Saturday’s Betting Tips
By Covers.com
Weather to watch
Seattle Mariners at New York Yankees – 12 mph winds are expected to blow out to center field.
Who’s hot
NBA: Celtics are 16-7-2 ATS in their last 25 games overall.
NBA: The under is 22-8 in the last 30 meetings between the Nuggets and Lakers.
NHL: Rangers are 31-15 in their last 46 home games.
MLB: St. Louis had won six of its last seven meetings with Atlanta ahead of Friday's action.
Who’s not
NBA: 76ers are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 games as an underdog.
NBA: Lakers are 4-13 ATS in their last 17 home games.
NBA: Capitals are 3-11 in their last 14 games as an underdog of +110 to +150.
MLB: Astros are 10-29 in J.A. Happ’s last 39 starts.
Key stat
1 – The Washington Capitals have lost just once this postseason after scoring the opening goal of a game. After being held to just one point in four playoff games spanning the end of the Boston series and the first of this series with the Rangers, Alex Ovechkin has recorded a point in three straight games, including the opening goal in Washington’s 2-1 Game 6 victory.
Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked
Ray Allen, Boston Celtics – Allen is listed as a game-time decision as he deals with a sprained ankle. After toughing it out through the last half of Boston’s opening-round series win over Atlanta, Allen indicated that he could sit out Game 1, hoping to be healthier as the Celtics’ series against the 76ers wears on.
Game of the day
Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Lakers (-6, 196.5)
Notable quotable
“Kobe being dehydrated and all that and sick as a dog, coming out and trying to will us to a win, it’s disappointing to watch him give that type of effort … and we don’t get it from everybody. Our second- and third-best players are Drew and Pau and the reality is both of those guys got to play better in order for us to win.” – Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike Brown on Kobe Bryant’s supporting staff in Game 6’s loss to the Denver Nuggets. Bryant and the Lakers will have Meta World Peace back in the lineup for Game 7 after serving his suspension.
Notes and tips
Looking for any type of offensive spark in Game 7, the New York Rangers put rookie speedster Chris Kreider back up to the second line with Derek Stepan and captain Ryan Callahan in Friday’s practice. Kreider, who scored a couple big goals in the opening-round series win over Ottawa, has been stapled to the bench for most of this series against Washington following a couple of bad turnovers.
The Philadelphia 76ers may have covered in five of their last seven meetings with the Celtics, but Boston has a huge advantage in experience. Eight of Philadelphia’s nine regulars have never been out of the first round, while Boston’s nucleus is still intact after winning the title in 2008. The C’s opened as 5-point favorites for Saturday’s Game 1.
The Toronto Blue Jays have contacted the Philadelphia Phillies about acquiring Cole Hamels and Shane Victorino, according to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal. Both Hamels and Victorino will be free agents at the end of the season and the Phillies are locked in to a handful of lengthy contracts already.