Announcement

**Udog** · 05-17-2019, 08:47 AM

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

Six fastest-working pitchers in major leagues:

6) Mike Foltynewicz, Braves 21.4 seconds between pitches

5) Brett Anderson A’s, 21.2

4) Luis Castillo Reds, 21.0

3) Erik Swanson Mariners, 20.6

2) Steven Matz Mets, 20.4

1) Wade Miley Astros, 19.1

**********

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

13) Warriors 114, Trailblazers 111— Is it getting to the point where you ask if Kevin Durant has played his last game for Golden State? Warriors lead this series 2-0; Durant isn’t close to getting back on floor, and in this series at least, they don’t even seem to need him

12) In 2020, ESPN is opening a studio at The Linq Hotel along the Las Vegas Strip; Caesars will serve as ESPN’s official odds data supplier across TV and digital programming and content.

11) Arizona Cardinals’ 8-time Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson is being suspended the first six games of the 2019 season for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy.

10) Scott Pioli resigned as assistant GM of the Atlanta Falcons this week; he said he wasn’t fired, isn’t sick and doesn’t have another job lined up, but there is speculation that he might be going to TV or is a candidate for the vacant Jets’ GM job.

9) Quote of the Day, part 2; Chris Sale talking about getting pulled with 17 strikeouts:

“I don’t think there’s any pitcher on the planet … you’ve got 17 punchouts, you definitely want to go out for [another] inning. I’d love to have gone back out there, but I respect him as much as anybody on the planet and I’ll never question anything he does, even in regard to that.”

8) Ian Anderson is the Braves’ #1 pitching prospect, drafted in the first round of the 2016 draft out of Shenendehowa HS here in the Albany area. So far this season, Anderson is 2-3, 4.04 in eight starts in the AA Southern League; he’s walked 28 hitters in 35.2 IP, which is alarming.

He is only 21, but he’s going to have to cut down on those walks to succeed in the majors.

7) Here is the difference in this year’s A’s and last year’s A’s (so far):
— 2018— A’s were 46-29 in games decided by one or two runs.
— 2019— A’s are 10-13 in games decided by one or two runs.

Beating a cruddy team like Detroit 17-3 doesn’t impress me; holding a one-run lead in the 9th inning is very impressive, especially on the road.

6) College basketball transfer portal:
— Texas Tech G Khavon Moore bolts to Clemson.
— Oregon big man Miles Norris bolts to UC Santa Barbara.

5) Bruins 4, Hurricanes 0— Boston sweeps Eastern Conference final 4-0, moves on to the Stanley Cup final against the San Jose-St Louis survivor.

4) Brown University offered 7th grade QB Ryan Downes, a 6’3 13 year-old who is at IMG and already generating some interest from recruiters.

Not sure what they actually “offered” him, since Ivy League schools do not give athletic scholarships, but no doubt they have their ways of paying for the right kid, if he expresses an interest in their school.

3) Yale did a smart thing and signed basketball coach James Jones to a contract extension thru 2026. Last five years, Yale is 52-18 in Ivy League games, making NCAA’s twice in last four years.

2) Gene Simmons of KISS gave a news conference in the Pentagon briefing room Thursday.

Seriously, he did. He was there to help promote military service and thank the service members who were there.

Simmons’ mother survived a Nazi concentration camp when she was 14, and because of that he has always been a big supporter of our troops, so good for him for doing that.

1) Happy birthday to the great Joe Tait, the voice of Cleveland sports when I was a kid, who turned 82 this week. Loved listening to him call Cavalier games, and also Indian games on WWWE with Herb Score as his baseball analyst.

Before cable TV became a big thing (yes, I am that old), listening to games on the radio was fun for this teenager. WWWE was within range of upstate New York, so listened to Mr Tait a lot.

**Udog** · 05-17-2019, 08:49 AM

**Udog** · 05-17-2019, 08:50 AM

Preview: Sharks (47-27) at Blues (45-28)

The sting of their Game 3 overtime loss will once again test the mettle of the St. Louis Blues. Fortunately for them, the Blues have overcome enough adversity already this season to have a chance.

As the Blues look to rebound from a 5-4 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday when they continue the series Friday in St. Louis, it's with the confidence that they regrouped from being the league's last-place team when they awoke on Jan. 3 to reach the Western Conference finals -- a journey that includes a head coach firing and reliance upon a rookie goalie to turn the corner.

The motivation of knowing they received the short end of the stick when Timo Meier's hand-pass resulted in Erik Karlsson scoring the game-winning goal in Game 3 to give the Sharks a 2-1 edge in the best-of-seven series provides the Blues extra fuel for their underdog tale.

"We did in the last series," captain Alex Pietrangelo told NHL.com. "We were down against Dallas and came back (to win the second-round series in seven games). We were down 2-0 (Wednesday night) and came back. We know how to look in the mirror, and we know how to get better. We felt we had control of a lot of the game, so we'll use that recipe for next game."

Lost in the controversial goal that will likely prevent referees Marc Joannette and Dan O'Rourke and linesmen Jonny Murray and Matt MacPherson from many more assignments this spring is the fact the Blues had all kinds of opportunities to close out the game long before Karlsson's handball goal.

St. Louis led 4-3 after two periods, and golden chances to score the much-needed insurance goal were thwarted by Sharks goalie Martin Jones, and a couple of opportunities to hit an empty net were missed. Throw in Pietrangelo's late icing infractions and porous team defense on the tying goal with 61 seconds left in regulation, and the Blues can find plenty to focus on instead of the botched call.

"We've got to close that game out in my opinion," said head coach Craig Berube, who will do all he can to keep his players focused on moving forward and not looking back. "We should have won it 4-3."

Blues forward Alexander Steen added, "That's (the) playoffs. Got to get ready for Game 4. Mental toughness. This is the Stanley Cup playoffs. You're going to get some bounces. Some bounces aren't going to go your way, so you've just got to move forward."

Which is what everyone involved in the game will attempt. The Blues will try to avoid getting caught up in what might have been, and the Sharks will look to build on the momentum of a win that came because they recovered from their own blown lead. San Jose was ahead 2-0 after the first period Wednesday.

"It's the playoffs," Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said. "We've won stunningly. We've lost stunningly. When you get three rounds deep, you've seen it all. It's just reset and get ready for the next one. It's going to be harder than this one."

**Udog** · 05-17-2019, 08:52 AM

17San Jose -18 St Louis
ST LOUIS are 15-4 ATS (11.8 Units) against good teams - outscoring their opponents by 0.3+ goals/game - 2nd half of the season in the current season.

NHL
Dunkel

Friday, May 17

San Jose @ St. Louis

Game 17-18
May 17, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Jose
11.423
St. Louis
12.933
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-140
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(-140); Over

NHL
Long Sheet

Friday, May 17

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

SAN JOSE (56-33-0-10, 122 pts.) at ST LOUIS (54-33-0-11, 119 pts.) - 5/17/2019, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 6-6-0 straight up against SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.4 Units)

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

NHL

Friday, May 17

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

San Jose Sharks
San Jose is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Jose's last 5 games
San Jose is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
San Jose is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing St. Louis
San Jose is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Jose's last 9 games when playing St. Louis
San Jose is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
St. Louis Blues
St. Louis is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of St. Louis's last 9 games
St. Louis is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing San Jose
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Jose
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of St. Louis's last 9 games when playing San Jose
St. Louis is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games when playing at home against San Jose

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

**Udog** · 05-17-2019, 02:43 PM

Sharks vs Blues NHL betting picks and predictions: Keep riding Over the total
Monty Andrews

Ryan O'Reilly and the St. Louis Blues will try to avenge a tough overtime loss in Game 3 against the Sharks, as they look to tie up the Western Conference Finals at two games apiece.

After losing a heartbreaking – and controversial – decision in Game 3 of the Western Conference final, the St. Louis Blues will almost certainly come out firing as they host the San Jose Sharks in Game 4 Friday night.

The Sharks scored the tying goal with less than a minute left in regulation, then converted the winner in extra time – aided by a hand pass that wasn't called – to take a 2-1 series lead and regain the home-ice edge in the best-of-seven series.
San Jose Sharks at St. Louis Blues (-135, 5.5)

QUICK-HITTER

Two truths have emerged with this San Jose team: It is one of the most dangerous offensive units in hockey, and it has struggled mightily to keep the puck out of the net. That said, it has done well in the first period of the past two games, limiting the Blues to just one goal in that stretch. San Jose has been a superior first-period team for the majority of the 2018-19 campaign, finishing tied for the league lead in 1P goals and outscoring St. Louis 4-2 in this series. We like the Sharks to lead after one.

PREDICTION: San Jose first period moneyline (+110)

PERIOD BET

These teams have been surprisingly stout on defense in the final 20 minutes of regulation, producing just four total goals through the first three games of the series. But the same cannot be said for the middle frame, which has seen an incredible amount of offense so far. The Blues and Sharks have combined to score 13 of their 24 total goals in the second period, with five of those coming in the Sharks' stunning Game 3 triumph. Why not ride that wave into Game 4?

PREDICTION: Highest scoring period: Period 2 (+240)

TEAM/PLAYER BET

Each team has scored three or more goals five out of six times in the series, with only the Sharks falling short in their 4-2 home setback in Game 2. And they can blame a lack of discipline in that regard, as they handed the Blues five power-play opportunities that left San Jose shorthanded for an entire half-period worth of playing time. A more disciplined Sharks team should not only reach the three-goal mark, but is a solid bet to get there first; it's at least worth a look at these odds.

PREDICTION: Race to 3 goals: San Jose (+175)

FULL-GAME TOTAL

While these teams have averaged eight total goals per game in the Western Conference final, oddsmakers have refused to budge on the total, only shifting the odds on the Over or the Under slightly in favor of the former. There's nothing to suggest that either defense unit or goaltender can slow down the other side, with the teams combining for an .860 save percentage despite having gone just 2-for-14 with the man advantage. This looks like a great time for another O5.5 play.

PREDICTION: Over 5.5

FULL-GAME SIDE

Teams generally respond to gut-punch losses in two ways: Either they rally around the loss, or they come out deflated. Even if St. Louis can tighten things up – and avoid another critical non-call going their way – it's worth considering that the Blues have now won just three of their eight home games during the Stanley Cup playoffs, and are a minus-5 in goal differential in those contests. San Jose has the more consistent offense, and shouldn't need a blown call to prevail in this one.

PREDICTION: San Jose +115

Announcement

Friday's NHL Trends and Indexes - 5/17

Friday's NHL Trends and Indexes - 5/17

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment