Thursday Trends and Indexes 06/12

[pm530]

Trends and Indexes
Thursday, June 12

Good Luck on day #164 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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

Six-pack for Thursday

College football's top six teams last year in turnover margin

-- Kansas, +21-- Jayhawks went 12-1 LY, after being 32-50 in previous seven seasons; +21 is hard TO margin to repeat.

-- LSU, +20-- Lost DC Pelini and both QBs, but they've won 56 games the last five years, so don't sell them short.

-- Florida Atlantic, +18-- Lost only 14 seniors from school's first-ever bowl team, has 18 returning starters. SBC favorite.

-- East Carolina, +17-- Went 6-2 in C-USA LY, have nine of 11 starters back on defense; open with Hokies, West Virginia.

-- Ball State, +17-- Finished 7-6 after 52-30 loss to Rutgers in bowl; have all 11 starters back on offense, seven on defense.

-- Cincinnati, +16-- Lost five starters on both sides of ball, are due to have more injuries. 11-5 as home dog since 2000.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

Thursday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but............

13) Umpire Derryl Cousins called a 3-2 pitch to Reggie Willits a very shaky ball four, infuriating the Rays, and allowing Macier Itzuris to get a hit to knock in game-winning run in 4-2 Angels' win at Anaheim Wednesday afternoon.

12) Mild-mannered Rays' skipper Joe Maddon got tossed after he took pitcher Kazmir out of game, and he jawed with Cousins for a few minutes. Kazmir stared at Cousins the whole rest of the inning after being relieved. The home team is now 10-4 this season in Cousins' games behind the plate.

11) At Shea Stadium last night, Mark Reynolds got hit on foot by a Wagner pitch in ninth inning, but umps didn't see it, and Reynolds proceeded to hit game-tying homer. With the temps getting higher with summer here, tensions are running high.

10) Then there is the official scoring, which borders on comical at times; the Mets' Castillo hit a roller to third base side of the mound; Webb's throw went into the runner, but in front of him, where 1B Tracy dropped ball. Since the throw went in front of the runner, no way could it be a hit, since ball beat runner by at least two steps. But on home field, Castillo was given a hit.

Mets scored three runs in inning, so bogus hit results in two extra earned runs for Webb (and yes, he's on my fantasy team, and yes, I'm annoyed about it). But real question is this; can't official scorers be impartial? This call bordered on ludicrous.

Elsewhere in the world.........
9) Soriano is out for six weeks, Pujols for three; Shields misses a start, as his six-game suspension begins Friday. JJ Putz left in Seattle's game with an injured elbow.

8) Kyle Davies pitched really well for Royals, leading 5-1 after six, when he left game; Texas scored ten runs against Royals' bullpen, and moved over .500 with an 11-5 win. The top four batters in Texas lineup are all hitting over .300.

7) Royals scored eight or more runs in three of Bannister's road starts, but somehow lost all three games. Instead of giving the well-traffic Jose Guillen a big contract, they should have given some relief pitchers a reason ($$$) to come to Kansas City.

6) The Tigers scored two or less runs in nine of Verlander's 13 starts; he was terrific in 5-1 win over Chicago Wednesday, the second win row for Detroit vs Pale Hose, cutting the Sox' lead to nine games over Tigers.

5) Mariners fired hitting coach, 61-year old Jeff Pentland, as a response to their dismal start, replaced him with 71-year old Lee Elia, for whatever reason. How gutless is this? No way is a batting coach responsible for a team's demise, but people in charge needed a scapegoat. In three games since Pentland was fired, Mariners scored a total of seven runs. Oh well..........

4) Over $8M was bet on Big Brown to win at the Belmont; it is estimated a total of $15M went down the drain with him, so the trainer is going after jockey Desormeaux as the reason for the big upset. What is it about our culture that someone has to be blamed whenever a disaster occurs? Why do we point fingers?

3) Brown named Jesse Agel head hoop coach; you might not know the name, but Agel was Tom Brennan's right-hand man when Vermont made the NCAAs three straight seasons a few years back, before Brennan became a TV star.

2) When Bear Bryant coached at Maryland, his first win was a 60-6 game vs Guilford College; one of the players on Guilford that day was Jim Nantz, father of the CBS broadcaster.

1) Kevin Garnett is 14 for his last 50 from the floor, which will be a problem if his shooting slump persists. This whole referee thing is hanging over the Finals like a dark cloud.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

National Basketball Association - Dunkel Index

NBA
Dunkel Index

Boston at LA Lakers
Boston's defense has frustrated the Lakers through the first three games and the Celtics will look to continue to take advantage of LA's 2-7 ATS record against good defensive teams (allowing less than 91 points per game). The Celtics are the underdog pick (+7 1/2) in Game Four according to Dunkel, which has the Lakers favored by just 6. Dunkel Pick: Boston (+7 1/2). Here are all of today's games.

THURSDAY, JUNE 12

Game 507-508: Boston at LA Lakers
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 125.070; LA Lakers 130.914
Dunkel Line & Total: LA Lakers by 6; 186
Vegas Line & Total: LA Lakers by 7 1/2; 191 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (+7 1/2); Under

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

National Basketball Association – Long Sheet

NBA
Long Sheet

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, June 12
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BOSTON (80 - 25) at LA LAKERS (70 - 30) - 6/12/2008, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA LAKERS are 57-41 ATS (+11.9 Units) in all games this season.
LA LAKERS are 40-32 ATS (+4.8 Units) as a favorite this season.
BOSTON is 64-40 ATS (+20.0 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 50-32 ATS (+14.8 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 31-20 ATS (+9.0 Units) in road games this season.
BOSTON is 23-12 ATS (+9.8 Units) in road games after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) in non-conference games this season.
BOSTON is 52-39 ATS (+9.1 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 32-18 ATS (+12.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
BOSTON is 21-12 ATS (+7.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 6-3 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 5-4 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

National Basketball Association - Short Sheet

NBA
Short Sheet

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, June 12th
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NBA Finals
Game Four
Boston Leads, 2-1
Boston at LA Lakers, 9:05 ET

Boston:
1-9 ATS revenging a loss where team scored less than 85 points
28-11 Under after having won 2 of their last 3

LA Lakers:
41-27 ATS off SU win
16-4 Under after a win by 6 points or less

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

National Basketball Association – Write up

NBA
Write-up


Thursday, June 12

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NBA Games

Garnett/Pierce combined to go 8-33; Garnett missed 36 of last 50 shots as Celtics barely hung on in Game 2 at home, then got beat 87-81 in Game 3. Boston is 2-8 on road in playoffs, but it can win title without winning at Staples. Lakers still must win next two games, then go for split in Beantown.

Key to last two games has been role player (Powe, Vujacic) in game of their life; Lakers led Kobe go off early in game in Game 3, would expect more of that here. His 11-18 (61.1%) night on foul line was alarming. LA is 9-0 at home in playoffs, but with public opinion still riding on LA (they're only slight underdog in series, despite being down 2-1), big number for LA to cover.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

National Basketball Association – Additional

NBA


Thursday, June 12

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Sheet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9:00 PM BOSTON vs. LA LAKERS
Boston is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Boston is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Lakers
LA Lakers are 17-5 SU in their last 22 games
LA Lakers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games at home

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

National Basketball Association - Tips & Trends

NBA


Thursday, June 12

We will update when projected scores are available.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tips and Trends
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers [ABC | 9 PM ET]

Celtics: Two of Boston's "Big Three" struggled mightily in Game 3 with their shooting, as Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett combined to make just 8-of-35 shots from the field (23 percent). However, Ray Allen kept the Celtics in the game with a team-high 25 points, including five 3-pointers. Allen's defense on LA's Kobe Bryant has also been impressive despite the fact that he went off for a series-high 36 points. "He knows in order for us to win we have to play defense, and he’s drawn the challenge of guarding Kobe," Pierce said of Allen. "Regardless of what he’s done on the offensive end, he’s come to play this year defensively.”

Celtics are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 road games.
The UNDER is 6-0 in Boston's last 6 road games.

Key Injuries - G Rajon Rondo (10.6 ppg; sprained ankle) is probable.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Lakers (-7.5, O/U 191): LA has Bryant and Sasha Vujacic to thank for their performances in Game 3, leading the Lakers to an 87-81 victory. Vujacic has been Bryant's backup at shooting guard for most of the season but has played alongside him more and more late in games, with Bryant shifting to small forward. This has enabled Bryant to drive to the basket more and kick the ball out to an open teammate on the perimeter in Vujacic, who scored a career playoff-high 20 points. “All the work that Sasha puts into his game - I’ve been here for three years and I’ve been watching him practice and coming here at night at shooting - that gives you the confidence," LA's Vladimir Radmanovic said.

Lakers are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 home games.
The UNDER is 7-1 in LA's last 8 games overall.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

National Basketball Association – Hot Lines

NBA
Hot Lines


Thursday, June 12

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pick 'n' roll: Today’s NBA picks
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Boston at L.A. Lakers (- 7 1/2, 191 1/2)

So, let's get this straight. In Game 3's loss to the Lakers, Kevin Garnett shot 6-for-21 from the floor, Paul Pierce finished with just six points and five fouls, and Rajon Rondo rolled his ankle - yet the Celtics were still within striking distance in the fourth quarter. So what would have happened if those big names even showed up? That's the big question with the Lakers set as solid favorites again for Game 5.

It's hard to imagine Pierce and Garnett struggling that badly again with a chance to put Los Angeles down 3-1, but Rondo's injury could be a real problem for the Celtics. The 22-year-old runs the offense methodically and has a knack for changing the tempo just when Boston needs it.

Rondo reported in his blog after the game that he was no better than 50 percent when coach Doc Rivers took him out in the fourth quarter. Eddie House stepped in to play 19 solid minutes, but he and veteran Sam Cassell have nothing on Rondo's defense or his ability to find the open man at the right time.

So if he's out, the Celtics will definitely feel his absence, but in the end they should be able to at least keep it close if Pierce and Garnett show up.

Pick: Celtics

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

National Basketball Association - Gameday

NBA
Gameday


Thursday, June 12

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gameday
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NBA Finals Gameday

The NBA Finals became a true series again on Tuesday night, as the Lakers fought back in Game 3 to cut the Celtics' series lead to 2-1. The Lakers and Celtics return to the court on Thursday with Los Angeles looking for another victory to tie the series 2-2.

On Tuesday, Kobe Bryant delivered the win for Los Angeles with a game-high 36 points. The Lakers went on to win 87-81 but failed to cover the 9.5 point spread, dropping them to 0-3 ATS in the series. Not only did Bryant score when the Lakers needed him, he also played stellar defense while guarding Boston sharpshooter Paul Pierce. The result was a horrible night for Pierce, who was limited to only six points on a miserable 2-of-14 shooting. Also coming through for the Lakers in the must-win contest was Sasha Vujacic. In the first two games of the series Vujacic scored 16 points combined, but he stepped up in Game 3 to net 20 points off the bench.

With Pierce struggling on Tuesday night, Ray Allen led the Celtics with 25 points. Kevin Garnett also had a lackluster game with 13 points on 6-of-21 shooting to go along with 12 rebounds. Rajon Rondo was held to eight points and four assists after a sprained left ankle in the third quarter drastically cut into his usual playing time. Rondo’s sore ankle isn’t expected to keep him out of Game 4, but it could force him to give up minutes to Sam Cassell and Eddie House.

With the win on Tuesday the Lakers maintained their unbeaten streak at home and now sit at 9-0 at the Staples Center in the postseason. Los Angeles may be undefeated at home, but they are 6-3 ATS with all three spread losses coming in their last five games.

Total bettors saw a big change between Games 2 and 3. In Game 2 Boston defeated Los Angeles 108-102 and the combined score went well OVER the posted total of 190.5. The oddsmakers subsequently raised the total in Game 3 to 195.5, but the result was a big under play as the 87-81 final score came nowhere near reaching the total.

The oddsmakers have tweaked the total again for Game 4, opening it at 192, while they’ve also reduced the point spread, setting the Lakers as a 7.5-point favorite.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

Major League Baseball - Dunkel Index

MLB
Dunkel Index

San Francisco at Colorado
The Giants are 10-3 with Jonathan Sanchez on the mound and look to take advantage of the Rockies' 6-9 record at home when the line is between -100 and -125. San Francisco is the underdog pick (+115) according to Dunkel, which has the Giants favored straight up by 1. Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+115). Here are all of today's games.

THURSDAY, JUNE 12

Game 951-952: Washington at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Bergmann) 14.406; Pittsburgh (Gorzelanny) 13.594
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-125); 9
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+115); Over

Game 953-954: Arizona at NY Mets
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Haren) 13.891; NY Mets (Santana) 15.471
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-145); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-145); Under

Game 955-956: Milwaukee at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Sheets) 14.352; Houston (Moehler) 15.211
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-135); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+125); Under

Game 957-958: Atlanta at Chicago Cubs
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Hudson) 14.912; Cubs (Zambrano) 14.714
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-140); No Run Line
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+130); N/A

Game 959-960: San Francisco at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Sanchez) 15.752; Colorado (Reynolds) 14.920
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Colorado (-125); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+115); Under

Game 961-962: LA Dodgers at San Diego
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Kuroda) 14.355; San Diego (Peavy) 16.292
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line: San Diego (-145); 7
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-145); Under

Game 963-964: St. Louis at Cincinnati
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Pineiro) 15.416; Cincinnati (Arroyo) 15.421
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-125); 9
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-125); Under

Game 965-966: Philadelphia at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Moyer) 14.782; Florida (Olsen) 16.675
Dunkel Line: Florida by 2; 11 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-115); 10
Dunkel Pick: Florida (+105); Over

Game 967-968: Chicago White Sox at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Buehrle) 14.575; Detroit (Rogers) 16.336
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 2; 9
Vegas Line: Detroit (-115); 10
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-115); Under

Game 969-970: Texas at Kansas City
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Hurley) 14.218; Kansas City (Bannister) 15.040
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-120); 10
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (-120); Under

Game 971-972: Minnesota at Cleveland
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Hernandez) 13.796; Cleveland (Laffey) 15.354
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-190); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-190); Over

Game 973-974: Baltimore at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Guthrie) 14.689; Boston (Lester) 16.735
Dunkel Line: Boston by 2; 9
Vegas Line: Boston (-150); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-150); Under

Game 975-976: NY Yankees at Oakland
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Pettitte) 16.078; Oakland (Blanton) 14.969
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1; 9
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-115); Over

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

Major League Baseball – Write up

MLB
Write-up


Thursday, June 12

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hot Pitchers
-- Haren is 1-0, 1.93 in his last two starts. Santana is 4-0, 2.89 in his last four starts at Shea.
-- Hudson has 2.73 RA in his last four starts, but Atlanta lost four of his last five road outings. Zambrano is 4-0, 2.55 in eight home starts this season.
-- Colorado is 3-0 in Reynolds home starts (1-0, 3.00); home side won all six of his starts. Sanchez is 3-1, 2.18 in last five starts.
-- Moehler is 2-1, 3.00 in his last three starts. Sheets is 2-0, 1.53 in his last four starts.
-- Phillies won five of Moyer's six road starts.

-- Buehrle is 1-0, 2.57 in his last two starts. Rogers has 2.14 RA in his last three starts; Detroit won his last four home starts.
-- Bannister has 1.77 RA in his last three home starts.
-- Laffey is 3-0, 1.29 in his last three home starts.
-- Guthrie has 2.12 RA in his last five starts. Lester is 3-0, 0.61 in his last four home starts.

Cold Pitchers
-- Gorzelanny is 1-2, 8.03 in his last five starts. Bergmann is 0-2, 9.82 in his last couple starts.
-- Kuroda has 7.04 RA in his last three road starts. Peavy is off DL to start here; he is 1-3, 4.37 in his last four starts.
-- Pineiro comes off DL; he was 0-1, 5.85 in his last four starts. Reds are 0-6 with Arroyo if they score less than six runs.
-- Olson is 0-1, 7.97 in his last four starts.

-- Hernandez is 0-1, 10.97 in his last four starts.
-- Rookie Hurley makes his debut for Rangers; he was 2-5, 5.30 in 13 AAA starts; batters hit ,285 against him.
-- Pettitte has 9.88 RA in his last two starts. A's are 2-7 at home in Blanton starts.

Hot Teams
-- Pirates are 15-8 in their last 23 home games.
-- Cardinals are 10-4 in their last fourteen road games.
-- Phillies won 12 of their last 16 games. Marlins won nine of their last twelve home games.
-- Brewers won eight of their last eleven games.
-- Cubs won their last ten games at Wrigley.
-- Giants won ten of their last fourteen road games. Rockies won six of their last seven games.
-- Padres won six of their last seven games.

-- Orioles won six of their last nine games. Red Sox are 18-3 in their last twenty-one games at Fenway.
-- White Sox won seven of last nine games. Detroit won four of their last five, winning first two games in this series.
-- Rangers are 12-8 in their last twenty games, are over .500. .
-- Angels won nine of their last eleven games.
-- Bronx won five of their last seven games. A's are 10-5 in their last 15 home games.

Cold Teams
-- Nationals lost nine of their last twelve games.
-- Reds lost last four games, allowing 34 runs.
-- Arizona lost twelve of last eighteen road games. Mets lost five of their last six games.
-- Astros lost ten of their last thirteen games.
-- Braves lost eight of their last nine road games.
-- Dodgers lost eight of their last ten road games.

-- Twins lost six of their last seven games. Indians are 8-17 in their last 25 games.
-- Mariners are 4-16 in their last twenty road games. Jays lost eight of their last eleven games.
-- Royals lost seven of their last eight games.
-- Rays lost seven of their last ten road games.

Totals
-- Under is 7-3 in Pirates' last ten home games.
-- Under is 7-3-1 in last eleven Arizona games.
-- Five of last six Cincinnati games went over the total.
-- Under is 12-3-1 in last sixteen Atlanta road games.
-- Under is 8-4-1 in last thirteen Houston games.
-- Last five Kuroda starts stayed under the total.
-- Over is 8-3-1 in Giants' last twelve road games.
-- Over is 6-2 in last eight Florida home games.

-- Over is 7-1-1 in last nine White Sox games.
-- Under is 7-0 in Bannister home starts.
-- Over is 11-5 in Cleveland's last sixteen games.
-- Over is 7-3 in Orioles' last ten road games.
-- Four of last five Pettitte starts went over the total.

Umpires
-- Wsh-Pitt-- Underdog is 11-4 in Hallion games this season.
-- Az-NY-- Home side won five of last six Johnson games.
-- Atl-Chi-- Four of last five Demuth games stayed under total.
-- Mil-Hst-- Under is 5-0-1 in last six Campos games.
-- SF-Col-- Seven of last eight Reynolds games went over.
-- LA-SD-- Favorite won last five Davis games, with four of the five games going over the total.
-- StL-Cin-- Underdogs are 6-3 in last nine Wegner games; the under is 7-3 in his last ten.
-- Phil-Fla-- Last four Iassogna games went over; six of his last eight games behind plate were won by underdog.

-- Chi-Det-- Over is 5-2-1 in last eight Cuzzi games.
-- Tex-KC-- Five of last seven Dimuro games stayed under.
-- Min-Clev-- Four of last five Hickox games went over total.
-- Balt-Bos-- Over is 5-0-2 in last seven Barry games.
-- NY-A's-- Over is 7-4 in last eleven Nauert games.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

Major League Baseball – Additional

MLB


Thursday, June 12

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Sheet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12:35 PM WASHINGTON vs. PITTSBURGH
Washington is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Washington is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Washington
Pittsburgh is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games at home


1:05 PM CHI WHITE SOX vs. DETROIT
Chi White Sox are 7-2 SU in their last 9 games
Chi White Sox are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games on the road
Detroit is 5-11 SU in their last 16 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox
Detroit is 6-12 SU in their last 18 games when playing Chi White Sox


1:10 PM ARIZONA vs. NY METS
Arizona is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games
Arizona is 5-14 SU in its last 19 games on the road
NY Mets are 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home
NY Mets are 19-6 SU in its last 25 games when playing Arizona


2:05 PM MILWAUKEE vs. HOUSTON
Milwaukee is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Houston
Milwaukee is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Houston
Houston is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games
Houston is 14-7 SU in its last 21 games at home


2:10 PM TEXAS vs. KANSAS CITY
Texas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
Texas is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Kansas City
Kansas City is 4-19 SU in its last 23 games
Kansas City is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games at home


2:20 PM ATLANTA vs. CHI CUBS
Atlanta is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Atlanta is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Chi Cubs are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing Atlanta
Chi Cubs are 8-17 SU in their last 25 games when playing Atlanta


3:05 PM SAN FRANCISCO vs. COLORADO
San Francisco is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
San Francisco is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Colorado is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
Colorado is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games


3:35 PM LA DODGERS vs. SAN DIEGO
LA Dodgers are 2-8 SU in their last 10 games on the road
LA Dodgers are 5-11 SU in their last 16 games
San Diego is 14-7 SU in their last 21 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers
San Diego is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers


7:05 PM BALTIMORE vs. BOSTON
Baltimore is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Baltimore is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Boston
Boston is 17-5 SU in its last 22 games when playing at home against Baltimore
Boston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Baltimore


7:05 PM MINNESOTA vs. CLEVELAND
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Minnesota is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games when playing Cleveland
Cleveland is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
Cleveland is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games


7:10 PM PHILADELPHIA vs. FLORIDA
Philadelphia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Philadelphia is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games
Florida is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Florida is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home


7:10 PM ST. LOUIS vs. CINCINNATI
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 12-3 SU in its last 15 games at home
Cincinnati is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games


10:05 PM NY YANKEES vs. OAKLAND
NY Yankees are 3-9 SU in their last 12 games when playing Oakland
NY Yankees are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games when playing on the road against Oakland
Oakland is 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing at home against NY Yankees
Oakland is 9-3 SU in their last 12 games when playing NY Yankees

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

Major League Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB


Thursday, June 12

We will update when projected scores are available.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tips and Trends
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Atlanta Braves at Chicago Cubs [WGN | 2:20 PM ET]

Braves: Tim Hudson has been the Braves ace this season but he's 0-1 in his last three starts with two no decisions. The Braves lost all three of those games but one bright note is Hudson didn't pitch all that bad. In his 21.2 innings pitched over that three game span, Hudson only allowed seven runs. However, walks were a problem in those games, as Hudson gave out eight free passes. Hudson is 2-0 in his career against the Cubs and his last four starts have gone UNDER the total.

Key Injuries - RP Rafael Soriano (3 saves; elbow) is questionable.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Cubs (-140): Carlos Zambrano will be taking the hill, looking to rebound from his worst performance of the season. In 6.2 innings pitched against he Dodgers, Zambrano allowed 13 hits and seven runs, leading to just his second loss of the season. Zambrano has been unbeatable at home this year, going 4-0 but he's just 2-2 over his career against the Braves with an ERA of 4.88. Five of the last six games Zambrano has started have gone OVER the total.

Key Injuries - OF Alfonso Soriano (.283; broken hand) is out at least 6 weeks.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD



Baltimore Orioles at Boston Red Sox [6:05 PM ET]

Orioles: There may not be a bigger hard-luck pitcher in baseball this season than Jeremy Guthrie. For whatever reason, the Orioles refuse to give him any run support. In 14 starts, Guthrie has allowed three runs or less 10 times. However, Baltimore is just 5-5 in those games, while Guthrie is 3-4 personally. Guthrie pitched well when he faced the Red Sox on June 2, getting a no decision after allowing only two runs over 6.2 innings of work. Guthrie is just 2-3 on the road this year but he has a solid 3.18 ERA.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Red Sox (-155, O/U 9.5): Jon Lester stumbled in the two games following his no-hitter but he rebounded with a strong outing against the Rays his last time out. In that game Lester allowed just one run over 6.1 innings to the powerful Rays offense. Lester is perfect against the Orioles in his brief career, going 3-0 with a 3.41 ERA in five starts. Lester has been tough at Fenway Park (3-1) and three of his last four home starts have come in UNDER the total.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD



Philadelphia Phillies at Florida Marlins [7:10 PM ET]

Phillies (-115, O/U 10): Veteran Jamie Moyer has been on a roll lately, going 4-0-1 in his last five starts. Overall, the Phillies have won five consecutive games with Moyer on the mound. Moyer has been the beneficiary of tremendous run support. In his last five outings, the Phillies offense has provided a whopping 53 runs for Moyer. The lefty has been strong on the road, going 3-1 with a 3.41 ERA. Expect to see a lot of runs tonight, as six of Moyer's last seven starts have gone OVER the total. He has never lost to the Marlins, going 8-0 with a 3.51 ERA.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Marlins: Scott Olsen is 4-2 on the season but he hasn't recorded a win in over a month. In his last six starts, Olsen has one loss and five no decisions. After five average performances, Olsen pitched well his last time out against the Reds, allowing no runs in six innings of work. Olsen has been battered in his career by the Phillies, going 3-4 with a lofty 6.00 ERA in six starts. The OVER cashed the last five times Olsen has taken the hill.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD



New York Yankees Oakland A's [YES | 10:05 PM ET]

Yankees (-115, O/U 8.5): Andy Pettitte can use a good outing after terrible starts against the Twins and Royals. In those two games, Pettitte allowed 20 hits and 15 runs in just 13.2 innings pitched. Amazingly, thanks to great run support, Pettitte didn't get a loss either time. The veteran takes to the road, where he's been very effective in 2008. Pettitte is 4-2 with a 3.95 ERA in seven road starts this year. Five of the last six games Pettitte has started have gone OVER the total.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

A's: Joe Blanton has been a disaster for the A's this season, going 3-8 with an ERA of 4.15. Blanton has lost his last two starts, giving up 17 hits and nine runs over 13 innings of work. Blanton has been dismal at home, going just 1-6 in 10 starts. Things may not get better for him tonight. The Yankees eat up Blanton. In three career starts, he's 0-2 with a 9.39 ERA against the Bombers. Three of Blanton's last four starts have gone OVER the total.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------