Sunday Trends and Indexes 06/15

[pm530]

Trends and Indexes
Sunday, June 15

Good Luck on day #167 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

-- This Woods kid is pretty good at golf; if he keeps getting better, he might have a future in the game.

-- Phillies scored 20 runs Friday night, then lost 3-2 Saturday. Baseball is like that sometimes.

-- Dodgers are in trouble with news that Brad Penny has bum shoulder; he's been getting pounded for a month.

-- Interleague play Saturday found AL teams going 8-5; they are 17-10 this weekend, 39-29 for season. Over was 8-5 in last night's games, is 13-13-1 for weekend.

-- Matt Cain struck out 11 in seven IP Saturday, but teams that don't score very seldom win. He isn't very lucky.

-- Just picturing Jack Nicklaus throwing his remote at his TV every time Woods makes a miraculous shot; those 18 wins in majors ain't going to hold up too much longer.

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[pm530]

Sunday's List of 13: Observations from in front of the TV

13) I watch way too much TV, but at least I'm always either on the computer or writing while the TV is on. as we start our 8th year with this website, some observations from the TV room....

12) ABC has a great three-man crew covering the Finals; Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson and Mike Breen are excellent.

11) Why is it always foggy in southern California early in the day? Does anyone have an explanation for this?

10) When I was a kid, NBC had baseball, the AFL, Curt Gowdy, Dick Enberg, college basketball, golf- they were the #1 sports network. Now, its sports coverage is pathetic; they still have golf, but they show more pre-taped shots than CBS and ABC combined. They love the Olympics and Notre Dame football, and stuff they can show for free (Arena Football, the NHL). In short, they're now the #4 sports network, and thats being kind.

9) Why do I mention this? The US Open comes on at 4:00, but the first few minutes are spent with Jimmy Roberts discussing the Olympic Gymnastics trials and Wimbledon. Good god...... then Johnny Miller has to rattle on for few minutes, while we're still not seeing golf, then commercials, then finally, golf.......

8) FOX's Thom Brennaman is the son of Reds' radio guy Marty Brennaman, Hall of Famer. Every time young Brennaman is on TV, I feel like I'm getting scolded for something-- he has a way about him like he's high school principal yelling at the kids in school. Most times, he's a good excuse to hit the mute button.

7) Is there a more likeable guy on TV than Roger Maltbie?

6) Writers are criticizing Phil Mickelson for not using a driver on Friday; wonder what those guys' handicaps are? Like they more about golf than Mickelson? Please go away.

5) I'm wondering if it would be legal or even helpful if Eldrick Woods took painkillers for his knee, or a cortisone shot. His performance Saturday night was awesome, but he is dragging his knee around a lot-- I'm thinking a knee brace wouldn't be helpful at all, because it would hinder his mobility.

4) Atlanta is emptying out its farm system this week; Charlie Morton won his major league debut on hill Saturday night in Anaheim, and Brandon Jones hit his first big league homer, in Braves' 9-4 win over the Angels.

3) I'm probably the last person in America who knows this, but they make these individual-sized cereal bowls, where you just open it, pour milk in it and eat away. Tremendous. Corn Pops on Saturday afternoon is my version of living the high life.

2) Celtics have outscored the Lakers 116-73 in third quarter of the four games so far in NBA Finals.

1) Lot of sadness this week: Tim Russert and Charlie Jones are both gone too soon; Stanford is in College World Series- they shockingly lost their baseball secretary Tuesday night. Iowa is under water. Life is short people; have fun while you can.

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[pm530]

National Basketball Association - Dunkel Index

NBA
Dunkel Index

Boston at LA Lakers
The Celtics come into the contest riding the momentum from a big comeback victory in Game Four and will look to build on their 8-4 ATS record off an upset win as an underdog. Boston is the underdog pick (+7) in Game Five according to Dunkel, which has LA favored by just 5 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Boston (+7). Here are all of today's games.

SUNDAY, JUNE 15

Game 509-510: Boston at LA Lakers
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 125.193; LA Lakers 130.747
Dunkel Line & Total: LA Lakers by 5 1/2; 185
Vegas Line & Total: LA Lakers by 7; 190 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (+7); Under

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[pm530]

National Basketball Association - Short Sheet

NBA
Short Sheet

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Sunday, June 18th
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NBA Finals
Game Five
Boston Leads, 3-1
Boston at LA Lakers, 9:05 ET

Boston:
40-18 ATS as a road underdog
42-22 ATS off SU win

LA Lakers:
0-6 ATS vs. Boston
8-1 Under L9 games

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[pm530]

National Basketball Association – Additional

NBA


Sunday, June 18

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Trend Sheet
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9:00 PM
BOSTON vs. LA LAKERS
Boston is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Boston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
LA Lakers are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games when playing Boston
LA Lakers are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing Boston

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[pm530]

National Basketball Association - Tips & Trends

NBA


Sunday, June 18

We will update when projected scores are available.

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

Celtics: Boston is definitely proving that defense wins championships, although the team's job isn't done yet. The Celtics had outrebounded an opponent in eight straight games until Game 4 on Thursday, as the Lakers held a 41-40 edge. With center Kendrick Perkins and point guard Rajon Rondo still nursing injuries, they must find a way to continue their stellar defense if they hope to close out this series in LA. If they can do that, Paul Pierce and his teammates will finally get to celebrate an NBA championship, which would be extra sweet for him considering he grew up in Inglewood. “I think I was too hyped for (Game 3),” Pierce said. “I think I got caught up in the opportunity of playing at home and having a chance to go up 3-0 in the series. I’ve got to calm down if I want to do well here.”

Celtics are 6-0 ATS in the last 6 meetings.
The UNDER is 7-0 in Boston's last 7 road games.

Key Injuries - G Rajon Rondo (10.6 ppg; sprained ankle) is questionable.
C Kendrick Perkins (6.9 ppg; shoulder) is questionable.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Lakers (-7, O/U 190.5): While no team has ever come back from being down 3-1 in the NBA Finals (0-for-28), half of those teams did bounce back in Game 5 to force at least a Game 6. This could be Phil Jackson's toughest coaching job ever, trying to convince his team that this series is not over. “I’m a realist; it happened,” Jackson said. “It is what it is. At the same time, there are a lot of positive things that we did.” Of course he was referring to his team's historic collapse, building the biggest first-quarter lead ever in the NBA Finals only to watch it all slip away. LA star Kobe Bryant took another approach. “Whine about it tonight," he said. "A lot of wine, a lot of beer, a couple shots - maybe 20 of them. Di-gest it. Get back to work (Friday). Nothing you can do.”

Lakers are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games as a favorite.
The UNDER is 8-1 in LA's last 9 games overall.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

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[pm530]

National Basketball Association – Hot Lines

NBA
Hot Lines


Sunday, June 18

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Pick 'n' roll: Today’s NBA picks
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Boston at Los Angeles Lakers (- 7, 190 1/2)

What do you do when you blow the largest lead in NBA Finals history? Well, after you're done drowning your sorrows, you have to figure out how to fix what broke down.

So what exactly is the problem they need to fix?

Nobody in Los Angeles seems to know - which could be a problem in itself.

"I'm sorry, I have no explanation for what happened tonight," Vladimir Radmanovic said after the game.

Phil Jackson apparently had no explanation either since he decided to cancel Friday's workout and allow his players to physically and emotionally recover from the humiliating collapse.

Anyone who watched the game knows that the only fix for the Lakers' problem is if they somehow grow a set before Sunday's tip-off. There is no excuse for a team, in that situation, with the NBA Finals on the line, to go soft and simply quit playing long before the game is over.

Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom took heat early in the series about being (as ESPN commentator/preacher Stephen A. Smith put it) "soft as tissue paper." They had almost managed to shed the label with strong performances in the first half, but when they combined for six points in the crucial fourth quarter, they proved their detractors right.

Sasha Vujacic, whose defensive play had been praised throughout the playoffs, also melted in the second half and he looked more like a bull fighter than a bullish defender as he olay-ed Ray Allen and gave him a free lane to the hoop for a crucial basket.

"He got me," Vujacic said. "He just beat me to the basket. I was afraid to foul him. He just got me."

The Celtics, on the other hand, showed that they are fighters. They refused to buckle under the weight of a 24-point deficit in an unfriendly building. They rallied behind stout defense and aggressive offense and now they will be able to ride that momentum into Game 5 while the Lakers continue to lick their wounds.

Pick: Celtics

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[pm530]

National Basketball Association - Gameday

NBA
Gameday


Sunday, June 18

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Gameday
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NBA Finals Gameday

The Los Angeles Lakers couldn't hold on to a huge lead on Thursday night, and as a result the Boston Celtics will get a chance to claim the championship on Sunday night.

Los Angeles entered Thursday's Game 4 with a chance to tie up the best-of-seven NBA Finals at two games piece. The Lakers had forced their way back into the set with an 87-81 home win in Game 3 on Tuesday night. Kobe Bryant was finally a force in that contest, scoring a game-high 36 points and grabbing seven rebounds in the big victory.

That made the Lakers big favorites to get a second straight home win in Game 4, and they certainly played like the better team in the first quarter. Led by a strong opening frame from maligned forward Lamar Odom, the Lakers got out to a quick 35-14 lead before many of the Los Angeles fans even had a chance to settle into their pricey seats.

From there, though, it was all downhill for Bryant and company. The Celtics played their opponents almost even in the second quarter, and then outscored them 31-15 in the third frame. That still had Los Angeles in the lead heading into the fourth quarter, but the Lakers could not hold back the Celtics' offense and eventually fell by a score of 97-91.

Paul Pierce poured in a game-high 20 points in the win for Boston, while also picking up seven assists. Ray Allen was good for 19 points and nine boards on the night, while Kevin Garnett tossed in 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Celtics in the victory

James Posey picked up 18 points off the bench for Boston, while Rajon Rondo was held to just five points in 17 minutes of action - Rondo had been questionable to play in the contest because of a sore ankle. Kendrick Perkins had just two points in 13 minutes on the floor - he had to leave the game in the third quarter because of a strained shoulder.

Bryant was held to just 17 points and 10 assists in the loss, while Pau Gasol picked up 17 points and 10 rebounds. Odom had a team-high 19 points on the night, but 15 of those points came in the first half. Derek Fisher chipped in with 13 points in the defeat.

So now Boston has a commanding 3-1 lead in the series heading into Game 5 on Sunday night (with the tip-off once again set for 9:00pm ET). Still, the oddsmakers think the Lakers have at least a little bit of life left in them, as they were opened as 7-point home favorites to force a Game 6. The total for the contest was opened at 190.5 points.

If the Lakers manage to pull out a victory at home in Game 5 on Sunday the two teams will go back to Boston for Game 6 on Tuesday night. A deciding Game 7, should it come to that, would be played on Thursday night. Los Angeles would make history if they mounted a huge comeback - a 3-1 deficit has never been overcome in the NBA Finals.

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[pm530]

WNBA


Sunday, June 15

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Trend Sheet
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6:00 PM SAN ANTONIO vs. INDIANA
San Antonio is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Indiana
San Antonio is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Indiana
Indiana is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 6 games


8:30 PM ATLANTA vs. HOUSTON
Atlanta is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games
Atlanta is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Houston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Houston is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games

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[pm530]

MLB


Sunday, June 15

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Trend Sheet
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1:05 PM LA DODGERS vs. DETROIT
LA Dodgers are 1-4-1 SU in their last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of LA Dodgers's last 24 games
Detroit is 1-3-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers


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


1:07 PM CHI CUBS vs. TORONTO
Chi Cubs are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
Toronto is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs


1:10 PM TEXAS vs. NY METS
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Texas's last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Texas's last 7 games on the road
NY Mets are 7-3 SU in its last 10 games at home
NY Mets are 2-6 SU in its last 8 games


1:15 PM BOSTON vs. CINCINNATI
Boston is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games
Boston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Cincinnati is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
Cincinnati is 14-4 SU in its last 18 games at home


1:35 PM PITTSBURGH vs. BALTIMORE
Pittsburgh is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games on the road
Baltimore is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Baltimore's last 8 games


1:40 PM FLORIDA vs. TAMPA BAY
Florida is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Florida's last 17 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Tampa Bay's last 10 games when playing at home against Florida
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Florida


2:05 PM COLORADO vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Colorado is 3-14 SU in its last 17 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Colorado's last 7 games on the road
Chi White Sox are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Colorado
Chi White Sox are 9-1 SU in their last 10 games at home


2:05 PM MINNESOTA vs. MILWAUKEE
Minnesota is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Minnesota's last 9 games on the road
Milwaukee is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 6 games at home


2:05 PM NY YANKEES vs. HOUSTON
NY Yankees are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of NY Yankees's last 21 games on the road
Houston is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
Houston is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games at home


2:15 PM PHILADELPHIA vs. ST. LOUIS
Philadelphia is 14-5 SU in its last 19 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Philadelphia's last 12 games
St. Louis is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 6 of St. Louis's last 8 games when playing Philadelphia


3:40 PM KANSAS CITY vs. ARIZONA
Kansas City is 2-14-1 SU in its last 17 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Kansas City's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arizona's last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona's last 6 games when playing Kansas City


4:05 PM OAKLAND vs. SAN FRANCISCO
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Oakland's last 11 games on the road
Oakland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Francisco
San Francisco is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games at home
San Francisco is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games


4:10 PM WASHINGTON vs. SEATTLE
Washington is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games
Washington is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Seattle
Seattle is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Seattle's last 7 games when playing at home against Washington


5:10 PM TEXAS vs. NY METS
Texas is 1-3-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing NY Mets
Texas is 2-3-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
NY Mets are 2-6-1 SU in its last 9 games


8:05 PM ATLANTA vs. LA ANGELS
Atlanta is 1-6-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Atlanta's last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Angels's last 5 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of LA Angels's last 7 games at home

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[pm530]

Major League Baseball - Tips & Trends

MLB


Sunday, June 15

We will update when projected scores are available.

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Tips and Trends
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Chicago Cubs at Toronto Blue Jays [WGN | 1:07 PM ET]

Cubs: Ted Lilly is 6-2 with two no-decisions in his last 10 starts, with the Cubs coming out on the winning end in seven of those games. Over that stretch, Lilly has allowed three runs or less eight times. He hasn't had much success on the road this year, going 2-3 with an ERA of 5.22 in seven starts. Lilly is 1-1 in his career versus Toronto, allowing Jays hitters to bat .280 against him. The OVER is 5-1 in Lilly's last five starts.

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

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Blue Jays (-120, O/U 8.5): The Blue Jays are on a two-game losing streak with Jesse Litsch on the mound after dropping close decisions to the Mariners and Yankees. Litsch wasn't sharp in either outing, giving up 20 hits and six runs in 11.1 innings of work. Litsch is perfect at home on the season, going 3-0 with a strong 2.97 ERA in six starts. The UNDER is 3-1 in Litsch's last four starts.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD



Boston Red Sox at Cincinnati Reds [NESN | 1:15 PM ET]

Red Sox (-160, O/U 9): Josh Beckett has had a hard time getting into the win column recently, going just 1-1 with two no-decisions in his last four starts. Over that span, Beckett has only allowed nine runs over 25 innings but hasn't received much run support. Beckett can't be thrilled about the prospects of playing the Reds. In two career starts against Cincy, Beckett is 0-2 with an unfathomable 14.14 ERA. The UNDER is 3-1 in Beckett's last four appearances.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Reds: Homer Bailey has had a tough time since being called up from the minors. He's lost both of his starts and didn't pitch well in either outing. Bailey has allowed seven walks, 12 hits and 10 runs in just 10 innings of work this season. Bailey's last start was at home against the Cardinals but he only lasted 3.2 innings before he was pulled. Surprisingly, both of the games Bailey started went UNDER the total.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD



New York Yankees at Houston Astros [YES | 2:05]

Yankees (-135, O/U 9): After going six consecutive starts without recording a win, Chien-Ming Wang finally got over the hump in his last outing versus the A's. Wang got the victory after allowing just one run over seven innings. Wang's problems this season have all taken place at Yankee Stadium. He's a perfect 4-0 on the road to go along with a strong 2.38 ERA. Despite Wang's recent inconsistency, the Yankees have won the last four games that he's taken the mound.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Astros: Roy Oswalt isn't having a Roy Oswalt-kind of season so far in 2008. He's just 5-6 with an ERA over 5.00. After going 0-3-1 over a four-game stretch in May, Oswalt pitched well in his last outing. He got the win over Milwaukee after striking out 10 and allowing just one run over seven innings. Oswalt is 3-1 at home this season, although he does posses an ERA of 5.59. The UNDER is 4-1 in Oswalt's last five starts.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD



Atlanta Braves at Los Angeles Angels [ESPN | 5:05 PM ET]

Braves: Jorge Campillo has been fantastic for the Braves since entering their starting rotation in mid-May. In his 24.1 innings pitched as a starter, Campillo has allowed just seven runs. The Braves are 4-1 over that span. In nine appearances as a starter and relief pitcher on the road this season, Campillo possesses a nearly unhittable 0.47 ERA. The UNDER is 4-0-1 in games Campillo has started this year.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Angels (-140, O/U 8.5): Joe Saunders was cruising along this season until he ran into the Rays his last time out. Tampa hammered Saunders to the tune of nine hits and eight runs in just 4.2 innings. Actually, after starting the year on fire, Saunders is just 1-2 in his last three appearances. During that three-game stretch, Saunders has allowed 17 runs in 16.2 innings of work. The OVER has cashed in each of Saunders' last two starts.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

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[Udog]

MLB


Sunday, June 15

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Sunday night baseball: Braves at Angels
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The much maligned Bud Selig has attracted many doubters in his 16 year reign as MLB Commissioner.

However, one idea that Selig incorporated which nearly everyone agrees is a huge success was the implementation of interleague play. This weekend we enter "Round 2" of crossover action and this one began on June 13th and will last through June 29th.

One of the main attractions of this innovation is the natural regional rivalries that only existed in the dreams of baseball fans across the country before Selig kicked started this idea into reality in 1997. Met vs. Yankees. Cardinals vs. Royals. Twins vs. Brewers. Astros vs. Rangers. Cubs vs. White Sox. Reds vs. Indians. A's vs. Giants.

The list of heated interleague rivalries goes on and on. The ESPN Sunday Night Baseball prime time game does not have that label, however it should still be a good one.

The Atlanta Braves make their first visit to Anaheim to face the L.A. Angels. In a very similar situation to last Sunday's prime time match up between the Cubs and Dodgers, we have one team that is hitting on all cylinders entering this weekend and one team that is struggling to get back on track.

The Angels have won nine of their last 11 games entering this series which opened on Friday. Taking that back even further, they have won 17 of their last 24 games dating back to mid-May. The Braves, on the other hand, have lost six consecutive games entering Friday and have been swept in three of their last four series.

L.A. has been one of the top money makers this season with a profit of +$1,124 based on $100 per game as of Friday. Atlanta sits in the bottom third of the league at -$952. The number one reason the Braves have been a money eater this year? They have been horrendous on the road. This team is just 7-24 away from home in 2008. Every other team in the majors has at least 10 road wins this season.

The pitching matchup in this game is definitely not marquee, but it is interesting.

Jorge Campillo has found a home and a spot in the rotation Atlanta. In his three previous seasons in the majors, all with Seattle, Campillo pitched a total of 17.2 innings and started only one game. His career ERA coming into the 2008 season was above 7.00. This year, however, he's started five games for the Braves and has allowed just 11 runs in 46 innings (2.15 ERA). Four of his five starts this season have come at home.

That doesn't mean Campillo can't pitch away from Atlanta - his road ERA is a miniscule 0.47 although he's only pitched a total of 19 innings away from home this season. Campillo would have had a full six days' rest for this one as his last start was on June 8. However, Bobby Cox opted to bring him out of the bullpen on Thursday, June 12 against Chicago. That shouldn't affect him here as he only threw one pitch.

Just one word of warning: Campillo has started to falter a bit this month. His ERA in his three appearances in June is 6.52. He has allowed 17 base runners in his 9.2 innings pitched this month.

Los Angeles left-hander Joe Saunders has been a bit of a surprise for the Angels this season. He has been somewhat of a "spot" starter for L.A. the last three seasons and his ERA has never dipped below 4.44. This season, however, he is already 9-3 and his ERA is only 3.32. He has allowed his opponents an on-base percentage of only .289, which is outstanding. The Braves have hit just .233 as a team versus left-handers on the road which may be a problem here versus this veteran southpaw.

For whatever reason, Saunders has shown a chink in his armor at home. His ERA at Angel Stadium is 4.70 this season. He has allowed 19 earned runs in just 22 innings in his last four home starts. He is coming off his worst outing of the season on Monday when he was pounded by the Rays in Anaheim. He allowed eight earned runs and 11 base runners in just 4.2 innings of work.

Finally, if you can't decide on who to back in this one, you might want to give the "under" a consideration. These teams have the two strongest "under" records MLB this season. Atlanta's under the total record is 43-21 (67%) while the Angels stand at 39-23 (63%).

The average total score in Campillo's five starts this year is 7.8. The average total score in Saunder's 13 starts in 2008 is 8.15. Thus, if you're looking for a lot of action on offense Sunday night, this might not be the game for you. Based on this year's history, we're probably looking at a pitcher's dual.

[Udog]

MLB
Short Sheet


Sunday, June 15th

National League

Philadelphia at St. Louis, 2:15 ET
Brett Myers (R) vs. Mitchell Boggs (R)
Myers: 1-7 TSR when the money line is -100 to -150
Boggs: StL 23-12 when playing on Sunday

Interleague Play

San Diego at Cleveland, 1:05 ET
Greg Maddux (R) vs. C.C. Sabathia (L)
Maddux: SD 36-26 AWAY in Day games
Sabathia: 2-7 TSR when the total is 8.5 to 10

Chicago Cubs at Toronto, 1:05 ET
Ted Lilly (L) vs. Jesse Litsch (R)
Lilly: CHC 48-66 AWAY when the money line is +125 to -125
Litsch: 20-8 UNDER when the total is 8.5 to 10

LA Dodgers at Detroit, 1:05 ET
Clayton Kershaw (L) vs. Nate Robertson (L)
Kershaw: LAD 8-17 when the total is 9 to 9.5
Robertson: Det 38-20 against left-handed starters

Texas at NY Mets, 1:10 ET
Kevin Millwood (R) vs. John Maine (R)
Millwood: 62-28 TSR UNDER when the total is 9 to 9.5
Maine: 33-13 TSR when the total is 8.5 to 10

Boston at Cincinnati, 1:15 ET
Josh Beckett (R) vs. Homer Bailey (R)
Beckett: BOS 36-9 in inter-league
Bailey: CIN 61-83 at HOME when playing on Sunday

Pittsburgh at Baltimore, 1:35 ET
Paul Maholm (L) vs. Daniel Cabrera (R)
Maholm: 1-11 TSR AWAY when the money line is +125 to -125
Cabrera: 8-2 TSR in games played on a grass

Florida at Tampa Bay, 1:40 ET
Ricky Nolasco (R) vs. Edwin Jackson (R)
Nolasco: 13-5 OVER as a road underdog of +125 to +175
Jackson: TB 16-0 as a home favorite of -150 to -175

Colorado at Chicago White Sox, 2:05 ET
Aaron Cook (R) vs. Jose Contreras (R)
Cook: CHW 21-10 at HOME this year
Contreras: COL 10-24 AWAY this year

Minnesota at Milwaukee, 2:05 ET
Scott Baker (R) vs. Seth McClung (R)
Baker: MIN 12-26 as an AWAY underdog of +100 to +125
McClung: MIL 62-34 at home when the total is 8.5 to 10

NY Yankees at Houston, 7:05 ET
Chien Ming-Wang (R) vs. Roy Oswalt (R)
Wang: 9-0 TSR when the total is 9 to 9.5
Oswalt: HOU 28-14 OVER as an underdog of +100 or higher

Oakland at San Francisco, 4:05 ET
Dana Eveland (L) vs. Kevin Correia (R)
Eveland: OAK 40-25 in June
Correia: SF 22-38 when playing on Sunday

Kansas City at Arizona, 3:40 ET
Gil Meche (R) vs. Micah Owings (R)
Meche: 41-26 TSR when the total is 8 to 8.5
Owings: ARI 51-36 OVER at home when the total is 8.5 to 10

Washington at Seattle, 4:10 ET
Tim Redding (R) vs. Jarrod Washburn (L)
Redding: 7-0 TSR as an underdog of +100 to +150
Washburn: 14-25 TSR in games played on a grass field

Atlanta at LA Angels, 10:40 ET
Jorge Campillo (R) vs. Joe Saunders (L)
Campillo: ATL 8-24 AWAY
Saunders: 24-8 TSR in night games

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

[Udog]

MLB


Sunday, June 15

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Hot Lines: Sunday's best MLB bets
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Chicago Cubs at Toronto (-115, 8 1/2)

The Toronto Blue Jays decided during spring training that they didn't have room on their roster for Reed Johnson. The Chicago Cubs are happy to have him on theirs.

After his three-run homer sparked a win over his former team on Saturday, Johnson and the Cubs will look to make it two out of three over the Blue Jays on Sunday in their series finale at Rogers Centre.

Johnson has started 42 of Chicago's 69 games, and should be playing more after Alfonso Soriano was injured earlier this week.

Soriano was hitting .283 with 15 homers and 40 RBIs when he broke his left finger on Wednesday, an injury that will keep him out for at least a month.

Eric Patterson and Ryan Theriot were 1-for-9 in the leadoff spot in the first two games in place of Soriano, and the Cubs (44-25) had scored just five runs combined.

Manager Lou Piniella decided to try Johnson at the top of the order in an attempt to spark the offense on Saturday, and the move paid off. Johnson hit a three-run homer off Toronto ace Roy Halladay in the second inning, and that was all Chicago would need en route to a 6-2 win.

"It had to feel good for him," Piniella said of Johnson, who earned a standing ovation before a pinch-hit at-bat on Friday. "It felt good to me."

Johnson has 31 RBIs in 171 at-bats after driving in 14 runs in 275 at-bats all of last season.

Pick: Cubs



Philadelphia at St. Louis (+125, 10)

The St. Louis Cardinals have made a habit of losing the first game of a series this season only to win the final two.

Doing the same against the Philadelphia Phillies may be a bit more challenging.

The Cardinals will try to avoid losing their fifth straight series to the Phillies on Sunday when they wrap up their three-game set at Busch Stadium.

St. Louis (41-29) came into the weekend having lost nine of its last 12 and four consecutive series to Philadelphia, and after Friday night it didn't look like anything had changed.

The Phillies (41-29) hit four home runs and routed the Cardinals 20-2, scoring that many runs for the second time this season. But on Saturday, St. Louis got eight solid innings from Kyle Lohse, and he earned his eighth win as the Cardinals won 3-2.

With a victory on Sunday, St. Louis can win its 15th series of the season - and its eighth when it has dropped the first game of a series.

"It's easy to look at the negative things, like (Friday)," said second baseman Adam Kennedy, who hit a two-run homer on Saturday. "But we've been really great about starting over each day. You can tell, it's pretty much the same every day, which is a big part of it."

Albert Pujols has missed the Cardinals' last four games with a strained calf, and is expected to miss at least two weeks. But Ryan Ludwick, who has 16 homers and a team-high 52 RBIs, has picked up the slack.

He's hitting .381 (8-for-21) with two homers and seven RBIs since June 10, the day Pujols was hurt.

Pick: Under