5-22-14

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Game of the Day: Canadiens at Rangers

Montreal Canadiens at New York Rangers (-172, 5)

Despite seeing his team in a precarious position, Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban dismissed Henrik Lundqvist as "getting a little bit lucky" after the New York Rangers seized a 2-0 advantage in the Eastern Conference final. Subban and the Canadiens will try their luck once again in Game 3 on Thursday as the series shifts to Madison Square Garden. "So I mean, is (Lundqvist) playing well? Yeah, but we’re doing a good job," Subban said. "Some of it is luck, as well. He’s getting a little bit lucky, but that’s what you need in the playoffs."

Call it what you will but the numbers speak for themselves. Lundqvist, who made 40 saves in a 3-1 triumph on Monday, has stopped 162 of 168 shots for a brilliant .964 save percentage and a 1.20 goals-against average during his team's five-game winning streak. Conversely, the Canadiens have endured some back luck since the beginning of the series, most notably Carey Price's knee injury that has sidelined him for the remainder of the conference final.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC, RDS

LINE HISTORY: New York opened as low as -170 and jumped to -182 but is being dealt at most shops at -175. The total opened 5 (Over -120) and is steady at that price.

INJURY REPORT: Canadiens: A. Emelin (Ques/Undisclosed), C. Price (Out/Leg). Rangers: D. Brassard (Ques/Undisclosed)

WHAT BOOKS SAY: "Considering Montreal just lost two home games to the Rangers, we are a bit surprised that such a big amount of cash - 49 percent - and bets - 44 percent - are backing the Habs +155." - Mike Perry, Sportsbook.ag.

WHAT SHARPS SAY: "Three words: Habs are done. But seriously, we can expect Montreal's best effort of the series here and it's important to note that the Rangers have been a more focused and generally stronger squad away from MSG, so it will be interesting to see how they carry themselves up 2-0 in this series. New York will need another stellar performance from King Henrik between the pipes in the off chance that their inconsistent offense falls back into a slump. Have to think value is with the Habs here, but it's awfully tough to back them without Carey Price." - Covers Expert Sean Murphy.

ABOUT THE CANADIENS: Dustin Tokarski will receive another start on Thursday after yielding three goals on 30 shots in his postseason debut in Game 2. While Michel Therrien credited both Tokarski and the returning Alex Galchenyuk for their respective performances on Monday, the coach stopped short when asked about struggling Thomas Vanek. The Austrian, who was relegated to the fourth line in Wednesday's practice, has been held off the scoresheet in three straight games and registered one shot or fewer in nine of 13 contests in the postseason.

ABOUT THE RANGERS: Ryan McDonagh continues to rub salt in the wound of Montreal, which must bristle at the notion of trading away the defenseman to acquire an ineffective Scott Gomez as part of a seven-player deal in 2009. Back to the present, McDonagh collected a goal and three assists in Game 1 before recording one of each on Monday. Rick Nash ended his pronounced postseason slump by joining Martin St. Louis in scoring in each of the first two games of the conference final.

TRENDS:

* Under is 8-1-2 in the last 11 meetings.
* Under is 14-6-2 in the last 22 meetings in New York.
* Road team is 4-1 in the last five meetings.

COVERS CONSENSUS: 65 percent of bets are on Rangers while 61 percent are on Over 5.

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MLB

Hot pitchers
-- Hamels is 1-0, 1.29 in his last two starts. Alvarez is 2-0, 1.50 in his last three home starts.
-- de la Rosa is 5-0, 2.03 in his last five starts. Hudson is 2-1, 2.08 in his last four outings.
-- Greinke is 5-1, 1.93 in his last six starts. Niese is 1-1, 2.41 in his last three home starts.
-- Arrieta is 1-0, 3.38 in three starts this season.

-- Darvish is 2-1, 1.96 in his last three starts. Ray is 1-0, 0.79 in two starts this season.
-- Buehrle is 3-0, 2.39 in his last four starts. Lester is 2-1, 1.80 in his last three.
-- Oakland won last four Gray starts (2-0, 1.93). Cobb was 1-1, 1.89 in three starts before going on DL.
-- Chen is 2-0, 2.19 in his last couple starts.
-- Sale was 3-0, 2.30 in four starts before going on DL. Phelps is 1-0, 2.94 in three starts this season.
-- Cosart is 2-1, 3.00 in his last three starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Volquez is 0-4, 6.91 in his last five starts. Treinen allowed three runs in five innings in his first '14 start.
-- Harang is 1-3, 7.15 in his last four starts. Garza is 1-2, 6.00 in his last four.
-- Miley is 1-2, 5.54 in his last four starts. Lynn is 1-2, 4.15 in his last five.
-- Stults is 1-2, 5.40 in his last four starts.

-- Cleveland starter Tomlin pitched in relief Wednesday; as of 3am, Tribe had not announced a starter for today.
-- Elias is 0-1, 5.74 in three home starts.


Pitchers allowing runs in first inning:
-- Hamels 2-5; Alvarez 4-9
-- Hudson 0-8; de la Rosa 3-9
-- Treinen 0-1; Volquez 4-8
-- Greinke 1-9; Niese 3-8
-- Garza 5-9; Harang 0-9
-- Miley 2-10; Lynn 2-9
-- Arrieta 0-3; Stults 2-9

-- Darvish 1-8; Ray 0-2
-- Buehrle 1-9; Lester 2-9
-- Gray 3-9; Cobb 1-3
-- Undecided Clev; Chen 2-8
-- Phelps 0-3; Sale 0-4
-- Cosart 4-9; Elias 2-9

Totals
-- Nine of last eleven Miami games went over the total.
-- Four of Giants' last five road games went over total.
-- Five of last seven Pittsburgh games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 7-2-1 in last ten Dodger games.
-- Under is 13-3-2 in last eighteen Atlanta home games.
-- Eight of last ten Arizona games stayed under total.
-- Five of last seven games at Petco Park went over.

-- Eight of last nine Texas games stayed under.
-- Six of last nine Oakland games went over the total.
-- Eight of last ten games at Fenway Park stayed under the total.
-- Seven of last nine White Sox games went over.
-- Over is 10-1-2 in last thirteen Cleveland games.
-- Five of last seven Houston games went over the total.


Hot teams
-- Braves won five of their last seven home games.
-- Phillies won three of their last four games.
-- Dodgers are 16-9 on the road this season.
-- Cardinals won six of their last seven games.
-- Colorado won 13 of its last 18 home games. Giants won four of last six road games.
-- Cubs won three of their last four games.

-- Texas lost seven of its last ten games.
-- Blue Jays won seven of their last eight road games.
-- Oakland won 11 of its last 12 games.
-- Indians won their last three games.
-- Bronx won five of its last seven games.


Cold teams
-- Washington is 7-10 in its last 17 games. Pittsburgh lost six of its last nine.
-- Mets lost six of their last seven games.
-- Miami lost eight of their last twelve games, but won 12 of last 14 at home
-- Brewers lost seven of their last ten road games
-- Arizona lost four of its last six games.
-- Padres lost four of their last five games.

-- Detroit lost its last three games.
-- Tampa Bay lost nine of last ten home games.
-- Red Sox lost seven of their last eight games.
-- Baltimore lost seven of its last ten games.
-- White Sox lost five of their last seven home games.
-- Astros lost eight of their last eleven road games. Seattle lost five of its last seven games.


Umpires
-- Phil-Mia-- Six of last seven TBarrett games went over total.
-- SF-Col-- Favorites won five of last seven Reynolds games.
-- LA-NY-- Six of eight Johnson games went over total.
-- Mil-Atl-- Last three Culbreth games went over total.
-- Az-StL-- Five of last six Blaser games stayed under.

-- A's-TB-- Underdogs won four of five Wolf games.
-- Tor-Bos-- Four of last five Cederstrom games stayed under.

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Today's MLB Picks

Cleveland at Baltimore

The Orioles return home to open their series against a Cleveland team that is 2-9 in its last 11 games as a road underdog. Baltimore is the pick (-140) according to Dunkel, which has the Orioles favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (-140). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, MAY 22 Time Posted: 7:00 a.m. EST

Game 901-902: Philadelphia at Miami (12:40 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Hamels) 15.875; Miami (Alvarez) 15.039 Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1; 7 Vegas Line: Miami (-115); 7 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-105); Under

Game 903-904: San Francisco at Colorado (3:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Hudson) 15.125; Colorado (De La Rosa) 16.626 Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1 1/2; 10 Vegas Line: Colorado (-115); 9 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-115); Over

Game 905-906: Washington at Pittsburgh (7:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Treinen) 13.935; Pittsburgh (Volquez) 15.691 Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1 1/2; 6 1/2 Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-120); 7 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-120); Under

Game 907-908: LA Dodgers at NY Mets (7:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Greinke) 14.297; NY Mets (Niese) 15.310 Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1; 8 Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-150); 6 1/2 Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+130); Over

Game 909-910: Milwaukee at Atlanta (7:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Garza) 15.250; Atlanta (Harang) 14.403 Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1; 6 Vegas Line: Atlanta (-130); 7 Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (+110); Under

Game 911-912: Arizona at St. Louis (7:15 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Miley) 14.346; St. Louis (Lynn) 15.639 Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1 1/2; 8 Vegas Line: St. Louis (-165); 7 1/2 Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-165); Over

Game 913-914: Chicago Cubs at San Diego (10:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Arrieta) 15.176; San Diego (Stults) 14.591 Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1/2; 6 Vegas Line: San Diego (-140); 7 Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (+120); Under

Game 915-916: Texas at Detroit (1:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Darvish) 15.638; Detroit (Ray) 14.026 Dunkel Line: Texas by 1 1/2; 8 Vegas Line: Texas (-120); 7 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Texas (-120); Over

Game 917-918: Toronto at Boston (4:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Buehrle) 15.284; Boston (Lester) 14.162 Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 9 Vegas Line: Boston (-135); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+115); Over

Game 919-920: Oakland at Tampa Bay (4:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Gray) 17.114; Tampa Bay (Cobb) 14.682 Dunkel Line: Oakland by 2 1/2; 6 Vegas Line: Oakland (-120); 7 Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-120); Under

Game 921-922: Cleveland at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Tomlin) 15.354; Baltimore (Chen) 16.665 Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1 1/2; 8 Vegas Line: Baltimore (-140); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (-140); Under

Game 923-924: NY Yankees at Chicago White Sox (8:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Phelps) 14.984; White Sox (Sale) 15.790 Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1; 10 Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-125); 9 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (+105); Over

Game 925-926: Houston at Seattle (10:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Cosart) 16.198; Seattle (Elias) 15.203 Dunkel Line: Houston by 1; 8 Vegas Line: Seattle (-155); 7 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Houston (+135); Over

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Today's NHL Picks

Montreal at NY Rangers

The Rangers head home tonight following a 3-1 win in Game 2 and come into the contest with a 4-0 record in their last 4 games after allowing 2 goals or less in the previous game. New York is the pick (-180) according to Dunkel, which has the Rangers favored by 2. Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (-180). Here are all of today's playoff picks.

THURSDAY, MAY 22 Time Posted: 7:00 a.m. EST

Game 9-10: Montreal at NY Rangers (8:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Montreal 11.491; NY Rangers 13.482 Dunkel Line & Total: NY Rangers by 2; 4 Vegas Line & Total: NY Rangers (-180); 5 Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (-180); Under

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Free Selection from Arthur Ralph Sports

Free Play Thurs: Dodgers -148

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Mighty Quinn

Mighty missed with the Cubs on Wednesday and likes the Giants on Thursday.

The deficit is 450 sirignanos.

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NHL

Thursday, May 22

Rangers outscored Montreal 10-3 in first two series games; with Habs' goalie Price out for the series, it is up to unheralded Tokarski to stop NY team that has four power play goals in last two games, after going nine games without PP goal (0-36) earlier in playoffs. Canadiens won seven of last eleven series games, with losing side scoring zero or one goal in 10 of 11 games. Montreal is 8-5 in playoffs, winning four of six on road. Rangers are 4-3 at home in playoffs, just 27-23 for season; under is 6-3-1 in their last ten games.

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MLB

Thursday, May 22

Five MLB spot bets every baseball bettor should know about

Spot bets are some of the sports bettor’s handiest tools. Cashing in on letdown, lookahead and travel spots is an easy way to boost your bank roll when betting sports like football and basketball.

With football season feeling like a million years away and basketball season all but over with, sports bettors are left with MLB to keep them cozy on those long hot summer nights. Don’t worry. The daily grind of the baseball season offers its own spot bet opportunities too.

They may not be as clear cut as playing letdowns and lookaheads in the fall, but if you know what to look for, they’re just as profitable. Here are some of the more popular spot bets for baseball:

Get-Away Games

Marc Lawrence is a big fan of these motivational spot bets, betting against a team wrapping up a long road trip before heading home the next day.

Lawrence says these “Get Away” spots usually show their face on Thursday afternoons, when teams are anxious to get back to familiar territory after an extended period away – a “hurry up and let's get home” affair. Teams may not be focused on the final stop on the trip and offer good go-against value.

The Toronto Blue Jays could be in a “Get Away” spot Thursday afternoon, playing the final game of a six-game road trip in Boston before heading home Friday.


Doubleheaders

These two-a-days are a rare occurrence these days but occasionally game cancellations force the schedule to shift and teams may have to tackle a doubleheader in the middle of a rough road trip. There have been 11 doubleheaders so far this season, and the road team is 7-4 in Game 1 and 4-7 in Game 2.

The next slate of doubleheaders doesn’t come around until late June. The Rays host the Orioles for two on June 27, then the Phillies visit the Braves and the Nationals host the Cubs for two double-dips on June 28.


Burned out bullpens

This spot bet is reserved specifically to baseball and can be very handy since the next game’s odds are usually out before the first one is even played. Keeping an eye on how many relievers a team is burning through can give you good insight into how much the following day’s starter will go.

Extra-inning affairs or a poor outing by a starter can have the manager eating through his bullpen like John Kruk on $1 hot dog night. If a bullpen is pillaged, you can be sure the next starter in the rotation will have a longer leash, even if he gets in trouble.

If you find a struggling pitcher taking the mound after a night in which the bullpen worked overtime, there could be great value going against the arm or playing the Over.

“These situations don't occur on an everyday basis, but when they present themselves they can be worth as much as 5-10 cents of value on the moneyline,” says Covers Experts’ Doc’s Sports.


Travel spots

Just like any other sport, MLB clubs will sometimes find themselves crossing multiple time zones to play away games, only to catch the red eye home that night and hit the field less than 24 hours later.

Unlike other sports, baseball players usually don’t get a day off in between games as you would find in basketball or hockey. East Coast teams heading to face West Coast foes, and vice versa are always intriguing spot bets.


Fading Sunday Nighter

Sunday Night Baseball is the major league’s equivalent to Monday Night Football. The standalone primetime game is the marquee matchup of the day and usually holds some sort of weight, be it in the division or particular league.

Sometimes a team goes right from the Sunday nighter in action Monday, bound for a letdown after playing on the big stage the night before. Teams in those instances – when not playing that same team Sunday and Monday – are 2-3 on the season. However, this trend has revved up in recent weeks with the Cubs, Cardinals and Tigers are losing their Monday outing following a stint on Sunday Night Baseball.

Bryan Power is especially fond of this spot bet, especially when a team is traveling following a Sunday Night Baseball appearance.

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Bookieshunter

1* DBacks
1* Astros
1* Canadiens ML

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CHASE DIAMOND

10* NHL PERFECT PLAY
Montreal vs. NY Rangers
Money Line: +157 Montreal

This game features the 0-2 Montreal at the 2-0 Rangers. Rangers won both games at the Canadiens and the Canadiens have lost their strating goaling but as I said in a article this is the time to play a team when they are desperate. Montreal will give everything they have tonight as they know they will need to step it up with their backup goalie in the net I expect a low scoring game and a win for Montreal here. Take the Canadiens for a 10* play to win straight.

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STEVE'S GOLF PICKS

Crowne Plaza Invitational

1* Chris Kirk

1* Ryan Palmer

2* Jim Furyk

1* John Huh

1* Marc Leishman

Head to head

4* R. Palmer-125 over R. Fowler

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PAUL LEINER

100* Over 7 – Braves/Brewers
50* Dodgers -145

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HALL OF FAME PICKS / William Holloway

STL Cardinals(-152)

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EZWINNERS

3 STAR SELECTION: (904) Colorado Rockies -$125
(Risking $375 to win $300)
(Action)

2 STAR SELECTION: (911) Arizona Diamondbacks +$131
(Risking $200 to win $262)
(Action)