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**pm530** · 04-08-2009, 04:56 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Wednesday, April 8

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Orioles host the Yankees, the Spurs try to get past the Trail Blazers, and the Blackhawks face off with the Blue Jackets.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The marquee action is in the NBA's Western Conference on Wednesday night, with Utah at Dallas, Phoenix at New Orleans, and Portland at San Antonio. The Spurs will have to do without Manu Ginobili for the rest of the regular season and the playoffs because of an ankle injury; the guard also sat out the last meeting between these teams, a 102-84 Portland home rout back on March 1. Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge each picked up 26 points that night for the Blazers.

Elsewhere on the NBA's schedule for Wednesday night it'll be Memphis at Orlando, Toronto at Indiana, Detroit at New York, New Jersey at Boston, Atlanta at Milwaukee, Oklahoma City at Denver, Minnesota at Golden State, and Washington at Cleveland. The Wizards upset the Cavaliers 109-101 at home on April 2 as a 9.5-point underdog. Caron Butler scored 25 points for Washington in that victory, while LeBron James led Cleveland with 31 points in a losing cause.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

The Yankees will be looking to bounce back from a season-opening loss when they take on the Orioles in Baltimore again on Wednesday night. New York saw prized offseason acquisition CC Sabathia get lit up by the Orioles offense on Monday, and they'll be looking for a better result from righthander Chien-Ming Wang (8-2, 4.07 ERA in 2008) on Wednesday. The Orioles will counter with Japanese righthander Koji Uehara, who will be making his Major League debut.

Elsewhere in the American League on Wednesday it'll be Detroit at Toronto, Cleveland at Texas, Seattle at Minnesota, Kansas City at the White Sox, Oakland at the Angels, and Tampa Bay at Boston. The Rays and Red Sox will both be sending young guns to the mound; lefthander Scott Kazmir (12-8, 3.49 ERA) for Tampa Bay, and lefthander Jon Lester (16-6, 3.21 ERA) for the BoSox.

There's a full slate of eight games in the NL on Wednesday, including an early-afternoon matchup between the Nationals and Marlins in Florida. Righthander Daniel Cabrera (8-10, 5.25 ERA) will get the ball for Washington, while Chris Volstad (6-4, 2.88 ERA) goes for Florida. As well, it'll be Atlanta at Philadelphia, Colorado at Arizona, the Mets at Cincinnati, the Cubs at Houston, Pittsburgh at St. Louis, the Dodgers at San Diego, and then also Milwaukee at San Francisco.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

The National Hockey League offers up just a pair of games on Wednesday night, with Buffalo at Toronto and Columbus at Chicago. The Blue Jackets and Blackhawks met in Columbus on Sunday, with Chicago pulling out a 1-0 overtime victory. Kris Versteeg had the game-winning goal in the extra frame for the Blackhawks, while Nikolai Khabibulin made 20 saves to pick up his second shutout of the campaign. Blue Jackets netminder Steve Mason stopped 24 shots.

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**pm530** · 04-08-2009, 04:57 AM

Six-pack for Wednesday

-- Manu Ginobili is out for the year, and with him go San Antonio's hopes of winning another NBA title.

-- Before Monday, the last time CC Sabathia started game without a strikeout was July 25, 2005 in Oakland.

-- Before Emilio Bonifacio got his inside-the-park homer in season opener Monday, the last inside-park homer on Opening Day was way back in 1968-- Carl Yastzremski at Tiger Stadium in Detroit.

-- There are 81 players on major league rosters this year that were born in the Dominican Republic.

-- Marcus Jordan, Michael's younger son, will play college ball in Conference USA for the Central Florida Knights.

-- Seattle, Kansas City and Detroit all wasted great outings by its starters, and lost games late on the road, with Twins scoring three runs in ninth to beat the Mariners 6-5.

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Late Night Update

-- A's got four quality innings of relief work after young P Cahill worked his way out of several jams- they beat Angels 6-4 for their first win of year. Oakland had 16 hits after being blanked Monday.

-- San Diego beat the Dodgers 4-2; strange sight seeing Heath Bell as the new Padre closer, after so many years of Trevor Hoffman in the San Diego bullpen.

-- Ubaldo Jimenez threw seven shutout innings in Arizona; after the slugfest Monday, Colorado shut the Snakes out 3-0.

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Wednesday's List of 13: Our list of underrated people, things.....

Wednesday's List of 13: Our list of underrated people, things.....

13) The mute button-- Whether its for Tony Kornheiser, Billy Mays or Richard Phelps, nothing squelches an annoying voice faster.

12) Tom Izzo-- Five Final Fours in the last 11 years? Underrated.

11) Professional hockey in person-- No sport loses as much in the translation to TV-- hockey in person is tremendous fun.

10) Hot dogs at the ballpark-- They might even taste better at minor league games, but you sit in your seat with a couple weiners and cold drink, and its instantly a better night.

9) Sean McDonough-- Of all the announcers ESPN parades in front of the microphone, no one does a better job on all three sports, but for whatever reason, he doesn't get that many prime assignments.

8) Walking on the beach at sunset-- Maybe because I've only been to the ocean a few times, but on a warm night at sunset, preferably with an interesting female, walking in the sand is very excellent.

7) Snooze bar on your alarm clock-- Have you ever felt worse after hitting it? I know I haven't.

6) Jerry Sloan-- Terrific player, tough as nails, and a better coach who has produced consistent winners in Utah, of all places. They said he rode Malone/Stockton for lot of years, but they're long gone and the Jazz are stilll winning a ton of games.

5) Drive-thru at Wendy's being open 'til 1am-- I mean, if its midnight on a Tuesday night and you're hungry, there's a quality alternative in food choices. Here in Albany, thats no small thing.

4) Getting stuff for free-- I went to Las Vegas few years back, with a stopover in Cleveland; right before I board plane in Cleveland, they say on the microphone that the flight is overbooked, and anyone who wants to stay an extra hour and take the next flight will get a $200 voucher on a future flight. I'm the first person to take the $200, which to me is a good deal-- chances are, I ain't winning $200 my first hour in Las Vegas. So I got half my fare for the next trip there.

3) Jeff Fisher-- Not easy to coach the same NFL team for more than a decade, especially one that played in three different cities during that time. Fisher has to deal with a goofy owner too; all he does is win.

2) Henry Aaron-- Surprised this guy hasn't picked up endorsement or two as a result of the post-steroids era. Lot of people still consider him to be the all-time home run champ. Whether he is or isn't, he has a ton of class, and remains a highly underrated player.

1) Our freedom-- People have lost their lives fighting for it- they go overseas and leave their families to protect us, so we can say what we want, do what we want. We shouldn't take this for granted.

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**pm530** · 04-08-2009, 04:59 AM

NBA
Long Sheet

Wednesday, April 8

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WASHINGTON (18 - 60) at CLEVELAND (62 - 15) - 4/8/2009, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 29-46 ATS (-21.6 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 25-36 ATS (-14.6 Units) as an underdog this season.
WASHINGTON is 13-22 ATS (-11.2 Units) in road games this season.
WASHINGTON is 24-44 ATS (-24.4 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 10-22 ATS (-14.2 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more this season.
WASHINGTON is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
CLEVELAND is 45-32 ATS (+9.8 Units) in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 40-26 ATS (+11.4 Units) as a favorite this season.
CLEVELAND is 25-13 ATS (+10.7 Units) in home games this season.
CLEVELAND is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in home games after a win by 10 points or more this season.
WASHINGTON is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) in road games after a division game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 11-8 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 13-7 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
10 of 20 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MEMPHIS (22 - 54) at ORLANDO (57 - 19) - 4/8/2009, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MEMPHIS is 71-86 ATS (-23.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) in a road game where where the total is between 195 and 199.5 points over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 30-47 ATS (-21.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 49-27 ATS (+19.3 Units) in all games this season.
ORLANDO is 37-25 ATS (+9.5 Units) as a favorite this season.
ORLANDO is 49-33 ATS (+12.7 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 42-28 ATS (+11.2 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 21-7 ATS (+13.3 Units) in non-conference games this season.
ORLANDO is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
ORLANDO is 24-14 ATS (+8.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
ORLANDO is 25-12 ATS (+11.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
MEMPHIS is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) second half of the season this season.

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

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TORONTO (30 - 46) at INDIANA (33 - 44) - 4/8/2009, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 30-43 ATS (-17.3 Units) in all games this season.
TORONTO is 15-26 ATS (-13.6 Units) as an underdog this season.
TORONTO is 33-47 ATS (-18.7 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 27-42 ATS (-19.2 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 13-22 ATS (-11.2 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
INDIANA is 27-18 ATS (+7.2 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 7-3 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 7-3 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW JERSEY (32 - 45) at BOSTON (58 - 19) - 4/8/2009, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 8-3 against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 9-2 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DETROIT (37 - 40) at NEW YORK (30 - 47) - 4/8/2009, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 33-44 ATS (-15.4 Units) in all games this season.
DETROIT is 18-28 ATS (-12.8 Units) as a favorite this season.
NEW YORK is 44-32 ATS (+8.8 Units) in all games this season.
NEW YORK is 35-19 ATS (+14.1 Units) as an underdog this season.
DETROIT is 77-58 ATS (+13.2 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 15-4 ATS (+10.6 Units) in road games when playing with 2 days rest over the last 3 seasons.
NEW YORK is 13-27 ATS (-16.7 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 6-4 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
NEW YORK is 5-5 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PHOENIX (42 - 35) at NEW ORLEANS (47 - 29) - 4/8/2009, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 33-43 ATS (-14.3 Units) in all games this season.
PHOENIX is 7-16 ATS (-10.6 Units) as an underdog this season.
PHOENIX is 14-23 ATS (-11.3 Units) in road games this season.
PHOENIX is 13-27 ATS (-16.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 68-54 ATS (+8.6 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 50-37 ATS (+9.3 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 33-42 ATS (-13.2 Units) in all games this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 11-22 ATS (-13.2 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW ORLEANS is 8-0 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
NEW ORLEANS is 6-3 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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ATLANTA (43 - 34) at MILWAUKEE (32 - 46) - 4/8/2009, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 42-34 ATS (+4.6 Units) in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) against Central division opponents this season.
MILWAUKEE is 30-53 ATS (-28.3 Units) in a home game where where the total is between 195 and 199.5 points since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 9-18 ATS (-10.8 Units) second half of the season this season.

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

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PORTLAND (48 - 28) at SAN ANTONIO (49 - 27) - 4/8/2009, 8:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 5-5 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 8-2 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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OKLAHOMA CITY (21 - 55) at DENVER (52 - 26) - 4/8/2009, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 44-33 ATS (+7.7 Units) in all games this season.
DENVER is 62-47 ATS (+10.3 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
DENVER is 24-15 ATS (+7.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 41-33 ATS (+4.7 Units) in all games this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 37-25 ATS (+9.5 Units) as an underdog this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
DENVER is 7-4 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
DENVER is 9-2 straight up against OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
9 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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UTAH (47 - 30) at DALLAS (46 - 31) - 4/8/2009, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTAH is 12-23 ATS (-13.3 Units) in road games after scoring 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
UTAH is 12-21 ATS (-11.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
UTAH is 26-13 ATS (+11.7 Units) against Southwest division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 37-25 ATS (+9.5 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 20-35 ATS (-18.5 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
UTAH is 7-3 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
UTAH is 6-4 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MINNESOTA (22 - 55) at GOLDEN STATE (28 - 49) - 4/8/2009, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 7-3 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 7-3 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**pm530** · 04-08-2009, 04:59 AM

NBA
Write-up

Wednesday, April 8

Hot Teams
-- Cavaliers won 14 of their last 16 games (4-9 vs spread last 13).
-- Pacers won five of their last seven games.
-- Grizzlies won four of last five games, covered six of last seven. Magic won eight of their last ten games.
-- Celtics won eight of last nine games, covered four of last five.
-- Hornets won nine of their last twelve home games.
-- Portland won five of its last six games.
-- Nuggets won their last seven games (6-1 vs spread).
-- Mavericks won three of their last four games.
-- Warriors won last three games, scoring 119.7 ppg.

Cold Teams
-- Wizards lost nine of their last eleven games.
-- Raptors lost their last two games, allowing 115 ppg.
-- Hawks lost five of their last seven games. Bucks lost eight of their last nine contests.
-- New Jersey lost six of its last eight games.
-- Pistons lost six of their last nine games. Knicks lost 11 of last 13.
-- Suns lost last four road games, allowing 124.8 ppg.
-- Spurs are 2-5 vs spread in game following its last seven wins.
-- Thunder lost three in row, six of last seven games.
-- Jazz lost three of last four games, covered one of last seven.
-- Minnesota is 1-6 vs spread in game following its last seven wins.

Totals
-- Under is 5-2-1 in Cleveland's last eight games; four of last five Wizard games went over.
-- Four of last five Indiana games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Memphis games went over the total; nine of last 12 Orlando games stayed under.
-- Eight of last ten New Jersey games stayed under the total.
-- Nine of last twelve Detroit games went over the total; six of Knicks' last seven games stayed under.
-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five New Orleans games.
-- Seven of last nine Atlanta games went over the total.
-- Over is 6-1-1 in last eight San Antonio games.
-- Five of last six Denver home games went over the total.
-- Last five Utah games went over; six of last nine Dallas games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last seven Golden State games went over the total; five of last seven Minnesota games stayed under.

Back-to-Back
-- Toronto is 1-3-1 vs spread last five times they played nite before.
-- Memphis covered five of last seven if they played the night before.
-- Knicks are 5-1-1 vs spread last seven times they played night before.
-- Hornets are 4-6 vs spread last ten times they played night before.
-- Hawks are 2-5 vs spread last seven times they played night before.
-- Portland is 3-6 vs spread on road if it played the night before.
-- Minnesota covered three of last four if they played the nite before.

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**pm530** · 04-08-2009, 05:00 AM

NBA

Wednesday, April 8

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Trend Sheet
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7:00 PM
MEMPHIS vs. ORLANDO
Memphis is 11-4 ATS in its last 15 games on the road
Memphis is 6-19 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Orlando is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Memphis
Orlando is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Memphis

7:00 PM
PORTLAND vs. SAN ANTONIO
Portland is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
Portland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
San Antonio is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Portland
San Antonio is 20-3 SU in its last 23 games when playing Portland

7:00 PM
TORONTO vs. INDIANA
Toronto is 3-10 ATS in its last 13 games on the road
Toronto is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Indiana is 2-5-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against Toronto
Indiana is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Toronto

7:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. CLEVELAND
Washington is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
Washington is 7-15 SU in its last 22 games when playing Cleveland
Cleveland is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games
Cleveland is 14-2 SU in its last 16 games

7:30 PM
DETROIT vs. NEW YORK
Detroit is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against New York
Detroit is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games when playing on the road against New York
New York is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Detroit
New York is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Detroit

7:30 PM
NEW JERSEY vs. BOSTON
New Jersey is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
New Jersey is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Boston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Boston is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games

8:00 PM
ATLANTA vs. MILWAUKEE
Atlanta is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Atlanta is 2-17 SU in its last 19 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing Atlanta

8:00 PM
PHOENIX vs. NEW ORLEANS
Phoenix is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing New Orleans
Phoenix is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing New Orleans
New Orleans is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games
New Orleans is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games at home

9:00 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. DENVER
Oklahoma City is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing Denver
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games when playing Denver
Denver is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

9:30 PM
UTAH vs. DALLAS
Utah is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Utah is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Dallas is 8-4 ATS in its last 12 games at home
Dallas is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games at home

10:30 PM
MINNESOTA vs. GOLDEN STATE
Minnesota is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Golden State
Minnesota is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing Golden State
Golden State is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Golden State's last 6 games when playing at home against Minnesota

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**pm530** · 04-08-2009, 05:01 AM

NBA

Wednesday, April 8

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Tips and Trends
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Utah Jazz at Dallas Mavericks [ESPN | 9:30 PM ET]

Jazz: Utah is coming off a huge 108-94 road victory at New Orleans on Sunday but needs to keep winning in order to stay ahead of Dallas in the standings. The Jazz shot nearly 54 percent from the field against the Hornets and built a 41-19 lead after the first quarter. “It’s a great way to start this road trip, give us a lot of confidence and realize that if we play like that every night, we can beat anybody,” Utah point guard Deron Williams said. “We’re happy to be in the playoffs, but we’re not happy to be an eight seed.”

Jazz are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
The OVER is 5-0 in Utah's last 5 games overall.

Key Injuries - F C.J. Miles (finger) is questionable.

PROJECTED SCORE: 100

Mavs (-3.5, O/U 207): Dallas can clinch the final playoff spot in the Western Conference with either a victory or Phoenix loss following a 140-116 rout of the Suns on Sunday. The Mavs would love to avoid a first-round matchup with the Lakers and hope Jason Kidd can continue his stellar play after recording 20 assists vs. Phoenix. “Jason Kidd has an iron will,” Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle said. “Some of the stuff that he was inventing out there offensively for us was just phenomenal. It kept giving our team more and more confidence and we rode the wave.”

Mavs are 2-7-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
The UNDER is 3-1 in the last 4 meetings.

Key Injuries - F Shawne Williams (personal) is OUT.

PROJECTED SCORE: 107 (Side Play of the Day)

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**pm530** · 04-08-2009, 05:02 AM

NBA

Wednesday, April 8

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Pick ‘n’ Roll: NBA best bets
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Washington Wizards at Cleveland Cavaliers (-14, 197.5)

As good as Gilbert Arenas is, Brendan Haywood’s return has been as big of a reason for the Wizards’ improved play. Haywood had 12 points and 10 rebounds in 32 minutes when Washington shocked Cleveland in D.C. last Thursday.

The Wizards have held the edge in rebounding and points in the paint in the three games since Haywood returned and the defense has been better.

“I would say Brendan's injury hurt us as much defensively than did missing Gilbert [Arenas] offensively," interim coach Ed Tapscott told the media.

It’s unclear whether Arenas will play in this game. Originally the plan was for Arenas to only play home games but there is just one remaining. In addition, he loves playing against LeBron James and the Cavs.

Washington has covered in four of the past five games against Cleveland. But the Cavs are stellar at home (one loss, 26-12 ATS) and no doubt will want to prove a point after last week’s loss.

Pick: Cleveland

New Jersey Nets at Boston Celtics (NA)

The Nets are playing well, having routed two playoff teams, Detroit and Philadelphia, in the past week. In fact, New Jersey held the Sixers to just 67 points Sunday, which is the fewest the Nets have allowed in three seasons.

It appears New Jersey is playing hard despite nearly being eliminated from playoff contention. That will be the case Wednesday if the Nets lose or if Detroit defeats the Knicks.

“Unfortunately, it's pretty unlikely that we'll make it, but we're going to play these games out regardless," the Nets’ Josh Boone told reporters.

Boston, which is 1-5 ATS in its past six Wednesday games, will be without Kevin Garnett for sure and the status of point guard Rajon Rondo is questionable after he left Monday’s practice after turning an ankle. The Celtics are 0-2 (and 0-2 ATS) without Rondo this season.

Pick: New Jersey

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**pm530** · 04-08-2009, 05:03 AM

MLB
Write-up

Wednesday, April 8

Hot Pitchers
-- Volstad is 2-1, 2.62 in his last six starts.
-- Phillies won Blanton's last seven starts, scoring 49 runs.
-- RJohnson has 2.57 RA in his last four starts.
-- Davis is 2-1, 2.83 in his last five home starts.
-- Astros won eight of last nine Moehler home starts. Lilly is 4-0, 1.93 in his last four starts.
-- Gallardo was 0-1, 2.57 in five starts last year.

-- Litsch is 4-1, 2.40 in his last six starts.
-- Bronx was 6-1 in Wang's road starts LY.
-- Red Sox are 15-1 in Lester's last sixteen home starts.
-- Greinke is 4-1, 2.08 in his last six starts.
-- Minnesota won eight of last nine Slowey home starts.

Cold Pitchers
-- Cabrera is 0-4, 8.23 in his last six starts.
-- Vazquez was 0-4, 13.78 in his last four starts for the White Sox.
-- Morales is 1-2, 8.38 in his last four starts.
-- Volquez has a 6.52 RA in his last three home starts. Pelfrey is 0-3 in his last five starts, with a 4.44 RA.
-- Duke is 0-1, 6.48 in his last three starts. Wellemeyer is 2-5, 4.06 in his last seven starts.
-- Billinglsey is 2-3, 8.06 in his last five starts. WSimon is making major league debut after a career in the Mexican League.

-- Miner is 0-1, 6.67 in his last five starts.
-- Japanese import Uehara is making big league debut for Orioles.
-- Kazmir is 0-2, 4.97 in his last five starts.
-- Carmona was 0-2, 5.16 in his last four starts LY. Padilla has 6.75 RA in his last six home starts.
-- Floyd is 1-2, 6.43 in his last four starts.
-- CSilva was 0-6, 8.22 in his last 11 starts LY.
-- Young prospect Adenhart ha a 9.00 RA in three starts LY. Eveland is 0-1, 6.77 in his last three road starts.

Pitcher vs Team
-- Blanton allowed two runs in two IP in his only start vs Atlanta, in a game where rain shortened his outing.
-- Davis had a 4.91 RA in two '08 starts against the Rockies. Morales was 0-1, 6.30 in two starts against Arizona LY.
-- Volquez allowed four runs in five IP in his only '08 starts vs Mets. Pelfrey was 0-1, 4.85 in two starts against the Reds LY.
-- Moehler was 1-2, 3.68 in four starts against Cubs LY. Lilly was 2-0, 1.40 in three starts against Houston last season.
-- Duke wais 0-2, 6.00 against St Louis LY. Wellemeyer was 3-0, 3.73 in five starts against the Pirates last season.
-- Billingsley was 1-2, 3.00 against the Padres last year.
-- RJohnson was 0-2, 9.90 against the Brewers LY.

-- Litsch shut Detroit out for seven innings in his only '08 start against them. Minor allowed one run in six IP in his only '08 start vs Toronto.
-- Lester was 3-2, 2.76 against Tampa Bay last year. Kazmir was 0-2 in six starts against Boston LY, with a 7.62 RA (only 28.1 IP).
-- Carmona had 7.88 RA in two starts against the Rangers LY. Padilla had an 11.42 RA in two starts against Cleveland LY.
-- Floyd was 1-2, 5.59 against the Royals LY. Greinke was 2-2, 7.25 vs White Sox LY; he was ejected in last start vs Chicago (beanball).
-- CSilva gave up nine runs in 3.1 IP in his only '08 start against Twins, who are also his old team.
-- Eveland was 0-2, 6.06 in three starts against the Angels last season. Adenhart gave up five runs in two IP in a May 1 start vs A's LY.

Hot Teams
-- No hot teams, no cold teams yet.............

Cold Teams
-- ..............this section will start later this week.

Totals
-- Under is 5-1-1 in last seven Volstad starts.
-- Last four Vazquez starts went over the total.
-- Three of last four Davis home starts stayed under the total.
-- Six of last eight Volquez starts went over the total.
-- Six of last eight Lilly road starts went over the total.
-- Four of last five Duke starts stayed under the total.
-- Over is 6-1-1 in last eight Billingsley starts.
-- All five Gallardo starts LY stayed under the total.

-- Three of last four Miner road starts stayed under the total.
-- Five of last six Wang starts went over the total.
-- Six of last eight Lester starts stayed under the total.
-- Over is 11-2 in Carmona's last thirteen starts.
-- Under is 3-1-1 in Floyd's last five starts.
-- Five of last seven CSilva starts went over the total.
-- Over is 10-7 in Eveland's last 17 starts.

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**pm530** · 04-08-2009, 05:03 AM

MLB

Wednesday, April 8

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Trend Sheet
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12:10 PM
WASHINGTON vs. FLORIDA
Washington is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing Florida
Washington is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Florida
Florida is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Florida is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games at home

3:05 PM
ATLANTA vs. PHILADELPHIA
Atlanta is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Atlanta is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Philadelphia is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Philadelphia is 16-6 SU in its last 22 games when playing Atlanta

3:40 PM
COLORADO vs. ARIZONA
Colorado is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Colorado is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Arizona is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Arizona is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Colorado

7:05 PM
NY YANKEES vs. BALTIMORE
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of NY Yankees's last 9 games on the road
NY Yankees are 9-3 SU in their last 12 games
Baltimore is 1-7 SU in their last 8 games when playing NY Yankees
Baltimore is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against NY Yankees

7:07 PM
DETROIT vs. TORONTO
Detroit is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Detroit is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Toronto is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Detroit
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit

7:10 PM
NY METS vs. CINCINNATI
NY Mets are 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing Cincinnati
NY Mets are 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 5 games

7:10 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. BOSTON
Tampa Bay is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Boston
Tampa Bay is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
Boston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay

8:00 PM
CHI CUBS vs. HOUSTON
Chi Cubs are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games
Chi Cubs are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games on the road
Houston is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
Houston is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games

8:05 PM
CLEVELAND vs. TEXAS
Cleveland is 16-8 SU in its last 24 games on the road
Cleveland is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Texas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Texas's last 8 games when playing Cleveland

8:10 PM
SEATTLE vs. MINNESOTA
Seattle is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Minnesota
Seattle is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Minnesota is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Minnesota is 14-7 SU in its last 21 games at home

8:11 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Kansas City is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Kansas City is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games
Chi White Sox are 10-2 SU in their last 12 games when playing at home against Kansas City
Chi White Sox are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing Kansas City

8:15 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. ST. LOUIS
Pittsburgh is 3-5-1 SU in its last 9 games
Pittsburgh is 3-10-1 SU in its last 14 games on the road
St. Louis is 6-1-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
St. Louis is 6-1-1 SU in its last 8 games

10:05 PM
LA DODGERS vs. SAN DIEGO
LA Dodgers are 2-4-1 SU in their last 7 games
LA Dodgers are 8-2-1 SU in their last 11 games when playing San Diego
San Diego is 1-5-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing LA Dodgers
San Diego is 1-3-1 SU in its last 5 games

10:05 PM
OAKLAND vs. LA ANGELS
Oakland is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Angels
Oakland is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
LA Angels are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games
LA Angels are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games at home

10:15 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. SAN FRANCISCO
Milwaukee is 3-5-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
Milwaukee is 1-3-1 SU in its last 5 games
San Francisco is 0-4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
San Francisco is 2-4-1 SU in its last 7 games

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**pm530** · 04-08-2009, 05:04 AM

MLB

Wednesday, April 8

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Tips and Trends
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Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox [ESPN2 | 7:05 PM ET]

Rays:. Southpaw Scott Kazmir heads to the hill for Tampa Bay and will be pitching at Fenway Park for the first time since seeing his team blow a 7-0 lead in Game 5 of the 2008 ALCS. Kazmir allowed only two hits in six scoreless innings with three walks and seven strikeouts before watching the bullpen implode. Even though the Rays went on to the World Series, Kazmir thinks they still need to improve. “I feel like we have to be better than we were last year,” Kazmir said. “And we’re capable of doing it. We know we can do it.”

Rays are 2-7 in their last 9 games overall.
The UNDER is 6-1-1 in Tampa Bay's last 8 games overall.

Key Injuries - OF B.J. Upton (shoulder) is on 15-day DL

PROJECTED SCORE: 3 (UNDER - Total Play of the Day)

Red Sox (-145, O/U 8.5): Jon Lester entered last year's ALCS with a perfect 4-0 mark and 3.38 ERA in seven career starts vs. Tampa Bay. However, Lester failed in two attempts to beat the Rays in that series, including a 3-1 loss in Game 7. He is coming off his best season with Boston at 16-6 with a 3.21 ERA and owns the highest career winning percentage of any pitcher since 1900 with at least 25 decisions at 27-8 (.771).

Red Sox are 7-2 in Lester's last 9 starts vs. Tampa Bay.
The UNDER is 10-4-1 in Boston's last 15 games as a favorite.

Key Injuries - 3B Mike Lowell (hip) is probable.
SS Julio Lugo (knee) is on the 15-day DL.

PROJECTED SCORE: 4

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**pm530** · 04-08-2009, 05:05 AM

MLB

Wednesday, April 8

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Hot Lines: MLB best bets
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Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox (-150, 8.5)

In Scott Kazmir and Jon Lester, Tampa Bay and Boston possess two of the top young left-handed pitchers in baseball. It's little coincidence that the Rays and Red Sox have represented the American League in the last two World Series.

The southpaws go toe-to-toe Wednesday night in Fenway Park as the AL East rivals continue their season-opening three-game set.

Lester is 27-8 in his career - a .771 winning percentage which is the highest of any pitcher since 1900 with at least 25 decisions.

Though the Rays return the same young nucleus that thrived in 2008, Kazmir realizes playing in the same division as the Red Sox and Yankees poses a stiff challenge.

"I feel like we have to be better than we were last year," he told the Rays' official Web site. "And we're capable of doing it. We know we can do it."

They proved little in Tuesday's opener, which was delayed by one day due to rain. Beckett struck out 10 in seven innings of two-hit ball as Boston won 5-3.

Kazmir is 6-7 with a 3.68 ERA in 23 career starts versus the Red Sox including postseason, but 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA in his last seven outings against them including a pair of starts without a decision in the ALCS.

Lester is 4-0 with a 3.38 ERA in seven regular-season starts versus Tampa Bay, but lost both of his starts against the Rays in the ALCS while posting a 4.97 ERA.

Pick: Under

Washington Nationals at Florida Marlins (-140, 9)

Led by Jorge Cantu and Emilio Bonifacio, the Florida Marlins have feasted on Washington Nationals pitching so far.

The Marlins will try to complete a three-game sweep of this season-opening series when they go for a seventh straight home victory against the Nationals on Wednesday.

Florida (2-0) has totaled 20 runs and 21 hits in cruising to two easy victories over Washington (0-2) to start the season. Cantu has homered in both games, and is 4-for-7 with five RBIs while Bonifacio is 6-for-10 with four runs scored and four RBIs.

While Cantu's power isn't a big surprise considering he hit a career-high 29 homers last season, Bonifacio has emerged as a key figure while batting leadoff for Florida. The Nationals are well aware of the third baseman's ability since they traded Bonifacio to the Marlins along with two minor leaguers for starter Scott Olsen and outfielder Josh Willingham on Nov. 11.

"The most important thing is that our pitching, and so far it's been pretty decent, our starting pitching," Florida manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "The offense is going to go here and there, but I think we got some speed in the lineup where you got to run into a tough pitcher but you should be able to manufacture runs with our speed."

The Nationals have seen their starters get chased after three innings in each game. John Lannan allowed six runs in Monday's 12-6 loss before Olsen fared worse Tuesday against his former team, yielding eight runs in an 8-3 defeat.

Washington trailed 6-0 after three innings on Monday and 8-0 after three on Tuesday.

After getting to Washington's first two starters, Florida will face Daniel Cabrera, who will make his National League debut Wednesday. Cabrera pitched the last five seasons for Baltimore, going 8-10 with a 5.25 ERA last season.

Pick: Florida

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**pm530** · 04-08-2009, 05:06 AM

MLB

Wednesday, April 8

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This Day in Baseball
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On April 8 in Baseball History...

1963 - The Tigers claim young pitcher Denny McLain from the White Sox for the $25,000 waiver price.

1968 - Opening Day is postponed because of the pending funeral of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who was assassinated on April 4, 1968.

1969 - Expansion teams Kansas City Royals, Montreal Expos, San Diego Padres, and Seattle Pilots make things look easy by winning their first regular-season games. The Expos win by scoring 11 runs against the Mets to win, 11-10. The Mets have yet to win an opener.

1969 - After a long recovery following a 1967 beaning, Tony Conigliaro starts his first game for Boston. His dramatic two-run 10th-inning home run gives the Red Sox a brief lead, and his 12th-inning run wins it.

1974 - In the fourth inning of the Braves home opener against the Dodgers, Hank Aaron parks an Al Downing pitch in the left-center field stands for career home run No. 715, breaking Ruth's once thought to be unapproachable record. With former teammate Eddie Mathews watching as Braves manager, that makes 1,227 home runs for just two players. The Braves win, 7-4.

1975 - Frank Robinson, making his debut as the Indians player-manager, homers in his first at bat (as a DH) during a 5-3 win over the Yankees. It is Robinson's eighth Opening Day home run, setting a major league record.

1987 - Faced with a storm of public criticism, the Dodgers fire vice president Al Campanis for racially insensitive remarks he made on the April 6 telecast of ABC-TV's Nightline news show. Campanis had said that blacks may lack some of the necessities to be a field manager or general manager.

1989 - One-handed pitcher Jim Abbott makes his major league debut but lasts only 4.2 innings in California's 7-0 loss to Seattle. Abbott, who bypassed the minors completely after starring at the University of Michigan, will finish the season 12-12 with a 3.92 ERA.

1993 - Carlos Baerga is the first player in major league history to homer from both sides of the plate in the same inning. The Cleveland second baseman clouts a two-run shot against Yankee southpaw Steve Howe in the seventh inning and finishes the frame with a home run from the left side of the plate against Steve Farr. He has two other hits in the 15-5 rout by the Indians.

1994 - Braves lefthander Kent Mercker no-hits the Dodgers, 6-0, in his first career complete game.

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**pm530** · 04-08-2009, 05:07 AM

NHL
Write-up

Wednesday, April 8

Hot teams
-- Blackhawks won last four games, outscoring opponents 11-4.

Cold teams
-- Sabres lost three of their last four games. Toronto is 2-6 in game after its last eight wins.
-- Blue Jackets lost four of their last five games.

Totals
-- Three of last four Buffalo games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last seven Chicago games stayed under the total.

Back-to-Back
-- Sabres are 4-7 if they play again the next night.
-- Chicago lost four of last six if they played the night before.

Series Records
-- Sabres won seven of last nine games against Toronto.
-- Chicago won six of last nine games against Columbus.

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**pm530** · 04-08-2009, 05:08 AM

NHL

Wednesday, April 8

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Trend Sheet
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7:30 PM
BUFFALO vs. TORONTO
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Buffalo's last 15 games
Buffalo is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Toronto's last 11 games at home
Toronto is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Buffalo

8:30 PM
COLUMBUS vs. CHICAGO
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Columbus's last 6 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Columbus is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Chicago
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Chicago is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

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Announcement

Wednesday Trends and Indexes 4/8 (NBA, MLB, NHL, Misc.)

Wednesday Trends and Indexes 4/8 (NBA, MLB, NHL, Misc.)

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