Saturday Trends and Indexes 05/17

[pm530]

Trends and Indexes
Saturday, May 17

Good Luck on day #138 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]

Arena Football League – Long Sheet

AFL
Long Sheet

If there are any updates, we will re-post.

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Saturday, May 17
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COLUMBUS (2 - 8) at PHILADELPHIA (9 - 2) - 5/17/2008, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBUS is 4-1 against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
COLUMBUS is 3-2 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CLEVELAND (6 - 4) at COLORADO (4 - 6) - 5/17/2008, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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ARIZONA (4 - 6) at DALLAS (9 - 1) - 5/17/2008, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 26-13 ATS (+11.7 Units) in road games off a division game since 1996.
ARIZONA is 13-3 ATS (+9.7 Units) in road games where the total is between 100 and 104.5 points since 1996.
DALLAS is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) as a favorite of 10 or more points since 1996.
DALLAS is 8-20 ATS (-14.0 Units) in home games when playing on a Saturday since 1996.
DALLAS is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1996.
DALLAS is 5-19 ATS (-15.9 Units) in home games after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins since 1996.
DALLAS is 3-15 ATS (-13.5 Units) in home games where the total is between 100 and 104.5 points since 1996.

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

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UTAH (2 - 9) at SAN JOSE (6 - 5) - 5/17/2008, 10:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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Sunday, May 18
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ORLANDO (7 - 4) at KANSAS CITY (2 - 8) - 5/18/2008, 2:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in home games in weeks 10 through 13 over the last 3 seasons.

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

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GEORGIA (5 - 5) at NEW YORK (6 - 4) - 5/18/2008, 3:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) in home games against National Conference, Southern Division Opponents since 1996.

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

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Monday, May 19
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LOS ANGELES (4 - 7) at CHICAGO (8 - 2) - 5/19/2008, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in road games against American Conference, Central Division Opponents over the last 3 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in home games against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in home games against American Conference, Western Division Opponents over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.

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

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[pm530]

AFL


Trend Sheet

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Saturday, May 17


7:00 PM COLUMBUS vs. PHILADELPHIA
Columbus is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Columbus is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Philadelphia is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Columbus
Philadelphia is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Columbus


8:00 PM ARIZONA vs. DALLAS
Arizona is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Arizona is 4-13 SU in its last 17 games on the road
Dallas is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Dallas is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games


8:00 PM CLEVELAND vs. COLORADO
Cleveland is 0-3-2 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Colorado
Cleveland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Colorado
olorado is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Colorado is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games at home


10:30 PM UTAH vs. SAN JOSE
Utah is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Utah is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
San Jose is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Utah
San Jose is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Utah


Sunday, May 18


2:00 PM ORLANDO vs. KANSAS CITY
Orlando is 2-5-1 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Orlando's last 10 games on the road
Kansas City is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Kansas City is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home


3:00 PM GEORGIA vs. NEW YORK
Georgia is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing New York
Georgia is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games
New York is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home
New York is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home


Monday, May 19


8:00 PM LOS ANGELES vs. CHICAGO
Los Angeles is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Los Angeles is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Chicago is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Los Angeles
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Los Angeles

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[pm530]

WNBA


Saturday, May 17

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Trend Sheet
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3:30 PM HOUSTON vs. DETROIT
Houston is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Detroit is 4-9-1 ATS in its last 14 games at home


3:30 PM LOS ANGELES vs. PHOENIX
Los Angeles is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Los Angeles is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Phoenix is 6-18 SU in its last 24 games when playing Los Angeles
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games when playing Los Angeles


4:00 PM ATLANTA vs. CONNECTICUT
No trends available
Connecticut is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Connecticut is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home


7:00 PM WASHINGTON vs. INDIANA
Washington is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games on the road
Indiana is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Indiana's last 8 games when playing at home against Washington


10:00 PM CHICAGO vs. SEATTLE
Chicago is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
Chicago is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Seattle is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Seattle is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home


10:00 PM SAN ANTONIO vs. SACRAMENTO
San Antonio is 1-6-1 ATS in its last 8 games
San Antonio is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
Sacramento is 6-2-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against San Antonio
Sacramento is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against San Antonio

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[pm530]

National Hockey League – Long Sheet

NHL
Long Sheet


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Saturday, May 17
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DALLAS (54-36-0-8, 116 pts.) at DETROIT (65-24-0-7, 137 pts.) - 5/17/2008, 1:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 34-10 ATS (+11.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 21-16 ATS (+40.5 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
DALLAS is 37-19 ATS (+12.2 Units) on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.
DALLAS is 22-13 ATS (+6.6 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more this season.
DALLAS is 27-21 ATS (+50.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
DALLAS is 19-13 ATS (+33.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 11-5 (+4.5 Units) against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 11-5-0 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
9 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.8 Units)

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[pm530]

National Hockey League - Short Sheet

NHL
Short Sheet

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Saturday, May 17
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Western Conference Playoffs
Conference Finals
Game Five
Detroit Leads, 3-1
Dallas at Detroit, 1:35 ET

Dallas:
2-6 SU at Detroit
10-2 Over after having lost 5 or 6 of their last 7

Detroit:
22-5 SU revenging a loss where team scored 1 or less goals
27-4 SU at home after having won 3 of their last 4

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[pm530]

NHL


Saturday, May 17

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Trend Sheet
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1:30 PM DALLAS vs. DETROIT
Dallas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Dallas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
Detroit is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB


Saturday, May 17

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Tips and Trends
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We will update when projected scores are available.


New York Mets at New York Yankees [YES | 1:05 PM ET]

Mets: The Mets will pitch their ace in the opening game of the Subway Series. Johan Santana is 4-2 with a 3.10 ERA this season, and he's allowed 3 runs or less in 7 of 8 starts. As usual, Santana has been a strikeout machine, with 52 K's in 52 1/3 innings of work. Santana is familiar with the Yankees from his time in Minnesota. He dominated the Bombers in his one starts against them last year, allowing just two runs over 7 innings in a 6-2 Twins win.

Mets are 6-2 in their last 8 games following a loss.
The OVER is 6-2 in the Mets' last 8 interleague games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Yankees (NA): It's been tough sledding for Andy Pettitte of late. The veteran has been rocked in three of his last four starts. In Pettitte's last 21 1/3 innings of work he's given up 28 hits and 17 runs. Surprisingly. Pettitte has struggled at home this season. He's 0-2 with a 5.19 ERA in three starts at Yankee Stadium. Despite Pettitte's recent ineffectiveness, the games he pitches continue to go under. The under has cashed in seven of Pettitte's eight starts this season.

Yankees are 6-2 in their last 8 games as an underdog.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD



Milwaukee Brewers at Boston Red Sox [FOX | 3:55 PM ET]

Brewers: Dave Bush can't be happy knowing he has to face the dangerous Red Sox lineup at Fenway Park. Even though he won his most recent start over St. Louis, Bush has basically been batting practice this season, going 1-4 with a lofty 6.06 ERA. Things don't get any better for Bush when he faces Boston. In his career, Bush is 0-3 with an ERA of 9.00 against the Red Sox. The Brewers have lost five of Bush's seven starts this season.

Brewers are 6-2 in their last 8 interleague games.
The UNDER is 7-2-1 in Milwaukee's last 10 Saturday games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Red Sox (NA): The ageless Tim Wakefield takes the mound for the Red Sox today. Wakefield has been pretty reliable for Boston this season, going 4-3 with a 4.02 ERA. However, he is coming off his worst performance of the year against the Twins, where he only lasted 2.2 innings and gave up seven runs. Before that outing, Wakefield had been a horse, going at least six innings in each of his starts. The knuckleballer hasn't been kind to the Brewers over his career, going 5-2 with a 3.19 ERA.

Red Sox are 41-10 in their last 51 interleague games.
Red Sox are 21-7 in their last 28 Saturday games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD



Cleveland Indians at Cincinnati Reds [FOX | 3:55 PM ET]

Indians: Fausto Carmona has become the Indians ace this season, sporting a record of 4-1 to go along with an extraordinary 2.40 ERA. What's even more impressive is Carmona has put those numbers despite walking an astonishing 35 batters in 48.1 innings. Carmona's last two starts have been a microcosm of his entire season. In 14 innings pitched, Carmona only gave up three runs even though he walked nine batters. Things could catch up to Carmona soon, especially on the road where he has a WHIP of 2.06.

The UNDER is 21-6 in Cleveland's last 27 games overall.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Reds (-125, O/U 8.5): Aaron Harang has been one of those hard-luck pitchers in 2008. He's 2-4 despite an ERA of 3.32 and pitching at least 6.0 innings in every start this year. The problem for Harang has been run support. The problem being, he hasn't received much of it. Harang has already been on the short end of 3-0, 5-2, 3-1 and 4-2 games this year. Harang has owned the Indians in his career, going 3-1 with a gaudy 2.38 ERA in seven starts.

Reds are 4-8 in their last 12 interleague games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD



Los Angeles Dodgers at Los Angeles Angels [FOX | 3:55 PM ET]

Dodgers: Chan Ho Park will make his first start of the season after making 12 appearances out of the bullpen, most of which have been successful. Park has allowed only one run in his last five trips to the mound lasting a total of 13 innings. He earned a win against Colorado to start the good run, but he has pitched in losses in his last three appearances. Park is 5-7 lifetime against the Angels with a 5.90 ERA.

Dodgers are 7-3 in their last 10 road games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Angels (-160, O/U 9): Ervin Santana continues his perfect season back at home, where has surprisingly started just three games so far. Santana is 2-0 in those starts with a 1.31 ERA and has gone to the mound five times on the road. The Angels lost his last start at Tampa Bay on Sunday 8-5 after he surrendered five runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings with one walk and seven strikeouts. He is 2-2 lifetime against the Dodgers with a 3.42 ERA.

Angels are 8-1 in the last 9 meetings.
Angels are 3-6 in their last 9 games overall.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD



Chicago White Sox at San Francisco Giants [WGN | 9:05 PM ET]

White Sox (-130, O/U 8.5): Mark Buehrle just can't seem to get off the schneid, as he has surrendered 15 runs and 19 hits in hit last two starts totaling 11 1/3 innings. Chicago has won only one of his last six starts, scoring one run or less four times during that stretch. Buehrle also got bombed in his lone start against the Giants, giving up eight runs on six hits - including two homers - in 4 1/3 innings of work.

The UNDER is 13-3 in Chicago's last 16 road games.
The UNDER is 14-4 in Chicago's last 18 games overall.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Giants: San Francisco's Barry Zito has been far from an ace with a winless 0-7 mark and 6.58 ERA, although he has pitched better in his last two starts since taking a break. To be fair, the Giants have scored three runs or less in seven of Zito's eight starts, including one or less five times. That has translated to eight straight losses with him on the mound to start the season. Zito has been outstanding against the White Sox during his career, going 8-2 lifetime vs. Chicago with a 3.22 ERA.

Giants are 3-9 in their last 12 games overall.
Giants are 5-16 in Zito's last 21 games as an underdog.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

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[Udog]

NHL


Saturday, May 17


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Ice picks: Saturday's best NHL bets
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Dallas vs. Detroit (-270, 5)

Red Wings forward Tomas Holmstrom does a lot of things that drive opponents crazy. He gets in goalies' faces. He wrestles with defensemen. He wreaks havoc in front of the net and in the corners.

But one thing he did not do in Wednesday night's Game 4 is stand in the crease when Detroit apparently scored a goal at 7:34 of the second period on a power play. The goal was unjustifiably waved off and it would have given the Wings a 1-1 tie heading into the third period.

Instead, the home Stars carried all the momentum into the third and ended up avoiding the series sweep in a 3-1 win.

Now the Wings are monster favorites as the series swings back to Detroit, and rightfully so.

Though the Red Wings will be without their top playoff goal scorer for Game 5, Johan Franzen, they will be back on home ice, where they have been unbeatable these playoffs. Detroit is now 7-0 in this postseason at Joe Louis Arena and the 1:30 p.m. ET game time won't help Dallas any, accustomed to a Central Time location.

The Holmstrom goal that was waived off was a huge break that the Stars won't be able to count on again. Don't be shocked if you see some scoring from unexpected places from the Red Wings as they cruise on to the Stanley Cup finals.

Pick: Red Wings – 1 1/2 (+100)

[Udog]

MLB


Saturday, May 17


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Trend Sheet
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1:05 PM NY METS vs. NY YANKEES
NY Mets are 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of NY Mets's last 9 games
NY Yankees are 18-7 SU in their last 25 games when playing at home against NY Mets
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 5 games when playing at home against NY Mets


1:05 PM PITTSBURGH vs. CHI CUBS
Pittsburgh is 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing Chi Cubs
Pittsburgh is 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
Chi Cubs are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games at home
Chi Cubs are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games


1:10 PM TAMPA BAY vs. ST. LOUIS
Tampa Bay is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
St. Louis is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
St. Louis is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games


3:55 PM CLEVELAND vs. CINCINNATI
Cleveland is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Cleveland is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
Cincinnati is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Cincinnati is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home


3:55 PM LA DODGERS vs. LA ANGELS
LA Dodgers are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games
LA Dodgers are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games on the road
LA Angels are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers
LA Angels are 8-1 SU in their last 9 games when playing LA Dodgers


3:55 PM MILWAUKEE vs. BOSTON
Milwaukee is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games
Milwaukee is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Boston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
Boston is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games


7:05 PM HOUSTON vs. TEXAS
Houston is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Texas
Houston is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games
Texas is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games at home
Texas is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games


7:05 PM TORONTO vs. PHILADELPHIA
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Philadelphia is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Toronto
Philadelphia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Toronto


7:05 PM WASHINGTON vs. BALTIMORE
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Baltimore
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Baltimore
Baltimore is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games at home
Baltimore is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games


7:10 PM KANSAS CITY vs. FLORIDA
Kansas City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Kansas City is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Florida is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Florida is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Kansas City


7:10 PM OAKLAND vs. ATLANTA
Oakland is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Oakland is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Atlanta is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Oakland


8:05 PM MINNESOTA vs. COLORADO
Minnesota is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games on the road
Colorado is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Colorado is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games at home


8:10 PM DETROIT vs. ARIZONA
Detroit is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Arizona
Detroit is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Arizona is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
Arizona is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home


8:35 PM MILWAUKEE vs. BOSTON
Milwaukee is 4-9-1 SU in its last 14 games
Milwaukee is 0-4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Boston is 12-3-1 SU in its last 16 games at home
Boston is 0-4-1 SU in its last 5 games


9:05 PM CHI WHITE SOX vs. SAN FRANCISCO
Chi White Sox are 6-3 SU in their last 9 games
San Francisco is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
San Francisco is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games


10:10 PM SAN DIEGO vs. SEATTLE
San Diego is 7-17 SU in its last 24 games
San Diego is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Seattle is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing San Diego
Seattle is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against San Diego

[Udog]

MLB


Saturday, May 17


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Baseball Today
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SCOREBOARD
Saturday, May 17

Oakland at Atlanta (7:10 p.m.) The Athletics send Rich Harden (1-0, 3.68 ERA) to the mound against Tim Hudson and the Braves. Harden hasn't won since March 26 after a stint on the disabled list and a pair of no-decisions. Hudson (6-2, 2.54) has won three straight.

STARS
Friday

- Jayson Werth, Phillies, became the 18th Phillies player to hit three home runs in a game and tied the team record for RBIs with eight in a 10-3 win over the Blue Jays.

- Alfonso Soriano, Cubs, homered twice and drove in four runs to help Chicago win for the seventh time in eight games, 7-4 over the Pirates.

- Josh Hamilton, Rangers, went 5-for-5 with two home runs, a triple and five RBIs in a 16-8 rout of the Astros. Hamilton also scored four times.

- Jose Guillen, Royals, had three hits and drove in a pair of runs to help Kansas City win its fifth straight, 7-6 over the Marlins.

- Andy Sonnanstine, Rays, gave up a run and eight hits over eight innings as Tampa Bay moved eight games above .500 for the first time in franchise history with a 3-1 win over St. Louis.

- Eric Byrnes, Diamondbacks, homered and drove in a pair of runs in a 4-3 win over Detroit.

- Joe Saunders, Angels, went 7 1-3 innings and gave up five hits and a pair of runs in a 4-2 win over the Dodgers. Saunders improved to 7-1, despite striking out just one batter.

HOME COOKING

The Braves beat Oakland 3-2 on Friday night, their eighth straight win at Turner Field. Atlanta has the best home record in the majors at 15-4, but after losing five of seven on a road trip that ended Thursday in Philadelphia, the Braves have the worst road record at 6-16.

ROUGH NIGHT

Albert Pujols was 0-for-4 with two groundouts, an infield popup and a strikeout, ending his streak of reaching base in all 42 games to start the season in a loss to Tampa Bay. It also ended Pujols' 14-game hitting streak, and he made his first error of the year at first base, muffing B.J. Upton's soft liner in the seventh.

RAYS-ING THE BAR

Tampa Bay's 3-1 win over the Cardinals moved the AL East leaders eight games above .500 for the first time in franchise history. Akinori Iwamura provided three hits and is on a 9-for-21 tear for the Rays (25-17), who have won eight of nine while outscoring the opposition 38-15.

THREE HOMERS

Jayson Werth became the 18th Phillies player to hit three home runs in a game and tied the team record with eight RBIs in a 10-3 win over the Blue Jays. Ryan Howard was the last to hit three for Philadelphia on Sept. 3, 2006, against Atlanta in the first game of a doubleheader. Werth joined Mike Schmidt (1976), Kitty Bransfeld (1910), Gavvy Cravath (1915) and Willie Jones (1958) as the other Phillies to drive in eight runs.

MORE HOMERS

Alfonso Soriano homered in his first two at-bats and Geovany Soto and Mark DeRosa also went deep for the Cubs, who beat Pittsburgh 7-4 for their seventh win in eight games. Soriano connected on the first pitch from Tom Gorzelanny for his third leadoff home run in four games. Soriano launched a three-run shot in the second inning that made it 6-0.

FIRED

The White Sox fired director of player personnel David Wilder and two scouts in the club's Latin American operation, Victor Mateo and Domingo Toribio. The terminations followed a two-month investigation by Major League Baseball's Department of Investigations. The three were dismissed "for actions in Latin America that were violations of club policy and standards," the team said without elaborating.

SO LONG, PETER

Peter Magowan, the owner who brought Barry Bonds to San Francisco, built a new ballpark and kept major league baseball in the city, is stepping down as managing partner. Magowan will retire from his duties at the end of the season on Oct. 1 but maintain an ownership stake.

SINKING

Colorado's 4-2 to Minnesota on Friday night was the Rockies' eighth in 11 games. The defending NL champs fell to 7-11 at home. At 15-27, Colorado is 12 games below .500 for the first time since Sept. 16, 2006, when it was 68-80.

BIG HIT

Alexei Ramirez hit his first major league homer, a two-run shot in the seventh inning that gave the White Sox a 2-0 win over the Giants. San Francisco had a baserunner aboard in every inning against White Sox starter Gavin Floyd (4-2), who withstood each threat. Four relievers finished the five-hitter for Chicago's fourth shutout.

STATS

Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki snapped an 0-for-16 skid with a single leading off the seventh inning of the Mariners' 6-4 loss to the Padres. Royals closer Joakim Soria allowed a run for the first time this season when he gave up a two-run homer to Jeremy Hermida. Soria then struck out Hanley Ramirez and Jorge Cantu for his 11th save.

SPEAKING

"We're not bad here. We stink on the road."-Braves third baseman Chipper Jones, who helped Atlanta win its eighth straight at Turner Field with a 3-2 victory over Oakland.

SEASONS
May 17

1925-Cleveland's Tris Speaker got his 3,000th career hit, off Tom Zachary, in a 2-1 loss to the Washington Senators.

1939-The first baseball game on television was broadcast by W2XBS, an experimental station run by NBC in New York. Bill Stern handled the play-by-play as Princeton beat Columbia, 2-1, in 10 innings.

1945-For the fourth time in four days, every American League game in the country was postponed by rain.

1961-Roger Maris hit his first home run of the season at Yankee Stadium (fourth overall) on his way to a record 61.

1963-Don Nottebart pitched Houston's first no-hitter as the Colt .45s defeated the visiting Philadelphia Phillies 4-1.

1970-Hank Aaron scratched out an infield single against Cincinnati's Wayne Simpson to become the ninth player with 3,000 hits. The hit came in the nightcap of the Atlanta Braves' doubleheader loss to the Reds in Cincinnati.

1977-The Chicago Cubs hit seven home runs in beating the San Diego Padres 23-6 at Wrigley Field. Larry Biittner, Jerry Morales and Bobby Murcer hit consecutive home runs in the fifth for the Cubs.

1979-Dave Kingman of the Cubs hit three home runs and Mike Schmidt of the Phillies hit two, and Philadelphia beat Chicago 23-22 in 10 innings at Wrigley Field. Bill Buckner had a grand slam and seven RBIs for Chicago. The game included 11 home runs and 50 hits.

1984-Alan Wiggins of the San Diego Padres tied a National League record by stealing five bases in one game. He joined three others who have performed the feat-Dan McGann in 1904, Davey Lopes in 1974 and Lonnie Smith in 1982.

1992-Toronto surpassed the 1-million mark in attendance earlier than any team in major league history. It took the Blue Jays 21 dates to draw 1,006,294. The previous record was shared by the 1991 Blue Jays and the 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers.

1998-David Wells pitched the 13th perfect game in modern major league history as the New York Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins 4-0.

2002-Arizona's Erubiel Durazo hit three home runs, a double and drove in nine runs as the Diamondbacks defeated Philadelphia 12-9.

Today’s birthdays: Nick Masset 26; Carlos Pena 30; Jose Guillen 32.

[Udog]

MLB


Saturday, May 17


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Hot Lines: Saturday's best MLB bets
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Kansas City at Florida (-114, 8.5)

Can we please start giving Scott Olsen some respect? Well, maybe "respect" might be asking a little too much for a guy who tries to start fights with his teammates, flips off fans and tries to outrun the cops, but maybe we should just recognize the strides he's made on the field this year.

The guy's certainly had his issues in the past, but what does that matter when he's got a 2.63 ERA and the Marlins are 7-1 in his starts? He's coming off a bad start in which he was admittedly lucky to get the win, but he threw only 59 pitches in that outing so you can expect him to be fresh and fired up today.

K.C.'s Brian Bannister, on the other hand, had an outstanding start in his last outing, but he threw 109 pitches over eight innings. The only game in which he threw more pitches (111 on April 8) his next start was 13-2 loss to Oakland.

Pick: Marlins



Minnesota at Colorado (-121, 10.5)

Sometimes pitchers struggle because their teammates can't provide them with sufficient run support. Sometimes it's just the opposite, like with Livan Hernandez this year. The veteran right-hander has been playing well and he has a respectable 3.90 ERA, but the over/under is 7-2 to the over in his starts because the Twins have been backing him up with gusto all season. In his nine starts this season, the Twins have provided an average of 6.2 runs in support, including 31 runs in his last three starts.

The Twins are hitting .266 against right-handers this year and they'll get a chance to take advantage of an inexperienced righty today, as Colorado's Greg Reynolds makes the second start of his young career.

Pick: Over

[Udog]

MLB
Dunkel


Kansas City at Florida
Washington starter Odalis Perez has pitched the Nationals to wins in his last three appearances and looks to take advantage of Baltimore's Brian Burres, who has has lost his last three starts. The Nats are the underdog pick (+110) according to Dunkel, which has Washington favored straight up by 1. Dunkel Pick: Washington (+110). Here are all of today's games.

SATURDAY, MAY 17

Game 951-952: Pittsburgh at Chicago Cubs
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Duke) 14.887; Cubs (Zambrano) 17.361
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 2 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-220); No Run Line
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (-220); N/A

Game 953-954: Tampa Bay at St. Louis
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Garza) 16.030; St. Louis (Wainwright) 14.860
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1; 8
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-120); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (+110); Under

Game 955-956: Milwaukee at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Bush) 13.742; Boston (Wakefield) 15.612
Dunkel Line: Boston by 2; 9
Vegas Line: Boston (-175); 10
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-175); Under

Game 957-958: LA Dodgers at LA Angels
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Park) 13.928; LA Angels (Santana) 16.453
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 2 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-155); 9
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-155); Under

Game 959-960: NY Mets at NY Yankees
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Santana) 15.649; NY Yankees (Pettitte) 15.092
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-120); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-120); Over

Game 961-962: Cleveland at Cincinnati
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Carmona) 15.702; Cincinnati (Harang) 16.453
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-115); Over

Game 963-964: Washington at Baltimore
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Perez) 16.023; Baltimore (Burres) 15.447
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Baltimore (-120); 9
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+110); Under

Game 965-966: Toronto at Philadelphia
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Burnett) 15.643; Philadelphia (Eaton) 14.247
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Toronto (-105); 9
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-105); Over

Game 967-968: Kansas City at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Bannister) 15.101; Florida (Olsen) 17.187
Dunkel Line: Florida by 2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Florida (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida (-115); Under

Game 969-970: Oakland at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Harden) 15.231; Atlanta (Hudson) 17.047
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-130); 8
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-130); Under

Game 971-972: Houston at Texas
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Oswalt) 16.758; Texas (Padilla) 15.801
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Houston (-110); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (-110); Over

Game 973-974: Minnesota at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Hernandez) 15.612; Colorado (Reynolds) 14.530
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Colorado (-125); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+115); Under

Game 975-976: Detroit at Arizona
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Galarraga) 15.358; Arizona (Scherzer) 14.602
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Arizona (-125); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (+115); Under

Game 977-978: Chicago White Sox at San Francisco
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Buehrle) 14.341; San Francisco (Zito) 15.080
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-135); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+125); Under

Game 979-980: San Diego at Seattle
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Wolf) 14.724; Seattle (Bedard) 15.464
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Seattle (-145); 8
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-145); Over

Game 981-982: Milwaukee at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Suppan) 13.995; Boston (Matsuzaka) 16.989
Dunkel Line: Boston by 3; 9
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

[Udog]

NHL
Dunkel


Dallas at Detroit
The Red Wings look to wrap up the series after dropping Game Four in Dallas and come into the contest with a 20-9 record when revenging a loss versus an opponent. Detroit is the pick (-255) according to Dunkel, which has the Red Wings favored by 2. Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-255). Here are all of today's games.

SATURDAY, MAY 17

Game 57-58: Dallas at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 11.931; Detroit 13.748
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit (-255); 5
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-255); Over

[Udog]

AFL
Long Sheet


Update


Saturday, May 17


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UTAH (2 - 9) at SAN JOSE (6 - 5) - 5/17/2008, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTAH is 9-18 ATS (-10.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) versus division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
UTAH is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 110 over the last 3 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 19-10 ATS (+8.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in home games when playing on a Saturday over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 11-0 ATS (+11.0 Units) versus division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record after 8 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 16-3 ATS (+12.7 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 110 over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in home games where the total is greater than or equal to 110 over the last 2 seasons.

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

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