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**pm530** · 05-06-2009, 11:28 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Wednesday, May 6

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Lakers and Celtics both try to rebound from Game 1 losses, and the Caps look to win their third straight over the Pens.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The Celtics and Lakers are both in series holes as they return to the floor on Wednesday night for the second game of their second-round series. Boston opened their series with Orlando on Monday night with a 95-90 home loss despite a frantic fourth-quarter rally. Paul Pierce led the way with 23 points for the Celtics, while Kendrick Perkins grabbed 16 boards. Dwight Howard had 16 points and 22 rebounds for the Magic, who are 3.5-point underdogs Wednesday.

The Lakers got 32 points from Kobe Bryant in the first game of their series with the Rockets on Monday night, but it wasn't enough as Houston rolled to a 100-92 road victory. Yao Ming had a team-high 28 points to go along with 10 rebounds for the Rockets, while Ron Artest contributed 21 points to the victory. Pau Gasol was held to 14 points for the Lakers, who are 9.5-point favorites for Wednesday.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

The Mets will send Johan Santana to the mound on Wednesday night as they begin a home series with the division-rival Phillies. The lefthander is 3-1 on the season with a stellar 1.10 ERA, but he had to settle for a no-decision last time out after he gave up two earned runs over seven innings versus the Marlins. The Phillies will counter with Chan Ho Park, who is at 0-1 with an 8.57 ERA this year.

The Marlins will host the Braves on Wednesday, while Milwaukee is in Cincinnati to battle the Reds. Elsewhere on the National League schedule it'll be the Cubs at Houston, Pittsburgh at St. Louis, Arizona at San Diego, Washington at the Dodgers, and San Francisco at Colorado. Projected Giants starter Randy Johnson tossed seven scoreless innings against the Rockies in a win on May 1.

Over in the American League on Wednesday it'll be Minnesota at Baltimore, Tampa Bay at the Yankees, Cleveland at Boston, Seattle at Kansas City, Detroit at the White Sox, Texas at Oakland, and Toronto at the Angels. Blue Jays starter Roy Halladay improved to 5-1 on the season with a win over the Orioles last Friday; the righthander gave up three earned runs over his eight innings pitched.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

The Capitals will be looking to take a commanding 3-0 lead in their second-round series with the Penguins on Wednesday night when that set shifts to Pittsburgh for Game 3. Alexander Ovechkin had three goals and Simeon Varlamov made 33 saves on Monday night in Washington's 4-3 Game 2 victory, which put the Caps up 2-0 in the series. Sidney Crosby also had a hat trick in the game for Pittsburgh, while Marc-Andre Fleury made 29 saves in Monday's losing cause.

The other Eastern Conference semifinal series also returns to the ice on Wednesday, with Boston at Carolina. Cam Ward and the Hurricanes blanked the favored Bruins 3-0 in Boston in Game 2 on Sunday, with the netminder making 36 saves. Joe Corvo, Matt Cullen, and Eric Staal (into an empty net) had the goals in the win for Carolina, who managed to tie up the second-round series at 1-1. Tim Thomas made 22 saves between the pipes for the Bruins in that defeat.

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**pm530** · 05-06-2009, 11:29 AM

Six-pack for Wednesday

Top six scorers in NBA playoff history...........points per game

T6) Elgin Baylor (134 games) George Gervin (59 games) 27.0 ppg

5) Lebron James 27.5 ppg-- 46 games

4) Tracy McGrady 28.5 ppg-- 38 games

3) Jerry West 29.1 ppg-- 153 games

2) Allen Iverson 29.7 ppg-- 71 games

1) Michael Jordan, 33.4-- 179 games.

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Wednesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but.........

13) Not only did the Bronx Bombers spend $1.5B on a baseball field, they managed to charge so much money for tickets that no one buys the best seats, so now they have virtually no home field advantage, when they used to have a staggering home field edge. What a bunch of freakin' nitwits that run that franchise.

12) As much as they'd like to, no one can blame this on ARod, who may make his return to the field Friday night. A $200M payroll, the new $1.5B stadium (the Mets build a new field eight miles away for a mere $850M), and they're 13-13 after 26 games. This franchise, a lot like the Oakland Raiders, has slipped to laughingstock status.

11) Meanwhile, Joe Torre's Dodgers tied a modern record by starting the season 12-0 at home-- this is the same Joe Torre who got run out of the Bronx after winning four world championships. Nitwits.

10) Bronx is 2-10 when it commits an error, 11-3 when it doesn't, and lost its first five games against the Red Sox. .

9) Torre's Dodgers are 30-7 at home since they got Manny Ramirez.

8) World champ Phillies moved into first place in NL East by taking pair of games in St Louis-- Florida has fallen apart after an 11-1 start. Victorino had four hits and made a great catch in CF for the Phils.

7) Carlos Delgado dropped the easiest of popups that would have ended the game Tuesday, and Atlanta wound up with tying run on third base before Rodriguez got final out of a 4-3 win. Losing a game that way, with the Phillies coming to CitiField Wednesday, would've sent the already jumpy Mets' nation into full-blown panic mode.

6) Washington led the Astros 8-5 after six, blew lead, then game was suspended because of rain with score 10-10 in 11th inning. Game will be finished in Houston July 9th.

5) Former Syracuse/Detroit Pistons guard Dave Bing is now mayor of Detroit after winning a special election. Bing was second pick in the 1966 NBA Draft, and has owned a steel company since 1980 that is a supplier to auto manufacturers, so he's very successful in business.

4) When Bing played at Syracuse, his running mate in backcourt was a guy who wore glasses. A guard named Boeheim, who last time we looked, still works in Syracuse.

3) The guy that owns Blackberry handheld devices has a deal to buy the Phoenix Coyotes and move them to Hamilton, Ontario; problem is, the NHL isn't happy, and the hockey fans in the desert are very upset about the prospect of losing a team they've had for 12 years. Expect the weasel lawyers to get even wealthier on this one.

2) PR disaster for NHL after referee missed call on what would have been Detroit's tying goal with 1:04 left in game Tuesday. Ref blew his whistle because he lost sight of the puck, which he is supposed to do, but fact is, the puck was lying in the crease, clear as day. Whoops. 8th-seeded Anaheim now leads 2nd-seeded Detroit, 2 games to 1.

1) Sometime soon, Vikings' coach Brad Childress is going to talk with Brett Favre about the prospects of Favre wearing a purple jersey this fall. Seeing how much Favre wanted to play for Minnesota last year, would the acquisition of Sage Rosenfels discourage Childress at all?

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**pm530** · 05-06-2009, 11:30 AM

Len’s Top Five

Wednesday, May 6

Len's Top 5

Happy Wednesday everyone, here's my Top 5 for May 6, 2009 from len berman sports.

1. Quick Hits

Groundhog Day. Brett Favre may come back to play for Minnesota.
LeBron James was presented his MVP trophy, then Cleveland dismantled Atlanta 99-72 in game 1. James had 34 points.
The Dodgers won again, beating Arizona 3-1. Yankee castoff Jeff Weaver got the win. The Dodgers tie the modern record of starting a season 12-0 at home. Did I mention Joe Torre?

2. Reversal of Fortune

The Curse of the Bambino was so 5 years ago. It seems ages ago that the sign read "Reverse the Curse" on Storrow Drive in Boston. Since then the Red Sox have won two World Series while the Yankees have
spent zillions, and changed managers and stadiums. The two teams have played 5 times this season, Boston has won them all. How the mighty have fallen. Yogi used to say "we always beat Boston." It's time for a new Yogiism. "We always used be beat Boston, but only when we won."

3. Off the Wall

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. One of the nation's top high school basketball prospects from Raleigh, John Wall, has something new to include on his college application. He's been charged with breaking and entering. Two minors involved in the crime were also arrested. So not only is this kid adept at "steals" he shows dubious leadership qualities as well. He'll fit in nicely into any number of major college basketball programs.

4. Slap on the Wrist

Wow that got big headlines. "Michael Phelps suspended for bong picture." The bark was far worse than the bite. His suspension ended yesterday and Phelps himself didn't even know it was over. As a result of his sanction, he missed nothing. No major swim meet. But it made for a nice juicy headline a coupla months back.

5. There There

You know what the University of Exeter found out? Sports performance can be improved with a sympathetic ear or words of encouragement. So next time you start to boo that over-priced bum change your tactics. Yell out "Hey Oliver Perez, you'll do better next time." Or, "A-Rod so what if you suck in the clutch, you're still a great family man." No wait.

Today's Birthday: The Say Hey Kid himself, the great Willie Mays. 78.
Bonus Birthday: George Clooney. 48.

Today in Sports: Roger Bannister breaks the 4-minute mile. 1954.
Bonus Event: Joan Rivers says she'll start a talk show on Fox pissing off Johnny Carson. She never bothered telling him after all the times she had filled in for Johnny. 1986.

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**pm530** · 05-06-2009, 11:30 AM

NBA
Dunkel Index

Houston at LA Lakers
The Lakers look to bounce back from their Game One loss, but are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 playoff games as a favorite, while the Rockets are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 playoff games as an underdog between 5 and 10 1/2 points. Houston is the pick (+9 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has LA favored by only 4. Dunkel Pick: Houston (+9 1/2). Here are all of today's playoff picks.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6

Game 711-712: Orlando at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: Orlando 117.585; Boston 124.168
Dunkel Line & Total: Boston by 6 1/2; 185 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Boston by 3 1/2; 188
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-3 1/2); Under

Game 713-714: Houston at LA Lakers
Dunkel Ratings: Houston 124.667; LA Lakers 128.868
Dunkel Line & Total: LA Lakers by 4; 196
Vegas Line & Total: LA Lakers by 9 1/2; 192 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+9 1/2); Over

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**pm530** · 05-06-2009, 11:31 AM

NBA
Long Sheet

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Wednesday, May 6
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ORLANDO (64 - 25) at BOSTON (66 - 24) - 5/6/2009, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 113-83 ATS (+21.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 86-71 ATS (+7.9 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 31-14 ATS (+15.6 Units) revenging a home loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 55-42 ATS (+8.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 53-36 ATS (+13.4 Units) in all games this season.
ORLANDO is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) as an underdog this season.
ORLANDO is 29-16 ATS (+11.4 Units) in road games this season.
ORLANDO is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.
ORLANDO is 24-14 ATS (+8.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ORLANDO is 24-10 ATS (+13.0 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
BOSTON is 129-165 ATS (-52.5 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 6-6 against the spread versus ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
ORLANDO is 8-4 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
8 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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HOUSTON (58 - 31) at LA LAKERS (69 - 19) - 5/6/2009, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA LAKERS are 101-87 ATS (+5.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 19-6 ATS (+12.4 Units) as a road underdog of 9.5 to 12 points since 1996.
HOUSTON is 287-236 ATS (+27.4 Units) in road games since 1996.
HOUSTON is 35-19 ATS (+14.1 Units) in road games after 3 or more consecutive unders since 1996.
HOUSTON is 52-38 ATS (+10.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA LAKERS is 8-4 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
LA LAKERS is 7-5 straight up against HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**pm530** · 05-06-2009, 11:31 AM

NBA
Short Sheet

Wednesday, May 6th

Western Conference Playoffs - Round Two
Game Two
Houston Leads, 1-0
Houston at LA Lakers, 10:35 ET

Houston:
13-29 ATS off BB ATS wins
0-4 ATS vs. Lakers

LA Lakers:
17-7 Over off DD home win
9-1 ATS at home off 3+ Unders

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Eastern Conference Playoffs - Round Two
Game Two
Orlando Leads, 1-0
Orlando at Boston, 8:05 ET

Orlando:
12-4 ATS as a road underdog
15-5 ATS when the line is +3 to -3

Boston:
57-82 ATS after 3+ Overs
39-63 ATS after scoring 100+ points 3 straight games

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**pm530** · 05-06-2009, 11:32 AM

NBA
Write-up

Wednesday, May 6

NBA playoffs

Orlando got up 28 on Celtics in Game 1, led 54-36 at half, then held on for dear life at end of 95-90 win in Boston; huge game here for Celtics, who were +22 in Game 1 in 26:34 with Scalabrine on floor (-27 in 21:26 he didn't play). Boston shot just 38.5% from floorl, part of reason why Howard was able to grab 22 rebounds. Redick was -7 in 29:12 for Magic who will once again be without Lee (head injuries) in this game.

Houston was 0-4 against Lakers during season, losing 111-82/93-81 at Staples, but they held Bryant to 14-31 from floor in Game 1, held LA to 40 first half points and posted 100-92 upset, with Artest +19 in 40:05, which means Lakers were +11 in 7:55 he sat out. Rockets do terrific job of forcing Bryant to take lower percentage shots, as he has done more of late in year due to painful knees. Rockets took ten more foul shots than LA did in Game 1, while Lakers were just 2-18 beyond arc.

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**pm530** · 05-06-2009, 11:32 AM

NBA

Wednesday, May 6

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Trend Sheet
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8:00 PM
ORLANDO vs. BOSTON
Orlando is 5-17 ATS in its last 22 games when playing on the road against Boston
Orlando is 5-17 SU in its last 22 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston is 16-6 SU in its last 22 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games

10:30 PM
HOUSTON vs. LA LAKERS
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 5 games
LA Lakers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games when playing Houston
LA Lakers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Houston

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**pm530** · 05-06-2009, 11:33 AM

NBA

Wednesday, May 6

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Tips and Trends
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Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers [TNT | 10:35 PM ET]

Rockets: Yao showed no ill effects from his knee-to-knee collision with Bryant on Monday, when he limped off the court before returning. Yao went through a full practice Tuesday, then sat with an ice pack around his right knee. "It's a little bit sore. It's fine. I could move around well," he said. "We are a physical team, particularly defensively. If the rest of the games stay like Game 1, we're happy." Shane Battier said, "We've just got to make him (Kobe) take a lot of shots, make him work and try to limit the offense of the other guys. He's so great, you've got to give him different looks."

The Under is 8-3 in the Rockets' last 11 games as a road underdog.

Key Injuries - C Yao Ming (knee) is PROBABLE.
G Tracy McGrady (knee) is OUT for the season.

PROJECTED SCORE: 89

Lakers (-9.5, O/U 192.5): "The next game is extremely critical," Kobe Bryant said. "Everybody is a little edgy, pretty energetic and excited about it." Andrew Bynum says he's only 90% as he recovers from a torn MCL. His ability to pivot and jump explosively is missing, and he needs those skills to defend Yao Ming, who had 28 points and 10 rebounds in Game 1. "Yao will catch it and throw it back out and reposition in a better position," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "Drew has a tendency to just stand behind and play defense because of his size. That doesn't work against Yao. Defense and rebounding are the focus we really want to have."

The Under is 13-3 in LA's last 16 games off a loss.
The Lakers are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 playoff games as a favorite.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 103 (Side Play of the Day)

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**pm530** · 05-06-2009, 11:33 AM

NBA

Wednesday, May 6

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Pick ‘n’ Roll: NBA best bets
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Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics (-4, 188)

The Celtics fell behind by 28 points and lost Game 1 and the home-court advantage in their series with the Magic. But after the game you couldn’t help but think the C’s had more reason to be happy with the outcome.

Boston carved into the big lead and had a chance to go ahead late in the game. The defending champs clawed back with Ray Allen (nine points) contributing next to nothing offensively.

Orlando collected just 17 points in the fourth quarter and was outscored 54-41 in the second half.

“You guys get into, ‘Oh, what a great comeback.’ How about the fact we were up by 28? We play these games to win, and that’s it. We won,” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters afterwards. Right now, the series is 1-nothing.”

Yes Stan, but bettors have to be concerned that your club lacks a closer and your best player only scored 16 points with no-name big men guarding him.

Boston backers have to feel good about the Game 1 performance of late-season pickup Stephon Marbury. The former All-Star point guard scored eight quick points to go along with three assists before things got ugly in the second quarter.

Marbury, who seemed hesitant to shoot since arriving in Beantown, knocked down a long jumper and finished a two teardrop runners in the paint.

Expect the scrappy Celtics to even things up in Game 2.

Pick: Celtics

Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers (-9.5, 192.5)

It’s safe to say the Lakers underestimated their second round opponents. It wasn’t the oddsmakers, who set the Game 1 line at Houston +9, and bettors who prematurely wrote off the Rockets.

“It’s a series now,” Laker shooting guard Sasha Vujacic said after losing Game 1, 100-92. “We have to come out Wednesday and show everyone what we are playing for.”

It seems Vujacic didn’t think the Rockets were going to present much of a challenge.

Houston coach Rick Adelman prepared a masterful game plan and Yao Ming was aggressive with the ball in his hands.

Lakers star Kobe Bryant can’t get baited into a one-on-one battle with the Rocket perimeter defenders. Bryant must work harder at creating scoring chances for Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.

He’s not helping his teammates by hoisting contested jump shots all night long.

“We’ll be fine,” Bryant told the Los Angeles Times afterwards. “Derek (Fisher) and I have been in this situation before, losing Game 1… it will be interesting to see how we progress.”

Los Angeles will win Game 2, but look for the Rockets to cover the number again.

Pick: Rockets

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**pm530** · 05-06-2009, 11:34 AM

NHL
Dunkel Index

Boston at Carolina
The Hurricanes are coming off a 3-0 win in Boston and look to build on their 9-2 record in their last 11 games after allowing 2 or fewer goals in the previous game. Carolina is the pick (+100) according to Dunkel, which has the Hurricanes favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Carolina (+100). Here are all of today's playoff picks.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6

Game 21-22: Washington at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 12.610; Pittsburgh 12.544
Dunkel Line & Total: Washington by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Pittsburgh (-180); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+160); Over

Game 23-24: Boston at Carolina
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 11.860; Carolina 12.790
Dunkel Line & Total: Carolina by 1; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Boston (-120); 5
Dunkel Pick: Carolina (+100); Under

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**pm530** · 05-06-2009, 11:35 AM

NHL
Long Sheet

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Wednesday, May 6
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WASHINGTON (56-27-0-8, 120 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (49-32-0-9, 107 pts.) - 5/6/2009, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 32-11 ATS (+18.4 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 71-46 ATS (-2.5 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 28-9 ATS (+18.7 Units) in home games revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 41-27 ATS (+13.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 6-1 ATS (+7.4 Units) in road games when leading in a playoff series since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 25-14 ATS (+7.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 8-6 (+1.9 Units) against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 8-6-0 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
9 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+4.6 Units)
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BOSTON (58-19-0-11, 127 pts.) at CAROLINA (50-33-0-8, 108 pts.) - 5/6/2009, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 1-7 ATS (-8.4 Units) when tied in a playoff series since 1996.
CAROLINA is 50-41 ATS (-11.7 Units) in all games this season.
CAROLINA is 32-21 ATS (+1.1 Units) second half of the season this season.
CAROLINA is 23-19 ATS (+0.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CAROLINA is 16-9 ATS (+26.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
BOSTON is 58-30 ATS (+7.4 Units) in all games this season.
CAROLINA is 0-5 ATS (-6.5 Units) in home games after shutting out their opponent in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
CAROLINA is 26-36 ATS (-27.8 Units) in home games after playing 3 consecutive road games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
CAROLINA is 7-7-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.6 Units)

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**pm530** · 05-06-2009, 11:35 AM

NHL
Short Sheet

Wednesday, May 6th

Eastern Conference Playoffs - Semifinals
Game Three
Washington Leads, 2-0
Washington at Pittsburgh, 7:05 ET

Washington:
10-3 SU AWAY after BB home games
6-1 SU AWAY when leading in a playoff series

Pittsburgh:
1-3 SU off BB road losses by 1 goal
3-6 SU when trailing in a playoff series

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Eastern Conference Playoffs - Semifinals
Game Three
Series Tied, 1-1
Boston at Carolina, 7:35 ET

Boston:
28-14 SU Away off Away loss
10-3 Under Away revenging loss by 2+ goals

Carolina:
20-3 SU off BB wins by 2+ goals
41-16 SU off a win

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**pm530** · 05-06-2009, 11:36 AM

NHL
Write-up

Wednesday, May 6

NHL Playoffs

Pittsburgh lost five of six to Washington this year, after being 10-2 in last three years against the Caps; Penguins were 2-5 on power play in Game 2, after being 0-17 before that, but Caps won, 4-3. Washington is 5-0 in last five games- they got outshot 36-26 in Game 1, 36-33 in Game 2-- both games in this series were tied after two periods, so Washington has controlled third period. Over is 7-1-1 in last nine series games.

Bruins lost for first time in playoffs in Game 2, as Ward stopped all 34 shots he faced in 3-0 win; Boston outshot Hurricanes 28-12 in last two periods but never lit the lamp. Carolina was 2-1 at home against Devils in first round; Bruins won both their road games at Montreal. Teams are combined 0-9 on power play in series, with Boston getting seven of the nine chances with man advantage.

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Announcement

Wednesday Trends and Indexes 5/6 (NBA, NHL, MLB, Misc.)

Wednesday Trends and Indexes 5/6 (NBA, NHL, MLB, Misc.)

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