Service Plays Sunday 4/17/11

[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.

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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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For The Record.
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Thank you, wilheim.......

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GL!

 

[WINNERS_ONLY]

Royal Flush Sports


50 dime NBA Game Of The Year - April 17th:
1pm est (memphis @ san antonio / over 193.5)

 

[WINNERS_ONLY]

Craig Astor (NBA)
04 - 17 - 2011

9:30pm - DENVER NUGGETS @ OKC THUNDER - OVER 199.5 - 3 UNIT RELEASE​

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB News and Notes Sunday 4/17
Sunday Night Baseball: Rangers at Yankees
By Colin Kelly

For the second straight week, the Yankees get the Sunday night spotlight on ESPN, this time at home against the defending American League champion Rangers, in a rematch of last year’s ALCS.

Bookmaker.com has the Yankees favored at -160, with a total of 8.5 runs. Let’s take a look at how these rivals match up in the finale of a three-game set:

ROLLING RANGERS

The Yankees (8-5) earned a 5-2 victory Saturday afternoon in the Bronx, but the Rangers (10-4) have had the upper hand lately in this rivalry, including a 5-3 victory Friday in the series opener.

These teams met 14 times last season. The final six contests came in the ALCS, with the Rangers winning the series 4-2. In fact, after the Yanks posted a three-game home sweep last April, Texas peeled off victories in eight of the next 11 clashes.

The key for Texas throughout that stretch: offense, lots of it. Prior to Saturday’s setback, the Rangers had scored five or more runs in nine of the last 12 outings against the Pinstripes. In the ALCS, Texas scored five or more five times, reaching seven runs once, eight runs once and pinning a 10-spot on New York in a 10-3 road victory that gave the Rangers a 3-1 series lead.

Texas closed out the ALCS two games later with a 6-1 home rout.

MVP GONE MISSING

One major obstacle for the Rangers, not only for this series but the next two months, is the loss of reigning AL MVP Josh Hamilton. During Tuesday’s 5-4 loss at Detroit, the slugging left fielder fractured his right shoulder sliding into home head-first – not the brightest move in an early-season game, particularly for a player with an injury-prone history.

Hamilton fared quite well against New York in the ALCS, going 7-for-20 (.350), with seven RBIs, six runs scored and five walks. But he can't hurt the Yanks now.

PITCHING LINE

For the second consecutive Sunday, ace left-hander CC Sabathia (0-1, 1.45 ERA) will toe the slab for the Yanks, while right-hander Alexi Ogando (2-0, 0.00) will take the ball for the Rangers.

Sabathia is still looking for his first win, despite allowing just four runs (three earned) over 18 innings in three starts this year. He got a no-decision in a 6-3 home win over Detroit, another no-decision in a 5-4 home defeat to Minnesota – despite hurling seven shutout innings – and took the loss in last Sunday's 4-0 defeat at Boston.

The Rangers, however, could be an antidote for Sabathia. The hefty lefty is 8-3 with a 4.29 ERA in 14 career starts against Texas, averaging just over six innings per outing.

Furthermore, the Yanks are on runs behind Sabathia of 42-15 overall, 14-2 against the AL West, 23-6 at Yankee Stadium and 12-2 in the Bronx against winning teams.

Ogando, meanwhile, has made a smooth transition from reliever to starter. The 27-year-old right-hander made 44 appearances in 2010, all out of the bullpen, going 4-1 with a 1.30 ERA. In his first two outings of 2011, Ogando has yet to allow a run, throwing six shutout innings in a 3-2 home win over Seattle and seven scoreless innings in a 2-0 win at Detroit last Monday. He’s given up just four hits and three walks, while striking out eight.

Ogando hasn’t seen much of the Yanks, though. In four appearances, all in relief, he’s 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA. He’s allowed three hits and no walks, with three strikeouts, but his body of work covers just 2 2/3 innings.

MORE NOTES

The Rangers enter this series on several hot streaks, including 18-6 against the AL East and 10-4 against lefty starters. The Yanks are no slouches, either, going 102-44 in their last 146 home contests and 77-28 in their last 105 home games against righty starters.

The Pinstripes are on a pile of over streaks, including 17-8-1 overall and 9-4 at home, and with Sabathia on the mound, the over is on surges of 5-1 overall, 10-3 on Sunday, 4-1 against the AL West and 4-1 against winning teams.

On the flip side, the Rangers are on under streaks of 5-0-1 overall, 5-1 against the AL East, 8-2-2 coming off a loss and 35-15-2 facing lefties on the highway.

It should be noted that the first two games of this series also fell short of the total.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB News and Notes Sunday 4/17
Cincinnati Reds, Pirates in MLB betting clash
By: Willie Bee

Two teams picked to bookend the NL Central Division standings this season continue their four-game series in Cincinnati on Sunday with Game 3 between the Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates.

First pitch at what should be a breezy Great American Ball Park is 10:10 a.m. (PT).

Cincinnati is living up to preseason odds to repeat at the top of the division while Pittsburgh is getting help avoiding the cellar of the NL Central so far from Houston. The Pirates are also proving to be road warriors in the early going, winning five of their seven away from Iron City following Friday's 6-1 win in Cincinnati to get the series started.

Charlie Morton choked Reds hitters with a five-hit complete game for the Bucs who were 170 underdogs. Neil Walker and Garrett Jones each homered to provide the offense.

The win left Pittsburgh 6-7 overall, 5-2 on the road heading into Saturday's contest. The Pirates have been 'dogs in all seven away games, good enough for nearly a six-unit return when not playing at PNC Park. Cincy fell to 8-5 on the season and saw its lead shrink to a game over Milwaukee. Reds backers were up about 1.5 units on the season.

Saturday's second game had yet to have MLB odds posted due to some injury issues creating a pitching change that will carry over to Sunday's contest. James McDonald was scheduled to start for the Pirates while Cincinnati's Mike Leake was being bumped forward a day.

Leake's shift to Saturday was due to Edinson Volquez experiencing a sore neck. Volquez will now pitch Sunday opposite Pittsburgh's Jeff Karstens, who is making his first start of the season in place of Ross Ohlendorf who hit the DL earlier this week due to a strained shoulder.

Karstens' three relief appearances thus far in 2011 have yielded no runs for the opposition in 5 2/3 innings. He worked 3 1/3 frames at home in relief of Ohlendorf on April 8, the Bucs rallying from a 3-0 hole to eventually win the game in 14 innings, 4-3.

The right-hander moved back and forth from the Pittsburgh rotation to the bullpen in 2010, starting 19 of his 26 games. One of the starts was against the Reds, a loss for Karstens and the Pirates. He also worked eight innings out of the 'pen against Cincinnati and allowed eight runs combined in those appearances.

Volquez (3-0, 5.82) would be garnering early NL Cy Young votes if not for his first-inning struggles. The Dominican has allowed at least two earned runs in the first frame of all three of his starts, but the Reds have battled back from the early deficits to win each time.

A late start to the 2010 season only allowed Volquez to make one start against the Pirates, but it was a dandy. The right-hander worked seven scoreless innings at home, giving up just one hit and a walk while striking out 10. Cincinnati's bullpen unraveled to leave Volquez with a no decision for his effort, though the Reds still managed to grab a 5-4 victory in 10 innings.

Mother Nature is expected to give balls heading out to left-center extra help with 20-30 mph winds from the WSW in the forecast. The afternoon high in Porkopolis is expected to reach the mid-to-low 60s with the skies partly cloudy.

Derryl Cousins, now in his 33rd season calling games in the bigs, will have plate duty on Sunday. He's 21-15-2 'over' going back to the start of the 2010 season, but 7-2 'under' in games with totals of nine or higher in that span.

The wrap-around series concludes Monday when Pittsburgh is scheduled to send right-hander Kevin Correia to the mound against lefty Travis Wood for Cincinnati.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Sunday's Best MLB Bets

Seattle Mariners at Kansas City Royals (-135, 8)

Mariners leadoff hitter Ichiro Suzuki went 0-for-5 Saturday to drop his average to .254, and the next three hitters in the lineup all are batting below .200, as hard as that is to believe. Seattle stranded 11 runners in the 7-0 loss at K.C.

Now the scuffling Mariners must deal with lefty Jeff Francis, who has produced three strong starts despite not recording a win. Francis has fanned 13 and walked only three.

Seattle counters with rookie phenom Michael Pineda. The 6-7, 260-pounder is coming off a sterling outing in which he held Toronto to two runs in 7 1/3 innings. In two starts, he has permitted just 10 hits and three walks in 13 1/3 innings while striking out 11.

While the Royals' offense has been clicking to the tune of 5.7 runs per game, Pineda has the stuff to keep them under control.

Pick: Under

Los Angeles Angels at Chicago White Sox (100, 8)

Current White Sox players are hitting a combined .204 against Angels right-hander Dan Haren. Actually, no one is hitting him right now.

Haren is 3-0 with a microscopic 0.73 ERA. He's given up just 11 hits in 24 2/3 innings, while striking out 21 and walking two.

After he one-hit the Indians on Tuesday to snap their eight-game win streak, Cleveland manager Manny Acta sounded like a believer.

"He was in complete command from inning one," Acta said. "He's one of the best pitchers in the game."

Chicago starter Mark Buehrle has a very respectable 3.86 ERA against the Angels over the last three seasons, but it wouldn't be wise to go against Haren at this price.

Pick: Angels

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA News and Notes Sunday 4/17
Boston Celtics, Knicks renew playoff rivalry
By: Michael Robinson

The New York Knicks and Boston Celtics resume their storied rivalry in a first-round playoff series beginning Sunday. This is the first playoff meeting between the teams since 1990, with Boston holding the 7-6 edge all-time.

Bookmaker.com has the Celtics as six-point home favorites with a total of 197 points. They’re minus 350 in the series price with New York plus 290.

TNT will have the broadcast at 4 p.m. (PT) from TD Banknorth Garden. It’s the third of four Sunday games, coming right after New Orleans at the L.A. Lakers on ABC.

New York (42-40 straight-up, 46-34-2 against the spread) got swept all four games by Boston this year, going 2-2 ATS. One of those was the last day of the regular season on Wednesday, when both teams rested key players. Only one of Boston’s wins came with Carmelo Anthony suited up.

Anthony was acquired from Denver on Feb. 22 along with point guard Chauncey Billups. Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari and Ray Felton were the key names going the other way, arguably the biggest trade in Knicks history. New York’s record post-trade was 14-14 SU (13-15 ATS) including a six-game losing streak and a seven-game winning streak.

The seven game winning streak ended last Tuesday against Chicago (103-90 loss). The Knicks scored 115.7 PPG during the winning streak (going 6-1 ATS) and allowed 105.9 PPG. They were tied for 27th in points allowed for the year at 105.7 PPG.

Power forward Amare Stoudemire (ankle) missed three recent games before getting some run last game. He’s probable for Sunday in New York’s only listed injury.

The Celtics (56-26 SU, 38-42-2 ATS) have been mired in mediocrity the last month-plus, going 10-11 SU (9-12 ATS). That dropped them down to the No. 3 seed in the conference behind Chicago and Miami.

Coach Doc Rivers decided to rest starters Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo the last two games of the season. The first game they sat was at Washington last Monday, a surprising move as Boston trailed Miami by just one game at that point.

Rivers wanted to rest his guys for the playoffs, but he might have also been sending a message to his stars. Celtics players have been vocal in their displeasure of the recent Kendrick Perkins trade. That netted them two current bench players in Nenad Krstic and Jeff Green.

Krstic and Jermaine O’Neal are the current centers with Shaquille O’Neal (calf) still questionable on Sunday. Shaq has played a total of five minutes since Feb. 1, so his time will likely be limited even if he does suit up.

The Celtics are 33-8 SU and 20-19-2 ATS at home this year. They’re 4-0 SU and ATS in their last four at home, with one the meaningless game with the Knicks. The road has been a different story lately, 0-4 SU and ATS, including terrible efforts at Chicago (97-81) and Miami (100-77).

The matchups for this series are very interesting. New York has two 25 PPG caliber scorers in Anthony and Stoudemire. They can each have success going one-on-one against Pierce and Garnett, both several years older than their Big Apple counterparts.

Boston’s biggest individual advantage is Rondo against Billups. Rondo has far too much quickness and loves to get into the lane for easy opportunities for his teammates.

Allen (16.5 PPG) also has a solid advantage at shooting guard over Landry Fields, as the latter has seen his numbers go down since Anthony’s arrival. New York will start Ronny Turiaf at center, but will rotate several guys. The biggest loss of Perkins was on defense as he made guys pay physically for coming in the lane.

Boston gets the edge on the bench despite a number of players being recently acquired. The Knicks lost most of their depth in the Anthony trade. Rivers also gets the coaching edge over Mike D’Antoni.

While the individual matchups are pretty close, basketball is a team sport and that’s where the Celtics excel. Their players are almost unselfish to a fault, passing the ball to find the open man. New York relies a lot on Anthony’s isolation moves and on the three-point shot (second most attempts in the league).

Boston is first in the league in points allowed (91.1 PPG). The ‘under’ is 16-5-1 in its last 22 games.

This looks like a very tight series, with an upset certainly a possibility.

Prediction: Celtics in seven

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA News and Notes Sunday 4/17
Kobe Bryant, LA Lakers host Hornets
By: Stephen Nover

Money time. Show time. Time to turn on the switch.

Whatever cliché time phrase there is fits the Los Angeles Lakers as they open their first-round Western Conference playoff series hosting New Orleans Sunday at 12:30 p.m. PT on ABC.

The two-time defending world champion Lakers finished the regular season losing and failing to cover in five of their last seven games.

But is there any doubt that the second-seeded 57-25 Lakers won’t steamroll the seventh-seeded Hornets?

The Lakers have the shortest odds to win a third consecutive world championship at plus 185, according to Bookmaker.com. The Lakers are minus 2100 to dispatch the Hornets in the series with New Orleans plus 1250 and 90/1 to win the title.

Despite their recent struggles and center Andrew Bynum not 100 percent because of a bone bruise in his surgically-repaired right knee, the Lakers still are 10-point favorites in Game 1 with the ‘over/under’ at 183½. It’s only the fourth time all season the Hornets are taking double-digit points.

However, New Orleans has failed to cover its last eight playoff games when getting between five and 10½ points.

David West, the Hornets’ leadings scorer at 18.9 points a game, is out with a knee injury.

Point guard Chris Paul, who ranked fourth in the league in assists at 9.8 per contest and first in steals, shot just 41.5 percent from the floor in his last 10 games. Paul hasn’t been 100 percent much of the season due to a sore knee.

The Lakers swept the Hornets in four regular season games wining three of the matchups by double-digits and not allowing New Orleans to reach triple-digits in any game while going 3-1 ATS.

The team’s last meeting occurred on March 27 when the Lakers romped, 102-84, as nine-point home favorites behind 30 points from Kobe Bryant and 23 from Pau Gasol, who also grabbed 16 rebounds. The combined 186 points just dipped ‘under’ the 188½-point total.

This continued the Lakers’ trend of beating the Hornets. Los Angeles is 9-2 versus New Orleans during the past three seasons.

Bynum is expected to play in the series opener having had five days to get his knee in shape. The Lakers also should have Matt Barnes available. He missed the Lakers’ final two regular-season contests with knee soreness.

Reserve guard Steve Blake is out for Los Angeles due to chicken pox. The Lakers, though, still should posses the better reserves thanks to sixth man Lamar Odom. The Hornets have no one to match up against the athletic 6-foot-10 Odom, who averaged 14.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.

The Hornets rank fifth defensively allowing 94 points per contest, but are 27th on offense averaging 94.9 points. The Lakers rank eighth defensively yielding 95.4 points a game and are ninth on offense at 101.5 points. Bryant was the league’s fifth-leading scorer at 25.3 points a game.

It’s not just Bryant and Odom who give the Hornets matchup problems. Gasol averaged 22.3 points and 12.8 rebounds versus the Hornets.

The Hornets’ only really decent front-court player with West out is Emeka Okafor, who is playing in the postseason for the first time. Okafor is a good rebounder and shot-blocker, but is not a big scorer.

Carl Landry has done a nice job replacing West, leading the Hornets in scoring the past 10 games at 14.9 points per contest and shooting 51.8 percent from the field.

Paul, though, is the key to any hope the Hornets having of being competitive. He’ll look to pick-and-roll the Lakers to death while taking advantage of a matchup against Derek Fisher.

The Lakers were just 16-25 ATS at home this season. However, they have covered 14 of the last 20 times they’ve met teams with a winning record.

The Hornets, who are 46-36, finished five games under .500 on the road. They were 19-21-1 ATS away from home.

Totals players may want to note that the ‘under’ has cashed in 22 of the Hornets’ last 32 games when taking points on the road.

Game 2 is set for Staples Center on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. PT with TNT broadcasting.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Pick 'n' Roll

Sunday's Best NBA Bets

New York Knicks at Boston Celtics (-6, 197)

The Celtics won all four regular-season meetings, but that should not be too much of a factor heading into this playoff series. Trade-deadline acquisition Carmelo Anthony played in only one of those contests and almost every starter sat out for the most recent encounter, a 112-102 Boston victory on Wednesday.

Oft-injured big man Shaquille O’Neal missed 27 straight games for the Celtics due to an Achilles problem, and he strained a calf muscle upon his return on April 3. Shaq was expected to return for the start of the postseason, but it was announced Saturday that he will miss at least Game 1.

“We tried to get him out there at practice today, simulate the game as much as we could, and he's not ready,” team president Danny Ainge told the Boston Globe. “So we don't know when he'll be ready, and we'll just keep evaluating him day-to-day.”

With Shaq out, Jermaine O’Neal (probable with an ankle injury) banged up, and Kendrick Perkins in Oklahoma City, New York could take advantage in the paint with Amar’e Stoudemire, Shawne Williams, and Ronny Turiaf.

The Knicks, meanwhile, won seven straight games between March 28 and April 10 before losing a pair of meaningless games to Chicago and Boston. The Celtics have lost three of five, 11 of their last 21.

Pick: Knicks

Denver Nuggets at Oklahoma City Thunder (-5.5, 199.5)

Oklahoma City went 3-1 against Denver during the regular season (3-1 ATS), including 2-0 SU and ATS at home. They most recently faced each other on April 8 and the host Thunder took care of business 104-89.

The surprising Nuggets went 18-7 (20-4-1 ATS) after shipping Anthony to New York. However, they are banged up at the moment. Arron Afflalo (hamstring), Danilo Gallinari (ankle), Nene (groin), and Ty Lawson (ankle) are all dealing with injuries, though only Afflalo is questionable for Game 1.

Furthermore, Oklahoma City has big, physical guards who can dominate when Denver coach George Karl goes with two point guards -- Raymond Felton and Ty Lawson -- at the same time. In last week’s 104-89 Thunder win, the Thunder outscored the Nuggets 43-30 over a stretch of 17:26 in which Denver’s point guards played together.

The Thunder are 5-1 in their last six games while the Nuggets are a more modest 3-3 in the same span.

Pick: Thunder

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL News and Notes Sunday 4/17
Vancouver Canucks at Chicago Blackhawks
By: David Schwab

The Vancouver Canucks will look to take a commanding 3-0 lead in their first round playoff series against the Blackhawks when the series shifts to Chicago's United Center this Sunday for Game 3. The puck is set to drop at 5 p.m. (PT) and the game will be broadcast nationally on VERSUS.

Vancouver relied on its shutdown defense in a 2-0 victory over Chicago in Game 1 this past Wednesday as a 178 home favorite. Friday night, the Canucks used a potent offense to open up a two game lead on the Blackhawks with a 4-3 decision as a 181 home favorite. While the total stayed well ‘under’ the 5½-goal total in the first game, it went ‘over’ the 5-goal line in Game 2.

Roberto Luongo was the top star in Wednesday’s shutout by stopping all 32 shots he faced. He ended the regular season with a 2.11 goals-against-average and a save percentage of .928. Chris Higgins and Jannik Hansen scored two quick goals in the first period and that was all the scoring that Vancouver needed.

The second game featured the Canucks top-ranked offense that led the NHL in scoring with 3.15 goals a game. Hansen started things off in the first period with his second goal of the playoffs but it was Daniel Sedin who did the most damage by tallying two goals, including the game-winner midway through the third period. It is little surprise that Sedin was the top star in this game after leading the NHL in points with 104.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks are back on their heels, but hoping to take some offensive momentum from Friday’s three-goal effort into Sunday’s game. They could not get anything past Luongo in Game 1, but did manage to beat him three times in 26 shots the second time around.

Ben Smith kept this game close with two goals and Viktor Stalberg added the third, but if Chicago is going to have any chance against the Canucks it will need a better effort from Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Patrick Sharp. Toews and Kane each had over 70 points this season and Sharp led the team in goals with 34. The three have combined for one assist in two games.

Chicago goalie Corey Crawford, who was making his first career playoff start, stopped 31 of 33 shots in Game 1, but gave up four goals on 27 shots in the second game of the series. He had a .917 save percentage and a GGA of 2.30 in 55 regular season starts.

Vancouver’s fast start puts it in prime position to avenge two straight losses to Chicago in the postseason. The Canucks were eliminated by the Blackhawks in the conference semifinals in 2009 and the first round of last year’s playoffs, with each series ending in six games.

The two split their four-game regular season series this year with each winning one game at home and one game on the road. The total was split 2-2 as well.

The Canucks were 44-22 this season as a favorite and 10-6 as an underdog. The total stayed ‘under’ in 45 of 82 games. The Blackhawks were 33-30 as a favorite and 11-8 as an underdog this year. The total stayed ‘under’ in 43 games.

Chicago should open as a mild favorite as the series shifts to its rink, but stick with Vancouver to push the Blackhawks to the brink of elimination with a third straight win.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL News and Notes Sunday 4/17

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

Washington Capitals at New York Rangers (-123, 5)

Washington leads series 2-0

THE STORY: The New York Rangers are in a virtual must-win situation as they take on the top-seeded Washington Capitals in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. New York allowed just two goals in each of the first two games in Washington but return home trailing 2-0 thanks both to its inability to generate offense and Capitals rookie goaltender Michal Neuvirth. Washington must guard against complacency as it has allowed series leads to slip away in each of its last two postseasons.

TV: 3 p.m. ET, NBC, TSN, RDS

ABOUT THE RANGERS: New York, which scored 10 goals over its final three regular-season games, has tallied just once thus far in the series, and that goal came from defenseman Matt Gilroy. The Rangers have registered only 47 shots in nearly seven periods and had just nine over the last 40 minutes of Friday's 2-0 loss after recording 13 in the opening session. They're hoping being home will help energize them as they went 6-1-1 in their last eight regular-season matches at Madison Square Garden.

ABOUT THE CAPITALS: Neuvirth is 2-0 with a shutout in his first taste of the postseason and has been helped by Washington's strong defensive play in front of him. But the Capitals need to learn from recent history and not get comfortable. They held a 2-0 series lead over Pittsburgh in the conference semifinals in 2009 and lost the series in seven games, then blew a 3-1 advantage in last year's quarterfinals against Montreal, scoring just one goal in each of the last three contests.

WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: New York's Marian Gaborik enters with an 11-game goalless drought and has gone nine playoff contests without a tally dating to Game 4 of the 2007 Western Conference quarterfinals against Anaheim while with Minnesota. Jason Arnott, Alexander Semin and captain Alex Ovechkin each have a goal and an assist in the series for Washington while defenseman Mike Green has notched two assists. Including the regular season, Arnott has scored four goals in his last seven games while Ovechkin has collected 42 points in 30 career playoff contests.

SPECIAL TEAMS: The Rangers are 0-for-4 on the power play while the Capitals have converted one of their five opportunities. Washington went 1-for-33 in its seven-game loss to Montreal in last year's conference quarterfinals.

TRENDS:

* Over is 4-0-1 in the last five meetings in New York.
* Capitals are 4-1 in the last five meetings in New York.
* Capitals are 9-4 in the last 13 meetings.

LAST WORD: "We have to keep pushing. By no means is it done. When the hammer’s down, you gotta keep on going. They can easily steal two (at Madison Square Garden) and come back and tie it." - Jason Chimera of the Capitals on the importance of not squandering their series lead.

Anaheim Ducks at Nashville Predators (-140, 5)


Series tied 1-1


THE STORY: The Anaheim Ducks found a way to penetrate the Nashville defense, but duplicating the feat could prove tough as they visit the Predators in Game 3 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series. The teams are even at a game apiece after Anaheim recorded a 5-3 victory in Game 2. The best-of-seven series now shifts to the Music City, where the Predators enjoyed one of the top home-ice advantages in the league.

TV: 6 p.m. ET, TSN, RIS, FS-W, FS-TN

ABOUT THE PREDATORS: Goaltender Pekka Rinne had a rare off-night Friday, surrendering four goals on just 27 shots. Rinne, who finished third in the NHL in goals-against average, had only allowed four or more goals 10 times during the regular season. Nashville fell behind 4-1 after two periods Friday before making a game of it on third-period goals by Patric Hornqvist and Joel Ward. The Predators pressed for the equalizer but couldn't get a decent scoring chance in the final minute. Returning to Nashville should provide a strong momentum boost for a Predators team that went 24-9-8 at home this season. Rinne was especially stingy in his own building during the season, going 19-8-7 with a 2.03 goals-against average, .933 save percentage and three shutouts.

ABOUT THE DUCKS: After doing precious little during a 4-1 loss in Game 1, Anaheim's go-to players all contributed two nights later. Bobby Ryan led the way with a pair of goals, including an empty-netter in the final minute to halt the Predators' late rally. Ryan Getzlaf had a goal and two assists, NHL goals leader Corey Perry also scored and Teemu Selanne added his second of the series in the victory. Netminder Ray Emery made 31 saves and looked solid throughout to earn the win in his first playoff start since the 2007 Stanley Cup Final. He'll likely get the start in Game 3 with Jonas Hiller still dealing with vertigo symptoms and Dan Ellis uneffective in the opener.

WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: Getzlaf was the best player on the ice Friday, registering three points and setting up several other good scoring chances. Hornqvist was his active best for the Predators, leading the way with nine shots while blocking three Anaheim attempts.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A two-man advantage early in the first period gave the Ducks the edge they needed, as Perry and Selanne scored in quick succession to put Anaheim ahead for good. Anaheim finished 2-for-5 on the power play, while the Predators were solid in their own right, going 2-for-6.

TRENDS:

* Over is 3-0-2 in the last five meetings.
* Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings in Nashville.
* Favorite is 17-6 in the last 23 meetings.
* Home team is 16-7 in the last 23 meetings.
* Ducks are 3-7 in the last 10 meetings in Nashville.
* Ducks are 2-5 in the last seven meetings.

LAST WORD: The Predators beat the Ducks in their two meetings in Nashville during the regular season. One of the lowest-scoring teams to qualify for the playoffs, the Predators flexed their offensive muscle by scoring nine times in those two games.

Vancouver Canucks at Chicago Blackhawks (-120, 5)


Vancouver leads series 2-0


THE STORY: The Chicago Blackhawks face a monumental task as they entertain the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday in Game 3 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series. The Blackhawks are in a 2-0 hole in the best-of-seven series, and will need four wins in the next five games to continue defense of their Stanley Cup championship. The Canucks roll into the Windy City with plenty of momentum following a thrilling 4-3 win in Game 2.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, CBC, Versus, RDS, CSN Chicago

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS: Chicago had fallen behind in its previous two playoff showdowns against Vancouver only to bounce back to win Game 2 and eventually prevail in the series. The Blackhawks did their best to keep that trend going Friday night but ultimately fell short. Despite being more competitive than in Wednesday's series-opening 2-0 loss, Chicago has had trouble getting its top players going against the vaunted Vancouver defense. Rookie Ben Smith was the key contributor Friday night, scoring twice after managing just one goal in six regular-season games. Corey Crawford stopped 23 shots but played better than the numbers suggest after having to deal with several odd-man rushes, including a Sedin two-man breakaway in the first period.

ABOUT THE CANUCKS: Vancouver won Wednesday despite the Sedins' struggles, but Daniel and Henrik were back in form on Friday. Daniel scored twice and added an assist, and Henrik chipped in with a pair of helpers as the Canucks' top line gave Chicago fits all night. Vancouver triumphed despite playing without forward Mikael Samuelsson, who was a late scratch after falling ill. The Canucks hope to have the versatile veteran back in the lineup for Game 3. Vancouver heads to Chicago having gone 27-10-4 on the road during the regular season, but as the Canucks learned in last year's second round, beating the Blackhawks at home is a daunting task. They do have some recent success to draw from, having blanked the Hawks in their last game in Chicago on Dec. 3.

WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: Chicago's dangerous trio of Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa and Jonathan Toews have managed just a single assist despite averaging nearly 22 minutes of ice time. Vancouver forward Jannik Hansen, known more for his checking prowess, has scored in both games of the series and has been one of the Canucks' most consistent players so far.

SPECIAL TEAMS: The Canucks had the best special-teams units during the regular season and have extended that success into the playoffs. They've scored once in four man-advantage opportunities while killing off all five Chicago power plays over the first two games.

TRENDS:

* Under is 3-0-1 in the last four meetings in Chicago.
* Canucks are 4-0 in the last for meetings.
* Canucks are 5-0 in their last five Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Blackhawks are 16-5 in their last 21 playoff games as a favorite.

LAST WORD: "We get to change the momentum on home ice and take advantage of playing in front of our fans, get some enthusiasm that way and keep it as long as we can." - Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Ice Picks

Sunday's Best NHL Bets

Washington Capitals at New York Rangers (-123, 5)

The Capitals won four of their last five outings going into the playoffs and they kept that momentum in Games 1 and 2 against New York. Washington prevailed 2-1 in overtime on Wednesday, then blanked New York 2-0 on Friday.

Part of the Rangers’ problem is that their power play is abysmal right now. They are 0-for-4 in this series and have failed to score in 30 of their last 31 attempts. New York’s one conversion in this futile stretch came on a 5-on-3 against Florida on March 22.

“We can't get nervous out there, we have to have confidence in each other,” Brian Boyle told the New York Post on Friday. Boyle did not do much in 2:01 of power-play time in Game 2. “It's the playoffs. We want to make an impact. I'm pretty disappointed in myself. When I get a chance like I had at the end of the first period, I need to score.”

Of course, the Capitals also have not exactly lit up the scoreboard. But they do think they know how to solve Rangers’ goalie Henrik Lundqvist, by crashing the net.

“I think that’s the whole thing we have to do more of starting now,” Nicklas Backstrom told the Washington Post. “We have to move in front of him a little more so he can’t see the puck. Otherwise, if he sees the shot he’s going to stop most of them.”

Pick: Capitals

Anaheim Ducks at Nashville Predators (-140, 5)

Nashville took Game 1 on the road 4-1, but Anaheim’s offense came to life in a 5-3 win on Friday that leveled the series.

It was only a matter of time considering how prolific the Ducks were during the regular season. Corey Perry led the NHL in scoring with 98 points, including 50 goals; Teemu Selanne tallied 80 points; Ryan Getzlaf notched 76 points; and Bobby Ryan was not far behind with 71 points.

Those four led the way in Game 2, combining for all five goals. Perry, Selanne, and Getzlaf scored once while Ryan lit the lamp twice.

Anaheim and Nashville have now faced each other six times this season, and only the first contest went under the total. Even that was a five-goal night (a 4-1 Nashville victory). Two of the regular-season clashes produced nine goals, both 5-4 wins for the Predators.

Pick: Over

 

[Yankees31]

justincover


Oklahoma City Thunder over

 

[finite]

Prediction machine picks would be great.

 

[fonsde]

3-1 yesterday! blog



NBA
San Antonio - Memphis
Tip: Under 98 First Half
Book: Bet365
Odd: 1.90
Stake: 10 Units

Result: ?

NBA
Lakers - New Orleans
Tip: New Orleans +10.5
Book: Expekt
Odd: 1.92
Stake: 10 Units

Result: ?

NBA
Lakers - New Orleans
Tip: Over 182.5
Book: Bet365
Odd: 1.94
Stake: 10 Units

Result: ?

NBA
Boston - New York
Tip: Under 100 First Half
Book: Pinnacle
Odd: 1.95
Stake: 10 Units

Result: ?

NBA
Oklahoma - Denver
Tip: Denver +6
Book: Bet365
Odd: 1.83
Stake: 10 Units

Result: ?

 

[KILLTHEBOOKS]

Ohio's SBP (Sports Betting Prodigy)

11-2 Run...Nobody Is Hotter Than This Guy Right Now...

NBA PLAYOFFS

Boston/New York Over 197

This Game Is Easy For Us... The Number Is High...And The Public Took The Under... But..The Winning Side Is The OVER...Look For Both Teams To Be Effective Offensively...This Game Should Get Well Over The Total...Lets Pound The Over And Pick Up Our 12th Win In 14 Plays...

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

ASA

5* GAME OF THE MONTH* Boston Celtics

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Hockey Crusher

Play of the Day:
Blackhawks -125 over Canucks

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Basketball Crusher

Play of the Day:
Nuggets +6 over OKC

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Soccer Crusher

Play of the Day:
Bolton + StokeCity Under 2.5
This match is happening in England