Sunday Trends and Indexes 04/20

[pm530]

Trends and Indexes
Sunday, April 20

Good Luck on day #111 of 2008!

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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[pm530]

Six-pack for Sunday

-- It would be a great day for team basketball if the Utah Jazz won the NBA title.

-- Phillies OF Jason Werth is grandson of former big league shortstop Dick Schofield.

-- A's batted young catcher Suzuki leadoff Saturday; he is hitting .328, playing great for 11-8 Oakland.

-- Padres have been outscored 37-10 in innings 7-9 this year.

-- Chipper Jones has 18 RBI in Braves' first 17 games. He is hitting .449.

-- This just in: Lebron James isn't overrated.

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[pm530]

Sunday's List of 13: $ome info and money and ba$eball......

Forbes Magazine put out an interesting issue dealing with the finances of baseball; we're going to do more with this info in the next week, but here is some info I got skimming thru........

13) In 1997, the average major league baseball team was worth $194M; last year, that figure had risen to $472M.

12) Stuart Steinberg bought Tampa Rays for $200M five years ago; now, despite constant losing, they're worth $292M. It is only moderately depressing that Steinberg and I are same age. He owns a big league ballclub, I own a fantasy team, and had to take out a small loan to afford the league fees.

11) In the last five years, the value of the Mets has grown from $391M to $824M; TV station SNY is a large part of that.

10) Mets own 66% of SNY, Orioles own 88% of MASN; their shares in those TV networks are more valuable than the teams whose games they broadcast. Seriously.

9) Was surprised to learn Bronx Bombers own only 32% of the YES network; have to give credit to John Flaherty, an island of reason in an ocean of propaganda. Flaherty is a keeper.

8) Average attendance in major leagues last year: 32,785.

7) If you go to a Rangers' home game and drive a Lexus, they'll have free valet parking for you.

6) 12 of the 24 Asian ballplayers on Opening Day rosters are pitchers. Kenji Johjima is only Asian catcher in big leagues. Kurt Suzuki is from Hawai'i.

5) Only two of Seattle's nine starters last season were born in the United States; Mariners have been owned by the Japanese company Nintendo since 1992.

4) Giants are first team since 1962 to be financing their stadium by themselves; their annual mortgage is $18M, which explains why they have 150 non-baseball events every year in ballpark, including ski jumping, ice skating and a college bowl game.

3) A's GM Billy Beane was a first-round draft pick of Mets in 1980, playing 148 big league games over six seasons.

2) Say what you want about Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, but attendance in major leagues jumped 12% from '97 to '98, in the season where they both broke the home run record. That season did lot to heal the wounds from the '94 players' strike. .

1) For a mere $5, you can sit on the grass hill in centerfield at Petco Park; for $8, you can sit in grandstand there, and watch little kids play in a sandbox not far from where the pitchers are warming up in the bullpen. Only in California.

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[pm530]

Arena Football League – Long Sheet

AFL
Long Sheet
Week 8

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Sunday, April 20

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GRAND RAPIDS (2 - 4) at CHICAGO (5 - 2) - 4/20/2008, 3:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) off a division game over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) off a win versus a division rival over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 4-1 against the spread versus GRAND RAPIDS over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 5-0 straight up against GRAND RAPIDS over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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Monday, April 21

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PHILADELPHIA (7 - 0) at COLUMBUS (2 - 5) - 4/21/2008, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) versus division opponents since 1996.
PHILADELPHIA is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in April games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBUS is 4-0 against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
COLUMBUS is 3-1 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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[pm530]

Arena Football League – Write up

AFL
Write-up


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Sunday, April 20
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Sunday's Arena Football game

Grand Rapids (2-4) @ Chicago (5-2) -- Rush won first meeting at Grand Rapids 64-35 (-7) in Week 3, jumping to 29-7 lead at half; they forced three Rampage turnovers. Chicago won four of last five games; they're 3-1 at home, winning by 23-35-24, losing to 7-0 Philly. Rampage allowed 63-75 points in losing last couple games. Three of their last four games went over the total.

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[pm530]

Arena Football League – Additional

AFL


Trend Sheet

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Sunday, April 20
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3:00 PM GRAND RAPIDS vs. CHICAGO
Grand Rapids is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Chicago
Grand Rapids is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Chicago
Chicago is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Chicago is 14-2 SU in its last 16 games at home

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Monday, April 21
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8:00 PM PHILADELPHIA vs. COLUMBUS
Philadelphia is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Columbus
Philadelphia is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Columbus
Columbus is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Columbus is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball – Write up

MLB
Write-up


Sunday, April 20

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Hot Pitchers
-- Olsen is 2-0, 2.45 in his last couple starts.
-- Chacon is 0-0, 2.25 in three starts, but Astro bullpen lost all three games, allowing seven runs in six IP.
-- Cubs are 3-0 in Dempster starts (2-0, 2.84).
-- Looper is 3-0, 2.70 in three starts.
-- Wolf is 1-0, 1.42 in three starts this season.
-- Pelfrey is 2-0, 1.50 in two starts this season.

-- Wakefield is 1-0, 3.27 in his last two starts. Millwood has 3.12 RA in his four starts this season.
-- Jackson is 2-1, 2.84 in three starts this season.
-- Pettitte is 2-0, 2.63 in his last two starts.
-- Baker is 2-0, 4.34 in three starts this season.
-- Eveland is 1-1, 2.50 in three starts this season.

Cold Pitchers
-- Perez is 0-3, 5.17 in his last three starts.
-- Jurrjens is 1-2, 3.92 in three starts this season. Kuroda is 0-1, 5.40 in his last two starts.
-- Harang is 1-2, 3.75 in four starts this season. Gallardo makes his first '08 start here, after being on DL.
-- Jimenez is 1-2, 6.89 in three starts this season.
-- Johnson allowed three hits, three unearned runs in five IP in his first start of 2008, a game Arizona later lost 5-4 to Giants.
-- Duke is 0-0, 3.86 in three starts (1.80 in innings 1-5, 12.27 in sixth inning).
-- Sanchez is 0-1, 6.60 in three starts this season.
-- Eaton is 0-0, 4.12 in three starts this season.

-- Robertson is 0-1, 7.02 in three starts this season. Burnett has an 8.44 RA in his last two starts.
-- Trachsel is 0-2, 8.31 in his last couple starts.
-- Byrd is 0-2, 8.10 in three starts this season.
-- Danks is 1-1, 4.32 in three starts this season.
-- Moseley is 1-1, 7.80 in three starts this season. Batista is 1-2, 7.31 in three starts this season.
-- Touted prospect Hochevar makes first '08 start for Royals.

Totals
-- Under is 7-3-1 in Washington road games.
-- Four of last six Cincinnati games went over the total.
-- Under is 8-3-1 in last eleven Atlanta games.
-- Six of last nine Colorado games went over the total.
-- Under is 5-2-2 in last nine Cardinal home games.
-- Five of last six Cub games went over the total.
-- Over is 6-1-1 in last eight Arizona home games.
-- Over is 5-2 in New York road games.

-- Six of last seven Detroit games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Boston games went over the total.
-- 11 of last 14 Baltimore games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last six Tampa Bay games went over the total.
-- Over is 6-3-1 in last ten Angel games.
-- Under is 13-4 in the Royals' last seventeen games.

Hot Teams
-- Cubs won seven of their last nine home games.
-- Mets won five in row, eight of their last ten games.
-- Cardinals won eight of last ten home games.
-- Brewers won last three games, two in extra innings.
-- Colorado won five of their last six games.
-- Diamondbacks won seven of eight home games.

-- Tigers won four of their last six games, scoring 41 runs.
-- Red Sox won eight of their last ten games.
-- Orioles won nine of their last eleven home games.
-- White Sox won six of last eight road games.
-- Angels won six of their last seven games.
-- Oakland is 10-5 in last 15 games, since 1-3 start vs Boston.

Cold Teams
-- Pirates are 2-6 in last seven road games, allowing 35 runs in last four games.
-- Nationals lost thirteen of their last fifteen games.
-- Dodgers lost their last five road games.
-- Reds lost seven of their last eight games.
-- Astros are 4-9 in their last thirteen games.
-- Giants lost six of their eight road games.
-- Padres lost last four games, and scored two or less runs in seven of last ten games.

-- Blue Jays lost six of their last seven home games.
-- Rangers lost seven of last nine games.
-- Bronx lost last three games, outscored 21-7.
-- Indians lost eleven of their last sixteen games. Twins lost five of their last seven games.
-- Rays lost nine of last thirteen games.
-- Mariners are 4-7 on road this season.
-- Royals are 3-7 in their last ten games.

Umpires
-- Wsh-Fla-- Home team won all three McClelland games.
-- Mil-Cin-- Visitor won all four Hudson games, with three of the four going over total.
-- LA-Atl-- Home side won four of five Winters games.
-- Colo-Hst-- All four Kellogg games went over the total.
-- SF-StL-- Over is 6-2-1 in last nine Gorman games.
-- Pitt-Cubs-- Under is 3-0-1 in Hoye games this season.
-- SD-Az-- All four Hickox games stayed under the total.
-- NY-Phil-- Under is 6-2 in Gibson's last eight NL games.

-- Det-Tor-- Underdog won all three Nelson games this month.
-- Tex-Bos-- Over is 7-3 in Emmel's last ten AL games.
-- NY-Balt-- Over is 11-6-1 in last eighteen Cuzzi games.
-- Chi-TB-- Three of four O'Nora games went over the total.
-- Clev-Minn-- Over is 4-2-1 in Drake's last seven AL games.
-- Sea-LAA-- Home side won 10 of last 12 Davidson games.
-- KC-A's-- Three of four Culbreth games went over the total.

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball – Additional

MLB


Sunday, April 20

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Trend Sheet
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1:07 PM DETROIT vs. TORONTO
Detroit is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Detroit is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games
Toronto is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games at home
Toronto is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games


1:10 PM WASHINGTON vs. FLORIDA
Washington is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Florida
Washington is 2-13 SU in its last 15 games
Florida is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Washington
Florida is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games


1:15 PM MILWAUKEE vs. CINCINNATI
Milwaukee is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Cincinnati
Milwaukee is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Milwaukee
Cincinnati is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games


1:35 PM LA DODGERS vs. ATLANTA
LA Dodgers are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
LA Dodgers are 3-8 SU in their last 11 games
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Dodgers
Atlanta is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home


1:35 PM NY YANKEES vs. BALTIMORE
NY Yankees are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games on the road
Baltimore is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Baltimore is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games at home


1:35 PM TEXAS vs. BOSTON
Texas is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games when playing Boston
Texas is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
Boston is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games


1:40 PM CHI WHITE SOX vs. TAMPA BAY
Chi White Sox are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games on the road
Chi White Sox are 10-5 SU in their last 15 games
Tampa Bay is 1-6 SU in their last 7 games when playing Chi White Sox
Tampa Bay is 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox


2:05 PM COLORADO vs. HOUSTON
Colorado is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Colorado is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Houston is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Colorado
Houston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games


2:10 PM CLEVELAND vs. MINNESOTA
Cleveland is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Cleveland is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games
Minnesota is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing Cleveland
Minnesota is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Cleveland


2:15 PM SAN FRANCISCO vs. ST. LOUIS
San Francisco is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games
San Francisco is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
St. Louis is 17-6 SU in its last 23 games
St. Louis is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games at home


2:20 PM PITTSBURGH vs. CHI CUBS
Pittsburgh is 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
Pittsburgh is 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing Chi Cubs
Chi Cubs are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games at home
Chi Cubs are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games


3:35 PM SEATTLE vs. LA ANGELS
Seattle is 3-13 SU in their last 16 games when playing on the road against LA Angels
Seattle is 8-17 SU in their last 25 games when playing LA Angels
LA Angels are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games
LA Angels are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games at home


4:07 PM KANSAS CITY vs. OAKLAND
Kansas City is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Kansas City is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Oakland is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games
Oakland is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games at home


4:10 PM SAN DIEGO vs. ARIZONA
San Diego is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Arizona
San Diego is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Arizona
Arizona is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games
Arizona is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home


8:05 PM NY METS vs. PHILADELPHIA
NY Mets are 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
NY Mets are 7-3 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Philadelphia is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against NY Mets
Philadelphia is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing NY Mets

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB


Sunday, April 20

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Tips and Trends
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Texas Rangers at Boston Red Sox [1:35 PM ET]

Rangers: Kevin Millwood has pitched much better than his 1-2 record suggests. Millwood has only given up 7 runs in 26 innings pitched so far this season. The problem is, the Rangers have only scored 10 runs themselves in Millwood’s 4 starts. Other than run support, the only thing Millwood has had trouble with this year is walks. He’s put 12 batters on base, while striking out just 10.

Rangers are 6-2 in their last 8 Sunday games.
Rangers are 2-6 in their last 8 games overall.
Rangers are 6-15 in their last 21 road games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 4

Red Sox (-170, O/U 10.5): Tim Wakefield has pitched well this year, but he can’t be happy about seeing the Rangers come to town. In 24 career starts against Texas, the knuckleballer is just 9-14 with an ERA of 5.66. When Wakefield is off, he walks a lot of batters and so far this season, he’s already put 12 guys on base in just 17 innings of work. Wakefield hasn’t gone past 6 innings in any of his starts this year, so it’s likely the Red Sox bullpen will be busy early.

Red Sox are 7-2 in the last 9 meetings.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 7



San Diego Padres at Arizona Diamondbacks [4:10 PM ET]

Padres: Randy Wolf is off to another solid start. The veteran left-hander is 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA to start this season after starting his ’07 campaign 3-1 with a 3.38 ERA. Wolf one-hit the Rockies last time out through 7 innings, while throwing 112 pitches. Colorado's Brad Hawpe said Wolf’s fastball was “rising all game and was tough to hit.” The Pepperdine graduate is 5-2 with a 4.11 ERA during his career against the Diamondbacks and won a 9-5 decision the last time visiting Chase Field.

Padres are 2-6 in their last 8 Sunday games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 3

Diamondbacks (-155, O/U 8.5): Randy Johnson got the big monkey off his achy back by making his 2008 season debut last time out against the Giants. Johnson had a hard time finding the strike zone in that appearance, but he did not allow an earned run over 5 innings of work. However, the Big Unit said after the game: “There’s room for improvement as I felt like I was battling out there falling behind in the count.” This will be Johnson’s first home start since June of 2007, but he holds a strong 14-4 career mark against the Padres with a 2.34 ERA.

Diamondbacks are 12-2 in their last 14 games overall.
Diamondbacks are 21-8 in their last 29 home games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 6



New York Mets at Philadelphia Phillies [ESPN | 8:05 PM ET]

Mets: Mike Pelfrey wants nothing more than to put his 3-8 and 5+ ERA record in 2007 behind him, and he is doing so in fine fashion so far in 2008. The right-hander is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA and is coming off his first scoreless outing in the majors over 7 innings pitched. New York manager Willie Randolph said: “The kid is pitching great.” However, this will be Pelfrey’s first road start of the season, and that’s where 3 of those 8 losses occurred last season.

Mets are 4-0 in the last 4 meetings.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 3

Phillies (-116, O/U 10.5): After coming around late last season in the starting rotation, Adam Eaton has shown he can once again be a reliable starter. Eaton doesn’t have a decision yet on the season, but he does hold a respectable 4.12 ERA. The right-hander has owned the Mets during his career, posting a perfect 5-0 mark with a 2.90 ERA after allowing just 3 runs on 5 hits at Shea on April 10th in an eventual 4-3 loss in 12 innings.

Phillies are 2-6 in Eaton's last 8 starts as a favorite.
The OVER is 7-2 in Philadelphia's last 9 Sunday games.

Key Injuries - SS Jimmy Rollins (.316; death in the family) is expected to start.

PROJECTED SCORE: 8 (Side Play of the Day)

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball – Gameday

MLB


Sunday, April 20

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Gameday
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Sunday MLB Gameday

Randy Johnson will make his second start of the year when his Arizona Diamondbacks play host to the San Diego Padres on Sunday afternoon. Here is your MLB Gameday …

New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles, 1:35pm ET
Andy Pettitte (2-1, 3.38 ERA) vs. Steve Trachsel (1-2, 5.65 ERA)

Lefthander Pettitte will be gunning for his third straight victory when he takes the mound at Camden Yards on Sunday afternoon. Pettitte is coming off back-to-back road wins over the Royals and Rays, and he's dropped his ERA down to 3.38 on the season. Against Tampa Bay last time out Pettitte allowed three earned runs over seven innings.

Trachsel, on the other hand, has picked up a loss in each of his past two starts and he'll be trying to get back into the win column by taming the Yankees' bats. The righthander won his first start against Seattle, but has since lost to Texas and Toronto. Against the Jays last time out Trachsel was knocked around for five earned runs over 2 1-3 innings.


Texas Rangers at Boston Red Sox, 1:35pm ET
Kevin Millwood (1-2, 2.42 ERA) vs. Tim Wakefield (1-0, 3.18 ERA)

Millwood had a promising start to the 2008 campaign, but he's coming off his worst outing of the year. The righthander allowed just three earned runs over his first three starts of the season, but against the Angels last time out he surrendered four earned runs on nine hits over just five innings. Millwood's ERA remains at 2.42 over 26 innings.

Wakefield keeps cruising along for the Red Sox, as the veteran knuckleballer has turned in a solid start in each of his three outings of 2008. The righthander has allowed just six earned runs over 17 innings pitched versus Toronto, Detroit, and Cleveland. Against the Tribe last time out Wakefield gave up two earned runs in six innings pitched.


Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs, 2:20pm ET
Zach Duke (0-0, 2.89 ERA) vs. Ryan Dempster (2-0, 2.37 ERA)

Duke has been stuck with a no-decision in each of his three starts so far this season, but he's pitched well enough to be 3-0 right now. The lefthander has allowed just six earned runs over 18 2-3 innings pitched, which has kept his ERA down at 2.89. Duke surrendered three earned runs over six innings against Los Angeles in his last outing.

Dempster was Chicago's closer last season, but he's looked comfortable making the transition back to the starting rotation. The righthander is 2-0 with a no-decision over his first three starts. Dempster allowed just one earned run over his first two outings, but he surrendered four earned runs on five hits over six innings versus the Reds last time out.


San Diego Padres at Arizona Diamondbacks, 4:10pm ET
Randy Wolf (1-0, 1.42 ERA) vs. Randy Johnson (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Wolf finally secured his first victory of the season earlier this week by tossing seven scoreless innings and allowing just one hit versus the Rockies. The lefthander, however, pitched well enough to win his first two starts of the season as well - in those two games Wolf surrendered just three earned runs on nine hits over his 12 innings of work.

Johnson probably won't ever return to his old dominant form, but the veteran lefthander showed he could still be an effective major league pitcher in his season debut versus the Giants on Monday. The Big Unit gave up three runs - all unearned - on just three hits over five innings of work in that contest, walking four batters and striking out seven.

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[pm530]

National Basketball Association – Long Sheet

NBA
Long Sheet

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Sunday, April 20

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TORONTO (41 - 41) at ORLANDO (52 - 30) - 4/20/2008, 12:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 8-2 against the spread versus ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 7-3 straight up against ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DENVER (50 - 32) at LA LAKERS (57 - 25) - 4/20/2008, 3:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA LAKERS is 8-2 against the spread versus DENVER over the last 3 seasons
LA LAKERS is 6-4 straight up against DENVER over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PHILADELPHIA (40 - 42) at DETROIT (59 - 23) - 4/20/2008, 6:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 6-5 against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 8-3 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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ATLANTA (37 - 45) at BOSTON (66 - 16) - 4/20/2008, 8:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 5-5 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 5-5 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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[pm530]

National Basketball Association - Short Sheet

NBA
Short Sheet

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Sunday, April 20th

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Eastern Conference Opening Round Game One
Series Tied, 0-0
Toronto at Orlando, 12:35 EST

Toronto:
14-23 ATS 2nd half of season
32-19 Under off road loss

Orlando:
17-7 ATS as a home favorite of 6.5 to 12 points
8-1 ATS at home vs. division

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Western Conference Opening Round Game One
Series Tied, 0-0
Denver at LA Lakers, 3:05 EST

Denver:
10-0 Under 1st Round of the playoffs
2-8 ATS vs. LA Lakers

LA Lakers:
16-5 ATS at home off 3+ home wins
28-18 ATS off ATS win

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Eastern Conference Opening Round Game One
Series Tied, 0-0
Philadelphia at Detroit, 7:05 EST

Philadelphia:


Detroit:
26-14 ATS as a home favorite
16-4 ATS off BB ATS wins as favorite

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Eastern Conference Opening Round Game One
Series Tied, 0-0
Atlanta at Boston, 9:35 EST

Atlanta:
12-22 ATS as road underdog
7-16 ATS Away off SU loss

Boston:
21-4 ATS off DD home win
8-1 Under at home off BB cover as favorite

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[pm530]

National Basketball Association – Write up

NBA
Write-up


Sunday, April 20

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NBA Games

Orlando won last three games, by 20-16-20 pts; 14 of their last 17 games stayed under total. Magic won two of three against Raptors this season, winning 102-87 in only game played here, splitting pair in Toronto. Raptors' last six games stayed under; Raptors were just 9-16 in last 25 games.

Lakers won three in row and seven of their last eight games; in series vs Denver this year, LA 28-4-17 points, but teams have not played since Jan 21. Denver is 3-6-1 vs spread in last 10 games as underdog; four of last five games stayed under total, with Nuggets winning four of those five games.

Pistons won, covered last four games, are 9-2 SU in last 11, as five of their last seven games stayed under total. Detroit split four games vs Philly this season, losing last two games by 1-7 points. 76ers lost last four games, are happy just to be here, as they were not expected to have a good team this season.

Celtics won, covered last four games, are 10-1 (9-2 vs spread) in last 11 games; seven of their last 10 stayed under the total. Hawks are thrilled to be in playoffs; they lost last three in row, five of last seven games. During season, Celtics swept three in row from Atlanta, winning by 23-10-10 points.

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[pm530]

National Basketball Association – Additional

NBA


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Trend Sheet
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Sunday, April 20

12:30 PM TORONTO vs. ORLANDO
Toronto is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing on the road against Orlando
Orlando is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Orlando is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games


3:00 PM DENVER vs. LA LAKERS
Denver is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games
Denver is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
LA Lakers are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games when playing at home against Denver
LA Lakers are 10-1 SU in their last 11 games when playing at home against Denver


6:00 PM PHILADELPHIA vs. DETROIT
Philadelphia is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 7 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Detroit is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Detroit is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games at home


8:30 PM ATLANTA vs. BOSTON
Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing Boston
Boston is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Boston is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games when playing at home against Atlanta

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[pm530]

National Basketball Association - Tips & Trends

NBA


Sunday, April 20

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Tips and Trends
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Toronto Raptors at Orlando Magic [TNT | 12:30 PM ET]

Raptors: Toronto head coach Sam Mitchell believes the key to this series will be whether or not his players are successful defending Orlando big man Dwight Howard. "I’ve been thinking about it and we’ve been looking at it a little bit since the other night so we’ve already got ideas what we’re going to do, more so for Game 1," Mitchell said. "After Game 1, everything changes again. You get a chance to see what they do. You do all this prep for the first game and then everything’s going to change after Game 1 anyway."

Raptors are 8-2 ATS & 7-3 SU in the last 10 meetings.
Raptors are 7-19 ATS in their last 26 games overall.
The UNDER is 11-5 in Toronto's last 16 Sunday games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 96 (OVER - Total Play of the Day)

Magic (-7, O/U 196.5): Orlando hopes the addition of head coach Stan Van Gundy and forward Rashard Lewis will help get the team past the first round this year. Lewis helped the Magic finish the season with 801 3-pointers, the second-most in NBA history. The Magic signed him to be a difference maker and complement Howard's strong inside game while Hedo Turkoglu also enjoyed a career year. "We’re in as good a position as you could be right now," Van Gundy said. "There is no guarantee of anything, though."

Magic are 11-4-2 ATS in their last 17 home games.
The UNDER is 8-1 in Orlando's last 9 games overall.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 104



Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Lakers [ABC | 3 PM ET]

Nuggets: Denver players have revenge on their mind heading into this first-round series against the Lakers. “They beat us 3 times (in) the regular season, so what better a way to get revenge,” Nuggets point guard Allen Iverson said. Of course they will need to play much better defensively if they have any hopes of winning any games in this series. “We can do a lot of things better,” Denver head coach George Karl. “Our focus and our demand is going to have to be at a high level. Our defense is going to have to be at a high level.”

Nuggets are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 Sunday games.
The UNDER is 5-0 in Denver's last 5 games overall.
The UNDER is 7-2 in Denver's last 9 Sunday games.


Key Injuries - F Nene Hilario (5 ppg; groin) is doubtful.

PROJECTED SCORE: 108

Lakers (-8, O/U 223): A little less than a year ago, star Kobe Bryant wanted out of LA after his team was bounced by Phoenix in the first round. The Lakers have come a long way since then and will be trying to win a playoff series for the first time since Shaquille O'Neal left town. New addition Pau Gasol has never won a playoff game in his 7-year career, but he and Bryant figure to get over the hump this year and advance to the second round together.

Lakers are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 home games.
Lakers are 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
The UNDER is 7-2 in the last 9 meetings at LA.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 115



Philadelphia 76ers at Detroit Pistons [TNT | 6 PM ET]

76ers: This Philly squad is far more inexperienced in the playoffs than Detroit, with just 95 games combined among all the team's players. In fact, Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince has more postseason experience (97) all by himself, although that hasn't kept the 76ers from believing they can win this first-round matchup. "When you get in the playoffs, anybody has an opportunity to beat anybody," Philadelphia guard Louis Williams said. "Golden State showed it last year (by upsetting the top-seeded Mavericks in the opening around). We’re not a bad basketball team. We’re not lacking confidence, so let’s go. Jump it up."

76ers are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 road games.
76ers are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games vs. Central Division.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 85

Pistons (-10, O/U 179.5): Detroit's biggest advantage besides 647 games of playoff experience lies in the backcourt. Prince and Richard Hamilton held 76ers leading scorer Andre Iguodala to just 32 percent shooting in the first 3 meetings during the regular season while Chauncey Billups limited Andre Miller to 11.7 points and 3.7 assists, helping the Pistons to 2 wins. Hamilton did not play in the fourth meeting - a 101-94 loss - while the other starters played limited minutes.

Pistons are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 Sunday games.
Pistons are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games vs. Atlantic Division.
The UNDER is 9-3 in Detroit's last 12 games overall.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 95



Atlanta Hawks at Boston Celtics [TNT | 8:30 PM ET]

Hawks: Many insiders believe this Atlanta team is just happy to be in the playoffs for the first time since 1999, but some of the players are relishing their role of David trying to slay goliath. "I think, in that situation, we're a team that has nothing to lose," Hawks forward Josh Childress said. "We’re going to go out there and just fight. No one expects us to win. No one expects us to be in this position to begin with. So when the time comes and if we do match up with them, I think it’s going to be great on our end."

Underdog is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
The OVER is 9-3 in Atlanta's last 12 games overall.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 90

Celtics (-15, O/U 189): Boston sent a loud message in the last regular-season meeting between the teams on Saturday, as the team's reserves outscored Atlanta's starters in the fourth quarter of a 99-89 victory. Sam Cassell proved his worth for the Celtics by scoring 15 of his 20 points in the fourth, temporarily preventing the Hawks from clinching a playoff berth. "It ain’t easy at my age," Cassell said. "But I’m getting a nice little rhythm right now. I’m understanding where I can fit in on this team offensively. Defensively, it’s still a challenge for me."

Celtics are 19-7 ATS in their last 26 games overall.
Celtics are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 Sunday games.
The UNDER is 7-3 in Boston's last 10 games overall.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 105

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