Service Plays Sunday 5/5/13

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Mighty Quinn

Mighty missed with Verrazano in the Kentucky Derby Saturday.

Sunday it’s the Penguins. The deficit is 522 sirignanos.

Sunday's NBA playoff action: What bettors need to know

Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (-3, 186.5)

The rematch of the 2011 Western Conference semifinals figures to be intense and physical as the 2013 version of that series begins Sunday in Oklahoma City when the top-seeded Thunder meet the fifth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies. Oklahoma City prevailed in seven games two years ago when Memphis was making an unexpected dash as a No. 8 seed. Now the Grizzlies think they can defeat a Thunder squad that will be without matchup headache Russell Westbrook due to a knee injury.

Memphis won two of the three regular-season meetings, including a dramatic 90-89 overtime win on March 20 when Marc Gasol tipped in the winner with less than a second remaining. A testy mid-November Grizzlies’ win in Oklahoma City included a confrontation between Memphis star Zach Randolph and Oklahoma City enforcer Kendrick Perkins that carried over into the hallway that leads to the locker rooms after their ejections. Oklahoma City was pushed to six games by the Houston Rockets in winning its first-round series. Forward Kevin Durant averaged 32.5 points in the series. The Grizzlies ousted the Los Angeles Clippers in the opening round, spotting the Clippers a 2-0 lead before claiming the next four games to advance.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, ABC

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES: Randolph finished the Clippers series with a flourish by averaging 24.8 points over the four straight victories. He engaged in physical play with Los Angeles forward Blake Griffin and is prepared for upcoming issues with Perkins and Oklahoma City forward Serge Ibaka. “I’ve got to keep my cool because that plays into their hands,” Randolph told reporters on Saturday. “So I’m going to go out just like they were trying to get me off my square during the (Los Angeles) series.” Randolph shot just 33.3 percent from the field in the three regular-season meetings while averaging 14.7 points and 16 rebounds. Gasol averaged 14.7 points and 9.3 boards against the Thunder.

ABOUT THE THUNDER: Oklahoma City is still feeling its way over the best way to operate without Westbrook. The Thunder went 2-2 after losing him for the postseason and Durant averaged 35.5 points over those four games. Durant picked up some of the ball-handling duties and veteran backup Derek Fisher received increased minutes and went 9-of-15 from 3-point range over the last three games. Reggie Jackson was the primary point guard and averaged 14 points against the Rockets but only dished out an average of 3.7 assists. Backup guard Kevin Martin starred in the closeout win against the Rockets with 25 points after struggling most of the series. Oklahoma City needs consistent production from Martin to take the pressure off Durant.

TRENDS:

* Grizzlies are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Thunder are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games.
* Under is 12-3-1 in Thunder last 16 home games.
* Road team is 6-1 ATS in the last 7 meetings.


BUZZER BEATERS:

1. Memphis became the first team in NBA history to drop the first two games of a series and then win the next four by double digits.

2. Durant averaged 31 points and 8.3 rebounds in three regular-season games against Memphis.

3. Defensive-minded Grizzlies G Tony Allen averaged 12 points in the series against Los Angeles.


Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks (-5.5, 183)

The New York Knicks held off one strong defensive team to advance past the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time since 2000. The Knicks will face another rugged defensive team when they host the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the conference semifinals on Sunday. The Boston Celtics, who fell to New York in six games, did not feature the size that Indiana will bring with Roy Hibbert, David West and Paul George.

Carmelo Anthony snapped out of a shooting funk at precisely the right moment on Friday, ending a string of 19 straight misses from 3-point range with a dagger in the final minutes that staved off a late Boston surge. Anthony took on a host of different defenders in the Celtics' series and will likely be matched up against George or West against the Pacers. West could see time against Anthony if the Knicks elect to stick with a smaller lineup. Indiana split four games with New York in the regular season but lost in both of its trips to Madison Square Garden.

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

ABOUT THE PACERS: Indiana snapped a 13-game losing streak in Atlanta in Game 6 and brought out its good defense for the final two games of the series. After allowing the Hawks to shoot 44 percent or better in the first four games, the Pacers stifled them in the final two. That included a first half in which Indiana held Atlanta to 29 points on Friday. The Pacers have plenty of options offensively and leaned on George for most of the series with the Hawks. The All-Star forward struggled in Game 6 but West and George Hill were there to pick up the slack with 21 points apiece. Indiana enjoyed a huge advantage on the glass against Atlanta, outrebounding the Hawks 104-63 in the final two games of the series, but could be forced further out of the paint against a New York team that likes to shoot 3-pointers.

ABOUT THE KNICKS: Anthony had a brutal series shooting the ball against the Celtics but came through with two big buckets down the stretch in Game 6. Anthony shot 30.5 percent from the field, including 1-for-18 from 3-point range, over the final three games of the series and told reporters that he felt his left arm popping “in and out” of his shoulder in the fourth quarter of Game 6. The star forward will play in Game 1 but New York could choose to use a bigger lineup in part to keep that shoulder away from West in the paint. A bigger unit would mean playing Kenyon Martin alongside Tyson Chandler, who finally declared himself 100 percent healthy in Game 6. The Knicks also have Amar'e Stoudemire (knee) trying to work his way back, though his return at any point in the series is uncertain. New York held the Celtics to an average of 82.3 points in round 1.

TRENDS:

* Pacers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games.
* Knicks are 17-6 ATS in their last 23 vs. Eastern Conference.
* Under is 5-0 in Knicks last 5 home games.
* Favorite is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. Knicks G J.R. Smith went 8-for-27 from the floor in the final two games against Boston.

2. Hibbert recorded only one double-double in the first round - a 17-point, 11-rebound effort in Game 6.

3. New York outscored the Celtics by 56 points while Chandler was in the game during the first-round series.

Sunday's NHL playoff action: What bettors need to know

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Minnesota Wild (+144, 5)
Chicago leads series 2-0.

The Presidents’ Trophy winning Chicago Blackhawks are rounding into form after two games of their Western Conference first round series against the eighth-seeded Minnesota Wild. The Blackhawks will attempt to take a 3-0 stranglehold on the series when they visit Minnesota on Sunday. Chicago looked much more comfortable in its 5-2 victory in Game 2 than it did in Game 1’s 2-1 overtime triumph, firing 48 shots at Wild netminder Josh Harding on Friday after managing 37 on Tuesday. Patrick Sharp scored twice in Game 2 on feeds from Patrick Kane, who leads the Blackhawks with three points - all assists.

Harding made consecutive starts for the first time in over a year when he got the nod on Friday. Harding was dealing with complications related to his multiple sclerosis for most of the season, leaving Niklas Backstrom to carry starting duties for the Wild. After appearing fatigued in April, Backstrom injured his leg while warming up for Game 1 and is considered day-to-day. Harding has performed admirably in his first two career playoff starts for an outmatched Minnesota team that is 0-for-6 on the power play while allowing a short-handed goal in its first two playoff contests since 2008.

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

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS: Michael Frolik also scored twice on Friday - the first two-goal playoff game of his career. Bryan Bickell scored an empty-netter in Game 2, giving him the final goal in each of the first two contests after ending Game 1 in overtime. With Ray Emery suffering from a lower-body injury, Corey Crawford has started both games for Chicago and performed well aside from allowing an early goal on Tuesday and two late ones on Friday. Crawford has never won a playoff series, starting every game in both of the Blackhawks’ first-round exits over the last two seasons, while Emery guided the Ottawa Senators to the 2007 Stanley Cup final but has only started five postseason games since. Dave Bolland has missed the first two games of the series with a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day.

ABOUT THE WILD: Defenseman Ryan Suter saw his ice-time drop substantially from the 41:08 he played in Tuesday’s overtime loss, skating 24:36 in Game 2 and finishing minus-2 with two shots, two blocked shots and three hits. Zach Parise led the team with seven shots on Friday but has yet to record a point. Captain Mikko Koivu - also without a point in the first two games - showed his frustration in Game 2, taking three minor penalties and leading the series with eight penalty minutes after recording just 26 in 48 games during the regular season. Defenseman Clayton Stoner missed Friday’s game with an undisclosed injury after assisting on Cal Clutterbuck’s goal in Game 1. Stoner was replaced by Justin Falk, who finished minus-1 in 14:09 time on ice in his first career playoff game. Jason Pominville remains day-to-day with a head injury that has kept him out of the opening two games.

TRENDS:

* Blackhawks are 20-6 in their last 26 road games.
* Wild are 1-6 in their last 7 home games.
* Under is 6-0 in Blackhawks last 6 road games.
* Blackhawks are 4-0 in the last 4 meetings.

OVERTIME:

1. Minnesota is 3-5-1 in its last nine home games against Chicago and all three victories came in the shootout. The last time the Wild defeated the Blackhawks in regulation at home was Oct. 27, 2008.

2. Blackhawks captain and 2010 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jonathan Toews has been held off the scoresheet in both games thus far. Toews has 50 points in 54 career postseason contests.

3. The Wild’s last home playoff victory was a 3-2 overtime triumph on April 11, 2008 against the Colorado Avalanche. Minnesota won its last postseason contest three days later at Colorado by the same margin.


Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators (-133, 5)
Series tied 1-1.

The Ottawa Senators were the league's best penalty-killing team during the regular season, but the Montreal Canadiens did the better work while shorthanded in Game 2 to deadlock the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series at 1-1. The series shifts to Ottawa for Game 3 on Sunday night, and the Senators will look to ride reclaim the momentum from Montreal, which killed off all four penalties - three in the first period - en route to a 3-1 victory on Friday night.

The Senators were also among the best home teams for much of the season, but they dropped their final three games at Scotiabank Place. Conversely, the Canadiens posted the second-best road mark (15-7-2) in the Eastern Conference. The devastating hit by Ottawa's Eric Gryba on Canadiens center Lars Eller added an edge to the series, and Montreal displayed an added tenacity in Game 2 despite the absences of injured captain Brian Gionta and leading scorer Max Pacioretty. "They played harder than we did for most of the game," Senators coach Paul MacLean acknowledged.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBC Sports, CBC, RDS

ABOUT THE CANADIENS: Montreal coach Michel Therrien said prior to the series that he expected goaltender Carey Price to be his team's best player. That certainly was not the case in the series opener, but Price bounced back strong in Game 2 despite losing a tooth when he took a skate to the mask. He did his best work during an Ottawa power play during the second period and was rewarded seconds later when the Canadiens struck for a two-goal edge. "We got a couple more bounces and we buried a couple of opportunities," Price said. "At least I didn't let in any soft goals, so that helps."

ABOUT THE SENATORS: Ottawa was among the league's most offensively challenged teams and ranked 20th on the power play. The Senators have gone 0-for-6 with the extra skater in the series and failed on three first-period chances in Game 2. "We could have used something out of our power play tonight in the first period when we had three opportunities," MacLean said afterward. "I think that was a huge part of the game." Ottawa had been hoping to exploit a Canadiens penalty-killing unit that was wretched down the stretch of the regular season, allowing opponents to convert on 11-of-36 man-advantage chances.

TRENDS:

* Canadiens are 1-4 in their last 5 games following a win.
* Under is 34-12-10 in Senators last 56 overall.
* Senators are 6-13 in their last 19 Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Home team is 8-1 in the last 9 meetings.

OVERTIME:

1. The Senators won both matchups in Ottawa this season - 5-1 on Jan. 30 and 2-1 in a shootout on Feb. 25.

2. Gionta and Pacioretty accompanied the team to Ottawa but remain questionable with upper-body injuries.

3. Gryba said Saturday that he was "disappointed" with his two-game suspension and said he has yet to reach out to Eller, who was released from the hospital on Friday.


Vancouver Canucks vs. San Jose Sharks (-143, 5)
San Jose leads series 2-0.

After seizing the first two games on the road, the San Jose Sharks have to be feeling pretty confident as they return to HP Pavilion. Sixth-seeded San Jose, which posted a 17-2-5 mark at home in the regular season, will look to claim a commanding advantage over the Northwest Division champion Vancouver Canucks when the teams reconvene for Game 3 on Sunday night. Patrick Marleau scored the tying goal with 56 seconds remaining in the third period before former Canuck Raffi Torres tallied 5:31 into overtime as the Sharks skated to a 3-2 victory over third-seeded Vancouver on Friday.

With six consecutive home postseason losses on their mind, the Canucks are likely thrilled to be leaving British Columbia in their rear-view mirror. They'll need to gain at least a split in their trip to San Jose in order to return home for Game 5 on Thursday. "We deserved better and it didn't fall that way," said Vancouver's Ryan Kesler, who scored twice in the third period. "You've got to win four and there are plenty of games left and we need to go on a winning streak here."

TV: 10 p.m. ET, NBC Sports, TSN, RDS

ABOUT THE CANUCKS: While goaltender Roberto Luongo often receives scrutiny, captain Henrik and Daniel Sedin are also coming under fire for their lack of production in the first two games. “You win because you’re getting contributions from everybody and, right now, we need that," Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault said. "The twins worked hard, but 5-on-5 they need to find the scoresheet, and they know that more than anybody else." The Sedins each received an assist on Kesler's power-play goal for their lone point of the series.

ABOUT THE SHARKS: Torres barely let Friday's winning goal settle in before he began thinking about Sunday's tilt. "They're going to come at us with everything in Game 3," he said. Marleau certainly hasn't been holding back after scoring in both games this series. The veteran has secured at least one point in all seven career playoff games versus Vancouver. Brent Burns notched a pair of assists for the second time in three contests.

TRENDS:

* Canucks are 0-4 in their last 4 overall.
* Sharks are 9-1 in their last 10 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 15-5-3 in Canucks last 23 vs. Western Conference.
* Under is 3-0-1 in the last 4 meetings in San Jose.

OVERTIME:

1. The last time San Jose claimed a 2-0 advantage by winning a pair of road games was 1995. The Sharks were blasted 9-2 by Calgary in Game 3, but regained their composure to outlast the Flames in seven games.

2. Vancouver G Cory Schneider, who has been nursing an undisclosed "body" injury, traveled with the team to San Jose. "On the trip and day-to-day," Vigneault said.

3. San Jose C Tommy Wingels registered a game-high eight hits in just 13:30 of ice time in Game 2. Wingels also matched Burns with five shots on goal.

Three hot over pitchers on the mound Sunday

Sunday features a bevy of hurlers who have put together some starts where the total has gone over. A pair of National League aces highlight the action.

Mike Pelfrey, Minnesota Twins (2-3, 7.66 ERA, 4-1 o/u)

Pelfrey is coming off of a 4-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers and it was his first game this season that has gone under the total. He has had issues going beyond five innings pitched in his starts this season and his high ERA (7.66) and WHIP (1.93) have fueled the 11 runs per game average that combined scorelines hit in games he starts.

Pelfrey is slated to start against the Cleveland Indians Sunday. It will be his first start against the Tribe this season.

Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants (0-2, 6.49 ERA, 4-2 o/u)

Cain has had a rough start to the season and his stats are reflecting it. His 6.49 ERA is third highest among qualified pitchers in the National League. He has also surrendered the second most earned runs (25) in the NL. Only Brandon McCarthy of the Arizona Diamondbacks has more (27).

Cain will get the start versus the Los Angeles Dodgers Sunday. The Dodgers will counter with Hyun-Jin Ryu.

Cain had his best start of the season versus the Dodgers in the Giants' first game of the season. He went six inning and didn't allow a run as the Giants took the 4-0 loss.

Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies (2-3, 6.75 ERA, 5-1 o/u)

The big righty is coming off a terrible start versus the Cleveland Indians. Halladay was shelled for eight earned runs over 3 2-3 innings. The Phillies provide him with 3.17 runs per game in his starts which has helped him put together one of the top o/u records in baseball at 5-1.

The Phillies take on the Miami Marlins Sunday.

Halladay pitched eight innings and gave up one earned run in his lone start versus the Marlins on April 14. The Phillies won the game 2-1.

Sunday Night Baseball: Dodgers at Giants
By STEVE MERRIL

It's an old fashioned National League West battle on Sunday Night as the Giants host the Dodgers.

Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants (-137, 7)

RAISING CAIN

It's been a rough season for Matt Cain who is still looking for his first win and has a 6.49 ERA, giving up at least four runs or more in four of his six starts. He gave up three home runs at Arizona last Monday and he has allowed six homers in his past two road starts. Overall, the righty has allowed nine long balls this season which he did not do until his 15th start last year. However, Cain did pitch well in the season opener versus the Dodgers on April 1st when he gave up just four hits and one walk, while striking out eight hitters over six innings.

RYU'S DOING FINE

The Dodgers paid a lot of money for Hyun-Jin Ryu and so far that investment is paying off nicely. The lefty is 3-1 with a 3.35 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in six starts this season. Ryu already has 46 strikeouts with at least five strikeouts or more in every game. He faced the Giants at home on April 2nd in a 3-0 loss, however only one of his three runs allowed was earned. Ryu did give up 10 hits in just 6.1 innings pitched in that game. Overall, Ryu has been consistent this season, pitching at least 6+ innings in all six of his starts.

INJURY REPORT

The Giants are an extremely healthy team right now. They are missing only Eric Surkamp who wasn't supposed to be that big of a piece. San Francisco just got Jeremy Affeldt back from an oblique injury. The Dodgers have not been as healthy as Carl Crawford is dealing with lingering hamstring issues. Mark Ellis and Adrian Gonzalez are also not at 100 percent due to various ailments. The pitching staff is filled with injuries as Chad Billingsley, Ted Lilly, Zack Greinke, and Chris Capuano are all on the disabled list.

TRENDS

Dodgers are 5-1 in their last 6 Sunday games
Giants are 37-17 in their last 54 games vs. a left-handed starter
Ryu is 4-1 Over in his last 5 starts overall
Cain is 8-3 Over in his last 11 Sunday starts

HITTERS TO WATCH

Andre Ethier 27-for-60 vs. Cain
Matt Kemp 10-for-49 vs. Cain

Hunter Pence 2-for-3 vs. Ryu
Pablo Sandoval 0-for-3 vs. Ryu

Garcia vs. Estrada highlights Cinco de Mayo celebrations

Cinco de Mayo celebrations have been going since Wednesday but Sunday marks the actual holiday where we celebrate the Mexican army's victory of the French in the Battle of Puebla. Here is a look at holiday flavored events as we celebrate Cinco de Mayo:

Major League Baseball

Baltimore Orioles vs. Los Angeles Angels (-110, 8.5)
Detroit Tigers vs. Houston Astros (+225, 8)
Boston Red Sox vs. Texas Rangers (-130, 8)
Oakland A's vs. New York Yankees (-135, 8.5)
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. San Diego Padres (+110, 8)
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants (-125, 7)
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Milwaukee Brewers (Jaime Garcia vs. Marco Estrada) (-108, 8)

MLS

Sporting Kansas City vs. Chivas USA -225 +320 +650
LA Galaxy vs. Houston Dynamo -125 +250 +350

Mexico Liga de Ascenso Clausura

Toluca vs. San Luis -125 +225 +300
Atlante vs. Unam Pumas +210 +220 +110

NHL

Vancouver Canucks vs. San Jose Sharks (-143, 5)

NBA Western Conference playoff preview: Round 2

Everything didn’t go according to plan in the first round of the NBA Western Conference playoffs. While the top two seeds advanced, the No. 5 and No. 6 clubs shocked their way into the conference semifinals.

Here’s a look at the matchups and series odds for the second round of the Western playoffs.

No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 5 Memphis Grizzlies

Season series: Memphis won 2-1, 1-2 ATS, 2-1 O/U
Series prices: Memphis -115, OKC -105

Why bet the Thunder: Oklahoma City got a wakeup call versus Houston and will be much more apt to close out teams on the ropes. Kevin Durant is more than capable of carrying the team and Kevin Martin has stepped up with Russell Westbrook out of action.

Why bet the Grizzlies: Memphis got some help from the injury bug versus the Clippers and now collides with an OKC team missing its second-best player. The Grizzlies defense was able to put the breaks on L.A.’s fastbreak and will plug up the lane with Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph.

No. 2 San Antonio Spurs vs. No. 6 Golden State Warriors

Season series: Split 2-2, Golden State 3-1 ATS, 1-3 O/U
Series prices: San Antonio -850, Golden State +650

Why bet the Spurs: San Antonio is well rested having rolled the Lakers in the first round. The Spurs were relentless in that series, averaging 104 points per game and limiting L.A. to just over 85 points. Tim Duncan’s legs looked spry versus the Lakers frontcourt and Gregg Popovich trumps Mark Jackson in postseason experience.

Why bet the Warriors: Golden State hasn’t won at San Antonio since Stephen Curry was nine years old but the Warriors did manage to steal a win in Denver, one of the toughest venues in the NBA. Golden State has the scoring to stay in any game and Andrew Bogut and David Lee are a handful around the hoop.

Thunder Host Red-Hot Grizzlies on Sunday

Western Conference Semifinals
Game 1
Tip-off: Sunday, 3:30 p.m. ET
Line: Oklahoma City -3.0 Total: 186.5

Two teams who finished off their respective first-round playoff series on Friday meet up less than 48 hours later when the red-hot Grizzlies visit the top-seeded Thunder on Sunday afternoon for Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Memphis capped off its fourth straight SU win -- and fifth consecutive ATS victory -- with a resounding 118-105 home win over the Clippers on Friday. Oklahoma City pulled away late on the road in Houston that same night and prevailed 103-94. This has been a strange series this season as the Grizzlies beat the Thunder by 10 points on Nov. 14 and by one point in the most recent meeting on March 20, but in their last trip to Oklahoma City on Jan. 31, they were drilled 106-89. However, Memphis has been a strong road team this season at 25-19 SU and 26-17-1 ATS (61%), and has been even better with exactly one day's rest, going 34-15 SU and 31-16-2 ATS (66%). The Thunder don't lose much at home, posting a 36-8 SU record with a strong 28-16 ATS mark (64%) at Chesapeake Energy Arena this season. As for playing with short rest, the team is 40-16 SU and 33-22-1 ATS (60%) this season, so fatigue should not be a factor on Sunday.

The Grizzlies played very well offensively against the Clippers, averaging 100.2 PPG on 46% FG and 33% threes. They really took care of the basketball with a 2.0 Ast/TO ratio, but didn't generate nearly as many steals (6.5 SPG) than they did in the regular season (8.6 SPG). PF Zach Randolph has led the team in scoring and rebounding with 20.8 PPG (57% FG) and 8.0 RPG in the postseason, but although he ripped down 16.0 RPG against Oklahoma City this season, he scored 14.7 PPG on 33% shooting. C Marc Gasol also struggled with his offense, tallying 14.7 PPG on 41.5% FG, but also grabbed 9.3 RPG versus the Thunder this season. Gasol has had a well-rounded 2013 playoffs with 17.3 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.7 BPG and an amazing 5.0 Ast/TO ratio. PG Mike Conley also had a 5.0 Ast/TO ratio, chipping in with 17.3 PPG, 8.3 APG, 3.5 RPG and 1.2 SPG. He also shot poorly against Oklahoma City (38.5% FG, 25% threes), but Conley should find much more space without injured Russell Westbrook guarding him. SG Tony Allen saved his best game for last in the series with L.A., pumping in 19 points (5-of-9 FG, 9-of-11 FT), seven rebounds six assists and four steals in the Game 6 clincher to give him 12.0 PPG (48% FG, 50% threes), 6.5 RPG and 2.2 SPG for the series. The top scorer for Memphis in the regular-season series with the Thunder was PG Jerryd Bayless, who netted 18.3 PPG on 54% FG and 57% threes, and he could be a key factor in keeping the Grizzlies competitive in this series.

Oklahoma City had little trouble scoring against a Houston team that has really struggled to stop people all year. The Thunder produced 105.8 PPG on 45% FG and 36% threes in the six-game series. However, duplicating these numbers won't be easy against a Memphis team that led the NBA in scoring defense during the regular season (89.3 PPG allowed), and the Thunder still miss All-Star PG Russell Westbrook (knee injury). SF Kevin Durant made sure to put the Rockets away on Friday with 27 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two steals. For the series, Durant had a hefty 32.5 PPG on 49% FG (29% threes) with 7.8 RPG and 6.0 APG. In three games versus Memphis during the regular season, Durant poured in 31.0 PPG (51% FG), 8.3 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.3 BPG and 1.3 APG. But the biggest surprise in Friday's Game 6 was the play of reserve SG Kevin Martin. After scoring just three points on 1-of-10 shooting in a Game 5 home loss, Martin responded in the building he used to call home, scoring 25 points on 7-of-13 FG (3-of-5 threes) and 8-of-8 FT at Toyota Center. He hasn't been great against Memphis this season though, scoring 13.3 PPG on 40% FG (5-of-10 threes). PG Reggie Jackson also kept up his strong production since Westbrook got hurt, scoring 17 points on 7-of-15 FG with seven rebounds, eight assists and only two turnovers. In four games without Westbrook, Jackson is averaging 17.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 3.5 APG. PF Serge Ibaka has also had a solid postseason with 13.0 PPG (50% FG), 8.3 RPG and 3.0 BPG, but was very quiet offensively against the Grizzlies with a mere 8.3 PPG (61% FG) and 5.3 RPG to go along with a monstrous 4.0 BPG.

Knicks Look to Take Series Lead versus Pacers

Eastern Conference Playoffs Second Round
Game 1
Tip-off: Sunday, 3:30 p.m. ET
Line: New York -5.0 Total: 185

The New York Knicks look to go up 1-0 on the Pacers when the two face-off in Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

At times, both the Knicks and Pacers struggled in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs but it took both teams just six games to advance. New York defeated Boston in Game 6 by a final score of 88-80 and held off a ferocious Boston Celtics comeback in the fourth quarter. The Pacers also held onto a lead in the fourth quarter, ending up winning the game 81-73. During the regular season, the Knick and Pacers split the season series with two wins SU a piece. The Knicks covered in three of the meetings between the teams. The Knicks are 5-1 SU in their last six games at home against the Pacers, but in their last 12 they are just 4-8 ATS. During the regular season the Knicks were 25-16 ATS at home while the Pacers went 20-20 ATS on the road.

The Indiana Pacers were having trouble winning on the road against the Hawks until they had an opportunity to close out the series. In Game 6, the Pacers showed up to play and won their first game in Atlanta since 2006. David West played a phenomenal game for Frank Vogel, finishing with 21 points (9-of-21 FG) and eight rebounds. George Hill also scored 21 points (7-of-14 FG) while also adding in seven rebounds and two steals. Roy Hibbert played another very efficient game in the paint for the Pacers, finishing with 17 points (8-of-14 FG), 11 rebounds and two blocks. Indiana has to feel good with Game 6 as they came away with a victory despite the tremendous struggles of Paul George. George was ice cold in the game and finished with just four points (2-of-10 FG, 0-of-5 3PT), seven rebounds and seven assists. Lance Stephenson picked up the slack for George with yet another efficient and well-rounded game of eight points (3-of-5 FG), 11 rebounds and six assists.

The New York Knicks were up big on the Boston Celtics before suffering a monumental collapse in which a once 26-point lead was cut to four. Carmelo Anthony, who struggled in the game, hit two huge jumpers to put Boston away for good late in the fourth. Anthony had 21 points (7-of-23 FG), seven rebounds and five assists. He was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Pablo Prigioni gave the Knicks a huge lift, hitting three big three pointers early in the game to help him finish with 14 points, five rebounds and three assists in 23 minutes of play. The big spark for New York, however, came from second-year guard Iman Shumpert. Shumpert played 38 minutes in this game, finishing with 17 points (6-of-9 FG, 3-of-3 3PT) and six rebounds. Shumpert had 15 of his 17 points in the second half of the game and played superb defense all evening. The Knicks are expecting Amar’e Stoudemire to return at some point in this series. His presence is something to keep an eye on as the Knicks are a completely different team with him on the floor.

English Breakfast

EPL Betting News & Notes

Here is a look at the ten games on tap in the Premier League over weekend and the final of the fixtures on Monday. The battle to avoid relegation heats up and another chapter will be written in the Merseyside Derby as Liverpool host Everton.

Sunday

Liverpool (7th, 54) v Everton (6th, 59) -110 +275 +333

Previous meeting: Everton 2, Liverpool 2, October 28

* Everton currently hold the final Europa League spot as it sits sixth in the table.

* Liverpool will look to close the gap by securing all three points and look for a big win in the heated Merseyside Derby.

* There has been over 2.5 goals scored in 17 of Liverpool's previous 20 matches in the Premier League.

* Everton has not won an away match at Liverpool since a 1-0 victory in 1999.

Manchester United (1st, 85) v Chelsea (3rd, 65) +115 +260 +250

Previous meeting: Chelsea 2, Manchester United 3, October 28

* Manchester United cliched the Premier League title following its 3-0 home win over Aston Villa on April 22.

* Chelsea will look to collect maximum points in each game down the stretch to fend off Arsenal and Tottenham and hold onto third spot in the table.

* Man United has been winning at both half time and full time in seven of its previous eight home matches in the Premier League.

* Chelsea is tied for second in the league with a +9 goal differential away from home.

Monday

Sunderland (17th, 37) v Stoke (11th, 40) +110 +230 +300

Previous meeting: Stoke 0, Sunderland 0, October 27

* Sunderland is still very much alive in the relegation battle and are coming off a terrible 6-1 loss at home to Aston Villa.

* Stoke has done its best to avoid relegation by posting two wins in a row and a win over Sunderland would ensure its safety.

* Stoke has the second lowest goals scored on the season with just 31. Only QPR have less with 29

* There have been under 2.5 goals in five of Sunderland's previous six home matches.

Ryu and Cain Finish Dodgers-Giants Series Sunday

First pitch: Sunday, 8:00 p.m. ET
Line: San Francisco -136 Total Line 7

In a battle between two of the NL West favorites, San Francisco and Los Angeles will conclude their three-game series Sunday night.

Matt Cain (0-2, 6.49 ERA) takes the mound in this one for the Giants off to the worst start of his career. He’s going up against Hyun-Jin Ryu (3-1, 3.35 ERA), who has impressed in his rookie campaign and is coming off two consecutive quality starts. Cain has just one quality start in his past three outings, a span in which he has yielded seven home runs in 18 innings. The Dodgers enter this series having won six of their last 10, alternating wins and losses in each of their six contests heading into the weekend. The Giants quickly recovered from a five-game losing skid near the end of April, but completed a three-game sweep in Arizona on Wednesday. Over the last three years, this series has been tight, with San Francisco holding a 21-18 advantage over Los Angeles, including a 10-8 mark at home. This includes winning two of three at Dodger Stadium to open the 2013 season.

Coming off a Cy Young-caliber season in which he had a 2.79 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 16-5 record, Cain has looked like a shell of his former self in this 2013 campaign. Though he’s walked just 10 batters in 34.2 innings of work (1.30 WHIP), he’s already given up nine home runs, all coming in his past four starts. His team is just 1-5 when Cain takes the hill, and in two starts at home this year, he is 0-1 with an 11.17 ERA (12 ER in 9.2 IP) and 1.55 WHIP. Cain’s best start of the year was against the Dodgers, opening the season with a scoreless, four-hit effort in six innings of work which included eight strikeouts and just one walk. Cain has started 24 times against the Dodgers in his career, going 4-8 despite an impressive 3.27 ERA. Cain has managed to reach at least six innings in all but one of his starts in 2013, though he has the comfort of knowing the San Francisco bullpen has a 2.55 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and MLB-high 12 saves. At AT&T Park, Giants relievers boast a 1.73 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in 36.1 innings. That has certainly helped the team post an 8-4 mark at home and 12-6 tally against NL West opponents entering this series. Division foes have scored just 3.2 runs with a .218 BA against San Francisco this season.

Ryu’s first career start was against the Giants, a 3-0 loss in which he gave up three runs in six innings of work, though only one of the runs was earned. He allowed 10 hits in that game, but walked none and fanned five. The 26-year-old lefty looked dominant in his most recent outing, fanning a career-high 12 batters in six innings while giving up just two runs against a Colorado Rockies squad that enters the weekend with a National League-best 148 runs. Ryu has an impressive 46 strikeouts in just 37.2 innings this season. Unlike Cain, the southpaw does not have the benefit of a strong bullpen behind him. Dodgers relievers enter the weekend with a 4.59 ERA (4th-worst in MLB) and 1.48 WHIP (3rd-worst in majors).

The three hitters Ryu has to watch out for in this one are 3B Joaquin Arias, OF Angel Pagan and OF Hunter Pence, all of whom went 2-for-3 against him in their first meeting. Pagan enters Friday hitting .283 with 13 RBI, 23 runs and four stolen bases this season. The man Cain has to pay closest attention to is 1B Adrian Gonzalez, who has four home runs, 13 RBI and a .317 BA in 63 lifetime at-bats against Cain. In 60 at-bats, OF Andre Ethier has also raked with a .450 BA against Cain, though with less power (1 HR, 5 RBI). OF Matt Kemp, by contrast, is hitting just .204 lifetime against Cain, going 10-for-49 with 14 strikeouts. Kemp has just one home run this season for a Dodgers squad that enters the weekend with the second-fewest runs in the majors (91). The San Francisco offense, despite its lack of star power, enters the weekend 12th in MLB with 124 runs scored.

NASCAR Takes on Talladega Sunday
by Brian Graham

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Aaron’s 499

Sunday, May 5 – 1:00 p.m. EDT
Talladega Superspeedway – Talladega, AL
NASCAR visits the southeast for the weekend’s action at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. The Aaron’s 499 will be the first of two races at this track with the Camping World RV Sales 500 race occurring five months from now on Oct. 20. This superspeedway was completed in 1969 and measures 2.66 miles in a tri-oval shape. The banking on the turns is quite steep at 33° with a 4,300-foot frontstretch of 16.5° and a nearly flat backstretch (4,000 feet) with 2° banking. The seating capacity of the superspeedway is an impressive 143,231.

Odds to Win Race

Driver Odds

Matt Kenseth 10-to-1
Kyle Busch 10-to-1
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 12-to-1
Jimmie Johnson 12-to-1
Kevin Harvick 12-to-1
Tony Stewart 12-to-1
Clint Bowyer 12-to-1
Jeff Gordon 12-to-1
Brad Keselowski 12-to-1
Kasey Kahne 12-to-1
FIELD (Any other driver) 15-to-1
Carl Edwards 15-to-1
Greg Biffle 15-to-1
Jamie McMurray 20-to-1
Martin Truex Jr. 25-to-1
Joey Logano 30-to-1
Kurt Busch 30-to-1
Ryan Newman 35-to-1
Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. 35-to-1
Danica Patrick 35-to-1
Juan Montoya 35-to-1
Jeff Burton 40-to-1
Paul Menard 40-to-1
Michael Waltrip 40-to-1
Marcos Ambrose 50-to-1
Aric Almirola 50-to-1
Trevor Bayne 75-to-1
Elliott Sadler 75-to-1
Regan Smith 75-to-1
Dave Blaney 100-to-1
David Ragan 100-to-1
Bobby Labonte 100-to-1
Casey Mears 100-to-1
David Gilliland 100-to-1

Drivers to Watch

Jimmie Johnson (12/1) - Although he finished 17th in the Talladega fall race, Johnson won the last restrictor-plate race when he wound up in Victory Lane at Daytona, marking his 15th victory at a speedway of at least two miles long. He's had some great showings in Alabama in his career too, knocking out four poles, two wins and two runner-ups. He's also finished 12th or better in eight of nine races this season, with the lone blemish coming at Bristol (22nd place). Johnson hardly ever gets tabbed with double-digit odds, which is why his value is so high for Sunday's race. And he's also our pick to win on Sunday.

Clint Bowyer (12/1) - He was our pick to win at Richmond last week, and fell just short as the runner-up to Kevin Harvick. Bowyer has been outstanding at Talladega since 2010 with two wins (2010 and 2011), a runner-up (2011), and finishes of 6th and 7th. Bowyer was also in great position to finish in the top-6 last fall at this track before getting caught up in the Tony Stewart wreck that affected a good number of drivers. He has 11 top-5's in his career at tracks exceeding 2 miles, and also has four top-5 finishes in his past six starts this season. If you’re putting a wager on just one driver, Bowyer presents the best value on the board.

Greg Biffle (15/1) - He's still searching for that first Talladega victory, but Biffle has sure been close in the past four races with three top-7 finishes, including a 5th and a 6th last season. Since 2009, Biffle has had five top-7's in eight starts at this track. And although he placed 36th at Richmond last week, he is not a driver who usually has two bad races in a row. Expect Biffle to tally his fifth top-10 of the season on Sunday, and have as good a chance as most drivers to actually win the race.

Jeff Burton (40/1) - He's the best longshot candidate on the board, having finished in the top-10 in six of his past nine starts at Talladega, giving him 16 top-10's in his career at Alabama. The 45-year-old is also coming off his best race of the 2013 season in Richmond when he led for seven laps and came in fifth place. With such generous odds, go ahead and lay a small wager on Burton.

Danica Patrick (35/1) - She's a trendy darkhorse pick because she raced so well at Daytona to start the season, winning the pole and finishing 8th in the race. But she's only had one top-20 finish since then, placing 12th at Martinsville. The odds aren't long enough to lay down a sizable wager, but if she's going to win a race this season, it looks like Talladega will be her best shot.

[h=1]Today's MLB Picks[/h] [h=2]Baltimore at LA Angels[/h] The Orioles look to build on their 4-0 record in Jason Hammel's last 4 road starts. Baltimore is the pick (+100) according to Dunkel, which has the Orioles favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+100). Here are all of today's picks.

[h=1]Today's NBA Picks[/h] [h=2]Memphis at Oklahoma City[/h] The Thunder look to open up the series and build on their 7-2 ATS record in their last 9 home games against against a team with a winning road record. Oklahoma City is the pick (-3) according to Dunkel, which has the Thunder favored by 8 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma City (-3). Here are all of today's picks.

[h=1]Today's NHL Picks[/h] [h=2]Montreal at Ottawa[/h] The Senators look to bounce back from their 3-1 loss in Game 2 and take advantage of a Canadiens team that is 1-4 in its last 5 games after allowing 2 goals or less in the previous game. Ottawa is the pick (-135) according to Dunkel, which has the Senators favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Ottawa (-135). Here are all of today's picks.

DCI Pro Basketball
The Daniel Curry Index

05/05/13 Predictions

Season
Straight Up: 833-392 (.680)
ATS: 659-597 (.525)
ATS Vary Units: 1654-1535 (.519)
Over/Under: 646-611 (.514)
Over/Under Vary Units: 885-812 (.522)

Eastern Conference Semifinals
Game #1
NEW YORK -95, Indiana -99

Western Conference Semifinals
Game #1
OKLAHOMA CITY -95, Memphis -99

DCI Pro Hockey
The Daniel Curry Index

05/05/13 Predictions

Season: 290-185 (.611)

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
Game #3
Pittsburgh vs. N.Y. ISLANDERS: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
OTTAWA 3, Montreal 2

Western Conference Quarterfinals
Game #3
Chicago 3, MINNESOTA 2
SAN JOSE 3, Vancouver 2

Cappers Access

Knicks -5.5
Brewers -110
Giants -135

Hondo

White Sox
Cardinals