Dave B has been a Fantasy Football writer for us for 10 years. A couch potato wannabe, Dave’s insights have been read by 10’s of people for years. He hope’s for world peace + global relaxation. Enjoy and remember only smoke things that are completely natural.
Kings Look to Draw Even Monday Night
To say that the momentum has completely in the series between the San Jose Sharks and the Los Angeles Kings is a colossal understatement. The series moves back to the Staples Center Monday night with the Sharks holding a tenuous 3-2 lead with the Kings coming on.
Shark Return Home Looking to Finish Kings
The Los Angeles Kings have a little fight left in them after all. Following three straight demoralizing losses in their opening round series with the San Jose Sharks, the Kings finally showed up Thursday night, played a full 60 minutes and walked away with a convincing 6-3 victory.
Light Heavyweight Title On the Line – UFC 172 From Baltimore Saturday Night
The UFC has once again put together a stacked card for UFC 172 with the Light Heavyweight strap on the line. Jon Jones faces perhaps his stiffest test to date when he takes on Glover Teixeira in the Main Event while the rest of the card is littered with quality matchups to say the least.
Let’s take a look.
UFC 172: Jones vs. Teixeira
Date: April 26, 2014
Time: 10pm ET/7pm PT
Location: Baltimore Arena, Baltimore, Maryland
Broadcast: Pay-per-view, Fox Sports 1, UFC Fight Pass
UFC Odds From Bovada
Jon Jones (19-1): -500
Glover Teixeira (22-2): +385
Jon Jones gets back at it Saturday night for the first time since a Title Fight for the ages in September against Alexander Gustafsson. His task this time – defeat Glover Teixeira who rides a 20 fight win streak over 9 1/2 years into the Baltimore Arena. Jones hopes to use his incredible athleticism and terrific all around game against one of the more powerful Light Heavyweights on the planet.
Jones brings an almost indefensible wing span into the Octagon – one that he uses to stay on the outside and deliver a variety of punishing strikes to his opponent. He is long, he is lean, he is unorthodox and most of all he is powerful – able to inflict a ton of damage on his feet. When called upon, Jones is well versed in takedowns and ground control – he is as good on the mat as he is on his feet.
Teixeira is powerful – his training with Chuck Liddell most recently has only added to the intrigue of this top tier Light Heavyweight. Tex has incredible power in both hands and is also a 2nd degree Black Belt in jiu jitsu – he like Jones can succeed anywhere this fight happens to go. Add in Glover’s stellar defense, his takedown game and his impressive cardio and Glover Teixeira may be the most well rounded fighter that Jones has ever faced.
Jones will have learned a lot from his epic fight with Alex Gustafsson and will definitely be wary of Teixeira’s danger zones. Simply put – Jones’s athleticism will bail him out in this one! Jones’s wing span should be able to keep Glover at bay and Jones’s terrific takedown defense should ensure that he keeps out of Tex’s wheelhouse. In what is sure to be a razor-close fight, I like the champion to do enough and to ride his gifts to a narrow decision.
Pick: Jon Jones -500
Phil Davis (12-1, 1NC): -205
Anthony Johnson (16-4): +175
Two of the better wrestlers in the UFC do battle when Anthony Johnson, who went on a six fight win streak after getting released from the UFC, takes on Phil Davis who is fresh off a decision win over Lyoto Machida.
Johnson is likely the stronger man in this fight and he probably has the better overall ground game but Phil Davis is no slouch in the wrestling department. Davis is likely to have the edge in the standup as he showed in his last fight against Machida.
Johnson will be a motivated guy coming back after getting released from the organization but he runs into an ever-improving Phil Davis in this one. I like Davis to wear Johnson down in this one en route to a submission win – likely in the 3rd round.
Pick: Phil Davis -205
Luke Rockhold (11-2): -800
Tim Boetsch (17-6): +575
Former Strikeforce champ Luke Rockhold will look to keep his ascent up the UFC ladder going Saturday when he takes on the very tough Tim Boetsch in Middleweight action. Rockhold is coming off an impressive dominant win over Costa Philippou whole Boetsch was last seen winning a split decision over CB Dollaway.
Boetsch will be the stronger man in this fight but that is about where the advantages stop. Rockhold will enter as the better wrestler, the better striker and the more athletic of the two fighters. Rockhold`s only loss in the last six years came at the hands to Vitor Belfort – no shame in that.
I`ll take the more well rounded fighter to prevail against the one-trick pony in this one.
Pick: Luke Rockhold -800
Jim Miller (23-4, 1NC): -205
Yancy Medeiros (10-1): +175
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Jim Miller steps into the Octagon for the 17th time Saturday to take on injury replacement Yancy Medeiros who steps in for Bobby Green – an unenviable task for even the most seasoned fighter. Miller is a stellar grappler – able to smother his opponents with tremendous wrestling and mat control. His standup isn’t so bad either!
Miller is a “B+” fighter stepping into the Octagon with a “C+” fighter in this one. Bobby Green would have been in tough against Miller – Yancy Medeiros doesn’t have much of a chance.
Pick: Jim Miller -205
Max Holloway (8-3): +135
Andre Fili (13-1): -155
Andre Fili will put an impressive nine fight win streak on the line against a very tough Max Holloway who is coming off a Knockout of the Night fight against Will Chope. This has Fight of the Night written all over it!
Holloway will look to utilize his height and reach in this fight – keeping his range and using a variety of kicks and punches may be his best chance here. Fili is also a dangerous striker that will have the definite edge this weekend in the wrestling department – Fili has good takedowns that can bail him out more often than not.
The problem for Max Holloway here is that he will not have the huge size advantage that he is used to – Fili is a beast. Fili`s size, his striking and his overwhelming grappling advantage will be the difference in this one. Fili isn`t widely known in the UFC – Saturday night could change that!
Pick: Andre Fili -155
Joseph Benavidez (19-4): -380
Tim Elliott (10-4-1): +315
Pick: Joseph Benavidez -380
Isaac Vallie-Flagg (14-4-1): +180
Takanori Gomi (34-9, 1NC): -210
Pick: Takanori Gomi -210
Jessamyn Duke (3-0, 1NC): +100
Bethe Correia (7-0): -120
Pick: Bethe Correia -120
Joe Ellenberger (14-1): -280
Vagner Rocha +240
Pick: Joe Ellenberger -280
Danny Castillo (18-6): -270
Charlie Brenneman (19-6): +230
Pick: Danny Castillo -270
Chris Beal (8-0): -140
Patrick Williams (7-3): +120
Pick: Patrick Williams +120
Blackhawks and Blues in Crucial Game 5 Friday Night
The Chicago Blackhawks did their part winning both games on home ice and evening their first round series against the St. Louis Blues. The Blues have lost all momentum gained in the first two games of the series and will be happy to see the inside of the Scottrade Center where they won the first two games of the series and have claimed victory all five times they have hosted Chicago this year.
Wild Look to Even it Up – Host Avalanche in Pivotal Game 4 Thursday Night
The Minnesota Wild look to carry the momentum gained off a 1-0 overtime win in Game 3 when they try to hold serve and even their series with the Colorado Avalanche. The Wild looked good throughout Game 3 – they were clearly the better team.
It is hard to fathom that the Los Angeles Kings face getting swept in the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs but that is where we sit heading into Game 4 against the Sharks Thursday night. It isn`t a fluke either – the Sharks are simply the better team right now – although the Kings played their best game of the series in Game 3.
Perhaps no team in the NFL has more pressure on it to turn their fortunes around than the New York Giants – a team that stumbled out of the gate last year, eventually improved but still finishing an uber-disappointing 7-9.
The PGA pros head to New Orleans this week to play the Zurich Classic – the seventh easiest par 72 on TOUR last year. TPC Louisiana will play 7,425 yards with plenty of scoring opportunities particularly on the par 4s and 5s.
Stars Look to Even It Up – Host Ducks in Game 4 Wednesday
The heat was turned up a notch between the Anaheim Ducks and the Dallas Stars as soon as the series shifted venues – the added heat helped the Dallas Stars get back in their opening round series with the Anaheim Ducks.
Bruins Look to Regain Home Ice – Visit Red Wings in Game 3
The Detroit Red Wings will look to hold serve in their home building on Tuesday night when the play host to the President’s Trophy winning Boston Bruins in Game 3 of their first round playoff series.
The Columbus Blue Jackets too care of a few milestones on Saturday night – they beat the Pittsburgh Penguins for the first time in seven games and they also recorded their first franchise payoff win in the process.
The Columbus Blue Jackets will look to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins for the first time in seven games Saturday night when Game 2 of their first round playoff series will be contested. The Jackets played a good game Wednesday night outshooting the Pens 34-32 and outhitting them 47-28 while limiting Sidney Crosby to one secondary assist along the way.
The Dallas Stars hope to build on the momentum they garnered in the last half of Game 1 when they visit the Duck Pond again; trying to even the series before it shifts back to Dallas for Game 3.
It will be offense versus defense Thursday night when the Los Angeles Kings begin their journey to a second Stanley Cup in three years. In their way is the San Jose Sharks who had a typical good regular season but have a ton to prove in the postseason. Game 1 will be one to watch – these teams clearly hate each other which makes for one of the more intriguing first round series in this year’s playoffs.
The NHL’s second season is officially upon us – the playoff matchups are set and the playoff beards have already started sprouting.
California rivals – the Los Angeles Kings and the San Jose Sharks will meet for the third time in four years in the Stanley Cup Playoffs when they kick off their first round series in San Jose.
