Sunday 5-20-18 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

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Miami Marlins vs. Atlanta Braves Preview and Predictions 05-20-2018

20th May 2018 by Gracenote
the atlanta braves close out a three-game series sunday at home against the miami marlins after shaking off a recent offensive malaise to put themselves in position to win yet another series. the braves had averaged just 6.6 hits per game in their past five games and had not scored in the opening 13 innings of the series, but johan camargo and dansby swanson sparked a four-run fifth inning as atlanta won 8-1 to stay in first place in the national league east.

camargo, who began saturday mired in a 6-for-41 slump while filling in for swanson at shortstop, moved back to third base and finished 2-for-2 with a double, walk and two rbis, while swanson returned from a wrist injury and drove in a run with a squeeze bunt in the fifth. atlanta's bullpen continues a remarkable turnaround after posting a 4.21 era with 65 walks in 92 innings in april, entering the series finale with a 2.45 era in may with 16 walks in 58 2/3 innings. miami, which plays 14 of its next 17 games away from home, has lost eight of its past 12 games and in that span has surrendered seven runs or more six times. right fielder brian anderson collected two hits on his birthday saturday and is batting .333 in his past 14 road games.
tv: 1:35 p.m. et, fs florida (miami), fs south (atlanta)
pitching matchup: marlins lh wei-yin chen (1-2, 7.56 era) vs. braves rh julio teheran (4-1, 3.49)

chen missed the first month of the season with a left elbow strain and has produced mixed results in his first four starts. he held the los angeles dodgers to three hits in 4 1/3 scoreless innings tuesday after surrendering 13 runs with six walks and 12 hits allowed in losses to cincinnati and the chicago cubs. chen, who is throwing his slider 16.6 percent of the time after throwing it just 8.4 percent a season ago, has allowed six homers in 16 2/3 innings.
teheran is pitching like he did when he earned all-star honors in 2014 and 2016, ranking sixth in the nl in hits allowed per nine innings (6.6) while owning an era one run lower than last season. he gave up four runs on four hits with three walks monday in a victory over the cubs, giving the 27-year-old his third consecutive victory. teheran, who has not allowed a run in three of his past five starts, is 6-5 with a 3.49 era in 17 career starts against the marlins.
walk-offs

1. miami c bryan holaday has thrown out seven consecutive base-stealers.

2. braves c kurt suzuki homered in the seventh inning saturday, and is batting .417 with three homers and eight rbis in the seventh inning and later this season.
3. the marlins gave c j.t. realmuto the night off saturday, but he is expected to return to the lineup sunday.

prediction: braves 6, marlins 2

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Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Washington Nationals Preview and Predictions 05-20-2018

20th May 2018 by Gracenote
If the Los Angeles Dodgers are going to turn around their disappointing season, finishing off a three-game road sweep of the Washington Nationals on Sunday would be a good place to start. The Dodgers took both games of a doubleheader from the Nationals on Saturday and have won three straight following a string of six straight defeats.

Los Angeles had lost nine of 10 entering the series, but Ross Stripling shut down the Nationals for a 4-1 win in Saturday's opener and the Dodgers rallied in the ninth on Matt Kemp's two-run double for a 5-4 victory in the nightcap. Seven relievers had to combine on a four-hitter for the Dodgers in the second game after starter Rich Hill left with blisters on his throwing hand after just two pitches. Fellow left-hander Alex Wood will need to give the Dodgers a deep start Sunday to preserve the bullpen. The Nationals had won four straight and 13 of 15 before rain killed their momentum - they had not completed a game since Sunday prior to Saturday's twinbill.
TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, MLB Network, SportsNet Los Angeles, MASN (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Alex Wood (0-4, 3.35 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Stephen Strasburg (5-3, 3.28)

Wood is still looking for his first win despite allowing one earned run or less in five of his nine starts, including each of the last three. The 27-year-old gave up two runs (one earned) over six innings in a tough-luck loss at Miami on Tuesday. Wood is 4-3 with a 2.55 ERA in 11 starts against the Nationals, including a no-decision April 22 in which he allowed three runs (two earned) over six frames.
Strasburg has won three straight starts, racking up 25 strikeouts and only three walks over 20 2/3 innings. The 29-year-old had nine strikeouts and allowed one run and five hits over 6 2/3 innings in a win at Arizona in his last start May 12. Strasburg is 2-3 with a 2.45 ERA in eight starts against the Dodgers, including a tough-luck loss April 22, when he gave up three runs (two earned) over seven innings with 10 strikeouts.

PREDICTION: Nationals 6, Dodgers 2

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Milwaukee Brewers vs. Minnesota Twins Preview and Predictions 05-20-2018

20th May 2018 by Gracenote
the first-place milwaukee brewers try for a three-game sweep of the minnesota twins on sunday as they continue to hit - and win - on the road. milwaukee (28-18), which leads pittsburgh by 1 1/2 games in the national league central, improved to 10-2 in its last 12 games away from home with a 5-4 victory saturday and has already wrapped up their fourth straight road series win.

the brewers were ranked 28th in the majors at 3.9 runs per game before averaging 5.8 runs while going 7-2 on a 10-game road trip that ends sunday. minnesota (18-23), which owned a five-game winning streak against milwaukee prior to friday's 8-3 loss, will be without joe mauer for a period of time. the first baseman was placed on the 10-day disabled list saturday with concussion-like systems and a cervical strain after he was removed from friday's contest because of neck stiffness and "balance issues and light sensitivity,'' according to the club. the twins' jake odorizzi is 2-0 with a 2.02 era in his last four starts and opposes junior guerra, who snapped a three-game losing streak in his last start.
tv: 2:10 p.m. et, fs wisconsin (milwaukee), fs north (minnesota)
pitching matchup: brewers rh junior guerra (3-3, 3.08 era) vs. twins rh jake odorizzi (3-2, 3.35)

guerra allowed two runs, three hits and four walks while striking out three in six innings of a 7-2 victory at arizona on monday. the 33-year-old venezuelan yielded nine runs in 10 innings over his previous two starts - losses to cleveland and pittsburgh - after suffering a hard-luck 3-0 loss to the cubs in chicago when he permitted one run and three hits in six frames. guerra allowed two runs in one inning of relief in his only appearance against minnesota as a rookie with the chicago white sox in 2015.
odorizzi received a no-decision after allowing four hits and a walk with seven strikeouts in six shutout frames of the twins' 1-0 loss to seattle on monday. the 28-year-old illinois native has lowered his era by 1.15 since going 1-2 in his first five starts with minnesota after he was acquired from tampa bay during the offseason. travis shaw is 4-for-14 with six strikeouts versus odorizzi, who defeated milwaukee in his only start against the brewers in 2014.
walk-offs

1. milwaukee lhp josh hader (2-0, 1.32 era) struck out six in 2 1/3 innings saturday, giving him 56 in 27 1/3 frames this season as the brewers improved to 16-0 when he pitches.

2. twins cf jake cave, 25, homered in the second at-bat of his major-league debut saturday after 634 games in the minors.
3. milwaukee is 17-2 versus sub-.500 teams this season.

prediction: twins 3, brewers 2

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Texas Rangers vs. Chicago White Sox Preview and Predictions 05-20-2018

20th May 2018 by Gracenote
the chicago white sox have already done something three games into their current homestand they could not do in any of their first three: win multiple games. the white sox set their sights on accomplishing another season first sunday when they attempt to secure a home series victory against the texas rangers in the finale of their four-game set.

chicago entered this series going 1-5 in each of its first three extended stays at guaranteed rate field and fell to a majors-worst 4-16 at home following a 12-5 loss to texas on friday, but jose abreu continued his torrid hitting stretch by going 3-for-3 with a homer and two rbis in saturday's 5-3 triumph. the victory gave the white sox only their third win in 12 games against american league west competition and multiple wins over some other opponent besides kansas city (5-2). the rangers blew an early three-run advantage to continue a troubling early-season trend, as they have only four comeback victories versus 11 losses in games in which they have held a lead. texas has dropped five of seven overall since winning three of four to fall 11 games out of first place - 6 1/2 games behind any of its division rivals.
tv: 2:10 p.m. et, fs southwest (texas), wgn (chicago)
pitching matchup: rangers lh mike minor (3-2, 5.61 era) vs. white sox rh reynaldo lopez (0-3, 3.50)

two of minor's worst two outings of the season have come in his most recent trips to the mound, including tuesday's no-decision in seattle in which he gave up a season-high six runs while working a season-low 3 1/3 innings. the 30-year-old was tagged for five runs and a season-high three homers over seven frames one week earlier in a loss to detroit. minor's lone career start against chicago came back in 2013, but he allowed only one run in five relief appearances spanning 5 2/3 innings last year versus the white sox.
lopez languished through one of the worst outings of his career tuesday in pittsburgh, surrendering a career high-tying six runs on seven hits and a pair of walks while recording only six outs. it was a big step back for the 24-year-old dominican, who had not pitched fewer than five innings or allowed more than two earned runs in six of his first seven turns. lopez's first and only start against texas didn't go much better than his most recent outing, as he gave up six runs across 4 1/3 innings in a loss last august.
walk-offs

1. abreu, who is batting .412 with seven doubles, two homers and 12 rbis over the last 13 games, recorded his 300th extra-base hit in his 655th game saturday - the second-fastest to reach that mark in club history.
2. after driving in four runs over his previous 14 contests, texas ss jurickson profar has five rbis over his last two.

3. chicago lhp jace fry worked a perfect 1 1/3 innings in relief saturday and has yet give up a hit in 7 1/3 frames over six appearances this season.

prediction: white sox 6, rangers 3

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Philadelphia Phillies vs. St. Louis Cardinals Preview and Predictions 05-20-2018

19th May 2018 by Gracenote
philadelphia phillies right-hander aaron nola can become the second pitcher in the national league to reach seven victories when he takes the mound against the host st. louis cardinals on sunday afternoon in the finale of a four-game series. nola looks to win his sixth consecutive outing and also is riding a streak of seven straight quality starts.

the one player on the phillies who has been more consistent than nola is center fielder odubel herrera, who belted a two-run homer and drove in three runs in saturday's 7-6 victory to extend his on-base streak to 45 games -- the fourth-longest in franchise history. scott kingery tripled in the tying run and scored the winning tally on jorge alfaro's pinch-hit single to lift philadelphia to its eighth win in the last 10 games. greg holland, who amassed 166 saves over the four previous seasons with kansas city and colorado, was victimized for the winning rally as his era ballooned to 7.30. tommy pham is 5-for-8 with four runs scored in the past two days for st. louis, which has dropped seven of 11 since opening may with a five-game winning streak.
tv: 2:15 p.m. et, nbcs philadelphia, fs midwest (st. louis)
pitching matchup: phillies rh aaron nola (6-1, 1.99 era) vs. cardinals rh jack flaherty (0-1, 2.87)

nola allowed a season-high nine hits over six innings last time out but limited the damage to one run in beating the mets to win his fifth start in a row. during the winning streak, he has permitted a combined seven runs while striking out 36 batters and walking only four. marcell ozuna is 6-for-19 with two homers off nola, who is 2-1 with a 1.86 era in three career starts against st. louis.
flaherty remains in search of his first major league victory as he makes his fourth start of the season and first at home this year. winless in six appearances a year ago, the 2014 first-round draft pick has allowed five runs in his three starts this season but has nothing to show for it. flaherty settled for a no-decision last time out at minnesota after tossing 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball.
walk-offs

1. herrera, who has six rbis in the series, is 11 shy of mike schmidt's franchise-record, 56-game on-base streak.

2. cardinals lf tyler o'neill belted his first major league homer saturday.

3. kingery's triple saturday was his extra-base hit since april 30.

prediction: phillies 4, cardinals 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals Preview and Predictions 05-20-2018

19th May 2018 by Gracenote
the new york yankees will try to extend their streak of series wins to eight when they take on the host kansas city royals in the rubber match of their three-game series sunday afternoon. gary sanchez homered twice among four hits to lead a 14-hit attack in saturday's 8-3 triumph for the yankees, evening the set at a game apiece.

aaron hicks had an inside-the-park homer and scored twice for new york, which has won 20 of its last 24. struggling shortstop didi gregorius, mired in a 1-for-45 stretch for the yankees, was given the day off while outfielder clint frazier had a double and two walks in his season debut. whit merrifield had a hit in four at-bats and is batting .447 during a 12-game hitting streak for the royals, who turn to left-hander eric skoglund on the mound in the series finale. the yankees give the ball to struggling righty sonny gray as they look to improve to 9-1 against the american league central.
tv: 2:15 p.m. et, mlb network, yes (new york), fs kansas city

pitching matchup: yankees rh sonny gray (2-3, 6.39 era) vs. royals lh eric skoglund (1-3, 5.58)
gray allowed two runs and four hits in six innings in back-to-back starts before getting roughed up in a loss to oakland on may 11. he surrendered five runs on a season-high nine hits - including two home runs - in the outing. the vanderbilt product boasts a 2.77 era in four career starts against the royals.

skoglund allowed two runs in 7 2/3 innings - his longest start of the year - against tampa bay on monday. he lasted at least seven frames in two of his four home starts and was limited to 4 2/3 innings in the other two at kauffman stadium, giving up five runs in both of those clunkers. the 25-year-old floridian is facing the yankees for the first time in his career.
walk-offs

1. yankees 2b gleyber torres slugged a three-run homer saturday after reaching base three times in the series opener.

2. the royals placed if cheslor cuthbert (back) on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to may 16, and recalled if ramon torres from triple-a omaha.
3. kansas city lf alex gordon is 0-for-8 with six strikeouts in the series.

prediction: yankees 6, royals 4

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Colorado Rockies vs. San Francisco Giants Preview and Predictions 05-20-2018

19th May 2018 by Gracenote
san francisco shortstop brandon crawford is as soft-spoken as they come, but his bat is making plenty of noise this month. crawford is batting a major league-best .449 in may for the giants, who look to salvage a split of their four-game series against the visiting colorado rockies on sunday.

crawford went 3-for-5 with a home run and four rbis in saturday's 9-4 win over the rockies and is 15-for-26 during his seven-game hitting streak. buster posey, brandon belt, miguel gomez and evan longoria each added two hits in saturday's victory while andrew mccutchen doubled twice, singled and had two rbi before leaving with a bruised knee. the rockies fell to 3-2 on their nine-game road trip but received another encouraging performance from first baseman ian desmond, who has been mired in a season-long slump but is 3-for-6 with a home run and four rbis over his last two games. "i've been in this position so many times. you just have to go," desmond told reporters. "once it gets going, it gets going. it's pretty much how it's been my whole career. i don't know why, but sometimes i just get in these funks and snap out of them and put them behind me, and that's what i'm hopeful for here."
tv: 4:05 p.m. et, at&t sportsnet-rocky mountain (colorado), nbcs bay area (san francisco)
pitching matchup: rockies lh tyler anderson (3-1, 4.30 era) vs. giants lh ty blach (3-4, 4.05)

anderson won for the second time in his last three starts last monday, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits across 5 2/3 innings in a 6-4 victory over san diego. colorado is 5-1 in his past six starts, with anderson posting a 3.64 era during that stretch. the 28-year-old native of las vegas is 0-2 with a 4.67 era in three career starts versus san francisco, including 0-2 with a 6.30 era in two outings at a&t park.
blach received a no-decision against cincinnati last tuesday, when he allowed three runs (one earned) on five hits over four innings. the 27-year-old native of denver has a 26-to-17 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 53 1/3 innings and has pitched six frames or fewer in nine of his 10 starts. nolan arenado is 7-for-11 against blach, who is 1-1 with a 3.33 era in seven career games (three starts) against colorado while holding charlie blackmon hitless in 12 at-bats.
walk-offs

1. san francisco closer hunter strickland is 9-for-11 in save opportunities and has converted each of his last seven chances.

2. arenado has reached base in 27 of his last 28 games.

3. giants rhp mark melancon (forearm) is expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment at triple-a sacramento on monday.

prediction: giants 7, rockies 5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Los Angeles Angels Preview and Predictions 05-20-2018

20th May 2018 by Gracenote
the tampa bay rays have reached the .500 mark for the first time since the second game of the season and look to extend their winning streak to seven when they go for a road sweep against the struggling los angeles angels on sunday. sergio romo made his first major league start after 588 relief appearances, striking out the side in the first inning saturday, and will get the ball to open the game again in the series finale sunday for tampa bay.

romo will become the first pitcher to start back-to-back major league games since 2012, when zack greinke was ejected july 7 and came back the next day to throw the first pitch for milwaukee. infielder daniel robertson belted his first career grand slam in the 5-3 victory saturday for the rays and is 6-for-14 during a four-game hitting streak while c.j. cron had a hit to extend his on-base streak to a career-best 25 contests. rookie shohei ohtani will try to put a halt to the angels' five-game losing streak when he takes the mound in search of his fourth victory sunday. former american league mvp mike trout homered for the second straight game saturday for los angeles after going 1-for-22 over an eight-game stretch.
tv: 4:07 p.m. et, fs sun (tampa bay), fs west (los angeles)
pitching matchup: rays rh sergio romo (1-0, 4.67 era) vs. angels rh shohei ohtani (3-1, 3.58)

romo whiffed zack cozart, trout and justin upton on saturday to get the rays off to a great start and has not allowed a run in 5 1/3 innings over his last five appearances. the 35-year-old, who owns 84 career saves, will most likely be followed by right-hander matt andriese or lefty anthony banda after pitching at least one inning sunday. martin maldonado has a homer against romo, who is 1-0 and has permitted three runs over 12 2/3 innings on the road this year.
ohtani recorded a pair quality starts in his last two trips to the mound, allowing three runs on nine hits and four walks with 17 strikeouts over 12 1/3 innings. the 23-year-old japan native opened the season with a pair of strong outings before giving up seven runs across 7 1/3 innings and suffering his only loss to boston in the next two before turning things around in may. ohtani, who faces the rays for the first time, has struck out 43 and walked 13 in 32 2/3 innings overall in 2018.
walk-offs

1. los angeles ss andrelton simmons went 0-for-4 on saturday to end a 25-game on-base streak.

2. tampa bay placed ss adeiny hechavarria (hamstring) on the 10-day disabled list saturday and recalled rhp ryne stanek from triple-a durham.
3. angels lf justin upton (hand) returned to the lineup after missing one game saturday, but went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.

prediction: angels 7, rays 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Detroit Tigers vs. Seattle Mariners Preview and Predictions 05-20-2018

20th May 2018 by Gracenote
life without second baseman robinson cano hasn't been too hard on the seattle mariners, who will try for their third straight victory over the visiting detroit tigers on sunday. seattle improved to 4-2 without cano, who broke his hand sunday before getting suspended 80 games by major league baseball on tuesday, after saturday's 7-2 victory as dee gordon has made a seamless transition back to the keystone after the mariners had converted him to a center fielder.

gordon (.306) is 1-for-8 with three rbis, including a two-run double saturday, while playing error-free ball in his first two games of the season at second base and seattle will need him to continue producing if it is to remain a contender in the american league west. detroit (20-25) hopes to kick start its offense, which has produced nine runs in its last four games - three losses - as it played without miguel cabrera (.323) on saturday for the 17th time in 18 may games. the tigers' francisco liriano looks for a return to the early season form that saw him go 3-1 with a 2.97 era in his first six starts and opposes wade leblanc, who has filled in admirably for the injured erasmo ramirez. leblanc has allowed one run in 15 innings over three starts since moving into the rotation in place of ramirez, who is out with a shoulder injury.
tv: 4:10 p.m. et, fs detroit, root northwest (seattle)
pitching matchup: tigers lh francisco liriano (3-1, 4.03 era) vs. mariners lh wade leblanc (0-0, 2.51)

liriano allowed five runs, seven hits and three walks while striking out three in 4 1/3 innings of detroit's 9-8 victory over cleveland on tuesday. the 34-year-old dominican republic native wasn't much better in his previous start, yielding three runs, four hits and four walks in four innings of the tigers' 5-4 loss at texas on may 9. nelson cruz and kyle seager have each homered and are a combined 5-for-15 against liriano, who is 6-3 with a 3.36 era in 14 games (11 starts) versus seattle.
leblanc permitted three hits and struck out four in six innings of the mariners' 1-0 victory at minnesota on monday. "we got a little bit more than we were hoping to get out of him, which was great," seattle manager scott servais told reporters about the 33-year-old louisiana native. "just an awesome job." jose iglesias (.248 batting average this season, 5-for-13 in last four games) is 2-for-3 versus leblanc, who allowed four runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings versus detroit in one start and one relief appearance in his career without earning a decision.
walk-offs
1. tigers 3b niko goodrum (.265) went 1-for-3 on saturday to extend his career-high hitting streak to eight games. he is 12-for-30 with three home runs, three doubles, seven rbis and seven runs scored during that span.

2. mariners ss jean segura (.316) is 19-for-44 with eight rbis and eight runs scored in his last 10 games, raising his average 36 points.

3. iglesias was 7-for-13 with a home run, double, five rbis and two runs scored in his first four games versus seattle this season before going 0-for-3 on saturday.

prediction: mariners 3, tigers 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Cleveland Indians vs. Houston Astros Preview and Predictions 05-20-2018

19th May 2018 by Gracenote
the cleveland indians have homered in a season-high 10 straight games, with most of the power coming from the top of the order. right fielder michael brantley has thrived in the second spot in the lineup and owns a nine-game hitting streak for the indians, who face the host houston astros in the rubber match of their three-game series on sunday.

brantley belted a solo homer in saturday's 5-4 victory and is 14-for-39 during his streak with 19 rbis in 16 games this month. corey kluber struck out 10 batters over seven strong innings saturday while third baseman jose ramirez had two hits and improved to 10-for-22 with a pair of homers and seven rbis during his six-game hitting streak. the astros saw their three-game winning streak come to an end despite homers by carlos correa, alex bregman and marwin gonzalez. outfielder josh reddick, batting .227 with six home runs and 17 rbis, was held out of the starting lineup for a second straight day with a skin infection above his left knee but appeared as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning and hopes to return to the lineup sunday.
tv: 8:08 p.m. et, espn
pitching matchup: indians rh carlos carrasco (5-2, 3.66 era) vs. astros rh lance mccullers jr. (5-2, 3.63)

carrasco is pitching on an extended five days' rest after his last start on may 14 at detroit, where he allowed three runs over 6 2/3 innings in a 6-3 loss. the 31-year-old native of venezuela has thrown at least 110 pitches in four of his last seven starts, including three in a row. reddick is 6-for-9 with a home run against carrasco, who owns a 3-1 record and 2.67 era in six career games (five starts) versus houston, including 2-0 with a 0.00 era in two outings at minute maid park.
mccullers turned in a solid outing but took the loss against the los angeles angels last monday, allowing two runs on four hits over six innings. the 24-year-old has 58 strikeouts in 52 innings and has only given up three home runs, including none in his last five starts. yonder alonso is 4-for-8 against mccullers, who struggled in his only previous start against cleveland, giving up five runs over five frames in a 7-6 loss on april 26, 2017.
walk-offs

1. cleveland of lonnie chisenhall (right calf strain) will begin his rehab assignment on monday with triple-a columbus.

2. the astros lead the majors in run differential at plus-96.

3. the indians plan to recall rhp adam plutko from triple-a columbus to start against the chicago cubs on wednesday, with rhp josh tomlin moving to the bullpen.

prediction: astros 6, indians 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NHL Western Confernce Finals Game 5 betting preview: Golden Knights at Jets

The unthinkable has happened. The Golden Knights are one win away from the Stanley Cup Finals, but they'll be in tough as +120 road dogs Sunday in Winnipeg.

Vegas Golden Knights at Winnipeg Jets (-140, 6)

Golden Knights lead series 3-1

The Vegas Golden Knights have seized every opportunity during their spectacular inaugural season, and now stand one win from the Stanley Cup finals entering Game 5 of the Western Conference finals Sunday at the Winnipeg Jets. After dropping the opening game of the series, the Golden Knights have ridden Marc-Andre Fleury’s outstanding goaltending, an impressive performance from its top line and the ability to counter Winnipeg’s every punch to a 3-1 series lead.

“The fact we always bounce back right away when they get (a goal) and keep the momentum on our side, I think has been the key to the series,” Fleury told reporters after Vegas captured Game 4 with a 3-2 victory on Reilly Smith’s go-ahead goal with 6:58 to play. Four times in the series, Vegas has scored a goal less than 90 seconds after a Winnipeg goal, and the Golden Knights have netted the game’s opening tally in winning each of the past three games. Winnipeg played well for long stretches of each of the past two games, only to come away with two road losses that has put the Jets’ season on the brink following a hard-fought seven-game series victory over Nashville in the conference semifinals. “In our minds, this series is far from over,” Jets defenseman Tyler Myers told reporters after Game 4, in which he scored the game-tying goal early in the third period. “We’re going back home for the next one and we’ll focus on that.”

TV: 3 p.m. ET, NBC, CBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports

SERIES PRICE (PER SPORTS INTERACTION):

Vegas Golden Knights -355
Winnipeg Jets +279

LINE HISTORY: The Jets opened their must-win Game 5 as -163 home favorites, but they have been moved down to the current number of -140 as of Saturday evening. The total opened at 5.5, but it has moved up to an even 6.

CONSENSUS: Public bettors think returning home to the Winnipeg Whiteout will give the Jets enough of a boost to extend the series at least to a sixth game with 59 percent of wagers on the home team. When it comes to the total 55 percent of wagers are on the Over.

GOALIE SHOWDOWN:
GP W L GAA SAVE % SO
Marc-Andre Fleury (Golden Knights) 14 11 3 1.72 .945 4
Connor Hellebuyck 16 9 7 2.38 .921 2

INJURY REPORT:

Golden Knights - LW William Carrier (Questionable, upper body), G Malcolm Subban (Questionable, illness), D Clayton Stoner (Out, abdominal).

Jets - D Dmitry Kulikov (Out, back).

ABOUT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS: Vegas’ top line of William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault and Smith shined yet again in Game 4, combining for two goals and two assists. That was more than enough for Fleury, who made 35 saves overall and robbed Winnipeg several times in facing 27 shots in the final two periods. Vegas has excelled in the past two games by hounding the Jets in the neutral zone, finishing Game 4 with 24 takeaways and blocking 25 shots.

ABOUT THE JETS: Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 26 saves but allowed three goals in losing his third game in a row, and his save percentage during the losing streak is .895. Winnipeg applied waves of pressure in the final two periods and outshot the Golden Knights 37-29 in the game, sparked in part by a strong performance from Jack Roslovic and Mathieu Perreault on the third line (both finished plus-1). Patrik Laine picked up a power-play goal, the 20-year-old’s fifth in 16 playoff contests.

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Golden Knights are 5-1 in their last six overall.
* Jets are 11-2 in their last 13 when their opponent allows two goals or less in their previous game.
* Under is 3-0-1 in Golden Knights last four road games.
* Under is 3-0-1 in Jets last four home games.
* Golden Knights are 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NHL
Dunkel

Sunday, May 20


Vegas @ Winnipeg

Game 7-8
May 20, 2018 @ 3:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Vegas
12.670
Winnipeg
13.775
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Winnipeg
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Winnipeg
-140
6
Dunkel Pick:
Winnipeg
(-140); Over

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NHL
Long Sheet

Sunday, May 20

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

VEGAS (62-27-0-7, 131 pts.) at WINNIPEG (61-27-0-10, 132 pts.) - 5/20/2018, 3:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WINNIPEG is 61-38 ATS (+17.4 Units) in all games this season.
WINNIPEG is 61-41 ATS (+4.4 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 32-15 ATS (+47.0 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
WINNIPEG is 13-3 ATS (+9.0 Units) in home games after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 3 seasons.
VEGAS is 63-34 ATS (+22.5 Units) in all games this season.
VEGAS is 12-1 ATS (+10.7 Units) on Sunday games this season.
VEGAS is 36-18 ATS (+16.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
VEGAS is 22-12 ATS (+8.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
VEGAS is 5-2 (+3.5 Units) against the spread versus WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
VEGAS is 5-2-0 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.3 Units)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NHL

Sunday, May 20

Trend Report

Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Vegas is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Vegas is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Vegas is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Vegas's last 6 games on the road
Vegas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Winnipeg
Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 games
Winnipeg is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games
Winnipeg is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Winnipeg is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Winnipeg's last 10 games at home
Winnipeg is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Vegas

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MLB
Dunkel

Sunday, May 20


Arizona @ NY Mets

Game 901-902
May 20, 2018 @ 1:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Arizona
(Buchholz) 14.924
NY Mets
(Syndrgrd) 13.710
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Arizona
by 1
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Mets
-185
7
Dunkel Pick:
Arizona
(+165); Under

Chicago Cubs @ Cincinnati

Game 903-904
May 20, 2018 @ 1:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago Cubs
(Darvish) 13.755
Cincinnati
(Mahle) 16.980
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cincinnati
by 3
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago Cubs
-155
9
Dunkel Pick:
Cincinnati
(+135); Under

Miami @ Atlanta

Game 905-906
May 20, 2018 @ 1:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
(Chen) 16.375
Atlanta
(Teheran) 12.550
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Miami
by 4
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta
-200
9
Dunkel Pick:
Miami
(+170); Over

San Diego @ Pittsburgh

Game 907-908
May 20, 2018 @ 1:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Diego
(Lyles) 15.571
Pittsburgh
(Williams) 14.684
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Diego
by 1
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-135
8
Dunkel Pick:
San Diego
(+115); Over

LA Dodgers @ Washington

Game 909-910
May 20, 2018 @ 1:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Dodgers
(Wood) 16.388
Washington
(Strasburg) 15.392
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Dodgers
by 1
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-150
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Dodgers
(+130); Under

Philadelphia @ St. Louis

Game 911-912
May 20, 2018 @ 2:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
(Nola) 14.539
St. Louis
(Flaherty) 15.832
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Philadelphia
-125
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(+105); Under

Colorado @ San Francisco

Game 913-914
May 20, 2018 @ 4:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Colorado
(Andrson) 14.462
San Francisco
(Blach) 15.673
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Francisco
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Francisco
-110
8
Dunkel Pick:
San Francisco
(-110); Under

Baltimore @ Boston

Game 915-916
May 20, 2018 @ 1:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Baltimore
(Hess) 00.000
Boston
(Rodriguez) 00.000
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Baltimore

Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Baltimore

Dunkel Pick:
Baltimore
( );

Oakland @ Toronto

Game 917-918
May 20, 2018 @ 1:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oakland
(Mengden) 15.820
Toronto
(Biagini) 14.551
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oakland
by 1 1/2
11
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oakland
-115
9 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Oakland
(-115); Over

Texas @ Chicago White Sox

Game 919-920
May 20, 2018 @ 2:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Texas
(Minor) 14.908
Chicago White Sox
(Lopez) 13.816
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Texas
by 1
11
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Texas
-120
9
Dunkel Pick:
Texas
(-120); Over

NY Yankees @ Kansas City

Game 921-922
May 20, 2018 @ 2:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Yankees
(Gray) 13.560
Kansas City
(Skoglund) 16.359
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kansas City
by 3
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Yankees
-160
9 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Kansas City
(+140); Under

Tampa Bay @ LA Angels

Game 923-924
May 20, 2018 @ 4:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tampa Bay
(Romo) 00.000
LA Angels
(Ohtani) 00.000
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay

Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tampa Bay

Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay
( );

Detroit @ Seattle

Game 925-926
May 20, 2018 @ 4:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
(Liriano) 16.509
Seattle
(LeBlanc) 14.439
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Seattle
-180
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(+160); Under

Cleveland @ Houston

Game 927-928
May 20, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
(Carrasco) 17.434
Houston
(McCllers) 16.652
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cleveland
by 1
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
-145
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland
(+125); Under

Milwaukee @ Minnesota

Game 929-930
May 20, 2018 @ 2:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
(Guerra) 16.488
Minnesota
(Odorizzi) 15.152
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
-115
9
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(-105); Under