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**Udog** · 05-01-2011, 12:34 AM

Daily Sports Roundup: May 1

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Thunder meet the Grizzlies and the Heat host the Celtics in NBA action, while the Red Wings battle the Sharks in a matchup on the ice.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The second round of the NBA playoffs get underway on Sunday, with Memphis at Oklahoma City, and Boston at Miami. The Grizzlies advanced to the second round by knocking out top-seeded San Antonio with a 99-91 home win on Friday night, while the Thunder won their first-round series by beating Denver 100-97 at home on Wednesday. The Celtics had no trouble with New York in the first round of the playoffs, bouncing their division rival with a 101-89 road win last Sunday, and the Heat took care of Philadelphia with a 97-91 home win on Wednesday. Oddsmakers have Miami pegged as a 5-point home favorite for Game 1 on Sunday, with the total for the matchup listed at 182.5 points.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

In American League action on Sunday it's Detroit at Cleveland, Toronto at the Yankees, Seattle at Boston, Minnesota at Kansas City, Baltimore at the White Sox, Texas at Oakland, and the Angels at Tampa Bay. Los Angeles' Jered Weaver (6-0, 0.99 ERA) will take on the Rays' Andy Sonnanstine (0-0, 2.35 ERA) in that last matchup. Righthander Weaver has been perfect so far on the season, picking up the win in all six of his starts; Weaver beat the Rays on April 5, holding them to one run in 6 2-3 innings. Righthander Sonnanstine gave up a single run in an inning of relief against the Angels back on April 6.

Over in the National League on Sunday it's then San Francisco at Washington, St. Louis at Atlanta, Milwaukee at Houston, Pittsburgh at Colorado, San Diego at the Dodgers, the Cubs at Arizona, Florida at Cincinnati, and the Mets at Philadelphia. The Mets will go with Chris Young (1-0, 2.65 ERA) in that Sunday night contest, while the Phillies counter with Cliff Lee (2-2, 4.18 ERA). Righthander Young took the mound against the Phillies back on April 5, picking up the win after surrendering just one run on five hits over 5 1-3 innings of work. Lefthander Lee will be looking to bounce back from a loss to the D-Backs in his last outing, allowing four runs on five hits in seven innings pitched that day.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

As well, there are two games on the NHL's playoff schedule for Sunday, with Detroit at San Jose and Tampa Bay at Washington. The Sharks and Lightning both won the openers of these second-round playoff series on Friday night. San Jose edged Detroit 2-1 in overtime on a goal by Benn Ferriero in the extra frame. Antti Niemi stopped 24 of 25 Detroit shots in that victory, while Jimmy Howard made 44 saves for the Red Wings. Tampa Bay doubled up on Washington 4-2 in their series opener on Friday, with Sean Bergenheim, Steve Downie, Steven Stamkos, and Dominic Moore providing the goals for the winning side. Alexander Semin and Eric Fehr replied for the Capitals in the defeat.

**Udog** · 05-01-2011, 12:37 AM

Sunday's betting tips: Celts thrive as dog in playoffs

Weather to watch

Detroit Tigers at Cleveland Indians – There’s a 50 to 60 percent chance of thunderstorms starting in the morning and lasting throughout the game. Temperatures will be in the high 50s.

Who’s hot

NHL: The Over is 7-3 in the last 10 Detroit-San Jose matchups.

NBA: The Celtics are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 playoff games as an underdog.

NBA: The Over is 5-0 in the last five Oklahoma City-Memphis matchups.

MLB: The Angels are 8-1 in their last nine road games.

MLB: The A’s are 5-1 in their last six games against a left-handed starter.

Who’s not

NHL: Tampa Bay is 3-9 in its last 12 games at Washington.

NHL: Detroit is 1-5 in its last six games in San Jose.

NBA: Oklahoma City is 1-5 ATS in its last six games as a favorite of 5.0-10.5.

MLB: Toronto is 5-13 in Jesse Litsch’s last 18 road starts.

MLB: San Diego is 3-13 in its last 16 games against a right-handed starter.

Key stat

12 – That’s how many assists Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo is averaging in the playoffs. It’s almost twice as many as the next remaining point guard, Dallas’ Jason Kidd (6.5). The Celtics visit the Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Turf toe is a nagging injury that can’t be heal without rest. Bulls forward Carlos Boozer (17.5 points, 9.6 rpg) has the injury on his right big toe, and he’s day-to-day heading into Monday’s Game 1 against the Hawks in the Eastern Conference semifinals. “It’s hard to say [if he’ll be ready to play],” coach Tom Thibodeau said, “but I’m thinking that he will be able to. He has some discomfort, but it’s gotten better each day.” Boozer’s injury likely will mean more minutes for Taj Gibson (7.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg in 22 minutes per game).

Game of the day

Boston Celtics at Miami Heat (-5.5, 181.5)

Notable quotable

“That’s corny. I don’t understand that type of stuff.” – Miami Heat forward LeBron James, when asked about Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert’s contention that James quit during last year’s Cavs-Celtics playoff series.

Notes and tips

While Dallas small forward Caron Butler sounded optimistic he would play at some point during the Mavs’ series with the Lakers, which starts Monday, coach Rick Carlisle said there is “zero” chance of that. Carlisle said Butler, who ruptured his right patellar tendon Jan. 1, has yet to be cleared medically. Dallas was 24-7 when Butler got injured. He was averaging 15.0 points and playing sticky defense.

MLB home teams and favorites aren’t cashing in for bettors so far, at least not as a group. Home teams were just 195-188 (50.9 percent) heading into Saturday’s action, home favorites were just 134-128 (51.2 percent), and all favorites were just 191-186 (50.7 percent). For all the leaguewide trends, check out Covers.com’s MLB Baseball Trends page.

The NFL lockout is back on, but it might not last long. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis, which granted a temporary stay on Friday that reinstated the lockout, is expected to rule next week on the league’s request for a more permanent stay. It’s a complex legal situation. But as of now, coaches may not talk to their players or go over playbooks with them, and players may not work out at team facilities. “Nobody’s happy about any of this,” Green Bay general manager Ted Thompson said. “But it is what it is.”

**Udog** · 05-01-2011, 12:39 AM

NBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, May 1

I'll add Memphis/Oklahoma City when it's available.

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BOSTON (60 - 26) at MIAMI (62 - 25) - 5/1/2011, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 7-24 ATS (-19.4 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
BOSTON is 25-10 ATS (+14.0 Units) in road games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 16-27 ATS (-13.7 Units) in home games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 11-5 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 13-3 straight up against MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
9 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**Udog** · 05-01-2011, 12:45 AM

NBA
Short Sheet

Sunday, May 1

If Memphis/Oklahoma City updates, I'll add it.

Eastern Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round - Best of 7 - Game 1
BOSTON at MIAMI, 3:30 PM ET ABC
BOSTON: 7-24 ATS off win by 10 or more
MIAMI: 7-0 Under as home favorite of 3.5 to 6 pts

Western Conference Playoffs - 2nd Round - Best of 7 - Game 1
MEMPHIS at OKLAHOMA CITY, 1:05 PM ET ABC
MEMPHIS: n/a
OKLAHOMA CITY: n/a

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

**Udog** · 05-01-2011, 12:48 AM

NBA

Sunday, May 1

When Memphis/Oklahoma City is added, I'll post it.

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Trend Report
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3:30 PM
BOSTON vs. MIAMI
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games when playing on the road against Miami
Boston is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Miami's last 8 games

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**Udog** · 05-01-2011, 12:52 AM

NBA

Sunday, May 1

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What bettors need to know: Sunday's NBA playoff action
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Memphis Grizzlies at Oklahoma City Thunder (-6.5, 197.5)

THE STORY: The upstart Memphis Grizzlies have one major playoff series upset in the record books and look to pull off another stunner when they meet the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals. Game 1 is Sunday in Oklahoma City. The eighth-seeded Grizzlies became just the fourth team in NBA history to eliminate a top-seeded team when they finished off the San Antonio Spurs in six games on Friday. Memphis hadn’t even won a single game in three previous visits to the playoffs before shocking the Spurs. Fourth-seeded Oklahoma City defeated the Denver Nuggets in five games in its first-round series and last played on Wednesday.

TV: 1 p.m. EST, ABC

ABOUT THE THUNDER: Oklahoma City had a relatively easy time in its series with Denver by winning the first three games. Forward Kevin Durant twice had games of 41 points while averaging 32.4 in the five-game conquest. Point guard Russell Westbrook averaged 23.8 points and 6.2 assists. The Thunder received a major boost from power forward Serge Ibaka, who averaged 10.2 points, 11 rebounds and 4.8 blocks against the Nuggets. Ibaka lived up to his “I-block-a” nickname with nine rejections in Wednesday’s series-clinching victory. Center Kendrick Perkins is a battle-tested playoff veteran and guard James Harden heads the Thunder’s bench.

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES: Memphis has a major star in forward Zach Randolph and will ride him as far as possible in this series. Randolph averaged 21.5 points and 9.2 rebounds in the six-game series against San Antonio. The Grizzlies have a solid supporting cast in guards Mike Conley and Tony Allen and center Marc Gasol. Conley’s matchup with Westbrook might be the most pivotal of the series. Allen had 11 steals in the final three games against the Spurs while Gasol had 30 rebounds over the final two contests. Guard O.J. Mayo and veteran forward Shane Battier lead a productive bench.

WHO'S HOT/WHO’S NOT: Randolph averaged 28.5 points and 11 rebounds in the final two games of the series against San Antonio. Durant averaged 36 points over the final two games against Denver.

KEY STATISTIC: The stars of the respective teams fared well during four regular-season meetings. Durant averaged 30.5 points and 8.3 rebounds against Memphis and Randolph averaged 26.5 points and 13 rebounds against Oklahoma City.

SEASON SERIES: Memphis won three of the four regular-season victories and the split the two games in Oklahoma City, losing 109-100 on Jan. 8 and winning 105-101 in overtime on Feb. 8. The Grizzlies won both games in Memphis – 110-105 on Jan. 4 and 107-101 on March 7.

TRENDS:

* Over is 5-0 in the last five meetings.
* Over is 13-3 in the last 16 meetings in Oklahoma City.
* Home team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Grizzlies are 6-13 ATS in the last 19 meetings in Oklahoma City.

LAST WORD: “Emotion is high, not just for the Memphis Grizzlies but for the whole city of Memphis and the fans. It’s something. It’s a great accomplishment. We’ve got to be happy. We should be happy. But it is a quick turnaround. We’ve got a game Sunday, and we have to get ready.” – Randolph, on the short turnaround from beating the Spurs on Friday night to playing in Oklahoma City on Sunday afternoon.

Boston Celtics at Miami Heat (-5.5, 182.5)

THE STORY: This is the series that everyone wanted to see before the season started - it’s just taking place a round early. The Boston Celtics are the reigning Eastern Conference champions and the Miami Heat are the mercenary All-Stars who were designed specifically to win NBA championships. The Celtics are experienced while the Heat put more talent on the floor than any other team in the league. Both clubs dominated at times in the first round, and both showed some weaknesses. The battle begins on Sunday afternoon when Miami hosts Game 1.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC

ABOUT THE HEAT: Instead of rolling right through the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round, second-seeded Miami struggled in each game and played without the sense of urgency that it will need in order to advance. The upstart 76ers were able to keep the Heat out of their transition attack by using their length on the wings and pounding the ball inside to Elton Brand. But when it came down to it, Miami was just too strong with Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh filling up the box score. The end of the game was a concern throughout the regular season and cropped up again in the first round, especially when the Heat squandered a six-point lead in the final 90 seconds of Game 4.

ABOUT THE CELTICS: Third-seeded Boston swept the New York Knicks in the first round and displayed the offensive balance that makes it tough on opponents by having a different leading scorer in each game. The only NBA team to sweep its first round series, the Celtics closed out the Knicks by holding them to 34 percent shooting in Game 4. After struggling in the first two games at home, Boston turned it up at Madison Square Garden and sent New York home with ease. The full week off between games gave Shaquille O’Neal even more time to nurse a calf injury, though it is still not certain if the veteran will be able to go on Sunday.

WHO’S HOT/WHO’S NOT: Wade averaged 26.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists over the final three games of the first round for the Heat. Rajon Rondo averaged 19 points on 50 percent shooting (31-of-62) to go along with 12 assists in the opening round for the Celtics.

KEY STATISTIC: Opponents field goal percentage. For all the offensive talent on both rosters, Miami and Boston have gotten this far with strong team defense. The teams finished the regular season in a virtual tie for second place in the NBA in opponent's field goal percentage at .434.

SEASON SERIES: The Celtics took three of the four meetings in the regular season, holding Wade to 12.8 points on 28.1 percent shooting in the process. But the Heat dominated the most recent matchup, 100-77, on April 10 to jump into the No. 2 spot in the East.

TRENDS:

* Home team is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.
* Celtics are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings in Miami.
* Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings.
* Celtics are 9-3 ATS in the last 12 meetings in Miami.
* Favorite is 13-6 ATS in the last 19 meetings.

LAST WORD: “Now we move on to a series that everybody will be excited about,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said.

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**Udog** · 05-01-2011, 12:54 AM

NBA

Sunday, May 1

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Pick 'n' roll: Sunday's best NBA bets
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Memphis Grizzlies at Oklahoma City Thunder (-6.5, 196)

Beating the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs was no fluke. Memphis was simply the better team.

The Spurs’ two wins came by four points and in overtime. And the series should have been over in five games, but the Spurs miraculously sent it back to Memphis. The Grizzlies, meanwhile, won Game 4 by 18 points and trailed for only a matter of seconds in the series clincher on Friday.

“They hit us with all they had and got every win they needed to get,” Spurs’ forward Antonio McDyess told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “Talent-wise, we’re the better team with the most experience, but after you see what they did to us, they looked like the No. 1 seed and we looked like the No. 8 seed.”

The Grizzlies probably looked like a No. 1 seed to Oklahoma City during the regular season, too. They played four times and Memphis went 3-1 (3-1 ATS). The Grizzlies have won two straight in the series, including a 105-101 overtime road victory on February 8.

The quick turnaround two days after the biggest win in franchise history is going to be tough for Memphis. And the Thunder is playing darn good basketball too.

But getting 6.5 points is too tempting to pass up.

Pick: Grizzlies

Boston Celtics at Miami Heat (-5.5, 181.5)

These two teams also met in second-round action last year, and Boston took care of Miami in five games. Obviously it ‘s a much different Heat squad this time around, but the Celtics still won three of four regular-season meetings (3-1 ATS).

If the first round of the playoffs is any indication, the Heat will be hard-pressed to turn the tide. They looked decent in a five-game series win over Philadelphia but were nowhere near as dominant as Boston. The Celtics swept a previously in-form Knicks team, including winning both road games by double digits.

Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra is sticking with veterans Mike Bibby and Zydrunas Ilgauskas in the starting lineup for Game 1 on Sunday despite their lackluster play in the opening round.

“No matter who’s on the floor, you’re going to have to do your job, especially on defense,” Ilgauskas told the Miami Herald. “[The Celtics] make you pull a lot of triggers and cover a lot of ground. They’re so good at moving, passing the ball; you cannot relax at any time.”

Miami may have enough to get the victory at home, but covering a 5.5-point spread against an evenly-matched and on-fire opponent is a lot to ask.

Pick: Celtics

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**Udog** · 05-01-2011, 12:56 AM

NHL
Long Sheet

Sunday, May 1

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DETROIT (51-25-0-11, 113 pts.) at SAN JOSE (53-27-0-9, 115 pts.) - 5/1/2011, 3:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 3-8 ATS (-9.3 Units) after playing 3 consecutive road games this season.
SAN JOSE is 22-10 ATS (+8.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
DETROIT is 12-5 ATS (+6.6 Units) in road games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 26-16 ATS (+8.3 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE is 11-7 (+3.1 Units) against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
SAN JOSE is 11-7-0 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
11 of 18 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.5 Units)

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TAMPA BAY (51-27-0-12, 114 pts.) at WASHINGTON (52-25-0-11, 115 pts.) - 5/1/2011, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 81-159 ATS (+292.7 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.
TAMPA BAY is 51-39 ATS (+6.8 Units) in all games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 26-19 ATS (+46.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TAMPA BAY is 28-20 ATS (+50.8 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 4-8 ATS (-12.7 Units) in home games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 14-5 (+4.6 Units) against the spread versus TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 14-5-0 straight up against TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
9 of 17 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.7 Units)

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**Udog** · 05-01-2011, 12:58 AM

NHL
Short Sheet

Sunday, May 1

Eastern Conference Playoffs - Second Round - Game 2 - SJ 1-0
DETROIT at SAN JOSE, 3:05 PM ET NBC
DETROIT: 6-0 SU revenging 4+ losses
SAN JOSE: 24-11 Under at home off OT win

Western Conference Playoffs - Second Round - Game 2 - TB 1-0
TAMPA BAY at WASHINGTON, 7:05 PM ET VERSUS
TAMPA BAY: 23-15 SU as an underdog
WASHINGTON: 6-10 SU off home loss

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

**Udog** · 05-01-2011, 01:03 AM

NHL

Sunday, May 1

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What bettors need to know: Sunday's NHL playoff action
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Detroit Red Wings at San Jose Sharks (-128, 5.5)

San Jose leads series 1-0

THE STORY: The Detroit Red Wings look to gain a split of the first two contests of their Western Conference semifinal series with the San Jose Sharks when the teams collide in Game 2 on Sunday afternoon at the HP Pavilion. The third-seeded Red Wings overcame an eight-day layoff to take a first-period lead in the series opener on Friday and held it until midway through the third. Second-seeded San Jose scored just over seven minutes into overtime to post a 2-1 victory and improved to 4-0 in extra time this postseason.

TV: 3 p.m. ET, NBC, TSN, RDS

ABOUT THE SHARKS: Four of San Jose's five wins in the playoffs have come in overtime. Friday's hero was Benn Ferriero, who was playing in his first career postseason game on his 24th birthday. After scoring five goals in 33 games during the regular season, Ferriero took an innocent shot from the left faceoff circle that deflected off a defender's stick and past Jimmy Howard. The goal came 20 seconds after a four-minute power play in which the Sharks registered just three shots on goal. San Jose outshot Detroit by an 18-9 margin in the second period but was unable to get the puck by Howard.

ABOUT THE RED WINGS: Detroit welcomed back Johan Franzen and Henrik Zetterberg to the lineup Friday. Franzen sat out Game 4 of the conference quarterfinals against the Phoenix Coyotes with a lower-body injury while Zetterberg had been sidelined since April 6 with a knee injury. A former Conn Smythe Trophy winner, Zetterberg was plus-1 with three shots in more than 19 1/2 minutes of action. The Red Wings fell to 39-51 overall in overtime in the postseason and 19-17 on the road. Ferriero was not the only one celebrating a birthday as the series began. Detroit captain Nicklas Lidstrom, who scored his team's only goal in Game 1, turned 41 on Thursday while coach Mike Babcock turned 48 on Friday.

WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: Pavel Datsyuk and Valtteri Filppula each have recorded a point in four of Detroit's five playoff contests. San Jose captain Joe Thornton notched an assist Friday to extend his point streak to five games. The Sharks registered 46 shots on goal in the series opener against Detroit. Only Ben Eager and Kyle Wellwood failed to fire a puck at Howard.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Detroit failed to convert on its two power-play opportunities Friday and is 4-for-17 (23.5 percent) in the postseason. After going just 2-for-23 in the first round against Los Angeles, the Sharks were 1-for-6 in the series opener vs. the Red Wings.

TRENDS:

* Over is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings.
* Red Wings are 1-5 in the last six meetings in San Jose.
* Red Wings are 0-4 in the last four meetings.

LAST WORD: "You always have to be ready. You never know when they are going to call on you. You go through practice and do everything you can to be ready to play. When your number gets called, you have to be ready." - Ferriero on making his NHL playoff debut.

Tampa Bay Lightning at Washington Capitals (-182, 5.5)

Tampa Bay leads series 1-0

THE STORY: The Tampa Bay Lightning are certainly making themselves at home while they are away from the St. Pete Times Forum. The fifth-seeded Lightning improved to 4-0 on the road in the postseason with a 4-2 triumph in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the top-seeded Washington Capitals on Friday. Steven Stamkos scored a power-play goal to snap a tie late in the second period to pace the Lightning. Tampa Bay will begin the drive for five on Sunday when it faces its Southeast Division rival in Game 2 at the Verizon Center.

TV: 7 ET, VERSUS, CBC

ABOUT THE CAPITALS: A case could be made that well-rested Washington was a bit, well, rusty. The Capitals permitted a goal 2:12 into the game and also had 12 giveaways on Friday. Coach Bruce Boudreau's club had six days off after dispensing with the eighth-seeded New York Rangers in five games during their conference quarterfinal series. Friday's home loss was the first in four games this postseason for the Capitals. Captain Alex Ovechkin was certainly frustrated after being held to just two shots on net. After allowing just two goals in three home playoff games, rookie Michal Neuvirth permitted three tallies on 23 shots against the Lightning. Nicklas Backstrom had a team-high five shots on goal in Game 1, but continues to find difficulty putting the puck in the net in the postseason.

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING: Steve Downie collected a goal and an assist to up his postseason total to nine points (two goals, seven assists). Dwayne Roloson continues to shine in the postseason as he notched his fourth straight win by turning aside 26 shots on Friday. Tampa Bay may be without veterans Simon Gagne and Pavel Kubina. Gagne made an early exit in Game 1 after he was belted by veteran defenseman Scott Hannan. Although the hit was shoulder-on-shoulder, the force sent the 31-year-old Quebec native's head to the ice. As for Kubina, the defenseman absorbed an elbow to the head by Washington's Jason Chimera in the second period.

WHO'S HOT/WHO’S NOT: Tampa Bay's Sean Bergenheim has collected four goals and four assists in his last five games. After netting the lone goal in a Game 7 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, Bergenheim opened the scoring just over two minutes into Game 1. Alexander Semin has scored in three consecutive contests.

SPECIAL TEAMS: After stopping 34 of 35 shorthanded situations against the Penguins, the Lightning picked up where they left off by killing off all five of the Capitals' power plays. Tampa Bay went 1-for-4 on the man advantage, as Stamkos netted the eventual game-winner with the tally. The Lightning have converted nine of their 31 power-play opportunities (29 percent) in the playoffs. For its part, Washington is 3-for-21 with the man advantage in the playoffs while stopping 22 of 24 shorthanded situations.

TRENDS:

* Lightning are 7-20 in the last 27 meetings.
* Lightning are 3-9 in the last 12 meetings in Washington.
* Road team is 4-1 in the last five meetings.

LAST WORD: "We played too cute and took penalties, and that cost us. First period, last 10 minutes, we play our game. First 10 minutes, second (period), we play good. After that, we let them play their game." - Ovechkin, on how the Lightning won Game 1.

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**Udog** · 05-01-2011, 01:06 AM

NHL

Sunday, May 1

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Ice picks: Sunday's best NHL bets
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Detroit Red Wings at San Jose Sharks (-128, 5.5)

Detroit came close in Friday’s series opener, but the visitors squandered a one-goal lead in the third period and lost in overtime. The Red Wings have now lost four in a row to San Jose after winning the season’s first meeting in November.

The common perception was that the tide would turn in the playoffs, as Detroit is third all-time with 11 Stanley Cups and San Jose has exactly zero. The Sharks are labeled as perennial playoff chokers, but they are playing and talking like it will be different this year.

“We've just got to take this series-by-series and game-by-game,” right winger Devin Setoguchi told the Ottawa Sun. “If you look ahead, it's not going to be good, but we believe in ourselves and believe in this group. Our coaches and our GM believe in us. That's all that really matters, what happens inside the room.”

It also matters what happens in goal, and netminder Antti Niemi had by far his best game of the postseason on Friday. Niemi allowed nothing after the first period and stopped 24 of 25 shots.

Pick: Sharks

Tampa Bay Lightning at Washington Capitals (-178, 5.5)

Fresh off its Game 7 win at Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay returned two days later and posted a 4-2 road win over Washington in Friday’s series opener.

However, it was not all good news for the Lightning as they suffered a pair of injuries. Defenseman Pavel Kubina took a hard hit in the second period and did not return, while left winger Simon Gagne did the same in the first period and made an early exit. Kubina is listed is questionable and Gagne is doubtful.

The Capitals know they can take care of Tampa Bay, because they have done just that in the past. Washington won four of the six encounters during the regular season, including three by blowout (6-3, 6-0, and 5-2).

For a while it looked like the Caps would notch another win Friday, as they held a 2-1 lead late in the second period. Then it all unraveled.

“That’s exactly how we expected them to play and we had a really good game plan,” right winger Eric Fehr told the Washington Post. “We had it going for a while and we kind of gave up on it. Things didn’t go well after that.”

Washington knows what it has to do, so look for the home team to get it back together in Game 2.

Pick: Washington

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**bryce** · 05-01-2011, 01:07 AM

Thanks for doing this on a daily basis!

**Udog** · 05-01-2011, 01:09 AM

MLB

Sunday, May 1

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Sunday Night Baseball betting preview: Mets at Phillies
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National League East rivals get together under ESPN’s Sunday night spotlight when the Phillies host the Mets to wrap up a three-game series. Philadelphia is favored at -173, with a total of 7. Let's look at the matchup:

SCORE, AND SCORE SOME MORE

In recent meetings. Philadelphia has displayed plenty of firepower against the Mets. The two teams had a three-game set the first week of April in Philly, and after losing the opener 7-1, the Phils rebounded with a 10-7 shootout victory, then an 11-0 beatdown.

In Friday’s series opener, it was more of the same as Philly romped 10-3. Saturday, the Phils settled back down but still won 2-1, improving to 4-1 in this rivalry in 2011.

The Phils have enjoyed a significant home-field edge against New York, too, going 16-6 in the last 22 meetings at Citizens Bank Ballpark.

PITCHING PERSPECTIVE

Star left-hander Cliff Lee takes the ball for Philadelphia, and having spent much of his career in the American League, he’s only faced the Mets one time. While with the Phillies in 2009 – prior to stints in Seattle and Texas – he started a 6-2 victory at New York, allowing two runs on six hits in seven innings. Neither run was earned, and he had no walks while striking out five.

Philly has won three of five this year behind Lee (2-2, 4.18 ERA), including both his home starts.

Chris Young, a 6-10 right-hander, is off to a solid start this season at 1-0 with a 2.65 ERA in three outings. The first of those starts came April 5 against the Phils, when he yielded just one run on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. Young fanned seven and walked four in a 7-1 Mets victory. Young has made six career starts against Philadelphia, going 3-2 with a 4.05 ERA.

Philly is on a bundle of hot streaks with Lee taking the ball, including 8-2 overall, 5-0 at home and 4-1 in division play.

TEAM TRENDS

Now a perennial championship contender, Philly brings a handful of positive streaks into tonight’s contest, including 50-20 overall, 43-18 at home, 50-20 at home against righty starters, 57-20 in Sunday affairs, 38-14 in division action and 7-2 against losing teams.

The Mets entered this series having won six of seven overall, but the loss came at Washington on Thursday night, and they’ve now lost three in a row. They’ve also gone just 7-19 in their last 26 outings against winning teams. On the plus side, New York is 9-3 in its last dozen against lefty starters – but Lee isn’t your average lefty.

HOMERIN’ HOWARD

Philly slugger Ryan Howard has a mediocre .264 career average against New York. However, he belted two homers in Friday’s rout, including a grand slam, to give him 29 for his career in 375 at-bats against the Mets – or about one homer every 13 at-bats.

In fact, Howard has a pretty good homer total against the NL East in general, with 126 in 1,502 at-bats, belting it out of the park in division play approximately once every dozen at-bats.

Teammate Placido Polanco hasn’t gone yard this weekend, but he does like playing the Mets. The third baseman went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored Friday night, then went 2-for-3 with an RBI on Saturday, hitting what proved to be the game-winning sacrifice fly in the seventh inning.

HIGH AND LOW

Philadelphia has a mixed bag of over and under streaks, but lately, when New York plays, the over has been a pretty good bet. The Mets own over streaks of 18-8-1 overall, 9-2-1 against winning teams, 9-3-1 against southpaw starters, 9-4-1 on the highway and 11-4-1 inside the division.

Before Saturday’s low-scoring affair, the over was on a 4-0-1 run in this rivalry.

UMP STATS

Jim Wolf is behind the plate, and that’s been good news for the Phillies lately, who have won seven in a row with Wolf calling balls and strikes. On the flip side, New York is 5-16 in its last 21 contests with Wolf behind the plate.

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**Udog** · 05-01-2011, 01:12 AM

MLB

Sunday, May 1

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Hot lines: Sunday's best MLB bets
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St. Louis Cardinals at Atlanta Braves (-114, 7.5)

Atlanta starter Derek Lowe has a lot on his mind besides pitching. He was arrested Thursday night for DUI while allegedly racing another driver on Atlanta’s main thoroughfare, Peachtree Road. While he apologized to his team and the fans, the fallout is far from over.

Now the Braves are giving him his scheduled start in hopes they can avoid a sweep by the red-hot Cardinals, who have won four straight and eight of 10.

Lowe (2-3, 3.21 ERA) has pitched well this season in all but one outing, but he’s had no luck against St. Louis in his career. He’s 1-7 with a 6.85 ERA lifetime against the Cards.

St. Louis lefty Jaime Garcia (3-0, 2.08 ERA) has struck out 30 in 30 1/3 innings. And in his only start against Atlanta last year, he dominated, throwing seven scoreless innings, striking out five, walking one and allowing four hits.

The Cardinals are averaging 5.3 runs and boast MLB’s top hitter in Matt Holliday (.408).

Pick: St. Louis

Los Angeles Angels at Tampa Bay Rays (125, 7.5)

Angels starter Jered Weaver (6-0, 0.99) has a chance to become the first pitcher to go 7-0 through May 1 since Baltimore’s Sadie McMahon did it 120 years ago. Weaver has been that good, holding batters to a .163 average.

The Rays, meanwhile, recalled right-hander Alex Cobb from Triple-A Durham to start Sunday's game. Cobb is no slouch. A fourth-round pick in the 2006 draft, Cobb made steady progress through the farm system and excelled at every level.

In four starts in Triple-A, he allowed just five earned runs over 22 innings (2.05 ERA) while striking out a whopping 29 batters.

Umpire Alan Porter will call balls and strikes Sunday. The Under is 4-0 the last four times he’s been behind the plate.

Pick: Under

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