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  • Monday Trends and Indexes 5/3 (NBA, NHL, MLB, Misc.)

    Trends and Indexes

    Monday, May 3

    Good Luck on day #123 of 2010!

    At this time, the sports menu in this thread consists of the NBA, NHL and MLB until their seasons are played out. Also, general sports news and notes will be posted.

    NOTE:
    As information becomes available, we will attempt to post the trends and indexes as soon as possible.
    Information is posted from what we believe are reliable sources.
    Any opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the posting member or BettorsChat.


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    Matchup Links

    NBA Matchups

    NBA Hot and Not

    NBA Injuries

    NHL Matchups

    NHL Hot and Not

    MLB Matchups

    MLB Previews

    MLB Hot or Not

    MLB Umpires

    MLB Trends

    MLB Weather

    NASCAR Schedules

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  • #2
    Daily Sports Roundup: May 3

    Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Bruins take on the Flyers, while the Suns plays host to the Spurs, and the Celtics try to rebound versus the Cavaliers.

    Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

    There are two games on the NBA's playoff schedule for Monday, with Boston at Cleveland and San Antonio at Phoenix. The Cavaliers came back from a halftime deficit to grab a 101-93 Game 1 win over the Celtics on Saturday afternoon. LeBron James led the way for Cleveland with 35 points in that contest, while Rajon Rondo picked up 27 points and 12 assists in a losing cause for Boston. The Spurs and Suns will be getting their Western Conference semifinal set underway on Monday; San Antonio knocked out the Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs, while Phoenix is coming off a first-round victory over the Blazers.

    Meeting up on the diamond . . .

    The American League schedule has six games for Monday: Toronto at Cleveland, the Angels at Boston, Kansas City at the White Sox, Detroit at Minnesota, Texas at Oakland, and Baltimore at the Yankees. The Orioles will send Jeremy Guthrie (0-3, 4.70 ERA) to the mound in that last contest as he searches for his first win of the season; righthander Guthrie gave up six earned runs over 4 2-3 innings in a loss to the Yankees last time out. New York will counter with CC Sabathia (3-1, 3.12 ERA); lefthander Sabathia beat the Orioles in his last trip to the mound, surrendering three earned runs in his 7 2-3 innings.

    Meanwhile, there are just four games on the National League's schedule for Monday, with St. Louis at Philadelphia, the Mets at Cincinnati, Arizona at Houston, and Colorado at San Diego. Ubaldo Jimenez (5-0, 0.79 ERA) will take on Kevin Correia (4-1, 3.86 ERA) in that Rockies/Padres matchup. Righthander Jimenez picked up his fifth straight win last time out, blanking the D-Backs on just two hits over six innings of work. Righthander Correia is coming off a win over the Marlins in his last trip to the mound, allowing four runs over his five innings.

    Taking a trip around the rink . . .

    Finally, there are two NHL playoff games on Monday night, with Philadelphia at Boston and Vancouver at Chicago. The Bruins got an overtime goal from Marc Savard on Saturday afternoon as they picked up a 5-4 win over the Flyers in Game 1 of that Eastern Conference semifinal series. Boston, though, lost forward Marco Sturm indefinitely to a knee injury. The Canucks opened their Western Conference semifinal series with a convincing 5-1 win over the Blackhawks on Saturday night. Roberto Luongo stopped 36 of 37 Chicago shots in that victory, while Antti Niemi was pulled for the Hawks after allowing five goals on 25 shots.

    Comment


    • #3
      Bettors' best friend: Monday's wagering tips

      Lines to keep an eye on

      The Suns opened as 4.5-point favorites over the Spurs but the spread has dropped to 4 at most books. The total climbed from 203 to 203.5.

      Weather to watch

      The forecast calls for a 60 percent chance of thunderstorms for the St. Louis Cardinals-Philadelphia Philles game.

      The Kansas City Royals-Chicago White Sox game faces a 30 percent chance of rain.

      Who's hot

      Suns are 15-5-1 ATS in their last 21 home games.

      Cavaliers are 5-1 SU in their last six.

      Bruins have won eight of their last 10.

      Who's not

      Celtics are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 Monday games.

      Flyers are 4-11 in their last 15 road games.

      Orioles are 6-22 in their last 28 vs. Yankees.

      Key stat

      45-0 - Phil Jackson's record in playoff series when his team wins Game 1, including 21-0 in L.A. The Lakers defeated Utah 104-99 in Sunday's Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinal.

      Injury that shouldn't be overlooked

      Phoenix Suns point guard and playmaker Steve Nash has not practiced since Thursday's series-clinching victory over the Trail Blazers, when he was ineffective with a strained hip. Nash and the Suns are saying he will be ready to go for Monday's semifinal series-opener against the Spurs but will he be 100 percent after an un-Nash-like performance in Game 6 and three days without practice? We're talking about practice.

      Game of the day

      San Antonio Spurs at Phoenix Suns

      Notable quotable

      "Been wanting to ask. Where should I go next season and why? Ok ... Let me rephrase the question. Should I stay or should I go?"

      Toronto All-Star forward Chris Bosh asked his 96,000 followers in two messages on his Twitter account. Bosh is considering opting out of the final year on his contract with the Raptors, leaving $17 million on the table to become a free agent.

      Tips and notes

      The King and Shaq get all the headlines, but the biggest advantage the Cavaliers have over the Celtics may be the relative no-names on the bench. In Saturday's victory over Boston in Game 1 the Cavs' bench played 74 minutes to only 41 for the Celtics. They outscored the Boston bench 26-12 and also won the rebounding battle 11-10. It might not seem like much, but the extra minutes and stats add up over the course of a series.

      The Texas Rangers had won four of their last five entering Sunday's game against the Seattle Mariners and the return of second baseman Ian Kinsler from the disabled list is a big reason why. Kinsler was moved from leadoff man to fifth in the batting order in hopes of improving the team's run production and the change is paying off. Kinsler was batting .375 with an on-base percentage of .500 since returning from an ankle injury.

      The Chicago White Sox got a scare over the weekend when a bomb was discovered in Times Square, just down the block from the team hotel. Manager Ozzie Guillen and several players were up at 2 a.m. watching the news and having flashbacks to Sept. 11, 2001, when they were the visiting team for the fall of the Twin Towers to terrorist attacks. The White Sox suffered a 12-3 loss to the Yankees and may still be shaken from the situation.

      Comment


      • #4
        Monday's six-pack

        -- 18-year old kid named Ryo Ishikawa shot 58 in the last round to win a pro tournament in Japan. He missed a 15-foot putt on the last hole. He's already won seven pro tournaments in Japan.

        -- Golfer Rickie Fowler was dressed in all orange Sunday, complete with orange Puma golf shoes. Very bright.

        -- Rory McIlroy made the cut on the number Friday, then went nuts over the weekend, shooting 6-under Saturday, 10-under Sunday to win going away at Quail Hollow. His 62 Sunday is the new course record.

        -- Julio Lugo plays for the Orioles, but he's getting more money from the Red Sox this season than he is from Baltimore.

        -- Kentucky Derby got its best TV ratings since 1992.


        ************************************


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

        13) Five years ago, Calvin Borel was an obscure journeyman jockey; now he's won three Kentucky Derbies in last four years, and his story is one of the most interesting in modern sports. Its amazing how he seems to be the only jockey who has the onions to ride the whole race on the rail. Am thinking next spring will be a good time to be Borel's agent.

        12) How do NFL rookies go to minicamp out of shape? Joe McKnight was puking at Jets' camp this weekend, not a great first impression.

        11) Difference between SEC football and Pac-10 ball; Oregon Ducks had 25,211 fans for their spring game Saturday and thats the school record for spring football. Oregon State drew 7,141, and they have a winning team. Alabama had 93,000+. In the Pac-10, football is fun; in SEC, its religion.

        10) Jamie Moyer has been teammates with three guys whose sons are in the major leagues now: Garry Matthews, Ron Davis, John Russell. 146 active players weren't born when Moyer made his major league debut.

        9) Wild game in the Eastern League Saturday night; New Hampshire had a 5-1 lead after eight innings, but Reading Phillies scored eight runs in top of the ninth to take a 9-5 lead. New Hampshire then scored five times in its half of ninth inning and won a very strange 10-9 game.

        Two teams played again Sunday and New Hampshire won 16-5, so can't be lot of pitching prospects on either one of those AA teams.

        8) Seven people didn't vote Lebron James for MVP; two people actually voted him third. Do those two people even follow the NBA? You can see someone voting Kobe over Lebron for MYP, but Lebron 3rd? Umm, no.

        7) Cavaliers were +23 with Mo Williams on court Saturday, which means they were -15 in the 8:20 he was off the floor. Interesting stat to track.

        6) Zach Greinke has a 2.27 RA in six starts, but no wins. Go figure.

        5) Supposedly, the Rutgers basketball job is down to either Mike Rice Jr the Robert Morris coach, or ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla.

        4) Ben Sheets allowed 17 runs in his last two starts; at first glance, looks like Oakland's $10M gamble for this season is pretty much a disaster.

        3) Big league pitchers throw 1st-pitch strikes to 58% of batters they face.

        2) Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez, one of the best pitchers in baseball, runs six miles the morning after he pitches, as part of his normal routine.

        1) I seriously wonder why umpires don't call more strikes; baseball is lot more fun to watch and play when the hitters swing the bat. Having every batter go to a 3-2 count makes for slower, less interesting baseball.

        Comment


        • #5
          NBA
          Long Sheet



          Monday, May 3

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

          SAN ANTONIO (54 - 34) at PHOENIX (58 - 30) - 5/3/2010, 10:35 PM
          Top Trends for this game.
          SAN ANTONIO is 13-26 ATS (-15.6 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
          PHOENIX is 51-35 ATS (+12.5 Units) in all games this season.
          PHOENIX is 35-23 ATS (+9.7 Units) as a favorite this season.
          PHOENIX is 26-16 ATS (+8.4 Units) in home games this season.
          PHOENIX is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) against Southwest division opponents this season.
          PHOENIX is 28-19 ATS (+7.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
          PHOENIX is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
          PHOENIX is 33-19 ATS (+12.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
          PHOENIX is 18-7 ATS (+10.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
          SAN ANTONIO is 240-194 ATS (+26.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

          Head-to-Head Series History
          PHOENIX is 9-6 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
          SAN ANTONIO is 9-7 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
          8 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

          BOSTON (54 - 34) at CLEVELAND (66 - 22) - 5/3/2010, 8:05 PM
          Top Trends for this game.
          BOSTON is 37-49 ATS (-16.9 Units) in all games this season.
          BOSTON is 16-28 ATS (-14.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
          CLEVELAND is 99-82 ATS (+8.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
          CLEVELAND is 85-67 ATS (+11.3 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
          CLEVELAND is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points over the last 2 seasons.
          CLEVELAND is 43-25 ATS (+15.5 Units) in all playoff games since 1996.
          CLEVELAND is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) in the second round of the playoffs over the last 3 seasons.

          Head-to-Head Series History
          CLEVELAND is 15-5 against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
          CLEVELAND is 10-10 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
          11 of 20 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

          Comment


          • #6
            NBA


            Monday, May 3

            ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Pick 'n' Roll: Today's best NBA bets
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            Boston Celtics at Cleveland Cavaliers (-6.5, 191.5)

            The key to the Cleveland's comeback in Game 1 was more than just MVP LeBron James taking over the game. It also was Cavs' ability to take Boston point guard Rajon Rondo out of it.

            The Celtics built a double-digit lead in the first half behind 19 points from Rondo, who was driving the lane and scoring and dishing at will against primary defender Mo Williams.

            The Cavs made a halftime switch, putting 6-foot-6 guard Anthony Parker as the primary defender on the 6-1 Rondo and providing more help in the paint.

            The taller, lankier Parker was able to stop Rondo's dribble penetration at the point of attack. He held Rondo to just nine points and one field goal in the second half.

            "That's what it takes. Whatever way (Rondo) goes, AP just beats him to the spot," the 6-8 Jamario Moon, who also took a turn guarding Rondo late in the game, told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "That's about all we can try to do."

            Expect the Cavs to do it again Monday night. The Celtics' offense flows through Rondo and Parker presents one heck of a clog.

            Pick: Cavs


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            Comment


            • #7
              NBA


              Monday, May 3

              ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Game of the day: Spurs at Suns
              ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

              San Antonio Spurs at Phoenix Suns (-4.5, 203.5)

              Two veteran squads tip off Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals Monday. The No. 7-seeded Spurs upset the Dallas Mavericks in six games in their opening series. The No. 3-seed Suns had some rough moments in their first-round series but knocked off the Trail Blazers.

              One-sided rivalry

              These two teams are no strangers to each other in the playoffs. The Spurs have eliminated the Suns four of the last five times Phoenix has reached the playoffs. And the year the Suns won, Tim Duncan missed the series due to injury.

              The Suns have home-court advantage and are the favorites in the series but history is clearly on the side of the Spurs.

              Injury report

              Suns guard Steve Nash has been fighting a sore hip. He will play but tends to get a bit more rest on the sidelines lately. Nash has done some shooting but has not practiced for the past two days and said the injury is worse now than when he originally injured it in Game 3 of the Blazers’ series.

              Suns center Robin Lopez is doubtful for Monday’s game. He did practice Saturday and said he feels better. Lopez has a bulging disk in his back. He vows to play in the series but don’t count on him until at least Game 3.

              Also, Spurs guard Malik Hairston missed the first series with an ankle injury and is questionable for Monday’s game. DeJuan Blair played in Game 6 of the last series after driving his car into a guardrail before the game.

              Season series

              The Suns won the season series 2-1, all high-scoring affairs. The two teams averaged 218 points in the game and each game went over the total. Amare Stoudemire averaged over 32 points and the Suns covered the spread all three games.

              The edge

              Every time you count the Spurs out, their savvy and grit seems to carry them.

              The Suns have watched Tim Duncan and Robert Horry bury 3-pointers at the buzzer. Even during the regular season, Roger Mason hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

              The Suns have also had Stoudemire and Boris Diaw suspended in crucial contests and injuries have cost them at other times. Nash couldn’t stop his nose from bleeding in another memorable contest.

              But, the Suns seem to have the better legs. They’ve got Grant Hill to slow down Manu Ginobili and Duncan has seen better days. They have to believe they can win this one.

              No donuts for Duncan

              For years, the Suns have tried to find a way to limit Duncan – with little or no success. Stoudemire’s guarded him. They brought in Kurt Thomas and even failed with the Shaq. Now, Robin Lopez is banged up.

              Duncan may be aging but he and his pick-and-roll are still a weapon. He averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds during the season. Jarron Collins will get his chance to slow him down this series.

              The X-factor

              Jason Richardson averaged 23.5 points in the playoff series against the Blazers. He scored 42 points to single-handedly win Game 3 and shot over 50 percent from 3-point range in the series. After toiling in Golden State and Charlotte for several years, Richardson seems to be poised to make a name for himself in the playoffs.

              Trend setting

              The Spurs are 4-1 ATS in their last five conference semifinal games but they are 1-6 ATS in their last seven playoff games as an underdog.

              The Suns are 8-2 ATS when a slight favorite up to 4.5 points. The line is currently -4.5.

              While these teams have gone over the total the last three times they’ve met, most of the figures point to the under in the contest. The Spurs have gone under the total six of the last seven games and the other was a push. The Suns have gone under the total four straight


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              Comment


              • #8
                NHL
                Long Sheet



                Monday, May 3

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                PHILADELPHIA (45-36-0-7, 97 pts.) at BOSTON (44-32-0-13, 101 pts.) - 5/3/2010, 7:05 PM
                Top Trends for this game.
                PHILADELPHIA is 16-23 ATS (-14.8 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
                BOSTON is 44-45 ATS (-27.3 Units) in all games this season.
                BOSTON is 10-14 ATS (-12.2 Units) in home games second half of the season this season.

                Head-to-Head Series History
                BOSTON is 8-5 (+2.1 Units) against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
                BOSTON is 8-5-0 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
                8 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.9 Units)

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                VANCOUVER (54-29-0-6, 114 pts.) at CHICAGO (56-25-0-8, 120 pts.) - 5/3/2010, 9:05 PM
                Top Trends for this game.
                CHICAGO is 248-285 ATS (+592.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
                VANCOUVER is 153-143 ATS (+307.1 Units) in road games second half of the season since 1996.
                VANCOUVER is 112-84 ATS (+200.2 Units) in road games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
                VANCOUVER is 51-36 ATS (+11.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

                Head-to-Head Series History
                VANCOUVER is 10-9 (+0.7 Units) against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
                VANCOUVER is 10-9-0 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
                9 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.4 Units)

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                Comment


                • #9
                  NHL


                  Monday, May 3

                  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Ice picks: Today's best NHL bets
                  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Philadelphia Flyers at Boston Bruins (-150, 5)

                  If there's a bright spot to all the injuries the Boston Bruins have dealt with this season it's that they have learned how to handle them better than most teams.

                  The loss of leading goal scorer Marco Sturm is a big concern in Beantown heading into Monday's Game 2, but the Bruins know how to close ranks when needed. They've been doing it all season.

                  "We've battled through that all season long," Boston's Daniel Paille told NHL.com. "It's something that we've grown accustomed to. I think we all know how to play with each other, regardless of who we're playing with."

                  Paille said he played left wing on all four lines during their Eastern Conference quarterfinal victory over the Buffalo Sabres. The hodgepodge shift duty has paid off in a sort of patchwork cohesion.

                  Boston's David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron saw increased playing time after Sturm left Friday's Game 1 with a season-ending knee injury.

                  Krejci scored a goal and Bergeron had a goal and an assist. And with Marc Savard working his way back into patchwork lineup, look for the Bruins to stay strong without Sturm.

                  Pick: Bruins


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                  Comment


                  • #10
                    NHL


                    Monday, May 3

                    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    What bettors need to know: Canucks at Blackhawks
                    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                    Vancouver Canucks at Chicago Blackhawks (-165, 6)

                    Vancouver leads series 1-0

                    Returning the favor


                    The Vancouver Canucks were fueled by revenge in their 5-1 flogging of the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal Saturday.

                    The Canucks got a bit of playback for the Blackhawks’ 4-2 series victory over Vancouver in the second round of last year’s playoffs. They jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first, followed by a three-goal middle frame.

                    Chicago snapped goaltender Roberto Luongo’s shutout two minutes into the third period but couldn’t claw any closer despite outshooting Vancouver 12-3 in the third.

                    “We’re a hungry group,” Mason Raymond told reporters following the win. “We remember how things went last year and we’ve got to keep pushing. It’s a great first win and we’ve got to build on top of that.”

                    The Canucks won the opening game against the Los Angeles Kings last round, but fell 3-2 in overtime in Game 2. Chicago lost its playoff opener to the Nashville Predators but rebounded with a 2-0 victory at home in Game 2.

                    The Blackhawks won last season’s series opener, 5-3, then dropped Game 2, 6-3, in GM Place.

                    Rounding into form

                    Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo seems to be finding his classic form after struggling in the second half of the season and early into the playoffs.

                    In the last three games, Luongo has allowed just five total goals on 95 combined shots. He faced 37 shots from Chicago in Game 1 Saturday, holding onto a shutout until early in the third period.

                    Last year, Luongo was embarrassed by the young Blackhawks. He gave up 21 total goals in the six games against Chicago, with 12 of those coming in the final three games of the series – all of which were losses.

                    However, despite that poor showing and the media attention surrounding his collapse heading into this series, Luongo insist he doesn’t consider his past performances against the Blackhawks when stepping between the pipes this year.

                    "Nothing, it doesn't mean nothing to me," Luongo told ESPN when asked what Saturday’s win meant to him. "It's only one game. We're here to win four games, we're not here to win one. There's no satisfaction for me personally or for this team."

                    Whether he cares or not, Luongo set the standard for the series - especially for Chicago goaltender Antti Niemi, who is considered the team’s weakest link. Niemi gave up five goals on 25 shots before getting the hook in the second intermission. Backup Cristobal Huet stepped in for the final frame, turning away all three shots faced.

                    While there is a buzz to replace the young puck-stopper with Huet for Game 2, Chicago’s dressing room is confident in Niemi.

                    "He's fine," coach Joel Quenneville told the Chicago Daily Herald. "We anticipate him moving forward and getting ready for the next game."

                    Niemi has allowed 12 total goals in his last three playoff games and owns a 2.68 GAA with two shutouts and a save percentage of .905 this postseason.

                    Sloppy start

                    The Blackhawks showed their youth in Game 1 Saturday, coughing up the puck numerous times on both ends of the ice and dragging their skates on defense.

                    That poor showing prompted a restless crowd at the United Center to pelt their beloved team with a chorus of boos in the third period.

                    "We didn't manage (the puck) well in all zones," Quenneville told reporters. "I thought the first three goals against us were all plays that technically or mentally we played very poorly."

                    Chicago has shown the ability to tighten up with the puck and bounce back from bad games this season. In the first round, the Blackhawks followed each of their two losses with shutout performances, winning 2-0 in Game 2 and 3-0 in Game 4.

                    Something special

                    The Canucks’ woes on the penalty kill in the opening round was such an issue, it actually became a running joke among coach Alain Vigneault and the media.

                    Vancouver has a measly 65.6 percent penalty kill efficiency this postseason and has given up 11 power-play goals – making up 59 percent of their total goals allowed (19) in the playoffs. However, the special teams looked much better against Chicago in Game 1 Saturday.

                    Vancouver killed 3-of-4 penalties, giving up a shorthanded goal to Patrick Kane in the third period. The Canucks power play, which boasts a 25 percent success rate, also found the back of the net. Kyle Wellwood netted a second-period goal with the man advantage.


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                    Comment


                    • #11
                      MLB


                      Monday, May 3

                      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      Hot Lines: Today's best MLB bets
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                      Colorado Rockies at San Diego Padres (145, 6.5)

                      Colorado isn't known for producing Cy Young Award contenders. The thin air and short porch (or is that waterfall a patio?) of Coors Field prevent it from being a pitcher's paradise.

                      But Rockies right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez is breaking new ground. His 5-0 record and 0.79 ERA attest to the fact that his no-hitter against the light-hitting Braves was not a fluke.

                      Coincidentally, catcher Miguel Olivo told Jimenez in spring training that he was going to throw a no-hitter someday, he just didn't know it would come so quickly. Now he's making a bolder prediction.

                      "I tell him, ‘You’re going to win the Cy Young,' " Olivo told Yahoo Sports. "He’s putting everything together."

                      Not to get too far ahead of ourselves but bettors seem to be slow to jump on the Jimenez bandwagon. Despite a powerful Padres lineup and a strong starter in Kevin Correia (4-1, 3.86 ERA), it's hard to pass up the hot hand at this price.

                      Pick: Rockies


                      Toronto Blue Jays at Cleveland Indians (-125, 8.5)


                      The Cleveland Indians shouldn't pick a fight with Phil Mickelson right now. They haven't been able to hit a Lefty all season.

                      The Tribe entered Sunday's 8-3 loss to Minnesota batting just .211 against southpaws this season before losing to Twins lefty Francisco Liriano.

                      The Indians face another wrong-handed pitcher Monday. Brett Cecil hasn't exactly been a world-beater (1-1, 3.55 ERA), but he has been a Tribe-baffler, limiting the Indians to one earned run over 13 innings with 15 strikeouts to only four walks in their two meetings last year.

                      Indians starter Mitch Talbot has pitched well (3-1, 2.05 ERA) but the Blue Jays have been swinging the sticks lately and have a lefty on the hill.

                      Pick: Blue Jays (+110)


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                      Comment


                      • #12
                        MLB


                        Monday, May 3

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                        This Day in Baseball
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                        On May 3 in Baseball History...

                        1938 - Lefty Grove defeats the Tigers 4-3 in 10 innings for the first of a record 20 consecutive victories at his home field, Fenway Park in Boston. He will not lose there until May 12, 1941.

                        1961 - Another brilliant Warren Spahn performance is spoiled when left fielder Mel Roach's misplay costs the Milwaukee ace a second no-hitter in a row. Spahn settles for a two-hitter in topping the Dodgers 4-1.

                        1975 - The Reds switch Pete Rose from left field to third base, opening a lineup spot for utility outfielder George Foster. Over the next four seasons, Foster will average 36 home runs, 117 RBI, and a .302 batting average to help the Reds to two world championships.

                        1979 - Bobby Bonds hits his 300th home run against Moose Haas in a 6-1 loss to Milwaukee. He has 413 stolen bases at the time and becomes the second player, after Willie Mays, to have 300 stolen bases and 300 home runs.

                        1980 - Giants first baseman Willie McCovey hits his 521st and final career home run. His shot against Montreal's Scott Sanderson ties him with Ted Williams on the all-time list. He will retire on June 6.

                        1980 - Rangers pitcher Fergie Jenkins defeats the Orioles 3-2 to become only the fourth pitcher to win 100 games in each league. He won 149 games for the Phillies and Cubs before moving to the A.L. in 1974.

                        1986 - Cubs third baseman Ron Cey hits his 300th and 301st home runs and Chicago scores four times in the top of the ninth to beat San Francisco 6-5.

                        1992 - Baltimore's Gregg Olson, just 25, becomes the youngest pitcher in history to record 100 saves.

                        1995 - David Bell makes his major league debut at third base for the Indians in a 14-7 victory over the Tigers. His appearance makes the Bells, with his father Buddy and his grandfather Gus, the second three-generation family in major league history (the Boones were the first). Gus Bell dies four days later.


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                        Comment


                        • #13
                          NOTE:
                          For the initial posting of trends and indexes, we have provided information available up to the time of posting.
                          Additional updates for today’s games will be posted ASAP.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Guys,

                            We've had severe flooding here in Tennessee and I've got an emergency situation that has to be dealt with. It's going to be 3 or 4 hours before I can start today's info. Sorry, guys, there's just nothing I can do about it today.

                            I'll get it posted as soon as I can.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              take care of your home and welfare first hope all gets better down there

                              Comment

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