by WINNERS_ONLY
Game of the Day: Hawks at Cavaliers
** Atlanta Hawks at Cleveland Cavaliers (-9, 190)
Cavaliers lead series 2-0
The Atlanta Hawks are becoming short on time and will be without a key player when they visit the Cleveland Cavaliers in Sunday’s Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals. Atlanta trails 2-0 in the best-of-7 series and announced Saturday that All-Star shooting guard Kyle Korver will miss the rest of the postseason with a severe right ankle sprain.
Korver had 12 points before being injured in Game 2 and the regular-season sharpshooter had a shaky postseason but still represents a big loss for the Hawks. Cleveland held out point guard Kyrie Irving (knee) on Friday and could so again Sunday as it returns home thinking of a sweep. Forward LeBron James has back-to-back 30-point outings in the series and was superb in Game 2 with 30 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds. “He helps us elevate our game,” power forward Tristan Thompson told reporters. “Playing with a great player like him just makes you want to get better, makes you want to put the time in watching film and I think that’s what great players do.”
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, TNT
LINE HISTORY: The lines opened at CLE -8, 191, but those dropped to CLE -9, 190 after the announcement of Korver’s injury.
INJURY REPORT: Hawks – G Kyle Korver (Ques-Ankle), C Al Horford (Ques-Knee) Cavaliers – G Kyrie Irving (Ques-Knee)
WHAT CAPPERS SAY: “Atlanta played terrible basketball in both Game 1 and 2 on their home court. It was the first time this season in which the Hawks lost back-to-back home games. After those results, the oddsmakers have adjusted the line 11 points in Game 3. Atlanta should bring a better effort on Sunday night, but they will be short-handed as Kyle Korver is now out for the season with an ankle injury. The biggest difference so far in this series has been three-point shooting as Cleveland is 22-for-56 (39 percent), while Atlanta is just 10-for-49 (20 percent).” – Steve Merril
ABOUT THE HAWKS: Two other Atlanta starters are ailing as center Al Horford briefly left Game 2 after hurting his right knee and small forward DeMarre Carroll was largely ineffective after playing with a sprained left knee suffered in Game 1. “I wouldn’t turn this chance down,” Carroll told reporters after having just six points and three rebounds in 34 minutes. “I wouldn’t turn this opportunity down for the world. I would’ve gone out there on one leg.” To remain in the series, the Hawks will hope key reserve Dennis Schroder steps up as well as receiving contributions from substitutes such as Kent Bazemore, Shelvin Mack and Mike Scott.
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS: Cleveland didn’t miss Irving in Game 2 as James took a playmaking approach and the Hawks were powerless to defend him. “I have a gift and that’s why I’m able to keep defenses off guard because they say ‘OK, we’re going to make him score or make him pass,’” James said in his postgame press conference. “They really can’t make me do what I don’t want to do. I go out and I play the game the right way.” The loss of power forward Kevin Love (shoulder) for the rest of the playoffs has become a non-issue with Thompson (16 rebounds in Game 2) controlling the boards to help the Cavaliers outrebound Atlanta 96-76 in the first two games.
TRENDS:
*Hawks are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games following a double-digit loss at home.
*Cavaliers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 home games following a road trip of 7 or more days.
*Under is 4-0 in Hawks last 4 overall.
*Under is 9-2 in Cavaliers last 11 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
CONSENSUS: 60.4 percent are backing the Hawks with 59 percent on the over.
NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
Hawks are 10-43 from arc in series. Carroll is banged up, Korver is out for the series and Atlanta is down 2-0 heading to Cleveland, after they had won seven of previous eight games with Cavaliers. Six of last nine series games went over total. Cleveland won last five games, is 10-2 in playoffs with eight of last 11 games staying under total- their last three wins were by 21-8-12 points. Tristan Thompson had 16 rebounds, was +21 in Game 2 win. Hawks split six road playoff games this spring.
StatFox Super Situations™ – FoxSheets
NBA | ATLANTA at CLEVELAND
Play On – Underdogs (ATLANTA) revenging a home loss vs opponent against opponent off 2 or more consecutive road wins
84-42 over the last 5 seasons. ( 66.7% | 37.8 units )
14-12 this year. ( 53.8% | 0.8 units )
NBA | ATLANTA at CLEVELAND
Play On – Home teams vs. the money line (CLEVELAND) after beating the spread by 42 or more points total in their last five games against opponent after going under the total by 48 or more points total in their last seven games
93-38 since 1997. ( 71.0% | 41.4 units )
8-3 this year. ( 72.7% | 5.1 units )
NBA | ATLANTA at CLEVELAND
Play Under – All teams where the first half total is between 95.5 and 100.5 points in a playoff game
436-288 since 1997. ( 60.2% | 119.2 units )
28-28 this year. ( 50.0% | -2.8 units )
Five To Follow MLB Betting: Sunday, May 24, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews
I am completely tired of hearing about the New England Patriots’ “Deflategate” and think it’s the most overblown thing in modern NFL history in terms of a rule violation or whatever you want to call it. But I bring that up because we had a baseball version of tampering with a ball happen on Thursday night as Brewers reliever Will Smith was ejected against Atlanta because it was determined had had slathered rosin and sunscreen on his forearm. He said he put it on in the bullpen because it was chilly and windy and forgot to wipe it off. Come on dude! Frankly, a majority of pitchers do something like this but aren’t dumb enough to have it out in the open. New commissioner Rob Manfred gave Smith an eight-game suspension. That makes me think Manfred might be fairly strict, because eight games for a reliever is a pretty long one.
♦ Reds at Indians (-180, 7.5)
Cleveland will get a big piece of its lineup back Sunday as catcher Yan Gomes will be activated from the disabled list. He was great last year in hitting .278 with 21 homers and 74 RBIs. He was hitting just .150 in 20 at-bats this season before going down with a knee injury. The Tribe caught a major break in this one as Reds ace Johnny Cueto was scheduled to start. But he was scratched with what is only being called “general stiffness.” Hello, welcome to my world! So it’s Raisel Iglesias (1-0, 3.94). He has pitched out of relief in his past two outings and has never faced the Indians. Cleveland’s Trevor Bauer (3-1, 3.31) has oddly had exactly the same start the last two times out: 7.1 innings, four hits and one run allowed while walking three. Only a few Reds have ever faced him. Todd Frazier is 0-for-2 with two strikeouts. Cincinnati again will have the DH in this series finale
Key trends: The Reds are 1-7 in their past eight vs. teams with a losing record (entering Saturday). Cleveland is 6-1 in Bauer’s past seven at home against teams with a losing record. The “over/under” has hit under in seven of Bauer’s past nine at home against teams in his past nine at home.
Early lean: Indians and under.
♦ Cardinals at Royals (-105, 7.5)
Could this be a preview of a 1985 World Series rematch this fall? Absolutely could be with both clubs leading their Central Divisions. The Royals and Cardinals are both +900 to win the World Series, tied for third behind the Dodgers and Nationals. The Cards’ Michael Wacha (6-0, 2.13) is in the early NL Cy Young conversation for sure. He hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs over his past four starts, and the Cards haven’t lost one of his starts all year (whether he got a decision or not). The Royals’ Lorenzo Cain is 2-for-6 with a double off him. Mike Moustakas is 0-for-4. Kansas City’s Yordano Ventura (3-3, 4.56) comes off his best outing of the season, shutting out the Reds over seven innings on four hits, striking out six without a walk. Yadier Molina is 1-for-3 off him. Matt Carpenter is as well.
Key trends: St. Louis is 6-0 in Wacha’s past six on the road. The Royals are 5-0 in Ventura’s past five interleague starts. The over is 7-0 in Ventura’s past seven following a quality start in his most recent appearance.
Early lean: Love the under. Take St. Louis.
♦ Orioles at Marlins (-115, 8.5)
Has any team fired two managers in one season? Maybe one of George Steinbrenner’s Yankees clubs. That shift of GM Dan Jennings to the dugout after he fired Manager Mike Redmond hasn’t exactly spurred the Marlins entering the weekend. Miami’s Tom Koehler (2-3, 3.70) had been bumped to bullpen briefly but returned to the rotation Tuesday and pitched well, allowing no earned runs over 6.2 innings against Arizona but of course the Marlins lost. Few Orioles have seen him. Travis Snider is 0-for-6 with two strikeouts. A reminder that the Birds won’t have the DH. Baltimore’s Miguel Gonzalez (5-2, 3.24) has won two straight starts. This will be his first this season against an NL team. Only a few Marlins have seen him. Ichiro might get a spot start in the outfield as he is 6-for-19 off Gonzalez with three doubles and two homers.
Key trends: The Orioles are 5-2 in Gonzalez’s past seven against teams with a losing record. Miami is 4-0 in Koehler’s past four interleague starts. The under is 8-1 in Gonzalez’s past nine in Game 3 of a series.
Early lean: Orioles and under.
♦ Angels at Red Sox (-134, 9)
Boston has to be encouraged by the past two outings of lefty Wade Miley (3-4, 5.10). He has allowed just two earned and 12 hits over 13.2 innings in wins over the Rangers and A’s. I’m not ready to call him cured yet as those are two of the worst teams in the American League. The Angels should provide a better test. Miley has never faced them. David Freese knows Miley from their NL days, and Freese is 3-for-5 with a walk off him. Fellow southpaw Hector Santiago (3-2, 2.25) gets the call for L.A. The Halos have won his past two and he has allowed only two earned and 11 hits over 13 innings. Dustin Pedroia is 3-for-7 with three doubles off him. Big Papi is 2-for-5 with four RBIs.
Key trends: The Angels are 1-9 in their past 10 on Sunday. Boston is 1-6 in its past seven on the day. The over is 6-1 in Santiago’s past seven on the road.
Early lean: Red Sox and over.
♦ Rangers at Yankees (-129, 8.5)
This is your ESPN Sunday night game so will have live betting at the sportsbooks. The Yankees on ESPN? Really? The Bombers will retire the No. 51 of Bernie Williams before the game, and he will get a plaque in Monument Park in a pregame ceremony. The team will also wear a Williams patch on its hats. In postseason history, Williams ranks first all-time in RBIs and is second in home runs, hits, doubles and runs. Hall of Famer? No. But a very good player. The Yanks start lefty Chris Capuano. He made his season debut off the DL on May 17 in Kansas City and allowed four runs in three innings. Texas’ Prince Fielder is 2-for-8 with two homers off him. Leonys Martin is 1-for-1 with a homer. The Rangers’ Yovani Gallardo (3-6, 4.26) has lost five of his past six outings. This will be his second career start against the Yankees. Chase Headley is 7-for-19 with a homer off him. Alex Rodriguez has never faced Gallardo.
Key trends: Texas is 1-5 in Gallardo’s past five on the road. The Yanks are 0-7 in their past seven vs. right-handers (entering Saturday).
Early lean: Rangers and over.
2015 BASEBALL
National League
Phillies @ Nationals
Harang is 2-1, 2.33 in his last four starts; under is 6-2-2 in last ten.
Gonzalez is 2-1, 5.96 in his last five starts; Nationals scored 26 runs in his last three- four of his last five starts went over.
Phillies lost five of last seven games with Washington; four of last six went over the total. Philly won eight of its last 11 games (under 7-4). Nationals won six of last seven games; nine of their last 12 went over.
Mets @ Pirates
Niese is 0-2, 11.12 in his last two starts; six of his last eight went over.
Pirates are 1-7 when Liriano starts; he is 0-3, 9.39 in his last three– his last three home starts all went over.
Mets lost five of last six games with Pittsburgh; nine of last twelve in series stayed under total. NY lost four of last five overall- they’re 7-14 away from home. Pirates lost six of last nine games but won last two; eight of their last 12 games stayed under the total.
Brewers @ Braves
Nelson is 1-3, 5.58 in his last five starts; three of his last four on road went over the total.
Foltynewicz is 2-1, 6.14 in his four starts (over 2-1-1).
Milwaukee lost seven of last nine games with the Braves; over is 4-2-1 in last seven. Atlanta won six of its last eight games, with five of last eight going over the total. Brewers lost three of their last four games overall.
Giants @ Rockies
Hudson is 1-0, 2.31 in his last two starts; eight of his last went under.
Bettis is 0-0, 5.73 in his two starts this season.
Giants won seven of last eight games, with four of last six staying under; they lost six of last nine games vs Colorado- under is 5-2-1 in last six. Colorado is 5-8 in its last thirteen games.
Cubs @ Diamondbacks
Hammel is 2-0, 2.00 in his last five starts; four of his last six went under.
Hellickson is 0-1, 6.15 in his last five starts; three of last four went over.
Cubs won nine of last 12 games; they’ve lost six of last seven games with Arizona- three of last four series games went over. D’backs won five of last six games overall, with last three going over.
Padres @ Dodgers
Shields is 1-0, 2.08 in his last two starts; four of his last five went over.
Frias is 2-1, 2.82 in his four starts this season.
Dodgers lost four of last seven games, scoring total of six runs- last six games stayed under. LA won nine of last 12 games with the Padres- four of last five stayed under. San Diego lost seven of its last eight games overall- last four stayed under.
American League
Astros @ Tigers
Hernandez is 1-1, 4.50 in his last four starts; four of his last five went over.
Sanchez is 2-3, 5.63 in his last five starts; three of last four went over.
Houston lost five of last six games in Detroit; under is 5-2-1 in last eight series games. Astros won eight of last 11 games; under is 4-1-1 in their last six. Tigers are 6-4 in last ten games; under is 5-2-1 in their last eight.
Rangers @ Bronx
Gallardo is 1-5, 5.66 in his last six starts; under is 3-1-1 in his last five.
Capuano is 1-2, 5.88 in his last six starts; three of last four stayed under.
Texas won four of last five games with Bronx; they scored 25 runs the last two days. Rangers won five of last six games overall, with four of last six staying under total. Bronx lost nine of last ten games, with three of last four going over the total.
Mariners @ Blue Jays
Walker is 1-2, 8.66 in his last four starts (16 walks/17.2 IP)
Sanchez is 0-2, 5.54 in his last two starts; his last three stayed under.
Seattle won last three games with Toronto; three of last four stayed under the total. Mariners won three of last four games overall (under 8-2). Blue Jays lost nine of last 11 games; four of their last five stayed under.
Angels @ Red Sox
Santiago is 1-0, 1.40 in his last three starts, all of which stayed under.
Miley is 2-0, 1.32 in his last two starts; his last four stayed under.
Boston lost eight of last 11 games with the Angels; three of last four went over total- Sox lost four of last six games overall, with eight of last ten staying under total. Boston lost eight of its last 11 home games. Angels are 8-4 in their last 12 games, with last three going over.
A’s @ Rays
Gray is 3-2, 1.81 in his last six starts.
Ramirez is 2-0, 2.57 in his last three starts.
A’s lost 22 of last 29 games; under is 4-1-1 in last six. Oakland is 1-13 in game following a win; they lost three of last four games with Tampa Bay, with under 8-1-2 in last 11 series games. Rays won five of last six home games, allowing 12 runs; seven of their last eight home games went under.
Twins @ White Sox
Gibson is 2-1, 2.64 in his last five starts; under is 6-2-1 in his last nine.
Quintana is 1-3, 2.18 in his last five starts, all of which stayed under; Chicago scored nine runs in the five games.
White Sox lost five of last six games with Minnesota; four of last five series games stayed under total. Twins won five of last seven games. Chicago lost four of last five games, scoring 12 runs; their last six games stayed under.
Interleague
Reds @ Indians
Iglesias is 1-0, 2.77 in his two starts this season.
Bauer is 1-0, 1.29 in his last two starts- three of his last four at home went over.
Reds lost five of last eight games with Cleveland; four of last six series games went over total. Cincinnati lost its last seven games overall, scoring 17 runs; five of those seven went over. Indians won seven of last nine games, with six of last seven staying under.
Orioles @ Marlins
Gonzalez is 3-1, 3.42 in his last four starts; four of his last six went over.
Koehler is 0-0, 1.42 in his last two starts; five of his last seven went over.
Miami lost eight of its last nine games (five of last seven stayed under) but they’ve won seven of last nine games with Baltimore- seven of those nine went over total. Orioles are 4-2 in last six games; three of their last five went over.
Cardinals @ Royals
Cardinals are 8-0 when Wacha starts (2-0, 2.19 in last four).
Ventura is 1-2, 4.97 in his last four starts; four of his last six stayed under.
St Louis lost six of last seven games with the Royals; under is 4-1-1 in those games. Cardinals are 3-6 in last nine games- seven of their last ten stayed under. Kansas City won seven of its last eight games; four of last five stayed under.
Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Phil-Wsh– Harang 5-4; Gonzalez 6-2
NY-Pitt– Niese 3-5; Liriano 1-7
Mil-Atl– Nelson 3-5; Foltynewicz 2-2
SF-Colo– Hudson 4-4; Bettis 2-0
Chi-Az– Hammel 4-4; Hellickson 2-6
SD-LA– Shields 6-3; Frias 2-2
Hst-Det– Hernandez 4-4; AnSanchez 3-6
Tex-NY– Gallardo 4-5; Capuano 0-1
Sea-Tor– Walker 2-6; AaSanchez 3-5
A’s-TB– Gray 4-5; Ramirez 3-1
LAA-Bos– Santiago 4-4; Miley 4-4
Min-Chi– Gibson 4-4; Quintana 3-5
Cin-Clev– Iglesias 2-0; Bauer 4-4
Balt-Mia– Gonzalez 5-3; Koehler 3-5
StL-KC– Wacha 8-0; Ventura 4-4
Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Phil-Wsh– Harang 2-9; Gonzalez 1-8
NY-Pitt– Niese 4-8; Liriano 2-8
Mil-Atl– Nelson 4-8; Foltynewicz 3-4
SF-Colo– Hudson 2-8; Bettis 1-2
Chi-Az– Hammel 1-8; Hellickson 4-8
SD-LA– Shields 2-9; Frias 1-4
Hst-Det– Hernandez 4-8; AnSanchez 2-9
Tex-NY– Gallardo 4-5; Capuano 0-1
Sea-Tor– Walker 3-8; AaSanchez 3-8
A’s-TB– Gray 2-9; Ramirez 2-2
LAA-Bos– Santiago 2-8; Miley 2-8
Min-Chi– Gibson 1-8; Quintana 4-8
Cin-Clev– Iglesias 0-2; Bauer 1-7
Balt-Mia– Gonzalez 3-5; Koehler 0-8
StL-KC– Wacha 3-8; Ventura 2-6
Umpires
NY-Pitt– Underdogs are 5-4 in Winters games.
Phil-Wsh– This is May’s first game of year; he worked seven games LY– the home side was 4-3, over was 4-2-1.
Mil-Atl– Four of last five Hudson games stayed under total.
SF-Col– All three Hickox games this year went over.
Chi-Az– Three of last four Hernandez games went over.
SD-LA– Over is 3-1-1 in Porter games this season.
Sea-Tor– Over is 2-0-1 in last three Randazzo games.
Tex-NY– Underdogs are 5-2 in Basner games; last three stayed under.
Hst-Det– Underdogs won five of last six Davidson games.
A’s-TB– Five of last seven West games went over.
Min-Chi– Four of last six Hamari games stayed under.
LAA-Bos– Five of last seven Hirschbeck games went under.
Cin-Cle– Four of last five Barber games stayed under.
StL-KC– Under is 3-1-1 in last five Carlson games.
Balt-Mia– Over is 18-13 in Hoberg games since he’s been in majors.
StatFox Super Situations™ – FoxSheets
MLB | NY METS at PITTSBURGH
Play On – Road teams (NY METS) below average hitting team (AVG <=.255) against a decent starting pitcher (ERA=3.70 to 4.20) -NL, with an excellent bullpen whose WHIP is 1.150 or better on the season
49-26 since 1997. ( 65.3% | 28.4 units )
1-2 this year. ( 33.3% | -1.3 units )
StatFox Situational Power Trends™ – FoxSheets
MLB | ST LOUIS at KANSAS CITY
KANSAS CITY is 31-12 (+19.4 Units) against the money line after having won 6 or 7 of their last 8 games over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was: KANSAS CITY (4.9) , OPPONENT (3.6)
What Bettors Need to Know: Lightning at Rangers
** Tampa Bay Lightning at New York Rangers (-135, 5)
Series tied 2-2
The New York Rangers have been at their best when backed into a corner in the postseason and continued that trend by reclaiming home ice in the Eastern Conference final. With the series now down to a best-of-three, the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Rangers look to make it two straight wins in Game 5 on Sunday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Henrik Lundqvist was torched for 12 goals in back-to-back games but responded with a magnificent performance in Friday’s 5-1 victory, making 38 saves to cool off the potent Lightning. “There was a lot of talk about him and about his play, but there wasn’t any doubt from within our dressing room,” New York coach Alain Vigneault said. Tampa Bay has scored six goals in each of its victories and tallied once in both of its defeats, but there was no loss of confidence after unleashing 79 shots on goal in the past two contests. “People are going to wake up in the morning and look at the box score and say, ‘Oh, wow, Tampa got waxed,’ ” Lighting coach Jon Cooper said after the Game 4 loss. “But if you were in the building, you probably didn’t see it that way.”
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC, TVA
LINE HISTORY: The lines opened at NYR -135 with a total of 5.
INJURY REPORT: Lightning – D Matt Carle (Ques-Undisclosed) Rangers – LW Mats Zuccarello (Ques-Head)
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING: While the buzz after Game 3 centered Lundqvist’s shaky play, there are suddenly questions surrounding Tampa Bay counterpart Ben Bishop after he surrendered five goals for the second consecutive outing. While Cooper dismissed questions of switching netminders, calling it “asinine,” there are legitimate concerns over the Lightning’s penalty-killing unit after allowing two power-play goals for the third straight game. “The penalty kill needs to be better,” said Bishop, who lost for only the second time in 12 career starts against the Rangers. “It starts with me. Six goals in three games is unacceptable.”
ABOUT THE RANGERS: While Lundqvist stole the headlines, an equally important development for New York was the revival of Rick Nash, who notched 42 goals in the regular season but had tallied only twice in the postseason before matching the total with a pair of goals Friday. “It’s just natural to grip your stick a little bit tighter and to not see the ice as well when you’re struggling,” Nash said. “The puck doesn’t feel comfortable on your stick, so any time you can get a goal and get a little confidence it helps.” Former Lightning captain Martin St. Louis also broke through with his first tally of the postseason, ending an 18-game drought.
*Lightning are 10-3 in their last 13 games playing on 1 days rest.
*Rangers are 11-3 in their last 14 after scoring 5 goals or more in their previous game.
*Over is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings.
*Under is 5-1-1 in Rangers last 7 home games.
CONSENSUS: 70 percent are backing the Rangers with 53 percent on the over.
2014-15 NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
Rangers are 6-13 on power play last three games; they lost five of seven games with Tampa Bay this season; they were outscored 29-21 in the seven games– seven of last nine series games went over. 14 of 16 Ranger playoff games were decided by one goal- Friday was their first playoff win this spring by more than a goal. Lightning won three of last five road games. Rangers gave up 12 goals in their two series losses- they allowed total of seven goals in last five wins. Rangers outhit Tampa 30-18 in Game 1, but hits were 97-63 Lightning in last three games. Home side is just 2-2 in this series.
French Open betting: Men to watch – and wager on – at Roland Garros
By Doc Sports
Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and the rest of the gang will descend on Paris over the upcoming fortnight. Djokovic has established himself as the overwhelming favorite to win his first French Open title thanks to a dominant 2015 campaign.
Favorite
Novak Djokovic (-175)
When is a man, who has won a tournament nine times in the last 10 years and is a ridiculous 66-1 lifetime, not the favorite? The answer is: when Djokovic is playing the some of the best tennis anyone has ever seen.
Of course, part of it is Rafael Nadal’s own doing. The Spaniard, who has triumphed at Roland Garros every season starting in 2005 aside from an injury-plagued 2009, has slumped to No. 7 in the World Rankings. Nadal (+180) has already lost a hard-to-believe five matches on red clay in 2015.
One of those setbacks came in the form of a 6-3, 6-3 beatdown at the hands of Djokovic in Monte-Carlo. Djokovic went on to win the title, just as he has done at every Masters 1000 tournament he has played this year (Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, and Rome).
The top-ranked Serb is 35-2 for the season and has won 22 matches in succession. He has not lost since February (to Roger Federer in Dubai). The French Open is the only Grand Slam that has eluded Djokovic, but he has reached two finals and the semis on four other occasions.
Underdog to watch
Roger Federer (+1,500)
The fourth choice behind Djokovic, Nadal, and Andy Murray (+700), Federer will snag the all-important second seed at Roland Garros as the No. 2 player in the world. That means he’s guaranteed to be on the opposite side of the draw from Djokovic.
Will Federer benefit from someone else upsetting Djokovic prior to the final, similar to when Nadal lost to Robin Soderling in 2009? The Swiss ended up beating Soderling in the final for his lone French Open title.
An in-form Federer is 25-5 this season with three titles (one on clay). He lost early in Madrid but bounced back this month with a runner-up showing in Rome.
Live long shot
Kei Nishikori (+1,800)
Many players seem to have a mental block when going up against Djokovic. Nishikori is not one of those players. He is a decent 2-4 lifetime against the top seed, with one of his wins coming in the semifinals of the 2014 U.S. Open.
Each of Nishikori’s two most recent losses to Djokovic has come in three sets (in best-of-three matches). In his last four tournaments, the world No. 5 has two quarterfinals (Miami and Rome), a semi (Madrid), and a title (Barcelona).
If you’re thinking about an even longer shot, go with David Ferrer (+4,000). On clay, the 2013 French Open runner-up has a real chance against anyone other than Djokovic. If he can avoid Djokovic in the draw, who’s to say Ferrer can’t go all the way if – say – Nadal upsets Djokovic earlier in the tournament?
French Open betting: Women to watch – and wager on – at Roland Garros
By Doc Sports
The French Open gets underway on Sunday in what is always the most wide-open of the four Grand Slams on the women’s side. That’s because Serena Williams has won it “only” twice, but she’s still going into it as the clear favorite.
Favorite
Serena Williams (+180)
It is always hard to bet against Serena at Grand Slams, because those are the events at which she’s motivated to succeed. The world No. 1 has captured each of the past two major titles (2014 U.S. Open, 2015 Australian Open) and six of the last 11 dating back to Wimbledon in 2012.
There is, however, at least some cause for concern. Clay has always been Serena’s worst (“least dominant” is more accurate) surface and she has won the French Open just twice in 13 appearances. Her lifetime record at Roland Garros is 47-11. By comparison, her worst record among the other three slams is 72-10 (Wimbledon). Serena withdrew from a tournament earlier this month in Rome because of a right elbow injury, but chances are good that it was nothing more than a precautionary move in advance of a much more important fortnight.
Defending French Open champion Maria Sharapova went on to lift the Rome trophy, thus cementing herself as the second favorite at the season’s second slam (+375).
Underdog to watch
Simona Halep (+500)
If there is one player who is unafraid of Serena, it’s Halep. Although the Romanian is 1-5 in the head-to-head series, she beat the American last fall at the year-end championship and lost 7-5 in the third set in Miami earlier this season. Sharapova, meanwhile, is a well-documented 2-17 lifetime against Serena with 16 losses in succession. The Russian has not defeated her since 2004. That’s 11 years for those counting.
Halep made it all the way to the Roland Garros final in 2014 before succumbing to Sharapova in three sets. The World No. 3 is just 5-4 in her last nine matches after starting this year 24-2, but she is at least coming off a decent semifinal showing on the clay courts of Rome.
Live long shot
Angelique Kerber (+4,000)
Kerber is one of the streakier players on tour. Her worst tennis can be really bad, but she can beat anyone when she’s playing well. Isn’t that the kind of performer you want to take a flyer on to win a surprise Grand Slam title?
The 11th-ranked German is a two-time major semifinalist (U.S. Open 2011, Wimbledon 2012) and she has reached at least the fourth round in four consecutive trips to Roland Garros (including the quarterfinals in 2012). Kerber already owns two clay-court titles in 2015, having triumphed in Charleston and Stuttgart. Her run at the latter tournament included victories over Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki.
NASCAR stay in Charlotte for Sprint Cup Sunday
By: Freddy Wander
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Coca-Cola 600
Sunday, May 24th – 6:00 p.m. EDT
Charlotte Motor Speedway – Concord, NC
The All-Star racers stay in North Carolina and will be joined by the others for the Coca-Cola 600 this week, a long-standing race that was first established in 1959. Since that time there has been 14 different racers that have claimed multiple victories on the 1.5-mile, asphalt track, with four of them (Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick) running this week. The best of that group has been Johnson who has won this event four times in the past (2003, 2004, 2005, 2014), dominating the 24-degree banks with his time of 4:07:27 in the win last year. Just last week, the track was busy with the Sprint All-Star race which was won by Denny Hamlin, but featured a very different format. Let’s now look at some of the entrants who have a chance to do well this week.
Kevin Harvick (3/1) – Vegas believes that Harvick is the clear-cut favorite this week in Charlotte and there is good reason for that as he’s dominated this year with top-eight finishes in all but one race, which was Bristol where he led for 184 laps, and has been either first or second nine times. He has been the runner-up at three of the past four races and is coming off one of those at this track last week. He does have three career wins when running on Charlotte Motor Speedway and has done great recently at the Coca-Cola 600 with two wins, a runner up and an eighth-place showing in the past four years. Harvick is as good as a lock as there could be to top the leaderboard and it would not be a mistake to drop some units on him.
Matt Kenseth (15/1) – Kenseth has also been running hot recently with four top-seven finishes, including a win in Bristol, over his last five times out. His fifth place in the All-Star race last week was no fluke as he has been tremendous at this venue in the past with two wins and a total of 16 top-10s in 31 races. His driver rating of 95.5 at the track ranks fifth-best and he’s always been near the top with an average running position of 13.8 (5th best) behind blazing fast speeds (176.531 MPH, fifth-fastest). Kenseth is nowhere near Harvick at this point, but the price point is nice for him and putting a few units on the 32-time Sprint Cup race winner could pay out.
Kyle Busch (20/1) – Busch made his return to the track last week after dealing with multiple injuries during the Xfinity Series race in Daytona back in February. Following a lengthy recovery, he showed up at the All-Star race ready to compete again and was able to grab a sixth-place finish. He could continue a solid comeback in Charlotte this week as he has 10 top-five finishes here in 22 attempts, putting him only behind Jimmie Johnson for most since 1975, as Johnson has needed 27 visits to the track to accomplish his mark of 13. He’s spent 5,624 laps (78.4%) in the top-15 (second-most) when here and is always on the lookout to make moves with 1,007 quality passes (second-most). Busch’s odds are likely low with his limited races this year, so now is the time to jump on him before they go up.
Jamie McMurray (30/1) – McMurray is joined by Johnson, Kahne, Harvick and Kenseth as the five active racers who have earned multiple wins here in their careers and all four of them sit ahead of him in odds. He did struggle in the All-Star race, ranking 16th out of 20, but was fifth in this race during the 2014 season and has been one of the more consistent racers this year. He ranks 10th in the Sprint Cup Series standings behind finishing in the top-14 at each of the past six races prior to last week and had a runner-up performance in Phoenix back in March. Charlotte Motor Speedway is where McMurray won his first of seven Sprint Cup Series races back in 2002, and now 449 starts later, he could get an upset win here once again.
Paul Menard (100/1) – Menard has just one career win, but is in the midst of a career season and has finished in the top-20 at the last four point earning races. As a result, he’s jumped up to 14th in the Sprint Cup Series standings and looks to build on that mark in Charlotte where he has earned two top-10s in the past. He has been able to improve his standing in this particular race over each of the past four years and earned one of those top-10s here last season when he finished eighth after starting with a pole position of 21st. Menard has been having success this year and his improvements at this track in recent years put him as one of the top sleepers.
Bets-Group
Forecast for today
Kick-off at 17.00
English Championship . Premier League.
Arsenal – West Bromwich
Odds Arsenal (-1 ) – 1.76
On-Bets
Prognosis :
Starting today at 17:00
English Championship . Premier League.
Hull – Manchester United
Win Manchester United – 2.22
Bettingsprofit
Darmstadt–St. Pauli
tip: 1
Karlsruher — Munich 1860
tip: 1(-1ah)
Kaiserslautern — Ingolstadt
tip:1(-1ah)
Altach–Grodig
tip: 1
Vip-Bet-Win
Stoke–Liverpool
tip:2
Hull–Manchester Utd
tip: 1(+0ah)
Santa Clara–Covilha
tip:2(-1ah)
Manchester City –Southampton
tip: 2(+1ah)
Everton–Tottenham
tip:2(+0ah)
Insiderpick100
Haugesund VS Stromsgodset
Pick:X
ODDS:3.60
Clubgowi
Serie A: Udinese- Sassuolo, Over 3 goals at 2.19
EZWINNERS
MLB – (ACTION)
2* (914) Tigers -$149
2* (921) Twins +$129
2* (911) Padres +$126
BOB BALFE
(2 picks)
Yankees -125 over Rangers
Yankees/Rangers – Over 9 runs
(24-23 YTD Record)
SIMON CERBONE (Soccer)
ITALY – SERIE A – (OVER 3 -105) CAGLIARI CALCIO @ AC CESENA (9AM)
AUSTRIA – BUNDESLIGA – (OVER 3 -128) SC WIENER NEUSTADT @ SK RAPID WIEN (1145AM)
SWEDEN ALLSVENSKAN – ( UNDER 2.5 -120) MALMÖ FF @ KALMAR FF (1130AM)
NORWAY – TIPPELIGAEN – (UNDER 2.5 +115) STROMSGODSET IF @ FK HAUGESUND (12PM)
VICTORY INVESTMENT CAPITAL (SOCCER)
Sweden, Norway, England, and Italy….
281 Goteborg/Halmstad – Over 2.5 goals (-108)
284 Gefle/Orebro – Over 2.5 goals (-111)
287 Elfsborg/Atvidabergs – Over 2.5 goals (-114)
251 Stromsgodset/Haugesund – Over 3 goals (+123)
104 West Bromwich/Arsenal – Over 3 goals (+103)
125 Southampton/Manchester City – Over 3.5 goals (+124)
107 Tottenham/Everton – Over 3 goals (+115)
154 Sassuolo/Udinese – Over 3 goals (+120)
160 Cagliari/Cesena – Over 3 goals (-101)
SOCCER CREW
Italy (Serie A)
Palermo-Fiorentina
Over 3.5 goals @ +135
Italy (Serie A)
Udinese-Sassuolo
Over 3.5 goals @ +150
Spain (2nd Division)
Numancia – Racing Santander
Over 2/2.5 (or 2.25) goals @ +102
all flat bets (1 unit)
ULTRA SPORTS – MLB
3* Stl. Cardinals ML
CRUSHER
Baseball Crusher
Boston Red Sox -114 over LA Angels
(System Record: 23-1, won last game)
Overall Record: 23-22
Hockey Crusher
Tampa Bay Lightning + New York Rangers – OVER 5
(System Record: 106-4, won last game)
Overall Record: 106-88-11
Basketball Crusher
Atlanta Hawks +9 over Cleveland Cavs
(System Record: 93-2, lost last 2 games)
Overall Record: 93-98-5
Soccer Crusher
Tigre + River Plate – UNDER 2
This match is happening in Argentina
(System Record: 764-25, lost last game)
Overall Record: 764-615-116
Here are the rest of his baseball, hockey and basketball plays for today…
Baseball
Minnesota Twins +127 over Chicago White Sox
Texas Rangers +118 over New York Yankees
Philadelphia Phillies + Washington Nationals – UNDER 7.5
Hockey
none
Basketball
none
PAUL LEINER
100* MLB – Yankees -125
100* MLB – Dodgers -135
FRANK PATRON
20,000 Unit NBA Move – Atlanta Hawks +9 over Cleveland