4-17-14

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Hello everyone. Well Bubba won his second Green jacket in three years and Jordan Spieth showed he is ready to contend in majors. We witnessed a Masters that lacked the superstar power as Tiger was not there, and players like Jason Day, Phil Mickelson, Keegan Bradley, Luke Donald and Adam Scott all struggled.


We could not pick up our 5th Masters win in the last 6 editions but we head to South Carolina for another tournament that has given us success over the years.
The Course


We move onto to Hilton Head, South Carolina for a terrific event. Harbour Town Golf Links is one of my favorite courses through the PGA Tour season. It is a ball striker's course and this is evident with Brian Gay, Luke Donald and Jim Furyk having success here in the last few seasons. Graeme McDowell is the defending champion here after winning a close battle with Webb Simpson last year. Look for this year to have yet another bunched up leaderboard, as the course tends to create excitement on Sunday afternoon.


Harbour Town is a Par 71 that should measure on average around 7100 yards this week ( I say on average because the organizers tend to move the tee blocks around). Look for players who are straight off the tee and excellent around the greens to be near the top of the leaderboard. The designer Pete Dye tends to challenge players by utilizing undulating greens and carefully placed hazards.


When you do watch this weekend please take note of how difficult a challenge the players are facing and how well the winner will have to play to raise the trophy. Watch the 17th (a 185 yard Par 3 with water everywhere) and then the 18th, (a 452 yard Par 4 with the historic Lighthouse in the background) and you will be thankful the finishing two holes at your home course are much easier.


The Players


It may surprise many people but though this week is the one following a major an extremely strong field has gathered. Patrons and golf fans will be treated by the opportunity to watch players such as Luke Donald, Jordan Spieth, Brandt Snedeker, Jim Furyk, Matt Kuchar, and Graeme McDowell. This tournament has seen a common trend of players playing well at this course multiple times ( Davis Love won 5 times, Boo Weekley twice, Stewart Cink twice, and the late Payne Stewart twice).


A champion this week will have to putt the ball very well and manage the course properly. I feel that course knowledge will play a huge part this week and it may be most prominent on the greens. When you look at the past 4 champions, Graeme McDowell (2013), Carl Pettersson (2012), Brandt Snedeker (2011), and Jim Furyk (2010), they all putted the ball fantastically for the victory. We have five selections below that I can see rolling in the ball on the 72nd hole this week for the plaid jacket and the 2013 title.


STEVE'S SIX PACK SYSTEM PICKS


*We will be going two units on one of our picks this week
KEVIN STREELMAN 55/1 - Kevin enters this week playing average golf for his standards. He is coming off an ugly final round 79 at the Masters to finish in a tie for 42nd. He should however be very excited about the venue the Tour is headed to this week, especially based on his past results there. Last season Kevin finished T3 at the RBC Heritage, and possibly would have won if were not for a final round 72. In 2012 Kevin finished in a tie for 17th here. Kevin has relied upon his great putting and Par 5 scoring over the past two years at Harbour Town. He has shot a combined -10 on the Par 5’s over the past two seasons, and will once again look to make plenty of birdies on these scoring holes this week. The Duke grad is known on the PGA Tour as an accurate player and that has continued in 2014. He ranks 21st on Tour for driving accuracy and 27th for Total Driving. Look for Streelman to get off to a good start this week and contend against a strong field.


*TWO UNITS* - JIM FURYK 18.5/1 - Jim has been a mainstay on the first page of the leaderboard at Harbour Town. Jim has six Top 10 finishes here, including a victory in 2010, and two runner ups. The course is difficult and demands accuracy and a great short game. This is exactly what Jim does well, and I have no doubt that he will contend once again this week. Jim has finished inside the Top 15 in each of his past two tournaments, including a T14 at The Masters. His last win came at the 2010 Tour Championship, but he has had many very close calls since. After watching him at Augusta he should be primed for a great tournament at a course he loves. Make note of how well Jim plays the Par 3’s this season. Over past years at The Heritage he has struggled only when he did not play the Par 3’s well.


CHESSON HADLEY 80/1 - I really like this rookie and feel he will be a name that pops up in the Fed Ex Cup near the playoffs. Chesson won this season at the Puerto Rico Open. Since that victory he has two finishes inside the Top 30 in his three tournaments. He is coming off a T56 finish but played much better than that looks. Chesson shot a final round 80 after opening with (69, 73, 71). While many other players were competing at the Masters, Chesson had his sights set on Harbour Town. The course demands accuracy and a solid short game. He hits over 66% of his Greens in Regulation and 15th on Tour for putts between 5-10 feet. If you analyze his past 7 starts he has been rolling the ball terrifically with the flat stick and I expect that to continue. This long, lean player from Georgia Tech will surprise many people this week, but not us.


CHARLEY HOFFMAN 46/1 - We go with the enigma that is Charley Hoffman. I have taken him as a selection and he has shot 78 and 80. I have also selected him and he has provided us with close finishes and even a victory (Duetsche Bank Championship in 2010). This is a tournament however when Charley has a high probability of paying off for us. In 2012 at the RBC Heritage Charley opened with a not so lovely 74. He battled back however and finished the tournament in a tie for 8th place. Last season Charley improved on his Harbour Town result as he posted a T6. Charley did however enter the final round with an excellent shot to win the tournament and shot a 77. He will once again be there on Sunday, as Hoffman has found a way to make plenty of birdies on this difficult course.


WILL MACKENZIE 55/1 - One of the break out players this season has been Will MacKenzie. He seems to be near the Top of the leaderboard each and every week. Sooner or later he will get that victory that seems to be eluding him, and I feel Harbour Town is the place. Will enters with Top 6 finishes in three of his past four tournaments. Everyone is talking about him and for good reason. Will is 34th this season in Total Driving and and 32nd for Greens in Regulation Percentage. He has dominated on the Greens all season and this will continue on the challenging greens this week ( ranks 11th in Strokes gained through Putting ). Will ranks inside the Top17 in Par 3, 4 and 5 performances. Expect to see this name in contention for the 2014 American Ryder Cup team at the end of the season because he is an amazing golfer.
HEAD TO HEAD
We will focus on the outright winner we need this week.

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BEN BURNS

NHL

Sharks

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DUNKEL

THURSDAY, APRIL 17 Time Posted: 7:30 a.m. EST (4/15)

Game 57-58: Philadelphia at NY Rangers (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 11.151; NY Rangers 12.598 Dunkel Line & Total: NY Rangers by 1 1/2; 6 Vegas Line & Total: NY Rangers (-150); 5 Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (-150); Over

Game 59-60: Chicago at St. Louis (8:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 12.954; St. Louis 11.906 Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 1; 4 1/2 Vegas Line & Total: St. Louis (-135); 5 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Chicago (+115); Under

Game 61-62: Minnesota at Colorado (9:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 12.239; Colorado 11.323 Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 1; 4 Vegas Line & Total: Colorado (-145); 5 Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+125); Under

Game 63-64: Los Angeles at San Jose (10:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 11.653; San Jose 12.978 Dunkel Line & Total: San Jose by 1 1/2; 5 Vegas Line & Total: San Jose (-145); 4 1/2 Dunkel Pick: San Jose (-145); Over

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Thursday's American League betting cheat sheet

Check out our quick-hitting betting notes for Thursday's American League games:

Cleveland Indians at Detroit Tigers (-153, 7.5)

Cold pitching stat: The Tigers are 4-12 in right-hander Justin Verlander's last 16 starts.

Cold batting stat: Cleveland shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera is 11-for-54 with 21 strikeouts lifetime versus Verlander.

Weather: Partly cloudy skies are forecast with temperatures in the mid-50s and wind blowing in from center field at 13 mph.

Key betting note: Under is 6-1-1 in Verlander's previous eight outings.

Toronto Blue Jays at Minnesota Twins, Game 1 (OFF)

Hot pitching stat: Twins right-hander Kyle Gibson has allowed just two runs over his first 11 1/3 innings this season.

Hot batting stat: Blue Jays outfielder Melky Cabrera has hit safely in all 14 games so far in 2014.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-30s under partly cloudy skies with wind blowing from left to right field at 7 mph.

Key betting note: Minnesota is just 3-15 over its last 18 in the second game of a series.

Seattle Mariners at Texas Rangers (-133, 9)

Hot pitching stat: Mariners right-hander Erasmo Ramirez allowed just one run in seven innings versus the Rangers last year.

Hot batting stat: Seattle first baseman Justin Smoak is 3-for-3 with a pair of home runs versus Rangers starter Tanner Scheppers.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-60s with a 20 percent chance of rain and wind blowing in from center field at 7 mph.

Key betting note: Mariners are 1-7 in Ramirez's last eight starts.

New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays (-158, 7)

Hot pitching stat: Rays left-hander David Price is 9-4 with a 3.65 ERA in 20 starts and one relief appearance against the Yankees.

Hot batting stat: Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longoria is a career .396 hitter with six homers in 53 at-bats versus Yankees lefty CC Sabathia.

Weather: N/A

Key betting note: Under is 24-6-1 in New York's last 31 road games versus a left-handed starter.

Toronto Blue Jays at Minnesota Twins, Game 2 (OFF)

Cold pitching stat: Twins right-hander Mike Pelfrey has allowed nine runs in just 10 1/3 innings to open the season.

Cold batting stat: Blue Jays infielder Edwin Encarnacion is just 1-for-12 in his career against Pelfrey.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-30s under partly cloudy skies with wind blowing from left to right field at 7 mph.

Key betting note: Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings.

Boston Red Sox at Chicago White Sox (-107, 7.5)

Cold pitching stat: Red Sox left-hander Jon Lester allowed six runs over six innings in his only start against Chicago in 2013.

Hot batting stat: White Sox outfielder Dayan Viciedo is 5-for-11 with a home run lifetime versus Lester.

Weather: Fans face a 10 percent chance of rain with temperatures in the low-50s and wind blowing out to center field at 5 mph.

Key betting note: Under is 15-5-2 in Lester's previous 22 starts.

Kansas City Royals at Houston Astros (-110, 8)

Hot pitching stat: Astros right-hander Scott Feldman has limited opponents to a .106 batting average through his first 20 2/3 innings.

Cold batting stat: Members of the Houston roster are a combined 2-for-11 against Royals left-hander Bruce Chen.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s with mostly cloudy skies and wind blowing from right to left field at 8 mph.

Key betting note: Kansas City is 8-20 in Chen's last 28 road starts.

** Odds, stats, weather forecast and probable pitchers as of 2:50 p.m. ET Wednesday.

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Thursday's National League betting cheat sheet

Check out our quick-hitting betting notes for Thursday's National League games:

Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies (114, 8)

Cold pitching stat: Phillies right-hander A.J. Burnett boasts a 1.94 WHIP thanks in large part to 14 walks issued over just 16 innings.

Cold batting stat: Braves outfielder B.J. Upton has just nine hits and 21 strikeouts in 46 at-bats versus Burnett.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-50s with partly cloudy skies and wind blowing in from right field at 8 mph.

Key betting note: Under is 8-2-1 in Braves left-hander Alex Wood's last 11 starts.

Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants (-106, 7)

Cold pitching stat: Giants lefty Madison Bumgarner is allowing hitters to bat .329 against him so far this season.

Cold batting stat: Members of the Dodgers roster are batting a collective .201 in 159 at-bats versus Bumgarner.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s under partly cloudy skies with wind blowing out to center field at 13 mph.

Key betting note: Los Angeles is 8-3 in right-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu's last 11 road starts.

Colorado Rockies at San Diego Padres (-127, 7.5)

Cold pitching stat: Padres right-hander Ian Kennedy has a 5.73 ERA in two home starts in 2014.

Hot batting stat: Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki has three homers and six RBIs in 25 at-bats versus Kennedy.

Weather: Partly cloudy skies are forecast with temperatures in the low-60s and wind blowing out to right-center field at 6 mph.

Key betting note: Under is 7-0-1 in San Diego's last eight home games against a left-handed starter.

Milwaukee Brewers at Pittsburgh Pirates (103, 7)

Hot pitching stat: Brewers right-hander Yovani Gallardo allowed two runs over six innings to beat the Pirates last Saturday.

Hot batting stat: Pittsburgh outfielder Andrew McCutchen is a .325 hitter with two home runs in 40 at-bats versus Gallardo.

Weather: Temperatures in the mid-50s are expected with partly cloudy skies and wind blowing in from right-center field at 9 mph.

Key betting note: Milwaukee is 16-4 in Gallardo's last 20 starts against Pittsburgh.

St. Louis Cardinals at Washington Nationals (134, 7)

Hot pitching stat: Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright is 6-3 with a 3.17 ERA in 10 starts and two relief appearances against Washington.

Hot batting stat: Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper has six hits - including a pair of doubles - in 11 career at-bats versus Wainwright.

Weather: Temperatures will hover around 50 with partly cloudy skies and wind blowing from right to left field at 10 mph.

Key betting note: Under is 5-0-2 in Wainwright's last seven starts against a division foe.

** Odds, stats, weather forecast and probable pitchers as of 3:30 p.m. ET Wednesday.

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MLB

Hot pitchers
-- Wood is 2-1, 1.89 in three starts this season.
-- Ryu is 2-1, 3.43 in four starts this season. Giants scored 22 runs in winning first three Bumgarner starts (2-0, 5.51, all three over total).
-- Gallardo is 2-0, 0.96 in three starts this season. Volquez is 0-0, 2.25 in his two starts with Pittsburgh.
-- Wainwright is 2-1, 2.57 in three starts this season.

-- Verlander is 1-1, 2.40 in his last two starts.
-- Gibson is 2-0, 1.59 in two starts this season.
-- Price is 2-0, 2.91 in three starts this season.
-- Feldman is 2-0, 0.44 in his first three starts for Houston.
-- Sale is 3-0, 2.66 in three starts this month.


Cold pitchers
-- Burnett is 0-1, 9.00 in his last two starts.
-- Morales is 0-1, 6.94 in two starts this season. Kennedy is 1-2, 4.24 in his three starts this month.
-- Jordan is 0-1, 4.77 in two starts this season.

-- Salazar is 1-1, 6.75 in two starts this season.
-- Pelfrey is 0-5, 7.89 in his last six starts. Dickey is 1-2, 5.30 in three starts this season. McGowan is 1-1, 4.00 in his first two '14 starts.
-- Scheppers is 0-1, 7.88 in his first three MLB starts. Ramirez is 0-2, 8.00 in his last two starts.
-- Sabathia is 1-2, 6.63 in three starts this season.
-- Shields is 0-2, 5.21 in three starts this month.
-- Lester is 1-2, 3.43 in three starts this season.

Totals
-- Six of eight Atlanta road games stayed under total; six of eight Philly home games went over. .
-- Six of last eight Dodger road games stayed under.
-- Seven of nine San Diego home games stayed under.
-- Four of Brewers' last five away games went over.
-- Last eight Washington games went over; last four St Louis road games stayed under the total.

-- Three of last four Detroit games stayed under total.
-- Five of seven Minnesota home games went over.
-- Under is 4-0-1 in last five Seattle games.
-- Five of last six Bronx games stayed under total.
-- Three of last four Houston home games went over.
-- Seven of nine Boston road games stayed under total; seven of White Sox nine home games went over.

Hot teams
-- Braves won six of their last seven games.
-- Giants won four of their last five games.
-- Padres won five of their last seven games.
-- Brewers won 10 of last 12 games, are 6-0 on road.
-- Washington won its last four home games. Cardinals won four of their last five games.

-- Toronto won five of its last seven games. Twins won three of their last four.
-- Rangers won six of their last eight home games.
-- Bronx won five of its last six games.
-- White Sox won six of their nine home games.

Cold teams
-- Dodgers lost last two games, after winning seven of first eight on road.
-- Colorado lost seven of its ten road games.
-- Pirates lost five of their last six games.

-- Indians lost four of their last six games. Detroit lost three of last four.
-- Mariners lost four of their last five games.
-- Tampa Bay lost its last three games.
-- Astros lost six of their last seven home games.
-- Red Sox lost eight of their last twelve games.

Umpires
-- Atl-Phil-- Under is 13-5-1 in last nineteen Wolf games.
-- LA-SF-- Just second game behind plate for rookie ump Buckminster.
-- Col-SD-- Underdogs won six of last seven Diaz games.

-- Cle-Det-- Under is 10-4 in last fourteen LBarrett games.
-- Tor-Min-- Four of last five Guccione games went over total. Visiting team won rookie ump Hoberg's first three MLB games.
-- Sea-Tex-- Home side won eight of last ten Little games.
-- KC-Hst-- Underdogs won 11 of last 15 Bucknor games.
-- Bos-Chi-- Last five Joyce games went over the total.

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Cappers Access

Braves -130
Tigers (RL) -1.5(+146)
W. Sox -115

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Free Selection from Arthur Ralph Sports

Free Play SL Blues -130 NHL

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Today's MLB Picks

Boston at Chicago White Sox

After splitting the first two games, the White Sox go for the series win against Boston and come into today's contest with a 4-0 record in Chris Sale's last 4 starts during Game 3 of a series. Chicago is the pick (-115) according to Dunkel, which has the White Sox favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-115). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, APRIL 17 Time Posted: 8:00 a.m. EST

Game 951-952: Atlanta at Philadelphia (1:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Wood) 16.313; Philadelphia (Burnett) 14.377 Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 2; 9 Vegas Line: Atlanta (-135); 7 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-135); Over

Game 953-954: LA Dodgers at San Francisco (3:45 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Ryu) 16.693; San Francisco (Bumgarner) 15.453 Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1; 6 Vegas Line: San Francisco (-115); 7 Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-105); Under

Game 955-956: Colorado at San Diego (6:40 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Morales) 14.474; San Diego (Kennedy) 15.343 Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1; 8 Vegas Line: San Diego (-130); 7 Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-130); Over

Game 957-958: Milwaukee at Pittsburgh (7:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Gallardo) 15.329; Pittsburgh (Volquez) 16.561 Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1; 6 Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-115); 7 Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-105); Under

Game 959-960: St. Louis at Washington (7:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Wainwright) 14.511; Washington (Jordan) 16.105 Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1 1/2; 8 Vegas Line: St. Louis (-160); 7 Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-160); Over

Game 961-962: Cleveland at Detroit (1:08 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Salazar) 15.736; Detroit (Verlander) 14.777 Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1; 6 Vegas Line: Detroit (-170); 7 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+150); Under

Game 963-964: Toronto at Minnesota (1:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Dickey) 16.196; Minnesota (Gibson) 14.712 Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1 1/2; 6 1/2 Vegas Line: No Line Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 965-966: Seattle at Texas (2:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Ramirez) 16.423; Texas (Scheppers) 15.246 Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1; 10 Vegas Line: Texas (-120); 9 Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+100); Over

Game 967-968: NY Yankees at Tampa Bay (7:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Sabathia) 14.718; Tampa Bay (Price) 16.399 Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1 1/2; 6 Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-170); 7 Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-170); Under

Game 969-970: Kansas City at Houston (8:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Shields) 14.528; Houston (Feldman) 13.533 Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1; 9 Vegas Line: Houston (-115); 8 Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (-105); Over

Game 971-972: Boston at Chicago White Sox (8:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Lester) 13.957; White Sox (Sale) 15.350 Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1 1/2; 6 Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-115); 7 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-115); Under

Game 973-974: Toronto at Minnesota (7:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (McGowan) 14.302; Minnesota (Pelfrey) 15.214 Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1; 9 Vegas Line: No Line Dunkel Pick: N/A

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Today's NHL Picks

Chicago at St. Louis

The defending champion Blackhawks open their postseason series in St. Louis tonight against a Blues team that is 0-4 in its last 4 conference quarterfinals games. Chicago is the pick (+115) according to Dunkel, which has the Blackhawks favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Chicago (+115). Here are all of today's playoff picks.

THURSDAY, APRIL 17 Time Posted: 7:30 a.m. EST (4/15)

Game 57-58: Philadelphia at NY Rangers (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 11.151; NY Rangers 12.598 Dunkel Line & Total: NY Rangers by 1 1/2; 6 Vegas Line & Total: NY Rangers (-150); 5 Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (-150); Over

Game 59-60: Chicago at St. Louis (8:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 12.954; St. Louis 11.906 Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 1; 4 1/2 Vegas Line & Total: St. Louis (-135); 5 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Chicago (+115); Under

Game 61-62: Minnesota at Colorado (9:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 12.239; Colorado 11.323 Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 1; 4 Vegas Line & Total: Colorado (-145); 5 Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+125); Under

Game 63-64: Los Angeles at San Jose (10:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 11.653; San Jose 12.978 Dunkel Line & Total: San Jose by 1 1/2; 5 Vegas Line & Total: San Jose (-145); 4 1/2 Dunkel Pick: San Jose (-145); Over

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Gamblers Data

Free Play Thursday

Brewers -120

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Mighty Quinn

Mighty hit with the Canadiens on Wednesday and likes the Braves on Thursday.

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NHL

Thursday, April 17

Home side won all four Ranger-Flyer games this season; Philly lost last eight visits to MSG. Rangers are 4-2 in last six first round series; they won four of last five home games. Under is 5-0-1 in their last six games overall. Flyers missed playoffs LY, but are 3-1 in last four first round series; they won two of last three road games. Last six Philly games went over total. Emery (9-12-2) gets nod in Flyers' goal ahead of banged-up starter Mason.

Chicago won Stanley Cup twice in last four years, lost in first round two years in between; Blackhawks won last two games with St Louis, after losing previous four- seven of last ten series games stayed under total. Chicago lost seven of last eight road games; nine of their last 12 road games stayed under. St Louis won one playoff series in last eight years; they never won a Stanley Cup, despite making Finals in first three years of existence. Blues lost last six games overall, outscored 22-5- six of their last eight games stayed under total.

Minnesota is 0-3 in playoff series since losing conference final in '03, their third year in the NHL; Wild lost four of five games with Colorado this season, losing 4-2/5-4 last two times they met. Avalanche missed playoffs last four years, hasn't won first round series since '08; they're 28-13 at home this season. Minnesota won four of its last five games overall, with last three going over total. Eight of last ten Colorado games stayed under total.

San Jose is 30-11 at home this season, but they lost three of five with Los Angeles this year; Sharks are 9-5 in first round series in franchise history, but only one of those wins was in the last five years. Kings hadn't won playoff series since '01 before winning '12 Cup, then losing conference final LY; LA lost four of last five games, scoring total of 11 goals. Sharks won three of last four home games. Four of LA's last six games went over the total.

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Thursday's NHL playoffs betting news and notes

Philadelphia Flyers vs. New York Rangers (-141, 5)

Wayne Simmonds and captain Claude Giroux finished the regular season with a flourish, with the former claiming the team lead in goals (29) and the latter ending up in the top three in the league in points (86). Philadelphia boasts plenty of depth among its forwards as an NHL-best seven players reached the 20-goal plateau.

New York has some injury concerns heading into the series, although both forward Derick Brassard and defenseman Ryan McDonagh look to be ready for Thursday. Brassard told reporters that he feels "100 percent" after dealing with a balky back, despite making a premature exit from practice on both Tuesday and Wednesday.

TRENDS:

* Home team is 5-0 in the last five meetings.
* Flyers are 4-13 in the last 17 meetings.
* Flyers are 0-8 in the last eight meetings in New York.


Chicago Blackhawks vs. St. Louis Blues (-125, 5.5)

Corey Crawford has dominated St. Louis in his career, posting an impressive 11-2-3 mark with two shutouts - including a 23-save gem in a 4-0 win on March 19. Ben Smith and Marcus Kruger scored in that contest and each tallied again in Chicago's 4-2 triumph over the Blues on April 6. Smith finished with four goals in the final six games and Marian Hossa netted five in the last 10.

Coach Ken Hitchcock's club was decimated by injuries as St. Louis was shut out three times and mustered all of five goals during its losing streak. Captain David Backes, who has been idled by a foot injury, expects a physical matchup against the Blackhawks. Ryan Miller saw his fortunes change following a blistering start after being acquired from cellar-dwelling Buffalo, losing five decisions while posting a gaudy 3.56 goals-against average.

TRENDS:

* Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings in St. Louis.
* Home team is 18-6 in the last 24 meetings.
* Under is 5-2 in the last seven meetings.


Minnesota Wild vs. Colorado Avalanche (-133, 5)

The Wild stumbled through most of the month of March before regaining their equilibrium and using a 6-0-1 run to wrap up a second consecutive postseason berth. The Wild persevered despite a revolving door that saw four different players inherit the No. 1 goaltender's job, the latest being trade-deadline acquisition Ilya Bryzgalov, who went 7-0-3 with three shutouts before a meaningless loss in the regular-season finale.

Colorado dominated the season series with a 4-0-1 mark versus Minnesota. Leading scorer Matt Duchene missed the last seven games with a knee injury and will be unavailable for the first two games versus the Wild, but the Avalanche feature four others players with between 60-65 points, including star rookie and No. 1 overall pick Nathan MacKinnon.

TRENDS:

* Avalanche are 4-1 in the last five meetings.
* Road team is 5-2 in the last seven meetings.
* Over is 7-3-1 in the last 11 meetings.


Los Angeles Kings vs. San Jose Sharks (-130, 5)

Drew Doughty is expected to be in the lineup for the series opener after missing the final four games of the regular season with an upper-body injury. The defenseman appeared to hurt his shoulder while delivering an open-ice check on Tyler Kennedy in the first period of San Jose's 2-1 victory on April 3.

Several members of the Sharks had stellar seasons, none moreso than Joe Pavelski. The United States Olympian finished third in the league with a career-high 41 goals and also set a personal best with 79 points. Antti Niemi tied for second with 39 victories while captain Joe Thornton registered 65 assists - three behind league leader Sidney Crosby.

TRENDS:

* Under is 5-0-2 in the last seven meetings in San Jose.
* Under is 2-0-2 in the last four meetings.
* Home team is 24-7 in the last 31 meetings.