Monday Trends and Indexes 05/05

[pm530]

Trends and Indexes
Monday, May 5

Good Luck on day #126 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 Monday

-- Phil Jackson is 39-0 in playoff series when he wins Game 1.

-- 22-year old Anthony Kim jogged to his first PGA Tour win in Charlotte; how comes the real test, after he's had a taste of success, how does he handle it?

-- Dallas Stars' uniforms are really ugly; how about putting a logo on your sweater?

-- Stars, Sharks played tremendous game Sunday night in the sixth game of their playoff series, the longest playoff game so far this spring: Dallas scored a power play goal at 2:24am, in the fourth overtime, eliminating the Sharks, 2-1.

-- Every time I see Neil Everett on SportsCenter, I think I'm watching him do a real poor Will Ferrell imitation. ESPN has to be able to do better on Sunday night than this guy.

-- Was Hawks-Celtics the worst Game 7 ever? Did anyone in world think a team that was 12-32 on road would win Game 7?

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[pm530]

Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend.....

13) A's wore their 1968 throwback uniforms Sunday; they had Bert Campaneris and Vida Blue there, and boy did the uniforms look sharp-- I had forgotten how nice they were. The all-green hats aren't as nice as the current ones (A's started wearing the current hats in 1972) but the vested uniforms are awesome.

12) Oakland is 19-14, doing well, but they're 0-5 at home when Blanton pitches; their other ace pitcher, Harden, is injured as always and hasn't toed the slab in a month.

11) Tigers scored six runs in top of first but lost 7-6 to Twins, getting swept in series before Boston, Bronx come to Motown this week. Big week for Detroit, but they're still only three out of first place in a parity-ridden AL Central.

10) Rockies, Padres played memorable playoff game last year, but this season, they're a combined 24-39 after five weeks.

9) Aaron Cook is saving Colorado from complete disaster; the sinkerballer is having his best-ever season.

8) Why do the Mets seem to play so much better on the road?

7) Cardinals opened with 21 home games, 11 on road; now they head out on road in first place. We'll see how they fare away from the friendly confines of Busch Stadium.

6) Micah Owings had another pinch hit Sunday; the Arizona pitcher is hitting .421 this season, is considered another bench player by Bob Melvin on days he isn't the starting pitcher.

5) Phillies are in first place in East despite being just 3-6 vs the other teams in their division.

4) Tampa Rays had a reality check this weekend, going 0-3 in Fenway; will be interesting to see how they react to the sweep.

3) Scott Kazmir needed 90 pitches to get through four innings. He has to be more efficient with his pitches.

2) Toronto allowed 12 runs in last eight games, and is just 5-3.

1) If the baseball playoffs started Monday morning, they'd be looking like this.........
AL: Red Sox-Twins-Angels-A's
NL: Philadelphia-St Louis-Arizona-Cubs

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball - Dunkel Index

MLB
Dunkel Index

Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati
The Cubs send Ryan Dempster (4-0, 3.16) to the mound against a Cincinnati team that has lost five straight. Chicago is the underdog pick (+105) according to Dunkel, which has the Cubs favored straight up by 1. Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (+105). Here are all of today's games.

MONDAY, MAY 5

Game 951-952: Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Dempster) 15.797; Cincinnati (Cueto) 14.755
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-115); 9
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (+105); Under

Game 953-954: St. Louis at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Pineiro) 15.673; Colorado (Jimenez) 14.667
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1; 11
Vegas Line: Colorado (-125); 10
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (+115); Over

Game 955-956: Philadelphia at Arizona
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Moyer) 15.040; Arizona (Scherzer) 15.138
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Arizona (-140); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-140); Over

Game 957-958: NY Mets at LA Dodgers
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Firgueroa) 14.467; LA Dodgers (Billingsley) 16.748
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 2 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-130); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-130); Over

Game 959-960: Boston at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Matsuzaka) 15.244; Detroit (Bonderman) 16.707
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Detroit (-105); 9
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-105); Under

Game 961-962: Chicago White Sox at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Vazquez) 15.008; Toronto (McGowan) 15.072
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Toronto (-110); 8
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-110); Under

Game 963-964: LA Angels at Kansas City
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Santana) 16.378; Kansas City (Tomko) 14.656
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-145); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-145); Under

Game 965-966: Baltimore at Oakland
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Olson) 15.017; Oakland (Eveland) 16.760
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 2; 8
Vegas Line: Oakland (-130); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-130); Under

Game 967-968: Texas at Seattle
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Millwood) 14.512; Seattle (Washburn) 15.003
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Seattle (-130); 9
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-130); Under

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball – Long Sheet

MLB
Long Sheet


Monday, May 5

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CHICAGO CUBS (18 - 13) at CINCINNATI (12 - 20) - 7:10 PM
RYAN DEMPSTER (R) vs. JOHNNY CUETO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 878-955 (-194.3 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 253-300 (-85.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 131-187 (-57.7 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 20-40 (-25.7 Units) against the money line in May games over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 823-875 (-173.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 650-702 (-129.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 438-429 (-104.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
DEMPSTER is 85-83 (+19.2 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997. (Team's Record)
DEMPSTER is 40-31 (+17.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
DEMPSTER is 72-72 (+13.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
DEMPSTER is 52-39 (+22.5 Units) against the money line after a loss since 1997. (Team's Record)
CINCINNATI is 220-241 (-56.9 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 9-24 (-18.0 Units) against the money line in May games over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 18-27 (-16.4 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 84-110 (-25.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 84-110 (-25.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 42-61 (-21.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 2-1 (+0.9 Units) against CINCINNATI this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.0 Units)

RYAN DEMPSTER vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
DEMPSTER is 4-1 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 4.83 and a WHIP of 1.669.
His team's record is 6-2 (+5.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-2. (+1.9 units)

JOHNNY CUETO vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
No recent starts.

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ST LOUIS (20 - 12) at COLORADO (12 - 19) - 8:35 PM
JOEL PINEIRO (R) vs. UBALDO JIMENEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 108-96 (+18.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 108-93 (+21.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 77-67 (+14.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 82-69 (+21.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 59-48 (+16.1 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 67-46 (+32.9 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 2-1 (+0.8 Units) against COLORADO this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.8 Units)

JOEL PINEIRO vs. COLORADO since 1997
PINEIRO is 1-0 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 6.94 and a WHIP of 1.542.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

UBALDO JIMENEZ vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
JIMENEZ is 0-1 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 5.40 and a WHIP of 2.400.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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PHILADELPHIA (18 - 14) at ARIZONA (21 - 10) - 9:40 PM
JAMIE MOYER (L) vs. MAX SCHERZER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 114-86 (+27.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 49-38 (+11.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 64-38 (+18.8 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 114-86 (+27.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 83-58 (+24.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 36-21 (+16.4 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
MOYER is 44-36 (+13.9 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

JAMIE MOYER vs. ARIZONA since 1997
MOYER is 1-1 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 3.74 and a WHIP of 1.108.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.1 units)

MAX SCHERZER vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
No recent starts.

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NY METS (16 - 13) at LA DODGERS (17 - 14) - 10:10 PM
OLIVER PEREZ (L) vs. CHAD BILLINGSLEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA DODGERS are 22-6 (+14.9 Units) against the money line in home games in May games over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 75-55 (+17.1 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
PEREZ is 18-8 (+13.1 Units) against the money line in road games after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

OLIVER PEREZ vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
PEREZ is 5-4 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 3.53 and a WHIP of 1.382.
His team's record is 6-4 (+2.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-6. (-2.1 units)

CHAD BILLINGSLEY vs. NY METS since 1997
No recent starts.

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BOSTON (20 - 13) at DETROIT (14 - 18) - 7:05 PM
DAISUKE MATSUZAKA (R) vs. JEREMY BONDERMAN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 27-13 (+13.1 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 20-7 (+13.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
DETROIT is 4-13 (-11.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season.
DETROIT is 10-17 (-11.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 2-1 (+1.0 Units) against DETROIT this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.8 Units)

DAISUKE MATSUZAKA vs. DETROIT since 1997
MATSUZAKA is 2-1 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 3.05 and a WHIP of 1.209.
His team's record is 2-1 (+0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.0 units)

JEREMY BONDERMAN vs. BOSTON since 1997
BONDERMAN is 4-4 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 4.35 and a WHIP of 1.467.
His team's record is 6-4 (+2.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-6. (-2.8 units)

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CHI WHITE SOX (14 - 15) at TORONTO (15 - 17) - 7:07 PM
JAVIER VAZQUEZ (R) vs. DUSTIN MCGOWAN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 137-123 (+29.7 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 since 1997.
CHI WHITE SOX are 337-326 (+48.1 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
TORONTO is 7-16 (-12.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
TORONTO is 84-100 (-31.8 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 9-22 (-16.7 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 41-46 (-15.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
MCGOWAN is 5-17 (-13.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 3-0 (+3.0 Units) against CHI WHITE SOX this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.0 Units)

JAVIER VAZQUEZ vs. TORONTO since 1997
VAZQUEZ is 4-5 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 4.54 and a WHIP of 1.279.
His team's record is 6-6 (-3.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-7. (-2.8 units)

DUSTIN MCGOWAN vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
MCGOWAN is 1-0 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 5.25 and a WHIP of 1.333.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

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LA ANGELS (20 - 13) at KANSAS CITY (14 - 16) - 8:10 PM
ERVIN SANTANA (R) vs. BRETT TOMKO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 84-115 (+24.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 108-142 (+22.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 368-375 (+42.1 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field since 1997.
KANSAS CITY is 14-32 (-17.5 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.

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

ERVIN SANTANA vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
SANTANA is 1-2 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 6.05 and a WHIP of 1.926.
His team's record is 1-3 (-3.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-2. (-0.2 units)

BRETT TOMKO vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
TOMKO is 0-1 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 5.50 and a WHIP of 1.278.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.3 units)

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball – Write up

MLB
Write-up


Monday, May 5

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Hot Pitchers
-- Dempster is 3-0, 3.77 in his last five starts.
-- Pineiro is 2-0, 0.64 in his last couple starts.
-- Touted rookie Scherzer makes first big league start; he retired all 13 batters he faced in major league debut last week.

-- Boston is 6-0 in Matsuzaka starts (4-0, 2.52). Detroit is 4-1 in Boncerman's last five starts.
-- Vazquez is 2-1, 3.04 in his last four starts.
-- Santana is 5-0, 2.70 in six starts this season.
-- Eveland is 2-0, 1.42 in pair of home starts. Olsen beat Tampa 7-4 in his first '08 start (two runs in 6.2 IP)

Cold Pitchers
-- Cueto is 0-3, 8.31 in his last four starts.
-- Rockies lost last four Jimenez starts (0-1, 8.50). Moyer is 0-2, 4.43 in his last four starts.
-- Billingsley is 0-2, 4.91 in two home starts. Perez is 0-2, 14.73 in his last couple starts.

-- Blue Jays are 1-5 in McGowan starts (1-0, 3.00 at home).
-- Tomko is 0-2, 6.61 in his last three starts.
-- Washburn is 0-3, 6.23 in his last four starts. Millwood has a 6.16 RA in his last four starts.

Hot Teams
-- Cardinals won six of their last eight games.
-- Arizona is 12-5 at home this season. Phillies won five of their last seven road games.
-- Dodgers won eight of their last nine games. Mets won five of their last seven games.

-- Red Sox won five of their last six games.
-- Toronto allowed 12 runs in last eight games (5-3); they won five of their last six at Rogers Centre.
-- Angels won seven of their last nine road games.
-- Oakland won six of last nine home games, but is 2-4 in home series openers.
-- Rangers won four of last five games.

Cold Teams
-- Cubs lost five of their last seven road games. Cincinnati lost five in row overall, allowing 37 runs; they're 1-10 in openers.
-- Colorado is 3-11 in its last fourteen games.

-- Tigers lost last three games, allowing 22 runs.
-- White Sox lost last five games, scoring total of nine runs.
-- Royals lost seven of their last ten road games.
-- Orioles lost four of their last five games.
-- Mariners lost their last five games, scoring nine runs.

Totals
-- Under is 5-1-1 in Cubs' last seven road games.
-- Over is 6-2 in last eight games at Coors Field.
-- Over is 5-2 in Phillies' last seven road games.
-- Over is 9-2 in last eleven games at Dodger Stadium.

-- Last four Detroit home games stayed under the total.
-- Last seven White Sox road games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last seven Royal games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 11-4 in Baltimore road games.
-- Under is 5-2-1 in last eight Seattle home games.

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[pm530]

MLB


Monday, May 5

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Trend Sheet
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7:05 PM BOSTON vs. DETROIT
Boston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Boston's last 9 games
Detroit is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Detroit's last 10 games when playing Boston


7:07 PM CHI WHITE SOX vs. TORONTO
Chi White Sox are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi White Sox's last 5 games
Toronto is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Toronto's last 7 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox


7:10 PM CHI CUBS vs. CINCINNATI
Chi Cubs are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 7 games on the road
Cincinnati is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Cincinnati's last 9 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs


8:10 PM LA ANGELS vs. KANSAS CITY
LA Angels are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games on the road
LA Angels are 1-6 SU in their last 7 games when playing Kansas City
Kansas City is 6-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing LA Angels
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Kansas City's last 7 games when playing LA Angels


8:35 PM ST. LOUIS vs. COLORADO
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 6 games when playing Colorado
Colorado is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 6 games when playing St. Louis


9:40 PM PHILADELPHIA vs. ARIZONA
Philadelphia is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Arizona
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Arizona is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games at home
Arizona is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Philadelphia


10:05 PM BALTIMORE vs. OAKLAND
Baltimore is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Baltimore's last 5 games
Oakland is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games when playing at home against Baltimore
Oakland is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Baltimore


10:10 PM NY METS vs. LA DODGERS
The total has gone OVER in 7 of NY Mets's last 10 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
NY Mets are 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
LA Dodgers are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games when playing NY Mets
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Dodgers's last 6 games when playing NY Mets


10:10 PM TEXAS vs. SEATTLE
Texas is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas's last 5 games when playing Seattle
Seattle is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Seattle is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball – Hot lines

MLB


Monday, May 5

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Hot lines: Today’s MLB bets
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Hot lines: Monday's best MLB bets


Angels vs. Kansas City (+130, 9 ½)

Chances are, you didn’t know these were the two best fielding teams in the American League. Now you know and it helps bring a little bit of overlooked value to the under for this three-game series.

Both squads have a .989 fielding percentage and have committed just 26 errors between them this season. It is part of the reason K.C. is the third-best ‘under’ team in baseball right now and L.A. also has one more under than overs this year.

These two squads met in mid-April and played under in both matchups. Throw in the facts the Royals enter tonight on a three-game under streak and the Angels’ Ervin Santana has played under in all four of his totals this season and 9 ½ runs starts looking a little steep.

Pick: under 9.5


St. Louis vs. Colorado (-125, 10)

Colorado has one strong pitcher, Aaron Cook, and after that it’s just everybody else. The Rockies are 6-1 when Cook starts and 6-18 when he doesn’t.

One of those ‘everybody else’ guys starts tonight when Ubaldo Jimenez takes the hill. He is 0-3 with a 5.9 ERA in six starts and he has gone as far as six innings only once. Still, the Rockies are favored in this matchup while they still continue to see chalk as last year’s World Series finalists.

That creates a solid value situation against a Cards team that is coming off an 18-win April, the most wins in April in franchise history.

Joel Pineiro takes the mound for St. Louis and brings a 1.77 ERA over his past three starts.

Pick: Cardinals +115

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[pm530]

MLB


Monday, May 5

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Baseball Today
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SCOREBOARD

Monday, May 5

Philadelphia at Arizona (9:40 p.m.) Rookie phenom Max Scherzer makes his first major league start for the Diamondbacks. In his first appearance, he struck out seven in 4 1-3 perfect innings against Houston on Tuesday night. He’ll face the Phillies’ 45-year-old lefty Jamie Moyer.


STARS

Sunday

— Derek Jeter, Yankees, went 4-for-5 with a double and an RBI in New York’s 8-2 victory over Seattle. It was Jeter’s first four-hit game since Aug. 30, against Boston.

— Gil Meche, Royals, allowed four hits in seven innings to help Kansas City beat Cleveland 2-0.

— Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox, went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs in Boston’s 7-3 victory over Tampa Bay.

— Chipper Jones, Braves, went 3-for-5 with a home run, a double and five RBIs in Atlanta’s 14-7 rout of Cincinnati. The NL’s leading hitter increased his average to .425.

— Lance Berkman, Astros, hit a homer and two doubles and drove in four runs in Houston’s 8-6, 12-inning win over Milwaukee. Berkman had four hits in the game.

INCOMPLETE

Toronto’s Roy Halladay failed to pitch a complete game for the first time in five starts, and somehow that was good news for the Blue Jays. Halladay got the win in a 4-3 victory over Chicago, allowing three runs and three hits in 7 1-3 innings. He had lost three straight games despite going the distance. Oddly, Jose Contreras took the loss for the White Sox on Sunday, despite pitching a complete game.

STOPPER

Aaron Cook went to the mound with the Rockies on a four-game losing streak, and for the third straight start, he ended it. Cook pitched 7 2-3 solid innings in Colorado’s 7-2 win over Los Angeles. It was the fifth time Cook stopped a Rockies’ losing streak. The Rockies are 6-1 when Cook starts and 6-18 in other games. He’s given up 13 earned runs and averaged seven innings in his last six starts—all of them Colorado victories. He hasn’t walked a batter in his last two starts.

STALLED

The Indians offense struggled again, managing just four singles in a 2-0 loss to Gil Meche and the Kansas City Royals. They managed two runs and eight hits in losing two games to the Royals over the weekend, and have scored more than three runs in a game just once in seven games, dating to April 27. The team’s .242 average is 13th out of 14 American League teams.

WELCOME BACK

Rays pitcher Scott Kazmir was chased after allowing four runs in four innings in his season debut, a 7-3 loss at Boston. He had been out since straining his elbow in February. “My arm felt great, but I was doing a little too much,” Kazmir said. “I felt like I was battling myself the whole time, but I’ll be fine.”

WHAT A RELIEF

Athletics reliever Santiago Casilla pitched a perfect inning in Oakland’s 3-1 win over Texas. Casilla has yet to allow a run in 17 appearances, spanning 16 1-3 innings. He has 20 strikeouts and only two walks, and has allowed nine hits. No pitcher in baseball has pitched more innings without allowing a run this season than Casilla. Jim Johnson of Florida has 15 1-3 scoreless innings and Phillies closer Brad Lidge has 15. Chad Qualls of Arizona had his streak of 16 2-3 scoreless innings snapped in Arizona’s 5-2 loss to New York.

NO RELIEF

Brewers closer Eric Gagne gave up two runs in the ninth inning to Houston, and Milwaukee went on to lose 8-6 in 12 innings to the Astros. Gagne has blown five of his 14 save chances and has a 6.14 ERA.

DEMOTED

Struggling pitcher Ian Kennedy was sent to the minor leagues by the New York Yankees. The Yankees promised patience with their young pitchers this season, but Kennedy was optioned to Triple-A after going 0-2 with an 8.37 ERA in six games, including five starts. … Anthony Reyes was demoted to the minor leagues by the Cardinals after sputtering in a relief role with a 5.27 ERA.

AILING

Twins right-hander Scott Baker was set to have an MRI exam on his strained right groin muscle. Baker left the mound on Saturday night against the Detroit Tigers after only 43 pitches and three innings when he felt an aggravation of the injury that also forced him out early from his previous start. … Cubs cleanup hitter Aramis Ramirez missed his second straight start with a sore left wrist from getting hit by a pitch.

SNAPPED

Matt Holliday had two hits and two RBIs and Colorado beat Los Angeles to snap the Dodgers’ eight-game winning streak. The win also ended the Rockies’ four-game skid.

SPEAKING

“When I got to third, Maddux said, ‘You’re supposed to pull the ball.”’— Marlins OF Luis Gonzalez, a good friend of Maddux’s, after ripping a line drive that the pitcher had to duck to avoid in a 10-3 Florida win over San Diego. Gonzalez has 10 homers off Maddux, the most of any player, and a .321 average with 36 hits against the right-hander.


SEASONS

May 5

1904—Cy Young of the Red Sox pitched a perfect game against the Philadelphia Athletics, beating Rube Waddell 3-0. Having pitched nine hitless innings in two previous efforts, he ran his string of hitless innings to 18.

1917—Ernie Koob of the St. Louis Browns pitched a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox for a 1-0 win in St. Louis.

1925—Manager Ty Cobb of the Detroit Tigers hit three homers, a double and two singles against the St. Louis Browns.

1925—Shortstop Everett Scott of the New York Yankees was benched, ending his streak of 1,307 consecutive games played that started while playing for the Boston Red Sox. Scott, who gave way to Pee Wee Wanninger, had the longest playing streak before Lou Gehrig.

1962—Bo Belinsky of the California Angels beat the Baltimore Orioles 2-0 with a no-hitter at Dodger Stadium. Belinsky struck out nine and walked four.

1978—Pete Rose became the 14th player with 3,000 hits when he singled against Montreal’s Steve Rogers at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium.

1980—National League president Chub Feeney suspended Pittsburgh’s Bill Madlock for 15 days and fined him $5,000 for shoving his glove in the face of home plate umpire Gerry Crawford.

1999—Colorado became the first team in 35 years and the third this century to score in every inning in a 13-6 win over the Chicago Cubs. The last time a team scored in all nine innings was also at Wrigley Field, when St. Louis beat the Cubs on Sept. 13, 1964.

2001—Sammy Sosa homered and had four RBIs, and Julian Tavarez pitched seven solid innings as the Chicago Cubs beat Los Angeles 20-1 at Wrigley Field. The Cubs scored eight runs in each of the last two innings.

2004—Mike Piazza set a major league mark for homers as a catcher, hitting No. 352, in the New York Mets’ 8-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants.

2004—Roger Clemens moved past Steve Carlton for second place on the career strikeout list with his 4,137th in Houston’s 6-2 win over Pittsburgh.

Today’s birthdays: Chris Duncan 27; Mike Redmond 37.

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[pm530]

National Basketball Association - Dunkel Index

NBA
Dunkel Index

Orlando at Detroit
The Pistons held Orlando to 72 points in the opener and come back tonight with a 22-10 ATS record after allowing an opponent 85 points or less. Detroit is the pick (-6) according to Dunkel, which has the Pistons favored by 8 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-6). Here are all of today's games.

MONDAY, MAY 5

Game 709-710: Orlando at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Orlando 120.659; Detroit 129.019
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 8 1/2; 181
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit by 6; 185
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-6); Under

Game 711-712: San Antonio at New Orleans
Dunkel Ratings: San Antonio 124.200; New Orleans 128.824
Dunkel Line & Total: New Orleans by 4 1/2; 187
Vegas Line & Total: New Orleans by 2; 182
Dunkel Pick: New Orleans (-2); Over

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[pm530]

National Basketball Association – Long Sheet

NBA
Long Sheet


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Monday, May 5
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ORLANDO (56 - 32) at DETROIT (64 - 25) - 5/5/2008, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 52-37 ATS (+11.3 Units) in all games this season.
DETROIT is 44-29 ATS (+12.1 Units) as a favorite this season.
DETROIT is 29-16 ATS (+11.4 Units) in home games this season.
DETROIT is 22-10 ATS (+11.0 Units) after allowing 85 points or less this season.
DETROIT is 25-15 ATS (+8.5 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
DETROIT is 24-14 ATS (+8.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
DETROIT is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
ORLANDO is 54-32 ATS (+18.8 Units) in all games this season.
ORLANDO is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) as an underdog this season.
ORLANDO is 28-16 ATS (+10.4 Units) in road games this season.
ORLANDO is 25-9 ATS (+15.1 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
ORLANDO is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 9-5 against the spread versus ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 13-3 straight up against ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
9 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SAN ANTONIO (60 - 28) at NEW ORLEANS (61 - 27) - 5/5/2008, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) as a road underdog of 3 points or less this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 16-28 ATS (-14.8 Units) in road games this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 54-33 ATS (+17.7 Units) in all games this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 39-23 ATS (+13.7 Units) as a favorite this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 29-16 ATS (+11.4 Units) in home games this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) after allowing 85 points or less over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 24-15 ATS (+7.5 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 28-19 ATS (+7.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 204-163 ATS (+24.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 7-6 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 9-4 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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[pm530]

National Basketball Association - Short Sheet

NBA
Short Sheet

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Monday, May 5th
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Eastern Conference
Second Round
Game Two
Pistons Lead, 1-0
Orlando at Detroit, 7:35 ET

Orlando:
25-9 ATS playing with revenge
14-1 ATS off road loss

Detroit:
14-5 Under off 3+ ATS wins
5-1-1 Under in playoffs

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Western Conference
Second Round
Game Two
Hornets Lead, 1-0
San Antonio at New Orleans, 9:35 ET

San Antonio:
1-5 ATS off division loss
5-1 Under off loss by 15+ points

New Orleans:
23-6 ATS off 5+ games w/ 14 or less turnovers
23-9 ATS after winning 4 of last 5

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[pm530]

National Basketball Association – Write up

NBA
Write-up


Monday, May 5

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NBA Games

Pistons pulled away from 43-42 halftime lead to win Game 1 by 91-72 score; Magic bench was 3-16 from floor; Howard hurt his hand reaching for loose ball. Detroit turned ball over six times, held Orlando to 2-15 from arc. Magic is going to need scoring from someone other than Howard to make this result better.

West had 30 points in Game 1, as Hornets outscored Spurs by 56-33 in second half, winning by 19, their fourth straight home playoff win (12-24-5-19 points). Duncan scored five points on 1-9 shooting in Game 1; don't think we'll see that again, or the Spurs shooting 12-31 from the arc. Not only did Hornets make half their shots, they had 16 offensive rebounds, outworking San Antonio throughout the second half.

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[pm530]

NBA


Monday, May 5

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Trend Sheet
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7:00 PM ORLANDO vs. DETROIT
Orlando is 2-3-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Orlando is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Detroit is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Detroit is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games


9:30 PM SAN ANTONIO vs. NEW ORLEANS
San Antonio is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Antonio's last 5 games on the road
New Orleans is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
New Orleans is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

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[pm530]

National Basketball Association - Tips & Trends

NBA


Monday, May 5

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Tips and Trends
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Orlando Magic at Detroit Pistons [TNT | 7 PM ET]

Magic: Insiders believe Orlando will not be able to hang with the Pistons in this series if they don't make 3-point baskets - or take more of them. The Magic had averaged nearly 30 3-point attempts per game in the first round against Toronto but took just 15 in Game 1 vs. Detroit - making only 2. Taking more 3-pointers would also help open up the inside for Dwight Howard, who was held to 12 points and 8 rebounds. They also hurt their cause by making just 10-of-20 free throws. “The first thing I look at is myself,” Orlando head coach Stan Van Gundy said. “I can’t make free throws, but other than that we have to find something better.”

Road team is 15-6-3 ATS in the last 24 meetings.
The UNDER is 9-1 in Orlando's last 10 road games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 90

Pistons (-5.5, O/U 185): Detroit used its big advantage in the backcourt en route to a Game 1 victory - literally. Chauncey Billups totaled a game-high 19 points over a smaller Jameer Nelson while Rip Hamilton added 17, as the duo outscored Orlando's backcourt by 25. “Chauncey drove the ball and he’s a very strong guy so if he gets an angle and drops that shoulder, good luck getting in front of him,” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. “Rip around screens is the best in the league. Since Reggie Miller retired, he’s the best catch-and-shoot player coming off screens in the NBA.”

Pistons are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
The OVER is 9-2 in the last 11 meetings at Detroit.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 95



San Antonio Spurs at New Orleans Hornets [TNT | 9:30 PM ET]

Spurs: San Antonio's Tim Duncan is coming off one of the worst games of his career thanks to stellar defense by New Orleans, utilizing an effective double-team strategy. Duncan missed 8 of his 9 shots and half of his 6 free throws, finishing with 5 points and 3 rebounds in Game 1. Duncan had averaged 25 points and 14 rebounds in the first round vs. Phoenix, and the Hornets expect him to bounce back in Game 2. "Tim is too proud to come out and play that way again," New Orleans head coach Byron Scott said. "In our minds right now, this is going to be a long series. They're just too good of a team to play the way they played (Saturday) night for four more games or five more games, so we didn't get their best shot."

The OVER is 6-2-1 in San Antonio's last 9 games overall.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 90

Hornets (-2.5, O/U 182): One of the biggest advantages New Orleans has in this series is youth, and head coach Byron Scott had his players practice only briefly on Sunday before watching film. The Hornets have also taken advantage of a big home-court edge to win all 4 of their games there in the playoffs, going 3-1 ATS. "We have to use what we've got - we have the youth, younger legs, things like that," Scott said. "We're a little more athletic than they are. We have to try to use those things to our advantage."

Hornets are 22-7 ATS in their last 29 home games.
The UNDER is 3-0-1 in New Orleans' last 4 games overall.
The UNDER is 4-1-1 in the last 6 meetings.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 92

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