Service Plays Friday 10/22/10

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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Posters can track services here if they care to but we will need any trackers to do so in an accurate and civil manner. We did not create this area for posters to ridicule or bash any services..

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I will leave this thread open for a month to take questions and do my best to answer them. I will check in daily but am off on Wednesday and Thursday.

I hope this additional Service Play Forum will satisfy those posters that would like to widen the scope of topics relating to service plays and the industry in general to have their own threads. Mods will be liberal as possible regarding topics but this forum was specifically created to allow you more freedom to express your ideas regarding service plays and related subject matter. No off topic threads will be allowed.

Thank you, wilheim




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[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Friday's Best MLB Mound Matchup

Phil Hughes, New York Yankees vs. Colby Lewis, Texas Rangers

Phil Hughes (18-8, 4.19 ERA)

The Yankees had all the momentum after a comeback victory in Game 1 at Texas, but Hughes could not give them a commanding lead in the series the following night. He went just four innings and gave up seven runs on 10 hits as the Rangers blasted New York 7-2.

Nonetheless, the Yankees should be confident in something different on Friday, and not just because they regained some semblance of momentum by winning Game 5 and extending the series back to Texas. Hughes, after all, was much better during the regular season. The right-hander compiled an 18-8 record and had a 4.19 ERA, unspectacular but solid by American League standards.

“I’m excited for the opportunity,” Hughes told the New York Post after Wednesday’s win. “My last one out was horrible, and I was just thankful that wasn’t my last opportunity of the season. I’m looking to turn in a better one.

“Obviously gameplan-wise, I’ll change a couple things because something wasn’t working the last time. But just try to stick with my gameplan and tweak a few things and get ready for Friday.”

Colby Lewis (12-13, 3.72 ERA)

Lewis was by no means dominant in Game 2, but he was easily good enough to beat Hughes and the Yankees. The righty lasted 5 2/3 innings and picked up the win after allowing two runs on six hits and three walks while striking out six.

It was just another commendable performance from Lewis, who did his job all season long. He recorded a stellar 3.72 ERA and 1.19 WHIP but only had a meager 12-13 mark to show for it. The difference is that the Rangers bats have come alive and Lewis got more than enough run support in Game 2, as did the Texas starters in Games 3 and 4.

“Command your pitches,” Lewis said when asked about the key to Game 6. “With any start, really, that's all you have to do to be successful is not walk guys and get outs. It doesn't matter if Jeter or a rookie; if you make a mistake they're going to take advantage of it, so you just have to be able to command your pitches, make pitches when you need to and that's about it.”

Catcher Benjie Molina is confident he will be behind the plate for an encore performance by his pitcher. “I don't know if it does, but it should,” he said when asked if the Game 2 experience will help Lewis. “He should pitch well; he should be rested. We'll see what happens.”

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

HOT LINES

Friday's Best MLB Bet

New York Yankees at Texas Rangers (103, 9)

The Yankees are playing with their backs against the wall for a second straight game, and that win-or-go-home mentality certainly worked in Game 5 at the Bronx as New York clobbered Texas 7-2.

“There was a determination,” manager Joe Girardi told the New York Post. “We have not played extremely well in this series. I saw determination during batting practice. The mood during BP was very business-like. We knew what we had to do and the guys went out and did it.”

Their bats woke up on Wednesday, and it would be a good idea for the same to happen on Friday with Phil Hughes taking the mound instead of No. 1 starter C.C. Sabathia. Still, as bad as Hughes was in Game 2, there is reason to think he will get better. In his previous postseason start against the Twins, Hughes did not allow a single run and struck out six against just one walk in seven innings.

While the Rangers obviously want to get the job done as soon as possible, they know they have the aces of all aces (Cliff Lee) in the hole for a possible Game 7. If they are even thinking about that luxury just a little bit, it could be a factor on Friday.

“I am not thinking that far, but it’s nice to know that I have Cliff Lee if it does,” manager Ron Washington explained.

Pick: New York Yankees

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Tale Of The Tape: Cincinnati-South Florida Breakdown

South Florida Bulls and Cincinnati Bearcats (-7.5, 48):

Offense

The Bearcats rank second in the Big East in total offense, putting up 422.5 yards per game. Those gains have translated into an average of almost 33 points, which is tops in the conference.

Cincinnati depends heavily on its pass. Quarterback Zach Collaros leads the Big East in passing, throwing for 242.5 yards per game, totaling 17 touchdowns to only three interceptions. Two of those picks came in last Friday’s 35-27 win over Louisville, in which Collaros passed for 275 yards and five scores.

South Florida doesn’t have the same pop on offense, averaging just over 23 points. The Bulls rank last in the Big East in total offense, putting up only 314.7 yards per game this season. They have lost two straight games, totaling only 15 points in eight quarters.

Most of those gains come on the ground. South Florida is fourth in rushing in the conference, running for over 157 yards per contest. Senior running back Moise Plancher gets the bulk of the carries, rushing nearly 59 yards per game and four touchdowns. With injuries to the running back corps, Plancher will get the bulk of the action Friday.

Edge: Cincinnati Bearcats

Defense

The Bulls rank 17th in the nation in total yards allowed, budging for just 300.7 per outing. South Florida, which is third in the Big East in defense, is especially tough on the pass. It gives up just 166 yards through the air per game and has seven interceptions to eight opposing passing TDs.

The Bearcats have the worst defense in the Big East, giving up 366 yards per game. They haven’t been able to slow opposing pass attacks, watching foes throw for 11 scores through the air while picking off only two passes this season. Cincinnati has, however, the conference’s third-best run stop unit, which has more to do with opponents opting to beat the Bearcats through the air than on the ground.

Edge: South Florida Bulls

Special Teams

The Bulls have been able to make up for their lack of offense with solid special teams play this year. They top the Big East in punt return yardage (14.23 yards per return) and rank fourth in kick returns (23 yards per return) while scoring three special teams touchdowns.

On the other side of the ball, USF has given up an average of only six return yards per punt, 20.6 return yards per kickoff and has not allowed an opponent to run a return in for six points this season.

Cincinnati’s special teams have mustered just nine yards per punt return and rank last in the conference with an average of 18.77 yards per kick return. The Bearcats haven’t scored a return touchdown yet this year.

Cincy counteracts that with the best punt coverage in the Big East, giving up only three yards per return. Kick return coverage is another story. The Bearcats allow opposing special teams to return the ball for an average of 22.78 yards per kickoff – third-worst in the league. They have, however, kept rival return units out of the endzone.

Edge: South Florida Bulls

Word On The Street

"We're right there on the cusp. There's a lot of little penalties that stop drives, little stuff like that. … It's self-inflicted stuff, all across the board.” – USF QB B.J. Daniels on the Bulls’ lack of offensive production in their last two losses (Tampa Bay Times).

"We've just got to keep coaching (ball security) on every snap. It's one of the hardest things to control. It's something that has been extremely disappointing, something that we all take very seriously." – UC head coach Butch Jones on the Bearcats’ turnover troubles. Cincinnati ranks last in turnover margin (-1.00) in the Big East. South Florida is third worst at -0.67 (Cincinnati Enquirer).

Final Score Prediction: Cincinnati 21, South Florida 17​

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

SF At Cincinnati: What Bettors Need To Know

South Florida Bulls At Cincinnati Bearcats (-7.5, 48)

Nippert Stadium takes center stage when the Cincinnati Bearcats play hosts to the South Florida Bulls Friday night.

The Bearcats are coming off a decent three-game stretch that included two wins and a near upset of Oklahoma. The Bulls are going in the opposite direction, on a two game losing streak which saw them score just a total of 15 points combined.

Why South Florida Will Cover

All the talk heading into Friday night is about how bad the South Florida offense is. Much was expected from the arrival of Skip Holtz and of sophomore quarterback B.J. Daniels, but things haven’t worked out as planned. The Bulls failed to score a single touchdown in their first two Big East contests and Daniels already has 10 interceptions.

However, keep in mind that those last two games were against an underrated Syracuse team and No. 19 West Virginia. Their defenses rank 18th and fifth respectively in yards allowed. This week, the Bulls play a much weaker defense and offensive coordinator Todd Fitch has been working with Daniels all week to correct his mistakes,

“If you're talking about him, it's a couple different areas,” Fitch told reporters. “It's seeing the field, seeing whatever the read may be. And a lot of his turnovers have occurred when he's on the scramble.”

“If we blow protection, which is going to happen over a course of a game, step up, use your feet and if it's not there then throw it away, get positive yards,” he said.

Just before the half in the WVU game, the Bulls were only down by seven points and in Mountaineer territory until Daniels threw an interception in the red zone.

There should be improvement this week from Daniels and it doesn’t hurt that they will be up against a pass defense that ranks 104th in the nation. Combine that with a USF defense that held Noel Devine to just 29 yards rushing and you have a good chance to cover the 7.5 points.

Why Cincinnati Will Cover

This is a confident team. After missing out on a chance to upset Oklahoma, the Bearcats could have easily overlooked their next two opponents, Miami (Ohio) and Louisville. Instead, they carried the momentum from the Sooner game and not only won straight up, but covered the spread in both contests as well.

Quarterback Zach Collaros was been solid all season with 1,455 yards and 17 touchdown passes, but the key on offense has been the return of running back Isaiah Pead. In the last three games, Pead has rushed for an average of 170.3 yards which has kept opposing defenses honest.

History is also on the side of the Bearcats. Cincinnati has won the last four contests in this series and they remain undefeated at home against USF. From a betting standpoint, it gets even better with Cincinnati on a six-game ATS streak against the Bulls.

Line And Trends

The line opened up at -8.5 in favor of the home team and has since moved down to -7.5. With consensus opinion on the Bearcats, this suggests that some sharp early money came in on South Florida.

The total opened up at 47 and has seen slight movement up to 48. With offensive problems and a solid defense, the under has hit in the last four USF games. However Cincinnati has hit the over four times in its last five Friday night games.

Partly-cloudy skies are expected with lows in the 40s. South winds will be coming in at 5 to 10 mph.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Friday's Best NCAA Bet

South Florida Bulls vs. Cincinnati Bearcats (-7.5, 48):

The Big East might not have the sexiest brand of football around, but don’t tell that to the South Florida Bulls and Cincinnati Bearcats. Both teams are going to look to take a major step towards going to a bowl game this year on Friday night in a nationally televised college football betting affair.

The Bulls haven’t scored a touchdown in almost nine full quarters of action, and it’s high time that QB BJ Daniels does enough to get his team a major score. These INTs are really coming back to haunt the sophomore on the season, as he has thrown ten of them this year, nine of which came in the team’s three losses. Daniels is only completing 56.0 percent of his passes for just 803 yards, and he has 190 yards on the ground. All of his averages are down from his freshman year, and he already has more INTs in six games than he did for the massive majority of last season. It’s really hard to complain about the way the defense has played, though the schedule hasn’t been all that tough. The only team to score more than 20 on the Bulls this year has been the Florida Gators, and a good number of those points in the Swamp came from turnovers and special teams. This unit held the great RB Noel Devine to just 29 yards on ten carries last weekend in Morgantown and hasn’t allowed more than two TDs in a game since that UF loss.

The Bearcats are taking small steps right now towards getting back to the form that they were in last season when they ran the table in the regular season. Cincinnati wasn’t dominating, but it did what it had to do to beat the Louisville Cardinals last week on the road as short favorites. That game was also played under the bright lights of Friday Night Football, so we aren’t worried about nerves at all. It’s almost as though that 31-29 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners provided a real kick start to this offense, as all of a sudden, the team has 80 points on the board in the last two weeks. QB Zach Collaros has 17 TD passes this year against just three picks, two of which came in last week’s victory. However, he also had five TD passes and threw for 275 yards, numbers which HC Butch Jones would take 100% of the time. The Bearcat signal caller has averaged at least 7.6 yards per attempt in all of his games this season, and he has had five straight games with at least two TD passes and four straight with at least three.

The only questionable matchup we really see is whether Daniels can really get the Bulls on the board a few times or not. Our guess is that he’ll need to generate at least 20 points to stick within this type of a number, and we tend to believe that he can’t do that even though the Cincy ‘D’ hasn’t really been much to write home about on the season. We’ll run against the Bulls for our Friday night college football free pick.

Pick: Cincinnati Bearcats -8.5

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

CFL Betting Preview

Montreal Alouettes (11-4) at Hamilton Tiger-Cats (8-7)(-2, 53.5)

It may be a preview of the CFL East Division final when the first-place Montreal Alouettes visit the second-place Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Friday night (TSN, 7 p.m. ET).

But Alouettes quarterback Anthony Calvillo says he won’t be holding back any plays to avoid giving the Ticats hints of what their playoff game plan may look like.

He just wants the Alouettes (11-4) to stay hot over their final three regular-season games, starting with Hamilton (8-7).

“We’re here to compete and win,” Calvillo said this week. “We are coming off a short week so we’re limited in what we can do, but we’re not going to hold anything back.

“We’ll run the offence we’re capable of running. We’ll go with a lot of stuff we’re comfortable with.”

The Ticats can still match the Alouettes in points if they win all three remaining games and Montreal loses three in a row. However, the Als would still take top spot because they have already clinched the season series between the clubs. Montreal beat the visiting Ticats 37-14 on July 22 and won 26-6 in Hamilton on Sept. 11.

Montreal has beaten Hamilton six straight times since a 44-38 loss on Oct. 4, 2008. The Als are 14-1 against the Ticats since 2005.

The Ticats may have greater motivation after taking a firm grip on second place last week with a 30-3 victory over the rival Argonauts (7-8) in Toronto. They have won the season series with the Argos, and Hamilton will still want to keep them at bay.

“Every game we played against Hamilton we played hard,” said Montreal safety Mathieu Proulx. “We knew they would be a tough opponent in the East and we took them very seriously.

“Last year, they passed for 500 yards against us in the last game and we know they have a great quarterback (Kevin Glenn) and great receivers.”

Hamilton’s Arland Bruce leads the CFL with 1,291 receiving yards. Calvillo said he’s wary of a Ticat defence that forced seven Argo turnovers.

“It starts with their front seven — they’re able to rush four or five guys and they run so many twists,” he said. “They’re creative in what they do and it’s challenging. The key for us is to make sure the guys up front handle them, which they’ve done all year.”

Hamilton picked up former Winnipeg linebacker Kyries Hebert this week, but he is expected to play only on special teams in his first game.

Clinching top spot and a bye to the East final has allowed Montreal coach Marc Trestman to give some banged-up players a game off — including linebacker Diamond Ferri, who has a hip flexor, and kicker Damon Duval, whose return from a hamstring problem has been delayed an extra week.

Colt David, who made all six field-goal tries in his CFL debut but missed two attempts last week, will kick for a third straight game.

Running back Avon Cobourne is out with a bruised rib, so Brandon Whitaker will play tailback.

Kick returner Tim Maypray has returned home to Chicago to be with a sick family member and will be replaced by Leroy Vann.

Trestman said he will be watching how his team performs late in the game after they nearly blew a lead in the dying minutes of a 22-19 win over Winnipeg on Sunday.

“The last three minutes was our emphasis this week,” he said. “We lacked focus and took penalties offensively that backed us up late in the game.

“We couldn’t get enough movement to control the ball and had to turn it over to the defence. And defensively, with a two-score lead, we put ourselves in a position where (linebacker) Chip Cox had to strip the ball or we could have been in overtime.”

There was no question of resting the 38-year-old Calvillo, although as they did last year he will likely watch from the sidelines in Montreal’s regular-season finale Nov. 7 at home against Toronto.

Calvillo needs eight completions to become the second CFL quarterback with 5,000 in his career, behind Damon Allen, who had 5,158 over 23 seasons.

Cox needs three defensive tackles to break Stefen Reid’s team record of 320 in his career.

Montreal has finished first in the East all three years since Trestman was hired in 2008 and nine times since 1999.


B.C. Lions (5-10) at Calgary Stampeders (11-4)(-9, 55.5)

There are three games left on the Calgary Stampeders’ Canadian Football League regular-season schedule; thus, three opportunities to clinch a second West Division title in three years, and the right to host the West final on Nov. 21.

Be assured, though, that the Calgary Stampeders, who need just one victory or one Saskatchewan loss to wrap up first place, have no desire to dip into the capital they’ve built themselves in the standings, nor do they want to look around for help.

Instead, they’d rather just take care of business Friday night when they host the B.C. Lions at McMahon Stadium.

“Exactly,” nodded Stamps cornerback Brandon Browner on Thursday. “We want to take care of it the first chance we get, and knock it out of the way. (Clinching at home) would be important, our fans are looking forward to it and they come out to see us win. And to close out and get the bye week (in the playoffs) would be great.”

In fact, there are two birds that can be killed with one stone tonight. The 11-4 Stamps still have some lingering memories of an embarrassing 29-10 home-field defeat to the Lions (then 3-8, now 5-10) on Sept. 25 that erased an 11-game McMahon Stadium unbeaten streak.

“It wasn’t the most pleasant experience I’ve had watching my team play,” said Stamps coach John Hufnagel. “It wasn’t a lesson as much as (confirming) what I already knew — to play good football teams, you have to be able to compete with them at the same level or a higher level. That’s why, in my mind, emotion plays such a big part in winning and losing football games.”

“You want to take care of (clinching first place) now, especially against a team that beat us here,” added Calgary quarterback Henry Burris. “We take pride in playing at this stadium, and against B.C., that was disappointing. The way we played, the way I played — we know we’re a much better team than that, and this is an opportunity to go out and prove that. We’ve had success against B.C. the past couple of years, but they came out and played hard and aggressive, and we didn’t show up, and they whipped our butts. So here’s our chance to improve on that.”

The Stamps do have a few things going in their favour. For one, they’re coming off their biggest win of the season, Sunday’s 34-26 triumph at Saskatchewan in a game the Stamps trailed by as many as 14 points in the first quarter.

As well, they’re welcoming back team defensive player of the year candidate middle linebacker Juwan Simpson, who sat out the Saskatchewan game with a bruised knee.

“I have a week’s worth of energy,” said a giddy Simpson. “I’ve really been waiting. I made it be known that I was moving full speed at practice; the guys were giving me a hard time, but I was just happy to be out here with them. And I’m definitely excited; you’ll see an energy level out of me Friday night.”

On the other hand, the Stamps are dealing with a short work week that featured just one full day of practice.

“It’s hard work for the coaches because there’s a lot to do in a shorter period of time,” said Hufnagel. “And it’s hard on the players because they lose 24 or 48 hours of recovery time, and then you really don’t have a great opportunity to correct the mistakes from the previous game because you can’t spend a lot of time on it.”

As well, the Stamps had to make a change at right tackle after Edwin Harrison hurt his ankle in Regina, and Stanley Bryant will get his first pro start in Harrison’s place.

The good news, though, is that Harrison could be back for the Stamps’ final regular season game, Nov. 5 in Winnipeg.

Motivation shouldn’t be an issue for the Stamps Friday night; yes, there’s the revenge factor for loss last month, but in Hufnagel’s mind, there’s only one real factor in play.

“That’s to achieve one of the goals you start out with in training camp,” said Hufnagel. “Once you make the playoffs, you try to get the highest seed, and that’s what our goal is (Friday night).

“We have a chance to be the No. 1 seed; now we just have to finish the job.”

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Friday's Best CFL Bets

Montreal Alouettes at Hamilton Tiger-Cats (-2, 53.5)

As has become the norm, the last few games of the regular season are of no earthly importance for the Alouettes. They want to sharpen their game, especially coming off last week’s so-so win against Winnipeg, but beating Hamilton does nothing for the already-crowned East Division champs. One Montreal player looking to rebound, though, is kicker Colt David, who missed three of five field goals last week. The Alouettes would like to see the injured Damon Duval get in some kicks before the playoffs begin, but will have to wait. As for the Ticats, they did a thorough job of disembowelling the Toronto Argonauts last Friday. Defensive end Stevie Baggs had a monster game, recording seven tackles and two sacks. He’ll be the man to watch when Montreal has the football. When Hamilton has the ball, quarterback Kevin Glenn has shown he can mix the run and pass expertly between DeAndra’ Cobb and Arland Bruce. Cobb and Bruce will draw plenty of attention from the Alouettes defence. The question is: Will the Alouettes have their hearts in this one? We’re thinking yes.

Pick: Montreal Alouettes


B.C. Lions at Calgary Stampeders (-9, 55.5)

Okay, will the Lions pencil in the correct lineup this week? Will they have the right kicker on the field or in the dressing room? Has former B.C. quarterback Casey Printers cast a curse on the team that dumped him like spoiled tomatoes? With the Lions this season there are no easy answers, only riddles wrapped in a mystery shrouded in miscues. One certainty is that the defence will be without cornerback Davis Sanchez and backup J.R. LaRose, both of whom were lost to injuries last week and are gone for the season. The Lions desperately need a win to stay in the playoff picture, but they’re up against a Calgary side that can clinch first place and a bye to the West final with a victory at home. Running back Joffrey Reynolds got untracked last week and ripped off 124 yards against Saskatchewan. The more he runs, the better things get for quarterback Henry Burris and his aerial mates, which could include three 1,000-yard receivers by regular season’s end. That’s too much firepower for a team as down and disrupted as the Lions.

Pick: Calgary Stampeders

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

CFL DUNKEL

Montreal at Hamilton
The Tiger-Cats look to build on their 5-0 ATS record in their last 5 games as an underdog from 1 to 3 points. Hamilton is the pick (+2 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Alouettes favored by only 1. Dunkel Pick: Hamilton (+2 1/2). Here are all of this week's CFL picks.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22

Game 481-482: Montreal at Hamilton (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Montreal 116.904; Hamilton 116.229
Dunkel Line: Montreal by 1; 51
Vegas Line: Montreal by 2 1/2; 53 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Hamilton (+2 1/2); Under

Game 483-484: BC at Calgary (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: BC 106.773; Calgary 118.398
Dunkel Line: Calgary by 11 1/2; 58
Vegas Line: Calgary by 9 1/2; 55 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Calgary (-9 1/2); Over

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

DR Bob

Best Bets
Rotation #304 Cincinnati (-7 1/2) 3-Stars at -10 or less, 2-Stars up to -11.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL Betting Preview

BLACKHAWKS (5-2-1) at BLUES (2-1-2)

TV: CSN-CH (HD), FS-MW (HD)

Season Series: Second of six meetings this season between these Central Division rivals. The first one came Monday, when the Blackhawks rallied for a 3-2 overtime win on a Patrick Sharp goal. The Blues had been staked to a 2-0, third-period lead after David Perron scored twice, but Marian Hossa needed just 2:31 to knot things up with a pair of his own and force the extra period.

Big Story: Chicago stumbled a little out of the gates, dropping three of its first four, but now the Blackhawks ride a four-game winning streak into Friday’s game at the Scottrade Center. They also possess a trio of the NHL’s top point producers in Hossa (7-4-11), Sharp (6-2-8) and Tomas Kopecky (1-7-8), an underrated player who finds himself reaping the benefits of playing on a line with Hossa and captain Jonathan Toews.

"Just give (Hossa) the puck when he's got speed," Kopecky said of his strategy. "Just look for him or Taser, and then just skate hard to the net and stop in front. Sometimes the simpler play for me is better."

TEAM SCOPE:

Blackhawks: The wins this week have come in dramatic fashion for Chicago. After coming back to beat the Blues, the Blackhawks captured their third in a row on home ice with a 2-1 shootout victory over the Canucks on Wednesday. They were perfect against Roberto Luongo in the shootout, as Toews, Sharp and Patrick Kane all connected, with Kane’s goal the decisive one. Viktor Stalberg scored in regulation and Marty Turco finished with 36 saves.

"It wasn't the prettiest game, but two points are two points," said Hossa, who was held without a point for the first time this season. "We grind until the end, (got) a shootout win, two points and we're happy with it."

Blues: This is the completion of a home-and-home for St. Louis, which unlike Chicago didn’t have a game in between. The Blues, who struggled at home much of last season while faring a lot better on the road, have reversed that trend to begin the 2010-11 season. They opened with a pair of wins at the Scottrade Center, but have since gone 0-1-2 on the road. The players are aware they let a valuable point slip away against the Blackhawks earlier this week.

"There's always details you can do better," Perron said. "It's a question of bouncing back the next time we play them."

Who's Hot: Turco has won four consecutive starts for the Blackhawks, stopping 136 of 144 shots for a .944 save percentage. ... T.J. Oshie has 1 goal and 4 assists during a four-game points streak for the Blues and leads the team in scoring.

Injury Report: Chicago is healthy with the exception of defenseman Brian Campbell, who remains out with a sprained knee. ... St. Louis has forward Cam Janssen (concussion/bruised sternum) and defenseman Nikita Nikitin (broken wrist) on injured reserve.

Stat Pack: Stalberg, acquired by the Blackhawks from the Maple Leafs in the Kris Versteeg trade, has scored twice in the last three games. ... Blues goalie Jaroslav Halak stopped 42 of the 44 shots he faced in the team’s previous two home games.

Puck Drop: A story in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch earlier this week pointed out that while St. Louis has outshot its opponents 190-124 this season, they’ve had issues putting the puck in the net. Checker Matt D’Agostini leads the team with 3 goals.

"At least we've got the mindset to put the puck on net," forward Brad Boyes told the paper. "(But) if we're not scoring, obviously we're not taking the right shots. You don't win by how many shots you get. You win by how many goals you get. There's definitely a correlation between good shots and just shots on net."


SENATORS (1-4-1) at SABRES (2-4-1)

TV: SNET-E; MSG-B

Season Series -- The Northeast Division rivals are meeting for the second time in 15 days. On Oct. 8, the teams opened the season in Ottawa with the Sabres earning a 2-1 victory.

Big Story -- Neither team is off to the kind of start it had hoped for. The Sabres snapped a five-game-losing streak on Wednesday with a 4-1 victory in Atlanta, their best performance of the season. Ottawa has been idle since a 4-3 loss at Montreal on Saturday, a game in which the Senators blew a 3-1 lead and were outshot badly.

TEAM SCOPE:

Senators -- With five days between games, Senators coach Cory Clouston decided Wednesday was a good day for a little bag skate, so he held one at the end of practice. Meanwhile, GM Bryan Murray made it clear that he's shopping for help for his struggling team.

Clouston hopes that a visit to HSBC Arena, where the Senators have won four in a row and eight of their last nine, will help het his team turned around.

"We have confidence there and that's the big thing," Clouston said before the team headed for Buffalo. "We play well in that barn. And we get some good goaltending in there. I think Brian (Elliott) has a lot of confidence in that building and against that team.

Sabres -- Buffalo played its most complete game of the season in the victory at Atlanta. The Sabres outshot the Thrashers 42-18, giving Ryan Miller a rare easy night, and got goals from four players. Three of the scorers -- Tyler Ennis, Tyler Myers and Thomas Vanek -- lit the lamp for the first time this season.

"I think the pace of our game has been so much better," coach Lindy Ruff said. "I think we can take what we did the last two road games and bring that back home with us. I like our focus."

Who's Hot -- Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson has 4 points in his last three games. Alfredsson and Spezza share the team lead with 5 points in six games. … Miller has a 1.33 goals-against average in his last three starts.

Injury Report -- Ottawa is still without goaltender Pascal Leclaire (groin) and defenseman Filip Kuba (broken leg). … Sabres forward Jason Pominville, sidelined since Oct. 11 with a concussion, took part in practice for the first time since the injury when he skated on Thursday. He says he's happy with his progress, but there's no timetable for his return.

Stat Pack -- Buffalo has outshot its opponents (Chicago and Atlanta) 83-39 in its last two games… Despite its recent hot streak in Buffalo, the Senators are still 19-23-3-4 all-time there.

Puck Drop -- It's been 17 years since the Sabres lost their first five home games, but that's what will happen if they don't beat the Senators. The last time they started a season at home this badly was 1993-94, when they lost their first seven in Buffalo. The Senators are 0-3-1 on the road -- their worst start away from Ottawa since setting an NHL record by losing their first 38 road games in 1992-93, their first season in the NHL.

 

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ICE PICKS

Friday's Best NHL Bets

Chicago Blackhawks at St. Louis Blues (-103, 5.5)

The reigning Stanley Cup champions may have a bit of a different look this season, but they are still on fire. Chicago has won four straight and is now 5-2-1, good for first place in the Central Division while putting the team atop the entire NHL with 11 points.

Speaking of 11 points, veteran right wing Marian Hossa is No. 1 league at that total and he is tied for first with seven goals. He is part of a dominant front line that also features Jonathon Toews and Tomas Kopecky. Head coach Joel Queenville is known for experimenting with several different line combinations, but there's no reason to think that threesome will change.

'We definitely feel pretty good about the line," Hossa noted. "Everybody is working pretty hard and it seems like we’ve got speed, we have chances and we’re creating well on the ice. And that’s what you need to do to be successful."

Meanwhile, the Blackhawks are 6-2 in their last eight against St. Louis

Pick: Chicago Blackhawks


Ottowa Senators at Buffalo Sabres (-135, 5.5)

The Senators are off to a dismal 1-4-1 start and it's hard to tell whether or not they are already panicking.

Coach Cory Clouston is confident his players can work their way out a season-opening 1-4-1 slump, but knows the slide can’t last much longer.

“Urgency is a lot better word than panic,” head coach Cory Clouston said on Wednesday. “We have to play with a lot more sense of urgency. Panic--nothing positive comes from that. Urgency, if we can create that, we can turn it into a positive, for sure.”

The Sabres, at the same time, are also off to a slow start at 2-4-1. But they could be closer to a turnaround than their opponents. Coach Lindy Ruff moved rookie Tyler Ennis to left wing on the third line with Mike Grier and Rob Niedermayer and it paid immediate dividends on Wednesday. Ennis scored the game's first goal as Buffalo defeated Atlanta 4-1.

"Sometimes when you put too much skill and not enough workers together, you don't get much done," Ruff explained. "I think we've got a good blend right now with every line."

Pick: Buffalo Sabres

 

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Bettors’ Best Friend (BBF): Friday’s Wagering Tips

Lines To Keep An Eye On

The Blues opened at -115 at some shops, but they are trading at -103 at the moment.

The Rangers opened at even money or as favorites at some shops, but they are now at +103 against the Yankees.

The South Florida vs. Cincinnati line has bounced around between -7 and -9, but it is now at -8 where it opened.

Weather To Watch

Yankees at Rangers: There is a 30 percent chance of isolated thunderstorms and a 14 mph wind is expected to blow in from center field to home plate.

South Florida at Cincinnati: Clear skies and clam winds should be the order of the evening.

Who’s Hot

Cincinnati is 6-0 ATS in its last six against South Florida.

The under is 4-0 in South Florida’s last four overall.

The Lightning are 7-1 in their last eight overall.

The under is 5-1 in the Blue Jackets last six overall.

Who’s Not

South Florida is 1-4 ATS in its last five overall and 1-4 ATS in its last five conference games.

The Rangers are 1-4 in their last five home games.

The Yankees are 1-4 in Phil Hughes’ last five road starts.

Key Stat

63 catches, 1075 yards, 13 TDs – Combined statistics for Cincinnati wide receivers Armon Binns and D.J. Woods through six games this season. They are ranked No.1 and No.2, respectively, in the Big East in receiving.

Injury That Shouldn’t Be Overlooked

Mark Teixeira had been dealing with all kinds of injuries already, but he is now confirmed out for the rest of the postseason after sustaining a hamstring injury while running to first base during Game 5. This could be an especially big blow with the Yankees going up against right-hander Colby Lewis on Friday. Teixeira batted .284 against righties compared to .244 against lefties in the regular season and had 10 homers and 40 RBIs in just 183 at-bats against righties, much higher than his respective percentages against southpaws.

Biggest Game On The Slate

New York Yankees at Texas Rangers (103, 9)

Notable Quotable

"He had a short retirement. I think we all should have a short retirement once in a while." -- Steelers' defensive end Aaron Smith on linebacker James Harrison, who threatened to retire earlier this week after being hit with a $75,000 fine stemming from his hit on Cleveland receiver Mohamed Massaquoi. Harrison was back at practice on Thursday and is expected to be in uniform this weekend at Miami.

Tips And Notes

Tampa Bay center Vincent Lecavalier returned to the ice in Thursday's overtime loss to the Islanders after missing one game with an injured knuckle on his right index finger. Lecavalier, who saw 17:24 of ice time, noted that a splint taped between the index and middle fingers increased the index finger's functionality "10 times." He has just one goal and one assist this season, but he should be good to go once again on Friday versus the Thrashers.

Texas outfielder Nelson Cruz, who left Game 5 in the fifth inning, said on Thursday that his left hamstring feels good and he expects to play in Game 6 of the ALCS on Friday. He pointed out that it was nowhere near as troublesome as the three times he was on the disabled list during the regular season. Cruz is batting .378 with four homers and six RBIs in 10 games this postseason.

The Giants are not taking the 1-4 Cowboys lightly heading into Monday night's NFC East showdown. "I don't care what their record is," cornerback Antrel Rolle said. "They're a great football team. Why aren't they winning? I don't know. Their record doesn't affect the way we're going to play. I'm expecting a battle and looking forward to a battle. Even if they are 1-4, you can't go on a team's record." Meanwhile, linebacker Keith Bulluck, who missed the last three games with a toe injury, returned to practice on Thursday and could return on Monday.

 

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ROCKETMAN

TOP TRIPLE DIME PLAY
5* Cincinnati Bearcats -7.5

 

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Ice Time

ML -Vancouver

Over -Tampa/Atlanta

ML- Buffalo

 

[szlem]

john fina/winningwaysports
John's Friday Night ESPN2 College Football Winner! ***High Rollers Only***


So Florida

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Mighty Quinn

Mighty hit with the Phillies Thursday night.

Friday it's the Yankees. The profit is 455 sirignanos.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Arthur Ralph Sports
538 - 386 run 58 %

Bonus Play 21-6 Bonus Play run Fri Texas Rangers +

 

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Gamblers Data

Bonus Play Friday

Canucks -182

 

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DCI CFB

Friday, October 22, 2010
Big East Conference
CINCINNATI 27, South Florida 19