Daily tips for May 9

NHL playoffs for May 9

Eastern Conference quarter-finals, game 5: Los Angeles Kings @ St Louis Blues, Scottrade Center, St Louis, MS, Thursday, May 9, 11.10am (Penguins lead 1-0)

The fifth-seeded Blues welcome the sixth-seeded LA Kings to St. Louis for Game 5 in what could be a pivotal game between these two mid-range teams. The series is all tied up with each team winning two games at home, which seems to be an outstanding trend within this series.

In the two games that were played in St Louis this series, both games ended in favour of the Blues, both 2-1 victories, one of which in OT. The Blues have not allowed more than two goals against at home in their last 12 games in the Scottrade Center. They are an outstanding defensive team, and as we know, the Kings are not a team that can be counted on when playing away from Los Angeles.

Both teams have shown poor displays of offensive power when they are given the opportunity throughout this series, with poor figures and results when playing with the man advantage. Last game in LA, the Kings won in a 4-3 victory, which we suspect was an outlier to the general trend. Look for a tight game between these defensive powerhouses.

Suggested bet: Blues WIN (three units @ $1.83) LOSE, game total -4.5 (one unit @ $2.10) LOSE (3-2)

Other tips

ECQF4: Bruins -1.5 @ Maple Leafs (2-1) LOSE (4-3)

ECQF4: Capitals @ Rangers WIN (2-1) WIN (3-4)

WCQF5: Red Wings @ Ducks WIN (2-2) WIN (2-3)

Grand Salami +19.5 WIN (24)

NBA playoffs for May 9

Eastern Conference semi-finals, game 2: Chicago Bulls @ Miami Heat, AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami, FL, Thursday, May 9, 9.05am (Bulls lead 1-0)

The Miami Heat have been in this less-than-ideal spot before. They trailed Indiana in the Eastern Conference semi-finals last season, needed to win a pair of elimination games against Boston in the East finals and then dropped Game 1 of the NBA Finals to Oklahoma City. And when it was all said and done, the Heat walked away with the title.

So that might explain why there is no sense of panic in Miami, and not even much of a sense of anger. Dropping Game 1 of the East semi-finals to the Chicago Bulls was hardly what the Heat wanted, though could end up serving as a wake-up call for a team that made it through a 66-win regular season without many rough patches.

Chicago’s 93-86 win in the series opener was filled with statistical anomalies, such as Miami shooting just under 40 per cent (its second-worst showing in 87 games overall this season) and the Bulls scoring 35 points in the fourth quarter – matching the most the Heat allowed in the final 12 minutes of regulation all season.

Chicago’s injury-riddled line-up isn’t expected to change for Game 2. Luol Deng, who needed a spinal tap to rule out meningitis last week, won't play while guard Kirk Hinrich was limping when the team exited the conference room it used for meetings and is day to day with a calf injury.

Suggested bet: Miami Heat -12.5 (three units @ $1.91) WIN, game total +186.5 (one unit @ $1.91) WIN (78-115)

Other tips

WCSF2: Warriors +7.5 WIN @ Spurs (0-1) +204.5 LOSE (100-91)

* Prices with thanks to Centrebet, correct at time of publication