Daily tips for December 14

What’s on today

Friday the 13th for our friends in US kicks-off with a huge card of (appropriately) 13 NBA games and plenty of great betting opportunities across the schedule; there are three NHL games on the slate with the Caps visit to Florida the trickiest of the three; the G2 Villiers Stakes at Randwick is the highlight of today’s racing card while I’ll have A-League and EPL tips posted later today.

Racing for December 14

Today’s highlights

Randwick R6 G2 $175,000 Villiers Stakes (1550m, quality)

Horse racing: Flemington (Vic – dead 4), Randwick (NSW – good 3), Doomben (Qld – dead 4), Morphettville (SA –dead 4), Ascot (WA – good 3), Gold Coast (Qld – slow 6), Kembla Grange (NSW – good 3), Cranbourne (Vic – night, dead 4), Albury (NSW), Darwin (NT – night), Stawell (Vic), Port Macquarie (NSW), Sunshine Coast (Qld – night), Esperance (WA). Harness racing: Melton (Vic), Menangle (NSW), Young (NSW), Globe Derby (SA), Mildura (Vic), Albion Park (Qld), Gloucester Park (WA). Greyhound racing: Wentworth Park (NSW), Ipswich (Qld), The Gardens (NSW), Cannington (WA), Richmond (NSW), Shepparton (Vic), The Meadows (Vic).

While the days are ticking down to the festive season, things are heating up in Queensland in the countdown to the 2014 Magic Millions Raceday on January 11. Some of the nation’s most promising two-year-olds will be on show at Doomben today in the Listed Phelan Ready (race 3) and Calaway Gal Stakes (race 4), with my best of the day coming up in the latter. #1 Oakleigh Girl (pictured) took out the 1000m sprint on Melbourne Cup Day and faces nothing tougher here. The Snitzel filly will jump from barrier 3 and while she’s a good thing’s price, Danny Bougoure’s charge will be winning here.

Confirmed bets

Flemington R3 #4 Flamberge (win) LOSE (U/P)

Flemington R7 #1 Whisper Downs (E/W) LOSE (4th)

Randwick R1 #6 Frespanol (E/W 1x3) 1st ($3.80/$1.40)

Randwick R8 #2 Aeronautical (E/W 1x2) 1st ($5.00/$1.80) 
Doomben R4 #1 Oakleigh Girl (win) 1st ($1.50)

Doomben R8 #3 Regular (E/W 1x3) 3rd ($1.50)

Morphettville R7 #12 Poitier (E/W) LOSE (4th)

Gold Coast R5 #1 Seen (win) 1st ($2.40)
Albury R4 #2 The Monstar (win) 1st ($1.55)

Ascot R4 #5 Playhouse Theatre 1st ($7.00/$2.30)

Leans

Flemington R2 #14 Federica (E/W) LOSE (U/P)

Flemington R4 #1 Outlandish Lad (E/W) LOSE (U/P)

Flemington R5 #5 Chile Express (E/W 1x2) 2nd ($2.00)

Randwick R3 #8 Koroibete (win) 1st ($2.90)

Randwick R4 #2 Hoylonny (E/W) 3rd (NTD)

Doomben R2 #1 Venture On (E/W 1x3) 3rd ($1.50)

Doomben R5 #4 Divine City (E/W 1x2) 1st ($5.00/$2.10)

Doomben R7 #6 Into The Red (win) 1st ($2.00)

Morphettville R1 #4 River’s Lane (E/W) 3rd (NTD)

Morphettville R8 #9 Swipeline (win) LOSE (3rd)

Albury R5 #1 Just A Bullet (win) 1st ($1.40)

Albury R7 #1 Prince Pedro (win) LOSE (4th)

 

NBA for December 14

Philadelphia 76ers (7-16, 1-9 away) @ Toronto Raptors (7-13, 3-7 home), Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON, CA, Saturday, December 14, 11.10am

Bad team v bad team situations don’t come much worse than this match-up in Toronto where two teams with a combined 14-29 record will hope to improve their position in the next NBA draft lottery! Seven points is a huge line foe the Raptors to cover, but word is the 76ers are about to make a big trade with Houston (logically involving Evan Turner or Spencer Hawes) with the player involved likely to have limited time here. Suddenly, that line doesn’t look so bad. The Raptors are expected to have four new additions available here (they had only 10 players available in their last start) as they attempt to win for the second time in eight tries against the 76ers. Toronto (7-13) may be one game back of Boston for the Atlantic Division lead, but the team made a major move Monday with the future in mind. In a deal that provided some financial flexibility following this season, the Raptors sent Rudy Gay, Aaron Gray and Quincy Acy to Sacramento in exchange for guard Greivis Vasquez and forwards Patrick Patterson, John Salmons and Chuck Hayes.

Despite the acquisitions, guard DeMar DeRozan (pictured) should continue to be the driving force offensively. He leads the team with a career-high 21.5 points per game and is scoring 24.4 over the past seven at home. However, Toronto has won once in that stretch. DeRozan had 33 points in a 108-98 victory in Philadelphia on November 20. The Sixers (7-16) committed 20 turnovers in that meeting, and their average of 18.0 is among the worst in the NBA. They amassed a season high-tying 26 turnovers in Wednesday’s 106-99 loss at Minnesota, leaving for Aussie Boomers coach Brett Brown searching for answers. Either Turner or Hawes would be a huge loss for the Sixers. Turner leads the Sixers with 20.3 points per game but has slipped to 15.0 points at 39.1 per cent during a four-game losing streak for Philadelphia, which has dropped 16 of 20 since opening 3-0. Spencer Hawes, who scored 20 on Wednesday, had a season-best 28 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 10 of 13 last month against Toronto.

Confirmed bets

Philadelphia 76ers @ Toronto Raptors -7 (one unit @ $1.91) WIN (100-108)

Cleveland Cavaliers @ Orlando Magic -2 (one unit @ $1.91) LOSE (109-100)

Memphis Grizzlies @ New Orleans Pelicans -2.5 (one unit @ $1.91) WIN (98-104)

Los Angeles Lakers @ Oklahoma City Thunder +207.5 (one unit @ $1.91) WIN (97-122)

Sacramento Kings @ Phoenix Suns +209 (one unit @ $1.91) WIN (107-116)

Leans

New York Knicks +3 $1.91 @ Boston Celtics LOSE (86-90)
Charlotte Bobcats +12 $1.91 @ Indiana Pacers WIN (94-99)
Brooklyn Nets @ Detroit Pistons -196.5 $1.91 LOSE (99-103)

Washington Wizards @ Atlanta Hawks +193 $1.91 WIN (99-101)

Los Angeles Lakers +12.5 $1.91 @ Oklahoma City Thunder LOSE (97-122)

Minnesota Timberwolves +9 $1.91 @ San Antonio Spurs WIN (110-117)

Chicago Bulls @ Milwaukee Bucks -177 $1.91 LOSE (91-90)

Utah Jazz @ Denver Nuggets NO LEAN (103-93)

Houston Rockets +3.5 $1.91 @ Golden State Warriors WIN (116-112)

NHL for December 14

New Jersey Devils (12-14-6, 30 pts) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (21-10-1, 43 pts), CONSOL Energy Center, Pittsburgh, PA, Saturday, December 14, 11.10am

The Pittsburgh Penguins would much rather have their roster intact, but they still have plenty of weapons despite the absence of key players. Pittsburgh seeks its seventh victory in eight games as it hosts New Jersey, which has dropped four of five. Defenseman Brooks Orpik is out indefinitely with a concussion suffered when he was knocked unconscious by Shawn Thornton during Saturday’s loss to Boston, while James Neal is serving a five-game suspension. Evgeni Malkin, who had missed the previous two games with a lower-body injury, scored in his return Monday to help the Penguins (21-10-1) beat Columbus 2-1. Sidney Crosby leads the NHL with 43 points, Malkin has 38 and Chris Kunitz has 31 after recording six goals and four assists during an eight-game point streak that ended Monday. Pittsburgh is among the league leaders with 96 non-shootout goals and its 26.1 per cent power-play conversion rate tops in the NHL.

Crosby scored and Marc-Andre Fleury made 27 saves in Pittsburgh’s 3-0 win over New Jersey on October 3. Jaromir Jagr had two goals in the Devils’ 4-1 victory over the Penguins on November 16. New Jersey (12-14-6) has won four of the last five meetings, but it’s gone 1-3-1 in its last five after falling 5-4 to Columbus on Tuesday. Damien Brunner scored twice before Martin Brodeur allowed a controversial goal off a skate with less than two minutes left. The Devils have been short-handed, as captain Bryce Salvador has been on injured reserve since October 22 with a non-displaced fracture in his foot. He has resumed skating and will be out another week, but Ryane Clowe (concussion) has been medically cleared to play. Brodeur has started the last two games, though Cory Schneider, who has a 1.89 goals-against average in 14 starts, could be in net for this contest. I’m not keen on the puck line given the Pens’ key absences but they should cruise home in regulation.

Confirmed bets

New Jersey Devils @ Pittsburgh Penguins WIN NT (one unit @ $1.82) WIN (2-3)
Washington Capitals @ Florida Panthers -5.5 (one unit @ $1.87) WIN (2-3)

Leans

New Jersey Devils @ Pittsburgh Penguins -1.5 $2.70 LOSE (2-3)

Washington Capitals WIN $1.83@ Florida Panthers LOSE (2-3)

Edmonton Oilers @ Vancouver Canucks -1.5 $2.55 WIN (0-4)

• Selections are listed in three categories – 1) Suggested (likely bet but yet to be finalised); 2) Confirmed (locked in at the price listed); and 3) Leans (tips, but not recommended bets); all times quoted are Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT); prices with thanks to Centrebet (except where markets are not available), correct at time of publication – for most people gambling is an exciting and fun recreational pursuit. For others it can become a problem with devastating consequences for them, their families and friends. We want you to enjoy your gambling experience. We want you to stay in control of your gambling and not allow your gambling to control you.