Motor
racing for May 26
It’s one
of the great nights on the motorsport calendar with three iconic events over
the next 12 hours – the F1 Monaco Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca
Cola 600; the longest race on the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule.
• Next to
the iconic Monaco GP, where the sport's tyre supplier, Pirelli, will no doubt
be relieved that attention now will be switched away from their rubber because
the pace of the competitors around the streets of Monte Carlo will be
determined primarily by the cars' agility, slow-corner handling and low-speed
traction rather than the limits of the tyres as defined by each chassis. For
something a bit different, we’re going with more than 16.5 cars to finish the
race. Four cars were wiped out on the first lap in 2012 so if the field can
avoid too much carnage, this should be a reasonably safe bet.
• Finally to
Indy, where the 97th running of the world’s most famous 500-mile open-wheel
race will feature two Aussies – Will Power and Ryan Briscoe. However, the story
of the month has been the form of rookie Carlos Munoz. The Andretti Autosport Chevrolets
look to be back on the pace after a few lean years at Indy, and the young
Colombian has been flying. He’ll start from the centre of the front row but his
rookie status means he’s priced at $34. Yes please.
Suggested
bets
NASCAR
Charlotte – Kyle Busch WIN (0.5 units @ $6.50) LOSE (DNF)
Monaco GP
– over 16.5 Classified Drivers (two units @ $1.71) LOSE (15)
Indianapolis
500 – Carlos Munoz E/W (0.25 units WIN, one unit PODIUM) 2nd ($8.20)
Racing for May 26
Horse
racing: Cranbourne (Vic), Nowra (NSW), Sunshine Coast (Qld), Strathalbyn (SA), Kalgoorlie
(WA), Casterton (Vic), Wyong (NSW), Devonport (Tas), Pioneer Park (NT)
Harness
racing: Cootamundra (NSW), Port Pirie (SA), Terang (Vic), Hobart (Tas)
Greyhound
racing: Albion Park (Qld), Nowra (NSW), Gawler (SA), Sandown Park (Vic),
Canberra (ACT), Sale (Vic), Healesville (Vic)
The racing
spotlight is definitely abroad today, with the running of the G1 Standard
Chartered Champions & Chater Cup at Sha Tin (Hong Kong), Craig Williams
takes the ride on Codino in the Tokyo Yushun while the Tattersalls Gold Cup and
Etihad Airways 1000 Guineas highlight the meeting at the Curragh in Ireland.
Pioneer
Park in Alice Springs is about as far away from the international racing arena,
but that’s where our best of the day comes up in the Unibet 0-64 Hcp over 1100m
(race 3). #6 Northern Showers is trained by Kath North in the Alice, and is a
last start winner over 1000m at Tennant Creek. The 5yo gelding also won here
last month and looks well placed from barrier 4.
Suggested
bet: Alice Springs R3 #6 Northern Showers E/W (two units) 1st ($2.70/$1.40)
Other tips
Cranbourne
R2 #3 Badged (E/W) LOSE (4th)
Cranbourne
R12 #5 Il Migliore (E/W) 1st ($8.80/$2.90)
Wyong R7
#7 Bilko (E/W) LOSE (U/P)
Sunshine
Coast R7 #12 Stolen Kisses (win) LOSE (2nd)
Harness
racing tip: Terang R3 #1 Flaxton Filly (win) 1st ($1.30)
Greyhound
racing tip: Healesville R11 #1 Dr Gee Gee (win) LOSE (2nd)
AFL (R9)
for May 26
Hawthorn v
Gold Coast, MCG, Sunday, May 26, 1.10pm
Since
dropping the season opener to Geelong, the Hawks are seven without loss and
that will surely improve to eight when they host the vastly improved Gold Coast
on Sunday. The Suns are coming off back-to-back wins for the first time and
head back to the venue at which they humbled Melbourne two weeks ago, minus
injured duo Harley Bennell and Zac Smith. The Hawks barely made it out of third
gear against GWS in Launceston last week in a surprisingly competitive contest
belied by the scoreboard. In their three meetings so far, the biggest margin
has been 71 points so the line holds significant appeal here.
Suggested
bet: Gold Coast +67.5 WIN, game total +196.5 WIN (118-92)
North
Melbourne v Adelaide, Etihad Stadium, Sunday, May 26, 3.20pm
With a
little luck, the Roos would be 6-2 including the scalps of Geelong, Hawthorn
and West Coast. Instead, the record shows losses to those three sides by less
than a goal but the draw now opens up to leave North with some hope of making
the eight. But that charge must here against an Adelaide side that is earning a
reputation as one of the better defensive outfits in the competition after
conceding just 13 goals in the past two weeks. Both sides are unchanged here
for a fixture that has been “horses for courses” in the past five. The market
looks about right with only the smallest lean to North at the line.
Suggested
bet: North Melbourne -14.5 LOSE, game total +194.5 WIN (124-125)
Fremantle
v Melbourne, Patersons Stadium, Sunday, May 26, 4.40pm
Still not
sure how they managed it, but Freo left Sydney with a draw last week after
trailing by more than four goals in the final quarter of a low scoring affair.
Somehow Ross Lyon is keeping his side buoyant in the face of a long injury list
(with Michael Walters added) and things get much easier here for the battered
and bruised Dockers. Melbourne showed plenty of fight for three quarters against
the Tigers but the core problems that have beset the Demons – starting with the
coach – remain. They haven’t won in Perth for a decade, losing 13 straight. The
margin here will only be decided by Lyon’s management of his limited player
resources.
Suggested
bet: Fremantle -62.5 WIN, game total -170.5 WIN (130-40)
MLB for
May 26
Oakland
Athletics (26-23) @ Houston Astros (14-34), Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX,
Sunday, May 26, 9.15am
A late
home run by Houston native Chris Young helped the Oakland Athletics continue
their winning streak against the Astros yesterday. A.J. Griffin will try to
extend that run to 10 when Oakland also goes for a seventh consecutive victory
at Houston. Oakland
(26-23) opened this series with a 6-5 victory Friday. Young's three-run homer
in the ninth inning was the difference as the A's improved to 12-1 all-time
against the newest member of the AL. Oakland, winner of six of seven overall,
is undefeated against Houston (14-34) since a 5-4, 11-inning road loss June 12,
2007.
The Astros
continue their eight-game home stand with Lucas Harrell (3-5, 4.63) going for
his first win in five starts. Houston has lost the right-hander's last four
outings, though he gave up one run in seven innings of a 1-0 loss at Pittsburgh
on Sunday. Harrell,
who allowed a homer to Pedro Alvarez, hadn’t gotten past the fifth in four
outings. He wasn’t nearly that good in a 9-3 home loss to Oakland on April 7,
giving up eight runs, allowing three homers and walking five in 4 1/3 innings.
Suggested
bet: Athletics -1.5 (three units @ $2.00) WIN (11-5)
Other tips
Orioles @
Blue Jays +9 WIN (6-5)
Rockies
WIN @ Giants LOSE (5-6)
Marlins @
White Sox -7 WIN (1-2)
Twins @
Tigers WIN LOSE (3-2)
Indians @
Red Sox WIN WIN (4-7)
Yankees @
Rays -7.5 WIN (4-3)
Pirates
WIN @ Brewers WIN (5-2)
Angels WIN
@ Royals WIN (7-0)
Cardinals
WIN @ Dodgers LOSE (3-5)
Padres @
Diamondbacks -9 LOSE (10-4)
NHL
playoffs for May 26
Western
Conference semi-final, game 4: Chicago Blackhawks @ Detroit Red Wings, United
Center, Chicago, IL, Sunday, May 26, 10.10am (Red Wings lead series 3-1)
It’s quite
the change from the end of the regular season, when the Red Wings won their
last four games to secure a spot in the post-season. Then they were down 3-2 in
the first round against Anaheim before taking the last two,
including a road victory in Game 7. Now they’re in control against the
top-seeded Blackhawks, and eager to deliver a knockout blow.
The
upstart Red Wings have completely blanketed Chicago – Patrick Kane and Marian
Hossa combined for three shots in Game 4. Patrick Sharp got off to a great
start in the postseason, but is without a point in the past two games. The
few times Chicago’s stars have managed to wriggle free, Jimmy Howard
has been right there. The 29-year-old goalie has stopped 86 of 88 shots over
the past three games for a sparkling .977 save percentage.
Only 24
teams have come back to win a best-of-seven NHL playoff series after dropping
three of the first four games. That’s out of 265 opportunities, or 9.1 per cent.
Tampa Bay was the last team to accomplish the feat in 2011. The Blackhawks faced a similar
situation when they lost the first three games of a playoff series against
Vancouver two years ago. They managed to force a Game 7 and lost 2-1 in
overtime.
Suggested
bet: Red Wings WIN LOSE (one unit @ $2.50), game total -5 (three units @ $1.83) WIN (1-3)
Other tips
ECSF5: Rangers WIN LOSE @ Bruins -5 PUSH (1-4)
NBA
playoffs for May 26
Western
Conference finals, game 3: San Antonio Spurs @ Memphis Grizzlies, FedExForum,
Memphis, TN, Sunday, May 26, 11.05am (Spurs lead 2-0)
The
Grizzlies are down 0-2 to San Antonio in their first Western Conference final,
but they take heart in knowing they dug themselves out of a 0-2 hole in the
first round against the Clippers. No NBA
team has won separate series in the same post-season after losing the first two
games but Memphis return to the arena they call the ‘Grindhouse’ where they set
a franchise record winning 32 games there this season, and they are 19-1 here
since February 8. Memphis has lost three straight only twice this season,
the last in mid-January.
The home
team has won 17 of the last 20 games between these teams, and the Spurs lost
both trips to Memphis during the regular season. With strong memories of
blowing a 2-0 lead to Oklahoma City in the Western finals, the Spurs know the
games in Memphis will be hard. It would be tough for the Grizzlies to shoot
much worse than they did in the first two games in San Antonio, including a
stretch where they missed seven straight layups in one sequence. They also missed
15 of 18 attempts inside 5 feet in the first half.
Suggested
bet: Grizzlies -5 (two units @ $1.91) LOSE, game total -180 (two units @ $1.91) WIN (86-86)
* Prices
with thanks to Centrebet, correct at time of publication
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