Monday 4-15-19 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 04-15-2019, 09:39 AM

Brooklyn Nets vs. Philadelphia 76ers Preview and Predictions 04-15-2019 in NBA

The Brooklyn Nets' guard play proved to be too much in Game 1 of their first-round matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers, who hope to avoid falling into a 2-0 series hole when the teams meet Monday night. Guards D'Angelo Russell, Caris LeVert and Spencer Dinwiddie combined for 67 points to lead the sixth-seeded Nets to a 111-102 victory in the best-of-seven series opener Saturday, seizing homecourt advantage away from the No. 3 seed.

"Earlier in the season, especially when we were struggling, we'd lose games like that," Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson told reporters. "We'd get a lead and turn the ball over and take bad shots. Our maturity level - our collective maturity - has improved so much. We weren't rattled. You're afraid with this crowd and the team they have that they're going to knock you out of the box quick. We took a couple of punches, took a couple of runs and still kept our composure. That's big progress." The 76ers saw Jimmy Butler score 36 points and Joel Embiid add 22 and 15 rebounds in his return from a knee issue but they were 3-of-25 from beyond the arc and heard plenty of boos in a game they trailed by as many as 16. "If you're going to boo, then stay on that side," guard Ben Simmons snapped at the fans after he was held to nine points while making 1-of-5 free throws. "That's how I feel, if you're a Sixer fan and you're going to boo then stay on that side." Game 3 is Thursday in Brooklyn.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT, YES (Brooklyn), NBCS Philadelphia

ABOUT THE NETS: LeVert paced a 59-point attack for the Brooklyn bench in Game 1 by hitting all three of his 3-pointers in 23 very productive minutes, putting forth a memorable playoff debut roughly two months into his return from a dislocated foot. "Any time you go through adversity like that it definitely makes the reward much sweeter," LeVert told the media. Forward Ed Davis chipped in 12 points and 16 rebounds off the bench while starter Joe Harris contributed 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting.

ABOUT THE 76ERS: Embiid notched his double-double in just 24 minutes but he was clearly rusty, missing all five of his 3-point tries and making 5-of-15 shots overall while trying to keep up with Davis. "I'll point exclusively to fatigue," coach Brett Brown told reporters of Embiid's issues. "It's a lot easier running 3-point line to 3-point line than it is rim to rim. ... We tried to play him in five-minute clumps and maximize that, but even that got the better of him from a pace standpoint." Butler's best scoring output since Dec. 7 kept Philadelphia in Game 1, while forward Tobias Harris was limited to four points -- more than 14 below his average -- in his first postseason game since 2016.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Russell scored at least 20 points in 12 of his last 13 games.

2. Sixers SG JJ Redick hit 1-of-4 3-pointers Saturday after making 19-of-40 in his first four games this month.

3. Brooklyn made 24-of-26 free throws in Game 1. Philadelphia was 29-of-42.

PREDICTION: 76ers 107, Nets 105

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 04-15-2019, 09:39 AM

LA Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors Preview and Predictions 04-15-2019 in NBA

The Golden State Warriors breezed to a win in Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, but things got a little feisty along the way. The Warriors will try to keep their emotions in check and take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series when they host the eighth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers in Game 2 on Monday.

Golden State star Kevin Durant picked up a pair of technical fouls in the fourth quarter of Saturday's 121-104 victory along with Clippers point guard Patrick Beverley, and both were ejected to culminate an evening of jawing between the two. "That's what Beverley does," Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters. "We talked about it for the last couple days. He's a hell of a defender, he plays hard, we've got a lot of respect for him - but you cannot take the bait because that's a bad trade for us. The Clippers have made a lot of good trades this year -- that was probably their best." Durant finished with 23 points on 8-of-16 shooting in 32 minutes while Beverley managed three points on 1-of-6 shooting in 31 minutes. "I was just being Pat. It was fun out there," Beverley told reporters. "We competed. I really wish we could've played more without the chippy calls, but I understand it's Game 1 and they're trying to set the tone. But this is the playoffs. People want to come see a good basketball game and not so many fouls, but there's things that we can control."

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT, FS Prime Ticket (Los Angeles), NBCS Bay Area (Golden State)

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS: Beverley wasn't the only Los Angeles player to struggle offensively as the starting five combined to go 12-of-44 from the field. The scoring for the Clippers came off the bench from power forward Montrezl Harrell, who managed 26 points on 11-of-15 shooting, and guard Lou Williams, who collected 25 points and nine assists while trying to carry the load. "They outplayed us," Los Angeles coach Doc Rivers told reporters. "They deserved to win. We made too many mistakes. We can't lose our composure, where we're giving up a free throw rebound because we forget to block out because we're complaining."

ABOUT THE WARRIORS: Golden State star Stephen Curry was the star of Game 1 with 38 points on 11-of-16 shooting, 15 rebounds and seven assists and passed Ray Allen for the most career 3-pointers in postseason play while going 8-of-12 from beyond the arc. "That's remarkable, given that he's kind of right in his prime," Kerr told reporters of Curry. "He's got a lot of years left." The Warriors shot 49.5 percent from the floor and handed out 31 assists to help overcome 21 turnovers.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Warriors C DeMarcus Cousins was held to nine points on 4-of-12 shooting and committed six turnovers in his postseason debut.

2. Los Angeles rookie PG Landry Shamet managed three points on 1-of-6 shooting in his playoff debut.

3. Curry's 15 rebounds marked a postseason career high.

PREDICTION: Warriors 120, Clippers 112

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 04-15-2019, 09:40 AM

Washington Capitals vs. Carolina Hurricanes Preview and Predictions 04-15-2019 in NHL

The Carolina Hurricanes will need to answer the witty response of Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis with a strong one on Monday when playoff hockey returns to Raleigh (N.C.) for the first time in nearly a decade. The Hurricanes have seen a pair of late rallies fall short to begin their Eastern Conference first-round series after losing all four regular-season meetings with Washington.

"I hope we get a good lift. Our fans are excited. It's been a long time coming," Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said of his team hosting a playoff game for the first time since May 26, 2009. It would behoove the Hurricanes to get off to a better start, as the club has fallen behind early in both contests in Washington. Nicklas Backstrom scored twice to highlight the Capitals' three-goal first period in Thursday's 4-2 win and joined T.J. Oshie in tallying the opening session on Saturday before defenseman Brooks Orpik converted 1:48 into overtime for the 4-3 victory. "Just like it was drawn up," Leonsis quipped after the goal by the 38-year-old Orpik, who has scored just four times in 151 NHL playoff games.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, CNBC, Sportsnet, TVAS2, NBCS Washington, FS Carolinas

ABOUT THE CAPITALS: Alex Ovechkin feels as though he has reversed roles with Backstrom thus far in the series, with the superstar captain answering his NHL-best 51 tallies this season by playing more like a distributor in the first two games versus Carolina. "Right now, Backy is a scoring machine and I'm Backstrom," said Ovechkin, who has a goal and two assists in the series. While the forwards may have temporarily changed roles, Braden Holtby has been extremely consistent as the former Vezina Trophy recipient has turned aside 196 of 209 shots in his last seven contests (7-0-0) -- with four of those victories coming against Carolina.

ABOUT THE HURRICANES: Leading goal scorer Sebastian Aho was in no mood to celebrate after scoring from a sharp angle late in the second period to snap a 15-game goal drought. "It's not like we're playing bad, but this time of year, you've got to get that extra step and play even better," the 21-year-old Finn said. "OK is not OK. We just have to try to play our best." Lucas Wallmark collected his team-leading third point of the series with a late first-period goal before rookie Andrei Svechnikov matched his total by setting up Jordan Staal's power-play tally with five minutes remaining in the third to forge a tie at 3.

OVERTIME

1. Carolina D Dougie Hamilton and LW Micheal Ferland did not receive any supplemental discipline from the NHL following their respective hits on Washington Cs Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nic Dowd in Game 2.

2. Although Kuznetsov is tied with D John Carlson with a team co-leading three assists in the series, he has lost 19 of 28 faceoffs.

3. Hurricanes G Petr Mrazek has turned aside 43 of 50 shots in the series.

PREDICTION: Hurricanes 3, Capitals 2

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 04-15-2019, 09:40 AM

Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Preview and Predictions 04-15-2019 in NHL

The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to be short-handed heading into Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series versus the visiting Boston Bruins on Monday night. The game will take place hours after Nazem Kadri's reported in-person hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety, a meeting necessitated after the Toronto forward cross-checked Jake DeBrusk in Saturday's 4-1 setback in Boston.

Kadri returned after receiving a knee-on-knee hit from DeBrusk in the second to score midway into the third before he ignited fireworks with his shot to the head of the Bruins forward. The prevailing question surrounding Kadri's potential suspension might be "for how long" as opposed to "if" given the 28-year-old's considerable history, as he has been suspended four times during his career -- including for three games in the 2018 first-round series with Boston following his boarding penalty on Tommy Wingels. While Kadri's status is up in the air, the same can be said for DeBrusk along with defensemen Torey Krug (undisclosed) and Connor Clifton (upper body) as the series between the Original Six rivals is ratcheting up the emotion. "We're not a team that runs from a physical game," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. "I think it brings out the best in us at times. You've got to make sure you stay on the right side of things, and score, defend, while you're doing all that. That was the ask (Saturday). We got it."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, NESN (Boston), CBC, TVAS (Toronto)

ABOUT THE BRUINS: Boston altered its approach after its 4-1 setback in the series opener, with David Backes making the most of his addition to the lineup by registering a game-high seven hits. Backes wasn't the only one laying the lumber, as David Pastrnak (four hits), DeBrusk (four) and David Krejci (three) weren't shy about making their presence known. "It was really intense. We felt like we needed to play more of that style ... both teams want to play hard and play that kind of playoff-style hockey," Bruins forward Matt Grzelcyk said.

ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS: After drawing rave reviews following their series-opening performance, defensemen Jake Muzzin and Nikita Zaitsev didn't fare as well in Game 2. Muzzin failed to control a loose puck in his own zone which led to Charlie Coyle's game-opening goal and was out of position on a 2-on-1 rush that was capped off with Brad Marchand's first goal of the series. Muzzin and Zaitsev, who each finished with a minus-3 rating, were separated as a unit in the third period and paired with Travis Dermott and Jake Gardiner, respectively.

OVERTIME

1. Boston C Patrice Bergeron has three goals and two assists in four games versus Toronto, including one goal in each game of this series.

2. Maple Leafs RW William Nylander or C Patrick Marleau likely will be placed on the third line should Kadri be unavailable to play on Monday.

3. Bruins C Marcus Johansson missed Game 2 with an illness and did not travel with the team to Toronto.

PREDICTION: Bruins 4, Maple Leafs 2

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 04-15-2019, 09:40 AM

Nashville Predators vs. Dallas Stars Preview and Predictions 04-15-2019 in NHL

It may not have been a postseason-saving victory, but the Nashville Predators knew how daunting a challenge they would face if they lost the first two games of their Western Conference first-round series at home. Instead, buoyed by a dramatic overtime victory, the Predators have renewed confidence heading into Game 3 at the Dallas Stars on Monday night.

Although Nashville dominated Game 2, the Central Division champions needed a goal from Craig Smith five minutes into the extra session to level the series at one game apiece. "It's a huge win for us. Now we've tied the series and go in their building and have an opportunity to get the lead," Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne said. "Not too high, not too low, enjoy this, but also get ready for the next couple Dallas games." The Stars were outshot by a nearly two-to-one margin in Saturday's 2-1 setback but they headed home with a mission-accomplished mindset after a 3-2 victory in the series opener. "It's a seven-game series. We came into Nashville wanting to get one, wanting to steal one on the road," Dallas center Tyler Seguin said. "We did that. We're excited to get home and play in front of our fans."

TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, TVAS, Sportsnet, FS Tennessee (Nashville), FS Southwest (Dallas)

ABOUT THE PREDATORS: While Smith, who has scored at least 21 goals in five of the past six seasons, emerged as the hero with his franchise record-tying third playoff game-winner, Nashville received a huge contribution from a much less heralded player. Rocco Grimaldi, a late addition to the lineup because Brian Boyle was dealing with an illness, netted his first postseason goal and first tally since Feb. 19. "I think it's a huge booster anytime he cracks in the lineup," Rinne said. "He's always one of the bright lights out there. Again, he did a really good job."

ABOUT THE STARS: Despite captain Jamie Benn scoring the opening goal, Dallas managed only 23 shots on net and struggled badly on the power play, failing to capitalize on any of its six chances with the extra skater. "You go 0-for 6, you get a couple of good chances. But you've got to come through," coach Jim Montgomery said. "We need to think shot first. We're all looking at the next play instead of looking to score. That's not only power play but also 5-on-5." Ben Bishop had another stellar game in net and has turned aside 70 of 74 shots through two games.

OVERTIME

1. No update was available Sunday on Predators F Wayne Simmonds, who exited Game 2 after taking a shot off the knee.

2. Stars C Roope Hintz won only 1 of 14 faceoffs as Dallas was dominated 42-29 in that department.

3. Predators F Calle Jarnkrok assisted on both goals in Game 2.

PREDICTION: Stars 2, Predators 1

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 04-15-2019, 09:40 AM

Calgary Flames vs. Colorado Avalanche Preview and Predictions 04-15-2019 in NHL

No team was more resilient down the stretch than the Colorado Avalanche, who rode an 8-0-2 surge to secure the second wild card in the Western Conference. The eighth-seeded Avalanche again showed their mettle in earning a split in Calgary and head home with a chance to seize the lead in their first-round series against the Flames on Monday night.

Leading scorer Nathan MacKinnon scored in overtime as Colorado rebounded from a 4-0 setback to the Western Conference champions in Game 1 with a 3-2 victory on Saturday night. "That's the least we came here for. We would've liked to win both games, but a 1-1 split, we'll take that," captain Gabriel Landeskog said. "Now it's a matter of us coming home and repeating this effort. We're not going to sit back. It's right back to preparing for Monday." The top-seeded Flames, who had a conference-high 26 home wins, surrendered the tying goal with just over 3 1/2 minutes to play and had a four-game winning streak against the Avalanche snapped. "If anyone thought in here that we were going to sweep this team, we got another thing coming for us," netminder Mike Smith said after Calgary absorbed its ninth straight Game 2 defeat. "It's going to be a long series and you have to prepare yourself for that."

TV: 10 p.m. ET, CNBC, CBC, TVAS2 (Calgary), Altitude (Colorado)

ABOUT THE FLAMES: Captain Mark Giordano offered a simple assessment -- "We have to be better" -- after Colorado enjoyed the better of the play in Game 2 but his teammates were not putting too much stock into one loss. "We're fine. We're not hitting the panic button or anything," said forward Sam Bennett, who set up both goals to give him three assists in the series. "We're a good team, we all believe in each other. It's just a matter of getting that start and being more prepared." Smith made 36 saves Saturday and has turned aside 62 of 65 shots in the series.

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE: MacKinnon, the top overall pick in the 2013 draft who set career highs with 41 goals and 99 points during the regular season, beat Smith with a laser to the top right corner to send the series back to Colorado tied. "I've said it before: Nate's a superstar and that's what superstars do," linemate Landeskog said of MacKinnon, who also registered seven shots on goal and played nearly 26 1/2 minutes. Second-leading scorer Mikko Rantanen, who missed the final eight games of the regular season, had a pair of assists -- including on the game-winner.

OVERTIME

1. Colorado is 0-for-8 on the power play in the series.

2. Flames C Sean Monahan scored in the third period Saturday, his eighth goal in 17 playoff contests.

3. The Avalanche signed D Cale Makar, the Hobey Baker Award winner out of the University of Massachusetts.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 3, Flames 2

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 04-15-2019, 09:41 AM

Mike Wynn

Free Play: MLB San Diego w/Lucchesi -160 Over Colorado

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 04-15-2019, 09:41 AM

Razor Sharp

YOUR RAZOR SHARP FREE PICK FOR MONDAY: LA DODGERS (Kershaw) -175 over Cincinnati

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 04-15-2019, 09:42 AM

Totals4U

Monday's Free Selection: Kansas City Royals/Chicago White Sox over 9 1/2

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 04-15-2019, 09:42 AM

Atlantic Sports

Monday's Free Selection from Atlantic Sports: Calgary Flames - 125

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 04-15-2019, 09:42 AM

#1 Sports

Monday's Free Selection: San Diego Padres

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 04-15-2019, 09:43 AM

Platinum Plays

Free Pick: the Seattle Mariners w/Kikuchi +100 over Cleveland

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 04-15-2019, 09:43 AM

Nevada Sharpshooter

Your free winner for Monday : Take NY METS (Syndergaard) +105 over Philadelphia

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 04-15-2019, 09:44 AM

Golden Dragon

FREE WINNER for Monday

LA Dodgers Kershaw -160

Monday 4-15-19 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

Monday 4-15-19 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

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