Sportsbetting3′s thoughts and prayers go out to Oklahoma City, it’s people, the victims, their friends and family and certainly the amazing first responders.

Red Wings down Blackhawks 3-1 to take series lead

Gustav Nyquist and Drew Miller scored 31 seconds apart midway through the second period to lead the seventh-seeded Detroit Red Wings to a 3-1 win over the top-seeded Chicago Blackhawks to take a 2-1 lead in their Western Conference semifinal series. Pavel Datsyuk added an insurance goal in the third and Jimmy Howard made 39 saves between the pipes. The series resumes Thursday with Game Four.

Patrick Roy will be the next coach of the Avalanche

According to reports from the Denver Post, Patrick Roy will be named the new coach of the Colorado Avalanche. The story was confirmed by Roy’s brother on twitter. A Hall-of-Famer with 551 career wins, Roy won two of his four Stanly Cups with the Avs in the 90s. Roy has coached the Quebec Remparts since 2005 and has over 300 wins and won the Memorial Cup championship in 2006.

Grizz/Spurs II tonight

The Memphis Grizzlies look to rebound from a Game I blowout loss in tonight’s Game II in San Antonio. The Spurs are five-point favorites with the total down a half tick to 182 1/2. The Spurs played an almost perfect game in Game I. Over the last 20 years, teams that won the first game of a conference final have gone on to win the series 77% of the time.

Bobcats to announce name change backs to Hornet

The Charlotte Bobcats will reportedly file the paperwork with the league to change their name to the Charlotte Hornets. The name became available when the New Orleans Hornets, the original Charlotte Hornets, decided to change their name to the Pelicans for 2013-2014. The Bobcats have had little success with branding since coming into the league in 2004. The name change could be a much needed shot in the arm to a franchise that has struggled since its inception. The transition is expected to take 18 months.

MLB News and Notes

Two MLB pitchers broke their hands on Monday, one hit by a pitch and the other punching a locker. Giant pitcher Ryan Vogelsong was having a strong start until he was hit by a pitch. His broken pinkie will require surgery and he will be out at least six weeks.

Gronk surgery successful and no infection found

Patriot TE Rob Gronkowski had a fourth surgery on his left forearm on Monday and there was good news all around. Doctors changed the plate on the fracture and found no new infection, a complication that had set Gronk back in the past. Gronkowski will now see a surgeon about a chronic back problem that has bothered him. If more surgery is necessary, it is hoped that the recovery time win run concurrent with the rehab on his arm and thatGronk will be rady at the start of the Patriot season.

Super Bowls 50 and 51 to be awarded today

NFL owners meet today in Boston and on the agenda will be the awarding of sites for Super Bowls 50 and 51. Miami and San Francisco are thought to be the front-runners for Super Bowl 50 while Houston is pretty much considered a lock to be awarded Super Bowl 51. The new stadium in San Francisco is set for completion in 2014.

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(MLB) BoSox (Doubront) pick over WSox (Quintana) (Tuesday, May 21, 8:10 PM PM EST)

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San Antonio came out firing on all cylinders in dropping a 31-14 first quarter on Memphis and then cruised to a 105-83 win over the Grizzlies. The Spurs played their most complete game of the playoffs shooting 52% from the field including knocking down 14 three-pointers. On defense, San Antonio held Grizz All-Star power forward Zach Randolph to just two points. Game II is on Tuesday in San Antonio.

Greening goal in second OT lifts Ottawa

The Ottawa Senators were staring down the barrel of an 0-3 deficit and certain elimination trailing 1-0 to the Penguins with less than a minute less in Game III of their Eastern Conference semifinal series but ….. Daniel Alfredsson got the shorthanded equalizer on a tip-in with 29 seconds left in regulation and Colin Greening got the winner in the second extra 20 minutes to give Ottawa the win. Tomas Vokoun stopped 46 shots for Pittsburg but suffered his first loss in the playoffs since taking over in Game Five of the Islander series.

Cabrera homers three times in loss

On the Sunday night ESPN MLB late show, Miguel Cabrera won the battle but the Texas Rangers won the war with an 11-8 win over the Tigers at Texas Stadium. Cabrera was four-for-four with three homers and five RBIs for Motown. Last year, Cabrera won the AL MVP and became the first player since 1967 to win the coveted (average, homers, RBI) triple crown. Now with 25% of the 2013 season in the books, Cabrera is well ahead of last year’s pace hitting .387 with 11 homers and 47 RBIs.

More surgery for Gronk, back an issue also

New England Patriot All-Pro TE Rob Gronkowski will have a long anticipated fourth surgery on his broken right forearm. The procedure will be to replace the plate inserted into the arm in November. Reports from New England also have Gronk possibly needing surgery on a problem disc in his back down the road. Check back to SB3 on Tuesday for a further Gronk update.

Jimmie Johnson wins record fourth Charlotte All-Star race

Jimmie Johnson had a big night at Charlotte Sunday winning Nascar’s All-Star race for a record fourth time. Johnson benefited from the final mandatory pit stop where his crew managed to get him four new tires in 11 seconds and allow the No.48 to get away second at the final restart. Joe Logano finished second with Kyle Busch (winner of two o the four preliminary segments) finished third. Johnson’s fourth win lifted him ahead of Dale Earnhardt Sr and Jeff Gordon and he also became just the second driver (Davey Allison) to win this race back-to-back.

Carpenter wins the Indy 500 pole

Owner/driver Ed Carpenter won the Chevy Indy shootout to capture the pole for Memorial Day’s Indy 500. Carpenter, the stepson of IndyCar founder Tony George, used a four-lap average of 228.762 mph to break a Penske/Andretti stranglehold on the first three rows of the starting grid for the Monday holiday classic. Carpenter, an Indianapolis native, owns his one-car team and among his sponsors are Fuzzy’s (Zoeller) Vodka and his alma matar …. Butler University.

Bae wins Nelson for first PGA title

Sang-Moon Bae shot a final round 69 on Sunday to win the Byron Nelson Classic outside of Dallas. The 26-year-old South Korean finished 13-under for tournament enroute to his first PGA tournament win in his 43rd career start. Keegan Bradley finished two shots back for second, unable to make his course record opening round 60 stand up.

Ancelotti asks out at PSG, Real Madrid calling ???

Paris St-Germain coach Carlo Ancelotti has asked out of the final year of his contract and could be headed for Real Madrid. Ancelotti met with the team on Sunday after leading PSG to their first French Liga title since 1994 and the final eight of the Champions League where they lost to Barcelona.

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(MLB) Washington (Duke) +125 over San Francisco (Vogelsong) (Monday, May 20, 10:15 PM PM EST)

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There will be know Triple Crown winner for the 36th straight year. Oxbow, the second longest shot on the board at 15-1, was perfectly rated by Gary Stevens and led every step of the way in Saturday’s Preakness. Itsmyluckyday finished second with Mylute third. Kentucky Derby winner Orb battled traffic much of the way and never fired finishing fourth.

Oxbow became the first horse since Aloma’s Ruler in 1982 to win wire-to-wire. Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens came out of a seven year retirement to ride this horse and win his third Preakness. Trainer D. Wayne Lukas lifted the Woodlawn Vase for the sixth time.

Late Pacer run eliminates the Knicks in six

Down 92-90 with five minutes left in the game, the Indiana Pacers closed on a 16-7 run to eliminate the New York Knicks four games to two in their Eastern Conference semi-final series. Lance Stephenson scored a career high 25 points while Paul George added 23 but it was Roy Hibbert’s block on a Carmelo Anthony dunk that turned the game around. Melo would up with 39 points and Iman Shumpert added 19 including several key third quarter threes that brought New York back from 12 down.

The Pacers move on to meet Miami in the Eastern Conference finals that start on Monday.

Grizz/Spurs begin Western Conference final tonight

The Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs open their Western Conference final series today at 3:30 PM EST in Alamo City. The Spurs were installed as -4.5 point favorites and has not moved. The high/low opened at 184 and is down a point to 183. The series price is San Antonio -140 with Memphis +120 on the takeback.

Red Wings win 4-1 to level series with the Blackhawks

Four different Detroit Red Wings found the back of the net and Jimmy Howard stopped 19 of 20 shots as Motown evened the series at 1-1. Patrick Kane opened the scoring for Chicago but the Blackhawks were unable to get anything else going the rest of the night.

In San Jose, Antti Niemi outdueled Jamie Quick between the pipes as the Sharks beat the Kings in overtime. Logan Couture got the winner just 1:29 into extra time as the Sharks stayed alive in the series. Quick had 38 saves for the defending Stanley Cup champs while Niemi stopped 26 to get the win.

MLB News and Notes

The Tampa Bay Rays rallied for six runs in the top of the ninth to shock the Orioles 10-6. Matt Joyce was three-for-five with five RBIs for Tampa Bay who snapped Baltimore’s 109-game run of wins when leading after seven innings.

Elvis Andrus had a career high five hits as the Texas Rangers spanked Anabel Sanchez and the Tigers 7-2. Andrus was just a homer short of the cycle as Texas banged out 13 hits.

Dwight Freeney signs two-year deal with the Chargers

Dwight Freeney got his money and the San Diego Chargers got their pass rusher. Freeney signed a two-year deal with the Bolts on Saturday for a base of $8.75 million that could balloon to as much as $13 million depending on how many sacks Freeney can rack up over the next two years. Freeney spent his first 11 years with the Colts where he registered 107 1/2 career sacks.

Belfort win by KO at UFC on FX8

Vitor Belfort was a first-round KO winner last night on the UFC’s nationally televised MMA card on Fox. Belfort floored Luke Rockhold with a spinning heel kick and then finished off the ex-Strikeforce champ with ground and pound at 2:32 of the first round.

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(NBA) Memphis +4.5 over San Antonio (Sunday, May 19, 3:30 PM PM EST)

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Kentucky Derby winner Orb will leave from the rail as the prohibitive favorite in today’s 139th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico outside of Baltimore. Only one horse has won from the No.1 post in the last 50 years of the Preakness (Tabsaco Cat 1994) but look for Orb to get away sixth or seventh in the nine horse field, let the speed sort itself out, stalk the leaders into the turn and then put these away with his patented late stretch run. Could this be our first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978 ???

Fiftyshadesofhay win the Black-Eyed Susan

Fiftyshadesofhay overcomes a tough trip to run down Marathon Lady in Friday’s Black-Eyed Susan, the filly extension of the Preakness Stakes.

Knicks/Pacers Game Six Preview

The Knicks will look to force a game seven in New York as they face elimination tonight at Indianapolis. The Pacer are five-point favorites with the total down from the 179.5 opener to 178. The Knicks are 0-4 this year at Canseco Field House. George Hill who was a late scratch Thursday with concussion like symptoms is listed as doubtful. Watch and win on ESPN at 8:00 PM EST.

Crosby gets hat trick in Pens win over Ottawa

Sidney Crosby scored the Penguins first three goals in Pittsburg’s 4-2 win over Ottawa Friday night. Crosby had his hat trick in the game’s first 22 minutes as the Pens travel to Ottawa with a 2-0 series lead. Pittsburg goalie Tomas Vokoun improved to 4-0 since taking over for Marc-Andre Fleury.

MLB News and Notes

Hiroki Kuroda pitched eight innings of two-hit shut out ball as the Yankees whitewashed Toronto 5-0. Kuroda improved his ERA to 1.99 in winning his sixth game of the season. Blue Jay loser Mark Buehrle dropped to 1-10 in 15 lifetime starts vs the Bombers getting his only win in 2004.

Just five days after taking a perfect game into the seventh innings vs the Angels, Chris Sale followed that up with 7 2/3 more shutout inning vs the Halos on Friday. Sale struck out 12 in gaining his second 3-0 win over Anaheim this week.

70′s Nascar star Dick Trickle dead at 71

Nascar short track legend Dick Trickle died Thursday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Trickle had been despondent from being in constant pain from an un-diagnosed ailment in his chest. He’d undergone constant testing in recent months. Trickle, a Wisconsin native, won more than a 1000 short track events in the mid-West but was never able to break through in Sprint Cup. Listen to Trickle’s call to law enforcement just minutes before taking his own life.

US Open winner and CBS Golf analyst Ken Venturi dead at 82

1964 US Open winner and 35-year CBS golf analyst Ken Venturi has passed at age 82, just two weeks after being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Venturi was pretty much the voice of golf in the 70s, 80s and 90s before retiring in 2002. Venturi had been in poor health for several months. RIP.

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(MLB) Dodgers (Capuano)/Atlanta (Medlen) Over 8 -120 (Saturday, May 18, 7:10 PM PM EST)

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