What’s on today
Monday Night Football serves up a classic as the two
NFL sides with the best records in the AFC – the 9-2 Saints and 10-1 Seahawks –
clash at Centurylink Field in Seattle. It’s a similar case in the NBA where Eastern Conference frontrunner Indiana (16-1) journeys to the home court of the
side with the best record in the Western Conference, the 14-3 Portland Trail
Blazers. The pick of the four NHL games is a Western Conference showdown
between playoff aspirants St Louis (39 pts) at Los Angeles (36 pts).
Racing for December 3
Horse racing: Wangaratta (Vic – dead 4), Taree (NSW –
slow 6), Gatton (Qld – good 3). Harness racing: Menangle (NSW), Albion Park
(Qld), Echuca (Vic), Gloucester Park (WA). Greyhound racing: Hobart (Tas), Gawler
(SA), Horsham (Vic), Ipswich (Qld), Lismore (NSW), Warragul (Vic), Gosford
(NSW), Townsville (Qld), Mandurah (WA).
Best of the day: There’s a modest line-up of three
thoroughbred meetings scheduled today and I like the look of a couple of
runners at Taree on the mid-north NSW coast. I’m hoping the slow (6) holds up
as it presents a challenge for #6 Munfasla in the Sygenta Class 3 Handicap over
1250 metres. The 3yo Belle Esprit filly will jump from barrier 1 but runners
tend to head off the rail in the wet at Taree. If the track holds up OK, then
it shouldn’t be an issue for the Emirates Park charge, which had her first
seven starts for Team Hawkes. She’s won both starts for Neil Goldbolt including
here on a heavy (8) a fortnight ago.
Taree R7 #6 Munfasla (E/W 1x2) 3rd ($1.90)
Other confirmed bets
Taree R6 #2 Plateau Gold (E/W 1x3) 2nd ($1.80) – likewise, #2
Plateau Gold will jump from the inside gate in race 6 (the Turfcare NSW Raceday
BM70 Handicap over 1000 metres), but class should carry the 4yo gelding home as
he eyes a sixth win in just nine starts. Noriyuki Masuda’s 3kg claim won’t hurt
his chances either.
Wangaratta R3 #13 Up And Downs (E/W 1x3) 3rd ($1.40) – this 4yo
mare was third here at the same grade two weeks back and should appreciate the
step up to 1400m in her second run this preparation. Jye McNeil’s claim gets
her in at 55kg in this set weights affair.
Wangaratta R6 #7 Theatreman (win) 1st ($1.65) – unplaced just
twice in six starts, this 5yo gelding should be too good for this small
seven-horse field. He was a last start runner-up here on a slow seven four
weeks, but gets better going, James Winks in the saddle and the gun barrier
here.
St Louis Blues (18-4-3, 39 pts) @ Los Angeles Kings
(16-7-4, 36 pts), STAPLES Center, Los Angeles, CA, Tuesday, December 3, 2.40pm
NHL best of the day: The Los Angeles Kings have
dominated the St Louis Blues at home. They’ve won eight straight but their
major problem is they’ve lost three straight in their own confines. One of
those streaks will end on Monday. The Kings are coming off home losses to
Calgary, Colorado and New Jersey. The Blues are as good or better than all
three of those teams, which means they should be able to get the win here. Los
Angeles has gone 1-1-3 in its last five overall since a four-game winning
streak, and a sputtering power play is partially to blame. The Kings have gone
0 for 18 with the man advantage in the past five. Los Angeles’ eight-game home
run against St. Louis includes playoffs, and the Kings have taken 14 of the
past 17 overall match-ups and four straight. The most recent meeting was a 2-1
victory May 10 that closed out a first-round post-season series after the Blues
had won the first two games. Despite the Blues' struggles against the Kings,
Blues goalie Jaroslav Halak (pictured) is 6-4-0 with a 2.23 GAA and a pair of shutouts
against them. He missed the playoffs last season with a lower-body injury.
St Louis Blues WIN @ Los Angeles Kings (one unit @
$1.87) LOSE (1-3)
11.10am: Winnipeg Jets (12-12-4, 28 pts) @ New York
Rangers (14-13-0, 28 pts) -5 (one unit @ $1.91) LOSE (5-2)
• The Jets may lie at the bottom of the Central
Division but they’re .500 while the Rangers, who’ve won just one game, lie
third in the Metropolitan Division. Goals will be a premium here – Cam Talbot has
been a revelation in goal for the Rangers. He made 35 saves on Saturday and is
6-1-0 with a 1.49 goals-against average this season. NY has scored two goals or
less in seven of their past nine. Winnipeg is averaging fewer than 2.5 goals
per game, and I’m expecting a 2-1 or 3-1 scoreline here.
Grand salami -20.5 (one unit @ $1.87) WIN (14)
• For those who may not be familiar with this bet type,
the Grand Salami is the line on the total number of goals to be scored on a
single day of NHL action. The line of 20.5 is uncommonly low for a four-game
card but I’m expecting all four games to go under the five-game total, with a
four-goal total (or less) looking a likely scenario in both the Devils v
Canadiens and Blues v Kings games. I have the tally pegged at 18 goals for the
day.
Leans
Winnipeg Jets @ New York Rangers WIN NT $1.88 LOSE (5-2)
New Jersey Devils @ Montreal Canadiens -5 $1.74 WIN (2-3)
Racing for December 3
Leans
Taree R1 #7 Aldren (E/W) LOSE (4th)
Taree R2 #3 Isorich (E/W) LOSE (U/P)
Wangaratta R2 #11 Littledoubtaboutit (E/W 1x4) 2nd ($1.40)
Wangaratta R4 #2 Golden Olive (win) 1st ($1.80)
Gatton R2 #6 Little Rip Snorter (E/W 1x3) 1st ($2.90/$1.50)
Gatton R7 #2 Here’s Roger (win)
NHL for December 3
Other confirmed bets
New Jersey Devils @ Montreal Canadiens -5 $1.74 WIN (2-3)
Philadelphia Flyers @ Minnesota Wild WIN $1.70 WIN (0-2)
NBA for December 3
Houston Rockets (13-5, 5-3 away) @ Utah Jazz (3-15, 2-6
home), EnergySolutions Arena, Sale Lake City, UT, Tuesday, December 3, 1.10pm
NBA best of the day: The Rockets have definitely kicked
it into overdrive after a bumpy start to the season. They are on a five-game winning
streak and have won eight of their past nine, including 8-1 against the spread
in that time. The Rockets have been a very balanced team scoring the rock with
four players scoring at least 15 points per game. More importantly, Dwight
Howard is scoring 16.7 points per game to go along with 12.4 boards and 1.9
blocks per game. All-Star guard James Harden (pictured) is among the league leaders with
23.6 points per game. Even with Harden in and out of the line-up, the Rockets
have continued to score at a high rate. They’re averaging 111.6 points on 51.2
per cent shooting (including 44.1 per cent from three-point range). Houston also
has scored 113.3 per game with a 51.1 field-goal percentage during a four-game
winning streak against the Jazz (3-15). The Jazz, 2-6 at home, have shown
improvement offensively behind rookie Trey Burke, reaching 100 points in
back-to-back contests after scoring that many only once over their first 16
Houston Rockets @ Utah Jazz +201.5 (one unit @ $1.91) WIN (103-109)
Other confirmed bets
2.10pm: Indiana Pacers (16-1, 7-1 away) @ Portland
Trail Blazers (14-3, 6-1 home) +1.5 (one unit @ $1.91) WIN (102-106)
• Two of the best sides in the NBA clash at the Moda
Center as the Pacers continues a five-game road trip against a Portland team
that has only lost once over the past three weeks. They continue to be led by a
suffocating defence, limiting teams to league lows of 86.5 points per game and
39.0 per cent shooting. However, their offence averages just 97.5 points on
44.8 per cent shooting. Portland is also playing some of its best basketball in
years, having tied a franchise record with 13 wins in the month of November.
12.10pm: New Orleans Pelicans (8-8, 3-5 away) @
Chicago Bulls (7-8, 5-0 home) -191.5 (one unit @ $1.91) LOSE (102-102)
• New Orleans fell over the line against a lame New
York last night but lost their top scorer Anthony Davis to a non-displaced
fracture of his left hand in the first half. It’s a feeling the Bulls know only
too well and they are again without Derrick Rose. The Pelicans have scored more
than 100 points in six of their past seven while the Bulls haven’t cracked
three figures in their past eight. Chicago is one of only three
undefeated sides at home (along with Indiana and Oklahoma City). They’ve also
won nine of their past 10 against New Orleans.
Leans
Houston Rockets -8 @ Utah Jazz $1.91 LOSE (103-109)
Atlanta Hawks +12 @ San Antonio Spurs $1.91 WIN (100-102)
NFL (week 13) for December 3
The Saints need a fourth straight win not only to
preserve their chances of staying home throughout the playoffs, but also to
maintain a one-game lead over Carolina in the NFC South. New Orleans has won
three straight, but it's had to squeak out the last two by a combined seven
points. After setting a franchise record with 625 total yards three weeks ago
in a 49-17 win over Dallas, the offence has been less-than-stellar the past two
weeks, but the Saints still rank third in the NFL in total yards per game and
second in passing yards. The defence, often a weakness for New Orleans, has
been bolstered under coordinator Rob Ryan and has allowed more than 400 total
yards only once all season. The home side looks a logical pick but consider
these numbers – the Saints are 5-0 ATS in their last five Monday night games
while QB Drew Brees (pictured with Jimmy Graham) has won nine straight MNF starts with a 123.6 passer rating
in those games. The Saints (who haven’t faced Seattle in almost three years)
will get their first look at Wilson and the rejuvenated Seahawks and, while I
expect Seattle to win, the Saints should cover.
Confirmed bet
Drew Brees +295.5 passing yards $1.91 LOSE (147 yards)
• Selections are listed in three categories – 1)
Suggested (likely bet but yet to be finalised); 2) Confirmed (locked in at the
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are Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT); prices with thanks to Centrebet
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