Thursday Trends and Indexes 05/22

[pm530]

Trends and Indexes
Thursday, May 22

Good Luck on day #143 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 Thursday

-- Ubaldo Jimenez threw seven shutout innings, getting 16 ground ball outs, but Fuentes blew save in ninth as Rockies' season-from-hell continued with a 10-inning, 3-2 loss.

-- Ben Sheets threw a 123-pitch complete game in Pittsburgh, which might say more about Brewer bullpen than Sheets.

-- Braves crushed the Mets 11-4, as Pelfrey threw 104 pitches but got only 12 outs. Mets are an uninspired mess right now.

-- Ryan Howard hit two taters as Jamie Moyer shut Nats out for six innings in Phillies' 12-2 win at Washington.

-- Vladimir Guerrero hit two homers for Angels up in Toronto, as Halos beat the Blue Jays 4-3.

-- Lakers trailed Spurs 65-45 in third quarter, rallied to win in opener of Western Conference finals.

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[pm530]

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

13) Padre pitcher Chris Young was hit square on nose by ball hit by Pujols (lunging swing, at least) in third inning and left under his own power after bleeding profusely on the mound. Young is 6-10; that ball goes over the head of most pitchers. Young suffered a nasal fracture when hit by the ball. .

12) Two batters later, Pujols slid into home plate and knocked Padre catcher Bard out of game with what looked like a pretty severe ankle injury. So in one half-inning, Padres lost a catcher and starting pitcher, as if their year hasn't been awful enough.

11) Jack Hannahan walked and scored two runs for A's in 9-1 win Wednesday; doesn't seem like much, but it was first run scored by an Oakland leadoff hitter in their last dozen games, and just second walk by a leadoff hitter in their last 100 at-bats.

10) Interleague play: AL pitchers hit 10-47 (.213), while the NL pitchers hit 2-37 (.054) last weekend. AL DHs hit .274; DHs for National League teams hit just .190.

9) Cincinnati rookie pitcher Cueto has similar body language to former Reds pitcher Mario Soto; he even tilts his head back on his head as he walks off the field, the same way Soto used to.

8) Pete Rose joined the Reds' broadcast in the fourth inning; he alluded to how he lives in LA Monday-Wednesday, but is in Las Vegas "working" the rest of the time. Big Dawg reports he saw the Hit King signing autographs at Caeser's Palace last week, when visiting America's favorite city. Guess thats work.

7) Was extremely windy at Dodger Stadium last night; George Grande was saying on the Reds' telecast that he couldn't ever remember seeing wind blow like that at Chavez Ravine. Rose agreed that he had never seen wind blow like that in LA.

6) Oriole manager Dave Trombley is just seventh manager in major league history who never played pro baseball. He is one of seven current skippers who didn't play in the big leagues.

5) Detroit is 2-8 in Verlander starts; they scored 10-12 runs in the two wins, and a total of 12 runs in the eight losses.

4) Kirk Gibson is Arizona's bench coach; when Diamondbacks played Detroit last week, they were talking about how the first pro manager Gibson ever had was Jim Leyland, way back in the Florida State League. Both have come long way since.

3) I'm glad the NHL is getting better TV ratings; its an excellent sport, and deserves to be seen by a lot of people.

2) Falcons gsve Matt Ryan $90M this week; no pressure, as he has to replace Michael Vick, who was an Atlanta icon. Will be interesting to see how quickly he gets on the field for Falcons.

1) How cruel would it have been had Sonics won draft lottery Tuesday night, knowing that a promising nucleus of younger players led by Durant-Green will be playing in Oklahoma City, instead of the city that supported the Sonics for 41 years?

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[pm530]

Arena Football League – Long Sheet

AFL
Long Sheet

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Thursday, May 22
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KANSAS CITY (2 - 9) at PHILADELPHIA (10 - 2) - 5/22/2008, 7:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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Friday, May 23
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DALLAS (9 - 2) at ORLANDO (8 - 4) - 5/23/2008, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ORLANDO is 38-21 ATS (+14.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 8 or more games since 1996.
DALLAS is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
DALLAS is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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CLEVELAND (7 - 4) at TAMPA BAY (5 - 6) - 5/23/2008, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 29-15 ATS (+12.5 Units) in May games since 1996.
TAMPA BAY is 47-28 ATS (+16.2 Units) after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins since 1996.
TAMPA BAY is 50-31 ATS (+15.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.

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

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Saturday, May 24
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NEW YORK (6 - 5) at COLUMBUS (2 - 9) - 5/24/2008, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in road games in the last 4 weeks of the regular season since 1996.
COLUMBUS is 5-17 ATS (-13.7 Units) when the total is between 95 and 99.5 points since 1996.

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

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CHICAGO (9 - 2) at UTAH (2 - 10) - 5/24/2008, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in May games over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 3 seasons.
UTAH is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) off a division game over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 7-16 ATS (-10.6 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 110 over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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GRAND RAPIDS (3 - 8) at ARIZONA (5 - 6) - 5/24/2008, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GRAND RAPIDS is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in road games against American Conference, Western Division Opponents since 1996.
GRAND RAPIDS is 13-26 ATS (-15.6 Units) in the last 4 weeks of the regular season since 1996.
ARIZONA is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
GRAND RAPIDS is 1-0 against the spread versus ARIZONA over the last 3 seasons
GRAND RAPIDS 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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COLORADO (4 - 7) at SAN JOSE (7 - 5) - 5/24/2008, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN JOSE is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) when playing on a Saturday over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in home games when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) after playing a game on a Saturday over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in May games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record after 8 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 17-3 ATS (+13.7 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 110 over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 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 2-1 against the spread versus COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
SAN JOSE is 3-0 straight up against COLORADO 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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Monday, May 26
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GEORGIA (6 - 5) at NEW ORLEANS (7 - 4) - 5/26/2008, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GEORGIA is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
GEORGIA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
GEORGIA is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 8 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 8-20 ATS (-14.0 Units) versus division opponents since 1996.
NEW ORLEANS is 1-12 ATS (-12.2 Units) in May games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
GEORGIA is 3-0 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
GEORGIA is 3-0 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 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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Thursday, May 22nd
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7:30 PM KANSAS CITY vs. PHILADELPHIA
Kansas City is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
Kansas City is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games
Philadelphia is 2-5-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Philadelphia is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games


Friday, May 23


7:30 PM CLEVELAND vs. TAMPA BAY
Cleveland is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Tampa Bay
Cleveland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Tampa Bay is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home


7:30 PM DALLAS vs. ORLANDO
Dallas is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Orlando
Dallas is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
Orlando is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Orlando is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home


Saturday, May 24


7:00 PM NEW YORK vs. COLUMBUS
New York is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
New York is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Columbus's last 5 games when playing New York
Columbus is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games


9:00 PM CHICAGO vs. UTAH
Chicago is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Chicago is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Utah is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games at home
Utah is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games at home


10:00 PM GRAND RAPIDS vs. ARIZONA
Grand Rapids is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Arizona
Grand Rapids is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
Arizona is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Arizona is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home


10:30 PM COLORADO vs. SAN JOSE
Colorado is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Colorado is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
San Jose is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Colorado
San Jose is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Colorado


Monday, May 26


8:00 PM GEORGIA vs. NEW ORLEANS
Georgia is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Georgia's last 7 games
New Orleans is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Georgia
New Orleans is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball – Write up

MLB
Write-up


Thursday, May 22

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Hot Pitchers
-- Gorzelanny is 2-1, 2.89 in his last three home starts.
-- Braves won four of Hudson's five home starts. Mets won last six Santana starts, scoring 44 runs.
-- Phillies won four of five Kendrick road starts.

-- Texas won last five Padilla starts, and eight of 10 this season. Twins are 5-0 in Hernandez home starts, scoring 33 runs.
-- Red Sox won all nine Matsuzaka starts (3-0, 1.75 last four).
-- Angels won eight of nine Saunders starts this season.
-- Laffey is 2-1, 0.86 in his last three starts; this is his first road start of season, after four at home.

Cold Pitchers
-- Bush is 1-3, 7.36 in six starts this season.
-- Arizona is 0-3 in Haren road starts (0-2, 5.63). Florida is 1-4 in Miller's home starts (1-2., 7.71).
-- Oswalt has 5.33 RA in his last four starts; he left his last start with a hip/groin injury.
-- Harang is 1-3, 3.67 in his last five starts. Wolf is 0-4, 7.52 in his last five starts.

-- Bonderman is 0-2, 6.75 in his last three starts. Batista is 1-3 in his last five starts, with an 8.14 RA.
-- Bannister is 1-5, 6.31 in his last six starts.
-- Burres is 1-3, 5.25 in his last four starts. Bronx lost last four Kennedy starts (0-2, 8.83).
-- Burnett has an 8.04 RA in his three home starts.
-- Buehrle is 0-2, 5.79 in three home starts this season.

Hot Teams
-- Brewers won last two road games, after losing previous nine.
-- Braves won twelve of last thirteen home games.
-- Marlins won three of their last four games.
-- Astros are 10-2 in last twelve home games.

-- Tigers won three of last four games, scoring 21 runs the last two nights.
-- Orioles won five of their last seven games.
-- Red Sox won their last nine home games.
-- Angels won last three games, allowing six runs. Blue Jays won six of their last nine games, lost last two.
-- White Sox won last sseven games, outscoring foes 39-16.
-- Twins won twelve of their last seventeen home games.

Cold Teams
-- Pirates lost last two home games, after winning prior seven. .
-- Arizona lost three of its last four games.
-- Phillies are 6-7 in their last 13 games.
-- Mets are just 6-9 in their last fifteen games, losing last three.
-- San Diego lost six of its last eight games. Reds lost their last nine road games.

-- Mariners lost nine of their last ten road games.
-- Bronx lost six of its last eight games.
-- Royals lost four of their last five games.
-- Indians lost their last six road games.
-- Rangers lost three of their last four games.

Totals
-- Over is 4-2-1 in last seven Milwaukee games.
-- Six of last seven Arizona games stayed under total.
-- Under is 6-2-1 in last nine Atlanta home games.
-- Three of four Oswalt home starts went over the total.
-- Under is 8-2 in Harang starts this season.

-- Six of last nine Detroit games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Hernandez starts.
-- Under is 5-2-1 in last eight Matsuzaka starts.
-- Under is 8-4 in last twelve Baltimore road games.
-- Under is 9-2 in Angels' last eleven road games.
-- Six of last eight White Sox home games stayed under total.

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB


Thursday, May 22

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Tips and Trends
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Kansas City Royals at Boston Red Sox [NESN | 1:35 PM ET]

Royals: After a strong 3-0 start to the season, Brian Bannister has been horrible of late, losing five of his last six starts. Over that span, Bannister has given up 25 runs in 35.2 innings pitched. Remarkably, even with Bannister's recent struggles, six of his nine starts this year have gone under the total. Bannister has been miserable on the road where he's 1-3 with a disappointing 7.59 ERA.

The UNDER is 11-2-1 in Kansas City's last 14 Thursday games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 2 (UNDER - Total Play of the Day)

Red Sox (-230, O/U 9): Daisuke Matsuzaka is a perfect 7-0 on the season with an impressive 2.15 ERA. The Red Sox are undefeated when Dice-K takes the mound in 2008, going 9-0. Amazingly, even though he's perfect on the year, Matsuzaka has walked 32 batters in 54.1 innings pitched. Despite putting runners on base, Dice-K has given up two runs or less in seven of nine starts. Matsuzaka has one career start versus the Royals, getting the win after allowing one run in 7.0 innings of work.

Red Sox are 22-6 in their last 28 Thursday games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 5



New York Mets at Atlanta Braves [7:10 PM ET]

Mets (-115, O/U 8): The Mets have certainly gotten their money's worth with Johan Santana this season. New York's ace is 5-2 with a 3.30 ERA on the year. Santana has given up three or fewer runs in seven of his nine starts. Santana is money on the road this year, where he's 4-1 with an ERA of 2.81. He lost his one career start against the Braves but you can't really put the blame on him. Santana gave up just one run in seven innings pitched but didn't receive any run support in a 3-1 Braves victory earlier this year.

Mets are 2-8 in their last 10 Thursday games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 3

Braves: As good as Santana has been this season, Tim Hudson has been equally as impressive for Atlanta, going 6-3 with a 3.06 ERA. Hudson has given up two runs or less in five starts this year, all Braves victories. The under has been kind with Hudson on the mound, cashing in six of his 10 starts. Hudson has been close to unbeatable at home in 2008, going 4-1 with a 2.94 ERA in five starts at Turner Field.

The UNDER is 10-2 in the last 12 meetings at Atlanta.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 4 (Side Play of the Day)



Cleveland Indians at Chicago White Sox [8:11 PM ET]

Indians: Aaron Laffey has been a revelation for Cleveland this season. Laffey is 2-2 but possesses a minuscule 1.35 ERA. After giving up four runs in his first start, Laffey has only allowed two runs in his last 21 innings pitched. Even more impressive is those two runs were unearned. Three of Laffey's four starts in 2008 have easily gone under the posted total. He has one career start against the White Sox, getting the win despite giving up four runs in 5.2 innings of work.

The UNDER is 7-2 in Cleveland's last 9 road games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 4

White Sox (-110, O/U 8.5): Following five straight losing decisions, Mark Buehrle finally got a win in his last start over the Giants. After giving up a combined 13 runs in his two previous outings, Buehrle only allowed seven hits and one run to the Giants over 6.2 innings. Buehrle can't be happy to see the Indians. He's 8-11 with an ERA of 4.93 in 29 career starts versus the Tribe. Pitching at home hasn't benefited Buehrle this season, where he's 0-2 with a 5.79 ERA in three starts.

The UNDER is 6-2-1 in Chicago's last 9 Thursday games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 5

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[pm530]

National Basketball Association – Long Sheet

NBA
Long Sheet

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Thursday, May 22
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DETROIT (67 - 27) at BOSTON (75 - 22) - 5/22/2008, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 5-17 ATS (-13.7 Units) in road games after scoring 85 points or less over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 21-38 ATS (-20.8 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
BOSTON is 59-37 ATS (+18.3 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 48-30 ATS (+15.0 Units) as a favorite this season.
BOSTON is 31-18 ATS (+11.2 Units) in home games this season.
DETROIT is 54-40 ATS (+10.0 Units) in all games this season.
DETROIT is 55-40 ATS (+11.0 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders this season.
DETROIT is 26-17 ATS (+7.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BOSTON is 39-66 ATS (-33.6 Units) in home games versus good defensive teams - allowing <=91 points/game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 7-4 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 8-3 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
9 of 11 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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Thursday, May 22nd
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Eastern Conference Finals
Game One
Boston Leads, 1-0
Detroit at Boston, 8:35 ET


Detroit:
1-12 ATS in Conference Finals
6-14 AWAY failing to cover 2 of their last 3

Boston:
38-20 ATS after a cover
29-14 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points

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[pm530]

National Basketball Association – Write up

NBA
Write-up


Thursday, May 22

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NBA Games

Celtics used 28-17 third quarter edge to pull away from a 41-40 halftime lead as they won Game 1 in series, their 9th home win in a row in playoffs (6-3 vs spread). Garnett/Pierce combined to shoot 57% from floor (20-35) in Game 1; C's shot 52.2% as team while Detroit shot just 42% in losing for third time in their six road playoff games this spring.

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[pm530]

National Basketball Association - Tips & Trends

NBA


Thursday, May 22

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Tips and Trends
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Detroit Pistons at Boston Celtics [ESPN | 8:30 PM ET]

Pistons: A big concern for Detroit after Game 1 is the team's defense. The Pistons allowed the Celtics to shoot 52 percent the field, with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett combining for 48 points and 10 assists. Part of this problem falls on the shoulders of point guard Chauncey Billups, who admitted he likely won't be 100 percent again until the offseason when his injured hamstring can fully heal. Billups is responsible for slowing Boston's Rajon Rondo, who definitely got the best of him in Game 1. “I’m not really worried about our offense,” Pistons reserve point guard Lindsey Hunter said. “We can manufacture enough points to win games. But defensively, we cannot have the type of breakdowns we had tonight. Just too many blown assignments, too many miscommunications.”

Road team is 7-2 ATS in the last 9 meetings.
Pistons are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 games overall.
The UNDER is 13-3 in Detroit's last 16 road games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 84

Celtics (-3.5, O/U 172): With the burden of knowing they have yet to win a road game this postseason, the Celtics face even greater pressure to win Game 2 at home for a 2-0 series lead heading into Detroit. "Oh, definitely we feel that way," Boston's Paul Pierce said. "Even if we had won road games, we would have felt that either way. But it becomes even more important because we haven’t won a road game." However, they also haven't given up on winning away from home. "I still got trust in us," Celtics C Kendrick Perkins said. "I think we can get it done. The last few games on the road we’ve been so close as far as competing. Our defense has been great; we just haven’t been able to make baskets, but it’ll come."

Celtics are 12-3 SU & ATS in their last 15 home games.
The UNDER is 17-7 in Boston's last 24 games vs. Central Division.
The UNDER is 8-1 in the last 9 meetings.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 88

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[Udog]

MLB


Thursday, May 22

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Baseball Today
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SCOREBOARD
Thursday, May 22

New York Mets at Atlanta (7:10 p.m.). Mets ace Johan Santana (5-2) pitches for New York.

STARS
Tuesday

- Vladimir Guerrero, Angels, homered twice to give Los Angeles a 4-3 win in Toronto.

- Ricky Nolasco, Marlins, outdueled Brandon Webb by allowing just one run on three hits in seven innings in Florida's 3-1 win over Arizona.

- Ryan Howard, Phillies, hit two home runs in Philadelphia's 12-2 win at Washington.

- Omar Vizquel, Giants, doubled to start a game-tying rally in the ninth inning and hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the 10th inning of San Francisco's 3-2 win over Colorado.

- Jeff Francoeur, Braves, homered and drove in four runs and Atlanta beat the New York Mets 11-4.

- Dana Eveland, Athletics, pitched a three-hitter for his first career complete game and helped Oakland beat Tampa Bay 9-1.

- Jermaine Dye, White Sox, hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the sixth inning, and added solo shot in the seventh during Chicago's 7-2 win over Cleveland.

ALMOST

Brandon Webb finally lost, when Florida beat Arizona 3-1 Wednesday night, keeping him from becoming the third pitcher since World War I to win his first 10 starts.

NINE FINE INNINGS

Oakland's Dana Eveland pitched a three-hitter for his first career complete game, and the A's avoided being swept at home by the Rays for the first time with a 9-1 win Wednesday.

- Texas' Sidney Ponson pitched nine innings for the first time since April 24, 2005. He allowed one run on six hits in the Rangers' 10-1 win over Minnesota.

- Milwaukee's Ben Sheets pitched his 15th career complete game and second of the season, scattering 11 hits and allowing only a run in a 4-1 win over Pittsburgh.

YOUNG HURT

Albert Pujols broke the nose of Padres pitcher Chris Young in the third inning of St. Louis' 11-3 win Wednesday night when he hit a line drive off the right-hander's face. Young immediately fell on his backside and put his right hand up to his face, which had blood running down it. After a few minutes of sitting on the grass, Young walked off holding a bandage on his face with blood on the front of his jersey. He was taken to a hospital.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

Shawn Chacon pitched seven solid innings for his first win this season, breaking his major league record streak of nine straight no-decisions to start a season in Houston's 5-3 win over the Cubs. Carlos Lee's three-run homer in the third inning helped Chacon (1-0) overcome a rough start and avoid tying the overall record for consecutive starts without a decision.

O-FOR-EVERYTHING

The two longest active hitting streaks in the majors both ended Wednesday. Randy Winn of the Giants had hit safely in 15 in a row before an 0-for-4 afternoon, while the Rockies' Clint Barmes' streak of 13 straight was halted after going hitless in five plate appearances during San Francisco's 3-2 win in 10 innings.

SQUEEZE PLAY

Matt Treanor pulled off a successful suicide squeeze bunt to get Florida's first run home against Arizona ace Brandon Webb and the Marlins went on to win 3-1 Wednesday night after the bold move by manager Fredi Gonzalez.

SPEAKING

"There's not going to be as much media around to be canonized. That's probably the only good thing."-Arizona ace Brandon Webb after missing out on his chance to become the third pitcher since World War I to win his first 10 starts.

SEASONS
May 22


1933-Joe Sewell of the New York Yankees struck out for the first time this season, during a 3-0 win over Cleveland. Sewell would strike out only three more times in 524 at-bats.

1947-The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Milwaukee Braves, 4-3, as both teams combined for 22 hits-all singles. The Pirates had 12 singles.

1957-The Boston Red Sox hit four home runs in the sixth inning of an 11-0 win over Cleveland. Gene Mauch, Ted Williams, Dick Gernert and Frank Malzone connected. All of the homers came on the first 16 pitches from Cal McLish.

1959-Baltimore's Hoyt Wilhelm pitched a one-hitter against the New York Yankees for a 5-0 win. Jerry Lumpe's single in the eighth spoiled the no-hit bid.

1963-Mickey Mantle hit a pitch from Kansas City's Bill Fischer off the right-field facade at Yankee Stadium in an 8-7 victory over the A's.

1968-Willie Stargell of the Pittsburgh Pirates hit three home runs, a double and a single in a 13-6 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Stargell's double just missed going out, as it bounced off the railing of the left-field bleachers.

1976-St. Louis' Reggie Smith hit three home runs-two right-handed and one left-handed-and drove in five runs in a 7-6 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. Smith,s third homer came with two outs in the ninth and broke a 6-6 tie.

1977-Boston and Milwaukee hit a combined 11 home runs in a 14-10 Red Sox victory at Fenway Park, tying a major league record. The Red Sox connected for six and the Brewers hit five in the first game of a doubleheader.

1983-Cliff Johnson of the Toronto Blue Jays hit his 18th career pinch homer. The homer, off Baltimore,s Tippy Martinez, tied Johnson with Jerry Lynch on the career pinch home run list.

1998-Brian Cox went 6-for-6, including a grand slam in a 10-run third inning, as Florida State rolled past Delaware 27-6 in the NCAA Atlantic II Regional. Freshman Matt Diaz hit three home runs for the Seminoles.

2000-Milwaukee beat Houston in the first game of a doubleheader, 10-9, coming back from a 9-2 deficit to tie the score with seven runs in the bottom half of the ninth inning. The Brewers won in the 10th on a home run by Jose Hernandez.

Today's birthdays: Chad Tracy 28; John Bale 34; Julian Tavarez 35.

[Udog]

WNBA


Thursday, May 22

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Trend Sheet
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7:30 PM WASHINGTON vs. NEW YORK
Washington is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against New York
Washington is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against New York
New York is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New York's last 6 games


8:00 PM SACRAMENTO vs. CHICAGO
Sacramento is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Sacramento is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Chicago is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 7 games at home


10:00 PM SEATTLE vs. PHOENIX
Seattle is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Seattle's last 6 games when playing Phoenix
Phoenix is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Seattle
Phoenix is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Seattle

[Udog]

MLB


Thursday, May 22

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Trend Sheet
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MAY 22, 1:05 PM SEATTLE vs. DETROIT
Seattle is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Detroit
Seattle is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Detroit is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games
Detroit is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home


MAY 22, 1:10 PM TEXAS vs. MINNESOTA
Texas is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games when playing Minnesota
Texas is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Minnesota is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games at home
Minnesota is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home


MAY 22, 1:35 PM KANSAS CITY vs. BOSTON
Kansas City is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Boston
Kansas City is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games


7:05 PM BALTIMORE vs. NY YANKEES
Baltimore is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
Baltimore is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
NY Yankees are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games at home
NY Yankees are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games


7:05 PM MILWAUKEE vs. PITTSBURGH
Milwaukee is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Pittsburgh
Milwaukee is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Pittsburgh is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games at home


7:07 PM LA ANGELS vs. TORONTO
LA Angels are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Toronto
LA Angels are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games
Toronto is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
Toronto is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games


7:10 PM ARIZONA vs. FLORIDA
Arizona is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Florida
Arizona is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games when playing on the road against Florida
Florida is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games at home
Florida is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games


7:10 PM NY METS vs. ATLANTA
NY Mets are 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
NY Mets are 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against NY Mets
Atlanta is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing NY Mets


8:05 PM PHILADELPHIA vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 9 games when playing Houston
Philadelphia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Houston's last 9 games when playing Philadelphia
Houston is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games when playing at home against Philadelphia


8:11 PM CLEVELAND vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Cleveland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Cleveland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Chi White Sox are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Cleveland
Chi White Sox are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games at home


10:05 PM CINCINNATI vs. SAN DIEGO
Cincinnati is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing San Diego
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 6 games when playing San Diego
San Diego is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
San Diego is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games at home

[Udog]

NBA


Thursday, May 22

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Trend Sheet
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8:30 PM DETROIT vs. BOSTON
Detroit is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's 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