Toronto At Washington
When: 6:00 PM ET, Sunday, March 31, 2013
Where: Verizon Center, Washington, District of Columbia
TV: 6 p.m. ET, Sportsnet One (Toronto), CSN Washington
PREDICTION: Wizards 99, Raptors 95

Oddsmakers currently have the Wizards listed as 3½-point favorites versus the Raptors, while the game’s total is sitting at 192.

The Wizards are coming off consecutive road losses to Oklahoma City and Orlando, but they’re riding their longest home winning streak since a 10-game run in 2006-07. Washington is likely to be short-handed, as rookie guard Bradley Beal (left ankle) and veteran forward Nene (right knee) are listed as questionable. It’s the third meeting this season with the road team having won the first two. The season series concludes Wednesday in Toronto.

Toronto doesn’t have much left to play for and the team is already looking toward the future. “We’ve got a lot of young players and we’re playing for next year,” star forward Rudy Gay told reporters. “These young guys need to know what it feels like to win.” They haven’t experienced much of that lately, as the Raptors haven’t won consecutive games since a five-game streak from Feb. 8-19. Rookie center Jonas Valanciunas has been among the bright spots, scoring in double figures in 10 of the past 11 games.

Last time out for Toronto, they were a 99-82 winner as they battled the Pistons on the road. The Raptors covered in the match as a 1.5-point underdog, while 181 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

Team record: 27-45 SU, 34-37-1 ATS

The total has gone OVER in 5 of last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of last 6 games when playing Washington

When playing on Sunday are 5-5
Before playing Detroit are 2-8
After playing Detroit are 3-7
After a win are 4-6

Washington has enjoyed a solid second half of the season, but the Wizards didn’t endear themselves to their coach with their showing in Friday’s 97-92 loss at Orlando. “I don’t think anybody had a good performance,” coach Randy Wittman told reporters. “Over and over again this year we just go through the motions against teams like this and it costs you.” That hasn’t been the case at home, where the Wizards have averaged 105 points and held opponents to 92.2 points per contest during their six-game winning streak.

Washington lost its last outing, a 97-92 result against the Magic on March 29. The Wizards failed to cover in that game as a 4-point favorite, while the 189 combined points took the game UNDER the total.

Team record: 26-46 SU, 42-29-1 ATS
Current streak: lost 2 straight games.

is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of last 5 games at home
is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto

When playing on Sunday are 4-6
Before playing Chicago are 6-4
After playing Orlando are 1-9
After a loss are 6-4

The post Toronto vs. Washington Free Betting Pick & Matchup appeared first on IdealCapper.

Tyler Seguin’s goal on the first shot of the shootout was nullified because the item was thrown from the stands onto the ice toward New Jersey goalie Johan Hedberg.

So Seguin tried again — and scored again. Ilya Kovalchuk then tied it for the Devils.

After both teams failed on their next four tries, Brad Marchand scored the goal that gave the Bruins a 2-1 win Tuesday night when the final shot, by New Jersey’s Marek Zidlicky, was stopped by Tuukka Rask’s left pad.

“That’s a first,” Seguin said. “I’m still not sure what it was. Maybe a hot dog.”

One of the officials tossed it in the penalty box and had left before being asked exactly what it was.

“It looked yellow,” said Seguin, whose first shot went over Hedberg’s left arm and whose second cleared the goalie’s right arm.

His goal set the stage for Marchand’s game-winner between Hedberg’s pads. It gave the Bruins a 5-0-1 record for an Eastern Conference-best 11 points.

They also opened the 1970-71 season with 11 points, the last time they earned at least one in each of their first six games.

“We’ve played some pretty good hockey so far,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said. “And the games that weren’t quite as good as we should have been, we found a way to win. And to be a good team you’ve got to be able to do that.”

Marchand did, scoring the first shootout goal of his career.

“All I could hear was (Seguin) saying, `go high, go high,’ `’ he said, “but I just kind of blacked out. I don’t know what happened. … I’m serious. I blacked out.”

Nathan Horton’s goal with 4:05 left in the third period had forced overtime after David Clarkson scored on a power play at 8:30 of the second period.

But the game came down to a shootout, and the Devils led the NHL last season with 12 shootout wins.

“They got it this time,” Hedberg said. “I think it’s sort of a tossup when you get to a shootout.”

The Devils remained unbeaten in regulation but fell to 3-0-2.

“We made a couple of mistakes at the end and we’ve got to control the puck a little bit better,” New Jersey’s Patrik Elias said. “They have big guys up front and in the back, too, and it’s tough to get some opportunities to make some plays on that space.”

The victory was Boston’s second in two nights in which it took the lead late in the game. In Monday night’s 5-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes, David Krejci scored the tiebreaking goal on a pass from rookie defenseman Dougie Hamilton with 1:50 left. Seguin added an empty-net goal with eight seconds remaining.

The Devils were coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to Montreal in which they erased a 3-1 Canadiens lead in the third period.

“Our game in Montreal was a little inconsistent,” New Jersey coach Peter DeBoer said. “Tonight we were solid for 65 minutes.”

Clarkson’s fourth goal of the season came on a 50-footer from the left after he skated with the puck from the middle of the blue line.

Travis Zajac crossed in front of Rask, screening the shot that went in the upper right corner of the net. That made the Bruins the last team to allow a power-play goal this season after 23 successful penalty kills.

Clarkson had another scoring bid early in the third period when he fired the puck from the left circle. But Rask gloved it after stopping it with his chest while Krejci was in the penalty box for interfering with Hedberg.

Horton’s scoring play started when Krejci brought the puck out of his own zone and passed it to Milan Lucic, who carried it over the left side of the Devils’ blue line.

Lucic passed it to Krejci in the middle and he immediately passed it to Horton, who shot a 20-footer from the right past Hedberg, playing for the first time this season after Martin Brodeur started the Devils’ other four games.

“You’re down a goal, you’re down two goals, it doesn’t matter,” Horton said. “You just work hard and fight back.”

Rask returned for the Bruins after sitting out Monday night’s win, the first game he missed this season.

Game notes

Bruins LW Chris Bourque, son of retired Boston star Ray Bourque, turned 27 Tuesday. … Kovalchuk has 41 points in 41 games against the Bruins after going scoreless. … For the Devils, 30-year-old Matt Anderson played in his first NHL game after being called up from Albany of the AHL, where he had seven goals and 13 assists in 39 games this season.

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Phoenix At San Antonio
When: 8:30 PM ET, Saturday, January 26, 2013
Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Arizona (Phoenix) Fox Sports Southwest (San Antonio)
Prediction: Spurs 109, Suns 92

Oddsmakers currently have the Spurs listed as 9-point favorites versus the Suns, while the game’s total is sitting at 199.

Hunter is preaching defense and Phoenix has allowed an average of 92 points in his first two games. “Our focus is to create a defensive mentality, to create a defense presence,” Hunter said. “Our guys are working hard to do it. It’s a difficult thing to just change like that. To see every last guy really buying into it and realizing that regardless of how you shoot the ball, if you can defend you always have a chance to win a game. Our guys have been phenomenal in that area.” Point guard Goran Dragic had 24 points in Thursday’s victory over the Los Angeles Clippers for his second-highest output of the campaign.

In their last action, Phoenix was a 93-88 winner at home against the Clippers. They covered the 6.5-point spread as underdogs, while the combined score (181) was profitable news for UNDER bettors.

Team record: 15-28 SU, 18-24-1 ATS
Current streak: won 2 straight games.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 11 of last 15 games when playing San Antonio
is 4-13 SU in its last 17 games
is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
When playing on Saturday are 4-6
Before playing Dallas are 6-4
After playing LA Clippers are 3-7
After a win are 5-5

Reserve frontcourt player DeJuan Blair stepped up with a season-best 22 points on 10-of-13 shooting in the win over Dallas. His offensive output was timely with Duncan sidelined. “When we play without him, we need everybody,” Blair said. “Everybody has to step up. Tony came back and stepped up when we needed him. I was ready. We were all ready and it was great. It was a pretty fun game.” Parker missed part of the first half to get three stitches after suffering a cut around his left eye. It was the same eye that Parker injured during a New York City nightclub brawl in June.

Last time out for San Antonio, they were a 113-107 winner as they battled the Mavericks on the road. The Spurs covered in the match as a 2-point underdog, while 220 combined points moved the game OVER for totals bettors.

Team record: 35-11 SU, 26-19-1 ATS
Current streak: won 7 straight games.
is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of last 7 games at home
When playing on Saturday are 8-2
Before playing Charlotte are 8-2
After playing Dallas are 10-0
After a win are 7-3

The post Phoenix Suns vs. San Antonio Spurs Free Betting Pick & Matchup appeared first on IdealCapper.

“It’s probably the last time I’m going to wear that uniform,” Gonzalez said after the Falcons’ 28-24 loss. “I didn’t want to take it off, to tell you the truth. All good things come to an end, and like I said all season long, this is probably my last one. What an unbelievable ride.”

Gonzalez had eight catches for 72 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown reception with 25 seconds remaining in the first half. The Falcons didn’t score again.

The 36-year-old tight end was voted to his third straight Pro Bowl in four seasons with the Falcons, but said Sunday he’s unlikely to play in the game. His 2012 selection was the 13th time he’s been voted to the league’s all-star game.

Gonzalez Set TE Standard

Tony Gonzalez has helped set a new standard for tight ends in his 16-year career. He ranks as the best tight end in a number of different statistical categories.

He said he will discuss his plans with his family before making his final decision on retirement.

“I’m not going to cry about it,” Gonzalez said after the conclusion of his 16th season. “I walk away with the satisfaction I left everything, absolutely everything, every time I was on the field.

“I wish it would have culminated with the Super Bowl, but it didn’t.”

Drafted 13th overall by the Chiefs in 1997, Gonzalez is second on the career receptions list with 1,242 and is the most decorated tight end in NFL history, ranking first at the position and sixth overall with 103 touchdown catches. At 14,268 yards, he’s seventh on the career receiving list.

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The Dodgers will give the ball to starter Hiroki Kuroda in this one. Righthander Kuroda is 8-14 this season with a 2.88 ERA.

Starting this game for the Rockies will be Jason Hammel. The righthander has a 4.97 ERA to go along with a 7-11 record this season.

Oddsmakers currently have the Rockies listed as 110-moneyline favorites versus the Dodgers, while the game’s total is sitting at 9.

Last time out for Los Angeles, they were a 5-1 winner as they battled the Brewers on the road. Moneyline bettors who got the Dodgers at -120 were rewarded, while the 6 combined runs moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

Colorado won its last outing, a 12-5 result against the Marlins on August 17. Bettors who backed the Rockies at -117 on the moneyline won on the day, and the total score (17) sent OVER bettors to the payout window.

Team records:
Los Angeles: 56-67 SU
Colorado: 58-67 SU

Los Angeles most recently:
When playing on Friday are 3-7
Before playing Colorado are 7-3
After playing Milwaukee are 7-3
After a win are 5-5

Colorado most recently:
When playing on Friday are 3-7
Before playing LA Dodgers are 3-7
After playing Florida are 4-6
After a win are 3-7

A few trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Dodgers’s last 5 games when playing on the road against Colorado
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Dodgers’s last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Dodgers’s last 5 games
LA Dodgers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Colorado’s last 5 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado’s last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Colorado’s last 19 games when playing LA Dodgers
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Colorado’s last 9 games

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