The Bum's Best Bets For Wednesday May 6th - MLB - NBA -NHL !

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Dodgers (16-9) at Brewers (8-18)
Game: 3
Venue: Miller Park
Date: May 06, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

As the Milwaukee Brewers hope for better days under their new manager, the Los Angeles Dodgers continue to show why it's hard to keep them down for too long.

The visiting Dodgers look to continue their surge Wednesday night against the Brewers.

One night after Los Angeles' four-game winning streak ended with a 4-3 loss in the opener of this four-game series, it bounced back to win 8-2 on Tuesday. Justin Turner recorded three of his four RBIs on a sixth-inning homer and Zack Greinke yielded an unearned run over 7 2-3 innings for his 10th straight winning decision as the Dodgers (17-9) won for the eighth time in 11 games.

The Dodgers have scored at least eight runs four times in 10 contests, and Turner has hit all four of his home runs and recorded nine of his 10 RBIs in his last six.

"Most days we shoot for four (runs), and with our pitching staff that sounds pretty good," first baseman Adrian Gonzalez said. "If we add more there's a really good chance we're gonna win."

Gonzalez and Jimmy Rollins each hit two-run homers as Los Angeles handed Craig Counsell his first defeat in his second game since replacing Ron Roenicke as Milwaukee manager.

The loss snapped a season-high three-game winning streak for the Brewers (8-19), whose owner Mark Attanasio spoke Tuesday in support of general manager Doug Melvin's decision to fire Roenicke.

'Doug Melvin came to me on the off day and said he was thinking seriously that we needed a manager change, so we did our evaluation in a short period of time to make a decision, and decided to move forward with Craig," Attanasio said.

Aramis Ramirez had two of Milwaukee's three hits and an RBI. He's batting .417 with seven RBIs in his last seven games.

Teammate Wily Peralta (0-4, 4.35 ERA) is trying to avoid losing five straight starts for the first time, but he's allowed three runs over his last two and hasn't received one run of support over 19 innings in the past three. Peralta's 0.87 run-support average is the lowest among all qualifying starters.

The right-hander gave up a home run over six innings of Friday's 1-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs. He's 2-1 with a 4.61 ERA against Los Angeles.

As the Dodgers look to give Carlos Frias an extra day of rest, Joe Wieland will make his season debut Wednesday. The right-hander was 3-0 with a 3.60 ERA in four starts for Triple-A Oklahoma City after going 1-0 with a 7.15 ERA in four games - two starts - with San Diego last season.

Wieland took tips from ace Clayton Kershaw during spring training on how to prepare for his starts.

"I saw what he did to get ready and copied it all," Wieland told MLB's official website. "If it works for him, he's got to be doing something right."

In his only appearance against Milwaukee on April 30, 2012, Wieland allowed five runs and two homers to Ryan Braun over five innings while striking out eight during an 8-3 loss.

Gonzalez has 10 home runs and 27 RBIs while hitting .404 in 26 games at Miller Park - the highest average among those with at least 75 at_bats there.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Dodgers at Brewers
Mon, May 4 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Dodgers at Brewers
Tue, May 5 - Final 8 - 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Dodgers at Brewers
Wed, May 6 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Dodgers at Brewers
Thu, May 7 - 1:40PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Athletics (11-16) at Twins (14-12)
Game: 3
Venue: Target Field
Date: May 06, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

The Oakland Athletics cooled off the Minnesota Twins' surging offense behind a dominant pitching performance in the middle game of this four-game series.

Scott Kazmir looks capable of keeping the Twins in check, though his teammates will have to help end his hard luck in order for the Athletics to win back-to-back games for the first time in three weeks.

Kazmir takes the mound Wednesday night at Target Field, where the improved Kyle Gibson continues to shine.

The Athletics (12-16) had scored exactly seven runs in four straight games, losing Monday's series opener 8-7. Though their lineup was quiet Tuesday with Josh Reddick's hitting streak snapped at 12 games, Jesse Chavez limited the Twins to an unearned run over 7 1-3 innings as the A's won 2-1.

Minnesota (14-13) had hit .350 while averaging 7.8 runs during a five-game winning streak. The Twins moved the tying run to third base with one out in the eighth but Torii Hunter struck out before a Joe Mauer flyout. Kennys Vargas was 0 for 4 after four multihit efforts in five games.

"We had been rolling pretty good offensively. I don't know if he took it personally or what, but he went out there and threw a lot of fastballs," manager Paul Molitor said of Chavez. "Had good command, had it moving in both directions."

Kazmir (2-0, 1.62 ERA) continues to impress, though the offense hasn't shown up behind him recently. He's winless in his last three starts, getting two runs of support over 20 1-3 innings. Oakland didn't back him with any runs before he exited after allowing three runs in six innings of Friday's 7-5 victory at Texas.

The left-hander has received plenty of run support in the past against Minnesota, however. He's 7-1 with a 3.06 ERA in his last 10 meetings while being backed by an average of 6.13 runs. The A's supplied him with 14 runs over 12 2-3 innings in two victories last year.

Gibson (2-2, 3.56) owns a 2.03 ERA since giving up six runs in his first start at Detroit. After an erratic first two seasons with a 15-16 record and 4.92 ERA, the 2009 first-round pick might finally be proving his worth as a late bloomer.

The 27-year-old right-hander enjoyed one of the best outings of his career Friday, yielding four hits over eight innings in a 1-0 victory against the Chicago White Sox.

"There's times where when I execute I'm pretty confident," he said.

Gibson is 4-0 with a 1.95 ERA over his last four home starts dating to last season, though he's never faced the A's there. He dropped his only outing in Oakland on Aug. 8 after allowing six runs, five hits and five walks over five-plus innings.

Recent callup Billy Burns continued to be a spark at the top of the Oakland lineup, going 2 for 5 on Tuesday to improve to 7 for 19 in four games. He might be out of a roster spot Wednesday, though, with fellow center fielder Coco Crisp expected to make his season debut after undergoing elbow surgery last month. Crisp hit .246 and stole 19 bases in 126 games last year.



SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Athletics at Twins
Mon, May 4 Final 7 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Athletics at Twins
Tue, May 5 - Final 2 - 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Athletics at Twins
Wed, May 6 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Athletics at Twins
Thu, May 7 - 1:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rangers (9-16) at Astros (18-8)
Game: 3
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: May 06, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

Kyle Blanks is giving the Texas Rangers some pop at the plate, and impressive pitching has them on the verge of their first series sweep of the season.

Giving the ball to Colby Lewis against the Houston Astros is usually an ideal option.

The Rangers are looking for Lewis to re-establish his dominance of the Astros in the finale of this three-game Lone Star Series on Wednesday night.

Blanks is 9 for 23 (.391) with three homers and five RBIs in six games since being recalled from Triple-A Round Rock to replace the injured Mitch Moreland.

He's collected four hits in this series, connecting for a solo homer among his three in Tuesday's 7-1 win at Houston (18-9).

The Rangers' arms are also helping, as Wandy Rodriguez combined with Shawn Tolleson on a three-hitter Tuesday. That came after Ross Detwiler and two relievers held the Astros to four hits in a 2-1 win.

"We knew that we weren't going to go all year without putting back-to-back wins together," first-year manager Jeff Banister said. "You'd like to have it happen earlier, but we'll take it anytime we can get it."

Texas' last series sweep came in three home meetings with Houston in September.

Lewis (1-2, 3.00 ERA) is 4-0 with a 1.73 ERA over his last six starts against the Astros, winning all three of his starts in Houston behind a 1.33 ERA.

The right-hander, though, wasn't that effective at home against the intrastate rival April 12, giving up four runs and two homers in 7 1-3 innings of a 6-4 loss in 14. That outing opened a four-game stretch during which Lewis has gone 0-2 with a 3.38 ERA, with each contests ending in a loss for Texas (10-16).

Lewis was on his way to a victory Friday, yielding two hits with eight strikeouts in six innings as Texas built a 5-0 lead. However, his relievers were hammered during a seven-run eighth in a 7-5 loss to Oakland.

"It was a rare game for them," Lewis told MLB's official website.

The Astros own the best record in the AL, but they're trying to avoid their longest slide of the season after winning 10 in a row.

Jose Altuve batted .455 with 11 RBIs and 10 runs during that streak, but he's gone 1 for 7 in this series and grounded out with the bases loaded Tuesday.

Despite his performance so far through this series, the All-Star second baseman is a .356 career hitter at home against the Rangers. He's also 5 for 14 (.357) versus Lewis.

Samuel Deduno (0-0, 2.70) is getting a second chance to prove he deserves a regular spot in the rotation after Asher Wojciechowski was demoted to Triple-A Fresno last week.

Deduno, who made his first five appearances of the season out of the bullpen, yielded one run and three hits with four strikeouts in four innings of a 4-3 win over Seattle on Friday.

"This is like a new opportunity," Deduno said. "This is a good team, a winning team, and I have to be good, too, to stay in the starting rotation."

Deduno is 0-1 with an 8.04 ERA in three career starts versus Texas, but he tossed a scoreless 14th to get his first career save April 12.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rangers at Astros
Mon, May 4 Final 2 to 1
Boxscores

GAME 2
Rangers at Astros
Tue, May 5 - Final 7 - 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Rangers at Astros
Wed, May 6 - 8:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Cubs (13-11) at Cardinals (19-6)
Game: 3
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: May 06, 2015 8:15 PM EDT

Jon Lester's tenure with the Chicago Cubs started on the wrong foot on opening night against the St. Louis Cardinals.

After finally finding his bearings with his new club, the left-hander is likely relishing another shot at his new division rival - and ending St. Louis' longest winning streak in five years would be an especially satisfying revenge.

He'll try to stabilize Chicago's struggling rotation Wednesday night at Busch Stadium.

Lester (1-2, 4.71 ERA) appears to be turning the corner after initially failing to deliver on the big expectations that came with his $155 million deal signed in December. He posted a 6.23 ERA in four April starts before earning his first victory against Milwaukee on Friday, scattering three hits over seven innings and retiring 15 of the final 16 batters he faced in a 1-0 win.

"This is a big day for me personally," Lester said. "I think it always goes back to your first start in spring training, your first start of the season, get that first 'W.' Obviously you would have liked it to happen a little while ago, but that's not the case ... We'll celebrate this."

Lester's tough April might not have been entirely surprising given his history. He owns a 4.05 ERA in March and April compared to a 3.51 mark in all other months.

St. Louis was the first early speed bump, reaching him for three runs and eight hits over 4 1-3 innings in a 3-0 opening night win. It was Lester's shortest outing in 20 starts.

The Cubs' rotation has been dreadful since Lester's last turn, recording a 7.29 ERA during a four-game losing streak. Kyle Hendricks was tagged for four runs over five innings for Chicago (13-12) in Tuesday's 7-4 loss.

"We're not pitching to all of our capabilities," manager Joe Maddon said. "Some guys are pitching really well, but I think there's another gear."

The Cardinals (20-6) came from behind for the fifth straight game to extend their winning streak to eight and improve upon the best start in modern franchise history. They went ahead on Mark Reynolds' sixth-inning pinch-hit double, a night after he was 2 for 3 with a grand slam.

This run is St. Louis' longest since 2010, and the club hasn't won nine in a row since Aug. 27-Sept. 5, 2004.

"I don't think there's anyone in this clubhouse that doesn't think we're going to win every night," Reynolds said.

Lance Lynn (1-2, 3.07) lost the second game of last month's series despite only giving up an earned run and two hits while striking out nine over six-plus innings in a 2-0 defeat. The right-hander struggled in his second loss on April 26 at Milwaukee, yielding six runs, but bounced back to fan 10 over seven innings in St. Louis' 2-1 win over Pittsburgh on Friday.

Lynn is 1-3 in his last five starts versus the Cubs, but 4-1 with a 1.41 ERA in six career home meetings.

Jason Heyward is 14 for 33 (.424) with 10 runs during an eight-game hitting streak against the Cubs and 7 for 12 off Lester with a home run and four doubles. Matt Holliday is 17 for 37 in his last nine matchups.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Cubs at Cardinals
Mon, May 4 Final 9 to 10
Boxscores

GAME 2
Cubs at Cardinals
Tue, May 5 - Final 4 - 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Cubs at Cardinals
Wed, May 6 - 8:15PM EDT

GAME 4
Cubs at Cardinals
Thu, May 7 - 1:45PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Padres (14-13) at Giants (13-13)
Game: 3
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: May 06, 2015 3:45 PM EDT

Rookie Chris Heston is next in line as the San Francisco Giants try to match a franchise record with a fourth consecutive shutout.

The Giants are enjoying win streaks of five straight overall and eight in a row at home and send Heston to the mound Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep of the San Diego Padres.

San Francisco (14-13) can match the franchise record set from June 25-28, 2012, if it posts another shutout. Heston, who is 1-1 with a 1.29 ERA in three home starts, has some tough acts to follow in the Giants' rotation.

This shutout streak began Sunday when Tim Lincecum worked eight innings in a 5-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. San Diego (14-14) was then blanked 2-0 on Monday when Madison Bumgarner went 7 1-3 innings and 6-0 on Tuesday when the previously struggling Ryan Vogelsong lasted seven.

"It's good to see these guys starting to get locked in and that's a good offensive club we're going against too and it's all about making your pitches and these guys have been doing that," manager Bruce Bochy said.

Heston (2-2, 2.51 ERA) made his first major league start in the 2014 regular-season finale against the Padres, allowing three runs over four innings in a 9-3 home victory.

The right-hander appears to be a far better pitcher this year, earning a spot in the rotation after posting a 2.40 spring ERA.

Heston did not get a decision Friday after allowing one run over 6 1-3 innings in a 3-2 victory over the Angels that began the overall winning streak.

The Giants won Tuesday without Angel Pagan, who leads the team with a .350 average but was scratched with a cut on his middle finger. The injury occurred Monday when Pagan stole second and his finger was stepped on.

Brandon Crawford had three hits and scored twice and Brandon Belt also scored twice. Pagan is day to day.

"Pagan needed a day and guys picked it up offensively," Bochy said.

Padres starter Ian Kennedy (1-1, 7.11) will face the Giants for the first time since suffering a strained left hamstring that forced him to leave after 2 1-3 innings in a 1-0, 12-inning loss in the home opener April 9. Kennedy has made two starts since returning, yielding five homers and 10 runs over 10 1-3 innings.

Among the 43 hitters who have made at least 20 plate appearances against the right-hander, Buster Posey is batting .405 (15 for 37) for the second-best mark versus Kennedy. Belt is 8 for 25 with 10 strikeouts in this matchup.

Kennedy has faced the Giants more than any opponent, going 9-4 with a 2.48 ERA in 21 starts.

The Padres could give catcher Austin Hedges his first career start in place of Derek Norris. Hedges, a highly regarded prospect, was recalled from the minors Monday and struck out as a pinch-hitter against Bumgarner in his big league debut.

San Diego has gone 20 innings without scoring. Norris and Matt Kemp are each 0 for 8 in this series, Will Middlebrooks is 0 for 6 and Wil Myers is 0 for 7 in his last two games.

The Giants are on their longest home win streak since a 10-game run Aug. 26-Sept.12.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Padres at Giants
Mon, May 4 Final 0 to 2
Boxscores

GAME 2
Padres at Giants
Tue, May 5 Final 0 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Padres at Giants
Wed, May 6 - 3:45PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mariners (11-15) at Angels (11-15)
Game: 3
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: May 06, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

Perhaps a memorable debut from their highly touted catching prospect will provide the spark the Los Angeles Angels need to get rolling in a positive direction.

They also look to provide C.J. Wilson with some much-needed run support in Wednesday night's decisive finale against the visiting Seattle Mariners.

Carlos Perez capped his first game with a line-drive home run to lead off the ninth inning and help Los Angeles (12-15) snap a season-high four-game slide with Tuesday's 5-4 victory. The 25-year-old Perez, who hit .361 with two homers and 12 RBIs in 17 games for Triple-A Salt Lake, also singled in his first at-bat.

'I can't explain any of that,' he said. 'It's my first game, and to finish like that, you'll never forget that moment.'

Acquired from Houston in a November trade that sent one-time prized catching prospect Hank Conger to the Astros, Perez is expected to share playing time with veteran Chris Iannetta.

'Anytime a guy performs, you're going to get more playing time,' manager Mike Scioscia said.

Perez's stellar debut came at the right time for the Angels, who hit .189 and totaled eight runs while losing their first four games in May. Tuesday marked the second time in their 12 home games that they scored more than four runs.

No member of Los Angeles' rotation has been affected more by the team's overall offensive struggles than Wilson (1-2, 2.73 ERA), whose 1.36 run-support average is the lowest among qualifying AL starters. The Angels managed two of the five runs they've scored with the left-hander on the mound Friday when he allowed one earned run and four hits in seven innings while not factoring in the decision of a 3-2 loss at San Francisco.

Wilson, who has a 1.86 ERA while going 0-1 in his last three starts, didn't show any ill effects from having fluid drained from his elbow a few days prior to his most recent outing.

"Everything's going to be fine," he told MLB's official website. "It's manageable."

Wilson opened his season by yielding two singles over eight innings of a 2-0 victory over Seattle on April 7. He's allowed one run and seven hits over 21 innings to go 2-0 in his last three starts against the Mariners (11-16).

Robinson Cano is 0 for his last 11 against Wilson, but had three hits Tuesday as Seattle overcame a 2-0 deficit only to blow a 4-2 lead in the eighth.

The Mariners have dropped five of six after opening their 10-game trip by sweeping three from Texas. Four of those five defeats have come by one run.

'This is a tough loss," manager Lloyd McClendon said. "Anytime you have a lead going to the eighth inning, particularly with our bullpen, we expect to win.'

Making his third straight start in place of the injured Hisashi Iwakuma, Roenis Elias (0-1, 3.86) allowed three runs on two homers but struck out eight during a 4-3 loss at Houston on Friday.

The left-hander went 0-2 with a 5.65 ERA in three starts against the Angels last season.

Albert Pujols, 3 for 8 with a home run versus Elias, homered Tuesday and is batting .367 in his last eight games.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mariners at Angels
Mon, May 4 Final 3 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Mariners at Angels
Tue, May 5 Final 4 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Mariners at Angels
Wed, May 6 - 10:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

-- Angels' attendance is down 3,600 a game from last year; thats what happens when you don't make the playoffs.

-- Calgary 4, Anaheim 3 OT-- Flames tied game with 0:19 left, handed Ducks their first playoff loss 4:24 into OT. Each team had only 21 shots on goal.

-- Memphis 97, Golden State 90-- Steph Curry got his MVP trophy, then got his butt kicked by the Grizzlies.

-- Hawks 106, Wizards 90-- How do star players sit out playoff games, unless they are badly hurt? John Wall couldn't play in this game?

-- Red Sox 2, Rays 0-- This was the 21st big league game this season that was 0-0 after the fifth inning.

-- Angels 5, Mariners 4-- Only game of night where winning run scored after the 6th inning. 24 of 28 starting pitchers got decisions last night, an unusually high number.

**********

Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Random mid-week thoughts.....

13) Mike Conley is a tough dude; he scored 22 points in 27:00 despite playing with a broken face as Memphis upset the Warriors 97-90. Conley missed three games after suffering multiple facial fractures in the Portland series.

12) There was some back/forth between Steph Curry and Virginia Tech this week, about whether the Hokies had offered Dell Curry's son a scholarship in his senior year of high school. It got to the point where Seth Greenberg, who works for ESPN now but was Tech's coach back then, issued a statement on the subject.

Tech offered Steph Curry a 4-year scholarship, but after he spent his first year as a walk-on, since they had a scholarship logjam that year. Dell Curry, one of Tech's best-ever players, understood, but apparently Mrs Curry put the kibosh on the deal and her son went to Davidson.

11) Bartolo Colon has beaten the Orioles while pitching for seven different teams, the first major league pitcher ever to do that.

10) Getting a batter to swing/miss is a basic element of pitching; the pitchers this season who have produced the highest pecentage of misses on batters' swings against them are:
1) James Shields, San Diego 32.8%
2) Danny Salazar, Cleveland 32.5%
3) Francisco Liriano, Pittsburgh 31.8%
4) Tyson Ross, San Diego 30.9%

9) There will be 42 college football bowl games this coming fall; two teams will play two games, with the playoff system, so that means 82 teams out of 127 are going to go bowling this season. Three short words: too many bowls.

8) Read this week that of all the NFL teams, Cincinnati Bengal coaches have the most input of any coaches on their team's draft decisions.

7) Giants' #1 draft pick Ereck Flowers will negotiate his own rookie contract, with help from his father.

6) Why don't media outlets analyze drafts from 3-4 years ago, when you can actually tell everything that happened, rather than this year's draft, when no one really knows who did the best/worst?

5) Arizona tight end John Carlson retired this week at age 30, odd timing; you would think the Cardinals would've wanted to know that before the draft, not three days after the draft.

4) Road team is 7-5 in NHL overtime playoff games this spring.

3) 1960 Philadelphia Phillies are last team to lose three straight games, all by a 1-0 score.

2) Left field bleachers at Wrigley Field are opening Monday; the ones in right field may not open until after the All-Star break, as Wrigley Field is undergoing renovations that will take a long time to finish.

1) Quite a night in Anaheim for rookie catcher Carlos Perez, who hit a walk-off homer in his first major league game, as the Angels beat Seattle 5-4.

[StarDust Bum]

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

Letdown spot

The names have changed, with Rex Ryan sporting the blue and red of the Buffalo Bills, but the disdain is the same. Ryan and his new team will host rivals and defending Super Bowl champs, the New England Patriots in Week 2. The game will serve as a litmus test for Buffalo and its place in the AFC East. The Bills made some noise this offseason and a lot of those transaction were with this game in mind.

That massive matchup with the hated Pats, leaves Buffalo vulnerable to a letdown spot in Week 3. It travels to South Beach for a standoff against the Miami Dolphins, who opened as 2-point favorites versus Buffalo. Win or loss against New England, the Bills are ripe for the letdown in this Week 3 road game.

Lookahead spot

The Oakland A’s are longing for the crisp air of the San Francisco Bay, and will have been on the road for 11 days spanning 10 games when this current stretch of schedule closes in Seattle this coming Sunday. Oakland is off to a rough start on this current trip, splitting wins and losses against sub-par competition in Texas and Minnesota.

The Athletics have had trouble taming the home side to open this road trip, giving up a combined 22 runs through the first four games heading into Tuesday night. Oakland dropped two of three home meetings with Seattle last month and could get caught looking ahead to the friendly confines of the O.co Coliseum in the series finale at Safeco Sunday.

Schedule spot

The Miami Marlins are having a hard enough time battling foes on Eastern standard time. Now, Miami hops the country for a four-game set on the other side of the planet with the San Francisco Giants, starting Thursday in AT&T Park.

The Marlins are in Washington right now, finishing up in DC with a 1:05 p.m. ET first pitch Wednesday. Then, the Fish hop a plane for the West Coast and throw out the first pitch in the Bay Area at 10:15 p.m. ET Thursday. Miami went on an 11-game trek to the left side of the country last May, finishing 4-7 during that stretch.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Wednesday, May 6


Oakland @ Minnesota

Game 919-920
May 6, 2015 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oakland
(Kazmir) 18.710
Minnesota
(Gibson) 13.673
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oakland
by 5
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oakland
-120
8
Dunkel Pick:
Oakland
(-120); Under

Cleveland @ Kansas City

Game 923-924
May 6, 2015 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
(Carrasco) 14.489
Kansas City
(Duffy) 16.064
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kansas City
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Kansas City
-125
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Kansas City
(-125); Under

Detroit @ Chicago White Sox

Game 925-926
May 6, 2015 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
(Simon) 17.489
Chicago White Sox
(Sale) 15.710
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago White Sox
-145
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(+125); Under

Miami @ Washington

Game 901-902
May 6, 2015 @ 1:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
(Koehler) 15.699
Washington
(Scherzer) 14.754
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Miami
by 1
8 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-240
7
Dunkel Pick:
Miami
(+200); Over

Seattle @ LA Angels

Game 927-928
May 6, 2015 @ 10:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Seattle
(Elias) 16.262
LA Angels
(Wilson) 13.565
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Seattle
by 2 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Angels
-145
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Seattle
(+125); Under

Arizona @ Colorado

Game 903-904
May 6, 2015 @ 3:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Arizona
(Collmenter) 15.052
Colorado
(Matzek) 13.152
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Arizona
by 2
11
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Colorado
-150
10
Dunkel Pick:
Arizona
(+130); Over

San Diego @ San Francisco

Game 905-906
May 6, 2015 @ 3:45 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Diego
(Kennedy) 13.983
San Francisco
(Heston) 16.191
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Francisco
by 2
6 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Francisco
-125
7
Dunkel Pick:
San Francisco
(-125); Under

Baltimore @ NY Mets

Game 929-930
May 6, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Baltimore
(Jimenez) 14.441
NY Mets
(deGrom) 18.072
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Mets
by 3 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Mets
-115
7
Dunkel Pick:
NY Mets
(-115); Over

Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh

Game 907-908
May 6, 2015 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cincinnati
(Leake) 14.696
Pittsburgh
(Cole) 16.018
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pittsburgh
by 1 1/2
5 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-155
7
Dunkel Pick:
Pittsburgh
(-155); Under

Arizona @ Colorado

Game 931-932
May 6, 2015 @ 6:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Arizona
(Ray) 13.521
Colorado
(Lyles) 15.211
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Colorado
by 1 1/2
10 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Colorado
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Colorado
N/A

Philadelphia @ Atlanta

Game 909-910
May 6, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
(Williams) 15.267
Atlanta
(Foltynwcz) 14.309
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 1
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta
-135
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(+115); Over

LA Dodgers @ Milwaukee

Game 911-912
May 6, 2015 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Dodgers
(Wieland) 14.239
Milwaukee
(Peralta) 15.308
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 1
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Dodgers
-120
8
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(+100); Over

Chicago Cubs @ St. Louis

Game 913-914
May 6, 2015 @ 8:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago Cubs
(Lester) 14.620
St. Louis
(Lynn) 16.090
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-125
7
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(-125); Under

NY Yankees @ Toronto

Game 915-916
May 6, 2015 @ 7:07 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Yankees
(Sabathia) 15.897
Toronto
(Buehrle) 14.411
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Yankees
by 1 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Yankees
-115
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
NY Yankees
(-115); Under

Tampa Bay @ Boston

Game 917-918
May 6, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tampa Bay
(Colome) 17.406
Boston
(Masterson) 16.512
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay
by 1
9 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
-135
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay
(+115); Over

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Wednesday, May 6

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MIAMI (13 - 14) at WASHINGTON (13 - 15) - 1:05 PM
TOM KOEHLER (R) vs. MAX SCHERZER (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 4-1 (+4.0 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.1 Units)

TOM KOEHLER vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
KOEHLER is 3-3 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 3.22 and a WHIP of 1.239.
His team's record is 3-3 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-2. (+2.3 units)

MAX SCHERZER vs. MIAMI since 1997
SCHERZER is 0-0 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.333.
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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ARIZONA (10 - 14) at COLORADO (11 - 13) - 3:10 PM
JOSH COLLMENTER (R) vs. TYLER MATZEK (L)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 2-1 (+0.7 Units) against COLORADO this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.1 Units)

JOSH COLLMENTER vs. COLORADO since 1997
COLLMENTER is 3-1 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 3.67 and a WHIP of 1.074.
His team's record is 6-3 (+3.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-2. (+4.9 units)

TYLER MATZEK vs. ARIZONA since 1997
MATZEK is 2-1 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 2.65 and a WHIP of 1.353.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

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SAN DIEGO (14 - 14) at SAN FRANCISCO (14 - 13) - 3:45 PM
IAN KENNEDY (R) vs. CHRIS HESTON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 34-59 (-21.5 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 34-59 (-21.5 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 22-42 (-18.5 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 114-92 (+17.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 24-9 (+16.7 Units) against the money line in May games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 23-10 (+13.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 114-92 (+17.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 77-40 (+29.2 Units) against the money line in home games after shutting out their opponent since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 64-48 (+16.0 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 3-3 (+0.3 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.4 Units)

IAN KENNEDY vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
KENNEDY is 9-4 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 2.48 and a WHIP of 1.087.
His team's record is 12-9 (+3.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 10-11. (-1.2 units)

CHRIS HESTON vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
HESTON is 0-0 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 6.75 and a WHIP of 2.000.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.1 units)

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CINCINNATI (13 - 13) at PITTSBURGH (12 - 14) - 7:05 PM
MIKE LEAKE (R) vs. GERRIT COLE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 22-6 (+14.4 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Wednesday over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 136-95 (+30.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 49-27 (+16.6 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 696-783 (+42.6 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 505-567 (+34.8 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 346-366 (+39.3 Units) against the money line in road games after a win since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 390-339 (+65.6 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
PITTSBURGH is 55-53 (-28.9 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 4-0 (+4.4 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

MIKE LEAKE vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
LEAKE is 6-3 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 3.68 and a WHIP of 1.280.
His team's record is 9-12 (-4.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 10-10. (-0.5 units)

GERRIT COLE vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
COLE is 0-1 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.278.
His team's record is 0-3 (-3.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.5 units)

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

LA DODGERS (17 - 9) at MILWAUKEE (8 - 19) - 8:10 PM
JOE WIELAND (R) vs. WILY PERALTA (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 1-1 (+0.6 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

JOE WIELAND vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
WIELAND is 0-1 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 5.40 and a WHIP of 1.400.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

WILY PERALTA vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
PERALTA is 2-1 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 4.61 and a WHIP of 1.756.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-0. (+3.1 units)

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

CHICAGO CUBS (13 - 12) at ST LOUIS (20 - 6) - 8:15 PM
JON LESTER (L) vs. LANCE LYNN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1400-1565 (-281.5 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1343-1478 (-256.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1027-1162 (-213.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters since 1997.
ST LOUIS is 20-6 (+12.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 13-2 (+10.0 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
ST LOUIS is 15-4 (+10.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
ST LOUIS is 20-6 (+12.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ST LOUIS is 15-4 (+10.4 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
ST LOUIS is 51-35 (+14.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 3-1 (+2.0 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.4 Units)

JON LESTER vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
LESTER is 2-1 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 2.00 and a WHIP of 1.111.
His team's record is 3-1 (+2.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.2 units)

LANCE LYNN vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
LYNN is 6-4 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 3.12 and a WHIP of 1.146.
His team's record is 7-4 (+1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-7. (-4.2 units)

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

NY YANKEES (17 - 10) at TORONTO (13 - 15) - 7:05 PM
C.C. SABATHIA (L) vs. MARK BUEHRLE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 23-12 (+12.2 Units) against the money line in May games over the last 2 seasons.
BUEHRLE is 24-13 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BUEHRLE is 161-83 (+52.4 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997. (Team's Record)
BUEHRLE is 65-31 (+29.6 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
BUEHRLE is 53-25 (+28.0 Units) against the money line in May games since 1997. (Team's Record)
BUEHRLE is 108-58 (+33.1 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
BUEHRLE is 28-13 (+15.5 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
BUEHRLE is 81-42 (+27.9 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss since 1997. (Team's Record)
NY YANKEES are 11-4 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
NY YANKEES are 14-6 (+9.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
NY YANKEES are 16-8 (+11.3 Units) against the money line in road games against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
SABATHIA is 66-28 (+28.2 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 3-2 (+1.2 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

C.C. SABATHIA vs. TORONTO since 1997
SABATHIA is 15-5 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 3.25 and a WHIP of 1.077.
His team's record is 15-6 (+5.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 11-9. (+0.7 units)

MARK BUEHRLE vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
BUEHRLE is 1-14 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 6.21 and a WHIP of 1.571.
His team's record is 2-19 (-17.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-11. (-5.3 units)

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

TAMPA BAY (14 - 13) at BOSTON (13 - 14) - 7:10 PM
ALEX COLOME (R) vs. JUSTIN MASTERSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 91-98 (-25.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 59-66 (-18.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 568-650 (+15.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997.
BOSTON is 84-106 (-32.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 37-48 (-16.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 8-20 (-15.3 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 41-56 (-29.6 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 40-58 (-22.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 75-92 (-28.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 60-75 (-22.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 59-75 (-21.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 34-51 (-23.4 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 42-60 (-19.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 3-2 (+1.4 Units) against BOSTON this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.0 Units)

ALEX COLOME vs. BOSTON since 1997
No recent starts.

JUSTIN MASTERSON vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
MASTERSON is 2-6 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 7.07 and a WHIP of 1.821.
His team's record is 3-7 (-3.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-3. (+4.0 units)

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

TEXAS (10 - 16) at HOUSTON (18 - 9) - 8:10 PM
COLBY LEWIS (R) vs. SAM DEDUNO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 77-111 (-22.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 75-107 (-20.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 50-87 (-32.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 48-75 (-21.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 18-9 (+9.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 49-48 (+15.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 18-9 (+9.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
DEDUNO is 11-2 (+9.8 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
TEXAS is 52-35 (+27.9 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 26-23 (+15.4 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 3-2 (+2.1 Units) against HOUSTON this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.9 Units)

COLBY LEWIS vs. HOUSTON since 1997
LEWIS is 5-1 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 2.10 and a WHIP of 0.844.
His team's record is 5-3 (-0.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-5. (-2.3 units)

SAM DEDUNO vs. TEXAS since 1997
DEDUNO is 0-1 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 8.05 and a WHIP of 1.980.
His team's record is 0-3 (-3.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+1.0 units)

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

OAKLAND (12 - 16) at MINNESOTA (14 - 13) - 8:10 PM
SCOTT KAZMIR (L) vs. KYLE GIBSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 100-91 (-24.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 98-87 (-21.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 1-10 (-11.1 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
OAKLAND is 17-28 (-12.6 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 72-62 (+20.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 81-47 (+25.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.

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

SCOTT KAZMIR vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
KAZMIR is 7-4 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 3.42 and a WHIP of 1.188.
His team's record is 8-5 (+3.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-7. (-1.4 units)

KYLE GIBSON vs. OAKLAND since 1997
GIBSON is 0-1 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 9.00 and a WHIP of 2.000.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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

CLEVELAND (9 - 16) at KANSAS CITY (17 - 9) - 8:10 PM
CARLOS CARRASCO (R) vs. DANNY DUFFY (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 9-16 (-10.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 19-38 (-16.7 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 5-13 (-10.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
CLEVELAND is 9-16 (-10.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 2-9 (-7.9 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
KANSAS CITY is 117-86 (+19.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 26-8 (+16.6 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 113-83 (+17.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 85-58 (+19.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 82-59 (+12.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 68-50 (+12.9 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 22-39 (-23.6 Units) against the money line in May games over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 298-318 (-72.7 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 3-1 (+2.5 Units) against CLEVELAND this season
4 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+4.1 Units)

CARLOS CARRASCO vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
CARRASCO is 2-3 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 4.75 and a WHIP of 1.345.
His team's record is 3-4 (-1.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-3. (+1.0 units)

DANNY DUFFY vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
DUFFY is 2-1 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 2.75 and a WHIP of 1.361.
His team's record is 3-3 (-0.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-5. (-4.4 units)

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

DETROIT (17 - 10) at CHI WHITE SOX (9 - 14) - 8:10 PM
ALFREDO SIMON (R) vs. CHRIS SALE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 48-46 (-14.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 40-26 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SIMON is 24-14 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SIMON is 14-4 (+12.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SIMON is 24-14 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SIMON is 9-2 (+8.4 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CHI WHITE SOX are 138-195 (-40.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 2-2 (+0.0 Units) against DETROIT this season
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

ALFREDO SIMON vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
No recent starts.

CHRIS SALE vs. DETROIT since 1997
SALE is 5-5 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 2.92 and a WHIP of 1.128.
His team's record is 5-7 (-1.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-5. (+0.4 units)

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

SEATTLE (11 - 16) at LA ANGELS (12 - 15) - 10:05 PM
ROENIS ELIAS (L) vs. C.J. WILSON (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 7-14 (-10.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SEATTLE is 77-83 (-25.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 61-32 (+18.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA ANGELS is 3-2 (+1.2 Units) against SEATTLE this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.7 Units)

ROENIS ELIAS vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
ELIAS is 0-2 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 5.65 and a WHIP of 1.396.
His team's record is 1-2 (-0.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.1 units)

C.J. WILSON vs. SEATTLE since 1997
WILSON is 11-6 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 2.98 and a WHIP of 1.162.
His team's record is 15-7 (+5.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 9-11. (-2.7 units)

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BALTIMORE (12 - 12) at NY METS (17 - 10) - 7:10 PM
UBALDO JIMENEZ (R) vs. JACOB DEGROM (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 96-93 (+11.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 96-93 (+11.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 112-82 (+35.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 52-44 (+18.8 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 98-70 (+31.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 79-48 (+36.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 87-60 (+31.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 48-33 (+17.5 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 55-39 (+22.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

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

UBALDO JIMENEZ vs. NY METS since 1997
JIMENEZ is 2-3 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 3.40 and a WHIP of 1.210.
His team's record is 2-4 (-3.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-2. (+1.9 units)

JACOB DEGROM vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
No recent starts.

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

ARIZONA (10 - 14) at COLORADO (11 - 13) - 6:10 PM
ROBBIE RAY (L) vs. JORDAN LYLES (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 2-1 (+0.7 Units) against COLORADO this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.1 Units)

ROBBIE RAY vs. COLORADO since 1997
No recent starts.

JORDAN LYLES vs. ARIZONA since 1997
LYLES is 1-3 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 7.06 and a WHIP of 1.906.
His team's record is 1-6 (-5.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-7. (-8.0 units)

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, May 6

National League
Marlins @ Nationals
Koehler is 2-2, 4.67 in his five starts; three of his last four went over.

Scherzer is 1-2, 1.61 in his last four starts; four of his last five home starts stayed under the total.

Miami won four of last five games with Washington; they've lost four of last six games here. Under is 8-4 in last 12 series games. Marlins won nine of their last 12 games. Washington won six of its last eight games, with four of last five games staying under the total.

Reds @ Pirates
Leake is 1-1, 1.96 in his last three starts; seven of his last ten went over. .

Cole is 4-0, 1.75 in his last four starts; over is 3-1-1 in his last five.

Pittsburgh lost its last six games with the Reds; under is 6-2-2 in last 10 series games. Pirates lost their last four games, three in extra innings; under is 6-1-3 in their last ten. Cincinnati is 4-3 in its last seven games.

Phillies @ Braves
Williams is 2-1, 5.56 in his last four starts; under is 3-0-1 in his last four.

Foltynewicz allowed three runs in five IP (94 PT) in his first MLB start.

Phillies won three of last five games with Atlanta; under is 4-2-1 in last seven series games. Phillies lost six of their last eight games overall. Braves lost five of their last eight games; over is 6-2-2 in their last ten games.

Dodgers @ Brewers
Wieland is 1-4, 5.86 in seven MLB starts, all with the Padres; four of his last five went over the total- this is his first '15 start.

Peralta is 0-4, 4.35 in his five starts; eight of his last ten stayed under.

Milwaukee is 3-1 since Gomez came off DL; Five of last seven Brewer games stayed under the total. Dodgers won eight of last 11 games but lost seven of eleven road games. LA lost six of last eight games with Milwaukee.

Cubs @ Cardinals
Lester is 1-1, 2.95 in his last three starts; over is 4-2-1 in his last seven.

Lynn is 1-2, 3.38 in his five starts, four of which stayed under.

Cubs lost five of their last six games; they allowed 17 runs the last two nights. Cardinals won last eight games, allowing 27 runs. Cubs are 3-6 in last nine games with St Louis; four of last six series games stayed under.

Diamondbacks @ Rockies
Collmenter is 2-1, 1.57 in his last three starts; four of his last five went over. Ray was 0-4, 12.89 in his last four starts for Detroit LY.

Lyles is 1-2, 5.38 in his last three starts; five of his last seven went over total. Matzek is 2-0, 2.70 in his four starts; seven of his last ten stayed under.

Home side won eight of last ten Arizona-Colorado games; Snakes lost their last four visits to Coors Field. Seven of last eight series games went over the total. Arizona lost seven of last nine games; over is 4-1-1 in its last six games. Colorado lost last five games, outscored 47-17; five of its last six went over.

Padres @ Giants
Kennedy is 1-1, 7.11 in his three starts; four of his last six went over.

Heston is 2-2, 3.34 in his five starts; under is 4-0-1 in those five.

Home side won ten of last 12 Padre-Giant games; Padres lost five of last six visits here. San Diego won three of last five games, scoring 26 runs; five of its last eight games went over total. Giants won their last seven home games; eight of their last ten home games stayed under the total.

American League
Bronx @ Blue Jays
Sabathia is 0-4, 5.68 in his five starts; three of last four stayed under.

Buehrle is 0-2, 11.70 in his last two starts, allowing 23 hits in 10 IP; seven of his last nine starts went over.

Bronx won 14 of last 18 games, ten of last 12 on road; six of last nine on road stayed under. Blue Jays lost eight of last 12 games overall, with six of last nine going over. Bronx-Toronto split last ten games; three of last four series games went over.

Rays @ Red Sox
Colome is 3-0, 0.36 in his last four starts, all of which stayed under.

Masterson is 1-0, 3.00 in his last three starts- over is 3-2 in his starts.

Rays won three of last four games with Boston; four of last five stayed under total. Rays lost five of last eight games, scoring total of 15 runs- their last ten games stayed under the total. Red Sox lost seven of last ten games; five of last six stayed under the total.

A's @ Twins
Kazmir is 2-0, 1.65 in five starts, four of which went over total.

Gibson is 2-1, 2.36 in his last four starts; five of his last six stayed under.

Minnesota won eight of last 11 games, scoring 40 runs in their last six. they lost ten of last 12 games with Oakland-- eight of last twelve went over total. Oakland lost eight of last twelve games; over is 9-1-1 in their last eleven.

Rangers @ Astros
Lewis is 1-2, 3.00 in his five starts; four of his last six stayed under.

Deduno has made 43 MLB starts (16-19); he allowed one run in four IP (61 PT) in his first start this season. .

Houston won 10 of last 12 games, but lost last two; they lost six of last eight games with Texas- nine of last ten series games stayed under total. Rangers won three of their last four games overall.

Tigers @ White Sox
Simon is 4-1, 3.13 in his five starts; three of his last four stayed under.

Sale allowed nine runs in three IP last start, after going 2-0, 2.37 in his first three; over is 4-1-1 in his last six outings.

Chicago lost four of last six games with Detroit; White Sox lost five of their last six games overall, outscored 41-15. Detroit is 3-4 in its last seven games; three of their last four stayed under.

Indians @ Royals
Carrasco is 2-2, 7.05 in his last four starts; six of his last eight stayed under.

Duffy is 2-0, 2.66 in his last four starts; four of his last six went over.

Kansas City won five of last seven games with Cleveland; over is 5-0-1 in last six series games- road team won eight of last 11 in series. Indians lost seven of last ten games, with over 7-1-1 in last nine. Royals are 5-3 in their last eight games; over is 5-2-1 in those eight games.

Mariners @ Angels
Elias is 0-1, 3.86 in two starts this year; three of his last four went under.

Wilson is 0-1, 2.33 in his last three starts; four of his last five stayed under.

Seattle won six of last nine games against the Angels; seven of last ten in series stayed under total. Mariners lost five of last six games, allowing total of 32 runs- seven of their last ten went under. Angels lost four of their last five games, scoring 13 runs in last five- three of those five stayed under.

Interleague
Orioles @ Mets
Jimenez is 2-1, 2.38 in four starts; under is 3-1-1 in his last five.

deGrom is 0-2, 9.58 in his last two starts, after going 2-1, 0.93 in his first three- over is 4-2-1 in his last seven.

Mets are 4-7 in last 11 games since an 11-game win streak; they scored three runs in last three games- six of their last eight games stayed under. NY won last seven games with Baltimore; seven of last eight in series stayed under total. Orioles won five of last seven games, allowomg total of nine runs in last five- their last four games stayed under. .

Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Mia-Wsh-- Koehler 3-2; Scherzer 2-3
Cin-Pitt-- Leake 2-3; Cole 4-1
Phil-Atl-- Williams 3-2; Foltynewicz 1-0
LA-Mil-- Wieland 0-0; Peralta 0-5
Chi-StL-- Lester 3-2; Lynn 2-3
Az-Colo-- Collmenter 2-3 Ray 0-0; Matzek 3-1 Lyles 2-3
SD-SF-- Kennedy 1-2; Heston 3-2

NY-Tor-- Sabathia 1-4; Buehrle 3-2
TB-Bos-- Colome 1-0; Masterson 3-2
A's-Minn-- Kazmir 3-2; Gibson 3-2
Tex-Hst-- Lewis 1-4; Deduno 1-0
Det-Chi-- Simon 4-1; Sale 2-2
Cle-KC-- Carrasco 3-2; Duffy 4-1
Sea-LAA-- Elias 0-2; Wilson 2-3

Balt-NYM-- Jimenez 2-2; de Grom 2-3

Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Mia-Wsh-- Koehler 0-5; Scherzer 1-5
Cin-Pitt-- Leake 1-5; Cole 1-5
Phil-Atl-- Williams 2-5; Foltynewicz 1-1
LA-Mil-- Wieland 0-0; Peralta 1-5
Chi-StL-- Lester 3-5; Lynn 0-5
Az-Colo-- Collmenter 2-3 Ray 0-0; Matzek 3-1 Lyles 1-5
SD-SF-- Kennedy 1-3; Heston 1-5

NY-Tor-- Sabathia 2-5; Buehrle 3-5
TB-Bos-- Colome 1-0; Masterson 2-5
A's-Minn-- Kazmir 0-5; Gibson 1-5
Tex-Hst-- Lewis 0-5; Deduno 0-1
Det-Chi-- Simon 0-5; Sale 3-4
Cle-KC-- Carrasco 4-5; Duffy 1-5
Sea-LAA-- Elias 2-2; Wilson 1-5

Balt-NYM-- Jimenez 0-4; de Grom 2-5

Umpires
Mia-Wsh-- Blakney's frst two games stayed under total.
Cin-Pitt-- Underdogs are 11-7 in last 18 Conroy games.
Phil-Atl-- Under is 3-0-1 in Bellino games this season.
LA-Mil-- Last three Baker games went over the total.
Chi-StL-- Underdogs won last nine Reyburn games.
SD-SF-- Over is 17-1-2 in last twenty Morales games.

NY-Tor-- Over is 14-4-2 in last twenty Basner games.
TB-Bos-- Underdogs are 4-3 in last seven Carlson games.
Tex-Hst-- Under is 5-1-2 in last eight Winters games.
A's-Min-- Underdogs are 9-5 in last 14 Fagan games.
Cle-KC-- Underdogs are 5-5 in last ten Little games.
Det-Chi-- Under is 17-3-1 in last 21 Reynolds games.
Sea-LAA-- Under is 10-4-1 in last fifteen Hudson games.

Balt-NYM-- Under is 22-9 in last thirty-one O'Nora games.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Tuesday, May 5


Washington Wizards @ Atlanta Hawks

Game 709-710
May 5, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington Wizard
117.515
Atlanta Hawks
127.924
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta Hawks
by 10 1/2
193
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta Hawks
by 6
198
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta Hawks
(-6); Under

Memphis Grizzlies @ Golden State Warriors

Game 711-712
May 5, 2015 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Memphis Grizzlies
118.041
Golden State Warr
135.522
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State Warr
by 17 1/2
191
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State Warr
by 10 1/2
196 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Golden State Warr
(-10 1/2); Under




NBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, May 5

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

WASHINGTON (51 - 36) at ATLANTA (64 - 25) - 5/5/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 156-200 ATS (-64.0 Units) vs. division opponents since 1996.
ATLANTA is 51-35 ATS (+12.5 Units) in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 38-26 ATS (+9.4 Units) as a favorite this season.
ATLANTA is 27-18 ATS (+7.2 Units) in home games this season.
ATLANTA is 25-11 ATS (+12.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ATLANTA is 27-17 ATS (+8.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
WASHINGTON is 45-32 ATS (+9.8 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 52-39 ATS (+9.1 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 9-0 ATS (+9.0 Units) in road games in all playoff games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 4-19 ATS (-16.9 Units) in the second round of the playoffs since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 7-4 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 7-6 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
11 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

MEMPHIS (59 - 29) at GOLDEN STATE (72 - 15) - 5/5/2015, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 48-35 ATS (+9.5 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 44-29 ATS (+12.1 Units) as a favorite this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 27-15 ATS (+10.5 Units) in home games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 29-16 ATS (+11.4 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 28-18 ATS (+8.2 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 26-14 ATS (+10.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MEMPHIS is 30-19 ATS (+9.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MEMPHIS is 7-4 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
MEMPHIS is 6-5 straight up against GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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




NBA
Short Sheet

Tuesday, May 5


Eastern Conference - Semifinals - Best of 7 - Game 2

Washington Wizards at Atlanta Hawks, 8:05 ET
Washington: 9-0 ATS in road games in all playoff games
Atlanta: 4-19 ATS in the second round of the playoffs


Western Conference - Semifinals - Best of 7 - Game 2

Memphis Grizzlies at Golden State Warriors, 10:35 ET
Memphis: 17-7 UNDER (+9.3 Units) after playing a game as an underdog
Golden State: 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) as a home favorite of 6.5 to 12 points




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, May 5

Washington came back from down 10 at half to post upset in Game 1, as Wizards won 4th consecutive Game 1 on road- they're 2-3 in last five vs Atlanta, with last two losses here by 9-31 points. Eight of last nine series games went over total. Wizards have now won last three road games; seven of their last eight games went over total. Hawks bench shot 7-20 in Game 1; they were 13-38 from arc, with Korver a sub-par 3-11. Wizards' bench was a combined +35 in Game 1, Atlanta's -27.

Memphis PG Conley (facial fractures) is expected to play here, after the Warriors drilled Memphis by 15 in Game 1. Grizzlies lost five of last six games with Golden State; five of last seven series games stayed under the total. Memphis lost four of last five road games; five of their last seven games stayed under total. Golden State has 72 wins this year; they've won nine games in row but covered only two of last eight. Warriors' last home loss was January 27 to the Bulls.

2015 playoffs
Chicago vs Cleveland
Chi 99-92, +4.5, U195

Washington vs Atlanta
Wash 104-98, +5.5, O197

Memphis vs Golden State
GSt 101-86, -10.5, U196

LA Clippers vs Houston
LAC 117-101, +7.5, O212




NBA

Tuesday, May 5

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

8:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. ATLANTA
Washington is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games when playing Atlanta
Washington is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing Washington
Atlanta is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against Washington

10:30 PM
MEMPHIS vs. GOLDEN STATE
Memphis is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games when playing Golden State
Memphis is 6-2-1 ATS in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Golden State's last 7 games when playing Memphis
Golden State is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

POST 27 IS FROM LAST NIGHTS GAMES.......DISMISS THAT.

Recapping Tuesday's Action: MLB 1 - 5.......NBA goes 1 - 3......NHL goes 3 - 1
Second losing night......time to turn it around. MLB has been in a major slump.....

MAY RATED PICKS

MLB

*****..................... 8 - 6 .....................+ 2.56
double play.............. 7 - 11 .....................- 5.48
triple play ............... 1 - 4 .................... - 12.04
grand slam .............. 1 - 5 .................... - 29.56

NBA

*****......................3 - 3
double play...............3 - 2
triple play................ 0 - 0
slam dunk.................1 - 4

NHL

*****................. 2 - 1................+ 1.30
double play.......... 6 - 2............... + 8.70
triple play.............0 - 0............... + 0.00
hat trick...............0 - 1 ................- 4,00

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday's Tip Sheet

May 6, 2015

Bulls at Cavaliers (-6, 194 ½) – 7:05 PM EST – TNT
Game 2 – Chicago leads 1-0

Missing a few key pieces in the series opener of the conference semifinals proved costly for Cleveland, as it couldn’t overcome the absences of Kevin Love and J.R. Smith in a 99-92 loss as 4 ½-point favorites on Monday. The Cavaliers never led in the contest, but they did shrink a 16-point deficit down to two with six minutes remaining in regulation, although a 6-0 run by the Bulls put the game out of reach.

Love is sidelined for the remainder of the playoffs with a dislocated shoulder, while Smith’s two-game suspension wraps up tonight for a Cleveland squad that received just nine points from its bench in Game 1. Kyrie Irving stepped up with a game-high 30 points for the Cavs, while Iman Shumpert pumped in 22 points. LeBron James struggled from the floor with a 9-for-22 effort for 19 points, as the Cavs’ star pulled down 15 rebounds. Cleveland managed to hang around in spite of shooting 42% from the floor, its second lowest-percentage in the playoffs (Cavs shot 39% in Game 4 against Boston).

The Bulls needed a quick knockout punch to grab home-court advantage in the series and did so by taking a 25-11 lead in the first quarter. The edge ballooned to 16 points in the second quarter before the Cavs trimmed the deficit to three points on two occasions, as Pau Gasol’s jumper late in the quarter gave Chicago a five-point halftime advantage. Gasol put together a solid showing with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Derrick Rose overcame a tough shooting night (11-of-26) to score 25 points, giving the Bulls their third road win of the postseason.

The Cavaliers cashed the ‘under’ for the fourth straight game, while allowing less than 100 points in each of their five playoff contests. Following an ‘over’ in their playoff opener against Chicago, the Bulls have finished ‘under’ the total in five of their last six games, as the 195 total in Game 1 of this series was the highest number put out for Chicago in postseason.

VegasInsider.com NBA analyst Chris David says the Bulls have put themselves in a great position, “Chicago came out hot in Game 1 and did enough to finish off the Cavaliers for the victory. Two things caught my eye in the opener and if they happen again, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Chicago go up 2-0. First, the Bulls shot much better from the field, in particular from 3-point land. Second, the Bulls bench outscored the Cavaliers by 10 points and that’s where the depth issue for Cleveland was exposed.”

David Blatt’s club has lost back-to-back home games just once this season, back in November against Denver and San Antonio. In James’ run in Miami the previous four seasons, the Heat never fell down in a series, 2-0, posting a perfect 6-0 SU/ATS record after losing Game 1 of a playoff series. The last time one of James’ teams lost the opening two contests of a postseason series came in 2008 with Cleveland, falling behind Boston, 2-0 in the second round (the Cavs lost in seven games).

Will the Cavs bounce back tonight? David provides his view, “I expect Cleveland to rebound in Game 2 and even up the series but it won’t be easy. Looking at their last 20 games, head coach Tom Thibodeau has his team playing at a high level. During this span, they’ve gone 14-6 and what sticks it to me is that only one of those losses came by more than six points.

Clippers at Rockets (-7, 214) – 9:35 PM EST – TNT
Game 2 – Los Angeles leads 1-0

Some people may find the result of Game 1 of this series a total shock, as Chris Paul rested his strained hamstring and the Clippers still found a way to outgun the Rockets, 117-101. Los Angeles cashed as 7 ½-point underdogs to pick up its third road victory of the postseason and its third straight win overall as Blake Griffin posted another triple-double with 26 points, 14 rebounds, and 13 assists. Jamal Crawford contributed 21 points off the bench, while Paul’s backup, Austin Rivers, scored a playoff career-high 17 points.

Paul’s status is up in the air for tonight’s Game 2 at the Toyota Center on his 30th birthday, as the thinking goes three ways. Rest Paul once again and if the Clippers lose, they go home with a split and the All-Star guard gets a few more days to recover. Keep Paul sidelined and if Los Angeles wins, it is in tremendous shape and he can be ready for Game 3 on Friday. Or play Paul tonight and go for the jugular, but risk further injury if he isn’t feeling right.

The Rockets’ defense has been chewed up in the playoffs, allowing 71 points in the second half on Monday night to the Clippers, while getting outrebounded, 42-35. James Harden and Dwight Howard combined for 42 points, but three key role players for the Rockets were held in check, as Terrence Jones, Corey Brewer, and Josh Smith scored 19 points between them on 7-of-30 shooting. The Rockets struggled from long distance by knocking down just 11 of 33 attempts from three-point range, while Harden turned the ball over nine times in the opener.

Dating back to last season, the Clippers have won seven of the previous nine meetings with the Rockets, while taking three of five matchups this season. Houston has responded well off a loss at Toyota Center this season, posting a 9-1 SU/ATS record in this situation with the lone defeat coming to Atlanta in late December.

David doesn’t think you should jump off the Clippers’ bandwagon, even with Paul’s status in doubt for Game 2, “Similar to many other pundits, I wasn’t that surprised by the outcome of Game 1, rather the margin. The Rockets gave up in the second-half and allowing 71 points shows you how weak they are defensively and we should be surprised. Despite having Howard, the Rockets allowed 101.2 PPG during the regular season and that averaged has ballooned up to 111.2 PPG in the playoffs. Just knowing that fact, it’s hard to lay a healthy number with a team that can’t stop anybody. Add to the fact that the Clippers are now 3-1 on the road in the playoffs and I believe all the value is with the visitor.”

From a totals perspective, the Rockets are 4-2 to the ‘over’ in the postseason, while going 10-4 to the ‘over’ since the start of April. The Clippers have drilled the ‘over’ in four of their last five contests, while scoring at least 102 points in each of those games. Since 2012, Los Angeles is 0-10-1 ATS off an ATS win in the postseason, so keep that in mind heading into Game 2.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Canadiens (50-22) at Lightning (50-24)
Date: May 06, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Having home-ice advantage in last year's first-round series with the Montreal Canadiens did nothing to help the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Tampa Bay has turned the tables on Montreal in this postseason.

After taking the first two on the road, the Lightning look to pull within a victory of reaching the Eastern Conference finals Wednesday night at home.

Tampa Bay fell in an 0-2 hole in 2014 before being swept with two defeats in Montreal. After winning all five meetings in the regular season, the Lightning won Game 1 on the road aided by a blown non-call before Sunday's dominant 6-2 victory.

Coach Jon Cooper is confident his club can carry its solid play to its home rink despite Tampa being just 2-4 in Amalie Arena over the last two postseasons. It dropped two during its seven-game win over Detroit in the first round.

"I'm not as much worried about Montreal's desperation level as I am ours," Cooper said. "The mere fact that we're at home means nothing in Game 3 of the playoffs. To us, the series is 0-0 and we need to treat it like that."

The Canadiens have lost their last three playoff games at home, but they won two of three on the road while beating Ottawa in six games in the first round.

'I don't know how much home ice has been an advantage in all the playoffs so far,' said Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop, who has a .961 save percentage while winning the last four. 'We look forward to going home, but it's not going to be any easier.'

And the Canadiens in no way are feeling defeated. Vezina Trophy and Hart Trophy finalist Carey Price allowed his most goals of the season in Game 2, but his teammates didn't give him much help as the Lightning converted 4 of 8 on the power play.

Montreal is 1 for 26 with the man advantage in the playoffs, leaving special teams as the main area of focus in practice leading up to this contest.

"We still have a lot of belief in our locker room and the guys that we have," defenseman Tom Gilbert told the team's official website. "It doesn't matter how many times they beat us throughout the regular season, Game 1 or Game 2. I think if we can just play a full 60 minutes, we'll give ourselves a good chance to win."

Price's .922 save percentage in the playoffs doesn't exactly stand out after he led the NHL with a .933 mark in the regular season. However, he's at .947 in even-strength situations, with nine of the 20 goals he's allowed in the postseason coming with the Canadiens short-handed.

Montreal's 138 penalty minutes rank second among playoff teams, and its inability to stay out of the box provides more power-play time for Steven Stamkos. He scored his first goal of this year's playoffs with the man advantage in Game 2.

'It was definitely a release of some things that have been building up,' Stamkos said. 'Whether it's my first or my 20th, your emotions are running high. Any time you score a goal in the playoffs it's exciting, but that one maybe a little more so than others I've scored.'

The Lightning were 0 for 23 on the power play over their previous six before Sunday's outburst.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Lightning at Canadiens
Fri, May 1 Final 2 to 1

GAME 2
Lightning at Canadiens
Sun, May 3 Final 6 to 2

GAME 3
Canadiens at Lightning
Wed, May 6 - 7:00PM EDT

GAME 4
Canadiens at Lightning
Thu, May 7 - 7:00PM EDT