CapperTek - Access Picks for Today Tuesday, April 23, 2019

GAME PREVIEW

Apr 22, 2019The Toronto Raptors will attempt to win four straight games in the same playoff series for the first time in franchise history when they seek to close out the visiting Orlando Magic in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference first-round series Tuesday night.The Raptors have rebounded from a 104-101 home loss in Game 1 to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. They are one victory away from a second-round matchup with either Philadelphia or Brooklyn.Toronto's defense has dominated the series ever since D. J. Augustin's late 3-pointer stunned the East's second seed in the series opener.Orlando made 14 of its 29 3-point attempts (48.3 percent) in Game 1. The Magic have since gone 29-for-111 (26.1 percent) while totaling just 82, 93 and 85 points after putting up 104 in the opener.After a 2-for-5 effort in Game 1, Evan Fournier's shooting woes have mirrored the Magic's long-range issues. He's shot 5-for-23 from deep in the last three games.He felt apologetic after his -- and his team's -- performance in 98-93 and 107-85 home losses in Games 3 and 4."It's tough, man, because these fans have been waiting for these games for so long and it's really disappointing to not give them a win," he told reporters after Sunday's loss. "That's a big reason why we want to come back here for a Game 6." Getting the series back to Orlando will be no easy task. Toronto has rebounded from its Game 1 disappointment to win three games by a total of 56 points.Kawhi Leonard leads the series in scoring at 28.0 points per game, but he's gotten plenty of help.Pascal Siakam (22.3 points) also has outscored Orlando's leading scorer (Aaron Gordon, 16.3); Kyle Lowry has twice the number of total assists (34) as the Magic leader (Gordon, 17); and Toronto has five other guys -- Serge Ibaka (9.3), Danny Green (8.5), Marc Gasol (8.3), Norman Powell (8.3) and Fred VanVleet (7.3) -- averaging at least seven points per game."I feel like my teammates had a big part (in Sunday's win)," Leonard said. "With Norm playing great; Pascal shot the ball well; Kyle did great, made big shots; Danny made a big shot at the end of the third; Marc played great; Fred came in and knocked down shots ... I feel like we all played well tonight; we all had our hands on the game. It's not just me out there." While Toronto has never previously won four straight in a playoff series, the Magic have a history of losing four in succession. In fact, it happened the last time Orlando made the playoffs, when it beat Indiana in the 2012 first-round opener before getting eliminated in five games.Orlando, which also won on the road as part of a 2-2 split in the regular season, will tip off the must-win contest with vivid memories of having had success on the Toronto court."We've shown that we can win there before," Gordon noted to reporters Sunday. "That's the idea -- go out there and fight, definitely fight -- and potentially get back (to Orlando for a Game 6). We get a win out there, then the series is up for grabs." --Field Level Media

Game Preview from The Associated Press (AP).

COMING UP
8:05 PM EST

4/23/2019 8:05 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

Brooklyn Nets

+315

+8 (-105)

Over 230 (-105)

Philadelphia 76ers

-345

-8 (-105)

Under 230 (-105)

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Apr 22, 2019Joel Embiid's left knee will be a question for the Philadelphia 76ers for the duration of their playoff run, but when he is on the floor, things go extremely well.Embiid's presence is among the reasons why the 76ers are on the verge of advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals. And they have a shot to do just that Tuesday night when they host the Brooklyn Nets in Game 5 of their first-round series.Philadelphia is attempting to reach the semifinals in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1999-2001 during the peak years of coach Larry Brown and Allen Iverson, a stretch that culminated in getting to the NBA Finals in 2001.If Philadelphia is unable to close it out, the series will return to Brooklyn for Game 6 on Thursday.The Sixers have won the last three games after getting booed by home fans in a 111-102 loss in Game 1 on April 13. Embiid totaled 22 points and 15 rebounds in the series opener but in the subsequent two games he has played, the center has been a force.Embiid is averaging 25.3 points, 13.7 rebounds, 3.7 blocks and four assists while playing about 26 minutes per game. He also is shooting 51 percent from the floor, and the Sixers have outscored Brooklyn by 27 points when he is on the court."He was dominant," Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said after Embiid made the pass to Mike Scott for the go-ahead corner 3-pointer with 18 seconds remaining in Game 4. "There were times you can see that it's still raw and there are some decisions that he probably would like to have over again but given the volume of playing time lately, that he hasn't had, it's just a dominant performance. What more can you say?""It was really important because we wanted to get this one and go home and try to finish it," Embiid said. "It feels great to be up 3-1." Embiid is hardly the only Sixer giving the Nets fits.Ben Simmons followed up 31 points in Game 3 with 15 points Saturday and has shot 18-of-25 in those games. Tobias Harris has scored 29 and 24 in the last two games while Butler scored 36 points in Game 1.The Nets are facing the potential end of a season that surprised many. They were 8-18 through Dec. 5 but went 34-22 from that point to finish 42-40 and grab the sixth seed.They won Game 1 by showcasing physicality but haven't had many answers for Embiid or anyone else. The Nets have allowed 170 points in the paint in the last three games and Philadelphia has shot 51.4 percent.While Games 2 and 3 got away from the Nets in the third quarter, a fourth-quarter collapse doomed the Nets in Game 4. Brooklyn held a 101-94 lead with 5:20 left and then allowed an 18-7 run, shot 3-of-8 and committed five turnovers.One of those turnovers was by Jarrett Allen when Simmons stole the ball from him with five seconds left as Embiid and Harris also surrounded the second-year center."For a lot of us, this is our first time playing big minutes in the playoffs," Brooklyn guard Spencer Dinwiddie said. "But we were right there 1/8in Game 4 3/8. We feel like we should've won. We weren't saying this was a learning experience when we won Game 1. So we can't fall back on that now. We need to try to pull off something incredible." The Nets have never overcome a three games-to-one deficit in their NBA history.Besides trying to stop Embiid, the Nets will hope to get a big night from D'Angelo Russell, who is averaging 22.3 points in the series but shooting 39 percent.They also will hope to get continued production from Caris LeVert, who has 51 points in the past two games, and improved three-point shooting from Joe Harris, who is 3-of-16 from behind the arc after being the league's top 3-point shooter in the regular season.Brooklyn might be without veteran forward Ed Davis, who is questionable with an ankle injury. Davis sat out Game 4 and has played 16 minutes since Game 1--Field Level Media

Game Preview from The Associated Press (AP).

COMING UP
9:30 PM EST

4/23/2019 9:30 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

San Antonio Spurs

+205

+5.5 (-102)

Over 211.5 (-105)

Denver Nuggets

-225

-5.5 (-108)

Under 211.5 (-105)

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Apr 22, 2019After posting a rare win in San Antonio to even the first-round series at 2-2, the Denver Nuggets will try to carry that momentum into Game 5 on Tuesday night against the visiting Spurs.Denver made adjustments -- tactically and emotionally -- and outscored the Spurs 69-45 in the second and third quarters on Saturday to secure its first win in San Antonio since 2012.The Nuggets have regained homecourt advantage as they try to make it past the first round for just the second time in 25 seasons.Denver's 117-103 win in Game 4 came after coach Michael Malone put Torrey Craig in the starting lineup and brought struggling Will Barton off the bench. Craig, a superior defender, helped shut down DeMar DeRozan and allowed the Nuggets' other top-flight perimeter defender, Gary Harris, to hound point guard Derrick White.The strategy worked well. White, who scored 36 in Game 3, was held to eight points and had four turnovers. DeRozan scored 19, but lost his cool after he was called for an offensive foul when Harris was guarding. He tossed the ball in the direction of the referee and was ejected with 5:01 left.The league also hit DeRozan with a $25,000 fine for his actions."Frustration," DeRozan said after the game of why he tossed the ball. "I mean, I thought it was a bad call." Craig is likely to remain in the starting lineup Tuesday night."Our two best perimeter defenders on their two best perimeter players," Malone said after the game.Craig added a bonus on offense, scoring 18 points and hitting 5 of 7 of his 3-pointers.San Antonio will have to make the next move. The Spurs have played well in the two games in Denver, winning the first and then holding a 19-point lead in Game 2 before Jamal Murray got hot in the fourth quarter and led the Nuggets to the win.The theme of this series has been the young roster of the Nuggets against the veteran Spurs, who have been to the postseason 22 straight seasons. In the first three games that experience showed, and if not for a big fourth quarter in Game 2 San Antonio could have been up 3-0 before Saturday.Denver has seemed to settle down in the series. Nikola Jokic has played like an MVP candidate and Harris has been solid on both ends of the floor. Winning a road game in the playoffs might give the Nuggets the spark they need to get over the top.But the Spurs will likely tweak things. Forward LaMarcus Aldridge had 24 points in 29 minutes in Game 4 and could see more action in the post, which will force Jokic to play more defense and possibly get into foul trouble.A bounce-back game from White, who grew up in the Denver area rooting for the Nuggets, would be a boost.No matter what happens the rest of the way this has been the most competitive first-round series in the NBA. The higher seeds in the other seven series either swept their opponents or were up 3-1. Only the Nuggets-Spurs were guaranteed a Game 6 after the first four matchups.--Field Level Media

Game Preview from The Associated Press (AP).

COMING UP
10:30 PM EST

4/23/2019 10:30 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

Oklahoma City Thunder

+140

+3 (-102)

Over 219 (-103)

Portland Trail Blazers

-150

-3 (-108)

Under 219 (-107)

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Apr 22, 2019The Portland Trail Blazers are known as an offensive team, but their defense has been equally important as they have built a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series with the Oklahoma City Thunder.The Thunder have been held under 100 points in each of their three losses. They shot only 37.5 percent in Sunday's 111-98 home loss."We need one more game like that," Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts said as he looked ahead to Tuesday night's Game 5 in Portland.The Thunder are looking at the possibility of a third straight first-round playoff ouster."We're down 3-1," Coach Billy Donovan said. "All we can do now is watch the (video), try to make some corrections and adjustments and get ready for Game 5. I mean, that's really all we can do." There were plenty of extracurricular activities during Oklahoma City's Game 3 win, but the Blazers were determined not to get caught up in it in Game 4."We weren't emotional about it -- we were just competing," said Damian Lillard, who scored 24 points in Game 4 and is averaging 28.8 points in the series. "We were passionate about the game as well (as the Thunder), but we didn't engage in it. Our focus was our team."We're not going to go crazy on the referees, get into shouting matches (with the Thunder). We're going to focus on the things we need to do to win the game. I was proud our team stuck with that." Stotts said he expects that to be the case Tuesday night as well."It's good to be going home and having a chance to close them out," he said, "but our demeanor, our approach isn't going to change in Game 5." Oklahoma City forward Paul George is averaging 26.8 points and 8.5 rebounds in the series but is shooting only 37 percent from the field and 30.8 from 3-point range. Guard Russell Westbrook is averaging 21.3 points, 9.8 assists and 8.3 rebounds but is shooting 36.3 percent from the field and 30.4 from the 3-point line.The Thunder are shooting 41.3 from the field and 30.8 on 3-point attempts in the series. The Trail Blazers' numbers are 44.1 from the field and an excellent 41.5 from beyond the arc.What's the solution for the Thunder in Game 5?"Score more points," George said. "Honestly, that's what we have to do. Defensively, we're going to be locked in. We'll get in the flow. We'll get in the rhythm. The ball will find its way to the hole. We just have to get better."Regardless of what the series is, it's always one game at a time. We have to play one game. Give everything in one game, and go to the next. We're down 3-1, but we have to take it one game at a time." Stotts expects a strong performance by the Thunder on Tuesday night."They're pros," he said. "I expect a great effort from them. You lose a game on your homecourt, you're going to be dejected. But I would expect them to bounce back in Game 5." --Field Level Media

Game Preview from The Associated Press (AP).

NHL

4/23/2019

FOUND 2 GAMES

COMING UP
7:05 PM EST

4/23/2019 7:05 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

Toronto Maple Leafs

+120

+1.5 (-230)

Over 5.5 (-110)

Boston Bruins

-130

-1.5 (+210)

Under 5.5 (+100)

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Time: 7:00 PM EDT Venue: TD Garden , Boston, Mass., 02114 / The Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins have been here before. They will play a seventh game in a first-round playoff series at Boston on Tuesday night for the second season in a row and for the third time since 2013. The Bruins forced the latest showdown with a 4-2 victory in Toronto on Sunday afternoon. Each team has won twice on the road in this series. Although Boston won the Game 7 clashes in 2013 and 2018, both teams are claiming indifference to what happened in the past." I'm not a big believer of living in the past," Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. "I don't carry a lot of stuff around from the past at all. The bottom line is we've got a one-game series against these guys and we like each other, we like our group, we like hanging around together, we want to be together. The only way you get to be together is if you play good and execute and win." Bruins left winger Jake DeBrusk, who scored a goal Sunday, said the success in Game 7 last year does not matter." No, to be honest, probably the only thing is home ice," he said. "But they've already won twice there. It's one of those things where you try to forget the past whether it's this series or last year's series." Toronto started Game 6 with energy and scored the first goal of the game in the first period. Boston came back with two power-play goals and led 2-1 after the first period. It could have been more without a couple of superb saves by Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen. Boston had a 41-24 advantage in shots on goal for the game. Toronto defenseman Jake Muzzin feels the Maple Leafs did not handle the setbacks in Game 6 as well as they had in earlier games of the series." We're going to have to maintain our composure on the bench and in the room and go in there with the same attitude that we've gone in there before and I think we'll be OK," Muzzin said Monday." We're not going to look at anything that's happened in the past and expect it to play out a certain way," said Bruins left winger Brad Marchand, who scored twice on Sunday, including the clincher into an empty net. "We're fighting for our season again next game. We don't know how it's going to play out, but we're going to have fun doing it." The Bruins played their best game of the series in Game 6 and will try to carry it over to Game 7." Obviously we're desperate, but this is the kind of thing we talked about (Saturday), trying to hit your ceiling," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. "We got as close to it (Sunday) as I've seen in a long time." A key for the Maple Leafs will be to avoid penalties. The Bruins are 7-for-16 (43.75 percent) on the power play in the series after going 2-for-2 on Sunday. Toronto was 0-for-3 on the power play Sunday and is 3-for-14 (21.42 percent) on the series." Obviously, them getting two on the power play is not what we wanted," said Toronto defenseman Morgan Rielly, who scored the first goal of the game Sunday. "It's important that we get that sorted out on the penalty kill." --Field Level Media

Game Preview from The Associated Press (AP).

COMING UP
10:05 PM EST

4/23/2019 10:05 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

Vegas Golden Knights

-105

+1.5 (-275)

Over 5.5 (-120)

San Jose Sharks

-105

-1.5 (+250)

Under 5.5 (+110)

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US Orleans Loiret Football

GAME PREVIEW

Time: 10:00 PM EDT Venue: SAP Center at San Jose, San Jose, CA, 95113 / After twice failing to close out their best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal series, the Vegas Golden Knights now play the first Game 7 in the franchise's short history when they face the Sharks on Tuesday night in San Jose. Vegas, despite outshooting San Jose by a remarkable 59-29 margin, will try to rebound from a 2-1 double overtime home loss on Sunday night. The Golden Knights also failed to clinch in Game 5 when they fell to the Sharks 5-2 on Thursday night in San Jose." We have to (put it behind us)," Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury said. "It's the playoffs, right? You win, you lose, you put it behind quickly and get ready for the next one." The Golden Knights, who advanced to the 2018 Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season, have played in just one elimination game in their short history and are 0-1, losing Game 5 to Washington 4-3 in the Capitals' Cup clincher at Las Vegas. Now Vegas must bounce back in less than 48 hours after somehow dropping a game in which it outshot the Sharks by 30 combined with the double gut-punch of losing on a short-handed goal by Tomas Hertl 11:17 into the second overtime. It marked the first time in NHL history that a game-winner came on a short-handed goal in a contest that required multiple overtimes." Well, it's Game 7," said Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant when asked how his team could rebound after playing more than 91 physically and emotionally draining minutes. "If it wasn't Game 7, it could be really tough, but it's going to be Game 7, and I think both teams want to advance." Winner take all in Game 7. You get ready to play, you forget about (Sunday). It's over with now, and you move on and get ready to play the next one. ... I'm proud of our guys. The way they competed, 59 shots on net. It wasn't our night, but there is still another day for us fortunately." The Sharks and goalie Martin Jones will try to cap a remarkable turnaround after getting outscored 16-6 in three consecutive losses in Games 2-4, two of which saw Jones get pulled. The 29-year-old netminder has rebounded to stop 88 of 91 shots the past two games, including a franchise-record 58 in the Sunday night victory." I thought he was fantastic tonight, but so was Fleury," San Jose coach Peter DeBoer said. "It was great for (Jones). Our group has never lost faith in him. I think we knew he was capable of this, and we needed him tonight and he was our best player." San Jose improved to 35-0 this season when allowing two goals or fewer in a game. Hertl, who has scored five goals in the series, including three in the past two wins, wasn't far behind. He raised more than a few eyebrows with some bulletin-board material with his postgame comments after the Game 5 victory when he predicted the Sharks would be back in San Jose for a Game 7 "because we are a better team than them." "Tomas wears his heart on his sleeve, and I don't know how that rolled out, whether it was social media or whatever, but it was ridiculous," DeBoer said. "There was no guarantee made. It was an emotional guy with English as his second language (Hertl is from the Czech Republic) ... just professing his confidence in our group. He did that, and he delivered." Hertl, who refused several questions from the media after Game 6 when it came to Game 7 predictions, instead turned the focus on the play of Jones." He was unreal," Hertl said. "He had (58) saves. ... We can just thank him that we're still alive." After this huge win, we just have to finish. It will be really hard, but that's what you play hockey for, games like this. And now it's Game 7. There can be nothing better than to play a Game 7. And I can't wait for it." --Field Level Media

Game Preview from The Associated Press (AP).

SOCCER

4/23/2019

FOUND 17 MATCHES

COMING UP
6:00 AM EST

4/23/2019 6:00 AM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

Vitoria Guimaraes SC U23

-170

-1 (-100)

Over 3 (-113)

CD Cova Piedade U23

+368

+1 (-128)

Under 3 (-110)

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COMING UP
12:30 PM EST

4/23/2019 12:30 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

Emmen

+225

OFF

Over 3 (-115)

De Graafschap

+112

OFF

Under 3 (+100)

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CHAT

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COMING UP
1:00 PM EST

4/23/2019 1:00 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

BFC Dynamo

+328

OFF

Over 2.5 (-125)

Wacker Nordhausen

-136

OFF

Under 2.5 (+102)

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COMING UP
1:30 PM EST

4/23/2019 1:30 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

Eibar

+192

OFF

Over 2.5 (-140)

Huesca

+145

OFF

Under 2.5 (+125)

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CHAT

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COMING UP
1:45 PM EST

4/23/2019 1:45 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

VVV Venlo

+318

OFF

Over 3 (-109)

Heerenveen

-121

OFF

Under 3 (-106)

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COMING UP
1:45 PM EST

4/23/2019 1:45 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

SC Heracles

+600

+1.5 (-102)

Over 3.5 (-136)

AZ Alkmaar

-261

-1.5 (-113)

Under 3.5 (+121)

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COMING UP
2:00 PM EST

4/23/2019 2:00 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

Gazelec Ajaccio

+221

OFF

Over 2 (-114)

Chamois Niortais FC

+174

OFF

Under 2 (-102)

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CHAT

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COMING UP
2:00 PM EST

4/23/2019 2:00 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

Chateauroux

+266

OFF

Over 2 (-105)

FC Sochaux

+142

OFF

Under 2 (-110)

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CHAT

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COMING UP
2:00 PM EST

4/23/2019 2:00 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

+207

OFF

Over 2.5 (+102)

Nancy

+151

OFF

Under 2.5 (-119)

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COMING UP
2:30 PM EST

4/23/2019 2:30 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

Girona

+236

OFF

Over 2 (-148)

Valladolid

+136

OFF

Under 2 (+133)

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CHAT

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4/23/2019 2:45 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

Brighton

+994

+1.5 (-114)

Over 2.5 (-126)

Tottenham

-298

-1.5 (-101)

Under 2.5 (+111)

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CHAT

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4/23/2019 2:45 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

Southampton

+244

OFF

Over 2.5 (-113)

Watford

+125

OFF

Under 2.5 (-102)

1 PICK AVAILABLE

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4/23/2019 2:45 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

Vitesse

+1263

+2 (+101)

Over 3.5 (-114)

Ajax

-515

-2 (-116)

Under 3.5 (-101)

NO PICKS AVAILABLE

CHAT

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4/23/2019 2:45 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

AFC Wimbledon

+730

OFF

Over 2.5 (-120)

Luton Town

-257

OFF

Under 2.5 (+103)

NO PICKS AVAILABLE

CHAT

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