Service Plays Sunday 5/19/13

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NBA Western Conference finals preview: Spurs vs. Grizzlies

The San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies duke it out in the Western Conference championship with a ticket to the NBA Finals on the line.

Here’s a look at how these teams stack up and their odds to win the series heading into Game 1 this Sunday.

No. 2 San Antonio Spurs vs. No. 5 Memphis Grizzlies

Season series: Tied 2-2 SU, 2-2 ATS, 1-3 O/U
Series prices: San Antonio -120, Memphis +100

Why bet the Spurs: San Antonio has the ability and experience to switch gears, going from an up-tempo style versus the Warriors to a slowed-down grinder with the Grizzlies. The Spurs aren’t intimidated on the road, with their only loss away from the Alamo coming in OT.

Tim Duncan is the most skilled big man Memphis has met this postseason and he stepped up versus the Grizzlies this season, averaging 19.7 points, 12.7 rebounds and three blocks in three games. San Antonio has better shooters and more depth – ranked No. 5 in bench production to Memphis’ No. 27-ranked reserves.

The Grizzlies have caught some lucky breaks this postseason. The Clippers’ stars were falling apart in the first round and they took advantage of a Thunder squad missing its All-Star point guard. San Antonio is relatively healthy despite the age of its superstars.

Why bet the Grizzlies: Memphis is on pace to become one of the best bets in recent NBA playoff history. Since dropping Game 1 against the Clippers, the Grizzlies have covered in 10 straight games. Memphis holds the mental edge over the Spurs, having eliminated them from the first round of the 2011 playoffs in six games, going 5-0-1 ATS in that series.

Memphis is a tough team to slow offensively, with a different scorer stepping up each night. Four players are averaging double figures in the playoffs, including PG Mike Conley Jr. who is averaging 17.6 points per game. The Grizzlies average the fewest amount of turnovers this postseason.

Defensively, the Grizzlies are a physical squad that wears down opponents over the course of a series. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph plug up the middle and won’t give Tony Parker free range in the paint while Tayshaun Prince and Tony Allen get a hand up on the Spurs’ shooters.

Grizzlies, Spurs Open West Finals on Sunday

Western Conference Finals
Game 1
Tip-off: Sunday, 3:30 p.m. ET
Line: San Antonio -4, Total: 183.5

The Western Conference Finals tip off Sunday afternoon when the red-hot Grizzlies face the favored Spurs.

Memphis carries a four-game SU win streak with 10 straight ATS victories when it heads to AT&T Center for Game 1. Since losing the first two games of the postseason to the Clippers, the Grizzlies are 8-1 SU with the lone loss coming by two points in Game 1 at Oklahoma City. San Antonio's offense was wildly inconsistent in the six-game series win over Golden State, but after collapsing in a Game 4 loss, the club finished the series with two straight double-digit victories over the Warriors. These teams split the four games they played in the regular season, with each winning twice at home and each going 1-1 ATS in both venues. Although the Spurs have beaten the Grizzlies six straight times at home as part of a 17-2 SU home record in this series since 2006, Memphis is actually 10-8-1 ATS during this period at AT&T Center, including 6-3-1 ATS in the past 10 trips to San Antonio. The Grizzlies have been a great road team all season at 27-20 SU and 29-17-1 ATS (63%), while the Spurs are an excellent 39-7 SU (85%) at home, but a mediocre 22-22-2 ATS in front of their passionate fans.

The Grizzlies' four-game win streak has occurred despite a subpar offense scoring just 94.3 PPG on 40% FG and 28% threes during this surge. However, they have done an excellent job handling the basketball with 18.5 APG and only 10.0 TOPG during this stretch. For the entire postseason, Memphis has 19.5 APG and 10.4 TOPG. Defensively this team has been outstanding throughout the playoffs, allowing just 92.4 PPG on 43.5% FG and 31.8% threes, while producing 7.2 SPG and 4.1 BPG. The Grizzlies held Oklahoma City's potent offense to mere 89.6 PPG on 39.9% FG in the five-game series win. C Marc Gasol (18.3 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 2.2 BPG in playoffs) has been the team's most consistent performer in the postseason, but his numbers against the Spurs this season weren’t that special with 14.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 1.3 BPG. PG Mike Conley (17.6 PPG, 7.6 APG, 4.8 RPG in playoffs) has shot horribly this postseason (38.5% FG, 28.6% threes), including 31% FG in the past three contests. But he's done a great job running the offense with 84 assists and just 21 turnovers (4.0 Ast/TO ratio), and had an outstanding regular-season performance against San Antonio with 18.0 PPG (46% FG), 5.5 APG and 2.0 SPG in the four meetings. But the key to this Grizzlies team will be which PF Zach Randolph (18.3 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 2.2 BPG in playoffs) will show up. After scoring just 13.7 PPG in the first three games of the West semifinals, he helped finished off the Thunder with 25.5 PPG and 13.0 RPG in the final two games. Although he averaged a double-double of 14.3 PPG and 10.0 RPG against the Spurs in the regular season, Randolph shot an anemic 36% from the floor. SG Tony Allen (11.1 PPG, 5.8 RPG in playoffs) has ripped off four straight double-figure scoring games, averaging 11.8 PPG on 45% FG, while racking up 3.0 SPG on the defensive end. He scored 9.0 PPG (53% FG) with 5.3 RPG in three games versus San Antonio this season. SF Tayshaun Prince (7.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG in playoffs) has been in a shooting funk in his past four games, making just 9-of-34 shots (26.5%) during this slump. But in his lone meeting with San Antonio this season, Prince had a solid stat line of 11 points, six rebounds and three steals.

The Spurs offense was extremely erratic in the past five games versus Golden State, shooting 39% FG in Game 2, 51% FG in Game 3, 36% FG in Game 4, 52% FG in Game 5, and 45% in Thursday's clincher. However, the defense has really stepped up in the past four games, holding a potent Warriors offense to 90.5 PPG on 40.5% FG and 33.3% threes. PG Tony Parker (22.4 PPG, 6.3 APG, 4.1 RPG in series) has had a great postseason, but is coming off a dreadful shooting night on Thursday, making just 3-of-16 shots. But in his past four home games, Parker has 25.3 PPG on 46% FG with 7.0 APG, and he completely dominated the Grizzlies in the regular season with 25.5 PPG (51% FG) and 6.5 APG. PF Tim Duncan (18.7 PPG, 9.2 RPG in series) also played extremely well versus Memphis with 19.7 PPG, 12.7 RPG and 4.0 APG in three games against them. He scored a team-high 19 points in Thursday's series clincher. SF Kawhi Leonard (13.7 PPG, 8.4 RPG in playoffs) was the team's best player in that Game 6 win though, pumping in 16 points (6-of-13 FG), 10 rebounds (4 offensive) and two steals. Leonard tallied a pedestrian 9.5 PPG (58% FG) and 3.0 RPG in two games facing the Grizzlies this season. SG Manu Ginobili (12.1 PPG, 5.7 APG, 4.2 RPG in playoffs) is a 45% career shooter, but he has made just 37.7% of his shots in the postseason. He was also off the mark versus Memphis this season with 12.0 PPG on 34.6% FG, but did contribute 5.5 APG and 5.5 RPG in those two meetings. In similar fashion, Ginobili has 8.0 APG and 5.5 RPG during his team's current two-game win streak, but has made just 26.7% of his shots (4-of-15). SG Danny Green (10.0 PPG, 4.1 RPG in playoffs) was even colder facing the Grizzlies this season with a paltry 5.0 PPG on 28% FG, but he does have 13.5 PPG on 9-of-15 shooting (5-of-9 threes) in his past two contests.

I purchase Greg Shaker 3 * Total of the Week....play ready until 11.45.I will post then so nobody should buy it again

Grizzlies at Spurs: What bettors need to know

Memphis Grizzlies at San Antonio Spurs (-4.5, 182.5)

The San Antonio Spurs haven’t been part of the NBA Finals since 2007 when they swept the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Memphis Grizzlies have never played for the title and are in the Western Conference finals for the first time in franchise history. The two squads begin their quest for a spot in the finals in Sunday’s opening contest in San Antonio. Memphis posted a memorable 4-2 first-round series win over the Spurs in the 2011 postseason.

The fifth-seeded Grizzlies beat the Los Angeles Clippers in six games and the Oklahoma City Thunder in five to reach the conference finals. Memphis let a lead get away to fall to Oklahoma City in the opener before rolling off four straight wins. Second-seeded San Antonio swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round and defeated the Golden State Warriors in six games in the conference semifinals. The Spurs lost to the Thunder in last season’s Western Conference finals. San Antonio and Memphis split four regular-season meetings this season with the home team winning each time.

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

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES: Power forward Zach Randolph had four double-doubles in the five-game series with the Thunder and is averaging 19.7 points and 9.3 rebounds in the postseason. Randolph played especially well over the final two games with Oklahoma City, averaging 25.5 points and 13 rebounds. Center Marc Gasol is averaging 18.3 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in the postseason and had four 20-point outings against the Thunder. Point guard Mike Conley rounds out a solid trio with playoff averages of 17.6 points and 7.6 assists. Conley has stepped up as an end-of-game shot-taker since Memphis dealt Rudy Gay to Toronto. “It has helped me out a lot, just the responsibility in itself has been big for me,” Conley said. “I’ve just tried to use this opportunity to get better and make my teammates better.”

ABOUT THE SPURS: Point guard Tony Parker still hasn’t forgotten last season’s disappointing appearance in the Western Conference finals and claims to be drawing motivation from it. “We were disappointed last year being up 2-0, having home court and not being able to go to the finals,” Parker said. “It gives us a lot of fuel for this year.” Parker has scored 20 or more points in seven of 10 postseason games this season and is averaging 22.4 points. He was a woeful 3-for-16 in the finale against Golden State but scored 10 of his 13 points over the final 3:35. Parker averaged 25.5 points against the Grizzlies in the regular season. Power forward Tim Duncan is averaging 18.7 points and 9.2 rebounds in the postseason with five double-doubles.

TRENDS:

* Grizzlies are 5-0 ATS in their last five road games.
* Spurs are 0-4 ATS in their last four Conference Finals games.
* Under is 4-1 in Spurs’ last five overall.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Spurs are 33-7 – including 4-1 in the postseason – when hosting the Grizzlies.

2. Duncan’s 143 postseason double-doubles ties with Wilt Chamberlain for second all-time and he has scored in double digits in 194 of his 200 playoff contests.

3. Grizzlies G Tony Allen has 25 steals in the postseason, including 12 over the last four games.

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

New York Rangers at Boston Bruins (-127, 5)

Bruins lead best-of-seven series 1-0.

New York Rangers coach John Tortorella did his best to divert attention away from the team's punchless power play by calling out Carl Hagelin, a player who doesn't even receive ice time in that situation. The reason for Tortorella's comments may be that he's tired of seeing his team fail to convert with the man advantage, as it has done in each of the last four games and 29 times in 31 opportunities in the postseason. The sixth-seeded Rangers will look to get it in gear and even their Eastern Conference second-round series on Sunday when they visit the fourth-seeded Boston Bruins.

"I think he's too quick," Tortorella said of Hagelin following Saturday's practice. "I'd like to put him out on the power play, but he stinks on the power play. ... I love the guy. He is such an effective player, but he, as I said many times, stinks on the power play." New York went 0-for-3 with the man advantage in Game 1 before Brad Marchand scored his first goal of the playoffs 15:40 into overtime to give Boston a 3-2 triumph.

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

ABOUT THE RANGERS: Thursday's result spoiled a 45-save performance by reigning Vezina Trophy winner Henrik Lundqvist, who suffered his third overtime loss of the postseason and fell to 3-11 in his career. Rick Nash picked up an assist for the second consecutive contest, but is still searching for his first goal of the playoffs. The top-line forward registered a team-high six shots in Game 1.

ABOUT THE BRUINS: Coach Claude Julien did his best to get creative with his defensemen in Game 1 as veterans Dennis Seidenberg (lower-body), Andrew Ference (lower-body) and Wade Redden (undisclosed) were scratched from the contest. The trio was replaced by rookies Dougie Hamilton, Matt Bartkowski and Torey Krug, who netted a power-play goal in his first postseason contest. Captain Zdeno Chara, who is also a defenseman, extended his point streak to five games by collecting a goal and an assist and logged 38:02 of ice time. Redden practiced on Saturday, but is questionable for Game 2.

TRENDS:

* Rangers are 1-4 in their last five road games.
* Bruins are 5-0 in their last five Conference Semifinals games.
* Under is 8-1-2 in the last 11 meetings in Boston.

OVERTIME

1. Boston C David Krejci had an assist in Game 1 and is tied with Pittsburgh C Evgeni Malkin with an NHL-leading 14 points.

2. New York C Derick Brassard notched an assist to extend his point streak to six contests.

3. While the Rangers have struggled mightily on the power play, the Bruins aren't much better. They are 4-for-24 with the man advantage in the postseason.


Pittsburgh Penguins at Ottawa Senators (+115, 5.5)

Penguins lead best-of-seven series 2-0.

The Ottawa Senators hope the return of Jason Spezza can ignite a spark in their Eastern Conference second-round series with the top-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins. Sidelined since undergoing back surgery for a herniated disk in late January, Spezza will be in the lineup for Sunday's Game 3 at Scotiabank Place. Seventh-seeded Ottawa can certainly use the offense, as it dropped the first two contests of the series in the Steel City.

"We're excited about the skill that he brings back to our team and we're looking forward to it," Ottawa coach Paul MacLean said. Although his minutes likely will be monitored, Spezza may be able to provide a jolt to a Senators' struggling power play (1-for-7). MacLean could also use a better effort in keeping Sidney Crosby in check as the captain recorded his second career postseason hat trick in Pittsburgh's 4-3 victory in Game 2 on Friday.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC, CBC, RDS

ABOUT THE PENGUINS: Crosby's high-octane night propelled him into a tie with teammate Pascal Dupuis and Chicago's Patrick Sharp for the postseason lead in goals with six. The captain also sits four postseason points shy of Kevin Stevens (106) for third place in franchise history. Mario Lemieux (172) and Jaromir Jagr (147) are atop the list. While Crosby's heroics dominated the headlines on Friday, Brenden Morrow's first postseason goal in over five years stood up as the winner in Game 3. Reigning Hart Trophy winner Evgeni Malkin is riding an eight-game point streak in the playoffs and is tied with Boston's David Krejci (14) for the league lead.

ABOUT THE SENATORS: Stud defenseman Erik Karlsson admitted he's having a difficult time returning to form in the playoffs. After collecting a goal and five assists in Ottawa's first-round victory over second-seeded Montreal, Karlsson has failed to secure a point in the first two contests against Pittsburgh. "I'm not playing the way I want to," the reigning Norris Trophy winner said. "I (have to) play a little bit more poised with the puck and a little bit faster in our own zone. I can't doubt myself." The 22-year-old Karlsson, who suffered a left Achilles' tendon injury in a game versus the Penguins on Feb. 13, was beaten at the blue line on Crosby's first goal on Friday.

TRENDS:

* Penguins are 6-0 in their last six Sunday games.
* Senators are 1-9 in their last 10 vs. a team with a winning percentage above .600.
* Over is 4-1 in Penguins’ last five games following a win.
* Penguins are 5-0 in the last five meetings.

OVERTIME

1. Although Ottawa G Craig Anderson allowed a pair of soft goals to earn an early exit in Game 2, MacLean announced on Saturday that he is sticking with his netminder to start Game 3.

2. Pittsburgh G Tomas Vokoun has posted a 1.70 goals-against average and .945 save percentage en route to winning all four starts since replacing Marc-Andre Fleury.

3. Ottawa has never won a postseason series after dropping the first two games.

Sens' Spezza to return for Game 3 vs. Penguins

Ottawa Senators center Jason Spezza is expected to suit up for Game 3 of the team’s Eastern Conference Semifinal series with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Ottawa trails the best-of-seven series 2-0 and is hoping the return of its No. 1 center to the lineup will provide an offensive boost.

The Senators are +115 underdogs in Game 3 Sunday and +750 pups to erase the two-game deficit and take the series over Sidney Crosby and the heavily-favored (-1,100) Penguins. Ottawa won both of its home games in its first-round series with the Montreal Canadiens.

Spezza had two goals and three assists in five games before he needed back surgery to repair a herniated disc in late January.

The 29-year-old accumulated 34 goals and 50 assists in 80 games last campaign.

Braves pitchers stellar at home, poor on the road

The Atlanta Braves have only played 15 of their first 41 games at home and have a ton of contests coming up at Turner Field.

That’s important for bettors to know because Braves pitchers have been dominant at home early and not so impressive away from the friendly confines of Turner Field.

Atlanta pitchers boast a 2.71 ERA at home and are holding opposing hitters to a .222 batting average. Conversely, Braves hurlers have a combined 4.06 ERA away from the Peach State and the opposition is hitting a much better .264 against them.

No pitcher exemplifies this trend better than staff ace Tim Hudson. The veteran righty is 3-0 in four home starts with a 2.84 ERA, but has struggled mightily on the road with a 1-3 record and 7.36 ERA.

Bettors have been cashing in on Atlanta’s 16-9-1 over/under mark away from home, but that number stabilizes to a more modest 8-7 O/U at Turner Field.

Atlanta hitters have blasted 22 homers in the club’s 15 home games to date and have driven in 67 runs. The offensive outburst is a major reason why the under isn’t cashing during Atlanta’s home games despite it getting solid pitching.

The Braves only play five (three in New York and two in Toronto) of their next 18 games away from Turner Field.

All stats prior to action Saturday.

Sunday Night Baseball: Tigers at Rangers
By STEVE MERRIL

The Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers take the spotlight this week on Sunday Night Baseball.

Detroit Tigers at Texas Rangers (-115, 9)

FISTING FOR VICTORIES

Doug Fister has been stellar for the Tigers, going 5-1 with a 3.06 ERA on the year. He'll face a Texas team that hit him up for nine runs over 4 1/3 innings in their only meeting last year. The righty has made four road starts this season and he's 1-1 in those games. He got shelled in Washington in the shortest start of his career giving up five runs and eight hits in three innings. Fister has benefited from seeing Houston in two of his last three starts, snagging a victory at home and a no-decision on the road.

HOLLAND TUNNEL IN TEXAS

Derek Holland is 3-2 with a 2.93 ERA this season. He has pitched well in May going 2-0 with a 2.18 ERA. The southpaw hasn't had many problems pitching at home this year, going 1-1 with a 1.57 ERA in three starts there. Holland has shown incredible control walking just three batters in his last four starts. Last year he picked up a no-decision against the Tigers after giving up one run and three hits while striking out nine in a 2-1 Rangers victory.

INJURY REPORT

The Tigers are almost completely healthy as a team. They are without Austin Jackson, who is on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring and Octavio Dotel, who is dealing with right elbow inflammation. The list is a bit longer for the Rangers. Their lineup is relatively intact as AJ Pierzynski is dealing with a strained right oblique muscle. He will return hopefully on Tuesday for their game against the Athletics. The Texas pitching staff is a different story. Matt Harrison, Alexi Ogando, Colby Lewis and Neftali Feliz are all out of the rotation while Joakim Soria has not pitched yet out of the team's bullpen. Those pitchers are expected to be back at varying times between May and August.

TRENDS

Tigers are 50-22 in their last 72 Sunday games
Tigers are 6-2 in Fister's last eight starts
Rangers are 37-18 in their last 55 Sunday games
Rangers are 35-16 in Holland’s last 51 home starts

HITTERS TO WATCH

Torii Hunter 10-for-34 vs. Holland
Miguel Cabrera 0-for-5 vs. Holland
Elvis Andrus 4-for-22 vs. Fister
Nelson Cruz 7-for-16 vs. Fister

English Breakfast: Premier League betting notes

It's the final weekend of English Premier League football! Sunday features a full slate of matches but it already lacks the potential drama that we saw on the final weekend last year. The title is already Man United's. We already know who is being relegated. All that is really on the line is the final Champions League spot which comes down to North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham.

All odds courtesy of Bet365.com.

Chelsea v Everton -138 +275 +450
Previous result: Everton 1, Chelsea 2, December 30

* Chelsea clinched their Champions League spot with a win at Aston Villa in their last EPL match and are coming off a Europa League title victory over Benfica. A victory for the Blues will clinch third in the table.

* David Moyes will be managing his last game with Everton and there is no doubt the players will want to send him off with a fine performance. Everton will finish sixth regardless of the outcome and has locked up a spot in the next Europa League campaign.

* Chelsea have won or drawn 30 of the previous 33 matches against Everton in all competitions.

* Everton's previous six matches in the EPL have finished under the 2.5 goal total.


Liverpool v QPR -400 +600 +1100
Previous result: QPR 0, Liverpool 3, December 30

* Liverpool can do no better, or worse, than seventh in the table. Surely they had aspirations of qualifying for Champions League but fell short by a significant margin.

* QPR. What to say about QPR? They were abysmal all season. They spent money in January and they brought in Harry Redknapp to manage them to safety. Nothing went right all season long for the Hoops. Let's just pretend this didn't happen.

* QPR have just two wins on the road all season.

* Daniel Sturridge will probably be the lone striker with Luis Suarez still serving suspension. He has been an ace for the Reds since coming over from Chelsea and scored three goals in Liverpool's last match versus Fulham.


Manchester City v Norwich -300 +450 +1000
Previous result: Norwich 3, Manchester City 4, December 29

* Man City have second place locked up and really have nothing to play for. They sacked manager Roberto Mancini and interim boss Brian Kidd got a good result as the Citizens posted a 2-0 victory at Reading in their last match.

* A win could help Norwich jockey for a position in the top-half of the league, but they would need the aid of a lot of losses from various clubs.

* Man City has kept a clean sheet in seven of their last nine home matches.

* Norwich has not scored a goal in five of their last seven matches away from home.


Newcastle v Arsenal +500 +360 -182
Previous meeting: Arsenal 7, Newcastle 3, December 29

* Here is where things get a little interesting. Arsenal must win to clinch the final Champions League spot and threaten to nip third in the table.

* Newcastle's season has been an absolute failure. So much promise built from last season. A lot of pillaging of the French league for talented players. But all for naught as they sit 13th in the table - just six points clear of relegation. Closing the season with a win at home would be good for the fanbase, however.

* Arsenal is on absolute fire and have not lost since March 3 at Tottenham.

* Newcastle boss Alan Paredew has already said that he does not care about the result since the Magpies are clear of relegation. So motivation could be low here.


Southampton v Stoke -125 +275 +400
Previous meeting: Stoke 3, Southampton 3, December 29

* A successful campaign for Southampton as they are assured of a return to the Premier League in their first season back up. They would love to close out the season with a victory in front of the home crowd at St. Mary's Stadium.

* Stoke is safe from relegation and is one of the many teams in the log jam between 10th and 17th in the table.

* Southampton have won six of their last seven games versus Stoke.

* Stoke have just two wins on the road all season.


Swansea v Fulham -125 +280 +375
Previous meeting: Fulham 1, Swansea 2, December 29

* A Swansea victory ensures a finish in the top half of the table and a West Brom loss would put them eighth.

* Fulham have had many ups and downs this season and would love a result that can put them higher in the table.

* Star goalscorer Michu made a surprise return from injury and should feature in the Swans XI Sunday.

* Fulham have lost five matches in a row and currently sit last in the form table.


Tottenham v Sunderland -350 +500 +1100
Previous meeting: Sunderland 1, Tottenham 2, December 29

* Tottenham need help from the footy gods to get them into Champions League and finish fourth. A victory paired with an Arsenal loss Sunday will get the job done.

* Sunderland will certainly like to finish higher than their current 17th position in the table.

* This game could see a bevy of goals as Tottenham will attack and attack from the first whistle.

* Sunderland have allowed at least two goals in seven of their previous eight matches away from home.


West Brom v Manchester United +350 +290 -120
Previous meeting: Man United 2, West Brom 0, December 29

* This will be the final time that Sir Alex Ferguson manages Manchester United. The players will look to send him out with a victory.

* West Brom has a good season and a Baggies victory will secure eighth.

* West Brom has never won an EPL match versus Manchester United.

* Man United clinched the title already and have lost just twice in their previous 25 matches in the league.


West Ham v Reading -150 +300 +475
Previous meeting: Reading 1, West Ham 0, December 29

* A West Ham victory would cement a top half finish and a fantastic return to top flight football for the Hammers.

* Reading is already relegated and have nothing to play for here, though a victory or draw ensures they don't finish bottom.

* The Hammers have been very good at home all season. They have 30 points in 18 matches.

* Reading have been the worst team in the league away from home. The Royals have just eight points in 18 away matches.


Wigan v Aston Villa +115 +260 +260
Previous meeting: Aston Villa 0, Wigan 3, December 29

* Aston Villa should feel blessed as they narrowly avoided relegation this season. The Villains got some clutch goal scoring from Christian Benteke down the stretch to secure safe passage back to the top flight.

* Poor Wigan. They have historically found themselves staving off relegation in the final weeks of the campaign, but the cards didn't fall into place this season. They won the F.A. Cup though. Silver linings.

* Benteke will miss the match due to suspension after being sent off versus Chelsea in their last match.

* Wigan will look to close out the season with a victory for the home fans as their Premier League run comes to a close.

Serena Williams -400 to win final matchup in Rome

Serena Williams has been one of the most consistent betting plays in sports recently as she won her 23rd straight match to reach the WTA Italian Open final in Rome.

Williams made fairly quick work of Romanian Simona Halep 6-3, 6-0 in their semifinal matchup Saturday.

Third-seeded Victoria Azarenka (+300) is the woman who stands in the way of Serena's fourth consecutive title this year.

The Belarusian defeated Williams in their last matchup 7-6 (8-6), 2-6, 6-3 in the final of the Qatar Total Open in February.

Williams won their only matchup on clay in Madrid last year by a tally of 6-1, 6-3.

Bet365.com currently lists the American at +163 odds to win the upcoming French Open at Roland Garros.

LA Syndicate
Top - Mariners, Over Angels, Diamondbacks
Reg - Rangers, Over Giants, Over Spurs

Chicago Syndicate
MLB Total of the Month - Cardinals/Brewers Over 8.5
Top - Nationals, Mariners, Yankees
Reg - Reds, Rangers

DCI Pro Basketball
The Daniel Curry Index

05/19/13 Prediction

Season
Straight Up: 848-399 (.680)
ATS: 665-613 (.520)
ATS Vary Units: 1659-1565 (.515)
Over/Under: 655-623 (.513)
Over/Under Vary Units: 902-839 (.518)

Western Conference Finals
Game #1
SAN ANTONIO 95, Memphis 94

DCI Pro Hockey
The Daniel Curry Index

05/19/13 Predictions

Season: 308-192 (.616)

Eastern Conference Semifinals
Game #3
Pittsburgh vs. OTTAWA: TOO CLOSE TO CALL

Game #2
N.Y. Rangers vs. BOSTON: TOO CLOSE TO CALL

Mighty Quinn

Mighty missed with Govenor Charlie in the Preakness Saturday.

Sunday it’s the Spurs. The deficit is 418 sirignanos.

Hondo

TWINS
TIGERS

Gamblers Data

Bonus Play Sunday

Red Sox -120

Gamblers Data (Fletcher)

3* Cards-125

20-4 this week

MLB 102-46

Ncaa Baseball 38-10

Check page for New special, Ncaa baseball region, Super region and CWS special released next week. All lines comefrom 5dimes.

Spartan - 3* Memphis

[h=1]Today's NBA Picks[/h] [h=2]Memphis at San Antonio[/h] The Spurs look to open the series and build on their 6-2 ATS record in their last 8 games against Memphis. San Antonio is the pick (-4 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Spurs favored by 6 1/2. Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (-4 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.