Announcement

**Udog** · 05-29-2015, 09:32 AM

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

-- David Ortiz is hitting .105 against lefties, is sitting out a couple games.

-- Washington's Jayson Werth has couple fractures in his wrist, is out until August.

-- A guy named Thomas Bacon was arrested in New Jersey after a scuffle over who got the last piece of sausage-- seriously.

-- They had 18,411 fans for a makeup twinbill in Baltimore that started at 1pm.

-- World Series of Poker started this week, runs until early July in Las Vegas.

-- Jerry West turned 75 this week; he looks younger than me and I'm 55.

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Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here........

13) Lot of politics in pro basketball coaching; Tom Thibodeau got fired by the Bulls despite a 278-167 record, a record achieved with Derrick Rose playing in less than half the regular season games.

12) Fred Hoiberg is rumored to be Chicago's top choice, whoch could start a domino effect in college ball, depending on who Iowa State would then hire to replace the extremely popular Hoiberg.

11) Denver Broncos lost LT Ryan Clady for the season with a torn ACL; he protected Peyton Manning's blind side, so this is a huge loss. Broncos signed free agent Ryan Harris, who started 15 games in KC last year and played for the Broncos from 2007-10.

Denver will start camp without three starting offensive linemen from LY.

10) In other words, if you were thinking of betting on Denver to win the Super Bowl, you better wait for the odds to go up before you do.

9) Major League Baseball needs to identify who is making the instant replay decisions in New York, just for transparency sake. I mean, you get hosed on a call, its always more fun to know who you're mad at.

8) They show that Spelling Bee on TV every year; how is it allowed to end in a tie? Make them play Scrabble or something, or have them spell Samardzija or Nieuwenheis to break the tie. Ties are un-American.

7) Why are bad guys on TV/movies such terrible shots? Why don't they go to a shooting range and practice? You see cops practicing their shooting, why don't bad guys practice? Stuff like this bothers me.

6) Steve Stone does an excellent job on White Sox games; he is better with Hawk Harrelson on vacation, since he is allowed to talk more. He told a story about Earl Weaver yesterday, about how Weaver took Stone out of a game after a batter his a long foul ball off of Stone. They had this exchange:

Stone: "Why are you taking me out? That ball was foul!!!"
Weaver: "Yeah, but the next one won't be."

5) Do NHL players have days when they do not skate at all? Do they need to skate every day or does a day off their feet refresh them?

4) So this guy Marco Rubio is running for President; he goes to Las Vegas and tweets that his first stop is at the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop, where he visited with Rick Harrison, owner of the pawn shop that is the subject of a popular reality show on the History Channel.

Does this mean Chumley is in line for a cabinet post if Rubio gets elected?

3) Kevin Burkhardt was a roaming reporter on SNY for Mets games the last few years, but he's gotten his big break and now does a fine job hosting MLB Whiparound on Fox Sports 1. Pretty good program for baseball fans.

2) Here is a video of 75-year old Jerry West talking to kids at a recent clinic; its not hard to count how many shots he misses, because he doesn't.

1) RIP Ron Bergman, who passed away this week at age 80. Mr Bergman wrote one of the first books I ever bought, Mustache Gang, about the Oakland A's after they won the 1972 World Series. RIP, sir.

**Udog** · 05-29-2015, 09:32 AM

See spot. See spot bet: This week's best spot bets

Lookahead spot

The Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles will play two on Thursday after the riots in Baltimore forced two of their games to be postponed last month. That’s a rare spot for MLB teams, with only a handful of doubleheaders scheduled on the 2015 calendar.

The Orioles are at home already, so they only have to show up. But the White Sox could get caught looking ahead to a busy Thursday when they wrap up a road set against the Toronto Blue Jays Wednesday afternoon. With two games on deck Thursday, the ChiSox may let Wednesday's expected starter Jeff Samardzija go a bit deeper – even if he gets in trouble – as to not deplete their bullpen before the double dip in Baltimore.

Schedule spot

The Baltimore Ravens have one of the more daunting schedules to begin the 2015 NFL season, playing three of their first four games away from home. Baltimore opens the year with two cross-country trips to Denver and Oakland before coming home in Week 3 to host Cincinnati.

This tough stretch of sked hits a peak with a road trip to Pittsburgh in Week 4 on Thursday Night Football. So, not only are the Ravens on the road for a huge divisional game under the national spotlight, but they’re playing on a short week after that grueling itinerary in the first three weeks of the seasons. Early odds have Baltimore as a 3-point road underdog in Week 4.

Letdown spot

The Seattle Mariners are on the other side of the continent, wrapping up a nine-game road trip in Tampa Bay this week. The M’s have gone 4-3 in the first seven games of this trek, heading into Tuesday’s Game 2 with the Rays, and could find themselves in letdown mode in their first game back in Safeco Thursday.

Seattle travels back home to host the Cleveland Indians Friday. Often times, teams returning from a long away stretch can suffer a letdown in that first game home with the focus not entirely on baseball. The Mariners have been gone since May 19 and missed being at home over the Memorial Day Weekend. With little time between games and travel, beware of the Mariners in a letdown spot Friday.

**Udog** · 05-29-2015, 09:37 AM

NHL
Dunkel

Friday, May 29

Tampa Bay @ NY Rangers

Game 75-76
May 29, 2015 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tampa Bay
13.430
NY Rangers
10.636
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay
by 3
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Rangers
-150
5
Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay
(+130); Under

NHL
Long Sheet

Friday, May 29

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TAMPA BAY (61-32-0-8, 130 pts.) at NY RANGERS (64-28-0-8, 136 pts.) - 5/29/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 64-36 ATS (+20.2 Units) in all games this season.
NY RANGERS are 44-21 ATS (+9.0 Units) second half of the season this season.
NY RANGERS are 35-26 ATS (-1.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TAMPA BAY is 16-5 ATS (+8.7 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more this season.
TAMPA BAY is 186-196 ATS (+420.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1996.
NY RANGERS are 104-105 ATS (-51.9 Units) in home games after a win by 2 goals or more since 1996.
NY RANGERS are 111-116 ATS (-79.6 Units) in home games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 8-7 (+1.2 Units) against the spread versus NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
TAMPA BAY is 8-7-0 straight up against NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
9 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+4.1 Units)

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NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, May 29

Ranger goalie Lundqvist won his last six Game 7's, an NHL record. Rangers lost six of last nine games with Tampa Bay; they scored five goals in third period Tuesday as they evened series with third straight win in series by road team- eight of last eleven series games went over total. Rangers are 7-20 on power play in last five games, Lightning 6-18. There were 66 faceoffs in Game 6 after 39 in Game 5; more stoppages appears to help NY. Four of last five games were decided by more than one goal. Extra day between games should make this a faster, more physical game. Rangers lost last two home games; Tampa Bay split last four on road.

2015 NHL playoffs
Tampa Bay vs NY Rangers
NYR 2-1, -$143, U5
TB 6-2, +$128, O5
TB 6-5, -$130, O5
NYR 5-1, +$129, O5
TB 2-0, +134, U5
NYR 7-3, -$135, O5

Chicago vs Anaheim
Ana 4-1, -$135, N5
Chi 3-2, 3OT, +$113, N5
Ana 2-1, +$145, U5
Chi 5-4, 2OT, -$123, O5
Ana 5-4 OT, -$143, O5
Chi 5-2, -$145, O5

NHL

Friday, May 29

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. NY RANGERS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games when playing NY Rangers
NY Rangers are 17-8 SU in their last 25 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the NY Rangers last 5 games

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**Udog** · 05-29-2015, 09:40 AM

NHL

Friday, May 29

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Game of the day: Lightning at Rangers
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Tampa Bay Lightning at New York Rangers (-150, 5)

Series tied 3-3

The New York Rangers have fought off elimination four times in this season's playoffs and can secure a return trip to the Stanley Cup final when they host the visiting Tampa Bay Lighting on Friday night. The Rangers erupted for a postseason-high seven goals in Game 6 to bring the Eastern Conference final back to Madison Square Garden, where they are 7-0 all-time in Game 7 matchups.

"Every time we're in an elimination game, that's the way we play," said New York forward Derick Brassard, who scored a hat trick and amassed five points in Tuesday's 7-3 romp. "We're just going to go out there at home and try to play our best game." Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist made 36 saves in Game 6 and enters the winner-take-all matchup with a 15-3 in his last 18 elimination games. The Lightning blanked the Rangers 2-0 at Madison Square Garden in Game 5 but have allowed at least five goals in three of their last four contests. Tampa Bay forward Alex Killorn was unfazed by New York's perfect home mark in Game 7s, saying: "I guess that means they're due to lose one."

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

LINE HISTORY: The opening moneyline saw the Rangers at -144 but has been bet to -150. The opening total of 5 has yet to shift.

INJURY REPORT: Lightning - C Tyler Johnson (Prob-Flu), LW Ondrej Palat (Prob-Flu), Cedric Paquette (Ques-Arm) Rangers - LW Mats Zuccarello (Ques-Upper Body)

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING: Tampa Bay did manage to win Games 6 and 7 in its first-round matchup against Detroit, but they need to find a way to get the "Triplets" line of Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov going. Although Kucherov scored twice in Game 6 on a pair of assists by Johnson, the unit has produced six points in the last three contests after dominating the first half of the series by coming for eight goals and eight assists in the first three games. A flu bug that had been affecting the Lightning seems to have subsided, but they need a better outing from Ben Bishop, who allowed a goal on the first shot he faced in Game 6 and was eventually pulled after surrendering five goals for the third time in four starts.

ABOUT THE RANGERS: Brassard had scored just one goal in his previous eight games before notching his first career hat trick and becoming the third player in franchise history to collect five points in a playoff contest. Rick Nash, a 42-goal scorer during the regular season who drew a ton of criticism after tallying only twice in the first 15 games of the postseason, has come alive with three goals and four assists over the past three games. Still, the fortunes of the Presidents' Trophy winners will likely hinge on the performance of Lundqvist, who set the tempo in Game 6 with 15 first-period saves and has been victorious in his last six Game 7s while posting a .973 saves percentage and microscopic 0.81 goals-against average.

TRENDS:

*Lightning are 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in New York.
*Rangers are 10-2 in their last 12 when their opponent allows 5 goals or more in their previous game.
*Under is 11-4-1 in Lightning last 16 road games.
*Over is 12-3-3 in Rangers last 18 after scoring 5 goals or more in their previous game.

CONSENSUS: 68.8 percent of users are backing the Rangers with 56 percent on the over.

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**Udog** · 05-29-2015, 09:42 AM

NHL

Friday, May 29

No home-ice advantage in Rangers-Lightning series

The road team has won four of the last five games in the Eastern Conference Final between the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning.

The series shifts to Madison Square Garden in New York for Game 7 Friday evening. The Lightning are 2-1 in three games in New York so far this series.

**Udog** · 05-29-2015, 12:52 PM

NHL
Short Sheet

Friday, May 29

Eastern Conference Finals - Best of 7 - Game 7 - Series Tied 3-3

Tampa Bay at NY Rangers, 8:05 PM
Tampa Bay: 25-10 SU after having lost 2 of their last 3 games
NY Rangers: 5-10 SU in home games after scoring 5 goals or more in their previous game

Announcement

Friday's NHL Trends and Indexes - 5/29

Friday's NHL Trends and Indexes - 5/29

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