Tuesday Trends and Indexes 5/19 (NBA, NHL, MLB, Misc.)

[pm530]

MLB


Tuesday, May 19

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Trend Sheet
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7:05 PM
BALTIMORE vs. NY YANKEES
Baltimore is 3-11 SU in its last 14 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Baltimore's last 16 games on the road
NY Yankees are 10-3 SU in their last 13 games when playing Baltimore
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 6 games when playing Baltimore

7:05 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 7 games when playing Washington
Pittsburgh is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Washington is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 5 games

7:05 PM
TEXAS vs. DETROIT
Texas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Texas's last 6 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Detroit's last 10 games at home

7:08 PM
OAKLAND vs. TAMPA BAY
Oakland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oakland's last 5 games
Tampa Bay is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games when playing Oakland
Tampa Bay is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Oakland

7:10 PM
ARIZONA vs. FLORIDA
Arizona is 1-4-1 SU in its last 6 games
Arizona is 2-5-1 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Florida is 5-1-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Arizona
Florida is 7-2-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing Arizona

7:10 PM
COLORADO vs. ATLANTA
Colorado is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Colorado's last 7 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games at home
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Colorado

7:10 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. CINCINNATI
Philadelphia is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cincinnati
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 5 games at home

7:10 PM
TORONTO vs. BOSTON
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Toronto's last 20 games on the road
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Boston is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games at home
Boston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

8:00 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. HOUSTON
Milwaukee is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
Milwaukee is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Houston
Houston is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games

8:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. KANSAS CITY
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
Cleveland is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games
Kansas City is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas City's last 6 games when playing Cleveland

8:11 PM
MINNESOTA vs. CHI WHITE SOX
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Minnesota's last 15 games when playing Chi White Sox
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing Chi White Sox
Chi White Sox are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 5 games at home

8:15 PM
CHI CUBS vs. ST. LOUIS
Chi Cubs are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of St. Louis's last 7 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs

10:05 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. SAN DIEGO
San Francisco is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games when playing San Diego
The total has gone OVER in 9 of San Francisco's last 10 games when playing San Diego
San Diego is 6-16 SU in its last 22 games
San Diego is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

10:10 PM
LA ANGELS vs. SEATTLE
LA Angels are 9-3 SU in their last 12 games when playing on the road against Seattle
LA Angels are 10-5 SU in their last 15 games
Seattle is 7-17 SU in their last 24 games when playing LA Angels
Seattle is 3-9 SU in their last 12 games when playing at home against LA Angels

10:10 PM
NY METS vs. LA DODGERS
NY Mets are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
NY Mets are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Dodgers
LA Dodgers are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games
LA Dodgers are 15-3 SU in their last 18 games at home

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[pm530]

MLB


Tuesday, May 19

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Tips and Trends
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Toronto Blue Jays at Boston Red Sox [7:05 PM ET]

Blue Jays: Toronto is 12-5 this month and has benefited from playing 12 of 17 May games at home, but will get a test during a nine-game road trip. The Blue Jays have scored a major league-leading 234 runs and hit an AL-best .289. Since a disastrous outing April 29 in Kansas City when he allowed 10 runs in four innings, left-hander Brian Tallet has gone 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA in three starts. Tallet won his only start against Boston with six scoreless innings in a 7-1 victory for Cleveland on Sept. 16, 2002. He's since made 15 relief appearances versus the Red Sox, going 0-1 with a 5.87 ERA.

The Over is 10-3 in the Blue Jays' last 13 games as a road underdog.
The Over is 14-6 in the Blue Jays' last 20 road games.

Key Injuries - C Rod Barajas (calf) is QUESTIONABLE.

PROJECTED SCORE: 4

Red Sox (-145, O/U 9.5): Boston has batted .308 while going 13-4 at Fenway, compared to .248 while posting a 9-12 mark on the road. Tim Wakefield (4-2, 4.03 ERA) has won both of his home starts this season with a 2.08 ERA. Wakefield is 9-4 with a 3.11 ERA in his last 14 starts vs. the Jays, and 16-11 with a 3.76 ERA in 48 career games against them. He threw 8 innings in a 7-0 victory in his last matchup with Toronto on 9/12/08. David Ortiz is expected to be back in the lineup. Ortiz, batting .208 with no homers, was 12 for 67 (.179) last season against Toronto. He batted .250 vs. the Jays at Fenway, where Boston won 5 of 9 matchups.

The Under is 13-3-2 in Wakefield's last 18 starts vs. the Blue Jays.
The Over is 8-1-1 in Wakefield's last 10 starts overall.

Key Injuries - 1B Kevin Youkilis (oblique) is on the 15-day DL.
SS Julio Lugo (hip flexor) is PROBABLE.

PROJECTED SCORE: 6 (Side Play of the Day)

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[pm530]

MLB


Tuesday, May 19

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Hot lines: Today’s best MLB bets
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Cleveland Indians at Kansas City Royals (+120, 8.5)

Brian Bannister didn't make the Kansas City Royals' roster out of spring training, but got an opportunity to return to the majors in late April against the Cleveland Indians.

The right-hander has since proved that he deserved to be in the rotation all along.

Facing the Indians for the first time since that April start Tuesday night, Bannister will try to help the Royals (20-18) continue their improved play in the opener of a three-game home series.

After going 12-9 with a 3.87 ERA in 2007, Bannister went 9-16 with a career-worst 5.76 ERA last year. He began this season in Triple-A Omaha, but reliever Doug Waechter's injury and starter Horacio Ramirez's ineffectiveness opened the door for Bannister to re-establish himself April 22 in Cleveland.

Bannister (3-1, 1.80 ERA) tossed six innings and gave up four hits and two walks in a 2-0 victory, a performance that was a sign of things to come. He's allowed three earned runs or fewer in each of his five outings, and only exited after 5 2-3 innings Wednesday night because of shoulder stiffness.

Bannister gave up two runs in a 7-2 loss at Oakland.

If Cleveland can give Cliff Lee enough runs, the left-hander might win consecutive starts for the first time this season. Lee (2-5, 3.00) has gotten 14 runs of support in his two victories but only two in his other six outings.

"I feel like I've given the team a chance to win basically every time I've pitched," Lee said. "We haven't gotten those wins, but I feel like I'm doing my job and doing what I can to help the team win."

He allowed two runs over eight innings in matching up with Bannister on April 22, and threw seven innings in Wednesday night's 4-0 win over Chicago.

Lee seeks his fourth straight victory in Kansas City after going 5-0 with a 2.63 ERA against the Royals last season, when he won the AL Cy Young award.

Pick: Under


San Francisco Giants at San Diego Padres (-140, 7.5)

The San Diego Padres seek their fourth straight win overall and their fifth in a row at home Tuesday night as they open a three-game series against the NL West rival San Francisco Giants.

The home team has won the first five meetings between these teams this season - a pattern reflective of the Padres' overall performance. San Diego (16-22) has dropped its last 11 road games to fall to a major-league worst 5-16 away from home. Following a winless six-game road trip, the Padres opened their current nine-game homestand with a three-game sweep of Cincinnati to improve to 11-6 at Petco Park.

It was the first sweep for San Diego since taking three games against the visiting Giants from April 10-12.Kevin Kouzmanoff matched a season high with three hits and hit his second homer of the season Sunday as the Padres finished off their sweep of the Reds with a 3-1 win. Jake Peavy pitched a complete game to give the bullpen some much-needed rest after Saturday night, when San Diego won 6-5 in 16 innings.

Chris Young (2-2, 5.56 ERA) will try to follow up Peavy's effort and bounce back from a 6-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday, when he gave up six runs and a career-high four homers in four innings.

Young has thrived at Petco this season, going 2-0 with a 2.37 ERA in three starts. The right-hander has not given up an earned run in two seven-inning outings against the Giants in 2009. The last time he faced the Giants - April 22 in San Francisco - Young yielded two hits and four walks over seven scoreless innings, but the Padres fell 1-0 in 10 innings.

Tuesday's Giants starter, Barry Zito (1-3, 3.89), was perhaps even better in that matchup. The left-hander also pitched seven innings while scattering six hits. He let just one runner past second base and did not walk a batter.

Zito gave up 10 runs while losing his first two starts - including a 7-3 loss to the Padres on April 10 - but has a 2.20 ERA over his last five. He has only one win to show for it, though, as the Giants (19-18) are giving him a major-league worst 1.94 average runs of support.

Pick: Giants

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[pm530]

MLB


Tuesday, May 19

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Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
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Streaking

Josh Johnson, Florida Marlins

The Diamondbacks will likely be in for a challenge against Florida's Josh Johnson (3-0, 2.50 ERA), who is coming off his shortest outing of 2009.

Johnson allowed three runs - two earned - and three hits while walking five in four innings of a 5-3 loss at Milwaukee on Thursday.

The right-hander said his shoulder area felt tired prompting manager Fredi Gonzalez to remove him as a precaution. Last season, Johnson went 7-1 with a 3.61 ERA in 14 starts after missing the first three months while recovering from elbow surgery.

"Maybe it was just one of those days," said Johnson, who is 5-0 with a 2.98 ERA in his last 10 home starts since losing there on June 29, 2007. "I just have to go back out there and do what I've been doing."

Johnson makes his second career start against Arizona after giving up two hits in seven scoreless innings of a 4-1 win on Aug. 11, 2006.

The under has also cashed in three of the right-hander's last four outings.

Mark Buehrle, Chicago White Sox

Mark Buehrle (5-1, 3.00 ERA) will take the mound for the White Sox after he allowed a season-high four runs and seven hits over seven innings of a 4-0 loss to Cleveland last Wednesday.

The left-hander is 22-13 with a 3.79 ERA against the Twins, including 12-6 at home. He faced Minnesota on April 12, allowing one run and two hits over 6 1-3 innings of a 6-1 victory.

While the White Sox are off to a disappointing start to the 2009 season, their luck has been much better with Buehrle on the bump. Chicago is 6-1 with the ball in the southpaw's hand with the under cashing in five of those seven games.

Johnny Cueto, Cincinnati Reds

An old-fashioned pitchers' duel could result today with the Phillies Cole Hamels squaring off against Cueto (4-1, 1.93). The 23-year-old right-hander has delivered five quality starts in a row, going 4-0 with a 1.25 ERA.

His least effective outing in that stretch came Wednesday, when he allowed three runs and four hits over seven innings in Arizona. He still got credit for a 10-3 win, though, and other than allowing two homers manager Dusty Baker described Cueto as "masterful."

"I'm very happy," Cueto told the Reds' official Web site through an interpreter. "The same time I'm pitching well, the team is coming out and scoring runs and making some plays on defense."

Cueto has never faced the Phillies, and his first experience against Philadelphia may not be coming at the best time. The Phillies won all four games in Washington over the weekend, totaling 33 runs.


Slumping

Jon Garland, Arizona Diamondbacks

Garland (3-2, 5.18) matched his shortest outing of the season after allowing seven runs and 10 hits in 3 2-3 innings of a 13-5 loss to Cincinnati on May 11. He also gave up seven runs in 3 2-3 innings of a 12-7 loss to St. Louis on April 15.

"Everything was at the belt," Garland told the Diamondbacks' official Web site. "If you continue to throw pitches there, you're going to get hurt."

The right-hander is 0-1 with a 3.29 ERA in two starts against the Marlins. Opponents are hitting .353 off the former 18-game winner and he's issued just as many walks (16) as strikeouts in 41 2-3 innings pitched this season.

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[pm530]

MLB
Baseball Today


SCOREBOARD

Tuesday, May 19

Toronto at Boston (7:10 p.m. EDT). Red Sox slugger David Ortiz is expected to return to the lineup after sitting out the team's weekend series at Seattle. Big Papi is hitting just .208 with no homers in 158 plate appearances this season.

STARS

Monday

-Mark Teixeira, Yankees, homered from both sides of the plate and New York extended its winning streak to a season-high six by finishing a four-game sweep of Minnesota with a 7-6 victory.

-Mat Gamel, Brewers, hit a three-run homer in his first career start as Milwaukee won its sixth straight, completing a three-game sweep with an 8-4 victory at St. Louis.

-Jason Bartlett, Rays, had a career-high five RBIs, going 3 for 3 with a walk to raise his batting average to .384 in a 13-4 rout of Oakland.

-Jason Marquis, Rockies, allowed one run and five hits in eight innings, outpitching Derek Lowe for a 5-1 victory at Atlanta.

-Torii Hunter and Kendry Morales, Angels. Hunter hit a three-run double and Morales homered twice, rallying Los Angeles to a 10-6 victory at Seattle.

NEW SCHEDULE

Following record-low ratings for last year's World Series between Philadelphia and Tampa Bay, Major League Baseball and Fox are moving up the start times this year. Weeknight games in the World Series and AL championship series will begin at 7:57 p.m. EDT, more than a half-hour before last year's first-pitch times, Fox said.

KEY INJURIES

Milwaukee second baseman Rickie Weeks will miss the rest of the season because of a tear in his left wrist, a severe setback for the NL Central leaders. ... Mets slugger Carlos Delgado was scheduled for arthroscopic surgery Tuesday on his right hip, and there was no immediate word on when he might return to the lineup. ... Twins pitcher Glen Perkins was slated for an MRI on Tuesday. The team said it will put him on the disabled list with left elbow inflammation.

POWER COMPANY

Jim Thome hit his 548th home run, tying Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt for 13th on the career list. Thome's two-run shot pulled the Chicago White Sox even at 2 in the eighth inning against Toronto, but the Blue Jays rallied against Octavio Dotel to win 3-2.

PITCHING HELP, PLEASE

The Oakland Athletics have been outscored 47-13 during a four-game losing streak in which their starting pitchers have yielded 31 runs (23 earned) in 13 innings.

EMPTY SEATS

Colorado beat Atlanta 5-1 in front of 15,364, the smallest paid crowd at Turner Field since the stadium opened in 1997. The Braves dropped to 6-11 at home this season.

MEET THE MESS

Errors by Gold Glove center fielder Carlos Beltran and fill-in first baseman Jeremy Reed in the 11th inning cost the Mets, moments after they had the go-ahead run taken away on an appeal play after Ryan Church missed third base. New York committed a total of five errors in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 3-2 victory.

BACK AGAIN

John Lackey made his second start in three days and earned his first victory of the year. The Los Angeles Angels ace returned from a strained forearm Saturday for his season debut only to get ejected after two pitches for throwing behind and then hitting Texas' Ian Kinsler. Lackey went five innings Monday night and allowed five runs - four earned - as the Angels ended a three-game skid with a 10-6 win at Seattle.

TROUBLE UP NORTH

Alex Rios hit a go-ahead triple in the eighth inning and the Blue Jays completed a four-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox with a 3-2 victory. The White Sox lost their season-high fifth straight and have dropped 10 in a row at Toronto.

HOMER HAPPY

At least one home run has been hit in every game this season at Yankee Stadium, Detroit's Comerica Park and Tampa Bay's Tropicana Field. ... Alex Rodriguez homered for the third straight game in the Yankees' 7-6 victory over Minnesota.

CAPITAL COLLAPSE

Washington made four errors - all on routine plays - and the bullpen blew another lead in a 12-7 loss to Pittsburgh, which won its third straight and ended an eight-game road losing streak. The Nationals have lost five straight despite scoring at least five runs in every game. They entered with 37 errors, five more than any team in the majors.

STATS

Minnesota was 4 for 38 with runners in scoring position during the New York Yankees' four-game sweep, which included three one-run victories and a 6-4 win in 11 innings. ... Milwaukee's Jason Kendall became the eighth full-time catcher to reach 2,000 hits. ... Washington leadoff hitter Cristian Guzman drew his first walk of the season in his 122nd plate appearance. He had two hits in a 12-7 loss to Pittsburgh, raising his average to .385. ... Mark Teixeira is batting .342 with five homers and 14 RBIs since Alex Rodriguez returned to the Yankees' lineup on May 8. ... Ryan Zimmerman homered for the Nationals, extending his streak of reaching base safely to 36 games.

SPEAKING

"I can't wait to get out of here. Not just the stadium, but the whole city.'' - Minnesota outfielder Denard Span after the New York Yankees completed a four-game sweep, dropping the Twins to 3-23 in the Bronx during the regular season since the start of 2002.

SEASONS

May 19

1910 - Cy Young won the 500th game of his career as the Cleveland Indians beat the Washington Senators, 5-4, in 11 innings.

1910 - Boston beat the Pirates 6-3 for the first time in 26 tries.

1942 - Paul Waner of the Boston Braves got his 3,000th career hit off Pittsburgh's Rip Sewell in a 7-6, 11-inning loss to the Pirates.

1956 - Pittsburgh's Dale Long hit a ninth-inning homer against the Chicago Cubs. It was Long's first of eight straight games with a homer.

1962 - Stan Musial of St. Louis became the NL career hits leader. The 41-year-old got a ninth inning single for his 3,431st hit and moved past Honus Wagner. The Cardinals beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 8-1.

1968 - After hitting 10 home runs in six games, Frank Howard of the Washington Senators was stopped by pitcher Earl Wilson of Detroit, which won the game 5-4.

1981 - Pittsburgh's Jim Bibby gave up a leadoff single to Terry Harper of the Atlanta Braves, then retired the next 27 batters for a 5-0 one-hitter. Bibby also hit two doubles.

1998 - Mark McGwire hit three two-run homers against Philadelphia. It was the second time in the season and fourth time in his career McGwire hit three homers in a game. McGwire became the 12th player to have two three-homer games in a season.

2000 - Jason Kendall hit for the cycle and drove in a career-high five runs, leading Pittsburgh to a 13-1 rout of St. Louis. Kendall had a two-run homer in the first inning, an RBI single in the second, a double in the third and a two-run triple in the eighth.

2004 - Atlanta's 45-year-old Julio Franco broke his own record as the oldest player to hit a pinch-hit homer. Franco, who had a pinch-hit homer two weeks earlier against San Diego, hit a two-out, two-run homer to tie the game at 4 in the eighth. The Braves lost 6-4 in 11 innings to the Diamondbacks.

2008 - Boston's Jon Lester shut down Kansas City 7-0 for the first no-hitter in the majors that season. The 24-year-old lefty, who survived cancer to pitch the World Series clincher for the Red Sox the previous fall, allowed two baserunners, walking Billy Butler in the second inning and Esteban German to open the ninth.

Today's birthday: Brandon Inge 32.

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[pm530]

NHL
Dunkel Index


Chicago at Detroit

The Red Wings look to go up 2-0 in the series and build on their 8-2 record in their last 10 postseason games as a favorite between -150 and -200. Detroit is the pick (-200) according to Dunkel, which has the Red Wings favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-200). Here are all of today's playoff picks.

TUESDAY, MAY 19

Game 5-6: Chicago at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 11.960; Detroit 13.690
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit (-200); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-200); Over

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[pm530]

NHL
Long Sheet


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Tuesday, May 19
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CHICAGO (54-30-0-11, 119 pts.) at DETROIT (60-23-0-11, 131 pts.) - 5/19/2009, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 10-15 ATS (-10.8 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
DETROIT is 46-11 ATS (+21.0 Units) in home games after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 18-2 ATS (+12.7 Units) in home games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
CHICAGO is 105-109 ATS (+248.4 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.
CHICAGO is 49-42 ATS (+105.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 71-71 ATS (-68.5 Units) on Tuesday nights since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 15-8-0 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
11 of 19 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.9 Units)

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[pm530]

NHL
Short Sheet


Tuesday, May 19th

Western Conference Finals
Game Two
Detroit Leads, 1-0
Chicago at Detroit, 7:35 ET

Chicago:
3-9 SU at Detroit
17-9 Under off BB Overs

Detroit:
23-2 SU at home off home win scoring 4+ goals
12-0 SU at home off home division win

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[pm530]

NHL
Write-up


Tuesday, May 19

NHL Playoffs

Detroit outshot Blackhawks 43-32 in 5-2 Game 1 win, 29-19 in the first two periods; they were 0-3 on power play (4:22), while Chicago scored on its only power play. Red Wings are 5-2 vs Chicago this year, winning three of four at home-- they're 6-1 at home in playoffs. Blackhawks are 3-4 on road in playoffs. Last three Chicago games went over the total.

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[pm530]

NHL


Tuesday, May 19

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Trend Sheet
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7:30 PM
CHICAGO vs. DETROIT
Chicago is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Chicago's last 11 games
Detroit is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Chicago
Detroit is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Chicago

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[pm530]

NHL


Tuesday, May 19

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Ice Picks: NHL best bets
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Chicago Blackhawks at Detroit Red Wings (-200, 5.5)

Patrick Kane glanced at the scoresheet and noticed he was one of three Chicago Blackhawks held without a shot by the Detroit Red Wings after Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

"This isn't good," Kane recalled saying.No, that isn't what you're looking for if you play, coach or root for the Blackhawks.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Red Wings have been winning without getting goals from usually reliable scorers Pavel Datsyuk, Marian Hossa and Tomas Holmstrom.

Kane, though, acknowledged Chicago can't be successful if he's held without a point as he was in Detroit's 5-2 win Sunday.

"That's why I was brought in here as a draft pick," Kane, the first overall selection in 2007, said Monday. "I'm not out there to be blocking shots and fighting guys."

The reigning NHL Rookie of the Year scored eight goals over the first two rounds against Calgary and Vancouver, but quickly found out his crafty moves and soft hands can be negated by Detroit.

Kane was held without a shot after getting blanked in the column just three times during the regular season, including once last month against the Red Wings.

When Kane has the puck, he has to deal with six-time Norris Trophy winning defenseman Nick Lidstrom in his face and a slew of backchecking forwards.

"Every time I got the puck, it seemed like two or three guys were collapsing on me," Kane said.

Jonathan Toews knows the feeling.

The Blackhawks' other young star also discovered playing the Flames or Canucks isn't quite like facing Detroit as he was held to three shots and no points in the series opener.

"It's a different game now," said Toews, who contributed a combined 10 points in the first two rounds. "Everything is a little tighter.

"We didn't play well enough against their best players. But we can play looser because it's not going to get worse than that."

Actually, it might.

When Detroit wants to shut down a star or two, it usually can.

During the Stanley Cup finals last year, Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby was held without a point in the first two games of the series and scored in just one of the six games while teammate Evgeni Malkin went four games without a point and scored only in the finale.

Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg was named MVP of the playoffs in part for his play at the defensive end against the Penguins.

His best play might've been when he clamped down on Crosby's stick near the net, denying him during a Pittsburgh 5-on-3 power play to seal one of Detroit's victories.

"Scoring goals is probably is a little bit more fun," Zetterberg said. "But the chance to play against good players and keep them from scoring is fun, too."

Zetterberg insisted he didn't know Kane had as many shots as the fans in the stands Sunday, but said the fact was misleading.

"I thought he was dangerous a few times," Zetterberg said. "When you give him time and space, he will create something out of nothing. I don't think he played as bad as everyone says."

The Red Wings are saying much of the same about Datsyuk, Hossa and Holmstrom.

Datsyuk, an MVP finalist, hasn't scored in the last 10 games of the playoffs. Hossa, who had a team-high 40 goals in the regular season, has scored in just two of 12 games this postseason. Holmstrom hasn't contributed a point in the eight games since he had two goals and two assists in the first-round sweep against Columbus.

"As long as we're winning," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said, "I'm not concerned."

Detroit has rarely had to worry about its top stars carrying the team because of its depth as Chicago coach Joel Quenneville has seen up close four times in the playoffs since 1997.

The Red Wings have eliminated Quenneville-coached teams in each of their last four championship seasons, sending him home three times when he led St. Louis and last year as he led Colorado.

Quenneville said the salary cap created after the lockout did nothing to diminish Detroit's ability to get scoring from all four lines.

"There hasn't been any drop-off over the different teams they've had," Quenneville said. "Not too many teams in the league have as many guys that can make plays.

"That's a compliment to the organization. But at the same time I'm not dishing out compliments here, we want to beat them."

Pick: Over

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[pm530]

NBA - - Additonal

NBA


Tuesday, May 19

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Game of the Day: Denver Nuggets at L.A. Lakers
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Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Lakers (-6.5, 215)

Season series

The Lakers took three of four in the regular season, covering in two of those (both in at home). The most recent meeting was in the second last week of the season, a 14-point Laker home victory. The game marked Andrew Bynum’s return from knee surgery and it snapped Denver’s season-high win streak at eight.

Denver was just 21-20 on the road during the regular season (same record ATS), which is at least six fewer wins than any of the NBA’s other remaining final four.

The Nuggets lone win in the series came Feb. 27 at home, which ended a nine-game losing streak to Los Angeles. The Lakers shot just 29.8 percent from the field that February night, the second-worst performance for the team since it moved to the West Coast. Coach Phil Jackson called it a “garbage” game and he may have had a good case. The Lakers didn’t arrive in Denver until 4 a.m. on the day of that contest.

Kobe Bryant averaged 31 points in the four games against Denver. He surpassed that average against only four teams this season. Pau Gasol averaged 18.3 points and 12.3 rebounds vs. the Nuggets. Denver star Carmelo Anthony averaged just 14.5 points (his lowest average against any team) on 32.8 percent shooting against L.A.

Denver and L.A. also met in the first round of the playoffs last season, a Laker sweep.

2009 postseason

Kobe summed up the Lakers’ uneven playoff effort against undermanned Houston perfectly with two words: "We're bipolar."

After going 4-0 against Houston in the regular season, the Lakers were surprisingly stretched to seven games by the Rockets. They will have had just one day off before starting this series, while Denver finished off Dallas on May 13.

"Our preparation time's going to be limited,” Jackson said to reporters. “We may have to go just on emotion and gut level perhaps for the first game, but we want to hold home court that first night."

Denver, in the West finals for the first time since 1985, has lost just twice in these playoffs and is a stunning 10-0 ATS. The Nuggets have won 16 in a row at home, including six in the playoffs. But boy do they hate Staples Center, going 2-17 in the regular season against the building’s good NBA tenant and losing both games in last year’s playoffs.

Anthony has had a breakout postseason, averaging 27.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists. He's shooting 48 percent from the field and 44.7 percent from the 3-point line. In the eight games this season in which he had at least three days’ rest prior, he averaged better than 30 points per game. Melo said the thigh bruise he suffered in Game 5 against the Mavericks was “fine.”

Matchups

Chauncey Billups should have his way with Laker point guard Derek Fisher, who struggled to guard Houston’s Aaron Brooks and shot just 30.8 percent from the field. Dahntay Jones will get the first call defensively on Kobe after coach George Karl said he doesn’t want J.R. Smith to guard Bryant despite a good effort in that one Denver win during the season. The Nugget bench is better than the Lakers’ reserve unit.

The X-factor in the series is Los Angeles center Andrew Bynum. He has been struggling this postseason, and now he will see Nene, Kenyon Martin and Chris Andersen. If the Bynum, who went scoreless in Game 6 of the Houston series and was pretty much invisible in the first round against the Jazz, doesn’t show up then the Lakers are in trouble. But if the player who had 14 points (6-for-7 from the field), six rebounds and two blocks in Game 7 against the Rockets shows up, then L.A. is in good shape.

“We need that from him consistently,” Gasol said of Bynum’s Game 7. “We're going to need that in the next series against a front lineup that is going to be a lot bigger than Houston's."

This and that

The Lakers got to the free-throw line an incredible 145 times in the four games against Denver in the regular season.

Karl never has won with the Nuggets on the road against the Lakers. The team’s 2007 win in L.A. came when Karl was away from the team for a family matter.

“Birdman” Andersen is now 100 percent recovered from the food poisoning that kept him out of Game 4 of the Mavs series and weakened him for Game 5.

The under is 9-4 in the last 13 meetings in Los Angeles and 6-1 in the past seven meetings overall.

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