The Bum's Best Bets For Wednesday April 23rd - MLB - NBA -NHL !

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Red Sox (9-5) at Rays (6-8)
Game: 3
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: April 23, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

A breakout performance at the plate spelled the end of their losing streak, but the Tampa Bay Rays are likely to have a difficult time building on the effort against one of their rivals.

Clay Buchholz looks to extend his 23-inning road scoreless streak against the Rays on Thursday night when the Boston Red Sox try to get back on track and claim their third consecutive road series win.

Tampa Bay batted .172 and went 0 for 15 with runners in scoring position while totaling three runs in the final three of a four-game home losing streak before collecting 12 hits in Wednesday's 7-5 victory.

Steven Souza led the way with a home run and a double before departing due to a right forearm cramp. He's hopeful to play after batting .364 with four homers and nine RBIs over his last eight games.

Asdrubal Cabrera, Evan Longoria and Desmond Jennings also had two hits apiece as Tampa Bay (7-8) rallied from a four-run deficit by scoring four in the seventh inning and two in the eighth.

'We needed that one,' manager Kevin Cash said. 'For the guys to come back from that deficit against that team, it just keeps impressing all of us, showing what they're about.'

The Red Sox (9-6), however, are giving the ball to the right pitcher as they seek their sixth win in nine road games. Buchholz has scattered 10 hits over a scoreless streak that spans three regular-season starts at Tropicana Field.

The right-hander is 5-3 with a 1.95 ERA in 10 career regular-season starts in Tampa after firing a three-hitter in a 3-0 victory last August. He also had a streak of 30 1-3 consecutive scoreless innings overall against the Rays before allowing five runs in the eighth inning of a 6-2 home defeat last September.

Since limiting Philadelphia to three hits over seven innings in a season-opening 8-0 road win, Buchholz (1-2, 6.06 ERA) has allowed 20 hits over 9 1-3 innings in back-to-back defeats. He gave up 11 on Saturday, but limited the damage and yielded two earned runs over six innings in a 4-1 home loss to Baltimore.

Cabrera has fared well versus Buchholz, going 4 for 9 with two homers over the previous four seasons. Longoria, however, is 3 for 20 and Jennings is 4 for 17 in the matchup since 2012.

The Rays will try to clinch their first home series win as Jake Odorizzi goes after his fourth consecutive quality start.

He allowed one run and four hits over a combined 14 2-3 innings to beat Baltimore and Toronto before receiving no run support while giving up three runs over six innings in Saturday's 9-0 home loss to the New York Yankees.

Odorizzi (2-1, 1.74), who has an AL-best 0.68 WHIP, surrendered one run and five hits over 13 innings in a pair of home starts versus Boston in 2014. He's focused on throwing strikes as the Red Sox rank near the top of the AL with 67 walks.

'They work at_bats,' the right-hander said.

Dustin Pedroia hit his fourth home run and David Ortiz smacked his third Wednesday. Ortiz, still awaiting word on the appeal of his one-game suspension, has 30 homers and 76 RBIs at Tropicana, the most for any visiting player.

Shane Victorino will not start after leaving Wednesday's game due to tightness in his hamstring.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Royals (11-3) at White Sox (5-8)
Game: 1
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: April 23, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

If the Chicago White Sox are to become serious contenders in the AL Central, they likely must find a way to end their struggles against the Kansas City Royals.

Looking to avenge a season-opening sweep at the hands of the reigning AL champs, Chris Sale and the White Sox open a four-game home set against the Royals on Thursday night.

Eager to begin after a busy offseason of personnel changes, Chicago (6-8) was outscored 21-7 while opening with three losses at Kansas City. The White Sox have averaged 2.6 runs while losing 14 of 17 to the Royals, and 2.1 in dropping 15 of the last 18 meetings at home.

Kansas City (11-4) returns to Chicago, where it clinched the franchise's first playoff berth in 29 years with a 3-1 victory over the White Sox on Sept. 26.

"(The Royals) play the game hard," Chicago center fielder Adam Eaton told MLB's official website.

After taking of two three from Cleveland, the White Sox have some momentum while trying to avoid a fifth consecutive defeat to the Royals.

"You're doing something right," Eaton said after Wednesday's 6-0 victory. "Hopefully that can continue."

A fractured right foot prevented Sale (2-0, 2.25 ERA) from opening at Kansas City, but he'll try to win his first three starts for a second straight season. The left-hander, who has struck out 14 and walked two over 12 innings, yielded two runs in six innings of a 12-3 win at Detroit on Saturday.

"I feel great," he said.

Though Sale is 6-6 in 13 starts against the Royals, he's posted a 2.61 ERA and received an average 2.31 runs of support. He improved to 4-3 at home versus Kansas City and dropped his ERA to 2.25 ERA after allowing a run in seven innings of a 3-1 victory July 21 in his only 2014 series start at U.S. Cellular Field.

The Royals, meanwhile, look to bounce back after falling 3-0 to Minnesota on Wednesday. Alcides Escobar had two of the six hits for Kansas City, which ranks among the major league leaders with 81 runs but was blanked for the second time in five games.

Escobar is hitting .444 with 11 runs scored in his last nine games versus Chicago, and .400 (18 for 45) against Sale.

Kansas City's Yordano Ventura (2-1, 4.80) pitched six-plus innings and allowed Jose Abreu's homer in the seventh and three other hits before leaving with a finger cramp in the season-opening 10-1 victory over Chicago.

Ventura exited his next start because of cramping in his calf and was ejected in the fourth inning of Saturday's 5-0 loss to Oakland for hitting Brett Lawrie just above the left elbow - likely in retaliation for an incident between the teams the previous night. The right-hander, who allowed five runs in 3 1-3 innings, was fined by MLB but not suspended.

"He's got some learning to do," manager Ned Yost said about Ventura, who turns 24 in June. "But you got to understand, he's a young guy. And I wouldn't say he's emotional, but he's got a real edge to him."

Abreu's home run is his only hit in five at_bats versus Ventura, but he's homered in back-to-back games and is 9 for 21 with 10 RBIs in the last five contests.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Dodgers (9-5) at Giants (6-10)
Game: 3
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: April 23, 2015 3:45 PM EDT

A visit from the archrival Los Angeles Dodgers has helped the San Francisco Giants generate some modest but much-needed success amid a rough start.

The Giants can complete their first series sweep of the Dodgers in almost two years Thursday.

San Francisco (6-10) lost nine of 10 before snapping Los Angeles' seven-game winning streak with Tuesday's 6-2 victory, then won 3-2 on Wednesday. The Giants, who dropped six of the final seven home meetings with the Dodgers (9-5) in 2014, last swept them May 3-5, 2013 at AT&T Park.

In Wednesday's marquee matchup between Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner, each allowed two runs and didn't get a decision. Alex Guerrero's pinch-hit two-run homer off Bumgarner in the seventh tied it, but Joe Panik's sacrifice fly in the ninth gave the Giants the victory and a sense that they might have left their early struggles behind.

'Hopefully this is something that lifts the guys up and just gets us on track,' manager Bruce Bochy said.

Though San Francisco's 46 runs rank near the bottom of the majors, its starting pitchers have allowed one run twice and two once in its three wins over the last four games.

Ryan Vogelsong (0-1, 10.45 ERA), however, needs a strong outing as he makes his second start in place of the injured Jake Peavy. With Peavy scratched April 7 at Arizona, Vogelsong allowed a pair of three-run homers, gave up seven runs and walked four in 4 2-3 innings of a 7-6 defeat.

The right-hander went back to the bullpen and yielded seven runs - five earned - and 14 hits with five walks in 5 1-2 innings over two outings.

Vogelsong has gone 4-3 with a 3.35 ERA in 14 starts against the Dodgers, who will send Mike Bolsinger to the mound in his Los Angeles debut to give the rotation some extra rest.

Acquired from Arizona in November, the right-hander went 1-6 with a 5.47 ERA in nine starts as a rookie for the Diamondbacks last season.

"It's not like the first time you got called up," Bolsinger told the Dodgers' official website. "But in a way, it kind of was because you're playing for the Dodgers. There's only a few teams in Major League Baseball that you can really be blown away with, and Dodgers (are) one of (them)."

Bolsinger allowed three hits and struck out 17 over 11 scoreless innings to win both starts for Triple-A Oklahoma City this season. He went 0-2 with a 4.26 ERA against the Giants in 2014.

Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford are each 2 for 3 against him.

Belt is 4 for 10 in his last three games after going 2 for 26 while dealing with a groin injury in his first eight contests. He's hit .391 in his last six home games against Los Angeles.

Adrian Gonzalez was rested before pinch hitting late Wednesday. The first baseman hit .523 with five homers and 14 RBIs in the first 11 games but is 0 for 9 over the last three. He's gone 5 for 14 with three doubles and a home run against Vogelsong in the last two seasons.

Teammate A.J. Ellis could sit after leaving Wednesday's game in the ninth with a hand injury.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Athletics (8-8) at Angels (6-9)
Game: 4
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: April 23, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

Contributions from up and down the lineup helped Oakland turn the tables on the Los Angeles Angels.

The Athletics hope Jesse Sanchez can serve as an effective stopgap in the rotation and help them to a series victory Thursday night against the Los Angeles Angels.

Oakland (8-8) pounded out 18 hits, including 16 singles, in Wednesday's 9-2 win, a day after allowing 15 in a 14-1 loss. Seven A's had two or more hits, including Billy Butler, who hit his third homer, drove in four runs and improved his average to .377. He has hit safely in all but one game this season and is batting .408 with five homers and 22 RBIs in his last 13 at Angel Stadium.

The Athletics also stole four bases and have been successful on all 11 attempts in their last eight games after not attempting a steal in their first eight.

Chavez (0-0, 0.00 ERA) is making his first start of the season, filling in for Jesse Hahn, who is skipping a turn to let a blister on his middle finger heal.

"Jesse Chavez is a good guy to have in your pocket when something like that happens," manager Bob Melvin told MLB's official website.

The right-hander has thrown 6 2-3 scoreless innings with nine strikeouts over four appearances and converted his lone save opportunity. He was 8-7 with a 3.44 ERA in 21 starts last season, but was beaten out for the final spot in the rotation by Drew Pomeranz this spring.

Chavez is 1-3 with a 3.99 ERA in 13 career appearances against the Angels, going 0-1 and giving up three earned runs over 13 innings in two starts last year.

Nick Tropeano will make his Angels debut after being recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake to fill in for C.J. Wilson. Wilson was pushed back to Saturday against Texas because of a stiff elbow.

Tropeano was 1-3 with a 4.57 ERA in four starts last season for Houston before being traded in November along with Carlos Perez in exchange for Hank Conger. The 24-year-old didn't have a decision in two outings for the Bees, giving up five runs in 11 innings while striking out 12.

The right-hander was 0-1 with a 4.41 ERA in four spring games, including three starts.

"First of all, he has really good stuff," manager Mike Scioscia said. "Nick is a guy that has a sneaky fastball, good command in and out, and he's got really good secondary pitches - his change-up and breaking ball. And he competed really well in the spring. So we're excited to give him the ball (Thursday)."

Los Angeles (6-9) came up empty with runners in scoring position for the third time in five games, going 0 for 5 to fall to 7 for 42 with 13 strikeouts in that span. Matt Joyce is 0 for 16 in his last five games and 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position on the season while Erick Aybar is 1 for 11.

Oakland is capping the first of two 10-game trips within its first 33 contests.

[StarDust Bum]

APRIL RATED PLAYS:


MLB


*****...........................18 - 16..................- 1.65
DOUBLE PLAY.................25 - 28..................- 9.66
TRIPLE PLAY...................20 - 18..................- 3.46
GRAND SLAM..................13 - 13..................- 0.91




NBA PLAYOFFS


*****..................................3 - 3
double play...........................3 - 6
triple play.............................1 - 3
slam dunk.............................1 - 1


NHL PLAYOFFS


*****.............................. 3 - 6 ........,..... - 3.14
double play........................9 - 3 - 1 ..........+ 10.84
triple play..........................4 - 3............... - 0.64
hat trick.............................5 - 3.............. + 6.68

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

Six batters who have come to plate with most men on base this season:

T5) Kevin Pillar, Tor-- 48-- Knocked in only five of the 48 runners.
T5) JD Martinez, Det-- 48-- Helps to bat behind Miggy and Victor.

4) Ian Kinsler, Det-- 49-- Knocked in 16.3% of runners, best of six on this list.

3) Eric Hosmer, KC-- 51-- Knocked in four of 18 guys from second base.

2) Kendrys Morales, KC-- 52-- Knocked in four of eight guys from third base.

1) Marcus Semien, Oak-- 54-- Weird; he bats at bottom of Oakland lineup.

**********

Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but.........

13) Scott Brooks went 338-207 as head coach in Oklahoma City, but he didn't win a championship, so he got fired yesterday-- it is impossible not to blame this on Kevin Durant/Russell Westbrook, because all they had to do was say one sentence and it all would've stopped.

"We want Scott Brooks to be our coach." They say that and Brooks stays. It was never said; in fact, Durant "supports the decision 100%". Great guy.

12) Not all change is positive; GM Sam Presti, the genius who traded James Harden to rival Houston for three draft picks, one of whom became Steven Adams, now has to hire a coach who is better than Brooks, one that will keep Durant happy so he doesn't bolt in free agency.

In the NBA, the inmates often run the asylum.

11) Six of the 49ers' eight road games this year are east of the Mississippi.

Four of the Ravens' first seven games are in Denver or further west.

10) Scott Brooks got fired; in the NFL, Marvin Lewis got a contract extension; he is one of two NFL coaches (Jim Mora Sr is the other) who lost his first six playoff games. Lewis is a good coach who deserves an extension; the Bengals were hideous before he coached them, but the contrast is striking.

9) Chicago Cubs are 8-6, but a note of caution; in six of the eight wins, they scored the winning run in the 7th inning or later.

8) Milwaukee Brewers are a 2-13 mess; they've lost eight games in a row, their leadoff hitter has a hamstring pull, their catcher has a broken toe. Oy.

7) The Statue of Liberty's nose is 4.5 feet long.

6) In the first two games of its series with New Orleans, Golden State is +47 with Draymond Green on the court, -30 when he is off the court and that is in only 12:00.

5) So you bet the under in Bronx-Detroit game last night; no bueno. Game went over the total in a wild first inning. David Price threw 51 pitches in the snowy first inning that saw Bronx score six runs off him- it was 6-4 after one inning.

4) College hoop transfers: Jaren Sina from Seton Hall to George Washington, and Marcus Marshall from Missouri State to Nevada.

3) Atlanta Hawks were sold for $850M; weird time to sell the team, as Hawks having their best chance to win a title since they've been in Atlanta.

2) Reds manager Bryan Bleepin' Price kept ace Johnny Cueto in the game for 125 pitches last night, as Cincinnati won its third game in a row, 2-1 over the Brewers. Cueto is a free agent this winter; if the Reds aren't going to re-sign him, makes sense to use him up as much as they can before trading him off.

1) Siena plays Georgetown to start the season in November; they'll play VCU or Duke the next night. Good for their strength of schedule, but its probably also an 0-2 start. At least they'll have a good cover for their game programs.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, April 23

National League
Marlins @ Phillies
Phelps allowed one run in 4.2 IP (75 PT) in his first '15 start; he made 40 starts the last three years for Bronx (15-14, 4.21).

McGowan is making first '15 start; he has started 68 big league games, but only eight since 2011- he's allowed two runs in seven IP in five relief stints so far this season.

Marlins won four of last six games with Philly; Miami lost five of its last six games overall- over is 6-1-1 in their last eight games. Phillies lost eight of last ten games; over is 5-1-2 in their last eight.

Cubs @ Pirates
Hendricks is 0-0, 6.10 in two starts this year; his last three road starts went over the total.

Locke is 2-0, 1.93 in two starts this year; six of his last seven went over.

Cubs lost seven of last ten games with Pittsburgh; over is 5-0-2 in last seven series games. Pirates won four of last six games; over is 3-0-3 in their last six. Chicago won seven of its last eleven games overall.

Braves @ Mets
Teheran is 2-0, 4.76 in three starts this year; three of his last four went over.

Colon is 3-0, 2.25 in three starts this year; sevne of his last ten went over.

Mets won their last ten games, scoring 45 runs in last eight (over 5-2-1); they won six of last eight games with Atlanta, five of last six going over. Braves lost five of their last seven games; eight of their last eleven overall went over the total.

Reds @ Brewers
Bailey is 1-1, 3.03 in his last six starts, last five of which stayed under.

Lohse is 0-3, 10.34 in his first three '15 starts; Milwaukee was outscored by a total of 26-4 in the three games, all of which went over.

Milwaukee lost last eight games, outscored 49-21; 10 of last 13 series games stayed under total, with Reds winning last four. Six of last eight Cincinnati games stayed under the total- Reds won their last three games.

Padres @ Rockies
Ross is 1-0, 4.08 in three starts this year; his last four went over total.

Lyles is 1-1, 4.50 in three starts this year; four of his last five went over.

San Diego won nine of their last 12 games overall; over is 7-3-1 in their last eleven. Colorado lost five of its last six games, outscored 45-19. Home side won ten of last 13 Padre-Rockie games- San Diego won three of last four.

Dodgers @ Giants
Bolsinger is making first '15 start; he was 0-4, 6.04 in his last four starts LY for Arizona, with three of the four staying under.

Vogelsong is 0-4, 7.88 in his last seven starts (over 5-2).

Giants lost nine of their last 12 games, but won last two; Dodgers lost last two games after they won previous-- six of their last nine went over. LA won seven of last eleven games against Giants, but lost last two.

Cardinals @ Nationals
Wacha is 2-0, 1.35 in two starts this year; four of his last five went over.

Scherzer is 1-1, 2.08 in his first three Washington starts; three of his last four home starts stayed under.

Cardinals won nine of last 12 games with Washington; under is 8-2-1 in last eleven series games. St Louis won six of its last seven games, allowing ten runs; five of the seven stayed under. Washington won five of its last seven games; seven of its last nine went over total.

American League
Orioles @ Blue Jays
Tillman is 2-1, 5.52 in three starts this year; four of his last five went over.

Hutchison is 1-0, 7.80 in three starts this year; Blue Jays scored 21 runs in his three starts- over is 5-3 in his last eight.

Baltimore lost last three games with Toronto, allowing 27 runs; over is 3-1-1 in last five series games. Blue Jays won three of their last four games. Baltimore lost last three games, outscored 24-9.

Bronx @ Tigers
Tanaka is 2-1, 5.06 in three starts this season; five of his last seven went over the total.

Sanchez is 1-2, 7.71 in three starts this year; seven of his last eight went over.

Detroit is off to an 11-4 start, but they lost last two games. Bronx won five of last six games; ten of their last thirteen games went over. Tigers lost seven of last eleven series games, with eight of last ten staying under the total.

Red Sox @ Rays
Buchholz is 1-2, 6.61 in three starts this year; six of his last seven went over.

Odorizzi is 2-1, 1.74 in three starts this year; four of his last six went over.

Red Sox won three of last four games with Tampa Bay with combined score of 28-11; they've lost four of last six games overall, with nine of last 12 going over. Rays lost five of last seven games; five of the seven went over.

A's @ Angels
Chavez is making first '15 start; he started 21 games (8-8, 3.45) LY. He hasn't allowed a run in 6.2 IP in four relief stints this year.

Tropeano was 1-3, 4.57 in four starts for Houston LY; he allowed five runs in 11 IP in two AAA starts this season.

Oakland lost eight of last eleven games with Angels- six of last seven went over total. LA lost eight of last 12 games overall, are 1-5 at home. Oakland lost four of its last seven games overall.

Royals @ White Sox
Ventura is 2-1, 4.80 in three starts this year; seven of his last nine went over.

Sale is 2-0, 2.25 in two starts this year; over is 6-2-1 in his last nine.

Kansas City won seven of last eight games with Chicago; seven of last nine series games went over. Royals won three of last four games overall; under is 3-1-1 in their last five. White Sox won four of last five home games.

Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Mia-Phil: Phelps 0-1; McGowan 0-0
Stl-Wsh: Wacha 2-0; Scherzer 2-1
Chi-Pitt: Hendricks 2-0; Locke 2-0
Atl-NY: Teheran 3-0; Colon 3-0
Cin-Mil: Bailey 0-1; Lohse 0-3
SD-Col: Ross 2-1; Lyles 1-2
LA-SF: Bolsinger 0-0; Vogelsong 0-1

Blt-Tor: Tillman 2-1; Hutchison 2-1
NY-Det: Tanaka 2-1; Sanchez 1-2
Bos-TB: Buchholz 1-2; Odorizzi 2-1
A's-LAA: Chavez 0-0; Tropeano 0-0
KC-Chi: Ventura 2-1; Sale 2-0

Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Mia-Phil: Phelps 0-1; McGowan 0-0
Stl-Wsh: Wacha 2-2; Scherzer 0-3
Chi-Pitt: Hendricks 1-2; Locke 1-2
Atl-NY: Teheran 1-3; Colon 1-3
Cin-Mil: Bailey 1-1; Lohse 2-3
SD-Col: Ross 0-3; Lyles 0-3
LA-SF: Bolsinger 0-0; Vogelsong 0-1

Blt-Tor: Tillman 1-3; Hutchison 1-3
NY-Det: Tanaka 0-3; Sanchez 1-3
Bos-TB: Buchholz 1-3; Odorizzi 0-3
A's-LAA: Chavez 0-0; Tropeano 0-0
KC-Chi: Ventura 1-3; Sale 1-2

Umpires
Mia-Phil-- Five of last six Nauert games stayed under.
StL-Wsh-- Over is 9-4 in last thirteen Hamari games.
Chi-Pitt-- Road team won seven of last eight Danley games.
Atl-NY-- Under is 7-2-2 in last eleven Baker games.
Cin-Mil-- Five of last seven Hernandez games stayed under.
SD-Colo-- Oer is 7-2-1 in last ten Gibson games.
LA-SF-- Home side won seven of last nine Gonzalez games.

Balt-Tor-- Underdogs won last five HGibson games.
NY-Det-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Cuzzi games.
Bos-TB-- Six of last seven Hoye games stayed under.
A's-LA-- Under is 3-1-1 in last five Winters games.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Thursday, April 23

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12:35 PM
CHI CUBS vs. PITTSBURGH
Chi Cubs are 6-14 SU in their last 20 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Pittsburgh is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

1:05 PM
MIAMI vs. PHILADELPHIA
Miami is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
Miami is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Philadelphia is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games

1:08 PM
NY YANKEES vs. DETROIT
NY Yankees are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of NY Yankees's last 11 games on the road
Detroit is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Detroit's last 10 games when playing NY Yankees

1:10 PM
ATLANTA vs. NY METS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 7 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
Atlanta is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Mets's last 6 games at home
NY Mets are 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Atlanta

1:40 PM
CINCINNATI vs. MILWAUKEE
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Cincinnati's last 9 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 5 games
Milwaukee is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Milwaukee's last 9 games when playing at home against Cincinnati

3:10 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. COLORADO
San Diego is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Colorado
San Diego is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Colorado
Colorado is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Colorado is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against San Diego

3:45 PM
LA DODGERS vs. SAN FRANCISCO
The total has gone OVER in 6 of LA Dodgers's last 9 games
LA Dodgers are 6-3 SU in their last 9 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
San Francisco is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of San Francisco's last 10 games at home

4:05 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. WASHINGTON
St. Louis is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Washington
St. Louis is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games when playing Washington
Washington is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Washington's last 9 games

7:05 PM
OAKLAND vs. LA ANGELS
Oakland is 3-8 SU in their last 11 games when playing LA Angels
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Oakland's last 7 games when playing LA Angels
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Angels's last 5 games when playing at home against Oakland
LA Angels are 8-3 SU in their last 11 games when playing at home against Oakland

7:07 PM
BALTIMORE vs. TORONTO
Baltimore is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Baltimore's last 7 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Baltimore
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Toronto's last 12 games at home

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

8:10 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. CHI WHITE SOX
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kansas City's last 5 games on the road
Kansas City is 7-1 SU in their last 8 games when playing Chi White Sox
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chi White Sox's last 8 games
Chi White Sox are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Thursday, April 23


Pitcher change - LA Angels C.J. Wilson, scratched

LA Angels vs. Oakland on April 23 at 7:05 PM. New Starter: Nicholas Tropeano


Pirates' Marte leaves game with hand injury

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder Starling Marte was removed in the fifth inning of Wednesday night's game against the Chicago Cubs because of a soft tissue contusion in his right hand.

Marte was hit on the hand by a pitch from right-hander Jason Hammel in the third inning. He was then lifted for pinch hitter Andrew Lambo two innings later.

Marte had hit four home runs in his previous five games. He is hitting .224 with five homers in 14 games.


Wacha looks to continue hot start to season for Cards

Michael Wacha has been quietly pitching very well for the St. Louis Cardinals and he will take the mound Thursday. Through two starts on the season Wacha has posted a 2-0 record with a 1.35 ERA and 0.90 WHIP.

Wacha started once against the Washington Nationals last season and only allowed one run over seven innings pitched.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Thursday, April 23

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHICAGO CUBS (8 - 6) at PITTSBURGH (7 - 8) - 12:35 PM
KYLE HENDRICKS (R) vs. JEFF LOCKE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1395-1559 (-279.1 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 746-790 (-149.0 Units) against the money line in day games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1338-1472 (-253.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 684-684 (-153.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
PITTSBURGH is 48-26 (+16.9 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 359-368 (+46.6 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 23-19 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in road games against left-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
HENDRICKS is 13-2 (+12.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HENDRICKS is 13-1 (+13.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 2-1 (+1.4 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

KYLE HENDRICKS vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
No recent starts.

JEFF LOCKE vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
LOCKE is 1-1 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 3.81 and a WHIP of 1.271.
His team's record is 1-4 (-5.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-2. (+0.5 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MIAMI (4 - 11) at PHILADELPHIA (5 - 10) - 1:05 PM
DAVID PHELPS (R) vs. DUSTIN MCGOWAN (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 1-1 (+0.0 Units) against PHILADELPHIA this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

DAVID PHELPS vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
No recent starts.

DUSTIN MCGOWAN vs. MIAMI since 1997
No recent starts.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ATLANTA (8 - 6) at NY METS (12 - 3) - 1:10 PM
JULIO TEHERAN (R) vs. BARTOLO COLON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 85-88 (-16.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 66-72 (-16.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 12-3 (+9.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY METS are 9-0 (+9.0 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
NY METS are 12-3 (+9.5 Units) against the money line in April games this season.
NY METS are 12-3 (+9.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
NY METS are 36-22 (+17.6 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 12-3 (+9.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
NY METS are 9-0 (+9.0 Units) against the money line in home games after a win this season.
COLON is 41-24 (+16.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
COLON is 41-24 (+16.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
ATLANTA is 25-14 (+13.2 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 49-32 (+17.7 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
TEHERAN is 8-0 (+9.6 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
COLON is 72-64 (-23.8 Units) against the money line in home games after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
NY METS is 3-2 (+1.0 Units) against ATLANTA this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.0 Units)

JULIO TEHERAN vs. NY METS since 1997
TEHERAN is 4-2 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 2.45 and a WHIP of 1.238.
His team's record is 5-3 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-2. (+3.8 units)

BARTOLO COLON vs. ATLANTA since 1997
COLON is 5-2 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 2.25 and a WHIP of 1.038.
His team's record is 5-2 (+3.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-3. (+0.1 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CINCINNATI (8 - 7) at MILWAUKEE (2 - 13) - 1:40 PM
HOMER BAILEY (R) vs. KYLE LOHSE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 15-25 (-18.1 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 3 seasons.
LOHSE is 27-15 (+14.6 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +100 to +125 since 1997. (Team's Record)
CINCINNATI is 693-780 (+43.0 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 504-564 (+37.4 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 346-363 (+42.9 Units) against the money line in road games after a win since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 387-336 (+65.9 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
MILWAUKEE is 2-13 (-12.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 1-8 (-8.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 2-13 (-12.2 Units) against the money line in April games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 66-86 (-31.9 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Thursday since 1997.
MILWAUKEE is 38-50 (-16.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 21-36 (-23.1 Units) against the money line in home games in day games over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 2-13 (-12.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 2-11 (-9.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MILWAUKEE is 2-10 (-8.6 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 3-0 (+3.2 Units) against MILWAUKEE this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.7 Units)

HOMER BAILEY vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
BAILEY is 4-8 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 4.94 and a WHIP of 1.379.
His team's record is 9-11 (-4.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 10-10. (-0.9 units)

KYLE LOHSE vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
LOHSE is 7-5 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 2.69 and a WHIP of 1.110.
His team's record is 11-9 (+2.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-13. (-7.7 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SAN DIEGO (10 - 6) at COLORADO (8 - 7) - 3:10 PM
TYSON ROSS (R) vs. JORDAN LYLES (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 6-15 (-11.1 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 40-75 (-27.3 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 52-46 (+10.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 8-22 (-17.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 50-79 (-28.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
LYLES is 7-31 (-20.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN DIEGO is 2-1 (+1.3 Units) against COLORADO this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.9 Units)

TYSON ROSS vs. COLORADO since 1997
ROSS is 0-3 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 3.21 and a WHIP of 1.321.
His team's record is 1-4 (-3.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-1. (+2.9 units)

JORDAN LYLES vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
LYLES is 1-3 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 6.30 and a WHIP of 1.834.
His team's record is 1-5 (-4.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-1. (+4.1 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LA DODGERS (9 - 5) at SAN FRANCISCO (6 - 10) - 3:45 PM
MIKE BOLSINGER (R) vs. RYAN VOGELSONG (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 2-0 (+2.6 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.1 Units)

MIKE BOLSINGER vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
BOLSINGER is 0-2 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 4.26 and a WHIP of 1.263.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

RYAN VOGELSONG vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
VOGELSONG is 4-3 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 3.14 and a WHIP of 1.337.
His team's record is 9-5 (+5.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-11. (-8.7 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ST LOUIS (9 - 4) at WASHINGTON (7 - 8) - 4:05 PM
MICHAEL WACHA (R) vs. MAX SCHERZER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 15-31 (-19.0 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
SCHERZER is 52-20 (+23.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
SCHERZER is 27-5 (+17.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
SCHERZER is 49-19 (+21.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
ST LOUIS is 162-106 (+30.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 1-1 (+0.0 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

MICHAEL WACHA vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
WACHA is 1-1 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 0.57 and a WHIP of 0.511.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.2 units)

MAX SCHERZER vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
SCHERZER is 0-1 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.600.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NY YANKEES (8 - 7) at DETROIT (11 - 4) - 1:05 PM
MASAHIRO TANAKA (R) vs. ANIBAL SANCHEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 32-43 (-19.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 16-5 (+11.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 29-19 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in road games in day games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY YANKEES is 2-1 (+1.8 Units) against DETROIT this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.9 Units)

MASAHIRO TANAKA vs. DETROIT since 1997
No recent starts.

ANIBAL SANCHEZ vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
SANCHEZ is 3-1 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 3.57 and a WHIP of 1.191.
His team's record is 3-1 (+3.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.3 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BALTIMORE (7 - 8) at TORONTO (8 - 7) - 7:05 PM
CHRIS TILLMAN (R) vs. DREW HUTCHISON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BALTIMORE is 187-309 (-100.5 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1997.
BALTIMORE is 107-78 (+34.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 52-42 (+20.8 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 27-12 (+16.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 55-37 (+20.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 77-44 (+38.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 83-56 (+31.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 46-31 (+17.4 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 51-35 (+22.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
TILLMAN is 28-12 (+17.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TILLMAN is 14-5 (+12.5 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TILLMAN is 6-0 (+7.1 Units) against the money line in road games in April games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TILLMAN is 8-1 (+8.9 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TILLMAN is 20-8 (+12.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TILLMAN is 10-1 (+10.0 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TILLMAN is 26-13 (+17.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TORONTO is 109-123 (-44.6 Units) against the money line in home games in April games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 4-1 (+3.2 Units) against BALTIMORE this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

CHRIS TILLMAN vs. TORONTO since 1997
TILLMAN is 4-7 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 4.29 and a WHIP of 1.267.
His team's record is 5-10 (-6.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 9-6. (+2.3 units)

DREW HUTCHISON vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
HUTCHISON is 4-1 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 3.25 and a WHIP of 0.994.
His team's record is 5-4 (+0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-6. (-3.1 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OAKLAND (8 - 8) at LA ANGELS (6 - 9) - 7:05 PM
JESSE CHAVEZ (R) vs. NICK TROPEANO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 96-83 (-18.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 45-44 (-17.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 47-47 (-20.7 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 440-365 (+53.6 Units) against the money line in day games since 1997.
OAKLAND is 78-42 (+28.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
OAKLAND is 2-1 (+1.5 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.0 Units)

JESSE CHAVEZ vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
CHAVEZ is 0-1 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 2.08 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-0. (+2.2 units)


NICK TROPEANO vs. OAKLAND since 1997
No recent starts.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BOSTON (9 - 6) at TAMPA BAY (7 - 8) - 7:10 PM
CLAY BUCHHOLZ (R) vs. JAKE ODORIZZI (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 80-98 (-26.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 36-50 (-16.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 561-645 (+12.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997.
BOSTON is 17-9 (+9.8 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 49-36 (+19.2 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
BUCHHOLZ is 15-6 (+10.8 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 since 1997. (Team's Record)
BUCHHOLZ is 17-8 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BUCHHOLZ is 11-2 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
TAMPA BAY is 84-93 (-27.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 38-51 (-30.6 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 38-51 (-30.6 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 54-62 (-19.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 45-57 (-28.8 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 29-37 (-20.4 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 16-22 (-14.5 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 22-31 (-19.0 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
TAMPA BAY is 1-1 (+0.0 Units) against BOSTON this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

CLAY BUCHHOLZ vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
BUCHHOLZ is 8-6 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 2.55 and a WHIP of 1.059.
His team's record is 9-10 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-11. (-4.3 units)

JAKE ODORIZZI vs. BOSTON since 1997
ODORIZZI is 1-2 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 4.32 and a WHIP of 1.240.
His team's record is 2-3 (-1.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-2. (+0.5 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

KANSAS CITY (11 - 4) at CHI WHITE SOX (6 - 8) - 8:10 PM
YORDANO VENTURA (R) vs. CHRIS SALE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 111-81 (+17.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 37-23 (+12.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 22-9 (+15.4 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 56-38 (+20.2 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 107-78 (+16.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 79-55 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 45-30 (+20.1 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
VENTURA is 13-4 (+9.6 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CHI WHITE SOX are 33-50 (-20.3 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 3-0 (+3.0 Units) against CHI WHITE SOX this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

YORDANO VENTURA vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
VENTURA is 2-2 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 4.67 and a WHIP of 1.222.
His team's record is 3-2 (-0.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-0. (+5.1 units)

CHRIS SALE vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
SALE is 6-6 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 2.61 and a WHIP of 1.249.
His team's record is 7-6 (-0.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 10-3. (+6.5 units)

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Thursday, April 23


Windy conditions at Wrigley Field Thursday

According to weather forecasts, wind will blow out to center field at around 21 miles per hour when the Chicago Cubs host the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field Thursday.

Presently, the Pirates are -119 moneyline favorites and the game features a total of 7.5.


Mets win 10th straight, still perfect at home

The New York Mets came back to beat the Atlanta Braves 3-2 Wednesday night, for their 10th straight win and remain prefect at home.

The Mets improved to 9-0 at home, outscoring opponents 47-25 in the process.

They will try to make it 11 straight and 10-0 at home Thursday afternoon when they wrap up their series with the Braves. Right hander Bartolo Colon take the mound for the Mets (-122), while Atlanta counters with righty Julio Teheran.


Wednesday a rare under night on the diamond

The under finally had a good night in Major League Baseball action, going 9-5 Wednesday.

The over has been the much better bet at this early point in the season, going 117-95.


Diamond dogs are money for bettors Wednesday

Underdogs in the big leagues had a successful night for their backers, going 9-5 straight up Wednesday.

It was a good bounce back night for dogs, who are cashing at a rate of 48.2 percent on the season to date.

[StarDust Bum]

AL West Showdown

April 23, 2015


OAKLAND ATHLETICS (8-8) at LOS ANGELES ANGELS (6-9)

First pitch: Thursday, 7:05 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line and Total: Los Angeles -130, Oakland +120, Total: 8

The Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels complete a four-game set when they meet on Thursday night.

The Athletics have been all over the board with their play this year and have won back-to-back games just once while the same can be said about losses. They come into this one playing the final contest of a 10-game road trip and are 5-4 through the first nine with Wednesday night’s 9-2 beatdown of the Angels putting them over .500. They had a total of 18 hits with only two extra-base hits in the victory as they went a solid 6-for-16 with RISP. Seven of the nine players in the order had multiple hits as C Stephen Vogt (.362) and 1B Billy Butler (.377) combined to go 4-for-9 with six of the teams RBIs.

Los Angeles has not gotten off to the best of starts and comes into this series with losses in four of its past five games. They’ve scored just eight runs in the four recent defeats and managed only four hits in Wednesday night’s loss to this Oakland group. They were 0-for-5 with RISP and saw their bullpen fall apart with eight runs allowed on 10 hits over three innings of work. With two of the team’s four hits, 3B David Freese (.254) continued a solid series in which he has gone 5-for-12 with four RBIs.

The hurlers going in this game will be RHP Jesse Chavez (0-0, 0.00 ERA) making his first start of the year after originally coming out of the bullpen and will be going up against LHP C.J. Wilson (1-2, 3.54 ERA) for the host Angels. When playing on the road, the Athletics are 5-4 and will finish off this series against a Los Angeles group which is just 1-5 at home in the early going. It has been a very even series between these two clubs since the start of 2013 as Oakland holds a slight 22-19 edge and are just 10-12 when playing on the road in that time. So far in this series they have actually been outscored 19-16 because of a huge 14-1 win by the Angels on Tuesday when L.A. had 15 hits and the Athletics were poor in the field (3 errors).

Some trends to keep an eye on include that the Oakland is 78-42 (.650) when the total is eight to 8.5 since the beginning of the 2013 campaign as Wilson’s teams are 49-19 (.721) as a favorite of -125 to -175 in his career. The injury report still has OF Coco Crisp (Elbow) and 1B Nate Freiman (Back) on the DL with 2B Ben Zobrist listed as questionable for the Athletics as OF Josh Hamilton (Shoulder) is out for the Angels.

Chavez opened some eyes last year as he pitched in 32 games (21 starts) and had a career best 3.45 ERA over 146 IP; 78.2 innings more than his previous high. He did not lose anything off of his strikeouts, mowing down 8.4 batters per nine innings, but did struggle with home runs as batters hit 1.05 HR/9. He started off this season in the pen and has been very effective in four games (6.2 IP), striking out nine batters (1 walk) as he’s left 100% of runners on base. Chavez started against the Angels twice last year, going 1-0 (1-1 team record) with a 2.08 ERA (1.00 WHIP) and had a 14:1 K/BB ratio over 13 innings.

The trio of 1B Albert Pujols (7-for-14, 1 HR, 4 RBI), OF Mike Trout (4-for-11, 1 double, 2 HR, 5 RBI) and SS Erick Aybar (5-for-12, 1 double) have pounded the righty as OF Kole Calhoun and 3B David Freese are a combined 3-for-18 with six strikeouts in the matchup. The Athletics bullpen has really had issues, going 1-4 with a 4.25 ERA (1.25 WHIP) and are 2-for-4 in save opportunities. Tyler Clippard (1.80 ERA, 1 save) has been getting save chances as Doolittle is out with injuries and has just two strikeouts with five walks in his five innings on the mound.

Wilson fell off last year with a career-worst campaign in which he had double-digit losses for the second time in three seasons and posted his worst ERA (4.51) since becoming a full-time starter in 2010 with the Rangers. His main issue was control as he walked 4.4 batters per nine innings but was able to still get 47.8% of batters to hit the ball on the ground. He’s had a quality start in two of his first three outings of the 2015 season and earned the loss in his last time out despite going 6.2 frames and giving up three runs (2 ER) with eight strikeouts (4 walks). He has plenty of experience against Oakland and is 10-5 (13-7 team record) with a 3.10 ERA (1.25 WHIP) in his career against them, but did not do well last year in three starts (12.2 IP), allowing 10 runs (8 ER) on 14 hits as he had more walks (10) than strikeouts (5).

OF Sam Fuld (4-for-11, 3 RBI) and 2B Ben Zobrist (8-for-28, 2 doubles, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 7 K) have been successful in their at-bats against this lefty, but OF Josh Reddick (3-for-21, 5 K) and 1B Billy Butler (4-for-19, 1 double, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 7 K) have not fared too well. It’s been a little rocky for the relievers on the Angels as they are a combined 1-1 with a 3.83 ERA (1.21 WHIP) and have successfully saved 4-of-5 games. Huston Street (0.00 ERA, 4 saves) has been phenomenal at closing out contests, going a perfect 4-for-4 in save chances without allowing a hit or walk.

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday's Playoff Essentials

April 23, 2015


Cavaliers at Celtics – 7:05 p.m. ET
LeBron James dropped the passive facilitator act and finished with a game-high 30 points in Game 2, imposing his will on the contest. He distributed seven assists like he did in the series opener, but was certainly more assertive in getting to the rim and took 22 shots. He hasn’t been perfect, shooting just 2-for-8 from 3-point range and committing 11 turnovers, but accomplished his mission of making sure new tag-team partners Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving got off on the right foot. VegasInsider expert Kevin Rogers points out that “while a member of the Heat, James’ squad took a 2-0 series lead in the first round of all four postseasons and in Game 3 on the road, Miami won and covered all four times, a good sign for backing the Cavaliers here.” Irving stole the show in Game 1 with a 30 points, including five 3-pointers, while adding 26 points on Tuesday. Love has shot poorly (8-for-22) but is averaging a team-high nine rebounds per contest. The Cavs opened -3500 to win the series according to Sportsbook.ag and are now -25000 up 2-0. Game 2 snapped a streak of three consecutive games that had gone over the posted total. Cleveland has won six of its last eight as a road favorite, going 5-3 ATS in that span.

The Celtics have held second-quarter leads in both games thus far, but the Cavs have won the third quarter by a combined margin of 53-40 and have therefore coasted into both fourth quarters with comfortable leads. Brad Stevens has put an emphasis on improving after the break, so don’t be surprised to see him mix things up in Game 3. Sixth Man of the Year runner-up Isaiah Thomas has come off the bench to score 22 points in both losses in Cleveland while also averaging 8.5 assists. He’s only playing 31 minutes per contest, so the adjustment may simply be to give him more run. Rookie Marcus Smart is averaging 10 points per game but is just 2-for-9 from 3-point range and has been dared by the Cavs to keep shooting. Avery Bradley is just 6-for-19, so Boston’s top defenders simply haven’t been able to find the range. Stevens sat Jonas Jerebko in Game 2 and gave more of Kelly Olynyk’s minutes to Jared Sullinger, who has started regaining his rhythm after missing 24 games post-All-Star break. Sullinger got 22 minutes and scored 14 points in Game 2, the most he’s managed since Feb. 11. The 6-11 Olynyk can still be useful in taking advantage of mismatches on the perimeter. Evan Turner has seen the majority of time on James and has averaged 10.5 points and 9.5 rebounds, but is just 7-for-23 from the field. Rogers adds that “the Celtics put together a solid winning stretch at TD Garden from February through mid-March, but have dropped four of their past seven home contests. One of those wins came against a Cavaliers’ squad that sat James, Irving, and Love towards the end of the regular season in a 117-78 blowout, but Boston has compiled a 4-1 ATS record in its past five as a home underdog.” Boston was +1500 to pull the upset in this series per Sportsbook.ag and is now +5000. Unders have prevailed in four of the Celtics last six games, including Game 2.

Bulls at Bucks – 8:05 p.m. ET

Right off the bat, we’ll get to see how engaged the Bucks crowd will be in their first home playoff game since 2013, only the sixth time they’ve hosted since ‘06. Complicating matters is the opponent, since Bulls fans are very likely to make their voices heard less than 100 miles from home. This is the first time the long-time rivals have met in the postseason in 25 years, but that’s not expected to alter the custom of Chicago fans finding tickets and being just as loud as the Milwaukee backers. Bulls Nation is riled up, too. Point guard Derrick Rose and former Marquette standout Jimmy Butler have thrilled Chicago with how healthy and explosive they’ve looked since returning from significant injuries. Rose has averaged 19 points and eight assists, getting to the rim and showing off an improved 3-point stroke, currently 5-for-13 from beyond the arc in the series. Butler is averaging 28 points through the first two games, shooting 18-for-33 (55 percent). His 31 points in Game 2 was the All-Star’s best scoring night since Jan. 29, helping the Bulls prevail despite the rest of the team shooting a combined 21-for-62 (33.8 pct) in a 91-82 win. Rookie forward Nikola Mirotic, typically able to give Chicago a boost with his perimeter touch and ability to create matchup problems, will miss Thursday’s game with a left knee strain suffered on Monday night. Kirk Hinrich (knee) has yet to play in the series but went through practice yesterday and will likely see his first postseason action. Joakim Noah has played through a hamstring issue and is averaging 15 rebounds per contest despite managing just 6.0 points per game. Pau Gasol is just 9-for-29 this postseason, but is averaging 10.5 points, 14.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.5 blocks. The Bulls opened -750 to hold serve in this series according to Sportsbook.ag and are now -7000. Chicago has won six consecutive games and has covered five of those. The under is 6-3-1 in the team’s last 10 games.

The Bucks are shooting just 37.4 percent thus far this postseason, including 8-for-33 from 3-point range (24.2 pct). They’ve been outrebounded 116-89 and are really being exposed by Tom Thibodeau’s elite defense. Jason Kidd is the only coach in NBA history to take two different teams to the postseason in his first two years as a head coach, but this group is much younger than last year’s veteran Nets squad and is viewing this more as a learning atmosphere than a pressure situation. Point guard Michael Carter-Williams, who came over at the All-Star break, has averaged just 2.5 assists in the series and has shot 9-for-25 (36 pct) from the field, taking just one 3-pointer. The Bulls have been cutting off his driving angles and daring him to take open perimeter looks. Shooting guard Khris Middleton has led the Bucks in scoring, averaging 20 points per game in the series despite shooting 40.5 percent, roughly the same clip he shot against them in four regular-season meetings (21-for-51). Talented young small forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is shooting just 25 percent against Chicago (6-for-24), averaging 9.0 points and 8.0 rebounds. Milwaukee was 23-18 at home this season, but is just 4-6 at Bradley Center since March 18, going 4-5-1 ATS. The Bucks are just 2-6 SU in their last eight games as a home underdog. They opened at +500 to win the series according to Sportsbook.ag, but are now +2000 after falling into an 0-2 hole. Five of their last seven games have gone over the posted total.

Warriors at Pelicans – 9:35 p.m. ET

All five starters scored in double-figures in the series opener, but the scoring wasn’t quite as balanced in Game 2. Klay Thompson took his turn playing primary catalyst, connecting on 11 of 17 shot attempts to finish with a team-high 26 points. He averaged 19.7 points over three regular-season games, but shot just 41 percent against the Pelicans, so seeing him rebound from a 6-for-17 performance in Game 1 was reassuring. MVP front-runner Stephen Curry has been great, opening the playoff run with 34 points and adding 22 on Monday. For the season, his scoring output of 23.5 points in four regular-season meetings with New Orleans is right there near his average over 80 games (23.8), but he stepped his game up further at Smoothie King Center, averaging 29.5 and eight assists while shooting 11-for-18 from 3-point range. Despite the “Splash Brothers” getting off nicely, the key to persevering through a sneakily complicated series lies in the continued success of Draymond Green. The undersized power forward has been incredibly impressive defending Anthony Davis, who is a few inches bigger and longer, not to mention more talented. Green’s defense was the key in holding him to 9-for-22 shooting in Game 2 after his 35-point explosion on Saturday, keeping him from making a shot in five fourth-quarter attempts. Davis was 3-for-12 when Green guarded him. Andrew Bogut, the key to the Warriors winning a championship since they can’t replace his rim protection or how well he facilitates on offense from the five-spot, averaged 7.3 points,8.0 rebounds and 4.7 blocks against the Pelicans, during the regular season, has grabbed 28 boards and blocked five shots in the two wins in Oakland. VI’s Rogers researched that the “Warriors are favored on the road in the playoffs for the first time in 17 games, which stretches back to their first round upset of the Mavericks back in 2007. In the last three postseasons, Golden State has lost seven of 10 away from Oracle Arena, surrendering at least 100 points in five straight road playoff contests.” GSW opened at -5000 to win this series at Sportsbook.ag, by far the largest favorite of the first-round. Up 2-0, the Warriors are now -16500. The Warriors are 1-7 ATS in their last eight, but had covered in nine of 10 prior to this stretch. They’re 2-4 ATS against the Pelicans despite winning five of the six encounters.

When the Pelicans held off the Warriors 103-100 on April 7, Davis told reporters they considered themselves “an elite team” that “can play with anybody and beat anybody on any given night.” New Orleans put a couple of scares into Golden State at Oracle and is out to prove it can make this a series. Davis, despite his struggles with Green, is averaging 30.5 points, 9.0 boards and 3.0 blocks, so any chance the Pelicans have starts and ends with him. Unfortunately, Davis doesn’t have the help he envisioned since point guard Jrue Holiday (leg), missed Game 2 and is still dealing with soreness that has him questionable for Thursday. Tyreke Evans (knee) played 41 minutes after being limited to just 12 in Game 1. He came up with 16 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists on Monday but was visibly hampered and is just 4-for-15 in the series Ryan Anderson returned after missing most of March and still hasn’t been able to find the range. He shot 32 percent over nine April contests and is 2-for-11 in the series, making just one 3-pointer. Eric Gordon has continued to shoot the ball well and is 9-for-17 from beyond the arc in the series, lifting him to 33-for-67 (49 pct) from beyond the arc in April. Rogers likes that New Orleans can regroup at home, seeing this as “a favorable spot as a home underdog in Game 3. New Orleans owns a perfect 5-0 SU/ATS record since the All-Star break when getting points at home, which includes victories over Toronto, Golden State, and San Antonio.” The Pelicans are also 5-0 SU/ATS in their last five home outings, winning three as a favorite and two as a dog. The Pelis opened at +1800 at Sportsbook.ag and are at +4000. The under has gone 6-2-2 in New Orleans’ last 10 contests.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, April 23

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CLEVELAND (55 - 29) at BOSTON (40 - 44) - 4/23/2015, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 7-6 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 7-6 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
8 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHICAGO (52 - 32) at MILWAUKEE (41 - 43) - 4/23/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 17-26 ATS (-11.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 45-36 ATS (+5.4 Units) in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 29-20 ATS (+7.0 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
MILWAUKEE is 136-101 ATS (+24.9 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 50-71 ATS (-28.1 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 13-22 ATS (-11.2 Units) second half of the season this season.
MILWAUKEE is 46-64 ATS (-24.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
MILWAUKEE is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 9-5 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 10-4 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
9 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GOLDEN STATE (69 - 15) at NEW ORLEANS (45 - 39) - 4/23/2015, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 47-35 ATS (+8.5 Units) in all games this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 27-13 ATS (+12.7 Units) as an underdog this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) against Pacific division opponents this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 25-16 ATS (+7.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 46-34 ATS (+8.6 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 42-28 ATS (+11.2 Units) as a favorite this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) when playing with 2 days rest this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) in the first round of the playoffs since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 28-15 ATS (+11.5 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 26-17 ATS (+7.3 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 24-13 ATS (+9.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 29-17 ATS (+10.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 35-21 ATS (+11.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 8-4 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 12-1 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
8 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, April 23

Lebron James is 39-7 in first round games in his career; Cleveland won eight of last ten games overall, covering two of its last eight; they were 20-59 on arc, 50-59 on line in first two wins, as Irving was on court for 80 minutes, James 84. Boston covered nine of its last eleven games overall; they had only 13 fast break points in first two games, were -20 on the boards. Smart/Turner are 15-38 combined from floor in first two series games.

Chicago made 24-65 from arc in first two series wins- they held the Bucks to 39%/36% from floor. Bulls won eight of last nine games with Milwaukee (7-1 vs spread in last eight)-- seven of last ten games stayed under total. Chicago won last five games. Bucks are 8-33 from arc in two games; they've only turned ball over 12 times in two games, but also have only 21 fast break points in the two games. Five of last seven Milwaukee games went over the total.

New Orleans lost 10 of last 12 games with Golden State, losing by 7-10 in first two games- they were down only 55-52 at half in last game, after being down 18 in Game 1. Golden State won ten of last twelve games, but covered only one of last eight- they got to line 34 times in Game 1, but only 19 last game. Davis had 61 points for New Orleans in first two games, but other starters went 27-74 from floor, even with Evans back in lineup (41:00) in Game 2.

Home favorites are 8-8 in this round; home teams are 13-3 SU, with two of three road wins in OT-- over is 5-11.

2015 playoffs
Brooklyn vs Atlanta
Atl 99-92, -10, U201.5
Atl 96-91, -9.5, U202

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
LAC 107-92, -1.5, U207
SA 111-107 OT, +1.5, O207.5

Portland vs Memphis
Mem 100-86, -5.5, U188.5
Mem 97-82, -6, U189

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

Thursday, April 23

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7:00 PM
CLEVELAND vs. BOSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games when playing Boston
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Cleveland's last 9 games on the road
Boston is 17-5 SU in its last 22 games when playing at home against Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games

8:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. MILWAUKEE
Chicago is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 7 games

9:30 PM
GOLDEN STATE vs. NEW ORLEANS
Golden State is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Golden State's last 6 games on the road
New Orleans is 2-7-1 ATS in its last 10 games when playing at home against Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Orleans's last 5 games when playing at home against Golden State

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Wednesday, April 22

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game of the Day: Thursday's NBA Playoffs matchups
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston Celtics (+4, 203.5)
Cavaliers lead the series 2-0

The Cleveland Cavaliers are two wins away from a trip to the Eastern Conference semifinals and appear to have the Boston Celtics on the ropes. The Celtics will try to steal a game in the best-of-seven series when they host the Cavaliers in Game 3 on Thursday.

Boston showed flashes of being able to keep up with No. 2 seed Cleveland in the first two games but has had no answer for LeBron James and Kyrie Irving down the stretch. “I’ve been in this moment before and a lot of our guys haven’t, so I felt like it was important for me to just try to put a staple on the game the best way I know how and that’s by being aggressive,” James told reporters. “I was able to make a few plays to help our team get the win and that’s what’s very important for me – just to be there for my team when they need it.” James and Irving combined to score all of the Cavaliers’ 24 fourth-quarter points in Game 2. The Celtics were 21-20 at home during the regular season, including a 117-78 win over Cleveland on Apr. 12 in which the Cavaliers rested their starters.

TRENDS:

*Cavaliers are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 vs. Eastern Conference.
*Celtics are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. NBA Central.
*Under is 4-0 in Cavaliers last 4 vs. a team with a losing S.U. record.
*Under is 4-0 in Celtics last 4 games playing on 1 days rest.


Chicago Bulls at Milwaukee Bucks (+2.5, 187)
Bulls lead series 2-0

Jimmy Butler is terrorizing Milwaukee and looks for a third consecutive strong game when the Chicago Bulls visit the Bucks in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference first-round series on Thursday. Butler is averaging 28 points while lifting Chicago to a 2-0 lead and he set a personal playoff high with 31 points in Monday’s 91-82 win.

Butler was at his best in the fourth quarter of Monday’s game as he scored 14 points in the final stanza. Milwaukee knows it faces a near must-win situation but remains confident it can get back into the series. “We lose these two but we are going to fight to get his series back,” shooting guard Khris Middleton told reporters. “We are going to defend our home court Thursday.” Middleton averaged 20 points in the first two games but the Bucks averaged just 86.5 as a team.

TRENDS:

*Bulls are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
*Home team is 5-0 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
*Under is 8-2 in Bulls last 10 vs. NBA Central
*Under is 5-1 in Bucks last 6 vs. a team with a winning S.U. record


Golden State Warriors at New Orleans Pelicans (+5, 203)
Warriors lead series 2-0

The Golden State Warriors put up the best road record in the NBA this season at 28-13, but the most recent of those 13 setbacks came at New Orleans on Apr. 7. The Pelicans will try to turn that trick again and climb back in the series when they host the top-seeded Warriors in Game 3 of their first-round Western Conference series on Thursday.

New Orleans was surprisingly pesky in the first two games of the series but did not have quite enough to get over the hump in the fourth quarter of either contest and heads home in an 0-2 hole. “Hopefully for the fans watching (Game 2), our crowd can be like (the boisterous Warriors home crowd),” Pelicans guard Tyreke Evans told reporters. “When we’ve got our crowd behind us, we’re going to perform, play hard and do a good job.” New Orleans went 28-13 in its own arena during the regular season but Golden State won’t be intimidated. Warriors star Stephen Curry poured in 56 points in the first two games and averaged 25.5 points on the road in the regular season.

TRENDS:

*Warriors are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games following a S.U. win.
*Pelicans are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 home games.
*Under is 5-1 in Warriors last 6 road games.
*Under is 8-2-1 in the last 11 meetings.