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Home ice could decide conference finals

May 14, 2015

CHICAGO (AP) - The Chicago Blackhawks have a sellout streak of 323 games and counting. The New York Rangers play in the world's most famous arena, and the Anaheim Ducks are undefeated at home in the playoffs. The Tampa Bay Lightning set a franchise record with an NHL-best 32 home wins this season.

Welcome to the NHL's final four, where one road win could go a long way.

Fresh off a Game 7 victory over Washington at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers host the Lightning on Saturday in the opener of the Eastern Conference finals. In the West, the Ducks put their perfect home playoff record on the line in Sunday's Game 1 against the Blackhawks, who also are 5-0 at home in the postseason.

''It's been a good run so far at home, but every round gets harder,'' Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau said Thursday.

The four remaining teams are a combined 19-5 at home this postseason. The home team is 42-27 in this year's NHL playoffs for a winning percentage of .609 that ranks ahead of last year (56-37, .602), though way below the remarkable 59-27 home record for the 2013 playoffs after the season was shortened because of labor strife.

Of course, players credit their fans for success at home, but the NHL also gives home teams the last line change after play is stopped, and last stick on the ice for faceoffs. Savvy coaches use the last line change to get the matchups they want at critical moments, and the advantage for faceoffs can produce extra possessions or help clear the puck from the defensive zone at the end of a frantic shift.

''This time of year, especially against a team's top line, you want to be able to get the right people on the ice at that moment, but when it goes down from there, you can see people playing against anybody,'' Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler said. ''It's not a huge thing that Bruce is preaching, but I think it still is a factor for us in the first couple of games.''

There also is a pronounced advantage for faceoffs. Each of the four remaining teams is better at the dot at home compared to the road, with Tampa Bay posting the biggest split at 53.1 percent at Amalie Arena and 47.8 percent in road playoff games. The next biggest difference is 4.9 points for New York (46.8 percent at home, compared to 41.9 percent on the road), and then Chicago (53.7 and 49.1) and Anaheim (56.7 and 53.9), according to STATS.

Give stars such as Tampa Bay star Steven Stamkos or New York forward Rick Nash more time with the puck, and good things happen for their teams.

Seeking their third Stanley Cup title in the last six seasons, the Blackhawks have won 24 of their last 28 home playoff games. With Joel Quenneville behind the bench and a deep group of forwards taking the ice, they are uniquely positioned to make the most of the rules for home games, but captain Jonathan Toews thinks the crowd is the biggest reason for home success in the NHL.

''When you play well and you create things and things are going your way, the crowd's behind you,'' he said. ''I think it adds to the fact of trying to take away momentum, take away energy from the other team. Everyone wants that, especially in the playoffs.''

But Chicago needs at least one road win to move on, and top-seeded Anaheim is 11-3 at the Moda Center since Feb. 27. The Ducks outscored the Jets and Flames 18-6 at home while beginning the playoffs with eight wins in nine games.

''We also feel confident playing on the road,'' Chicago forward Patrick Sharp said. ''We know Anaheim's going to be a tough place to play, but we've gone there and won before. Hopefully we can do it again.''

New York's 2-1 overtime win against Washington on Wednesday night was the Rangers' fifth victory in seven home playoffs games this year. They also improved to 7-0 at home in Game 7.

The Lightning needed a Game 7 home win against Detroit to escape the first round, and coach Jon Cooper said that is where home ice provides the biggest advantage. Home teams are 94-65 in Game 7s in the Stanley Cup playoffs, including 3-0 this year.

''I do think it matters in Game 7, and that's why you want it,'' Cooper said. ''I think that's the one game that home ice can matter.''

Ducks' Perry should play Sunday

May 14, 2015

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Corey Perry has missed his second straight practice with the Anaheim Ducks to rest for the Western Conference finals.

Perry stuck to a stationary bike Thursday, but coach Bruce Boudreau expects him to play when the Ducks open the series Sunday against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Perry is the top scorer in the Stanley Cup playoffs with 15 points in nine games for the Ducks, who went 8-1 in the first two rounds.

Perry left Game 5 against the Flames last Sunday after a leg-on-leg hit from Calgary's Matt Stajan in the second period, but returned moments later. Perry eventually scored the series-winning overtime goal, sending Anaheim to its first conference finals since 2007.

The 2011 NHL MVP scored 55 points in 67 regular-season games for Anaheim.

Rangers ready to face Lightning

May 14, 2015

NEW YORK (AP) - It would seem there are two certainties ahead for the New York Rangers.

First, they will see some very familiar faces in the lineup of their opponent in the Eastern Conference finals: Tampa Bay's Brian Boyle, Anton Stralman and, if he recovers quickly enough from an appendectomy, former captain Ryan Callahan.

Second, they will play lots of one-goal games.

The series opens Saturday at Madison Square Garden, which former Lightning players Martin St. Louis, Dan Boyle and Dominic now call home. New York has played 12 postseason games this spring and all were decided by the slimmest of margins, four in overtime, including Wednesday night's 2-1 victory in Game 7 against Washington.

The Rangers also had two one-goal outcomes at the end of the 2014 Stanley Cup finals loss to Los Angeles; the 14 straight is a record.

''You have to be smart,'' captain Ryan McDonagh said after New York capped a comeback from a 3-1 hole in the series with Washington. ''We talked about it ... to make sure shifts are short and you don't get overextended out there. We've been in situations like that before and we trust each other out there.''

It helps to have an all-world goalie like Henrik Lundqvist, who made 35 saves before Derek Stepan's goal eliminated the Capitals. It helps to have no fear of overtime, in which the Rangers are 4-0 this spring, all by 2-1 scores.

And it doesn't hurt to know you can handle the toughest situations. The Rangers, who had the NHL's best record this season, are the only team to win a series after trailing 3-1 in successive years, doing the same thing to Pittsburgh in the second round in 2014.

New York also has won six straight Game 7s.

''We have a good group that keeps their wits about them and keeps calm,'' said Stepan, who was mobbed by his teammates along the glass as Madison Square Garden shook from the cheers. ''There is no real panic. We just go out and play. We just see what happens and we just play hockey.''

They haven't played Tampa Bay since December, and the Lightning swept all three meetings. Boyle, a center and penalty-killing fiend, and Stralman, one of the NHL's most underrated defensemen, joined Tampa Bay as free agents last offseason. Callahan was dealt for St. Louis at the trading deadline last year.

Lundqvist was having few, if any, thoughts about his former teammates, and Steven Stamkos and Tyler Johnson, the Lightning's top scorers.

''I am going to enjoy this tonight and maybe tomorrow; I don't even know when we start,'' said the third goalie with six Game 7 victories, joining Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur. ''It's a team that we obviously had some problems with during the season. If there is one thing I learned throughout the year, it's that the playoffs are a different story and I look forward to that challenge.''

The Lightning eliminated Montreal is six games. They finished five points behind New York in the overall standings.

''I think our guys stay in the moment,'' said Alain Vigneault, a finalist for NHL Coach of the Year honors. ''They stay in the present and focus on what needs to be done. They go out and play and have fun doing it.''

But they make it difficult on their fans, if not on each other.

Indeed, the Rangers weren't a dominant home team this season. The Lightning were, posting the league's best home mark at 32-8-1. But New York had the best road record, 28-11-2.

Home-ice advantage barely has existed in this postseason.

So it's on to the final four for the Rangers.

''You tell your players to focus on their job and what they need to do and you (as coaches) are doing the same thing,'' Vigneault said. ''There was a lot of atmosphere, there was obviously a tense moment, but the guys just play. It's probably more stressful for the fans watching the game than it is for us.''

UFC Fight Night 66 Preview
By Sportsbook.ag

Event: UFC Fight Night 66
Date: Sat. May 16, 2015
TV/Time: (FS1, 8:00 a.m. ET)
Venue: Mall of Asia Arena
City: Pasay, Philippines

Featherweight Bout: Frankie Edgar (17-4-1) vs. Urijah Faber (32-7-0)

Sportsbook.ag Line: Egar -400, Faber +325

Frankie “The Answer” Edgar looks to get back in the featherweight title fight by taking down 35-year-old Urijah “California Kid” Faber at UFC Fight Night.

Edgar joined the UFC back in 2007 and was an instant success, starting out his career with three straight wins before losing to Gray Maynard via unanimous decision in his fourth bout. He then grabbed the lightweight belt in early 2010 and held on to it for nearly two years before giving it up to Benson Henderson.

After two losses to Henderson, Edgar made the move to the featherweight division and was given the green light to contend for the title against Jose Aldo, a fight which he would lose but earned the fighters “Fight of the Night” honors. He is making his way back to a title fight with three straight victories coming into this one, using different tactics each time with a unanimous decision, TKO (punches) and submission (neck crank) most recently.

Faber is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt who has been around the UFC since early 2011 and after losing two of his first four matches, has come around to win six of the last seven heading into this matchup. Unfortunately, the one loss that he took in that time was for the bantamweight title when he was defeated by Renan Barao after being knocked out with punches in the first round. Faber is amazing with submissions and has been able to win with this method in six of his last seven victories and 19 of his 32 career victories.

Both fighters are tremendous in this main card event and both have earned plenty of awards when in the octagon as Edgar’s grabbed “Fight of the Night” seven times in his 17 UFC fights and this one should prove to be quite entertaining.

“The Answer” has spent a ton of time either going for or defending a title in his career and can thank his aggressive style for that as he lands 3.52 significant strikes per minute on just 40% accuracy. The reason that he has earned a majority of his wins by decision (9) is because even though he is not always knocking out his opponent with those strikes, he is getting them in and allowing them to land a mere 2.09 strikes on him, deflecting 71% of them away. He does like to get his opponent on the mat as well, doing so 2.71 times per 15 minutes but mainly due to aggressiveness as his accuracy in takedown attempts is just 38%.

He was phenomenal in his last fight against Cub Swanson, though, getting him down seven times and had by far his most passes (16) since joining UFC. Edgar also landed 46% of his 202 strike attempts in the bout with 77-of-93 significant strikes landed aimed at the head. He does not often go for the submission with just 0.4 attempted per 15 minutes, but still can get it done that way if necessary with four of his 18 career wins being a submission; including against Swanson when he performed a neck crank on his second attempt. Edgar has been tough to beat as he’s defended against takedowns 63% of the time and will be eager to get his fourth straight victory.

Faber has been the king of the submission as he uses his Brazilian jiu-jitsu background to earn the win with this method more often than not. He averaged 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes after getting them on the ground 1.71 times in 15 minutes at 34% accuracy. He won’t typically allow his opponent to get the upper hand on him as his defense in solid, defending against a takedown 58% of the time and deflecting 65% of strikes against him.

Over the last two fights, Faber has taken only 35 significant strikes from his opponents, but has landed only 39 of his own as his style is better suited with fewer punches taken. In his last fight against Francisco Rivera, he would not allow him to get anything done, landing a meager 15-of-56 significant strikes (26%) and getting to Faber’s head just seven times. “California Kid” will need to win with a submission once again in this tough matchup since he usually gets hit (2.25 SApM) nearly as often as he land strikes (2.67 SLpM), which won’t come easily against a fighter of Edgar’s caliber.

Other UFC Fight Night 66 Bouts - Odds provided by Sportsbook.ag

Flyweight Matchup:
Nolan Ticman -225
Yao Zhikui +185

Flyweight Matchup:
Roldan Sangcha-an +160
Jon Delos Reyes -185

Bantamweight Matchup:
Ning Guangyou +125
Royston Wee -145

Welterweight Matchup:
Li Jingliang +170
Dhiego Lima -200

Lightweight Matchup:
Zhang Lipeng +115
Kajan Johnson -135

Lightweight Matchup:
Tae Hyun Bang +135
Jon Tuck -155

Featherweight Matchup:
Mark Eddiva OFF
Levan Makashvili OFF

Featherweight Matchup:
Phillipe Nover +160
Yui Chul Nam -185

Welterweight Matchup:
Hyun Gyu Lim +100
Neil Magny -120

Middleweight Matchup:
Mark Muñoz +140
Luke Barnatt -160

Middleweight Matchup:
Gegard Mousasi -550
Costas Philippou +425

UFC Fight Night Odds and Picks
By Hugh Citron
Sportingnews

UFC Fight Night comes to us this Saturday from Manila, Philippines with a big fight in the featherweight division between second-ranked former UFC lightweight champion Frankie "The Answer" Edgar and former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber. While it's branded "Fight Night," the bout is slated for Saturday morning U.S. time (10 a.m. ET, Fox Sports 1), so be sure to get your action in early!

Edgar is bigger than a 4-to-1 favorite to keep his spot in the title picture, with Faber getting more than 3-to-1 odds as the underdog.

Edgar (18-4-1) has amazingly fought twice a year since 2008 and makes his 2015 debut after a nice fifth-round submission win over Cub Swanson to close out 2014.

Edgar, who won the UFC lightweight title back in 2010 by defeating B.J. Penn, has made a career of being in hard-fought, close fights. Frankie was able to defend his title three times before losing it in a razor-close decision to Benson Henderson. A rematch with Henderson produced another close fight with hard-to-score rounds, and Frankie came out on the wrong side of a split decision.

Edgar dropped in weight for his next fight, a title shot against featherweight champion Jose Aldo. Edgar did well, but lost a unanimous decision in what earned Fight of the Night honors. Since then, Frankie has looked good in putting together a three-fight win streak. Edgar seems primed for another good performance Saturday, and this is shaping up as a compelling bout between high-profile fighters who are used to being in main events on the big stage.

Turning 36 this week, Faber (32-7) also should be full of confidence coming into this fight, as he's won six of his last seven bout, with the only loss in that stretch coming in a bantamweight title fight with Renan Barao. Faber has made a career of beating fighters he should beat and loses only to top fighters.

Faber showed tremendous heart in a five-round decision loss to Jose Aldo back in 2010, when Aldo landed so many leg kicks that Urijah needed help getting back to his corner between rounds. Faber will need a performance of a lifetime to get the best of Edgar, but has looked up to the task in training. With his wrestling, he has a chance to make this fight very interesting if he can get inside and land a few takedowns.

Edgar usually has the speed advantage in most of his fights, but he won't have that luxury here, as Faber is just as quick and likes to keep the pace fast. Rounds can be hard to score in lighter weight classes, and laying -400 can be a tricky proposition, especially if the crowd in Manila gets behind the underdog Faber, as crowds usually do.

The Linemakers lean: I'm looking more forward to watching what should be a great fight rather than betting on it. There's no way I'm laying -400-plus here, so the only way to go is to play Faber strictly on the value, as this line seems a touch high.

Go with the underdog Urijah Faber, who always gives his best effort, at +325 or better to upset Frankie Edgar in the main event Saturday.

Undercard

Mark Munoz vs. Luke Barnatt

The undercard features a couple of interesting fights in the middleweight division, starting with veteran Mark "The Filipino Wrecking Machine" Munoz taking on Englishman Luke Barnatt. Barnatt is a -160 favorite, with Munoz getting +140 odds on the takeback.

Munoz (13-6) was once considered a serious contender for the middleweight title, but has fallen on hard times. He has lost four of his last five fights and has looked awful in his last three, never getting out of the first round.

After winning the first eight fights of his career, Barnatt (8-2) has dropped his last two, both split-decision losses against fairly weak competition.

If this fight were anywhere but the Philippines, where Munoz will have a huge home advantage, I wouldn't have much betting interest in it. Munoz also has a big back-class advantage and has clearly been in with much better competition throughout his career than Barnatt.

If Munoz, 37, has anything left in the tank, he'll probably give his best effort in front of the Filipino fans. If the fight ends up in the hands of judges, it surely won't hurt to have the crowd going crazy every time you do something.

The Linemakers lean: Mark Munoz at +140 to defeat Luke Barnatt.

Gegard Mousasi vs. Costas Philippou

Another fight at 185 pounds features No, 7 Gegard Mousasi and No. 12 Costas Philippou. Mousasi, who seems to have been around forever, is only 29 and still has plenty of time to make another run for a title. Mousasi, who usually takes care of business against weaker competition, is a -650 favorite to take out Philippou.

Philippou, 35, has been in with some tough competition himself, losing in the first round to top contender Luke Rockhold back in 2014. Costas might come into this fight with some confidence of his own after stopping Lorenz Larkin in the first round in his last fight.

Mousasi clearly has the edge on paper in this fight, but that doesn't always translate in the octagon. Odds of -650 is Ronda Rousey territory, and that just doesn't seem realistic for Mousasi in this fight.

The Linemakers lean: Look for Philippou to give a good account of himself here and maybe make things interesting, as Mousasi could be in a look-ahead situation with bigger fights down the road. A small lean, once again strictly on value, to Costas Philippou to upset Gegard Mousasi at about +450.

MLB

National League
Pirates @ Cubs
Cole is 5-1, 2.39 in his last six starts; three of his last four stayed under.

Lester is 3-0, 3.15 in his last three starts; over is 5-3-1 in his last nine.

Pirates lost three of last four games with Cubs; over is 8-2-1 in in last eleven series games. Pittburgh lost last three games; four of their last six games stayed under total. Cubs won their last five games, scoring 29 runs.

Diamondbacks @ Phillies
Bradley comes off DL (facial injury); Arizona is 4-0 when he starts (2-0, 1.71) his last three starts all went over.

Williams is 0-2, 7.54 in his last three starts; over is 3-2 in his last five at home. .

Arizona lost five of last six games with the Phillies; over is 5-3-1 in last nine series games. D'backs lost five of last seven games- six of their last eight went over total. Philly won its last three games; six of their last eight stayed under.

Brewers @ Mets
Garza is 1-1, 2.75 in his last three starts; over is 2-0-1 in his last three on road. .

deGrom is 1-3, 6.45 in his last four starts; under is 4-2-1 in his last seven.

Milwaukee won five of last seven games with the Mets; nine of last 11 series games stayed under. Brewers won four of their last six games; four of their last five stayed under. Mets lost their last five games; under is 9-2-1 in last twelve games.

Giants @ Reds
Vogelsong is 1-0, 0.64 in his last two starts; three of his last four went under.

Leake is 2-0, 1.24 in his last four starts; four of his last five stayed under.

Giants lost five of last six games with Cincinnati; road team won ten of last 12 in series. SF lost eight of last 12 road games. Reds won three of their last four games; under is 4-1-1 in their last six games.

Braves @ Marlins
Wood is 0-2, 6.19 in his last three starts; over is 5-1-1 in his last seven.

Latos is 1-0, 1.35 in his last two starts; three of his las four went under.

Marlins lost five of last seven games with Atlanta; three of last five played in Miami stayed under. Miami lost four of last five games; seven of its last nine went over the total. Braves lost five of last seven games with three of last four staying under total.

Nationals @ Padres
Scherzer is 3-2, 2.36 in his last six starts; three of last four stayed under.

Cashner is 0-4, 4.33 in his last four starts, three of which stayed under- San Diego scored total of three runs in the four games.

Nationals won eight of last 12 games with San Diego; three of last four went over. Washington won seven of its last nine games; all of them went over total. Padres won four of last five home games- over is 7-2 in their last nine games overall.

Rockies @ Dodgers
de la Rosa is 0-2, 10.69 in his four starts; four of his last five road starts went under the total.

Greinke is 5-0, 1.74 in his last six starts; six of his last seven went over.

Dodgers won nine of last ten games with Colorado; ten of last 12 in series went over. LA won 15 of last 18 home games; nine of their last ten overall went over total. Colorado lost 12 of last 13 games; they scored 21 runs in their last eight games, but nine runs in last two

American League
Angels @ Orioles
Shoemaker is 1-3, 8.05 in his last four starts; over is 4-1-1 in his last six.

Jimenez is 2-1, 3.50 in his last three starts; under is 5-1-1 in his last seven.

Angels won seven of last nine games; seven of their last eight stayed under total. Halos lost seven of last 11 games with Baltimore-- eight of last 10 series games stayed under. Orioles lost seven of their last ten games.

Indians @ Rangers
Salazar is 4-1, 3.27 in his five starts, last four of which went over.

Lewis is 2-0, 0.86 in his last three starts, all of which went over.

Indians won last seven games with Texas, scoring 54 runs; over is 5-2-1 in last eight series games. Cleveland lost five of last eight games; ten of their last 12 went over total. Rangers are 3-5 in last eight games; seven of their last ten went over the total.

Blue Jays @ Astros
Estrada is 0-2, 7.45 in his two starts this season.

Feldman is 0-2, 5.82 in his last three starts; four of his last five went under.

Astros won six of last seven games with Toronto; six of last eight in series went over total. Blue Jays lost five of last six games; three of their last four went over. Houston won its last three games, scoring 18 runs; three of their last four went over.

Bronx @ Royals
Sabathia is 1-2, 6.29 in his last four starts; four of his last six stayed under.

Duffy is 0-2, 19.28 in his last two starts; his last three starts went over.

Kansas City won five of last seven games with Bronx; Royals won five of last seven games overall with four of last five going over. Bronx lost its last four games- they scored six runs in the four games, three of which stayed under the total.

Rays @ Twins
Colome is 4-0, 1.23 in his last four road starts; they all stayed under.

May is 0-2, 7.45 in his last two starts; five of his last six went over.

Tampa Bay won seven of last 11 games with Minnesota; last three stayed under the total. Rays won three of last four games, allowing eight runs; five of their last six stayed under. Twins lost three of last five games; six of their last nine went over the total.

White Sox @ A's
Danks is 1-1, 5.91 in his last four starts; under is 4-1-1 in his last six.

Chavez is 1-3, 3.96 in his four starts; A's scored 10 runs in four games.

Chicago won five of last seven games with Oakland; White Sox won five of last six games overall, with three of last four staying under total. A's lost eight of last nine games; over is 6-2-1 in those nine games.

Red Sox @ Mariners
Porcello is 2-0, 1.89 in his last three starts; four of his last six went over.

Mariners are 7-0 when Hernandez starts (6-0, 1.85); under is 4-0-1 in his last five outings.

Boston won four of last six games, with under 12-3-1 in last 16. Red Sox are 2-6 in their last eight games with Seattle- over is 9-2-1 in last 12 series games. Seattle won five of its last seven games.

Interleague
Tigers @ Cardinals
Greene is 0-2, 9.95 in his last four starts.

Martinez allowed 14 runs in nine IP in his last two starts.

St Louis is 12-5 in its last 17 games; they lost four of last five games against Detroit. Seven of last ten Cardinal games went over. Tigers won three of last four games; they scored 23 runs in their last two games.

Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Pitt-Chi-- Cole 5-2; Lester 5-2
Az-Phil-- Bradley 4-0; Williams 3-4
Mil-NY-- Garza 3-4; deGrom 3-4
SF-Cin-- Vogelsong 3-2; Leake 3-4
Atl-Mia-- Wood 1-6; Latos 3-4
Wsh-SD-- Scherzer 4-3; Cashner 1-6
Col-LA-- de la Rosa 0-4; Greinke 6-1

LAA-Balt-- Shoemaker 3-3; Jimenez 3-3
Clev-Tex-- Salazar 4-1; Lewis 3-4
NY-KC-- Sabathia 2-5; Duffy 4-3
TB-Min-- Colome 2-1; May 3-3
Tor-Hst-- Estrada 0-2; Feldman 3-4
CWS-A's-- Danks 3-3; Chavez 1-3
Bos-Sea-- Porcello 5-2; Hernandez 7-0

Det-StL-- Price 6-1; Lyons 1-1

Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Pitt-Chi-- Cole 2-7; Lester 3-7
Az-Phil-- Bradley 2-4; Williams 3-7
Mil-NY-- Garza 2-7; deGrom 3-7
SF-Cin-- Vogelsong 1-5; Leake 1-7
Atl-Mia-- Wood 3-7; Latos 2-7
Wsh-SD-- Scherzer 1-7; Cashner 2-7
Col-LA-- de la Rosa 3-4; Greinke 3-7

LAA-Balt-- Shoemaker 3-6; Jimenez 0-6
Clev-Tex-- Salazar 3-5; Lewis 0-7
NY-KC-- Sabathia 3-7; Duffy 2-7
TB-Min-- Colome 1-3; May 3-6
Tor-Hst-- Estrada 2-2; Feldman 3-7
CWS-A's-- Danks 1-6; Chavez 0-4
Bos-Sea-- Porcello 1-7; Hernandez 1-7

Det-StL-- Price 2-7; Lyons 1-2

Umpires
Atl-Mia-- Four of last five LBarrett games stayed under.
Pitt-Chi-- Over is 10-4 in last fourteen Segal games.
Az-Phil-- Five of seven TWelke games stayed under.
Mil-NY-- Over is 3-0-2 in last five Nelson games.
SF-Cin-- Four of five Dreckman games went over.
Wsh-SD-- Four of six Davis games went over total.
Col-LA-- Three of last four Wegner games went over.

TB-Min-- Over is 5-2-2 in Meals games this year.
LAA-Blt-- Over is 11-6 in last 17 Hamari games.
Tor-Hst-- Underdogs won six of last nine Fagan games.
NY-KC-- Over is 8-3-1 in last twelve Tumpane games.
Cle-Tex-- Over is 3-1-1 in Morales games this year.
Chi-A's-- Three of last four Barry games went over.
Bos-Sea-- Three of last four Davidson games went over.

Det-StL-- Four of five Carapazza games stayed under.

UFC Fight Night 66 Preview: Does Faber have another title shot in him?
By MMAODDSBREAKER

The main event of UFC Fight Night 66 is a five-round featherweight bout between Frankie Edgar and Urijah Faber.

Edgar (18-4-1) is one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world. The 33-year-old American is 12-4-1 overall in the UFC including a 3-1 mark at featherweight with wins over Charles Oliveira, BJ Penn and Cub Swanson, with his lone loss at 145lbs coming to champion Jose Aldo. Edgar is a former lightweight champion himself and has wins over the likes of Gray Maynard, Jim Miller, and Sean Sherk as a lightweight.

Edgar is simply one of the most well-rounded fighters in the game today. He has fantastic boxing on the feet, he has incredible wrestling, his ground game is devastating, his cardio is top-notch and his chin has proven to be made out of iron.

He has very few flaws, and is one of the most complete fighters to ever compete in the lightweight and featherweight divisions. Edgar has actually improved his game over the last few years and is gunning for a shot at the featherweight title. And with a win over Faber in this weekend’s superfight, he’s likely to get one.

Faber (32-7) is one of the top lighter-weight fighter of all time. The 36-year-old American is moving back to featherweight for the first time since 2010 after going 9-3 as a bantamweight, defeating the likes of Alex Caceres, Francisco Rivera, Brian Bowles, Michael McDonald and Iuri Alcantara, with his only losses in the last five years coming to former champions Dominick Cruz and Renan Barao. In fact, in his illustrious career he has never lost a non-title fight, which is an incredible feat.

Faber is a very complete fighter. He has great wrestling, sharp striking, brilliant submissions, and he has cardio for days. He is a finisher, with 26 wins coming by stoppage. For Faber, he’s always defeated the top contenders, he’s just taken a step back when he fights champions. Otherwise, he’s been absolutely brilliant.

However he is moving back up to 145lbs for this fight and is fighting the former 155lb champ. He will probably have to win on points over five rounds, land a KO blow or get Edgar’s back in a transition, but considering he doesn’t have the wrestling advantage in this fight, and therefore won’t be able to dictate where the fight will take place, it seems like a tall order for Faber and that’s why he’s a big dog here despite being a brilliant fighter in his own right.

I think this is a terrible stylistic matchup for Faber, and clearly the betting public agrees as you can see from the line. Edgar has been fighting at a championship-level caliber for a while now, and I fully expect him to put on a dominant showing here against Faber.

If the fight stays standing I expect Edgar to outpoint Faber with his boxing, but I think what’s more likely is Edgar uses his incredible wrestling to take this fight to the mat and throw some nasty ground and pound on Faber. “The California Kid” is a tough guy to finish, but if anyone will stop him it’s Edgar.

I just can’t see Faber winning this fight, as the only area he’s better than Edgar in is submissions, and in this fight Edgar will be holding the wrestling advantage. I highly favor Edgar to get the win, it’s just unfortunate the line is so high because there isn’t as much value for a bet. Still, he’s someone to consider for a parlay, because he’s one of the most-likely winners on the entire card and it would be a pretty huge upset if he lost.

Johnson revved up for all-star race
NASCAR Wire Service
Distributed by The Sports Xchange

The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race doesn't count toward season points, but it's not all fun and games. Competitors don't act buddy-buddy or attempt flashy moves just for show.

The reason?

The winner takes home $1 million.

Jimmie Johnson knows the feeling of competing in and winning the event featuring NASCAR's top drivers. He will attempt to add to his record four Sprint All-Star Race wins on Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway (7 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1).

"It's a very rewarding night, a night the team really enjoys," Johnson said. "There's a different atmosphere with the pressure being off and a million reasons to have fun after."

The six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion has won because of his ability to navigate the All-Star Race's unique format.

This year, there are four 25-lap segments followed by a final 10-lap shootout. Drivers start the first segment in order of their best times in an All-Star-specific qualifying format. They will take three timed laps with one four-tire pit stop included. On the pit stop, there is no pit road speeding penalty enforced.

Aggregate total time will set the starting lineup for the race.

During the race, there are yellow flag periods between the four segments. Cars may enter pit road between segments 1 through 4, but will not retain their running position. The running order at the completion of the fourth segment will be repositioned based on the drivers' average finish in the first four segments. Ties in average finish will be broken by finish in the fourth segment.

Cars must enter pit road for a mandatory four-tire pit stop between segments 4 and 5, and the leader after 10 green flag laps in segment 5 takes home the $1 million.

"Without a doubt, you know that you beat the best of the best. With the varying strategies that take place and the segments and how many laps and all the different things we've had over the years, there hasn't been one set path to get there," Johnson said.

One of Johnson's main challengers will be his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, three-time NASCAR Sprint All-Star race-winner Jeff Gordon, who would love to go out on top in what will likely be his final appearance in the event. In the three seasons Gordon has won the All-Star Race -- 1995, 1997 and 2001 -- he also captured the Sprint Cup championship.

"The All-Star event is just one of those races where you go all-out," Gordon said. "With no points on the line, it's about pride and honor and just kind of showing your competitors what you can do."

Johnson's longtime crew chief, Chad Knaus, echoed Gordon’s sentiments, saying, "If the All-Star Race paid one dollar, I'd still want to win it."

Rhodes to skip high school graduation ceremony, make Xfinity Series debut

At this time of year, most high school seniors are looking for prom dates, reminiscing over their schoolyard days and trying to figure out whether they want to bag groceries or be a lifeguard over the summer.

Not Ben Rhodes.

The 18-year-old NASCAR Next alum is skipping his high school graduation ceremony to make his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in the JR Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet at Sunday's 3M 250 at Iowa Speedway (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1).

Instead of receiving his diploma at Holy Cross High School in Louisville, Ky., on Friday night, Rhodes, the owner of a 3.98 GPA, will accept it from high school president Tim Welhe on Iowa Speedway's stage during Sunday's driver introductions.

"JR Motorsports has given me an unbelievable opportunity with this car and race team," Rhodes said. "I am surrounded with knowledge and some of the biggest names in the sport."

Last season, Rhodes dominated the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, amassing five wins, 11 top fives, 13 top 10s and six poles en route to the series championship. He also made four NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts, logging one top-five and three top-10 finishes.

In preparation for his 10-event Xfinity Series schedule, Rhodes has attended many of the races, learning from members of the No. 88 team in the garage and on spotter perches.

"By going to the track with the team almost every week, I have learned a lot about the setup of these Xfinity Series cars and also how they react and change during runs," Rhodes said. "Our goal for the rest of the season is to be running near the top five each week and to hopefully be challenging for a win later in the season."

Last month at his Kentucky Speedway test, JR Motorsports team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. had nothing but praise for Rhodes, calling him an "exceptional young man."

"He has a great opportunity to be successful as a driver but also represent his partners well," Earnhardt said. "He seems to really understand the importance of being the whole package.

"He's really doing a lot when it comes to being accountable at the races, standing around and trying to be a sponge for the information that's available to him while we're practicing."

Fuel back in the tank: Jones looks to bounce back

Erik Jones dominated a race as much as a driver can without winning in last Friday's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Toyota Tundra 250 at Kansas Speedway.

The 18-year-old Michigan native led a track-record 151 of 167 laps and even opened an 11-second lead at one point before running out of fuel with seven go-arounds left on the 1.5-mile track.

"We had the fastest truck by far last week at Kansas, but unfortunately in the end it came down to fuel mileage and we weren't able to get the win," Jones said.

Jones finished 11th and remained third in the Camping World Truck Series standings but fell to 18 points behind race-winner Matt Crafton for the series lead.

The NASCAR Next alum, who has recently drawn an abundance of praise for his April NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Texas and impressive Sprint Cup Series debut at Kansas last weekend, makes his next Trucks start in Friday's NC Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (8:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1).

Jones has never competed on the Queen City track, but turned laps on the 1.5-mile oval for Kyle Busch Motorsports at a rookie test earlier in the year.

"I was able to get a feel for the place and what is different about it compared to other intermediate tracks," Jones said. "KBM has had a lot of success with Kyle at Charlotte, so hopefully we can carry some of that over this weekend and get another win."

NASCAR welcomes intrgue of All-Star Race
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

Is it time to worry about NASCAR's TV ratings? If so, then the final rating from Saturday night's cablecast on Fox Sports 1 of the Sprint All-Star Race will certainly be a number to watch.

Fox is counting on NASCAR, among other sports properties, to build a following for Fox Sports 1. While the channel introduced in August of 2013 has done well versus its predecessor -- Speed Channel -- it still has a long way to go when it comes to gaining households versus ESPN or ESPN2, each leading FS1 by 10 to 12 million, depending on who's counting.

Saturday night's race is the first All-Star event on FS1. To be perfectly blunt, the All-Star race has always been a bit of a loser on TV, especially on cable channels with fewer households than the networks. The race is not part of the championship and has a wacky format that constantly changes from year to year in a relatively fruitless pursuit of better ticket sales and ratings. And, the race falls on a Saturday night, usually a weak spot for ratings.

This year is a bit more significant because it's another chance to judge whether demand from NASCAR viewers will help FS1 gain more households through cable providers. That's certainly part of the strategy behind a long term contract between Fox Sports and NASCAR. According to one executive at FS1, the channel is in its infancy when it comes to the battle with ESPN. So, look for a small number for the All-Star race ratings. The ratings have averaged a paltry 2.2 over the last four years on Fox Sports. Anything close to a 2.0 rating on FS1 would be encouraging for Fox Sports executives.

Overall in TV land, the ratings are consistently down in 2015 in some year-over-year comparisons, especially where FS1 is involved (as is inevitable) and where rain has interrupted races. But are this year's ratings more reflective of changes at Fox Sports? And are the ratings a plebiscite on the popularity of NASCAR?

Combined with the obvious decline in ticket sales, ratings over the past five seasons confirm that the following of NASCAR's Sprint Cup has gotten smaller. On the other hand, the TV viewership is consistently higher compared to other sporting events in the same time slots and the NASCAR fans are reliable when it comes to following their sport from the beginning of the season until the finish.

It's these latter characteristics that TV networks such as Fox and NBC like -- especially when they're trying to build new sports networks. NBC will return to NASCAR coverage this summer with 13 of its 20 races appearing on the NBC Sports Network.

--Kyle Busch's remarkable comeback on Saturday night from the broken right leg and left foot suffered at Daytona may well be timely for TV ratings. How well he'll fare in his first competition since February is certainly an intriguing question. Whether he'll be competitive enough to finish in the Top 30 in points by the start of the Chase to be eligible for it or get the needed victory to make the Chase remains an open-ended question.

In addition to his medical clearance, there's reason to believe Busch will bounce back quickly. He has been upbeat, relaxed and generally in good spirits at his media conferences. The driver, who just turned 30, has 29 career Sprint Cup victories and said he's just as determined to win races despite losing some of his sense of invincibility. "That's actually why we're trying to get back in for the All-Star Race," he said. "Then we're going to go and run the rest of the year, see if the success can't continue like it has before the crash, that we're able to run consistent enough to get ourselves in the Top 30 in points, maybe get a win in order to get ourselves Chase eligible."

Given that Busch has not raced a low downforce chassis under the current 2015 rules and that he has a new crew chief this year in Adam Stevens, making the Chase will be a tall order. Due to rules prohibiting testing, he's only been able to make test runs in a Late Model car on non-Cup tracks.

Busch suggested the rule requiring a driver to be in the Top 30 in points to be Chase eligible was really designed to keep interlopers out -- such as road race ringers -- and not regulars such as him who have been injured. But NASCAR officials didn't see it that way, waiving only the rule requiring drivers to attempt to qualify for all races. And after all, it is a championship representing a season as much as a post-season.

Busch will have two important people standing by in Charlotte. Erik Jones, the designated relief driver, and his wife Samantha. She is expecting their first child, a son, on May 22nd. The driver confirmed he will give up his racing seat if necessary to be present for the birth.

--Now that all of the appeals by Richard Childress Racing have been turned down, did NASCAR dodge its own version of Deflategate?

It was more probable than not the Richard Childress Racing car of Ryan Newman had tires illegally deflated -- air bled away by pinholes in the sidewalls -- when he finished second to Kevin Harvick in the championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway last year.

NASCAR caught up with the team's tires in the fourth race this season at Fontana and issued fines and suspensions. Technically, that's the team's only official violation.

--Usually the definition of an all-star is an athlete having a good season. That's not true for Martin Truex Jr. He is second only to Kevin Harvick in the standings and is the leading candidate to make the Chase on points alone. But he didn't make the All-Star race's initial starting line-up. Instead, he'll need to finish first or second in the Sprint Showdown or win the fan vote. He doesn't have a recent victory and has not won the All-Star race previously.

In place of his previous consistent runs near the front this season, Truex Jr. led five times for 95 laps at the Kansas Speedway last Saturday in a new Chevy built by his Furniture Row Racing team. He's confident about getting into victory lane sometime soon.

The new Chevy for intermediate tracks "is kind of the newest and latest and greatest that we've come up with and we definitely feel like we closed that gap a little bit," said Truex Jr. "We'll just have to wait and see if that plays out on other racetracks. But if we can keep doing that and keep finding little things here and there to close that gap and keep being consistent putting ourselves in position, I feel like we can win some races. We've got a great team, we've got everything we need to do it, and we've got a lot of confidence. So we've just got to keep getting in that position and try to close the deal."

Drivers to Watch - Charlotte

Sprint All-Star Race
Saturday, May 16th – 9:25 p.m. ET
Charlotte Motor Speedway – Concord, NC

In one of the more interesting formats in the series, the winners from the past year will get together in the Sprint Showdown for bragging rights and a chance at the $1 million-plus top prize. The race has taken place at Charlotte Motor Speedway since 1987 and the 1.5-mile, quad-oval track has seen plenty of action on its 24-degree turns. The format of this race has been changed frequently, but currently, they run four 20-lap segments before doing a 10-lap sprint at the end as the drivers have short breaks in between each segment.

It’s not surprising that Jimmie Johnson has been the most dominant force here, winning four times (2003, 2006, 2012, 2013) but he failed to get the jump on last year’s victor; Jamie McMurray. McMurray’s time of 1:20:35 was the fastest mark since the start of this new format in 2012 as he had an average speed of 100.517 MPH on the asphalt track. There are currently 17 racers entered into this battle of top drivers with three possibly coming from winning the two segments of the Sprint Showdown on Friday and by taking the fan vote. Let’s take a look at who could be the best of the best this week in Charlotte.

Drivers to Watch

Jimmie Johnson (6/1) - Johnson is one of the few drivers that is only behind Harvick in the odds this week, but could be worth putting money on with his recent hot streak and past success both at this track and at this particular race. In the past five races, Johnson has done no worse than third and has two victories while never doing better than fifth in the pole. We all know that he is dominant, but his track record in Charlotte is still very impressive as he has taken this race four times in the past and has won another three events when hitting the asphalt of Charlotte. He also has another six top-five showings in his 27 attempts at the track and sits behind just Joey Logano (10.0) and Carl Edwards (11.3) with an average finish of 11.4. Johnson should have no issues continuing his hot streak again this week.

Joey Logano (6/1) - The aforementioned Logano has been itching at the bit to get a win in Charlotte as he ranks best among his peers with an average finish of 10.0 at the venue with four top-fives, but has yet to take a ride in victory lane. He’s been in the All-Star Race four times in his young career, getting two top-fives in those attempts as he owns an average green-flag speed of 180.366 MPG (5th-fastest). He seems to be great in fewer laps as he has been in the top two of the pole six times this year and used a fifth pole position to get a win at Daytona in February. The soon to be 25-year-old has been keeping his wits sharp on the Xfinity Race circuit as well, running five times in those events with three victories and two runner-ups. He could soon supplement Johnson as the perennial winner of this race.

Kasey Kahne (20/1) - Kahne has started at this track 22 times in his career, and in that time he owns four victories, including one in the All-Star Race. His average green-flag speed of 180.143 MPH at the race ranks sixth-fastest and he nearly always is near the front of the pack with an average finish of 11.5 at Charlotte (4th best). The 17-time Sprint Cup Series winner has had a somewhat erratic 2015, though, putting up four top-10s while also finished worse than 15th five times. He does seem to do well when at this track, so look for Kahne to stay near the front with all of the top racers in the series.

Ryan Newman (40/1) - Newman has yet to grab a win in the 2015 campaign, but has not been doing poorly either, finishing in the top-five on four occasions and has an average finish of 8.3 over his last four races heading into this week. As a rookie in 2002, Newman was able to get the checkered flag here amongst the largest field (27) in race history, joining just Jeff Gordon as first-year drivers to win the All-Star Race. In total he has been here 13 times in his solid career and has seven top-10s while also failing to finish four times. Newman’s odds are high, but the 17-time Sprint Cup Series winner should have no problem showing up and dotting the top of the leaderboard.

A.J. Allmendinger (Field: 10/1) - Allmendinger is joined by Almirola with the worst odds to win this week, but since having a rough couple of years with drug suspensions and team changes, he has seemed to level off and is racing at a much higher level. He has two top-10 finishes in 2015 and has been having a nice run leading up to this week with an average finish of 14.7 over his last three races. Allmendinger has one career top-five on this course and could surprise many this week, so putting a unit or two on the field and having him along with a few others isn’t a bad move.

Auto: All-Star Weekend
By Micah Roberts

We've got an outstanding weekend of NASCAR fun with the Sprint Showdown qualifying race on Friday and then the All-Star race on Saturday night where $1 million will be given away to the winner. Of all the All-Star game formats in all sports, NASCAR's version is without a doubt the best because it's all business. No points are involved, but with a massive paycheck waiting in the winners circle, it tends to make drivers give a little bit extra and let it all hang out.

There are 17 drivers eligible to participate in the 110-lap All-Star race with three other drivers having two different ways to become eligible. The winners of the two 20-lap segments in Friday's Showdown advance and another will make it by fan voting. The All-Star race is split up into four 25-lap segments followed by the final 10-lap dash for the cash where no jalopies are in the way.

With bad cars out of the equation, the favorites’ probability to win on the high-banked 1.5-mile track just went up, which means Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson are going to be harder than ever to slay. The duo has combined to win the past seven races on 1.5s with Johnson taking three of four this season. Harvick won at Las Vegas and finished second in the other three.

Those two also have some great history at Charlotte with Johnson winning seven times, including last years Coca-Cola 600, and he’s also won the All-Star race four times, the last coming in 2013. Harvick has won at Charlotte three times, including last fall, and won the All-Star race in 2007. Good luck picking against them.

However, Jamie McMurray came away with the win last season and paid out at 40/1 odds (Bet $100 to win $4,000). It was his only win of 2014 and he didn‘t get credit for one officially, but he did take home a big $1 million check. Last season, McMurray hadn’t shown much on 1.5s prior to the All-Star race and the Penske Racing and Jeff Gordon were running extremely well. Johnson and Harvick were the co-favorites at 5/1.

Is there somebody like McMurray in this years race?

The most likely driver to give the No. 4 and No. 48 a run for their money this week isMartin Truex Jr. but he’s not even eligible for the All-Star race. He has to either win the Sprint Showdown qualifying race or get voted in by the fans. Dale Earnhardt Jr has already tweeted out to his bazillion followers that Truex Jr. is his vote. Truex Jr. should be expected to win the Showdown, which features all the jalopies.

Kyle Larson would be the most likely other candidate to advance and Danica Patrick will probably win the fan vote if Truex Jr. doesn't need it because of winning.

Last week at Kansas, Truex Jr. led a race-high 95-laps and fell victim to rain delays and late cautions. He absolutely dominated the race, but finished ninth after getting stuck behind Kurt Busch who had a bad final restart.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. won this event as a rookie in 2000, but nothing since. You won’t be getting great odds him, maybe 10/1, but so far so good for the No. 88 on 1.5s this season where he’s finished fourth or better in all four events -- third-place three times. He’s been just a notch below Harvick and Johnson.

The funny thing about all three of Johnson’s wins is that he took over the race at the end of all three. He’s a closer is every sense and leads the series with the most wins. It’s one of his better career performances just because he wasn’t stellar in practices like he was in years past and won. His 23 wins on 1.5-mile tracks is a NASCAR record.

All-Star Race Top-Five Finish Prediction:

1) #88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (10/1)
2) #48 Jimmie Johnson (5/1)
3) #78 Martin Truex Jr. (18/1)
4) #4 Kevin Harvick (7/2)
5) #22 Joey Logano (7/1)

Vegas odds on English Premier League weekend action
By STEPHEN CAMPBELL

Tuesday afternoon the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook released the following odds for English Premier League action for the upcoming weekend on the pitch:

SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2015


4:45 AM - NBC SPORTS NETWORK
ASTON VILLA +1/2 +110 2 1/2 OVER EVEN
SOUTHAMPTON -1/2 -130 2 1/2 UNDER -120

3 WAY RESULT:
ASTON VILLA +375
DRAW +260
SOUTHAMPTON -130


7:00 AM
STOKE CITY PICK -115 2 1/2 OVER +125
BURNLEY PICK -105 2 1/2 UNDER -145

3 WAY RESULT:
STOKE CITY +165
DRAW +220
BURNLEY +175


7:00 AM
NEWCASTLE -1/2 +130 2 1/2 OVER -125
QUEENS PARK RANGERS +1/2 -150 2 1/2 UNDER +105

3 WAY RESULT:
NEWCASTLE +130
DRAW +250
QUEENS PARK RANGERS +200


7:00 AM
LEICESTER CITY PICK -110 2 1/2 OVER +110
SUNDERLAND PICK -110 2 1/2 UNDER -130

3 WAY RESULT:
LEICESTER CITY +170
DRAW +220
SUNDERLAND +170


7:00 AM
HULL CITY +1/2 +115 2 1/2 OVER -130
TOTTENHAM -1/2 -135 2 1/2 UNDER +110

3 WAY RESULT:
HULL CITY +350
DRAW +290
TOTTENHAM -135


7:00 AM
EVERTON PICK -115 2 1/2 OVER -105
WEST HAM PICK -105 2 1/2 UNDER -115

3 WAY RESULT:
EVERTON +160
DRAW +230
WEST HAM +175


9:30 AM - NBC SPORTS NETWORK
CRYSTAL PALACE +1 +115 2 1/2 OVER -140
LIVERPOOL -1 -135 2 1/2 UNDER +120

3 WAY RESULT:
CRYSTAL PALACE +650
DRAW +340
LIVERPOOL -225


SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2015


5:30 AM - NBC SPORTS NETWORK
MANCHESTER CITY -1/2 -150 3 OVER +110
SWANSEA CITY +1/2 +130 3 UNDER -130

3 WAY RESULT:
MANCHESTER CITY -150
DRAW +300
SWANSEA CITY +400


8:00 AM - NBC SPORTS NETWORK
ARSENAL PICK +125 2 1/2 OVER -125
MANCHESTER UNITED PICK -145 2 1/2 UNDER +105

3 WAY RESULT:
ARSENAL +210
DRAW +240
MANCHESTER UNITED +130


MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015


12:00 PM - NBC SPORTS NETWORK
CHELSEA -1/2 EVEN 2 1/2 OVER +110
WEST BROM +1/2 -120 2 1/2 UNDER -130

3 WAY RESULT:
CHELSEA EVEN
DRAW +240
WEST BROM +290

Barcelona opening as big faves against Juventus
Justin Hartling

It may not be the final many were pulling for, but with Juventus' upset of Real Madrid they will move on to the UEFA Champions League Final. Awaiting Juventus is the heavyweight Barcelona team, which has opened as a large early favorite.

The Westgate LV Superbook opened Barca at a -300 moneyline, with Juventus seeing a +250 to start. Spread action opens a little tighter with Barcelona (-1) +115 soon after the finals were known.

The two teams have not met one another in Champions League action since 2003, when Juventus prevailed by an aggregate score of 3-2.