pittsburgh, lost seven of last eight games overall- eight of their last ten went over the total. Pirates won seven of last ten games; last five stayed under.

Braves @ Mets
Miller is 2-1, 1.64 in his last seven starts; his last three went over.

deGrom is 4-0, 1.49 in his last five starts, four of which went over.

Atlanta lost its last five games with the Mets; seven of last eight series games went over. Braves lost seven of last ten games- eight of the ten went over the total. Mets lost six of last ten; four of last five went over.

Rockies @ Marlins
Hale is 2-0, 4.58 in his last three starts; three of his four starts went over. Rockies scored 24 runs in his last thee starts.

Latos was 0-1, 7.05 in his last three starts before going on DL (knee); his last start was May 21.

Colorado lost five of last six games in Miami; four of last five series games stayed under. Rockies lost last three games, scoring three runs; five of last six games stayed under. Marlins lost four of last seven but won last two; under is 8-3-1 in their last twelve games.

Nationals @ Brewers
Ross allowed three runs in five IP (91 PT) in his first MLB start.

Nelson is 1-2, 5.16 in his last four starts.

Washington lost eight of its last ten games; four of its last five went over the total. Nationals lost four of last six games with Milwaukee; five of last six went over total. Brewers won six of last eight games; five of their last seven games stayed under.

Dodgers @ Padres
Greinke is 0-0, 2.73 in his last four starts, three of which stayed under.

Kennedy is 1-4, 7.42 in his last six starts; eight of his last nine went over.

Dodgers won eight of last 11 games with San Diego; three of last five series games stayed under. LA won five of its last six games; three of its last four went over total. Padres lost three of last four; over is 9-2 in their last 11.

Diamondbacks @ Giants
Webster is 6-5, 6.55 in 18 MLB starts with Boston last two years; this is his first '15 start- he was 1-2, 9.00 in five AAA starts this year.

Vogelsong is 0-2, 6.39 in his last two starts; over is 3-1-1 in his last five.

Arizona won four of last five games with Giants; they lost four of last five games overall, three of rhose five went over. SF won four of their last seven games; over is 6-2-1 in their last nine. Giants lost their last six home games.

American League
Indians @ Tigers
Carrasco is 3-1, 3.25 in his last four starts; seven of his last nine went over.

Verlander is making first start since October 3; he is 2-0, 2.21 in his last three starts- four of his last five went over.

Detroit won ten of last 11 games with Cleveland; nine of those 11 got over the total. Indians lost four of last five games; under is 7-2-1 in their last ten. Tigers won four of last five- three of those five went over.

Bronx @ Orioles
Sabathia is 3-2, 5.29 in his last six starts; three of his last four went over.

Norris is 1-2, 4.70 in his last three starts; over is 6-1-1 in his last eight.

Bronx won three of last five games with Baltimore; over is 7-2-2 in last eleven series games. Bronx won seven of last nine games overall. Orioles won last five games, allowing 13 runs; six of their last nine stayed under.

Blue Jays @ Red Sox
Dickey is 0-1, 4.86 in his last three starts; four of his last five went over.

Buchholz is 1-2, 2.55 in his last five starts, four of which stayed under.

Blue Jays won last their nine games, scoring 70 runs; over is 4-1-1 in their last six. Toronto won three of last four gaes with Boston; under is 3-1-1 in last five. Red Sox lost last four games, allowing 24 runs in last three

White Sox @ Rays
Samardzija is 0-2, 7.45 in his last three starts; four of his last six went over.

Archer is 4-0, 1.05 in his last five starts; under is 3-1-2 in his last six.

Chicago won four of last six games with Tampa Bay; over is 4-1-1 in the six games. White Sox won three of last four games, allowing 11 runs; three of their last four games stayed under. Rays won seven of last ten games; three of their last four went over the total.

Twins @ Rangers
Pelfrey is 2-1, 0.96 in his last four starts, all of which stayed under.

Lewis is 1-0, 3.21 in his last to starts; seven of his last eight went over.

Minnesota lost five of last six games with Texas; under is 8-2-1 in last eleven series games. Twins lost six of last seven games; four of last six went under total. Rangers lost three of last five; six of last eight stayed under total.

Mariners @ Astros
Montgomery is 0-1, 2.07 in his first two MLB starts; Seattle scored four runs in the two games.

McHugh is 1-1, 4.85 in his last four starts; his last three went over.

Seattle lost nine of last ten games with Houston; eight of last 11 got over total. Mariners are 3-10 in last 13 games; seven of their last nine went under total. Houston lost seven of last eight games; six of last nine stayed under. 2B Altuve is out for Astros (hamstring).

A's @ Angels
Graveman is 2-0, 2.55 in his last four starts; four of his last six went over.

Wilson is 1-3, 5.76 in his last four starts; over is 3-1-1 in his last five.

Oakland lost seven of last ten games with the Angels; eight of last nine series games went over. A's lost their last four road games; their bullpen is useless. Angels lost six of last nine games; six of their last eight went over.

Interleague
Royals @ Cardinals
Guthrie is 0-0, 2.25 in his last two starts, after allowing 11 runs in 1+ innings three starts ago.

Lyons is 0-0, 6.92 in his three starts (under 2-1).

Royals won six of last nine games with St Louis; under is 4-0-1 in last five in series. KC won four of its last five games, allowing ten runs; under is 9-1-1 in last eleven games. Redbirds won seven of last ten games; six of last seven stayed under.

Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Cin-Chi-- Leake 4-8; Hendricks 6-5
Phil-Pitt-- O'Sullivan 3-5; Cole 9-3
Atl-NY-- Miller 8-4; deGrom 8-4
Col-Mia-- Hale 2-1; Latos 3-6
Wsh-Mil-- Ross 0-1; Nelson 4-8
LA-SD-- Greinke 8-4; Kennedy 4-6
Az-SF-- Webster 0-0; Vogelsong 6-4

Clev-Det-- Carrasco 7-5; Verlander 0-0
NY-Balt-- Sabathia 5-7; Norris 3-4
Tor-Bos-- Dickey 5-7; Buchholz 4-8
Chi-TB-- Samardzija 6-6; Archer 8-5
Min-Tex-- Pelfrey 8-3; Lewis 5-7
Sea-Hst-- Montgomery 0-2; McHugh 8-4
A's-LA-- Graveman 5-3; Wilson 5-7

KC-StL-- Guthrie 7-4; Lyons 1-2

Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Cin-Chi-- Leake 3-12; Hendricks 1-11
Phil-Pitt-- O'Sullivan 4-8; Cole 4-12
Atl-NY-- Miller 1-12; deGrom 4-12
Col-Mia-- Hale 1-3; Latos 3-9
Wsh-Mil-- Ross 0-1; Nelson 6-12
LA-SD-- Greinke 4-12; Kennedy 5-10
Az-SF-- Webster 0-0; Vogelsong 1-10

Clev-Det-- Carrasco 5-12; Verlander 0-0
NY-Balt-- Sabathia 4-12; Norris 1-7
Tor-Bos-- Dickey 3-12; Buchholz 4-12
Chi-TB-- Samardzija 6-12; Archer 3-13
Min-Tex-- Pelfrey 1-11; Lewis 2-12
Sea-Hst-- Montgomery 1-2; McHugh 3-12
A's-LA-- Graveman 3-8; Wilson 2-12

KC-StL-- Guthrie 3-11; Lyons 2-3

Umpires
Phil-Pitt-- Over is 7-1-2 in last ten Nelson games.
Atl-NY-- Underdogs won three of last four Wolcott games.
Wsh-Mil-- Oer is 6-3-1 in Timmons games this season.
Col-Mia-- Last four Schrieber games stayed under.
Az-SF-- Underdogs won six of last nine Gorman games.
Cin-Chi-- Three of last four Bellino games went over.
LA-SD-- Last three Wolf games stayed under total.

Tor-Bos-- Under is 4-2-1 in last seven O'Nora games.
Min-Tor-- Underdogs won eight of last ten Davidson games.
Cle-Det-- Five of last six Drake games stayed under total.
Sea-Hst-- Nine of last ten Demuth games went over.
Chi-TB-- Nine of 12 Scott games went over the total.
NY-Balt-- Over is 4-2-2 in last eight Meals games; dogs are 4-3 in last seven.
A's-LA-- Last three Conroy games went over the total.

KC-Stl-- Over is 4-2-1 in last seven Little games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

IndyCar announces Firestone 600 infractions
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

IndyCar announced post-event infractions and points deductions from Saturday's Firestone 600 race at Texas Motor Speedway.

Driver Stefano Coletti of KV Racing Technology was fined $5,000 on Wednesday and placed on a two-race probation for violating Rules 7.10.1.1 (pit safety violation, improper lane usage) and 7.9.12 (pit procedures, pit speed violation at pit in) of the IndyCar Series rulebook. The two-race probation is in addition to the three-race probation Coletti was assessed following the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit on May 30-31.

Driver Tristan Vautier of Dale Coyne Racing was fined $1,000 for violating Rule 7.10.1.8 (pit safety violation, contact with equipment causing contact with personnel).

The No. 5 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports entry was fined $5,000 for violating Rule 14.8.5 (rear wing main plane angle).

Chevrolet received a deduction of 40 manufacturer championship points and Honda received a deduction of 20 manufacturer points for engines that did not attain their life cycle. According to Rule 10.6.4.3, 20 manufacturer points will be deducted for an engine that fails to reach its 2,500-mile life cycle.

The Chevrolet engines in the Nos. 20 and 67 CFH Racing entries and the Honda engine in the No. 14 A.J. Foyt Enterprises entry did not reach their life cycle minimum before being changed out. Following the deductions, Chevrolet has 865 manufacturer championship points for the season and Honda has 820.

IndyCar also announced one new infraction and two rescinded infractions from the Dual in Detroit.

Driver James Jakes of Schmidt Peterson Motorsports was fined $500 for violating Rule 1.2.7.1.2 (personal safety equipment, visor up during pit stop fueling) in Race 1 on May 30.

A Schmidt Peterson Motorsports crew member had a $500 fine rescinded for violating Rule 1.2.7.2 (personal safety equipment, fueler visor up), as did a Chip Ganassi Racing Teams crew member.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Todhunter-Tumenov fight scratched from UFC 188
Justin Hartling

Andrew Todhunter has been pulled off the UFC 188 card Saturday after doctors declared him unfit to compete. The undefeated welterweight passed out while cutting weight for the fight after taking the bout on less than two weeks notice.

Todhunter competed in a boxing match on May 15 at 200 pounds, which is 30 lbs heavier than the welterweight class.

Albert Tumenov, Todhunter's opponent, will take the scales Friday in order to recieve his pay for the event.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

UFC 188 Betting Preview
By Brian Edwards

Let's try this again. For its debut show in Mexico City, the Ultimate Fighting Championship scheduled Mexican-American Cain Velasquez to defend his heavyweight title against Fabricio Werdum. However, the reigning champ had to withdraw from UFC 180 due to a knee injury sustained in training last October.

Mark Hunt replaced Velasquez and lost to Werdum for the interim title. Now the titles will be unified this Saturday at UFC 188 in the main event of a 12-fight card back in Mexico City again.

Velasquez (13-1 MMA, 11-1 UFC) has been on the sidelines since destroying former heavyweight champ Junior dos Santos for a second time at UFC 166 back on Oct. 19 of 2013. He is riding a four-fight winning streak with a pair of wins over Dos Santos and Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva since suffering his lone career defeat to JDS at UFC on Fox 1 nearly four years ago.

Other than his one-punch KO loss to JDS early in Round 1, Velasquez has never really been threatened in the Octagon. He has endless cardio for a heavyweight, dynamite wrestling and incredible striking. Eight of his 13 career wins have come by first-round KOs, including victories over Brock Lesnar, Big Nog and Bigfoot Silva (twice).

Werdum (19-5-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC) won the interim title by beating Hunt with a second-round KO (flying knee and strikes). The 37-year-old Brazilian isn't showing his age. In fact, he's getting better every time out.

This was clearly evident in his main-event showdown versus Travis Browne in April of 2014. Browne went into that fight heavily favored and riding a three-fight winning streak (all via first-round KOs) that had netted him a trio of KO of the Night bonuses.

Werdum, a ground specialist with sick jiu-jitsu skills, wasn't expected to have a chance in stand-up exchanges with Browne, the more polished striker with a reach advantage. But Werdum didn't just beat Browne at his own game, he toyed with him and destroyed him. Somehow Browne went the five-round distance, but he took the worst beating of his career.

In his last outing once again, Werdum wasn't expected to have much success standing with Hunt. He wasn't in the first round but early in the second, Werdum caught Hunt with a vicious flying knee and finished the bout with subsequent strikes.

He has now won all five fights in his second tour of duty in the UFC, including scalps of Roy 'Big Country' Nelson, Big Nog and Mike Russow.

As of Friday afternoon, most books had Velasquez installed as a -500 favorite, while Werdum was +400 on the comeback (risk $100 to win $400). The 'over/under' is 2.5 rounds (-130 to the 'over,' +110 for the 'under').

For those bullish on Velasquez but (wisely) unwilling to lay the super-expensive straight price, there are alternatives. Bettors can back the champ to win inside the distance at a -155 price. Gamblers can also take Cain to win by TKO or KO for a -130 risk.

Prediction: I've got a lot of respect for Werdum, but I don't think anyone can touch a healthy Velasquez these days. I'm going to get aggressive here. Give me three units on the 'under' for the +110 payout. Also, I'll take Cain by TKO or KO for two units (-130) and one unit on him to win inside the distance (-155). Basically, all three plays are based on Cain winning by knockout by early in the third round at the latest. With the 'under' play, we have some protection in case Werdum is able to win (by midway through Round 3, that is).

In the co-main event, Gilbert 'El Nino' Melendez will collide with Eddie Alvarez in a showdown of former champs from other organizations. Most spots have Melendez as a -175 favorite, leaving Alvarez a +150 underdog. The total is 2.5 rounds ('over' -210, 'under' +180).

Melendez (22-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has come up short of UFC gold in a pair of title shots since joining the promotion. The former Strikeforce 155-pound champ made his Octagon debut against Benson Henderson, who was able to retain the lightweight strap with a controversial split-decision win over Melendez.

In his second UFC fight, Melendez and Diego Sanchez waged one of the most entertaining battles in the history of the sport. The two warriors of Mexican descent put on a show, slugging it out to the finish in a back-and-forth war. Melendez prevailed by unanimous decision to earn another shot at the title against Anthony Pettis, who beat Henderson to take the strap.

I gave Round 1 to Melendez against Pettis but in the second stanza, Melendez made a mistake and paid for it. Pettis was able to lock in a guillotine choke and force El Nino to tap out.

Alvarez, the former 155-pound kingpin under the Bellator banner, is making his second career Octagon appearance. Alvarez (25-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) lost a UD to Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone in his debut at UFC 178.

It was only Alvarez's second loss in six years. The other came to Michael Chandler, but Alvarez avenged that defeat less than two years later.

Prediction: I like Melendez in this matchup if you can get a decent price. Anything north of -175 is probably too 'chalky.' The best price as of Friday afternoon was -165. I think El Nino will win a unanimous decision, but the -210 price for the 'over' is asking too much. One unit on Melendez at -165.

Kelvin Gastelum and Nate Marquardt will square off in a middleweight scrap. Gastelum is installed as a -450 favorite versus 'The Great,' who is a +360 underdog. The total is 1.5 rounds ('under' +165, 'over' -190).

Gastelum (10-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) tasted his first career defeat the last time out, dropping a split decision to Tyron Woodley at UFC 183. Gastelum had an extremely difficult weight cut that forced him to briefly be hospitalized and he missed weight by 10 pounds. The fight went on nonetheless, but Gastelum has been forced to move back up to the 185-pound loop after three fights at welterweight.

Prior to the loss to Woodley, Gastelum was on the UFC 180 card in Mexico City. He earned a Performance of the Night bonus by submitting Jake Ellenberger by rear-naked choke in the second round. Gastelum, who also has Mexican roots, has other notable victories over Uriah Hall and Rick Story.

Marquardt (33-14-2 MMA, UFC) is on the down side of his career and in dire need of a victory. The former Strikeforce welterweight champ has lost four of his last five fights, going just 1-3 in his second tour of duty with the UFC.

He has been finished via first-round KOs twice, once from Jake Ellenberger at UFC 158 and another time versus Hector Lombard at UFC 166.

Prediction: I like the prop bet for Gastelum to win inside the distance at a -110 price for two units. I'll call for a rear-naked choke midway through the second round.

**Octagon Nuggets**

-- Most expensive fighter on the card: Henry Cejudo -985 favorite vs. Chico Camus +575 underdog.

-- A sportsbook opened Chris Weidman as a -150 favorite for his next title defense against Luke Rockhold. The number went down to as low as -125, but the number was up to -180 as of Monday morning, with Rockhold as a +158 underdog. On Friday, the number was Weidman -155, Rockhold +125

-- Daniel Cormier will make his first title defense against Alexander Gustafsson. Cormier is a 260 'chalk', while 'The Mauler' is +200 on the comeback.

-- Chad 'Money' Mendes inked a new eight-fight contract with the UFC earlier this week.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

What's Bishop's status ahead of Game 5?
Stephen Campbell

The murky outlook surrounding the Tampa Bay Lightning's goaltending situation did not get any clearer Friday.

According to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, starting netminder Ben Bishop wasn't on the ice at the Lightning's practice. Bishop has been suffering from an undisclosed injury and did not dress in Wednesday's 2-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Inexperienced backup Andrei Vasilevskiy was thrust into the spotlight in his place and stopped 17 of 19 shots sent his way. Bishop is officially listed as day-to-day.

Both sides own two games apiece in the championship series ahead of the pivotal Game 5 that's set for Saturday in the Sunshine State. Sportsbooks are dealing the Bolts in the -120 ballpark.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Chicago survived Lightning's 9-2 edge in shots in first period of Game 4, got game-winner with 13:38 to even series where visitor has won two of four games. Lightning outhit Chicago 154-110 in first four games, but Chicago had 112-67 edge on faceoffs last three games. Chicago won four of last six games overall, with three of four in this round staying under. Lightning lost three of last four home games, scoring nine goals. Tampa Bay won eight of last 11 games with Chicago. Blackhawks are 3-2 in last five road games. Six of last eight series games stayed under. Lightning is 1-11 on power play in series, Chicago is 2-11.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Dunkel

NHL

Chicago at Tampa Bay - Saturday June 13, 2015

The Blackhawks head to Tampa Bay following their 2-1 win in Game 4 and come into the contest with a 7-1 record in their last 8 games after scoring 2 goals or less in the previous game. Chicago is the pick (+105) according to Dunkel, which has the Blackhawks favored by 3. Dunkel Pick: Chicago (+105).

Game 9-10
June 13, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago 13.903
Tampa Bay 11.049

Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago by 3
5

Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tampa Bay -125
5 1/2

Dunkel Pick:
Chicago (+105); Under

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by Chatsworth Consortium at Hoosier Park

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


Race 11 - Post: 8:35 - 1 mile. PACE - Class Rating: 96 - Purse:$21000 - INVITATIONAL PP`S DRAWN BY GROUPS


CONSORTIUM CHOICES


Chatsworth Consortium

# 8 LET'S DRINK ON IT 6/5


# 3 BLUEHOURPOWER 10/1


# 2 JAMMIN JOSHUA 15/1

LET'S DRINK ON IT will have you running to the cashier's window in this event. His 99 average has this horse among the finest TrackMaster SRs in this one. Comes into this race with great TrackMaster class stats relative to the field of starters - take a good look. Could more than likely dominate this bunch given the 101 TrackMaster Speed Rating achieved in his last affair. BLUEHOURPOWER - This harness racer has been making trips to the winner's circle on a regular basis, look for him to make another appearance soon. Has been running very well lately and his style of running should result in a clear-cut performance. JAMMIN JOSHUA - Has the perfect running style to defeat this group, according to the pace markings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by Chatsworth Consortium at Scioto Downs

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


Race 2 - Post: 6:50 - 1 mile. PACE - Class Rating: 86 - Purse:$13000 - WINNERS OF 2 BUT NOT MORE THAN 4 PMRLT: OR NON WINNERS OF $30,000 LIFETIME


CONSORTIUM CHOICES


Chatsworth Consortium

# 3 GALLIPOLIS 5/2


# 5 IVAN BOB 8/1


# 2 MY MYSTER E 4/1

Feel pretty confident putting money down on GALLIPOLIS. Horoscope said take a chance today, this contender is as good as any to take a shot with. The consortium saw this horse's name on a tv show. Call it our coffee house play, worth a small play. Certainly did like this colt's last race. Ran a strong 89 speed fig. Major player. IVAN BOB - This standardbred looks dangerous considering the high class figures. Don't toss out of any exotics. More wins than normal have been achieved by entrants lining up behind the 5 post at Scioto Downs. MY MYSTER E - Quite possibly the class of the bunch with an average rating of 83. A nice choice. Wrenn is racking up the wins most recently. Terrific win pct makes this fine animal our choice.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by The Walker Group at Marquis Downs

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


Race 7 - Claiming - 6.0f on the Dirt. Purse: $4000 Class Rating: 64

FOR FILLIES AND MARES THREE YEARS OLD AND UPWARD WHICH HAVE NOT WON A RACE IN 2015. THREE YEAR OLDS, 122 LBS.; OLDER, 124 LBS. CLAIMING PRICE $2,000.


RECOMMENDED CHOICES

The Walker Group Picks

# 1 HULA HOOP GIRL 4/1


# 2 LINDLU ANDJAN 9/2


# 7 BODGITS BABY 7/1


HULA HOOP GIRL has a solid shot to take this race. Going in a dirt sprint race gives this mare a very strong shot. Grant will probably be able to get this mare to break out sharply in this contest. LINDLU ANDJAN - Has recorded solid Equibase Speed Figures in dirt sprint races in the past. With a solid 55 speed figure last time out, will unquestionably be a factor in this contest. BODGITS BABY - Constant has this mare running well and is a competitive selection based on the competitive Equibase Speed Figures earned in sprint races recently.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by The Walker Group at Woodbine

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


Race 5 - Maiden Special Weight - 8.0f on the Turf. Purse: $45000 Class Rating: 74

FOR ONTARIO SIRED MAIDENS, FILLIES AND MARES THREE YEARS OLD AND UPWARD. THREE YEAR OLDS, 118 LBS.; OLDER, 123 LBS.


RECOMMENDED CHOICES

The Walker Group Picks

# 7 BELLE CHLOE 4/1


# 1 J M R FENDI 6/1


# 13 BEARS TREACLE 15/1


BELLE CHLOE looks to be a very strong contender. Very good jock and handler combo winning 26 percent of their races working together. J M R FENDI - She has to be carefully examined given the strong speed figures. This animal enters today's contest with second time Lasix.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by The Turf Club Analysts

Bar

Chippewa Downs - Race #3 - Post: 2:30pm - Claiming - 5.0 furlongs on the Dirt. Purse: $2,300 Class Rating: 64

Rating: Golden DollarGolden DollarGolden DollarGolden Dollar

#2 HE CAN DO THAT (ML=9/1)
#8 CLAY W. WOODSTOCK (ML=5/1)


HE CAN DO THAT - In my secret list of handicapping angles, this is a good one. Horse's last two speed ratings are higher than today's class figure. A pretty good sign we have a strong contender here. Only a bad break can keep this horse from having a chance. Loves the front, is breaking from the inside in a sprint race, and we're on a tight track. When Ziegler and Haar team up on horses the return on investment has been fantastic at +117. CLAY W. WOODSTOCK - The last time he tried this distance he got a fig good enough to win this race. A repeat outing from any of last 3 races, and this one should be in 1st place. In my secret list of handicapping angles, this is a good one. Horse's last two speed ratings are higher than today's Equibase class figure. To me, that's a good indication we have a strong contender here.

Vulnerable Contenders: #3 SMOKININDABOYSROOM (ML=7/2), #1 DAZZLING EDGE (ML=4/1), #5 CARMELITO'S CAT (ML=9/2),

SMOKININDABOYSROOM - 7/2 is not worth it for any mount in a sprint of 5 furlongs that hasn't hit the board in a short distance clash lately. Unlikely that the speed rating he registered on April 18th will be good enough in this event. Hard to put your dough on this speed merchant. Too much zip in the event. DAZZLING EDGE - This thoroughbred just hasn't looked sharp lately. CARMELITO'S CAT - Difficult to play any mount in a sprint contest if he hasn't hit the board in a sprint in the last couple months. When scrutinizing today's class figure, he will have to register a better speed rating than last time out to battle in this dirt sprint.

Top HatGUEST COMMENTARY: Winston - HE CAN DO THAT - I like to check out the TrackMaster Platinum PPs to look for the top horse in earnings per start. This beautiful animal looks good to me so I'm making a prime investment on him.


STRAIGHT WAGERS:
Have to go with #2 HE CAN DO THAT on the win end if we get at least 5/2 odds

EXACTA WAGERS:
Box [2,8]

TRIFECTA WAGERS:
Skip

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by The Turf Club Analysts

Bar

Santa Anita - Race #2 - Post: 1:00pm - Maiden Claiming - 6.0 furlongs on the Dirt. Purse: $19,000 Class Rating: 84

Rating: Golden DollarGolden DollarGolden DollarGolden Dollar

#4 SOUL CRUSHER (ML=4/1)
#8 DISTINCTIVE B (ML=7/2)


SOUL CRUSHER - Tyler Baze should have him moving strong on the turn. Classic handicapping angle - 3rd or 4th start after a layoff generally leads to a big effort. Should run big today. This racer wins a lot of cash per race around the track. I believe he can augment the lifetime total today. DISTINCTIVE B - The October 26th race at Santa Anita was at a class level of (92). Dropping down in class considerably, so he should be in a good spot. Don't often see a favorable ROI like +41. This jock/trainer tandem has done well together over the last twelve months. This gelding notched a nice speed fig of 82 in his last event. That rating should be strong enough to win today. Have to forget about that last race on the turf. This gelding should do better hitting the dirt in this event.

Vulnerable Contenders: #6 BROKE THE MOLD (ML=4/1), #1 COACH JOHN (ML=5/1), #2 CYBER STAR (ML=6/1),

BROKE THE MOLD - Tough to wager on any horse to turn things around if there is no large gain to taking the risk. Today's affair is 6 furlongs. Hasn't hit the board in a short distance event in the last couple months. Not the greatest of signs. COACH JOHN - 5/1 is not worth it for any horse in a sprint of 6 furlongs that hasn't hit the board in a short distance contest lately. CYBER STAR - Doesn't look to be in a convenient circumstance this time out.


STRAIGHT WAGERS:
Have to go with #4 SOUL CRUSHER on the win end if we get at least 7/5 odds

EXACTA WAGERS:
Box [4,8]

TRIFECTA WAGERS:
4 with 8 with [1,2,6] Total Cost: $3

SUPERFECTA WAGERS:
None