Service Plays Monday 11/1/10

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

The Rx.com Mod Team has created this Service Play sub-forum in order to supply an area for Rx Service Play Posters to expand upon their posting topics without creating a logjam in the main forum where the three principle threads are maintained..

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]

Monday's Best NFL Bet

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts (-5.5, 51)

The Houston Texans have never had any success against the Indianapolis Colts, particularly in Indy, where they are 0-8 lifetime. However, if they want to get into the postseason for the first time in franchise history, this is an NFL betting affair that they have to win on Monday Night Football.

The Texans are on the rise right now for certain, and they are sitting pretty at 4-2. The problem is that they are in the toughest division in football and have both the Baltimore Ravens/Pittsburgh Steelers loser and the New England Patriots/New York Jets loser to deal with for a playoff spot as well. The key men in this game are going to be DE Mario Williams, WR Andre Johnson, and RB Arian Foster. Williams had a sack and got a ton of pressure in the Indy backfield in a Week 1 win over these Colts, and he must do the same this week, or the No. 32 ranked secondary in football at 306.2 yards per game is going to be absolutely demolished. Johnson has had 29 catches for 455 yards and two TDs in his last four games and has absolutely terrorized opposing secondaries this year. Foster, the NFL’s fourth leading rusher on the season, put together the best game that a back has had all season long in Week 1 when he rumbled for 231 yards and three TDs on a whopping 33 carries. Since that point, he has tapered off just a bit, but he certainly has the ability to explode on this defense if given the chance.

For Indianapolis, the dynasty might really be on the line on Monday Night Football. We tend to believe that this team is indestructible for as long as QB Peyton Manning is calling the shots, and to an extent, that’s probably right. However, 11, maybe even 12 wins might reasonably leave someone out of the playoffs in the AFC, and risking falling to 0-3 in division is too costly to even think about. There are just a slew of pieces to the puzzle that aren’t going to be around for the Colts in this one, as S Bob Sanders, TE Dallas Clark, S Melvin Bullitt, DB Jacob Lacey, WR Anthony Gonzalez, LB Gary Brackett, WR Austin Collie, and RB Joseph Addai… all starters… could be out of the lineup. If that’s the case, Manning’s options will be severely limited. It will be up to his offensive line to protect him and the men standing in on defense to take the best shot that this physical offensive line for the Texans is inevitably going to hit it with. A win and all will be forgotten, especially if the Tennessee Titans lose to the San Diego Chargers on Sunday. A loss could be catastrophic.

It’s reasonable to assess that this could be the most important Monday Night Football game in quite some time, especially if the Texans do pull off the upset and find a way to get to the playoffs. The scene is just too large for Houston, though. This team isn’t quite there yet, especially with the pieces to the puzzle that it is missing. We’ll take the points, but the outright upset won’t happen. Look for Manning to eke out a very close one to help restore order in the AFC South.

Pick: Houston Texans +5.5

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Texans At Colts: What Bettors Need To Know

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts (-5.5, 51)

Current Odds

Indianapolis has fluctuated between a 5 to 6-point home favorite during the week and currently stand -5.5 in most locations. The over/under on this game opened at 49 and has jumped to the key number of 51. The public is looking for a high-scoring game as 65 percent of the Covers.com consensus is supporting the over.

Injury Report

The Colts are missing three key players on offense: wide receiver Austin Collie, tight end Dallas Clark and running back Joseph Addai. Collie, Clark and Addai are ranked second, third, and fourth in receptions this season, combining for 99 catches for 968 yards with nine touchdowns. Addai is also the Colts’ leading rusher with 406 yards (4.4 ypr) and three touchdowns.

Houston has five players listed as questionable due to various knee and hamstring injuries. Defensive end Jesse Nading missed practice, while wide receiver Dorin Dickerson, cornerback Sherrick McManis and linebackers Xavier Adibi and Kevin Bentley all participated in practice after missing last week’s game.

No Dallas In Indianapolis

The Indianapolis Colts suffered a big blow when they lost tight end Dallas Clark to a season-ending wrist injury in their game against the Redskins two weeks ago. Clark is one of, if not the best, tight ends in the NFL and without him on the field is going to be a huge void to fill for the Colts.

Opposing teams will now play with five or six defensive backs, daring the Colts to run the football, something they cannot do consistently. The Colts average just 95 rushing yards per game on 3.7 yards per rush and they’ve only gained more than 100 yards on the ground in two of their six games.

”It’s going to be interesting,” Peyton Manning conceded. “There’s definitely some unknown there. We’ll have some groupings in there that we've never had before because Dallas is a guy that never left the field.

“You still have the same expectations, but you may have to make some adjustments. To sit here and say there's not an adjustment without Dallas Clark, we can't say that. He’s too great of a player not to have an effect.”

All Aboard The Foster Train

The Colts and Texans met in Week 1 and Houston running back Arian Foster had a career-game running the football. Foster ran for 231 yards on 33 carries as the Texans gashed the Indianapolis defense for 6.1 yards per rush. The Texans won that game 34-24 in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score indicates.

”We made the decision to run the ball that game,” Foster said. “I ended up with 30-something carries and any time you get into that rhythm, you just see the field better. The offensive line was tremendous. The tight ends and receivers blocked well. Everything was working.”

Can Foster repeat that effort again? It’s highly unlikely because the Colts will be game planning to stop Foster and the Texans running game now. And that should lead to some good opportunities for quarterback Matt Schaub and the Houston passing attack.

And these comments by Foster make us believe that the Texans will be looking to pass the ball in this game.

“We have a high-powered offense,” Foster said. “They (Colts) can’t go into this game with their attention on one individual. I think we have a good game plan in place and if we go in and execute the way I know we can, we are going to be just fine.”

A Drunk Punter? Say It Ain’t So

Indianapolis has one of the best punter/kickoff specialists in the league with Pat McAfee. But the Colts will be without McAfee for this game as he is suspended for one-game after his arrest for public intoxication during Indianapolis’ bye week.

The absence of McAfee is huge for the Colts here, but since he’s not a high-profile offensive or defensive player, this news is flying under the radar.

The Colts signed former Green Bay punter Jeremy Kapinos to kick for McAfee in this game. But this is a huge downgrade as some fantasy pundits have called Kapinos the ‘worst punter in football.’

Kapinos was so bad for the Packers that head coach Mike McCarthy publicly called him out twice for his terrible kicking during his time in Green Bay.

Indianapolis’ specials teams have been thinned by injuries and they have several regulars who could be required to play extensively on offense because of their multiple injuries on that side of the ball. It’s clear that the Colts have a big liability in this game on their special teams so you can’t overlook that fact when analyzing this matchup.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Payoff Pitch: Monday's Best MLB Mound Matchup

Cliff Lee, Texas Rangers vs. Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants

Cliff Lee (12-9, 3.18 ERA)

So, Cliff Lee is human after all. Now we get to see whether he can bounce back after his first playoff loss as he takes the hill in Game 5 against the San Francisco Giants.

He went into Game 1 with spectacular postseason numbers. Lee was 7-0 with a 1.26 ERA in eight previous postseason appearances, but then allowed seven runs (six earned) and eight hits over 4 2/3 innings in the 11-7 loss.

However, Lee isn’t a guy that rattles easily and took the beating in stride saying that location was his biggest issue. The Giants jumped on him early in the count all night and made him throw 32 pitches in the two-run third inning. Manager Ron Washington said that inning played a factor as Lee may have tired early before San Francisco put six runs on the board in the fifth.

“I get a chance to redeem myself against the team that actually put it to me pretty good last time,” Lee told reporters Sunday. “You know, I'm looking forward to it. I've been working hard and ready for it's basically the last start of the season for me, and I want to do everything I can to help this team win the World Series.”

Tim Lincecum (16-10, 3.43 ERA)

Now that Lincecum has his World Series jitters out of the way, it’s scary to think how good he might be in Game 5.

The right-hander admitted feeling a bit uneasy before Game 1’s start, but pitched well enough to help the Giants to a 11-7 victory. Lincecum went 5 2/3 innings allowing eight hits and four earned runs to outlast Cliff Lee. He struck out only three, which was his lowest punch-out total since he also struck out three back on Sept. 19 against the Milwaukee Brewers.

The experience of being there is the big help," Lincecum told reporters Sunday. "Going through the lineup again knowing that you're pitching in another World Series game just eases the tension."

This time around he’s looking to paint the corners a bit better after saying that he left too many hittable pitches in the strike zone during Game 1.

"I just want to be more aggressive, of course," Lincecum added. "Quality of strikes as opposed to just throwing strikes."

Lincecum is now 3-1 in postseason play, posting a 2.79 ERA and 33 strikeouts to seven walks.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA Betting Preview

TRAILBLAZERS-BULLS PREVIEW

After first-round playoff exits last season, Brandon Roy and Derrick Rose each talked about wanting to take their individual games and respective teams to the next level.

While it's early in the season, it's looking good for both to carry out those promises.

Roy and the Portland Trail Blazers seek their first 4-0 start in 11 years when they visit Rose and the Chicago Bulls on Monday.

Portland is off to its best start since the 1999-2000 season when it won its first four games. However, it hasn't been easy. The Trail Blazers have been behind entering the fourth quarter in each of their games, including rallying from six points down to win by 14 against Phoenix on Thursday and erasing a nine-point deficit in the final 5 1/2 minutes of a 100-95 win over New York on Saturday.

"You don't want to have to continue to do that, but these guys are not dropping their heads," coach Nate McMillan said. "They're playing a 48-minute game."

While the team's slow starts have put it in a tough position, it's helped that Roy is has been solid so far. After his numbers dropped slightly in 2009-10 due to nagging injuries, Roy is averaging 25.0 points and 6.3 rebounds. He finished with 29 points and six boards in the victory over the Knicks.

Roy and the Blazers continue their road trip Monday against a Bulls team that split its first two games despite outstanding efforts by Rose in each of them.

After scoring 28 points in a 106-95 loss at Oklahoma City on Wednesday, Rose matched a career high with 39 as Chicago erased a 21-point deficit to beat Detroit 101-91 on Saturday. The Bulls trailed by 13 with three minutes remaining before going on a 19-2 run to win their home opener.

Rose shot 13 of 27 and also had seven assists, six rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots as fans at the United Center began chanting "M-V-P."

"I'm far away from it," he said. "I've still got to play hard. Like I've said, I was working out hard all this summer. I think I've got a shot."

Rose was also helped by another solid effort from Joakim Noah, who signed a five-year contract extension in early October after being involved in several trade rumors over the offseason. He has totaled 33 points and 36 rebounds in his first two games.

RAPTORS-KINGS PREVIEW

Tyreke Evans' rookie season was one of the bright spots for Sacramento Kings fans in 2009-10. There is similar excitement as DeMarcus Cousins prepares for his debut at Arco Arena.

Cousins and the Kings return home after a promising three-game road trip to open the season when they host the Toronto Raptors on Monday night.

Sacramento (2-1) has finished last in the Pacific Division the last two seasons while winning a combined 42 games. However, one reason the Kings were optimistic heading into this season was an outstanding debut campaign by Evans.

The reigning NBA rookie of the year, who was the fourth overall pick in the 2009 draft, averaged 20.1 points, 5.8 assists and 5.3 rebounds last season. After being suspended for the 2010-11 opener for pleading no contest to reckless driving following his May 31 arrest, he's scored 39 points to go along with 13 assists and 11 rebounds in his first two games.

The Kings are hoping Cousins takes a similar path in his first NBA season. The fifth overall pick in this year's draft recorded his first double-double in a 107-104 win at Cleveland on Saturday, finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Cousins is averaging 13.3 points and 7.3 rebounds.

"He made some big plays," coach Paul Westphal said. "I love his spirit and his enthusiasm and his skill."

Sacramento, which blew a six-point lead with 2:30 remaining in a 106-100 loss to New Jersey on Friday, rallied from 16 points down against the Cavaliers. Evans scored 21 points and Beno Udrih had 12 points and 11 assists.

"It was a good road trip for us," said Westphal, whose club plays its next four at home. "We can look back and say if we would have held that lead (Friday), we could have been 3-0, but ... to get two of those games I feel good about it."

Toronto (1-1) begins a four-game road trip after splitting a pair of home games to open the season.

The Raptors bounced back from a 98-93 loss to New York on Wednesday with Friday night's 101-81 pounding of Cleveland. After shooting 38.3 percent against the Knicks, they shot 47.6 percent against the Cavaliers, led by Andrea Bargnani (20 points) and Linas Kleiza (19). Toronto also outrebounded the Cavs 46-33.

After losing Chris Bosh to Miami in the offseason, Toronto has been trying to replace the franchise's all-time leading scorer and rebounder. While Reggie Evans doesn't have the offensive talent of Bosh, scoring two points in the first two games, Evans has been very productive on the glass, totaling 30 rebounds - including 14 in 27 minutes Friday.

"I think our defense kind of sustained throughout the whole game and it really showed and carried on to the offense," Evans said. "We got some easy transition buckets. It was a good feeling, the defensive end really won the game for us."

This will be a tough early test for the Raptors, who play eight of their first 10 games in November on the road. This trip is all against Western Conference teams, with visits to Utah, the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland.

Toronto and Sacramento split their two meetings last season with each team winning at home. The Raptors are 2-12 all-time at Arco Arena.

He'll face a challenge to put up those kinds of numbers against Portland, however. While the Blazers are missing big men Greg Oden (left knee) and Joel Przybilla (right knee), they have outrebounded opponents in two of three games - a big reason they haven't allowed an opponent to reach 100 points this season. LaMarcus Aldridge is averaging 9.7 rebounds.

Also, Noah struggled in two games against Portland last season. He totaled 15 points and 19 rebounds, making one start. Last season, Noah averaged 10.7 points and 11.0 rebounds.

Portland and Chicago split the two meetings in 2009-10, with each winning at home. The Bulls won 115-111 in overtime at the United Center on Feb. 26, led by 33 points from Rose. Aldridge had 32 points.​

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

PICK 'N' ROLL

Monday's Best NBA Bets

Portland Trail Blazers at Chicago Bulls (-1.5, 189)

Michael who? Okay, so no player is ever going to make Bulls fans forget about Michael Jordan, but point guard Derrick Rose’s play has Chicago basketball fans pumped about the present and future instead reminiscing about the glory days.

Rose was unreal in the Bulls’ come-from-behind win over the Pistons, netting 39 points to go along with seven assists and six rebounds.

Chicago outscored Detroit 34-9 in the final frame thanks in large part to Rose’s unstoppable first step. The home crowd recognized Rose’s play with chants of “M-V-P”.

"This is what I work out for," Rose told Chicago Tribune following the game. "This is why I love this game. I want to be known as a winner and not just a regular player."

Rose’s offensive outburst shadows Chicago’s glaring weakness. There isn’t much firepower on the Bulls' roster besides Rose, at least not until power forward Carlos Boozer gets back. Chicago’s offense is non-existent if Rose isn’t creating easy shots for his teammates.

Look for a deeper Portland squad to expose the Bulls’ one-dimensional attack.

Pick: Portland TrailBlazers


Toronto Raptors at Sacramento Kings (-4, 209)

Sacramento is another team blessed with a rising star in its backcourt. Tyreke Evans returned from a one-game suspension and immediately reminded people why he was selected as last season’s Rookie of the Year.

Evans missed 14 of his 20 shots from the field Friday night against the Cavaliers but he blew by primary defends almost every time he touched the ball.

"(Evans) creates a lot of attention, and so much of what we run is designed to give him a chance to get to the basket and make plays for himself and others," Kings coach Paul Westphal told the Sacramento Bee before Friday’s contest.

Evans will be a headache for the Raptors, but Toronto will have the most trouble guarding post scorers like Carl Landry and DeMarcus Cousins.

Pick: Sacramento Kings

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL Betting Preview

DEVILS (3-8-1) at CANUCKS (4-3-2)

TV: MSG PLUS (HD), SNET-VAN (HD)

Last 10: New Jersey 3-7-0

Season Series -- This is the sole meeting of the season between the two clubs. The Canucks defeated the Devils, 5-2 in New Jersey, in last season's lone matchup. Roberto Luongo outplayed Martin Brodeur, making 27 saves, while Vancouver had goals from Alexandre Burrows, Sami Salo, Daniel Sedin, Alexander Edler and Jannik Hansen.

Big Story -- With the Devils' 3-1 loss to the Kings on Saturday they fell to last place in the Eastern Conference and last in the NHL with seven points. It will be their third game in four nights in the midst of a five-game Western Conference road trip that hasn't been kind to the New Jersey squad. Making matters worse on Saturday, the Devils lost Zach Parise to a lower-body injury. The left wing, who didn't play in third period, was sent back to Jersey to be evaluated by the team medical staff.

TEAM SCOPE:

Devils -- Despite the loss on Saturday, the Devils bombarded the Kings with shots, outshooting them 40-23. Rookie defenseman Matt Taormina scored mid-second period, cutting L.A.'s lead in half, but the Kings made it a 3-1 game just 24 seconds later.

"It's frustrating when you get a goal on the board to make it 2-1 and then give up a goal on the next shift," captain Jamie Langenbrunner said. "Those are big moments in the game where you got to come out with your best and we just weren't doing that."

Ilya Kovalchuk, who had been wooed by the Kings this summer during free agency, was booed by the fans every time he touched the puck. The left wing had just two shots in the game and hasn’t registered a point in three games.

"That's always happened," Kovalchuk said. "It's not the first time I've been booed. It's nothing new for me."

Canucks: The Canucks have had five days off since their last game. It gave them plenty of time to work out some kinks and allowed the injured to get their rest. Their last game, on Oct. 26, was a 4-3 overtime victory over the Avalanche and the first time this season Vancouver had back-to-back wins.

Mason Raymond scored the game-winner just 28 seconds into the extra period by poke-checking the puck off a Colorado defenseman and past Peter Budaj.

"It wasn't the prettiest, but we'll take it as a team and I'll take it as a player. I saw him get the puck and go to head behind the net, I just gave it a good whack toward the front and it went between (Budaj's) legs and in," Raymond said of his third goal of the season.

Jeff Tambellini, Ryan Kesler and Peter Schaefer also scored for the Canucks. It was Schaefer's first goal since the 2007-2008 season as the left wing sat out last season after having been unable to sign with a team.

Who's Hot -- Canucks defenseman Christian Ehrhoff had a pair of assists in Tuesday's game, while Henrik Sedin, with an assist on Tuesday, is in a four-way tie for League lead in assists with 11.

Injury Report -- As noted, Parise (lower-body) is out and will not play in Vancouver. He joins forward Brian Rolston (sports hernia surgery) and defensemen Bryce Salvador (concussion), Anssi Salmela (right knee surgery), Anton Volchenkov (broken nose/stiff neck), Mark Fraser (right hand surgery) and Matthew Corrente (broken left hand) on the infirmary list, while Jacob Josefson (hand) is day-to-day.

The Canucks have a lengthy injury list of their own. While Dan Hamhuis (foot) and Keith Ballard (concussion) skated on Friday, the defensemen are questionable for Monday. Burrows (left shoulder surgery) has resumed practice, but is still on the IR. Defenseman Sami Salo (right Achilles surgery) and center Alexandre Bolduc (high ankle sprain) are still out. Forward Rick Rypien is serving his fourth game of a six-game suspension.

Stat Pack -- Martin Brodeur has lost six of last seven games against the Canucks.

Puck Drop -- "Who cares how many shots we put on net?" a frustrated Kovalchuk asked after Saturday’s loss. "It's only one goal, and you're not going to win a lot of games with one goal. We have to find a way to be better. It's a five-man unit. The way the 'Ds' helped us in the third period, I think that made a big difference. We created a lot of chances and we played almost all 20 minutes in their zone."
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BLACKHAWKS (7-5-1) at RANGERS (5-4-1)

TV: NHLN-CA (HD), NHLN-US (HD), CSN-CH (HD), MSG (HD)

Last 10: Chicago 6-4-0

Season Series -- This is the only meeting of the season between the two Original Six clubs.

Big Story -- Both teams are coming off big and much-needed road wins on Saturday night with the Rangers shutting out the Maple Leafs in Toronto, 2-0, and the Blackhawks taking a 3-1 decision over the Wild in Minnesota. Each team is missing its Slovakian star, as Marian Hossa and Marian Gaborik are both ailing from similar upper-body injuries. We know Gaborik's is a shoulder injury, but we don't know the extent of Hossa's injury.

TEAM SCOPE:

Blackhawks -- Injuries have snuck up on the Blackhawks, with Hossa now out four weeks and Brian Campbell still sidelined, though on the mend and near a return, thanks to his preseason knee injury. There is some thought out there that Campbell could return for this game at MSG, but he remains a long shot, at least for now. Dave Bolland also missed the Hawks game in Minnesota with an upper-body injury and he's listed as day-to-day.

However, Chicago got a performance it needed out of goalie Marty Turco on Saturday to pick up a crucial victory after it lost, 7-4, at home to Edmonton the night before. Turco made 25 saves for his sixth win. Troy Brouwer also scored his first goal of the season after being put on the left wing of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Brouwer had 22 goals last season.

"It wasn't so much a little monkey. It was a big gorilla on my back," Brouwer said of finally scoring.

Rangers -- After back-to-back home losses to Atlanta and Carolina, the Rangers went to Toronto and picked up a 2-0 win. Henrik Lundqvist made 36 saves and Brian Boyle scored a sweet backhanded goal while Ryan Callahan connected on a penalty shot. They were not perfect by any means, but Lundqvist was. He made 18 saves in the second period as the Rangers tended to the lead. The penalty kill was also perfect on three chances in the final nine minutes of the first period. That included a short 5-on-3 penalty kill. The Rangers also blocked a season-high 35 shots and lead the League in blocked shots per game with an average of 19.

"I'm happy with the way I played, but the guys did a great job of blocking guys out and blocking shots, too," Lundqvist said. "They came really hard at us the last 10-15 minutes, but we got skates and sticks in the way, which was huge."

Who's Hot -- Callahan now has goals in four straight games and points in six straight (4-5-9). ... Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith scored his first goal of the season Saturday, but he also picked up his ninth assist and his sixth in the last three games.

Injury Report -- Gaborik (shoulder), Chris Drury (finger) and Vinny Prospal (knee) are out for the Rangers. ... Hossa (upper body), Campbell (knee) and Bolland (upper body) highlight the Blackhawks' injuries.

Stat Pack -- Both teams will be playing their fourth game in six nights. They each had Thursday and Sunday off. … Chicago needed overtime last season to beat New York at United Center, 2-1. The Rangers haven't lost to Chicago at MSG since Dec. 11, 2002, but this is only the third time they've played the Hawks at home since that time.

Puck Drop -- Turco was pulled Friday night against Edmonton after yielding four goals on 12 shots in the first period. He said it didn't phase him.

"I can erase it a lot quicker. You've got to go through it sometimes to understand how it affects you," he said. "I'm just at a position now, period, where I want to win. I want to be in net. I want to be the guy."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

ICE PICKS

Monday's Best NHL Bets

New Jersey Devils at Vancouver Canucks (-160, 5.5)

The New Jersey Devils just can’t catch a break right now.

Already mired in a slump that has seen the club lose six of its last eight games, the club now heads into Monday’s matchup in Vancouver while their sniper Zach Parise undergoes tests back in New Jersey on what is rumored to be a knee injury that he picked up during Saturday’s 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. Parise, who led the team with 38 goals last season, didn’t come out for the third period.

That’s terrible news for a New Jersey club that’s averaging only 1.7 goals a game with a league-worst power play that is converting on only 7.7 percent of its chances this season.

In this situation, you’d hope that Ilya Kovalchuk would step up to shoulder the scoring load, but he has only one point in his last six games and was benched last week for being late for a team meeting.

"Who cares how many shots we put on net?" Kovalchuk said after the Devils fired 39 shots at Los Angeles’ Jonathan Quick. "It's only one goal, and you're not going to win a lot of games with one goal. We have to find a way to be better. It's a five-man unit. The way the 'Ds' helped us in the third period, I think that made a big difference. We created a lot of chances and we played almost all 20 minutes in their zone."

New Jersey has just two wins in its last eight meetings with the Canucks.

Pick: Vancouver Canucks


Chicago Blackhawks at New York Rangers (-120, 5.5)

With Chris Drury, Marian Gaborik on the shelf with injuries, the New York Rangers were probably just hoping to keep their heads above water until the injury bug let up.

That’s exactly what they’ve managed to do going 4-3 since Drury and Gaborik went on the shelf.

Rangers coach John Tortorella has been juggling most of his lines on a weekly basis, but one constant that has remained is his top line of Artem Anisimov, Brandon Dubinsky, and Ryan Callahan.

Callahan scored New York’s second goal on a penalty shot in Saturday’s 2-0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs and now leads the club with 11 points in 10 games while riding a six-game points streak. Dubinsky is second in team scoring with five goals and nine points, while Anisimov checks in third with seven points.

“They continue to be our best and most consistent line night after night,” Rangers head coach John Tortorella told reporters after Friday’s 4-3 loss to the Hurricanes. “I liked a lot of what I saw from our team. There are things we have to fix, but there are a lot of good things there.”

Pick: Over

 

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Bettors' Best Friend (BFF): Monday's Wagering Tips

Lines To Watch

Sacramento Kings opened as 2.5-point favorites against Toronto and are now listed at -4.

Who’s Hot

Portland Blazers are 3-0 straight up to start the year with all three games playing under the total.

San Antonio Spurs are 8-0 ATS in their last eight meetings with the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Philadelphia Flyers have won three straight scoring six goals on the power play during the streak.

Who’s Not

The New Jersey Devils have won two of their last eight meetings with the Vancouver Canucks.

Carolina Hurricanes have won only seven of their last 35 games against the Flyers.

Key Stat

5 – The number of teams that have come back from a 3-1 series deficit to win the World Series. The last team to accomplish the feat was the Kansas City Royals in 1985.

Injury That Shouldn't Be Overlooked

Brian Campbell, Chicago Blackhawks – Campbell has been skating for the past few days and could return to the lineup Monday against the Vancouver Canucks. Campbell has been out of the lineup since spraining his knee during the preseason and would be a big help to Duncan Keith, who has been logging a lot of minutes without Campbell in the lineup. Chicago plans to see how Campbell does in Monday’s morning skate before making an official announcement.

Game Of The Day

San Francisco Giants at Texas Rangers

Notable Quotable

"I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to stick to the script that got them the win the first game. We just want to play better than we did last time. We're going to start by stopping the run, rallying to the ball, then forcing a team to throw, then that's when we're at our best.'' – Indianapolis cornerback Kelvin Hayden told reporters about what he expects from the Houston Texans Monday night.

Tips And Notes

Philadelphia Flyers forward Daniel Briere has a 10 a.m. conference call with the league on Monday after he was assessed a five-minute major and a 10-minute misconduct for cross-checking Frans Nielsen near the end of Saturday’s 6-1 win over the Islanders. If suspended he could miss Monday’s game against the Hurricanes.

Adam Vinatieri will handle kickoffs Monday night for the Indianapolis Colts with punter/kickoff specialist Pat McAfee suspended after he was booked for a public intoxication charge during the team’s bye week. Vinatieri hasn’t been used in kickoff situations in a full year, when McAfee joined the club.

Eric Bledsoe is going to see more time in a backup role for the Los Angeles Clippers with Randy Foye out with a sprained right hamstring. Foye missed Sunday's game against Dallas and Bledsoe stepped in to back up starter Baron Davis with six points, three rebounds, two assists, one steal and four turnovers in 16 minutes of work. The club is currently saying Foye's day-to-day, but coach Vinny Del Negro said Foye could be out a "week or two." Foye is scheduled to be re-evaluated Monday. Los Angeles will be busy over the next while, playing five games in seven days.

 

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DCI NFL

INDIANAPOLIS 31, Houston 22

 

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Dr. Bob

I’ll consider Houston a Strong Opinion at +4 points or more

I’d take the Texans in a 2-Star Best Bet at +7 or more.

 

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GOLDSHEET

*INDIANAPOLIS 32 - Houston 21
—Payback time for the Colts, who had won 15 of 16 all-time in the series until being roughly upended in the season opener, with then little-known RB Arian Foster crunching for 231 yards and 3 TDs. With two weeks to focus on him, it’s unlikely the Indy defense will be caught off guard. Both teams missing key players, with Texas top LB DeMeco Ryans (Achilles) out for the year, same as Colts’ clutch TE Dallas Clark (wrist). RB Joseph Addai & WR Austin Collie also hurting for Indy. But Houston, going with youngsters Glover Quin & Kareem Jackson at CB, was last in pass defense through six weeks, which could be death in this payback for Peyton.

 

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NELLY'S

INDIANAPOLIS (-5 1⁄2) Houston (49 1⁄2) 7:35 PM
Houston finally broke through in this series earlier this season but these teams have gone on divergent paths since that game. The Colts have won back-to-back games against quality teams and Houston narrowly avoided two-game slide catching big breaks to beat Kansas City just before the bye week. Indianapolis is the second most productive offensive team in the league but Houston is not far behind. The Texans are the worst statistical team in the league allowing 410 yards per game and Indianapolis will have a much better plan to stop Arian Foster after his huge game in the opener. The Colts have been impressive in the big primetime games this season and Houston is once again an overrated team. COLTS BY 10

 

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MARC LAWRENCE PLAYBOOK

INDIANAPOLIS over Houston by 3
Texans, again.

 

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NORTHCOAST POWERPLAYS

HOU beat IND in the season opener 34-24 as a 1pt HD. RB Foster abused the Colts defense for 231 yds (7.0) & Manning was playing behind an unsettled OL. Both teams have big injury issues with HOU losing MLB DeMeco Ryans on an already bad defense (#32). Manning will be without All-Pro TE Clark (wrist) for the year, with RB Addai (shoulder) & WR Collie (knee) out 2-4 weeks. A loss here puts IND at 0-3 in Div play & they still have both games vs TEN on the docket. HOU would take a huge step towards being a relevant factor in the playoff chase with a road win here. This is an No Play as we want to see the injury report for both teams on Thursday.
NO PLAY: COLTS 36 TEXANS 23

 

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Prediction Machine

NFL

Indy -5.5

 

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Redsheet

87* = 12-11...houst

 

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Sixth sense
best bets

3% houston +5.5

 

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Doc Sports

Houston over 50

 

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Vegas Sports Informer

Houston over 50