The Bum's Best Bets For Wednesday April 22nd - MLB - NBA -NHL !

[StarDust Bum]

MLB HAS A GOOD NIGHT GOING 8 - 2 , NBA 1 - 3, NHL 3 - 2 WITH CHICAGO'S GAME GOING INTO 2ND OT TIED AT 2......MY HAT TRICK NHL PLAY OF THE NIGHT.


APRIL RATED PLAYS:


MLB


*****...........................18 - 13..................+ 1.45
DOUBLE PLAY.................25 - 28..................- 7.78
TRIPLE PLAY...................19 - 17..................- 3.31
GRAND SLAM..................12 - 12..................- 0.07




NBA PLAYOFFS


*****..................................2 - 2
double play...........................2 - 6
triple play.............................1 - 2
slam dunk.............................0 - 1


NHL PLAYOFFS


*****.............................. 3 - 6 ........,..... - 3.14
double play........................8 - 2 - 1 ..........+ 10.84
triple play..........................2 - 3............... - 6,97
hat trick.............................4 - 2.............. + 8.00 CHICAGO GAME PENDING

[StarDust Bum]

Game of the Day: Wednesday's NBA playoff matchups

Apr 21, 2015

Brooklyn Nets at Atlanta Hawks (-9.5, 202)

Hawks lead series 1-0.

The Brooklyn Nets dropped Game 1 of their Eastern Conference playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks but have plenty of time to correct some mistakes. The Nets will try to even the series when they visit the Hawks for Game 2 on Wednesday.

The series got a long break after beginning with Atlanta’s 99-92 win on Sunday, and Brooklyn is working on small fixes. “We played hard,” Nets coach Lionel Hollins told reporters of Game 1. “I had no fault with the effort of our guys. We just have to be smarter and execute better.” Atlanta went 21-of-22 from the free-throw line in the win to help survive a subpar effort from Paul Millsap but could have a tougher challenge in Game 2. Center Al Horford is questionable for the contest after suffering a dislocated finger in the opener.

TRENDS:

* Nets are 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings in Atlanta.
* Road team is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.
* Underdog is 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings.


Portland Trail Blazers at Memphis Grizzlies (-6, 189)

Grizzlies lead series 1-0.

The Memphis Grizzlies delivered a series-opening blow and hope to return with an uppercut when they host the Portland Trail Blazers in Wednesday’s Game 2 of the first-round Western Conference series. Memphis led by as many as 29 points while cruising to a 100-84 victory in Game 1 to defeat Portland for the fifth straight time this season.

The aftermath wasn’t much better for the Trail Blazers as their locker room motivation card became public and included the phrase “We don’t lose to Spanish players,” and Grizzlies star Marc Gasol, who is from Barcelona, Spain, was miffed about the meaning. “I don’t know where it comes from and I don’t know what it means,” Gasol told reporters. “I have better things to think about than what they’re writing on the wall.” Memphis’ domination in the opener marked its third double-digit victory over Portland this season and also handed the Trail Blazers their fifth straight loss overall dating back to the regular season. “Nobody is giving us a shot,” Portland point guard Damian Lillard told reporters. “Nobody is saying, ‘Portland is going to come in here and win the series.’ If anything, they’re doubting us.”

TRENDS:

* Under is 6-2 in the last eight meetings in Memphis.
* Trail Blazers are 0-5 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Trail Blazers are 0-4 ATS in the last four meetings in Memphis.

San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Clippers (-1.5, 207.5)

Clippers lead series 1-0.

The San Antonio Spurs were thrashed by the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 1 and look to even up the Western Conference series when the teams clash in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The Clippers have won 15 of their last 16 games counting the regular season and controlled the flow in the opener.

Sixth-seeded San Antonio was outclassed by third-seed Los Angeles and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was surprised at the level in which his club was dominated. “The game was their defense was better than our offense; that’s the bottom line,” Popovich told reporters. “Their aggressiveness, their physicality, their athleticism really hurt us offensively.” Point guard Chris Paul (32 points) and power forward Blake Griffin (26) combined for 58 points in the 107-92 victory but Clippers coach Doc Rivers expects a tougher challenge from the Spurs in Game 2. “They’re still the defending champs, and they’re going to be the defending champs every night,” Rivers told reporters. “We have a lot of confidence in our team but you just have to stay humble and respect who you’re playing.”

TRENDS:

* Spurs are 1-7 ATS in their last eight Western Conference quarterfinal games.
* Clippers are 1-5 ATS in their last six home games.
* Under is 6-1 in the Clippers last seven games overall.

[StarDust Bum]

See spot. See spot bet: This week's best spot bet opportunities

Apr 21, 2015

Spot bets are classic handicapping practices that have proven profitable no matter what sport you're betting. Whether it's a team looking past this week's opponent, one coming off a hard-fought victory, or a rough patch of schedule, bettors can find value picking their spots. Covers Expert Ben Burns points out his favorites:

Schedule spot

The Pittsburgh Pirates blow the dust off the suitcases this week, flying cross country for a date with the Arizona Diamondbacks starting Friday. The Bucs don’t have much down time to get their travel plans or home life in order before this nine-game road run that takes them into May. They host the Chicago Cubs for a day game Thursday, then immediately rush to the airport to catch their flight to Phoenix.

Last season, the Pirates avoided a situation like this, with at least a day between cross-country hikes. In 2013, the Bucs kicked off the season with a three-game home stand versus the Cubs that finished on a Friday and traveled overnight to play the L.A. Dodgers that Saturday, losing the opener 3-0 and getting swept in that three-game set, outscored 10-2.

Letdown spot

Gas was thrown on the Giants-Dodgers rivalry last October when San Francisco won its third championship in five years. The Giants continue to come through in October while Los Angeles spends millions on talent every offseason only to come up short. These National League West members picked up that rivalry this week with a three-game set in the Bay Area, and San Fran could be ripe for a letdown in the game immediately following the series finale Thursday.

San Francisco heads to Coors Field Friday, where letdown games usually involve the hometown Rockies sending a few balls over the fences at the homer-friendly park. The Giants were already swept by Colorado at home, getting outscored 10-3 in that series. San Fran has a 3.92 ERA on the road to start this season and the last time they went mile high, the Giants gave up 26 runs in three games to the Rockies.

Lookahead spot

The Golden State Warriors have cruised to two easy victories to open their first round NBA Playoffs series against the New Orleans Pelicans, winning 106-99 in Game 1 and 97-87 in Game 2 Monday. But while those games were rarely in doubt, outside of a slow start in Game 2, Golden State has burned backers who gladly gave the big points in those contests.

The Warriors are 0-2 ATS versus spreads of 12.5 and 13.5 points in the postseason and have actually struggled against double-digit chalk in recent weeks (1-6 ATS last seven). The Warriors are giving five points with the series swinging to New Orleans in Game 1 but bettors should beware over these next two games, especially if Golden State takes Game 3. They could start looking ahead to their possible Round 2 matchup, extending a 1-7 ATS record in their last eight overall.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, April 22

National League
Marlins @ Phillies
Cosart is 0-1, 4.76 in two starts this year; seven of his last ten went under.

Hamels is 0-2, 5.00 in three starts this year; under is 3-1-1 in his last five home starts, 5-3 in last eight overall.

Marlins lost five of last eight games with Philly; Miami lost its last five games; six of their last seven went over total. Phillies lost seven of last nine games; over is 5-1-1 in their last seven.

Cardinals @ Nationals
Lackey is 1-0, 2.77 in two starts this year; five of his last seven stayed under.

Fister is 6-0, 1.29 in his last seven starts, 1-0, 1.38 in two starts this year; six of his last eight stayed under the total.

Cardinals won eight of last 11 games with Washington; under is 8-1-1 in last ten series games. St Louis won five of its last six games, allowing seven runs; five of the six stayed under. Washington also won five of last six games; six of its last eight went over total.

Cubs @ Pirates
Hammel is 1-0, 4.73 in to starts this year; three of his last four went over.

Worley is 1-1, 5.40 in two starts this year; six of his last eight stayed under.

Cubs won three of last four games with Pittsburgh; over is 5-0-1 in last six series games. Pirates is 3-4 in last seven games; over is 3-0-2 in their last five. Chicago won seven of its last ten games.

Braves @ Mets
Stults is 0-1, 6.30 in two starts this year; six of his last nine went over.

Gee is 0-1, 7.59 in two starts this year; his last four starts went over.

Mets won their last nine games, scoring 42 runs in last seven (over 5-1-1); they won five of last seven games with Atlanta, last five going over. Braves are 5-2 on road; eight of their last ten overall went over the total.

Reds @ Brewers
Cueto is 0-2, 2.57 in three starts this year; under is 7-2-1 in his last ten.

Nelson is 1-1, 2.25 in two starts this year; under is 5-3 in his last eight starts.

Milwaukee lost last seven games, outscored 47-20; nine of last twelve series tilts stayed under total, with Reds winning last three. Brewers scored 10 runs last night, still lost by a TD. Five of last seven Cincinnati games stayed under the total- they scored 22 runs in first two games of this series.

Padres @ Rockies
Shields is 2-0, 3.32 in three starts this year; eight of his last nine went over.

Kendrick is 1-2, 7.56 in three starts this year; four of his last five went over.

San Diego won nine of their last 11 games overall; over is 7-2-1 in their last ten. Colorado lost its last five games, outscored 41-14. Home side won nine of last 12 Padre-Rockie games- San Diego won last three.

Dodgers @ Giants
Kershaw is 1-1, 5.89 in three starts this year; over is 6-2-1 in his last nine.

Bumgarner is 1-1, 5.29 in hree starts this year; five of his last seven went over the total.

Giants lost nine of their last 11 games; Dodgers won seven of their last eight, scoring 46 runs. LA won seven of last ten games against Giants; over is 4-1-2 in last seven series games. Six of last eight LA games went over.

American League
Orioles @ Blue Jays
Jimenez is 1-0, 0.00 in two starts (10.2 IP, one hit allowed) this season; he got tossed from last start (without warning) for drilling a Boston hitter.

Sanchez is 0-2, 6.23 in his first two MLB starts.

Baltimore lost three of last four games with Toronto, giving up 10+ runs in all three losses; over is 3-0-1 in last four series games. Blue Jays lost five of their last eight games, all at home- three of their last four went over.

Bronx @ Tigers
Warren is 0-1, 5.79 in his two starts this season.

Price is 1-0, 1.61 in three starts this year; five of his last six stayed under.

Detroit is off to an 11-3 start- they allowed total of three runs in last five wins. Bronx won four of last five games; nine of their last twelve games went over. Tigers lost six of last ten series games, with eight of last nine staying under the total.

Red Sox @ Rays
Kelly is 1-0, 2.13 in two starts this year; three of his last four road starts went over the total.

Karns is 1-1, 5.09 in three starts this year; all three went over total.

Red Sox won last three games with Tampa Bay by combined score of 23-4; they've lost three of last five games overall, with eight of last 11 going over. Rays lost five of last six games, with four of those six going over total.

Twins @ Royals
Pelfrey is 0-0, 4.50 in two starts this year; four of his last five went over.

Guthrie is 1-0, 5.54 in two starts this year; five of his last seven went under.

Kansas City won its last three games, allowing seven runs; over is 6-3-1 in their last ten games. Minnesota lost three of last four games. Over is 4-1-1 in last six Twin-Royal games; KC won seven of last ten against the Twins.

Indians @ White Sox
Kluber is 0-1, 2.49 in three starts this year; Indians scored eight runs in three games. Three of his last four starts stayed under the total.

Samardzija is 0-1, 4.29 in three starts this year; five of his last six went over.

Cleveland won eight of last 11 games against White Sox; 11 of last 12 series games stayed under total. Indians lost seven of last ten games, with six of last seven staying under. Chicago lost four of its last six games.

A's @ Angels
Gray is 1-0, 2.53 in three starts this year, all of which went over.

Weaver is 0-2, 6.61 in three starts this season.

Oakland lost eight of last ten games with Angels- five of last six went over total. LA lost seven of last 11 games, are 1-4 at home. Oakland lost four of its last six games overall.

Astros @ Mariners
Hernandez is 0-1, 6.75 in two starts; over is 6-1-1 in his last eight.

Happ is 0-1, 2.70 in two starts this year; eight of his last ten stayed under.

Houston won six of last seven games with Seattle; last five went over total. Astros won five of last six games, Seattle lost six of its last eight games; eight of their last eleven went over.

Interleague
Rangers @ Diamondbacks
Gallardo is 2-1, 3.45 in three starts this year; four of his last six stayed under.

Bradley is 1-1, 1.42 in his first two MLB starts, allowing five hits in 12.2 IP.

Texas won seven of last ten games with Arizona, taking last three by total of 23-7; Rangers lost five of last eight games overall- three of their last four went under total. Five of last seven Arizona games stayed under total.

Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Mia-Phil: Cosart 0-2; Hamels 1-2
Stl-Wsh: Lackey 1-1; Fister 1-1
Chi-Pitt: Hammel 1-1; Worley 1-1
Atl-NY: Stults 1-1; Gee 1-1
Cin-Mil: Cueto 1-2; Nelson 1-1
SD-Col: Shields 2-1; Kendrick 1-2
LA-SF: Kershaw 2-1; Bumgarner 1-2

Blt-Tor: Jimenez 1-1; Sanchez 0-2
NY-Det: Warren 1-1; Price 3-0
Bos-TB: Kelly 2-0; Karns 1-2
Min-KC: Pelfrey 1-1; Guthrie 2-0
Clev-Chi: Kluber 0-3; Samardzija 1-2
A's-LAA: Gray 1-2; Weaver 1-2
Hst-Sea: Hernandez 0-2; Happ 1-1

Tex-Az: Gallardo 2-1; Bradley 2-0

Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Mia-Phil: Cosart 0-2; Hamels 2-3
Stl-Wsh: Lackey 1-2; Fister 0-2
Chi-Pitt: Hammel 0-2; Worley 0-2
Atl-NY: Stults 0-2; Gee 1-2
Cin-Mil: Cueto 1-3; Nelson 0-2
SD-Col: Shields 0-3; Kendrick 2-3
LA-SF: Kershaw 2-3; Bumgarner 1-3

Blt-Tor: Jimenez 0-2; Sanchez 1-2
NY-Det: Warren 0-2; Price 0-3
Bos-TB: Kelly 0-2; Karns 1-3
Min-KC: Pelfrey 0-2; Guthrie 1-2
Clev-Chi: Kluber 1-3; Samardzija 0-3
A's-LAA: Gray 0-3; Weaver 0-3
Hst-Sea: Hernandez 1-2; Happ 1-2

Tex-Az: Gallardo 1-3; Bradley 1-2

Umpires
Mia-Phil-- Over is 19-6-1 in last 26 Basner games.
StL-Wsh-- Six of last nine Wolf games stayed under.
Chi-Pitt-- Over was 15-1-1 in last 17 Morales games LY.
Atl-NY-- Eight of last nine Segal games went over.
Cin-Mil-- Five of last six Barber games went over.
SD-Colo-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Joyce games.
LA-SF-- Over is 10-6 in last sixteen Fagan games.

Balt-Tor-- Favorites won eight of last ten Dimuro games.
NY-Det-- Six of last seven Davis games went over total.
Bos-TB-- Underdogs won three of last four BWelke games.
Min-KC-- Eight of last twelve Blaser games stayed under.
Cle-Chi-- Over is 6-2-1 in last nine Bellino games.
A's-LA-- Under is 9-3-1 in last thirteen Muchlinski games.
Hst-Sea-- Underdogs won four of last five LBarrett games.

Tex-Az-- Six of last eight Everitt games stayed under.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Wednesday, April 22

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Trend Report
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2:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Cleveland is 3-6 SU in their last 9 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Cleveland's last 8 games on the road
Chi White Sox are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi White Sox's last 7 games

7:05 PM
MIAMI vs. PHILADELPHIA
Miami is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Miami is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Philadelphia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
Philadelphia is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games

7:05 PM
CHI CUBS vs. PITTSBURGH
Chi Cubs are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games
Chi Cubs are 3-7 SU in their last 10 games when playing Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 7-3 SU in their last 10 games when playing Chi Cubs
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs

7:05 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. WASHINGTON
St. Louis is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of St. Louis's last 5 games when playing Washington
Washington is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Washington is 3-12 SU in its last 15 games when playing St. Louis

7:07 PM
BALTIMORE vs. TORONTO
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Baltimore's last 14 games on the road
Baltimore is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Toronto
Toronto is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing at home against Baltimore

7:08 PM
NY YANKEES vs. DETROIT
NY Yankees are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 10 of NY Yankees's last 13 games
Detroit is 7-3 SU in their last 10 games when playing at home against NY Yankees
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing at home against NY Yankees

7:10 PM
BOSTON vs. TAMPA BAY
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Tampa Bay's last 8 games at home

7:10 PM
ATLANTA vs. NY METS
Atlanta is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games
Atlanta is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of NY Mets's last 5 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Mets's last 6 games when playing at home against Atlanta

8:10 PM
MINNESOTA vs. KANSAS CITY
Minnesota is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games when playing Kansas City
Minnesota is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kansas City's last 6 games when playing Minnesota
Kansas City is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Minnesota

8:10 PM
CINCINNATI vs. MILWAUKEE
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Cincinnati's last 14 games when playing Milwaukee
Cincinnati is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cincinnati
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Milwaukee's last 14 games when playing Cincinnati

8:40 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. COLORADO
The total has gone OVER in 8 of San Diego's last 9 games on the road
San Diego is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Colorado
Colorado is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Diego
Colorado is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games

9:40 PM
TEXAS vs. ARIZONA
Texas is 14-5 SU in its last 19 games when playing Arizona
Arizona is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arizona's last 7 games

10:05 PM
OAKLAND vs. LA ANGELS
Oakland is 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against LA Angels
Oakland is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
LA Angels are 8-2 SU in their last 10 games when playing Oakland
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Angels's last 5 games at home

10:10 PM
HOUSTON vs. SEATTLE
Houston is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle's last 6 games at home
Seattle is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home

10:15 PM
LA DODGERS vs. SAN FRANCISCO
The total has gone OVER in 12 of LA Dodgers's last 17 games on the road
LA Dodgers are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
San Francisco is 3-7 SU in their last 10 games when playing LA Dodgers
San Francisco is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Wednesday, April 22


High scoring day leads to cashed over tickets

The Over finished 10-5 in 15 games thanks to a total of 167 runs scored Wednesday.

Season to date, Overs have a considerable with a 112-86 record, good enough to cash at a rate of 56.57 percent.



MLB roundup: Cubs score 3 in ninth to beat Pirates

PITTSBURGH -- Starlin Castro hit a tying two-run single then Welington Castillo drove in the winning run with a ground out in a three-run ninth inning Tuesday night as the Chicago Cubs rallied for a 9-8 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates and closer Mark Melancon.

With the Cubs down 8-6, Anthony Rizzo led off the ninth with a single and went to third on Jorge Soler's double. Rookie Kris Bryant singled and Castro, the three-time All-Star shortstop, then bounced a two-run single over third baseman Josh Harrison's head.

Castillo, the Cubs' third-string catcher, then bounced out to second on a high chopper that enabled Bryant to score and pin the loss on Melancon -- his first blown save in three opportunities.

Reds 16, Brewers 10

MILWAUKEE -- Grand slams by Jay Bruce and Todd Frazier capped off a five-homer day for Cincinnati which clubbed Milwaukee at Miller Park.

Zack Cozart hit two solo home runs and Joey Votto added a third as the Reds pounded out 13 hits.

Jason Marquis gave up five runs on nine hits over five innings but struck out eight and earned his first victory of the season.

Nationals 2, Cardinals 1 (10 innings)

WASHINGTON -- Yunel Escobar had a two-out solo homer in the bottom of the 10th off Carlos Villanueva as Washington beat St. Louis for a rare win against the defending National League Central division champions.

There were 23 runners left on base through nine innings as the teams combined for 20 hits and just two runs in the first nine innings. It was the third career walk-off homer for Escobar, who hit the first pitch into the St. Louis bullpen in left.

The Nationals had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the ninth but center fielder Jon Jay made a diving catch on a liner off the bat of Jayson Werth with the bases loaded for the third out of the frame.

Royals 6, Twins 5

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Mike Moustakas homered and drove in three runs as Kansas City rallied to defeat Minnesota.

Moustakas' singled home Paulo Orlando with the go-ahead run with two outs in the eighth. Salvador Perez opened the inning with a single and Jarrod Dyson pinch-ran. After losing pitcher Casey Fien made five throws to first base, Orlando singled up the middle, moving Dyson to third. Dyson scored on second baseman Christian Colon's ground out.

Indians 6, White Sox 2

CHICAGO -- Cleveland roughed up Chicago's top pitching prospect Carlos Rodon, who was making his major league debut at U.S. Cellular Field.

The Indians broke the game open in the sixth and seventh innings, scoring four runs, sparked by pinch-hitter Ryan Raburn's two-run single off Rodon, who was called up to the White Sox on Monday.

Hector Carrasco, making his first start since being struck in the face by a line drive by Chicago left fielder Melky Cabrera on April 4, struck out eight in five innings to earn the win.

Yankees 5, Tigers 2

DETROIT -- Chris Young and Stephen Drew hit solo home runs as Nathan Eovaldi recorded his first victory with New York.

Young got on base in all five of his at-bats with three hits and two walks. His fourth homer of the season sparked a three-run seventh inning. The Yankees managed only eight hits off Tigers pitching and Drew had two.

Eovaldi acquired from the Miami Marlins during the offseason, held Detroit to one run on eight hits in seven-plus innings while striking out four.

Red Sox 1, Rays 0

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Boston scored the game's only run thanks to an error as Tampa Bay's home woes continued.

Boston scored in the third inning, and the ball never left the infield. Dustin Pedroia hit into what should have been an inning-ending double play, but rookie second baseman Ryan Brett, playing in his third major league game, committed a throwing error that allowed Ryan Hanigan, who reached on an infield single and advanced on a walk, to score.

Miley gave up just three hits in 5 2/3 scoreless innings. Tampa Bay lost its fourth straight to drop to 1-5 at home. The Rays were shut out for the second time in three games.

Blue Jays 13, Orioles 6

TORONTO -- Edwin Encarnacion hit two home runs -- one into the 500 level -- to lead Toronto over Baltimore.

Jose Bautista also homered for Toronto and Ryan Goins drove in three runs as Mark Buehrle picked up his third straight win to open the season.

Buehrle allowed eight hits, one walk and three runs in six innings to pick up his second win of the season against Baltimore.

Mets 7, Braves 1

NEW YORK -- Jon Niese took a shutout into the seventh inning, and Curtis Granderson drove in four runs as New York ran its winning streak to nine games.

Niese allowed one run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out five, worked around four walks and threw 67 of 106 pitches for strikes.

He lost his shutout bid when Cameron Maybin. Niese held Atlanta to one hit in nine at-bats with men on base.

Phillies 7, Marlins 3

PHILADELPHIA -- Ryan Howard and Freddy Galvis hit two-run homers as Philadelphia outlasted Miami.

Ben Revere added a two-run triple for the Phillies, who won for just the second time in nine games.

Right fielder Giancarlo Stanton hit his third homer of the season for the Marlins, who have dropped five straight.

Padres 7, Rockies 6

DENVER -- San Diego struck for four runs in the eighth inning to overhaul Colorado. The Padres earned their ninth win in 11 games, while the Rockies lost their fifth straight.

San Diego's Wil Myers hit a game-tying single in the eighth, and Derek Norris followed with a two-run double.

Brandon Maurer (1-0) pitched a scoreless seventh after San Diego starter Brandon Morrow gave up five runs in six innings. Padres closer Craig Kimbrel allowed a leadoff homer in the ninth to Nick Hundley, who also tripled home a run in the fourth.

Rangers 7, Diamondbacks 1

PHOENIX -- Prince Fielder hit a two-run home run to cap a four-run eighth inning, and he drove in three runs in Texas' victory over Arizona Diamondbacks.

With the score 1-1, Jason Smolinski reached on an error by third baseman Cliff Pennington with one out in the eighth. Leonys Martin walked before Elvis Andrus singled to drive in Smolinski with the go-ahead run.

Martin and Andrus pulled off a double steal, and Martin scored when catcher Tuffy Gosewisch's throw to third went into left field. Fielder followed with his first homer of the season for the Rangers, who snapped a two-game losing streak.

Astros 6, Mariners 3

SEATTLE -- Jose Altuve lined a go-ahead, three-run double in the eighth inning to guide Houston to a come-from-behind win over Seattle.

Houston trailed 3-1 before an error from second baseman Robinson Cano to begin the eighth jumpstarted Houston's five-run frame.

By delivering their fourth consecutive victory, the Astros improved to 8-6, matching their best start since 2007.

Angels 14, Athletics 1

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Johnny Giavotella and Kole Calhoun combined for six hits, six runs and seven RBIs to lead Los Angeles to a rout of Oakland.

Giavotella went 2-for-3 with a walk, home run, four RBIs and three runs. Calhoun finished 4-for-5 with a homer, three RBIs and three runs.

Los Angeles pounded out 15 hits in all, including two each from David Freese, Erick Aybar and C.J. Cron. The only Angel in the starting lineup not to get at least one hit was first baseman Albert Pujols. The A's made things even easier for the Angels, committing three errors.

Giants 6, Dodgers 2

SAN FRANCISCO -- Tim Lincecum recorded his first win as a starting pitcher since last August, limiting Los Angeles to one run over six innings in San Francisco's victory.

Justin Maxwell homered, tripled, scored three runs, drove in two and made a sensational sliding catch for the Giants, who won for just the second time in their last 11 games in the opener of a three-game series between National League West rivals. Lincecum threw six innings of one-run ball.

The loss snapped the Dodgers' seven-game winning streak.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Wednesday, April 22

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MIAMI (3 - 11) at PHILADELPHIA (5 - 9) - 7:05 PM
JARRED COSART (R) vs. COLE HAMELS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 3-11 (-9.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MIAMI is 0-7 (-8.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
MIAMI is 10-28 (-15.5 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 3-11 (-9.8 Units) against the money line in April games this season.
MIAMI is 2-9 (-8.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
MIAMI is 3-11 (-9.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MIAMI is 396-389 (+38.1 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters since 1997.
COSART is 8-2 (+10.3 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
PHILADELPHIA is 149-170 (-46.9 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 since 1997.
PHILADELPHIA is 106-109 (-33.3 Units) against the money line in home games in April games since 1997.
PHILADELPHIA is 68-85 (-26.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
HAMELS is 8-14 (-13.5 Units) against the money line in home games in April games since 1997. (Team's Record)
HAMELS is 67-66 (-29.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
HAMELS is 11-20 (-17.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 1-0 (+1.1 Units) against MIAMI this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

JARRED COSART vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
No recent starts.

COLE HAMELS vs. MIAMI since 1997
HAMELS is 9-14 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 3.17 and a WHIP of 1.107.
His team's record is 13-21 (-21.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 21-12. (+6.9 units)

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ST LOUIS (8 - 4) at WASHINGTON (7 - 7) - 7:05 PM
JOHN LACKEY (R) vs. DOUG FISTER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LACKEY is 54-75 (-26.3 Units) against the money line in road games in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
ST LOUIS is 161-106 (+29.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 99-54 (+34.2 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

JOHN LACKEY vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
LACKEY is 1-0 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 3.21 and a WHIP of 1.143.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)

DOUG FISTER vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
FISTER is 0-1 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 6.00 and a WHIP of 1.500.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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CHICAGO CUBS (8 - 5) at PITTSBURGH (6 - 8) - 7:05 PM
JASON HAMMEL (R) vs. VANCE WORLEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1395-1558 (-278.1 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1338-1471 (-252.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1023-1157 (-211.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 646-750 (-198.7 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 684-683 (-152.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
HAMMEL is 10-20 (-13.5 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HAMMEL is 2-10 (-11.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
PITTSBURGH is 21-6 (+13.4 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Wednesday over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 132-91 (+30.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 47-26 (+15.9 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 358-368 (+45.6 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 2-0 (+2.4 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

JASON HAMMEL vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
HAMMEL is 4-2 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 3.83 and a WHIP of 1.119.
His team's record is 5-2 (+3.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-4. (-1.1 units)

VANCE WORLEY vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
WORLEY is 2-0 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 2.39 and a WHIP of 1.063.
His team's record is 4-0 (+4.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.3 units)

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ATLANTA (8 - 5) at NY METS (11 - 3) - 7:10 PM
ERIC STULTS (L) vs. DILLON GEE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 85-87 (-15.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 66-71 (-15.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 90-86 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 26-13 (+16.0 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 90-86 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
GEE is 11-3 (+11.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday since 1997. (Team's Record)
ATLANTA is 25-13 (+14.2 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 49-31 (+18.7 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
STULTS is 39-27 (+18.3 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
NY METS are 308-320 (-84.6 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY METS is 2-2 (-0.0 Units) against ATLANTA this season
4 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+4.0 Units)

ERIC STULTS vs. NY METS since 1997
STULTS is 3-1 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 2.87 and a WHIP of 1.195.
His team's record is 5-2 (+4.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-3. (+0.9 units)

DILLON GEE vs. ATLANTA since 1997
GEE is 6-5 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 3.13 and a WHIP of 1.141.
His team's record is 8-7 (+4.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-12. (-10.4 units)

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CINCINNATI (7 - 7) at MILWAUKEE (2 - 12) - 8:10 PM
JOHNNY CUETO (R) vs. JIMMY NELSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 34-26 (+15.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 3 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 692-780 (+42.0 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 503-564 (+36.4 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 345-363 (+41.9 Units) against the money line in road games after a win since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 386-336 (+64.9 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
MILWAUKEE is 2-12 (-11.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 1-7 (-7.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 2-12 (-11.2 Units) against the money line in April games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 38-49 (-15.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 2-12 (-11.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 1-8 (-8.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 2-10 (-8.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MILWAUKEE is 39-51 (-18.4 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 2-0 (+2.2 Units) against MILWAUKEE this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.1 Units)

JOHNNY CUETO vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
CUETO is 7-3 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 3.06 and a WHIP of 1.078.
His team's record is 11-5 (+6.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-11. (-7.7 units)

JIMMY NELSON vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
NELSON is 0-0 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 0.833.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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SAN DIEGO (10 - 5) at COLORADO (7 - 7) - 8:40 PM
JAMES SHIELDS (R) vs. KYLE KENDRICK (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 8-19 (-13.5 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 3 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 40-74 (-26.2 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
KENDRICK is 80-58 (+27.7 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
SHIELDS is 17-6 (+11.5 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SHIELDS is 30-15 (+16.0 Units) against the money line in April games since 1997. (Team's Record)
SHIELDS is 15-6 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SHIELDS is 17-5 (+11.4 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
SHIELDS is 17-4 (+12.9 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
COLORADO is 46-72 (-26.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 49-79 (-29.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 38-64 (-24.4 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN DIEGO is 2-0 (+2.4 Units) against COLORADO this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

JAMES SHIELDS vs. COLORADO since 1997
SHIELDS is 2-1 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 3.79 and a WHIP of 1.158.
His team's record is 2-1 (+0.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-1. (+0.9 units)

KYLE KENDRICK vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
KENDRICK is 3-2 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 4.19 and a WHIP of 1.485.
His team's record is 4-2 (+1.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-0. (+6.2 units)

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LA DODGERS (9 - 4) at SAN FRANCISCO (5 - 10) - 10:15 PM
CLAYTON KERSHAW (L) vs. MADISON BUMGARNER (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 22-9 (+13.3 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 1026-860 (+113.7 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 719-708 (+44.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
BUMGARNER is 19-6 (+12.3 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LA DODGERS are 49-24 (+18.3 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 51-28 (+19.5 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 1-0 (+1.3 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

CLAYTON KERSHAW vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
KERSHAW is 14-5 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 1.44 and a WHIP of 0.819.
His team's record is 16-9 (+3.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 17-6. (+10.5 units)

MADISON BUMGARNER vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
BUMGARNER is 11-5 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 2.56 and a WHIP of 0.978.
His team's record is 11-5 (+6.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-9. (-3.2 units)

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CLEVELAND (5 - 8) at CHI WHITE SOX (5 - 8) - 2:10 PM
COREY KLUBER (R) vs. JEFF SAMARDZIJA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 15-25 (-13.8 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 102-55 (+35.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 32-50 (-21.4 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
SAMARDZIJA is 12-25 (-19.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAMARDZIJA is 14-23 (-14.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAMARDZIJA is 6-15 (-12.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAMARDZIJA is 10-23 (-14.7 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAMARDZIJA is 12-25 (-19.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAMARDZIJA is 2-8 (-8.9 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAMARDZIJA is 6-11 (-10.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 2-2 (+0.2 Units) against CLEVELAND this season
4 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+4.0 Units)

COREY KLUBER vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
KLUBER is 4-2 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 3.14 and a WHIP of 1.079.
His team's record is 5-4 (+0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-5. (-1.6 units)

JEFF SAMARDZIJA vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
No recent starts.

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BALTIMORE (7 - 7) at TORONTO (7 - 7) - 7:05 PM
UBALDO JIMENEZ (R) vs. AARON SANCHEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BALTIMORE is 107-77 (+35.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 52-41 (+21.9 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 55-36 (+21.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 77-43 (+39.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 83-55 (+32.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 46-30 (+18.5 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 108-123 (-45.6 Units) against the money line in home games in April games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 3-1 (+2.1 Units) against BALTIMORE this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.1 Units)

UBALDO JIMENEZ vs. TORONTO since 1997
JIMENEZ is 4-3 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 4.09 and a WHIP of 1.283.
His team's record is 5-4 (+1.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-3. (+1.9 units)

AARON SANCHEZ vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
SANCHEZ is 0-1 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 8.11 and a WHIP of 2.703.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-0. (+0.0 units)

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NY YANKEES (7 - 7) at DETROIT (11 - 3) - 7:05 PM
ADAM WARREN (R) vs. DAVID PRICE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 23-24 (-13.2 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 1-1 (+0.1 Units) against DETROIT this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

ADAM WARREN vs. DETROIT since 1997
No recent starts.

DAVID PRICE vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
PRICE is 10-6 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 4.11 and a WHIP of 1.307.
His team's record is 16-9 (+6.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 8-16. (-10.9 units)

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BOSTON (9 - 5) at TAMPA BAY (6 - 8) - 7:10 PM
JOE KELLY (R) vs. NATE KARNS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 80-97 (-25.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 34-47 (-18.8 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
KELLY is 24-14 (+11.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TAMPA BAY is 83-93 (-28.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 37-51 (-31.7 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 16-24 (-13.0 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 9-17 (-12.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 20-26 (-14.2 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 37-51 (-31.7 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 53-62 (-20.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 44-57 (-29.9 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 28-37 (-21.5 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 20-28 (-17.0 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 21-31 (-20.2 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 1-0 (+1.1 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

JOE KELLY vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
No recent starts.

NATE KARNS vs. BOSTON since 1997
No recent starts.

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MINNESOTA (5 - 9) at KANSAS CITY (11 - 3) - 8:10 PM
MIKE PELFREY (R) vs. JEREMY GUTHRIE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PELFREY is 33-58 (-27.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
KANSAS CITY is 111-80 (+19.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 21-9 (+10.4 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 107-77 (+17.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 79-54 (+16.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 78-56 (+11.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 66-45 (+16.3 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 27-13 (+14.4 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
GUTHRIE is 23-14 (+9.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GUTHRIE is 23-13 (+10.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KANSAS CITY is 297-317 (-72.3 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 3-2 (+0.6 Units) against MINNESOTA this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.1 Units)

MIKE PELFREY vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
PELFREY is 0-2 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 9.49 and a WHIP of 2.109.
His team's record is 0-3 (-3.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-3. (-3.6 units)

JEREMY GUTHRIE vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
GUTHRIE is 9-3 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 3.37 and a WHIP of 1.114.
His team's record is 9-5 (+4.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-7. (-1.0 units)

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OAKLAND (7 - 8) at LA ANGELS (6 - 8) - 10:05 PM
SONNY GRAY (R) vs. JERED WEAVER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 95-83 (-19.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 44-44 (-18.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 93-79 (-17.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 119-96 (+34.3 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +100 to +125 since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 56-25 (+21.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
WEAVER is 94-39 (+31.6 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997. (Team's Record)
WEAVER is 37-9 (+20.7 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
WEAVER is 94-39 (+31.6 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
WEAVER is 75-33 (+24.3 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
WEAVER is 89-43 (+33.0 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
OAKLAND is 1-1 (+0.5 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

SONNY GRAY vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
GRAY is 2-1 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 2.83 and a WHIP of 1.114.
His team's record is 3-2 (+0.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-2. (+0.4 units)

JERED WEAVER vs. OAKLAND since 1997
WEAVER is 13-9 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 2.49 and a WHIP of 1.082.
His team's record is 17-13 (-1.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-21. (-17.0 units)

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HOUSTON (8 - 6) at SEATTLE (5 - 9) - 10:10 PM
ROBERTO HERNANDEZ (R) vs. J.A. HAPP (L)
Top Trends for this game.
HERNANDEZ is 11-25 (-14.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HOUSTON is 42-45 (+11.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 14-22 (-16.3 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -150 over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 44-45 (-15.4 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 18-34 (-19.8 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 38-45 (-20.0 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 44-45 (-15.4 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 1-9 (-10.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SEATTLE is 25-34 (-21.2 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 2-0 (+3.0 Units) against SEATTLE this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

ROBERTO HERNANDEZ vs. SEATTLE since 1997
HERNANDEZ is 2-3 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 2.82 and a WHIP of 1.178.
His team's record is 3-5 (-3.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-3. (+1.6 units)

J.A. HAPP vs. HOUSTON since 1997
HAPP is 2-0 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 2.04 and a WHIP of 1.302.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.0 units)

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TEXAS (6 - 8) at ARIZONA (7 - 7) - 9:40 PM
YOVANI GALLARDO (R) vs. ARCHIE BRADLEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 47-80 (-29.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
GALLARDO is 8-17 (-11.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ARIZONA is 71-105 (-29.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 36-50 (-17.7 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 6-16 (-12.0 Units) against the money line in home games in April games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 71-105 (-29.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 53-79 (-24.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 1-0 (+1.3 Units) against ARIZONA this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.1 Units)

YOVANI GALLARDO vs. ARIZONA since 1997
GALLARDO is 8-0 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 1.75 and a WHIP of 1.026.
His team's record is 10-2 (+8.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-9. (-6.3 units)

ARCHIE BRADLEY vs. TEXAS since 1997
No recent starts.

[StarDust Bum]

South Side Matinee

April 22, 2015


CLEVELAND INDIANS (5-8) at CHICAGO WHITE SOX (5-8)

First pitch: Wednesday, 2:20 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line and Total: Cleveland -115, Chicago +105, Total: 7

AL Central opponents, the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox, finish off their three-game set in the Windy City on Wednesday afternoon.

The Indians have not had a great start to their new year and have failed to win a series since opening up with two wins in three tries against the Astros. Since then, they are a mere 3-7 with all of their contests against AL Central opponents which included a couple of recent losses to the lowly Twins. In that set they were outscored 12-8 and followed it up with a very disappointing 4-3 loss after heading to the ninth with a 3-0 lead against these White Sox. On Tuesday, they were able to hold onto the 6-2 advantage behind seven hits; including homers from both C Carlos Santana and David Murphy.

OF Ryan Raburn (.381) has been heating up and in the last five games that he’s played has gone 8-for-14 (.571) with five doubles, a homer and six RBIs. Chicago has gotten off to the same record as its counterparts in this one and has also won just one series thus far. That came against the Twins and since then they are 3-4 with a meager five runs scored over the four losses. After a come-from-behind, walk-off win on Monday against this opponent, they were unable to muster any offense and took a 6-2 loss with eight hits as they managed a poor 1-for-8 performance with RISP. No one has exactly been tearing it up offensively for the team, but 1B Jose Abreu (.275) hit his fourth long ball on Tuesday and has seven RBIs in his past four contests.

An intriguing pitching matchup will take place in this one as 2014 Cy Young award winner RHP Corey Kluber (0-1, 2.49 ERA) of the Indians goes against RHP Jeff Samardzija (0-1, 4.29 ERA) of the host White Sox. Cleveland has destroyed this division rival since the start of the 2013 campaign, going 29-13 overall and are 13-9 when playing on the road. They’ve already played each other four times this year, splitting the games two apiece as the average total has been 6.5 runs per contest. Trends show that when Samardzija pitches with a money line of +125 to -125 since the start of last year, his team is a putrid 1-14 (.067) as the Indians are just 15-25 (.375) in April games over the same period. The injury report still has C Yan Gomes (Knee) and 1B Nick Swisher (Knee) out for Cleveland as Chicago has a full offensive roster of healthy players.

Kluber took his nasty curveball to the next level last season and in a Cy Young award winning season he was able to net 18 wins with a stellar 2.44 ERA (1.09 WHIP). He improved on his already tremendous control with a meager 2.0 BB/9 as he struck out more than a batter per inning (10.4 K/9). He has continued to pitch great in the early going of 2015, posting a 25:4 K/BB ratio over his first three starts (21.2 IP) as batters are hitting a mere .240 BABIP against him. The White Sox have not given Kluber too much trouble as in the past he is 4-2 (5-4 team record) against them with a 3.14 ERA (1.08 WHIP) and threw a complete game with one unearned run allowed on five hits and mowed down eight batters (0 walks) in their last meeting.

A few players on Chicago have done well against the ace as 1B Jose Abreu (6-for-17, 1 double, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 5 K) and newcomer OF Melky Cabrera (3-for-7, 1 double, 1 triple) have hit him hard. Others haven’t fared quite as well and 2B Gordon Beckham, C Tyler Flowers and SS Alexei Ramirez are a combined 6-for-52 (.115) with 10 strikeouts in the matchup. The bullpen for the Indians hasn’t been all too great, going 0-3 with a 4.08 ERA (1.49 WHIP) and have saved 3-of-5 games. Cody Allen (14.40 ERA, 3 saves) has 10 strikeouts in his five innings on the mound but has struggled with control (6 walks) and already had two separate outings where he gave up four runs.

Samardzija was sought after by the White Sox due to his great performances with the Cubs despite being on such a lousy team. When he made the switch to the American League with the Athletics last year, he was able to make 16 starts and continued his solid performance with a 3.14 ERA (0.93 WHIP) while walking a mere 12 batters in 111.2 innings (0.97 BB/9). Since moving to the South Side of Chicago, he has not fared too well, striking out just 14 batters in 21 frames (6.0 K/9) as he’s allowed 10 runs and forced batters into a groundball a mere 38.2% of the time. This will be Samardzijas first of many starts against the Indians in his career.

OF Michael Bourn (5-for-10, 2 doubles) has the most experience and success against Samardzija while C Brett Hayes is the only other player with multiple hits. The relievers for the White Sox haven’t looked all that bad, combining to go 2-2 with a 3.68 ERA (1.36 WHIP) as they’ve saved their only two save opportunities. David Robertson (0.00 ERA, 2 saves) has been nearly flawless in the early going with 10 strikeouts in his five frames as both the runners he allowed were in his first outing.

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday's Betting Notes

April 22, 2015


Trending Up

-- I just can’t stop raving about the Mets, my main breakout team for 2015. It’s just incredible how sudden their transformation has occurred. Yesterday, they pushed their remarkable winning streak to nine -- amazingly all against divisional opponents -- and that’s even while dealing with injuries. They had to place their unofficial captain David Wright on the disabled list last week, and just recently lost catcher Travis d’Arnaud, who was enjoying a phenomenal start to the year, and a key part of their late-inning relief corps, Jerry Blevins. Even so, the Amazins are still rolling with no signs of letting up. They’ve done with it with excellent balance on both sides of the ball, being top ten in baseball in runs scored on offense, while receiving the expected outstanding pitching from their starting rotation. While New York was carrying a streak of six consecutive losing seasons into 2015, this run should be seen as no surprise whatsoever, as they even showed signs last year of a potential break-out. Now, it has come to fruition, and it certainly helps having ace Matt Harvey back lead the way in such a confident manner. Interestingly, the Mets’ offense has been so active that they’re actually 9-4 towards Over bets, and as a result, aren’t the dependable Under team they’ve been in recent years. Their getting timely and consistent production throughout the lineup, and as long as the linesmakers continue to attach them to the same lines as in past seasons -- hovering around 7-ish -- then that’s a trend that can continue, as the Mets continue their pursuit of reaching the postseason for the first time since ’06.

-- With another win last night, the Padres continue to prove that they’re for real, thanks in large part to their very active offseason conducted by new general manager A.J. Preller. They were my bold pick to surprise everyone and actually dethrone the Dodgers in winning the NL West this year, although I didn’t expect it to formulate this quickly, but San Diego already looks like the real deal in only the first couple of weeks-and-change of the season. There are several reasons for their quick ascension to the upper echelon of the league, but I’ll provide you with arguably the most telling stat of all: Last season, the Padres had 15 home runs as a team through the first two months of the campaign. This season? They already have 14 home runs in less than three weeks! It was painfully obvious that San Diego could contend if they could just improve their previously dreadful offense that consistently had them in last in most major offensive categories in recent years, all while maintaining very solid pitching from their starters and relievers, so credit Preller for recognizing that right away and making the necessary changes. Also of note, most of the Padres’ 10-5 record has come opposite their fellow NL West residents, whom they are 8-4 again thus far. As they continue to streak, San Diego has built up a ton of confidence and should remain a safe, consistent bet through the foreseeable future. Additionally, they have one of the best records for Overs at 10-4-1 -- a complete turnaround from years’ past when they were one of the most dependable constants for Unders in all of sports.

-- I could use this space to break down the surging Tigers and Royals, shareholders of the best record in MLB, but we'll go over the similarly trending Cubs instead. Is their 8-5 start evidence that they are going to live up to the hype throughout 2015? Being one of my picks to break out this year, this is a no-brainer - the Cubs are for real and should continue their winning ways. Their outlook can safely be tied to the development of their youngsters, such as Kris Bryant, who debuted less than a week ago but has already made a notable impact at the plate and with the glove. Jorge Soler has also looked like he's in the midst a very god first full season in the big leagues, and now fellow top prospect Addison Russell has arrived. Their starting pitching has been steady, anchored by one of my sleeper picks of a year ago, Jake Arrieta, and that's even with struggles from new ace Jon Lester. Once he finally gets into normal form, Chicago will be even more dangerous. But they're having a lot of fun right now, and led by new manager Joe Maddon, they're absolutely for real. They’re also in the process of making a statement right now, having gone into Pittsburgh and taken the first two games of their current series. This is an interesting test for them, and so far they’re passing with flying colors. Jason Hammel will be seeking to keep it going tonight.

Trending Down

-- A trendy pick to make a postseason push in 2015, the Marlins look like they’ve been making more of a push towards the golf course as soon as the season concludes. At 3-11, Miami has dug itself quite a hole -- especially while three of their fellow division tenants in the NL East continue to play at a very high level -- posting baseball’s second-worst record entering play today. So what exactly has happened to the Marlins after their very encouraging campaign from a year ago? Well one, their starting pitching, which looked like a strength entering the season, has been mostly lackluster. While Dan Haren has performed well after being acquired by the club this past offseason, their other acquisition for the staff, Mat Latos, has been a disaster in his first three starts. It looks even worse right now considering they surrendered Anthony DeSclafani in that deal, and he’s been tremendous with the Reds thus far. Furthermore, Henderson Alvarez, their Opening Day starter, is on the disabled list, while Jarred Cosart and Tom Koehler have been inconsistent. And so has their bullpen, for that matter. But just as glaring, their offense has greatly disappointed. They have eight home runs as a team, which has them anchored almost at the very bottom of the league, and as a result, their run production is much lower than anticipated. Furthermore, they’re striking out a ton, only behind the Astros and Nationals in that category. It’s only a matter of time before their face of the franchise, Giancarlo Stanton, gets going, but they’re going to need a lot more than that to get back into the thick of things. It’s probable that the Marlins will get out of this rut that they’re in and play decent baseball at the very least, but the ship is already sailing on their playoff hopes. They need to pick it up right away and salvage this road series in Philadelphia.

-- Uh, what’s going on with the Brewers? Owners of baseball’s worst record at 2-12, Milwaukee has almost looked lifeless every single night, quickly spiraling to the bottom of Major League Baseball in a span of only a couple of weeks. First and foremost, this can be attributed to their offense, which is hitting a pitiful .217 to begin the year and is actually last in baseball in OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) with an embarrassing .581 mark. They’re also second-to-last in home runs. Their best and most dynamic player, Carlos Gomez, has been on the DL, and they haven’t really gotten much from anyone else. In fact, only one player is hitting above .280 (Jean Segura), and they have no one with more than one homer this year. Ryan Braun, who is supposed to be their leader, has provided nothing of importance at all, slashing a weak .255/.286/.319 with only four runs driven in. Comically, their pitching might be even worse, as all but one of their starting pitchers owns an ERA well above 5.00. Promising youngster Jimmy Nelson has been the one saving grace, but as for the rest of the pitching staff, it’s been a nightmare, particularly for Kyle Lohse and Mike Fiers. There are some huge problems in Milwaukee right now that won’t be figured out for awhile, and it’s probably best to just fade them.

-- Just like they do every year under manager Walt Weiss, the Rockies came storming out of the gate, opening up the 2015 campaign with an impressive 7-2 record. But just like clockwork, the club couldn't sustain it - except this time, they began their fade quicker, and didn't need the usual injuries to Carlos Gonzalez and/or Troy Tulowitzki to do it. Colorado has still exhibited signs that they can be much better than people think, and certainly better than their low win total assigned to them by linesmakers, as their offense is still raking regardless. However, as is always the case, their starting pitching has looked suspect, although there is some potential there with how one of their key starters of the future, Eddie Butler, has looked in the early going. They were swept by the Dodgers over the weekend, and after losing the first two games of a four-game home set with the Padres, they could be on the verge of suffering the same fate. Opening Day starter Kyle Kendrick will be tasked tonight with stopping the bleeding. Colorado should get back on track, but ultimately, they won't keep up with division behemoths Los Angeles and San Diego.

Trending Pitcher

-- A former top prospect that was on the verge of turning into a bust, Trevor Bauer has turned it around and looks dominant in the early going to help keep his Indians afloat through these first couple of weeks. Drafted by Arizona, it was anticipated that Bauer would develop into an upper echelon starting pitcher, but due to a combination of injuries and ineffectiveness, he hasn’t quite panned out. In three 2015 outings, however, Bauer has looked like the overpowering starter scouts pegged him to be, owning a 2-0 record with a microscopic 0.95 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. Even more remarkable, opposing lineups are hitting just .125 off the promising right-hander, and Bauer has also logged 26 strikeouts in 19 innings of work. If he continues along in this rhythm, the 24-year-old may challenge teammate Corey Kluber for the AL strikeout title. He’s 3-0 towards Under bets thus far, going at least six strong in each start, and should be monitored for such bets when going into an assignment.

Trending Hitter

-- While Adrian Gonzalez has probably garnered the most attention of any offensive player out to a hot start this season, it may be Adam Jones who is enjoying a better beginning. Jones, looking like an early AL MVP candidate, has been very instrumental in helping guide his Baltimore Orioles to .500, even while the team has received horrendous starting pitching to start the season. Thus far, Jones is raking an unbelievable .442/.483/.808 in 52 at-bats, while clocking five home runs and driving in 16, which have him near the top of baseball in runs batted in. Furthermore, he’s scored 12 runs and has contributed his usual sound defense center field. Having established himself as one of baseball’s most complete offensive players, don’t be surprised to find Jones being very prevalent in the MVP conversation at the conclusion of the season. His success may ultimately be the No. 1 deciding factor on whether or not Baltimore can successfully defend their AL East title.

[StarDust Bum]

See spot. See spot bet: This week's best spot bet opportunities

Schedule spot

The Pittsburgh Pirates blow the dust off the suitcases this week, flying cross country for a date with the Arizona Diamondbacks starting Friday. The Bucs don’t have much down time to get their travel plans or home life in order before this nine-game road run that takes them into May. They host the Chicago Cubs for a day game Thursday, then immediately rush to the airport to catch their flight to Phoenix.

Last season, the Pirates avoided a situation like this, with at least a day between cross-country hikes. In 2013, the Bucs kicked off the season with a three-game home stand versus the Cubs that finished on a Friday and traveled overnight to play the L.A. Dodgers that Saturday, losing the opener 3-0 and getting swept in that three-game set, outscored 10-2.

Letdown spot

Gas was thrown on the Giants-Dodgers rivalry last October when San Francisco won its third championship in five years. The Giants continue to come through in October while Los Angeles spends millions on talent every offseason only to come up short. These National League West members picked up that rivalry this week with a three-game set in the Bay Area, and San Fran could be ripe for a letdown in the game immediately following the series finale Thursday.

San Francisco heads to Coors Field Friday, where letdown games usually involve the hometown Rockies sending a few balls over the fences at the homer-friendly park. The Giants were already swept by Colorado at home, getting outscored 10-3 in that series. San Fran has a 3.92 ERA on the road to start this season and the last time they went mile high, the Giants gave up 26 runs in three games to the Rockies.

Lookahead spot

The Golden State Warriors have cruised to two easy victories to open their first round NBA Playoffs series against the New Orleans Pelicans, winning 106-99 in Game 1 and 97-87 in Game 2 Monday. But while those games were rarely in doubt, outside of a slow start in Game 2, Golden State has burned backers who gladly gave the big points in those contests.

The Warriors are 0-2 ATS versus spreads of 12.5 and 13.5 points in the postseason and have actually struggled against double-digit chalk in recent weeks (1-6 ATS last seven). The Warriors are giving five points with the series swinging to New Orleans in Game 1 but bettors should beware over these next two games, especially if Golden State takes Game 3. They could start looking ahead to their possible Round 2 matchup, extending a 1-7 ATS record in their last eight overall.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Wednesday, April 22

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BROOKLYN (38 - 45) at ATLANTA (61 - 22) - 4/22/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 49-31 ATS (+14.9 Units) in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 36-22 ATS (+11.8 Units) as a favorite this season.
ATLANTA is 26-16 ATS (+8.4 Units) in home games this season.
BROOKLYN is 53-37 ATS (+12.3 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 13-29 ATS (-18.9 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 7-5 against the spread versus BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 8-4 straight up against BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
6 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PORTLAND (51 - 32) at MEMPHIS (56 - 27) - 4/22/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PORTLAND is 25-40 ATS (-19.0 Units) against Southwest division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
PORTLAND is 10-23 ATS (-15.3 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 3 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 142-105 ATS (+26.5 Units) after a win by 10 points or more since 1996.
MEMPHIS is 28-17 ATS (+9.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MEMPHIS is 9-3 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
MEMPHIS is 10-2 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SAN ANTONIO (55 - 28) at LA CLIPPERS (57 - 26) - 4/22/2015, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 21-9 ATS (+11.1 Units) in home games when playing with 2 days rest over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 901-788 ATS (+34.2 Units) in all games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 405-341 ATS (+29.9 Units) second half of the season since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 127-90 ATS (+28.0 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 323-270 ATS (+26.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 9-20 ATS (-13.0 Units) in home games after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 171-234 ATS (-86.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 130-169 ATS (-55.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA CLIPPERS is 7-5 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 6-6 straight up against SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, April 22

Brooklyn lost last six games with Atlanta, losing by seven in Game 1 as Atlanta's starters took 11-12-12-12-12 shots. Hawks made 10 of 30 from arc, 21-22 on line. Nets had only four fast break points. Brooklyn lost last three road games by 32-23-7 points. Hawks' C Horford hurt his finger in Game 1, but he came back in game later. Johnson was just 6-17 for Nets; he'll have to do better.

Memphis held Portland to 33.7% from floor in 100-86 Game 1 win; they were up 19 at half. Grizzlies won five in row, 10 of its last 11 games with Portland, covering nine of last ten. Memphis held the Blazers to six fast break points. Portland covered six of last nine games, lost four of last five on road, losing by 4-8-14-14- its subs made final score more respectable- starters were combined -71.

Defending champ Spurs are 12-2 in last 14 first round series, 3-1 in years after they won a title. SA lost last three games with Clipper, losing 107-92 in Game 1- Spurs' starting G's shot combined 6-22 from floor. LA won its last seven games overall, winning four in row at home by 5-8-7-5 points. Spurs won 11 of last 13 games; they lost first playoff game in three of four championship seasons.

Home favorites are 7-6 in this round; home teams are 11-2 SU, with Washington getting both road wins-- over is 4-9.

2015 playoffs

Brooklyn vs Atlanta
Atl 99-92, -10, U201.5

Boston vs Cleveland
Clev 113-100, -11.5, O203
Clev 99-91, -11, U206

Milwaukee vs Chicago
Chi 103-91, -8, O186
Chi 91-82, -8, U190.5

Washington vs Toronto
Wash 93-86 OT, +4, U194.5
Wash 117-106, +5, O193.5

New Orleans vs Golden State
GSt 106-99, -12, U205
GSt 97-87, -13, U206.5

Dallas vs Houston
Hst 118-108, -5.5, O212.5
Hst 111-99, -6.5, U214

San Antonio vs LA Clippers
LA 107-92, -1.5, U207
Portland vs Memphis
Mem 100-86, -5.5, U188.5

East vs West
SU: West 242-177 ATS: West 214-202-3
East teams HF vs West: 56-57
East teams HU vs West: 46-52
West teams HF vs East: 81-79-3
West teams HU vs East: 24-21




NBA

Wednesday, April 22

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
BROOKLYN vs. ATLANTA
Brooklyn is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Brooklyn is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 22-3 SU in its last 25 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Atlanta's last 16 games when playing at home against Brooklyn

8:00 PM
PORTLAND vs. MEMPHIS
Portland is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Portland is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Memphis
Memphis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Portland
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Memphis's last 15 games when playing Portland

10:30 PM
SAN ANTONIO vs. LA CLIPPERS
San Antonio is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
San Antonio is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
LA Clippers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the LA Clippers last 5 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Wednesday, April 22

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Game of the Day: Wednesday's NBA Playoffs matchups
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Brooklyn Nets at Atlanta Hawks (-9.5, 202)

Hawks lead series 1-0.

The Brooklyn Nets dropped Game 1 of their Eastern Conference playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks but have plenty of time to correct some mistakes. The Nets will try to even the series when they visit the Hawks for Game 2 on Wednesday.

The series got a long break after beginning with Atlanta’s 99-92 win on Sunday, and Brooklyn is working on small fixes. “We played hard,” Nets coach Lionel Hollins told reporters of Game 1. “I had no fault with the effort of our guys. We just have to be smarter and execute better.” Atlanta went 21-of-22 from the free-throw line in the win to help survive a subpar effort from Paul Millsap but could have a tougher challenge in Game 2. Center Al Horford is questionable for the contest after suffering a dislocated finger in the opener.

TRENDS:

* Nets are 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings in Atlanta.
* Road team is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.
* Underdog is 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings.



Portland Trail Blazers at Memphis Grizzlies (-6, 189)

Grizzlies lead series 1-0.

The Memphis Grizzlies delivered a series-opening blow and hope to return with an uppercut when they host the Portland Trail Blazers in Wednesday’s Game 2 of the first-round Western Conference series. Memphis led by as many as 29 points while cruising to a 100-84 victory in Game 1 to defeat Portland for the fifth straight time this season.

The aftermath wasn’t much better for the Trail Blazers as their locker room motivation card became public and included the phrase “We don’t lose to Spanish players,” and Grizzlies star Marc Gasol, who is from Barcelona, Spain, was miffed about the meaning. “I don’t know where it comes from and I don’t know what it means,” Gasol told reporters. “I have better things to think about than what they’re writing on the wall.” Memphis’ domination in the opener marked its third double-digit victory over Portland this season and also handed the Trail Blazers their fifth straight loss overall dating back to the regular season. “Nobody is giving us a shot,” Portland point guard Damian Lillard told reporters. “Nobody is saying, ‘Portland is going to come in here and win the series.’ If anything, they’re doubting us.”

TRENDS:

* Under is 6-2 in the last eight meetings in Memphis.
* Trail Blazers are 0-5 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Trail Blazers are 0-4 ATS in the last four meetings in Memphis.


San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Clippers (-1.5, 207.5)

Clippers lead series 1-0.

The San Antonio Spurs were thrashed by the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 1 and look to even up the Western Conference series when the teams clash in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The Clippers have won 15 of their last 16 games counting the regular season and controlled the flow in the opener.

Sixth-seeded San Antonio was outclassed by third-seed Los Angeles and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was surprised at the level in which his club was dominated. “The game was their defense was better than our offense; that’s the bottom line,” Popovich told reporters. “Their aggressiveness, their physicality, their athleticism really hurt us offensively.” Point guard Chris Paul (32 points) and power forward Blake Griffin (26) combined for 58 points in the 107-92 victory but Clippers coach Doc Rivers expects a tougher challenge from the Spurs in Game 2. “They’re still the defending champs, and they’re going to be the defending champs every night,” Rivers told reporters. “We have a lot of confidence in our team but you just have to stay humble and respect who you’re playing.”

TRENDS:

* Spurs are 1-7 ATS in their last eight Western Conference quarterfinal games.
* Clippers are 1-5 ATS in their last six home games.
* Under is 6-1 in the Clippers last seven games overall.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Wednesday, April 22


NBA roundup: Wizards win at Toronto again

TORONTO -- Guard Bradley Beal scored a game-high 28 points and grabbed five rebounds, and the Washington Wizards took a 2-0 series lead with a 117-106 win over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night at Air Canada Center.

Washington became the fifth team to go up 2-0 on the road since the first round expanded to best-of-seven in 2003.

Wizards point guard John Wall added 26 points while setting a franchise playoff record with 17 assists. Center Marcin Gortat had 16 points and eight rebounds, while forward Otter Porter added 15 points and eight rebounds off the bench.

The Raptors, who got 20 points apiece from guard Lou Williams and DeMar DeRozan, face a tough road. Only three teams in NBA history won a best-of-seven series after falling behind 0-2 at home.

Cavaliers 99, Celtics 91

CLEVELAND -- Forward LeBron James and guard Kyrie Irving combined to score all 24 of Cleveland's fourth-quarter points, and the Cavaliers survived a scare from Boston to grab a 2-0 lead in their opening-round playoff series.

James scored 15 of his 30 points in the fourth, and Irving added nine of his 26 points in the fourth. James also had nine rebounds and seven assists, while Irving had five rebounds and six assists.

Boston guard Isaiah Thomas, who finished second this week in Sixth Man of the Year balloting, finished with 22 points, including 10-of-10 shooting at the free-throw line on a night the Celtics' bench outscored the Cavs' reserves 51-7.

Rockets 111, Mavericks 99

HOUSTON -- With Josh Smith producing a crowd-pleasing passing exhibition, one that led to several rim-rattling dunks from Dwight Howard, Houston pulled away from Dallas and took Game 2 of its Western Conference first-round series at Toyota Center.

Smith finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and nine assists, recording seven assists in the fourth quarter. During one decisive stretch, he fed Howard (28 points, 12 rebounds) on four alley-oop dunks, turning a three-point deficit into a 94-86 lead with 7:39 left.

During that stretch, Smith also converted a driving layup, and he tallied the final basket for the Rockets with a thunderous dunk working the pick-and-roll with guard James Harden (24 points, six assists).

The Rockets grabbed a 2-0 series lead by scoring 60 points in the paint. Reserve forward Corey Brewer added 15 points for Houston.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Wednesday, April 22


Grizzlies' PG Mike Conley, probable Wednesday

Conley is expected to play in Game 3 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the Trail Blazers despite a foot injury.


Double-digit dogs providing value in playoffs

As tweeted by Sports Insights (@SportsInsights), double-digit underdogs have recorded a 4-1 record against the spread (0-5 straight up) thus far in the 2015 post season.

The only double-digit dog that did not cover the spread was the Boston Celtics, who were 11.5-point road dogs at the Cleveland Cavs in Game 1 Sunday.

The New Orleans Pelicans have been productive as dogs of 10-points more as they are 2-0 ATS against the Golden State Warriors.

The Brooklyn Nets could very well be double-digit road dogs at the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday evening. Most shops opened the Nets as 10-point dogs, but that is currently +9.5.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Long Sheet

Wednesday, April 22

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MONTREAL (53-22-0-10, 116 pts.) at OTTAWA (43-27-0-15, 101 pts.) - 4/22/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OTTAWA is 19-13 ATS (+4.5 Units) after a division game this season.
OTTAWA is 17-4 ATS (+21.1 Units) revenging a home loss versus opponent this season.
OTTAWA is 27-17 ATS (+47.0 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
MONTREAL is 53-32 ATS (+9.1 Units) in all games this season.
MONTREAL is 21-12 ATS (+7.8 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
MONTREAL is 31-22 ATS (+54.7 Units) in road games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 47-27 ATS (+11.7 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 22-10 ATS (+8.0 Units) after a division game this season.
MONTREAL is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in the first round of the playoffs over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 23-14 ATS (+7.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MONTREAL is 31-23 ATS (+55.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 40-45 ATS (-38.7 Units) in home games in April games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
OTTAWA is 11-10 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
OTTAWA is 11-10-0 straight up against MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
12 of 19 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+5.9 Units)

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NY RANGERS (55-23-0-7, 117 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (44-29-0-12, 100 pts.) - 4/22/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 55-30 ATS (+13.0 Units) in all games this season.
NY RANGERS are 19-6 ATS (+12.8 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
NY RANGERS are 35-15 ATS (+13.0 Units) second half of the season this season.
NY RANGERS are 25-8 ATS (+13.4 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
NY RANGERS are 20-10 ATS (+9.9 Units) in road games after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 15-9 ATS (+25.0 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NY RANGERS are 10-3 ATS (+13.2 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
PITTSBURGH is 44-41 ATS (-3.1 Units) in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 71-95 ATS (-42.1 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less since 1996.
PITTSBURGH is 2-7 ATS (-11.0 Units) in April games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 21-27 ATS (-18.6 Units) second half of the season this season.
PITTSBURGH is 10-23 ATS (-24.6 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
PITTSBURGH is 8-12 ATS (-15.2 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PITTSBURGH is 7-15 ATS (-11.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY RANGERS is 12-11 (+1.7 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
NY RANGERS is 12-11-0 straight up against PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
11 of 22 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-1.5 Units, Under=-0.9 Units)

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ST LOUIS (52-26-0-7, 111 pts.) at MINNESOTA (48-29-0-8, 104 pts.) - 4/22/2015, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 60-43 ATS (+103.2 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 15-3 ATS (+18.3 Units) after shutting out their opponent in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 16-9 ATS (+6.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 10-5 (+3.9 Units) against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 10-5-0 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.3 Units)

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ANAHEIM (54-24-0-7, 115 pts.) at WINNIPEG (43-28-0-14, 100 pts.) - 4/22/2015, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WINNIPEG is 44-40 ATS (+92.1 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 33-25 ATS (+61.2 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 54-31 ATS (+9.6 Units) in all games this season.
ANAHEIM is 28-16 ATS (+9.3 Units) in road games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 19-9 ATS (+9.5 Units) in road games after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 21-8 ATS (+9.9 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
ANAHEIM is 28-17 ATS (+6.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ANAHEIM is 219-205 ATS (+441.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 8-1 (+6.4 Units) against the spread versus WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
ANAHEIM is 8-1-0 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.4 Units)

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NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, April 22

Canadiens scored 8:47 into OT to take 3-0 series edge, winning last two games in OT, after Ottawa had led all three games after the first period; six of nine Montreal goals have come in second period, as Canadiens outshot Ottawa 52-26 in 2nd period in series. Montreal won its last five games overall, allowing 13 goals; over is 5-1-3 in their last nine games. Ottawa is 3-7 on power play in series, but have only three even-strength goals. Over is 7-2-2 in last eleven series games. Canadiens are 3-2 in last five games played here. Montreal is 1-13 on power play this series.

Rangers won eight of last ten games with Pittsburgh, winning four of last five visits here. Penguins lost seven of last nine games overall, eight of their last eleven stayed under. Rangers won eight of last ten games overall, with five of last eight going over total. Last two games, there were total of only 18 shots on goal (10-8 NY) in first period. Penguins were held to 11 shots in first two periods of last game- they had 13 in third period, but too little, too late. Rangers are just 2-14 on power play in series, Pens are 2-7.

St Louis was shut out 3-0 on only 17 shots in Game 3, prompting ESPN's Barry Melrose to rip them for looking like they don't care. Blues didn't have one power play in Game 3; they're not creating any scoring chances. Curious to see how they come out here- they get home ice edge back if they can even series. Wild is 0-4 on power play last two games, after scoring half their goals (2-4) with man edge in Game 1. Minnesota lost three of its last four home games. . Blues have 109-87 faceoff advantage so far in series. Over is 3-1-1 in last five series games.

Anaheim is first team ever to win first three games of series, when they trailed all three games in third period- they won last six games with Winnipeg, scoring with 2:14 left to to force OT in Game 3. Still expect Winnipeg crowd to give home side a boost; this is first playoff series in Winnipeg since 1996. Five of last seven series games went over the total. Winnipeg is 1-10 on power play in series. Ducks won eight of their last ten games overall; they've outscored Jets 6-0 in third period.

Home teams are 18-9 in this round; over is 12-11-4.

2015 NHL playoffs

Montreal vs Ottawa
Mtl 4-3, -$140, O5
Mtl 3-2 OT, -$140, N5
Mtl 2-1 OT, +$110, U5

Tampa Bay vs Detroit
Det 3-2, +$155, U5.5
TB 5-1, -$200, U5.5
Det 3-0, -$105, U5.5

NY Rangers vs Pittsburgh
NYR 2-1, -$180, U5
Pitt 4-3, +$175, O5
NYR 2-1, even U5

Washington vs NY Islanders
NYI 4-1, +125, N5
Wash 4-3, -$135, O5.5
NYI 2-1 OT, -$140, U5.5
Wash 2-1 OT, +$125, U5.5

St Louis vs Minnesota
Minn 4-2, +$125, O5
StL 4-1, -$140, N5
Minn 3-0, -$135, U5

Nashville vs Chicago
Chi 4-3 2OT, +$105, O5
Nash 6-2, -$120, O5
Chi 4-2, -$160, O5
Chi 3-2 3OT, -$160, U5.5

Anaheim vs Winnipeg
Ana 4-2, -$150, O5
Ana 2-1, -$150, U5
Ana 5-4 OT, +$120, O5

Vancouver vs Calgary
Cal 2-1, +$135, U5
Van 4-1, -$155, N5
Cal 4-2, -$115, O5
Cal 3-1, -$120, U5




NHL

Wednesday, April 22

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
MONTREAL vs. OTTAWA
Montreal is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing Ottawa
Montreal is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Ottawa's last 9 games at home
Ottawa is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing Montreal

7:00 PM
NY RANGERS vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of the NY Rangers last 9 games when playing Pittsburgh
NY Rangers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against NY Rangers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games when playing at home against NY Rangers

9:30 PM
ANAHEIM vs. WINNIPEG
Anaheim is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Winnipeg
Anaheim is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Winnipeg is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Winnipeg's last 6 games at home

9:30 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. MINNESOTA
St. Louis is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
St. Louis is 8-16 SU in its last 24 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Minnesota is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing St. Louis
Minnesota is 16-8 SU in its last 24 games when playing at home against St. Louis