Sunday Trends and Indexes 05/18

[pm530]

Trends and Indexes
Sunday, May 18

Good Luck on day #139 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

-- Watching Big Brown win Preakness, had same feeling I got watching Danny Almonte pitch LL World Series; problem is, Almonte was playing against kids two years younger than he was. Hope Big Brown isn't the Roger Clemens of horses.

-- Only one horse other than Big Brown ran in both Derby and Preakness; isn't that a little weird?

-- AL teams went 7-5 Saturday in interleague games, 3-1 in AL parks, 4-4 on the road; totals for the two days are .

-- Alfonso Soriano is on fire this week; he hit HR in the first inning in three of his last four games.

-- Milwaukee is a horrendous defensive baseball team.

-- Highlight of the day was the great Bob Uecker joining the FOX crew for an inning at Brewers-Red Sox game. Has there ever been a funnier guy in the broadcast booth?

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[pm530]

Sunday's List of 13: Armadillo's list of movies to see.........

Maxim Magazine recently had an issue with 300 movies to see before you die. We looked through the list and picked out 13 movies from it that we highly recommend. The magazine is one with Elisha Cuthbert on the cover, if you need any motivation to go buy it. Anyway, here is our list.......by the way, this isn't a ranking, just the order we put them on the list........

13) Risky Business-- Not only did it have Rebecca DeMornay, who never became the big star we thought she should, but it had Richard Mazur as a Princeton admissions guy, and highly underrated Joe Pantoliano as Guido the pimp. Terrific movie. Best line: "Who's the U-boat commander?"

12) Network-- This movie may have helped spawn the Morton Downey Jr Show, the Jerry Springer-type talk show which, in time kind of took over TV for a while. When the guy looks into the camera and says, "I want you to go to your windows, then open them, and yell, 'I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore'" it is a great movie moment.

11) Airplane!-- Wow, has it been 28 years since this came out? "I'm not kidding, and don't call me Shirley." Kareem as a pilot, Peter Graves as a jokester, laughs from start to finish. I liked Airplane 2 better than the original, but it didn't make the list.

10) Breaking Away-- Dennis Quaid in a supporting role, movie about kids in Indiana, one of whom loves to ride a bike. Paul Dooley, as the kid's used car salesman father, steals a couple of scenes-- "The kid ate my damn french fries!!!"

9) Wizard of Oz-- This was my sister's favorite movie, so I had to watch it like 484 times growing up. To this day, I watch it if it is on. Former Giants' 3B Chris Brown got his nickname (Tin Man) from this movie-- teammates said he didn't have a heart. "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain."

8) Caddyshack-- Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Ted Knight in the same movie. "See the ball, be the ball." 1980 was a great year for comedies, with this classic and Airplane!

7) Rocky-- Had there been no sequels, could make point that this was the greatest sports movie of alltime. Sequels allowed Sylvester Stallone to become really rich, ignited the wrestling boom of the 80's, got Brigitte Neilsen into a movie while she was still really hot. Seeing her today is pretty sad.

6) Dirty Harry-- Clint Eastwood's Harry Callahan is one of the best movie characters ever. Wasn't always great to be one of his partners. "Did I fire five shots or six? Tell you the truth, in all the excitement, I forgot myself. You have to ask if today is your lucky day. Do you feel lucky? Well, do you punk?"

5) Ferris Bueller's Day Off-- Was always confused why a kid in Chicago wore a Red Wings jersey during whole movie, but it doesn't take much to confuse me. Cindy Pickett plays Ferris' mom; always liked her on The Guiding Light. Guy who played the school principal was pretty good, too.

4) Stripes-- Was disappointed when Harold Ramis quit acting to go into directing full-time; always thought he was a funny guy. This movie had John Candy, Ramis, Bill Murray. Did you know that John Candy was once head of Canadian Football League's expansion committee, when he was part owner of the Toronto Argonauts with Wayne Gretzky?

3) Youngblood-- Best-ever hockey movie? Anyway, an actor named Ed Lauter (QB of the guards' team in original Longest Yard) is coach of Rob Lowe's hockey team. Eric Nesterenko is guy who played Lowe's father; he played with Bobby Hull on the Chicago Blackhawks in the late 60's. Best quote: "I didn't come halfway to the f-ing Arctic Circle to lose to these goons"

2) Hoop Dreams-- Not really a movie, a documentary on couple of high school kids from Chicago trying to get scholarships for basketball. Real life is better than fiction, as this movie shows. One kid went to same high school as Isiah Thomas, who is in this briefly. Maybe Isiah can go into acting now.

1) Heat-- Deniro as the bad guy, Pacino as a cop; one of my all-time favorite scenes, in the diner, with the two of them, its like watching Jordan, Kareem shoot hoops. Throw in supporting roles by Jon Voight and Val Kilmer, its a damn good movie.

Of course, most of my favorite movies didn't make their list; so we will do that list some other time. This magazine makes for interesting reading, and Elisha Cuthbert's pics are good, too.

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[pm530]

MLB


Sunday, May 18

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Trend Sheet
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1:10 PM KANSAS CITY vs. FLORIDA
Kansas City is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Florida is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games
Florida is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games


1:15 PM CLEVELAND vs. CINCINNATI
Cleveland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
Cleveland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Cincinnati is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home


1:35 PM MILWAUKEE vs. BOSTON
Milwaukee is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Milwaukee is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
Boston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Milwaukee


1:35 PM OAKLAND vs. ATLANTA
Oakland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Oakland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Atlanta is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
Atlanta is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games


1:35 PM TORONTO vs. PHILADELPHIA
Toronto is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Toronto is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Philadelphia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Toronto
Philadelphia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home


1:35 PM WASHINGTON vs. BALTIMORE
Washington is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Baltimore
Washington is 6-15 SU in its last 21 games on the road
Baltimore is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
Baltimore is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Washington


2:15 PM TAMPA BAY vs. ST. LOUIS
Tampa Bay is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
Tampa Bay is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing St. Louis
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Tampa Bay
St. Louis is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games


2:20 PM PITTSBURGH vs. CHI CUBS
Pittsburgh is 1-7 SU in their last 8 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
Pittsburgh is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games on the road
Chi Cubs are 7-2 SU in their last 9 games at home
Chi Cubs are 7-2 SU in their last 9 games


3:05 PM HOUSTON vs. TEXAS
Houston is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Texas
Houston is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Texas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Houston
Texas is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games


3:05 PM MINNESOTA vs. COLORADO
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Minnesota is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games on the road
Colorado is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games


3:35 PM LA DODGERS vs. LA ANGELS
LA Dodgers are 2-8 SU in their last 10 games when playing LA Angels
LA Dodgers are 8-3 SU in their last 11 games on the road
LA Angels are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers
LA Angels are 3-7 SU in their last 10 games


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


4:10 PM DETROIT vs. ARIZONA
Detroit is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Detroit is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Arizona is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Detroit
Arizona is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home


4:10 PM SAN DIEGO vs. SEATTLE
San Diego is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Seattle
San Diego is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Seattle is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against San Diego
Seattle is 4-13 SU in its last 17 games


8:05 PM NY METS vs. NY YANKEES
NY Mets are 8-17 SU in their last 25 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
NY Yankees are 17-8 SU in their last 25 games when playing at home against NY Mets
NY Yankees are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB


Sunday, May 18

We will update when all projected scores are available.

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Tips and Trends
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Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs [WGN | 2:20 PM ET]

Pirates: Phil Dumatrait will be making his fourth start of the season on Sunday, going 1-1 in his previous three. Dumatrait was used primarily as a relief pitcher before cracking the Pirates starting rotation in early May. Dumatrait has pitched well in his last two starts, giving up just three runs in 11.2 innings of work. In five career appearances against the Cubs, Dumatrait has an ERA of 7.36.

Pirates are 9-3 in their last 12 games overall.
Pirates are 9-23 in their last 32 road games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 4

Cubs (-170): Jason Marquis is back on the rubber for the Cubs after getting blasted in his last three starts. Marquis has given up 26 hits and 14 runs in his last 16 innings of work. He's only made it through 6.0 innings in two of his seven starts on the year. Marquis has started 15 games against the Pirates over his career, going 6-5 with an ERA of 4.04. Despite his struggles, the UNDER has cashed in each of Marquis' last two starts.

Cubs are 11-2 in the last 13 meetings.
Cubs are 7-2 in their last 9 home games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 6


Los Angeles Dodgers at Los Angeles Angels [3:35 PM ET]

Dodgers: After winning four straight decisions, Brad Penny was rocked in his last two starts by the Mets and Brewers. Penny has given up a ridiculous 19 hits and 15 runs in his last 10.2 innings pitched. The Angels aren't the team Penny wants to see when he's trying to get back on track. In five career starts versus Anaheim, Penny is just 1-3 with a 4.99 ERA. Penny tends to pitch in high scoring affairs, with six of his nine starts going OVER the total.

Dodgers are 9-3 in their last 12 games following a win.
Dodgers are 8-3 in their last 11 road games..

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Angels (NA): Jered Weaver has been a monumental disappointment for the Angels in 2008. Expected to be Anaheim's ace, Weaver has struggled to a 2-5 record to go along with his 4.86 ERA. The Angels have only won three of Weaver's nine starts, although six of those contests went under the total. One bright spot for Weaver is he's coming off his best performance of the season, getting the win after pitching 7.0 scoreless innings against the White Sox. Weaver has owned the Dodgers going 2-0 with a dominating 1.50 ERA in his two starts versus LA.

Angels are 8-2 in the last 10 meetings.
Angels are 3-7 in their last 8 games overall.
The UNDER is 9-2 in the Angels' last 11 games following a loss.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD


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

Mets: Oliver Perez only allowed six runs in his first 21 2/3 innings pitched this season, but things haven't gone as smooth over his last four outings. Perez is 1-3 in his previous four starts, giving up 20 runs in 19 1/3 innings of work. One of Perez's biggest problems this season has been walks. He's put 27 runners on base in his 41.0 innings pitched this year. Perez has had success pitching against the Yankees, going 3-1 with a 3.04 ERA in four career starts.

Mets are 8-3 in Perez's last 11 road starts
The OVER is 7-2 in the Mets' last 9 interleague games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 3

Yankees (-160, O/U 8.5): Despite pitching well in both games, Chien-Ming Wang is coming off back-to-back losses for the first time this season. Wang has suffered from a lack of run support. He's only given up four runs over his last 17.0 innings pitched but the Yankees have countered with just one run on their end. Wang is a horse, going at least 6.0 innings in every game but one. Wang is an UNDER bettor's best friends, with seven of his nine starts easily going UNDER the total.

Yankees are 2-9 in their last 11 games as a favorite.
Yankees are 20-6 in their last 26 Sunday games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 7 (Side Play of the Day)

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball – Gameday

MLB


Sunday, May 18

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Gameday
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Sunday MLB Gameday

Chien-Ming Wang and the New York Yankees will be looking to knock off the rival New York Mets when they meet on Sunday night. Here's a preview in your MLB Gameday …

Cleveland Indians at Cincinnati Reds, 1:15pm ET
Cliff Lee (6-0, 0.67 ERA) vs. Edinson Volquez (6-1, 1.12 ERA)

Everyone keeps waiting for Lee to stumble, but the Tribe's surprise stud just keeps putting zeroes on the scoreboard. The lefthander was actually denied a win in his last outing versus the Blue Jays, but he still tossed nine innings of shutout baseball in that outing. Overall Lee is 6-0 on the season, and his ERA is down to a ridiculously-low 0.67.

Volquez is basically Lee's National League counterpart - no one expected him to be this good this season. The righthander has yet to give up more than a single earned run in an outing in 2008, and his only loss came on May 2 when he allowed two runs (just one earned) versus the Braves. Volquez dominated the Marlins in his most recent start.


Los Angeles Dodgers at Los Angeles Angels, 3:35pm ET
Derek Lowe (2-3, 4.62 ERA) vs. Jered Weaver (2-5, 4.86 ERA)

Lowe will be pitching on just three days' rest in this contest, as scheduled starter Brad Penny was scratched with a sore arm. Lowe has given up four or more earned runs in each of his past three outings, which has boosted his ERA up to 4.62 on the season. The righthander last won on April 23, when he shut down the D-Backs over five innings.

Weaver has been up-and-down this season. The young righthander surrendered eight earned runs over just 3 1-3 innings in his start versus the Royals on May 7, but he then held the White Sox scoreless on one hit over seven innings in his most recent outing. Weaver hasn't earned a victory since he got past the struggling Tigers back on April 27.


Detroit Tigers at Arizona Diamondbacks, 4:10pm ET
Nate Robertson (1-4, 6.04 ERA) vs. Randy Johnson (3-1, 5.40 ERA)

Robertson is coming off his best performance of the season, as he held the Royals to two earned runs over seven innings on May 13. However, the lefthander failed to pick up a victory in that contest; his only win of the season so far came back on May 1 versus the Yankees when he surrendered four earned runs over 5 2-3 innings pitched.

Johnson has given up eight earned runs over just 11 innings in his past two starts, but the Diamondbacks' offense helped him earn victories in each of those outings. The veteran lefthander has allowed at least four earned runs in four of his six starts so far in 2008, but he's managed to strike out 32 batters while walking 11 over his 31 2-3 innings.


New York Mets at New York Yankees, 8:05pm ET
Oliver Perez (3-3, 4.61 ERA) vs. Chien-Ming Wang (6-1, 2.90 ERA)

Perez got back into the win column last time out, holding the Reds to three earned runs on just three hits over six innings of work. The lefthander had struggled in his previous three outings (all losses), with his worst start happening against the Pirates on April 30 when he surrendered seven runs (two earned) and was yanked after just 1 2-3 innings.

Wang was finally tagged with his first loss of the season on May 7 versus the Indians (three earned runs over seven innings), and he took a no-decision against the Rays in his most recent outing. The righthander, though, gave up just one earned run on seven hits over seven innings versus Tampa, which dropped his ERA down to 2.90 this year.

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[pm530]

National Basketball Association – Long Sheet

NBA
Long Sheet

Note: When the long sheet is updated, we will re-post.

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Sunday, May 18
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CLEVELAND (52 - 42) at BOSTON (73 - 22) - 5/18/2008, 3:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 12-4 against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 11-6 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
9 of 17 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, May 18
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Eastern Conference
Second Round
Game Seven
Series Tied, 3-3
Boston at Cleveland, 3:30 ET

Cleveland:
39-24 ATS as road underdog
17-7 ATS AWAY after a win by 6 points or less

Boston:
23-44 ATS Home revenging a loss where team scored less than 85
2-6 ATS at Home vs Cleveland

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[pm530]

NBA


Sunday, May 18

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Trend Sheet
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3:30 PM CLEVELAND vs. BOSTON
Cleveland is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston
Cleveland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Boston is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games

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[pm530]

National Basketball Association - Tips & Trends

NBA


Sunday, May 18

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Tips and Trends
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Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston Celtics ABC | 3:30 PM ET

Cavs: Cleveland has covered the last four games of this series and saw the Lakers win Friday night at Utah to close out the Jazz, proving that road teams can win in the second round. Still, Cavs head coach Mike Brown knows it won't be easy going on the road in Game 7. "Whether the Lakers won or lost, it's still going to be tough going into Boston," Brown said. Cleveland has covered two of the first three games at Boston thanks to an advantage in free-throw attempts. The Cavs will need to stay aggressive in Game 7, led by star LeBron James, who has made it to the charity stripe at least 10 times in five of the first six games of this series. James has made 76 percent of his free throws (54-of-71) in this series, including 24-of-28 in the last two games.

Cavs are 6-1 ATS in the last 7 meetings.
Cavs are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games.
The UNDER is 8-2 in Cleveland's last 10 games vs. Atlantic Division.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 83

Celtics (-8, O/U 174): Home court has been an enormous factor in the second round of the playoffs, as the host is 21-2 straight-up and 16-6-1 ATS so far. It also helps a lot that Boston has been one of the NBA's most dominant home teams, winning all seven games at the TD Banknorth Garden by an average of 18.3 points. The Celtics have never lost a playoff series when up 3-2 - going a perfect 28-0 - and they are 18-5 all-time in Game 7s, including 15-3 at home. The only concern here is that nearly all of that postseason experience was earned by players who will not be on the court Sunday.

Celtics are 11-2 ATS in their last 13 home games.
The UNDER is 8-3 in Boston's last 11 home games.
The UNDER is 11-4 in Boston's last 15 games vs. Central Division.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 91

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[pm530]

National Hockey League – Long Sheet

NHL
Long Sheet


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Sunday, May 18
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PHILADELPHIA (51-35-0-12, 114 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (58-29-0-8, 124 pts.) - 5/18/2008, 3:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 58-37 ATS (+98.9 Units) in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 38-19 ATS (+7.1 Units) second half of the season this season.
PITTSBURGH is 15-4 ATS (+9.1 Units) when playing with 2 days rest this season.
PITTSBURGH is 29-19 ATS (+5.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PITTSBURGH is 31-20 ATS (+59.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 74-95 ATS (-38.2 Units) in home games after allowing 4 goals or more since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 16-12 (+5.3 Units) against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 16-12-0 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
18 of 27 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+7.8 Units)

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[pm530]

NHL


Sunday, May 18

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Trend Sheet
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3:00 PM PHILADELPHIA vs. PITTSBURGH
Philadelphia is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 5 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games
Pittsburgh is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

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[pm530]

Arena Football League – Long Sheet

AFL
Long Sheet


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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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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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[Udog]

MLB


Sunday, May 18


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Sunday Night Baseball: Subway series
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New York Mets (Maine) at New York Yankees (Wang)

The opening weekend of interleague play concludes with the biggest of the rivalry series. In the 2000 World Series, the Yankees and Mets met in what was tabbed, "The Subway Series." The Yankees easily dispatched of the Mets in five games in that series but since then, with the exception of the 2003 season, this has been a very evenly matched series.

The Yankees are 35-25 lifetime in interleague series with the Mets, which has played a big role in them owning baseball's best interleague record at 113-79. Since the 2000 Fall Classic, though, the Yankees and Mets have split five of the last seven years - and three straight years - with each team winning three games. The home team has taken two out of three games each of the last two years.

Both teams were expected to be sitting at or near the top of the standings in their respective divisions. That has not been the case, though. Coming into the series, the Yankees were in last place in the AL East, the farthest into the season they have been in the cellar since the 1980s. The Mets' standing (3rd) in the NL East is a little better but their record is only three games better than the Yankees'.

The biggest issue for both teams has been surprisingly mediocre offenses. The Yankee lineup is littered with All-Stars from top to bottom but that has not resulted in many runs. They are 23rd in baseball with just 4.1 runs per game and are fresh off a 4-game series with Tampa Bay in which they scored a total of six runs. Injuries to Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada have made an already struggling Yankee offense even worse.

The Mets are scoring at a little better clip with 4.8 runs per game, good for 10th in the league. But they're hitting just .256 as a team and stars David Wright, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado have yet to get on track.

The lack of offense in both dugouts could make the third game of this series a low-scoring one, especially with Chien-Ming Wang and John Maine toeing the rubber. The Yankees won the first seven games Wang started this year before dropping the last two. Neither was necessarily Wang's fault. He ranks first in the AL with six wins, fifth with 59 innings pitched and ninth with a 2.90 ERA. He owns a solid 2:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio and has allowed just one home run on the year.

Johan Santana may get all of the pitching headlines for the Mets but Maine has pitched as well as any other Met hurler. Maine hasn't allowed more than two runs since his first start of the year, posting a 2.81 ERA while holding batters to a .213 average. He got shelled in his only start against the Yankees last year, though, allowing five runs in five innings.

While the pitchers and lack of hitting on each side point to a low-scoring game, this is a series that has a history of high-scoring games. The over is 8-2 in the last 10 games in Yankee Stadium and 11-5 in the last 16 meetings overall. Over those 16 games, the Yankees and Mets have combined for 10.4 runs per game.

Each New York team has failed to make expectations at this point. When the Yankees and Mets meet, though, you can throw records out of the window. City pride is on the line and both teams will bring their "A" games. ESPN couldn't have asked for a better Sunday night baseball game.