Thursday Trends and Indexes 04/26

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Trends and Indexes
Thursday, April 26

Good Luck on day #116 of 2007!

NOTE:
As information becomes available, we will attempt to post the trends and indexes as soon as possible.
Information is posted from what we believe are reliable sources.

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Thursday's List of 13: Random thoughts on a rainy night

13) Slumping Adam Laroche crossed up Phil Garner's strategy by grounding a weak single through left side of infield, giving Pirates a 16-inning, 4-3 win over Houston last night. Houston had walked Jason Bay intentionally to get to Laroche, whose batting average, even after the winning hit, is a paltry .106.

12) Jake Peavy struck out 16 Diamondbacks in seven innings, including near-record nine in row at one point, but Drew hit a two-run tater off Trevor Hoffman in 9th inning as Snakes got an unlikely 3-2 win, snapping their five-game skid.

11) Tim Hudson had 3-0 lead in 9th inning at Florida, but Fish pushed across four in bottom of ninth, shocking Atlanta 4-3. The winning run scored on a wild pitch by Bob Wickman.

10) If you ever invest in totals, be aware of ump Hirschbeck, who is a pitcher's best friend; he did Rockies-Mets Tuesday, and you haven't seen this many unhappy hitters in long time. If the plate is normally 17 inches wide, Hirschbeck's is 20-22.

9) Tommy Heinsohn is going to represent the Celtics at the lottery drawing on May 22. I'm really not sure why.

8) Former Celtic Rick Carlisle got the ziggy from Pacers; his career record as an NBA head coach is 281-211, so difficult to figure out why, but Carlisle might like college coaching better since there is more coaching at the college level.

7) Weird that the whole text messaging ban in recruiting was instigated by Ivy League schools, who have lot more money than other D-I schools, although they don't use it on sports. How can a league that doesn't give scholarships dictate what legislation the scholarship schools work under?

6) The more I read about text messaging, the more it is clear that the modern teenager would rather text than talk on phone especially to an adult they don't really know.

5) Gatorade pays $45M to be the official drink of the NFL.

4) The Las Vegas Marriage Bureau issued 122,259 marriage licenses in 2005. Thats a lot of misery they dished out.

3) Last week, Paul Konerko of White Sox became just second player in last 15 years to strike out with bases loaded in back-to-back innings. Richie Sexson was the other, in 2000.

2) Six of the nine guys who started for Colorado Wednesday came into game batting under .200; of course, Rockies went for 20 hits in 11-5 win. Baseball can be very weird.

1) Milwaukee skipper Ned Yost is managing with a broken collarbone after a fall while jogging Tuesday. The only way an old-time manager would break his collarbone would be by falling off a barstool, but things have changed.

[pm530]

Baseball – Write up

MLB
Write-up


Thursday, April 26

Hot Pitchers
-- Lohse is 1-0, 2.30 in four starts this season.
-- Hamels is 2-0, 2.89 in four starts this season. Hill has 1.83 RA in his last three starts.
-- Young is 2-1, 3.74 in four starts this season.
-- Penny is 3-0, 1.71 in four starts this season. Giants won Ortiz' last two starts, scoring 12 runs.

-- Byrd is 1-1, 3.24 in three starts this season.
-- Kennedy is 0-2, 2.25 in three starts; A's scored five runs in his three starts. Batista is 1-2, 9.83 in three starts this season.
-- Colon allowed one run in seven IP in first '07 start, but has a gimpy ankle; Halos have Moseley ready in reserve here.
-- Burnett is 1-0, 3.21 in his last three starts. Beckett is 4-0, 2.92 in four starts this season.
-- Orioles are 3-1 in Loewen's starts, scoring 21 runs.
-- Robertson is 2-1, 2.73 in four starts this season.

Cold Pitchers
-- Armas allowed 14 runs in 6.2 IP in two starts so far this year. Rodriguez is 0-2, 4.74 in three starts this season.
-- Keisler is 0-0, 4.91 in two starts this season.
-- LHernandez is 0-1, 8.18 in his last two starts.

-- Greinke is 0-1, 12.71 in his last two starts. Bonser is 0-1, 9.82 in his last three starts.
-- Seo has a 9.67 RA in four starts, but Rays won three of them, scoring 28 runs.
-- Hughes makes first big league start as highly touted prospect being rushed to bigs because of Bronx pitching issues; he was 2-1, 3.94 in three starts at AAA this month.
-- Contreras is 1-2, 7.58 in four starts this season.

Totals
-- Over is 6-3-1 in last ten Houston road games.
-- Under is 6-2 in Cincinnati road games.
-- Six of Philly's last seven home games went over the total.
-- Under is 7-2-1 in last ten Arizona home games.
-- Over is 7-0-1 in last eight Dodger home games.

-- Six of last eight Texas games stayed under the total.
-- Seven of last ten Kansas City games went over the total.
-- Seven of last ten Seattle games went over the total.
-- Over is 9-1-1 in Devil Rays' last eleven games.
-- Under is 8-1-2 in Baltimore home games.
-- Last nine Bronx games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven White Sox games went over the total.

Hot Teams
-- Pirates won last three games, allowing total of eight runs.
-- Phillies won last five games, scoring 39 runs.
-- Padres won four of their last six games.
-- Giants won last seven games, allowing 17 runs.

-- Indians won five of their last six games.
-- Oakland is 10-1 in last eleven home games vs Seattle, which won its last two games overall, allowing four runs. .
-- Angels won five of last six games, scoring 44 runs. Tampa Bay is 6-1 in game after its last seven losses.
-- Toronto won last two games, scoring 17 runs.
-- White Sox won six of last eight games. Detroit is 8-4 in last twelve road games.

Cold Teams
-- Astros lost last five games, allowing 28 runs.
-- Cincinnati lost five of its last seven games. Cardinals lost six of their last nine games.
-- Nationals lost five of their last six games.
-- Arizona lost five of their last six games.
-- Dodgers lost their last three games, 7-5/5-3/6-4..

-- Rangers are 3-7 in their last ten games.
-- Royals are 6-14 in their last twenty games. Minnesota lost five of its last six games.
-- Orioles lost last three games, both at home, 6-5/4-2/6-1.
-- Bronx lost their last five games, allowing 37 runs.

[pm530]

Pro Basketball – Write up

NBA
Write-up


Thursday, April 26

Detroit won first two series games, pair of foul-filled affairs with average of 63 free throws a game. Pistons have total of just 17 turnovers in two games. Magic's second unit has struggled to score, other than Milicic (12 ppg in series). Orlando just 5-13 on arc in two games; their FG% went down from 58.1% in Game 1 to 46.1% in next game. Maybe they'll get more calls at home.


Utah is down 2-0 despite Holding Rockets under 40% from the floor in both games, and leading both at half. Jazz hasn't won a playoff series when they've trailed 0-2, and overall, they're 3-8 in their last eleven games. Houston is just 13-51 from arc so far in series, but they're 55-65 from foul line, as they've gotten ball to good spots for good shots.


Lakers had no clue in first two series games, losing by 8,28 and trailing last game 68-47 at the half; will they do better at home? Suns shot 54% in Game 2, made 11-26 treys, scored 126 points with a mere nine turnovers (they only had 8 in first game). Last year, Lakers led Amare-less Suns 3-1 in series, still lost; unless they put up huge effort here, they'll probably get swept.

[pm530]

Hockey – Write up

NHL
Write-up


Thursday, April 26

Ottawa hammered New Jersey 8-1 in first meeting of year, then lost next three, 3-2/3-2/2-1so, last of which was played April 3. Senators dispatched Pittsburgh fairly easily in five games; they allowed one goal in last two games. Devils won last three tilts to eliminate Tampa Bay in 6. This should be good series.


Detroit survived OT in Calgary for only road win in three tries in that series; they lost three of four vs Sharks this year, with a 2-1 home win followed by 3-2 home loss, and 5-1/9-4 losses out in Bay Area. San Jose won last three games vs Nashville, all in close, low scoring games (3-1/3-2/3-2).

[pm530]

Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB
Tips and Trends


Thursday, April 26

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Texas Rangers at Cleveland Indians (12:05 PM ET)

Texas starter Kameron Loe had a successful first start of the 2007 season, pitching 5 1/3 shutout innings against the Oakland A's in a 7-0 victory on Saturday. He made five relief appearances this year before moving into the starting rotation. SLIGHT EDGE: RANGERS
Cleveland veteran right-hander Paul Byrd is just 1-5 with a 7.46 ERA in six career starts against the Rangers. He did pitch six shutout innings in his only home start this season, a 4-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox. SLIGHT EDGE: RANGERS
The Indians are 11-2 in Byrd's last 13 home starts.



Houston Astros at Pittsburgh Pirates (12:35 PM ET)

Houston left-hander Wandy Rodriguez has made just one road start this season and it was a rough one. The Milwaukee Brewers knocked him around for six runs and nine hits over six innings of work. EDGE: PIRATES
Pittsburgh starter Tony Armas has struggled mightily so far this season, giving up 14 runs and 15 hits in just 6 2/3 innings of work. On the flip side, the 28-year-old right-hander is 3-2 with a 3.69 ERA in seven career starts against the Astros. SLIGHT EDGE: PIRATES
The Pirates are 3-12 in their last 15 home games verus a left-handed starter.
The Astros are 1-8 in Rodriguez's last nine starts.



Washington Nationals at Philadelphia Phillies (3:05 PM ET)

Washington starter Shawn Hill has been the Nationals most effective pitcher, posting a 1-2 record with a 2.92 ERA. He's made two career starts against the Phillies, going 1-1 with an inflated 7.45 ERA. SLIGHT EDGE: NATIONALS
Philadelphia ace Cole Hamels is coming off a brilliant start against the Cincinnati Reds last Saturday, allowing one run in a complete game five-hitter in which he struck out a career-high 15 batters. BIG EDGE: PHILLIES
The Phillies are 6-0 in Hamels' last six starts versus a team with a losing record.



Boston Red Sox at Baltimore Orioles (7:05 PM ET)

Boston hurler Josh Beckett looks to go a perfect 5-0 in April, as he takes on the Baltimore Orioles - a team he's 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA against in his career. EDGE: RED SOX
Orioles starter Adam Loewen is a disappointing 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in three career starts against the Red Sox. He has been impressive at home this year, allowing just two runs over 10 2/3 innings. SLIGHT EDGE: RED SOX
The Orioles are 5-0 in Loewen's last five starts versus the AL East.
The UNDER is 5-0 in Beckett's last five road starts.



San Diego Padres at Arizona Diamondbacks (9:40 PM ET)

San Diego starter Chris Young has allowed just one earned run and four hits in eight career innings against Arizona. Young bounced back nicely from his worst start of the year on April 15 against the Dodgers, hurling seven innings of one run ball in a 11-1 victory over the Rockies last Friday. EDGE: PADRES
Arizona right-hander Livan Hernandez is 9-3 with a 3.76 ERA in 18 career starts against San Diego. He picked up a no-decision in his only other home start this season, allowing three runs - two earned - in six innings. EDGE: D-BACKS
The Diamondbacks are 4-0 in Hernandez's last four home starts.



San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers (10:10 PM ET)

Giants starter Russ Ortiz has an 8-9 record with a 5.07 ERA in 21 career appearances (20 starts) against the Dodgers. Los Angeles picked up a 4-1 victory over Ortiz in his first start of the season, picking up three runs on seven hits as he lasted five innings. EDGE: DODGERS
Los Angeles fireballer Brad Penny is an impressive 3-0 with a 1.37 ERA in four starts this season. He's lasted at least six innings and hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in any start this season. EDGE: DODGERS
The Giants are 4-0 in Ortiz's last four road starts versus the Dodgers.


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[pm530]

Pro Basketball – Tips and Trends

NBA
Tips and trends



Thursday, April 26

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#1 Detroit Pistons at #8 Orlando Magic
Game 3 - Thursday, April 26th, 8 p.m. Eastern (TNT)

Orlando star Dwight Howard was battling an illness on Monday, part of the reason for an eight-point performance in Game 2. "Dwight was sick quite honestly," Magic head coach Brian Hill said. "He just didn't have anything. Before the game, he was nauseous and had intense stomach pains." Howard has been a major disappointment in the first two games after making just 3-of-11 free throws in Game 1. Look for Howard to go off in Game 3 if Orlando is going to have any chance of earning a win in this series. SLIGHT EDGE: MAGIC
Experts who have followed the Pistons closely know they tend to be more focused on the road, as they are the only playoff team that won more games away from home during the regular season. This is a veteran team looking to make the conference finals for the fifth straight year yet has surpisingly not swept a playoff opponent since 1990. This game could go a long way in terms of showing how serious the Pistons are about closing out an opponent and how far they will go this postseason. SLIGHT EDGE: PISTONS
Detroit is 16-6-3 ATS in its last 25 games.
Road team is 13-3-3 ATS in the last 19 meetings.
OVER is 11-4 in the last 15 meetings.
OVER is 8-2 in Detroit's last 10 home games.

Head-to-Head Recaps
FIRST-ROUND RESULTS (HOME team in CAPS)

Detroit leads 2-0 SU (Orlando 1-0-1 ATS)
OVER 2-0

4/23/07 - Game 2: DETROIT 98, Orlando 90 (ATS winner: PUSH -8 | OVER 182.5)
Recap | Boxscore
SUMMARY: The Pistons again followed what is becoming a familiar pattern of doing just enough to hold a comfortable cushion whenever needed. Unfortunately for their backers, that wasn't enough for a cover in Game 2. Detroit got up early on the Magic in the first quarter and then let them back in the game by halftime en route to a slim 47-44 lead. The Pistons then outscored Orlando 24-15 in the third before letting the Magic pull within six with 90 seconds left. Luckily for OVER bettors, this became a free-throw shooting contest down the stretch and Detroit pulled off a push.

4/21/07 - Game 1: DETROIT 100, Orlando 92 (ATS winner: Orlando +9.5 | OVER 180.5)
Recap | Boxscore
SUMMARY: Much like their last regular-season meeting, the Pistons got off to a strong start, but that wasn't enough to cover the spread down the stretch. Detroit led by 12 at the end of the third quarter and 14 at the end of the third but saw the Magic win the fourth quarter 25-19 to earn the ATS victory. Each team also had two quarters of 25 points or more to push the total OVER.

REGULAR-SEASON RESULTS

Detroit wins 4-0 SU & 3-0-1 ATS
OVER/UNDER 2-2

4/11/07 - DETROIT 104, Orlando 99 (ATS winner: PUSH -5 | OVER 184.5)
2/23/07 - Detroit 94, ORLANDO 89 (ATS winner: Det -2 | UNDER 185)
2/21/07 - DETROIT 110, Orlando 88 (ATS winner: Det -7.5 | OVER 182)
12/8/06 - Detroit 87, ORLANDO 83 (ATS winner: Det +4 | UNDER 186.5)

REGULAR-SEASON SERIES RECAP: The Pistons simply took care of business en route to sweeping the season series. Even the last meeting wasn't close until the fourth quarter, as Detroit built a 13-point lead at the end of the first. Detroit is simply too experienced and matches up well against the Magic at every position except center, with Dwight Howard averaging 21 points and 13.5 rebounds in the four meetings. Still, Howard's best game (26 points, 15 rebounds) came in the most lopsided of the four, so watch for the Pistons to take control of this playoff series early.


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#5 Houston Rockets at #4 Utah Jazz
Game 3 - Thursday, April 26th, 9 p.m. Eastern (NBATV)
Utah's Carlos Boozer did all he could in Game 2, totaling a career-high 41 points and 12 rebounds. However, two of his key teammates continue to be missing in action during this series. Andre Kirilenko complained about lack of playing time after Game 1 and turned in another dud with 0 points in 17 minutes after scoring two in the series opener. Meanwhile, second-leading scorer Mehmet Okur (17.6 points per game) has totaled just 10 points in the first two games combined. Insiders believe Kirilenko and Okur simply have the toughest matchups possible in Houston's Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming and would be surprised if they turned things around. EDGE: ROCKETS
The main advantage for Utah going back home should be the officiating - at least the Jazz hope so. The Rockets have gone to the line 30 more times in the first two games and scored 33 more points from the charity stripe. Look for Utah to get more calls at home, which could definitely make a major difference in Game 3. BIG EDGE: JAZZ
Utah is 4-18 ATS in its last 22 overall.
OVER is 8-2 in Utah's last 10 games.


Head-to-Head Recaps
FIRST-ROUND RESULTS (HOME team in CAPS)

Houston leads 2-0 SU & ATS
OVER/UNDER 1-1

4/23/07 - Game 2: HOUSTON 98, Utah 90 (ATS winner: Houston -5 | OVER 188)
Recap | Boxscore
SUMMARY: The Rockets didn't wait until the second half to take off in this one. Instead, they rallied back in the second quarter after trailing by nine points at the end of a quarter for the second straight game. Each team failed to score more than 17 points in one of the first two quarters, but the second half turned what looked like a sure UNDER into an OVER. Houston scored 59 points after the break, including 31 in the fourth quarter, the highest total for either team through the first two games.

4/21/07 - Game 1: HOUSTON 84, Utah 75 (ATS winner: Houston -6.5 | UNDER 188.5)
Recap | Boxscore
SUMMARY: The story of this game was Houston star Tracy McGrady, who scored just 1 point by halftime but erupted for 16 in the third quarter to turn a 9-point halftime deficit into a 6-point lead going into the fourth quarter. The Rockets outscored Utah 26-11 in the third after trailing 42-33 at the break. A couple missed 3-pointers by the Jazz in the final seconds kept them from covering. Each team also failed to score more than 20 points in two of the four quarters to force the total UNDER.

REGULAR-SEASON RESULTS

Utah wins 3-1 SU & ATS
OVER/UNDER 2-2

4/18/07 - UTAH 101, Houston 91 (ATS winner: Utah -8.5 | UNDER 192.5)
4/1/07 - Utah 86, HOUSTON 83 (ATS winner: Utah +5.5 | UNDER 189.5)
1/5/07 - HOUSTON 100, Utah 86 (ATS winner: Houston -3 | OVER 184.5)
11/1/06 - UTAH 107, Houston 97 (ATS winner: Utah +1.5 | OVER 182.5)

REGULAR-SEASON SERIES RECAP: You can throw out the last meeting between the teams on the last day of the regular season, as Houston stars Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady sat out to rest for the playoffs. Yao also missed Houston's lone win in the season series with a broken leg, so Utah won both meetings when the teams were at full strength. Utah has a slightly better home record, so the home-court edge could be the key in this series for the Rockets even though the Jazz have proven they can win at Houston. This should be one of the most competitve matchups of the first round.


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#2 Phoenix Suns at #7 Los Angeles Lakers
Game 3 - Thursday, April 26th, 10:30 p.m. Eastern (TNT)

The Suns got another outstanding effort from reserve guard Leandro Barbosa in Game 2, as he again scored 26 points in 26 minutes off the bench after winning Sixth Man of the Year honors. Barbosa is a very difficult matchup for the Lakers because of his size and quickness. BIG EDGE: SUNS
The Lakers are 2-14 SU in their last 16 games when Kobe Bryant scores 40 points or less. Bryant made just 5-of-13 shots and totaled 15 points, only six of which came after the first quarter. He also tweaked his ankle in the fourth quarter and had to leave the game. EDGE: SUNS
The Lakers won Games 3 and 4 in their first-round series with Phoenix a year ago, so it's not out of the question that they can win a game. However, LA had the luxury of coming home with a split last year rather than dealing with the aftermath of a blowout loss and sitting in an 0-2 hole. "It's kind of sad, but I don't know that we're close as a team right now as far as camaraderie and things like that," LA's Lamar Odom said. "That's the only way you lose games like this, when you're not that close." BIG EDGE: SUNS
LA is 6-17-1 ATS in its last 24 games.
OVER is 12-4 in LA's last 16 home games.

Head-to-Head Recaps
FIRST-ROUND RESULTS (HOME team in CAPS)

Phoenix leads 2-0 SU (1-1 ATS)
OVER/UNDER 1-1

4/24/07 - Game 2: PHOENIX 126, LA Lakers 98 (ATS winner: Phoenix -8.5 | OVER 207)
Recap | Boxscore
SUMMARY: The Suns made sure to get off to a strong start in Game 2, scoring nearly 30 points more in the first half than they did in Game 1. They outscored the Lakers in every quarter with 27 points or more in each to push a strong OVER pace. LA tried to keep up but failed in what turned out to be the biggest blowout of the playoffs so far.

4/22/07 - Game 1: PHOENIX 95, LA Lakers 87 (ATS winner: LA +10.5 | UNDER 211)
Recap | Boxscore
SUMMARY: The Lakers built a 48-39 halftime lead behind 28 points from Kobe Bryant, who was just as cold in the second half as he was hot in the first. Bryant missed 11 of his last 12 shots, going 1-of-10 in the fourth quarter when they were outscored 21-10. The Suns also outscored LA 35-29 in the third to give the OVER a glimmer of hope, but that torrid pace ended abruptly with the poor shooting down the stretch.

REGULAR-SEASON RESULTS

Phoenix wins 3-1 SU (Lakers 3-1 ATS)
OVER/UNDER 2-2

4/13/07 - PHOENIX 93, LA Lakers 85 (ATS winner: LAL +9.5 | UNDER 220.5)
4/8/07 - Phoenix 115, LA LAKERS 107 (ATS winner: Pho -4.5 | OVER 218)
3/4/07 - PHOENIX 99, LA Lakers 94 (ATS winner: LAL +10 | UNDER 219.5)
10/31/06 - LA LAKERS 114, Phoenix 106 (ATS winner: LAL +5 | OVER 209.5)

REGULAR-SEASON SERIES RECAP: The Suns sent a message to the Lakers by winning the last three meetings after losing the season opener at LA, 114-106. That lone setback in the season series came during a 1-5 start for Phoenix, and Kobe Bryant did not even play in that game. Lamar Odom scored a game-high 34 points in the victory while Bryant averaged 27.3 points in the other three meetings on 26.3 shots per game. Bryant and the Lakers still seem to be haunted by their collapse in last year's first-round series against the Suns, when they blew a 3-1 lead and saw him score just 1 point in the second half of Phoenix's Game 7 rout.


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[pm530]

MLB
Hot Lines


Thursday, April 26

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Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins: Pick Twins -146

Something has to give when two teams that are struggling to string wins together meet in the Twin Cities. And more than likely it will be the Royals pitching staff.

Kansas City has allowed 31 runs in the last five games, grabbing only two wins during this period. Funny enough, those victories were against the Twins. Kansas City beat Minnesota 11-7 and 3-1 in its three-game series at home last weekend.

Now the Royals are on a five-game road trip, stopping in Minnesota for two games before heading west to play the Seattle Mariners. Young righty Zack Greinke will take the mound on Thursday. He has struggled in his last two appearances after a promising start to the year.

Greinke won’t get much help from the bullpen if he gets in trouble against the Twins. Royals relievers are 1-6 in their first 19 games with a 6.05 ERA and five blown saves.

"We're making mistakes in the bullpen that we can't afford to make," catcher John Buck told MLB.com. "When the bullpen comes in for crucial outs, we haven't been making the pitch we needed to. Obviously, it hurts us and it shows."


Boston Red Sox at Baltimore Orioles: Pick Red Sox -152

One of these teams is not like the other. The Red Sox’s spot atop the American League Central division isn’t surprising anyone, but the fact that they face Baltimore in a battle for first place should.

The Orioles’ wins over the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees has them hot on Boston's coattails and has boosted the record of pitcher Adam Loewen, whose two wins came against those clubs.

The Canadian left-hander has a 3.72 ERA in four starts but hasn’t pitched more than five innings at a time. In his last appearance, a five-hit two-run performance, he walked seven batters, making him the major league leader in base-on-balls with 19 this season. It's a stat you don’t want to have when facing the dangerous Boston lineup.


San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers: Pick Giants +180

Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Brad Penny is currently 3-0 with an ERA of 1.37, second best in the majors. While he was impressive in his first four starts, Penny’s numbers are a bit deceiving due to the futile lineups he has pitched against this season.

Teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies and San Francisco Giants are all hitting below .250 this year and Penny’s win over the rival Giants came at a time when San Fran couldn’t buy a hit. The Giants started the first nine games of the season averaging just over two runs per game on .229 hitting.

In the ten games heading into Wednesday, San Francisco is 8-2, a streak which includes a win over Los Angeles that snapped an eight-game losing skid to the Dodgers. The Giants are averaging over four runs per contest during this period but, more importantly, have given up an average of only 2.7 runs.

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[pm530]

Pro Basketball – Long Sheet

NBA
Long Sheet


Thursday, April 26

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DETROIT (55 - 29) at ORLANDO (40 - 44) - 4/26/2007, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 28-13 ATS (+13.7 Units) in road games this season.
DETROIT is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) in road games second half of the season this season.
DETROIT is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
ORLANDO is 187-236 ATS (-72.6 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
ORLANDO is 53-80 ATS (-35.0 Units) when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
ORLANDO is 20-34 ATS (-17.4 Units) against Central division opponents over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 7-4 against the spread versus ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 11-2 straight up against ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
9 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


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HOUSTON (54 - 30) at UTAH (51 - 33) - 4/26/2007, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) when playing with 2 days rest this season.
HOUSTON is 23-11 ATS (+10.9 Units) as a road underdog of 3.5 to 6 points over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 50-30 ATS (+17.0 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in a road game where where the total is between 185 and 189.5 points over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 33-19 ATS (+12.1 Units) in road games second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 37-45 ATS (-12.5 Units) in all games this season.
UTAH is 20-33 ATS (-16.3 Units) as a favorite this season.
UTAH is 51-70 ATS (-26.0 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
UTAH is 14-23 ATS (-11.3 Units) second half of the season this season.

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


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PHOENIX (63 - 21) at LA LAKERS (42 - 42) - 4/26/2007, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 12-9 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 16-5 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
11 of 21 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


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[pm530]

Hockey – Long Sheet

NHL
Long Sheet


Thursday, April 26

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OTTAWA (52-26-0-9, 113 pts.) at NEW JERSEY (53-26-0-9, 115 pts.) - 4/26/2007, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OTTAWA is 109-70 ATS (-38.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 109-70 ATS (-38.6 Units) as an underdog or pick on the puck line over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 109-70 ATS (-38.6 Units) as a favorite or even on the puck line over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 61-42 ATS (-34.5 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 31-27 ATS (-20.8 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 19-18 ATS (-18.1 Units) after a 3 game unbeaten streak over the last 2 seasons.
NEW JERSEY is 20-3 ATS (+14.7 Units) in April games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW JERSEY is 66-36 ATS (+6.1 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NEW JERSEY is 47-33 ATS (-8.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
NEW JERSEY is 32-16 ATS (+14.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NEW JERSEY is 3-7 ATS (+3.0 Units) in home games after a 3 game unbeaten streak this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW JERSEY is 5-3 (+3.8 Units) against the spread versus OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
NEW JERSEY is 5-3-0 straight up against OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.4 Units)

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SAN JOSE (55-27-0-5, 115 pts.) at DETROIT (54-21-0-13, 121 pts.) - 4/26/2007, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 48-26 ATS (-3.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 29-12 ATS (+12.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 19-5 ATS (+11.5 Units) in April games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE is 4-4 (+0.0 Units) against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 4-4-0 straight up against SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.8 Units)


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[pm530]

Pro Basketball – Short Sheet

NBA
Short Sheet


Thursday, April 26th

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Eastern Conference Playoffs
Game Thrree
Detroit Leads, 2-0
TV: TNT
Detroit at Orlando, 8:05 EST

Detroit:
14-4 ATS away in the second half of the season
16-7 ATS away off a home game

Orlando:
9-23 ATS after losing 2 of their last 3 games
1-5 ATS at home vs. Detroit


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Western Conference Playoffs
Game Three
Houston Leads, 2-0
TV: NBATV
Houston at Utah, 9:05 EST

Houston:
23-11 ATS as a road underdog of 3.5 to 6 points
30-16 ATS away after playing as a favorite

Utah:
7-15 ATS off a road loss
12-21 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points


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Western Conference Playoffs
Game Three
Phoenix Leads, 2-0
TV: TNT
Phoenix at LA Lakers, 10:35 EST

Phoenix:
10-2 ATS as a road favorite of 3.5 to 6 points
10-1 ATS away off 3+ home games

LA Lakers:
0-7 ATS off BB road losses
2-12 ATS off a loss by 20+ points


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[pm530]

Hockey – Short Sheet

NHL
Short Sheet


Thursday, April 26th

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Eastern Conference Playoffs
Semifinals, Game One
Series Tied, 0-0
TV: None
Ottawa at New Jersey, 7:05 EST

Ottawa:
1-4 SU in the second round of the playoffs
8-1 Under playing with 3+ days rest

New Jersey:
20-3 SU in April
31-9 SU off 3+ games scoring 3+ goals


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Western Conference Playoffs
Semifinals, Game One
Series Tied, 0-0
TV: VER
San Jose at Detroit, 7:35 EST

San Jose:
3-16 SU at Detroit
17-7 Under away after winning 8+ of their last 10 games

Detroit:
9-1 SU playing with double-revenge
16-3 SU playing with 3+ days rest


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

[Udog]

MLB
Streaking Pitchers


Thursday, April 26


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HOT

Josh Beckett (Boston Red Sox) - Beckett looks to become baseball's first five-game winner tonight when he faces the Baltimore Orioles. The BoSox right-hander has won four consecutive starts for the first time in his career and could become the first Boston pitcher to start the year 5-0 since Pedro Martinez. Considering how Boston has dominated the O's over the last two seasons (21-3) and the way Beckett is pitching, it seems likely this hot streak will continue.

Brad Penny (Los Angeles Dodgers) - Penny will take the mound tonight trying to cool off the San Francisco Giants and help stop the Dodgers' current three-game losing streak. The right-hander is on a hot streak of his own posting a 3-0 record with a 1.37 ERA to start the season. As money pitchers go, Penny ranks in the top ten in the majors with the Sox going 4-0 in his starts. Penny is 3-2 with a 3.52 ERA in 13 career starts against the Giants.

COLD

Tony Armas (Pittsburgh Pirates) - The Pirates' chances of sweeping the Houston Astros for the first time in 27 years is riding on the arm of struggling Tony Armas. Amas is 0-2 with an 18.90 ERA and he was awful in his first two starts of the season giving up 14 runs in just over six innings. The good news for Pittsburgh backers is the right-hander has never allowed six or more runs in three straight games. Armas is 3-2 with a 3.69 ERA in seven career starts against the Astros.


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[Udog]

MLB
Dunkel


Cincinnati at St. Louis
The Cardinals finally picked up another home win last night behind red-hot Braden Looper, but are still just 2-7 at Busch out of the box. Today it's St. Louis' turn to face a hot pitcher in surprising Kyle Lohse. The Reds are 3-1 with Lohse on the mound, including a 1-0 win at Wrigley on the 15th followed by a 2-1 win over the Phillies on the 20th. Over his last two starts, Lohse has logged 15 innings while allowing 0 earned runs and just 10 hits. The Reds look like a good pick (-110) in this matinee contest according to Dunkel, which has Cincinnati favored straight up by 1. Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-110). Here are all of today's games.

THURSDAY, APRIL 26

Game 951-952: Houston at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Rodriguez) 14.736; Pittsburgh (Armas) 15.176
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Houston (-130); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+130); Under

Game 953-954: Cincinnati at St. Louis
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Lohse) 15.544; St. Louis (Keisler) 14.650
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-110); 9
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-110); Under

Game 955-956: Washington at Philadelphia
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Hill) 13.922; Philadelphia (Hamels) 18.225
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 4 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-230); 9
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-230); Over

Game 957-958: San Diego at Arizona
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Young) 17.183; Arizona (Hernandez) 14.974
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: San Diego (-130); 9
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-130); Under

Game 959-960: San Francisco at LA Dodgers
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Ortiz) 17.955; LA Dodgers (Penny) 17.599
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-200); 8
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+200); Over

Game 961-962: Texas at Cleveland
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Loe) 15.619; Cleveland (Byrd) 16.509
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-140); 10
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-140); Under

Game 963-964: Kansas City at Minnesota
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Greinke) 15.381; Minnesota (Bonser) 14.973
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-150); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+150); Under

Game 965-966: Seattle at Oakland
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Batista) 14.280; Oakland (Kennedy) 15.847
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Oakland (-140); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-140); Under

Game 967-968: Tampa Bay at LA Angels
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Seo) 15.712; LA Angels (Colon) 16.529
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-210); 9
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-210); Over

Game 969-970: Boston at Baltimore
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Beckett) 18.039; Baltimore (Loewen) 16.641
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Boston (-160); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-160); Under

Game 971-972: Toronto at NY Yankees
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Burnett) 17.679; NY Yankees (Hughes) 16.143
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1 1/2; 12
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 973-974: Detroit at Chicago White Sox
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Robertson) 16.647; White Sox (Contreras) 16.355
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Detroit (-110); 9
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (+110); Over

[Udog]

NBA
Dunkel


Houston at Utah
Utah hopes to get back into the series tonight after going down 0-2 in Houston. But despite a 31-10 home record straight up, the Jazz are just 18-22-1 against the spread at EnergySolutions Arena. The Rockets have been much more efficient on the road with a 23-17-1 ATS record. Utah has had little answer for Yao and Tracy McGrady, who have both scored over 20 points in the first two games, while the Jazz offense has struggled to find anyone to complement Carlos Boozer (41 points in Game Two). Houston looks like a good underdog pick (+4 1/2) in this one according to Dunkel, which has the Rockets favored straight up by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Houston (+4 1/2). Here are all of today's games.

THURSDAY, APRIL 26

Game 501-502: Detroit at Orlando
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 123.911; Orlando 119.479
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 4 1/2; 188
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit by 2; 183
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-2); Over

Game 503-504: Houston at Utah
Dunkel Ratings: Houston 122.056; Utah 120.725
Dunkel Line & Total: Houston by 1 1/2; 188
Vegas Line & Total: Utah by 4 1/2; 186
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+4 1/2); Over

Game 505-506: Phoenix at LA Lakers
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 125.304; LA Lakers 117.205
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 8; 224
Vegas Line & Total: Dallas by 9 1/2; 211
Dunkel Pick: Golden State (+9 1/2); Under