The Bum's Best Bets For Monday June 8th - MLB - NBA -NHL !

[StarDust Bum]

Rangers place Ohlendorf on disabled list

June 7, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The Texas Rangers put right-hander Ross Ohlendorf on the 15-day disabled list Sunday with a strained right groin.

Ohlendorf was 1-0 with one save and a 3.52 ERA in eight relief appearances. The move was retroactive to Thursday.

Rookie right-hander Spencer Patton was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock, where he had a 0.53 ERA with five saves in five opportunities in 16 relief appearances, while holding opposing batters to a .175 average. He struck out 22 in 17 innings.

Patton was up for 10 days in May and gave up three runs in three innings. He was acquired from the Kansas City Royals on July 16, 2014 trade for right-hander Jason Frasor.

[StarDust Bum]

Padres activate OF Melvin Upton Jr.

June 7, 2015

CINCINNATI (AP) - The San Diego Padres activated outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. from the 15-day disabled list and sent outfielder Abraham Almonte to Triple-A El Paso after Sunday's loss to Cincinnati.

Upton will join brother Justin on the Padres. He'll be ready to play Monday night in Atlanta - he was traded by the Braves to San Diego with closer Craig Kimbrel in a multiplayer deal on April 5.

Upton has been sidelined by an injured left foot. He hit .280 with one home run and six RBIs in 50 at_bats over 13 games during a medical rehab stint with El Paso.

Almonte hit .186 with four RBIs in 23 games since being recalled from El Paso on May 8.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, June 8

National League
Brewers @ Pirates
Nelson is 1-4, 5.17 in his last six starts; three of his last four went over.

Burnett is 6-0, 3.26 in his last six starts (over 5-1), but he has a 7.59 RA in his last two starts. Pirates scored 26 runs in his last three starts. .

Milwaukee lost eight of last ten games with Pittsburgh; over is 3-0-1 in last four series games. Brewers are 4-6 in their last ten games; four of their last six games stayed under. Pirates won five of their last six games; over is 3-1-1 in their last five.

Phillies @ Reds
Hamels is 4-1, 1.83 in his last six starts; over is 4-1-1 in those six games.

Leake is 0-3, 9.00 in his last four starts, all of which went over.

Phillies are 5-3 in last eight games with the Reds (over 7-1); Phils lost seven of last ten games overall, with last six going over total. Cincinnati lost four of its last six games; seven of its last eight games went over.

Padres @ Braves
Kennedy is 1-4, 7.82 in his last five starts; seven of his last eight went over.

Miller is 2-1, 1.70 in his last six starts; three of his lasf our home starts stayed under the total.

Home side won last six San Diego-Atlanta games; Padres won last three; four of last six games went over. San Diego won four of their last five games; over is 8-1-1 in their last ten. Braves lost four of their last five games; over is 6-1-1 in their last eight games.

Cardinals @ Rockies
Lackey is 2-1, 2.42 in his last four starts; seven of his last eight stayed under.

Hale is 1-0, 4.97 in his two starts this year.

St Louis won last four games with Colorado; three of last four series games in Denver went over. Cardinals won in LA last night; they've won five of last six games, with eight of last ten staying under. Rockies are 6-4 in last ten games.

Diamondbacks @ Dodgers
de la Rosa is 0-0, 8.44 in his last three starts; five of his last six went over.

Bolsinger is 3-1, 2.05 in his last five starts; five of his last seven went under.

Arizona lost eight of last ten with the Dodgers; over is 3-1-1 in last five series games played here. D'backs won four of last six games; over is 6-2-2 in their last ten games. Dodgers lost four of last five games; their last three games stayed under the total.

American League
Astros @ White Sox
McCullers is 2-0, 2.33 in his last three starts; three of his four starts stayed under the total.

Sale is 2-1, 1.47 in his last four starts; four of his last five stayed under.

Houston lost four of last six games with Chicago; four of last six series games stayed under. Astros lost last four games; under is 6-2-1 in their last nine. White Sox lost three of last four games; four of last six went over.

Royals @ Twins
Vargas is 3-1, 3.43 in his last four starts; four of his six went over.

Hughes is 4-1, 5.30 in his last six starts; five of his last seven went over.

Royals lost seven of last ten games; under is 6-0-1 in their last seven games. KC is 6-4 in last ten games with Minnesota; over is 4-2-1 in their last seven series games. Twins are 3-4 in their last seven games.

Interleague
Marlins @ Blue Jays
Hand is 1-0, 1.64 in two starts this year (under 2-0).

Escobar is 1-3, 5.19 in his last six starts.

Marlins won eight of last ten games vs Toronto; over is 4-1-1 in last six, but teams haven't met since '12. Miami won four of last five games; five of their last seven stayed under. Blue Jays won last five games, scoring 35 runs.

Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Mil-Pitt-- Nelson 3-8; Burnett 3-8
Phil-Cin-- Hamels 7-5; Leake 3-8
SD-Atl-- Kennedy 3-6; Miller 8-3
StL-Colo-- Lackey 6-5; Hale 1-1
Az-LA-- de la Rosa 7-4; Bolsinger 3-3

Hst-Chi-- McCullers 2-2; Sale 7-3
KC-Minn-- Vargas 5-2; Hughes 4-7

Mia-Tor-- Hand 1-1; Estrada 1-5

Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Mil-Pitt-- Nelson 6-11; Burnett 2-11
Phil-Cin-- Hamels 3-12; Leake 2-11
SD-Atl-- Kennedy 5-9; Miller 1-11
StL-Colo-- Lackey 2-11; Hale 1-2
Az-LA-- de la Rosa 3-11; Bolsinger 3-6

Hst-Chi-- McCullers 0-4; Sale 5-10
KC-Minn-- Vargas 2-7; Hughes 3-11

Mia-Tor-- Hand 0-2; Estrada 2-6

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Monday, June 8

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Trend Report
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7:05 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
Milwaukee is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 7 games at home
Pittsburgh is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Milwaukee

7:07 PM
MIAMI vs. TORONTO
Miami is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 7 games
Toronto is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Miami
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

7:10 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Diego's last 7 games when playing Atlanta
San Diego is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta's last 7 games when playing San Diego
Atlanta is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against San Diego

7:10 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. CINCINNATI
Philadelphia is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
Philadelphia is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Cincinnati's last 8 games when playing Philadelphia
Cincinnati is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

8:10 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. MINNESOTA
Kansas City is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Kansas City is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 15-5 SU in its last 20 games at home
Minnesota is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games when playing Kansas City

8:10 PM
HOUSTON vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Houston is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Houston is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Chi White Sox's last 11 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 5 games when playing at home against Houston

8:40 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. COLORADO
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of St. Louis's last 8 games on the road
Colorado is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against St. Louis
Colorado is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games

10:10 PM
ARIZONA vs. LA DODGERS
Arizona is 2-9 SU in their last 11 games when playing LA Dodgers
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Arizona's last 22 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
LA Dodgers are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of LA Dodgers's last 12 games

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Monday, June 8


Archer makes history in Rays' victory over Mariners

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Chris Archer dominated the Seattle Mariners on Sunday and carved his own place in history in the process.

Archer struck out seven while allowing six hits and one earned run over seven innings of work. The 26-year-old is the first pitcher in at least 100 years with three straight starts of zero walks and over 10 strikeouts.

On the heels of Archer's dominant performance, Tampa topped the M's 3-1 as -132 favorites.


Mets' deGrom keeps improving

PHOENIX -- New York Mets manager Terry Collins believes right-hander Jacob deGrom is becoming more of a pitcher with every outing.

"He's more than one-dimensional," Collins said after the Mets' 6-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday afternoon. "His command of his stuff always has been pretty good, but then he started changing (batters') eye levels and moving to both sides of the plate."

The progression was apparent from the first inning Sunday, when deGrom allowed consecutive hits to lead off the game and watched two runs (one unearned) score.

DeGrom, however, retired 14 of the next 16 batters and at one point struck out five consecutive hitters en route to a 10-strikeout performance, his sixth career double-strikeout game and second this season.

He also finished with three walks, ending a streak of 26 innings without allowing a walk. DeGrom yielded three runs (two earned) on five hits in seven innings.


Red Sox reduce rotation from six to five

BOSTON -- Score one for upside over stability.

Faced with a choice of whether to remove hard-throwing right-hander Joe Kelly or veteran knuckleballer Steven Wright from the rotation, the Red Sox have opted to stick with Kelly, who will take his regular turn Friday night at Fenway Park against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Wright moved to the bullpen, and he wound up earning the win Sunday in Boston's come-from-behind, sweep-completing 7-4 victory over the Oakland Athletics.

"Both have pitched probably well enough to either remain in the rotation or to earn a rotation spot," manager John Farrell said. "But when you set aside a couple of the bumps that Joe Kelly has had of late -- one in Minnesota -- he's got the ability to be a dominant starter. (Saturday) was a glimpse of that. There have been other outings where he's pitched to that capability. Feel like we're going to stay the course with him in our rotation."

The Red Sox used six starters for the past two turns through the rotation because of a stretch of 20 games in 20 days that ended Sunday. The emergence of 22-year-old lefty Eduardo Rodriguez, called up recently from Triple-A Pawtucket, forced them to make a move with either Kelly or Wright.


Verlander nearly ready to rejoin Tigers

CHICAGO -- Justin Verlander may be close to returning to the Detroit Tigers' rotation.

Verlander, 32, has been on the disabled list since Opening Day due to a strained right triceps, but after a strong Saturday outing at Triple-A Toledo, the veteran right-hander may be on the verge of a major league comeback.

He struck out nine and allowed one unearned run on five hits in a 5 2/3-inning rehab start for Toledo.


Rangers' Ohlendorf lands on DL with groin injury

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Right-hander Ross Ohlendorf had a bothersome right groin in spring training, and it kept him off the Texas Rangers' Opening Day roster.

The ailment is acting up again, and the Rangers placed Ohlendorf on the 15-day disabled list Sunday with a right groin strain.

"This isn't as bad as it was in spring training," Ohlendorf said, "but I don't want to have a relapse like I did in spring training. I was in the bullpen starting to get ready, and it just felt like it was a bad idea to try to pitch through it."

Ohlendorf picked up a victory in relief May 31, his first win since Sept. 13, 2013, and he earned his first professional save May 22. He is 1-0 with a 3.52 ERA in eight relief appearances, and he has nine strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings.


Indians demote Chisenhall, Ramirez

Revamping the left side of their infield, the Cleveland Indians made several transactions Sunday after a 7-3 loss to the Orioles in the series finale at Baltimore.

Cleveland optioned third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall and shortstop Jose Ramirez to Triple-A Columbus. The Indians announced that they will promote infielders Zach Walters and Giovanny Urshela from Columbus ahead of the team's next game, Tuesday against the visiting Seattle Mariners.

Urshela might take over as the new third baseman, while Mike Aviles, whose playing time increased recently, figures to be the primary shortstop.

A 23-year-old Colombian, Urshela hit .275 with a .301 on-base percentage, a .475 slugging percentage, three homers and nine RBIs in 21 games for Columbus this season. He has no major league experience.

Walters, 25, batted .259/.309/.411 with two homers and 15 RBIs in 30 Triple-A games. He played seven games for Cleveland earlier this year, going 1-for-17.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Monday, June 8


Milwaukee @ Pittsburgh

Game 951-952
June 8, 2015 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
(Nelson) 16.637
Pittsburgh
(Burnett) 15.509
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 1
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-165
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(+145); Over

Philadelphia @ Cincinnati

Game 953-954
June 8, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
(Hamels) 14.477
Cincinnati
(Leake) 12.888
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 1 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cincinnati
-115
7
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(-105); Over

San Diego @ Atlanta

Game 955-956
June 8, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Diego
(Kennedy) 13.671
Atlanta
(Miller) 16.011
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 2 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta
-150
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(-150); Under

St. Louis @ Colorado

Game 957-958
June 8, 2015 @ 8:40 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
(Lackey) 16.702
Colorado
(Hale) 14.286
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 2 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-145
10 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(-145); Under

Arizona @ LA Dodgers

Game 959-960
June 8, 2015 @ 10:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Arizona
(DeLaRosa) 16.476
LA Dodgers
(Bolsinger) 15.318
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Arizona
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Dodgers
-170
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Arizona
(+150); Under

Houston @ Chicago White Sox

Game 961-962
June 8, 2015 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
(McCullers) 17.958
Chicago White Sox
(Sale) 15.727
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago White Sox
-160
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(+140); Under

Kansas City @ Minnesota

Game 963-964
June 8, 2015 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Kansas City
(Vargas) 16.450
Minnesota
(Hughes) 17.319
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 1
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
-115
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(-115); Over

Miami @ Toronto

Game 965-966
June 8, 2015 @ 7:07 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
(Hand) 14.585
Toronto
(Estrada) 17.004
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 2 1/2
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
-165
9
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-165); Over

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Monday, June 8


Don't look now, the Yankees are streaking

The New York Yankees topped the Los Angeles Angels 6-2 Sunday afternoon for their sixth consecutive win.

The surprising Bronx Bombers have won seven of eight and lead the American League East by 1.5 games with a 32-25 record.

The Yanks have an off day Monday before they host the Washington Nationals for a mini two game series with the Tuesday. Masahiro Tanaka and Max Scherzer are the projected starters.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Monday, June 8

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MILWAUKEE (20 - 37) at PITTSBURGH (31 - 25) - 7:05 PM
JIMMY NELSON (R) vs. A.J. BURNETT (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 20-37 (-16.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 20-37 (-16.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 11-23 (-11.9 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 15-31 (-16.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MILWAUKEE is 50-65 (-21.3 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
NELSON is 3-11 (-9.4 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
PITTSBURGH is 216-171 (+30.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 118-72 (+26.7 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 39-20 (+21.6 Units) against the money line in June games over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 214-170 (+29.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 84-61 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 55-31 (+16.9 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 65-39 (+17.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 56-55 (-31.1 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997.
BURNETT is 12-30 (-27.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday since 1997. (Team's Record)
BURNETT is 172-177 (-33.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
BURNETT is 9-19 (-14.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 5-1 (+4.2 Units) against MILWAUKEE this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.0 Units)

JIMMY NELSON vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
NELSON is 1-1 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 1.50 and a WHIP of 0.750.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

A.J. BURNETT vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
BURNETT is 2-6 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 4.65 and a WHIP of 1.270.
His team's record is 4-7 (-4.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-5. (+0.4 units)

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PHILADELPHIA (22 - 36) at CINCINNATI (24 - 31) - 7:10 PM
COLE HAMELS (L) vs. MIKE LEAKE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 76-98 (-31.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
HAMELS is 22-28 (-17.9 Units) against the money line in June games since 1997. (Team's Record)
HAMELS is 13-23 (-19.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
PHILADELPHIA is 186-176 (+32.7 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 107-127 (-39.8 Units) against the money line in home games in June games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 362-385 (-93.9 Units) against the money line in home games after a win since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 364-333 (-85.9 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
LEAKE is 15-29 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LEAKE is 15-29 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LEAKE is 11-24 (-13.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 2-1 (+1.6 Units) against CINCINNATI this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.2 Units)

COLE HAMELS vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
HAMELS is 10-0 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 1.45 and a WHIP of 0.906.
His team's record is 14-0 (+14.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-7. (-1.6 units)

MIKE LEAKE vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
LEAKE is 1-3 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 6.43 and a WHIP of 1.238.
His team's record is 1-6 (-5.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-6. (-6.6 units)

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SAN DIEGO (29 - 29) at ATLANTA (27 - 29) - 7:10 PM
IAN KENNEDY (R) vs. SHELBY MILLER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 106-112 (-15.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 126-114 (-37.4 Units) against the money line in home games in June games since 1997.
ATLANTA is 104-111 (-17.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 83-91 (-17.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

IAN KENNEDY vs. ATLANTA since 1997
KENNEDY is 2-0 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 3.54 and a WHIP of 1.426.
His team's record is 5-2 (+3.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-3. (-0.4 units)

SHELBY MILLER vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
MILLER is 1-1 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 4.58 and a WHIP of 1.188.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.5 units)

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ST LOUIS (38 - 19) at COLORADO (25 - 30) - 8:40 PM
JOHN LACKEY (R) vs. DAVID HALE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 22-37 (-17.9 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
LACKEY is 9-20 (-13.0 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
LACKEY is 2-12 (-12.5 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
ST LOUIS is 38-19 (+17.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 38-19 (+17.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ST LOUIS is 31-13 (+16.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
COLORADO is 55-89 (-32.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

JOHN LACKEY vs. COLORADO since 1997
LACKEY is 2-1 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 4.55 and a WHIP of 1.120.
His team's record is 2-2 (-0.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-3. (-2.1 units)

DAVID HALE vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
No recent starts.

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ARIZONA (27 - 29) at LA DODGERS (32 - 25) - 10:10 PM
RUBBY DE LA ROSA (R) vs. MIKE BOLSINGER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 91-127 (-31.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 91-127 (-31.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 36-69 (-28.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 61-32 (+19.9 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 4-2 (+1.1 Units) against ARIZONA this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.8 Units)

RUBBY DE LA ROSA vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
DE LA ROSA is 0-1 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 9.00 and a WHIP of 1.200.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-0. (+0.0 units)

MIKE BOLSINGER vs. ARIZONA since 1997
No recent starts.

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HOUSTON (34 - 24) at CHI WHITE SOX (25 - 30) - 8:10 PM
LANCE MCCULLERS (R) vs. CHRIS SALE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 34-24 (+8.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 12-5 (+11.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 6-0 (+6.9 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 7 or less this season.
HOUSTON is 34-21 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 2-1 (+1.9 Units) against HOUSTON this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.9 Units)

LANCE MCCULLERS vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
MCCULLERS is 0-0 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 2.08 and a WHIP of 1.617.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

CHRIS SALE vs. HOUSTON since 1997
SALE is 2-1 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 0.38 and a WHIP of 0.708.
His team's record is 2-1 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.1 units)

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KANSAS CITY (31 - 23) at MINNESOTA (33 - 23) - 8:10 PM
JASON VARGAS (L) vs. PHIL HUGHES (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 33-23 (+16.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MINNESOTA is 20-9 (+12.8 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
MINNESOTA is 52-55 (+10.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 33-23 (+16.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MINNESOTA is 16-10 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
MINNESOTA is 15-7 (+11.5 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
HUGHES is 15-6 (+12.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KANSAS CITY is 131-100 (+17.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 23-13 (+12.6 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 64-48 (+19.0 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 9-2 (+8.5 Units) against the money line in road games in June games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 127-97 (+15.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 93-67 (+16.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 94-69 (+13.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 65-49 (+14.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 35-64 (-23.5 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 3-3 (+0.6 Units) against KANSAS CITY this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.1 Units)

JASON VARGAS vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
VARGAS is 5-4 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 4.32 and a WHIP of 1.537.
His team's record is 8-6 (+0.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-8. (-4.5 units)

PHIL HUGHES vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
HUGHES is 7-4 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 5.14 and a WHIP of 1.375.
His team's record is 8-4 (+4.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-6. (-0.3 units)

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MIAMI (24 - 33) at TORONTO (28 - 30) - 7:05 PM
BRAD HAND (L) vs. MARCO ESTRADA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 0-8 (-9.2 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday this season.
MIAMI is 17-29 (-14.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MIAMI is 173-156 (+33.3 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

BRAD HAND vs. TORONTO since 1997
No recent starts.

MARCO ESTRADA vs. MIAMI since 1997
ESTRADA is 1-2 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 7.20 and a WHIP of 1.150.
His team's record is 2-2 (+0.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-4. (-4.4 units)

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Monday, June 8


Bettors beware: poor weather in Pittsburgh Monday

According to weather forecasts, there is about a 79 percent possibility of thunderstorms at PNC Park in Pittsburgh when the Pirates host the Milwaukee Brewers Monday.

Furthermore, wind will blow from right field to left field at around 11 miles per hour during the ball game.

The Buccos are presently -161 with the total set at 7.5.


Why the Phillies are becoming a hot over bet

With Philadelphia's 6-4 win over San Francisco Sunday, the Phillies have gone over in six consecutive games thanks to an offense that is finally starting to come together.

The Phillies, now 28-24-6 over/under for the season, have scored 4.83 runs per game over the last six games. That is a big difference compared to their season average of 3.21 runs per game, which is good for dead last in the bigs.

Philadelphia travels to Cincinnati to start a three-game series with the Reds Monday. Cole Hamels (2.88 ERA, 4-6 O/U) starts for the Phillies, while Mike Leake (4.40 ERA, 7-4 O/U) gets the call for the Reds. The total is currently at 7.0.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Seattle Mariners have a $123,225,843 payroll and high expectations; here is the career managing record of Seattle skipper Lloyd McClendon, who has managed 1,000 games in the major leagues:

2001 Pirates-- 62-100

2002 Pirates-- 72-89

2003 Pirates-- 75-87

2004 Pirates-- 72-89

2005 Pirates-- 55-81

2014 Mariners 87-75

2015 Mariners 25-31

Total 448-552, .448

These are the facts; draw your own conclusions........

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Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend..........

13) We've talked in this space before about golfer Erik Compton, who has had two heart transplants, yet still plays on the PGA Tour.

Jim Nantz told an amazing story Sunday, about Compton having dinner in Ohio this weekend; the waitress told him how her nephew had died tragically and how his family donated his heart to the organ donation program.

Compton asked the woman his name and wouldn't you know it is his heart that is inside Compton today, the third heart of his life. A terrific story.

12) Few years ago, Kendrys Morales broke his ankle celebrating a walk-off homer in Anaheim, which greatly curtailed his career. Teams haven't learned; Blue Jays tried to pummel Chris Colabello after his game-winning hit Sunday. Baseball players get hurt like every 45 seconds; matter of time before another one goes down celebrating.

11) Houston Astros are fading a little in AL West; they called up prize SS prospect Carlos Correa from AAA Sunday night- he wasn't in AAA very long, hitting .276 in 98 AAA at-bats, after hitting .385 in the hitter-friendly AA Texas League.

10) Too may announcers quote what a batter hits when he puts the first pitch in play; how about telling us how many times he swings and misses/fouls off that first pitch? That would tell a moire accurate story of how he does swinging at the first pitch.

9) Johnny Cueto is a free agent this winter; he has a 2.11 ERA and 0.95 WHIP this season, but is also fighting thru a sore elbow. Will the Reds trade him? Its one of the big stories in baseball between now and July 31.

8) It is only June 8, but the Mets' AAA farm team in Las Vegas has already had a win streak of 14 games and an 11-game losing streak. Don't see that every day.

7) Colorado Rockies' pitcher Kyle Kendrick once turned down a scholarship to play QB at Washington State; he must've been pretty good.

6) Royals' reliever Wade Davis has gone 106 innings without allowing a homer.

5) I'd love to see Ichiro Suzuki in the Home Run Derby; those who've seen him in BP say he would do really well. Especially this yer, in a smaller ballpark.

4) Surprise of this season might be Minnesota pitcher Mike Pelfrey in the top five in the American League in ERA. He's come back out of nowhere.

3) Milwaukee Brewers scored total of nine runs in Mike Fiers' last six starts; in the six games, the average total for both teams was 3.8. Brewers lost four of the six.

2) Miami's Dee Gordon had his tenth 3-hit game of the season Sunday.

1) Colorado reliever LaTroy Hawkins is doing a rehab stint in Albuquerque; he threw some against Salt Lake City this weekend. Hawkins pitched for Salt Lake City in 1997, 18 freakin' years ago. Chances are that has never happened before.

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Lightning hold off 'Hawks, even series 1-1

June 6, 2015

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Andrei Vasilevskiy had no warning before Ben Bishop skated over to the Tampa Bay bench and went up the tunnel. Just like that, a 20-year-old Russian rookie was playing goalie for the Lightning in the third period of a tied Stanley Cup Final game.

Vasilevskiy barely had time to feel any nerves before the Lightning scored. Bishop returned - and then left again, apparently struggling with an undisclosed injury.

But with his Tampa Bay teammates playing ferociously in front of him, Vasilevskiy had nothing to fear as the Lightning tied the series.

Jason Garrison scored the tiebreaking power-play goal with 11:11 to play, Vasilevskiy made five saves in a strange 9:13 of relief work, and the Lightning beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 in Game 2 on Saturday night to even the series.

''Nervous? Just maybe a little bit,'' Vasilevskiy said. ''But after the first couple shots, I feel myself better. Every game I'm ready, and I keep my head ready for the game, and that's it. ... First time, maybe more nervous. But second time, just play and that's it.''

Tyler Johnson and Cedric Paquette also scored, but the Lightning's revived offensive effort was somewhat overshadowed by three goalie changes in the third period.

Vasilevskiy earned his first career playoff victory, and the Lightning refused to say exactly what happened to Bishop or give any indication of his prognosis.

''No one really knew what was going on,'' Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos said. ''We were kind of listening to the announcements for who was in net for our team a couple of times. But depth has been a part for our success all season, and it showed in the net tonight, as well.''

While a promising prospect, Vasilevskiy is greener than the Chicago River on St. Patrick's Day: He has 16 regular-season games of NHL experience, and he had played in just two games since March 31. But the Russian came in for 92 seconds before Garrison scored the go-ahead goal, and he returned to finish the game with 7:41 to play.

With his jarring No. 88 jersey and 45 previous minutes of NHL playoff experience, Vasilevskiy handled his surprise assignment splendidly. Although he didn't have to touch the puck on his first time in net, he made an outstanding pad save with less than five minutes to play as Tampa Bay killed a penalty, and he stayed strong while Tampa Bay prevented Chicago from mounting another third-period comeback.

''We just told him to have fun,'' Tampa Bay defenseman Anton Stralman said about Vasilevskiy. ''I have no idea what went through his head, but he's a calm kid. Even if he knows that he's not going to play, he always prepares for every game and does everything he can to be ready.''

Nikita Kucherov had a goal and an assist for the Lightning, who played with all the aggression they lacked in the third period of Game 1 when Chicago rallied late to win.

The Lightning didn't say why Bishop left the game, came back and left again. He complained of interference on Brent Seabrook's tying goal early in the third period, but played on for several minutes.

Game 3 is Monday night in Chicago.

Andrew Shaw and Teuvo Teravainen scored 2:16 apart early in the second period for the Blackhawks.

''Regardless of who's in net, we were trying to find a way to tie that game in the end,'' said Chicago captain Jonathan Toews, who set up Seabrook's goal. ''But sometimes those ones slip away from you. We just kept giving up goals every time we tied the game or got ourselves back into it. We just ran out of time.''

Patrick Sharp took two penalties 2:18 apart in the third period, and the Lightning scored the winner on the second power play.

''It was something I don't think I've ever done before,'' Sharp said. ''It happened. You move on from it. I take responsibility and apologize to our penalty killers for putting them under such stress.''

With Sharp in the box, Garrison put the Lightning ahead when his shot apparently deflected off a Chicago player in front of Corey Crawford, who stopped 20 shots in an uninspiring effort. The goal was just Garrison's second of the postseason and his first since April 27.

The Lightning again showed off the resilience that got them to this lofty height, improving to 4-0 in Game 2 of their four postseason series after going 1-3 in Game 1. Tampa Bay has lost two straight games only once in the entire playoffs.

The Lightning blamed their 2-1 loss in the opener on too much caution in the third period, when Chicago scored two late goals to win. Neither team showed any particular caution from the start of Game 2, skating aggressively and working hard for offensive chances.

Paquette put a long shot through heavy traffic late in the first period for his first goal since April 27, ending a 13-game drought.

Shaw made his biggest impact on Game 1 when he apparently bit Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman, but he evened Game 2 early in the second by outfighting Garrison for a loose puck.

During a power play moments later, Teravainen scored his third goal in two games off Marian Hossa's setup. The Lightning swiftly tied it up on a back-to-the-net, between-his-own-legs deflection by the gifted Kucherov.

Johnson then ended his five-game goal drought with his NHL-leading 13th goal of the postseason. Crawford probably should have saved the backhand, but it slid across his sweater and dropped in for Johnson's first goal since Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Seabrook evened it with 16:22 left in the third, teeing up a hard shot with no opposition after the Tampa Bay defense got distracted by captain Jonathan Toews. Bishop claimed Hossa interfered with him on top of his crease, but the goal stood.

NOTES: The Stanley Cup Final's first two games were split for just the second time since 2004. ... Jonathan Drouin, the No. 3 pick in the 2013 draft, returned to Tampa Bay's lineup for the first time since May 7. ... Chicago's Joel Quenneville coached his 200th playoff game. ... Blackhawks D Niklas Hjalmarsson turned 28 years old.

[StarDust Bum]

Stanley Cup Finals Game 3

June 8, 2015


TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (63-33-8) at CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (61-33-7)

Stanley Cup Finals Game 3: Monday, 8:05 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line Tampa Bay +130, Chicago -150, Total: 5.5

The Blackhawks look to take a 2-1 series lead when they host the Lightning in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Monday.

After a Game 1 that didn’t feature a ton of action, things opened up a bit for both teams in Game 2. The Lightning ended up winning 4-3 despite being outshot 29-24, but the Blackhawks took back home-ice advantage with their win in Game 1.

Tampa Bay is 4-2 both SU and ATS when facing Chicago over the past three seasons. The Lightning are, however, just 5-8 both SU and ATS when playing the Blackhawks at United Center since 1996. One thing that the Lightning can feel good about is the fact that they are 21-5 ATS after a home game where both teams score three or more goals over the past two seasons. They are also 26-8 ATS when playing only their second game in five days this season.

Chicago, meanwhile, is 15-3 ATS in home games as a #3 seed in the playoffs over the past two seasons. The Blackhawks also get to face a Lightning team that is just 7-14 ATS in road games after scoring four or more goals in their previous game this season. G Ben Bishop (Lower Body) got injured in Game 2 and was unable to finish out the game. He is questionable for the Lightning on Monday. D Trevor Van Riemsdyk (Wrist) is questionable for the Blackhawks.

The Lightning evened up the series with a win on Saturday and G Andrei Vasilevskiy (1-0, 4.43 GAA, 89.5% SV% in playoffs) picked up the win after G Ben Bishop (12-9, 2.20 GAA, 91.8% SV% in playoffs) hurt his knee late in Game 2. Bishop is expected to return to the net on Monday, but whoever is out there will need to be better in Game 3.

C Tyler Johnson (13 G, 9 A, 22 PTS in playoffs) scored a goal for the Lightning. It was his first goal in five games and he’ll need to continue to be a menace offensively for Tampa Bay. He has been a stud in these playoffs and the team needs him to keep it up in order to steal back a win in Chicago.

RW Nikita Kucherov (10 G, 11 A, 21 PTS in playoffs) had a goal and an assist in Game 2. Kucherov was all over the ice and is just one point behind Johnson for the league lead in points this postseason.

C Steven Stamkos (7 G, 10 A, 17 PTS in playoffs) is still yet to score in this series. His team will be counting on him to snap out of this slump soon and he could really help the Lightning if he were to get on the board in Game 3.

Ds Victor Hedman (1 G, 11 A, 12 PTS in playoffs) and Anton Stralman (1 G, 7 A, 8 PTS in playoffs) must continue to be sturdy along the blue line in this series. They have been very solid defensively and also generate pressure in the offensive end and that must continue the rest of the way.

LW Teuvo Teravainen (4 G, 5 A, 9 PTS in playoffs) stayed hot despite the Blackhawks losing in Game 2, scoring his second goal of the series. He has really come through at the right time for Chicago and the team will need him to continue to play well offensively.

D Brent Seabrook (7 G, 4 A, 11 PTS in playoffs) had a goal in the game as well, and he now has four points over the past five games.

The Blackhawks need production from their blue line and Seabrook has provided that in the postseason. Some guys that really need to step up for Chicago are RW Patrick Kane (10 G, 10 A, 20 PTS in playoffs) and C Jonathan Toews (9 G, 10 A, 19 PTS in playoffs), who have not scored for their team in this series. Toews did have an assist in Game 2, but both of these guys are counted on to score goals and have not done so in the biggest series of the year.

G Corey Crawford (10-5, 2.56 GAA, 91.6% SV% in playoffs) must be better in Game 3. He let up four goals on 24 shots in Game 2 and that type of performance will not give his team much of a chance to win moving forward.

[StarDust Bum]

Bickell, van Riemsdyk may return Game 3

June 7, 2015

CHICAGO (AP) - Forward Bryan Bickell and defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk could return to the Chicago Blackhawks' lineup for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals against Tampa Bay on Monday night, coach Joel Quenneville said.

He did not say if they will play, however.

The series shifts to Chicago tied 1-1 after Tampa Bay rebounded from a loss in Game 1 to beat the Blackhawks 4-3 on Saturday.

Quenneville said Sunday he thinks Bickell is healthy after missing the first two games of the series. He was hurt in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals in Anaheim. The Blackhawks haven't disclosed the nature of Bickell's injury, but the forward said he passed the league's concussion tests.

Van Riemsdyk is coming back from surgeries on his left knee and right wrist. The rookie has not played for the Blackhawks since Nov. 16 but has been practicing with the team in anticipation of his NHL playoff debut.

Chicago has leaned heavily on its top four defensemen in the playoffs and will likely continue to do so. But the last two spots are open for discussion.

Kyle Cumiskey and David Rundblad combined for just 12 minutes, 23 seconds of ice time in Game 1 and 12:56 in Game 2.

If van Riemsdyk does play, captain Jonathan Toews had some advice for him.

''Just go out there and keep it simple, do your best to phase everything out, play hockey,'' he said. ''You're out there with five other guys. If you make a mistake, it's not the end of the world. We can help each other out. If it comes to that, we know he'll be ready. We'll be ready to help him out, ease the pressure a little bit.''

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Long Sheet

Monday, June 8

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TAMPA BAY (63-33-0-8, 134 pts.) at CHICAGO (61-33-0-7, 129 pts.) - 6/8/2015, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 4-2 (+2.5 Units) against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
TAMPA BAY is 4-2-0 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.1 Units)

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NHL
Short Sheet

Monday, June 8


Stanley Cup Finals - Best of 7 - Game 3 - Series Tied 1-1

Tampa Bay at Chicago, 8:05 PM
Tampa Bay: 26-8 SU when playing only their 2nd game in 5 days
Tampa Bay: 21-5 SU after a home game where both teams score 3 or more goals

Chicago: 15-18 SU after a non-conference game
Chicago: 12-18 SU after 2 consecutive non-conference games




NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, June 8


Lightning had only two shots on goal in third period of Game 2, but one found back of net on power play as Tampa Bay evened series heading north. Lightning outhit Blackhawks 62-49 in first two games, but Chicago had 35-19 edge on faceoffs in Game 2. Chicago won three of last four games overall, with five of last six going over total. Lightning won last three road games, allowing two goals. Teams split last four series games played here; five of their last six games overall went over total. Tampa Bay won seven of last nine games with Chicago. Four of last six series games stayed under.

2015 NHL playoffs
Chicago vs Tampa Bay
Chi 2-1, +$119, U9
TB 4-3, -$135, O5




NHL

Monday, June 8

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. CHICAGO
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Chicago is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Monday, June 8

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Game of the Day: Lightning at Blackhawks
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Tampa Bay Lightning at Chicago Blackhawks (-149, 5)

Series tied 1-1

An unexpected goaltending carousel has taken the Stanley Cup final on quite the spin as the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning prepare to play the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 3 on Monday. Ben Bishop, who recorded a franchise-best 40 victories this season, exited twice in the third period on Saturday for undisclosed reasons before rookie Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped all five shots he faced to help the Lightning even the series.

"I hate to be that guy," Cooper said moments after Tampa Bay's 4-3 triumph in Game 2. "I know I talk way too much when I get up here, but I will not answer a question about the goaltending or what happened (Saturday)." The following day provided plenty of talk from members of the Lightning without shedding light on either the reason for Bishop's departure or which netminder will get the nod on Monday. Chicago's goaltending situation hardly is without issue, as Corey Crawford yielded four tallies - including goals to defenseman Jason Garrison and Tyler Johnson that could be considered soft at best. "You can't give those up in these games," the two-time William Jennings Trophy recipient said. "That's two goals I pretty much just gave them and gave them momentum back."

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

LINE HISTORY: Books opened the Hawks in the -147 ballpark, but that's since moved slightly to -149

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING: After being held in check in the series opener, the vaunted Triplets line made its presence felt in Game 2 - highlighted by Johnson's franchise-best 13th goal of the playoffs. Nikita Kucherov collected a goal and an assist and Ondrej Palat was a plus-2 for Tampa Bay, which has seen that line account for 30 of the team's 60 goals in the postseason. Cooper dismissed that Johnson was struggling during his five-game goal drought, noting that "you can't score every single night. It's really hard, unless your name's (Wayne) Gretzky."

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS: Like Crawford, Patrick Sharp also would like to put Saturday's dismal performance behind him. Sharp was whistled for both a slashing and high-sticking penalty 2:18 apart in the third period, with the latter paving the way for Garrison's eventual game-winning goal. "It was something I don't think I've ever done before," Sharp said of committing the consecutive penalties. "... I take responsibility and apologize to our penalty killers for putting them under such stress." On Sunday, coach Joel Quenneville noted that defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk and forward Bryan Bickell could play in Game 3, marking their first action in the Stanley Cup final.

TRENDS:

*Over is 5-1 in Blackhawks last 6 overall.
*Home team is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
*Lightning are 7-2 in the last 9 meetings.
*Lightning are 7-2 in their last 9 road games.

CONSENSUS: Per Consensus, 73 percent of wagers are on the favored Blackhawks.