Service Plays Saturday 4/16/11

[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..

You can also discuss who is hot and who is not. The general state of the pay for plays industry and any other subject or topic related to service plays.

You can also create individual threads about specific services and discuss them freely but civilly. Again bashing and abusive treatment of any services will not be tolerated.

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Lastly The Rx Moderators are appealing to you our everyday posters to report any promotional threads or posts that are made by services or individual touts. No links or contact information to an individual service will be allowed. Just the name of the service. Please report any threads or posts that are promotional attempts by services and touts to use this forum to promote themselves..

Posters can easily report a promotional post by using the triangular Report-a-Post Icon at the bottom left of all post boxes. The poster name of any poster who reports a post that is out of line will be kept strictly confidential.

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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Thank you, wilheim.......

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GL!

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Hockey Crusher
Play of the Day:

Coyotes + Red Wings UNDER 5.5

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

WUNDERDOG (NBA PLAYOFFS)

Game: Indiana at Chicago (1:00 PM Eastern)
Pick: Chicago -11.5 (-110)

The Chicago Bulls were not in the conversation at the beginning of the season for top honors in the NBA. But here they are opening vs. Indiana as the top seed with their NBA best 62-20 mark on the season. The Bulls were an impressive 36-5 at home on the season. The Bulls closed the season with nine straight wins. But some are looking at the fact they were 0-5 ATS down the stretch as a favorite of 9 or more, and may be deterred by the big number here. I'm not. Unlike the regular season, big playoffs favorites of 10 or more in this round own a 31-19 ATS mark. The Pacers are in the playoffs by default as they are not a playoff-caliber team at 37-45. Teams that win less than 40 games that play in the postseason are 4-14 ATS and 0-7 ATS as a double digit dog.
Chicago covers this one.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

LARRY NESS (thanks Dom)

NBA Indiana at Chicago *8 Chicago -11.5
NBA Atlanta at Orlando PLAY OFF OPENER *10 Orlando -8

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Big Al

100% lock miami heat

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA News and Notes Saturday 4/16
Hawks and Magic in NBA playoff betting rematch
By: Brad Young

Atlanta and Orlando collide in the NBA Playoffs for the second consecutive season, but the Hawks are hoping for a vastly different outcome. Last year's second-round series was completely one-sided, with the Magic sweeping Atlanta and winning the games by an average of 25 points.

Don Best's Real-Time Odds lists Orlando as eight-point home ‘chalk’ over Atlanta, with Game 1's total set at 179½.

The Magic are also installed as decided minus 600 favorites to win this series, while the Hawks are a plus-475 underdog.

ESPN will provide coverage of Saturday’s series opener beginning at 4:00 p.m. PT from Orlando’s Amway Center.

The good news for fifth-seed Atlanta (44-28 straight up, 37-45 against the spread) is it went 3-1 SU and 4-0 ATS versus Orlando this season. The Hawks were a dismal 2-10 SU the previous 12 encounters with the Magic.

The ‘under’ is also a stellar 9-1 the past 10 games in this series, and 19-7 the previous 26 meetings.

The bad news for Atlanta is the fact that the team ended the regular season by losing its last six games SU, and final five ATS. That marks the Hawks' longest SU losing skid the past three years.

Atlanta concluded the regular campaign with Wednesday’s setback to Charlotte as a 1½-point road underdog, 96-85. The combined 181 points failed to topple the 192-point closing total, helping the ‘under’ cash the third consecutive contest. The ‘under’ is now 11-4 in Atlanta’s last 15 road endeavors.

The Hawks rested many of their starters to remain fresh for the playoffs, and finished the contest by shooting 43 percent (34-of-79) from the field and a dismal 1-of-8 from behind the arc. Both teams grabbed 37 rebounds, while Atlanta was on the short end of assists, 27-16.

Backup center Josh Powell paced the offense with 16 points and five rebounds, while forward Damien Wilkins provided 14 and four. Guard Jamal Crawford accounted for 14 in the setback, while guard Kirk Hinrich had 10.

Fourth-seed Orlando (52-30 SU, 35-46-1 ATS) finished the regular season eight games ahead of Atlanta in the Southeast Division standings. The Magic concluded the regular season by going 4-1 SU and ATS their last five games.

Orlando cruised past Indiana Wednesday as a 5½-point home favorite, 92-74, while the combined 166 points never seriously threatened the 193-point closing total. The ‘under’ has cashed their last two outings, and the ‘under’ is now 20-6 their previous 26 home contests.

The Magic dominated the Pacers on the glass, 55-35, while also recording more points in the paint, 34-18, and delivering more assists, 17-16. Orlando finished the contest by shooting 44 percent (32-of-73) from the field, and 31 percent 8-of-26) from 3-point land.

Power forward Ryan Anderson posted 14 points and seven rebounds in the victory, while center Dwight Howard provided 13 and 13. Small forward Hedo Turkoglu accounted for 13 and five, while forward Brandon Bass had 12 and six.

Atlanta center Jason Collins (ankle injury) is ‘probable’ for Saturday’s contest versus the Magic. Orlando guard Gilbert Arenas (knee) and forward Brandon Bass (Achilles) are ‘probable’ against the Hawks, while guard JJ Redick (abdominal) is ‘questionable.’

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA News and Notes Saturday 4/16
NBA Playoff Betting: Trail Blazers at Dallas Mavericks
By: Adam Markowitz

The Dallas Mavericks, seeded third in the NBA's Western Conference, are expected to roll on to the second round of the playoffs. However, the sixth-seeded Portland Trail Blazers could have other ideas.

These two foes will square off at American Airlines Center in Big D on Saturday night, with a tip time coming at 6:30 (PT). If you want to catch this NBA playoff betting battle live, you can see it on ESPN.

Portland really could be a sneaky team, not just in this series, but in the entire postseason. This is a club that went 28-14 from January 15 through the end of the regular season, one of the best marks in the league in that stretch. Business really started to pick up when the club got healthy and after the acquisition of Gerald Wallace.

We know that Brandon Roy might not ever really be the same player that he was a season and a half ago, as his knees might not let him do what he is capable of doing. However, Wallace has really been the perfect complement to LaMarcus Aldridge with injuries limiting Roy's court time.

Wallace is averaging 15.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG and 2.0 SPG since coming to Portland. Aldridge is good for 21.8 PPG and 8.8 RPG.

Wesley Matthews, the only member of this team to play in all 82 games this season, had a breakout year, scoring 15.9 PPG. He really wasn't used all that much at the outset of the season, but from the point that he took over the starting shooting guard spot, he was lights out.

This is going to be the start of a heck of a test for Dallas. The Mavericks have never won an NBA Championship, and Dirk Nowitzki has built up the distinction of being a player that can put up great stats but will never win the big one.

This year though, there's no denying that he should be an MVP candidate even though we know that he won't get a sniff of the award. Forget about the fact that Nowitzki averaged 23.0 PPG and 7.0 RPG on the campaign. Forget about the 16 double-doubles. Forget about a dozen 30+ point efforts.

The only stat you need to know about Nowitzki is that the team was just 3-8 in 11 games in which he was out of the lineup, meaning the Mavs were 54-17 with him in there. Prorated over 82 games, the Mavericks would have gone 62-20 and tied for the best record in the NBA.

It's not like Nowitzki doesn't have plenty of help either. Jason Terry is good for 15.8 PPG, and at times this season, some or all of Shawn Marion, Tyson Chandler, Jose Barea, Peja Stojakovic and Rodrique Beaubois have been double-digit point scorers.

Jason Kidd is no longer doing a lot of shooting, but he is good for 8.2 APG and 4.4 RPG.

The regular season series has to scare the wits out of the Mavs as well. Portland won the two meetings at home in the Rose Garden, 104-96 and 104-101, and Nowitzki was in the fold for both games.

The Blazers went 2-2 SU and 3-1 against the NBA odds this year versus Dallas, and they are now 6-2 ATS over the course of their last eight meetings overall.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Pick 'n' Roll

Saturday's Best NBA Bets

Atlanta Hawks at Orlando Magic (-8.5, 179.5)

The Magic lost three of four to Atlanta during the regular season, but you can probably throw those out the window. Orlando seems to be a different team when it reaches the playoffs. Stan Van Gundy’s squad won the East two years ago and did not lose a single game en route to last season’s conference finals before falling to the Celtics in six.

Among Orlando’s 2010 playoff victims was none other than Atlanta. In a record-setting series, the Magic swept the Hawks by a combined 101 points -- the biggest margin in NBA history.

The Hawks should at least get a game this time around, but it may not come on Saturday. Josh Smith missed three games recently with a knee injury and played sparingly in the final two regular-season contests. Jason Collins sat out the last four games due to a sprained ankle. Both should play in Game 1, but they could be limited.

Collins is a little-used reserve, but he is valuable when Atlanta goes up against Dwight Howard and company. Van Gundy told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution after an 85-82 Hawks’ win on March 30 that Collins played “the best defense I’ve seen all year on Dwight.”

Orlando, meanwhile, won five of its last six regular-season games at the Amway Center.

Pick: Magic

Portland Trail Blazers at Dallas Mavericks (-5, 186)

The Mavericks have flamed out in the first round in three of the last four playoffs. But they are not concerned about that as they try to end the streak of underachieving.

“I’m not into analyzing the past,” coach Rick Carlisle told ESPNDallas.com. “This is a new situation. It’s an exciting time. We’re going to go into this thing guns blazing.”

Dallas is also going into the postseason with a nice four-game winning streak (4-0 ATS). The team won three of those contests by double digits, including a 25-point rout of Phoenix last Sunday and a 32-point destruction of New Orleans on Wednesday.

Carlisle announced that DeShawn Stevenson will replace Roddy Beaubois in the starting lineup at shooting guard for the playoffs. That should energize the Mavs, as Beaubois looked out of his league as a starter after returning from a foot injury in February.

Portland and Dallas split four regular-season meetings, the home team winning every time.

Pick: Mavericks

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB News and Notes Saturday 4/16
New York Mets at Braves on MLB schedule
By: SBG Global

The New York Mets and Atlanta Braves get the spotlight on Saturday afternoon as FOX television will be showing the baseball betting game. The pitching matchup is an interesting one as Mike Pelfrey goes for New York while Jair Jurrjens gets the call for the Braves.

Check out the current line for this game at SBG Global.com.

Pelfrey has not pitched well this season for New York. The Mets were counting on Pelfrey to be their top starter but so far he has been their worst.

He gave up five runs in his first start, six earned runs in his second start and three earned runs last time out. At least his numbers are improving but he still has an ERA of 10.80 this betting season.

Pelfrey has not had much success in his career against the Braves going 4-8 with a 5.56 ERA.

Jurrjens will make his season debut on Saturday afternoon. He has been on the disabled list with a strained right oblique. The right-hander has been in the minor leagues on a rehab assignment and his last start on Monday went well so he is set for this start on Saturday.

The Mets are the perfect team for Jurrjens to make his season debut against. He is 7-2 in his career against New York with a 2.81 ERA.

So far this season the Mets have been going 'over' the total far more than expected. Their offense is right around the top 10 in all of baseball which is a huge shock.

New York’s pitching has been just the opposite of the hitting as it has been very poor. It was expected that New York would at least be able to get some quality starts with their rotation, but so far this season they have been few and far between.

The Braves have almost exactly the opposite numbers of New York, struggling to score runs but getting pretty good pitching. Atlanta’s offense should pick up as the season progresses and it may start in this series against the Mets.

Before this series began the Braves had won 13 of the last 20 games against the Mets. Atlanta was 7-3 in their last 10 home matchups against the Mets. Last MLB betting season the Braves won all three home series against New York. Six of those nine games went 'under' the total.​

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB News and Notes Saturday 4/16
MLB Betting Preview: NY Yankees, Texas Rangers Game 2
By: David Schwab

The Texas Rangers are in the Bronx this weekend for a three-game set with the New York Yankees in a rematch of last season’s ALCS. Saturday’s Game 2 from Yankee Stadium is set to start at 10:05 a.m. (PT) and it will be available on MLB TV.

Saturday’s weather forecast calls for a 70 percent chance of afternoon showers with temperatures in the upper 40’s.

Texas is coming off a rough week where it not only lost two of three games to Detroit, but also lost regining AL MVP Josh Hamilton for the next two months after he broke his arm sliding into home. The Rangers are currently in first place in the AL West with a 9-3 record overall. They were 3-3 on the road heading into Friday night’s series opener.

Texas’ pitching has been lights-out so far from the starting rotation right through the bullpen with a 2.55 team ERA. The Rangers have also been effective at the plate with a team batting average of .269 and 66 runs scored, both ranking third in the AL heading into weekend action.

The loss of Hamilton in the heart of the lineup will undoubtedly hurt, but the Rangers are still loaded with guys that can hit the ball including Nelson Cruz, who leads the team with 12 RBI and five home runs.

Left-hander Derek Holland is slated to get the start for Texas on Saturday. He was rock-solid his last time out in six scoreless innings against Baltimore. He has now given up 12 hits and just three earned runs in 12 innings to go 2-0 on the year.

Holland has struggled in the past against the Yankees with a record of 0-2 and a 9.49 ERA.

New York dropped two of three games to Boston last weekend, but bounced back with two straight wins over Baltimore. The first game of that series was rained out.

Joe Girardi's club now has a 7-4 record, including 6-2 at home, and a one-game lead over the Orioles in the AL East with Friday's results still pending.

The Yankees’ pitching has not been the best with a team ERA of 4.73, which is ranked 11th in the AL. Hitting has also been an issue with a .253 team batting average, but the Yanks have made the most of their opportunities with 63 runs.

Mark Teixeira and Russell Martin lead the way for New York. Teixeira has 11 RBI and four home runs and Martin has nine RBI and three home runs.

Freddy Garcia will be making his first start of the season. He went 12-6 last year with a 4.64 ERA and a WHIP of 1.38 in 28 starts while with the White Sox. Lifetime against the Rangers he is 7-5 with a 4.29 ERA.

Texas is 4-2 as a favorite this season and 5-1 as an underdog. The total has stayed ‘under’ in six of 11 games.

New York is 6-3 as a favorite and 1-1 as an underdog. The total has gone ‘over’ in eight of 11 games.

Head-to-head, the Rangers are just 2-4 in their last six games at Yankee Stadium, but have won eight of the last 11 games overall. The total has gone ‘over’ in four of the last five games in New York and in three of the last four games overall.

The Yankees should open as a slight favorite for this game, but stick with the Rangers’ bullpen to outperform New York’s to get the win.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB News and Notes Saturday 4/16
San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks
By: Willie Bee

The chase is on in the NL West where the Colorado Rockies entered the weekend with the largest advantage of any division leader. Two of the squads chasing Colorado look to close that gap Saturday when the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks continue their three-game set in Phoenix.

First pitch at Chase Field is 5:10 p.m. (PT) with an all-southpaw matchup between San Fran's Barry Zito and Joe Saunders of the Diamondbacks.

Each team entered Friday's series opener having enjoyed off days on Thursday. The Giants closed a homestand on Wednesday with a 6-6 overall record and down a half-unit against the MLB odds. This series will conclude a nine-game homestand for the D-Backs who own a 5-6 mark on the season, up a little more than a half-unit.

Game 1 pitted Matt Cain for the visitors against Daniel Hudson for Arizona. San Francisco was slight 115 chalk with Friday's total nine runs.

Runs have not been tough to come by for Kirk Gibson's club. Arizona was averaging 5.82 per game, third in the National League with its .833 OPS leading the Senior Circuit going into the weekend.

Zito (0-2, 5.56) will be charged with slowing the Diamondbacks lineup, something the Las Vegas native has had trouble doing in his two previous starts this season. The left-hander's biggest bugaboo in his most recent outing, a 6-1 loss to the Cardinals, was control. Zito walked five Redbirds, including one intentionally, giving him seven free passes in just over 11 innings of work this season.

San Francisco's two losses in Zito's starts this year leaves the Giants 1-10 in his last 11 mound assignments. That includes a pair of defeats to the D-Backs in the second half of 2010, Zito's ledger charged with nine earned runs in 9 2/3 innings.

The Giants are scoring nearly two runs fewer per game than Arizona, their OPS a full 100 points lower than the Diamondbacks. Rookie first sacker Brandon Belt (.195 average entering Friday) and veteran outfielder Pat Burrell (.182) have been the two biggest holes in San Francisco's lineup, though Burrell does have four homers, all solo shots.

In San Francisco's favor for this series is the fact Arizona's arms as a group have been anything but a mystery. The Diamondbacks' 5.97 ERA ranks dead last in the NL and the staff has served up 15 long balls, tied for second-worst.

Saunders (1-1, 6.00) is also coming off a rough outing in terms of control. The former 1st-round pick out of Virginia Tech lasted just three innings at home against the Reds on April 10, walking five and allowing five runs, four earned.

Saturday's start will be his first career appearance against the Giants. He does have some experience against several San Fran hitters, and it's not good. Miguel Tejada and Aubrey Huff have combined to hit .467 (14-for-30) with Tejada taking Saunders deep twice in 13 plate appearances.

San Francisco dominated the Diamondbacks in 2009 and 2010, winning 13 of the 18 games played each season. The Giants were 12-6 at Chase Field entering Friday's game.

Sunny and hot is the Saturday forecast for Phoenix. An afternoon high reaching the mid-90s should lead to the roof at Chase Field being shut.

The series concludes Sunday with a 1:10 p.m. (PT) start. Southpaw Madison Bumgarner is in line for the Giants against Arizona's Barry Enright.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Saturday's Best MLB Bets

San Diego Padres at Houston Astros (134, 7.5)

Padres ace Mat Latos lost his first start of the season Monday against the Reds, but the bigger news was that the shoulder soreness that delayed his debut didn’t crop up again. He threw 94 pitches over six innings, allowing four hits and three runs and fanning seven.

“I can’t complain about anything,” he said. “I kept the ball down in the zone and worked ahead. Everything felt fine.”

Now he gets to face an Astros team he absolutely dominated last season, going 2-0 with 16 strikeouts in 16 scoreless innings. Houston batted .113 against him.

San Diego is 11-4 in Latos’ last 15 starts against teams with a losing record.

The Astros will trot out Nelson Figueroa (0-2, 10.61 ERA), who might not keep his starting spot much longer.

Pick: Padres

St. Louis Cardinals at Los Angeles Dodgers (-146, 6.5)

The transition from reliever to starter has gone smoothly for Cardinals right-hander Kyle McLellan, who posted a 2.27 ERA in 68 appearances out of the bullpen last year.

St. Louis has won both his starts this season, with McClellan (1-0, 2.25 ERA) going six innings each time.

Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw has been spectacular so far. But he struggled mightily against the Cardinals last year, allowing 12 hits, five walks and seven earned runs in 11 1/3 innings.

First baseman Albert Pujols is coming out of his season-opening slump. And he’s 6-for-12 lifetime against Kershaw with three doubles and five walks.

Cleanup hitter Matt Holliday is 5-for-14 with six walks against Kershaw. Holliday’s return from an appendectomy has energized the Cardinals, making the dog an attractive play here.

Pick: Cardinals

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL News and Notes Saturday 4/16
Boston Bruins, Canadiens continue NHL odds series
By: Barry Daniels

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price entered this best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against Boston with eight straight playoff losses. Price snapped that slump in Thursday’s Game 1 by blanking the Bruins, 2-0.

Since the Habs closed as 170 road underdogs, the ‘dog is now 9-4 in the last 13 series meetings between Boston and Montreal. Additionally, the Canadiens are now 7-2 in the last nine series meetings.

The combined two goals dipped below the five-goal closing total, marking the first time the ‘under’ had cashed in the past five series matchups.

Most offshore sports books monitored by Don Best Sports' Real-Time Odds have installed Boston as a hefty 205 home favorite for Saturday’s Game 2, which will begin at 4 p.m. (PT). The total has opened at five goals.

Price turned aside 31 shots to lead the Canadiens to the Game 1 victory. It was Price’s first playoff win since 2008, which included a four-game sweep by the Bruins in 2009.

But he has also had some successful moments in playoff action against the Bruins. This was the third time he has blanked Boston in postseason play. He was a 1-0 winner in Boston on April 15, 2008 and a 5-0 winner on April 24, 2008. The last shutout was the seventh and deciding game in that quarterfinal series.

Montreal provided Price with lots of help in the third period as they limited the Bruins to five shots on goal. Price made one game-saving stop on Milan Lucic’s shot from the slot and Travis Moen blocked another chance for Lucic. However, there were few other legitimate chances.

The Canadiens scored on their first shot of the game when Scott Gomez found Brian Gionta on a backdoor play at 2:45 of the first period. Mathieu Darche didn’t get a mention on the score sheet, but he chipped in by skating across the front of the net and distracting Tim Thomas.

The Boston goalie was the best in the league with a 2.00 goals-against average, a .938 save percentage and a .718 winning percentage. He was second with nine shutouts.

Price finished third in the NHL with eight shutouts, seventh with a .923 save percentage and 10th with a 2.35 goals against average. His eight shutouts ranked third.

Montreal played most of the first period without Andrei Kosyn after he was struck on the foot by a Zdeno Chara slap shot on his first shift. However, Kosyn returned for the second period and should be available for Game 2.

The game was played cleanly without any fights between the teams that had several physical confrontations during the regular season. The Habs were 0-for-4 on the power play, while the Bruins were 0-for-3. Boston held a 36-25 advantage in the face-off circle.

The Bruins slipped to 22-14-3-3 on their home ice, while Montreal improved to 21-19-2-0 on the road. The Habs have now seen the ‘under’ go 47-26, while Boston has seen the ‘under’ cash at a 43-30 pace.

The Don Best Sports injury report lists Montreal defenseman Alex Picard (foot) and center Jeff Halpern (lower body) as “questionable” for Saturday’s Game 2.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL News and Notes Saturday 4/16

What Bettors Need to Know: Saturday's NHL Playoff Action

Phoenix Coyotes at Detroit Red Wings (-160, 5.5)

Detroit leads series 1-0.

THE STORY: The Phoenix Coyotes can pin some of the blame for their loss in the opener of their Western Conference quarterfinal series on missed opportunities. They're hoping for a few more opportunities to redeem themselves Saturday afternoon when they take on the Central Division-champion Detroit Red Wings in Game 2 at Joe Louis Arena. Phoenix took an early lead in Wednesday's Game 1 and received four power plays later in the first period, including a lengthy two-man advantage, but was unable to cash in. The lack of success came back to haunt the Coyotes as Detroit struck for three goals in the second period en route to a 4-2 triumph.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBC, NBC, RDS

ABOUT THE RED WINGS: With regular-season scoring leader Henrik Zetterberg out with a knee injury, Johan Franzen picked up the slack. "The Mule" recorded a goal and an assist during Detroit's second-period assault, giving him 36 tallies and 71 points in 76 career playoff games. The Red Wings used a pair of long shots to beat Phoenix goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov and take control of the contest. Franzen gave Detroit a 2-1 lead midway through the second with a wrister from above the slot and defenseman Brian Rafalski put a one-timer from the blue line past the screened netminder and inside the left post during a power play. Jimmy Howard made 26 saves to raise his career postseason record to 6-7.

ABOUT THE COYOTES: Things got off to a great start for Phoenix as Kyle Turris scored 2:16 into his first career playoff game and the team received a 5-on-3 power play for 91 seconds less than halfway through the first period. But the Coyotes were unable to cash in and failed on two more man advantages later in the session, wasting the chance to put Detroit down for the count. It came back to haunt them as the Red Wings scored three times in the second period and never looked back. Bryzgalov made 32 saves but should have stopped Franzen's long-range wrister that snapped a 1-1 tie. Defenseman Derek Morris missed the contest with an upper body injury and is doubtful for Game 2.

WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: Radim Vrbata registered a team-high six shots on goal and scored once for the Coyotes while Vernon Fiddler won 9-of-11 faceoffs. Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk led all players with eight shots, converting one. Valtteri Filppula lost eight of his nine draws taken.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Phoenix was 0-for-6 overall on the power play while the Red Wings converted one of their three opportunities.

TRENDS:

* Over is 8-3-4 in the last 15 meetings.
* Over is 5-2-1 in the last eight meetings in Detroit.
* Coyotes are 4-10 in the last 14 meetings in Detroit.
* Coyotes are 12-31-6 in the last 49 meetings.

LAST WORD: "I think that gave us the momentum swing we needed when we killed, especially, that 5-on-3 off. And that gave us some confidence and we took it from there." - Franzen on Detroit's success on the penalty kill in the first period.

Buffalo Sabres at Philadelphia Flyers (-158, 5)

Buffalo leads series 1-0.

THE STORY: Patrick Kaleta picked a fine time to find his scoring touch. Kaleta scored his first goal since Dec. 27 by cleaning up a rebound early in the third period on Thursday as the visiting Buffalo Sabres upended the Philadelphia Flyers, 1-0, in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. Reigning Vezina Trophy winner Ryan Miller did the rest by stopping all 35 shots he faced to secure his second career playoff shutout. Miller's previous blanking also came against Philadelphia in 2006. The seventh-seeded Sabres will look to put the Atlantic Division champions in a decided hole when they meet again on Saturday for Game 2 at the Wells ***** Center.

TV: 5 ET, TSN, MSG

ABOUT THE SABRES: Mike Grier provided a physical presence for Buffalo on Thursday. The veteran logged over 11 1/2 minutes of ice time and had a team-high five hits. The Sabres may have lost defenseman Shaone Morrisonn, who suffered an upper-body injury after being hit by blue-liner Braydon Coburn on Thursday. The Sabres have won their last five contests and 10 of their last 13 (10-1-2). Playing on the road is also no deterrent for Lindy Ruff's club, which has won 14 of its last 20 away from HSBC Arena and is 22-13-6 on the season. With Thursday's win, Miller (35-22-8, 2.55 goals-against average) improved to 5-2 in the postseason against the Flyers. All told, Miller has posted a 13-8-1 career mark against Philadelphia.

ABOUT THE FLYERS: Rookie Sergei Bobrovsky (28-14-8, 2.56 goals-against average) fared well in his first postseason start. The Russian turned away 24 of 25 shots he faced, but Kaleta made him pay for kicking out a rebound 5:56 into the third period. Veteran defenseman Chris Pronger is still nursing a hand injury and was ruled out hours before Thursday's contest, marking the 17th straight game he has missed. The Flyers are 16-9-7 without the blue-liner this season, and just 3-4-5 in their last 12 games that he has been a spectator. James van Riemsdyk collected a team-high six shots and drew two penalties during Thursday's loss.

WHO'S HOT/WHO’S NOT: All-Star Claude Giroux hasn't fared well in his short career against the Sabres. The 22nd overall pick of the 2006 draft, Giroux only has one goal in 12 meetings. Buffalo's Thomas Vanek has collected nine goals and 12 assists in his last 18 games. Vanek finished the season as the team leader in goals (32), assists (41) and points (73).

SPECIAL TEAMS: Philadelphia showed some positives on its power play, but failed on all five of its chances - including a 5-on-3 effort - on Thursday. The Flyers have scored on 16.6 percent of their opportunities with the man-advantage this season, while killing off 82.7 percent of its shorthanded situations. For its part, Buffalo has converted 19.4 percent of its power plays, while extinguishing 83.0 percent of its opponents' chances.

TRENDS:

* Over is 12-3-1 in the last 16 meetings in Philadelphia.
* Sabres are 4-1 in the last five meetings in Philadelphia.
* Over is 19-6-1 in the last 26 meetings.
* Sabres are 6-2 in the last eight meetings.
* Road team is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings.

LAST WORD: The following has held true for all eight of the completed Flyers-Sabres postseason meetings. The team which has won Game 1 went on to win the series.

Montreal Canadiens at Boston Bruins (-195, 5)

Montreal leads series 1-0.

THE STORY: The Montreal Canadiens fired the first salvo in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with the Boston Bruins on Thursday by rendering the home club silent. Carey Price and captain Brian Gionta were primarily responsible for that. Price turned aside all 31 shots he faced to snap a personal eight-game losing skid in the playoffs and record his third postseason shutout - all against the Bruins. Gionta, who is a former Boston College star, tallied twice to continue his hot streak. The seventh-seeded Canadiens will look to put the Northeast Division champions in a decided hole when the Original Six rivals meet again in Game 2 on Saturday.

TV: 7 ET, VERSUS, NESN, CBC

ABOUT THE BRUINS: Tim Thomas (35-12-9, 2.00 goals-against average) permitted an early goal to Gionta but settled down to stop 18 of 20 shots on Thursday. Thomas wasn't the problem, however, as the Bruins saw their offense dry up once again. Boston has scored 22 goals in its last 10 games. Veteran defenseman Tomas Kaberle had a game he'd like to forget. The veteran blue-liner failed with a clearing attempt in the early going which directly led to Gionta's first goal of the contest. Rookie Brad Marchand could not convert on a semi-breakaway in the first period, which ultimately stood as Boston's best chance to score.

ABOUT THE CANADIENS: After an admittedly difficult regular season, Scott Gomez finally made a positive statement for Montreal. Under much scrutiny by both the team and its rabid fan base, Gomez collected a pair of assists on Thursday to secure his first multi-point effort since Jan. 21. The offensive effort enabled Price (39-28-6, 2.32 goals-against average) to improve to 13-4-2 career mark against the Bruins. Despite all of the bad blood circulating following the Max Pacioretty incident, Thursday's contest was a relatively clean affair.

WHO'S HOT/WHO’S NOT: Gionta has collected five goals in his last three games and now has seven tallies in as many contests against the Bruins this season. Boston centers David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron are having trouble lighting the lamp. Krejci has one goal in his last 13 games, while Bergeron has tallied once in his last 20 contests. Milan Lucic, who had a career-high 30 goals this season, has one tally in his last 11 games.

SPECIAL TEAMS: The Bruins will need to ignite their lackluster power play, which has converted just five of its last 36 opportunities - including an 0-for-3 effort on Thursday. During the season, Boston converted 16.2 percent of its power plays during the season, while extinguishing 82.6 percent of its opponents' chances. For its part, Montreal has scored on 19.7 percent of its opportunities with the man-advantage, while killing off 84.4 percent of its shorthanded situations.

TRENDS:

* Home team is 5-1 in the last six meetings.
* Canadiens are 7-2 in the last nine meetings.
* Over is 3-1-2 in the last six meetings.
* Canadiens are 5-2 in the last seven meetings in Boston.
* Underdog is 9-4 in the last 13 meetings.

LAST WORD: "It's no secret that the Bell Centre is not an easy building for us to win in, especially this year, and, yeah, it's definitely a must-win to try to get a split." - Lucic, on whether Game 2 at TD Garden is a must-win for the Bruins.

Los Angeles Kings at San Jose Sharks (-193, 5)

San Jose leads series 1-0.

THE STORY: The Los Angeles Kings proved they can play with the Pacific Division champion San Jose Sharks. Unfortunately for Terry Murray's club, the Sharks were able to seal the deal on Thursday when Joe Pavelski capped an odd-man break at 14:44 of overtime for a 3-2 triumph in Game 1 of the Western Conference quarterfinal series. The seventh-seeded Kings will level their series and take away home-ice advantage when they invade the Shark Tank for Game 2 on Saturday.

TV: 10 ET, VERSUS, TSN

ABOUT THE SHARKS: Dany Heatley scored 28 seconds into the contest and rookie Logan Couture atoned for an early miscue with a tally of his own. Ryane Clowe returned after a three-game absence with a lower-body injury to notch three assists in a game for the first time since February 2009. Last year's Stanley Cup-winning netminder, Antti Niemi (36-18-6, 2.37 goals-against average) turned aside 33 shots on Thursday to improve to 6-1-2 in his career versus Los Angeles. HP Pavilion certainly has truly been a safe haven for San Jose. The Sharks won their last eight at home and finished the regular season with a 25-11-5 mark.

ABOUT THE KINGS: After being sidelined since March 21 with dislocated shoulder, Justin Williams collected a goal and an assist in his return. That's quite the effort considering Williams was clearly not at 100 percent. To boot, Williams was also wearing a harness to stabilize his injured shoulder. Jonathan Quick (35-22-4, 2.24 goals-against average) was solid by stopping 42 of 45 shots, but Los Angeles still fell for the fifth time in seven games. The Kings may be without center Jarret Stoll, who was awaiting a phone call from the NHL's league office following his brutal hit on Sharks defenseman Ian White on Thursday. Playing in his first career postseason game, White was facing the glass and was hit from behind by Stoll. Stoll has collected 20 goals, 23 assists and 42 penalty minutes this season.

WHO'S HOT/WHO’S NOT: Sharks former captain Patrick Marleau has recorded 10 goals and 12 assists in his last 14 contests. Los Angeles center Jarret Stoll has netted just one goal in his last 10 games.

SPECIAL TEAMS: The Kings scored on one of their three power-play opportunities and denied both shorthanded situations in Game 1. That's quite the statement considering San Jose has converted an NHL third-best 23.5 percent of its power plays this season. For its part, Los Angeles has killed off an NHL fourth-best 85.5 percent of its shorthanded situation

TRENDS:

* Favorite is 4-0 in the last four meetings.
* Home team is 4-0 in the last four meetings.
* Over is 4-1-1 in the last six meetings in San Jose.
* Kings are 16-35-1 in the last 52 meetings.
* Kings are 8-20 in the last 28 meetings in San Jose.

LAST WORD: "(San Jose defenseman Ian White) was a little low there. I don't know what he was doing, if he was reaching for a puck or what. He was right against the boards, too, and he was a little low. I just finished my check on him, and it ended up pretty bad for him. I hope he's all right. You hate to see a guy get hurt, regular season or playoffs. I definitely wasn't trying to hurt him." - Stoll, on his hit on White on Thursday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Ice Picks

Saturday's Best NHL Bets

Phoenix Coyotes at Detroit Red Wings (-160, 5.5)

The Red Wings earned a 4-2 victory in Game 1 on Wednesday despite not playing their best hockey. They killed six penalties, including four in the first period, and overcame a one-goal deficit after one period to take care of Phoenix.

“It was Game 1 at home in the playoffs, and I thought we were a bit nervous early,” coach Mike Babcock told the Detroit Free Press. “We took some penalties and I thought that made our start look worse than it was.”

Detroit should not have any of those jitters in Game 2 on Saturday, having finished the opener in fine fashion. The team also looks like it has a re-energized Johan Franzen at its disposal.

Franzen had scored only two goals in his last 27 regular-season games, but he tallied a goal (to give Detroit a 2-1 lead in the second period) and an assist in Wednesday’s victory. The veteran forward has at least one point in 13 straight playoff games dating to last season.

Pick: Red Wings

Buffalo Sabres at Philadelphia Flyers (-158, 5)

The Flyers dropped Game 1 at home on Thursday, but they do not sound too concerned about trailing Buffalo in the series.

“They didn't win the series [Thursday],” defenseman Matt Carle told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “It's going to be a long series; I think we knew that going into it. It wasn't going to be an easy task. We have every opportunity to win Game 2 and even this thing up.”

It’s not like Philadelphia was without chances; Sabres goalie Ryan Miller was simply too good. The Flyers had six power-play opportunities (to Buffalo’s two) and put 35 shots on goal (to Buffalo’s 25).

Philly has now dropped three in a row to the Sabres, but the team has solved Miller on more than one occasion. The Flyers scored five goals against him in a 6-3 win on October 26 and they lit the lamp at Miller’s expense four times in a 5-2 victory on Jan. 11.

“We didn't expect to beat them in four anyway,” center Danny Briere said. “It's just one game.”

Pick: Flyers​

 

[KILLTHEBOOKS]

Ohio's SBP (Sports Betting Prodigy)

Killing The NBA Right Now... All Plays Documented And Posted In Service Play Forum...

10-2 Run...

NBA

Miami/Philadelphia Under 190

The Playoffs Are All About Public Perception..Or As I Like To Call It Deception.. This Total Is High.(based on public perception of the heat being a high scoring team)..The Total Should Be More Like 180....

 

[Yankees31]

justincover's nba playoff

chicago bulls under 188

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Saturday's Betting Tips: Mets' Horrid Bullpen Presents Opportunity
By Covers Staff



Weather To Watch

Texas Rangers at New York Yankees -- It will be an overcast, possibly wet day in the Bronx. At first pitch, 1:05 p.m. ET, there's a 30 percent chance of rain and the likelihood increases throughout the afternoon. The high temperature will be 51 degrees.

Who’s Hot

MLB: The Reds are 6-1 in Edinson Volquez's last seven home starts, and 37-17 in his last 54 starts on grass.

NHL: The Red Wings are 38-14 in their last 52 playoff games as a favorite, and 7-2 in their last nine overall playing on two days' rest.

NHL: The Sharks have won 28 of their last 38 games.

NBA: The Pacers are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games as an underdog of 11 or more points.

NBA: The Trail Blazers are 5-0 ATS in their last five games against teams with a winning percentage of at least .600.

Who’s Not

MLB: The Phillies are 3-9 in Cole Hamels' last 12 starts against the Marlins.

NHL: The Flyers are 1-7 in their last eight home games.

NHL: The Over is 2-8-1 in the Bruins' last 11 games against teams with a winning record.

NBA: The Heat is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games as a home favorite of 5 to 10.5 points.

NBA: The Hawks are 3-12-1 ATS in their last 16 playoff games as an underdog.

Key Stat

97.4 -- That's the Bulls' defensive efficiency rating, tops in the NBA just ahead of the Celtics' 97.8. Defensive efficiency is the number of points a team allows per 100 possessions. Chicago's opponent Saturday, Indiana, ranks 12th at 103.4.

Injury That Shouldn’t Be Overlooked

Mavericks guard Rodrique Beaubois, who scored 18 points in his team's last meeting with Portland on April 3, is questionable for Saturday's playoff opener against the Trail Blazers. Beaubois (8.4 ppg, 2.3 apg) left Wednesday's regular-season finale with a sprained left foot. Even if Beaubois is available, coach Rick Carlisle plans to start DeShawn Stevenson at two-guard. Stevenson started 53 games before Beaubois returned from a fractured foot in February. Oddsmakers have Dallas as a 5-point favorite. Portland is 6-2 ATS in the teams' last eight meetings.

Game Of The Day

Philadelphia 76ers at Miami Heat (-10.5, 190)

Notable Quotable

"No. 1, they got that dude. To be a great team, you have to have that dude and that dude is Derrick Rose. People can say what they want to, he has been the best basketball player in the world this year." -- TNT analyst Charles Barkley on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on radio station ESPN 1000.

Tips And Notes

It wouldn't be a bad idea to bet against the Mets in the second halves of games these days. New York has lost five straight despite owning a two-run lead in each game. The Mets’ bullpen sports an unsightly 6.48 ERA during the skid.

The Detroit Red WIngs could get center Henrik Zetterberg back for Game 2 of their series with the Phoenix Coyotes at 1 p.m. ET. Detroit won the opener 4-2 without Zetterberg, who sustained a lower body injury when he was checked by Carolina's Bryan Allen on April 6. Zetterberg has been able to skate with his gloves and stick the past couple days and is listed as questionable. The 30-year-old Swede won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP in 2008. This season, he notched 24 goals and 56 assists.

Now that's more like it. After a brutal 6-for-40 start, St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols located the batting stroke that's produced at least a .300 average, 30 homers and 100 RBIs in each of his first 10 seasons. Pujols went 6-for-13 over a three-game stretch heading into Friday night's game against the Dodgers, with a homer, a double, three RBIs and six runs scored.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

DCI NBA

Season
Straight Up: 803-350 (.696)
ATS: 600-604 (.498)
ATS Vary Units: 1422-1446 (.496)
Over/Under: 623-597 (.511)
Over/Under Vary Units: 751-731 (.507)

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
Game 1, best-of-7
CHICAGO 104, Indiana 89
MIAMI 102, Philadelphia 91
ORLANDO 97, Atlanta 85
Western Conference Quarterfinals
Game 1, best-of-7
DALLAS 97, Portland 92

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

DCI NHL

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
Game 2, best-of-7
Buffalo vs. PHILADELPHIA: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
BOSTON 3, Montreal 2
Western Conference Quarterfinals
Game 2, best-of-7
SAN JOSE 3, Los Angeles 2
Phoenix vs. DETROIT: TOO CLOSE TO CALL