What’s on today
Racing for December 21
Ascot R7 G2 $250,000 LD Total CB Cox Stakes (2100
metres, WFA, 3yo+)
Horse racing: Flemington (Vic – dead 4), Rosehill (NSW – good 3), Doomben (Qld – good 3), Morphettville (SA – dead 4), Ascot (WA – good 3), Kembla Grange (NSW – good 3), Gold Coast (Qld – good 3), Terang (Vic – good 3), Moree (NSW), Hobart (Tas), Darwin (NT), Rockhampton (Qld), Sunshine Coast (Qld – night). Harness racing: Albion Park (Qld), Gloucester Park (WA), Busselton (WA), Globe Derby (SA), Menangle (NSW), Newcastle (NSW), Shepparton (Vic). Greyhound racing: Wentworth Park (NSW), Ipswich (Qld), The Gardens (NSW), Bendigo (Vic), Cannington (WA), Richmond (NSW), The Meadows (Vic).
It’s the final Saturday of metro racing before Christmas but there’s still a big program and healthy cards around the country today. My best of the day comes up in race 3 at Flemington where today’s eight-race card will be run in ideal conditions – fine and cool on an improving dead 4. Wearing the famous colours of Dato Tan Chin Nam for Bart and James Cummings, #5 Blazing Dragon is a 5yo mare with three wins from 22 starts. She’s been racing solidly and ran without luck in a last start second at Moonee Valley when held up for a run. That race rates well for this, with the presence of Instrumentalist (down from Sydney) ensuring a better price than I expected.
Confirmed bets
Flemington R1 #1 Adirondack (E/W 1x2) 3rd ($2.20)
Flemington R3 #5 Blazing Dragon (win) LOSE (4th)
Flemington R6 #5 Anlon (E/W) LOSE (4th)
Rosehill R4 #2 Imperil (E/W 1x3) 2nd ($1.50)
Rosehill R8 #3 Emblems (E/W 1x2) 1st ($4.10/$1.70)
Doomben R1 #1 Celestial Dragon (E/W) 1st ($5.80/$2.20)
Doomben R3 #6 General Exhibit (win) 1st ($1.70)
Morphettville R5 #2 Nimasael (win) LOSE (2nd)
Kembla R2 #6 Atmospherical (win) 1st ($2.00)
Ascot R6 #8 Magnifisio (E/W 1x3) 1st ($3.60/$1.50)
Leans
Flemington R2 #1 Espirit de Bullet (win) 1st ($3.40)
NHL for December 21
Vancouver Canucks (20-11-6, 46 pts) @ Chicago
Blackhawks (25-7-5, 55 pts), United Center, Chicago, IL, Saturday, December 21,
12.10pm
The Vancouver Canucks have cooled off after a lengthy win streak, and that’s not the greatest sign heading into a match-up with the Western Conference leaders. The Chicago Blackhawks seek a sixth win in seven games here while seeking to inflict the Canucks with a third consecutive defeat. After outscoring opponents 24-8 during a seven-game win streak, Vancouver (20-11-6) has netted three goals in the first two of its three consecutive road contests. Chris Higgins tallied his club’s only score in a 4-1 loss to Dallas on Thursday, the Canucks’ first regulation defeat this month. After Roberto Luongo was pulled in the third period against the Stars, it’s unknown if the Canucks will start him or Eddie Lack, who stopped all seven shots he faced against the Stars and posted his first career shutout in his most recent start December 9 against Carolina. Lack has never faced Chicago while Luongo is 2-1-1 with a 1.71 GAA in his last four match-ups. Luongo wasn’t in net for the Canucks’ most recent visit to the United Center, a 4-3 shootout loss on February 19.
The Blackhawks have earned a pair of 3-1 victories
since a 7-3 drubbing in Toronto on Saturday, and Patrick Kane continued his
red-hot play by scoring the go-ahead goal on Tuesday in Nashville. Kane has
five goals and 13 assists during a 10-game point streak and at least one point
in 22 of his last 23 contests. Chicago also scored two power-play goals against
the Predators and improved to 14 for 41 (34.1 percent) during a 10-game streak
with at least one. The power-play success has also helped Chicago (25-7-5) win
three in a row at home, one shy of matching a season high. The Blackhawks won
2-1 in Vancouver on November 23 by scoring both goals in a nine-second span in
the third period. Kane assisted on the first of those, netted by Andrew
Shaw and Marcus Kruger. Corey Crawford outdueled Luongo by making 36 saves but
he’s expected to miss at least another week because of a lower-body injury. Antti
Raanta has gone 5-1-0 with a 2.40 goals-against average since Crawford went out
and is 7-1-1 with a 2.26 GAA in 10 appearances this season.
Confirmed bets
Vancouver Canucks @ Chicago Blackhawks WIN NT (one
unit @ $1.80) LOSE (3-2)
Leans
Anaheim Ducks WIN $1.77 @ New Jersey Devils WIN (3-2)
Flemington R4 #14 Brotherly Secret (E/W) LOSE (U/P)
Flemington R5 #5 Sistine Demon (win) 1st ($2.70)
Flemington R7 #3 Index Linked (win) 1st ($2.60)
Rosehill R2 #5 Francesco (E/W 1x3) 3rd ($1.90)
Rosehill R3 #8 Kona (E/W) LOSE (U/P)
Rosehill R7 #5 Hunter Jack (E/W) LOSE (4th)
Rosehill R7 #5 Hunter Jack (E/W) LOSE (4th)
Doomben R2 #6 Plateau Gold (E/W) LOSE (U/P)
Doomben R7 #2 Bingo Rose (E/W 1x2) 3rd ($2.50)
Doomben R8 #5 Lucky Hussler (E/W 1x2) LOSE (4th)
Morphettville R2 #5 Derwent (E/W) LOSE (4th)
Morphettville R3 #6 Dukes Bar (win) 1st ($2.10)
Morphettville R8 #11 Edriguez (E/W) LOSE (U/P)
Ascot R3 #12 Magical Mist (win) LOSE (U/P)
Ascot R7 #5 Rohan (E/W) 3rd ($2.60)
NHL for December 21
The Vancouver Canucks have cooled off after a lengthy win streak, and that’s not the greatest sign heading into a match-up with the Western Conference leaders. The Chicago Blackhawks seek a sixth win in seven games here while seeking to inflict the Canucks with a third consecutive defeat. After outscoring opponents 24-8 during a seven-game win streak, Vancouver (20-11-6) has netted three goals in the first two of its three consecutive road contests. Chris Higgins tallied his club’s only score in a 4-1 loss to Dallas on Thursday, the Canucks’ first regulation defeat this month. After Roberto Luongo was pulled in the third period against the Stars, it’s unknown if the Canucks will start him or Eddie Lack, who stopped all seven shots he faced against the Stars and posted his first career shutout in his most recent start December 9 against Carolina. Lack has never faced Chicago while Luongo is 2-1-1 with a 1.71 GAA in his last four match-ups. Luongo wasn’t in net for the Canucks’ most recent visit to the United Center, a 4-3 shootout loss on February 19.
New York Islanders @ New York Rangers +5 (one unit @ $1.76) WIN (5-3)
Washington Capitals @ Carolina Hurricanes WIN $1.80 LOSE (4-2)
Florida Panthers WIN $2.40 @ Winnipeg Jets LOSE (2-5)
NBA for December 21
I genuinely believe that the Los Angeles Lakers are better, for the moment, without Kobe Bryant. He is expected to miss about six weeks with an injured left knee, dealing the second major injury setback of the year to the Lakers' superstar. Bryant made his season debut with the Lakers (12-13) on December 8 after nearly eight months away while recovering from a torn Achilles tendon. The Lakers had been playing solid basketball for the first month of the season, improved their record to .500 and seemed to be enjoying their time on the court. On Bryant’s return, the Lakers scoring immediately dropped five points per game while they managed just 56 fast break points in the six games he played. Bryant’s selfishness and refusal to adjust his game to help the team hurt the Lakers in the short-term and, now burdened with a ludicrous contract, will hurt them in the long term. The Lakers have also announced Steve Nash will be out for at least four more weeks, leaving injury-riddled Los Angeles without its top three point guards.
Without Bryant on November 10, the Lakers watched
their 22-game run against the Timberwolves come to an end with a 113-90 home
loss. It was the longest active winning streak between two NBA opponents, and
Bryant had played in all but one of those victories. Kevin Love had 25 points
and 13 rebounds in last month’s meeting and Kevin Martin scored 27 for
Minnesota. Love scored 29 points, grabbed 15 boards and handed out nine assists
Wednesday as the Timberwolves beat Portland 120-109 for their fourth win in six
games. Nikola Pekovic had a season-high 30 points and added nine rebounds,
while Martin scored 22. Minnesota is currently the worst team in the NBA in
their opponent’s field goal percentage, giving up nearly 48 per cent shooting
to their opponents. The Lakers are likely going to take advantage of this by
shooting a ton of threes tonight. LA has the second worst defence in the NBA in
points allowed, and against Minnesota’s third ranked offence, the ‘over’ seems
like the play here.
Confirmed bets
Minnesota Timberwolves @ Los Angeles Lakers +5.5
(one unit @ $1.93) WIN (91-104)
Charlotte Bobcats +6.5 @ Detroit Pistons (one unit @ $1.91) WIN (116-106)
Toronto Raptors @ Dallas Mavericks -6 (one unit @ $1.91) LOSE (109-108)Charlotte Bobcats +6.5 @ Detroit Pistons (one unit @ $1.91) WIN (116-106)
Phoenix Suns @ Denver Nuggets +205.5 (one unit @ $1.91) LOSE (103-99)
Utah Jazz @ Atlanta Hawks +198.5 $1.98 WIN (85-118)
Milwaukee Bucks @ Cleveland Cavaliers -192 $1.91 LOSE (111-114)
Charlotte Bobcats @ Detroit Pistons +190.5 $1.95 WIN (116-106)
Sacramento Kings @ Miami Heat +208 $2.00 WIN (103-122)
Houston Rockets @ Indiana Pacers -197.5 $1.91 WIN (81-114)
Toronto Raptors @ Dallas Mavericks +202.5 $1.91 WIN (109-108)Minnesota Timberwolves @ Los Angeles Lakers +209 $1.92 LOSE (91-104)
• 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.
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