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**StarDust Bum** · 04-14-2015, 11:11 PM

MLB MONEYLINE

MLB > (957) MILWAUKEE@ (958) ST LOUIS | 04/15/2015 - 08:15 PM
Play ON MILWAUKEE using the money line in Road games in April games
The record is 12 Wins and 2 Losses for the last two seasons (+13.35 units)

MLB > (969) NY YANKEES@ (970) BALTIMORE | 04/15/2015 - 07:05 PM
Play ON BALTIMORE using the money line in All games in night games
The record is 75 Wins and 41 Losses for the last two seasons (+39.1 units)

MLB > (975) WASHINGTON@ (976) BOSTON | 04/15/2015 - 01:35 PM
Play AGAINST BOSTON using the money line in All games at home with a money line of -100 to -125
The record is 5 Wins and 17 Losses for the last two seasons (-14.7 units)

MLB > (973) KANSAS CITY@ (974) MINNESOTA | 04/15/2015 - 08:10 PM
Play ON KANSAS CITY using the money line in Road games in night games
The record is 41 Wins and 20 Losses for the last two seasons (+23.7 units)

MLB > (961) COLORADO@ (962) SAN FRANCISCO | 04/15/2015 - 10:15 PM
Play AGAINST COLORADO using the money line in Road games against right-handed starters
The record is 15 Wins and 46 Losses for the last two seasons (-27.68 units)

MLB RUNLINES

MLB > (973) KANSAS CITY@ (974) MINNESOTA | 04/15/2015 - 08:10 PM
Play ON KANSAS CITY using the in All games when playing with a day off
The record is 18 Wins and 5 Losses for the last two seasons (+16.45 units)

MLB > (961) COLORADO@ (962) SAN FRANCISCO | 04/15/2015 - 10:15 PM
Play ON SAN FRANCISCO using the in All games when playing on Wednesday
The record is 22 Wins and 8 Losses for the last two seasons (+17.7 units)

MLB TOTALS

MLB > (971) OAKLAND@ (972) HOUSTON | 04/15/2015 - 08:10 PM
Play OVER OAKLAND on the total in All games in April games
The record is 45 Overs and 18 Unders for the last three seasons (+27.25 units)

MLB > (973) KANSAS CITY@ (974) MINNESOTA | 04/15/2015 - 08:10 PM
Play OVER MINNESOTA on the total in All games in April games
The record is 22 Overs and 7 Unders for the last two seasons (+15.15 units)

MLB > (979) SEATTLE@ (980) LA DODGERS | 04/15/2015 - 10:10 PM
Play OVER LA DODGERS on the total in Home games in games played on a grass field
The record is 53 Overs and 29 Unders for the last two seasons (+24.3 units)

MLB TOP POWERLINES

MLB > (975) WASHINGTON @ (976) BOSTON | 04/15/2015 - 01:35 PM
Line: BOSTON -130 BTB PowerLine: BOSTON 123
Edge On: BOSTON (33)

MLB > (969) NY YANKEES @ (970) BALTIMORE | 04/15/2015 - 07:05 PM
Line: BALTIMORE -125 BTB PowerLine: BALTIMORE -170
Edge On: BALTIMORE (45)

MLB > (973) KANSAS CITY @ (974) MINNESOTA | 04/15/2015 - 08:10 PM
Line: MINNESOTA +108 BTB PowerLine: MINNESOTA 155
Edge On: MINNESOTA (27)

MLB > (979) SEATTLE @ (980) LA DODGERS | 04/15/2015 - 10:10 PM
Line: LA DODGERS -135 BTB PowerLine: LA DODGERS -172
Edge On: LA DODGERS (37)

MLB > (959) ARIZONA @ (960) SAN DIEGO | 04/15/2015 - 10:10 PM
Line: SAN DIEGO -145 BTB PowerLine: SAN DIEGO 106
Edge On: SAN DIEGO (31)

MLB > (961) COLORADO @ (962) SAN FRANCISCO | 04/15/2015 - 10:15 PM
Line: SAN FRANCISCO -135 BTB PowerLine: SAN FRANCISCO 115
Edge On: SAN FRANCISCO (30)

**StarDust Bum** · 04-14-2015, 11:14 PM

NHL MONEYLINE

NHL > (7) CALGARY@ (8) VANCOUVER | 04/15/2015 - 10:05 PM
Play ON CALGARY using the money line in Road games vs. division opponents
The record is 10 Wins and 4 Losses for the this season (+9.75 units)

NHL PUCKLINE

NHL > (7) CALGARY@ (8) VANCOUVER | 04/15/2015 - 10:05 PM
Play ON CALGARY using the in Road games vs. division opponents
The record is 10 Wins and 4 Losses for the this season (+9.75 units)

NHL TOTALS

NHL > (1) OTTAWA@ (2) MONTREAL | 04/15/2015 - 07:05 PM
Play UNDER MONTREAL on the total in All games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game
The record is 14 Overs and 33 Unders for the last two seasons (+17.3 units)

NHL > (5) CHICAGO@ (6) NASHVILLE | 04/15/2015 - 08:35 PM
Play OVER NASHVILLE on the total in All games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season
The record is 13 Overs and 4 Unders for the this season (+9.6 units)

NHL > (7) CALGARY@ (8) VANCOUVER | 04/15/2015 - 10:05 PM
Play UNDER CALGARY on the total in All games when playing with 3 or more days rest
The record is 2 Overs and 11 Unders for the last two seasons (+9.1 units)

**StarDust Bum** · 04-14-2015, 11:18 PM

Wednesday's NHL Playoffs betting cheat sheet

Apr 14, 2015

Ottawa Senators at Montreal Canadiens (-150,5)

With respect to Devan Dubnyk, Carey Price and Andrew Hammond arguably were the two most discussed goaltenders in the NHL this season. A Vezina Trophy favorite and likely Hart Trophy candidate, Price looks to guide the Atlantic Division-champion Montreal Canadiens past the upstart Ottawa Senators when the teams open their Eastern Conference first-round series at the Bell Centre on Wednesday.

Price led the league with a franchise-best 44 wins while his goals-against average (1.96) and save percentage (.933) were second to none in the NHL. The 27-year-old Price was less than spectacular while splitting his two decisions versus Ottawa while the Senators emerged victorious in the two other meetings. Ottawa, which resided 14 points out of a playoff berth on Feb. 10, posted a 23-4-4 mark to secure the top wild-card position - and Hammond (20-1-2, 1.79 GAA, .941 save percentage) played an integral role in that surge. The first-year sensation won his first start with a 4-2 triumph over Montreal on Feb. 18 and became the first goaltender in the NHL's modern era to earn at least one point in each of his first 12 career road starts, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

TRENDS:

*Over is 5-0-4 in Canadiens last 9 overall.
*Senators are 12-2 in their last 14 vs. a team with a winning record.
*Over is 6-1-1 in the last 8 meetings.
*Home team is 15-6 in the last 21 meetings.

New York Islanders at Washington Capitals (-145,5)

The Washington Capitals claimed home-ice advantage over the New York Islanders on the final day of the regular season, and that edge could prove pivotal as the Metropolitan Division rivals open their Eastern Conference first-round series at the Verizon Center on Wednesday. The home team won each of the four meetings this season, with Washington captain Alex Ovechkin scoring four goals against New York and 53 overall to become the sixth player in league history with at least six 50-goal campaigns.

Ovechkin also added an assist against the Islanders, who ventured into overtime before winning both of their home meetings with the Capitals. Captain John Tavares matched Ovechkin by recording five points (two goals, three assists) - including an overtime tally on Nov. 26 - and his career-high 86 points fell one shy of Dallas' Jamie Benn for league lead in that department. Both goaltenders etched their names into their respective franchise's record books, with Washington's Braden Holtby (41-20-10, 2.22 goals-against average, .921 save percentage) matching Olaf Kolzig in wins and appearances (73) while tying Jim Carey's single-season mark with nine shutouts. New York's Jaroslav Halak (38-17-4, 2.43, .917) set the franchise record in wins and recorded 11 more than his previous career high, which was set with St. Louis in 2010-11.

TRENDS:

*Islanders are 2-8 in their last 10 vs. a team with a winning record.
*Capitals are 8-2 in their last 10 vs. Eastern Conference.
*Home team is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings.
*Under is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings in Washington.

Chicago Blackhawks at Nashville Predators (-115,5)

The Chicago Blackhawks stumbled to the finish line during the regular season but will head into the playoffs on an upbeat note after learning that All-Star forward Patrick Kane will return to the lineup for Wednesday's playoff opener at the Nashville Predators. Chicago scored only five goals during a season-ending four-game skid to finish in third place in the Central Division - two points behind the Predators, who enter the postseason riding a six-game losing streak.

Kane was tied for the league lead in scoring and was among the front-runners for MVP honors when he suffered a broken collarbone on Feb. 24 - an injury that was expected to sideline him for 12 weeks. "He was having an MVP-type of season," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "Getting him back just makes you have so many more options. His versatility in all areas certainly enhances our team." Nashville owned the league's best record for much of the season and was running away with the Central until dropping 15 of its last 21, a stretch that featured a pair of six-game slides. The Predators have lost nine of 11 (2-6-3) at home in that span, including four in a row.

TRENDS:

*Blackhawks are 4-0 in their last 4 Conference Quarterfinals games.
*Predators are 0-6 in their last 6 overall.
*Under is 6-2 in the last 8 meetings.
*Over is 5-1-3 in Predators last 9 overall

Calgary Flames at Vancouver Canucks (-150,5)

After closing out the regular season with a three-game winning streak that helped them secure second place in the Pacific Division, the Vancouver Canucks attempt to continue their successful ways when they host the Calgary Flames in the opener of their first-round playoff series Wednesday. Vancouver - which ranked second in the league on the penalty kill - wrapped up the campaign with a three-game homestand and made the most of it, defeating Los Angeles, Arizona and Edmonton by a combined 12-6 score.

The Flames finished strong to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2009, winning five of six contests before dropping a 5-1 decision at Winnipeg in the season finale. After falling to Vancouver in the 2014-15 opener, Calgary finished the season series 2-0-1 - coming up short in overtime before posting a pair of one-goal victories. The Canucks and Flames have met six times - all in the first round - in the postseason, with Calgary capturing four series. The Flames won the most recent matchup in 2004, emerging victorious in seven games and advancing all the way to the Stanley Cup final before losing to Tampa Bay.

TRENDS:

*Canucks are 5-0 in their last 5 vs. Pacific.
*Flames are 7-20 in the last 27 meetings in Vancouver.
*Under is 6-0 in Flames last 6 games playing on 3 or more days rest.
*Over is 4-1-2 in Canucks last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-14-2015, 11:19 PM

Kane to return to Hawks' lineup for Game 1 vs. Preds

Chicago sniper Patrick Kane told reporters Tuesday that he will participate in Game 1 of the Blackhawks' first round Stanley Cup Playoffs matchup against Nashville on Wednesday.

The 26-year-old has surgery on Feb. 25 to repair a fractured left clavicle. His initial recovery time was projected to be up to 12 weeks, but the Buffalo native healed much sooner than the club projected.

Kane had 64 points in 61 games this season. Chicago is currently -105 on the moneyline for the postseason matchup.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-14-2015, 11:21 PM

Canucks may start Lack in goal for Game 1 vs. Flames

It hasn't been made official yet, but all signs are pointing to netminder Eddie Lack getting the start in between the pipes for the Vancouver Canucks in Game 1 of their conference quarterfinal clash with Calgary Wednesday.

Starting goaltender Ryan Miller came back in the team's regular season finale against Edmonton on Saturday - his first start in over seven weeks due to a knee injury - but told reporters Tuesday he's not quite his normal self.

"I'm not 100 percent yet," Miller said. "I still have about 10 or 15 percent to go."

In Miller's absence, Lack went 11-5-1 with a 2.51 GAA and 0.921 save percentage. The 'Nucks are presently -150 home moneyline favorites for the tilt.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-14-2015, 11:25 PM

NHL betting road map: Canadiens quiet about Pacioretty

Apr 13, 2015

Moneyline/Puckline Watch

Team to fade this week: Pittsburgh Penguins

We learned a lot about the Pittsburgh Penguins the last few weeks of the season. We learned that it is not a team that is destined to be in the playoffs for very long this spring.

Still a betting favorite, books and sharps are going to have to sour on the Penguins this pot-season. Until that happens, bet against the injury struggling Penguins team. Aside from top end centers in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins are woefully thin at most every other position and especially on the back end.

First year head coach Mike Johnson isn’t exactly someone you want to bet on as he goes head-to-head with the President’s Trophy winning New York Rangers. This is arguably the biggest mismatch in round one of the playoffs.

Team to bet this week: Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning won a league high 32 games at home this season and should have no trouble getting up early on the Detroit Red Wings. It could be called the “Steve Yzerman series” for many reasons but maybe first and foremost is the fact that his team is just better in almost every capacity here.

It went under the radar a little bit at the end because of all the craziness of the Ottawa Senators run but we shouldn’t forget that Detroit barely made it into the post season and an epic collapse it would have been.

Keep in mind that Lightning goalie Ben Bishop was 3-1 with a 1.97 goals against average and .921 save percentage in four games against the Red Wings this season.

Last year Tampa Bay bowed out early because of a team crippling, season ending injury to Ben Bishop. You can bet this year that the Lightning will be determined to make amends for that.

Total Watch: Sports books line watch

The playoffs are notorious for low scoring, tight-checking games but the first round can be tricky to navigate because the teams are the healthiest they will be all postseason.

Usually as the post season moves on, the teams start to really make adjustments for their opponents and the games become even tighter. You will see shops set lines at 4.5 goals which we would never see in the regular season.

The greatest-and toughest part of the playoffs is that it turns out to be a war of attrition and teams can look and play extremely different from one series to the next depending on injuries that ultimately occur to every team.

Injury Watch: Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks

I said it last week and it turned out I was right about the Chicago Blackhawks’ inability to score goals down the stretch without star Patrick Kane. It is not going to get any easier in their first round matchup with Central Division foes the Nashville Predators.

There are rumours that Kane could be back for the first round of the playoffs and that will have to be closely monitored. He has arguably been the biggest difference maker in the entire league the last four Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Kane had surgery for a broken clavicle and was supposed to be out 12 weeks but has been seen skating with his team since week 5 of the injury.

Chicago could sure use him as the team scored just five goals in the final four games of the season in games that the team could have procured home ice advantage but just couldn’t score enough goals.

Playbook: Montreal Canadiens

Teams are pretty tight-lipped about injuries at this time of year and rightfully so with every team looking to exploit weakness in the other side.

Montreal hasn’t said much about an injury that kept leading scorer Max Pacioretty out of the final games of the regular season. Rumour has it the “upper body injury” could both be a concussion or a neck and shoulder related problem. Either way, this could drastically change the way Canadiens play.

Pacioretty is the teams’ leading scorer with 37 goals this year and any time without him could prove costly for a Habs team that doesn’t have a lot of star power up front.

Last season we saw the Habs struggle to win without all-star goalie Carey Price and it will be interesting to see how the team plays if it has to do without its leading scorer.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-14-2015, 11:27 PM

Team Open Line Movements Current Puck Line Scores

7:05 PM EDT
1 OTTAWA SENATORS 5u25 5u25 +1.5(-240)
2 MONTREAL CANADIENS -150 -145 / -140 / -145 -150 -1.5(+200)
OTT-G-Andrew Hammond-Probable | MON-G-Carey Price-Probable | TV: NHL, DTV: 215
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7:05 PM EDT
3 NEW YORK ISLANDERS 5o40 5o40 +1.5(-245)
4 WASHINGTON CAPITALS -150 -125 / -130 / -136 -135 -1.5(+205)
NYI-G-Jaroslav Halak-Probable | WAS-G-Braden Holtby-Probable | TV: USA, DTV: 242
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8:35 PM EDT
5 CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS 5 5 +1.5(-315)
6 NASHVILLE PREDATORS -120 -120 -115 -1.5(+260)
CHI-G-Corey Crawford-Probable | CHI-RW-Patrick Kane-Probable | NAS-G-Pekka Rinne-Probable | TV: NBCS, DTV: 220
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10:05 PM EDT
7 CALGARY FLAMES 5o40 5o40 / 5o30 5o25 +1.5(-240)
8 VANCOUVER CANUCKS -145 -140 / -145 / -150 -140 -1.5(+200)
CAL-G-Jonas Hiller-Probable | VAN-G-Eddie Lack-Probable | TV: USA, DTV: 242
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**StarDust Bum** · 04-14-2015, 11:29 PM

The five NBA teams sportsbooks fear most during the playoffs

Apr 14, 2015

The Golden State Warriors entered the 2014-15 NBA season with little respect from oddsmakers. Now, in the final week of the regular season and with the NBA Playoffs just around the corner, the Warriors have sportsbooks shaking in their boots when it comes to their NBA Championship futures odds.

Books across the gambling landscape – be it online, overseas or in Las Vegas – have one thing in common: they’re cheering against Golden State this postseason. The Warriors opened as big as 25/1 at some sportsbooks and have been bet down as low as 3/2, with money coming in on Golden State at every stop.

“We have twice as many wagers on Golden State (to win the NBA title) than we do any other NBA team,” Nick Bogdanovich, US director of trading for William Hill sportsbooks in Nevada, tells Covers. “And it’s not just in (Las Vegas), we have books up north (close to the Bay Area) as well so there’s a lot of action there. They walked them down. It was all gradual and we just eased them (Golden State's odds) down each week and they got lower and lower. It looks like they’re backing a winner.”

Online, at Sportsbook.ag, the action on Golden State picked up when they hired Steve Kerr as their head coach in May 2014. According to oddsmaker Peter Childs, the Warriors were trimmed from 20/1 to 15/1 upon hiring Kerr and the book welcomed the action on Golden State, thinking they had a tough road ahead in the Western Conference.

“Boy, were we wrong,” Childs says of the Warriors’ dominance in the West, taking a NBA-best 66-15 record into their final regular season game against the Denver Nuggets Wednesday.

Fellow online sportsbook, SportsInteraction.com, hung the Warriors as high as 25/1 at the start of the year, and now offer Golden State at 3/1, just behind the Cleveland Cavaliers (who we’ll get to) at +275.

“For the Warriors, we saw significant action in the offseason at 25/1,” Greg Sindall, of Sports Interaction, tells Covers. “We also have some liability on them at 8/1 but the bulk of the action on the Warriors is at around 4/1.”

The Warriors aren’t the only NBA team that can do some serious damage to the futures books this spring. Here are four other NBA teams books fear the most this postseason:

Cleveland Cavaliers (Biggest odds: 60/1, Current odds: 2/1)

Before LeBron James announced his homecoming, and before the Cavs drafted No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins then subsequently traded him to Minnesota for Kevin Love, the Cavaliers were just a bottom-rung Eastern Conference team.

Oddsmakers opened Cleveland as high as 60/1 to win the NBA title but knew in the back of their minds that James could opt out of his deal with Miami and return to his home town. The possibility was enough for bettors to take a flyer on Cleveland and that early money moved the Cavaliers to 40/1 a week before the rumor mill really started gaining speed.

In the next seven days, Cleveland would go to as low as 10/1 to win the NBA title then plummet to 9/2 in the minutes after James officially announced his decision to leave Miami and go back to Cleveland. The public would pile on the Cavs and drove their futures price as low as 5/2 before the start of the season. But by that time, the damage had already been done.

“Man, we’re looking so bad on our NBA futures. Total shit show,” admits Childs. “We wrote a few bets (on Cleveland) at 60/1, some decent action at 50/1 and lots and lots of action at 30/1 all the way down to 10/1. As the speculation became reality, our exposure on the Cavs was in the 500K mark.”

Childs says over the course of the season, the futures book has whittled down the exposure on Cleveland quite a bit but had to offer juicer odds on teams like Chicago and San Antonio to draw money away from the Cavaliers (and Warriors).

San Antonio Spurs (Biggest odds: 10/1, Current odds: 3/1)

It seems like every year the Spurs hold liability for the books as the playoffs draw near and 2014-15 is no different. San Antonio opened around 3/1 to defend its NBA title and a sudden swoon in February dropped the Spurs as far as 10/1.

But like almost every year, San Antonio rallied and takes an 11-game winning streak into its final regular season game versus New Orleans Wednesday. That streak has the Spurs back down around 3/1 to win its second straight NBA title.

“The Spurs were all over the place,” says Bogdanovich. “They've looked like an old team at times this season but look like the ’72 Lakers with the way they're playing right now. We have more money bet on San Antonio than any other team.”

Memphis Grizzlies (Biggest odds: 50/1, Current odds: 30/1)

With the Warriors and Spurs drawing the majority of the futures action in the Western Conference, value opened up on the other contenders in the West and sharps bettors jumped on the Grizzlies at those discount prices.

Memphis opened around 40/1 and jumped to as high as 50/1 before wise guys bet the Grizzlies as low as 14/1. But with action siding on the other teams in the West, and Memphis stumbling a bit after the All-Star break, the Grizz can be had around 30/1 in the final week of the season, if you shop around.

“From the sharp side of things, we took a few four-figure bets on Memphis around +4,000 so we certainly have some liability there,” John Lester of Bookmaker.eu tells Covers. “We are currently offering the Grizz at +1,950.”

Toronto Raptors (Biggest odds: 50/1, Current odds: 50/1)

The Raptors' NBA futures odds are a peculiar line move, opening at 50/1 last spring and playing their way down to as low as 12/1 just before the New Year. However, the Raptors have hit a late-season skid and are now back up to their original odds to win the title at some books.

“The two teams that would do the most damage if they win the championship are Golden State and Toronto,” says Sindall, who currently has Toronto at 33/1 to win the NBA title. “Most of the money on the Raps is at about 25/1 but there is some early action at 40/1 as well.”

**StarDust Bum** · 04-14-2015, 11:38 PM

NBA Western Conference betting road map: Value with Jazz

Apr 14, 2015

The curtain is just about closed on the NBA's regular season and the playoffs are right around the corner. Covers Expert Steve Merril takes a look at four Western Conference teams to keep an eye on this week.

Spread Watch

Utah has been one of the best teams in the NBA since the All-Star break.The Jazz are 18-9 SU and 15-10-2 ATS in their 27 games since February 20th.

Utah has two remaining games in their season, and they will face two playoff bound opponents. The Jazz will host Dallas on Monday night; the Mavericks have nothing to play for.

Utah ends their season in Houston on Wednesday night and since the Rockets are battling the Grizzlies for the No. 5 seed, that line is likely to be inflated based on Houston's needs. Utah will likely be a value side play in their final game of the season.

Total Watch

Minnesota's season will mercifully come to an end on Wednesday night. The Timberwolves come into this week with a pathetic 16-64 SU record.

Ironically, Minnesota will face New Orleans on Monday night and Oklahoma City on Wednesday night; the Pelicans and Thunder are fighting for the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference playoffs.

The Timberwolves play zero defense; they've allowed 100 points or more in 20 of their last 23 games. Minnesota will be all offense in their remaining games, so a pair of high-scoring games are likely this week.

Injury Impact

Sacramento will likely play their final two games of the season without their top three scorers. DeMarcus Cousins (24.1), Rudy Gay (21.1), and Darren Collison (16.1) are not expected to return to the court according to head coach George Karl.

"DeMarcus is done for the year," Karl said. "I don't think as an organization we're going to take a chance on Darren. I would say Rudy is borderline out for the season, too."

Sacramento will play the Lakers in both games, and with Los Angeles losing two more guys to injury during their Sunday night game, both teams will be playing non-NBA quality lineups this week.

Playbook

Memphis is in the playoffs, but their seeding and first round match-up is still up in the air. With two regular season games left to play, the Grizzlies currently hold onto the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference.

Memphis is in a predicament. They could move all the way up to the No. 2 seed which includes home court advantage. But they would have to rush Mike Conley, Tony Allen, and Marc Gasol back from injury.

Or will they rest those guys, and sacrifice the better seeding and home court in order to get themselves healthier for the playoffs?

**StarDust Bum** · 04-14-2015, 11:39 PM

NBA Eastern Conference betting road map: Beware the 'rest' factor

Apr 14, 2015

We're down to the final three days of the NBA regular season and there are plenty of pitfalls to avoid if you want to head into the playoffs on a high note.

Covers Expert Sean Murphy breaks down what to look for in the Eastern Conference this week.

Spread watch

The Charlotte Hornets are a losing bet on the season and certainly haven't done their backers any favors lately, going 1-4 ATS over their last five games.

Things don't figure to get any easier as the regular season draws to a close this week. Charlotte will host the Houston Rockets in a tough back-to-back spot on Monday before wrapping things up in Toronto on Wednesday night.

With injuries taking their toll and nothing left to play for but pride, there's little reason left to get behind this disappointing squad.

Total watch

Most expected the Cleveland Cavaliers to boast one of the strongest offenses of all time this season and while they have impressed, they've fallen well short of legendary status.

Not surprisingly, the Cavs have been one of the league's best 'under' bets, largely due to those lofty expectations. Things haven't changed a whole lot down the stretch as the 'under' has cashed in four of their last six games.

There are two opportunities remaining to ride that wave of 'unders', as Cleveland hosts Detroit and Washington on Monday and Wednesday. Note that Cavs home games are averaging under 199 total points this season.

Injury impact

For this section I just want to offer a word of warning as you prepare to tackle the final three cards of the NBA regular season. Don't make any moves before checking out the injury report as a number of teams will be resting players, while others on non-playoff bound teams will get shut down as a result of nagging injuries.

We've already seen the 'rest' factor come into play with the Cavs sitting LeBron James on Sunday in Boston. Expect other title contenders that are locked in playoff position to follow suit this week.

Playbook

The Atlanta Hawks aren't easing their way into the postseason. They've actually stepped up the pace in recent contests, perhaps in an effort to ramp up for the challenges they'll face in the coming weeks.

While the Hawks are the number one seed in the East, few are giving them much of a chance to reach the Finals. This isn't the type of veteran team that can let off the gas down the stretch and cruise into round one.

I expect to see Atlanta continue to force the issue in matchups with New York and Chicago this week, noting that the Hawks entered Sunday's action having gone 7-2 ATS over their last nine games. I don't believe this is the time to step in front of a team that has simply been a runaway train from an ATS perspective this season.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-14-2015, 11:53 PM

MLB Baseball Trends - Season to Date

Straight Up Trends (Won Loss)
Category Record Percent

Away Teams 65-50 56.52%

Home Teams 50-65 43.48%

Favorites 56-58 49.12%

Dogs 58-56 50.88%

Away Favorites 19-13 59.38%

Away Dogs 45-37 54.88%

Home Favorites 37-45 45.12%

Home Dogs 13-19 40.62%

Against The Spread Trends (ATS)
Category Record Percent

Away Teams 71-44 61.74%

Home Teams 44-71 38.26%

Favorites 38-77 33.04%

Dogs 77-38 66.96%

Away Favorites 16-22 42.11%

Away Dogs 55-22 71.43%

Home Favorites 22-55 28.57%

Home Dogs 22-16 57.89%

Over vs. Under Trends

Category Overs Percent Unders Percent

Extra Inning Games 10 76.92% 3 23.08%

Non-Extra Inning Games 56 57.14% 42 42.86%

All Games 66 59.46% 45 40.54%

**StarDust Bum** · 04-14-2015, 11:53 PM

Stanley Cup Best Bets

April 14, 2015

The NHL playoffs are here, with the New York Rangers coming in as the favorite with 6/1 odds to win it all. The Chicago Blackhawks are once again the favorites to win the Western Conference with 7/1 odds, but there are two other conference foes right there with them with Anaheim at 8/1 and St. Louis at 15/1. The Winnipeg Jets are the biggest longshot at 30/1 to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup in mid-June.

Odds to Win 2015 Stanley Cup per Sportsbook.ag

New York Rangers 6/1
Anaheim Ducks 8/1
Chicago Blackhawks 8/1
Minnesota Wild 8/1
St. Louis Blues 8/1
Montreal Canadiens 9/1
Nashville Predators 12/1
Tampa Bay Lightning 12/1
Ottawa Senators 16/1
Pittsburgh Penguins 16/1
Vancouver Canucks 16/1
Detroit Red Wings 18/1
New York Islanders 18/1
Washington Capitals 18/1
Calgary Flames 20/1
Winnipeg Jets 25/1

Teams to Watch

New York Rangers (6/1) - It’s never exciting to pick chalk, but this team has been absolutely dominant in the second half of the season. The Rangers are going to be fueled by last season’s defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Kings and will look to hoist the trophy come June. LW Rick Nash (42 G, 27 A) is a different player now than he was a year ago, playing with more confidence than he did at any point last season. If he gets it going then few can get in the way of the Rangers. The addition of D Keith Yandle (6 G, 46 A) also gives this team a nearly flawless blueline. The Rangers will, however, need a healthy D Kevin Klein (9 G, 17 A) in order to win it all this season and he has not played since Mar. 11.

Chicago Blackhawks (7/1) - The Blackhawks finished the season with just the fourth most points in the Western Conference, but the team was also without RW Patrick Kane (27 G, 37 A) for a big chunk of the season. Kane, who was dealing with an upper body injury at the end of the year, was cleared for contact on Monday and should return at some point in the first round for this team. Even without their best player, the Blackhawks still finished the season with a +40 goal differential. This team is explosive offensively and G Corey Crawford (32-20-5, 2.27 GAA, 92.4 SV%) has plenty of big game experience. The Blackhawks are an excellent pick to come out of the west and win the Stanley Cup.

Tampa Bay Lightning (12/1) - The Lightning are a very interesting pick to win the Stanley Cup this season, as this team is extremely well rounded. Tampa Bay finished the season with more goals than any other team in the league, putting in 262 on the year. C Steven Stamkos (43 G, 25 A) is one of the league’s most dominant players when he gets it going and the Lightning also have guys like C Tyler Johnson (29 G, 43 A), RW Ryan Callahan (24 G, 30 A) and C Brian Boyle (15 G, 9 A) who bring a bit of everything to this lineup. Tampa Bay has the perfect mix of scoring and toughness and will be a tough out for many in the postseason. The Lightning also went 32-8-1 at home this season, so it will not be easy for their opponents to win when they’re not on their home ice.

Washington Capitals (20/1) - The Capitals are one last team that would be a good pick to win the Stanley Cup out of the Eastern Conference. The Caps are getting very favorable odds and were one of the hottest teams in the league to end the season. From the start of December until the end of the season, Washington went 35-18-7. LW Alex Ovechkin (53 G, 28 A) is still the toughest player in the entire league to stop on offense and he will make it so that opposing teams are always keeping an eye on him. The Capitals also scored on 25.3% of their power-play opportunities this season, and that type of efficiency will make them very tough to beat in the postseason.

Calgary Flames (25/1) - The Flames won five of their past seven games heading into the postseason and that was ultimately the reason they were able to take the final spot in the Western Conference playoffs. This team is not considered threatening by many, but it can really light it up offensively. The Flames are averaging 2.9 goals per game (6th in NHL) and scoring on 18.8% of their power-play opportunities (13th in NHL). LW Jiri Hudler (31 G, 45 A), LW Johnny Gaudreau (24 G, 40 A) and C Sean Monahan (31 G, 31 A) are all very talented offensive players and if they can get hot, the Flames could make an improbable run to the Stanley Cup Finals. This team is a longshot to win, but is worth a small play at 25-to-1 based on talent alone.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-14-2015, 11:57 PM

Playoff Cheat Sheet - West

April 12, 2015

Eastern Conference

Anaheim Ducks vs. Winnipeg Jets

2014-15 Head to Head Record: Ducks lead 3-0, Over 2-1
JetsLost 2 meetings as a Home Favorite
Ducks 5-2 All-Time vs Jets since 2011

Anaheim Ducks
(Record: 51-24-7, 109 Pts; Won Pacific Division Title & #1 Seed)
O/U Record: (1 Over at 6/ 22-35 at 5.5/ 12-8-4 at 5)
Power Play: (15.7%; Ranked #28)
Penalty Kill: (81%; Ranked #15)
Number of OT/SO Games: 23

Last Playoff Appearance: 2014
(Beat Dallas in 6, Lost to Los Angeles in 7)
10-10 SU, 8-7-5 O/U & 7-11 ATS Last 3 series

Current Form: On a 9-4 SU & 5-6-2 O/U run
Scored 2 or More Goals in 12 of their Last 13 Games
Only 1 Power-Play Goal in their last 23 Chances (4.3%)

Winnipeg Jets
(Record: 43-26-13, 99 Pts)
O/U Record: (24-16 at 5.5/ 18-18-6 at 5)
Power Play: (17.8%; Ranked #17)
Penalty Kill: (81.8%; Ranked #12)
Number of OT/SO Games: 24

Last Playoff Appearance: None as the Winnipeg Jets
Made Postseason as Atlanta Thrashers in 2007

Current Form: Won 4 of their Last 5, 6-2 SU Last 8 at Home

St. Louis Blues vs. Minnesota Wild

2014-15 Head to Head Record: 2-2 SU, 2-1-1 O/U
Home Teams & Favorites split
Blues 7-3 SU Last 10 Meetings

St. Louis Blues
(Record: 51-24-7, 109 Pts; Won Central Division Title)
O/U Record: (17-14 at 5.5/ 18-16-16 at 5 /1 Over at 4.5)
Power Play: (22.3%; Ranked #3)
Penalty Kill: (83.7%; Ranked #8)
Number of OT/SO Games: 21

Last Playoff Appearance: 2014 (Lost to Chicago in 6)
8-13 SU, 9-11-1 O/U & 6-15 ATS Last 3 years

Current Form: On a 6-4 SU & 3-5-2 O/U Run
G Jake Allen 4-1 SU Last 5 Starts
PK Unit: 19 Kills / 20 Chances Last 7 Games

Minnesota Wild
(Record: 46-28-8, 100 Pts)
O/U Record: (9-17 at 5.5/ 21-21-14 at 5)
Power Play: (15.8%; Ranked #27)
Penalty Kill: (86.3%; Ranked: #1)
Number of OT/SO Games: 16

Last Playoff Appearance: 2014
(Beat Colorado in 7, Lost to Chicago in 6)
7-11 SU, 9-7-2 O/U & 9-9 ATS Last 3 series

Current Form: On a 2-4 SU & 2-2-2 O/U run
Won 12 of their last 13 Road Games

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Nashville Predators

2014-15 Head to Head Record: Hawks lead 3-1, 1-3 O/U
Favorite won in 3 of 4 meetings, Home team won 3 of 4
Blackhawks: 9-5 SU Last 14 meetings since 2013 Lockout Season
Predators: Lost 2010 Western Conf. Quarterfinal to Chicago in 6 Games

Nashville Predators
(Record: 47-25-10, 104 Pts)
O/U Record: (11-19 at 5.5/ 21-18-13 at 5)
Power Play: (16.2%; Ranked #25)
Penalty Kill: (80.8%; Ranked #18)
Number of OT/SO Games: 24

Last Playoff Apperance: 2012
(Beat Detroit in 5, Lost to Phoenix in 5)
5-5 SU, 5-2-3 O/U and 5-5 ATS in 2012 Playoffs

Current Form: On an 0-6 SU & 4-2 O/U run
Allowed 3 or More Goals in 7 consecutive games

Chicago Blackhawks
(Record: 48-28-6, 102 Pts)
O/U Record: (1 over at 6 /14-32 at 5.5/ 11-12-12 at 5)
Power Play: (17.6%; Ranked #20)
Penalty Kill: (83.4%; Ranked #10)
Number of OT/SO Games: 18

Last Playoff Appearance: 2014 (Beat St. Louis in 6,
Beat Minnesota in 6, Lost to Los Angeles in 7)
29-19 SU, 22-19-7 O/U & 24-24 ATS Last 3 Years
0-9 SU in 1st Road Game of a Series since 2010 Cup Final

Current Form: On a 0-4 SU run after a 4 game winning streak
3-8-3 O/U Last 14 Games; 3/23 on the Power-Play Last 10 games

Calgary Flames vs. Vancouver Canucks

2014-15 Head to Head Record: 2-2 SU, 1-2-1 O/U
Favorite Covered in 3 of the 4 Meetings
Canucks: 14-6 SU Last 20 vs Flames

Vancouver Canucks
(Record: 48-29-5, 101 Pts)
O/U Record: (16-25 at 5.5/ 19-10-12 at 5)
Power Play: (19.3%; Ranked #10)
Penalty Kill: (85.7%; Ranked: #2)
Number of OT/SO Games: 16

Last Playoff Appearance: 2013 (Lost to San Jose in 4)
(0-4 SU, 2-1-1 O/U & 1-3 ATS in that series)

Currently on a 5-2 SU & 3-3-1 O/U Run
Won 4 of their last 5 games as an Underdog

Calgary Flames
(Record: 45-30-7, 97 Pts)
O/U Record: (16-31 at 5.5/ 19-7-7 at 5/ 1 Under at 4.5)
Power Play: (18.8%; Ranked #13)
Penalty Kill: (80.6%; Ranked #20)
Number of OT/SO Games: 20

Current Form: On a 4-2 SU & 5-8 O/U Run

Flames have committed 1 penalty or less in 8 of their last 13 games,
with 4 of those contests penalty-free

Last Playoff Apperance: 2009 (Lost to Chicago in 6)
(2-4 SU, 3-3 O/U & 4-2 ATS in that series)

Game 7 Notes

Home teams have won 12 of the last 22 Game 7's

2015 Playoff Teams with Most Game 7's Since 2011
Rangers (6; 5-1)
Canadiens (4; 1-3)
Red Wings (3; 1-2)
Blackhawks (3; 1-2)
Penguins (2; 1-1)
Ducks (2; 0-2)

Overtime Notes

2014
26 OT Games
14 in Round 1
5 in Round 2
4 in Conference Finals
3 in Stanley Cup Final

2013
27 OT Games
17 in Round 1
5 in Round 2
2 in Conference Finals
2 in Stanley Cup Final

2012
25 OT Games
16 in Round 1
5 in Round 2
2 in Conference Finals
2 in Stanley Cup Final

2011
22 OT Games
14 in Round 1
6 in Round 2
1 in Conference Finals
1 in Stanley Cup Final

2015 Playoff Teams Overtime Records Since 2011

Western Conference
Blackhawks (12-8)
Predators (2-2)
Blues (3-4)
Wild (3-4)
Canucks (4-5)
Flames (NA)
Ducks (2-5)
Jets (NA)

**StarDust Bum** · 04-15-2015, 11:23 AM

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

-- Steph Curry recently made 77 straight 3-pointers at practice. 77. In a row.

-- Mets lost David Wright (hamstring) for a while; Eric Campbell comes up from AAA to take his place on roster, if need be.

-- Happy belated 74th birthday to Pete Rose; hsi birthday was yesterday.

-- Miami Heat are first defending champs to miss NBA playoffs since '05 Lakers.

-- Oakland A's are 4-0 when they score in first inning, 1-4 when they don't.

-- Justise Winslow leaves Duke after one season; he is the 34th undergraduate to enter the NBA Draft- there are only 60 picks in the whole draft.

**********

Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Some mid-week thoughts........

13) On Steph Curry making 77 3-pointers in a row at a Warriors' practice; long time ago, I rebounded for a guy who made 106 foul shots in a row. As student manager of the basketball team in college, rebounding for shooters was part of the job, actually one of the better parts, unless it was a bad shooter, then it was too damn much running for this rebounder, even at age 20.

Anyway, this got boring real fast; all I did was hold my right hand under the basket and flip the ball back to him, 106 times in a row. He was a player who never played a significant minute during games, I wanted to go home (this was right before end of practice), but it was cool to see how someone could shoot the ball so well. Practice makes perfect.

12) Milt Pappas went 209-164 during a 17-year pitching career that ended in 1973; he was on the Cubs' TV broadcast last night, before he sang Take Me Out to the Ballgame during the 7th inning stretch.

Pappas sparked a quick, interesting discussion about whether pitchers get hurt a lot these days because they do too much weightlifting. he seemed adamant that they do, but half-inning ended before they could get too much more into the subject. Too bad, it was a different perspective that deserves to be heard.

11) Kid from Arizona named Markus Howard is going to finish his high school years at Findlay Prep in Las Vegas, to enhance his basketball career. Who do these kids live with when they move to another state for high school? Giving up your senior year in high school at home is a big sacrifice, I would think.

10) Can you imagine the internal discussions in San Diego that apparently are going on about trading Philip Rivers for a draft pick? Peoples' jobs are on the line with a move like this; Rivers doesn't want to move his family to LA if the Chargers move there, which is partially sparking this debate.

9) Wisconsin-Green Bay hired Linc Darner as its new basketball coach; he comes to Green Bay from Northern Florida, where he won the national title in D-II this season. This is the opposite of Bobby Hurley winning the weather lottery, going from Buffalo to Arizona State; Lakeland, FL to Green Bay is one of the worst weather trades you can make. Good luck recruiting, coach.

8) Russell Wilson's agent must get an angina attack every time he sees his client wearing a baseball uniform. Wilson played 93 games over two summers in Class A ball for Colorado farm teams; he hit .229, so he's not a major league prospect, seeing as this was 4-5 years ago. Why he would risk injury before he gets his big payday is a mystery to me.

7) Christian Yelich of the Marlins made a great catch in leftfield Monday night in Atlanta, which the Braves stupidly challenged, even though it was obvious on the replay that Yelich caught the ball. Doesn't every team have an eye in the sky to advise on replay reviews? Atlanta might not have one, for sure and if they do, they need a new one.

6) It is amazing to me how many people are talking SEC football.....in April. On the SEC Network, there is this radio show and the guy talks about football 364 days a year. They discuss Ole Miss special teams or Florida's lack of depth on the offensive line all spring/summer and they know a lot of stuff. It is intense.

5) Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL have training camp in Florida; is it still snowing in Regina? It can't still be snowing there, can it?

4) Dick LeBeau was forced out as defensive coordinator of the Steelers; their defense is going to be a lot younger this season. Five defenders who played 200+ plays LY have already departed Steel City and three of the five retired. As for LeBeau, he has moved on to coach the defense with the Tennessee Titans- he has been in the NFL as a player or coach for the last 56 years.

3) Actor Kevin James is a huge Met fan; he even wore a Mets road jersey to the Hollywood premiere of **** Cop 2. If there is a God in heaven, there will be no **** Cop 3; America can have only so much fun.

2) I watch the A's every night on DirecTV; I'm trying to figure out how Seattle and Arizona fired Bob Melvin as manager. He is really good, very calm and his teams reflect that. Platooning drives me nuts a little but it is what the A's do and it has been mostly very good for them. They're lucky to have Melvin.

1) NHL playoffs start tonight, the best playoffs of any sport. 7-game series are better in hockey than the NBA, with so many more variables in a single game because of the bouncing puck. Takes 16 wins to win the Cup; its a grind.

Announcement

The Bum's Best Bets For Wednesday April 14th - MLB - NBA -NHL !

The Bum's Best Bets For Wednesday April 14th - MLB - NBA -NHL !

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